Exodus

@crucial the travel thing is the bigger issue for me than the £'s, makes it easier to have a family life when you are only away for a few days as opposed to weeks at a time.

I think if you are smart, a fringe AB player could carve out a decent career and make good coin in NZ, but this is at the expense of starting a family or being away form the family for long periods early on (some may see this as a blessing)

The comment from Lima would indicate that players in thier 20s are farking stupid if they didnt know this already.

claimed that more All Blacks in their 20s are likely to defect as awareness grows about their earning power.

I reckon the article might have 2 years mixed up with 2 seasons, from Japans possible upcoming double season

@stargazer said in Exodus 2019:

IMO, Brodie is the only player of the three who won't have to fear losing his grip on his starting spot any time soon.

I don't really see the point of letting a wing have a sabbatical. Reiko is great and all, but he has hardly earned it. That is n't a knock either I don't think there has been an AB wing in history who has been at a point in their career where they have "deserved" one of these and still had quality performances in the tank worth waiting for.

Brodie for sure. Beaudy only if it suits the team (i.e. worth getting a look at Mo'unga and/or shaking up the attack). Ioane no way.

I wonder if these negotiations bode well for the prospect of Hansen staying on, because to some degree he would have to have some input on how the mechanics of this would work.

Teariki Ben-Nicholas has signed a contract with Toulon as injury cover for Facundo Isa. I still don't understand why he was omitted by the NZ franchises for the 2019 SR.

Ardie Savea to Pau is a done deal

@jauzy019 I hope the ABs drop him if true. No point in rewarding fluffybunnies like that.

@jauzy019 said in Exodus 2019:

Ardie Savea to Pau is a done deal

When? Post RWC?

@jauzy019

This article earlier in the week suggested Ben Smith and Julian Savea are off to Pau after the RWC.

You seen anything newer?

@sparky said in Exodus 2019:

@jauzy019

This article earlier in the week suggested Ben Smith and Julian Savea are off to Pau after the RWC.

View embedded content

You seen anything newer?

Not Julian, Ardie. The title is wrong. In the body of the text it says "Le petit frère de Julian Savea, Ardie" (the younger brother of Julian Savea, Ardie), which makes way more sense. Unless Toulon already want to get rid of him, Julian is not going anywhere. He's signed with them until June 2020.

@booboo Yes, all French media who are reporting this move (they're basically repeating each other, no official news yet), speak of BFA and Ardie arriving after the RWC.

@stargazer "Julian Savea's younger brother, Ardie, would be an agreement to a longer period. Indeed, a contract of three seasons awaits its signature. If the different parties have agreed, the players have not yet officially signed but it's only a matter of time."

No signature yet.

@sparky said in Exodus 2019:

@stargazer "Julian Savea's younger brother, Ardie, would be an agreement to a longer period. Indeed, a contract of three seasons awaits its signature. If the different parties have agreed, the players have not yet officially signed but it's only a matter of time."

No signature yet.

Ardie has proved this year that he will actually be a fucken big loss.

For the RWC, there is no room for sentiment and they'll just have to pick the best opensides. Currently, the best three are Cane, Ardie and Todd (not necessarily in that order).

But as it comes to giving opportunities before the RWC, they should look at shown loyalty (Cane, Todd) and who will be there after the RWC (particularly Papali'i, but also Evans) if Ardie will indeed leave after the RWC.

If so, Lima's recent comments make more sense.

Not my life, and i think it's a shame but not surprisingly, given Cane's age, Todd still around, and Paps coming.

@stargazer Todd buggered off to Japan so I don't think he should be in a higher loyalty bracket than others.

@nepia said in Exodus 2019:

@stargazer Todd buggered off to Japan so I don't think he should be in a higher loyalty bracket than others.

Wasn't that cos Hansen never contacted him or something like that ?

@nepia He got a temporary stint in Japan, having already signed with NZR for 2019. He consulted Hansen & co before he signed (who reportedly didn't answer his phone calls). He has stuck around for years after repeatedly being snubbed, despite his great form, coming to the rescue every time he was needed. If anyone has been loyal, it's Todd.

@stargazer I didn't say he wasn't loyal, just that his loyalty isn't 'higher' than others. Ardie has been around for a long time as well.

I also highly doubt Todd will continue after 2019 as well.

@nepia Todd's loyalty has been higher than many others. If Todd leaves after RWC, it's because he's approaching the end of his career (playing SR since 2011 and AB since 2013), while Ardie is still at his prime (with the Canes since 2013, but only an AB since 2016). Ardie will only be 26 after next year's RWC. If he leaves, he leaves early. That's not the same level of loyalty by a long shot.

Anyway, if fit, all three, Cane, Todd, Savea, will be in the RWC squad. That was my main point.
I only think Ardie is using up some of his credit if he's leaving early, but I don't think it will matter much when the coaches will select the team for tests. 2019 is unlikely to be a year for developing players.

@nepia

Short term deal, but I actually agree.

I think it's the arrival of Paps and Cane's age that are the problem here, and probably that Savea may have to move to hold a place in the team.

@nepia said in Exodus 2019:

@stargazer I didn't say he wasn't loyal, just that his loyalty isn't 'higher' than others. Ardie has been around for a long time as well.

I also highly doubt Todd will continue after 2019 as well.

Todd is from Canterbury and they're all much more "Loyal" than the rest of the country. Everyone knows that, that's why Todd Blackadders book which was about as exciting and dynamic as his playing career was called. "Loyal"

Is it unpatriotic of me to mention how much I fucken hate that song ?

@mn5 What a nonsense, but yeah, the dig at Cantabs will get you the cheap upvotes.

No player has been used by the ABs, like Todd. Second openside, but too similar to Cane, so not selected because they wantend a different type of 7. But called up all the time when injury struck. That already started when McCaw was still playing and before Ardie got capped.

That doesn't apply to most other loyal players (from anywhere), but there are plenty of those at, or near, the ABs fringes, from other provinces than Canterbury. Charlie Ngatai - despite being injured often - waited a long time before going overseas; James Parsons is still in NZ; Brad Weber, Rob Thompson; Richard Buckman, Tom Franklin, Elliott Dixon. The last three took short-term Japanese stints instead of going to Europe on longer-term deals and will play SR again in 2019. Dixon, Thompson and Weber are signed through to 2020.

@stargazer said in Exodus 2019:

@mn5 What a nonsense, but yeah, the dig at Cantabs will get you the cheap upvotes.

No player has been used by the ABs, like Todd. Second openside, but too similar to Cane, so not selected because they wantend a different type of 7. But called up all the time when injury struck. That already started when McCaw was still playing and before Ardie got capped.

That doesn't apply to most other loyal players (from anywhere), but there are plenty of those at, or near, the ABs fringes, from other provinces than Canterbury. Charlie Ngatai - despite being injured often - waited a long time before going overseas; James Parsons is still in NZ; Brad Weber, Rob Thompson; Richard Buckman, Tom Franklin, Elliott Dixon. The last three took short-term Japanese stints instead of going to Europe on longer-term deals and will play SR again in 2019. Dixon, Thompson and Weber are signed through to 2020.

I'm not denying I wrote any old shit to get out of doing paperwork

@stargazer haha he got no votes! People that complain about up votes sound really whiney.

@bones said in Exodus 2019:

@stargazer haha he got no votes! People that complain about up votes sound really whiney.

Yeah cos my goal in life is to score votes from sad blokes on an internet forum.

Although in saying that I'm in the top ten but you're still ahead of me.....

but I don't care cos only sad guys would get upset by that.

@bones Fortunately then, that nobody was whining about it. :winking_face:

@tim 218th best halfback hahahahaha

@african-monkey still at least 10k places above me!! But any kind of international ranking like that is a laugh

Terrence Hepetema any good these days? Signed for London Irish last week.

By 'good', I mean good for the English second tier. See he played a little Super rugby for the Blues last season

@margin_walker He played quite well in the 1 start he got given for the Blues.

@african-monkey haha, yeah those rankings...

so 218th in the world, will be 52nd in France.

In NZ, he is in theory, in the top 15 halves being in a super rugby team....

That ranking is such a joke! Don't cheat and have look. Guess who they have ranked the 5th first five-eighth in Super Rugby! (Don't answer if you've already seen it). Virtual chocolate fish for who guesses right first.

@stargazer 20, 21 & 41....

@taniwharugby Look at 17, still there. Never played SR in his life.

Edit: 6th ranked 1st 5/8th is a joke, too.

@stargazer well BB is the best player in the M10 cup!

@taniwharugby They managed to get a lot of first-fives in that M10 Cup ranking that haven't played a single game this year!

@stargazer said in Exodus 2019:

That ranking is such a joke! Don't cheat and have look. Guess who they have ranked the 5th first five-eighth in Super Rugby! (Don't answer if you've already seen it). Virtual chocolate fish for who guesses right first.

I cheated.
Christ on a bike. He isn't even the best 1st5 at his family bbq.

@rocky-rockbottom think HUrricane!

@crucial said in Exodus 2019:

@stargazer said in Exodus 2019:

That ranking is such a joke! Don't cheat and have look. Guess who they have ranked the 5th first five-eighth in Super Rugby! (Don't answer if you've already seen it). Virtual chocolate fish for who guesses right first.

I cheated.
Christ on a bike. He isn't even the best 1st5 at his family bbq.

I haven't looked but can Guess from this comment.