Can't believe that some posters were claiming that Weepu and Nonu played well last night. Weepu was still only ordinary, and Nonu looked like he didn't want to be there. His decision making in attack was particularly woeful.

Because the fans will flock to the stadium when Lam gets fired?

Not this season...

Might as well give me the job.

Biro? Gyro? Pyro?

Action may at worst slow down the fan drain, whereas inertia will aggravate the situation

Weepu was going OK for a while - but then went to shit in the 2nd half...

I've defended Nonu this season, because he's largely been good for us. However, he was poor last night, and I said exactly the same thing as you - he looked completely disinterested. He should have been shot on the spot for that grubber kick - Stanley + Ranger v. Savea on the overlap, and he fucking grubbers it!? FUCK OFF! Then later in the game he knocks the ball on under no pressure, and basically just stops, like nothing had happened and the game was over.

IMO he looks like a player who has given up, but also knows that he is guaranteed to be selected for the Ireland series. He has no incentive to bother trying. If he is going to be an AB he needs to be rested for some games. The Crusaders rested Sam Whitelock last week, and rotate our AB props to the bench every 3rd week. Why aren't other teams resting their AB players, especially when they have no chance of playing finals footy.

If you were the coach, would you pick him next week after that?

He threw in the towel last night - anyone that says otherwise was watching a different game. I was pissed off - really pissed off actually. He doesn't deserve to start next week.

Chuck Stanley in at 12 and put Parkes into 13. Munro to fullback. Or whatever...

But Nonu should be dropped.

He was up against Tim Bateman, FFS. As much as I like Bateman, he is worse than before he went to Japan and Nonu was the best 12 in the world last year. This was a match in which Nonu could prove that he still commands the 12 jersey for the ABs. Instead, he acted as if he really couldn't give a fuck

Didn't Nisbo say Nonu was going to play club rugby today? Ridiculous, if true.

Why would the Blues let him?

What a fucking mess.

If the NZRU is ultimately responsible for the Super Rugby franchises as you seem to be implying, they look to be doing an alright job to me.

No Ali, I saying the Blues should be looking for new coach now, let him start looking at players he needs to sort shit out, but don't stick him with mess that is there now, Lam and players still have something to prove, and let them try, but let new coach just start looking at who is available next year etc. Question in air is who is actually available to come in now and take over? I almost never agree with changing coaches mid season.

So you want a new coach to be appointed and to be actively recruiting new players, whilst Lam is still in the job? How could that situation possibly be tenable?

Some good arguments on both sides. I certainly do not think that the review of the entire structure that needs to happen at the Blues can be done properly mid season and no way a proper coaching selection process can work in this time frame.

I don't buy that recruitment is that big a problem either.

But Lam has to go. Now. Appoint an interim and deal with next year and the head coaching future at the end of the season.

Bring Ted in for the last 6 games if they have to. Anyone.

Nonu has done that a few times in the past when he's made mistakes playing in the Hurricanes sides. The ref hasn't blown his whistle and is playing advantage, yet he throws in the towel. No heart.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saving himself for the matches that actually have some meaning for him !!

Nonu has been not much worse than he's been for the last few years, he needs the team around him to be dominating or he does fuck all. All his tries happen when the defence is on the ropes, this devastating runner thing is a myth. It used to be true, but back then he couldn't pass or catch, the one year he could do them together was 2008. Nowadays Dagg makes more linebreaks in a game than Nonu does in a season.

I don't see how Penny next year would make a difference.

Hypothetically speaking, what would we be saying if the Blues won their last remaining games of the comp and finish with a 7 - 9 win/loss ratio and the same players and coach?

If Lam is to go at the end of this season, surely the board have to go as well as the Blues have been complete and utter shit since Andy Dalton and a new board has to be appointed sooner rather than later so they get the ITM Cup to have a look at players/coaches and begin their planning.

If we're going to pick Nonu and Weepu for the ABs this season, then Ali Williams cannot be omitted from the Irish squad for form reasons. Besides, Steve Hansen has already hinted that all three are already in the squad.

So why dump Lam at all? If no coach will make a difference to the Blues form, then why bother replacing him?

Other than the fact that whereas Nonu and Weepu played damned good rugby last year, Ali was a bit-player in the RWC2011 team and never played really well even for the Blues

Clearly something is rotten with the Blues, Lam clearly needs to go, but also there needs to be changes well above him too.

And below him, within the playing squad.

Well, maybe. Before the season, looking at the squad, pretty much everyone would've picked the Blues as either first or second in the NZ conference, surely Lam has some pretty decent cattle doesn't he? I honestly think the loss of Ice and Rudi Wulf has been huge for them.

I think there is still some dead wood at the Blues. First five is still an issue, Hobbs and Anscombe are ITM Cup standard at best. Saili and Lowrey have had lots of opportunities to show their worth, but they are still average at this level. Woodcock aside the props are only average too, and there are too many AB level players who aren't playing like ABs (Weepu, Williams, Nonu, Mathewson and Ranger).

I hear Weepu and Nonu turned up for there clubs in Wellington today.
What's that about?
A J Whetton having a moan about it.

No pride in living in Auckland, hardly surprising though, any time I go up there every Aucklander I meet never actually admits to being an Aucklander, they are always from somewhere else.

Well, maybe. Before the season, looking at the squad, pretty much everyone would've picked the Blues as either first or second in the NZ conference, surely Lam has some pretty decent cattle doesn't he? I honestly think the loss of Ice and Rudi Wulf has been huge for them.[/quote]

I think there is still some dead wood at the Blues. First five is still an issue, Hobbs and Anscombe are ITM Cup standard at best. Saili and Lowrey have had lots of opportunities to show their worth, but they are still average at this level. Woodcock aside the props are only average too, and there are too many AB level players who aren't playing like ABs (Weepu, Williams, Nonu, Mathewson and Ranger).[/quote]

Well.................Hobbs has only ever shown form in the first few weeks of Super Rugby, before the teams get fit and organised. Anscombe is a boy on a mans errand. Saili and Lowery both play DUMB rugby. Against the Canes, Lowery would have scored if he thought to look for the ball from Hobbs ealy 'bomb'. In the front 5, only Faumuina looks like a Super Rugby player! The Blues problems must be laid at the feet of the recruitment team, and if only for that, AC is right, Lam must go now!

If that's true then they are taking the absolute mickey out of Lam. And passively attempting to assert their control over the embattled coach. Both players are emerging as cancerous influences at S15 level, across different teams. This is the 2nd season in a row where they have directly challenged the authority of their coach. Last year Hammett was widely criticised for being unable to motivate these two players, with posters such as rugga and UncleFB playing the race card, claiming that as a caucasian Hammett didn't understand Polynesian players. Well Lam is Polynesian, what excuse will supporters of Weepu and Nonu make now considering their form is worse this year than last? Maybe Lam is too Polynesian? I would hate to have either Nonu or Weepu at the Crusaders, and any team in NZ that signs either player would have to be stupid or fucking desperate.

BTW UncleFB, are you going to apologise to Hammett for playing the race card last year, and suggesting that Hammett was unwilling or unable to connect with players of Polynesian backgrounds?

Anscombe is clearly a good player, behind Barrett and Cruden sure, but still class. Hard to argue otherwise. As for the forward, Faumaiuna is awesome, should probably make the ABs this season so clearly Woodcock isn't the only decent forward. One can see clearly though there is no confidence at all amongst the squad and all are playing well below what one would expect of them. Surely Lam is largely to blame for that.

I just remembered that I posted this the other day, and apart from the comment about Lowery's haircut, the same things are true this week! As a Southern man, used to suffering at the hands of the Auks/Blues for years, I should be enjoying this, but I'm not. It's been long said, and needs to be true, that if Auckland rugby is strong, so is NZ rugby. Lam out! Lam out! Lam out!

Normally I'd roll my eyes reading that, knowing that you were off again on your troll, but I actually will have to admit that maybe you're right.
It can't be healthy for the team morale with them doing as they please.

That sounds like a casserole recipe.
I agree with you though, it's a strange feeling, having pity for Auckland.

Yep..........weird all right. But honestly, how did they make some of their hiring decisions? I mean who made the decisions? Surely it wasn't only Lam?

PS (just got the casserole thing! Duh!)

No idea. Ask AC, he'll tell you in great detail.
In fact I bet he will...

FFS, AC, just because the old board has been wiped it doesn't mean you can just make shit up and not be called on it. Just stop it with this bullshit, your love and affection for Hammett is turning you a little crazy.

I never played the race card - as any one around here would know I firmly played the a) Hammett is inexperienced and not from the region, and b) there were better candidates (both in the region and out) cards. Which I standby.

Furthermore, your attempt to lump all the woes of the Blues on Weepu and Nonu is as feeble and ill thought out that you could have a fine career as a NZ sports journalists - if you ever decide you want to live in NZ.

Assuming he ever did.

You fucking did. Just because the board has been wiped doesn't mean you can't pretend you weren't hysterical last season about Hammett. We both know what you posted and we both know you are lying when you deny playing the race card.

I distinctly remember you saying that the Caucasian Hammett couldn't connect with Polynesian players, and using examples of Weepu, Nonu and Gear to illustrate this point. You then went on to blame Hammett's inability to connect with and motivate Polynesian players on the fact that his coaching experience had been at the Crusaders, which is a predominately white team. You made this point more than once, taking great delight in doing so every time you did.

Well what's your excuse this year for your favourite two players, Weepu and Nonu, this year? Like Hammett, is Pat Lam not able to connect with Polynesian players? Perhaps he doesn't understand the needs of Polynesian players? Perhaps he's too inexperienced to motivate such highly credentialed players? Or perhaps Nonu and Weepu are just arseholes?

AC make shit up? Perish the thought!

(He tends to get particularly, er, imaginative when he wants to kill a few hours before kick-off.)