I know the idea has been floated before, but they almost need to look at a 2 squad model - for want of better labels, Northern and Southern hemisphere.
A squad of NZ and Aus based players (possibly South Africa too?) who could aim to play locally, perhaps the likes of Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia etc... not amazing fixtures, but fixtures none the less to keep the players ticking over. And then a squad for Euro and US based players, that could play in Britain or wherever, try and get opponents on the sort of Latvia Lithuania level initially...
That'd mean 40 odd players getting at least some international experience and practice, meaning when a really serious fixture rolls around you've got decent selection options. Flying a coaching crew to the northern hemisphere, rather than half a squad or more in either direction, would probably help the cost aspect too...
Am sure some would cry "devaluing the jersey", but I'd disagree - our current talent pool would make this more viable than at any other stage in our history. Might also raise the chance of getting some actual games again...
A squad of NZ and Aus based players (possibly South Africa too?) who could aim to play locally, perhaps the likes of Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia etc... not amazing fixtures, but fixtures none the less to keep the players ticking over. And then a squad for Euro and US based players, that could play in Britain or wherever, try and get opponents on the sort of Latvia Lithuania level initially...
That'd mean 40 odd players getting at least some international experience and practice, meaning when a really serious fixture rolls around you've got decent selection options. Flying a coaching crew to the northern hemisphere, rather than half a squad or more in either direction, would probably help the cost aspect too...
Am sure some would cry "devaluing the jersey", but I'd disagree - our current talent pool would make this more viable than at any other stage in our history. Might also raise the chance of getting some actual games again...
Idea definitely has some merit. Most of the first choice squad are now in Europe/USA, but could be real difficulty getting players downunder from Europe in January next year, when is the mooted OFC World Cup qualifying tourney. So could end up needing a host of A League/NZ based players. And if that tourney is played in sauna conditions in one of the Island nations, you'd have to question plucking heaps of players out of mid winter Europe for a hit & run 2 weeks in the heat.
So yes lots of merit in Hay keeping a big squad active/in touch via his Zoom calls.
But rather than operating 2 squads, surely Hay and the A League contingent can head up to Europe for one or more of the Sept/Oct/Nov windows. It will be the A League off season after all, and the coaching staff & players should have had their Covid jabs by then, allowing them to return downunder without 2 weeks MIQ. Even if is just a training camp in Euro, rather than any actual games. Squad badly needs time together, to give them a chance for those June 2022 intercontinental playoffs, when whoever they play will be match hardened & have played multiple games together as a team.