Interesting discussion. But would WSW be attracting their mammoth support without 1. winning lots of games and 2. doing it with imports. No. The Phoenix get one chance now Herbert's gone. Only winning will reignite the Phoenix club, and you always have to ask yourself what would you do if it was your money (as an owner). Kiwi players will get their opportunity regardless if they're good enough. If the objective becomes developing Kiwi talent above anything else, then NZF should be paying for it. I'm personally hoping they appoint an Oz coach with connections to get the right Oz players here. The need to get back to the old fortress thing at the Cake Tin is a given, but this new squad need to lift the bar away from home with mentally hard and tough customers that won't give a damn yard. We won't do that with a Kiwi player development focus. That's why our young guys tend to do so well when they move to oz clubs. The bar is just so much higher.
Interesting discussion. But would WSW be attracting their mammoth support without 1. winning lots of games and 2. doing it with imports. No. The Phoenix get one chance now Herbert's gone. Only winning will reignite the Phoenix club, and you always have to ask yourself what would you do if it was your money (as an owner). Kiwi players will get their opportunity regardless if they're good enough. If the objective becomes developing Kiwi talent above anything else, then NZF should be paying for it. I'm personally hoping they appoint an Oz coach with connections to get the right Oz players here. The need to get back to the old fortress thing at the Cake Tin is a given, but this new squad need to lift the bar away from home with mentally hard and tough customers that won't get a damn yard. We won't do that with a Kiwi player development focus. That's why our young guys tend to do so well when they move to oz clubs. The bar is just so much higher.