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Carter and Evans to leave for Europe?

<div class='quotemain'> The NZRFU already do that - any All Black who is somewhat close to getting a regular spot in the squad get's a new Ford. [/b]

Well theres your problem right there! I don't want a bloody Ford Falcon, I want a Range Rover sport V8 Supercharged!
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Then you better bloody well ask for free petrol as well!
 
EhhhhSEEEHHHXX PRRRIIHAAADEEEE! INNIT!

chav.JPG
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*shudders* god I hate white trash...
We should do something to them, something German.
 
Add Caleb Ralph to the list. Just announced he's off to Japan for two years. Although to be fair, he did it the way a true NZ'er should, he's at the end of his career. Thought he was nothing flash, a decent all-round back, but I must congratulate him on having stuck around. Leaving at the end of his career, he must be a new radical.
 
Add Caleb Ralph to the list. Just announced he's off to Japan for two years. Although to be fair, he did it the way a true NZ'er should, he's at the end of his career. Thought he was nothing flash, a decent all-round back, but I must congratulate him on having stuck around. Leaving at the end of his career, he must be a new radical. [/b]

Well when two 19 year old kids are ahead of you in the playing rotation, you know it's time to either hang them up or move on.
 
<div class='quotemain'> Add Caleb Ralph to the list. Just announced he's off to Japan for two years. Although to be fair, he did it the way a true NZ'er should, he's at the end of his career. Thought he was nothing flash, a decent all-round back, but I must congratulate him on having stuck around. Leaving at the end of his career, he must be a new radical. [/b]

Well when two 19 year old kids are ahead of you in the playing rotation, you know it's time to either hang them up or move on.
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True, though my point was that he has been a fantastic servant to New Zealand Rugby and is only off chasing the dollar now. I'll always respect that.
 
Yeah its'amazing to look at Ralph, who everyone bags for being rubbish, and realise what he has achieved.

14 games for the AB's - 9 Tries

Unbeaten member of both the 05 and 06 Junior AB's

Regular player for NZ maori, including the first ever win over the Bristish and Irish Lions in 05

NPC - Played for Bay of Plenty, Auckland (17games) Canterbury (66 games( and Tasman (7games).

Played Super rugby for the Chiefs (6games) Blues and Crusaders (124games) where he got the record for the longest continuous run of games. He also managed to win a few Super Rugby ***les over that time.

And people also tend to forget that he played a few seasons with the dominate NZ 7s side.

Have any players achieved as much as Caleb Ralph has, at all levels of the game, I seriously doubt it.
 
What, being just good enough in an era of weak Canterbury wingers to cling onto the starting role, but bomb it everytime he got a chance to establish himself in the big leagues?
 
What, being just good enough in an era of weak Canterbury wingers to cling onto the starting role, but bomb it everytime he got a chance to establish himself in the big leagues?
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We all know if he was that terrible that Canterbury would have gotten some Fijian to take his place. ;)
 
A little over-cynical there Ripper. He's no all-time great, you'd be a fool to call him that. He's been more than a little lacking over the last two years, there's that too. He's far from a star player, but to say he's without quality is very short-sighted.

Scuuba really only looked at his highlights, but hey, he's deserved those moments.

If we could clone his ability to stay loyal to NZ rugby til the end of his career, we'd be injecting it into many of our domestic "stars". It'd be naive to think he's not had offers before now.
 
I wan't suggesting he'll be hanging in the NZ Rugby hall of fame any time soon. But it really blew me away just how much he has been a part of.

Sure he's been a part of some incredible teams that have no doubt carried some of the areas he has lacked. I was more explaining that I never thought that highly of Caleb Ralph until I realised just how much he has achieved and how long he's stuck around when he clearly reached the peak of his powers and was never going to get back into the AB's.

If McAlister had an ounce of that dedication and loyalty then he would have at least lasted until he was 27-28years old after the next WC.

McAlister may be the far more gifted player, but his CV isn't as thick as Ralph's just yet. I just thought that maybe for once he deserved sme credit where it was due, rather than the constant barrage of abuse he gets from everyone (Canterbury supporters included, anyone recall the massive banner hanging at Jade one year saying "Caleb Ralph eat D*ck)

Harsh stuff considering the guys with the banner were in Red and Black!!
 
Thats a post I totally agree with. We knock people for trying in NZ. If they aren't the very top draw, we blame THEM for being selected!

It's ridiculous!
 
a few quotes from an interview with anton oliver just recently.

Oliver says the last six months "have made me realise that professional rugby has lost all meaning to me now that I'm not playing for the All Blacks".

With top-of-the-table Toulon poised to make the French first division in the coming season, Oliver would stand to make "an obscene amount of money" if he stuck around.

"If I came back, it would be the most I have ever earned, by several streets - but that's all I would be playing for, the money, and if I did that I think I might lose something of myself that would be possibly irretrievable."

Rugby as moral prostitution? It's not the kind of talk that's spouted by his former All Black colleagues, the mercenary army now either playing overseas, set to play overseas or, in the case of Daniel Carter and Jerry Collins, rumoured to be on the verge of autographing a contract to do the same. And though forthright, he's not judging them, he insists. "Everyone's different. I'm solely talking about my own make-up, my own motivations."

there is another AB that went off shore at the end of his career!!
 
Well Oliver is going to Oxford next year, and I assume he won't be paying a dime. Which in the end will make up for the amount of money that he'd be making next year.
 
He's a pretentious ponce! In his book, Oliver talks about driving down the coast in NZ and having to pull over and just cry his eyes out, because a sunset was so beautiful. He also posed nude for a portrait. He does and says all these weird, "artistic", self-involved things and don't get me started on what I believe he began to do to the Highlanders. I'm glad he's over there. Please keep him and pay him in something he likes more than money.......worship.
 
He's a pretentious ponce! In his book, Oliver talks about driving down the coast in NZ and having to pull over and just cry his eyes out, because a sunset was so beautiful. He also posed nude for a portrait. He does and says all these weird, "artistic", self-involved things and don't get me started on what I believe he began to do to the Highlanders. I'm glad he's over there. Please keep him and pay him in something he likes more than money.......worship.
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Stop being so biased, Anton Oliver is king amongst men. :D

+ is hillarious
 
I wan't suggesting he'll be hanging in the NZ Rugby hall of fame any time soon. But it really blew me away just how much he has been a part of.

Sure he's been a part of some incredible teams that have no doubt carried some of the areas he has lacked. I was more explaining that I never thought that highly of Caleb Ralph until I realised just how much he has achieved and how long he's stuck around when he clearly reached the peak of his powers and was never going to get back into the AB's.

If McAlister had an ounce of that dedication and loyalty then he would have at least lasted until he was 27-28years old after the next WC.

McAlister may be the far more gifted player, but his CV isn't as thick as Ralph's just yet. I just thought that maybe for once he deserved sme credit where it was due, rather than the constant barrage of abuse he gets from everyone (Canterbury supporters included, anyone recall the massive banner hanging at Jade one year saying "Caleb Ralph eat D*ck)

Harsh stuff considering the guys with the banner were in Red and Black!! [/b]



fair enough hes a nice guy probobly. and doesnt deserve personal abuse. be hes **** and people want the teams they support to have strong players.
 
Well, Carter is off to Perpignan...

http://news.rugbyheaven.com.au/sport/all-b...80627-2xyr.html


All Blacks star Carter chooses Perpignan
June 27, 2008 - 4:16PM

Perpignan has emerged from left field to secure the services of All Blacks superstar Daniel Carter on his lucrative ground-breaking playing sabbatical in France.

While the south of France was always his preferred option for the six-month stint abroad included in his New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) contract extension, Carter was consistently linked to former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga's newly promoted Toulon or Biarritz.

Instead the premier pivot announced he has opted for their French Top 14 rivals Perpignan - another glamour club near the Mediterranean - for an undisclosed sum.

Carter will join Perpignan after the All Blacks' end of year tour to the United Kingdom and Ireland concludes with the Test against England at Twickenham on November 29.

He will miss next year's Super 14 tournament but return in June with an eye to retaining his position for the All Blacks early season internationals - despite having played practically non-stop for 18 months.

Perpignan's coup ends months of conjecture about Carter's sabbatical - a component that has also been included in captain Richie McCaw's updated NZRU deal.

Carter discussed the possibility of joining Toulon - where Umaga is coach - but Perpignan's involvement in next season's Heineken Cup tipped the balance.

"I have done plenty of research on both Toulon and Perpignan and whilst I have no doubt that I would have enjoyed Toulon, in the end, Perpignan's qualification for next year's European Cup swayed my decision," Carter said.

"If I'm going to play rugby in Europe I want to test myself against the best Europe can offer and I am excited about the challenges both the Top 14 and the European Cup will bring."

A key component of the All Blacks unbeaten start to a busy 2008 schedule, Carter said the challenge of testing himself in another rugby environment prompted his desire to play on France though he would miss the Crusaders.

"Obviously there is also some disappointment at not being able to be part of the Crusaders next year and that was probably the hardest part of my decision, particularly given how well the boys finished the season and the excitement around the new coaching structures next year," he said, suggesting he would be back in 2010.

Carter added he did not expect to be automatically be re-selected for the All Blacks.

"The All Black jersey is no one's by right and I fully appreciate that I will have to continue to play well and prove myself if I am to be involved with the All Blacks next year and beyond."

Meanwhile, Greg Bramwell, the managing director of the All Blacks apparel sponsor adidas, said there were no contractual problems despite Carter being aligned to the brand - while Perpignan wear Puma.

© 2008 NZPA
 

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