Dan Leo on PI players representing adopted Countries

[goodNumber10]

People would put forward the myth regardless. There are people who put forward players like Keven Mealamu, Ma'a Nonu or Tana Umaga as poaches. They've convinced themselves into looking for outrage so much that I doubt it would make a difference.

Perhaps, but that happens in all walks of life.

I've been reading the rugby press since the 80's and I don't recognise this continual onslaught of bigotry people refer to - yeah i agree things get repeated ad nauseum but I can't once recall Mealamu or Weepu being put forth as poaches.

Maybe that's because i just never had a real care where anyone came from, i just wanted to see the best teams playing the best teams, so articles like that never really interested me?

What annoys me is while NZ get 'poaching', and talk of how they 'owe' certain teams thrown at them, it's rarely put in context of how Samoa basically rely so heavily on NZ for their players. If NZ changed their second team from Junior All Blacks who haven't played for about 8 years now, to their U20 team like SA have, then Tonga would be without 7 or 8 players of their RWC squad.

yeah, i agree that Samoa and Tonga owe more to NZ rugby than the other way around. I don't think that's ever been in doubt.

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Stephen Jones use to be the absolute worst for it. I think that guy kept a photo of New Zealand hanging and threw flaming darts at it. The attitude could be typified with "if they look brown, they clearly weren't born in NZ, so therefore they have been poached."

Haven't heard much out of him for a few years now (not that I bother to look). But my god he use to spout some crap.

ah now, Jones is ok, he's clearly passionate about the sport, and he does have some genuine bee's in his bonnet (welsh regions - and he clearly hates touring New Zealand as a country), but he has long backed incoming tours for the Pacific islands and Lions to Argentina etc... and he loves the underdog. I've chatted with him a few times and he's not an unpleasant guy. He plays the devils advocate a lot, and as a Journo is happy to chuck out the occasional click bait especially when there is high profile games on that's kind of his job after all, but he's a 100% better than people like Rattue, and he's changed his tune a bit since the advent of the internet as a reliable way to get information and his facts are easily checked.

His infamous Island Raiders article was rubbish, and unwarranted, but he's changed his tune a lot of late.

The worst journo here, imho, is Mick Cleary. He seems to hate everyone, even his own country

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Stephen Jones use to be the absolute worst for it. I think that guy kept a photo of New Zealand hanging and threw flaming darts at it. The attitude could be typified with "if they look brown, they clearly weren't born in NZ, so therefore they have been poached."

Haven't heard much out of him for a few years now (not that I bother to look). But my god he use to spout some crap.

stenphen jones is a troll. AS amn internet blogger you should have learnt that its best not to feed a troll in other words, just don't read his articles.

 

[Mcfadden]

I don't really go looking for them, never have. They just use to be plastered on kiwi rugby sections and being a bit more naive back in the day I would check them out. You quickly work out what each journo is all about and their associated grudges! But you won't get any argument out of me that NZ (like anyone) has it's share of idiots too. I don't want to sit here putting people down too much, but Rattue and to a lesser extent Reason spring to mind.