Highlanders plan to snub draft

[esoj]

well highlanders are making an interesting move by deciding to not use the draft in super 14.

full story here http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/741674

 

[woosaah]

good find esoj

big call by the highlanders though, but it will benifit them in the long term and will help boost their chances in the air new zealand cup as well with more of their players gaining more experience at higher levels.

good stuff i say

 

[Black-Monday]

What is the draft? Infact anyone got a suitable way of explaining how people are elligible for each team and how fijians play for one team, and how Rawlinson became a Blue etc...

Cheers.

BM

 

[Ripper]

Easy, he's plays for North Harbour in the NPC, which is in the Blues zone.

And Fijians don't play for one team you dunce. It's all got to do what NPC team you play for.

 

[Black-Monday]

I meant how does a fijian play for one team and another for another, but if non nz players can play in the npc i understand. Is it the same with Rawlinson etc. How did Rico Gear go from Blues to 'saders?

BM

 

[woosaah]

gear switched provinces from auckland (guessing he was playing for them in npc i cant remember, could have been north harbour for all i care) and then went for nelson bays which falls under the crusader banner. that isnt really part of the draft at all...

i dont think anyone knows how the draft actually works.. ill see if i can find anything about it

 

[woosaah]

Super 14 draft defies logic

30.10.05
By Gregor Paul


The perplexed look adopted by Blues coach David Nucifora told of the pressing need for New Zealand's Super 14 selection process to be simplified.

The Australian endured his first taste of the process on Thursday last week and, despite walking away with a 28-man squad he was largely happy with, he was still at a loss to explain how he achieved his aim.

He diplomatically said: "It was a long day. But I think the process works. We ended up with the best players and that's always what you want."

It seems to work, though, more by good fortune than good management. The Blues have campaigned for some time now to drop the ruling that teams can only protect 24 players from their franchise area.

They can fill all 28 places from within their franchise and even then they still have to put players into the draft.

The Blues have argued that capping at 24 is arbitrary and punishes Auckland, North Harbour and Northland for developing talent.

This year the Highlanders protected only 17, the Chiefs and Hurricanes 22 and the Crusaders 23.

There were seven Auckland players picked up in the draft.

It is hard to understand the New Zealand Rugby Union's [NZRU] logic in only allowing a maximum of 24 to be protected. That ruling led to a bizarre situation on Thursday where the Blues had to release new All Black Isaia Toe'ava from their squad and take Rua Tipoki instead.

Nucifora had left Tipoki out of the 24, gambling he would retain him through the draft. His plan was thwarted by the intervention of the NZRU.

It seems utterly daft. Here were two players the Blues wanted to select - one developed by Auckland, the other by North Harbour - and a decision is made that Toe'ava has to spend eight months of his life in Wellington.

Yet, while the NZRU were prepared to intervene in the case of Tipoki, other anomalies went through unhindered.

Bradley Mika is now considered a No 8. The Blues couldn't find room for him in that capacity so the Crusaders, where he spent the 2002 season, picked him up.

The Crusaders, though, have All Black No 8 Mose Tuiali'i blocking Mika's way. A talented player with a big future - possibly even at test level as a No 8 - Mika is likely to spend most of the Super 14 season warming the Crusaders' bench.

Many promising players will suffer the same fate but while Mika is riding the pine, the Highlanders will be pressing the veteran Andrew Blowers into service as a makeshift No 8 as Grant Webb has a shoulder injury.

The Crusaders have also selected three specialist opensides in Richie McCaw, Johnny Leo'o and Tanerau Latimer. Again the Highlanders will operate with stretched resources, where Josh Blackie will be covered by Hale T-Pole, a tough blindside who can get by as a seven.

The Blues are convinced that by allowing teams to protect all 28 players if they want, the NZRU would eliminate many vagaries of the process.

But even if that day should come, it will still not protect every player who feels he's got a chance of making it.

This year the big omissions have been Bay of Plenty No 8 Colin Bourke. Drafted by the Highlanders last season, the 20-year-old has missed out altogether this time. As has Danny Lee, the former All Black halfback who signed for Hawke's Bay.

Also missing are Waikato prop Philemon Toleafoa from the Chiefs, Jason Shoemark at the Highlanders and Lifeimi Mafi at the Hurricanes.
[/b]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/event/story.cfm?...jectID=10352668

that tells you a little

 

[Black-Monday]

So theoretically, the NPC clubs could get all the good players in one province, and kick arse? Or is there a Wage cap to stop this?

BM

 

[woosaah]

there is going to be a salary cap in the air new zealand cup to spread the talent, it is going to make things interesting in the coming years

 

[Black-Monday]

That draft sounds barmy, while some of the names mean nothing. It still shows a flawed system.

BM

 

[woosaah]

well the system seams to work. having the two top teams of the competition being two new zealand teams.

and nucifora was happy about it, even though he got a crap team (he liked the team he just couldnt do anything with them)

 

[esoj]

the draft works fine imo. ultimately the super 14 is a tool used to find abs etc and so the nzrfu will always reserve the right to intervene in the selection process. with the franchise boundaries as they are a team like the blues that has 3 division one npc teams will always be screwed over by the draft as it is simply impossible for 3 to go into 1 team.

 

[Candyman]

I think this is a good move lets them bring through local talent and be stronger for the nz cup......this should be done in all teams

 

[Ripper]

Originally posted by Black-Monday@Jun 7 2006, 09:57 AM
That draft sounds barmy, while some of the names mean nothing. It still shows a flawed system.

BM

Of course if the Naptime Premiership used it, it would be greatest system ever.

 

[Black-Monday]

It would never happen in GP rugby. Purely for the fact that we have clubs and not regions. Also I couldn't quite see how the logistics would work. We have transfers when people go out of contract. Best thing to do and easiest to manage.

BM

 

[Ripper]

Originally posted by Black-Monday@Jun 7 2006, 09:16 PM
It would never happen in GP rugby. Purely for the fact that we have clubs and not regions. Also I couldn't quite see how the logistics would work. We have transfers when people go out of contract. Best thing to do and easiest to manage.

BM

Works for all Major Sports in America.

And Foriegners are allowed to play in the NPC... don't know why people think they can't.

Brock James was the Naki Player of the year in 2004.