Chris Lendrum head of professional rugby at NZR gives an update on Super Rugby, The All Blacks and what the future of rugby looks like in NZ. Video / Sky Sport
COMMENT:
Sporting miracles do happen, even in a pandemic.
They come in all shapes and sizes of course. So here goes ...
Kevin Proctor
It's a miracle the NRL forward will get any more game time this year. Come on people, Proctor took a little chomp on fellow Kiwi ShaunJohnson's arm. And as Proctor himself said, biting is the lowest of the low (although in reality the everyday clout to the head is probably more damaging).
Proctor's wide-ranging defence team, which actually included Johnson, swung into impressive action after the Titans forward was sent off against the Sharks.
The judiciary demanded that players cease conducting their defence cases in public. But the judiciary also appeared swayed by the avalanche of support and gave him a light four-week sentence.
In terms of deciding guilt, I'll go with the judiciary ruling, the TV pictures and what was clearly Johnson's initial claim on the field.
Kiwis and Titans forward Kevin Proctor has copped a four week ban for biting Shaun Johnson. Photo / Photosport
As an aside, I'm told it was Proctor who gave Johnson a serious serve at halftime in the sheds during the Kiwis-Kangaroos test at Mt Smart Stadium two years ago.
The Kiwis had dominated possession but done little with it in the first spell. Johnson had a second-half blinder, inspiring a 26-24 win.
Proctor looked none too pleased when Johnson danced around him to set up a Sharks try during Saturday night's match in Sydney.
Aaron Smith
Where does the little All Black get all that energy from? After a tiring week hunting down face masks, tracing every movement and staying on the lookout for managed isolation escapees, watching the Highlanders halfback is like getting an adrenaline charge.
Highlanders co-captain Aaron Smith enjoyed a stellar Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign. Photo / Photosport
Smith buzzes around for almost an entire game like a crazy wasp in a jar. He certainly showed up the tired Hurricanes in the last round of Super Rugby Aotearoa, where Smith put on another masterclass in relentless precision.
I used to find his constant chat and cheek annoying. But now he's like the nation's fun and fitness instructor. Nothing seems to get him down. He's a miracle of nature.
Every time Smith appears under challenge, he pulls away as our best halfback by far. He does have a rival in the Amazing Atom Ant stakes though. Springbok halfback Faf de Klerk's overall involvement in games is probably even more incredible.
North v South (or how about another concept?)
It's a miracle to me that the cobbled-together North v South rugby showdown is still on.
And what's the point if Auckland players are sidelined if and when the game is shifted out of level 3 Eden Park and played in level 2 Wellington?
Let's forget about the questionable selection criteria - "Almost North" v "South" just won't cut it.
Maybe NZR should scrap that concept and quickly find a new one. How about the All Blacks versus The Rest? That would give it an edge - a David versus Goliath feel. Or what about the Champion Crusaders versus The Rest? There's some genuine tribalism in that idea.
Rugby needs plenty of miracles quite frankly. It's hard to find genuine, appealing, exciting solutions to the problems it faces in this part of the world.
Super Rugby Aotearoa was an amazing success, but it can only be a short-term solution.
Sport either resonates with the crowd or it doesn't. SRA worked magnificently. It was an absolute joy, showcasing an amazing rugby nation.
I doubt this North v South thing will get close.
The NRL and Telstra
Unbelievable. They actually backed down over the plan to force the Warriors' main sponsor of 22 years, Vodafone, to quit after this season.
The NRL can come up with all the excuses it likes about having already warned the Warriors that Vodafone's presence breached a telco exclusivity clause in favour of the premiership's naming sponsor Telstra.
To inflict this ruling on the club at this point in time, when the team is stuck in Australia and may have to camp there again next year, is a case of very poor timing to put it nicely. Actually, it is downright insulting - the NRL should be ashamed of itself.
I'm guessing that Telstra realised its brand was getting a PR hammering, although it would have taken the miracle of all miracles for it to openly declare "we got it wrong".
For my money, Vodafone's incredibly long involvement with the Warriors should give the company a permanent exemption. The NRL/Telstra attitude is small-minded.
But I also suspect it will take another miracle for Vodafone to remain with the Warriors long term.
I doubt we got Warriors CEO Cameron George's true feelings on the matter either. Initially silent, he swung into a conciliatory PR mode as soon as Telstra tweeted out its U-turn.
Considering everything else going on, dealing with the problem must have been a nightmare.
Todd Payten
The interim Warriors coach has performed a minor miracle, steadying the ship in Australia after Stephen Kearney's sacking.
Payten's tenure will be short, but the club and its fans should be eternally grateful for what he has achieved in very trying circumstances.
And a few weeks of solid performances confirm that new owner Mark Robinson and co. got it dead right when they decided Kearney's time as coach must come to an end even though the team was stranded in Australia.
Kearney is a man who deserves respect, but he just isn't a top first-grade coach. It's that simple. Some people have it. Some people don't. It's a very tough job.
Sacking him was among the boldest calls in the history of New Zealand sport, but the right call. And inferences out of the camp that Kearney was the man holding things together proved to be a baloney.
The Kearney-Payten handover also shows how quickly new alliances are formed in professional sport, no matter how much people drivel on about loyalty. It is a very pragmatic business.
