Super Rugby Pacific 2025

[PhilClinton]

I am glad someone found it funny!

 

[John S]

Just go to show how much Tahs are living rent free in people's minds.

 

[PhilClinton]

Making a joke about the Tahs in an NBA forum would be considered living rent free.

Making a joke about the Tahs in generic Super Rugby Pacific discussion on a rugby forum is probably more like just living.

 

[John S]

Maybe - but coming on top of nearly a page worth of Tahs comments in the match threads for the QFs just puts this additional joke up there.

 

[Brumby Runner]

That's a decent response in my view.

A six team final series is always tricky. Teams 1 and 2 don't really want a week off in the first week of the finals because the extra home final is worth a fair bit of money. Until last weekend it is pretty much unheard of that a sixth placed team will beat the minor premiers.

One of the things I read about the final series originally is that the matchups (and a progressing loser only dropping one place) was designed as the method which ensured there couldn't be a repeat matchup from week 1 to 2.

Dropping No 1 to No 4 in the semis and raising No 6 to No 3 ensures there will be no repeat match ups in the semis. The other two semi finalists are both winners so couldn't possibly have played the week before. Just a smokescreen.

 

[Tomthumb]

And why would they schedule the 3rd vs 4th game last? Surely it should have been on the Friday to ensure it wouldn't have been viewed as a dead rubber if other results went the way it was expected?

 

[MarkJ]

That might have been a request from Nine/Stan - have the Australian game in the Saturday 7.30pm timeslot

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

It would appear so...

“Super Rugby Pacific management sought input from all stakeholders in scheduling the qualifying finals fixtures.

“While the first preference of the Brumbies was to play on Saturday afternoon, it was ultimately decided to be in the best interests of the competition for the game to be scheduled in the peak television time slot in Australia."

The Post

www.thepost.co.nz

 

[Highlander35]

Best losers systems are the worst

 

[Tomthumb]

I would argue that more eyeballs onto a playoff game that would be literally pointless isn't a good thing for the competition

Thankfully the Blues saved the day

 

[Slim 293]

That might have been a request from Nine/Stan - have the Australian game in the Saturday 7.30pm timeslot

Yep, when the Brumbies became the only Australian team to host a game it was always going to be on Saturday night...

 

[JRugby2]

I would argue that more eyeballs onto a playoff game that would be literally pointless isn't a good thing for the competition

Thankfully the Blues saved the day

No but regular scheduling is important to retaining and building viewership. My guess off the back off MarkJ's comment is that RA/Nine/Stan probably wanted to retain that 7:30pm Saturday slot as their premier timeslot for rugby, and it would have been far too late for the Saders to host the Reds in ChCh

 

[Tomthumb]

Yes but it's the playoffs, at this point of the year the integrity of the Comp needs to take priority. And if No Aussie team made the top 3 the slot wouldn't have been there anyway

And surely all these permutations would have been thought of when they came up with this system before season started? Feels like they picked a finals structure out of a hat and just never thought about it again

 

[JRugby2]

But we did have a team in the top 3, and nothing set in stone prior so this is a moot counter point IMO. I suppose to believed benefits of ensure that we had the Australian team who had earned a home final (and therefore most likely to win) to be playing in our best slot, outweighed any perceived hits to the integrity of the comp?

As a side, while it's less likely to be an issue in the NRL/ AFL with most of those comps being played out of the east coast - I guarantee in those competitions any clash like this (comp integrity vs broadcast), broadcast will win.

Agree it's definitely been a weird structure to finals. It seems no one in either Super Rugby or any of the teams spent the time to go through possible scenarios to work out where the fail points we're and probably why we'll see our 3rd iteration of a finals structure in 3 years.

 

[KOB1987]

The overall finals structure was fine, all that needs to happen is the lucky loser drops to the bottom of the pile.

 

[Tomthumb]

As a side, while it's less likely to be an issue in the NRL/ AFL with most of those comps being played out of the east coast - I guarantee in those competitions any clash like this (comp integrity vs broadcast), broadcast will win.

True, although I get the feeling they wouldn't get themselves in the pickle in the first place

 

[Strewthcobber]

I thought it was a fun season at times, but it sure is interesting just how much "inertia" there is in this comp, especially since COVID.

Crusaders win, the Chiefs lose the final, the Brumbies lose the semi-final, the Reds lose the quarter-final.

 

[Derpus]

It started strong and reverted to the norm. Almost like the three best teams have access to more money and the best talent…

 

[Dan54]

Not sure about money Derps, I am confident the Crusaders have a great academy, and the fella that runs that is out looking for recruits all the time. Apparently he does have an eye for talent. Also young players are probably drawn to successfully run outfits/teams.

 

[Wilson]

It's pretty much the entire 6 this year that have been there or there abouts - only the Crusaders have missed the finals once since Covid, and they've won it all whenever they've been there. Very clear separation in the comp between that group (Crusaders, Chiefs, Blues, Brumbies, Hurricanes and Reds) and the rest.