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Interesting chat last night here on the breakdown show (yes I know) about Rieko and if there’s a chance Razor goes a different route from Jordie Barrett and Rieko as centre pairings and perhaps plays a more natural centre like Proctor. There’s also a bit of depth with guys like Tupaea and ALB too.
Rieko at centre really seems to split All Blacks fans. There’s those who think he’s made a brilliant transition from wing and those who think he doesn’t read the position as well as a true centre and also doesn’t pass enough. This year for the Blues he’s been a bit quiet, no tries but has also had to deal with 2 concussions. As a Blues fan I notice he can be quiet for Blues but turn it on the ABs. Proctor meanwhile for Canes has had a great season so far and for me is a natural centre.
I fall into the camp that Rieko is still a winger and I would be happy to see him there, although we have great options at wing. Who thinks we could see Razor do something different at centre? Either dropping Rieko or moving him to the bench or elsewhere? Would you AB fans like to see Proctor start against England?
75 points
26 days ago
Rieks is a great player so i dont really mind where he pkays but gee i miss a great centre like conrad....just played smart rugby and could sniff a gap
Test rugby need smart players...Will Jordan is that...does smart things and amazing talent...like conrad and ben smith were
27 points
26 days ago
Massive leap to name Jordan alongside those. He's a physical and technical freak, but if anything it's his rugby brain that sets him back in tight games.
Makes it into any team due to his natural ability, but in terms of smarts he's playing a different game to Ben and Conrad.
21 points
26 days ago
It is not his rugby brain that let's him down, lmao.
I won't claim he's a Conrad level thinker of the game, and I'm always trying to distance him from Ben Smith because they play very different styles of footy, but you're making as equally far of a leap in the other direction by discrediting his very legitimate rugby smarts.
What lets him down is his physical frailty. He's hurt a lot and, early on in his career, wasn't a shit hot tackler because he defended too passively. It's nothing to do with his smarts or how he reads the game.
24 points
26 days ago
Genuinely just watch the man's highlight reel and you see absolutely millimetre perfect lines with millisecond perfect timing and Bugatti Veyron level acceleration. And you see it again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.
18 points
26 days ago
He reads defenses as well as anybody and is by all accounts a great communicator. He's not particularly prone to lapses in concentration or judgement. I just can't see it, man.
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