September 13, 2024 • 10 mins
Super Rugby has had yet another overhaul.
The big change is that only the top six teams will make it to the playoffs, and one of those six will make it to the semis as a lucky loser.
Sportstalk's D'Arcy Waldegrave tried to make sense of it, and got Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge on the show to give his thoughts.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Duncie Wildegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Were joined in now on Sports Talk by Colin Mansbridge
as we look to the decision made in Super Rugby
Pacific twenty twenty five season a six team finals format.
Of course, eleven teams produced for one after the Rebels
managed to well, they've lost themselves on a financial mya.
Colin Mansbridge, out of the Crusaders, joins us now. First up, Colin,
(00:36):
your initial your gut reaction to this.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I'm quite excited by it actually because it's a little
different and so obviously the competitions come in for some
criticism historically dance around the you know, too many teams
making the finals. I think a lot of the pundits
were saying that to us. So when they've come up
with this format, the Super v Pacific Awards come up
with this format, that one at six and then there's
(01:02):
there's a bit of jeopardy in there, but you know,
somebody who's performed really well in the round robin gets
another chance. I actually quite like it. Actually, it's quite
a neat neat format.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Did you were you involved as a CEO in the
club itself and setting this up. Do they like talk
with you? Were you considered?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yeah, absolutely, we were consulted. So the new board that's
been established, which is his first full assembly today, actually
the first full assembly meeting today that Jack Nessley, the
new CEO, reached out or him and his team, you know,
some months ago and sort of said, you know, what
did you like about last year? What could be better?
(01:42):
That was integrated with a bit of fan feedback and
some options were sort of thrown around the table. And so, yeah,
we were consulted. I wouldn't say we were influential in
the outcome, rather than consulted as any stakeholder should be.
So I think it's a fair, fair process, and I
actually like the fact that we've got a super Rabia
Pacific board thinking about these things with a fan first
(02:06):
mind on set. How can you get good finals quality
and quantity into those weeks rather than just you know,
who's thellowedest voice amongst the clubs.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I agree with you on this. I've shatted a lot
to Kevin Malloy and he's very open to it. He's
a direct number we need to hear from the people.
We want to talk directly to the people. So that
attitude Matt Barlow as well, and I'm hoping that Meatly
is the same. I think we can feel that and
(02:37):
that's that's got to be good because it is about
the fans, isn't it about us?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Colin, Well, well, we've just spent we spent a day
in Auckland yesterday, the CEOs and the head coaches doing
some work with a SUPERABI Pacific review of last year
and what might you know, what might be some of
things for twenty twenty five. And Jack spent Jack lead on.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
This is the first.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Conference with us, he's met most people. He's done a
really good job getting around and understanding what clubs and
what the national unions need of you know, all the islands,
New Zealand and Australia, and then actually also trying to
put a fan first. And he kept bringing us back
to fan all the way through it. So and I
(03:24):
think for when you turn up there with your crusader's
hat on, and you know you're thinking, well, what's good
for crusaders, and then Jack's just dragging you back to well,
what's good for all of the fans of the competition.
You know, I'm really impressed, really impressed. So I like Jack.
I think he's a good man. He's got a very
much a fan hat on and and the board that
(03:47):
Kevin leads, now, yeah, they are very very objective and independent,
so excited by where we can go with this thing.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
There's positives, there are negatives as well, and it would
be remissive me not to mention that the one that
seems to be popping out is that there is a
lucky loser. How does does that structure work with you?
That someone can get beaten but they can still come
back and win the whole shooting match.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
So the one for me that really when we went
through the bit of scenario analysis about what could happen,
I'm sitting there and thinking one verse six in the
round robin, and let's assume one went through and were unbeaten.
So think about a Blues of a few years ago.
They go through, they're unbeaten, and they play the sixth
rength finalist in that qualifying final and they get beaten
(04:37):
by a point, you know, in the eighty third minute.
And let's say I don't know, they're carrying a couple
of injuries or whatever, and you go, gee, you know
they've they've gone through unbeaten in all those rounds and
fourteen matches. You just wonder whether it's a bit tough
(04:58):
on them not to get a second chance. And so
I sort of I looked at it that way rather
than oh, you know, it's just it's just giving a
loser a second chance. I sort of thought, well, what
about a winner of a round robins or first or
second fantastic round robin, minor premiership winners. And then they're
sort of sitting there going, yeah, that's our season gone through,
(05:21):
but of bad luck, bad fortune. Now it's probably unlikely
to happen that way, but I think for you know,
qualifiers one, two, three, four and the other thing, it
actually forces you to it's not just about making the finals.
This year. The best thing or in twenty twenty five,
the best thing you can do is actually rank well.
So every ranking count every ranking place counts because it
(05:45):
gives you the potential for that life. So it's not
just making the finals and am I going to get
a home or in a way, actually, I just got
to get as high as I can because that's going
to make a difference in the final series.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
CEO of the Crusaders Super Pacific joins US colon Man's Bridge.
I've read a conspiracy theory that it might be open
to a rought, whether the top qualifier maybe tanks the
first week knowing they're still going to life and it
might set them up better come semi finals time. Do
you smell a rat there to think that ever happened
in this competition.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I love conspiracy theories made. I just think they're the
most awesome things. The reality is, when you get to
that stage in the competition, what's more likely is you're
going to want You're going to want cohesion. You're going
to want, you know, consistency, You're going to want your
combinations to be better and better. Resting athletes is always
(06:44):
a contentious issue because you know, quite often, especially if
they're all blacks or they're playing a lot of NPC
on the top of super, it can be a long,
hard season. But I don't think when you come to
finals time, I think you're looking at combinations right, and
nobody's going to plan to nobody's going to plan their way.
I wouldn't have thought you'd want to. You want to
(07:05):
see your way home home home would be what your
strategy would be. So and I just can't see people
throwing a game. Frankly, I just it's too risky. So yeah,
I think you're probably going to try and go home, home,
home and get your combinations going.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So colin sixteen player format work through that, that seems good.
What about the draw that's just around the corner. I
need to believe that there's going to be more and
more day games, more Sunday games. Obviously you can't let
the cat out of the bag, but how's that draw looking.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
So yeah, we've seen a couple of drafts and the
way we're thinking it's going to land for us is
that we're going to end up playing New Zealand team's
home and away for the first time in a few years.
We'll end up with seven home matches, which, you know,
without a super around this year, it'll be nice for
(08:04):
us to be seven at home this year. And then yeah,
there are some different start start times just to try
and test what happens around broadcast versus attendance. You know,
there were some matches last year where we learned a
bit around the broadcast didn't suffer greatly, but attendance performed
(08:26):
really well in some afternoon matches. So I think all
of that research from last year has gone into what
this year looks like. So again, sometimes it's easy to
just say, right, fans, what this, fans want that, and
people make those calls based on intuitional gut feel that.
The good thing I like about Jack, Matt and the
(08:47):
team have done this year is they've they've come with
a little bit more research inside.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
And com Mansbridge. The schedule teams play four teams twice,
so that rivalry is very much set up. This is
this is either into Island or into Key. We rivalry
six remaining teams just once. I mean that's key in
the way that works. You're you're looking at the fact
that people love derbies and you need to work with that.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
I think that's that we you sort of it can
get a little bit hard around trying to, you know,
try to build a competition that has equity and you know,
these guys getting a fair run and these guys getting
a fair run. But the fans tell us, and this
is where Jack comes in and his team. The fans
just always tell us, I like watching those historic derbies,
(09:41):
and so you know, you just can't get away from them,
so what why not embrace them? And so yeah, it
might make it a bit tougher in perception for some
teams than others, but I think you just got to
respond to what the fans want within reason. So yeah,
I'm really excited about what next year looks like.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Duncie Wildegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Were joined in now on Sports Talk by Colin Mansbridge
as we look to the decision made in Super Rugby
Pacific twenty twenty five season a six team finals format.
Of course, eleven teams produced for one after the Rebels
managed to well, they've lost themselves on a financial mya.
Colin Mansbridge, out of the Crusaders, joins us now. First up, Colin,
(00:36):
your initial your gut reaction to this.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I'm quite excited by it actually because it's a little
different and so obviously the competitions come in for some
criticism historically dance around the you know, too many teams
making the finals. I think a lot of the pundits
were saying that to us. So when they've come up
with this format, the Super v Pacific Awards come up
with this format, that one at six and then there's
(01:02):
there's a bit of jeopardy in there, but you know,
somebody who's performed really well in the round robin gets
another chance. I actually quite like it. Actually, it's quite
a neat neat format.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Did you were you involved as a CEO in the
club itself and setting this up. Do they like talk
with you? Were you considered?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yeah, absolutely, we were consulted. So the new board that's
been established, which is his first full assembly today, actually
the first full assembly meeting today that Jack Nessley, the
new CEO, reached out or him and his team, you know,
some months ago and sort of said, you know, what
did you like about last year? What could be better?
(01:42):
That was integrated with a bit of fan feedback and
some options were sort of thrown around the table. And so, yeah,
we were consulted. I wouldn't say we were influential in
the outcome, rather than consulted as any stakeholder should be.
So I think it's a fair, fair process, and I
actually like the fact that we've got a super Rabia
Pacific board thinking about these things with a fan first
(02:06):
mind on set. How can you get good finals quality
and quantity into those weeks rather than just you know,
who's thellowedest voice amongst the clubs.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I agree with you on this. I've shatted a lot
to Kevin Malloy and he's very open to it. He's
a direct number we need to hear from the people.
We want to talk directly to the people. So that
attitude Matt Barlow as well, and I'm hoping that Meatly
is the same. I think we can feel that and
(02:37):
that's that's got to be good because it is about
the fans, isn't it about us?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Colin, Well, well, we've just spent we spent a day
in Auckland yesterday, the CEOs and the head coaches doing
some work with a SUPERABI Pacific review of last year
and what might you know, what might be some of
things for twenty twenty five. And Jack spent Jack lead on.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
This is the first.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Conference with us, he's met most people. He's done a
really good job getting around and understanding what clubs and
what the national unions need of you know, all the islands,
New Zealand and Australia, and then actually also trying to
put a fan first. And he kept bringing us back
to fan all the way through it. So and I
(03:24):
think for when you turn up there with your crusader's
hat on, and you know you're thinking, well, what's good
for crusaders, and then Jack's just dragging you back to well,
what's good for all of the fans of the competition.
You know, I'm really impressed, really impressed. So I like Jack.
I think he's a good man. He's got a very
much a fan hat on and and the board that
(03:47):
Kevin leads, now, yeah, they are very very objective and independent,
so excited by where we can go with this thing.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
There's positives, there are negatives as well, and it would
be remissive me not to mention that the one that
seems to be popping out is that there is a
lucky loser. How does does that structure work with you?
That someone can get beaten but they can still come
back and win the whole shooting match.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
So the one for me that really when we went
through the bit of scenario analysis about what could happen,
I'm sitting there and thinking one verse six in the
round robin, and let's assume one went through and were unbeaten.
So think about a Blues of a few years ago.
They go through, they're unbeaten, and they play the sixth
rength finalist in that qualifying final and they get beaten
(04:37):
by a point, you know, in the eighty third minute.
And let's say I don't know, they're carrying a couple
of injuries or whatever, and you go, gee, you know
they've they've gone through unbeaten in all those rounds and
fourteen matches. You just wonder whether it's a bit tough
(04:58):
on them not to get a second chance. And so
I sort of I looked at it that way rather
than oh, you know, it's just it's just giving a
loser a second chance. I sort of thought, well, what
about a winner of a round robins or first or
second fantastic round robin, minor premiership winners. And then they're
sort of sitting there going, yeah, that's our season gone through,
(05:21):
but of bad luck, bad fortune. Now it's probably unlikely
to happen that way, but I think for you know,
qualifiers one, two, three, four and the other thing, it
actually forces you to it's not just about making the finals.
This year. The best thing or in twenty twenty five,
the best thing you can do is actually rank well.
So every ranking count every ranking place counts because it
(05:45):
gives you the potential for that life. So it's not
just making the finals and am I going to get
a home or in a way, actually, I just got
to get as high as I can because that's going
to make a difference in the final series.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
CEO of the Crusaders Super Pacific joins US colon Man's Bridge.
I've read a conspiracy theory that it might be open
to a rought, whether the top qualifier maybe tanks the
first week knowing they're still going to life and it
might set them up better come semi finals time. Do
you smell a rat there to think that ever happened
in this competition.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I love conspiracy theories made. I just think they're the
most awesome things. The reality is, when you get to
that stage in the competition, what's more likely is you're
going to want You're going to want cohesion. You're going
to want, you know, consistency, You're going to want your
combinations to be better and better. Resting athletes is always
(06:44):
a contentious issue because you know, quite often, especially if
they're all blacks or they're playing a lot of NPC
on the top of super, it can be a long,
hard season. But I don't think when you come to
finals time, I think you're looking at combinations right, and
nobody's going to plan to nobody's going to plan their way.
I wouldn't have thought you'd want to. You want to
(07:05):
see your way home home home would be what your
strategy would be. So and I just can't see people
throwing a game. Frankly, I just it's too risky. So yeah,
I think you're probably going to try and go home, home,
home and get your combinations going.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So colin sixteen player format work through that, that seems good.
What about the draw that's just around the corner. I
need to believe that there's going to be more and
more day games, more Sunday games. Obviously you can't let
the cat out of the bag, but how's that draw looking.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
So yeah, we've seen a couple of drafts and the
way we're thinking it's going to land for us is
that we're going to end up playing New Zealand team's
home and away for the first time in a few years.
We'll end up with seven home matches, which, you know,
without a super around this year, it'll be nice for
(08:04):
us to be seven at home this year. And then yeah,
there are some different start start times just to try
and test what happens around broadcast versus attendance. You know,
there were some matches last year where we learned a
bit around the broadcast didn't suffer greatly, but attendance performed
(08:26):
really well in some afternoon matches. So I think all
of that research from last year has gone into what
this year looks like. So again, sometimes it's easy to
just say, right, fans, what this, fans want that, and
people make those calls based on intuitional gut feel that.
The good thing I like about Jack, Matt and the
(08:47):
team have done this year is they've they've come with
a little bit more research inside.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
And com Mansbridge. The schedule teams play four teams twice,
so that rivalry is very much set up. This is
this is either into Island or into Key. We rivalry
six remaining teams just once. I mean that's key in
the way that works. You're you're looking at the fact
that people love derbies and you need to work with that.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
I think that's that we you sort of it can
get a little bit hard around trying to, you know,
try to build a competition that has equity and you know,
these guys getting a fair run and these guys getting
a fair run. But the fans tell us, and this
is where Jack comes in and his team. The fans
just always tell us, I like watching those historic derbies,
(09:41):
and so you know, you just can't get away from them,
so what why not embrace them? And so yeah, it
might make it a bit tougher in perception for some
teams than others, but I think you just got to
respond to what the fans want within reason. So yeah,
I'm really excited about what next year looks like.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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