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Scott Robertson and the Crusaders ignore code war antics in Melbourne

(Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

If there’s a code war going on, the Crusaders and the Storm know nothing about it with the two powerhouse clubs again coming together in Melbourne.

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Storm NRL captain Christian Welch presented the Crusaders players with their game jerseys on Friday before they took on the Melbourne Rebels in their Super Rugby Pacific clash.

The Rebels had a 12-point lead at halftime at AAMI Park but the defending champion Crusaders roared home to post a 43-27 victory.

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Tensions between rugby union and rugby league have been exploded lately following the signing of NRL wunderkind Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii by Rugby Australia.

RA have reportedly next set their sights on Brisbane powerhouse Payne Haas.

However the return to the league of All Black Roger Tuivasa-Sheck prompted NRL boss Peter V’landys to declare RA should change its name to “Rugby Boomerang” because he said players always come back.

Despite the verbal sparring the long-time love-in between the Crusaders and Storm continued, with coach Scott Robertson spending time this week with Melbourne mentor Craig Bellamy and football boss Frank Ponissi.

Last year Robertson revealed they’d based a season campaign on the Storm, using the NRL club as a “theme” for a year.

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He said the theme was called “Purple Reign”, feeling that the two entities shared the same trademarks, standards and behaviours.

In 2017 they drew inspiration from Muhammed Ali’s underdog victory in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.

As well as regular meetings and lunches over the years they have also traded players during pre-season training, with Bellamy jokingly proposing they swap Crusaders playmaker Richie Mo’unga for Storm larrikin Cameron Munster.

“Yes I saw Bellyache (Bellamy) and went to their training,” said Robertson, who was recently been named to take over the All Blacks job after this year’s World Cup.

“We’ve got a great relationship … Cam Munster was there slinging a few one liners at me after I got the job so we’ve got some good banter and a really good connection between the two clubs.

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“It was good to connect with them and Christian Welch presented our jerseys to us and it was a nice touch.”

It may however have made for an awkward time at home for Welch, particularly after the result, with the Storm skipper sharing a flat with Rebels captain Brad Wilkin.

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reginaldgarcia 1 hour ago
Crusaders rookie earns 'other than Dupont' praise from All Blacks star

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J
JW 2 hours ago
Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

MP are a NZ side through and through, NZ is even having to pay for it.

Yes they caved to public demand, I bet it accomplished a lot of internal goals. They could have left it to the other groups, but I’m of the belief that they weren’t showing the capability to make it work as being a good reason for NZR to jump in and do it. I think it’s actually funded 50/50 between NZR and WR though.

(when nothing was stopping a pi player playing for any side in Super Rugby)

Neither is that fact true. Only 3 non NZ players are allowed in each squad.


I see you also need to learn what the term poach means - take or acquire in an unfair or clandestine way. - Moana have more slots for non eligible players (and you have seen many return to an NZ franchise) so players are largely making their own choice without any outside coercion ala Julian Savea.

Not one of these Kiwis and Aussies would go live in the Islands to satisfy any criteria, and I’d say most of them have hardly ever set foot in the islands, outside of a holiday.

Another inaccurate statement. Take Mo’unga’s nephew Armstrong-Ravula, if he is not eligible via ancestry in a couple of generations time, he will be eligible because he plays his rugby there (even if he’s only their for rugby and not living there), that is a recent change made by World Rugby to better reflect examples like Fabian Holland and Fakatava.

It’s becoming the jump-ship/zero loyalty joke that international League is.

Look I understand you’re reason to cry and make an example at any opportunity, but you don’t really need to anymore, other recent changes made by WR are basically going to stop the Ireland situation, and time (perhaps no more than a decade) will fix the rest.

26 Go to comments
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