Players ain't guilty

If anyone has any doubts about the real reasons for people like Evans and Collins not to have been selected for the All Blacks squad this year, go and see Henry talking and the players answering.

They have been left out because they are seen as traitors.

It is funny that so many players during last RWC (Chris Jack, Luke McAlister, Doug Howlett, Aaron Mauger, Byron Kelleher, Carl Hayman...) were nowhere near of being treated the unpolite way that Collins and Evans have been treated and it is also funny to see that the "beautiful girl" Dan Carter has not been treated this way (maybe the decission of not unfolding his close future yet was even suggested by the NZRU to let Henry select him for the All Blacks)

So, Evans is a traitor and deserves no All Black jersey and so it seems happens with Collins. This message of strength that the All Black selectors are sending... is this the right way to proceed? I mean, are the players guilty of trying to make the most of their time-limited career? Is it greed or common-sense or a player like Evans heading to England?

I am the first one that hates seeing the best kiwi players playing for english clubs. I damn hate it. I hate it more than anything. But.. Is Henry right when he puts on the brave face and rules these "traitors"? Who's responsible for New Zealand rugby not offering competitive salaries? Are the players responsible?

I can remember Robbie Deans advising Carter to do what is best for him... Who would not? When you truly appreciate someone you want this someone to do what is best for him... But it seems NZRU wants players to stay despite the players' own ideas of what is best for them.

I am going to miss Nick Evans more than most will. But I understand him and maybe it is now or never.

So sorry, Henry and NZRU, but players ain't guilty.

Oh, no!!!

Graham Henry, from this blog I have ever been supportive of you as an All Blacks coach and I was the first to say you deserved to stay even when your own words were to judge you based on the RWC performance.

But I must say that I would have never expected you to say, just one day after Jerry Collins announced that he was to break his NZRU contract, that he would not have made the All Blacks in any case.

Mr. Henry: I think it does no good to anyone. Not that people could not see that JC was a bit out of form, but still he was our clear first option at blindside. And, if it was not yours, it does no good at all to say it just one day after JC spoke. It is good that people like Kaino or Read have a chance. They do deserve it. But, does JC deserve you saying this? Are you at war on him or anything? It is, in the best of the possible situations, a very nasty thing to say.

I have always supported you, Mr. Henry, but I feel it is fair to say that this was an ugly thing to do.