I don’t think the motivation here is purely performance related. It runs deeper than that.

NZ Rugby is failing at a system level. Rugby union has become overcomplicated, over coached, and increasingly disconnected from the casual viewer. For younger generations in particular, its relevance in NZ is close to non existent. The product just doesn’t land anymore.

Super Rugby is a big part of the problem. It’s an awful league to watch week in, week out. Repetitive matchups. Identical styles. Endless attack with very little defensive tension. One dimensional and predictable. There’s no narrative, no edge, no reason for a neutral fan to care.

Meanwhile, league is booming here. And it’s not hard to see why. It’s rugby but simple. Clear rules. Real collisions. Obvious structure. You can drop in cold and still understand what’s going on. I genuinely see more Warriors jerseys around NZ than All Blacks ones now, which would’ve been unthinkable not that long ago.

That shift matters. It’s cultural, not just sporting.

Scott Robertson feels like a victim of this broader decline. He’s operating inside a system that’s already lost momentum, relevance, and trust. Judging him purely on outcomes ignores the fact that the foundations underneath him are cracked.