Contextual Goalkeeping
The Rugby League World Cup Mess, In Defence Of Michael Woud & Sarpreet Singh's Impressive Debut
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Scotty’s Word
NZRL and this RLWC…
Crazy times for kiwi sports and trying to keep up is proving to be a sport in itself. We’ve had the recent news of NZRL and ARLC opting out of the RLWC to be hosted in England later this year and I wrote about that on Saturday morning, just as differing views were entering the chat. Obviously those in England weren’t too chuffed and nor was the Rugby League Players Association who outlined how many players were eager to partake in RLWC.
The first thought here ties in with the Olympics as there is the illustrious nature of Olympics and World Cups is extremely present right now. Very few athlete have opted out of the Olympics despite there being various reasons to do so and while we know that the Olympic is incredibly prestigious for sports where their pinnacle is an Olympics campaign, the same vibe is evident in other sports such as basketball with Team USA. Maybe surfing with the best WSL surfers loving their Olympic experience.
The Olympics holds massive appeal for athletes. I’m not saying this ever dipped or waivered, I have just observed this appeal in the first few days of Tokyo’s action. The same is evident in rugby league where different bits and bobs suggest that players are eager to play in a World Cup. No matter how it may feel in-between, these events are still the gold-standard in sports and I think that’s fantastic.
For the NZRL and ARLC to make the decision for their players is very strange. They are basically taking the decision away from individuals and given that many of these individuals would love to play at a RLWC, this does give off a yucky stench. NZRL and ARLC have thrown up the idea of looking after their players and officials as their reasoning for this, although that would be equally as possible in allowing each individual to make their own choice.
I reckon NZRL are just following what the ARLC decides and that NRL clubs are likely dictating this decision. Apparently every NRL player is entitled to eight weeks leave and factoring in he World Cup, players would not be back with NRL clubs until February. On Saturday’s Triple M show, James Graham outlined how this ‘leave period’ is often manipulated so that international players don’t miss so much of their NRL clubs training over summer; the club would encourage a deal to re-organise the leave period.
So, there is already a culture or system where international players are at a disadvantage with their NRL clubs. Very few players would be graced with a full leave period if they play in a World Cup and it’s often in their own best interests to give up some leave just to ensure they get something close to proper off-season training. NRL clubs basically rule over the relevant international schedules.
If players really want to play at RLWC, then we will see the real power of the RLPA. Through the RLPA, players could get into a legal stoush around their RLWC plans and this would be fascinating to observe. The thing is though, if there is no action from the RLPA that means players didn’t want to actually take action. That then flips the RLPA’s statement around as they believe a large chunk of players do want to play yet they didn’t actually take any action so … what?
There is no reason why NRL clubs would want their players traveling to England in this climate for a RLWC. No reason or incentive. They pretend as though they want to celebrate international rugby league and the growth of rugby league around the world, however this simply does not align with their desires - most of which are short-term as GM’s and coaches are fighting for their jobs.
Of course, if rugby league is more popular around the world that means the NRL is more popular around the world. NRL clubs don’t think like that though and as we have seen with the immense focus around State of Origin at the expense of international rugby league, the NRL’s only concern is Australia.
Hence we are in this predicament.
As I wrote in Saturday’s piece - don’t assume anything about Samoa and Tonga rugby league.
There does not appear to have been any resolution in Tonga Rugby League vs Tonga Invitational although there is movement in a positive direction. Both nations are directly reporting to their nation’s political governance and hopefully that stuff can be figured out for Tonga, while Samoa is currently undergoing political upheaval and their old Prime Minister who was kinda forced out of parliament was/is the Patron of Samoa Rugby League.
This is tricky at every level. Ultimately international rugby league loses and I’m still waiting for the first Aotearoa Kiwis Test since 2019.
Wildcard’s Notebook
Here’s the thing y’all gotta know about Michael Woud: this guy ain’t just some chump. This guy has been nothing short of fantastic at age grade World Cups for New Zealand. He joined the Sunderland academy as a teenager and has played top flight football in the Netherlands for Willem II. Last season he joined Almere City in the second tier and started every single game for them as they pressed for promotion (which they missed out on, but still). Only two keepers kept more clean sheets than Woud’s 14 from 38 matches in the last Eerste Divisie. All this before the age off 23 in a position where guys don’t normally peak until their 30s.
It is true that Woud has got a shocker in his locker now and then, most young goalies do. This one last season for Almere City for example...
But anyone who watched that Honduras game last night and came away from it thinking that the kiwi keeper is a disaster is someone whose ignorance is showing. It was a bad day at the office for him. Goalkeeping errors are highlighted and exaggerated but this guy remains one of the finest goalkeeping prospects this country has ever produced and by all accounts he’s a dude with a tough mentality who won’t let a bad day define him. You’ve gotta be at this level. Woud will cop the blame that’s due his way after that game and will be better for it down the line.
Hence it was a shame to see folks out there so quick on the comment trigger, dunno why people feel the need to cast blame in that way. It’s like how Premier League players get the most online abuse from people who claim to be fans of their clubs. Madness. And while it’s better than the dickhead comments, even the overly sympathetic ones were weird to me because Woud is a professional goalkeeper. He understands how it goes. There’s valid criticism that has to come his way after that which he doesn’t need to be protected from.
But yeah anyone trying to claim that he’s all trash is only advertising that they don’t read Flying Kiwis, they don’t watch New Zealand at youth tournaments, they don’t listen to the coaches and teammates who know exactly what Woudy’s capable of…
Also for what it’s worth, dropping him is only gonna make things worse. That’s a hugely compromised defence without Winston Reid or Michael Boxall and chucking in Jamie Searle or Alex Paulsen (zero senior professional appearances between them compared to Woud who has multiple seasons of first team footy in the Netherlands) is not going to help. Woud just has to play better. Which he surely will.
Woud had dramas for all three goals but all three were also sparked by poor defending which put him in a position to make those mistakes. Not clearing the ball properly for the first one, inviting pressure, before Dane Ingham got caught ball-watching and allowed his man a free backpost header. The second was arguably more George Stanger’s fault than Woud’s as he seemed to be the one instigating Woud to come and collect that ball when a hoof into the stands would have sufficed and it was his cardinal sin of not blocking off the striker that caused the gaffe. When you’re shielding like that you’ve absolutely gotta get between man and ball. That’s literally your one task in that situation. And Stanger also stood way too far off for the third which meant he could only get a deflection on the shot instead of a front-foot block as someone like, say, Winston Reid would have managed.
Goalkeeping is a lonely endeavour but defending is something you do as a team. Mistakes tend to be relative, often with a snowballing effect. A few things to keep in mind there over the rest of the Olympic footy tournament.
And now because there’s always more where that came from... it’s an advance peak at Sarpreet Singh’s entry for Flying Kiwis tomorrow. Damn, what a boost he’d be to this OlyWhites team. But he’s made the right call as far as his career goes and bloody hell he could hardly have banked a better debut for SSV Jahn Regensburg...
Sarpreet Singh - SSV Jahn Regensburg (German 2. Liga)
The thing you’ve gotta know about the second tier of German football this season is that it’s Hard Case. One of the main reasons that Sarpreet Singh didn’t click with FC Nürnberg is that FCN is a hugely storied club with a heap of fans and when they got off to a rough start they weren’t in the business of indulging a loan player who didn’t quite fit the style they were playing. And while the 2. Liga was brimming with a couple similar situations last season, this time around it’s absolutely brimming. Schalke and Werder Bremen were both relegation (while FC Köln only avoided that fate thanks to a playoff win), joining clubs such as FCN, Hamburger SV, Fortuna Düsseldorf, and Hannover 96. Incredibly if you take Bayern Munich out of the equation then there are more historic top tier league titles in the second division than in the Bundesliga itself this term and it’s not even close (42 titles to 26). There are European winners in that group. Werder Bremen of course won a Cup Winners’ Cup back in the Wynton Rufer days.
Werder are also the club that Sarpreet Singh made his Bayern debut against. This is the context he finds himself in for this crucial year in his career. But the loan club selection was much better this time because as we’ve been documenting ol’ mate Sarpy is being given every opportunity to impress at SSV Jahn. He was a prominent figure through the end of their preseason and then as the proper season got underway away against Darmstadt there he was playing left attacking midfield in a 4-2-2-2 just as if he picked the team himself.
And what, children, happens when you put Sarpreet Singh in a position to succeed? This is what happens...
The goal came at a great time for SSV Jahn, who weren’t the smoothest to begin this game playing away from home in front of a pretty big crowd. Pretty much all the post-game interviews started with how great it was to have the fans back but apparently it took some adjusting for Regensburg – including surviving a crack off the post from Darmstadt. Then Sarpreet Singh slipped in and scored on the end of a throw in, with the calmness under pressure to round the keeper and make it a guarantee, 21 minutes into the match and the pendulum took a swing. 21 minutes into his debut for the club in fact, that’s the way to announce yourself. It’s already one more than he got in 11 second tier appearances for FCN.
That goal got SSV Jahn going and they threatened to expand the lead before the break with a few good chances, Andreas Albers going closest, before finally making good on that threat in the 61st minute through captain Benedikt Gimber. Thumping drive from outside the box. Singh playing a part in the build up as he maintained possession on the edge of the area and nudged it back. Jahn probably should have added to the two after that but they didn’t need to. They were able to control the game from there and get the campaign off to a perfect start with a 2-0 win.
Gimber added after that the season’s target is 40 points to avoid relegation so there’s your context amidst the most stacked 2. Liga ever. Singh had three shots with two on target, to go with 4 key passes and 84% pass completion according to the WhoScored stats... which had him as their Man of the Match (he was subbed off in the 90th minute btw). Outstanding yarns. Someone get Julian Nagelsmann on the phone.
Bronze, Baby
