Culture Ponderers
All sorts of Kiwi-NRL notes, Steven Adams NBA Playoffs update, Libby Cacace vs Napoli & more
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Podcast
The Niche Cast: Nature’s Patience
Reading Menu
Kiwi-NRL Spotlight: Te Maire Martin Returns From Waikato Hyperbolic Time Chamber (NRL)
Recapping The Junior Football Ferns Series In Australia (Football)
What’s With All These Rocks Or Diamonds Wellington Phoenix Results? (Football)
Will Young's Timely Return To County Championship Cricket (Cricket)
2021/22 Plunket Shield All Stars (Cricket)
Scotty’s Word
Dylan Brown the centre and Kiwi-NRL Eels…
With Parramatta Eels outside backs depth ravaged by injuries, Dylan Brown (Whangarei) shifted from halves to centre for yesterday’s win over Newcastle Knights. Brown was typically excellent with 13 runs - 131m @ 10.07m/run, 1 linebreak, 6 tackle busts and 12 tackles @ 80% and while Brown is worthy of being a starting half for Aotearoa, such versatility is fantastic in a World Cup squad.
This is Brown’s best season since his debut in 2019. Brown scored 4 tries in each of his first four seasons, now on 3 tries already this season. Brown had 5 try assists in each of his first two seasons, then 2 last year and Brown already has 7 try assists this season. Brown has had a dip in kicking metres as Eels tinker with their game model, which is off-set by Brown averaging 122m/game running and that’s the best of his four seasons.
Brown is a 21-year-old who tackles at 93.9% efficiency and averages 122m/game. That alone is tremendous, chuck in improved try assist numbers and now a solid performance at centre. Brown’s shift to centre will be short-term and Eels rolled out two Kiwi-NRL wingers in Hayze Perham and Bailey Simonsson who were also solid. No Marata Niukore (who played centre last week), while another Northlander Wiremu Greig was 18th man.
Isaiah Papali’i continues to fire for Eels. Papali’i has played all seven games, less than 80mins in just two games. Papali’i scored 7 tries last season and already has 3 this season, while also taking his 150m/game last season up to 154m/game this season. Remember that Papali’i won awards for his mahi last season and is on track for a better season this year.
Stinky Newcastle Knights and Canberra Raiders vibes…
Over the summer, Starford To’a departed Knights for Tigers and I covered the obvious connection with Aotearoa Kiwis coach Michael Maguire who had brought To’a into Kiwis camp late in 2019. I’ll get into more To’a stuff below and his departure from Knights fits into the wider icky Knights vibe as key players seemed eager to leave Knights; Mitchell Pearce went to France, Connor Watson returned to Roosters for example.
Kalyn Ponga’s re-signing did nothing to boost Knights footy yesterday. Knights have stunk in recent weeks and along with Canberra Raiders they are the two teams that stand out as having the same stinky vibes. Think of the key Raiders who wanted to gap asap - John Bateman and George Williams quickly returned to England.
Players always move on though? Both clubs have had dramas that Aussie media love to feed off, they are losing and losing with a stench.
Challenge yourself to identify these ‘culture’ notes. There are a few low-hanging fruit examples for the stinky vibe in recent years such as 2017 RLWC Aotearoa Kiwis, 2020 pre-covid NZ Warriors, NZ Breakers since change in ownership, White Ferns.
Big culture ponderers around here.
Lots of little things become a big thing.
This works both ways. Release the bad way. Focus on the good way.
Two stinky teams with interesting Kiwi-NRL angles. Leo Thompson continues to get bench minutes for Knights and Simi Sasagi is now being deployed as a middle forward (was a centre/half in juniors). The more footy, the better for these two youngsters and Knights woes aren’t their fault as Knights have older, representative forwards who aren’t performing. Jirah Momoisea has rotten injury luck after playing the first few games and then suffering another injury.
In reserve grade, Knights have Daniel Ticehurst who was a 2019 Junior Kiwi alongside To’a, Asu Kepaoa (Tigers), Kayal Iro (Sharks - close to NRL), Paul Turner (Titans), Sione Moala (Raiders U21s), Tyler Slade (Sharks NSW Cup), Griffin Neame (Cowboys), Christian Tuipulotu (Sea Eagles), Charbel Tasipale (Sharks NSW Cup), Jordan Riki (Broncos).
Raiders had Matthew Timoko, Joseph Tapine and Corey Harawira-Naera in their team that lost to Panthers. Timoko is a young centre learning his craft and as long as he’s playing, all good.
Tapine and Harawira-Naera feel like they will be much better for Aotearoa. Tapine goes from being a Raiders leader to being under Jesse Bromwich and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, forming a bonkers group of younger lads with James Fisher-Harris, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Isaiah Papali’i etc. Tapine’s size, mobility, aggression and skill fits snug into an Aotearoa Kiwis forward pack.
Harawira-Naera rips in and has settled on the right edge. He lacks the output and polish of the best Kiwi-NRL forwards, also concedes penalties and makes errors. Plenty of time for improvement and will be in the WC squad.
Remember that Raiders have the best underground Kiwi-NRL junior trio in Jack Sandford, Sione Moala and Stanley Iongi. Generally, Sandford and Moala are U21s level while Iongi played U19s before flirting with U21s recently.
Starford To’a and Kaumatua Michael Maguire…
Knights recruited To’a from Auckland, moved him to Newcastle where he cracked Australian Schoolboys and just as To’a was settling into NRL footy he was off to Tigers. To’a mainly played wing with Knights, sometimes filling in at fullback and has now impressed at centre for Tigers in their two golden-point wins.
Coach Maguire initially dropped Ken Maumalo for To’a for the win over Eels, but To’a started at centre with Maumalo outside him for kick off. This duo enjoyed another game together and another win, with To’a playing what appears to be his best position. To’a has a linebreak, 2 try assists while doing a solid defensive role at centre and well, it’s just cool to see Maumalo happy after a strange few years.
(Maumalo stocks up, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck stocks up with Blues return, David Fusitu’a stocks even with injury vs new Leeds coach)
Both have found a groove under coach Maguire and this may stem from Maguire showing them love. Neither seemed wanted at their previous clubs and Maguire had better opportunities for them at Tigers, plus the Aotearoa Kiwis connection. Now they have played their roles in back to back Tigers wins.
Coach Maguire also coached Te Maire Martin in the 2018 Denver Test and Martin returned to footy this weekend. The last Test Maguire coached was in November 2019 and that team featured the following players who are no longer in the mix: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Benji Marshall, Zane Tetevano, Leeson Ah Mau, Adam Blair.
Hard and fast Aotearoa Kiwis top-17…
Fullback: Joseph Manu.
Wings: Ken Maumalo, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Centres: Reimis Smith, Peta Hiku.
Halves: Shaun Johnson, Jahrome Hughes.
Middles: Jesse Bromwich, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, James Fisher-Harris.
Hooker: Brandon Smith.
Edges: Kenny Bromwich, Isaiah Papali’i.
Bench: Dylan Brown, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Joseph Tapine, Braden Hamlin-Uele.
Will Young’s Kiwi County Tour…
Yorkshire and Northamptonshire played out a draw, with Will Young putting up scores of 33 and 96 (241 balls) opening for Northants. Young’s last 10 games (all formats):
23, 107, 40, 8, 3, 0, 42, 20, 103*, 1, 120, 33, 96.
Eden Carson Appreciation…
I have been working through some stuff about the best wahine cricketers in Aotearoa and Otago youngster Eden Carson is at the top of my list. Below are Carson’s List-A and T20 stats from this summer, compared to White Ferns Amelia Kerr and Fran Jonas. I’ll let you whip up your own conclusions…
List-A
Amelia Kerr: 30w @ 22.80avg/29.16sr.
Eden Carson: 14w @ 11.35avg/20.14sr.
Fran Jonas: 8w @ 38.25avg/48sr.
T20
Amelia Kerr: 19w @ 11.42avg/14.52sr.
Eden Carson: 17w @ 15.82avg/16.23sr.
Fran Jonas: 7w @ 29.57avg/30.85sr.
Aotearoa jam…
Wildcard’s Notebook
Kiwi Steve in the NBA Playoffs...
Well, we got us some Steve-o in game four. A game which the Minnesota Timberwolves ended up winning 119-118 to tie the series up at 2-2, a strange game in which most of the Grizz found their way into foul trouble and there were a couple dodgy calls late on that went against them too. Taylor Jenkins came out and put the refs on blast afterwards... though he did also acknowledge that officiating was far from their only problem.
One major concern: Ja Morant has simply not had a good series at all by his standards. In four games he’s averaging 20.5 points, 10.8 assists, and 7.8 rebounds with 1.3 steals. Good solid numbers but the points tally is the most important and it’s considerably below his 27.4ppg from the regular season. He’s only shooting 40% from the field (and is 3/11 from 3pters) and everything just looks so difficult at the moment. Even when he fights his way to the rim he’s being crowded out.
On a related note, the one game in which he scored above his regular season average was G1 (32 points on 8/18 FG & 16/20 FT) and that was the only game where Steven Adams played extended minutes.
Adams checked in to G4 for the last 3:41 of the first quarter. Xavier Tillman had made his first career playoff start but two quick fouls inside the first two minutes meant he was quickly replaced by Brandon Clarke. The Grizz were in an 0-6 hole at that stage but Clarke helped steady things and Desmond Bane made a bunch of threes and were up by seven midway through the frame before the Wolves closed it back up. Adams entered the game after a Clarke shooting foul had sent Jaden McDaniels to the line to tie it up at 22-22. Adams played the rest of the quarter then wasn’t seen again.
So this wasn’t some sneaky new wrinkle to the game plan in order to make use of The Great Funaki, this was simply your standard third-choice big man appearance. Other two fellas with early fouls, Jaren Jackson Jr also off the court for foul trouble, enter Next Man Up areas. However he did immediately grab an offensive rebound and kick it out to Zaire Williams who unfortunately missed the treble. Threw in some heavy screens too which is always lovely.
But this did mean playing against Karl-Anthony Towns who immediately tried to attack him with those pick and rolls. One time Desmond Bane fouled Towns, trying to hold him back to prevent the switch in stark awareness of the vulnerability of Adams in that situation. Though on another occasion Adams did trap Towns having picked up his dribble on the perimeter and forced a turnover.
Plus also when you know you’re only gonna play limited minutes then you’re free to waste a foul for tactical purposes. Make a fella earn it at the line by taking away the sure-thing lay-up and piss him off in the process lol...
Liberato Cacace in Serie A (Flying Kiwis preview)...
Libby Cacace’s love for the Napoli football club is a thing of legend in the kiwi football community. There aren’t that many players who make it to the pro levels still holding onto that boyhood passion but when you’re born into an Italian immigrant family living in Aotearoa for whom supporting Napoli might as well be part of the DNA... those things run deeper. On Monday morning NZT he found himself playing against them. Incredible.
Interesting point is that Napoli were actually the last team that Empoli beat in Serie A. Got them with a 1-0 win back in mid-December but that’s been followed with 15 winless league games ever since. Even the signing of Liberato Cacace hasn’t changed that (yet).
With half an hour to go, as Cacace was subbed on alongside Liam Henderson (a Scottish attacking midfielder who Cacace seems to get on really well with – probably stemming from a shared propensity for the English language), it looked as though 15 would become 16 with Napoli leading 2-0. Andrea Pinamonti had missed a great chance for Empoli with a header in the third minute and the visitors eventually made them pay for that as Dries Mertens scored on 44’ thanks to a slick late run into the area and a finish that Empoli GK Vicario couldn’t quite get enough of a hand onto. Then Lorenzo Insigne doubled that lead on 53’ polishing off after a cheap Empoli concession in the midfield. Another one of those days.
Parisi didn’t look too happy to be replaced - this was actually the earliest that Cacace has been introduced when he’s begun a game on the bench. It proved a timely injection of energy with Libby’s fresh legs carrying him on a few rapid overlaps including one where he whipped in a super-looking cross that only narrowly avoided the lunge of Patrick Cutrone. Definitely some life left in Empoli despite the scoreline and despite their poor attacking form. Napoli may have been leading but they were far at from their best.
With ten minutes to go Empoli pulled one back. Liam Henderson with a driven low finish after Cacace had squared the ball from the left to Nedim Bajrami who was tackled but the ball fell to Hendo on the right edge in space. Napoli had conceded a stoppage time equaliser to 10-man Roma last week so the tension instantly rose with that goal. Empoli quickly got back on the attack and Bajrami blasted a wonderful opportunity over the bar from about 12 yards out... but after the resulting goal kick the Napoli keeper lingered on the ball too long and Pinamonto charged him down for the equaliser.
Napoli are trying to hang in a title race so they came back hard at Empoli. Cacace made a crucial recovering challenge to take the ball off Victor Osimhen and away for a corner before the Nigerian striker could get a shot away in the box. Several rapid back-stick crosses were dealt with. Then Empoli made a break up the right wing and Bajrami delivered a superb early ball across for that man Pinamonti to stab into the net and make it 3-2. A treble of goals in the space of eight minutes. The whole damn stadium went ballistic.
Empoli settled into a very flat, very condensed back four and closed out the six minutes of stoppage time without any worries. A first Serie A victory for Liberato Cacace and it came against his family’s club. Might have some unhappy aunts and uncles now given that this result pretty much ends any remaining hope that Napoli could still win the Scudetto (though Champions League qualification is basically sorted). Funnily enough, Andrea Pinamonti is on loan from Inter who are now in control of the title race after Napoli took just one point from their last three matches. They’ll be stoked with his efforts.
Cacace’s team were 2-0 down when he was introduced. They ended up winning 3-2. This was his eighth appearance and finally he gets to experience a win... and what a win. Shout out to The Narrative. Still lost all four games that he’s started but to be fair two of those were against Juventus and AC Milan and he should get the chance to put that one to rest next week against Torino... which would be a hell of a time for Matt Garbett to make a debut, right? Garbs wasn’t on the bench for Torino this week after two straight matchday squads though so don’t bet on it or anything.
