El Niche Cache
February 26, 2020
Podcast
TNC Variety Show - Episode 5
The Niche Cast: Niggliness (Wellington Phoenix/Parker vs Fa)
Reading Menu
All Aboard The Waine Train: Analysing Ben Waine's First Start Of The Season (Football)
Flying Kiwis – February 23 (Football)
The Premmy Files – Men’s Premiership Week 13 (Football)
2020/21 Ford Trophy: Back with Ford Trophy Blackcaps (Cricket)
Forecasting Forward To Aotearoa Blackcaps In World Test Championship Final (Cricket)
Scotty’s Word
Blues Dude
As you’ll probably know - not much rugby union via El Niche Cache. I do enjoy a bit of union though and as someone who watched Adrian Cashmore from the Eden Park terraces with the old man back in the day, I’m partial to Auckland Blues business. With that, I’ll try whip up a ‘Blues Dude’ yarn most weeks before or after an Auckland Blues game which will also provide an insight into your non-Blues who play against the Blues.
This week, the Blues start their Super Rugby campaign against Wellington Hurricanes and as I’ve noted before, there is the ongoing narrative around Auckland and their first-fives. As the Blues have usually lost their first-fives to other teams/provinces, I find it pretty damn interesting that right now there are three youngish first-fives in their starting 15 to face Hurricanes - Beauden Barrett’s out of sight, out of mind.
Stephen Perofeta starts at fullback, Harry Plummer in the midfield and Otere Black at #10. TJ Faiane is one of my favourite players (always solid, mutli-skilled) and he’s out for this game, so Plummer slots into midfield and I’d suggest that with Rieko Ioane (midfield), Mark Telea and Caleb Clarke (wingers) in the backline that the Blues believe there is enough speed, power and footwork around those Perofeta, Plummer and Black; none of whom excite me as ball-runners.
Hence, I’m fond of Highlanders first-five Josh Ioane and also Crusaders first-five Richie Mounga. They handle the core first-five duties, along with dynamic running games and this is all very similar to a halfback in rugby league as the best in these positions are a threat via their organisation and distribution as well as running the footy.
Need some stats to help out?
Richie Mounga: 4.3m per run.
Josh Ioane: 3.5m.
Otere Black: 1.5m.
Harry Plummer: 1.8m.
Stephen Perofeta: 2.9m.
The Blues have power elsewhere, although a dynamic first-five is handy in engaging the defenders around the ruck if he’s playing first receiver. The Blues may opt to use these first-five type of players to shift the footy - either to their wingers or to forwards loitering near the sidelines.
Shifting the footy is only really effective with quick recycling though. The Blues forward pack looks as strong as I can remember and my early feel is that in this mode, the Blues will need an advantage up front to be effective with their game plan. Good pack on paper, good second unit coming off the bench but we’ll see how they look vs Wellington.
Another round of NRL trials and plenty of #KiwiNRL notes…
Raiders: Leo Thompson, Matt Timoko.
Two young #KiwiNRL centres. Thompson’s twin brother Tyrone plays for Wellington Hurricanes, Timoko is from Auckland and made his debut last season. Both are powerful runners and nimble - Thompson may shine as a robust forward eventually.
Storm: Reimis Smith.
After moving down to Melbourne from Bulldogs, Smith is named at centre. Smith can play wing or centre, tall frame makes him a classic Strom winger.
Knights: Simi Sasagi.
Ellerslie Eagles junior who has been in the Knights system for a few years - yet to debut. Was in the 2017 NZ Under 16 Residents and part of a low key group of Knights #KiwiNRL youngsters.
Titans: Greg Marzhew.
Formerly Greg Leleisiuao, has been in the Titans and Eels systems. Yet to debut, powerful outside back who was a decorated junior.
Warriors: Rocco Berry, Paul Turner, Hayze Perham.
Excited to see how these three progress with NZ Warriors. All three seem like they are being groomed for long-term roles with Berry at fullback, Turner halves and Perham centres.
Sharks: Mawene Hiroti.
Moved from Rabbitohs to Sharks last summer after debuting with Bunnies. Settled into a next up backline spot with Sharks. From Taranaki.
Bulldogs: Ava Seumanufagai, Ofahiki Ogden.
Seumanufagai returns to NRL after a stint in England, Wellington junior who is a solid middle forward. The young buck is Mangere East junior Ogden and he’s developed nicely in the last two years, poised to breakout.
Eels: Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore.
Both named on the Eels bench, making that a low key fun #KiwiNRl bench package.
Broncos: Jamayne Isaako.
Rough 2020 for Christchurch’s Isaako having lost his father to cancer. Didn’t feature much last year because of that, now he’s got a trial fullback gig under Kevin Walters.
Tigers: Asu Kepaoa, Tuki Simpkins.
Kepaoa made his debut for Tigers last year after moving from Roosters - could get a starting wing job. Simpkins moved from Cowboys to Tigers this summer and the Rotorua product appears to be making a hearty impression on Kiwis coach Michael Maguire.
Sea Eagles: Morgan Harper, Jonah Palota-Kopa, Christian Tuipulotu.
Harper named at fullback. Given Tom Trbojevic’s injury woes, Harper being named at fullback for Manly is super funky as it could be a quasi long-term option. From Waikato, Harper made his debut as a centre and was awesome in limited minutes for Manly last season (having moved from the Doggies) and now he gets a sniff at fullback.
Palota-Kopa was a recent #KiwiNRL find, having been snapped up by Manly after finishing 2019 as the leading try-scorer in Auckland’s Premier 1st 13 competition with St Paul’s College. Could be an outside back, big frame could forecast as a NRL forward. Tuipulotu starts on the wing, after moving from Roosters this summer.
Enjoy…
Wildcard’s Notebook
The Breakers really truly suck right now. They’re just terrible to watch. There’s so little imagination or design to the way they play on offence, like you’ll get a little screening action maybe but if the first option doesn’t work then that’s it, no movement off the ball, no quick passing, so many turnovers. Basically falls upon a Webster Brother to do something funky or else nothing happens... none of the rest of them seem to have much confidence in their shots.
The first quarter last night against Sydney was fantastic, Lamar Patterson is out for the next month-plus with a knee injury but without his lagging presence the kiwi fellas were looking great and shots were dropping and they were defending with energy... then next thing you know from being up 30-18 they’re trailing 52-36 early in the third quarter. It’s ugly to watch and they just don’t seem to have too many ideas.
Their recruitment for one thing has been pretty terrible: Lamar Patterson was awful even before he got injured, he’s completely out of shape and his jump shot has been shocking. He’s got bouncy players around him capable of playing swift basketball and the American import was only slowing things down. And while Colton Iverson has had a couple nice games on the stat sheet... watching him play is a slog. Dude’s got feet of concrete and he doesn’t have any shooting range. He does set a mean screen but defensively he’s a complete liability unless he’s in the physical act of grabbing a rebound. The recurring foul dramas aren’t a coincidence. That’s not something that will get better as he becomes accustomed to the league. He’s simply not athletic enough to guard anyone. An underwhelming signing at the time, a damaging one now. Your import players are supposed to take you over the top in this league but these two are only dragging the Breakers down.
And I don’t really wanna say it but at some point we have to wonder about Dan Shamir’s fit with this group. We’ve been told over and over what a clever, intelligent, studied (and other synonyms) basketball mind he has but last season the team started 2-8 and this season they’ve started 1-6. Shamir was given a contract extension midway through last season though (his overall record is 16-19). Folks who are deep into the NBL were talking about this Breakers team as title contenders so to be so miserably in last place... this is bad.
The Wellington Phoenix are also last having lost to Melbourne Victory on Wednesday night. Their situation is a little different as they’re not playing terribly, they just have a couple major weaknesses. Ufuk Talay summed it up pretty accurately in his press conference after watching Rudy Gestede score a couple headers from a couple needlessly conceded corners for that 2-0 loss...
“If there was an award for a team that can get into the box and not score, we’d win that. And if there was an award for allowing cheap goals from set-piece then we’d win that as well.”
Silliness against set pieces, sloppiness in front of goal. A slightly weakened team without Steven Taylor or Matti Steinmann, neither of whom have been replaced, as well as some injuries which have reared their ugly head lately. But there is that other obvious factor which binds the Wellington Phoenix and the NZ Breakers together and that’s the whole ‘being stuck in Australia thing’. There are numerous mental challenges that come from that. Being away from family and friends, the lack of routine in an unstable environment, the absence of home comforts, the stress of the unknown future. Then there’s that very practical disadvantage of not being able to play home games in front of home fans (with the inverse challenges that also offers to travelling opposition).
Here’s how the two teams went (pre-rona) last season home and away...
Phoenix Home: 8 Wins | 1 Draw | 2 Losses | +10 Goal Difference
Phoenix Away: 3 Wins | 2 Draws | 4 Losses | 0 Goal Difference
Breakers Home: 9 Wins | 5 Losses | +94 Points Differential
Breakers Away: 6 Wins | 8 Losses | -57 Points Differential
………
Phoenix since The Rona: 2 Wins | 4 Draws | 9 Losses | -12 Goal Difference
Breakers since The Rona: 1 Win | 6 Losses | -64 Points Differential
………
And keep in mind that the Nix lost their first two home games last season so they’ve actually gone nine unbeaten in Aotearoa since, including six wins in a row. But their away form was that of a team outside the top six and it’s gotten even worse this season with all things considered. The Breakers lost six away games in a row last season before turning things around... but most of those away wins were in very close games whereas they were blowing out teams at home. Both teams clearly love a bit of home court/field advantage... neither of them is getting it though and what do ya know they’re each sitting last on their respective ladders.
Also, I’m thinking the next Kiwi Steve article might have to have a specific focus on First-Time All-Star Zion Williamson. There’s so much interesting stuff about what he’s doing for the Pelicans, though not a lot of it puts much mention of Steven Adams into the mix unless they’re talking about them both being strong or the rebounding rates. What Adams does isn’t essential to what Williamson does. Zion would be Zion regardless, in fact Adams’ little injury stint lately was proof of that. But he does complement him in a couple really handy ways. Though, a point already made in previous Adams write-ups, Zion’s unparalleled prowess at the rim does kinda mean that Steve’s gotta take a back seat in the scoring. Not that he cares.
