El Niche Cache
March 12, 2020
Podcast
TNC Variety Show - Episode 8
Niche Cast - Tinfoil Hat (NZ Cricket/NZ Warriors)
Reading Menu
Aotearoa Warriors Diary: Nathan Brown's First Warriors Team List (NRL)
Flying Kiwis – March 9 (Football)
The Premmy Files – Wellington Phoenix 2020-21 Season Review (Football)
The Premmy Files – Men’s Premiership Week 14, Pt. 2 (Football)
2020/21 Ford Trophy: Champion Cantabs (Cricket)
Aotearoa White Ferns vs England: Different Format, Same Result (Cricket)
2021 City Kickboxing UFC Tracker: One Win, Two Losses, Lots to Learn (UFC)
Scotty’s Word
#KiwiNRL Takeover…
I reckon this will become a decent yarn over the weekend, especially as it aligns with my vibe of 2021 being a massive year for Aotearoa rugby league. I need to sift through some things though and to help lay it out, take this journey with me.
At the NRL level, all the standard #KiwiNRL excellence is in tact this season. After 13 #KiwiNRL debutants last year though, most have dipped back into reserve grade as top-tier players came back from injury etc. Round 1 of NSW Cup features the following notable #KiwiNRL players (most are youngsters)…
Knights: Simi Sasagi (#6), Daniel Ticehurst (bench).
Rabbitohs: Jaxson Paulo (wing), Steven Marsters (centre) - both debuted last year.
Sea Eagles: Christian Tuipulotu (centre - debuted last year with Roosters), Phillip Makatoa (#19 - summer move from NZ Warriors).
Bears/Roosters: Brad Abbey (fullback), Naufahu White (edge - mentioned many times in recent emails).
Raiders: Caleb Aekins (fullback), Matthew Timoko (centre - debuted last year), Sila Tituiti (bench - recruited from St Kents 1st 15).
Magpies/Tigers: Tukimihia Simpkins (prop), Kelma Tuilagi (edge), Joseph Taipari (bench), EJ Lui (bench), Israel Ogden (bench - moved from NZ Warriors).
Jets/Sharks: Jackson Ferris (centre - debut last year).
Many of these lads will play NRL this year, boosting the top-tier #KiwiNRL stocks. This week has been fascinating as a bunch of other squads and team lists have been released, with so many players who have moved across from Aotearoa that it is niggly to keep up. First and foremost: the younger age brackets don’t get as much of my hype as it’s an almighty journey to the NRL and we steer clear of diving deep into this stuff across most sports.
To tell this #KiwiNRL Takeover story though, I’ve got to dive into these Under 18 players and lay things out. I won’t be suggesting that a player is destined for NRL or grading prospects, this is merely about how deep the #KiwiNRL Takeover is going.
I’ve touched on the SG ball Under 19 stuff in New South Wales across the emails in recent weeks, so no need to double up here. I will add though that there were some dramas with a couple Canberra Raiders players, resulting in them either being cut from the top-17 or moving clubs. This week the Raiders still have Jack Sandford (Chch) at fullback and Sione Moala (Akl) at halfback, yet they are playing Parramatta Eels who have Sione Tapuosi on the wing; Tapuosi started this year with the Raiders.
Also in NSW, we have the first round of Jersey Flegg (U21). Cronulla Sharks have former NZ Warriors juniors Kayal Iro and Tylor Slade in their team, plus there are a bunch more #KiwiNRL lads involved across the competition.
Queensland though, is where the funk sits.
Last week I noted that Sebastyan Jack was started at halfback for Redcliffe Dolphins Mal Meninga Cup (U18) and in the same team at centre is Eric Vaafusuaga. Both played NZ Warriors SG Ball last year and are part of the Redcliffe/Warriors partnership.
This week, they play Wynnum Manly Seagulls who have Nathaniel Tangimataiti starting at centre and Cassius Cowley at halfback. Cowley played one game for NZ Warriors SG Ball last year while playing 1st 15 rugby for MAGS, having been recruited from Rotorua by NZ Warriors. Tangimataiti has consistently made Auckland rep teams and while I can’t confirm if he was in the Warriors system, he has been part of Future Warriors games.
Wynnum: #3 is Tangimataiti, #7 is Cowley.
Redcliffe: #3 is Vaafusuaga, #7 is Jack.
All four players have some kinda link to NZ Warriors and are named in exactly the same positions. This got me pondering if NZ Warriors low key linked up with Wynnum to give these lads footy in an unofficial capacity - otherwise Wynnum is associated with Brisbane Broncos. All four moved to Queensland over the summer.
Elsewhere in the Mal Meninga Cup here are some players who moved to Queensland over the summer…
Townsville (Cowboys): Arama Kite - NZ Under 18 Schools 2020 - Manawatu. D'jazirhae Pua'avase - recruited from Manurewa.
Norths Devils (Broncos): Felix Fa’atili - see below.
Burleigh (Titans): Jeremiah Tamepo - Wesley College, K-ci Newton-Whare - Canterbury Under 16s 2020.
Tweed (Titans): Keano Kini - Northcote Tigers.
Now we also have the Hastings Deering Colts squads for the Queensland Under 20s competition. First point of call is Redcliffe Dolphins where NZ Warriors have the following players: Daeon Amituani, Lleyton Finau, Jyris Glamuzina, Kina Kepu, Lingi Kepu.
Wynnum also have Caius Fa’atili, older brother of Felix. These two have been on the radar for a few years with Canterbury rugby league and Caius appeared to be in the Cowboys system while still in Christchurch. Now, both are in Brisbane with clubs that are aligned with Broncos.
Burleigh’s HDC squad has TJ Devery who played 5 SG Ball games for NZ Warriors last year and Isaac Matalavea-Booth.
I need to suss out how to present this all in a clear, cohesive manner for the #KiwiNRL Takeover yarn. One angle I’m leaning towards is highlighting the number of players who have been recruited directly from NZ Warriors SG Ball as this also shows a level of respect for these players who have come through the Warriors system, as well as reminding folks that there is far too much talent from Aotearoa for the Warriors to keep everyone.
Other than that, it’s all about painting a picture based on the amount of players who are now in these competitions. That’s the bit that leaves me feeling muddled and it’s kinda over-bearing trying to keep up with all the moves … which is the whole point here. Up until this year, I didn’t feel muddled and could roll through these teams highlighting a couple key individuals.
Now, #KiwiNRL youngsters are literally scattered across all these competitions in either state. I’ll stay on top of this to see which lads emerge through to NRL footy. What’s crazy is that I threw up the #KiwiNRL Takeover idea a few years ago and now everything has escalated to the point where it’s hard to keep up.
Kia kaha…
Wildcard’s Notebook
Alright, I’ve seen the chat. I’ve heard the conversation. A few of youz been talking about All Whites selections and whatnot (in the wake of Piney’s Power Rankings, as I understand it). Danny Hay did an interview for the telly last week in which he talked about the Oceania qualifiers for the World Cup being pushed probably into next year and there’s little chance of friendly action any time soon. There will be an Olympics campaign most likely and while that’s an U23 squad it’ll be a squad that does have plenty of overlap with a proper All Whites squad.
Although... Ryan Thomas said something to Dutch media about how he’s planning on prioritising PSV’s preseason and European qualifying (which will be Champions League qualifying if they can latch onto second place) which at the time seemed irrelevant because the All Whites don’t play games but of course that could have been in reference to the Olympic team. Three over 23s are allowed to be selected. Ideally that’d be Chris Wood, Ryan Thomas, and Winston Reid. Chances are none of that trio will rock up but you never know.
This here is a best case scenario depth chart, based on the current moment. Form matters in my mind and playing regularly is crucial – that’s a debate that’ll leap into action immediately with the goalies. This isn’t what I think Danny Hay is thinking (although I will keep his preferred 4-3-3 shape)... this is what I’m thinking. Might therefore be a few bolters and in an email format there’s not much room to explain it all so don’t really worry about it. It’s all hypothetical anyway. The All Whites are a hypothetical football team.
GK – MICHAEL WOUD | STEFAN MARINOVIC | MAX CROCOMBE
RB – TIM PAYNE | NIKO KIRWAN | NOAH BILLINGSLEY
CB – WINSTON REID | BILL TUILOMA | NANDO PIJNAKER
CB – MICHAEL BOXALL | TOMMY SMITH | NIKKO BOXALL
LB – LIBERATO CACACE | JAMES MCGARRY | DAN MORGAN
CM – JOE BELL | ALEX RUFER | GIANNI STENSNESS
CM – RYAN THOMAS | MARKO STAMENIC | JAMES MUSA
AM – SARPREET SINGH | CLAYTON LEWIS | MATTHEW RIDENTON
FW – ELIJAH JUST | CALLUM MCCOWATT | ELLIOT COLLIER
FW – CHRIS WOOD | ANDRE DE JONG | MYER BEVAN
FW – MARCO ROJAS | KOSTA BARBAROUSES | MATTHEW GARBETT
Rightio, that’s the juice. Now to try and explain as much as I can in a couple hundred words. Let’s do it in bullet points to keep everything precise.
The First XI almost entirely picks itself. There’s a debate over the goalies but if Marinovic is on the bench for the Nix and Woud is playing every week for a team trying to get promoted to the top flight in the Netherlands then that’s the kicker. Elsewhere Max Crocombe gets the nod over Oli Sail and Nik Tzanev. We’ve always got a heap of good goalies to be fair.
Other than that the back four feels blatantly obvious and the midfield three even more so. Just a matter of how you wanna lean with the wingers. Hay himself might well take McCowatt > Rojas. Somebody else might take Barbarouses > Just. Me, I think Rojas is still the most reliable player of that quartet and I also like the balance that Eli Just offers as more of a creative force.
After that it gets trickier. The right back role is maybe the deepest and also the weakest (though central forward has a case there behind Chris Wood). Tim Payne isn’t even playing there at the moment but he’s the best we’ve got. Behind him I’ve nudged Niko Kirwan, even though he’s begun to drop in and out of the Reggiana starting team these last couple months. He’s still playing Serie B and that’s one of the most underrated situations of all these players. And Noah Billingsley is hopefully poised for a breakout season at MLS level after making his debut late last year. That means they get the go ahead of A-League fellas like Storm Roux, Louis Fenton & Dane Ingham. Fair play if you disagree... but I don’t see a major upside for any of them at international level. All useful players who’d do a job though.
Gone with experience over potential with the Second XI CBs. Pijnaker would probably sneak in ahead of Tuiloma in Danny Hay’s eyes, one suspects. What with the ol’ Eastern Suburbs connection. Once Pijanker is starting to get on the park regularly for the Rio Ave first team he’ll leap into the seconds for sure. Nikko Boxall comes in at #6, running out of other ideas. James Musa would be the closest challenger, probs, though he’s in at midfield. Realistically this depth chart should reflect positional versatility like that but I’d rather keep it to unique players for the extra coverage. Francis De Vries and Kyle Adams are coming into interesting seasons that could boost them into outside consideration. Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi mighta had a case could he only get on the pitch for the Nix.
Left back speaks for itself.
Slightly surprising that in filling out the midfield there simply weren’t as many options as I thought there’d be. Which made it all kinda simple. You’ll note there are no Premiership players in the mix either... not saying that Hay wouldn’t pick anyone from that level but despite being Where All Whites Are Made it probably shouldn’t be where All Whites are selected from. That’s a platform for getting to the pro ranks, then the pro ranks are where you make a case for the national team. There’s depth here for the first time probably ever. That’s what depth looks like... the ambition of playing pro has to matter. Having said that, there’s no shortage of kiwi dudes capable of heading overseas from the Premmy and doing exactly that.
On that note, here’s a very spontaneous squad of the very best NZ-eligible players from this Premiership season which I hold no responsibility for if I miss anyone out because I’m about to spend maximum thirty seconds on this...
Starters: Danyon Drake | Jack-Henry Sinclair, Adam Mitchell, Taylor Schrijvers, Brock Messenger | Mario Ilich, Cam Howieson, Andy Bevin | Logan Rogerson, Hamish Watson, Alex Greive
Bench: Alex Paulsen, Sam Brotherton, Ben Mata, Ollie Whyte, Karan Mandair, Reid Drake, Ben Old
Look, I know that Central Coast are absolutely flying these days but Alex Rufer > Gianni Stensness. Absolutely no doubt about that in my mind.
Max Mata missed out on a coin toss with Myer Bevan. Andre De Jong has not even played for AmaZulu this season and is likely to be released. None of the backup striker options feel very safe and while Elliot Collier will probably get a lot of people’s love there... Elliot Collier is not a striker. He’s tall as the Sky Tower but he’s not a striker. He’s a skillful winger who attacks defenders from out wide. Very misunderstood dude, EC. And, yeah, Matty Garbett is hopefully about to have a big season for Falkenbergs after they got relegated. It worked for Winston Reid back in the day. Tough first season, relegation, bursts through at the lower level, promotion, massive career for the next decade at the top level.
And, no, the Waine Train hasn’t quite made it to that particular station yet. But a few more games, a few more goals and it won’t be far away. Particularly with other strikers looking a bit tenuous.
We’ll leave things now on a psychedelically profound note…