Evolving The Style
Warriors sign Tanah Boyd, A-League Women's returns, Blackcaps/White Ferns, MNL Team of the Week, Steven Adams & more
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2024 Women’s National League – Week 5 (Football)
2024 Men’s National League – Week 5 (Football)
Flying Kiwis – October 30 (Football)
2023/24 Ford Trophy: Curtis Heaphy Goes Large, Simon Keene's Back In The Wickets (Cricket)
2023/24 Ford Trophy: Canterbury's Winning Start, Auckland Youngsters (Cricket)
2024/25 Ford Trophy: Will O'Donnell, Angus McKenzie & Otago's Sizzling Start (Cricket)
New Zealand vs India Second Test Debrief (Cricket)
The Steven Adams NBA Comeback Tour With The Houston Rockets Has Commenced (Basketball)
2024 Pacific Championships: New Zealand Kiwis & Kiwi Ferns Notebook vs Tonga & Papua New Guinea (Rugby League)
Scotty’s Word
Blackcaps in World Test Championships...
2019/21: 70% wins/points (7-4)
2021/23: 38.46% (4-6-3)
2023/25: 50% (5-5)
WTC ladder heading into the third Test between Aotearoa and India...
White Ferns lost the third ODI in India but they are still comfy in sixth for the Women's Championship...
White Ferns Women's Championship stats…
Batting
Amelia Kerr: 54avg/80sr
Maddy Green: 40.6avg/76sr
Suzie Bates: 38.3avg/74sr
Sophie Devine: 37.5avg/100sr
Brooke Halliday: 35avg/73sr
Lauren Down: 20avg/55sr
Hannah Rowe: 19.8avg/73sr
Georgia Plimmer: 16.6avg/64sr
Lea Tahuhu: 16.6avg/105sr
Izzy Gaze: 15.9avg/62sr
Jess Kerr: 12.3avg/97sr
Bowling
Jess Kerr: 18.9avg/4.3rpo
Lea Tahuhu: 23.9avg/4.8rpo
Sophie Devine: 24.3avg/4.7rpo
Hannah Rowe: 29.1avg/4.9rpo
Fran Jonas: 36.8avg/4.1rpo
Amelia Kerr: 37.6avg/4.2rpo
Eden Carson: 38.6avg/4.7rpo
Suzie Bates: 39.2avg/5.4rpo
Molly Penfold: 75avg/5rpo
Best White Ferns vs India…
Brooke Halliday: 133 runs @ 44.3avg/80.6sr
Georgia Plimmer: 105 runs @ 35avg/73.9sr
Jess Kerr: 5w @ 19.6avg/5.2rpo
Ford Trophy stat leaders…
Batting
Chad Bowes: 253 runs @ 126avg/156sr
Curtis Heaphy: 220 runs @ 73avg/73sr
Brad Schmulian: 212 runs @ 53avg/110sr
Michael Sclanders: 203 runs @ 67avg/83sr
Will O'Donnell: 189 runs @ 47avg/74sr
Jack Boyle: 183 runs @ 45avg/97sr
Dale Phillips: 179 runs @ 44avg/79sr
Luke Georgeson: 154 runs @ 38avg/101sr
Henry Cooper: 133 runs @ 44avg/95sr
Tom Bruce: 127 runs @ 42avg/136sr
Bowling
Matt Bacon: 10w @ 17avg/5.2rpo
Blair Tickner: 9w @ 16avg/5.6rpo
Peter Younghusband: 7w @ 12avg/4.2rpo
Lockie Ferguson: 7w @ 15avg/4.1rpo
Angus McKenzie: 6w @ 8.6avg/3rpo
Zak Foulkes: 6w @ 12avg/4.1rpo
Brett Hampton: 6w @ 26avg/5.6rpo
Simon Keene: 5w @ 8.4avg/5.2rpo
Jimmy Neesham: 5w @ 10.8avg/3.1rpo
Danru Ferns: 5w @ 17avg/5.5rpo
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Ford Trophy mahi for the emerging Blackcaps selected to tour Sri Lanka (ODIs/T20Is)...
Josh Clarkson: 35 runs @ 11.6avg/70sr | 2w @ 64avg/5.8rpo
Zak Foulkes: 76 runs @ 76avg/71.6sr | 6w @ 12.3avg/4.1rpo
Dean Foxcroft: 36 runs @ 9avg/62sr | 5w @ 38.8avg/6.3rpo
Mitch Hay: 2 runs @ 0.6avg/18.1sr
Tim Robinson: 100 runs @ 50avg/68.5sr
Nathan Smith: 44 runs @ 22avg/84.6sr | 3w @ 20.3avg/3.2rpo
NZ Warriors signed Tanah Boyd from Titans in another sneaky recruitment move. Boyd is a 24-year-old who has played 69 NRL games for Titans, usually in the halves but he has shown utility value by playing hooker when required.
The rise of NZ Kiwis fullback Keano Kini has cluttered matters for Titans as they were already balancing Jayden Campbell and AJ Brimson before Kini commanded the starting fullback role. With Kieran Foran still doing an admirable job in the halves and Kini owning the fullback spot, someone like Campbell is likely to get a consistent halves role.
Boyd made his debut in 2019 and has slid down the pecking order for Titans, dropping to nine games this season after 18 and 21 games in the two seasons prior. Coach Andrew Webster mentioned Boyd's goal-kicking which is extra valuable to this NZW group. Boyd is more halfback-ish than Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf, who have spent most of their NRL careers at #6 with a bit of fullback.
Kicking metres per game for these Boyd, Martin and Metcalf in the last three seasons...
Tanah Boyd: 104.72 | 436.33 | 386.63
Te Maire Martin: 11.32 | 63.67 | 161.38
Luke Metcalf: 47.6 | 38.81 | 45.56
Martin and Metcalf are capable of doing more mahi now that Shaun Johnson has dipped out, but there is a hole that Boyd can fill. Most importantly, Boyd is a reliable professional who will compete with all the halves NZW are gathering under the two Andys. This competitive depth is evident in all positions for NZW and no one can be comfy about their role heading into the summer training period.
Metcalf was signed before the two Andys took over, but he is still part of a hefty group of young Aussie halves who have moved to Mt Smart in the Andrew McFadden recruitment regime...
Luke Metcalf: Orara Valley
Tanah Boyd: Runaway Bay
Luke Hanson: St Marys
Jett Cleary: Brothers Penrith
Jesse Soric: Byron Bay
Tallan Egan: Lithgow
Jack Thompson: Cessnock
We need to wait until the start of next season to confirm that the Soric/Egan/Thompson group are still with NZW. NZW are recruiting halves from Australia for a reason (growing up in stronger systems etc) but there are still spots available for local lads. Caleb Laiman and Maui Winitana-Patelesio sit in the 'summer uncertainty' bracket. Tyson Hansen and Deshontayne Te Wao shared the halves role with Thompson in the U17s team who won the Harold Matthew Cup.
Te Maire Martin: Turangawaewae
Chanel Harris-Tavita: Mt Wellington
Caleb Laiman: Marist
Maui Winitana-Patelesio: Upper Hutt
Tyson Hansen: Pikiao
Deshontayne Te Wao: Otahuhu
Both starting halves for the NZ Schools U18 team are with NZW as well. Tyrone Hurt-Pickering is from St Paul's College/Marist and Rico Toeava-Ward is from De La Salle College/Mangere East. NZW also have Christiano Elia who is part of the U16 group and he was a starting half for St Thomas of Canterbury this year, also selected in the NZ Schools U16 team.
Lots of Aussie halves coming to Mt Smart and NZW are still gathering local halves at all levels. This is what a full NRL pipeline looks like and NZW must be doing something right if seven young Aussies are keen to move to Aotearoa.
Musical jam…
Wildcard’s Notebook
The A-League Women’s begins tonight with the Wellington Phoenix playing away to Western United. Big ol’ kiwi derby in the ALM but don’t overlook this game. The Welly Nix Wahine only got a four-week preseason so it’s all been pretty hectic but they were able to get a couple of friendlies in Sydney against fellow ALW opposition. Expect them to build into the season, expect that of most teams, but Paul Temple has stated that playoffs are the expectation for his team. Along with “growth”, “improvement”, and an “evolution of the playing style”.
To be honest, the small ball approach that was so touted last season was only really evident when Macey Fraser and Annalie Longo were involved… but they have reinforced the squad with players they hope will better suit that aim... starting with Carolina Vilão as a goalkeeper who’ll be much more involved in the build-up. They’ve lost a ton of players though, which does make it hard to predict how things will go.
Wellington Phoenix ALW Squad
GK – Carolina Vilão (I), Aimee Danieli (S), Brooke Neary (A)
DEF – Mackenzie Barry, Rebecca Lake, Tiana Jaber, Zoe McMeeken, Ella McMillan, Lara Wall (S)
MID – Maya McCutcheon (I), Annalie Longo, Alyssa Whinham, Daisy Brazendale
FWD – Grace Jale, Olivia Fergusson (I), Mebae Tanaka (I), Emma Main, Manaia Elliott, Olivia Ingham, Ela Jerez (S), Ella McCann (S)
(I) = Import, (S) = Scholarship, (A) = Amateur
Player Departures:
Macey Fraser (Utah Royals), Kate Taylor (Dijon FCO), Mariana Speckmaier (Melbourne City), Michaela Foster (Durham), Kelli Brown (Perth Glory), Hailey Davidson (Dallas Trinity), Hope Breslin & Isabel Cox (Brooklyn FC), Grace Wisnewski (Lexington SC), Rylee Foster (Everton), Michaela Robertson (Sabbatical), Helena Errington (TBD)
Note that Ella McCann has an ACL injury so she won’t play this season, nor will Marisa van der Meer who isn’t under contract but has been promised one next season fitness permitting. Tiana Jaber is the only Australian in the squad, returning after joining as an injury-replacement midway through last season. Interestingly, she’s now a Lebanese international. This after the HeNix midfielder Mo Al-Taay was capped by Iraq. Pretty cool development.
But the thing is... as far as I can tell the minimum squad size is 20 players and while they’re okay on that count it’s only because of all the scholars. There must be 18 players on full contracts and I only count 16 there. Fortunately, folks out there in the interwebs have spotted that two other players appear to be listed in certain databases: Amelia Abbott and Imane Chebel.
Chebel is a Canadian-born Algerian international who has played in Kazakhstan, France, Norway, and Brazil. Another tip-off tells us that she actually played a wee bit of Champions League with BIIK Kazygurt (KAZ) a few years back, including two heavy defeats against a Bayern Munich side that included Ali Riley. Riley only made three UWCL apps for Bayern and two of them were against Chebel, who is a defender and will fill the final import spot if this move does come to pass.
As for Abbott, she was part of the U17 World Cup bronze-medal New Zealand squad a few years ago where her tidy and combative holding midfield exploits locked things down. One of the most impressive players in that squad yet she’s barely been heard of in the intervening years. Like a few from that squad, who were arguably the last ones to do so before earlier professional gigs became more available in the A-League and beyond, Abbott chose to go down the USA college route.
She got a pretty incredible opportunity at the University of Texas – a massive school – but unfortunately that led to her only playing 10 games in the space of four years. Lifestyle-wise, it will have been an amazing experience. Football-wise it’s kind of been a waste. However, many very good NZ footballers, for whatever reason, have been wildly underrated at USA colleges only to be immediately effective once they hit the professional environments. Jacqui Hand was really good in college, but the likes of Hannah Blake, Gabi Rennie, and Maggie Jenkins all had their ups and downs. All four of those players have been superb since they graduated. Abbott could easily do similar... and with this move looking pretty much done (just gotta wait ‘til Texas finishes their postseason stuff) it’s great to see the Wellington Phoenix giving a boost to a huge kiwi talent who might have otherwise fallen through the cracks.
Kiwis at Australian A-League Women’s Clubs
Melbourne City – Rebekah Stott
Sydney FC – Brianna Edwards
Melbourne Victory – Claudia Bunge
Perth Glory – Kelli Brown
Canberra United – Liz Anton & Ruby Nathan
Newcastle United – Deven Jackson
That’s seven in total, bit of a drop from the 11 who got minutes for Aussie ALW teams last season but that’s because Hannah Blake, Milly Clegg, Rebecca Burrows, and Rosetta Taylor all have moved overseas (Burrows is back at Western Springs now) while Grace Jale’s signed with the Wellington Phoenix and Hannah Wilkinson has retired. No new signings amongst any of these players though, that’s a wee bit annoying.
A few of this year’s crop have moved clubs. Anton’s left Perth after four years, seeking a fresh start in Canberra where she’ll join second-year pro Nathan who could be in for a leap in production. Deven Jackson was at Canberra last year but she’s moved to Newcastle this time (from Canberra to Sydney, having played state leagues in Melbourne during the winter). Kelli Brown didn’t get much of a chance at the Nix last year but has been superb in consecutive NPL seasons for Macarthur Rams so she’s followed her old Rams coach who is now in charge of Perth. Claudia Bunge is back with Melbourne Victory after a year in Denmark. Brianna Edwards is in line to be the starting keeper for Sydney FC which is massive. And Rebekah Stott will captain Melbourne City once again, no dramas there.
I had been half wondering if a few of the NZ free agents might pop up at Aussie clubs. Meikayla Moore, Erin Nayler, Paige Satchell, Hannah Wilkinson, Ria Percival. But nope, nothing there (at least not yet). Wilkinson’s retired, Satchell’s playing NZ National League and potentially focussing on her day job a little more, and the rest... dunno. Moore’s the only one of them who was in the last Ferns squad.
Steven Adams story of the day:
Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has a reputation for saying weird things. His latest this week was telling media that he reckons NBA players should be allowed to punch each other from time to time, the way that it happens when the benches clear in baseball or when ice hockey players throw down. Nothing too much, just a little more lenience than is currently allowed. That clip did the usual aggregator rounds and Steven Adams commented on one of the Instagram examples: “$20 I punch @rudygobert27 square in the nose”.
Instagrammed later blocked his comment for promoting violence or whatever. Dunno why he chose Gobert’s nose. The two have never been teammates though they are both from the same 2013 NBA Draft class so they’ve run into each other many times. Maybe he actually just wants to punch Rudy Gobert – Adams was, after all, a teammate of Kyle Anderson’s once upon a time. He’s been teasing his “hatred” of Big Rudy since at least 2016.
Blackcaps Most Test Runs in A Calendar Year
Kane Williamson (2015) – 1172 runs | 90.16 avg | 5 100s
Brendon McCullum (2014) – 1164 runs | 72.75 avg | 4 100s
Kane Williamson (2014) – 929 runs | 61.93 avg | 4 100s
Ross Taylor (2013) – 866 runs | 72.17 avg | 3 100s
Rachin Ravindra (2024) – 846 runs | 56.40 avg | 2 100s
This year has served up an unusually big diet of Test cricket for the Blackcaps but Ravindra is fifth on this list and could potentially have four more Tests to work his way higher. This is incredible stuff. Ravindra’s scores this year read:
240, 12, 29, 20 vs South Africa (H)
0, 59, 4, 82 vs Australia (H)
39, 92, 10, 12 vs Sri Lanka (A)
134, 39no, 65, 9 vs India (A)
MNL Team of the Week #5
GK – Ellis Hare-Reid (Coastal Spirit) – It was a real game of two halves in the South Island Derby, with Coastal edging a competitive first half but then having to sit deep and soak up pressure for almost all of the second as Cashy Tech rallied. Somehow, thanks to the shot-stopping, aerial prowess, and general bravery of Ellis Hare-Reid they held on for a draw.
RB – Dylan Connolly (Birkenhead United) – DC has been on the fringes of making one of these teams for a couple of weeks now, his attacking wing-back stuff has been awesome getting forward, linking up, and whipping in crosses. Set up Birko’s first goal in the win vs the WeeNix.
CB – Ben Mata (Wellington Olympic) – He had one of those games. An absolute wall in defence, winning roughly three hundred headers (including a diving block against a Tade shot) and also sneakily scored the winning goal so jot that down too.
CB – George Andrew (Napier City Rovers) – Massive work in defence dealing with the threat of Lucas Meek. There was also a moment where he stepped up and won the ball, threading it through, leading to one of NCR’s goals. Commanding work laying the platform for a big Rovers win.
LB – Isa Prins (Wellington Olympic) – The thing about being a wing-back for Wellington Olympic is you’re much more of a winger than a fullback, it’s not an even balance, but happy to bend the rules to get a very promising creative player into his second TOW in a row. Another goal and an assist in a victory. Sweet as.
CM – Finn Caughey (Cashmere Technical) – Having 19yo Alex Ballard doing excellent things in the midfield for Cashy Tech is one thing, but they last few weeks they’ve added another 19yo into the equation, with Caughey not only offering some extra bite but also popping up with the equalising goal.
CM – Luke Jorgensen (Birkenhead United) – The heart of a very high-achieving Birko team at the moment. Rugged yet polished in midfield. The engine of the team. His midfield partner Leon van den Hoven had probably his best MNL match of the season to date in the WeeNix win too.
CM – Dylan Manickum (Auckland City) – Wasn’t the bloke who got the goals or assists in ACFC’s 3-0 win over Eastern Suburbs, but I thought he was fantastic hovering in pockets trying to unpick a sturdy Subs defence, putting his futsal skills to work in tight spaces. He instigated the first goal too, with a delicious first-time lay-off.
FW – Monty Patterson (Birkenhead United) – Arguably all three of his goals should have been saved, one in particular was a huge blunder, but Patterson earned that fortune with a superb performance as the key man up top for Birko in another healthy victory.
FW – Garbhan Coughlan (Cashmere Technical) – Another double which swung the game back in his team’s favour. Two pure number nine finishes, getting into great areas and delivering perfection. This guy has scored 25 goals in 21 MNL games since the start of the 2022 campaign.
FW – Jordan Annear (Napier City Rovers) – Player of the round over here because how can you beat a bloke who scored a goal and bagged two assists as an influential striker in the first half, then had to be the emergency goalie in the second half whereupon he made a bunch of genuinely impressive saves as his team nursed their way to victory.
Musical Jam...