Niche In The Cache
NZ Warriors roster, White Ferns & Blackcaps nuggets
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The Steven Adams NBA Comeback Tour With The Houston Rockets Has Commenced (Basketball)
New Zealand Tour Of India Preview (Cricket)
2024 T20 World Cup Winning Notes After Defeating Sri Lanka (Cricket)
2024 Aotearoa Kiwis Squad Breakdown (Rugby League)
2024 Aotearoa Kiwi Ferns Squad Breakdown (Rugby League)
2025 New Zealand Women Warriors Signings Tracker: Second Wave (Rugby League)
Three Themes Of New Zealand Warriors Recruitment & Development Ahead Of The 2025 NRL Season
Scotty’s Word
No Nicko today because he has bigger fish to fry. All the football stuff you need will still be delivered over the next few days so stay tuned in for Flying Kiwis and National League coverage. Oh look at that, he whipped up a Women’s National League Week 3 yarn just in time for the dispatch.
It's also time for the sporadic rally to help the Niche Cache. We go hard in covering Aotearoa sport and you won't find anything like our mahi in the mainstream or the underground, so please consider joining the generous kiwis who fund our mahi. Buy Me A Coffee is an easy way to make a one-off donation, while we deliver a weekly bonus podcast for folks who join the Patreon whanau or upgrade to a paid Substack subscription.
If the consistent NZ Warriors breakdowns and Flying Kiwis coverage didn't hit your antenna, we are entering a phase where we cover domestic cricket and football closely. No one else does that, let alone everything else we do with such consistency and we need a few more Patreon whanau members or paid subs for us to be locked in over summer.
Whatever niche in the cache you enjoy, we need your help to keep it flowing.
Nick's the basketball guy, but I did see that South East Melbourne Phoenix flicked their coach aside after an 0-5 start to the NBL season. Thomas Vodanovich is the only kiwi on their roster and he averaged 12mins/game, so maybe a new coach may give Vodanovich a boost.
NZ Breakers swing back into NBL after whatever they were up to in recent weeks, playing against Brisbane Bullets on Thursday night. They are 2-0 in the NBL and their wins were against SEM, then Brisbane. SEM just fired their coach and Brisbane will be eager for revenge.
Three teams have four wins in NBL. Illawara are 4-1 and don't have any kiwis, here are the other two...
Melbourne United (4-2): Shea Ili, Rob Loe, Flynn Cameron
Sydney Kings (4-2): Izayah Le'Afa
Tauihi standings…
Northern Kahu (3-0)
Whai (1-1)
Mainland Pouakai (1-1)
Tokomanawa Queens (1-1)
Southern Hoiho (0-3)
Here are some National League football goals from the weekend...
Australia defeated India at the T20 World Cup so a White Ferns win over Pakistan will see them snap up second spot in Group A. This is a massive game for the New Zealand ladies as they haven't made T20WC semi-finals in the last three tournaments and lost a T20I series to Pakistan in Aotearoa last summer.
That game will be played Tuesday morning at 3am NZT. On top of all the stats offered in the winning notebook, here are the updated White Ferns T20I stats in 2024…
Batting
Suzie Bates: 380 runs @ 23.7avg/105sr
Amelia Kerr: 328 runs @ 25.2avg/106sr
Sophie Devine: 247 runs @ 27.4avg/120sr
Georgia Plimmer: 223 runs @ 18.5avg/103sr
Brooke Halliday: 190 runs @ 14.6avg/93sr
Maddy Green: 154 runs @ 14avg/93sr
Izzy Gaze: 138 runs @ 13.8avg/112sr
Jess Kerr: 86 runs @ 17.2avg/126sr
Lea Tahuhu: 66 runs @ 22avg/122sr
Bowling
Amelia Kerr: 21w @ 19avg/7.1rpo
Lea Tahuhu: 13w @ 22.5avg/7.9rpo
Fran Jonas: 11w @ 28.7avg/7.3rpo
Rosemary Mair: 10w @ 22.7avg/6.3rp
Eden Carson: 10w @ 21.6avg/7.7rpo
Brooke Halliday: 5w @ 13avg/8.4rpo
Sophie Devine: 4w @ 47avg/9.2rpo
Leigh Kasperek: 4w @ 23.7avg/7.5rpo
Hannah Rowe: 4w @ 30avg/10rpo
Suzie Bates: 2w @ 9avg/6rpo
Jess Kerr: 2w @ 115.5avg/7rpo
Molly Penfold: 2w @ 28.5avg/8.1rpo
Here are the amount of Tests that Blackcaps lads have played in India...
Kane Williamson: 8
Tom Latham: 5
Tim Southee: 5
Mitchell Santner: 3
Will Young: 2
Rachin Ravindra: 2
Matt Henry: 2
Tom Blundell: 2
Ajaz Patel: 2
Daryl Mitchell: 1
Ish Sodhi: 1
None: Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears
I'm working through some of the highlights from the NZRL Clubs vs Schools games over the weekend. Compton Purcell and Taipari Wikitera flashed their potential. Both were part of the NZ Warriors system this year, dabbling in U21 Jersey Flegg while still at school. Maaria Elkington scored an epic try in the girls as well…
NZ Warriors released Marcelo Montoya to return to Bulldogs. NZW appear to be clearing a path for their youngsters to play more and my hunch is that folks should chill on who NZW might sign. I feel like it’s more likely that NZW promote from within and don’t sign anyone else for their NRL squad ahead of next season, but I’m not ready to blast that just yet.
NZW got out of a contract for Montoya at a time when they have ample outside back depth. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Ali Leiataua, Rocco Berry and Adam Pompey are competing for four spots. That’s before getting into Ed Kosi, Moala Graham-Taufa, Motu Pasikala and Sio Kali. NZW may shuffle out of the Kosi contract and it doesn’t seem like they want to keep Moala Graham-Taufa around, although I like both as guys capable of stepping in when required. Pasikala and Kali could surprise folks
Guys on their first/second NRL contracts will be cheaper than Montoya. With Taine Tuaupiki covering fullback, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is capable of slotting into any backline position as well. Montoya was solid and he’s another lad who joined NZW when they were based in Australia (I still reckon a few of these Aussies joined NZW because they were based in Australia), but other lads can do what he did and perhaps offer more razzle dazzle.
Watch out for the Nicoll-Klokstad/Keano Kini dynamic for NZ Kiwis because it's similar to Nicoll-Klokstad/Tuaupiki for NZW. I reckon what happens for NZ Kiwis (who plays where, how they perform) could forecast matters for NZW next season.
Below is an overview of the NZ Warriors wider NRL squad. This includes lads who are apparently leaving such as Graham-Taufa and Bunty Afoa, along with new arrivals such as Jett Cleary and Sam Healey…
Fullback
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Taine Tuaupiki
Wing/Centre
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Ali Leiataua, Rocco Berry, Adam Pompey, Moala Graham-Taufa, Edward Kosi, Motu Pasikala, Sio Kali
Halves
Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Luke Hanson, Jett Cleary
Middle Forwards
Tohu Harris, James Fisher-Harris, Mitchell Barnett, Dylan Walker, Erin Clark, Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Demitric Sifakula, Zyon Maiu'u, Tanner Stowers-Smith
Edge Forwards
Kurt Capewell, Marata Niukore, Jackson Ford, Jacob Laban, Leka Halasima, Eddie Ieremia
Hooker
Wayde Egan, Freddie Lussick, Sam Healey
Musical jam…