Post-Warriors Glow Up
Parramatta Eels & other Kiwi-NRL goodness, Chris Wood at Newcastle, Blackcaps contract clarity, Tall Blacks WCQ, Finn Allen, Marko Stamenic & National League footy
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2022 NRLWahine Round Rua Preview (Rugby League)
Kiwi-NRL Spotlight: Wellington Mana With Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Rugby League)
Kiwi-NRL Spotlight: Career Best Mahi With Dylan Brown (Rugby League)
Looks Like The Wellington Phoenix Blokes Are Embarking On Another Aussie Cup Run (Football)
Flying Kiwis – August 23 (Football)
The Football Ferns Are Staying Busy, Here’s Another Squad Write-Up (Football)
Blackcaps Winter Tour Notebook Dump (Cricket)
Returning To The Suzie Bates Status-Quo (Cricket)
Scotty’s Word
The Kiwi-NRL crew at Eels has been among the funkiest with high quality young talent shining in a team that has a track record of nice player development. Dylan Brown, Isaiah Papali'i, Marata Niukore and Makahesi Makatoa were all playing against Broncos as notable examples of Eels player development. Given that Papali'i and Niukore will depart at season's end, this finals run feels extra enticing.
Previous Eels teams have not had this version of Brown and he continues to be the best low key half in the competition. Last season finished with many folks pondering how Brown had two try assists and despite there being a case to be made for subtle differences in Eels play-making across Brown, Mitchell Moses and Clint Gutherson; no one can overlook Brown's leap from two try assists to 16 this season.
Brown has blown his previous best mahi away, while maintaining his elite running and tackling package. Very few NRL halves average over 100m and many halves are targeted as defenders. Brown averages 121m and is a good defender in a spot where merely being a willing defender is useful. I'm curious how Brown's development leap looks for Eels in the finals, especially as Eels have struggled to make their own development leap in pushing for championships.
Papali'i has the blatant post-Warriors glow up and that speaks for itself. Makatoa didn't have an NRL gig before joining Eels. Niukore was a high quality junior who tapped into his potential with Eels. These three can slide under the radar with Aussies, among more well known Australian forwards, that's the same for Brown in the Moses/Gutherson pocket. Any Eels success will feature these lads operating at their best and this is one of many awesome Kiwi-NRL wrinkles for finals footy.
Storm vs Roosters has finals flow-on for Roosters as they are joined by Rabbitohs and Broncos on 28 points, Raiders sit ninth on 26 points. A Storm vs Roosters match up is a battle of the best Kiwi-NRL organisations, Rabbitohs face Cowboys and Raiders come up against Sea Eagles.
As a mark of Kiwi-NRL depth, an Aotearoa Kiwis outfit of with players from the top-nine clubs can be made. A rather impressive Aotearoa Kiwis team from half the league, no Warriors...
Fullback: Joseph Manu.
Wings: Ronaldo Mulitalo, Jordan Rapana.
Centres: Peta Hiku, Marata Niukore.
Halves: Jahromge Hughes, Dylan Brown.
Middles: Jesse Bromich, Joseph Tapine, James Fisher-Harris.
Edges: Isaiaha Papali'i, Kenny Bromwich.
Hooker: Bradon Smith.
Bench: Te Maire Martin, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Moses Leota.
Extra: Griffin Neame, Jordan Riki, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Matthew Timoko, Scott Sorenson.
Joseph Tapine is first for post contact metres and prior to this round he was the only bloke with 1,400+ PCM. Tapine is also third for offloads and considering more offloads decreases PCM, that smells like the best middle forward in the NRL. Sometimes things need to be broken into simple framing; Brown's fantastic because of his running/tackling combo for a young half, Tapine's PCM/offload combo is middle forward bliss.
Sea Eagles have a Kiwi-NRL debutant in Ray Tuaimalo-Vaega who joins Morgan Harper, Christian Tuipulotu and Kieran Foran in the Sea Eagles backline. Tuaimalo-Vaega is a Marist Saints junior and after playing for Warriors Jersey Flegg he started 2020 with Northern Pride before returning to Aotearoa with the pandemic. Tuaimalo-Vaega played for Akarana in the 2020 NZRL National Premiership before joining Sea Eagles Flegg in 2021, then rising through their ranks.
That is somewhat similar to Otahuhu's Alfred Smalley who returned to Aotearoa during the pandemic and then kicked on with Sea Eagles. I've highlighted previously how Eiden Ackland started this year in Sea Eagles' NSW Cup team before returning to Auckland with Mt Albert.
Redcliffe U21s had a big win last weekend with four of their five starting forwards being Warriors juniors; Kina and Valingi Kepu, Taniela Otukolo, Jacob Laban and Zyon Maiu'u. Two of the four bench players were also Warriors juniors in Lleyton Finau and Demitric Sifakula.
Other notable Kiwi-NRL talent in Queensland's U21s competition...
Souths Logan: Nathaniel Tangimataiti
Burleigh: TJ Devery, Sam McIntyre, Vaka Sikahele, Manny Snooks.
Wynnum: Caius Fa'atili, Sefa Roache-Faimalo, Felix Fa'atili.
Notable Kiwi-NRL lads in NSW U21s this round...
Raiders: Temple Beauchamp, Sione Moala.
Sea Eagles: Sanele Aukusitino, Jonah Palota-Kopa.
Eels: Moala Graham-Taufa.
Sharks: Toatoua Porima, Salesi Ataata.
Tigers: Christian Ma'anaima.
Roosters: Connagh Takairangi.
“We’ve had several conversations and I know Trent understands that, in terms of selection, NZC will continue to make a priority of those players with either central or domestic contracts.”
That's a quote from Gary Stead in NZC's announcement about Trent Boult's contract status. Boult is again named in Aotearoa's ODI squad to face Australia alongside Jimmy Neesham and as expected, their contract status has no impact on Blackcaps selection. It will impact selection come Big Bash League time as Boult and Neesham are both listed in the BBL draft pool.
Falling out of the ODI top-tier was dropped as a reason for Neesham not getting a Blackcaps contract, thus suggesting that Neesham was on the outer. Since then Neesham played two games against West Indies and is now in this squad to face Australia, meaning Neesham may play as many ODIs this year (2) as he did last year (3) and the year before (4) ... without a contract.
Hence we bump up against the hype around Blackcaps contracts. The new wrinkle is how non-contracted players are being selected ahead of contracted players, despite what Stead implied in that quote about Boult. Boult, Neesham, Finn Allen and Ben Sears don't have contracts and are in this ODI squad to face Australia while Ish Sodhi, Will Young, Henry Nicholls and Colin de Grandhomme are capable ODI players with contracts who did not get selected.
I like the Blackcaps ODI squad that was named so this is merely to highlight how weird it is to suggest that contracted players are a priority over non-contracted players. If that was genuinely a thing, Young would do a fine job in place of Allen for example. No seam bowler will be picked ahead of Boult just because they have a contract and Boult doesn't.
Meanwhile there are contracted players like Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel and Tom Blundell who only play Test cricket - Wagner has played nine games of cricket since the WTC final! Thankfully NZC places a priority on Test mahi and hearty Test troopers are looked after. Yet the idea that contracts dictate some kind of kiwi cricket ranking or Blackcaps selection is false.
Why has Allen been selected ahead of Young and Nicholls?
Take the contract stuff out and there are strong cases to be made for Young/Nicholls ahead of Allen. Allen has done the Michael Bracewell where they keep taking opportunities and in this new, highly competitive Aoteaora cricket environment, I have no issues rolling with the bloke currently doing his job. Young and Nicholls might be better batters, Allen just played his best knock for Aotearoa and it was in an ODI.
Allen played seven T20I games over this winter tour, scoring 178 runs @ 154.78 sr. Allen dropped out of the Blackcaps T20I 1st 11 for the Caribbean leg and made way for a Martin Guptill, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson trio up top. Then Allen played all three ODI games against West Indies with his knock of 96 in the second game leading that batting innings, dragging his team to a competitive target before Tim Southee and Boult ripped through the Windies batting line up.
Allen had already put up scores against Ireland and Scotland in ODIs, but flexed his growth against Windies. Allen hit 149 runs @ 104.19 against Ireland and Scotland while his knock vs Windies had a grittier flavour (82sr) as Allen batted 41 overs for his 96 runs.
Either version of Allen in ODI cricket is funky. Allen can attack from the first ball alongside Guptill, while Williamson and Conway sit below Allen. Playing as a pinch-hitter amongst three of the best batters in the world is all good. Allen has shown flashes that he can adapt to niggly spells of bowling or conditions - there is little need for slugging when wickets are falling around Allen.
Young and Nicholls are better batters than Allen, but they can't do what Allen does. Just like blending Sears into this squad is a wise development move, allowing Allen space and time at this level in an experienced batting group seems like a wise development move.
Wildcard’s Notebook
Chris Wood scored a goal for Newcastle United yesterday. His first of the new season, coming in his first start, having only played 25 mins of the first three Premier League games as backup to the excellent Callum Wilson.
A League Cup tie against fourth-tier Tranmere Rovers was always gonna be a welcome opportunity to stretch the legs (he and the rest of the ten changes that Eddie Howe made from the 3-3 draw with Man City). And he dutifully delivered with a fine header early in the second half to help his team come from behind to win 2-1 and continue on in the competition.
It may have only been a League Cup game against a much weaker opponent but Woodsy needed that one. He needed it for a variety of reasons. First of all he’s a striker and strikers always play better when they’re scoring. Plus it gets him off the mark nice and early this term before any extra pressure builds.
His lack of goals last season is something that continues to be held against him by a significant portion of Newcastle fans who either never wanted him in the first place because they don’t think he’s good enough for their level (despite him joining when they were in the relegation zone) or who saw him as a six-month stopgap player whose use has now expired.
Those people’s opinions are irrelevant compared to the opinions of his coach and teammates (which are very different) but they’re loud opinions... ain’t that always the case. Scoring heaps is literally the only thing that’ll shut them folks up so this was a helpful start.
Because everything else that you could want in a player (within reason), he’s giving them. Okay he’s never gonna be Prime Brazilian Ronaldo on the ball but he does whatever job the manager asks of him, he never shirks the boring defensive stuff, he tirelessly challenges for aerial balls, he brings teammates around him into the game, he never whinges if he’s not selected, and he works his arse off on the training paddock. Don’t believe it, just ask the folks who are there.
Kieran Trippier: “Woody deserves it. He works so hard in training every day behind the scenes which nobody sees. Full credit to him because he absolutely deserved that goal.”
The chasm between opinion and fact surrounding Chris Wood at Newcastle is kinda fascinating. It was obvious from day one that Woodsy was never gonna be the long term dude at the Magpies but anyone who actually listens to manager Eddie Howe speak would have to be nuts to think he doesn’t rate The Woodsman, or that he would wilfully discard him so quickly. This was Howe speaking prior to the Tranmere game...
“Chris Wood has a massive part to play. You could see when he came on the other day when he replaced Callum Wilson I thought he played really well. He made a positive impact when he came on to the pitch. Chris linked play very well and made a couple of lovely passes, so he has a huge part to play. Also, the big thing with Chris is when he comes on he's helping defend set-plays and recovering back into midfield to help the team. He has got that experience and know-how which is absolutely vital at this level.”
All those things that Howe lists off, they were covered in Flying Kiwis this week so have a geeze at that for more of a breakdown in what he offers this team both defensively and in possession.
After that Man City game Callum Wilson was sent for scans on a sore hamstring. Doesn’t sound too bad but it could feasibly cost him a couple weeks putting Wood back where he was when he signed as the only fit and trusted centre-forward in the squad. They play Wolves on the weekend, by the way, the team that Wood scored his lone Premier League hat-trick against.
So naturally they’re dipping into the transfer market. Watford forward Joao Pedro was supposedly on the verge of arriving a few days ago but that appears to have gone on the backburner after a breakthrough in negotiations to sign Swedish striker Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad for what’ll be a club record fee.
Isak is superb. He’ll straight away jump ahead of Chris Wood in the pecking order (whereas 20yo Joao Pedro may not have). You don’t need me to tell you that’s not the best news for Woodsy, however with Wilson’s recurring injuries and Isak likely to need time in adjusting to the PL it’s not like Chris Wood is gonna simultaneously get hushed out the exit door, as many seem happy to suggest. If they were short on options with Wilson/Wood then surely you’d be short on options with Wilson/Isak too. They’re trying to expand their squad here. There’s room for all three.
Realistically, Isak’s arrival could lead to some additional unused sub apps for The Woodsman. But as Eddie Howe himself said, Wood’s still got a big role to play. Don’t doubt it.
Marko Stamenic’s Champions League chances live on after his FC København team ground out an impressive clean sheet in Turkey against Trabzonspor. The reigning Danish champs against the reigning Turkish champs. That 0-0 draw was all they needed after a 2-1 win in the home leg and thus they’re off to the group stages for the first time since 2016–17.
Stamenic didn’t play in the second leg although he was amongst the unused substitutes. He’s not made the last few matchday squads for the Superliga but UEFA competitions seem to allow extended benches. Whether he gets any game time in the UCL group stages is anyone’s guess but he should make their 25-man UCL squad and be available. Exciting times.
The draw for the UCL group stages took place this morning and FCK got served up a ruthless bunch of opponents. Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and Sevilla are the three teams they’ll face home and away. Tough mahi. But also an incredible opportunity, especially for a young bloke like Stamenic who has only just broken into the first team at FCK.
Remember there hasn’t been a kiwi male play Champions League proper since 2008. A few years ago I wrote that it was only a matter of time until that drought came to an end but back then I was thinking of Ryan Thomas and Sarpreet Singh at the time. That Stamenic has been able to push through to this point so soon in his career only goes to show what a golden state Aotearoa football is in these days.
Good win for the Tall Blacks overnight vs Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying. It was a game they were expected to win and they came out firing with 27 and 28 point quarters in the first half. They also kept the Saudis to just six points in the second meaning they were up by thirty points at half-time, 55-25. The second half was therefore a bit sloppier in comparison, a poor third quarter threatening an outside chance of a comeback... but then Shea Ili checked back in and ensured that the train got back on track.
Coach Pero Cameron rolled with a starting line-up of: Shea Ili, Reuben Te Rangi, Jordan Ngatai, Tohi Smith-Milner, and Isaac Fotu. A strong team with plenty of defensive pressure. Unsurprisingly, Ili was the top performer out there with 14p/8a/4r. Fotu also chipped in with 12 points from 6/8 shooting though it was the bench dudes who did a lot of the scoreboard damage led by Ben Gold with 13 points and 7 rebounds as well as Ethan Rusbatch who hit three triples within his 11 points. Other lads to earn caps: Sam Timmins, Nikau McCullough, and Izayah Mauriohooho-Le’afa.
The shooting was a bit rusty and that’s what allowed for Saudi Arabia to claw things back in the third. The Tall Blacks only shot 41.3% from the field and 27.6% from deep (8/29). The lackluster second half in general will be a focus – luckily they got away with it thanks to the dominance of those opening two frames.
All in all it’s a solid win that keeps the TBs undefeated through the first five games of WCQ. Box score here if you’re curious. Next up they’re back in Auckland on the North Shore against Jordan on Monday night.
Back to the football now, domestic stuff this time, because after going in deep on the Chatham/Kate Sheppard Cup semis in Monday’s newsletter we’ve had some serious developments in National League qualifying.
The Women’s National League was already sorted after Northern Rovers won the thing with a couple weeks to spare and the top four already being confirmed as we head into the penultimate round. Then obviously the WNL still has the federation teams outside of the Northern comp so Central, Capital, Canterbury United, and Southern will all be prepping their squads as we speak, no doubt. Nothing to worry about there.
It’s with the blokes where it gets funky. Christchurch United and Cashmere Technical have long since been destined to qualify from out of the Southern League although the title race between them has been incredible. Cashy Tech beat Chch Utd 1-0 last weekend thanks to a 50th minute goal from Cory Vickers, ending United’s unbeaten Southern League run and sending Technical top of the table on goal difference.
This weekend sees the final round of that season (apart from a lone Dunedin City vs Nelson Subs catch-up game next weekend). Christchurch United face bottom-placed Mosgiel. Cashmere Tech are away to fourth-placed Dunedin City Royals. There’s a six-goal swing in the goal difference so Cashmere should win the title if they win their game but it’s a tough ask against a good team whereas United will back themselves to put plenty past a team they beat 4-0 away from home in the reverse fixture.
Moving up to the Central League, for some reason the title decider between Wellington Olympic and Miramar Rangers (Rangers are two points back on the table) which was supposed to have been played on Wednesday night has been delayed for an entire month. Friday 23 September. Just before the National League begins. No idea what’s going on there, strange areas. Gotta wait four weeks after every other team wraps it up before we find out who actually wins the CL.
Luckily the fourth place race is where it’s at. Napier City Rovers seemed to be on course when they beat the Phoenix Reserves a few weeks back but then they lost 2-1 to Waterside Karori in the following match. Suddenly there were only six points between those two teams and Karori had a game in hand. Thus when WK took a fourth minute lead against Miramar Rangers things were all kinds of funky. Then again when they retook the lead two mins after Hamish Watson had equalised in the 65th.
But an 86th minute leveller for Liam Wood meant a 2-2 draw and then Rovers beat Western Suburbs 3-1 a couple days later. Despite WK winning 1-0 vs the WeeNix on the same afternoon it was all over then and there. Napier City Rovers confirmed as a National League qualifier for 2022. Shout out to them lads.
Meaning it’s just the final Northern League team that’s left to be decided. Melville United have been on track for that gig over the majority of the season but consecutive defeats to Western Springs and Auckland United opened the door back up to their local rivals Hamilton Wanderers (who won in both those weeks – a six point swing). Three games each to play. Two points between them.
But Wanderers lost 2-0 away to Birkenhead (goals to Andy Cromb 24’ & Cameron MacKenzie 90+4’) on Tuesday night and then on Wednesday night Melville took a similar drive up the motorway to face Eastern Suburbs except they returned with a 4-1 win.
It’s still not locked in but Melville now only need one win (or Hamilton Wands to drop points in either remaining game) for the permanent ink to come out. Melville face relegated North Shore on Saturday, while Hamilton Wanderers host Manukau United. Then on the odd chance that those games don’t seal the deal then there’s a very tasty Hamilton Wanderers vs Melville United derby in round 22 which will decide the last National League team for the year. Melville are probably 95% of the way there but it’s not quite over yet.
Qualified 2022 NZ National League clubs:
Women: Northern Rovers, Western Springs, Eastern Suburbs, Auckland United, Central, Capital, Canterbury Pride, Southern United
Men: Auckland City, Birkenhead, Auckland United, Wellington Olympic, Miramar Rangers, Wellington Phoenix Reserves, Napier City Rovers, Cashmere Technical, Christchurch United (plus either Melville United/Hamilton Wanderers)