Pulling Strings
Lydia Ko prowess, Gayle Broughton mana, Joseph Parker's black eye, U19 Oceania footy, Parramatta Eels, and another WNL Team of the Week
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Reading Menu
All Whites vs Australia: Defeat In Auckland, Things To Ponder (Football)
Kiwi-NRL Spotlight: Dylan Brown Celebration (Rugby League)
Kiwi-NRL Spotlight: Matthew Timoko Blossoms (Rugby League)
Kiwi-NRL Spotlight: Paul Turner's Titans Foundations (Rugby League)
All Whites vs Australia: Defeat In Brisbane, But Encouraging Signs (Football)
Flying Kiwis – September 20 (Football)
2022 T20 World Cup: Blackcaps Preview (Cricket)
Scotty’s Word
Lydia Ko suffered a minor dip in her LPGA mahi this month but has returned to her cozy spot as the best golfer in the world. Ko finished tied-5th at the Arkansas Championship over the weekend and this comes after a few weeks off as she prepares for a busy phase at the end of the LPGA Tour campaign.
Ko had a run of four top-10 finishes in a row and then finished 16T at the Dana Open to start September. That was Ko's third finish outside the top-10 in her last 12 events and every time Ko has slid outside the top-10 she has bounced back to register a top-10 finish, or multiple top-10 finishes.
The key stat for Ko is Scoring Average where she is ranked first and Aussie Minjee Lee is the only other LPGA player with a Scoring Average below 69.4. Ko is currently tied with Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand - won the Arkansas Champs) for top-10 finishes as they both have 11, yet Ko operates at 61 percent top-10 finishes and Thitikul at 52 percent.
Ponder how Ko has the best LPGA Scoring Average this year while also being ranked 159th for Driving Accuracy and 98th for Average Driving Distance. The best wahine golfer in the world lets others hit booming drives as they chase trendy ideals. Ko is good enough with her driver to kick it on the LPGA Tour and in every other aspect of her golf, Ko is elite.
This weekend is the Ascendant LPGA tournament in Dallas, Texas.
Gayle Broughton's Eels delivered an almighty upset win over Roosters in their NRLWahine semi final, setting up next weekend's final against Knights. Knights defeated Page McGregor's Dragons 30-6 and after cracking finals footy with just one win, Eels sent an undefeated Roosters team packing.
Unfortunately that previously undefeated Roosters wahine team was the funkiest wrinkle of NRLWahine with Raecene McGregor, Mya Hill-Moana and Leianne Tufuga chasing back to back championships. Roosters saved their worst mahi for the most important game and now Broughton sits as the leading wahine for an NRLW Grand Final in her first year of rugby league.
Broughton opted out of Kiwi Ferns World Cup footy as she expressed a desire to learn more about rugby league. That's a bummer because Broughton could slot straight into the starting fullback role for Kiwi Ferns but this also points to Broughton's mana. That mana has seen Broughton make the semi finals of NSW Women's Premiership earlier this year with Mounties and now an NRLW GF for Eels.
Now Eels are in wahine and blokes Grand Finals which features immense Kiwi-NRL funk. Broughton is the only Kiwi-NRL wahine in this Eels team but that is more than enough for headline status, while Eels blokes have been one of my favourite wrinkles to track in recent seasons.
I covered the latest chapter in Dylan Brown's ascension here and this NRL GF will feature two Northlanders as Brown will be joined by Hokianga's James Fisher-Harris (Panthers). This is fabulous and follows on from both these Northlanders playing for Aotearoa Kiwis against Tonga. Fisher-Harris is known as one of the best middle forwards in the world and Brown is becoming one of the best halves after years of success in the Eels system.
This is similar to Wellington's rugby league excellence; Jahrome Hughes, Joseph Tapine and Nelson Asofa-Solomona are among the NRL's best in their respective roles.
Of these players, Hughes was the only one who moved to Australia and was then scouted. Brown and Fisher-Harris were scouted while playing for Northern Swords, Tapine was scouted while playing for Wellington Orcas and Asofa-Solomona had a Storm deal while he was one of the best 1st 15 players in Aotearoa. If you thought rugby league was just an Auckland thing or that NZ Warriors own the Aotearoa farm, catch up.
Broughton and Will Warbrick (Storm) won Sevens medals at Tokyo Olympics last year, now they are embedded in NRL systems. Valynce Te Whare played rugby union for Waikato before being scouted by Redcliffe Dolphins and he was a monster for Redcliffe all year before losing the Queensland Cup final.
These moves obviously don't get the same buzz as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck leaving league for union. Broughton, Warbrick and Te Whare have all made an impact in league instantly and have refreshed the Kiwi-NRL stocks. This trio also reflects the spread of Kiwi-NRL talent as Broughton comes from Hawera, Warbrick is from Kawerau and Te Whare seems to be from Hamilton (via Fraser Tech rugby).
On the back of the Northland and Wellington aroha, ample Kiwi-NRL talent is coming from the central North Island region. Here's some top-tier names that spring to mind
Jospeh Manu - Tokoroa
Te Maire Martin - Turangawaewae/Taharoa
Briton Nikora - Tauranga
Mya Hill-Moana - Taniwharau/Huntly
Hayze Perham - Rotorua
Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly - Rotorua
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves - Rotorua
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak - Hamilton/Ngaruawahia
What is the difference between Penrith Panthers and Redcliffe Dolphins?
Panthers won NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg finals in New South Wales, Redcliffe lost their Q Cup and Hastings Deering Colts finals in Queensland. Preston Riki played in Panthers in NSW Cup, while Daeon Amituanai scored a try in Panthers U21s final with William Fakatoumafi and Ilai Tuia also playing.
Redcliffe had Setu Tu, Rocco Berry, Daejarn Asi, Sheldon Pitama, Pride Petterson-Robati and Te Whare in their Q Cup finals loss to Norths Devils. Redcliffe U21s had their Warriors juniors playing; Ali Leiataua, Kina Kepu, Taniela Otukolo, Demitric Sifakula, Jacob Laban and Valingi Kepu (no Zyon Maiu'u).
Within this bubble, Kiwi-NRL talent comes from Aotearoa's regions. Riki is from Hokianga, Fakatoumafi is from Auckland, Amituanai is from Otaki and Tuia is from Wellington. All the Warriors juniors expect for Laban are from Auckland while Laban and Petterson-Robati are from Wellington. Berry is from Greytown. Asi and Pitama are from Christchurch.
Wildcard’s Notebook
Good news: The NZ U19s beat Fiji 3-0 last night in the final of the Oceania Championships. They’d already qualified for the U20 World Cup next year simply by making the final but now they’ve won the trophy as well. Oliver Colloty scored twice in the first half (34’ & 40’) with both goals set up by Oliver Fay. Then Jay Herdman scored a fine goal with five mins left to seal the points after hitting the woodwork earlier.
Fiji did offer the biggest threat to the New Zealand goal that they’d faced in the tournament but another Henry Gray clean sheet meant the kiwis ultimately finished with 33 goals scored and 0 conceded across six matches. Colloty’s brace in the final meant that he and Kian Donkers shared the Golden Boot with 9 goals each.
Jay Herdman led the team in minutes across those games, although Finn Surman was the only bloke to start them all. Twelve different players scored goals for Aotearoa. All but a handful of these players now return for the National League beginning this weekend. The U20 World Cup is in Indonesia next May-June.
Haven’t had a chance to watch the Joe Parker fight back yet, as it clashed me being out at a National League game, so I’ll write about where Parker’s career sits after his first ever knockout defeat in a day or two when I get the chance. In the meantime, suffice it to say that these numbers do not make pretty reading...
And turning up to your media opps afterwards with a shiner like this does not make for pretty viewing…
In fairness Joe Joyce was somewhat of an unknown quantity. He hasn’t had a long career at the pro level and this was the first time that he’d fought someone of Parker’s calibre. Turns out Joyce more than belongs in that echelon and we’re likely to see him get some pretty huge fights off the back of this devastating performance.
Weird to see Parker looking so far off it though. He’s had losses before, and to top fighters, but not like that. Coming after what Lucas Browne did to Junior Fa earlier in the year it has not been a good 2022 for kiwi heavyweights. Maybe Hemi Ahio can change that when he fights next up.
Finished reading Luteru Ross Taylor’s autobiography over the weekend and the best part was when he talked about punching David Warner in an elevator during the IPL one time. If that sentence doesn’t sell a few more copies then I don’t know what will.
Rough days in the Women’s National League for those federation teams. This week saw all four matches feature an Auckland team against a federation team and the Aucklanders not only went 4/4 in the series but they did so by scorelines of 5-0, 7-0, 3-2 & 8-0. That’s a combined score of 23-2.
That seems to suggest that the NRFL Prem is miles ahead of the rest of the country... but Dunedin City Royals did take Northern Rovers to penalties in the Kate Sheppard Cup semis so not too sure about that. Southern United, made up of a majority of DCR players, just lost 7-0 at home to Auckland United though I’d suggest that also tells a tale about the problems with this hybrid format.
The Auckland quartet have been playing together for the entire year. Training that whole time. Building combinations. Establishing their tactical identities. The feds, on the other hand, have only had two weeks. For the Canterbury United Pride that’s not such a problem as they’ve got a consistent squad from the past few years, a returning coach in Alana Gunn, and a history of winning games of footy. They were the ones who lost 3-2 (away to Western Springs) and honestly that game could have gone either way. The Pride were just a bit more wasteful in front of goal.
Meanwhile Southern United have changed coaches and have lost a couple key players from last year’s squad. Capital have changed coaches and their squad looks quite a bit different to last time. And whilst Central have retained their coach they also lost all six games in 2021 and have a team whose average age is probably about 19. Whipping these teams into shape in two weeks simply isn’t possible.
Having said all that, you’ll notice an entirely Auckland club-based selection in the round’s best XI...
Women’s National League Team of the Week – Round 2
GK – Angelique TuiSamoa (Western Springs) – Save after save, doing everything she was called upon to do and then some as Springs toppled Canterbury. When she was finally beaten a couple of times at the end it took two worldies from Petra Buyck to do so.
RB – Annie Byrne (Eastern Suburbs) – Operating as a wing-back, Byrne was unstoppable against Central. Her speed and skill down the sideline led to a goal and an assist and plenty of excitement for the home crowd.
CB – Lily Jervis (Western Springs) – One of a couple players who seems to be setting up camp for a long time within these Teams of the Week. Put simply, Jervis was inspirational at the back for Springs. Several last-ditch challenges in the area all timed to perfection. Putting her body on the line. Also whipping that ball around the turf with distinction too.
CB – Jess Philpot (Auckland United) – It’s not often that a central defender gets plaudits for their attacking prowess but Philpot’s long passing earned her two assists against Southern and she added a thumping volleyed goal of her own to that stash as well. Not bad at all.
LB – Aimee Atkins (Eastern Suburbs) – Another Suburbs wing-back. Atkins had two assists against her old team, one a delicious cross from a corner and the other a blitzing run followed by a well-placed ball across goal. Quality from her.
CM – Tayla O’Brien (Eastern Suburbs) – As if the four goals she scored last week weren’t enough, TOB scored three more this week. Somehow she’s able to control the midfield and still pop up in the box to score goals. Dunno how she does it but this certainly won’t be her last Team of the Week this season.
CM – Rina Hirano (Western Springs) – Back into the starting line-up this week and arguably the best player on the pitch as Springs beat the Cantabs. So classy in the middle. Great vision, great technique. Got an assist as a shot of her smacked off the crossbar and went in for an own goal off the keeper. Could have had a few more the way she was pulling strings.
CM – Michaela Foster (Northern Rovers) – Speaking of pulling strings, Micky Foster seems to do that every week for Rovers but her performance against Capital was special. Three goals of the highest order showcasing her speed, strength, touch, and composure. One of them was yet another of her trademarked goals directly from a corner kick.
FW – Milly Clegg (Auckland United) – Somehow United scored seven goals and their superstar striker in the making didn’t get any of them. But she did bag three assists so no need to worry. Milly Clegg’s footprints were still all over that performance, as were plenty of sharp touches and clever turns.
FW – Juliette Lucas (Eastern Suburbs) – There’s a reason she was the top scorer in the NRFL Prem. Lucas knows how to get into the right place at the right time as she did for both of her goals. Chuck in a bit of strength and some impressive hold-up play and you had a proper anchoring number nine effort on the weekend.
FW – Deven Jackson (Eastern Suburbs) – And one more Suburbs player for good luck. They did record the biggest win of the week after all, 8-0 against Central. Deven Jackson was a huge part of it. A goal and an assist plus a deeper influence in so many other of their goals. The movement was just so good.