Salience
Warriors vs Tigers reaction, Blackcaps goodness, Marco Rojas departure, NZ Breakers ownership revival, A-League footy & more
Scotty’s Word
Blackcaps started their ODI series vs Pakistan with a win in Napier. Good win that once again showed the depth of kiwi cricket. Let’s start with Muhammad Abbas…
After operating as the fifth bowler on ODI debut, I was curious about his workload this summer and how that compared to his 7 overs with 1 wicket @ 6.1rpo on ODI debut...
Plunket Shield: 6 overs per game
Ford Trophy: 3 overs per game
Super Smash: 2 overs per game
Abbas was thrown into a fifth bowler role and did the job nicely, but he may not be deployed as a fifth bowling option in the next two games. Seamers did most of the damage in Napier thanks to the bouncey deck with a bit of nibble. The next two games are in Hamilton and Tauranga, two of the spinniest venues in Aotearoa so expect Adithya Ashok to get a few overs at least.
Abbas showcased his batting ability with 52 runs @ 200sr on debut. He's been doing this kinda mahi for the last two summers and he's had a few impressive Super Smash knocks in Napier. While Abbas didn't do much in his Ford Trophy and Super Smash debuts, his Plunket Shield debut featured some glorious sixes...
Abbas' Plunket Shield debut
79 runs @ 91.8sr (8x4, 4x6)
6 overs @ 4.8rpo
33 runs @ 63.4sr (3x4, 1x6)
3 overs @ 2.3rpo
Muhammad Abbas last 10 games
Runs: 28, 59*, 13, 8, 50, 104, 29, 21, 27, 52, 23, 25, 52
Wickets: - , 1, 0, 0, 3, 1, 3, 1, 2, 0, 2, 1, 0, 1
Another Blackcaps thing is how the development of younger players is matched by the development of older players. This was a note in the Blackcaps T20I/ODI notebook done before the series and deserves to be updated.
33-year-old Daryl Mitchell is on track to be one of New Zealand's best batters ever which seems kinda crazy.
Highest ODI batting averages for NZ (1,000+ runs)
Daryl Mitchell: 49.5
Kane Williamson: 49.21
Ross Taylor: 47.55
Glenn Turner: 47
Daryl Mitchell Blackcaps mahi
Test: 43.8avg/53sr
ODI: 49.5avg/95sr
T20I: 26.3avg/138sr
34-year-old Michael Bracewell debuted after turning 30 and he's now a multi-format regular, offering captaincy depth. Michael has also played 72 games for Aotearoa since debuting in 2022 and that's more than cousin Doug who played 69 games since debuting in 2011.
Mark Chapman and Jacob Duffy are 30-years-old. Chapman has grown into a career-best Blackcaps phase and Duffy demanded a debut in his late 20s before developing into a ODI/T20I monster.
Mark Chapman recent ODI scores: 76, 29*, 62, 81, 132
Jacob Duffy this summer
ODI: 25.1avg/5.8rpo
T20I: 9.7avg/6rpo
Blackcaps mahi
ODI: 27.2avg/6.3rpo
T20I: 16avg/6.9rpo
A few summers ago the complaint was that there were 'too many players over 30-years-old'. Yet the best Blackcaps are older lads who have developed into key members of kiwi cricket's depth and if the older lads keep getting better, age isn't an issue.
Brett Hampton has picked up a County Championship gig with Hampshire. Guess what? He is playing the best cricket of his career at 33-years-old. Hampton is could get a Blackcaps call up if he keeps up this form and County cricket will be an important development checkpoint for the Northern Districts all-rounder.
Rhys Mariu is playing Plunket Shield this round despite his Blackcaps call up. Mariu scored 16 runs in the first innings for Canterbury and is now 2 runs behind Nick Kelly. As awesome as Kelly's summer has been, and he's deserving of his leading run-scorer honour, the prospect of three youngsters leading each competition for runs is too juicy not to hope for a few more runs from Mariu.
Covered all things White Ferns here. North vs South women's wrap (one more game on Tuesday)...
Game tahi
North: 291/9
Nensi Patel: 77 runs off 76 balls
Hannah Rowe: 85 off 86
Emma Black: 3w @ 4.2rpo
Hayley Jensen: 2w @ 5.5rpo
Sarah Asmussen: 2w @ 6.4rpo
Anna Browning: 2w @ 5.4rpo
South: 285/7
Bella James: 76 off 60
Olivia Gain: 58 off 61
Anna Browning: 48 off 63
Nensi Patel: 3w @ 6rpo
Flora Devonshire: 2w @ 3.2rpo
Jess Watkin: 1w @ 8.5rpo
Game rua
South: 280/8
Bella James: 64 off 61
Caitlin Blakely: 51 off 65
Hayley Jensen: 59 off 53
Jess Kerr: 4w @ 4.1rpo
Ocean Bartlett: 2w @ 4.7rpo
Bree Illing: 1w @ 5rpo
Flora Devonshire: 1w @ 6.6rpo
North: 282/3
Jess Watkin: 115* off 122
Maddy Green: 109* off 59
Missy Banks: 2w @ 5rpo
Anna Browning: 1w @ 4.7rpo
For the paid subscribers I have Plunket Shield notes as well as a deeper dive into the NZ Warriors club-wide mahi this weekend. NZW had a fabulous win in tough conditions and in a hostile environment, against a fizzed up Tigers team. Hopefully you will consider becoming a paid subscriber to help fund our mahi or you can join he Patreon whanau which is a bit cheaper and get the full newsletter copied into there.
Along with the NRL win vs Tigers...
NZW are 4-0 in NSW Cup after a 34-20 win over Western Suburbs. Every try-scorer was 22-years-old or younger: Sio Kali (19), Kayliss Fatialofa (20), Jacob Laban (20), Daeon Amituanai (22), Tanner Stowers-Smith (21). 13 of the 17 players used were youngsters in their early 20s.
Five things from the win vs Tigers...
Playing the long game and winning late
Tigers scored twice when Edward Kosi was off the field and then Leka Halasima scored his try in the 69th minute, with a Luke Metcalf conversion. Then Metcalf kicked the winning penalty inside the last 10 minutes. That's three wins in a row where NZW have finished stronger to seal wins and a key factor is that NZW are still first in completion rate at 84.6%.
Versatility
Last round Roger Tuivasa-Sheck departed with an injury and NZW simply shuffled Adam Pompey to wing, Kurt Capewell to centre, and Mitchell Barnett to left edge. Against Tigers, Leka Halasima came on for Kosi (left winger again) and the Pompey/Capwell combo simply slid out one spot.
When Kosi returned he replaced Niukore which saw Halasima move to the right edge where he scored his try. Not only does that mean that Pompey/Capewell/Barnett can change roles mid-game with no fuss, it means that Halasima played left and right edge vs Tigers.
The barometers: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Wayde Egan
Nicoll-Klokstad had 28 runs - 233m @ 8.3m/run with three tackle breaks but most importantly he gobbled up all kicks sent his way in the rain and his defence was immense.
Egan was crafty out of dummy half as usual. He had a linebreak assist and 6 DHR - 46m @ 7.6m/run which is down from his 10m/run in the games prior, however he still controlled the ruck as well as Api Koroisau. Egan has played 80mins in all four games this season, with 40+ tackles in every game and 93% tackling overall.
Middle trio: James Fisher-Harris, Mitchell Barnett, Erin Clark
No stats, just brutality. These three lead the physicality for NZW and while Tigers had moments of shine through the middle, it's really difficult to dominate these middles over 80 minutes. As well as the physicality and aggression in winning tackles/runs, they all have a bit more speed than regular middle forwards; Fisher-Harris and Barnett started as edge forwards, Clark started as a half/hooker.
No Dylan Walker, no worries
I reckon the NZW style has shifted from lots of passing in 2023 to more direct/fast footy in 2025. All teams shift the footy and forwards need to pass the ball; Clark led the way vs Tigers with 10 passes.
Without Walker, Vaimauga had an expanded role vs Tigers with 29 minutes - his first game over 20mins this season. He also had three passes along with Fisher-Harris.
But Jackson Ford is the main lad here. Shout out to Ford because he has been awesome since returning to the bench and I believe it is Ford who best highlights the style tweak for NZW. Ford is agile for a middle forward and, along with a big motor, this enables him to keep showing up. Ford won't pass like Walker but he offers sneaky oomph with 10m/run in his last three games and he is one gritty mofo.
Jackson Ford coming off the bench
vs Sea Eagles: 32mins, 11 runs - 110m @ 10m/run, 1 tackle break, 26 tackles @ 100%
vs Roosters: 62mins, 15 runs - 151m @ 10m/run, 2 tackle breaks, 43 tackles @ 87.7%
vs Tigers: 38mins, 14 runs - 147m @ 10.5m/run, 8 tackle breaks, 23 tackles @ 76.6%
Musical jam…
Wildcard’s Notebook
The Breakers takeover has officially happened. NZ-based American businessman Marc Mitchell has been revealed as the major owner – he’s a Californian “venture advisor” who has lived in Auckland for the past several years and is married to a New Zealander. Considers himself a local, fair enough.
Interestingly, Mitchell was already part of the Breakers ownership as a minority investor having bought into the franchise, and a place on the executive board, back in 2020. He was also at the head of a consortium that tried to buy the Auckland FC licence before Bill Foley’s crew won out. Mitchell has partnered with Wellingtonian businessmen Leon and Stephen Grice and also Sean Colgan, an American who has previous investment ties with the Grice Bros.
The fact that Marc Mitchell was involved in a hands-on (and wallet-open) way with the previous regime is absolutely fascinating because so far everything that he has said and done seems to be a deliberate (and correct) attempt to do the exact opposite of what Matt Walsh got up to.
For example, former owners Paul and Liz Blackwell, whose top-down cultural impact was so important to the club’s championship era before Walsh & Friends bought them out, have returned as shareholders (with Paul also a director). Club legend Tom Abercrombie has been hired as a special advisor. The seven full-time staff that Walsh had on the books have all been let go. Perhaps most consequential is that Dillon Boucher has been coaxed back from his role with Basketball New Zealand to be the president of basketball operations. Boucher was the general manager of the Breakers overlapping the previous ownership change but he quit amidst a mass of staff turnover as Walsh’s vision drifted further from what the team was built upon. Now he’s back. That’s a loaded hiring if ever there was one.
You couldn’t possibly pay me to listen to Marc Mitchell’s interview with Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB but I did happily read what he had to say in an interview with Marc Hinton for The Post and, once again, a quote like this feels one extremely pointed:
“We want to win on the court and we want to be leaders off the court. We are going to be a presence in our community and we are going to do things, quite frankly, the right way. We’re going to bring in people who are respected, who are honest and who people have history with and know their character. That’s important.”
Hinton explains in that piece how Mitchell “distanced himself from the running of the club under the previous regime” and opted not to comment on how that lot operated (ironically that tells us all we need to know about his opinion on the matter). Taking it further, Mitchell confirmed his intentions to “retool the Junior Breakers, we’re going to bring back the academy”. There’s going to be a grassroots connection again, happy days - it’s like this bloke’s been reading my mail.
The Breakers currently have six players contracted for NBL26, as well as coach Petteri Koponen. Those six players are: Tacko Fall, Sam Mennenga, Max Darling, Mitch McCarron, Sean Bairstow & Karim Lopez. Marc Mitchell says he’ll honour those existing contracts which is a good thing as far as Coach Kop goes but there are three players in those six who they’d be better off without so we’ll see how it goes. They also have their three kiwi development players, Carlin Davison, Kaia Isaac, and Alex McNaught, all under contract for one more DP stint as well. Not impossible that someone like Davison gets an upgrade. The thing is, with the new regime being headed by Dillon Boucher and what that all entails, overseas kiwi players might actually want to return and play for the Breakers now.
The NBL25 season is over, the Breakers have new ownership, free agency is impending, and here’s how the kiwis who were involved last season sit with their contract situations...
Sam Waardenburg (Cairns) – Signed a one-year extension despite interest from several other teams, probably some overseas buzz too, despite how mud the Taipans were last term
Sam Mennenga (NZB) – Still under contract
Shea Ili (Melbourne) – Just wrapped up the third and final year of his last extension so he’s going to be a free agent as it stands... hard to see him leaving Melbourne, and the release of Flynn Cameron probably hints at Shili coming back, but we shall see
Izayah Le’Afa (Sydney) – Released as a free agent after Sydney declined their team option but has interest from multiple other NBL teams
Rob Loe (Melbourne) – Waiting to hear what happens with his second-year team option
Tyrell Harrison (Brisbane) – Signed a two-year extension earlier in the season so he’s locked in for this one and the next
Reuben Te Rangi (Tasmania) – A free agent after wrapping up his one-year deal, but Matua Mika Vukona might well want him back for that veteran goodness
Tohi Smith-Milner (Brisbane) – The Bullets have already picked up the second-year option on his deal, sweet as
Flynn Cameron (Melbourne United) – Mutual option has been declined, so we don’t know if that was a player or team decision but he’s going to be a free agent… potentially a player decision since Cameron should feel like he’s ready for a bigger role but he won’t get that on a team with Shea Ili and Matthew Dellavedova
Max Darling (NZB) – Has one more season guaranteed with a team option for an additional year
Hyrum Harris (Perth) – Is a free agent after hardly playing for the Cats last season so clearly it is time to move on... although there are rumours that Perth want him back
Tom Vodanovich (SEM) – Was only on a one-year deal with the Phoenix so Tommy V’s a free agent
Tai Webster (Perth) – Has been released after an injury-plagued season with the Wildcats
Carlin Davison (NZB) – Heading into the second year of his DP contract with the Breakers... although the way he’s been going in the NZ NBL stuff who knows that might even get upgraded
Kaia Isaac (NZB) – Signed the same deal as Davison did last year
Dontae Russo-Nance (Perth) – Was supposed to move onto the main roster last season but they re-negotiated to keep him as a development player for one more year... hence he should be moving onto the main roster this season instead
Walter Brown (Tasmania) – Barely featured last season but his contract says he’ll join the main roster in this his third year with the team so there ya go, let’s hope they don’t wrangle out of it
Alex McNaught (NZB) – Sounds like he’s got one more DP year on the books
Tai Wynyard (NZB) – Out of contract after his injury replacement stint and apparently going back to China for more 3x3 action in the meantime (hence no NZ NBL)
Also, as far as the dual-nationals go, Keanu Rasmussen has one more year on his Adelaide contract while Mojave King is a free agent after his Breakers stint.
I did have some A-League nuggets written for this section, with one for each of the three kiwi teams, but then came the hot off the press news that Marco Rojas has been released by the Wellington Phoenix. So I’ll save the nuggets for our blessed subscribers after the paywall barrier, much love to our blessed subscribers.
As for Marco Rojas, injuries meant he only played seven times for the Nix after his return to the club and it seems that Nix fan pessimism is filtering out yet again so please allow me to put forth my perspective in the form of five salient points...
Rojas was supposed to be the bloke that Chiefy, by his own stated intention, built the attack around this season... but Rojas has hardly been available and the attack has spluttered.
There have only really been two injuries for Rojas: a leg fracture in preseason, then an ankle issue in December... these aren’t the kinds of recurring muscle injuries that hint at over-the-hill status. He did have a hamstring issue with Brisbane but this wasn’t that. Other than a broken foot with Stuttgart over ten years ago, he actually hasn’t been particularly injury-prone in his career.
Rojas was only on a one-year contract and it was probably a fairly expensive one.
The Nix recently signed Chico Geraldes in the same position (another expensive signing) and Chico has said he’d be very happy to remain - they had to let Bozhidar Kraev (who scored against them on the weekend) walk in order to retain Kosta Barbarouses last season, now it seems like maybe they’ve decided to do the opposite and keep the import next time.
If the decision had already been made that Rojas wasn’t going to stick around, then it’d be very consistent of Chiefy to prioritise other players instead, especially with nothing else to play for this season. Rojas wasn’t in the squad last game and was an unused sub against WSW in this game. Same as how David Ball disappeared before (eventually) leaving. Same as how Oskar van Hattum disappeared before leaving.
It’s possible that Rojas is retiring or he’s too wrecked for the team to reinvest in. But equally don’t be surprised if he’s got something else lined up... even David Ball managed to sort something out for himself. He’s gone back to Manchester where he’ll play for Radcliffe in the sixth-tier of English football.
This won’t have been a sudden fallout or anything with Rojas, it’ll be a simple case of cutting ties a couple months early to get the jump on an inevitable parting. Everyone was excited by this signing when it happened, remember. The only reason it didn’t work was because of unforeseen injuries and now he’s being replaced by someone who seems to be taking the opportunity that Rojas left available. Nothing to panic about there. By the way, Chico Geraldes posted on IG that Rojas is one of the best teammates he’s ever had... and he only knew him for like five weeks so that’s the measure of the man right there.
Musical Jam...