Severed Ties
Blackcaps in T20 mode, Flying Kiwis transfer focus, A-League football, Super Smash scouts, Kiwi-NRL updates, and more
Scotty’s Word
Blackcaps won the fourth T20I in India which means that Rachin Ravindra’s T20 losing streak is thankfully over. Ravindra lost three Super Smash games with Wellington and then the first three T20Is vs India, giving him six T20 losses in a row. After covering Ravindra’s mediocre T20 mahi on Monday, he scored 2 runs @ 50sr and is now on 51 runs @ 12.7avg/127sr for this T20I series.
The funkiest thing about Blackcaps T20 cricket right now is how the best bowlers over the past year or so have continued to lead Aotearoa in this series. Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi and Jimmy Neesham were among the leading wicket-takers and had the lowest averages and strike-rates in two different pockets; start of 2025 onwards and October 1st, 2025 onwards.
Neesham hasn’t played in this series and his bowling excellence is more quirky than crucial for Blackcaps success - especially because he hasn’t been slugging boundaries in recent years. Duffy and Sodhi though have continued their flow in tricky spots as they are both bowlers who India would love to smash around.
Here’s how the Duffy and Sodhi duo have been tracking...
2025 onwards
Jacob Duffy: 40w @ 16.6avg/7.8rpo - 1st for wickets
Ish Sodhi: 24w @ 18.3avg/9rpo - 2nd for wickets
Neesham has the lowest average, these three are only bowlers with 5+ wickets averaging below 20.
October 1st onwards
Jacob Duffy: 20w @ 20.9avg/8.7rpo - 1st for wickets
Ish Sodhi: 12w @ 22.9avg/10.3rpo - 2nd for wickets
Neesham has the lowest average, these three are only bowlers averaging below 25.
vs India
Jacob Duffy: 5w @ 27.2avg/9.9rpo - tied 1st for wickets
Ish Sodhi: 5w @ 29.2avg/12.1rpo - tied 1st for wickets
Only other bowler averaging below 30 is Mitchell Santner (4w @ 29.5avg/10.7rpo).
Speaking of Santner...
Mitchell Santner in T20I batting
Before 2025: 16.5avg/120sr
2025 onwards: 48.4avg/178sr
Career batting mahi
Test: 25.8avg/47sr
ODI: 26.7avg/93s
T20I: 19.8avg/131sr
Santner has the second highest T20I batting strike-rate for Blackcaps since the start of 2025 (behind Finn Allen’s 211.76sr) and the highest strike-rate since October 1st. Santner and Zak Foulkes are the only kiwis over 170sr in the last few months.
Lots of Blackcaps stats are listed beyond the paywall for paid subscribers. Every Thursday we record our Bonus Pod for Substack and Patreon as well with plenty of Blackcaps and kiwi football matters discussed today.
Wellington women and Northern Brave are locked in for the Super Smash grand final.
Wellington in Super Smash are one of Aotearoa’s sporting dynasties with six championships in nine seasons, three in the last four and two in row - chasing a third. This will be extra funky because they probably won’t have Amelia Kerr and while they have won the last two with Sophie Devine averaging 8 with the bat in 2023/24 and 9.5 last summer, while not playing the final, Wellington have had A-Kerr in their last two grand final wins.
A-Kerr was also the leading run-scorer overall in both of the last two seasons, as well as being the leading wicket-taker in 2023/24. Leigh Kasperek was also a prominent player throughout the dynasty but she didn’t play the GF last season, so Wellington have quietly been winning championships without players who established this dynasty.
Last season they won without Georgia Plimmer as well. That means that Wellington won last summer’s Super Smash GF without Devine, Kasperek or Plimmer. Now they could take that up a level assuming A-Kerr doesn’t make a magical appearance and that’s thanks to their recruitment mana (maybe an Aussie pops back to help Blaze it up) and the hearty Wellington core.
Most of the core are having their best season of Super Smash and this is funky because Wellington have kept winning while changing coaches from Lance Dry to Jonny Bassett-Graham.
Wellington core this season...
Georgia Plimmer: 224 runs @ 22.4avg/103sr - 1st for Wellington
Rebecca Burns: 156 runs @ 15.6avg/90sr
Jess Kerr: 173 runs @ 19.2avg/120sr | 14w @ 16.8avg/6.2rpo - tied 1st for Wellington
Xara Jetly: 130 runs @ 26avg/98sr | 14w @ 14.5avg/5.8rpo - tied 1st for Wellington
Jess McFadyen: 66 runs @ 22avg/137sr
Nicole Baird: 11w @ 15.1avg/6.4rpo
2025/26 Super Smash: Finals Basics & All Stars
Super Smash Scout: Finals Preview
Northern won back to back blokes championships in 2021/22 and 2022/23. Here are the big donnies who played in the GFs...
2021/22: Tim Seifert, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi
2022/23: Tim Seifert, Mitchell Santner, Neil Wagner
None of those players will be playing this GF. A hearty core of Northern lads will be playing though and here’s their mahi from those two championship seasons...
2021/22
Katene Clarke: 228 runs @ 32.5avg/153sr
Joe Carter: 174 runs @ 29avg/107sr
Brett Hampton: 22 runs @ 11avg/85sr | 2w @ 17.5avg/7rpo
Henry Cooper: 136 runs @ 19.4avg/117sr
Scott Kuggeleijn: 38 runs @ 9.5avg/112sr | 11w @ 17.2avg/8.7rpo
2022/23
Katene Clarke: 266 runs @ 29.5avg/138sr
Joe Carter: 172 runs @ 43avg/123sr
Brett Hampton: 82 runs @ 13.6avg/130sr | 10w @ 12.2avg/8.3rpo
Henry Cooper: 78 runs @ 19.5avg/99sr
Scott Kuggeleijn: 67 runs @ 33.5avg/139sr | 9w @ 23.6avg/7.3rpo
Also funky is Jeet Raval being Northern’s captain in both GFs. Raval’s role in Super Smash has diminished this season along with Cooper but BJ Watling’s created an environment where everyone puts the team first and these two lads are fabulous examples of Northern’s culture ... which Rob O’Donnell has thrived in since moving down from Auckland.
Rugby league video menu…
NZ Warriors on top of Christchurch
NZ Warriors in Australia & South Island
Best Kiwi-NRL juniors from Christchurch
Kiwi-NRL updates...
Two players from the deep south have departed NZ Warriors with Mason Lome-Hindle (Dunedin) moving to the Redcliffe system and Kairus Booth (Balclutha) moving to Brisbane Tigers. Lome-Hindle joins Redcliffe at the Queensland Cup level and that means he is in the wider Dolphins system, while Brisbane Tigers are linked to Perth Bears.
Harry Durbin left NZW to join Brisbane Tigers at the Queensland Cup level this summer as well. Booth is in the Tigers U19 squad along with Kees Anderson (Whangarei), Marino Rimene (Linton) and Tipene Cooley (Otara).
Lome-Hindle and Booth came through the South Island Rugby League system and they listed some young wahine now in Australia at the U19 level. Invercargill’s Sualo Lafoga is with Eels, Dunedin’s Aria McFelin is with Storm and another Dunedin junior Sahara Mason is with Rabbitohs.
That’s five players from Dunedin or more south who are in Australian systems and Perth Bears have already picked up youngsters from Aotearoa to enter their system. Make that another example of rugby league’s growth in Aotearoa and the brewing take over of rugby union.
Need more examples? I wasn’t fully tapped in with Keighley Simpson last season in NRLW but she played three games after moving from Super Rugby. Simpson is a Cliffton junior from Taranaki like her former Knights homie and Kiwi Ferns forward Tiana Davison - both of whom entered NRLW from rugby union. Simpson has now moved to Roosters.
Two NRLWahine are in the Panthers U19 squad - even though they don’t have an NRLW team. Malena Lavea (Howick College) and Olive Connolly (Linwood) with the regular dose of Christchurch flavour their, while Kaea Cribb (Te Iti Rearea) is in the men’s U19 squad.
The U19 seasons start soon. The Queensland competitions start on February 14th and the NSW competitions start on the 7th. I’ll have plenty of Kiwi-NRL/NRLWahine notes in these newsletters and once the season starts, most notes will be beyond the paywall.
Regional Breakdown For 2026 New Zealand Warriors Harold Matthews Cup & SG Ball Cup Squads
An Emerging New Zealand Warriors Team Ahead Of The 2026 Season
2025/26 Kiwi-NRL Train & Trial Breakdown
Exploring The Depths Of The 2026 New Zealand Warriors Top-50ish
New Zealand Warriors NRL-ish Depth Chart For The 2025/26 Summer
Musical jam...
Nick’s Notebook
There are mere days remaining in the European transfer window (although some leagues operate on different calendars – like those Scandi and North American ones that are only now entering preseason). It’s been the slowest Jan window for kiwi players in several years but there have been some big deals gone down in amongst, these being the five most significant in my opinion...
Andre De Jong - Stellenbosch to Orlando Pirates
Jacqui Hand - Kolbotn to FC Basel
Henry Gray - Ipswich Town to Harrogate Town (Loan)
Ally Green - Calgary Wild to FC Copenhagen
Bill Tuiloma - Charlotte FC to Wellington Phoenix
But the last couple days are usually when most things happen as the deadline forces people’s hands and there are a few little corners to keep a watch over these next few days.
One of those is Jesse Randall who is in the midst of a breakthrough season with Auckland FC and as of yesterday it was rumoured that he’s got an offer on the table from Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership. As of today they’re saying it’s a done deal, with official confirmation to follow in the next few days. He’s apparently signed a pre-contract agreement, meaning that Randall will finish the season with AFC and then leaving afterwards. So no transfer fee for AFC... but it would be their first major strike in the player development scene. Picked him up from National League (and an unfulfilling year in the USA lower leagues) and turned him into Scottish Prem player.
There is a feeling that Randall could perhaps use another year in the A-League to consolidate what he’s doing now. He’s scored five goals with three assists... but he’s also missed a lot of chances. Very similar profile to Ben Old when he left the Phoenix for France and that hasn’t been an easy adjustment for him. Both are still works in progress, with obvious and thrilling strengths (pace) but also a few weaknesses (finishing) that could get in the way at a higher level. But then what are you gonna do when the offer is on the table now? Can’t blame a player for taking that gamble on themselves. Dundee United would be a smoother landing spot for Randall than Saint-Etienne has been for Old (who also had to deal with a long-term injury, relegation, and a coaching change in his first season).
The Scottish Premiership loves dipping its toes into the A-League player pool. One-time Phoenix fan fave Cam Devlin is currently one of the stars of the competition for Hearts (who are on track to bust up the Old Firm title sequence)... and Dundee United have gotten great production out of former Western Sydney forward Zac Sapsford. Australia is the most represented nation in the division from outside the British Isles – including Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Johnny Koutroumbis, and Oscar Pristeman who are all teammates of Elijah Just at Motherwell. The New Zealander who has played the most career games in the Premiership is actually Alex Greive... funnily enough, he used to play for Dundee United. He was signed by manager Jim Goodwin at St Mirren, Goodwin was sacked early on in his stint there, then Goodwin signed him again at Dundee Utd (while they were in the second tier). Greive didn’t last long there but DUFC did get promoted and Goodwin is still around and now he’s got his sights set on Jesse Randall.
Probably the other most significant move on the horizon was Milly Clegg... but that one’s already happened. She was supposed to head back to Racing Louisville for the last year of her three-season NWSL contract but the club announced last week that she’s one of three players yet to arrive for preseason training (the other two are with USA international sides). Their exact wording was: “Milly Clegg has not yet reported as she and the club work to finalize the details of her future”. There are no details that need finalising with an existing contract and if an extension was coming then she’d have to be there to sign it.
Given how they barely played her in year one and then sent her out on loan in year two... and how these North American leagues don’t seem to be much good at developing kiwi players... we can be pretty stoked to see that in the past few hours she’s transferred to Vittsjö, who finished in the top half of the table in Sweden last season. Former club of both Hannah Wilkinson and CJ Bott. Really strong European league (which Gabi Rennie will also be playing in after Eskilstuna United got promoted). This completely severs the NZ link with the NWSL but frankly at this point that’s a relief.
George Stanger has lost his place at Kilmarnock since they changed managers. The results haven’t gotten any better but he still can’t seem to get a run so the rumour is that he’ll be heading out on loan. Probably to a second tier club because with the state of Killie, they’re not going to strengthen a rival and a move up the ladder for a guy on the outer with the second-last team seems unlikely. Greenock Morton has been mentioned as a possibility. His former club Ayr United would surely be keen.
Last week there were rumblings about Callum McCowatt linking up with Michael Boxall and Cam Knowles at Minnesota United. Nothing more has come of that and he’s been starting games for Silkeborg during their winter break friendlies. With an existing contract and SIF in a relegation battle after a crap first half of the season, it’ll take a serious fee to coax them into selling their top scorer. But where this gathers at least some legitimacy is that the rumour originated from Danish media circles, who suggested that Minnesota United were only one of the foreign clubs interested in him. Personally, I don’t see why he’d want to leave a great situation where he’s thriving (if the unthinkable happens and they do get relegated then, sure, we can reassess at a later stage). But you never know... his production over the past twelve months is worthy of some scouting interest for sure.
Anthony Patterson is not a New Zealander... but if rumours are true and the unwanted Sunderland gloveman joins Millwall on loan then he’ll bump Max Crocombe out of the number one spot there. Patterson is younger than Crocs but much more experienced in the Championship and previously worked with Millwall coach Alex Neil. That’d make Crocombe a victim of his own success with Millwall surging into a promotion battle thanks in large part to his clean sheets. Patterson got promoted with Sunderland last season but lost his spot when they got to the Premier League and signed a new keeper. The hope is that they fail to find a replacement for Patterson and are forced to keep him on board. The guy they were originally going after, a Swiss international, just signed with Bayer Leverkusen instead which is promising news.
Is it too soon for guys like Marley Leuluai (Burnley U21s) or Noah Dupont (West Brom U21s) to go looking for senior football out on loan? Perhaps. We’ve got a few free agents left over from North America with James Bulkeley, James Musa, Elliot Collier, and Riley Bidois all currently without clubs. Same goes for Rebecca Lake on the women’s side. Maggie Jenkins and Kiara Bercelli should be on some radars after superb NZ National League seasons. Olivia Chance is without a club at the moment. Keegan Kelly could be an option for someone having failed to get drafted into the MLS. Those ones aren’t necessarily bound by the transfer window dates though.
Oh yeah and there’s also a yarn going around that Juventus are interested in signing Chris Wood. One day he’s out for the season, the next he’s signing for Juventus. Please, I’m begging people, apply a little critical thinking when these things emerge. There aren’t many kiwi footballers big enough to attract nonsense headlines but Chris Wood is one of them and we don’t have to believe it just because someone from overseas said it. Wait until it’s reported by a person who doesn’t traffic in clickbait.
A-League Tidbits...
The Wellington Phoenix Men have never won three games in a row under Giancarlo Italiano. They had a 10-game unbeaten streak in his first season and had five separate instances of winning back to back... though never won the third in a row. It’s been 35 games since they last won two in a row. The blokes host Melbourne Victory on Friday at 7pm.
Auckland FC have to go away to Perth at 11.45pm on Saturday NZT... a venue where they lost 1-0 last season in their only previous trip. AFC have only won one of their last five, a streak identical to one they made between games 7-11 last season (1 W, 2 D, 2 L) so if they fail to win it’ll be their worst six-game stretch ever. Ever, of course, only spanning one and a half seasons.
The Wellington Phoenix Women have only once won three games in a row in their 4.5 year history... but they could match that this weekend having beaten Canberra and Adelaide on the trot. They’re away to the New(Zealand)castle Jets on Sunday at 7pm with that aim in mind. Gotta win to stay in second place.
Musical Jam...
