Steady Brewing
White Ferns T20 World Cup prep, Ford Trophy yarns, Tafara Gapare on the rise, Kyle Glogoski on the move, Women's National League Team of the Week & more
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Reading Menu
Francis Manuleleua And The Kiwi-NRL Panthers (Rugby League)
How Are The Wellington Phoenix Lads Looking Ahead of the A-League’s Return? (Football)
Kiwi Steve in the NBA #2: Candied Yams (Basketball)
Blackcaps vs India ODI Series Debrief (Tom Latham, Adam Milne & Bowling Options) (Cricket)
Scotty’s Word
The Women's T20 World Cup will be played in South Africa early next year. White Ferns have never played a T20I in South Africa. The kiwis toured South Africa for ODIs back in 2016 which means only a few of the veterans have experience playing in South Africa. White Ferns have also missed the semi-final stage of the last two T20WC, as well as not making the semi-finals in the last two ODIWC.
Aotearoa finished 6th (of 8) at the ODIWC earlier this year which is the worst ever finish for White Ferns. Aotearoa finished 5th (of 10) at the 2020 T20WC which is tied for their worst result in this event.
Working in the White Ferns favour is that they are playing good T20I cricket.
They only played three games in 2019, ahead of the T20WC, and played 14 games this year. That's another interesting nugget but three games isn't a fair sample size to gauge performances, so I extended this time period out to the end of the 2020 T20WC.
In the 2019-20 phase, White Ferns played 11 games and were 8-3 with a win/loss ratio of 2.66. White Ferns went 10-3-1 with a W/L ratio of 3.333 this year.
One notable difference in White Ferns batting between these phases is the rise of Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green...
(2019-20 | 2022)
Amelia Kerr: 45 runs @ 22.5avg/128.57sr | 327 runs @ 32.7avg/111.22sr
Maddy Green: 121 runs @ 20.16avg/113sr | 246 runs @ 30.75avg/116.58sr
Another difference is Sophie Devine being less bonkers...
2019-20: 582 runs @ 64.66avg/132.27sr
2022: 389 runs @ 29.92avg/112.42sr
Of the six bowlers with the most wickets in 2019-20, two were below 6rpo. This year there is only one bowler conceding more than 6rpo in the six leading wicket-takers.
This 'six best' group also shifts from four seamers/two spinners in 2019-20 to three seamers/three spinners this year.
In Ford Trophy cricket Canterbury rolled Wellington for 79 and chased it down fairly easily. Canterbury is now 3-1 and leading the competition with Wellington 2-2. Northern dismissed Auckland for 186 and almost stumbled short of their target, but finished 187/8. Northern are 2-1 and Auckland are 0-3 (1-2 in Plunket Shield).
Auckland kinda stink. Mark Chapman has scored 16 runs @ 5.33avg in his three innings. Auckland's best bowlers are their spinners which means more of Will Somerville being excellent and the steady brewing of Adithya Ashok. Here are some Ashok stats (FT | Super Smash)...
2021/22: 11w @ 38.72avg/5.83rpo | 14w @ 17.14avg/6.48rpo
2022/23: 4w @ 32.25avg/5.56rpo | TBD
Neil Wagner bagged some wickets and gave Ashok some advice. This is Wagner's first summer averaging below 20 in List-A cricket since 2014/15. He hasn't played Super Smash since 2018/19 after averaging below 20 in three seasons, then 29.11 in 2016/17 and 40+ in next two seasons.
Wagner this summer...
Plunket Shield: 12w @ 29.16avg/2.49rpo
Ford Trophy: 8w @ 11.12avg/3.31rpo
Wellington have Rachin Ravindra and Tom Blundell averaging 30+ in PS while Ravindra is the only bloke averaging 30+ in FT. Having the Blackcaps lads leading Wellington for runs is fabulous although some of the youngsters are struggling (PS | FT)...
Troy Johnson: 19avg | 5.5avg
Tim Robinson: 5.25avg | 16avg
Luke Georgeson: 12.87avg | 1.5avg
Lauchie Johns: 2.75avg (FT)
Jakob Bhula: 3.25avg (PS)
Here is a NZ Warriors depth chart…
Fullback: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Luke Metcalf, Taine Tuaupiki
Wingers: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Marcelo Montyoa, Edward Kosi
Centres: Viliami Vailea, Brayden Williame, Adam Pompey, Roccy Berry, Ali Leiataua,
Halves: Shaun Johnson, Te Maire Martin, Ronald Volkman
Middles: Tohu Harris, Addin Fonua-Blake, Mitch Barnett, Josh Curran, Jazz Tevaga, Bunty Afoa, Dylan Walker, Tom Ale, Jackson Frei, Kina Kepu, Valingi Kepu, Demitric Sifakula
Edges: Marata Niukore, Jackson Ford, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Bayley Sironen, Jacob Laban, Zyon Maiu'u
Hooker: Wayde Egan, Freddy Lussick, Taniela Otukolo
There is no certain starter in the centre roles. The first names listed (less so centre) form the core of the team and the likes of Te Maire Martin, Addin Fonua-Blake, Mitch Barnett and Dylan Walker are all hearty NRL pros.
I kept blokes in one position slot which makes things tricky - Luke Metcalf could play as a half for example. The lack of a certified centre could mean Niukore slides into this role. Maybe Walker settles into a centre role. Barnett could be a starting edge forward and I think Jackson Ford is going to be a no fuss role-playing edge forward.
I also included some of the young lads who are on the fringes as a guide about their roles within the group.
Musical jam…
Wildcard’s Notebook
Tafara Gapare got a brief mention on Monday and today one of Aotearoa’s very best basketballing prospects gets a deeper focus. Gapare is in his first year at the University of Massachusetts, a four star recruit though one that didn’t really have much of a profile as he rocked up on campus – not helped by the fact that visa hold-ups meant he was a very late arrival.
That’s led to him being eased into the team early in their season but even smaller cameos have been unable to contain him. If he wasn’t a big name coming into college, he sure will be on his way out. This dude is the best bet we’ve got right now to someday join Steven Adams in the NBA.
Gapare is a 6’10 power forward from Wellington. Just like Steven Adams, he was mentored by the late great Kenny McFadden and even went to Scots College on a scholarship provided by Adams himself. Gapare went on to finish high school in America in order to prepare him for the college experience. He was initially eyeing the 2023 intake, with plans to do a year of prep school, but then reclassified as a 2022 recruit and was pretty highly recruited, toying with a few options (including committing then uncommitting from DePaul) before settling with UMass. This was his coach, Frank Martin, in the press release announcing Gafare was joining his programme:
“Tafara adds that to the class that is already in place. He is a 6-foot-10, skilled forward that has a chance to be an unbelievable player both offensively and defensively. He has only been in the United States for six months, so he is somewhat unknown, but UMass fans will know who he is as soon as he takes the court for us."
Those visa dramas meant he missed all of preseason, only arriving in the days before their season opener - in which he played one minute, brought on with six to go and a 30-odd point lead but leaving soon after with an apparent injury. He then didn’t play game two at all as his team lost.
Four games in the single-digits for minutes followed but a close win away to Harvard gave him his chance and he took it by nailing a couple triples off the bench including the shot that gave them their final lead with just over a minute remaining. 8 points and 3 rebounds in 17 mins that day. Enough to nudge him further into the rotation for the subsequent game against Albany... where he was absolutely brilliant. This was the game he announced himself in. 20 minutes of action. Top scored with 15 points off the bench, shooting 6/10 from the field. Also had 2 blocks and 5 steals.
Mate, here’s a kiwi baller with great length and a jump shot. He’s already looking like an excellent defender at this level and his athleticism means he’s only going to get a lot better and probably quickly. He’s nine games into his college career and already looks like the best bet to get drafted out of New Zealand since Mr Adams himself.
Speaking of kiwi sportsfolk in America, our top baseball prospect Kyle Glogoski is on the move. Currently tossing them up for the Auckland Tuatara, Glogoski has been rising up the levels in Minor League Baseball over the last couple of years, briefly getting as high as AAA ball which is the level directly below the majors. Only pitched one innings there and got slugged for it but so it goes.
This year he spent the bulk of his time with an A+ division team (sort of in between the second and third tier of the minors), pitching 65.0 innings for an ERA of 4.02 – with 75 strikeouts and 20 batters walked. He’s 23 years old, a right-hander with plenty of variety. Maybe needs to add some juice to his fastball to take things higher… but folks are taking notice, don’t you worry.
Glogoski’s mahi to date has taken place within the wider Philadelphia Phillies organisation. He won’t be with them next year though, having been scooped up by the Cincinnati Reds in the Rule 5 Draft.
One of the many, many different draft ideas that exist in American sports, the Rule 5 Draft is basically a provision to keep prospects like Glogoski in the hunt for the big leagues. If a guy has been in a system for a certain amount of years without ever cracking a 40-man MLB roster then they become eligible for another team to swoop in via the Rule 5s and take them. That happened with Glogoski this week. Picked up in the first round of the Minor League phase of the process.
Here’s some funky context via Reds Minor Leagues...
“The New Zealand native is probably familiar to some players he’ll be joining in the spring. Back in 2019 while playing for the Clearwater Phillies he started a no-hitter against the Daytona Tortugas in his High-A debut. Glogoski covered the first five innings of that game before two relievers came on to finish things out.
The 6′ 2″ right-handed pitcher didn’t pitch much in 2021. After the first month of the season he spent the next three months on the injured list before returning to pitch on a rehab assignment in complex ball. In 2022 he was back in A-ball. He missed the first five weeks of the season before heading back to Clearwater in Single-A. He pitched in relief for two games there before joining High-A Jersey Shore. He spent the rest of the season there where he made 12 starts and four relief appearances. Between the two stops he posted a 2.78 ERA in 68.0 innings with 24 walks and 80 strikeouts.
The Florida State League, where he pitched his first two games of the season, has Hawkeye at the ballparks he pitched in. Thanks to that data being public we can see that he was throwing a fastball (87-90 MPH), a change up (upper 70’s), and a slider (upper 70’s). He dominated right-handed hitters, holding them to a .207/.298/.300 line during the season. Lefties hit .248/.296/.457 against him during the year. You can see his career stats here.”
Here’s a fun fact for ya: The Welly Nix are the most fouled team in the A-League. Feels like that’s the case ever year… but that’s only because it is. 100 times they’ve been fouled already which is way ahead of Melbourne Victory’s 83 in second (although Perth Glory are third with 80 fouls suffered and have played one fewer game). The Nix are the only club with three players in the top ten for fouls suffered: Bozhidar Kraev, Ben Old, and Oskar Zawada.
This is Ufuk Talay’s fourth year in charge and the Phoenix have been the most fouled team in every one of them... which makes it funky that two of the fellas there are new signings. New crew, same traits. This is a team that likes to attack in transition. It’s a team with dribblers. In a competition like this, that’ll get you chopped down a fair few times.
If you think that Ben Old’s presence there alongside a couple imports is an unlikely one then fair enough since he’s only twelfth for the Nix in terms of minutes played. That list is dominated by imports and Aussie internationals yet there’s a Phoenix academy grad getting chopped at a rate more regular than almost all of them.
But Old’s ability to draw a free kick has been one of his trademarks since back in his reserves days. Great low centre of gravity, rapid speed off the mark, and deceptive strength. That’ll do it. And guess what? Noah Karunaratne hasn’t played much for the first team yet but he’s on the fringes and he has this exact same trait. Just as Ulises Davila, Reno Piscopo, Cam Devlin, Gael Sandoval, etc. before them.
Women’s National League – Team of the Week #12
GK – Sophie Campbell (Central) – Got an honourable mention for a fine half of shot-stopping last week now gets the entire spot to herself... despite losing 9-0. But it’s often the case that keepers stand out on those days and the 15 year old (!) SC pulled off some ripping saves to keep things to single-figures. Her duel with Sofia Garcia was especially funky. What a prospect.
RB – Arisa Takeda (Western Springs) – In the final home game for Takeda and her mate Rina Hirano before the pair head back overseas, they were both outstanding. Takeda had a couple of assists. Her crossing was pinpoint. Always up there in support. Top work.
CB – Kelsey Kennard (Southern United) – One of the first names on the list after an outrageously commanding defensive effort as SU upset Eastern Suburbs 2-1. Kennard’s aggressive closeouts and presence in the air never ceased. Maximum commitment. It was heroic.
CB – Rebekah Van Dort (Eastern Suburbs) – On the losing side of that Southern game... but there were so many goals this week it was hard to find defenders and RVD did have a blinder for the Lilywhites not only sweeping up at the back but also forcefully dragging her team forward as they chased the goals they never quite caught up with. So it goes, but the efforts weren’t lost upon this Team of the Week selection.
LB – Freya Partridge-Moore (Southern United) – Had to get another Southern defender in there. Shout out to Sarah Morton and Toni Power too, also valid candidates. FPM was making her first start of the season and locked it down against the league leaders. Great energy. Scrapped brilliantly. Love to see it.
CM – Rose Morton (Southern United) – Yep, another Southerner. If SU are going to bag a victory against the top team then you can guarantee that Rose Morton will be a huge part of it. Covered every blade of grass in the midfield and consistently, every time, always got a foot in whenever there was even a hint of the ball anywhere near her. Nobody breaks things up better than Rose Morton.
CM – Jess Innes (Western Springs) – Another couple of goals including the opener against Central. Her other goal arguably didn’t cross the line directly from a corner kick but hey take ‘em how they come, no worries. Innes was well worthy of a bonus goal. She also struck the crossbar and should have had a few assists but for our goalkeeper of the week. Dominance from JI.
CM – Rene Wasi (Northern Rovers) – Playing a little deeper again, Wasi’s speed became less of a threat on the end of through balls and way more of a threat on the press instead. Turned the ball over for a couple big chances in Rovers’ win against Canterbury. Also scored a goal and had two assists. That’s how it’s done.
FW – Manaia Elliott (Auckland United) – The captain of the NZ U17 World Cup team was the star of the show as Auckland Utd finally got back to winning ways. She scored two goals, she won a penalty, and she drew the foul that got the opposition goalie sent off. Yeah, that’ll do it.
FW – Chelsea Whittaker (Southern United) – One last Southerner and the scorer of a superb winning goal. No surprises that it would be her as she was knocking on the door throughout with bundles of energy to keep surging forward for a team that spent a lot of the game out of possession in their own half. Huge from CW.
FW – Rina Hirano (Western Springs) – It just doesn’t get much better than what Hirano was up to against Central. Several steps above and she let everybody know it with a practically perfect performance. We’re talking 10/10 no skips. Hirano had two goals and two assists getting whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it.