The Dynasty Plot Arc
Wellington Blaze/Central Stags are Super Smash champs, Flying Kiwis transfer tracker, Football Ferns squad, Chris Wood, Zyon Maiu'u, Kiwi-NRL & more
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Scotty’s Word
Wellington Blaze and Central Stags are Super Smash champions. A big debrief will be published tomorrow using most of the details below. Sporadic reminder that we need help through Patreon (couple dollars a month), paid Substack subscriptions and donations through Buy Me A Coffee to keep delivering the New Zealand sports coverage that we want.
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Amelia Kerr is the best kiwi cricketer right now. She is already in the mix for the best women's cricketer ever from New Zealand, which will soon expand out to Aotearoa's greatest cricketers ever. A-Kerr didn't score the most runs (15 runs @ 68sr) or take the most wickets (2w @ 3.7rpo) for Blaze in the final, but her presence as the leader for Wellington was felt throughout this victory over Otago Sparks.
A-Kerr can be the best batter, bowler, fielder and captain in any game of cricket she plays. Otago has a lot of good players, perhaps a better team and Craig Cumming is a better coach at this stage than Jonathon Bassett-Graham (who recently took over from Lance Dry), but Otago doesn't have Amelia Kerr.
The younger Kerr sister is in the James Fisher-Harris mana zone. To be fair, A-Kerr hasn't just entered that zone as she has been doing this for a few years now. Now her leadership mana is undeniable though as she lifts up those around her, filling the Blaze with vibrant yet ruthless energy. She is constantly touching hands with the bowler to share a connection in pressure moments, prowling around the inner circle to execute the scary 'Blaze squeeze' and she looms in the background while everyone (comrades, opponents and fans) waits for her to bowl ... and change the game
I have altered the Wellington Blaze dynasty plot arc because A-Kerr has had a more consistent presence during this dynasty than Sophie Devine. With Jess Kerr playing two less games than A-Kerr during the last eight seasons of Super Smash, J-Kerr deserves to be mentioned in the dynastic mahi as well.
Jess & Amelia Kerr have played 7+ games in every Super Smash season since 2017. Sophie Devine has played 7+ games in just two of those seasons. Here are the total number of Super Smash games played by these three in the last eight seasons...
Amelia Kerr: 81 games
Jess Kerr: 79 games
Sophie Devine: 42 games
Here is what A-Kerr has done in those eight seasons...
2017/18: 9 games | 130 runs | 11 wickets - champions
2018/19: 9 games | 209 runs | 19 wickets - champions
2019/20: 11 games | 179 runs | 18 wickets - champions
2020/21: 12 games | 361 runs | 14 wickets
2021/22: 11 games | 346 runs | 17 wickets - champions
2022/23: 7 games | 244 runs | 7 wickets
2023/24: 10 games | 437 runs | 20 wickets - champions
2024/25: 12 games | 441 runs | 15 wickets - champions
Wellington Blaze have won back to back Super Smash championships without much mahi from Devine...
2023/24: 16 runs @ 8avg/59sr | 2w @ 10avg/4.2rpo
2024/25: 38 runs @ 9avg/88sr | 8w @ 13avg/6.1rpo
Rebecca Burns and Jess McFadyen have featured throughout this dynasty as well. Burns joined the Kerr sisters in hitting three 50+ scores this season, while McFadyen offered a reminder that she is the best women's wicket-keeper in Aotearoa. Caitlin King, Xara Jetly and Nicole Baird have offered steady team-first mahi as well.
Blaze always get top-tier imports thanks to A-Kerr's connections and the need for imports as their White Ferns are often busy during Super Smash (yet A-Kerr has played nearly every possible game). Other teams have quality imports too though like Chamari Athapaththu and Hollie Armitage for most of the campaign, while Blaze usually have short-term imports that can be harder to integrate and less reliable.
The environment, driven by A-Kerr, gets the best out of short-term imports, role-players, and youngsters. Blaze tend to carry players who don't bat or bowl much, but need to get their job done as fielders and team members. Take Sam Mackinder for example as she faced 15 deliveries in the Super Smash and didn't bowl, but she offered 7 runs @ 117sr and took two catches along with a run-out after she dropped a catch.
Natasha Codyre played all 12 games and bowled 3.4 overs. In the final she had her second chance to bat and she added 6 runs @ 200sr, then she wasn't required to bowl despite being a young seamer on the rise.
Rebecca Bryant and Gemma Sims played five games combined, didn't face a delivery or bowl a delivery. Sims did take a catch though.
Kate Chandler and Hannah Francis played two games before departing for the Under 19 T20 World Cup. No bowling or catches from then and Chandler had one innings of 10 runs.
During this dynasty, a variety of players have tasted championship glory. Very few players have departed Wellington Blaze, let alone left to perform better/win more elsewhere. Given how influential A-Kerr has been over the past eight seasons, while also winning a Commonwealth Games bronze medal and a T20 World Cup, her status as a leader and cricketer is now in the upper echelon of New Zealand sport.
Wellington Blaze
Amelia Kerr: 441 runs @ 63avg/109sr | 15w @ 17avg/6rpo
Jess Kerr: 326 runs @ 36avg/119sr | 14w @ 16avg/5.1rp
Rebecca Burns: 269 runs @ 26avg/113sr
Maitlan Brown: 93 runs @ 18avg/108sr | 9w @ 16avg/6.3rpo
Hannah Darlington:61 runs @ 15avg/75sr | 7w @ 10avg/6.6rpo
Caitlin King: 58 runs @ 14avg/89sr
Jess McFadyen: 42 runs @ 7avg/66sr
Sophie Devine: 38 runs @ 9avg/88sr | 8w @ 13avg/6.1rpo
Leigh Kasperek: 11 runs @ 5avg/48sr | 7w @ 8avg/5.4rpo
Sam Mackinder: 15 runs @ 5avg/100sr
Xara Jetly: 8 runs @ 4avg/114sr | 8w @ 25avg/6.6rpo
Nicole Baird: 7 runs @ 2avg/77sr
Natasha Codyre: 6 runs @ 200sr
Canterbury Kings do not have a Super Smash dynasty. They lost their fifth consecutive final...
2020/21: Loss by 5 wickets vs Wellington
2021/22: Loss by 56 runs vs ND
2022/23: Loss by 7 wickets vs ND
2023/24: Loss by rain vs Auckland
2024/25: Loss by 6 wickets vs CD
Central Stags don't have a dynasty either but there is a clear trend of Tom Bruce and Blair Tickner excellence across their last two championships...
2018/19
Tom Bruce: 353 runs @ 39avg/158sr
Will Young: 320 runs @ 32avg/135sr
Dean Foxcroft: 270 runs @ 30avg/124sr
Blair Tickner: 16w @ 15avg/7.7rpo
Ajaz Patel: 12w @ 23avg/9.3rpo
Seth Rance: 10w @ 23avg/7.1rpo
2024/25
Tom Bruce: 339 runs @ 56avg/158sr
Jack Boyle: 285 runs @ 31avg/131sr
Dane Cleaver: 216 runs @ 24avg/128sr
Blair Tickner: 16w @ 18avg/9.2rpo
Brett Randell: 12w @ 20avg/7.7rpo
Jayden Lennox: 9w @ 27avg/7.3rpo
Bruce scored 300+ runs in both seasons and Tickner took 16w in both, which led CD for runs and wickets. Tickner was excellent with the ball against Canterbury, taking 1w @ 4rpo. Will Young started strong with the bat (35 runs @ 109sr) and Dane Cleaver added 43 runs @ 126sr which steered CD towards the win.
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The funky thing about this CD championship is how a wide range of lads chipped in. Six batters scored 100+ runs and they all had 110+ strike-rates. Five bowlers took 8+ wickets and they all conceded less than 9.5rpo - Tickner was the only bowler over with 8w who conceded more than 8rpo (9.2rpo).
Ajaz Patel didn't play in the Super Smash. Jayden Lennox was the main spinner and Angus Schaw played second fiddle, but not by much as he was only a smidge behind Lennox for overs/wickets/rpo. Schaw also whacked 76 runs @ 177sr with a knock of 20* @ 167sr in a win vs Otago and 16* @ 400sr to seal a win vs Auckland.
23-year-old Will Clark finished 17* @ 170sr in the final and he hit 23* @ 192sr to seal a win over Wellington at Basin Reserve earlier in the campaign. He finished with 130 runs @ 26avg/137sr, also bowling a few overs when required.
Clark averages 35 or below with the ball in all three formats, while his batting mahi is among the best for youngsters in Aotearoa with 42.4avg (FC), 39.7avg/94sr (LA) and 24.8avg/120sr (T20). Clark is a 1st 11 all-rounder for CD in all formats, enabling CD to absorb the absence of Josh Clarkson who only played half of Super Smash and didn't do much when he did play.
Will Young also played just four games and in a group with plenty of depth, 21-year-old Curtis Heaphy played every game. Heaphy had the trickiest job of any CD player because his role was constantly changing and while he's stacked up runs early in his career, he hadn't shown the crisp scoring rate that Clark or other young batters have in any of the formats.
Here are Heaphy's last five games...
vs Auckland: opening batting, 10 runs @ 111sr
vs Canterbury: opening batting, 78 runs @ 137sr
vs Canterbury: batting four, 12* @ 67sr (when no other CD batter scored 10+ runs)
vs Auckland: batting seven, 7* @ 233sr (winning mahi with Schaw)
vs Canterbury: batting six, 13* @ 150sr (winning mahi with Clark)
The youngest CD player had four different batting roles leading into and during finals. Heaphy had three not-out innings while batting in three different spots and he also averages 50.2 in LA, along with 37.4 in FC.
Then there is 21-year-old (slightly older than Heaphy) Toby Findlay who quietly got better as his debut Super Smash season rolled along...
vs Wellington: 4ov @ 8.2rpo
vs Otago: 1ov @ 7rpo
vs Auckland: 4ov, 2w @ 5.2rpo
vs Canterbury: 4ov, 1w @ 8.2rpo
vs Auckland: 3ov, 2w @ 11.3rpo
vs Canterbury: 4ov, 3w @ 7.2rpo
Findlay took 5/8 wickets in the last couple of Super Smash games. He showed good pace, bounce, accuracy and nibble throughout the competition, then his change up doosras were highly effective in the final. Findlay dismissed Daryl Mitchell, Henry Shipley and Matt Henry in the last five overs as they were trying to whack boundaries and this went a long way to stopping Canterbury reach 150 runs.
Findlay joins a glorious group of young seamers on the rise in Aotearoa. I kept yarning about Mason Clarke earlier in the Super Smash and he is 17-years-old for a few more days, offering instant out-swing impact for Otago. Clark, Jock McKenzie and Muhammad Abbas are all impressive all-rounders. Matt Fisher and Kristian Clarke represent ND. All of whom sit behind Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith and Zak Foulkes.
Central Stags
Tom Bruce: 339 runs @ 56avg/158sr
Jack Boyle: 285 runs @ 31avg/131sr
Dane Cleaver: 216 runs @ 24avg/128sr
Curtis Heaphy: 195 runs @ 27avg/111sr
Will Clark: 130 runs @ 26avg/137sr | 3w @ 25avg/10.7rpo
Will Young: 101 runs @ 25avg/111sr
Angus Schaw: 76 runs @ 38avg/177sr | 8w @ 26avg/7.7rpo
Josh Clarkson: 86 runs @ 21avg/126sr | 1w @ 45avg/11.2rpo
Blair Tickner: 16w @ 18avg/9.2rpo
Brett Randell: 12w @ 20avg/7.7rpo
Jayden Lennox: 9w @ 27avg/7.3rpo
Toby Findlay: 8w @ 19avg/7.8rpo
Joey Field: 2w @ 36avg/9.1rpo
Last minute note about Zyon Maiu'u moving to Bulldogs...
Bulldogs need oomph in the middle, NZW have lots of forward depth. Maiu'u was outside my top-17 and even the top-20, with lots more young forwards on the rise to take his fringe NRL spot. Bummer we don't get to see Maiu'u running it straight at Mt Smart for NZW any more but a sensible move for all parties involved.
Maybe not a top-17 but I really like this team...
Fullback: Taine Tuaupiki
Wingers: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Centres: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Ali Leiataua
Halves: Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf
Middles: James Fisher-Harris, Marata Niukore, Dylan Walker
Edges: Mitchell Barnett, Kurt Capewell
Hooker: Wayde Egan
Bench: Chanel Harris-Tavita, Erin Clark, Demitric Vaimauga, Leka Halasima
Kiwi-NRL/NRLWahine junior round up...
SG Ball
NZ Warriors lost vs Sea Eagles: Hiraka Waitai-Haenga (Hamilton Boys), Meihana Pauling (Halswell), Compton Purcell (Marist)
Bulldogs lost vs Raiders: Kaawyn Patterson (Westlake Boys)
Sharks win vs Panthers: Tipene Thompson (Turangi/Taupo Phoenix)
Roosters win vs Bears: Kanaan Magaele (De La Salle/Marist)
Tasha Gale Cup
Bulldogs scored 10 tries in win vs Bears - nine were scored by wahine from Aotearoa.
Lahnayah Daniel (Waitakere College) three tries
Simina Lokotui (Mangere East) two tries
Josinah Filisi Tauiliili (Mangere East), Shaquaylah Mahakitau-Monschau (Waitakere College), Tia'ane Tavita Fesolai (Te Atatu), Maeya Talamaivao (Mt Albert) one try each
Miria Faulkner-Luke (Hibiscus Coast) was a late inclusion in halves for Bulldogs. This means Bulldogs U19 women had an all-Aotearoa halves combo with Mahakitau-Monschau at halfback.
Musical jam…
Wildcard’s Notebook
For the first time since the Olympics six months ago, the Football Ferns are going to play some games of football. They’ve got a two-match series in Costa Rica in two weeks and interim head coach Michael Mayne has named a fascinating squad. Of the 23 players picked, only 14 of them were part of the Olympic crew. What’s more, only nine of them were in the 2023 World Cup squad.
This is the start of a new cycle and Mayne appears to be going all in on that idea by dropping several veterans in order to have a look at some depth and create competition for places. That’s what I’m pretty sure we ought to read into the absences of CJ Bott, Katie Bowen, and Rebekah Stott. Three of the team’s very best players (Bott and Bowen are our two highest-performing players at club level) and all three are part of a defence that actually has looked quite sturdy of late. It would be insane to cast them aside. Pretty sure they’re just being rested so others can have a run in a relatively low stakes set of fixtures.
Anna Leat is also out of action though that’s for different reasons – she’s been injured and doesn’t currently have a club. She hasn’t played since the Olympics and you just can’t be talking about competition for places and then selecting someone, even your number one keeper, under those circumstances. Also, Malia Steinmetz did her ACL a few weeks back so she’s out. Ali Riley’s injury situation is no clearer now than it was in Paris. The likes of Hannah Wilkinson and Daisy Cleverley have retired (neither went to the Olympics). And that’s just the start. Check out the turnover here (bold names are in the current squad)…
2023 World Cup: Vic Esson, Anna Leat, Erin Nayler, Claudia Bunge, CJ Bott, Mickey Foster, Ali Riley, Rebekah Stott, Katie Bowen, Liz Anton, Ria Percival, Malia Steinmetz, Daisy Cleverley, Betsy Hassett, Olivia Chance, Annalie Longo, Paige Satchell, Grace Jale, Gabi Rennie, Jacqui Hand, Indi Riley, Milly Clegg, Hannah Wilkinson
2024 Olympics: Victoria Esson, Anna Leat, Murphy Sheaff, Katie Bowen, Rebekah Stott, Meikayla Moore, CJ Bott, Mickey Foster, Mackenzie Barry, Ally Green, Grace Neville, Ali Riley, Claudia Bunge, Kate Taylor, Malia Steinmetz, Katie Kitching, Macey Fraser, Annalie Longo, Grace Jale, Gabi Rennie, Jacqui Hand, Indi Riley, Milly Clegg
Current Squad: Vic Esson, Bri Edwards, Geo Candy, Liz Anton, Mackenzie Barry, Claudia Bunge, Mickey Foster, Meikayla Moore, Grace Neville, Kate Taylor, Macey Fraser, Maya Hahn, Katie Kitching, Annalie Longo, Emma Pijnenburg, Hannah Blake, Manaia Elliott, Jacqui Hand, Grace Jale, Indi Riley, Kelli Brown, Milly Clegg, Ruby Nathan
There are five uncapped players here: Manaia Elliott, Emma Pijnenburg, Geo Candy, Kelli Brown, and Maya Hahn. Funnily enough, the latter three were all part of the U17 World Cup bronze medal squad that Michael Mayne was assistant coach for... although before you start thinking about biases, know that he’s also dropped Gabi Rennie and hasn’t selected Grace Wisnewski or Maggie Jenkins. Harsh on Rennie and Jenkins who have been in great form for their clubs, though Rennie’s been out of season for a few months and recently transferred while Jenkins perhaps needs to sustain what she’s doing for longer. Wiz hasn’t actually played much since returning from her ACL injury and thus is still building up match fitness.
Ally Green is an unlucky one, perhaps also a victim of limited minutes since the Olympics. She’s just made the move to Calgary Wild in Canada where she’ll be a teammate of Meikayla Moore... who also hasn’t played since the Olympics and based on some of these other picks can count herself fortunate. But then she’ll be one of the ones that Mayne is talking about when he emphasises trying to build out competition for places. This tour is for the other defenders to stake a claim. I’ll write about all this in more detail later so let’s chill for now.
I wasn’t going to bother much with the Australian WNBL this season after the Tauihi league decided to run in parallel to it and snatch up all the kiwi players. But along with a couple who stayed on in Australia, several others have popped up since Tauihi ended. Finished one season then joined the other midway through. So here are some Kiwis in WNBL stats...
Tera Reed (Southside Flyers):
15 games | 388 mins | 9.1 ppg (42.4 3P%) | 3.9 rpg | 2.1 apg
Tahlia Tupaea (Sydney Flames):
8 games | 219 mins | 9.3 ppg (45.8 3P%) | 1.9 rpg | 3.1 apg
Ella Tofaeono (UC Capitals):
14 games | 176 mins | 5.1 ppg | 4.2 rpg | 0.7 apg
McKenna Dale (Sydney Flames):
5 games | | 2.2 ppg | 1.4 rpg | 0.4 apg
Unfortunately, none of them are playing for teams with winning records.
Updating the Chris Wood statistical glories...
Chris Wood’s hat-trick against Brighton was his third in the Premier League following three-fors against Wolves (April 2021), Newcastle (December 2023), and now Brighton (February 2025).
With this, he becomes the 43rd man to score three hat-tricks in the Premier League.
He’s also up to 86 career goals in the Prem which is nudging close to triple-figures, sure, but more immediately important is that he’s now even closer to Mark Viduka’s 92 and the Australasian record.
By the way, Mark Viduka only ever got two EPL hatties. Those are the only two ever scored by an Aussie so New Zealand now leads that tally thanks to Woodsy’s three.
Chris Wood has scored six headed goals this season, the most in the Premier League (Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak have four each in second place).
In all EPL seasons, dating back to 1992-93, he has 29 headed goals which ranks fifth. He’s first among current players. Steadily climbing towards fourth-placed Olivier Giroud who had 32 of them.
This is Chris Wood’s best Premier League season, his 17 goals (with three months still to go) surpassing the 14 goals that he managed twice previously (2019-20 and 2023-24).
He’s third-equal on the Golden Boot charts with only Mohamed Salah (21) and Erling Haaland (18) ahead of him.
No player in the Prem this season is averaging more goals per shot than Chris Wood (the number changes depending on what source you use but it’s somewhere around 0.33 to 0.38 goals per shot).
Likewise, no player in the Prem this season has exceeded their Expected Goal mark by more than Chris Wood (17 goals from 10.3 xG for +6.7). In fact, no player in any of Europe’s Big Five leagues has exceeded their xG by more.
Flying Kiwis Transfer Tracker
Alrighty, we’ve got less than 24 hours to go in the European window and doings are afoot. All the fun stuff seems to have been saved until late so buckle up for this. Let us begin with Liberato Cacace. Lots of transfer rumours about him in the offseason but then Empoli seem to have quietly triggered a one-year extension and kept him around as a very useful left-sided utility. He’s been getting goals and assists as a left-winger. He played ninety minutes at left wing-back in defeat against Juventus this morning. He’s even had a few stints as a LCB in a three. But guess what? The rumours are not over. A fresh one has popped up with Turkish side Besiktas apparently having put him on their watchlist as they seek a new left-sided defender. Their prime target is Samuel Dahl, a Swedish LB who plays for Roma, but it seems as though he’s heading for Benfica instead. Presumably that leaves Cacace as the next main target. The Turkiye window stays open for another week so this could drag on.
There’s chat going around that Abby Erceg will be joining Deportivo Torluca in the Mexican league. Definitely didn’t see that coming (assuming it happens). Erceg’s been ever-present in the NWSL for the last couple of seasons but chose to leave Racing Louisville after the 2024 campaign. I had hoped that’d be so she could join a contending NWSL team instead but maybe nobody was buying, dunno. Or maybe she simply wants to play somewhere new. Gotta take any unconfirmed rumour with a grain of salt but somebody’s already updated her Wikipedia page with a note that this deal will be confirmed within a few hours. S’pose this could be viewed as a bridge to an Auckland FC gig if you wanted to see it that way, given the timings of the seasons. One thing at a time.
With Erceg seemingly departing, Ali Riley’s injury situation very much an ongoing concern, and Milly Clegg going out on loan for 2025... that could leave Macey Fraser as the only kiwi doing NWSL things this year. There were some worries about her situation after she spent the back half of last season away from the Utah Royals on an “explained absence”, but the good news is she’s very much part of preseason again and even did some media day duties. Seems that the absence was mostly to do with the ankle injury she suffered at the Olympics. Possibly also to do with the timing of the season, given that it was unlikely she’d recover in time to play anything other than small cameos even if she did stick around. The Royals were nowhere near the playoff picture so they let her focus on being fully fit (which she now claims to be) for the 2025 campaign rather than risk re-aggravating anything.
The Oscar Faulds move to Union Titus Pétange in Luxembourg has been finalised. Faulds joins the team in tenth place (out of 16 teams) in the top flight Luxenbourg National Division... and also at a time when strikers Paolo Buzzi (end of loan, back to CS Sanem) and Kai Merk (to rivals F91 Dudelange) have both just departed. They needed a new goal-scorer and they got a bloke who, statistically, was one of the best in the world last year. He’s already scored in two separate friendly games. This is especially good news because of how Faulds twice had professional moves fall apart at the last minute prior to the NZ National League season. Got there in the end.
Remember how there were three dudes as NAC Breda who got iced out of the squad over the winter break? Well, Martin Koscelník signed with Slovacko in Czechia a few days ago. Manel Royo has joined FC Andorra in Spain as of the last 24 hours. That only leaves Matthew Garbett to sort out…
James Bulkeley was one of the more impressive players during U20 World Cup qualifying last year. A tall, sturdy central defender with a quality long ball (shades of a young Tommy Smith, perhaps?). He’s also a lad who has followed an unconventional path. Originally from Napier, he grew up in Australia but struggled to get the NPL buzz he ought to have... so he left for Fleetwood United in the United Arab Emirates and then he moved up the grades to Gulf United in September. Bulkeley played pretty regularly for both despite his youth but now he’s got something else planned because he’s linking up with North Texas SC in the MLS Next Pro league on a one-year contract with a club option for a second. MLS Next Pro is for the academy teams of MLS clubs and North Texas is the feeder for FC Dallas. NTSC won the whole competition last year... leading to a bunch of players getting promoted and Bulkeley is one of those who’s been scooped up to replace them. Same level that Jay Herdman was bossing it at last year. It’s basically youth footy... but there is that direct line to the MLS if he excels.
Meanwhile, a bloke from the previous U20s wave, Oliver Colloty, has already signed a contract extension with Peterhead FC in the Scottish fourth tier. He initially joined several months ago but couldn’t be registered until January. Since then he’s made several extended appearances off the bench as Peterhead push for promotion and that’s been enough to convince him to add a year’s extension on top of his initial six-month deal. He’ll be there for next season as well as this one.
Wellington Phoenix fans might flinch at the prospect of losing another player without any incoming signings having arrived yet but watch out because there’s a rumour that Stoke City are after Luke Supyk. The teenaged striker is contracted for another season after this (he signed a three-year A-League deal prior to last season) so there would be a fee involved, albeit probably nothing too substantial given that this would surely be a move to the Stoke City U21s. He’s not getting immediate first team stuff in the English Championship after having only played 104 minutes of A-League action. This would be a development move.
What’s interesting about this is that Stoke City already have Adam Watson on their books. He’s currently out on loan with Welling FC. Watson and Supyk were the two strikers for Aotearoa at the 2023 U17 World Cup squad, with Supyk scoring NZ’s only goal (a penalty) at that tournament. Stoke City also took the captain of that squad, Marley Leuluai, on loan before he joined with Burnley instead. Plus Luke’s older brother Adam Supyk spent a bit of time training with Stoke last year, before almost getting signed by Brentford but ultimately returning to play for Wellington Olympic. And kiwi goalkeeper Scott Morris remains on the books even though he never plays for the U21s so dunno what his situation is.
Musical Jam...