The Reliability of Nature
The Warriors aren't good, Ryan Thomas released by PSV, some Kiwi NBL chat, Ish Sodhi & Glenn Phillips, Welly Nix squad updates, Black Sticks Women & more
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Podcast
Reading Menu
A Post Mortem Of The Wellington Phoenix’s Elimination Final Defeat (Football)
Kiwi Steve in the NBA #14: The Way of the Warrior (Basketball)
Celebrating The Irrepressible Exploits of Shea Ili In NBL22 (Basketball)
There Goes Another Disappointing Breakers Season (Basketball)
Exploring The (Relative) Kyle Jamieson Test Plateau (Cricket)
The Curious Summer Of Ajaz Patel (Cricket)
Taking Stock Of Kane Williamson's Aotearoa Excellence (Cricket)
27fm Weekly Playlist - May 23 (Music)
Scott’s Word
Aotearoa Warriors Are Not Good...
We know that. We knew that at the start of the season and we have known this for much of their existence. The Warriors have basked in mediocrity for so long that my only reasonable explanation is that they are cursed and nothing from 11 rounds of footy suggests that 2022 is any different to other seasons. In losing to Dragons, Warriors took themselves from sniffing around the top eight to now being a win ahead of the four clubs who dwell in meh.
The issue is ... well, there are no issues. The Warriors are the Warriors and no owner, coach or player has been able to change this curse. With no expectations there is no room for disappointment and no one should feeling extra upset about the 2022 Warriors. Bask in the reliability of nature here folks.
Our Warriors yarns get plenty of views and I've been a curious observer. There is nothing I can offer in terms of breaking down their footy, while the 'doom and gloom' content is tiresome when it's repeated every year. The area of Warriors footy that people don't know much about is the junior system and this is low-hanging fruit for me to cover.
Ponder how many times you have heard your mate or a member of the media bemoan the Warriors junior system. Most of those folks don't know anything about the junior system though and most Warriors fans barely know their own juniors. This will continue to be the tree from which I pluck my fruit.
Another Warriors learning stems from the Kiwi-NRL encyclopedia in last Friday's newsletter. Aotearoa Warriors don't represent Aotearoa in the NRL, all the kiwi folks do. Warriors are just a team in the NRL and the biggest disconnect I observe is how folks view Warriors as Aotearoa's team.
The NRL will soon expand to Aotearoa and then folks will really understand this idea. Of course the NRL will expand to Aotearoa because of the fact that they have planted these seeds in recent years which reflect their data. The NRL won't just throw it out because it sounds cool. The NRL has viewership data, social media data, advertising data and they are only pondering such expansion because their data tells them it is worthwhile.
Warriors did well to shuffle Matt Lodge out asap.
I'm low key anticipating Chanel Harris-Tavita's departure as he seems like he could thrive at another club. Isaiah Papali'i and Marata Niukore are best case scenarios.
Both Redcliffe teams had wins over the weekend. Edward Kosi was the only Aotearoa junior in the Redcliffe reserve grade team, while younger brother Benjamin Kosi (centre) played for Redcliffe Under 21s with Sefanaia Cowley-Lupo starting in the halves, the Kepu twins (Kina and Valingi) and Zyon Maiu'u in the forwards.
I have also seen Timothy Tiatia and Sebastian Su'a in Fox Memorial team lists after both played for the Warriors Sevens team that competed earlier this year. That was an U18 tournament and Su'a is now playing for Mt Albert, while Tiatia was in the Manurewa team that lost to Mt Albert over the weekend. It's tricky to nail down which lads are in the Warriors system but these two played for Warriors Sevens in an U18 tournament and are now playing local premier blokes footy.
That's a development wrinkle I love. For players based in Auckland, playing against blokes is better than dominating their age groups or only playing 1st 15 etc. Before blasting Warriors junior systems, tap into the fact that Warriors have juniors with Redcliffe, juniors playing premier blokes footy and juniors spread across other Auckland/Aotearoa competitions.
Fa’amanu Brown Is Back In NRL…
Earlier this year I wrote about Michael Maguire flexing his Aotearoa Kiwis/West Tigers leverage. Maguire had assembled a growing Kiwi-NRL crew and showed crafty recruitment by snaring Asu Kepaoa, then Ken Maumalo in mid-season moves. Starford To'a left Knights for Tigers weeks ahead of this season and last week Fa'amanu Brown (Christchurch) swapped Roosters-ish for Tigers.
Brown has battled injury for a few years and was playing reserve grade for North Sydney Bears where he was barely in the Roosters tier, let alone well down their pecking order. Brown was coming off the bench for the Bears and his move to Tigers saw him play 29mins off the bench with 2 tries. From reserve grade to NRL in just over a week for the Hornby junior.
Not Convinced About the League/Union Crossover?
David Kidwell has left his assistant coaching gig with Parramatta Eels to work with Argentina rugby. Kidwell and Storm assistant Stephen Kearney appear to be thriving as assistant coaches which is great for them after struggling in head coaching gigs. Not only does Kidwell want to keep his Maori All Stars gig and work in both codes, Kidwell joins Argentina's coach Michael Cheika who has been in the Roosters staff and is currently the Lebanon rugby league coach. Jason Ryles is on the Roosters coaching staff after previously working with Storm and England rugby.
Ish Sodhi and Glenn Phillips On The Move...
Ish Sodhi's move from Northern to Canterbury has been announced while Otago Daily Times has mentioned that Glenn Phillips will join younger bro Dale in Otago.
Northern have fabulous spinners in Mitchell Santner, Joe and Freddy Walker. Canterbury don't have a standout spinner with Theo van Woerkom getting most of their Plunket Shield overs, while Blake Coburn and Cole McConchie plug holes. Not only is Sodhi's move logical as he has lived in Christchurch for a few years now, Canterbury could also use a high quality spinner.
Glenn's move to Otago bolsters their batting unit and should elevate their entire operation. If Otago can get Dean Foxcroft back in their mix (super stink absence), they could roll out a hefty batting unit of Hamish Rutherford, Glenn and Dale Phillips, Nick Kelly as well as Foxcroft.
Black Sticks Women…
Looks like the World Cup could be tricky for Aotearoa based on this Black Sticks wahine squad selected. No legit world-class players and a young skew to the squad, meanwhile the other nations will be fizzing.
Aotearoa finished 11th (of 16) at the last World Cup after a high marker of 5th in 2014 - bit of a decline going on here. The Commonwealth Games will also provide context as Aotearoa won gold at the last event and they play the Com Games after the World Cup. Here are the Black Sticks wahine results for major tournaments over the last decade...
2012 Olympics: 4th.
2012 Champions Trophy: 6th.
2014 World Cup: 5th.
2014 Champions Trophy: 4th.
2016 Olympics: 4th.
2016 Champions Trophy: 6th.
2018 World Cup: 11th.
2020 Olympics: 8th.
Wildcard’s Notebook
Ryan Thomas Released By PSV
Here’s to those beautiful moments. The writing was probably on the wall when PSV declined Ryan Thomas’ contract option for next season but there was talk that they might negotiate something else. However now it’s been confirmed that Thommo will be leaving the Eindhoven club when his current deal expires at the beginning of July... although the club has told him that he’s still welcome to hang around and make use of their facilities as he attempts to get his career back on track after persistent injuries, especially to his knee.
Thomas busted his knee within a week of first signing for the club in 2018 and hasn’t played since last October due to his latest surgery. His release really had a lot less to do with his talent or fit and more to do with him only played 33 Eredivise games across those four seasons (plus another 15 matches in various cup competitions – including 8 Europa League appearances). Just those persistent injury clouds, unfortunately. And there’s no set end in sight for those either. This is an especially concerning quote from PSV Inside (based on reporting from EL):
“The situation surrounding his injuries is a question mark. Roger Schmidt recently said that no one really knows what exactly is wrong with Thomas' knee. He will probably have to watch for months and may not return to the field until 2023.”
He’s already gonna miss the WCQ Intercontinental Playoff, now it sounds like he’s a good bet to miss the World Cup itself even if the All Whites do qualify. Not happy news, that. At the very least it means that we probably shouldn’t speculate on his next club given that he’s gotta get back to fitness first. Maybe Winston Reid can set him up with his personal trainers, they seem to have done a hell of a job with him.
Ryan Thomas wasn’t able to get himself an Eredivisie winner’s medal in his four years with PSV. They came as close as ever this term, running Ajax into the last couple games, but ultimately it was Ajax who won three titles in a row with one season abandoned due to the pandemic. Thommo did however get two runners-up medals as well as a KNVB Cup and Super Cup title this 2021-22 term. He didn’t actually play in either of those finals but he had already won both of them in his PEC Zwolle days so all goods. By the way, if you’re forecasting a PEC Zwolle return then maybe don’t because they got relegated this season.
NBL Areas
Pretty buzzy when you’re looking at an NBL table and seeing the Wellington Saints sitting dead last after four games. Yet to get a single win and some of those defeats have been extremely heavy. Here are their four results so far...
Southland Sharks 117-81 Wellington Saints
Otago Nuggets 83-61 Wellington Saints
Wellington Saints 91-106 Auckland Tuatara
Wellington Saints 89-96 Canterbury Rams
The story from the start was that they hadn’t got their full roster yet which does hold true at least for the first couple games. Also the Tuatara have been really good, led by the twin towers of Rob Loe and Chris Johnson with some really solid scorers (and exciting young players) around them. And the Rams loss last night was at least close. They led as late as two mins to go in the third.
That game saw Tom Vodanovich make his first appearance of the season after just quietly winning an Aussie NBL title with the Sydney Kings. He was still a little slippery needing 16 shots for his 16 points but he did add 10 boards and a couple assists. No doubt at all that he’ll be a key player. He’s a former MVP of this league after all (the post-pando Showdown version at least).
Plus TV might also win Executive of the Year because you’ve gotta imagine he played some significant part in getting his Sydney Kings mate Xavier Cooks to sign with the Saints. That’s finals MVP Xavier Cooks if you’re wondering, the very same one. Cooks was actually the bloke who got injured at the start of last season which led to Vodanovich joining the team as an injury replacement player.
The Wellington Saints definitely have some issues in terms of how they’re playing, many of them stemming from the defensive end (twice giving up over 100 points already). But most of that comes from player availability rather than anything else. This is a franchise that has won four of the last five NBL titles so there are high expectations but no need to hit the panic button yet. This is the context right here. Their starting fives from these four games...
vs Sharks: Emmerson Potts-Broughton, Johnny Helu, Kenneth Tuffin, Thomas Gold, Rangimarie Dougall-Mita
vs Nuggets: Emmerson Potts-Broughton, Jordan Ngatai, Taane Samuel, Kenneth Tuffin, Mike Smith
vs Tuatara: Taane Samuel, Jordan Ngatai, Kenneth Tuffin, Joshua Tutagalevao, Mike Smith
vs Rams: Taane Samuel, Jordan Ngatai, Tom Vodanovich, Kenneth Tuffin, Mike Smith
There’s been rust on several counts from the known names too. Import Mike Smith is settling in after hopping off a plane and basically immediately playing 34 minutes per game. Vodanovich, Ngatai, and Samuel have gone straight from Aussie to NZ NBL duties. Gotta give them a game or two to adjust to the differing styles. Taane Samuel seems to already be doing exactly that. He had 30 points and 8 rebounds with three triples in the loss to Canterbury. Missed a few too many shots in his first couple games but is now averaging 22.3ppg.
Points Leaders After 4 Rounds
Alonzo Mourning (Giants) – 28.8ppg
Chris Johnson (Tuatara) – 23.2ppg
Taane Samuel (Saints) – 22.3ppg
Mojave King (Sharks) - 20.6ppg
Ethan Rusbatch (Hawks) – 19.8ppg
Rebound Leaders After 4 Rounds
Chris Johnson (Tuatara) – 14.2rpg
Rob Loe (Tuatara) – 12.0rpg
Hyrum Harris (Hawks) – 11.8rpg
Sam Timmins (Nuggets) – 11.2rpg
Tai Wynyard (Airs) – 10.2rpg
Assist Leaders After 4 Rounds
Jayden Bezzant (Bulls) - 5.8apg
Jarrod West (Giants) - 5.8apg
Taylor Britt (Rams) – 5.5apg
Mike Smith (Saints) – 5.3apg
Derone Ruakawa (Hawks) – 5.2apg
Those stats aren’t including fellas who’ve only played one game by the way. Of which there are a few as teams begin to get their imports rolling. Anthony Hilliard played his first game for the Taranaki Airs over the weekend and scored 28 points off the bench (albeit playing a starter’s quantity of minutes) with five triples and in the same game the Airs also had Javonte Douglas logging 14p/13r on debut. Taranaki beat Southland by 11 points to move to 2-3 for the season. Big diffo. John Bohannon had 9 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists in a busy first game for winless Manawatu Jets. The Tuatara unleashed Siler Schneider in round four. You get the idea. The NBL took a few weeks sorta trafficking the runway as rosters began in various shapes and sizes but from this point on we’re lifting off.
Welly Nix Men’s Squad Update
Further to Friday’s edition of this bad boy, we’ve already had an announcement earlier today about the off-contract Nix players. Basically... they’re all leaving. The Nix have said that Jaushua Sotirio, Gary Hooper, and James McGarry will all be leaving – which we basically already knew. Matthew Bozinovski and Gael Sandoval will also be leaving when their loans expire.
Then on top of that scholarship players George Ott and Kurtis Mogg will not be offered senior deals. Fellow academy dudes Henry Gray, Riley Bidois, and Jackson Manuel won’t be either but they’re still young enough to return to the WeeNix so no worries there.
The only other fella is Reno Piscopo who is off contract but the Nix are trying to retain him. He’s said to be “considering his options”. Personally, not sure I’d hold out too much hope on that front but it would be nice if he came back.
Wilkie Work
Hannah Wilkinson painted this whole mural thing at Eden Park to commemorate the cricket, rugby, and football Women’s World Cups to be held in Aotearoa over this current 18-month period. Like, not only is she a starter level player for the Football Ferns who has been to several major tournaments (and overcome two ACL surgeries in her career too) but she’s also got a Spotify channel for her music and is getting art commissions like this.
It’s actually unfair how talented some people are.
The Northman
Watched this movie last night. Might write about it later in the week if inspiration strikes. Some initial words that spring to mind: blood, wolves, bears, vikings, prophecy, Hamlet, dark, myth, violence, ice, fire, revenge, destiny, heaviness.
Definitely not a film for everybody but if you’ve dug Robert Eggers’ previous work then you’re already primed for what to expect. Directors like that don’t usually get given big budgets like this to go to work and the fact that Eggers has largely avoided studio interference is a bit of a miracle. Support the film if you rate that kinda thing because it’s very predictably having some dramas recouping its initial costs and it’s better for the world of cinema if studios are willing to take a punt on a unique vision such as The Northman.
Which, by the way, is based on a Norse myth that was also the inspiration for Shakespeare’s finest play: Hamlet. To the extent that I struggled to separate the stories. Same goes for The Lion King actually because that in turn was based on Hamlet so there’s a through-line between them all.
Hamlet’s a great place to start with Shakespeare in general because it’s so ridiculously jam-packed with bits and pieces that you’ll instantly recognise and be like: oh so that’s where that comes from. To be or not to be. The lady doth protest too much. Murder most foul. Get thee to a nunnery. Alas, poor Yorick. Method in one’s madness. What a piece of work is man. Etc.Surely one of the most referenced texts in the English language.