The Silver Fern

@Canes4life I'm sure like me as a life long Lions and Canes fan we could win 50 on the trot and I'd be nervous for a knock out game.

Still - this team seems to have something different about them. Losing the Shield clearly hurt so they'll be up for it.

as i say, much more worried about what happened AFTER it was initially broken (photos, posted on social media, possible drugs etc) than the break itself, spirited off straight away and fixed as quick as possible would have been much better

@Winger I wouldn't mind seeing this pack to start the year. Plenty of experience in that 8 now and there is a good mix of x-factor and grit.

Numia / Mafileo Aumua Lomax Delany Bird / Sangster Shields Kirifi (new Captain) Flanders

Bench forwards:
16. not sure about Hooker. Southall and O'Reilly are my preferred signings.
17. Mafileo / Numia
18. Lauaki
19. Bird / Sangster
20. Lakai (covering 7/8)

Players there or there abouts: Iose, Howden, Walker-Leawere, Rakete-Stones

Final gets one 27-17

@ACT-Crusader said in Canterbury vs Wellington:

Exciting game.

Did Umaga-Jensen release the ball in that tackle after his break? Looked pretty suss to me, even on the replay.

On the front on replay it didn't actually look like PUJ was held - so therefore didn't have to release. A lot of refs would have pinged him though.

@Stargazer said in Wellington vs Tasman (RS):

@Dan54 said in Wellington vs Tasman (RS):

Don't know wht Naki would put up that (I know it was a joke etc), because we play Tasman in New Plymouth, so wouldn't of got a crack, unless they were hoping someone took it off Tasman.

Because there's more than one route to a Shield challenge*: if Tasman had won it off Wellington and then lost the Shield to Harbour; Harbour successfully defended it to Waikato and then lost it to Otago, and Otago defended it successfully against Northland, then Taranaki would have their only possible challenge this season against Otago in Dunedin on 16 September.

*according to picture in NPC thread

F*** me Star, appreciate the info, and eyes might stop spinning in an hour or so, and brain will try and compute that!😲

@Stargazer said in Wellington v Southland:

This was quite impressive.

Some of those guys were not even born when Limp Biskit were big !

@Stargazer this is gold aye. I could be wrong but I think Peter has had the better of Thomas in all the games they've faced each other in professionally. I wonder if we'll ever see them on the same side again.

@Duluth good stuff, deserves it.

@Winger I'd rather we give guys like Pettett and Plummer game time if that's the case. Blackwell doesn't offer any more than what they bring, especially height.

@Darren Ethan Webster-Nonu isn't Ma'a's son despite what the commentator said. I think he's a nephew.

@Canes4life Yeah, I read that on the club rugby website. Talented lad; a loss to rugby if true.

@cgrant alt text

What useless ending to a poor season. Completely and utterly outplayed by Welly and I hope they haven't played their final. I'm rooting for them this week that they get up against Canterbury.

Are we rid of Ieremia for 2023?

@Bones said in QF - Wellington vs Hawkes:

@mikey07 said in QF - Wellington vs Hawkes:

@foobaNZ Starting Morgan is a must for a start yeah I totally agree with you about the pack looking toast which is weird considering most of them were rested last week

I only saw the highlights but JGB looked to have a strong hand in many of the lions points. Was the rest that bad?

I thought he had a good game. But kicked too much. But after being rubbish during super rugby and until CM he's been so much better

editor  /  Oct 5, 2022 Game-worn tribute jerseys available on TradeMe - Counties Sports Hub Game-worn tribute jerseys available on TradeMe - Counties Sports Hub

Fans are being offered a chance to buy their own piece of Counties Manukau Rugby history with game-worn, one-off throwback jerseys available for purchase on TradeMe. On Sunday, October 2, 2022, the PIC Steelers wore a one-off heritage jersey against Wellington in the Bunnings Warehouse NPC in...

@foobaNZ said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):

Higgins was great. You'd have to hope him and Lakai are around for years to come in Canes jerseys.

Really happy we keep the Shield over the summer.

After that Northland performance I thought we'd be struggling to make the 4, but been a real turnaround since.

Congrats on the little one canes4life. Nothing better than watching them grow 🙂

Cheers bro, she’s grown a little already in two weeks haha.

The fact we are unbeaten with Aiden Morgan running the cutter shows how important he is to our run for a title. He definitely has a few work ons as he’s still developing but the way he conducts the team has been brilliant. We look like a different team when he’s playing.

@booboo said in Hawkes v Wellington (RS):

@Machpants said in Hawkes v Wellington (RS):

@booboo said in Hawkes v Wellington (RS):

Haven't read the thread, and only kept a passing eye on the highlights on Stan, but ...

... thought TJ did his best to lose that at the end.

Firstly, play the advantage out, it will always come back to the penalty.

Secondly, don't get yourself, as skipper, sin binned with time up.

It was a bollocks call, he was airborne when he hit the guys arm, and came from behind the ruck - perfectly legal. Other times that would be a great turn over

Just to clarify, my first point was not playing out the advantage on attack for the kick that missed. Why not play it out?

I agree with that, dumb. But his card was incorrect - so he didn't get himself sin binned, the ref fucked up IMO.

A late watch. As a neutral, I have found Mr Williams' refereeing very harsh for the Southern men, particularly at scrum time.