I'm convinced this rotation stuff is BS at NPC level... put the best available on the park - game in, game out! It is 9 games, just smash it out.

Pleased to see we are playing Otago - rather them than Wellington for now. I hear the squad is quite beat up, but it has been for some time. Our forwards will be strong - set piece immense this year. 6 strong front rowers (essential nowadays), couple of genuine power locks and a medley of loosies led by the super bound (surely...) Tupe. Not sure how the backs will line up - would like to see Chase Tiatia in for maybe Te Aute. Some question marks over our mid field defence - not sure how we always get opened up at will in this area.

Looking forward to a good semi. Well done to the boys for getting this far. Mid season looked like a potential disaster looming.

Addendum - not impressed with the loose trio(s)... 2 fetchers did not work. Karpik had a shocking 10 minutes to start the second half, hence changing the game momentum. As for the big Canadian number 8 - I cannot recall any charging runs by him. Mate - when you are as big as a brick outhouse - carry the damn ball hard! Then we finished the game with 3 small loosies. Surely in the Bay we have some big bruisers (please come back Joe Tupe) who know how to hit and carry.

Impressed with Franklin. Big Super workload and then he puts in an 80 minute performance today.

I thought what Pulu did was stupid, but it was dealt with fairly by the ref. Sumo and co had a good chuckle about it - fair enough - but that kind of crap is why Pulu is not an All Black. Wasted talent really. Hopefully something positive will come out of it all. As a Bay supporter - we should have done more to win this game and we didn't.

Again - reasonably happy with the squad. 10 - 15 the same (amazing how consistent these selections have been this year). Question mark over Ardron at 8, but he adds some height in the lineout with Franklin moving back to lock. I haven't been a Karpik fan, but based on his duet with Blake last week - that is a good loose forward tandem.

Parete probably unlucky to not get a run on position, but his ball carrying did lack his usual go forward in the last 2 weeks. Stowers probably unlucky not to get a bench position for the final. Spare a thought for Retallick - a real BOP soldier over the years and injured for this important game. Also Judd, who was very consistent until; 3 weeks ago, but held us together a lot in the early rounds.

It's very exciting - we have the team to cause a major upset if we can match them up front.

Lance Armstrong's podcast has been really good with some interesting guests. Very honest and up front. I was never an Armstrong fan (cheating bastard) but after listening to his podcast - respect! This bloke is a winner.

http://theforwardpodcast.libsyn.com/

For some reason Bay are not monitoring the fringes of the ruck and maul...

@Frye said in NZ Provincial Barbarians v B&I Lions (Whangarei, 3 June 2017):

@Chris-B. said in NZ Provincial Barbarians v B&I Lions (Whangarei, 3 June 2017):

@ACT-Crusader Could be worse - we could be Manawatu!

Two Feilding High lads there mate.

Of course when Rowe went there it was still called Feilding Ag

One there from Longburn College as well...

Reckon Clayton has made a bit of a mess around the last 2 games' selections. Is there too much made of these '3 games in 9 days' routines? F*ck - everyone has to do it!

I know he was targeting the Southland game for the W, but it has all gone a little pear shaped. Maybe we can salvage something against Auckland. Perhaps some of the injured troupe will be available again and will add some fresh legs and spark.

Kane Hames was man of the match, ruthlessly dealt to the reputedly best tighthead in France. Got him yellow carded in the first half - unbelievable!

@trooa What position? How is he going?

Good to see Hepetema being given an opportunity. Not sure of the count - but it does appear if post/pre season injuries for Super squads is very high. I wonder if it is the culmination of a long season (Super, NPC, additional representative games) - where players haven't had a chance to allow for injuries to heal properly. Or alternatively, just the bashing undertaken in pre season is too much - although I would assume that it is fitness only (i.e. climbing bloody hills) as it is too early for contact.

I am sure that there is a PhD there for someone who looks at it hard enough!

Kane Hames was man of the match, ruthlessly dealt to the reputedly best tighthead in France. Got him yellow carded in the first half - unbelievable!

The bloke I feel for is Hepetema. I've watched him closely this year and he has been outstanding. I actually think at times, he had more sway over the BOP backline than Delany. His distribution and decision making skills were outstanding and he didn't shirk on defence. Not sure why he didn't pick anything up? Is he classified as Australian?

Some lack of depth beyond the first XV... Ardron is an under performer as already stated by KiwiPie. Reminds me of Pierre Spies - looks like Tarzan, play like... Shame Parete didn't get a look in, got so go that young fella.

MMac, TNW, even Messam (yes I know, needed for the mana!) - not even sure how Fin Hoeata got a gig. I assume Cooper has a soft spot for him, but I haven't seen much him for a while. Didn't he have concussion issues?

Weak squad in my opinion, but I thought that a couple of years ago and they won the bloody thing... twice!

@barky1 said in Steamers v Wellington final:

Disagree on kicking, I thought the positional kicking was great all season. Ardron = mystery. Lets hope the majority of the team stick around beacuse there are some nice combinations showing

barky1 - I was not referring to the season, just the first half (particularly the second 20 of the first half when they cut us to shreds). We were chasing the game from there.

Higgins - we had Joe Tupe last year and he was outstanding, probably our best since Colin Bourke (some one may disagree). Tupe didn't pick up a super contract and went OS. The same thing will happen to the youngsters in this squad. They are playing for basic wage, taking a full 3-4 months out of their lives to be a part of a NPC squad and hoping they get picked up. Quite a few have families, kids and parallel careers. The determining factor in our future will be on how many super (possibly remain or will be injured) and OS contracts (gone!) are on hand unfortunately.

@kiwipie said in Steamers v Wellington final:

The reason I think we won't win is that we just concede too many points. We've generally been hopeless at holding out once a team gets a sniff of our line, Wellington is likely to get a few sniffs. However that Wellington team is definitely weakened and surely Savea needs to fly out now doesn't he?

And we have shown that we can create and score tries - Tiatia has really come into his own these past couple of weeks, beating men and throwing great passes once tackled. If Delany can control the game, then we could be a chance.

@kiwipie You are correct - we just concede too many points! Well done Wellington, well deserved.

Great season for the Bay. Tactically we just kicked too much ball away in the first half, then failed to defend the ruck and maul fringes. Bread and butter for a team like Wellington. Outstanding from our back 3, although tackling was optional at times. Parete was good when he came on, I still have no idea why the Chiefs signed Ardron... Our much vaunted lineout was a fail and we didn't dominate their scrum (and vice versa).

Well done Boys! Now the Union need to build on this and show that this year isn't just a one off.

For some reason Bay are not monitoring the fringes of the ruck and maul...

Bay of Plenty - stop kicking it back to them! Madness...

Again - reasonably happy with the squad. 10 - 15 the same (amazing how consistent these selections have been this year). Question mark over Ardron at 8, but he adds some height in the lineout with Franklin moving back to lock. I haven't been a Karpik fan, but based on his duet with Blake last week - that is a good loose forward tandem.

Parete probably unlucky to not get a run on position, but his ball carrying did lack his usual go forward in the last 2 weeks. Stowers probably unlucky not to get a bench position for the final. Spare a thought for Retallick - a real BOP soldier over the years and injured for this important game. Also Judd, who was very consistent until; 3 weeks ago, but held us together a lot in the early rounds.

It's very exciting - we have the team to cause a major upset if we can match them up front.