Posts made by kev

@Stargazer That is cool!

The good thing about this for any new coach is that you start with a blank page.

They look lost on defence.

What do you say about that performance. Lots of effort In first 20 but no points. Then followed by the Warriors we know.

@taniwharugby Thanks TR

@Tim Nocks issue was always his lack of physicality. Changed towards end of last year. Sign of some good coaching and a maturing player. Good to see.

Love the policing of the law about coming in from side.

@Bones Blues need to be better at breakdown. Most decisions have been spot on. Clearly 2 goes. Unlucky with the decision prior but happens. However Blues game to lose. Winning contact.

@Nepia there are some things that have always bothered me about the Warriors.

• they have always played behind the advantage line. Particularly bad with Johnson. This year they look so much better and in the last two games have created so many opportunities.
• player development. Seems poor. They end pickIng up players no one else wants. This years roster looking like a really mixed bag. Green is average - is kicking lacks length and he doesn’t take it to the line. Kodi is starting to look better though. Beale offers nothing. Hiku is such a mixed bag.
• letting Cleary go as Coach. Hope they haven’t just repeated the dose. Sometimes playing the long game is worth it.

@Donsteppa I like the structures they are running this year but short of talent. Some of the older players are mostly just old rather than experienced.

Some average stuff tonight:

• poor decisions by Warrior players
• Slow play the balls with players being allowed to have second goes
• Gerald Beale
• Cooke dropping ball cold
• the Fus getting slapped around the head

@No-Quarter Agree. Reiko is just a fantastic runner. As the game opens up he excels. He is not a natural passer yet (i.e. his first thought is not to position those outside him) but when he takes the line on he has great acceleration and creates space. Need to see how he performs in the Centre role in tight games. Thought the Blues dominated all over the park, with technical penalties just stopping them put away a weaker than usual Hurricanes team.

@rotated The dropping of Southee for the Sydney test was clearly a surprise to commentators, selectors and players. In the shorter formats that is always an option. For the NZ team in test matches, it would be like dropping Taylor as a batsmen. The call was made by Coach / Captain who was Latham for that test. People always trust those they have worked with before, hence Henry was given a shot. However, as a Coach you have to be better at decision making than that don’t you?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/black-caps/121584123/kane-williamson-remains-allformat-black-caps-skipper-coach-relationship-still-work-in-progress

Not sure skipper coach not being on same page works. Interesting to see how this plays out.

Checkout the interview by Steven on facebook, the Driving Maul...

Seems like someone who is a good positive leader - respects his team / people, has some ideas for future. Liked what he had to say. Difficult times though.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=229192648152565&id=100276311637950

@junior Black lacks a bit of power with his kicking. How many times did he miss the line on penalty kicks? Really poor executing there but great tactically in general play.

@Yeetyaah Blues showing they still don’t have enough Senior players directing the traffic. Perfect chance to put a team to the sword but no one took control and accuracy was poor. But a win.

Brainless kicking by Blues.

@Steven-Harris those missed touch finders off penalties are unforgivable

@Number-10 individually maybe but the competitions are run by the governing bodies. Doesn’t matter what the sport is, the bidding war for top players never serves the sport well.

@junior NPC was only one form of provincial based rugby that together with club rugby that has provided a wide base for success at the top over a very long period of time. More importantly Rugby In NZ because of its high participation rates has enjoyed a very privileged position in NZ society. You remove support for that wide base and the layers in between and you will (have been) ruin the long term future of the sport. Any short term success will be overtaken by impacts of reduced participation.

The problem Rugby has is it is paying its professional players too much. You have Clubs all around the world living beyond their means and inflating salaries for players. It’s just like the housing market. The fundamentals aren’t there and World Rugby needs to manage the game.

@Kirwan couldn’t disagree more. You keep pushing all the money and resources to the elite of the game and you will be left with nothing. If provincial rugby dies, so does club rugby then all you will be left with is elite school boys, academies and Super 15 rugby for large cities.

All you have to do is jump in the air. Sometimes refs need to use common sense.

@Nepia NPC is the competition that matters. It is the competition that has made NZ rugby great. Take that away and in 20 years we will be like Scotland. We can’t compete with those that have more money.

@canefan flat track bully. FFS.

@macandcheese From all comments Nock and Plummer are fine they just need to select them.

How do you not run 2 singles off 3 balls. Dumb.

Watched Federer tonight after work. He was gone for all money in the 3rd. Couldn’t run for shots, just sticking his racket out, feet weren’t moving so just throwing the racket at the ball. 4th was all about the mental game. Just making enough points to win service games and tie breaker - 7 match points saved. The commentators said he has never quit a match he has started (not turned up for about 4 or something like that - with injury). Amazing. Then the fifth he started to move and game, set and match. At the end he knew he was lucky Sandgren got the yips. But Federer is still all class at the end of his career. Great respect for Nadal (great guy who is looking good) but still love the grace and beauty of the Fed and his single handed backhand.

@Steven-Harris Big man. Hope they can get the best out of him i.e. hope he is fit.

@Godder said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:

@Cyclops said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:

This is undoubtedly the best NZ team to have toured Aussie since the 80s, but I think it's shown that bowlers win you games, batsmen decide margins. I'd trade Kane for Paddles in a heartbeat.

Hard to argue with that.

I would say that our Batsmen lost this series and their Bowlers won it. Can't have one without the other.

Based on batting averages this was supposed to be the best NZ Team to tour. But its results that matter, so they must rank with the worst.

Our batting lineup again have been made to look like flat track bullies without the combined mental approach required to achieve against a top line attack. Is that down to the individuals, preparation or coaching...so disappointing.

I keep walking away and coming back to check the score...hoping for that big partnership....just watched BJ get out to chopped on...could say no luck but we aren’t making our own luck. 300 looks a long way away.

This looks like our type of pitch. Got to think we can make runs here....got to.

If we can’t put 300 up on this surface, then I think we know where this team is at.

NB: Auckland has turned this weird dull orange. Sun behind clouds with fire particles you presume.

@Godder said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:

Guessing that Timmy's dropping was planned in advance based on not being good enough and wanting to give him a wake-up call, only for them to have to scramble to continue to justify it after everyone broke down.

As pointed out in the paper, Southee has been in pretty good form in tests in recent years. So based on test form and the options available, Stead’s decision deserves some scrutiny. Also the selectors named him vice captain - so it seems the Coach and the selectors have different opinions.

Gary Stead explains non selection of Tim Southee by saying that he wanted more speed. Seems to me he has tried this before and it hasn’t worked. Not sure he knows what he is doing.

Then he opens with CDG at 120km and he is the top wicket taker today.

Early in this test but this tour is already a disaster.

How do we turn it around for last test?

Number one is getting top 6 to bat time. Thought the Aussie paceman didn’t look so threatening when they had bowled a few overs.

Problem was then Lyon came into it and he is fantastic. Really adds a balance to their side that makes us look like the poor country cousins. So question is Astle the answer? Too late to introduce Ajaz and Sommerville you would think and selectors will want to see their backup option given a go. Hope he can do a Blundell.

Do they get to provide feedback on the Umpires? They were average at best. But changing Umpires call would make that right. Simple thing that would improve the game immensely.

Disaster. Bad decisions from Batsmen, unlucky with Umpire calls.

Another shit call goes against us with same umpire.

@Chris-B when you have a look our options then we are always going to be outgunned in bowling by what must be the best bowling attack in World Cricket. However they work their plans and can keep us in the game. But the batsmen who were all talked up (Except Jeet) prior have collectively failed in 3 innings in a row. If the batsmen were that good one or more of them would have stood up but they haven’t. Some were picking a bunch of NZ batsmen in their combined teams. So bowlers have performed to expectations bar spinning whereas batsmen todate have been disappointing. Though not all is lost and they have another chance today .