Player Addin Fonua-Blake

[Defence]

Yeah I think some of the some of the stuff directed at his Mrs has been a bit over the top although most of it’s been in jest (I think?).
My son is good friends with the son of a former all black. They live here now and she’s Australian but spent a couple of years in nz and farkin hated it- said it was cold and miserable, everyone always had their hand out… and they had a baby too so missed her family.
Sounds familiar.

 

[Makasene]

Yeah I think some of the some of the stuff directed at his Mrs has been a bit over the top although most of it’s been in jest (I think?).
My son is good friends with the son of a former all black. They live here now and she’s Australian but spent a couple of years in nz and farkin hated it- said it was cold and miserable, everyone always had their hand out… and they had a baby too so missed her family.
Sounds familiar.

Can't think of many Aussies that move to NZ for a better life lol.

We get the brits who take comfort in better summers and recognisable winters!

 

[mt.wellington]

Been away for a little bit but heard some AFB thoughts on my travels.

A good mate who is great mates with Ivan Cleary (next door neighbours when he coached here and their kids went same schools etc) caught up with him when Ivan came over to support the Mt Albert Lions fundraiser. Was a bye week for the Panthers and the Warriors had just been dicked by the Tits. My mate asked him what his thoughts were on what was happening at the club and Ivan said the only reason teams lose like that is because of a toxic environment which he said was most likely caused by the rift that AFB is creating by being held here despite desperately wanting to leave. His thoughts were that it would have been much better for the club to have released him and bought up the next player in line while searching the market for a replacement.

Another mate who has an ear very close to the top of the club told me the exact thing a couple days later independently. The club are well aware of how AFB is starting to poison the well in the changing rooms but are basically stuck with him till the seasons end.

Kind of reminds me of Feleti Mateo in 2012 or Manu Vatuvei in 2016.

Left unchecked it is sure to cause damage that remains long after the cancer has been cut out. I'd honestly fuck him off now and bite the bullet about paying his salary to play for someone else...

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Been away for a little bit but heard some AFB thoughts on my travels.

A good mate who is great mates with Ivan Cleary (next door neighbours when he coached here and their kids went same schools etc) caught up with him when Ivan came over to support the Mt Albert Lions fundraiser. Was a bye week for the Panthers and the Warriors had just been dicked by the Tits. My mate asked him what his thoughts were on what was happening at the club and Ivan said the only reason teams lose like that is because of a toxic environment which he said was most likely caused by the rift that AFB is creating by being held here despite desperately wanting to leave. His thoughts were that it would have been much better for the club to have released him and bought up the next player in line while searching the market for a replacement.

Another mate who has an ear very close to the top of the club told me the exact thing a couple days later independently. The club are well aware of how AFB is starting to poison the well in the changing rooms but are basically stuck with him till the seasons end.

Kind of reminds me of Feleti Mateo in 2012 or Manu Vatuvei in 2016.

Left unchecked it is sure to cause damage that remains long after the cancer has been cut out. I'd honestly fuck him off now and bite the bullet about paying his salary to play for someone else...

I belive him and SJ would be at each other!

I can understand why the club made him stay though. He's a massive part of our go forward.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

I belive him and SJ would be at each other!

I can understand why the club made him stay though. He's a massive part of our go forward.

It’s true that he puts out massive minutes.

But. Remember the Panthers game where he had a fairly quiet night? What about the pains game where he didn’t play?

Undeniable that he’s a massive part of our go forward, but it’s not like we are totally crap without him…

 

[Jeetz]

Can 1 player being a baby really cause every other player to play like shit and get smashed by the team coming last?

Ive played in plenty of different sports teams and never have had the experience of something like that.

 

[Madds]

Been away for a little bit but heard some AFB thoughts on my travels.

A good mate who is great mates with Ivan Cleary (next door neighbours when he coached here and their kids went same schools etc) caught up with him when Ivan came over to support the Mt Albert Lions fundraiser. Was a bye week for the Panthers and the Warriors had just been dicked by the Tits. My mate asked him what his thoughts were on what was happening at the club and Ivan said the only reason teams lose like that is because of a toxic environment which he said was most likely caused by the rift that AFB is creating by being held here despite desperately wanting to leave. His thoughts were that it would have been much better for the club to have released him and bought up the next player in line while searching the market for a replacement.

Another mate who has an ear very close to the top of the club told me the exact thing a couple days later independently. The club are well aware of how AFB is starting to poison the well in the changing rooms but are basically stuck with him till the seasons end.

Kind of reminds me of Feleti Mateo in 2012 or Manu Vatuvei in 2016.

Left unchecked it is sure to cause damage that remains long after the cancer has been cut out. I'd honestly fuck him off now and bite the bullet about paying his salary to play for someone else...

I kinda feel like pointing the finger at one or two players is BS. AFB has always had that part of his game where he gets frustrated and can come across a bit sulky. Sure he is leaving and he is easy to point the finger at him but mostly he has still been outstanding with his performances (bar one or two) this season. I’m a big believer in body language and how that is related to performance. There was huge expectations on the Wahs both in and outside the club this year. They haven’t lived up to those and I’m sure, as it showed in the GC game that all players have been feeling the pressure and most haven’t performed to the levels they did last year. I noticed the last few home games that when the opposition have scored a few tries that some players have thrown their arms in the air and there does seem to be some finger pointing going on. That’s not just from AFB. Also I think the a few senior players have gone back to that form of getting frustrated with the refs calls, instead of focusing on the next task. This is just my opinion and what I’ve observed at live games this year. Singling out AFB is unfair and an easy excuse.

 

[Inruin]

I kinda feel like pointing the finger at one or two players is BS. AFB has always had that part of his game where he gets frustrated and can come across a bit sulky. Sure he is leaving and he is easy to point the finger at him but mostly he has still been outstanding with his performances (bar one or two) this season. I’m a big believer in body language and how that is related to performance. There was huge expectations on the Wahs both in and outside the club this year. They haven’t lived up to those and I’m sure, as it showed in the GC game that all players have been feeling the pressure and most haven’t performed to the levels they did last year. I noticed the last few home games that when the opposition have scored a few tries that some players have thrown their arms in the air and there does seem to be some finger pointing going on. That’s not just from AFB. Also I think the a few senior players have gone back to that form of getting frustrated with the refs calls, instead of focusing on the next task. This is just my opinion and what I’ve observed at live games this year. Singling out AFB is unfair and an easy excuse.

I seem to recall our aging #7 getting very snappy with RTS when he made a mistake earlier this season. Seems like there is extra pressure on everyone this season.

How weak is our leadership group and our playing group if this is the case of one bad apple. And how do we explain the fact that we look dominant with AFB in the field and we don't when he isn't? Also just coincidental that we rest SJ and Tohu and things start looking better?

 

[mrblonde]

Well, firstly, given how out-of-the-box brilliant last season was, it's absolutely obvious that A) Other teams are going to be much more serious about you and B) The public are going to be expecting much the same this season if not better. So, yep, I imagine the Warriors are dealing with the spotlight being on them in a way they haven't for years (maybe it was on them a bit at the start of 2019 but I felt that faded out fairly quickly as the season turned bad early on.
All I can think and I hope I'm wrong is that AFB is simply the public sign of a bad attitude - it's actually the senior group as a whole (or at least the players who can influence others) with the shitty attitudes.

 

[Makasene]

Can 1 player being a baby really cause every other player to play like shit and get smashed by the team coming last?

Ive played in plenty of different sports teams and never have had the experience of something like that.

It's deeper than that. Seen in the workplace a few times.

It's the small snide stuff that builds and builds. Small things day after day, eroding the culture tiny bit by bit.

The big things play out in the media (leaving the dressing room, being stood down). But the small things you never hear about compound.

Let's be real though, his list of incidents continues to grow, the latest being shoving the camera last week. How many times has he packed a sad when we win!! Dude is toxic as fuck.

 

[Akkerz]

Whether it's one player at fault or several wtf are management doing about it. imo there are several culprits & they should not be anywhere near the team. Sulks and bad attitude kills a club

 

[Boats n Hoes]

View attachment 7957

I’m a big believer in body language and how that is related to performance.

Would be interested in your take on what this body language is saying?

While im not usually into trying read people based on what we see on the screen or pictures must admit this one was a bit of a red flag for me, probably cause ive been in this situation and its never been a good sign.

Players snapping at each other for missing a defensive or attacking assignment or just not being where they should goes on in just about every team ive been part of, i know Kiwis are a bit more sensitive in that regard but Aussies escpecially will soon let u know if your doing something wrong, i think its pretty norm and holds people to account so long as it doesnt get too out of hand......this ones a bit different cause its basically someone isolating themselves while the rest of the team is trying to re focus and identify and fix issues that led to that.

Now taken in context with Webster already standing Addin down for doing pretty much the same thing taking off after a game not wanting to be part of the all important debreif....certainly does seem to point pretty close to home IF there is someone poisoning the well so to speak.

Plus with all the "rumours" that certain posters have come out with of late Mt Wellington is about the only one i'd pay any heed to because pretty much all of his have been on the money.......also confirmed from insights from posters like Robbie Mears........ not going to show up in his personal performance cause the truly talented can still do their role......doesnt stop the damage happening behind the scenes tho.

Not going to condemn him just yet (it'll all come out in the wash later on if their is something).....just saying the signs dont look good

 

[Defence]

Can 1 player being a baby really cause every other player to play like shit and get smashed by the team coming last?

Ive played in plenty of different sports teams and never have had the experience of something like that.

I think when it's the leader of your pack- that probably has a bigger influence than if it was anyone else in the squad (except maybe the captain).
Look there's only 3 months to go now and he'll be back in Australia so hopefully afb can see the light at the end of the tunnel and knuckle down for the rest of the season- his performance last week would suggest he can- I felt like that was the most aggressive he's played all season- he was scary.

 

[Noitall]

If there’s truth to this, which I’ve stated my case early believing there was, i really feel for SJ. Got snubbed last year when all could see he was the best player in the comp and this year needed everything to go right in his last years hoping to win a title at the club. Tohu too deserves better, but at least he has a premiership though with another club

 

[Beastmode]

It begs the obvious question. If AFB is really the problem here, why haven’t the coach or owner just cut him loose?

 

[Noitall]

One thing to look forward too is just the passed weekend JFH had 178 metres and 46 tackles with 1 miss, though in a losing side

 

[Blain]

Been away for a little bit but heard some AFB thoughts on my travels.

A good mate who is great mates with Ivan Cleary (next door neighbours when he coached here and their kids went same schools etc) caught up with him when Ivan came over to support the Mt Albert Lions fundraiser. Was a bye week for the Panthers and the Warriors had just been dicked by the Tits. My mate asked him what his thoughts were on what was happening at the club and Ivan said the only reason teams lose like that is because of a toxic environment which he said was most likely caused by the rift that AFB is creating by being held here despite desperately wanting to leave. His thoughts were that it would have been much better for the club to have released him and bought up the next player in line while searching the market for a replacement.

Another mate who has an ear very close to the top of the club told me the exact thing a couple days later independently. The club are well aware of how AFB is starting to poison the well in the changing rooms but are basically stuck with him till the seasons end.

Kind of reminds me of Feleti Mateo in 2012 or Manu Vatuvei in 2016.

Left unchecked it is sure to cause damage that remains long after the cancer has been cut out. I'd honestly fuck him off now and bite the bullet about paying his salary to play for someone else...

Thanks mate. It makes logical sense doesn't it, also missing a couple leaders out there with no Barney or Capewell to pull everyone in line.. It's past transfer deadline of June 30 now, so he can't play for another team in 2024. His performance has really gone downhill the past month, I would suspect he was trying for a early release and got told it's not happening. I really hope he can buy into the team now he can't move, and keep his head down and out of shit.

Does he have some good relationships with our players does anyone know?

 

[Beastmode]

Thanks mate. It makes logical sense doesn't it, also missing a couple leaders out there with no Barney or Capewell to pull everyone in line.. It's past transfer deadline of June 30 now, so he can't play for another team in 2024. His performance has really gone downhill the past month, I would suspect he was trying for a early release and got told it's not happening. I really hope he can buy into the team now he can't move, and keep his head down and out of shit.

Does he have some good relationships with our players does anyone know?

Why does it make logical sense? Is he responsible for RTS missing all those tackles, is he responsible for picking an aging Tohu and putting Ed Kosi on the wing? Is he to blame for DWZ not being able to read plays, and defend his man? for the injuries and the team not pulling their weight?

Seems like an easy excuse to pin everything on one guy. He made it clear last year he was dealing with personal issues and wanted out, but we wanted to keep him to squeeze out as much as we could. The owners and coach chose not to release him early, so now they have to live with that call.

Sure, AFB is part of the overall problem, but he's definitely not the only reason we have failed to live up to the hype.

 

[#robbiemears]

Been away for a little bit but heard some AFB thoughts on my travels.

A good mate who is great mates with Ivan Cleary (next door neighbours when he coached here and their kids went same schools etc) caught up with him when Ivan came over to support the Mt Albert Lions fundraiser. Was a bye week for the Panthers and the Warriors had just been dicked by the Tits. My mate asked him what his thoughts were on what was happening at the club and Ivan said the only reason teams lose like that is because of a toxic environment which he said was most likely caused by the rift that AFB is creating by being held here despite desperately wanting to leave. His thoughts were that it would have been much better for the club to have released him and bought up the next player in line while searching the market for a replacement.

Another mate who has an ear very close to the top of the club told me the exact thing a couple days later independently. The club are well aware of how AFB is starting to poison the well in the changing rooms but are basically stuck with him till the seasons end.

Kind of reminds me of Feleti Mateo in 2012 or Manu Vatuvei in 2016.

Left unchecked it is sure to cause damage that remains long after the cancer has been cut out. I'd honestly fuck him off now and bite the bullet about paying his salary to play for someone else...

This fits with what I've heard and seen too, hence I alluded to it in a post a few weeks back. Ivan would have been careful with what he revealed too. You'd think - given his relationship with the club and the coach - that he'd know the full story.

Anyone who disputes the crippling impact of having a miserable or problematic player in the ranks of a professional sporting team, especially an Alpha leader, is just wrong. It's why so many successful teams across a variety of sports have no dickhead policies when it comes to recruitment. The margin of error at the elite level is so small that it can only take the slightest distraction to cause a mass capitulation. It would be particularly testing for the Warriors who have to travel together every couple of weeks. An unhappy player rooming with teammates and hanging socially before the game could easily bring the energy level of the whole group down. And that's all it takes. It's no coincidence that the rout against the Titans happened on the road.

Webby has made a few mistakes this season, not the least of which is his dogged determination to always select his best available team on paper - irrespective of form or injury. You get the feeling that his management of the AFB situation will ultimately be seen as another one.

 

[Inruin]

Let's see how the next few weeks pan out. Dogs game should be a horrible loss based on comments around AFB.