Don’t know where to put this but isn’t it good for the long term future of New Zealand league that we now have two Kiwi NRL coaches in Benji and Foran!
Both going great so far this year as well.
Both going great so far this year as well.
Highlighted posts
I see a lot of negative commentary online about the performance. Maybe part of it is that they were coming 12th and we were 2nd, so there was some belief this would be another 13+ win. But their ladder position really does understate how good the Phins are. They caused Penrith all sorts of trouble too and were unlucky to lose that game. They also spanked Cronulla at Shark Park who are another top 4 adjacent side. They are a genuine top 4 side once they get their shit together and were definitely our strongest opponent this year. They came here desperate knowing that a loss here would make things super difficult to even make the 8, let alone the 4.
In many ways, I actually take more out of this win than our more pretty wins with 13+ margins. It shows that we still know how to win a grinding affair against a good opponent. At the beginning the Phins knocked us off our game and we were definitely obliging their style by playing way too loose in the first quarter. But the good thing to see was how we wrestled back momentum and started to really dominate the physicality and possession battle from the 2nd quarter onwards. Taine's try was coming and was largely them getting exhausted from our physical pressure and slipping off tackles.
In the end, we were the better team over the whole 80. We probably could have jagged a few more tries on the field towards the end had our discipline been better. But it's still 2 pts that keeps us in 2nd and 3 on the trot.
In many ways, I actually take more out of this win than our more pretty wins with 13+ margins. It shows that we still know how to win a grinding affair against a good opponent. At the beginning the Phins knocked us off our game and we were definitely obliging their style by playing way too loose in the first quarter. But the good thing to see was how we wrestled back momentum and started to really dominate the physicality and possession battle from the 2nd quarter onwards. Taine's try was coming and was largely them getting exhausted from our physical pressure and slipping off tackles.
In the end, we were the better team over the whole 80. We probably could have jagged a few more tries on the field towards the end had our discipline been better. But it's still 2 pts that keeps us in 2nd and 3 on the trot.
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If TMM wants to stay in NZ, I would be offering TMM a role in player welfare. Dude came back from being told he will never play again. Plus he is a really good dude.
There may well be actually.
One is already signed to a new deal, and another two are pre-disposed to staying for varying but similar reasons (love NZ, understand the value to their development of staying in a successful system), combined with the fact neither of them or our fullback would likely secure $1m deals.
Spreading the discounts in a rising cap scenario to secure all three is not only possible but probable in this case.
I don’t think we have hugely expensive backs, or any one player in fact.
I think the patch we’re in at the moment has been long fought for, and is a result of the front office, pathways and on field personnel all executing their roles beautifully.
What that looks like is young talent coming through, depth signings and great coaching helping younger and experienced talent evolve into better players.
I think players and their agents are close enough to each Team’s dynamics to know what’s going on and the value of it.
I’m prepared to be pleased with the re-signing of both Tanah and CHT - no, I don’t have any inside info.
Much more atmosphere at last night's game than two years ago vs the knights at the caketin. People had been avidly following the wahs and given this was the only game we are getting all season, the crowd were keen to make the most of it.
On the train to Wellington from the Hutt a guy in a dolphins jumper got on at NaeNae and took massive grief from the passengers.
The Anzac ceremony was amazing to be at live. Someone 50 metres away from me ruined it by yelling out "Up the Anzacs" trying to be clever half way through the last post. The crowd got pissed off with him and that is why you heard booing during the ceremony.
Other observations
1) Thomas Fleger was really throwing his weight around and skittling us in the first twenty minutes. Barnett coming on and him going off turned the tide in our favour.
2) I would prefer we had silence at half time rather than nightclub music blaring at full volume. All of us are there with friends and whanau and they are stopping us from talking to each other easily.
3) Finally on the ten metres policing. He wasn't cheating or biased. He was just quite bad at it. Sometimes he made us stand back 12 metres, other times the Dolphins only 8 metres but it was all random and plenty of other times he got it right at 10 metres exactly. But he was pretty bad at the ten meter line application.
4) Two biggest errors that pissed off the crowd were a) after the eirn clark epic line break we knocked in on next tackle. b) the Dallin play of the ball error.
5) Singing the team song at the end was awesome.
6) The fans 15 metres in front of me were just there to party and broke out dance moves every try.
7) The fans for stupid reasons tried to wave their hands and fingers at tannah on his kicks at goal instead of doing this to Isaako.
8) tannah is an epic goal kicker. Doesn't get phased whether he makes them or not.
9) Based on body language this is now Tannah's team. They all defferred to him on the field and he is our general and organiser. He called all the shots and the team depended on him to give us direction and shape.
10 Both Khan Periera tries took some scoring and he did well.
Finally after an out of control train ride into the stadium the ride home was tame as all the Wellingtonians were tired from their night out and were ready for bed as our train bore through the stations of lower hutt and into upper hutt. Got home at 11.15pm.
On the train to Wellington from the Hutt a guy in a dolphins jumper got on at NaeNae and took massive grief from the passengers.
The Anzac ceremony was amazing to be at live. Someone 50 metres away from me ruined it by yelling out "Up the Anzacs" trying to be clever half way through the last post. The crowd got pissed off with him and that is why you heard booing during the ceremony.
Other observations
1) Thomas Fleger was really throwing his weight around and skittling us in the first twenty minutes. Barnett coming on and him going off turned the tide in our favour.
2) I would prefer we had silence at half time rather than nightclub music blaring at full volume. All of us are there with friends and whanau and they are stopping us from talking to each other easily.
3) Finally on the ten metres policing. He wasn't cheating or biased. He was just quite bad at it. Sometimes he made us stand back 12 metres, other times the Dolphins only 8 metres but it was all random and plenty of other times he got it right at 10 metres exactly. But he was pretty bad at the ten meter line application.
4) Two biggest errors that pissed off the crowd were a) after the eirn clark epic line break we knocked in on next tackle. b) the Dallin play of the ball error.
5) Singing the team song at the end was awesome.
6) The fans 15 metres in front of me were just there to party and broke out dance moves every try.
7) The fans for stupid reasons tried to wave their hands and fingers at tannah on his kicks at goal instead of doing this to Isaako.
8) tannah is an epic goal kicker. Doesn't get phased whether he makes them or not.
9) Based on body language this is now Tannah's team. They all defferred to him on the field and he is our general and organiser. He called all the shots and the team depended on him to give us direction and shape.
10 Both Khan Periera tries took some scoring and he did well.
Finally after an out of control train ride into the stadium the ride home was tame as all the Wellingtonians were tired from their night out and were ready for bed as our train bore through the stations of lower hutt and into upper hutt. Got home at 11.15pm.
Evil_Mush
🛡️
Was a great crowd to be part of - aside from what sounded like one guy mouthing off in the pause between the two parts of the Last Post (along with what sounded like a lot of people in the area shushing/booing/reprimanded him) & the nanananaheyheygoodbye moment to an apparent scuffle, crowd was generally well behaved and in good spirits. Well except for the guy spewing in the urinals at half time, seemed he had too much spirits
And I think we shook off the Welly curse a while back when we beat the Tigers in 2014, been 5/6 since that game, with the forgettable Dragons donut in 2015 the only loss since then.
And I gotta say, since the stadium upgrade for the Women's Fifa WC a couple years back, the theatrics and atmosphere is way better than it used to be, really gets the blood flowing!!!
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Excuse me if someone has already pointed this out but Tanah Boyd was robbed of his clutch moment.
Game on the line, do or die, championship minutes, scores tied, Boyd makes the conversion for his first game winner while the Bunker and Camera's wank on about the Fleggler incident.
Talk about robbed of his moment.
You did it Tanah, you got the big kick bro, now no one can say you can't win a clutch game with a tricky corner kick.
Game on the line, do or die, championship minutes, scores tied, Boyd makes the conversion for his first game winner while the Bunker and Camera's wank on about the Fleggler incident.
Talk about robbed of his moment.
You did it Tanah, you got the big kick bro, now no one can say you can't win a clutch game with a tricky corner kick.
Shout out to RTS and the centre experiment. After 2024 he’s really looked at home.
1 - he’s decisive on defence and hits and sticks most times. Running out early if need be and generally reading the oppositions attack well
2 - in attack, he’s choosing early and correctly to run it or tip it on to AKP
3 - he’s still chipping in with hard, quality meters out of our end
4 - he’s a great clubman and hasn’t dropped lip being shuffled around where he was so at home on the wing
We look so much better as an edge with him there in both attack and defence.
1 - he’s decisive on defence and hits and sticks most times. Running out early if need be and generally reading the oppositions attack well
2 - in attack, he’s choosing early and correctly to run it or tip it on to AKP
3 - he’s still chipping in with hard, quality meters out of our end
4 - he’s a great clubman and hasn’t dropped lip being shuffled around where he was so at home on the wing
We look so much better as an edge with him there in both attack and defence.
Possibly controversial,, but is Laban worth it on the bench? He started the year as a starter, and i get that he is still young and developing. Feel like im ready to see more of EIT in his spot whilst he goes to Cup. Surely cant do him any harm to go down and work on his game whilst we get to see more of EIT.
Also think Leka provides more impact off the bench, but suspect Webster is getting him more gametime to develop his defense under fatigue. 3 penalties, 3 errors and a 33/41 tackles prob suggests he needs some sort of a break rather than another 80 min stint.
Also think Leka provides more impact off the bench, but suspect Webster is getting him more gametime to develop his defense under fatigue. 3 penalties, 3 errors and a 33/41 tackles prob suggests he needs some sort of a break rather than another 80 min stint.
I actually think our defence in the last two games on the edges, for the most part, have been better than we have been for a while. At least they have been proactive and taking the players which leads to slowing down the attack for our cover to come across, force an error or stop the play. Our reads seem to have improved.
I try to avoid bagging refs as a rule, but old mate had an absolute Barry out there.
How on earth DWZ could be called for a hip drop when his whole body was on the ground....spare me.
How on earth DWZ could be called for a hip drop when his whole body was on the ground....spare me.
The atmosphere at the game was electric, crowd was incredible to be part of i thought.
9 linebreaks to 2! 8 linebreaks in that first half.
Containing that dolphins attack to two linebreaks that entire game is immense
Containing that dolphins attack to two linebreaks that entire game is immense
Ryno 2.0
🌅
Super stoked to get the 2 points, but my heart is not great at the moment haha.
Thought Ali played well, defense in the second half was good, but its a bit weird seeing our fluidity in attack in the first half, then looking clunky as the next half. Thought the fins were really strong in the middle, and were bashing our boys.
Leka should freshen up on the bench next week, seems to be complaining more than running.
Thought Ali played well, defense in the second half was good, but its a bit weird seeing our fluidity in attack in the first half, then looking clunky as the next half. Thought the fins were really strong in the middle, and were bashing our boys.
Leka should freshen up on the bench next week, seems to be complaining more than running.
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WAH MAN
⭐
When you are below your best and find a way to win it's the sign of a good team.
It's infinitely better than playing your best and losing.
Gotta take these wins. Love it.
How about the clutch kick from the sideline by Boyd to win the game!