Southland v Northland
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Waiting to see what surprises we will be given for this match.
Assuming no further injuries, be close to running out the 15 that finished the game, with the exception of Moorby returning.
Expect the side to be named shortly...
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Team I have heard:
Lemisio, Moulds, Cobb
Hallam-Eames, Sweetman
Rush, MacNamara, Matich
Milo-Harris, Reihana
Hohaia, Tua
Murray, Moorby, RushKauika-Peterson, Adams, Apoua, Caird, Mau'u, Hape, Hawkins, Goodhue
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Not too many surprises given 3rd game in 8 days except the return of Hohaia and benching of Goodhue.
Really think this has to be last chance saloon for Hohaia (pretty sure he musta visited every last chance saloon) if we drop this game, I think Leslie needs to be bold and call in some youngsters and start looking forward, guess the biggest issue is the people who are telling hiim guys like Hohaia are upto it are still there right now
Given I am more a Kamo supporter than others, I feel in a better position to comment on him than if I was a supporter of a competing club and I have watched alot of him over the past few years or so at club and obviously for Northland and I have seen so few games at club where I thought this guy is damn good (in fact, I dont think I have ever thought that - even this year he played some of his better rugby at club but I'd not say he was upto NPC) this is without mentioning he is always that guy that charges up and pats and opposition player on the head or shouts in thier face after they make an error.
The likes of Reader, Gladish in the mid-field, and/or move Murray in and bring in Duncan or Salmon, seems like we are stuck in a time warp of using the same average players and ending up with the same average results.
Looking at that teamsheet, a few I am not happy about, but still enough talent in there to get the job done, we need to start looking forward and blend the new talent with these old heads while they are still there, otherwise we run the risk of losing a bunch of players next year which will take a wealth of experience with them, then we are back to square 1 bringing in talent from elsewhere and our better talent leaving (or not returning)
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@taniwharugby said in Southland v Northland:
Not too many surprises given 3rd game in 8 days except the return of Hohaia and benching of Goodhue.
Really think this has to be last chance saloon for Hohaia (pretty sure he musta visited every last chance saloon) if we drop this game, I think Leslie needs to be bold and call in some youngsters and start looking forward, guess the biggest issue is the people who are telling hiim guys like Hohaia are upto it are still there right now
Given I am more a Kamo supporter than others, I feel in a better position to comment on him than if I was a supporter of a competing club and I have watched alot of him over the past few years or so at club and obviously for Northland and I have seen so few games at club where I thought this guy is damn good (in fact, I dont think I have ever thought that - even this year he played some of his better rugby at club but I'd not say he was upto NPC) this is without mentioning he is always that guy that charges up and pats and opposition player on the head or shouts in thier face after they make an error.
The likes of Reader, Gladish in the mid-field, and/or move Murray in and bring in Duncan or Salmon, seems like we are stuck in a time warp of using the same average players and ending up with the same average results.
Not sure how many games Blake has played for Northland , but hes got to be the luckiest rugby player ever.
He would struggle to make some of the better premier club teams in Auckland.
He made Blues Dev one year without impressing and the fact of the matter hes never delivered year in year out when pulling on a Cambridge Blue jersey.
He hits all the HP S&Cs , but to be honest anyone can do that , does’nt make you a good footy player
Then theres the dumb on and off the field behaviour which beggars belief
He should be arrested for impersonating an NPC player .
Making him captain against the Mapgies in the last game in 2021 defied logic.
if we continue to accept mediocrity we get what we deserve something many of our most loyal supporters like Tani Fans and Blue who travel the length and breadth of the country to support this team.
They are the ones standing up week in week out every year . -
@taniwharugby Don't understand some of those changes if that's the team. Particularly at props, Mau'u and Goodhue. Not quite so confident anymore
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Our old mate Scotty Gregory will be rubbing his hands together going up against Blake as opposed to Jack Goodhue.
Can't see how it's a good idea having Blake in the team, let alone the squad. I'll leave that topic there, the detailed why's have been covered above.
As for the game, we're already in must win territory, and this one is shaping as way more of a challenge than I was predicting when I first saw the draw.
I'll be looking to see a bit more imagination on attack, and for us to be a bit more clever in our kicking game. We need to keep Southland pinned in their territory as they can be dangerous when their tails are up.
Good to see Moorby back, he'll certainly have his eyes on gaps, I just hope the others can assist him adequately.
Southland will be favourites in my mind, purely for the fact that they're fresher. I just hope we can finally pull finger and get our season underway. There's also an annual trophy on the line, so it'd be nice to keep that in the cabinet.
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Team confirmed, and looking at the bigger pic of the player on each page, I reckon the NRU social media person is trolling us 😄
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@taniwharugby absolutely. We've been very poor there so far. Counted a few times when chasers have just given up on the chase. The one where Canterbury constructed a try from their ingoal area was inexcusable. We could have buried that straight away, but our chaser just stopped expecting it to be forced down, only to end up looking like a bell end and contribute to a try 100 metres down field..
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@taniwharugby definitely needed others with a bit more situational awareness there..
The other one was where Jordan Olsen chased a botched Taranaki pass through, he got to within a few metres of the receiver and just stopped dead, which allowed Taranaki to tidy up and continue up field.. They're the little so called 1 percenters that we are missing at the moment. All basics too.. -
Bit worried about those props starting - has seemed to be a drop off after Apoua and Adams go off. I'm not convinced McNamara is fully fit again - still looks quite laboured after coming back from injury but I guess the loosies need rotating after such a short turnaround. If they were to going to rest Goodhue I would rather have seen them put Scutt or Anderson on the wing and move Murray to midfield with Tua
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@Chiefy07 yeah MacNamara looked to have a decent limp while warming up prior to the 2nd half on Wednesday.
Odd they dont give Woods a run at 7, leaving Matich at 8.
Yeah I'd have bought Murray and Tua in a spot and then given one of the others a run on the wing, although Goodhue is probably the most professional player we have, and a back, so probably needs less rotation than anyone in our squad.
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In two games we have created ? tries - I am struggling to recall a single line break. So looking for some slick handling (vs laboured passing), some deception, some good running lines,….leading to a line break.
On defence, be good to see the backs using their shoulders to make tackles instead of their arms and a straight line (thanks Blake).
Most of all I want to see our young backline playing some footy - Harris, Reihana, Tua, Murray, Rush. Having fun, playing with energy, being accurate in everything they do. Reihana in in particular looks to have all the playing chops - we just need to see the performance.
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@kev yeah I dont think either of our 2 tries were created, v Cantabs it was a forward drive wasnt it, then great pressure by Mau'u v Naki.
I think Goodhue made a couple of breaks v Naki, and maybe a couple of forwards have as well, but yeah, not alot going on, little manipulation of defences to create holes, without thinking we dont really have someone that can punch holes either for others to run off, guess Ranger is an option there, but his lack of pace means he isnt an option for the wing, he'd be better being pushed into the midfield and putting Tua on the wing, but I gotta say, what I have seen of Ranger this year, both club and Northland, he just doesnt look like he wants to be there.
Like many particularly the 1st 40 v naki, real lack of energy and enthusiasm, although they looked better in that respect in the 2nd hald of the naki game, but still no punch.
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@kev said in Southland v Northland:
In two games we have created ? tries - I am struggling to recall a single line break. So looking for some slick handling (vs laboured passing), some deception, some good running lines,….leading to a line break.
Yeah the best moments on attack have not come from the backs. It was the short passing and changing angles by the forwards around the fringes v Canterbury. Mostly in the first half and it was Adams and Caird that were the most prominent
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1 Joe Walsh
2 Jack Taylor
3 Morgan Mitchell
4 Danny Drake
5 Josh Bekhuis (c)
6 Blair Ryall
7 Hayden Michaels
8 Dylan Nel
9 Jay Renton
10 Marty Banks
11 Michael Manson
12 Matt Whaanga
13 Noah Foster
14 Gabriel Hamer-Webb *
15 Scott Gregory16 Ben Strang *
17 Jonah Aoina
18 Quinn Harrison-Jones
19 Shneil Singh
20 Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa *
21 Kaisei Tamura *
22 Greg Dyer
23 Viliami Fine -
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This game is "the dance of the desperates" as my Dad calls it... lose this one and I'm pretty confident we will end up bottom of the table at season's end. Fingers crossed for some spark that we just haven't seen yet. Moorby back thankfully, which should help, and Jack is one hell of a good sub to bring on. Come on boys, give us something to cheer about.
