Pacific Cup 2024

[Beavers Headgear]

 

[Matua]

I'm a funny one. When it comes to the Kiwis I think I tuned out after '91.

So, when it comes to 'memorable Kiwis' halves', Shane Varley rings out in my head over Shaun Johnson all day. Varley had Daryl Eastlake though. Therefore, it's a given.

I think you tuned out in the mid 80s of Varley is your memorable half. I'm an 80s kid and he seemed like an old player even then.

Clayton Friend was my memorable guy in the 80s.

I'm the opposite of you, love the Kiwis, mentioned before how as much as I like this place I find it odd that it cares little about the Kiwis. As much as I'm a fan of the Warriors at any given time they have a bunch of Aussies in the team so I'm always going to care about the Kiwis more even if they do stupid ass things like hiring Kidwell as coach, not select Benji, and ban Bromwich and replace him with early domestic abuser Fonua-Blake.

 

[Blair]

Christchurch officially a sell out for Kiwis v Kangaroos.

We'll look forward to your 'fan in the stand' perspective.

 

[Blair]

I think you tuned out in the mid 80s of Varley is your memorable half. I'm an 80s kid and he seemed like an old player even then.

Clayton Friend was my memorable guy in the 80s.

I'm the opposite of you, love the Kiwis, mentioned before how as much as I like this place I find it odd that it cares little about the Kiwis. As much as I'm a fan of the Warriors at any given time they have a bunch of Aussies in the team so I'm always going to care about the Kiwis more even if they do stupid ass things like hiring Kidwell as coach, not select Benji, and ban Bromwich and replace him with early domestic abuser Fonua-Blake.

Varley was old school in the '80s for sure but it was his starring role in that historic, Graham Lowe-led, win at Lang Park in '83, that is seared into my memory.

Varley was gone and Clayton was a household name in that memorable '85 series and he was also there when our young side of 'nobodies' upset the Roos at Lang Park in '87.

All in all I'd say Freeman was the half I have the most affinity with.

Yes, I sadly drifted away from the Kiwis in the early-to-mid-'90s. I did go to the Tri-Series final at the SFS in 2006 though and I'm back in black now too!

 

[JJ]

Varley was old school in the '80s for sure but it was his starring role in that historic, Graham Lowe-led, win at Lang Park in '83, that is seared into my memory.

Varley was gone and Clayton was a household name in that memorable '85 series and he was also there when our young side of 'nobodies' upset the Roos at Lang Park in '87.

All in all I'd say Freeman was the half I have the most affinity with.

Yes, I sadly drifted away from the Kiwis in the early-to-mid-'90s. I did go to the Tri-Series final at the SFS in 2006 though and I'm back in black now too!

I vaguely remember Gordon Smith too, think he was a fair player but spent most his career in the UK?

For me Freeman is the one I tend to gravitate to too, not the best player obviously but had to like his commitment

 

[warriors 95]

I think you tuned out in the mid 80s of Varley is your memorable half. I'm an 80s kid and he seemed like an old player even then.

Clayton Friend was my memorable guy in the 80s.

I'm the opposite of you, love the Kiwis, mentioned before how as much as I like this place I find it odd that it cares little about the Kiwis. As much as I'm a fan of the Warriors at any given time they have a bunch of Aussies in the team so I'm always going to care about the Kiwis more even if they do stupid ass things like hiring Kidwell as coach, not select Benji, and ban Bromwich and replace him with early domestic abuser Fonua-Blake.

If you look up the word “underrated“ in the Oxford English Dictionary you’ll see a picture of Clayton friend next to it.

Saw him many a time tear teams apart in the English lower leagues in the latter part of his career.

 

[Blair]

I vaguely remember Gordon Smith too, think he was a fair player but spent most his career in the UK?

For me Freeman is the one I tend to gravitate to too, not the best player obviously but had to like his commitment

Smith - a West Coaster (so my father loved him) - was there in the '83 win too. Tough and unassuming, the perfect foil for a more flamboyant, running halves partner.

Most of that team deserved that famous win, as they were there the year before at Lang Park, when we lost in the last minute or so, by a John Muggleton try.

It was 11-8 in the end but we led all the way and had a breakaway try pulled back for a forward pass (which replays showed wasn't).

Kevin Tamati said 'hello' to Rohan Hancock in that one.

 

[Big Marn]

I vaguely remember Gordon Smith too, think he was a fair player but spent most his career in the UK?

For me Freeman is the one I tend to gravitate to too, not the best player obviously but had to like his commitment

Im having flashbacks of the 83 test where Gordon Smith was 6 and Varley 7 and the tackle on Mal Meninga by Tiny Wright in the corner. Claret all over Meningas face when he got up. Classic game.

 

[Big Marn]

Smith - a West Coaster (so my father loved him) was there in the '83 win too. Tough and unassuming, the perfect foil for a more flamboyant, running halves partner.

Most of that team deserved that famous win, as they were there the year before at Lang Park, when we lost in the last minute or so, by a John Muggleton try.

It was 11-8 in the end but we led all the way and had a breakaway try pulled back for a forward pass (which replays showed wasn't).

Kevin Tamati said 'hello' to Rohan Hancock in that one.

i had to watch it again but didnt expect to find a full replay.




1hour 11 min mark for the Meninga tackle.

 

[Izz]

Barnett on the bench for Australia

 

[Blair]

Im having flashbacks of the 83 test where Gordon Smith was 6 and Varley 7 and the tackle on Mal Meninga by Tiny Wright in the corner. Claret all over Meningas face when he got up. Classic game.

The greatest. It's sad Mark Graham was injured in the first test and missed it. But, with all great moments, you never change a thing. His replacement (big Graeme West from Taranaki) was superb.

NZ TV audiences fell in love with Daryl Eastlake that night. We were distraught in '85, when TVNZ decided their motor sport guy - Tony Palmer - was the better bet.

 

[Big Marn]

View attachment 95467

Tonga outmatched at every position except Addin and Eliesa is how i see it.

 

[Matua]

I vaguely remember Gordon Smith too, think he was a fair player but spent most his career in the UK?

For me Freeman is the one I tend to gravitate to too, not the best player obviously but had to like his commitment

Freeman seemed too "Aussie" to me, he started speaking with an accent and the more bogan Oz language style. Silly thing but it impacted how I thought of him at the time.

Plus, his hissy fit when he was rightfully replaced by Jones took him down a peg for me.

 

[sup42]

I think you tuned out in the mid 80s of Varley is your memorable half. I'm an 80s kid and he seemed like an old player even then.

Clayton Friend was my memorable guy in the 80s.

I'm the opposite of you, love the Kiwis, mentioned before how as much as I like this place I find it odd that it cares little about the Kiwis. As much as I'm a fan of the Warriors at any given time they have a bunch of Aussies in the team so I'm always going to care about the Kiwis more even if they do stupid ass things like hiring Kidwell as coach, not select Benji, and ban Bromwich and replace him with early domestic abuser Fonua-Blake.

Clayton was cool. Gary Freeman I feel doesn't get the respect he deserved.

Benji is the greatest if you base that assessment off achievements, he has won every tournament there is to win in the Southern hemisphere.

The Sonny Bill thing pissed me off most out of our dirty history, dropping Tohu Harris because the great prima donna decided to play at the last minute for his brand. He was also implicated in that tour as one of the instigators of the piss taking off the field, strong rumor had it he was mucking around. Not saying he was one of the pill poppers though.

That drug pig tour where the players decided to ruin Kearneys great legacy as the most winning Kiwis coach was littered with online prank videos with SBW and Foran. Wrong attitude then.

And from a Radio sport interview (RIP radio sport) the list of players most strongly implicated in the pills affair line up with my own observations.

If you watch that final build up where we were flogged the players presentation during the national anthem is revealing.

Jared Waerea Hargreaves, Isaac Luke, Manu Vatuvie and a few others can be seen laughing during the anthem and looking pig munted stoned off their nuts.....take from that what you will, but it is a fact that multiple Kiwis on that tour returned positive Urine tests for sedatives.

Also it was revealed that the Kiwis on that tour linked up with Brett Rehab dealer Seymour who was accused of supplying the sedatives for the Red Bull and sleeping pill party the night before the final.

That Rumor doubly implicates the Warrior player with a Meth importation rap sheet since he had a history of Red Bull and sleeping pills, he had Brett on speed dial, and well he was a major drug dealer so....

All speculation on my part but gleaned from the a combination of who looked and played stoned and who are fingered in a telling Radio Sport interview at the time.

Because of the SBW brand machine at that time there was a fear in naming him as one of the clowns on that tour however there is footage of him and Foran playing crash in the hotel corridor and fake snake pranks....and rumor that he was just there to pad his ego. If he wasn't a prat he would have not wrecked that WC for Tohu Harris's family by saying no then yes after Tohu was celebrating making the Kiwis.

 

[sup42]

This tournament for me as a fan is I love anyone that is playing against Australia and they all have my unconditional support.

I also support the idea that it would be best if one of the Island nations not including New Zealand won the thing.

League needs new blood, the inclusion of the Pacific Islands not including NZ has really proved that point and been the biggest quantum leap for the game in a hundred years.

I just hope the Refs can see past their inbuilt bias and that the Pasifika sides are good enough to take it. If they fail then it falls on my team yet again to flog the great Satan.

 

[JJ]

Tonga outmatched at every position except Addin and Eliesa is how i see it.

Murray is far better than him too, IMO, but still that is a good Tonga lineup, they shouldn't win, but wouldn't be a huge shock

 

[JJ]

Freeman seemed too "Aussie" to me, he started speaking with an accent and the more bogan Oz language style. Silly thing but it impacted how I thought of him at the time.

Plus, his hissy fit when he was rightfully replaced by Jones took him down a peg for me.

just how desperate he was to play for the Kiwis?

 

[Big Marn]

Murray is far better than him too, IMO, but still that is a good Tonga lineup, they shouldn't win, but wouldn't be a huge shock

I was basing my rating based on Murrays' form this year which was well below his standard. Katoa easily had the better season of the 2. Whether they both rise to the occasion at test level, time will tell.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Is there any statement from Dolphins or JMK on why he made himself unavailable when he came back from injury in the last round robin rounds?

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Is there any statement from Dolphins or JMK on why he made himself unavailable when he came back from injury in the last round robin rounds?

JMK should be getting the same treatment as Ponga if the excuse is not good enough. Or did he get "INJURED" again?