Test Recap

[KiWi_BoI_15]

I thought the debutants went well tonight, Sa was probably the most quiet of the 3 but made some good runs and showed some solid defence. We lifted in the second half with Soliola and Williams terrorising their side of the park, but once again we lack creativity in the halves.

Hardly saw our friends in attack from the ESL, and it was heart in the mouth type stuff when Hohaia had the ball, he just isnt International level IMO.

Thoughts on the test fellas? (thats if most of you guys stayed up to watch :lol

 

[LeagueMad]

I thought the super league boy's looked along way off the pace ,and really offered us very little, was really disappionted with our attack ,played the power game once again , your not going to beat aussie this way , Our halves quite simply were pathetic , no kicking game no vision no control , Lance hohia is not a half , god don't put him in there again hopeless, sia while solid , is a lock 2nd rower , I thought luke cayless perrett and sbw mannering were our best tonight , Not all doom and gloom tho , lot's of work to be done for the world cup we will be competitive

 

[Blaze]

First 20 minutes were surreal.. I don't think there is any explanation for what happened.

From there, the halves had enough opportunities to score 30+ points. I don't think we can blame Hohaia too much. He doesn't belong in the halves, and surely wouldn't have been picked at 5/8 had Roberts been injured before the squad was named.

Leuluai still sucks. Always has. Dreadful player. Don't know how he earns a living playing rugby league....

We would have gone very close to winning with Scott Prince at halfback, but how much comfort is that thought?... because we don't have a Scott Prince!

 

[NZ Warrior]

Brent Webb was sh*t, why did we bother flying him over. Tommy was a bit better, but not up to International playmaker standard.

Hohaia had a bit of a shocker. Mannering on the other hand, was outstanding. Loved his tackle on that little sh*t, Slater.

SBW, Soliola, Nightengale, Cayless, Luke & Halatau had great games. We probably could have done with less Bunnies.

Kiwis have simply got to get more playmakers in there. Maybe with the likes of Benji & Roberts in the side, things will change. But I would also look to adding Fien to the bench, and moving Halatau to lock.

First 20mins was crap, the rest of the game was a contest. It certainly gives the Kiwis some hope for the WC.

 

[Micistm]

The first 20min like everyone else in the Pub, was shell shocking. To their credit though, the Kiwis didn't.
There was a lot to like about this game, and clearly work to do in halves/kicking depts. But for the Aussies to get such a crazy start and still get rattled for a lot of the game...good signs for the future. We have some good young guys coming through.
Awesome Aussie defence, credit where it's due.

 

[Skram]

Yeah take the first 20 out and it was a much better game. Hohaia had an absolute shocker and should never play 6 again, I really hope it hasn't dented his confidence at playing fullback because he just isn't a playmaker.
Leuluai was actually ok, just didn't get the ball as Hohaia took it upon himself to make up for his sh*t play yet he just went from worse to worse, he clearly models his last tackle options on his clubs halfback, the only decent kick Lance pulled off was, once again, a grubber.
Still some shining light, Luke looked great and you'd have to think with a dynamic five-eight in there there's a lot of improving to be made. Good signs, crap result.

 

[Dr Crane]

Well, it could have been worse.

 

[LeagueNut]

The Kiwis have traditionally never gone too well in the one-off tests ... but if you give us a series and allow us time to gel together, we'll often get a lot sharper as it goes on.

I agree that there's promising signs for later in the year, but above all we need to pray to the injury gods (maybe even offer them a sacrifice or two?) and hope for a fully fit squad - particularly in the crucial halves positions.

Plus I'd like to see Wayne Bennett stick around. I don't know what the arrangement is (wasn't he only signed up for one match??), but let's get in his ear and keep him on the payroll.

 

[Micistm]

Well, I feel like a whinge so I will bleat how utterly unfair Mother Nature/God/whatever you want to put it down to is on the Kiwis. The 'fish and chip papers' as Costo would put it will go on this morning no doubt about our 1st choice #6 Roberts out when clearly he's second to Marshall anyway! No one to blame, but the rub of the green never seems to go the Kiwis way. Same for Lance, who was the weakest link really, and I know the old talk is he's a professional player etc etc...but he's found his niche at #1 even though he's classed as a utility, and to throw him in a test at #6 is rough.
Our kicking game is just awful, and our halves, and we will struggle against Aussie until we sort that. But still, gotta be optimistic. Despite that we competed well for most of the game and without that direction that's a miracle. Way better than anyone in the media predicted and better than the scoreline suggested.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Not happy, but kinda content with that performance. 1st 20 was terrible to watch, but was helped towards the aussie side with the 3 on 1 strip not called prior to a Gasnier try and then the Smith double movement

Just flicked the radio on about 25 mins ago, Willie Lose ripping intot hem apparently, along with calling SBW a "b grader". Was great to hear 7 straight callers have a piece of him, question his knowledge of league, preparation for a notional radio show, and his agenda towards Rugby.

All he had back was "I love the Leaguies passion" then flicked to a break, and came back with some more scathing stuff. Funnily enough the few people ringing up on his side were the "I went to bed after 20 mins brigade".

Also heard mention of how when Asotasi was on it was 0-22, and when off it was 12-6, so he must be average

 

[Blaze]

lol someone has to put Willie Lose in his place

'Sonny Bill Williams last week suggested he wanted to play for the All Blacks, well on last night's effort he would struggle to play for Italy...'

A caller rang up and asked Lose who were the best halves in NZ, and he said 'Well i'm just trying to think, and it would have to be the two guys out their last night'

The caller then mentioned that Marshall is injured, and Roberts pulled out only last night.. he called Lose a pretender and was about to point out more examples of Willie talking crap about League, but then Lose cut him off saying he wasn't interested, then made a sweeping generalisation that 'leaguies' can't accept that Australia were the better side..

 

[ozbash]

The Kiwis have traditionally never gone too well in the one-off tests

pretty much the guts of it.

we still play them though.

if last night was 1/3, i would bet my balls that that team (maybe one or 2 changes) would win game 2 v aussie.

 

[Blake]

pretty much the guts of it.

we still play them though.

if last night was 1/3, i would bet my balls that that team (maybe one or 2 changes) would win game 2 v aussie.

Bet this way in the past Mr Eunuch?

 

[Micistm]

lol someone has to put Willie Lose in his place

'Sonny Bill Williams last week suggested he wanted to play for the All Blacks, well on last night's effort he would struggle to play for Italy...'

A caller rang up and asked Lose who were the best halves in NZ, and he said 'Well i'm just trying to think, and it would have to be the two guys out their last night'

The caller then mentioned that Marshall is injured, and Roberts pulled out only last night.. he called Lose a pretender and was about to point out more examples of Willie talking crap about League, but then Lose cut him off saying he wasn't interested, then made a sweeping generalisation that 'leaguies' can't accept that Australia were the better side..

:lol:I just tuned in to hear the crap spouting from Lose(r). I can't believe how much the Dick is contradicting himself and not even knowing he's doing it!
As well as what you've pointed out, he went on to tell a caller that he got the info that only 7500 tickets were sold from Kearney himself, and proved it by playing the interview...where Kearney didn't say that at all! He was quoting media reports: 'THEY say only 7500 seats have been sold which is disappointing but we're focussing on...'
I sent a text through suggesting if he wants the Kiwis to do a professional job as he puts it, the media need to do the same as his station and three others yesterday quoted 7500, 10 000, 17 000 and 22 000 respectively. How can they be so far out from each other? No response...of course.

Then there's 'Kate' an email Wills read out to prove he was right. Kate said the Kiwis were bad, would always be bad, Aussie would always be better and Kiwi fans should just get over it!
Onya Kate! And how did good 'ol Kate know? By watching the game...? No. By listening to the game? No. No, she knew this because she was writing down the comments she heard her pissed husband and her mate shouting out in the lounge when she was in bed!!!!
Okay, that did make me laugh. Mrs Stanaway maybe...;-)?

 

[Dr Crane]

Willie was probably too busy rubbing one out after the Hurricanes game to catch the test.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

:lol:I just tuned in to hear the crap spouting from Lose(r). I can't believe how much the Dick is contradicting himself and not even knowing he's doing it!
As well as what you've pointed out, he went on to tell a caller that he got the info that only 7500 tickets were sold from Kearney himself, and proved it by playing the interview...where Kearney didn't say that at all! He was quoting media reports: 'THEY say only 7500 seats have been sold which is disappointing but we're focussing on...'
I sent a text through suggesting if he wants the Kiwis to do a professional job as he puts it, the media need to do the same as his station and three others yesterday quoted 7500, 10 000, 17 000 and 22 000 respectively. How can they be so far out from each other? No response...of course.

Then there's 'Kate' an email Wills read out to prove he was right. Kate said the Kiwis were bad, would always be bad, Aussie would always be better and Kiwi fans should just get over it!
Onya Kate! And how did good 'ol Kate know? By watching the game...? No. By listening to the game? No. No, she knew this because she was writing down the comments she heard her pissed husband and her mate shouting out in the lounge when she was in bed!!!!
Okay, that did make me laugh. Mrs Stanaway maybe...;-)?

LOL, i heard all those ones

Loved the fella that called him a pretender. Was amusing how every time he got nailed, he had to take a break, but was back to the tough man after the break

 

[Micistm]

Was great to hear poor old Wille Lose(r) continue to get totally ripped today on Radio Sport, even from his workmates! Totally deserves it too, his blatant League attack was just pathetic and very thinly disguised. This is the same prick I remember last year questioning if anyone in NZ was actually interested in State of Origin!!!! He got a similiar deserved barrage then.
Lol, Lowie copped a couple of serves on the side too for his slamming of the team performance and the suggestion Domestic players should be in the test instead of NRL players. Had to Lol when someone called in and said 'What domestic comp Lowie, you axed 'em!!!!'
No, it wasn't me ;-)