Well...

[ozbash]

Went along yesterday and watched the Maori draw with the poms. Once those poms gel, they could be a force to be reckoned with. Huge, mobile forwards and their halfback has an amazing step.

Thought the Maori team had thrown in the towel just before halftime. Toopi really lead from the front, had a great game and they would have won except for running out of time. Tahu went well, Packer v Crabtree was cool and the haka at the end was awesom e.

2nd game, Kiwis v Samoa was impressive for the Kiwi fans. Benji was sublime, SKD and Nightengale were allowed to do anything they wanted, basically.
Manu went good, he picked up a leg niggle after his 2nd try and was hooked with around 10 to go, so the Kiwis finished the game with 12 men.

Samoa looked very promising, couple more games together and they'll be a force.

Take a bloody good team to beat the Kiwis

 

[Martli]

They need to get Darryl Halligan out of the commentary box and on to the coaching staff. Terrible goal kicking performance, it didn't matter this time but against Australia and England it will definitely matter. We lost the ANZAC test on the back of terrible goal kicking, i'd hate to lose the 4 nations for the same reason.

 

[Micistm]

Enjoyable games, dunno if we can take anything out of them though. Fun day for fans, and a bit of a run before the tourno, but the results don't prove anything other than the kiwis have to sort their goalkicking out, it was shocking.
Fun to watch though, bit sloppy and rusty from all sides. Maori team looked good in the 2nd half, well better anyway, and good on em for not lying down and making a game of it.
Samoan team started well, shame it blew out but was always going to happen. Hope they stick together and work at it, they'd be damn entertaining in a few years time

 

[Micistm]

Just got some baseball going on TV atm...we should get Costo over there commentating it.

"stacks on the mill!!!!! Get outa my way he says!!!!! It's over the horns...!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

[MKEB...]

In the Maoris game, I was largely unimpressed with our 11,12 and 13. It looked more like they were playing catch and kiss (particularly in the first half) than international rugby league Though Horo looked like he was at least trying. Packer McKendry and Tamou all looked very good and certainly wouldnt look out of place in Kiwi jumpers.

The Kiwis looked good without really trying. When your forwards are making ground at leisure it makes the backs look spectacular. Probably the best game that I have ever seen Eastwood play. Leuluai Looked Better in rake than in the halves...and Marshall was more commanding from stand off.

 

[SilentOne]

Halligan and Costo are on my number 1 hit list. After listening to Dale Husband and Awen Guttenbeil commentate the Maori Poms game, which was very refreshing and not over the top outrageous.

I had to turn the volume down for the kiwis game. Costo and Halligan are dead set woeful.

It's about time Sky do the right thing and ditch Costo and Halligan for good, I've had a gutsful of them.

 

[nibbs]

After listening to Dale Husband and Awen Guttenbeil commentate the Maori Poms game, which was very refreshing and not over the top outrageous.

Guttenbeil must be eyeing Halligan's job. He's going really well from what I've seen to date. Much more refined compared to say Logan Swann or Stacey Jones. Costo, that bastard, should just f**k off back to the far north Queensland town he comes from.. He is passionately hated by all. He just never seems to know what's going on and has this obsession with Warriors' forward passes. I'm certain that he is always cheering on the opposition. Where did Sky find him? I'd like to see him sacked, the useless merkin.

After Manu's 2nd try when that Manu, Manu, Manu chant went up, it was an inspired moment. On par with the cheats cheats cheats chant at the Storm game.

 

[Fast Eddie]

If we don't win the 4 Nations we better at least give England a hiding, I'm sick of the sh*t that rougheyedspud spins in the International section.

 

[ozbash]

After Manu's 2nd try when that Manu, Manu, Manu chant went up, it was an inspired moment.

yep, magic moment.

that and the 7-8 lap mex wave...

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Did anyone notice Costo bring out a new version of "stacks on the mill" last night. It was a quizzical, slightly confused version, "stacks on the mill?" *strokes imaginary beard*.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Manu just goes from strength to strength btw, he's like on a whole new level of tu meke. I still put it all down to my timely forum name change.

 

[Dr Crane]

that and the 7-8 lap mex wave...

i couldn't imagine anything worse.

 

[Rich102]

The loss of Morley is going to hurt the Poms.

 

[Izz]

Maori game was interesting. Definitely the old cliched 'game of two halves.' Lockey ran okay at fullback, which was nice. Though he wasn't ever put under terrible pressure. And Packer is becoming Mr Consistently Good. Give him a couple more years and he'll be one of our best ever props. Thought Chase looked dangerous as well.

As to the Kiwis game... hard to know what to make of it. Scoreline was nice, but it was always going to be. I'm happy Samoa got a consolation try at the end, but i would've really liked to see the Kiwis keep the scoreline to naught.

Yeah, Leuluai looked much snappier at hooker, and Fien looked decent enough when he slotted into halfback. SKD is good for at least two errors a game, and those either come when his team's hot on attack or trying to muscle out of their own end. But there's nobody else i'd rather see in that jersey. Still not sold on Sa'u, but we're a bit slim in the center department right now. I love Nightingale. The dude just doesn't look like a league player, but he punches so far above his weight.

Really hard to judge our forward pack as a whole, because meters were so easy. But hafta say i've missed watching Eastwood play, and i'm glad Matulino got plenty of minutes. And Sika Manu's a building on wheels.

And man, did i want someone to put the hurt on Iosefa. Elbows and knees everywhere he could, and generally trying to be an Ennis (except with more weight behind him).

 

[Mr Angry]

Take a bloody good team to beat the Kiwis

Well that will not be the poms, good forwards, reserve grade backs.

I still put it all down to my timely forum name change.

Th went down hill too....you could be onto to something.

 

[Revelation 3:20]

A few thoughts.

Dale Husband is the man! and Awen done OK. Get rid of Halligan and Costo.

Who sung the NZ national anthem - they were awful! NZRL never get it right. Just get Stan Walker on a 5 year anthem deal

Would love to see the Maori get more games

NZRL should have made it a bit more of an event, maybe soe bouncy castles like the Warriors do. the half Zumba was better then Cheer leaders dancing to Gaga tho.

They need to have a better ticketing system and people need to pre-purchase their tickets.

 

[JAG]

A few thoughts.

Dale Husband is the man! and Awen done OK. Get rid of Halligan and Costo.

Who sung the NZ national anthem - they were awful! NZRL never get it right. Just get Stan Walker on a 5 year anthem deal

Would love to see the Maori get more games

NZRL should have made it a bit more of an event, maybe soe bouncy castles like the Warriors do. the half Zumba was better then Cheer leaders dancing to Gaga tho.

They need to have a better ticketing system and people need to pre-purchase their tickets.

Not getting into the Costo thing, but I don't mind Halligan.

The NZ anthem was truly awful. Painful on the ears.

Couldn't put bouncy castles in, like the warriors, because the "U2 stand" extends too far at the North End now.

Don't quite know how the ticketing could be improved. They were available on the Internet and at various places long before the date of the game, so people had plenty of opportunity to buy.

I enjoyed both games. Maoris did well to fight back and get the draw. Beforehand I thought England would hammer them, so I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Kiwis looked good, SKD, Benji, Manu and Eastwood all impressed me. The goalkickin does worry me a bit though. The games against Aussie and England will be tight, so we can't afford to be kicking points away (literally).

....and don't get me started on Mexican Waves ](*,)

 

[Izz]

Not getting into the Costo thing, but I don't mind Halligan.

Yeah, Halligan's getting better. He speaks in understandable sentences about 3/4 of the time now. And sometimes he's actually insightful.

Costo... well...

 

[Revelation 3:20]

Yeah, Halligan's getting better. He speaks in understandable sentences about 3/4 of the time now. And sometimes he's actually insightful.

Costo... well...

Halligan sounds like a drug addict needing a fix. :crazy:
Dale Husband is a classic kiwi commentator with a good knowledge of the game.

We shouldn't have to put up with Halligan Rambly unfinished jerky sentences

 

[Izz]

Halligan sounds like a drug addict needing a fix. :crazy:
Dale Husband is a classic kiwi commentator with a good knowledge of the game.

Oh, i'm all for dumping Costo in favor of Husband. He's got the right amount of gravel in his voice too.

We shouldn't have to put up with Halligan Rambly unfinished jerky sentences

Put him on sideline comments. He'd still make more sense than Freddy Fittles.