The Silver Fern

Thanks for the reply Snollygoster. I am not too cut up about the 2 preseason losses. Next weekend we'll know how we stack up. Shame the backline hasn't fired but happy that Delaney is providing game management. Roll on to Northland... they have a great squad this year and someone needs to pop the bubble. May as well be us.

Good work Duluth

@Donsteppa Yes, very good point Donsteppa. Apparently Bay of Plenty had the lowest goalkicking statistics in the entire competition last year and with our average losing margin of only six or seven points there is a huge need for improvement. With the use of reserves these days we wouldn't expect a full 80 minutes from him anyway and his help with any up and coming five eight will be useful. I'm assuming Kaleb Trask will take over the mantle of our "up and coming five eight". As has been mentioned many times, we need someone to become our "General" to guide the backline around the field so hopefully Delany will help there.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11791804

Thanks guys, results to follow soon although there won't be a surprise with the winner.

Yep - I think Tupe tops the honours, Retallick and Mewett, then the front row (too many to name!), then a medley of loosies - daylight - the rest.

@aucklandwarlord said in Battle of the Bays:

Kinda seems a little unjust that you can make the semis with a 3 and 7 record. but I'll take it!

Yeah win 1 of the first 8, lose the 2 must win games against Southland and Harbour and still sneak in - what baffled me was them desperate for 4 tries so early in the game - we'd managed it in almost every game this season, why the stress and turning down points? Almost bit us in the end.

@Snollygoster I actually said

"going to Otago or Wellington for a semi wouldn't be an impossible assignment"

so I think I am agreeing with you!

Like everyone else, I am hugely disappointed. We were well beaten - even up front which hasn't happened too many times over the last 4 seasons. Maybe our lineout outperformed theirs - but that was it. Tupe was a little quiet, but we can't rely on a single player.

What astounded me was how we were out thought. All their kicks paid off - I mean all! Rarely do you ever see that with the exception of maybe Canterbury at this level. Are we that dumb?

Actually 'dumb' summarises this game. Strange thing is, we can win our next 2 and make the semis. Somehow the coach and players need to think this through seriously. We have the players, we are not lacking skillsets or even fitness I don't believe. But we are lacking leadership and brains. Not sure where that is going to come from.

Well done Big Red. As always - strong 80 minute performance. You deserved better.

@Snollygoster I agree - we definitely won the forward battle against Auckland but they sliced us up most times the ball reached the backs. Bit hard to gauge our props as they change from game to game.

On Blake, he has a great engine and certainly gets around the field. He just seems a bit lightweight for a 7 (this season) as ball pinching has been effectively removed as part of the job requirements.

Retallick has been a great pro for the Bay - this is is his 10th season and given that it is unusual for a player to be there more than 2 seasons, that's a huge stint.

@Dice said in Auckland vs BOP:

Eklund's playing drunk.

I'm not sure why he is rated in the Auckland system? There's at least 3 former Auckland hookers playing for other NPC sides that I would select over Eklund.

Nick White said:

we’ve gone from only enough backs, and now they’re starting to come back. But the flip side is now we’re losing a few forwards

The set piece will continue to struggle until GPT and Prattley come back. At least the backs managed to blow some cobwebs out.

The defence has been a mess all year. At least as bad it was at the start of last season. Last year it improved after we brought in Pollock..
From a distance it seems that Polwart should be starting his coaching career at a lower level than NPC

Reckon Clayton has made a bit of a mess around the last 2 games' selections. Is there too much made of these '3 games in 9 days' routines? F*ck - everyone has to do it!

I know he was targeting the Southland game for the W, but it has all gone a little pear shaped. Maybe we can salvage something against Auckland. Perhaps some of the injured troupe will be available again and will add some fresh legs and spark.

At 17 - 3, looks like Clayton benched some players he shouldn't have...

good win by the bop and great to see the bop 76 side there is well, man it was cold

I think it is just taking time for everyone to arrive. Hopefully the bus turns up soon.

We are certainly bright in attack, we looked like scoring every time we had the ball in their half. Unfortunately so did they in our half.

After the sparkling first half, our second half performance was really frustrating - Otago kept kicking it to us and we kept cocking it up. 2 penalties in front of the kicker and a ball dropped cold not to mention a few drops when we tried to run the ball. To only lose by a point was a good effort given that level of error. The only time we held the ball for a while in the second half we scored a try .....

Individually, I thought Tupe and Foketi were outstanding, a few others were solid. Shame Karpik was injured for the season, given how he played last season it would be good to have an all action 7 running around causing carnage.

<p>To be honest, I thought it was going to get very ugly at 39-15 - in fact even when we were ahead at half-time we were barely holding on, Counties seem to have so many powerful (and not slow) ball runners. Not sure if Counties turned off the gas in the final 20 but suddenly we had ball going forwards and looked like we would score every time. Worst drop of the weekend has to be the guy who dropped the final Counties kick-off cold when we had 2 minutes to conjure up a miraculous win.</p>
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<p>Steelers - bags of potential there but they won't beat the top teams being so careless and disorganised.</p>
<p>Steamers - plenty of spirit which is good to see but we've lost a few to injury and there are lots of kids out there. Will have to beat Northland, Harbour, Southland.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="GagaBoy" data-cid="610604" data-time="1472464939">
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<p>Gutted to lost this one. I thought Counties were there for the picking...and they were for all but 17 minutes! Some good signs though and as usual I am positive for Otago. One point that I can't figure out in regards to the type of game we are trying to play - there was very little hard & straight running by the forwards. We seemed to shovel it a bit and subsequently didn't earn the right to score points. Not sure we are a team to rely on broken play. What kind of system are we using?</p>
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<p>Well put Gagaboy. Their game plan is somewhat perplexing. I'm guessing the plan against Taranaki was to kick to the opposite end of the field and hope things happen there which was successful to a point. Even after that bad first half they apparently had over 60% of territory and a 50% share of the ball. The score didn't reflect that though. I'm not sure what the plan was against Counties but my worry is they don't have a genuine game breaker  ....someone like a Nemani or a Masaga. I would like to think the backs are going okay though and its good to see them often making ground. </p>