The Silver Fern

I think after 22 (20 as a moderator) years on TSF. I deserve a good bye message.

After to many complaints I was removed as mod.

But thanks to all those who I have got to know over the last 22 years, my posts have often been caustic and have run afoul of the rules a few times. The only poster still posting that has been here longer is possibly @Donsteppa ?

I have been on beers with nearly 40 Ferners, watched rugby with them at various stadiums around the world with them, in Ireland, Wales, England, Aus , SA and Scotland. Played golf with them, played rugby with them, the last time I pulled on the boots was in a TSF selection team at a Whangamata tournament with the true godfather of TSF Bartman. I have met some fantastic memories and have never refused a meet up even with people I disagreed with most vehemently such as @MajorRage , I always had the attitude that if you talk shit on a forum you should be able to meet up face to face with those people... and I did.
Congrats to the complainers, you win. I am sure things will be more harmonious around here without me, but I think some ideas will go a lot unchallenged now, maybe that is for the best to.

Special mention to @Donsteppa @taniwharugby, @JC, @JK, @KiwiPie , @Smudge (who doesnt much like me, but I still know he is a good egg)bloody great guys who I have known for a very long time now. And of course @BartMan , PDP (my favourite frenchman and who I spent some good nights in London sipping cognac and talking shite), Irish Richard, and Gailimh who shared my wifes 30th in Dublin at a great little pub. A lot of them are not around any more, and they were great.

@Rembrandt @TeWaio (I like to think I actually changed some minds which is a minor miracle, (I think I got cancelled via sheer volume of complaints like a Fox news host though.....) )

Even all the my detractors I wish well, I actually never really paid attention to who posted contrary views and would suddenly get an 'out of the blue' angry post towards me from someone whom I must have annoyed months earlier. I didn't keep any grudges.

I think 22 years is long enough and I think being demoted makes staying on as poster a bit to hard.

I would like to act like I don't care, but I am actually pretty disappointed. But the new management @Duluth @Kirwan is not like the old management, and I firmly believe if you put the time in and you run a site, you decide who posts and who does not. And the new management are what keeps this place ticking. If it wasn't for them TSF wouldn't still exist.

So long and thanks for the fish.

@Hooroo said in Other Cricket 2020:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Other Cricket 2020:

Womens cricket is pretty rubbish viewing. If they think putting womens cricket on TV will bring eyeballs.. he is kidding himself. The product just isnt good.

""We're very, very focused on making sure we've had a very strong lineup of women's content on Spark Sport because we think that's a terrific opportunity."

Happy to let ratings decide? Yeah I bet not.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/121211412/more-cricket-on-screen-during-covid19-lockdown-as-new-zealand-cricket-and-spark-sport-launch-new-partnership

If it was the only cricket/sprt on, I would watch it in a heartbeat. Would even pay for Sky Sports again

You realize they arent talking live cricket during the covid timeframe? You would watch competitive marbles at the moment.

Womens cricket is pretty rubbish viewing. If they think putting womens cricket on TV will bring eyeballs.. he is kidding himself. The product just isnt good.

""We're very, very focused on making sure we've had a very strong lineup of women's content on Spark Sport because we think that's a terrific opportunity."

Happy to let ratings decide? Yeah I bet not.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/121211412/more-cricket-on-screen-during-covid19-lockdown-as-new-zealand-cricket-and-spark-sport-launch-new-partnership

@Billsy111 The Bay didnt challenge for the shield in 1993, you must be thinking of a different team or year.

@mariner4life Central folded, St Michael's folded, RBHS doesn't have a real cricket program. A team called Indians started up in B grade did well and to Prem grade, then changed to be Central Indians, some team called Geyser city us still knocking about. Taupo as well has a Prem team.
Things aren't as grim as I appear to be saying, the scene is still strong, very strong.

@mariner4life said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

Is rotorua and te puke gone as well? There was that one amazing ground in rotorua, in a natural bowl. Great deck on it too.

Te Puke.. I think has lost clubrooms as well.
Smallbone is awesome, but all the teams over there have changed. Hard to keep up. None of teams you played still exist

@mariner4life said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback is that true? What happened? When I was playing Baywide every one had a clubrooms, and most had nice grounds. It was why i loved it over Hamilton premier that was all played on one park (handily at the end of my street)

Yeah
Albion folded as a senior club, clubrooms went to Otumoetai Soccer
Mount clubrooms got bowled over for Bay oval, sharing with rugby club didn't go well, allegedly they didn't do a good job if working with rugby or council.
Greerton lost clubrooms to soccer
TBC never had clubrooms.
Otumoetai Cadets has nice clubrooms close to town with great ground and good grass wicket.

I think that is most of them. The council is demanding multi tenants and that has screwed over cricket clubs, Cadets got lucky as they share with BOP referees association, and they are easy and non demanding, especially compared to dealing with soccer asshats who demand year round preference.

@Smudge said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

@Smudge said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

@Smudge said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

stepping away from rugby to cricket . . .

Albion Cricket Club (Dunedin) First XI

1. Glenn Turner
2. Mark Richardson
3. Andrew Jones
4. Bert Sutcliffe
5. Ken Rutherford
6. Brendon McCullum
7. Nathan McCullum
8. John Bracewell
9. Martin Snedden
10. Neil Wagner
11. Alexander Downes

12th man: Mark Craig.

Bloody hell, that is really impressive.

Bit light in the pace bowling department and Albion always was a little creative with their claims for these guys (Sutcliffe played 1 season for Albion and about 14 for North East Valley when he was in Dunedin) but yes, not bad. Proud to be an honorary vice president there.

Good on you. Sounds like a club to be proud of., is it good socially?

It was. I'm in Wellington now and haven't played for ages. But the memorabilia in the club rooms is out of this world, thanks to the efforts of the late Warwick Larkins. There's a corner of the rooms set up to the club's triple-hundred scorers (Sutcliffe, Richardson, Turner, Rutherford, McCullum) and a stack of random shirts etc. I was club captain in the late 90s (despite being 19 when the drinking age was 20) & the fact we didn't have a liquor license at the time - something they avoided sorting for another 10 years or so - meant some of the drinks deals were incredibly stupid. But fun.

From what I hear, the culture is still very strong. I was on the committee again when I moved back down in 2012 until leaving in 2016 and when I did attend, the rooms were pretty full on a Saturday night.

I love that stuff aye, Guys like you who are prepared to muck in and make a club actually tick are heroes without capes.
My old club was pretty good as well. Back in the 90's some of my fondest memories are drinking in the club and then taking a very short stroll into town for more. WBOP is currently blessed with a few guys who really step in junior cricket and the scene is very good.
In a sad development that I take ZERO pleasure in that my club is the only one in Tga with its own club rooms, not having proper club rooms kills a club IMO.

WBOP cricket is ludicrously strong. So much talent coming through, so many current black caps and ND players. Many have moved to the area, but they still contribute. Junior cricket is run really well in these parts.

@Smudge said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

@Smudge said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

stepping away from rugby to cricket . . .

Albion Cricket Club (Dunedin) First XI

1. Glenn Turner
2. Mark Richardson
3. Andrew Jones
4. Bert Sutcliffe
5. Ken Rutherford
6. Brendon McCullum
7. Nathan McCullum
8. John Bracewell
9. Martin Snedden
10. Neil Wagner
11. Alexander Downes

12th man: Mark Craig.

Bloody hell, that is really impressive.

Bit light in the pace bowling department and Albion always was a little creative with their claims for these guys (Sutcliffe played 1 season for Albion and about 14 for North East Valley when he was in Dunedin) but yes, not bad. Proud to be an honorary vice president there.

Good on you. Sounds like a club to be proud of., is it good socially?

@TeWaio said in All-Time Favourite NBA Team/Players:

Awesome thread.

Favourite:

C - Shaq
PF - Garnett/K.Love
SF - LeBron
SG - Kobe
PG - Doncic/Iverson

Hatiest:

C - Embiid
PF - Draymond Green
SF - Durant
SG - Harden
PG - Kyrie/Simmons

Jeez that hatiest team is filled with jerks.

@Smudge said in Pick your clubs all time team.:

stepping away from rugby to cricket . . .

Albion Cricket Club (Dunedin) First XI

1. Glenn Turner
2. Mark Richardson
3. Andrew Jones
4. Bert Sutcliffe
5. Ken Rutherford
6. Brendon McCullum
7. Nathan McCullum
8. John Bracewell
9. Martin Snedden
10. Neil Wagner
11. Alexander Downes

12th man: Mark Craig.

Bloody hell, that is really impressive.

Seems like watching womens cricket with the lack of crowd .

@hydro11 said in Stadium of Canterbury:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Stadium of Canterbury:

People are actually unhappy about getting a 25000 covered stadium? That is largely funded by tax payers in other regions that don't even a stadium?
Cry me a river.

I think they want a bigger stadium. If you build one and have it only 25k you aren't going to get big tests against South Africa or Australia, let alone versus the Lions. I'm sure the stadium would be good but it doesn't seem worth it for 500 million.

So those unhappy want the roof taken away and more seating added? Not from what I have heard. I would support that.

@Kirwan said in Stadium of Canterbury:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Stadium of Canterbury:

People are actually unhappy about getting a 25000 covered stadium? That is largely funded by tax payers in other regions that don't even a stadium?
Cry me a river.

Well, this is partially funded by their insurance payout isn’t it? Seems a weird flex to begrudge a city that got devastated a half decent rugby stadium to replace the one they lost.

Begrudge? Nope. I don't begrudge them a new stadium.

People are actually unhappy about getting a 25000 covered stadium? That is largely funded by tax payers in other regions that don't even a stadium?
Cry me a river.

@Hooroo said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@Hooroo said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@mariner4life said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

considering they apparently have a plethora of players who should be starting in Super Rugby, i really am shocked that Hawkes are in the 2nd division. Seems like underachievement

You two are like 18 year olds in the pub for the first time, just making a pig of yourselves before the inevitable hoisting out.

Yeah... but those were the days aye

Aren't we the same age? We had to "wait" until we were twenty. Much more mature...….

Dunno... was so long ago. So long ago that Hawkes were pretty relevant back then...by being part of the central vikings.. but still relevant.

@Hooroo said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@mariner4life said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

considering they apparently have a plethora of players who should be starting in Super Rugby, i really am shocked that Hawkes are in the 2nd division. Seems like underachievement

You two are like 18 year olds in the pub for the first time, just making a pig of yourselves before the inevitable hoisting out.

Yeah... but those were the days aye

@Stargazer said in Magpies 2020:

@Higgins The HBRU would always pick neighbour and arch rivals Wellington over Ta$man. It's a traditional game.
I assume, a factor that they took into consideration for the last pick was that Harbour is the team that we're more likely to beat than Ta$man. If you're striving for promotion to the Premiership, you have to take that into account as well. Promotion is also beneficial to gate takings in the following season.

You are not wrong. Being promoted is a massive boon. When we beat Hawkes last year to win promotion, it really was a great result for the BOP union and its gate takings this season, not having a surplus if games against minnows is great.

@Stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback Hahaha. You're so arrogant that it blinds you. Can't wait for your lot to be relegated straight back to the Championship this year.

Wait ... what? That seems a bit rude and bitter of you. I was just offering some sage advice and facts.

Sheesh.

@Stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback

Now you are getting the idea!! I just hope some of your fellow Hawkes supporters take it on board.
Hopefully your fall doesnt last to long and soon your back being competitive and out of the second division.