The Silver Fern

For 2025
Highlights
Most of NPC (especially games I at live) was tops for me, also watching the young ones from Otago etc coming through.. especially the Shield games, even my beloved Naki losing it was a good watch

Low light was a up between last 20 minutes at Caketin against Boks, and perhaps the Pom test?

2026 Looking forward to the AB tour of SA by far, and with a little bit of interest on how the new Nations cup plays out (just something new to get a bit of interest hopefully), also NPC again.
Not a lot else to interest me really, just rugby!

Streetclothes supposedly out for surgery now, and likely to be traded for pennies on the dollar. Fuck the Mavs.

In other news, it looks like Ja will get the Trae Young treatment and be traded away to whoever might give up any expiring contract to get him. The Bucks might be interested which could be an improvement on fucking Kuzma, but Ja is such a jumped up little fluffybunny I don’t think I’d want him on my team (apparently he’s from a middle class home, just likes acting like a gangsta, silly stupid piston wristed gibbon).

@African-Monkey said in All Video Ref can get in the bin:

Yeah not wrong, that fulham goal disallowed was a disgrace.

Even as a Chelsea fan I was bemused

lol @ACT-Crusader and the rest of the St Kilda fans can absolutely get in the bin.

These are the fans that gleefully posted they didn't mind GC getting Ben King because he would be a Saint in two years. They, and the rest of the Victorian fans fucking loved it when all the players came from Victoria because they could some sniping in and pick up GCs best players for fuck all when their rookie deals ran out. Richmond and Melbourne especially bought key premiership pieces, but they aren't alone.

Now? GC are developing kids from Qld who have been in Suns colours since they were 13 (sounds a lot like Penrith) and the rules allow the club to keep them. And they fucking hate it. GC are getting better AND the Vic clubs have way less pull to poach them once GC have got 50 games in to them.

No one gave a shit about Qld when the Lions and GC fucking shit and Vic clubs were gleefully raiding our high draft picks every trade period.
Suffer in your jocks

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@barky1 said in Australia v India:

@NTA Basket Case of a side when you have a guy retiring mid-series. A strange dude, was Ashwin

He got out before it blew up.

@KiwiMurph said in NFL 2025:

@mariner4life said in NFL 2025:

Hilarious that the only guy in that Division to keep his job is Taylor at the Bengals!

Cheapest owners in the league not wanting to pay out a coach

that's a crowded field

Didn't get to watch any of this thanks to SBS's shithouse streaming service.

ABs unbeaten

Aha! Did not compute. That's a good thing then.

Oh boo hoo you haven't won a GF in 3 years, my heart fucking bleeds

@booboo said in Enz of an Era:

Anyone made the obvious Sam Cane joke?

Cane saw red walking down the street?

Cane got whipped?
Cane wasn't Abel?
Cane wasn't sweet on Barnes?
Oh Cane, you've done it again?

but it is not easy! look at the Nuggets. They have the best player in the world, high quality guys around him, and yes they got a ring, but they are 4th in their conference at the moment, and not exactly flying. League parity is at an all-time high, so there are zero guarantees. (see also the Bucks and Giannis).

any day coming out breakeven is a win!

@sparky said in Substitution Bench - Thoughts:

@chimoaus Jonah the Great played 8 for NZ schoolboys in a Test curtain-raiser. He scored a hat-trick at 6 for NZ barbarians in a farewell game for John Kirwan.

Still my greatest lol moment in rugby that, he took the ball off the back of the scrum in his own 22 and ended up scoring under the posts.

Ran over the number 7, ran over the number 8, swatted off the halfback, out paced the first 5 and winger coming across in cover, last line of D was the fullback who set himself in a death or glory tackle.

Heard this enormous "crack" as the tackle was made an immediately thought in my head what a good tackle!

TV then shows fullback lying prone on the field while Johan trots off to score under the posts.

Poor fullback had to be stretchered off the field.

And thus Jonah's love affair with English fullbacks begun.

@Catogrande He wouldn't have been my first guess. According to google trends, he's bigger than Tyson Fury!

Interesting article thanks. I find it amazing that 15 years ago they were basically just training as had been done for a century, with no data or innovation. I can easily see the increase if that is the case, but then you have the drop off in testing over CV years & no testing innovation! 🤷

The problem with free agency is the overrating of draft picks.

Collingwood, reigning premiers, have just picked up a best 22 player from Freo, who kinda suck. And all it cost them was pick 34 and a future 2nd rounder. Astoundingly Freo supporters are happy. The draft is a fucking lottery, building through the draft is incredibly hard to do. So the teams at the top stay there by getting players from shit teams.
Yes, eventually you have to pay the piper. But only if you keep club favourites past the point you should.

Aus win by 21 runs to take the series.

5 of the Indian top 6 scored at least 30 runs each. Quite a strange card.

@SBW1 said in All Blacks 10 after BB & RM finish?:

@kiwi_expat Even though he has had his moments at fullback, I have often thought he got ragdolled there and may have been questionable under the highball. Jordan or Beaudy at fullback offers a more secure option and Jordan in particular has pace to burn from the back. Also wonder if Havili could be another 10 option, as he has played there for the Crusaders.

There's no way havili is even remotely good enough to be a staring 10 for the abs