New Zealand

[beez]

NZ hardly "snuck under the ARL's guard", brother Luke Goodwin is the NZ Maori coach & Bronx played for the NZ Maori last year. This was bound to happen.

Personally I hope Bryson doesn't make the squad, I don't think he's good enough. & I always question the passion in these situations, I talked to Jason Nightingale last November & he knew almost nothing about NZ, a bit disappointing since he was representing NZ at the time. But I guess management would have a better idea on that.

[jim]

Aug 12, 2009 10:00:20 GMT 10 beez said:

NZ hardly "snuck under the ARL's guard", brother Luke Goodwin is the NZ Maori coach & Bronx played for the NZ Maori last year. This was bound to happen.

Personally I hope Bryson doesn't make the squad, I don't think he's good enough. & I always question the passion in these situations, I talked to Jason Nightingale last November & he knew almost nothing about NZ, a bit disappointing since he was representing NZ at the time. But I guess management would have a better idea on that.

I would pick Locke and Vatuvei on the wings ahead of him, but if either of those two go down I would play him, handy winger IMO.

Locke needs to be there IMO, good experience for the long run and IMO he is the form back NZ have to pick from despite playing for the underperformers.

[beez]

Perrett has to be one of the wingers, he's always performed well for the Kiwis, even on the 2007 tour.

I'd like to see Locke at fullback where he'll, most likely, spend most of his career.

[Kiwi fan]

Hoahia should be fullback, IMO. We need to show faith in the world cup winners.

[beez]

Aug 14, 2009 18:12:35 GMT 10 Kiwi fan said:

Hoahia should be fullback, IMO. We need to show faith in the world cup winners.

Totally agree, I hope Hohaia is fullback as well. I was more pointing out that I see Locke as a fullback & hope to see him playing there more for the Warriors & when he eventually makes the Kiwis.

[jim]

Aug 14, 2009 18:12:35 GMT 10 Kiwi fan said:

Hoahia should be fullback, IMO. We need to show faith in the world cup winners.

Yes, but you also need to pick and in form side. Hohaia doesn't play fullback for the Warriors and hasn't been great this season much like the rest of the team.

Brent Webb should get it IMO, he would have been fullback at the WC if he didn't get injured.

[sportsmad]

a very positive article:

EXCLUSIVE: Auckland Mayor John Banks has been in secret discussions with NRL bosses to have a State of Origin match played at the revamped Eden Park.

Banks met with NRL director of commercial and marketing Paul Kind and director of finance Ed Farish earlier this week.

Sunday News understands Warriors CEO Wayne Scurrah and NZRL bosses were also involved in the discussions.

The mayor also wants the Kiwis to play the Kangaroos followed by an All Blacks v Wallabies test in a footy-fantasy double-header at Eden Park, to showcase the ground's multi-million dollar facelift to be completed by next October.

"I am absolutely committed to bringing State of Origin to Auckland," Banks told Sunday News.

"The Eden Park people are very keen to maximise the use of the new ground and I've always felt that the best place to play rugby league tests and an opportunity for hosting State of Origin would be at Eden Park.

"The NRL officials were very receptive to the idea but I must say it would be incumbent on me going out and raising quite a lot of sponsorship for it.

"These international fixtures with global television audiences are not cheap and to take Origin from Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne and bring it to Auckland would cost a lot of money.

"I'm quietly confident that I can raise that cash privately."

Kind confirmed the meeting with Banks.

"Certainly we have been told by a number of sources in New Zealand that there would be strong interest in an Origin game there," he said. "We aren't looking at it in the short term but we wouldn't discount it in the long term."

Kind said the NRL wanted to build a relationship with the Auckland authorities.

"When we played the World Cup here (Australia) in 2008, we had the support of both the Queensland and Victorian governments to play our major games," he said.

"We work really closely with those governments to make sure we are delivering outcomes for them.

"We just wanted to start exploring, if we are going to bring major games to Auckland, how we could build a partnership with local government in Auckland."

Kind and Farish had viewed Eden Park and detailed plans for its revamping ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

"We want to explore all our options for the Four Nations (league tournament between New Zealand, Australia, England and a Pacific side) next year and when you take in all the available venues in Australia and New Zealand you have a lot to consider," Kind said.

"What we wanted to do on this visit was make sure we had given consideration to both Eden Park and Mt Smart as potential Auckland venues next year.

Ad Feedback "We were certainly impressed with the (Eden Park) stadium and impressed with the presentation.

"There's a real enthusiasm from Eden Park to host major rugby league events into the future," Kind said.

Banks said he wanted the rebuilt ground to "be a celebration of sport, not just rugby".

"I have a vision that it would be an amazing tribute to common sense and the best of sportsmanship if we were to have a Kiwis versus Kangaroos game followed by an All Blacks versus Wallabies test on the same night in front of the same crowd," the mayor said.

"What I want to do is for the opening of Eden Park is reach out to greater Auckland and be very inclusive.

"The way to do that is for the two codes to come together for a great occasion in celebrating the new stadium.

"That will logically follow the opening next year and I would like to think as part of the greater celebrations of Auckland becoming a Super City in 2011."

bloody hell! id pay quite a lotr of money to see a bledisloe followed by aus v kiwis (or the other way round given unions the bigger game there).
by the looks of it four nations is going to be an optomisticly planned event in 2010. i get the feeling sdyeny will only get one game. ill be there whatever it is though.

[beez]

Having the Kiwis play alongside the All Blacks would suck for the league fans, have to pay extra & then sit through a union game. But it would be a good chance to showcase league in front of a predominantly union crowd, if the Kiwis put up a good show & the union is its usual boring self then a few New Zealanders might finally realise league is a better spectacle.

As for origin, how can NZ have an origin game when we can hardly organise the Kiwis to play. Although again more league, any league, in NZ can only be a good thing.

[Druzik]

Wow ... that is amazing. I wonder if they will get it?

[beez]

VIKINGS GO BACK TO BACK

The Vikings scored an emphatic 40 points to 20 victory over minor premiers Wainuiomata in front of a bumber crowd of over 5000 fans at Fraser Park.

After leading 8 nil early on Porirua extended that lead to 22- 4 at halftime but the expected fightback from the Lions didn't come as the Vikings ran in 8 tries to claim victory for the second year running.

Fullback Greg Dean was named Man of the Match with 2 tries and 4 goals.

In reserve grade Wainiomata proved too strong for Randwick winning 44-10 with veteran Heston Patea winning Man of the Match

The most thrilling match of the day was the Senior First between Te Aroha and St George.

With both teams evenly matched throughout the game Te Aroha looked to have the game won leading 26-20 with 30 seconds to go.

It was then that St George halfback, Danny Reulu, put on a great step and swivel to score under the posts and send the game into overtime.

After another 20 minutes of play it was Te Aroha who eventually got home with a 39-38 victory to claim the title in from of 1500 spectators.

www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-4979-0-0-0&sID=64817&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=9758851§ionID=64817

Being a Wainui fan it was a disappointing result but a great turnout & good to see rugby league back at Fraser Park

[Druzik]

Fan bloody tastic... you take any photos?

[beez]

I didn't take any photos but the WRL SportingPulse page has some photos of the Reserves finals, hopefully they'll put some up of the Premier final

www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-4979-0-0-0&a=PHOTOGAL_L

The National Secondary Schools comp is just down the road in a couple of weeks so I'll be sure to take my camera along to that.

[Druzik]

Aug 17, 2009 12:26:33 GMT 10 beez said:

I didn't take any photos but the WRL SportingPulse page has some photos of the Reserves finals, hopefully they'll put some up of the Premier final

www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-4979-0-0-0&a=PHOTOGAL_L

The National Secondary Schools comp is just down the road in a couple of weeks so I'll be sure to take my camera along to that.

That would be cool, if you want I can stick up a few on the website and put your name up as I have done with others.

[sportsmad]

a quote from a similar article to one above with this difference:

NRL officials were yesterday unaware of any plan to play alongside a trans-Tasman rugby union Test but confirmed a double-header involving the Kangaroos versus Kiwis and England playing the winner of the coming Pacific Cup, who will be the other team in next year's Four Nations, was on the drawing board for next year.

a very realistic option. im pretty confident this will be confirmed as a fixture. where else could thaey stage england v PNG or whever? carins? takes a bit of the glamour off the tournament

[beez]

Aug 17, 2009 14:36:50 GMT 10 sportsmad said:

a quote from a similar article to one above with this difference:

NRL officials were yesterday unaware of any plan to play alongside a trans-Tasman rugby union Test but confirmed a double-header involving the Kangaroos versus Kiwis and England playing the winner of the coming Pacific Cup, who will be the other team in next year's Four Nations, was on the drawing board for next year.

a very realistic option. im pretty confident this will be confirmed as a fixture. where else could thaey stage england v PNG or whever? carins? takes a bit of the glamour off the tournament

Sounds like a better idea &, yes, a very realistic option. Would be great for league fans, a worthwhile trip up to Auckland.

I can't see the NZRU putting league on the same bill as the All Blacks, the All Blacks would sell-out anyway. Also, I see it being a nightmare with all the different sponsors involved, marking the field, etc