Redemption

Last week Kiwi Sports Blog advised Joel Moon to take out Justin Hodges' knee to help us beat the Broncos.  Unfortunately Moon misunderstood the message and took out his own knee, so we were missing both our first choice centres, then we lost the game.

Many non-fans lost the faith; betting agencies blew out our odds for the premiership to $9 - the longest odds of any team.  We were expected to walk into ANZ Stadium against the hottest team in the league and get soundly beaten out of the comp.  Our starting centres were Lewis Brown and...Krisnan Inu.

 

Kiwi Sports Blog's Annual NRL Finals Preview

Last year the Warriors qualified 5th on the table, following a brilliant second half of the season. We travelled to the home ground of a fearsome Gold Coast Titans team (how things change in one short season), where we lost a fight we were hardly in.  The rest of the weekend, freak results worked against us. A raging hot Raiders team in 7th place beat the Panthers, then the Greatest Game of All Time happened and the Roosters upset the Tigers from 6th place.  The Warriors, as the second-lowest ranked loser, went home from 5th place. Loyal fans everywhere were outraged.

Stink, ao.

This year we have qualified in 6th against (in my opinion) a much tougher opponent – the Broncos. Thankfully this year we are a much stronger side than last season.  We’re a legitimate powerhouse with legitimate franchise players and legitimate title aspirations. Everyone at Kiwi Sports Blog is hugely optimistic about the upcoming six weeks (there’s also that Massive Penalty Party being hosted by New Zealand over the same period, plus the return of the greatest show on turf this weekend). And that’s why, despite a hiatus of nearly four months, the printing presses at KSB headquarters are back in action for The Second Annual Kiwi Sports Blog NRL Finals PreviewTM.

Click here for the Kiwi Sports Blog Rugby World Cup Preview

Rugby World Cup (Betting) Preview

After long years of waiting we are mere hours away from the first kickoff.  This is not going to be a preview of the games, or the venues, or the All Blacks squad.  Instead, because Centrebet and TAB have really stepped up their game with all sorts of bets available to the punter with no self-restraint, here are some of my favourites:

This photo has no relevance. Hilarious expressions though!

State of Confusion

Here at Kiwi Sports Blog recently there have been a few things I just don't get about my favourite sport in the whole wide world.  Not to say I just don't agree with them - my opinion on league is wrong more often than not - just that I have no idea what on earth people are talking about with these things.  By the way, by 'people' I mean mates, randoms on the Lone Scout facebook page, and randoms on twitter.

The 2012 Warriors Squad (Captions)

(Hover over pictures for comments, click to ENLARGE)

The Squad

1. Glen Fisiiahi

2. Krisnan Inu

Subcontinent Surprise

I have to hand it them, they did it.  They sucked me back in.


Apart from my absolute favourite teams (Warriors, All Blacks), I'm a bit of a temperamental supporter.  Sport is a two way street, where the team has to show you as much love as you put out there for them.  This doesn't just mean they have to perform well, it means they have to care as deeply as you do about the team.  Winning almost isn't as important as knowing that the management has you in mind and the players aren't mailing in their performances just to collect their match fee.

Marcin Gortat, NBA Center?

Have you seen Gortat's first few games for the Suns?  Not bad right?  The high FG% and points totals look good.  And look at those blocks!  There's something the Suns needed.

Musings on Melo

This morning, ESPN reported that Carmelo Anthony will not sign a contract extension unless the Nuggets trade him to the Knicks.  My first thought upon seeing that was, what a fool.

I would say that the Summer of Lebron taught Melo nothing, and point at the Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, and Mavs as examples of where solid rotations and team chemistry turns out to be way better than a bunch of stars thrown together.  But that's not what it is about for Melo.  As he says to Chris Sheridan, he wants to be wanted.  Walking through the Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of, people were yelling for him to come.  He is only human.  It is understandable that he wants to have a good time and look out for himself.  But still, what a fool.

Yes I Know This is a Sports Blog

After a number of (probably tongue-in-cheek) requests from the loyal readers of KSB, and a feast over the weekend of five bags, I've decided to review a selection of types of the God-snack, the walking food of champions, the mouthwatering munch.  It's the salty taste that tickles your tongue, the delectable way it breaks apart in your mouth, the complimentary relationship it has with a box of beers, the taste explosion you get when you stuff a bunch in your mouth at the same time.

Without further ado, I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce to you my favourite food, it's now your favourite food - the humble potato chip.

Kiwi Sports Blog's Annual NRL Finals Preview

Every year, dating back to 2010, KSB has offered its opinion of the NRL Finals.  The greatest postseason in sports is upon us, and this year the Warriors are back in the mix.  Will the number 8 team win for the third year in a row?  Will someone as high as fourth on the table (the Titans) be knocked out?  Will any Storm players watch the games with a hint of nostalgia?  What what-ifs are in play this Finals series?  Kiwi Sports Blog will sort it out.

Where the Wild Things Are

Where? Penrose, this afternoon. The Beast and the Mini Beast rampaged all over the field and generally terrorised the Novacastrians.

Despite being terribly hungover, Kiwi Sports Blog spent hard earned dollars on child tickets to the Upper East stands.  Upon arriving, we were excited to hear that 'musicians' Dane Rumble and J Williams (aka "The douchebag who wouldn't give me his triple-A pass at Highlife" and "The guy that doesn't notice one of the dancers in his break-out video is sweating all over the set") were playing after the game finished.  But "Cruel" is a pretty fly song, so we briefly flirted with the idea of sticking around for it.  In the end we decided that the Fastcrew version of Dane was better and he wasn't nearly as enticing as an after-match feed at Wendy's.

Some of the NBA Offseason, and the Fantasy Fallout

Apart from the obvious constitution of the Super Best Friends in Miami, Kiwi Sports Blog is highly excited about a number of smaller player movements that have happened so far this offseason.  Even though it isn't the most exciting thing happening right now (the second Spanish Armada, the resurgence of the All Blacks lineout and Mils Muliaina, the emerging of the Warriors as contenders, the craziness of NFL drafts featuring Peyton Manning selected second overall and Rashard Mendenhall ahead of Ray Rice - see right), but there is just something about NBA teams transforming that is fascinating - either like watching a masterpiece being painted, or watching a train wreck.  To avoid this being the longest blog post of all time, I have only looked at a few teams - the Heat, the Spurs, the Bulls, and the three-way currently underway between the Raptors, Suns, and Bobcats.

The LeDecision Fallout

So the King will reside in South Beach, and razor blade sales will go through the roof in Cleveland.  What will this do to Cleveland?  What has LeBron James done to his home town?

The answer to the first question was pretty clearly answered by Dan Gilbert's letter - they will become like scorned ex-girlfriends lashing out.  Maybe they can get together with those ex-girlfriend websites that people load old sex tapes onto as revenge.  As this guy pointed out, it could be some sort of niche market.  But apart from the initial gut reaction of anger, what will their lasting impression of LeBron be?

State of the Faith Nation

With ten games to go in the season, the Warriors once again have it all to do to play Finals football.  Along with the Eels, we are the perennial bum boys of the NRL - we come from behind.  The NRL stats man has concluded that the magic points number to make the eighth spot will be 28.  Being on 18 points, we need to win five of our remaining ten - not a big ask for the second half chargers that are the Warriors.  But there are a couple of things making this task harder.

A Chronology of Draft Day Trades

There's something about draft day that compels NBA General Managers to drop their usual frugal, conservative approach to player movement, and instead go with their hunches.  Some are good, like Donnie Walsh's decision to take Reggie Miller instead of hometown favourite Steve Alford, and some are terrible, like Stu Inman taking Sam Bowie ahead of the greatest player of all time.  Kiwi Sports Blog has scoured the draft archives for existence of the phenomenon of draft day trades - when a GM feels that he has to do anything possible to get his hands on another player.  As can be seen in the most significant examples, one team is left with nothing but regret in exchange.  No doubt we will see the trigger pulled on a few trades today.  Will one of them be for the next Bill Russell, the next Scottie Pippen?

All Whites vs Italy Running Diary

0:00 - It's go time! Let's relive last game (make sure sound is on): click here.

4:03 - Mini dive by Zambrotta there. He gets up just before the 30 second rule would have kicked in, making a mandatory substitution. None of his teammates helped him up, the ref had to do it.  You stay classy, Zambrotta.

7:01 - GOOOOAAAAALLL!!! Fantastic cross, Reid with a good flick on (he can get under crosses well for a defender), Smeltz the man on the spot where there are free balls as always.  Cannavaro did a useless job there - did four years really change that much for him? Italy hasn't been this shocked since Mussolini said he was BFFs with Hitler.

The Greatest Show on Earth, Part 2

 
The Greatest Show on Earth was missing a bit of the 'Greatest Show' aspect last night.  It was a beatdown of historic proportions - was on track to the be the highest winning margin ever until NSW got a consolation try (Kiwi Sports Blog went to bed in the 77th minute and missed it).  The game ended 34-6, and the series is won by Queensland for the fifth year in a row.

I suppose as a Queensland supporter, I should be happy, especially since there were even a few good fights, but as a New Zealander I have no loyalty to the team beyond the fact I've followed them for years.  For that reason, most of the time I want to see a good contest in Origin, not five straight years of dominance and dead-rubber third games (only in 06 and 08 have the third games decided the series in this Queensland dynasty).  A friend of mine texted saying "Origin is dead, the Anzac test is a better contest now" - and during the game Sterlo and Gus were constantly saying they don't see any way NSW is going to turn it around and challenge the Maroons.  Maybe it's true, maybe international league is on the up (like this great deal - double header at Eden Park), but, somewhere, deep down in my heart, I still want Origin to be the biggest stage, the closest contest in league.

Anyway:

All Whites vs Slovakia Captions

Click to ENLARGE

Why Does Love Do This To Me?

Love it. Love everything about it. From the fact that it was in the 93rd minute, a time reserved for legend, to the fact that it earned a yellow card for over celebration, to Ricki Herbert's reaction. Love that Reid played his heart out after he slipped up on defence to let the goal in.  His second half was poetry after that. Love that all the faithful's bets came through. Love the huge effort put in when all looked lost, when we couldn't get a ball to our front line and our defenders were barely hanging on. Loved Ryan Nelsen's world class performance.

Love that we are now (equally) on top of the Group with our first ever World Cup point. Love Winston Reid, love the All Whites.

The First Day of the Rest of Your Season

 
This was an important one.  We needed to go into Newcastle and come out with 2 points.  It was typical Warriors football, and we got away with it 32-24.  The Raiders, Broncos, and Roosters are between us and that number 8 spot - Raiders had a 'mare on Saturday, Broncos hopped into the time machine again and smashed the powerful Rabbitohs, and hopefully Melbourne can take care of the Roosters on Monday night.  With the bye coming up next for the Warriors, followed by a possible sell-out crowd in Christchurch on June 27 to inspire them against the Roosters, the season is suddenly back in good shape.