@taniwharugby Nocks not a great sniping halfback so relies on forwards to create momentum and space. For the Blues they had him passing quickly from base but can be slow to pick his runners. Reihana missed the line on multiple occasions - dreadful kicking game which is unusual. You add to that combo some dropped ball and missed line outs and we got nothing going last week. I expect better tonight.

Shaun Kempton in line for a possible debut for the Stags but in jersey 23 so doubt he will see much gametime lol

@Grooter said in Northland v Southland:

Shaun Kempton in line for a possible debut for the Stags but in jersey 23 so doubt he will see much gametime lol

He has the challenge over the next year of putting on a fair bit of weight without losing his explosiveness.

Mika on already, injury disasters for the Stags backs this week

Lets go Mika

@Grooter said in Northland v Southland:

Mika on already, injury disasters for the Stags backs this week

Looks like he is playing fullback. Gregory to centre

Great play Northland

I don't think that was forward

Taylor has a good boot on him

@Grooter said in Northland v Southland:

Taylor has a good boot on him

So does Trainor!

@Grooter said in Northland v Southland:

Mika on already, injury disasters for the Stags backs this week

Hasn’t looked out of place in his first 10mins tonight. Lovely kick and chase into the corner earlier too.

so close... yet so far away

Boomfah the Tractor Scott Gregory is in.

Cheers Gregory had a good feeling

GO THE STAGS

@Landers92 said in Northland v Southland:

@Grooter said in Northland v Southland:

Mika on already, injury disasters for the Stags backs this week

Hasn’t looked out of place in his first 10mins tonight. Lovely kick and chase into the corner earlier too.

Kid looks absolute quality with ball in hand. A bit lost defensively at fullback. Which is expected.

That was a gift. You can't take that long to kick, especially if it takes two laboured passes to get to you.

Reihana the Crusader and Reihana the Northlander look like two very different players

great tackle and hold up

How the fuck is that a knock on?

Manson wtf ????

The joy of the comp is the swing between the sublime and the WTF was that.

Nock isn't helping his ball-runners with some poor passes.

Muliaina has looked tidy cleaning up some kicks.

This is a very hard watch.

What's up with no replays?

credit to the ref she's been good so far

@delicatessen best out there

My stags actually look more comfortable without the ball

Great run by Peni

Kempton doing an Oli Mathias. Subbing onto the wing

thats stopped at least twice

How's Simon Parker going?

@Frank said in Northland v Southland:

How's Simon Parker going?

Reasonably well, some telling tackles ....

My hatrick bet came in due to the Taniwha 16 Mullan lol

piss poor body position by the stags in that maul...

@Grooter how good is that

bugger

scrappy game.

Northland too good in the 2nd 40 ... a couple of key moments. Both teams had a lot of opportunities go begging

Congrats Taniwha on the victory. good too see young Mika get the within 7 bonus at the end

@delicatessen said in Northland v Southland:

credit to the ref she's been good so far

Agreed - apart from the "knock on" that went two metres backwards she's had a good game. Good enough I'd like to see her ref more.

Well a win is a win and all that, but gee, that wasn't a great advertisement for NPC rugby.

3 very poor charge downs, 1 resulted in a try.

Thought Pasitoa was one of our better players out there this week, Mullan was also very good, Salmon had a good impact too.

At the game the Pasitoa held up looked like it should have been referred, did the TMO not turn up? Not a single replay in the whole game? Is this the future of NPC rugby?

Gonna have to be much, much better next week.

In better news, the stadium DJ seemed to have got a new play list and stadium speakers...