Honestly that 21:50 hiding from Otago hurt more than the Auckland loss
Watched that Otago game from the bar at Navigation Homes and honestly thought about asking for a refund on my pies, let alone the entry. Five days after scraping past Northland 22-19 and suddenly we're a touch footy team? 50 points at home, in front of our own mob. That's the one that stings, not Auckland.
And yeah, I'll cop the heat for this: the 43-33 loss up the road showed more ticker than anything we served three days earlier. At least we swung punches at Eden Park. Anyone who had us on the multi that Monday night, don't tell me the TAB line was "value". It was a donation 😂 I tipped the Stealers to show up that week too, so I'm having a laugh at myself before anyone else does. But am I really alone thinking character beats scoreline here? 🤡
Show me your ROI first 😏
Funny how the pies get blamed when the side conceded fifty. Two points, though: Auckland away was 43-33, a seven-try scrap where we kept scoring till the end - that's effort. Otago at Navigation Homes three days later? 21-50, at home, after grinding out Northland 22-19. Same squad, opposite pulse. The Auckland game hurt less because they turned up. That's the whole argument.
Yeah, I'll weigh in as an Otago man who made the trip up 😅 but fair play to yer lot at Eden Park, twenty-nine points falling short is character, it's that Tuesday night bye-back setup catching teams cold imo, six-day turnarounds brutal in NPC when ye can't rotate 💪 Still reckon your forwards will sort it vs Hawke's Bay 🏉🔥
You don't abandon your own.
Was at the Whangarei trip, then watched both games back on the tape last weekend, and I've got a table note that backs Queenstown_Mad's turnaround theory more than anything else. We beat Southland 47-24 at home on the Saturday, flew to Eden Park four days later and still traded tries with Auckland in a 43-point performance, then hosted Otago five days after scrapping past Northland 22-19 and produced 21. Points scored across those three Auckland-and-after fixtures doesn't collapse. What collapses is defence and set-piece application, which is exactly what a tired forward pack loses first. Small sample though, four rounds tells us very little about trend, and I could be wrong about the fatigue weighting because rotation depth matters just as much as rest days.
That said, Supporters88 has the sharpest version of it: away to Auckland the intensity held right through, forty-two hours later at Navigation Homes the same squad had no pulse whatsoever.
Context beats a bare stat.
Seen worse Tuesday night fold-jobs going back years, hard out. Word going round the six-day turnaround excuse is doing the rounds for a reason 😏 You'll all find out soon enough.
Solid source, details in the DMs.
Queenstown_Mad called it fair tbh, that six-day turnaround is brutal 💪 but nah, folding 21-50 at home? No excuse. Eden Park scrap showed our lot never quit 😤
Heart with the team, head on pause.
StandsGuyLoyal, I'd pin you down on "never quit", 33-43 at Eden Park sounds noble until you remember we also leaked 43 there. Character in a shootout is easy when the other mob can't defend either. The Otago game is the honest one, because Navigation Homes is where the excuses run out.
Queenstown_Mad's six-day turnaround theory sounds good but the schedule was known in February, same for both teams. Hawke's Bay at home on the 3rd will tell us more than any of the sentimental replay-watching in this thread. I'll believe the character talk when I see it against a side that actually turns up.
Sample first, conclusions after.
RotoruaLoyal nails it tbh 😤 coached juniors for years, you just know when the fellas have chucked it, that Otago night had it written all over them 🔥🙌
You don't abandon your own.
MaulTragic, agree the fold was visible. Still want a source on the "six-day excuse" - Northland had the same turnaround and closed out 22-19.
Hype isn't an argument.
RotoruaLoyal said it right tbh, that Otago night the excuses die at the gate 😤 I was at Navigation Homes coaching some of my juniors earlier that week and even the kids were keen, then the big fellas go out flat in front of a home crowd?? Least at Eden Park they stayed in the fight, 33-43 is ugly but they had a go 🔥 Fix it before Hawke's Bay come to Pukekohe, ah well, nowt to do.
Both camps have got a leg to stand on here, honestly. The Auckland away effort — 43-33 with us trading blows right to the end, showed plenty of ticker, and I had money on that game staying inside double digits because the character was there. Then three days later we serve up 21-50 at Navigation Homes. That flat line moved like a dropped keg once team sheets dropped, and anyone who ignored the signal paid for it. 💸
But the six-day turnaround cuts both ways and the Northland 22-19 two weeks earlier is sitting right there in the schedule. Same short week, same side, and we closed it out against a team that wanted it just as bad. So maybe the Otago night was a bit of both, tired bodies plus a home crowd that got nothing to lift them early. Next time the line shortens against us at Pukekohe I'll remember which version of this team shows up without a reason not to. 😭🍺 Open question for me though, no clean answer from where I'm sitting.
Both camps have got a leg to stand on here, honestly. The Auckland away effort — 43-33 with us trading blows right to the end, showed plenty of ticker, and I had money on that game staying inside double digits because th…
@SweetAsNZ don't laugh, guys, but I only started following Counties this season and even I could tell the Auckland game felt different, blokes actually chasing lost causes 😅 Does ticker like that stick around though, or was that just a one-off spark before the wheels fell off against Otago? Keen to hear if you'd still put money on them next home game 🤔
Absolutely gutting that Otago night 😱 50 points at home in front of your own kids? My juniors still bring it up at training ffs. Ticker against Auckland was real though, our lot never make it easy. Show me that same fight in Pukekohe and I'm backing them all day 💪🔥
Heart with the team, head on pause.
RotoruaLoyal said it right tbh, that Otago night the excuses die at the gate 😤 I was at Navigation Homes coaching some of my juniors earlier that week and even the kids were keen, then the big fellas go out flat in front…
@Tauranga15 word going round that week was the deck had gone quiet behind the scenes, and that night was the tell 🤫 Won't say more than that, those who know, know. If the boys turn up with Auckland-level ticker next home game, I'll happily eat my words, but flat at home in front of the kids? Nah, that one stings for a reason 😏
Solid source, details in the DMs.