Player Profile - Shontayne Hape

NAME: SHONTAYNE HAPE

WARRIORS NUMBER: 80

NICKNAME: SHAPE

DOB: 30/01/81

BORN: AUCKLAND, NZ

DEBUT: 18TH MARCH 2000 vs ST GEORGE DRAGONS

POSITION: WING/CENTRE

2 Team Tracy Round 11: Flicking the Magic Bean

After starting off with a flawless opening couple of rounds 2TT had a bit of a stumble with her picks of the week and is less than impressed with the results. At the conclusion of Round 10 she decided to make herself feel better and she slipped into her loose fitting, silky nightie with her bottle of JD, energy drinks and prescription meds. As her concoction of self prescribed medications begun to take effect she recalled a childrens tale where a fella named Jack was given some magic beans. With this in mind and her burning desire to only support the best teams week after week, she decided to try her luck with her own magic bean. As she was flicking her magic bean her teams of the week popped out like the dildos she has crammed in her top drawer whenever it is opened and with one last flick her predictions became clear.

Rabbitohs vs Dragons
ANZ Stadium
Thursday 7.50pm

Both sides have long and proud histories and if we have a look at the rivalry between the two clubs since the inception of the NRL in 1998 the stats show that from the 26 times these two have faced off with each other, St George have the upper hand winning 16 times to South Sydney's 10.

The recent form guide for the two sides reads pretty bleakly for the Rabbitohs with only their last start victory over the Eels providing them with their sole victory over the last 5 rounds. 2 of the 4 losses have come from last years grand finalists but the important result here is the victory over the Eels.

Coming up against a team that had gone through the week that they had faced is never an easy task and history suggests that facing a side that's been dealt a cruel blow to their season is not an enjoyable time (remember the Storm vs Warriors game after a similar situation). South Sydney would have gained plenty of self belief from that victory and to hang in until the death and win it at the end may just wake up the sleeping giant in this competition. They've got a star studded roster and that may well have been the kick start required to turn their season around.

St George on the other hand seem to be the quiet achievers, going about their business with not many people paying attention to them at all. After a tough road trip that saw them face all 3 QLD teams in enemy territory they've managed to sneak into the 8 with 2 victories in their last 3 outings. They may have lost to an under-strength Warriors outfit but victories over the Rooster and Raiders are more than impressive.

2TT is backing the Rabbitohs ($1.40) at 1-12 ($2.90)to go back to back and get their season on track in a close one.  First try scorer will be on old Warriors favourite in Dane Nielsen ($10.00)

Eels vs Storm
Pirtek Stadium
Monday 7pm

This game is basically do or die for Parramatta. It's vital that they come away from this game with 2 competition points otherwise the task they face to feature in finals footy in 2016 is almost out of reach.

Although not named, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see Foran return for this game and the inclusion of this man would be a massive boost for the Eels coming off their heart breaking loss at the death against the Rabbitohs.

Melbourne Storm are being their clinical self and for reasons that remain unclear continue to be a side that fly under the radar until finals time and all of a sudden have the 7 teams remaining looking very cautiously over their shoulders.

The Eels ($1.89) have everything to play for in this game and it should prove the difference between the two sides. It'll be another close one but they'll get the job done by a margin of 1-12 (3.15) with the big fella on the wing, Semi Radradra, crossing over for 1st try scorer.

Round 10 Couch Coach

Both teams entered into this contest with the chance to consolidate their position in the top 8. Unfortunately for Warriors fans it is Penrith who now move up to 7th position while Cappy and his troops can potentially slip down to as low as 14th. When you're presented with your team facing such a daunting proposition, given the roster that they have at their disposal, it makes me, as a supporter, wonder when these "cheer leading" fans will put down the pom poms and quit pretending like mediocrity is an acceptable form of "professionalism" from the 17 blokes who run out on the field every weekend.

As is a common theme within the NZ franchise supporter base, regardless of results, it's likely social media will be flooded with hair brain calls like "ermagherd we need to pick Konrad cos Blake is so shit and stuff and LOL couldn't even play first grade for Cronulla" followed by, if not proceeded by, "Sack Cappy. He Sucks", without giving any real indication or backing to their statements leading to an array of verbal abuse because they have the fucking intelligence of a genital wart.

Considering the opportunity to climb into the top 8 for the first time in 2016, welcoming back both suspended and injured players, a sell out crowd with the assumption some of these first grade regulars position in the top side would be on thin ice after an under strength  team came away with the spoils in their last start, they decided to dish up a flat performance which was compounded by unforced error after unforced error. Not to be outdone, a half back who seems to be more interested in making sure his hair is right before the game, judging by his sneaky look into the mirror and quick fix of his locks before the lads left the dressing sheds instead of being focused on the game at hand. Maybe he might have been aware that it was blowing an absolute gale tonight and been able to correct his kicking game accordingly. What i would like to know is why was there plenty of mention about Soward being out the day before practicing his kicks in the breeze while our playmaker was, most likely, at the local hair dressed tending to his do. It wasn't obvious at all which of the play makers entered the game with the best preparation.

 One of the biggest concerning parts of the New Zealand Warriors play, not only tonight but what seems to be most games, if not all, is the sheer volume of unforced errors that are committed by the team and then their complete lack of ability to defend the ensuing set of six. Every try that was scored by Penrith tonight was on the back of an unforced error;

First try came about by SJ trying to offload a ball with 3 or 4 Penrith players surrounding him in his own in goal. With the restart of play the ball goes agonizingly close to being blown out on the full due to the breeze. You'd think that would be a lesson learnt, right? Wrong!

A penalty kick was the next scoring play, coming off the back of Palavi giving away a penalty on the Penrith 40m line, giving them an easy path to get out of their own end while facing a stiff breeze. 3rd tackle into the 2nd set of 6, Gavet gives away a penalty right in front of the sticks for an easy 2.

As mentioned before, nothing was learnt from the earlier kick off and the ball flies out on the full from the restart. The set following that penalty, Penrith stroll over for yeh another soft try against the Warriors.

Try number 3 comes from Gavet trying to push the pass with 3 defenders around him. This leads to a STUPID penalty being given away from Luke for a push on the man playing the ball and Penrith are in again through flimsy defence.

With the game still tight another silly offload, this time from Matulino, under heavy traffic is thrown and possession turned over. The next set Matulino gives away a penalty and if that wasn't bad enough, after a handling error then a penalty, ANOTHER penalty is given away, this time by Kata, allowing Penrith to stroll down the paddock and touch down comfortably in the corner.

The final try of the game came from a no look pass from Kata at the death. This one could almost be forgiven as we were in desperate need of points, but a couple of metres out with a couple of tackles up our sleeves the smart option was to take the tackle, get a quick play the ball and then shift it wide.

Join, Like and Follow us on Social Media

New Zealand Warriors Faither Group (Join)
New Zealand Warriors Faither Page (Like)
New Zealand Warriors Faither Twitter (Follow)

Round 10 Game Day

Penrith Panthers vs NZ Warriors
Saturday 14th May
Ami Park, Christchurch
3pm AEST

1. Matt Moylan (c)

2. Josh Mansour

3. Waqa Blake
4. Peta Hiku
5. Dallin Watene Zelezniak
6. Jamie Soward
7. Peter Wallace
8. Sam McKendry
9. James Segeyaro
10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
11. Bryce Cartwright
12. Isaah Yeo
13. Trent Merrin

Interchange:
14. Tyrone Peachey
15. Jeremy Latimore
16. Leilani Latu
17. James Fisher Harris
18. Suaia Matagi

1. Tuimoala Lolohea

2. Jonathan Wright

3. Blake Ayshford

4. Solomone Kata

5. David Fusitua

6. Thomas Leuleuai

7. Shaun Johnson

8. Jacob Lillyman

9. Jazz Tevaga

10. James Gavet

11. Bodene Thompson

12. Ryan Hoffman (c)

13. John Palavi

Interchange:

14. Issac Luke

15. Ben Matulino

16. Charlie Gubb

17. Shaun Lane

Referee: Matt Cecchin

Assistant Referee: David Munro

Over the years the Panthers slightly hold the advantage over the Warriors in the head to head department, with a total of 34 games being played between the two sides, Penrith winning 18 and Warriors 15 with the solitary draw thrown in. Penriths winning percentage isn't quite as strong when they fly across the ditch but that shouldn't be an excuse to take this side lightly.  Over the last 2 years Penrith have managed to notch up 3 victories to the Kiwi outfits 1.

These sides would be happy to forget the 2015 season, with both teams suffering a cruel injury toll that proved to be a mountain too steep to climb with Penrith not able to so much as leave the foot of the Blue Mountains while on the other side of the Tasman the cleaners were out in force and sweeping away anything that crossed their path. A player clean out at the Warriors was always on the cards with the arrival of their 2 major signings in 2016 but questions would have been asked and many a fans eyebrows raised when it seemed in certain instances the club were keeping players based on potential and a good season a few years back while showing the door to some of the hardest working and dedicated players in the competition. 

Fast forward to 2016 and some could argue that one side hasn't been able to be mentally strong enough to overcome last seasons failings. While the other side has shown a fight and determination to win, shown their mental strength in overcoming a part of the game that's not in their control and in doing so they haven't allowed a season ruined by injury to affect the way they approach and play the game this season. 

 Penrith will head into today's fixture with a spring in their step combined with a self belief that they can match it with any side in the comp. Their results have shown exactly that, with their biggest loss coming in Round 1 by 8 points courtesy of the Raiders. As you delve deeper into their 2016 season results it shows just how easily they could be much higher on the ladder having lost 3 games by 2 points and 1 by 5. The argument to that is they could be going much worse, having won 2 games by 1 point and 1 game by 2 points. 

The NZ Warriors on the other hand offer us with a different prospect. The old saying "beware the wounded Beast" may ring true in more ways than one this afternoon.  With an outside chance of Manu lining up on the wing as a late inclusion, it would be hard to imagine the man in any other sort of mood than Beast Mode if he takes his place on that left hand edge. Add to that Matulino and Thompson who are also going to be itching to make amends for their indiscretions along with the return from injury in the form of Tommy Leuleuai and Tui Lolohea, the Warriors side suddenly seems a very formidable opponent. A sell out crowd in Christchurch is going to give the boys a massive boost on the field. I get the feeling that the events surrounding the club in recent weeks will be the turning point of the season and the catalyst to propel us deep into finals footy.

The Warriors will need to be wary with their emotions and be sure to keep them in check. Penrith are a side that know how to hang in and make you pay when you begin to let discipline and concentration slip, which is a trait that Cappy will be hoping has been left behind in Auckland. 

Solomone Kata could well be a very big piece to the jigsaw puzzle in this fixture and the standard of his performance today could well be the key to the Warriors coming away with the Win or going home empty handed. Bryce Cartwright plays out on Kata's edge in defence and it has been no secret that we've been exposed down that flank plenty of times already this season. The importance of shutting down Cartwright could not be more important in today's game. If you're fractionally off with your D this man will show you up and make you look like a schoolboy, but it Kata can keep him contained and get enough ball himself to start sending traffic back to Cartwright that will take us a long way to victory.

Warriors by 14

FAITHER

                                                                       

                                                                                                                             

2 Team Tracy - Round 10 Edition

With the rep round behind us it is time to see what 2 teams our "favourite" bandwagon supporter will be cheering on this weekend.

Eels vs Rabbitohs
Friday 13th May
7.50pm
Pirtek Stadium

You have got to feel for the Parramatta Eels and the shit they've gone through, not just over the last few days since their punishment has been handed down, but the months and months on end that this whole saga has been dragging on for. The way in which the players and coaching staff have handled these events is to be applauded. Just imagine how it would be going down in some of the cheerleading pages if it were the Warriors engulfed in this controversy, it'd all be Cappys fault.

With that being said, 2TT is donning the blue and gold this weekend as the Eels face off against the Rabbitohs.

If we cast our memory back to when the Storm were punished for their salary cap breaches and the way they responded against the Warriors in dishing out all the emotion that had been built up due to the NRL's findings, it's hard not to back the Eels against an under performing Rabbitohs team.

The players have put on an extremely brave face during this whole ordeal and the comradery and willingness to still make 2016 count shown within the camp has the alarm bells ringing if you're a Souths fan.

2TT is backing the Eels ($1.61) in this one and is expecting a bit of a boil over with Parra running away with the contest and winning by 21-25 ($18.00). With Peats being moved on to get the club back within the salary cap, look for De Gois to crash over from dummy half early on as 1st try scorer ($26) to set the tempo for the remainder of the match

Panthers vs Warriors
Saturday 14th May
3.00pm
AMI Stadium

With what can only be explained as one of the tougher weeks the NZ Warriors franchise has been through over the years, the under strength team managed to turn up and produce a stellar effort against St George a fortnight ago and come away with a morale boosting victory.

With the "shameful 6" having served their punishment and now back in the frame for selection (apart from Manu who is still working his way back from personal leave) only 2 have been named to take a spot within the 17. (Matulino and Thompson)

With those two influential forwards returning to the team and the addition of Tui Lolohea and Tommy Leuluai, who both return from injury, the Warriors will be a force to be reckoned with this weekend. Add to that Issac Luke's snubbing from the test arena and the point he will be out to prove as he looks to redeem himself as the premier hooker in NZ and win back the black jersey, all the signs point to a Warriors victory.

Penrith will be no easy beats though. Having come up with their biggest loss in Round 1 by 8 points against the Raiders, Penrith have gone on to lose 3 games by 2 points and 1 by 5 points. On the flip side, they've gone on to win 2 games by 1 point, 1 by 2 points and 1 by 4 points. While they have been well and truly in every game they've played, do not underestimate the grueling toll that would have taken on the players, especially with a few of them enjoying stellar performances during the rep round, 2TT foresees that they may have a below par peformance this week against a side that is looking to let their footy do the talking.

Warriors by 16-20 ($17) and look for Fusitua ($10) to crash into the corner for the opening try on the end of a slick backline move with Lolohea handing him the try assist in his return game.

*Side Note*
Gotta give a huge wrap to the folk in Christchurch with this game being a sell out. Brilliant stuff! Also big props to Penrith for taking their "home" game to the shakey isles.

2 Team Tracy currently stands at 4/4 winning teams picked.

Couch Coach - Test Match Edition

New Zealand vs Australia

It's never a good feeling to lose. It's an even worse feeling to lose to Australia. It's sad to say that we can go even one better than that. We lost to the Aussies without scoring a point. Where was that G.I mentality at the end of the game where we could have been taking a shot at field goal?

Due to some sort of secret squirrel business involving the formula that is used in the International Rugby League Rankings and the lack of material to be found online, we now have to sit through the rest of the month until we find out if we even retain #1 spot in the world. Judging by the little information I could find, it seems part of the criteria is based on the last 3 years results. With NZ currently sitting on 897 points and Australia 719 there may be hope that we hold onto those bragging rights. Let's face it, when it comes to the Aussies bragging rights are as good as a win.

Let's dust off the old chalk board, doodle up a couple of quick illustrations of some cock and balls then have a look at some key points to be taken away from last nights game.

1. No specialist hooker

We'll start with the obvious. I think we can all agree that leaving Luke out of the game put us on that back foot before a ball had even been kicked.

Although he has started the season off with the Warriors with some unflattering form there has been the positive that he has looked better with each game he plays.

Not only does he add speed around the ruck, quality ball service from dummy half, adds a dimension of play with his darting runs that gain valuable metres and gets through his fair share of defensive work, he is a leader within the squad. He is a senior member who provides confidence around the squad and has the ability to take pressure of those around him. He leads our Haka like a man possessed and brings with him experience and a calm head when the going gets tough.

What message does leaving Luke out of the squad send to the rest of the team? Does it give them an edge and determination to keep their spot or does it create doubt in the mind adding unnecessary pressure in a game that has enough of its own already?

2. SJ Flying Solo

I've seen plenty of criticism fired SJ's way in the aftermath of the match. While I am one to quickly have something to say about a players performance I feel he is a little hard done by in this instance.

Australia would have gone into battle with one very clear message coming from the sheds; "SHUT DOWN JOHNSON". What's the man to do when the opposition are putting even more attention on him that usual while knowing full well that there isn't a Plan B for the kiwis if SJ gets taken out of the game.

Meninga enters every game he coaches with the mindset of winning that particular game. He has been very successful using that method and is something we needs to have endorsed within this squad. When we're down on troops you have to pick the best options for positions, that means picking Benji at 5/8.

Imagine the extra possibilities with ball in hand just by adding those two very experienced blokes in Marshall and Luke. I applaud Kearney for his record over the last few years but if he was a junkie and dropped the ball like that he'd be giving wristy's in the truck stop in an attempt to have a second chance at holding the ball next time around.

3. Jordan Kahu

I must admit that I raised an eyebrow when I saw his selection at fullback. I thought Josh Hoffman would have got the nod before him to fill in the void.

It is clear I need to pay more attention to Broncos games as I haven't seen a great deal of the guy and his effort for the Kiwis was simply outstanding.

Kahu made a number of try savers both by his determination in defence, his ability to pop up at the right time and a never give up attitude.

Most notably was his try saver on Semi that just stopped the big guy in his tracks 5m out from the line, then with the very next play getting across to the other side of the field to stop/almost stop another try scoring effort. Right on halftime he managed to put enough pressure on an Australian kick to force the ball dead in what otherwise could have been another try and a very ugly halftime score.

4. Defence

Not much to say here. Pure desperation, fight and pride in the jersey were key to stopping the flood gates from potentially opening up. With the sheer weight of possession against them it was refreshing to see this mob not drop their heads and start kicking stones because it was getting too hard. Now, wouldn't it be nice to see that sort of attitude in defence from the NZ Warriors?!?