Cashys Blog by Nick McCashin
11th November 2009
Well I have had a couple of weeks break and it has been good to get away from the game for a little while. Although I have started training with our Club sevens team. Something to keep me fit over the summer and have a bit of fun. I have a couple of photos to share (as per below). Before I sign off for a while I would just like to say thank you to all the fans. To get the team where we want to be, a huge part of that is driven by the public. Hopefully next year the support will continue and grow. Once again thank you very much.
Any feedback about the blog can be sent to the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union marked attention Nick McCashin. Cheers
28th October 2009
Just a few more photos for you. Mullys and Kuni at the Zorb and Hunty and Zar training hard.
27th October 2009
Not the result we wanted to finish with, and this time it was a game of two halves. I was glad to get on for about twenty minutes, although things started going pear shaped. Even though we had a loss I was lucky enough to meet some of the other players families at the aftermatch. It was great to hear Reds brother Andrew is a fan of my blog. He also reminded me of a previous blog were I said I would post some photos. I have picked out a small selection from my files for your enjoyment, just two at this stage but more to come. One of the team at Zorb in Rotorua and a very recent photo of Billy Elusiv.
25th October 2009
Today is game day. Our last game our the year and it is set to be a great day. We are back home at our fortress Baypark. Today I am hoping the stadium is a packed house as it has been everytime we have played here. Looks like I had one game left in me as I am back from injury and on the bench. Its great to be back involved with the team, lets just hope we can put together a performance that the public are proud of.
19th October 2009
Congratulations to our two All Blacks, Lats and Mullys. The way both of them have been playing it would have been hard to leave them out. Awesome guys, we are all proud of you.
On the weekend the team managed a 1 point win over Manawatu. 28-27. Good to see them win away from home even though it was only by one point. A win is a win. We have our final game of the Air New Zealand Cup this weekend against Taranaki. It would be great to see another great crowd at Baypark to round out what has been a mixed bag for the season.
14th October 2009
We head down to Manawatu this weekend, unfortunately I dont think I will be taking part in the game. Coza, (Cory) wont be either he has a bennetts fracture in his thumb. He thought that he might have had a sprain but unfortunately he will be out for a couple of months. He played the whole game with it, what a hard man.
Aside from a few injuries the team trained well today. After training today we have a few school visits which everyone enjoys and later tonight a few boys will be heading out to Omokoroa for an Athletics night (weather permitting).
13th October 2009
Well the weekends performance wasnt up to scratch. The guys are gutted, knowing that we are out of contention for the semi finals. It just shows on the day anyone can win in this years Air New Zealand Cup. I think our focus has changed this week and next. We hope to pay back our fans and play the way we want to and should do.
10th October 2009
This week has been an exciting one. For me personally the ankle has been much better than the previous few weeks. Though it is slow going, I still believe that I can recover in time to be at the disposal of the coaches. (You cant believe everything you see in the paper).
The team this week spent the day in Rotorua on Tuesday. We trained at Go360 for our gym session then headed to the stadium for our team training. After a great session we headed out to the ZORB, where half of the team paired up and enjoyed a go. After that a few our the team were lucky enough to go on the Swoop at the Agrodome. Then everyone headed to the Luge. Skyline Skyrides always makes us welcome and the boys seem to really appreciate something different from training. Kuni (Wayne Hughson) especially loves the luge as he gets his carts speed up very quickly. May be due to his 95 kilos in the saddle. (photos to come)
The team has three weeks to impress and put up a fight for a semi final spot. Lets hope we can do it.....
5th October 2009
How good was the Tua v Cameron fight. I was lucky and managed to be sitting in the corporate area thanks to my uncle. Even though the fight only last two rounds I think it was better to watch a fight like that than to have two guys hit each other around for twelve rounds and then to have a split decision or a draw. Not that ever was going to go twelve.
Back to the rugby, unfortunately Hawkes Bay came away with a win. In the last seconds of the game we couldn't hold onto the ball and a heart breaking try was scored. One thing that did come to mind was the way Jas bumped off Eagon. Eagon went down similar to that of Cameron.
Looking forward we have three more weeks before semi finals, if a few results go our way we can still make it and reach our goal....
29th September 2009
It was a dreadful second half, something we have revisited this week in our review. The team talked about our work ons and what our plan is for moving forward into the closing weeks. We must get up for a big clash against Hawkes Bay. This week in Rotorua, Friday night 7.30pm.
Amy and Sue have been working on the teams aching bodies today. It is common for Gougs to nod off to sleep while he is getting a rub. Both of them do a great job so I must say thank you again.
Today if you get a chance to go down to the beach around Tay St, look out for a few boys who are going surfing. Big Ted, Gougs and Junior will carving up so smallish waves. I might have to get out there with a camera....
25th September 2009
Last night a group of us were treated like Kings. At a little place in the heart of the Mount called The Turkish Delight. A few boys who are Tauranga/Mount based visit the Turkish Delight once a week to enjoy each others company and experience the great mixed kebabs they have on offer.
This week we have to travel down to Otago, once again I will not be participating due to injury (which I am gutted about). We play at Carisbrook against an Otago team who want be a contender for the top four. They will have their forward pack strengthened with the return of All Blacks Adam Thompson and Tom Donnelley. Believe it or not Tom Donnelley was a Rotorua boy once and his old man was my dentist.
As our coaches Sean and Steve said this week our challenge is to win away from home, I think we are due for an away win and a four try bonus point......
23rd September 2009
This weekend we have Otago, down in Dunedin. It is always a great place to visit if the trip is accompanied by a win. Hopefully the lads that get named in the team can continue this good form and deliver.
One thing I always wondered was weather we had an away strip? A change of jersey seen as both teams will be wearing similar colours.
Tomorrow we have a big day planned. In the morning we start at 8.30am and train all morning then just before lunch the boys head away to their promos. I think the team will be at Ruatoki, Trident, and Whakatane schools. Not everyone will be going to the same school as the team is split into three groups.
It is always great to be out in the schools around the mighty Bay of Plenty, especially the primary schools. Last week my group was at Arataki promoting the bluelight message with the local Police. They treated us like rock stars.....
19th September 2009
Another great result for the team. We knew that Tasman were going to be tough and they proved that on Thursday night. It was a bit of a messy game but fantastic to have another win. We now have four days off which is great for the guys to relax and get away from the game for a bit. Good time to recharge the batteries. I think it is a great idea as the season is starting to heat up and we need to be at our best in the coming weeks.
There were no major injuries to the group, though a few guys have niggly injuries. My injury is healing slowing. Hopefully get my moon boot off on Monday, which will be great. It has been aching a bit with the change of weather. I mentioned the the zo rub in a previous post, i think it is an ok product but would prefer a product that is easier to rub in.
With regards to our days off I know Solly is going fishing. Mullys, Wayne, Braidy and a few others are heading to Auckland for a few days. As for myself and burls we are just staying at home as our friend Hayden Mitchell is up from Christchurch.
This weekend we have also seen the Phil Burleigh fan club emerge on the Bop mafia website which i thought was brilliant and I backed a horse called Cash Attack and it came in, you little beauty.
8th September 2009
Well what a great result against Canterbury. 19-17 win to the mighty Bay of Plenty. Through that last ten minutes I couldnt sit still, even though I was nervous, I sat quietly confident we could get there. I think I was more nervous watching the game than I would have been on the field. It was a special victory for Burls, Red and myself as we all played in Canterbury. The smile on Burls' face after he scored was priceless.
Thanks again for the great support from the public. Bourkey said after the game that the crowd really gets the team through at the end. Its energizing to hear the crowd when the going gets tough. Great work on the microphone by Vinnie.
Last night we had a fantastic night away from rugby. Most of the team went to the Polytech to learn a few tricks in the kitchen. We have a few more classes before we cook a 3 course meal for our partners and families. Most of the guys are reasonable chefs, surprisingly.
Back to the rugby, we have another great challenge this week against Southland in Invercargill. The homework is being done as we speak, as Milny and Sean discuss opportunities and threats to discuss with the team in tomorrows team meeting.
4th September 2009
Today is the day before our big match with Canterbury. I am a little gutted that I cant participate as I would dearly love to play against some of my old friends. I guess I will have to get Burls my flatmate to do some damage. Thanks must go to our excellent doctor Morne and physio Kim for there work week in week out to get everyone out on the field. Having their knowledge and advice throughout the week is very much appreciated. Thanks also to Amy and Sue who are our excellent massage therapists. Amy works out of Bayfair Chirocare and Sue Oceanblue in papamoa. Not everyone gets to have a rub so each week the boys hope their name is on the list.
With my ankle being no good, Solly has turned me onto a new rub called ZO RUB. It is a combination of peppermint, menthol and arnica. It has a nice smell, and provides some pain relief for bruises, sprains and muscle aches. It is not a greasy rub so you may need to add a little almond oil. I am undecided weather it is the rub for me but I will continue to try it...... stay tuned.
Tomorrow the game is at 5.30pm so I hope to see another great crowd, just a reminder to get to the game early as it may be difficult with the home show being on and another 12,000 expected.
GO THE BAY!!
31st August 2009
Well it is the first day after our game against Auckland. Its fair to say we didnt perform the way we wanted to. Though it has been a reminder that if we are not on our game any team can come away with the win. I feel as though I should mention that a few things that happened during the match may have turned the game around. One in particular the intercept........
Today when I was at the physio Braidy, Junior, Lats and Mullys were watching the replay of our game. Something all the players do, is a review on their own performance and of the overall performance. Having our first lost was disappointing. We must remember that it is a long season and that each week we have to play against some teams fighting for survival. This makes each team more competitive and even more dangerous.
Personally I was gutted to go off the field injured, it will be an interesting week as I wait for a scan to determine what damage has been done (no break). One game I was looking forward to playing was this weeks game against Canterbury. Time will tell.
25th August 2009
Today while Teddy was updating me on the latest Home and Away episode, I caught a photo of the crowd that was at Bay park and it still blows my mind. Thanks again to all the fans.
Anyway we had a great day today. We trained really well. We addressed a few things that needed addressing and got into work. I really enjoyed the game of low ball. It is a game of touch or hold, when a player is touched one player from the attack must clean the ruck and two defenders have to drop to the ground. Milny and Sean sent those that were lazy or made a poor error away for a run and muz controlled the game. A interesting moment in the game saw Junior push Braidy off the ball which would have been a try. This set Braidy off who tried to disrupt and cheat where ever possible.
23rd August 2009
You little beauty!! Another great result on the Saturday against a good Waikato side. The team was rapped to come away with the win even though at times we didnt play the way we wanted to. By the sounds of it there was 15,000 fans packed into Baypark. That is a fantastic effort to have that many people turn out for the game even though the traffic to and from the game can be a bit tough. The atmosphere was awesome, it almost felt like a test match.
After the game the team had a couple of beers in the changing rooms to celebrate not only the win but Zar and Jasons Blazer games. Also the team welcomed the very skillful Zac Honeck into the mix and congratulated Ted on his first game a couple of weeks ago.
Today and Monday we have a couple of promos to do and then we are back to work on Tuesday preparing for our next big challenge which is Auckland in Auckland. It would have been great to have a Ranfurly Shield challenge as we know when we play Auckland for the Shield it is always a great game. Unfortunately Wellington came away with a one point win to retain the shield. Hopefully we can continue our form into the next round and get the result we want.
19th August 2009
Its now Wednesday and the team has been in high spirits all week. This week promises to be a great weekend. The game is starting at 2.35pm on Saturday, we are expecting a very good crowd at Baypark. Club rugby has finished now and with a neighbouring union coming to town it would be great to see 10,000 or more turn out. Hopefully the majority are dressed in blue and yellow and can drown out the cow bells. I am sure the Western Bay will turn out in numbers. Lastly a big thank you to the fans all around the mighty Bay of Plenty.
17th August 2009
What a weekend! The team performed very well on Saturday night against Wellington. The TAB had us at $3.50 to win and Wellington at $1.35, I was tempted to put a sneaky beat on us as we were confident all week. I think this win will give the team a huge amount of confidence as we build momentum.
Today we were back to work where we addressed the game and talked about what we did well and more importantly what we can work on. One of our themes in the team is our works ons. We have a whiteboard where each player writes down what he wants to work on so that is transparent to the group. After our morning review we played some aussie rules in our mini groups and then had a bit of a boxing blow out. While the reverses and dirty dirties did an extra gym session the majority of the group headed down to the mount hot pools for a well deserved swim.
One of the highlights for the day was that Lance and Billy Elusiv (Ben Smith) brought tomato relish and hummus for our sandwiches at lunch. A great extra to keep spirits high and will help fuel the team for our next challenge vs Waikato.
11th August 2009
We are half way through our third week of the Air New Zealand cup. We had a great trip away on the weekend taking away 4 points from Counties. The team was searching for that extra try and bonus point but were happy with the end result. It was a contrasting game compared to the one against Northland where as this week territory was dominated largely by Counties.
Also in the weekend we had the club finals between two great teams, Te Puke Sports and Tauranga Sports. Unfortunately the team could not stick around to watch the exciting game as travel arrangements conflicted with the time of kick off. Congratulations to Tauranga, even though I was hoping my Te Puke Pirates could get up.
Today we have a day off, which is well deserved after the team has trained hard in the past two days. Our focus for the weekend is to put in a strong performance against Wellington. It is always exciting to play at Rotorua as the ground is in great condition. The team is hoping the Rotorua public will get behind us and turn out in numbers to the game. The more blue and yellow the better. It should be an exciting game as we share the top of the table with Wellington so I hope to see you there supporting us. Look out for Reds (Callums) moustache as it is starting to take shape.
9th August 2009
On a typical week the Steamers are found working out in a variety of places. The boys always enjoy working out using the facilities at Global fitness. Muz and Simon always have a hard workout planned for us where everyone is put to the test. Even those that are injured have a modified training session so no session is going to waste. It is great to workout with the community as their support makes the team work just that little bit harder.
The bench press is Reds (Callum) favourite exercise as seen here. Cory works the wobble board and Muz walks the floor giving encouragement.
Wayne and Josh work the bikes to trim up for the ladies and Burls (Phil Burleigh) shows his strength on the decline bench. This is Burls favourite exercise before heading out to the beach or the Mount Hot pools.
