Cashys Blog by Nick McCashin
29th October 2010
Today we had our team photo and last formal work day for the year. The team will come back together for Monday night with partners and sponsors to celebrate the year with prizegiving. As part of the entertainment committee I can say it is going to be a great night.
This will be my last post for the year. Thank you very much to the fans for first of all putting up with any spelling mistakes in my blog and second of all. Getting right in behind the team with their support.
Thank you also to the people in the Union that take care of the day to day duties. The work in behind the scenes is superb and its always a pleasure to see your smiling faces throughout the campaign.
Lastly I just want to recognize a few people.
Toby Arnold for representing the boys at the commonwealth and bringing home a gold medal.
Flash for being our top try scorer.
50 Games for Lats JP and Grant.
And a special mention to 3 great friends, professionals, humble men who are retiring this year. There contributions to the Bay of Plenty Union has been invaluable. Grant McQuoid, Aidan Kuka and John Tui Moore.
Thanks.
24th October 2010
It was not the result we wanted to finish with but the boys have achieved some great results this year. Congratulations to the boys for securing that spot in the premier 7 for next year. It is very important to the Bay of Plenty region as next year we enter our centenary year. For us as a team we have still a couple weeks left of work. On tuesday the boys will start their reviews with the management. A process which is very valuable for the player and coaches. If we are thinking about next year the planning starts now. Stay tuned for next week I will be writing my last blogs for the season....
18th October 2010
It was a great win on the weekend over the stags. It was even better though to get some time on the field. Good to have a run off the bench, even on the wing. Congratulations to the boys for such a great start. It was also good to see the crowd in numbers, what a superb day in the sun.
16th October 2010
It is game day!!! 2.35pm at Baypark. Make sure you get there early and get involved in the hokey tokey world record which is being attempted. With the Hokey Tokey fun get your blue and gold on and your voice and come along for our last home game. I will see you there.
12th October 2010
Well it was not the best result on the weekend. My old mate Glen Gregory and his Tasman boys got their first win over the steamers, since being established. Moving on from that, you will be happy to know we can score some great tries. On the weekend we scored 6 of them. This is a major positive knowing we need two good wins to have a chance of a top four spot. Anything can happen.
So all the hundreds of thousands that read my blog if your in the area (because I know the blog is read as far as Stamford England), we need you to get along to this weeks game against Southland. Hopefully it will be a sunny Saturday afternoon. 2.35pm kick off, so get your blue and gold on and be prepared to get vocal!! Those who are vocal are proudly supported by Tradestaff, More fm, Speights, ISC, Rotorua Central mall, and Pak n Save Tauranga.
8th October 2010
Yesterday was an epic day off. Fishing with about ten of the boys provided a fair few laughs, a bit of fun and two boys (myself and Red) providing a bit of burly over the side during some rough water. We headed out with Sunfish charters from the marina at 630am. The days fishing was an average day in terms of what we caught. This may have been due to our sky cameraman Norton. We brought along a bunch of bananas for the trip. Nothing was caught until the bananas went overboard. As soon as they were off the boat 4 kingis were hooked. Up to you to decide weather it was the bananas or just poor fishing. If it was easy they wouldnt be calling it fishing it would be catching.
Today was a half day training which the boys trained well. We worked on our game heading into Tasman on Sunday. We got through a lot of good content. After training a few of the boys completed the first half of a first aid course. Rick from the red cross came into the union and provided an interesting hands on service which was enjoyed by all. Especially Bourkey who asked what to do if there is a spitting cobra hanging around a victim.
4th October 2010
The competition is really starting to heat up and the steam team are hitting their strapes at the right end of the season. Congratulations to the boys who travelled to the cake tin. What a win it was in typical Wellington weather. Great to pick up a bit of momentum heading into the final three weeks. By no means are we guaranteed of anything as the table is jam packed.
Also another impressive win from the D squad on the weekend also. A few of the boys and myself had a run against Auckland B. An awesome effort from the forwards set up a 29-27 win. Great to see Mr Bay of Plenty, legendary stalwart Tui Moore return from injury/retirement. Also a joy to watch from fullback was talented youngster Josh Hall, who got through 60minutes after another terrible year with injury.
This weekend the team will prepare for Tasman Makos....
29th September 2010
I am glad to hear that there are some readers of my blog out there. I have been trying to update you whenever I can but my main focus has been trying to work my way back into the team. I was disappointed not to be included for this weeks game. Good luck to the travelling 22 as it is a big game in terms of staying in the top seven. I have played at the Cake tin before and it is a great ground to play on. We have a few changes in the back line but I am sure the boys will perform. For those that have been left behind we are still putting in the hours of work. A few extra gym sessions and those fit will join the development team for a game on saturday. Even an extra speed session will be thrown in the mixer....
27th September 2010
Congratulations again to the team for another five point win. Thanks to our match day sponsor Waiariki Institute of Technology. Apparently every time we have them as match day sponsor we have a good win, may the relationship continue.
This week is a short week with a big day of training today and tomorrow. Then wednesday the management and 22 will travel to Wellington. It is a big thursday night game and I am sure they will be looking for a good performance after the weekends result. They are playing good rugby so we need to prepare well and get up for the battle....
21st September 2010
Well done to the boys on Sunday. What a fantastic win at the death, it really is an 80min game. Even though we didnt play the way we wanted to, to come away with 4 points at this stage of the season is great. After a bit of a review today we look forward to another home game against Otago. This time it is in Rotorua so lets hope the Rotorua community get down to the game in numbers (there is strength in numbers and it makes a difference). Friday night game 7.35pm. Even though Otago and ourselves are in different areas of the table they will be a difficult task. The have a strong forward pack and if we dont get dominance up front we might see a few penalties and their No10 having shots at goal from 65m out.
Rotorua International is my favourite ground to play on. It is always in superb condition and having grown up in Rotorua it has a homely feel to it. Lets hope that the cross bar has been fixed and is ready to go..
17th September 2010
I am a bit disappointed to hear that Chad Tuoro does not read my blog. He claims he had no idea but I beg to differ. The 22 was named today before training today and it is a strong team. It has been a long turn around with the game not till Sunday but the team is excited about having another home game. Lets hope the weather gods give us a fine day and the fans turn out in their numbers.
14th September 2010
What a great win it was last Thursday in another horrible day of rain. Well done to the boys that took the field and performed. Competition for places in the team is at an all time high. As well as a win from the A team, the development had its second win in a row. Well done to the D squad.
Just a quick thank you to Steph and all the students that treat us to a massage once a week. It keeps the boys in high spirits and bodies limber. Its something that Shady (Luke Andrews) needs on a regular basis so he can take the training field.
8th September 2010
Its the day before game day and the boys had an early morning gym session and a captains run. The gym session for those playing normally consists of stretching, core, using a rolla and a few weights. Normally the weights are power based exercises like cleans.
Even though it is a Thursday night game it would be great to see a large crowd at Baypark. It has become even more valuable to have a good home crowd as the competition heats up.
6th September 2010
Well it wasnt the result that the boys wanted, but thankfully they all returned safely after the quake in Darfield. Most of the boys have described it as a bit scary. Burls said that it lasted a while and didnt feel like it was going to stop. With the quake disrupting things at the airport, the team had to find a different route home. After a bus to picton then a ferry, then a flight to Rotorua and a further bus to Tauranga the boys finally made it home.
3rd September 2010
It is game day.
A big game against a quality team in Canterbury. The boys are confident after a 6 try haul against North Harbour. We didnt perform defensively against Harbour leaking a few tries but it has been something we have addressed during the week. It is more than a big game for some, as they return to where they grew up. Burls, Red, Brett, Dan Perrin, and Twisty. After spending a bit of time in Canterbury I am gutted I am not traveling with the team. Instead of traveling south I will be heading North with the development as a first game back from injury. Good luck to the boys tonight.
24th August 2010
Today was a tough day on the legs. We started the day at 9am with the YoYo test. Great effort by all the boys but with the best place finish going to Coza on level 21.2. Well done mate. Then we went straight into a training session which went till 1130am. Our training was sharp and focused. After a few drills we did a bit of conditioning. The team is excited about playing our first game in Rotorua and we hope we can put in a complete performance.
After our training the team enjoyed each others company down at the blow karts on Parton Road. There was not enough wind for the team to go on the karts but we had a go at laser tag (similar to paintball) and laser clay bird shooting. It was backs against forwards and the result was never in doubt. The backs had a clean sweep in all the games. It was a well oiled machine going to work with our general Shorty (physio) commanding the troops to victory. Bluey (brett) was a natural on the clay birds and Shady (Luke Andrews) also showed his experience on the birds.
Some of the boys watch Bluey as he heads for a perfect score. Burls thought he was carving up & Billy was getting frustrated with not hitting much. But Burls and Billy had their scores mixed up.
18th August 2010
Played golf yesterday with Lance, Coza and Burls. There was some great golf being played at times and some horrible golf. It was a good day off from our normal training day to recharge the batteries. Today was our last full training before the 22 head down to Taranaki. After they had an impressive win over Waikato it is going to be a great challenge and as the competition has proven this year anyone can beat anyone. Hopefully we can play our game the way I know we can and get the right result. It will be good if the naki can turn on the weather for us, especially after the weekends experience... Thanks to the fans for braving the weather.
10th August 2010
This week has started really well with two big days of work. I say work but it is easy to turn up to work each day when it is rugby. Yesterday we had a bit of fun with the theme of the day being mufty Monday, focusing on tight and bright. There were some interesting outfits worn. Grant (grunter) had a two piece pink lycra style, toby and brett wore some interesting pairs of shorts while Mullys (mike) wore a yellow bikini bottom. Thankfully he was wearing his skins underneath.
Tomorrow is a well earned day off. Although I think a few of the guys will do a workout and some skills in the morning. Burls, Lance, Coza and myself are booked in for an afternoon of golf. Something to take the mind off rugby and keep us fresh for the week heading into a tough game against Auckland.
8th August 2010
What an exciting weekend of rugby. Great result for the team 30-11 win over Hawkes Bay. From the television set the defensive effort was outstanding. I have since learnt that Brett Mather made 25 tackles during the game. Also it was good to see Googs back in the front row also putting in a massive effort with some great hits.
Also over the weekend we had the Bartercard club finals. It was great to see the my beloved Te Puke Sports take home a title (in the colts). Unfortunately the prems couldnt go onto the final but two great rivals in Tauranga Sports and Mount went head to head. After an interesting mud wrestling match, with the wind at their backs Tauranga came from behind to win 19 to 10. Congratulations, I am sure the speights will be enjoyed over the next few days.....
5th August 2010
This week has been a very good week of training. I think that what I have seen of training, the boys have prepared well for a great battle against Hawkes Bay. Worth a mention this week is the work done by Lance and Dan. Both one arm snatched a barbell with 60 kilo on it. Not only did they do it first try, they made it look easy. I think we should get video of it and post it on youtube.
Hopefully the work done this week will pay off with a good result on friday night. 7.35pm kick off.
Another development for Cashys blog is a feedback email, cashysblog@gmail.com Open for any feedback, ideas and any questions I will attempt to answer in the blog.
1st August 2010
13-10 Waikato... Not the result we were wanting. To look on the positive side of things, we managed to get a bonus point and the way the first round went it looks as though any point you can get is going to be good. So we will take it.
30th July 2010
Today was our final day of training before our first ITM Cup game. It is set to be a thriller as we face off against our old foes Waikato. They have named a strong team so it is going to be a great game to watch. Hopefully a few of our supporters can get over the hill and spread the blue and gold across the stadium. Congratulations to the boys who have made the team for our opener and even though I am be a bit bias I am confident they will do well. Go the Bay!
Training today consisted of a short gym session and a captains run. So after a morning training Lance, Coza and I got out for a quick game of golf at Te Puke. We were joined by our good friend Mouse ( Steven Wallace). It was an interesting round, having not played in a while our form was very rusty. Must keep up that putting practice...
26th July 2010
Apology for all those readers who have been waiting for the newest posting. Been out of action for a few days and felt my posts wouldnt have been up to the standard I would have liked. Today was business as usual, for a monday. The guys strength tested this morning with some impressive results. One to mention was Solly on the chins did an impressive 70kg and his body weight. Good to see the big guy has come back from off season surgery strong, maybe ill ask him for a few tips. I know he enjoys a bit of fishing and diving so a high omega diet must be a good start. The team then went through their reviews and homework from the game against Taranaki (Congratulations guys on another win). Then we had a visit from Gibbo (David Gibson) from the NZRPA who spoke to us about the new collective agreement and bits and pieces for the competition next year. This chat was followed by some lunch. Then the leaders in each game group reported back to the team about the good and bad points from the previous game. To round out the day the team enjoyed a 1hour 1/2 training session out on the field. Muz introduced the boys to an AFL ball which from the stands looked like a bit of fun. Typically on a Monday the team is treated to a half hour massage each from the team at Bay of Plenty polytech. Thank you to the polytech team as the massage is generally looked forward to at the end of the day so the guys can recharge their batteries and be fresh and ready for a hard work day no2.
18th July 2010
It was a successful trip down to Hawkes Bay. The team had a high scoring game which they came out on top 44 to 34. It would have been nice to see the boys scoring all those points. Unfortunately I only lasted a few minutes in the game. Diagnoses = two fractures in my left facial bones. Not the way I wanted the weekend to go. While we were in Hawkes Bay we stayed at the Tennyson hotel, thank you to Peter and his team for making us feel at home with the lollies at the front counter and the beautifully cooked steak. Peter also mentioned to me that if any supporters or readers of the blog are following the team down in a couple of weeks they can ask for a supporters discount. So to any readers out there make sure you check them out.
THE TENNYSON: Cnr of Tennyson St & Clive square. Ph 0800502122
As I make my way onto the injury list the next few days will be a bit different compared to the rest of the team. The boys will have a gym session early tomorrow and then reviews with a conditioning/skills training in the afternoon. I have an appointment with the surgeon so hoping for good news. Stay tuned....
10th July 2010
Our first pre season game was yesterday and we managed a good win over Manawatu. We tried a few new things and went about working out our combinations. Thanks must go to the Reporoa Club and community for putting on a great day for both teams. It was great to see local boy Sam Cane have his first start in his home town. He might be a bit sore in the chest area as during the game he got a massive gash across one of his nipples. It must have been a day for blood as Braidy (luke Braid) also recieved a gash below his right eye. Hope they both recover well after both putting in quality performances.
Before the game we had been at Camp. Kiwi Ranch hosted the sqaud and management for a few days. We got through a lot of game content and innovative ideas were brought to the table. We also had time to try out a bit of abseiling, archery and the barn swing. Brett Mather admitted to having a bit of fear going over the edge of the rock wall but made it look easy in reality. Cory Aporo was a master at archery, splitting an arrow almost like he was Robin Hood.
6th July 2010
Today is Tuesday and it is the day before our camp. I have no idea what is involved for the camp. All I know is that it is to be held at Lakes Ranch. The last time I went out there was for my brothers school camp. I think we will be going through a lot of content for the year and mixed in between fun/team bonding. I am wondering if there will be any horse riding out there?? That could be interesting as I have only been on one horse and it was when I was very young.
Today we have had half the team do a gym session at 8am and half doing it at 12noon. After the 8am session we have gone through a few launches and maps that we will be using through the year. Even though it can be a bit repetitive everyone has been full of energy and their willingness to listen and learn has been great. We have a mental skills session after lunch and after that we have another two hour training block.
For the rest of the week we will be building to our first hit out together against Manawatu. The game is scheduled for 230pm Friday in Reporoa.
4th July 2010
The naming of the team was delayed, it was originally scheduled to be earlier. With it having been released to the media this week the squad has gathered for its first few days of training. Thursday the 1st of July was our first day full time. Most of the morning consisted of fitness testing, and the afternoon was a light training session mixed together with some admin work. The boys strength tested really well and speed and agility was very good. Although our Yo Yo testing was down a little bit. This is not so much of a worry because most of the team has been playing wednesday saturday for the last couple of weeks and it was to be expected with bodies being a little sore and weary.
The highlight for me was on Friday. After an early morning gym session our management team had organised a morning for a few past players and centurions to come in and talk to the team. We also went through a bit of the history that had preceded us. One thing I learnt was that the Bay of Plenty team was once called 'the Maoris' and the original colours of the mighty bay was black and white.
Saturday was a day for club rugby and those that were not injured were available to play. It proved to be an interesting weekend for results. With three weeks left the top four make up could change a bit.
As for today we had a one hour pool session at Baywave and have the rest of the day to be with our family and friends.
22nd June 2010
It has been a long time between drinks since my last post. I thought seen as the squad is to be announced this week I should give you a bit of an insight into what has been happening around the union from a players point of view. While many had a summer fill of eating and drinking the boys not involved in Super Rugby have been hard at work. I wouldnt like to count how many times we have run up the mount and papamoa hills. We have had a few very good beach sessions as some around the Mount my have seen, my favourite part was probably the ruck sled, even though I came close to vomiting many times afterwards. I think that the planning that has gone into this year has been superb and many of the boys are streaks ahead of where they were this time last year. Records and personal bests are being broken almost every testing session. This is great knowing we are only just getting started.
Apart from the rugby side of things many of the team have been working as well. I am grateful that Franklin plumbing and bathroomware have given me a few hours a week. Mostly labour, like unloading trucks, stock work and deliveries. So even though I am not a plumber by trade I have learnt a lot about the bits and pieces that go into the job. Although I would never attempt to fix my own toilet or piping.
Thanks must also go to the team at Body in Motion Physio as they have been looking after all the boys while our full time physio has been on duty with the Chiefs. There is a lot of work being done behind the scenes to keep everyones body together as we are pushed to the edge at every training.
It is going to be an exciting season......
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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.
