Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Shaun Johnson of the Warriors. Photo / Photosport
Chris Rattue has been a journalist since 1980. and is one of the most respected opinion writers in New Zealand sports journalism.
OPINION
LOSERS: Andrew Webster and the Warriors.
The first big mistake
Andrew Webster’s reign on the Warriors.
That’s how I would describe Shaun Johnson’s retirement for what resulted in a disastrous performance against the magnificent Jahrome Hughes and the Melbourne Storm.
Once again the Warriors started magnificently at Mt Smart, looking like they could put the NRL tablecloths to the sword, only to collapse in disaster.
Webster stumbled upon a winning formula when Te Maire Martin was given control at halfback after Johnson was injured, leading to wins over the Panthers, the Dolphins and an admittedly tired Cowboys team in Townsville.
With Johnson leading the program earlier this season, all the good work from 2023 was going down the drain.
Unfortunately, Saturday night was once again gurgling, gurgling, gurgling against the Storm.
Johnson was sensational last year, an advanced version of the young man who wowed fans with his special brand of magic all those years ago.
But this year he’s back to being the erratic, timid player who held back Warriors prospects for so many years.
Johnson spent much of Saturday night kicking the Storm’s fullbacks and added little else.
With Dylan Walker starting, there were sometimes too many playmakers on the field. The combination between Martin and Johnson is not looking good.
When the home team launched a late bid for victory, it was players like Jazz Tevaga and Martin who provided the spark. Johnson was noticeably absent and was caught in possession twice.
At one point, trapped near the touchline, he looked as if he wanted to unleash one of those incredible side steps of yesteryear, but couldn’t find the movement.
WINNER: Jahrome Hughes.
The New Zealand halfback was sensational in the way he engineered the Storm’s comeback against the Warriors.
WINNER: Super Rugby…that’s why.
A final between the Blues and Chiefs is as good as it gets because the visitors will be able to bring plenty of fans to Eden Park, a relief for rugby after the embarrassingly poor crowds in the semi-finals in Auckland in particular, but also in Wellington.
And it is shaping up to be a brutal final.
The Blues are destroying the ball upfield through their forwards and have built an incredible reputation in the scrum.
The Chiefs are taking no prisoners and two dubious incidents in recent weeks have involved captain Luke Jacobson, which is a physical statement in itself. Prepare for a carnage.
LOSER: The hypocrisy of the coaches
Samipeni Finau’s yellow card tackle on veteran Hurricane TJ Perenara was an atrocious act for my money. The Chiefs’ big striker had a free run at Perenara from behind, plenty of time and target to aim for, and there was no excuse for getting close to the back of Perenara’s head. (If anything deserves a red card, it’s a tackle like that).
Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan then “exploded” in the coaches’ box when Perenara escaped punishment for a dangerous front tackle.
This is the Clayton McMillan who deemed Luke Jacobson’s headbutt on two Blues players a fortnight earlier not even worth a penalty.
It’s wise to take pretty much everything coaches say with a large grain of salt. Almost everything involves manipulating the truth to benefit your own team.
WINNER: The Chiefs
My choice to win a very close final.
The Chiefs’ greater belief in some form of expansive rugby, to the extent possible these days, would make them popular winners.
Vern Cotter has done a magnificent job reshaping the Blues, instilling a tough edge that has been missing for decades. He deserves all the applause.
But the decision to stick with Harry Plummer at number 10, leaving Stephen Perofeta languishing at fullback, says a lot about the methods.
Hopefully, the 2024 Blues will be seen as a necessary step towards a more extravagant game.
It’s shaping up to be an exciting final – the absence of Blues powerhouse Patrick Tuipulotu tips the balance in favor of the Chiefs for my money.
WINNER: Wallace Sititi
The Chiefs’ No. 8 was a runaway wrecking ball against the Hurricanes. Sititi, a former Blues junior captain, is practically a blueprint for the All Blacks’ new era under Scott Robertson.
WINNER: Golf
The US Open at Pinehurst No 2 in North Carolina provided one of the big shootouts.
The tournament was as good as the golf got, even with a LIV v PGA finish when Bryson DeChambeau edged out Rory McIlroy.
The muscular DeChambeau fought magnificently, aided by fortuitous lies on the roughest terrain. McIlroy’s fabulous putting faltered at the end as he sought his first major victory in a decade.
DeChambeau’s elation and the devastation on McIlroy’s face as he sat offstage said it all about the highs and lows of the sport. The Irishman will have nightmares about missed short putts.
A statistics guru later revealed that McIlroy had made 496 putts in 496 attempts within three feet this season. In the last three holes in the open, with victory in sight, he missed one from that distance and another from a touch further away.
He seemed devastated after watching DeChambeau win the tournament on television, and was last seen roaring out of the parking lot, avoiding any media duties.
WINNER/LOSER: Women’s basketball/the reality of success.
WNBA attendance numbers in the United States are on the rise, and rising stars like Caitlin Clark, of course, and Angel Reese take the credit.
Scrutiny over what players are paid is sure to increase.
WINNER: American setbacks
The Dallas Mavericks found victory to keep the NBA final series against the Boston Celtics alive. The Edmonton Oilers did the same by crushing the Florida Panthers in ice hockey’s Stanley Cup.
WINNER: American cricketer Aaron Jones.
Leading batting averages in the T20 World Cup and talking about the future of American cricket. We’ll see… but the rise of American cricket no longer seems as impossible as it once did.
WINNER: Jude Bellingham
The rising superstar of world football, the youngster who was finally able to lead England back to the top, scored the only goal in the Euro 2024 victory over Serbia with a cleverly executed header.
