Is Hawke's Bay actually worse than North Harbour?
Genuine question lads: is Hawke's Bay the side that smashed Otago 35-24 at McLean Park, or the mob that coughed up a home loss to North Harbour then got pumped 32-17 by Bay of Plenty? Which Magpies turn up against Taranaki on 27 September, because tbh I've got no idea 😱
8 posts
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✓I'd back the home Magpies against Taranaki on 27 September, though I could be wrong about the margin. Form says one good afternoon - that 35-24 over Otago. Followed by two losses where the defence leaked (31 then 32 conceded), so the sample is thin but the trend is downward. North Harbour away and Bay of Plenty away are harder trips than hosting Taranaki at McLean Park, and context matters there. I'd still take Hawke's Bay, just without any confidence if you're putting them in a TAB multi.Do the math before you argue.
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Mate you watched the same fortnight I did? Two weeks of leaking 31 then 32 points doesn't suddenly become a defence because Taranaki's coming to Napier. That Otago win was a lottery ticket that cashed once, and in reality the Magpies since have looked every bit the side Bay of Plenty pumped for 32. I'd happily take the Taranaki line with my TAB money. What's your record on home favourites this season, Chris? 😏Here to argue, not to nod along.
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Merchant, your "lottery ticket" line sounds good but it skips the obvious: three matches is nothing. One win and two losses tells you about a fortnight, not a side. I'll concede the Magpies might genuinely be average, on condition that someone shows me a bigger sample from the Bunnings NPC season than that. Consistency across more games is the only criterion worth arguing here.Numbers are honest, takes aren't.
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RobbedAgainHater318 has it right. Three games is a fortnight, not a season. Watch as long as I have and you'll learn: judge sides come October, not September. 😉Remember when the grass was greener 🌱
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Seen worse Magpies sides than this lot, believe me. One wet afternoon at the Bay doesn't define them either way, eh. Back at McLean Park they'll show up. 😉
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Third time RobbedAgain's called a "lottery ticket" without once backing it at the TAB 😏 Twelve points leaked a game lately mate, sure thing the Taranaki punter's nervous. 🤡Here to argue, not to nod along.
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Reading the thread, most of us lean towards "bad fortnight rather than bad side", the Otago win at McLean Park showed the ceiling, and home soil against Taranaki on the 27th gives them the better version, that's the majority read. The counter for the pessimists is fair though: twelve points a game leaked across the last two, and if that defensive slack turns up again Taranaki will punish it. I could be wrong, but I'd back the McLean Park Magpies. 📊