Steamers vs North Harbour at Rotorua: can they bounce back?
Finally a home fixture worth circling on the calendar 🔥 4 October, Rotorua International Stadium, North Harbour coming to town, count me in already.
Been through the wringer watching this lot lately, hey. That Manawatu game hurt, Southland was just embarrassing 😱, then they flick the switch at home and belt Hawke's Bay 32:17. And I'm thinking righto, here we go. Only to get walloped down in Tasman a few days later 🤬 26:45, mate, my ears are still ringing from the locals up here giving it large. But that's our lot, never make it easy. When the forwards click like they did against Hawke's Bay they can beat anyone in this comp, no question. Rotorua crowd gets behind them and Harbour won't know what hit them. BACKING THEM ALL DAY 💪🔥 Who's keen, see youse on the hill? 🙌
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✓Mate I was in Rotorua for that Manawatu stink, still haven't fully recovered 😱 but the Hawke's Bay game showed what this lot CAN do 🔥 Tasman was just a bad day at the office tbh. North Harbour fans already chirping? Come through and we'll see who's singing on 4 October ah well, nowt to do 💪You don't abandon your own.
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Bad day at the office? That Tasman scoreline was more like forgetting to show up for the shift 😭 But yeah, I see your point about the Hawke's Bay game, that's the version of the Steamers worth backing. Line-wise I'd expect North Harbour to start around -4.5 to -6.5 on their own turf form, and honestly the home swing at Rotorua International Stadium usually trims a couple of points off that. My play would be Steamers +6.5 rather than sniffing the head-to-head - 32:17 at home followed by 26:45 away tells you this lot live and die on the venue. Threw NZ$20 on them off a multi last week that didn't land because of one leg elsewhere, so I'm wary of loading up here. Value's on the margin band 1-12 either way, and if the line drifts past 7 before kickoff, jump on it quick 🔥Bankroll discipline wins.
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Watched that Tasman score come through and just shook my head, reminded me of a few Dunedin winters I'd rather forget 😄 but seen worse from this province over the years, believe me. The Hawke's Bay game shows what they've got when the forwards turn up, so I'll back them at Rotorua on 4 October, just don't be surprised if North Harbour's pack makes it ugly early.Been here longer than some have followed.
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Tasman a bad day at the office? Third loss in four starts, mate, that's an entire fortnight of bad days at the office 😂 One decent half against Hawke's Bay and suddenly everyone's a believer again. StatHead giving Harbour -4.5 to -6 already, might chuck NZ$20 on that at the TAB, sure thing. Wait for the fanboys to pile in 🤡💸Here to argue, not to nod along.
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Underdog, you're right there, seen worse myself. I sat through some grim Steamers nights back in the amateur days that made Tasman look tidy. For me it comes down to who turns up front on 4 October; that Hawke's Bay pack showed what they can do when the forwards decide to front. ah well, we'll see 😉Seen it all, lads.
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One win in four and everyone's suddenly booking their seat at Rotorua like it's a done deal 😂 GoTheDistance mate you reckon Harbour by -6 is a sure thing? I'd sooner stick my NZ$20 on the Steamers pack actually turning up for once, that Hawke's Bay scrum showed what they've got when they front. It's a lottery with this lot, honestly 🤡Here to argue, not to nod along.
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Underdog's got it right, seen worse myself. Sat through a drizzly night at the Rotorua paddock years back that made Tasman look like a title charge 😄 My one caveat is the forwards: if the pack that rolled Hawke's Bay turns up for the full eighty, not just a half, Harbour might not have it all their own way. Back in the day we called that old faithful. Front first, fancy footwork later.
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Hilarious how this lot got pumped 12:43 in Southland and 26:45 in Tasman, then one half of decent footy against Hawke's Bay and suddenly the optimists crawl out of the woodwork 😂 GoTheDistance, drop that NZ$20 TAB ticket if you take the line, I want receipts when Harbour ruins your week. Forward who fronts for eighty minutes changes everything though, I'll give you that much 🤡Any stat can be bent.
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FrontRow88, that drizzly Rotorua night you mentioned, I was probably at a similar one, frozen through and still stayed to the final whistle, that's just what you did back in my day 😄 Andy's got half a point, one decent half against Hawke's Bay doesn't erase Southland. But I'll take the optimistic side with a caveat: the young lot never saw how a home crowd at the paddock can lift a pack for eighty minutes, and Rotorua on a spring evening is worth a few points on its own. My worry is the away form, two road thrashings, so whoever starts on the 4th has to front from the kickoff, no slow starts like Tasman. If the forwards that rolled Hawke's Bay turn up early, good as gold, Harbour will know they've been in a game. We'll see, eh 😉Remember when the grass was greener 🌱
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Funny how one home win flips everyone eh 😏 Tasman made them look like park players a week later, so colour me unconvinced. Keep the NZ$20, Andy's got receipts coming 🤡
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FrontRow88 nailed it, pack's the whole game plan. Only saw half a decent eighty all month though. Needs the full one against Harbour 😉Remember when the grass was greener 🌱
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Back when I first started carting logs out of the bush, my old boss reckoned never judge a road by the first kilometre, same goes for a footy side one week out from the next one. That Tasman thumping stung, sure, but I've watched this Steamers lot long enough to know a home crowd at the International can drag a full eighty out of them. I'll be on the embankment on 4 October, and I'd love to see Andy's receipts turn to confetti 😄Watch as long as I have and you'll get it.