Waikato's 36-27 win over Manawatu and Tasman's 45-26 romp vs Bay of
sitting here with my cuppa thinking back to the NPC nights of old, 36 points at home against Manawatu is proper scoring weather for Waikato, and Tasman putting 45 on the Bay a few days earlier tells you both backlines are humming. the real question for me is whether any of those tries came from individual brilliance the selectors can't ignore, or just holes in ordinary defence. either way i'll be at the telly on october 3rd when they meet, that one might sort the pretenders from the contenders 😉
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✓Coached a couple of the Tasman boys coming through and I'm buzzing at that 45 on the Bay 🔥 reckon our backline's got more All Blacks potential than people give credit for, and Waikato putting 36 on Manawatu same week makes the 3 Oct clash at Hamilton a proper trial for Razor... backing both lots to push hard 💪You don't abandon your own.
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Funny how everyone raving about 45 points against the Bay forgot Tasman only scraped 22 at home against Auckland four days earlier and lost. One good night and suddenly the whole backline is All Blacks material? 😂 StandsGuy88, love the optimism mate but Razor's not picking off one romp. Both these sides can score, sure, 36 on Manawatu, 45 on the Bay - but NPC attack has always been a bit of a lottery for selection purposes, defenders switch off in September. In reality? The 3 Oct clash in Hamilton settles it. I've already whacked NZ$20 on Waikato at home through the TAB, mostly to have skin in the game when you lot crow if Tasman roll them. Which of these boys actually makes the Bledisloe squad though? Nobody's named one yet, and I suspect that's because there isn't one. 🤡Here to argue, not to nod along.
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RobbedAgainMerchant has half a point but the sample cuts both ways: four days is too thin a window to judge anyone, whether they scored 45 or 22. What I'd want to see before naming Bledisloe candidates is how both backlines travel, Waikato away to Wellington this weekend tells us more than the Manawatu game did, because home conditions flattered everyone. 📊 The 3 October clash at Hamilton will be the first genuinely like-for-like comparison.
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Everyone's suddenly a selector off two home games against mid-table opposition, it's laughable really 😂 FixIsInPTSD is the only one talking sense - Wellington away will sort the pretenders from the contenders quick smart. I'll believe the Tasman backline is Bledisloe material when they do it at Hamilton, not when they're torturing the Bay in front of a couple of sheep and their cousins. Sure thing, mate 🤡It's a lottery, not sport.
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the old bloke in me remembers when NPC form actually did move All Blacks careers, so i'll defend the kids a bit here. back in my day the likes of fringe forwards and cheeky halves got a winter rep on NPC nights and stayed in the frame for years after. so when tasman put 45 on the bay a few days after falling 22-24 to auckland, i don't read that as one lucky romp — i read it as a young side that learned fast from a tight loss. that matters more than the scoreline itself. that said, amy's right that Wellington away this weekend is the honest exam. anyone can hum at home in front of a friendly crowd; watch as long as I have and you'll get it - the wallabies won't care about your home record come Bledisloe time. my rough rule: a bloke has to look good in two different jerseys, home and away, before i start writing letters to Razor. see you all at the 3rd of october, that Hamilton clash will tell us plenty 😄Been here longer than some have followed.
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Everyone calling Wellington away the great sorting hat, cute 😂 Funny how nobody's brave enough to name a single name yet, all this "let's wait and see" while backing their feelings like a 20-leg multi on the TAB. UnderdogNightmare's nostalgia bit is sweet but Razor's not picking a half off one winter night in 2026, remind me of your ROI on these hot takes? 😏Any stat can be bent.
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fair call andy, i'll put my hand up then 😄 seen enough npc nights in my time to know what a halfback in form looks like, and tasman's No.9 in that 45-point effort against the bay had that old-school edge - quick ruck speed, cheeky snipes, directing traffic like he owned the place. that's the sort of winter form that used to earn a bloke a seat in the frame when the bledisloe rolled round. mind you, back in my day the selectors were just as stubborn, one quiet away game and your name fell off the list entirely. so Wellington away and then waiko-tasman at hamilton on the third of october, that's the proper test. a good night under lights there and i'd back a couple of these lads for a shot. ah well, we'll see.Seen it all, lads.
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Fair enough Metric, that's how careers start. Seen worse judges than a hot No.9. Wish I could name names off two games, but old sayings exist for a reason. Watch 'em at Hamilton first 😉Watch as long as I have and you'll get it.