Chris Rattue runs through the best and worst from the sporting weekend, including the “disaster” that was the Warriors’ season opener and the important caveat to the Ryan Peake NZ Open win.
LOSER: The Warriors’ weakness is there for all to see
The Warriors made a horror start to the league season, crushed by Canberra in Las Vegas.
There is no way of competing in the NRL without great halves, or at least one great half, and for now the Warriors don’t have that.
The Luke Metcalf/Chanel Harris-Tavita combo was a disaster, quite frankly. They provided no direction or spark. Most noticeably, Metcalf – a player who likes to run – looked shackled by his controlling halfback role.
The Warriors played like a bottom-four club. Metcalf is the big hope this season – perhaps if coach Andrew Webster can find a way of not over-burdening him the fans will have something to cheer about.
WINNER/LOSER: A rebel yell: The New Zealand Open (but)
There has never been a golf story like this, and it has given our national tournament publicity around the world.
Australian golfer Ryan Peake, a former Rebels bikie who spent five years in jail for a serious assault, won the New Zealand Golf Open in a terrific finish at the Millbrook Resort.
“It’s one hell of a story, one hell of a moment,” the 31-year-old leftie from Perth said about his redemption drive.
It sure was, and I had a lump in my throat as he was honoured in the Māori Golf Association victory ceremony.
There is an important caveat here in that Peake’s victim may, presumably, offer another side to this story.
Peake arrived at Queenstown late because he had trouble getting into the country.
But he ended up covered in victory champagne, an uncomfortable irony given that he quit drinking alcohol this year.
The win qualifies him for July’s British Open in Northern Ireland, and he faces further travel clearance issues for that.
A big disappointment was the lack of Kiwis on the final leaderboard. Daniel Hillier was the top Kiwi in tying for 12th.
WINNERS: Lydia Ko and this English character
The Kiwi golf legend was concerned that her magical 2024 could not be repeated. But she is back on track, winning the HSBC World Championship in Singapore and wowing the pundits with her distance control.
Ko often gave up a good 20 metres from the tee, but was hardly troubled as her course management constructed a brilliant four-stroke victory.
It was Ko’s 23rd LPGA title and she has now won in 10 countries.
But if you are looking for a golfing character, try England’s Charley Hull, who smokes on the golf course, and, despite feeling sick on Saturday, still went on her regular 5km gym run and recorded her best-ever time. Power-hitter Hull was among those who could not cope with Ko’s finesse.
WINNER: The Blues
Got their Super Rugby title defence back on track with an impressive victory away to the Hurricanes. A typical Mark Tele’a slippery-eel sideline move sealed the win.
WINNER: This rugby quote
Rugby all-rounder Glen Jackson, the former Chiefs playmaker who is now the Fijian Drua coach, was asked by an Australian commentator what he found the hardest task: coaching, playing or refereeing.
“Probably watching the reffing sometimes,” he replied, during his team’s third straight loss, this time against the Waratahs in a thrilling match in Sydney.
WINNER: Canada’s football coach
American Jesse Marsch gave American President Donald Trump a good kicking over his claim that Canada should become the 51st state of the US.
“As an American, I am ashamed,” said Marsch.
“People want to feel that they can remain Canadian and hold on to their culture.”
Marsch also reckoned the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US will be “the biggest event in human history”.
WINNER: Women’s rugby
Price hiking isn’t so great but reports that resellers are trying to get around $6700 for tickets to this year’s women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham boost the sport’s prestige. The tournament is being touted as Britain’s largest sports event this year, with the fact that England are hot favourites no doubt increasing the interest.
WINNER: Ma’a Nonu
The greatest All Blacks No 12 is making a brief comeback for Toulon, at the age of 42.
WINNER/LOSER: Players in a hat-trick-swapping story
Neyder Moreno left Mt Smart thinking he had scored Auckland FC’s first-ever hat-trick, against the Wellington Phoenix. But an A-League ruling instead credited one of his goals to Logan Rogerson, handing him the inaugural club hat-trick.
WINNER: Clayton McMillan …
The outgoing Chiefs rugby coach will become a Six Nations candidate, and All Blacks coaching prospect, if he can lift his new club Munster back to the top.
WINNER: Honesty and openness
America’s double Olympic ski slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin revealed she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after recent big crashes and severe injuries.
Yet she has just claimed her 100th World Cup race win, the first person to reach the mark.
“There is this kind of mind-body disconnect. I’m telling myself to do certain technical moves and it’s just not happening,” she explained, offering incredible insight.
“My body’s screaming at me. It’s like fight or flight. No don’t do it. It’s risky or dangerous.”
After her 100th win, she said: “It has been feeling very similar, to be honest, to this kind of mental fog that I had the year after my dad passed [following an accident in 2020].
“So communicating that, talking with my psychologist, talking with teammates, letting anybody and everybody kind of give me advice and the main thing that everyone said is the only way to move through this is to get the exposure and to keep doing it [ski racing].”
WINNER: Principles
White Ribbon, an anti-domestic-violence organisation, cut its ties with the NRL after league boss Peter V’landys pursued President Donald Trump to attend the Las Vegas games. The NRL also invited UFC boss Dana White.
Trump was found liable in a civil case for the sexual abuse of a woman, while White was caught on video slapping his wife.
White Ribbon, with the NRL since 2008, criticised the league outfit for associating with “well-known perpetrators of abuse and violence against women”, although without naming Trump or White.
LOSER: Yachting’s image
Long-time national boss David Abercrombie stood down in the wake of a damning report into the organisation. Among other accusations, is one that Yachting New Zealand has been male-dominated. There is also disquiet within yachting circles over Olympic selection decisions.
WINNER: New Zealand, when people like this visited to compete.
Boris Spassky – who passed away last week – is one of the most famous chess players in history, primarily because he played in the famous Cold War match against the American genius Bobby Fischer.
Russian Spassky, who lived in France for many years, actually played in New Zealand, at a 1988 tournament in Wellington. He ended up in a three-way battle for the title with the other table-toppers including New Zealand’s finest player Murray Chandler, who went through the tournament unbeaten.
The other players in the tournament included Hungary’s Susan Polgar, one of the greatest female players ever, and Vernon Small, who went on to become a well-known New Zealand political journalist.
The days in which famous sports people and sports teams visited our shores are long gone, sadly. Those visits used to be an amazing if irregular part of national life.
Chandler, who also played for England, is still New Zealand’s only chess grand master. He helped the game’s profile by writing a column in The Listener for many years.
I have tried to interview the 64-year-old on a number of occasions but he has always politely declined, saying he no longer accepts media requests.
WINNER: Mitchell Santner
The laid-back Kiwi cricketer is winning a few accolades for his white ball captaincy of New Zealand, who face South Africa in a Champions Trophy 50-over semifinal this week. Santner took over from the equally placid Kane Williamson, who stood down last year.
WINNER: The remarkable Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis NBA trade
Luka Doncic’s extraordinary move from Dallas to join LeBron James at the LA Lakers keeps on giving.
A report in The Athletic claimed the Mavericks had become concerned with Doncic’s love of beer and smoking hookah.
An alleged wrist injury late last year was actually a cover story, so Doncic could take a break to help regain fitness.
Doncic and King James prevailed last week when the Lakers beat the Mavericks in front of a huge viewing audience. An injured Davis was unable to line up for the Mavs.
The NRL have confirmed its integrity unit is investigating assistant coach, Richard Agar.