ITM Cup 2010
 

TMO's are returning for this season. It sounds like they are using a system like the NRL where what's broadcast is what the TMO is seeing and he can ask for specific replays/angles/slowmos from SKY.

stuff article

Anyone making predictions / bets this far out?

Counties to do reasonably well.

Wellington to dominate during the season but choke in the final.

Well thats a givein. How about Sonny Bill to tear apart all teams all by himself.

Then he wakes up and he's still on the bench?

I hope for that every season :(

hahahah... oh wait :(

The new TMO setup to me sounded like a monitor on the side of the pitch like they have in American Football, I guess I heard it wrong :P

I think Taranaki will be HUGE contenders this season, they've put together a superb team, should make the semi's i reckon, they'll be the dark horse for sure.

The Bay team looks outstanding this year even without Delany, hope they can make another Top 4 finish like 2008.

Canterbury have a great looking backline but a very weak forward pack since half their regular forward pack are now All Blacks. Isaac Ross should keep them afloat in the line outs though.

Wellington will be pretty rubbish I think, big player drain and all their talent are in the All Blacks.

Waikato are going to be real stink too although Leonard will play a full season and Messam/Kahui are likely to play at least half a dozen games each.

Auckland should be good, not too bad a player drain and some good acquisitions, Berquist etc.

Counties look rubbish without Masaga. (Go the Bay! :D)

Watu will suck with no Cruden I suspect although Paku will be good on the wing if he gets any ball.

Hawkes Bay will struggle without Dagg and possibly Guildford if he gets another All Black call up. Losing Berquist is a huge blow for them.

Bay of Plenty to win the tournament at $40 is a safe bet.

lol Auckland to win a few games in front of empty stadiums then loose out.

So 7 team split for championship/premiership divisions end of this season. My prediction for premiership division.

Canterbury, Wellington, Auckland, Taranaki, Southland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato.

To the untrained eye, it would seem that the Magpies are putting a thick one up Canterbury.

Nailbiter of a game, bit lol at cantab infringing their way into a draw from miles away.

The first TMO decision didn't seem too painful either, took a wee bit to come through as he had some poor angles but he rightly called a no try that the ref might have awarded last year.

Agreed.

A pretty good game all round. Very happy with the Magpie's effort!

Go teh Bay!!

Stags and CM both looked good running with ball in hand, way less early jitters than most of the other teams. Umaga had a pretty big game for CM.

good solid start by Wellington in difficult conditions

Otago and Naki squads look very, very strong. How the hell did they both lose so convincingly?? Bay/Waikato game was so close to a draw. Ken Laban kept saying during the last 2 minutes stuff about 'very questionable referee calls' and 'controversial circumstances' like Waikato should have won by a lot more, I'm pretty sure he was saying the Bay's rolling maul try wasn't legit, looked fine to me, you're a dick Ken!

I'm thinkin' the magpies.

And, I was wrong. Disappointed. Far too many unforced errors and a lack of flicking the ball wide where the GAPS WERE FOR FUCKS SAKE!

flicked it over to the game with about 2 minutes to go....


OUCH :(


but last night's game.... dammit Turbos, almost had an epic win, there....!

Yea felt bad for the green last night, that yellow card was a bit random and meant they got tired and let in 2 soft tries. Real shame as they were a much more competitive side, seemed like every 2nd ruck they were nicking the cantabs ball.

Stags first big shield challenge against Otago this arvo. Should be a good game.

Great last touch of the ball Waikato, the commentator made me LOL "they're going right... What are they doing?!@"

Counties for the Shield next week :D

You fool, they were playing the best Rugby team on Earth they never had a chance mate!

Watu would have won if their coach hadn't failed them and taken Paku off who would have undoubtedly slotted at least one of the two penalties in the last 10 minutes, poor Watu :(

I owned everyone, perfect team/margin for Canterbury, Harbour, Southland and the Naki, thanks for coming.

GO COUNTIES! Unbelievable, must watch that one tonight on the MySky, Harbour winning by 1 point against Nland must have been a nail biter too.

If Umanga brought the shield back to Counties he could probably run for mayor and get elected!

To bring it back you would need to have held it in the first place. If we could win it this weekend it will be the first time. I have vague memories of last time we came close vs Auckland 20+ years ago well before the name change, score line was something like 9-10.

Yeah counties played well go southside! the sheild challenge should be a cracker.

+1 counties, they were crazy hungry at the breakdown... Don't know why they didn't field the wellington side that played in the second half for the whole 80 minutes but they were definately better than the jokers that played the first 40.

RS next week... what else can you say ^^ gonna to be huge.

Just watched Harbour vs Northland last night, that was an AWESOME ending. Full time and Harbour just rumbled the ball up the field for 22 phases over four and a half minutes to slot the winning drop goal. They tried it a minute earlier but Botica didn't have enough time so he pulled out and hit the line instead and just waited for the 2nd opportunity. Really patient, mature rugby, you'd think he was the son of an All Black or something ;)

How Thompson missed getting done for a late tackle is beyond me, directly in front of the touch judge, no arms...

It was another epic shield match. Good on CM for putting up such a mighty challenge. A try in that last 15mins and they would have walked away with the shield.

Laurence Corlett, the Hooker from the Naki is such a prick. Messam was holding his jersey sure but he didn't have to blind side him in the side of the head. Can't really blame Messam for the way he reacted, the #8 shouldn't have got involved but it's BS they both got yellow cards and the guy that instigated it all got away scott free!

GG Southland. Counties needs to learn how to hold the ball and be a bit more patient. Some awesome goal line defence from both sides.

Although Waikato is my least favourite team I did feel a little sorry for Messam getting binned. Always annoys me that the guy retaliating gets done. I can understand the officials point of view but what are you supposed to do, let some cunt just punch you in the head and enjoy it? (Think I've been reading too many Mojo posts).

I've watched and enjoyed more of the ITM cup games so far than the entire Super 14.

Yeah gutted for Messam, he took a clip over the air and a punch in the head and then it was just a mess as everyone piled in - refs should have just told everyone to calm down and left it at that. At least the ref's got it right with the double yellow cards in the Northland game although Munro should have been done for throwing one in and running away the chicken shit!

wtf tasman beat canterbury! upsets galore this season. be hard to pick a competition winner this year.

keep forgetting to make my picks in virtual, stupid thrusday closing :( Go the BAY!

Northland played hard tonight, Wellington tried pretty hard to lose it with the help of some interesting calls (and lack of) from the ref.

... and auckland suck the big one, horrid!

I feel bad for Northland they worked so hard for that win.

Phx: Huh? Auckland? Who cares?