They both impressed me today. It just might mean our 2 captains, Reece and Enzo are benched. Dunno how they’d take it, but they both have to seriously prove themselves this season and fight for their place in the XI. We have an incredibly talented squad this season.
I don’t earn the most money. I don’t own my own home, have a flashy job, or drive an expensive car. Heck I have like $6 in my bank account atm and just holding out til payday (DW all the bills are paid and we’ve got groceries for the week). It’s just the season I’m in atm…
Regardless of all that, I feel like a winner.
What I do have is three boys who I already know love me, and that feels worth more than anything money could buy.
My eldest is 3.5, and being his dad is just the best. He always wants to play. We build Thomas the Tank Engine tracks together every day, roleplay characters from his favourite shows, and lately he’s gotten really into board games and charades. He’s also starting to take an interest in soccer and basketball, and watching him try to dunk a basketball or take penalties is hilarious. 😂
My 2 year old is right in that rough-and-tumble phase, and my boys absolutely love wrestling and mucking around with Dad. 2 year old has a disability but he still doesn’t mind me throwing him softly onto the mattress
Then every night, I get to put them both to bed, read stories together, and have a laugh with them before they go to sleep.
Our youngest is only a month old and I’m going to miss spending all this time with the family when I have to go back to work next week 🥲
I genuinely feel like I’ve hit the jackpot at life.
There are obviously hard days, and life isn’t perfect, but moments like these make everything worth it. I’d do absolutely anything to be there for my boys, to be present, and to give them a dad who they know will always show up for them.
I’m just really grateful, man. Being a dad is so much fun. ❤️
Title
Call me crazy, but I don't think life was ever supposed to be this.
Wake up exhausted. Sit in traffic or cram onto a train or a bus for almost two hours a day. Spend 40+ hours a week making somebody else richer. Ask permission to eat. Ask permission to go to the toilet. Count down the hours until Friday. Get two days to recover from the week you just survived, then spend one of them doing laundry, food shopping and all the jobs you couldn't do because you were at work.
Then Sunday night rolls around and the anxiety starts all over again.
And after all that? Most of your wages disappear on rent, bills and food before you've even had the chance to enjoy them.
People call this "normal."
I call it existing, not living.
We've somehow accepted a system where the best years of our lives are traded away just so we can survive long enough to do it all again next week.
He came back home to watch the New Zealand Warriors play the Penrith Panthers in the NRL (National Rugby League). Btw if you guys are looking for a sport to watch during the NBA off-season, Rugby League is awesome.
We won the league the following season!!!
I'm keen to see how he does under Alonso. Alonso was an elite midfielder, you can't tell me him being the manager won't help Enzo's game.
Enzo is a rare archetype in todays game, a midfielder that can dicate games but also crash into the box and score goals (he can be deployed as a 6, 8 and 10). Chelsea hasn't had this type of player since Lampard.
If we sell him and sign Wharton I don't think that's an ideal replacement. Wharton is a 6 with some physical limitations. Plus we'd be strengthening Man City by selling Enzo... City are a direct rival for a top 5 spot this season.
4-2-3-1
1st XI
Sanchez
James Lacroix Colwill Hato
Enzo Caicedo
Estevao Palmer Rogers
Pedro
2nd XI
Penders
Palestra Acheampong Fofana Chavarria
Lavia Henderson
Neto Barco Gittens
Welbeck
Can make a case for Quenda but he is behind Estevao and Neto (if he stays) for now.
If we play a 3-4-2-1
1st XI
Sanchez
James Lacroix Colwill
Plaestra Enzo Caicedo Chavarria
Palmer Rogers
Pedro
2nd XI
Penders
Fofana Acheampong Hato
Quenda Lavia Barco Neto
Estevao Gittens
Welbeck
There’s a good reason Steven Adams didn’t care exactly which team LeBron James landed with for next year’s NBA season....
After eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers, the 41-year-old four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP signed a two-year, US$8 million ($14m) deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for what shapes up as the final move of his illustrious career.
It was one of several big splashes the Eastern Conference side made, revamping their line-up for a run at the NBA title in the season ahead.
But while it looks good on the team sheet, Adams said names on paper meant little in the context of the game itself.
“You go there for whatever reason but, honestly, I don’t really care too much because it doesn’t necessarily matter in that sense,” the Houston Rockets’ Kiwi centre told the Herald.
Just because you have to see how you are in the year. You have to come together. You know, even our team, we have to click, you know what I mean? Come together as a buy-in. New data comes out, do we have to change the play style? There’s a lot of other variables.
“I mean it’s cool, but just for me, I’m just like whoever’s on the other team, cool. I have to worry about our team. Like, how we’re going to do. So, all good.
“I think it’s good that he got it done with though, because I think the commissioner just wanted to get the bloody schedule done, which I agree with because I want to tell the boys so then they can start booking their flights. Come over for a visit. So, I’m happy he’s done that, so thank you, LeBron. Thanks, mate.”
While the new season gives teams the chance to start fresh, it also offers players another chance to make their marks in what is widely regarded as the top level of the sport.
Adams only made 32 appearances for the Rockets last year, his second season with the franchise, because of an ankle injury that required surgery. It was the fewest games he had played in a season in his 12-year career to date.
However, his benefit to the team was evident as he was second on the roster in rebounds per game (8.6) behind young Turkish centre Alperen Sengun (8.9). He was also second in offensive rating (team’s points per 100 possessions) at 125 and equal fourth in defensive rating (opposition points per 100 possessions) at 112.
The Rockets run a balanced roster of young talents such as Sengun, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith jnr, alongside league veterans like Adams, point guard Fred VanVleet – who missed all of last season because of injury – and former MVP Kevin Durant, and have made few new additions so far in free agency.
It means Adams takes on a mentoring role, something he was doing during his time in New Zealand as he hosted his annual camps and he had launched a strategic partnership with the New Zealand Warriors around a fundraising campaign.
It’s still exciting competing at that level and seeing the growth throughout the year,” he said of his time with the Rockets.
“Not just as an individual, bro, but as a team. You have to constantly change, seeing stuff click finally throughout the year, because it’s tough, ups and downs ... so, getting those at a consistent level, kind of mitigates the ups and downs a little bit.”
The 33-year-old has made a career for himself as, among other things, a strong interior defender, offensive rebounder and solid screen-setter.
So, when Rockets legend and one of the all-time great NBA post-scorers Hakeem Olajuwon comes to do some work with the team’s bigs, Adams joked that those sorts of sessions were not meant for him.
“He comes around and checks it out and all that, but that’s for the scoring guys, bro. I’m the rebound guy. I’m a rebound guy, mate. I get paid to rebound and set some screens and all that, so I just do my own film and all this sort of stuff. But yeah, I’ll jump on and have a little wiggle if he’s around.”
It’s that attitude of knowing his strengths, what he brings to the team and what his role is that has seen Adams have success as a more traditional big man in a league where those types of players have a harder time making their mark.
“I mean the game constantly changes, so you have to make strategic or tactical adjustments, personal ones. You try and stay in the league, but try and impact winning. That’s all I’ve been trying to do, just try and do the right things,” he said.
One of those things is to stay as healthy as possible – though that isn’t always something he can control.
For instance, the injury that ruled him out for the majority of last season was suffered when he landed on New Orleans Pelicans’ forward Zion Williamson’s foot after contesting a shot.
I usually try and highlight any of the chronic damages that you could have over a career, try and mitigate those as much as possible. The acute injuries you can’t do too much [about]. Like, say mine, I landed on someone’s foot, it’s part of the game. Those are going to come from it. Those are fine, to be expected honestly. But as long as the rest of the body is relatively healthy, there’s no damage over time or very little damage over time, you know?
“That’s the main thing, staying healthy. You can try and do all this other stuff, bro, but if your body’s a bit messed up, it’s going to hinder you. I’ve just been highlighting that throughout my whole career.”
During his time in the NBA, Adams has been clear that he never had any expectations of what might follow when he declared for the NBA Draft in 2013.
Now, having established himself and heading into his 13th campaign, that outlook hasn’t changed.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I never had any expectations for how long. Like whether it’s in the league or not, I just love playing basketball,” he said.
“I’ve been looking after my body as much as I can, I mainly do it just for after basketball so I can still be functional and not move around too bad or whatever. So I’ve been doing it mainly for that. But I’ll cross that bridge when it comes."
I’ll play as long as I can. I just love it, bro. The competition is so high. It’s such a rush. There’s nothing like it. You get to really get immediate feedback if you’re good enough to beat a team. It’s right there, you know what I mean? So, I’m a huge fan.”
(Via Christopher Reive/NZ Herald)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/.../QWAPE3K53BHA7C42ZXFDL7.../...
(Images via NZ Herald/AP/Steven Adams Camps)
Feel like we r flying under the radar, which will take the pressure off everyone.Just praying for good health. We have depth in every position and addressed the PG depth problem with a “Smart” acquisition… FVV and Adams returning is going to be huge, they both played so well in the playoffs in 2025 and we clearly missed them against the Lakers. Sengun, Amen, Jabari, Reed and Tari are all going to get better. I have really high hopes for this season.
Just curious to know what everyone thinks is Xabi’s best team and second team.
Hopefully the rugby boys smash them... and show the footballers how its done.
The manner in which we lost. Handing it to Argentina, makes me not even want to watch the final now. Usuaully I'm happy to watch as a neutral, but it feels like I have been robbed of an England final.
Maybe I’m biased as a Chelsea fan, but Tuchel is a tactically astute manager. He took a Chelsea side that was mid-table after Lampard’s sacking and led them to the Champions League in impressive fashion, beating Real Madrid and Manchester City along the way. In the following season, he went toe-to-toe with Klopp’s Liverpool side that finished on 92 points, reaching two cup finals and only narrowly losing both on penalties. Many Chelsea fans felt he was harshly sacked when the new ownership came in and were left disappointed by his departure.
Now, as England manager, Tuchel has made some bold selection calls, leaving out players like Hall, Maguire, Palmer, Foden, Gibbs-White, Bowen and Wharton. However, he clearly has a specific profile and tactical system in mind.
My first observation is the physical profile of the squad. The midfield options such as Rice, Anderson and Bellingham are all powerful, athletic players. Henderson also fits that mould in terms of experience and industry, and it’s easy to see why he’s included as a reliable option off the bench. These players can cover ground, compete physically, and handle high-intensity matches.
Bellingham, in particular, looks like the key link with Kane. He offers goal threat, late runs into the box, and the ability to carry the ball through crowded defences when space is limited. Morgan Rogers also fits a similar profile and could step in if Bellingham is out of form or injured.
Out wide, Tuchel has clearly prioritised pace and directness. Rather than selecting players who operate in similar central spaces to Kane like Palmer or Foden, he has gone for natural wingers such as Rashford, Gordon, Madueke and Saka. The idea seems to be that Kane drops deeper, while wide players attack the space in behind, stretching defences and providing direct service.
In defence, Maguire stands out as the main omission, but Burn’s inclusion makes sense if Tuchel switches to a back three. Burn provides a left-footed balance and is a threat from set pieces.
Hall’s omission is notable, but Tuchel has clearly prioritised versatility. O’Reilly appears to be the first-choice left-back, with Reece James as the main right-back option. Spence and Livramento add versatility, able to operate on both flanks, while Quansah also offers cover at full-back if required.
Overall, Tuchel seems to be building a physically dominant, high-intensity side designed for pressing football. The focus is on athletic midfielders, pacey wide players who can run in behind, and adaptable defenders capable of shifting between a back four and back five if needed. The system is clearly built to maximise Harry Kane, who is in Ballon d’Or level form, by surrounding him with runners, physicality and tactical flexibility.