By Peter Jessup
The only people who did not have big, beaming smiles after the Auckland Warriors' record 42-0 demolition job on Newcastle on Saturday were the 17 Knights and their coach, Warren Ryan.
Up in the Warriors' corporate box, visiting All Blacks felt good for the team, who had taken a
lot of stick, because they found out how that felt last year.
"We've got some pretty big roosters too, but gee, they really go at each other don't they," was Andrew Mehrtens' assessment as Terry Hermansson began the tackle count by rolling three defenders, then Joe Vagana became next cab off the rank.
Tana Umaga had played some league and explained the finer points of the game to Christian Cullen, Daryl Gibson, Alama Ieremia, Justin Marshall and Norm Maxwell. Next to them, Tainui financial manager Jeff Green was offering to sell shares in the club. He was just joking though, because those shares have undoubtedly gone up in value and will go further if the club keeps on its roll on the field.
The Mad Butcher was fizzing. Also smiling was Auckland Regional Council parks and recreation committee chairman Bill Burrill, assuring everyone that when the Warriors brought crowds like Saturday's 15,385 every fortnight they would have reason to build a better home ground for them.
Not smiling was Ryan, who said he would not have talked to the media at all except that he felt he owed Auckland some congratulations.
"You have to scratch your head and wonder why they're not in the [top] eight," he said in crediting them with a complete performance.
He pointed at the statistics that showed Newcastle completed only 10 of the 20 sets of six they had in a first half in which the Warriors finished 20-0 up by holding the ball for 16 of their 22.
"They were a very tired side, my blokes," he said of the dressing-room at the break.
In the second half Newcastle had plenty of ball and attacking opportunities but brilliant defence kept them out, Robert Mears setting a club tackling record with 45.
Alarm bells would be ringing over the Tasman as teams looked towards 2000, Ryan said. And one Sydney punter was beaming. He invested 50c in the New South Wales footytab, picked the exact score and won $A77,000.
