OFC Nations Cup 2016 Final - vs PNG | Sat 11 Jun | 6pm | SS Popup

Accorsding to el Grapadura they do so fudge know why this is happening.

Piney said it's for his sisters wedding (Unconfirmed)

".. new Leeds coach Garry Monk has said he expects his players to turn up for pre-season training at the end of this month."

- Yorkshire evening Post 

He should've flown sister & groom & guests to PNG for the bloody wedding.

Herald don't know what they're talking about.

NZF release - sister's wedding

Don't why they couldn't say this from the start

I'm guessing they thought they would try and avoid a Tommy Smith-esque furore by only announcing it if we made the final.

If Wood is skipping the final for his sister's wedding, then good on him and I fully back his decision but why not just come out and say that? 

But they only announce it after the news broke he mysteriously left the camp. Why not do it last night? They just lurch from one crisis to another

Yea I kinda agree there too.  

It sucks he's not playing for us in the final but he has no control over his sisters wedding and sometimes you have to put family before all else.  It would also explain it being pre-arranged with NZF.

Wouldn't want to be in Wood's skin if we fluff the final.

Vengance will rain upon him.

That's a bit unfair. 

Would you equally blame Reid? At least Wood got us to the final.

Well, Wood and the New Caledonian keeper.

I think it was really just the New Caledonian keeper.

Who gets married in Auckland in June FFS

it would be even worse if Tommy Smith was marrying his sister 

What a shambles

Unless she is marrying Tommy Smith.

Edit: Sorry AP, tried to steal your line.

Sucks not to have your captain for the final of the major tournament. 

I'm sure his sister is lovely

that is all

His sister is getting married, and he wants to attend the wedding instead, man if PNG wins, this wedding has 

cost nzfootball dearly.

It said that it was organised 12 months ago, the tournament was extended wasn't it with more days between games? They probably organised it as best they could thinking that the timing would work out well between the nations cup and Leads preseason.

Weddings tend to cost more than football tournaments these days.

No surprise that the wedding date cannot be moved just because we reached the final.

there's no way this is outside of a fifa window based on the fact that the copa america is on and the euros will have started

This needs a poll

Putting aside the merits of Woods decision to attend the wedding over playing the final to one side, this reeks once again of a Royal NZ football cock up

They obviously knew about this clash well in advance and where Chris's priorities lay

Nevertheless they made him captain. The first question that should be asked of them is Why would you do that if you knew he wasn't going to lead the team all the way? Maybe a player but captain?

The second question is why didn't they announce his unavailability when the squad was named? Did they think let's see if we can get to the final first and then deal with the fall out/crap if/when we make it? That's a child's attitude but seems to have been their approach. 

Question 3, should be when was the team advised of his unavailability? I wouldn't be surprised if once again it was only after the semi final. If so then that would be inexcusable as it is one thing pulling the wool over the public's eyes it is another pulling it over your fellow team mate. The fact this wasn't leaked suggests to me that could have indeed been the case. If it was then someone needs to be fired.

Don't worry guys, Rory Fallon will captain the team, score the winning goal and lift the trophy -- fairy tales ending!!!???

NZ Football are so bloody useless. Goddamn, it's infuriating. Hope we lose so some officials at NZF as well as Hudson get fired.

There will be a miracle All whites will qualify for the confederations cup. They will get to the final against Turkey. Reid, Wood and Themi will all pull out to attend Smiths wedding.

His name's Smith, not Lannister.

... oh, you meant Chris Wood's sister. Never mind.

original format had a home and away series instead of the nations cup. The last game for this series was to be 9 June. Format was changed last July to what we have today. And that new format is longer. Entirely plausible that the (winter) wedding was organised to be a few days after 9 June so Word could attend and then return to England for preseason.

Reckons on tactics and stuff after the New Caledonia game...

https://in-the-back-of-the.net/2016/06/09/like-it-or-lump-it/

Wood has been shark anyway this tournament he's scored a couple of average goals , I don't feel he is a loss have never rated him

wow

A goal a game, not sure what you're complaining about. He's our best striker at the moment and has been for a while. 1 goal a game this tournament is much better than the 0.0213 goals a game from Jeremy Brockie.

don't rate him, end of

lol, clown

Fixed

If I could have any striker in the tournament that big skilful bugger from NC would be my pick.

muppet

very nervous about this game. Especially with wood and themi gone.