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# WFR XXX Pre-Season Review: Three Days Done, Season Kick Off Awaits ### WFR XXX Season Kick Off: 6 June After three packed days of WFR XXX pre-season rugby, the first real picture of the competition is starting to form. There were blowouts, thrillers, late comebacks, red-card turning points, defensive arm wrestles and several individual performances that demanded attention. With the official season now approaching on 6 June, the pre-season has done exactly what it needed to do — expose weaknesses, reveal genuine threats, and give every franchise a clearer idea of where they stand. Some teams look close to season-ready. Some showed flashes but still need polish. Others are searching for answers before the real competition begins. One thing is certain: WFR XXX is building towards a fascinating opening round. ## The Big Movers ### Peninsula Whalers The Peninsula Whalers may be one of the most settled sides coming out of pre-season. They claimed the Akaroa Cup in a 26-19 derby win over the Peninsula Pioneers, drew 17-17 with Hawkes Bay Magpies, and then delivered a dominant 42-5 victory over Edinburgh Cannon. What stood out most was balance. The Whalers showed they can win tight matches, survive physical arm wrestles, and also put teams away when momentum swings in their favour. Richie Mo'unga was central to their best rugby, controlling territory and punishing teams from the tee. Chay Fihaki and Seb Calder both impressed against Edinburgh, while Joe Cokanasiga, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Braydon Ennor all gave the Whalers genuine finishing power. The Whalers look organised, experienced and dangerous. ### Silverstream Wild Silverstream’s pre-season had everything: chaos, courage, recovery and late drama. Their 47-36 loss to Taupō Toa was wild in every sense, with Silverstream fighting bravely despite two red cards. They then bounced back strongly with a 39-16 win over Perth Reds, powered by a Devan Flanders hat-trick, before edging Brisbane Pirates 31-26 thanks to a late Peter Lakai match-winning try. That tells us plenty about the Wild. They have firepower, they have resilience, and they have players capable of taking over games. Peter Lakai and Devan Flanders were two of the standout forwards of the entire pre-season. Jordie Barrett was composed and accurate against Brisbane, while Jackson Garden-Bachop controlled the Perth match well. Silverstream still need to tidy discipline and handling, but their ceiling looks extremely high. ### Durban Sports Club Durban were one of the most interesting teams across the three days. They destroyed Brisbane Pirates 48-5 in a huge statement performance, then beat Brisbane again 39-26 in a much tougher rematch. But their 30-5 loss to Californian Grizzlies showed that they are not untouchable. At their best, Durban looked powerful, direct and extremely clinical. Damian Willemse was outstanding in the first Brisbane match, while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu produced a superb captain’s performance in the rematch. But the California result raised questions. Durban were shut out in the first half and struggled to convert lineout dominance into points. The talent is obvious. The challenge now is consistency. ### Californian Grizzlies California had the strangest pre-season arc of any team. They were hammered 64-14 by New Mexico Diablos, then suffered a brutal 68-0 defeat to Leeds Tigers. At that point, there were serious concerns about their defensive structure, possession control and ability to stay in matches. Then came the response. The Grizzlies stunned Durban Sports Club 30-5 in one of the biggest turnaround performances of the pre-season. Zion Going was excellent, scoring 20 points and controlling the match, while Ben Pinkelman and Sam Golla crossed for tries. That win changes the conversation. California still have plenty to fix, but they proved they can respond under pressure. Their season may depend on whether the Durban performance was a true reset or a one-off spike. ## The Statement Teams ### Leeds Tigers No team made a louder single-game statement than Leeds Tigers. Their 68-0 demolition of Californian Grizzlies was ruthless. George Ford delivered a masterclass, Sam Underhill scored a hat-trick, and Jamison Gibson-Park controlled tempo superbly. Leeds dominated possession, territory and the scoreboard. They looked structured, physical and brutally efficient. The question is whether that performance reflects their true level across the season. If it does, Leeds could become one of the benchmark teams very quickly. ### New Mexico Diablos New Mexico’s 64-14 win over California was another massive warning shot. Manie Libbok was outstanding, scoring 29 points and controlling the entire contest. Gregory Alldritt crossed twice, while Oscar Lennon, Damian Penaud, Pita Vi, Ben Broselle and Ezekiel Lindenmuth all contributed to a devastating attacking display. The Diablos showed pace, power and scoreboard ruthlessness. Their attack looks dangerous enough to trouble anyone. Now they need to prove they can reproduce that level against stronger defensive teams. ### Taupō Toa Taupō Toa delivered one of the most exciting performances of the pre-season with their 47-36 win over Silverstream Wild. Rivez Reihana was exceptional, finishing with 27 points, while Evan Roos scored twice and provided the power that helped Taupō close the match out. The Toa showed attacking variety and composure under pressure. Even when Silverstream launched a comeback, Taupō found another gear. They look like a side that can score quickly and punish teams that lose discipline. ## The Tough Competitors ### Santiago Condors Santiago had a mixed but very useful pre-season. They beat Central Vikings 38-26, drew 20-20 with Harlequins Cymraeg after conceding two late tries, then lost 29-5 to Wellington Dolphins. Their best performance came against Central, where Tomas Albornoz and Alfonso Escobar both scored doubles and the Condors looked sharp in attack. But the Wellington loss showed they can struggle when starved of possession and pinned back by set-piece pressure. Santiago have talent and attacking quality, but their next step is finding consistency across the full eighty minutes. ### Wellington Dolphins Wellington’s pre-season should give them confidence. They lost 30-16 to Peninsula Pioneers in a match heavily influenced by a red card, but responded brilliantly with a 29-5 win over Santiago Condors. That Santiago performance was one of the Dolphins’ best signs yet. Carter Gordon controlled the scoreboard, Cam Roigard scored early and dictated tempo, while Brad Shields, Josh Moorby and the Wellington pack all played key roles. The Dolphins look like a team with strong structure and a serious platform if their discipline holds. ### Peninsula Pioneers The Pioneers had a competitive but slightly frustrating pre-season. They lost narrowly to the Whalers in the Akaroa Cup, beat Wellington 30-16, then were edged 10-6 by Southern Swashbucklers in a defensive grind. Romain Ntamack was the clear standout, especially against Wellington, where he scored 20 points and took control after the Dolphins’ red card. Will Tucker also impressed with two tries in that match. The Pioneers are hard to break down and have quality in key positions, but they will want more attacking fluency before the season begins. ### Brisbane Pirates Brisbane had a difficult start with a 48-5 loss to Durban, but they improved significantly after that. Their 39-26 rematch loss to Durban was far more competitive, and their 31-26 defeat to Silverstream showed real fight. Quade Cooper was excellent against Silverstream, scoring two drop goals, two penalties and two conversions, almost dragging Brisbane to a famous win. Maurice Longbottom also stood out with a double against Durban. The Pirates may not have the results yet, but their trend is upward. They look far better now than they did at the start of pre-season. ## The Work-On List ### Hawkes Bay Magpies Hawkes Bay only featured once in the reports above, drawing 17-17 with Peninsula Whalers. That was a strong result against a well-organised Whalers team. Macca Springer and Tim Farrell scored tries, Cam Millar was composed from the tee, and the Magpies showed plenty of resilience. The main issue was handling. Thirteen handling errors made life difficult and prevented them from converting pressure into a win. Still, the Magpies look competitive and well capable of troubling teams if they clean up execution. ### Harlequins Cymraeg Harlequins Cymraeg showed excellent character in their 20-20 draw with Santiago Condors. Trailing 20-6 with five minutes remaining, they scored through Morgan Morris and Johnny McNicholl to complete a dramatic comeback. Sam Costelow was composed under pressure and converted both late tries. The concern is that they left the comeback so late. The positive is obvious: this team does not quit. ### Southern Swashbucklers Southern Swashbucklers produced one of the grittiest wins of the pre-season, beating Peninsula Pioneers 10-6 despite playing the final stages with fourteen men after Luke Jacobson’s red card. Sevu Reece scored the only try, Harry Godfrey kicked the key points, and the defence held firm. It was not flashy, but it was tough. The Swashbucklers look like a side that can win ugly, and that matters once the season begins. ### Central Vikings Central Vikings lost 38-26 to Santiago Condors, but there were positives. Ethan de Groot scored twice, Damian McKenzie was dangerous, and Du'Plessis Kirifi added a late try. They showed attacking quality, but Santiago controlled territory and pressure for too long. The Vikings have enough talent to be dangerous, but they need to tighten discipline and defensive organisation. ### Edinburgh Cannon Edinburgh had a rough outing against Peninsula Whalers, falling 42-5. Josh Taylor scored their only try, and there were moments where Edinburgh threatened the Whalers line, but they were overwhelmed by Peninsula’s possession and territory dominance. They will need to improve their defensive exits, discipline and ability to stay in contests when momentum turns against them. ### Perth Reds Perth showed promise in patches against Silverstream Wild but eventually fell 39-16. They actually had more possession than Silverstream, but 13 handling errors hurt them badly. Noah Lolesio kicked well, and Ben Tapuai scored their only try, but Perth were not clinical enough when chances arrived. Their foundation is there, but execution must improve quickly. ## Players Standing Out Several players made a serious impression across the three pre-season days. ### Rivez Reihana — Taupō Toa Reihana’s 27-point performance against Silverstream was one of the individual displays of the pre-season. He was perfect from the tee and scored a crucial try when the match tightened. ### George Ford — Leeds Tigers Ford was outstanding in Leeds’ 68-0 win over California, finishing with 28 points through eight conversions, three penalty goals and a drop goal. His control was elite. ### Manie Libbok — New Mexico Diablos Libbok’s 29-point performance against California was a captain’s masterclass. He scored, kicked goals and controlled a dominant Diablos attack. ### Damian Willemse — Durban Sports Club Willemse’s 23-point display against Brisbane showed his class. He controlled the scoreboard and punished every mistake. ### Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu — Durban Sports Club Sacha was brilliant in Durban’s 39-26 win over Brisbane, scoring 24 points and steering his side through pressure. ### Romain Ntamack — Peninsula Pioneers Ntamack was excellent across the Pioneers’ matches and produced a 20-point performance against Wellington. He looks central to everything Peninsula want to do. ### Richie Mo'unga — Peninsula Whalers Mo'unga controlled the Whalers superbly, especially in the Edinburgh win. His game management and goal-kicking make Peninsula far more dangerous. ### Peter Lakai — Silverstream Wild Lakai’s hat-trick against Brisbane, including the match-winning try, was enormous. He looks like one of Silverstream’s most damaging forwards. ### Devan Flanders — Silverstream Wild Flanders also delivered a hat-trick, powering Silverstream past Perth. His finishing close to the line was outstanding. ### Zion Going — Californian Grizzlies Going led California’s stunning turnaround against Durban, scoring 20 points and giving the Grizzlies a badly needed spark. ### Carter Gordon — Wellington Dolphins Gordon was strong for Wellington, especially in the win over Santiago, where he scored a try and controlled the scoreboard. ### Sam Costelow — Harlequins Cymraeg Costelow held his nerve in the dramatic draw with Santiago, converting both late tries and leading the comeback. ## Overall Pre-Season Read If pre-season is about finding signs, there are plenty. The Whalers look balanced. Silverstream look dangerous. Durban look powerful but still vulnerable. Leeds and New Mexico produced the biggest one-game statements. Taupō look explosive. Wellington look improved. The Pioneers look tough. Brisbane are building. California showed they can respond. There is no perfect team yet, and that is what makes the 6 June kick off so exciting. The sides that can combine discipline, set-piece control and finishing power will rise quickly. The sides that keep leaking penalties, handling errors or red-card moments will be punished. Pre-season is now over. The experiments are done. On 6 June, WFR XXX becomes real.