Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest | England)

hepatitis

This is good for Wood for the coming season Gibbs-White re-signing

Nottingham Forest: Morgan Gibbs-White signs new three-year contract - BBC Sport

Very, very good. To lose one of your top two assisters would be carelessness, but to lose two would have been disastrous. 

Still think he had the better simpatico with Elanga. Poor bugger, must have been planning on a Swedish reunion at Newcastle and Isak wants out. 

Still good news for Forest and Wood.  

hepatitis

This is good for Wood for the coming season Gibbs-White re-signing

Nottingham Forest: Morgan Gibbs-White signs new three-year contract - BBC Sport

The spurs fans are off tap about what happen, wanting him to be free, labeling the re signing video as a “hostage video”. I mean they are not wrong, it did look borderline line lol.

No Olympiakos match this pre season is a bit surprising.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/08/06/all-whites-striker-chris-wood-explains-forests-pre-season-goal-drought/

Actually 6 non Europeans. Salah, Agüero, Son, Yorke, Mané & Drogba.
But a high quality list for the Woodsman to join.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360786969/all-whites-striker-chris-wood-sets-sights-pretty-damn-huge-english-premier-league-milestone

Twelve months ago, when he was 31 goals away and heading into the last year of his contract, it was a dream.

Now, after the biggest year of his life – both on the field and off – and with a new deal that has him secure until the end of next season, it’s well within Chris Wood’s reach.

The “petty damn huge” achievement of scoring 100 English Premier League goals.

As the 2025-26 season starts this weekend, with Wood’s Nottingham Forest hosting Brentford at the City Ground on Sunday (kickoff 1am Monday NZ time), only 33 men have ever managed it.

And the 33-year-old All White, who has 89 to his name from 263 appearances across 11 different seasons, is next in line to join them, albeit with Manchester City star Erling Haaland, who has 85 from 97 appearances, coming up fast behind him.

“It would be pretty damn huge, in my opinion,” Wood said of potentially joining the 100-goal club, which includes just five players from outside Europe at present.

EPL kicks off for Forest as they host Brentford

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/08/17/england/premier-league/nottm-forest/brentford/4672229/

Our opening day XI! 🗞️ pic.twitter.com/eb34pGUkO5

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 17, 2025

Worries? Too few to mention!

Wood scores!

Already scored

Beaten to it

Opening day brace

Was waiting for the off side! 
Didn’t come cos he was on and on his bike! What a classy piece of finishing. 

Brentford may be regretting their management choices.

91 not out! Different season, same baller

Jazzy Jeff

91 not out! Different season, same baller

Just needs two more to surpass Viduka's record!

Get that hat trick boy!

And I think that’s his first assist from Anderson too. Another good sign. 

I do think Brentford are not currently the challenge they were or at the least allowed Forest to grow into the game where another team might not have.But game by game challenge by challenge. 

Hat trick first up would be very nice please sir! 

Covers the ground too- he’s run 5 and a half k too. 

The brace in a 3-1 win

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360786094/chris-wood-scores-two-nottingham-forest-beat-brentford-english-premier-league-opener

Overdue time for a Halberg award, and a statue in Cambridge.
Only when he leaves the EPL will it sink in how good he truly is/was, on the NZ sports scene.

Chris Wood's Football IQ 🧠💯 pic.twitter.com/lX0SM6z1m4

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 17, 2025

Chris Wood picking up where he left off 🪵 #FlyingKiwis pic.twitter.com/EpNJNVxn9U

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) August 17, 2025

Maybe when he hits 100 goals and joins the 34 others that have done it before him will the NZ media bandwagon will realise how good he has been and still is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_footballers_with_100_or_more_Premier_League_goals

If he dosnt get a Halberg the judges need to be shot especially  when there arnt many others standing out.

ballane

If he dosnt get a Halberg the judges need to be shot especially  when there arnt many others standing out.

This would make more interesting TV than the actual awards tbh!

Such a good run before the ball even dropped for his team mate 

Feverish

Such a good run before the ball even dropped for his team mate 

Something that may have been practiced on the training ground countless times to perfect. Turnover in that part of the field near Anderson, Wood starts run knowing Elliot A will bang it forward immediately. Was a beautifully weighted through ball.

ballane

If he dosnt get a Halberg the judges need to be shot especially  when there arnt many others standing out.

Would love for him to win it, but Carrington for example is a supreme athlete and a deserving winner IMO over Chris Wood last year.

It's not his fault, but Chris is trying to be world class in the toughest sport to reach that level in, based on numbers in the world. Carrington is clearly number 1... would Wood make the top 50 strikers in the world currently... maybe??

MetalLegNZ

ballane

If he dosnt get a Halberg the judges need to be shot especially  when there arnt many others standing out.

Would love for him to win it, but Carrington for example is a supreme athlete and a deserving winner IMO over Chris Wood last year.

It's not his fault, but Chris is trying to be world class in the toughest sport to reach that level in, based on numbers in the world. Carrington is clearly number 1... would Wood make the top 50 strikers in the world currently... maybe??

Yes. Comfortably.

MetalLegNZ

ballane

If he dosnt get a Halberg the judges need to be shot especially  when there arnt many others standing out.

Would love for him to win it, but Carrington for example is a supreme athlete and a deserving winner IMO over Chris Wood last year.

It's not his fault, but Chris is trying to be world class in the toughest sport to reach that level in, based on numbers in the world. Carrington is clearly number 1... would Wood make the top 50 strikers in the world currently... maybe??

Not saying he should win the over all neccasarily but deserves to have had multiple nominations and for me certainly deserves to have won the mens award.

Feverish

Such a good run before the ball even dropped for his team mate 

Yeah the trust in his team mate to put it where he wanted it was impressive. Its such an impressive goal  

Once he breaks 100 he should win it, if not it confirms the award is completely meaningless. 

100 premier league goals may never be repeated by a New Zealander again. At least it's unlikely in all our lifetimes. 

Who's closest - Nelsen/Reid with around 10 each?

Ninja

Once he breaks 100 he should win it, if not it confirms the award is completely meaningless. 

100 premier league goals may never be repeated by a New Zealander again. At least it's unlikely in all our lifetimes. 

Who's closest - Nelsen/Reid with around 10 each?

When he does that does the debate restart about our best ever footballer.

Ninja

Once he breaks 100 he should win it, if not it confirms the award is completely meaningless. 

100 premier league goals may never be repeated by a New Zealander again. At least it's unlikely in all our lifetimes. 

Who's closest - Nelsen/Reid with around 10 each?

If only there was a Halberg Award for 'Best Sportsman from August 2014 to December 2025'

andrewvoerman

Ninja

Once he breaks 100 he should win it, if not it confirms the award is completely meaningless. 

100 premier league goals may never be repeated by a New Zealander again. At least it's unlikely in all our lifetimes. 

Who's closest - Nelsen/Reid with around 10 each?

If only there was a Halberg Award for 'Best Sportsman from August 2014 to December 2025'

Give him the lifetime achievement award

MetalLegNZ

ballane

If he dosnt get a Halberg the judges need to be shot especially  when there arnt many others standing out.

Would love for him to win it, but Carrington for example is a supreme athlete and a deserving winner IMO over Chris Wood last year.

It's not his fault, but Chris is trying to be world class in the toughest sport to reach that level in, based on numbers in the world. Carrington is clearly number 1... would Wood make the top 50 strikers in the world currently... maybe??

14th best according to ChatGPT (yes huge grain of salt here but ya know, I'll take what I can get):

🔝 Top 20 Active Center-Forwards (Form + Stats Focus)

Rank Player Highlights & Recent Form
1 | Kylian Mbappé | 31 goals in 34 La Liga matches; Pichichi + European Golden Shoe; CL knockout stage dominance.
2 | Erling Haaland | Multiple PL hat-tricks already in 24/25; City’s captain; record-breaking strike rate.
3 | Ousmane Dembélé | 33 goals + 15 assists; Ligue 1 Player of the Year; CL winner with PSG.
4 | Harry Kane | Bundesliga Golden Boot; Bayern’s best season in years; clutch scorer in CW Cup.
5 | Victor Osimhen | 26 league goals on loan at Galatasaray; double winner; explosive pace + power.
6 | Lautaro Martínez | Serie A Capocannoniere + MVP; hat-trick hero in CL quarters.
7 | Viktor Gyökeres | Sporting CP talisman; dominant all-round forward; now Arsenal’s headline striker.
8 | Alexander Isak | Newcastle’s spearhead; high xG and goal involvement despite off-pitch uncertainty.
9 | Benjamin Šeško | Top U23 scorer; new Man Utd #9; 39 goals in two seasons at Leipzig.
10 | Robert Lewandowski | Still Barça’s finisher-in-chief at 36; slowed down but remains clinical.
11 | Julian Álvarez | Flourishing at Atlético; balances goals + playmaking.
12 | Ollie Watkins | Villa’s most consistent forward; pressing + link-up play excellent.
13 | Mateo Retegui | Breakthrough in Serie A; strong poacher instincts.
14 | Chris Wood | Career-best season: 20 PL goals in 24/25; hat-trick vs Brighton; brace opening 25/26; Forest’s talisman.
15 | Serhou Guirassy | Bundesliga breakout star; ruthless finisher at Dortmund.
16 | Hugo Ekitiké | Liverpool’s new modern forward; pace, dribbling, pressing.
17 | Jørgen Strand Larsen | Wolves’ surprise package; 14 goals in PL debut season.
18 | Evanilson | Bournemouth striker; strong comeback from injury (7 in 10).
19 | Raul Jiménez | Fulham’s veteran leader; 14 PL goals last season, strong resurgence.
20 | Joel Piroe | Championship Golden Boot; Leeds’ top striker moving into PL.

andrewvoerman

Ninja

Once he breaks 100 he should win it, if not it confirms the award is completely meaningless. 

100 premier league goals may never be repeated by a New Zealander again. At least it's unlikely in all our lifetimes. 

Who's closest - Nelsen/Reid with around 10 each?

If only there was a Halberg Award for 'Best Sportsman from August 2014 to December 2025'

Not sure if you're being tongue and cheek.

But seriously, how can a New Zealand footballer score nearly 100 goals in the most competitive league in the world (something that only 30-odd players have ever achieved), in the world's most played sport, spaced out over a decade, and still not win the national sport's award for a small nation like New Zealand.

Truly bizarre. 

Ninja

andrewvoerman

Ninja

Once he breaks 100 he should win it, if not it confirms the award is completely meaningless. 

100 premier league goals may never be repeated by a New Zealander again. At least it's unlikely in all our lifetimes. 

Who's closest - Nelsen/Reid with around 10 each?

If only there was a Halberg Award for 'Best Sportsman from August 2014 to December 2025'

Not sure if you're being tongue and cheek.

But seriously, how can a New Zealand footballer score nearly 100 goals in the most competitive league in the world (something that only 30-odd players have ever achieved), in the world's most played sport, spaced out over a decade, and still not win the national sport's award for a small nation like New Zealand.

Truly bizarre. 

Because the award is for sportsman of the year, not sportsman of the last 11 years, and New Zealand has a whole host of star sportsmen from year to year?

He was maybe slightly hard done by not to be a finalist in 2019 ( when he scored 12 EPL goals – they've since stopped sticking rigidly to four finalists, it seems), but otherwise his record at the Halberg Awards is par for the course – a finalist in 2024, the one year (so far) where he has been truly elite (with 18 EPL goals), but at the same time, not quite on the level of an Olympic high jump gold medalist.

If he continues to bang them in through the end of the year and Hamish Kerr doesn't win gold at the athletics world championships, he should be right up there again, with Ryan Fox, on the back of his two PGA wins, the clubhouse leader, so to speak.

Again, it goes back to the magnitude of the achievement. Most difficult competition in the world, most played sport in the world, only out-scored by 30-odd players in the history of the Premier League.

My point is, any rational person looking at those statistics would say he should have won the award at least one of those 11 years.

But yes, I do agree re the achievements of our other sports stars in NZ. I just think Wood's achievements have been overlooked in comparison.

As long as he gets up and says all the rowers in New Zealand can go f- themselves, I don’t care!

No not really, but that idiot who decided to open his very well funded niche sport mouth after 2010 (oh he’s just a passionate bigot) whose name I’ve forgotten was a rower…drawing against Italy in a WC not an achievement for NZ…mighta been Drysdale. 

And I like rowing tbh…but f me. 

andrewvoerman

Ninja

andrewvoerman

Ninja

Once he breaks 100 he should win it, if not it confirms the award is completely meaningless. 

100 premier league goals may never be repeated by a New Zealander again. At least it's unlikely in all our lifetimes. 

Who's closest - Nelsen/Reid with around 10 each?

If only there was a Halberg Award for 'Best Sportsman from August 2014 to December 2025'

Not sure if you're being tongue and cheek.

But seriously, how can a New Zealand footballer score nearly 100 goals in the most competitive league in the world (something that only 30-odd players have ever achieved), in the world's most played sport, spaced out over a decade, and still not win the national sport's award for a small nation like New Zealand.

Truly bizarre. 

Because the award is for sportsman of the year, not sportsman of the last 11 years, and New Zealand has a whole host of star sportsmen from year to year?

He was maybe slightly hard done by not to be a finalist in 2019 ( when he scored 12 EPL goals – they've since stopped sticking rigidly to four finalists, it seems), but otherwise his record at the Halberg Awards is par for the course – a finalist in 2024, the one year (so far) where he has been truly elite (with 18 EPL goals), but at the same time, not quite on the level of an Olympic high jump gold medalist.

If he continues to bang them in through the end of the year and Hamish Kerr doesn't win gold at the athletics world championships, he should be right up there again, with Ryan Fox, on the back of his two PGA wins, the clubhouse leader, so to speak.

Look I have little idea of the Halbergs criteria, but really Ryan Fox. It's not like he's won a major. And again as others have opined football is truly the world game.  

Golf lets be honest is basically a Caucasian & Asian elitist sport, with yes huge dollar earnings for the very top echelon. But the % of world's popn who would know who Ryan Fox is, outside of NZ is tiny. I have a regular golfer friend here in Aussie, who's barely heard of Fox.

andrewvoerman

Ninja

andrewvoerman

Ninja

Once he breaks 100 he should win it, if not it confirms the award is completely meaningless. 

100 premier league goals may never be repeated by a New Zealander again. At least it's unlikely in all our lifetimes. 

Who's closest - Nelsen/Reid with around 10 each?

If only there was a Halberg Award for 'Best Sportsman from August 2014 to December 2025'

Not sure if you're being tongue and cheek.

But seriously, how can a New Zealand footballer score nearly 100 goals in the most competitive league in the world (something that only 30-odd players have ever achieved), in the world's most played sport, spaced out over a decade, and still not win the national sport's award for a small nation like New Zealand.

Truly bizarre. 

Because the award is for sportsman of the year, not sportsman of the last 11 years, and New Zealand has a whole host of star sportsmen from year to year?

He was maybe slightly hard done by not to be a finalist in 2019 ( when he scored 12 EPL goals – they've since stopped sticking rigidly to four finalists, it seems), but otherwise his record at the Halberg Awards is par for the course – a finalist in 2024, the one year (so far) where he has been truly elite (with 18 EPL goals), but at the same time, not quite on the level of an Olympic high jump gold medalist.

If he continues to bang them in through the end of the year and Hamish Kerr doesn't win gold at the athletics world championships, he should be right up there again, with Ryan Fox, on the back of his two PGA wins, the clubhouse leader, so to speak.

Correct. It's a bit like how Peter O'Toole was nominated for 8 Best Actor Oscars but never won one. Brilliant actor in his own right but lost out to people like Marlon Brando, Gregory Peck, John Wayne, Ben Kingsley, Robert De Niro etc... pretty decent actors!

Maybe there will be some kind of lifetime achievement Halberg which Wood would obviously be a lock for? Or as you say, he bangs in another 15-20 this year and outshines the other candidates.

Awards stuff for sport can always a bit iffy.  There'd be good arguments in the past for Rufer and Nelsen to have won national awards (perhaps even Steven Sumner), but as far as I can recall it didn't happen...

There's even years when NZF decisions were debatable.  I was once asked to make a video compilation about Nelsen as he was getting player of the year, I think around 2006 or 2007.  But he'd been injured for a chunk of the year, while Chris Killen had the best year of his career (I think in Scotland?), scored some really important goals for Hibs and the AWs, moved to Celtic, played Champions League and would have been the logical choice (and realistically his only chance as Nelsen was a shoo-in most years).  When I asked about this, the answer was "oh, um, we've already booked the video link with Ryan..."

So awards are subjective on the whole and very rarely agreed on.

That’s hilarious KM! 

If he passes the 100 goal mark before the aeards. He should get it for performances end of last season and this. Being a non Olympic sport year should help his chances.