March 10, 2025 • 19 mins
On Sports Fix with Jason Pine for 10th of March 2025, 15 year old Sam Ruthe and Sam Tanner have finished in a dead heat in the 1500m at the NZ track and field nationals in Dunedin. Their coach, Craig Kirkwood, joins the podcast to discuss, in particular, Sam Ruthe and what the future might hold for the young phenom.
Piney recaps the ICC Champions Trophy final and another 'so close, but yet so far' scenario for the Black Caps.
Plus, the Elijah Fa'afiu is back in the people's chamber to recap another blockbuster round of Super Rugby - and how nervous should the Warriors be ahead of their match this weekend against the Manly Sea Eagles?
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sporcefix Howard by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello there, and welcome into a new week and to
a new edition of the Sports Fix podcast for Monday,
the tenth of March. I'm Jason Pine. Good to have
you listening in. Another big sporting weekend is in the books,
and one of the most dramatic parts of it was
the dead heat in the final of the men's fifteen
hundred meters at the National Track and Field Champs in Dunedin.
(00:42):
Sam Tanner and Sam Ruth dead heating and sharing the
national title. They also share a coach. Craig Kirkwood is
the coach of both Sam's. He joins us today on
the Sports Fix podcast. We're in the chamber as well
with Elijah Fihu, who in the last few hours actually
has been at a Warriors media session. What sort of
field did he get coming out of the Warriors after
(01:03):
their first up heavy defeat to the Raiders in Vegas
As they look ahead to the next assignment on Friday
night at home against the Sea Eagles. We'll talk cricket
and Super Rugby as well, So lots to get into,
so let's get into it. In other news, let's get
underway with the big sports stories around today. The Black
Camps have lost the Champions Trophy cricket final to India
(01:26):
by four wickets in Dubai, and that's going away to
the friends. What's the Championships and it's another acco clean
Lake champions Cindya chasing down two hundred and fifty two
to beat New Zealand by four wickets with an over
to spare. Shane van Gisbergen's been tangled up in a
(01:47):
multi car wreck at the latest NASCAR race in Phoenix.
A twenty four car with William Byron would be a
little bit better troubling the back and two cars in
the wall.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Big wreck.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
They're still racking the dam agenda Shane Van Gisbergen's race.
He ultimately finished thirty first and keep we Stephen Elk
has won for the first time this season on golf
PGA Champions Tour, beating America and Jason Karen On the
first playoff hole at Arizona's La Palomit Country Club.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Plays this pipe for Birdie to win the Collar guard Classic.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It do you have it?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Stephen Alker.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine on.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
The Sports Fix podcast. Incredible scenes at the New Zealand
Track and Field Champs in Dunedin yesterday, two time Olympians
Sam Tanner and fifteen year old prodigy Sam Ruth sharing
gold in the men's fifteen hundred meters after a dead
heat in the final. Officials unable to separate the two
following a photo finish, both recording a time of three
minutes forty four point three to one seconds. Craig Kirkwood
(02:55):
coaches both runners and joins us Now. Craig in real time,
who did you think had won?
Speaker 3 (03:01):
To be honest, I had absolutely no Yeah. Coming down
the straight of look Tanna was going to target and
then Sam Ruth hit your deathity roll up on the
shoulder and almost leandham. So yeah, I had no idea
at the time, and even watching the footage now, I
still can't think it.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
How uncommon is a dead heat in I know it happens.
I think it probably happens more often in the shorter
distances in a fifteen hundred meter race. Have you seen
a dead heat before.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
No, never not down to about thousands of a second.
There's really some kind of separation there. Known. I've never
seen that before my last.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So presumably, yeah, so presumably the ideal scenario for you
as their coach, was for the two of them to
take the top two places, which they did. As it
turned out, they shared top place. It looked as though
Sam Tanner was looking to burn some of the others
off during the race. Was that the plan?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yeah, so we we'd talked pre rate and we'd come
up with a plan for for the first five hundred
just be what it will be, and then Sam Tanner
to take the lead and then just increase the tempt
and then try and put everyone under pressure and hopefully
sam Ruth was strong enough to hold on and yeah,
take first and second. And they went one step better and
(04:17):
got two firsts. So yeah, pretty impressive that they managed
to pull off the plan and actually make you better.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
You said before Sam Ruth had the audacity down the
home straight, did you did? What were you seeing in
that last one hundred meters?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I thought Sam Tanner had done enough to hold him out,
but yeah, just he folded a little bit in the
last twenty and Sam Ruth just yeah, just came up
on his shoulder and yeah, just tried to outlean him.
So it was bloody impressive running for a fifteen year
old to have the have the nouse to be able
to give that, give that a track. So it's pretty
cool to watch and he's an extremely talented young man.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
How unusual is it for a fifteen year old to
be doing what Sam Ruth is doing.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
There's only been a couple of athletes of that kind
of age bracket doing what is doing at the moment.
And so you're talking about Yaka Binger Britson, who's you know,
world renound and you know, considered the best at the distance,
and a young Australian guy eighteen, cam Myers who's done
the similar similar things over the last few years and
(05:23):
he's kind of tracking them the same way they have,
So it's pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
What is most impressive about the way he goes about
his middle distance running, Uh, well.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
There's a few things. So his training is is pretty
low key. He's really just enjoying running with his mates
and having having a good time and being part of
a squad that is you know, training really hard. He's
got a group of guys who he trains with, and
you know, they're just all all good mates and to
hang out and they just love it. So that really impressive.
He's got an amazing racing brain. If you watch him
(05:56):
in the race, he's various duty. He knows exactly what
he's doing tactically and those some of those things you
can't teach. It just it's just intuition. And he kind
of gets a ride every time, so you know, and
he's also really humble, Like you know, he had the
great send Sam a message afterwards after the racing to say,
you know, thanks for the race and it was great
(06:17):
being you know, part of what we did together. And
I guess really appreciative and that that goes a long way.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Indeed it does. Most fifteen year olds are still growing.
If he were to shoot up a few more inches,
would that help him or hinder him?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
We'll see, I guess I don't know. I don't know
the answer to that. Probably help him. Yeah, though if
you look at the crop of the best fifteen hundred
runs in the world, they are a little bit taller
these days, and holding your space on the track is
very important and you know, for the bit more physical mass,
you can hold your space a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
But I guess you look at a guy like Sam Tanner,
who's not a big guy, is he he seems to
do it. He seems to do okay.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Yeah, he's a bit of an exception to that all.
But yeah, I mean most of them are. Most of
them are bigger and taller and potentially a little bit
kind of more physical.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
You know, when you're planning his training pro pros, how
careful do you have to be with his loading, recovery
things like that, given that he is still just fifteen
years of age.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Yeah, extremely careful. Would be really easy to get carried
away and chuck him into some training that will I'll
give to Samtana, but it's yeah, you just got to
keep in mind that he is fifteen, and he is
still growing and he's got a lot of time left
in the sport, and wheth have to be careful that
we nurture that load and just bring him through carefully
(07:36):
in training. What he does in racing is kind of
far exceeds where he is in training, but that's just
what it is.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
So you mentioned yak Ingerbritson before the Norwegian. He's currently
twenty four great. Britain's Josh Kerr is twenty seven. American
Cole Hawker, who sensacially one Golden Paris last year, is
twenty three years of age. But one of our greats,
Nick willis one Bronze at Rio in twenty sixteen when
he was thirty three. So when do middle distance runners
(08:03):
typically find their peak?
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, probably somewhere in their mid twenty though, would suggest
Mick was probably a little bit of an outlier and
that he had a really long career and was in
the sport for a a very long time. He was
one of the best in the world at twenty years
old as well, So it's yeah, he's got cam rous,
got a long time left in the sport, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So given what he's doing now, could he Sam Ruth
feasibly go to the Commonwealth Games next year at the
age of seventeen. Could he go to the Olympics in
twenty twenty eight while he's still a teenager?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Those are certainly part of the plan. So we'll see
what happens in the next year and a half and
whether he can get himself qualified to the Common Games
and where the Olympic committee seems you decide that he's
ready for that and happy to select him. We'll just
have to wait and see, but.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Hopefully, hopefully, indeed exciting times for both of the SAMs.
Thanks so much for joining us, Craig, I appreciate your
time and congratulations on what you've done with these two athletes.
Craig Kirkwood, the coach of both Sam Tanner and Sam Ruth.
Really good Champions Trophy campaign for the black Caps came
to an end last night with defeat by India in
(09:13):
the final. We shouldn't take away from the very good
cricket New Zealand played for the most part in this tournament,
with the semi final win over South Africa one of
our best performances in fifty over cricket in recent memory.
But I just wonder if we got our selection right
for the final now. Matt Henry's absence was obviously a
big factor. Our best bowler at the tournament, top wicket taker,
(09:35):
able to trouble the world's best batters with his guile,
variations and pace and general all round bowling excellence. When
he was ruled out, Mitt Santner and Gary Stead decided
to go like for like and brought in a seema
in Nathan Smith. Now, hindsight is always twenty twenty, I
know that, but the scoreboard will show Nathan Smith bowled
(09:56):
just two overs and went for eleven and over our
three seamers, he Will O'Rourke and Cole Jamison combined for
just fourteen overs. In India's innings, thirty five of the
forty nine overs we bowled were from spinners Mitchell Sentner,
Michael Bracewell ch and Revendra Or bowling ten and Glenn
(10:16):
Phillips chipping in with five. We didn't really need Nathan Smith,
so I wonder whether taking in an extra batter Mark
Chapman would have been a better idea. Now I'm not
saying it would have changed the result, but given that
India have relied so much on spin bowling and the
final was played in Dubai, where they've played all their
games with those spinners, I reckon we could have gambled
(10:38):
on two seamers and stiffened up the batting of it. Anyway,
what's done is done, and the lost to India doesn't
take away from the way we played across the tournament.
Special mentions to a couple of players, Rich and Ravendra
player of the tournament, a couple of hundreds in his
fore innings, continuing to provide evidence that he is absolutely
and totally the real deal and will undoubtedly be one
(11:00):
of our best ever cricketers by the time he ends
his career, which is hopefully a long way down the track.
And Michael Bracewell, who only really started bowling spin seriously
a few years ago, forming a key part of our
attack with wickets and economy, while also being going to
hit the ball pretty well with the bat in any
situation and unbeaten fifty in the final the latest evidence
(11:22):
of that there's a lot to like about our white
ball side right now, with Mitchell Santnap adding his own
unique leadership style into the mix as well. They may
not have won the silverware, but a silver medal ain't
too bad.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
The Chamber is now in session on SPORTSFX.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
On the SPORTSFX podcast. Time for us to pop inside
the Chamber on Monday, The People's Chamber featuring Elijah who
joins us. Now, Elijah, you're just back from a Warriors
media session, so without any further ado, I want to
go straight there. What sort of what sort of mood
did you find them in upon their return from Vegas,
with that lost to the Raiders probably still fresh.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah, it seems like a while since we last heard
from the Warriors, given they played a while ago and
they've had this long time and around heading into their
second week game against Manly on Friday. In terms of
the mood around camp, I think they understand what went
wrong in that opening defeats by the Raiders. Andrew Roopster
pointed out it was really the first twenty minutes where
(12:23):
the team was rushing out of the line, they were
trying to be aggressive. The team wasn't really coordinated, and
I don't know if that was due to I guess
over excitement or being too eager by the occasion of
starting of kicking off the NRL season, or being in
Las Vegas, but the Andrew roops are pointed to the
start there and then much Barnett's the co captain, brought
(12:43):
up a lot of the tries scored by the Raiders
were more individual moments and that if they you know,
sort of counted those individual moments in the Warriors definitely
would have been a lot more competitive in camera. So
those was probably some of the key takeaways. But hopefully
that they're back and mount smart this week, they can
that the fans can get behind them and they can
get a lot more motivated and hopefully get this season
(13:06):
on track.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
It's a tough hush though, isn't it against the Sea Eagles,
who on Saturday put forty two on the Cowboys looked
really really impressive. And then following that it's another home
game for the Warriors against the Roosters, who themselves actually
were beaten fairly soundly by the Broncos on Thursday night.
Let's not worry about that, but manly, that's a big
That's a big game on Friday, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Oh very much. So.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
They've got a very physical forward pack and that's going
to be a huge test for the likes of James Fisher,
Harris and Mitch Barnett's. But you've also got guys like
Dynan Walker and Aaron Clark and their impact is going
to be important to this forward pack some I'm very
excited to see how they cope with that. And then
of course Dally Cherry Evans the experience and the halves.
With Cherry Evans going up against Luke Medcalf, who I
(13:51):
guess is still settling into the half back role since
the retirements of Seawan Johnson, so I mean Andrew Rister,
he's fully behind or backing and Luke Medcalf to adjust
to the half back role. Obviously preaching a little bit
of patients from fans that you know he might not
get things right straight away, but it's going to build
as the season goes on. But a big test going
up against the Daly chair Evans.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Much more to come on the Warriors across the weak
as we had towards their game on Friday night against
the Sea Eagles. Super Rugby Pacific. We're now four rounds in.
Most teams have played four games, some of it the
bye of course, and have only played three. Apart from
the fact you have to scroll all the way to
the bottom of the table to find my Hurricanes and
(14:33):
the Blues. Has this been one of the better first
months of a Super Rugby season that you can remember?
Speaker 4 (14:40):
It has to be. It's been so exciting what's been
happening out on the park, the highest scores that have
been put up, the free flowing rugby, and it seems
like we hear the buzzword fan centric and it seems
like that's finally kicking and segear in this opening month.
You see the fantasy aspect of it has really helped
out post game I guess as an example, one in
(15:01):
a PACIFICA post game with their up in North Harbor Stadium,
citing autographs, taking photos for fans, and you know, doing
making sure everyone there gets what they need out of
meeting their favorite players. So I think, for sure, like
I've never been more excited to get behind Super rugby
and I'm enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I think also what the weekend showed was that there
is true jeopardy when it comes to this competition. Without
wanting to labor the point, both your Blues and my
Hurricanes lost games that they were probably favorites and right.
The Blues were probably favorites to beat the Brumbies on
Friday night they lost twenty one to twenty. The Hurricanes
were probably favorites to beat more one of Pacific A
Saturday night they lost forty thirty one. Not only that,
(15:42):
the Fiji and Dreuer beat the Chiefs, who hadn't lost
all season, and the Force, who had been pretty good,
were roundly sent on their way by the Warritors. The
outlier actually was probably the Crusaders against the Reds. So
actually you don't really know, do you, from game to game,
from week to week, who's going to win? And isn't
that what we've always wanted, an even competition like.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
This exactly the even competition. It's the unpredictability of super
rugby that's coming to play and I think if you're
talking about the Australian teams, the demise of the Melbourne
Rebels has definitely helped out and we've seen the quality
across the board for the Australian teams and they've made
their matches whenever they come up against New Zealand sides
a lot more competitive. I guess the Crusaders Reds probably
(16:25):
isn't the best example, but in the games that they
have played, it's a lot more competitive and I'm really
excited for that fact. I guess the question now is
can that standard hold on for the rest of the season.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yeah? No, And that's the question that is going to
be asked, but it's one I'm really interested in finding
out the answer to. Like you, I'm just very I'm
already looking ahead to next weekend to see, you know
what the games are, which you know The only team
who have at one hundred percent record are the war Retars.
They've played three one three. Who would have predicted that
at the start of the season. The war Tars, the
(16:57):
Reds and the Brumbies are all in the top six.
I know it's a tight table and as I say,
you know, two of last season's better teams, the champions
the Blues and the regular season table toppers, came down
the bottom of the pile. Like again, I don't want
to labor that point too much, but there is there
is a true evenness and unpredictably unpredictability about this competition
(17:17):
this year and that can only mean good things. Just
before we exit the chamber, black Caps Overnight came close. Well,
they got to the final, but they were I think
probably reasonably comprehensibly beaten by India or is that you'll
read on it?
Speaker 4 (17:32):
Yeah, I would say so. I mean you could maybe
chucking asterisk next to India winning because of you know,
them playing in Dubai and them having that as their
home base throughout the tournaments due to the tensions with
the host nation Pakistan. But I guess New Zealand for
the hand, all the cars that there were doubts managed.
They played Austin throughout the tournaments and the Russian Revenger
(17:53):
was a standout being named player of the Tournaments. Being
Philip showed that why he's the best field in the world.
So they're definitely some positives. But yeah, it's a shame
that they couldn't come out with the wind there against India.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Indeed, all right, well that was a busy sporting weekend
wrapped up or some of it in the last six
and a half minutes. Another busy week are sporting weekend
or week to come with a weekend at the end
of its starting with the Warriors on Friday nights, So
lots to get our teeth into. Elijah, thanks for joining
us in the chamber. As always, we'll do it again
next Monday.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Thank you, payy.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Needing a fix, We've got just the ticket. It's Sports
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Speaker 2 (18:32):
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(18:53):
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Speaker 1 (19:01):
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
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This is Sporcefix Howard by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello there, and welcome into a new week and to
a new edition of the Sports Fix podcast for Monday,
the tenth of March. I'm Jason Pine. Good to have
you listening in. Another big sporting weekend is in the books,
and one of the most dramatic parts of it was
the dead heat in the final of the men's fifteen
hundred meters at the National Track and Field Champs in Dunedin.
(00:42):
Sam Tanner and Sam Ruth dead heating and sharing the
national title. They also share a coach. Craig Kirkwood is
the coach of both Sam's. He joins us today on
the Sports Fix podcast. We're in the chamber as well
with Elijah Fihu, who in the last few hours actually
has been at a Warriors media session. What sort of
field did he get coming out of the Warriors after
(01:03):
their first up heavy defeat to the Raiders in Vegas
As they look ahead to the next assignment on Friday
night at home against the Sea Eagles. We'll talk cricket
and Super Rugby as well, So lots to get into,
so let's get into it. In other news, let's get
underway with the big sports stories around today. The Black
Camps have lost the Champions Trophy cricket final to India
(01:26):
by four wickets in Dubai, and that's going away to
the friends. What's the Championships and it's another acco clean
Lake champions Cindya chasing down two hundred and fifty two
to beat New Zealand by four wickets with an over
to spare. Shane van Gisbergen's been tangled up in a
(01:47):
multi car wreck at the latest NASCAR race in Phoenix.
A twenty four car with William Byron would be a
little bit better troubling the back and two cars in
the wall.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Big wreck.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
They're still racking the dam agenda Shane Van Gisbergen's race.
He ultimately finished thirty first and keep we Stephen Elk
has won for the first time this season on golf
PGA Champions Tour, beating America and Jason Karen On the
first playoff hole at Arizona's La Palomit Country Club.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Plays this pipe for Birdie to win the Collar guard Classic.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It do you have it?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Stephen Alker.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine on.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
The Sports Fix podcast. Incredible scenes at the New Zealand
Track and Field Champs in Dunedin yesterday, two time Olympians
Sam Tanner and fifteen year old prodigy Sam Ruth sharing
gold in the men's fifteen hundred meters after a dead
heat in the final. Officials unable to separate the two
following a photo finish, both recording a time of three
minutes forty four point three to one seconds. Craig Kirkwood
(02:55):
coaches both runners and joins us Now. Craig in real time,
who did you think had won?
Speaker 3 (03:01):
To be honest, I had absolutely no Yeah. Coming down
the straight of look Tanna was going to target and
then Sam Ruth hit your deathity roll up on the
shoulder and almost leandham. So yeah, I had no idea
at the time, and even watching the footage now, I
still can't think it.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
How uncommon is a dead heat in I know it happens.
I think it probably happens more often in the shorter
distances in a fifteen hundred meter race. Have you seen
a dead heat before.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
No, never not down to about thousands of a second.
There's really some kind of separation there. Known. I've never
seen that before my last.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So presumably, yeah, so presumably the ideal scenario for you
as their coach, was for the two of them to
take the top two places, which they did. As it
turned out, they shared top place. It looked as though
Sam Tanner was looking to burn some of the others
off during the race. Was that the plan?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yeah, so we we'd talked pre rate and we'd come
up with a plan for for the first five hundred
just be what it will be, and then Sam Tanner
to take the lead and then just increase the tempt
and then try and put everyone under pressure and hopefully
sam Ruth was strong enough to hold on and yeah,
take first and second. And they went one step better and
(04:17):
got two firsts. So yeah, pretty impressive that they managed
to pull off the plan and actually make you better.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
You said before Sam Ruth had the audacity down the
home straight, did you did? What were you seeing in
that last one hundred meters?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I thought Sam Tanner had done enough to hold him out,
but yeah, just he folded a little bit in the
last twenty and Sam Ruth just yeah, just came up
on his shoulder and yeah, just tried to outlean him.
So it was bloody impressive running for a fifteen year
old to have the have the nouse to be able
to give that, give that a track. So it's pretty
cool to watch and he's an extremely talented young man.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
How unusual is it for a fifteen year old to
be doing what Sam Ruth is doing.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
There's only been a couple of athletes of that kind
of age bracket doing what is doing at the moment.
And so you're talking about Yaka Binger Britson, who's you know,
world renound and you know, considered the best at the distance,
and a young Australian guy eighteen, cam Myers who's done
the similar similar things over the last few years and
(05:23):
he's kind of tracking them the same way they have,
So it's pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
What is most impressive about the way he goes about
his middle distance running, Uh, well.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
There's a few things. So his training is is pretty
low key. He's really just enjoying running with his mates
and having having a good time and being part of
a squad that is you know, training really hard. He's
got a group of guys who he trains with, and
you know, they're just all all good mates and to
hang out and they just love it. So that really impressive.
He's got an amazing racing brain. If you watch him
(05:56):
in the race, he's various duty. He knows exactly what
he's doing tactically and those some of those things you
can't teach. It just it's just intuition. And he kind
of gets a ride every time, so you know, and
he's also really humble, Like you know, he had the
great send Sam a message afterwards after the racing to say,
you know, thanks for the race and it was great
(06:17):
being you know, part of what we did together. And
I guess really appreciative and that that goes a long way.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Indeed it does. Most fifteen year olds are still growing.
If he were to shoot up a few more inches,
would that help him or hinder him?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
We'll see, I guess I don't know. I don't know
the answer to that. Probably help him. Yeah, though if
you look at the crop of the best fifteen hundred
runs in the world, they are a little bit taller
these days, and holding your space on the track is
very important and you know, for the bit more physical mass,
you can hold your space a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
But I guess you look at a guy like Sam Tanner,
who's not a big guy, is he he seems to
do it. He seems to do okay.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Yeah, he's a bit of an exception to that all.
But yeah, I mean most of them are. Most of
them are bigger and taller and potentially a little bit
kind of more physical.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
You know, when you're planning his training pro pros, how
careful do you have to be with his loading, recovery
things like that, given that he is still just fifteen
years of age.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Yeah, extremely careful. Would be really easy to get carried
away and chuck him into some training that will I'll
give to Samtana, but it's yeah, you just got to
keep in mind that he is fifteen, and he is
still growing and he's got a lot of time left
in the sport, and wheth have to be careful that
we nurture that load and just bring him through carefully
(07:36):
in training. What he does in racing is kind of
far exceeds where he is in training, but that's just
what it is.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
So you mentioned yak Ingerbritson before the Norwegian. He's currently
twenty four great. Britain's Josh Kerr is twenty seven. American
Cole Hawker, who sensacially one Golden Paris last year, is
twenty three years of age. But one of our greats,
Nick willis one Bronze at Rio in twenty sixteen when
he was thirty three. So when do middle distance runners
(08:03):
typically find their peak?
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, probably somewhere in their mid twenty though, would suggest
Mick was probably a little bit of an outlier and
that he had a really long career and was in
the sport for a a very long time. He was
one of the best in the world at twenty years
old as well, So it's yeah, he's got cam rous,
got a long time left in the sport, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So given what he's doing now, could he Sam Ruth
feasibly go to the Commonwealth Games next year at the
age of seventeen. Could he go to the Olympics in
twenty twenty eight while he's still a teenager?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Those are certainly part of the plan. So we'll see
what happens in the next year and a half and
whether he can get himself qualified to the Common Games
and where the Olympic committee seems you decide that he's
ready for that and happy to select him. We'll just
have to wait and see, but.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Hopefully, hopefully, indeed exciting times for both of the SAMs.
Thanks so much for joining us, Craig, I appreciate your
time and congratulations on what you've done with these two athletes.
Craig Kirkwood, the coach of both Sam Tanner and Sam Ruth.
Really good Champions Trophy campaign for the black Caps came
to an end last night with defeat by India in
(09:13):
the final. We shouldn't take away from the very good
cricket New Zealand played for the most part in this tournament,
with the semi final win over South Africa one of
our best performances in fifty over cricket in recent memory.
But I just wonder if we got our selection right
for the final now. Matt Henry's absence was obviously a
big factor. Our best bowler at the tournament, top wicket taker,
(09:35):
able to trouble the world's best batters with his guile,
variations and pace and general all round bowling excellence. When
he was ruled out, Mitt Santner and Gary Stead decided
to go like for like and brought in a seema
in Nathan Smith. Now, hindsight is always twenty twenty, I
know that, but the scoreboard will show Nathan Smith bowled
(09:56):
just two overs and went for eleven and over our
three seamers, he Will O'Rourke and Cole Jamison combined for
just fourteen overs. In India's innings, thirty five of the
forty nine overs we bowled were from spinners Mitchell Sentner,
Michael Bracewell ch and Revendra Or bowling ten and Glenn
(10:16):
Phillips chipping in with five. We didn't really need Nathan Smith,
so I wonder whether taking in an extra batter Mark
Chapman would have been a better idea. Now I'm not
saying it would have changed the result, but given that
India have relied so much on spin bowling and the
final was played in Dubai, where they've played all their
games with those spinners, I reckon we could have gambled
(10:38):
on two seamers and stiffened up the batting of it. Anyway,
what's done is done, and the lost to India doesn't
take away from the way we played across the tournament.
Special mentions to a couple of players, Rich and Ravendra
player of the tournament, a couple of hundreds in his
fore innings, continuing to provide evidence that he is absolutely
and totally the real deal and will undoubtedly be one
(11:00):
of our best ever cricketers by the time he ends
his career, which is hopefully a long way down the track.
And Michael Bracewell, who only really started bowling spin seriously
a few years ago, forming a key part of our
attack with wickets and economy, while also being going to
hit the ball pretty well with the bat in any
situation and unbeaten fifty in the final the latest evidence
(11:22):
of that there's a lot to like about our white
ball side right now, with Mitchell Santnap adding his own
unique leadership style into the mix as well. They may
not have won the silverware, but a silver medal ain't
too bad.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
The Chamber is now in session on SPORTSFX.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
On the SPORTSFX podcast. Time for us to pop inside
the Chamber on Monday, The People's Chamber featuring Elijah who
joins us. Now, Elijah, you're just back from a Warriors
media session, so without any further ado, I want to
go straight there. What sort of what sort of mood
did you find them in upon their return from Vegas,
with that lost to the Raiders probably still fresh.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah, it seems like a while since we last heard
from the Warriors, given they played a while ago and
they've had this long time and around heading into their
second week game against Manly on Friday. In terms of
the mood around camp, I think they understand what went
wrong in that opening defeats by the Raiders. Andrew Roopster
pointed out it was really the first twenty minutes where
(12:23):
the team was rushing out of the line, they were
trying to be aggressive. The team wasn't really coordinated, and
I don't know if that was due to I guess
over excitement or being too eager by the occasion of
starting of kicking off the NRL season, or being in
Las Vegas, but the Andrew roops are pointed to the
start there and then much Barnett's the co captain, brought
(12:43):
up a lot of the tries scored by the Raiders
were more individual moments and that if they you know,
sort of counted those individual moments in the Warriors definitely
would have been a lot more competitive in camera. So
those was probably some of the key takeaways. But hopefully
that they're back and mount smart this week, they can
that the fans can get behind them and they can
get a lot more motivated and hopefully get this season
(13:06):
on track.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
It's a tough hush though, isn't it against the Sea Eagles,
who on Saturday put forty two on the Cowboys looked
really really impressive. And then following that it's another home
game for the Warriors against the Roosters, who themselves actually
were beaten fairly soundly by the Broncos on Thursday night.
Let's not worry about that, but manly, that's a big
That's a big game on Friday, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Oh very much. So.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
They've got a very physical forward pack and that's going
to be a huge test for the likes of James Fisher,
Harris and Mitch Barnett's. But you've also got guys like
Dynan Walker and Aaron Clark and their impact is going
to be important to this forward pack some I'm very
excited to see how they cope with that. And then
of course Dally Cherry Evans the experience and the halves.
With Cherry Evans going up against Luke Medcalf, who I
(13:51):
guess is still settling into the half back role since
the retirements of Seawan Johnson, so I mean Andrew Rister,
he's fully behind or backing and Luke Medcalf to adjust
to the half back role. Obviously preaching a little bit
of patients from fans that you know he might not
get things right straight away, but it's going to build
as the season goes on. But a big test going
up against the Daly chair Evans.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Much more to come on the Warriors across the weak
as we had towards their game on Friday night against
the Sea Eagles. Super Rugby Pacific. We're now four rounds in.
Most teams have played four games, some of it the
bye of course, and have only played three. Apart from
the fact you have to scroll all the way to
the bottom of the table to find my Hurricanes and
(14:33):
the Blues. Has this been one of the better first
months of a Super Rugby season that you can remember?
Speaker 4 (14:40):
It has to be. It's been so exciting what's been
happening out on the park, the highest scores that have
been put up, the free flowing rugby, and it seems
like we hear the buzzword fan centric and it seems
like that's finally kicking and segear in this opening month.
You see the fantasy aspect of it has really helped
out post game I guess as an example, one in
(15:01):
a PACIFICA post game with their up in North Harbor Stadium,
citing autographs, taking photos for fans, and you know, doing
making sure everyone there gets what they need out of
meeting their favorite players. So I think, for sure, like
I've never been more excited to get behind Super rugby
and I'm enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I think also what the weekend showed was that there
is true jeopardy when it comes to this competition. Without
wanting to labor the point, both your Blues and my
Hurricanes lost games that they were probably favorites and right.
The Blues were probably favorites to beat the Brumbies on
Friday night they lost twenty one to twenty. The Hurricanes
were probably favorites to beat more one of Pacific A
Saturday night they lost forty thirty one. Not only that,
(15:42):
the Fiji and Dreuer beat the Chiefs, who hadn't lost
all season, and the Force, who had been pretty good,
were roundly sent on their way by the Warritors. The
outlier actually was probably the Crusaders against the Reds. So
actually you don't really know, do you, from game to game,
from week to week, who's going to win? And isn't
that what we've always wanted, an even competition like.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
This exactly the even competition. It's the unpredictability of super
rugby that's coming to play and I think if you're
talking about the Australian teams, the demise of the Melbourne
Rebels has definitely helped out and we've seen the quality
across the board for the Australian teams and they've made
their matches whenever they come up against New Zealand sides
a lot more competitive. I guess the Crusaders Reds probably
(16:25):
isn't the best example, but in the games that they
have played, it's a lot more competitive and I'm really
excited for that fact. I guess the question now is
can that standard hold on for the rest of the season.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yeah? No, And that's the question that is going to
be asked, but it's one I'm really interested in finding
out the answer to. Like you, I'm just very I'm
already looking ahead to next weekend to see, you know
what the games are, which you know The only team
who have at one hundred percent record are the war Retars.
They've played three one three. Who would have predicted that
at the start of the season. The war Tars, the
(16:57):
Reds and the Brumbies are all in the top six.
I know it's a tight table and as I say,
you know, two of last season's better teams, the champions
the Blues and the regular season table toppers, came down
the bottom of the pile. Like again, I don't want
to labor that point too much, but there is there
is a true evenness and unpredictably unpredictability about this competition
(17:17):
this year and that can only mean good things. Just
before we exit the chamber, black Caps Overnight came close. Well,
they got to the final, but they were I think
probably reasonably comprehensibly beaten by India or is that you'll
read on it?
Speaker 4 (17:32):
Yeah, I would say so. I mean you could maybe
chucking asterisk next to India winning because of you know,
them playing in Dubai and them having that as their
home base throughout the tournaments due to the tensions with
the host nation Pakistan. But I guess New Zealand for
the hand, all the cars that there were doubts managed.
They played Austin throughout the tournaments and the Russian Revenger
(17:53):
was a standout being named player of the Tournaments. Being
Philip showed that why he's the best field in the world.
So they're definitely some positives. But yeah, it's a shame
that they couldn't come out with the wind there against India.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Indeed, all right, well that was a busy sporting weekend
wrapped up or some of it in the last six
and a half minutes. Another busy week are sporting weekend
or week to come with a weekend at the end
of its starting with the Warriors on Friday nights, So
lots to get our teeth into. Elijah, thanks for joining
us in the chamber. As always, we'll do it again
next Monday.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Thank you, payy.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Needing a fix, We've got just the ticket. It's Sports
Fix powered by News Talks V.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
And that wraps Sports Fix four today. Thank you so
much for downloading and for listening, and for those of
you who subscribe a fresh episode we'll drop into your
podcast feed at around it but at the same time tomorrow
afternoon if you want that to happen and you're not
a subscriber, well, I will suggest that you subscribe and
you'll get a fresh episode, as I say, every weekday
and for more from News Talks EDB. Sport, listen out
(18:53):
to Sports Talk weeknights between seven and eight and on
the weekend's Weekend Sport from midday to three Saturday and Sunday.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
For more from News Talks EDB, listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcast on iHeartRadio
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