October 14, 2024 • 19 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave for Tuesday 15 September 2024, Taranaki Head Coach Neil Barnes talks about the success of the recent NPC season - is there still life in the old competition?
D'Arcy delivers an opinion piece on White Ferns' incredible T20 World Cup journey.
Plus, Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith joins the panel to discuss the America's Cup drama or lack thereof.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at be
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
News Talks It be It's that time again and welcome
on in to Sportsfix. My name is Darcy Waldgrave. Here
it is your daily podcast, weekdaily anyway, over all things
sport that you need to know and some stuff you
probably didn't coming up on this podcast. Taranaki coach Neil
Barnes joins us to talk about the rise and rise
(00:40):
of the MPC and why this year's competition has been
so engaging and therefore so successful. Neil Barnes joins us
shortly the White Ferns did something quite extraordinary overnight. They
won another game of T twenty. After the wreckage of
the last year or more, this team are going to
(01:01):
the semi finals of the T twenty World Cup. This
is something else. I've got some opinion on that that
I'll share with you later on Beast and joining me
in the chamber prop up against the Lena as our
rugby editor Elliott Smith, as we throw around some of
the big sporting stories of the day. That's what we're
doing here on the Sports Fix the fifteenth of October
(01:23):
twenty twenty four. Let's go in other news. Well, hat's
open up the voice box for Tuesday Karage. The White
Fans qualified for the semi finals in the Women's Teach
twenty World Cup. Overnight, the team beat up on Pakistan
to secure a place against either the nemesis England or
(01:44):
at a streets the Windy's or South Africa tweaker Eden
Carson spoke with Sky at the conclusion of the fifty
four run.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Pantsing pretty intense out there at the start, but I'm
glad that US girls got it over the line. We
looked at the Pakistan spinners, they did really well, so
trying to do what they kind of did really and
just bowl to our plans.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron America's cup Entry ty
Houro rolled the Pottymouth English again overnight. They now lead
the series for zip Heldsman Peter Berling has found numerous
positives leading into a rest day.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
Oh, it's a huge amount of gains from our good
text for a bad text today. You know, all the
maneuvers the sea state makesings really hard to be consistent.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
And Grand Prix journo Will Buxton has dared to dream
of an extraordinary result for v CARB racing peddler Liam Lawson.
Should he impress in the closing races of the twenty
twenty four if one season.
Speaker 6 (02:42):
If he outdoes all expectations, then there's every chance they
slide him in at Red Bull next year. And so
you know, this really is an audition that could have
tremendous ramifications, you know, not just for his future, but
for a number of seats in the paddock.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Will speaking with Mike Hosking this morning. So there it is,
voicebox opened, noise extracted.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Leadio vix. We've got just the ticket. It's sports Vix.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
How my news talks is e.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
The NPC is almost at a close. There are a
couple of fixtures to go. And I'm sure that our
next guest that Neil Barnes would love it if he
was involved part of the coaching staff or the coach,
should I say of the Taranaki side. Unfortunately EDGs by
Wakatal over the week and not to be there. Neil,
welcome to the program. I suppose first and foremost from
(03:31):
your point of view, not taking into account the results,
has this been a more successful MPC than on previous years.
Speaker 7 (03:39):
It's successful in the fact that I think the competition
has been really really close. There's not too many games
during the week that you can say, oh, Sanso's going
to beat him, mate. We've had upsets, glare all the
way through, exciting, high scoring games that have gone to
the wire. It's entertainment that the public want. So yeah,
(04:01):
it's been really pleasing from what I've seen.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Anything you put that down to, particularly because you look
at a number of parameters. Is you look at obviously
how difficult it is to pick. You look at the
grounds that they go to, some big, some small, other
style of play, the way the referee is engaging that
there's a number of different varieties there isn't it.
Speaker 7 (04:22):
Yeah, And there's a whole heap of things go to
make a good competition. And you just mentioned one of
the referees, and I take my hat off to Chris
Pollock and his team. They've worked really hard to come
up with things that they're focusing on which will help
our game to be a better product for people to watch,
rather than so much stop start. So that's one thing too.
I think a lot of real provinces are returning to
(04:44):
their own people, working hard on their communities to bring
through their own talent, which is what EPC is there for.
And it becomes, I suppose, at the end of the day,
way more connected when you're using your own people, and
that gives you that tribal thing, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
So people will go to the bloody depths for their
own province. So there's a whole lot of factors in there.
Speaker 7 (05:05):
Really rapped with a lot of a lot of coke
are adopting a way more attacking mindset now, which is
a joy to watch and a joy for the players
to play.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So, like I said, it's pleasing to see.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Has there been any edict atoll from Rugby New Zealand
up top saying we'd like this, we want this, or
has this been more of a case of an organic
way of developing these teams at that level.
Speaker 7 (05:29):
No, there's been no direction from the top. It's more
like when you watch other teams be successful doing something,
you're more likely to go and have a cracket that
yourself and hope it works for you. That's a natural concept.
And I think you know what we showed last year
we want it. We didn't have a care free attitude,
but we certainly gave the ball a lot more ere
than most And yeah, and a lot of people are
(05:50):
adopting that type of attitude at the moment. So defense
has dominated our game for a long time, and i'd
like to think people are trying different things now to
expose the defense, and it'll continue to adjust. But that's
all part and past or of what keeps the game interesting.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And there's a lot of this neil at the feet
as you mentioned before, of the rest willing to let things.
I'd say, let things go, but understand flow a little
more and be part of that that dynamic product. There's
a lot to do with them.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 7 (06:18):
So you probably haven't got the level of referees and
the tmos and assistant referees and all that sort of thing.
So they've lessened those roles and the impact they have
on the game. But at the same time, you get
less accuracy inside the game, so as coaches you have
to suck it up. There's going to be mistakes out there,
but the public get to watch a game that has
a lot more float to it, so we all want
(06:39):
to see more accurate decisions. But everyone's human. You can't
see everything on the field, so I take my head
off to the referees. They've done a fine job this year,
and like I said, the guidance they get from above
is really important.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
In that scene, you said tribal O'Neill Barns, and I
think that's very interesting. It's back in back in my day.
Listen to me. Sounds like I'm seventy plus. That's what
it was. It was people from your school and your district.
You said, no directive from upstairs. So why do you
think the NPC sides are basically coming back to their
own local product. Where does that come from?
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Again?
Speaker 7 (07:12):
I suppose people look at what other people have done
for the last three years. To get on our side,
you have to asually play club rugby and our province
and show you better than.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Our local people. Where before that.
Speaker 7 (07:22):
There was a mindset we'll go and get someone better
from outside because we want to win the competition. Well,
we still want to win the competition, but I'd like
to think when you get out in your community and
do a lot more work in the coaching side of things,
you'll see some talent and you try and grow that.
If you have an understanding that NPC is only semi professional,
Like these are amateur players.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
A lot of them that.
Speaker 7 (07:41):
Give three months off get three months off work to
come be a professional and show their weirs in front
of the super franchises to try and pick up a
professional contract. And that's our job as to Unearthed Talent,
to give them an opportunity to plan on a level
playing field with all the super boys that come back
and see how.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
They go to that end. I think it's been very successful.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Do you think this product that we've seen has saved
the NPC to a degree? Where do you see it
going from here? New broadcasting contracts in the offering and
the like. There may be some adjustments. We know what
it's like at that top level. So do you think
it's saved the product? What happens now?
Speaker 7 (08:19):
Well, like I said before, when you keep everything in balance,
the people that negotiate these deals, you need to give
it respect and market the competition as it should be
marketed in alignment with Super and International, and then you
get a good balance product. But when you ignore it,
that will be at your detriment down the track, because
NPC is your breeding ground for all your future talent
(08:42):
for coaches and players and people need to understand that
there's a feeling out there at the moment. They can
take kids into academies and grow them in the superfranchises
and then they'll make.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Their or X from there. Well, I say good luck
with that.
Speaker 7 (08:54):
To me, it's a crocod shit Well got at the
moment has kept us at the top of the game
for a zongs. You don't need to change it, you
just need to respect it, taking us.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Back to the good old days which are right here
right now. Neil Barnes, I'm sorry that your season ended
with like half an hour ago. I thought you might
have been in when you started a couple of quick
tries not to be. But the year go you got
yourself a shield and we thank you so much for
joining us here on News Talks. It'd been a pleasure,
not a problem.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
This is Sportsfix, your daily dose of sports news. How
in by News Talks.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
It's been quite the t twenty I World Cup for
the White Ferns. As you well know what you should do.
The White Ferns have been a moving train wreck over
recent times, stringing together ten consecutive defeats at the hands
of Well England and Australia to be fair, two of
the best teams in world cricket. So on a wing
(09:49):
in a prayer shot off to the T twenty I
World Cup and looks a lord ye qualified for the
semi final after dismissing Pakistan last night and now they
sit and a wait to see who they're going to
come across for the qualifying match ahead of the final. Yeah,
I'll call it there. Because of modern vernacular, no one
says semi final anymore, do they? I think no one
(10:12):
in the White Ferns was surprised at that result. Speaking
with Maddy Green a few weeks ago, she talked about,
and I hate to say it, trust the process. Mostly
when you hear someone say trust the process, they're probably
doomed to failure. But she said, we're working hard behind
the scenes. We know what we have to do. We
just have to apply that. And I think the mental
(10:33):
fortitude and the spine of this team to go away
to this World Cup and then qualify for the semi final,
when you consider all of the noise around them, really
deserves a round of applause. But any further will they
still be lauded? Will they still be fated? I'd suggest no,
they wouldn't be and for them it is only the
(10:53):
final and on from that a victory there will suffice.
This is a team that has been under the pump.
It's a team with a couple of young players that
are really starting to shine and a couple of the
old guard that really need to stand up in order
to win the Semis and go through to the final.
Do I have ultimate trust in them? Well, it doesn't
matter whether I do or not. The ultimate trust and
(11:15):
them and their own performance comes down to them and
their own performance. I'll give you the tip. I'll get
up first thing in the morning to watch these women
play and cheer them on from the TV or from
the couch, or from the studio or wherever I happen
to be. This has been a wonderful turnaround for an
amazing bunch of athletes who I've always felt have been
(11:36):
incredible to deal with. They are wonderful human beings and
finally they're starting to play the cricket that we know
they are all capable of. And I got to say
it's about time too.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Back in the Chamber now on the Lena Elliott Smith
old mate and Collie get joins us, of course the
voice of Rugby four News, talk zeb B and your
own podcast as well. Give it a earl, Elliott, What
is it?
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Rugby directing? New episode out this week catching up all
the rugby topics from the last couple of weeks that
we miss so yeah, dig into it.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
And on the subject of rugby NPC this year, has
this actually been a success? I say the word on
the street anecdotally wherever that came from, I don't know
that the product's actually been very good, and I think
it has been very good. But when you look at
the traction it's got the amount of people listening watching,
(12:32):
how do you actually judge me that it's been good
or that What are your parameters there?
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Well, I think the quality of games that you've seen
throughout the competition, I'd agree it. There's been very very
good the seeds and it seems to have lifted a
couple of notches from where it's been in previous years.
Scoring wise, I think the points have been up. More
attacking rugby has been played. I think last year got
a little bit lost in the Rugby World Cup. That
happens in a World Cup year, but this year it
feels like there's been plenty of interest around it. The
(12:58):
Ranfilly Shields moved around a little bit as well, and
I think what has helped is there's been a lot
of good teams. Whereas in previous years there's been a
couple of standout teams, this year it's sort of shifted
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
It might just be the luck of the drawer, but
Tasman run beaten and then they lost and lost again
and they're gone. Wellington have been right up there through
the course of the campaign. You know, they have plenty
of been there as well. I think there's been a
wide variety of teams that have done well and there
hasn't been Mutherwood two may be a side an out
and out poor team where you look at it and go,
(13:30):
they're probably going to lose this weekend every weekend. I
think there's been some really even matchups across the board.
And what I think has helped as well is that
the All Blacks have been a bit more prominent. Not
all of them, not the top players of course, but
some of those players have been in for the last
two or three weeks and I certainly think coming to
the pointing end of the competition, having those players and
helps out big time. Of course, thirty six of them
now departing or some of those that didn't play anyway,
(13:52):
but they're out of parting. It won't be there this weekend.
But I think it's been a very good comp.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Absolute nightmare for punters. Though you couldn't pack a game
if you tried. I think that's a good thing. You
look at what Canterbury of course we both can tabs.
I hate to mention this and what they did to
Tasman over the weekend, not forgetting what counties did to
Canterbury have recent times too. Shake at the dice. I
don't know what it is who turns up on the day.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
It really is. Top half of the South ISLDS just
turned off from listening to this Nelson and Mulver because
I don't want to remind it of that over the weekend.
But it has been a tournament where momentum has swung.
Hawk's Bay started off well, they had the shield, then
fell away towards the end. They had a lot of
injuries but also lost the shield, and that shield hangover
seems quite real and you know Canterbury Waikato, two teams
(14:36):
that were in the lower half of the gate might
come through and Stephen Bradbury and who knows. This weekend,
I think both of the both of the semi finals
are probably toss ups.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Yeah, well, let's not go through the rest of the
teams will be here all day. That's not what we
want to do here. The Leena Elliott Smith that joins
us so who would have thunk it? The White Ferns
after putting together ten consecutive T twenty losses at the
hands of their can you have nemesi? I the Australians
and the English they turn around this week. They've had
(15:06):
an extraordinary run of it. The semi five onless. I
don't know if anyone actually saw that.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
I certainly didn't. I thought they were going to be
well gone by this point in time, and their form
letting up to it was poor. Their form for the
last two years really has been.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Generous and saved recent times. But you're right, the last
couple last.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
Couple of years, even at home, they've been poor and
I didn't see this coming, but credit to them, they've
strung some really good performances together this tournament. The bowling
has been outstanding. The batting has been really really good
as well, and they've put teams under pressure, which I
don't think the White Fans have been able to do
consistently enough. I didn't see this coming. I'm absolutely stuned
to have been able to do it, and now you know,
(15:44):
it's wide open them for potentially of them to make
a final. They've got semi final to be very very
tricky to come. But the form they're in, who would
bet against them and who would thought we'd be saying that,
you know, even a couple of weeks ago, I think
credit to them, because it looked as though it was
going to be yet in other tournaments of failure for
this White Fans team. But what I think has happened
now is that some of those younger players that have
(16:05):
been in there for a couple of years are standing
up and it's no longer the Baits divine cur show.
There are some other players Georgia Plummer and others that
are standing out.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
He's been fantastic and.
Speaker 5 (16:16):
It's not just about those three players or four players
in the team. There are other players that are standing
up and that's what this team is needed. For a
while so credit to them. Didn't see it coming, but
they've responded really well.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Well, it's just like curb your enthusiasm.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Slight semi final finish is actually a still good finish
of this team.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I think it is.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
But even though it was a fifty four run thrashing,
there was a lot to be left behind in that
match as far as some of the performances. But hey,
look they got the job done and who can tell
from now on depending on who they take on. It's
pretty exciting if it could be bothered getting up at
three in the morning just to hit record and the
America's cut. Well, I won't say it laid down Mazi,
(16:55):
but she's looking fairly one sided at the moment and
there've been chopping conditions in the first couple of races.
I get that difficult, but there's something about the calm
around Taja and what it's doing. It almost looks unbeatable.
I've just put the mockers on them.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
That is, if you cash your mind back to twenty
thirteen and San Diego exactly. Ben Ainsley needs a channels
in a Jimmy spettle and start throwing out some of
those barbs, because that's the only way that they'll get
back into this. I can't see it happening from this point.
We can replay this when it happens. But I think
Team New Zealand's got this in the bag. I think
(17:31):
it has been a poor America's Cup. In all honesty,
I don't know that there's captured anywhere near the interest
level that they thought. Both in Barcelona there's been protests
on the streets.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Here, but he captured their imagination because I want to
get rid of it. Loved it, they want to get
rid of it.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
And in New Zealand it has barely created a ripple
a wee bit so now that we're into the Cup
race itself. But this has been the folly of Team
New Zealand and Grant Oldens take it to Barcelona. I
think that's been a failure. But fortunately for them, on
the success it looks like it's going to be a
water and looks like they're going to retain the America's Cup.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Well, Ben Ainsley has channeled Jimmy Spittle. He's got all
foul mouthed on it. So it's worked. We will see
and then the America's Cup was once again Saudi Arabia's Cup.
Where's it going this time? We're not even gonna go there.
Let's just let that one go. Let's enjoy success. And
the pictures have been incredible. It's just a shame it's
not down there on the white Matta Elliott Smith, thank
(18:23):
you so much for joining us in the chamber as
perlock after yourself, my friend.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
Been a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It's Sportsfix with Jason Pine and Darcy Walter.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Grave and it's it done and dusted, wrapped up, just
like I bought one on Darcy Walter Grave. Tuesday, the
fifteenth of October tweenty twenty four. Sports Fix for another day.
If you like what you heard, tell all your mates
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(18:59):
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It's Sports Talk with Piney or myself and men from
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Speaker 1 (19:21):
For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at be
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
News Talks It be It's that time again and welcome
on in to Sportsfix. My name is Darcy Waldgrave. Here
it is your daily podcast, weekdaily anyway, over all things
sport that you need to know and some stuff you
probably didn't coming up on this podcast. Taranaki coach Neil
Barnes joins us to talk about the rise and rise
(00:40):
of the MPC and why this year's competition has been
so engaging and therefore so successful. Neil Barnes joins us
shortly the White Ferns did something quite extraordinary overnight. They
won another game of T twenty. After the wreckage of
the last year or more, this team are going to
(01:01):
the semi finals of the T twenty World Cup. This
is something else. I've got some opinion on that that
I'll share with you later on Beast and joining me
in the chamber prop up against the Lena as our
rugby editor Elliott Smith, as we throw around some of
the big sporting stories of the day. That's what we're
doing here on the Sports Fix the fifteenth of October
(01:23):
twenty twenty four. Let's go in other news. Well, hat's
open up the voice box for Tuesday Karage. The White
Fans qualified for the semi finals in the Women's Teach
twenty World Cup. Overnight, the team beat up on Pakistan
to secure a place against either the nemesis England or
(01:44):
at a streets the Windy's or South Africa tweaker Eden
Carson spoke with Sky at the conclusion of the fifty
four run.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Pantsing pretty intense out there at the start, but I'm
glad that US girls got it over the line. We
looked at the Pakistan spinners, they did really well, so
trying to do what they kind of did really and
just bowl to our plans.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron America's cup Entry ty
Houro rolled the Pottymouth English again overnight. They now lead
the series for zip Heldsman Peter Berling has found numerous
positives leading into a rest day.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
Oh, it's a huge amount of gains from our good
text for a bad text today. You know, all the
maneuvers the sea state makesings really hard to be consistent.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
And Grand Prix journo Will Buxton has dared to dream
of an extraordinary result for v CARB racing peddler Liam Lawson.
Should he impress in the closing races of the twenty
twenty four if one season.
Speaker 6 (02:42):
If he outdoes all expectations, then there's every chance they
slide him in at Red Bull next year. And so
you know, this really is an audition that could have
tremendous ramifications, you know, not just for his future, but
for a number of seats in the paddock.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Will speaking with Mike Hosking this morning. So there it is,
voicebox opened, noise extracted.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Leadio vix. We've got just the ticket. It's sports Vix.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
How my news talks is e.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
The NPC is almost at a close. There are a
couple of fixtures to go. And I'm sure that our
next guest that Neil Barnes would love it if he
was involved part of the coaching staff or the coach,
should I say of the Taranaki side. Unfortunately EDGs by
Wakatal over the week and not to be there. Neil,
welcome to the program. I suppose first and foremost from
(03:31):
your point of view, not taking into account the results,
has this been a more successful MPC than on previous years.
Speaker 7 (03:39):
It's successful in the fact that I think the competition
has been really really close. There's not too many games
during the week that you can say, oh, Sanso's going
to beat him, mate. We've had upsets, glare all the
way through, exciting, high scoring games that have gone to
the wire. It's entertainment that the public want. So yeah,
(04:01):
it's been really pleasing from what I've seen.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Anything you put that down to, particularly because you look
at a number of parameters. Is you look at obviously
how difficult it is to pick. You look at the
grounds that they go to, some big, some small, other
style of play, the way the referee is engaging that
there's a number of different varieties there isn't it.
Speaker 7 (04:22):
Yeah, And there's a whole heap of things go to
make a good competition. And you just mentioned one of
the referees, and I take my hat off to Chris
Pollock and his team. They've worked really hard to come
up with things that they're focusing on which will help
our game to be a better product for people to watch,
rather than so much stop start. So that's one thing too.
I think a lot of real provinces are returning to
(04:44):
their own people, working hard on their communities to bring
through their own talent, which is what EPC is there for.
And it becomes, I suppose, at the end of the day,
way more connected when you're using your own people, and
that gives you that tribal thing, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
So people will go to the bloody depths for their
own province. So there's a whole lot of factors in there.
Speaker 7 (05:05):
Really rapped with a lot of a lot of coke
are adopting a way more attacking mindset now, which is
a joy to watch and a joy for the players
to play.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So, like I said, it's pleasing to see.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Has there been any edict atoll from Rugby New Zealand
up top saying we'd like this, we want this, or
has this been more of a case of an organic
way of developing these teams at that level.
Speaker 7 (05:29):
No, there's been no direction from the top. It's more
like when you watch other teams be successful doing something,
you're more likely to go and have a cracket that
yourself and hope it works for you. That's a natural concept.
And I think you know what we showed last year
we want it. We didn't have a care free attitude,
but we certainly gave the ball a lot more ere
than most And yeah, and a lot of people are
(05:50):
adopting that type of attitude at the moment. So defense
has dominated our game for a long time, and i'd
like to think people are trying different things now to
expose the defense, and it'll continue to adjust. But that's
all part and past or of what keeps the game interesting.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And there's a lot of this neil at the feet
as you mentioned before, of the rest willing to let things.
I'd say, let things go, but understand flow a little
more and be part of that that dynamic product. There's
a lot to do with them.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 7 (06:18):
So you probably haven't got the level of referees and
the tmos and assistant referees and all that sort of thing.
So they've lessened those roles and the impact they have
on the game. But at the same time, you get
less accuracy inside the game, so as coaches you have
to suck it up. There's going to be mistakes out there,
but the public get to watch a game that has
a lot more float to it, so we all want
(06:39):
to see more accurate decisions. But everyone's human. You can't
see everything on the field, so I take my head
off to the referees. They've done a fine job this year,
and like I said, the guidance they get from above
is really important.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
In that scene, you said tribal O'Neill Barns, and I
think that's very interesting. It's back in back in my day.
Listen to me. Sounds like I'm seventy plus. That's what
it was. It was people from your school and your district.
You said, no directive from upstairs. So why do you
think the NPC sides are basically coming back to their
own local product. Where does that come from?
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Again?
Speaker 7 (07:12):
I suppose people look at what other people have done
for the last three years. To get on our side,
you have to asually play club rugby and our province
and show you better than.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Our local people. Where before that.
Speaker 7 (07:22):
There was a mindset we'll go and get someone better
from outside because we want to win the competition. Well,
we still want to win the competition, but I'd like
to think when you get out in your community and
do a lot more work in the coaching side of things,
you'll see some talent and you try and grow that.
If you have an understanding that NPC is only semi professional,
Like these are amateur players.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
A lot of them that.
Speaker 7 (07:41):
Give three months off get three months off work to
come be a professional and show their weirs in front
of the super franchises to try and pick up a
professional contract. And that's our job as to Unearthed Talent,
to give them an opportunity to plan on a level
playing field with all the super boys that come back
and see how.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
They go to that end. I think it's been very successful.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Do you think this product that we've seen has saved
the NPC to a degree? Where do you see it
going from here? New broadcasting contracts in the offering and
the like. There may be some adjustments. We know what
it's like at that top level. So do you think
it's saved the product? What happens now?
Speaker 7 (08:19):
Well, like I said before, when you keep everything in balance,
the people that negotiate these deals, you need to give
it respect and market the competition as it should be
marketed in alignment with Super and International, and then you
get a good balance product. But when you ignore it,
that will be at your detriment down the track, because
NPC is your breeding ground for all your future talent
(08:42):
for coaches and players and people need to understand that
there's a feeling out there at the moment. They can
take kids into academies and grow them in the superfranchises
and then they'll make.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Their or X from there. Well, I say good luck
with that.
Speaker 7 (08:54):
To me, it's a crocod shit Well got at the
moment has kept us at the top of the game
for a zongs. You don't need to change it, you
just need to respect it, taking us.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Back to the good old days which are right here
right now. Neil Barnes, I'm sorry that your season ended
with like half an hour ago. I thought you might
have been in when you started a couple of quick
tries not to be. But the year go you got
yourself a shield and we thank you so much for
joining us here on News Talks. It'd been a pleasure,
not a problem.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
This is Sportsfix, your daily dose of sports news. How
in by News Talks.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
It's been quite the t twenty I World Cup for
the White Ferns. As you well know what you should do.
The White Ferns have been a moving train wreck over
recent times, stringing together ten consecutive defeats at the hands
of Well England and Australia to be fair, two of
the best teams in world cricket. So on a wing
(09:49):
in a prayer shot off to the T twenty I
World Cup and looks a lord ye qualified for the
semi final after dismissing Pakistan last night and now they
sit and a wait to see who they're going to
come across for the qualifying match ahead of the final. Yeah,
I'll call it there. Because of modern vernacular, no one
says semi final anymore, do they? I think no one
(10:12):
in the White Ferns was surprised at that result. Speaking
with Maddy Green a few weeks ago, she talked about,
and I hate to say it, trust the process. Mostly
when you hear someone say trust the process, they're probably
doomed to failure. But she said, we're working hard behind
the scenes. We know what we have to do. We
just have to apply that. And I think the mental
(10:33):
fortitude and the spine of this team to go away
to this World Cup and then qualify for the semi final,
when you consider all of the noise around them, really
deserves a round of applause. But any further will they
still be lauded? Will they still be fated? I'd suggest no,
they wouldn't be and for them it is only the
(10:53):
final and on from that a victory there will suffice.
This is a team that has been under the pump.
It's a team with a couple of young players that
are really starting to shine and a couple of the
old guard that really need to stand up in order
to win the Semis and go through to the final.
Do I have ultimate trust in them? Well, it doesn't
matter whether I do or not. The ultimate trust and
(11:15):
them and their own performance comes down to them and
their own performance. I'll give you the tip. I'll get
up first thing in the morning to watch these women
play and cheer them on from the TV or from
the couch, or from the studio or wherever I happen
to be. This has been a wonderful turnaround for an
amazing bunch of athletes who I've always felt have been
(11:36):
incredible to deal with. They are wonderful human beings and
finally they're starting to play the cricket that we know
they are all capable of. And I got to say
it's about time too.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Back in the Chamber now on the Lena Elliott Smith
old mate and Collie get joins us, of course the
voice of Rugby four News, talk zeb B and your
own podcast as well. Give it a earl, Elliott, What
is it?
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Rugby directing? New episode out this week catching up all
the rugby topics from the last couple of weeks that
we miss so yeah, dig into it.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
And on the subject of rugby NPC this year, has
this actually been a success? I say the word on
the street anecdotally wherever that came from, I don't know
that the product's actually been very good, and I think
it has been very good. But when you look at
the traction it's got the amount of people listening watching,
(12:32):
how do you actually judge me that it's been good
or that What are your parameters there?
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Well, I think the quality of games that you've seen
throughout the competition, I'd agree it. There's been very very
good the seeds and it seems to have lifted a
couple of notches from where it's been in previous years.
Scoring wise, I think the points have been up. More
attacking rugby has been played. I think last year got
a little bit lost in the Rugby World Cup. That
happens in a World Cup year, but this year it
feels like there's been plenty of interest around it. The
(12:58):
Ranfilly Shields moved around a little bit as well, and
I think what has helped is there's been a lot
of good teams. Whereas in previous years there's been a
couple of standout teams, this year it's sort of shifted
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
It might just be the luck of the drawer, but
Tasman run beaten and then they lost and lost again
and they're gone. Wellington have been right up there through
the course of the campaign. You know, they have plenty
of been there as well. I think there's been a
wide variety of teams that have done well and there
hasn't been Mutherwood two may be a side an out
and out poor team where you look at it and go,
(13:30):
they're probably going to lose this weekend every weekend. I
think there's been some really even matchups across the board.
And what I think has helped as well is that
the All Blacks have been a bit more prominent. Not
all of them, not the top players of course, but
some of those players have been in for the last
two or three weeks and I certainly think coming to
the pointing end of the competition, having those players and
helps out big time. Of course, thirty six of them
now departing or some of those that didn't play anyway,
(13:52):
but they're out of parting. It won't be there this weekend.
But I think it's been a very good comp.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Absolute nightmare for punters. Though you couldn't pack a game
if you tried. I think that's a good thing. You
look at what Canterbury of course we both can tabs.
I hate to mention this and what they did to
Tasman over the weekend, not forgetting what counties did to
Canterbury have recent times too. Shake at the dice. I
don't know what it is who turns up on the day.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
It really is. Top half of the South ISLDS just
turned off from listening to this Nelson and Mulver because
I don't want to remind it of that over the weekend.
But it has been a tournament where momentum has swung.
Hawk's Bay started off well, they had the shield, then
fell away towards the end. They had a lot of
injuries but also lost the shield, and that shield hangover
seems quite real and you know Canterbury Waikato, two teams
(14:36):
that were in the lower half of the gate might
come through and Stephen Bradbury and who knows. This weekend,
I think both of the both of the semi finals
are probably toss ups.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Yeah, well, let's not go through the rest of the
teams will be here all day. That's not what we
want to do here. The Leena Elliott Smith that joins
us so who would have thunk it? The White Ferns
after putting together ten consecutive T twenty losses at the
hands of their can you have nemesi? I the Australians
and the English they turn around this week. They've had
(15:06):
an extraordinary run of it. The semi five onless. I
don't know if anyone actually saw that.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
I certainly didn't. I thought they were going to be
well gone by this point in time, and their form
letting up to it was poor. Their form for the
last two years really has been.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Generous and saved recent times. But you're right, the last
couple last.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
Couple of years, even at home, they've been poor and
I didn't see this coming, but credit to them, they've
strung some really good performances together this tournament. The bowling
has been outstanding. The batting has been really really good
as well, and they've put teams under pressure, which I
don't think the White Fans have been able to do
consistently enough. I didn't see this coming. I'm absolutely stuned
to have been able to do it, and now you know,
(15:44):
it's wide open them for potentially of them to make
a final. They've got semi final to be very very
tricky to come. But the form they're in, who would
bet against them and who would thought we'd be saying that,
you know, even a couple of weeks ago, I think
credit to them, because it looked as though it was
going to be yet in other tournaments of failure for
this White Fans team. But what I think has happened
now is that some of those younger players that have
(16:05):
been in there for a couple of years are standing
up and it's no longer the Baits divine cur show.
There are some other players Georgia Plummer and others that
are standing out.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
He's been fantastic and.
Speaker 5 (16:16):
It's not just about those three players or four players
in the team. There are other players that are standing
up and that's what this team is needed. For a
while so credit to them. Didn't see it coming, but
they've responded really well.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Well, it's just like curb your enthusiasm.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Slight semi final finish is actually a still good finish
of this team.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I think it is.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
But even though it was a fifty four run thrashing,
there was a lot to be left behind in that
match as far as some of the performances. But hey,
look they got the job done and who can tell
from now on depending on who they take on. It's
pretty exciting if it could be bothered getting up at
three in the morning just to hit record and the
America's cut. Well, I won't say it laid down Mazi,
(16:55):
but she's looking fairly one sided at the moment and
there've been chopping conditions in the first couple of races.
I get that difficult, but there's something about the calm
around Taja and what it's doing. It almost looks unbeatable.
I've just put the mockers on them.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
That is, if you cash your mind back to twenty
thirteen and San Diego exactly. Ben Ainsley needs a channels
in a Jimmy spettle and start throwing out some of
those barbs, because that's the only way that they'll get
back into this. I can't see it happening from this point.
We can replay this when it happens. But I think
Team New Zealand's got this in the bag. I think
(17:31):
it has been a poor America's Cup. In all honesty,
I don't know that there's captured anywhere near the interest
level that they thought. Both in Barcelona there's been protests
on the streets.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Here, but he captured their imagination because I want to
get rid of it. Loved it, they want to get
rid of it.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
And in New Zealand it has barely created a ripple
a wee bit so now that we're into the Cup
race itself. But this has been the folly of Team
New Zealand and Grant Oldens take it to Barcelona. I
think that's been a failure. But fortunately for them, on
the success it looks like it's going to be a
water and looks like they're going to retain the America's Cup.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Well, Ben Ainsley has channeled Jimmy Spittle. He's got all
foul mouthed on it. So it's worked. We will see
and then the America's Cup was once again Saudi Arabia's Cup.
Where's it going this time? We're not even gonna go there.
Let's just let that one go. Let's enjoy success. And
the pictures have been incredible. It's just a shame it's
not down there on the white Matta Elliott Smith, thank
(18:23):
you so much for joining us in the chamber as
perlock after yourself, my friend.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
Been a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It's Sportsfix with Jason Pine and Darcy Walter.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Grave and it's it done and dusted, wrapped up, just
like I bought one on Darcy Walter Grave. Tuesday, the
fifteenth of October tweenty twenty four. Sports Fix for another day.
If you like what you heard, tell all your mates
and maybe, just maybe you should subscribe. That means this
will come straight into your inbox weekdays from news talker
(18:59):
z B and it's more sport you want, wow, simple,
just chun into the wireless seven to eight Monday to Friday.
It's Sports Talk with Piney or myself and men from
midday three to three o'clock Saturday and Sunday weekend Sport
with Jason Pine. Look after yourself, Go well and we'll
catch you again tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
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