June 25, 2024 • 17 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave for 25 June 2024, former All Blacks coach John Hart takes a look at Razor Ray's first All Black team. He likes that there has been a continuum of selections from the Foster era, backs Finlay Christie to be the first choice half back and he can't quite put his finger on one key selection issue.
D'Arcy opines the Warriors' fall from grace - and what now for selection?
Plus, D'Arcy and Herald Digital Sport editor Alex Powell toss some ideas around re: the ABs, the Wahs and the Euros.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks d B. Hello deem,
Welcome on into the Sports Fixed podcast the twenty fifth
of June twenty twenty four. My name's Darcy Wardgrave. Here
it has all packaged up in about fifteen minutes the
sports news he needs to know about on this day,
two day in some news, of course you'd probably rather
not here. Coming up in this podcast, we're going to
(00:39):
hit the ground running short your John Hart, former All
Black coach, as we pick apart the first team under
the tenure of Scott Razor Ray Robertson. I got some
opinion for you around do they get punitive around the
Warriors after that disgraceful loss over the weekend. And we
are joined in the chamber by the Herald Digital editor
(00:59):
mister Alex Powell, as we take a look at the
big sports stories of the day. That's our plan, stand right,
let's get amongst in other news horse Mouth they said it,
we listened you All Black coach raise o Raider. Robertson
has explained his call to pick Satiti over Stutu and
arguably the most debatable call I was brand new tenure.
(01:23):
The couple's call brought hard, deep change myself, looked at
all the reasons and why I picked players, and this
will we fell. We believe Wallace is an incredibly gun
talent on the heart of the game. The Hi rose
as if warrious coach James Webster hasn't got enough on
his plate already after his team was torn to shreds
by the Titans star half Seawn Johnson, his fingers are kellies.
(01:46):
Seawn Ray felt amazing and we took our time basis yeah,
and I'll come back the way he wanted it. You
could say that Sean couldn't do what he needed to do.
When we can and listen carefully. It's about as chaotic
as American sports broadcasting gets, which is that because ice
(02:07):
hockey STUF eight side is exactly that chaos and again
star that was the Florida Panthers at winning the Stanley
Cup after beating the Edmonton Oilers two one in the
seventh game to win the Cup four games to three.
It is some sport today.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Use it's Sportsfix with Daldegrave.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
And we're joined now by a former All Black coach,
John Hart, as we take a look at the men
that have been anointed as the All Blacks for the season,
the first pick the first roster under new coach Scott Robertson. John,
Welcome as always. I suppose first up your initial reaction
to that.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Naming, I think it's, you know, largely as expected as
a couple of surprises. Obviously with the Hurricanes prop Tossy,
I think that's probably is a little bit of a surprise,
but probably the omission of Hoskins Tudo is the biggest surprise,
given that I think he's probably been one of the
(03:13):
players of the year in Super rugby.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
What does that say about the relationship between Robertson and
Statuctu or more's the point, what Robertson want out of
this team? Because, as you know, being a coach, you've
got to fill the team with players you know are
going to respond and are going to work with the
plan you've got ahead. So taking that into account, what
do you think Robertson makes a Statuti? Why didn't he
get in?
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I've got no idea, And hopefully you know, they sit
down with him and tell him, because I think you
know that was that he deserves that, and I'm sure
they will. But you know, they picked a very strong
squad's got a lot of depth in it. A little
surprise to be fair. They've said it's thirty two plus four,
but it's really thirty six because the four they've named
(03:57):
sort of covering injuries, Like I assume that you know
Sam Dowry is the fourth block rather than being named
he's he's sitting there covering the potential injuries to to
a Palodo, to Scott Barrett Bauer, possibly covering off a
tour Cafarsi who went off in the weekend. Ruben Love
just gives him that to cover at fallback, which you
(04:17):
know they've gone a bit short just with the three
three options that can play fullback, fallback and ken. But
look otherwise, I think it's quite a predictable selection and
and and generally is rewarding form in the in the
Super Rugby competition.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You mentioned, No, the any other players that you feel
made ll not have been hard done by that. We're
probably right on the cusp that possibly may have gotten that. Not.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Oh look, I think there's always those players, and you
know that's the beauty of our competition and the depth
of the competition. So I mean, I thought I thought
Peter Larkeye I liked him. I thought his performances this
year were slightly different from what they've picked. There's a
bit of a sameness to me about the loose forwards
that they picked, and I think lark House too to
(05:07):
bring a lot of different But look, they know what
the key thing then you mentioned it. They know what
they how they want to play, they know what skills
they need, and they picked that team to do that.
And you know, now we've got to all get behind
it and wish them well because it's a big year
and it's not an easy year, and it's not easy
starting with two tests against England, try.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
By fire, what an extraordinary way as opposed to your
general soft touches maybe playing a Pacific team, are touring
not so sharp team from Europe. They're really going to
hit the ground running. From what we know of England
and this all black team, very very close to expect
these exchanges.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, I mean, I think this is a real challenge
for the coaching team, new coaching team, new captain. You
know a number of new players, but not too many
new players. You know, I think the really good thing
which says something about the selection process of the former panel,
that they really have picked most of the players that
the former panel picked, and we're very successful in the
(06:05):
World Cup. So I wasn't never really affecting too much change.
But obviously there were some gaps caused by you know,
the injury to Cam Royguard for instance, opened up a
third halfback option, and there's always those opportunities, and the
injury to the chiefs Howker who also opened up an opportunity.
So outside of that, it's a pretty pretty much a
(06:27):
side that was at mirrors mirrors very much a two
thousand and twenty three World Cup with the obviously with
the exception of the all back sort of left.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Do you mention the halfback situation? Courtestma has made every
post winner so far. What do you think he brings,
because of course you'd expect that it become the next
selection or the next team named providing roy Guards right
towards the end of the season he'll drop away. So
he's got a fever on his plate, hasn't he to
not establish himself but to keep that position.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah, but it's an opportunity and you know, look there's
always injuries, there's always opportunity, and you've got to make
sure when you give to get your chance to take it,
you know you've got I think he's probably moved to
the front of a queue. I think t. J. Ferrinaro
has had a good season and he will be very
valuable and probably pretty good to come off the bench
(07:18):
and close out a game. But you know, I expect
Radam it will be probably just in behind those two initially,
but you know, he's shone with the Chiefs. He's got
an explosive speed, he's got a good work rate, you know,
so I think you know he'll get a chance, and
you know the halfback depth is you know, Roy Guard's
a real miss for me because he had progressed so
(07:40):
much that you know, I saw Royguard and Christy being
a really good combination.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
In the form of Billy Proctor, John Hart joins the
program in the form of Billy Proctor. He's been around
for a couple of years and this time he's solidified
and starting to put out what we all know he
is capable of. But the consistency is there. So that's
not only him, but it's the coaching staff of the
Hurricanes drawing the best out of him, surely.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Look, I think he's been one of the standout our players.
I thought he had a wonderful season. I think his
combination with Jordy Barrett is very good and that wouldn't
go unnoticed. So you know, I think, you know, he's
a really deserved selection. I think he's worked really well
and he's added to his game and he's one of
the players of a year I think in terms of
(08:27):
Super Rugby, so very deserving of a spot. And you
know it gives it gives, you know, gives us some
good midfield options, you know, with Barrett, Leonard Brown, Ricca,
Yoanni and Proctor.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
It's strong beating of x. We've got just the ticket.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
It's sports vix now By News.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Talks IVY standing in a corporate box on Saturday night
watching the Blues pull apart the Chiefs in the Super
Rugby Pacific Final twenty twenty four, not unlike with the
Crusaders to the Blues two years previous. Plainly lessons were
learned standing there watching the game, thinking, please please nobody
tell me the score of the Warriors, which I recording
(09:09):
at home as we speak. A person who will remain unnamed,
strolled up to me and said, Darcy, longtime colleague, how
bad were the Warriors. I don't believe it. Thirty points
down in the first half. My face dropped, but I
knew I couldn't get through an entire game of rugby
in a box stuffed with sports pigs without finding out
the score of the Warriors. I went home. I watched
(09:31):
the low lights. If you will still shake my head
at what was You can't even call it a display.
It was far from even that early doors. It looked
all right. And then the wheels fell off. Not the wheels,
the axles fell off, the mud guards fell off, the
wheel archers, the engine fell out, and then the whole
wreck sputted to a stop. What an extraordinary disappointment from
(09:56):
the Warriors team naming today. What does Andrew Webster do well?
His hands been forced by the fact that Johnson's bunged
as Archilles again, so he will not be picked in
the team. The question is is does Andrew Webster strike
while the iron is hot and the players are cold?
Does he stand up and go? You know what? The
(10:16):
young players who filled in the gaps when some of
the more seasoned players weren't available, actually stood up. They
showed some spine, they showed some hoods pa and they
showed what it means to be a warrior. Will he
dare go back down that line again? Stand some of
these old buggers down and go. That is simply not
good enough. Will he meet out severe punitive action as
(10:39):
a way of saying no more, not under my watch.
The warriors are struggling, the warriors are teetering. Sure, it's
the NRL and it can be turned around. Not necessary
though in a heartbeats. At least we're not at the
stage now where we are facing or looking down the
barrel of must win fixtures. But must win attitude, must
(11:00):
win application is what we need to see from these guys.
After what we saw, what we witnessed, what we jeward
last Saturday night on the Gold Coast.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
And let's welcome into the chamber mister Alex Powell. Alex
is the digital editor for Sport for the New Zealand Herald. Welcome,
my friend, I trust your well all good DARSI I'm good.
I'm back at work for the first time in a
couple of days of steering at the screen and I
call that work as well. The dust is settled now
on Razor Ray Robertson's first up team to take on that,
(11:37):
let's face it, the English and only like a week
and a half in Dunedin overall, have you had any
further thoughts on this? I think we all took it
in the face when it first turned up, and then
the last twenty four hours have kind of been picking
through it. Right.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
It feels like every question you answer about it, you
get two more. You know, where's Hoskins Stutu, who's the fullback?
And what are these are these new Cats going to
get to play? Are they just going to make up
the numbers. It's a bit baffling at the moment until
we see that first team named.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Until we see that first team play. Because we can
talk all we want, can't we about the selections? And
I'm pretty firm in my opinion that Razor picks players
that he knows are going to listen to him and
apply that on the park. So there's much of a
muchness between these players. Maybe it's just with one of
them he relates to them a lot better, and hence
you've got that relationship. He's in the team. That's not
(12:25):
entirely bad, is it? No?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
And I guess that's ultimately what it boils down to.
Do you trust Scott Robertson's decision making? And I think
yeah I do.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
And that based purely on the results, right.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, like you don't win one Super Rugby title by flu,
never mind seven in a row.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
You can understand some people may be gnashing their teeth
over Sotutu, but in Satiti we've got a younger player
on the up who plainly the trust sits worth.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
We say that though Hoskin sta Tutu is twenty five,
it's not as if he's over.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
The hell that's a really good point.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
He's been the form player in Super Rugby. You know,
you look at what Satiz, what all those chiefs forwards
did against Hoskinstituto final last week.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
They got monstered. They don't pick the team based on that, though,
do they really?
Speaker 4 (13:06):
What's the point of Super rwe and the build up?
Speaker 2 (13:11):
They'll look at it and then they'll go, okay, we're
not going to leave it down to one key fixture
in order to determine who all blacks are other than
saying they don't want to actually say it out loud.
There's it on direly bad idea who operates well under pressure.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
Yeah, exactly, And that's ultimately the stresses of super rugby
will be very similar to what you're going to get
in a Test match.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
You'd hope, will hope so, and I suppose we look
around to the English and see what they're going to bring.
They're just going to bring basically a mighty bunch of
men who are going to try and to hammer us
up front.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Yeah, with double barrel surnames.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
There you go. That's it. So you're confident though that
things will get off on the right foot because I'm
I'm excited by this purely because we don't know. He
talks a good game, just Raise Robinson doesn't.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
He he does. I mean, I think it'll be the
classic first Test of the year. The first forty minutes
will be an arm wrestle, and I think the All
Blacks are going to have too much in halves or
half two of that first Test and that whole second Test.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Right, The other big sporting story of the day has
to sit with the Warriors and the team named in
a few hours time. Do they get units of on
it does does Andrew webs to go you know what,
you've really let me down? Sit down, Sit down, Sit down,
sit down.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
I don't think it's Andrew Webster's character to throw the
baby out with the bath water. I think there are
going to be a lot of guys there who are
underpression now. But to go after one bad game. Admittedly
that's probably the worst Warriors game in what ten years,
possibly with the exception of that smashing by the Melbourne
storm on Anzac Day a couple of years ago. But yeah,
and this is really now Andrew Webster's biggest test. Like
(14:36):
we've seen what he does when it's going, well, what
does he do when it goes wrong?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
You look at the guys that turned up when all
the superstars were off, and they showed a bit of spine,
they showed a bit of heart, but a strength, a
bit of mongrel. You'd be sorely tempted. So maybe the
baby's leg gets last by the plug chain and as
he throws the bath tubet pops out and comes back again.
I e a severe and stern warning, like we can't
(15:00):
do this anymore because it's not must win territory. Yet,
but they're moving toward it.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Yeah, yeah, it's absolutely they've they've actually not got long
left if they want to have a real run, not
just you know, the top four like they did last year,
but the eight. You know there's going to be If
you look at the table like five to thirteen, there's
only a couple of points, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So it's tight enough to get through, but not on
performances like that. At the start of the game it
looked all right, didn't it, and then house of cards
that you go. Let's move on to our third and
final subject. Euro twenty twenty four. Is he more pressure
on England than anyone else do you think in this tournament?
Or is that just from our very British eyes.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
No, I think there's more pressure on England than there's
ever been. You look at some of the of the
stuff coming around from the English media. They are rarely
starting to turn on this team after a draw against Denmark.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
And they're trying to turn on Southgate, who probably that's well,
it's the end of his line anyway, is and he's
not going to go any further, is he?
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Well, I mean now we're into what does he want
to go?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Out of the team. He's done what.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Two Euros, two World Cups?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Who knows no success? Is there a favorite shaping up
in your eyes? It's always going to point back to
the hosts and the Germany, who are well, what are
the Germans like? Very proficient and efficient.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
I look at Spain, They've not even considered a goal
yet through Paul play. But Denny and I've got them
in the office sweepstake, so that's nailed on it. They'll
get bundled out at the first chance, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
And getting up in the morning to watch it. You're
committed to this or not.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
The seven am game. I'm not getting up any you know,
if the sun's not up, neither am I fair enough?
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I get that and I'm with you on that one,
which is why my curtains are open and I face east,
so I definitely get out of bed because the sun
sets the standard for me. Alex Powell, sports digital editor
for The New Zealand Hill, We thank you very much
for your time.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
Thanks for having me mate dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
It's Sportsfix with Darcy waldgrave Man.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
That's sports Flex sign sealed and delivered for the twenty
fifth of June twenty twenty four. For more sport than
you Can eat on News Talk ZB between Monday and
Friday seven to eight, myself and or pine Man bring
you sports talk and Piney himself between twelve and free
Saturday and Sunday with weekend sport. You look after yourself.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
For more from News Talks at b listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks d B. Hello deem,
Welcome on into the Sports Fixed podcast the twenty fifth
of June twenty twenty four. My name's Darcy Wardgrave. Here
it has all packaged up in about fifteen minutes the
sports news he needs to know about on this day,
two day in some news, of course you'd probably rather
not here. Coming up in this podcast, we're going to
(00:39):
hit the ground running short your John Hart, former All
Black coach, as we pick apart the first team under
the tenure of Scott Razor Ray Robertson. I got some
opinion for you around do they get punitive around the
Warriors after that disgraceful loss over the weekend. And we
are joined in the chamber by the Herald Digital editor
(00:59):
mister Alex Powell, as we take a look at the
big sports stories of the day. That's our plan, stand right,
let's get amongst in other news horse Mouth they said it,
we listened you All Black coach raise o Raider. Robertson
has explained his call to pick Satiti over Stutu and
arguably the most debatable call I was brand new tenure.
(01:23):
The couple's call brought hard, deep change myself, looked at
all the reasons and why I picked players, and this
will we fell. We believe Wallace is an incredibly gun
talent on the heart of the game. The Hi rose
as if warrious coach James Webster hasn't got enough on
his plate already after his team was torn to shreds
by the Titans star half Seawn Johnson, his fingers are kellies.
(01:46):
Seawn Ray felt amazing and we took our time basis yeah,
and I'll come back the way he wanted it. You
could say that Sean couldn't do what he needed to do.
When we can and listen carefully. It's about as chaotic
as American sports broadcasting gets, which is that because ice
(02:07):
hockey STUF eight side is exactly that chaos and again
star that was the Florida Panthers at winning the Stanley
Cup after beating the Edmonton Oilers two one in the
seventh game to win the Cup four games to three.
It is some sport today.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Use it's Sportsfix with Daldegrave.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
And we're joined now by a former All Black coach,
John Hart, as we take a look at the men
that have been anointed as the All Blacks for the season,
the first pick the first roster under new coach Scott Robertson. John,
Welcome as always. I suppose first up your initial reaction
to that.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Naming, I think it's, you know, largely as expected as
a couple of surprises. Obviously with the Hurricanes prop Tossy,
I think that's probably is a little bit of a surprise,
but probably the omission of Hoskins Tudo is the biggest surprise,
given that I think he's probably been one of the
(03:13):
players of the year in Super rugby.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
What does that say about the relationship between Robertson and
Statuctu or more's the point, what Robertson want out of
this team? Because, as you know, being a coach, you've
got to fill the team with players you know are
going to respond and are going to work with the
plan you've got ahead. So taking that into account, what
do you think Robertson makes a Statuti? Why didn't he
get in?
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I've got no idea, And hopefully you know, they sit
down with him and tell him, because I think you
know that was that he deserves that, and I'm sure
they will. But you know, they picked a very strong
squad's got a lot of depth in it. A little
surprise to be fair. They've said it's thirty two plus four,
but it's really thirty six because the four they've named
(03:57):
sort of covering injuries, Like I assume that you know
Sam Dowry is the fourth block rather than being named
he's he's sitting there covering the potential injuries to to
a Palodo, to Scott Barrett Bauer, possibly covering off a
tour Cafarsi who went off in the weekend. Ruben Love
just gives him that to cover at fallback, which you
(04:17):
know they've gone a bit short just with the three
three options that can play fullback, fallback and ken. But
look otherwise, I think it's quite a predictable selection and
and and generally is rewarding form in the in the
Super Rugby competition.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You mentioned, No, the any other players that you feel
made ll not have been hard done by that. We're
probably right on the cusp that possibly may have gotten that. Not.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Oh look, I think there's always those players, and you
know that's the beauty of our competition and the depth
of the competition. So I mean, I thought I thought
Peter Larkeye I liked him. I thought his performances this
year were slightly different from what they've picked. There's a
bit of a sameness to me about the loose forwards
that they picked, and I think lark House too to
(05:07):
bring a lot of different But look, they know what
the key thing then you mentioned it. They know what
they how they want to play, they know what skills
they need, and they picked that team to do that.
And you know, now we've got to all get behind
it and wish them well because it's a big year
and it's not an easy year, and it's not easy
starting with two tests against England, try.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
By fire, what an extraordinary way as opposed to your
general soft touches maybe playing a Pacific team, are touring
not so sharp team from Europe. They're really going to
hit the ground running. From what we know of England
and this all black team, very very close to expect
these exchanges.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, I mean, I think this is a real challenge
for the coaching team, new coaching team, new captain. You
know a number of new players, but not too many
new players. You know, I think the really good thing
which says something about the selection process of the former panel,
that they really have picked most of the players that
the former panel picked, and we're very successful in the
(06:05):
World Cup. So I wasn't never really affecting too much change.
But obviously there were some gaps caused by you know,
the injury to Cam Royguard for instance, opened up a
third halfback option, and there's always those opportunities, and the
injury to the chiefs Howker who also opened up an opportunity.
So outside of that, it's a pretty pretty much a
(06:27):
side that was at mirrors mirrors very much a two
thousand and twenty three World Cup with the obviously with
the exception of the all back sort of left.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Do you mention the halfback situation? Courtestma has made every
post winner so far. What do you think he brings,
because of course you'd expect that it become the next
selection or the next team named providing roy Guards right
towards the end of the season he'll drop away. So
he's got a fever on his plate, hasn't he to
not establish himself but to keep that position.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah, but it's an opportunity and you know, look there's
always injuries, there's always opportunity, and you've got to make
sure when you give to get your chance to take it,
you know you've got I think he's probably moved to
the front of a queue. I think t. J. Ferrinaro
has had a good season and he will be very
valuable and probably pretty good to come off the bench
(07:18):
and close out a game. But you know, I expect
Radam it will be probably just in behind those two initially,
but you know, he's shone with the Chiefs. He's got
an explosive speed, he's got a good work rate, you know,
so I think you know he'll get a chance, and
you know the halfback depth is you know, Roy Guard's
a real miss for me because he had progressed so
(07:40):
much that you know, I saw Royguard and Christy being
a really good combination.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
In the form of Billy Proctor, John Hart joins the
program in the form of Billy Proctor. He's been around
for a couple of years and this time he's solidified
and starting to put out what we all know he
is capable of. But the consistency is there. So that's
not only him, but it's the coaching staff of the
Hurricanes drawing the best out of him, surely.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Look, I think he's been one of the standout our players.
I thought he had a wonderful season. I think his
combination with Jordy Barrett is very good and that wouldn't
go unnoticed. So you know, I think, you know, he's
a really deserved selection. I think he's worked really well
and he's added to his game and he's one of
the players of a year I think in terms of
(08:27):
Super Rugby, so very deserving of a spot. And you
know it gives it gives, you know, gives us some
good midfield options, you know, with Barrett, Leonard Brown, Ricca,
Yoanni and Proctor.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
It's strong beating of x. We've got just the ticket.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
It's sports vix now By News.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Talks IVY standing in a corporate box on Saturday night
watching the Blues pull apart the Chiefs in the Super
Rugby Pacific Final twenty twenty four, not unlike with the
Crusaders to the Blues two years previous. Plainly lessons were
learned standing there watching the game, thinking, please please nobody
tell me the score of the Warriors, which I recording
(09:09):
at home as we speak. A person who will remain unnamed,
strolled up to me and said, Darcy, longtime colleague, how
bad were the Warriors. I don't believe it. Thirty points
down in the first half. My face dropped, but I
knew I couldn't get through an entire game of rugby
in a box stuffed with sports pigs without finding out
the score of the Warriors. I went home. I watched
(09:31):
the low lights. If you will still shake my head
at what was You can't even call it a display.
It was far from even that early doors. It looked
all right. And then the wheels fell off. Not the wheels,
the axles fell off, the mud guards fell off, the
wheel archers, the engine fell out, and then the whole
wreck sputted to a stop. What an extraordinary disappointment from
(09:56):
the Warriors team naming today. What does Andrew Webster do well?
His hands been forced by the fact that Johnson's bunged
as Archilles again, so he will not be picked in
the team. The question is is does Andrew Webster strike
while the iron is hot and the players are cold?
Does he stand up and go? You know what? The
(10:16):
young players who filled in the gaps when some of
the more seasoned players weren't available, actually stood up. They
showed some spine, they showed some hoods pa and they
showed what it means to be a warrior. Will he
dare go back down that line again? Stand some of
these old buggers down and go. That is simply not
good enough. Will he meet out severe punitive action as
(10:39):
a way of saying no more, not under my watch.
The warriors are struggling, the warriors are teetering. Sure, it's
the NRL and it can be turned around. Not necessary
though in a heartbeats. At least we're not at the
stage now where we are facing or looking down the
barrel of must win fixtures. But must win attitude, must
(11:00):
win application is what we need to see from these guys.
After what we saw, what we witnessed, what we jeward
last Saturday night on the Gold Coast.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
And let's welcome into the chamber mister Alex Powell. Alex
is the digital editor for Sport for the New Zealand Herald. Welcome,
my friend, I trust your well all good DARSI I'm good.
I'm back at work for the first time in a
couple of days of steering at the screen and I
call that work as well. The dust is settled now
on Razor Ray Robertson's first up team to take on that,
(11:37):
let's face it, the English and only like a week
and a half in Dunedin overall, have you had any
further thoughts on this? I think we all took it
in the face when it first turned up, and then
the last twenty four hours have kind of been picking
through it. Right.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
It feels like every question you answer about it, you
get two more. You know, where's Hoskins Stutu, who's the fullback?
And what are these are these new Cats going to
get to play? Are they just going to make up
the numbers. It's a bit baffling at the moment until
we see that first team named.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Until we see that first team play. Because we can
talk all we want, can't we about the selections? And
I'm pretty firm in my opinion that Razor picks players
that he knows are going to listen to him and
apply that on the park. So there's much of a
muchness between these players. Maybe it's just with one of
them he relates to them a lot better, and hence
you've got that relationship. He's in the team. That's not
(12:25):
entirely bad, is it? No?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
And I guess that's ultimately what it boils down to.
Do you trust Scott Robertson's decision making? And I think
yeah I do.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
And that based purely on the results, right.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, like you don't win one Super Rugby title by flu,
never mind seven in a row.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
You can understand some people may be gnashing their teeth
over Sotutu, but in Satiti we've got a younger player
on the up who plainly the trust sits worth.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
We say that though Hoskin sta Tutu is twenty five,
it's not as if he's over.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
The hell that's a really good point.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
He's been the form player in Super Rugby. You know,
you look at what Satiz, what all those chiefs forwards
did against Hoskinstituto final last week.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
They got monstered. They don't pick the team based on that, though,
do they really?
Speaker 4 (13:06):
What's the point of Super rwe and the build up?
Speaker 2 (13:11):
They'll look at it and then they'll go, okay, we're
not going to leave it down to one key fixture
in order to determine who all blacks are other than
saying they don't want to actually say it out loud.
There's it on direly bad idea who operates well under pressure.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
Yeah, exactly, And that's ultimately the stresses of super rugby
will be very similar to what you're going to get
in a Test match.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
You'd hope, will hope so, and I suppose we look
around to the English and see what they're going to bring.
They're just going to bring basically a mighty bunch of
men who are going to try and to hammer us
up front.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Yeah, with double barrel surnames.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
There you go. That's it. So you're confident though that
things will get off on the right foot because I'm
I'm excited by this purely because we don't know. He
talks a good game, just Raise Robinson doesn't.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
He he does. I mean, I think it'll be the
classic first Test of the year. The first forty minutes
will be an arm wrestle, and I think the All
Blacks are going to have too much in halves or
half two of that first Test and that whole second Test.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Right, The other big sporting story of the day has
to sit with the Warriors and the team named in
a few hours time. Do they get units of on
it does does Andrew webs to go you know what,
you've really let me down? Sit down, Sit down, Sit down,
sit down.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
I don't think it's Andrew Webster's character to throw the
baby out with the bath water. I think there are
going to be a lot of guys there who are
underpression now. But to go after one bad game. Admittedly
that's probably the worst Warriors game in what ten years,
possibly with the exception of that smashing by the Melbourne
storm on Anzac Day a couple of years ago. But yeah,
and this is really now Andrew Webster's biggest test. Like
(14:36):
we've seen what he does when it's going, well, what
does he do when it goes wrong?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
You look at the guys that turned up when all
the superstars were off, and they showed a bit of spine,
they showed a bit of heart, but a strength, a
bit of mongrel. You'd be sorely tempted. So maybe the
baby's leg gets last by the plug chain and as
he throws the bath tubet pops out and comes back again.
I e a severe and stern warning, like we can't
(15:00):
do this anymore because it's not must win territory. Yet,
but they're moving toward it.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Yeah, yeah, it's absolutely they've they've actually not got long
left if they want to have a real run, not
just you know, the top four like they did last year,
but the eight. You know there's going to be If
you look at the table like five to thirteen, there's
only a couple of points, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So it's tight enough to get through, but not on
performances like that. At the start of the game it
looked all right, didn't it, and then house of cards
that you go. Let's move on to our third and
final subject. Euro twenty twenty four. Is he more pressure
on England than anyone else do you think in this tournament?
Or is that just from our very British eyes.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
No, I think there's more pressure on England than there's
ever been. You look at some of the of the
stuff coming around from the English media. They are rarely
starting to turn on this team after a draw against Denmark.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
And they're trying to turn on Southgate, who probably that's well,
it's the end of his line anyway, is and he's
not going to go any further, is he?
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Well, I mean now we're into what does he want
to go?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Out of the team. He's done what.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Two Euros, two World Cups?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Who knows no success? Is there a favorite shaping up
in your eyes? It's always going to point back to
the hosts and the Germany, who are well, what are
the Germans like? Very proficient and efficient.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
I look at Spain, They've not even considered a goal
yet through Paul play. But Denny and I've got them
in the office sweepstake, so that's nailed on it. They'll
get bundled out at the first chance, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
And getting up in the morning to watch it. You're
committed to this or not.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
The seven am game. I'm not getting up any you know,
if the sun's not up, neither am I fair enough?
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I get that and I'm with you on that one,
which is why my curtains are open and I face east,
so I definitely get out of bed because the sun
sets the standard for me. Alex Powell, sports digital editor
for The New Zealand Hill, We thank you very much
for your time.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
Thanks for having me mate dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
It's Sportsfix with Darcy waldgrave Man.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
That's sports Flex sign sealed and delivered for the twenty
fifth of June twenty twenty four. For more sport than
you Can eat on News Talk ZB between Monday and
Friday seven to eight, myself and or pine Man bring
you sports talk and Piney himself between twelve and free
Saturday and Sunday with weekend sport. You look after yourself.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
For more from News Talks at b listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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