July 17, 2025 • 24 mins
On Sports Fix with Elliott Smith and Jason Pine for 17 July 2025, leading player agent Simon Porter joins the podcast to discuss whether R360 has moved into the realm of being an active proposition now players are being engaged.
Elliott considers how well the R360 concept could shake up local Kiwi competitions.
And in the Chamber, Jason and Elliott discuss changes to the All Blacks squad. Will seven Chiefs players in the starting line-up please the Hamilton faithful?
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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 Sportsfix Howard by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello there and welcome into a fresh episode of the
Sports Fixed podcast and association with GJ. Gardner Homes New
Zealand's most trusted home builder. Thursday July seventeen, I'm Jason
Pine with Elliott Smith in Test City, Hamilton.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
How good piney. Great to be in Mulu country and
counting down to the final All Blacks Test against France
on Saturday night. Soaking up the atmosphere you do, since
there is a test in town. I know the locals
have embraced the All Blacks with open arms around the
streets in the last few days, and very much looking
forward to Saturday.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
All right, cow bells included On Saturday night, We've got
the latest of sports news coming up for you, Elliot
and I will jump inside the chamber as well and
kick around a very different looking All Blacks team to
face France and the third Test on Saturday night. So
without any further ado, let's get into it in other.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
News time now for Sports Today. A change in tone
from Paul Gallon towards the Sonny, but Williams after claiming
bragging rights in their boxing bout in Sydney, the former
Sharks camped and won by a split decision, the final
judge's score of seventy six to seventy five coming as
the result of a point deduction for Williams in the
seventh round. Gallan, though trying to put an end to
(01:30):
years at feuding.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Yeah, I don't know him very well.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I don't know it all of you actually, to be honest,
but I've seen him with his kids and he seems
like I know, the fantastic father, is high devote to
his religions, so I think I respect him, right.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Williams exited the ring after the result was announced into
any post fight interview or address media. I meanwhile, the
cricket one hundred and three run unbeaten six we'll get
stand between Tim Robinson and deby Tom Bevan Jacobs has
secured the black Caps at twenty one run victory of
South Africa in the T twenty Train Series cricket match
in Hurrari. Robinson made seventy five Jacobs forty four, propelling
the black Caps to one seventy three five. In terms
(02:03):
of the services and the cricketing conditions, it's actually quite
similar to back home.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
A little bit of pacing bounds and that's really nice.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Specially the protests are good, good fast bowling and as
well suited to I suppose us as a career team.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
As well, and could Roger to ay Varsask make another
code switch. In twenty twenty seven, the Sydney Morning Herald
reports the Warriors full back and center and wing as
a target of they proposed rugby three sixty competition for
when he comes off contract. Is agent Bruce Sharricks told
the heralds he and his clients completing due diligence.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
This is just part of a planning process. I think
what has captured the headlines is the fact that there
is this theoretical new competition and yes look at as
gaining a lot of momentum and quite frankly, I think
it possibly will happen pretty shortly.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
This is Sportsfex, your daily dose of sports news, how
and by news talks be.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
What's certainly been the big story of the day has
an R three sixty. Is there anything to it? While
they're trying to attack Rodger Toy Varsas Shek and some
other league players, and I'm sure they are after union
players as well to get them across the line. Is
there anything to it though, that is the question. And
leading player agent is going to join us on Sports
Fix to extrapolate this out a little bit. His name
(03:15):
is Simon Porter, one of the best player agents going
around from Halo Sport. Simon, thanks so much for.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
Your time, appreciate it, no problems.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, has this now moved into the realm of being
an active proposition, this R three sixty concept, now that
players are being linked to it.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
I think I think it's probably still very much in
the development concept stage. You know, there's a lot of
hurdles and a lot of details still to be worked through.
But I guess, you know, from from the organizer's point
of view, you know, you can't ever run good competition
unless you've got players, so it's kind of natural that
(03:57):
they'd be out there talking with players, and then I
guess it's kind of natural that sometimes those conversations end
up out in the public domain. So yeah, it's still
pretty conceptual in development at this stage, but there's they're
suddenly working pretty hard to try to bring it together.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
That was my next question. Obviously these things go on
behind the scenes at the moment, but obviously they pass
your desk as well. And look there there genuinely seems
to be some momentum behind this from the plat the
other key players behind it.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Look, I think you know the people that are that
are driving it, are you know, they're they're adamant that
they see things and maybe that need to change, and
they've got some ideas around how they think they can
they can change Rugby and what they can fix. But
kind of, as I said, there's they've still got a
(04:56):
lot of hurdles and in details to work through before
they can sort of, I guess, before it gets to
the point where you'd be saying, oh, you buy your tickets,
you know, hit a head along to the ballpark. We're
not quite there yet. I don't think as.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
A player agent, do you. I mean, I'm sure you've
seen things like this before. There was the Twelves a
few years ago. There have been other concepts. Are you
naturally cynical around these sort of breakaway leagues? For one
of a better.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
Term that's probably Look, I think you're just yeah, I
look cynical. Yep, maybe keep it cool. I don't know. Look, look,
you know your job is to look at these things
assess them in advising clients, right, Ultimately, that's what you've
got to do. It's not our decision whether a client
decides to science for something like this, or signs in
(05:48):
Japan or France, or stays in newsat or whatever. You
know about. Our job is to assess it and look
at it. You know, they've at the moment, you know
they're targeting the best players in the world. That's what
they say. But you know, you've got countries like New
Zealand and England, Ireland, Australia to a degree, and I
think France is the same. I'm not quite sure. Or
it's just a product of their competition where in order
(06:11):
to be eligible for your national team you've got to
be playing club rugby in that country. And you know,
New Zealand Rugby has been very clear about it stants
on players being picked from overseas, so you know, and
if you take those five countries out of the equation,
can you hold your hand up and say it's the
(06:32):
best players in the world. You know, they've been very
clear that they want the international players that they want
to be respectful of the international game and play it
and around release windows, et cetera, which means it goes
up and competition against you know, the Top League and
Regular League one in Japan or Super Rugby or the
French Top fourteen Premiership in England, et cetera, cecs. So
(06:53):
you know, there's some pretty big meaty issues they need
to work through to be able to deliver on their
vision for what they see this competition being.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Should New Zealand Rugby as an organization be worried about
this or are open to what it might bring? And
obviously you've mentioned the eligibility thing there as well, but
should they be worried about potentially you know, the players
being shipped off shore and going and playing for this concept.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Well, I mean players leave me zind every year to
go to play elsewhere. So you know, if the credibility
in the integrity of the international competition remains, then players
are still going to remain and be all blacks, et cetera.
So I mean, look, it's a watching brief. I think
(07:42):
I'm not so sure worried. I mean, you know, you
know it'll be on their risk registered to you know,
I guess, you know, if they're looking at it, but
I don't think it's something that's you know, an immediate
right now massive concern for them. Anything like this will
take momentum. As I say, it's not just New Zealand's
(08:03):
you know, we're not the ety center of the rugby world.
We're a very very strong contributor to it. But you know,
this involves everyone across numerous countries, and you know, and
then they've got things like all the sustainability and the
regeneration of it, and you know that's where like a
competition like lived Golf, I think where that's stumbled where
sure they managed to get the signatures of a lot
(08:23):
of leading players, but now sort of three four years on,
where's the next crop coming from? And So if you
did something like this and you tore a whole lot
of players out of club ecosystems around the world, what
is that going to do to the club competition? So
whilst it may not be a massive amount of players
from each competition, you know what we've seen in where
(08:44):
competitions have kind of consolidated like an island. They created
sorry initity, they created two super teams and Wales, they
created full regions. In New Zealand, they created five Super
Raby teams. Well what did that do to the competitions
underneath it? You know, they lost a bit of relevance
and they lose some eyeballs, They lose sponsors, they lose funding,
et cetera. So I think it's a bit naive to
(09:04):
think that they could strip players out of the best competitions,
the current best petitions in the world, and then expect
those competitions to just carry on working and regenerating rugby
players for them. So, you know, it could be a
one wonder thing where you could get the best players,
But I don't have if they really thought hard around
how do they keep regenerating? Where do they get their
replacement players from? You know, like how do they keep
(09:27):
you know, you look at the Super rugby team. They've
thirty eight contracts, but they use fifty odd players a
year because players get hurt. It's a brutal game. You
add in travel every week, you know, going around countries
around the world. You know that that creates player welfare issues,
that creates injury issues. But you know, where are you
going to pull players? And if you get you know,
(09:48):
two front rowers get can cuss? You know, where where
are they going to come from? If you're going from
real genero to Toronto. So you know, there's all these
things that you know, I'm just I'm to sort of
hear answers to those kinds of questions that make me
sit there and go, well, hell yeah, look at my boys.
That's jump on the bandwagon and put pin the paper
(10:09):
and close your options off to everything else. You know,
it's all that detail that you know, Yeah, sure, great art, yes,
and I'm sure they've approached them, you know, I think
Bruce admitted it, you know, so great, awesome for Roger,
But man, you know Rogers, Roger's been around for a
long time, his agent's been around for a long time.
You know they'll be asking the exact same questions.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Where so I'm imported with us on newstalk ZEBBA. Just
a couple of final questions as you've touched on there.
You know, it's the first player to go. It's in
this new competition that you know a player might be
a domino effect that one goes in, two go then
three goes. But when it's a new competition, you know
you've got to be the first person to you know,
know your flat and now your colors to the mass
(10:49):
and go I'm going to go play for R three
sixty and often takes a you know, a different player
to kind of do that. So, you know, if the
if domino start falling, do you think that could be
an issue for New Zealand rugby, I of one sort
of follows two, follows three, et cetera.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
Oh look, look, of course the domino effects, of course
it would. But you know there's also some natural, uh
like barriers or hurdles for that happening. One. This isn't
like golf where everyone's independent contractors and haven't signed contracts.
You know, these guys are all contracted, and you know,
(11:25):
all around the world people are contracted not just you know,
multi year, but a few years away or you know,
some will be two years, some will be three, some
will be one. You know, some guys contracting in December,
some guys contracting in July, others in in April. You know,
all that sort of stuff. So there's you can have
a domino effect. You know, I don't like cricket, you know,
(11:45):
I think cricket's fairly susceptible to a rebel competition because
you know, in New Zealand we don't do multi year contracts.
We just do one year contracts. So if everyone just decided, well, no,
we're all going to go and plan that competition that
starts two months after you know, their contracts finished, you
could do something like that, but rugby is just not
like that. You know, you don't have unless people are
(12:07):
just to go truly rebel and people walked and just well,
oh well, sue us lawyers would win then because people
would say, you know that the beats are too big
for a lot of people. So yes, of course, but again,
you know, I don't Yeah, it could happen, the dominofect
(12:28):
could happen, but you know, I think it's just one
of those things that would be a slow bo and
if they get off the ground, because it's just not
conceivable that the best two hundred rugby players in the
world are all going to be available at the same time.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
And just finally, Simon, so grateful for your time, but
World Rugby, does you know is a chance with them
that this breakaway competition has been talked about to make
sure that you know, they've got their game, their house,
everything in order.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
Yeah, look, I'm sure they're talking to World Rugby. But
this is this is where the nuance of rugby comes in.
Like World Rugby are a governing body, but for rugby
to you know, the global but for rugby to be
played in the country, like our game to be played
in the country, you actually need the national union to
(13:15):
sign off on that. So for there to be around
of this in New Zealand, things that are, you would
have to sign off on it. Otherwise it is rebel
and it exists outside of you know, World rugby sanctions,
which I presume you know that's what happened with the
i p L and the Indian Cricket League. You know
they were both rebel and then India sweept in or
bcc ice swept in behind the i PL and everyone
(13:38):
that was playing ICL was suddenly rebel and banned complain
to National rugby. So you know, if you go ahead
and play in a country that hasn't sanctioned it, well
you are you know, those players and everyone involved will
be open to being sanctioned. So that's where you know,
will Rugby could endorse it, but it's actually up to
the individual country. So if you take out the big
(14:00):
rugby playing countries and you're just taking this new frontiers.
Well it hasn't gone that well for SEVENS, you know again,
and that's just something I look at and go, you're
taking a business model that you know, arguably is a
little bit like SEVENS. I know they prefer to compare
it to Formula one or the golf for or you know,
ipl etcetera. But you know, the seven Circus cruiser around
(14:23):
the world playing festival rugby tournaments year on year. You're
going to take a whole lot more players with a
lot more cost different model like it's it's it's got
some real challenges that it needs to figure out. And
I mean that from a commercial model, like you know,
you just start edding everything up and it's just I
it's absolutely eyewatering. Just the travel bill to get all
(14:46):
those players, support staff, et cetera around the world and
then flying them home every few weeks or in a
flub family or whatever. You know, just you do the numbers,
and you know, yeah, I'm skeptical a little bit because
it just it's it's got some challenges and some questions
that have been asked that haven't been answered yet. So
(15:07):
you know, I'm sure they're beavering away and they'll be
working furiously because the only good people and they're real
rugby people and all that sort of stuff. But you know,
they still have to answer a whole lot of these
questions before too many people are going to be flooding there.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Well wait and see whether those questions get answered. Simon Porter,
thank you so much for your time on newstalk ze Bee.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
Not a problem sports facts.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
So to R three sixty, I'm yet to be convinced
it will actually happen, but if it does and is
done properly, it could shake up rugby union and rugby
league in a wait not seen since the respective wars
of the nineteen nineties. Could, though, is the operative word.
Rod to tuiy VARs Shechek has been offered a considerable
sum to go and if you are RTS, you have
(15:48):
nothing left to prove really in the NRL, and you'd
be silly not to take it. My words, not his.
But if the draw card is going to be Rod
to tuy varsas Sheek playing union, then we've seen it
before and it didn't work out too great, with the
whole host of reasons being behind that, including COVID Bruce Sharick,
Roger to Varsashek's agent reckons it could start to gain
momentum shortly. The proof will be in the players they get.
(16:09):
If they can get a big domino, a regular starter
or two from the top five to six teams and
world rugby been short, that's time to sit up and
take notice. But if you're simply going to golden handshake
players into retirement from rugby and rugby league, then it's
not going to move the needle. Even if they do
get the cream of the crop, it's no guarantee for success.
The live circuit has several major winners, and yet the
(16:30):
viewing numbers are dreadful and no one can tell apart
the range Goats from the crushes or the RiPP A
GC from the fireballs. It's seen several of the top
players and the sport become virtually anonymous outside the majors,
But that doesn't matter to the saudiast It's about the
presence and illusion of having a role to play in
this sport. They like influence, they like being seen to
be part of an event, and what they want they
(16:54):
usually get.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Into the chamber we go, and really it's the All
Blacks that are center stage. Whenever a team is named,
we dissect it, We look at it for changes. Ten
changes to the side, the starting fifteen. That is another
debutante possible off the bench, with Brody McAllister having an
opportunity to become an All Black on his home patch.
Were you expecting this many changes when the team dropped
(17:23):
around ten thirty.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
This morning, I wasn't party. I was expecting some changes obviously,
but perhaps not the wholesale amount that we have seen
this week. I thought they might have stuck with Billy
Proctor for another week at center and really made sure
that he was getting as many reps under his belt
as he possibly could. But they do have a balance
and they've tried to get those players that haven't had
a lot of game time, not only in this All
(17:45):
Blacks camp, but for a few weeks now. If this
sidees exited the Super Rugged playoffs early back on the
park and Scott Robinson's been quite open about wanting to
build depth a heat of the twenty twenty seven Rugby World Cup.
This gives them an opportunity to do so. But I
certainly wasn't expecting ten changes to the side and I
thought there'd be a little bit more continuity around that,
but clearly they've gone. We need to get these players
(18:07):
in the park. We need to learn a lot little
bit more about them and find out what they're like
under pressure and if, for example, Rubin Love is one
of those players that has only played what fifteen minutes
of a Test match off the bench in Japan last year.
Now he starts to test on home soil this week,
we'll learn a lot about Ruben Love and what he
can do in the Test aren this weekend. So not
(18:27):
expecting as many changes as we've been delivered by coach
Scott Robertson. But there's a really exciting look about this team,
isn't there, Pony.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Appsolu lot there is and I'm looking forward as a
Hurricanes fanta seeing Rubin Love in the fifteen Jersey seven
Chiefs in the starting side. So that'll please please the
Hamilton faithful. What happens if one of the Locks gets injured.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Well sound Penny fenw will have to go into the
second row. He has played a little bit of Locke
and the All Black team very much wedded to this
idea of having two flankers are coming off the bench.
We've seen it so far this season and all three
of their test matches, and they're doing it again this week.
But of course in the previous two weeks they had
the insurance policy and inverted commas of too Vi being
(19:09):
able to move if need be from Flanka into second
row and bring one of the flankers off the bench.
This week they don't have that luxury, so see on
Penny Fee. Now we'll have a chance potentially to show
his chops in the second row should one of those
tall timbers in the four or five josies go down
this week. It is a risk, I think from the
All Blacks to do so. But there was also a
(19:30):
time where they didn't select locks on the bench. You
think back to the twenty fifteen World Cut. They didn't
often take a lock on the bench in those test matches.
They decided to go with a flanker and you know,
try and own the breakdown that way. It seems like
that's a similar approach from what the All Blacks are
looking for this week. And the you know obviously hadn't
(19:50):
I taught Cooy in camp Piney, but decided against that
and gone with Dolden Papali, who also has been as
injury cover. So yeah, fine, balance, I guess to the
All Blacks and if one of those locks goes down earlier,
it could be a big night for Semipenny Fee.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Now well, speaking of locks, Fabian Holland for the third game,
Row has been named to start, and all things being equal, Elliot,
given the fact that there isn't lock and cover off
the bench unless as you say, move female in there,
he could be in for a third straight eighty minute
outing his first three Test matches. I think he without
obviously being able to predict Saturday night, but if he
(20:25):
goes the same way as been going, it's a pretty
impressive start to a Test career, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
It is? And it's a good point. I mean, how
many young players would have played three straight eighty minutes
or you know, as soon as making their debut for
the All Blacks. There wouldn't be many that would have
done that, I'm sure in the animals at least of
the professional era, and since we had substitutions, it's very
much been We'll give you a taste off the bench
and introduce you to test rugby that way. But Fabian
(20:51):
Holland has had you know, one hundred and sixty minutes
of test experience and as you say, it may well
be two hundred and forty by the end of the weekend.
It's a lot, you know for far being Holland. But
it's been about come out in two ways, pint it
because of the you know, the injuries have had in
the second row with Scott Barrett you know being out.
So maybe he wouldn't have started one of these two
(21:12):
tests if Barrett was there, So they might have looked
at thy Pilotso and Barrett as a combination for one
of these two test matches. But look, we saw last
week that he was beginning to find his way in
test rugby. I was highly impressed by what he did,
also by what Patrick Thruypilotu did And in terms of
that depth of Locke, you know, Sam Dowry is still
to come back. The all blacks are beginning to develop
(21:33):
and perhaps that's why they thought that maybe we're better off,
you know, selecting a couple of flankers on the bench
and continuing to allow Fabian Holland to you know, to
get his chops in Test rugby.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
One other plarage is what I mentioned before we exited
the chamber of Quintupire because we know that he had
such a long time out after that that dreadful injury
he stuffered at the hands of Darcy Swain and Melbourne.
In September of twenty twenty two, he made his return
in Dunedin. Off the bench he starts, I think for
the first time since would have been earlier in twenty
twenty two. The last time, in fact, I think it
(22:04):
might have been down in Dunedin. The last time he
started a Test match was against Ireland in Dunedin, and
here he is on his home patch back in that
twelve Jersey.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Look.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
I don't know what the future holds for Quinsupaya, but
a big part of me is very pleased to see
him there.
Speaker 5 (22:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Absolutely, Look, he's worked his way back the long way
and was determined to get this All Blacks Jersey back.
And you know, twenty twenty three had to watch a
World Cup from the sidelines. Twenty four couldn't quite make
it happen again. But he was in such imperious form
this year in super rugby that he became irresistible for
Scott Robinson. And you know what he could have taken
Dar I say it, and no one would have blamed him,
the easy way out and gone. You know, I got
(22:40):
fifteen or so tests for the All Blacks. I'm going
to go to Japan and do it, you know, get
some money that way. But he hasn't. He's been determined
to make his way back into the test arena and
to start again, you know, on time soil, familiar ground
for him with the old mate Antonine and at Brown
outside him this weekend. It is just reward for the
kind of form and persistence that quintapis sean at super
(23:02):
rugby level. The determination to make sure that he wants
his All Blacks jersey back and fight for that all
Black jewy. Yeah, it's a real testament. So I guess
the character that he's got and I'm sure it hasn't
gone unnoticed by you know, those in All Blacks camp.
Just what it's taken for him to get back out
in the park and indeed, you know, start a Test
match again on home soil.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Yeah, wonderful stuff. A good occasion coming for Quintu Pie
and for the number of Chiefs and the starting side
and in the twenty three on Saturday night, we have
spoken pretty much exclusively about the All Blacks today in
the chamber. Don't worry, we're back and here tomorrow when
we'll look at prospects for the game, including what France
might bring in the third Test. But for now, that's
us inside the Chamber for this episode of the Sports
(23:42):
Fix podcast.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Leading a VEX. We've got just the ticket. It's Sportsfix,
how my news.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Talks IVY and in fact that is us on the
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(24:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello there and welcome into a fresh episode of the
Sports Fixed podcast and association with GJ. Gardner Homes New
Zealand's most trusted home builder. Thursday July seventeen, I'm Jason
Pine with Elliott Smith in Test City, Hamilton.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
How good piney. Great to be in Mulu country and
counting down to the final All Blacks Test against France
on Saturday night. Soaking up the atmosphere you do, since
there is a test in town. I know the locals
have embraced the All Blacks with open arms around the
streets in the last few days, and very much looking
forward to Saturday.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
All right, cow bells included On Saturday night, We've got
the latest of sports news coming up for you, Elliot
and I will jump inside the chamber as well and
kick around a very different looking All Blacks team to
face France and the third Test on Saturday night. So
without any further ado, let's get into it in other.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
News time now for Sports Today. A change in tone
from Paul Gallon towards the Sonny, but Williams after claiming
bragging rights in their boxing bout in Sydney, the former
Sharks camped and won by a split decision, the final
judge's score of seventy six to seventy five coming as
the result of a point deduction for Williams in the
seventh round. Gallan, though trying to put an end to
(01:30):
years at feuding.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Yeah, I don't know him very well.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I don't know it all of you actually, to be honest,
but I've seen him with his kids and he seems
like I know, the fantastic father, is high devote to
his religions, so I think I respect him, right.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Williams exited the ring after the result was announced into
any post fight interview or address media. I meanwhile, the
cricket one hundred and three run unbeaten six we'll get
stand between Tim Robinson and deby Tom Bevan Jacobs has
secured the black Caps at twenty one run victory of
South Africa in the T twenty Train Series cricket match
in Hurrari. Robinson made seventy five Jacobs forty four, propelling
the black Caps to one seventy three five. In terms
(02:03):
of the services and the cricketing conditions, it's actually quite
similar to back home.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
A little bit of pacing bounds and that's really nice.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Specially the protests are good, good fast bowling and as
well suited to I suppose us as a career team.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
As well, and could Roger to ay Varsask make another
code switch. In twenty twenty seven, the Sydney Morning Herald
reports the Warriors full back and center and wing as
a target of they proposed rugby three sixty competition for
when he comes off contract. Is agent Bruce Sharricks told
the heralds he and his clients completing due diligence.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
This is just part of a planning process. I think
what has captured the headlines is the fact that there
is this theoretical new competition and yes look at as
gaining a lot of momentum and quite frankly, I think
it possibly will happen pretty shortly.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
This is Sportsfex, your daily dose of sports news, how
and by news talks be.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
What's certainly been the big story of the day has
an R three sixty. Is there anything to it? While
they're trying to attack Rodger Toy Varsas Shek and some
other league players, and I'm sure they are after union
players as well to get them across the line. Is
there anything to it though, that is the question. And
leading player agent is going to join us on Sports
Fix to extrapolate this out a little bit. His name
(03:15):
is Simon Porter, one of the best player agents going
around from Halo Sport. Simon, thanks so much for.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
Your time, appreciate it, no problems.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, has this now moved into the realm of being
an active proposition, this R three sixty concept, now that
players are being linked to it.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
I think I think it's probably still very much in
the development concept stage. You know, there's a lot of
hurdles and a lot of details still to be worked through.
But I guess, you know, from from the organizer's point
of view, you know, you can't ever run good competition
unless you've got players, so it's kind of natural that
(03:57):
they'd be out there talking with players, and then I
guess it's kind of natural that sometimes those conversations end
up out in the public domain. So yeah, it's still
pretty conceptual in development at this stage, but there's they're
suddenly working pretty hard to try to bring it together.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
That was my next question. Obviously these things go on
behind the scenes at the moment, but obviously they pass
your desk as well. And look there there genuinely seems
to be some momentum behind this from the plat the
other key players behind it.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Look, I think you know the people that are that
are driving it, are you know, they're they're adamant that
they see things and maybe that need to change, and
they've got some ideas around how they think they can
they can change Rugby and what they can fix. But
kind of, as I said, there's they've still got a
(04:56):
lot of hurdles and in details to work through before
they can sort of, I guess, before it gets to
the point where you'd be saying, oh, you buy your tickets,
you know, hit a head along to the ballpark. We're
not quite there yet. I don't think as.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
A player agent, do you. I mean, I'm sure you've
seen things like this before. There was the Twelves a
few years ago. There have been other concepts. Are you
naturally cynical around these sort of breakaway leagues? For one
of a better.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
Term that's probably Look, I think you're just yeah, I
look cynical. Yep, maybe keep it cool. I don't know. Look, look,
you know your job is to look at these things
assess them in advising clients, right, Ultimately, that's what you've
got to do. It's not our decision whether a client
decides to science for something like this, or signs in
(05:48):
Japan or France, or stays in newsat or whatever. You
know about. Our job is to assess it and look
at it. You know, they've at the moment, you know
they're targeting the best players in the world. That's what
they say. But you know, you've got countries like New
Zealand and England, Ireland, Australia to a degree, and I
think France is the same. I'm not quite sure. Or
it's just a product of their competition where in order
(06:11):
to be eligible for your national team you've got to
be playing club rugby in that country. And you know,
New Zealand Rugby has been very clear about it stants
on players being picked from overseas, so you know, and
if you take those five countries out of the equation,
can you hold your hand up and say it's the
(06:32):
best players in the world. You know, they've been very
clear that they want the international players that they want
to be respectful of the international game and play it
and around release windows, et cetera, which means it goes
up and competition against you know, the Top League and
Regular League one in Japan or Super Rugby or the
French Top fourteen Premiership in England, et cetera, cecs. So
(06:53):
you know, there's some pretty big meaty issues they need
to work through to be able to deliver on their
vision for what they see this competition being.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Should New Zealand Rugby as an organization be worried about
this or are open to what it might bring? And
obviously you've mentioned the eligibility thing there as well, but
should they be worried about potentially you know, the players
being shipped off shore and going and playing for this concept.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Well, I mean players leave me zind every year to
go to play elsewhere. So you know, if the credibility
in the integrity of the international competition remains, then players
are still going to remain and be all blacks, et cetera.
So I mean, look, it's a watching brief. I think
(07:42):
I'm not so sure worried. I mean, you know, you
know it'll be on their risk registered to you know,
I guess, you know, if they're looking at it, but
I don't think it's something that's you know, an immediate
right now massive concern for them. Anything like this will
take momentum. As I say, it's not just New Zealand's
(08:03):
you know, we're not the ety center of the rugby world.
We're a very very strong contributor to it. But you know,
this involves everyone across numerous countries, and you know, and
then they've got things like all the sustainability and the
regeneration of it, and you know that's where like a
competition like lived Golf, I think where that's stumbled where
sure they managed to get the signatures of a lot
(08:23):
of leading players, but now sort of three four years on,
where's the next crop coming from? And So if you
did something like this and you tore a whole lot
of players out of club ecosystems around the world, what
is that going to do to the club competition? So
whilst it may not be a massive amount of players
from each competition, you know what we've seen in where
(08:44):
competitions have kind of consolidated like an island. They created
sorry initity, they created two super teams and Wales, they
created full regions. In New Zealand, they created five Super
Raby teams. Well what did that do to the competitions
underneath it? You know, they lost a bit of relevance
and they lose some eyeballs, They lose sponsors, they lose funding,
et cetera. So I think it's a bit naive to
(09:04):
think that they could strip players out of the best competitions,
the current best petitions in the world, and then expect
those competitions to just carry on working and regenerating rugby
players for them. So, you know, it could be a
one wonder thing where you could get the best players,
But I don't have if they really thought hard around
how do they keep regenerating? Where do they get their
replacement players from? You know, like how do they keep
(09:27):
you know, you look at the Super rugby team. They've
thirty eight contracts, but they use fifty odd players a
year because players get hurt. It's a brutal game. You
add in travel every week, you know, going around countries
around the world. You know that that creates player welfare issues,
that creates injury issues. But you know, where are you
going to pull players? And if you get you know,
(09:48):
two front rowers get can cuss? You know, where where
are they going to come from? If you're going from
real genero to Toronto. So you know, there's all these
things that you know, I'm just I'm to sort of
hear answers to those kinds of questions that make me
sit there and go, well, hell yeah, look at my boys.
That's jump on the bandwagon and put pin the paper
(10:09):
and close your options off to everything else. You know,
it's all that detail that you know, Yeah, sure, great art, yes,
and I'm sure they've approached them, you know, I think
Bruce admitted it, you know, so great, awesome for Roger,
But man, you know Rogers, Roger's been around for a
long time, his agent's been around for a long time.
You know they'll be asking the exact same questions.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Where so I'm imported with us on newstalk ZEBBA. Just
a couple of final questions as you've touched on there.
You know, it's the first player to go. It's in
this new competition that you know a player might be
a domino effect that one goes in, two go then
three goes. But when it's a new competition, you know
you've got to be the first person to you know,
know your flat and now your colors to the mass
(10:49):
and go I'm going to go play for R three
sixty and often takes a you know, a different player
to kind of do that. So, you know, if the
if domino start falling, do you think that could be
an issue for New Zealand rugby, I of one sort
of follows two, follows three, et cetera.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
Oh look, look, of course the domino effects, of course
it would. But you know there's also some natural, uh
like barriers or hurdles for that happening. One. This isn't
like golf where everyone's independent contractors and haven't signed contracts.
You know, these guys are all contracted, and you know,
(11:25):
all around the world people are contracted not just you know,
multi year, but a few years away or you know,
some will be two years, some will be three, some
will be one. You know, some guys contracting in December,
some guys contracting in July, others in in April. You know,
all that sort of stuff. So there's you can have
a domino effect. You know, I don't like cricket, you know,
(11:45):
I think cricket's fairly susceptible to a rebel competition because
you know, in New Zealand we don't do multi year contracts.
We just do one year contracts. So if everyone just decided, well, no,
we're all going to go and plan that competition that
starts two months after you know, their contracts finished, you
could do something like that, but rugby is just not
like that. You know, you don't have unless people are
(12:07):
just to go truly rebel and people walked and just well,
oh well, sue us lawyers would win then because people
would say, you know that the beats are too big
for a lot of people. So yes, of course, but again,
you know, I don't Yeah, it could happen, the dominofect
(12:28):
could happen, but you know, I think it's just one
of those things that would be a slow bo and
if they get off the ground, because it's just not
conceivable that the best two hundred rugby players in the
world are all going to be available at the same time.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
And just finally, Simon, so grateful for your time, but
World Rugby, does you know is a chance with them
that this breakaway competition has been talked about to make
sure that you know, they've got their game, their house,
everything in order.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
Yeah, look, I'm sure they're talking to World Rugby. But
this is this is where the nuance of rugby comes in.
Like World Rugby are a governing body, but for rugby
to you know, the global but for rugby to be
played in the country, like our game to be played
in the country, you actually need the national union to
(13:15):
sign off on that. So for there to be around
of this in New Zealand, things that are, you would
have to sign off on it. Otherwise it is rebel
and it exists outside of you know, World rugby sanctions,
which I presume you know that's what happened with the
i p L and the Indian Cricket League. You know
they were both rebel and then India sweept in or
bcc ice swept in behind the i PL and everyone
(13:38):
that was playing ICL was suddenly rebel and banned complain
to National rugby. So you know, if you go ahead
and play in a country that hasn't sanctioned it, well
you are you know, those players and everyone involved will
be open to being sanctioned. So that's where you know,
will Rugby could endorse it, but it's actually up to
the individual country. So if you take out the big
(14:00):
rugby playing countries and you're just taking this new frontiers.
Well it hasn't gone that well for SEVENS, you know again,
and that's just something I look at and go, you're
taking a business model that you know, arguably is a
little bit like SEVENS. I know they prefer to compare
it to Formula one or the golf for or you know,
ipl etcetera. But you know, the seven Circus cruiser around
(14:23):
the world playing festival rugby tournaments year on year. You're
going to take a whole lot more players with a
lot more cost different model like it's it's it's got
some real challenges that it needs to figure out. And
I mean that from a commercial model, like you know,
you just start edding everything up and it's just I
it's absolutely eyewatering. Just the travel bill to get all
(14:46):
those players, support staff, et cetera around the world and
then flying them home every few weeks or in a
flub family or whatever. You know, just you do the numbers,
and you know, yeah, I'm skeptical a little bit because
it just it's it's got some challenges and some questions
that have been asked that haven't been answered yet. So
(15:07):
you know, I'm sure they're beavering away and they'll be
working furiously because the only good people and they're real
rugby people and all that sort of stuff. But you know,
they still have to answer a whole lot of these
questions before too many people are going to be flooding there.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Well wait and see whether those questions get answered. Simon Porter,
thank you so much for your time on newstalk ze Bee.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
Not a problem sports facts.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
So to R three sixty, I'm yet to be convinced
it will actually happen, but if it does and is
done properly, it could shake up rugby union and rugby
league in a wait not seen since the respective wars
of the nineteen nineties. Could, though, is the operative word.
Rod to tuiy VARs Shechek has been offered a considerable
sum to go and if you are RTS, you have
(15:48):
nothing left to prove really in the NRL, and you'd
be silly not to take it. My words, not his.
But if the draw card is going to be Rod
to tuy varsas Sheek playing union, then we've seen it
before and it didn't work out too great, with the
whole host of reasons being behind that, including COVID Bruce Sharick,
Roger to Varsashek's agent reckons it could start to gain
momentum shortly. The proof will be in the players they get.
(16:09):
If they can get a big domino, a regular starter
or two from the top five to six teams and
world rugby been short, that's time to sit up and
take notice. But if you're simply going to golden handshake
players into retirement from rugby and rugby league, then it's
not going to move the needle. Even if they do
get the cream of the crop, it's no guarantee for success.
The live circuit has several major winners, and yet the
(16:30):
viewing numbers are dreadful and no one can tell apart
the range Goats from the crushes or the RiPP A
GC from the fireballs. It's seen several of the top
players and the sport become virtually anonymous outside the majors,
But that doesn't matter to the saudiast It's about the
presence and illusion of having a role to play in
this sport. They like influence, they like being seen to
be part of an event, and what they want they
(16:54):
usually get.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Into the chamber we go, and really it's the All
Blacks that are center stage. Whenever a team is named,
we dissect it, We look at it for changes. Ten
changes to the side, the starting fifteen. That is another
debutante possible off the bench, with Brody McAllister having an
opportunity to become an All Black on his home patch.
Were you expecting this many changes when the team dropped
(17:23):
around ten thirty.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
This morning, I wasn't party. I was expecting some changes obviously,
but perhaps not the wholesale amount that we have seen
this week. I thought they might have stuck with Billy
Proctor for another week at center and really made sure
that he was getting as many reps under his belt
as he possibly could. But they do have a balance
and they've tried to get those players that haven't had
a lot of game time, not only in this All
(17:45):
Blacks camp, but for a few weeks now. If this
sidees exited the Super Rugged playoffs early back on the
park and Scott Robinson's been quite open about wanting to
build depth a heat of the twenty twenty seven Rugby World Cup.
This gives them an opportunity to do so. But I
certainly wasn't expecting ten changes to the side and I
thought there'd be a little bit more continuity around that,
but clearly they've gone. We need to get these players
(18:07):
in the park. We need to learn a lot little
bit more about them and find out what they're like
under pressure and if, for example, Rubin Love is one
of those players that has only played what fifteen minutes
of a Test match off the bench in Japan last year.
Now he starts to test on home soil this week,
we'll learn a lot about Ruben Love and what he
can do in the Test aren this weekend. So not
(18:27):
expecting as many changes as we've been delivered by coach
Scott Robertson. But there's a really exciting look about this team,
isn't there, Pony.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Appsolu lot there is and I'm looking forward as a
Hurricanes fanta seeing Rubin Love in the fifteen Jersey seven
Chiefs in the starting side. So that'll please please the
Hamilton faithful. What happens if one of the Locks gets injured.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Well sound Penny fenw will have to go into the
second row. He has played a little bit of Locke
and the All Black team very much wedded to this
idea of having two flankers are coming off the bench.
We've seen it so far this season and all three
of their test matches, and they're doing it again this week.
But of course in the previous two weeks they had
the insurance policy and inverted commas of too Vi being
(19:09):
able to move if need be from Flanka into second
row and bring one of the flankers off the bench.
This week they don't have that luxury, so see on
Penny Fee. Now we'll have a chance potentially to show
his chops in the second row should one of those
tall timbers in the four or five josies go down
this week. It is a risk, I think from the
All Blacks to do so. But there was also a
(19:30):
time where they didn't select locks on the bench. You
think back to the twenty fifteen World Cut. They didn't
often take a lock on the bench in those test matches.
They decided to go with a flanker and you know,
try and own the breakdown that way. It seems like
that's a similar approach from what the All Blacks are
looking for this week. And the you know obviously hadn't
(19:50):
I taught Cooy in camp Piney, but decided against that
and gone with Dolden Papali, who also has been as
injury cover. So yeah, fine, balance, I guess to the
All Blacks and if one of those locks goes down earlier,
it could be a big night for Semipenny Fee.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Now well, speaking of locks, Fabian Holland for the third game,
Row has been named to start, and all things being equal, Elliot,
given the fact that there isn't lock and cover off
the bench unless as you say, move female in there,
he could be in for a third straight eighty minute
outing his first three Test matches. I think he without
obviously being able to predict Saturday night, but if he
(20:25):
goes the same way as been going, it's a pretty
impressive start to a Test career, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
It is? And it's a good point. I mean, how
many young players would have played three straight eighty minutes
or you know, as soon as making their debut for
the All Blacks. There wouldn't be many that would have
done that, I'm sure in the animals at least of
the professional era, and since we had substitutions, it's very
much been We'll give you a taste off the bench
and introduce you to test rugby that way. But Fabian
(20:51):
Holland has had you know, one hundred and sixty minutes
of test experience and as you say, it may well
be two hundred and forty by the end of the weekend.
It's a lot, you know for far being Holland. But
it's been about come out in two ways, pint it
because of the you know, the injuries have had in
the second row with Scott Barrett you know being out.
So maybe he wouldn't have started one of these two
(21:12):
tests if Barrett was there, So they might have looked
at thy Pilotso and Barrett as a combination for one
of these two test matches. But look, we saw last
week that he was beginning to find his way in
test rugby. I was highly impressed by what he did,
also by what Patrick Thruypilotu did And in terms of
that depth of Locke, you know, Sam Dowry is still
to come back. The all blacks are beginning to develop
(21:33):
and perhaps that's why they thought that maybe we're better off,
you know, selecting a couple of flankers on the bench
and continuing to allow Fabian Holland to you know, to
get his chops in Test rugby.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
One other plarage is what I mentioned before we exited
the chamber of Quintupire because we know that he had
such a long time out after that that dreadful injury
he stuffered at the hands of Darcy Swain and Melbourne.
In September of twenty twenty two, he made his return
in Dunedin. Off the bench he starts, I think for
the first time since would have been earlier in twenty
twenty two. The last time, in fact, I think it
(22:04):
might have been down in Dunedin. The last time he
started a Test match was against Ireland in Dunedin, and
here he is on his home patch back in that
twelve Jersey.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Look.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
I don't know what the future holds for Quinsupaya, but
a big part of me is very pleased to see
him there.
Speaker 5 (22:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Absolutely, Look, he's worked his way back the long way
and was determined to get this All Blacks Jersey back.
And you know, twenty twenty three had to watch a
World Cup from the sidelines. Twenty four couldn't quite make
it happen again. But he was in such imperious form
this year in super rugby that he became irresistible for
Scott Robinson. And you know what he could have taken
Dar I say it, and no one would have blamed him,
the easy way out and gone. You know, I got
(22:40):
fifteen or so tests for the All Blacks. I'm going
to go to Japan and do it, you know, get
some money that way. But he hasn't. He's been determined
to make his way back into the test arena and
to start again, you know, on time soil, familiar ground
for him with the old mate Antonine and at Brown
outside him this weekend. It is just reward for the
kind of form and persistence that quintapis sean at super
(23:02):
rugby level. The determination to make sure that he wants
his All Blacks jersey back and fight for that all
Black jewy. Yeah, it's a real testament. So I guess
the character that he's got and I'm sure it hasn't
gone unnoticed by you know, those in All Blacks camp.
Just what it's taken for him to get back out
in the park and indeed, you know, start a Test
match again on home soil.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Yeah, wonderful stuff. A good occasion coming for Quintu Pie
and for the number of Chiefs and the starting side
and in the twenty three on Saturday night, we have
spoken pretty much exclusively about the All Blacks today in
the chamber. Don't worry, we're back and here tomorrow when
we'll look at prospects for the game, including what France
might bring in the third Test. But for now, that's
us inside the Chamber for this episode of the Sports
(23:42):
Fix podcast.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Leading a VEX. We've got just the ticket. It's Sportsfix,
how my news.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Talks IVY and in fact that is us on the
sports Fix podcast for today. Thank you for listening and
thank you for downloading. Subscribers to sports Fix will know
that a fresh episode will drop into your feed at
around about the same time tomorrow afternoon and every weekday.
And for more from news talks, he'd be Sports, check
out Sports Talk weeknights between seven and eight pm and
on the weekend weekend Sport midday to three Saturday and
(24:09):
again on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
For more from news talkst B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
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