August 6, 2024 • 37 mins
D'Arcy Waldegrave returns to recap an exciting week in the world of sports! Highlights for tonight include:
Greg Peters - New Zealand Rugby CEO - On the retirement of Shaun Johnson.
Talkback - Is Shaun Johnson our greatest Rugby League player?
Ian Ferguson - Former Olympian on Carrington v Fisher at the Paris Olympics 2024.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News Talk zed.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be Hello, everybody, welcommend to sports Talk. My name is
(00:35):
Darcy Watergrave. It is a Tuesday. It's seven minutes after
seven via or thereabouts, August six, twenty twenty four. You
can pack away all our worries of the regular world
and focus fully on the insignificant significance of sport that's
us over the next hour. What have we got lined
up for you? Well, plenty of yourself l eight hundred
(00:57):
and eighty ten eighty love for you to join in
the program. You can text ninety two ninety two that
zb ZIB standard tex judge does apply. Ian Ferguson joins
the program later in the piece. Four times Olympic gold medalist,
absolute hero when I was a young teenager with what
he achieved at Ala South. Paul McDonald quite sensational. He's
(01:21):
going to be talking about the kayak program that's getting
underway tonight in number of Kiwi's involved in that, talk
about their chances, talk about Carrington, talk about Carrington versus Fisher.
Later in the week in at Ferguson latter in the
program Up first, Greg Peters, the his Oil Ragby League
at chief executive officer, talking about the retirement of s J.
(01:42):
Shawn Johnson. He's leaving professional rugby league and I'm to
be a Warrior. He's not coming back to Canulla, and
of course his international career is over as well. What
kind of influence has SJ had on the game here?
What about his relationship with the media, the way he's
been treated over the years that he had been playing
(02:03):
some exceptional football for the Warrior is. After we've spoken
with Greg Peters, we're going to speak with you. It
was just the right time for Sean Johnson to retire.
And when does he rate for you as far as
the great Warriors or the great New Zealand rugby league players.
Where does he set that pantheon for yourself? Right up
(02:25):
near the top in the middle somewhere, Oh maybe a
little side table your thoughts on that eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty that's a coming up. But before we
do that, let's do this Sport Today. And in Sport Today,
the Overnight's Party golden medal winning the Kayak cross up
find the Carnival. Butcher was extremely stoked with a shiny
(02:47):
new piece of jewelry.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I mean this around my neck.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I think it's about as good as it can get.
Obviously there's always little little parts that we didn't quite
go right. But man like to be in leading the
whole way and just hold onto the leaders.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, as pretty special. Also adorned Worth Olympic treasure with
a Kiwi cycling trum for it. Team Sprintbcker pitch Sean
Fulton and Elise Andrews they won the silver medal. Pitch
sums up the fields.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Like she said to Sean this morning, I said, I'm
just looking forward to seeing my.
Speaker 6 (03:17):
Family like in the crowd and just I we haven't
seen them for three weeks and the first time we
saw them was when we won silver medal. Just super
special to have them, especially after like not having them
in Tokyo as well.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Brian spanking new All Black Harry Plumber not only got
the call up to the national side, he also got
a cuddle from Blues teammatee Dulton.
Speaker 7 (03:37):
Puppingly Kevin a bit of an extra long hug just
to say, you know, welcome and you know there's the opportunity.
He's played outstanding this year. I think he's taken a
massive step forward and directing where you know, directing on
the field where the boys should go.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And as mansain the curtains falling on Sean Johnson's career.
At the end of this NURL season, the mercurial half
didn't get the surge of joy he expected after he
was tabled a deal from the Warriors that did it
for Enough's enough.
Speaker 6 (04:08):
They came through and gave me everything I wanted and
I probably didn't hit home how I should have or
how previous contracts have in the past, and that was
a bit of a point for me where I was like, man,
I'm not just going to sign a contract here to
pick up the paycheck, you know, like if I've been honest,
that moment sucked.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Credit where credits do? Good move. Nice work, mister Johnson,
and that's sport today. Well john on Sports Talk Now
by CEO of n z L, mister Greg Peter's Greg,
welcome to the show. I trust you well and happy
as a clan.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Thank you very much. Darthy. It's always good to cheat
to you and you so m and I hope you
are too, mate.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
No, I know I have to be during winter mate.
You've got to keep smiling. Although the news that came
out around Sean Johnson retiring, I can't say a grinned
from ear to ear, but in retrospect, it's like, what
a career this bloke has had. Is going out on
his own terms. You've got to give him that credit,
surely after what he's done for the game of rugby league.
Speaker 8 (05:01):
Oh, he's been amazing. He's an amazing ambassador for the game.
And you know, lots of little kids running around trying
to emulate him side steeping and kicking and everything else,
all this array of skills that he has. So you know,
good on him for going out at a time of
his choosing and in a way where he can have
the last four games, you know, marking those and playing
(05:24):
for the club and one final one at home at
the end there which would be which would be fantastic
for him.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I'm sure it.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Would be pretty emotional when you look back at his
creat you touched on it before. How important is it
for the game of rugby league from that grassroots arena
up to the dizzying heights of Kiwi representation to have
an aspirational character like Sean Johnson being there, being so
available and definitely being the essence of Kiwi.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (05:49):
Well you often get coaches talking about then not willing
to put players above any other player, but there's a
group of players that like Sean that you kind of
just have to do that, and it's the right thing.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
We need people to look up to, we need to feel.
Speaker 8 (06:02):
Good about ourselves and we need heroes in our lives
and Shawn's one of those in the Raby League. And
of course he came up through the Touch Touch code,
not so much as much grassroots Araby League as says
some of the other boys did. But you know, the
skills that he's got through playing different codes and ways
grown with the game and the way he stuck at it.
(06:23):
You know, Hager was it from to come back from
Australia and have another another crack at the Warriors, you know,
and play like he did last year and take them
through to the finals.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Pretty much encouragement for kids to play the game just
based on having a hero like that.
Speaker 8 (06:42):
Absolutely, we need those heroes, we need to build them
up and he's one of those guys that's just an
all round good guy. He's one of the first guys
when I came into the job that a group of
senior Kiwis that were around at that time that I
engaged with, and he's always been engaging and willing to
offer a review and a constructive viewer.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Around the game and around where the Kiwis are going.
Speaker 8 (07:04):
So those sort of players are really important for us
to so we you know, we can be put on
the right track in terms of how we should be
going with the Kiwis and but also for the game
in a wider sense. He cares about the game, he
cares about people, and he cares about where.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
The game's going in New Zealand, which is really important
to us.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
He can be a lightning rod because he is so
incredibly talented. People love him when it's going well. When
it's not going well, they all turn on them pretty fast.
He's almost your typical tall poppy when it comes to
KIV sports people. Isn't he fair or unfair?
Speaker 8 (07:39):
Yeah, He's copped a lot of really unfair stuff over
over the time, and you know that's that's unfair. We've
got to graw up as a as a New Zealand
sporting fans and public to to XE say well, look, look, look,
look look at the amazing career this Buck's head, and
let's support guys when they're you know, when they're PEPs
not having as good a time as they might at
other times.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Let's get behind them and encourage them.
Speaker 8 (08:01):
To be to get back to where they where they
can be, rather than trying to cut them down time
to make a mistake. So he's one of those guys
that's copped up, but look at how he's come through it.
He's stood there, a family man, he's got strong values,
and he's just been able to withstand some.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Of that crap that gets thrown at some of our
top athletes.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Unfortunately, never a character to pick up an NRL title,
but no Warrior ever has been. That won't be a
black mark against his name. But you look at the
highlights of his career, where would they sit for you,
gree if you look at a time as a Kiwi
or a Warrior we went check da out, what would
it be? The golden boot of what twenty fourteen?
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yeah? Yeah, I mean he would have to be in
the top. Yeah. I haven't given a lot of thought
to exactly the pecking order, but you.
Speaker 8 (08:50):
Know, five or six best kivis ever, you know, in
many ways play thirty two tests, I think it is
for the Kiwi so a big chunk, and you think
there's not many people in Raby League that play more
than fifty tests for example. So he's up there in
a kind of season camp pain for the Kiwis level
and he's and he's been fantastic, as I said, as
(09:11):
a guy within the camp, a leader within the group
and just an all round good guy to be around.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
He shot a lot of people when he left the
Warriors and went to play for Cranulla, and I think
he shocked just as many when he decided to come
home again. So he's not played by the rule book
has He's played very much by how he feels it's
going to be best for him. And you'd say that
has moved to Canulla. Well it paid off. Last year
(09:37):
was an extraordinary form.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah. At the time.
Speaker 8 (09:42):
Unfortunately the time he heard he was going to be
leaving the Warriors, he's on tour with us in the
UK with the Kiwis and back into twenty eighteen and
his dad was here with him, which was really good
because he was able to offer quite a bit of
support to Short at the time. But to his credit,
he just knuckled down and got on with that, didn't
(10:02):
he you know?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
And he made it.
Speaker 8 (10:04):
He tried his best in Australia and then welcome back
with open arms and to the.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Warriors and the rest history.
Speaker 8 (10:10):
And what a way to finish when he started all
those years ago with the Warriors and you finished with
the club that you was a boy held dream for
him and many other people look up to him and say, well,
that's my dream too. I'd love to be playing for
the Warriors and have done what he did in the
Kiwis as well.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
You talk about and you mentioned maybe the top five
players that have played for the Kiwi of the top
five league players in New Zealand history, something about halfbacks
a himself and Stacy Jones proving that even the little
fellas can actually bring the game to an absolute head.
So again that reason for people to play the game
that aren't blessed with the physical size that expect of
(10:46):
a lot of leagues.
Speaker 8 (10:48):
Yeah, well you look at Benji and Stacey and sew
and they've got to be in that conversation for the
top Kiwis and top top Rovy League New Zealand league
players that we've ever produced. So yeah, does the sizes
and everything it's commitment, and you desire to win and
desire to improve and stick with the game. And look
(11:08):
at his career, as you said, it's an amazing record, and.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
He is going to go out, you'd expect in four
games or something like this, enough to stick a lightning
bolt up the Warriors for then to thrash the next
four opposition and somehow squeeze their way into the eighth. Well,
there's any way of encouraging them.
Speaker 8 (11:24):
Surely it's this right, Oh, absolutely, I think I think
it's a great motivational move. I'm very sorry to see
him go, but I'm sure that the boys will be boys,
will be playing for him for the last four games,
and they want to send them out on a real
high note, and he'll want to go out in a
high note, so he'll be fully committed, and you know,
and then who knows what the future holds from he's
(11:46):
certainly got a marketing bent and some a conversation I'd
like to have with him at some stage about what
the future does hold for him, because he's got many
ideas and really good thoughts about the game, as I
said before, and I'm sure he's going to be a
massive contributor in whatever way he chooses to be post
to actually retirement, how important is it.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
For the game. And he's ill, and to be able
to retain the services of Sewan Johnson in some way,
shape or form. I mean, you don't want to be desperate,
Greg Peters, but I'm presuming having him around some way
would be great for the for the club, great for
the game.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Great for the game.
Speaker 8 (12:23):
And I mean we've got that with the Kiwis now,
you know this year we've got you know, stack for
former Kiwis and the coaching coaching frame led by led
by Stacey. And if that is Shawn's chosen path, I'm
sure there's a path there for him to go forward
with that as well, if that's what he chooses to do.
But he, as I said before, he's probably got a
(12:45):
few options. If you look at the guy, you know, media, marketing, player, coaching, whatever,
you know, he might be something completely away from the game.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
He's he's that kind of guy, right.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
I'm looking over my shoulder.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
You work out we're to sharpen up your Friday dress dead.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah, I thank you, Greg Peters, But I don't have
to because there's no money in broadcasting so he ain't
going anywhere this job. Hey Greeg Peters, thanks so much
for your time, mate, you look after yourself or talking
again soon. Thanks for your words.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Thanks us. What is pleaser?
Speaker 1 (13:19):
You hear it from the biggest names in sports and men.
Have your say on eighty eighty Sports Talk or more
on your home of sports news Talk.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Zi me it's twenty minutes after seven. That was the
CEO of the NZRL, whose name is Greg Peters, talking
about the soon to be retired Sean Johnson. He has
elected to not re sign on the dotted line and
walk away from the game where he has made his
name at the end of this season. Was this the
(13:50):
right time for Shawn Johnson to retire? Was this the
right time for him to hang up his boots and
do it of his own? Accord? I jump before he
was pushed. You think it's quite astonishing when he was
what and you point away from wanting the del him
last year and this year he was a wee bit bent.
(14:11):
He was a wee bit broken, He was a wee
bit injured, never really scaled those heights again. It's kind
of peeted out. So he's gone. I don't want to
I don't want to be ejected from this role. I
want to make that call myself. And you understand that
if he doesn't get the thrill of success when he
(14:31):
gets handed a contract that says volumes about where his
head's at for the game. So you've got to applaud
him for making that decision to be easy enough to
sign on the dot of the line and pick up
the check. What is the end of year I had
one thousand dollars or whatever it is, and you know,
maybe be a bit of a bench player and make
a whole lot more coin. But you've got to be
impressed by what he's done there. So was this the
right time for Sean Johnson to retire? For you? Oh,
(14:55):
eight hundred eighty ten eighty. I think it is the
right time for him to retire. I probably at the
end of last year it probably would have been better.
Like a lot of Warriors fans out there, he was
ged up by the success of the twenty twenty three
version of the Warriors and wanted one last stab at
(15:17):
that trophy and it was a bridge too far as
we've all seen. Now, maybe in the last year would
have been better. Maybe it will be the better time
to go. What do you think around Sean Johnson retired, oh,
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. He might have left
it a bit late, but hey, he's doing it under
his own stem. You've got to give him credit. I
(15:41):
don't think it's a huge surprise. Now, what is a
surprise it's been named to play this weekend. I mean,
that sounds really cruel, and that sounds nasty, But I
think if you're a rugby league fan, you're kind of
pretty honest about what we're seeing out there, and I'm
amazed that to mighty Martin isn't playing. In fact, he's
been playing some superb rugby league since Shawn's been gone.
(16:05):
And if you're being cold and and a fan of
the game of the team, you'd say, wow, I'm not
sure if you'd be then now, great career, just a
little too late. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty.
I'd love your thoughts on this. Twenty two minutes after seven,
and we'll keep you up to date as well with
what's happening in the heats of the canoe and kayak sprint.
(16:33):
There's a number of those coming up, and Ian Ferguson
joins us later on and in the piece as we
talk about our chances with those long, skinny things in
the paddles, it says new stalks. Heb it's seven twenty.
Speaker 9 (16:45):
Three and there just barely a prayer.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
The right call is your call on oh, eight hundred
and eighty to eighty Sports Talk, call on your home
of sports News TALKSB.
Speaker 9 (17:04):
Be good and breaking down picking up that Jesus is hard.
She's searching for someone who's gone a blab.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
On Sports Talk. It is seven to twenty six on
a Tuesday, and Darcy Watergrave talking about the retirement of it.
Sean Johnson, is it the right time? Has he chosen
the right time to step away from the game that
has made his name? And you look at the word mercurial.
That's Sean Johnson to a t. I don't think we'll
(17:42):
ever forget the times of greatness. I don't think we'll
forget the times where he just disappeared very much mercurial,
up and down and up and down. Let's go to
the phone. So, Steven, was this the right time?
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (17:58):
I think so that's he. You know, he's been a
pretty conservative to not only the worries, but you know,
the Key Weason and New Zealand Reugby League. In my opinion,
year probably this year was probably a little bit disappointing.
A couple of big injuries that you know, the ticket
took him up for I think about two three months.
(18:18):
You know, the team's form hasn't been there. Great. Yeah,
it would have been a tough decision from the meet,
But I think he's tapping out on his terms as
opposed to you know, signing another contract for less for
less money and and then you know, just doing if
he's going to make the bench or end up in
reserve bread or whatever and next season. So I think
the body is probably finally telling him to yeah, it's
(18:40):
fun to hang up the boots.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
I suppose yeah, And I absolutely applaud him for doing that.
He's looked around and he's honest. And when he came
out and he said, look, you know I got the contract.
I didn't get that joy. I didn't bounce it and
go Yahoo on. No, I'm just signing it for the money.
And he didn't want to be that kind of player,
and I think he should be applaud for that. What
he could have gone over to the Super League, he
could have gone to ever a couple of years for
(19:01):
a fortune, he wouldn't have been tackled, you know, but
he didn't. And I wonder how much of that Stephen
comes from that when he was in Australia with the
whole COVID drama, how much he hated being away from home.
And now he's got a young family. I get why
he wouldn't want to do that. So you've got to
applaud him, you really have to.
Speaker 10 (19:20):
Yeah, yeah, And then I think you will have probably
play some some role in the Warriors because you know
they've they've got certainly you know, you want to pick
his brain and have him around in that sort of
their coaching, the environment. I'll tell you what does he has,
you know, for I've been a long time Warriors fan.
I think the best years is when when you partnered
up with Jimmy Maloney. That was probably the when he
(19:44):
you know, when you burst onto the scene and yeah,
he just came out of the blocks. And it's and
that's because he hadn't experienced guys like like Maloney and
a few other guys does hardened Aussies in the squad
that armed to do the players magic and do the
stuff that he that you that he's right now on
for I think it's it's been on fear this season
that he's been targeted. You know, when the Warriors lose,
(20:05):
he cops it. But you know they game against Paramedta,
he wasn't the one that was missing the tackles. He
wasn't the one that dropping the ball.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
So did you feel like he controlled what was going
on there though? And he was actually rolling the roost
as a seven should do that he had it in hand,
because he didn't look like that. To me, it looked
like it's not entirely his fault that that game fell apart.
And I wonder if that was the right game to
bring him back an again, I wouldn't even know.
Speaker 10 (20:31):
Yeah, yeah, probably not. And wasn't as best game as
you said, and you know what, the experience he had,
we needed somebody to sort of steer the ship around,
and yeah, we kind of lost our way. So but
then mine, you know, like they say, one door closes
that the next opens up for the next generation. We've
got young Cleary that's coming on board and in met
club signer expended contract, so the futures looking good.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
So it's all about the club as opposed to the
individual Steven, I'm pretty hardcore on that. The individuals make
up a huge amount of the club. Without the club
at the top, you're not going anywhere. He's made the
right decision, the timing of it, don't know anyway, Enough
of this, Let's get over to the Olympic Game.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
The leaders from Paris twenty twenty four news talks in
the Olympic Games News Update.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Thank you very much, Nick Bewley. You can watch that
goat in the boat or we can stick around here
and listen to another goat in the boat because Ian
Ferguson joins the program shortly twenty eight minutes to eight minutes.
Moved back to the phone now at eight hundred eighty
ten eighty, Get a Paul, I thought i'd hear from you.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
Oh yeah, I just wanted to pay tribute to to Shane.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
You know, he's.
Speaker 5 (21:52):
He was a young kid who wanted to play for
the Worries when he was young. You know, it's kind
of like if you're if you're a die hard Worries fan,
you've watched this kid come through, you know, since he
was a young young fellow and you know, like you know,
Norella light and we watched this journeys ups and downs,
but you know we've kind of ridden the wave with him,
you know, through injuries and and he's got married and kids,
(22:14):
you know, and now he's retiring. The guys just all
classed as far as i'm consumer, mate. You know, he's
never been in the media for this for any sort
of bad mistermeanors or been suspended for those reasons. Mate.
He's just he's all class, and he is all about
the club. You know, He's turned down big dollars to
go with the Roosters to stay at the Warriors where
he wants to be. And yeah, he isn't always delivered,
(22:37):
but you know, you tell me a player that delivers
all the time, mate, and you know he's he's just
all class as far as I'm concerned, mate.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
I was. I used to back in the day host
a Warriors event every week up at sky City and
host various events where the players came and met met
all their fan base to meet the teams. Did that
for a few years. It was really interesting looking at
the dynamic between the players and the fans and how
(23:07):
they dealt with it. We had a luncheon one afternoon
smakest board luncheon for hol of the fans would have
been eighty hundred people up there, and Sean Johnson spent
so much time with the children, with the kid fans
blew your way. He wasn't interested in hanging out with
(23:28):
the adults, or hanging out with his teammates or hiding
from anyone. He was there for the kids because he
knew what an inspirational, aspirational character he was. And I'm
watching that for that couple of hours thinking that's the
sign of this bloke. Yeah, I for some reason is
a lightning rod for rage when he's not going particularly well.
But I saw a real part of him that day.
(23:50):
It was very impressive.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
Well he is, he is all classes and you know,
I know the worry is I think he said that
he's got a role there. They should basically throw whatever
they can to get them in the Worrior system, you know,
because some of the young kids coming through. Now, if
you look at some of the young Broncos coming through,
you know when you get petted on the back when
you when you're a young fellow, you get petted on
(24:14):
the back and basically you get rolled at the red
carpet and everyone tells you how wonderful for you are.
You know that that can get to your head. I'm sure,
and I think went through part of that as well.
You think you can walk on water and so forth,
but if you don't handle it right, then it can
all become undone. Like you see at the Broncos. He's
some of those young kids. So I think surely, you know,
if he gets into the worry system there and into
(24:36):
some of those young fellows, that's going to be awesome, mate.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
You know, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Think you're absolutely right on that. And we remember when
he first started because he was this touch sensation and
all the murmurings in the word around was there's kid
math and Ibiscus Coast watch him? Yeah, we or not where,
but a number of people watch and it's like, hey,
he's pretty skinny, he's pretty slight. He might get smashed
to pieces in the NRL, those big men. And when
(25:03):
he did get signed, it was like, Okay, how long
would you last? Are they going to introduce him too fast?
How do they deal with this guy? Because he was
the next big thing, And I think they dealt with
it really, really well. And what he's done, there's been
some standout moments, and there's been some absolute shockers and
disappointment moments, but for some reason, when it happens to him,
everybody notices.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
Right, yeah, just one more thing, mate. You know he
said today that he holds that Kiwi jersey at number
one and you know his achievements, and I think, good
on the mate, because for me, it's all about the
international footy and the Kiwi jersey means so much more
to him. And I hope he does get involved in
that Kiwi set up as well. And you know, show
all if you're out there, mate, you know, thanks for
(25:44):
the memories. You know, he's given us some good highlights
and clutch moments that I've got. You know, the Kiwis
throw it through to a Grand Final, to a World
Cup final, and you know those moments of brilliancing of
the Broncos and the Sharks below on your man. So
let's go out with a ben. Let's win four in
a row, get it two points in the boy, let's
get to the GF Mate.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Wouldn't that be a great way to go? I don't
think so. I wouldn't bet on it, but you never know.
Maybe that's just the accelerant the rest of this team
needs Paul great to hear from me as always. It
is seven thirty seven sports Hei Man Sports. Sorry, I've
(26:27):
just gone way down memory lane, far too far from
my eyebrow. Still joined together, Yeah, up there, coming up
next another goat in a boat in Ferguson, Wow, superstar
back in the day five Olympic campaigns, hatfuls of medals.
He joins us next as we take a look at
the upcoming kayak campaign forty zand at the thirty third
(26:51):
Olympic Games. This is News Talk ZB.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Just this job.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
We're join now on sports look on News Talk z
B by Ed Ferguson. There's a name for you, a
man who's won more medals than you could shake a
stick out, of course in K one and K two
and K four healthy in days back in eighty four
where you picked up three gold medals. Get it, mister Ferguson.
How are you? That takes me back? I bet you good.
Speaker 11 (27:30):
I'm good. How are you all good?
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (27:32):
And I'm joining the Olympics and enjoying what's coming up
because we're coming to a golden place with of course
all of our entrance in all of the K and
C disciplines. It's a pretty heady timing in.
Speaker 11 (27:45):
Yeah, it is. I don't think we should get too
excited about the sea boating yet. It's just our first crew,
so don't expect too much too much happening there. But
how how other ones, especially our ladies, are going fantastically. Yeah,
I'm looking forward to the K one, which is coming
up for a couple of days. Yeah, when it gets
(28:07):
down to the nitty gritty between our two good guys,
Amy and Lisa, that is going to be the most
amazing race. And I'm just hoping with all my hope
that I got that we get first and second. It
would be amazing for New Zealand to be that good
above the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
It's funny, isn't it, Because you read reports over seas
and they will talk about Lisa Carrington and how she's
a favorite and sign and so forth. But outside of
New Zealand, people aren't really giving Amy Fisher much recognition.
But her path to the Olympics and what she's achieved,
that's an extraordinary route that she's taken. She's one tough one.
Speaker 11 (28:42):
Yeah she is. She's very tough, and I think that's
going to go well for an hour at the Olympics,
she's one of the last two. I think it's the
last two races against Lisa in the World Cups leading
up to this, So she may even I don't know
if people are picking his favorite and it's hard to tell,
but well, I know that you know in eighty four
(29:02):
I was New Zealand didn't even know about me. They
weren't expecting me to win. They know and had a
clue that we're going to start winning medals and suddenly
the mayor can get more people down there. It was amazing.
But yeah, so she could be the dark horse, but
Lisa is certainly there. She's picking her definitely for the
(29:24):
K two. I think they'll win that. But you didn't
ever know what the Olympics and at these in the singles,
it's sort of who's going to win it, Lisa or Amy.
It's a good place to be.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Well, you kind of do know because the excitement anticipation
around Lisa, and she just doesn't let people down. More important,
she doesn't want to let herself down. Her attitude toward
training and keeping at the very top. Again, it blows
your way and you'd understand what that dedication is about,
because what how many Olympics did you go? Five Olympic Games?
(29:59):
You understand what the grindstone is, don't you?
Speaker 11 (30:03):
I certainly do. I went to five Olympics competing and
then another three of a coach as well. So yeah,
so when I made a great Olympic career doing that,
I'd love that.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
So when you look at New Zealand and the way
they work when it comes to kayaking, you must be
happy enough that the like SI of yourself and Paul
McDonald had a really a big part to play in
that by lifting the profile of kayaking. As you said,
none really knew much about it Beck in nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 11 (30:36):
Well, I didn't even have a coach till after I
won those three gold medals. We're on our own. There's
nobody knew any more more than we did about kayaking
in New Zealand, so we couldn't get anyone to coach. Yeah,
and plus we couldn't afford it anyway. So that was fine.
Now it's all set up. It was two thousand and two.
(31:02):
I went down to look at national champs and nobody
was had no coaches, know nothing. Once again, no money,
absolutely no funding and nobody was training together. So that's
when I started coaching again. And the problem with that
was they had no money, so then I had to
start fundraising and getting sponsors and then they all kick
(31:23):
started again and since that time, it's just gets bigger
and bigger, and the girls are going amazingly. The guys
are just starting to come out now. So we've got
some new young guys and we're expecting them to do well.
I wouldn't say you're going to have to expect metals
out of them, but we want them to do well
and then next Olympics so they'll probably be in the hunt.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
An ferguson what is the appeal of kayaking and canoeing
as well? It's not you mentioned a lot of the start,
but why does it appeal do you think? Why does
it work for New Zealanders? And we're particularly good in
the water on boats, aren't we? So why kayaking? Why
choose dad as ahead of rowing for example?
Speaker 11 (32:04):
Well, with kayaking it's reallyant an individual sport. You do
it yourself, you get your own kayak, you can do
as much training as you like, and then you get
good at it. Then it's just one step into a
double or A four. You know, you're instantly made for
crew boats. You don't have to train in crew boats
to be chosen. They normally choose a good team, good
(32:26):
the fastest person to crew up together. Then they just
get used to the K four or K two crew
boat and that second second level. But first level is
just doing it all yourself, just getting out there and
training hard. And that's that's why. So it's a relatively
cheap sport to get into. This young guy seventeen that
(32:46):
are just coaching just right now, he's first with his
first session on the water. I gave him a few
tips and a few drills to do, and within twenty
minutes half an hour, he was looking like a real paddler.
So you can get in there and do it yourself
with a few bucks and it's goods away.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
As far as multi discipline you said, I'm presuming what
you're saying. It's pretty much about cadence and horsepower, and
if you can do it in one, you can do
it in four. So when you transition between K one,
K two, K four not that difficult. I'm not trying
to belittle it, but is it an easy enough thing
for the likes of Lisa Carrington to climb into.
Speaker 11 (33:29):
Yes, it is. It's easy enough for any kaka really
to Some people will never make a crew boat because
they've got a funny lean or something goes wrong. But
generally you're so close to the person that that's in
front of you, you just copy them right down to
the split second hitting the water. And obviously you've got
(33:49):
to do a lot of training in it once you've
chosen for that boat. But you know, to get in
the team or to get in a boat, a good boat,
you've got to be fast in the singles. Me as
a singles paddle, I'm not going to pick a slow
person to go with me. I'm going to pick second
best to behind me to go in my boat. So
you put the fast people, then you make it work
in the double.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Would you not think that Lisa Carrington and Amy Fisher
would be an ideal double?
Speaker 11 (34:15):
I do. I do. But yeah, that's their choice. And
Lisa's got her doubles partner already now that Amy's coming up,
but she's made a choice. I had my choice of
Paul and that never stopped either. But yeah, I'm not
on the selection or part of your I'm retired now.
(34:35):
So I don't know all the reasons, but that's for
them to sort out, and yeah, maybe one day that
will happen.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
As far as Lisa's concerned, where would you put her
when it comes to favoritism or where she should be
most likely to middle Again, because she's in the K
four five hundred, she's obviously doing her own thing as
well K two five hundred and two, So again she's
spreading her skill and I suppose her engine right across
(35:05):
a number of kayak, what do you think she's going
to actually lean into him and maybe pick up some ten.
Speaker 11 (35:10):
Well, I think she's she's got a better than a
fifty to fifty chance in the K two. I think
she's pretty good well set to do well there, So
that could be her best option because the K one
at the moment, it's fifty to fifty with a name
with Amy, So that's all good for us, fifty fifty
(35:31):
fantastic for well, it puts one hundred percent on us
possibly winning. So yeah, but just if you put it
that way, Lisa's got you know, she's probably the favorite
to win the doubles still, and whereas it's fifty to
fifty the other way, So Yeah, that's my ball. It's
(35:54):
she'll get a medal in the doubles for sure. And
the four it's always a hard one. Fours come out
of nowhere. When they get good team spirit going, you
can just blast away and do really good times.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
So in fugus and joins us in with all of
these disciplines in such a short amount of time, coming
toward the end of her career, do you think that's
a good idea to be involved in so much and
focus your talent and your skills and your effort across
so many disciplines at this time.
Speaker 11 (36:26):
Heck you we want medals, come on, we're going for it.
And she's no fast slower, She's actually faster than she was.
So you know, I was inflected the PBS at the
age forty, so you know, nothing slows you down. So
you're just relying on her endurance. And with age, endurance
gets a little bit better and you're more relaxed, you're
(36:49):
more calm, you know what's happening. So sure, I think
she's in an ideal place. She could take three gold
medals out no problem at all. If she's in the
right frame of mind and things click together.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
We've got the breakdown on Sports Talk OH eight hundred
eighty eight News Talk SIBI. For more from Sports Talk,
listen live to News Talks b from seven pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News Talk zed.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be Hello, everybody, welcommend to sports Talk. My name is
(00:35):
Darcy Watergrave. It is a Tuesday. It's seven minutes after
seven via or thereabouts, August six, twenty twenty four. You
can pack away all our worries of the regular world
and focus fully on the insignificant significance of sport that's
us over the next hour. What have we got lined
up for you? Well, plenty of yourself l eight hundred
(00:57):
and eighty ten eighty love for you to join in
the program. You can text ninety two ninety two that
zb ZIB standard tex judge does apply. Ian Ferguson joins
the program later in the piece. Four times Olympic gold medalist,
absolute hero when I was a young teenager with what
he achieved at Ala South. Paul McDonald quite sensational. He's
(01:21):
going to be talking about the kayak program that's getting
underway tonight in number of Kiwi's involved in that, talk
about their chances, talk about Carrington, talk about Carrington versus Fisher.
Later in the week in at Ferguson latter in the
program Up first, Greg Peters, the his Oil Ragby League
at chief executive officer, talking about the retirement of s J.
(01:42):
Shawn Johnson. He's leaving professional rugby league and I'm to
be a Warrior. He's not coming back to Canulla, and
of course his international career is over as well. What
kind of influence has SJ had on the game here?
What about his relationship with the media, the way he's
been treated over the years that he had been playing
(02:03):
some exceptional football for the Warrior is. After we've spoken
with Greg Peters, we're going to speak with you. It
was just the right time for Sean Johnson to retire.
And when does he rate for you as far as
the great Warriors or the great New Zealand rugby league players.
Where does he set that pantheon for yourself? Right up
(02:25):
near the top in the middle somewhere, Oh maybe a
little side table your thoughts on that eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty that's a coming up. But before we
do that, let's do this Sport Today. And in Sport Today,
the Overnight's Party golden medal winning the Kayak cross up
find the Carnival. Butcher was extremely stoked with a shiny
(02:47):
new piece of jewelry.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I mean this around my neck.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I think it's about as good as it can get.
Obviously there's always little little parts that we didn't quite
go right. But man like to be in leading the
whole way and just hold onto the leaders.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, as pretty special. Also adorned Worth Olympic treasure with
a Kiwi cycling trum for it. Team Sprintbcker pitch Sean
Fulton and Elise Andrews they won the silver medal. Pitch
sums up the fields.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Like she said to Sean this morning, I said, I'm
just looking forward to seeing my.
Speaker 6 (03:17):
Family like in the crowd and just I we haven't
seen them for three weeks and the first time we
saw them was when we won silver medal. Just super
special to have them, especially after like not having them
in Tokyo as well.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Brian spanking new All Black Harry Plumber not only got
the call up to the national side, he also got
a cuddle from Blues teammatee Dulton.
Speaker 7 (03:37):
Puppingly Kevin a bit of an extra long hug just
to say, you know, welcome and you know there's the opportunity.
He's played outstanding this year. I think he's taken a
massive step forward and directing where you know, directing on
the field where the boys should go.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And as mansain the curtains falling on Sean Johnson's career.
At the end of this NURL season, the mercurial half
didn't get the surge of joy he expected after he
was tabled a deal from the Warriors that did it
for Enough's enough.
Speaker 6 (04:08):
They came through and gave me everything I wanted and
I probably didn't hit home how I should have or
how previous contracts have in the past, and that was
a bit of a point for me where I was like, man,
I'm not just going to sign a contract here to
pick up the paycheck, you know, like if I've been honest,
that moment sucked.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Credit where credits do? Good move. Nice work, mister Johnson,
and that's sport today. Well john on Sports Talk Now
by CEO of n z L, mister Greg Peter's Greg,
welcome to the show. I trust you well and happy
as a clan.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Thank you very much. Darthy. It's always good to cheat
to you and you so m and I hope you
are too, mate.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
No, I know I have to be during winter mate.
You've got to keep smiling. Although the news that came
out around Sean Johnson retiring, I can't say a grinned
from ear to ear, but in retrospect, it's like, what
a career this bloke has had. Is going out on
his own terms. You've got to give him that credit,
surely after what he's done for the game of rugby league.
Speaker 8 (05:01):
Oh, he's been amazing. He's an amazing ambassador for the game.
And you know, lots of little kids running around trying
to emulate him side steeping and kicking and everything else,
all this array of skills that he has. So you know,
good on him for going out at a time of
his choosing and in a way where he can have
the last four games, you know, marking those and playing
(05:24):
for the club and one final one at home at
the end there which would be which would be fantastic
for him.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I'm sure it.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Would be pretty emotional when you look back at his
creat you touched on it before. How important is it
for the game of rugby league from that grassroots arena
up to the dizzying heights of Kiwi representation to have
an aspirational character like Sean Johnson being there, being so
available and definitely being the essence of Kiwi.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (05:49):
Well you often get coaches talking about then not willing
to put players above any other player, but there's a
group of players that like Sean that you kind of
just have to do that, and it's the right thing.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
We need people to look up to, we need to feel.
Speaker 8 (06:02):
Good about ourselves and we need heroes in our lives
and Shawn's one of those in the Raby League. And
of course he came up through the Touch Touch code,
not so much as much grassroots Araby League as says
some of the other boys did. But you know, the
skills that he's got through playing different codes and ways
grown with the game and the way he stuck at it.
(06:23):
You know, Hager was it from to come back from
Australia and have another another crack at the Warriors, you know,
and play like he did last year and take them
through to the finals.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Pretty much encouragement for kids to play the game just
based on having a hero like that.
Speaker 8 (06:42):
Absolutely, we need those heroes, we need to build them
up and he's one of those guys that's just an
all round good guy. He's one of the first guys
when I came into the job that a group of
senior Kiwis that were around at that time that I
engaged with, and he's always been engaging and willing to
offer a review and a constructive viewer.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Around the game and around where the Kiwis are going.
Speaker 8 (07:04):
So those sort of players are really important for us
to so we you know, we can be put on
the right track in terms of how we should be
going with the Kiwis and but also for the game
in a wider sense. He cares about the game, he
cares about people, and he cares about where.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
The game's going in New Zealand, which is really important
to us.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
He can be a lightning rod because he is so
incredibly talented. People love him when it's going well. When
it's not going well, they all turn on them pretty fast.
He's almost your typical tall poppy when it comes to
KIV sports people. Isn't he fair or unfair?
Speaker 8 (07:39):
Yeah, He's copped a lot of really unfair stuff over
over the time, and you know that's that's unfair. We've
got to graw up as a as a New Zealand
sporting fans and public to to XE say well, look, look, look,
look look at the amazing career this Buck's head, and
let's support guys when they're you know, when they're PEPs
not having as good a time as they might at
other times.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Let's get behind them and encourage them.
Speaker 8 (08:01):
To be to get back to where they where they
can be, rather than trying to cut them down time
to make a mistake. So he's one of those guys
that's copped up, but look at how he's come through it.
He's stood there, a family man, he's got strong values,
and he's just been able to withstand some.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Of that crap that gets thrown at some of our
top athletes.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Unfortunately, never a character to pick up an NRL title,
but no Warrior ever has been. That won't be a
black mark against his name. But you look at the
highlights of his career, where would they sit for you,
gree if you look at a time as a Kiwi
or a Warrior we went check da out, what would
it be? The golden boot of what twenty fourteen?
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yeah? Yeah, I mean he would have to be in
the top. Yeah. I haven't given a lot of thought
to exactly the pecking order, but you.
Speaker 8 (08:50):
Know, five or six best kivis ever, you know, in
many ways play thirty two tests, I think it is
for the Kiwi so a big chunk, and you think
there's not many people in Raby League that play more
than fifty tests for example. So he's up there in
a kind of season camp pain for the Kiwis level
and he's and he's been fantastic, as I said, as
(09:11):
a guy within the camp, a leader within the group
and just an all round good guy to be around.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
He shot a lot of people when he left the
Warriors and went to play for Cranulla, and I think
he shocked just as many when he decided to come
home again. So he's not played by the rule book
has He's played very much by how he feels it's
going to be best for him. And you'd say that
has moved to Canulla. Well it paid off. Last year
(09:37):
was an extraordinary form.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah. At the time.
Speaker 8 (09:42):
Unfortunately the time he heard he was going to be
leaving the Warriors, he's on tour with us in the
UK with the Kiwis and back into twenty eighteen and
his dad was here with him, which was really good
because he was able to offer quite a bit of
support to Short at the time. But to his credit,
he just knuckled down and got on with that, didn't
(10:02):
he you know?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
And he made it.
Speaker 8 (10:04):
He tried his best in Australia and then welcome back
with open arms and to the.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Warriors and the rest history.
Speaker 8 (10:10):
And what a way to finish when he started all
those years ago with the Warriors and you finished with
the club that you was a boy held dream for
him and many other people look up to him and say, well,
that's my dream too. I'd love to be playing for
the Warriors and have done what he did in the
Kiwis as well.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
You talk about and you mentioned maybe the top five
players that have played for the Kiwi of the top
five league players in New Zealand history, something about halfbacks
a himself and Stacy Jones proving that even the little
fellas can actually bring the game to an absolute head.
So again that reason for people to play the game
that aren't blessed with the physical size that expect of
(10:46):
a lot of leagues.
Speaker 8 (10:48):
Yeah, well you look at Benji and Stacey and sew
and they've got to be in that conversation for the
top Kiwis and top top Rovy League New Zealand league
players that we've ever produced. So yeah, does the sizes
and everything it's commitment, and you desire to win and
desire to improve and stick with the game. And look
(11:08):
at his career, as you said, it's an amazing record, and.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
He is going to go out, you'd expect in four
games or something like this, enough to stick a lightning
bolt up the Warriors for then to thrash the next
four opposition and somehow squeeze their way into the eighth. Well,
there's any way of encouraging them.
Speaker 8 (11:24):
Surely it's this right, Oh, absolutely, I think I think
it's a great motivational move. I'm very sorry to see
him go, but I'm sure that the boys will be boys,
will be playing for him for the last four games,
and they want to send them out on a real
high note, and he'll want to go out in a
high note, so he'll be fully committed, and you know,
and then who knows what the future holds from he's
(11:46):
certainly got a marketing bent and some a conversation I'd
like to have with him at some stage about what
the future does hold for him, because he's got many
ideas and really good thoughts about the game, as I
said before, and I'm sure he's going to be a
massive contributor in whatever way he chooses to be post
to actually retirement, how important is it.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
For the game. And he's ill, and to be able
to retain the services of Sewan Johnson in some way,
shape or form. I mean, you don't want to be desperate,
Greg Peters, but I'm presuming having him around some way
would be great for the for the club, great for
the game.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Great for the game.
Speaker 8 (12:23):
And I mean we've got that with the Kiwis now,
you know this year we've got you know, stack for
former Kiwis and the coaching coaching frame led by led
by Stacey. And if that is Shawn's chosen path, I'm
sure there's a path there for him to go forward
with that as well, if that's what he chooses to do.
But he, as I said before, he's probably got a
(12:45):
few options. If you look at the guy, you know, media, marketing, player, coaching, whatever,
you know, he might be something completely away from the game.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
He's he's that kind of guy, right.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
I'm looking over my shoulder.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
You work out we're to sharpen up your Friday dress dead.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah, I thank you, Greg Peters, But I don't have
to because there's no money in broadcasting so he ain't
going anywhere this job. Hey Greeg Peters, thanks so much
for your time, mate, you look after yourself or talking
again soon. Thanks for your words.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Thanks us. What is pleaser?
Speaker 1 (13:19):
You hear it from the biggest names in sports and men.
Have your say on eighty eighty Sports Talk or more
on your home of sports news Talk.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Zi me it's twenty minutes after seven. That was the
CEO of the NZRL, whose name is Greg Peters, talking
about the soon to be retired Sean Johnson. He has
elected to not re sign on the dotted line and
walk away from the game where he has made his
name at the end of this season. Was this the
(13:50):
right time for Shawn Johnson to retire? Was this the
right time for him to hang up his boots and
do it of his own? Accord? I jump before he
was pushed. You think it's quite astonishing when he was
what and you point away from wanting the del him
last year and this year he was a wee bit bent.
(14:11):
He was a wee bit broken, He was a wee
bit injured, never really scaled those heights again. It's kind
of peeted out. So he's gone. I don't want to
I don't want to be ejected from this role. I
want to make that call myself. And you understand that
if he doesn't get the thrill of success when he
(14:31):
gets handed a contract that says volumes about where his
head's at for the game. So you've got to applaud
him for making that decision to be easy enough to
sign on the dot of the line and pick up
the check. What is the end of year I had
one thousand dollars or whatever it is, and you know,
maybe be a bit of a bench player and make
a whole lot more coin. But you've got to be
impressed by what he's done there. So was this the
right time for Sean Johnson to retire? For you? Oh,
(14:55):
eight hundred eighty ten eighty. I think it is the
right time for him to retire. I probably at the
end of last year it probably would have been better.
Like a lot of Warriors fans out there, he was
ged up by the success of the twenty twenty three
version of the Warriors and wanted one last stab at
(15:17):
that trophy and it was a bridge too far as
we've all seen. Now, maybe in the last year would
have been better. Maybe it will be the better time
to go. What do you think around Sean Johnson retired, oh,
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. He might have left
it a bit late, but hey, he's doing it under
his own stem. You've got to give him credit. I
(15:41):
don't think it's a huge surprise. Now, what is a
surprise it's been named to play this weekend. I mean,
that sounds really cruel, and that sounds nasty, But I
think if you're a rugby league fan, you're kind of
pretty honest about what we're seeing out there, and I'm
amazed that to mighty Martin isn't playing. In fact, he's
been playing some superb rugby league since Shawn's been gone.
(16:05):
And if you're being cold and and a fan of
the game of the team, you'd say, wow, I'm not
sure if you'd be then now, great career, just a
little too late. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty.
I'd love your thoughts on this. Twenty two minutes after seven,
and we'll keep you up to date as well with
what's happening in the heats of the canoe and kayak sprint.
(16:33):
There's a number of those coming up, and Ian Ferguson
joins us later on and in the piece as we
talk about our chances with those long, skinny things in
the paddles, it says new stalks. Heb it's seven twenty.
Speaker 9 (16:45):
Three and there just barely a prayer.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
The right call is your call on oh, eight hundred
and eighty to eighty Sports Talk, call on your home
of sports News TALKSB.
Speaker 9 (17:04):
Be good and breaking down picking up that Jesus is hard.
She's searching for someone who's gone a blab.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
On Sports Talk. It is seven to twenty six on
a Tuesday, and Darcy Watergrave talking about the retirement of it.
Sean Johnson, is it the right time? Has he chosen
the right time to step away from the game that
has made his name? And you look at the word mercurial.
That's Sean Johnson to a t. I don't think we'll
(17:42):
ever forget the times of greatness. I don't think we'll
forget the times where he just disappeared very much mercurial,
up and down and up and down. Let's go to
the phone. So, Steven, was this the right time?
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (17:58):
I think so that's he. You know, he's been a
pretty conservative to not only the worries, but you know,
the Key Weason and New Zealand Reugby League. In my opinion,
year probably this year was probably a little bit disappointing.
A couple of big injuries that you know, the ticket
took him up for I think about two three months.
(18:18):
You know, the team's form hasn't been there. Great. Yeah,
it would have been a tough decision from the meet,
But I think he's tapping out on his terms as
opposed to you know, signing another contract for less for
less money and and then you know, just doing if
he's going to make the bench or end up in
reserve bread or whatever and next season. So I think
the body is probably finally telling him to yeah, it's
(18:40):
fun to hang up the boots.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
I suppose yeah, And I absolutely applaud him for doing that.
He's looked around and he's honest. And when he came
out and he said, look, you know I got the contract.
I didn't get that joy. I didn't bounce it and
go Yahoo on. No, I'm just signing it for the money.
And he didn't want to be that kind of player,
and I think he should be applaud for that. What
he could have gone over to the Super League, he
could have gone to ever a couple of years for
(19:01):
a fortune, he wouldn't have been tackled, you know, but
he didn't. And I wonder how much of that Stephen
comes from that when he was in Australia with the
whole COVID drama, how much he hated being away from home.
And now he's got a young family. I get why
he wouldn't want to do that. So you've got to
applaud him, you really have to.
Speaker 10 (19:20):
Yeah, yeah, And then I think you will have probably
play some some role in the Warriors because you know
they've they've got certainly you know, you want to pick
his brain and have him around in that sort of
their coaching, the environment. I'll tell you what does he has,
you know, for I've been a long time Warriors fan.
I think the best years is when when you partnered
up with Jimmy Maloney. That was probably the when he
(19:44):
you know, when you burst onto the scene and yeah,
he just came out of the blocks. And it's and
that's because he hadn't experienced guys like like Maloney and
a few other guys does hardened Aussies in the squad
that armed to do the players magic and do the
stuff that he that you that he's right now on
for I think it's it's been on fear this season
that he's been targeted. You know, when the Warriors lose,
(20:05):
he cops it. But you know they game against Paramedta,
he wasn't the one that was missing the tackles. He
wasn't the one that dropping the ball.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
So did you feel like he controlled what was going
on there though? And he was actually rolling the roost
as a seven should do that he had it in hand,
because he didn't look like that. To me, it looked
like it's not entirely his fault that that game fell apart.
And I wonder if that was the right game to
bring him back an again, I wouldn't even know.
Speaker 10 (20:31):
Yeah, yeah, probably not. And wasn't as best game as
you said, and you know what, the experience he had,
we needed somebody to sort of steer the ship around,
and yeah, we kind of lost our way. So but
then mine, you know, like they say, one door closes
that the next opens up for the next generation. We've
got young Cleary that's coming on board and in met
club signer expended contract, so the futures looking good.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
So it's all about the club as opposed to the
individual Steven, I'm pretty hardcore on that. The individuals make
up a huge amount of the club. Without the club
at the top, you're not going anywhere. He's made the
right decision, the timing of it, don't know anyway, Enough
of this, Let's get over to the Olympic Game.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
The leaders from Paris twenty twenty four news talks in
the Olympic Games News Update.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Thank you very much, Nick Bewley. You can watch that
goat in the boat or we can stick around here
and listen to another goat in the boat because Ian
Ferguson joins the program shortly twenty eight minutes to eight minutes.
Moved back to the phone now at eight hundred eighty
ten eighty, Get a Paul, I thought i'd hear from you.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
Oh yeah, I just wanted to pay tribute to to Shane.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
You know, he's.
Speaker 5 (21:52):
He was a young kid who wanted to play for
the Worries when he was young. You know, it's kind
of like if you're if you're a die hard Worries fan,
you've watched this kid come through, you know, since he
was a young young fellow and you know, like you know,
Norella light and we watched this journeys ups and downs,
but you know we've kind of ridden the wave with him,
you know, through injuries and and he's got married and kids,
(22:14):
you know, and now he's retiring. The guys just all
classed as far as i'm consumer, mate. You know, he's
never been in the media for this for any sort
of bad mistermeanors or been suspended for those reasons. Mate.
He's just he's all class, and he is all about
the club. You know, He's turned down big dollars to
go with the Roosters to stay at the Warriors where
he wants to be. And yeah, he isn't always delivered,
(22:37):
but you know, you tell me a player that delivers
all the time, mate, and you know he's he's just
all class as far as I'm concerned, mate.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
I was. I used to back in the day host
a Warriors event every week up at sky City and
host various events where the players came and met met
all their fan base to meet the teams. Did that
for a few years. It was really interesting looking at
the dynamic between the players and the fans and how
(23:07):
they dealt with it. We had a luncheon one afternoon
smakest board luncheon for hol of the fans would have
been eighty hundred people up there, and Sean Johnson spent
so much time with the children, with the kid fans
blew your way. He wasn't interested in hanging out with
(23:28):
the adults, or hanging out with his teammates or hiding
from anyone. He was there for the kids because he
knew what an inspirational, aspirational character he was. And I'm
watching that for that couple of hours thinking that's the
sign of this bloke. Yeah, I for some reason is
a lightning rod for rage when he's not going particularly well.
But I saw a real part of him that day.
(23:50):
It was very impressive.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
Well he is, he is all classes and you know,
I know the worry is I think he said that
he's got a role there. They should basically throw whatever
they can to get them in the Worrior system, you know,
because some of the young kids coming through. Now, if
you look at some of the young Broncos coming through,
you know when you get petted on the back when
you when you're a young fellow, you get petted on
(24:14):
the back and basically you get rolled at the red
carpet and everyone tells you how wonderful for you are.
You know that that can get to your head. I'm sure,
and I think went through part of that as well.
You think you can walk on water and so forth,
but if you don't handle it right, then it can
all become undone. Like you see at the Broncos. He's
some of those young kids. So I think surely, you know,
if he gets into the worry system there and into
(24:36):
some of those young fellows, that's going to be awesome, mate.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
You know, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Think you're absolutely right on that. And we remember when
he first started because he was this touch sensation and
all the murmurings in the word around was there's kid
math and Ibiscus Coast watch him? Yeah, we or not where,
but a number of people watch and it's like, hey,
he's pretty skinny, he's pretty slight. He might get smashed
to pieces in the NRL, those big men. And when
(25:03):
he did get signed, it was like, Okay, how long
would you last? Are they going to introduce him too fast?
How do they deal with this guy? Because he was
the next big thing, And I think they dealt with
it really, really well. And what he's done, there's been
some standout moments, and there's been some absolute shockers and
disappointment moments, but for some reason, when it happens to him,
everybody notices.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
Right, yeah, just one more thing, mate. You know he
said today that he holds that Kiwi jersey at number
one and you know his achievements, and I think, good
on the mate, because for me, it's all about the
international footy and the Kiwi jersey means so much more
to him. And I hope he does get involved in
that Kiwi set up as well. And you know, show
all if you're out there, mate, you know, thanks for
(25:44):
the memories. You know, he's given us some good highlights
and clutch moments that I've got. You know, the Kiwis
throw it through to a Grand Final, to a World
Cup final, and you know those moments of brilliancing of
the Broncos and the Sharks below on your man. So
let's go out with a ben. Let's win four in
a row, get it two points in the boy, let's
get to the GF Mate.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Wouldn't that be a great way to go? I don't
think so. I wouldn't bet on it, but you never know.
Maybe that's just the accelerant the rest of this team
needs Paul great to hear from me as always. It
is seven thirty seven sports Hei Man Sports. Sorry, I've
(26:27):
just gone way down memory lane, far too far from
my eyebrow. Still joined together, Yeah, up there, coming up
next another goat in a boat in Ferguson, Wow, superstar
back in the day five Olympic campaigns, hatfuls of medals.
He joins us next as we take a look at
the upcoming kayak campaign forty zand at the thirty third
(26:51):
Olympic Games. This is News Talk ZB.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Just this job.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
We're join now on sports look on News Talk z
B by Ed Ferguson. There's a name for you, a
man who's won more medals than you could shake a
stick out, of course in K one and K two
and K four healthy in days back in eighty four
where you picked up three gold medals. Get it, mister Ferguson.
How are you? That takes me back? I bet you good.
Speaker 11 (27:30):
I'm good. How are you all good?
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (27:32):
And I'm joining the Olympics and enjoying what's coming up
because we're coming to a golden place with of course
all of our entrance in all of the K and
C disciplines. It's a pretty heady timing in.
Speaker 11 (27:45):
Yeah, it is. I don't think we should get too
excited about the sea boating yet. It's just our first crew,
so don't expect too much too much happening there. But
how how other ones, especially our ladies, are going fantastically. Yeah,
I'm looking forward to the K one, which is coming
up for a couple of days. Yeah, when it gets
(28:07):
down to the nitty gritty between our two good guys,
Amy and Lisa, that is going to be the most
amazing race. And I'm just hoping with all my hope
that I got that we get first and second. It
would be amazing for New Zealand to be that good
above the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
It's funny, isn't it, Because you read reports over seas
and they will talk about Lisa Carrington and how she's
a favorite and sign and so forth. But outside of
New Zealand, people aren't really giving Amy Fisher much recognition.
But her path to the Olympics and what she's achieved,
that's an extraordinary route that she's taken. She's one tough one.
Speaker 11 (28:42):
Yeah she is. She's very tough, and I think that's
going to go well for an hour at the Olympics,
she's one of the last two. I think it's the
last two races against Lisa in the World Cups leading
up to this, So she may even I don't know
if people are picking his favorite and it's hard to tell,
but well, I know that you know in eighty four
(29:02):
I was New Zealand didn't even know about me. They
weren't expecting me to win. They know and had a
clue that we're going to start winning medals and suddenly
the mayor can get more people down there. It was amazing.
But yeah, so she could be the dark horse, but
Lisa is certainly there. She's picking her definitely for the
(29:24):
K two. I think they'll win that. But you didn't
ever know what the Olympics and at these in the singles,
it's sort of who's going to win it, Lisa or Amy.
It's a good place to be.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Well, you kind of do know because the excitement anticipation
around Lisa, and she just doesn't let people down. More important,
she doesn't want to let herself down. Her attitude toward
training and keeping at the very top. Again, it blows
your way and you'd understand what that dedication is about,
because what how many Olympics did you go? Five Olympic Games?
(29:59):
You understand what the grindstone is, don't you?
Speaker 11 (30:03):
I certainly do. I went to five Olympics competing and
then another three of a coach as well. So yeah,
so when I made a great Olympic career doing that,
I'd love that.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
So when you look at New Zealand and the way
they work when it comes to kayaking, you must be
happy enough that the like SI of yourself and Paul
McDonald had a really a big part to play in
that by lifting the profile of kayaking. As you said,
none really knew much about it Beck in nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 11 (30:36):
Well, I didn't even have a coach till after I
won those three gold medals. We're on our own. There's
nobody knew any more more than we did about kayaking
in New Zealand, so we couldn't get anyone to coach. Yeah,
and plus we couldn't afford it anyway. So that was fine.
Now it's all set up. It was two thousand and two.
(31:02):
I went down to look at national champs and nobody
was had no coaches, know nothing. Once again, no money,
absolutely no funding and nobody was training together. So that's
when I started coaching again. And the problem with that
was they had no money, so then I had to
start fundraising and getting sponsors and then they all kick
(31:23):
started again and since that time, it's just gets bigger
and bigger, and the girls are going amazingly. The guys
are just starting to come out now. So we've got
some new young guys and we're expecting them to do well.
I wouldn't say you're going to have to expect metals
out of them, but we want them to do well
and then next Olympics so they'll probably be in the hunt.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
An ferguson what is the appeal of kayaking and canoeing
as well? It's not you mentioned a lot of the start,
but why does it appeal do you think? Why does
it work for New Zealanders? And we're particularly good in
the water on boats, aren't we? So why kayaking? Why
choose dad as ahead of rowing for example?
Speaker 11 (32:04):
Well, with kayaking it's reallyant an individual sport. You do
it yourself, you get your own kayak, you can do
as much training as you like, and then you get
good at it. Then it's just one step into a
double or A four. You know, you're instantly made for
crew boats. You don't have to train in crew boats
to be chosen. They normally choose a good team, good
(32:26):
the fastest person to crew up together. Then they just
get used to the K four or K two crew
boat and that second second level. But first level is
just doing it all yourself, just getting out there and
training hard. And that's that's why. So it's a relatively
cheap sport to get into. This young guy seventeen that
(32:46):
are just coaching just right now, he's first with his
first session on the water. I gave him a few
tips and a few drills to do, and within twenty
minutes half an hour, he was looking like a real paddler.
So you can get in there and do it yourself
with a few bucks and it's goods away.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
As far as multi discipline you said, I'm presuming what
you're saying. It's pretty much about cadence and horsepower, and
if you can do it in one, you can do
it in four. So when you transition between K one,
K two, K four not that difficult. I'm not trying
to belittle it, but is it an easy enough thing
for the likes of Lisa Carrington to climb into.
Speaker 11 (33:29):
Yes, it is. It's easy enough for any kaka really
to Some people will never make a crew boat because
they've got a funny lean or something goes wrong. But
generally you're so close to the person that that's in
front of you, you just copy them right down to
the split second hitting the water. And obviously you've got
(33:49):
to do a lot of training in it once you've
chosen for that boat. But you know, to get in
the team or to get in a boat, a good boat,
you've got to be fast in the singles. Me as
a singles paddle, I'm not going to pick a slow
person to go with me. I'm going to pick second
best to behind me to go in my boat. So
you put the fast people, then you make it work
in the double.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Would you not think that Lisa Carrington and Amy Fisher
would be an ideal double?
Speaker 11 (34:15):
I do. I do. But yeah, that's their choice. And
Lisa's got her doubles partner already now that Amy's coming up,
but she's made a choice. I had my choice of
Paul and that never stopped either. But yeah, I'm not
on the selection or part of your I'm retired now.
(34:35):
So I don't know all the reasons, but that's for
them to sort out, and yeah, maybe one day that
will happen.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
As far as Lisa's concerned, where would you put her
when it comes to favoritism or where she should be
most likely to middle Again, because she's in the K
four five hundred, she's obviously doing her own thing as
well K two five hundred and two, So again she's
spreading her skill and I suppose her engine right across
(35:05):
a number of kayak, what do you think she's going
to actually lean into him and maybe pick up some ten.
Speaker 11 (35:10):
Well, I think she's she's got a better than a
fifty to fifty chance in the K two. I think
she's pretty good well set to do well there, So
that could be her best option because the K one
at the moment, it's fifty to fifty with a name
with Amy, So that's all good for us, fifty fifty
(35:31):
fantastic for well, it puts one hundred percent on us
possibly winning. So yeah, but just if you put it
that way, Lisa's got you know, she's probably the favorite
to win the doubles still, and whereas it's fifty to
fifty the other way, So Yeah, that's my ball. It's
(35:54):
she'll get a medal in the doubles for sure. And
the four it's always a hard one. Fours come out
of nowhere. When they get good team spirit going, you
can just blast away and do really good times.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
So in fugus and joins us in with all of
these disciplines in such a short amount of time, coming
toward the end of her career, do you think that's
a good idea to be involved in so much and
focus your talent and your skills and your effort across
so many disciplines at this time.
Speaker 11 (36:26):
Heck you we want medals, come on, we're going for it.
And she's no fast slower, She's actually faster than she was.
So you know, I was inflected the PBS at the
age forty, so you know, nothing slows you down. So
you're just relying on her endurance. And with age, endurance
gets a little bit better and you're more relaxed, you're
(36:49):
more calm, you know what's happening. So sure, I think
she's in an ideal place. She could take three gold
medals out no problem at all. If she's in the
right frame of mind and things click together.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
We've got the breakdown on Sports Talk OH eight hundred
eighty eight News Talk SIBI. For more from Sports Talk,
listen live to News Talks b from seven pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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