September 18, 2025 • 8 mins
The New Zealand Breakers get their 2025/26 NBL season underway this Friday night when they take on the Brisbane Bullets at Spark Arena.
Ron Loe is the centre for the Breakers, and he caught up with D'Arcy ahead of the season opener to preview the side.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be we're talking to basketball Now Hoops on Breakers
twenty twenty five. Twenty twenty sixth season gets underway on
Friday night against the Bullets at Spark Arena. Rob Low,
the center of the Breakers third stint with the club,
He joins us, Now we'll talk about the team and
we preview for the season ahead.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Good eight, Rob, good head, Darcy are you.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I'm very well. Nice to see that you know back
and you single again and get playing. Tell me, are
you going to retire at the end of this year
as well?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I retire? You never know, and keep you guys on
your toes.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Keep the team on their toes more than anything else. Well,
let's forget about that. Let's deal with the present. Coming
up tomorrow, the season starts again, and you guys be
feeling reasonably confident after what you've achieved in the Blitz.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yeah, we've obviously had pretty decent results of the Blitz,
but it's it's pre season, and you know, we spend
the last couple of weeks trying to grow as a
team and get better as.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Every team in the league. Has done.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
So we're really excited to go tomorrow though. You know,
we've been training against each other for a while now
we're ready to hit out some other guys.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
But Terry Copen and my coach Kopp missed today said
some of you guys are struck down with illness. What's
the situation like now? You're still a few having a
wee vomit?
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Are you well? Touch word? I've I've escaped most of
the illness.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Yeah, it's part of the season, right everyone, you know,
it gets injured and everyone gets sick. You know how
we react to that and how we deal with the challenges.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
So how many of you think you're losing? But you
can't tell right, ye, because we're still a day out
from game day.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah, I couldn't tell you health starts.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
And if you could tell me, you wouldn't anyway, right right,
let's concentrate on the bodies that you've got on the floor.
That the nature of the team has changed, the ownership
of the team has changed, a whole lot has changed.
So tell us about the men on the floor, the
old school and the new school.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Rob.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Yeah, obviously I'm one of the older guys now, and
you know, there's a few of us have been around
the league for a while. You know, the Keyi's back
on the team, and you know, it's it's been really exciting,
you know, mixing with with some of the eighteen year
olds and you know, getting getting better together.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It's been awesome.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
We're really added, obviously, and the club's really excited.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
It's a new.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Direction and we're excited to bring the fans back into
into Spark and have them enjoy our basketball.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
So who do you like? You keep walking around the question,
who are the old school the actual names that you've
got you love to reconnect with and some of the
younger snappers coming up.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Yeah, obviously I've I've played a long time in the
two Blacks with Reuben Krengi, and you know, Sam and
Inger's just walked room.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
He's He's obviously a great New Zealand talent is coming up.
And you know we've got kareem Our next.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
You know, it's full of full of great great talent
our team.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Great talent in your position. Where are the other centers?
Who are you like? Who you to share the floor
with orpe sit on the bench watching.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Yeah, obviously I've just mentioned Sam, Sam and Inger. You know,
he's he's one of and we battle each other every
day and training, you know, iron sharp as iron, so
to speak. So we're itching the we're the two main
guys that are itching to go bang up against other
guys in the league.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
And you know, show Asterix and.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Look at some of the other players, wish your point
guard at. Are you happy with those men there?
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Yeah, obviously we've got Parker come back. He's been in
the league for a couple years now, played for the Breakers.
He's just an exciting place, so so fast, so quick
and so agile. You know, he's fund to fund the player, you.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Know, and you keep, you keep, you keep making the
name names. But the whole group's just so awesome. You know.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
We we we train hard every day and you know
we've brought into what cops kind of wanted from the group.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
That's the correct answer. And I love the way that
Parker Jackson Cartwrights come back. That boy is impossible defeat
to defend. Have you kind of dealt with him on
the opposition before, Rob, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Yeah, he's he's tough. I was. I always hated, you know,
having to switch on him. He's just so quick. It's
first step as next level.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
The general flavor of the league, Why do you think
the game's tending towards what you've seen in the Blitz
so far? As much changed around formational attitude to the
rest of the team.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
In the NBA, not.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
So much change. You know, it's a really fast past league,
and you know they try and let us play and
score and and what have you. So it's fun. It's
a fun type of basketball, and you know everyone, everyone
in the league is challenging for a championship.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
It's not a it's not.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
A league where there's only two or three teams challenging.
Everyone's kind of wanting to win and expecting to win.
So we've got to bring out a game every night,
so to speak.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
How's karm Lopiz, how's he going? He's definitely one for
the future. When he's when he's fit, he's sensational.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Is he He's been training well.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
You know, he's come back from an injury in the offseason,
and you know he didn't play the Blitz, but he's
been training really well, and I'm excited to see him
on the court as well.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
You know, he's obviously an.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
NBA talent, and you know his body of works great.
You know, he gave me some challenges last year when
I was in Melbourne, so it'll be fun to play
of him as well.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
What about the staff the back office, there's been some
big changes since the club was sold. It's a return
to the old. You've got Dylan Boucher there hanging around
in the background. What's he the president of basketball Operation.
That's some kind of crazy name. What's it like reconnecting
with him?
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Yeah, obviously I've had a long history of with Dylan.
You know, he was my first assistant coach when I
first made the tool Backs. You know, the front office
has definitely changed, but what they've what they've done.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Is they've connected the two.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
So we we see a lot of the front office
and they see a lot of us, and we work together.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
You know. We we want to grow the.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Game of basketball in New Zealand And, and and we
want to put fans in the stadium watching us and
supporting us, because you know, we wouldn't be anything about
without the fans.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
So it's it's been quite exciting to see the.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Change and to see the new owners come in and
and you know, wanting wanting the right thing and wanting
to grow the game the right way.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, it looks like. And then there was there was
a disconnect between the ownership maybe even the club and
the fans as well. It kind of fractured. I mean,
you went there when that was happening. But from what
I can gather, the Breakers are trying to turn the
clock back and go back to the old days. It
really was one great, big family unit for one of
a better word, that's front office back off as the
(06:25):
guys who had dribbling the ball, and the fans as well.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Yeah, you know, I was around for a few of
those years, but.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
It is it is great to see.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
You know, I was around for some of the old
ownership and and the family values that they instilled in us.
So it's been quite quite cool to see that kind
of happen again.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
And you know where we want to We want.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
To show it to the community as well, and show
it to the basketball community in New Zealand that you know,
we were ready to represent and and we're excited to
be you know, the New Zealand Breakers.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Tell us about Mario dugg and zitch I believe how
you pronounced his name, new assistant coach. He's out of
Eastern Europe. He comes from that rather large and fast
game of basketball. What's he introduced? What's he brought to
the party.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Yeah, he's from Germany.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Oh well, he's originally from Croatia, I believe, but he's
got a lot.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Of German influence.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
He's been really excited this last week because Germany just
won the europe European Championship. But he obviously brings a
wealth of experience in that regard as well. And then
we've got Jade coming in and Matt Lacy from New Zealand.
So the wealth of experience from the coaching staff that
we kind of thrive on and learn from. And you know,
(07:42):
they're really good at getting the message across the boys and.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
You know, get us better kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Dare I say it? Rob Longin, Thanks very much for
your time. It sounds like a case with one of
those names you drop for the staff that the boys
are back and down, the boys are back together again.
It's a will have a big old cattle. Huh.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Yeah, that's the one. That's the one asked you Come
join us whenever for
Speaker 1 (08:05):
More from Sports to Talk, listen live to News Talks
it Me from seven pm weekdays or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be we're talking to basketball Now Hoops on Breakers
twenty twenty five. Twenty twenty sixth season gets underway on
Friday night against the Bullets at Spark Arena. Rob Low,
the center of the Breakers third stint with the club,
He joins us, Now we'll talk about the team and
we preview for the season ahead.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Good eight, Rob, good head, Darcy are you.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I'm very well. Nice to see that you know back
and you single again and get playing. Tell me, are
you going to retire at the end of this year
as well?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I retire? You never know, and keep you guys on
your toes.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Keep the team on their toes more than anything else. Well,
let's forget about that. Let's deal with the present. Coming
up tomorrow, the season starts again, and you guys be
feeling reasonably confident after what you've achieved in the Blitz.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yeah, we've obviously had pretty decent results of the Blitz,
but it's it's pre season, and you know, we spend
the last couple of weeks trying to grow as a
team and get better as.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Every team in the league. Has done.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
So we're really excited to go tomorrow though. You know,
we've been training against each other for a while now
we're ready to hit out some other guys.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
But Terry Copen and my coach Kopp missed today said
some of you guys are struck down with illness. What's
the situation like now? You're still a few having a
wee vomit?
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Are you well? Touch word? I've I've escaped most of
the illness.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Yeah, it's part of the season, right everyone, you know,
it gets injured and everyone gets sick. You know how
we react to that and how we deal with the challenges.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
So how many of you think you're losing? But you
can't tell right, ye, because we're still a day out
from game day.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah, I couldn't tell you health starts.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
And if you could tell me, you wouldn't anyway, right right,
let's concentrate on the bodies that you've got on the floor.
That the nature of the team has changed, the ownership
of the team has changed, a whole lot has changed.
So tell us about the men on the floor, the
old school and the new school.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Rob.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Yeah, obviously I'm one of the older guys now, and
you know, there's a few of us have been around
the league for a while. You know, the Keyi's back
on the team, and you know, it's it's been really exciting,
you know, mixing with with some of the eighteen year
olds and you know, getting getting better together.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It's been awesome.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
We're really added, obviously, and the club's really excited.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
It's a new.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Direction and we're excited to bring the fans back into
into Spark and have them enjoy our basketball.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
So who do you like? You keep walking around the question,
who are the old school the actual names that you've
got you love to reconnect with and some of the
younger snappers coming up.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Yeah, obviously I've I've played a long time in the
two Blacks with Reuben Krengi, and you know, Sam and
Inger's just walked room.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
He's He's obviously a great New Zealand talent is coming up.
And you know we've got kareem Our next.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
You know, it's full of full of great great talent
our team.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Great talent in your position. Where are the other centers?
Who are you like? Who you to share the floor
with orpe sit on the bench watching.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Yeah, obviously I've just mentioned Sam, Sam and Inger. You know,
he's he's one of and we battle each other every
day and training, you know, iron sharp as iron, so
to speak. So we're itching the we're the two main
guys that are itching to go bang up against other
guys in the league.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
And you know, show Asterix and.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Look at some of the other players, wish your point
guard at. Are you happy with those men there?
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Yeah, obviously we've got Parker come back. He's been in
the league for a couple years now, played for the Breakers.
He's just an exciting place, so so fast, so quick
and so agile. You know, he's fund to fund the player, you.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Know, and you keep, you keep, you keep making the
name names. But the whole group's just so awesome. You know.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
We we we train hard every day and you know
we've brought into what cops kind of wanted from the group.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
That's the correct answer. And I love the way that
Parker Jackson Cartwrights come back. That boy is impossible defeat
to defend. Have you kind of dealt with him on
the opposition before, Rob, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Yeah, he's he's tough. I was. I always hated, you know,
having to switch on him. He's just so quick. It's
first step as next level.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
The general flavor of the league, Why do you think
the game's tending towards what you've seen in the Blitz
so far? As much changed around formational attitude to the
rest of the team.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
In the NBA, not.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
So much change. You know, it's a really fast past league,
and you know they try and let us play and
score and and what have you. So it's fun. It's
a fun type of basketball, and you know everyone, everyone
in the league is challenging for a championship.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
It's not a it's not.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
A league where there's only two or three teams challenging.
Everyone's kind of wanting to win and expecting to win.
So we've got to bring out a game every night,
so to speak.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
How's karm Lopiz, how's he going? He's definitely one for
the future. When he's when he's fit, he's sensational.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Is he He's been training well.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
You know, he's come back from an injury in the offseason,
and you know he didn't play the Blitz, but he's
been training really well, and I'm excited to see him
on the court as well.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
You know, he's obviously an.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
NBA talent, and you know his body of works great.
You know, he gave me some challenges last year when
I was in Melbourne, so it'll be fun to play
of him as well.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
What about the staff the back office, there's been some
big changes since the club was sold. It's a return
to the old. You've got Dylan Boucher there hanging around
in the background. What's he the president of basketball Operation.
That's some kind of crazy name. What's it like reconnecting
with him?
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Yeah, obviously I've had a long history of with Dylan.
You know, he was my first assistant coach when I
first made the tool Backs. You know, the front office
has definitely changed, but what they've what they've done.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Is they've connected the two.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
So we we see a lot of the front office
and they see a lot of us, and we work together.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
You know. We we want to grow the.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Game of basketball in New Zealand And, and and we
want to put fans in the stadium watching us and
supporting us, because you know, we wouldn't be anything about
without the fans.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
So it's it's been quite exciting to see the.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Change and to see the new owners come in and
and you know, wanting wanting the right thing and wanting
to grow the game the right way.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, it looks like. And then there was there was
a disconnect between the ownership maybe even the club and
the fans as well. It kind of fractured. I mean,
you went there when that was happening. But from what
I can gather, the Breakers are trying to turn the
clock back and go back to the old days. It
really was one great, big family unit for one of
a better word, that's front office back off as the
(06:25):
guys who had dribbling the ball, and the fans as well.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Yeah, you know, I was around for a few of
those years, but.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
It is it is great to see.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
You know, I was around for some of the old
ownership and and the family values that they instilled in us.
So it's been quite quite cool to see that kind
of happen again.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
And you know where we want to We want.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
To show it to the community as well, and show
it to the basketball community in New Zealand that you know,
we were ready to represent and and we're excited to
be you know, the New Zealand Breakers.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Tell us about Mario dugg and zitch I believe how
you pronounced his name, new assistant coach. He's out of
Eastern Europe. He comes from that rather large and fast
game of basketball. What's he introduced? What's he brought to
the party.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Yeah, he's from Germany.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Oh well, he's originally from Croatia, I believe, but he's
got a lot.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Of German influence.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
He's been really excited this last week because Germany just
won the europe European Championship. But he obviously brings a
wealth of experience in that regard as well. And then
we've got Jade coming in and Matt Lacy from New Zealand.
So the wealth of experience from the coaching staff that
we kind of thrive on and learn from. And you know,
(07:42):
they're really good at getting the message across the boys and.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
You know, get us better kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Dare I say it? Rob Longin, Thanks very much for
your time. It sounds like a case with one of
those names you drop for the staff that the boys
are back and down, the boys are back together again.
It's a will have a big old cattle. Huh.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Yeah, that's the one. That's the one asked you Come
join us whenever for
Speaker 1 (08:05):
More from Sports to Talk, listen live to News Talks
it Me from seven pm weekdays or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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