June 3, 2025 • 14 mins
Something a bit different for you on Sportstalk tonight - Japanese rugby!
Former Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder is in charge of Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo these days, and he's led them to their second straight Japan Rugby League One championship!
He spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave on the show.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldegrave
from News Talk, zed BE.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Sport Today and in Sports Day uknd at Leggy Addie
R Shark has been off at a New Zealand Cricket
Central contract. He's one of four fellows who've done the
Michy together over the years and they are now tasting
the fruits of their labor.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
We've played a lot of cricket with and against each
other growing up during the under seventy and under on
a national tournaments and we've just talked about how cool
it is, like what a cool way to kind of
share the joy with people that you can see that
put in so much hard work.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Super cool. The other lads Muhammed Abas, Zach Folks and
Mitch Haal as I said, joins the show later on
the piece Football Ferns coach Michael Maine knows what he
wants and he knows that buck starts with him. Selecting
for the second fixture against Venezuela and Spain tomorrow morning
are firmly on his mind, considering they got beat first
(01:01):
up three to one by the team that they are
ranked nineteen positions ahead of.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
We're a senior international team that needs to perform. Despite
sort of being early in the cycle and working on
a few things, there's definitely going to be some questions
for myself to answer around some individual performances and how
they help the team.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Second chance schmicking chance. The Hurricanes may have another Super
Rugby crack if they fall to the Brumbies on Saturday.
Sistant coach Cory James says, that's not how they roll.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
May We've got into the playoffs winning, so we're going
over the camera try to win. So it's important that
we travel, and we're traveling all the way there and
you're there, so you might as well go and get
the job done.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
And on Rubbery League, Lucky Galvin, the NRL five eighth
who deserted some cats some dogs, much to the disappointment
of men. He has decided that praising his new skipper
is the right way to start his tenure because he's
upset quite a lot of people. You rock, mister Crichton.
Speaker 6 (02:03):
I can feed him some early born and just follow
him back on the inside of I's scored a couple
more tries in there. That'll be pretty cool just watching
him obviously playing Origin and playing for somemorrow. He's a
freak and dumba being playing alongside him.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Very cool and that's sport today. It took some Japanese
rugby huge weekend for Todd Blacker Adder, Blacker Adder, Todd
Blackadder and his band of mary Men to pick themselves
up a second title now in Japan top league football
rugby two on the bounce, maybe three. Well, some of
(02:37):
the players that he's got wouldn't be surprised, so that
was the happen. He joins us now get a Todd.
Speaker 7 (02:43):
Yeah, great, Duci and Kumba.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
And thank you very much for that. I won't reply
because I can't, but what I can say is congratulations.
Your team, the Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo have done it
twice in a row. Now this is great success for you.
Speaker 8 (03:01):
Must be stoked, Yeah, so pleased. That's like last year
was just fantastic season. Sorry to win it for the
very first time and they actually back up again.
Speaker 7 (03:11):
Just the mental consistency is often the real challenge.
Speaker 8 (03:15):
But to do that sort of proved that last season
wasn't a fluke and we backed it up, finished first
in the round robin and then to go on and
when it was even more special.
Speaker 7 (03:23):
So yep, the boys have done it.
Speaker 8 (03:25):
They've gone back to back for the very first time
in League one, which is really exciting for the club
over here.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Do you guys get reckless in a whiskey bar after
that or is that not cool?
Speaker 8 (03:36):
It was one of the best nights of my life
on Sunday night. We actually came back to food Tune.
There's like big beer halls out here, so there's a
lot of singing and dancing going on.
Speaker 7 (03:44):
But dah no, it was yet. They certainly know how
to celebrate.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
One of the men who helped you with this. And
there are several players when you look through the teamless
and opened myself Rob Thompson haven't heard him for a while.
We'll talk about him later on. But out of the
players that gouds playing the second straight MVP R for
Richie Muanga, it's a freak show that likes it must
be a joy to coach.
Speaker 7 (04:05):
Here is an absollent joy to coach. And he's more
than just a player.
Speaker 8 (04:08):
He's one of those sort of I think once in
a lifetime leaders where you know like him and.
Speaker 7 (04:13):
Your share attack coach.
Speaker 8 (04:14):
So they pull out of preparation and during the week
to make sure that they've got the plan right. He's
just always working with the coaching team on how he
can make how you know, we can all make this
team better together, and then obviously out on the field,
he's just such a leader. Like when he speaks the
boys listen, it makes sense, halftime chats, he's absolutely bang
on with his messaging and what needs to happen. And
(04:35):
he's just at that stage of his career I think
where he just seems freeze and enjoyed himself.
Speaker 7 (04:40):
And you know, last week he had a broken hand.
Speaker 8 (04:42):
Which is well documented, and we didn't think at the
start of the week he would play.
Speaker 7 (04:46):
He didn't train all week and we waited till game
day and he went.
Speaker 8 (04:49):
Out there and had an absolute another man of the
match performance. So I can't speak highly enough of what
he's done for this team and growing us to be
better a week in and week out.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
The quality of the league of the Japanese League one,
where does it sit? Because you're seeing former all blacks
nown cylinders. They come back and it doesn't look like
they've missed too many beats on the way over there,
so they can seamlessly almost muld back into super rugby.
Maybe the next level up? Is that what your feeling is.
Speaker 8 (05:19):
I think if you know then watched the league a lot,
you'll see that you know, it was all really attacked focus.
But I think this year it's been more and more
that you send the defense come in. And I watched
the game last week when Cabota played Panasonic, and that
is just as good as any Super rugby in regards
to intensity and just the physicality that's required. It is
(05:40):
definitely it'd be interesting to play each other because I
think it's at a pretty close level and when you
see the players that are over your plane, you're talking
about the spring box everywhere. There's a lot of all
blacks playing in this competition, as well as a lot
of the international stars, and also to the Japanese players
are just getting better and better. But you know, the
ball and play you beat all those things. Physicality are
(06:03):
right up there. And probably just one ear that probably
the Japanese teams to probably struggle with would be probably scrum.
If there is one set piece area that probably needs
a bit of improving.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
What's that based on technique? What does it come down to?
Speaker 7 (06:18):
Do you think?
Speaker 8 (06:19):
I think it's just a little bit of size, but
it's sometimes there's a little bit of world were cheating
going on. You know, you can, you can. It's quite
a challenge every week. But I think that's the level
of the rest marine improving, and I think with the
scrummaging improving and then they will improve. There's still there's
still a lot of angles over here and things that
just you wouldn't get away with I think in you know,
(06:42):
in other competitions. But there's still growth, there's still some
areas that can improve on if they want to be
competitive with the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So as far as Richie is consumed, Boden bars been
and grateful looking very camfter war the Blues, HEA's definitely
on the way. Richie can come back and seamlessly slot
into a black jumper. Do you think would you give
rays of that advice?
Speaker 7 (07:04):
I think I think Richie's getting better.
Speaker 8 (07:06):
I mean, there's always that little bit on social media
when they talk about Richie, but I actually think he's
just way better than I think. Every week and every
season that I see and plays just goes to another level.
Could he come back and if he wanted to be
an all Bak absolutely. Is he on the top of
his game, Absolutely, and if he decides to do that,
(07:28):
or if the Allbacks decide to select them, if that's
the direction that they want to go into the future,
then he will be well and truly ready for that challenge.
Speaker 7 (07:36):
And that man loves a good challenge.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And you know this for sure. You guys have had
discussions over what the old keg of beer as you
were the other night.
Speaker 7 (07:44):
No, we have all baaks.
Speaker 8 (07:46):
That's absolutely, That's absolutely his choice and that's up to
him what he wants to do. But I think enjoyment
something that he really focuses on. And he's over here
with his family as well, and you know we've got
him for another season along with Shannon Frizal, and between
those two they've had a huge impact on to Sheba
(08:07):
our team and also to that the quality and the
standards of how to perform week in and week out
and League one.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Frazelle, this is a great acquisition by you. The way
he plays, and I'm presuming from what you're saying that
he hasn't lost anything either. He's flourishing. There's something about
Japanese rugby, and it was that the culture is at
the place it's the people that brings people up and
gives them that separation I suppose from all black rugby.
(08:37):
Something new and different, but it's invigorating almost. Yeah.
Speaker 8 (08:41):
I think for some reason it's sort of everyone sort
of they're just the players thing to really enjoy it.
It's probably a little bit different and kick off times
a little bit different. There's a lot of day rugby
and there's probably more time to spend with your family
that there's probably not a lot outside of rugby, like
when it comes to power or media or functions of
sponsorship and things like that.
Speaker 7 (09:02):
So it just seems that it's a rugby focus.
Speaker 8 (09:05):
And you know, the environments right over here, like the
environments across all teams. There's some great coaching environments, so
Dave Rennie's over here and Steve Henson and he and
Foster and Robbie Deans and the whole list of really
really great coaches who are running good environments. And I
think the players over here just seem to sort of relax.
It's a different environment culture and they just keep the
(09:27):
focus on the rugby. And if you'd watched the final
on the weekend, you just when you watched shen and
Frazzelle play head in absolutely a men's game, physically just
so dominant, so you know he's just getting better as well.
Speaker 7 (09:42):
It's so good to see.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Half in New Zealander over there, some most of South Africa,
quite a lot of France. The list goes on quality.
That's talk about something. The other guys in your team though,
because it's very easy to point at Richie Moore, to
point at Chann and Frazzell, both huge reps, huge names.
But when I saw Rob Thompson's name come, I thought,
now there was a blast. I didn't know what he
was doing at TIMSA. He's playing for you. How's that work?
Speaker 8 (10:07):
Yeah, it's been incredible, right, Like I've known Rod way
back from the days when I first sleeped him as
a young crusader, and then I unfortunately had to let
him go and he went to the Highlanders and flourished,
and he was over here. He's coming off contract with Toyota,
and every time we played Toyota we could see what
a great player he was, and and then when an
(10:28):
opportunity came up, we sort of we got him into
our team and he's just gone.
Speaker 7 (10:33):
He's just a great guy. He's he's highly experienced and
this year.
Speaker 8 (10:38):
Last year he missed out on the on the finals
because he broke his hand, and this year he was,
you know, injury free, and he's just he played the
house down. He was just tough, great feet and no
he's he he had a sensational season.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
We looked through the list because Michael It's coming back
and what he's done is captain huge, Frazelle Thompson and
of course Muwanga, and then you keep looking through this
set of Tamani Valley playing over there as well. What's
the limitation on how many imports these teams can have
and does it have any detrimental effect to the national
(11:14):
side not having all of their players playing at that level?
How does that operate?
Speaker 8 (11:19):
Todd, Yeah, I think so we can only you can
have We've got a category C, which is international players,
so you can only have you can have three on
the field at one time, plus any other category like
a B category so that's a non cat player, and
then you can have two in the sub so a
total of sex. It's quite it's quite tricky. You usually
(11:41):
try and have your categories in similar positions so that
it's not having a massive impact.
Speaker 7 (11:47):
We've got to there's a lot of foreigners over here.
Speaker 8 (11:49):
Who are also Category A Darcy like who are non
Japanese but have been over here for longer than four
to five years, and Japanese qualified as well, So there's
a Category A, B and C. It's actually quite confusing
off with that, but yeah, you can only have so
many on the field at one time. But with the
(12:12):
Japanese players, and every team has a lot of foreign players,
but the Japanese players, I think that just rubbing shoulders
and playing with the guys and learning from them, and
obviously that the standard is the standard of excellence and
what's required as far as like a footy level goes
how the boys are playing, then can the Japanese players
(12:34):
are just as good And they're getting better and better
all the time. So it's going to be interesting, and
I think in two years time they're changing the category
back a little bit to sort of like encourage more
Japanese players. The one thing I'm really conscious of when
I coach over here is that this is a Japanese
competition and my role is to give as many Japanese
(12:54):
players that opportunity to play for their team. And what
makes it easier with us is our foreign boys are
great team and so our integration with our people is
really really important to us.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
One last thing, it's always great to catch up mister discipline,
as I like to call you. After that call a
couple of years ago before that Crusaders game, got the
text next day saying discipline. See I told you if
the like of maybe Sannon does come back, he might
be trying to pinch your son's jersey. How do you
feel about that?
Speaker 7 (13:26):
I think it'd be great.
Speaker 8 (13:27):
You know, New Zealand needs as many players as they
can competing to be in the All Blacks.
Speaker 7 (13:33):
But yep, that certainly won't be my decision.
Speaker 8 (13:36):
And I know that when the boys, the boys are
always really competitive around those things, so that'll be Scott
Robinson's job to select the difference between the two of them.
Speaker 7 (13:46):
But both are going really well.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Hey warm, congratulations Todd to yourself and your team. Consecutive years, Richie,
with consecutive MVPs. Do it all again next year, go
for that hat trick, Todd. Blackada will be there cheering
for you.
Speaker 8 (14:00):
I will have a cracked arc and yeah, now it
was a real proud moment to represent Tshiba this year
and yet nice to do it in a row and
we'll be certainly trying to do three in a row.
So we have a bloody a good crack mate, I
promise you that.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldegrave
from News Talk, zed BE.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Sport Today and in Sports Day uknd at Leggy Addie
R Shark has been off at a New Zealand Cricket
Central contract. He's one of four fellows who've done the
Michy together over the years and they are now tasting
the fruits of their labor.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
We've played a lot of cricket with and against each
other growing up during the under seventy and under on
a national tournaments and we've just talked about how cool
it is, like what a cool way to kind of
share the joy with people that you can see that
put in so much hard work.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Super cool. The other lads Muhammed Abas, Zach Folks and
Mitch Haal as I said, joins the show later on
the piece Football Ferns coach Michael Maine knows what he
wants and he knows that buck starts with him. Selecting
for the second fixture against Venezuela and Spain tomorrow morning
are firmly on his mind, considering they got beat first
(01:01):
up three to one by the team that they are
ranked nineteen positions ahead of.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
We're a senior international team that needs to perform. Despite
sort of being early in the cycle and working on
a few things, there's definitely going to be some questions
for myself to answer around some individual performances and how
they help the team.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Second chance schmicking chance. The Hurricanes may have another Super
Rugby crack if they fall to the Brumbies on Saturday.
Sistant coach Cory James says, that's not how they roll.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
May We've got into the playoffs winning, so we're going
over the camera try to win. So it's important that
we travel, and we're traveling all the way there and
you're there, so you might as well go and get
the job done.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
And on Rubbery League, Lucky Galvin, the NRL five eighth
who deserted some cats some dogs, much to the disappointment
of men. He has decided that praising his new skipper
is the right way to start his tenure because he's
upset quite a lot of people. You rock, mister Crichton.
Speaker 6 (02:03):
I can feed him some early born and just follow
him back on the inside of I's scored a couple
more tries in there. That'll be pretty cool just watching
him obviously playing Origin and playing for somemorrow. He's a
freak and dumba being playing alongside him.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Very cool and that's sport today. It took some Japanese
rugby huge weekend for Todd Blacker Adder, Blacker Adder, Todd
Blackadder and his band of mary Men to pick themselves
up a second title now in Japan top league football
rugby two on the bounce, maybe three. Well, some of
(02:37):
the players that he's got wouldn't be surprised, so that
was the happen. He joins us now get a Todd.
Speaker 7 (02:43):
Yeah, great, Duci and Kumba.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
And thank you very much for that. I won't reply
because I can't, but what I can say is congratulations.
Your team, the Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo have done it
twice in a row. Now this is great success for you.
Speaker 8 (03:01):
Must be stoked, Yeah, so pleased. That's like last year
was just fantastic season. Sorry to win it for the
very first time and they actually back up again.
Speaker 7 (03:11):
Just the mental consistency is often the real challenge.
Speaker 8 (03:15):
But to do that sort of proved that last season
wasn't a fluke and we backed it up, finished first
in the round robin and then to go on and
when it was even more special.
Speaker 7 (03:23):
So yep, the boys have done it.
Speaker 8 (03:25):
They've gone back to back for the very first time
in League one, which is really exciting for the club
over here.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Do you guys get reckless in a whiskey bar after
that or is that not cool?
Speaker 8 (03:36):
It was one of the best nights of my life
on Sunday night. We actually came back to food Tune.
There's like big beer halls out here, so there's a
lot of singing and dancing going on.
Speaker 7 (03:44):
But dah no, it was yet. They certainly know how
to celebrate.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
One of the men who helped you with this. And
there are several players when you look through the teamless
and opened myself Rob Thompson haven't heard him for a while.
We'll talk about him later on. But out of the
players that gouds playing the second straight MVP R for
Richie Muanga, it's a freak show that likes it must
be a joy to coach.
Speaker 7 (04:05):
Here is an absollent joy to coach. And he's more
than just a player.
Speaker 8 (04:08):
He's one of those sort of I think once in
a lifetime leaders where you know like him and.
Speaker 7 (04:13):
Your share attack coach.
Speaker 8 (04:14):
So they pull out of preparation and during the week
to make sure that they've got the plan right. He's
just always working with the coaching team on how he
can make how you know, we can all make this
team better together, and then obviously out on the field,
he's just such a leader. Like when he speaks the
boys listen, it makes sense, halftime chats, he's absolutely bang
on with his messaging and what needs to happen. And
(04:35):
he's just at that stage of his career I think
where he just seems freeze and enjoyed himself.
Speaker 7 (04:40):
And you know, last week he had a broken hand.
Speaker 8 (04:42):
Which is well documented, and we didn't think at the
start of the week he would play.
Speaker 7 (04:46):
He didn't train all week and we waited till game
day and he went.
Speaker 8 (04:49):
Out there and had an absolute another man of the
match performance. So I can't speak highly enough of what
he's done for this team and growing us to be
better a week in and week out.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
The quality of the league of the Japanese League one,
where does it sit? Because you're seeing former all blacks
nown cylinders. They come back and it doesn't look like
they've missed too many beats on the way over there,
so they can seamlessly almost muld back into super rugby.
Maybe the next level up? Is that what your feeling is.
Speaker 8 (05:19):
I think if you know then watched the league a lot,
you'll see that you know, it was all really attacked focus.
But I think this year it's been more and more
that you send the defense come in. And I watched
the game last week when Cabota played Panasonic, and that
is just as good as any Super rugby in regards
to intensity and just the physicality that's required. It is
(05:40):
definitely it'd be interesting to play each other because I
think it's at a pretty close level and when you
see the players that are over your plane, you're talking
about the spring box everywhere. There's a lot of all
blacks playing in this competition, as well as a lot
of the international stars, and also to the Japanese players
are just getting better and better. But you know, the
ball and play you beat all those things. Physicality are
(06:03):
right up there. And probably just one ear that probably
the Japanese teams to probably struggle with would be probably scrum.
If there is one set piece area that probably needs
a bit of improving.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
What's that based on technique? What does it come down to?
Speaker 7 (06:18):
Do you think?
Speaker 8 (06:19):
I think it's just a little bit of size, but
it's sometimes there's a little bit of world were cheating
going on. You know, you can, you can. It's quite
a challenge every week. But I think that's the level
of the rest marine improving, and I think with the
scrummaging improving and then they will improve. There's still there's
still a lot of angles over here and things that
just you wouldn't get away with I think in you know,
(06:42):
in other competitions. But there's still growth, there's still some
areas that can improve on if they want to be
competitive with the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So as far as Richie is consumed, Boden bars been
and grateful looking very camfter war the Blues, HEA's definitely
on the way. Richie can come back and seamlessly slot
into a black jumper. Do you think would you give
rays of that advice?
Speaker 7 (07:04):
I think I think Richie's getting better.
Speaker 8 (07:06):
I mean, there's always that little bit on social media
when they talk about Richie, but I actually think he's
just way better than I think. Every week and every
season that I see and plays just goes to another level.
Could he come back and if he wanted to be
an all Bak absolutely. Is he on the top of
his game, Absolutely, and if he decides to do that,
(07:28):
or if the Allbacks decide to select them, if that's
the direction that they want to go into the future,
then he will be well and truly ready for that challenge.
Speaker 7 (07:36):
And that man loves a good challenge.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And you know this for sure. You guys have had
discussions over what the old keg of beer as you
were the other night.
Speaker 7 (07:44):
No, we have all baaks.
Speaker 8 (07:46):
That's absolutely, That's absolutely his choice and that's up to
him what he wants to do. But I think enjoyment
something that he really focuses on. And he's over here
with his family as well, and you know we've got
him for another season along with Shannon Frizal, and between
those two they've had a huge impact on to Sheba
(08:07):
our team and also to that the quality and the
standards of how to perform week in and week out
and League one.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Frazelle, this is a great acquisition by you. The way
he plays, and I'm presuming from what you're saying that
he hasn't lost anything either. He's flourishing. There's something about
Japanese rugby, and it was that the culture is at
the place it's the people that brings people up and
gives them that separation I suppose from all black rugby.
(08:37):
Something new and different, but it's invigorating almost. Yeah.
Speaker 8 (08:41):
I think for some reason it's sort of everyone sort
of they're just the players thing to really enjoy it.
It's probably a little bit different and kick off times
a little bit different. There's a lot of day rugby
and there's probably more time to spend with your family
that there's probably not a lot outside of rugby, like
when it comes to power or media or functions of
sponsorship and things like that.
Speaker 7 (09:02):
So it just seems that it's a rugby focus.
Speaker 8 (09:05):
And you know, the environments right over here, like the
environments across all teams. There's some great coaching environments, so
Dave Rennie's over here and Steve Henson and he and
Foster and Robbie Deans and the whole list of really
really great coaches who are running good environments. And I
think the players over here just seem to sort of relax.
It's a different environment culture and they just keep the
(09:27):
focus on the rugby. And if you'd watched the final
on the weekend, you just when you watched shen and
Frazzelle play head in absolutely a men's game, physically just
so dominant, so you know he's just getting better as well.
Speaker 7 (09:42):
It's so good to see.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Half in New Zealander over there, some most of South Africa,
quite a lot of France. The list goes on quality.
That's talk about something. The other guys in your team though,
because it's very easy to point at Richie Moore, to
point at Chann and Frazzell, both huge reps, huge names.
But when I saw Rob Thompson's name come, I thought,
now there was a blast. I didn't know what he
was doing at TIMSA. He's playing for you. How's that work?
Speaker 8 (10:07):
Yeah, it's been incredible, right, Like I've known Rod way
back from the days when I first sleeped him as
a young crusader, and then I unfortunately had to let
him go and he went to the Highlanders and flourished,
and he was over here. He's coming off contract with Toyota,
and every time we played Toyota we could see what
a great player he was, and and then when an
(10:28):
opportunity came up, we sort of we got him into
our team and he's just gone.
Speaker 7 (10:33):
He's just a great guy. He's he's highly experienced and
this year.
Speaker 8 (10:38):
Last year he missed out on the on the finals
because he broke his hand, and this year he was,
you know, injury free, and he's just he played the
house down. He was just tough, great feet and no
he's he he had a sensational season.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
We looked through the list because Michael It's coming back
and what he's done is captain huge, Frazelle Thompson and
of course Muwanga, and then you keep looking through this
set of Tamani Valley playing over there as well. What's
the limitation on how many imports these teams can have
and does it have any detrimental effect to the national
(11:14):
side not having all of their players playing at that level?
How does that operate?
Speaker 8 (11:19):
Todd, Yeah, I think so we can only you can
have We've got a category C, which is international players,
so you can only have you can have three on
the field at one time, plus any other category like
a B category so that's a non cat player, and
then you can have two in the sub so a
total of sex. It's quite it's quite tricky. You usually
(11:41):
try and have your categories in similar positions so that
it's not having a massive impact.
Speaker 7 (11:47):
We've got to there's a lot of foreigners over here.
Speaker 8 (11:49):
Who are also Category A Darcy like who are non
Japanese but have been over here for longer than four
to five years, and Japanese qualified as well, So there's
a Category A, B and C. It's actually quite confusing
off with that, but yeah, you can only have so
many on the field at one time. But with the
(12:12):
Japanese players, and every team has a lot of foreign players,
but the Japanese players, I think that just rubbing shoulders
and playing with the guys and learning from them, and
obviously that the standard is the standard of excellence and
what's required as far as like a footy level goes
how the boys are playing, then can the Japanese players
(12:34):
are just as good And they're getting better and better
all the time. So it's going to be interesting, and
I think in two years time they're changing the category
back a little bit to sort of like encourage more
Japanese players. The one thing I'm really conscious of when
I coach over here is that this is a Japanese
competition and my role is to give as many Japanese
(12:54):
players that opportunity to play for their team. And what
makes it easier with us is our foreign boys are
great team and so our integration with our people is
really really important to us.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
One last thing, it's always great to catch up mister discipline,
as I like to call you. After that call a
couple of years ago before that Crusaders game, got the
text next day saying discipline. See I told you if
the like of maybe Sannon does come back, he might
be trying to pinch your son's jersey. How do you
feel about that?
Speaker 7 (13:26):
I think it'd be great.
Speaker 8 (13:27):
You know, New Zealand needs as many players as they
can competing to be in the All Blacks.
Speaker 7 (13:33):
But yep, that certainly won't be my decision.
Speaker 8 (13:36):
And I know that when the boys, the boys are
always really competitive around those things, so that'll be Scott
Robinson's job to select the difference between the two of them.
Speaker 7 (13:46):
But both are going really well.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Hey warm, congratulations Todd to yourself and your team. Consecutive years, Richie,
with consecutive MVPs. Do it all again next year, go
for that hat trick, Todd. Blackada will be there cheering
for you.
Speaker 8 (14:00):
I will have a cracked arc and yeah, now it
was a real proud moment to represent Tshiba this year
and yet nice to do it in a row and
we'll be certainly trying to do three in a row.
So we have a bloody a good crack mate, I
promise you that.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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