Bryn Hall: North Harbour Halfback discusses Mark Tele'a's return to the squad, previews the NPC final

North Harbour halfback Bryn Hall is thrilled a key player is back for the final round of the NPC regular season. 

Winger Mark Tele'a will kit-up and look to add star-power against Southland in Invercargill today having been released from the All Blacks. 

Despite his international experience, Hall says his transition back to the domestic league wasn't as smooth as anticipated. 

D'Arcy catches up with Bryan Hall ahead of their must-win final round game. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News Talks edb.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Let's Talk MPC. What a crunch weekend it is as well.
We're joined now by Brynnerhare, half back out of the
North Harbour side that are playing in South and so
afternoon and it's a four point thirty five. So much
on this and I suppose after last week's destruction of
canterbury've been feeling pretty positive Britain.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah, definitely positive after the weekend. I think it's been
it's kind of been a result that we've been building
for a little bit.

Speaker 4 (00:41):
We just haven't been able to get over the results.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
But I think it all kind of just came together
on the weekend and hopefully it kind of catapults us
for this game against South then, which we know is
pretty tough. We've been down there a few times and
especially being the last day, and I think even Josh
picciwas has had a big part to do with their
club and defensive talks for in him and celebrating him.
So yeah, we're under no illusion that it's gonna be
a tough job, but really really happy with the performance

(01:03):
against Cannerby that we've been kind of searching for pretty
much the whole season.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
So what worked.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
We just talked Aroun a lot around the physicality side
of it, to be honest, we kind of put it
on our forwards to be able to go through Canterbury.
You know, they've got a pretty season ward peck in
terms of the Canterbury mindset, and even though there are
a few younger players, now we know that you can
get that right. It then opens up for the likes
of Kid Banks, most of which we saw on the weekend,
Seawan Stevenson and our backline were teen edmund there as well,

(01:30):
So our thoughts is reddominated and I think for us
it's it was a good learning and understanding and if
we can get there right then it makes it really
hard to be able to defend us in our team.
So that'll be what we're looking for today and hopefully
we can get the job done and our boys can
really front up by that day against Canterbury.

Speaker 4 (01:45):
How week ago.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
It's crazy, isn't it When you look at the NPC
how long has been going for and you look at
this fight for the for the top eight, so many
people with skin in the game still on the last weekend.
I'm sure that New Zealand Rugby are loving this, that
there's so much on all of these games and exupposed
to auld agree your destiny is in your own hands.
I'm you've got to win, You've got to win with

(02:07):
a bonus point to push you up there. But it's
still very live, isn't it Britain?

Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah, doesn't. I think it just comes back to the competition, right.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
There's been a lot of talks around I think n
PC and does it deserve to be here, and talks
around getting rid of it, But I think it just
shows with the competition. You looking go into the final
round and there's multiple teams that can make the top eight,
there's multiple teams that can change and then around that four.
So I think it's really really enjoyable. It's a great
brand of foot it's a lot more attacking and you know,
as a consumer you love seeing tribesmal school which you

(02:35):
get any PC so and laughter.

Speaker 4 (02:37):
You know, the competitiveness.

Speaker 3 (02:38):
I think you look at Super Raguan at the moment
you know you pretty much know when you zee on
teams play this. Out of the Australians, it's a pretty
much a full well conclusion who's going to win. So
the competitiveness and I guess the competition aspect of being
able to have one to I guess twelve or twelve
teams some of them.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
The hunt for it has set up a pretty good,
well good competition.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
I think Adam North Harbor Brent Hall joins as seven
mac Talaa released from the All Blacks. Back in the
side again. How's he going.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
He's going really good. Actually had lunch with them yesterday.
He's coming and it's great to be able to reconnect.
I thin I've played with Mark for about three or
four years and he hasn't don the jersey for maybe
two years here as well, so the boys have been
really happy to get him back.

Speaker 4 (03:16):
I think he was sweating a little bit.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
Maybe he might have had to come up the bench
because our back three has been going so well this year.
But it's great to have someone of his caliber coming back.
And look, he's slotted right and he's been at our union.
He's a he's a little Harbor boy through or through.
So it's always great to get Mark back and we're
looking forward to seeing them be his destructive biss against
the Southern Steps.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
And Southland playing down there is something to behold, isn't it.
It's quite the place to play. We talk about passion
and be it, net ball, abit rugbidless goes on. These
fans are great, so I reckon they're going to give
you heaps of stick brun haul they do.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
They tinted it on the sideline.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
If you're on the bench, you'uring for a long, long
day because they get quite loud there. But I think
it's a it kind of ads the entertainment I think
of going down the South and they're very, very loyal,
very supportive, and even the team as well.

Speaker 4 (04:05):
Been really really impressed with them.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
I think they've been pretty unlucky in terms of with
the out on the table, probably mirrored our season in
terms of been in a lot of games but haven't
been able to get to results.

Speaker 4 (04:15):
But like I said, there's a lot of older guys
they've been playing that team.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
Josh Bickiots is a big talisman for them and so
no doubt being there last game of the year, they
will want to put in a good performance for their team.

Speaker 4 (04:23):
So been really impressed with.

Speaker 3 (04:24):
Them, and you're looking forward to the challenge of what
that brings for us tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
Hey, Breton house stack, is your deck? Have you got
pretty much everybody on board? Is everyone out all busted up?

Speaker 3 (04:33):
Or man, we've been really really lucky, Like we we
all go here.

Speaker 4 (04:37):
I don't think we've hit any major entries throughout the year.
There might be a little few Nichols here and there, but.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Seeing our coaches and the leaders within our schedule and
that has been really good.

Speaker 4 (04:46):
So not many you.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
Know, teams can say that at the stage of the
tournament where you've got a pretty much a full healthy squad.

Speaker 4 (04:52):
So hopefully we can.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
Get the result and get the five points and then
you know, we've got to have a few results go away.
But you know, if we end up doing sneaking into
that top eight, we have a pretty strong team that
will be able to choose for most of the team.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
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