March 5, 2026 • 7 mins
Local Labour MP and long-time supporter of the Golden Shears takes in the action at Masterton’s War Memorial Stadium and shares his picks for the top contenders. He also shares his thoughts on the latest Taxpayers’ Union Poll.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's go to a guy who will be here tomorrow
night and Karen McNulty. I'm assuming it'll be quite a
relief just to be sitting in the seats and not
having to do the hard yards as the MC.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Gooday, Jamie, thanks very much for having me on. Look
at the tremendous honor to be the MC of the
Golden Chairs. But it is quite nice in the last
couple of years just be sitting there and soaking it
up because you don't really get the chance to watch
properly when you're involved. And the thing that stands the
Golden Chares out is it's probably the only world class
event of this nature international event the solely reliant on
(00:34):
volunteers that are doing it just as well as any
of the paid professional events around the world.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
It is such a slick organization. Karen, how far back
do you go with the Golden Shares because you were
a wire wrapper lad through and through.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, I was actually thinking about that earlier because I
was looking at the odds for both the World Championship
and the Golden Chairs. Whenever I do that, I think
back to my days of being doing the odds for
the tav and Honestly, that's quite a long time ago. Now,
I've been in Parliament for nine years and I was
at the TV for seven and I was doing the
(01:11):
Sharing for all of that time pretty much, so goes
back a long time, and I actually cannot remember a
time where the odds have been so tight, And the
only time that did come to mind was when David
Fagan retired and that Golden Shares. After that time, when
(01:35):
Roland Smith was starting to come through as a young fella,
that was when I think the odds were the closest,
but they certainly weren't as tight as they are this year.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
It's interesting that Roland Smith is the booky's favorite for
the World Sharing Champs, yet he's not the Booky's favorites
for the Golden Shares that belongs to Tayer Henderson, the
reigning champion. In fact, Leon Samuels, who I think won
the year before, is also favored ahead of Roland. Is
this simply just because you reckon Roland Smith's going to
(02:06):
be concentrating on that World Sharing title at all costs.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Well, that's potentially affected. It's also not a case that
the World Championship as in a replica of the Golden
Shar's final. As soon as you start changing what they
are required to do, it becomes a different event. And ultimately,
I think that's reflected in the results of the World
Champs in twenty twenty three, where New Zealand did not
(02:31):
pick up a title. It really does depend on the
conditions what they required to share. That change is depending
on the host nation, of course, and the fact that
you're seeing the likes of the Falkland Island sharer Adam
Dixon coming through. I mean that's fantastic for the sport,
but it is a reflection of that. You know, if
(02:51):
that was being held under Golden Shares conditions, he may
well have not got that result in the heats.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Karen McInulty with the local Labor MP, a longtime supporter
and fan of the Golden Shares. We're talking about the sharing.
We've got the Blade sharers as well. I think a
South African bloke's the favorite there. But when it comes
to the wall handling, Karen macnaughty, we do have a
clear favorite A for the Golden Shares title and B
for the world title, and that's Joel Hannah Ray.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah. Well, I mean he's down there as the best
ever and the results reflect that he's retired from the sport,
decided to come back and immediately dominate it again. I
think the guy will go down as one of New
Zealand's greater sportsman to be honest, and it's an opportunity.
Just quickly, Jamie, I do want to acknowledge you because
(03:40):
you have always given the Golden Shares the recognition that
deserves and it can't be said for more broadly. It's
an amazing weekend is sport this week in New Zealand.
But the Golden Shares, in my mind is the pinnacle.
It's iconic and thank you for giving it. It's the
due airtime.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Well, it's an honor to be here, to be perfectly honest, hearing,
and I'm lucky that I've got a wee bit of
a background on a handpiece and I can appreciate how
hard it is and just how good these guys are
as athletes. Okay, so just before I go to this
latest Taxpayers Union poll and I think we've got a
result hot off the press, I want to ask you
pick me a winner, because I'm going to make the
(04:21):
assumption that Joelhnare will take out both Wall handling titles,
but pick me a winder for the World Champs and
for the Golden Shares Open titles.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Well, do you mind if I just quickly touch on
the blade sharing because I want to give Allan Oldfield
a bit of a plug here. He's the book, he's
favorite at the moment, but he's got real stiff competition
from the South African who over the years at World
Championships have dominated. The thing that stands out for blade
sharing for me is it's not a regular feature at
(04:50):
the Golden Shares, but it is at the World Champs.
And I remember the last time that the Master then
hosted the World Champs. I was the bookmaker then and
I met Allan and his old man, who at the
time was New Zealand's best blade chaer. Allen was a
young fellow coming through, competing at his first Champs, and
all these years later, here he is flying the flag
to New Zealand as the book his favorite. So nothing
(05:12):
would make me happy to see him take out the
blade cheering. But I think in a nostalgic I would
love to always see a New Shaer coming through, and
we'd love to see Roland Smith take out his ninth
Golden Sheer's title. But I will always cheer on a
local champion and all the years of the Golden Shares
there's never been a wided upper winner and I would
(05:34):
and honestly you will never hear it a loud a cheer,
unless if David Bwett comes on and finally gets the
title he deserves, the roof will be cheered off the stadium.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Yeah, not to mention another name we haven't thrown out there,
and he's a key week these days, sharing for Scotland,
Gavin much. Okay, Hey, Karen, I've just got these Taxpayers'
Union poll results hot off the press. I'm assuming you've
seen these, have you?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I haven't. Actually, I understand that a lot of National
Party MPs have and it has been leaked out a
little bit earlier this morning, but I haven't seen the results.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Nate Well Well, Andy McDonald here, who's Jason Pine's weekend producer,
are the better half of Rowena Duncan who's out there
doing the wool handing commentary, has just handed me the results, Karen,
and I better be nice to you because this time
next year at the Golden Shares you could be a minister.
So here we go. Let's have a look. Labor up
zero point three percent to thirty four point four, National
(06:28):
down two point nine to twenty eight point four. But
we know MMPs all about coalitions left and right as
it stands at the moment, Karen, center left, that's your
lot sixty one seats center right, fifty nine.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yeah. Well, I mean it's pretty tight, isn't it. And
that certainly reflects the polling that we've been getting it.
But it shouldn't come as any surprise. I mean, poles
have been shifting only slightly here and there publicly, and
it means that the left could form a government, the
right could form a government. Thing all we can read
into this is it's going to be a close election.
I wouldn't like to be Christopher Luxon right now. I'd
(07:05):
be feeling a bit uncomfortable, particularly given that Christpership's already
tried to take his job. He may well do so again,
who knows. But the good thing about the Golden Cher
is Jamie as we can forget about politics for a
weekend and share on something we both love.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Good on you, mate, thank you very much for your time.
Karen macinnulty, the local a Labor MP, here and the
Wira Rapper and of course the former tab bookie, so
he certainly knows what he's talking about when it comes
to the sharing
Let's go to a guy who will be here tomorrow
night and Karen McNulty. I'm assuming it'll be quite a
relief just to be sitting in the seats and not
having to do the hard yards as the MC.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Gooday, Jamie, thanks very much for having me on. Look
at the tremendous honor to be the MC of the
Golden Chairs. But it is quite nice in the last
couple of years just be sitting there and soaking it
up because you don't really get the chance to watch
properly when you're involved. And the thing that stands the
Golden Chares out is it's probably the only world class
event of this nature international event the solely reliant on
(00:34):
volunteers that are doing it just as well as any
of the paid professional events around the world.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
It is such a slick organization. Karen, how far back
do you go with the Golden Shares because you were
a wire wrapper lad through and through.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, I was actually thinking about that earlier because I
was looking at the odds for both the World Championship
and the Golden Chairs. Whenever I do that, I think
back to my days of being doing the odds for
the tav and Honestly, that's quite a long time ago. Now,
I've been in Parliament for nine years and I was
at the TV for seven and I was doing the
(01:11):
Sharing for all of that time pretty much, so goes
back a long time, and I actually cannot remember a
time where the odds have been so tight, And the
only time that did come to mind was when David
Fagan retired and that Golden Shares. After that time, when
(01:35):
Roland Smith was starting to come through as a young fella,
that was when I think the odds were the closest,
but they certainly weren't as tight as they are this year.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
It's interesting that Roland Smith is the booky's favorite for
the World Sharing Champs, yet he's not the Booky's favorites
for the Golden Shares that belongs to Tayer Henderson, the
reigning champion. In fact, Leon Samuels, who I think won
the year before, is also favored ahead of Roland. Is
this simply just because you reckon Roland Smith's going to
(02:06):
be concentrating on that World Sharing title at all costs.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Well, that's potentially affected. It's also not a case that
the World Championship as in a replica of the Golden
Shar's final. As soon as you start changing what they
are required to do, it becomes a different event. And ultimately,
I think that's reflected in the results of the World
Champs in twenty twenty three, where New Zealand did not
(02:31):
pick up a title. It really does depend on the
conditions what they required to share. That change is depending
on the host nation, of course, and the fact that
you're seeing the likes of the Falkland Island sharer Adam
Dixon coming through. I mean that's fantastic for the sport,
but it is a reflection of that. You know, if
(02:51):
that was being held under Golden Shares conditions, he may
well have not got that result in the heats.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Karen McInulty with the local Labor MP, a longtime supporter
and fan of the Golden Shares. We're talking about the sharing.
We've got the Blade sharers as well. I think a
South African bloke's the favorite there. But when it comes
to the wall handling, Karen macnaughty, we do have a
clear favorite A for the Golden Shares title and B
for the world title, and that's Joel Hannah Ray.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah. Well, I mean he's down there as the best
ever and the results reflect that he's retired from the sport,
decided to come back and immediately dominate it again. I
think the guy will go down as one of New
Zealand's greater sportsman to be honest, and it's an opportunity.
Just quickly, Jamie, I do want to acknowledge you because
(03:40):
you have always given the Golden Shares the recognition that
deserves and it can't be said for more broadly. It's
an amazing weekend is sport this week in New Zealand.
But the Golden Shares, in my mind is the pinnacle.
It's iconic and thank you for giving it. It's the
due airtime.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Well, it's an honor to be here, to be perfectly honest, hearing,
and I'm lucky that I've got a wee bit of
a background on a handpiece and I can appreciate how
hard it is and just how good these guys are
as athletes. Okay, so just before I go to this
latest Taxpayers Union poll and I think we've got a
result hot off the press, I want to ask you
pick me a winner, because I'm going to make the
(04:21):
assumption that Joelhnare will take out both Wall handling titles,
but pick me a winder for the World Champs and
for the Golden Shares Open titles.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Well, do you mind if I just quickly touch on
the blade sharing because I want to give Allan Oldfield
a bit of a plug here. He's the book, he's
favorite at the moment, but he's got real stiff competition
from the South African who over the years at World
Championships have dominated. The thing that stands out for blade
sharing for me is it's not a regular feature at
(04:50):
the Golden Shares, but it is at the World Champs.
And I remember the last time that the Master then
hosted the World Champs. I was the bookmaker then and
I met Allan and his old man, who at the
time was New Zealand's best blade chaer. Allen was a
young fellow coming through, competing at his first Champs, and
all these years later, here he is flying the flag
to New Zealand as the book his favorite. So nothing
(05:12):
would make me happy to see him take out the
blade cheering. But I think in a nostalgic I would
love to always see a New Shaer coming through, and
we'd love to see Roland Smith take out his ninth
Golden Sheer's title. But I will always cheer on a
local champion and all the years of the Golden Shares
there's never been a wided upper winner and I would
(05:34):
and honestly you will never hear it a loud a cheer,
unless if David Bwett comes on and finally gets the
title he deserves, the roof will be cheered off the stadium.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Yeah, not to mention another name we haven't thrown out there,
and he's a key week these days, sharing for Scotland,
Gavin much. Okay, Hey, Karen, I've just got these Taxpayers'
Union poll results hot off the press. I'm assuming you've
seen these, have you?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I haven't. Actually, I understand that a lot of National
Party MPs have and it has been leaked out a
little bit earlier this morning, but I haven't seen the results.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Nate Well Well, Andy McDonald here, who's Jason Pine's weekend producer,
are the better half of Rowena Duncan who's out there
doing the wool handing commentary, has just handed me the results, Karen,
and I better be nice to you because this time
next year at the Golden Shares you could be a minister.
So here we go. Let's have a look. Labor up
zero point three percent to thirty four point four, National
(06:28):
down two point nine to twenty eight point four. But
we know MMPs all about coalitions left and right as
it stands at the moment, Karen, center left, that's your
lot sixty one seats center right, fifty nine.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yeah. Well, I mean it's pretty tight, isn't it. And
that certainly reflects the polling that we've been getting it.
But it shouldn't come as any surprise. I mean, poles
have been shifting only slightly here and there publicly, and
it means that the left could form a government, the
right could form a government. Thing all we can read
into this is it's going to be a close election.
I wouldn't like to be Christopher Luxon right now. I'd
(07:05):
be feeling a bit uncomfortable, particularly given that Christpership's already
tried to take his job. He may well do so again,
who knows. But the good thing about the Golden Cher
is Jamie as we can forget about politics for a
weekend and share on something we both love.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Good on you, mate, thank you very much for your time.
Karen macinnulty, the local a Labor MP, here and the
Wira Rapper and of course the former tab bookie, so
he certainly knows what he's talking about when it comes
to the sharing
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