CSB - Greg Halford - NPC

Wellington Lions assistant coach joins the show to talk storm week, and the upcoming ranfurley shield clash this Sunday against Tasmen. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm talking the Bunnings NPC now on the Country Small
Breakfast where the Game of the Round is coming out
of Blenham this Sunday afternoon, five past two kickoff. It's
Tasman hosting the Wellington Lions, the two undefeated sides left
in the competition and a bonus the ram Furley Shield
up for grabs. Joining us on the show this morning,

(00:21):
Lines assistant coach Greg Halford.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Morning, Greg, Good morning man. How are you?

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Very well?

Speaker 1 (00:25):
More importantly, how are you guys? This is exciting, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah? It's great for the guys get another opportunity at
the at the shield and you know it's a treasurd
piece of New Zealand rugby history. So you know, I
always have had a head a crack a couple of
years ago lost it and they know what it means.
So that quite excited by it.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
It's you're on the back of storm week and on
what was it Wednesday night? You left it a little
bit late, but a good win against Otago. What did
you make of that? Head up with a fairly young team.
Didn't you run a young team out there?

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah we did, but we obviously runs to a pick
a squad of around about thirty at the beginning of
a year, and you know we're trying to develop Wellington
Club players to become better players, and you know you
can't have all guns everywhere, so you know, the young
puts we took down there did a job for us.
Five piggy dons round on the track and did you

(01:17):
did an amazing job considering you know, they didn't have
a lot of time to prepare with us, so there
was a great to be under our rooster. So I
think it's one of our first fine games we've had.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
And you're leading the competition up the top of the
ladder as well. So the job at hand on Sunday,
it really doesn't get much better. Two undefeated teams and
the ran Fairy you're on the line.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah's are Tessans is shown they are calling a unit
for a number of years, so it'll be a good
battle down there and blend them. Looking forward to get
down there and see how we go. We'll start you know,
one day's training and port of a captain's run and
we'll head into blend them and hopefully we're going to
find track and you know that both teams can show
what they what they can do.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
A number of teams, including Tasman and yourselves have got
a few all blacks back. Billy Proctor, Ruben Love will
be joining the side for the game. So how key
is it to have them back in the squad.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
I think it's just great for the confidence. I think
Billy Proctor to me is one of the best centers
in the country and he's been showing it through super
and I think you'll see it again the class that
he's got on Sunday. And Rubin Loves, an exciting young
record player who was always great to have come. Brings
a lot of energy into your squad. So yeah, we're

(02:28):
lucky to get get those boys released. You know, somebody
Elison could have released a couple more would be nice,
but they didn't seem to want to do it. I'm
not sure I must. We still have a crusader head
on somewhere.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
I'll have to find out in the season today for
you guys, for the lines, as I mentioned, undefeated, So
you and the rest of the coaching team, you'll have
to be happy with how things are going.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah things again, well moment, you know, we've been We've
been lucky. We've only lost a couple of players with
serious injuries. So the squad's holding together quite nicely, and
five from five it's a good start. But we know
the business is still to come, so just give your
feet on the ground and keep trying to improve. Really,
we still haven't put together a proper game. I don't

(03:10):
think we've done it. Showed it and showed it in patches,
but still a bit of work to do. But that's good,
you know. It's we're just lucky to get another chance
of the Shield.

Speaker 1 (03:20):
All teams have to face its storm week. It's pretty
tough on the squad really. You play on a weekend,
you play on a Wednesday night, you play again on
the weekend again. So that's pretty tough, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, this way you have thirty thirty guys in your squad,
and you know you've got to you've got to have
faith and trust as the boys that you have for
the season can get a job done for you. So
you know, so far we have and then we'll name
our team, will finalize our team later on probably Friday night,

(03:51):
just to once we get through training on Friday was
only one training run to prepare for the Shield. Obviously,
all the homework's been done, but now it's going to
put it into makers say. We'll finalize that team with injuries.
A couple of injuries out of the game on Wednesday
as well, so we'll to see what we were sitting well.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Greg, wish you and the lines the best of luck
on Sunday afternoon. It's going to be a crack for
a game. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Look forward to it and test for your time.