Full Show Podcast: 02 February 2025

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB. The only place for the big names,
the big issues, the big controversies, and the big conversations.
It's all on Weekend Sport with Jason Vine on your
home of Sport News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Hello Kata, good afternoon, Welcome, and this is the Sunday
edition of Weekend Sport on News Talks EDB, February two.
I'm Jason Pinte show producer Anna McDonald. We're here talking
sport with you until three o'clock this afternoon. A very
familiar face and voice on our screens over the last
decade or so will not be there this year, former

(00:52):
All Black Sir John Kerwin stepping away from Sky Sport
after ten years as a commentator and an analyst. We're
looking to chat to Sir John Kerwin this afternoon to
hear about this decision, how his role has changed over
the years, and whether we will see or hear him back.
He's got lots of other things going on, but he said, yep,

(01:14):
I'll take a call at some stage, so hopefully that
that will happen. I also want to know from you
though what you want from your rugby commentary, from your
sports commentary of any kind, and in particular the role
of ex players in the coverage of the sport that
you watch. More on that in the moment. Other matters

(01:35):
around today. Chris Wood. Chris Wood, his sensational Premier League
football season has gone to even greater heights. Overnight He's
scored a hat trick as his Nottingham Forest side thumped
Brighton and Hove Albion seven nil in the Premier League.
We'll get you to the UK to unpack that. While
with that week one of rugby's six nations is in

(01:58):
the books. Wins for France, for Scotland and Ireland. Martin
Gillingham going to break all that down for US James
mccony in his regular Sunday slot as well Live Sport
while we're on the air. Finals day in the T
twenty Super Smash, our domestic T twenty competition at the
basemin Reservers you heard in our sports news the women's
final underway at twelve forty otago top qualifiers up against

(02:22):
Wellington who won through the elimination final yesterday. The men's
final from four to twenty five Central against Cannabury Canbary
coach Peter Fulton's on the show ahead of that one.
They've been in the last four finals and not won
any of them. Surely it's their time. The Canterbury men's
t twenty side. Happily, the forecast in Wellington is pretty
encouraging today. Partly cloudy but clearing to find this afternoon,

(02:46):
a few southerlies and crucially no rain. No rain in
the forecast, so we should get through both games. Okay.
We'll keep you updated when play gets underway and the
women's final at twelve forty, including our toss details very shortly.
Please join the show whenever you like. Oh eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty is the free number. You can

(03:07):
text your thoughts through to ninety two ninety two or
send emails to Jason at newstalkzb dot co dot nz
coming up ten past midday.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
When it's down to the line. You made a call
on hundred eighty ten eighty Weekend Sport with Jason Hine
News Talks vb SO.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
As mentioned, Sir John Kerwin leaving Sky Sport as a
rugby commentator, panelist and analyst the ninety six match sixty
three test All Black joint Sky in twenty fifteen, but
after a decade as part of their coverage of rugby,
both in game and in studio, he is not going
to be back on our screens in twenty twenty five.

(03:46):
As I say, we're going to hopefully catch up with
sir jk this hour, I'll miss him on our screens.
I enjoyed his analysis. He was always likely to throw
something in from left field. He wasn't afraid to critique,
but I always felt as though his outlook started from
a point of positivity. Now sometimes that sort of thing

(04:10):
gets criticized a little bit, but there are other times
when you hear feedback that someone is too negative so
you can't really win. It's not the media's role. Let's
make this clear. It's not the media's role to be cheerleaders.
But for me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with approaching
the job with a positive lens look. That doesn't mean

(04:32):
that you tolerate mediocrity or you turn a blind eye
to performances work charred up to it. But I sometimes
feel as though people like to be negative just for
the sake of it, and Sir John Kerman was never
that way. What I'm really interested in, though, is what
you want from ex players in the coverage of sport

(04:55):
that you watch or listen to or consume. What is
their role to play? Lights are open on this, oh,
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. I'm not talking about
the play by play commentator. You know your NISBAH or
your TJ. I'm more interested in what you like and
want from the expert analysts, the former players or coaches

(05:17):
who enhance your viewing experience by adding their insight. Now,
the tricky balance often to strike is between assuming a
certain amount of knowledge from the audience without getting too technical,
and on the other hand, not dumbing things down too
much because the knowledge levels of the audience are going
to differ widely. But I feel that you need to
assume a certain level of knowledge on the part of

(05:41):
the viewers unless it's a really niche sport that most
people are tuning into for the first time. But for
mainstream sports like rugby and cricket, rugby, league, football, netple,
you don't have to explain the basics to people because
the vast majority of them kind of know them. But
I love it when I watch a sport and I
learn something from the broadcast, and that normally comes from

(06:02):
the ex player who can provide an insight that the
rest of us are not really able to. They've been there,
they've done that. They can provide that lived experience and
help put us the viewers into the shoes or I
guess the boots of the players that we're watching. So
what do you look for or listen for when it
comes to expert analysts in a commentary? And who does it? Well,

(06:29):
let's give some shout outs. Oh, eight hundred and eighty
ten eighty nine two niney two. If you would prefer
to correspond by text, let's get straight to it.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
Jase, Hello, Okay, Pani, I'm going to answer it a
little bit of a funny way left field, but I
think you might get my point, and it was to
do with last night's amazing experience at AFC, So dancing
your point quite brilliantly.

Speaker 4 (06:55):
I want less of them. My wife and I we
went out of our comfort zone. It's a first A
League match I went, and I picked a real rapid
to go to last night there with against.

Speaker 5 (07:08):
You know, the guy's mother the ditch.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
McCain.

Speaker 4 (07:12):
Thank you mate, Hey, I just couldn't help but thinking,
and it's funny you time that you raise this topic
for today is I just liked having nothing around me
other than watching it for myself. And I think what
we find in this in Super Rugby, Test Match Rugby
is we analyze it to death. We've got all sorts
of programs on following pre during halftime. I think we're

(07:37):
all experienced enough to be able to see the product
for what it is. And most of us who follow sport,
you know, passionately, whether it be the oval kind or
realm kind, whatever it is, sometimes we just like to
be left alone our arms, you or in the stand,
just to watch the things unfold. And I find that's
something that the Sky commentary could probably just just just

(07:58):
take a little bit of notice of, you know, just
just say a little bit less. And I thoroughly watched
ninety minutes plus five last night there at Mount Smart,
just just thinking I could watch it for myself. I
knew what was going on and just let the product
entertain me. I'm sure I haven't answered it in the
way that you've asked.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
No, you have answered it. You have answered it, Jase.
You know that's it. And I know that for not
every broadcast that Sky do. But for some of them
you can actually choose an option on your television for
just atmosphere, no commentators, just the atmosphere, just the crowd
in the background, the sound effects of the players. You
know that if you're watching cricket, you can just hear that.

(08:37):
I don't know if they do it for cricket, but
you know, you just hear the sound effects of the
game without the voices. And I know a lot of
people do prefer that. Others though, and you say it's interesting,
you say, you know, we all know. I don't think
we all know. And you know, I've been watching cricket
for forty years, but I still love listening to the
analysis of some of the ex players when they are
pointing out a you know, a certain part of the game,

(08:59):
and cricket maybe has got a few more intricacies than
the likes of football or rugby. But yeah, look, I
take your point, and look, now that's maybe the benefit
of live sports chase. You don't have to listen to
us prattling on.

Speaker 4 (09:10):
Oh but what an absolute experience like I can see
why people are flocking to it, and we're losing a
bit to the you know, the overall code. It's just
because it's just NonStop. I love the way that the
reactances get off the floor get on with it. Pretty
jet for taking instantly.

Speaker 6 (09:26):
We don't.

Speaker 4 (09:26):
There was two things that went upstairs just to check
one our first goal, and there might have been a
check for something else. That was it for ninety five minutes,
none of us. It just seemed to go fast because
we weren't getting interrupted down Piney.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, good on you, Jason'm glad you enjoyed that I
did two. It was a great game and gee, this
team's doing so well. Thanks for your thoughts on commentary
as well. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is
our number. Garri says, I believe Cadie Martin's fantastic at
expert comments on cricket. Australian Cricket use her very well
in their women's cricket as well. She's easy to listen
to in very knowledgeable. Garrey couldn't agree more. Cadie Martin's

(10:01):
tourriffic really really good.

Speaker 3 (10:02):
Hello Chris, Oh good, I fini I'm going to sound
like Cap and Kim.

Speaker 7 (10:09):
Got to say to you.

Speaker 8 (10:10):
Expert comments, Andy Harper, he's the best any sports anywhere
in the world. Andy Harper, you know, and the in
the football he's just, yes, I think intelligent, played at
the highest never knows what's going on, knows what the
players are thinking almost and just just he's just marvelous

(10:33):
to listen to.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
Yeah, Andy is good. I've I've listened to him for
a lot of years on the A League coverage and
he's got an incredible vocab in command of the English
language in terms of what he provides. Chris, you know,
you clearly know a little bit about the game, but
what what is it that you want from from the
the experts who you know, chime and there's obviously the
play by play commentators like Simon Hill and the A League.

(10:56):
What what do you like from guys like Andy and
others in that regard?

Speaker 8 (11:01):
Ah, the insight that they bring to what's unfolding. I mean,
everybody can see what's happening, but he explains it from
a player's point of view. And you know, when you've
played the game, you're just sitting there nodding your head
and wish everyone else was like that.

Speaker 9 (11:14):
Mate.

Speaker 2 (11:16):
Good Chris, it makes perfect sense. It makes perfect sense.
And yeah, I've enjoyed Andy Harper for a long time,
So thanks for your call. Chris Our eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty talking commentary and in particular the role
of the of the analyst. Kat says, well, mister John Kerwin,
his analysts. His analysis of the game was very good.

(11:37):
I prefer ex players. They have better insight into the game.
It's it's such a difficult balance to strike. You will
never please one hundred percent of the people one hundred
percent of the time, not just in commentary but in
any part of life. Sometimes you hear I wish they
would say more. I wish they would, you know, come
in more and tell me more. Others say, look, I

(11:57):
wish I could hear less. It's such a hard balance
to strike. And like I say, you're never going to
please everybody all of the time. But I I think
the best analysts are the ones who can point something
out to you and then when they say it's like,
of course it's so obvious, but it sometimes just needs
them to point it out for you.

Speaker 6 (12:19):
I Mark.

Speaker 10 (12:21):
Jeta Piney, look straight up. I think the best color
commentator in New Zealand, across any spot anywhere is Mike Ago.
I think Mike's streets ahead as anyone because he's just
so knowledgeable, he's so relaxed, so calm in a fight
game that's pretty frantic. I also think Tony Kent's excellent

(12:41):
as well in terms of color, because Tony brings real
brightness to it. He's not afraid to be a little
bit controversial and things like that. But look, I'm going
to desperately miss JK, desperately miss them. We've lost Smithy
in the last couple of years from from that team,
we've now lost JAK.

Speaker 5 (13:00):
Now.

Speaker 10 (13:01):
I'll tell you watching the Breakdown, which which is appointment
viewing for most rugby heads yep is when I see
the JK isn't on it and Mills isn't on it,
I don't like it. I don't as I just think
that the other people that they just aren't in that
same caliber of analysts because those two are the premiere.

(13:23):
I think with Goldie you going to get a company line.
You've got to have a company line, man, and Goldie
is a company line Mills. Mills added that to killer
brand that he brings in terms of not not not
an overtly specific to take just a solid smart rugby brain,

(13:44):
really solid rugby brain and Mills, and with JAK you
had all that breath of experience, you had the money
associated with the man and his deeds in terms of
how he looks at things. And you're right to point
out the positivity that that that John brings, because John
needs that and we need that a lot of people

(14:05):
need that positive With me, honestly, whereby there was a
couple of brick backs handed out, Jk's going to hand
out of Bouquet. I just I'm disappointed that we're losing him,
I really am, because he's just such a considerate, thoughtful,
wise voice. Now as he's matured and become a you know,

(14:26):
sixty year old man, he's very mature and his rugby
bought and think an expression, and it's a real loss
to us as fans. And I think I don't know
who they'll go to replace him with. But as I
said earlier, when it wasn't Mills and JK, Mark's eyes

(14:47):
were turned off.

Speaker 2 (14:48):
Fair enough, Mark good points, well made. Look I'm as
I'm a fan of JK as well. When I read
this news in the Media Insider in the Herald on
when was that Friday Thursday, I was really disappointed look,
and it feels like it's amicable. It's not that Sky
even come to to John Kohan and said, hey mate,
that's it, You're done out. It sounds as though it's

(15:12):
a very mutual parting of the way. So I'm keen
to chat to Jake Avill pick his phone up and
chat to us. But I will miss him. I think
he was always just a bit quirkier just and would
say things that you didn't expect and made you think
a little bit as well. Good to have you call Mark,
Thanks indeed, Mate. Twelve twenty two or eight hundred and

(15:33):
eighty ten eighty lines are open. Pete, you've got a
different topic. You went to pre season Rada yesterday and
New Plymouth. What happened?

Speaker 11 (15:42):
You go a piony yea. They want to get people
into the games, these live games. They know they're like,
we're the farming province here and Taranaki, right, they have
a game at two o'clock in the afternoon. Why the
hell was it by that time? Most farmers they're heading
to get the cows in that time of the day.
They should have those games at twelve thirty or one
o'clock and then the farmer can still get home and

(16:03):
still reason why he might be half off on the
farming background, I said, Brener on farm, so you can
still you mind and we'll get the cows and a
half hour later and out. Not a big deal, but
when you're staying in game at two o'clock in the afternoon,
it's pathetic. We're a dairy prominence around here. They want
to cater for the farmers as well. But going back
about the entry to get in the game. So I
got there probably three minutes before the start of the game,

(16:25):
right I had cast him my wallet, so I thought
I'd wait. It took me twenty minutes. By the time
I've got kind of all these people, they're fighting around
for f foss machines holding up the queues. So what
these rugby clubs have got to do is cater for
cash as well. Because when I finally got to the queue,
I had by twenty five dollars they throw that was
the price demin twenty five dollars had the ticket strup

(16:47):
all boy straight through. So if they want to get people,
they're going to cater for four people. Cash number one
still kinking still a legal currency if possible. People want
to knuck around for the f part, that's fine. But
they want to muck around and they want to do
they want to watch the start of the game, that's fine.
If you want to get your tickets from printed, printed
off from before you got going straight through.

Speaker 12 (17:07):
Not a problem.

Speaker 11 (17:08):
Or you got your or you got your got your
ticket on your phone. So that's those three processes are fast. Also,
provide people want to muck around at the poss and
arrive the at leth they ort to door it along
and hold up the queue. They don't want to be
on the start time, that's fine, But if they don't
want to take my cash, I will go to the
pub and watch it or stay home. So they I
hope they will listen to this. They're going to lose money,

(17:30):
so cater for the one booth or cash people as well.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
Thank you, Pete Jeepers. It sounds like you've been been
gearing up to give us a call on that. Yeah,
I look, I'm sure that they that they explain to
you know, to people that you know there's different places
to buy your ticket. I think if boss is just
as quick as cash actually, you know, especially you know,
if you haven't got the exact right amount of cash.

(17:54):
You just put your card down. Most place places take
payWave now just tap your card and the way you go.
If you've got thirty dollars for a fifteen dollar ticket
or a seventeen dollars fifty ticket, getting that change back. Look,
I take what you or what you're saying, Pete. And
as far as the kickoff times are concerned, look on,
there's a lot of things that go into that. It
wasn't broadcast, so I presume it was to do with travel.
They wanted to wanted to be able to get up there,

(18:16):
get home afterwards. And look, you're right, if you look,
if you cater to dairy farmers, then you'll you'll you'll
then annoy somebody else who said, oh, why is this
game at lunch time? I'm having my lunch. Why isn't
it in the afternoon? Thanks for your call, though, Pete
Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty twelve twenty five
went off topic a bit there commentary we're talking who

(18:39):
do you like? Mark? Says Mels Goldie and JK Great
in reviewing the game on the breakdown, not sched to
critique the coaching, or the tactics or the referees as well.
Don't retire JK. Thanks Marz Gary says Nigel Yolden was
the best. He could make anything exciting. He Gary, you
won't get an argument from me. Nige old and absolute

(19:01):
legend of a man. Grantners but is still the man
for me in rugby. He puts a lot into TV
commentary on the air, says Roy Nisbo. Absolute goat, I
would say, the right at the top of the tree
and a guy who's so willing to share his knowledge
as well. Twelve twenty six lines are open oh eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty nine two nine two one

(19:22):
text We're back after this.

Speaker 1 (19:23):
The biggest seams in sports are on Weekend Sports with
Jason Pain and GJ. Gunnomes, New Zealand's most trusted home
builder News Talks NV.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
Twelve twenty nine. As mentioned, Sir John Kerwin leaving Sky
Sport as a rugby commentator, panelist and analyst ninety six
matches for the All Black sixty three of those test matches.
He joined Sky in twenty fifteen, but after a decade
as part of their coverage both in game and then studio,
he won't be back on our screens. In twenty twenty five. JK.
We've been talking about this for the last half hour,

(19:53):
all sorts of texts coming in saying, don't retire. What's
going on, mate?

Speaker 12 (19:57):
Yeah, well you know where the stars aligne. You just
got to sort of to listen to the voices and
bolly gat you know. Dad always said that, you know,
don't let your brain get in the way of what
your gut's trying to tell you. So I just think,
you know, a few things have lined up, and so
I just decided it was time to move on. You know,
I don't want to I don't want to be, you know,

(20:20):
ten years from now because I'm sixteen. Our pony, which
is which is a which is an interesting challenge in
its own right. I don't want to be ten years
from now saying oh should I wish I'd have done
that and listened and that. So but I had a blast, Pinet.
It's been it's been a it's been an amazing, amazing
nine years or ten years or whatever. So I'll miss
it for sure.

Speaker 2 (20:38):
Was broadcasting something you thought about doing when you were
playing or coaching.

Speaker 12 (20:43):
It's something that I always felt, you know, I was
brought up in an era where media was sort of
viewed often as the enemy. But you know, I believe
that it was always part of the game, and we
were all teammates, so I always enjoyed the media side
of it. And you know, I remember very early in

(21:03):
the piece when I first made the when I was
maybe all blacks, you know, I was a bit scared
about doing interviews and Dad just said to me that,
you know, just pretend you're talking to me sitting on
the couch and the lounge, and that sort of advice
I've taken through. You know, it's it's it's a privilege
to be able to commentate, to get people in their
lounges listening to sport, seeing and seeing stuff that they

(21:26):
might not necessarily see by being at home. So I've
always thought that it was a really really important part
for the success of the game. When I first got
out at that Pine, it was a bit nerve wracking,
you know, like I'd had a little bit of experience
in Italy because when I was coaching the Italian team,
you know, if we got knocked out of the World Cup,

(21:47):
then Sky Italy would would ask me to go and
do comments and all that sort of stuff. So that
was I found a whole lot of fun. When you
first start, it can be a bit nerve wracking, because
you know, there's a lot more to it than just
you know, sitting here and throwing out a theory or two.

Speaker 2 (22:05):
Haven't you got about the process of critiquing players? Well?

Speaker 12 (22:12):
When I played, I always felt that if the person
that was critiquing me was talking about talking about the game,
talking about instances where maybe I wasn't playing well, but
it wasn't personal, then you know, while it might have
grated against me, I only had respect for that person.

(22:36):
So I've tried to keep it as honest as open,
but also not bringing the personality, but also trying to
do a little bit of research what is going on
in the particular player or in the life of a player,
you know, because often poor performance might be you know,

(22:56):
holding a little bit of an injury or you know,
tiredness or whatever. So tried to keep the personal stuff
out of it and have as much informed information as
I could.

Speaker 2 (23:06):
Did you ever get any blowback? Did players or coaches
ever get in touch with you and call you out
on anything you ever said?

Speaker 12 (23:13):
I had a few phone calls. I had a few
phone calls from a few people you know, or you
know a little bit of a little bit of a
run they walked past me, you know, when someone's not
happy with you. When the people had picked up the phone,
that was I always thought that was a good thing
because it gives both of us to voice our opinion.

(23:34):
But you know, you're in the long night. I've been
in the game for a long long time, and constructive
criticism as all part of it.

Speaker 2 (23:43):
What about in general life, because you're a pretty recognizable
person in New Zealand, do you get stopped at airport's
much and sort of drawn into rugby conversation.

Speaker 12 (23:52):
Yeah, that's what I missed the most. You know, I
ha had some fantastic you know walking to the to
the lounge or walking walking to the plane, you know,
around people throwing out their theories. And I almossed at
the most because I sort of tried to take as
much of the public voice and those conversations not only

(24:14):
to Sky but also to the New Zealand Rugby Union.
So just let people, you know, let the house to
be understand what the rugby public and the Sky surprivs
are actually feeling and how they feel about the game.
So I always tried to be the voice of the
public and that's probably what I missed the most, you know,

(24:36):
you know from being on Sky would be you know,
to give people the opportunity to talk through me.

Speaker 2 (24:43):
Can you put something to bed for us? Something I
hear a lot is the idea that Sky commentators are
told not to be critical of the sport they're covering.
Have you ever been told by your bosses at Sky
what you can and can't say?

Speaker 12 (24:54):
Nah, that I would have walked away five years ago
if that was the case. You know, I think that
we have an we have an oblique the game, and
where there's a fine line is when you know, I
was watching the sixth Naces this morning, point to the
nineteenth minute of the game against Italy and the Italian

(25:17):
half act puts the ball under the you know, under
the second row's foot. I mean, is that a rugby
league scrub? Or is that a rugby scrum? You know
what I mean? Like what happened to putting fair contest
putting it in straight? Things like that really annoy me.
So I'll have a crack at something like that because
you know, it's not it's not right. But as far

(25:38):
as is being critical of the game. No one's ever
said to me, you know, you shouldn't say this or
you shouldn't say that.

Speaker 2 (25:46):
So what are we going to do? Well, what are
you going to do with all the gaps in your diary?

Speaker 12 (25:49):
Now, Oh, that's a beautiful thing. That's a beautiful thing.
Well put it this way. I just went for a
surf fight. So I apologize because you were supposed to
ring at the eleven and I forgot went for a surf.

Speaker 13 (26:03):
And that.

Speaker 12 (26:03):
My wife has been incredible person in my life. She's
sacrificed so much. I'm about, you know, leaving her country
and coming here, going to Japan and that sort of stuff.
So we promised ourselves that would spend more time in Italy.
So you know, that's one of the things of the
One of the stars that aligned was you know, every

(26:25):
Sunday every weekend from now until December. So you know,
I haven't made any decisions. I still like to be
a voice in the game. I don't know what I'm
do moving forward. We'll see what comes out of the woodwork,
and but I'll be around around the game. And the
game has been incredibly good to me, and you know,

(26:47):
I love it with a passion, so I don't think
I'll be able to not have an opinion.

Speaker 2 (26:53):
We hope to see you back on our screens well,
certainly somewhere with an ability your platform to force those opinions. JK.
Great tenure. A decade in broadcasting is to be congratulated.
As you know, it's not the most stable of industries.
So thanks for taking the time for a chat made
and I hope you get a lot more surfaging.

Speaker 12 (27:10):
Appreciate it, mate, have a good one.

Speaker 2 (27:12):
You tell you all the best. Thanks JK. So John
Kerwin joining us there a eight hundred and eighty ten
eighty Yeah, interested in As I said at the top
of the show, what you want from guys like JK.
And he's just so authentic, isn't he?

Speaker 12 (27:25):
You know?

Speaker 2 (27:25):
Just there that's the I would imagine if you ran
into JK at the airport or anywhere, if you saw
him on the street or at the beach or wherever
it was, he would sound exactly the same as he
sounded then as he sounds on TV. He's just utterly authentic.
What you see is what you get from him, and
I think that's probably one of the secrets of his success,

(27:47):
that he didn't try to be something else. He wasn't,
you know, making it up or putting on an act.
It was just him, him and his opinions on Listen.

Speaker 14 (27:58):
Hello, Calvin, you got out to learn Jason, Just briefly.
First of all, that chap from Taranaki with Chemi cares.
For decades ago, they used to start rugby at three
o'clock or two thirty whatever it was, to give the
farmers plenty of time for milking. Anyway, they're moving on
from that. I've always enjoyed going to see live netball

(28:20):
here in the tron, particularly the way could have made
plenty magic and all the silver firms playing and what
I like, you know, see this different spectacular bits and
pieces happening, and then within the next couple of days,
as it were, I'd go along to some pub where
they've got the replay or where they've got the TV
ship part of it showing, and I'd be able to

(28:43):
look out to see how something eventuated, how something fantastic happened,
because I'd be ready for it to happen as it were.
And I've always enjoyed Nigel Eelden doing the netball commentating.
But I'll tell you what before I croak. There's one
fantastic dame hood still to take place, and that is

(29:05):
Iron Fund, the world's greatest ever netball shooter. And at
the moment, I'm surprised she wasn't made a dame quite
a few years ago.

Speaker 12 (29:15):
What do you reckon?

Speaker 2 (29:16):
Has she got an honor of any sort? Calvin?

Speaker 6 (29:20):
Do you know?

Speaker 14 (29:21):
I'm pretty sure I haven't really given her the extra thought,
but I think I'm pretty sure she has.

Speaker 2 (29:29):
I can confirm it. Yeah, she's a member of the
New Zealand Order of Merit, so she.

Speaker 14 (29:35):
Needs she needs to be upgraded. Because there's been so
many knighthoods and dame hoods in the last decade, she
definitely should be there amongst them. Dame Irene van Dake.
I know a lot of New Zealanders call her a
different name, but I like to call her her.

Speaker 2 (29:52):
Correct name, all right, Calvin on, who knows? We've got
a lot of sporting dames, haven't we. Dame Lisa Carrington,
Dame Sophie Pasco We're on the show yesterday, Dame Valerie Adams. Yeah,
Dame and Dame Irene van Dyke. I mean, I wouldn't
be against it. I don't think against anybody being made
a dame for their sporting feats. Paul says, jas I

(30:14):
gree with your caller you just had on that New
Zealand commentators the Rex players sometimes though they overanalyze. The
Australian commentators have a bit of humor and don't analyze
every shot or every play. Paul, it's so interesting again,
you know, this is just a great example of the
differences because you hear people say, oh, you know, they

(30:36):
talk about the game, you know, don't make jokes and
have fun and all that sort of thing, talk about
the game, and then when someone does that, so oh
you need to inject a bit more humor. You never
go to please everybody, but I'm keen to know what
you would like from your commentary and indeed your expert
commentators and John Kirkwin Sir jk Any thoughts on his retirement.

(30:58):
Nineteen nine two is our text line eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty. The Blaze have won the toss in
Wellington and have elected to bat first in the women's
Super Smash final against Otago. Millie Kerr and Rebecca Burns
wandering out to bat right now, we'll keep you across
that keep your lines open though here on zb OH
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty back in a.

Speaker 1 (31:17):
Moment, don't get caught offside eight Weekend Sports with Jason
Pye and GJ. Gunnomes New Zealand's most trusted home builder,
News Talks.

Speaker 2 (31:27):
MB, News TALKSB and Weekends Port just on sixteen Away
from One talking commentary This afternoon for a week while longer,
Hello Lindsay.

Speaker 15 (31:36):
Hey, Cristly Surprisingly John Cooan saying he didn't mind being
stopped in the airport and talking radby to passengers because
it was all feedback. I'm surprised at that.

Speaker 2 (31:46):
Did you think that he would be that he would
sort of ignore people and give them the big fend?

Speaker 15 (31:51):
No, no, no, no, not at all. But I just
thought he must might have probably got tired of.

Speaker 2 (31:55):
Oh right, right, No, well, well clearly not. I think
they often say they often say that when people stop
approaching you, that's when you need to start worrying.

Speaker 15 (32:04):
Anyway, it wasn't my main point. Slightly off topic. There
was a TV program and a couple of years ago,
I can't quite remember the name, but there was an
Irish guy with a beanie hat on and another guy
and he used to actually analyze the game on TV
and I can't remember and one of the sports programs
you might recall it.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
I do recall it, and I think the title of
it had numbers in it or something. That's very vague,
I know, but I what you're saying does ring a
bell with me, Lindsay, someone will know, they'll text it in.

Speaker 15 (32:34):
What impressed me most was they actually sit there with
the picture of the game and the whiteboard saying this
guy moved to the left and this guy should have
gone to the right. There was a gap here, and
it was just a wonderful analysis. I don't know where
the guy I had played rugby or not, but I
enjoyed that.

Speaker 2 (32:50):
Yeah, that deep dive stuff is really interesting, isn't it, lindsay.
When you know, some people just like the sort of
once over lately and they'll watch the game and they
might watch a bit of the post match and then
they'll forget about the game. But yeah, for those who
are really really deeply invested in it and want something deeper.
The ten fourteen Rugby show, that was it? The ten
fourteen rugby show. Yep, some Nigel's just texted and given

(33:10):
us the answer.

Speaker 15 (33:12):
I was spreading here in the States about forty years
ago in their analysis of good iron games was just phenomenal.
I mean it's easy to analyze because there are our
set moves, but they can just pinpoint which guy got
moved where and who went through which gap. Was just phenomenal.

Speaker 2 (33:27):
And yeah, in a game like a game like American football,
you know, when it's all x's and o's, I enjoyed that.
I enjoy that that coverage as well as I'm not
a deep understander of NFL, you know, gridiron football. My
son's the expert in our family, but watching it with
him and just the just the analysis you get there
for a you know, for if you acknowledge isn't at

(33:47):
the at the top level, it's it's terrific when you
get that kind of analysis.

Speaker 15 (33:51):
Totally agree, Totally agree, good man.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
Lindsay, thanks for calling in. I really appreciate it. Oh
eight hundred and eighty ten eightys ourn number, Hello, Steve.

Speaker 16 (33:58):
Yeah, how you doing?

Speaker 1 (33:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 17 (33:59):
Good to.

Speaker 16 (34:00):
If you've ever seen a little said look and face,
it was the cricketer that just went out without facing
the ball.

Speaker 2 (34:06):
Oh, run out without facing a ball?

Speaker 18 (34:08):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (34:08):
Oh no diamond duck. They call it a diamond duck. Well,
I guess, I guess at least it's not Meally Kerr,
who was our main hope. If I talking on behalf
of Wellington, he's run out without facing a ball, dear.

Speaker 16 (34:22):
Anyway, Yeah, I could tell that guy was a farmer
because he was moaning. But anyway, Hey, something I'm probably
a little controversial, something I do not want to have
as a commentator. And she's actually on the mic today
or on the speaker of fame is Susie Bates. I'm sorry.
She has the worst monotone voice for a commentator.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
Yeah, I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm not sure
she can. That's the difficulty. I mean, she's playing, So
you mean she's out on the player mic rather than
commentating today, yea yea yeah, yeah, yah yah, I sort of.
I find it difficult to criticize or critique the voice
as such. I know it's a big part of it, Steve,
and I know not everybody's voices is palatable to every
set of ears.

Speaker 16 (35:06):
Yeah, yeah, it's just it's just a straight mono tone
voice and it's just it's just the level. And I'm
sorry it just greats me. Basically, sorry, would with another
three goals today, look after.

Speaker 2 (35:19):
If you can, if you can hang in Steve. After one,
we're going to go to the UK and talk to
the host of a Nottingham Forest podcast about Chris Wood
and that hat trick and Nottingham Forest's incredible form. Good
to talk to you, mate, Thanks for calling in. Yeah,
the ten to fourteen rugby show, A lot of people
have texted and it was by a length the best
rugby show in the world. As a shame it's gone.
I wonder what happened to it. I actually don't you know.

(35:42):
I didn't watch it regularly. I was aware of it
and and it was a real deep dive.

Speaker 6 (35:48):
It was.

Speaker 2 (35:49):
It was the real detailed stuff. Not for everybody obviously,
but for real rugby tragics to be able to watch
it and have stuff explained to you.

Speaker 12 (36:00):
That was.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
Yeah, there was plenty going on there. It was great
text through here. Yeah, I'd like more professional team experts
for analysis and deep dives. I'm an old girl, says Dana.
I can't fault Chris Laidlaw and Earl Curtin. They were great,
weren't they Critically intelligent analysts, says Dana JK. Very good,

(36:21):
considered and compassionate. Thanks Dana, appreciate your feedback.

Speaker 19 (36:28):
Peter, Hi, good a there, Jason. I'm a married mix
Steed supporter.

Speaker 2 (36:34):
I know you are, Peter, I know you are. We've
spoken about this before, but no I met them mix
another one but like JK, but left feel it.

Speaker 19 (36:44):
Yep, definitely. And I think if you asked Murray, I
think you'd come back on again too.

Speaker 2 (36:50):
He was some I remember him being quite polarizing. I
always liked Mex. I always really enjoy what he brought
alongside in his bow, for example Gruntner's. But I really
enjoyed those two together. I'm not sure what happened.

Speaker 5 (37:04):
There, Yep.

Speaker 19 (37:05):
I think that is a great marriage, that was, and
I think he could make another marriage too.

Speaker 5 (37:11):
Back on the sky, I wondered.

Speaker 2 (37:14):
What you were driving at the sure where you were going?

Speaker 19 (37:19):
Okay, I went off of.

Speaker 2 (37:24):
Your voice mate. Yeah, Murray mixed it out. I mean
we'll always remember him in his commentary. Hey, Heidi, how
are you Hi?

Speaker 13 (37:32):
Good? Very quick, short and sweet. I want the commentators
to stop yapping when the when the the referee is
explaining things, they talk over the top, and I'm thinking,
why why did he stop? What's he explaining to the
to the players, And when the guys talk over the top,
it just makes me grip my teeth.

Speaker 2 (37:52):
Hidi, it's a great point, and I think you'll get
a lot of people nodding your head at that. I
think from in the commentary box. Most of the time, though,
the commentators are told to not talk when the referee
is because you're right, you're hearing a lot of really
valuable information about why decision has been given or not.
Maybe sometimes I just don't quite get the queue in
the erear or whatever it is.

Speaker 13 (38:10):
But no, I think every I was just hyped up
on their own chat, you know, and they've got something
to say and blah blah blah, and I think they're
just not even noticing that the players tapped and the
referees explaining something. I don't know, but it just does
really annoy me because I want to hear about the game.
You know, I used to massage the all Blacks before
they became professionals.

Speaker 15 (38:32):
Did you, Yes, I did. I was a very very
good massrs.

Speaker 13 (38:37):
I started with my brother's friends at the at North
Shall Rugby and then one became a North Harbor player.
Then he became a seventh player, and then they called
me up to every time the All Blacks met, I
would go up and offer my services. I thought it
was better than signing up to being a supporter that

(38:57):
Wales what I can support with my hands. So for
about four years, every time they came up to Auckland,
I just went up, because I lived in Devonport, went
up to the Pronoma and message just just.

Speaker 2 (39:08):
On a volunteer basis.

Speaker 13 (39:10):
Well it was volunteer in those days. And in fact
I was so annoyed about this I wrote to the
rugby board and said, you have to get a massa
who travels with them so he can he can message
them on the plane or you know, just rub their
backs or next or whatever. Just they deserved their own
because they used to go to England and then depend

(39:32):
on somebody to volunteer their services.

Speaker 2 (39:35):
I hope they gave you. I hope they gave you
some free tickets or something today.

Speaker 13 (39:39):
No, it was it was George Verett, who was the
whatever he was, who was the head. Anyway, he wrote
back to the end sort of clefted me on the
head and said, oh, you know we weren't bother doing
listening as players asked for it? And I wrote back
and I said, you're asking guys pulled off the farm.
You know what they need? You know a different ends?

Speaker 17 (39:57):
Ye?

Speaker 2 (39:57):
Different.

Speaker 13 (39:58):
Then they listened to me. Yeah, and they got in
the next time.

Speaker 20 (40:02):
Who was it?

Speaker 10 (40:02):
Oh?

Speaker 13 (40:03):
Yes, the French came and the French followed by the
South Africans, and they didn't call me. So I speak
fluent French, and with a friend, I went to the
hotel just to say hi to the couple and they
wrote me in and I was messaging them and stick
and I think I'm responsible for France beating the All

(40:24):
Blacks said, because I messaged, oh come, what's a little Yes, yes,
I messurged him. I was an idiot. I said to
him anytime, because I was on call at the hotels

(40:45):
as well, so I said, you know, anytime you need
a message. Well he called me at two am.

Speaker 2 (40:52):
Heid. This is a wonderful story, but unfortunately I'm running
out of time. I'm so glad you called. I would
love to hear more. But it sounds like you've had
a tremendous time spending time with the All Blacks and
the French. Rugby team as well. We will blame you
for that defeat. Seven away from one news talk text,
I listened to rugby on the radio. Elliott Smith is great.
I can see the game as it plays out with

(41:13):
his commentary. Very grateful to him. From a non Sky
Sport person, I totally agree. I love listening to Elliott
call the rugby. He's a beauty. Three and a half
away from one now after one o'clock Chris Wood. Unfortunately
he couldn't take the call. He's quite busy and quite famous.
Now what want to talk about Chris Wood with the
host of a Nottingham Forest podcast and get your views

(41:36):
on him too.

Speaker 1 (41:38):
It's the only place to discuss the biggest sports issues
on and after fields.

Speaker 2 (41:43):
It's all on Weekend Sport.

Speaker 1 (41:44):
With Jason Vaine on your home of Sport.

Speaker 21 (41:49):
New York.

Speaker 2 (41:50):
Hello and welcome back to the Weekend Sport, or welcome
into Weekend Sport, as the case may be. We're keeping
an eye on live sport this afternoon from the Basement Reserve.
It is the Super Smash Finals, the women's game underway,
Otago v Wellington. As on our Sports News, Rebecca Burns
run out without facing a ball. The worst way to

(42:11):
get out in cricket. Well instead have recovered somewhat through
to thirty two for one. That's through seven overs though,
so they're not going along particularly quickly. However, on merely
curves at the crease, anything is possible and she is
still there, so we'll keep eyes on that for you.
Are Connell on text Pinty. Big game for the New
Zealand Under twenty one Black Sticks today playing the Australian

(42:34):
Under twenty ones and the third match decider of the
Oceania Cup, which New Zealand hasn't won since two thousand
and three. Two o'clock this afternoon, Lloyd Ellesmore Park. That's
an Auckland I think puck on hanger lloyd Ellesmore Park
from memory. All all the best to out under twenty
one Black Sticks as they try and win the Oceania

(42:55):
Cup for the first time in over two decades. James
mcconie's on the show this out in his regular slot
around one forty five, but I want to kick things
off with football Unreal scenes in the Premier League overnight
Nottingham Forest, who are in the midst of a season
which is becoming increasingly more special have beaten Brighton seven nil,

(43:19):
seven nil, their biggest win since the nineteen ninety seven
ninety eight season, their biggest ever in the Premier League
and it keeps them in third place on the table.
Our very own Chris Wood, who himself as having a
season to dream of, had another day out Helngo.

Speaker 22 (43:42):
It's of that.

Speaker 2 (43:44):
And this time it's Chris Wood who gets it charging forward.
Now for Forest, still gow.

Speaker 23 (43:56):
And Chris what thanks, no mistake, it's a hutrey for
him this afternoon, and not a good Forest.

Speaker 2 (44:03):
Half five and went on to get seven a hat
trick for Chris Wood. Seventeen goals this season now by
far his best, and there's still plenty of time to go.
Eighty six all up in the Premier League. Now for
Chris Wood, that has him inside the top fifty goal
scorers since the start of the Premier League in nineteen
ninety two. Let's get here to the UK. A host

(44:26):
of the Forest Focus Pod, Matt Davies joins us met.
I want to talk a bit about Chris Wood, but
let's start with the game seven nil. Where does it
rank among them many dozens, maybe even hundreds of Nottingham
Forest games. You've watched oh.

Speaker 24 (44:41):
Man, Well, I think I said on the podcast, it's
one of those kind of generational games that people talk
about in twenty years and thirty years. I remember we
had a seven to one win at Sheffield Wednesday, which
every time the anniversary comes around you see all the goals,
and we had a seven to three win at Leads.
So they're the big ones in terms of score margins.
Obviously there's games against rivals where you have late, last

(45:02):
minute winners and stuff, but to win a game like
that in the Premier League is a team that finished
sixteenth and seventeenth in consecutive seasons and to be where
we are now, it's it's kind of you always wonder
what the tip of the you know, the icing on
the cake is, but the cake kind of keeps getting
bigger and you wonder when the icing is going to
go on the way we're playing, it's such a roller coaster.
To throw a load of metaphors in there, certainly.

Speaker 2 (45:23):
Yeah, I love the metaphors.

Speaker 12 (45:25):
It was.

Speaker 2 (45:26):
I mean it came off the back two of an
outlier as far as the season was concerned, with the
five no loss away at Bournemouth last time out, So
I mean talk about talk about a bounce back statement performance.
Did you see this coming?

Speaker 24 (45:40):
No, not really.

Speaker 2 (45:41):
I'm honest.

Speaker 24 (45:42):
I thought we might win. We've we've done well against Brighton.
I'm not even sure we might have lost once to
them since promotion, and I think, you know, their their
tactics match up well with our tactics from our point
of view. They struggled against defensive minded teams like Everton
they lost too, and they only had one midfielder on
the pitch, which seems kind of crazy. So it was

(46:03):
one of those days where kind of everything played into
our hands. But to be so clinical and to play
so well, I know, we'll talk about Chris Wood and
he was great, but there was probably you know, four
or five players we could easily have won man in
the match ahead of Chris Wood. And it's one of
those special days where it all clicked.

Speaker 12 (46:19):
It was just the pole.

Speaker 24 (46:19):
Opposite at Bournemouth where everything that could have gone wrong
went wrong, and this was kind of just the total opposite.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
It's not even a surprise anymore. Over here in New Zealand,
met to wake up on Sunday mornings and find that
Chris Wood has scored another goal or goals how key
has he been to Forest's success this season?

Speaker 24 (46:39):
Oh, totally central, totally central to it. I mean we
had Tyler one year was our main striker for as
kind of a season and a half and he did
really well for us. Then he has some injury problems
and Chris Wood steps to the four. He'd done well
at Burnley and he was a kind of a backup
striker at Newcastle and when he came I think a
few people doubted if his best years were behind him.

(47:02):
But he's been unbelievable. The whole attacks kind of geared
for Chris Wood to score the goals. So if Forrest
score a goal, you know there's a big chance Chris
Woods either scored it or set it up. But I
think that's his second hat trick for US and seventeen
goals in twenty three games. He's pushing for the Premier
League Golden Boost at the age of thirty three, and
he feels like he's sort of he's peaking in a way,

(47:24):
even though he's probably in the latter stage of his career.
But the football he's playing and the goals he's scoring
are just unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (47:31):
He's freely admitted Chris Wood. He won't beat three defenders
and put it in the top corner from twenty five yards,
but when the chances come, he will take them. So
tell us about the service Chris Wood is getting from
his teammates.

Speaker 24 (47:43):
I might back him to beat three defense.

Speaker 2 (47:46):
Score he's playing.

Speaker 21 (47:50):
He's scored some good goals.

Speaker 24 (47:52):
No, he's like, he's not the quickest, but his movement
and he's in you know, his football intelligence is right
up there with anyone in the league. So if you
give him the service, he'll find the right positions. And
we've got a winger in ANTHONYA. Langa who's come in
a form at the perfect time. He had three assists
today and the quality of the balls he put in
for Chris Wood were great. But you see the way

(48:13):
Chris Wood peels off a defender and finds that pocket
of space in the congested area around the six yard box.
So you've got to be a special talent in Chris
Wood to get into those areas. But we've got a
couple of wingers, Calum Hudson and always injured, but ANTHONYA.

Speaker 12 (48:27):
Langer's won.

Speaker 24 (48:28):
Hudson and Doys the other and Morgan Gibbs White who's
now in the England team has a real creative force
in our side, so there's a lot of talent in
the team, but Chris Wood's the one who's kind of
the spear at the tip that puts the goals away,
So you know, so much revolves around what he brings
the team.

Speaker 2 (48:45):
What else, though, man apart from Chris Wood and his
goal scoring, what else has led to this remarkable season
Forest to Heaven.

Speaker 24 (48:54):
It's probably a few things. I mean, Nuno came in
halfway through last season and he made quite a few
positive changes that perhaps weren't born out in the results.
We were terrible at defending set pieces and they addressed
that in the summer with the signing of Nikola Milenkovitch.
He's been brilliant at central defense and you know, had
that whole preseason which managers don't always get, and he

(49:16):
you know, tactically they look more tuned into what he
wants to do. So those are probably a couple of things.
But things just snowballed in the right right direction. We
started the season well and one at Liverpool, drew at
Chelsea and it's probably probably everything just comes together at
the right time and you get a lot of momentum.
But there's a lot of quality in the squad and

(49:37):
there's a lot of good characters and Chris Wood's probably
at the forefront of that in terms of leading a
dressing room. You know, Woods very experienced, Milenkovitch who I mentioned,
Ryan Yates who's the local boy in club captain, And
it seems like a real harmonious group. There's no idiots
in there, which you can often get in any sporting
dressing room. And yeah, they've created a really no talks

(49:58):
a lot about culture and they created a really good
culture to go equality and it all see, it all
seems to work. Everyone knows their role in the team
and it's a different way of playing. It can be
looked quite defensive, but we score some thrilling goals, as
people might see today if they watch the goals back
when they wake up. So yeah, everything's pointing in the
right direction. It's a crazy time to be a Forest fan.

Speaker 2 (50:18):
And David is so third season Beck in the Premier
League after a long time out seventeenth last season, of
course there was the four point deduction in that equation,
but stayed outside of relegation sixteenth season before what are
your realistic expectations now man of where Forest might finish.
Are you We're talking about a Champions League qualification here,
aren't we?

Speaker 12 (50:39):
I think so.

Speaker 24 (50:40):
I mean, people who listen to our podcast know I'm
quite a bit of a realist, I suppose not the most.
I'm not always the guy that says, you know, we're
going to get promoted or we're going to win the
league and.

Speaker 12 (50:49):
All that stuff.

Speaker 24 (50:50):
But we've got a bit of a head start, you know,
on the teams below us in like man City and
Newcastle and Chelsea, and they're playing each other. You know,
Newcastle lost today, Bornemouth lost today. City are playing Arsenal tomorrow,
as I say in the UK, so yeah, and the
other team is going to play for the next week.

(51:10):
And I think Newcastle have got Manchester City. So we've
got some really tough games coming up against City, Arsenal
and Newcastle. And if we keep our head above water
and we're still in the top five, because five teams
should get in the Champions League next season. If we're
still in the top five going into what would I
think be the twenty ninth game of the season, I
would massively back us to get in the Champions League.

(51:32):
But even if we don't, I think we'll get European
football next season, which would just be an unbelievable achievement
for you as your reference. There the sixteenth and seventeenth
place finishes and European Football opens a lot of doors
to the football club as well in terms of signings
and TV money and all that kind of stuff. So
nothing but excitement ahead.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
Wonderful stuff, Great time to be a Forest fan. There
are many daughter around New Zealand. They're probably more and
more every week, and Chris would obviously our all white
talisman and yours as well. Matt, thanks so much for
joining us across New Zealand, and long may this.

Speaker 21 (52:05):
Continue, hopefully hopefully saying.

Speaker 2 (52:07):
Hopefully so indeed ever the realist mass good on you, mate,
Matt Davies. He's the host of the Forest Focus pod.
You can check it out if you're a Forest fan,
even if you're a well a new bandwagon jumper. Nothing
wrong with jumping on a bandwagon when a team is
doing what Nottingham Forest are doing right now. Do you

(52:29):
think we hear in New Zealand fully realize the enormity
of what Chris Wood is doing right now? He is
operating in Rarefied Air. The Premier League widely regarded as
the toughest football competition in the world, and he is
leading the line for the team that is currently third

(52:51):
in the Premier League. He has seventeen goals this season.
The only guys who have scored more than that are
megastars Mohammad Salah of Liverpool and Earling Harland of Manchester City.
They're the only guy with more Premier League goals this
season than Chris Wood. He has eighty six all up

(53:11):
across his career. That now has him inside the top
fifty goal scorers in Premier League history. The Premier League
was formed in nineteen ninety two. He is inside the
top fifty goal scorers in the history of the competition.
We are talking esteemed company here. More goals than Eden Hazard,
Carlos Tevez, Fernando Torres. He's only one behind Dennis berg

(53:35):
Camp and he's closing in on the leading Australasian on
that list, Australian Mark Vaduka, who scored ninety two. Is
it time, excuse me we gave true recognition to Chris
Wood in whatever form that might be. I don't know
what that is. He's a finalist for Sportsmen of the
Year at the Hullbergs, But I'm almost certain he's not

(53:57):
going to win it. I think it will go to
one of our Olympic gold medalists, Samush Kerr or Fin
Butcher maybe, And I've got no problem with that. In fact,
I think that's the right decision. But I think we
do need to find a way of recognizing and acknowledging
our sports people who are doing their thing overseas, Chris Wood,
Steven Adams, Lydia Coe, Liam Lawson. Hopefully. I eight hundred

(54:22):
eighty ten eighty. Where does what Chris Wood is doing
right now rate for you? Maybe put it into context
for some of our listeners who who can't get a
grasp on just how significant this is. I've given it
a go. You might want to as well. I eight
one hundred eighty ten eighty. And are there any Forest
fans tuned in Nottingham Forest fans? We'd love to hear

(54:46):
from you what a season you're having. Seventeenth last season.
There are twenty teams in the Premier League eighteen nineteen
and twenty get relegated. Seventeenth last season, just one place
above the relegation zone. Sixteenth the season before that. At
the start of this season, I'm sure something similar would
probably have been the goal, just stay up, just don't

(55:10):
get relegated. Instead third third on the same number of
points as Arsenal, who was second, six points ahead of
the chasing pack teams like Manchester City and Chelsea, eighteen
points ahead of Manchester United, twenty three points ahead of Tottenham,
thirty points clear of the relegation zone. They only got

(55:34):
thirty two points in total last season. What a time
to be a Nottingham Forest fan. So keen to hear
from you. I know you're out there, Forest fans. This
is your time in the sun. Are eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty is our number? Nine two nine two
for your text messages one twenty one back with your
cause after this On News Talks EB.

Speaker 1 (55:54):
The Voice of Sport on your Home of Sport, It's
Weekend Sport with Jason Vane and GJ. Gunner Homes New
Zealand's most trusted home builder, News.

Speaker 2 (56:03):
TALKSB one twenty four on News Talks AIRB talking Chris
Wood talking Nottingham Forest and this incredible run that they're on. Decimmer.
You were born in Nottinghamshire, Is that right?

Speaker 10 (56:15):
Yes, I was.

Speaker 25 (56:16):
I was born in kirkbyn Ashfield, which is a small
town near Mansfield in Nottingham Nottinghamshire, sort of on the
edge of Sherwood Forest and not Forrest were our local club.
Now I was. I was not going to soccer matches.

(56:36):
My father used to do the little woods pools and
he was very interested.

Speaker 9 (56:40):
In not Forest.

Speaker 25 (56:42):
But I have to say at the time that the
Nottingham Forest then was a little bit of a nonentity.
It was just your average club. And I'm just thrilled
to hear what Chris Wood is doing for that team now.

Speaker 16 (56:57):
It's just amazing.

Speaker 2 (56:59):
Yeah, it's pretty cool, isn't it. That week back, you know,
twelve thousand miles away, we've got this connection with a
team that's really punching above its weight. So what sort
of what sort of time are we talking about here
this summer when you say they were a bit of
a non entity? Are we talking fifties sixties?

Speaker 10 (57:16):
Yeah?

Speaker 25 (57:16):
Probably the fifties sixties because I left the UK in
nineteen eighty one. That I moved away from Nottingham sure
in the seventies, late seventies, so I sort of lost
a little bit of touch, but I don't want to
be unkind when I say a nonentity. It was just
a local team, a local club, and I don't think

(57:40):
they were doing that well at the time. This is
just the most incredible turnaround. And Chris what't mean, he's
just amazing.

Speaker 2 (57:49):
He really is decima. Thank you for calling it's yeah,
you're right. They kind of in the fifties and sixties
we were there or thereabouts without ever really doing anything amazing.
It was in the seventies really when Brian Clough took
over as their boss and they won the European Cup
twice and they became this They became this team, you know,

(58:10):
they became this incredible team. They won the league I
think in seventy seven, seventy eight, and just you know,
from there established a big fan base. But it's been
lean pickings lately. They only got back into the Premier
League a couple of seasons ago, having been in the
Championship and even dropping down to League One, so the
third tier for a while. Michelle, you're a Forest fan,

(58:32):
you'll be loving this.

Speaker 9 (58:34):
Yes, I am a Forest fan, but I'm a Forest
fan by default. My husband has supported them all his
life and so I've just started watching them as well.

Speaker 2 (58:47):
He sounds like a long suffering Forest fan. How did
his fandom come about?

Speaker 9 (58:53):
Oh, I can't really remember. I think he went to
live in the UK probably twenty years ago and he
I think he just started going to their games. And
I think he actually lived in Nottingham while he was
over there and just became a fan, you know, like
he's so much of a fan. He gets up at
us one this morning, he got up to watch their game.

(59:13):
He gets up every single game he gets up to watch.
I don't I just quickly kick on the internet.

Speaker 8 (59:18):
In the morning.

Speaker 2 (59:20):
Oh that's he must be loving it. He must be
absolutely loving it.

Speaker 9 (59:25):
Oh he is, and you know, like he's been giving
a lot of grief for it as time for being
a Forest fan. But look at them now and he's
just stuck by them. Actually, we went to the UK
a couple of years ago and that's why we went
was to watch Forest because they made it into the
Premier League.

Speaker 2 (59:40):
Yeah, well, yeah, so you went. You went to the
City Ground and watch them play.

Speaker 9 (59:45):
Yes, we went to two games at the City Ground
and then we went to Liverpool and watch them at
Liverpool as.

Speaker 2 (59:50):
Well, how good? How good?

Speaker 17 (59:52):
Well?

Speaker 2 (59:53):
I often say Michelle that, you know, especially because a
lot of people, you know, they support the glamorous clubs
who went all the time, you know. But but when
a team like Nottingham Forest and you've got to you
support them through thick and thin, and often say, there's
a heck of a lot of thin. So when the
thick comes along, that good stuff comes along, you've got
to revel on it. You have to revel in it.
And I'm so glad you and your husband are.

Speaker 9 (01:00:14):
Oh well, you do you know, like when I started
watching them probably three or four years ago, just before
they went to the Premier League, they used to frustrate
me because they could not hold the ball and string
passes together. But they've stuck together as a team and
now they're doing amazing. You know, they're just doing.

Speaker 26 (01:00:31):
Really really well.

Speaker 2 (01:00:32):
Love it, Michelle, I can hear watch a replace.

Speaker 12 (01:00:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:00:36):
Look, it doesn't matter if you don't get up at
one thirty in the morning, you know. But there's the
problem then, is getting back to sleep after you've watched
your team put seven past somebody. Yeah, that's the difficulty. Hey, Michelle,
thank you for calling. I really appreciate it, and long
may this continue. Long may this continue for you and
for your husband, and for all the other forest fans
who are listening in, including you. Andrew fifty years of

(01:00:56):
support of Nottingham Forest.

Speaker 27 (01:00:58):
Year back in seventy five. Actually born not about twenty
k's from Nottingham Shift in New Zealand when I was
sort of six months old, and my uncle actually had
a season ticket, so I went a number of times
in my early years when it went over to the UK.
So I was very lucky that I came on board

(01:01:20):
just as the glory years and Forrest had been a
team which I have perform miracles over the years, because
they actually won the league a year after getting promoted,
which you know, no team never has ever done apart
from them.

Speaker 2 (01:01:34):
That was year seventy seven to seventy eight, because they
came up from what that was when it was called
Division one before the Premier League.

Speaker 27 (01:01:40):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (01:01:40):
Yeah, they finished third in the in Division two, got
promoted and that's right, they won it the next year.

Speaker 27 (01:01:46):
Yeah, they got They got promoted on the last day
of the season only from another team losing. Actually it's
great thing. And then of course qualified for the European
Cup and drew Liverpool in the first round at two
time defending champions and knocked them out and then went
on to win it to two years.

Speaker 6 (01:02:03):
In a row.

Speaker 2 (01:02:03):
I'm glad you mentioned that as a Liverpool fan and
I'm glad you mean, I'm glad you mentioned that.

Speaker 11 (01:02:07):
Yeah, yeah, stop stop.

Speaker 27 (01:02:09):
You a hat trick of European.

Speaker 21 (01:02:12):
Right.

Speaker 27 (01:02:12):
So yeah, and so that this year it's just been remarkable.
But I mean great management, great recruitment basically in the
last sort of nine months has made a difference. And
you know, Chris Wood has always been a good, good finisher,
but his stats this year for chance has taken it
are incredible, you know, is better than anyone is one

(01:02:36):
guy Bringford's who's up there, but he's the number one
finisher in that league, which is incredible for New Zealander
to do what he's done. Nothing spectacular in the main,
but he gets himself in the right positions and he's
got the service.

Speaker 2 (01:02:50):
Yeah, they all conful one, they all count one.

Speaker 27 (01:02:54):
Absolutely intelligent, really intelligent footballer you know, really appreciate. And
the funny thing was when he first went the Forest,
the Forest fans hate him and and didn't rate him
at all and he turned around completely now and you know,
just amazing performance.

Speaker 12 (01:03:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:03:10):
I loved and adored there. Good on Andrew. Good to
chat to you mate. I'm I'm like, I'm certain you're
enjoying this. Like I say, this is I love it
when this sort of thing happens. It's like when Lester
won the Premier League. You know, fans of Leicester had
watched that team forever and never with any real expectation
that they would win the league. I think what most
outside of the big, big clubs you know who who now,

(01:03:33):
let's face it, are the most are the richest clubs
outside of them. I think what most football fans want is,
you know, a reasonable season, maybe a run in the cups,
but I never expect to win the thing. And look,
Nottingham Forest still probably won't win the Premier League. But
the fact that their fans have the opportunity to dream

(01:03:57):
and to and to luxuriate in the success and to
look at the league table and also to strutt into
work it's the best. But I reckon, if you're a
fan of a team that's been not that great for
a long time, and it's almost become a bit of
a Millstone around your neck you walking to work and
they say, areas he's been the Forest fan. How'd your

(01:04:19):
team go on the weekend?

Speaker 12 (01:04:20):
Ben?

Speaker 2 (01:04:21):
You'll have your chest stuck out at work now Ben,
there has a been online a Forest fan. How are
you mate?

Speaker 12 (01:04:27):
Yeah?

Speaker 26 (01:04:27):
Good Parney, nice to talk to you and you and
I sort of claimed the same as when Fre's got
promoted through the playoffs a couple of years ago, when
they sort of were the semi finalized, under a bit
of pressure from my mates to get back over and
see them at Wembley. So I spent a weekend in
London watching him over there, and probably the best weekend of.

Speaker 2 (01:04:48):
My life, I'd have to say, wonderful. Yeah, because they've
been out of the Premier League for a long time
and I'm trying to remember they well they even dropped
down to sort of to League One, didn't they. They
were Premier League sort of back into the nineties from
memory a long time away.

Speaker 26 (01:05:04):
When I sort of first started supporting them, Cloth was
the manager and we had a bit of success and
then sort of went twenty years without without anything really,
So going to Wembley after twenty years, I thought they
might not be around the next time they get there,
so I'd better get on a plane and make sure
I enjoy it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:20):
So you saw them win the playoff final at Wembley.

Speaker 12 (01:05:24):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 26 (01:05:25):
I flew it on the Friday lunch time, caught up
with some family on the Saturday game on the Sunday,
and flew out Tuesday.

Speaker 12 (01:05:31):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:05:32):
What I mean, what was it like when they went
when that whistle went, and they in their promotion was
how many how many Forest fans were there?

Speaker 12 (01:05:41):
Well?

Speaker 26 (01:05:42):
Well, I think Wembley hole's about ninety thousand, and Forests
sold out, you know, and then about a day that
they've got a huge fan base because of the historical
support I guess they've had. Nottingham is a huge football
and sporting town, I guess, And they sold out tickets immediately,
and so there's at least fifty thousand Forest fans. Then
it can probably sold another fifty to be.

Speaker 2 (01:06:01):
Honest, And so like I said that just before, you know,
having finished just above the relegation zone last season, then
you had the four point deduction for you know, whatever
reason that is won't go into that, and the inn
the previous year sort of sixteenth or whatever it was,
did you have reasonably modest expectations at the start of
the season.

Speaker 26 (01:06:21):
Oh Mat, Look, I've pinched for myself every weekend when
I wake up and see the scores at the moment,
I'm a bit like I'm a bit like your podcaster.
I'm a bit of a realist when it comes to
the forest, having had twenty years of disappointment, and I
just keep expecting the bubble to burst and the five
Mils are bornemous. The other week I thought, oh geez,
maybe the bubble has burst now and will sort of

(01:06:42):
falter away. But they just looked so solid in defense.
And you know what are you popping up with gold
and Morgan, Gibbs White who and Ali Anderson?

Speaker 12 (01:06:49):
That could be the England midfield for the next fifteen years.

Speaker 2 (01:06:52):
Their quality, brilliant stuff. Ben, Thanks for calling in mate.
I'm so glad you got the chance to go over there.
It is something that will love you with your favorite
game on Sunday and home Tuesday. Man, it's a tough
it's a tough trip home, mate, it's a tough trip home.
Thanks for calling, Derek. What are your thoughts on Forrest
and why they're doing so well?

Speaker 12 (01:07:10):
Well?

Speaker 6 (01:07:10):
It doesn't surprise me. Actually, I watched the game this
morning and I watched the game last week. He neither
game surprised me because Bournemouth the week before, of course
put Newcastle to the sword. It's in Chases Park and
they played him off. They could have been eight little
oone poor one. And then against Forrest they both teams
have got a lot of big, strong players and Bournemouth
the've got a lot of small, skillful players with pace

(01:07:32):
and David Brooks and that, and they tore Bournemouth. They
tore Forest apart last week. But no, it was completely
different now the Bournemouth side under Spirito Cento. If you
look at the team that he had with Walls, and
he got them promoted and they did fantastically well in
the Premier League. They had this rule him and as
this Mexican center forward and they diego Jotterer on one

(01:07:52):
side and they had another wing on the out side.

Speaker 12 (01:07:53):
I can't remember his.

Speaker 6 (01:07:54):
Name, but they played a very similar top of football
where they break with the wingers and they break with
real pace. And he turned that rule himenes into a
local hero at Walls. He's got a mountain of goals.
You know, before he had that before he had that
head injury. He's starting to come back now it's full him.
But he was brilliant at the time and now Chris
Wood's doing the same thing. He's got that Langer on
one side, Husan a door. He's more of a goal

(01:08:16):
scoring winger and gives White. Of course he's a number ten.
He's played for England already this year. I mean those
are attacking players now. When they played Liverpool and they
inflicted that one loss that was at Enfield this year,
they played with a low block and slots it afterwards
that he struck their Liverpool struggled against the low block
and then Forrest would just break and break with purpose.

(01:08:37):
And then he saw the game this morning. I mean,
Brighton has sixty two percent of possession, so they had
plenty of They had plenty of ball. And that van
Hecker that plays at the back, that Dutch defender for
Brighton made he's a tough guy and he's a real
good player, one of the best center backs in the league. Yeah,
Chris Wood's movement got him away. And if look at

(01:08:58):
Chris Wood's goals, that first Hitder, I mean he dreams
about those sorts of crosses from a Langer and that
second one was right in the six yard box. Those
were two real Chris Woods. Now, okay, Chris Wood is
an old fashioned type of guy. He plays limited sort
of ability. But it's no point in having all that
nice approach work from a Langer and hudsond a doory
and goes well if you don't have somebody to finish
off the chances. And like seventeen league goals. I looked

(01:09:20):
at Olie Watkins last year for Villa. He's one of
my favorite strikers. He got twenty seven goals last year,
but nineteen league goals, and they're like gold dust in
the stage of the season. Seventeen goals, give me a break.
I remember he was at Leeds United at Chris Wood
and he didn't even get a mention at the Hallbergs
and that was in the championship. I don't think Leeds
got promoted that yet. But he's got thirty goals at year.
I mean, he was absolutely phenomenal. And he looked at

(01:09:43):
first look. At first glance, he looked like an old
fashioned Nat Lofthouse Lawton Bob Latchword type center forward, you know,
straight through the middle. Give me a cross otherwise I'm
not going to do anything else. But at the end
of the day, look, he's had a look at this
penalty count there until he scored the last six in
a row, so he's even scoring from penalties as well,
and he looks hungry for goals. And I heard during

(01:10:04):
the week of every funny story he was there was
a song put out in Nottingham by some guy all
about Chris Wood. And I looked down at the reviews
on it, and the guy said, oh, this is one
of the finest vocal performances in recent history. Then I
realized that the guy was a Notingham Forest broadcast. Then
I checked further. He is a Noding and Forest season

(01:10:25):
ticket holder, so I think he's a little bit bias
with us. I haven't heard the song, but maybe you
can produce it. It could play it, but apparently it's
all about Chris Wood.

Speaker 2 (01:10:34):
I'll try and find it.

Speaker 12 (01:10:35):
Derrek.

Speaker 2 (01:10:35):
Good on you, mate, Leeds, you'll know this. Leads won
seven nol last night as well. They bet cart off
their top of the championship, which is the one below
the Premier League. Glen on email Jason as a Palace fan,
nothing more gratifying than seeing Brighton get done, but seven
nil has made this Sunday a day of much comfort
and joy. I tuned him for the second half, but
have seen Wood's first goal. He is proving a master finisher.

(01:10:59):
He doesn't make many goals on his own, but he
reads the game and has a finisher's instinct when it
comes to where he should be. And with the best
of them, I would say statistically he's better than Earling
Harland and chance has converted this season at least great
to see him doing so well. Couldn't agree more. Gland
could not agree more. Is Chris Wood bigger than what

(01:11:19):
Winton Rufe was? Asks this text. Look, I'm not going
to go into that today. This is an argument that
needs a lot more time dedicated to it. But you know,
rather than compare across generations and across competitions, I think
we can just all agree that Chris Wood is having
the time of his life in the Premier League right
now and in a couple of months is going to

(01:11:41):
be back here. Fact less than a couple of months
back end of March, the All Whites are in the
final stages of World Cup qualifying. They take on Fiji
and Wellington on the twenty first of March. Win that
that's a Friday night, and then on the Monday night
they'll beat Eden Park in Auckland for the OEFC Oceanny
Football Confederation World Cup Qualifying Final and they're off to

(01:12:04):
the World Cup direct entry for Oceania. Now, of course,
and Chris Wood always always always comes back.

Speaker 12 (01:12:12):
None of this.

Speaker 2 (01:12:13):
I've got a bit of a hamstring niggler. I'm not
going to travel all that way. He always comes back.
He'll come back, He'll lead that side. And I just
think it would be a tremendous swan song for him
if he leads the All Whites to a World Cup,
takes them to that World Cup in a couple of years.
And you know, he not necessarily started his career at

(01:12:34):
a World Cup, but he went in twenty ten when
he was only eighteen years old. Would love to think
that he'd go to another one in twenty twenty six
and then come back to New Zealand for a season
with Auckland FC or the Phoenix maybe who knows. Nineteen
away from two updating you from the Cricket seventy seven
for five the Blaze seventy seven for five and that
is in the sixteenth over, so Otago have a firm

(01:12:57):
grip on the women's final in the Big Bash, but
the Blaze doing their best to score a few more
and put a decent total on the ball or seventy
seven for five? Did I say seventy seven for five
coming towards the end of the sixteenth over, they stake
a break when we come back. James mcconey in his
regular Sunday slot.

Speaker 1 (01:13:18):
The Big Issues on and After Field Call eight hundred
eighty ten eighty Weekend Sport with Jason Pain and GJ.
Gunner homes New Zealand's most trusted home.

Speaker 2 (01:13:28):
Milder News Talks B sixteen away from two Sunday afternoon
means James mcconey at around about this time, Hello, mate,
good a piney.

Speaker 20 (01:13:36):
Please excuse the cicadas. I'm in kafire again. But those
cicadas are the reason why when they filmed the last
Summurai down in Tallanaki and they had to redoub.

Speaker 2 (01:13:46):
It all and post, the cicadas wanted the starring role.

Speaker 20 (01:13:51):
Yeah, they couldn't hit Tom Cruise. He wanted to be heard.

Speaker 2 (01:13:54):
I think that's probably fair enough given what he was
being paid for the movie. Anyway, we digress. I think
Chris Wood is about the biggest star as Tom Cruise
right now, what do you reckon?

Speaker 12 (01:14:05):
Oh?

Speaker 20 (01:14:05):
Massive, definitely bigger than Tom Cruise and also probably bringing
you know, big front men back. We've kind of scattered
around that subject in previous years. But seventeen goals as
best all ever in a Premier League season and we're
only two thirds of the way through. So this is
just incredible stuff from Chris Wood with his hat trick

(01:14:27):
last night against Brighton. But I think it changes the
game to me. I think a lot of teams will
be thinking about a proper front man now. I know
Harland has kind of been that for Man City, but
he's a bit a different beast because he's got all
that speed. I think really what you're looking at Chris
Wood as just somebody who gives them the perfect target,
knows how to find the back of the net, and

(01:14:49):
has you know, can score in a multitude of ways,
which is really shown now. He's not just a heater
from the six yard box.

Speaker 2 (01:14:56):
Indeed, I'm glad the old fashion number nine is coming
back into fashion because you know, for a while we
didn't see that type of player, did we everyone was
sort of a nippy winger or a creative number ten.
I'm not sure there was a place for the for
the Chris Woods of this world.

Speaker 20 (01:15:11):
Yeah, I mean, let you think about it, like Argentina
went from a beautiful number nine and Buddy Stussa to
the to the messy years, right, and of course in
the end it had got them a World Cup, but
it was painful for a long time there, and I
think it would have it would have they would have
benefited from having someone like that. I mean, they they
dabbled with it. Chris bo. I'm getting deep into football

(01:15:33):
territory here, but I just think what Chris has done
is phenomenal and also probably shows that in its first
let's say, five or six years of a profession of
being a professional footballer, he probably wasn't all that professional.
But now he is the gold standard. He's the guys
really pretty much found focus. And whether it's having other
business interests like you know, the horses that he's that

(01:15:56):
he owns, and and also you know with getting married
and all these things, I think Chris Wood and out
now the dad has has turned the page for professionally
where he just is really going to be a force
to be reckoned with. Should be all whites make the
World Cup, and I think they will give him. That
has to be the best for Oceania. And with him

(01:16:17):
at the hell, I'm surely we're going through.

Speaker 2 (01:16:20):
I would have to think so. And alongside him, you'd
have to think there'll be a few Auckland FC players
as well, particularly given the way they're going right now.
Speaking of sticking it in the mixer as they do
for Chris Wood, Francis Devrees is getting pretty good at
that and lous ver Strata with a goal yesterday and
Auckland are five points clear at the top.

Speaker 20 (01:16:39):
Well, I do want to talk about Francis Deverse. Frankie says, relax,
I've got this. Anyone there from the eighties.

Speaker 2 (01:16:46):
Hello, gotcha, I've got ya.

Speaker 20 (01:16:49):
But he with no diverse, no wins, That's what I'm saying.
His delivery is so good. I think he saved the
club at least in four games. But also in terms
of assists, he must be leading the A League poney,
because it's just mounting up and it's about time we
look at the person who was laying it on the

(01:17:09):
assists because they don't always get the headlines. There always
used to be the goal scorer, even if it was
a tapping from one yard, they'd get the headlines. But
as far as I'm concerned, it should be all about
Debrees And yeah, I think he's got to go to
the World Cup.

Speaker 2 (01:17:21):
Yeah, I think he is. I mean he's more and
more appealing as Libby Cacaci's backup. But I've seen a
bit of narrative around at the moment saying, imagine Francis
Dvrees putting in these wonderful crosses for Chris Wood. It
feels like a match made in heaven.

Speaker 20 (01:17:36):
Well, that's the thing.

Speaker 12 (01:17:37):
I think.

Speaker 20 (01:17:37):
Libby Cocaci is versatile. I know he's mainly played left
back his career, but if you look at the way
he's developed and it'tle He's very comfortable on the ball.
I think he could play left side, in midfield, or
even inside left if you know someone like Saravrek wasn't available,
I think you can push him further upfield. He's got
a how its are of a shot on him, Libby.
So yeah, I'll bring on Devise.

Speaker 2 (01:17:59):
I say, indeed, all right, six Nations is underway. We've
had the first weekend gie. Wales aren't having much fun
at the moment, are they?

Speaker 20 (01:18:06):
And I feel sorry for Warren Gatlin. You know, gatz
is a good man and he's very loyal and you
know I had that. He even turned down the England
job to stay with Wales, mainly because he wouldn't have
been allowed back in Wales to that to his house
for the young. There there reasons, but also it's out
of loyalty and he said, look, I'll help you rebuild.

(01:18:27):
And the problem is he is deep in a rebuild
and this is what happens. You will fall, you'll lose
by almost fifty points to France, and that's what happened yesterday.
So look, I think they should persevere with him through
the Six Nations. But you know it's going to be
tough for Whales. They even look at some of the
players they're bringing on that there's a young first five

(01:18:48):
called Dan Edwards who's going to be the future savior
for Wales. He will be really good. But he made
his test debut coming on and it was twenty one
or twenty eight mil yesterday off the bench. That's there
is a proper baptism of fire for him. And he's
not ready yet, But hey, years he could be. And
Gats has shown even when he was the Chief Chiefs

(01:19:10):
and had that terrible losing streak, you can see the
players he brought through two point by Summersony, Tokyoho, Quintupia,
all under his tutelage came through in those horrible the
thirteen game wins losing streaks. Sorry, but hey, this key
he's doing well for Ireland. So not not so bad,

(01:19:31):
not so bad.

Speaker 2 (01:19:31):
Just I finished with the NFL in Super Bowl, which
I think is tomorrow week, isn't it. They normally have
quite a big build up to this. They an't that
big week of festivities and celebrations.

Speaker 20 (01:19:43):
Yeah, there's lots of media days. Can you remember Marshall
and Lynch said I'm only here because they made me.
They made me. Yeah, so his quote, he repeated that quote.
I think they're a bit more media friendly, both these teams.
But it is the match made and let's call it
ratings Heaven because you've got Taylor Swift against the Philadelphia Eagle.

(01:20:06):
So Taylor Swift, of course is Travis Kelcey's girlfriend and
she's going to be there. Patrick Mahomes as the quarterback
and they're going for a three peat, which has ever
been done. So meanwhile, you've got the Philadelphia Eagles, and
of course they've already had a pretty star studded scene.

(01:20:27):
They've got Patrick Malarta who's got plucked from South Sydney
rabbit Ohs to be a big offensive lineman. So there's
a bit of down Under flavor pacifica flavor there. But
also Sakwon Barclay is the man who everybody will remember
doing the reverse hurdle jumping a player going backwards this
year and he's just been a total superstar.

Speaker 12 (01:20:47):
So a lot to like.

Speaker 20 (01:20:49):
And there I say it, I'm going for chefs Monna.

Speaker 12 (01:20:52):
Well, what a.

Speaker 2 (01:20:53):
Surprise, What a surprise, back to the cicadas for you.
Let's chat again next Sunday, shall we?

Speaker 20 (01:20:59):
Yep? Sure, poney, it will be a new insect and
a new me.

Speaker 2 (01:21:02):
James mcconey part of our Sundays around this time on
weekend sport catch them across your socials, part of the
alternative commentary collective. Craig goes Wild on Sky and as
I say, a big part of our Sundays as well.
Eight Away from two news talks.

Speaker 1 (01:21:17):
Breaking down the Hail Mary's and the epic fails Weekend
Sport with Jason yin news Talk.

Speaker 2 (01:21:25):
Zeb five to two, updating you from the basement reserve
nineteen overs gone and Wellington's innings ninety five for seven.
They are against Otago man. The Otago Sparks have got
a pretty firm grip on this game, ninety five for
seven with an over to go, So Wellington kind of
stumbling their way towards three figures, which I guess would
at least give them a bit of a psychological boost

(01:21:46):
if they can get past the three figures. But Otago
I've done a pretty good job of keeping Wellington in
check and mast sense an opportunity to chase down whatever
total is eventually posted in this last over by Wellington.
We'll keep you up to date. Speaking of the Super Smash,
the men's final will follow also at the base in
reserve twenty five. I've passed four this afternoon that one

(01:22:07):
gets underway. It'll feature the Central Stacks who finished top
qualifiers against Canterbury, who yesterday earned their place by virtue
of a win a very comprehensive win over the Northern
Brave in the elimination final. At one point I was
following this game. I was out of the football and
I sort of had my phone and I was checking
the score and I thought something had happened to my

(01:22:29):
phone because I looked down and it had seven for five.
I thought they can't be five down for seven, but
indeed they were the Northern Brave. Somehow I got through
about one hundred and ten, but Canterbury chased it down.
Canterbury coach Peter Fulton with us after two o'clock. We'll
also get you to the UK for in more in
depth chat about the Six Nations. Weekend One is done,

(01:22:50):
All done, Wins for Scotland, for France and also for
Ireland and a man running two hundred and ten kilometers continuously.

Speaker 1 (01:22:59):
The only place for the big names, the big issues,
the big controversies, the big conversations. It's all on Weekends
Forward with Jason Hin on your home of sport News Talks.

Speaker 12 (01:23:14):
It'd been.

Speaker 2 (01:23:16):
Two o seven. This is Weekend Sportland till three on
Jason Pine, Andy McDonald's show. Producer Peter Fulton's on the
sharer moment, coach of the Canterbury cricket team as they
look to end five years have hurt. This is their
fifth straight T twenty men's final. They've lost the last four,
surely it's their time. They take on the Stags this

(01:23:38):
afternoon from four to twenty five. Peter Fulton along in
a moment six stations underweight, Martin Gillingham out of the
UK unpacking that for us bergwin for France over Wales,
Scotland beating Italy and Ireland over England and Dublin this
morning as well, how did all six teams look? And
we'll also check them with a man who across this

(01:23:59):
weekend has set himself the target of running for forty
hours straight, two hundred and ten kilometers continuously for a
great cause. This is happening in the Nilson region. We'll
get to the man in question in a little while
as well. Your cause and correspondence always welcome. Oh eight

(01:24:21):
hundred and eighty ten eighties the number on the phone
nineteen ninety two on text emails to Jason at Newstalk
SidD dot co dot nz. But as we approach eight
pass two, let's get you up to date with some
of the stuff that might have escaped your attention. The
sporting bits and pieces that have happened over the last
little while that you can't possibly have kept up with
not all of it anyway. Let's start with the Six Nations.

(01:24:42):
Good outing for Scotland to get their campaign underway, which
starts with the tour last summer.

Speaker 28 (01:24:47):
Tom Jordan lovely pass hu jokes, he's on and hunt time.

Speaker 2 (01:24:54):
A huge jokes and that's Scott's farm.

Speaker 22 (01:24:58):
Layer running over it.

Speaker 2 (01:25:00):
Build under a hero today he's huge jokes here. Good start.
Thirty one nine thine teen winners over Italy. Still in
the UK, Liverpool continue to top the English Premier League
table out of Shalah and he extra togs class and
he's done it so beautifully. A dazzling girl from the hammock.

Speaker 29 (01:25:22):
Shalah to double Liverpool's advantage.

Speaker 2 (01:25:27):
Chadorias finish Antonil one over Bournemouth sees Liverpool nine points
clear at the top. Speaking of teams at the top
of the table, come on down Auckland FC to Greece.

Speaker 29 (01:25:38):
This classic is always quality lo China for curtil Can
didn't get its the late nights again and this.

Speaker 9 (01:25:49):
Time it's lively to China.

Speaker 2 (01:25:51):
When there's Thursday league men's gone and I can go
two one ahead and one at two to one over
MacArthur the breaker is a bit late in the season,
but have found some cohesiveness in an impressive home win
over the Kent's Type bands seven point defficent for the
Snake Slay with a massive three big one.

Speaker 29 (01:26:10):
Bernie off Lives It's a King and the New Zealand
Riker's Return.

Speaker 2 (01:26:15):
The winners list Lydia Coe a storming third round in
the LPGA Tournament of champions.

Speaker 9 (01:26:22):
Lydia Co on eighteen to put together more than a
bogey three round of sixty five.

Speaker 28 (01:26:28):
Little stroke okay, how much that broke short range?

Speaker 21 (01:26:32):
Wonderful save there.

Speaker 29 (01:26:35):
And really has put herself.

Speaker 2 (01:26:36):
In position indeed in a type of third, just four
shots back from the lead. In Australia, the whitewash was
completed in the women's Ashes cricket series. Are Stop Taking.

Speaker 29 (01:26:49):
Come over the Rives a Australia had Alana King a maiden.

Speaker 2 (01:26:54):
Kata at the MCAGS.

Speaker 6 (01:26:57):
You'll be on the on a board Australia comprehensive brook
start to finish.

Speaker 2 (01:27:03):
Complete still across the Dutch ki we Eli Wallaston got
her season off to our winning start in the kdell
Evans Great Ocean Cycling Road Race.

Speaker 23 (01:27:12):
The rider in the Purple Jersey goes, but he comes
Ali Walliston.

Speaker 2 (01:27:16):
Here comes Ali Willison in.

Speaker 21 (01:27:17):
A new coleus of m DJ Suez.

Speaker 2 (01:27:19):
Nobody's going to come close. Nobody's going to.

Speaker 21 (01:27:22):
Be able to challenge.

Speaker 2 (01:27:23):
And is Ali Wallerston who wins the Cattle Leven's Great
Ocean road Race.

Speaker 24 (01:27:27):
What a start is being for the new Zealand rider
and a new team of.

Speaker 21 (01:27:32):
F DJ Suez.

Speaker 2 (01:27:33):
Here one onto Ellie Walliston. Not though the comeback we
were hoping for for Israel adisnya. He wins the biggest.

Speaker 6 (01:27:49):
Fight through his life.

Speaker 2 (01:27:54):
He couples the former.

Speaker 30 (01:27:55):
Champion one shot to kill a legend that was unbelievable,
tazing every you from every angle in the sporting world.

Speaker 1 (01:28:09):
Weekends for It with Jason Pine Call eighty News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:28:14):
NB coming up. Twelve past two. The domestic T twenty
silverware handed out to the Basin Otago against Wellington in
the women's final. Otaga I've just started their run chase
for one hundred and five to win the women's trophy.
It follows or will be followed by c D against
Canterbury and the men's final. Canterbury earning their place with

(01:28:34):
a comprehensive seven wicket win over Northern in the elimination
final yesterday.

Speaker 29 (01:28:41):
Why here's an opportunity for med dwell on the rope
and takes it cleanly.

Speaker 2 (01:28:46):
Player might strikes a fourth one false this time etisode Donald. Oh,
Matt Henry, he's so for none. He's only halfway through
his third over. Yeah, he's picked up his second worker
yet to concede a run. It just goes from bad
to worse for the Brave. I don't know what's happening
out there. Matt Henry's has folled three over. He's got

(01:29:06):
eighteen dodd balls. That runs for two records. But more importantly,
Northern Braves seven four, seven for four. It got worse.
They were seven for five a short time later before
somehow getting through to one hundred and ten for nine.
Canterbury chased that down inside fourteen overs to make the
final today. Canterbury coach is Peter Fulton, who joins us. Now, Peter,
what was going through mine yesterday when you set Northern

(01:29:28):
in and there were seven for five?

Speaker 12 (01:29:31):
Yeah, it was pretty pretty surreal. I suppose the wicket, look,
it was.

Speaker 5 (01:29:36):
A new surface, plenty of bounds, plenty of pace, so
probably you know if you'd if you'd turned up and
you know, got to choose the sort of surface you'd
like to play on our with our team and our
bowling attack, and that would have definitely been in I
suppose just.

Speaker 2 (01:29:51):
Want to ask about a couple of year bowlers. Matt
Henry four overs two for two remarkable. Can you tell
us I can tell us a bit more about his
bowling yesterday?

Speaker 12 (01:30:00):
Oh, look, he just did what he does.

Speaker 5 (01:30:03):
I think probably over the last year or so eighteen months,
you know, you can really see he's just in complete
control of I guess, his bowling and he knows what
to do. He knows on each surface, against each each
you know, it gives a different batsman where he has
to bowl. And I think he's probably taken a lot
of confidence. I suppose, as I say, over the last

(01:30:23):
twelve eighteen months, he's probably you know, he's taken over
that mantle as the as the leading bowler and all
three formats of New Zealand, you know pretty much. So, yeah,
at the at the peak of his powers, and hopefully
he's got another good performance listed him today.

Speaker 2 (01:30:38):
Absolutely. Corle Jamison also picked up some Willkets three for
him as he back to full footness. Now, Peter, will
he play a red bull cricket for you?

Speaker 5 (01:30:46):
I don't think you play. I don't think you played
red bull cricket this season.

Speaker 12 (01:30:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:30:50):
Look, he's fully he's fully fit. But he's obviously only
bowling four overs four overs in a match.

Speaker 12 (01:30:56):
At a time at the moment.

Speaker 5 (01:30:57):
So yeah, I think it's I think his plan is
to is to try and sort of keep keep building
up through Ford Trophy and you know, with an eye
on being available for those for those white ball matches
against Pakistan when the black Caps get back from Champions
Trophy and with the bat.

Speaker 2 (01:31:12):
Matt Boyle top scored for you again yesterday forty eight
off twenty five, closing in on four hundred runs for
the season. Now top run scorer in the camp. He
striking it up over one fifty. Why has he been
so effective for you this summer?

Speaker 4 (01:31:25):
Oh?

Speaker 5 (01:31:26):
Look, I mean he's got he's got I guess, a
full full of sort of a ray of shots. He
can score off the back foot, he can score off
the front foot. He can you know, he can they
spin well. So he's always had that talent. He's a
prolific run scorer sort of all through high school and
underage cricket, taking him a couple of years at this
level just to find his feet and work a few

(01:31:47):
things out. But yeah, he's in He's in some great
form at the moment. His confidence is really high, and yeah,
just really pleased for him for the amount of work
he's done in the struggles he's had to go through,
you know, during the initial sort of year or two
of his career.

Speaker 2 (01:32:00):
What were they? What have you helped him with? Particularly?
What what's you know, as a has a light bulb
turned on? What's happened to him to allow him to
go from struggling to now, you know, thriving.

Speaker 5 (01:32:11):
I think probably just the mental side of the game.
You know, there's there's different pressures that I guess are
put on you externally and also that you put on
yourself when you first, I suppose, you know, become a
contracted player and you know you sort of have that
label of a professional cricketer. So yeah, he's probably just
growing up a little bit over the last couple of years.

(01:32:32):
He's matured, he's worked out you know, how he wants
to play, you know, and also the tempo at which
he needs to back. So yeah, like I said, the
mental side of the game, he's made some big improvements
and like I said, I'm sure he's gonna have a
really big future in the game.

Speaker 2 (01:32:47):
That's his brother Jack in the CD side, isn't it.
How do you think his parents or their parents support
on a day like today?

Speaker 5 (01:32:53):
Yeah, I'm not too sure.

Speaker 12 (01:32:54):
I'm not too sure.

Speaker 5 (01:32:55):
I mean the dad Justin played for he played first
class cricket for Cannery and Wellington. Yeah, and their uncle
David played for Cannerbry as well. So I mean, you're
just I suppose you put two and two together and
I'd have to be supporting academ wouldn't they.

Speaker 2 (01:33:08):
Well, I presume. So look, I presume. So loo's look
at the season as a whole. You lost four of
your first five T twenty games. What was the problem
early on?

Speaker 5 (01:33:19):
Look, I think the first two games in particular, we
were we were in winning positions to win both and
you know, we threw it away probably in the last
five or six overs. You know about betting and so yeah,
at one stage there was the back end it looked
like those those games we're gonna we're going to probably
come back to buy this, you know. But we started

(01:33:39):
playing some really good cricket at the back end, and
look we had some we're a little bit of good
fortune with with CD beating Auckland and then a rain out.
So well, I suppose that's the swings and roundabout for
cricket last year at this time of the season. You know,
we we got, you know, we got we got the
rough end of the stick with the weather and with
the final at Eaton Park. So yeah, like I said, hopefully,

(01:34:03):
hopefully we'll do a little bit of luck and we've
managed to suppose this far. You take take it with
both hands.

Speaker 2 (01:34:09):
Something you've had to deal with, and in fact a
lot of coaches have to have to deal with, is
the reintegration of your black Caps players back into your side.
How do you go about that, Peter in terms of
you know, I guess guys who have been there for you,
but but no that they're probably going to drop out
when when somebody from the black Caps comes back in.

Speaker 12 (01:34:29):
Yeah, look, it's not easy.

Speaker 5 (01:34:31):
I suppose, you know, for us, we sort of talk
about it at the start of each season and that's
just the reality. I mean, the guys, the guys are
not silly. They can they can look at the domestic schedule,
they can look at the international schedule and they can
work it out for themselves, you know, when certain guys
might be available. So look at philosophy here is obviously,

(01:34:52):
when the black cap guys come back, they play. That's
just even if it's for one game, that's you know,
that's just that's just how it is. And we're just
I suppose we're lucky that the guys that do come
back from international cricket, you know, when when they come back,
are normally really keen to play and to try and
you know, pitch in and do their bit.

Speaker 2 (01:35:11):
I couldn't believe this. I checked this this morning. The
last time Canibry won the domestic T twenty men's camp
was the summer of five six. You were on the team. Then,
has this piece of silver? We're being a target for you?

Speaker 12 (01:35:23):
Oh, they're all, they're all a target. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:35:26):
I suppose the T twenty one is probably in some
ways as the it's the possibly the hardest to win
because it's the most the games, the most fickle, you know,
and a couple of good overs here or there, or
a couple of good balls here or there can decide
can decide the game. Yeah, we've we've done really well
the last few years. We've made finals, and you know,

(01:35:47):
we've either been beaten on the day by an individual
innings or like I said, last year, the weather sort
of you know, caused us to come unstuck.

Speaker 12 (01:35:56):
So yeah, looking to.

Speaker 5 (01:35:58):
Be obviously nice to to want to be twenty comp
and sort of get that monkey off the back. But yeah,
I sort of feel like we're we're coming into this
one out of all of them, probably with the least
amount of pressure because yeah, ten days ago, probably no
one thought we were going to be in the Semis,
and probably some of the other teams. We're probably pretty
pretty glad about that given the given the side we

(01:36:18):
were going to have come this time of the competition.

Speaker 2 (01:36:21):
You do you reckon your favorites for this game?

Speaker 12 (01:36:24):
Oh, I don't know.

Speaker 5 (01:36:25):
I mean CD CD have had a really good season.
I've they've won had two runouts and won six of
the eight games. So they're playing some really good cricket
and they've got they've got plenty of guys in their
team that have you know, played a high level cricket too.
So yeah, I mean it doesn't it doesn't really make
any difference to us. I said, we know that, you know,
we know that most of the country probably don't want

(01:36:46):
us to win, so we're we're hoping to disappoint a
few people.

Speaker 2 (01:36:49):
Oh, I'm sure that's not true.

Speaker 5 (01:36:52):
That's not true, faults, But that's definitely true.

Speaker 12 (01:36:58):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:36:59):
Well, as you mentioned a couple of times, I made
the final last year, abandoned due to rain Auklamanic because
they finished top. How's the forecasting in Wellington today?

Speaker 5 (01:37:08):
No, it looks okay, It looks okay. Yesterday there was
walk of a few showers in the afternoon, but they
never materialized. So yeah, I think I think we should
be okay, though.

Speaker 2 (01:37:17):
Good man, Hey, all the best. Better, great to chat
to yours always cheers, fiddy, Thanks mate, No, thank you,
may that's better. Faulton coach of Canterbury. Apparently everybody wants
Central to win. Well, Like I said, I'm not sure
that's true. I think Cannaburry our favorite. You look at
that team, they're stacked, absolutely stacked full of black Caps players,
you know. But CD have been very, very good right
across the season, some excellent players. Jack Boyle's been terrific

(01:37:41):
for them. Tom Bruce as well. We spoke to Jayden Lennox,
yesterday has been excellent with the ball. Yeah, oh well
it was because they put up a fight. It'll be
a great scrap between those two four twenty five this afternoon,
following the women's final, which is on at the moment.
The Otago sparks thirteen without loss in the third over,
so they've negotiated things pretty well. Bella James and Susie Bates.

(01:38:02):
They're only chasing one hundred and five to win this
game against the Blaze, so they don't have to go
hellful leather from the start. They just have to stay safe.
And just as I say that, Susie bats ramps one
down to fine leg. We'll keep eyes on that for you.
Men's final underweight at four twenty five. It is two
twenty two. It's take a break, come back and talk
some Six Nations Rugby.

Speaker 1 (01:38:24):
One, crutch Hold Engage Weekends for us with Jason PyME
and GJ gun Homes, New Zealand's frost Trusted home builder
News talks to Baby.

Speaker 2 (01:38:34):
Two twenty four just on the t twenty Men's final
from Robbie Yet that is true. I'm from Otago, Go
the stacks. Thanks Robbie. Musci's no pinty, that is true.
Anyone at Canterbury, Well, I feel I feel like it's
not as vigorous our our anyone but Canterbury feeling our
ABC feeling in cricket. I don't know, Maybe I'm wrong.

(01:38:58):
I know that often when it comes to rugby we
revel in the fact that people beat Canterbury or the Crusaders.
I'm not sure it's the same in cricket. Maybe it
is a second half Blitt's meantime, by Ireland has earned
them a twenty seven twenty two went over England in
their Six Nations rugby clash in Dublin. A little bit
slow getting to them, but it is there now.

Speaker 28 (01:39:17):
Don't she great? Down from the hooker to jamesaw Islands.
I've got the Finnish ship road here?

Speaker 31 (01:39:32):
What the island of Bowles?

Speaker 12 (01:39:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:39:34):
They trailed ten to five at half time, but the
Irish then scored twenty two unanswered points before too late
tries from England closed the score line up. Scotland meantime
have overcome. It's at least thirty one nineteen in Murrayfield.
And yesterday, of course, France demolished Wales forty three nil.
Let's bring in rugby commentator and journalists based in the
UK Martin, Gillingham, Martin, thanks for joining us on weekend sport.

(01:39:57):
Let's start with Ireland twenty seven England twenty two. Once
Ireland did get their noses in front in the fifty
sixth minute, did you feel us though they always the
game under control?

Speaker 21 (01:40:08):
Yeah, I mean I got the impression really that. I mean,
I felt that Island had it under control. Really after
about twenty minutes plucking England defense. We eventually saw the
yellow car coming the first half of Marcus Smith, but
I felt that England were already on the back foot
then be You're absolutely right. I mean, eventually they broke

(01:40:32):
the back of the England defense early in the second
half and I think after that there was only one
winner and in the end the school line really flattered England.
So I mean, let's be frank, I don't think this
is quite the quality of Ireland side that we saw
two years ago, even going into the World Cup, which
was a huge disappointment to them. So I think it's

(01:40:54):
an Island side which has its weaknesses, particularly in the
front row. They're very short on props and to dispatch
England in the end as comfortably as they did. I
think that's a great concern to follow us of England.

Speaker 2 (01:41:08):
All Right, we'll talk about a little bit more in
a moment, But the twenty two point run, the twenty
two unanswered points from Ireland between what minutes fifty two
and seventy three? Was that good from them or did
English eras contribute to that? What was the story of
that twenty two point run.

Speaker 21 (01:41:24):
Well, I think, like most and I think that Ireland
things didn't quite click. I think the air account was
quite high in the first half. I don't think they
were as clinical as perhaps they could have been. That said,
I think the elements of the England defense, which now
has has sort of moved on and adopted a different

(01:41:46):
method from the one that Felix Jones, who of course
departed the England management just rather under a cloud, and
I think that proved pretty effective. But I mean the
reality is Ireland started to hit their straps on about
sort of fifty minutes something like that, and in the

(01:42:09):
end those two late tries that you talk about from
England I think really flattered them. Usually, so I think
it's a better Island performance because they were very unconvincing
over the November period. I think that you know, there's
never anything, you know that there's never a bad New
Zealand team. But I don't think, and maybe I'm going

(01:42:30):
to spark a bit of controversy downe in your part
of the world at the moment you've not got one
of the great All Blacks teams. But to suffer defeat
to the All Blacks in November and be unconvincing in
the other fixtures I think suggested that this Island team,
this Island squad is a little bit over the peak

(01:42:50):
of the hill, which I think it was at going
to the World Cup. So I think England have got
to look at it in that respect. As for Ireland,
certainly a much better performance in the second half is
the best we've seen from them now really, I think
since they put France to the sword in the first
round of the Six Nations Championship last year.

Speaker 2 (01:43:12):
Let's talk a bit about England back in the last year.
The one over Japan to finish the year, but losses
to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, a couple of
narrow losses down here midg Yea. Where do you ascease.
Where England are right now?

Speaker 21 (01:43:26):
I mean I think in many respects today demonstrated that
they're no further forward than they were really almost a
year ago. Yes, they came close twice against you guys,
but again they came close in November. But it's the
inability really in that final half hour to get the

(01:43:48):
job done. And I mean I think today in the
end was reasonably emphatic and I know I'm repeating myself
despite the school line, they were well well beaten in
the end. And Steve Borthwick, I mean, how much longer
can the Rugby Football Union you with this? I mean
I heard that the target was to win at least

(01:44:10):
four out of five matches in the six Nations and
already that's the best they can possibly do and they've
got France coming next week. I mean there are a
lot of off field distractions at the moment at the
Rugby Football Union. With the chief executive Bill Sweeney, it
would appear unlikely to keep his job, you know, for
much longer than this six Nations will run. So if

(01:44:33):
you have an England side who lose next weekend against France,
which I think is likely, I mean, Steve Borthwick really
is walking a very fine line.

Speaker 2 (01:44:46):
I hadn't caught up with that about Bill Sweeney. Is
that tied mainly to the on field performance of the
England men's side or are the other factors at play?

Speaker 21 (01:44:56):
No, there are other factors at play, and I think
the England rugby setup is intensely political. But the reality
is that Bill Sweeney is taking a huge salary, including
his bonuses, and there is certainly a lot of concern
around the clubs who were essentially the RFU are four.

(01:45:18):
They're not just there for the national side. There for
the teams that told the clubs that put out six
or seven fifteen's at a weekend in all four corners
of England, and I think that there's a lot of
disquiet about the way it's run. There was inevitably a
lot of concern about the amount of money that was

(01:45:38):
spent in losing Eddie Jones, because there was a huge
amount of compensation about nine hundred thousand pounds I understand,
just to lose Eddie Jones and his team, but then
there was almost a similar amount to compensate Lester to
get Steve Borthwick and his support to team on board.

Speaker 20 (01:45:59):
As well.

Speaker 21 (01:46:00):
So I think people are looking at the financial position
of the Rugby Football Union, which is not particularly rosy,
the amount of money that's been spent, and people are
seeing Sweeney's position really and the salary is taking home
as a reward for failure. And well, Steve Borthwick can say, look,

(01:46:23):
what goes on in the pitch is very different. But
the reality is he reports directly the Sweeney, and Sweeney
takes responsibility for the sacking of Eddie Jones and also
the appointments Steve Borthwick. So I think Borthwick must and
probably does, realize that if Sweeney goes to the scaffold, Borthwick,

(01:46:45):
if he doesn't win four or at the very least
three out of five matches, he'll be joining him.

Speaker 2 (01:46:52):
We will watch with great interest. Let's take it back
twenty four hours. You were there for France against Wales.
As you tweeted, nobody doesn't quite like the French. But Martin,
what are we going to do about Wales?

Speaker 12 (01:47:05):
I don't know.

Speaker 21 (01:47:06):
I mean, how long have you got a chat?

Speaker 2 (01:47:07):
I mean, I see, I mean.

Speaker 21 (01:47:14):
We could go on for twenty four hours and still
not arrive at any sort of conclusion. It's a terrible shame.
I mean, this is one of the great rugby nations
and in microcosm, if there's one thing that sums up
at Wales, it's you know, this is the country which
is famed for its mythical fly half factory and the
bloke they had starting at fly half yesterday is actually

(01:47:36):
a twelve. So I mean, that is where Welsh rugby
is at the moment. It's in deep crisis in very
simple terms these days, as it is in England, so
many more kids want to play football, the over ball game,
rather than rugby football, so they have that challenge. Also

(01:47:57):
we have England praying on Welsh talent and bringing them
over to that side of the Seven Bridge, and there
are a number of cases of that. The Welsh rugby
union had in place ten fifteen years ago, which looked

(01:48:19):
after a lot of emerging talent that doesn't exist anymore.
And again they are short of money. I mean, why
why do why do Wales always play an additional game
out of the November window for example? They need the
money and the regional rugby is not really worked. One

(01:48:42):
of the great things about Welsh rugby historically, with you know,
the clubs like Lenette, like Swanseea, like Cardiff, like Newport.
Well in the professional era, whilst they exist, they were
you know, now they're just basically playing local rugby and
it's for regional clubs who just simply don't attract the

(01:49:05):
interest in the attend. The Ospreys in Swansea, Yeah they're
playing Swansea, but they're not Swansea. The Scarlets playing Clanette,
but they're not Clanette. And I go to those grounds
and they draw what two three four thousand people for

(01:49:26):
matches and that just simply isn't sustainable. So you've got
the Welsh regents who in the UFC, you know, the
league which has now drawn in the South African franchises. Yeah,
there's a couple of them are doing quite well. I'm
talking about the Welsh franchises, the Scarlets and the Cardiff
this season, but they're per forming woefully and there wasn't

(01:49:51):
a single Welsh representative in the Champions Cup, which is
the elite continental competition. So yeah, I mean, we could
talk forever on the problems of Welsh rugby, but I
suspect it's a big moment coming up on South I'm
going to be there in Rome, up in Italy. It's
going to be outstanding favorites to beat them. And if

(01:50:13):
that happens, well, I think there's every chance that the
Wales will go to the final day of the Six
Nations in Cardiff against England, where you may well have
Steve Borthwick playing, you know, playing for his job. Maybey
then already be or have waved goodbye to it? I mean,
what is it now? Is it something like now seventeen

(01:50:36):
out of his last twenty five matches he hasn't won.
I mean, this is the man who used to, you know,
deliver Grand slams at will, but the serial winner, certainly
where Wales is concerned, Warren Gallan has now become a
serial loser.

Speaker 2 (01:50:50):
Just the word on front they beat Wales and I
know it's a low bar. They haven't won the Six
Nations since twenty twenty two. What field did you get
from the French yesterday?

Speaker 21 (01:51:02):
I mean I enjoyed French rugby and I think that
they do perhaps remain favorites to win it this year
and even to perform a Grand Slam. I mean that
great test is going to be It's going to be
Ireland big problem because Raman end to Mac shown a
red card on review yesterday. He won't be involved. There's

(01:51:24):
a big call to be made there by Fabian Gualtier.
I mean, we hang the bar high for France, and
by friend, I don't think they were that good. They
there were a lot of flat spots on Friday night
in Paris. Yet you know they put what was it
forty three points on them, which was a big home

(01:51:47):
win ever against Wales. Didn't quite touch the fifty one
nill that they beat Wales by at Wembley Stadium back
in nineteen ninety eight. But this is a France side
with plenty of injuries, Okay, I mean that's an occupy.

Speaker 12 (01:52:04):
Game.

Speaker 21 (01:52:05):
But I mean I like them and I think that
if they pick Matthias Jaliber, who is an outstanding fly half,
if we work on the basis that Raman Ermac is
the best ten in the Northern Hemisphere, then Mathias Jaliber,
for my money, is the second best. That's how good
he is. I mean, I I think France were I

(01:52:30):
give them six out of ten for Friday night's performance.
I think there's a lot more to come from them, all.

Speaker 2 (01:52:35):
Right, And just a quick word on Scotland, we shall
mention them. They normally finish fourth. You reckon I'll finish
fourth again.

Speaker 21 (01:52:43):
You're being more unkind than me. I think that being
without their captain si Tuopolotu, who I mean, he's a
man who's you know, got at least one foot in
the Southern hemisphere, who really has been a revelation and
I think will be going on the Lions tour and
will be a Lion starter at twelve again the Wallabies

(01:53:07):
in July. So they are without him. He's a huge loss.
Finn Russell though, with the exception of the two Frenchmen,
he's certainly at least the next best fly half in
in European rugby. Big game for them against Ireland this weekend,

(01:53:27):
I think. I think this weekend is of the three fixtures,
the biggest weekend coming up in this Six Nations, no
doubt about that. And I give Scotland a bit of
a chance. I mean, they again had quite a few
flat spots today against Italy, cut the tries up very quickly,
then Italy came back into it. But bear in mind

(01:53:49):
I think Italy are a much improved side, So I
mean I would give Scotland a chance against the Irish weekend,
no doubt this weekend, no doubt about that, playing at Murrayfield,
and who knows, I mean if they would have win,
they then moved on.

Speaker 12 (01:54:06):
England.

Speaker 21 (01:54:06):
I think there's every chance will be going into that
having lost their first two. I mean, who knows? Could
this still be Scotland's year?

Speaker 2 (01:54:14):
It is as much as I.

Speaker 21 (01:54:16):
Think it's or not, perhaps as much as it's ever been,
but certainly in recent seasons you can now I think
still make a case for three teams win to win
this championship, and they are inevitably the ones who won
this weekend.

Speaker 2 (01:54:31):
Always love chatting rugby with you, Mardin, thanks so much
for lending us your time and you're insight. Thank you
Marlin Gillingham. Their apologies for the slight degeneration of signal
between here and the UK. I think you've got most
of that though, So wins over weekend one of the
six nations for France over Wales, Scotland over Italy and
Ireland over England. Nineteen away from three. Updating you from

(01:54:54):
the basin where the sparks are three down Otago thirty
three for three or the threes they need seventy two
more runs from seventy seven balls with seven it's in hand.
It's set to be a close finish there in the
women's Super Smash final. We'll take a break. When we
come back, we're going to check him with a man

(01:55:14):
who has been running for quite some time. He is
aiming to run two hundred and ten kilometers across forty
hours continually to raise money for a very good course.
This is happening in the Nelson Bays region. We'll tell
you more about this when we come back.

Speaker 1 (01:55:33):
You be the TMO. Have your say on eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty weekends for It with Jason Pine
and GJ. Guvnerholmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder News
Dogs NV.

Speaker 2 (01:55:44):
Two forty five. It's Nelson Anniversary weekend and for most
that means are relaxing three days, but not for Ed Shuttleworth.
He is the CEO of Sport Tasman and throughout this
weekend he's been running non stop across the Nelson Bays
region to raise money for a brilliant cause. Forty hours straight,
two hundred and ten kilometers to raise money for Nelson

(01:56:05):
Tasman Hospice. Ed Shuttleworth as with us. How many k's
have you completed so far?

Speaker 31 (01:56:12):
D Hey, Kira Piney. I'm on Columbus at one hundred
and eighty nine, so just about to enter into Wakefield.
So set off from Farewell spit three am yesterday and
I've got twenty one k left to go. So it's
been tough, but feeling good.

Speaker 2 (01:56:25):
I was going to say, how are you feeling.

Speaker 31 (01:56:29):
Yeah, it's been really hard, really hard emotionally, but it's
been special. Just just hundreds and hundreds of the community
to come out every single driveway, every single town, and
we just talked about, you know, the impacts of hospice
across our community. It's been really special. So I'm exhausted,
but I feel very, very privileged to support hospice.

Speaker 2 (01:56:48):
Was there a part of the run in terms of
the kilometers or or you know, time during the hours
and hours you've been running. That was the hardest part.

Speaker 31 (01:56:58):
Doctor ker Hill was definitely hard, and you know, the
challenge is trying to not think it's two hundred and ten,
is trying to stay present just one step more, one
step more. So I had a bit of a wabble
at Plumber of seventy. But I had brilliant crew, brilliant
friends and family around me. He you know, steadied the
ship and yeah, we've got were nearly there. I'm just

(01:57:19):
going to get it done now, just about to arrive
in Wakefield where there's a load of people waiting to
cheer us in. So it's been beautiful, good stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:57:25):
I know you, I know you want to hang the
find out before you get there, but I want to
find a bit out, a bit more about the course.
But have you slipped or not? Have you just run straight?

Speaker 5 (01:57:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 31 (01:57:34):
No, run straight, run straight and straight through. And that
was the objective. And the run came about because Hospice
look after two hundred and ten patients a month and
the region goes out right through to Golden Bays, a
farewell spit. So I thought, if I start fair, we
spit visit all their medical centers. Run two hundred and
ten k, it'll be beautiful. And we've raised about fifty
thousand the goals two hundred and ten. We'll still collect

(01:57:54):
the money in every few minutes and if you people
want to donate, please go to two hundred and ten
Reasons to Run on Facebook or two hundred and ten
reasons to run on our Raizorley site.

Speaker 2 (01:58:04):
I'll be cheering you on mate. I've got the tracker on.
I can see exactly where you are. I can picture
you getting stronger over the next twenty one k. Ed,
fantastic what you're doing, mate, So yeah, keep it up
and thanks thanks for stopping it for a chat.

Speaker 12 (01:58:17):
Thanks for your support. Really appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (01:58:18):
All the best, all the best, mate, Take it easy.
Ed Shuttleworth there, that's mental men, that's crazy stuff. Two
hundred and ten kilometers, so yeah, two hundred and ten
reasons to run. You can find out more on Facebook.
That's Ed's Facebook page raising money for a terrific cause,
Nelson Tasman Hospice starting at Farewell Spit and for those

(01:58:40):
who know the Nelson Bays region, that means you got
to come over the Tarkaka Hill and as he just said,
that was one of the toughest bits he's going to
end up at the hospice. Two hundred and ten kilometers
forty hours of straight running. Absolutely incredible stuff from a
stand up bloke. Ed Shuttleworth, well known in the Nelson
Regent as CEO of Sport Tasman. Just on twelve away

(01:59:01):
from three. I want to circle back to Chris Wood
to finish, because earlier today, in the early hours of
this morning, he scored a hat trick for Nottingham Forest
and then went over Brighton. He was briefly up for
media afterwards. I just wanted to play this because it
just shows the utter humility of Chris Wood and how
humble he is and deflecting praise. Here he is after

(01:59:23):
the game, having just scored a hat trick in a
seven zierl win, alongside his teammate Anthony Elanger.

Speaker 18 (01:59:29):
Look, yeah, superb. I mean, it's what a difference a
week you make, donand Dumbs. After last week there wasn't
good enough from us. It wasn't us, it didn't seem
like us. But today it was definitely us.

Speaker 23 (01:59:40):
Anthony. Was it important to show that that defeat last
week was just a one off, just a freak result.

Speaker 7 (01:59:45):
Nah, It's just about the attitude from the lads. We
wanted to start the game on the front foot, and
I think we did. I think we had three goals
in the first half and I said to the latter
a half time, let's keep going for more. Let's keep
going for more. We're not hope that last week. We
want to meet short Branton for the same.

Speaker 23 (01:59:59):
Not just any hat trick for you today, Chris, you're
the first Forest player to score a hat trick in
the top flight here at the City Ground since Nigel
Club in nineteen eighty seven.

Speaker 32 (02:00:09):
That's special.

Speaker 18 (02:00:10):
Yeah, that's special. I mean it's all credit to the team.

Speaker 2 (02:00:13):
I mean that's learning.

Speaker 18 (02:00:13):
He puts on a plate for me which makes my
life for Hall of a Lot easier and then more's
getting a pin for the hat trick. So it's fantastic.
I mean the boys have done superb showed great characters
to come back from last week.

Speaker 12 (02:00:24):
And that's what we're about.

Speaker 23 (02:00:25):
A hat trick of your own today as well as me,
a hat trick of assists. I know you don't get
the match fall for that, but as a winger that
must be.

Speaker 21 (02:00:31):
Just as good as feeling as as this.

Speaker 7 (02:00:33):
And I think at the end you could probably see
me keep unning because I wanted to go at the end,
but nah, I said to Chris the half time, let's
just keep ushering for more and might be got the
patrick of goals and honestly, multipoint thing for me is
to win, and we did that.

Speaker 23 (02:00:45):
Today's He's assisted you ten times in the Premier League
since the start of last season. I think it's about
time you return the favor, Chris.

Speaker 18 (02:00:52):
Look, he's very good at that. We know the relationship
we have. We've got that bond, We've got that connection
and as I say, he does superbly for me and
it shows in the statistics and it was outstanding today.
I mean, a hatrick of assess never goes unnoticed andes
and just.

Speaker 23 (02:01:07):
Finally, guys, I know the club are aiming to qualify
for Europe for the first time in thirty years. With
every win, does that dream just feel that little bit closer.

Speaker 7 (02:01:17):
It's all about taking a game back game. You know,
we can't let we can't go. We can't be complex,
and we just gotta keep working hard and just continue
to love pot what talking and just let the funks
continue to believe.

Speaker 2 (02:01:27):
That is Anthony Elanga alongside our man Chris Wood. After
Nottingham Forests seven nil win this morning. You know what
I mean, don't You can see what I mean? When
Chris Wood answers the question, it is never about him.
Even when he scored a hat trick, he deflects immediately
to his teammates. That's just the measure of the man.
Nine and a half away from three, the Sparks have
lost another work at They're forty seven for four and

(02:01:49):
the tenth over I need fifty eight off sixty two balls,
four down. This is turning into a very very close
contest between the Wellington Blaze, the defending champions, and the
Otago Sparks who finished top of the regular season table.
You get the feeling this one is coming down to
the one night away from three News talks heb.

Speaker 26 (02:02:09):
Let's go from the.

Speaker 1 (02:02:10):
Track, fields and the court on your home of Sports
Weekend Sport with Jason Vine.

Speaker 12 (02:02:16):
The news talks eNB.

Speaker 2 (02:02:17):
Two fifty four and that's about us on Weekend Sport
for today and for the weekend first weekend of February.
In the books, we're back tomorrow evening on Sports Talk
Andy and I and Weekend Sport next weekend. Of course,
could I just suggest maybe, if you're into your sport
and you want a bit of a daily fix, that
you subscribe to the Sports Fixed podcast. It drops into
your podcast feed at around sort of half past three

(02:02:38):
four o'clock weekday afternoons with sports News, a bit of
opinion interviews and discussion of the issues. It's called sports Fix.
It's normally about fifteen to twenty minutes long, perfect for
your drive home. If that's what you do it around
about that time. Sports Fix just look for it in
your podcast search engine and it should drop automatically in there.
Thank you for listening in this afternoon. Huge thanks to

(02:02:59):
Anna McDonald for producing the show today and yesterday as well.
Top work mate. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon. As
far as the song to take Us Out today, well,
I feel like it's been a miserable old weekend for
the Welsh. I feel like the Welsh have had a
tough time of things in terms of their rugby. Their
lost yesterday to France was their thirteenth in a row
and I feel like if you want to cheer up

(02:03:20):
the Welsh people, you just play. But to Tom Jones,
I think that's the way that you put smiles on
Welsh faces. Andy, your face would suggest you don't agree.
But areas Tom Jones taking us out seen tomorrow night iven.

Speaker 32 (02:03:36):
Out sat down him more, I've been mad?

Speaker 5 (02:04:07):
She love no more?

Speaker 22 (02:04:19):
Why sure before come to break down the door? Forgive
me delight?

Speaker 17 (02:04:36):
Line's getn't take any more. For give me, del Ye
could ever take anymore?

Speaker 1 (02:04:54):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks it be Weekend's from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio

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