Full Show Podcast: 03 August 2025

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks d B. 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 Pine
on your home of Sport News Talks ed B.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Hi deck you on a good afternoon. Welcome in to
the Sunday edition of Weekend Sport on News Talks edby
August three, Happy forty eighth birthday to seven times Super
Bowl champion Tom Brady and Happy fortieth today, Sonny Bill Williams.
I'm Jason Pine Show producer Anny McDonald. We're going to

(00:51):
talk sport with you until three. How good is Matt Henry?
Very good? In the last couple of years he has
unquestionably become our most valuable bowler across all three international
cricket formats. Has he always been this good and just
needed to be patient behind some pretty handy seam bowlers

(01:14):
and Soudy Bolton Wagner or has his craft improved markedly well?
Both one of our best bowling coaches, Dale Hadley, to
lead us off on that and then current Black Cabs
bowling coach at Jacob Oorhmer. But later in the hour
I'm keen to know from you as well where you
think Matt Henry now sits among our great fast bowlers.

(01:35):
We've had some brilliant ones. I just mentioned three of them.
Then you add Sir Richard into that as well and others.
Where does Matt Henry rank? Because I don't think that
he jumps instantly to mind. Does he is the end
of his career? He might? But right now how good's
he going? And do you feel optimistic about the future
of our pace attack with a number of young emerging

(01:58):
fast bowlers. Want to kick around some cricket with you
this hour, and we've got the opportunity. Other matters around
today the All Blacks Rugby Championship squad name tomorrow who
might get added for the real meat of the All
Black season? Two tests saway and Argentina, two big tests
at home against South Africa home and away, let us
Low Cup matches against Australia. Came for your thoughts on that.

(02:19):
Keew We pro cyclist Corbyn Strong is on the show.
He won his first European event, claiming general classification on
his last week in Belgium and the Tour de Waloni.
He's going to join us to reflect on that success
and what might lie ahead for him. And while we're
on the subject of cycling, Zach Prendergast became over the
last month or so the first New Zealander to officiate

(02:40):
on the iconic Tour de France. He's just back from
serving as a technical commissaire during the twenty twenty five event.
He's going to join us this afternoon to tell us
about his experiences over there. But been a big week
at Phoenix HQ. And you coach for the women's team,
and not just any coach, Olympic gold medal winning coach,
Bev Priestman. We all know the story behind this one

(03:03):
with the drone flying scandal of a year ago in Paris.
But now she is going to guide at the Wellington
Phoenix Women for the next couple of seasons. And they've
added another high profile signing, fifty cap football firm CJ
Bots comes to the club. So might the Phoenix Women
be a league contenders this coming season? We'll drill down
into that. Liam Lawson's made the top ten in qualifying

(03:24):
for the third time in the last four Formula One
race weekends, he's going to start ninth on the grid
for the Hungarian Grand Prix tomorrow morning. His team mate
Isaac Hadjara's tenth, charl leclair on Pold and the Ferrari
from the two McLaren's of Piastre and Norris Max forstap
In eighth and poor old Yuki Sonoda and the other
red ball. He's back in sixteenth on the grid, so
we can talk some Formula one. James mcconey as always

(03:47):
on a Sunday in his regular slot, but a live
sport this afternoon in PC Action, Round one continues tod
on a domain bay of plenty. The Steamers up against
the Tasman Muckel five past two. Going to set the
scene for you before kickoff and keep you posted once
the game is underweight and it's Magic round. In the NRL,
the Warriors Women are a newcastle along with all of

(04:08):
the other sides. They take on the Cowboys from ten
to two this afternoon. We'll keep eyes on that for
you as well. Please join us this afternoon if you
would like to make a contribution. A couple of ways
to do it. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty
we'll get you throw on the phone. That's a free call.
You can send your text messages to nine two ninety
two or anything slightly more wordy on email to Jason

(04:29):
at NEWSTALKZB dot co dot Nz. Just gone eleven past midday.

Speaker 1 (04:33):
Breaking down the Hail Mary's and the epic fails weekend
sport with Jason Lyme, New Sork ZB.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
Matt Henry has become the undoubted spearhead of the black
Caps bowling attack.

Speaker 3 (04:48):
Edge is it taken?

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yes it is.

Speaker 4 (04:52):
It was a matter of time about the subtle adjustments
in the field, allowing your gun bowler, who's been fantastic
for twelve months to pick up the first and there
he goes again in all conditions. How good he is
at a adapting and being fluid in his changes in
his lines and his length.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
And yet another reward gone.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
What a bowling change from Mitsanna on the stroke of lunch.
Oh yeah, there, edge on that is that bad? Yes,
there's two wickets in the over.

Speaker 5 (05:27):
Let's give you a simple catch you off the helmet
Umpius giving it straight away must have been the glove
and Henry picks up his five wickets.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
A brilliant performance this morning. The leader of this attack Yeah,
the leader indeed wicked after wickeed after wicket nine for
ninety Matt Henry and that most recent Test win over
Zimbabwe well inside three days just the latest example of
his value to New Zealand, with hopefully a lot more
to come. He now has three hundred and thirty one

(05:55):
wickets for New Zealand across all formats. That has some
sixth on our all time list of international wicket taking bowlers.
Dale Hadley was an accomplished I've seen bowler himself, taking
seventy one wickets and twenty six Test matches for New
Zealand and three hundred and fifty one across a first
class career which spanned seventeen years. Dale Hadley then became

(06:17):
a highly regarded and hugely respected coach both here in
New Zealand and overseas. He joins us now to chat
a bit about Matt Henry. Dale, thanks for your time.
Where did you first become aware of Matt Henry.

Speaker 6 (06:30):
I think my first contact with him was in his
very early teenage years when he was involved in Kanty
underage clinics.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Were you able to tell at that early age that
he might be something a bit special?

Speaker 6 (06:43):
No, not really, because I remember him as a young
teenager being like a newborn giraffe and these legs and
arms are going in all directions. He didn't have a
lot of control over his body at that stage. So
at that stage and as early teenage yers, no, I
wouldn't have predicted it.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
So what then happened in the early stages that allowed
him to go from as you've as you've so eloquently
put it a bit a bit of a j raft
to first of all a first class bowler and then
on towards an international one.

Speaker 6 (07:12):
I think, to be fair, he's one of these boys
who really dedicated to him improving their self. He was
very respectful and intentive and had a great desire to
learn and get better. And he was a fellow who
was diligent in his preparation, who was a very hard worker.
And over the years he's refined himself into becoming an
international great bowler.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
In terms of those refinements, Dale, where have you seen
that the big improvements in his bowling, you know, in
particular in recent years.

Speaker 6 (07:42):
I think what he's done is that Tep technically had
a few issues when he was very young, and I
think some of those issues may have led to a
stress s fracture, but he's worked hard to overcome those.
I think what's happened is he's developed a pace where
he can bowl between the mid one thirties and the
sort of the lower one forties, which is very competitive internationally.

(08:02):
But he's a bowler who bowls a good length and
it's got he hits the scene more often than not.
It makes him extremely dangerous.

Speaker 2 (08:10):
When you talk about those technical issues, Can you just
drill down into that for us? What was he What
was he doing which wasn't quite right and which was
causing problems with stress fractures, et cetera.

Speaker 6 (08:21):
It's what a bowling coaches call a backfoot drift when
he takes off on his left foot is landing backfoot
landing drifted across towards the return crease. So it just
sort of got him slightly out of the line with
hips and shoulders. But he's become very strong now and
he's rehab very well after stress fracture, and even though

(08:42):
it's not perfect, it's him.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
Is something like that challenging to fix When a guy
might have been doing it that way for so.

Speaker 6 (08:50):
Long, it's very difficult to fix. And there's a lot
of bottles around the world who do have a backfoot drift.
Ideally you want all the feet lining up, backfoot, front foot,
poloitry step all lining up, and that makes it takes
a lot of stress off the back. But Matt's a
strong person now and he has developed his own technique.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
How much variation have you seen him develop in his
bowling artillery.

Speaker 6 (09:13):
I think the things I've been really impressed with is
that he can swing the ball, he can bounce the ball,
but he's got a tremendous change of pace and that
was evident in one of the previous games when he
only gave away with a low number of overs and
they're chasing seven off the last over. So he's really
improved tremendously out of those sort the things with.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
The red ball, dal do you see him bowling more
wicket taking deliveries now than he used to or is
he just better at building pressure that leads to batsman
playing a false stroke for example.

Speaker 6 (09:46):
I think he's so consistent now that he just doesn't
let the bestman get away with loose balls, and I
think consistency will always bring success.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
And has red bull bowling compared to his white ball bowling.
He's been equally effective recently across both. Can you just
tell us what you're seeing in terms of what he's
doing with the white ball?

Speaker 6 (10:04):
Now the white ball, I mean, he can make the
most of the ball with only swings for a few
over so he can make the most of that. But
he hits the scene and I think that is important.
And he can vary his length. He controls his length excellently.
And I love the other fact that he can bowl
a decent bouncer too, which can really surprise people who
are on the front foot.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
He doesn't really have that sort of that nasty, fasty
persona either, from the looks of it. Does he I
very rarely see him sledge a batsman or anything like that.
He just kind of he seems like he just gets
on with it. Is that what you're seeing?

Speaker 6 (10:36):
That's exactly right. He smiles a lot, and I think
that's a great thing for a bowl of the zoo,
rather than getting angry and that when you get angry,
get tense and you start following short, he smiles and
relaxes his body and he's under control.

Speaker 2 (10:50):
Maybe others could take a lesson from that. We know
how difficult it was for him to get on the
team and the early part of his career, with the
likes of Tim Sowdy, Trent Bolt, Neil Wagner and then
latterly Kyle Jamison blocking his way. How challenging would it
have been for him to be patient during that part
of his career.

Speaker 6 (11:08):
I think it must have been very difficult, but he
never he never gave that impression. It was a bit
of a shame really, because that's Tim Salvey was winding
down his career. Matt was sitting there poised and once
he came in he really made his mark very strongly.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
Might the fact that he didn't play a huge amount
of Test cricket early on actually be to his advantage
in some ways now that he hasn't had a huge
workload over his career that he might have if he
played a lot more tests earlier on.

Speaker 6 (11:35):
No, I'm not sure about that. The thing is he's
played a lot of cricket because he's playing in county
cricket there for a while and made a massive impression there.
He's played an awful lot of games. I was just
looking through his record and cut she's got in first
class croger he played one hundred and eleven games and
this day is one hundred and seventy four games and
t twenty one hundred and sixty six games. I mean,
he's played an awful lot of cricket. But I think

(11:57):
he's he's matured and he's refined to skills, so when
he's come in, he's hit the mark pretty quickly, and he's.

Speaker 2 (12:04):
Now taking up a leadership role over the next wave
of New Zealand past bowlers coming through. Will be interested
in your assessment of that dale. The likes of Willow Rock,
Zach Folks, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Matt Fisher, who we
haven't seen a heck of a lot of, along with
the likes of Carl Jamison and Jacob Duffy who have
been there a little bit longer, how do you assess
where we are past bawling wise at the moment.

Speaker 6 (12:26):
I think we've got some very good past ballers. They're
very raw and there's going to take some time for
them to refine themselves. But I think having met Henry
and the team is tremendous communicating and sharing knowledge and
asking questions. So I think he's going to have a
major role to play in the future of a young quickies.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
Is there a time which is a sweet spot for
a seam bowler and age where a fast bowler should
be at the peak of their pals.

Speaker 6 (12:53):
I would say sort of mid twenties to early thirties
of the crunch years. Do you get some people come
in and they make a mark very early, but quite
often they can't sustain it. That you've once you develop
your bowl body and you've got your fitness and backgrounds
and your strength and conditioning. That I would say twenty
five to the uarly thirties.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
And then of course they have the challenge of, you know,
changing things when they lose may maybe you know, five
or ten kilometers of pace and they have to rely
on other things like guile, likeline and length, as your
brother Sir Richard did so effectively at the back end
of his career. Of course, you know, is that something
that that you know, fast bowlers find it difficult to
adjust to the fact that they're just not as quick

(13:34):
as they used to be and have to find other ways.

Speaker 6 (13:37):
That's right, place alone does not bring success. And then
you can bowl one hundred and fifty k's and if
you're not accurate you're going to get killed. So I
think people are over time, they refine their techniques, they
refine their skills, and they compensate for the fact they
can't bowl as cript as they used to.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
And just to finish, dal love me. How do you
feel now when you watch Matt Henry and you the
way you outlined them before, the very raw young teenage
bowler who you first came across, and you watch them
doing what he's doing now, what how do you feel
when you when you say he made he's actually he's
actually made it.

Speaker 6 (14:09):
I sho a great deal of pride, and what he
is achieving is that it couldn't have happened to a
better guy.

Speaker 3 (14:15):
Darl.

Speaker 2 (14:16):
It's great to get your insight. Thanks so much for
joining us this afternoon. Thanks Jason, Thanks Dale Hedley. They're
one of our best ever cricket coaches. A very keen
eye on Dale Hadley, and yes, so interesting to hear
the early recollections of Matt Henry. What do you saying,
newborn giraffe? It's probably not rare. I think a lot
of young fast bowlers kind of just run in, don't they,

(14:40):
and just try and bowl as quick as they can
without thinking too much about how they look or technically
what they're doing. And then when they do come under
the tutelage and the guidance of a you know, a
bowling coach like Dale Hadley and others, then I think,
you know, it must be it must be so cool
for a guy like Dale Hadley and anyone else who's

(15:01):
involved in and coaching bowlers to be able to refine
a guy like that. It must be different from when
you coach a better you know again, you know, a
lot of batters are you know, they're coming and they've
got there, they've got their wheelhouse where they like to hit,
and you can maybe refine them. But when you are
able to watch and just you could hear the pride

(15:21):
in the voice of Dale Hadley at the end there,
you know, he looks at Matt Henry now and thinks
back to what Matt Henry was like a couple of
decades ago, maybe not that quite that long ago, but
when he was sort of eighteen nineteen, and it must
fill you with pride to see that, you know that
the coaching you gave him, and the little tweaks you
made to help him, and the things that you suggested

(15:43):
to him have all now led to Matt Henry being
one of the best international bowlers going around, not just
in New Zealand but around the world. Oh eight hundred
and eighty, ten eighty. It's a bit unseasonal, but there
is cricket going on in Zimbabwe where there was until
they won the Test inside three days. Just thought it
was an opportunity. There's a bit of clear eir just

(16:05):
to talk a bit about Matt Henry specifically, but also
in a wider sense. Our bowling stocks, our fast bowling stocks,
came for your views, oh eight hundred and eighty, ten eighty.
If you've got some thoughts on this. Matt Henry's had
to be so patient and there's no argument with that.
If your pace attacks Tim Southy, Trent Bolt and Neil

(16:28):
Wagner and then Kyle Jamison arrives, you just have to wait.
You just have to wait and take your opportunities when
they come. And in the early part of his career
Matt Henry did not take those opportunities when they came
through injury or unavailability of the others. In his first
six years of Test cricket, he only played thirteen Tests

(16:54):
and took thirty one wickets at an average of fifty
one and a half. In the last four years he's
played eighteen Tests. You forget this, he's only played thirty
one Test matches, but in the last four years eighteen Tests,
ninety eight wickets at twenty one point one five. It's
an incredible record in the last four years. But he

(17:16):
still kind of flies under the radar, doesn't now. I
think if you name your best eleven for New Zealand,
you know historically, if you go back and say, okay,
what's our best ever Test eleven, I don't think Matt
Henry's in't it. But he's now sixth all time for
wicket takers for New Zealand across the formats. Tim Southy's
got the most seven hundred and seventy six, then Daniel Vittori,

(17:39):
Trent Bolt, Sir Richard Hadley, Chris Kens, and then comes
Matt Henry three hundred and thirty one across the formats.
Mitchell Center incidentally is just behind three hundred and twenty eight,
and then Coyle Mills. So Matt Henry's up there and
you look at obviously Neil Wagner didn't play white ball
cricket for New Zealand. So that's the reason he's not
there sow the in Bolt did and there up near

(17:59):
the top as his vittory. But Matt Henry is reaching
rare fighted heir now. But again, he's so unassuming. He
could probably walk down most New Zealand main streets and
people might say, oh, I think I recognized that bloke.

Speaker 3 (18:14):
Who's that?

Speaker 2 (18:15):
Whereas compared to Neil Wagner or Trent Boldle Tom Southy,
and you know, they're instantly recognizable. Matt Henry so unassuming,
Just that little smile, as Dale Hadley said, just that smile,
not the nasty, fasty persona. I know it's a bit
of a Matt Henry appreciation society, but I said to
Andy during the week, I think we need to have that.

(18:37):
We need to actually appreciate just how good this guy
is and give him a bit of love and give
him a bit of, you know, the the adulation he deserves.
He's terrific. Hey, hey, Jamie, how are you good things?

Speaker 7 (18:56):
Jason? There?

Speaker 2 (18:56):
You going very good? Jamie?

Speaker 8 (18:58):
He's good good?

Speaker 7 (19:00):
Yeah, just think of it. Yeah, Matt he I think
he's at the start of his career through you know,
good point out here door the yes Selby Bolt Wagner, Jemison,
you only come in for like pay one maybe two
tests at most in the row. But yeah, I just
think he's benefiting from, you know, just having you know,
he's you know, from from now on, he's an automatic

(19:21):
starter and he's just been fitting for all their game time,
which which didn't happen earlier in his career.

Speaker 2 (19:29):
It must help as well, Jamie. It must help when
you actually are getting games because you're so right, you know,
as I say, in those first six years he played
thirteen tests and it's just a very really did he
play too in a row? So how do you get
up any rhythm? And you almost feel us like I'm
only here because to how he's injured or Trent Bolton
or whatever it might be. It must be pretty hard

(19:49):
to sort of get any momentum, right.

Speaker 7 (19:52):
M Yeah, and you know just doing things like you know,
just battling in the way first class cricket, county cricket
as well, you're sort of you're in your craft and
all that. Like famously with the brother Sir Richard, he
spent all those years playing county cricket. That's why he
became the Boller the great that he was. But yeah,

(20:15):
that is probably met Henry, probably not quite up, not
quite up that high, but but you know, probably by
the end of his career could be top ten, maybe
even top five bothers for New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (20:27):
Absolutely, absolutely, Jamie, I couldn't agree more. And you look,
you think about Sir Richard and how he he changed
things at the back end of his career. He was
because he used to hair and didn't he maybe that
little shuffle the top of his run and used to
tear and and fire it down. But then he just
worked it out and he became a far more effective
bowler late in his career because of his variation as

(20:47):
gyle and just the way he can you know, way.

Speaker 3 (20:49):
He can bowl.

Speaker 7 (20:51):
Yeah, it's exactly right. And and you know, hopefully it'll
be that. You know, the best is still yet to
come from Matt Henry. And also yeah, and also he's
got reasonable talent around him. Hopefully they're Yeah they're still young,
but have been in the next few years overall, and
Sears and all those guys will continue to develop.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
I think they will, Jamie. Yeah, I think they will mate.
And I think under Matt Henry's guidance. I think they'll
improve even more. You know, you look at a guy
like Matt Henry, thanks for you called Jamie, and if
you're there and you think, man, look at that guy. Oh,
that's what you do, because what Matt Henry is thirty
two thirty three, he's thirty four just before Christmas, so

(21:38):
you know it's not as though he's a spring chicken,
but he's still bowling at that kind of mid one
thirties and get one through at one forty clicks and yeah,
the next wave coming through. Zach Folks, Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears,
Nathan Smith, Matt Fisher. Can you see Matt Fisher? I reckon,
he's quite quick. And then there's Jacob Duffy of course,
in Cole Jamison. I hope Cole Jamison's coming back at

(21:59):
some stage. Incidentally, I don't know what the latest is
on him, but hopefully he'll be there or thereabouts when
the summer rolls around. I think for a while we
wondered where the next wave was coming from. Would there
be a new wave of fast bowlers, But it seems
as though there are a couple of textra here. Excellent

(22:20):
comments from Darl Headley. Yeah, it's good to hit darl
Headley again. Andy's suggestion. We were talking the week this
week about talking about Matt Henry, who could we get
to talk about him? And he said, what about Dale Hadley?
Which is impressive really because Andy wouldn't remember Dale Hadley.

Speaker 9 (22:35):
I do.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
Luke says, great to hear Dahl Heppy on the radio. Yeah,
I totally agree. We would have won the last Champions
Trophy probably if Henry wasn't injured, and the World Cup
semi final before that as well. That demonstrates his value.
Mrs says Henry probably should have been there a couple
of years earlier. Yeah, And I think do you heard
Dale Haley just ever so slightly allude to that, didn't

(22:58):
you when he talked about the back end of Tim
Southey's career and when Tim Southy was made Test captain
and there four took up, you know, by virtue of
the fact he was the captain a place on the
side where maybe there was a suggestion, especially on the Subcontinent,
that if you're going to play only a couple of bowlers,
you need to bowl your fastest and your best, and

(23:20):
Tim Southey was neither of those at that time, Matt
Henry had had to wait. But patience is a virtue.
As they say, good things come to those who wait.
I eight hundred and eighty ten to eighty talking some
cricket Jacob Orham before one o'clock. But your calls are welcome.
I eight hundred eighty ten eighty nineteen ninety two for
your text messages. Back with more after this the Voice

(23:41):
of Sport on your Home of Sport Weekend Sport with
Jason Vane and GJ. Gunner homes New Zealand's most trusted
home builder News talks'd be twenty seven to one talking
Matt Henry.

Speaker 10 (23:52):
Hello, jealous, Yeah, great, great interview, Parni and yeah, thank
you to they are happy. I member watching him on
black and white television too.

Speaker 2 (24:04):
Jealous me too. You know, I think, obviously Sir Richard's
the one we all remember when it comes to the Hadleys,
but you forget about Darling, and there was Barry the
other brother, and of course Walter the father for talking
black and white television. But you know it was good
to hear from Darlow and George Eddington.

Speaker 6 (24:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 11 (24:19):
Well, in the early stage he was up there with
Richard Richard was coming off that long run that Dale
was a shorter run up, wasn't he, And got that
away swing And yeah, he was a very very good
bowler Dale Hadley.

Speaker 2 (24:37):
Yeah, I think he was. He probably lived in the
shadow a little bit of Sir Richard and the others
at that time, and likes of I guess Richard Collins
was around at that time, wasn't he in a couple
of others? But three hundred and fifty first class wickets,
it's not to be sneezed at.

Speaker 11 (24:51):
It's interesting fast bawlers say, they're all different. He had
Murray Webb. Do you remember seeing him?

Speaker 2 (24:55):
I do, I do remember. Yeah, he was all over
the place, wasn't he in the nicest possible way. He'd
got a sort of arms and legs as he ran in.

Speaker 11 (25:03):
And that last leap, the leap into the air would
scaped him that you know, momentum.

Speaker 6 (25:10):
And he was super quick.

Speaker 2 (25:12):
Was he Richard Webbs? Was he Richard Webb's brother? Were
they brothers? There was Richard Webb. He wasn't quite as quick,
but he played a little bit for New Zealand as well.

Speaker 11 (25:22):
I remember I was talking to a guy who played
against Murray Webb and planked a shield, you know, and
he said, I didn't see it. I faced him for
an over. I didn't see a braall so.

Speaker 8 (25:37):
Too so.

Speaker 11 (25:38):
And then you had Gary Bartlett.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
I've written down, Dallas, I just wrote down in front
of me, Gary Butler, just as she's written it down.
He because he was rapid, absolutely rapid. You talk to
the guys who faced Gary Bartlett. I remember talking to
remember Jock Edwards who used to play for New Zealand,
the late Jock Edwards. He see Gary, Gary Bartlett was
absolute lightning to face.

Speaker 11 (26:01):
Yeah, yeah, amazing pace. But I guess you know they
don't laugh long. These really separate din't In those days?
They didn't have the sort of technique to keep going.
Do they just sort of broke down? Yeah, I guess
with injuries. Yeah, But I think that was an understanding
of view. I think we can all agree that sour

(26:21):
the with Orduary respect played on a season too long,
you know, that's my opinion. Anyway, I think a lot
of people would hear that.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
Yeah, and Matt Henry was It wasn't like there was
no one to come in, because Matt Henry was there,
ready to come in as a as a replacement was
bowling well, whenever he got the opportunity. By that stage anyway,
we're talking only two or three years ago. But yeah, no,
he was. He was ready to come in it. And look,
you know, I think we can, we can re litigate it,
but it is what it is. But what I'm most

(26:53):
pleased about is that Matt Henry is now there, unquestionably
the first name written down when you're putting your bowling
attack down for any format and reaping the rewards off
his patients and his improvement.

Speaker 11 (27:04):
And your producer, as your produce have said, his modesty
has probably not served him, and like he's very so
modest that you know, yes, we sort of taken for
granted a bit. You know, he doesn't push himself forward
like some other personality you do in the game, So
that might have I don't know, do you think that
had any bearing on his not coming to the four quacker.

Speaker 2 (27:29):
Or I don't think so, I know, I don't if
I know what you're saying saying, if he was a
bit more sort of out there and and and beat
his own drummer bit more, would he have perhaps had
more opportunities. I don't think so, and it would have
you know. I think maybe it's you know, his his
measured composure is probably one of his superpowers. I would say, Della,

(27:52):
So I think if you if if he was a
more arrogant bloke who said, you know, got the hump
when he wasn't on the team, I think he would have.
You know, I don't think he would have probably been
as good as he is. We'll never know, but yeah,
I think I think he. I think we all realize
how good Saudi Bolt wag now that trio was. And
it's hard to break in. You know, it's like it's
not trying to play number seven for the all Blacks
from Richie mccaugh's and the team.

Speaker 11 (28:14):
Yeah, true, forget.

Speaker 2 (28:15):
It exactly exactly tell us, Hey, good on your right,
love chadding to you, thanks so much for calling in.
Let's let's chat again soon. Oh eight hundred and eighty
ten eighty Where did Danny Morrison get asks muzz muss
I can tell you. Danny Morrison two hundred and eighty
six international wickets, one hundred and sixty in Test matches,
one hundred and twenty six and oighty eyes. Neil Wagner

(28:35):
incidentally never played white ball cricket for New Zealand, played
a lot for Otago Northern Districts, et cetera, but never
played a white ball game for New Zealand. His two
hundred and sixty wickets were all in Test matches.

Speaker 12 (28:47):
Hello, Bill Piney, I'm I'm not from christ Church, but
so I've been raving over met Henry for years. He
was the nearest guy since Too Heady, since Richard Headley retired.
And it's very interesting that he when he sort of

(29:08):
learned when both of them learnt to control their sort
of running in, you know, like a young Colts et cetera,
and just trying to follow at one hundred miles an hour.
As they developed their skills of control, and you know,
through experience, et cetera, they became better bowlers. You know,

(29:32):
maybe off shorter runs to both of them, but even
in his style of running in, he reminded me of Hadley.
Sim just so pleased that he's got these these wickets,
not just against easier teams, but if you look back
over the last four years, you'll see that he's got

(29:52):
a lot of wickets against the big teams of the world.
You know, England Australia and India and so on. I
love your little subtle well, no, not your subtle point,
but Dale Hadley's subtle point when he mentioned that, you know,
Tim Zady was coming towards you know the end of

(30:12):
his time. Definitely that Henry should have been put in
two years beforehand, you know, to get experience and so on.
I couldn't understand it. I don't worry about statistics in
the first years. You know, the guy's are bowling all
career and because they just get better with self confidence,

(30:34):
you know, and experience, et cetera. And as I said,
he's absolutely splendid bowler, wonderful, attitude, wonderful, and so that
could keep him going to his you know, thirty six.
And I noticed a lot that the captain's talked to him,
you know, when there's going to be changing the bowlers

(30:56):
and whatever. And he also goes up and has a
word to the younger younger bowlers. So he was he
might be vice captain and he's a very very good captain.
The other point I just wanted to make as I
was growing up as a you know, youngster, you know,
and a young man in Willington, the old the old

(31:17):
boy you should know, except including my father, who was
actually a New Zealand under twenty selector sort of coach
between nineteen forty five and nine fifty seven and has
got the Best Cricketer Under twenty award named after him
in Wellington. He said that it is harder to get

(31:40):
out of all black teams and New Zealand cricket teams
then to get into them. And this was a popular,
a popular, you know attitude that a lot of you know,
older people did, and you know, because cricket has become
your you know, great friends and your team. But there's

(32:00):
a time and you've got to sort of say to them, hey,
look it's like it's time to move on. Bookets like Rico. Rico,
you know, he should have gone to the wing two
years ago.

Speaker 2 (32:12):
But I do have to get Jacob Orremont. I take
your points on this sort of stuff, but yeah, and look,
I think that's the most salient point you make is
the fact that Matt Henry still has the ability over
the next two or three summers in years actually to
you know, to add to this hall of wickets. And
you're so right about the fact that he gets his

(32:32):
wickets against good teams as well. His best bowling in
Test matches seven for twenty three against South Africa, seven
for sixty seven against Australia, the six for he just
got recently against Simbabwe obviously five for fifteen against India
in Bengalaru in October of last year, five for seventy
against Australia and Wellington in February of twenty twenty four.

Speaker 9 (32:55):
He gets.

Speaker 2 (32:56):
He gets wickets against good teams, against very good teams.
Murray Web and Richard Web Yes brothers. Murray Web five
or six years older, oh eight hundred and eighty ten
eighties and number Jacoboram next on News Talk SADB.

Speaker 1 (33:12):
The Big Issues on and after Fields Call oh eight
hundred eighty ten eighty Weekends Forward with Jason Pain and GJ. Gunners,
New Zealand's Lost Trusted Homilder News Talk.

Speaker 2 (33:22):
ZIBB fourteen to one. Let's get you to Zimbabwe where
the black Caps wrapped up the first Test against Zimbabwe
and Bulawayo by nine wickets inside three days. The second
Test to come. Bowling coach Jacob borams with us. Jacob
want to talk a bit about Matt Henry actually, but
what were your overall levels of satisfaction as a coaching
group after that very convincing. When in the first Test.

Speaker 9 (33:45):
Are you very happy?

Speaker 13 (33:47):
I thought we played pretty much for eighty ninety percent
of the game exactly the way we wanted to would
have been nice. We've got some more first innings run
from the position we were in, but not to be.

Speaker 9 (33:59):
But I thought we bought exceptionally well.

Speaker 13 (34:01):
We we asked enough questions of the Zimbabwe that is
to make it hard for them, and I think to
get twenty wickets for only three hundred and ten runs
across those three days shows the quality of our bowling
and catching as well, and we're able to win comfortably.

Speaker 9 (34:14):
So the coaches were very happy for sure.

Speaker 2 (34:16):
How serious are the injuries to Nathan Smith and will
I Rock. We didn't see Nathan Smith bowl at all
in the second innings. Will I Rock did for a
bit but then went off. And how serious are those injuries?

Speaker 13 (34:28):
Yeah, unfortunate. Nathan Smith isn't too good. I would say
he's doubtful for that second Test. But will I Rock
We've still got our fingers crossed. Obviously, with a guy
that will add their height to start with, you know,
that's our long back along spine to handle. But he's
so important to us, not only in the short term
but the long term as well. We just need to

(34:49):
be careful and make sure we do the right thing
for Will and sort of not put the Second Test
at the forefront of mines and think we've got a
huge summer at home starting well well under two months away.
So we've got to make sure we look after him
because he is vital to our prospects going forward.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
I've been talking on the show this afternoon about Matt
Henry nine for ninety in this Test match, his second
best Test match bowling return. Can you talk a bit
about what you've seen, Jacob from Matt Henry in recent
times and his development as a Test bowler.

Speaker 13 (35:24):
Well, yeah, look, I think if you rewind probably only
what two or three years, he was carrying the drinks
a lot.

Speaker 9 (35:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (35:32):
I think the thing with Matt Henry is he's able
to get some consistent playing time now and he's been
a regular in the Test site for probably the last
two seasons, and you're seeing a guy who's just at
a peak of his game in terms of his skills,
the repertoire he has the amount of deliveries he can bowl.
But also on top of that, he's an experienced level
there at his age and the amount of cricket he's
played where he's able to, you know, to stay ahead

(35:54):
of the game and make the right call in terms
of what deliveries to bowl, what fails to set.

Speaker 9 (35:59):
And at the moment he's nothing but sure for us.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
Do you think he's bowling with more variation now or
do you just think he's bowling his existing repertoire more effectively.

Speaker 9 (36:11):
Yeah, Look, I think it's probably a bit of both.

Speaker 13 (36:13):
I think, you know, he's always working on his craft,
which is really awesome to watch from my position, you know,
and a lot of that is self driven, which again
I think shows the professional in him.

Speaker 9 (36:23):
He's always looking for new slower balls or just any
sort of variation in his game, working on angles, on
the crease.

Speaker 13 (36:31):
Shorter balls, full of balls, different lines. So he's always working.
But I think I think at the moment it's everything
is combining so nicely for Matt.

Speaker 9 (36:42):
It's his consistency.

Speaker 13 (36:44):
It's his delivery, it's the physical side of his game,
is fitness, and I think it's all coming together that
you've got a guy at the peak of his powers,
and you know, fingers crossed he can stay on the
field for you know, as much as we needed throughout
a long summer.

Speaker 2 (36:57):
Indeed, and of course he's had to buy his time,
hasn't he rightly? So behind you know, our best pace
bowling trio ever to sow they Crent Bolt, Neil Wagner.
He has got his opportunity now, has his effectiveness as
a Test bowler being really just a direct result of
playing more Test cricket.

Speaker 13 (37:16):
I think it's probably the answer is yes. I mean
he's he's always had the skills.

Speaker 9 (37:20):
We know that. I mean he's been Matt Henry's been
around now for a decade, so you know that was
identified way back and whatever it was twenty thirteen, fourteen fifteen.
I don't know when he made his debut, but I
mean I know he.

Speaker 13 (37:32):
Was at the twenty fifteen World Cup at home summer
in New Zealand and Australia. So he's been around a
while but had to do his time behind the wagoners,
the sounds, the bolts. But now he's got his chum
ot hands and I think you're seeing, as I said before,
you're seeing a guy whose skills are outed, but just
getting that opportunity to be on the field.

Speaker 9 (37:52):
And lead the attack day in, day out. It's coming
to the fore.

Speaker 13 (37:55):
He's got leadership, he's got quality, and just the ability
to execute more often than not shows how good he is.

Speaker 2 (38:02):
Yeah, he certainly is. Just a couple of other matters.
How you adjusting to a new coach? Obviously Gary Steed's
been at their home for a while now not there anymore.
Rob Walter is the new head coach. Howre you adjusting
to working alongside Rob Walter.

Speaker 13 (38:17):
It's been a really seamless transition, actually, which I think
is which is a great thing for myself as a coach,
but more importantly for the players as well. It hasn't
been that disruptive in terms of a necessarily, you know,
an outrageously different approach. He's very much appeared about the
environment and the culture, which is probably pretty cliche stuff,

(38:38):
but you know, he's come in and he's observed a lot.
I mean, there are things obviously that he has talked
to us about, and you know, little shifts here and there,
but he's come in and he's it's almost like status quo,
and I think that's a really good thing. I mean
that the team wasn't broken as such. He's come in
and he's just added little bits and pieces where needed.
But I can see really positive signs for us and

(39:00):
he's brought some good stuff already and I think only
better things to come, hope.

Speaker 2 (39:04):
So and you talked about the busy home summer, but
it's busy really in terms of white ball cricket. The
only Test matches in the home summer are the three
against the West Indies, all in December, so nothing after Christmas.
Would you like to ideally, and we know why you can't,
but would you ideally like to play more Test cricket
than that?

Speaker 13 (39:24):
One hundred percent? Yeah, And if that's the SoundBite, it's great.
But I think if you asked any of the players
or coaches, yeah, we'd love to play or be involved.
I'm not playing obviously, but be involved with more Test cricket.
It is the pinnacle of cricket, you know. I've just
finished watching it the Days play India England over there

(39:45):
in London, and it's it's great television and we do
enjoy playing it, watching it and be involved in it.

Speaker 9 (39:51):
But like you said, I understand the reasons why. You know,
there's a T twenty World Cup and a tour of
India before that January February, so it is what it is.
But you know, if the opportunity rises.

Speaker 13 (40:02):
And I'd love for more Tests to be on the calendar,
although I'm saying that we had nine in the about
what three months last year through Sri Lanka, India and
then the home series against England and then we've got
quite a big Test Diamony Austrailia as well, so that's
stick for coal.

Speaker 2 (40:19):
But yeah, good stuff, Jacob, Hey, God to leave it there, mate,
but thanks for joining us. Jacob Borum bowling coach for
the black Caps. Easy win in the first Test. Second
one starts on Thursday, same venue, Bulawayo, and just on
that England India series that's coming down to the wire.
Fifth Test, fifth and final Test. England fifty for one.
It stumps on day three, so two days, two days

(40:40):
to go. They need another three hundred and twenty four
to win. That would give them a three to one
series win. India need nine wickets if there, to win
this one and draw the series. So an exciting final
couple of days coming up over there. Seven to one
news talks.

Speaker 3 (40:53):
Heb when it's down to the line. You made a
call on eighty Weekend Sports with Jason Hine, News TALKSB.

Speaker 2 (41:02):
Coming up three and a half to one. Hey, good,
good hour of cricket chat in early August. This doesn't
happen very often, so thanks for your contributions around Matt Henry.
Good to be able to give him a bit of
a bit of love at an unseasonal cricket time. Certingly
back here anyway, looking forward to the summer ahead. We're
gonna flick across to some rugby after one as well
as some cycling. Corbyn Strong. He he's got a bit

(41:23):
about him. Corbyn Strong. He might just be starting to
come into a bit of interesting form. He's won his
first race. We'll talk about that.

Speaker 1 (41:33):
The only place to discuss the biggest sports issues on
and after field, it's all on Wee.

Speaker 3 (41:39):
James Forward with Jason Vade on your home of Sport
Use Talks.

Speaker 2 (41:46):
By that one seven. I'm Jason Pine, Andy McDonald's show producer.
This is Weekend Sport on News Talks head B. The
All Blacks team for the Rugby Championship or the squad
for the Rugby Championship named tomorrow we'll have full coverage
four year on News Talks head B thirty six players
set to be named. There's a few injury concerns to
furrow the brow of Scott Robertson and his fellow coaches

(42:09):
slash selectors, but also happily a couple of players coming
back into the mix, namely Wallace Setti and to Mighty
Williams who didn't take any part in the series against
France last month, but they will be on the plane
to Argentina. We understand there are a couple of little
interesting conundrums. A third half back is required now with

(42:32):
Nullah Hotham out for pretty much the entire Rugby Championship,
so who gets that third halfback spot? We o Roy
Guard and Latama are the top two. But then you think, okay,
who is it? Is it Finlay Christie? Do they go
back to what they know in terms of experience with
Finlay Christie? Because complicating matters there is the fact that

(42:55):
he is being linked with a move away from New
Zealand to the UK. So would they still be that
keen on taking him Given the fact that Mark Talaa
hasn't been selected for the All Blacks this year. Even
when there has been a bit of a wing shortage
because he's going away, So would the same rules apply
to Finlay Christie. And if they do, then who are

(43:19):
we talking about? Kyle Preston perhaps out of the Crusaders.
Are we perhaps going back to fill Fuckatava from the
Highlanders or is there somebody else in this mix? Even
Xavier Row out of the Chiefs. I've been really impressed
with him this season or the season just gone. So
you're half back's an interesting one. And whether they add
reinforcement in the loose forwards, which I think they probably will,

(43:42):
even with Tatiti coming back. Is Simon Parker going to
hear his name read out tomorrow? Peter Larkeye, perhaps Ethan Blackadder?
Will he be in the mix it's played for Tasma
this afternoon of course. Yes, So these are all I'll
just say it really just just a stream of consciousness. Really,
you might want to add some structure to that. We
might talk all blacks in a little while. We're also

(44:04):
going to get you to totong Or where they have
plenty with a couple of all blacks on their side,
take on Tasman with a couple of all blacks on
their side. We'll set the scene for you and keep
eyes on that. And James mcconey in his regular slot
on a Sunday as well. We're going to start with
cycling this out Kiwi. Corbyn Strong has claimed the first
general classification victory of his pro career at the Tour

(44:29):
de Walloni in Belgium last week. Here comes Conven Strong
on left though.

Speaker 3 (44:33):
Tell Us still leading.

Speaker 14 (44:34):
Covin Strong is gonna do it again.

Speaker 15 (44:36):
He's coming back.

Speaker 3 (44:37):
Then, he's sacking.

Speaker 16 (44:37):
Overall last year and he's gonna.

Speaker 3 (44:39):
Win the stage one.

Speaker 16 (44:40):
Corvin Strong the KIWI reminding us why he was sacking
last year because he is so consistent in these kind
of finishes. He's going to win the stage and he's
going to take over the Orange leaders jersey at the
ETS Tour the Woalony.

Speaker 2 (44:54):
So that's Corbyn Strong winning the first stage. He had
an incredibly consistent week. He was inside the top ten
in every stage and after winning that first stage, he
then surrendered the overall lead to British Oliver Knight in
stage two, got the lead back on stage four and
held off Czech Republic rider Mattius Vatchek to finish the

(45:15):
last stage in second which was enough to secure him victory.
As mentioned in the commentary there, Corbyn Strong was second
in this event last year on countback in pretty brutal fashion,
so it would have been very very nice, I'm sure
for him to finally win this one. He joins us
now Corbyn Strong. Hey, congratulations Corbyn on the win in Belgium.

(45:36):
Let's start with that last stage. What was it like
having to sit on Mattias's wheel, worrying about both catching
the breakaway group but also the bonus seconds at the
end as you tried to hold on for the general
classification win.

Speaker 17 (45:50):
I was a really really stressful situation as she I
was quite nervous for that, say, only being one second
the head of that second. He's a really strong timer
and there was quite a hard there's a few quite
hard climbs in the stage, so I knew I just
had to hold onto his back and the end was
a really good situation for me. The team handled it

(46:10):
really well and time bonuses were getting taken up by
the breakaway and yeah, thankfully I had good legs as
well and could just follow him when he attacked and
then managed to beat him on the line.

Speaker 2 (46:21):
Or and what does this mean to you personally as well,
having missed out so narrowly and so brutally at the
same event last year.

Speaker 18 (46:31):
Yeah, obviously.

Speaker 17 (46:32):
Yeah, missing out last year was pretty guarding, especially because
it was the first professional race that my appearance had
to watch as well, and so on the finish line,
my dad thought I had won the GC and he
was pretty cutted when he found.

Speaker 18 (46:47):
Out that I hadn't.

Speaker 17 (46:48):
So so I think they really enjoyed this year following
along and seeing me pull it off and the end.
So yeah, for me, Like when I turned pro, I
always wanted to ride one week GC races, but it
never really eventuated till this race last year. So to
come back and if I can win a race on
GC is really nice hearing.

Speaker 2 (47:09):
Yeah, and just picking up on that. You've been viewed
as a sprinter for much of your career, helping out
your teammates. Is it a little bit unfamiliar for you
to change into a general classification writer or actually? Did
this race suit you quite well both this year and
last year?

Speaker 17 (47:25):
Yeah, it does really see me well obviously. Traditionally, like
the Grand Tours, like Tour de Front, you have twenty
to sixty minute climes and that's not really my cup
of tea. But at Tour Bolonia it's more like two
to ten minute climbs, so I can I can do
really well over climes like this. Yeah, so the park
war was really cited to me. But yeah, you're right

(47:47):
as well. It's not something I've been used to doing
as riding GC. I did it a few times when
I was younger races like Tourist Southland and New Zealand
Cycle bress it. But yeah, obviously it's a different cup
of tea over here and the professional races with such
strong teams and yah, it's a really different style of racing.

Speaker 2 (48:08):
How difficult is it to manage going between the two
from a specialist sprinter to a GC rider.

Speaker 17 (48:14):
Thankfully for me, I'm in a pretty good position with
the team. Yeah, they really value my me as a writer.
I guess out so I go to most races with
a lot of support. But normally yeah, normally I'm going
to races just targeting the old stage or at a
one day race, Yeah, just going for the best results possible.

(48:37):
The jered to tell you that I did earlier this
year we went with a big GC goal with Derek
g and he he had a really good race. He
had finished fourth on GC and was challenging for the
win the whole three weeks, and I was there to
challenge the odds stage. But yeah, over all the team's
goals GC for Derek. So I also really enjoyed chipping

(48:58):
in where I've been helping the team be successful there.

Speaker 2 (49:01):
So what does a win like this do for your
cycling career and also for your confidence personally?

Speaker 17 (49:08):
Well, yeah, first of all, for the confidence, it was
it was really nice. So this year didn't go the
way I hoped it took go. I'd say I've probably
been not quite performing to the standard I wanted to
be performing it. So after the year I had a
lot of rest and got to reset and went to
live in New for a training keep and then went
straight to this race. And yeah, so for the confidence

(49:29):
to turn up in such good shape and.

Speaker 18 (49:32):
Yeah, get the win and I felt really good all.

Speaker 17 (49:34):
Week, So it's it's really nice for the confidence and
then also the team as well. They'll really backed me
in the next race is obviously seeing how how my
shape was. And Malone, Yeah, when I go to the
Arctrogress and Norway next that I'll be full of confidence
in me, and yeah, it's always a really nice feeling
when you know your teammates really like confident in your

(49:58):
your shape as well.

Speaker 2 (49:59):
Very cool. We over here obviously see the Tour de
France and the Welds, the three week tours. We don't
see as many of these week long stage races. How
do they differ for you between one week in three weeks.

Speaker 17 (50:14):
Yeah, it's a massive difference. Yeah, I'd never want to
do more than one Grand Tour and one year.

Speaker 9 (50:19):
They are.

Speaker 17 (50:21):
Yeah, they are a really big vision. There's three weeks
in a row of yeah, going up high mountains and
everyone's in really top.

Speaker 18 (50:30):
Shape like this year. This year, I got a bit
sick before the Juris.

Speaker 17 (50:33):
I didn't have the perfect running and then I crashed
twice in the first five days. So it's really hard
to recover from something like your crash when you're having
to put yourself through it for one hundred and fifty
to two hundred k's every day, like as much physio
and ostio you see, it's pretty hard to recover. Yeah,
when you have to sit on a bike for six

(50:54):
hours and push yourself to the limit.

Speaker 18 (50:56):
So we're in a one week race, it's.

Speaker 17 (51:01):
Yeah, there's just I guess just a it's shorter, there's
more time to fix things and recover between each race,
and yeah, it's not as much of a test of
endurance as a Grand Tour. There's there's nothing quite like
it that of experience.

Speaker 2 (51:16):
You mentioned as zero to tell you there, and while
it didn't go exactly the way you wanted, you're still
finished second on the third stage behind Matt's Peterson, which
is nothing to scoff at. So were there some silver
linings for you to take out of the zero.

Speaker 14 (51:29):
To tell you?

Speaker 18 (51:31):
Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 17 (51:32):
The first week I felt I felt better than I
to be after my sickness running in and then the
rest of the duo, I think I suffered from not
having a perfect building.

Speaker 18 (51:41):
But yeah, then.

Speaker 17 (51:42):
I settled into more of a support role and really
enjoyed helping. Derek is a good mate, and yeah, performed
really well in the duo. Yeah, of course, it was
a really nice feeling to get second and also feel
so close to the win. It's a it's a big
goal of mine to win a Grand Tour stage, and yeah,
there's never been in New Zealander to win a duo stage,

(52:03):
so it was quite inspiring to get second and motivating
to I'm back with that goal in the future.

Speaker 2 (52:08):
We probably don't understand really how much of a team
sports cycling is. Can you explain to us how much
of your mind set is about helping your teammates and
helping whoever has been pinpointed as the general classification candidate
and how much is about doing well yourself.

Speaker 17 (52:25):
Yeah, the Duro is a big goal for the team.
In November, the team sat down and planned to go
to the Duro with Derek, and there's me, Derek and
then the six other guys there. We're told in November
there are going to the DURA to support Derek's GC.
So their next six months it was all about preparing

(52:45):
as best possible so they can support Derek and facing
the desk on GP and even me being at the
Duro was a wee bit with Derek in mind as well.
If I was there, it takes a wee bit of
the pressure off Derek because everyone in the races are
there just for Derek and not every all day for

(53:06):
twenty one days in a row, everyone's one hundred percent
focused on Derek. Is the odd stage that the team's
like focused on me, so a lot. Yeah, so teams
brought in a lot, A lot goes into it, and yeah,
especially if you're writing GC.

Speaker 2 (53:20):
And then wallone when you won the first stage, is
that a bit of a shift of mindset for you
when suddenly you're the GC contender and all the team's
working for me now?

Speaker 19 (53:31):
Yeah?

Speaker 17 (53:31):
Yeah, I think I've been in a really privileged situation
since about seven eight months into my pro career. Yeah,
I've often been the right of the teams written for,
but yeah, this week was especially special. I think because
I was second last year. Everyone knew before the week
started that they are coming to the tour will only

(53:52):
need to race for me, So everyone was really committed
and yeah, it was just really cool to see everyone
on the same page since before the Stage one And yeah,
obviously winning Stage one is called the boys with a
lot of confidence and yeah, they're really motivated for the
reds for the week.

Speaker 2 (54:06):
Looking ahead, the Walter Love Welter Espanya is coming up.
You did that last year. Is that on the cards
this year or given what you said before about only
doing one Grand Tour a year, will you be skipping
this one?

Speaker 17 (54:20):
Yeah exactly, Yeah, I'm going to focus more on some
one day race.

Speaker 18 (54:24):
At the end of the season, there's a.

Speaker 17 (54:26):
Big race called Grandfree Quebec and Canada, and that's a
bit of a home race for the team. A lot
of our sponsors are from Canada, and.

Speaker 18 (54:37):
Yeah, so it's a raceless suited to me.

Speaker 17 (54:39):
I've been second in there in the past, so that's
a big target for me for the rest of the season.

Speaker 2 (54:44):
A few Kiwi's obviously in and around the cycling circuit
on that side of the world. Sam Beuley, we spoke
to him a short time ago, actually, George Bennett, Lawrence Pithy,
who's just ridden in the Tour de France. Do you
do you keep up with those guys? Do you see
them round much?

Speaker 18 (55:00):
Absolutely?

Speaker 17 (55:01):
Most of us all live in Andorra as well, so
we see each other out training and empressing. I've got
Tembell Stewart coming staying at my apartment at the moment
in the Dora parent Gates just down the road.

Speaker 18 (55:13):
So even a barbecue this weekend as well.

Speaker 17 (55:15):
So yeah, we deficitarly all keep in touch and then
especially at you're at the same race, you're yeah, you're
always catching up with the other Pews.

Speaker 2 (55:22):
And Dora, so middle of the Pyrenees. What's that like,
living together with a bunch of kiwis all around you.

Speaker 18 (55:29):
Yeah, it's really cool. Actually, it's.

Speaker 17 (55:32):
We're really lucky that we'll move over to the other
side of the world. And it doesn't really feel that
farm because he's surrounded by so many, so many familiar
faces outstanding.

Speaker 2 (55:42):
I just had a look at the UCI schedule, Corbyn.
The first race is the Tour down Under in January
and it goes all the way to late October. Look,
I know you don't write every race, but that is
an insane amount of competing a massive schedule over ten months.
How do you keep on top of all that writing.

Speaker 18 (56:00):
Yeah, it's been a bit of a balancing act.

Speaker 9 (56:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 17 (56:05):
I think I've definitely got it wrong a few times,
and that's probably why I didn't have the Dura I wanted.
I started in January a Tour down Under and then
didn't really have a break until after the Duo. So
I think I got to the Duro I was already
a bit run down and thirty egu So after the
dur I had like a week or two off and

(56:25):
Bologna was my first race back after that. So I
think it's really important to refresh and have a bit
of rest and stay motivated throughout the season. So I think, yeah,
I think I need It's something I need to do
a bit more of in the future.

Speaker 2 (56:39):
All right, Just to finish, we've just had the Tour
de Frant's twenty twenty five edition. Finish, you've been in
that race yourself, of course, how keen are you to
get back to what is the most iconic race in
the world. Might we see you back there next year?

Speaker 14 (56:54):
For example?

Speaker 18 (56:56):
It's up to the team and their goal of the race.

Speaker 9 (57:01):
I guess.

Speaker 17 (57:03):
For me personally, I think I'm really I've been really
close to that winning at the Duo Datalia or the
Voltare Spaniard and so that's a big goal of mine.
First is to win one of the Grand Fall stage,
and I think next year it's a really realistic goal.
So I want to focus on that for next year
and then hopefully I can take that off then and
then obviously the Torter France is the next goal.

Speaker 9 (57:24):
I think if I.

Speaker 17 (57:27):
Yeah, I've probably got about ten years left in the sport,
and that's probably my biggest goal is to win at
the toad France.

Speaker 2 (57:33):
All right, Well, we'll watch with interest. Corbyn, thanks indeed
for chatting to us, mate, Congratulations again on your GC victory,
the first of your pro career at the Tour de
Walloni in Belgium last week. That's Corbyn strong ten more years,
so yeah, good to hear that. There's plenty ahead for
Corbyn strong and targeting stage wins and those Grand Tour

(57:53):
events as well, and truly within his grasp, you would imagine,
as he heard say there second and one of the
stages on the Ziau to tell you this year. So yeah,
things going well for Corbyn strong, I see need. Fisher
Black was third overnight in the latest stage of the
Tour de France Fem, the women's Tour de France. New

(58:14):
Fisher Black out of Nelson, obviously living in Europe these
days and forging herself a pretty impressive cycling career. She's
one of four kiwis in the Tour de France Fem
and third overnight in the latest stage, so that's another
feather in her cap in her burgeoning career. Now I've

(58:35):
just heard, I've just heard that Finlay Christie has been
withdrawn from the Tasman squad for today's game against Bay
of plenty, which kicks off in around forty minutes from now.
So we know what that means, right, Finlay Christie's in
the Rugby Championship squad. It doesn't say he's got an injury,
nothing like that. It just says team update. This is

(58:57):
from the Tasman Muckel social media account. Finlay Christie is
unavailable for today's game, That's what it says. So I
think we can all put two and two together and
get the right answer. Looks like Finlay Christie is coming
into the Rugby Championship squad. Noah Hotham injured, so it'll
be Finlay Christy who goes as the third half back.

(59:17):
Whether he will get any game time, I don't know.
He might Roy Garden the ratimas scene like the two,
don't they. But I guess across six Test matches and
the Rugby Championship you'd expect that perhaps there'll be some
rotation around the positions. He might, for example, Finlay Christie
play off the bench in the second Test against Argentina.

(59:39):
Just spitballing here. Interested to hear some other viewpoints on
the All Black squad as well. It gets named tomorrow.
This is the thirty six man squad for the Rugby
Championship and a couple of players coming back in to
Mighty Williams will will come back in, so will Wallace
Setiti and I'm hearing also a safe More is available

(01:00:00):
to come back as well, So I wonder whether that
might mean that Brody McAllister, having debuted on his home
ground against France last month, might drop out. I think
a Safawi More probably would have been in the squad
had he been fit for the French Tests. So I
think a Safawi More might come back in with Summer

(01:00:22):
sauny Toquauho and Cody Taylor, Tomighty Williams as say, we'll
come back into the front row. Tyrel Lomax is still
battling injury. He's not going to be available for the
first at least the first couple of tests of the
Rugby Championship, but will still i'd imagine, be included in
the squad. Loose forward is the other interesting one. What
will they do there? Luke Jacobson and talk about unlucky.

(01:00:44):
He was going to play that third Test in Hamilton
but injured himself in the warm up so was out
and out for five weeks with a thigh injury again,
will probably still be named, but I think they'll take
obviously Satiti and probably one other and maybe two other
loose forwards, depending I mean whether they class to play
as a loose forward or a lock. And he's going

(01:01:05):
to play six by the look of it. But Peter Larkeye,
perhaps Simon Parker. I quite after talking to Simon Parker
on the radio yesterday, I hope he makes it what
it was, just because he was a great rooster but
also a really good player. Maybe he might go on
the end of your tour rather than this one. Looking
around the rest of the squad, I can't say that
there'll be too many other surprises. Immonti Nadawah will you'd

(01:01:30):
have to think be in there. Caleb Clark still carrying
that injury, and Montie Nadawa will turn out for Bay
of Plenty this afternoon. I'd imagine he would still be there.
He was added as injury cover and ended up playing
in a couple of those test matches. Who else George
Dyer perhaps might come into the equation. A couple of

(01:01:54):
tech coming through here. Ken says, full like Christie's been scrubbed. Yep, yep,
just a reiseriration of that news, Gary says that will
mean Piney know, Harvilli or Blackadder if they're still playing.
It's a good point, actually, Gary, there are all blacks playing.
I guess with Christy they think, okay, he's our third

(01:02:14):
half back. We just don't want him to get injured,
so we have to bring in somebody else whereas An
Ethan Blackadder, a David Harvilli. You know, I don't think
heavily will begin the squad. Blackadder could be.

Speaker 6 (01:02:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:02:29):
I don't know whether we can add two and two
together and say that. For example, Ethan Blackadder definitely won't
be in the squad just because he's playing today. But
for Finlay Christie, they just don't want him to get
injured because then they have to go deeper. Louis Chapman,
out played corle Priest in yesterday in the Canterbury Wellington game,
says this text, and I'm Accain's and Lions fan. Sure
he's behind the winning pack, but Chapman left Tasman Juniber

(01:02:54):
there being too many halfbacks. He's another gay deep play.
He put that kick through, didn't he? For Collen Grace's try.
Afternoon Jason says Michael something I can not get my
head around about team Cycling training twenty four to seven
for someone else to take all the glory that is

(01:03:14):
dedication up to the tenth degree. Yeah, it is an
interesting one, and he's kind of the cycling expert on
this in the show. That would be tough, wouldn't it
for a guy like Corbyn Strong. You listen to his
interview there Andy and he was able in this one
to be the be the star, the general classification winner,
but most of the time he's working for somebody else

(01:03:36):
in his team. So there must be cyclists who never
win general classification and never in the mix for it.
They just basically do their job for someone else's glory.
Is that accurate?

Speaker 20 (01:03:46):
Yeah, it's really fascinating that whole side of it, because
when we look on the obvious one is the most
recent Tour de France with Taday Pigatchi, who's incredible, and
you watch his teammates like Jonathan Navez and Woaamida and
they do all this hard work. They sit in the
front and their job is to take all the wind

(01:04:08):
and keep Tade Pagacha out of danger. Then when it
comes to the big mountains, they just spring board him
and let him let him right away, and they finish tenth, twelfth, twentieth,
and the stage and when they get to the end
there none of the none of the plaudits are going
to them. They're all going to Taday despite the work
they do. So it is it's really staggering how much

(01:04:28):
of a team sport cycling is because it's a race,
but it's still Yeah, there are guys that just would
never win anything, and guys which have certain roles in
the team, like Corwyn Strong's mostly a sprinter really, so
it was quite cool seeing him take away a full
staged race like that. So they do get they get
a lot more money though if their guy wins, because

(01:04:50):
that's surprise money and it's already get split.

Speaker 2 (01:04:53):
Yeah. Well, internally as well, they'd be greatly appreciated, wouldn't they.
I'm sure within their own teams they would, you know,
their job important as it is, as you've just outlined,
they'd get internal gratitude surely.

Speaker 20 (01:05:05):
Oh yeah, no, if they're doing if I mean, I mean,
if I do my job, well, Piney, you sound good.
So that's that's the sort of internal gratitude I've got
to deal with as well, isn't it there we go
I made it quite a direct analogy to.

Speaker 2 (01:05:20):
What we do.

Speaker 20 (01:05:20):
But yes, absolutely they'll get they'll get the internal stuff
and and their team leaders absolutely know who did all
the hard work. And it's it's the team leaders, the winners,
the tatapagarches, the Vinger guards, who who do that extra
just five that five percent right at the end of
the race that the mere mortal, I say, the immortals,

(01:05:40):
is still elite cyclist. The mere mortals can't quite do
those guys make it so the elite ones aren't tired
for the for the extremely hard bits.

Speaker 2 (01:05:50):
Good stuff, good insight, Thanks Andy, I please please, you're
here to make me look good. Y's just say I'm
glad you're here with that insight. So I hope that
answers the question. Michael. A couple of other texts before
we move a. What about Sam Dowry, asks Kath. Yeah,
he'd have to be in the mix of the looking
for another lock, which they may well be. Nita Cooy
was called into the wider training squad at the back

(01:06:12):
end of the French series, so maybe he'll ever's nose
in front. But Sam Dowry obviously made a pretty good
fist of us his first All Blacks appearances last year,
So yeah he could be in their cath and not
just says a soopho. All was on the sideline with
Artie at the Lions game yesterday. Shame about the result,
ses Nigel. Yeah, it was a shame about the result
of your alliance fan twenty eight away from two break,
Let's get to Totonga after this check in with the

(01:06:34):
Bay of Bennie Rugby Union ahead of their game against
Tasman this afternoon.

Speaker 1 (01:06:37):
One crutch Hold engaged Weekend Sport with Jason him and GJ. Gunnomes,
New Zealand's so I was Trusted home Builder News Talks, Hebby.

Speaker 2 (01:06:48):
News Talks heb and we Can Sport twenty five to
two Gillis's Piney. They're like backup singers. They're talking about
the team members and the cycling. The star gets all
the glory, but the backup singers make them sound phenomenal.
It's a special skill and a lot of the time
their voices are probably better than this. They don't necessarily

(01:07:08):
want all the glory. That's a good way of putting it.
Some good analogies here Thank you, Gilly. Round one of
the Bunning's MPC concludes this afternoon, Hawks Bay Counties, Manico
and Napier from four thirty five and two of the
competition favorites locking horns at five past two. Last year
is beaten finalists the Bay of Plenty Steamer is up
against the Tasman muck or five past two todd On
thet Demain. Mike Rodgers is Bay of Plenty CEO. Give

(01:07:31):
us a weather update.

Speaker 5 (01:07:31):
First of all, Mike, afternoon, piney well as to normal
here in Toddra. It's another beautiful afternoon and I'm feeling
a bit overdreased with my jacket on, so I think
we'll just need to be chef.

Speaker 2 (01:07:44):
We don't get Sunday brilliant mate, I would expect nothing
less in terms of a weather report from a Bay
resident such as yourself. How Gulling was last year, coming
so close before losing an extra time to Wellington in
the final.

Speaker 5 (01:07:59):
Yeah, I don't know if i'd use the word gutting.
Like we're super proud of our team and that final
was just an epic experience to be a part of,
you know, one hundred minutes of footy. The only separated way,
you know, a penalty goal. I don't know if you
could ask for a better fitting finish to a competition,
and unfortunately we're on the bed side of that result.
But you know, I'm still incredibly proud of what the

(01:08:19):
boys achieved last year and how our community got in
behind them as well.

Speaker 2 (01:08:23):
How confident do you fair ahead of the new season
that you can you can reach the final again and
maybe even go on better.

Speaker 5 (01:08:30):
Yeah, well that's a that's a bloody good question. I
think this competition just every year gets stronger and stronger,
and you see the number of teams that perform so
well in the opening round, Canterbury tripping over Wellington obviously
Tallannucky looked good yesterday and their performance to hold the
rainfully shield so very hard to predict. I think what's
going to happen in this competition. I think for our
point of view, we've got a pretty you know, consistent

(01:08:51):
team from last year. We haven't lost too many and
so I think hopefully we can build on on, you know,
on last year's performance and the confidence the boys took
from last year showing that they can play, you know,
and get all the way through to the final. So
but we're under no illusions how tough these these games are,
and De Marco are going to set us a pretty
tough benchmark to start with.

Speaker 2 (01:09:10):
Absolutely. They Well, I've got a couple of all blacks
back in their team, as have you possibly or Tossi's
there and Money Nadawa this afternoon. Nice little booster or
quite a big boost to have players of that caliber
available at least early on in the competition.

Speaker 5 (01:09:24):
Oh yeah, it's always great for the competition when all
blacks are back and involved. And I guess for us,
you know, we're so proud of what Tossi's achieved and
what a Money has achieved. And it's a Money's fiftieth
game today, so that's a really special moment for him
and his fano, so we want to hopefully celebrate with
a win.

Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
What would it mean to the Bay of Plenty Union
to win the NPC.

Speaker 5 (01:09:46):
Well, it's been a long time between drinks obviously, nineteen
seventy six. As you well know, Poney been a man
of sport, So you know, I think it would mean
you know, obviously for this community as a whole, I
think would be a really special moment. And we saw
last year even though we didn't quite get the final
when you saw the crowds come in to on the

(01:10:06):
domain and pack the park and really get them behind
the team. So I think that demonstrates how much it
would mean for this community to take that trophy at
the end of the season.

Speaker 2 (01:10:15):
So you played totng of this afternoon. I think four
of your five home games are in Todong are one
and rot to do? How do you decide to split?
How do you how do you decide how many games
in Todong are how many and lot de royal that
sort of thing.

Speaker 5 (01:10:26):
Yeah, it comes down to when the games are scheduled.
So obviously afternoon games certainly suit tot on a domain. Generally,
we've been lucky enough to have pretty good weather here
at the domain and so that's afternoon fixtures sort of
suit here. And then we've obviously got no lights here
at Tomoon Domain either, so that sort of makes it
a bit difficult to have night games here and so
that's where we look to play our games and not

(01:10:47):
to do it. But it is a hard decision because
we really want to spread the you know, the games
throughout our region. Because we've seen some fantastic players come
out of to Dour and this year Waka won their
club competition out of though to do it, so that's
you know, it just shows how strong rugby is right.

Speaker 7 (01:11:02):
Throughout the bay.

Speaker 2 (01:11:03):
What's the drive between the two plays? Is it better
an hour? Least an hour between the two I.

Speaker 5 (01:11:08):
Guess it depends on who's driving, Piny. I haven't seen
you in a car, but we've got some decent roads
down here in the Vase, so it's sort of forty
five to fifty minutes, Piny. As long as you behave
yourself and drive the speed limit.

Speaker 2 (01:11:21):
I love it. That's good. Good to hear. And just
while we've got your the health of grassroots rugby in
your province, how would you assess it?

Speaker 5 (01:11:30):
Yeah, I think it's going really well. We've seen some
fantastic growth at our junior level and in the female game.
Our club competition for our senior woman has grown to
fourteen teams. Since that's that's something we're really proud of
seeing the growth in that game. There's always going to
be challenges and you know in terms of participation and
attracting volunteers around coaching and referees. So like the rest

(01:11:51):
of the country, we've still got a lot of work
to do, but you know, I'm pretty heartened by what
things we see out there every Saturday, seeing club rugby
and school rugby in the great games that you know.
I guess we're lucky enough to have fantastic six people
supporting our young people and playing the game every week.

Speaker 2 (01:12:10):
Good man, Mike, great to chat here, Thanks for your time.
All the best this afternoon and get that sunscreen on, mate.

Speaker 5 (01:12:15):
I certainly will thanks you support Funny.

Speaker 2 (01:12:17):
Too easy, Mike. Thanks mate, Mike Rodger's top Man Bop CEO.
Ahead of their first game in the Bunnings MPC this afternoon,
they host Tasman at the Todonga Domain from five past two.
We've got a commentary for you on Gold Sport and
iHeartRadio nineteen to two Back in the Moth with James mcconey.

Speaker 1 (01:12:34):
You be the TMO, have yours say on eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty Weekends Sport with Jason Pain and GJ. Guvnerholmes,
New Zealand's most trusted home builder News Dogs NB one four.

Speaker 2 (01:12:46):
The Warriors Women are about six minutes away from kickoff
in their Magic Round Rugby League match against the Cowboys
looking for their second one of the season. Will keep
eyes on that for you, as of course we will
on Bay of plenty Tasman after two in the NPC.
James mcconey's here as usual on a Sunday. Hello mate,

(01:13:07):
good a poney?

Speaker 8 (01:13:07):
How things Yeah, very good?

Speaker 2 (01:13:09):
Thanks very good. A list of things I'd like to
get your views on today, starting with the Wallabies are
face saving twenty to twelve winn and the Third Test
over the British and Irish lines and Sydney last night
and absolutely poured down for some of this game. What
did you make of it all?

Speaker 8 (01:13:25):
I thought, I mean, for what was essentially a dead
rubber that was still very willing, and I thought, you know,
the pride of the Lions pun intended, lets be honest,
and also the fact that the Wallabies needed to save
some face or get something out of it. A whitewash
is pretty damning for a proud Test nation like them.
They stood up and look across the board. There were

(01:13:46):
some real heroes, but Nick White playing his final Test,
the man with the big mustache, she looks like a
time traveler. Phineas Fogg, Nigel Thornberry call them what you will,
but He's a scrappy little bagger at halfback and I
think he epitomized what the Wallabies needed to do, which
was fight for the win.

Speaker 2 (01:14:04):
Yeah, he's just a he is. That's a street fighter,
isn't he Say what you like about him? He can
annoy you, but I'm sure most of his teammates and
that probably all of them would love having him on
their team for that reason totally.

Speaker 8 (01:14:16):
And this team, even though he's on his way out,
this team really is a work in progress. I mean,
I'm not sure how long Will Skelton will be around.
He was immense as well. He is immense Aukland born
by the way. I think he was in New Zealand
until he was ten years old, so really a big
lump of a kiwi helping them out. And he's thirty three,
so you know there's a lot I guess of change happening.

(01:14:39):
And you can see Joseph Sulie, the superstar at center,
just growing with every game. So the Wallabies by no
means are a finished product. But you know, I actually was.
I was rooting for them, pony. I'm an anzac and
I did. I didn't want the Lions to win. I
just find them a little bit annoying and slightly arrogant
at times.

Speaker 2 (01:14:59):
Yeah, I do too, and I was the same as you.
I was watching that game last night and if I
was cheering for anybody it was it was certainly the Wallabies.
Now they'll go away for the Rugby Championship now, of course,
so busy the old year for them. The All Black
squad for the Rugby Championship named tomorrow. We've just heard
that finnlake Christy has been withdrawn from the Tasman team
to take on Bay of Plenty this afternoon. So I

(01:15:21):
think we know who the third half back replacing Noah
Hotham is going to be. Who else is named? Do
you expect to be there tomorrow who perhaps didn't play
last month?

Speaker 8 (01:15:29):
Well, I think we've got a bombshell for you here, pony,
because I'm hearing that Cam Royguard is injured as well.
So that's just something that's going to be firmed up,
possibly in the next thirty minutes, So stay tuned to
newstorg ZB for all your rugby updates. But that's the
word I'm hearing from the or Blacks camp. They concerned
it could be a stress back fracture. Of some kind.

(01:15:50):
But that means we're going deep into the halfback reserves.
But just on that, if that's another injury to add
to the list, what a list it is. And currently
and I think you've gone through a lot of the players.
I mean we've got Scott and Bowden barried out, there's
Wallace a t there's Tupo via under concussion protocol, Tyra Lomax.

(01:16:10):
The list goes on. Caleb Clark's gone as well. So
I think when you aim for that sixth of September Test,
this is the biggest Test match for a long time
in New Zealand against the spring Box at Eden Park.
The I think it's steady. How many years Piny helped
me out here thirty one.

Speaker 2 (01:16:29):
Years, nineteen ninety four, Yes, nineteen ninety four.

Speaker 8 (01:16:33):
So do you go that Test match? I think you
know Razer will be thinking I'm not here to fornicate
with the Raknids. I need to actually pick the best guy.
So you know, giving Lester finding a nuku some time
at NPC was a nice idea. No, I think he
gets called in Finley Christie. Of course we just talked
about we will need another half back. I'm a Xavier

(01:16:56):
ro fan. I'm sure you're a Kyle Preston fan. I mean,
they do need someone to come in. There's obviously Dylan Pledge,
the other twenties half back highly rated. Raisor love him
as well. So what's the space on that. I know
it's a lot to process. I'm sure you're right now going,
holy crap, Polo, what's telling on about?

Speaker 2 (01:17:15):
That's what I'm doing. I sort of sunken down in
my chair with this news that Cam Royguard perhaps has
a question mark over him, And it does make sense
when you think about Finlay Christy being withdrawn from the game.
I was trying to get my head around it before,
thinking would they withdraw the third half back? Maybe they
would just in case he gets engine They got to
call someone in at the eleventh hour. But if roy
Guard's out, So what are we talking here? Latimer Christy

(01:17:38):
and one other? I mean, are we you mentioned a
couple there? I like Xavier rah as well. What about
they wouldn't go back to fial Fucktava, would they?

Speaker 9 (01:17:45):
Well?

Speaker 8 (01:17:46):
I think they have to consider him. I think they
really do, and I mean Dylan Fleager is kind of
on the way up. But the experiment when the test
matches of this magnitude, you know, getting thrown in. I
don't think so, because you know, even Tom Lioner had
a full season of Super Rugby before he was thrown
into that first Lines Test, which I thought was a
bit of a hospital pass for him. But for this

(01:18:07):
really is I think you have to go for someone experienced.
Xavier Rowe started a lot of key games for the
Chiefs through and throughout most of Super Rugby and that
might be the body of work that gets him across
the line. But for Alfa Tava, he's been in the
in camp before, and you know he's got that athleticism
and power that you probably need against the spring box.

Speaker 2 (01:18:29):
All right, well, keep our eyes on this. This is yes,
I'm trying to I'm trying to process it in real
time here actually a MPC. It's been great, hasn't a
part of the fact, Well, hath he got beat by
Canterbury US today? I've loved the first five or six games.

Speaker 8 (01:18:45):
Well, first of all, how great was that scene in
Potty Daw at Jerry Collins Stadium. If you live in POTTYDA,
you can just walk up the hill right and watch
Billy Proctor Ruben Love, Peter Larkeye, all the star Cantaburians
and the team. I mean that is amazing. Sort of
it's pseudo grassroots rugby, but really you're watching the superstars

(01:19:08):
just in suburban Wellington.

Speaker 7 (01:19:10):
I love that.

Speaker 8 (01:19:11):
Yeah, sorry about your team, Piney.

Speaker 2 (01:19:13):
No, I no, and funny I live, I literally live
ten minutes from a ten minute would be a brisk
ten minute walk from potty to a park, so I
could do exactly what you just suggested if I wasn't working.

Speaker 8 (01:19:25):
I knowedn't. But then Tuesday night we have to talk
about this game on Mrler's all day. But they look
dead and buried and this is kind of like coming
back from out of nowhere to win that game. But
also Lemasopowanga, what a story. Yes he is seven kilo's
too heavy, but who's not poney, you know, like I'm

(01:19:48):
holding my hand up way more than seven. But the
thing is he made the break, he got the return pass,
scored that key try, but all could still had a
chance to win it. So I thought drama. In terms
of drama, you couldn't have asked for a more huge
game for the Stand Thomas Trophy. But also rated really

(01:20:09):
well as on Sky, so there is a lot of
love for the NPC.

Speaker 2 (01:20:13):
I like I like it that these these more experienced
players are coming back. I watched the Turbos and I
saw Laney La Marti out there and I thought, this
is great. I just love it.

Speaker 8 (01:20:23):
Well, I do have a theory that that there's about
five or six MPC back lines that are better than
the Welsh back line. Okay, so I know Wales is
in a bit of a slump, but they are a
Tier one Test nation and they've almost made the World
Cup semi final last time in twenty twenty three. But
I think there's five or six MPC back lines that
are better than Whales. So you know, when when you

(01:20:45):
get into type five, it's hard to find some you know,
really elite tall timber. But I think in terms of backs,
we are an absolute factory.

Speaker 2 (01:20:53):
Still in New Zealand, Oh have you have you seen
the Tasman backline this afternoon? Yeah? Well Christie's out now obviously,
but the two have viaries at ten and twelve are
mooor Springer Tava Tava nah why into moy Filoo.

Speaker 8 (01:21:08):
Yeah, there's one, there's one, and there's straight away Whykato
was another, and Auckland is another. I think, you know,
like there's and I think the Wellington back line too.
I mean, okay, Welles probably say we're happy because Louis
Rhee Sammit's coming back from NFL, but I would say
there's plenty of these these back lines that could go

(01:21:28):
the distance of test Rugby, you know Canterbury as well.

Speaker 2 (01:21:31):
Absolutely right, hey, God to leave it there, But I
don't know. There was other things on my list which
I can't get to. Some my apologies for that, but yeah,
let's I'm keeping a fingers crossed that that your oil
is wrong. I know it won't be, but we'll keep
eyes on the roy Guard situation and are you and
I can Chatnick Sunday if that works for you.

Speaker 8 (01:21:47):
Yeah, Pony, next time have a bombshell. I will come
and going, did you do do do?

Speaker 3 (01:21:51):
Do?

Speaker 8 (01:21:51):
Do?

Speaker 3 (01:21:51):
Do do do?

Speaker 2 (01:21:52):
Sorry about that, that's all right, James mcconey, massive part
of our Sundays on ZB seventy two.

Speaker 1 (01:22:00):
From the Track, Fields and the Court on your home
of Sorts weekends for it with Jason by the News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:22:07):
MB News TALKSB three and a half two two after two,
a bumper edition of in case you missed it, plenty
that we want to update you on over the last
twenty four hours or so. We'll also keep eyes on
the Bay of Plenty Tasman game which is about to
get underway, and the Warriors women as well, and we'll
get inside Phoenix h Q. It's been a big week

(01:22:29):
for the women's program. Could they be contenders?

Speaker 1 (01:22:34):
The only place to discuss the biggest spoors issues on
and after field, it's all on weekends Forward with Jason
Vaine on your home of sport US TALKSB two o seven.

Speaker 2 (01:22:47):
Never let it be said that we don't bring you
the news first. James mcconey telling us twenty minutes ago
that he'd heard that cam roy Guard was out for
the start of the Rugby Championship, and a few moments
later the official email hits our in box. Cam roy
Guard will miss the start of the competition, the Rugby Championship.
That is due to stress fracture in his foot. He

(01:23:09):
won't go to Argentina. He'll be assessed in a couple
of weeks ahead of the matches against South Africa. Naah
Hotham of course, has already been ruled out, so we're
starting to get a bit short on halfbacks. Liam Napier
going to pop in for a chat New Zealand Herald
Rugby writer as we look at the depth chart of

(01:23:30):
halfbacks with this news that Cam Royguard will not play
either of the Tests against Argentina then the next three
weeks or so, let's hope he is back in time
for those South African tests. Stress fracture. You never know,
do you. Anyway, we'll get to that. We'll also get
to the Wellington Phoenix. They've had a good week signing

(01:23:53):
or announcing the signing of Beef Priestman as the women's
head coach for the next two seasons, adding fifty cap
football Ferns defender c J Bott to an already impressive roster.
So things looking good for the women. And also want
to chat to a man who made history in the
last couple of months, Zack Prendergaste. He became the first

(01:24:14):
New Zealander to officiate on the iconic Tour de France.
He served as a technical commissaire. So what is that,
what did his role involve and what was it like
over there? Zach Prendergast. This hour too will keep eyes
on the live sport happening. They're underway at as Mike
Rodger just told us, a sun soaked tod on the domain.
Three minutes gone, no score between Bay of Plenty and

(01:24:36):
Tasman in the NPC, and as we heard during the
Sports news, the Cowboys up against the Warriors in the
NRLW and the Warriors have just caught a tripe to
take it back to six four. Say that again, Andy,
it's been scratched off. Thank you, Andy. Never let it
be said that we are not right up today. I

(01:24:58):
was looking at it update in front of me and
Andy has told me that tries been chalked off, so
it remains six nil. As we always do at this
time on weekend sport, let's get you up to date
with some of the stuff that's happened over the last
twenty four hours or so that might have escaped your attention.
In case youmist that, we call it. Starting with Formula

(01:25:19):
one qualifying in Hungary, ninth for Liam Lawson. So another
top ten position, qualifying ninth on the grid tomorrow morning,
but a surprise with who came home as the top qualifier.

Speaker 13 (01:25:32):
The stamping crosses the line is ONDP eight.

Speaker 14 (01:25:34):
Guess what Ferrari have a pole.

Speaker 9 (01:25:37):
Position through Charlequare.

Speaker 15 (01:25:40):
It's chairs and it's a pause of the prairie garage
through first poll for the scoon.

Speaker 14 (01:25:45):
Area in a tree.

Speaker 9 (01:25:47):
It's twenty twenty.

Speaker 2 (01:25:48):
Five here Charler Claire off the front of the grid.
Then the two McLaren's after that to the NRL. The
Panthers continued their winning streak, but they need a golden
point to do. It's a luggy Cleary.

Speaker 21 (01:26:00):
There's McLean outside of his chickens eyes everywhere. Lennards Denuda,
what's the laggin.

Speaker 2 (01:26:12):
Ye thirty twenty six over the Gold Coast Titans, who
are causing a few problems that belie their table position.
There was an upset in Woollongong as well.

Speaker 15 (01:26:20):
Then Flannigans there laid the lure into a hole, ticked.

Speaker 21 (01:26:23):
On both free and they under Corey Allen and.

Speaker 15 (01:26:27):
The Dragons too got them sty roof big hands on
that left hand side.

Speaker 2 (01:26:32):
Yeah, the dragon spinning the Raiders eighteen twelve, and then
the Roosters tweety points to four over the Sea Eagles
and are soaked brook Vale Oval to.

Speaker 15 (01:26:40):
High one walk out for sure if you get it there,
but goes that's going back great it's Edo butt and
he's over.

Speaker 3 (01:26:49):
For the try.

Speaker 5 (01:26:51):
Six get backwards him.

Speaker 14 (01:26:52):
It's going to be a four pointer.

Speaker 15 (01:26:55):
It's another rooster's try.

Speaker 2 (01:26:57):
The NPC had a triple head of yesterday, Canterbury taking
the spoils over Wellington at pottyto.

Speaker 15 (01:27:02):
A park Bason behind well the twenty two dribbles its
close to the guy and regain it. Oh my goodness,
right hand takes light time. Colent Grace, the Cannony skipper
was there and they lead twenty four.

Speaker 2 (01:27:16):
Ten and won thirty three point fifteen over the defending
champion Lions. Otago claimed stag Day and in Vicargo.

Speaker 15 (01:27:23):
Now Christian Leo Willie he gets the legs popping, it's
taken down.

Speaker 18 (01:27:27):
Play On gets up and he's over.

Speaker 2 (01:27:30):
Try to Christian Leo Willie and.

Speaker 5 (01:27:32):
Now the pressure's really started to show as Otago well.

Speaker 2 (01:27:36):
They turned the tencher nob up and they won it
twenty four point fifteen over Southland. Meantime, Taranaki defending the
shield against the tunny far for runam of Bookie Neapkins
in his fiftieth game. He makes a beautiful break true
up to the twenty two. He's got a man inside.

Speaker 15 (01:27:49):
That'sosh Jacob and Josh Jacob will score.

Speaker 2 (01:27:52):
Beautifully done Jacob Radama Bookie Nepkins just put the foot
down here twenty three points to three, the Naki getting
home and the Wallabies taking a win from their Lions
series and atrocious condition in Sydney twenty two twelve. Hold
good over the ball.

Speaker 14 (01:28:13):
Still there for Australia.

Speaker 13 (01:28:14):
Mcturvick stots take mcdonobuts.

Speaker 3 (01:28:21):
Over when it's down to the line. You made a
call on Weekend Sport with Jason Paine News.

Speaker 2 (01:28:34):
Talksv thirteen minutes past two, keeping eyes on a bit
of live sport happening. We just told you about the
Warriors women's try that was chalked off. So still six
nil to the Cowboys women after twenty minutes at McDonald
Jones Stadium in Newcastle, where it is magic rounds for
the NRL W and in the NPC. May Have Plenty

(01:28:58):
have opened the scoring against Tasman an early try up
at the Toadonga Domain. Caleb Trusk has scored the try.
He's been unable to convert said try, So the Bay
of Plenty Steamers lead the Tasman Marco by five points
to nil. One more game to come. In round one
of the Bunnings NPC. It'll see Hawks Bay take on

(01:29:21):
Counties Manico in Napier this afternoon from four thirty five.
But as we reported in our Sports news, a blow
and a significant one for the All Blacks ahead of
the start of the Rugby Championship. Half back Cam Roy
Guard will miss the start of the competition with a
stress fracture in his foot. He will not travel to Argentina.
He'll be assessed in two weeks and a decision made

(01:29:43):
on his involvement in the South African Tests. Liam Napier,
lead rugby writer with the New Zealand Herald, I'm sure
you weren't expecting to chat to me this afternoon, Liam,
and I'm sure you would. I hope to be under
better circumstances. How big a blow is this for the
All Blacks? No Roy Guard for Argentina.

Speaker 7 (01:29:58):
It's always a.

Speaker 19 (01:29:59):
Pleasure to he dogs at Tones Piney. But yeah, sad
news indeed, isn't it? And a body blo for the
All Blacks for sure. I think you can look at
guys like Ardie Severe, Cody Taylor, Will Jordan as players
that the All Blacks would most least like you know
not not want to lose most influential players in their team,

(01:30:21):
and Can Rogan is right up there. He has been
hugely influential since coming back. It's easy to forget he's
only played a handful of tests, but his sniping game
around the fringes, his booming boots has just been a
real fault crumb for the All Blacks and even in
a patchy Frenk series at times, he was one of

(01:30:42):
the leading lights in the two tests that he played.
So yeah, it's going to be very interesting to see
who the All Blacks turned to. I think obviously courses
of artima will come in to start, but the depth
and the New Zealand nine socks is not exactly flush
at the moment.

Speaker 2 (01:30:58):
It certainly isn't because this is exacerbated by the fact
that Noah Hotham is currently injured with a high ankle sprains.
He probably play any of the Rugby Championship, So no
Roy Guard, no hothe them, So two of the three
half backs from the French series not there as you say.
For like, Christy has been withdrawn from the Tasman game
this afternoon. I thought that was because of this impending news,

(01:31:21):
but by the sounds of things. He's got a shoulder injury.
You're a little niggle as well. So have we got
the half backs left?

Speaker 19 (01:31:27):
Well, I'm a half fit myself, Piney, so I could.
I'm a long, long, long way from the test scene though,
but yeah, it is desperate times in a relative sense.
I think I would imagine from the Christie will be
named in the squads because he's been there, done that.
There's a few whispers around Newcastle Falcons chasing his services

(01:31:49):
and perhaps maybe that ties into him, you know, going
back up north and potentially playing for Scotland where he's born.
But I expect him to be named in this Rugby
Championship squads. And then you're looking at guys like Kyle Preston.
I'm a big fan of his, you know, of course
Wellington halfback, but you know Traders went to the Crusaders

(01:32:13):
and scored four tries in the opening Super Rugby match
this year and really sort of made his mark early
before Hope and return. So I like what he offers.
And then you're looking at others like fal Fuckatava who
has been there but not for a couple of years
and hasn't been in the mix since Scott Robertson took over,
and others like an Xavier Rowe who brings quite a

(01:32:35):
subtle passing game. He's very creative both with his kicking
game as well around the fringes. So I think that's
where the All Blacks will be looking and very interesting
to see who makes that mix when they announce it tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (01:32:48):
Absolutely it will be. They'll definitely take three, won't they.

Speaker 3 (01:32:51):
They'll.

Speaker 2 (01:32:51):
It's it's pretty much a standard. There'll be three half
backs named tomorrow, so Roy, sorry, Ratama, probably Christy and
one another. They'll name three, won't they.

Speaker 19 (01:33:02):
They will was the thirty six man squad, so that
leaves plenty of room for half backs, three hookers, and
it is a very specialized position. You could, you know,
look at a guy like Leroy Carter perhaps who can
play wing and halfback, or Damian McKenzie's even you know,
covered half back off the bench in his career. But

(01:33:23):
it's getting a bit cute for Test rugby if you're
thinking about going back to putting guys like Jerome Kino
at Locke when the All Black's lost to Ireland in Dublin,
and you know, square pegs, round holes, things that haven't
been done, haven't been tried before. It's the elite arena
you can come unstuck, so I think they will look
to include three specialists there.

Speaker 2 (01:33:45):
All right, Hey, thanks Liam, thanks for taking our call
at short notice off the back of this breaking news.
We'll wait to see tomorrow what the All Black selectors do,
but it's a conundrum for them. Always appreciate you joining.

Speaker 7 (01:33:55):
Us, mate, it's funny.

Speaker 2 (01:33:57):
Good on you, Liam Nape. You read him at enzid
Herald dot co dot nz. He's actually got a piece
up at the moment regarding the All Black squad to
be named tomorrow. This was before the roy Guard news,
so we'll have an update on that, no doubt. But
you know who else will be named in that thirty
six man squad it has announced tomorrow. We'll have full
coverage of all of that for you on newstalks 'db
of course where the time currently is coming up nineteen

(01:34:20):
past two. Just checking on the Live Sports still five
nilt in Todonga they have plenty over Tasman and still
six nil the North Queensland Cowboys over the Warriors women
in Newcastle. Approaching the end of the first half there
when we take or when we come back, we'll take
a break. When we come back, it'll be to football
with the Wellington Phoenix women, a new coach and a

(01:34:42):
couple of new players. This week we'll cover that or
for you after.

Speaker 1 (01:34:45):
This, it's more than just a game. Weekend Sport with
Jason Fine and GJ. Garnomes, New Zealand's.

Speaker 3 (01:34:52):
Most trusted home builder, News talks edb.

Speaker 2 (01:34:55):
It's two twenty two. One of football's worst kept secrets.
Confirmed on Wednesday, Bev Priestman will take charge of the
Wellington Phoenix women's team for the next two A leagu
FOOTBA seasons. The announcement came as her one year ban
from any football related activity ended that following her role
in Canada's drone use at last year's Paris Olympics, where

(01:35:17):
they were caught spying on a football fern's training session.
Beef Prestman comes though with extensive top flight experience. She
led the Canadian team to Olympic gold in twenty twenty one.
She was assistant coach when they got bronze and rio
in twenty sixteen. She was England's assistant coach when they
made the semi finals at the twenty nineteen FIFA Women's

(01:35:39):
World Cup, and she's twice been shortlisted for the FIFA's
Award for Best Women's Coach. Without doubt, one of the
most credentialed coaches in women's A League history. Also this week,
Football fern CJ. Bott was confirmed as the Phoenix women's
latest signing. More from her in a moment but I

(01:35:59):
spoke after the announcement of Beef Pressman's appointment with Wellington
Phoenix Director of Football Sewn Gel and I asked, first
of all, how pleased he was to secure a coach
of Bev Priestman's pedigree.

Speaker 14 (01:36:13):
Yeah, look, we're absolutely thrilled.

Speaker 22 (01:36:16):
If you'd said to me six months ago Bev Price
been coaching the one in Phoenix, I would have told
you're an idiot. And it's yeah, it's incredible how it's
all sort of worked out. I mean, obviously Emma was
appointed as the Academy director, and you know, over time
it sort of became apparent that it might become an option.
And you know, once we sort of sat and we

(01:36:37):
had a couple of coffees and you get to sort
of understand where she was at. You know, obviously it's
not just about the football at the moment too, there's
a lot of stuff with the family and everything like that,
so you know, it just sort of became more and
more reality. And to have a coach of her international
experience a at the way into Phoenix and b in
the league is great, you know, and it's also great

(01:36:58):
for the for the woman's game here in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (01:37:00):
Now that she is on board or you know what
it's been. It's obviously been conferring for a little while
announced during the week. What have you seen from her?
Has she has she been what you expected in terms
of how she's preparing for her first campaign as the
women's coach.

Speaker 22 (01:37:13):
Yeah, look, even in the early conversations, you know what
really came through as a really thoughtful coach. You know,
obviously really high experience, an energy and a passion and
a professionalism, but also that winning mentality and that winning
sort of desire came through really strong. And you know
we've seen that over the last couple of days with

(01:37:35):
her in the office and yeah, just really thrilled that
we're going to have someone leading the program.

Speaker 2 (01:37:40):
And today you've unveiled c J bid, a fifty cap
football furnace. The latest acquisition it's an impressive roster that's
being built. How optimistic do you feel about the women's
program at the moment.

Speaker 14 (01:37:51):
Yeah, look, we're really excited.

Speaker 22 (01:37:53):
You know, obviously there is there is a level of
pressure that's going to go on that program. You know,
the investment that the owners have put into it, you know,
the facilities, obviously, the squad.

Speaker 14 (01:38:03):
A coach like that, you don't do all that to
want to be outside the top six or even go higher.
So you know there is a there is a high
expectation on that program.

Speaker 22 (01:38:14):
But we think we're bringing a caliber of player and
obviously a color of coach that can cope with that
pressure and hopefully going to deliver something that hasn't been
done here at the club before.

Speaker 2 (01:38:22):
Is there some demonstrator shift and focus away from the
men to the women at the Phoenix?

Speaker 22 (01:38:27):
No, I don't think it's a shift away from the men.
I think what we're seeing now is the evolution of
the football club. You know, we've had the only women's
program in place for this will be the fifth season,
you know, first couple of seasons, yeah, it was in
conjunction of New Zealm Football obviously, and the last couple
of seasons, we've taken it over, We've introduced visa players,
and you sort of, I guess there's a club.

Speaker 14 (01:38:47):
We're just try it. We're not trying.

Speaker 22 (01:38:49):
We had to get to grips with what it meant
to have an Alien women's program, you know, talk to
have an Alien women's program. So yeah, it's definitely not
one or the other. You know, the club is so
big now compared to what I started here, and we
had one men's team in a football school of excellence.
You know, we've now got the ALI women's program, the
men's program, and eight teams in the academy, three girls teams,

(01:39:09):
five boys teams. So every part of that is critical
to the football club. And you know, there's just as
much the expectation on the ALI men's program to get
top six this year as there is on the woman's
to get top six. So yeah, definitely not one or
the other. But I think what we are seeing is
there's rather than just going spending money on the ALI

(01:39:29):
men's program, put that investment into the ALI women's program
and try and bring that up to that level.

Speaker 2 (01:39:35):
So still one import spot I think available in the
women and I think one and the men as well
you're keen to fill those two spots.

Speaker 22 (01:39:40):
Yeah, one percent. Well, definitely, we're in discussions at the
moment with a woman's visa and things are looking recently
positive there, but it relies on a couple of other
things to happen in a chain. So you know, they
could drop hopefully in the next couple of days, which
would be really excited about, and we'll really sort of

(01:40:01):
finish off the one part of the football pitch for
the Ali woman and in the mean space, we will
definitely utilize that. It has been a wrestle at the
moment to sort of figure out what's the best use
of that last visa spot. You know, there's obviously the
defense that we need to bring some experience into and
some quality into, but there's also another attacking option we

(01:40:24):
need to look at. So you know, we're taking our
time to find the right balance for that, and that
really is dictated by what's the quality of the local
market and where that's best suited, and then you know,
whatever you get there will then dictate where you use
the visa.

Speaker 2 (01:40:39):
So yeah, so basically, yeah, if you're sign an overseas defender,
you're looking for a local attacker and vice versa. Yeah,
without wanting to find out which way you're going to go,
do you feel like there is the local cover in
both positions depending on which way you do go with.

Speaker 22 (01:40:56):
The import look, I think at the moment it's probably
safe to say there are probably better options in the
attacking space than there are in the senate space. At
the moment, the local center back market is pretty dry.
We had a couple of leads we thought we might
get close on one. Again, those were all part of
a chain of events that needed to happen, which didn't

(01:41:16):
happen before a particular window shut around the world. So
I think it's looking more and more like you know,
the visa go center back and bring some attacking options
and to go around some quality that we have here.
You know, you've still got Luke brook Smith who's showing
some good signs. Gap both had excellent games the other night.
I thought Head was very very good the other night.
Asa arrives into and on Sunday, you know, hopefully we

(01:41:38):
get him on the pitch for the next Cup game,
and you know there is there is some quality there.
Carlo almi Into again another one you know can play
as the ten. It's probably been brought more and for
as a wing back, but can play in that ten spot.
So right now it's probably makes more sense and more
pragmatic to look at the center back as a visa.

Speaker 2 (01:41:54):
And good a couple of weeks for the men's team too,
went over wreck them in front of a big crowd
at Sky Stadium. You go to Perth and win eight
to seven on penalties over there to advance in the
Australia Cup. So is there a up of confidence, bit
of momentum building in the men's side right now.

Speaker 22 (01:42:09):
Yeah, it's you know, there was obviously a lot that
went on last season and a lot of discussion and
debate at the end of it. You know, there's a
lot of pressure is come on on the on the
ailing men's side, and I think it's really pleasing to see,
you know, obviously get a fantastic result against Rexham. You know,
the first half team that were made me able to
get least a clean sheet and really competitive, so that

(01:42:30):
was good to see. Yeah, excellent for the Academy boys
to come on and actually turn it into a result
which is really pleasing. And then you know the trip
to Perth is always a tough one. And to do
that with you know, largely academy graduates plus our three
Visa players and Pola coming back in was phenomenal. And
I thought the character of the boys to do that

(01:42:51):
early in the preseason, beyond a plane to Perth to
play one hundred and twenty minutes, you know, have the
weather conditions that they were a stop in the game,
and then to step up and finish it off and
pens with some very good pens from some very young
players was really So there's some good signs. You know,
none of us want to get carried away too early
because it is early doors, it is preseason, but you know,

(01:43:13):
the signs are positive that this group has something about them.
They've come in, they're working hard. You know, we still
have Roofs and pay need to bring back into the
mix as well. You know, Corbyn Pipe still will return
as well. So you know, it is it is pleasing
to see that we're getting those results so far with
a younger group and the visa players from last year,
and you know, now as we bring more back into it,

(01:43:34):
you know, hopefully we can push on.

Speaker 2 (01:43:36):
Just back to Bev, there was always going to be
a bit of noise around her appointment, given her twelve
month band and the circumstances behind it, did you have
to factor that in when you made the decision to
hire her.

Speaker 22 (01:43:48):
Not really, I mean it was it was it was
just too good of opportunity not to not to look
at right. You know, we definitely, we definitely spoke with
her about what we would have gone on, and she
obviously gave her a side of what went on, and
you know, you hear other things as well, and as
Rob alludes to, you know, we're completely comfortable who she
is and who she was. People make mistakes, you know,

(01:44:10):
we've had other people make mistakes within the club. It
was only a few years back we had the incident
through COVID with Painey and Oli Sail, you know, and
those guys. We showed faith in them and you know
they did their penance for what they've done and you
know they've both kicked on to be excellent plays in
the A League. So everyone deserves the chance. And you
know Bev's character as such that you know she's not

(01:44:33):
a repeat offender. You know she's a good person, she's
a good character. She's a phenomenal football coach and to
have that at the club as a no brainer.

Speaker 2 (01:44:40):
That is a Sean Gill, director of football at Wellington Phoenix,
talking about the recruitment of Bev Priestman as women's coach
and some other football matters too, including the recruitment of
c J Bott, fifty cap football Ferns defender, who was
confirmed as the squad's latest acquisition this week as well.
I spoke to her to find out how this came about.

Speaker 23 (01:44:59):
I mean it started off probably a year ago with
a kind of the idea I suppose was floated floated
around and I wasn't so sure, but I think after
having a few conversations with the staff here at the club,
you could really see the ambition, the investment in the team,
and so from that point of view it felt right.
And then obviously from a personal point of view as well,
coming home it's a pretty special special thing for me.

(01:45:21):
So yeah, it all just kind of fit in really
nicely and felt like the right time.

Speaker 2 (01:45:25):
He had four seasons at Lester. How do you look
back on that time.

Speaker 24 (01:45:28):
Yeah, my four seasons at Leaster was incredible.

Speaker 23 (01:45:30):
Obviously there are a lot of ups and downs as well,
but it was a really incredible experience, really incredible time
I learned such valuable lessons as a footballer, especially as
a defender playing in that league, and I really feel
like I've gone from strength to strength there and I've
got a lot to bring back to this club as well.

Speaker 2 (01:45:49):
How different are you as a footballer from the one
who first left Wellington all those years ago? You know,
to seek your footballing, you know, fortune and fame.

Speaker 23 (01:45:58):
Some people might disagree, but I think I'm a lot
calmer now. I've learned a lot more control and I've
learned a lot more about the game as well. Playing
in a lot of different countries it's been really beneficial,
I guess, to see the game from a lot of
different perspectives. Every country and every team plays a bit different,
so that's been really crucial. And yeah, I've just I
guess I've refined refined since leaving Wellington.

Speaker 2 (01:46:21):
And this is a bit of a full circle moment.
You grew up in Wellington and you're back here now.
You know, when you were growing up as a young player,
this sort of thing wasn't available, right, There was no
professional women's team in your own country. That's why you
had to go. So does this feel a bit full
circle to you?

Speaker 24 (01:46:37):
Yeah? It absolutely does.

Speaker 23 (01:46:39):
Like you say, there wasn't this kind of opportunity growing up,
and to be perfectly honest, I didn't even think I'd
ever be able to be a professional footballer. So to
have the opportunities I've had overseas is really incredible. But
to be able to come back to a place like
Wellington and facilities like we've got here at the end
zcis it's pretty incredible. I feel very lucky and yeah,
just really grateful that we've had this kind of investment

(01:47:01):
and that this opportunity is here.

Speaker 2 (01:47:03):
Now and you'll be playing at Pottydoor Park which is
only a few kilometers from where UK upright, So really
it's this is a full circle for you, isn't it.

Speaker 24 (01:47:09):
It absolutely is.

Speaker 23 (01:47:10):
If you told me when I was twelve years old
that i'd be playing professionally in Pottito or I'd probably
laugh at you.

Speaker 8 (01:47:15):
So it is.

Speaker 23 (01:47:16):
It is really cool And yeah, I'm really excited to
see my friends and family in the stands as well.

Speaker 2 (01:47:20):
And b F Priestman as the head coach. How much
you're looking forward to working with her as your head coach?

Speaker 23 (01:47:25):
Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. I had her
for a short stint when I was in the New
Zealand under seventeens and that that was a really cool time.
And so yeah, she's got a lot of valuable experience
and I think I'm going to learn a lot under her.

Speaker 2 (01:47:36):
Fifty caps for the Football Ferns. How strong are your
international ambitions still?

Speaker 24 (01:47:42):
They're as strong as I've ever been.

Speaker 23 (01:47:43):
I am definitely I have my eyes set on the
on that World Cup and I have every intention of
being there.

Speaker 2 (01:47:49):
Because we haven't seen you this year in the Football Ferns,
I think we saw you quite regularly in twenty twenty
four obviously before that. So are you ready to go
again at the next time of asking.

Speaker 24 (01:47:58):
Yeah, I think so.

Speaker 23 (01:47:59):
I mean there's conversations to be had for sure, and
I can't assume anything, and yeah, there's definitely work to
be done in that space. But like I say, I
have every intention of being back with the team when
that is I'm not too sure yet, but hopefully soon.

Speaker 2 (01:48:11):
So when you said there's work to be done, what
do you mean by that?

Speaker 23 (01:48:14):
I mean I've obviously been away from the team for
a little while a little while now, and I can't
assume that I'm going to be back and I have
to earn my spot and like I say, there's conversations
that need to be had, which yeah, I'm definitely ready
for I think.

Speaker 2 (01:48:27):
And back to this Phoenix side, you look at the
roster that's been assembled. You're the latest addition to it.
Does it feel like an exciting team, one that can
do well in the season ahead.

Speaker 25 (01:48:35):
Yeah?

Speaker 23 (01:48:35):
Absolutely, I think they've done really well with the recruitment
and yeah, I'm really excited for the season ahead.

Speaker 2 (01:48:41):
And the chances. You said before to have your family
in some of your oldest friends watching on from the stands,
is that a buzz As a footballer, absolutely?

Speaker 23 (01:48:50):
I think I love playing in front of a crowd
and it's always special having family and friends in the crowd,
and for me, I haven't really been able to have
that unless it's kind of been a World Cup or
home games with the Ferns.

Speaker 24 (01:49:01):
So it'll be really different for me having more than
just my partner in the stands.

Speaker 23 (01:49:06):
But I'm so so excited to have them there and
for it to just be down the road for them
as well as extra special.

Speaker 2 (01:49:12):
How importants he been in all of this?

Speaker 24 (01:49:14):
Oh, he's awesome. He's my biggest fan.

Speaker 23 (01:49:16):
He's my biggest supporter and yeah it's pretty special to
be able to bring him home as well.

Speaker 2 (01:49:20):
That is our CJ. Bott Football Fern and now Wellington
Phoenix defender for the next two seasons. To the Toadong
the Domain we go.

Speaker 15 (01:49:27):
It's Kurt Eckland's in there, loves a line out drive fright,
he's five away from the line. They're closing in, bodies
are over the line. Is the regret here? Marcus plausays,
yes there is and as a try and it goes
to Kurt Eckland of course ten nil.

Speaker 2 (01:49:43):
Ten nil indeed remains that with half an hour gone
at the Toadong Domain, it's twenty three to three. We'll
take a great comeback and talk to a history making
cycling official after this.

Speaker 1 (01:49:55):
The Tough Questions off the Turf Weekend Sport with Jason
Hine and GJ. Gunnerholmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder
News Dogs B.

Speaker 2 (01:50:05):
Two forty on weekd in Sport. Zach Prendergast has become
the first New Zealander to officiate on the iconic Tour
de France. He's just back from serving as a technical
commissaire during the twenty twenty five event and he joins
us now, Zach, congratulations. What was your role as technical
commissaire on the Tour de France or the technical.

Speaker 25 (01:50:28):
Commissaire is one of the roles within the overall panel
of commissaies or referees if you like that. Go with
any race, but particularly on a race this big, there
are a few extra roles that are used to oversee
at the event.

Speaker 2 (01:50:45):
So on a day to day basis, then what are
your responsibilities.

Speaker 14 (01:50:49):
Day to day?

Speaker 25 (01:50:51):
So start in the morning and go to the start,
take the briefings with the other commissais about what the
plan is for the day before the start, the teams
would say at the start was at one o'clock. The
teams would roll up in the team buses around eleven
thirty and look at all the bikes that they have
and they each rider may have up the three bikes,

(01:51:12):
spears and so on. Also talk with the team mechanics
make sure they're happy with everything, how that's going. We'd
have motor commerce hears as their role, but they're basically
referees to go around on motorbikes. They would check with
a use of the tablet, the magnetic scanning device to
cheat for any technical proprietaries on the bike or anything

(01:51:35):
that they they made. Deteck and I would be going
around looking.

Speaker 14 (01:51:39):
At tolerances as well as ensuring.

Speaker 25 (01:51:41):
The bikes were put well, well assembled within the sort
of dimensions that are promoted under the regulations.

Speaker 2 (01:51:49):
How much of the role is about making sure no
one gains an unfair advantage by acting outside the rules, Well.

Speaker 14 (01:51:56):
It's a big part of it. It's a huge part
of it. That would be just before the start.

Speaker 25 (01:52:02):
But if you look at the time trial where every
rider will turn up on a time trial by which
most people understands is a bit more exotic than your
average road bike. You would be putting a bike on
a jig. You would look at all of that to
make sure that that's all within the dimensions because aerodynamics
is a huge, absolutely huge part of it now, so
making sure it's all put in within the correct toranss

(01:52:23):
using legal componentry and there has been a push over
recent years to make sure that all the components wry.
You can get on one of these really exotic, high
priced bikes is available commercially, whether you can afford it
or not. It's a different thing, but making sure that
that's legal. The other component of that is the rider himself.
They're clothing that they wear, the helmets that they use,

(01:52:46):
and so on, and so that meets the technical requirements
as well, generally looking at the aerodynamic side of it.

Speaker 14 (01:52:55):
So those are some of the aspects.

Speaker 25 (01:52:58):
During the race, I would be going to the var truck,
which is basically a truck that's at the finished line.
It's hooked into all the live feeds from the race,
so they'll be up to twelve cameras and there is
what's done as a TV support Commissaid could call them
the sort of the third referee or whatever they call
them in Rugby, the old the TV guy. He would

(01:53:22):
be looking at the race throughout the whole time to
make sure stee if there were any incidents or anything
of note that may be someone looking to take advantage
or a safety matter or anything else. I've been looking
at that, looking to identify anything that we want to
have a further look at. And then after the race,
I'd be part of a small team that would do
technological forward checks where we would X ray bikes of

(01:53:46):
those guys that made it to the podium, the current
classification leaders, anyone that had been targeted and so on.

Speaker 14 (01:53:53):
So, yeah, quite a busy day.

Speaker 2 (01:53:54):
Yeah, it sounds like it sounds like it. I guess
we think about cycling and about people who cheat, and
in the past we land on the cyclists themselves who use,
you know, unfair means to improve their performance. But what
are you're talking about here is referred to as mechanical doping,
which is when you mess with the bike itself. How

(01:54:16):
sophisticated has mechanical doping become?

Speaker 14 (01:54:22):
Well, we're we're looking with some pretty good tools.

Speaker 25 (01:54:26):
I mean, the first there is since in the last
two years is not only has there been a scheme
where if someone with wherever wants to believe there's something
they're going on, they may be able to call in
and so on. So you know, maybe an eight hundred
number or something like that you could say with someone
that they suspect something. The way they're looking at the

(01:54:47):
fraud as well, with the X ray machines and things
like that, looking for any pets and so on, I
think it's become a huge part because of the requirement
for the integrity.

Speaker 14 (01:54:58):
And so on to be able to.

Speaker 25 (01:55:00):
Help, you say, to just make sure that those people
that are riding and winning races, are doing so fairly?

Speaker 2 (01:55:07):
And are you there Zach to catch people or is
it more about the fact that you're visible, there are
so many of you, You're being so precise with your
checks that you're actually acting more as a deterrent to people.

Speaker 25 (01:55:21):
Well, I suppose the terrences is the first first objective.
I mean, when we've got these guys with the tablets
going around, if they're doing, say up with the fifty
checks every morning over twenty one stages, there's a lot
of checks, but we're going through your teams on a
random basis. Plus we can also check at the end
of it with the X ray things, so anyone is

(01:55:42):
available for that. It would be similar to the antidoping
program where writers can be tested either in competition or
out of competition and so on. But how if it's
were aligned to the race itself and going around and checking,
and we would have a plan on how we would
go about it, and we would go.

Speaker 9 (01:56:03):
And do it.

Speaker 2 (01:56:04):
Did you catch anybody this year?

Speaker 14 (01:56:08):
No, we had a few.

Speaker 25 (01:56:09):
If we detect anything, we can always talk to the
mechanics and so on, so what do you think about
this and so on and go through their explanations.

Speaker 14 (01:56:16):
We had the ability if we needed to.

Speaker 25 (01:56:21):
Ask the mechanic to come and dismantle us something else
for further investigation, and we did that a couple of times.
I think it's also worthy of note to say that
we're not looking to catch people as to protect the
fairness of the sport. But the head of the Fight
against Technological FRAUDA also invited some of the media that
were their Eurosport and so on to come and have

(01:56:43):
a look at the process as well, so that could
be put out there worldwide, so people do know what
we are doing.

Speaker 2 (01:56:49):
Sounds like a really busy time for you, and you know,
your head down working across the entire event. But were
you able at times even to enjoy the Tour de
France as a cycling fan.

Speaker 25 (01:57:04):
Well, I've I've been to the takeout Olympics to the
track and that was a bit different because of the COVID,
and I went to the Paris Paralympics. This was just
this is just on a different scale completely. It's just
fathomable how how many people go to it and watch
it and enjoy it and everything else. If I give

(01:57:25):
you an example, it's like, well, I'll go around and
I'll talk to the teams before we start.

Speaker 14 (01:57:29):
So you have a whole lot of crowd.

Speaker 25 (01:57:30):
Who aren't allowed anywhere, not known as what's done as
a team paddock, and these twenty three team buses roll
up with all the end cars and everything else. What
they then do is they then allowed crowd who have
been invited by the teams themselves to come around, and
they put their little barriers up like you'll find at
the bank or the customs or something like that.

Speaker 14 (01:57:50):
You can't get in.

Speaker 3 (01:57:51):
You just try.

Speaker 25 (01:57:52):
You're trying to work and everything else, and there's just
people everywhere. It's phenomenal trying to drive up for a
mountaintop finish. I've never seen so many cycles in all
my life.

Speaker 14 (01:58:03):
You know, they all want to ride up.

Speaker 25 (01:58:04):
Ah, this is the hill we did up here, and
mount on too, and all this here, and you just
can't get up. There's just thousands and thousands of cyclists
people camped on the road. It's just amazing and it's unbelievable.

Speaker 14 (01:58:17):
And they're mad.

Speaker 25 (01:58:18):
When I say they're mad, the fandom, you know, what
they'll wear and the flags they'll have and everything else.

Speaker 14 (01:58:24):
They're crazy. But I will say this though, they're very tidy.
They're very tidy.

Speaker 25 (01:58:30):
You come off the hill at the end of the night,
places absolutely spotless. You wouldn't know they've been there. But
it's just a different scale. It's just completely I don't know,
if you know it could be prepared for it.

Speaker 2 (01:58:39):
Really incredible. What a great picture you've painted for us there.
How did you get involved, Zach and cycling officiating?

Speaker 25 (01:58:46):
Well, I've always been cyclist when I was a youngster
and everything else, and then I was with the military.
When you're upper marios, there's not not too much cycling
around there on the roads. When I went down to
christ Heuch i was recruiting. I joined a citling club
down there, and I always wanted to represent New zealing.
When you're getting your butt kicked on a regular basis
just in club races by other guys, realize maybe that's

(01:59:07):
not your true calling. And I had an opportunity to
be a referee and asked what it was like, and
they said, oh, yeah, you can do it. So I
did the course and I just found out that had
similarities and what I was doing. I had been formerly
a tank troop commander with the army, if you will,
and you're looking to communicate across things, you have a vehicle,

(01:59:29):
you have to maneuver around, you're working with young people,
so it sort of works through there, and then I
got a taste for it, and I just believe that
I suppose that's a bit of the military as well
as that if you're going to try and do anything,
you're trying and do it the best of your ability.
So I just committed myself to it and I've just
gone on with it. Not every day the sun's shining, obviously,

(01:59:50):
but it's given me a lot of joy and the
people I've met in cycling of friends forul life. My
wife's extremely supportive to it. I couldn't do it without
it in all honesty because the time away from home
and it's not a paid position. You work for a
per diem, so you really do have to take the
positive aspects out of what you're trying to do to

(02:00:12):
do it.

Speaker 2 (02:00:13):
So having done one Tour de France, now, will that
open the door for future involvement for you in that event?

Speaker 25 (02:00:20):
Well, the appointments are made by the UCI, the International
Cycling Union and the Technical Commissary role. There's not so
many guys in the world that do it, So you
could be going to any any race around the world.
As I said, I went to the Paralympics, was the
first KIV to do that and I went there as
a as a technical commissare. So I'm doing that as

(02:00:41):
for part of the part of the Panel of Commises,
as part.

Speaker 14 (02:00:43):
Of the group of referees and racing.

Speaker 25 (02:00:47):
Yeah, it can race anywhere around the world.

Speaker 3 (02:00:49):
Old.

Speaker 25 (02:00:50):
Next month I'll go to the month after, I'll go
to China for a couple of races as well. And
you know Europe, Oceanny and North America.

Speaker 14 (02:00:59):
It doesn't really matter where so good.

Speaker 2 (02:01:01):
And there are other keys involved in different capacities. Writers
those involved in some of the teams on the tour
to front, were you able to keep an eye on
the kiver was involved or catch up with the other
New Zealanders who were there.

Speaker 25 (02:01:14):
Well, there was a young lad, dear Lawrence Kuzzi, who
was ring extremely well for his team Borre a handscrow
read bull bor or handscrow And I used to race
with his father some many moons you go, but no,
I've known him from NZI.

Speaker 9 (02:01:28):
He's a good lad.

Speaker 25 (02:01:30):
There's also one of the team the sport directors or
the directors sport teachers as they call Sam Bewley, and
I've known him for a long time and his father
and one of the mechanics, the chief mechanic for the
JKL Alula team, Craig Getter. I worked with him at
the Commonwealth Games in twenty fourteen. We were roomies and

(02:01:52):
so I caught up with him again as well. So
I mean, everyone's everyone's busy, everyone has their job to
do and so on. They're hugely respected lads and they're
very good at what they're do but it's always nice
to catch up with it.

Speaker 3 (02:02:03):
Key.

Speaker 25 (02:02:03):
We just say how's it going, how and everything else
and just hope wish them well. But there's a lot
of people there from obviously from different countries that I've
worked with for a period of time, so it's always
good to see them and it has them how they're going,
how their families go. I generally don't ask people, you know,
what are you planning for the race or anything that
I just ask them how their family is and so on,

(02:02:25):
try and connect that way.

Speaker 2 (02:02:26):
Yeah, brilliant stuff, Zach. What an experience for you. Real
feather in your cap as well. The first key we
to officiate at the Tour de France. May there be
many more. Thanks for joining us this afternoon, mate, and
giving us an insight into a into a really really
exciting part of your life.

Speaker 14 (02:02:39):
Are You're welcome.

Speaker 9 (02:02:40):
You're welcome.

Speaker 14 (02:02:41):
Thanks to your time.

Speaker 9 (02:02:41):
Appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (02:02:42):
No, I appreciate your time, Zach Zach prendigas there technical
commissaire at the most recent tour to France. Seven and
a half to three News Talks.

Speaker 1 (02:02:49):
It be analyzing every view from every angle in the
sporting world to weekends for it with Jason Pine they
call eight hundred and eighties and eighty US Talks V.

Speaker 2 (02:03:00):
Four to three. That is us on weekend sport for
today and for another weekend to beverage after three with
the weekend collect huge thanks to Ana McDonald for the
heavy lifting across the weekend, of which there was a lot.
Thanks mate, Go and enjoy a couple of hours of
rest and recreation. We're back tomorrow night on Sports Talk.
Taking us out today, Well, we started the show talking
about Matt Henry, so let's finish with Herman's Hermits singing

(02:03:23):
about Henry Henry the eighth see.

Speaker 3 (02:03:26):
Him read the eighth thigh Men a ready eighth thigh
Am I am.

Speaker 16 (02:03:31):
I got married him the weird on ext ball.

Speaker 24 (02:03:33):
He's been married.

Speaker 2 (02:03:34):
Seven times before, and then the one wasn't Enery menory one.

Speaker 24 (02:03:38):
I'm a Willie Horis O love.

Speaker 15 (02:03:40):
I'm an eighth old man, I'm henery and already eight.

Speaker 1 (02:03:44):
I am eight e and now why Anne.

Speaker 3 (02:03:51):
And already five?

Speaker 14 (02:03:53):
I'm already I file.

Speaker 1 (02:04:00):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to news Talk said B weekends from mid or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio