Full Show Podcast: 18 April 2026

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB, the only place to discuss the
biggest sports issues on.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
As head off the field, you gotta store.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
It's all on Weekend Sport with Jason Vine on your
home of Sports News Talks EDB.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
Hi.

Speaker 4 (00:28):
There you to good afternoon. Welcome into Weekend Sport on
News talkshead B. The Saturday edition for April eighteen, Happy
eighteenth birthday to the IPL. The inaugural season of the
Indian Premier League started in Bangalore on this day in
two thousand and eight with the Royal Challenges Bangalore taking
on the Coldcutter Night Riders, Brandon McCallum smashing one hundred

(00:52):
and fifty eight off seventy three balls to start the
tournaments in style. The Great West Indian fastball of Malcolm Marshall,
also born on this day nineteen fifty eight. He passed
away far too young from cancer in nineteen ninety nine
at the age of just forty one. I'm Jason Pine
Show producer is Andy McDonald. We are here talking sport
with you until three. The Crusaders horses are gone. Auckland

(01:18):
Cricket are gone from Eden Park and Mowana Pacifica are
gone from Super Rugby. Going to cover all of those
things off this afternoon and very keen to get your
reaction to some or all of them live sport while
we're on the air as well. Black Ferns be Canada.
This is the Pack four series game delayed due to

(01:39):
inclement weather in Kansas City. That game is now scheduled
to kick off at twelve thirty this afternoon, twelve thirty.
That is still a TBC, but that's the latest information
that we have that the Black Ferns against Canada underway
in Kansas City at twelve thirty. Please join the show
if you would like to. Very very keen to get

(02:01):
your thoughts. Eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is our
phone number ninet two nine to two for your text
messages Emails into Jason at Newstalk SHADB dot co dot
nz coming up nine past midday.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
The biggest names in sport are here, Weekend Sport with
Jason Vine, News TALKSEDB.

Speaker 4 (02:21):
News Talks HEADB and Weekend Sport. Very sad and rather
confronting rugby news this week with Maana pacific A set
to fold at the end of this Super Rugby season.
The team was launched with a vision to represent and
grow Pacific rugby at the elite level, but just a
few years on that vision is now hanging by a thread.

(02:42):
If Majana PACIFICA disappears, it's not just a team that
has lost, but a key pathway for PACIFICA players. It
could also reshape the future of the competition as we
know it. To kick this around, we've assembled a high
quality rugby panel for you this afternoon. Australian based broadcaster, writer,
commentator and host of the eight to nine Rugby podcast

(03:04):
Brett mackais with us. Getay Brett right, not hearing Brett
there unfortunately, So we might have to make an adjustment
at your end, perhaps, Andy, maybe if you put bread
on the air, I and I and I am unable
to do that from christ here to the moment. Okay,

(03:26):
let's try with bread again. Bread Are you there all right?
Not hearing bread unfortunately coming down from from that end
at the moment, Andy, we might take a break and
sort this out. We always have these technical issues, it
seems when we broadcast remotely. Let's well, let's like, let's
you try and put them on the air at your end, Andy,
and see how that goes. Now, we're not going to

(03:47):
do that. We're gonna go to a break KK eleven. Okay, Brett,
can you hear us there?

Speaker 5 (03:51):
I can?

Speaker 4 (03:52):
Oh, Brett, got on you mate. We don't have to
go to the dreaded commercial break. Good to have you
with us, and Liam Napier as well. We'll get We'll
get Liam on the air as well if we could.
Liam Napier, New Zealand Herald Rugby Writer. Let's see if
we can get Brett. Okay, I'll take him off and
you and put them on. This is all behind the
curtain stuff now, Liam Napier.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
Hello, afternoon phone.

Speaker 4 (04:12):
Ah, here we go. All three of us are on
the air. This is an excellent start. So a rather
a rather unfortunate topic. I'd love to be getting you together,
the two of you, to talk more positive matters. But Liam,
can I start with you? How big a blow is
this for the rugby community in New Zealand and in
particular the Pacific rugby community. The demise it appears of Mowana.

Speaker 6 (04:34):
PACIFICA yeah, massive pony.

Speaker 7 (04:38):
I think when this team started up there was a
massive amount of goodwill and supports, received a lot of
government funding, a lot of backers World Rugby chipped in
and the purpose of this team, as you say, was
to build a royal community, to serve the Pacific Islands,
to create pathways and to give back to a playing

(05:01):
base that has proliferated the global rugby scene and continue
used to do so. So yeah, heartbreaking stuff really that, Milana.
I all accounts unless a White Knights and unlikely White
Knight Emergers have five games left and their existence.

Speaker 4 (05:21):
Bred from across the Tasman. How much of a surprise
was this to you?

Speaker 5 (05:28):
It wasn't so much of a surprise, Pliny, because I
think we've been thinking that this day might be coming
anytime soon. But the shock is no less and the disappointment,
I suppose as well, because you know, when when Super
Rugby Pacific was stood up between between Australia and New Zealand,

(05:48):
the inclusion of the Drewer from fig from from Mowana
as well, even even being based in Auckland, was was
going to add a real, a real true Pacific ring
to Super Rugby. And it's something that's been discussed for
a long long time. The Fijian Drewer obviously, who had
a history in Australian rugby that goes back, you know,

(06:10):
more than a decade now, so you know, it's it's
been a long time coming and and it's going to
be a great shame for that just to stop on
the on the tongue and someone and front, because you know,
those those pathways and the development opportunities that Milana has

(06:31):
provided for the last five seasons, you know, they're they're
not They're not suddenly you know, all exhausted. There's there's
still a still a stream of young talent that need
to come through and get their first taste of professional rugby.
And and from Australian point of view, the the real,
the real fear is that this is potentially just opening

(06:51):
the door for rugby league up even further.

Speaker 8 (06:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (06:54):
I was going to ask about that, and I will
get to that with you in just a second, brit
But Liam, the phrase I'm hearing a lot is no
longer viable. How did we get to this point?

Speaker 7 (07:04):
Rugby, as you know, pioneers a business and in the Capital,
you're part of the world. Hurricanes last year lost over
two million dollars think it was two point five million,
so Mian aren't alone in their financial challenges, but look,
the money is effectively dried up. They were backed by
the pacifica Medical Association who lost a very significant public

(07:29):
contract and so it was no longer viable for the
Pacific Medical Association to continue funding a rugby team when
with their purpose is in the Pacific medical field.

Speaker 9 (07:40):
So Wine needed a new backer.

Speaker 7 (07:42):
The government money has run outs that was always intended
to be temporary. World rugby funding is running out the skyfront.
A Jersey sponsor is going to cease, and so you're
at a situation where Wine is steering down the barrel.
Costs ten to twelve million to funds a super rugby
team in this part of the world. It's not a

(08:02):
cheap exercise. This is not club rugby. This is a
bus You've I've got sixty staff to pay every week.
So it's a very challenging climate to do that. Super
Rugby is struggling to get punters through the gates. Commercial
sponsors aren't always there. It's easier for teams like the

(08:23):
Blues who are long established, but in an alco market,
sustaining two teams is challenging and so effectively the money
draight up and wanna need somebody, whether it be a
Twiggy Forest type character who's willing to come in and
lose money effectively, because rugby is a professional Rugby at

(08:45):
this level is not a money making venture.

Speaker 4 (08:47):
You've got to have a lot of passion for the
game to pour money into a bottomless pit for sure.
Bret back to your point about the possibility of rugby
league now swooping on the best young talent. Sir Michael
Jones on this side of the Tasman has been quoted
today is saying that rugby league is winning the hearts
and minds of young Pacific players. How much of a
genuine threat to rugby union is rugby league?

Speaker 5 (09:11):
Yeah, it could well be. It could well be. We
know the NRL is looking to expand we know they're
so they'll have a team playing out of Perse next year,
you know, headlong against against the Western Forest. They will
be in in Papua New Guinea the following year after that,
and and they've been able to secure significant amounts of

(09:32):
Australian federal government money to stand the P and G
team up, and part of that funding is for further
development opportunities through the Pacific Islands, and they specifically mentioned
Fiji's Tonga or some more. So they are going to
work quite actively in that space, yeah, you know, for
for players of that heritage, and even if they're not

(09:55):
necessarily coming from the islands themselves, that the families are
all still there. And as we know about about the
young players, you know, what you can do for family
is is hugely important and so these guys will will
go where the opportunities are, won't they And if that
means that they need to play a slightly different sport
for the sake of looking after their family, and then

(10:17):
that's a decision that they make, you know, with the
very obvious support of the family behind them, because because
they all don't want to lose out either. So it's
a very real threat and the size and the scale
of that threat is why this is such an important
and such a crucial juncture for Super Rugby Pacific as

(10:38):
a competition, but also for the broader development conversation that's
going on in the Pacific, of which Australia and New
Zealand are a significant part of.

Speaker 4 (10:49):
Let's look ahead to what it will mean for Super
Rugby liam if we go to ten teams, which you
know by all accounts we will They're not going to
stand up an eleventh team in time for next season.
So let's say it's a ten team competition in twenty
twenty seven. Is that a weaker competition or is it
a cleaner competition? What is the upshot of a ten

(11:11):
team Super Rugby Pacific comp Well.

Speaker 7 (11:14):
I think, first and foremost point, anytime you lose a team,
whether it be in the Melbourne Rebels or Wine of
Pacific here, it's a big hit to your credibility, it's
a big hit to your brand. It erodes faith or
engagement in the competition, So there's no getting away from that.
From a draw perspective, it is cleaner. Ten eleven teams

(11:38):
meant you had to have two buyers. But if you
think about it, we'll back to Super ten and that's
how this competition started what three decades ago now, so
coming full circle in that regard. What it might mean
is potentially home and away, possibly two rounds. There's been

(11:58):
talk of conference models to potentially guarantee Australian presence in
the finals. For me, I would probably prefer just one round.
I don't think we need to elongate the competition, but
the broadcasters will pay more for more products, more games,

(12:19):
and that's where the revenue comes from. So I think
we'll probably that's where it will probably lands as two
rounds of home and away and that might be more
competitive maybe, but you're losing that Pacific elements and just
on that and you talk about Michael Jones there in
Auckland alone, I think there's two hundred and seventy five

(12:40):
people who identify with Pacific heritage. Now one didn't necessarily
get those people through the gates, but Super Rugby needs
to tap into that market because they are in danger
and they are losing that market, huge market in Auckland,
the largest Pacific city in the world to rugby league.

Speaker 4 (12:59):
Brett is that you'll feel as well that it'll be
a ten and team comp.

Speaker 5 (13:03):
Yeah, I think so. I think it's it's going to
take the shiniest, whitest of White Knights to come in
and rescue things now and prevent that. But I think
that this is actually an opportunity for Australia in New
Zealand and for Super Rugby as a whole. Probably since
it's its inception in nineteen ninety six. The feeling has

(13:26):
always been that the season is too short. If we
think back to the early days of Super twelve, it
was you know, it was literally eleven games per team.
You know, there was a five week in their two
weeks of semi finals and the whole competition was done
by the end of May. So our clubs have been

(13:48):
saying time and time again they can't continue with this
six months of the year existence. They need to have
a bigger footprint, a slightly longer season, and ten teams
allows that. You know, the current season, the current twenty
twenty six season will run for nineteen weeks with the
two buys, the three weeks of finals. You know, with

(14:09):
ten teams, you could bring it back to a top
four play straight semi finals, so only two weeks of
semi finals. Even if you had a bye week and
eight en games per team, you're only talking twenty one weeks.
So you know, start a week earlier, finish a week later,
and the footprint really isn't that different to what we
have now. But a full home and away season gives

(14:31):
all the clubs, you know, two extra home games a year.
That's a big, big benefit for them, but it gives
the competition a little bit of extra credibility and meaning
because you know, all of a sudden it is a
more level playing field. It is there's no such thing
as strong and weak draws and things like that. And
if they could then start, you know, going a bit

(14:52):
further to try and try and strengthen the competition, and
you know, again the topic of open borders will come up.
Is there some is there some equalization measure measure through
a salary cap of some sort that could be applied
across the board. If you start doing things like that
will force movement between the ten teams and then you
do strengthen the competition. So that's why I say, I

(15:13):
think this is a real opportunity for Super Rugby to
be able to take the steps that they've wanted to
take for the last couple of years but haven't really
had the means or the ability to do that.

Speaker 4 (15:23):
Just a couple to finish with Liam. Do New Zealand
Rugby have any culpability here? Do they have a greater
responsibility to support more Ona Pacifica or not?

Speaker 6 (15:32):
I don't know, Piney.

Speaker 7 (15:34):
I think I think it's probably short sighted to point
the finger at New Zealand Rugby. Yes, the all Blacks
and New Zealand Rugby have been massive beneficiaries over there
years of extremely talented, athletic, gifted Pacific footballers. But they're
not alone and there is a lot of economic and

(15:59):
different factors about why Pacific families come to New Zealand
and a lot of those players actually grow up here.
So look, yeah, more could have been done, I think
on the on the whole would it be from a
global governing perspective, from World rugby, from New Zealand rugby,
But look, New Zealand Ruby is also charged with running

(16:19):
the whole game here. And if they are pushing out
money to prop up mine in Pacifica, they've got to
take it from somewhere else. It could be the woman's game,
it could be club rugby. And there's not a bottomless
pits to keep the game here. They're already chewing through
the silver ac money. So ultimately it's up to MUANA

(16:40):
to be a viable business entity on their own and
stand on their own two feet.

Speaker 4 (16:45):
And Brett, will you be chatting to the pals that
be at the Brumbis to try and get Ardie Savie
across there? Is it going to be your marquee signing
for twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 5 (16:55):
Imagine imagine that Brumby's back round was Rob Valatini and
Rory Scott, Charlie Cale and an Artie father in it
as well. It'd be pretty handy, wouldn't It's I did
have a little chuckle. That question was put to Steven
Larker this week and he said, we've actually got a
coaches meetge in half an hour.

Speaker 10 (17:13):
So you know.

Speaker 5 (17:19):
I had your very own Eliot Smith on the eight
nine Rugby podcast this week and I said to him,
do you imagine it was only twenty four hours later?
So do you imagine that the Arty's had phone calls
from all five New Zealand teams by now?

Speaker 11 (17:30):
And he said, I'm sure he has.

Speaker 5 (17:31):
So I'm sure that there'll be Australian teams will will
make inquiries because they'd be mad not to, wouldn't they.
And so I think it's going to be really interesting
to see how that particular scenario plays out, But how
the whole thing plays out, I'm sure. Just to pick
up on leans Lean's point before, I'm sure New Zealand
Rugby Rugby Australia would love to be able to do
more if they could, but they are not profit making

(17:54):
enterprise in their own right. They would admit that they're
not doing enough with their own legacy teams as it is,
never mind being able to further support development in other
areas outside their own borders. And that's why I say
it's a really important juncture for super ug Us a
competition because it's going to force some hard conversations between
between all the parties, and so it's an opportunity. I

(18:17):
almost look forward to seeing where it could go because
I think a lot of those topics that we've talked
about for a long long time are suddenly very much
in play because they kind of have to be otherwise
the question marks about super Roby going forward, we'll only
get louder and bigger.

Speaker 4 (18:32):
Such an interesting time. Brett McKay Liam Napier, thank you
both for giving up your time this afternoon and starting
our discussion off. We'll look forward to hearing more from
you as the story develops. Thank you both.

Speaker 6 (18:44):
Thanks Funny Jus Funny.

Speaker 4 (18:46):
It's Brett McKay and Liam Napier on Weekend Sport with Us.
It's a really interesting topic which I love your views on.
Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty anything you heard
there from Liam and Brett, or anything that has jumped
to the front of your mind since this news was
made official during the week that unleash. There is a savior,

(19:06):
a a wealthy benefactor willing to come in and effectively
rescue Mowana Pacifica. They will be gone at the end
of this Super Rugby season. Oh eight hundred and eighty
ten eighty. As our number, I must say, I'm gutted
we're losing Mowana Pacifica. I'd feel the same about any team.

(19:27):
As Liam said, then, whenever you lose a team, it's
not a great look, and you do feel a sense
of disappointment that a team drops out of a competition,
regardless of what that team is and which competition it is.
But I feel as though what Molwana Pacifica stood for
and what they brought to the competition will be sorely

(19:51):
missed when they're not here anymore. There's something about the
way they play their rugby, the way they infuse their
culture into everything that they do, the pathway they offer
for young Pacific Island players, their fans support, and there
lived values that was compelling and attractive I really thought

(20:11):
last year would be a turning point for that franchise.
Mwana were very, very competitive last year. They beat the Hurricanes,
they beat the Crusaders, they beat the Highlanders, they beat
the Blues. They only rarely ran out of steam late
in the season and finished just outside the top six.
And the hope was that they would build on that
this year and kick on. But they were without one

(20:34):
very important factor unfortunately this year, one very important player
Artie Savia. Look, it's not fair to say he was
single handedly responsible for last season, but I cannot remember
one player having such a significant impact on a rugby
team in the thirty year history of Super Rugby Pacific.

(20:58):
He had the season of his life and he elevated
everybody around him. Without him, this year, they have been
a shadow of their former selves. A went on opening
weekend against the Druer raised our hopes maybe they are
going to kick on, but it has been eight straight
defeats since then, and with morale almost certain to be

(21:22):
low in the camp, it's hard to see them notching
up any more wins in their final half dozen games
of the season and likely the last half dozen games
of their existence. But if there's any glimmer of hope.
It's now that ma Wana Pacifica are playing for pride
and pride and pride of those in the Pacifica region

(21:46):
is a pretty powerful force. Not enough to keep the
franchise alive, but certainly enough to send them out in
the manner that they deserve. I eight hundred eighty ten
eighty is our number. The texts are flowing through, got
a whole sheaf of texts to get through. But if
you want to make your point, I eight hundred eighty
ten eighty is our number. Will get the lines open

(22:06):
on this until one o'clock, So spare one there for
you if you want to jump aboard. Oh eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty where.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
The weekend's biggest calls are made. Weekend Sport with Jason
pine News Talks, v.

Speaker 4 (22:19):
News Talks being Weekend Sport on texta from Andy Piney.
This's be honest. Funding by the health system was never right.
It was wrong from the start. It's a damn shame
though our island brothers bring so much to sport and
the community. Let's hope something can happen. Yeah, let's hope
something can happen. I just it just doesn't feel the
most likely outcome to me, Andy, But you're right, they
bring a lot and hopefully a solution can be found.

(22:40):
I'm not holding out hope though, Hello.

Speaker 11 (22:42):
Mark, Hey Piney. Yeah, I hope tomorrow this time it
will be celebrating and historic.

Speaker 12 (22:48):
Well over the Chiefs.

Speaker 11 (22:50):
She's pretty much guaranteed. I reckon well.

Speaker 12 (22:55):
Favorite, very bullish.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
I saw that.

Speaker 4 (22:59):
I saw the Chiefs. Yeah, I saw that. I was like,
I was quite surprised. I can only assume Mark that
that's because they're at home. Look, it'll be a cracking battle.
It's me to be about wet. There's an in Hamilton
as well, I understand, so that might play its part.
But yeah, but very good, very good. What about Mowana, Yeah,
I think it.

Speaker 11 (23:19):
Was almost doomed from the start. The way I thought
it was going to play out was that they're going
to take the super rugby to the Pacific Islands like
some Ora and toler and stuff, like the way Fiji
have done. But they haven't even really almost had a home.
I mean, I think they had to play away and
wrote a rule last week which wasn't even planned, so
they haven't really Apart from when Artie was there, sort

(23:42):
of had a fan base just sort of playoff and
I think every sports team needs a decent fan base
to go and in some weird way, with Ardie going,
it's sort of made things worse because when he left,
there's sort of just this big hole. And I think
probably from the money perspective too, that I mean, apart
from Artie, they sort of had a lot of veteran
sort of players and young players, but that you really

(24:04):
need a few stars, don't you really to get to
get a franchise off the ground.

Speaker 4 (24:09):
To be honest, well, I thought Miracle Lungey was going
to be the prodigal son, if you like, and he
has been tremendous for them. He was amazing last year
with Ardie there alongside, and I think took a lot
of guidance from playing alongside Artie Savia. But it's a
big ask for a young man like that to step
into the very sizeable boots of Artie Savier. And I

(24:31):
think Miracle FAILUNGI of the players in the in the
Mawana squad will be one who is getting looked at
by other teams. But yeah, I mean, I don't know,
it's it just seemed as though Mowana Pacifica last year
were Ardie Savia and he was Mowana Pacifica. It's you know,
it's it's it's easy to say take him out and

(24:52):
this has happened, but last year he was such an
enormous part of what that team was about.

Speaker 11 (24:59):
Yeah, but I mean, I mean, he did take the
team on his back. But yeah, I think you need
more than just one player to make a team over
the long term. I mean the silver lining years that are.
You can obviously come back next year to to the
Hurricanes with welcoming back with open arms.

Speaker 4 (25:16):
I don't know, Mark, I don't know. I don't know. Well,
first of all, I mean, you'd never turned down Artie Savia, obviously,
but you think about what's happened to the Hurricanes since
he left, and the loose forwards that have been developed
there and guys who probably wouldn't have got the opportunity,
And what I'm hearing as well, and I'm sure this
won't come as a surprise, is that he has a

(25:36):
couple of his business interests are in Auckland. I know
he's always been really tight with a number of players
inside the Blues. They're losing Hoskins, Stutu and Dalton Papaali
next season. So I would not be at all surprised
if the Blues, I mean they'd have to put together
the financial package to attract him, and I'm sure they
can do that. I wouldn't be at all surprised if

(25:57):
you see Artie Savia in the Blues jersey next year.

Speaker 11 (26:00):
Well yeah, I mean he's such a great stay. He
puts bums on seats anywhere he goes.

Speaker 4 (26:04):
To be honest, it's a mark always good to chat made.
Thanks for calling it. Eight hundred and eighty ten eighty
Mowana was brought into the competition, says Paul, and announced
as burg for the Pacific Island rugby community to help
the island nations and grow participation, or they've become as
a feeder to New Zealand rugby in a token gesture, yes,
I'm not sure that's true. I'm not sure that that

(26:25):
maina pacifica has in any way that's different from the
past become a feeder. I think it always has been, well,
I want to say it has been. Pacific Island players
have always played a massive part in New Zealand rugby
and the All Blacks and the other Super Rugby franchises.
But I think what Arti did last year was legitimize

(26:48):
high quality players playing for their for their region, playing
for their heritage, and Arti going there. But there was
all sorts of other players who you know, who were
starting to think about it. New Zealand Rugby, unfortunately or
nfortunately from one in PACIFICA had the rule that only

(27:08):
I think two current All Blacks were able to be
signed there, so that put paid to an utter influx
of players. I mean, I get feeling that if it
had been if that role hadn't existed, Artista Hi might
have got around sort of half a dozen of his
of his close All Blacks teammates and probably convinced them
to come to Mowana. Unfortunately that wasn't an available path.

Speaker 13 (27:33):
Hello Grant, Yeah, Pony. Amazing the difference one player can make,
not just Artie's playing ability, but the clear way he
inspired other players to a higher level around him. And
that is why, in my opinion, he must be All
Black captain. But anyway, we'll get on tom on one up.

Speaker 8 (27:55):
But I mean with.

Speaker 13 (27:59):
The All Blacks preparing other teams as Robert Australia of
course who also in Super Rugby. With the Alblacks preparing
for the World Cup next year, I wonder if that
could maybe even if the powers that be were thinking
in the long term of having two rounds of having

(28:21):
one round, giving teams Australia New Zealand more time to
prepare for the World Cup.

Speaker 4 (28:30):
So a shorter Super Rugby competition in other.

Speaker 2 (28:33):
Words, yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (28:38):
I get the feeling they'd probably want their men playing rugby.
But you're right, Grant. If there was an arrangement under
which Super Rugby finished earlier in the year and the
All Blacks and the Wallabies could get their hands on
their players earlier, and the Fijian drew, of course they're
still in this equation as well. Yeah, I think I

(28:58):
think Super Super Rugby Pacific have their own KPIs, if
we can call it that. They need to be attractive
to a broadcaster, and you know what broadcasters want. They
want content. They want content, more, not less. More is
more for them, Grant, even though sometimes less is more
for the fans, and in your scenario, less is more
in terms of preparing the All Blacks. But yeah, I'm

(29:19):
really not sure that's Super rugby specific would wear it.

Speaker 13 (29:23):
I mean, I mean that they could still have for
next year anyway. The sixth was at sixteen final and
maybe then the following year. In the previous years have
two rounds plus a straight set or plus then just
semi finals and finals. You know, just an idea to

(29:45):
throw it. But yeah, it is a big It is
a big shame biddles. I mean, I have to say,
I mean, performance is everything, and you've got to wonder
if Mamana were mid table or even high, but certainly
no lower than mid table. Would perspective buyers for to

(30:07):
call that be more interested the fact that their last
you know, it's clear, you know it's a loss, a
loss making venture. And as previous Schollers said, you know,
they don't appear to they don't really have a home
ground as such, and it's just it's just a shame
ready but reality.

Speaker 4 (30:28):
Yeah, thanks Grin, appreciate it. It is reality. But I
think what you're investing in, if you're if you're a
potential investor in Mona pacifica, it's not so much the results,
but what the team is all about. The you know,
the the Pacific Island nature of the team and clearly
pm A, the Pacifica Medical Association that was the owner

(30:50):
of the team. As Leah mentioned, they missed out on
a on a big contract and therefore had to look
at all of their expenses and Mona Pacifica was just
a loss making exercise that they couldn't carry on with
in terms of more one as results that year as well.
I just wonder whether because you know, people talk, don't
they within a team. I'm sure Mowana's players got wind

(31:13):
of this. I'm sure that they would have caught snatches
of conversation or just just got a feeling that the
franchise was not perhaps as secure as they hoped it
would be. They might have talked to the you know,
the powers that be there about next year. They might
have said, hey, you know, keen to talk about my

(31:34):
contract for next year, and those powers that be, knowing
that the franchise itself might not even exist next year,
would probably have just brushed those conversations away. So I no, no,
We'll we'll talk about that when the time comes. Those players,
I reckon, must have had some sort of inkling that
this was going to happen. And when you know you're

(31:54):
on death row, you wonder what there is to play for.
It's got to be demoralizing. It's got to be demotivating
knowing that the team that you have represented with such
pride and given everything you can to under some fairly
challenging circumstances at times, is going to cease to exist

(32:15):
at the end of the season. It must be incredibly
hard to motivate yourself for that. Just like the Melbourne Rebels,
the last team to drop out of Super Rugby, they
clearly try to motivate themselves so that they could send
the franchise out on a high. But in the back
of your mind when times get tough, it must be

(32:37):
really hard to draw on anything that is going to
other than professional pride drive you forward and get you
back into rugby matches. Eighteen away from one speed line,
there are eight hundred and eighty ten eighty going to
talk one to Pacific until one o'clock keeps the text
to get through as well. We've had another pushback in
the Pack four game between the Black Ferns and Canada.

(32:59):
We are now scheduled for a one o'clock kickoff, a
one o'clock kickoff in Kansas City and Clement whether has
pushed this kickoff back and back. They are confident though
of a start at one o'clock will keep you up
to date with that back in a second Weekend Sport.

Speaker 1 (33:14):
No TMO, no drs, just your call on eight hundred
eighty ten eighty Weekend Sport with Jason Pave News Talks.

Speaker 4 (33:22):
That'd be one hundred and eighty ten eighty and number.
Miriam says on Textpine he put out a shout or
a shout out to Jason Mamaia he could buy Mowana Pacifica.
Not a bad idea. Mariam Nikita says, Ryan Reynolds should
buy Miwana like he did Rix And yeah, another very
interesting idea. Hello Dean, Yeah, here you go, man, I'm

(33:43):
good than good. Thanks.

Speaker 13 (33:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (33:45):
I just want to say I think it's it's a
real shame that Mine of Pacifica didn't make it, same
as the Rebels. But I personally you can't really blame
the players. Like the talents there, the coaching qualities there,
but I think the whole franchise has let them down
to be, to be quite frank, for rugby is not

(34:07):
what it used to be and the marketing, the whole
thing is not what it was, and I think that,
to be honest, I think the whole thing's yeah over.

Speaker 4 (34:17):
So so you mean you mean Super Rugby Pacific let
them down or Mawana pacifica let down the players.

Speaker 14 (34:24):
Yeah, I think the whole Super Rugby franchise as a
whole has let the whole let the team down. I mean,
you don't You don't see anything on TV unless you
pay for it. You don't hear anything on the news
the media, but basically you don't hear anything about it.
You know, you hear about like a golf game on
the other side of the planet, but you don't hear

(34:45):
about your own a rugby game in your own country.
And I think the marketing and the media is really
let them downs, let rugby down in New Zealand, like
from what it used to be. You don't hear anything
about what's going And I know you're in the media,
so you probably have a different opinion, but for the
general public, you don't really hear anything about rugby. To

(35:06):
be honest, it's interesting.

Speaker 4 (35:07):
That interesting that yeah, I mean, that's that's that's that's
your perception, which is absolute reality for you. You're right,
I'm in the media, so and sometimes we get, we
get a bit close to it and and look, I'll
be thinking to myself a lot. We're covering super rugby now,
we've got it in all our sports news bulletins, we
have interviews. But if that's your perception, and then that
is a reality, you know.

Speaker 14 (35:26):
Yeah, but that's I'm a general member of the public.
I see what I see, and from my perspective, which
I think most people would probably agree, you don't really
hear much about rugby, and I don't think you and
I get along very well because last time we taught,
you said the All Blacks were great and then next minute,
you know, the whole thing's falling over. Scott Robinson gets sacked.

(35:47):
So I don't think you and I seem to agree
on much. But I'm just going to say New Zealand rugby,
you know, as a as a New Zealand Rugby Union
has got a lot of work to do as far
as getting the rugby game back back into the view
of the public because it's really.

Speaker 4 (36:06):
Letting it down.

Speaker 14 (36:07):
This is just my point of view, and I've been
watching rugby for nearly forty years.

Speaker 4 (36:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, your point of view is as valid
as anybody's and look, we don't have to agree. I
think it'd be a pretty boring old world. Have everybody agreed, mate,
I'm pleased you've given us. I'm pleased you've given us
a caller. I don't look at it. I don't think
of myself what a dick. I'm not thinking that. You're
probably thinking it about me. But I think we can.
I think we can have robust conversations, can't we?

Speaker 14 (36:31):
No, of course we share. But I'm just saying I've
seen the All Blacks for a long time, and I've
seen Super Rugby right from the beginning. And if you
take that from what it was since what ninety six
or whatever it was to twenty twenty six, I mean,
why are we not celebrating that it's been around for
that long? You don't really say, oh, yeah, well you don't.
There's nothing. Why are we not celebrating Super Rugby.

Speaker 4 (36:54):
We're not there, Dean. There is a lot of celebration
about the thirty years going on. You're right, it might
just be mainly driven by Sky Television and if you
don't have access to that, then that that obviously won't
come across your radar. But there has been significant promotion
the thirty years of Super Rugby around this year that
the teams are all wearing, you know, commemorative jerseys for
starters to commemorate the thirty years, and there has been

(37:16):
a heap of promotion. But as a satine, you know,
your perception is reality to you, and so you know
we're not all going to have the same thing. So
that's that's what you're seeing and hearing. Then then that's
absolutely valid. And I appreciate you bringing to the table
mate call back any time, Dan, Hi, good ey, how
are you? Dan? I'm good.

Speaker 15 (37:38):
I want to spin it on his head and say
why don't they do what the Americans do, have a draft,
you know, and say all right, so and so you've
been drafted for Mawina Pacifica, You've been drafted for the
Crusaders and the Blues and.

Speaker 16 (37:58):
Stuff like that.

Speaker 15 (38:00):
Have a variety of players in each team.

Speaker 4 (38:03):
Dan, I think there's a lot of support for that
sort of thing to to do a couple of things,
keep interest high in the competition for a longer period,
particularly when it's not being played, and also to equalize
out some of these teams as well. And you're right
to to have players go to different places. I think
you'll get a lot of support for something like that
for those two reasons. I know it's been discussed in

(38:26):
super rugby circles. Whether it comes to fruition, I guess
we wait and see. Thanks Dan, Michael Hay.

Speaker 17 (38:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 18 (38:34):
No, the whole game has gone flat. There's been more
flatiful quite a while since. Winston said he said about
two or three years ago. He says, lost its plate.

Speaker 4 (38:43):
Winston, Winston, Winston, Winston Peters.

Speaker 17 (38:48):
Yeah, yeah, hang on, hang on, Russian Smith, Guy Smith,
you know Wayne Smith, Wayne.

Speaker 4 (38:58):
Smith, Wayne Smith. Well, I'll take us, I'll take his
I'll take his view over Winston Peter's view.

Speaker 18 (39:04):
There is right. That was Wayne Smith, And I actually
agree with didn't there because I'm a and imy watching
bloody rugby for years and to me, I've got a
bloody pay but twenty fifty backs just to watch it
for them a whole month there, I'm there on the
pitch and now I just not watn't bloody bother doing that?
And I don't even bother going down for a local
pub down there, and it's on the sky sport. The

(39:25):
whole game is whistle blow stop start stop, start stop
start it's bloody boring.

Speaker 4 (39:31):
Thanks Michael. I appreciate your call on that. I disagree
respectfully with it. I still enjoy watching rugby, and I
know a lot of our callers and listeners do as well.
I don't think it's on death's door as badly as
some people think that it is. I still think there's
a high degree of interest in super rugby. And we've
had a lot of a lot of feedback to the
call from Dean before, some agreeing actually and some saying

(39:53):
all you hear is rugby. So again, though, I sometimes
and I think in our industry we have to check
ourselves a lot. We have to step outside of this
cocoon that we operate. I'm talking about the sports media here,
where we think it is the be all and end all,
where basically my days are filled with sport, that's all

(40:14):
I really do. Sport and family are the only two
things that really are in my life. But you've got
to step outside and say, you know what, my experience
isn't the common experience necessarily. That's why I like calls
like Dean to point stuff out like that, we need
to check ourselves. Sometimes seven to one us talksb.

Speaker 2 (40:38):
When there's a line call. It's your call.

Speaker 1 (40:41):
Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, News Talks V.

Speaker 4 (40:46):
It's four to one, Joe says piety. Winston Peters knows
a fair bit about rugby. He was captain of the
Auckland Malti team when my uncle was in there. Oh look,
I didn't mean to cast aspersions on Winston Peters and
as it happened, it was It wasn't him, it was
Wayne Smith. I'll take Wayne smith view over Winston Peter's
on rugby anyway. Thank you for all your calls and correspondence.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
So much.

Speaker 4 (41:07):
We need to get Dean to call more often. He
just fires people up, both sides of the both sides
of the argument. Dean, thank you for calling. Call back
anytime now. If you thought that was robust, that discussion
was interesting, wait until after one o'clock. The crusaders have
lost their horses.

Speaker 1 (41:26):
The only place for the big names, the big issues,
the big controversies and the big conversations. It's all on
Weekend Sport with Jason Vine on your home of Sport
News Talks EDB.

Speaker 4 (41:42):
One o seven. Welcome back to Weekend Sport on News
Talks EDB. They're about to get underway finally in Kansas City,
the Black Ferns up against Canada and their pack four
matches being pushed back. Kick offs ten thirty this morning,
New Zealand time, so it's going to be about two
and three quarter hours late due to the inclement weather
at Kansas City, which is now cleared enough for the
Black Ferns in Canada to get underwaight. A repeat of

(42:05):
course last year's Rugby World Cup semi final, with Canada
knocking the Black Ferns out at that point. So revenge
on the minds perhaps of this New Zealand side as
they are currently going through the hakka ahead of this match.
We will keep you right up to date with it
across the next little while party. Last week's A Sporting
Chance winner asks this text chose the wars over the storm,

(42:29):
didn't they? How much did that pay? They did? Plenty
was about two grand I think about two thousand dollars
that caller picked up. Will play a Sporting Chance again
a bit later on on the show. It's eight past one.
One of the most recognizable traditions in New Zealand rugby
is coming to an end. You know what that music means?

(42:51):
The Crusaders confirming their match day horses will not feature
at the new One New Zealand Stadium at Tekaha. The
club says modern stadium design and safety concerns mean the
iconic pregame spectacle cannot continue, but that has sparked backlash

(43:11):
from fans who see it as part of the team's
identity for a region where rugby tradition runs deep, probably
deeper than anywhere else across our country, and raises a
bigger question about what gets preserved and what gets left
behind in a new era. I'm going to open the
lines on this, but let's bring a long time christ

(43:32):
Church based rugby commentator, Brian Ashby, to give us a
bit of background and some of the reaction to this gash.
This feels like the end of an era. Just how
significant are those Crusaders horses to Crusaders and christ Church
rugby culture.

Speaker 3 (43:48):
Yeah, I'm sort of I've got mixed views on the
whole thing. And they they are magnificent, And it was,
you know, it was always quite spine tingling when they'd
go around and you know, they'd stop on each side
of the field and and and and raise the arms
and the crowd would go absolutely ape, you know, and
it created a wonderful atmosphere. And I've I've never actually

(44:10):
asked the question, but you know, in nineteen ninety six
and the first year of Super Rugby, the people that
could answer it to be former CEO Steve Tour or
marketing manager at the time, war on God.

Speaker 12 (44:22):
Was it a long term.

Speaker 3 (44:23):
Plan to have the horses or did it just go
off so successfully that it kind of fed on itself
and they were stuck with them.

Speaker 6 (44:30):
In a positive way.

Speaker 3 (44:31):
Because there's no question they are hugely positive in terms
of fan engagements and creating the vibe in the atmosphere
at the ground. And you know, after they had the
review in twenty nineteen which was underway, and then the
mosque shooting happened and so on, and they you know,
sort of rebranding and so on, the horses remained minus

(44:54):
you know, the crusading imagery of the you know, the
soldiers and the swords and those sort of things. Instead
what was essentially you know, shepherds on the horses wearing
the colors of the contributing unions only work quite well.
But yeah, I can understand the disappointment. But equally, you know,
sometimes some things have to give, you know, and we've
got this magnificent new venue. I think you know you

(45:20):
mentioned health and safety and so on. There are situations
where where where do you actually unload the horses? How
do you sort of you know, smack in the middle
of the CBD A little bit different. You know, Addington
is with really at Addington Raceway, so there were really
sort of good areas where you could get the horses
ready and all of those things. It's a different scenario

(45:43):
in the CBD. So sometimes, like it or not, you
have to make some sacrifices.

Speaker 6 (45:51):
I do think there are some ways around it, Poney.
I think.

Speaker 3 (45:56):
Some compromises can be made along the way. But clearly
the way it's operated up until this point in open
air venues and and the like, you know, it's it's
just not practical.

Speaker 6 (46:09):
I don't think it the new in Bull Stadium.

Speaker 4 (46:12):
I've heard it suggested Gash that being an anchor tenant,
in fact the marquee tenant of the new stadium, the
Crusaders that this is something that should have been discussed
during the design process, that that something so central to
the Crusader's identity should have been accommodated when they were
designing the stadium. Is that valid or not?

Speaker 7 (46:33):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (46:33):
Look, I don't think so. I mean, you know, you
can't have it both ways. That everyone's been at pains
to say we're trying to secure the funding that it's.

Speaker 6 (46:41):
It's not just a rugby stadium.

Speaker 3 (46:42):
It's it's a whole lot of different things. And you know,
you know, we want to see a league games here.
Warriors always get good crowds when they come to cliss
to huge concerts. You know, we've got you know, a
couple sort of confirmed.

Speaker 8 (46:53):
So yeah, you can't.

Speaker 3 (46:56):
It's convenient to pull that sort of argument out now
when it was kind of convenient to say that it's
not a rugby venue, you know, when you're trying to
secure the funding. So I don't you know, I can
see people, you know, why people are saying that, But
I don't think it's a valid argument at all, really,
And in terms of health and safety, I can remember

(47:16):
the final in nineteen ninety eight, our bigger parton in
two thousand and eight, Robbie Deans's last game before he
took up the Wallabies gig, and there were quite a
few Crusaders leaving at the end of that season and
they literally just finished the presentations and things next thing
while the horses cut loose and was belding around the stadium,

(47:37):
and like everyone was in little huddles around the grass,
not wanting to be taken out by one.

Speaker 6 (47:41):
Of these horses.

Speaker 3 (47:42):
So even at Lancaster Park, in those scenarios, you know,
there are sort of issues around them. As much as
we love them, you've got to be a little bit careful.
And if those and the know are concerned about health
and safety, you know, I think there are people that
have probably got a better understanding of those things than
I certainly do, and certainly a lot of the fans.

Speaker 4 (48:04):
There's already I see a petition calling for them to stay.
This tends to be what happens when a decision like
this is made. Is that reflecting genuine anger about this
or is it just nostalgia?

Speaker 6 (48:18):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (48:18):
Probably a combination of both. Look, I think there are
scenarios where maybe they can use the horses. For example,
if they play a game in the region outside of
christ Church in the pre season games, they could use
the horses and the audio visual presentations that the mega

(48:41):
productions that they have, the imagery that they play pre
match and those things are always magnificently put together. Again,
they could use old footage and so on with you know,
close ups and all those and it's not the same,
I know, but it doesn't have to be lost completely.
There are ways and means. Yep, it's not the same
as having the horses going around.

Speaker 6 (49:02):
I accept that.

Speaker 3 (49:04):
But you know, as I say, you know, there are
practicalities and there are more learned people than than I
that are making those decisions. And I can sort of
understand why, because you know on the footprint that it's
on in the middle of the CBD. I'm really not
sure quite how they could set the horses up. It's
not like Eddington Raceway. It's just a it's a whole
different scenario and youre smack.

Speaker 6 (49:25):
In the middle of town.

Speaker 3 (49:26):
And yeah, if if anyone's got a bit of got
an idea and a solution, with plenty of people being
emotional about it, but I don't hear anybody sort of
coming up with ideas on how to how to actually
make it work and getting the horses from outside the
stadium inside the stadium. And that's sort of what I
know you were alluding to before. Should it have been

(49:47):
a part of the design.

Speaker 6 (49:48):
Well, you know, I don't know. It seems a bit
ott to me.

Speaker 4 (49:52):
Yeah, Look, I find myself nodding in agreement. They'll be
varying views, I know, and we'll open the lines. You'll
be pleased to hear on this catch at a moment.
But I mean, will fans still feel the same crusader's
identity at the new stadium without the horses. They're surely
they will. They there to watch the rugby, aren't they, mate.

Speaker 3 (50:10):
I think they're going to get pretty damned excited going
into this stadium. If you can't get excited about going
into Taka after sitting on a bloody great pile of
scaffolding mccano set and freezing cold. You know, it cost
a million bucks a year to maintain, and the field
was because fitting it onto that footprinted addings and the

(50:31):
stands were a little bit closer to the field was
marginally narrow with an irregulation size.

Speaker 6 (50:36):
Well keep secret.

Speaker 3 (50:37):
And you know, if you can't get excited about being
at a venue like the smack in the middle of town,
all the bars, hospo everything around it, I think people will,
I would like to think can move on from it
a little bit a little bit quicker.

Speaker 6 (50:53):
Look, there are some people.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
That are still annoyed about the change away from you know,
the swords and the crusaders with their armor and things
going around and the loss of that imagery, and there
are there are a few people that are upset about it.
Probably those that got tattooed on them the logo that
would be the most upset, I suppose, But you know

(51:15):
that there are people and you know, look, that's you know,
you just have to accept that some things in life.

Speaker 6 (51:22):
You know, I get it.

Speaker 3 (51:23):
We don't all agree on everything, and that's just the
way life is sometimes. But I think given where we've
been with sport in this province, in this region, and
where we are now with obviously Paraciori the Metro Sports
Hub and y and now Takaha the one US on stadium, this,

(51:48):
you know, we have got plenty to be enthusiastic about.
And you know it's a sacrifice that, yeah, look disappointing
for some, but I totally get it, and there's there's
just much more to be positive about them sort of,
you know, looking in the rear view mirror, I.

Speaker 4 (52:05):
Think, oh, look, look, I can't profess at all to
speak you know, with any authority. I don't come from
christ Church, but I know you've had to endure a
lotcash It just feels as though the new stadium just
completes the city again. I mean, I know that, you know,
there's been all sorts of issues since twenty eleven and
understandably so. But does it feel like the city might
just just about be complete again with the opening of

(52:27):
the new stadium or is that being a bit misty eyed?

Speaker 6 (52:30):
No, no, it's not.

Speaker 3 (52:31):
The city is looking magnificent, you know, with conventions, enter
those those other things that I mentioned. You know, obviously
at the Phoenix, We've got the supercars here this weekend.
It's going off. It's absolutely going off. The terrorists or
the hospo areas.

Speaker 6 (52:47):
Christ Utes is on a real role at the moment.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
And you know, we had I think, you know, in
the years after the quakes, initially some real handbrakes working
on the council that just ah Man just just really
slowed things down and things like the stadium have cost
way more than they should have and that's down to
a few city councilors. But now, you know, again I

(53:11):
was talking about the rear view Marry you can't look
back now. We've got a lot to look forward to,
and it is you know, I look at sort of
some of the difficulties that other cities are having now
we had ours. Our changes were forced upon us. But
what the It's never looked better. Christ Church is looking
absolutely magnificent at the moment, and you know, I think

(53:31):
we're just sitting on the edge of the golden era
the next few years, particularly now with the stadium just
I guess capping it all off, you know, things like
the court for all of these things open now, and
christ Church feels fresh, new and future proof, and you know,
I'm really excited about what we've got to look forward

(53:52):
to over the next few years.

Speaker 4 (53:54):
Very well said, I'm in your fair city this weekend
for the Phoenix game this afternoon. Gush, I couldn't agree more.
They feel there's a feel about the city now that
that is really exuberant, energetic and exciting. Mate, and look
forward to seeing the stadium open next week. Always love
chatting toire. Thanks for taking the time. She's punny all
the best, Brian asked Bey there Gash, as we know,
I'm keen for your view on this. I know christ
Church folk have been talking about this right across the

(54:17):
week on your local talkback segment with John McDonald, but
the rest of us haven't really talked about it as much.
I know it's been featuring on on on some of
News Talk's dB shows, but this is the first chance
we've had to talk about it. I am keen for
your views. Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is
our number. I'm not sure those of us outside of

(54:38):
Crusaders Country can fully understand what the horses meant to
this franchise. Look, I'm not a Crusaders fan, right, I'm not.
And when I heard this news, I was surprised, but
then I just moved on to the next part of
my day. Not having the horses isn't going to affect me.
But the uproar in christ Church around this has been unreal.

(55:04):
As I say, petitions have been started, talk back radio
has gone crazy here in the Garden City, social media
awash with wailing and gnashing of teeth. I've been astounded
by the level of backlash to this, and I've been
trying to work out why that is. As the same

(55:25):
in christ Jeers this weekend and I kind of gently
proffered the view to a few of the fine folk
of christ Church yesterday that perhaps it was time to
move on from the horses. Well, I might as well
have suggested that they fold the team altogether. The horses
and the horsemen and women are so inextricably linked to

(55:50):
this Crusaders team that I don't think some Crusaders fans
can imagine life without them. One fan even said I
heard her on a show during the week say that
she would rather the Crusaders stayed at a hollow projects
stadium and had the horses, then moved to the new

(56:10):
stadium and not have them. I mean, come on, Crusaders fans,
is that really true? Are these horses really so important
to you that you can't go on without them? I mean,
if they are your super power, then maybe you should

(56:31):
pull out of the comp give the rest of us
a chance. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is
our number. We haven't got a lot of time to
talk about this. We've got a decent chunk of time.
I'm keen to take some calls on it, particularly from
those outside of christ Judge, but also those deeply embedded
in christ Church. And if you do have a view
that they should have been accommodated that they are part

(56:51):
of the deep fabric of this team, that ever since
nineteen ninety six, they've been as much a part of
the Crusaders as the red and black that they wear.
Because part of me thinks, you know what, if they
hadn't said anything, and if we've got to next Friday
and the game had got underway, I mean, answer me this,

(57:13):
how many people would have gone, oh, where are the horses? Oh,
they didn't have the horses, Where are the horses? If
they hadn't seen anything. I know they were obliged to
pretty much to clear it up. But if they hadn't
seen anything and the horses hadn't run out, how many
people would have really noticed?

Speaker 9 (57:32):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (57:32):
Eight hundred and eighty ten eightys our number nine two
nine two for your texts back with your calls on
the Crusaders horses when we come back. One twenty three.

Speaker 1 (57:40):
Hard Tackles, Harder opinions, Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, News talks.

Speaker 2 (57:45):
They'd be news talks.

Speaker 4 (57:47):
They'd be in Weekend Sport. One twenty six full bought
a call. So if you can't get through the first time,
please keep trying. Let's get some comment on this today, Peter, Oh, hi.

Speaker 10 (57:54):
There, Poney from Hurricane Country. I'm speaking from and I've
got a couple of suggestions. When I was Leo the Lion,
each of the provinces had a mascot and the Canterbury
mascot was Larry the Lamb. And my suggestion is that
they bring back a big Larry the Lamb and have

(58:14):
a video presentation of the horses at the same time
with Larry running around and doing his job like we
used to do as mascots.

Speaker 4 (58:25):
Larry the Lamb, I remember Leo the Lion. We must
have had this conversation, Peter, So you were at times
Leo the Lion, That's right.

Speaker 10 (58:34):
Yeah, Garry Amy's. We had all sorts of celebrities there,
or there'd be about or about ten of them. The
original Larry, the original Leo the Lion that we had
was made by Missus Kember, which was Jared Kimber's Jared
Kember's mother, and that's up at the museum up at

(58:56):
Palmerston North. And while we had some great fun with
being mascot, Larry the Lamb would try and tackle tackle
Leo and I tackle them and we had the crowd
going up and up in the air, and then it
was just great, good.

Speaker 4 (59:16):
On you bring back Larry the lamb. I don't mind it.
I don't mind it. A lot a lot more manageable too.
Then then a whole bunch of horses. Thanks Pet. I
appreciate your memories and your thoughts. Hey belt, good mate,
good I belt.

Speaker 19 (59:33):
Hey, look, I've played on my junior league and cross
yet Chim. We used to go down the showgrounds and
watch the kiwis played at the Palms and all that
sort of thing. And then I came back thirty years
later the leagues all played out in horse Will. Now
there's a brand new stadium there, but I don't think
it was meant to be a league ground because these

(59:53):
steel bars or steel fence two feet away from the
playing field. So if you're running into so if you're
running into score try mate, you've got two feet before
you hit the steel fence. So I don't know what
they're doing there. So I'm wondering have they got Did
they put a ground in the middle of christ Ridge

(01:00:14):
where there's two feet before the fence comes in? Is
that what we're dealing with here?

Speaker 4 (01:00:19):
Well, I don't know, Bill I'm trying to work that
out of her. Yeah, well, no, I haven't been down there.
I'm going to be there next weekend. But I was
talking to Craig Kerr out of our christ Church office
this morning. He has been there and he reckons that
there's not a great deal of room between between the
white line, you know, the touchdown mate, and the fans.

Speaker 20 (01:00:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:00:38):
I mean if you I've been to Dunedin Stadium and
the fans are so close down there, I think it's
about the same here from what I can understand.

Speaker 19 (01:00:47):
Well, I wouldn't mind if they're going to put like
the pads in between the fence and you know, so
you're hiding a pad instead of a seal wall.

Speaker 4 (01:00:56):
I'd i'd go a little along with that.

Speaker 19 (01:00:57):
But I thought, you know, you're playing where your league
out at that Horsewall place. It's a beautiful park, mate.

Speaker 21 (01:01:02):
Brand new.

Speaker 19 (01:01:04):
But if you go and if you're you know, going
to you're running headlong to get to press the ball
down over the trail line and there's two feet between
you and the and the steel fence. So I just thought, man,
what are we playing league there for? You know, why
aren't the pads all around?

Speaker 4 (01:01:20):
But they should know, they should be you're right, yeah,
well they.

Speaker 19 (01:01:24):
Should be made. But I was watching Canterbury play. I
was watching the National The National teams played here last
year and there was no padding all around him. Was
just so, if you hit the fence.

Speaker 8 (01:01:35):
That's your problem.

Speaker 19 (01:01:36):
But I was watching the Kangaroos playing Britain. Mate, they've
got the same problem there. They've got a concrete I
watched one of the centers. He scored a try but
he ended up with in a concrete. They've got a
sort of a concrete wall at the corner, mate, you know,
one of those little English grounds. So it sort of
pisses me off that they didn't have. Well, I suppose
they're in the middle of cross it's made. There's a
lot of area the are it's all. There's a lot

(01:01:58):
of money tied up and all the land there.

Speaker 16 (01:02:01):
So I suppose we just want to go and what
we get.

Speaker 19 (01:02:03):
But it's a bit of a down and mate, that
the you know, are we and what some of the
players get hurt trying to trying to put the balling
or Yeah, but anyway, that's much in since sex for
having me on, mate.

Speaker 4 (01:02:14):
No got on your bill. Thanks for calling mate, it's
always some good good to hear different views. Look, I,
as I say, I haven't been in the new studying
met I know a few people have. The Crusaders ran
an open training season the last couple of days and
I think about seven thousand turned up. But your Craig
Ker this morning from our ZB team in Wellington, who
does sideline for games so it's a particular interest to him,
was telling me that there's there's not a heck of

(01:02:35):
a lot of room between the touchline and the seating basically,
which is where the horses run. So yeah, that you know,
if there's not enough room, there's not enough room. Pretty simple, James.

Speaker 16 (01:02:47):
I yeah, funny.

Speaker 8 (01:02:50):
That was my question.

Speaker 12 (01:02:51):
I was that you can ask you is how you've
been to the stadium. But I was there on Thursday night. Yeah,
it was half a christ Church and it was.

Speaker 8 (01:02:59):
It was awesome.

Speaker 12 (01:02:59):
It was it was really cool.

Speaker 9 (01:03:01):
But we're not.

Speaker 12 (01:03:02):
Once I went there, I understand. I understood now and
you can see why there's there's so many factors now
that just make it not practical. One of them obviously
how close the sideline of it to the stadium. There's
there's really only a couple of meters there. The other
thing is there's there's a fake brass strip around the
outside there, so it's not real grass now. I don't

(01:03:23):
know if you've watched the horses run around at the
old Addington or back at Lancaster Park, you know the
horses tear up that grass when they run around. They
need a good grass surface to run on there. You
couldn't have a bunch of five hundred cage of horses
running on artificial turf and trying to pull up and
stop that. You know they'll be slipping over they beg
It just literally wouldn't work. The other thing being there,

(01:03:47):
you don't realize how to steep those stands on the mate.

Speaker 8 (01:03:49):
They are obviously up there with my kids and wife.

Speaker 9 (01:03:53):
My wife didn't enjoy it at all. It was it
was just too steep.

Speaker 12 (01:03:56):
You know, they are literally even when you are three
quarters the way out of the stands you are, you
feel like you're right on top of the ground. And
it would have a rear a cauldron effects of you know,
twenty five thirty thousand people with a roof on screaming
their heads off. I don't imagine there'd be many horses

(01:04:16):
that will be bloody comfortable running around in there without
without getting you know, having a freak out and running
off across the fielders doing something like that. So after
going there, I can just see it's not just like, oh,
they didn't have enough room or there wasn't out of something.
You just kind of go there and you see the
whole thing and you just go, yeah, no, it's not
really going to work that anymore.

Speaker 4 (01:04:35):
Yeah, got your tickets for Friday?

Speaker 8 (01:04:38):
Yes?

Speaker 6 (01:04:38):
I do.

Speaker 12 (01:04:39):
Yep, yeap going on Friday. So no, pretty pretty pumped.

Speaker 4 (01:04:42):
For that, as I understand it. You can't get a
ticket if you haven't got one already. Yeah you're are you? Yeah,
you're a Crucider's member, are you?

Speaker 5 (01:04:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 12 (01:04:50):
Yeah, yeah, I got some long time ago in the
first release. But that's still I'm still right up in
the back of the standing one of the you know,
one down behind one of the goal lines. They're not
not the best seats, but once you're there, you do
see all the seats. Like I said, because it's so
steep that everything is so close to the field, You're
you're a combination of being close but being very high up,

(01:05:11):
and you get this really unique perspective. Well, like you said,
you've been to Force far and Derneda, and that was
one thing I found down there, particularly one of the stands.
I can't remember which one has that thing where it's
really it's a really high pitch. So yeah, even when
you're setting far back, you're close and you get this
really good perspective over the field and that and that
is pretty much what the whole stadium's right there. So

(01:05:35):
I'd like if I could have the choice of the
horses or the stadium, I'm thinking take the stadium.

Speaker 6 (01:05:40):
You know.

Speaker 4 (01:05:41):
I love it, James, me too, man, I'll look out
for you next week. I'm going to be down right
across the weekend. I hope, we hope we can catch
up eight hundred and eighty ten eighty as a number.
I'm very much looking forward to this new stadium. There
is such a such a fervor and such an optimism
and a real sense of wanting Friday to arrive for

(01:06:01):
the good folk of Christ. You it's grahame. You won't
be sleeping all week. This is like Christmas Eve across
an entire week for you, mate.

Speaker 22 (01:06:09):
I know I'll get plenty of if I thought, yeah,
I can wait. Yeah, And I'm not one of those people.
But yeah, I mean I loved Apollo Projects Stadium and
I'm someone who loves me just loves the rugby and
Crusaders and Canterbury. So I mean, yeah, the venues. Well,
I was there on like the previous caller on Tuesday
night and I was blown away by the stadium and

(01:06:32):
they had the open training run the boys back here
that yeah, I mean, there's it's much needed for the
city for all sorts of reasons, not just you know,
even though I rugby primarily, well I'll be there for
but yeah, I'm I was gutted when I heard on
Tuesday about the horses. I won't hide from that fact.

(01:06:54):
But like the previous caller again, yeah I can see
you can certainly see why, and yeah, there isn't a
lot of movement there for for those horses there. It's
a real it's just a shame. But yeah, yeah, I
don't blame anyone. It's just yeah, you can look at

(01:07:14):
the original planning in the stadium. I don't know, but
that's that's hindsight. But yeah, no, they will always be
part of our history for you for sety years is
of like good Friday. A couple of weeks ago. So yeah, no,
it's you know, onwards and hopefully upwards.

Speaker 4 (01:07:31):
Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure it'll be upwards. Scrim knowing
the Crusaders, I'm trying to be upwards. You'll be there,
You'll be there next. Are you going to the Are
you going to just the just a Crusaders game next
week or are you going to take in any of
the other Yeah, I want a silly question, a question Hurricanes.
I thought Hurricanes Brumbies.

Speaker 22 (01:07:53):
No, no, no, no, I mean yeah, it was costs factor,
but yeah, I'm not one. I'd be backwards and forwards
like a yo yo, going to all the games. Yeah,
I'm just quite happy to be at the opening game.
Hopefully I catch up with it or.

Speaker 4 (01:08:09):
Something that i'd look forward to that grame. I'll be around, mate,
I'll be floating around. I'm tall with no hair, so
easy to spot. I look a little bit like the
Prime Minister. Some people have said a bit taller. I
hope to catch up with your Graham Evon Hello, oh.

Speaker 23 (01:08:25):
Ho there, Jason. I've never been to Apollo Stadium. In fact,
I've never been to a Crusaders game that I've watched
plenty on TV, and I love seeing the horses come
out at the beginning, you know, as part of the
rare rory and a curious heck would have got the

(01:08:47):
crowd going, and you know, the little kids would have
just loved it. So why don't they create soil and
grass like a couple of lains for those horses on
the outside to sort of make use of. I mean,
Fir's got all that sort of knowledge now as opposed

(01:09:09):
to giving with again something really fun and good away
because this is what's happening is you know, like there's
no greyhounds now, and I'm not sure about the racing
fraternity and you know, because that's poor and attendance, and
I'm thinking these things all used to be institutions.

Speaker 17 (01:09:32):
Jay sad.

Speaker 4 (01:09:33):
Yeah, Yvonne, You're so right, and I can feel the
passion in your voice. I hadn't seen the horses up
close either until last year at the Super Rugby Final.
And yes, you say they look great on TV, they
look even better up close and you can see and
you'd mentioned kids there and kids love them. They really did,
so it is a shame. Unfortunately, the design has been done.

(01:09:55):
You can't push it out anymore. Unfortunately, Yvonne. But yeah,
I take your point, and I think they will be
missed by by people, especially those who saw them for
the first time.

Speaker 21 (01:10:04):
Hey, Richie, Yeah, mate, this is a I'm a first
time caller, but I was at the stadium on Tuesday
night and what a what a wonderful spectacle, And I'm
you know that there's a there's a challenge before Colin
means Bridge in the marketing team around how they're going
to get the crowd emped up, because that's what the.

Speaker 6 (01:10:24):
Horses, that's what the horses did.

Speaker 8 (01:10:26):
They're not going to be.

Speaker 21 (01:10:27):
So there's a yeah, that's the challenge before the marketing
team and Colin of how they're going to get the
crowd emped up before the game starts. Larry, the lamb
is not going to.

Speaker 4 (01:10:40):
Cut its not going to do it. Not going to
do it in the same fashion. As as as all
of the horses. What did you what did you think
of the Were you the previous caller? James said it
was quite steep? Were you in those that section as well?

Speaker 6 (01:10:54):
Yeah?

Speaker 21 (01:10:54):
I liked it. My wife was the same as his wife. Yeah,
she she she felt a little bit a little bit
dizzy around the halfway Mark. But yeah, there's plenty of
intelligent young people around and I'm sure the marketing team
are working on it now. But I was thinking of
when I was in there and then the lights went out,

(01:11:16):
and that's a first for us here in Christ's Canterbury,
the lights going and then the flickering of lights as
the players ran out. But holograms are you know, they're
they're They're probably a good idea. And imagine a big,
huge hologram of a crusader on a horse in the
middle of the paddic and just to get the crowd

(01:11:37):
emped up. I think there's I think it's pretty. The
stadium itself is awesome, man, and there's there's an opportunity
there to get the crowd emped up before the games.

Speaker 4 (01:11:49):
Love it, Richie. He thanks for calling mate. Good to
have you on the air. Callbeck any time. Look forward
to hearing maybe from you next week after you've been
to the game on Friday night. Let us know how
you found it. Smally, you're going to get the last
word on us.

Speaker 11 (01:12:00):
Oh great, who are good?

Speaker 4 (01:12:02):
Smally good?

Speaker 24 (01:12:04):
Hey, I'm going Downington for the entire weekend next weekend,
good boys, looking forward to ye to everything that that
stadium brings. Now about the horses, mate, you know on
Wellingtonia and we got Captain Hurricane who comes out in
his little golf cart with wings on it. You know
that that is what it is. Yeah, okay, there's a

(01:12:24):
half a dozen horses that run around and yeah, the
blokes that designed that stadium are not taking into account
sex horses when they're going to build a brand new
stadium for a city.

Speaker 11 (01:12:32):
So you know, I look.

Speaker 24 (01:12:35):
At some of those other grounds and they have the
beat the colonel down the side on the on the yep, yep, yep,
you know, being a horse on that they would run
down the sideline and they have some fire try and
run against it or whatever. I don't know, but the
last quarter I think the hologram idea in the middle
of the field, flick the lights out, you could, Yeah,

(01:12:59):
you can hologram half a dozen horses run around the
paddock if you wanted to smart people out there to
do that sort of stuff. But yeah, I'm going to
down here for the footy mate. You know, it's it's
a chance in the life. I'm not a chance in
a lifetime, but definitely it's something you have been done
before so to be able to so experience that flymate
got to go on the ferry in car. But that's

(01:13:19):
that's another problem.

Speaker 4 (01:13:20):
But anyway, well, if you if you're floating in and around,
if you're floating in and around christ Church next Saturday
afternoon and you and you're at a bit of a
loose end smally, we're broadcasting from Robbie's Litchfield Courtyard. It's
right next to the stadium from midday to three, So
come down and order some face to face talk back.
Have you got the.

Speaker 24 (01:13:40):
Time Robbie's Litchfield Courtyard courtyard right, mate, I'll find it.
I'll come and hunt you down.

Speaker 4 (01:13:48):
I look forward to it. S Morley, I look forward
to a mate, save travels, look forward to seeing you
here eighteen away from two. Just on that. Please join
us live from midday next Saturday. Robbie's Litchfield Courtyard the
new home of Live Sport and christ Church, Great food,
cold Bear, lots of TVs and it is literally a
stone's throw from one New Zealand Stadium at Takaha where
they're live between midday and three next Saturday. We'll have

(01:14:10):
the chance for you to win tickets to games there
on Saturday and Sunday, and so to avoid any disappointment,
contact the team at Robbie's Litchfield Courtyard to book your
table now and we will see you there next Saturday
seventeen to two when we come back across the Tasman.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock.

Speaker 1 (01:14:26):
With us, call us how you see it, Holly Weekend
Sport with Jason Paine, News Talks.

Speaker 4 (01:14:33):
They'd be coming up fourteen away from two. As always
on a Saturday, let's get you across the Tasman to
check in on Australian sporting matters. Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock
is with us and I want to start with cricket
the privatization of the Big Bash and think Cricket Australia
were fairly confident they would get this across the line.
New South Wales and Queensland though are reposed. What's the

(01:14:53):
latest you can tell us on this?

Speaker 9 (01:14:55):
Yeah, so it goes to the States about what they
want to do. So Cricket Australia own the Big Bash.
They owned that, you know, when it comes down to it.
They own everything about the teams. But essentially they will
lease them to the States and the States run them
on behalf of the whole ecosystem. But Cricket Australia across
the table have continually had offers of you know, mainly

(01:15:20):
Indian investment, but worldwide investment into their big bash franchises.
It's a case of okay, States, do you want to
give up control or whatever. But to get things through
the system that they have, they have to pass it
and this one is not passing it easily. Here it's saying, so,
I can't work out why, like some franchises wouldn't get

(01:15:42):
sold because it just makes sense because you've got Cricket
News well for instance running the Thunder and the Sixers.
It's like why are they running two? So but they're
scared of relinquishing it and I think and fair enough too.
They want absolute purity about the calendar and I think
we've discussed this before about the boxing day test and
News Test in Sydney is saying absolutely as it is

(01:16:05):
not test players having to go and play franchise cricket
because their franchise aren'ts want them to. So it's a
tricky one, but eventually there's got to be some middle
ground found.

Speaker 4 (01:16:15):
Do you feel confident that that middle ground will be found?
We're not in an impass necessarily. Are we a stalemate?

Speaker 9 (01:16:23):
I think we are. I think I think it's it's
bordering on that. And look, this has been going on
for a while. So for Cricket News, OAHs and Greek
Queensland to still turn around and go no, we're not
sure about it speaks volumes of the weight of the
decision that they're feeling on their shoulders. I just take
a step back and go look around, guys, Look what's

(01:16:46):
happening around the world. And if you don't do something, well,
is there any guarantee that your test stars aren't just
going to nick off and sign with a franchise and
not play test cricket through the Australian summer anyway? So yeah,
they got to somehow see ahead of the game and
into the future without knowing what that future definitely is.

Speaker 4 (01:17:04):
And it's hard one and we'll keep eyes on that.
Can We go to the NRL and the Manly Sea Eagles,
for who March was terrible. They sacked their coach broad
In Karen Foran and since he's arrived three matches all
of them away, three wins. You can't stop winning under
Karen Forum.

Speaker 20 (01:17:22):
No. No.

Speaker 9 (01:17:23):
As you know, Piney, I'm a rather large, manly fan,
so I'm as astonished as the next person is about
I understood the first one, but even the manner of
the first run against the Dolphins when they left fifty
two mil at one stage, I was like, well, but
the two since, particularly that on Thursday night was like
against a good Cowboys team. It shows that players actually

(01:17:49):
do play for a coach. If you needed to be reminded,
like you know, we all think that players are robots
and they should just rock up and motivate themselves. Well, no,
they need that extra little bit and at the top
level it's only a tiny little bit that you need.
And it seems Kieren Floran has been able to reset
their minds and here what all the players are saying.
It's all about peeling it back and getting back to

(01:18:11):
basic simplicity and that's what's doing it for mainly at
the moment, which is great to see from my perspective.

Speaker 4 (01:18:16):
Absolutely right. There was one downside. I saw Tom Treboy
of a tween telp injured. Have you got any update
on how bad that might be?

Speaker 9 (01:18:23):
No, they haven't got the scans back yet, I understand,
but yeah, he's eight to one, just a manner of it.
It wasn't a running in full flight one. It looked
more like a under contact one. So yeah, I don't know.
I'm not a hamstring doctor, and I don't think Tom's
met a hamsterring doctor in the world, even the world's

(01:18:44):
best that have been able to get to the bottom
of it to him. But it just sucks, just flat
out sucks for the guy because he was playing pretty well.
He was enjoying it again under care and forum mainly
probably got the cover in that area to do okay
without him, but he's still one of the best players
on his days. So yeah, eight hamstring injuries in his career,
four on each leg, so that you know it's a

(01:19:05):
weakness and legs, it's anatomical weakness. Weakness is just one side.

Speaker 4 (01:19:10):
So yeah, horrible, unreal, unreal. And to finish live golf,
of course, there's been a live golf tournament in Adelaide
in recent times, but by the sounds of it, the
competition might be under three to or I've read varying
reports on whether live golf is bound for extinction or
whether actually this has been overblown. What are you hearing about.

Speaker 9 (01:19:30):
Liv Yeah, well, those those running and are saying it's
being over by and of course, but they're not actually
denying the fact that they might have some funding issues
going beyond twenty twenty six because the Saudis are repurposing
whatever they've got, which is plenty, because you know, things
have kicked off over there in the Middle East.

Speaker 8 (01:19:47):
We won't go into that.

Speaker 9 (01:19:48):
But yeah, live golf uncertain future. I looked at it
after even after the Adelaide event with fantastic event. The
crowds went off. It was great for Australian golf. It's
great for golf anywhere, but America so and probably like
mainstream Europe as well well so South Africa. They had
an event like that, So it's great.

Speaker 6 (01:20:10):
To do that.

Speaker 9 (01:20:11):
But they're offering this prize money which I'm just looking at,
going there is no way in the world that is sustainable,
no way, and as signing on bonuses as well for players,
and it's like eventually somebody's going to wake up way
above the pay grade of those who are running it
and going I'm not paying for this anymore. And it

(01:20:31):
seems like this has happened. No confirmation yet. There's an
event on in Mexico at the moment, but it is
unsustainable and cannot go on like this, So I'm not
shocked at it at all that the possibility of live
golf ending up to twenty twenty six is real.

Speaker 4 (01:20:46):
Is there any threat to your golf this afternoon?

Speaker 9 (01:20:49):
No, absolutely not, because I am not playing for twenty
million dollars. I am paying for personal pride and I'm
playing for enjoyment and fresh air, piny and that's the
main thing.

Speaker 4 (01:21:00):
I wish you all the best in your golfing exploits
this afternoon. Thank you allays as always for your time.
At least get you again next Saturday. Thank you mate.
That is Adam Peacock, our Australian correspondent. He's with us
every Saturday afternoon at a round about this time, which
is about seven and a half away from two.

Speaker 2 (01:21:17):
Back in the mow, the big names and the big.

Speaker 1 (01:21:20):
Calls on your home of sport Weekend Sport with Jason
Fine News talks'b.

Speaker 4 (01:21:26):
What are we coming up? Four away from two? Just
updating you from the Pack four rugby match between the
Black Ferns and Canada. This was severely delayed, didn't kick
off until around quarter past one. We are approaching half
time and Canada have a fourteen to five lead, fourteen
points to five in the final ten seconds or so
of the first half. So this is of course a

(01:21:48):
rematch of the Rugby World Cup semi final last year,
which Canada won to make it through to the final.
They lead New Zealand fourteen points to five in Kansas
City in this match in the Pack four series. We'll
keep eyes on that for you. A sporting chants coming
your way after two among our other tenth that we
have for you, including supercars. We'll get Greg Feak on

(01:22:10):
the radio from the Blues after their win eventually over
the Highlanders last night, and also talk about Auckland cricket
moving from Eden Park. But a sporting chance with the
tab we do this every Saturday, your chance to won
a one hundred and fifty dollars bonus bet. So we'll
play a sporting chant sometime between two and three here
on News Talks AB.

Speaker 1 (01:22:29):
The only place to discuss the biggest sports issues on.

Speaker 2 (01:22:34):
A head off the field.

Speaker 3 (01:22:35):
You got a score.

Speaker 1 (01:22:36):
It's all on Weekend Sport with Jason Vine on your
home of Sport News.

Speaker 4 (01:22:42):
Talks A b Hi there, Welcome into Weekend Sport. Welcome
back to Weekend Sport two o seven. I'm Jason Pine
and Andy McDonald running the cut of wey Hit till
three when Tim Beveridge takes over the Weekend Collective Saturday edition.
Burg Night A Sport Ahead, Goodness me Warriors, Titans five o'clock, Hurricanes,
Chiefs seven o'clock with the Phoenix and the mix. They
play Western Sydney at five. Lot's happening, Crusaders all the

(01:23:06):
way out west? Aren't they taking on the Western Force?
What have I missed? I must have missed something. I
don't want to give out these fixtures and miss people
out really, certainly when it comes to Super Rugby. So
just let me check myself before we go too much further.

(01:23:27):
Rumb's Fiji and Drewer is the other game tonight, so
maybe I could have left it out as far as
our audience is concerned. Nonetheless, big night a Super Rugby,
Big night for the Warriors and the Phoenix. We'll cover
all the big storylines tomorrow on the show. What have
we got coming up? This hour? Though, before we hand
the reins over, I want to get to the Blues
who last night, Well they looked comfortable enough, didn't they.

(01:23:48):
And then all of a sudden the Highlanders are back
in this game and it ends forty seven forty The Blues,
though Knights have a sixth one of their Super Rugby
campaign and they go up to second on the table.
Greek Fix their assistant coach or one off, he's gonna
join us.

Speaker 8 (01:24:02):
What a chat?

Speaker 4 (01:24:03):
Supercars? Eric Thompson's at Luya Poona just out of christch
we'll get to we'll get to et a sporting chance
of course coming up and the move away from Eden
Park for Auckland Cricket in a chat to their chair
Brandon Gibson very shortly. Our lines of communication always open
for you. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty nine

(01:24:25):
two nine two is our text line. But as we
approach nine past two, as we always do at around
about this time on weekend sport, it's trying to bring
you up to date with some of the stuff that
may have escaped your attention, some of the things you
might have missed. In case you missed it. We start
in the A League. The Newcastle Jets left it late

(01:24:45):
to keep Auckland hoping for a miracle to defend the
Premiere's plate.

Speaker 2 (01:24:49):
This is as big as it gets.

Speaker 4 (01:24:52):
This is as much treasure on as vot Teck as
you can ask for.

Speaker 2 (01:24:57):
But this is a different situation.

Speaker 5 (01:25:01):
Discuss excuse me, Oh yes he.

Speaker 4 (01:25:08):
Does so I finished two to two.

Speaker 10 (01:25:10):
There.

Speaker 4 (01:25:11):
What that means for Auckland, f seed is that they
have to win tomorrow and win next week and hope
that Newcastle don't win next week. Otherwise the Jets will
take the Premier's plate. The black Caps worked hard and
pulled off a late win against Bangladesh.

Speaker 13 (01:25:28):
Wow, silis right and it's a tumble and it's a tick.

Speaker 21 (01:25:34):
That has been.

Speaker 4 (01:25:37):
What New Zealand have been all about in our fields.

Speaker 16 (01:25:39):
They're just gonna have a quick check.

Speaker 4 (01:25:41):
But there's been taken cleanly.

Speaker 20 (01:25:43):
That is the last man out New Zealand urdsparts.

Speaker 4 (01:25:47):
Yeah, New Zealand winning Game one there to Super Rugby Pacific,
A hard fought game for the war Atars against a
spirited Mowana pacifica side langers.

Speaker 9 (01:25:56):
You know we've rotten and Halalla Wilson's even in there looking.

Speaker 25 (01:26:00):
For the bonus clode try are they there?

Speaker 8 (01:26:04):
Yes?

Speaker 4 (01:26:04):
Here it comes late but it could turn this.

Speaker 25 (01:26:10):
Season back towards the potential final spot.

Speaker 4 (01:26:14):
Servitars Yeah, Warritas winning twenty nine fourteen and to the NRL.
The Raiders have handed Melbourne the Melbourne Storm another loss.
It's with Munster now hughes out the back power.

Speaker 25 (01:26:28):
Oh, it's a great tackle from Hudson. Young, ball comes free,
Warbrick shut down Huts and Young take a bow. The
Raiders are on the board at home twenty six.

Speaker 4 (01:26:42):
Melbourne are on a scarcely believable five game losing streak
and Penrith have won a golden point thriller thanks to
guess who Nathan Cleary. Of course this the.

Speaker 25 (01:26:54):
Plane Fuller be there, Queer, He's back, Queer's deep queries.

Speaker 4 (01:26:58):
Poys an unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:27:00):
Chase, some plans this type.

Speaker 25 (01:27:02):
Queerie nails that he's done it again the ice and
Nathan Clary breaks the Dolphins.

Speaker 4 (01:27:09):
Hearts not for the first time, and.

Speaker 25 (01:27:12):
The very normand Pap falland and Panra have Doug Day.

Speaker 4 (01:27:17):
Till we light in Darwin.

Speaker 2 (01:27:20):
When there's a line call, it's your call.

Speaker 1 (01:27:23):
Weekend Sport with Jason Fine News talksb.

Speaker 4 (01:27:27):
Coming up twelve minutes past two. Auckland Cricket and Auckland
Rugby are preparing to leave their traditional home at Eden Park,
signaling one of the biggest shifts in the city sporting
landscape in quite some time. This follows the signing of
a foundation agreement by Auckland Council, the Crown, Eden Park,
Auckland Cricket and Auckland Rugby that outlines a pathway for modern, permanent,

(01:27:51):
fit for purpose facilities for cricket and rugby in Auckland.
Under this agreement, Auckland Cricket will be based at colin
Mayden Park, which will receive ten million dollars of local
and central government funding put towards its upgrade and development.
Brendan Gibson is chair of Auckland Cricket and he joins
us now. Brenda, thanks for taking the time this afternoon.

(01:28:14):
How long have you been working on a move to
a new.

Speaker 6 (01:28:17):
Home afternoon, Jason, It's been a week, while it's probably
been three or four years in what since I've been
involved just in terms of where we were at with
Eden Park facilities. Eden Park wanting to go in another
direction and so we went through a process initially with

(01:28:42):
Counsel and Rugby and then I suppose in the last
six months it's gained a bit of momentum as we
were able to engage the Crown, particularly to look at
what they wanted to do with Eden Park when they
are also a signer of the trusteed with Eden Park

(01:29:02):
which went in that became the capitalists were identified Colin
Maiden Park well before then as the likely venue. It
was it all came down to our exit and the
funding of the development.

Speaker 4 (01:29:17):
Were the other realistic options apart from Colin Maiden Park.
I know Western Springs for example, was in the conversation
at one point.

Speaker 6 (01:29:24):
Yes it was, and that's probably going back sort of
three years now. We ran a process with Council at
the stage because obviously most green spaces around Auckland a
relate council related, whether it's local board or the central Council.
So we went through a process within and yes Western

(01:29:46):
Springs and Colin Maiden we're looked at in more detail.
And then at the time Colin Maiden was chosen and
I presume everyone's followed what's happened to Western Springs since
so that really the the option came down to Colin Maiden,
which which we see we could make.

Speaker 4 (01:30:07):
Is this a good outcome for Auckland Cricket moving away
from Eaton Park.

Speaker 6 (01:30:13):
Oh look, I think, as I said before, we've got
a long steet history there, but we have to recognize
it's time probably for us to try and work with
the various parties to see if there is an alternative venue.
So that's I think it is a good move. Where's
the board think it's a good move. I think we've

(01:30:33):
been through a process with the Auckland cricket community. I
think most people would support it. Obviously, there are always
in a situation like there is, there would be there
are people that have different views. But I think we've
got a general consensus that this is in the best
interest of Auckland cricket and so we're happy with where
we've ended up with the sign of that foundation agreement.

(01:30:56):
Dawson went to go, Jason, you know, as you know,
we've got got it. It still negotiated the final exit
of Eaton Park, but we've got a good foundation to
move forward with.

Speaker 4 (01:31:08):
Would it be fair to say that those who opposed
the move, as you say, there were differing views. Was
that mainly an emotional argument? The fact that Eden Park
and Cricket have been inextricably linked for so long.

Speaker 6 (01:31:23):
I looked there certainly, certainly an amount of that, but
but also a location of the upfront location became an issue, Jason.
You know, Auban's a very big city. There's no doubt
this is in the east of the city and so
that was also part of the consideration that we took
into account. But I think history we won't we won't

(01:31:45):
lose that history, I think hopefully. Well, a part of
the arrangements is that whiteball, short form crickets, international crickets
still we played at Eden Park, and you know, if
you're going to have any international World tournaments that will
have to be paid their cricket cricket wise and personally,
and Autan cricket's got a view hopefully are large to

(01:32:06):
form a major nation Test match cricket might return to
Auckland and Edton Park as well.

Speaker 4 (01:32:11):
All right, so that's not off the table. White ball
cricket definitely on the table at Eden Park, and you
can see a time where Test cricket might be played again. Well,
I don't want to sort of mix conversations here. I
want to talk about Colin Maiden Park in a minute.
But this isn't the end of test cricket in Auckland.

Speaker 6 (01:32:29):
Oh definitely not, definitely not. I mean, obviously you'll be
well and we're Jason been around for a long time.
All of the six EMA's compete for content that's coming
into the country, whether it be whiteball or Test match cricket.
For a range of reasons, Eden Park hasn't been on
that seriously on that landscape.

Speaker 8 (01:32:50):
I think we're all of.

Speaker 6 (01:32:51):
Knowledge, but we're hopeful that we will bring that back
with this arrangement we've got with the move to Colin
Maiden and their residual arrangements will end up at Eton Park.

Speaker 4 (01:33:03):
With so ten million dollars of public funding are both
a local and central government funding going into upgrading Colin
Maiden Park. What will that be spent on?

Speaker 6 (01:33:15):
Look, we'll be the oval out there and work at
block gets totally redone. The changing rooms may you've been
out there, Josent, The University rugby and cricket club changing
rooms have been there for probably fifty years and need
a good need a good uh. And it's a bit
more than to do up. I mean with the superman,

(01:33:36):
the council and local boarder being great here, they recognize
that those those facilities will be upgraded and they will
be community facilities as well, and cricket's not using them
in the winter, they will be used. So there's there's
those facilities. These also we will also need to move
walk from University Cricket because they're currently got a lease

(01:33:59):
on that building. So the whole high performance will be
a game changer. The solities out there will be you know,
for purpose and we would say hopefully one of the
best in New Zealand to play domestic cricket and potentially
some white ball or Test match cricket at a lower
end and potentially involving a woman.

Speaker 4 (01:34:22):
Well, Colin mad and Pike be ready to host domestic
T twenty cricket next summer. We don't know what form
that will take yet. Of course that's a different conversation.
But will Colin Maiden Pike be ready next summer.

Speaker 6 (01:34:33):
That's the aim, you know, that's the target, and hopefully
we will be finalizing arrangements with a point in a
contractor and work will start later this month. So look,
there's a timetable that says it does. Jason, We're working
very hard with everyone involved to make that happen. But yeah,

(01:34:56):
so I'm optimistic of that. But yeah, that's the aim.
That is clearly the aim.

Speaker 4 (01:35:02):
Great to hear. Are there grounds around the country, Brenan
that you've looked out and thought, hey, that's we're quite
like what they're doing. They're using it as a case study.
Perhaps what for what column matter might be? Like I'm
thinking maybe Hegley Oval or Bayoval.

Speaker 6 (01:35:15):
Yeah, and that's probably the two that spread to mind. Obviously,
Hegley's a step up from Dayoval just in terms of
grandstands and permanent facilities, shall we call it, But we're
probably more towards the bay Oval end. You know, we
would have loved to have done done a Hegley, but
the cost of that at the time just doesn't then justified,

(01:35:38):
I suppose, particularly when we've got eating park sitting there.
So we've we've used day Oval as as something that
we've looked at and we can't quite replicate. Every ground's
got its own issues and challenges, but we're trying to
create embankments, player facilities that are fit for purpose and

(01:36:00):
modern and high performance facilities that are the same. So
whatever a crowdo which is a endoor grass wicket it
is basically needed these days to get players to perform
at a level that needed.

Speaker 4 (01:36:15):
So I'm the hearing here as you're looking at the
balance between high performance and a fan friendly venue that
people can come in and enjoy watching the game. Is
that a fair assessment?

Speaker 10 (01:36:25):
Yes?

Speaker 6 (01:36:25):
Yes, And you know we've got to be realistic about Jason.
They don't turn up and watch Plunket Shield and Ford
Trophy like they did twenty five years ago. But we
still want to curry an environment where people will come
and do that. But also for T twenty or any
international cricket they can come and really enjoy the experience.

Speaker 4 (01:36:43):
Outstanding, looking forward to that. So just to finish then
you are just negotiating your exit from Eden Park. Work
will start on Colin Maiden Park and hopefully we can
all we can all oud out there and watch some
watch some domestic cricket next summer and hopefully some some
international cricket down the down the track. Is that the plan?

Speaker 6 (01:37:01):
You couldn't have stunded it up there to Jason.

Speaker 4 (01:37:03):
Thank you love it, Brandon, great to get you on
the show this afternoon. Look forward to staying in.

Speaker 6 (01:37:07):
Touch, Hikay. Thanks Jason, good at all no.

Speaker 4 (01:37:10):
Good to talk to you too, Brendan. Thanks indeed, Brendan
Gibson their chair of Auckland Cricket. So off to Colin
Maiden Park they go, Auckland Cricket fans. Is this a
good outcome for you? Geographically? Obviously? I think Eden Park's
a bit easier to get to, isn't it around you know,
more central than perhaps Colin Maiden Park, which is as

(01:37:31):
understand it's out out east?

Speaker 8 (01:37:33):
Does it?

Speaker 4 (01:37:34):
Showing my lack of knowledge of Auckland geography here my apologies,
a bit harder to get to. But you know, all
of all of Auckland crickets games have been played on
the outer oval, haven't they. And look to be able
to build a you know, to upgrade to the June
of ten million dollars out at Colin Maiden Park and
create that balance of high performance and also spectator friendly surroundings,

(01:37:58):
especially for the Super Smash, which is really as as
Brendan said, and won't come as surprise to you that
that's the that's the cricket the people are turning up
for domestically, So look, Colin Maiden Park might be a
very good, you know, a very good venue for that.
I look forward to seeing what the upgrade consists of
and how it all looks when when it's done. Of course,

(01:38:19):
we had to see what the future of our domestic
T twenty game looks like next year. There's still no
sign off I don't think on the n ZED twenty
from New Zealand Cricket. I'm not sure what the what
the time frame was. Obviously New Zealand Cricket was at
a couple of weeks ago, came out and said right, well,
NZED twenty is our preference. We still need to rub
a stamp it or to or to absolutely sign off

(01:38:43):
on it. I don't think that's happened yet. I haven't
seen any reporting of that kind. Pretty sure that it
hasn't happened yet, So I guess we won't see. But
Colin Maiden Park will be ready, as Brandon said, for
domestic cricket next summer, looking forward to that. In the
Pack four series game, we've had sixty minutes, was at

(01:39:04):
fifty sorry fifty minutes of this and Canada fourteen five ahead.
They remained fourteen five ahead. That was the halftime score
in this game. As the Black fans in Canada go
head to head in this Pack four game in Kansas City,
which was delayed for some reason or not for some reason,
it was delayed because of the weather in Kansas City,
pushed back quite some way. Black Fan's hot on attack

(01:39:25):
at the moment. On the other side of the break,
I might have some good news for you two twenty four.
Inside the next little while, I want to talk to
Greek Feek, assistant coach of the Blues. But at controversy
last night in that game, I see Jamie Joseph afterwards
was fairly strident in his comments about Zarn Sullivan's tackle
on Caleb Tungetower, which saw Tonguetown knocked out shouldered ahead,
Zarn Sullivan got a yellow card. I think Jamie Joseph

(01:39:46):
was wondering why that wasn't upgraded to red and his
words were something along the lines of what is a
red card now? But an eighty seven point thriller there
last night at Eden Park, So we'll cover that off
with Greek Fee can also get you to Supercars in
topor before three o'clock as well. It's two twenty four
here on news Talks.

Speaker 1 (01:40:07):
He'd beat Vivid matters and Sports it matters here Weekend
Sport with Jason Paine News Talks, A'B.

Speaker 4 (01:40:14):
News Talks two twenty seven on the Dot. The Blues
have survived a late scare to notch up a sixth
win of their Super Rugby campaign. They've beaten the Highlanders
forty seven forty in Auckland, but consider too late tries
and held off a final Highlander's raid to avoid the
match going to extra time. Blues assistant coach Greg Feek
is with us on the show. Good for the neutral,
Greg eighty seven point thriller. What was it like in

(01:40:35):
the box near the end?

Speaker 8 (01:40:38):
I'll tell you what. It's always news on the edge
of your seat anyway, you know. And yeah, and then yeah,
it was pretty nerve wrecking to be fair, but you
know you always had that bipark was on our side.
You know, we're three minutes to go to one minute
to go. We sort of had to trust the boys,
and yeah, it was fine. It was probably is that

(01:40:58):
turning point where we had that more than we were
right down that fast and then we got into the
team meters out and slung the ball warde and it
just dislodged and went and missed the pass. And then
then they capitalized on that, and that was sort of
a turning point. It was a fourteen point swing. You know,
we should have really scored there and that would have
put the game to bed potentially, but then that gives

(01:41:19):
them hope. And then a couple of things went in
their way and a couple of mistakes and yeah, it
was tenderhooks, all right.

Speaker 4 (01:41:28):
You can't do a lot up in the box obviously
to impact play down on the grass. Who do you
look to in situations like that to be the loudest
voices when when you know they're back to within seven.

Speaker 8 (01:41:41):
Well, you've got my body was out there. I mean,
he's he's a taxtician, you know, he's a master and
tougher when he's actually really good too with the ford.
So you've got those two running it and ent On
you know he's be playing great footy and samed Area
there both the other good leaders. So between those four
even you've got some good leaders that can make good
decisions and they get a good feel for the game.

(01:42:03):
You know, they could see we started the driver because
that was the area that we could expose them better.
So yeah, I thought by the end of it, you know,
there's a relief, but you shouldn't never have let it
get to that.

Speaker 4 (01:42:16):
We go back to the start of the game. Your
forwards rarely set the tone early. Was that a deliberate
focus of yours or one of the specific focuses going
into the game.

Speaker 8 (01:42:26):
Yeah, I think I mean playing rugby. You know, there's
something that you would hear VC and say is the
boys they want to they want to play, So having
a crack and getting the Fords to carry clean and
get into our game and make them work as well,
you know, And it sort of starts to starting to
feel okay, where are the pressure points? Where can we

(01:42:46):
attack them? And is it down the blind, is it
going around the corner?

Speaker 4 (01:42:49):
You know?

Speaker 8 (01:42:50):
And I think we showed some variety which was pleasing
use of the line breaks. You saw that pass to
Dalt from Patty that he breached and went through, And
so there's some good positive things that we tried, you know.
And I think that's the real progression of our games.
The boys are playing a physical game, but also trying
to find holes and lock up a bit more and

(01:43:10):
take the opportunities.

Speaker 4 (01:43:12):
Guy really stood out last night, and I know you
probably done one a single guys out too.

Speaker 6 (01:43:15):
Much.

Speaker 4 (01:43:15):
But I want to ask you about Anton Seigna a
couple of tries, turnovers, big carries. What did you make
of his performance last night?

Speaker 8 (01:43:23):
Well, to be fair to Anton, that's his third game
in a row that he's played well on the top
one of our top boards in the team that's not
top players, you know, so he's really really hitting the straps.
So one of the things I've noticed with him this
year is he's looks like he's bulked up, you know,
he has he's got a stronger and he's got his
body in a really good place and I think that's
for him, and he looks after it really really well.

(01:43:45):
So tied Adam must have experienced last year's captain of Auckland.
He's still pretty young when you think about it, but
I reckon he's really growing into a into a leader
that followed me leader, you know, and he's in suddenly
does when he talks. He he's really good at that too.

Speaker 13 (01:44:01):
You know.

Speaker 8 (01:44:01):
He's a smart operator and sees a lot to the
point where at times call them Troy clops because he
sees everything.

Speaker 4 (01:44:09):
It's nobody got one eye, haven't they only have a
bullying exactly some big collisions a bit of controversy, as
well as Zohn Sullivan making contact with Caleb Tonguetawel knocking
him out. Yellow card not upgraded. Jamie Joseph said afterwards
he thought it should have been What was your view

(01:44:29):
on how that was handled?

Speaker 8 (01:44:32):
Well, it's funny, because it's not funny. It's horrible for
calb to start with. But where it's where it is
a bit confusing, and I think Jamie said it last
night as well as there's no real trend is to
sanctions at the moment. So if you are coming in
to tackle someone and then suddenly their height drops just

(01:44:53):
at the splits, if you play that in full motion,
it's pretty hard for John to control it because he's
going in to hit him and then suddenly he gets
chopped down and they talk about laring heights. So I
think it was an accident, you know what I mean.
It wasn't like he was When it's straight at the
head and it keeps going at the head, then I
think that's different. So last night I felt like he

(01:45:14):
was where Zar targeted. That point of the target, the
middle of the balls so to speak, changed and drop down,
and that's where he had his head at a very spot.
I don't know how quick that was would be under
a second, you know, Yeah, because yeah, because I feel
for his arm because he probably knows calb. He's not
the sort of player and people that do it, it's usually blacedent,

(01:45:36):
but he wasn't in the You know, some people do
it when they're in the red so they might be
frustrated and they come and just wanted something that that
you know is going to be a red card. But
Zarma was definitely looking to go and to tackle and
doing everything he could. So look, I hope that first
of all, Caleb comes right and he's well, and he's
he comes back from that because he's a as we know,

(01:45:57):
he's an electroforne player. We don't want to see that
in the game. But faz Arm as well. I'd hate
to see him get suspended for something that you know
was what from my point of view, it was an accident.

Speaker 4 (01:46:07):
Yeah, well said well said last week against the Hurricanes. Yeah,
obviously a performance and a result that you wouldn't have
been happy with. How how important was it to respond
and after a loss do you do you demand a
response or do you expect a response from a team
of professional rugby players.

Speaker 6 (01:46:27):
Yeah, I think all of us are all of us
want that, you know, the players we want in that
and I think it's probably not the word we'd use.
It was just you know, like what is what are
the solutions? How do we get our performance better?

Speaker 8 (01:46:41):
You know? And and for that game, how do we
get more position in territory? Basically in a nutshell, you know,
And that's sometimes rugby, and there has been teams that
have survived games like that. But we've got some fixes
and I think some of the focus points came through
in the weekend where you know, we've got some crucial lineouts.
The line up drive went really good and you know

(01:47:03):
we've scored some good tries and a little bit more
a hapening maybe as well. But yeah, every week it's
the same old thing. You know, you want to get better.
And that hurt that one. And I suppose the positive
of that was it was a short turnaround, so it
meant that you couldn't dwell on not too much. You
had to turn the page pretty quick, and there was

(01:47:25):
a review straight out of the game the next day.
But if you if you linger around it, this is
the Highland has brought something at different again. You see.
So there's there's a lot of adaptability around us, and
I think it's going to put us in and good
for the future because I think our season we're probably
just been slower to build in the hurricanes, and I
think it will be good to see where we're at

(01:47:45):
next time at Claydon.

Speaker 4 (01:47:47):
Next week down to christ it's your old stamping ground,
brand new stadium to look forward to. Of course, all
of your Crusaders Rugby would have been at the old
Lancaster Park, wouldn't it how much you're looking forward to
how much I don't want to take you back too far,
but how much you're looking forward to to next week
and and and a brand new stadium for a place
you used to call home.

Speaker 8 (01:48:06):
I think it's going to be unreal. I think I'm
hearing sold out, so you know you're straight away you
get that atmosphere and that's what it was like back
in Jade Statum. You get big crowds all the time,
your link Ester Park, Jade Stadium, and and that's I
want to give us a little bit of a reminder
or a bit of a nostalgic kind of like feel

(01:48:27):
us to bring back that sort of rugby with the
crowds and everyone getting behind it, and you know, then
it doesn't matter now whether it's going to be freezing
cold or raining. You know, we know that it's going
to be a great environment because of the roof and
everything like that. And there's a lot of hype around
it and I'm real excited and I'm sure the boys are.
But the end of the day where you know, you

(01:48:49):
don't want get two distracted. You know, you want to
get out there, and it's The Reds are a tough team.
You know, they've had a couple ups and downs as well,
but last year we played them, they were are pretty
tough for us.

Speaker 4 (01:49:02):
Yeah, I was going to say, because I know a
lot of former Crusaders are coming to christ it's to
you know, to come out immerate one of which you'll
be you, but you'll be working. So I mean, you're
going to get the chance to catch up with some
of your former teammates for a beer at some stage,
maybe after Saturday night or on Sunday.

Speaker 8 (01:49:16):
Yeah, there'd be a few coffees and maybe a couple
of beers here and there. Crossachs is not as big
as Awkland, It's but easier to get around, particularly if
everyone's in town, you know. So yeah, I think I
think there'll be. There's a few coming down of it,
a few messages. So you always look forward to catch
ups and it might be on the Sunday. I might
stay down for the day Sunday and and do some

(01:49:39):
catching up then, because like you say, you've got a
job to do and and you know that's the key.
But it's quite easy to run under people down. We're
running under people that even planning anything, you know, specially
we were starting too.

Speaker 4 (01:49:52):
Someone said to me this morning, I'm in chross Chitch today.
Someone said to me this morning, I see how far
is it? They said, well, everything's twenty minutes and cross Church.
But the stadium's right central, isn't it. I mean it's
going to be a cracking atmosphere next week. Hey Greg,
thanks for your time, mate. Congrats on last night and
all the best against the where in christ Yang next weekend?

Speaker 8 (01:50:09):
No?

Speaker 4 (01:50:09):
Yes, yes, all the best, mate, chairs Greg Fick there,
assistant coach of the Blues. So up to second on
the table they go with that win last night. Of course,
the Hurricanes and the Chiefs going at one another tonight,
looking at the table. So yeah, the Blues move up
to twenty nine points from nine games, Hurricanes on thirty
off seven games, and Chiefs twenty seven from eight games.

(01:50:29):
So if the Chiefs win tonight, they'll go top. If
the Hurricanes win, they'll extend their lead at the top
and they'll still have a game in hand over the Chiefs.
So yeah, I mean it's a cracking contest in prospect.
It's seven o'clock kickoff at FMG Stadium. Weather report from

(01:50:49):
Hamilton find folk of the seven. Could you just send
us through the weather currently? Clarke Laidlaw during the week
in his media conference said that he expected it to
be a bit wet? Is that the case in Hamilton? kJ,
Carl Johnson will have the track fine, it'll be as
always one of the best in the country. But is
it going to be a bit wet there tonight? I
think Kj's part of our commentary team tonight. He has

(01:51:11):
been in the last little one, Graham, Minty Mead and
Steve Gordon no doubt up in the box, kJ down
sideline seven o'clock on Gold Sport and iHeartRadio. As the
Hurricanes head to Hamilton to take on the Chiefs, and
well it was built at the top of the table
clash the Blues an hour and between the Hurricanes and
the Chiefs. But I think it's still two of the
best teams going around. Looking forward to seeing how it

(01:51:31):
plays out tonight. What are we twenty two away from three?
All right, let's give away a bonus bet from the tab.
We play a sporting Chance every Saturday afternoon here on
Weekend Sport. It's a fairly simple concept. We'll give you
the choice of three bets short, evens or long. You
choose the one you want. We will place a one

(01:51:54):
hundred and fifty dollars bonus bet on your behalf if
it comes home the winnings minus the initial one fifty.
Of course, are or yours got to be over eighteen
If you are eight hundred and eighty ten eighty, we
will take call a number.

Speaker 1 (01:52:05):
Five grassroots to the grand Stand Weekend Sports with Jason
Paine News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:52:11):
That'd be it's time for a sporting chance thanks to.

Speaker 4 (01:52:16):
Tab eighteen to three Love this time in the show,
we give away a one hundred and fifty dollars bonus
bet and one of our listeners gets the chance to
place it on a short bet, an even's bet or
a long bet. Mark, do you understand how the competition works?

Speaker 8 (01:52:35):
Yet to do yet?

Speaker 4 (01:52:36):
Excellent?

Speaker 5 (01:52:37):
Mark?

Speaker 4 (01:52:37):
All right, well, I'm gonna give you three options. You
listen carefully to them and then decide which one you
want to choose, and we'll place the one hundred and
fifty dollars bonus bet for you.

Speaker 8 (01:52:46):
Okay, God's good, thank you.

Speaker 4 (01:52:48):
Here is your short bet Super Rugby Andy has put
these together. Short the I can't believe they're underdogs. Special
Chiefs Hurricanes Hurricanes to win, paying two dollars five you
would win one fifty seven fifty. That is your short bet,
Evans the finally farewell to Rugby League Park. It's an

(01:53:10):
a league bet. Wellington Phoenix Western Sydney Wanderers this afternoon
are correct score combo so it's Wellington Phoenix to win
one nil, two nil or two to one. It's paying
three dollars sixty. You would win three hundred and ninety
if you choose that way. And our long bet today, Mark,
this would be the most Warriors thing ever Special Warriors

(01:53:33):
against Titans winning margin the Titans to win thirteen plus.
It's paying nine dollars. You would win twelve hundred. So
the Hurricanes to beat the Chiefs you'd win one fifty
seven to fifty. The Phoenix to win one nil, two
nil or two to one against the Wanderers you'd win
three hundred and ninety. Or the Titans to beat the

(01:53:55):
Warriors thirteen plus you would win twelve hundred. Which one
would you like to go with?

Speaker 8 (01:54:03):
That's a hard one, isn't it?

Speaker 11 (01:54:04):
Any recommendations?

Speaker 4 (01:54:06):
Well, I mean, I could never bet against the Warriors,
and honestly, I can't see a universe in which the
Gold Toast Titans put you know, put a score on
a thirteen plus on the Warriors. However, it has happened before.
I'm a Hurricanes fan, so I can't possibly be objective there.
I don't mind the evens Western Sydney bottom. The Phoenix
need to win to stay in Topsic contention one nil,
two nil, two to one. I don't mind that three

(01:54:28):
ninety mark three hundred and ninety.

Speaker 6 (01:54:30):
Yeah, yeah, I think that I'll go with that one.

Speaker 4 (01:54:32):
I see number two, right, all right, I'm glad. I'm
glad we've colluded on that and discussed in the game though.
Oh good, excellent. Well, when it's one nil, two nil
or two to one. Approaching the final whistle. I'll look
out for you as the as the guy sitting on
the edge of his seat.

Speaker 15 (01:54:47):
Yeah, I'll be jumping up and down comes in love it.

Speaker 4 (01:54:51):
Mark, good on you mate. We're going to place the
bit before you, mate, Just hold on there for a
bit longer. Andy will just make sure he's got all
of your details so that we can we can make
sure you get your winnings. Will place the one hundred
and fifty dollars tab bonus bet on your behalf and
keep our fingers crossed. If you get a result, the
three hundred and ninety will be you yours early next week.
We'll do it next week next weekend thanks to her
mate to the tab. With the tab app, you can

(01:55:13):
see what same game multis are trending with other punters
and add them to your bet slip with a simple
tap R eighteen. Please bet responsibly. What are we quarter
to three. It's all happening at Rua Poona this weekend
with the debut of Supercars at Ruapoona. And we've had
the first race today and Brody Kistecki has returned to

(01:55:35):
the Supercars winner's circle, taking victory in the first of
two races today at the Christy at Super four forty.
There's another race this afternoon at ten past four. Eric
Thompson et is at rua poona tell us the story
of Brodi Kisticki's one et and I've read here Matt
Pains whe All fell off. What happened there?

Speaker 16 (01:55:55):
Oh god, that was that was a It's a shame
because because Buddy gently had to bet between his teeth
after losing out to young Ky Allen yes yesterday's races.
He wasn't happy with his car and he's a bit
like he was saying, we got to do something with
the car. You know, the two odors are so fast,
and just go to try and get it sorted. So

(01:56:16):
they worked on the car a lot overnight and he
was quick off the mark again. God he even and
yesterday's race, pointy he's got that car hooked up off
the line, and again he did. And they came into
a pit stop early on, you know, about half race distance.
But Pain went long, like really deep into the race

(01:56:38):
and you're sort of thinking, yeah, he's trying to build
up a lead. He got thirty three seconds lead, came
into pits they just changed two real tires, so he
would have had super fresh rubber, like about ten laps
younger than anybody else in the field. He comes out
halfway through the lab the right red we all just
falls off. There was a mechanical era or pit crueer

(01:57:02):
or something. They didn't try the nut up enough and
he lost the wheel. So that whole rate disaster forum. Basically.
I think he finished nineteenth in the end, but he
was looking he could have actually won that race actually play.

Speaker 2 (01:57:15):
So as will just came.

Speaker 4 (01:57:16):
Have you ever seen that happen? As you say, et
so obviously just haven't screwed in the nuts tightly enough.
Is that what's happened to you?

Speaker 16 (01:57:24):
Yeah, something like that, or the sometimes the nuts get
cross threaded and so, and you know there's like six
to seven hundred horsepower going through that, plus what's called
lateral force. When they go around the sharp corner of
the car wants to keep going sideways and it's only
the tie that keeps it in track. So the energy

(01:57:45):
in the fore Wheell number is just amazing. And if
you don't get it right, they just fly off. It
happens quite a lot that's happened in Formula One IndyCar
World Endurance Racing. In fact, yesterday Fini, the rear wheel
of a Formula Ford came flying off through the heapen
So it's rare but not unheard off, all.

Speaker 4 (01:58:05):
Right, So Matt Pain not Yeah, no, no, I mean
you can see the funny side. I'm sure later. Not
at the time though, if you if you're Matt Payne
or his pit crew Ryan Wood, third again for Toyota.
Four straight podiums. Now, he's up to third on the championship. Yeah,
he's gone a right, isn't he.

Speaker 16 (01:58:21):
Oh he's going really really well. He loves us grace,
as does Pain and all qualifying there's been basically there's
been four drivers who have dominated the first two races here.
That's Kostecki, Young Kay Allen, Matt Payne and Ryan Wood.
So there's consistently been two Kiwis that are really giving

(01:58:42):
it to the Aussies around Ruapoona. And interesting enough, nobody's
actually been around here before, so well, you know, some
of the kiwi's been around here when they were juniors,
like ten odd years ago.

Speaker 4 (01:58:53):
So though we just seem to have have lost Eric
right in the middle of he was writing full flight there,
giving us the giving us the background on on Ryan Wood.
That's unfortunately you must have walked into a into a
slightly dodgy area. We'll try and get him back because
I want to. I do have another couple of questions
for Eric. The second race today, the one hundred and

(01:59:15):
twenty kilometer supercars race. The second one today is underway
at ten past four. Ten past four for that one.
We've already had qualifying for that one. We've got et
back on the line. We just lost you them at
flight eat Team. But I did want to ask you
about the crowds because I flew down to christ You jested,
I think half the plane, in fact more than half
the plane were supercars fans very excited. They were. What
are the crowds like at rypoona well made?

Speaker 16 (01:59:37):
It was full yesterday because there's a lemban on the
capacity the Pooner, so just over twenty thousand that are
allowed it here. Yesterday they hit capacity. Today they hit
capacity and tomorrow there are no tickets for sale, so
fans that wanting to just turn up and buy tickets
at the gate can't is none, I think is just

(01:59:58):
only a couple of hundred left online booking directly online.
So other than that, so it's been an absolute sellout
for supercars. They sort of needed because of the you know,
the weather bond that hit Taupo So and the fans.
But on a Friday, I've never seen so many people
by on a Fridays.

Speaker 4 (02:00:17):
Easy, Absolutely brilliant t T. Good on you mate, thanks
for joining us and painting the picture for us. Eric
Thompson read him at enzidherld dot co dot nz. Great
to have him on the show, talking motorsport from Royal
Poona where there's the second race today at ten past four.
The big sixty one lapper is tomorrow just after three o'clock,
so we'll get you back to supercars in christ Church

(02:00:37):
tomorrow too. Are painting you some pictures from Royal Poona
and by the sounds of it, a tremendously successful debut
for supercars at that racetrack. Twenty thousand yesterday, twenty thousands
a day, twenty thousand tomorrow. Absolutely fantastic. Well done motorsport
fans for turning up and supporting supercars at Royal Poona.
Coming up nine to three News Talks.

Speaker 1 (02:00:57):
HEADB analyzing the plays and getting the inside Weekend Sport
with Jason Vine News Talks Hebb.

Speaker 4 (02:01:05):
Coming up six away from three. That will just about
do it for our weekend sports show for today, quick
look ahead to tomorrow, Well, we're gonna wait and see
what happens over the next few hours. What's gonna happen
when the Warriors take on the Titans. What's gonna happen
when the Hurricanes visit Hamilton to try and take down
the Chiefs? Will the Phoenix day alive in the race
for the top six? All of these storylines about to

(02:01:26):
be written over the next little while. We can mull
them all over tomorrow when we're in full possession of
the facts. We're also going to talk to a golfer
who has defied the odds to get to where he is.
And we'll look ahead to Walkland FC tomorrow as well
and anything else that jumps onto our radar in the
next twenty one hours or so. Thanks for listening in.

(02:01:47):
Huge thanks to Anny McDonald for producing as always. What
are we going out with today?

Speaker 16 (02:01:50):
Mate?

Speaker 4 (02:01:51):
You were Piney Adam Lennox. You know a couple of
tries last night, Jaden Lenox, he'd wickets. I think he
scored a run as well. Good on him, Lenox Lewis
Boxer He's boxed before and any Linux Earth Mix. I
love the way your mind works when it comes to

(02:02:12):
week such songs.

Speaker 6 (02:02:13):
Yeah, there we go, Sweet dreams.

Speaker 4 (02:02:17):
See tomorrow, folks.

Speaker 20 (02:02:19):
Some of them want to get us, some of them
want to use you, some of them want to be Sweet.

(02:02:43):
Jeans are abad of these Fine to desig Travel the
World and seven scene everybody just looking for something Sweet
jeans are made of these to have my to deside.

Speaker 2 (02:03:05):
Travel the World and.

Speaker 20 (02:03:07):
Seven sees everybody is looking for something. Sweet dreams Hoby
Design Travel seven sees, Everybody still giving for something.

Speaker 2 (02:03:28):
Sweet teams on.

Speaker 20 (02:03:34):
Design Travel and seven scenes and Funny Snow giver something
Sweet jeans Onys Design Travels and seven sees everybody slow.

Speaker 2 (02:03:57):
Give for soling.

Speaker 1 (02:04:01):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen Life
to News Talks it be we can from midday or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio

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Full Show Podcast: 18 April 2026

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