Full Show Podcast: 20 December 2025

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB. The only plays 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.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
EDB, Hi theck God, A good afternoon. Welcome into the
Saturday edition of Weekend Sport on News Talks EDB for
December twenty, Happy fifty third birthday to six time World
mountain running champion Keepy Jonathan Wyatt and Happy twenty seventh
to French football superstar Killian inm Barbey. I'm Jason Pine
Show produced today by Isaiah Aberdingo. We're here talking sport

(00:50):
until three after one o'clock this afternoon. Luke Metcalfe is
with us. His excellent twenty twenty five NRL season cut
short by an ACL injury. So al, how is his
recovery going and when might he be back in twenty
two twenty six. I've heard round five, round six talked about.

(01:11):
Luke metcalf can give us the most up to date
information when he joins us after one o'clock. Leading us
off today, though, is the triple vacancy at the top
of sport in this country. New Zealand Rugby, Netball, New
Zealand New Zealand cricket all without CEOs as we head
into twenty twenty six. Sport New Zealand Chief Executive raylen Castle,

(01:34):
one of our most respected sporting administrators and one of
our most experienced as well, leads us off today that
I'm very keen on your thoughts, in particular the events
of the last couple of days. The Mark Robinson one
is probably separate from this discussion. We're not about that
for a while. But Jenny Wiley and Scott weeningk resigning
in the last couple of days with a few unanswered

(01:55):
questions around, both got a few questions for you on
this to kick around other matters around. Today, Whitney Hanson
has been announced as the new Black Fern's head coach.
She's on the show to outline her vision to restore
our elite women's right B team to global dominance. Just
under six months until the all whites first pall match
at the twenty twenty six Beef for World Cup, joined

(02:15):
by key New Zealand midfielder Joe Bell. This afternoon. The
first round of the World Darts Championships is complete. Our
second round lineup is confirmed. Our expert Ben Francis runs
an eye over that and some of the round two
matchups to look out for. Also a keywi in there,
of course. Johnny Tata is through to the second round.
The Phoenix Women back home to play Sydney of FC

(02:36):
and Pottydoor this afternoon. The club's most experienced player, Mackenzie Bowry,
is with US Australian correspondent Adam Peacock along in his
regular slot. He's an adelaide for the Third Ashes Test
and for the last time this year, we will play
a sporting chance. Your chance to place a one hundred
and fifty dollars bonus bet from the tab and collect

(02:57):
the winnings if your choice is an astute one. We've
also got some Aukland FC tickets to give away for
their match against the Newcastle Jets on New Year's Day
this afternoon. While we're on the air, Test cricket on
both sides of the Tasman Day three of the third
and final Test between the black Caps and the West
Indies underway at Bayoval. Regular updates from Andrew Alderson at

(03:18):
the Mount. I can tell you though that New Zealand
have picked up two wickets this morning and the West
Indies one hundred and forty six for two. They still
trail by a mammoth four hundred and twenty nine runs,
and Day four of the Third Ashes Test starts in
around twenty minutes at the Adelaide Oval. Australia with a
huge advantage in this game. We'll keep eyes on that
for you as well. Please join the show in whichever

(03:40):
fashion you like. Lines open all afternoon, oh eight hundred
eighty ten eighty nine two ninety two for your text messages,
emails and to Jason at NEWSTALKZB dot co dot nz.
It's ten and a half past mid.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
Day, analyzing every view from every angle in the s
morning World Weekend Sport with Jason Viive They call eight
hundred and eighty and eighty News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
In the space of the last two days, the CEOs
of two of us our biggest national sporting organizations have resigned.
On Thursday, Netball New Zealand head Jenny Wiley resigned with
immediate effect after nine years in the role. Yesterday, New
Zealand Crickets CEO, Scott weeningk step down. He'll officially depart
on the thirtieth of January after taking Cricket's top job

(04:25):
in twenty twenty three. With Mark Robinson's departure as CEO
of New Zealand Rugby and a replacement yet to be appointed,
we're entering twenty twenty six with vacancies at the top
of our three biggest traditional sports. Let's bring in one
of our most experienced and respected sports administrators and executives.

(04:45):
Former CEO of Netball New Zealand, the Canterbury Bulldogs in
the NRL and Rugby Australia and since twenty twenty the
CEO of Sport New Zealand Raylan Castle. Raylan, thank you
for taking the time for a chat this afternoon. What
have you made of the events of the last two
days with both Jenny Wiley and Scott Weenink stepping down

(05:05):
from their respective role y?

Speaker 4 (05:07):
Yeah, thanks Jathon, Yeah, I mean I think that the
timing is more coincidence than anything. I think there's slightly
different circumstances across the two, but with as you rightly
set in your introduction, three roles empty at the moment,
I think it does talk to the very challenging roles
that these CEO roles having the New Zealand landscape, they're

(05:28):
probably more importantly in the international landscape. There are difficult roles.
They're facing a lot of disruption and it's probably not
surprising that we've seen some turnover.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
How worrying is it then that we are entering the
new year with Argua about arguably are three bigger sports
no permanent CEO. Is this cause for concern?

Speaker 4 (05:50):
I mean, it's not perfect, but I think both all
three sports, all three boards have worked to ensure that
they've got really good short term and interim support in place,
and that those people have the support of the board
to be able to make the decisions that are required
in those interim pera until those sports complete their equipment processes.
So I don't think there's any major concerns at all.

(06:13):
I just think that that is always nice to have
the certainty about who those new people are, but certainly
it will take a lot of more time into the
new year.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
How much is a CEO beholden to the strategic direction
given to it by its board.

Speaker 4 (06:29):
Well completely, really, I mean, at the end of the day,
that's the relationship that a board and a CEO has.
At the end of the day, our strategy is agreed
often developed by management. It is signed off and endorsed
by the board, and the board will hold the CEO
account to account and their organizational delivery against that strategy.

(06:52):
So a relationship that's much that's symbiotic if you like,
that's got a greed areas of focus and alignment is
certainly what a good board and CEO relationship looks like.
And if that became challenge, it does become very difficult
either for the board and or the CEO.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah, how common is that, Raylene for a CEO and
the CEO's board not to have full strategic alignment.

Speaker 4 (07:21):
I think is a really good tension to have. You know,
you always want a board end or a CEO to
have that be able to pressure test, I suppose, and
have really robust conversations into whether the strategy continues to
deliver exactly what you thought it was going to deliver.
When you're working in a disrupted market, sometimes before year,

(07:41):
strategy ultimately has to be evolved because different things happen.
There might be international situations, might be through international bodies
that you work into into broadcasting environments into disruption with
professional sport. So it always has to be an environment
that enables you to have those really positive and robust
conversations and sometimes ultimately you get to a stage where

(08:04):
you think, well, this doesn't work for me way or another.
So that is the reality of being the CEO. You
do need a really full on and trusted relationship and
that is what really good looks like.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
Do different boards have varying levels of involvement? For example,
to some boards I'm not just talking about these specific
ones within SOOS railing, but to some boards just kind
of let the CEO get on with it and ask
him or her to report back as needed, while others
are more deeply involved in the operational running of the
business or is that not healthy?

Speaker 4 (08:38):
It does often dependation, I think on the side of
the organization. We have very large organizations, multi hundreds of
millions of dollars. There's certainly rugby and cricketer in the
New Zealand landscape. That's probably a slightly different model that
you might find yourself in where are more of a
governance role. Is governance as opposed to actually diving into

(09:00):
the management role per se, where you have smaller sports
where they have volunteer boards and the CEO might only
have half a dozen staff. Sometimes the boards do need
to play a bigger role because that is the reality
of how you get traction, engaging with your members, engaging
with your regions or territories, or whether the definition is
for your sports, and that's what good looks like. So

(09:22):
it's helpful for a CEO to have board members that
will roll their sleeves up and help. But it is
different depending on the situation you're dealing with. And certainly
for our board and the CEO to understand their roles
agree on what those roles look like is helpful and
that means everyone clearly understands the plan.

Speaker 5 (09:43):
They're working too.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
How prevalent and problematic are politics and personality clashes in
sports governance, Well, I mean, I.

Speaker 4 (09:55):
Think that's the piece that's quite you know, I laugh,
because it is an interesting case that drives different conversations.
For you know, over my career, I've seen some of
the most successful and wealthy business people in their environments
walk into sports governance roles and make truly outrageous recommendations

(10:17):
because they want to win, and they put winning in
front of the strategy or the sport or the financial
stability of the environment. So it is very different. Most
people in their jobs don't read about their sport or
their board or their CEO or on the back page
of the paper or talked about on the radio in
any given day. So it does take a different kind

(10:38):
of emphasis and focus, and it is different to what
you would having and often in a normal business board.
But at the end of the day, the key principles
remain is that you have a strategy, you should be
working towards that strategy in the environment where you can
have robust and trusted conversations to make sure that you're
doing what the right thing for the sport is is

(11:00):
ultimately at their heart of what any governance and or
CEO relationship needs.

Speaker 2 (11:04):
We focused on indeed, indeed, how much does the relentless
nature and as you've outlined writing the very public nature
of being a CEO of Innso how much does that
take its toll?

Speaker 4 (11:17):
Well, it really does take its toll, and I don't
think people unless you've been there really quite understands how
difficult that can be. Not only are you dealing with
your own federated model, so you've got members that you're
responsible for, so ultimately they have votes that it can
impact either the board's role in seats on the board

(11:38):
or potentially have impact on the CEO. But you also
have the public nature nature of social media and some
of the vitriol and keyboard warrior nature of those environments
is truly horrendous. I mean it, it's disgraceful behavior that
people are prepared to say things in social media with
half the information what they might have read or heard

(11:59):
in the media or believed, you know, the gossip that's
generated over time. So that's where you come back to
that having making sure that the people that count, which
is you're board as a CEO and or the trusted
advisor that you have around you are the people that
keep you sane, that continue to give you really good advice,

(12:19):
and that you don't try and manage the direction of
the sports through social media feedback.

Speaker 2 (12:25):
How challenging then, is it to balance transparency with privacy?

Speaker 4 (12:31):
Incredibly difficult and probably the number one thing really, I
think that the public think they've got a right to know,
Fans think they've got a right to know, and in
some areas where you can be as transparent as possible
where you can over communicate, where you can make sure
that you are very clear about the direction that you're taking,

(12:52):
or communicate regularly and often is really helpful. On the
other hand, the thing you might have to communicate is
we can't actually talk about this because this is an
imployant dispute, or we can't talk about this because we're
in deep commercial negotiations. Wouldn't be appropriate for the parties involved.
For us to share that in itself might be the
right thing to say, but it is difficult. People often

(13:13):
have half the information, and uh, you know, it is
incredibly frustrating when you're trying as a border of CEO
to keep things confidential and there's leaks from a board
table and people try to use, with respect, Jason, the
media as one of those processes to unlock their side

(13:33):
of the story. That's an incredibly difficult place for sports,
for a sports administrated to be.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
Do you think organizations of the size New Zealand Rugby,
up on New Zealand New Zealand Cricket, do you think
they're able to offer a big enough package of benefits
a big enough salary to attract the caliber of candidates
that they need.

Speaker 4 (13:54):
Oh yes, I think so absolutely, And I think you know,
the combination of the brands that those sports hold, the
profile that all three of those have on the world stage,
the respect with which they're held, and also their own
commercial environments would absolutely allow them to provide a good
package of support. But I think, you know, the combination

(14:18):
of ensuring that there is alignment with those governments, governance
environments and that there is the support, and I think
also the open mindedness for candidates to realize that we're
walking into a refraction environment. It isn't like running an organization,
a business organization that doesn't garner the that page of
the paper, and that you have a federated model and

(14:39):
you don't just get to tell people what they have
to do like you do in a business when you
own it or your CEO. Their federated models, those people, members,
have votes, they are a very important part of the landscape.
It's a much more collegial and collaborative type approach that
you have to take. So I think the openness of
all sporting organizations to ensure the CEO understands what they're

(15:02):
walking into, what issues might be, but also be a
pro it rewarded for those risks because they are public
and they are reputationally damaging if it doesn't go well,
are an important part of the mix that comes together
to make sure you find the right person.

Speaker 2 (15:16):
This is no doubt a loaded question, but do you
think most people going into these roles going with the
best intentions that they truly do want to serve the sport?

Speaker 4 (15:28):
I mean, well, let me say ninety eight percent. You
always get that road person that has their own personal agenda.
I think that you know that thinks this is going
to be the stepping zone for them to go to
the next plats. But by far and away, the large
nes CEO community that I am very fortunate to work
with on a weekly basis, are people there that spend

(15:48):
a lot of time extra, way, way more than the
four year they get paid for to make sure that
their sport is in the best possible place it can be.
So I absolutely believe they arrive with the right intentions
and all they want to do is leave their sport
and a better place than where they serve it.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
And you reckon, sometimes sport can just beat you up.
Is that what happens?

Speaker 4 (16:08):
Well, it really does, and I think, you know, I
think there is like all jobs, there's time. There's a
right amount of time for someone to be in any job.
And sometimes you can be the person that might be
the transformation person and you're not necessarily the person to
take it forward, and you know, a more stable person,
you know that with experience might be the right person,

(16:28):
or someone with change menagement experience might be the right
time and place. But I'm a very great believer that
there is time and certain size of jobs have a
right amount of time where new ideas, new focus, new
energy can come in and really continue to take the
sport forward, all right, And.

Speaker 2 (16:46):
Just to finish, does Sport and New Zealand take any
active or even advisory role in the recruitment of CEOs
for national sporting organizations?

Speaker 4 (16:56):
We do some, not necessarily the larger ones of course,
because they're big commission entities and run their own processes.
In many of the smaller sports we do, we are
for a package of support that will help them with
hiring an independent recruitment organization that can help them run
a professional process. We will sometimes sit on that appointments

(17:17):
panel to help them because we have an understanding of
the landscape and help them put together a package of
professional development for that new younger CEO perhaps or less
experience CEO, to make sure that they're giving the professional
support they need as they walk into what often as
a very public environment.

Speaker 2 (17:35):
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat
to Australian, really interesting analysis. Thanks again, and Merry Christmas
to you and your family.

Speaker 6 (17:42):
To you Jason, Thanks very much, all the best.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
Railan Castle Sport New Zealand at chief executive their former
chief executive Netball New Zealand of the Bulldogs of Rugby Australia.
These are big jobs, big meaty jobs. So Raelian's coming
from a position of real experience. Your chance now to
react to what you heard there and what has played
out over the last couple of days. Oh, eight hundred

(18:05):
and eighty eighty is our number. I'm not sure there
was great shock when either of these two resignations were announced.
Netball has had an absolutely forgettable year, headlined by the
saga surrounding Silver Ferns coach Dame Noling Toder, of course,
which still has some unanswered questions as we head into

(18:28):
Commonwealth Games year six. Current and former netb on New
Zealand staff spoke to the Herald last month with concerns
about netb on New Zealand's workplace culture. There was also
the long running situation regarding silver Fern's eligibility and the
prolonged battle to secure broadcast Hell for the am Z premiership.
Jenny Wiley has been at the head of netball through

(18:49):
all of that. She also, I have to say, wasn't
helped by defaulting to corporate gobbledegook whenever she was asked
questions about any of those issues, which I think just
alienated her from most netball people. I understand what Raylen's

(19:10):
saying that there has to be the balance between transparency
and privacy, but I remember the interview I did with
Jenny Wiley a couple of months ago, and it was
one of the more frustrating interviews I think I've ever conducted.
The Chair of the Board, Matt Winner, wasn't any better
when we spoke to him and when he spoke publicly
about these issues either. Now. Incredibly, he also wasn't available

(19:33):
to media to speak about Jenny Wiley's departure, the Chair
of the Board, not available to speak about the CEO's resignation.
The lack of transparency this year, I have to say,
taking into account what Raylene just said has been breathtaking
from Netborn, New Zealand. Then you come to cricket and
in the statement attributed to Scott Weenik when he stood

(19:55):
down yesterday, he said, quote, it has become clear that
I hold a different view from several member associations and
the New Zealand Cricket Platz Association on the future priorities
for New Zealand cricket, including the long term direction of
the game and the best role for T twenty cricket
in New Zealand. Close quote. Now that differs widely from

(20:19):
a statement attributed to Scott Winning just a couple of
weeks ago, which said New Zealand Cricket has no predetermined
position on this and is strongly committed to considering all
options in good faith. Close quote. It's obvious that the
relationship between Scott Winingk and the six major associations was fractious,
and that's probably putting it kindly. The relationship between he

(20:40):
and the Players Association wasn't much better, and the board
was split two and not only its support of him,
but on other matters as well. The T twenty discussion
wasn't the catalyst for that division. It was simply the
latest bone of contention. That fractious nature of the relationships
has been simmering for a while. I mean we were

(21:01):
told this. Scott weening was on leave to spend more
time with his family at the start of the school holidays,
with a return of December nineteen yesterday. As I understand it,
he was involved in mediation with the New Zealand Cricket board,
which remained a work in progress until yesterday and has
resulted in his departure. And again New Zealand Cricket didn't
make their board chair Diana Pukatapu Linden available for comment yesterday. Instead,

(21:25):
there was a quote from her tagged to Scott Weeningk's statement,
which simply said New Zealand Cricket acknowledges and thanks Scott
ween Ink for his his positive contribution to New Zealand
Cricket during his time as CEO and wishes him well
for the future. A mere twenty five words, the brevity
of the comments saying a heck of a lot more

(21:48):
than the words themselves. Unfortunately, I think too many sports
administrators forget or lose sight of why they are in
the job. They are in the job to serve the
sport and its participants. Never is the concept of servant

(22:11):
leadership more footing and more fitting than it is. In
sports leadership. You are serving everyone who is involved in
the sport that you oversee, from grassroots through to elite level.
But personalities and egos and internal bickering and points scoring

(22:32):
and territory guarding and personal interests and long running rifts
and politics get in the way, and the sport itself
just gets moved further and further away from where it belongs,
which is at the very center of the conversation. So
here we are three massive, herited sports with hundreds of

(22:54):
thousands of participants and millions of normal everyday kiwis who
love playing and watching them, and as of right now,
no one to run any of them.

Speaker 1 (23:05):
Those voids of sport. On your home of Sport, Weekend
Sport with Jason news.

Speaker 2 (23:11):
Talks, News Talks theirb and Weekend Sport twelve twenty nine
lines opened to yin about this are eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty Could I grant.

Speaker 5 (23:19):
Yeah, piney Well? First off with netballs netballs Jenny Wiley's resignation.
I'll just say one sentence, which is goodbye and good
riddance onto the cricket resignation. I think actually the person
who possibly comes out best in that is Scott Wenneck,
where he's sort of appeased to have seen, well, there's

(23:41):
a cafete, impass. We have different views. I'm not going
to change my view, the Board's not and the Players
Association aren't going to change their views. And if if
he stays on and it becomes a battle, because it's
just about possibly tear New Zealand cricket part. So I say,
you know that he's done the right thing, I think

(24:04):
the under the circum stances, and we'll see whoever the
newer point he is. I mean, well, the first question
that the Cricket panel asks is you know, what do
you think about a professional private rerun T twenty competition?

Speaker 2 (24:21):
Yeah, I mean, if what you say is right, grant
that he basically saw that there was going to be
you know, irretrievable differences of opinion between he and members
of and I hate this word, the stakeholder group has
bored them as the planers Association. Then why did we
get to mediation?

Speaker 5 (24:43):
Well, I mean, now, I think I mean that may
and of an expert and employment law.

Speaker 2 (24:51):
No, you don't have to be you. But if somebody
says I want to do what's best for the sports,
so I'll step away, then why do we go to mediation?

Speaker 5 (25:01):
Well, that mediation was in the course before he resigned,
so I think, you know, try mediation. Also, I think
that to for both sides to legally protect themselves, having
mediation is a good thing on for the legal aspect

(25:21):
of it. But I mean it was obviously mediation. I mean,
you know, the Plains Association, the board weren't going to
change their mind. Scott Whiteningk wasn't going to change his
so that was really the start and the end of
the mediation.

Speaker 2 (25:36):
Yeah, well, I think, I mean the inability to find
a middle ground I think is the main problem. You know, again,
where is the sport in all of this? Why is
the sport itself and its participants not in the center
of this conversation? Mediation between a CEO and his board

(25:56):
takes us so far away from the cricket field. Thanks
for you called Grant twenty seven away from one eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty. We'd like to get your
thoughts on this. A couple of other points tours. Who
are the candidates for these jobs? Have you got any ideas?
Love to hear them. Eight hundred and eighty ten eighty
twenty seven to one.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
We're back after this The Voice of Sport on your
Home of Sport Weekend Sport with Jason Vane and GJ.
Gunner Homes New Zealand's most trusted home builder News Talks.

Speaker 2 (26:28):
It'd be twenty four to one spear line there if
you want to jump aboard eight hundred and eighty ten
eighty as we speak about the leadership of our top
three sporting organizations, who might fill those voids in the
new year, and how we've got to knew the position
that we're in. We'll get you to Bay Oval shortly.
We're a short time ago this happened.

Speaker 7 (26:46):
It's the muff Man himself. He's going to resume.

Speaker 8 (26:48):
Oh yes, yes, yes.

Speaker 9 (26:50):
Yes, clean old King for sixty here, yes, yes, the
breakthrough the muff there, it's the double break.

Speaker 10 (26:58):
Through Westin he's one hundred and forty for two.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yeah, one forty for two has become one hundred and
eighty for two. That was Brandon Ken courtesy of our
friends at the ACC being bowld by Jacob Duffy for
sixty three. John Campbell out earlier caught behind no not
caught behind court by Tom Latham in the slips off
Duffy for forty FiveM keverrm Hodge is there on forty four.

(27:23):
Tevlyn Imlac is sixteen unbeaten and the West Indies one
hundred and eighty for two. That still has them trailing
by three hundred and ninety five runs, but a couple
of wickets for Jacob Duffy this morning who has two
for fifty three across to the Ashes Test. We'll get
you to Andrew Raldison before one o'clock actually at Bayoval
to check on some more in depth information regarding day

(27:48):
day three of this Test. Day four of the third
Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval is also back under way.
Travis Head and Alex Carey have resumed and taken Australia
through to two hundred and seventy six for four. That
is a massive lead of three hundred and sixty one runs.
Even if they pulled out now, that would be the
biggest ever chase if England were to achieve it at

(28:11):
the Adelaide Oval. Nobody has ever chased that many and
won a test at the Adelaide Oval, but with Travis
head set there one hundred and forty two not out,
Alex Carey fifty seven unbeaten. These to have already put
on a very very big partnership. I think they just
what battol at least at least the middle session, maybe
even until Tea give themselves four sessions to bowl England

(28:33):
out and back themselves to take advantage of England's apparent
inability to play any other way than the bass ball method.
Eight hundred and eighty ten eighty as our number. Pinty
Rey Scott Winnink. He was chair of the Pliers Association
when he got made CEO. He was he used to
be on the Plus Association, so he had a tight

(28:54):
relationship with Heath Mills at the Pliers Association. Within eighteen
months that relationship is broken, Steve says Pinty his nep
on New Zealand received substantial tax payer funding. Have the
obligation to be open and transparent with the public, Steve
bang on, and that's that's it too. When we were
in the middle of the discussions around Dame Nolene, when

(29:16):
they were at their fiercest and when you know, there
just seemed to be nothing coming out of of Netball
New Zealand. People were saying, hey, well, it's not our business. Well,
in many ways, it is our business for a couple
of reasons. One, as Steve's point has pointed out, and
you know we we we in part anyway through our

(29:37):
taxpayer dollars fund the high performance program at Netball New Zealand.
But also because without its fans, without its grassroots support,
without it's you know, died in the wall. Supporters support
doesn't have anything right. If there's no you know, there's

(30:04):
no support for a team or a sport, then you
know they ceased to become relevant. So we do have
I think the responsibility and the right to ask questions
like this Mark Robinson's interesting. This is I mean, and
let's make this clear. This Mark Robinson's situation very different
from Jenny Wiley or Scott Wennick. He resigned, but that

(30:30):
happened ages ago and the fact that they haven't been
able to find a replacement very telling. And it relates
to the vacancies at NEPAUL and cricket as well. It's
either not attractive enough or it doesn't pay enough, and
Mark Robinson's probably of a pretty small group of people
former all black with commercial acumen. It allowed him to
pop into a rugby club and chat to the members,
chat to the locals. Would also be comfortable sitting across

(30:52):
the table from big corporates to convince them to align
themselves with New Zealand Rugby, not to mention the dealings
he had at World Rugby. The pall of people who
can do both of those things, it's pretty small. Get
I pet it.

Speaker 11 (31:06):
I have a new year to you, Jason.

Speaker 2 (31:09):
And you's good to hear from you, mate.

Speaker 11 (31:12):
I've got a couple of names I've been thinking about.
In the netball. I thought Tania Cox, who's looking after
the wire Rapper rugby union at the moment. She's been
in the sport netball very successful. She's from Wellington and
Lads I think is from Japan and is going to

(31:33):
play for the Hurricanes this year. I think she's got
the experience to take that job on. And in the cricket,
I thought of Peter Fulton down in christ Urt's there.
He's got a lot of experience in administration. He's played
for New Zealand and those are the two names I
like to put forward anyway.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
Nice Petty. I think Peter Fulton's experience is more around
the coaching than the business side of it. But he's
always struck me as a very level headed guy who
has the best interests of the sport that he serves
at heart. Ye Antana, Yeah, Tarnia Durns, Yeah, I'll see
Hunter her son is yeah. No, no, no, no, that no,
that's just that's the Antania Cox who made a name.

(32:14):
We all know who you're talking about. And yeah, she
well she's a straight shooter, isn't she. You know, I
don't think there be any any gray area there, Peter.
If if there were, there were discussions to be had,
though two very good suggestions made. I think that, like
I said, I think the problem is that. And even
though Railing said that she thought that the the benefits package,
the pay in other words, was good enough to attract

(32:36):
a high quality of candidate, I'm not sure I agree.
I think you look for you're looking for all of this,
you know, huge business and commercial acumen, along with a
deep history in the game of rugby. And I'm not
saying that you know, well, you can't buy those things,
but if you're looking at the commercial side, any anyone

(33:00):
who has you know, the majority of of the boxes
ticked on what they call the skills matrix, it's probably
earning three four five times as much somewhere else. So
why would they take the gig? Hey?

Speaker 12 (33:13):
John?

Speaker 13 (33:15):
If any happy Christmas? See in your family and to
you John, So, how let me ask you, now, all
the situations going on with not just support and everything,
how do you get the poison out? Who are people
who are useless in high management? Legally?

Speaker 14 (33:31):
You can't.

Speaker 2 (33:35):
Are you talking about what in particular are you referencing.

Speaker 13 (33:39):
In high management? As we've seen all the disasters, appalling
behavior by senior management. How do you get the rot out?
If certain people our names are being dragged through the
mud as we've seen, and the management are still in
place there legally, and then that person who has been
dragged through the mud legally can't open their mouth afterwards

(34:02):
because contractly want you to put your name to the contract.
It's a done deal, so there's no it's a game over.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
So so in other words, what you're suggesting is that
is that so so in order to leave Jenny Wiley
and Scott winingc have been what have have signed confidentiality agreements,
non disclosure agreements, that sort of thing. And so your
suggestion is that there is still work to be done
on those who still operate in the business. Is that

(34:30):
what you're suggesting.

Speaker 13 (34:32):
Yes, and you and in regards to taxpayers, money absolutely
redeserve answers.

Speaker 15 (34:37):
But you're not.

Speaker 13 (34:37):
You're telling me seriously and the rest the people in
the contrary that we're going to get answers. And because
contractly and lifting you're silenced the high management, they're going
to do nothing.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
Yeah, Well, here's what I hope, John, Here's what I
hope is that we get to a point where a
new CEO is appointed at both Netball New Zealand and
at New Zealand Cricket. And as they always say, you know,
it comes from the top, doesn't it. It comes from
the top. And whoever comes into those two organizations, in
particular into a lesser extent New Zealand Rugby as well,

(35:10):
but mainly Cricket and Netball. Given the circumstances around the
departures of the CEOs, whoever comes and knows exactly what
they're walking into, they will come in with eyes wide open,
wide open. So what I hope is that they come
in and that yeah, and they're able to They're able
to to inject their positive culture into the organization.

Speaker 13 (35:33):
That is my hope, John, Right, Well, that's that's a
great point. But when you have other people in that
organizations that's been there through take and send the bad times,
and personally they all want to play along with this,
the senior position of a CEO of being brought in, well,

(35:55):
they're one change, so the next CEO will just be
up against the wall.

Speaker 7 (36:01):
Again.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
Well, I think people get found out, John, I hope
that anyway. Maybe that's naive, but I feel like at
some point, and I'm not suggesting this is the case
at all in these organizations, but at some point in
any organization you can only you can only be that
way for so long before you before you get found out.
Good to chat you, John, Thanks for your call made

(36:23):
fourteen away from one. We'll take a break. When I
come back, we will get you to Bay Oval and
checking with Andrew Ordison on day three of the third
Test between the Black Caps and the West Indies.

Speaker 1 (36:33):
The big issues on and after fields call oh eight
hundred eighty ten eighty weekends forward with Jason Fine and GJ.
Gunner Homes New Zealand's most trusted home builder News talks,
a BB.

Speaker 2 (36:45):
News talks there being weekend sport eleven away from one.
Let's get you to Bay Oval where we're approaching lunch
on the third day of the third Test between the
black Caps and the West Indies. The Western is resuming
one hundred and ten without loss. They've just gone to
one hundred and ninety five for two. Andrew Ordison can
update us, sir, who's won this first session? Orders Piny.

Speaker 15 (37:06):
Look, I think it's fearly even, I meanaland we've pleased
to get those two wickets, Jacob Duffy getting both of
them with John Campbell caught it by Tom Lakeman second
slip for forty five and Brandon King making sixty three
before his bowl by Duffy spit on at both ends
now but no further wickets I think probably in the
West Indies favor. And it looks good to bat on

(37:28):
this wicket at the present time, as you'd expect from
a third day pitch. And also the footmarks not particularly
impressive so far from a New Zealand perspective, probably more
Cinderella type footmark rather than Isaiah sasquatch if you want
to make some comparisons there, Piney. But they'll be looking
to build on those and one of those factors is

(37:48):
actually having Zach folks coming around the wicket at the
city end to try and build that up. But we'll
wait and see if that progresses over the course of
the day and onward beyond that.

Speaker 2 (37:59):
Ajaz Battel is in the side of course, looking for
that a looser first Test wicket on home soil, eighty
five of them off shore, none on homesol. Yet how
bigger part is he played this morning? How big a
role mighty play in this Test match for New Zealand.

Speaker 15 (38:14):
I think the arts there is very little for today,
hasn't looked really effective so far. But I think across
the course of the Test match, yes, he will go
on to really make his mark. I mean he's a
tidy bowls. We see him and from the city end
now and I look at his record at this crowd.
I think he's taken twenty four wickets in six matches.

(38:35):
He's averaging twenty four point nine to one, so he
knows how to do it. As games go on at
Bayo will Jacob Duffy another who's impressive at this venue
twenty three wickets at seventeen point eight from five matches,
so they do know how to do it to these
New Zealand bowlers at the venue. So we'll see how
that progresses.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
So New Zealand declared yesterday five seventy five for eight.
I guess when they declared their idea was we only
bat once in this Test match. So if the Western
News can get through to three hundred and seventy six,
they'll avoid that. Follow on if they were to get
to three seven six. Is there a result possible in
this Test match?

Speaker 15 (39:11):
I think there is as the pitch deteriorates further. But
at this stage the Western is looking well, I think
as comfortable as we've seen them since christ Edge. At
least they've still got the batting lineup they've got. They
haven't got Shay Hope yet moment. He's got some sort
of undefined or uncalled illness at the moment he was
off the field yesterday, so he can only come in

(39:32):
at seven or below. But we have seen this batting
lineup but deliver on occasion, and Hope he's a key
part of that. But at this point with Hodge there
on forty seven, in Mark who's moved up from number
seven into the number four spot on twenty five looking
relatively culture and we know what Justin Graves can produce
with that double century in christ Church at any stage

(39:55):
in a Test match. And yeah, speaking to this day
Grazes in the press conference, I think there's a degree
of confidence in the West Indies lineup.

Speaker 2 (40:02):
Indeed, and they're batting in that fashion. Thanks orders. Enjoy
the remainder of the session, but at lunch and we'll
catch you in the middle session of that suits your
you're very busy schedule at the bay.

Speaker 15 (40:13):
Looking forward to actually pinty. Just one other highlight was
the Grinch came and swept the pitch here, so getting
into the Christmas spirits, you might say, I did think
there was a nice touch from the bay Oval staff,
but gave it a jolly good sweep in the salty
air coming across the mountain here.

Speaker 2 (40:30):
Various seasonal go on your orders. Thanks made. Andrew Ordison
reporting live from bay Oval, a third day of the
third Test the West and he's one ninety nine for
two in their first inning seven to one. US talksb.

Speaker 1 (40:42):
The Scoon from the drag fields and the Court on
Your Home of Sorts Weekends for it with the Jason
vine Us Talks.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
MB four to one. Australia are going along very nicely
at the Adelaide Oval. They lead by three hundred and
eighty four runs. They're two ninety nine for four in
their second innings with Travis Head and Alex Carey having
just brought up their one hundred and fifty run partnership
unbroken for the fifth wicket, so they bat on and
on an Adelaide Head one hundred and sixty four not out,

(41:10):
Alex Carey unbeaten on sixty one. The Western He's one
ninety nine for two, trailing by three hundred and seventy
six runs at Bay Oval. News next at one and
then Luke Metcalf to join us on the show When
is he going to be back?

Speaker 1 (41:25):
The only place to discuss the biggest sports issues on
and after fields. It's all on Weekend Sport with Jason
Vane on Your Home of Sport in New York's N.

Speaker 2 (41:38):
One O seven. Welcome in or welcome back. This is
Weekend's Sport on News Talks NB for Saturday December The
twentieth Luke Metcalf standing by the chat to us. I
think I've heard from Luke since back into last year
he re signed with the Warriors, didn't He's been undergoing
a rehabilitation program from the ACL injury he suffered sort
of midway through last season. How's he tracking and when's

(42:00):
he going to be back? When are we going to
see Luke Metcalf back out there, because he was terrific
last season in the games that he played. He was
leading dally M when they went behind closed doors with
that voting process running the cutter for the Warriors, looking
really really good. So let's hope that we get a
maybe not a full season. I'm hearing sort of around
four to five are and about their little bit to

(42:22):
tell us, but certainly the vast majority of the twenty
twenty six season with Luke Metcalf and the number seven
jumper Whitney Hanson's on the show this hour as well
New Blackburn's coach and Adam Peacock out of Australia. I
believe him to be in Adelaide so we can check
in with him on Ashes Matters. Textra on the conversation
for the last hour pony Iwick in professional sport as

(42:42):
a senior executive twenty years ago. I've since worked in
the commercial world as an exec alongside sports governance roles.
I'd be very well suited to the ends at our
CEO job, but it's paying a quarter of what I
currently earn. I can't understand why they're not paying a
lot more given their commercial base, the requirements of the job,

(43:03):
and what they pay top players. It makes no sense.
As a result, they'll get a suboptimal candidate base in
my opinion. Thank you very much for your text. I agree.
I totally agree. You look at what top executives are
getting paid now and whether or not you agree with it,
that's the market. So if you're looking for somebody who

(43:25):
ticks a lot of boxes on the skills matrix as
they call it, and who has the ability to run
our biggest sport, then you're not I don't think going
to get a high quality of candidates for the package
of benefits that's being offered, particularly given the relentless nature
of the job. I said during the week might have

(43:48):
mean to Heather or Ryan on one of the slots
on their shows. The problem with being the head of
New Zealand rugby. And this probably goes for cricket and
some other sports as well, is that if anything goes
wrong with the sport, it's your fault. If junior numbers
are down, it's your fault. If our under twenties aren't winning,
it's your fault. If crowd numbers are down, If MPC

(44:08):
or Super Rugby, it's your fault. If the All Blacks lose,
it's your fault. It's relentless twenty four to seven. So
there's got to be some give back for that as well.
And as I mentioned last hour, you have to be
able to move with all the different parts of the
rugby pyramid, from grassroots, those in the clubs, the volunteers
who are the backbone of our game, right up to

(44:29):
the top table at World Rugby and in boardrooms of
top corporates who you're trying to convince to part with
millions and sometimes tens of millions of dollars to align
themselves with the All Blacks and New Zealand Rugby. You're
not going to get somebody who can do all those
things for a small salary package. Anyway, we wait to

(44:50):
see twenty twenty six will be very interesting to see
who fills that role and also the top jobs at
New Zealand Cricket and Netball New Zealand. Gary has sent
through an email you mentioned last week about waiting in
the car while somebody else does the Christmas shopping while
waiting for family friends to come back from shopping malls.

(45:12):
Says Gary, I have my transis to radio to listen
to three hours of weekend sport instead of using the
car radio and possibly flattening the battery. Also, I don't
sit in the driver's seat while waiting as other drivers
going past the car's about to move out, So be
sensible and courteous. Sit in the passenger seat, says Gary.
Or even the back seat listening to the radio, so

(45:34):
other drivers know your car's not moving out and it
stops the hassle of them coming up to knock on
the window asking when you're moving. Same applies at airport's hospitals,
railway stations. Thank you, Gary, very good advice for those
of you who are listening, perhaps in a shopping mall
car park, maybe flip across to the passenger seat or
into the back seat. It's great advice from Gary. Great advice.
You heard the lunch score from Bay Oval during our

(45:56):
Sports News two hundred and six for two the West
Indies trailing New Zealand by three hundred and sixty nine runs.
Jacob Duffy's picked up both wickets to fall today and
to the ashes very quickly three hundred and sixteen for
five Now Alex Kerry is still there sixty eight not out.
Travis Head has finally been dismissed, caught by Zach Crawley
from the bowling of Josh Tungu for one hundred and seventy.

(46:20):
That is the fourth consecutive Test match at the Adelaide
Oval in which Travis Head has scored a century. He
absolutely loves that ground. Adam Peacock along with more from
Adelaide this hour twelve past one. Great to get the
chance now though, to catch up with Warriors halfback Luke
metcalf to check on his progress ahead of the twenty

(46:40):
twenty six NRL season. He scored eight tries and fifteen
appearances for the Warriors last year. Or last season, he
was one of the best playmakers in the comp He
was the Warriors goalkicker and was leading the dally M
race when the voting went behind closed doors at the
halfway point of the season. Unfortunately, his season was cruelly
cut short by an ACL injury he suffered in June.

Speaker 16 (47:03):
He's in troubled with at the moment, Metcalf. Here, he
cannot He's not going to finish the game.

Speaker 9 (47:09):
Here.

Speaker 16 (47:09):
It was a brutal shot. We're watching that in slow
moving Yeah, at full speed.

Speaker 7 (47:15):
I was okay with it.

Speaker 8 (47:17):
I love bet Cap, don't get.

Speaker 7 (47:18):
Me wrong, but I was okay with that.

Speaker 2 (47:21):
We don't like seeing this. We're seeing her half being
carried off the field. Yeah. So that's Luke Metcalf and
his final action if you can call it out of
twenty twenty five. So where is he in twenty twenty
six or going into twenty twenty six? Joined by Luke Metcalf. Luke,
thanks for taking the time for a chat mate, Great
to great to have you on the show. How is
the recovery and the rehab from your injury? Going?

Speaker 8 (47:43):
Hey man, Yeah, thanks for having me. It's yeah, it's
going really good.

Speaker 17 (47:46):
I'm about just over halfway, i'd probably say of my rehabits,
it's about nine months for an Aco. Yeah, it's actually
gone really good. I couldn't ask for it to go
any smooth or any better. So I'm running and doing
a lot of agility and stuff like that at the moment.
So yeah, it's sort of you can see the light
down of the tunnel, but.

Speaker 8 (48:04):
At the moment it's just more of a pay game.

Speaker 17 (48:07):
Just got to Yeah, just got to be smart and
know that won't bit too far to I can get
back with the team and start training.

Speaker 2 (48:12):
You've used the exact word I had written down here patients.
How challenging has it been to be patient with this?

Speaker 17 (48:20):
Yeah, yeah, it's obviously hard to sort of you know,
when when you have an injury, you sort of sometimes
you think you're further ahead than what you are and
you can sort of do certain things. But yeah, I've
one thing I've come to realize, you just got to
You've got to trust your course and know that what
what you're getting prescribed and what you're doing that's the
that's the right thing, and you just got to follow that.
And it's it's hard when you see the boys out
in the field and they're off doing their thing and

(48:41):
they're doing all the cool stuff that you want to
be doing. You're off to the side doing your rehab running,
but you just got to know that that's not too
far away. It's only a couple of months away too,
you'll be there, so yeah, just got to be patient
and yeah you know that, like, yeah, the light is
at the end of the tunnel and you'll get there eventually,
and well, it all work out.

Speaker 2 (48:58):
So what are the specific milestones to come over the
next couple of months or so? For example, are you
changing direction when you're running at the moment or not?

Speaker 17 (49:07):
Yeah, yeah, so yeah, that's one of the at the start,
A big one is sort of like getting your legs
straight and bending properly, you know, after surgery because it
can get pretty swollen. And then after that, it's probably
around the eleven week mark. I had a little run,
and then that's another one. Then sort of after a
month or so after that, you start doing a little
bit of change of direction and then you deaccelerating and

(49:29):
accelerating again, all that sort of stuff. So you sort
of sort i'd say, yeah, every four weeks there's probably
something new that you're probably doing, and there's something so yeah,
so there's a few milestones that you can hit and yeah,
there's probably probably still got a couple more to go,
but yeah, every time I've done something new so far,
it's felt it's felt really good, and I'm confident in

(49:49):
how it's feeling. So leeah, I'm just really excited to
get back and get stuck into it.

Speaker 2 (49:54):
As Warriors fans, and I need to ask the question
that everybody wants to know the answer to, and you
might not even know it, but when might we possibly
see you feature for the Warriors in twenty twenty six?

Speaker 8 (50:06):
I would probably say it's funny.

Speaker 17 (50:08):
I know that all the kids are saying six seven
these days, so I would I'm back around about round
six or seven to like, yes, is one months, so yeah, yeah,
but I'd like to put it trying not to make
me laugh, but yeah, around.

Speaker 8 (50:26):
Around six. It's about nine months around there, so yes,
yeah around there.

Speaker 17 (50:30):
If I miss I miss four games, miss four games
from miss five games, as five, I'm not too not
too fuss like in that sense. I know I say
that now, but I know I'll come around one and
I want to play on that hard. But yeah, I
just got to be got to be smart. And it's
a long season. That's it goes for six months, so
you know what I mean it, See if I miss
a few painful of games at the start.

Speaker 18 (50:49):
Of the year.

Speaker 17 (50:50):
That'll just make me more motivated to come into the
team and play good. So yeah, it's yeah, I'm not
not focusing on that too much at the moment.

Speaker 8 (50:58):
I'm sure when around one comes, I'll be chomping at
the bit to get to get in there.

Speaker 2 (51:02):
Is this the longest you've been out during your professional career?

Speaker 1 (51:06):
Ah?

Speaker 17 (51:06):
Yeah, so actually I told my ACL when I was
at mainly when I was about nineteen or twenty so,
but I hadn't payed first grade then or anything, But yeah,
this would be I sort of lucky in a sense
that a lot of the period of this injury has
been in the off season, so it's probably that's probably
the only positive. At the time I did it, I
missed finals and the back end of the season, but

(51:28):
I sawt about five months of it. Six months of
it is actually not even when games are on, so
that's probably there's a positive to take from it.

Speaker 8 (51:35):
That's probably one.

Speaker 2 (51:36):
How closely connected were you able to stay with the
squad during your your rehabilitation and and as it continues,
have you stayed closely connected to the playing group?

Speaker 5 (51:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (51:46):
Yeah, it Actually it's harder than you think.

Speaker 17 (51:49):
It's sort of because you saw you're playing every week
and you're around the squad, and then all of a sudden,
when I hurt myself, I was probably a way for
I went back to Australia for probably two weeks, three weeks,
and then came back on my surgery and then that
was probably another two weeks.

Speaker 19 (52:04):
I was the way.

Speaker 17 (52:04):
Yeah, so I sort of, yeah, sort of is a
bit harder start to feel that connection. That's something that
where we actually spoke to me about, you know, still
having a presence in the in the team meetings and
still like talking to players and coaches about about things.

Speaker 8 (52:18):
So yeah, us, so I try to actively work on that.

Speaker 17 (52:21):
And now it's it's a little bit easier because everyone's
in we're training five six days a week, so it's
a bit easy now. And I'm starting to slowly train
at the same time as the boys, and so it's
a little bit easy now. But it actually is something
that you have to actively work at because otherwise it's
real easy to come into your rehabit and you're done
before those other boys are sort of around. So yeah,
it's and I love to talk, so I like to

(52:43):
be around the boys and have conversations and stuff like that.

Speaker 2 (52:45):
Yeah, because I guess it could be. I mean, as
you say, you know, you're a you're a pretty pretty
extroverted sort of a guy. You want to be in
and around your teammates, and I'm sure, as you say,
you consciously did that. But because it must be I
guess more difficult for somebody who isn't that way that
they feel a little bit isolated. Have you seen that
happen with injuries like this maybe in other players in
the past.

Speaker 8 (53:05):
Yeah, for no doubt that that would have happened.

Speaker 17 (53:08):
No one specific pops to mind, but yeah, it is
really hard, especially if you're luck, We'll just say you're
a younger kid. You're about nineteen twenty and you're sort
of still finding your feet in and around the first
grade team and training with them every day and being
a professional.

Speaker 8 (53:22):
I think, yeah, it is.

Speaker 17 (53:24):
It's probably something that people probably don't really think about,
but yeah, it is hard. You know, you're trying to
find yourself and how you fit into in a room
with thirty other males who are all some of our
thirty years old, who've got two kids, and they've got
there on a completely different side of.

Speaker 8 (53:39):
Life to some people.

Speaker 17 (53:40):
So it's yeah, it is hard, but I feel like
we've got a really good team and individuals who are
really welcoming and we're really connected as a group. So
I feel like, yeah, at the Warriors especially, I would
say it's pretty it's a lot easier for those guys
to feel welcomed.

Speaker 2 (53:55):
After your injury. It was Tanner Boyd who wore the
seven jersey most of and I think to Mighty Martin
had a game there, but it was mainly Tanner Boyd.
How did you assess how he went in that jumper?

Speaker 8 (54:06):
Yeah, I think I think he went good.

Speaker 17 (54:08):
I think yeah, the boys, like I said, Tea had
a little bit there and Chanelle playing in the six
jersey too.

Speaker 8 (54:13):
Yes, I feel like those boys went good.

Speaker 17 (54:15):
It was obviously like change up towards the end end
of the year, so they had to sort of get
a customed pretty quick.

Speaker 8 (54:22):
But I think I think it'll put us in good
stead for next year.

Speaker 17 (54:25):
Having like sort of everyone's had played a little bit
of game time now together and sort of yeah, just
sort of see who can see what everyone can do.
And yeah, I'm excited for the for the preseason to
sort of see how those boys train, and yes, we'll
go from there.

Speaker 2 (54:41):
Of course, you were coming off contract at the end
of twenty twenty six, but signed a contract extension at
the back end of October. Like, was there ever a
thought in your mind that you might move somewhere else?

Speaker 8 (54:52):
No, not really.

Speaker 17 (54:54):
A lot of the stuff probably to do with my
Warriors deal was a lot a lot of just like
I got married and then I went to Fiji, when
ye went on my honeymoon, and then yeah, sort of
a bit of stuff started getting talked about. But yeah,
I was more more or less just sort of figuring
that just little tiny details in the contract out as
cliche as that sounds, but yeah.

Speaker 8 (55:12):
That's that's what it was.

Speaker 17 (55:13):
And I knew what we've got here, what we've got
as a squad, like the way where you handed me
the keys of the team and.

Speaker 8 (55:20):
Said, like you're you're my half back.

Speaker 17 (55:22):
I want you to lead this team, and yeah, it
just it feels me a so nice excitement and just
seeing the potential in this team like you saw this year,
like Leka Halasima, Dimetric all those like those kids that
are coming through mix out with Barney and Fish up front.
Kirk Capewell, you got Rodger out in the wing, who's
still killing you know what I mean.

Speaker 8 (55:39):
It's just like you're like the team that we've got.

Speaker 17 (55:41):
I feel like we're just we're primed for success and
like there's no way that I didn't want to be
a part of that. So yeah, it wasn't well, it
was pretty much a no brainer for me. Yeah, it
was just I was glad to sort of get it sorted.
Obviously would have been nice to do it a bit quicker,
but that's that's just how it happens. And yeah, it's
I can't wait. I see I think I saw Eddie

(56:03):
resigned today, so that's good. So I feel like we're
sort of putting together. They're a squad for the next
few years, which is good indeed.

Speaker 2 (56:08):
And you were just tearing it up. Man, when you
got injured. It was such a I mean, there's never
a good time, I know. But as I say, you
were leading them voting before that went behind closed doors.
When what's that is was were you playing at your peak?
I mean, was that as good as you've played as
a as a pro And when you when you got
cut down by the ocl Yeah.

Speaker 17 (56:27):
Yeah, I'll say, yeah, for my professional career. Yeah, one
hundred percent. That's probably the best I've played so far.
And that's what gets me excited about the future, you
know what I mean. That was my first time playing
half back in the NRL. You know, we had a
bit of a new team, a lot of new faces,
trying trying to play a little bit different. Obviously we'd
add someone like Sean you know, leading the team around

(56:51):
there for however many years, so obviously we had to
change our style a little bit.

Speaker 8 (56:53):
And that's what that's what gets me excited.

Speaker 17 (56:55):
I go, if I feel like I played pretty good
this year, and that's that's I sort of felt that's
just the beginning and I'm going to get a lot better.
And yeah, I'm someone who doesn't just rest on what
I've done, Like, I've got a lot of stuff that
I want to achieve in the game personally and as
a team.

Speaker 8 (57:11):
So yeah, it's not hard for me to get up
and get motivated to keep improving.

Speaker 2 (57:15):
Outstanding here, your Warriors fans will be looking forward to
your return. Look, so what does what does Christmas look
like for you guys? You've got a young one a
so I suppose it's all is it all sort of
family stuff over Christmas.

Speaker 8 (57:25):
Yeah, yeah, you're right. Yeah, so my partner Brody and
my little daughter Miyer.

Speaker 17 (57:30):
She's nine months now, so she's like bear crawling around
the place and furniture hopping and she's furniture walks.

Speaker 8 (57:36):
She's doing it all now she is.

Speaker 17 (57:37):
So yeah, it'll be I'll be on high alert during
the Christmas breape. Yeah, just relaxing back in the Aussie sun,
swimming in the pool. I was watching the Aussies just
dominate the Ashes series as well. That's something I'll keep
looking forward to. Well, go up three and Neil probably
the next couple of days. So yeah, that's something that's
a bit of attuition for me, is waking up on
that Boxing day and not moving from the couch watching.

Speaker 2 (57:58):
That wonderful stuff. Look great to get the chest to chat.
Thanks for the positive update, mate, Well look forward to
seeing seeing you're back out there Rollson in twenty twenty
six legend.

Speaker 8 (58:06):
Thanks Jason, I appreciate that, mate, No.

Speaker 2 (58:07):
I appreciate you joining us.

Speaker 4 (58:08):
Luke.

Speaker 2 (58:08):
Thanks indeed, Luke metcalf Gee sounds very chip, it doesn't
he very high spirits. I suppose you would be with
everything leading in the right direction. Sounds like you're shitting
all his milestones as targets and on track for as
he said, around six seven next year. That's what the
kids are saying, are they six seven? I'm sure you're
across this. So let's have a look at where rounds
six and seven are next year. So the Warriors open

(58:31):
against the Roosters on Friday, March the sixth, and then
the Raiders the following weeks are two home games to start,
then away at the Knights at home to the West Tigers.
That's four rounds. Round five is away at the Sharks.
Round six, well, this would be a good one to
come back for the Storm away. That would be a

(58:52):
good time to have Luke Metcalf back. Saturday April the eleventh,
if it's round seven the following week it is a
home game against the Gold Coast Titans. So we're sort
of talking mid April, Round six away at the Storm,
Round seven at home to the Titans. That could be
when we get Luke Metcalf back. Just very exciting to
have him. Look, if he'd had a full season last year,

(59:14):
who knows what the Warriors might have gone on to
A chief we'll have to put that on ice and
wait till he returns in twenty twenty six. But a
very positive update there from Luke Metcalf. He talked about
the ashes. There'll be enjoying himself. Back to the TV now, Luke,
you can watch Rossie Boys tear up England three twenty
six for five Australia. This is in their second in

(59:34):
ings Travis Head the last man out for one hundred
and seventy are magnificent. One hundred and seventy from Travis
Head his second century of the series. Australia ahead by
four hundred and eleven runs now, Alex Carey un beaten
on seventy one. Josh English is there on five. As
I said before, even if they pulled out now the
run chase for England, if it was successful, would be
the biggest ever successful run chase at the Adelaide Oval.

(59:58):
So I guess it's just a matter of how far
ahead Australia want to get or whether England can in
fact bowl them out. So quite a bit of time
to go. We're only what are we midway through the
first session on day fours. Are still five full sessions
and a bit to go. The way England play the game,
they'll back themselves to chase down anything, and the way

(01:00:19):
they play Australia will back themselves to bowl them out
take an unassailable three mil lead in the series. The
Ashes will be done, all done by the time we
even get to Melbourne on Boxing Day. Even if it
was a draw in this test, England can't get the
Ashes back because they don't have them, So a drawn
series would be the best they could hope for. This
one is drawn, and therefore the Ashes would be staying
in Australia. So all pointing towards that particular outcome, we'll

(01:00:43):
keep you updated. If you're going to be around Auckland
on New Year's Day, what a way to start the
new year A football match? An eight league football match
on the first of January Auckland FC up against the
Newcastle Jets at go Media Stadium. So if you're going
to be in Auckland and you'd like to be there,
I've got a six ticket family pass, six tickets and

(01:01:08):
you don't even have to take your family. You might
have had enough of the by theft Ganuary. You might
be sick and tired of the side of them. Alternatively,
you might want to spend more time with them. I'm
not going to tell you how to you know, to
divvy up the tickets. I've got six here for you.
Simply text AFC and your name to nine two nine two.
Simple as that we'll get them away tomorrow at some stage.

(01:01:30):
But at some stage between now and I don't know
this time tomorrow, text AFC and your name to nine
two niney two and you are in the drawer. One
twenty seven. The os Is should bat until the last session,
says Hamish. Burn the English bowlers in the heat ahead
of boxing day. Break them. Sentiment brutal Hamish, It's very good,

(01:01:56):
very good, break them, break them. One twenty eight when
we come back. Whitney Hanson, new coach of the Black Ferns,
to join us.

Speaker 1 (01:02:03):
One crutch hold Ngage Weekend Sport with Jason Pain and GJ. Gunnerholmes,
New Zealand's I Was Trusted Home Milder News Talks, ABI.

Speaker 2 (01:02:13):
News Talks a B one thirty. Whitney Hanson has been
announced as the new Black Ferns head coach on a
two year deal. She succeeds Alan Bunting, who stood down
after the third place finish at the Rugby World Cup
earlier this year. Whitney Hanson was a Black Ferns assistant
coach during the twenty twenty two World Cup triumph, and

(01:02:34):
most recently she was head coach of Opeki's Matatu. She
is the thirteenth head coach of the national site and
she joins us now. Whitney, congratulations on being appointed to
the role of Black Fern's head coach. You've had some time,
I guess to let this sink in now since the
announcement yesterday. Presumably you found it a couple of days
before that. How are you feeling about guiding our Black
Ferns into next year and beyond?

Speaker 5 (01:02:58):
Thank you?

Speaker 14 (01:02:59):
He said, I guess a little bit of time to
sink in, but I'm probably still seeing a little bit
of mixed between for the shock and excitement. But yeah,
I think just when I think about the job ahead
and the team that's going to be around, the team
and the girls of that group just super exciting.

Speaker 2 (01:03:19):
When you presented your vision for the Black Ferns during
the recruitment process, what were the main planks of that.

Speaker 14 (01:03:28):
Yeah, there was obviously a big piece around building on
what is already a really special culture in that space.
We have amazing talent, but we also have amazing people,
So how do we continue to bring that together and
for that to be a point of difference to that team?
And then talked about the rugby and when we want
to go and I've got a really clear idea of what.

Speaker 12 (01:03:51):
That looks like.

Speaker 2 (01:03:52):
What does that look like?

Speaker 14 (01:03:55):
The first thing probably is about being multi dimensional. They
have to have different ways of playing and we can't
be predictable when we play, So that's probably first and foremost.
It's a contact sport. We need to be physically dominant,
and you know, we want to be able to leverage
off the amazing talent that we grow in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (01:04:17):
So you think what you alluded to before, do you
think you need to come up with different ways to play,
not just you know, a game to game, but within
games as well. If Plan A isn't working, for example,
plan B and C might be useful.

Speaker 14 (01:04:31):
Yeah, one hundred percent. Teams are going to use different
styles of attack and defense and we've got to be
ready for anything.

Speaker 2 (01:04:37):
How do you assess the team the talent in the
team that you are inheriting from Ellen Bunting.

Speaker 14 (01:04:45):
Before you know, like there's some amazing athletes who can
do some really special things. But if I think about
the talent, probably the biggest job is going to be
how we build deep with that. So it's not just
about having one great athlete or two in the position.
How do we have five?

Speaker 2 (01:05:01):
How then do you evaluate evaluate the strength of the
younger female players coming through our rugby system to allow
you to build that depth.

Speaker 14 (01:05:11):
Yeah, the talent's definitely there. Like we have watched over
the last couple of years a lot of age group
stuff and a bet around the country and different bits
and pieces within the pathway, and often those athletes who
are sitting in the under sixteen space and trump the
ones are in the eighteens, and it's the same for
eighteens and twenty. So what we know is that talent's coming.
It's getting better and better. The more opportunities they get,

(01:05:33):
the better they will be. But how we develop that
and support it's going to be important.

Speaker 2 (01:05:37):
Yeah, and professionalism in the women's game is still in
its infancy, isn't it. How important is it to build
that and how do you build that?

Speaker 10 (01:05:46):
Yeah?

Speaker 14 (01:05:46):
Yeah, you bang on, And I think how we build
that is we can't be We can't just be an
island out on our own. We've got to make sure
that we take the opacky clubs with us and what
we do. We need them to be really a part
of the Black fans and who we are going forward.
And then we need to work really closely I think

(01:06:07):
with the hubs, the academies across the SPC in connect
right across the path where I know my work with
both Joe Pasan and Kinjucrot SiGe will be hugely important.

Speaker 2 (01:06:17):
And you'll have eleven tests in twenty twenty six. How
significant is it to have that many and as such
that much time together as a team and as a
wider squad.

Speaker 14 (01:06:29):
There's been a massive cry out for that as an
air of the last little bit, and I think again
just in women's ropey in general, it's an amazing thing
to be able to celebrate, but particularly for New Zealand
in Southern Hemisphere to be able to have those opportunities.
So there's going to be a game changer and we're
really excited for that.

Speaker 2 (01:06:47):
And then beyond that we look ahead to the historic
first women's British and Irish Lions series here in twenty
twenty seven. I know you're taking this year by year probably,
but how enticing a prospect is that?

Speaker 14 (01:06:59):
Yeah, definitely one that's sort of sitting there on the horizon,
but not not the today job. Again, what an amazing
opportunity for women's rugby, and I know a lot for
the players and management. That's just such an exciting opportunity
to be part of.

Speaker 2 (01:07:14):
Have you developed what the general coaching philosophy regardless of
the level or the team that you're coaching.

Speaker 14 (01:07:24):
Yeah, look, I think probably the main answer to give
you to that would be people first and players second.
You know, again, we have some really awesome talent across
New Zealand, but we also have great people and I
think how we care for them holistically is going to
be really important.

Speaker 2 (01:07:44):
So what's the first major landmark for twenty twenty six?
When will you get your hands on your players for
the first time.

Speaker 14 (01:07:51):
Yeah, we've got to camp at the end of jan
so we've already sort of started talking about what that
looks like, and there'll be a few things to do
for Christmas. Normally go away camping with the family, but
I had to sort of give them the heads up
yesterday that that might be for as long as I
normally go otherwise before we end up driving them nuts
with all my questions in the notebook. So yes, planning,

(01:08:12):
connecting and then we're bring the whole group and the
need a chat.

Speaker 2 (01:08:16):
It must be tremendously exciting for you though you mentioned
at the start you know, still sinking in a bit
and a bit of shock there, but also excitement. Yeah,
you must be. You must be really optimistic and excited
about what the future could hold.

Speaker 14 (01:08:28):
Yeah, every son, you know, this team is a special
it's incredibly special legacy and yeah, it is an absolute
privilege to be out and be able to be in
front of them.

Speaker 2 (01:08:39):
Well, congratulations on your appointment to this role. I think
that's been met with from what I can see anyway,
universal approval. So we're looking forward to seeing how the
team going goes next year. Enjoy your truncated camping holiday
and we'll look forward to catching up again next year.

Speaker 12 (01:08:55):
Sounds a great mate.

Speaker 2 (01:08:56):
Thank you, no, thank you, Whitney Whitney Hanson, that freshly
minted brand new Black Ferns head coach announced yesterday on
a two year deal. Eleven tests next year for the
Black fans. That's what we're talking about. Out more rugby,
more time together, opick. He's got to expand too, doesn't it.
But yeah, eleven tests. I can't remember the Black Ferns
ever having eleven test matches. I stand to be corrected,

(01:09:17):
but I can't remember that many in a single year.
And then beyond that to the British and Irish Lions
women's tour here in twenty twenty seven. So tremendously exciting
time for the Black Ferns, but they do have to
catch up. I think if the Rugby World Cup this
year had taught us anything it's that it's that we
are not at that very top echelon anymore. England have

(01:09:39):
got a jump on the rest. Canada you'll remember beat
us in the semi finals in the Rugby World Cup
and we really had no answer and really interesting to
hear Whitney say they're about how you need a different
plan because if one plan wasn't working for the Black Ferns,
it felt this year, then there wasn't a second option.
There wasn't a plan be or a plan seef. We

(01:10:00):
couldn't get it White to Porsche and to Braxton and
to you know, Caitlin Carlo and the others. The wheels
on the wings, and or if we did and they
were quickly closed down, it didn't feel like there was
another another strategy at play. So there's one for Whitney
Hanson to work on and I'm sure she will. I'm
sure she will. Great mindset. She could coach the All

(01:10:22):
Blacks with that Mindset's here's this text. I agree, Yeah,
I think she. Let's see how she goes with that
little black foods first. But I do love her mindset.
I do love her mindset. Twenty one away from Too
Quick check on the Ashes, where another wicket's fallen at
the Adelaide Oval, this time Alex Carry is out caught
by Harry brook Off the bowling of Ben Stokes for
seventy two. Australia three hundred and thirty five for six

(01:10:44):
now in their second innings. That's a lead of four
hundred and twenty runs, four wickets left at the wicket
at the moment. Josh Inglis joined by Pat Cummins, just
Mitchell Stark, Nathan lynone of Scott bowling to come. I'll
probably just have a bit of a wavet it, won't
they They've got enough runs, although who although there's a
lot of time left in this Test match. I mean

(01:11:04):
it would be one of the great chasers, isn't it
if England was somehow able to combine a bit of
pragmatism with the basketball philosophy. Who knows? Who knows? We
wait and see. They're just about to come back after
lunch on day three at Bayoval and mounta Motginger as well.
We'll get you across that if and when action occurs.
When we come back though, actually let's go to Madelake.

(01:11:26):
Adam Peacock is our Australian correspondent. He'll check in from
the City of Churches as they call it, when we
come back.

Speaker 1 (01:11:34):
You be the TMO. Have your say on eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty Weekend Sport with Jason Vine and GJ. Garvnerholmes,
New Zealand's most trusted home builder News.

Speaker 2 (01:11:44):
Dogs v seventeen to two. Don't forget before we are
close to show at three are your final chants this
year to play a sporting chance. This is where we
give you the opportunity to have a punt with a
one hundred and fifty dollars bonus bet from the tab
and if you pick a winner, then the winnings from
that minus the bonus better course are or yours. So

(01:12:04):
we'll play a sporting chances before the ind of the
show at three o'clock. But let's get you across the
Tasman Our Australian correspondent, Saturday afternoons. Right across the year
has been Adam Peacock, who joins us now from Test
City Adelaide. You've been following the ashes around so that's
where we find you. Honestly made it looks very very hot.
How hot has it been there?

Speaker 12 (01:12:24):
It's been pretty warm. Yeah, it's been t shirt weather
the whole time. Today's all right, it's not ridiculous. It's
beautiful day, but thankfully not forty degrees like it was
on day two.

Speaker 2 (01:12:38):
South Australian Travis Head. He now has hundreds in his
last four tests at the Adelaide Oval. How much does
Travis Head enjoy playing on his own patch?

Speaker 12 (01:12:49):
Oh yeah, he's besotted with the place, I think. Yeah,
he's averaging eighty eighty five, he's just under fifteen Test cricket.
But yeah up, well over he on his home deck
is just.

Speaker 7 (01:13:01):
Obviously so sport with it.

Speaker 12 (01:13:04):
Doesn't overthink things, Travis, He's He's not a guy that
kind of gets caught up in a wasn't a great
painting session or got out early or whatever. He's a
seaball hip ball mentality.

Speaker 10 (01:13:17):
So yeah, he.

Speaker 12 (01:13:19):
Obviously just flourishes at home, doesn't put too much pressure
on himself and goes about his business.

Speaker 2 (01:13:25):
He opened the batting in the second Test and sorry
the first Test in Perth, the second innings of the
first Test in Perth and got that unbelievable one hundred
and has opened ever since, but more through I guess
some circumstance rather than absolute preference. But might he might
he be a long term opening batsman in Test cricket
for Australia.

Speaker 12 (01:13:45):
Yeah, in certain conditions. I'm not sure it had suit
him in England, where conditions are a bit different. But
he's opened before for Australia on the subcontinent. They put
him up the order when they toured Sri Lanka recently.
He'll do it again in twelve months time and they
go to India for five Tests. So yeah, he could
bounce between one and five. And really it also depends

(01:14:08):
on what else we've got available at five and the
up of the order and at the moment it suits
him best to go there, even though Steve Smith will
probably come back in for the MCG test and he's
been Kawaja will drop out again or maybe Josh English
not sure, but yeah he'll start the top for the
foreseeable future.

Speaker 2 (01:14:23):
Has Cam Green's lack of recent runs in any way
a concern?

Speaker 12 (01:14:28):
Yeah, well yes, no, yeah that when he got out
yesterday social media and my mate group chat was like,
why is this guy stilling the team? He's not scoring runs?
But first sight is he got Harry Brook out with
an absolute corker of a delivery yesterday before, So yeah,

(01:14:49):
I get it. But it seems like the Australian selectors
are really patient with this guy because of his skill
set and what he can do but the handball, so
I think he gets a bit more time than ordinary.

Speaker 2 (01:15:00):
Been a few issues with Snicko in this Test match.
What's been going on there?

Speaker 12 (01:15:06):
The the technology that they're using is there's one or
two brands and this one, well there was the stuff
up with the Alex. Everyone the operator era meant that
they used the audio from the other end and not
the end in which Alex Carey and that's what they
go off. Obviously goes off the audio and then it

(01:15:27):
marries it up with the pictures. But the pictures aren't
definitively married up with the audio because pictures don't capture,
you know, visual cues as frequently like the frequency of
sound per second and the frequency of pictures per second
on a camera. They're two totally different things. So that's

(01:15:48):
what it looks a little out. But really, on when
was it day two when it all kicked off with
oh what about this? What about that? I mean that
the Alex Carry one on day one was about one,
But day two I think they pretty much got everything right.
So it's just, yeah, frustration out in the middle of
really knowing how the technology works, the technology not being

(01:16:09):
of a standard in the eyes of some of the players,
not quite there. What the ICSE they do is jump
in and then provide the best quality technology standardized all
around the world for World Test Championship qualifiers. They could do,
but I don't think they will.

Speaker 2 (01:16:24):
You mentioned Alex Carry there. He's been around for a
while now, approaching fifty test matches. I think how's he regarded.
I mean, it's a tough hect to follow, isn't it.
There have been some unbelievable Australian wicket keepers and tast cricket.
How is Alex Carey currently regarded?

Speaker 12 (01:16:38):
Yeah, he hadn't dip up the Besto incident. He had
a bit of a dip but then came through it.
And I think for the last twelve outen months has
been as good as you can get as a keeper
and as a guy who's coming in at six and
seven when we're not really firing and saving the day.
He did it to an extent again the other day
with the century, but his keeping at the moment is

(01:17:01):
just as good as we've seen in Australian colors. Like
I talked Brad Hadden a fair bit and I talked
out Gilchrist the fair bit and Alisa Heally and they
all are just blind away by how this guy is
doing things behind the stuff. So yeah, he's on the
way to becoming He could end up being one of,
if not our greatest keep That's that's fair recognition indeed.

Speaker 2 (01:17:24):
Yeah, some pretty good judges there. You mentioned as well
just before you go, just while you're in South Australia,
Lachland brook Auckland f c Attacker is a South Australia boy.
I think played a bit for Adelaide and for Western Sydney.
Now with Auckland FC. Another terrific performance last night. I'm
prone to high Berberley a little bit, Adam, but I
think he's he's kind of Johnny Warren conversation now, Lachland Brook,

(01:17:45):
what have you made of him as an Auckland f
C player this season?

Speaker 12 (01:17:48):
Yeah, he's throwing soccer. Whose conversation too? For World Cups? Yeah,
I watched the end of that. I watched the second
half of that after the cricket last night, and he
was the difference, Like he was the guy that was
carrying the ball and you put it in a wander
A shirt, which he was once upon a time, and
maybe the results different because he was the guy that

(01:18:11):
was creating a fair bit of have it. So, yeah,
I haven't sent enough a leag football that'd say definitively.

Speaker 2 (01:18:17):
Yeah, he's a.

Speaker 12 (01:18:17):
Johnny Warren favorite, but go off going off that a
couple of other performances I've seen this season, it wouldn't
look out of place around his net with Johnny Warren
metal because yeah, he's performing great and it's really worked
out the move after a birth of time in the
MLS where he's really a great crack at it.

Speaker 2 (01:18:32):
Absolutely right. Well more to come, i'm sure from Lachlan
brook as always appreciate your time. Adam, enjoyed day four
and Adelaide stay in the shade. Thank you for all
your contributions across the year, and Merry Christmas to you
and your family.

Speaker 12 (01:18:45):
Yeah it's Saty you Piney. Thanks for catching up again.
I really enjoyed it. Look forward to doing it again
next year.

Speaker 2 (01:18:50):
Yeah me to mate. Thanks indeed, Adam Peacock our Australian
correspondent right across the year. And as we leave, Adam
in Adelaide, Australia three hundred and forty for seven now,
so we got ourselves a wicket, Adam and I while
we were chatting there it was that of Josh Ingles
Courtsmouth Bold Tongue for teen three hundred forty four seven Australia.
That leader is now four hundred and twenty five. The

(01:19:12):
highest of a successful run chase in test matches at
Adelaide is three hundred and fifteen. Three hundred and fifteen
is the highest ever successful one, so already you'd need
one hundred more than that, plus even if they pulled out. Now.
That was in nineteen o two, by the way, so
going back away in more recent times, the West Indies

(01:19:34):
chased down two hundred and thirty six in nineteen eighty two.
But again that's you know, well we're getting up towards twice.
That Adelaide tends to take a lot more spin, doesn't
it on the fourth and fifth days. It does offer
a lot of assistance to batters early, but spinners latest
later in the match, So batting there in the fourth

(01:19:54):
innings is always a bit problematic. There was a higher
fourth innings score there. England scored three hundred and seventy there.
This was again going back nineteen twenty one. Wasn't a
successful chase, So up against it, England. I guess they're,
you know, at least making inroads into Australia. They're sort
of in control of their own destiny if they can

(01:20:15):
bowl them out rather than just let Australia go on
the merry way and set them something. But at the
moment it's a very very big score a wicket meantime
at Bayoval. We're back with more details on that shortly
eight and a half to two news talks.

Speaker 1 (01:20:28):
Heab when it's down to the line. You made a
call on eighty Weekend Sport with Jason Hine News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:20:37):
Hebb coming up five to two after two o'clock. It's
now less than six months until New Zealand's first game
at the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico
and Canada. For New Zealand, of course, they're based on
the western seaboard of the United States and Canada. Iran
and Los Angeles as their first game, then Egypt and

(01:20:57):
Belgium in Vancouver. We're joined after two by All Whites
midfielder Joe bow. How's the squad feeling ahead of a
return to the Football Worll Cup for the first time
since twenty ten, Joe Bells on the show. The World
Darts Championship continues. This is honestly one of my favorite
sporting events. I know not everybody regards this as sport,

(01:21:19):
but for me it is absolutely it is. And Johnny
Tata from Wainuiya Mata is through to the second round.
Ben Francis is our darts expert. He's going to tell
us more after two o'clock about Johnny Tata. Will also
get you back to the cricket and to the Adelaide
Oval as well. We're going to get you back to
Adelaide Oval now though, let's get back to Bay Oval

(01:21:41):
where this has just happened.

Speaker 7 (01:21:47):
If they're on Saturday not Sunday. I think that's one thing.
Thank you Ray?

Speaker 2 (01:21:54):
Why and then gone? It's got the breakthrough and he
roars with delight?

Speaker 10 (01:21:59):
Does it gives?

Speaker 7 (01:22:00):
He's got him like Coop behind for twenty seven?

Speaker 2 (01:22:03):
I get the breakthrough Western he's now turned six.

Speaker 7 (01:22:06):
It's the three.

Speaker 5 (01:22:08):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (01:22:09):
ACC's commentary of the cricket, available via iHeartRadio. The tulcent
tones there of Mike Lane and Paul Ford two hundred
and eight for three now the West Indies. Tevenham like
the latest man to go, caught behind by Tom Blundloth,
the bowling of Michael Ray his first wicket of the
innings for twenty seven and two eight for three the

(01:22:29):
West Indies. They still trail by three hundred and sixty
seven runs, as I say after two Joe Bell and
also the World Darts Champs.

Speaker 1 (01:22:40):
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 ed.

Speaker 2 (01:22:55):
B coming up seven past two. Welcome back into the show.
Welcome to the show. This is weekend sport on News Talk,
said B till three. Tim Beveridge will take over after that.
But before we get there, Joe Bell out of the
All Whites. Less than six months now until the first
game for the All Whites at the Football World Cup
against Iran and Los Angeles house the team feeling and
what still needs to be worked on between now and then.

(01:23:16):
We're off to the World Darts Champs. Well not exactly
off to them, but Ben Francis is our World Darts
Champs expert we know, well he's our darts the expert
full stop, not just at the World Champs. He's going
to join us to chat through the first round of matches,
which is all over now into the second round. Johnny Tata,
the kiw through to the second round. I think only
half a dozen times, says in New Zealander made it

(01:23:38):
past the first round at the World Darts Champs. So
we'll chat to Ben frances about that and what his
prospects are for the second round and who might go deep,
deep deep into this tournament. Luke Littler. Clearly Luke Humphrey's
the other one, but who else might threaten As the
World Darts Champs hits the new year. We'll also get
you to the Adelaide Oval. Regular producer Andy McDonnell is

(01:24:00):
in Adelaide. In fact, he's at the cricket right now.
He's just sent me a photo. Goodness, maya looks hot
over there. I hope he's got the sunscreen on, but
he's going to join us for a bit of a
chat before three o'clock. Will also get you back to
Bay Oval as well with Andrew Ordison and play a
sporting chance as well. So lots to get through between
now and three lines remain open on eight hundred and

(01:24:20):
eighty ten eighty ninety two ninety two if you would
prefer to correspond with us by text and a quick
update actually from the Adelaide Oval, where Australia are now
nine down three forty nine for nine, so the last
pair at the wicket Mitchell Stark and Scott Bowland. The
current lead for Australia is four hundred and thirty four
runs just the one wicket defall so sharp end of

(01:24:42):
four hundred and forty England will be chasing with over
five sessions, so overs won't be a problem, particularly the
way they bat, but will they be able to show
enough pragmatism and enough wherewithal and enough intestinal fortitude as
they used to call it to have a crack at
it massive total to chase. We'll keep you updated from

(01:25:02):
the Adelaide Oval as well, but as we always do
at around this time weekend sport, it's time to catch
you up on some of the stuff that you may
have missed. In case you missed it, as the name
of the feature, the Brisbane Heat have pulled off the
big bash Legs greatest ever run chase in an eight
wicket home win over the Perth Scorches. Perth made a

(01:25:23):
franchise record two hundred and fifty seven for six key
we opener Finn Allen making seventy nine or thirty eight balls,
only for the Brisbane Heat to reel it in in
the very final over two from two.

Speaker 7 (01:25:44):
He does believe.

Speaker 19 (01:25:49):
Come on a rat chase jack watering.

Speaker 20 (01:25:52):
At this night and he takes it home that he
had been the Scorches in the most impossible run jacks.

Speaker 2 (01:26:00):
They're just incredible. The aggregate of five hundred and fifteen
runs in that match, marking the first time the five
hundred run barrier had been surpassed in competition history. Starting
with cricket and unbeaten, Travis Head century fired Australia to
two seventy one for four at stumps and a whopping
second innings lead over England after three days of the

(01:26:22):
third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

Speaker 21 (01:26:24):
Advances pumps it down the ground, doesn't in start Travis
Head Inland had no answers to trampall.

Speaker 7 (01:26:33):
Co one hundred.

Speaker 21 (01:26:35):
Travis Head loves that line. That light loves Travis Head well.
At straight out Light Test where a local boards scored
a time, He's down on his knees in the crowd.

Speaker 8 (01:26:46):
Up on their feet.

Speaker 2 (01:26:46):
The unbelievable stuff from Travis Head. His consistency at the
Adelaide Oval is otherworldly. To the Australian National Basketball League.
The Breakers bitten by the type hands and Kens their
twelfth loss in nineteen Australian National Basketball League matches this
season thanks.

Speaker 19 (01:27:04):
To Travis at the home to home You'll get him,
this does not fall and the Fads Top Fads inspired
by Jack McVeigh.

Speaker 2 (01:27:17):
That is a fifth pickwin ninety nine to ninety five
the final score there and a football in the A
League Men's competition. MacArthur have come from one nil down
to beat Brisbane two to one in Campbelltown, both goals
coming from the penalty spot.

Speaker 9 (01:27:32):
Harry Sawyer has one penalty, Harry Sier has two penalties
and mccarthur have turned around A Jennison to lead and
Harry Sawyer is moonwalking his.

Speaker 7 (01:27:43):
Way to a title.

Speaker 2 (01:27:44):
And Auckland FC back on top of the table a
two nil win over the Western Sydney Wanderers in Paramatta,
both goals coming in the second half. I turn over
from gharkavench the strata, Luckeybrook.

Speaker 19 (01:27:56):
Now it turns inside one attempt said he got this tone.

Speaker 8 (01:28:00):
Luckey Brook.

Speaker 2 (01:28:02):
He may have just driven that final nail into Tonight's.

Speaker 1 (01:28:05):
Coffin the Big Issues on and After Fields Call eight
hundred eighty ten eighty Weekends Forward with Jason Fain and GJ.
Gunderhomes New Zealand's most trusted home Milder News talks at
bb Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:28:19):
Back to the top of the table for Auckland f C.
Now just on the subject of the Black Nights. On
the first of January, New Year's Day. It's a Thursday,
not that it matters at this time of the year.
Doesn't matter what day it is. They all blend into one,
don't they. But the first of January, New Year's Day,
Auckland FC take on the Newcastle Jets at go Media Stadium.
A family pass up for grabs, and not just a

(01:28:41):
normally a family passes. What four tickets? We've got six,
a six ticket family pass. If you're going to be
in Auckland on New Year's Day and you'd like to
go to the football with five other people, simply text
AFC to nine two nine two. Just AFC and I'm sorry,
your name as well would be helpful. AFC your name
to nine two nine two and you're in the drawer

(01:29:02):
for six tickets to watch Auckland FC take on the
Newcastle Jets at go Media Stadium. It's a five o'clock
kickoff on New Year's Day, Thursday January. The first fire
texts through and we'll make a draw in the early
part of next week. You'll know before Christmas whether you
are going along or not. Australia All Out at the
Adelaide Oval All Out for three hundred and forty nine

(01:29:25):
in their second inning, so was all mopped up rather
quickly once they got rid of Travis Head and Alex Carey.
But the lead is substantial for Australia four hundred and
thirty four runs. England require four hundred and thirty five
to win the third and final Test match and keep
the Ashes alive. They will begin that run chase very shortly.

(01:29:48):
No further wickets, I don't think at Bayoval note two
hundred and twenty for three the West Indies two hundred
and twenty for three. They trail by three hundred and
fifty five runs, with seven first innings wickets in hand.
It is just under six months until the all whites
first pull match at the twenty twenty six Football World
Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. New Zealand

(01:30:11):
will play Iran in Los Angeles, followed by games against
Egypt and Belgium, both in Vancouver. We are joined by
All Whites midfielder Joe Bell. Let's start with the group, Joe, Iran, Egypt, Belgium.
How do you assess that as a group for the
all whites to be a part of.

Speaker 22 (01:30:28):
Yeah, well, exciting, really exciting. I think it's yeah, of
course a strong group. It's the World Cup. You've got
to expect strong opponents. But I think it worked out
pretty well for us, and in good locations as well.
So yeah, six months away exciting time. Still a lot
of work to do going into that, but no, can't wait.

Speaker 2 (01:30:47):
How do you feel the All Whites are tracking as
a team six months out from the World Cup.

Speaker 7 (01:30:53):
I think we're really tracking well.

Speaker 22 (01:30:55):
It's been obviously a long term focus for us and
we've been planning for this moment for a long time
and I think we've been taking those little steps forward
that we need to be taken. Of course, we'd like
a couple more victories going into it, but no, in
terms of the general perspective, we're really happy with how
we're setting up for it. As I said before, there's

(01:31:16):
obviously a little bit more work to be done. We've
got a couple more games in March and then obviously
a little bit before the World Cup as well, but
no exciting and yeah, we're feeling well prepared.

Speaker 2 (01:31:26):
So since qualifying in March, speaking of preparation, you've played
Cote Devoirs, Ukraine, Australia twice, Poland, Norway, Columbia and Ecuador
all very good football teams. How have games against that
quality of opposition sharpened the side?

Speaker 22 (01:31:45):
Yeah, I mean we know the opposition that we're going
to play against, the level that we're going to play
against going into a World Cup, so you know, having
opportunities to play against opponents of that level, it kind
of just sets us up perfectly. Like I said, we
would have enjoyed a few more victories, but I think
for those people that have been watching closely at those performances,

(01:32:05):
there has been clear trend of improvement through them. And
of course they're not they're not easy teams to play against,
but you know, I think the expectation and the mentality
within the team now is these are teams that we
can not only compete against, but when And I think
for us, the goal of doing well at a World
Cup requires us to win and get results against those

(01:32:26):
kind of oppositions. So yeah, to play against them is
the perfect practice. And like I said, I think where
we're working nicely to try set up some good results
in the World Cup.

Speaker 2 (01:32:36):
We look back at those games and a number of
them ended in narrow defeat, and while that is noble
in a way, it doesn't get you any points when
the World Cup rolls around. So what is the key
Joe to getting results against quality sides like these at
the World Cup next year?

Speaker 22 (01:32:55):
Yeah, I mean it has been the focus and it
has been a discussion point especially lately. I think as
you as you find a lend closer to the World Cup,
you want to be looking specifically on making sure we
are getting three points or a point. And I think
at this level the difference is so small, and of
course we're hoping to get our absolute strongest team on

(01:33:16):
the pitch. We've been missing Woodsy a little bit lately
with him struggling with some yeah, some injuries, So I
think the small differences that players can make, and yeah,
being slightly more precise in both boxes defensively and offensively
is going to be the.

Speaker 7 (01:33:32):
Key for us.

Speaker 2 (01:33:33):
Have you noticed an extra edge every time the all
whites get together? Now with you know, a squad to
be named of twenty six for the World Cup and
there's a lot more than twenty twenty six good players
everybody wanting to be on the plane, does it feel
like there's an extra edge every time you get together?

Speaker 7 (01:33:52):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 22 (01:33:54):
It's a huge opportunity for all footballers. I think it's
the biggest goal is to play and represent your country
at a World Cup. But we have developed a culture
within the team that I think is probably one of
ours strongest points. And of course there is a bit
of a cutthroat age with everyone wants to compete and
everyone wants to perform, but I think more importantly, we

(01:34:15):
are a really good group of friends, so I think
everyone understands the importance of it, but slightly puts that
second to the fact that we're representing our country and
we're doing it for each other.

Speaker 7 (01:34:24):
So yeah, it is.

Speaker 22 (01:34:26):
It is intense, and there's a lot of competition for spots,
but yeah, we're a strong, tight knit group that really
tries to support each other.

Speaker 2 (01:34:33):
And of course as we enter the new year, the
preparation ramps up again as you really bring into focus
the World Cup in June. And fantastic that we're going
to get the chance to watch the Your Whites here
on the home saw a couple of games in March.
We love having the Your Whites at home. But what
about the players, how much are you looking forward to
playing a couple of games at home in March?

Speaker 7 (01:34:54):
Yeah?

Speaker 22 (01:34:55):
Absolutely, I think you know more recently we've been able
to get some more games in New Zealand, which has
been fantastic. It feels yeah for players, we feel a
little bit more connected to the home fan base and
build some more excitement leading in the World Cup.

Speaker 7 (01:35:07):
So I think March will be exactly the same.

Speaker 22 (01:35:09):
And everyone loves being home and playing at home in
front of family, friends and the fans, so yeah, it's
going to be great.

Speaker 2 (01:35:16):
Club wise, Joe, you've just finished a history making season
with your club Viking. You are Norwegian champions, the first
time since nineteen ninety one that the club has won
the league. How big a moment was that for the
club and its fans.

Speaker 7 (01:35:31):
Yeah, that was pretty nuts.

Speaker 22 (01:35:32):
No, it was a really fantastic experience the Yeah, the
locals went pretty crazy on that one, but no, it
was really fantastically to be honest. We worked really hard
as the team to achieve it, and yeah, to celebrate
it was celebrating with the city and with all the fans.

Speaker 7 (01:35:47):
That was really one of my favorite moments in my
football career so far.

Speaker 2 (01:35:51):
I be it quickly became a two horse race between
yourselves and Bodo Glimp, who won the last two titles,
and four of the last five, so they've been the
dominant domestic Norwegian side for the last little while. What
was the key to holding your nerve and staying concerns
and at the back end of the season eleven wins
in your last thirteen games, you won your last seven straight.

(01:36:11):
What was the key to staying consistent and holding your nerve?

Speaker 7 (01:36:17):
Yeah, it was a little bit stressful, to be honest,
it was a little bit of nel biding going on.

Speaker 22 (01:36:22):
But no, we've been the core group of the team
has been together for quite a while and we've been
through some ups and downs in the past few years.
We've been we've been close, but haven't been quite over
to push through and get it and get a gold medal.
So I think this year we had the experience, we
knew what we were getting into. And yeah, as you said,
we won the last seven of seven, which when you're

(01:36:44):
in a head to head title races, Yeah, frankly, just
impressive and a team against Bodo Glimpse, you can't afford
to slip up once and we didn't. And yeah, that's
very easy to say, but really really hard to do.
But now super impressed with the team, and to be honest,
proud to be a part of it. It was truly
special and a.

Speaker 2 (01:37:02):
Big part of it too.

Speaker 7 (01:37:04):
Joe.

Speaker 2 (01:37:04):
You played in all but one game. The only game
you must was because you've got a one game band
for yellow cart accumulation. You played ninety minutes in pretty
much every match. You wore the captain's armband half a
dozen times. It was just such an impressive season. Are
you in the best form of your career?

Speaker 7 (01:37:23):
Yeah? Tough to say, tough to say.

Speaker 22 (01:37:25):
I hope there's I hope there's more to come, but no,
it's been a it's been an enjoyable year. A hard
year too, but now it's been Yeah, I've been happy
looking back on this year because obviously I had a
little bit of tough time making a move to Denmark
and it didn't quite work out, and then coming back
and kind of yeah, reshaping how I was focusing on sport,

(01:37:46):
and now it's been it's been good to feel like
I've moved through that and then to have success this year.
So yeah, it was a long journey, but not happy
where I'm at, Happy where I'm going into leading into
the World Cup, but of course hoping there's a little
bit more in me to come.

Speaker 2 (01:38:00):
So I'm sure there was or there is. I wasn't
suggesting for a second that that you've peaked, not at
your age. There's lots more to come. And just on
the Norwegian season, it's quite different from some of the
other or most of the other European leagues, and that
you don't start again until March. Now, will that help
in any way with the timing of the World Cup,
the fact that you'll be what only two or three

(01:38:21):
months into your new season rather than at the end
of it as many of the other European leagues will be.

Speaker 7 (01:38:28):
Yeah, for sure. To be honest, I think it's a
little bit of an advantage for me.

Speaker 22 (01:38:32):
I think I'll be physically, probably in my best shape
instead of yeah, the players that are coming to the
end of the season and probably quite fatigued. But of
course that's something that's completely something someone can manage. Yeah,
but for me it's going to be perfect. I think
I'm going to be raring to go and in really
good physical shape. So yeah, ad lanes up quite nicely.

Speaker 2 (01:38:51):
And you'll be back in the US for the World Cup.
You spend some time there, of course early in your
football career, went to college in Virginia. Have you been
back much. I know you've played over there with the
All Whites a few times, but outside of football, have
you been back to the United States very often?

Speaker 7 (01:39:05):
Yeah, not so much much. To be fair, it's hard
to find the time. Always. I feel like, yeah, living
on the other side of the world.

Speaker 22 (01:39:10):
Whenever I get a decent holiday, I feel a little
bit compelled to see mom and dad and get home
and catch up with some friends.

Speaker 7 (01:39:16):
So that's how it goes. But no, I excited.

Speaker 22 (01:39:18):
I'm really excited with the locations we have obviously La
and then Vancouver twice, so yeah, really cool places to
be based and like we touched on at the start,
exciting games.

Speaker 7 (01:39:28):
So no, it's going to be a really really cool experience.

Speaker 2 (01:39:32):
Yeah, I can't wait. So you do get a bit
of a summer break, you're back here for a bit.

Speaker 7 (01:39:35):
Yeah, for en zed summer.

Speaker 22 (01:39:36):
Yeah, so I'm back home here for a few weeks
and letting the body recuperate a little bit. It's a
big year of football to come, so yeah, getting ready
for it.

Speaker 2 (01:39:44):
Yeah, good stuff, Joe. Well, it's great to get the
chance to jetty mate, and as you say, just such
an exciting time for the players, but also for All
Whites fans. So we're going to get the chance for
the first time since twenty teen to watch out side
in a football World Cup. Thanks so much for joining us, mate,
Merry Christmas and look forward to catching up in twenty
twenty six.

Speaker 7 (01:40:01):
Yeah, lovely great speaking to your paining.

Speaker 2 (01:40:02):
No great speaking to you too, Joe Joe Belt. Pretty
crucial part the All Whites and looking forward to in
just under six months from now their first game at
the twenty twenty six Feet for World Cup against Iran
in Los Angeles. Just checking on the cricket. New Zealand's
still battling for that fourth wicket the West Indias two
hundred and twenty eight for three two twenty eight for three.

(01:40:25):
Cavim Hodge fifty seven not out. Alec Athanazi is there
on thirteen two twenty eight for three. I guess the
magic number as far as New Zealand is concerned, this
is try and get them out for three seventy five
all less. That would mean that they could enforce the
follow on if they chose to. If the Western needs
were to get to three seven six, then that possibility

(01:40:45):
is not there, and I guess the result becomes a
heck of a lot harder Andrew Ordison before three o'clock.
We'll check them with him and get you to the
Adelaide Oval as well. But next it's to the World
Darts Championships. The first round is complete. The first matches
or other the last first round matches were complete. This
morning we have our second round lineup and there's a
key we in there as well, being Francis, our dartsy expert,

(01:41:08):
going to break it down when we come back.

Speaker 7 (01:41:10):
It's more than just a game.

Speaker 1 (01:41:12):
Weekend Sport with Jason Vine and DJ Gunnomes, New Zealand's
most trusted home builder, News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:41:18):
In B, News TALKSB and Weekend Sport. Two twenty eight.
The first round is complete at the World Darts Championships
at Alexandra Palace in London. Sixty four players through to
the second round which starts tomorrow, including a kiwi Johnny Tata.

Speaker 16 (01:41:36):
That looks like he's going to fall the first hurdle
for the fourth consecutive World Championship.

Speaker 8 (01:41:44):
It is a fabulous win for the New Zealand the
world jubvid to Tata and there's.

Speaker 9 (01:41:49):
No doubt abouts it thoroughly sloughly deserved.

Speaker 8 (01:41:54):
He jumps throw to round two.

Speaker 12 (01:41:56):
He has Teja though the former European champion Ritchie at house.

Speaker 2 (01:42:01):
It's sub style, terrific stuff from Johnny Tata. Let's bring
in Weekend Sports darts expert Ben Francis Ben Johnny Tata
into the second round. He'll play English thrower Ryan Meekel
in the second round on Wednesday morning, our time. How
big a dealer is it though, to even make it
into the second round for Johnny Tuta. Thanks for joining us,
by the.

Speaker 6 (01:42:21):
Way, Yeah thanks Paaney. Yeah.

Speaker 20 (01:42:24):
I mean, look, only six kiwis have actually ever won
a game at the World Darts Champs the PDC ones before,
so I guess that kind of says something. Making it
beyond that though, is a different story, because we've never
had a key we go beyond the second round in
the PDC event, so it will Hopefully Tarta does look
pretty good. I think he can get over Ryan Meekal,
but it is going to be a tricky game. He's

(01:42:44):
going to have to absolutely be at his best. But
as Tata does do what, he's going to make a
bit of history along the way. First kei we throw
to the round is thirty two, and I think I'm
really hoping all in New Zealand is going to be
behind him because what he has done in the last
eighteen months in darts locally and this financially has been fantastic.

Speaker 2 (01:43:00):
Well, can you tell us a bit about that For
those who aren't familiar with Johnny's work, what have the
last sort of year to year and a half from
been like for him?

Speaker 20 (01:43:10):
He's just been winning really big games and even just
his appearance in the AMS Premier League earlier this year
that gave him a lot of stage confidence. He won
a night in that he made the semi finals, didn't
deliver on the finals night. But as we've seen with
a couple of the Aussie players as well, they've really
touched on how that experiences has helped them with being

(01:43:30):
at Ali Paley and I think that's played a massive
part in it. Of course, we know he hit the
nine data and the dark players and the Zealand events
earlier this year as well.

Speaker 6 (01:43:39):
Only the second key would ever do that.

Speaker 20 (01:43:41):
So as the saying goes, Johnny Tasa from way Nouiamata
had a nine data.

Speaker 2 (01:43:46):
We the rhymes and the puns are all there, so
how big is this being. I mean, we see the
World Darts Championship. It looks amazing on television. For a
dance player who's used to I guess smaller stages, smaller audiences.
How big would it be? How nerve racking to get
up there and to start throwing.

Speaker 20 (01:44:07):
I would hate to think what that would be like, Piney.
I think about myself. If I'm down at local bowling club,
I've got twenty people in front of me. I'm a
nervous wreak. So to have three thousand people screaming at you, well,
I could not imagine what that would be like.

Speaker 6 (01:44:20):
And you know it's it is daunting.

Speaker 20 (01:44:23):
But look some of the players that have the crowd
on their side and they thrive under that kind of excitement.

Speaker 6 (01:44:28):
Other players know how to zone out. But look, it
is very daunting.

Speaker 20 (01:44:31):
And the thing is next year they're actually moving into
a different hall at Alexandra Palace, so they're going to
be in a crowd of our a capacity crowd of
about five thousand if he's about the three three and
a half thousand it is at the moment, so it's
only going to get bigger and better.

Speaker 2 (01:44:44):
Unbelievable. So he's into the second round. As to say
Ryan Meekl, I mean, he's got to be a chance
for I had to look at some oledge and they're
own the indicative. But it's not like he's an overwhelming underdog.
He could win, couldn't he.

Speaker 6 (01:44:59):
Yeah, that's right. There's no reason why Johnny can't get
over the line.

Speaker 20 (01:45:02):
He's He's shown that he can perform it, even at
this World champ and other events, even the BDO World Champs,
which I kind of classifies the amateur World Champs a
few years ago, he reached the quarter finals.

Speaker 6 (01:45:12):
So I think Johnny's definitely got the skill.

Speaker 20 (01:45:14):
A player like Ryan, he is a left hander, he's
a bit of an unorthodox player, and some of these guys,
it's exactly like a guy like Johnny. Their chances are
very limited on the stage and they want to make
the most of it improve their ranking.

Speaker 6 (01:45:27):
So there is a lot riding for both players.

Speaker 20 (01:45:29):
But there's no reason why Johnny, if he's at his best,
he can get get out of the line. He's as
the City's demonstrated those skills time and time again that
he's good enough.

Speaker 2 (01:45:35):
Okay, Hope I Pooh was the other key we involved.
He couldn't get past the first round.

Speaker 20 (01:45:41):
Yeah, a bit a bit of a shame for Hope
I and of course, of course him losing means he
does not gain his tour card or sorry, he loses
his tour card. He has come out and said that
he's going to come home to New Zealand and play
on the local circuit.

Speaker 6 (01:45:55):
But regardless, he made it.

Speaker 20 (01:45:57):
He had to do it the hard way to make
it by like a last qualifier, but he made history
of the first key we to be on the on
the pro tour. So it's no it's no easy feat
what he's done and been away from his family for
two years as well has been a challenge too, but
I think he can hold his head high. Probably didn't
he probably didn't show what he really is capable of.

(01:46:18):
He had his moments, but it is what it is,
and we're going to look forward to having a back
out on the New Zealand scene where he's going to
be a big force. And it just shows that the
depth at the top of New Zealand dancers is going
to get bigger and better.

Speaker 2 (01:46:29):
Let's zoom out then from the Kiwis to the others
and I guess the big shot was the Kenyon qualifier,
David Manure stunning world number eighteen Mike Dedeca three sets
to two in the opening round.

Speaker 20 (01:46:41):
How big an upset was that, I would go as
far to say probably one of the biggest we've seen
at the World Champs in terms of.

Speaker 6 (01:46:49):
He qualified it last minute. No one really knew of him.

Speaker 20 (01:46:52):
He went to this Kenyan sporting body and said, I've
qualified for Lord Champs? Can I have some funding?

Speaker 6 (01:46:57):
They said no. He almost didn't make it because he couldn't.

Speaker 20 (01:46:59):
He couldn't he didn't have the money to get over there,
so it took some fundraising from the African darts community
to get him over there. And his it was very
interesting because it was almost his presence on the stage
really one won the crowd over. He had some absolutely
amazing miscounts, which is funny, but it's also part of
the pressure as well.

Speaker 6 (01:47:19):
He had a he had a one.

Speaker 20 (01:47:20):
Two five and started celebrating but realized he actually needed
one three five. But he's still he still came away
with it. But I think part of what happened kind
of shows that one, when you've kind of got the
crowd behind you, he really started to pick up his
game and thrive, and Mike de Decka almost let that
get to him. There was lots of shaking his head
during that game, going like just frustrated that the fans

(01:47:41):
aren't with him, but I would go, yeah, I think
it's probably one of the biggest upsets. It was a
cool performance. It's a cool story. You know, he's getting
tweets from the President of Kenya now going you know
what a moment for Kenyan darts and and it was
and just everything about it was special. A guy that
picked up darts a few years ago playing on the
big stage. And I think it's one of those kind
of feel good stories. And I think it's also part

(01:48:03):
of why the World Champs at the early stage, albeit long,
is actually really exciting. These are the real cool stories
that people like. They like these real underdog stories, these
guys at a first time on the stage. Was this
first time out of Africa, you know, so that shows
you how amazing it is. And you know he's up
on the stage loving it and it's going to change
his life. Just winning that money and the opportunities that

(01:48:26):
are going to come as a result.

Speaker 2 (01:48:27):
Well, I hope he's going to get some rich respective
funding from the Kenyan government. We'll wait and see about that.
To the very top, Luke Littler defending champion, how firm
a favorite is he to go back to back?

Speaker 20 (01:48:39):
Well, I think he's got a relatively winnable draw all
the way to the quarterfinals where he could meet girlin Price,
and that is going to be a tricky one because
one player that does really thrive playing against Luke Littler
and in those moments is a guy like Girlwin Price. Look,
I think you have to say that the defending champ
is going to be the favorite to defend the title,
But it has been quite a while since we've had

(01:49:00):
a player go back to back, so I don't know
whether any of the historians out there are going to
really look too much into that. But look, it's one
of these things where the further of the tournament these
tournament seem to go, the better Loopletler seems to go.
He really thrives under that pressure in that longer format,
So I think he's definitely going to be the man
to beat. But I think if someone is going to
stop him reaching the final, as it has to be

(01:49:21):
good on Price, I don't think anyone else.

Speaker 6 (01:49:22):
Will stop him.

Speaker 20 (01:49:23):
Because if girl on Price doesn't beat him, I think
he makes it to the final and who knows who
he could face them. I think a lot of people
are hoping it's the battle of the two looks again,
but we see.

Speaker 2 (01:49:31):
Yeah, well, I was just going to ask that Luke
Humphreys presumably is his biggest challenger. Are these two, you know,
potentially on a collision cause for a for a Grand Final?

Speaker 20 (01:49:43):
You'd have to say so, based on how if you
look at the form over the last twelve months and
the kind of rivalry that the two guys have, I
think it's good for the sport as well, just based
on everything that they've done, you know, the the tournaments
they've won, and there's everything that I would say that
the two faces of darts at the moment, the two looks,
and I think it would be a sitting final considering
everything that has happened this year, easily been the two

(01:50:04):
best players. And as we know, the prize at the
end of one million pound prize for the winner, so
whoever gets that will go to the number one in
the ranking, and yeah, it's going to definitely be a
collision course. I can't really see both of them getting
stopped to be honest, but I mean darts is a
bit of a funny game. I don't think many people
would have had David Beanie Mike Dedeca, so that the
sums it up, Yeah, that suns that up.

Speaker 2 (01:50:24):
Playing Indeed, Michael van Gerwin is going to be there
or thereabouts. Was interested to look at last year's two
beaten semi finalists, the english Men Chris Dobie and Stephen Bunting.
They don't seem to be as heavily backed or as
heavily favored as I thought they would be. Have they
had challenging years since the last World Champs.

Speaker 20 (01:50:44):
Yeah, I think part of that comes down to after
doing well, you get more opportunities and other agains. So
whether that's playing in the Premier League or both came
down here for the World Series of Darts, and I
think just you know, that extra time, that extra travel,
I think part of that just adds up and you
you're just doing a lot.

Speaker 6 (01:51:00):
More than you probably were in the previous years.

Speaker 20 (01:51:02):
So in terms of like a schedule, for example, you
might be playing a few times a week, but then
you end up playing almost every week and you're you're
you're away from home, five to six days a week,
sometimes longer, and I think sometimes it does catch up
on the players, but it also just happens that, you know,
they just had a bit of form last year and
that forms just kind of dipped a little bit and
they just got to find it. So it is interesting,

(01:51:24):
but we seem to do get a few different semi
finalists every year. Is usually one or two players that
kind of just sneaks through the cracks and just you know,
rise up to the occasion. But yeah, I think part
of it's just that that schedule and that workload and
just how to manage it, and because they're just on
that on coverage a lot more and playing a lot
more games, and I guess being the life of professional

(01:51:44):
darts player isn't always all glitz and glam.

Speaker 2 (01:51:46):
Johnny Tarta paying two twenty five Ryan meekal a dollar sixty.
I think I'll get on Johnny Tarta, Ben with that
meet with your approval.

Speaker 6 (01:51:54):
If it's your money, Piney, I'm I'm happy. I'm happy
as Larry you go that way.

Speaker 2 (01:51:59):
I wasn't going to ask you to invest in my
in my betting heaven, but thanks so much for your
comprehensive right, well, look forward to catching up over the
next couple of weekends, says Pineys. We good Christmas, bad
Good Christmas to Ben Ben France is our darts expert.
Here on Weekend Sport twenty one to three. Let's play
a sporting chance with the tab. I'm going to offer

(01:52:19):
you three bets short, evens or long. You decide which
one you want. We'll place a one hundred and fifty
dollars bonus bet on your behalf if it comes home.
The winnings minus the initial one fifty all yours. You
must be over eighteen if you'd like to play, call
now eight one hundred eighty ten eighty.

Speaker 1 (01:52:35):
The Tough Questions Off the Turf Weekend Sport with Jason
Pyne and GJ. Gunner Holmes, New Zealand's most trusted home
builder News Talks and b It's time for a sporting
chance thanks to Tab.

Speaker 2 (01:52:51):
Eighteen to three. Pretty simple concept. Are going to put
Phil on the air in a moment, give him three
options short, evens and long. He's going to decide which
one he wants, will place the one hundred and fifty
dollars bonus bet, and if it comes in, he keeps
the winnings. Does that fairly self explained Phil?

Speaker 18 (01:53:08):
Yeah, it sounds pretty pretty easy, yes, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:53:11):
Well let's see how you go. Here are your three options.
Short Premier League Everton against Arsenal, the match result, Arsenal
to win, it's playing a dollar fifty seven, you would
win eighty five dollars fifty. That is the short option.
The second the Evans is also football Wellington Phoenix, Central
Coast Mariners. This game's tomorrow. Anytime goalscorer Carlo Armiento, who's

(01:53:36):
got a couple this year for the Phoenix three dollars sixty,
you would win three hundred and ninety dollars for that one.
And your long is the Ashes Test, which is going
on at the moment, Australia against England. Top Australian second
innings bowler Cameron Green. He's paying twelve dollars. If he

(01:53:59):
gets the most wickets in the second innings, you would
win one thousand, six hundred and fifty dollars. So, Phil,
do you choose Arsenal to beat Everton to win eighty
five dollars fifty Carlo Armento to score for the Phoenix
tomorrow to win three hundred and ninety or cam Green

(01:54:19):
to be the best Australian bowler in England's second innings
to win one thousand, six hundred and fifty. It is
your choice.

Speaker 12 (01:54:26):
Very tempting.

Speaker 18 (01:54:27):
I mean, I follow the Premier League myself, team United
Man United fans, so I'll go for Arsenal to beat Everton.
I mean, it's a tough, tough match, but I think
they'll they'll just want to say like two and two one,
So I'll go for the Arsenals.

Speaker 2 (01:54:41):
Nice one, Phil, Yeah, a nice little eighty five dollars
fifty to spend on Christmas treats, et cetera. We'll place
the bet for you, Phil, as a man, you fan,
I mean, I don't think we I don't think you
need to cheer for Arsenal necessarily, but in this case
it'll be allowed. And if they do get home and
beat Everton on I think that game might be on
Monday morning, then you'll win eighty five dollars fifty. We'll

(01:55:01):
place the bet for you and keep our fingers crossed
and we'll do it well again next year. I presume
this is the last one for this year. Hopefully the
tob will be back next year to play a sporting
chance again has always bet responsibly. Hold there, Phil, We'll
make sure we've got all your details. Coming up quarter
to three, Let's get you to the Mountain Bay Oval
where the black Caps Bowl is. Toil away any joy

(01:55:25):
of any particular notes. In the last of a while,
Andrew Orderson.

Speaker 15 (01:55:30):
Greeting's fining no is the short answers that they had
a wicket. Kevin and Luke had a slash and nicked
one to Tom Blundele off the Bolling and Michael Ray
in the third over after lunch. But since I think
it was two in six to three at a point
now two forty five to three, Cavin Hodge comfortable on
sixty one like Athena's twenty six and New Zealand it's

(01:55:54):
going to be a slog across the Afternoon's going to
require a famous stamina perseverance, I think for in these Landers,
spin not having much impact at this stage of pining
with the Glenn Phillips and ags and action as they
try and work up these footmarks.

Speaker 2 (01:56:09):
You've been at all three Test matches and watched obviously
both teams, and I guess with the exception of the
way they batted in Wellington. Have the West Indy surprised
you with their backbone? They're intestinal fortitude in the way
that they've batted in these Test matches.

Speaker 1 (01:56:25):
Do you know what?

Speaker 15 (01:56:25):
I was just thinking that before I came on air,
and I think it's absolutely correct, more than I was expecting.
But the spirit seems good in the side. I mean,
just going back to their secret center. That was one
of the highlights scene before this match, and that's after
losing in three days in Wellington. That just seemed like
there's a bit of Juda viva in that side and

(01:56:46):
just a good spirit. Over the course of what's been
a fairly long tour. Albeit players have come in and out,
but I do think that they're showing signs that and
that's what's reflected here you say about the fortitude element.
I mean, obviously it's a good pitch to dat on
at the moment of the third day, but nonetheless they
have yet shown that tick that we've been seeing on

(01:57:09):
the screen every day at long this time. Just the
history of New Zealand lesson these crickets, and I think
they added a reasonable chapter here and one of the
themes has actually been about trying to win a Test
for the first time in thirty years and the last
one at the base in nineteen ninety five. Courtney will
standings of sixty five match figures, and that's played a
part as well in their thinking.

Speaker 2 (01:57:29):
I was present at some of that Test match orders
I can. I can let you know. I was not
responsible for the New Zealand loss across that Test match,
but I do remember it quite vividly. I mean, I
guess you have come.

Speaker 15 (01:57:41):
You have come up in conversation in the press Fox
today too, something about an LBW in a parliamentarian s
versus media match. Actually, and you're getting a decent stride forward.
But a national leaf dropper who was at unfiring that
match apparently gave you out of looking off. Kieren mcinolty.

Speaker 6 (01:57:58):
Your parents.

Speaker 2 (01:58:00):
Still a bone of contention, I must say whenever I
see Karen, which is quite often. I mean, you know
me orders, I've got quite long legs. I thought I
was too far down to be given, but the umpire
thought otherwise. Anyway, we're stray slightly from the points we
got we do. Hey, mate, great to tell it.

Speaker 6 (01:58:18):
What are you well.

Speaker 2 (01:58:19):
We'll look forward to catching up with you again tomorrow
because it's always certain this game is going to go
into tomorrow. Waters got to get across to Adelaide though
to check in over there. But thanks for your reports
this afternoon. We'll catch up with you again tomorrow. Andrew
Ordison read him at NZ Herald dot co dot enz
and he'll be on the radio with us again tomorrow.
As we as we go into day four. It is
day four of the Ashes test at the Adelaide Oval now.

(01:58:42):
The regular show producer of Weekend Sport Andy McDonnell, has
has decided to leave early from his from his post
here and go to Adelaide, which sounds a bit noisy.
Are you actually at the Cricketer or in a bar somewhere?

Speaker 10 (01:58:56):
Piney? I come to you live from the Max Fashier
stand on the eastern eastern side of Adelaide Oval. Now
as a producer, I always have to convince people when
coming on to a highly esteemed gets you won't sound
too bad. But jeez, throwing me after orders as one
of the biggest hospital parts you've given me this year,
So thanks for that, mate. But it's absolute beautiful scenes

(01:59:18):
over here, twenty eight degrees, so it's I'll tell you
what that's fourteen degrees cooler than what it was on Thursday,
So it feels like the low teen's actually over here.

Speaker 2 (01:59:28):
Unbelievable. Now I've seen some pictures, You've sent me some photos.
It looks like a spectacular place to watch cricket. What
is the Adelaide Oval like in terms of a sporting
spectator experience.

Speaker 10 (01:59:40):
Well, either they feed you the kool aid on entry,
or it would be the best ground I've watched any sport.
Act grant, I haven't watched sport at too many grounds,
but I think objectively as a sporting venue, you've got
the tradition with the old scoreboard, but you've got world
class stands. I'm looking over at the Sir Donald Bradmam Pavilion.

(02:00:01):
Plenty of shade over there, plenty of shade where I
am as well. Fifty eight thousand people. It can hold
as well, and it just it doesn't feel like whereas
your likes of you're eating parks, same similar, similar capacity,
but that's more cavinists. This feels almost almost a little
bit of a boutique hit enormous venue. So I couldn't

(02:00:22):
think of anywhere better to watch to watch any code
either Oval as well, So if you're if you're watching
a rectangular sport, you're still pretty close to the pretty
close to the action as well.

Speaker 2 (02:00:33):
And their local boys Travis Head and Alex Carey combining
in a major partnership yesterday and into today. See they
must love Travis Head over there is.

Speaker 10 (02:00:42):
That there hasn't been allowed to cheer for Travis Head
than than than what there has been for Travis Head
as well. And I think plenty of celebrations last night
for his for his hundred, because I think there's quite
a lot less people here today than what there were yesterday.
Some English fans not here presumably just not wanting to
watch the inevitable, but also also a few sore heads

(02:01:05):
from the last out of the year and the Travis
Y celebrations along with Alex Carey. I think over three
hundred runs scored by South Australians in the sets match
really has given them's own to celebrate.

Speaker 2 (02:01:17):
So as we come to you, England have just started
their chase for about a million to win this Test.
They're already one down. This will go into tomorrow though,
won't it or won't or won't it?

Speaker 10 (02:01:29):
It's hard. It's hard to know because you've seen in
the first two sifts, England have kind of folded when
it looks inevitable. It's absolutely inevitable now, so I couldn't.
I could go fifty fifty either way. But this wicket
is absolutely primed for a Nathan Lyon special here. It's

(02:01:49):
starting to break up. Will Jackson's getting some turn off
at yesterday, which for a part time spin bowler only
votes pretty ill for England when having to face up
against someone like Nathan Lyons.

Speaker 2 (02:02:01):
Well, I must say, given the last three or four
minutes on the air, I think we need to find
a way to get you the more play is next
year to.

Speaker 10 (02:02:10):
I'm happy to make that sacrifice for you, Boney, and
you'll be proud of me because because not a single
drop of he has been had today. I've been I've
been a good boy. But that's the one downsider seventeen
dollars for a finer Adelaide oval, So you've got to
be earning a good bit of coin if you've got
a drinking habit like mine.

Speaker 2 (02:02:27):
Good enjoy the rest of your stay mate might.

Speaker 10 (02:02:31):
Have acriminated myself just then, but thank Bney.

Speaker 2 (02:02:34):
All right mate, take care. Anny McDonald very familiar voice
to those who call the show and those who listen
to the show. Show producer enjoying himself. He's been at
all four days at the Adelaide Oval watching the third
Ashes test. Great to hear his voice on the air
Away from three News Talk, said.

Speaker 1 (02:02:48):
Me from breaking down the Hail, Mary's and the epic
Fields Weekend Sport with Jason Paine, News Talk zenby.

Speaker 2 (02:02:58):
Five to three. That's pretty much us for weekend Sport today.
Just quick look ahead to tomorrow's show. Got quite a
bit of variety for you as usual. We hope Mark
Harrington is World Rugby's Chief Player, Welfare and Rugby Services Officer.
Why are we chatting to him? Well? At the World
Under twenty Championship next year they're dropping the tackle height
down to Sternham as the highest chicken tackle. Is this

(02:03:22):
another step along the path to this being the case
in all rugby? We'll have a yarn about that. Alice
Robinson is on the show tomorrow. Man, what a time
she's having with the Winter Olympics fast approaching woolves So
check in with snow Sports New Zealand head of High
Performance Luke Hetzel and Tom Abercrombie's on the show tomorrow too.
They're retiring his single at the iconic number ten at

(02:03:43):
Breakers HQ. We'll have a chat to Tom about that
and reflect on his incredible Breakers career. Lots more besides
huge thanks to Isah, but then go four producing today.
Thanks mate, Enjoy the rest of your afternoon. We'll be
back Tomorrow's to say at mid day, Tim Beverage after
three taking us out. We've been Atelaide for the Ashes,
so it's Ashes to Ashes, David Bowie. See tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (02:04:30):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talks it B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio

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