Full Show Podcast: 28 June 2026

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB from New Zealand to North America
for football's greatest event.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Following the all nights as.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
They take on the world, the highs, the heartbreak, the
moments that stay.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
With you forever.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Live in Vancouver, playing quants from New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
This is your front.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Row seat to the biggest sports event in the world.
It's Weekend Sport with Jason Pine on your home of
Sport News Talks EDB.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
Hello there, Kona, good afternoon and welcome to the Sunday
edition of Weekend Sport on News Talks EDB for June
twenty eight. The World Cup dream may be over, but
what a journey it has been. The All Whites campaign
coming to an end yesterday with a five to one
defeat at the hands of Belgium here in Vancouver. On paper,
a heavy loss and against one of the world football heavyweights,

(01:07):
New Zealand will ultimately showing the standard needed to compete
with the very best. But let's not allow one result
to define this campaign. This is a team that came
to the World Cup believing it belonged on the world's
biggest stage. They earned a hard fought draw with Iran,
scored goals in that game and against Egypt and against Belgium,

(01:29):
and gave thousands of New Zealander's memories they'll never forget.
For so many players, this was the beginning of something
rather than its conclusion. So today I want to look
a little bit beyond the final score line. What do
we learn about this team, Which players in particular announced
themselves to the football world and how much stronger will

(01:50):
this group be because of this experience? And with another
four years until the next World Cup, how bright might
the future be for the All Whites. Going to hear
from head coach Darren Baisley this hour, one of the
stars of the tournament, Elijah just and first up New
Zealand under twenty men's coach jose Fagera. He's going to

(02:11):
give us his assessment of where the current side sits
and how much exciting young talent is coming through the ranks.
And I want to hear from you as well. Did
you consider this World Cup to be a success, Who
impressed you the most, which player stood tallest and where
do you think this team can be by the time
the next World Cup? Rolls around four years from now.

(02:33):
Lines of communication open immediately and across the afternoon. The
World Cup adventure has finished, but the conversation about the
future of the All Whites can continue. Will keep eyes
on the games being played at the moment as well.
Columbia and Portugal nil all after thirty eight minutes in Miami,
and Uzbekistan won the ahead of the Democratic Republic of

(02:54):
Congo after thirty eight minutes in Atlanta. The other big
piece of news today, the All Blacks and the Wallabies
have been given the go ahead to create a significant
new trans Tasman sporting tradition, an and zag Dave bled
Us Load Cup Test next year and in twenty twenty
nine and again in twenty thirty one, all of them

(03:16):
at sun Corps Stadium in Brisbane. The bled Us Load
Cup in those years will be a three match series.
It'll remain at two tests challenge in twenty twenty eight
and twenty thirty because of course of the new Nation's Championship.
New Zealand Rugby CEO Steve Lancaster is with us in
a round an hour from now to give us all
the details. Keen to hear your thoughts on this we'll

(03:37):
cover off the Warriors, don't worry about that, we haven't
forgotten them and the netball as well. Please join the
show if you'd like to at any time. Our eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty gets you throw on the
phones lines open all afternoon nine two ninety two for
your text messages and emails into Jason at Newstalk SEDB
dot co dot nz. And a massive thanks to to
our good friends at Quantus from New Zealand's extensive travel

(04:00):
options to the world from Auckland, Wellington, christ Church, Queenstown,
all with fantastic sick connections to Australia and on to
the rest of the world. We have a huge amount
of appreciation for the support of Quantus from New Zealand
and partnering with us here on Weekend Sport as we
come to you one last time live from Vancouver eleven

(04:22):
minutes past midday, kicking it.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
In Vancouver and football's pinnacle event. It's Weekend Sport with
Jason Vine playing Quantas from New Zealand News Talk ZIBB.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
The All White World Cup campaign has come to an end.
The final whistlegual Whus Belgium needed to.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
Deliver and deliver. They did.

Speaker 4 (04:45):
They progress to the last thirty two. The Golden Generation
is not done yet.

Speaker 5 (04:52):
Belgium needed something and tonight in Vancouver they got just.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
What they needed.

Speaker 5 (05:00):
They beat in New Zealand by five goals to one.

Speaker 3 (05:04):
Here five to one against Belgium last night. That followed
a two to two draw with Iran and a three
to one loss to Egypt. So plenty to unpack, not
just the results, but what the World Cup has revealed
about where New Zealand football stands and where it might
be heading. Joined now by one of New Zealand football's
most respected coaches, Jose Fagira, has coached extensively in New

(05:26):
Zealand and overseas, and has recently taken charge of our
national under twenty men's side, putting him in a unique
position to evaluate both the current or whites and the
next generation of young men's players coming through. Jose, Thanks
for joining us, mate. How would you assess, first of all,
in general terms, the all whites tournament at this World Cup?

Speaker 6 (05:47):
Hey, Jason, thanks for having me.

Speaker 7 (05:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (05:50):
Look, I think it's always good once once the dust
settles a little bit, to start with some perspective, really,
and you know, I think first and foremost. I'm sure
the coaching staff and Basil will be fearing the same.
It's okay to you know, to feel disappointed. I think,
you know, everyone wants to see progress. But I think

(06:11):
when you kind of zoom out and take a little
bit of perspective of things, I think, you know, we'll
look back and see that this World Cup represented you know,
another kind of big step and you know, a lifting
of standards on and off the pitch that that the
All Whites have produced. So it's obviously been a long
time since we've been at, you know, this pinnacle event.

(06:33):
And you know, as I said, I think once we
take a few weeks to kind of reflect and go
through go through the process of looking back, well we'll
see that, you know, as disappointed as we all feeling now,
you know, I think the team and the players have
really taken things forward to another step.

Speaker 3 (06:54):
Just expand on that for us. Then if we strip
away the score lines, and you're right, there is disappointment.
I saw the team as they were jumping on a
bus earlier today, and there is obvious disappointment that their
World Cup campaigns are over. But but what did you
like the most about what you saw from New Zealand
and the way that they tried to play the way
that they did play.

Speaker 8 (07:15):
Yeah, I think it's I think it's fantastic, and you know,
it's something that you know, a lot of work has
been happening the last sort of four or five years
to get both. You know, our men's national team are
all whites, and and our age group teams wanting to
play this way, and we know that in a world
where we want everything now and results now, those types

(07:38):
of things take take time, and you know, I think
I think we could we could see in that you know,
opening game with Iram, certainly the first half against Egypt.
You know, you're you're you're now talking about nations that
we're facing of you know, high quality, that next tier
of opponent, and I think to see us kind of
go out there and you know, show our personality and

(08:01):
try and dictate the game is it was was great
to see and I think hopefully for fans watching, for
people involved in football, and hopefully those next generation of
all whites that that are kind of bubbling away and
coming through, it's exciting. So yeah, for in that sense,
you know, hugely positive.

Speaker 3 (08:23):
How much stronger will this core group be simply by
having been to a World Cup now most of them
for the first time.

Speaker 6 (08:32):
It's massive.

Speaker 8 (08:33):
And you know, experience is something that you can't buy,
and experience is something that you have to you have
to live through, work through, reflect back on. And you know,
as you said, for many of those players, while you know,
we now have a real core group playing at a
good level of football week in week out, at the

(08:55):
higher levels of football, you know, playing against the very
best on the biggest stage is only going to make
you know, those players and the group and the coaching
staff stronger as well. So and yeah, I've got no
doubts it's it's going to create a really strong foundation
for that core group moving forward.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
All right, Well let's talk about that then. If we
are charting the way forward for the Your Whites to
the next World Cup, how do they best use the
experience they've gained here in twenty twenty six but also
improve over the next four years to take the next
step at the twenty thirty World Cup. What are the
main things they need to focus on during the next

(09:34):
World Cup cycle.

Speaker 8 (09:36):
Yeah, I think, like you know, realistically, like we know,
we're not one of the you know, the super football
nations or powerhouses you know, yet both you know, in
terms of player pool, you know, both in terms of
location of where we're based.

Speaker 6 (09:54):
In terms of getting.

Speaker 8 (09:55):
Those kind of regular games at higher levels, I think
we still lean back on, you know, getting as many
of our if you want to say, core which we
have now play like ELI obviously you know, showcasing themselves
to get those you know, perhaps bigger moves or moves
to higher levels of the game and bigger clubs.

Speaker 6 (10:17):
And for me, like both for that core group of players.

Speaker 8 (10:20):
And the exciting young talent that we have coming through
as well, it's important we've got these players being exposed
to that type of footballers as much as possible. So yeah,
I think certainly, Like whilst obviously.

Speaker 6 (10:34):
You know, I know the team and Bays you know.

Speaker 8 (10:36):
Would have wanted to go out the group and that
would have been one of the objectives, I still think
showcasing the team and the players and who we are
is still you know, right up there in terms of
one of those you know, one of those work ons
and one of those yeah, processes we want to tick.

Speaker 3 (10:55):
They played well against a round. They played really well,
particularly in the first half against Egypt, but Belgium are
a step up, aren't they? And really kind of I
guess illustrated the get between the very top sides in
the world and those who are still developing their football.
When you watch that game yesterday, where was the gap
and quality most obvious?

Speaker 8 (11:18):
I think I think the gap in quality is, you know,
you see that level of player and teams that the
ability that they have with the ball, you know, whilst
you know, I think we certainly in the earlier period
of that Belgian game where we're under a lot of pressure,
like we early on, at least showed we could you know,

(11:38):
defend and put our bodies on the line and you know,
leave everything out there. You know, you saw how once
we got the ball, those types of teams and players
just to suffocate you. So, you know, at those levels
being able to you know, control the ball for longer periods,
to allow the team to kind of catch its breath,

(12:00):
to allow the team and the players to progress and
move up the pitch, you know, to give you a
little bit more control with there's probably somewhere I know,
you know, we can get to and we have the
players and starting to show that we have those types
of players, and now it's about obviously you look experiencing

(12:20):
more of those games, believing we can do it, and obviously,
as we saw in those other games and halfs, we
have the potential to do it.

Speaker 3 (12:31):
As I watch New Zealand players, do you think enhanced
their reputations the most over these three games?

Speaker 8 (12:39):
Yeah, I think obviously easy easy one to right at
the top of the list is Eli. I think he's
you know, to go to a World Cup and score
three goals alone is you know, it's a fantastic achievement.
And you know there's going to be many top players
at this World Cup that won't do that, So you know,
it's fantastic to see, you know, a player who on

(13:03):
a personal level we've coached against and and works loosely.
We'd like to see him, you know, really showcasing himself
at that highest levels. Fantastic and off the back of
a really strong club season. Yeah, I think he's I
think he's shown his his ceiling is still is still huge.
So yeah, I think Eli has obviously had a standout tournament.

Speaker 6 (13:26):
I think Finn as.

Speaker 8 (13:27):
Well is a colossus at the back for New Zealand,
and you look at you look at him as someone
that I think is going to be you know, a
foundation for that team for four years to come. And
again someone who's competing and performing week in week.

Speaker 6 (13:44):
Out at what is a.

Speaker 8 (13:46):
Great level and standard in the MLS and you know,
looks like maybe a bigger move could be on the horizon.
So I think certainly those two kind of you know,
jump out at me in terms of, you know, guys
that kind of really.

Speaker 6 (14:00):
Stood up and performed and show that they have more.

Speaker 8 (14:05):
And look, I think we know that there's others in
that group, the likes of you know, Libby and you
know Marco.

Speaker 6 (14:11):
And guys like that who you know, have got.

Speaker 8 (14:14):
A lot more to come and a lot more to offer,
And whilst maybe had kind of quieter tournaments that maybe
we're expecting a little bit more, I still think they've
got great quality and a lot to give and still
a lot to develop and grow moving forward.

Speaker 6 (14:29):
So yeah, as you said at the start, there's.

Speaker 8 (14:32):
A really exciting core group of players. But certainly I
think I think Eli and Finn really really kind of
put their hands up and then made people set up
and take notice of them.

Speaker 3 (14:44):
In your reference before the next wave coming through and
wearing your New Zealand under twenty coaches hat Now, can
you give us a bit of insight there, Jose, because
the players you mentioned there, the established or Whites, now
most of them came through the under twenty program and
here they are now at the Senior Men's World Cup.
Are there players in the current under twenty program who
you believe have genuine senior All Watch potential in the

(15:08):
next World Cup cycle? Yeah?

Speaker 6 (15:10):
I think so. And we look back just at the.

Speaker 8 (15:12):
Last cycle recently where you know, we we took the
team to chill out the Under twenty World Cup and
off the back of that tournament, you know, we had
the likes of you know, Henry Gray, Luke brook Smith
and you know, Kelly Hill get called into you know
that that next all Whites window and you know, get
some minutes and you know, that's that's what it's all about.

(15:36):
And there's there's a huge body of work that's happened
behind the scenes with Bays and the coaching staff around
a piece around cohesion, and the cohesion being you know,
a group of players like you've mentioned that Eli's and
Marcos and Matt Garbetts and Libby's that have come through
those age groups together, playing together as often as possible.

(15:59):
You know, that's for us is one of our you know,
one of our strengths.

Speaker 6 (16:02):
And there's certainly a next wave coming through.

Speaker 8 (16:07):
Three I've just named that I've kind of already been
in and around that environment and others now that hopefully
we're starting to see make their mark.

Speaker 6 (16:16):
You know, I say domestically, but you.

Speaker 8 (16:18):
Know in the A League, and you know you look
even just domestically in the New Zealand National League, we're
now seeing you know, sixteen seventeen, eighteen year olds starting
to now establish themselves there.

Speaker 6 (16:31):
So yeah, the futures, the future is really bright.

Speaker 8 (16:35):
You know, we need to make sure we're looking after
these players but also you know, pushing them through and
giving them those opportunities. And yeah, hopefully both within our
two professional New Zealand teams in the A League, will
you know, we'll start to see more and more of
those those players showcase themselves at you know, a bigger
level and.

Speaker 6 (16:55):
A bigger stage.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
Well, just to wrap then, if we combine what you've
just said about the next wave coming through, the experience
gain from this World Cup by players who will go
again four years time, and there are a significant number
in this World Cup squad who will back up again
and will absolutely be a big part of what happens
between now and twenty thirty. How optimistic do you feel

(17:18):
about where the senior men's game is heading in our country?

Speaker 8 (17:22):
Yeah, I'm I am optimistic, and you know, I think
off the back of you know this, this tournament will
now hopefully give you know, both the national teams and
you know the game domestically, more resources to you know,
perhaps play you know, more games, and more international exposure
against those types of opponent. You know, I think obviously

(17:47):
despite some of those those setbacks within games and you know,
taking the last game a little bit of context, those
you know, those those other two games in the group,
you know, real resilience from from setbacks in those games
was was outstanding. And you know, I think that continued
growth of you know, all whites, so I say, wider

(18:08):
New Zealand football identity, you know, I think this team
has shone a light on that and you know, and
help it to grow.

Speaker 6 (18:16):
So from there, it's now about yeah.

Speaker 8 (18:19):
Working with that core group of players, more bringing in
that exciting new young generation, exposing them to more games
at that level and more pressure and you know, as
we all do as coaches and as staff is you know,
continue to learn, continue to be more tactically flexible. But

(18:43):
you can only do those things from gaining these types
of experiences. So yeah, I've got no doubts that.

Speaker 6 (18:49):
As I said at the beginning.

Speaker 8 (18:50):
Once the dust settles, there's a little bit of perspective,
there's some review going on, you know, will be will
be going forward a lot stronger.

Speaker 3 (18:59):
All right, looking forward to seeing what plays out over
the next few months, over the next three or four years. HOSEI,
you've given us brilliant inside a really unique position you're
in to evaluate things. Thanks, thanks so much for joining
us this afternoon.

Speaker 6 (19:11):
Also the thanks by any things, No, thank.

Speaker 3 (19:14):
You, Jose Jose Figera. There are current under twenty coach
and a highly respected football analyst in various capacities. Twelve
twenty six, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. Okay, let's
wrap the World Cup together over the next half hour
or so. Let's put a cap on it before one.
Was this World Cup a success for the All Whites? Well?

(19:36):
The answers no, we can't say that it was because
they didn't do what they set out to do. They
didn't get out of the group. They didn't win a game,
they didn't make history in that regard, and mark my words,
nobody internally in that all white setup is anything other
than bitterly disappointed that they couldn't do that. But that

(19:58):
doesn't mean that there weren't things to be positive about.
For large parts of the first game against Iran and
for the first half against Egypt, this side showed what
they are capable of. The trick now is to turn
those performances into results, to not just come away with
credible draws or narrow losses, but to win games at

(20:21):
World Cups. That is what is now needed, not just
participating at World Cups, progressing at World Cups, and we
definitely have the core playing group to do it. A
large number of this squad will go around again in
four years time. They'll play a lot of football together
for New Zealand over the next four years. And tough

(20:44):
as last night would have been for them, it's only
a negative if you don't learn from it, and they will.
They will, they'll be better for it. And Jose picked
out a couple of players specifically, and I one hundred
percent agree with his assessment of both of them as
the standout players for New Zealand at this World Cup.

(21:04):
Elijah Just who now has three of New Zealand's eight
World Cup goals. He was already attracting attention from some
big Scottish clubs, Celtic and Rangers. He plays in Scotland
for Motherwell and the pursuit of his services is only
going to intensify after the way he played across these

(21:25):
three matches. He did a little bit of media with
the traveling New Zealand media this morning and said, you know,
he was asked about what his next move might be.
He said, well, I'll catch up on my agent and
hopefully he's been busy. I think he would have been.
I think he would have fielded a couple of phone
calls over the last week or so. The other is

(21:46):
Finn Sermon, currently playing with the Portland Timbers here in
the United States or in North America. Showing commitment, never
say die, attitude. You can't coach that stuff. A growing
composure you can coach that, and he just continues to
develop and merge. A couple of things are certain Sermon,

(22:07):
He's going to future in the future Captain New Zealand
And I don't think he'll be at Portland Timbers much longer.
There are others too who showed they belong at this level.
So who impressed you the most of eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty And just before we go to the lines,
let's not forget how good Belgium are. When we look
at it, yesterday's result five to one, you think, man

(22:28):
that is a substantial loss for New Zealand, and it was.
But when you can call on players from Manchester City, Real, Madrid,
ac Milan, Napoli, Arsenal, some of the biggest clubs in Europe,
your football and riches are undisputed. And Belgium are a
top ten side for a reason, and they ruthlessly exposed us.

(22:49):
But we are over seventy places below them in the
world rankings. If we compare it to rugby, the All
Blacks are second in the world. Belgium are twenty first
in the world. If we played them at a Rugby
World Cup, we would expect it to be similarly one sided. Oh,

(23:10):
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is our number nine
two nine two. If you would prefer to correspond by text,
get a Peter.

Speaker 9 (23:18):
Well, we have to remember that we did qualify and
so many countries didn't qualify. So I think we should
be proud of that. Would you agree with that?

Speaker 3 (23:29):
Oh, I mean, I mean to a certain degree, Peter.
Although it's certainly a lot, a lot smootherer path than
it used to be. You know, with the expanded nature
of the World Cup. We only say only we we
only had to win Oceania because Oceannya got direct entry
into the World Cup. So it was certainly a lot
less problematic than in the past where we've had to

(23:50):
when intercontinental playoffs home and away. But yes, they they
were there, you're right, And while other confederations have much
trickier qualification paths, they were one of the forty eight
teams who were there. Yes.

Speaker 9 (24:03):
And then I heard a stat that said there were
about two fifty kiwis that are playing around the world.

Speaker 7 (24:11):
Is that right?

Speaker 3 (24:13):
That would be that sounds right? That sounds right, yep.

Speaker 9 (24:17):
And then how many would Belgium have, for example, Yeah,
well from having the cream of the crop, but you know,
just from a population basis.

Speaker 3 (24:26):
Yeah, it's a very good point, Peter. And I guess
if you look at it comparatively, you look at the
percentage of New Zealanders who you know who grow up
and play rugby and go on to play it at
junior level, secondary school and such like. In Belgium, it's
it's all about football. They absolutely love it over there,
So yeah, the participation base is huge, the sport is

(24:50):
deeply ingrained in their culture and they've got a proud history.
They've never won the World Cup, but they've always been
a very good team.

Speaker 9 (24:57):
Well it's just about like I'm not losing a World
Cup but a match but not win England. But no,
I think we have a tricky exercise with population base
and the experience that the players may have, you know, individually,
whereas the experience you have as a team, you know,

(25:18):
and that team doesn't happen very often. And I think
that's a hard one to sort of do if you like,
with that experience in the competition, you only get better
if you play better teams, and I think Oceana is
not as competitive if you look at the EU for example.

(25:41):
So I think we've done well and I did enjoy
watching it. I thought they're run in Egypt games were
the best. I found it very hard to watch the
Belgium game that getting a goal was good, and we
have to wait, where's the next World Cup?

Speaker 3 (25:57):
The next World Cup in twenty thirty is spread across
a couple of countries. Oddly enough, there are a few
games in Uruguay as a nod to as a nod
to the fact that they hosted the World Cup in
nineteen thirty and one hundred years later they'll get an
opportunity to play some part in the next one. It's
also in Portugal and Morocco, so it's again spread across countries.

(26:23):
So that is where twenty thirty is better. And you
bang on and a text are echoes your point. The
problem is we don't play enough games against competitive teams.
Oceannya qualification you know, being automatic, Now, well it does
two things. First of all, it gives you no temptation
to leave Oceannia because you know you're going to be
in a World Cup every single time. But what it

(26:45):
also does is it doesn't push these guys often enough.
If their qualification path, for example, was like Australia's through Asia,
where every time you had World Cup qualification you were
playing a lot of games against a decent standard of opposition,
you could only improve. It would only improve you. We
just don't have that. With all due respect to Fiji,

(27:07):
the Solomon Islands, Papa, New Guinea, Vanuatu and others, we
simply don't have the depth of footballing ability in Oceania
to test New Zealand every time they play. So that
is a big, big issue. Twelve thirty four, Glenn hold,
they've got to get a breakaway one a chattoo after this,
oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. If you want
to lend your voice to anything you saw at the

(27:29):
World Cup, success for you. No, And what does the
future look like? This is Weekend Sport on News Talks
EDB jigging Esk.

Speaker 1 (27:35):
In Vancouver and Football's pinnacle event. It's Weekend Sport with
Jason Vine playing Quantas from New Zealand. News Talks EDB.

Speaker 3 (27:45):
Twenty three to one. Can they Glenn, you know, just
a couple of things.

Speaker 7 (27:50):
Seriously.

Speaker 10 (27:50):
On Eli just I think since he's actually been playing
the SBFL, he's improved in confidence and ability and the
SPFL is a really highly competitive league.

Speaker 3 (28:04):
Oh, Glen, I agree. I agree nothing more with the
nothing wrong with the Scottish Premier League absolutely not. And
he and it feels to me I mean, looking at
it like a pretty robust sort of the league as well,
when you come up against some of those teams, and
he's not a big guy, as you can probably see,
so he's had to learn how to how to ride
those challenges, how to exist inside that pretty tough environment.

(28:25):
And he's been excellent for Motherwell. I think he might
have even been their player of the year. So yeah,
going there I think has been a huge help to him.

Speaker 10 (28:33):
Yeah, because I think he might have bought in the
first goal against Iran. You had he not sort of
had that experience in the in the SPFL, he may
have bought or may not have been able.

Speaker 11 (28:42):
To pull it off.

Speaker 10 (28:43):
So I think that's been a really good move for him,
and it's hopefully other clubs come calling and you can
get regular game time.

Speaker 3 (28:51):
Yeah, I think they will come calling, and it's just
a matter now of making the right decision for where
he goes next. He's been you know, it hasn't been
a it hasn't been a straight line for him. He
said to us today in the media session that he
did that a couple of years ago. He wasn't really
sure what the future hell for him. He was playing
in Austria. He said he was a bit stuck, he

(29:11):
didn't really know what level he could reach. But I
think you're right, Glenn. Getting to Motherwell has been has
been a real turning point for him. And who knows
what the next move might be. Will it be to
one of those bigger Scottish clubs. I heard it suggested
he might go up into Europe and to somewhere like France,
which you know, I think would suit his skill sets.
Are you were waiting soon?

Speaker 5 (29:31):
Yeah?

Speaker 12 (29:32):
And just the other thing was I've heard a few people,
a few comments pains people saying that we should become
part of the Asian Federation. I don't know that FIFA
would allow that, and I don't think the Asian Federation
would want that either. With Australia, they they've got the crowds,
have got the I guess the resources. You know, every
time they play a match they get eighty thousand at

(29:53):
Nolbourne or Sydney. We don't have that capacity.

Speaker 3 (29:57):
Yeah, yeah, I'm not sure whether that would come into
it necessarily, Glenn. I mean you look at some of
those Asian countries and while they're in Asia, that probably helps,
but whether they're drawing crowds. Yeah. I mean Australia went
through quite a quite a long process to do it,
and I think history would would suggest that it's been
the right move for them. They've they've qualified through Asia

(30:18):
for every World Cup since they went into Asia, so
they had the strong playlase. Anyway, there's there's a suggestion
that if we did that, we wouldn't necessarily qualify for
every World Cup and that might be okay if the
if the the upshot was that our that we developed
as a football nation.

Speaker 10 (30:33):
Yeah, that's that's that's my that's my thinking as well.
But then again, what you don't want teams like Vanoasu
or Tahiti notice respect getting hammered because you've hadn't got
a very very minute point of players.

Speaker 3 (30:46):
Yeah, it's another good point, Glenn. Yeah, if they went
to a World Cup, as Oceanny is direct representative, You're right,
they really would feel the wrath. I think, so yeah,
whether we have to think about that, not sure. I
just don't think there's any temptation now for New Zealand
to leave Oceanny. And much as it pains me to
say that, and I think that we can all agree
that our football all and the matches that the new

(31:08):
Zeon team would play would be much better if we
joined Asia. I just don't think it's going to happen.
Thanks for your call, Glenn Shane, Hi.

Speaker 13 (31:15):
Mate, Piany. Hell you good?

Speaker 3 (31:17):
Shane?

Speaker 5 (31:18):
Good?

Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (31:19):
Look, disappointing, is it? I mean I think in hindsight
we'll look at that Iran game and think, jeez, we
should really have won that yep to all goals, and
that probably set the tone defensively. I was really disappointed defensively.
Three headers in the box. That first goal yesterday was

(31:41):
just a nightmare. Bounce in the six yard box was
just I mean, we can't do that. Year. Frin Surman
was solid. Unfortunately, the rest of us were just a
bit lacking in that department, which is which is a
shame because generally we set up really well defensively and
I thought that would be our strength. But unfortunately, I

(32:02):
think the game against England where we only lost one,
the game before that against hat He was probably the
poisoned dagger. Really it was. It showed us for what
it was, what we are, and defensively we're not that
strong when we really, you know, we really need to

(32:22):
be strong, especially at the World Cup. Yeah, Eli, just
as he's just awesome. I mean, what an outstanding champaign
he had. I struggled to see where we were going
to get the goals from before the tournament, but he
him coming through the midfield deer was outstanding. It would
be a real shame for him to go. I think

(32:43):
he could probably stay at mother Well. I look, it's
completely up there obviously, one of him and his agent.
The thing I'm fearful of is the sharp sing effect
going to a big club and then basically getting put
out online. I'm really careful for that type of stuff.
I think he's got to make the right decision to
where he's going to play first team football all the time.

(33:06):
And I think if you go to some of these
big clubs and your majority sit on the bench, and
you know, Celtic and Rangers are probably that those size
clubs that would do that to Eli probably for a
start anyway. So he's going to be very careful on
where he decides to go next.

Speaker 3 (33:23):
Great points well made, Shane. You clearly have got a
great football brain mate. Thanks for calling and giving us
all the benefit of it. A yeah callback anytime, mate.
I agree about Eli. Yeah, He's at a point now
where he doesn't have to go somewhere and then be
farmed out on loan because he can't make the first
team there. Bang on, Shane, find a place where you
are going to be immediately in contention for the first team.

(33:44):
That is the next move for Eli. Just seventeen away
from one, it was Bekistan one the Democratic Republic of
Congo nil five minutes into the second half, and similarly
five minutes to the second half, Columbia nil, Portugal nil.
Back in a second with more of your calls on
the All Whites on Weekend.

Speaker 1 (34:02):
Sport, following the All Ways as they take on the world.
It's The Weekends Forward with Jason by Live and Vancouver
playing Quantas from New Zealand news tog THEBB.

Speaker 3 (34:14):
Coming up thirteen to one. Hello, Tim, I needs.

Speaker 14 (34:18):
Seems like we've spoken.

Speaker 6 (34:20):
We're in the last twenty four hours and.

Speaker 15 (34:21):
We have and we have.

Speaker 3 (34:23):
Yeah, right, you're okay, Yeah, I'm okay. I was a
bit deflated after last night, I'll admit I. I you know,
I kind of I think it's like that when a
tournament comes to an end, but you're waken up this
morning and looking to try and focus on what might
be a hit for this team.

Speaker 14 (34:40):
I was listening to the last two callers, I too
also felt deflated. But then I spun that and I thought,
and I think I messaged you it the reason you
feel defeated because the expectations a bit higher and we
really wanted the all whites to get out of the group.
And yes, the Iran was the actually analyzing. It was
the chance to do it, but we didn't. And Belgium
was always going to be a tough ask. But it's

(35:02):
great that we have the expectation of that desire, and
then that leads too, how can we improve these just
to the are we going to go, you know, join Asia?
And I think you're Unfortunately, You're right, We're probably not
going to because it's too easy now with Oceana having
the one place and we're going to be spoonfled into that.
But then if we get in every four years but
then get hammered don't get out of the group, then

(35:24):
we're not sort of.

Speaker 13 (35:25):
Developing, are we?

Speaker 6 (35:26):
So is that dilemma?

Speaker 11 (35:27):
It's that dilemma.

Speaker 3 (35:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (35:28):
I think what Osie did was very good.

Speaker 3 (35:30):
Yeah, and I don't think we necessarily have to go
to Asia to improve as a football team. Otherwise it
would be a it would be a no brainer, would
go to Asia. If that was the only way to
improve as an international football team, then of course we
would examine ways of doing that. But instead what we
have is outside of those World Cup qualifiers against the
Oceania teams, which we know are going to be fairly straightforward,

(35:53):
we must get this team together as often as possible,
playing quality opposition from different parts of the world. And
the other part of this, and Darren basely referenced this
last night Tom and his in his postmatch media was
that more of our players need to be playing at
top clubs. We've got Chris Ward at Nottingham Forest of course,
and other players in good leagues, but Belgium had players

(36:14):
from the Premier League, from siri are from La Liga,
the top three leagues in not just Europe but the world.
We need more of our players playing at that level
for their clubs in order for our football as a
national team to improve.

Speaker 14 (36:30):
I agree, but that's really tough for the individuals because
this and this platform with the World Cup would really
help them. But that's that's tough, isn't that dictated by
the international windows of all the federations. Anyways, you couldn't say, right,
we want to we want to do another two tournaments
in the next two years. You can end it and
they have to do that or not.

Speaker 3 (36:49):
Well, well, I guess you just have to start having
the conversations. You're talking about about who the teams that
we play in those international windows, who we get the
chance to play against?

Speaker 14 (36:58):
Yes, yes, yeah? Could could they go right the next
four This is a four eight year plan because if
they jump to Asia and then faulted for a couple
of couple of competitions in so bit. But the bigger
picture is look at exactly what Ozzie did. Basically. I
think the Germans sort of not on that, but they
I think they got to the around of thirty two
or sixteen in two thousand and two and felt it

(37:19):
was a massive, massive disappointment, and they had a kinsman
had a ten year plan and then in twenty ten
or fourteen they won it, and so they just restructured
and they had a long term picture rather than go, okay,
let's try and get to the next World Cup, let's
look two or three World Cups beyond. That is kind
of what I'd like and then just grow, grow, grow
this beautiful game.

Speaker 3 (37:39):
Yeah, so I've got to go, but I know we'll
talk again while the tournament continues because England are still in.
But yeah, I think you know what Farrement new Zula
Football now in their high performance department. I'm saying, right,
what do the next four years look like as we're
here towards the next World Cup? What's their ideal and
how do we make that happen a part of hamer areo? Mate?

Speaker 16 (37:59):
Hey Piney, hope Canada is nice because Wellington's been stink art.
But you did miss a Super Rugby title.

Speaker 3 (38:04):
Sorry about that, but I've heard the weather speed are palling,
might appalling.

Speaker 16 (38:10):
It's finally stopped raining. But anyway, onto these all lights.
I love I love us being there. It's back home, bro,
you would have seen it before you left. It's been
going off here watching the games. Everyone getting around. Good
for footing in this town. I think you've nailed a
couple of points. We need to play better teams more often. Right,

(38:35):
that's hard because we don't really play anyone good to qualify.
But and I know we're at the bottom of the
world and it's hard to organize, but that's how our
guys will lift. I also felt a lot of our
guys were injured, like Woods, he had an injury season.
Libby's been injured, so Freed's been injured. That sort of
showed the guy who's been visiting playing and I think

(38:59):
he was their player of the year. Eli look what
he did, so that's maybe a thing. The other thing too, Piney,
Ryan Nelson and twenty ten. You know, he really he
was our hype man as well as our skipper, as
well as organizing that d and I know it's a

(39:21):
team game, but he barked at the boys all day
and we fought and scrapped. We seem quiet. I don't
know if the squad has a hype man to come on,
you know, like a Corbyn. Corbyn comes on for the
next and puts himself about Bang's bodies, you know, someone
like that. We brought Ben Old on against in one
of those games and ether all right, Ben run at people.

(39:45):
You know, you're quick, you've got good feet. But he
never got the ball. So we look good going forward.
But I don't know we we did. I don't know
if we believed we just I don't know what could
have been and I think that's from the squad as well,
but still enjoyed it and I'll continue to have enjoy
the tournament.

Speaker 3 (40:04):
Good on you about Ahama, and we will see you
in the All Black season mate, which is now just
six days away. No doubt we'll chat across the next
few months about that. Yeah, you're right. Take the game
by the scruff of the neck. That's what Ryan Nelson did.
He took games and teams by the scruff of the
neck and drag them the teams that is through force
of will. He did that in twenty ten. Is there

(40:24):
an equivalent for New Zealand currently? Probably not, but maybe
there are players who will develop into that. Seven away
from one, new Stalk Sead be.

Speaker 1 (40:34):
New Zealand's voice of football at the Sports Pinnacle events,
It's weekend Sport with Jason Vine in Vancouver.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
Playing quants from New Zealand. Youth Talk said be.

Speaker 3 (40:45):
Four to one, thanks for your cause. The correspondence on
the football where are going to flick our attention across
to rugby?

Speaker 17 (40:51):
Though?

Speaker 3 (40:51):
After one o'clock because the All Blacks and the Wallabies
will play an a Zac Dave Bledisload Cup Test next
year and they'll do it again in twenty twenty nine,
and they'll do it again in twenty thirty one. All
three of those test matches will we played at sun
Corp Stadium in Brisbane. There is a lot to unpack
here in terms of timing, in terms of location, in

(41:14):
terms of Super Rugby. Steve Lancaster after one o'clock.

Speaker 1 (41:22):
From New Zealand to North America for football's greatest event.

Speaker 2 (41:26):
Following the all nights as.

Speaker 1 (41:28):
They take on the world, the highs, the heartbreak, the
moments that stay with you forever. Live in Vancouver, playing quantas.

Speaker 2 (41:37):
From New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (41:39):
This is your front row seat to the biggest sports
event in the world. It's Weekend Sport with Jason Hine
on your home of sport, Youth Talk z.

Speaker 3 (41:49):
NB one oh seven. Welcome back into the show. We
fleck our attention across to rugby because one of the
sport's greatest rivalries is about to gain a brand new tradition.
New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia have announced the first
Bledisloe Cup Test next year in twenty twenty nine and
in twenty thirty one, will be played on Anzac Day

(42:10):
at Brisbane's sun Corps Stadium, creating a marquee trans Tasman
sporting occasion that honors the shared history of New Zealand
and Australia, while also adding a new date to the
rugby calendar with a test during the Super Rugby season.
For the very first time, New Zealand Rugby CEO Steve
Lancaster is with us. Thanks for your time, Steve. Why

(42:31):
did New Zealand Rugby want an Anzac Day bled Us
Load Cup test?

Speaker 17 (42:36):
Yep, Morning pointy, Thanks for having me on the show. Look,
there are a range of reasons why, but primarily we
think it's got the potential to be a it's a
cliche phrase, but a tenth pole moment in the rugby season,
both for ourselves and Australia. We think that it will
add a lot of interest in the early stages of
Super Rugby. As you know, people are looking at the

(42:58):
performance of players in the early rounds and looking towards
selection for that game, and we said it's a great
commercial opportunity as well.

Speaker 11 (43:05):
We certainly don't show away from that.

Speaker 3 (43:08):
How does playing a rugby test in April change the
structure of the All Blacks calendar year.

Speaker 17 (43:15):
Well, it doesn't really change it much at all other
than adding this additional game. And one of the things
that has been front of mind for us is ensuring
that it does work for the All Blacks in their
preparation heading into the Test season in the second half
of the year. The years that we've agreed to do this,
then every other year that does work really well for
us and who they're having the opportunity to bring the

(43:37):
team together and have a Test match earlier in the
year before the World Cup next year, and then the
British Norrish Lions through in twenty nine and again World
Cup in twenty thirty one.

Speaker 3 (43:46):
Yeah. I guess another way of asking the question is,
you know, the All Blacks coach currently and for the
last several years, has gotten his players together after Super Rugby.
They've had a full season of Super Rugby and everything
that comes with that. Under this new arrangement for these
three years they would have played I don't know, five
or six games of Super Rugby before they go and
an international environment. How much will that change things?

Speaker 17 (44:11):
Yeah, again, it doesn't really change things very much at all.
I mean, the All Blacks in particular, the highly capable
professional athletes and so the coaches and management and again
one of the considerations for us and working with Rugby
Australia on this, has been that we ensured that the
opportunity to prepare for the game is the same for
both teams. And so we've ensured that by recognizing that

(44:36):
we'll play the game on that weekend, we'll have a
defined period of assembly. But again we just built this
into the program, so you know, coming off the end
of year two of the year before players will go
in and have their leaf period, which is really important.
I'll then come back into Super Rugby, they'll come out
of it to play in this fixture and then I'll
return to Super Rugby for the remainder of that competition.

Speaker 3 (44:56):
All right, Can you just expand then on the availability
and unavailability of players for their Super Rugby teams. What
will this mean for the Super Rugby season in the year.
Is that it happens.

Speaker 17 (45:08):
Yeah, well, and again as a sort of a coincidence
of circumstances here and that the confirmation now that the
competition will be a ten team competition next year and
for the foreseeable future enables us to have a full
buy round on aims that weekend, and so that is
really helpful in terms of not impacting on Super Rugby

(45:30):
teams on that weekend. For the week prior players are
selected for the test won't be available for their Super
Rugby teams. But again that's nothing.

Speaker 7 (45:38):
New, right.

Speaker 17 (45:38):
We currently manage our players across the season really cognizant
of their load, and as you'll be well aware, all
blacks and other players don't play every game for a
season either, So this will just be something that the
teams will work into their load management and their squad
management over the season.

Speaker 3 (45:55):
All right, So those players, so the team will be
selected a couple of weeks out presumably, and then none
of that squad, which I presume will be what thirty
two maybe thirty four, well one teas'd to say thirty two.
So none of those players will play Super Rugby the
weekend before the ANZAC Day test.

Speaker 17 (46:13):
Yeah, well, generally that's what we're thinking, right. We haven't
worked through the detail of that, but that would be
a reasonable expectation, is that the players selected for this
test won't play in Super Rugby the weekend prior.

Speaker 3 (46:25):
What about the weekend after.

Speaker 17 (46:28):
No, they'll be back, they'll be back back into their
squads immediately after.

Speaker 11 (46:31):
The test.

Speaker 3 (46:33):
And the Super rugby clubs any concern about that losing
their top players for well, for one game in particular,
and then I don't know, getting them you know, subjected
to the riggers of international rugby before they returned to
their superclubs. What was the discussion with the super rugby
teams around this?

Speaker 17 (46:51):
Again, it's been really positive. You know, we've worked with
both Rugby Australia and the Super Rugby clubs and the
Players Association actually and putting this together. The superclubs see
this for the opportunity that it is. You know, it's
a great opportunity to build interest in the competition. It's
a great opportunity strength in rugby in Australia in particular,
which we know is really important both for Rugby Australia

(47:11):
and for New Zealand Rugby and for the Super Roggy
Pacific competition. And as I say that, they're used to
managing their squads over a season, so they're already looking
at the opportunity that presents around squad management on how
they approach those fixtures a week prior. But say also
the fortunate sequencing here is that we're not having to
play through that weekend either, so there will be a

(47:33):
full buy around on ends that weekend.

Speaker 3 (47:37):
Why Brisbane Steve for all three of these matches, was
there any thought to rotating the fixture between Australia and
New Zealand.

Speaker 17 (47:44):
H Yeah, there was, and we've kind of left that
door slightly Ajarb by announcing that it will be every
other year at this point in time. But the reality
is that the economics of staging test matches in Australia
as opposed to are quite different. Right they have access
to a different economic model with the state funding model
that's in place there in the size of their commercial market. See,

(48:06):
the opportunity right now is an opportunity in Australia to
have a major rugby fixture early in the year, to
capture their public's attention, to build interest in the competition.
It's a slightly different proposition here in New Zealand and
so that's why we've done it every other year. It's
not to say we wouldn't and couldn't do something in

(48:27):
the intervening years here in New Zealand, but at the
moment we're comfortable that what we've committed to is going
to work.

Speaker 11 (48:32):
For the next six years.

Speaker 3 (48:34):
Yeah, meet you the commercial side of it, and rightley,
so how significant does this for New Zealand rugby financially?

Speaker 17 (48:41):
It's material, right So, I mean again, there's a range
of factors that we look at and the other primary
motivator is not financial. The primary motivator is to build
interest in competition, to build visibility for rugby across the
playing calendar. But it does have a significant financial benefit.

Speaker 11 (48:57):
And say that.

Speaker 17 (48:58):
The economics of playing these fixtures in Australia quite different
to New Zealand, and that's why we're doing that.

Speaker 3 (49:04):
And it happens in World Cup years twenty seven and
twenty thirty one, and in twenty twenty nine of course,
ahead of the British and Irish lines tour.

Speaker 10 (49:11):
Here.

Speaker 3 (49:11):
So is there also the hope that a Test match
in April might give the All Blacks a competitive advantage
by getting together earlier in those quite important years.

Speaker 17 (49:23):
Very much so, right, very much so. The reality of
the rugby calendar now is that as you saye at
the moment, you know, the all breaks come in and
assemble with in relatively short ordered before the first test
of the year, and then they run into a pretty
heavy schedule, so again working with the All Bracks management
on this one, they pretty positively disposed to They see
this as a performance opportunity and then having the team

(49:45):
to get it earlier in the year.

Speaker 3 (49:48):
Good Man, Steve, I appreciate you joining us. I know
you've got other media commitments, but thanks for taking our
call and giving some insight into this decision.

Speaker 6 (49:56):
No problem, thanks having me now, Thanks Steve.

Speaker 3 (49:58):
Steve Lancaster, their CEO of New Zealand Rugby. So there
you go. And Zach Day Test next year and Zac
Day Test in twenty twenty nine, a Zach Day Test
in twenty thirty one. Your thoughts I eight hundred eighty
ten eighty and they are true Anzac Day Tests. They
are going to be played these test matches on and

(50:19):
Zac Day on the twenty fifth of April, Sunday the
twenty fifth of April next year, Wednesday the twenty fifth
of April and twenty twenty nine and Friday the twenty
fifth of April in twenty thirty one, all of these
matches at sun Corps Stadium in Brisbane. As you heard
Steve say that they're not ruling out the possibility of

(50:41):
having ANZAC Day Test matches in the intervening years, in
the even numbered years, but at the moment twenty seven,
twenty nine, and thirty one those three years and Anzac
Day bled us Low Cup Test on the twenty fifth
of April. Really can you get your thoughts on this?
I eight hundred eighty ten eighty. I guess one thing

(51:01):
we can do for next year anyway is Chris goodbye
to super Round. Certainly, Zach Weekend. We had a tremendously
successful super Around this year in christ Church, where across
that long weekend fans of all teams came to christ
Church to play in that fantastic new stadium, and I'm

(51:23):
sure injected major economic and financial benefit into christ Church
and seemed to really give the competition a shot in
the arm. Anybody who was at super Around or watched
super Round would have been, you know, sort of really
really impressed by the positivity and the and the just

(51:46):
the difference of it all. I loved super Round. I
should probably just have said that rather than trying to
find the right words. Super Round was tremendous. Look, it
doesn't mean they can't have it another weekend. There are
other long weekends, aren't there? During the Super Rugby season.
They could have it over Easter, they could have it
on King's Birthday weekend, or that might be getting a
little late, but Anzac weekend sort of seemed like a

(52:10):
good time to have it. Maybe that was to do
with when the new stadium opened. I don't know, but
I would hope that they would still have a Super
Round because it seemed like a brilliant addition to the
rugby calendar. In terms of the Super Rugby teams. You
heard they're from Steve Lancaster. If you're playing the ANZAC

(52:31):
Day Test, you do not play Super Rugby the weekend before.
There's no Super Rugby over Anzac weekend. It's a full
By round, So nobody plays Super Rugby at all over
over that ANZAC weekend, which includes the twenty fifth of April.
That is a complete weekend off Super Rugby. The weekend before.

(52:52):
Nobody in the All Black squad plays Super Rugby. So
that's going to effect obviously some sides a lot more
than others. If we look at the current All Black squad,
let's just use that as a hypothetical example. Where are
most of the which team's got the most players? Hurricanes,
I think eleven. I think eleven of the of the
current squad of Hurricanes, I would say they take a

(53:13):
squad of thirty, wouldn't they for a one off test?
What do you need twenty three in a match day
squad plus another year seven maybe thirty two? So thirty
two players are going to come out of Super Rugby
the weekend before and then not that this is necessarily
a you know, a big factor. But injuries happen, don't

(53:36):
they They can happen at any time. But in a
test match, does the potential for injury for wear and
tear for another game of rugby come into this as well?
So quite a bit to quite a bit to unpack here.
Can you get your thoughts on it? Oh, eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty nine two ninety two if you

(53:57):
would prefer to correspond by text. It's still Nila, all
between Colombia and Portugal at the World Cup with three
and a half minutes plus stop or just to go.
If it stays like this, Columbia top that group ahead
of Portugal and the other game the Democratic Republic of
Congo have turned it around. They now lead huz Bekistan
to one. We'll keep updating you on World Cup football,

(54:20):
but rugby's want I want to talk. We've got a
rugby Test next week, of course, the start of the
New Nation's Championship. But if we fast forward to next year,
we would have already had the first Test match of
the year a couple of months ago at Anzac Day
and all in Brisbane. All in Brisbane. I mean, it's

(54:42):
a lot of kiwis over there. I'm pretty sure it'll be.
It'll be a destination for a lot of kiwis from
this side of the Tasman to travel across and take
it all in. This news just broke this morning at
around ten o'clock or that was when it was announced.
You have it a couple of hours to think about it.
I be keen to hear your thoughts. Oh eight, one
hundred and eighty ten eighty and Anzac Day, bled us
Low Cup Tester is now on the calendar. We'll take

(55:04):
your calls after this. It is one twenty on News Talks,
EDB Live and Vancouver for the year's biggest sporting event.

Speaker 1 (55:12):
It's Weekend Sport with Jason Vine flying Quantas from New
Zealand Newstalk SIBB.

Speaker 3 (55:19):
News Talks heb on Weekend Sport one twenty three. Keen
to talk about this the Spleiterslow Cup Anzac Day Test
with you. We're going to pivot away after two o'clock
James mcconey as well to come before two. Spearline there,
I who want to jump a board. Look, you know
I was talking before about maybe a couple of the
downsides to this. The upsides are I'd get up and

(55:39):
about for a Test match in April. I absolutely would.
I would. I would ralish it and well text her
airpont it already looking at flights and accommodation for next
year school holidays. Would make a great family get away,
it certainly would. And look sun Corps Stadium, apart from

(55:59):
the fact it's in Australia is a is a great
venue for this. It's you know that magic round there
in Brisbane was was unreal. So you know Bledisloe Cup
Test matches there. They do it well over there in Brisbane.
A lot of key whis as I say so in
terms of the support for the Test, I mean they'll

(56:22):
sell it out, won't They financially good for both unions,
for New Zealand and for Australia. So yeah, I'm not
sure that there's that there's you know, well, I don't.
I wasn't meaning to suggest that this was a bad idea.
I like the idea. I just think there's a couple
of discussion points around it in terms of super rugby.

(56:43):
Doesn't devalue super rugby? Is that too strong a word?
Maybe it is. You know, it's certainly something to think about.
If you're a super rugby coach, you would probably prefer
that this didn't happen. If you're honest, if you're brutally honest,
you probably prefer that this didn't happen that a number
of your top players were taken out of contention for

(57:07):
a game midway through the season. I mean, which super
rugby coach is going to say that they would be
one hundred percent happy about that? But it gives us
a bit of a talking point, doesn't it. At the
start of the season normally in terms of in terms

(57:29):
of all black selection, we start thinking about, you know,
who might make the All Blacks kind of towards the
back end of the season, don't we kind of may
and coming into into June, when the business end of
the competition rolls around, we look around and say, right
we start picking our All Blacks teams. This is a
very different dynamic. It kind of always almost makes the

(57:50):
first six weeks of the season a bit of an
All Blacks trial because sometimes there are players who build
into a season. There are some who you know, come
back and don't necessarily play the first couple of weeks.
If they've had a particularly busy All Black season and
you know, have been used right up until sort of
back into November, they tend to get an extended break.

(58:13):
They come back. Some of them don't even come to
preseason training at all, and then you know, play the
first game, or maybe miss the first game, play the second.
But you know, with an All Blacks side to be
named presumably near the front of April, you don't really
have a lot of time to state your case. The
other side of that corner is if you have a
fantastic first six weeks, if you're a hot hand, as

(58:36):
the saying goes, then maybe this will work out tremendously
for you. Tike three, the Highlanders are going to go
good that weekend, Like, I hope the Highlanders have a
lot of All Blacks next year. We should do super
around at sun called that same weekend, says this text.
The only problem there is that you're taking out the

(58:58):
best players because presumably Australia will have the same restrictions
that have to Like Steve Lancaster said as much, that
the Australian team will also or the Australian teams in
Super Rugby will also be without their Wallabies the weekend before.
So yeah, much as you could make it all a
big rugby festival, it would mean that that basically the

(59:21):
top sixty odd players in the competition wouldn't be there.
Can the Crusaders play the Hurricanes the week before the test?
It says? Yeah? Interesting, Look I wait to see. I
mean I think the All Blacks touched down in christ
Church this afternoon. In fact, they might just about be
arriving now. So be interesting to hear Dave Any's thoughts
on this. It's something different. No all blacks, No all

(59:44):
blacks coach in the professional era has had no sorry,
no all blacks coach in the professional era has had
to deal with a test in April. The last time
New Zealand played a Test in April would have been
pre the professional era. Surely there wouldn't have been one

(01:00:05):
sincenineteen ninety six. Almost certain of it. How are you, paul.

Speaker 11 (01:00:13):
Tea punny? I want to talk about the Whilst today, mate,
But just I just said, you're talking about this bleeders Low.
Is it during the Super Rugby season?

Speaker 3 (01:00:23):
Yeah? It is, It's yeah, yeah it is.

Speaker 7 (01:00:25):
So.

Speaker 3 (01:00:26):
Yeah, the Super Rugby season typically starts kind of mid February,
so you'd be a couple of months into the into
the Super Rugby season and then there'd be a couple
of months to go, so it's almost it's almost right
in the middle.

Speaker 11 (01:00:35):
Yeah, what what I don't understand. I mean, it's going
down to a ten team competition which is fastical, and
the new CEO's come in and the head of Super
Rugby and talked about fan engagement and you know and
blah blah blah. So basically it's going to be a
weaker comm now. They're going to take all the All
Blacks out of the Super competition and they still expect

(01:00:57):
the fans to turn up and pay their money and
watch Super Rugby. I mean this just just to me,
just goes to show that it's all about the elee
the top. The All Black said, that's all that matters
everything else. Blow it can just you know, sayl RV.
It is what it is.

Speaker 3 (01:01:15):
How would you compare it, Paul, to state of origin
in in the NRL, where where you know, for the
for the game before, certainly you know a number of
players are taken out, and I know there are guys
who back up and it just seems super human to me.
But there are guys who after playing Origin on a
Wednesday night, we'll back up for their clubs, you know,
three or four days later. So how does it compare

(01:01:36):
to that in terms of a credibility argument?

Speaker 11 (01:01:42):
Even even then again, you know, well, the NRL is
in a position where you know it's you know, okay,
yes we did. We clubs do lose players, but you
know it's been for a long time, and yes it is.
It is a bit of a to me. The NRL
does take a dip during the Origin period, There's no
doubt about it. And you could, honestly, you know, draw

(01:02:03):
the same same argument. But the NRL is not in
the same position to muck around with with the product
like Super Rugby is, where it's supposed to be all
about the fans and you know, pulling out these players,
I mean I wouldn't be paying my money to go
and watch Super Rugby is the top players we're there.

Speaker 3 (01:02:20):
Mates, Yeah, Paul, it's a it's a great point you make,
because I mean, as soon as the Super Rugby draw
comes out, we're all going to be looking at the
weekend before Anzac weekend and saying, Okay, our team's playing
that team on that weekend and we're not going to
have this guy, that guy, that guy, that guy. If
they're all yeah, they're all I'm not sure if you

(01:02:41):
heard Steve, but well but yeah, oh they're all going
to miss the game the weekend before.

Speaker 11 (01:02:46):
Yeah, the thing is three point. You know already from
what I understand, the All Blacks coaches and coaching staff
they have a say in dictating who plays how long
in the super teams and who plays what minutes and
who plays where and what whatever. If that's not contrived enough,
you know, this just makes it even more laughable. It's
just anyway, that's just my opinion, mate, I just don't

(01:03:08):
understand their thinking.

Speaker 3 (01:03:10):
Good on your Paul, appreciate chatting to your mate on
something other than the Warriors. We might get to back
on after two when we do chat the Warriors. Yeah. Look,
it's like I say, the Super Rugby coaches, they won't
be happy about losing some of their players. Of course
they're not that. The Super rugby coach's job is to

(01:03:32):
win Super Rugby, and much as it's an important part
of preparing the All Blacks to win test matches, they
are still and you know that's what their job's. Super
Rugby coaches have a job and that is to win
Super Rugby. So anything that is an impediment to that,
obviously is not going to be helpful to them. Around

(01:03:54):
the rest rotation, the management, it's all that sort of thing.
And Steve lancas to mention that I think that's less
of a concrete rule than it used to be. It
used to be that you couldn't play six games in
a row if you were an established All Black, that
you couldn't take part in six match weeks in a row.
You could do five and then you had to take

(01:04:15):
the next weekend off and that was enforced around that
very quantifiable number. I'm pretty sure that's not the case
now because I look at a guy like Christian Leo
Willie and he's not necessarily a front line All Black,
but he is in the All Blacks conversation. He didn't
miss a game all year. He started every single game.

(01:04:36):
He didn't just feature, he started every single game for
the Crusaders this year. Quint Supaire played a heck of
a lot of rugby for the Chiefs. He might have
had one game off I think throughout the season. And
those are just two examples. There are others as well.
Josh Morby has just been called into the All Blacks.
He played I think every game for the Hurricanes might

(01:04:56):
have missed one. Perhaps if I was a super rugby
franchise CEO says this text, I'd be slashing ticket prices
the week before the Test with all the best players missing.
Market it as a chance to fill your stadium, make
it a big event. Would offset the amount of people
who wouldn't normally turn up. Can flip the script into

(01:05:16):
a positive story. I don't mind it. I don't mind it. Yeah,
I mean they're gonna have to do something, aren't they.
Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is our number.
There'll be more to come on this, no doubt, across
the next little while. Just updating you on the World
Cup where the two games that have been playing out

(01:05:39):
have finished. Just let me bring my screen up here
so I can actually tell you what happened in these games.
So Colombia and Portugal have drawn nil all, and the
Democratic Republic of Congo have beaten Uzbekistan three to one
after being one nil down. So Columbia top that group,
Portugal second, and Congo will go through as one of

(01:06:00):
the best third placed finishes. Just cycling back to the
football because after the game last night, I had an
opportunity to catch up with All White head coach Darren
Baseley to get his assessment of the performance in the
five to one loss to Belgium.

Speaker 18 (01:06:18):
Yeah, I mean it's it's probably still sinking in, you
know that we were out and that we have to
go home. This was this was a tough evening tonight.
You know, we we knew we would have to survive.
We knew, you know that when Belgium put their team
sheeting that you know, this is a really strong, strong team,
and the first twenty minutes was tough, you know, living,

(01:06:39):
you staying in the game, surviving, and you know, I
thought the guys did a great job defending you know,
last last gasp, defending emergency, defending you know, we were
staying in the game and that was what the plan
needed to be. We needed to stay in the game
as long as we can open the game up second half,
you know, and try and win the game tonight to
get that win that we wanted. But then we conceded

(01:07:01):
a really poor goal and you know, then we have
to chase a game because you know, this is a
team are not just going to go let's lose to nil.

Speaker 5 (01:07:09):
We opened the.

Speaker 18 (01:07:10):
Game up, made a lot of attacking changes, you know,
and again against a team like this, you know, you
run the risk of conceding goals like we did. But
you know, when I look back, so proud of the players.
They work so hard today. But you know that our
World Cup exit isn't really tonight. It was you know,
when we're leading twice against the ran and leading yet Egypt,
that they were the points that we needed to qualify

(01:07:32):
out of this group and we didn't. We didn't do
that and we left ourselves a tough task to beat
Belgium tonight.

Speaker 3 (01:07:38):
Was there anything that you could have done differently tonight?

Speaker 18 (01:07:42):
Do you think, yeah, we could have defended a corner better.
You know, you know, football is all about moments. Like
I say, you know, we've conceded goals tonight, but for
lots of that game we defended really well, you know,
defended heroically at times, blocking crosses, blocking shots, defending our goal.

(01:08:02):
But it was you know, they're a very good team
for you know, throughout the whole team little with your
top players in top leagues, and you know, they're a
very good team. They don't lose the ball, you know,
which means there's so good in possession. That means they
can make runs and you know, and find each other.
And yeah, like I say, it was tough. It was
tough for us to live with. We needed to get

(01:08:22):
to half time neil nil. We didn't, you know, then
I think you'll see that we we went for it.
You know, we made changes, got some pace on and
in the wide areas, and you know, and innconceded, which
doesn't help because then we opened the game up even
more and took a six off, went to two tens
with Callum and yeah, we tried, we tried to get
back in the game. We weren't going to just leave

(01:08:45):
this World Cup, you know, defending a two nil loss.
You know, we wanted to try and score, try and
get back in the game, you know, but unfortunately we
got punished a few two times, and you know, the
late goals hurt. But you know, like I say, tonight
wasn't really where we didn't qualify for the group stage
knockout stage. It was you know, probably our first two

(01:09:06):
games where we had better opportunities to pick up points
than probably tonight.

Speaker 3 (01:09:10):
Can I ask about Eli just are Goldigan tonight? That's three?
Now this World Cup there's this a launching pad for
Elijah to go on to bigger things at club and
international level.

Speaker 18 (01:09:23):
It has to be you know, I thought tonight he
was outstanding. You know, he's he's one of our players
that is able to live at this level. I felt,
you know, he he didn't really give the ball away.
He got into little areas and he's able to wriggle
out of tight spaces. He got turned face forward. You know,
he did look bright throughout the game and capped that
off with a really nice goal, you know, and gave

(01:09:44):
the fans something to curiate. You know that the fans
have been great. You know, they've traveled a long long way,
as you have traveled a long way to come here
to support the boys and the boys really felt the
support that they've got and the love, and they're so
disappointed that, you know, the journeys ended for us and
for the fans. Yeah, the fans have been amazing and

(01:10:08):
we gave them a little moment, but you know, tonight
it wasn't our day.

Speaker 3 (01:10:14):
I know, twenty thirty seams a long way away, but
there are players who you know, at the age that
they could go another World Cup or more. How much
benefit do you think a number of these players will
gain from the twenty twenty six World Cup with an
eye on future World Cups?

Speaker 6 (01:10:30):
I think this is massive.

Speaker 18 (01:10:31):
You know, we don't play we don't play these games,
you know, not World Cup games, but we don't play
competitive games.

Speaker 17 (01:10:38):
You know.

Speaker 18 (01:10:38):
We obviously go through our qualifiers in Oceania and then
we spend the rest of the time playing international friendlies
and yeah, we can call them FIFA series and try
and put points on them for games, but you can't
replicate this where it's brutal and ruthless, you know. And
this is and for some of our players you know,
that are not playing in the Premier League or not

(01:10:59):
playing in the top top leagues, like a lot of
the Belgium guys are you know, playing in Italy and
Spain and the leagues. We don't get enough of those
moments for the players to feel it, for the players
to really live in those moments that we've had at
this World Cup, whether that was the Egypt game, either
the Iran game or tonight. Most of these players are

(01:11:20):
going again. You know that most of these guys will
be back in four years time and they will be
better for it, and they have to be better for it,
you know if we're going to get to where we
all want to, which is into those knockout games, and
you know, yeah, we have to be better in moments.
We've sort of said it all through the tournament. Football's
about moments. We need to be better in the defensive moments.

(01:11:40):
No lapses of concentration. I think I said that yesterday
where for us to win today, we had to be flawless,
you know, and you know when there was a corner
we weren't, and suddenly you would kneel down and the
game is different. But yeah, they'll they'll definitely learn from it.
This is a great group of players that have got
a really great future, bright future both individually at clubs

(01:12:04):
you know, and together, you know there, they'll definitely be
better for it because it will hurt, and it should
hurt because we're at a World Cup and now we're
going home, so it should hurt you having to go
home and watch the rest of this World Cup on
the Tully. Yeah, it would be difficult.

Speaker 3 (01:12:22):
That's the voice of Darren basically all Whites head coach.
After the loss to Belgium last night in Vancouver, coming
up nineteen away from two. We'll take a bay come
back on Sunday afternoons. We always catch up with James mcconey.
Today is no different. He's with us after this on
Weekend Sport.

Speaker 1 (01:12:38):
Lay from the biggest sporting event in the world. It's
Weekend Sport with Jason Pine in Vancouver playing Quantas from
New Zealand on your home of Sport News.

Speaker 3 (01:12:49):
Talks B News Talks THEREB and Weekend Sport Well. I
confidently said that we would talk to James mcconey and
I still feel confident that we will here. I know
is in Vancouver because I saw him last night. In fact,
I saw him this morning as well at a media session.
I should have checked with him that he was available
for his regular slot. He never lets us down, so

(01:13:11):
we'll keep on trying James mcconey and hopefully get him
on with his take on this World Cup. Here I
see us off to Glasgow as well to cover the
Commonwealth game, so he'll have to quickly pivot from North
America to Scotland to cover the Commonwealth games in Glasgow.
While we're waiting for James to present himself, the round

(01:13:34):
of thirty two at the Football World Cup is starting
to take shape. I was just about to launch in two.
I was just about to launch into the round of
thirty two and he's appeared.

Speaker 7 (01:13:45):
Hello mate, Hello Piney, how are you?

Speaker 3 (01:13:49):
I'm good? Thanks, it seems only an hour or so
since I last saw you. How have you enjoyed Vancouver.
How have you enjoyed the World Cup?

Speaker 11 (01:13:58):
Look?

Speaker 19 (01:13:58):
I think the World Cup's been fantastic. I think it's
one of those tournaments that keeps on giving. I reckon
that New Zealand acquitted themselves was really well, and to
be honest, I think that the New Zealand team can
be proud.

Speaker 7 (01:14:11):
Of what they've done, even though they leaked a few goals.

Speaker 19 (01:14:14):
I think the style that we played, that possession style
football with the rotating attacking triangle of singing Justin Macowart was,
and then Thomas when he played.

Speaker 7 (01:14:26):
I thought that's something new and I really liked that Elis.

Speaker 3 (01:14:30):
He seems to be capturing all the headlines. Certainly has
been the standout New Zealand player at this World Cup.
What do you predict for Elis? What do you think
his ceiling could be?

Speaker 7 (01:14:42):
I think Eli will be going to a big club.
I just don't know where.

Speaker 19 (01:14:48):
I think a few weeks ago, a couple of months ago,
I said on your show Piney, Hey, if you've got
a kid who's only end up as at five foot seven,
don't freat because all our greatest a lot of our
greatest athletes are five foot seven, including Zoe Sadowski Senate
and Lydia Coe and now Elijah just just sixty five.

Speaker 7 (01:15:06):
Key.

Speaker 19 (01:15:06):
I think that he can go to a big club,
maybe in the French League where his former motherwill coach
is gone, maybe even to Spain, but I think he
could even end up in the Premier League. We just
it's a wait and see game, as his agent will
be receiving so many offers, and he told us today Pony,
he's hoping that he is tabling all the offers soon.

Speaker 3 (01:15:29):
Yes, he said he's deliberately not talked to his agent
during the World Cup, which is probably wise because you
don't want to be distracted. I guess it's like when
you put your house up for tender. The real estate
agent goes away and tries to collect as many bids
as he can, and then he turns back up at
your house and presents them all to you. So hopefully
when he and Eli chat next to'll have about eleven

(01:15:50):
envelopes for him to have a look at exactly.

Speaker 19 (01:15:53):
That's the whole thing. I think Eli has probably been
he's been the shining light. But I think there's a
lot of players who can expect to get some offers
in front of them. I think Finn Sermon at the back,
looking really commanding, made a couple of air but in
the at the end of the day, he was so
impressive as a young center back.

Speaker 7 (01:16:10):
I think he'll go to a big club.

Speaker 19 (01:16:12):
I think Macowitt we'll get some knocks on the door
after his performance in the first half of the game,
well the first three quarters against Egypt, and then you
know Marco Staminich. Surely someone's going to take a look
at him, he looks like he could be something special.
And I mean Tyler Bindon's already on the books with

(01:16:32):
Nottingham Forest, but we wait and see Piney. It's actually
pretty encouraging. I think we're going to have a lot
of New Zealand players playing in bigger leagues and maybe
just scouts. Looking at our academies because the Ola Academy
under Declan Edge has produced about six or seven of
these players.

Speaker 3 (01:16:49):
Yeah, and the Wellington Phoenis Academy the same. A lot
of these players also came through the Phoenix Academy. So
clearly doing something right at those two organizations to to
you know, to produce this golden generation. I guess that's
the other part of a World Cup as well, James.
You know, yes New Zealand haven't progressed. Yes, I've gone
out in the group stages. But it's a stage, isn't
it for players to you know, to display their wares,

(01:17:11):
to show what they can do in front of I mean,
there's so many eyes on this tournament that you know,
some of those eyes would have fallen on many of
these New Zealand players.

Speaker 7 (01:17:21):
That's right.

Speaker 19 (01:17:22):
And the one thing that I mean, I know New
Zealander is that we all want medals and podium finishers
and all that sort of stuff, But the World Cup
is a different beast. You know, there's so many traditional
powers where football is religion. You look at Mexico, who
have performed really well in this World Cup. I don't
think they've ever made a semi final. I mean maybe
back in the day, but definitely a country of one
hundred and thirty million that's football mad, like Mexico struggles

(01:17:45):
at the.

Speaker 7 (01:17:45):
World Cup traditionally.

Speaker 19 (01:17:47):
So for New Zealand to go there, we're actually doing
We're punching above our weights and now I think we've
produced players you could says no longer Chris Woods team.
It's Elijah Callum, Marco and Finn's team.

Speaker 3 (01:18:00):
Yeah, absolutely right. I'm not sure how much of the
other games you've had a chance to watch. It's been
quite weird. You come to World Cup but you sort
of end up sort of just covering the team of
the nation you're from, and I'm not sure you get
the chance to watch much else. But from what you've seen,
is there anybody who stands out apart from that child
in the background, anyone who stands out as a possibility

(01:18:20):
of winning the World Cup.

Speaker 7 (01:18:23):
Yeah, I'm really sorry.

Speaker 19 (01:18:24):
I'm at a sport a store called sports check because
it's my one chance to do some shopping, and I'm
sorry there is some background noise. But hey, look I
think Spain. I expected them to be better, but I
think they will improve. And look, they have been pretty
tight in defense, which is going to matter even more
once you get to the knockout rounds. The Dutch have

(01:18:45):
been pretty good, and so again a country that probably
has always wanted to do better at the World Cup
have a team that could do something special. Look, any
of the top One thing about all those top nations,
even England, have a lot to like about them. My
one issue with England is they rely so heavily on

(01:19:05):
Bellingham and that if anything happens to either of those
two players, they're in deep trouble.

Speaker 3 (01:19:11):
Yeah, indeed they are. Well, I'm going to let you
get back to your shopping. I didn't realize we're cut
into your retail therapy window here on a lucky sport
but it's been it's been amazing to share some time
with you somewhere other than this little segment of ours
on Sunday afternoons, it was a great delight to sit
alongside you at BC place for the game against Egypt. James,

(01:19:35):
I hope you travel safe. Are you coming home? You're
going to Glasgow? I see are you?

Speaker 19 (01:19:40):
I'm going to Glasgow Comworff Games reporting for Sky there.

Speaker 7 (01:19:45):
So that's a big ten day event and I can't wait.

Speaker 19 (01:19:47):
But in between them, going on a walking holiday in
the Lake district where the poets wrote their poems. So
I'll be writing some poetry, poney. I'm happy to share
some with the listeners. I'm sure they'll be keen to
hear something. And it was real. I've got to say,
it was a pleasure sitting beside you, and I realized
with the all have been a fan with them, of them.

Speaker 7 (01:20:08):
Since I was a kid.

Speaker 19 (01:20:09):
I think I was more like a fan than I
was an objective member of the media up in the stands.

Speaker 3 (01:20:13):
So my apologies, No, there's no apology necessary. I think
we're all fans at heart. We all end up watching
the games we watch because we were fans when we
were younger. Hey, travel safe, mate, Hopefully we can catch
up next Sunday. And here's some of that poetry of yours.

Speaker 7 (01:20:29):
Yeah, can't wait. To share it all right, Poney, it's
been a pleasure.

Speaker 3 (01:20:33):
It's been a pleasure for me to see you, mate,
James mcconey in a shop somewhere in downtown Vancouver looking
for goodness only knows what. Probably some walking shoes if
he's off Honors walking holiday. Always a big part of
our Sundays. Eight away from two News Talks, he'd.

Speaker 1 (01:20:50):
Be following the always as they take on the world.
It's the weekend sport with Jason ben Lave and Vancouver
playing quantest from New Zealand News Talks.

Speaker 3 (01:21:01):
EDB News Talks. He'd be five to two well before
I was rudely interrupted by our scheduled gear. I was
about to reel off some of the Round of thirty
two matches of the Football World Cups. I can do
that now tomorrow, just a one game tomorrow. It is
South Africa against Canada. Now these are all knockout games, right,
Every game now is a knockout game. So South Africa
Canada tomorrow. That's a seven am kickoff New Zealand time.

(01:21:23):
A great lineup on Tuesday, Brazil Japan at five am,
Germany Paraguay at eight thirty am, and then the Netherlands
against Morocco at one pm. That is an absolutely stellar
lineup for your Tuesday. Following that on Wednesday, the Ivory
Coast against Norway, France against Sweden, and Mexico against Ecuador.

(01:21:49):
And then we go into Thursday where England play the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium come up against Senegal, and
the United States take on Bosnia and her Sevigina hertze Goavina.
I got that right. I'm not sure, but I think
you know that country I'm talking about. Beyond that, there
are a couple of places still to be determined because

(01:22:10):
there are two matches left at the Football World Cup
group stage, as Argentina are about to take on Jordan
and Austria are playing Algeria. Once those games are finished,
our round of thirty two lineup will be complete. After
the two o'clock news, we'll dip into the Warriors cracking
game against the Dolphins. Really good game of rugby league

(01:22:33):
for the neutral Unfortunately for Warriors fans they were on
the wrong end of a two point loss. Matt Russell
commentated the game. He's with us after two.

Speaker 1 (01:22:45):
From New Zealand to North America for Football's greatest event,
following the all nights as they take on the world,
the highs, the heartbreak, the moments that stay with you forever.
Live in Vancouver, playing Quantas from New Zealand. This is
your front row seat to the biggest sports event in

(01:23:05):
the world. It's Weekend Sport with Jason Hine on your
home of Thought News Talk.

Speaker 3 (01:23:11):
Zemb Hello there and welcome back into the show. Welcome
into the show. If this is the first time you've
dipped in this afternoon at two oh seven, I'm Jason Pine.
Ada McDonald's running the cutter. We're hed till three and
then Tim Beveridge is in the chair for the Weekend Collective,
the Sunday edition. Before we get there, quite a bit

(01:23:34):
to get through. Actually, Joseph Romanos has written another book.
I don't know what number this is, but he is
so prolific on sporting books. He's written a book profiling
fifty of New Zealand's greatest Olympians, and not only that,
he's attempted to rank them from one to fifty. Have

(01:23:56):
a chat to Joseph Romanos about that. The Northern Mystics
Rayons Premiership Netball champions again beating the Steel yesterday Mikayla
Sokolch beats in as their captain. She's on show and
the Warriors one of the games of the season. But
going down twenty six twenty four to the Dolphins, they're
still second. What did you make of it? What did

(01:24:17):
Matt Russell make of it? He was calling the game.
He's on the show with us. Shortly just before we
move on, Doug has gotten in touch via email. I
was wondering in the last hour when the last time
the All Blacks played a Test match in April.

Speaker 6 (01:24:30):
Was this?

Speaker 3 (01:24:31):
Of course, off the back of the news that next
year they will and two years after that and two
years after that the Anzac Day Bledislow Cup Test is
about to become a reality. Doug has told me. The
only previous All Blacks matches in April appear to be
three matches against a World fifteen in nineteen ninety two

(01:24:51):
for the New Zealand Rugby Football Union Centennial. I remember
those games. I think they might have been the first
games for five point tries. Anyway, they were in April.
The only other one was against Canada at Eden par
in nineteen ninety five. That would have been just before
the All Blacks headed off to the Rugby World Cup

(01:25:12):
that year. Doug, thank you so much. Great to have
that detail. So what's that thirty two years on from
that Eden Park game, we're finally going to have another one,
the first time an All Blacks test has been played
this early in the year in the professional era. Time
ticking on, it's coming up ten past two. As we

(01:25:34):
always do at the start of this hour on weekend sport,
we like to make sure that you're up to date,
fully abreast of everything that's happened, in case you missed it.
Chaos in Formula one qualifying in Austria.

Speaker 5 (01:25:52):
George Russell will be the last across the lake as
PS three only makes it PECE seven.

Speaker 1 (01:25:57):
There is no funning on.

Speaker 7 (01:25:59):
But that is a big moment from.

Speaker 3 (01:26:00):
Maxmas Davin and he's out heading to the barriers as.

Speaker 10 (01:26:04):
He was pushing the pole.

Speaker 3 (01:26:05):
He loved it to turn nine. Dan's going to cost
George Russell too because there's yellow flags down there. The
in fact, it didn't cost George Russell too much. He
somehow still qualified fastest for the Austrian Grand pre tomorrow.
Liam Lawson made it through two Q three. He'll be
ninth on the grid back home. Marta two have moved

(01:26:27):
to the top of Super Rugby. Opeki brilliant run from
Benky mormore or it he's got two chimeas thin head
a king and over the line. Then Testa playing from
mutter too King's name.

Speaker 10 (01:26:41):
We'll go on the scoreeshet for Benky moremore stand up.

Speaker 3 (01:26:46):
The win over the Blues by twenty seven points to
twenty one makes Marta two the only undefeated team left
in the comp to the NRL, the Cowboys have handed
the Panthers back to back losses. Whops it up here again,
targeting off Edward's coming across.

Speaker 1 (01:27:01):
Oh my god, it's the catch on time.

Speaker 20 (01:27:09):
Absolutely incredible, he said the dad.

Speaker 3 (01:27:12):
Twenty six twelve the final score. But Penrith were that
far ahead. They still remain clear at the top of
the ladder. Manly meantime, lumping more misery on the Melbourne
Storms struggling season. Melbourne on the rack.

Speaker 1 (01:27:26):
Here it comes togans lo just time.

Speaker 3 (01:27:29):
Here he goes a figures.

Speaker 4 (01:27:33):
Say save SUPs clean as a whistle.

Speaker 7 (01:27:38):
In the corner.

Speaker 3 (01:27:39):
Thirty points to four the final score. Melbourne well outside
the top eight and to cricket. The White Ferns T
twenty World Cup defense is over and it.

Speaker 21 (01:27:50):
Ends with a wide. The West Indies will be celebrating
even though they lost today against Ireland. They join in
England as the two sides who are guaranteed a semi
final spot.

Speaker 3 (01:28:06):
The White Fern's going down to England by nine wickets
and farewelling three of their greats Lea to Who Susie
Bates and Sophie Devine, and the black Caps surging back
into the ascendancy at trent Bridge in the third Test,
dismissing England for three point fifty four. Then rich In
Ravendra pushing the black Caps on.

Speaker 6 (01:28:26):
Stoke's not happy with himself.

Speaker 8 (01:28:27):
He's drifted onto Revender's PUDs and that has been tott
away in fine style.

Speaker 3 (01:28:33):
Chan Ravendra goes to fifty, a crucial little knot from
Rutchin Ravendra.

Speaker 1 (01:28:39):
Kicking is in Vancouver and football's pinnacle event. It's weekend
Sport with Jason Vine flaying quantas from New Zealand News
Talk zemb.

Speaker 3 (01:28:49):
Just on that Test cricket It stumps on Day three,
New Zealander one hundred and twenty for three in their
second innings. That is an overall lead of two hundred
and four runs over England with seven second innings wickets
in hand and two days to play, So they really
are in the ascendancy there. Vendra unbeaten on sixty. Daryl
Mitchell is with him on twenty six, a lead of

(01:29:11):
over two hundred. Remember, the series is level at one
game apiece one Test apiece. Could it be a Test
Series win in England for New Zealand for just the
fourth time? I guess we'll find out over the next
two days. This is News Talks, he'd be and Weekend Sport.
It is thirteen past two. It was one of the
games of the NRL season yesterday, but unfortunately for Warriors fans,

(01:29:37):
it ended in defeat. It goes to play.

Speaker 4 (01:29:40):
Schneider has crunched his pass, bouncing into the possession at
Selwyn Tabo who rhymes them oh Selwyn Tobo delivered for
the Dolphins and he's delirious, delirious fans who are here
on this Jermaine.

Speaker 3 (01:29:58):
Osako for the Dolphins.

Speaker 1 (01:30:00):
To take the word.

Speaker 3 (01:30:02):
He just doesn't miss.

Speaker 4 (01:30:05):
The Dolphins the back in fronts via the boots at
the league's leading store.

Speaker 3 (01:30:11):
The Dolphins have the up. Oh don't come from behind.

Speaker 4 (01:30:16):
Lakes, they will count it down at.

Speaker 3 (01:30:19):
Sun Corp Stadium. After trading blows with the Dolphins and
a fast paced, high quality contest at sun Corp and Brisbane,
the Warriors considered that late try, which was converted to
go down by twenty six points to twenty four. The
win moves the Dolphins level on points with the Warriors,
but the Warriors stay second due to a better points differential.

(01:30:40):
To break it all down, we're joined by one of
rugby league's most experienced to broadcasters and commentators, Matt Russell,
who called the game last night. Matt, that had a
genuine Finals intensity about it just watching on TV. What
was it like at the ground?

Speaker 11 (01:30:56):
Absolutely one of the games of the season.

Speaker 15 (01:30:58):
When I was in the media conference afterwards, I was
speaking with a colleague, Lara Pittna, I thought I need
to gather them a sensus before we start working out
what questions we're going to ask the because so much happened.
It was a blur, it really was, and to see
not only so many great tri scored, but so many
great try saves, high quality game. Both coaches, while unhappy
to lose one of them, we're both happy with their

(01:31:21):
performances and really we left the ground saying all of us, myself,
Lara Shaw, Johnson, Luke Keary, let's hope they play again,
probably through September, maybe maybe even in the first Sunday
of October.

Speaker 3 (01:31:33):
We'll see, Yeah, we'll see. It would be well, it
would be great to see if that does eventuate. In
terms of the game itself, did Andrew Webster when you
saw him speak afterwards, Matt did it feel as though
he thought they'd lost two competition points or will he
still take plenty from the game going toe to toe
with another heavyweight of the nrlder season.

Speaker 15 (01:31:54):
Both he and the team will take plenty from that performance,
but he was disappointed to put so much into the
game and not take two premiership points. Now they're still
safely inside that top four, they're still very very well positioned,
But he said afterwards, doing just a couple of things
before half time, and obviously in the last four minutes
where they could have executed much better, he sort of

(01:32:14):
felt that had they just tied it up a few
little areas, they would have escaped with those two points.
But really, from a neutral's point of view, it made
the great theater. Selwyn Cobbo outstanding. I've got Tannis Stowers
Smith was fantastic in his starting role in the absence
of some high profile forwards. Both sides are down some players,

(01:32:34):
but especially the Warriors, and to go that close to
beating the Dolphins at sun Corp in that sort of atmosphere,
I think it speaks very loudly for the Warriors, especially
as they get set to welcome some bodies back after
the buy.

Speaker 3 (01:32:48):
Eight straight ones. Now for the Dolphins, they're making a
statement an they met. Have they now established themselves as
genuine Premiership contenders?

Speaker 11 (01:32:55):
Absolutely?

Speaker 10 (01:32:56):
They had.

Speaker 11 (01:32:56):
Absolutely.

Speaker 15 (01:32:57):
They have a winning streak of that length is a
great indicator of your Grand Final claims. I could ravel
off some numbers, I won't bore you, but they certainly
look like they are very worthy finalists and will take
some beating. I love the fact that they've improved their defense. Yes,
we lord their attack and we saw that yesterday again.
Don't they have some strike in the back three of Hamaso,

(01:33:20):
Tabioi Fedo and Selwyn Cobber. Jermaine A. Sarko, the competition's
leading points score who said his own little bit of
history yesterday, the first player in premiership history. So back
to nineteen o eight to score twelve plus points in
now nine straight games. There's a lot of numbers there,
but he's built a career on building big numbers. Jamainus
I with those other two I mentioned, such a lethal

(01:33:43):
back three, but for me it's their defense. They have
improved in that area immensely there. I think top three
in the league defensively like the Warriors they sit in second.
So we all sit back and applaud the Warriors and
the Dolphins with what they can do with the ball.
I'm glad yesterday we were reminded what they can do
without the ball with a series of trisays on both teams,
it must be said, And yeah, the Warriors have been

(01:34:05):
good in that regard for a couple of weeks now tomorrow.
Martin his tri saved last week at christ Church fantastic.
Then he was out of it again yesterday along with
Dowers Smith as I mentioned. So yeah, in answer to
your question, the Dolphins definitely look good in both areas
of the game.

Speaker 3 (01:34:20):
The Warrior is about to put up with a few injuries.
Injuries are a part of the NRL, they're a part
of rugby league. It's a physical contact sport, but jackson
Ford going down that one, that one really hurt us.
How do you assays the Warrior's ability to do without
jackson Ford until probably week one of the finals if
everything goes well.

Speaker 1 (01:34:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (01:34:39):
I read that he might get back for round twenty six.
That was his aim anyway, which would give him two
weeks before the finals and you know, a big fresh
up as well. The fact that he was able to
have hopes of returning at all this season I took
us a big class because when he trudged off one
New Zealand Stadium last week, I thought, all that peck
looks bad. I suspect that might be him for the year.
So he will come back. And yesterday we saw they

(01:35:02):
can handle his absence even though they will beat They
handled it well. I thought Jacob Labn was absolutely outstanding.
Andrew Webster spoke about him postgame as being in good
form for a month now or more. Tannas Dowers Smith
enjoyed that starting role. You'll get James Fisher Harrows back,
You'll get Leka halla Sema back shortly, so I think

(01:35:23):
you can handle. There's enough depth there to handle the
absence of Jackson Ford for the next couple of months
before hopefully you get back, say around twenty six or
twenty seven.

Speaker 3 (01:35:33):
Do you think what would be your view on Luke Metcalf.
He's available to play for the Warriors. We all know
he's leaving at the end of the season. He hasn't
played since that announcement was made. If you're Andrew Webster,
how tempting would it be to utilize Luke Metcalf for
the rest of this season.

Speaker 15 (01:35:50):
That question was asked yesterday by Luke Keery and Shawn Johnson,
my expert commentators, and they both agreed that, well, if
there's a chance, get him on. But unfortunately, just as
they were talking about that, an injury meant they had
to use another bench player. Therefore players were used and
they couldn't call on Louke. Now, I think it's pretty
simple for for Andrew Webbs. So when the team is

(01:36:11):
playing this well, when the team has Tomado Martin and
Chanelle Harris to v the delivering like they are, why
change it? Like you can't bring You can't just flick
your fingers and bring Metcalf in because he has been
good in the past, because he has this deserved great reputation.
It must be very comforting for Andrew Webbs. Don't know, well,

(01:36:33):
if one of my halves goes down, look who's ready
to come in and pick up the slack. But right here,
right now, pretty simply, when this six and seven is
doing as well as the combination is, then there's not
really a temptation to bring him on unless the situation
of the game allowed it and you still had interchanges
up your sleeve.

Speaker 3 (01:36:52):
Panthers, Warriors, Dolphin's roosters. As we said here right now, Matt,
are the top four? Does that feel like the top four?
Or is it just still too close to Cool Sea Eagles,
Rabbit O Sharks Nights, even the Cowboys. It's pretty tight,
but there's the top four fuel like the top four.

Speaker 11 (01:37:07):
I was looking at the ladder last night.

Speaker 15 (01:37:09):
I thought, boy, those last few rounds, there's going to
be a great go for the top four and for
the top eight. We should become used to that, shouldn't
when it seems to be the case every year. But
for me, that's the top four. The other teams you
just rattled off outside the top four while they have
claims and while they could catch fire. To me, you know,
the Roosters are a team really on the up. We've
seen what Penrith can do, even though they've had back

(01:37:31):
to back losses. It is during the origin period and
the way they started the season. Chose to me and
I'll get back to that. So then you left with
the two teams we saw yesterday, and boy they look
every inch a top four team Warriors and Dolphins. So
right here, right now, I think that's a pretty strong
and fairly consistent top four that I think should finish

(01:37:51):
pretty close to one, two, three four.

Speaker 3 (01:37:54):
I love to call last night, Matt. Always enjoy talking
right bi League with you on the radio. Thanks for
taking the time this afternoon.

Speaker 15 (01:38:00):
No problems at all, Have a great day.

Speaker 3 (01:38:02):
You have a great day too, Matt. Thanks indeed, Matt Russell,
they're one of the most experience broadcasters and commentators going around.
So the Warriors going down twenty six twenty four last
night to the Dolphins or yesterday afternoon, so looking ahead
to the Warriors upcoming matches, I mean, there's still second
so there's no need to panic, Absolutely no need to

(01:38:22):
panic here. A loss to the Dolphins is nothing to
be worried about. I mean, eight games in a row
they've won the Dolphins. In fact, the last team to
beat them, I think was the Warriors. But we have
to go back a couple of months to find that game.
That was the Antac Day game in Wellington, wasn't it
when the Warriors won twenty points to eighteen. So over

(01:38:44):
two months since the Dolphins last lost a game. So
next for the Warriors, they take on the West Tigers
at Campbelltown on Friday, the tenth of July. They got
the buye. We've got the by next, all right, so
we can all just sort of call our jets a
little bit, have a bit of a arrest and refresh,
and the Warriors will enjoy the buye. Then it is

(01:39:06):
the West Tigers, as I say, on the evening of Friday,
the tenth of July at Campbelltown. Back home to take
on the Dragons, who are kind of lang wishing down
near the bottom of the ladder. In fact, they are
bottom and seventeenth place. That's on Saturday, the eighteenth of
July at seven thirty five, and then away to the
Bulldogs the following Saturday night. The Bulldogs currently tucked into

(01:39:29):
tenth place on the table. And then it's away to
the Titans after that, and then Friday, the seventh of August.
That is the one I think everybody is very much
looking forward to, when the Penrith Panthers visit go Media
Stadium for a clash against the Warriors. Those two teams
currently one and two on the table. Of course, we

(01:39:49):
don't know what it looked like after four or five
more games, but it's still set to be an absolute cracker.
Could be a season defining game in many ways. Friday
the seventh of August, when the Warriors host the Panthers
at go Media Stadium. How we're going for time? It's
two twenty four, my says Jason. It's not the game

(01:40:10):
of the season. If we lose it, please retract, Please retract.
I won't retract, mus I can hover above the game
and say what a game it was, And even afterwards,
I think both sets of players and coaching staff said, hey,
that's a great game of rugby league, a fantastic advertisement
for the NRL. Yes, we're on the losing side of it,

(01:40:30):
so perhaps it can't absolutely be from the Warriors point
of view, the game of the season. I think it
was still a good contest. Two twenty five will take
a break when we come back, it's to the winning
captain in nepals A and Z Premiership. The Northern Mystic
spending the Southern Steel last night at Trust's Arena, Mikayla
Sokolitch Beatson is going to luxuriate in that victory with

(01:40:53):
us when we come back.

Speaker 1 (01:40:55):
In New Zealand's Voice of Football add its Force Pinnacle Events,
It's Weekend Sport with Jason Vine in Vancouver playing quants
from New Zealand Youth Talk said be.

Speaker 3 (01:41:06):
News Talks ABN Weekend Sport. It's a two twenty eight.
The Northern Mystics are A and Z Premiership Netball champions
once again after a superb performance in last night's grand final.

Speaker 20 (01:41:18):
Always the Prides Made, never the Bride, My Wilson's gonna
get an Asient Premiership title. The Northern Mystics are the
twenty twenty six an ZID Premiership champions.

Speaker 2 (01:41:33):
Delight.

Speaker 20 (01:41:34):
It'sed on the face of teal whin it can a
mid jumping.

Speaker 3 (01:41:38):
For joy, the Mystics producing a composed, clinical display to
beat the Southern Steel fifty six forty six, capping off
an outstanding season by lifting the trophy for the fourth time.
A victory built on experience, defense of pressure, and poise
in the biggest moments with captain Mikaela Sokolech beats and
leading from the front. Mikayla, congratulations and thanks for taking

(01:42:00):
the time for a chat this afternoon. You beat a
very good Southern steel side fifty six forty six. What
was the key to being able to control the game
for so long and to really dominate the scoreboard right
from the start?

Speaker 22 (01:42:12):
Well, firstly, that was a great intro. Thank you for that.
I really appreciate those kind words. I think for us
knowing it was going to be really hard, like we
were under no illusion that when was just going to
fall in our lap. We knew we were going to
have to work really hard for it, and we knew
that everyone had to do their own job and not

(01:42:33):
try to help out or do other people's jobs for them.

Speaker 3 (01:42:37):
It looked like experience really counted in key moments during
the game, and I guess that's, you know, pretty commonplace
in a Grand Final. Did you feel as though your
team was calmer because of everything you've been through over
the past few years.

Speaker 6 (01:42:52):
One.

Speaker 22 (01:42:55):
I guess so many of that group have been in
a final. I think across. I'll like the team on
the court. I think every single one of us has
played in the final and started and wing have been
there before. You know exactly what to expect. Then, I
think because of that, we were able to be really
diligent with our trip, and we knew the things that

(01:43:17):
we had to do in terms of like staying in
the moment, don't get caught up on the outcome, and
all of those things I think allowed us to play
the way we played in.

Speaker 3 (01:43:28):
The defensive circle yourself in Phoenix Kuttaka. Such a big
influence on this game was that a specific area that
the team targeted heading into the game being defensively compact
and sound.

Speaker 22 (01:43:43):
Well, we're really lucky. Rob coaches the defense and Tear
coaches the attack, and they do a really good job
at coming together. So we actually focus on both ends
of the court equally because of the way that our
coaches coaches. But there was a little bit more of
an effet on through court defense, which actually worked because
Pether got some tips mayed that Philly did. So yeah, defense,

(01:44:07):
we knew we haven't been great at our through court defense,
and we knew if we could tidy that up, we
would be good.

Speaker 3 (01:44:14):
At the other end, you mentioned Maya Wilson, Phil Devouy
outstanding in the shooting circle, Petitoyava controlling so much through
midquart It just seems like such a complete team. Is
this one of the more complete Mystics teams that you've
been a part of.

Speaker 22 (01:44:31):
Honestly, I feel like for the last maybe six years
at Leave, Miss six has had a really core group
of players, and because of that, I think we managed
to pull new people in quite seamlessly, and so I
think like Maya coming in was awesome, and I feel
like she's slotted in really well. And it's easy to

(01:44:52):
do that when you've got a group who kind of
knows the known. We could just kind of pick her
up and be like, here, this is how we do
things that mistakes and she just embraced it.

Speaker 3 (01:45:03):
And the environment itself, it just keeps on producing champion
and ship performances. You mentioned a couple of your two
coaches there, but what else is it about this environment
that seems to create success fairly consistently?

Speaker 22 (01:45:19):
I would say one of our biggest things is putting
each other in places of tension, so social tension, emotional tension,
and physical tension and when your teammates push you to
the absolute breaking points, the opposition can't do anything to
you that you haven't already experienced that training, and honestly,

(01:45:41):
we give it to each other. People probably would come
into our environment and be like, oh my gosh, what
is happening here? Like it's pretty brutal at times, but
we also make a point of having lots of fun
with each other, which allows us to feel safe enough
to really challenge each other.

Speaker 3 (01:45:59):
Was losing last year is that fuel you hear? I
just think it might be a cliche. Oh, you know
they're so determined because they lost it last year. I
think you'd be determined anyway. But is a loss in
a Grand Final and the sting of that is that
motivational fuel the next time.

Speaker 22 (01:46:16):
I think losing shape the way we approached this year,
So it didn't necessarily fuel us the final, but it
filled us for the way we laid out this season,
and we made some really conscious decisions in the last
two weeks because of the decisions we made last year,
So there was little things that were like, no, we're

(01:46:37):
just cutting that out, We're not doing that, And so
I think losing definitely helped us prepare better.

Speaker 3 (01:46:44):
Was there a point during the season, Mikayla where you
thought to yourself, Okay, we've got a good team here,
this team, this team has what it takes to reach
the Grand Final and to win the Grand Final.

Speaker 22 (01:46:55):
Yeah, one hundred percent. When when I heard who our
team was for twenty twenty six other are you well good.

Speaker 3 (01:47:03):
Even before you played a game?

Speaker 22 (01:47:06):
Yeah, even because we're pretty much the same team, and
I was like, oh, yeah, it will be fine, no issues.
So you know, look at our team where we're amazing.

Speaker 3 (01:47:19):
Well it's turned out exactly in that fashion. What about leadership,
I don't know. It looks like something you really seem
to thrive on. How has captaining this team changed you
as a well as a player, as a person. How
much do you enjoy it?

Speaker 22 (01:47:34):
Honestly?

Speaker 3 (01:47:34):
I love it.

Speaker 22 (01:47:35):
I'm the type of person who likes to talk in
moments of pressure, and I'm someone who likes her talk
in general. So being a captain for suits me a bit.
But I think for me, the people that have like
supported me, like Sully was massive when she was our captain,
Like that amount I learned from her was crazy Because
there's a leadership shift to remove yourself from the from

(01:47:58):
the thing and look at it bigger picture. And like Tia,
I've discussed so many things of her. Pizza and Taylor
have helped immensely this year. And then Phoenix and Mayer
have also just be that they're amazing leaders in their
own right. And they didn't have a leadership title in
our team, but man, they picked up all these leadership
roles and I just felt so supported to just do

(01:48:19):
my job.

Speaker 3 (01:48:21):
How do you know what to say in those pressure moments.

Speaker 22 (01:48:25):
I don't know. I just make it up.

Speaker 2 (01:48:27):
Really, it seems to work.

Speaker 13 (01:48:31):
Make it up.

Speaker 3 (01:48:33):
Well, it absolutely seems to work. Doesn't seem to be
any any problems with it. So so did you? I mean,
was the celebration a decent one last night?

Speaker 16 (01:48:43):
Yeah?

Speaker 22 (01:48:44):
It was all our friends and family that came to
the game, were waiting at the pumps for us afterwards
and walking in and just seeing them all they like,
because you know, it's going than just us. They live
and breathe it too, so to share that moment with
them was lovely.

Speaker 3 (01:49:00):
All right, Well, congratulations, double congratulations to you personally and
to the team on another title, and thanks for having
a chat to us today.

Speaker 22 (01:49:10):
Yeah, appreciate it, thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:49:12):
No, thank you. Mikayla Mikaela Sokolch beats in captain of
the Northern Mystics, champions in the A and Z Premiership
for the fourth time after a fifty six forty six
win over the Southern Steel last night at Trust's Arena
twenty four minutes to three. We're going to take a break,
come back and prolific sports author Joseph Romanos is going

(01:49:34):
to join us. He has attempted to rank our fifty
Greatest Olympians in his latest book, How did he do it?
What sort of criteria did he use? And who is
number one? Joseph Romanos When we come back.

Speaker 1 (01:49:48):
Live in Vancouver for the year's biggest sporting event, It's
Weekend Sport with Jason Vine playing Quantis from New Zealand
News Talk Zebby.

Speaker 3 (01:49:59):
It's coming up twenty to three. Joseph Romanos has spent
a lifetime writing about New Zealand sport. He has attended
ten Olympic Games, interviewed athletes from every New Zealand Olympic
team dating back to nineteen twenty and written more than
fifty five oh books. His latest work, Our Olympic Legends

(01:50:20):
profiles fifty of New Zealand's greatest Olympians and attempts the
almost impossible task of ranking them. The book spans more
than a century of Olympic history, from water polo pioneer
Victor Lindbergh in nineteen hundred through to modern stars like
Zoey Sadowski. Senate Joseph Romaros is with us congratulations on

(01:50:42):
another great book. Joseph, What inspired you to take on
the challenge of not only identifying New Zealand's fifty greatest
Olympic legends but then ranking them?

Speaker 5 (01:50:53):
Arguments with my friends, Really, Jason, we were you know,
we were all pushing for who was the greatest and
who was next and so on, and there was a
lot of disagreement, and I thought, well, it might be interesting,
and then I got caught up in a bit in
the end.

Speaker 3 (01:51:08):
So it was always going to be a ranking book.
You weren't just putting together the fifty best and letting
the readers decide. You were always keen on ranking them yourself.

Speaker 5 (01:51:18):
I think it's a bit edg year if you give
your own opinion. I mean, people can disagree and that's fine,
but yeah, I just think it adds a dimension to it.

Speaker 3 (01:51:27):
You used four criteria quality of performance, quality of opposition,
longevity and impact on the New Zealand public. So how
did you go about balancing out all of those factors
and putting each athlete or team through the filter of
all four of those things.

Speaker 5 (01:51:46):
Well, I think quality of performance is obviously critical. I mean,
you have to have done well, very well to be
a legend.

Speaker 7 (01:51:52):
Don't you.

Speaker 5 (01:51:53):
And then I always feel it's great to do it once,
but if you can go back and do it again
and again, that's another aspects. Again, that's fantastic impact on
New Zealand's interesting. I think of the rowing eight that
won in nineteen seventy two, big impact on New Zealand.
It was more than just a gold medal really, and

(01:52:15):
Jack Lovelot winning was to say he only won one race, really,
but it was a race that you know will live forever.

Speaker 3 (01:52:23):
How often did you move athletes up and down the list?

Speaker 5 (01:52:28):
Oh, there was a nightmare. I mean, there's really thirty
people I think you should be in the top ten.
It was a nightmare. It's infantesmal and in the end,
it's very subjective. And I talked to a few of
my friends about it, but it didn't help much because
no one agrees.

Speaker 3 (01:52:42):
Did you find yourself, I don't know, favoring athletes who
you had seen perform firsthand, that you'd seen close up
in the flesh.

Speaker 5 (01:52:51):
No, I don't think so. No, I really don't. I mean,
the tendency from a lot of people, I suppose is
to rank the modern ones higher and the ones that don't,
you know, don't know much about their lower. But I've
read a lot of Olympic history. It's a real passion
of mine, Jason, and I feel like I know the
early people as well as I need to know them, really,

(01:53:13):
so I feel like I've rated them fairly. I don't
think that's I don't think that's suffered because they were earlier.

Speaker 3 (01:53:19):
When you submitted the final list of fifty and it
went off, and you know, there's the point of no
return the books in print. Did you didn't wake up
in the middle of the night or or have this
this you know, this horrible feeling shivers I've got I've
got these two around the wrong way or anything like that.
You were at peace with your fifty?

Speaker 5 (01:53:42):
Yes? And no, I mean, you know you could make
strong cases for lots to be reversed. I mean, hamous
Cure winning a high JUNKT gold medal is just fantastic
in the Olympics, and he's a long way down the list. Really,
it's just that the people above him are fantastic as well.
You're always going to go, oh, there's not enough people
in the top few.

Speaker 3 (01:54:02):
Dame Lisa Carrington is number one, Peter Snell is number two,
Dan Loader is number three. Were they all pretty easy
picks as your podium or not?

Speaker 5 (01:54:13):
Well, they were easy for me, those three in that
order actually. But then you know I rented to people
who I think no sport pretty well and they were
saying Snell has got to be number one, and where's Lovelock?
And you know, they seem quite clear cut to me.
But the other people haven't seen the light.

Speaker 6 (01:54:32):
Jason.

Speaker 3 (01:54:33):
No, no, no, once they read the book, maybe they will. Obviously,
Dame Lisa's if you look at the criteria you use,
the longevity of her success obviously is what stands out
to me.

Speaker 7 (01:54:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:54:46):
Also that the eight gold medals isn't to be dismissed lightly.
That's more than double anyone else. And also I really
liked it she won on her own and then she won.
She started forming teams and winning in teams, so she's
carrying the whole team.

Speaker 3 (01:55:02):
How did you manage to compare Olympians from different eras
when things like training methods, professionalism, competition levels and such
like have changed so dramatically.

Speaker 5 (01:55:14):
I don't think you can. I don't think you can
go overboard about professionalism and amateurism. There's no doubt about it.
I mean, they can compete all year around and train
all year around and not worry about going to work.
So that's a huge advantage. But now I think of
Peter Snell winning all his gold medals and work setting
world records and studying all the time to be a

(01:55:35):
quantity surveyor so, I mean, you know a lot of
it's just your will and you drive.

Speaker 3 (01:55:40):
If those who read it have a different view from
yours disagree with the places of some of them or
the order in which you've put them, would you consider
that a sign that the book has done its job
If it causes robust debate.

Speaker 5 (01:55:54):
Yeah, I hope people read it and enjoy the stories
about each one of them, and no one will think
this is they're fifty in this order. That'll be impossible.
But you know, as long as they can see my
logic for putting things in that order, that's fine. They
don't have to agree with it, but as long as
they can see there's some some sense behind it.

Speaker 3 (01:56:14):
Looking across all the athletes you researched and have watched
represent us at Olympic Games, what common traits the New
Zealand's greatest Olympians share.

Speaker 5 (01:56:26):
They're very proud, proud to represent represent New Zealand. It's
a small country. I mean, Daniel Loaders said this when
he was winning his gold medals. He was thinking, I'm
just a little guy from Dunedin doing this in front
of the world, and I thought, yeah, that's that's New Zealand. Really,
they get out there and they overachieve. And I think
if there's very few New Zealanders who are such superstars

(01:56:48):
that they're not they're not overachieving when they're in the Olympics.

Speaker 3 (01:56:52):
Are there any athletes, our Olympic athletes who you believe
modern New Zealanders don't appreciate simply because a lot of
what they did, In fact, all of what they did
happened before some of us were alive, before we were
able to watch other athletes from the past who we
don't fully appreciate. Now, yeah, it's.

Speaker 5 (01:57:12):
Quite interesting that. I mean, I read a lot of
Olympic history, but I realized not everyone does because I've
been talking to some people and they said, well, what
why is pirates in there? Pirates? And I said, well,
they won one hundred meter sprint bronze medal and no
one's got even close to doing that since and that
is the most competitive race in the Olympics, the one
hundred meters, And these people were going, well, I didn't

(01:57:34):
know that. I'd never heard of him and all this,
and so it did get me thinking Ted Morgan won
a boxing gold medal for New Zealand with a broken hand.
I mean, there are great stories about people in the
past who I'm sure today's sports filowers may not know
at all.

Speaker 3 (01:57:50):
Do we have many underrated Olympians? Are there underrated Olympians
in this.

Speaker 7 (01:57:57):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (01:57:58):
I think yes, And there's a lot in the on
At the end of the book, I do another sixty
or so honorable mentions. I just do a paragraph or
two on each one of them, and a lot of
them are just great as well. You know, some of
the rowers and that I have won medals over the
years have just been terrific and it was hard not

(01:58:18):
to put them all in the top fifty. But everyone
can't get in the top fifty. I think we've achieved
a massive amount in rowing, and I think because we've
done so well, it tends to be it just goes
into a big pot now and people don't differentiate well
enough how each performance, how good each performance is.

Speaker 3 (01:58:34):
Anybody who missed the top fifty who you thought really
should be in there. I mean it's to say you
got another sixty odd at the end, so you've covered
your bases there. But I mean, was it hard to
you mentioned the top thirty being hard? Was it also
hard to get people into the fifty who were maybe
just bubbling under?

Speaker 7 (01:58:50):
Well?

Speaker 5 (01:58:51):
I made a decision in the end, I was going
to put every person who's won a gold medal for
New Zealand in an individual event, so not a team
or not a pair or four. I was going to
put them in if they want an individual gold medal
like board sailing or something like that. So that I
think there was twenty nine and so once I made
that decision, then I found that the people, some people

(01:59:11):
I really wanted in there, like Maurice Chamberlin, our first
female track medalist, Rod Dixon, you know, a fifteen hundred
meter medalist and did very well in the marathon and
had that great five thousand meter final. I mean, these
sort of people weren't in my top fifty in the end,
and I was Barry McGhee, a marathon bronze medalist. I
was hurting missing them out. It was really hurting. So

(01:59:35):
there were another teen I expected when I started this project,
I expected they'd be in the top fifty, and in
the end they missed out.

Speaker 3 (01:59:40):
This is a book about our Olympic legends, the people.
Do you have a view on what our best ever
Olympic moment is?

Speaker 5 (01:59:52):
That's a good question. I think that rowing eight was big.
Lovelock would have been the biggest if he'd done exactly
what he did In today's era. That was they thought
that was the greatest fifteen hundred meter field assembled at
the time. It was a very contentious Olympics because it
was the Nazi Olympics. He set a world record and

(02:00:14):
he won it in a style that people didn't run
in those days. He took off with furandred meters to
go and held his pace all the way to the tape.
If he had done that in the modern era, with
all today's publicity, that would have been the biggest moment
of all. As it was, it made him our athlete,
his New Zealand's most famous sportsman of that whole era.
Just that. But imagine that the impact he would have

(02:00:36):
had today. But yeah, I think the rowers doing that.
And also Daniel loaded two swimming gold medals. Swimming is
very big, and to win two freestyle swimming gold medals
individual events at an Olympics, that was that was pretty big.
I think that stopped the world.

Speaker 3 (02:00:54):
Yeah, well you were there in Atlanta, weren't you in
ninety six when he did that. Yeah, you've attended ten
darting back I think to Soul nineteen eighty eight. So
would Danion be the greatest performance you've seen in person?

Speaker 5 (02:01:08):
Well, yeah, if you look at the book you'd say that.
But you know, I mean I was very admiring of
Sarah Olmer when she won that gold medal in two
thousand and four. She said, a world record seemed to
be every time she went out to write, she said,
a world record. She won the final by miles and
that's an event that they usually win by hundreds of
a second. And end of it, when they had the

(02:01:29):
press conference, answer was those other two that she beat,
who are legends of their sport. They were just just
saying this, she's something exceptional and proud to be on
the podium with her, you know, I mean, it just
made me think what standing she's got.

Speaker 3 (02:01:44):
Well, it's another great book, Joseph, just the latest and
a long line of great books. I did feel honored
that you asked me. I don't think you were asking
my opinion. We talked about this book as you were
putting it together. I'm not sure that you actually formally
asked my opinion. I did think Snell would be number one.
I think you said to me, you know, who do
you think number one is? And I said Snell, And
then you talked about Dame Lisa, and you obviously convinced me.

(02:02:05):
And not that my would have changed the book anyway,
But I think it's a great book. It's one to
leaf through and to enjoy. So congratulations on adding another
one to your ever expanding library. Thank you, Jason, Thank
you Joseph. Joseph Romanos, author of Our Olympic Legends, profiling
and ranking New Zealand's greatest Olympias. News Talks it be

(02:02:27):
and Weekend Sport coming up eight to three.

Speaker 1 (02:02:31):
Lay from the biggest sporting event in the world. It's
Weekend Sport with Jason Pine in Vancouver playing Quantas from
New Zealand on your home of sport.

Speaker 3 (02:02:41):
News Talk said be five to three and that will
just about do it for Weekend Sport today and for
the weekend and for my time here in Vancouver. Massive
thanks to Quantus from New Zealand for looking after me.
Presumably they'll get me back in the same degree of
style and comfort that they got me up here. And
so our immense thanks to Quantus from New Zealand for

(02:03:02):
making it happen. Thank you for tuning in. A massive
thanks to Anny McDonald for pulling together shows while I've
been thousands of miles away, so seamlessly thank you mate.
I hope you enjoy a few hours off this afternoon.
Tim Beverage after three taking us out well as I
leave Canada. One of Canadian music's favorites, Alanis Morris set.

(02:03:26):
Thank you, Thank you Vancouver. It has been a pleasure.

Speaker 1 (02:04:17):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to news talks at B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio

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