Full Show Podcast: 30 June 2024

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB, the only place to discuss the
biggest sports issues on and afterfield. It's all on Wee
Joe's Ford with Jason Vane on your home of Sport,
used Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
At Counting. Good afternoon and welcome into the Sunday edition
of Weekend Sport on News Talks head Bat June thirty
July tomorrow, goodness May. Happy birthday, Mike Tyson, Happy birthday
twenty three time Olympic medallist swimmer Michael Phelps. I'm Jason
Pinehow producer Mark Kelly. Hope you've enjoyed your long weekend.
They're still a bit to squeeze into it or squeeze

(00:48):
out of it. Perhaps we're here until three talking some
sport with you. It would appear that rumors of the
Warrior's imminent demise were a little premature. He'll go might the.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
In the thinking very soon as we see Martin kicking.

Speaker 4 (01:04):
For what's understands who tesn't up the field goal?

Speaker 5 (01:08):
Don't for the try.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
I've just got four on the string heads and eck
to mighty Martin. He's so effective of his kicking game.
Yeah to mighty Martin, what a game from him. A
thirty two to sixteen win for the Warriors over the
Broncos last night, bouncing back from the horrendous showing on
the Gold Coast last weekend. Going to unpack that for
you very shortly with Foundation Warrior, longtime Super League player

(01:31):
and coach someone and Kiwi international will he poaching on
the show. The postmatch thoughts this hour too of Andrew
Webster and Roger tuy vasa scheck. But I really want
your calls, Warriors fans on how important this was, how
impressed you were, and I have a couple of selection
questions for you as well. In fact, I've got one
selection question in particular for you to ponder other matters around. Today,

(01:56):
our top triathlete Hayden Wilde is with us after one.
He is completing his preparations for the upcoming Olympics Bronze
and Tokyo. Of course last time out. He's targeting a
highest step this time. And speaking of the Games, our
Road to Powis feature continues after two o'clock today. New
Zealand's best ever Olympic shooting result came in twenty sixteen

(02:17):
at Rio when Natalie Rooney won silver in the trap.
She'll join us to reminisce a bit about that after
two o'clock. The All White Surrens of the OFC Nations
Cup Final. This is the Oceania Nations Championship. They'll play
hosts Vanowatu and Port Villa this afternoon at four or
White striker Ben Wayne with us ahead of that James

(02:38):
mcconey and this regular slot around one forty five in
our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock, who normally joins us on
Saturday's got bumped yesterday for the All Blacks coach, so
I'm sure he won't mind. In fact, he's told me
he's okay with it and he'll be on about twenty
five hours later than normal in the two to three
out today. Lots of stuff to talk in terms of

(02:59):
sporting matters from across the Tasman just on yesterday, thoroughly
enjoyable being out there at endz cis a terrific hour
spent with Scott Robertson. If you missed the chat, it's
available on our socials go to our Facebook page or yeah,
in fact, that's probably the best place to go, or
if we're in your podcast feed, it'll be there. A

(03:19):
really interesting chat with the All Blacks head coach yesterday.
As always though your feedback and interaction is the lifeblood
of the show, we could we invite you to join
us in any way you would like to. Are eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty on the phone ninet two
ninety two if you would like to send the text
emails to Jason at NEWSTALKSEB dot co dot nz. Just
coming up ten Bass.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Mid day week all weekends for us.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
What a difference a week makes from the depths of
despair last weekend one of the worst defeats in Warrior's history.
They responded last night with well, you have to say,
what was one of their best performances of the year.
That's going to.

Speaker 6 (03:55):
Get it done here at Mount Smart's Stadium, man Or
Warriors and.

Speaker 7 (04:00):
Bounce back and fight fashion after Bahia show on the
Gold Coast take the two.

Speaker 6 (04:05):
Points here against the Prisbane Broncos thirty two.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
To sixteen, and they led from start to finish, produce
some sparkling tries and some tough defense to claim a
vital thirty two sixteen win over the Broncos, former Super
League player and coach, Foundation Warriors player, Sky Sports analyst
and very keen rugby league observer Willie po Ching is
with us on Weekend Sport. Willy, hindsight's a wonderful thing,

(04:29):
I know, But did you expect the bounce back you
saw last night from the Warriors after what happened against
the Titans a week ago?

Speaker 8 (04:38):
Not to that degree. A positive response was needed, There's
no doubt about that. And it wasn't necessarily about getting
the win, but getting back and getting the performance that
was going to take them in the right tradiciary. But
to get the win and get it in that fashion
was outstanding from the club and from the coaching staff

(05:00):
and the work that they put in through the week.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
What placed doubt in your mind that they would be
able to bounce Was it the possible ongoing effect of
the loss and the weight of it.

Speaker 8 (05:12):
That was the big thing for me. How deep the
scarring was going to be after that Titans game and
the loss that was inflicted upon them. But to see
that they've put that aside and just gone about moving
on quickly and focus on last night's game was outstanding
for them. The Broncos were missing a couple of players,

(05:36):
but their effort, their energy and how they played the
game last night was reflective of how they were when
they were winning games a couple of weeks ago. That's
the formula for them.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
What sort of conversations do you think happened in the camp,
particularly at the front end of the week, will you've played,
you've been a coach? What of the conversations would have
gone on.

Speaker 8 (05:56):
Probably mending emotions. There would have been some mental scarring
from the Titans game. People disappointed in their performances and
that was across the board. That was the hard thing
about the Titans game was no one really played well.
So I was just about trying to get everyone confident again,
get them back on the same page. A big one

(06:16):
would have been getting the half that appearance as soon
as Sean Johnson was injured. After that Titans game, had
to move on to get in Chanelle and and getting
him and to Mighty Martin together, get them on the
same page, sinking in together, and they were fantastic last night.
I think those were those would have been the biggest
part of the conversations earlier in the week.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, I've got written down here, Chanelle, Harris Tavita and
to Mighty Martin and keen to get your analysis on it.
What happens now when Sean Johnson comes back. There's there's
a bit of a quandary there for Andrew Webster, isn't
there There is?

Speaker 8 (06:52):
But there isn't for mine. They're playing well, they're working
together well, and at the moment they're on form and
they're winning games when they're together. So it's tough. It's tough,
and it'll be tough when on his foot. But I
can't see him being automatically put in at the moment
the way those two were playing.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
Apart from six and seven, Who else impressed you or
what else impressed you about the way the Warriors went
about things last night?

Speaker 8 (07:21):
Well, I really liked Dylan Walker in the middle, and
I thought he had he added some starts, but some
leg speed. But the whole team they played with a
lot more energy. They played with a lot more pace
that the Broncos couldn't keep up with their first couple
of tries. They really had the Broncos on the back
foot and couldn't recover. And they just played a lot

(07:42):
quicker than they did last week. They looked a lot
more up for the game, if you can say that,
you know. But throughout their eighty minute performance was fantastic. Defensively,
they had a bit of starch about him, they had
some punch, some line speed, a couple of moments with
the Broncos really struggled to get out of their own
ten meter zone. That's a real strong indication that these

(08:03):
young guys that have come in are really really energetic
and up for the game. And it's glad that they've
tended themselves around there get this season alive well.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
And truly, you sat on the Sky broadcast last weekend,
and you've mentioned it again during our chat today that
you did worry about the possible ongoing effects of that
loss to the Titans. With this win, have they been
dispelled altogether, Willy, or they just sit there in the
back of their minds as a bit of a reminder
about what can go wrong if they're not fully focused.

Speaker 8 (08:30):
Yeah, And you've got to fall back on it every
now and again just as a reminder, and Kimi salves
on track that you don't even want that to happen,
and it's important that that sits there at some place.
You don't let it hurt you too much. You've got
to move on. But the way that they've moved on now,
and everyone's back and playing the way that they know

(08:52):
they can, that's got to be the driving force for
them going toward.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
I guess when a team suffers a defeat like that,
the coach has a couple of options. They can either
make wholesale changes, or they can stick largely with the
players who got you know, who didn't play well last
We can ask them to turn around and put it right,
and that's the approach Andrew Webster talk minimal changes. Do
you still expect those some of the youngsters at his
disposal to be given some opportunities as the season continues.

Speaker 8 (09:19):
I think so. I think so, and they've learnt it.
They've that trust whenever they've been called upon, so if
and injuries will dictate some of that too, which is
the case in the half backs. But yeah, I think
I think that the future of the side. I think
they've earn't their opportunities, and more importantly, when they come in,
they're pushing the older and more experienced guys.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
You reckon the Worries are a top eight side.

Speaker 8 (09:45):
I think they are on their day. On the day,
they very much are the top eight side. They just
haven't been able to string enough of those days together.
And if they can do that in this back half
of the season, there they'll get themselves in there. And
when they get in there, they'll be very dangerous if
they can continue playing like they did last night.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
Yeah, that's the tail of the tape, isn't it. Seven wins,
eight defeats in that drawer, of course, that they also
had outside the top eight, but only by a point
as things stand right now. I mean, it just seems
like it just seems tantalizingly close. For he just string
three or four wins together, as they have done in
the past, and all of a sudden they are right
up there.

Speaker 8 (10:23):
Yeah, and it's eventual losing the habit. Winning is a habit.
As they can get the right habit going, confidence and
everything else that clicks them to gear, who knows what
sort of run they could go on, very similar to
what they did last year.

Speaker 2 (10:37):
Indeed, well, it's a much brighter Sunday today than it
was last Sunday. Trying to pick over the bones, I mean,
I don't want to religate it, but I don't think
I've ever seen anything like that from from the from
the Warriors, even in their darkest days.

Speaker 8 (10:53):
No, that's what hurt, yeah, Verding, and they were hurting
for the players, they were hurting for the coaching staff.
And I'm so happy that they got a sold out
house last night before House Ligne went up and the
crowd were really happy and they got to enjoy a
fantastic performance and a win.

Speaker 2 (11:12):
Great to get the chance to chat Willie. Enjoy the
rest of it, Hey mate, thanks for taking a call. Cheers,
Thank you, Willie. WILLI poaching with his analysis of last night.
I know you'll have some to your chance to react now.
I eight hundred eighty ten eighty. It wasn't a must win,
let's not get carried away, but it was a very
important test for this team and its ability to react

(11:34):
to an utterly horrible outing a week ago. I eight
hundred eighty ten eighties and number going to open the lines.
It was important, as I say, to put things right
and use the embarrassment of last weekend, because that was
what it was embarrassing, to use that embarrassment as fuel
this time around. And I thought they did that really well.

(11:54):
I thought they really did selection question for you? Have
we now actually inadvertently uncovered the choice halves combination for
the Warriors. Chanelle Harris, Tavita and to Mighty Martin combined

(12:16):
in really excellent fashion last night. That's the third time
they've worn six and seven together this year and the
Warriors have won all three of those matches. Now, Sean
Johnson's injury forced Andrew Webster's hand on this one, of course,
but he will have a decision to make when Sean
Johnson is fit again. Interesting to hear Willie po Ching say, yes,

(12:37):
he's got a decision, but he has and he hasn't.
He has to stick with what's working, doesn't he. They say,
you never change a winning team. Yet you know our
player holds onto the jersey until they don't deserve to,
or any any cliche you like, Or is Sean Johnson
actually in the terminology that I use a lot above

(13:00):
the selection line? Now what that means is that a
player who lives above the selection line is a player who,
when they're fit and available, play no matter what they
just come in they play. Now, not many people live
above the selection line, but some people do. And I
think twenty twenty three Sean Johnson definitely lived above the

(13:24):
selection line. When he was fit and available, he played
and there's no reason to think that he can't become
twenty twenty three Sewn Johnson in twenty twenty four. His
injuries have clearly affected him, but if he shakes those
and is one hundred percent fit, he is absolutely one

(13:45):
of the best going around. But Chanelle Harris, Taveta and
Tmighty Martin present a fairly compelling case and you have
to say you'll love to see it. I loved watching
it last night, and I'm sure Sean Johnson enjoyed watching
it as well. Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty And
now you can also just before we go to the lines,

(14:05):
you can also now reveal it's safe now to reveal
whether you were nervous before last night or how nervous
you were. I'm a bit like Willie po Chin. I
expected them to bounce back. I kind of expected them
to win, and I love the start. Not for the
first time. The Warriors started hot sixteen nil ahead, but
there was a little bit of doubt creeping in a
specially when things were tight in the second half. Broncos

(14:25):
got back to twenty two sixteen. In any case, Warriors
closed it out, got the points and put the Gold
Coast Ghosts to bed. And who knows, maybe that nightmare
over there might actually turn out to be a good thing.
It can crely be used as a demonstration of what
can happen if you don't turn up on any given
day against any given team in the NRL. OH eight

(14:47):
hundred and eighty ten eighty nine, two ninety two on text,
Let's get straight to the lines, can I Matt?

Speaker 4 (14:54):
Very good?

Speaker 8 (14:55):
Matt?

Speaker 2 (14:55):
What did you make of it?

Speaker 9 (14:57):
Oh?

Speaker 5 (14:57):
Look, I think it was a good performance, but I
mean we had a lot in our favorite in terms
of work. It was a home it was a home
game and they certainly didn't have the best team out
of there.

Speaker 2 (15:09):
No, you're dead right. Look at yeah, I mean paynehasse
Adam Reynolds ree whilst Pat Carrigan it's a pretty handy
courts it missing, isn't it?

Speaker 10 (15:18):
Well you wonder what would have happened off that. Look,
I'm not trying to take anything away that there was
good performs But the other thing I wanted to pointy
others Sean Johnson isn't playing pct to Mary Martin, but
you're going to remember our first choice Harves combination is
Luke Metcalf and Shawn Johnson or.

Speaker 11 (15:39):
Metcalf.

Speaker 10 (15:40):
I would think it's not too far away from coming back.
So did Sean Johnson have been a player with Luke
Metcalf then he is with Tamary?

Speaker 12 (15:51):
Well?

Speaker 2 (15:51):
Yeah, they played what three or four games at the
start of the season from memory where the loss of
the Sharks lost to the Storm, then the wins over
the Raiders and the Knights, and I'm pretty sure Johnson
and Metcalf played at six and seven or in the
halves for those games before Metcalf got injured. So two wins,
two losses, and that Storm one was a narrow loss.
So yeah, I think they were coming along quite nicely
before Metcalf got injured.

Speaker 10 (16:14):
And I tweak you're looking at Andrew that he's very little.
Two players, so I just to speak.

Speaker 9 (16:21):
That you haven't seen the.

Speaker 2 (16:24):
Yeah, and I hope we haven't, Matt. And even when
you yeah, I'd forgotten about Luke mtcalfe. I must have
because he hasn't been there for so long. But if
there's four options to to sort of play around with,
what do you do you like Chanelle Harris to Veta
in the sixth Jumper.

Speaker 10 (16:40):
I like him in the fourteen Jumper. I think he
offered the hell of a lot off the beach because
he can cover so many different polutions.

Speaker 2 (16:48):
Yeah, good, cool.

Speaker 5 (16:49):
I think he's a.

Speaker 10 (16:49):
Talented he's a talented player, and he's to me, he's
one of those players that almost has forced himself to
take that control because of his versatility.

Speaker 2 (17:01):
Yeah, that's that's a really really good point.

Speaker 8 (17:04):
Man.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Hey, thanks, I got a couple of other calls to
get to the j you calling in drive safe, mate?

Speaker 13 (17:08):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (17:08):
Yeah, Harris Devita, he's been been part of the interchange
a lot this season, and as Matt just pointed out,
the reason is because he can play a bunch of positions.
I just thought he was good in the six didn't
you think that? And I mean, I know you can
prove anything with stats, but when Chanelle Harris, Dedvita and
Timardi Martin have played together at six and seven, the
Warriors have won. They did it against the Dolphins, they

(17:32):
did it against the Cowboys, and they did it again
last night against the Broncos. Yes, there are extenuating circumstances
to all of that, but the fact remains. It's clearly
a combination that works to a pretty high degree. How
are you, Chris, mate, nice to chat? Nice to chat

(17:52):
to you.

Speaker 14 (17:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (17:54):
I think the Elephants rumors because I've watched a few
of the Warriors games, and the team does better without
Johnson playing. These younger guys when they play together, they
are on fire and they gel really well well, and
just because the superstar is available, it doesn't mean you
bring them back into the team if the other guys
are on form. I've got a perfect example for you

(18:15):
about this is when you know, years ago they took
Andrew Merchins off at a halftime and put Dan Carter
on and the rest was history.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
Do you think it might just be coincidence to a degree, Chris.

Speaker 6 (18:32):
No, because if you look at the games that the
Warriors have won, not only have they beaten both Grand
finalists for the last years without Sean Johnson, but the
games they have lost is when they've been playing. So
I look at it from that particular angle. I mean,
he's probably not playing poorly, but maybe the guys that

(18:53):
are playing in the halves are directing the team just
a little bit better. I've got no explanation for it.
I'm not a professor in rugby league, but from what
I see, I put those two things together.

Speaker 2 (19:08):
Yeah, and what you can do, Chriss, you can. You
can you can just look at the at the bare
face facts of it. Okay, you can look and say, okay,
when Shawn Johnson starts in the in the seven jumper,
what are the results? And I think I think you're
right if you if you line it up, yeah, the
games that he hasn't been there, And like I said,
that's why I asked if you thought it might be coincidence,
because one guy out of seventeen is not gonna, you know,

(19:30):
be the rising and falling of any team. But but
I mean, you're right. When they beat the Panthers, it
was Martin. When they beat the Dolphins, it was Martin.
When they beat the Cowboys, it was Martin. Last night,
it was Martin and the seven Jersey. But it was
Johnson and the seven jersey when they beat the Rabbit
O's and when they beat the Knights, and you know,
earlier in the season. So I think it probably swings
both ways. The Raiders he was also there, so yeah,

(19:53):
be interesting to see if it's a if it's just
a statistical anomaly or whether there is something actually behind it,
I appreciate your call. The other thing is also is
that when a big player is not there, everybody else lifts.
That's part of any sporting team. When a player who
you have come to rely upon and who was one

(20:14):
of your leaders and one of your best players, and
Sean Johnson is one of the Warrior's best players, you know,
it was all but the Dali And Medal winner last year.
When players like that are not there, then professional sports
people have a tendency to raise their game. And the
best example of that was probably that Panthers game when
they were missing not just Sean Johnson, but a bunch

(20:36):
of other guys as well. And yet those who were
there and those who came in, you know, some of
them for their only appearances of the season, beat the
Panthers twenty to twenty. So you can look at it
two ways, and I prefer to look at it in

(20:57):
the way that others raise their game. I'm not willing
to write Sean Johnson's obitry yet, absolutely not. But Tomato
Martin and Sheanelle Harris Tavita have forged a partnership which
is going to if it continues along this path go
on and upward trajectory. So when Shawn Johnson is fit,
then there is a decision to be made here twelve
twenty eight. Got a couple of calls to get to

(21:19):
one spee line if you want to jump aboard, got
to get a breakaway back in a moment talking the
Warriors on Weekend Sport.

Speaker 1 (21:24):
Don't get caught off side eight Weekend Sports with Jason
PyME and GJ. Gunnomes New Zealand's most trusted home builder,
News Dogs.

Speaker 2 (21:34):
NB plean you chat on the Warriors just on Luke Metcalf.
Producer Mark Kelly tells me late season for Luke Metcalf,
So read that anyway you like. But it feels as
though there'll be a few more games without Luke Metcalf
available Shawn Johnson, as I understand it kind of two
or three weeks before he comes back. So yeah, it
feels like Shanelle Harris, Tavita and TOMIGHTI Martin and they're
going to get a decent run at it over the

(21:54):
next little while. How are you Troy morning.

Speaker 9 (21:57):
Fining or afternoon next week?

Speaker 15 (21:58):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (21:59):
Good? Magaway good. When the Warriors were on a Sunday.

Speaker 2 (22:02):
I always feel like, yeah, yeah, I feel like a toy.
It happens with your sports team, So isn't it if
they will on the Saturday night. You get up in
the morning and everything just seems a little bit better.

Speaker 9 (22:11):
Yes, well, after last week's Yeah, they've got a bit
of a dilemma there. But you know, I think to
be fair to Sean, you know, prior to the Magic
Round game where he got intoed there. You know, at
the Magic Round game as well, it was fantastic. But
he's she's struggling with injuries and I hope they don't
bring him back too soon. I don't think he's been right.
He hasn't been training hardly anything during the week. You know,

(22:35):
he's getting on and I think he probably just needs
to freshen up a little bit and come back, and
you know, it'll be interesting to see you over the
next you know, if he's out for three weeks. You know,
I don't see it as the teams, but you know,
it's a good problem to have for we be probably, Yeah,
but I think he fe Sewan. He's a great player.
He's got a lot of knockers. He's certainly coughed it
during the week, I believe some of the stuff that

(22:57):
I read, and there's some certainly some pretty fair stuff
done around. But yeah, get to guy a chance, you know,
let him freshing up, get the injuries right, don't come
back too early and Metcalfin to Murray Martin playing fantastic
and you go back to for the major ground. In
my opinion, to Murray Martin was playing rubbish football and
I think he must have liked, you know, the warning
belt of there as Sean goes out injured and he

(23:18):
really picked up his game. But yeah, if Joel added
is finey. If the Ford don't go forward, the Hearts.

Speaker 11 (23:25):
Can't do the work right, absolutely right.

Speaker 2 (23:28):
It all starts up front, as they say, yeah, you're right.

Speaker 9 (23:30):
Oh yeah, it's the same as rugby, isn't it. You
know the Ford fact don't get dominant, then then you
know the halves can't do the back line can't do
the work. So yeah, those guys, you know, they needed
a rev up and the panel Blake and having Barnett
and Capeball back there and tall who you know that
will needed to lift their game and they did. So
you know, it's a long season, but we're still down
in thirteenth.

Speaker 2 (23:50):
You know, we beat the.

Speaker 9 (23:51):
Broncos are in eighth place team, but without all these stars,
you know, and to me, the Broncos will be in
the in the in the top, they will get into
the top four. I think you bring back Reynolds. I
think he's two back in August. So yeah, that's a
good scalp to get. But you know, roll on next
week to the Tigers of It.

Speaker 2 (24:10):
Bulldogs, Bulldogs. I think next week.

Speaker 9 (24:12):
Bulldogs, right, Okay, so yeah, there's no easy games, isn't it.

Speaker 16 (24:17):
No.

Speaker 2 (24:18):
I think last week proved that didn't try unfortunately.

Speaker 9 (24:23):
Yeah, accredit to the team and the management. You know,
it's pretty hard to pick yourself up from a flogging
of that. So I'm sure they would have had the
hardwork from them during the week, and you know, they
performed so well done one game at a time and.

Speaker 2 (24:35):
Detroit good points, well made. It was always mate, Thanks
for calling callback anytime. Yeah, the whole I remember when
when Tomurri Martin was being talked about sort of in
that run of losses that the team had. They lost
to the Dragons, Titans, Knights, Roosters in consecutive games and
to Marty Martin was playing in the sixth jumper then
and then for the Panthers game, that's when Shawn Johnson

(24:57):
got injured and Martin got moved to the seven jumper,
and it almost it was almost as though something happened,
not because of the jersey change. And I saw it
suggested that the Martin Johnson combination was the problem or
just wasn't jelling as well as it might have. And
you look at the Harris ta Vita Martin combination, you think, well,
if you talk about combinations jelling, there's one right there.

(25:19):
It's jelling brilliantly. Hello, Lyle.

Speaker 17 (25:22):
Yeah, Look, there's no room for sentiment and professional sport.
And I think webs is a good catch. But one
faire he had was probably bringing back Johnson too early
last week. And when Johnson has played this year at
fixed tackles or five tackles out and he kicked them,
it's always to the right. Tavita Harris and Murray Martin

(25:44):
one and kicked left foot, one on right foot. And
it's an old saying that it's a very true one.
It's not broke, you don't fix it. Every game that
those two played together, they've gone, well, they've won. Look,
I think Johnson fully fit would definitely be something. But
I don't know how Webster went to the guys that

(26:04):
did the job when he was available. And Shaun's coming back,
and because really it's ah, well going back, it's not broke,
you don't fix it, and the guys are getting the
job done. So hopefully he'll even when Johnson is that,
he'll bring him back in slowly off the bench.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
I'll give you another adage. I'll give you another adage.
While then I think Andrew Webster goes by it, and
you're right. I mean, if it ain't broke down, fix it.
I think the adage he goes by his form as temporary,
class as permanent. And we know Shawn Johnson's a class
player at one hundred percent fitness.

Speaker 17 (26:41):
Yeah, but he virtually hasn't been the entire season. But
I'll tell you what book this guy black out of
this selected right for the All BacT. He's played eight
games in two years because apparently he's like a beast,
he rips and destroys. But I've got to look at
it and go, well, eight games in two years, you're
good to us when you're on the field, but when
you're not on the field, you're not so personally. If

(27:02):
I was a rugby select I would have said, you know,
you need to down you're acting a bit more and
stop going to the emergency ward. Yeah, everything he's just
told me about Johnson is true. I'm modern not that
I think far other time. They're starting to catch up
with him. It's an incredibly physical sport and you need

(27:23):
to come back, probably through reserve grade. And if he
shows the form, put him on the bench. But until
the current two And as for the other bloke there
hasn't been there all season, I forget the name, but
he's incredibly fragile metcal you're you're you're only any good

(27:44):
mate to us when you're on the field. So until
the current too start to do things wrong or you
think Johnson is showing form through reserve grade, sorry you
stay with the status quote. It's only my humble opinion.

Speaker 2 (27:59):
It's a good opinion, lot, And what I love about
it is that it's not personal. It's not a personal opinion.
You're not begging anybody, it's just completely fact based. You're
dead right, and I think if it ain't broke, don't
fix it. Trump's formers, temporary classes permanent. If we're having
a battle of the adages, it would be very, very
unfair to break up a winning combination. For example, if Chanelle, Harris,

(28:22):
Tavita and to Mighty Marsin continue to guide the warriors
around with success, then it would be extremely hard or
harsh rather for one or both of them to be dropped.
Go back again to what I said before about the
selection line, though, Richie mccau's an example came Williamson and

(28:45):
our test team as an example. Guys who when they're
fitting available play regardless. You just make room for them.
They come back in. Doesn't matter if the bloke who's
been in their position has been, you know, playing very
very well. Certain people live above the selection line, and
like I said, I think Shawn Johnson the twenty twenty
three version definitely did, and if he can recapture that

(29:05):
then the twenty twenty four version probably does too. But
as Lyyl pointed out, you gotta just just maybe hover
above it a bit and say, right, get fit, get
some form back and come in and help us make
a bit of a charge at the back end of
the season. The timing actually might be perfect, good to
chat to you. Elila's always Paul. We spoke yesterday, didn't we.
You went to the game, you enjoy it? Yeah?

Speaker 18 (29:28):
I did only Yeah, that was fantastic and it was
really good. The thing that themes song at the end
of the game. Finally it's in a long time between three.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
Yeah, looked, I looked awesome on the telly, everyone belding
it out. That's a cool moment, isn't it.

Speaker 18 (29:44):
It is a cool moment. And the legions that were
there were so good to see those faces. I think
the happiest person was my son who passed the ball.
You know, he's got a ball for Logan Swan a
sign and the Logan passed it to the next guy.
So I went around the whole legends and then back again.
So he was very happy, my son.

Speaker 2 (30:04):
That's awesome, that's all. Yeah, those those days are really cool,
aren't they. And you see guys like Logan Swan, one
of the best looking sportsmen in Newsdale industry, just quietly
but you see all those guys out there and you think,
I think it's it must just be awesome for them,
but also great that the crowd get to sort of
remember those those days. You know that's very cool.

Speaker 18 (30:24):
Yeah, absolutely, you know there were Simon Manoring City, you
just names from the past, fantastic. But I think one
hundred percent finely regarding Shawn Johnson, you know, it's not
a matter of begging the guy or anything. He's obviously
had been under an injury cloud for a while now.
And you know, Chanelle and Tomida, they were absolutely fantastic tonight.
You know, she now was out on the left edge

(30:45):
there and slice through three times. It's undeniable that combination,
you know, so there's absolutely no way that he can
go back to anyone else. And I actually ran into
Metcalf and he said he's six weeks away, so you know,
hopefully we've sticks with that combination. I thought the pack
Dylan Walker was fantastic and and the guys you could

(31:08):
just see that came out with intent like they did
against the Cowboys a few weeks ago. Was just you
could just see the urgency and the ferocity and everything
in the game. So that's that's what we need every
single week.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
Toy Yep, love it, Paul, good stuff, mate. Can you
tell who all the can you tell who all the
signatures are on your son's ball?

Speaker 18 (31:31):
I'm sure if you had a look around you could tell.
But it was really good to see those legends and
what a good way to honor them, you know, Henry
Farv Feeley and Lance back from the States, and Steve
Price was over from Ozzie and Kevin Campion and it
was really good.

Speaker 19 (31:45):
Mate.

Speaker 2 (31:46):
Oh, the memory is brilliant, Paul, how good the chatter
is always, mate. We'll do it. We'll do it again
over the next eight or nine weeks, no doubt. Good
to chat to you, man, I'm glad, glad you had
a great experience at Mount Smart last night. Sounds like
it was an absolute cracker. We've got to break in
a minute. Just on text from Joe good bounce back
from Royals last night after last week's shocking effort. I
feel like Andrew Webson needs to stick with Timmighty Martin
and Shanell Harris Devita. The team just looks way better

(32:09):
and plays with real purpose with those two at the Helm.
Next week is a four point game against the Bulldogs
before the next by a tough game ahead as they're
going great guns but of an next Panther coach Derby
should be a real test for both teams good stuff, Joe. Yeah,
so Bulldogs next week, then the bye. I think we'll
just check that. I'm pretty sure that's the case. Yeah, Bulldogs,

(32:31):
then the bye that's Bulldogs is away, then the Raiders
away and then back home on Friday, the twenty sixth
of July against the Tigers. So yeah, Bulldogs will be tough.
They're fifth, Raiders currently eleventh, Tiger's currently sixteenth, and then
it's the Eels currently seventeenth. So without wanting to put
the mockers on it, it feels like they could go

(32:51):
on a bit of a run. And there are only
one point outside the top eight as we look at
the table right now. So as I said to someone earlier,
you just kind of need to get one a few games,
and I was willy poaching, just got to win a
couple of games, and all of a sudden, you're right
up there. Back in a moment with more calls, eighteen
away from one US talk sab the.

Speaker 1 (33:07):
Voice of Sport on your Home of Sport Weekend Sport
with Jason GJ. Gunn Homes New Zealand's most trusted home
builder News talks be.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
Called It to one. Back to the phones in a moment.
A couple of postmatch comments though from Andrew Webster after
the game last night. Was he confident of a bounce
back performance from his team after what happened on the
Gold Coast.

Speaker 7 (33:28):
I'm always confident in these boys. Yeah, I just think.

Speaker 16 (33:34):
I didn't.

Speaker 2 (33:34):
The way we.

Speaker 7 (33:35):
Trained it was pretty obviously we weren't going to turn
up and dish that up again.

Speaker 2 (33:41):
I think that was pretty clear.

Speaker 7 (33:43):
But I thought again when we're playing the Titans through
our preparation was good, but there was something different there
this week. Until that the boys are on prepared and
we just got to add a little bit of detail
to our muscle tonight because we didn't get that right.

Speaker 2 (33:59):
On a similar topic, how much was last week mentioned
in the build up to this week.

Speaker 16 (34:04):
When we left Australia.

Speaker 7 (34:05):
We we didn't mention it or not all week because
if you were in the hotel room the next morning
when we watched it back, we made a deal that
we were, you know, we were going to walk not
walk past it, and be real accountable right here right now,
and then our actions this week have to be looking
forward because he turned up with a hangover this week

(34:28):
and down on confidence, and the only way we're going
to build confidence is the way we trained and prepared.
And people might think that's a bit of a selft
option not to bring it up constantly, but we just
didn't see it. And we're going to give us what
we wanted, and we wanted to win tonight, and the
best way to do that was to look forward. And
after we were made accountable, I was too.

Speaker 2 (34:49):
We were all in it together. And finally from Andrew
Webster the Harvest combo, what did he make of the
performance of Chanelle, Harris, Tavita and to Mighty Martin thought
they did lots of good things.

Speaker 7 (34:58):
I thought they need to work on things. Yeah, I
was happy with them, and I I think we need
to stay grounded here. I think I think as boys
would say that they were wrapped in a lot of
the things they didn't thinks they didn't want to improve on.
But I could say they probably about every positional group tonight.
It's funny like the amount of the amount of possession

(35:20):
we created it from our aggression and the way we
wanted to defend, but then we still found it, found
some way to give them like a sniff. And I
think every single position group, I've got something to say
about that tonight.

Speaker 2 (35:35):
That's the voice of Andrew Webster some of us post
match comments last night. Thanks for holding Mark, how are you?

Speaker 19 (35:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 11 (35:42):
Good good interviews today. It's quite refreshing having is the
all black coach. He's certainly a lot more personable in
the Yeah.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
Yeah, I enjoyed it. I enjoy I must say, Mark,
I enjoyed your calls into the show as well. I
enjoyed chatting to Raise. It was the first chance I've
had to do it. I've met him a couple of
times in media situations, but being based in christ Church
with the Crusaders, haven't had a heck of a lot
to do with them. But yeah, I found them to
be honest, personable, funny. Yeah. I think it's going to

(36:15):
be going to be an interesting, interesting four years under
his watch, at least four years hopefully.

Speaker 11 (36:22):
Oh yeah, yeah, no. As I said, it is good
to have a bit of a change and hopefully he
doesn't get jaded over all the pressure of the job.
I actually noticed they show Christopher Leuxin on the big
screen last night and he's got a bit of a
boo from them.

Speaker 2 (36:37):
I saw that, I saw it. I reckon. Politicians must
hate it when must hate it when they get flashed
on that they're in a no one situation. No one's
ever going to cheer for them, are they. Yeah, I
think that's you know, but unfair on the Prime Minister.

Speaker 11 (36:50):
Actually yeah, it was a big tool by the camera
and I think hopefully yeah you said a stolen most
thunder a bit about Shawn Johnson to know Madam that
I guess it has given the choice at the moment
currently and Shawn Johnson isn't the twenty twenty three Seawn
Johns at the moment for whatever reason. And weirdly, I
guess people were so surprised how good Shawn Johnson was

(37:14):
last year. This year he's been a disappointment and whether
that's for injury or whatever, I just think the team
is going better with Martin and Harris de Vita in
the house. And I mean half combinations sometimes take quite
a long time to build in rugby league, and I
think the more those two play together going forward and

(37:35):
if they are to make a real challenge this year,
I think to me, Martin and Tabida a better choice
than Martin and Johnson, because I don't think Martin is
anywhere near the player he is playing his number seven
as he is taking a backwards seat at six and
letting Sean Johnson lead the team around.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
It's a good observation, Mark, and I don't think you'll
get too many people who disagree. In fact, as I
said before, you know, leading into the time when Shaw
Johnson and got injured the first time, when he and
Martin had been paired up right up until the Panthers game,
there were calls for Tomighty Martin to you know, to
be dropped because because he just wasn't effective and you know,

(38:19):
maybe you can have rebovelance. Actually it was the combination
that wasn't affect rather than one or other of the players.
But you have to say, look, you're right to Mighty
Martin looks better when he's not playing with Shawn Johnson.
For whatever reason.

Speaker 11 (38:34):
I think it's just the energy of the team. If
it's a weird sort of e theoreal thing to say,
you know what I mean, but the team just feels
better when Martin is at number seven and leading them
around the field.

Speaker 8 (38:48):
Day.

Speaker 11 (38:48):
I mean, the difference in the team between last night
and the week before was day. I mean, I don't know,
playing an under strength Bronco side, but they still needed
to get up and put in that performance for any
minutes last night, and I thought they were pretty damn solid.

Speaker 2 (39:05):
Oh yeah, I agree. I thought that it really was.
Even though we say it wasn't a must win, and
we can talk about that in mathematical terms, it wasn't.
If they've lost last night, they're still in contention for
the top eight. But I think it was a must
win for the morale of the team to absolutely put
the Titans defeat behind them. For example, if the Broncos
had come back from what were the Warriors leader and

(39:26):
they were ten to twelve point lead at one stage,
if the Broncos had come back with as you've said,
missing a few guys, some important guys, and beaten the
Warriors last night, then even if they'd played better, and
they did play better than last week, I still think
that it would have hung over them. You know, they
would have been in a situation there where they then
lost three in a row. Instead, they can now say

(39:47):
we've won four of our last six. So actually, you
know that the stats aren't too bad if you look
at it that way.

Speaker 11 (39:54):
And I think with Mars and his number number seven,
they're looking better every time he starts at that position too.
You know, the Narl competition this year is the tightest
I've seen it. I don't think I've ever seen a
competition where the bottom team can you know, has a
chance to beat one of the top teams, you know
what I mean. Every game game this year it's really

(40:15):
been hasn't been like, oh, this team's going to definitely
beat that team, you know what I mean? And I
think that gives the Warriors hope that they can actually
make the top eight and maybe at an outside push
for the top four.

Speaker 6 (40:28):
Chant Well, they've.

Speaker 2 (40:29):
Got seventeen points, mark, and they're thirteenth and the team
that's eighth, the Broncos, have got eighteen points, so they're
one point behind the team in eighth spot and yet
they're currently thirteenth. So that tells you all you need
to know about the titness of the of the points table.

Speaker 6 (40:43):
It's funny.

Speaker 2 (40:44):
Good on your mark. Good the chat has always mate.
Thank you, indeed seven away from one stalks.

Speaker 1 (40:48):
It bo from the drag field and the court on
your home of Sport Weekend Sport with Jason vine B.

Speaker 2 (40:57):
Four to one. Thanks for your calls and your messages
regarding the Warrior. Sorry we couldn't get everybody on the air,
but it's good to know that there's plenty to chat
about when it comes to the Wars. Next up the
Bulldogs next weekend of course after one o'clock, want to
shift our focus in a couple of directions. First of all,
to our top triathlete Hayden Wild as he targets the
top of the podium in Paris. You'll remember he won

(41:20):
bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. He won silver at the
Birmingham Commonwealth Games with a time penalty that scuffed his chances.
He's targeting gold in Paris. Don't you worry about that?
Hayden Wild on the show after one and the All
Whites take on Vanowatu this afternoon in the final of
the Oceanian Nations Cup. Ben Wayne is with US James
mcconi two Between one and two.

Speaker 1 (41:41):
The only place to discuss the biggest sports issues on
and after fields. It's all on We James Ford with
Jason Vain on your home of sport.

Speaker 2 (41:52):
US Talk one oh seven. This is Weekend Sport on
Jason Pine, Mark Kelly as show producer. Today we're with
you till three footballs out. Ben Wayne's on the show.
He's got four goals and two games for the All
Whites at the OFC Nations Cup as they've made their
way all the way to the final. They'll take on Vanuatu,
the host nation, in Port Villa this afternoon from four.

(42:12):
Ben Wains on the show, speaking of Ben's who played football.
He might have just caught that item in our sports
news with Elliott at one or read it in the Herald. Perhaps.
Ben Old, Wellington Phoenix midfielder, also part of this All
White side. Actually that's going to play this afternoon against Vanuatu,
is looking like he's going to France Saint Ettien, who

(42:34):
have just got promoted up into League. I think that's
what they call it over there. It's the top league
in France. League on. Yes, some pretty strong male that
Ben Old will be joining Saint Etien, which is a
terrific move for him. They often say, you know, there
are five or six top European leagues, and the French
one are certainly there. Yes, it's a little but it's

(42:54):
not the Premier League. It's not La Liga or serri Are,
but man the top French league. For Ben Old, you know,
a product, another product of Wellington Phoenix. After Alex Paulson's
side with Bournemouth. We've seen Ben Wayne himself was a
Phoenix player, go over and plan in the UK. Many
others as well coming through that system, Liby Cacacci, Sarpret

(43:16):
Singh and earning moves off shore. Ben Old feels like
he's the latest one. So yeah, as I understand it,
I've sort of had a couple of conversations with people
around this. This may well be confirmed in the next
week or so. Interestingly, Ben Old will be going to
Paris for the Olympics as part of the New Zealand
side for the Olympic Games. So he might just stay

(43:38):
in France. He might just not come home. I hope
he's packed all of his clothes. Anyway, we'll wait and
see about that Ben Wayne this hour. As I say,
James mcconey as well. But I want to start with
triathlon and official confirmation at the start of this week
that our top triathlete Hayden Wilde is heading to his
second Olympic Games. Of course, he got on the podium

(43:58):
in Tokyo. What a magical finish and ye will take
silver for great Britain and what about that Hayden Wild
the Bruins bronze medalist and the men's individual event at
the last Olympic Games, and two years ago at the
Birmingham Commonwealth Games he was a silver medallist.

Speaker 3 (44:17):
So Hayden Wild makes a turn for home. He is
in the lead. Is he aware of the penalty? Who knows?
But for now Hayden Wild of New Zealand is going
to come through and lead alex Ye just by the
smallest of margins. But unfortunately for Hayden Wild, he will
have to serve this ten second penalty and look at
that for sportsmanship. I think we'll look back on that

(44:40):
moment with botanists. Hayden Wild has high five alex Ye.
He's well aware of the penalty. He's clapped the home
town hero Home. Hayden Wild is now coming through to
finish second and silver just fourteen seconds behind, having served
that excruciating ten second penalty.

Speaker 2 (45:01):
O yes, So bronze and Tokyo silver and Birmingham Targeting
gold no doubt. In Paris and overnight, Hayden Wild has
cruised to victory in Bordeaux, his last race before next
month's Olympic Games. I spoke to Hayden Wild earlier this week.
He was at altitude in Andorra as he was continuous preparations,

(45:22):
and I asked Hayden while, first of all, what the
final few weeks of his build up to Paris will
consist of.

Speaker 13 (45:29):
Yeah, thanks for having me on the show. I think
the next few weeks is, Yeah, it's going to be
the most important parts. You know, got to race in
actually the south of France and this weekend just to
kind of do the final preparations and see where everything
is at. And then yeah, here up in altitude at
two thy four hundreds until the end of about the

(45:50):
seventeenth of July, just kind of getting those little marginal
gains kind of before the big dance, and it's just
kind of fine tuning the things like soomboy, you can
run this shop and the tools upper bits of the
top end speed, and then yeah, just make sure I
wrap my up in bubble wrap and get myself at
the start line and one hundred percent.

Speaker 2 (46:10):
How much of the preparation that led to your Bronze
and Tokyo are you looking to replicate for Paris or
was it just entirely different because of COVID et cetera.

Speaker 13 (46:20):
Yeah, I think it's completely different with COVID and whatnot.
But in some ways we have similarly replicated some of
the training in a positive light, some of the trainings
that we have replicated, I'm doing a heck of a
lot better now, which is really positive and satisfying. I
guess the major difference is obviously I'm based here in Europe.

(46:44):
I'm able to race and have competitions before the Olympics,
not like Tokyo. And yeah, the biggest change would probably
be the altitude, trying to get those extra gains up here.

Speaker 2 (46:56):
When you're looking for marginal gains, but what could be
really important gains come paris What do you drill down
into where are you looking to make those those important gains?

Speaker 13 (47:08):
Yeah, it's it's extremely hard to know, you know, Alex
and I think you know, if we do come off
the bike together, it's we're very evenly matched. But for
me has been a really high focused area has been
probably the swim. I guess personally, like whenever I get
onto a start line. In some ways, my kind of

(47:29):
race does come down to chance, and you know, we
just hope and cross our fingers that I get to
the front pack and you know, I'm really you know,
stoked and positive. That's ninety percent of the time. Ninety
five percent of time it does all come together. And
I'm super, super lucky to have real good bike legs
and run run off the bike with you know, a

(47:50):
pretty hard bike in the legs. So I'd like to
hopefully change that. And you're obviously having a full focus
and having a really big swim base coming into this one.
You know, I obviously spend less energy, might be a
bit more efficient, the water, be a bit more efficient
on the bike to then give me the good legs
on the day to hopefully put out a performance, hopefully

(48:14):
too better than I did in Tokyo.

Speaker 2 (48:16):
There's doubt, of course, around the swim leg with the
Sane River being cleaned up. I think they're spending about
one point five billion to try and get it clean.
Is there any possibility the triathlon might become a jew athlon?
What are you hearing? What's the latest you're hearing on that?

Speaker 13 (48:30):
Yeah, I've kind of actually just been staring away a
bit from the media about it's just because I you know,
I don't want to be an Olympic champion as a
jew athlete. I want to be an Olympic champion as
a triathlon So I haven't changed any of my training
thinking about us a jewathlen or anything about that. I've
just kind of been really working on my process and

(48:52):
you know, just just staying positive and being confident that
the Paris will be ready for us in forty days time.

Speaker 2 (48:59):
And I think you swum in the scene in the
test event last year, didn't you. How did you find it?

Speaker 13 (49:03):
Yeah, it was great. It was actually didn't get which
is positive. And yeah, I think it's a very it's
actually a very tough swim technically and mentally. It's a
it's a it's actually currently assisted going into the water.
So for example, if you know your swim splits, we

(49:26):
did four hundred and fifty meters in four minutes, which
is you know, for example, if you look at swimming pool,
it's you know, it's fast than the world record in
the four hundred meter and we did, you know, four
hundred and fifty meters, So it's extremely quick, current assisted,
but we turn around and we get hit by a
lot of flowing water, which makes life hard. So it's

(49:49):
extremely important to be in a really good position in
that first kind of boy turn at four hundred and
fifty meters, knowing where you are trying to kind of
hide yourself behind other athletes to kind of get their
wake to set you up pretty well for the obviously
for the rest of the race. So yeah, I think
position is going to be extremely important when it comes
to the swim.

Speaker 2 (50:08):
You mentioned Alex before Great Britain to Alex Ye, of
course your main rival. Two of you have been stride
for stride many times over the last few years in
various different events. What are you going to have to
do really well to beat them?

Speaker 8 (50:21):
Yeah?

Speaker 13 (50:21):
I think. You know, we had a race about a
month ago in Kagliari, and I came away from that
race second place, with the sprint finish once again just
a second behind. But I came away with that race
with a lot of knowledge, and I think personally, I
know what I need to do to you know, if
Alex and I do come off the bike together, I

(50:44):
think I know what I need to do. So, you know,
the last month of training that I've had here in Andorra,
it's been like really specific, but I think it's really
coming down to being more efficient in the water to
save more energy on the bike and then coming onto
the run as being as good as possible. There are

(51:05):
so many I guess uncontrollers you cannot control in a trithlon.
You know we have It's not just that, I guess
that Alex and Hayden show you know we have. We
come and we're in France and we've got three world
champions on the French team. We've got the ex Olympic
medalist from Tokyo. He's going to be there as well, Christian,
And yeah, I think personally it's going to be They're

(51:27):
going to do all they can to not let us
get into the front group, to make it a to
make it a running battle between Alex and I. But yeah,
as it said, like, if it does come down to
the transition and Alex and I are in the front
group and we're side by side, it's going to be
quite the battle.

Speaker 2 (51:42):
I think absolutely. And of course you'll join Dylan McCulloch,
Nicole Vander Kay and Ainsley Thorpe in the in the
mixed teams relay as well. How do you rate your
chances of improving on the twelfth place that you achieved
in Tokyo.

Speaker 13 (51:55):
Yeah, for me, personally, it's going to be a lot different,
you know this this this time coming around. It's really
nice how world trifle and does it where every Olympic
cycle the relay gets reversed. So for example, I was
actually the finishing league in Tokyo, and you know we
were a bit behind at that point. But this year, sorry,

(52:17):
this cycle round, it's actually the lady's finishing it off,
which is kind of gives it a little bit of
a unique standpoint. So, yeah, like the ladies in really
good shape at the moment. I think in mixed team
relay form. I know I've talked to them a few
times and they haven't been too happy with their long
distance performances, but I've seen how they've been doing their

(52:37):
relays and it looks, you know, they're looking extremely well,
and you know, I think we've actually got a good
chance of them keeping us into the race. And Nicole,
the way she's running at the moment is phenomenal. You know,
she's posted some of the fastest run times over the
last couple of races. So it's actually really satisfying and
nice to see that we've got a really good anchor
league potentially, And yeah, Dylan as well. You know, he's

(53:01):
had an absolute blinder of the end of season in
twenty twenty three, and he had a great start to
the New Zealand season and the Oceanian season and this
will be his first Olympics as well, so that new
experience and just being hungry and just going for it,
I think is going to be really nice. And yeah,
of course, like if anything happens between Dylan and I,
we've got Taylor there as a reserve, and you know,

(53:23):
he's extremely experienced and he's a very very good relay athlete.
So I feel like we've got a really good opportunity
if everything goes right in the Really, I think we've
got a good chance of doing something special as this team.

Speaker 2 (53:34):
All right, and you've got Saam Tanner with you. I
know you've been training with him at various stages to
see puts the final preparations on his fifteen hundred meter
of preparation to see with you at altitude up there
in Andorra.

Speaker 13 (53:45):
Yeah, he actually just arrived a few days ago with
coach Craig, so yeah, he'll be here for another few days.
He's had it, but more of a different preparation staying
at home for a little bit longer. But yeah, I
think he's really pumped to be here. And we did
it last year and he was in good shape here
and I wish him all the best. And we'll be
training side by side and I'll be helping him expand

(54:08):
his engine on the run and he would be helping
me expand my toping speed. So we really cater for
both of both of each other.

Speaker 2 (54:16):
Outstanding and just to finish if we circle back as
we sit here today, Hayden, with the Olympics, you know,
starting to loom large overall. Are you where you want
to be? How do you feel?

Speaker 8 (54:26):
Man?

Speaker 13 (54:27):
Yeah, I've actually really satisfied of where I am. If
I was actually talking to a friend a couple of
days ago, and you know, if the Olympics was tomorrow
and I looked at my prip my builds, I honestly
wouldn't change anything. I've been really enjoying the process. I
feel super confident in my ability where I am at
the moment, and just really happy and just enjoying the

(54:51):
training and just enjoying the process and the people around me.
And we've got such a great environment up here, and
just learning a lot about myself and coming into this
and I just don't feel I just don't feel that pressure.
I feel there's other athletes in the race that have
actually got a lot more prescied than I I have.
Like you know, the French have the home, the home
nation Christians, the Olympic bronze medallists and the Olympic middalist.

(55:15):
Sorry got Tokyo, and I think Alex has got that
kind of hot favorite coming into this one. And I
just feel like I'm in a great position and just
going to be just going to do what I need
to do on the day.

Speaker 2 (55:27):
Exciting times, all the best for the remainder of repreparation. Hayden,
thanks for having a chat. We can't wait to see
how Paris turns out for you, mate. Thanks for the chat.

Speaker 13 (55:35):
Yes, thank you.

Speaker 2 (55:36):
That is Hayden Wild who I spoke to earlier this week.
He couldn't chat live to us because he had that
race in Bordeaux and the timing was a bit It's
for God, but great to get the chance to chat
to one of our real gold medal prospects. He really
is Bronze and Tokyo. That was probably unexpected and you
could even tell I think when he got the bronze medal.
You remember that very emotional post race interview that he

(55:58):
did having lost his father and just the enormity of
what he had achieved. But now fast forward to twenty
twenty four and he is an absolute gold medal hope.
He and Alex ge have just gone stride for stride
in so many different triathlon events over the last two
or three years, So yeah, he is absolutely one to watch.

(56:21):
Dylan McCulloch is the other male competitor in the men's
individual triathlon. Nicole van de Kay and Ainsley Thorpe are
in the women's individual. The men's is first, the women's
the following day, and then about five days after that
it's the team's event and all four of them Dylan McCulloch,
Haylen Wild, Nicole Vanderkay and Ainsley Thorpe will line up
in the teams event as well, so looking forward to

(56:42):
seeing how they go when Paris rolls around. Speaking of Paris,
our Road to Paris feature continues after two o'clock today.
Natalie Rooney's on the show. She is a silver medallist
from twenty sixteen in the women's trap shooting. It is
our best ever Olympic result by a key we shooter.
So I'll have a chat to Nicole Rooney after two o'clock.

(57:02):
But when we come back, we're off to the islands,
the Pacific Islands, that is, I said Nicole Rooney. Natalie Rooney,
My apologies, Natalie, Natalie Rooney. We're off to the Islands,
to Port Villa in Vanuatu. With this afternoon at four
o'clock it'll be the All Whites up against Vanuhatu for
the Oceania Nations Cup. It's the grand final. Ben Wayne
or White striker with us. Right after this.

Speaker 1 (57:25):
The big issues on and after fields call oh eight
hundred eighty ten eighty Weekends Forward with Jason Fine and GJ. Gunderholmes,
New Zealand's first trusted home Milder News Talk Baby.

Speaker 2 (57:37):
One twenty five on the Dot. The All Whites are
into the OFC Nations Cup Final. They'll play hosts Vanuatu
and Port Villa four o'clock this afternoon. New Zealand Timers kickoff.
Striker Ben Wayne is New Zealand's top scorer at the
tournament with four.

Speaker 20 (57:52):
Kacachi Wonderful is broken clear since the class New Zealand
four noil Ben Wain second brace for him in this tournament,
Ben Waen.

Speaker 2 (58:03):
Ben Wayne's whether us out of Vanuhatou. Thanks for your time, Ben,
And it all seems to have gone to plan really,
three nil and four nil wins in Paul Play, a
five nil win in the semi final, comfortably into the finals.
So how do you assess the way the team's been
playing at this tournament so far?

Speaker 21 (58:19):
I think the best way to describe would be professional.
It's never easy to come over here. I mean, I
think probably teams so people do assume that it's going
to be a walk in the park, but it is
never the case. You know, the Island teams put up
a really good fight and they have been tough games.
I think we've just been we're being clinical and like
I said, professional to get the job done.

Speaker 16 (58:41):
So that's been really really important.

Speaker 2 (58:43):
New Zealand's taking the lead inside ten minutes in each
of the three games. How important has that been to
kind of settle any possible nerves and to get off
to a good positive start.

Speaker 16 (58:55):
Yeah, I think it is really important.

Speaker 21 (58:56):
I mean, whether that happens in the final or not,
I don't know, but I don't I don't think it
matters where we're a good enough team to deal with
that without scoring in the first ten minutes. But to
do that is I think it just lets the team
get into a rhythm early on. And you might, yeah,
I might say it takes a little bit of away
off everyone's shoulders, but I mean to still put three, four,

(59:18):
five away, it's I think it's impressive from a team's
point of view.

Speaker 2 (59:22):
What's it like in terms of conditions being hot and
what are the pitchucks? I can TV, but it's always
had to tell what are conditions.

Speaker 16 (59:30):
Like very hot and very humored?

Speaker 21 (59:34):
To be fair against the HEDI there's a bit of
rain and that was just blessing in disguise. That was
helped a lot the pictures. Okay, it's a little bit bobby,
but better than I thought it would be. But I
mean by the end of the tournament, I know there's
a game before us, so it could be a little
bit a little bit questionable, but that's something we just

(59:56):
deal with and it won't be a.

Speaker 2 (59:57):
Problem personally for you. You're a striker, your currency or
you know, big party currency as goals, how pleasing has
it been for you to get four of them? In
your two games at the tournament so far.

Speaker 21 (01:00:09):
Oh, it's been amazing. I've honestly in general just missed
playing for New Zealand. It was really really nice to
have the opportunity to come out here and play for
New Zealand, but to score for your country, you know,
it's it's been a while for me, so I've kind
of forgotten that feeling, and it's an awesome feeling.

Speaker 16 (01:00:25):
But like I said, at the end of the day,
it's just good that we're in the final. That's what
we're here to do, win a trophy, and you know,
let's hope we can do that.

Speaker 2 (01:00:32):
Tell us about coming together as a team. You all
know each other obviously, but you don't spend a heck
of a lot of time together in a footballing sense,
and you have a pretty limited build up to tournaments
like this. How quickly are you able to re establish
connections with one another in a footballing sense.

Speaker 16 (01:00:48):
It's pretty easy.

Speaker 21 (01:00:50):
With boys I've played with, you know, the well into
Phoenix boys, it's really easy to just carry on and
get back to playing with them. But I mean it's
awesome to meet new people as well here and it
takes a training or two or a few meetings. I
mean the meetings that we have here I think are
really important to help us connect with people that were
you know, played with before, but to connect with new

(01:01:10):
people as well. So I think that has just been really,
really helpful. And the teams are, you know, really together
at the moment, so that's awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:01:20):
So van To are your opponents in the in the final?
Did you did you half expect fee g to come
through from the other Semi?

Speaker 21 (01:01:29):
Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from that game.
I was really interested. I thought it was going to
be a tight game, and that's what it turned out
to be. But I mean, Vanuatu in the final against
US will be awesome. There's going to be a I
can assume there's going to be a big crowd and
the atmosphere is going to be good.

Speaker 16 (01:01:44):
So I'm really looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (01:01:46):
Obviously, second game against them, how do you put any
possibility of complacency to one side having already beaten them comfortably?
Four Nilo and Paul play.

Speaker 21 (01:01:57):
Yeah, I mean it's the same same in any other tournament.
Just I mean, you can take confidence from that, don't
get me wrong, But at the end of the day
when that whistle goes, it's it's knockout football.

Speaker 16 (01:02:07):
It's a final game, like anything can happen.

Speaker 21 (01:02:10):
So I don't think there'll be any complacency at all
from from what I've seen within this group and the
coaching stuff.

Speaker 16 (01:02:17):
They'll be right right on us and know we'll be
ready to go.

Speaker 2 (01:02:21):
As you're together in a situation like this, and as
I said before, it you don't get together that often,
so presumably you discuss a wide range of things when
you're together. Are you talking about the World Cup cycle
that is ahead and your possible path to the twenty
twenty six World Cup?

Speaker 16 (01:02:38):
Oh?

Speaker 21 (01:02:38):
Yeah, one hundred percent. I think it would be silly
not to say that that is major goal to get
to a World Cup. And I know that's in the
future and we still need we still need to qualify
for that, and for now we're focused on winning this trophy.
But yeah, that's one hundred percent. There's a there's definitely
a plan in place with that being the major target.

(01:02:58):
But to get there, you've got to, you know, take
it step by step, and one of these steps is
to win this tournament.

Speaker 2 (01:03:04):
Is there an internal optimism that you know that that
you can do that, that you can qualify for that
World Cup in a couple of.

Speaker 16 (01:03:12):
Years, one hundred percent. No.

Speaker 21 (01:03:15):
I think everyone in the room believes that we can
do it. But it's never it's never as easy as
just saying it, you know. But I think that's the
really important part of all of this planning and these
these games that we're taking part and now this tournament
that we're playing, and it's it's all part of it,
and it's all going to prepare everyone to try and
be in the best place we can be, you know,

(01:03:35):
when when that time comes.

Speaker 2 (01:03:38):
And again, I know we're only focusing on this tournament,
but the Olympics are coming up and less of the month,
less than a month rather. The squad's named on Tuesday.
I don't think it's any secret to anybody that you'll
be in that squad. Are you looking forward to the
possibility of playing in Olympic Games in Paris?

Speaker 21 (01:03:55):
I mean, to be able to go to Paris and
play in my second Olympics would be amazing, and that's
what I'm striving to learn. Hopefully, like you said, when
that team gets announced, hopefully I'm on that lot. I
think my first one it was a bit of a
shame because Tokyo, you know, there's COVID and whatnot. I
didn't feel like a proper Olympics, and I think we
still did really well as the team. But if I

(01:04:17):
get the chance to go again, I think, you know,
I really really take him the opportunity.

Speaker 2 (01:04:21):
Look forward to that squad being announced on Tuesday. Plomothard
Goals your club. Now, of course you've been there a
season and a half. How do you as see your
football growth being in your time in the UK?

Speaker 21 (01:04:32):
Yeah, no, I've loved it, Don't get me wrong. It's
been a it's been a challenge. You know, you move
away from home and then the football level. I mean
I was, I was in League One for six months
and then all of a sudden, I'm playing in the Championship.
So you know, there was two massive step ups that
I had to had to adjust to, and if I'm
being honest, it probably took me at least at least

(01:04:54):
a year of that time I've been away to you
know say, actually, i feel like I'm at the level
where I'm I'm training well and I'm playing well. So no,
I'm just excited to see what happens next. And you know,
I'll go back in a few five or six days
back to Plymouth and start pre season all over again.

Speaker 16 (01:05:10):
I'm looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:11):
And he got a new boss, Wayne Rooney. How much
you're looking forward to coming under his guidance when you
get back to the UK. One of England's greatest ever strikers.

Speaker 21 (01:05:22):
Yeah, I couldn't believe it, and I mean, yeah, I
just I'm just looking forward to being able to pick
his brain, to be honest. I mean, well, I think
he's Main United's all time top goal scorer or something
like that, and he's definitely high up on the England ranks.
He might just be behind Harry Kane now, but just
the knowledge that he has in the game, and yeah,

(01:05:42):
the way he played in his career, I'm really looking
forward to.

Speaker 16 (01:05:46):
I don't really know what to say. I'm still a
bit shocked, to be honest.

Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
Yeah, I'm sure it'll be something that as a fellow striker,
will be extremely helpful to you. When you think about
the last you know, eighteen months or or whatever it's
been since you left Wellington for your you know, for
the next chapters in your career, how different a player
do you perceive yourself to be now or are you
just doing certain things better? How do you assess the

(01:06:10):
way you are now compared to them.

Speaker 21 (01:06:13):
I definitely think there's been a mess of like growing
period for me in terms of mentality and probably how
the game's played over here.

Speaker 16 (01:06:22):
It's different.

Speaker 21 (01:06:23):
There's a higher level intensity, you know, there's more physicality.
It takes time to adjust and I think even to
adjusting when I first signed in the A League, it
took me a year to you know, get right to
the level.

Speaker 16 (01:06:35):
So for me, I'm really happy with where I am
at now.

Speaker 21 (01:06:39):
Mentally, I'm definitely become stronger when you have to look
after yourself and all of that, you know, deal with
the ups and downs and there's so many games and whatnot.
It's it's definitely helped me a lot, and I think
I'm in a good place. So no, I mean, I
think I've improved as a player one hundred percent, and
the mental aspects of the game as well. I've definitely

(01:07:00):
I've definitely matured a bit.

Speaker 2 (01:07:01):
I think, did you get the chance to get home
in between the end of the season and hitting off
to the Nation's Cup?

Speaker 8 (01:07:07):
Yeah? I did.

Speaker 21 (01:07:09):
Me and my girlfriend came back for three weeks and
surprised mum and dad on the doorsteps. So it was awesome,
really nice to come back and I definitely miss New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (01:07:20):
Amazing your Phoenix boys did. Okay, did you get manage
to keep tabs on the last d League season?

Speaker 21 (01:07:26):
Yeah, so I definitely watched. I mean some of the
games were at shocking times at three in the morning
for me. Yeah, but I mean there was there was
four or five that were at you know, seven am
a am. And I managed to watch them and to
see how well they had done was awesome and I
was to be honest, I was gutted that the semi
final was so early. I was playing on being back
and being back to watch them live. But I managed
to watch on the phone and just a real shame that,

(01:07:48):
you know, they didn't make it to the final, but
it was just awesome to see.

Speaker 16 (01:07:52):
Well.

Speaker 2 (01:07:52):
Speaking of finals, you've got one to look forward to
in the OFC Nations Cup. All the best against against
Manawatu in the final. Ben look forward to to seeing
if Paris is your next destination on how you go
under Wayne Rooney's guidance in the in the month. Thanks
taking the time for.

Speaker 16 (01:08:07):
A chat mate, Oh, cheers, pony, thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (01:08:09):
Thanks for joining us. Ben Ben Wayne there. Yeah, Wayne
Rooney's his new boss. It's that I'm not have mentioned
this a couple of weeks ago. Wayne Rooney, it doesn't
have a great track record as a manager, it would
be fair to say, but one of the all time
greats of English football and one of the old time
great strikers of modern times. So for Ben Wayne, you know,

(01:08:30):
a striker still in many ways learning has trade to
come under the guidance of Wayne Rooney. How good is
that going to be for him? So I'll play this
afternoon back to the UKRS. You had Ben say four
preseason training, but I think we can all assume, without
fear of contradiction, that he'll be in the Olympic squad.
That's a squad of under twenty three players, of course,

(01:08:51):
with three overage players. Ben Wayne is still under twenty three,
so definitely qualifies for that squad named on Tuesday. As
I understand it, the second of July is that Tuesday. Yeah,
that's when they'll announced the squad, the eighteen strong squad
for both the New Zealand men's team and the Football Ferns.
That's just a normal senior side. So both of those

(01:09:11):
teams named. On Tuesday on text from Steve No from James,
a great interview with Hayden. We take special interest in
this fine young man due to his connection to or Corney,
where we live. I knew his dad, Andrew, and I
know he would be very, very proud of his son.
Sending this message from the house that Andrew Wild grew
up in, which we now own and live in. Thanks James,

(01:09:34):
brilliant stuff. Yeah, Hayden Wild, Yeah, terrific, terrific, terrific keiwek
great human being. Looking forward to seeing how he goes
in Paris twenty three, twenty three to two when we
come back. James mcconey with a bumper edition of his
Sunday segment here on Weekend Sport.

Speaker 1 (01:09:51):
One Grudge Hold Engage Weekend Sports with Jason Tame and GJ.
Gunner Homes New Zealand's I was Trusted Homebuilder.

Speaker 2 (01:09:59):
News Talk Baby just on nineteen Away from two. James
mcconey joins us around this time every Sunday. Although I've
come to your slightly early today because I've got a
number of questions to ask you, James, you can just
add it to your and voice. Is that okay?

Speaker 11 (01:10:12):
Yeah, it's fine, But like Jin, you've got some questions
on your man, you know, smash mouth, come on, someone
please in the library.

Speaker 2 (01:10:24):
Absolutely, it's part of one of my Spotify playlists.

Speaker 8 (01:10:27):
I know it is.

Speaker 11 (01:10:28):
That's proof I'm just going to get kicked out of
South Auckland, which is where I'm talking to you from XMA.
I'm here Pat Toma Hooye Rugby Club. I'm going to
be here for a for an event at lunch next
weekend next Friday.

Speaker 2 (01:10:42):
Excellent. Well you're just scoping the place out.

Speaker 11 (01:10:44):
Yeah, I'm scoping out. I'd like to have a look
around and you know, see see what the what the
speakers are like, you know, just to make sure it's
all tickety boo.

Speaker 2 (01:10:52):
Excellent. Well, while we've got you can I move on
to my list of topics, the first of which is unselected.
All blacks, or those who might have thought they were
in the frame, probably were in the frame for selection
in the first all Black squad of the year. Didn't
he their names read out earlier this week? So what
now for them? And I'll give you a specific example.

(01:11:12):
What does Hoskin Satutu do now, Well.

Speaker 11 (01:11:16):
For Hoskins, I think it's going to be tempting to go.
He's got options. He could play for Fiji because because
of his dad, Wisaki, who could play for England because
of his mum. So he qualifies for either and he
could be playing for either nation by the end of
next year. It means he had missed out on the Lions.

(01:11:36):
Imagine that him turning up in Australia playing for the Lions.
But that could be his future. And if you break
it down, like his dream was to be an All Black,
he became an All Black, but it was also his
dream to become a great All Black and that's really
you know, to solidify his position now and in a
nation of five million that it's still a big deal.

(01:11:57):
And if you break it down even further, says two
million rugby fans hard called rugby fans. That's who you're
you know, that's who you play if you like. Whereas
as soon as you step on that plane and you
go overseas, you broaden your horizons and you know you're
playing for England, country of sixty million, and maybe that

(01:12:18):
becomes what your perspective. You change your sights and it
becomes playing under and listen to the annoying English fans
singing Sweeten Swinglows, sweet Chariot, that becomes your life.

Speaker 2 (01:12:31):
Do you think he'll go?

Speaker 12 (01:12:34):
I don't know.

Speaker 11 (01:12:35):
I mean, I know he'd be tempted to stay and
prove people wrong, but I don't know. I think at
twenty five you could go and have a really great
Test career overseas. To me, England would be the landing
spot if you really want to go and do something
where that you know, they've got a really great Test season,
You've got six nations to look forward to. There's nothing

(01:12:56):
wrong with playing for Fiji either, but they just don't
have the same test calendar that England have, you know,
the Autumn Internationals and all that sort of thing as well,
and the potential to play for the Lions. So maybe
that would be enough to entice them. But sometimes Kiwi
kids have to look elsewhere and get their their motivation
or their drive or their you know, reassess their goals.

Speaker 2 (01:13:20):
I know that there was a lot of clamor for
him to be included after a terrific Super Rugby season.
No one's arguing with the way he played for the
Blues in a title winning season. But Artie Savia is
by daylight the best number eight probably in the world
and certainly in New Zealand. So would Hoskins actually have
played a lot for the All Blacks anyway in the
big games.

Speaker 11 (01:13:39):
Yeah, that's a good point. Maybe not, but then you're
comparing different players. Artie Savier is an undersized, small number eight,
an amazing athlete and that's why he plays big. But
then Hoskinstutu, I think at test level, the temptation would
better use them because he's just got those other physical
tools that we haven't seen at number eight for a

(01:14:00):
while for New Zealand. So look, I think he can
play other position. I think he could play at number
six as well, but then he's pretty much fashioned himself
as a specialist number eight. In a country like England
or Fiji, we'red just I'd love to have him, So
why not go with somewhere where you're totally in demand

(01:14:21):
and when people would welcome you with open arms.

Speaker 2 (01:14:23):
And yeah, it's a very good point. We'll wait and
see what the next move is for Hoskins Stutu. Over
the last week, in fact, over the last four or
five days, we've seen the bounce back ability of a
couple of rugby league sides. We saw New South Wales
reverse what happened in Game one against Queensland in the
second game of State of Origin, and then yesterday we
saw the Warriors bounce back from a sixty point defeat

(01:14:45):
to beat last year's Grand finalist, albeit without a couple
of players the Broncos in reasonable, reasonably comfortable fashion at
Mount Smart. So what can we take from this? You know,
a team is very good one game and then or
not that good one game and then very good the next.
What can we take from this?

Speaker 11 (01:15:02):
Yeah, I was mugling this over Pineer. I do remember
you did a great segment on your radio show with
that performance coach from Australia, So maybe you need to
get someone with a few bit more expertise than me.
But it really piqued my interest because of the massive defeat,
the sixty point defeat, and then of course New South
Wales really absolutely spanking Queensland, who are considered, you know,

(01:15:26):
the elite team in the sport. Really so I think
it just shows the fine margins that anything can upset
the apple cart. And if the Warriors just not firing,
not finding their mojo over it on the Gold Coast
to come back and play that well. Yes, the Brisbane
were missing a few stars, but that again points to

(01:15:48):
the fine margins. So for me, as a Chiefs fan,
I was so gutted by that Super ABI final. But
I look at it and think, well, if you don't
have things in place, for example, you two best hookers,
if you don't have you know, a great game plan
in the wet weather conditions, then everything can snowball against you.
And all these teams are so good that they will

(01:16:10):
make you pay time and time again, in the same
way that maybe a referee can then effect you and
that can decide again. But I think this really says
that the fine margins between success and failure, the fine
line between pleasure and pain. Piney, you know, have you
got that song?

Speaker 8 (01:16:28):
I do?

Speaker 2 (01:16:28):
I know that song a very fine line. Was it
the the Vinyls?

Speaker 11 (01:16:32):
Yes? Yeah, I think it was?

Speaker 2 (01:16:34):
Yeah? Or did they sing that one about they say
I touched myself? Yes, I wonder why I gravitated to
that particular artist. I'm not sure. Indeed, Let's move on
to some football. The football Funds will be heading to
the Paris Olympic Games. But they won't have their head
coach Yetka klum Kova has not resigned, but stepped down

(01:16:56):
as coach. Michael Maine, the assistant coach who took them
in their recent window against Japan, will again take the
reins in Paris. This is a very, very curious situation.
I've tried my hardest to get some answers out of
New Zealand football and get somebody to come on the
air and talk about it. But without any joy, what
have you made of all of this?

Speaker 11 (01:17:15):
Well, I guess I can only talk about rumored conjecture.
But I mean you and I both got I guess,
contacts close to the team. I mean I heard that
Yitka just lost the dressing room. So that was the situation,
And a lot of traditionalists out there will say we'll
play powers out of control. But in a situation like this,
you've got some people who've probably got more experienced than

(01:17:36):
Yika in the in the sport, and it's quite hard
to argue your point when someone's saying, well, I'm getting
told something completely different from my club, who's got one
of the greatest coaches of all time. So and I
think this is where it started to unravel and there
were some really bad selections. I feel like even before
this came to a head, I think a year ago

(01:17:59):
before the World Cup, was it Mikaela Moore Pony helped
me out here.

Speaker 2 (01:18:03):
I think it's yes, yes, it wasn't. So what wasn't
selected for the World Cup? Yep, yep?

Speaker 8 (01:18:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 11 (01:18:08):
And I know she's famous for scoring an own a
hat trick of own goals, but there was no doubt
that she was one of the senior pros and one
of the top players in that team. So things like
that really started to raise eyebrows. But I think there's
more that. I don't think they believe in her coaching philosophy.
It's really tough for them to gel in any way.

(01:18:28):
And look, the football fans, they are a tight unit,
and I think they've contributed to her downfall.

Speaker 2 (01:18:36):
Really yeah, I tend to agree that's the that's the
kind of the the Yeah. The guts of the rumors
that I hear as well is that there's there's by
the sounds of it just been a complete breakdown in
communicator or break down in the relationship, sorry, between a
cohort of players and their coach. And look, I don't
know what you think, but it just doesn't seem to

(01:18:57):
me as though there's any way back now for Yetka
Klimkover into this role. I mean, she's been given a
six year deal which takes her through to the next
World Cup, which in itself is a pretty interesting contract length.
But I just don't know that I see your way
back for her.

Speaker 11 (01:19:14):
Well, the only way back is really for a whole
swaye of senior players maybe to leave and then she
can work with the with the young ones coming through.
But I think this is going to be It's going
to be tough, and I think they'll be going through
some pretty serious negotiations to work out a way to
move forward, because this is a problem with these things.
We just don't know how how broken. The relationship is.

(01:19:37):
Obviously pretty bad, but also where the coaching philosophy doesn't
deal with with what we you'd say is modern or
you know, up to date methods of coaching. That's where
I feel like there's really a big divide there, and
and it's hard for one person just to sort of
call their way back when when the team, especially if

(01:19:57):
the team flourishes without her having said that, they're in
a Group of Death over there and the Olympics. So
I mean it's going to be tough for them.

Speaker 2 (01:20:05):
Yeah, it's gonna be tough. Yeah, tough to get out
of that growth they got. Yeah, they got a real
tough time of things. I just want to finish on football,
actually the Euros. I watched Germany beat Denmark too neil
this morning, and also watched with great interest Switzerland beat Italy.
This is a pretty poor Italian side, it must be said,
and maybe they're win at the last Euros was a
bit of an outline because they haven't been that good
for quite a while. Now England plays Slovakia tomorrow morning

(01:20:28):
for the right to take on Switzerland in the quarter finals.
England have not exactly reached any great heights at this
European Championship. Do you think they're about to to be,
you know, to surprise us all with a run to
the final?

Speaker 11 (01:20:43):
Look I hope. So I've got a soft spot for
the England football team and that team alone really on
English women's rugby team's kind of cool too, But the
issue there is I've crofton splutted through but they have
been pretty tight on defense. I'm so worried about their
keeper Jordan Pickford, but he hasn't really been called into
action much so heets off to the defense and I

(01:21:06):
guess the way they do keep the ball a bit
better than previous sides, it still will be tough for them.
They haven't found their mojo. It's a strange I guess
the way they formed that club, so that team with
all eyes on still on Harry Kane, means that they
can't really you can't see those other talented players express themselves.

(01:21:30):
The biggest issue for me, though, Piney of the Euros recently,
was an incredible yellow card for a guy who passed
the ball, put his foot down, what he's onto, what
he thought was the ground, and it was the foot
of another player, and he got a second yellow and
it was a red card. And I just thought, even
though we complain about rugby, we complained about league and

(01:21:53):
some of the decisions, football is almost even more broken really,
with VARs been called into action for some things and
not for others. And then a player simply imagine this,
passing the ball, puts his foot down and another player's
appears underneath it. I mean, I guess that's how you
me and or MESSI send off now stepping underneath them.

Speaker 2 (01:22:17):
Yes, just put your foot where you suspect his foot
will be next.

Speaker 22 (01:22:21):
And that's it.

Speaker 2 (01:22:24):
I can report that pleasure and pain was performed by
the the Vinyls. So I think we can. We can
finish there. Unless there's anything else you'd like to take up.

Speaker 11 (01:22:35):
No, I don't want anybody else. When I think about you, Poney,
I touch myself. So thank you very much for that.

Speaker 2 (01:22:41):
And yeah, I'm out, Okay, thank you, James. A good
time to leave it. I think six and a half
to two News Talks.

Speaker 1 (01:22:49):
NB analyzing every view from every angle in the sporting world.
Weekend Sport with Jason ye.

Speaker 2 (01:22:59):
Talk just on three and a half to two. After
two o'clock our road to Paris feature continues our best
ever olymp shooting result Natalie Rooney in twenty sixteen. She's
with us after two.

Speaker 1 (01:23:11):
The only place for the big names, the big issues,
the big controversies and the big conversations. It's all on
Weekend Sport with Jason Vain on your home of Sport.
News Talks had been.

Speaker 2 (01:23:28):
Two o seven. Welcome back in This is Weekend Sport
until three. Then Tim Beverbridge takes over with the Sunday
installment of the Weekend Collective. I'm Jason Pine, Mark Kelly alongside.
As I say, we're here for another hour or so.
Our Road to Paris feature continues shortly with Natalie Rooney,
who in twenty sixteen achieved our best ever Olympic shooting

(01:23:50):
results silver in the trap. She's with us to reminisce
a bit about that. She also was selected in twenty
twelve for the Olympics but didn't end up going, and
it was quite a controversial decision at the time. Will
unpack that with Natalie Rooney shortly. Adam Peak is our
Australian correspondent on Weekend Sport. Normally he's on a Saturday.

(01:24:10):
Yesterday we couldn't fit him in. We bumped him for
the All Blacks coach. So I suggested to him that
perhaps we could talk Australian Sport today, which he agreed to.
So we'll do that. This out your causing correspondents continue
to be welcome at any time, oh eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty or nine two ninety two if you
would prefer to correspond by text. But as we approach
seven and a half past two, as we always do,

(01:24:31):
it around about this time that music can only mean
one thing. It's time to catch you up on the
things you might have missed in case you missed it
on weekend sports. Let's start with stage one of the
Tour de France. Veteran cyclist Roman bad Day has claimed
the first yellow jersey of the tour, attacking fifty kilometers
from the line on the road from Florence to Elimini,

(01:24:55):
two hundred and.

Speaker 4 (01:24:56):
Fifty meters to go, Roman Bye Day Lex it is
teammates now they just need to spread. The paloton are
a matter of a few meters by, but it's a
far day blockbuster.

Speaker 2 (01:25:09):
Stage one fast.

Speaker 4 (01:25:10):
Over yellow jersey for the Frenchman.

Speaker 2 (01:25:13):
The breakaway makes it yeah by Day crossing the line
alongside teammate Frank Vanderbrook five seconds ahead of the chasing peloton.
One of the greatest catches of all time has helped
India to a seven run win over South Africa in
the T twenty Cricket World Cup Final in Barbados. Why
Mona gets it and he gets plenty of a jersey.

Speaker 5 (01:25:39):
I don't believe it.

Speaker 14 (01:25:40):
I've just seen athleticism and.

Speaker 16 (01:25:42):
It's very very best.

Speaker 2 (01:25:45):
That's quite an incredible moment. Folks, you won't believe well,
you've just seen.

Speaker 12 (01:25:51):
It is just the best piece of skull I think
I've ever.

Speaker 2 (01:25:55):
Seen in the game of cricket. Chasing one hundred and
seventy seven for their first ever white ball title, the
pro tear is rocked in the final over by that
scarcely believable catch on the boundary by Sarah Kumar Yadav
denying a six and dismissing the dangerous David Miller, India
winning by seven runs. To the NRL, the Knights face

(01:26:15):
the Eels and a Newcastle nail by the last night.
They lead just twenty eight twenty six, with a minute
to go and Parramatta in possession.

Speaker 7 (01:26:23):
Gufferson with a pull.

Speaker 2 (01:26:24):
He's gotta be hurt. He checked it alone. But the
darts who carried.

Speaker 8 (01:26:32):
Pass on his way Hello on the Jon, stand on
his back and you know what, and he's strong enough
to carry them all.

Speaker 22 (01:26:41):
Parabo forgot that.

Speaker 2 (01:26:43):
A win here Bradman bears scoring late together. The Knights
are thirty four to twenty six.

Speaker 8 (01:26:47):
Win.

Speaker 2 (01:26:47):
Meantime, the Storm beat the Raiders sixteen to six in Melbourne,
all the scoring in the first fifty one minutes of
the game, the Storm opening up a four point lead
at the top, Humes calling the shots.

Speaker 3 (01:26:58):
On a gost to Howard muscles his way over Cha
with Kenstrop and he gets his first career.

Speaker 2 (01:27:05):
Try the Mari. All Blacks have overcome limited preparation to
beat at Japan fifteen thirty sixteen in Tokyo, six tries
to two. Here's their skipper, Billy Harmon, on the style
that their Japanese opponents brought to the game.

Speaker 4 (01:27:17):
It was fast, it was detailed and you can tell
they've really leveled up from last year.

Speaker 2 (01:27:21):
So awesome for them and I hope they keep continuing.
A very rare visit to Gaelic football, where Galway have
blown the All Ireland Senior Football Championship wide open with
a remarkable come from behind went Overholders Dublin at Croke Park,
securing a shock semi final place and prompting one of

(01:27:43):
the best pieces of commentary of the year. Have a
listened to this.

Speaker 15 (01:27:49):
God, everyone, mister graces dam the gone with football, the
scene and only two decades everybody child starts to approad.

Speaker 23 (01:28:01):
Barry Joyce, I'm his color, gone with it, sweet bother
of gesus.

Speaker 2 (01:28:06):
They have pulled up.

Speaker 23 (01:28:08):
They n think of a forget about Taylor Swift shaken
off with the a feva.

Speaker 15 (01:28:13):
They come over here to twelve because you're witnessing the
west Wee.

Speaker 2 (01:28:19):
Dahlia of one of the great and finally to the
European Football Championship. We have our first two quarter finalists,
Switzerland stunning defending champions Italy. They led, won the little
half time and then double their lead. Fuckers beauty that
is a Swiss diamand.

Speaker 20 (01:28:39):
Barely half a minute into the second half and they
have climbed most of the mountain into the quarter.

Speaker 2 (01:28:48):
Finals and joined there by Germany who beat den Mark
tonill to chase from Mussiela. Muciana is going to get
there with rochters fur.

Speaker 4 (01:28:58):
Turned out.

Speaker 20 (01:28:59):
It's a beautiful finish simn aleicant player.

Speaker 2 (01:29:06):
And it might just pay to Danish huts.

Speaker 22 (01:29:09):
In this match tonight.

Speaker 2 (01:29:11):
New Zealand and the home straight.

Speaker 14 (01:29:16):
Jeewe's have won all.

Speaker 19 (01:29:21):
Weekends.

Speaker 10 (01:29:21):
Fourth Road to Paris twenty.

Speaker 5 (01:29:24):
Twenty four.

Speaker 2 (01:29:26):
At the Paris Olympic Games are drawing ever closer, and
as we travel the road to Paris, we're looking back
on some of the great Olympic moments from games past.
New Zealand's best ever Olympic shooting result came in twenty
sixteen at Rio, when Natalie Rooney won silver in the trap.
Having competed internationally since two thousand and six, she was

(01:29:47):
fifth at the twenty ten Deli Commonwealth Games and fourth
at the twenty fourteen Glasgow Commonwealth Games. At the Rio Olympics,
she successfully negotiated a shoot off to reach the final,
where she won silver, beaten narrowly by Australian Catherine Skinner.
The following year, Natalie Rooney claimed the number one world
rank in trap shooting. She also competed at the Tokyo

(01:30:09):
Olympic Games, where she placed eleventh. Natalie Rooney is with us. Natalie,
thanks for taking the time to wander down memory lane
of it back to twenty sixteen. What stands out most
vividly when you remember back to to Rio twenty sixteen.

Speaker 24 (01:30:25):
Obviously winning silver, which was pretty pretty amazing, and really
just the experience. I've been to a couple of comm
Weth Games, but the Olympics just like this next level
and just being in that New Zealand team, it's such

(01:30:48):
a special special thing to be part of and just
being in awe of all the athletes that you're surrounded by.

Speaker 2 (01:30:57):
Really tell us about the shoot off to reach the
gold medal match. How did the whole in fact take
us back? How did the whole competition play out up
to the shoot off, and then we can talk about
the final.

Speaker 24 (01:31:09):
Yep, I it was so long ago now, that so
back when I was back in two thousand and sixteen.
I've changed our program quite a few times since then,
but that back then, we only shot one day for ladies,
and we were shooting twenty five, three rounds of twenty

(01:31:32):
five out of seventy five targets. And for me, I
just remember waking up that day and knowing I'm ready
to go, which is quite a good day really when
you wake up and you're like, yep, I'm ready to go.
And yeah, everything went pretty smoothly until my last round

(01:31:54):
of competition, and there was a bit of like a
windstorm that kind of came through when I was shooting,
which I ended up missing a few targets, putting a
bit more pressure on me because leading into that round,
I was probably placed about second or third, I think,
and yeah, and then the wind came through, I missed

(01:32:17):
a few targets which put quite a lot of pressure
on me, but managed to give through to the final. Luckily.
I think I made it through in like fourth place
or something like that. Yeah, and then final, the final,
which is top six of the competition make it through
to the final, And I just remember I was so

(01:32:40):
ready for that final. I had spent two months prior
over in Ashley training with my coach, and yeah, that
training all just really came into practice and I was
so ready for it. And yeah came what I shot
thirteen out of fifteen I think in this single barrel.

(01:33:02):
When you come to the final and had to shoot
off against Corey Godrill from the USA to make it
into the final, I want Gold Beetle match, So yeah,
shooting extremely well?

Speaker 2 (01:33:19):
Yeah, well, I mean silver medal beast ever result by
New Zealand. Should I think you actually even lad in
the final, didn't you? It was eventually a thriller twelve eleven. Yeah,
how close did you feel to winning that gold?

Speaker 22 (01:33:32):
It was?

Speaker 24 (01:33:32):
It was very very close.

Speaker 16 (01:33:34):
It was.

Speaker 24 (01:33:36):
I just I think in that last gold Beetle match,
I actually dropped two lots of till in a row
I remember, which just really came down to the nerves.
That was all really, I was shooting so well. But yeah,

(01:33:56):
shooting is such a huge mental game. And yeah it
kind of fouled me a little bit on the end,
but I can't really complain. Walking away was still the middle.

Speaker 2 (01:34:08):
Absolutely. When you talk about it being a mental game,
just just unpack that for us. What how do you
feel when you're shooting really really well? Is it just
a serenity that comes over you.

Speaker 24 (01:34:19):
Yeah, you're kind of in this like No, it's like
a real flow state where you're everything is, you know,
working really well. You're because once you've got the skill
down and you train and train and train, it's all
about red repetitions and making sure everything is working perfectly.

(01:34:43):
And when that actually happens, it's an amazing feeling. And
it's not as if you're even trying. And yeah, so
so that to actually happen it's very rare. So yeah,
it's it's quite a it's an awesome feeling to happen,
but it doesn't happen very often.

Speaker 2 (01:35:03):
How did you get into the sport.

Speaker 24 (01:35:06):
Family. I've got three brothers and a dad that all
had shot, not all shooting at the moment, but they
we grew up shooting. Really my older brother Sam, he
got us all into it. He was born as Spina visita,
but absolutely loved sport and that was kind of the

(01:35:27):
sport that he started at school and then from there
we all kind of followed along.

Speaker 2 (01:35:33):
And there were several different disciplines in the sport of shooting,
aren't they. How did you settle on trap shooting?

Speaker 24 (01:35:40):
That was really what we did. We mainly did trap shooting.
There's we started with what we called down the line,
which is like an easier version, and it wasn't until
I was eighteen, I think that I got selected for
a team from the school shooting to do a Youth

(01:36:00):
Olympic Games over in Sydney, and from there that was
my first taste of what we call i w cfield
or the Olympic trap. So from there that's what I
started doing, the Olympic trap, and yeah, I just got
that taste and wanted more and wanted that challenge.

Speaker 2 (01:36:21):
Of course, four years before Rio, the New Zealand Shooting
Federation nominated you as their sole competitor for London twenty twelve,
but then prime rifle shetter Ryan Taylor appealed to the
sports tribunal had the decision overturned in his favor. How
difficult a time was that for you being selected and
then being unselected?

Speaker 24 (01:36:39):
Yeah, that was very tough.

Speaker 19 (01:36:43):
Yeah it was.

Speaker 24 (01:36:44):
It wasn't an easy time, but it kind of worked
in like in hindsight, it's worked in my favor. Like
if I'd gone to those games, I don't know if
I would have been in the position that I was
for Reo. Yeah, it's kind of It's a tricky one
because that non selection in the end drove me harder,

(01:37:08):
like and made me recist what I was doing and
want to be Like I like, I set that goal
that I had to be at that next Olympics, then
what was going to get me there? And that got
me to change what I was doing, head over to Italy,
get my coach and yeah, really nail it down and

(01:37:32):
it definitely works. So you know, if I had gone
to London, I don't know as much it would have changed.
So I'm quite in thean thankful for that.

Speaker 2 (01:37:42):
Really tell us a bit about your training regime. You
talked before about the couple of months heading into Rio.
What does what does a training regime day to day
look like? In the in the lead up to a
big event like an Olympic Games.

Speaker 24 (01:37:56):
Yes, so prior to COVID, should I say prior to
the Rio Games? I would be open at lea quite
a lot obviously for my coach who was based there,
so I would travel work to Italy for any competition. Really,
i'd spend probably one to two months over there prior
training leading up to it, which would consist of me

(01:38:20):
shooting I think three to four days on one day off,
and then that would be out at the shooting range
at eight point thirty in the morning, shooting all the
way out to lunchtime, having maybe an hour an hour
and a half for lunch, and then you carry on
shooting to about five or five o'clock in the afternoon,

(01:38:41):
as well as doing gym work and that around that
as well.

Speaker 2 (01:38:45):
How mentally draining is all of that training.

Speaker 24 (01:38:49):
It's very mentally draining. That's why only we kind of
played around, and I think for me the best was
shooting three to four days and then one day off.
I needed that day off just to re energize so
then I could come back the next day and be
ready to train gain or if we had a competition,
go and do that I personally couldn't shoot seven days

(01:39:13):
a week. There are some people that can do it,
but it's yeah, it's just a mental drain of it.
Like it's especially when you're in these hot countries as well.
You're just out there all day every day and it's
not like a hugely physical sport, but you know, it's
it's just that mental capacity to be able to be

(01:39:35):
there present for that whole time.

Speaker 2 (01:39:39):
And how does that drainage manifest itself? Liked you get headaches?
Do your eyes get sore? What happens when you when
you overshoot? If you did shoot seven days in a row,
you know, end on end?

Speaker 24 (01:39:50):
Yeah, so I are we contact lenses for shooting just
because my eyes aren't one hundred percent anymore. So, yeah,
they would get extremely dry for being in the sunlight
streaming in onto your eyes as well, like and just

(01:40:12):
you're looking. It's it's a weird thing you're looking so
hard all the time that you're over using your eyes,
if that makes sense. And yeah, it's just like a
continual drain. And yeah, I would get quite bad headaches
and nighttime as well as I was doing too much

(01:40:33):
as well as just you get very sore shoulders and
nicks just from the continual shooting and the the you know,
the compounding of the gun going off all the time.

Speaker 2 (01:40:53):
When the target comes out. Has there been studies done?
Do you know how long you have it? How long
your reaction time is before you see it and you
pull the trigger. It must be a fraction of a
second aser.

Speaker 24 (01:41:05):
So when we call for a target at instant so
when you call pull that target or come out straight away,
there's no delay. And from the it is like I
think it's point like if you're really onto, it's zero
point five or second or something like that when you

(01:41:26):
fire your first barrel.

Speaker 17 (01:41:27):
Wo wow.

Speaker 2 (01:41:30):
What I've often wondered as well about about international travel.
If you're a runner, you just chuck your shoes in
your bag, aren't you. You're and you're running gear. What
are the extra layers of complication when you're traveling with firearms?

Speaker 24 (01:41:42):
Yeah, it's not easy. That's the other thing. Like you
can't just plan to pack up and go somewhere next week.
It's months in advance of getting permits, both for the
countries that you're going to as well as the airlines.
You know, there's a lot of restrictions around the airlines

(01:42:04):
that you can travel with. Now you can't travel with
two different airlines. You have to have one airline going
the whole way because they don't transfer guns between airlines.
And then the countries that you go to, you have
to get pyramits for every country that you're going into.
Because being from New Zealand, we have a firearms license,

(01:42:29):
but our license doesn't have our gun on our license
like in Europe, all their licenses is their gun is
licensed to them right whereas we don't have our gun
license to us. We can just well, now for the
firearms registry, you have a license to you, but you
can have as many guns as you want, whereas over

(01:42:49):
in Europe they have a firearms license that's got their
gun on it at least cerial number. So for us,
I've had issues places like going into Cypress or the
European Urine Union, where they go how do I know
that this gun is yours?

Speaker 19 (01:43:04):
So you know?

Speaker 24 (01:43:05):
And then also restrictions in that from every country is
different with their rules and regulations. Some places you can
pick your gun up at the airport and just carry
on and do whatever you want with it. Other hunteries
you can't have your gun on you in that country,

(01:43:27):
it has to be taken straight away to the gun
club or the armory or wherever it's being kept, and
you can only have it when you're shooting.

Speaker 8 (01:43:36):
Wow.

Speaker 24 (01:43:36):
So it's very different for every country that you go to.

Speaker 2 (01:43:40):
Well, just an extra hour of complication even before you
start thinking about competing. Yeah, are you still involved, Natalie?
You still do you still shoot?

Speaker 22 (01:43:49):
Yes?

Speaker 24 (01:43:49):
I am a little bit. I'm very much involved with
the timmorw Gun Club timor Clayte Club should I say,
and at home, but I've just had a son who's
turning nine months old tomorrow, so I've tried to be
as present as I can for him, and he's kind

(01:44:10):
of at that tricky age where I can't really do
too much without him, so going shooting doesn't really has
it really been easy? But yeah, I'm never I don't
think it's a sport that I'm never going to be
able to step away from completely, to be honest, It's
just it's going to.

Speaker 2 (01:44:28):
Always be there, absolutely. And I've asked all of the
guests we've had on the segment the same question, where
do you keep your silver medal?

Speaker 11 (01:44:35):
Where is it?

Speaker 24 (01:44:38):
I'm not one hundred percent sure I have a feeling
it might be in my gum safe but something long
those lines.

Speaker 2 (01:44:46):
All right, Well, I'm sure it's somewhere. I'm sure it's somewhere.

Speaker 8 (01:44:51):
Natalie.

Speaker 2 (01:44:51):
It's been great to get the chance to chat to you. Incredibly,
we've lasted fifteen minutes without being interrupted by your son,
which is amazing.

Speaker 8 (01:45:01):
Good.

Speaker 2 (01:45:01):
We've scheduled brilliantly. Hey, congratulations on that wonderful moment back
in twenty sixteen in Rio. It's been awesome to get
the chance to chat and to reminisce a little.

Speaker 11 (01:45:10):
Bit with you.

Speaker 2 (01:45:11):
Thank you for taking the time, no worries, thank you,
Thank you, Natalie. Natalie Rooney there, silver medalist in the
trap shooting in twenty sixteen, the latest guest on our
Road to Paris, which actually is coming to an end.
We're going to be in Paris before you know it.
In terms of the Olympic Games, they start on the
twenty sixth of July. It's the first of July tomorrow,

(01:45:31):
so yeah, we're nearly there, less than four weeks away
from the start of it. Our news talks he'd B
is an official radio partner of the Olympic Games and
our sister station gold Sport gearing up to bring you
through the night commentary right across the Olympic Games. We'll
keep an eye in an ear on all of the

(01:45:52):
New Zealand athletes heading to Paris and bring you basically
water wall commentary of the Paris Olympic Games on gold Sport.
Presumeable start at about eight o'clock each night New Zealand time,
go through the night into the breakfast hours when some
of the finals are in the swimming and the athletics
and things like that. So yeah, rarely looking forward to
bringing the Olympic Games, the Paris Olympic Games to you

(01:46:14):
on gold Sport and also here on news Talk. Sa'd
be two twenty nine on text, Pinty, have you picked
up on the fact that John Gallah's son Matt has
been named in the Italy rugby squad to play games
against some more, Tonga and Japan next month. He may
end up playing against the All Blacks in November. Divided
loyalties for kipper perhaps John Gallaha. What a player, My god,

(01:46:38):
what a rugby player he was. Yeah, I have picked
up on that, actually that Matt's in that team. He's
eligible not only for Italy but also for England. I
think he's played under twenties for England, Ireland and New Zealand,
but he's in the thirty nine man training squad named
for those test matches, So yeah, it wouldn't be beyond
the realms of possibility that he is he is up

(01:47:00):
against the All Blacks later in the year, the team
that his dad represented with such distinction forty one matches,
eighteen tests and part of the eighty seven side that
won the very first Rugby World Cup. We'll keep an
eye on Matt Gallaha. And I guess if you are
John Gallaher, if your son's playing against the team you
used to play for, you, I mean you're back the
team your sons, and don't you surely half past two

(01:47:22):
when we come back across the Tasman are we a
day later than normal? Catch up with our Australian correspondent
Adam Peacock right after this.

Speaker 1 (01:47:32):
You be the TMO have your say on eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty Weekends Sport with Jason Pain and GJ. Guvnerholmes,
New Zealand's most trusted home builder news Dogs.

Speaker 2 (01:47:42):
They'd be just coming up twenty six away from three
Australian correspondent to Adam Peacock is with us a day
later than usual, but with heaps to cover off on
that side of the Tasman. I didn't want to miss
the chance. We bumped you yesterday, Adam, because we had
an hour with the All Blacks coach, so we didn't
really want to break that up. Do you think it
was the right move to bump you for razor.

Speaker 19 (01:48:06):
Another blatant disregard of Australianism from Kaways and everything like that.
Now completely understand mate. I hope it all went well
with it.

Speaker 2 (01:48:17):
It didn't makes you I think you're half right actually,
But let's move on anyway to Joe Schmidt, Scott Robertson's
counterpart and soon to be opponent in the coaching box,
getting ready for his first test as Wallaby's coach. Australia
played Wales and Sydney next Saturday, Melbourne the following Saturday,
then Rugby Championship. Of course, How are optimism levels among
Australian rugby fans.

Speaker 19 (01:48:39):
Yeah, not great, given what happened in the World Cup
last year, and given I mean there's Joe Swili, He's
coming over from rugby league next year. But conversely we've
lost Markey Park and Carter Gordon to rugby league the
Wallabies I'm talking about. So yeah, it's a difficult time
for Joe Schmidt because he's got a few things to

(01:48:59):
weigh up about. How much does he rely on the
overseas players, how much does he rely on players that
aren't going to be here next year, Like where's the
priority to get it right now, to get it right
in twenty twenty five, to get it right to the
next World Cup. So I think he's he's made a
fair call with the guys that are going to the
league just leave him out. But even though he said

(01:49:20):
Cardi Goodon might not have been in the squad full
stop because the other fly Hearts are going okay in
his opinion, But yeah, it's a really tough one to balance.
He's chosen, he's gone wide, he's gone thirty eight, So yeah,
he's picked apart what's happened in Super rugby so far,
and he's going to go with this and it's a
good way to Wales will be a good opponent. Georgia

(01:49:40):
the opponent as well, especially in the forward battle. But yeah,
it's expectations aren't exactly an all time high.

Speaker 2 (01:49:48):
Let me say that pointy, all right, was is there
any school of thought around that he can't possibly be
worse than the last blake?

Speaker 8 (01:49:54):
I think.

Speaker 19 (01:49:55):
I think everyone in the rugby is thankful that the
circus that came with Eddie in the last twelve months
is not apparent.

Speaker 8 (01:50:04):
It's just not there.

Speaker 19 (01:50:05):
So this guy, it's just a rugby coach and sure
he's going to be good with the press, is going
to be forthright with his opinions, but all the other
stuff that's going on, like for him standing in a
kubra at the departure gate saying that it's the worst
press conference he's ever had. I can't imagine a world
we live in in which Joe Smith does that. So yeah,

(01:50:27):
I think everyone's now trying to move on quickly because
Australia Rugby needs a bit of help at the moment.
They need to want is to be successful as part
of it.

Speaker 2 (01:50:34):
All right, look forward to seeing how they go in
their first couple of assignments. State of Origin two almost
a complete reversal of Game one. You South Wales bouncing
back from a thirty eighteen loss in Game one to
win thirty eight eighteen in Game two. Obviously a lot
easier to play rugby league with thirteen not twelve.

Speaker 19 (01:50:51):
Yeah, yeah, made that point. Yeah, it was a fantastic performance.
A lot of people are saying it's the greatest ever
half of origin football that one team has produced, and
it's hard to think of a better one in terms
of just outrageously good play wherever you look at it
without the ball, the things they were doing to set

(01:51:12):
up opportunities, the things that were doing to nullifly opportunities
with Queensland, it was just brutal and they just tanked
up the middle of the of the field. They outdid
them for run meetings in that first half by double
and yeah, they got on a roll and Queensland just
couldn't compete. So yeah, it's a hard one away up
there for the second the third game because a lot

(01:51:33):
of people thinking, oh, well, the Queensland did well in
the second half and that carries on to the third game.
Queensland have some colt stadia and to look forward to
New South Wales and now I just got to back
that up. Can they back that up?

Speaker 10 (01:51:44):
All?

Speaker 19 (01:51:44):
But with questions it set it up beautifully for the
third game in a couple of weeks time.

Speaker 2 (01:51:48):
Yeah, I saw a stand and you've probably seen similar
stats that New South Wales haven't won an Origin Decider
in Brisbane since two thousand and five. But I mean
these things only mean so much, don't that. I mean
New South Wales may well go there and win.

Speaker 8 (01:52:03):
Well.

Speaker 19 (01:52:03):
Michael maguire, the coaches asked about that right up the game.
He said, well, the proves it's been done, so yeah,
I get that. I mean we can send them, we
can send people to the moon. Just because it hasn't
been done. Well, it doesn't mean we can't do it.
So yeah, I guess you're taking that route. But yeah,
it's not like all of history hecks that is on

(01:52:23):
your south West, but it's a plenty long time and
there's a reason for it, and that's because Queen Bland
lift like you would not believe at that ground.

Speaker 22 (01:52:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:52:30):
Oh, I can't wait for a decide. Everyone loves a decider,
Everyone loves a Game three decider. We look forward to
that T twenty Cricket World Cup and you're a champion
beating South Africa this morning. Australia didn't make it out
of the Super Eights into the Simneys, I guess there
has to be considered a bit of a mediocre tournament,
does it not making the final four?

Speaker 19 (01:52:47):
No, it's a failure.

Speaker 11 (01:52:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 19 (01:52:48):
For Australia, not making a semi final of any cricket competition,
men's or women's is a failure and that's what that is.
And to me, it all came down to one selection.
They left out Mitch dark to the game against Afghanistan,
preferring to go with two spinners, which you know, it's
fine if they want to, but don't leave out Mitch
Darker takes wickets in the powerplay up and Afghanistan put
on a century partnership at the top of the order

(01:53:09):
with their two best batters that they don't have the
greatest depth to their batting. They've got a really good
bowling unit and they're very good in the field now,
but batting is not their strength. And for some unknown
reason the Australian selector has left out Mitch Stalker's taken
more white ball wickets than any other bowler in the
history of Australian cricket. Anyway, digressed, Australia were good enough
to get through, that's fair enough. Afghanistan played their final

(01:53:33):
in that game got builded by South Africa and South
Africa they did thirty or thirty to win the final overnight.
Never won an ICC final I think since Champions Trophia
ninety ninety eight. But they've failed in World Cup finals
semi finals all the time. So they finally got through
the final. But then India found a way with Jasper Bomber,
player of the tournament. If he wasn't played at the tournament,

(01:53:54):
don't know who officially was he doesn't he wasn't plarted
of the tournament. Well, the people who are watching and
giving a reward were. We got caught up in the
old caravan rum. I think because he was spected Akula.
He was so good and basically carried India to a
big victory.

Speaker 2 (01:54:11):
South Africa should have won that game. Though they should
have won the game. They had it, They had it.

Speaker 19 (01:54:16):
Yeah, but that's South Africa in big cricket game and
India like, okay, we can, we can bag out South
Africa for bottling it, but I mean Jasper Boomra when
he's got the ball in this tournament, he's proven that
he's the man and he makes it very very hard.
And they got someone sept of their bowling India and

(01:54:37):
look overall, I think the d got what they wanted
because they fixed the draw to make sure they knew
when India were playing we and they fixed the drawer
to make sure that the biggest TV audience in India
could be aggregated, and they got what they wanted.

Speaker 10 (01:54:51):
So there you go.

Speaker 2 (01:54:52):
Indeed, all right, just to finish one of just check
in on the SOCCA Rus. They have had the qualifying
path to the next FIFA World Cup solidified. They're in
a sixteen group with Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia.
There are three groups of sex. What do they have
to do to qualify because there's about a million teams
of the World Cup now.

Speaker 19 (01:55:13):
So they're breaking it really down. I think it's top
two goes great through so that's fixed, and then the
other three I think whittle themselves down through other spots
or no, the next two in the group go through.
I don't know. Top two that's what you need to
do straighta. They're not worry about all that other garbage

(01:55:35):
in a couple of years time, but it's not going
to be easy. It's Saudi Arabia away Japan, wherever you
play them difficult and some tricky opponents away from home,
like Indonesia and China as well. So yeah, it's not
the it's not skate through, but that's Asian all at
the moment. It's improving all the time. A lot of
the Southeast Asian nations are putting money into developing players,

(01:55:57):
like Indonesia. As we saw at the last Asian Cup,
they were pretty good. So yeah, it won't be a
case of just rocking up to the bridge. I'll have
to have their best players available all the time and
in order to be able to qualify automatically.

Speaker 2 (01:56:09):
So it's home and away against other five team So
it's a ten team, a ten game group basically in
top two go automatically through so on rankings, Japan and Australia.

Speaker 19 (01:56:17):
Long while road. Yeah, Japan and Australia. But Saudi Arabia
have fallen off a cliff that they can turn things
around with the right coach. I think Roberto Manchini was
the coach last time I checked. I don't know if
he's still a case because they change him all the
time over there. But yeah, it won't be an easy
proposition because Saudi football has got so much money going
into it at the moment, so you can't help but

(01:56:37):
think that that's going to improve their national team eventually.
So wait and see what happens, but it'll be I've
just got a feeling it will come down to the
last game as usual for the SOCCERUS and see what happens.

Speaker 2 (01:56:47):
All right, Well, we'll like keeping ony on that as
we will all Australian sporting matters with you. Back to
your regular slot on Saturday next weekend, mate, we'll catch
up the sounds good.

Speaker 19 (01:56:55):
Pint it Cheersoe, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:56:56):
Adam Adam piccotck our Australian correspondent normally Saturday's one forty five,
but later and on a different day this week. But
back to his regular slot next Saturday seven Away from
Three News Talks. He'd be back on weekend Sport after this.

Speaker 1 (01:57:09):
It's more than just a game weekends for it with
Jason Vine and GJ. Garnerhomes New Zealand's most trusted home
builder News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:57:18):
MB fourteen Away from Three. John on Tex says Jason,
I've only been listening for some of the show, but
since the All Black Squad was named, I've heard nothing
about the non selection of Sam Kain. He said it
was available, just not as captain.

Speaker 6 (01:57:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:57:31):
I think the problem John with Sam Kain was that
he's had no rugby. He picked up that injury early
in the Japanese season and hadn't had any rugby at
all really from which he could be considered for selection.
But I can tell you he was at the official
launch on Wednesday. He's attached to the All Blacks team
at the moment, as are a couple of others. They
named the thirty two man squad plus four training partners,

(01:57:53):
but there are others there as well. Sam Kaine is
one of them. Will Jordan is another. So I think
you will see Sam Kain in an official capacity in
an All Black squad at some stage this season, but
he's not among the official third two for the upcoming
test matches against England and Fiji. One man who is, though,
is one of the new Camps, Hurricanes midfielder Billy Proctor.

(01:58:15):
I spoke with Billy Proctor at the All Black season
launchoh on Wednesday to find out how he was feeling
about his first ever All Blacks call up. Billy Proctor
All Black? Well almost, how does that sound, mate?

Speaker 14 (01:58:26):
Yeah, it's pretty cool, you know, to be named in
the squad. You know, it's the work to do. But
over the past few days being able to process it,
you know, I've had a you know, signs of effect
and yeah, as I said, process and you know, it's
been awesome, awesome to see you know that we're paying
off and I guess being yeah, picked to be being

(01:58:49):
the squatters. Yeah, something pretty awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:58:51):
So, Nuts and Bolts, how did you find out?

Speaker 14 (01:58:53):
It was just at home watching it on TV with
my whole family, my partner, appearents and brothers, and yeah,
just just waiting to the so let's started naming the
names and obviously mine mine got read out and there's
a few cheers gone on in the household. And it's
a pretty special way of finding out instead of like

(01:59:15):
a phone call. It's pretty cool just not knowing and
waiting and hearing it on TV and finding out.

Speaker 2 (01:59:21):
They were very cool. I spoke to Jason Holland on
the radio the other day and he said, you just
kept on banging on the door. The reason that you
got chosen. You just kept on banging on that door.
Did you did you feel like you were in the frame?

Speaker 14 (01:59:33):
A yeah, I didn't think too much about about the
All Blacks during the season. You know, I was just
trying to do my part for the Hurricanes, trying to
play the best I can, and yeah, do my part
for the Hurricanes and just trying to get bit each
week and yeah, improve my game and get better. So yeah,
that was that was I guess my focus. And it's
pretty cool to be here now and this team.

Speaker 2 (01:59:55):
Yeah, what's it like now that you've had the chaster
process that the team got read out? As you say
on the TV on Monday, what are we now Wednesday?
You've had forty eight hours or so. You're in the environment.
You got to your new gear on as I stunder
thinking now what's about to unfold?

Speaker 14 (02:00:07):
Yeah, I guess so, you know, I had the few
days to process it, and you know, he don't quite
realize how big of a the elderness until you see
all the messages coming, and I guess you see the
reactions of your family and how proud they are. But yeah,
now now in the environment, you know, we've only had
a couple of hours to give them. Still still rubbing

(02:00:27):
shoulders every un and uh, you know, connecting with everyone.
But I'm sure over the next few days. You know,
it would be called to I guess get the core
experience of what it's like to be in the all
black environment and I guess learning and get to work
with with with the squad and coaches.

Speaker 2 (02:00:43):
So looking forward to it. I'm not sure what the
cheers were like when you went from p for prop
and carried on. Did you were you had you calm
down by the time Pussily or Tossi's name was called?
What about that?

Speaker 8 (02:00:52):
Yeah?

Speaker 14 (02:00:52):
That was awesome too to hear his name and you
know see how far he's coming. Uh to be I
guess named in this squad with him as you know,
pretty cool. Yeah, so a happy stake for him and
him and his family. So yeah, it's a cool moment.

Speaker 2 (02:01:09):
Your partnership with Jordy Barrett's been an eye catching part
of the hurricane success this year. How keen are you
to replicate that with a black jersey on?

Speaker 14 (02:01:18):
Yeah, it'd be awesome. You know, it's awesome to see
him him get I guess recognized and and him to
get his role as vice captain. You know, it's an
awesome achievement, achievement for him and he you know, it's
awesome to play alongside him, and you know I played
with him for the last couple of years and really
enjoyed it. He's awesome player. So yeah, so you see

(02:01:41):
what happens in the next next couple of weeks or yeah,
next week or two. But you know it would be
awesome to be able to run out there with him
a fair opportunity position stuff.

Speaker 2 (02:01:49):
Just to finish. How long has this been a goal?
I mean, how old was Billy Proctor when he first
started thinking about we're in the All Black jersey?

Speaker 14 (02:01:58):
Yeah, I don't know if he started thinking about wearing
the All Black jersey, but you know, he's always been
a team that you look up to, you ever since
a young boy. And you know, I've been playing rugby
since I with just a little kids, so you know,
you always look up to All Blacks and you know,
it's always been an awesome team and I guess a
big part of New Zealand. So yeah, it's been you know,

(02:02:20):
it's like a little kid's dream come true. So it's yeah,
pretty cool.

Speaker 2 (02:02:23):
That is Billy Proctor one of the new faces in
the All Blacks. So the first test is next weekend.
That's going to rush up quick as well. Next Saturday
night Dunedin against England five past seven. We'll have a
full commentary here on News Talks EDB and Weekend Sport
will come to you out of Test City Dunedin next
Saturday and Sunday, so we'll preview it all for you
next Saturday and then break it all down on Sunday

(02:02:43):
with your help here on Weekend Sport eight and a
half to three News Talks EB.

Speaker 1 (02:02:48):
When it's down to the line, you made a call
on eight Weekend Sport with Jason Paine News Talks.

Speaker 2 (02:02:56):
EDB just on five to three that is asked for
another weekend of Weekend Sport. Huge thanks to Mark Kelly
for producing the show both today and yesterday when we
came to you from inside the All Blacks training camps.
Rap pleasure to be able to do that. Thanks Mark
for your help across the weekend. Thank you for tuning
in and for taking part in the show through a
text message or an email or a phone call if

(02:03:16):
that's what you decided to do. If you just decided
to listen in, that is absolutely fine with us as well.
We appreciate you spending some of your long weekend with
us I'm back on Sports Talk tomorrow night between seven
and eight weekend. Sport returns next weekend, obviously from Test City,
dned and looking forward to the first All Blacks Test
of twenty twenty four. Song to take Us Out Today, Well,
it seems like everywhere I go these days, into a

(02:03:38):
service station, my own car, when my kids are in
charge of the music, or anywhere really I hear the song.
It seems to have monstered every single radio station in
New Zealand and overseas. So I thought, well, if it's
good enough for them, it's good enough for News talks
'b as well. American singer Shipboozy with a quite a
catchy little diddy called a bar song taking Us Out Today,

(02:04:01):
see tomorrow night five an hour everybody and by.

Speaker 10 (02:04:09):
Everybody had the barn.

Speaker 22 (02:04:10):
Get a text, text.

Speaker 12 (02:04:15):
Everybody had the bar, get a tips funny he comes
the two, so of the three to the four when
it's last call and the kicken shout the dark skin
kind of lay.

Speaker 14 (02:04:25):
But the ladies want some morn Oh.

Speaker 22 (02:04:27):
My good lord, telling him drink something some I'm gonna
put me up a double shotting.

Speaker 12 (02:04:33):
With They're on me and Jack Dale's got a history.

Speaker 22 (02:04:37):
There's a part of downtown near Fifth Street. Everybody had
the bar get test. Some I'm gonna put me up.

Speaker 7 (02:04:44):
A double shot.

Speaker 2 (02:04:45):
This they on me at jack Dale's. Got his sixt
You got the bottom.

Speaker 14 (02:04:50):
Of a bottom doll, missess.

Speaker 22 (02:04:52):
Everybody had the bar get test. Everybody had a bargain test.
Everybody had the bargain test.

Speaker 1 (02:05:07):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zet B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.

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