August 8, 2026 • 13 mins
The Wellington Saints will take on the Southland Sharks at ILT Stadium in Invercargill.
Newstalk ZB sports commentator Nick Bewley joined Piney to discuss the grand final.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalksb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And it's the defending champion Wellington Saints.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
The fourth seed has dominated the first The Saints will
have an opportunity to go back to back. The reigning
champions storm through to the Grand Final one hundred and
twelve and sixty nine.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Here they'll take on the Southland Sharks and the.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Southland Sharks we'll host the Sales MBL Grand Final in twenty.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
Twenty six and the Sharks come away eighty four to
seventy four winners.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It is a repeat of last year's Grand Final, this
time for the first time, it's an in the cargol
our own. Nick Beuley is part of Sky Sports coverage.
He joins us, Now let's start with where you are, Nick,
in the cargol the Southland Sharks playing their first ever
home Grand Final. How significant could that home court advantage be?
Speaker 5 (01:02):
This afternoon of good afternoon final great to be with
as Newstort's celebrates one hundred years.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Look, I think it is significant.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
These two teams, of course, met each other twice in
the regular season, once in a Vericago, once at the
Tearsby Arena and Wellington the Sharks one on home court
that was way back in May, the Wellington Saints one
on home.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Court just a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 5 (01:26):
But not only the home advantage, it's the first time,
my understanding, the first time in the seventeen year history
of the Southland Sharks that they have sold out Ilt
Stadium South and three thousand, seven hundred and seventy tickets
to be exact, So that place is.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Going to be absolutely humming.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
I've been lucky to be there a couple of times
over my few years involved with the National Basketball League,
and yeah, there's a few places around the country that
have a fantastic home atmosphere and get behind their team,
and south And would certainly be right up there in
terms of the way they support not only the Sharks,
but the Southern Steel and in the Southland Stag So
(02:08):
I think it could be, you know, something that will
play into the advantage of the Sharks.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
But that alone isn't going to get it done.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
All right, Well, fantastic they have such a big crowd
in coming. How much can we read into what happened
between these two teams in the final last year or
even during the regular season this year. Is any of
that important or do we have a clean slate today?
Speaker 5 (02:30):
I think the most recent game Pinty, given it was
only a couple of weeks ago, as a real significant
tail tale as to what could transpire this afternoon. Of course,
South And would not want it to go that way.
They lost one hundred and nineteen to ninety four. The
Wellington Saints have the best offense in the league. They
averaged just to tick over one hundred points a game,
(02:52):
and they were absolutely humming on that occasion.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
And they've found form at the best possible time.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Let's not forget just a week ago they went up
to Auckland and absolutely ran through the top seed at
Auckland to Atara one hundred and twelve nine. So that's
a potential sign as to what could happen this afternoon.
And saying that though, you know on that day everything
went right for Wellington, you had seventeen made three pointers
(03:19):
for the Saints. You had Elijah Pepper, the league MVP,
scoring twenty nine points, but you also had that support
cast and around him with a Ketcher Lea scoring twenty
six points, Carlin Davison almost a triple double. So that
that could happen. But at the same time too Southland.
I was there in christ Church seven days ago. It
was a real sort of playoff grind type of the
(03:41):
game as opposed to know everything flowing offensively, but they
found a way and perhaps you know that that's a
sign too. In finals games your defense is just as
important as your offense and limiting the opposition's opportunities. They
held the Canterbury Rams to seventy four points, So I
don't think last year's final matters from a form perspective
(04:03):
because they are quite different teams. But it's certainly lingers
and stings still for the Southland Sharks. Not often you
see piney import players from America come back. Caleb Asbury
and Kiln Boone. They came back after last year's disappointment
to write a.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Few wrongs here today.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
And the coach as well, Jonathan Yim in his second
year in the league. You know, he's sort of spoken
publicly about the minutes after losing the Grand Final last
year and how basically a lot of them in the
group would just say, right, let's run it back next
year and go one better.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
They get that opportunity this afternoon.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Absolutely redemption absolutely is on the menu for Southland this afternoon.
In order to get it, they need to stop Elijah
Pepper season MVP scoring it close to twenty nine points
a game. Can Southland actually stop him or is it
more about trying to make his life as difficult as
possible today?
Speaker 5 (04:58):
Yeah, I think the latter, Piney, I think you know,
you look over the course of the league, I think
only the last once in the last nineteen games, which
is pretty um the bulk of the season. Has Elijah
Pepper not scored twenty points in his last seven games,
he scored at least twenty seven. Interestingly though, for me,
the last when Southland beat Wellington in the regular season,
(05:19):
Elijah Pepper scored.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Forty three points and that was still in a loss.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
So for me, that sort of speaks to Look, Elijah
Pepper is going to get his shots. As you say,
it's the league MVP. He's an absolute scoring machine. He
can get to the basket and kill you in the
mid range, and he's an elite three point shooter as well.
It's more about containing and limiting the support cast for
south and forcing Elijah Pepper into some of the shots
(05:47):
that he doesn't like.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
As much.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
That feels like the strategy for me, because if you
try and double team Elijah Pepper, ultimately you're going to
leave someone else open. If you get a ketcher Leaire
starting to hit his shots at Dante Agra mccarl and Davis,
and then things become a lot harder.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Of the Southern Sharks.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
All right, let's go to the Sharks then, and you
land naturally on their point guard Ryland Jones as a
potentially key part of their team to repic season fan MVP.
How integral and how crucial might he be this afternoon?
Speaker 5 (06:22):
Yeah, I really like Ryland Jones first year in the league.
As you say, traditional point guard. He doesn't have to
go above and beyond to facilitate the offense.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
He feels like a little bit of a glue guy.
But he's just.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
Always there and doing something and making a positive contribution.
Seven is fifteen points a game, even six rebounds. He
just seems to be in the right place at the
right time to then allow the Sharks to get out
and run on transition. So between he Caleb Asbury, who,
as I mention, was here last year, have a real
chip on his shoulder.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
He didn't make the All Star five.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
Piney and he's let everyone know already on social media
and some of the Sky Sport commentary team and Sam
Timmons as well, Defensive Player of the Year, just a
focal point the ynchor down there and the interior.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
So look, the Southern Sharks has got a lot of
key pieces.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
But if someone like Ryland Jones in particular can support
your Caleb Asbury's you Sam Timmons from a scoring perspective
as much as a facilitation and really is going to
be the sum of all parts today for Southland.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Look, they've got guys who can score.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Certainly great defensive unit as well, but if everyone can
can buy in and get a little bit extraduce out
of the orange from everyone, then that'll go a long
way to giving them the outcome they so desperately crave.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, you've mentioned a lot of players from the starting
fives from both sides. Who has the deeper bench.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Oh, that's a great question.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
I'd say probably Wellington, although there are question marks around
Hiram Harris.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
He's currently listed as questionable.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
He rolled his ankle in that semi final win over
the Auckland Tuitara. Of course, as you know, Pioneers Grand
Final MVP in this very matchup last year, twenty points,
fourteen rebounds.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
He's the heart beat, all hustle, Hiram Harris.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
If he's out, then coach Aaron Young is going to
have to go deeper down his bench. But they've got
guys like Jordan Hunt who come off the bench who
can certainly have an impact. Sam Gold as another player
for the Southland Sharks, I really like that they have
Tobias Cameron, son of the great Pedo Cameron off their bench,
and he's just a real.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Good glue guy.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
He'll make He'll probably come on and defend Elijah Pepper
and try and make his life as difficult as possible.
But that both these teams, by the point you get
in this season where it's Grand Final piety, they're rarely
running a six or.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Seven man rotation at best. They used to that. I'd
be surprised to see any of our super young players.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
But who knows, it might be an opportunity for an
Aubredge younger out of Wellington to make a hero or
a name of himself with a couple of big plays
off the bench.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Well, speaking of big plays, big basketball games, in fact,
any basketball game, but big ones in particular can change
quickly in a couple of possessions, a big three, a turnover,
a run of six or eight points. Which of these
two teams do you think has the greater capacity to
produce that decisive run.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
That's a beautiful thing about basketballers and Piney you never
quite know until the day Compared to yeah, like a
rugby game or football, it feels like you can just
change it and a made shot defensive play.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
I looked at Wellington Saints.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Though, and the way, particularly in the last three or
four weeks they've won their last five and by significant
margins as well, and even just cast my mind back,
you know, the semi final last week, it was even
reasonably close sort of first quarter, they started to push
in the second and then they just absolutely put their
foot down in the third. And saying that though South
(09:56):
and you know, they jumped out to a double digit
lead over the Canterbury Rams.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Last week.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
Canterbury climbed all their way back in you know, came
back from seventeen down to tie things up at the
end of the third quarter. But Caleb Asbry back to
back threes to open the fourth and that sets Southland
on its way. So look, both of these teams, that's
what makes this afternoon's Grand Finals so good. I reckon
it's a bit of a marketer's dream, of course, because
you've got that redemption story Grand.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Final repeater last year.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
But you've got so much elite production in these both
these two teams. I just hope it lives up to
its billing because this could ebb and flow.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
As we saw last year.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
It wasn't really until the last heck thirty forty seconds
where Wellington could perhaps you know that they were going
to be lifting a banner for a thirteenth time.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
All right, just before you go, just up the road
in the not to just in future, Canterbury are going
to try and wrestle the Ranfurlly Shehill back from Otago. Now,
of course you cover all forms of Canterbury sports. You
reckon that when you get back to christ Edge whenever
that is, the shield will be there as well.
Speaker 5 (11:02):
Oh be honest, spot here, Look, I think that it's
a game that has significant potential to go right the
distance as well. I've really liked what Otago particularly did
last year. I was fortunate enough to call the Ranfhilly
shield win they had over Canterbury last year and in
speaking of redemption the grand final between the two teams,
(11:22):
when Canterbury beat Otaga to win the NPC Trophy so
early in the season it was quite hard to get
a real read on Otaga. They were actually hearing in
McCargo last week Stag they beat beat Southland quite comfortably.
They don't have Dylan Pledge at the moment is their
real spark plug, but still Lucas Casey and Christian Leo
William and there I was actually speaking to Otago coach
(11:43):
Mark Brown because funnily enough he's my wife's boss Piney
and in another job, that is my wife doesn't work
for the Otago r Union, okay, but I was having
to reach out to him earlier in the week and
he said, we're not out to defend the ran Philly Shield.
We want to win it again and our style is attack, attack,
attack under the roof at Forsyth Bar. I think they'll
have a real go, so too will Canterbury though I
(12:05):
man Richie Myng at ten and the evergreen Johnny McNichol
at fullback that they've got a lot of potential as well.
So I'll be keeping half an eye on how things
go up the road, that's for.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Sure, all right.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
So just after two o'clock and duneed and it's Targo
against Canterbury for the Rampailly Shield. Three o'clock this afternoon
and in the Cargo Sells NBL Grand Final, Southland Sharks
Wellington Saints.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Who you got, I'll put me Nick out here, piney,
I'll go Sharks.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Regardless of that, it's been good to talk to you
and we hopefully will get the opportunity to do that
again soon.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Here's mate, No, I love it.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
I appreciate you you taking the time to get basketball
on the airwaves.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
You're a big supporter of the sports, so really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Now, good man, Nick. Thanks indeed, Nick Biory part of
Sky Sports coverage of the National Basketball League Final this afternoon.
Just after three. That game kicks off at what sounds
like it'll be a jam packed stadium Southland, the Southland
Sharks against the Wellington Saints for the twenty twenty six
National Basketball League title.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Faine, listen to
News Talks It B weekends from midday or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio,
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalksb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And it's the defending champion Wellington Saints.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
The fourth seed has dominated the first The Saints will
have an opportunity to go back to back. The reigning
champions storm through to the Grand Final one hundred and
twelve and sixty nine.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Here they'll take on the Southland Sharks and the.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Southland Sharks we'll host the Sales MBL Grand Final in twenty.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
Twenty six and the Sharks come away eighty four to
seventy four winners.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It is a repeat of last year's Grand Final, this
time for the first time, it's an in the cargol
our own. Nick Beuley is part of Sky Sports coverage.
He joins us, Now let's start with where you are, Nick,
in the cargol the Southland Sharks playing their first ever
home Grand Final. How significant could that home court advantage be?
Speaker 5 (01:02):
This afternoon of good afternoon final great to be with
as Newstort's celebrates one hundred years.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Look, I think it is significant.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
These two teams, of course, met each other twice in
the regular season, once in a Vericago, once at the
Tearsby Arena and Wellington the Sharks one on home court
that was way back in May, the Wellington Saints one
on home.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Court just a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 5 (01:26):
But not only the home advantage, it's the first time,
my understanding, the first time in the seventeen year history
of the Southland Sharks that they have sold out Ilt
Stadium South and three thousand, seven hundred and seventy tickets
to be exact, So that place is.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Going to be absolutely humming.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
I've been lucky to be there a couple of times
over my few years involved with the National Basketball League,
and yeah, there's a few places around the country that
have a fantastic home atmosphere and get behind their team,
and south And would certainly be right up there in
terms of the way they support not only the Sharks,
but the Southern Steel and in the Southland Stag So
(02:08):
I think it could be, you know, something that will
play into the advantage of the Sharks.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
But that alone isn't going to get it done.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
All right, Well, fantastic they have such a big crowd
in coming. How much can we read into what happened
between these two teams in the final last year or
even during the regular season this year. Is any of
that important or do we have a clean slate today?
Speaker 5 (02:30):
I think the most recent game Pinty, given it was
only a couple of weeks ago, as a real significant
tail tale as to what could transpire this afternoon. Of course,
South And would not want it to go that way.
They lost one hundred and nineteen to ninety four. The
Wellington Saints have the best offense in the league. They
averaged just to tick over one hundred points a game,
(02:52):
and they were absolutely humming on that occasion.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
And they've found form at the best possible time.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Let's not forget just a week ago they went up
to Auckland and absolutely ran through the top seed at
Auckland to Atara one hundred and twelve nine. So that's
a potential sign as to what could happen this afternoon.
And saying that though, you know on that day everything
went right for Wellington, you had seventeen made three pointers
(03:19):
for the Saints. You had Elijah Pepper, the league MVP,
scoring twenty nine points, but you also had that support
cast and around him with a Ketcher Lea scoring twenty
six points, Carlin Davison almost a triple double. So that
that could happen. But at the same time too Southland.
I was there in christ Church seven days ago. It
was a real sort of playoff grind type of the
(03:41):
game as opposed to know everything flowing offensively, but they
found a way and perhaps you know that that's a
sign too. In finals games your defense is just as
important as your offense and limiting the opposition's opportunities. They
held the Canterbury Rams to seventy four points, So I
don't think last year's final matters from a form perspective
(04:03):
because they are quite different teams. But it's certainly lingers
and stings still for the Southland Sharks. Not often you
see piney import players from America come back. Caleb Asbury
and Kiln Boone. They came back after last year's disappointment
to write a.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Few wrongs here today.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
And the coach as well, Jonathan Yim in his second
year in the league. You know, he's sort of spoken
publicly about the minutes after losing the Grand Final last
year and how basically a lot of them in the
group would just say, right, let's run it back next
year and go one better.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
They get that opportunity this afternoon.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Absolutely redemption absolutely is on the menu for Southland this afternoon.
In order to get it, they need to stop Elijah
Pepper season MVP scoring it close to twenty nine points
a game. Can Southland actually stop him or is it
more about trying to make his life as difficult as
possible today?
Speaker 5 (04:58):
Yeah, I think the latter, Piney, I think you know,
you look over the course of the league, I think
only the last once in the last nineteen games, which
is pretty um the bulk of the season. Has Elijah
Pepper not scored twenty points in his last seven games,
he scored at least twenty seven. Interestingly though, for me,
the last when Southland beat Wellington in the regular season,
(05:19):
Elijah Pepper scored.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Forty three points and that was still in a loss.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
So for me, that sort of speaks to Look, Elijah
Pepper is going to get his shots. As you say,
it's the league MVP. He's an absolute scoring machine. He
can get to the basket and kill you in the
mid range, and he's an elite three point shooter as well.
It's more about containing and limiting the support cast for
south and forcing Elijah Pepper into some of the shots
(05:47):
that he doesn't like.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
As much.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
That feels like the strategy for me, because if you
try and double team Elijah Pepper, ultimately you're going to
leave someone else open. If you get a ketcher Leaire
starting to hit his shots at Dante Agra mccarl and Davis,
and then things become a lot harder.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Of the Southern Sharks.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
All right, let's go to the Sharks then, and you
land naturally on their point guard Ryland Jones as a
potentially key part of their team to repic season fan MVP.
How integral and how crucial might he be this afternoon?
Speaker 5 (06:22):
Yeah, I really like Ryland Jones first year in the league.
As you say, traditional point guard. He doesn't have to
go above and beyond to facilitate the offense.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
He feels like a little bit of a glue guy.
But he's just.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
Always there and doing something and making a positive contribution.
Seven is fifteen points a game, even six rebounds. He
just seems to be in the right place at the
right time to then allow the Sharks to get out
and run on transition. So between he Caleb Asbury, who,
as I mention, was here last year, have a real
chip on his shoulder.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
He didn't make the All Star five.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
Piney and he's let everyone know already on social media
and some of the Sky Sport commentary team and Sam
Timmons as well, Defensive Player of the Year, just a
focal point the ynchor down there and the interior.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
So look, the Southern Sharks has got a lot of
key pieces.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
But if someone like Ryland Jones in particular can support
your Caleb Asbury's you Sam Timmons from a scoring perspective
as much as a facilitation and really is going to
be the sum of all parts today for Southland.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Look, they've got guys who can score.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Certainly great defensive unit as well, but if everyone can
can buy in and get a little bit extraduce out
of the orange from everyone, then that'll go a long
way to giving them the outcome they so desperately crave.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, you've mentioned a lot of players from the starting
fives from both sides. Who has the deeper bench.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Oh, that's a great question.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
I'd say probably Wellington, although there are question marks around
Hiram Harris.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
He's currently listed as questionable.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
He rolled his ankle in that semi final win over
the Auckland Tuitara. Of course, as you know, Pioneers Grand
Final MVP in this very matchup last year, twenty points,
fourteen rebounds.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
He's the heart beat, all hustle, Hiram Harris.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
If he's out, then coach Aaron Young is going to
have to go deeper down his bench. But they've got
guys like Jordan Hunt who come off the bench who
can certainly have an impact. Sam Gold as another player
for the Southland Sharks, I really like that they have
Tobias Cameron, son of the great Pedo Cameron off their bench,
and he's just a real.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Good glue guy.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
He'll make He'll probably come on and defend Elijah Pepper
and try and make his life as difficult as possible.
But that both these teams, by the point you get
in this season where it's Grand Final piety, they're rarely
running a six or.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Seven man rotation at best. They used to that. I'd
be surprised to see any of our super young players.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
But who knows, it might be an opportunity for an
Aubredge younger out of Wellington to make a hero or
a name of himself with a couple of big plays
off the bench.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Well, speaking of big plays, big basketball games, in fact,
any basketball game, but big ones in particular can change
quickly in a couple of possessions, a big three, a turnover,
a run of six or eight points. Which of these
two teams do you think has the greater capacity to
produce that decisive run.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
That's a beautiful thing about basketballers and Piney you never
quite know until the day Compared to yeah, like a
rugby game or football, it feels like you can just
change it and a made shot defensive play.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
I looked at Wellington Saints.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Though, and the way, particularly in the last three or
four weeks they've won their last five and by significant
margins as well, and even just cast my mind back,
you know, the semi final last week, it was even
reasonably close sort of first quarter, they started to push
in the second and then they just absolutely put their
foot down in the third. And saying that though South
(09:56):
and you know, they jumped out to a double digit
lead over the Canterbury Rams.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Last week.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
Canterbury climbed all their way back in you know, came
back from seventeen down to tie things up at the
end of the third quarter. But Caleb Asbry back to
back threes to open the fourth and that sets Southland
on its way. So look, both of these teams, that's
what makes this afternoon's Grand Finals so good. I reckon
it's a bit of a marketer's dream, of course, because
you've got that redemption story Grand.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Final repeater last year.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
But you've got so much elite production in these both
these two teams. I just hope it lives up to
its billing because this could ebb and flow.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
As we saw last year.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
It wasn't really until the last heck thirty forty seconds
where Wellington could perhaps you know that they were going
to be lifting a banner for a thirteenth time.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
All right, just before you go, just up the road
in the not to just in future, Canterbury are going
to try and wrestle the Ranfurlly Shehill back from Otago. Now,
of course you cover all forms of Canterbury sports. You
reckon that when you get back to christ Edge whenever
that is, the shield will be there as well.
Speaker 5 (11:02):
Oh be honest, spot here, Look, I think that it's
a game that has significant potential to go right the
distance as well. I've really liked what Otago particularly did
last year. I was fortunate enough to call the Ranfhilly
shield win they had over Canterbury last year and in
speaking of redemption the grand final between the two teams,
(11:22):
when Canterbury beat Otaga to win the NPC Trophy so
early in the season it was quite hard to get
a real read on Otaga. They were actually hearing in
McCargo last week Stag they beat beat Southland quite comfortably.
They don't have Dylan Pledge at the moment is their
real spark plug, but still Lucas Casey and Christian Leo
William and there I was actually speaking to Otago coach
(11:43):
Mark Brown because funnily enough he's my wife's boss Piney
and in another job, that is my wife doesn't work
for the Otago r Union, okay, but I was having
to reach out to him earlier in the week and
he said, we're not out to defend the ran Philly Shield.
We want to win it again and our style is attack, attack,
attack under the roof at Forsyth Bar. I think they'll
have a real go, so too will Canterbury though I
(12:05):
man Richie Myng at ten and the evergreen Johnny McNichol
at fullback that they've got a lot of potential as well.
So I'll be keeping half an eye on how things
go up the road, that's for.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Sure, all right.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
So just after two o'clock and duneed and it's Targo
against Canterbury for the Rampailly Shield. Three o'clock this afternoon
and in the Cargo Sells NBL Grand Final, Southland Sharks
Wellington Saints.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Who you got, I'll put me Nick out here, piney,
I'll go Sharks.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Regardless of that, it's been good to talk to you
and we hopefully will get the opportunity to do that
again soon.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Here's mate, No, I love it.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
I appreciate you you taking the time to get basketball
on the airwaves.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
You're a big supporter of the sports, so really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Now, good man, Nick. Thanks indeed, Nick Biory part of
Sky Sports coverage of the National Basketball League Final this afternoon.
Just after three. That game kicks off at what sounds
like it'll be a jam packed stadium Southland, the Southland
Sharks against the Wellington Saints for the twenty twenty six
National Basketball League title.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Faine, listen to
News Talks It B weekends from midday or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio,
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