April 16, 2026 • 8 mins
This morning for Friday Sport Kick-off Nick is joined by Weekend Sport host Jason Pine to chat all about sports coming up in Wellington this weekend.
But first Moana Pasifika, who are set to disband after this season. Piney and Nick talk the likelihood of investors swooping in, and what other teams could be at risk of the same fate?
Then what some are calling the first All Black trial: Hurricanes play the Chief on Saturday.
Players are set to prove their positions in the top of the table clash, who will come out on top in Hamilton tomorrow.
A-League Phoenix play Western Sydney in Christchurch tomorrow - could they still make the top six?
And other Wellington teams take on Christchurch this week across multiple codes including the Pulse who play the Tactix on Sunday. Plus, the Saints play the Rams. How do our crew think it'll go?
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks ad B.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
It's that time of the day where we get our
so called not so called confirmed expert on sport, Jason
Bine and to join us on the show. Goodbrdy Jason,
Good morning Nick. Right, let's get some things off my chest.
I know we talked about it when it actually happened
more on a Pacifico when the announcement was made, we
were both on air together, so we had a bit
(00:33):
of a chat about it. Now that we've had time
for your text machine to work and your phone to
work in mind to work, has anything changed.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I don't think so. I think the outcome at the
moment anyway, still feels like it will be the same.
That at the end of the season, Wana Pacifica will
no longer be a super rugby team. There is talk
that there might be a you know, a savior coming,
but a savior would have to bring with them ten
to twelve million dollars. I just can't see any universe
(01:03):
in which that happens. It just the more I think
about it, the more likely it feels as though Minor
Pacifica is going to cease to exist after the season.
What have you heard anything.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I've heard that there's a few rumblings of very successful
Polynesian international people trying to bandy together some money, and
that kind of frustrates me a little bit. With my
own Pacific background, I think that it's time for the
Pacific community to stand up if they really do want
to have the team and actually put a group together
to make it happen. But I want to know whether
(01:36):
you feel that the Super Rugby PACIFICA will be any
different without them there next year?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Well, I mean there won't be any fewer games because
there are eleven teams this year. If there are ten
next year, I mean there's a buy this year anyway,
so every weekend contains five matches. The overall structure of
the draw will be different. How will they cut and
slice it up with only ten teams? How many regular
season games will there be?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
You know?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Look, that's obviously for the powers that be to decide. Look,
I think the smaller the competition gets, the more you think, okay, well,
are we should be be worried? What if another team
was to fall over? What if, for example, the Fiji
and Drewer were to meet the same fate as Mowana Pacifica.
Then we're talking about a nine team competition, and then
(02:23):
you really are starting to get a bit small. I mean,
ten's the smallest we've ever had apart from in COVID times.
You know, it started as Super twelve, as you remember
in nineteen ninety six.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Twelve.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah, a lot of people do a lot of people
do it, and it's had various different you know, it's
been Super fifteen, Super fourteen, Super Rugby Pacific with eleven teams.
We're back to ten. I feel as though it'll be
a ten team comp next year. They've always talked about expansion,
but then you think, okay, expansion to where?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
What now?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
If Maana Pacifica didn't work, then where will we go
to next? I guess we just wait and see.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
All right, let's move on to something that we're both
extremely excited about it. They're calling it the unofficial All
Black Trial, something like ten or eleven All Blacks playing.
It's a must watch, isn't It is a must watch.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I can't wait for this game tomorrow night, Hurricanes v.
Chiefs and Hamilton. The Hurricanes, I thought, even though by
their own admission, they didn't think they were that good
last week. I thought they were pretty comfortable against the Blues.
This game tomorrow night is the two form teams in
the competition. As you say, everywhere you look in this
game there are matchups which are worthy of Do you
remember when we used to have All Blacks trials? Do
(03:36):
you remember the old All Blacks trials? They used to
pick the possibles and the probables.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
I remember North versus South.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Yes, those were the days. Those were the days. Well,
this is an unofficial All Blacks trial and there are
players at the very top of their game, you know,
even even sort of you know, halfway through the Super
Rugby season, wanting to catch the eye of Dave Rennie.
You just know Dave Rennie will be in front of
this game, and then he'll watch it again, and then
he'll watch it again and probably make a few decisions. Look,
(04:04):
I don't think there's any doubt that for a up
or cam roy Guard is going to be in the
All Blacks. But how will he go against Cortez, Ratima,
Ruben Love, against Damien McKenzie, the new boy, against you know,
an established All Black. What's going to happen there in midfield.
Quinta Pyra is having a sensational season for the Chiefs,
but what about Jordi Barrett and Billy Proctor, you know,
(04:25):
and then you're into the forwards and the grunt that's
done up front. Luke Jacobson for the Chiefs will play
as one hundredth game, so he'll won a big one.
W A t Ti back via the bench for the
Chiefs as well. But then you know, you look at
our at our guys Flanders playing so well, Kaifi larkey,
geet you.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
What can I just ask you if Torrell Lomex's playing,
He's not playing.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
No, he's not. He's still not fit, which is I mean,
he's he's had terrible luck with with various injuries. He's not.
He's not there. So Numa and Tossi are the two
front rowers with us off for one more. That's not
about front row for the Hurricanes, but Lomax hopefully back soon.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Okay, well that's a mess wage Okay, crucial Dame for
your team Phoenix playing Western Sydney and christ Church tomorrow.
They can still make the top Sex, but tomorrow is crucial.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
They have to win. They have to win tomorrow. Otherwise
their hopes are gone. That's the bottom line, and even
if they do win, they then need other results to
go their way. But their first point of business, the
only thing they can control is winning tomorrow. If they
beat Western Sydney in christ Church, they stay alive at
least until Melbourne City play their next game, which is
straight away afterwards. Nick, So tomorrow night, after the Phoenix
(05:35):
have played and Melbourne City have played, will know whether
the Phoenix are still alive going into.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So lose, they still could win and not meet, making
they exactly right. They could still win. If Melbourne City
then were to get a draw or a win later on,
then the Phoenix the season is done with one game
to go. But as I say, all they can do
is control the controllables. They go down to christ Church,
Western Sydney bottom of the table. They've had a horrendous season,
you know, you look at it's one of those where
(06:01):
you look at their roster and you think, how can
they how can they be bottomed? They've got one of
the best rosters in the A League but hasn't come together.
Cost of Barbarusi's plays for them.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Former Phoenix player of course and an all white so
they will want to play well against his former team.
It's interesting that the Phoenix, the Saints and the Pulse
are all playing in christ Church.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
So I wonder why you've got a ticket down there
in about half an hour's time. I wonder why you
down all three. It's ridiculous, isn't it. I just looked
at that and I thought the same thing. I didn't
know you.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
No.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
But then the supercars are on there as well at
Roal Poona. That's a massive, massive event. When I hop
on the plane in a little while, I'm expecting to
see all sorts of of petrel heads on the plane
with me to get down to watch the supercars and
in a Royal Poona. So ye, massive weekend in christ Church.
The one for the for the Saints is that I
think they're playing at the new Puddocky Audits first game.
(06:54):
Yeah yeah, So I had a bit of a look
around that that new complex in christ Church last year
just as it was being finished. Amazing complex.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
How is it compared to like TSB for our well listeners.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
It's it's similar but different, and that it's got it's
got a dedicated show court and that the Saints will
be playing on a dedicated show court. You can you
can put a show caught up at at at our
at our ASB Sports Center for example, but it's more
of a community center CSP where the Saints play and
the Polse play. That's that's really just for an elite
game with no community partocky Alady is a combination of both. Yep,
(07:27):
they've got all the courts for community netball, basketball, that
sort of stuff, but also the show court and an
Olympic swimming pool in there as well. It is an
amazing complex.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Okay. Now last week when we talked, we were hoping
for four out of four, we got three out of four.
The Phoenix let us down four out of four this weekend.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Okay, Hurricanes, yes, Phoenix, Yes, poul Sches.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Saints, Saints.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I don't think that all.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Canterbury only got past Nelson by appointedn't they last week?
It was a tight one.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Canabury and Caatebory.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
You know that it's hard, Well, that's right, and the
Tactics are the defending as Premiership champions, so so that'll
be tough as well.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Jason, have a great trip in christ Yet you're lucky, bugger,
imagine that I had to be down that weekend and
question fantastic. Thanks thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks ad B.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
It's that time of the day where we get our
so called not so called confirmed expert on sport, Jason
Bine and to join us on the show. Goodbrdy Jason,
Good morning Nick. Right, let's get some things off my chest.
I know we talked about it when it actually happened
more on a Pacifico when the announcement was made, we
were both on air together, so we had a bit
(00:33):
of a chat about it. Now that we've had time
for your text machine to work and your phone to
work in mind to work, has anything changed.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I don't think so. I think the outcome at the
moment anyway, still feels like it will be the same.
That at the end of the season, Wana Pacifica will
no longer be a super rugby team. There is talk
that there might be a you know, a savior coming,
but a savior would have to bring with them ten
to twelve million dollars. I just can't see any universe
(01:03):
in which that happens. It just the more I think
about it, the more likely it feels as though Minor
Pacifica is going to cease to exist after the season.
What have you heard anything.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I've heard that there's a few rumblings of very successful
Polynesian international people trying to bandy together some money, and
that kind of frustrates me a little bit. With my
own Pacific background, I think that it's time for the
Pacific community to stand up if they really do want
to have the team and actually put a group together
to make it happen. But I want to know whether
(01:36):
you feel that the Super Rugby PACIFICA will be any
different without them there next year?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Well, I mean there won't be any fewer games because
there are eleven teams this year. If there are ten
next year, I mean there's a buy this year anyway,
so every weekend contains five matches. The overall structure of
the draw will be different. How will they cut and
slice it up with only ten teams? How many regular
season games will there be?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
You know?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Look, that's obviously for the powers that be to decide. Look,
I think the smaller the competition gets, the more you think, okay, well,
are we should be be worried? What if another team
was to fall over? What if, for example, the Fiji
and Drewer were to meet the same fate as Mowana Pacifica.
Then we're talking about a nine team competition, and then
(02:23):
you really are starting to get a bit small. I mean,
ten's the smallest we've ever had apart from in COVID times.
You know, it started as Super twelve, as you remember
in nineteen ninety six.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Twelve.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah, a lot of people do a lot of people
do it, and it's had various different you know, it's
been Super fifteen, Super fourteen, Super Rugby Pacific with eleven teams.
We're back to ten. I feel as though it'll be
a ten team comp next year. They've always talked about expansion,
but then you think, okay, expansion to where?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
What now?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
If Maana Pacifica didn't work, then where will we go
to next? I guess we just wait and see.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
All right, let's move on to something that we're both
extremely excited about it. They're calling it the unofficial All
Black Trial, something like ten or eleven All Blacks playing.
It's a must watch, isn't It is a must watch.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I can't wait for this game tomorrow night, Hurricanes v.
Chiefs and Hamilton. The Hurricanes, I thought, even though by
their own admission, they didn't think they were that good
last week. I thought they were pretty comfortable against the Blues.
This game tomorrow night is the two form teams in
the competition. As you say, everywhere you look in this
game there are matchups which are worthy of Do you
remember when we used to have All Blacks trials? Do
(03:36):
you remember the old All Blacks trials? They used to
pick the possibles and the probables.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
I remember North versus South.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Yes, those were the days. Those were the days. Well,
this is an unofficial All Blacks trial and there are
players at the very top of their game, you know,
even even sort of you know, halfway through the Super
Rugby season, wanting to catch the eye of Dave Rennie.
You just know Dave Rennie will be in front of
this game, and then he'll watch it again, and then
he'll watch it again and probably make a few decisions. Look,
(04:04):
I don't think there's any doubt that for a up
or cam roy Guard is going to be in the
All Blacks. But how will he go against Cortez, Ratima,
Ruben Love, against Damien McKenzie, the new boy, against you know,
an established All Black. What's going to happen there in midfield.
Quinta Pyra is having a sensational season for the Chiefs,
but what about Jordi Barrett and Billy Proctor, you know,
(04:25):
and then you're into the forwards and the grunt that's
done up front. Luke Jacobson for the Chiefs will play
as one hundredth game, so he'll won a big one.
W A t Ti back via the bench for the
Chiefs as well. But then you know, you look at
our at our guys Flanders playing so well, Kaifi larkey,
geet you.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
What can I just ask you if Torrell Lomex's playing,
He's not playing.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
No, he's not. He's still not fit, which is I mean,
he's he's had terrible luck with with various injuries. He's not.
He's not there. So Numa and Tossi are the two
front rowers with us off for one more. That's not
about front row for the Hurricanes, but Lomax hopefully back soon.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Okay, well that's a mess wage Okay, crucial Dame for
your team Phoenix playing Western Sydney and christ Church tomorrow.
They can still make the top Sex, but tomorrow is crucial.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
They have to win. They have to win tomorrow. Otherwise
their hopes are gone. That's the bottom line, and even
if they do win, they then need other results to
go their way. But their first point of business, the
only thing they can control is winning tomorrow. If they
beat Western Sydney in christ Church, they stay alive at
least until Melbourne City play their next game, which is
straight away afterwards. Nick, So tomorrow night, after the Phoenix
(05:35):
have played and Melbourne City have played, will know whether
the Phoenix are still alive going into.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So lose, they still could win and not meet, making
they exactly right. They could still win. If Melbourne City
then were to get a draw or a win later on,
then the Phoenix the season is done with one game
to go. But as I say, all they can do
is control the controllables. They go down to christ Church,
Western Sydney bottom of the table. They've had a horrendous season,
you know, you look at it's one of those where
(06:01):
you look at their roster and you think, how can
they how can they be bottomed? They've got one of
the best rosters in the A League but hasn't come together.
Cost of Barbarusi's plays for them.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Former Phoenix player of course and an all white so
they will want to play well against his former team.
It's interesting that the Phoenix, the Saints and the Pulse
are all playing in christ Church.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
So I wonder why you've got a ticket down there
in about half an hour's time. I wonder why you
down all three. It's ridiculous, isn't it. I just looked
at that and I thought the same thing. I didn't
know you.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
No.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
But then the supercars are on there as well at
Roal Poona. That's a massive, massive event. When I hop
on the plane in a little while, I'm expecting to
see all sorts of of petrel heads on the plane
with me to get down to watch the supercars and
in a Royal Poona. So ye, massive weekend in christ Church.
The one for the for the Saints is that I
think they're playing at the new Puddocky Audits first game.
(06:54):
Yeah yeah, So I had a bit of a look
around that that new complex in christ Church last year
just as it was being finished. Amazing complex.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
How is it compared to like TSB for our well listeners.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
It's it's similar but different, and that it's got it's
got a dedicated show court and that the Saints will
be playing on a dedicated show court. You can you
can put a show caught up at at at our
at our ASB Sports Center for example, but it's more
of a community center CSP where the Saints play and
the Polse play. That's that's really just for an elite
game with no community partocky Alady is a combination of both. Yep,
(07:27):
they've got all the courts for community netball, basketball, that
sort of stuff, but also the show court and an
Olympic swimming pool in there as well. It is an
amazing complex.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Okay. Now last week when we talked, we were hoping
for four out of four, we got three out of four.
The Phoenix let us down four out of four this weekend.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Okay, Hurricanes, yes, Phoenix, Yes, poul Sches.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Saints, Saints.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I don't think that all.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Canterbury only got past Nelson by appointedn't they last week?
It was a tight one.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Canabury and Caatebory.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
You know that it's hard, Well, that's right, and the
Tactics are the defending as Premiership champions, so so that'll
be tough as well.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Jason, have a great trip in christ Yet you're lucky, bugger,
imagine that I had to be down that weekend and
question fantastic. Thanks thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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