All Black star Richie Mo’unga will return to New Zealand in 2026, signing with New Zealand Rugby, the Crusaders and the Canterbury Rugby Union. What does his return mean for the All Blacks?
Also, it's a story of success very few could replicate; going from a roofer playing club rugby to an All Black in the space of 12 months. But that's exactly what Wellington's Kyle Preston has done. How did he do it?
Weekend Sport host Jason Pine and All Sport Breakfast host Adam Cooper joined Nick Mills for the Friday Sport Kickoff.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks ed B gett a U said, for
your sporting weekend, it's the Wellington Mornings Friday Sport Kickoff
on News Talks ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Join us for Friday sports kick off this weekend. Sports
host Jason Pine, Good morning Jays, Hello Nick?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
How are you doing very good?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Thank you got anything all lined up for tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Are we fired up?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
What are we doing first up tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Now?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Well, you left to tune in at midday to find
out all.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Sports Breakfast host Adam Cooper, what are we going to
do at seven o'clock tomorrow morning on your show.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Net to you are setting your alarm and tuning in
to find out too. We've got to maintain as you know.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Can I tell you that the two best sports broadcasters
in New Zealand don't have a clue what they're doing
on this show tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
That's why do you even I know what you're doing?
After eleven today? Do I know what I'm doing right now? Well?
I thought we were talking sport where we seem to
have gone off topic.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Okay, tell me Jason Pine, what you thought when you
heard that Richie Mowana is coming back.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Well, it had been widely telegraphed that they were trying
to get him back. The interesting part to me is
the timing and that he comes back in the middle
of next year. Won't be going at There's a tour
of South Africa next year, the All Black On Tour
of South Africa hasn't been officially arts, but they are.
He won't go on that. So he'll play NPC for
Canterbury It a round about this time next year, and
then he'll play the Blutislow Cup Test Interview Tour and
(01:41):
then all of twenty seven through to the World Cup.
The really interesting part for me is that it's quite
possible the Richie m Wonga will come in play NPC
Super Rugby a World Cup and then go back to Japan.
It's quite possible that is what will happen. He's been
parachuted in basically for this World Cup. Razor to me
is pourting all of his eggs into the Richie Wonger basket.
(02:01):
And it also is a massive challenge for him between
now and the World Cup as to how he manages
the likes of Bowden, Barrett Damien McKenzie, even our own
Ruben Love. What sort of conversations that he having with
these guys where it's absolutely clear to everybody that's got
Robertson wants Richie Moong in the ten Jersey ahead of
anybody else.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Now, Adam Cooper, what concerns me, thank you, Jason. What
concerns me greatly is this he's coming back at thirty
one years old. That's not a spring chicken. It's not old,
but it's not a spring chicken. Peak of his peak
of his you know ability. Short hasn't played at the
higher standard, hasn't played Test rugby two maybe three years.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Twenty twenty three World Cup finals the last time.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
There, and we're expecting him still to be Michael Jordan
well close to it. Yeah, and that's going to be interesting.
I mean, they don't go to Japan to It's no
Jordy Barrett at Leinster, is it. It's Japan where you know,
traditionally people have gone to end their careers and have
a little bit less battering on the body maybe and
in some of their games. So it's going to be
(03:04):
fascinating to see how he can come back. You know,
take it, I play He's probably only going to play
a few NPC games, let's be fair, before he's thrust
back into the All Blacks environment and suddenly be matching
it with the likes of Bowden Barrett and Damian Mackenzie,
who have been carrying that workload of you know, the
first not just the number ten jersey but also several
(03:25):
other positions on the paddock for the All Blacks these
these last few seasons and will do for those crucial
games next year before Richie Molonger is back on the
South African tour and then he's just going to come
on in and you can't help but assume that Scott
Robertson will want to promote Richie Molonger back to the
number ten jersey as soon as he can. So it's
going to create a really interesting dynamic in this team.
(03:46):
And yes, those other two can go and you know cover,
you know, the likes of fallback very impressively. But I
don't know. It's as the team gathers this week to
head to Argentina, what are those guys thinking at the moment?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And the thing for me, Piney is Boden Barrett, whether
it's Auckland, he changed Auckland completely when they moved him
from fall back to first fight Blue didn't he? I
personally think he did right then then he when he
went into the All Black. He's been playing very well
at first five. Is there a problem?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
He's the undoubted first five. He's the undoubted first five
at the moment. The problem is Scott Robertson's infatuation with
Richie Mwonga, I think, and it's a justified infatuation because
Richie Muwonga guided the Crusaders to seven straight Super Rugby titles.
Scott Robertson calls him his quarterback. It's okay to have
your favorites. It's absolutely okay to do that. But I
(04:38):
feel like it's like I'm trying to think of a
real life analogy. It would be like going out with
a girl, but she knows that there's a guy coming
home in a year or so that she's going to
take up with. So how do you manage that relationship
before that bloke gets home. You're supposed to give everything
you can to this girl knowing that she's got her
eyes on somebody else.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Oh see, that's tough.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I can't It's just an analogy. I know, you'd understand
put it back on me. No, but I mean there
are some really interesting because.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
The hospital that's called a hospital pass by the way.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
No, but but you think about it, right, Coop said,
They're jumping on the plane to go to Argentina and
then they've got these massive matches against South Africa back here.
They've got the South African Tour next year, all of
these very important building blocks towards the Rugby World Cup.
Rich Sorry, Boden, Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Ruben Love, anybody else
who plays in a playmaker position for the All Blacks
looks across their coach and knows that that coach would
(05:32):
prefer somebody else to be out there.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
At the end of the day. Scott Robertson has paid
big bucks to choose the best team to contest, you know,
every tournament. And if he genuinely believes that Richie Monger
is his best number ten, we've got to back him,
don't we.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
And he's really just on that well, I know, but
I ask you think Richie Moonga is the best number
ten when he's fit. And yes, playing in Japan, as
Coop said, isn't the same as playing super rugby whole
bunch of test matches. But when Richie Moonger left, he
was undoubtedly our best first five. Will he still be
thirty one? Is not old? I mean, is gonna be
(06:07):
thirty six?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
But what I'm saying is now, and I have experienced
with sending players to Japan. Players want to go to
Japan because the trainings are easy. They play once a week,
it's not tough on their body. So everything's going to
the pace is going to slow down. That's my only reservation.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Well, they have, they have players who have come back
from Japan have said that. But then you look at
Artie Savia, right, a guy, and he's a similar kind
of personality to rich and Wong is so focused and committed.
Artie Savid didn't lose anything when he came back from Japan.
So yeah, yeah, all right, But like I say, I
just think it's that it's the human dynamics of this
(06:45):
that are so interesting. It'll be a massive test of
Scott Robertson's man management ability.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Okay, troops, let's change the subject a little bit and
tiny but Kyle Preston, Now, I said to one of
my sons watching a game, a couple of weeks ago,
I said, I think that kid's going to be eventually
in all but they looked at me and said, I
was nuts. Tell me about how did he get from
where he got to where he's got to now in
one year?
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Incredible, isn't it. I Mean this time last year we
were talking about this new guy that had got out
of the scene for the Wellington Lions, who actually was
often kept out of the starting size. You know, he
had to battle for the nuther nine slot at the
Wellington Lions last year, had just come off a club
season and triumph for the Old Boys University was a
key part of that. And here was Kyle Preston sort
of featuring and the Wellington Lions. It was a second
(07:28):
NBC season last year, but certainly, you know, prominently rose
rose to sort of you know, real prominence in that
season last year. Then obviously impressed enough people down at
the Crusaders. Talmody Allison, who's obviously had a lot to
do with the Wellington Lions a lot to do with
the Crusaders as well in previous incarnations, kind of helped
that door open for him down there. Then Jesez he
(07:49):
took us chances at the Crusaders this year and as
no one down there, as a guy that will be
first at training and last to leave, you know, once
the team finishes all their work. There's always a few
players you see, you know, doing some individual stuff, sometimes
the goal kickers and others. But he was always one
of the last to pack down as well. So it's
his work ethic. He's obviously gone, you know, a different way.
It's not your typical you know, play it under twenties level,
(08:10):
then progress up through the ranks. He's come literally from
a club rugby player, a fringe MPC player too, now
an all Black squad member in twelve months and speaking
to him and hearing a lot of what he's had
to say, it is genuinely down to hard work. He
has taken his chances and worked incredibly hard and some
of those tries he scored both with the Crusaders and
with the Lions last year incredible.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
What is it party with half backs in the well?
I mean I was watching the Lions play, you know
last week. I've been really into that tour, like really
massively emotionally into that tour. Lion's halfback was a reserve
Amuricans half back plenty a few years ago.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Would look at the look at the half backs in Mountington.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I mean, you must be something in the war stories.
It must be something in the water. And the Cole
Preston story is a really good one. You know, I
had to go. I had to leave the region to
play super Ruby for the Crusader because he's never going
to get on ahead of cam roy Guard. You know,
no one's gonna, you know, be there ahead of him.
So went to went to Crusaders where No Hotham was
and Mitch Drummond. So he's actually gone onto a bit
(09:09):
from the frying pen into the fire, but as proved
as worth. I'll be really interested to see if he
gets a game because they've got Quartier and Finlay Christie,
so I guess the number one, you know, without roy
Guard there and then the experience of Christy, will they
give pressed and they go off the bench, maybe in
the second Test against Argentina if they win the first
one convincingly. Would love to see him get a black jersey.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Oh thanks.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
He was a roof for a year ago, a full
time roofer that had just got his apprenticeship.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I hope he's a good guy.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
He's a good guy. Ver I hope with a Wellingtonian
with to Tarbar College like you Piney, Well, that's another
Tarbor College star.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Yeah, we won't compare Maham to me. Take you both,
Adam Cooper and Jason Pine. You can catch them both
tomorrow on News Talks and be obviously Keeps in the
morning and Piney in the afternoon.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
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 ed B gett a U said, for
your sporting weekend, it's the Wellington Mornings Friday Sport Kickoff
on News Talks ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Join us for Friday sports kick off this weekend. Sports
host Jason Pine, Good morning Jays, Hello Nick?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
How are you doing very good?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Thank you got anything all lined up for tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Are we fired up?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
What are we doing first up tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Now?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Well, you left to tune in at midday to find
out all.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Sports Breakfast host Adam Cooper, what are we going to
do at seven o'clock tomorrow morning on your show.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Net to you are setting your alarm and tuning in
to find out too. We've got to maintain as you know.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Can I tell you that the two best sports broadcasters
in New Zealand don't have a clue what they're doing
on this show tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
That's why do you even I know what you're doing?
After eleven today? Do I know what I'm doing right now? Well?
I thought we were talking sport where we seem to
have gone off topic.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Okay, tell me Jason Pine, what you thought when you
heard that Richie Mowana is coming back.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Well, it had been widely telegraphed that they were trying
to get him back. The interesting part to me is
the timing and that he comes back in the middle
of next year. Won't be going at There's a tour
of South Africa next year, the All Black On Tour
of South Africa hasn't been officially arts, but they are.
He won't go on that. So he'll play NPC for
Canterbury It a round about this time next year, and
then he'll play the Blutislow Cup Test Interview Tour and
(01:41):
then all of twenty seven through to the World Cup.
The really interesting part for me is that it's quite
possible the Richie m Wonga will come in play NPC
Super Rugby a World Cup and then go back to Japan.
It's quite possible that is what will happen. He's been
parachuted in basically for this World Cup. Razor to me
is pourting all of his eggs into the Richie Wonger basket.
(02:01):
And it also is a massive challenge for him between
now and the World Cup as to how he manages
the likes of Bowden, Barrett Damien McKenzie, even our own
Ruben Love. What sort of conversations that he having with
these guys where it's absolutely clear to everybody that's got
Robertson wants Richie Moong in the ten Jersey ahead of
anybody else.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Now, Adam Cooper, what concerns me, thank you, Jason. What
concerns me greatly is this he's coming back at thirty
one years old. That's not a spring chicken. It's not old,
but it's not a spring chicken. Peak of his peak
of his you know ability. Short hasn't played at the
higher standard, hasn't played Test rugby two maybe three years.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Twenty twenty three World Cup finals the last time.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
There, and we're expecting him still to be Michael Jordan
well close to it. Yeah, and that's going to be interesting.
I mean, they don't go to Japan to It's no
Jordy Barrett at Leinster, is it. It's Japan where you know,
traditionally people have gone to end their careers and have
a little bit less battering on the body maybe and
in some of their games. So it's going to be
(03:04):
fascinating to see how he can come back. You know,
take it, I play He's probably only going to play
a few NPC games, let's be fair, before he's thrust
back into the All Blacks environment and suddenly be matching
it with the likes of Bowden Barrett and Damian Mackenzie,
who have been carrying that workload of you know, the
first not just the number ten jersey but also several
(03:25):
other positions on the paddock for the All Blacks these
these last few seasons and will do for those crucial
games next year before Richie Molonger is back on the
South African tour and then he's just going to come
on in and you can't help but assume that Scott
Robertson will want to promote Richie Molonger back to the
number ten jersey as soon as he can. So it's
going to create a really interesting dynamic in this team.
(03:46):
And yes, those other two can go and you know cover,
you know, the likes of fallback very impressively. But I
don't know. It's as the team gathers this week to
head to Argentina, what are those guys thinking at the moment?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And the thing for me, Piney is Boden Barrett, whether
it's Auckland, he changed Auckland completely when they moved him
from fall back to first fight Blue didn't he? I
personally think he did right then then he when he
went into the All Black. He's been playing very well
at first five. Is there a problem?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
He's the undoubted first five. He's the undoubted first five
at the moment. The problem is Scott Robertson's infatuation with
Richie Mwonga, I think, and it's a justified infatuation because
Richie Muwonga guided the Crusaders to seven straight Super Rugby titles.
Scott Robertson calls him his quarterback. It's okay to have
your favorites. It's absolutely okay to do that. But I
(04:38):
feel like it's like I'm trying to think of a
real life analogy. It would be like going out with
a girl, but she knows that there's a guy coming
home in a year or so that she's going to
take up with. So how do you manage that relationship
before that bloke gets home. You're supposed to give everything
you can to this girl knowing that she's got her
eyes on somebody else.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Oh see, that's tough.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I can't It's just an analogy. I know, you'd understand
put it back on me. No, but I mean there
are some really interesting because.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
The hospital that's called a hospital pass by the way.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
No, but but you think about it, right, Coop said,
They're jumping on the plane to go to Argentina and
then they've got these massive matches against South Africa back here.
They've got the South African Tour next year, all of
these very important building blocks towards the Rugby World Cup.
Rich Sorry, Boden, Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Ruben Love, anybody else
who plays in a playmaker position for the All Blacks
looks across their coach and knows that that coach would
(05:32):
prefer somebody else to be out there.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
At the end of the day. Scott Robertson has paid
big bucks to choose the best team to contest, you know,
every tournament. And if he genuinely believes that Richie Monger
is his best number ten, we've got to back him,
don't we.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
And he's really just on that well, I know, but
I ask you think Richie Moonga is the best number
ten when he's fit. And yes, playing in Japan, as
Coop said, isn't the same as playing super rugby whole
bunch of test matches. But when Richie Moonger left, he
was undoubtedly our best first five. Will he still be
thirty one? Is not old? I mean, is gonna be
(06:07):
thirty six?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
But what I'm saying is now, and I have experienced
with sending players to Japan. Players want to go to
Japan because the trainings are easy. They play once a week,
it's not tough on their body. So everything's going to
the pace is going to slow down. That's my only reservation.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Well, they have, they have players who have come back
from Japan have said that. But then you look at
Artie Savia, right, a guy, and he's a similar kind
of personality to rich and Wong is so focused and committed.
Artie Savid didn't lose anything when he came back from Japan.
So yeah, yeah, all right, But like I say, I
just think it's that it's the human dynamics of this
(06:45):
that are so interesting. It'll be a massive test of
Scott Robertson's man management ability.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Okay, troops, let's change the subject a little bit and
tiny but Kyle Preston, Now, I said to one of
my sons watching a game, a couple of weeks ago,
I said, I think that kid's going to be eventually
in all but they looked at me and said, I
was nuts. Tell me about how did he get from
where he got to where he's got to now in
one year?
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Incredible, isn't it. I Mean this time last year we
were talking about this new guy that had got out
of the scene for the Wellington Lions, who actually was
often kept out of the starting size. You know, he
had to battle for the nuther nine slot at the
Wellington Lions last year, had just come off a club
season and triumph for the Old Boys University was a
key part of that. And here was Kyle Preston sort
of featuring and the Wellington Lions. It was a second
(07:28):
NBC season last year, but certainly, you know, prominently rose
rose to sort of you know, real prominence in that
season last year. Then obviously impressed enough people down at
the Crusaders. Talmody Allison, who's obviously had a lot to
do with the Wellington Lions a lot to do with
the Crusaders as well in previous incarnations, kind of helped
that door open for him down there. Then Jesez he
(07:49):
took us chances at the Crusaders this year and as
no one down there, as a guy that will be
first at training and last to leave, you know, once
the team finishes all their work. There's always a few
players you see, you know, doing some individual stuff, sometimes
the goal kickers and others. But he was always one
of the last to pack down as well. So it's
his work ethic. He's obviously gone, you know, a different way.
It's not your typical you know, play it under twenties level,
(08:10):
then progress up through the ranks. He's come literally from
a club rugby player, a fringe MPC player too, now
an all Black squad member in twelve months and speaking
to him and hearing a lot of what he's had
to say, it is genuinely down to hard work. He
has taken his chances and worked incredibly hard and some
of those tries he scored both with the Crusaders and
with the Lions last year incredible.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
What is it party with half backs in the well?
I mean I was watching the Lions play, you know
last week. I've been really into that tour, like really
massively emotionally into that tour. Lion's halfback was a reserve
Amuricans half back plenty a few years ago.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Would look at the look at the half backs in Mountington.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I mean, you must be something in the war stories.
It must be something in the water. And the Cole
Preston story is a really good one. You know, I
had to go. I had to leave the region to
play super Ruby for the Crusader because he's never going
to get on ahead of cam roy Guard. You know,
no one's gonna, you know, be there ahead of him.
So went to went to Crusaders where No Hotham was
and Mitch Drummond. So he's actually gone onto a bit
(09:09):
from the frying pen into the fire, but as proved
as worth. I'll be really interested to see if he
gets a game because they've got Quartier and Finlay Christie,
so I guess the number one, you know, without roy
Guard there and then the experience of Christy, will they
give pressed and they go off the bench, maybe in
the second Test against Argentina if they win the first
one convincingly. Would love to see him get a black jersey.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Oh thanks.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
He was a roof for a year ago, a full
time roofer that had just got his apprenticeship.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I hope he's a good guy.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
He's a good guy. Ver I hope with a Wellingtonian
with to Tarbar College like you Piney, Well, that's another
Tarbor College star.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Yeah, we won't compare Maham to me. Take you both,
Adam Cooper and Jason Pine. You can catch them both
tomorrow on News Talks and be obviously Keeps in the
morning and Piney in the afternoon.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
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.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.