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October 9, 2025 • 10 mins

On this week's Friday Sport kickoff, Jason Pine and Adam Cooper were talking with Nick Mills about Wellington's NPC rugby campaign when two local wrestlers burst into the studio to talk about All Star Wrestling: Porirua, which takes place at Te Rauparaha Arena this weekend.

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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks EDB Used Talksb's Friday Sport Kickoff with
Jugglus Little India, serving New Zealanders for over thirty years.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Friday Sports Kickoff, Weekend sports hosts Jason Pine good Morning,
good Morning or Sports Breakfast host Adam Cooper our too,
good Morning, Morning Neck. Our two sporting experts are in
our organization. Let's talk lions. I mean, how do you
go from winning the damn thing to not even making

(01:01):
the playoffs and it's top six, I mean eight.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, it's a it's ridiculous.

Speaker 4 (01:06):
To fall from grace for sure. Yeah, three out of
ten wins. Look, I think you can probably look at
a couple of key players from that line side from
last year. One as dupla secret ethe who led that
team absolutely brilliantly, not just last year but for the
previous couple of years as well. He's not there, of course,
because he's in the All Blacks now, which of course
we you know you want, don't you. Other players haven't
been there, so you can look at the cattle. But then,

(01:29):
I don't know, it feels to me as though the
strength of provincial rugby now was outside of the main centers.
You look at Auckland, they haven't made it either. North Harbor,
part of the Blues catchment haven't made it. The exceptions,
of course, are down south where Otaga are having a
magnificent season. Canterbury always a Canterbury. But yeah, just look,
I think there's probably some self examination to do for Wellington.

(01:50):
But you know, for a province like ours, and you
and I in particular Andkeeps have watched this team for
a long, long long time, this is about as poor
as season as I can remember finding.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Remember anything like it before. Coops.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
When Piney was saying what he was saying, I said,
went through my head that maybe it's the Super twelve,
Super fifteen, Super whatever it is now. Teams with the infrastructure,
better infrastructure like the bringing the players through. You talk
about Otago and Canterbury always done that very very well.
Is that maybe helping their empacl.

Speaker 5 (02:24):
Then you expect it to happen with the other big
seeders as well. I mean, you look at where the
Wellington Lions trainings in cis one of the best facilities
by far around the country. So they're there, So I
don't think facilities is an issue.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
I just I was many more more than facilities, I
meaning the infrastructure they're bringing the young players through their ageable.

Speaker 5 (02:42):
But then again, Wellington gets a lot of players because
of the Hurricanes, and same with Auckland and the Blues.
You know, people move to these cities. You look at
you know, Reuben Lover as an example, moved from from Munawatu,
you know, and just just other players as an example too.
So I think almost Wellington's been a victim of their
own success over the years. You look at how many
players who were mainstays in this great area they've had

(03:02):
over the last four or five years. Their captain duple
c KDP helping them to too. Tiels now a full
time All Black, Peter Larky a fringe All Black, but
that's seen her miss a lot of NPC this year.
Kyle Preston got his chance this year as well, and
you know you've seen a sufferer more in and out
of the All Blacks as well. So these players have
worked their ways up. Ruben loved too to be and
be All Blacks, and they leave massive gaps and you

(03:25):
can't just feel those overnight. So it's almost cyclical. They
still haven't performed well this year with the caliber of
players they had. I believed there were a lot of
disappointing games. Look at how they were twenty one points
up against boy have plenty last weekend and got rolled.
So it's been a disappointing season. But these opportunities for
the likes of Kadifi and others up in the All
Blacks now will hopefully start the new cycle for these

(03:47):
next up and comers.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Okay, Piney, we'll go back to the old age argument.
You'll get it. The next couple of weeks on the
weekend is MPC over and done with the you know,
with the crowds have been terrible everywhere. I mean, we're
going to go through that whole argument like we seem
to do every year. At the moment, I mean, traditionalists
like us think MPC is great.

Speaker 4 (04:03):
Yeah, have the crowds been terrible? View figures been terrible.
I saw some numbers come through this morning to say
that there's high engagement. I've loved watching it. Look, I'm
you know, I think anybody who doesn't support one of
the other teams and look, I'll throw my lot and
behind Otago Now I want Otargo to win the MPC.
You Canniberry always won it. I want Totargo to win it.

(04:24):
And I've loved watching them play. And the thing you
always get with the NPC is guys, she don't know
who you think.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Man.

Speaker 4 (04:32):
That guy's got a bit about him. And there are
a couple in the Otago team, Lucas Casey, Lucas Casey,
Yeah it's and Dylan Pleager.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
They're halfback.

Speaker 4 (04:40):
Those two are going to be stars in the future
and go back to Wellington. I think one of the
bright spots was Stanley Solomon, who keep spoke to on
the radio last weekend. He's off to the Highlanders. Josh
Jacob yesterday confirmed to go to the Highlanders. Not next
year unfortunately, but twenty twenty seven. I think, you know,
the Highlanders have been through some I was gonna say
thick and thin. It's been an awful lot of thin

(05:00):
down there in Highlanders country.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Jamie Joseph, I mean you know he was always going
to build a franchise.

Speaker 4 (05:05):
Yeah, but yeah, and last year he was they started okay,
you got a couple of wins in the first three
and then they fell away. I think lack of cattle really,
but they're starting to build. They've got a good academy
system and Casey and Pleasure O the latest examples of it.
Then you know, the heightlighters could come again. I know
we've moved away from NPC, but you know I remember
the target age when Laurie Mains was in charge.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
And hang on, what's happening now?

Speaker 3 (05:27):
What have we got?

Speaker 4 (05:29):
Hey, don't panic listeners. We're not really being attacked, but
we have been. We have been, we have been invaded.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
There's a couple of big fallacies, but big Frank, I
don't get paid danger money. What's going on here?

Speaker 3 (05:46):
What's happening to sport?

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Fire?

Speaker 3 (05:47):
Sports show?

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Guys?

Speaker 6 (05:48):
You're not talking about the biggest sports show in Wellington
this weekend.

Speaker 3 (05:51):
That's ad obenh Arena tomorrow night, Pioneers your backyard.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
It is.

Speaker 6 (05:55):
Coops has given us a bit of a shout out.
So thank you Coops. Nick Mills, you've been quiet about it.
Wouldn't expect you to come to potty door actually, so
that's okay, but Pioney, I want to see you there
tomorrow night at Orea.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
Thanks for having us.

Speaker 4 (06:06):
It's good to say, you know what, so tell us
about it. So We're absolutely starting and Big Frank behind you,
Nick so So, I mean, are we talking wrestling here?
Bushwhackers type stuff.

Speaker 6 (06:18):
The bushwhackers, you know, the glory days of wrestling. This
is the biggest wrestling event in thirty years here in
the Wellington region, happening tomorrow night. So the w w
E style wrestling, the bushwhacker style of the whul Cogan,
the John Cenas, all of that sort of stuff happening again,
and willing to very exciting.

Speaker 5 (06:35):
Worried about Big Frank, very very worried.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
I mean, I just I'm very worried about Big Frank.
I've got my Stayri.

Speaker 5 (06:43):
Tell us about Big Frank.

Speaker 3 (06:44):
Paul.

Speaker 6 (06:45):
Yeah, Big Frank seven foot tall, heritage comes from Italy.
He's in the main event tomorrow night. He's actually my
pick to probably take it out. I said to you
last week, Coops, how big it is this main event
and he's the biggest of them all in the main event.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
Seven foot tall, Big Frank, the tallest wrestler in New Zealand.

Speaker 4 (07:02):
Nexciiting him up for the Saints.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
Sided get under the table, Get the hell away from
Why do you practice move on that?

Speaker 5 (07:10):
No?

Speaker 2 (07:10):
No, no, no, no no, don't start there. Don't start there.

Speaker 4 (07:12):
So it's sport but also entertainment, right totally, and people
put it into one category or the other, but it
really is the best of both worlds.

Speaker 6 (07:21):
You know, you'll see some of the highest flying, the
hardest hitting, the biggest body slams, and that's just not entertainment.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
That stuff hurts, you know, that stuff's real.

Speaker 6 (07:28):
Jumping off the top rope, you know, fifteen feet high,
landing on the canvas, that hurts. So, yeah, it is sport,
it is entertainment is the best of both worlds.

Speaker 4 (07:35):
And Tarraprahar Arena. I thought these these sort of things
happened in sort of back alleys and then someone's garage.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
That's a good venue, man, it's a big venue.

Speaker 6 (07:45):
And like I said, it's the biggest one in thirty years, Pinty,
and we really want to make it a showcase. You know,
We've got a cup of Harker group coming, We've got
a toll whal dance Somemo and dance crew coming. We've
got live guitarists playing some of the wrestlers to the ring.
We've got some indoor fireworks. You know, it really is
the big time and not some dark alley, some things
shot behind the back.

Speaker 3 (08:03):
We're into the openha arena.

Speaker 6 (08:05):
You know, the biggest pre sale in wrestling history in
Wellington is tomorrow night, and.

Speaker 5 (08:10):
So you've got your own fight putting that belt on
the line.

Speaker 3 (08:12):
I know I do.

Speaker 6 (08:13):
I have the Worlington here atas Championship here and I'm
defending that against the UK Invader RINGO Ryan from WWE.

Speaker 3 (08:20):
NX t UK fame.

Speaker 6 (08:21):
So I hope this isn't on a flight back to
Liverpool on Monday.

Speaker 3 (08:25):
Morning and it's still here in the Capitol.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
Partier, I want to see you there, party. I think
you should finish the show and just sneak in there
and have a look on your way home because it's
just down the road for your places. It's so same
with you, coops. I think you'd better sneak down and
have a lot.

Speaker 4 (08:37):
I'll be sneaking and I'll be striding confidently.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
Around.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
You will not be hiding. You'll be hiding and sneaking through.

Speaker 4 (08:46):
What sort of people come along? Its obviously kids would
love it, but what do you get families? You know,
get all sorts of people.

Speaker 6 (08:53):
I guess, yeah, this is very highly directed as a
family friendly show and ticket prices represent that. So you know,
fifteen dollars is the cheapest ticket for nearly a two
and a half hour event, so it really is cheap families,
you hardcore wrestling fan and people that want to find
something a little bit niche to do on Saturday night.

Speaker 3 (09:09):
You know, it's really for everyone.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
Fun night out, fun night out at Tapa Arena. By
the way, if you want to call a text, actually
ninety two ninety two, we've got two family passes to
give away, So if you want to text ninety two
ninety two, we'll send a couple of We'll pick a
couple of families out and send them some tickets.

Speaker 4 (09:26):
And what about if you want to have a look
online to find out more and can you can buy
tickets online?

Speaker 3 (09:30):
Can you correct?

Speaker 6 (09:31):
So if you go to the ticket space website ticket
space dot cot dot z, you can purchase your tickets there,
or if you're savvy on Instagram or Facebook Valiant Pro Wrestling.
We'll have all your ticket details there. Floor seating is
about thirty percent left to go, so nearly sold out
on the floor seating. The grand stands open, so plenty
of seats in there. But yeah, like I said over
six hundred presales. It's going to be a big night

(09:51):
out today Arena.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
Ah fantastic.

Speaker 4 (09:53):
Frank talk much or does he just sort of stand
imposingly behind people?

Speaker 6 (09:57):
Frank is a tough dude, stands around, rattles his chain
and choke slams the.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
Hell out of anyone.

Speaker 4 (10:01):
Well, and none of the girls here have done any
work since he arrives.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
So I think it might have been me piney.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
Quite possibly, quite possibly.

Speaker 4 (10:12):
I hope it goes really well for you guys tomorrow night.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
I love what you guys are doing so awesome stuff. Yeah,
thanks popping in.

Speaker 4 (10:19):
It's pretty scary, but you get scared when, like when
we have a school visit.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
You ever got big freaks? Any stand over there?

Speaker 2 (10:26):
Frank give him a bit of a Friday, did shut
He'll suddenly become quiet all of a sudden when he's
got that behind him.

Speaker 3 (10:33):
But break, go to break, go to break. Thank you guys,
appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
We've got to have a cup of tea to opar
arena tomorrow. Get online, have a lot, buy some tickets
and if you text ninety two ninety two, we will
give a couple of lucky families.

Speaker 1 (10:47):
Are family pass 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 iHeart Radio
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