November 29, 2024 • 6 mins
The men's and women's Central Falcons, who represent the Lower North Island in the Premier Hockey League - have already reached next week's Premier Hockey League final with a round to spare.
But, the sides are in Palmerston North this Saturday to showcase their skills and talent in a double header against the Mavericks.
Men's captain Dylan Thomas joined Adam Cooper to preview the game, and reflect on a successful season to date.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
News talks. They'll be here on the All Sport Breakfast
while the Premier Hockey League heads to Palmerston North today
round six action featuring the Falcons, which are the men's
and women's Wellington teams representing the Lower North Island in
this league. The great news is is both those Wellington
men's and women's teams have already made next week's final
in Auckland, but one more round to play in front
(00:22):
of Palmerston North today, so if you're nearby, get along.
There are tickets available. Dylan Thomas as captain of the
Wellington men's Falcons team. He's an Olympian with the Black Sticks,
so a lot of experience and they're tracking along pretty nicely,
Dylan joins us. Now, Dylant, you'll be pretty happy with
how the season's gone so far.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Absolutely, we've done really well, so we're really happy with
our performance. We're apart from the first weekend we've gone undefeated,
so I think it shows that we've progressed throughout the campaign.
And you know, the exciting thing is it's now towards
the business end and we're playing our best hockey, so
that's exactly what we want.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
What has been key so I guess, you know, getting
everyone from all the different areas that the Falcons region
covers to sort of all align and be playing you know,
great hockey and getting some good wins.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So I think the most important thing that the coaches
especially done really well and is connecting us as quick
as possible. So a lot of team building staff, a
lot of ideas around how we can connect off the
pitch because we know that that's a huge part of
being a team and gelling together. So we worked really
hard to connect early on in the campaign, and I
(01:30):
think again that's showing now with the fluidity in the
way that we can connect on the field. It's really
good to see.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Ye great to hear in a rematch against the Mavericks.
So you had a pretty good win over seven four
last week, Ken, Does that sort of give you some
confidence to be able to sort of flex the muscles
and everything before the big finals next week?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah? Yeah, absolutely, We're happy with our performance. Again, there
was moments where we need to work on and review
and get better, but to walk away scoring you know,
seven points and a comfortable win certainly gives us a
lot of momentum and confidence to be able to do
the same today and then hopefully tomorrow sorry next week
(02:11):
being being a whole lot better with the finals.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yeah, great, I see penalty shootout. It's been a bit
of a feature for a couple of games this year.
There's something that you're proud of it and confident of
if should you require them come well this weekend all
the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, it certainly adds an exciting dynamic to the game.
So even being four or five goals up doesn't mean
a whole lot in this competition because it does just
require a couple of field goals with the conversions and
you're back in it. So there's never a moment where
you can relax and sort of take your foot off
the throat. I suppose it's just all go.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
And your own form through the season, Dylan, you know
as part of this league. Yeah, you're happy with with
what you've been producing and that instead of attacking into
the field.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah yeah, I mean I'm trying my best. As a
lot of strikers would say, it's it's the end product
of what the team can create. So I'm happy to
be at the end of it all and putting the
goal on the back of the net. And that's really
all I can do for my team, so I'm glad
to take that role on board.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And you're an experienced hockey player in the country, obviously
some Olympic and Calm Games experience, you know. Tell us
what this league has brought to the hockey scene here.
I guess it's been established right as a way to
make New Zealand sort of a little bit more competitive
on the world stage.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, yeah, so we've missed it for a few years now.
So we had our inaugural PHL League back in twenty
twenty and it was I guess a stepping stone to
what you see today with it becoming a franchise and
a really top level competition in New Zealand, and it
is what we require. So unfortunately, like I said, prior,
(03:46):
we haven't really had any top, top domestic competition, so
this is a start, but it's certainly a really exciting
prospect for what it can become in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
How much I guess depth have you known just you know,
even just you know by playing the other teams through
these last six weeks, so that there is a newsill
a lot.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
There's a lot of potential here. You can see that
with teams having squads of twenty plus that there's a
really rollover of players and every player that steps up
and performs for their their regions shows the quality that
they need and it gives a lot of confidence to
I'm sure the New Zealand selectors and the players around
(04:28):
that environment that there is up and coming players to
be able to put on the black shirt one day
and do the country proud.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
All right, so what is the strategy here? We know
that you're going to be in that gold medal match
next week, but taking on the Mavericks one last time
in the round, Robert, I guess the key writers there
is no one over doing it getting injured ahead of
next week.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
No, no fingers crossed, nothing like that happens. We have
unfortunately had Johnty Allen's out with a foot injury last week,
so one of our key strikers will be out for
the rest of the campaign. But again it's not taking
the foot off the throat. It's making sure we get
our processes correct, building on the confidence the momentum. So
(05:06):
we're absolutely fire and coming into the finals in the
week's time.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, and we know the women's Falcons team who you've
been playing the double head as weare. They're also featuring
in the finals next week. How nice is it aligning
with with the women's club and I guess it away
competing together in.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
This Yeah, yeah, always together. It's great to see them
undefeated and performing really really well. We try to watch
their games either before after ours and it's really just
it's good to connects as a collective. Falcons uniform and yeah,
stay together on this.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Yeah, we know there'll be a few people listening to
our show based here in Wellington that are close to
Parmerston North this afternoon, Dylan, just give people little bit
of an insight kind of what they expect if they
head along there this afternoon and cheer you guys on.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Oh, I mean it'll be a fantastic afternoon. I mean
you get to see us playing and the women afterwards.
It's only a short drive up the road. So I'll
definitely recommend popping up watching some great hockey, watching some
exciting hockey. That's what we bring to the competition. So yeah,
if you do the free free afternoons, pop up and
watch them quality.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Awesome Dylan, Well, I'm sure you get a good crowd
along all the best as yet you wrap up round Robin,
and a special best wishes as well to everyone listening
for the finals next week. Yeah go well up there
in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah awesome, appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
For more from News Talks ed B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
News talks. They'll be here on the All Sport Breakfast
while the Premier Hockey League heads to Palmerston North today
round six action featuring the Falcons, which are the men's
and women's Wellington teams representing the Lower North Island in
this league. The great news is is both those Wellington
men's and women's teams have already made next week's final
in Auckland, but one more round to play in front
(00:22):
of Palmerston North today, so if you're nearby, get along.
There are tickets available. Dylan Thomas as captain of the
Wellington men's Falcons team. He's an Olympian with the Black Sticks,
so a lot of experience and they're tracking along pretty nicely,
Dylan joins us. Now, Dylant, you'll be pretty happy with
how the season's gone so far.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Absolutely, we've done really well, so we're really happy with
our performance. We're apart from the first weekend we've gone undefeated,
so I think it shows that we've progressed throughout the campaign.
And you know, the exciting thing is it's now towards
the business end and we're playing our best hockey, so
that's exactly what we want.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
What has been key so I guess, you know, getting
everyone from all the different areas that the Falcons region
covers to sort of all align and be playing you know,
great hockey and getting some good wins.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So I think the most important thing that the coaches
especially done really well and is connecting us as quick
as possible. So a lot of team building staff, a
lot of ideas around how we can connect off the
pitch because we know that that's a huge part of
being a team and gelling together. So we worked really
hard to connect early on in the campaign, and I
(01:30):
think again that's showing now with the fluidity in the
way that we can connect on the field. It's really
good to see.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Ye great to hear in a rematch against the Mavericks.
So you had a pretty good win over seven four
last week, Ken, Does that sort of give you some
confidence to be able to sort of flex the muscles
and everything before the big finals next week?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah? Yeah, absolutely, We're happy with our performance. Again, there
was moments where we need to work on and review
and get better, but to walk away scoring you know,
seven points and a comfortable win certainly gives us a
lot of momentum and confidence to be able to do
the same today and then hopefully tomorrow sorry next week
(02:11):
being being a whole lot better with the finals.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yeah, great, I see penalty shootout. It's been a bit
of a feature for a couple of games this year.
There's something that you're proud of it and confident of
if should you require them come well this weekend all
the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, it certainly adds an exciting dynamic to the game.
So even being four or five goals up doesn't mean
a whole lot in this competition because it does just
require a couple of field goals with the conversions and
you're back in it. So there's never a moment where
you can relax and sort of take your foot off
the throat. I suppose it's just all go.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
And your own form through the season, Dylan, you know
as part of this league. Yeah, you're happy with with
what you've been producing and that instead of attacking into
the field.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah yeah, I mean I'm trying my best. As a
lot of strikers would say, it's it's the end product
of what the team can create. So I'm happy to
be at the end of it all and putting the
goal on the back of the net. And that's really
all I can do for my team, so I'm glad
to take that role on board.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And you're an experienced hockey player in the country, obviously
some Olympic and Calm Games experience, you know. Tell us
what this league has brought to the hockey scene here.
I guess it's been established right as a way to
make New Zealand sort of a little bit more competitive
on the world stage.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, yeah, so we've missed it for a few years now.
So we had our inaugural PHL League back in twenty
twenty and it was I guess a stepping stone to
what you see today with it becoming a franchise and
a really top level competition in New Zealand, and it
is what we require. So unfortunately, like I said, prior,
(03:46):
we haven't really had any top, top domestic competition, so
this is a start, but it's certainly a really exciting
prospect for what it can become in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
How much I guess depth have you known just you know,
even just you know by playing the other teams through
these last six weeks, so that there is a newsill
a lot.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
There's a lot of potential here. You can see that
with teams having squads of twenty plus that there's a
really rollover of players and every player that steps up
and performs for their their regions shows the quality that
they need and it gives a lot of confidence to
I'm sure the New Zealand selectors and the players around
(04:28):
that environment that there is up and coming players to
be able to put on the black shirt one day
and do the country proud.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
All right, so what is the strategy here? We know
that you're going to be in that gold medal match
next week, but taking on the Mavericks one last time
in the round, Robert, I guess the key writers there
is no one over doing it getting injured ahead of
next week.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
No, no fingers crossed, nothing like that happens. We have
unfortunately had Johnty Allen's out with a foot injury last week,
so one of our key strikers will be out for
the rest of the campaign. But again it's not taking
the foot off the throat. It's making sure we get
our processes correct, building on the confidence the momentum. So
(05:06):
we're absolutely fire and coming into the finals in the
week's time.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, and we know the women's Falcons team who you've
been playing the double head as weare. They're also featuring
in the finals next week. How nice is it aligning
with with the women's club and I guess it away
competing together in.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
This Yeah, yeah, always together. It's great to see them
undefeated and performing really really well. We try to watch
their games either before after ours and it's really just
it's good to connects as a collective. Falcons uniform and yeah,
stay together on this.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Yeah, we know there'll be a few people listening to
our show based here in Wellington that are close to
Parmerston North this afternoon, Dylan, just give people little bit
of an insight kind of what they expect if they
head along there this afternoon and cheer you guys on.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Oh, I mean it'll be a fantastic afternoon. I mean
you get to see us playing and the women afterwards.
It's only a short drive up the road. So I'll
definitely recommend popping up watching some great hockey, watching some
exciting hockey. That's what we bring to the competition. So yeah,
if you do the free free afternoons, pop up and
watch them quality.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Awesome Dylan, Well, I'm sure you get a good crowd
along all the best as yet you wrap up round Robin,
and a special best wishes as well to everyone listening
for the finals next week. Yeah go well up there
in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah awesome, appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
For more from News Talks ed B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
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