September 13, 2024 • 19 mins
On Sports Fix with Jason Pine for Thursday 12 September 2024, Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge discusses the new 11-team format for Super Rugby 2025, including a refreshed six-team finals format.
Piney looks at the farcical Football Ferns coaching situation with Jitka Klimkova finally leaving her post. But why won't NZ Football provide any detail?
And the boys chat through both of these issues in The Chamber.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talk Said be.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Hello, and welcome into a fresh episode of the Sports
Fits podcast for Friday, September thirteen, Black Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
For those who believe in that sort of thing. I'm
Jason Pine and I joined it.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
All even though when I was seventeen years old, I
was in an accident on my scooter wearing all black
on Friday the thirteen would smash my knee up.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
And I'm still struggling.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
With it now all these years later, but i still
don't believe it, and I'm not superstitious.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
There he go, Jay, Well, good to have that all
cleared up. Before we get into the podcast today, I
want to kick around a few topics with you as
we enter the chamber and lean on a few lean as.
I've got some thoughts on the yetkaklum Cova situation, among
others who have we got In terms of a guest today.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Colin Mansbread, CEO of Crusaders, joins us to talk about
the new super Be format. It has finally been released.
The draw is coming out soon. This we'll find out
exactly where as people are playing and who they're playing against.
But he covers off the draw what it means and
what he thinks is going to have in moving forward.
(01:23):
So Colin Mansbridge joins us shortly looking.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Forward to that, let's get into it.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
In other news, the legs beginners.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Always whether look at some of the top sports stories
around today. A new playoff format will feature in super
rate Be next season. The top six we'll all play
in week one of the finals, with the three winners
and the highest seeded loser going through to the semi finals.
Is new competition Boss Jack Mesley.
Speaker 5 (01:47):
We're going to move to six ten finals format, which
is going to add a.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Lot of interest in fans.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Meantime, Black Firm's coach Allen Vunting is backing youth in
his playmaking positions for someday morning's Test against England at
twicken and Maya. Joseph and Hannah King will start a
half back in first five with just seven caps between them.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Across the who might have close to one thousand caps
the last seven years he played log T seven.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
They know each other really well, but there's no better
way to throw them.
Speaker 6 (02:15):
Out against that experience than I think the pressures on them.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And New Zealand's Olympic high jump gold medalist Hamish Kerr
has his sight set on leaping two meters forty.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Since I had actually come into a no one jumped
through forty for about ten years now, but there was
this time where there was just some amazing jumpers.
Speaker 6 (02:33):
I think now is the time to really sort of
cut on again.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Using a Vinion It's Sportsfix with Jason Hine and Dussi waaldegreve.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
The inevitable news of Yetka Klimkova's departure as Football Fern's
head coach landed around ten o'clock this morning, having been
the subject of an employment matter which saw her miss
a couple of games earlier this year against Japan and
then mysteriously stand down for the Paris Olympics. Her continuation
and the role seemed completely untenable, and so it's proved.
(03:02):
Clenkover oversaw thirty nine games as head coach and had
a record of eleven wins, seven draws and twenty one defeats.
Now those stats are padded as well by five wins
in Oceania Olympic qualifying against Pacific Island sides who would
struggle in local leagues here in New Zealand. So take
(03:23):
out those five wins and it's six wins, seven draws
and twenty one losses against non Oceania opposition. It is
a terrible record and shows the sheer madness of handing
her a six year contract after the Tokyo Olympic Games.
No one, and I don't care who they are, should
(03:43):
get a contract of that length. Sure, your base contracts
around pinnacle events around World Cups and Olympic Games, but
not three of them in a row without review. It
should have been a deal until the end of the
twenty twenty three World Cup with an option to then extend.
That probably would have been granted actually after the groundbreaking
win over Norway on opening night at the home tournament,
(04:05):
but it also masked a golden opportunity missed by not
then progressing to the knockout rounds. The murkiness around the
last few months and the clear dissatisfaction in the playing
group with her performance made yet Ka Klemkov's continuation impossible.
The release, though from New Zealand Football, also stated that
she would remain working for the organization for the next
(04:27):
six months supporting it, says the high Performance department and
national team activity. I mean that too is ridiculous. What
on earth will she be doing? I would have liked
to have asked New Zealand Football that, but no one
there is available to comment, which is strangely fitting for
a very sorry chapter in football history. Here which other
(04:50):
major sporting body would clam up completely when their national
coach steps down in such uncertain circumstances.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine and
Darcy Waldgrave.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Joining us now on the Fixed podcast.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
On that mans Bridge, the CEO of the Crusaders franchise
in Super Rugby Pacific. Of course it's been released now
the new master plan around how Super Rugby Pacific deals
with only eleven teams. What will be the changes in
the draw and the finals format as well? Colin, welcome
to the podcast. Great to have you on board. First up,
(05:29):
what's your initial reaction to this news.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
I'm quite excited by it actually, because it's a little
different and so obviously the competitions come in for some criticism.
Historically dance around the you know, too many teams making
the finals.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
I think a lot of the pundits were saying that
to us.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
So when they've come up with this format, the Super
Pacific boards come up with this format.
Speaker 6 (05:54):
That one at six and then there's there's a.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
Bit of jeopardy in there, but the you know, somebody
who's performed really well in the round robin gets another chance.
Speaker 6 (06:03):
I actually quite like it. Actually, it's quite a neat,
neat format.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Did you were you and involved as a CEO and
the club itself and setting this up?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Do they talk with you? Were you considered?
Speaker 6 (06:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Absolutely, we were consulted. So the new board that's been established,
which is his first full assembly today, actually the first
full assembly meeting today that Jack Nesley, the new CEO,
reached out or him and his team you know, some
months ago and sort of said, you know, what did
(06:38):
you like about last year?
Speaker 6 (06:39):
What could be better?
Speaker 5 (06:41):
That was integrated with a bit of fan feedback and
some options were sort of thrown around the table, and so, yeah,
we were consulted.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
I wouldn't say.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
We were influential in the outcome, rather than consulted as
any stakeholder should be. So I think it's a fair,
fair process and I actually like the fact that We've
got a super RABIA Pacific board thinking about these things
with a fan first mindset. How can you get good
finals quality and quantity into those weeks rather than just
(07:13):
you know, who's the loowdest voice amongst the clubs.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I agree with you on this. I've shaded a lot
to Kevin malloy.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
And he's very open to it. He's a direct number.
We need to hear from the people. We want to
talk directly to the people. So that attitude Matt Barlow
as well, and I'm hoping that mentally is the same.
I think we can feel that and that's that's got
to be good because it is about the fans, isn't
it about us?
Speaker 5 (07:42):
Colin, Well, well, we just spent we spent a day
in Auckland yesterday, the CEOs and the head coaches doing
some work with a SUPERAVII Pacific review of last year
and what might you know, what might be some of
the things for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
And Jack spent Jack lead on this is.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
The first conference with us, he's met most people. He's
done a really good job getting around and understanding what
clubs and what the national unions need of you know,
all the islands New Zealand and Australia and then actually
also trying to put a fan first, and he kept
bringing us back to fan all the way through it.
(08:25):
So and I think when you turn up there with
your crusader's hat on, and you know you're thinking, well,
what's good for crusaders, and then Jack's just dragging you
back to well, what's good for all of the fans
of the competition.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
Yeah, I'm really impressed, really impressed. So I like Jack.
I think he's a good man.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
He's got a very much a fan hat on, and
and the board that Kevin leads, now, yeah, they are
very very objective and independent, so excited by where we
can go with this thing.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
There's positives, there are negatives as well, and it would
be remiss of me not to mention that the one
that seems to be popping out is.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
That there is a lucky loser. Does that structure work
with you?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
That someone can get beaten but they can still come
back and win the whole shooting match.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
So the one for me that really when we went
through the bit of scenario analysis about what could happen,
I'm sitting there and thinking one verse six in the
round robin, and let's assume one went through and were unbeaten.
So think about a Blues of a few years ago.
They go through, they're unbeaten, and they play the sixth
rength finalist in that qualifying final and they get beaten
(09:39):
by a point.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
You know, in the eighty third minute.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
And let's say I don't know they're carrying a couple
of injuries or whatever, and you go, gee, you know
they've they've gone through unbeaten in all those rounds and
fourteen matches. You just wonder whether it's a bit tough
on them not to get a second chance. And so
(10:03):
I sort of I looked at it that way rather
than oh, you know, it's just it's just giving a
loser a second chance. I sort of thought, well, what
about a winner of a round robins or first or
second fantastic round robin, minor premiership winners. And then they're
sort of sitting there going, yeah, that's our season gone through,
(10:23):
but of bad luck, bad fortune. Now it's probably unlikely
to happen that way. But I think for you know,
qualifiers one, two, three, four and the other thing, it
actually forces you to it's not just about making the finals.
This year, the best thing or in twenty twenty five,
the best thing you can do is actually rank well.
So every ranking count every ranking place counts because it
(10:47):
gives you the potential for that life.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
So it's not just.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Making the finals and am I going to get a
home or in a way, actually I just got to
get as high as I can because that's going to
make a difference in the final series.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
The Chamber is now in session on sports Fix.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Time on the sports Fix podcast to lean on a
couple of lenas inside the Chamber. Now, I heard from
Colin Mansbridge about his thoughts on what the Super Rugby
format will mean for his Crusaders and in fact for
every other team who is involved. Is the finals format
slightly confusing?
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
I think it's probably easier to understand than having all
of the teams in the competition qualifying for the finals.
That you've got that lucky loser situation, and there's been
thoughts that that might be up to be roarted by
a top team, but I think the length of the competition,
that's unlikely they will do that. Like any competition, Jason,
(11:48):
just keep winning and the reward as yours. At the
end regardless of the format. But it's short, it's over
three weeks, makes a lot of sense to me. But
I'm not that interested in the finals format. I'm interested
in other parts of this draw pony.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
And well, that is a very leading statement which other
parts of the format and true do the most.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
The fact that there's going to be a whole lot
of local derbies. Teams play one other team four times, well,
they play other teams twice four times and then the
rest of it not so much so to me, that
lines it up beautifully for local derbies, which really that's
what the fans want to see, let's face it.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Yeah, and they said that last year that off the
back of last year's competition there were too many weeks
when there weren't enough matches of interest, and by matches
of interest on this side of the Tasman Das, we
mean derbies. Look, if you like me, you watch your
own team every week and then you watch the other
New Zealand derbies if there are New Zealand derbies. That's
(12:48):
what I've become as a super rugby fan. I don't
necessarily watch the Highlanders against the Waratahs, for example. That
doesn't really ring my bell, although it would for a
Highlanders fan. I watch the Hurricanes every week and I
watch the Derbies. I don't know how you structure your
Super Rugby viewing, but those are the more exciting games
for me. The Derbies.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Yeah, and I watch much as I possibly can, but
I'm only human and I don't want to overdose on
Super Rugby, So like yourself, I'll watch My team are
the Crusaders, the Blues, and all of our local teams
as well. I think it's important that they all talk
about being fan centric, and by the looks of it,
they've actually taken on board a lot of what happened
(13:27):
in last season and they've applied it to this season.
So hopefully this is a brave new era of Super
Rugby where the fans actually not keet what they want,
but they listened to And I think afternoon games is
wonderful as well.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Sunday games is wonderful as well. This is what people
want to see.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I like the Sunday afternoons. I just wonder that there's
only three of them, so, you know, if they're really
fan centric.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Wouldn't there be one a week? Wouldn't there be one
every week? Possibly they're research.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
And I'm not like standing up for what Super Rugby do,
but I'd suggest their research says that maybe that isn't
the way. But from our point of view, if there's
a game on Sunday and you're a fan, you get
your ass along there and watch the game, and that
will encourage more changes for next season.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
I don't think you can.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
A tidal wave of change probably won't work, but incrementally
we're seeing that they are listening. So maybe we're just
going to keep pushing that boat out and actually attend
these games.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Jason indeed, and I also hope that this is the
only season there is an eleven team competition.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
It just doesn't I mean, it just doesn't seem right,
does it. Eleven teams?
Speaker 4 (14:37):
You know, let's look back in a few Let's look
back in the history.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
How many super competitions have had? How many teams?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I mean, if they covered everything off yet didn't they
start off with the tens? If we had eleven, now
we've had twelvey, we must have covered almost everything.
Speaker 6 (14:50):
Mate.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Have we had a Super thirteen?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I think that's about the.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Only one from ten upwards we haven't had. We've had
super We've certainly had ten. We've got eleven next year,
Super twelve that was the original one. We've had Super
fourteen and Super fifteen. Yeah, to complete the deck when
he did two more teams, I'm sure there were be happening,
But I look forward to the fresh format in twenty
twenty five. Hey yet Ka Klimkova will no longer coach
(15:14):
the football Ferns. I've already had my say on the
Sportsfix podcast about this.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Keen to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
It just didn't. It just never felt as though she
was coming back having missed those two games against Japan
and then stood down ahead of the Olympics. It just
never felt like she was coming back to it.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
What gets me about this Pineyers has taken so long.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
It was the writing was on the wall, then the
war got pushed over and she still hadn't left. It
came out finally as I was like, oh, that's right,
yet k Klimkev, I've forgotten about that. But I think again,
the way it's been managed by New Zealand Football has
been poor. I think to give her a six year
contract to start was poor, and I think the way
(15:56):
they've looked after this has been poor.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
I can't.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
I don't think the Zeland Football have covered themselves in
glory in this particular space.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Well, I've book ended it with another poor decision, and
that's been not to talk to anyone about it today.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
A statement.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
A right, I'm I'm all joking.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Aside usk kidding me.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
No.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
We have reached out and I've spoken to my colleagues,
our colleagues in other media organizations. We have all attempted
to get in touch with New Zealand Football to get
some sort of comment from Andrew Pragnell or somebody else
on the high performance department and have been met with
stony silence and, if anything, a very brief message back
saying we will not be making any further comment. Can
(16:36):
you imagine New Zealand Rugby if you know, if the
likes of Alan Bunting or Scott Robertson were to step
down or to be relieved of their duties. Would you
know There's no way Mark Robinson would in front? He
would Yeah, what happened with Leo McDonald, Well he fronted.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
No. Chris Lendrum did straight away.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Straight Granted, granted, yes we're not looking for the Klemkove here,
but this again This is part of the course New
Zealand football.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Ah, they mess through a lot.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
I don't think they ever do themselves any favors when
it comes to dealing with the public. And I think
that you'll know in this industry, the more open and
free you are with everybody, the less we go back
to a conspiracy. Theories lineup because you have addressed the
issues directly to the conduits, which is the media, through
to the public. And I don't understand how they don't
(17:31):
understand that that's the way things have been going for
the last five, six, seven years.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Mate. That bang on your knee all those years ago
on Black Friday must have must have in some way
compelled a very large amount of common sense in you.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Yes, so right.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I mean it's a vacuum, right, a vacuum of information.
What fills a vacuum rumor innuendo, falsehoods, And it's like
you can put it all to bed by being transparent.
I just do not get it to us.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
I had it before the breakers years ago. They got
themselves into a pile of trouble around something on the phone.
It was Richard Clark who was the CEO back then.
He got straight on in the air. He told us
exactly what went on. Yeah, we made a mistake, Yes
it was there. We're gonna get punish blah blah blah.
Story died just like that, brilliant that's what you should
be doing.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Indeed you should. Unfortunately New Zealand football just seemed completely
unable to take that lead. That's us leaning in today.
We're back with more on Monday.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
This is Sportsfix, your daily does of Sports News Now
and by News Talks EBB.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
And that is us on another jam packed episode of
the Sports Fix podcast. We're back on Monday and around
about the same time. Whatever happens over the sporting weekend
will no doubt cover it off.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Yeah, and I feel your pain already, Piney, because Tasman
are holding onto that log award.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
That is painful.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
When can we get more from News Talks?
Speaker 5 (18:53):
He'd be sport.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Well between seven and eight with yourself on Monday. Of
course I hold it on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and of
course Friday tonight. And then you take her on over
and back in your rightful position after I soiled the
place up last week. On weekend sport between at twelve
and three Saturday and Sunday For more from News.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Talk set B Listen live on air or online, and
keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talk Said be.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Hello, and welcome into a fresh episode of the Sports
Fits podcast for Friday, September thirteen, Black Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
For those who believe in that sort of thing. I'm
Jason Pine and I joined it.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
All even though when I was seventeen years old, I
was in an accident on my scooter wearing all black
on Friday the thirteen would smash my knee up.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
And I'm still struggling.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
With it now all these years later, but i still
don't believe it, and I'm not superstitious.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
There he go, Jay, Well, good to have that all
cleared up. Before we get into the podcast today, I
want to kick around a few topics with you as
we enter the chamber and lean on a few lean as.
I've got some thoughts on the yetkaklum Cova situation, among
others who have we got In terms of a guest today.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Colin Mansbread, CEO of Crusaders, joins us to talk about
the new super Be format. It has finally been released.
The draw is coming out soon. This we'll find out
exactly where as people are playing and who they're playing against.
But he covers off the draw what it means and
what he thinks is going to have in moving forward.
(01:23):
So Colin Mansbridge joins us shortly looking.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Forward to that, let's get into it.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
In other news, the legs beginners.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Always whether look at some of the top sports stories
around today. A new playoff format will feature in super
rate Be next season. The top six we'll all play
in week one of the finals, with the three winners
and the highest seeded loser going through to the semi finals.
Is new competition Boss Jack Mesley.
Speaker 5 (01:47):
We're going to move to six ten finals format, which
is going to add a.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Lot of interest in fans.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Meantime, Black Firm's coach Allen Vunting is backing youth in
his playmaking positions for someday morning's Test against England at
twicken and Maya. Joseph and Hannah King will start a
half back in first five with just seven caps between them.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Across the who might have close to one thousand caps
the last seven years he played log T seven.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
They know each other really well, but there's no better
way to throw them.
Speaker 6 (02:15):
Out against that experience than I think the pressures on them.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And New Zealand's Olympic high jump gold medalist Hamish Kerr
has his sight set on leaping two meters forty.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Since I had actually come into a no one jumped
through forty for about ten years now, but there was
this time where there was just some amazing jumpers.
Speaker 6 (02:33):
I think now is the time to really sort of
cut on again.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Using a Vinion It's Sportsfix with Jason Hine and Dussi waaldegreve.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
The inevitable news of Yetka Klimkova's departure as Football Fern's
head coach landed around ten o'clock this morning, having been
the subject of an employment matter which saw her miss
a couple of games earlier this year against Japan and
then mysteriously stand down for the Paris Olympics. Her continuation
and the role seemed completely untenable, and so it's proved.
(03:02):
Clenkover oversaw thirty nine games as head coach and had
a record of eleven wins, seven draws and twenty one defeats.
Now those stats are padded as well by five wins
in Oceania Olympic qualifying against Pacific Island sides who would
struggle in local leagues here in New Zealand. So take
(03:23):
out those five wins and it's six wins, seven draws
and twenty one losses against non Oceania opposition. It is
a terrible record and shows the sheer madness of handing
her a six year contract after the Tokyo Olympic Games.
No one, and I don't care who they are, should
(03:43):
get a contract of that length. Sure, your base contracts
around pinnacle events around World Cups and Olympic Games, but
not three of them in a row without review. It
should have been a deal until the end of the
twenty twenty three World Cup with an option to then extend.
That probably would have been granted actually after the groundbreaking
win over Norway on opening night at the home tournament,
(04:05):
but it also masked a golden opportunity missed by not
then progressing to the knockout rounds. The murkiness around the
last few months and the clear dissatisfaction in the playing
group with her performance made yet Ka Klemkov's continuation impossible.
The release, though from New Zealand Football, also stated that
she would remain working for the organization for the next
(04:27):
six months supporting it, says the high Performance department and
national team activity. I mean that too is ridiculous. What
on earth will she be doing? I would have liked
to have asked New Zealand Football that, but no one
there is available to comment, which is strangely fitting for
a very sorry chapter in football history. Here which other
(04:50):
major sporting body would clam up completely when their national
coach steps down in such uncertain circumstances.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine and
Darcy Waldgrave.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Joining us now on the Fixed podcast.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
On that mans Bridge, the CEO of the Crusaders franchise
in Super Rugby Pacific. Of course it's been released now
the new master plan around how Super Rugby Pacific deals
with only eleven teams. What will be the changes in
the draw and the finals format as well? Colin, welcome
to the podcast. Great to have you on board. First up,
(05:29):
what's your initial reaction to this news.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
I'm quite excited by it actually, because it's a little
different and so obviously the competitions come in for some criticism.
Historically dance around the you know, too many teams making
the finals.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
I think a lot of the pundits were saying that
to us.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
So when they've come up with this format, the Super
Pacific boards come up with this format.
Speaker 6 (05:54):
That one at six and then there's there's a.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
Bit of jeopardy in there, but the you know, somebody
who's performed really well in the round robin gets another chance.
Speaker 6 (06:03):
I actually quite like it. Actually, it's quite a neat,
neat format.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Did you were you and involved as a CEO and
the club itself and setting this up?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Do they talk with you? Were you considered?
Speaker 6 (06:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Absolutely, we were consulted. So the new board that's been established,
which is his first full assembly today, actually the first
full assembly meeting today that Jack Nesley, the new CEO,
reached out or him and his team you know, some
months ago and sort of said, you know, what did
(06:38):
you like about last year?
Speaker 6 (06:39):
What could be better?
Speaker 5 (06:41):
That was integrated with a bit of fan feedback and
some options were sort of thrown around the table, and so, yeah,
we were consulted.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
I wouldn't say.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
We were influential in the outcome, rather than consulted as
any stakeholder should be. So I think it's a fair,
fair process and I actually like the fact that We've
got a super RABIA Pacific board thinking about these things
with a fan first mindset. How can you get good
finals quality and quantity into those weeks rather than just
(07:13):
you know, who's the loowdest voice amongst the clubs.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I agree with you on this. I've shaded a lot
to Kevin malloy.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
And he's very open to it. He's a direct number.
We need to hear from the people. We want to
talk directly to the people. So that attitude Matt Barlow
as well, and I'm hoping that mentally is the same.
I think we can feel that and that's that's got
to be good because it is about the fans, isn't
it about us?
Speaker 5 (07:42):
Colin, Well, well, we just spent we spent a day
in Auckland yesterday, the CEOs and the head coaches doing
some work with a SUPERAVII Pacific review of last year
and what might you know, what might be some of
the things for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
And Jack spent Jack lead on this is.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
The first conference with us, he's met most people. He's
done a really good job getting around and understanding what
clubs and what the national unions need of you know,
all the islands New Zealand and Australia and then actually
also trying to put a fan first, and he kept
bringing us back to fan all the way through it.
(08:25):
So and I think when you turn up there with
your crusader's hat on, and you know you're thinking, well,
what's good for crusaders, and then Jack's just dragging you
back to well, what's good for all of the fans
of the competition.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
Yeah, I'm really impressed, really impressed. So I like Jack.
I think he's a good man.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
He's got a very much a fan hat on, and
and the board that Kevin leads, now, yeah, they are
very very objective and independent, so excited by where we
can go with this thing.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
There's positives, there are negatives as well, and it would
be remiss of me not to mention that the one
that seems to be popping out is.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
That there is a lucky loser. Does that structure work
with you?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
That someone can get beaten but they can still come
back and win the whole shooting match.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
So the one for me that really when we went
through the bit of scenario analysis about what could happen,
I'm sitting there and thinking one verse six in the
round robin, and let's assume one went through and were unbeaten.
So think about a Blues of a few years ago.
They go through, they're unbeaten, and they play the sixth
rength finalist in that qualifying final and they get beaten
(09:39):
by a point.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
You know, in the eighty third minute.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
And let's say I don't know they're carrying a couple
of injuries or whatever, and you go, gee, you know
they've they've gone through unbeaten in all those rounds and
fourteen matches. You just wonder whether it's a bit tough
on them not to get a second chance. And so
(10:03):
I sort of I looked at it that way rather
than oh, you know, it's just it's just giving a
loser a second chance. I sort of thought, well, what
about a winner of a round robins or first or
second fantastic round robin, minor premiership winners. And then they're
sort of sitting there going, yeah, that's our season gone through,
(10:23):
but of bad luck, bad fortune. Now it's probably unlikely
to happen that way. But I think for you know,
qualifiers one, two, three, four and the other thing, it
actually forces you to it's not just about making the finals.
This year, the best thing or in twenty twenty five,
the best thing you can do is actually rank well.
So every ranking count every ranking place counts because it
(10:47):
gives you the potential for that life.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
So it's not just.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Making the finals and am I going to get a
home or in a way, actually I just got to
get as high as I can because that's going to
make a difference in the final series.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
The Chamber is now in session on sports Fix.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Time on the sports Fix podcast to lean on a
couple of lenas inside the Chamber. Now, I heard from
Colin Mansbridge about his thoughts on what the Super Rugby
format will mean for his Crusaders and in fact for
every other team who is involved. Is the finals format
slightly confusing?
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
I think it's probably easier to understand than having all
of the teams in the competition qualifying for the finals.
That you've got that lucky loser situation, and there's been
thoughts that that might be up to be roarted by
a top team, but I think the length of the competition,
that's unlikely they will do that. Like any competition, Jason,
(11:48):
just keep winning and the reward as yours. At the
end regardless of the format. But it's short, it's over
three weeks, makes a lot of sense to me. But
I'm not that interested in the finals format. I'm interested
in other parts of this draw pony.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
And well, that is a very leading statement which other
parts of the format and true do the most.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
The fact that there's going to be a whole lot
of local derbies. Teams play one other team four times, well,
they play other teams twice four times and then the
rest of it not so much so to me, that
lines it up beautifully for local derbies, which really that's
what the fans want to see, let's face it.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Yeah, and they said that last year that off the
back of last year's competition there were too many weeks
when there weren't enough matches of interest, and by matches
of interest on this side of the Tasman Das, we
mean derbies. Look, if you like me, you watch your
own team every week and then you watch the other
New Zealand derbies if there are New Zealand derbies. That's
(12:48):
what I've become as a super rugby fan. I don't
necessarily watch the Highlanders against the Waratahs, for example. That
doesn't really ring my bell, although it would for a
Highlanders fan. I watch the Hurricanes every week and I
watch the Derbies. I don't know how you structure your
Super Rugby viewing, but those are the more exciting games
for me. The Derbies.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Yeah, and I watch much as I possibly can, but
I'm only human and I don't want to overdose on
Super Rugby, So like yourself, I'll watch My team are
the Crusaders, the Blues, and all of our local teams
as well. I think it's important that they all talk
about being fan centric, and by the looks of it,
they've actually taken on board a lot of what happened
(13:27):
in last season and they've applied it to this season.
So hopefully this is a brave new era of Super
Rugby where the fans actually not keet what they want,
but they listened to And I think afternoon games is
wonderful as well.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Sunday games is wonderful as well. This is what people
want to see.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I like the Sunday afternoons. I just wonder that there's
only three of them, so, you know, if they're really
fan centric.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Wouldn't there be one a week? Wouldn't there be one
every week? Possibly they're research.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
And I'm not like standing up for what Super Rugby do,
but I'd suggest their research says that maybe that isn't
the way. But from our point of view, if there's
a game on Sunday and you're a fan, you get
your ass along there and watch the game, and that
will encourage more changes for next season.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
I don't think you can.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
A tidal wave of change probably won't work, but incrementally
we're seeing that they are listening. So maybe we're just
going to keep pushing that boat out and actually attend
these games.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Jason indeed, and I also hope that this is the
only season there is an eleven team competition.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
It just doesn't I mean, it just doesn't seem right,
does it. Eleven teams?
Speaker 4 (14:37):
You know, let's look back in a few Let's look
back in the history.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
How many super competitions have had? How many teams?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I mean, if they covered everything off yet didn't they
start off with the tens? If we had eleven, now
we've had twelvey, we must have covered almost everything.
Speaker 6 (14:50):
Mate.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Have we had a Super thirteen?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I think that's about the.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Only one from ten upwards we haven't had. We've had
super We've certainly had ten. We've got eleven next year,
Super twelve that was the original one. We've had Super
fourteen and Super fifteen. Yeah, to complete the deck when
he did two more teams, I'm sure there were be happening,
But I look forward to the fresh format in twenty
twenty five. Hey yet Ka Klimkova will no longer coach
(15:14):
the football Ferns. I've already had my say on the
Sportsfix podcast about this.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Keen to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
It just didn't. It just never felt as though she
was coming back having missed those two games against Japan
and then stood down ahead of the Olympics. It just
never felt like she was coming back to it.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
What gets me about this Pineyers has taken so long.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
It was the writing was on the wall, then the
war got pushed over and she still hadn't left. It
came out finally as I was like, oh, that's right,
yet k Klimkev, I've forgotten about that. But I think again,
the way it's been managed by New Zealand Football has
been poor. I think to give her a six year
contract to start was poor, and I think the way
(15:56):
they've looked after this has been poor.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
I can't.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
I don't think the Zeland Football have covered themselves in
glory in this particular space.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Well, I've book ended it with another poor decision, and
that's been not to talk to anyone about it today.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
A statement.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
A right, I'm I'm all joking.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Aside usk kidding me.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
No.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
We have reached out and I've spoken to my colleagues,
our colleagues in other media organizations. We have all attempted
to get in touch with New Zealand Football to get
some sort of comment from Andrew Pragnell or somebody else
on the high performance department and have been met with
stony silence and, if anything, a very brief message back
saying we will not be making any further comment. Can
(16:36):
you imagine New Zealand Rugby if you know, if the
likes of Alan Bunting or Scott Robertson were to step
down or to be relieved of their duties. Would you
know There's no way Mark Robinson would in front? He
would Yeah, what happened with Leo McDonald, Well he fronted.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
No. Chris Lendrum did straight away.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Straight Granted, granted, yes we're not looking for the Klemkove here,
but this again This is part of the course New
Zealand football.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Ah, they mess through a lot.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
I don't think they ever do themselves any favors when
it comes to dealing with the public. And I think
that you'll know in this industry, the more open and
free you are with everybody, the less we go back
to a conspiracy. Theories lineup because you have addressed the
issues directly to the conduits, which is the media, through
to the public. And I don't understand how they don't
(17:31):
understand that that's the way things have been going for
the last five, six, seven years.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Mate. That bang on your knee all those years ago
on Black Friday must have must have in some way
compelled a very large amount of common sense in you.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Yes, so right.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I mean it's a vacuum, right, a vacuum of information.
What fills a vacuum rumor innuendo, falsehoods, And it's like
you can put it all to bed by being transparent.
I just do not get it to us.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
I had it before the breakers years ago. They got
themselves into a pile of trouble around something on the phone.
It was Richard Clark who was the CEO back then.
He got straight on in the air. He told us
exactly what went on. Yeah, we made a mistake, Yes
it was there. We're gonna get punish blah blah blah.
Story died just like that, brilliant that's what you should
be doing.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Indeed you should. Unfortunately New Zealand football just seemed completely
unable to take that lead. That's us leaning in today.
We're back with more on Monday.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
This is Sportsfix, your daily does of Sports News Now
and by News Talks EBB.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
And that is us on another jam packed episode of
the Sports Fix podcast. We're back on Monday and around
about the same time. Whatever happens over the sporting weekend
will no doubt cover it off.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Yeah, and I feel your pain already, Piney, because Tasman
are holding onto that log award.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
That is painful.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
When can we get more from News Talks?
Speaker 5 (18:53):
He'd be sport.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Well between seven and eight with yourself on Monday. Of
course I hold it on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and of
course Friday tonight. And then you take her on over
and back in your rightful position after I soiled the
place up last week. On weekend sport between at twelve
and three Saturday and Sunday For more from News.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Talk set B Listen live on air or online, and
keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio
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