April 29, 2025 • 21 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave Tuesday April 29, 2025 - Bill Harrigan - Former Head of NRL Refereeing and Hall of Famer - On the NRL's perceived crack down on high shots, amid 18 sin-bins in last weekends action.
D’Arcy delivers an opinion on Joe Parker's next big opponent... 'patience'.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. Be follow
this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio. Welcome
to Sportsfex, your daily dose of sport.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Welcome on into the SPORTSFX podcast. My name is Darcy
Walder Grave and this is your edition for a Tuesday,
the twenty ninth of April twenty twenty five, brought to
you and association with the fine foc at GJ. Gardner Holmes,
New Zealand's most trusted home builder. Coming up in today's episode,
Bill Harrigan joins us to talk about the drama around
(00:45):
the NRL and the referees with their head high calls
the amount last weekend biggest belief. Bill Harrigan joined us
to talk about that I've got some opinion on where
Joe Parker goes now that Usik and Dubois have been
confirmed for their undisputed title fight in July. And Alex
(01:05):
Powell joins us in the chamber New Zealand Herald sports
journalist as we talk about some of the big sports
stories of the day. That's what we're doing, so let's
do it. In other news, let's eie listened to some
of the big sports comments of the day for My
Warriors coach Brian mcclennon. There was the NRL's latest crackdown
(01:27):
is disruptive to the game. Around eight of action saw
eighteen sinbinnings, with fifteen of those for contact to the
head of the ball carrier. Mcclennon says the rulings are
impacting the flow of the game. They're being so strict
with six agains and these contacts and the syndons that
it's very, very difficult for the team without the ball
(01:48):
to regain momentum. Again, yes, st have big swings and
I don't really enjoy the game when it's like that.
I like it to have a bit more parity. Donald
Trump has welcome the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to
the White House. The US President particularly taken with Australian
offensive tax called Jordan my latter. There's a big group.
(02:11):
We're gonna introduce some Jordan's milata.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Thank you, Jord. He's a big people.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
That was Donald tre hump Mark Tully. I may only
have one game left in his Blues career. Blax Wing
has been suspended for three weeks for this dangerous lifting
tackle on Red's opposite Tim Ryan and the loss at
sun Corp Stadium. This from gold Sport.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Oh whoa Toaliah by George Taliah up ended Strowth.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Can be upright into a red card for plays very
long as all Mark's gonna miss this weekend's home game
against the Force, as well as the following games against
the Drua and more. One ant Pussyfkervinion.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
It's Sports Fix with Jason Pine and Dussy Hargrave.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
And it's warm.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Welcome to the Sports Fixed podcast to former referee of
the NRL and arguably one of the greats of the
whistle blowing game, Bill Harrigan, Hi, Bill, Good Evening, Darcy
Drama over the weekend in the NRL. Eighteen players sent
to the bin and round eight a lot of them
high tackles the suggestions there's been a crackdown from upstairs.
(03:27):
They're saying, no, that's not the case. We're pretty consistent
in what we do. What's your read on what's happened?
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Bill, You're not being privy to any information that goes
on with a referee in that anymore.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I don't know if there was a crackdown set.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Or whatever, but to see eighteen players sending right across
the eight games. Something was said somewhere that they're going
to do it, But after watching it, I'm confused. I
think a lot of the people I've spoken to are
all confused about what is a high shot? When is
it intentional or illegal? And when was it an accident?
(04:01):
And what are we going to do about it. I
understand they've got to keep the integrity of the game
and the safety of the players. We've also got to
be remember, we've got an entertainment out there, you know.
Just some of the I'm shaking my head as to
some of the decisions compared to some of the others
that weren't acted upon over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Duty of care to the athletes is one thing that
I suppose I shouldn't really make light of this, but
duty of care to the paying fans, the people paying
for the broadcast at some of the laund room, and
people actually going to the games. It surely has to
be taken into account.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I think they do, and I think I've heard the
NRL this morning have said that they're going to take
the bunker out of the play by player, and I'm
happy with that.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
That's a really good thing that they can do. Straight off.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Different to last weekend is to stay right. We will
not be going back four or five tackles when the
bunker has seen something, stopping play, going back and giving
a penalty, putting a report, and in some occasions sin
binning them back. Then my opinion is, if the referee
doesn't see it, you play on and you let the
match review. You've got in place to do their job
(05:05):
post the game. And if some player has to be charged,
well then they charge him.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
And I know the the.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Negative on that is where a team will say, well,
hang on, we would disadvantage because nothing happened to that
player during the game. But the team that plays him
next week gets the advantage out of it because he's
now got a week, two week, three weeks suspension. Well
that's just bad luck. That's the way the game is.
If the referee doesn't see it, play on. If he
sees it, he'll pull it up, he'll penalize it, he'll
sendm in it, or he'll put it on a report.
But at least he's doing it and the continuity of
(05:34):
the game stays there. He gets he gets an opportunity
to let the game flow and referee that game with
the empathy that is required.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
If that was to happen and the referees were not
see it and they would adjudicate based on that, does
that open the way for players maybe to be a
little fast and loose if they feel they're not being
seen or is that just over the top.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
No, they won't because if the referee, like most of
the times, the referee is going to get it. It's
only these little innocuous ones which they're trying to, you know,
like the bloke's head goes down into the guy's shoulder.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
The referee will still get most of them.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
And if he doesn't, the player's not going to escape
if he has done something loose, because he's going to
get picked up by the matter review committee. Al but
not in that game, but he's still going to get
picked up, and he still could end up suffering a
charge in a penalty financially or a couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
So they're not going to get away with it. So
I don't think it'll open.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Up the gates where players will think new beauty. I
can go a little bit looser and knock a few
blakes around. The thing that it's concerning mur at the
moment is in some stages there are players which are
getting hit and falling, and a player is already committed
to a tackle where he might be hitting him around
the legs, and I say, e G. Latrell Mitchell, he
was going in low, the player fell down and end
(06:48):
up falling into him and coppying it. And yet Latrell
gets charged and everything, and I just think, well, what
was he supposed to have done? Isn't there going to
be still some accidental contact? I think I could wear
that if they had to said, look, you've en, whether
it's accidental or not, your vid him in the head.
They've got to blow the penalty. But boy, I don't
see sin binning and placed on an important charged for
something like that which he had no control over with
(07:10):
an accidental player. And there are sometimes that situation.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
They put someone on a report for an obvious shot
to the head, then they marched them. Should they just
put them on report and carry on? There's that fine line,
I suppose, between what the referee actually does and how
they reacts to what they see. Because in some cases
it's extraordinarily obvious that a guy is targeting other bloke's
(07:36):
head with his shoulder, and he should be worked but walked.
But when it's kind of in between, it's a little
hard for them to make that call.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Yeah, I still support the decision by the NRL when
they brought it in some years ago to say we're
going to add the ten minutes to it, because there
were sometimes when a player would be placed on report,
but the guy that he's actually hit, he's been taken
off and have a head goes through the head. Yeah,
(08:06):
they've got to go through those protocols or he may
not end up coming back on because he's been whacked
that hard and that crook and the concussion. They don't
let him back on, and so all it suffered is
a bloke being placed on report. So I get what
they said, and we're going to cost you ten minutes,
and usually that is the ten minutes he's in there,
and a guy might be going under the head protocols
in that same time.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
So I get that, and it's also it's.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
They do that so that the start of the players, Well,
if you do go in and you hit a bloke's head,
you could end up copping ten minutes in the bin
and your team suffers. So I get why they do that,
but sometimes in this last weekend, I did see some
instances where there were innocuous hits with a shoulder end
of the head and he was end up placed on
report and sent to the bin. And then I've seen
(08:51):
something similar and nothing ended up happening, or it was
just a straight out penalty. And that's when I started thinking, well,
what is happening today? Where is the line in the sand?
What is acceptable?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
What's not? What's the sin bin? What's not?
Speaker 4 (09:03):
And I think that's what all the fans are throwing
your hands up in the air after the last weekend
saying well, we really don't know what's what now.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
At the end of the day, it is a collision
based sport. It is an aggressive sport and making these
onwards eggs are going to break. Do you think there's
an acceptance out there? The things are going to go
down because of the nature of the sport, and the
athletes just go, you know, that's cool, we can deal
with that, Yes.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
And that is right. It is a very aggressive sport.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
And even the Yanks, when you see how hard they
hit each other with their helmets and all their patterning around,
they still look at us and say, wow, you guys
are mad. Because of the way we hit and our
players these days are so much stronger and fitter. It's
like running in the blocks of concrete. I would hate
to be on a kickoff the ball, the guy taking
(09:52):
that ball up when the first play catches it and
passes it to that guy taking the ball up, and
then that collision at the twenty thirty meter mark. Wow,
I'd hate to be amongst that because that's the most
dangerous part of the game, I believe, is that first
collision off the kickoff. That's massive when you get two
or three players hitting that blake, so you've got one
hundred and ten kilos running at three hundred and thirty
(10:12):
kilos when the three coming and hitting, that collision is tough.
It is aggressive, and it is dangerous, but that's we
accept it because that's our sport.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
And everyone loves that.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
How can we put it, It's a battle, it's tough,
and that's part of what is so entertaining the people
and it's exciting. So I think the players will keep
putting their hand up saying, well, we accept it, that's
part of the game. We're going in there, but we're
still going to make sure we protect them and we
don't have the head knocks. We've got to reduce the
amount of head knocks as far as we can.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And on that bill, will you get back on with it?
Great to hear that you're still watching far too much RL.
Once it's in your system, you can't get it out,
can you. Mister Harrigan, Well, it's a great career that
I had. Footag has been my life, so I'm still
a part of it. Sports, sir, effects being blessed with Adhd,
as I am, and it is a blessing because it
(11:06):
is my lovely Adhd quite understood the concept of patience
being a virtue. To me, patience was well nothing short
of insane. Get on with it, do it now? That
patience is a virtue, especially in the heavyweight boxing world,
especially when you look at explosive Joseph Jurassic Parker, a
(11:26):
very own former world champion, has been patiently biding his
time on the sideline as slowly but surely he's climbing
the ranks of the world heavyweight boxing division. His most
recent win back in February up against Martin Bacoli. It
was a TKO that took him to thirty six and
(11:48):
three Before that, it was the eighth of March twenty
twenty four that he last fought. That was against Jilli Xiang.
Before that was the twenty third of December twenty twenty
three where he put Deonte Wilder to the sword. Before that,
it was just to fight against Simon Keen. It didn't
mean a great deal. But what we've got here is
(12:10):
a guy who is patient. He's biding his time. He
knows what it takes to get back in the ring
again at the highest level. He's not in a hurry.
He's maturing as an athlete and as a man, and
he knows that good things will come to those who wait.
He's not getting a shot this time around, as it's
been announced that there is a fight coming up, and
(12:33):
that fight is between two heavyweight boxes that are arguably
the two best boxes in the world in the heavyweight division.
Joe Parker's manager, David Haggins says this is an undisputed
title fight that everybody wants to see. In one corner,
Ousik with a WBA, WBO and WBC belts. On the
(12:55):
other side, it is Daniel Dubois with the IBF belt
on the line. Eventually, Joe Parker will get his shot.
It will be for four belts. In the meantime, he
has to do what he's done best. Show patience, grasshopper, patience.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
We're now in session on SPORTSFX.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
We're in the chamber now we're joined by Alex Powell.
He's there sports news journalists out of the New Zealand Herald.
Good day to you, sir.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
I trust you.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Well, I'm good mate.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah? Good? NRL has been quite the flavor, hasn't it
talking about what eighteen players sent off over the weekend.
Is this an over correction? Is this an overreaction? Is
this just the way it rolled over the weekend?
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Or the NL just does this? Don't they every now
and then they'll dell, you're right, they'll overcorrect. They'll try
and make up for past the discretions by going too
hard the other way. But for a sport that sells
itself on being no pads, no helmets, look out on
the balls and play, it's just unnecessary to go through
all this. I mean, all the coaches this week have
said no, they're not happy. Andrew Abdo, the CEO, has
been forced to defend it. But like it's there and
(14:00):
right in front of us, aren't they. They are clearly targeting
these these high shots.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
It's hard to avoid that. Do you feel pity for
the players when they go in and they might slide
a bit and then whack they've got someone around the chops.
It's a really hard thing to police.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
We see this in all contact sports, not just rugby league. Like,
you can and do get it wrong. You're moving at
high speeds and with a very small margin forererra, so
you are going to actually make mistakes and hit people high.
But you have to remember that the players know what
they're getting into here, Like every single player has come
up through the grades. They know how to tackle. Like,
(14:35):
if you do get it wrong, you don't tend to
make it that very all that far.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Just Bill Harrigan before from a great referee from way
back in the day, saying, well, too much replay, too
much bunker. You've just got to let the guy on
the part go this is my call, and we'll send
you for or we won't. And then if there's something
really unto wall, they'll pick it up later on the piece,
but not in the middle of the game, because it
attracts from the spectacles not only having the guy sent
(15:01):
If it's wrong. But all the time fannying around for
one of a better phrase, Well, they're trying to work
out what and when and what angles on. It's really
dragging the game down.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Is it takes away from what we love about rugbylly,
which is as instant as the instant nature of it
that rugby union, for all its positives, doesn't have, you know.
That is the one thing that I think the NRL
lord's over rugby union. I mean they don't really view
it as a competition for them over in Australia, but
here we definitely do, you know. And if rugby is
going to take its time and get these things right,
(15:30):
then in the NRL will go the other way.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
The players surely would be accepting of this. They know
it's a tough game. No, they don't want to hit
guys in the head, but it's good to happen. And
as I said before, make homlets exit broken, it's going
to happen. The players they accept that. That's why they're
playing the game. They under the conflict of the aggression.
It's part of what they do.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
Yeah, I mean these guys do it every day in training,
like you're not going to take someone's head off. I mean,
like to be fair, you do get guys who go
out there to hurt people, but I think they are
in the minority.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Yeah, and they're going to go down on a screaming
heap on tape later on. It's this is what happened
the right here, right now. The instant effect does it
makes it hard for not only the paying customers who
put their butts on seats, but clowns like us. We
can't pay our subscription to watch it as well, and
it's almost like we should just get used to it.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
No, it feels like that that's going like there's gonna
be a big sort of class action lawsuit at some point,
like we're already seeing over in the UK and rugby,
and it feels like it's gonna happen here as well.
There's gonna be enough form of players who have brain
damage and serious health issues that can legally look at
there on and go you did not do enough to
protect us. And I think that's where this all comes
from then, and I want to sort of cover their
own skin.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Yeah, you know, fair enough. Let's go to the other
one where I don't know if there's any covering of this.
This this run what do they call it running? Run
it straight, run it straight. This is the quote. I'm
going to use it all day. You can't help myself.
I do not think therefore, I do not am I
think that's what we've got with that. It's a twist
on a famous quote. But how's this role eight? I
(17:01):
mean that the hair will produce the one. What's kind
of amateur and some guys starts convulsing. It's a little
bit ugly. But the pro version, the pro version, I'm.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
Kind of torn it because, like you say, run straight.
When they grew up in the sort of the nineties
and two thousands, like run it straight was what you
did at school. You just run at your mate, last
one standing ones. But see, you.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Gotta be too young for bull rush, because that's what
it is now.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
I got the end of ball, right, you got the right.
It's more one on one than bull rush was always
a collective for his run it straight. It's just one
on one. It's like jousting basically. Dream But you're right,
this does feel dangerous, doesn't it. Like the objective of
sport is not to hurt people, and that's definitely what
(17:47):
this feels like.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
But are they trying to hurt the guy. They're just
trying to get him down or knock him backwards. Or
is there a bit of wiggle room there?
Speaker 5 (17:53):
Maybe I don't think there is. It feels like the
objective is to go in and do as much damage
as you can. Like I understand some people need contact
and contact sports a way to do it, but this
just doesn't feel safe. Like you see like neuroscientists come
out and they're saying like, no, this isn't right, Like
they probably know what they're talking about, so I reckon
(18:13):
we should listen to them.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, what how far can you go when it comes
to protecting people when they make their decisions? They do
not think, so they do not amte. Is it as
bad as powerslap?
Speaker 3 (18:24):
Oh jeez?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
That's chance of defending yourself on power slap? Atleast this
way there's some modicum of defense involvers in there.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Nah, Like yeah, I mean, I think you're right. You've
got to let people make their own decisions with this thing.
And if that's what someone wants to do, then do
it knowing all the risks.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
And what happens when they do. That's on a bit
of paper saying I am not going to be a
drain on ACC and if I find myself in a
power of trouble, I have to pay. Let's Kiss its
going to be the new Wallerby coach. We believe that
you be released tomorrow. That makes sense, doesn't it.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
I think it's great. I think it's about time Super
Rugby produced an Australian coach like Le's Kiss. You know
they've had Eddie Jones come through like obviously came through
AU a long time ago. It has been overseas with Japan,
with England and then he left his game, and then
Joe Schmid Stepton has done a great job Like I
would generally love to see Joe Schmitt carry on, but he,
(19:18):
for his family's sake, doesn't want to. And les Kiss
for me, is probably the best option given the Australian
Super Rugby coaches right now.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
What so not Larkham? Is it a slide on him?
Or is Larkham maybe lined up for next time around?
Speaker 5 (19:31):
Or I don't know what to make of Stephen lohanm
because he's done an incredible job with the Brumbies, like
they're always the best Australian team. But you look at
the way the Reds play and the way the Wallies
want to play, and that's probably where they've gone. You're
our guy, but.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Do you see it being seamless like he will basically
grab the baton off Joe Schmidt and carry on with
what he would bring.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
I don't think these things are ever seamless. You look
at you know, we would have said Scott Robertson would
take over seamlessly from me and Foster and that didn't
happen because that's not really how it works. You have
to give yourself time to better and the international game
that turns out is a lot different to club rugby.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
My handover wasn't seen or something on a with each
other and hit each other with the batone.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Yeah, So I mean, i'd like to think, because let's
not forget here, we do sort of forget as New Zealand.
We need Australia to be strong. They are our closest
partner in terms of rugby. They are our only partner,
and I mean you count Fiji and Winer as well,
but for arguments sake, they are our main partner in
super rugby. So if the Wallabies are strong, it can
only be a good thing for his olla rugby.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
And I will take that off of tape. I will
package it away and when they roll us in the
Bledder Slowe Cup or play it back to you. Can
you deal with that?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Alex Powell?
Speaker 5 (20:40):
What are we saying that it's gonna be wrong or
it's gonna be right?
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Just saying okay, Sports six and that's all for the
Sports Fixed podcast. Another day, another dollar, this day being Tuesday,
the twenty ninth of April twenty twenty five them Darcy
water Grade, thanks for listening, and if you want more audio,
sport Fun News Talk ZB has Sports Talk between that
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(21:05):
All myself and then Pineyer's Got Everything on the weekend
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(21:30):
Sports far too important to be taken seriously.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
For more from News Talks at b listen live on
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. Be follow
this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio. Welcome
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
Welcome on into the SPORTSFX podcast. My name is Darcy
Walder Grave and this is your edition for a Tuesday,
the twenty ninth of April twenty twenty five, brought to
you and association with the fine foc at GJ. Gardner Holmes,
New Zealand's most trusted home builder. Coming up in today's episode,
Bill Harrigan joins us to talk about the drama around
(00:45):
the NRL and the referees with their head high calls
the amount last weekend biggest belief. Bill Harrigan joined us
to talk about that I've got some opinion on where
Joe Parker goes now that Usik and Dubois have been
confirmed for their undisputed title fight in July. And Alex
(01:05):
Powell joins us in the chamber New Zealand Herald sports
journalist as we talk about some of the big sports
stories of the day. That's what we're doing, so let's
do it. In other news, let's eie listened to some
of the big sports comments of the day for My
Warriors coach Brian mcclennon. There was the NRL's latest crackdown
(01:27):
is disruptive to the game. Around eight of action saw
eighteen sinbinnings, with fifteen of those for contact to the
head of the ball carrier. Mcclennon says the rulings are
impacting the flow of the game. They're being so strict
with six agains and these contacts and the syndons that
it's very, very difficult for the team without the ball
(01:48):
to regain momentum. Again, yes, st have big swings and
I don't really enjoy the game when it's like that.
I like it to have a bit more parity. Donald
Trump has welcome the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to
the White House. The US President particularly taken with Australian
offensive tax called Jordan my latter. There's a big group.
(02:11):
We're gonna introduce some Jordan's milata.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Thank you, Jord. He's a big people.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
That was Donald tre hump Mark Tully. I may only
have one game left in his Blues career. Blax Wing
has been suspended for three weeks for this dangerous lifting
tackle on Red's opposite Tim Ryan and the loss at
sun Corp Stadium. This from gold Sport.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Oh whoa Toaliah by George Taliah up ended Strowth.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Can be upright into a red card for plays very
long as all Mark's gonna miss this weekend's home game
against the Force, as well as the following games against
the Drua and more. One ant Pussyfkervinion.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
It's Sports Fix with Jason Pine and Dussy Hargrave.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
And it's warm.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Welcome to the Sports Fixed podcast to former referee of
the NRL and arguably one of the greats of the
whistle blowing game, Bill Harrigan, Hi, Bill, Good Evening, Darcy
Drama over the weekend in the NRL. Eighteen players sent
to the bin and round eight a lot of them
high tackles the suggestions there's been a crackdown from upstairs.
(03:27):
They're saying, no, that's not the case. We're pretty consistent
in what we do. What's your read on what's happened?
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Bill, You're not being privy to any information that goes
on with a referee in that anymore.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I don't know if there was a crackdown set.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Or whatever, but to see eighteen players sending right across
the eight games. Something was said somewhere that they're going
to do it, But after watching it, I'm confused. I
think a lot of the people I've spoken to are
all confused about what is a high shot? When is
it intentional or illegal? And when was it an accident?
(04:01):
And what are we going to do about it. I
understand they've got to keep the integrity of the game
and the safety of the players. We've also got to
be remember, we've got an entertainment out there, you know.
Just some of the I'm shaking my head as to
some of the decisions compared to some of the others
that weren't acted upon over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Duty of care to the athletes is one thing that
I suppose I shouldn't really make light of this, but
duty of care to the paying fans, the people paying
for the broadcast at some of the laund room, and
people actually going to the games. It surely has to
be taken into account.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I think they do, and I think I've heard the
NRL this morning have said that they're going to take
the bunker out of the play by player, and I'm
happy with that.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
That's a really good thing that they can do. Straight off.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Different to last weekend is to stay right. We will
not be going back four or five tackles when the
bunker has seen something, stopping play, going back and giving
a penalty, putting a report, and in some occasions sin
binning them back. Then my opinion is, if the referee
doesn't see it, you play on and you let the
match review. You've got in place to do their job
(05:05):
post the game. And if some player has to be charged,
well then they charge him.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
And I know the the.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Negative on that is where a team will say, well,
hang on, we would disadvantage because nothing happened to that
player during the game. But the team that plays him
next week gets the advantage out of it because he's
now got a week, two week, three weeks suspension. Well
that's just bad luck. That's the way the game is.
If the referee doesn't see it, play on. If he
sees it, he'll pull it up, he'll penalize it, he'll
sendm in it, or he'll put it on a report.
But at least he's doing it and the continuity of
(05:34):
the game stays there. He gets he gets an opportunity
to let the game flow and referee that game with
the empathy that is required.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
If that was to happen and the referees were not
see it and they would adjudicate based on that, does
that open the way for players maybe to be a
little fast and loose if they feel they're not being
seen or is that just over the top.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
No, they won't because if the referee, like most of
the times, the referee is going to get it. It's
only these little innocuous ones which they're trying to, you know,
like the bloke's head goes down into the guy's shoulder.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
The referee will still get most of them.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
And if he doesn't, the player's not going to escape
if he has done something loose, because he's going to
get picked up by the matter review committee. Al but
not in that game, but he's still going to get
picked up, and he still could end up suffering a
charge in a penalty financially or a couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
So they're not going to get away with it. So
I don't think it'll open.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Up the gates where players will think new beauty. I
can go a little bit looser and knock a few
blakes around. The thing that it's concerning mur at the
moment is in some stages there are players which are
getting hit and falling, and a player is already committed
to a tackle where he might be hitting him around
the legs, and I say, e G. Latrell Mitchell, he
was going in low, the player fell down and end
(06:48):
up falling into him and coppying it. And yet Latrell
gets charged and everything, and I just think, well, what
was he supposed to have done? Isn't there going to
be still some accidental contact? I think I could wear
that if they had to said, look, you've en, whether
it's accidental or not, your vid him in the head.
They've got to blow the penalty. But boy, I don't
see sin binning and placed on an important charged for
something like that which he had no control over with
(07:10):
an accidental player. And there are sometimes that situation.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
They put someone on a report for an obvious shot
to the head, then they marched them. Should they just
put them on report and carry on? There's that fine line,
I suppose, between what the referee actually does and how
they reacts to what they see. Because in some cases
it's extraordinarily obvious that a guy is targeting other bloke's
(07:36):
head with his shoulder, and he should be worked but walked.
But when it's kind of in between, it's a little
hard for them to make that call.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Yeah, I still support the decision by the NRL when
they brought it in some years ago to say we're
going to add the ten minutes to it, because there
were sometimes when a player would be placed on report,
but the guy that he's actually hit, he's been taken
off and have a head goes through the head. Yeah,
(08:06):
they've got to go through those protocols or he may
not end up coming back on because he's been whacked
that hard and that crook and the concussion. They don't
let him back on, and so all it suffered is
a bloke being placed on report. So I get what
they said, and we're going to cost you ten minutes,
and usually that is the ten minutes he's in there,
and a guy might be going under the head protocols
in that same time.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
So I get that, and it's also it's.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
They do that so that the start of the players, Well,
if you do go in and you hit a bloke's head,
you could end up copping ten minutes in the bin
and your team suffers. So I get why they do that,
but sometimes in this last weekend, I did see some
instances where there were innocuous hits with a shoulder end
of the head and he was end up placed on
report and sent to the bin. And then I've seen
(08:51):
something similar and nothing ended up happening, or it was
just a straight out penalty. And that's when I started thinking, well,
what is happening today? Where is the line in the sand?
What is acceptable?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
What's not? What's the sin bin? What's not?
Speaker 4 (09:03):
And I think that's what all the fans are throwing
your hands up in the air after the last weekend
saying well, we really don't know what's what now.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
At the end of the day, it is a collision
based sport. It is an aggressive sport and making these
onwards eggs are going to break. Do you think there's
an acceptance out there? The things are going to go
down because of the nature of the sport, and the
athletes just go, you know, that's cool, we can deal
with that, Yes.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
And that is right. It is a very aggressive sport.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
And even the Yanks, when you see how hard they
hit each other with their helmets and all their patterning around,
they still look at us and say, wow, you guys
are mad. Because of the way we hit and our
players these days are so much stronger and fitter. It's
like running in the blocks of concrete. I would hate
to be on a kickoff the ball, the guy taking
(09:52):
that ball up when the first play catches it and
passes it to that guy taking the ball up, and
then that collision at the twenty thirty meter mark. Wow,
I'd hate to be amongst that because that's the most
dangerous part of the game, I believe, is that first
collision off the kickoff. That's massive when you get two
or three players hitting that blake, so you've got one
hundred and ten kilos running at three hundred and thirty
(10:12):
kilos when the three coming and hitting, that collision is tough.
It is aggressive, and it is dangerous, but that's we
accept it because that's our sport.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
And everyone loves that.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
How can we put it, It's a battle, it's tough,
and that's part of what is so entertaining the people
and it's exciting. So I think the players will keep
putting their hand up saying, well, we accept it, that's
part of the game. We're going in there, but we're
still going to make sure we protect them and we
don't have the head knocks. We've got to reduce the
amount of head knocks as far as we can.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And on that bill, will you get back on with it?
Great to hear that you're still watching far too much RL.
Once it's in your system, you can't get it out,
can you. Mister Harrigan, Well, it's a great career that
I had. Footag has been my life, so I'm still
a part of it. Sports, sir, effects being blessed with Adhd,
as I am, and it is a blessing because it
(11:06):
is my lovely Adhd quite understood the concept of patience
being a virtue. To me, patience was well nothing short
of insane. Get on with it, do it now? That
patience is a virtue, especially in the heavyweight boxing world,
especially when you look at explosive Joseph Jurassic Parker, a
(11:26):
very own former world champion, has been patiently biding his
time on the sideline as slowly but surely he's climbing
the ranks of the world heavyweight boxing division. His most
recent win back in February up against Martin Bacoli. It
was a TKO that took him to thirty six and
(11:48):
three Before that, it was the eighth of March twenty
twenty four that he last fought. That was against Jilli Xiang.
Before that was the twenty third of December twenty twenty
three where he put Deonte Wilder to the sword. Before that,
it was just to fight against Simon Keen. It didn't
mean a great deal. But what we've got here is
(12:10):
a guy who is patient. He's biding his time. He
knows what it takes to get back in the ring
again at the highest level. He's not in a hurry.
He's maturing as an athlete and as a man, and
he knows that good things will come to those who wait.
He's not getting a shot this time around, as it's
been announced that there is a fight coming up, and
(12:33):
that fight is between two heavyweight boxes that are arguably
the two best boxes in the world in the heavyweight division.
Joe Parker's manager, David Haggins says this is an undisputed
title fight that everybody wants to see. In one corner,
Ousik with a WBA, WBO and WBC belts. On the
(12:55):
other side, it is Daniel Dubois with the IBF belt
on the line. Eventually, Joe Parker will get his shot.
It will be for four belts. In the meantime, he
has to do what he's done best. Show patience, grasshopper, patience.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
We're now in session on SPORTSFX.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
We're in the chamber now we're joined by Alex Powell.
He's there sports news journalists out of the New Zealand Herald.
Good day to you, sir.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
I trust you.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Well, I'm good mate.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah? Good? NRL has been quite the flavor, hasn't it
talking about what eighteen players sent off over the weekend.
Is this an over correction? Is this an overreaction? Is
this just the way it rolled over the weekend?
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Or the NL just does this? Don't they every now
and then they'll dell, you're right, they'll overcorrect. They'll try
and make up for past the discretions by going too
hard the other way. But for a sport that sells
itself on being no pads, no helmets, look out on
the balls and play, it's just unnecessary to go through
all this. I mean, all the coaches this week have
said no, they're not happy. Andrew Abdo, the CEO, has
been forced to defend it. But like it's there and
(14:00):
right in front of us, aren't they. They are clearly targeting
these these high shots.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
It's hard to avoid that. Do you feel pity for
the players when they go in and they might slide
a bit and then whack they've got someone around the chops.
It's a really hard thing to police.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
We see this in all contact sports, not just rugby league. Like,
you can and do get it wrong. You're moving at
high speeds and with a very small margin forererra, so
you are going to actually make mistakes and hit people high.
But you have to remember that the players know what
they're getting into here, Like every single player has come
up through the grades. They know how to tackle. Like,
(14:35):
if you do get it wrong, you don't tend to
make it that very all that far.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Just Bill Harrigan before from a great referee from way
back in the day, saying, well, too much replay, too
much bunker. You've just got to let the guy on
the part go this is my call, and we'll send
you for or we won't. And then if there's something
really unto wall, they'll pick it up later on the piece,
but not in the middle of the game, because it
attracts from the spectacles not only having the guy sent
(15:01):
If it's wrong. But all the time fannying around for
one of a better phrase, Well, they're trying to work
out what and when and what angles on. It's really
dragging the game down.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Is it takes away from what we love about rugbylly,
which is as instant as the instant nature of it
that rugby union, for all its positives, doesn't have, you know.
That is the one thing that I think the NRL
lord's over rugby union. I mean they don't really view
it as a competition for them over in Australia, but
here we definitely do, you know. And if rugby is
going to take its time and get these things right,
(15:30):
then in the NRL will go the other way.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
The players surely would be accepting of this. They know
it's a tough game. No, they don't want to hit
guys in the head, but it's good to happen. And
as I said before, make homlets exit broken, it's going
to happen. The players they accept that. That's why they're
playing the game. They under the conflict of the aggression.
It's part of what they do.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
Yeah, I mean these guys do it every day in training,
like you're not going to take someone's head off. I mean,
like to be fair, you do get guys who go
out there to hurt people, but I think they are
in the minority.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Yeah, and they're going to go down on a screaming
heap on tape later on. It's this is what happened
the right here, right now. The instant effect does it
makes it hard for not only the paying customers who
put their butts on seats, but clowns like us. We
can't pay our subscription to watch it as well, and
it's almost like we should just get used to it.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
No, it feels like that that's going like there's gonna
be a big sort of class action lawsuit at some point,
like we're already seeing over in the UK and rugby,
and it feels like it's gonna happen here as well.
There's gonna be enough form of players who have brain
damage and serious health issues that can legally look at
there on and go you did not do enough to
protect us. And I think that's where this all comes
from then, and I want to sort of cover their
own skin.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Yeah, you know, fair enough. Let's go to the other
one where I don't know if there's any covering of this.
This this run what do they call it running? Run
it straight, run it straight. This is the quote. I'm
going to use it all day. You can't help myself.
I do not think therefore, I do not am I
think that's what we've got with that. It's a twist
on a famous quote. But how's this role eight? I
(17:01):
mean that the hair will produce the one. What's kind
of amateur and some guys starts convulsing. It's a little
bit ugly. But the pro version, the pro version, I'm.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
Kind of torn it because, like you say, run straight.
When they grew up in the sort of the nineties
and two thousands, like run it straight was what you
did at school. You just run at your mate, last
one standing ones. But see, you.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Gotta be too young for bull rush, because that's what
it is now.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
I got the end of ball, right, you got the right.
It's more one on one than bull rush was always
a collective for his run it straight. It's just one
on one. It's like jousting basically. Dream But you're right,
this does feel dangerous, doesn't it. Like the objective of
sport is not to hurt people, and that's definitely what
(17:47):
this feels like.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
But are they trying to hurt the guy. They're just
trying to get him down or knock him backwards. Or
is there a bit of wiggle room there?
Speaker 5 (17:53):
Maybe I don't think there is. It feels like the
objective is to go in and do as much damage
as you can. Like I understand some people need contact
and contact sports a way to do it, but this
just doesn't feel safe. Like you see like neuroscientists come
out and they're saying like, no, this isn't right, Like
they probably know what they're talking about, so I reckon
(18:13):
we should listen to them.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, what how far can you go when it comes
to protecting people when they make their decisions? They do
not think, so they do not amte. Is it as
bad as powerslap?
Speaker 3 (18:24):
Oh jeez?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
That's chance of defending yourself on power slap? Atleast this
way there's some modicum of defense involvers in there.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Nah, Like yeah, I mean, I think you're right. You've
got to let people make their own decisions with this thing.
And if that's what someone wants to do, then do
it knowing all the risks.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
And what happens when they do. That's on a bit
of paper saying I am not going to be a
drain on ACC and if I find myself in a
power of trouble, I have to pay. Let's Kiss its
going to be the new Wallerby coach. We believe that
you be released tomorrow. That makes sense, doesn't it.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
I think it's great. I think it's about time Super
Rugby produced an Australian coach like Le's Kiss. You know
they've had Eddie Jones come through like obviously came through
AU a long time ago. It has been overseas with Japan,
with England and then he left his game, and then
Joe Schmid Stepton has done a great job Like I
would generally love to see Joe Schmitt carry on, but he,
(19:18):
for his family's sake, doesn't want to. And les Kiss
for me, is probably the best option given the Australian
Super Rugby coaches right now.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
What so not Larkham? Is it a slide on him?
Or is Larkham maybe lined up for next time around?
Speaker 5 (19:31):
Or I don't know what to make of Stephen lohanm
because he's done an incredible job with the Brumbies, like
they're always the best Australian team. But you look at
the way the Reds play and the way the Wallies
want to play, and that's probably where they've gone. You're
our guy, but.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Do you see it being seamless like he will basically
grab the baton off Joe Schmidt and carry on with
what he would bring.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
I don't think these things are ever seamless. You look
at you know, we would have said Scott Robertson would
take over seamlessly from me and Foster and that didn't
happen because that's not really how it works. You have
to give yourself time to better and the international game
that turns out is a lot different to club rugby.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
My handover wasn't seen or something on a with each
other and hit each other with the batone.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Yeah, So I mean, i'd like to think, because let's
not forget here, we do sort of forget as New Zealand.
We need Australia to be strong. They are our closest
partner in terms of rugby. They are our only partner,
and I mean you count Fiji and Winer as well,
but for arguments sake, they are our main partner in
super rugby. So if the Wallabies are strong, it can
only be a good thing for his olla rugby.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
And I will take that off of tape. I will
package it away and when they roll us in the
Bledder Slowe Cup or play it back to you. Can
you deal with that?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Alex Powell?
Speaker 5 (20:40):
What are we saying that it's gonna be wrong or
it's gonna be right?
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Just saying okay, Sports six and that's all for the
Sports Fixed podcast. Another day, another dollar, this day being Tuesday,
the twenty ninth of April twenty twenty five them Darcy
water Grade, thanks for listening, and if you want more audio,
sport Fun News Talk ZB has Sports Talk between that
seven and eight pm Monday to Friday with Jason pine
(21:05):
All myself and then Pineyer's Got Everything on the weekend
twelve mid day three o'clock with Weekend Sport Saturday and Sunday. Hey,
thanks very much for listening. If you've enjoyed what you've heard,
just subscribe that way, no effort for you, so this
can turn up in your inbox on a daily basis.
Tell your friends, tell your family. More importantly, keep smiling.
(21:30):
Sports far too important to be taken seriously.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
For more from News Talks at b listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you Wherever
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