On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave Wednesday April 30, 2025, Parveen Batish - Indian Panthers CEO - talks about the side's 'unrest' and mismanagement. What has gone so wrong for the NZNBL start-up side?
D’Arcy delivers an opinion on Les Kiss and his Wallabies coaching appointment.
Plus, Newstalk ZB sports news director Clay Wilson joins the panel to discuss more on the Indian Panthers saga.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. Be follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Welcome to Sportsfix, your daily dose of sport.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Why hello there, Welcome on into the Sports Fix podcast.
Great to have you all all on board. My name
is Darcy Waldgrave. There is a Wednesday. It is the
thirtieth of April twenty twenty five. Big Banks of course
to Jja Gardner Holmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder,
thanks for being involved with the Sports Fix coming out
on today's program. Crazy story around the Indian Panthers in
(00:45):
sales NBL and it's been crazy since the get go,
the introduction of this expansion team. To try and get
to the bottom of this, we'll be talking with CEO
of the franchise, Preven Battist. There's still more to come
on this story, but we can set you up with
Preven shortly. I've got some opinions around what I think
is a magnificent appointment for Australian be Les Kiss has
(01:10):
got the job. And then we invite Director of Sport
from News Talks, he be Clay Wilson into the chamber
as we talk some of the big sports stories of
the day. That's our master plans, so let's do it.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
In other news.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And in sport today, Black Ferns rock star Ruby Towey
is ecstatic that the team has picked up Ricky Flutey
as part of their coaching group. Ruby is particularly enamored
with what he'll offer from the kicking tea and beyond
me kicked with the lucks of Johnny Wilkinson in that
so I kind of listened to what he says.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
You know, he kind of knows a thing or two.
So if you look at the kicking game of the
woman's game internationally, tertri is huge, you know.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
So technically I think, man, we've got a gem and Ricky.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Rugby Australia have done something quite bizarre. They've picked in
Australian to coach their national side.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Sure it's not until.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Mid next year when finally Kiwi Joe Schmidt steps down
from the role that Red's coach. Les Ki needs to
complete his contract with the Reds before he starts up.
So what happened in the interview process, les I.
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Feel really optimistic about the whole process. Really, they've been
very considered. There wasn't many hoops to jump through as
basically check making sure we get the right things in
place so that we can continue the good work that
Joe's done here over the last eighteen months.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And Peter Berling has had public word for the first
time around his departure from Grant Dalton Team New Zealand.
He was mild mannered and grateful for his decade of
thrashing other teams on the brain.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Deep the messages and you know, support I've got over
the last two weeks has been absolutely incredible and been
really reflecting on that and what a special time it's been.
As obviously still feels a little bit weird to not
be a part of it anymore, but we've still got
a really good relationship with everyone you know involved us and.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
A villion It's Sportsfix with Jason Pyne and Dussy Walter Grave.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
And It's warm. Welcome to the Sports Fix podcast to
the CEO of the in Panthers in Sales NBL, mister
Provene Battish, Hello, Pravene.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Good evening, Hi, how are you good.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It's been a massive day for the Panthers. Been through
series of meetings with Sales NBL, Basketball New Zeland and
the like. First up from your point of view is
a CEO, Can you tell me what's unfolded, what's happened
over the last couple of days. That's I suppoth force
this mediation if you will.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah. Sure. Look, first of all, before I start, can
I just say a huge thank you to you Basketball
New Zealand, to the league, to the commission, and of
course the other clubs for first of all making us
really welcome and you know, everything they've done to support
us and so on. It's been great. You know, it's
unfortunate what's happened in the last few days. But the
(03:52):
last few days haven't been in in kind of isolation.
There's been a, I guess a concerted effort to undermine
where we are. But before I get into that, I
just want to say that, you know, we're not without fault.
I put my hands up and say, you know, like
any new franchise or any new business for that matter,
(04:13):
you know, we've had our teething problems, some of which
have been financial. So you know, sometimes payments have been
slightly delayed from where you'd expect them to, especially to players.
But that's been my focus, is to make sure that
that happens and I can can tell you that. You know,
as of today, all players have been on New Zealand,
(04:34):
players who have represented us have been have been paid
in full, and you know that's always been my aim
to do that.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I think your cash flow must be awful provene if
you can't pay your players, and some players are saying, look,
we haven't been paid for months, even though this has
been this discourse, this discussion has been out there in
the public arena. Did you guys not turn up with
enough money to simply pay your bills? I think, first
and foremost, if you're a professional player, that'd be something
I'd be looking for to pay your rent, feed your family.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And the like as well.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
This strikes me as a little strange.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
It's not months with players have been paid. There was
a payment they made probably about four weeks ago to
all the players, so the payments were due now now,
and I told them that we have been in communication
with them, so it's not like it's not it's not happening.
And like I said before, we're not the first team
(05:30):
to be in this situation, but the situation has been
kind of forced on us as well, so you know,
we've had to look at ways that we could cut
our costs. So, for example, if I tell you that
our original you know, place that we were playing in
was costing us just to open the doors before we
did anything, was costing us fifteen thousand dollars per game,
and we had five home games on the trot.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
You got a.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Situation as a CEO of a new franchise coming in
that you would have put all that down in place,
and you'd know this. It wasn't a surprise bill if you.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Will, no, one hundred percent, you're quite right that you
do know these things, and you try your best to
make sure that your clash cash flow fits in. And
we've made sure that we could play our games, and
our priority was to pay our players, and that's what
we've been doing. So, like I said to you before,
it's not that we've been we haven't paid. You know,
people can put out social media posts and there's nothing
(06:24):
you can say about it.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
But well, so there's a Alex Robinson character that see
what he left him into the giants didn't he said,
you didn't pay him, So what drove a man to
do there?
Speaker 3 (06:32):
I have no idea. He was paid on the twenty
first to March. He was paid again on the twenty
eighth of March. He What people don't know is that
he actually walked out on his teammates so after the
first quarter against the Sharks, because he had only had
two shots in the whole game and other players were
outshining him, he refused to play in the second quarter
(06:53):
when in at halftime, refused to take the field, got
in the car, drove home, packed his bags and left
without saying anything to anyone. Now nobody knows that. And
that wasn't because he wasn't paid. That was purely and
he told me the next day when we met, it's
because he needs to look after his next his next gig,
so he needs to make sure his starts and so
(07:14):
on are correct. Nobody knows that.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
The giants do the giants know that. Preven the giants
if they knew that, they'll be going out on what
have we done?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Well? Somebody was helping him get that job prior to
him even leaving. There was a reason why he left.
You don't just walk out on your team. How do
you how do you tell me as a professional player,
as a as an import professional player, how do you
maybe your teammates after the first quarter, not take the
floor and then leave it halftime. Who does that?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
It sounds to me like there's a there's a there's
a culture issue within the club. If this has happening,
that's falling apart in front of people's eyes. And you've
got the coach that left before a game was actually played.
The results well, the Giants having had great results either,
so we'll push that to one side. But sounds to
me like it's just a bit thin. The culture's not
working and that's why you're having these problems along with
(08:07):
the cy called payment.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Since you one hundred percent right it, and I can't
deny that because our product is not what it should be.
We should have had eight to ten Indian players only
we've only had three. So you can't build a product
with only three people that are meant to be the
centerpiece of your product. So we have had some issues
with regard to that. But what I will also say
(08:29):
is that if there's an element that wants to undermine you,
then they will do that, and they will make mountains
out of mole hills. And that's essentially what's been happening
over the past I don't know how many, how many
weeks culminating in what you saw. Okay, Each player was
spoken to on Tuesday morning, told what they would be
(08:50):
receiving and asked if that was okay. Every one of
them said yes, it's fine, And then somebody who had
been doing this for a period of time made sure
that none of those players turned up except him and
one other. You know, there's been there's been a concerted
effort to undermine trying to do for somebody's own personal purposes. Okay,
(09:12):
And when you're dealing with that kind of thing, you're
one hundred percent right culturally, you can't fight that. Internally,
I know we're at fault by one hundred percent. I'll
put my hands up and say we've been at fault
from a financial point of view and so on. But
what I can't combat is people undermining you behind your
back and doing things and making sure that the game
(09:33):
goes into disrepute, which is basically what happened yesterday.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Proven who did the players were actually planning to have
a walk off and last night's game on live TV?
Is there the oil you got as well.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
I got to hear about that later. I didn't even
know that, but yes, that's what they were going to do. Now,
if that's not bringing the game, the league and the
other clubs into disrepute, then I don't know what is.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Do you think maybe it would have been better if it
headed we're just being delayed, like the whole entry to
the sales NBL haad have waited a while, so you
weren't I suppose up for situations or issues like that.
And I go b to what I asked before. Here's
the club got any money? You guys solvent?
Speaker 3 (10:12):
One hundred percent. We're solvent. Sometimes sometimes cash flow is slow,
sometimes it's okay, but we're absolutely solvent and we we
will continue to be to be solvent. We have you know,
the owners are not without resource. It's one hundred percent.
We are solvent. And before we sign up with the
league there's a huge diligent process that that the league
(10:34):
goes through. So we have to prove that we're solvent.
We have to prove that that you know, we have
the backing and the money and all those kind of things.
But you know, like I said, in any business, sometimes
it's the cash flow that kills you. And that's been
out our issue. Now we're fixing that so to go forward.
That's exactly what we're going And if I was, you know,
the commission, if I was the league, that's exactly what
I'll be saying.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
That one's going to come out tomorrow, proving Because this
is coming out tomorrow. Do you think you'll be in
the NBL at this stage tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
What?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
What's your gut feeling around what the NBL are going.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
To do here? Look, it's it's not my decision. All
I can tell you is that everyone's been really supportive,
and I thank them for that. Whatever decision they make,
I can't, I can't.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
You know, So the other club the other clubs have
been supportive, then have they The.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Other clubs have been supportive. Yes, everyone's been supportive. But
at the end of the day, we're only eight weeks old. Okay,
the league's been going for forty years plus. So I
fully understand, you know that the if clubs or the
league want to protect you know, their legacy and their
you know what's been going on over the last forty
two years plus. I fully get that we're we're eight
(11:42):
weeks old, and I think people forget that we didn't
and this is my fault. We didn't turn up as
a fully fledged club. We turned up as a team
that tried to be a club. You can't do that.
Over takes time and when you don't have the team
that you want and you're reliant on other people, that's
where all the noise comes from. And that's what we
(12:03):
need to fix, and that's what I want to try
and fix given the opportunity in the next two weeks.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So feeling though that you will survive, that the Indian
Panthers will be around and you'll still be in the
role of the CEO.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I can't. I can't. I can't answer the first part
of that question. That's for other people to decide, and
I'm sure they will make the right decision. Will I
be still be the CEO? Well, I hope so, you
know you can. You can only do the best with
what you've got, and if that's not good enough, then
that's for the owners to decide if I if I
(12:37):
carry on or not. I'm you know, I'm with the
with everything that else that's going on around the around
the world. With what we're what we're trying to do,
it's a it's a big job.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
We thank you very much for your time, know, and
you're imping TOAs here on the program proving that's just
wishing you the best. Tomorrow morning we'll find out more
about what's going on at the top of the Commission
of the Sales n b L Pravin, thanks very much
for your time.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Thank you, no problem.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Sports PLFI Rugby Australia have finally got the sves are coach.
Not immediately, it's slightly further down the track, but they
have won. His name is Les Kiss, former international rugby
league player and of course currently he is the coach
of the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby Pacific. There are
(13:25):
so many reasons to be happy about this appointment. Reason
number one it's an Australian coaching an Australian team. You've
got to like that. And not only for the synergy,
but for the fact that Australian rugby fans I'm sure
will be welcoming this appointment with open arms. It is
one of their own coaching their own team. This, of
(13:49):
course is on the back of a resurgence in form
from the Australian sides in Super Rugby Pacific led by
Les Kiss, who was coaching Queensland the Reds. Les has
also got a wonderful coaching background. He was a defense
coach for South Africa, back and the day advisor for
the Balls and the Store, an Australian Under twenty one
(14:10):
assistant coach way back when, an assistant coach for the
Waratars Australia, a assistant coach for Ireland. He was the
director of rugby for Ulster. He coached London Irish and
of course now he's with the Queensland Reds. The guy
has experienced. The guy has experience to boot. He experienced locally,
experience in the Republic, experience in the Northern Hemisphere. This
(14:35):
job is screaming to be taken by a man like that,
not a retread like Eddie Jones, not a retread like
Eddie Jones, and not a bloke from New Zealand. There's
only one fly in the ointment of this appointment, and
that is he doesn't start till the middle of next year.
He can't. He's coaching the Reds. He doesn't want to
(14:56):
walk away from the contract. If it's because Rugby Australia
didn't want to pay out his contract, look, I don't know,
but what we do know is that Les Kiss is
going to be under the wing, under the hiding light
of Joe Schmidt, which is fantastic for rugby Australia and
Australian rugby. I'm a bulliant. I love this. I think
(15:17):
this is fantastic news right up into the time when
the Australians went back the Bledisloe Cup.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
We are now in session on sports.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
And it's all welcome into the chamber. To Clay Wilson,
director of Sport at and News Talks EBS. We toss
around some of the big sports stories of the day.
There's probably none bigger, Clay and welcome on in than
the train wreck that is the Indian Panthers. And we
have to say that because it's been shambles right from
the start, isn't it.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
It's the story that's kept on giving since the start
in a lot of ways that don't reflect well on
the team and in turn the league itself, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
You know?
Speaker 5 (16:00):
I remember when the story first came out like there
was going to be an Indian team in the we
was kind of a bit like, what, okay.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Well, at one point four billion people, that's tapping and
riches are enormous and we're all like, yeah, okay, sure,
why not.
Speaker 5 (16:14):
But obviously. You know, it's just been one bad thing
after the next, hasn't it over the last since the
league began. Really the head coach resigning before the after
their first.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Game, they can't win, they have it won a game.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
So on the court, it's not going well. And clearly
all this soft court stuff is affecting players.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
They're not getting paid. How do you play if you
know you're not getting any what you're working here? And
the boss come out and said, look, we have a
bit of a struggle. We can't pay for another couple
of three weeks.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
What do you do?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Exactly, I mean there's people are professionals. These players are professionals.
They're being that they're in a job where they are
paid for their services. And if they're not being paid,
like you say, they're like any of us, you're not.
You're not going to stand for it. There's obviously some issues.
CEO Pavin Batische has mentioned that they've had some cash
flow problems and has admitted that there was some delays
(17:06):
on payments for players. He thinks that's been remedied, but
clearly the players when they walked off the court before
the game last night, didn't think that sore.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
What it just says in the release yet that a
number of players have received payment. It doesn't say all
of them, it said a number of them. There's that
acceptable on an apployment situation.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Well, I think we can draw down from the fact
that that the players decided they weren't going to play
this night, that at least some of the players haven't
had all their problems all the questions answered. So what
is going to happen with the team now? Is the question?
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Right?
Speaker 5 (17:37):
The NBL, the Basketball News eaner working through as they
say what's going to happen? But we know, well, we
understand that the meeting that happened this morning that the
other twelve teams in this competition basically said to Basketball
New Zealand we want them out, that we want their
license revoked. It's as shambles.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Well, they've got a commission, haven't they above them all,
the NBL commission, and they look at all of us
and they come up with a decision or make the statement.
They say it's due out tomorrow morning. Kind of thought
it might have been done today. But I can't be
in a hurry.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
What's because because it's not simple for the league because
they have commercial and sponsorship obligations for these games that
the Panthers or the games of the Panthers are still
due to play. If they don't play them, then what
happens with those arrangements. It's it's an absolute mindfield of
a situation for the commission, for the administrators for basketball
(18:32):
in New Zealand and their involvement with all this.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
And lost man Dylan Bouti's out on the eleventh and
may be thinking did it have to happen now?
Speaker 5 (18:39):
And really I think he wishes now that he'd put
his finished date with basketball in New Zealand about ten
days prior to what it was, because he's having to
deal with this in his last week and a half
in the job.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Did you get the feeling though when this came out?
I'm pretty sure you did this. This is this is
very fast. This is very quick, and when you do
things in a hurry in general, they normally end in
a mess or a disaster. It was quickly thrown together,
quickly applied out of nowhere, and I don't know if
it's a massive surprise that it has staggered. That's what
(19:13):
happens when you do things in a rush.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Right, and we've we've heard on Zebe this morning from
Wellington Saints longtime chairman Nick Mills and essentially echoing what
you're saying. It's something that while it has logic of
India being a huge country with a massive population, you know,
eyeballs and money potentially coming with that, is that it's
not as straightforward as that. And when you put something
(19:35):
together quite quickly and it's not really considered about how
it might work. If it won't work, what happens this
this is the scenario that could play out. So I
don't think he's necessarily surprised, and it speaks volumes that
what we understand is that all the other twelve clubs
have said we've had enough, we want them out.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Some tea's not being crossed, some eyes not being dotted,
and that's the nicest way I can while it is.
But when you look at it, it's it's a bit stinky.
Something doesn't line up, something don't add up. I think
there'll be plenty more on this over the coming days
and I'm looking forward to to covering that. Hey, good
(20:15):
news today for Les Kiss managed to pick up the
job as the Wallabies coach. But it's on delay, So
that means poor old Joe Schmidt's got to stick around
for another year. How many delays of retirement's just blaking a.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
I think the most interesting part of the story is
that they've managed to convince Joe Schmidt to stay on.
You know, I don't think he was really you know,
he wasn't clamoring for the job in the first place,
but they convinced him to take the job. He's taken
it and now they obviously in terms of how they've
had to work this out with Les Kiss, he hasn't
been able to come on board as quickly as they
would like, so they've had to convince Joe Schmidt to
(20:49):
stay on for a little bit longer. But in terms
of his credit was as a coach. You only have
to look at what the Reds are doing this year,
right They've been you know what are they third in
the competition behind the Chiefs and Crusaders and have got
some good sculpts their name, most recently the Blues.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
So I don't know if the Blues' is a good scalp.
I'm like being I.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
Think any Australian team being inning. While it's happened a
few times this year. I still think it's there's merit
in that and shows shows something about what he what
he's about and his credentials as a coach.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
So well, it's least he's an Australian. Yeah, he's not
a retreat like Eddie Jones was.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
Yeah, so pop quiz who was the last Australian to
coach the Wallabies?
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Michael Chickett.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
Yeah, it probably was Michael Chiccket or I'm trying to
think of when probably did.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
He pub quiz and know.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
The cdity Jones come before or after Michael chicker anyhow,
there's been a few in between, right, So, like you say,
it's always, well not always, but generally if you can
have a you know, a person of that nationality coaching
your national team and then that that there's there's some good.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
I think it's good for Assie Rugby at all is
they're playing well. Yep, they lost the Rebel so be
and it strengthened their team. They're playing well. They're almost
impossible to be beaten in their own back, which is
quite the turn up for the books. Now they've got
a coach, you understand, super Rugby, he's going to spend
more time with Joe Schmidt, so when he does hit
the ground, he will be running.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Ozzie.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Rugby are going to be absolutely loving this. I think
it's tremendous news. At least it's not another at least
it's not another New Zealander. I won't know how many
people thought that maybe Milan to be there in a flash, right, Yeah,
very much, sir Clay Wilson. As always, thanks for joining
us in the Chamber No Trouble Dot Sex and the
(22:39):
Habit another Sports Fixed podcast. Thanks very much for joining
us today Wednesday, the thirtieth of April twenty twenty five.
I'm Darcy Waldgrave. If you've liked what you've heard, please
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(23:00):
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(23:21):
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Speaker 3 (23:29):
For more from US Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Listen live on air or online, and keep our shows
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
Why hello there, Welcome on into the Sports Fix podcast.
Great to have you all all on board. My name
is Darcy Waldgrave. There is a Wednesday. It is the
thirtieth of April twenty twenty five. Big Banks of course
to Jja Gardner Holmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder,
thanks for being involved with the Sports Fix coming out
on today's program. Crazy story around the Indian Panthers in
(00:45):
sales NBL and it's been crazy since the get go,
the introduction of this expansion team. To try and get
to the bottom of this, we'll be talking with CEO
of the franchise, Preven Battist. There's still more to come
on this story, but we can set you up with
Preven shortly. I've got some opinions around what I think
is a magnificent appointment for Australian be Les Kiss has
(01:10):
got the job. And then we invite Director of Sport
from News Talks, he be Clay Wilson into the chamber
as we talk some of the big sports stories of
the day. That's our master plans, so let's do it.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
In other news.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And in sport today, Black Ferns rock star Ruby Towey
is ecstatic that the team has picked up Ricky Flutey
as part of their coaching group. Ruby is particularly enamored
with what he'll offer from the kicking tea and beyond
me kicked with the lucks of Johnny Wilkinson in that
so I kind of listened to what he says.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
You know, he kind of knows a thing or two.
So if you look at the kicking game of the
woman's game internationally, tertri is huge, you know.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
So technically I think, man, we've got a gem and Ricky.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Rugby Australia have done something quite bizarre. They've picked in
Australian to coach their national side.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Sure it's not until.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Mid next year when finally Kiwi Joe Schmidt steps down
from the role that Red's coach. Les Ki needs to
complete his contract with the Reds before he starts up.
So what happened in the interview process, les I.
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Feel really optimistic about the whole process. Really, they've been
very considered. There wasn't many hoops to jump through as
basically check making sure we get the right things in
place so that we can continue the good work that
Joe's done here over the last eighteen months.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And Peter Berling has had public word for the first
time around his departure from Grant Dalton Team New Zealand.
He was mild mannered and grateful for his decade of
thrashing other teams on the brain.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Deep the messages and you know, support I've got over
the last two weeks has been absolutely incredible and been
really reflecting on that and what a special time it's been.
As obviously still feels a little bit weird to not
be a part of it anymore, but we've still got
a really good relationship with everyone you know involved us and.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
A villion It's Sportsfix with Jason Pyne and Dussy Walter Grave.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
And It's warm. Welcome to the Sports Fix podcast to
the CEO of the in Panthers in Sales NBL, mister
Provene Battish, Hello, Pravene.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Good evening, Hi, how are you good.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It's been a massive day for the Panthers. Been through
series of meetings with Sales NBL, Basketball New Zeland and
the like. First up from your point of view is
a CEO, Can you tell me what's unfolded, what's happened
over the last couple of days. That's I suppoth force
this mediation if you will.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah. Sure. Look, first of all, before I start, can
I just say a huge thank you to you Basketball
New Zealand, to the league, to the commission, and of
course the other clubs for first of all making us
really welcome and you know, everything they've done to support
us and so on. It's been great. You know, it's
unfortunate what's happened in the last few days. But the
(03:52):
last few days haven't been in in kind of isolation.
There's been a, I guess a concerted effort to undermine
where we are. But before I get into that, I
just want to say that, you know, we're not without fault.
I put my hands up and say, you know, like
any new franchise or any new business for that matter,
(04:13):
you know, we've had our teething problems, some of which
have been financial. So you know, sometimes payments have been
slightly delayed from where you'd expect them to, especially to players.
But that's been my focus, is to make sure that
that happens and I can can tell you that. You know,
as of today, all players have been on New Zealand,
(04:34):
players who have represented us have been have been paid
in full, and you know that's always been my aim
to do that.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I think your cash flow must be awful provene if
you can't pay your players, and some players are saying, look,
we haven't been paid for months, even though this has
been this discourse, this discussion has been out there in
the public arena. Did you guys not turn up with
enough money to simply pay your bills? I think, first
and foremost, if you're a professional player, that'd be something
I'd be looking for to pay your rent, feed your family.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And the like as well.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
This strikes me as a little strange.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
It's not months with players have been paid. There was
a payment they made probably about four weeks ago to
all the players, so the payments were due now now,
and I told them that we have been in communication
with them, so it's not like it's not it's not happening.
And like I said before, we're not the first team
(05:30):
to be in this situation, but the situation has been
kind of forced on us as well, so you know,
we've had to look at ways that we could cut
our costs. So, for example, if I tell you that
our original you know, place that we were playing in
was costing us just to open the doors before we
did anything, was costing us fifteen thousand dollars per game,
and we had five home games on the trot.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
You got a.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Situation as a CEO of a new franchise coming in
that you would have put all that down in place,
and you'd know this. It wasn't a surprise bill if you.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Will, no, one hundred percent, you're quite right that you
do know these things, and you try your best to
make sure that your clash cash flow fits in. And
we've made sure that we could play our games, and
our priority was to pay our players, and that's what
we've been doing. So, like I said to you before,
it's not that we've been we haven't paid. You know,
people can put out social media posts and there's nothing
(06:24):
you can say about it.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
But well, so there's a Alex Robinson character that see
what he left him into the giants didn't he said,
you didn't pay him, So what drove a man to
do there?
Speaker 3 (06:32):
I have no idea. He was paid on the twenty
first to March. He was paid again on the twenty
eighth of March. He What people don't know is that
he actually walked out on his teammates so after the
first quarter against the Sharks, because he had only had
two shots in the whole game and other players were
outshining him, he refused to play in the second quarter
(06:53):
when in at halftime, refused to take the field, got
in the car, drove home, packed his bags and left
without saying anything to anyone. Now nobody knows that. And
that wasn't because he wasn't paid. That was purely and
he told me the next day when we met, it's
because he needs to look after his next his next gig,
so he needs to make sure his starts and so
(07:14):
on are correct. Nobody knows that.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
The giants do the giants know that. Preven the giants
if they knew that, they'll be going out on what
have we done?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Well? Somebody was helping him get that job prior to
him even leaving. There was a reason why he left.
You don't just walk out on your team. How do
you how do you tell me as a professional player,
as a as an import professional player, how do you
maybe your teammates after the first quarter, not take the
floor and then leave it halftime. Who does that?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
It sounds to me like there's a there's a there's
a culture issue within the club. If this has happening,
that's falling apart in front of people's eyes. And you've
got the coach that left before a game was actually played.
The results well, the Giants having had great results either,
so we'll push that to one side. But sounds to
me like it's just a bit thin. The culture's not
working and that's why you're having these problems along with
(08:07):
the cy called payment.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Since you one hundred percent right it, and I can't
deny that because our product is not what it should be.
We should have had eight to ten Indian players only
we've only had three. So you can't build a product
with only three people that are meant to be the
centerpiece of your product. So we have had some issues
with regard to that. But what I will also say
(08:29):
is that if there's an element that wants to undermine you,
then they will do that, and they will make mountains
out of mole hills. And that's essentially what's been happening
over the past I don't know how many, how many
weeks culminating in what you saw. Okay, Each player was
spoken to on Tuesday morning, told what they would be
(08:50):
receiving and asked if that was okay. Every one of
them said yes, it's fine, And then somebody who had
been doing this for a period of time made sure
that none of those players turned up except him and
one other. You know, there's been there's been a concerted
effort to undermine trying to do for somebody's own personal purposes. Okay,
(09:12):
And when you're dealing with that kind of thing, you're
one hundred percent right culturally, you can't fight that. Internally,
I know we're at fault by one hundred percent. I'll
put my hands up and say we've been at fault
from a financial point of view and so on. But
what I can't combat is people undermining you behind your
back and doing things and making sure that the game
(09:33):
goes into disrepute, which is basically what happened yesterday.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Proven who did the players were actually planning to have
a walk off and last night's game on live TV?
Is there the oil you got as well.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
I got to hear about that later. I didn't even
know that, but yes, that's what they were going to do. Now,
if that's not bringing the game, the league and the
other clubs into disrepute, then I don't know what is.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Do you think maybe it would have been better if it
headed we're just being delayed, like the whole entry to
the sales NBL haad have waited a while, so you
weren't I suppose up for situations or issues like that.
And I go b to what I asked before. Here's
the club got any money? You guys solvent?
Speaker 3 (10:12):
One hundred percent. We're solvent. Sometimes sometimes cash flow is slow,
sometimes it's okay, but we're absolutely solvent and we we
will continue to be to be solvent. We have you know,
the owners are not without resource. It's one hundred percent.
We are solvent. And before we sign up with the
league there's a huge diligent process that that the league
(10:34):
goes through. So we have to prove that we're solvent.
We have to prove that that you know, we have
the backing and the money and all those kind of things.
But you know, like I said, in any business, sometimes
it's the cash flow that kills you. And that's been
out our issue. Now we're fixing that so to go forward.
That's exactly what we're going And if I was, you know,
the commission, if I was the league, that's exactly what
I'll be saying.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
That one's going to come out tomorrow, proving Because this
is coming out tomorrow. Do you think you'll be in
the NBL at this stage tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
What?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
What's your gut feeling around what the NBL are going.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
To do here? Look, it's it's not my decision. All
I can tell you is that everyone's been really supportive,
and I thank them for that. Whatever decision they make,
I can't, I can't.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
You know, So the other club the other clubs have
been supportive, then have they The.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Other clubs have been supportive. Yes, everyone's been supportive. But
at the end of the day, we're only eight weeks old. Okay,
the league's been going for forty years plus. So I
fully understand, you know that the if clubs or the
league want to protect you know, their legacy and their
you know what's been going on over the last forty
two years plus. I fully get that we're we're eight
(11:42):
weeks old, and I think people forget that we didn't
and this is my fault. We didn't turn up as
a fully fledged club. We turned up as a team
that tried to be a club. You can't do that.
Over takes time and when you don't have the team
that you want and you're reliant on other people, that's
where all the noise comes from. And that's what we
(12:03):
need to fix, and that's what I want to try
and fix given the opportunity in the next two weeks.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So feeling though that you will survive, that the Indian
Panthers will be around and you'll still be in the
role of the CEO.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I can't. I can't. I can't answer the first part
of that question. That's for other people to decide, and
I'm sure they will make the right decision. Will I
be still be the CEO? Well, I hope so, you
know you can. You can only do the best with
what you've got, and if that's not good enough, then
that's for the owners to decide if I if I
(12:37):
carry on or not. I'm you know, I'm with the
with everything that else that's going on around the around
the world. With what we're what we're trying to do,
it's a it's a big job.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
We thank you very much for your time, know, and
you're imping TOAs here on the program proving that's just
wishing you the best. Tomorrow morning we'll find out more
about what's going on at the top of the Commission
of the Sales n b L Pravin, thanks very much
for your time.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Thank you, no problem.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Sports PLFI Rugby Australia have finally got the sves are coach.
Not immediately, it's slightly further down the track, but they
have won. His name is Les Kiss, former international rugby
league player and of course currently he is the coach
of the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby Pacific. There are
(13:25):
so many reasons to be happy about this appointment. Reason
number one it's an Australian coaching an Australian team. You've
got to like that. And not only for the synergy,
but for the fact that Australian rugby fans I'm sure
will be welcoming this appointment with open arms. It is
one of their own coaching their own team. This, of
(13:49):
course is on the back of a resurgence in form
from the Australian sides in Super Rugby Pacific led by
Les Kiss, who was coaching Queensland the Reds. Les has
also got a wonderful coaching background. He was a defense
coach for South Africa, back and the day advisor for
the Balls and the Store, an Australian Under twenty one
(14:10):
assistant coach way back when, an assistant coach for the
Waratars Australia, a assistant coach for Ireland. He was the
director of rugby for Ulster. He coached London Irish and
of course now he's with the Queensland Reds. The guy
has experienced. The guy has experience to boot. He experienced locally,
experience in the Republic, experience in the Northern Hemisphere. This
(14:35):
job is screaming to be taken by a man like that,
not a retread like Eddie Jones, not a retread like
Eddie Jones, and not a bloke from New Zealand. There's
only one fly in the ointment of this appointment, and
that is he doesn't start till the middle of next year.
He can't. He's coaching the Reds. He doesn't want to
(14:56):
walk away from the contract. If it's because Rugby Australia
didn't want to pay out his contract, look, I don't know,
but what we do know is that Les Kiss is
going to be under the wing, under the hiding light
of Joe Schmidt, which is fantastic for rugby Australia and
Australian rugby. I'm a bulliant. I love this. I think
(15:17):
this is fantastic news right up into the time when
the Australians went back the Bledisloe Cup.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
We are now in session on sports.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
And it's all welcome into the chamber. To Clay Wilson,
director of Sport at and News Talks EBS. We toss
around some of the big sports stories of the day.
There's probably none bigger, Clay and welcome on in than
the train wreck that is the Indian Panthers. And we
have to say that because it's been shambles right from
the start, isn't it.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
It's the story that's kept on giving since the start
in a lot of ways that don't reflect well on
the team and in turn the league itself, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
You know?
Speaker 5 (16:00):
I remember when the story first came out like there
was going to be an Indian team in the we
was kind of a bit like, what, okay.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Well, at one point four billion people, that's tapping and
riches are enormous and we're all like, yeah, okay, sure,
why not.
Speaker 5 (16:14):
But obviously. You know, it's just been one bad thing
after the next, hasn't it over the last since the
league began. Really the head coach resigning before the after
their first.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Game, they can't win, they have it won a game.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
So on the court, it's not going well. And clearly
all this soft court stuff is affecting players.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
They're not getting paid. How do you play if you
know you're not getting any what you're working here? And
the boss come out and said, look, we have a
bit of a struggle. We can't pay for another couple
of three weeks.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
What do you do?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Exactly, I mean there's people are professionals. These players are professionals.
They're being that they're in a job where they are
paid for their services. And if they're not being paid,
like you say, they're like any of us, you're not.
You're not going to stand for it. There's obviously some issues.
CEO Pavin Batische has mentioned that they've had some cash
flow problems and has admitted that there was some delays
(17:06):
on payments for players. He thinks that's been remedied, but
clearly the players when they walked off the court before
the game last night, didn't think that sore.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
What it just says in the release yet that a
number of players have received payment. It doesn't say all
of them, it said a number of them. There's that
acceptable on an apployment situation.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Well, I think we can draw down from the fact
that that the players decided they weren't going to play
this night, that at least some of the players haven't
had all their problems all the questions answered. So what
is going to happen with the team now? Is the question?
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Right?
Speaker 5 (17:37):
The NBL, the Basketball News eaner working through as they
say what's going to happen? But we know, well, we
understand that the meeting that happened this morning that the
other twelve teams in this competition basically said to Basketball
New Zealand we want them out, that we want their
license revoked. It's as shambles.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Well, they've got a commission, haven't they above them all,
the NBL commission, and they look at all of us
and they come up with a decision or make the statement.
They say it's due out tomorrow morning. Kind of thought
it might have been done today. But I can't be
in a hurry.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
What's because because it's not simple for the league because
they have commercial and sponsorship obligations for these games that
the Panthers or the games of the Panthers are still
due to play. If they don't play them, then what
happens with those arrangements. It's it's an absolute mindfield of
a situation for the commission, for the administrators for basketball
(18:32):
in New Zealand and their involvement with all this.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
And lost man Dylan Bouti's out on the eleventh and
may be thinking did it have to happen now?
Speaker 5 (18:39):
And really I think he wishes now that he'd put
his finished date with basketball in New Zealand about ten
days prior to what it was, because he's having to
deal with this in his last week and a half
in the job.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Did you get the feeling though when this came out?
I'm pretty sure you did this. This is this is
very fast. This is very quick, and when you do
things in a hurry in general, they normally end in
a mess or a disaster. It was quickly thrown together,
quickly applied out of nowhere, and I don't know if
it's a massive surprise that it has staggered. That's what
(19:13):
happens when you do things in a rush.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Right, and we've we've heard on Zebe this morning from
Wellington Saints longtime chairman Nick Mills and essentially echoing what
you're saying. It's something that while it has logic of
India being a huge country with a massive population, you know,
eyeballs and money potentially coming with that, is that it's
not as straightforward as that. And when you put something
(19:35):
together quite quickly and it's not really considered about how
it might work. If it won't work, what happens this
this is the scenario that could play out. So I
don't think he's necessarily surprised, and it speaks volumes that
what we understand is that all the other twelve clubs
have said we've had enough, we want them out.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Some tea's not being crossed, some eyes not being dotted,
and that's the nicest way I can while it is.
But when you look at it, it's it's a bit stinky.
Something doesn't line up, something don't add up. I think
there'll be plenty more on this over the coming days
and I'm looking forward to to covering that. Hey, good
(20:15):
news today for Les Kiss managed to pick up the
job as the Wallabies coach. But it's on delay, So
that means poor old Joe Schmidt's got to stick around
for another year. How many delays of retirement's just blaking a.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
I think the most interesting part of the story is
that they've managed to convince Joe Schmidt to stay on.
You know, I don't think he was really you know,
he wasn't clamoring for the job in the first place,
but they convinced him to take the job. He's taken
it and now they obviously in terms of how they've
had to work this out with Les Kiss, he hasn't
been able to come on board as quickly as they
would like, so they've had to convince Joe Schmidt to
(20:49):
stay on for a little bit longer. But in terms
of his credit was as a coach. You only have
to look at what the Reds are doing this year,
right They've been you know what are they third in
the competition behind the Chiefs and Crusaders and have got
some good sculpts their name, most recently the Blues.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
So I don't know if the Blues' is a good scalp.
I'm like being I.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
Think any Australian team being inning. While it's happened a
few times this year. I still think it's there's merit
in that and shows shows something about what he what
he's about and his credentials as a coach.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
So well, it's least he's an Australian. Yeah, he's not
a retreat like Eddie Jones was.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
Yeah, so pop quiz who was the last Australian to
coach the Wallabies?
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Michael Chickett.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
Yeah, it probably was Michael Chiccket or I'm trying to
think of when probably did.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
He pub quiz and know.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
The cdity Jones come before or after Michael chicker anyhow,
there's been a few in between, right, So, like you say,
it's always, well not always, but generally if you can
have a you know, a person of that nationality coaching
your national team and then that that there's there's some good.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
I think it's good for Assie Rugby at all is
they're playing well. Yep, they lost the Rebel so be
and it strengthened their team. They're playing well. They're almost
impossible to be beaten in their own back, which is
quite the turn up for the books. Now they've got
a coach, you understand, super Rugby, he's going to spend
more time with Joe Schmidt, so when he does hit
the ground, he will be running.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Ozzie.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Rugby are going to be absolutely loving this. I think
it's tremendous news. At least it's not another at least
it's not another New Zealander. I won't know how many
people thought that maybe Milan to be there in a flash, right, Yeah,
very much, sir Clay Wilson. As always, thanks for joining
us in the Chamber No Trouble Dot Sex and the
(22:39):
Habit another Sports Fixed podcast. Thanks very much for joining
us today Wednesday, the thirtieth of April twenty twenty five.
I'm Darcy Waldgrave. If you've liked what you've heard, please
subscribe that way, this will come straight into your m
box on a week daily basis. Better still, tell your friends,
tell your family, tell anyone you won't get them to
(23:00):
subscribe as well. And if you're just more audio sport,
well you can get that seven to eight pm Monday
and Friday on Used Talk ZB with Sports Talk with
Myself Tuesday through Friday, Jason Pine on Monday and Piney's
Got All the Work Detail on Saturday and Sunday with
Weekend Sport from twelve midday through till three. Thanks again GJ.
(23:21):
Gardner Holmes for your continued interest in this podcast, and
thank you for listening to the Sportsfix.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
For more from US Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
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