October 15, 2025 • 5 mins
Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke has stood by her support for embattled coach Dame Noeline Taurua.
As the Ferns gear up for the Constellation Cup, Grace Nweke reiterated she's hoping for Taurua to come back.
Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explained the ongoing situation further.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sport with the tab app download and get your bed
on our eighteen bit Responsibly.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We have Elliott Smith's sports talk host with us.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hello Elliott, Hello Heather.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Okay, So Grace Weirkere has doubled down on her support
for Dame Noles, Has.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
She she has? Yeah. I thought that maybe she might
have had a moment's regrets. Well, no she hasn't, because
she's been asked at the airport as they fly out
for the Constellation Cup first game on Friday, whether she
regretted this stand that she made postgame after the last
series against South Africa, where basically she backed Noline total
to the hilts and basically stood and said, if you're listening,
(00:32):
we love you, we miss you, we want you back
in charge of the team. She fronted media today and
was asked whether she stood by those words and basically said, yes,
I do so quite remarkable stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Let's have a listen.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I think if I had to do it over, I
would took my worries a bit more relatively. But but thing,
I do regret what I said, and I am confident
to feel strongly about my position but also fully back
the team and the girls there and the job to do.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So I wonder if what she would have said, with
which words she would have been more selective about, is
we love.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
You, possibly more I want you back, or being more
about myself rather than speaking on behalf of the team.
Her senior colleagues may not necessarily be aligned, and the
alignment so I back her. I think it's a good
stance to have. We want players to be speaking out.
This whole thing is an absolute shamozzle and it's you know,
(01:23):
it's not Grace Week's fault. It's not Anyone's fault that
it's got to this point.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So I think it's some people's fault.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Peo really badly handled by Its bad, but it's not
it's not great. It's not Grace Week's fault. It's got
to this point. And so her speaking out, I think
good on it.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Can I ask you something though, I was I was
having a chat to one of your your contemporaries out
there in the sports department, and Clay, who has you know,
is on the show from time to time and has
got some very clear mind about this and the conclusion
that I can't speak for him, but that I certainly
came to is there is a path back for Dame Knowles,
but Jenny Wiley's got to go.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Someone has got someone's got to go. I think there's
got to be someone that falls on their sword. And
whether it's ordered for Dame to exactly and it's And
if Dame Nolin Todd he's not going back with then
she's the one that goes. Yes, So I don't think
the status quo can remain.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
But do you agree with me that she can come
back if Jenny.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Goes potentially yes, but I think there needs to be
some change that happening, though pretty slim, also giving slimmer
as time goes on. If you are the consolation cut
this is the biggest series of the year, starting tomorrow Friday.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Night, Play the four D Chess. Here you are, Matt Winner, Ay,
you're the chair. You have to decide who is more
important to you. Is it Jenny Wiley the CEO, or
is it Dame Knowles who has the public support by
the looks of things, and as a legendary coach.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
I think Nipple needs the public support. So this has
some Basically, their broadcast has been cut down in their prime.
The sport's clearly not being run that well at the moment.
So go with the part that is doing well, and
that is Dame No Loyd for a diamond doesn't That's right,
you can go fine, So chances still slim.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I'm trying to make this thing happen. I don't know
that it can. All right, So if you go to
if you're a rugby league player and you go to
the Saudis, you're banned from playing rugby league for ten years.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
This is just chumm in the last five minutes or so,
NRL saying that any player that goes to quote unquote
unrecognized football competitions, we know what those are, it's R
three sixty will be banned for ten years. That means
if you sign a player of a letter of intent,
a playing contract, or any other form of agreement with
R three sixty, you will not be welcomed in rugby
league for ten years. Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Ten years from the point of signing or the point wow.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
But if you're Ryan Pappenhausen, you're Roger T. E varsishit going, yeah,
might go to R three sixty for a couple of years,
then come back and play a bit of NRAL to
finish up my career. Your banned for ten years. That's
your career done.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Would you do that or would you actually end your
career at the.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Well you quae Possibly would't, But if you're a player
in your prime as well going yeah, okay, I've got
AR three sixty for two years, then my options are open.
You can't go play rugby anymore, you can't go play
rugby league. They're closing the doors.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
This all this is going to do is it's going
to drive up your contract with R three sixty and
linth in your contract right, So you're not going to
take a two year contract from the soudis.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Now you you're going to go I want five year contracts.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yeah, and you're going to want a lot more money possible.
And they've got a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
They've got a lot of money, but they're basically been
painted as a rebel league. No one wants to deal
with them, and they've got to get no engagement from
World Rugby. They've got nothing from NRL. So I don't
see how they can go forward now because they're just
gonna be painted as a rebel competition. You need they're
pitched has been it can come play for R three sixty.
You can still play test rugby well, all those unions
have gone no, you can't. They've gone play for You
(04:25):
can still play for you know, the Kiwi's coress.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Although, isn't it, Elliott, because there will be a whole
lot of players who are at the tail end of
their career who will go, well, do I go to
Japan like I think Aaron Smith?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Right?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Do I go to Japan and get so many million?
Or do I go to the Saudis and ask for
three times as much?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
It might well happen, but is that going to be
a viable competition over a long period of time. I
don't know. I hope that that.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I would love to see this thing.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
To see three sixty happen.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Why what interest have you got in the Madrid Magicians
playing with three all blacks a couple of.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
It's not like you do not want more sport.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
I want the right sport here. I just want to I.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Want something to give world rugby a shakeup.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
But no one watches. No one in New Zealand watches
the URC as it happens. No one watches the French
Top fourteen, No one watches japan Top League. We only
watch the NPC. We don't even barely watch Super Rugby,
so what is another rugby competition. I'm not saying we're
going to watch it, you just want to. I just
want world rugby to get a shakeup. Elliott, Thank you
very much.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I feel like I'm in a trouble making move today
Elliott Smith's sports stalk.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Hoast For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live
to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Sport with the tab app download and get your bed
on our eighteen bit Responsibly.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We have Elliott Smith's sports talk host with us.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hello Elliott, Hello Heather.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Okay, So Grace Weirkere has doubled down on her support
for Dame Noles, Has.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
She she has? Yeah. I thought that maybe she might
have had a moment's regrets. Well, no she hasn't, because
she's been asked at the airport as they fly out
for the Constellation Cup first game on Friday, whether she
regretted this stand that she made postgame after the last
series against South Africa, where basically she backed Noline total
to the hilts and basically stood and said, if you're listening,
(00:32):
we love you, we miss you, we want you back
in charge of the team. She fronted media today and
was asked whether she stood by those words and basically said, yes,
I do so quite remarkable stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Let's have a listen.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I think if I had to do it over, I
would took my worries a bit more relatively. But but thing,
I do regret what I said, and I am confident
to feel strongly about my position but also fully back
the team and the girls there and the job to do.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So I wonder if what she would have said, with
which words she would have been more selective about, is
we love.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
You, possibly more I want you back, or being more
about myself rather than speaking on behalf of the team.
Her senior colleagues may not necessarily be aligned, and the
alignment so I back her. I think it's a good
stance to have. We want players to be speaking out.
This whole thing is an absolute shamozzle and it's you know,
(01:23):
it's not Grace Week's fault. It's not Anyone's fault that
it's got to this point.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So I think it's some people's fault.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Peo really badly handled by Its bad, but it's not
it's not great. It's not Grace Week's fault. It's got
to this point. And so her speaking out, I think
good on it.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Can I ask you something though, I was I was
having a chat to one of your your contemporaries out
there in the sports department, and Clay, who has you know,
is on the show from time to time and has
got some very clear mind about this and the conclusion
that I can't speak for him, but that I certainly
came to is there is a path back for Dame Knowles,
but Jenny Wiley's got to go.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Someone has got someone's got to go. I think there's
got to be someone that falls on their sword. And
whether it's ordered for Dame to exactly and it's And
if Dame Nolin Todd he's not going back with then
she's the one that goes. Yes, So I don't think
the status quo can remain.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
But do you agree with me that she can come
back if Jenny.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Goes potentially yes, but I think there needs to be
some change that happening, though pretty slim, also giving slimmer
as time goes on. If you are the consolation cut
this is the biggest series of the year, starting tomorrow Friday.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Night, Play the four D Chess. Here you are, Matt Winner, Ay,
you're the chair. You have to decide who is more
important to you. Is it Jenny Wiley the CEO, or
is it Dame Knowles who has the public support by
the looks of things, and as a legendary coach.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
I think Nipple needs the public support. So this has
some Basically, their broadcast has been cut down in their prime.
The sport's clearly not being run that well at the moment.
So go with the part that is doing well, and
that is Dame No Loyd for a diamond doesn't That's right,
you can go fine, So chances still slim.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I'm trying to make this thing happen. I don't know
that it can. All right, So if you go to
if you're a rugby league player and you go to
the Saudis, you're banned from playing rugby league for ten years.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
This is just chumm in the last five minutes or so,
NRL saying that any player that goes to quote unquote
unrecognized football competitions, we know what those are, it's R
three sixty will be banned for ten years. That means
if you sign a player of a letter of intent,
a playing contract, or any other form of agreement with
R three sixty, you will not be welcomed in rugby
league for ten years. Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Ten years from the point of signing or the point wow.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
But if you're Ryan Pappenhausen, you're Roger T. E varsishit going, yeah,
might go to R three sixty for a couple of years,
then come back and play a bit of NRAL to
finish up my career. Your banned for ten years. That's
your career done.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Would you do that or would you actually end your
career at the.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Well you quae Possibly would't, But if you're a player
in your prime as well going yeah, okay, I've got
AR three sixty for two years, then my options are open.
You can't go play rugby anymore, you can't go play
rugby league. They're closing the doors.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
This all this is going to do is it's going
to drive up your contract with R three sixty and
linth in your contract right, So you're not going to
take a two year contract from the soudis.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Now you you're going to go I want five year contracts.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yeah, and you're going to want a lot more money possible.
And they've got a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
They've got a lot of money, but they're basically been
painted as a rebel league. No one wants to deal
with them, and they've got to get no engagement from
World Rugby. They've got nothing from NRL. So I don't
see how they can go forward now because they're just
gonna be painted as a rebel competition. You need they're
pitched has been it can come play for R three sixty.
You can still play test rugby well, all those unions
have gone no, you can't. They've gone play for You
(04:25):
can still play for you know, the Kiwi's coress.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Although, isn't it, Elliott, because there will be a whole
lot of players who are at the tail end of
their career who will go, well, do I go to
Japan like I think Aaron Smith?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Right?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Do I go to Japan and get so many million?
Or do I go to the Saudis and ask for
three times as much?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
It might well happen, but is that going to be
a viable competition over a long period of time. I
don't know. I hope that that.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I would love to see this thing.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
To see three sixty happen.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Why what interest have you got in the Madrid Magicians
playing with three all blacks a couple of.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
It's not like you do not want more sport.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
I want the right sport here. I just want to I.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Want something to give world rugby a shakeup.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
But no one watches. No one in New Zealand watches
the URC as it happens. No one watches the French
Top fourteen, No one watches japan Top League. We only
watch the NPC. We don't even barely watch Super Rugby,
so what is another rugby competition. I'm not saying we're
going to watch it, you just want to. I just
want world rugby to get a shakeup. Elliott, Thank you
very much.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I feel like I'm in a trouble making move today
Elliott Smith's sports stalk.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Hoast For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live
to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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