August 23, 2024 • 9 mins
Today on the Sports Huddle Heather was joined Oceania Football confederation media manager Matt Brown and Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Paul Allison for a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Why do you think Leon Macdonald left? will the All Blacks be better or worse off for it?
How good a storyline would it be if he went to the wallabies?
How will Shaun Johnson be remembered in the annals of Warriors history?
Should Jannik Sinner have been let off like he was?
Is New Zealand going to get in behind the America's Cup? will that kick in during the preliminary regatta or just the main event?
How good, having Lulu Sun at the ASB classic?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Nineteen away from.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Six the Friday sports Huddle with New Zealand Southby's international realty,
unparalleled reach and results.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
We just didn't quite click different aspects. There's no intent
to get to the point there we are now, but
we just believe for both of us, the best thing
is as for the All Back group, is we make
you call now. I won't be watching it, and I
think that's true of a lot of people who have
remained dismayed by the fact that the Cup has been
(00:34):
taken off shore.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I'll dismiss it, you know, I just know I'll miss it.
I already have the feelings of what it's going to
be like coming here for one last time this weekend.
So that's definitely going to be a moment that as
a family we're going to cherish on the sports hitdle
with us this evening. We've got Matt Brown, Oceania Football
Confederation media manager and Paul Allison news Talks. He'd be
Rugby commentator.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Lad's hello, Hi here, how you doing it?
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Hi here? Hi?
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Paul?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Now Matt, Well, actually, no, Matt, you'll be You're not
going to be gossip mongering like Paula's at the moments
of Paul on coming to you. What's the real story
with Leon leaving the Abs?
Speaker 5 (01:07):
Then he's not.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Going to break dancing. Look, I don't know. Obviously, like
any marriage fall out in a divorce, you're never quite
sure of the full background behind it. But the thing
that surprised me about it is the fact that these
guys know each other. It's not as if they are
foreign to each other. They would have done their homework
in advance about what they're wanting to do, from strategy
(01:28):
around tactics, getting on the same page that obviously coached
together back in two seventeen. They've played together a long,
long time ago, for a million games for the Crusaders
and for the All Blacks. I just don't know what
really has gone on. Obviously, it has to be a
personality and a disagreement to a significant degree, and the
fact that they've done it now I think is good
and they can move on from it. But what the
(01:49):
real reason is and the full details, I think we'll
live in mystery for quite some time.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah maybe so, Matt, I didn't realize that he was
actually this is Leon was actually a Joe schmitt Man
more than a Raisin man.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Did you well, yes, in a sense they worked did
the Blues, and they had a pretty good chemistry together
in the past. So look, it would have surprised me
if he pops up. There's a vacant position I understand
in the Australian coaching so this would not surprise me
as a backs coach, as a as an attack coach
working with the Wallabies. But look, it really is an
(02:22):
unsavory note for the All Blacks. I mean, just before
they head across what will be the toughest tests of
the year against a very much informed world champions spring Bok.
For this they happened. Now, yes, I agree with Paul,
it's a good thing that's been been dragged on, but
how on earth did this happened in the first place,
in the sense of how were these two peered together?
Because clearly, as Razor said, you know, our for lost
(02:43):
coaching philosophies are different, and that's a major that's a
major red eye for me in terms of question is
raised right from the start. But they sort of think, oh, well, well,
well we're different, but we'll give it a crack, and
that's what it comes to, cross hairs and you know,
it's not a good look for your bicks.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, I see. And the thing about it, Paul, that
surprises me is that Razes seem to have actually sought
Leon out and made like he got him to join
him in order to go up against Fozzy.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Didn't he Yeah, that's exactly right. He picked his team
around him, and he's got a big team as well,
with the two Jason's, Holland and Ryan and now Tarmany
Allison and David Hall, David Hill and Corey Flynn and
Scott Hansen. I had an all back great contact me
last week and he said to me, what are the
all backs trying to do? Because it almost looks like
this was before the Test against Argentina that they won
(03:29):
an Eden Park. But he said to me, it almost
looks like they're getting too many voices in their ears
and not sure which one to listen to. And I
just wonder sometimes when you've got so many coaches, you've
almost got one for every two players that are on
the field, whether or not there's some confusion. But I
think this is more than just a gain strategy and
an alignment. I think it might go back to tactics selection,
(03:50):
but to me, it sounds like there's a falling out
on personalities.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yep, yep, yeah, I think you bang on there now,
Matt Shawn Johnson. So Piney and I decided earlier in
the program, we actually feel sad that this is the
way that Shawn Johnson's careers ended. Last year he missed
out on the Dallym and then this just pipped at
the post, and then this year they play stink.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
When do you decide to go? I mean, do you
go on a highlight last year? Because one thing I
think about Johnson, you know, he is one of the
great warriors, without a doubt. He's one of those players
that when he gets the ball on attack anywhere around
that twenty, you just wonder what he's going to do.
You know, you think that the guy can produce magic
because he's done it time and time again. Yep. He's
(04:30):
made mistakes, he's had injury issues made your injury issues
have had blighted his career to some extent. But when
he's on, he is one of the best in the business.
And so he's been He's up there. Not for me,
Stacy James is number one, but he's coming in. He's
in the top three or four warriors of all time.
So great way, let's sape he goes out with a
win tonight. I'm sad that they're not going to make
the playoffs, Paul.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Did he maybe play one season too long?
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Oh, at thirty three years of age? Possibly not. Because
the Warriors were on a high last year. Everyone had
q the expectations of how they're going to perform this year,
and they've really let us all down and themselves to
some degree in the sense of that it's fizzled at
the back end of the season. Would have promised so much.
He's been around for a long time. He's still a
good player, and he is one of the best ever.
I mean, if you had to pick your best ever
(05:14):
Warriors team, both him and you'd find a place to
both him and Stacy Jones and Roger TII Varsashek and
Simon Mannering. That's where he's and he's in that top
four or five of the best ever that we're seen
in a Warrior's jersey. He's scored more points for them,
He's got more points for the Kiwis. You know, he's
got someone that's just got incredible speed and playmaking abilities
and can do things that other people can't he's one
(05:35):
of the most talented, so I think we're seeing in
a generation. And of course he won that Golden Boot,
which is the best player in the wild back in
two fourteen. So had he gone a year too long, maybe,
but at some stage you just got to keep on
going when you're on high and that's what the Warriors
were last year.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Yeah, we'll take a break, come back with you guys,
and just to take it.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
The Friday Sports Huddle with New Zealand Southby's International Realty
Exceptional Marketing for every property.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Back of the Sports Tittle, Matt Brown, Paul Allison, Matt,
do you reckon that Jannick Sinner should have been let off?
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Oh my gosh, this is such a complex, complex one,
But no, I don't Actually, I don't think he should
have been led off. I look, I've always been there
to believe, and the rules are pretty clear. You fail
at test, you are essentially responsible, no matter whether the substance,
whatever it is in this case of spray is administered
by some but you're responsible for putting into your body
(06:25):
as a pro athlete, and there have been a lot
of athletes who have had to serve suspensions because of
that fact. Now in this case, he appealed, he was
provisionally suspended. He appealed immediately and was effectively allowed to
continue playing while the case was heard all behind close doors. No,
no one knew this into the last few days. For me, Yeah,
(06:47):
there's a two year suspension. And I think you know,
if he wasn't Will number one, if you was Will
number two hundred and fifty in the world, you'd probably
be suspended by now. Unfortunate for sure, Accidental perhaps, but
ultimately it says weird, and I actually don't have the
sympathy that that some might do in this case, Paul.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
The question is was it accidental or did he just
leave it? Because this is the thing, right, did he
just leave it long enough so that whatever was picked
up was just tiny by that stage?
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Well, I don't think would have been tiny for that stage.
The testing would have been done and they would have
had the results at the time back in April, back
in the end of March, when this was done. They're
saying it's less than one billionth of a gram and
that it had no physiological impact benefit to him. It's
a it's a it's a substance similar to testosterone, A
muscle building substance. Look, I don't know. I see that
(07:38):
Nick Curios has kicked off as well about this, but
I think it might be because he's jealous that Jennixon
is going out with an ex girlfriend. But look, I
really I don't know this. This is still under appeal potentially.
I mean, this has been approved by the Tennis Integrity Agency,
but a decision could be appealed by WADA or the
Italian the Italian Anti Drug Doping Agency, so that might
(08:00):
be more still to be played out with this. I mean,
he missed the Olympics, said that he has run down
because it was a stress and all the all the
issues that he had to go through navigating this particular issue.
I don't I don't know. I don't know enough about
drugs to be able to comment on it, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Heather, Yeah, it is a tricky one. Would all be
sort of taking a punt out, it wouldn't we? Hey, Matt, okay,
is this the year that we fall out of love
with the America's Cup? Or is this just normal? We
don't get involved in this stage and we're there for
the main event. What do you think?
Speaker 5 (08:27):
Well, someone who worked at on the last America's Cups
as he'd be Heather and was right into it, and
it was here in Auckland. There was so much five
even though it was in the middle of COVID. Now, yeah,
I think I might have been listening to your show,
even to Mike when I realized that, oh god, it
starts tonight kind of thing. Like a lot of people
just were not even aware that it was to come
around so quick because it is in Barcelona. So yes,
(08:49):
the interest in it will be there for the big
races without it there, I didn't. I didn't stay and
watch last night, but I know when when when it
comes to the actual America's Cup itself, I'll be setting
my alarm and watching it through the night. Is a
fascination with the Cup, I think no matter where it's held.
But yeah, the interest, I don't think the interest would
be anywhere near like it would be for New Zealanders
as if we were defending it here on.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Paul, give me a quick take, what do you reckon?
Speaker 4 (09:13):
The time zone is going to have a major impact.
It's midnight till three o'clock in the morning. Kivy fans
love watching it during the hours that they're normally up
and about, and I think it'll have really limited appeal
until maybe they get into the finals on the twelfth
of October onwards, but we'll wait and see. Ninety nine
million dollars they turned down from the New Zealand government
to host it here, so they've gone offshore and it
(09:34):
will make it difficult for the following that they would
get if it was in New Zealand. It won't be
anywhere near the same. Let's say they do well, We'll
wait and see.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, hey, guys, thank you. Enjoy your weekend. Matt Brown,
Paul Ellison our sports help of this Evenings.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
For more from Hither Dupless, sellen Drive, listen live to
news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Nineteen away from.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Six the Friday sports Huddle with New Zealand Southby's international realty,
unparalleled reach and results.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
We just didn't quite click different aspects. There's no intent
to get to the point there we are now, but
we just believe for both of us, the best thing
is as for the All Back group, is we make
you call now. I won't be watching it, and I
think that's true of a lot of people who have
remained dismayed by the fact that the Cup has been
(00:34):
taken off shore.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I'll dismiss it, you know, I just know I'll miss it.
I already have the feelings of what it's going to
be like coming here for one last time this weekend.
So that's definitely going to be a moment that as
a family we're going to cherish on the sports hitdle
with us this evening. We've got Matt Brown, Oceania Football
Confederation media manager and Paul Allison news Talks. He'd be
Rugby commentator.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Lad's hello, Hi here, how you doing it?
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Hi here? Hi?
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Paul?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Now Matt, Well, actually, no, Matt, you'll be You're not
going to be gossip mongering like Paula's at the moments
of Paul on coming to you. What's the real story
with Leon leaving the Abs?
Speaker 5 (01:07):
Then he's not.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Going to break dancing. Look, I don't know. Obviously, like
any marriage fall out in a divorce, you're never quite
sure of the full background behind it. But the thing
that surprised me about it is the fact that these
guys know each other. It's not as if they are
foreign to each other. They would have done their homework
in advance about what they're wanting to do, from strategy
(01:28):
around tactics, getting on the same page that obviously coached
together back in two seventeen. They've played together a long,
long time ago, for a million games for the Crusaders
and for the All Blacks. I just don't know what
really has gone on. Obviously, it has to be a
personality and a disagreement to a significant degree, and the
fact that they've done it now I think is good
and they can move on from it. But what the
(01:49):
real reason is and the full details, I think we'll
live in mystery for quite some time.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah maybe so, Matt, I didn't realize that he was
actually this is Leon was actually a Joe schmitt Man
more than a Raisin man.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Did you well, yes, in a sense they worked did
the Blues, and they had a pretty good chemistry together
in the past. So look, it would have surprised me
if he pops up. There's a vacant position I understand
in the Australian coaching so this would not surprise me
as a backs coach, as a as an attack coach
working with the Wallabies. But look, it really is an
(02:22):
unsavory note for the All Blacks. I mean, just before
they head across what will be the toughest tests of
the year against a very much informed world champions spring Bok.
For this they happened. Now, yes, I agree with Paul,
it's a good thing that's been been dragged on, but
how on earth did this happened in the first place,
in the sense of how were these two peered together?
Because clearly, as Razor said, you know, our for lost
(02:43):
coaching philosophies are different, and that's a major that's a
major red eye for me in terms of question is
raised right from the start. But they sort of think, oh, well, well,
well we're different, but we'll give it a crack, and
that's what it comes to, cross hairs and you know,
it's not a good look for your bicks.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, I see. And the thing about it, Paul, that
surprises me is that Razes seem to have actually sought
Leon out and made like he got him to join
him in order to go up against Fozzy.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Didn't he Yeah, that's exactly right. He picked his team
around him, and he's got a big team as well,
with the two Jason's, Holland and Ryan and now Tarmany
Allison and David Hall, David Hill and Corey Flynn and
Scott Hansen. I had an all back great contact me
last week and he said to me, what are the
all backs trying to do? Because it almost looks like
this was before the Test against Argentina that they won
(03:29):
an Eden Park. But he said to me, it almost
looks like they're getting too many voices in their ears
and not sure which one to listen to. And I
just wonder sometimes when you've got so many coaches, you've
almost got one for every two players that are on
the field, whether or not there's some confusion. But I
think this is more than just a gain strategy and
an alignment. I think it might go back to tactics selection,
(03:50):
but to me, it sounds like there's a falling out
on personalities.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yep, yep, yeah, I think you bang on there now,
Matt Shawn Johnson. So Piney and I decided earlier in
the program, we actually feel sad that this is the
way that Shawn Johnson's careers ended. Last year he missed
out on the Dallym and then this just pipped at
the post, and then this year they play stink.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
When do you decide to go? I mean, do you
go on a highlight last year? Because one thing I
think about Johnson, you know, he is one of the
great warriors, without a doubt. He's one of those players
that when he gets the ball on attack anywhere around
that twenty, you just wonder what he's going to do.
You know, you think that the guy can produce magic
because he's done it time and time again. Yep. He's
(04:30):
made mistakes, he's had injury issues made your injury issues
have had blighted his career to some extent. But when
he's on, he is one of the best in the business.
And so he's been He's up there. Not for me,
Stacy James is number one, but he's coming in. He's
in the top three or four warriors of all time.
So great way, let's sape he goes out with a
win tonight. I'm sad that they're not going to make
the playoffs, Paul.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Did he maybe play one season too long?
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Oh, at thirty three years of age? Possibly not. Because
the Warriors were on a high last year. Everyone had
q the expectations of how they're going to perform this year,
and they've really let us all down and themselves to
some degree in the sense of that it's fizzled at
the back end of the season. Would have promised so much.
He's been around for a long time. He's still a
good player, and he is one of the best ever.
I mean, if you had to pick your best ever
(05:14):
Warriors team, both him and you'd find a place to
both him and Stacy Jones and Roger TII Varsashek and
Simon Mannering. That's where he's and he's in that top
four or five of the best ever that we're seen
in a Warrior's jersey. He's scored more points for them,
He's got more points for the Kiwis. You know, he's
got someone that's just got incredible speed and playmaking abilities
and can do things that other people can't he's one
(05:35):
of the most talented, so I think we're seeing in
a generation. And of course he won that Golden Boot,
which is the best player in the wild back in
two fourteen. So had he gone a year too long, maybe,
but at some stage you just got to keep on
going when you're on high and that's what the Warriors
were last year.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Yeah, we'll take a break, come back with you guys,
and just to take it.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
The Friday Sports Huddle with New Zealand Southby's International Realty
Exceptional Marketing for every property.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Back of the Sports Tittle, Matt Brown, Paul Allison, Matt,
do you reckon that Jannick Sinner should have been let off?
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Oh my gosh, this is such a complex, complex one,
But no, I don't Actually, I don't think he should
have been led off. I look, I've always been there
to believe, and the rules are pretty clear. You fail
at test, you are essentially responsible, no matter whether the substance,
whatever it is in this case of spray is administered
by some but you're responsible for putting into your body
(06:25):
as a pro athlete, and there have been a lot
of athletes who have had to serve suspensions because of
that fact. Now in this case, he appealed, he was
provisionally suspended. He appealed immediately and was effectively allowed to
continue playing while the case was heard all behind close doors. No,
no one knew this into the last few days. For me, Yeah,
(06:47):
there's a two year suspension. And I think you know,
if he wasn't Will number one, if you was Will
number two hundred and fifty in the world, you'd probably
be suspended by now. Unfortunate for sure, Accidental perhaps, but
ultimately it says weird, and I actually don't have the
sympathy that that some might do in this case, Paul.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
The question is was it accidental or did he just
leave it? Because this is the thing, right, did he
just leave it long enough so that whatever was picked
up was just tiny by that stage?
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Well, I don't think would have been tiny for that stage.
The testing would have been done and they would have
had the results at the time back in April, back
in the end of March, when this was done. They're
saying it's less than one billionth of a gram and
that it had no physiological impact benefit to him. It's
a it's a it's a substance similar to testosterone, A
muscle building substance. Look, I don't know. I see that
(07:38):
Nick Curios has kicked off as well about this, but
I think it might be because he's jealous that Jennixon
is going out with an ex girlfriend. But look, I
really I don't know this. This is still under appeal potentially.
I mean, this has been approved by the Tennis Integrity Agency,
but a decision could be appealed by WADA or the
Italian the Italian Anti Drug Doping Agency, so that might
(08:00):
be more still to be played out with this. I mean,
he missed the Olympics, said that he has run down
because it was a stress and all the all the
issues that he had to go through navigating this particular issue.
I don't I don't know. I don't know enough about
drugs to be able to comment on it, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Heather, Yeah, it is a tricky one. Would all be
sort of taking a punt out, it wouldn't we? Hey, Matt, okay,
is this the year that we fall out of love
with the America's Cup? Or is this just normal? We
don't get involved in this stage and we're there for
the main event. What do you think?
Speaker 5 (08:27):
Well, someone who worked at on the last America's Cups
as he'd be Heather and was right into it, and
it was here in Auckland. There was so much five
even though it was in the middle of COVID. Now, yeah,
I think I might have been listening to your show,
even to Mike when I realized that, oh god, it
starts tonight kind of thing. Like a lot of people
just were not even aware that it was to come
around so quick because it is in Barcelona. So yes,
(08:49):
the interest in it will be there for the big
races without it there, I didn't. I didn't stay and
watch last night, but I know when when when it
comes to the actual America's Cup itself, I'll be setting
my alarm and watching it through the night. Is a
fascination with the Cup, I think no matter where it's held.
But yeah, the interest, I don't think the interest would
be anywhere near like it would be for New Zealanders
as if we were defending it here on.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Paul, give me a quick take, what do you reckon?
Speaker 4 (09:13):
The time zone is going to have a major impact.
It's midnight till three o'clock in the morning. Kivy fans
love watching it during the hours that they're normally up
and about, and I think it'll have really limited appeal
until maybe they get into the finals on the twelfth
of October onwards, but we'll wait and see. Ninety nine
million dollars they turned down from the New Zealand government
to host it here, so they've gone offshore and it
(09:34):
will make it difficult for the following that they would
get if it was in New Zealand. It won't be
anywhere near the same. Let's say they do well, We'll
wait and see.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, hey, guys, thank you. Enjoy your weekend. Matt Brown,
Paul Ellison our sports help of this Evenings.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
For more from Hither Dupless, sellen Drive, listen live to
news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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