Sports Huddle: Olympic heroes, Athletics, Rob Penney

Newstalk ZB Sports readers Andrew Alderson and Nick Bewley joined Andrew Dickens on the Sports Huddle. 

The first week of the Olympics has wrapped up – with glory and agonising drama across the board for New Zealand – and the guys talk through their heroes so far, including triathlete Hayden Wilde. 

Athletics is about to get underway in the Olympics, with sprinter Zoe Hobbs and runner Sam Tanner, and shot-putters Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill will also be getting underway. 

And they guys talk the Crusaders deciding to stick with Rob Penney despite the Crusaders’ worst Super Rugby season in recent years. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Seventeen to seven. Let's get into sport.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
The Friday Sports Huddle with New Zealand southebyst International Realty,
exceptional marketing for every property.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
Hody Line, Georgia Bellis, it's stuff better taking it at
the touch and New Zealand's got black to black. The
Supreme seven side wins goals, but Alex she beating out
Hayden Wilds by seven agonizing excruciating seconds. Hussy spores Brook

(00:33):
Francis down to the line. That's gold gold for New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
Our boys and Nick Buley and Andrew Orderson and their
commentators as well. Hello guys here Malcolm Jordan, Hey boy,
does he say the word gold with a long relish
when we win the and the and the rowing? Last night?
He really did his goal. He's been practicing his gold.
Do you all practice your golds?

Speaker 4 (01:04):
Well?

Speaker 5 (01:05):
I haven't had the fortune year of calling a gold
seven agonizing excruciating seconds away from it as man who's
there in the build up. But no, we did talk
about this the other day as to whether you know
you pre plan your moment, but I think yeah, Malcolm
nailed the rowing last night, didn't And he's got more
opportunities tonight and tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Absolutely, I'm going to ask a question for you, who
are your Olympic heroes? So far, I could have asked
you what's your highlights? But I want people who are
your heroes? Nick Buley.

Speaker 5 (01:35):
Again, I'll pivot back to the triathlon. My hero is
Hayden Wild and not only for his heroics across that
course of which was extremely difficult, particularly in the swim leg,
but his ultimate sportsmanship moments after being beaten on the
final bend of the run for him to just immediately

(01:56):
put his arm around his great mate and rival Alex
Ye who won God and then immediately in the interviews
for him to acknowledge his countryman Dylan McCulloch saying he
deserves keys to the city, keys to the country, sorry
for helping him get in the position he was in.
I thought that was superb.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
And orson look, I'd whole hardly agree with what Nick
just said. Then I was president Hayden White. I always
ask himself when the athlete, you know, did they know
the cameras on them when they do these things? And
I perhaps he would have, but but I thought he
was genuine. I thought it was he was authentic. I
thought he was articulate afterwards. It was just that it

(02:32):
was he never hesitated when he was going to talk
about Dylan McCulloch and how much he'd supported him. And
also it's obvious just from the relationship with Alex Lee
yeah there that they bonded down over the years with
their rivalry, and I thought that was so good. I'd
also put a an aw in, so to speak, for
Lucy's spores and Brook France's mum was there as mums

(02:54):
exactly exactly, and I thought, but I also just on
that note, just I think as it seems to be
maybe an improvement in more holistic view of the high
performance dragging. And that's the sort of example from what
we've seen with those two and winning gold, but also
the star the enity that took place on for it.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
We see, this is what I like. You know, you've
talked about the great sportsmanship of Hayden whild You've talked
about the mums. But I like all these guys, like
the legally blind pommel guy who takes his glasses off,
can't see, closes his eyes and does it by touch,
and that's great for blind people. I like the Turkish
marksman who just sat there, stuck his hands in his
pocket and lifted up a pistol and shot and won
a silver. And I like the way that people said

(03:35):
he is he secret service from Turkey because he's awfully
he's awfully good with a gun. And those sorts of
guys and Hayden and some on Biles, et cetera. You know,
they prove that sport is the winner on the day, boys, and.

Speaker 4 (03:50):
They also take away the focus on things like the
water quality of the river.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
Sin talk about that. I'm going to put you on hold,
go and do an ad break and coming back to
talk about tonight's action.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
The Friday Sports Huddle with New Zealand Southby's International Realty
on parallel reach and results.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
It's really an Orderson joining us tonight. Guys. Tonight. We've
already talked with Barbara Kendall about the sailing, so we're
very excited about that and there's a chance there of
course with the foiling. He wow, that's amazing. I'll tell
you what. I'm most excited about the return of athletics,
and particularly Zoe Hobbs in the one hundred meters and
also Santana in the fifteen hundred meters the heatst Zoe Andrew, Zoe,

(04:32):
I'm amazed by her. This is such a hard event.
She's so good, She's had so many setbacks. She's there
now it's her time to shine absolutely.

Speaker 4 (04:41):
Andrew. I think that it's one of those ones that
you know, with certain events you can judge them by medals.
But if she was to even make the final of
the one hundred meters, I think would be an outstanding achievement.
I mean she's already gone sub eleven in that thing.
I mean, it's so rare for a New Zealand there
isn't I mean, if you think of the last to
get a medal in a in a sprints of one
hundred meters at the Olympic Games, Lord Port, Arthur Porrot

(05:04):
back in nineteen twenty four, seens three ago. Well, Tom Watson,
Tom Watson, as he's done in charots of five, he's
in what his real name is?

Speaker 1 (05:13):
That's right? And Gus and Kisher was quite good. I
went to score with Gary Henley Smith. But we haven't
had great sprinters and Zoe is great and it is
a blue ribon event. It is the big thing. There
are two big events the one hundred meters which starts
tonight for women, and also the fifteen hundred meters and
Nick Buley. Sam Tanner, he's a very good runner.

Speaker 5 (05:32):
He is a very good runner. But again, just like
orders said there, if Sam Tanner was to make the
final and the fifteen hundred meters again, I think that
would be an outstanding achievement. He certainly showing that he
can be there or thereabouts till we hoping to start
his campaign strong tonight. That first heat is at ten
past nine involving Samtanner ten to ten after Zoe Hobbs

(05:54):
very much looking to the looking forward to the athletic program,
and our shot putter is to round it out tomorrow morning.
And Tom Wilder and Jack O'Gill. I get the sense
that we might see Jack O'Gill perhaps surpass Tom Walsh.
I'm just going to throw that out there now. I
think it has been to Tom's rivalry for a long time.
But Jack o' gill seems to be picking at the

(06:14):
right time.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
I don't care. I just wanted them to beat that
America what's his name, Ryan Krauser, Yeah.

Speaker 4 (06:19):
That might be.

Speaker 5 (06:20):
That might be a bridge too far, seems he seems
to be far too good. But but yeah, look at
it should be a fantastic athletics program. It's certainly one
of the highlights of the program, as is the cycling
or the track cycling next week to come. With still
a lot of metal hopes, you have to say.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
Okay, and apparently it's it's the rugby season, not that
you'd know at the moment while we're talking about track
and field. So Andrew was keeping rob Penny at the
Crusaders the right decision.

Speaker 4 (06:45):
Well, look, nichol poury know more about this than me,
but I think it's a fair call, given that he's
on a contract for that you know that thinks to
time whether he'll be there after this year. And I
think that there was a lot of close games. I mean,
you're coming, you're following one of the great in the
form of Scott Robinson. I think he had a lot.
There's a lot of being asked of them right from
we go, and and a lot of players disappearing as well.

(07:06):
So obviously our thorough process and I think that it
seems fair enough for me. I know, every team's entitled
to the odd off season.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeah, well, here's the thing, Nick he had some newbies
this past year. Hopefully he's fixed them up for the
second year and so there'll be even more attention on them.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
Mate.

Speaker 5 (07:24):
Yeah, I agree. I think there's certainly some caveats that
play there. It hasn't been good enough for sure. You know,
a storied franchise of success. The Crusaders have had a
few things out of his control. Will Jordan being unavailable
for the entire season for one, Scott Barrett barely playing. Look,
injuries happened, and I know other coaches dealt with it better.
But you know the Crusaders, they know what they're doing.

(07:47):
They'll they'll bounce back. It's now the second of a
two year contract for Penny to show his whiz and
if it doesn't work out, they've got a succession plan
in mind, the likes of timas Allison sitting there as
an assistant coach.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
Very good stuff, Nick and Andrew. Thank you so much
for your If it's your one week down, you've been
shouting yourself as horses you can, but you're going to
shout even horser if that's a word, if we start
winning golds under your watch. So thank you so much
for all your efforts. And pass all our best wishes
off to the whole team. Very good, very good, and

(08:19):
of course you can hear all their commentary all night
long on gold Sport and also on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
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