Full Show Podcast: 25 January 2025

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB. The only place for the big names,
the big issues, the big controversies, and the big conversations.
It's all on Weekend Sport with Jason Vine on your
home of Sport News Talks ed B.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Canta get afternoon and welcome into the Saturday edition of
Weekend Sport on News Talks EDB. January twenty five. I'm
Jason Pine, Show producers Andy McDonald. We're head till three
talking sport. A double dose of gold for our kiwis
at the X Games in Aspen this morning, as you
heard in our Sports News, snowboarder zoe Sadowski Senate has
claimed gold in the women's slope Style. It's the fifth

(00:54):
time she's won the event, and.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
With that, Zoey Sadowski Sitate is guaranteed her sixth career
X Games gold medal.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
So I guess that was kind of expected, But what
wasn't was free Luca Harrington pulling off a shockwin in
the men's ski slope style after originally being named as
just an alternate for the event.

Speaker 4 (01:14):
What's he gonna spent on this final jump?

Speaker 3 (01:16):
Going Jake knock Switch for Triple Cork sixteen twenty.

Speaker 5 (01:22):
The smile on his face says it all.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Welcome to Winter X Games.

Speaker 6 (01:27):
Luca Harrington, you are here.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Triple Cork sixteen twenty. I've got no idea what that means,
but man, it sounds impressive. Zarbe Sadowski, Senate is with
us on the show after one o'clock this afternoon. The
show is coming to here today from christ Church, and
one of Canterbury's favorite sons won't be coming home early
from his Japanese adventure. New Zealand rugby All Blacks coach
Scott Robinson, Richie more Uner, and his Japanese club Toshiba

(01:52):
have been unable to reach agreement on Richie more Nger
foregoing the final year of his contract and returning home
in time for the All Blacks test matches later this year. Instead,
he will stay put and Razer will have to make
do with what he's got, which is actually pretty good
until the middle of twenty twenty six. Going to break
this down shortly with newstalk's FB rag Be edit to

(02:13):
Elliott Smith, but I really would like to read your
pulse on this. Do we need to revisit the rules
around eligibility or actually should Raizal just focus on the
players who are available to him other matters around Today
christ Church is new stadium tech Kaha taking shape. Going
to get an update on progress from Chief Executive of

(02:35):
Venues Au taul Tahee Caroline Harvey Tier. A bit later on.
Hamish Kerr is back in action for the first time
since winning Olympic gold in Paris. Tonight he's with us
ahead of the Cooks Classic in Fanglanui. We have our
finalists for the Australian Tennis Open. Dave Worsley joins us
to recap the semis and preview the finals women's singles tonight,
Men's singles tomorrow night. Speaking of christ Church, the Wellington

(02:57):
Phoenix have a game in christ Church this afternoon five o'clock.
Cost of barbarusis ahead of that and the tab cut
a Ka Millions is on at Allesleie a bit later
on today are going to preview that for you. Adam
Peacock out of Australia in his regular slot too, so
lots to get through live sport while we're on the air.
Super Smash Cricket at Bayoval Mount Monnginui Northern Districts against Otago.

(03:17):
The women's game underway at ten past two, with the
men's game to follow. You can join us at any
time in any way that suits you. Our eight hundred
eighty ten eighty is our free phone number ninet two
ninety two if you would like to send a text
or emails into me Jason at Newstalk SEDB dot co
dot Nz. Just gone ten past twelve.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
Breaking down the Hail Mary's and the epic fails Weekend
Sport with Jason zim News Talk zenb so.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
An early return to New Zealand now looking highly unlikely
for fifty six Test All Blacks. First five Richie mu Wonga,
his Japanese club to Sheba and New Zealand Rugby were
in talks to four go the final year of his
three year contract, but those discussions have stalled and despite
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson, Robertson rather being very keen

(04:07):
to have his Crusaders quarterback as he used to call
him back in July, the earliest Richie Moonger can return
to the All Blacks looks like it will be the
middle of next year. The middle of twenty twenty six.
To kick this around, let's bring a news talk there'd
be Rugby editor Elliott Smith. Elliott, first of all, when
you heard this news during the week that an agreement
had not been reached, did that come as a surprise.

Speaker 4 (04:31):
It did a bit piney, to be honest with you,
because from what I'd heard towards the middle to later
point of last year, things were on track and there
was a relative sense of not comfort, but there was
some confidence that Richie Moorean would be back in New
Zealand at some point in twenty twenty five. I guess
when the smoke signal stopped happening and the chatter died down,

(04:55):
it perhaps became more obvious that this was taking a
little bit longer than expected, and certainly had died down
in terms of the chatter on that front. So at
a certain point year looked like it was more likely
than not that he was coming home. And yeah, I
think overall a bit of a surprise that Richie Wonger
won't be back in New Zealand Rugby this year. Scott

(05:16):
Robertson certainly wanted him back. New Zealand Rugby were dead
keen on getting him back and I think Richie Wonger
was certainly open to the idea as well. But ultimately
New Zealand Rugby is going to have to wait now
and look at the alternate plans for this year and
the All Blacks.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
So why couldn't they reach a deal?

Speaker 4 (05:35):
Well, I think it has to be down to money.
That's the only thing that I can possibly think. He's
signed a deal with Tashiba. He's there for three years,
that's what he agreed to at the back end of
twenty twenty two. He would have had to leave early
to come back to New Zealand Rugby early and would
have had to change his contract in some way, whether

(05:56):
it be financial compensation, which would be the most likely,
or perhaps they could have worked out some deferral of
his contracts through to maybe after the Rugby World Cup.
I still think that would have included some form of
financial compensation. So when you've got Tashiba, who have got
him locked down on a multimillion dollar deal for three seasons,
they've got their marketing around him, they've got pictures of

(06:19):
them obviously in their shirt. He's won them a title.
They don't want to let him go particularly easily. And
New Zealand Rugby would have had to come to the
party and figured out some sort of arrangement. Now, the
report this week suggested that to see it weren't necessarily
against the idea, but they would have had a number
or a clause and mind as to what it would
have taken for Richie Muong had to come home early.

(06:41):
They haven't been able to meet on that front, and
now the wedding game goes on. For New Zealand Rugby,
Tasheba at least know that the ongoing season in Japan
League One they'll have them till the end, which they
were always going to, but they'll have them for another
season as well now, which continues their ability to plan
getting into to next season.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
Why is Scott Robertson so intent on bringing Richie Wong
a home early.

Speaker 4 (07:06):
Well, I think you look at his Crusaders record and go,
this is the player that he trusted and gave the
keys to the team two for seven seasons straight and
delivered a trophy of some form in every season there.
So I think that's why, and he believes that he
can unlock that again. At All Blacks level. I think

(07:28):
Scott Robertson has developed a game plan in mind at
the Crusaders that he's begun to put into place at
All Blacks level that would suit Richie Moong's style of play.
We didn't see all of that in twenty twenty four,
but I think that's the player that he wants and
believes he's the vital key to delivering the All Blacks

(07:49):
World Cup success come twenty twenty seven. Now, of course,
Richie Wonger left before Scott Robertson even got the All
Blacks job. That's how far back we're talking now in
terms of when things were signed. It was the end
of twenty twenty two that Richie wong has signed for Toshiba,
and he obviously joined after the twenty twenty three World Cup.

(08:09):
Scott Robinson was announced as All Blacks coach in the
twenty first of March twenty twenty three, so there's been
a lot of water, a lot of time to go
under the bridge. But Scott Robinson has always known that
Richie m Wanger wouldn't be there for at least the
first season. There was conversations as I talked about around
getting in for the second season, but it has not
been a surprise that Richie Wonger has not been there
for the All Blacks. It wasn't like he signed after

(08:30):
Scott Robinson had begun as planning. So there needs to
be I guess, you know, a look towards playing some
other players and that which we've seen this year. Obviously,
Boden Barrett and Damien McKenzie. They're going to get more
time to audition this year come season twenty twenty five.
Now Richie Wonger won't be at the Helm this year.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
You alluded to it before, but maybe just slightly expand
on Richie Wonger's mindset here. Do you think he wanted
to come home this year.

Speaker 4 (08:56):
I think he was certainly open to the idea. I
know he gave some media interviews last July around the
fact and mentioned that obviously he did sign before Scott
Robinson had become All Blacks coach. The forge to sean
partnership at the Crusaders obviously, and as you mentioned, Scott
Robertson called Richie Wonger his franchise quarterback, so there's a
lot of trust there in that level. And you know,

(09:18):
if Richie Wonger had his time over again, maybe he
wouldn't have signed a three year deal. Maybe he would
have only gone for two and we'd be having this
discussion that Richie Wonger potentially is coming back in the
middle of the year. This is all you know, if,
what's maybe and you know, hypotheticals, really the fact as
he did sign that deal and probably there's a sense
of you know what if for Richie Wonger. He was

(09:39):
open to the prospect, as my understanding, but obviously didn't
want upset his current employers to Shiva because he signed
the deal with them, and you know, he's getting well
compensated for going over and doing so, so there's a
lot of plates in the air and juggling for Richie
Moonger to do. Obviously he's enjoying life in Japan. He's

(10:02):
won them a title already. But I think he would
definitely be keen to come back and and played for
the All Blacks once again, knowing it was under Scott robertson.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
How will this saga be leaving Bowden, Barrett and particularly
Damien McKenzie feeling when the All Blacks coach is off
chasing somebody else.

Speaker 4 (10:21):
Well, yeah, I think there will certainly be a sense of, well, look,
we delivered a number of wins last year, and Damien
McKenzie started against Ireland, which was seen as one of
the beachmarks of last year along with those South African Tests.
And Damian McKenzie came back from a Boden Barrett injury
and started that Test and performed very very well. We
saw signs from Boden Barrett as well once he was

(10:43):
given the keys to the team in the latter part
of the year what he certainly came bele of. So
I think they'll be, you know, perhaps on the inside
quite perhaps happy that Richie Along is going to be
at least another year away from coming back to New Zealands.
They'll get another chance, you would think, to audition this year.
Barring perhaps a breakout star or a dominant Super Rugby
season from someone that's unheralded, They're going to get another

(11:06):
season to show they're whars and perhaps go, well, look,
you know, I deserve to be the first choice player
come twenty twenty six. In twenty twenty seven, I guess
there'll be a bit of frustration that a lot of
this conversation has been held about a player that has
not been in the All Blacks squad. Now for more
than a year. He has not played under Scott Robertson
as an All Black, yet has dominated so much of
the rugby conversation over the last eighteen months since he

(11:29):
decided to go to Japan.

Speaker 2 (11:31):
So do you think this is the end of it, Elliott?
In terms of this saga, There's not going to be
a reopening of discussions now. Scott Robertson just focuses on
what he has and we wait for mid twenty twenty
six for Richie Warner.

Speaker 7 (11:42):
Oh, I wouldn't.

Speaker 4 (11:43):
I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe the way this has gone
and the twist and turns finally, we very well might
have another twist in the tail as yet. You know,
we're in the middle of the Tashiba season at the moment,
is a bye weekend in Japan League at the moment,
I wouldn't rule out perhaps another discussion. I think it'd
probably be unlikely, but let's not rule anything out. And

(12:04):
the other thing is as well, is that who's to
say that Richim Wanga will necessarily come back in twenty
twenty six. I mean, all the signs are there, We've
talked about it that he wants to come back to
New Zealand Rugby. But if Dashiba says, look, you've landed
us the title, it might be two by the end.

Speaker 8 (12:18):
Of the season. Who knows.

Speaker 4 (12:19):
We want you to stick around for another three or
four years. Here's the price peas to say that Richim
Wanger won't come back or won't stay at Dashiva and
decide not to come back to New Zealand rugby at all.
This is a saga that I don't think he's finished
by a long shot.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
Pine It all right, lots to chat about. I'm sure
our listeners will have their views which we can hearttake now.
Thanks so much for starting the conversation for us, Elliott.

Speaker 4 (12:42):
Pleasure find it.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
Thanks mate. That's Elliot Smith, our rugby editor. Hear at
News Talks dB match commentator as well, who'll be in
charge of all of the All Blacks test matches in
twenty twenty five, but none of them are going to
feature Richie Moonga. You've heard from Elliot Smith. Keen for
your thoughts on this now, Oh eight hundred eighty ten
eighty it's a free fund number. Do the eligibility rules

(13:05):
need to be looked dad? Or actually should Scott Robertson
just work with who he's got. I honestly think it's
the latter. Rather than chasing someone who, as things stand,
can't play for him, Razors should probably just work with
what he's got, And what he's got is a couple
of pretty decent first fives and Boden Barrett and Damien McKenzie. Now,

(13:31):
if Richim Wonger really is the twenty twenty seven Rugby
World Cup silver Bullets, then surely he's good enough to
reintegrate himself in the middle of next year where he'll
have the full international season, so all the test matches
New Zealand play next year, plus Super Rugby twenty twenty seven,

(13:52):
plus World Cup build up games in twenty twenty seven
to get himself back into the black saddle.

Speaker 8 (14:00):
If you like.

Speaker 2 (14:01):
For the meantime, it seems to me that Razors should
do what he did last year and work with the
guys he's got, actually do some coaching, and continue to
use those two within the framework of the game plan
that he believes will bring successful New Zealand at the
back end of twenty twenty seven oh eight hundred and

(14:22):
eighty ten eighty. I also wonder, and I said this
to Elliott, what all this chasing and unattainable player does
to the two who are still there, and in particular
Damien mackenzie, who of all of them, of the three
of them, Mwana Barrett and Mackenzie is the only one

(14:43):
who fully committed to New Zealand rugby. After the last
World Cup, both Richie Warner and Boden Barrett signed in Japan.
So Damien McKenzie signed with New Zealand Rugby and probably
thought rightly so he'd have a decent run in the
ten Jersey. But Boden Barrett didn't about turn, decided to
come back and now races off chosing Richie Moarnger. If

(15:04):
I'm Damien McKenzie, I'm wondering what on earth is going
on here? What is his reward for turning down much
bigger money he could have earned overseas. His reward, it seems,
is to be told indirectly but fairly unequivocally that his
national coach doesn't think he can run the cutter in

(15:25):
a World Cup winning side. I mean, you couldn't blame
Damen mackenzie, could you if he decided to chase the
Japanese yen instead of sitting at b second and probably
third in the All Blacks first five pecking order. Oh
eight hundred eighty ten eighty can you get your views
on this? Let's get to the phones. Hello Evan, Evan,

(15:50):
I haven't got you there, so we'll just make an
arrangement or an adjustment at our rent and hopefully we
can get Evan on the air shortly. I'll I think
we'll take a break. Actually, let's get a break away
twelve twenty two. When we come back, your calls, Oh
eight hundred eighty ten eighty.

Speaker 1 (16:05):
Some more than just a game weekend sport with Jason
Hyne and GJ. Gunnerhomes New Zealand's most trusted home builder,
News talgs be news talks.

Speaker 2 (16:15):
They'll be twelve twenty five. So you plot me down
in a different city and different studio, and I can't
work the thing. I think I can now? Hello Evan, Hi,
Oh hellow can hear me? I can? I've got you there, mate?

Speaker 9 (16:26):
Okay.

Speaker 6 (16:27):
I think Razer's got to work with what he's got.
But also the easier AU should be looking at maybe
slight tweaking on their rolls.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
What would that tweet? What would that tweak be?

Speaker 7 (16:37):
Evan?

Speaker 2 (16:37):
How would you tweak the rules.

Speaker 10 (16:39):
Well, it's going to have a minimum amount of tests
where they can come back.

Speaker 11 (16:43):
What is it at the moment?

Speaker 2 (16:45):
None, you can't come back?

Speaker 6 (16:47):
Yeah, okay, yeah, I thought Connor was yeah or maybe thirty.

Speaker 2 (16:52):
Yeah. There's the ghetto rule in Australia, which I think
started at about seventy. This was when they wanted Matt
Ghetto back, so they called it the ghetto Ghetto rule,
Ghetto law seventy. I think that's gone down now. In fact,
I don't know what the current situation is in Australia.
I just beg anybody, look. I I feel as though
that there probably has to at some stage be a
bit of negotiation around that. Evan. It's what I would

(17:12):
hate to see though, is for you know, like I said,
I think the mate while the rule is what it is,
it feels to me as though Scott Robertson should live
within those rules. Yes, agitate for a change if that's
what he's after, but it's not like he's got nobody
to wear the ten jersey back here.

Speaker 10 (17:29):
Yeah, and then you can't always have this dream team,
and then we've lost guys like Harry's plumber.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
Plumber is a great example, Evan. That is a that
is a perfect example of somebody who probably thought, well,
I'm third at best. Plus he would have seen that
Scott Robertson was chasing Richid Wonga, so he's fourth. So yeah,
I'm not surprised for Harry Plumber's gone.

Speaker 6 (17:47):
Yeah, uncertainty and.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
Uncertainty indeed, Evan, thanks for holding maid and apologies for
my technical blunder at the start there. Hello, Bevan.

Speaker 9 (17:57):
Jesson, Look, yeah I should have. Don't think there's a
big buss to be made here about Richie Murana. I mean,
you're thirty years old. He's obviously trying to bank some
coin and everyone's running around like thinking, you know that
the guy walks on water. I mean he's a great player,
no doubt, but yeah, I just think it's a bit
of a bit of a fuss made over nothing.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
Yeah, obviously Scott Robertson sees him as as a bit
more than nothing. He obviously won all of those super
rugby titles with Richim Waringer in the ten Jersey. He's
familiar to him, he knows what he's going to get.
They probably know each other pretty well. So I think
Scott Robertson probably. In fact, I'm sure he does, otherwise
he wouldn't have gone through this, believes that he's the

(18:39):
man to wear the ten jersey. I don't think any
of this reflects badly on Richie Warner. He's just playing
rugby to the best of his ability and doing it
pretty well for Tashiba, and I think he probably wants
to play for the All Blacks again, but it's all
sort of happening above him really rather than to him.

Speaker 9 (18:54):
Yeah, and the yeah, okay, the set points. And the
second thing is is that I think that you should
just be eligible to play straight away. There should be
no standdown then who cares? Like if you you know,
you play overseas three, I mean I think Newby are
cutting off their nose despite their faces with that rule.
It's really outdated and it's kind of, I don't know,

(19:16):
it's a little bit immature.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
Okay. So for you, it doesn't matter where you're playing,
you're eligible for the All Blacks.

Speaker 9 (19:23):
Totally get on a plane, man. I mean like, if
you play in the English Premier League for Liverpool and
you get a call up to play for England, I
mean you can play for them straight away.

Speaker 6 (19:34):
Right.

Speaker 9 (19:34):
I mean, or if you're playing, if you're playing in
another league, you know, either Germany or bundes League or whatever,
and you're English, you're strattened to the side, aren't you.

Speaker 2 (19:45):
You are very different though, isn't it, Bevin. The difference
is is that if you open that gate, what happens
to super rugby?

Speaker 11 (19:54):
Well?

Speaker 9 (19:55):
Yeah, but what comes first? Your country or super rugby?

Speaker 2 (20:00):
I think I think they're both important. I think they're
both important. That's I mean, in fact, that is the
reason the rule exists. That's the only reason the rule exists.
It's nothing to do with talent. It's to do with
protecting super rugby. That's the reason the rule is there.
So look, we can debate whether the rules are good
one or not. A new Clearer don't think it is.
I think it is, and I don't. I don't think

(20:20):
either of us is wrong or right. But that's the
reason the rule is there.

Speaker 9 (20:25):
If you're a good player, and you're a superstar knockout,
you know, a Muhammad Ali, you're you're you're you're on
a flora with one punch. You're you're you're playing for
your country first before super rugby. That I mean, I
can't understand why anybody would think Super rugby comes before
playing for your country.

Speaker 2 (20:42):
I think it's probably because Super rugby has, as well
as provincial rugby over many years, provided the foundation upon
which the All Blacks have been built. A competition that is,
you know, that is world leading, A provincial competition that
is world leading, that has allowed the All Blacks to
develop their skills to the level that they have. I
think that's the rest the world leading.

Speaker 9 (21:02):
If it was so world leading wide, it's South Africa
pull out of it.

Speaker 2 (21:06):
Look, look I'm not I'm not saying that that's South
Africa pulling out of it or not. Is that's got
nothing to do with it, whether it's world leading or not.
You tell me what's a better competition, the one that
the South African teams are playing and now or the
one or Super rugby. What's the better competition?

Speaker 9 (21:24):
Well, I think if I think the ability to bring
in the specific nation teams, if if they are quality
and they can be competitive, has probably replaced the loss
of the South African teams. So because obviously I'll live
in you know, we watched this sport, but but but
look what it's done to South Africa have they become

(21:45):
a better team because they their players are playing in
the Northern hemisphere, Well yeah, I mean their will their
World Cup, their World Cup performances would say yes.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
Yeah, let's hover above it. And you're right, they have.
And if that's if that's the most important thing, if
it's if it's if all you're worried about is the
all Blacks, then open that door. If you're if you're
more concerned, I guess about the white ecosystem, then I
think the discussion needs to be ongoing. But look, even
like I say, I don't know whether either of us
is right or wrong. I just think it's a good discussion.

Speaker 9 (22:13):
Yeah, I think they're symbiotic, right, I mean the relationship
that they one one gives the other the strength and
the power. But all I'm saying is that I just
believe that ultimately the super rugby or wherever whatever that
form is, feeds up into your into the into the
national side, and that has to take precedent. So like
what I'm saying is that if you've got a superstar,

(22:35):
you know, you've got Gary Lenker and you want to
bring him and play for England, you bring him in.
You don't say Oh you can't play Gary because you've
played over in Germany for a year.

Speaker 12 (22:44):
That's ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
Yeah, what motivation would players have to stay?

Speaker 9 (22:50):
Money?

Speaker 2 (22:51):
No, but the money's bigger overseas.

Speaker 9 (22:53):
Well, that's why Richie's staying right now.

Speaker 2 (22:55):
What I mean is what what what motivation would somebody
have to stay in Super Rugby if the rule was relaxed.

Speaker 9 (23:01):
Oh your pride, you know, like representing your country, you know,
putting hand on your heart and on the on the
silver fern. I mean, it's got to mean more than
playing for Canterbury or why Kado or whoever.

Speaker 2 (23:15):
No, I guess.

Speaker 7 (23:15):
I mean.

Speaker 2 (23:16):
What I'm saying is, though, if they open it, if
we open up the rules and and anybody who's playing
anywhere in the world can can it represent the all blacks?
We all know the money is better off shore than
it is here in New Zealand. What why would someone
stay in New Zealand?

Speaker 9 (23:33):
Well, they don't have to be in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (23:35):
Yeah, exactly, So what would that do to Super Rugby?

Speaker 9 (23:39):
Well, you look, we're talking about it. It's called Richie Munger.
He's playing for Tishiba and he doesn't play for Super r.

Speaker 2 (23:47):
No I'm not sure you understood the question. If anybody
can just go and play overseas, that will dilute Super Rugby.

Speaker 9 (23:54):
So there's a lot of there's a lot of young
talent out there around all the high schools, Rotora Boys
High School, wherever, in the whole of New Zealand. It
gives them opportunities. So why is that a bad thing?

Speaker 2 (24:05):
All right, we're gonna have to disagree. Bevan good to chat.
Here they mate and look, you're at one end of
this discussion of this argument, which is always a good debate.
The free market would say, okay, just open it up.
But when you open it up, what does that do
to Super rugby which is already struggling, Well, not struggling.
I think it's heading back in the right direction, but

(24:26):
it is in a battle for eyeballs. The reason we
watch Super Rugby, let's be honest, is the Derbies right
here in New Zealand. The reason we watched Super Rugby
as the Derbys. I might be wrong. There might be
a lot of people watching the Australian teams play, but
on any given Super Rugby weekend, I'll watch my team,
the Hurricanes, regardless of who they're playing and a New
Zealand derby. I'm very unlikely to watch a game between

(24:50):
another New Zealand team that isn't mine and an Australian team.
I'm here for the derbies. Now, if you dilute the
New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, take out everybody. Let's say,
take out everyone who was selected for the All Blacks
last year, the thirty six to forty players who played
for the All Blacks last year. Take them out of
Super Rugby and what does that do to get to

(25:10):
that competition? Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty Arthur, thanks
for holding mate.

Speaker 11 (25:17):
Hi there about the first five eights, we've got Barrett
and McKenzie and another talent guy from Taranaki. He was
in the second and.

Speaker 7 (25:28):
Fifteen Josh Jacob.

Speaker 2 (25:30):
Josh Jacob.

Speaker 11 (25:30):
Yes, Jacob very talented and last year is just in
the widest squad of the Chiefs. Now now he's been
signed up for the full squad and the main squad
now and he's getting he's he's only about twenty four
and he's Barrett. With the other McKenzie got injured. He
could have get an opportunity to prove how good he is.
He could prove that he's up to all Black standard.

(25:53):
I feel so I've watched him. He's getting better and
better every year. He's very talented player, got kicking game,
very quick and fast. Yeh, So he's another first five
eights that's got to be looked at too. I think
it's one of those players got injured. I think he
could Slott in spotting the number one team got his opportunity.

Speaker 2 (26:19):
Yeah, I think I need three. Race is going to
need three this year. He's got two. He's got Bowden,
Barrett and Damien McKenzie. He's also got Stephen Petafetta who
can play there but probably won't play there a lot
for the Blues because body's there, Josh Jacob He's he's
in the Chiefs, isn't he. So he's going to probably
struggle for game time too with Damien McKenzie there. So
then you start looking at the other Super rugby franchises

(26:39):
and say, well, who were their first fives. I'm not
even sure the Hurricanes know who their first five is
this year. Brett Cameron's injured. I'm not sure who they're
going to play there. Down in christ Church in further
south in Otago I'm not sure that there's anybody down
there who fits the bill. So yeah, but yeah, he's
injured and back in round six to eight. I understand,

(27:00):
and probably will play fullback when he comes back. All
they might play first five, But yeah, I guess, I guess.
I think what I'd say is, regardless of who it is,
I feel like the All Blacks coach should work within
the parameters that are given to him. I totally get
that Scott Robertson wants to keep the discussion open about
overseas players, and he's using Richie Warner in many ways

(27:20):
as his battering ram for that particular conversation. But while
the rules are what they are, he's given it a crack.
It hasn't worked. Here we are on the twenty fifth
of January. Now needs to refocus, and I'm sure he
has towards coaching the players who are available to him.

Speaker 11 (27:37):
Yeah, I agree, yep, good.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
On, Yarthur, good chat. I hope Josh Jacin does have
a you know, does get opportunities this season. I would
love to have seen him come to the Hurricanes. That's
probably me just being a Hurricanes fan, but he would
have got the entire season, probably for the Hurricanes. Had
he come instead, he's probably going to be stuck behind
Damian McKenzie for game time at the Chiefs. Grant good, I.

Speaker 10 (27:59):
Mate, Yeah. Finally, I think it would be a pr
disaster for the Rugby Union for two reasons if they
bought Richie Muwonga back. The first one is you've said
that about you know the mean, Okay, Richie Muwonger was
number one, first five when he left. Damien McKenzie and

(28:20):
Boden Bearret aren't too far behind. Any other country would
have them in there in their first team. The second
thing is the money side of thing. Clearly, they would
have to buy out his last year contract. Now he's
on a two million dollar contract. Normally it's sort of
about half price to buy at a contract, so say
one million dollars the rugby Union would have had to
pay to get him back a year early earlier. Now,

(28:42):
if I'm in a provincial rugby club that has just
had a request for a grant to repair our damaged
clubrooms turned down by the Rugby Union, then next week
they fork had a million to bring Richie Muwanga back,
I'm not happy.

Speaker 2 (28:56):
Yeah, And that's I believe. While why the discussions have stalled,
and Elliot Smith said that ground didn't he that? You
know it is money that you know, the money to
break his contract is something that was not palatable to
New Zealand Rugby. And so here we are, we stay
where we are.

Speaker 8 (29:13):
You know.

Speaker 2 (29:13):
Richie Wonga, like I said, I think he comes out
of this. You know, with his reputation intact, he hasn't
agitated for a return. He's obviously listened to his former coach,
who I'm sure he's got a great deal of respect
for having worked under him at the Crusaders for all
of those championship winning seasons, and has said, hey, well,
you know, if we can make it work, yes, I'd
like to come back. You know, and for me, right,

(29:34):
Richie Wong should be playing for the All Blacks. He's
at the peak of his powers, but he can't because
he's playing in Japan. He's made that choice. New Zealand
Rugby makes its choice around eligibility. Here we are, let's
move on with who we've got and look forward to
him coming back next year.

Speaker 10 (29:51):
Yeah, and like you said, he's gonna coming back twenty six.
He's going to have a full international season, doesn't matter
that he's not playing Super Rugby, he'd be playing the
UK country that comes out in June July and twenty
six he'll be playing at Rugby Championship. It'll be on
the end off a year tour the UK and.

Speaker 2 (30:11):
Then and a full Super Rugby season in twenty seven,
plus warm up games play. I mean, if he is
in fact the silver Bullet, like I said, Grant, then
he'll easily reintegrate over that over that year to eighteen
months ahead of what we hope will be a World
Cup final back end of twenty seven.

Speaker 13 (30:26):
Yeah, exactly, good on you.

Speaker 2 (30:28):
Good to jet yep, Piney on text and bal answer.
We won't have a decent All Blacks team without a
strong New Zealand NPC and Super Rugby comp. I've played
in both New Zealand and the UK. New Zealand far
better at the equivalent of Premier Club and MPC than
the UK. We can't destroy our domestic game hunting the
odd overseas player. The All Blacks will become weaker and weaker.
It'll be a slow death that simply can't be done.

(30:50):
Thank you for taking the time to text through. It's
twenty to one. We'll take a break. Come back with
more of your calls after this The.

Speaker 1 (30:57):
Tough Questions Off the Turf Weekend Sport with Jason Paine
and GJ. Gunnerholmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder News.

Speaker 2 (31:05):
Talk seventeen to one. Mic on text, Ponty, you can't
really blame Razor once you've driven a Ferrari. It's hard
to hop into a this same leaf mark. But on
Body and d Mac and this leaf, I'd say more
a lovely lexus. I don't think they step down, is
that much? Pete Hello, only a pioneer.

Speaker 14 (31:25):
I agree what you're saying too. You know, if you
leave to go to the country and play somewhere else, well,
this year of your laid you, you've laid your you
made your Beaty can lie and don't expect because a
coach comes into New Zealand becomes a new coach, then
you can just jump ships when you when you decide to.
I reckon, Scott Robin should should realize that is too.

(31:46):
I feel sorry for Body and old Damie McKinsey. They're
treating him none fairly. I reckon, you know, just not on.
They're sort of doing the same thing like with Ian Robertson.
They treated him when he is a coach, and then
he's he's sort of going along the same lines. He's
going to learn a little bit of code of ethic.
Scott Robinson, you don't do somebody else like you're down
to yourself.

Speaker 2 (32:06):
Well, yeah, I mean I don't think Richie Mulonga can
be put on the gun for this, Peter. I don't
think he didn't, like I say, unless unless it hasn't
been reported there. The approach was one way. It was
a Scott Robertson to Richie Mulonger to say, hey, if
we can make it work, do you want to come home.
Richie Moonger didn't get to year one or at the
end of the year two of his He's not even

(32:26):
at the end of the year two yet, he didn't
get to the end of year one in his contract
and say she as I'd love to go back.

Speaker 7 (32:32):
You know.

Speaker 2 (32:32):
I think he's happy in Japan. He's playing well. He's
earned Tsiba a League One title, their second at the
moment after five games of this season, I think he's
okay this So I'm not sure that there's any any
any you know, discourse, negative discourse to be ad to Richie.
But like I said, I have said a couple of times,
I think Scott Robinson, yes, have the conversation, you know,

(32:52):
continue to agitate about it, but actually work with what
you've got.

Speaker 14 (32:56):
And I still reason, a contracts a contract. He's done
a three year contract with the in JP and so
contracts to contract. The people need to think, oh we
can get out of this contract. Well, contra not worth
the paper written on.

Speaker 2 (33:07):
No, that's a good point too, Pete. And and look,
you know, for Richie Mornger even to come into the discussion,
You're right, he would have had to think to himself, Okay,
well if I do come back early, I am breaking
the contract. I remember when he signed he said, look,
I'm all in at t Sheba. You know, I really
want to have success there. And I get the feeling

(33:28):
he you know, all now he will he'll stay for
the three years. And as Elliott Smith said, and I
don't even thought of this, he might stay. He might say,
you know what, I've loved it so much. He give
me be another three years. The money's better. But then
there's that pull of the black jersey and winning the
Rugby World Cup, which Richie Wonga has never done good
to chat to your pete. Hello, Sean, oh my hair guard?

Speaker 15 (33:48):
Good yeah, hey, yeah, Look look I agree with with
with you. Any any decision that we make has to
be for the long term good of the game, and
we can't compare All Black or all Super rugby to
to some guy was rattling on about Premier League soccer

(34:11):
and character and the peak of football and arguably is
possibly not a World Cup. It's your club. Your club
takes president over anything else in football.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
That's Sean Sawan. You land on such a good point
because you ask any football fan in the UK whether
they would rather their team won the Premier League or
whatever league they're in, or England won the World Cup,
and they would choose the league in ninety nine times
out of one hundred.

Speaker 15 (34:42):
I agree now that The other the other thing is
is that when I talk about the long term, Richie
gonna be gone in three or four or five years time,
it won't even be discussion.

Speaker 6 (34:55):
Right.

Speaker 15 (34:56):
So he managed to get where he got because he
played for the All Blacks. He went through a system
of Super rugby and and the All Black structure that
gave him the skills, and they don't get me wrong.
He had a very talented footballer and he is the
best verse five we've got. But he got that coverage

(35:22):
because he was an All Black. He wouldn't have got
that contract unless he was an All Black. We downgrade
the All Blacks, and these players should think about that
if they are going to get the big bucks, if.

Speaker 16 (35:35):
They become key All Black players, they will not get
the big dollars given to them if they'll get a contract,
but they'll get.

Speaker 15 (35:45):
A premium if they're in an outstanding All Black.

Speaker 17 (35:50):
I'm probably going to show my age right now.

Speaker 15 (35:54):
After the ninety five World Cup, Graham Baship.

Speaker 12 (35:59):
Left. I think he might have gone to Japan.

Speaker 17 (36:03):
He did go to Japan.

Speaker 15 (36:05):
Larry May thought truth and nail to get him back,
to get him to change.

Speaker 16 (36:12):
His mind, get him to come back and play for
the All Blacks.

Speaker 15 (36:15):
Now they happened and he ended up with second best
Justin Marshall. Justin Marshall went on to be one of their.

Speaker 16 (36:25):
Best ever All Black halfbacks and All Black captain. Just
don't ever underrate what's around the corner. We're great at
producing world class players and just I'm just gonna have
one final point is that if if.

Speaker 15 (36:47):
We sorry South Africa leaving Super Rugby, there's no doubt
about it. It is stuff the tournament.

Speaker 17 (36:55):
The tournament's not a patch on what.

Speaker 15 (36:58):
It was, but unfortunately is nothing we can do about that.

Speaker 2 (37:02):
Thank you, Sean. I appreciate your call, and I mean
you're not showing your age. I mean i'd be talking
about the eighty seven World Cup. But it's a good
point you make. The other thing is diluting Super rugby.
We talk about how there's this conveyor belt, this conveyor
belt of talent coming through and yes there is. But
as soon as that conveyor belt lands in a competition

(37:22):
where the top forty guys are not there, then automatically
their standards aren't going to be as high as they
would have been if those guys are there. So, yes,
the conveyor belt of New Zealand talent is there, but
it feeds into a world class provincial competition. In terms
of Super rugby, I'm talking here if we can call
it a provincial competition, a franchise competition, the equal of

(37:46):
anything going on around the world. The top fourteen in
the Northern Hemisphere included for me, the top New Zealand
Derby's are the best franchise rugby you will find in
the world. Mark, I mate, what's on your mind?

Speaker 17 (38:03):
Oh yeah, sorry, just just a very quick call, just
off for a different perspective, maybe on the Riggie situation.
Yeah please, I'm not I'm not a sportsman. They're all
not a sports person at all. It's beyond me. It'sure
why I'm even calling a sports So.

Speaker 2 (38:15):
It's good to have you with us, it's good to
have you with us.

Speaker 17 (38:17):
Money, it's beyond me. I couldn't even name it all
black probably, but I'm just ringing from a business point
of view. I employed ten people. People come and go
all the time. The best guy I ever employed left
I didn't go chasing him back. I focused on the
people that already had left and let someone else shine.

Speaker 2 (38:37):
It's a great perspective you bring, Mark, because often there
are those parallels between sport and business, and the analogy
you make is a good one. Yeah yeah, work with
yees yeah no maybe yeah, no, it's a market It's
a really good point because the other thing you'll know
from business is if somebody you know it wants to
leave and then they come to you and say hey, Mark,
I'm going to leave, give us another ten grand. The
chances are give them the ten grand, they'll be gone

(38:58):
in six months anyway. So yeah, work with what you've
got then.

Speaker 17 (39:01):
Yeah, you just you just ring. You just risk alienating
the people around you already. So focus on the employees,
all the players in this case that you've already got,
lead them.

Speaker 2 (39:09):
Sean, I think you should Ring sports talk back more often. Mark,
good to Jette, thanks for calling, and you've brought it.
It's a great perspective, it is. The analogy is valid,
Matt High.

Speaker 18 (39:26):
Yeah, I think it's just another example of Raiss sort
of disrespect in South enviarlament, like he with the whole
thing around Foster, the way he would come out and
talk about how he's going to leave and sort of
antagonize in that art to get the job. And he's
sort of done the same thing and try to Demac
and Body the same way and sort of antagonize them,

(39:47):
antagonizing there to try them basically into as well.

Speaker 2 (39:51):
Yeah, I just wonder what the conversation is going to
be when they come into All Blacks camp and whenever
it is June of this year, Biden, Baron and Damien McKenzie.
And when when Scott Robertson is talking to them about
you know how they're going to run run the team around,
don't know in the back of their minds that is
Scott rob and had his way, there'd be another bloke there.

Speaker 7 (40:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 12 (40:09):
And I mean if you think about Richie was nothing
sectional in the All Blacks. He was an exceptional separugby player.
But you can name a handful of games where he
stood out.

Speaker 7 (40:16):
He lost.

Speaker 12 (40:16):
He was at the helm of both Argentina losses. He
lost two World Cups. He lost the series in New
Zealand against Ireland. The only games I can think he
had a good quarter final against Ireland the Rugby World
Cup and he had a good game against South Africa
at m boon Bella Stadium. But other than that, I
mean he never, never shy and never stood up. Body
was a better option all along. So I think he's

(40:38):
no Dan Carter, He's no boat in Barratt And to
turn on your players that you have in the addressing
room to try against someone back just because he's your
best mate is about as disrespectful as.

Speaker 2 (40:50):
The gets good point well made, Matt good point well made.
Thanks in Day seven away from one News Talks MB.

Speaker 1 (40:56):
When sit down to the line you made the call
on eight eight Weekend Sport with Jason Hine, News Talks MB.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
Four to one. Thank you for all your calls and
apologies for those who couldn't get through. Thank you for
all your text messages as well, just just a plethora
of text messages, all of which well pretty much with
that exception make good points to my apologies for not
being able to read them all out. I'm sure we'll
have this discussion again over the next little while. After
one o'clock though, an Olympic champion Hamish Kerr refocusing on

(41:26):
twenty twenty five now in Fongube tonight at the Cook's
Classic and ex Game champion again. Zoe Sadowski senate on
the show.

Speaker 1 (41:36):
The only place to discuss the biggest sports issues on
and after fields.

Speaker 19 (41:41):
It's all on wi JA.

Speaker 1 (41:42):
Sport with Jason Vain on your home of Sport Used Talks.

Speaker 2 (41:48):
MB, Yes, Gilder and welcome back or welcome in as
the case may be. This is Weekend Sport on News
Talks EDB, Jason Pine and McDonald with you until three
just gone seven past one. A lot to get through
this hour Key we Snowboarding Powerhouse Zoey Sadowski senates on
the show. She's won the women's snowboard slope Style at

(42:11):
the twenty twenty five Aspen X Games. That takes her
career total of X Games medals to eleven eleven, six
of those are gold. Zoey Sadowski senate with us inside
the next fifteen minutes to reflect on her latest success.
Also this hour Dave Worsley from the Australian Tennis Open
and Adam Peacock from across the Tasman as well. Your

(42:33):
calls and correspondence continue to be welcome. Oh eight one
hundred eighty ten eighty nine two ninety two on text
or emails to Jason at NEWSTALKSEB dot co dot nz.
But we start this hour with Olympic high jump champion
Hamish Curve. He's back in action this weekend for the
first time since winning gold in Paris. Hamous kurve for
the gold medal.

Speaker 5 (42:55):
Kiwi's can fly and hamous kur scales his everest and
his high jump Olympic champion and he is a way
homous Chur sprinting around this arena.

Speaker 2 (43:11):
He is one of the star attractions at the historic
Cooks Classic meeting and fan Anui Paris Power Olympic Champion
sprinter and A Grimaldi also competing along with other Olympians
Sam Tanner, Lauren Bruce and Ethan Oliver Hamish Kerr is
with US Hamos. Great to get the chance to chat
to you for the first time in twenty twenty five,

(43:31):
and it is twenty twenty five. Now, how challenging has
it been to move on and to look forward and
refocus after the incredible twenty twenty four that you had,
including winning Olympic gold in Paris.

Speaker 20 (43:46):
Yeah, it's definitely been interesting, that's for sure. I mean,
obviously in the last year was pretty special. Just been
able to celebrate and enjoy what I've done. But it's
kind of nice that there's a new number on the
air now and we can just kind of start looking forward.
But yeah, I'm super excited to jump today and get
into what should be the start of an awesome season.

Speaker 2 (44:04):
When did you start training again.

Speaker 20 (44:11):
Jumping wise, Probably about three weeks ago, okay, so yeah,
so it'll be interesting to see what happens, you know,
in terms of competing so quickly after that. But I've
been sort of in training since about November, just not
really seriously, and then and then sort of once once
all the Christmas New Year's stuff kind of got out
of the way, then we we've started to crack back
into it. But I mean the thing is this year

(44:32):
is as obviously we're looking towards September and that been
our World Champs.

Speaker 8 (44:35):
So yeah, there's still a wee bit of time to come.

Speaker 2 (44:38):
This is earlier, though, a lot earlier in your training
block than you would usually compete, isn't it. So why
have you decided to get Underwagh this early?

Speaker 20 (44:46):
Yeah, No, it is, it is much earlier, I think.
I mean, look, we've got a great opportunity to compete
in New Zealand, and it's something that you know, I
sat down with Jimmy and my coach and we sort
of identified the fact that it is a pretty cool
opportunity now to compete in New Zealand and get out
there in front of new young crowd and give them
a good show. So I think, you know, there was
there was a bit of commitment there around around you know,

(45:08):
what I wanted to do domestically, but also I think
you know, these days we are in positions where we
do have to compete when we're slightly less than optimal.
So this is just another case of trying to test
that and just see how deep we can really push.

Speaker 2 (45:21):
This is quite a special venue for you too, isn't
Hamish hung do we? I think you jump what tow
seventeen there in twenty seventeen?

Speaker 7 (45:27):
Is that right?

Speaker 8 (45:28):
Yes? Yeah I did. Yeah.

Speaker 20 (45:30):
So I have had had a lovely relationship with Kott's
Gardens over the years. It's it's a meat that I've
I've really enjoyed and done quite well at in the past.
So yeah, I always love coming back and jumping in
front of the Woman Earth crowd.

Speaker 2 (45:43):
So when you look ahead, I know you you know,
in a in a quest for constant improvement. Where are
you placing your focus now as you look for you know,
incremental and significant improvement over the next few months before
the World Champs.

Speaker 20 (45:57):
Yeah, I mean, look, there's there's always there's you can
you can improve everything, right like, I mean, there's there's
technical changes we can make, and there's there's sort of
physical changes that we can be pushing. But I think
for me, now, you know, one of the big things
that we identified post yeah, post post what was an
amazing last last season was how do we keep the
enjoyment and just be sustainable over the next probably two

(46:20):
two and a half years before we really crack back
into the next game. So yeah, I think, you know,
the big focus now is actually just about enjoying it
and you know, not being too too deeply focused around
what we're trying to do to get better. Obviously that's
the team's job, and you know, the coaching setups job,
but for me, like I'm just I'm just happy to
be back and just enjoying it. So I suppose for

(46:41):
me that's that's the next few months is just trying
to get through and be as positive as possible about it.

Speaker 2 (46:46):
So that strikes me as a really interesting balance to strike.
To say, have a lot more fun. Yeah that sounds
like fun, but yeah, you're able also to keep laser
focused on the things that that will help you to improve. Yeah,
I mean, I.

Speaker 20 (47:01):
Mean yeah, Like I mean, as I sort of indicated
the team that I've got around me and the people
that making those hard decisions around what I'm actually doing
it training the ore, the ones who are who are
you know, continually making sure that I am producing as
an athlete, and then that sort of means that when
I get to turn up to training, I get to
enjoy it a wee bit more and just sort of
take each session as it comes. But yeah, I think

(47:22):
it is about trying to learn that balance of what
is fun and also for me, you know, I am
an e leite athlete, getting better is fun and so
you know, at a point where you know, now I'm
starting to take it a bit more seriously, I actually
do find a lot of enjoyment in that as well.
So yeah, I think I think they go hand in
hand quite nicely.

Speaker 2 (47:41):
So the World Outdoor Champs Tokyo September, you must you
must feel as though you're a real shot, do you
at winning gold there?

Speaker 8 (47:50):
Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 20 (47:51):
I mean that's the focus, right is to try and
try and tick off that final big global global title,
which is the one that I don't have. So yeah,
I do think that I'm capable of doing it. But
at the same time, you know, like like I've said
time and time again, there's some some pretty talented guys
in the field of high jump at the moment, and
so you know, for me, it's about doing as much

(48:11):
as I can, but knowing those boys will also be
doing all they can to you know, push me off
that top spot.

Speaker 2 (48:16):
Yeah, well sort of meddleist from Paris Shelby mcew. And
he's only twenty eight, same age as you, so presumably
he'll go around again. What about Mutas Bashem and gian
Marco tam Barry are they I think barshe might have retired.
He's tam Bury retired.

Speaker 8 (48:29):
You'd have to ask.

Speaker 2 (48:30):
Them, Ah, what are you hearing?

Speaker 8 (48:34):
Mate?

Speaker 20 (48:35):
Honestly, you hear everything. You hear everything on on tour.
It's you know, I mean, I'm pretty sure Barshan was
supposed to retire about five years ago, and Dan Barry's
sort of you know, had his last season about three
seasons in a row. So honestly, mate, like, I mean,
I'm expecting them to be there. I think that they both,
you know, have so much more they can give to
the sport, and they both I think the fact that

(48:55):
they both didn't win the games.

Speaker 8 (48:58):
Yeah, really really kind of changed it.

Speaker 20 (49:00):
I had a feeling that if either one of them
got gold last year they would have retired, but unfortunately
I had to go and put a scanner on networks
and yeah, I think I think they'll be.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
Back, although, yeah, you've elongated their careers and other words,
which I think is a good thing.

Speaker 8 (49:14):
So, you know, I aim to continue to elongate their careers.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
Excellent stuff. So are you already sort of starting you
mentioned before about the you know, over the next couple
of years two and a half years. Are you already though,
plotting your path to Los Angeles in twenty twenty eight.

Speaker 20 (49:29):
Yeah, I mean we've had conversations around it, for sure.
I know, I know that I'm going to be there,
and I know that the goal is definitely to defend
and potentially jumping on record which is two forty's that's
sort of the goal to sort of get us going
for the next four years. But yeah, it's it's you know,
it's one thing putting that gold down and another thing
actually working out how we're going to get there, And
I think that's probably where we're trying to focus our

(49:51):
energies and at the moment as understanding how we can
actually achieve that.

Speaker 2 (49:54):
How many people directon have seen and touched your gold
medal in the last.

Speaker 20 (49:58):
Few months, oh thousands, brilliant. Yeah, it's been great, Honestly,
it's been awesome. I've really you know, I've had the
amazing privilege to take around schools and businesses and into
various events, and it's pretty cool to see just the
lock on people's faces when they see it for the
first time. So yeah, I encourage you and if they
see me around to try and get me to drag

(50:20):
it out. I'm not bringing it out as much anymore,
but yeah, it's a pretty special thing to have, that's
for sure.

Speaker 2 (50:26):
Absolutely it is. Well look brilliant twenty twenty four. Hope
twenty twenty five is just as good for your Hamish
good the chat is always all the best in Fongenobi.

Speaker 8 (50:33):
Awesome mate, Thanks hates no.

Speaker 2 (50:35):
Thank you, Hamish. Hamish kur there Olympic high jump champion,
back into it this evening at the Cooks Classic in Fonganubi,
fairly iconic track and field event. Great to see Hamish
Kerr there along with a couple of other Olympians, Sam
Tana and a Grimaldy Paralympic two hundred meters champion. She'll
be running tonight as well. I believe this is all

(50:56):
live streamed on Athletics New Zealand's YouTube channel. It actually
starts at four o'clock this afternoon, but the main action
is from around about seven o'clock. But if you go
to the Athletics New Zealand website which is Athletics dot
org dot n Z, the program is there and all
the details on how to live stream it on their

(51:16):
YouTube channel. On text, Shawn says, I never thought I'd
see a New Zealander win an Olympic high jump gold.
Just amazing and an example that anything is possible from
our rocking little country. Yeah. Still I think my favorite
moment of twenty twenty four. There was a lot of
a lot of great sport last year, but I still
think hamous Kurz high jump gold medal tops them all.

(51:39):
For me, that was the sporting moment of twenty twenty four.
One seventeen Weekend Sport speaking of amazing from this rocking
little country. Kiwe snowboarding powerhouse Zoey Sadowski Senate has won
the women's snowboard Slope Style at the twenty twenty five
Aspen X Games, and.

Speaker 3 (51:59):
With that, Zoey Sadowski Sitate is guaranteed her sixth career
X Games Goldman.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
She posted a score of ninety four point six six
in her first run, including a little bit of history.

Speaker 21 (52:12):
Going for that BACSA fourteen.

Speaker 2 (52:16):
Yes, let's go.

Speaker 3 (52:18):
The first ever triple cork in women's slip style competition.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
You just watch history, folks.

Speaker 2 (52:25):
Incredible. It takes her career total X Games medal counts
to eleven. Eleven X Games medals, six of them are gold.
Zoe Sadowski Senate is with us out of Aspen. Zoe, congratulations.
How do you reflect on what happened a few hours ago?

Speaker 22 (52:42):
Hi? Yeah, honestly, I can't really believe that I put
down a run that I didn't even think was possible
when I would ever do. And so to come back
after an injury that put me out last year and
come back to do that run and when gold, it
means everything to me.

Speaker 2 (53:02):
So the run you're talking about the world's first triple
cork in a women's slopestyle competition, First of all, you're
going to have to tell us what that is.

Speaker 22 (53:12):
Yeah, a trifle cork is It's a slowwhat trick? That's
four full rotations and you are flipping three times. And
when we say cork, it's because it's off axis in
those four full rotations, the fourteen forty part and those

(53:35):
three flips kind of men together, and it's a really
it's a really committing trick and quite a high consequence.
So it's been absolutely terrifying to learn and then put
it down on snow, and then now putting it into
a competition just feels insane.

Speaker 2 (53:55):
I mean just even hearing you talk about it. So
you've put it down in training. So was it always
the aim to try and put it down here?

Speaker 1 (54:05):
No, not at all.

Speaker 22 (54:06):
Honestly, I've done it in training once before, and coming
into X Games, I just wanted to do it in
the big air last night, and even to do it there,
I was so nervous to the point where I, yeah,
it had been so long since I'd been at X Games,

(54:27):
and I just knew that I had to do it,
and I ended up doing a couple of them in
the competition. So then the big air jump is the
same jump as the last jump in the folk style course.
So after doing that last night, coming into today, I
knew that I kind of had the only option was
to go for it and try and put down this

(54:49):
run that honestly seemed impossible to me a week ago.

Speaker 2 (54:53):
Well, you might be the impossible possible. You committed to
it you landed. What are the emotions when you land it?

Speaker 22 (55:02):
Honestly, I wanted to cry after such a scary trick
and after landing my whole run before it, and coming
into that last time knowing that I could go for
a ten to eighty, take a step back and then
and not do the fourteen forty like then, to tell

(55:26):
myself that I could do it, and to actually be
able to put it down when it counted, Yeah, emotions
were definitely running high and it felt it felt insane.

Speaker 2 (55:37):
That is remarkable self talk to yourself to tell yourself
to do it like that. Is that something that you've
developed over time, the courage to have that sort of
self talk and follow through with it.

Speaker 22 (55:50):
Yeah, definitely, I use a lot of self talk when
I'm snowboarding. It's sow warning is such a confidence fueled
sport and it's all about scaring yourself and to have
that little voice in the back of your head just
telling you to just go for it and do everything

(56:12):
you possibly can to make it work is It's so important.
And I had that in my head today and yeah,
it's definitely taken a long time to trust that voice,
but yeah, I'm just so stoked.

Speaker 2 (56:27):
It's just remarkable what you're doing now. Eleven X Games
medals now six of them gold. Is it commonplace now
or is it still a buzz for you?

Speaker 22 (56:37):
No? Honestly, after my injury, I wasn't really sure if
I'd ever get back to this level with the pace
that my sport progresses.

Speaker 5 (56:47):
And.

Speaker 22 (56:49):
Like I didn't even I didn't even know if I
would win any medals this week. So to be here
with gold is just it means everything.

Speaker 2 (57:00):
And you talked about your injury a couple of times.
That was an ankle injury, right, So how you know
how challenging was the recovery from that.

Speaker 22 (57:08):
Yeah, I injured my ankle in December twenty twenty three,
and initially it was it was only meant to be
six weeks, but when I got back on my board,
I was just still in so much pain and it
wasn't healing as fast as expected. And that was kind
of the story throughout the whole rehab and really that

(57:31):
last year, like it was taking longer, it was more
painful than it should have been. And yeah, when I
was six months down the road, I got a steroid
injection in it and slowed down. I stayed home in
New Zealand, down in Monaca, and I focused on the
rehab and making sure that I got back to one hundred.

(57:53):
And when I did, I was part of the progression,
not just playing catch up. And yeah, it was definitely
mentally and physically challenging, but yeah, I kind of I
kind of owe it all to the crew that I
have around me, my sponsor's team, my coach, family and

(58:15):
friends that have helped me third and help me come back.

Speaker 2 (58:18):
Into you as well, I mean it says a lot
about you as well as Oe. So what's next? Now
you can, you can chill out for a bit, But
what's next?

Speaker 22 (58:25):
Yeah, I've got a couple of days before I have
a World Cup Slope style and a World Cup Big
Air again here in Ascent, and yeah, I'm looking forward
to those ones that will be on the same course
as X Games. I'm pretty sure. So yeah, just try
and just keep the ball rolling and yeah, just snow.

Speaker 8 (58:48):
Warn good on you.

Speaker 2 (58:50):
Have you have you watched your your run back? Have
you watched it back? Do you watch it back?

Speaker 14 (58:55):
Yeah?

Speaker 22 (58:55):
I do watch it back.

Speaker 2 (58:56):
I'll be watching it. I'll be watching it twenty five times.

Speaker 22 (59:00):
Yeah, I look at it in disbelief that that actually happened.
I kind of blacked out.

Speaker 2 (59:08):
Amazing, amazing, Zoe, what you've done. Everybody back here absolutely delighted.
Congratulations on another X Game's gold medal. Thanks for having
a chat to us.

Speaker 19 (59:16):
Hey, thank you so much, No, thank you.

Speaker 2 (59:17):
For joining us.

Speaker 7 (59:18):
Zoe.

Speaker 2 (59:19):
Congratulations again. Zoey Sadowski Senate, who's won the women's snowboard
Slope Style at the twenty twenty five Aspen X Games,
her eleventh X Games medal, six of those gold, and
it wasn't the only key we success. Heck of an
X Game's debut for young Kiwi Luca Harrington, twenty year
old free skier. He's won the men's slope Style in

(59:42):
Aspen after only initially being named as an alternate. So
we're going to try and get Luka Harrington on the
radio tomorrow to find a bit more about this guy.
We know all about Zoe Sadowski Senate and her legend
continues to grow, but looka Harrington, we don't know as
much about him. So we'll try and get him on
the radio for you tomorrow, one twenty five. Let's take

(01:00:02):
a break when we come back on News Talks hereb
and weekend sport at the Aussie Open. Our finalists confirmed
in the men's and women's singles. Dave Worsley going to
preview those finals for us when we come back. Start
your journey today with a GJ Gardner Home. The team
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(01:01:05):
That website again dub dot Gjgardner dot co dot nz.

Speaker 1 (01:01:10):
The biggest things in sport are on Weekend Sport.

Speaker 8 (01:01:13):
With Jason Pain and GJ.

Speaker 1 (01:01:15):
Gardnerholmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder news Dogs.

Speaker 2 (01:01:19):
NB coming up one twenty nine. A muscle tear has
forced Novak Djokovic to retire hurt from the Australian Tennis
Open semifinals. I think this is it, this is it
against It's over and it is a stunned rod Laver Arena. Yeah,

(01:01:44):
the twenty four time major winer walking off rod Laver
Arena with an injured leg after losing the opening set
against German second seed Alexander Zverev and a tie breaks.
Verev will face top seed and defending champion Yannick Sinner
in tomorrow night's final after he dispatched Ben Shelton in
straight sets games.

Speaker 23 (01:02:06):
It will be a third major.

Speaker 24 (01:02:10):
Sixteen your attempt to defend his title in sashiasvillef He
maximized the moments today against Benshouting and found a way
to operate.

Speaker 2 (01:02:25):
Champions still, so the top two seeds in the men's
final and the women's final tonight. It is Arena Sablenka,
two time defending champion, against the American Madison Keys. Let's
bring in longtime tennis correspondent Dave Worsley, who's at his
empteenth Australian Open. You might even be able to tell
us how many you have been to Dave. What number
is this?

Speaker 7 (01:02:46):
This is twenty six, so it makes me pretty old.

Speaker 2 (01:02:49):
I guess well, I'll tell you what. It's a it's
a terrific, terrific run. Now, the crowd were booing Novak
Djokovic after he retired, hurt. What's going on there?

Speaker 7 (01:03:01):
Yeah, it's interesting the crowd this year, it seems to
have got more feral. Certainly for the early matches with
a lot of Australian players, they were got pretty raucous
and pretty fair in many ways, whereas say the French
crowd when the French players were playing, they were fair,
the Brazilians, et cetera. But the Aussie crowds certainly were well.
They weren't great in the first week and now in

(01:03:23):
the second week as we got to witness in the
semi finals last night. See, I don't know, maybe they
just really wanted more tennis for their money that they're paid.
But yeah, that was a bit off. You could tell that.
You know, he wasn't just pulling out for the fun
of it. He's not that sort of person. He's won
it ten times and as Zadev said afterwards on court,
you know, show a little bit of respect. He's twenty

(01:03:45):
four time champion, ten times at the Australian Open, and
he's pulled out with an injury, not because he didn't
feel like playing.

Speaker 2 (01:03:51):
Yeah, and that's exactly it. He's played there injured before,
hasn't he. He's gone quite deep with injury before. So
I think you're probably right, David's people having paid you
money for their tickets and wanting, you know, a five
setter or at least a three setter. Any Why what
was Djokovic's demeanor like afterwards?

Speaker 7 (01:04:11):
Well, in the press conference, he made a couple of
good points. He said, well, you know, okay, there was
some billing, but he said, I understand that those people
paid a lot of money and wanted more tennis, and
they always want more tennis. They don't want a three,
said that they want a five, and even when it
goes five, they wanted to keep on going, but you know,
that's just one of those things. He said, Look, I
couldn't play anymore. And he was asked, well, what about

(01:04:32):
if you had won that first set, would you have
been able to keep going? Would it sort of kept
you going a bit more? He said, no, not really.
He said, you know, maybe I could have, but yeah,
I wouldn't have lasted that much longer, he said, had
an injury. We all saw it in the previous match
against Carlos Alcarez. He was struggling a little bit then
and managed to come through a great battle there, but
this time he just said, well, I don't know if

(01:04:53):
I'll be back either. He was asked if he had
come back again, is this that for this grand up?
He said, we'll see. It was very much we'll see,
And then he was asked, well, what about your coaching
relationship with Andy Murray, how's that going to go and
to see? Well, we'll see on that as well. So
everything is very much up in the air for Novak Center, novaccentent,

(01:05:14):
Novak Jokovic, Sorry, well, thinking about young Ack Center as well. Yeah,
everything up in the air and unfortunate way to finish. Yeah,
it just people did want more, and even Zev said
on court as well that he was surprised. He didn't
think that that Djokovic was going to pull out.

Speaker 2 (01:05:32):
Just before we move on from Novak Djokovic, I guess
it's possible, Dave, that his final number might be twenty four.

Speaker 7 (01:05:40):
I would say very possible. I can't see him winning
the French Open at all, Wimbledon, for it's probably his
best opportunity. Well from now on, US Open has just
a drawn out drag of a tournament where you just
feel absolutely exhausted and you've got to win your seven
matches and it's just tough, and I can't see him

(01:06:02):
winning that. We're in, you know, it's a bit shorter matches,
shorter time of play. But even then, well it was
Alkaraz who's won at the last couple of times and
beaten Djokovic.

Speaker 8 (01:06:14):
I don't know.

Speaker 7 (01:06:14):
I think there's going to be twenty four. It's going
to be his number, and it's just well, hey, it's
superb getting to twenty four, particularly when he was racing
against Federer and the Dale to actually get there and
having to really compete against those two. But now he's
up against young players. Well younger players Zadis twenty seven,
You've got alcaz At what is he twenty one, and
you've got center At twenty two, twenty three. So you've

(01:06:37):
got those set the players, and then others like Shelton
coming through as well who are going to create some damage.
There's a whole lot of others around about nineteen twenty two.

Speaker 2 (01:06:46):
Alright, let's talk about the German second seed, Alexander's Veriev
into his third major final. He's never won one. He's
been around since what twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen, Dave, He's
made semi finals. This is his first Australian Open final.
What chance do you give Alexanders Verie finally breaking this

(01:07:08):
major duck of hiss.

Speaker 7 (01:07:10):
Well, there's always been this pressure on him that he
had it in the US Open twenty twenty against Dominic team.
I think he was one or two points away and
he had it within his grasp when they lost it
in sort of collapse. He struggled since then. He made
the French Open final and I think there was against
in the day. It's always against the day at the
French and again struggled there. He has had his opportunities

(01:07:33):
and the pressure kept on coming on to him and
making it so difficult to actually win, and he was
so consistent in making the quarters or the semi finals. However,
he just struggled to actually capitalize on that on his skills,
and then he sort of fell away a little bit.
He's come back very strong in the later part of
the year and so far at the Australian opened as well. Really,

(01:07:53):
I wouldn't say he his cruised through, but he certainly
played extremely strong to make it through to the final.
For can he do it against a Cinner? Yeah, I
think you've got a favorite center obviously defending champion, and
he's had a couple of little nickel injuries and then
also a bit of cramp last night that I I

(01:08:14):
think I'm still going sixty forty for Sinner over Zadev,
who has a lot of ability, but I just think
the mental pressure will tell on him.

Speaker 2 (01:08:22):
Second Simmi, last night, let's look at that young Ni
center top seed against Ben Shelton. The rank outside a
twenty first seated American seven six so seven two on
the tie break then six two six two. That looks
pretty comprehensive. Was it as comprehensive on court as that.

Speaker 7 (01:08:37):
Well, the first set was exciting. That's what you get
with Ben Shelton. You get excitement, you get him well,
he just felt collected center with a servant. I think
it was about two hundred and forty en case. The
ball just kept on aiming straight at center. He had
to must get out of the way, and that's what
you get. That was a second serve actually, so you know,
you get these big serves, you get them trying to volley,

(01:08:58):
you get them trying to do all sorts of things
and makes it exciting to watch. However, keeping up that
level against someone who was at a different level sale
in Cinner is difficult. And this is the thing is
level dropped away. He started being a bit passive against
someone like Sinner. You've got to be aggressive. That doesn't
mean going for a big shot every time, but that
means being aggressive in the point. If you get passive

(01:09:20):
against Sinner, he will just deal to you as what
happened in the second and third sets, and that's you know.
Senna is good. Shelton is good. He's made the what
was it the semi finals of the USL in twenty
twenty three loss to Djokovic, He's got plenty of potential.
He just needs to sometimes understand when and how he
should be playing his shots, particularly when you're up against
someone like Senna, who is just he's just so good, all.

Speaker 2 (01:09:46):
Right, So first against second in terms of seedings for
the men's final, that's tomorrow night Tonight the women's singles
final from nine to thirty New Zealand time on Rod
Labor Area. Arena Sabolenka two time defending champion. She's only
dropped one set in the entire tournament, up against Madison Keys,
who I think for many was probably a surprise when
over Eggers fe On take maybe even a surprise to

(01:10:08):
herself in the semi final. Can Medicine Keys lift one
more time? Because Arena Saberlenka looks imperious to me, Dave.

Speaker 7 (01:10:17):
Yeah, she does. She's hitting the ball so hard we
could be in for a little bit of a well,
we won't call it a bashing test, but it's certainly
a very hard hitting you know, I can hit it hard.
Can you hit it that hard? That's what we're probably
going to get tonight because that's the way that Keys
plays as well. Where Zego's Frontek is more of a counterpuncher,
quick movement, and you know, it makes it a little
bit more difficult for Sebolenka to actually hit the big

(01:10:39):
winning shots. I watched Sebolanka practice a couple of nights ago,
and up close her main strength that she was, her
main thing she was trying to do was just bash
a serve back as hard as possible. And I was thinking, well,
there's not much subtlety there, but you know, that's the
way she plays. And having discussions with other media about

(01:11:00):
does she have a second type of game, like a
plan B to hit the ball a little bit, a
little bit softer, change the pace, and certainly the debate, well,
I was fifty to fifty on that one. I'm certainly
not so keen on her actually being able to hit
the ball with a different type of pace or changing
the pace. I think she's actually just got a little
bit one dimensional but it's working. This is the thing

(01:11:21):
she's winning with power. She's doing a Serena Williams after
Serena Williams dominating, bullying other players on the court with
their power. So you got to look at her as
a favorite medicine Key's a good player. Runner up the
US opens to Sloan Stevens back in twenty seventeen. I
think it was that was when Keys should have won it,
but had a major injury, could have even walk and

(01:11:42):
she should have won that. So you know, she's a
good player. She made the semifinals here. I think it
was in two and fifteen or a long time ago
when she was quite young. So she's a decent player
on hard court. But I believe that Saberlenka will win tonight,
all right.

Speaker 2 (01:11:59):
Just before you go, Aaron Rautliff made a couple of
semi finals and the women's doubles and the mixed doubles,
alongside Michael Venus in the mix doubles and with her
partner Gabby Dobrowski in the women's doubles. A shame not
to see Aaron Rautliff make it through the at least
one of those two finals.

Speaker 7 (01:12:16):
Yeah, that's right. I mean second time semi final here
at the Ossie Open in the women's doubles with Dobrowski.
In fact, she lost to Ostapenko last year as well,
actually in the semis, so yeah tough. Here they came
up against Osta Penco and Suwe Sai, both extremely unorthodox
when it comes to their play, but considering that Dobrowski

(01:12:38):
and Rautliff hadn't played until this tournament. They struggled the
first couple of matches but still won them, won a
quarter final easily, and then through the semis. Its gonna
be tough, lost in three sets, so I think they
can be pretty pleased considering what the two of them
have been through that Dobrowski of course with their breast cancer,
and we had Routliff with a major rib injury where

(01:13:00):
she basically couldn't pick up a racket for a month
or so. So yeah, they were pretty pleased to make
it to the obviously didn't want to lose, and they're
up three love in the first set and somehow managed
to lose it into tiebreak. But considering finally they've been
they've played together in five Grand Slams and their worst
effort is quarter finals at the US Open last year,

(01:13:20):
two semi finals, a runner up and a win, So
not a bad effort I have for Dobrawskian route left.

Speaker 2 (01:13:26):
Absolutely not Dave, Thanks so much, mate, enjoy the remainder
of your twenty sixth Australian Open. Appreciate you joining us
on weekend sport this afternoon.

Speaker 7 (01:13:34):
No worries, Planny, I'm feeling old when you're said like that.

Speaker 2 (01:13:38):
I'll always be older than you, Dave. Dave Worsley from
Melbourne Park where the Australian openers into its final stages.
So women's singles final tonight Arena Sabalinka against Madison Keys
from nine thirty in New Zealand time, and then tomorrow
night it's one v two in terms of the seedings.
Can Alexander's Veriev finally win his first major? Or will
it be back to back Australian Opens for the number

(01:13:58):
one set of Italian Jarnick Sinner. That's tomorrow night from
around about the same time eighteen to two. When we
come back, we'll go back to Australia. Adam Peacock and
regular Slot.

Speaker 1 (01:14:07):
Don't get caught off, Dye call eight hundred eighty eight
Weekends for us with Jason.

Speaker 23 (01:14:12):
Pay and GJ.

Speaker 1 (01:14:13):
Guvnerhomes New Zealand's most trusted home builder.

Speaker 8 (01:14:16):
News Talks MV.

Speaker 2 (01:14:18):
One forty five on News Talks V this time every Saturday,
we get you across the Tasman to talk to Adam Peacock.
Our Australian correspondent. We've just been chatting a bit of
Australian Open tennis on the show, Adam, but let's have
a little bit more. What did you make of the
booing of Novak Jokovic last night?

Speaker 6 (01:14:32):
Yeah, hello, Piney. It wasn't It wasn't ridiculous. It was
probably about maybe ten people who were obviously peeved that
Novak was going and didn't know the full story. And
like when you when you're in there and watching, especially higher,
you don't really have an indication what's going on, and
even the PA you can't really hear what's going on

(01:14:54):
when the when the chair umpire makes an announcement. So yeah,
it was It was unfortunate. And what these people have
paid between five hundred one thousand dollars for a ticket,
doesn't it me? Personally? Would I go in there and
use that as an excuse to say, oh I can
do and say and boo who I want? Probably not
not in my nature, but it's in some people's actually

(01:15:15):
to react that way. But I think the whole thing
might have been a little overblown. It wasn't ridiculous. It
wasn't the whole crowd or anything I'd say the vast
majority of the crowd was actually applauding the guy up
of court, but it was just a few that you
could hear over that applause. It's a pretty definitive sound,
So yeah, a little overblone, but it happened.

Speaker 2 (01:15:35):
Just a few muppets, shall we say, just a few muppets.

Speaker 6 (01:15:38):
Yeah, yeah, and they'll probably wake up today and go, oh,
I don't care. I can boo boo who I want.
But life goes on.

Speaker 2 (01:15:46):
So second Seemi last night Janix and I Ben Shelton
first seat was pretty pretty competitively for it, but then
Cena just kind of clear it out. Would he be
favorite against vere River, A firm favorite tomorrow night?

Speaker 6 (01:15:58):
Absolutely?

Speaker 8 (01:15:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:15:59):
Yeah, Like Zarah's going to have to play the match
of his life to keep this guy on this court.
So look, he's played some damn good matches before Alexaverev.
He's won I think he's won twenty three tour titles,
he's won two year end championships, he's won an Olympic
gold medal. All that he doesn't have is a Grand
Slam title to his name, and he's been in two

(01:16:20):
finals and led two sets. Belove, So yeah, it's a
difficult one for him to approach and say, oh, look,
I've got nothing to lose, Blove. Oh yeah, well he
actually does because he's got oz and three next to
his name, not O and two and Grand Slam finals
if he does lose, so tricky assignment to try and
then play free and play your best. But he's going

(01:16:40):
to have to do it because Sinner is in such
good form at the moment.

Speaker 2 (01:16:44):
Yeah, he's imperious almost. I think Arena Sablinka is kind
of the same in the women's isn't she firm favorite
tonight against Madison Keys.

Speaker 6 (01:16:52):
Yeah, but in a way it's similar but a little
different than Madison Keys, who the first time she was
in a Grand Slam final she was just overcome with nerves.
She played so tight. That was seven years ago, so
totally different human being now, totally different stage of life.
I think she's come to appreciate exactly where she is.

(01:17:13):
So Satlength is a favorite a bit like Yannick, like
that there's no reason to look at her game at
the moment and say, well, she's down on form or
she's vulnerable or no, she's absolutely the favorite. But Madison Keys,
I just get the feeling there's the ability for her
to play a little freer, as opposed to Zverev, who
has built up this amazing resume without the one thing missing.

(01:17:36):
Like he's been too, he's been a fixture in the
top five, whereas Madison Key's kind of come and gone
now at the moment, She's changed the rackets, She's got married,
her husband is her coach, She's totally settled in her life.
It's it's almost like a bigger opportunity than that. It
is something to kind of be hindered by. So yeah,
we'll wait and see. I mean, Sabate Length is the

(01:17:56):
absolute favorite. Like Centner.

Speaker 2 (01:17:58):
Just before we move on from the tennis, just back
to the men's and Alex Demaneu. We spoke about him
last week. He made it through to the quarterfinals. But
sex three sex to sex one against youanix Centner. That
tells the title of a pretty big gap between the
guys at the very top of the tree and Alex
de Mineu. Will that be fair?

Speaker 23 (01:18:16):
Yep?

Speaker 6 (01:18:17):
Yeah, Alex Alex is like a Sinner's a better version
of Alex essentially, like he does everything that he does,
and Alex is amazing because he puts himself in the
situation where he gives himself a chance against these guys.
Not a lot of players can do that, and he
will continue to do that. And I've got so much

(01:18:38):
action for Alex, but sometimes unfortunately you bump into players
that just do not match up well with you. And
Senna basically moves like Alex but a little bit better,
hits the ball like Alex a little bit better, and
has the demeanor on court like Alex, but a little
bit better. It's a hard one for Alex to overcome.
He's just got to stick with it. And this he'd

(01:18:59):
be sick of people saying this term as well. It's
like you're on the right track, stick with it, blah
blah blah. I just wait for your day. That just
sends me. What he's got to do is he's got
to wait for his day when the top guys that
he's playing and bumping into might have an off day
and then Alex has a very good one and you
never know what happens. He was right in the frame
last year at Wimbledon, Think Special, and then got injured.

(01:19:19):
So that's perhaps his best hope in twenty twenty five.
And you know, Glass is a different piece. So just
on these hard courts, in these controlled conditions, guys like
Novak and Yannick Center in particular, are just so hard
to be.

Speaker 2 (01:19:36):
The other story that's caught my eye on your side
of the Tasman was Tony Popovitch, the coach of your
football team the Soccer US, did a wide ranging interview
with a bunch of a bunch of football media on
your side of the Tasman and set some pretty high
standards for what he expects from his players and even
singled out a couple as to as to not having
reached those standards. What did you make of this?

Speaker 6 (01:19:58):
Yeah, I caught these comments. That's just Popovich. I think
that's his way. He's like, obviously he can communicate with
all these players, but to put it out in public,
the players are going to read it and go, oh, yeah, okay,
this is what I'm going to get at my head
around before it comes back down. It's kind of perfect
timing because yeah, it's on the back burner at the moment,

(01:20:19):
World Cup qualifying. It's all about club football. But before
you know it, we're going to have a massive World
Cup qualifier here against Indonesia in March, and then I
think at the same time, we go away and play
China away in two matches. If we win, it makes
things pretty good to qualify automatically for the World Cup.
If we don't, it's going to make it difficult. So yeah,

(01:20:41):
it's just tiny seed planting basically, and seeing if his
players are happy to respond to that. They won't get
the arm. It's very much in their court about what
they do. But yeah, so the timing is exactly right
to say something like that at that point, I'm saying
this a week before the soccer is playing next Yeah,

(01:21:03):
now it's the time to say And that very much
puts any thing on the radar for what they need
to do over the next six weeks to put themselves
in the best possible shape to come down here and
perform we get us to a World Cup.

Speaker 2 (01:21:13):
You're not allowed, lolly, you're not even allowed sauce on
your pasta. And in the last five minutes.

Speaker 6 (01:21:19):
No, no, I wouldn't even bother showing it. Yeah, he
got that. That's exactly what he did a Western did
he wonders, That's exactly what he did at the other
clubs he went to. He just sees it pretty clearly.
It's like, if you want to be a professional footballer,
act like one and I pops that's that's how he

(01:21:40):
acts like one. But this is what goes back to
when he was playing with the soccer as these guys
were were just so dedicated. Bresciano Grello, the guys that
play in Italy, they tell stories of when their pregame
meal was always the same. It was a pastor with
a tiny bit of oil and cheese and maybe a
bit of sold on top of it. No meat because
it doesn't digest quick enough before the game. Is like

(01:22:01):
all these things and this now Tony Popovich can't build
himself into a good manager, has taken things like that
that he's seen around the world in all cultures. He's
played in Japan's played in europe's played here in Australia,
and then that's his way. And if you don't like
his way, don't come along. But if you do like
his way, you're probably going to improve because of his

(01:22:22):
crack record that we've seen in the A League with clubs.

Speaker 2 (01:22:26):
Indeed, always good to chat, Adam. Been loving your tennis
coverage over the side of the ditch as well. Thanks
for joining us as always Adam Peacock out of Australia
six and a half to two. Coming up one fifty
seven after two o'clock on Weekend Sport. We're in christ Church.
The show was in christ Church for the Phoenix game
this afternoon, so we'll drill down onto that cost of
Barbarusis is on the show. But while we're here, I
want to check in on the progress of Tikaha, the

(01:22:47):
new stadium down here. It's scheduled to open next April.
Is that still the case?

Speaker 1 (01:22:54):
The only place for the big names, the big issues,
the big controversies and the big conversations. It's all on
Weekend Sport with Jason Lyin are your home of sport
news talks.

Speaker 23 (01:23:08):
It'd been.

Speaker 2 (01:23:11):
Two o seven. This is Weekend Sport until three. I'm
Jason Pine Andy McDonald here.

Speaker 7 (01:23:14):
Two.

Speaker 2 (01:23:15):
What have we got coming up between now and three? Well,
the show's coming to here from christ Church where in
about three hours the Wellington Phoenix will play a game
of a League football in the Garden City for the
first time in nine years. Seems an awfully long time
between games in christ Church, I guests. Obviously the Phoenix
have been taking games to Auckland for a while, but
no point taking an A League game to Auckland anymore

(01:23:38):
because there's an A League team there now, Auckland FC.
So back to christ Church for the start of a
three year contract with the Garden City. So the Phoenix
will play here this season and the next two. So
we'll get inside the camp with Costa Barbarusis and also
Japanese import Kazuki Nagasawa, who scored his first A League
goal on Monday night. Speaking of christ Church, the new

(01:24:00):
stadium is taking shape here te Kaha or one New
Zealand Stadium, I think they're going to call it. So
where are we in terms of an opening date? Are
we on track? And ends? How competitive is the landscape
when it comes to trying to get stuff here as
opposed to get stuff anywhere else? Because christ Huge will

(01:24:22):
just join a group of venues who all believe that
they should be hosting all blacks test matches and concerts
and such like. So we'll we'll get the low down
on that from Caroline Harvey Tea who is the chief
executive of venues All Taltahi and also the cut of
a millions on today at Alice Lee Big race meeting
this one that Taylor from the tab going to bring

(01:24:45):
us up to date with all of that. Your calls
and correspondence continue to be encouraged. You can get through
any time on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty via
text It's nine two ninety two or emails to Jason
at Newstalk SEDV dot co dot nz. But as we
tick towards nine past two, as we always do it
around about this time on weekend sport, we like to

(01:25:05):
bring you up today with the stuff which may have
escaped your attention. We call it in case you missed it,
and we start today with Big Bash cricket. The Hobart
Hurricanes now know who their opponent will be in the
final of the Big Bash from.

Speaker 25 (01:25:21):
The last last season with just one win to a
Baby Final time through the sixth Fiergandrew Sound, the Severe, Wear,
the Warning, the Thunder and the Hurricanes to this side
BBL fourteen in Hobart.

Speaker 2 (01:25:39):
Here the thunderbeating their crosstown rivals the Sydney Sixers and
the Challenger Final by four wickets to book their tickets
to Hobart for the Big Bash Final. The Breakers unfortunately
didn't have a happy time of things in christ Church
last night, losing another one. They lead by two ten
seconds on the soft clock. Nice little past to Smith.

Speaker 7 (01:25:59):
Now they're down low and.

Speaker 5 (01:26:01):
A breakdown for the Breakers on defense and looks.

Speaker 6 (01:26:04):
Like they're to come just short against the Vollets who
are fantastic greedy performance.

Speaker 2 (01:26:11):
Ninety three eighty seven win for the Brisbane Bullets over
the Breakers, keeping the Breakers down in a lowly ninth
on the points table. Across in Perth, no trouble for
the Blackfern Sevens, going two from two on day one
of the Perth Seven's or World seven Series event. In
emphatic fashion.

Speaker 26 (01:26:30):
Bar Colo is on a hat trick and she'll get it,
Caitlin Varcola, the trio of tries to get her Perth
seven tournament started an imposing beginning from the Black Fern
Sevens and beaten Brazil by fifty points to seven.

Speaker 2 (01:26:45):
Yeah. That coupled with a forty six mil winover Ireland
sees the Blackfern Sevens sitting pretty going into day two,
but far from smooth sailing for the all Black seven side.
They started with a twenty nine to fourteen winover Kenya,
but Uruguay fresh off beating fig played the upset card again.

Speaker 19 (01:27:04):
Oh boy, they've taught Thefords up.

Speaker 13 (01:27:07):
They are going to take.

Speaker 7 (01:27:07):
The penalty and take the three points.

Speaker 5 (01:27:10):
And the Agua they knocked out Fiji, now they smash.

Speaker 19 (01:27:15):
New Zealand in the second round.

Speaker 1 (01:27:18):
Uruguay just good when it's down to the line.

Speaker 8 (01:27:23):
You made a call on eight.

Speaker 1 (01:27:26):
Weekend Sports with Jason Hine News Talks EB.

Speaker 2 (01:27:30):
Yeah you heard that right, the All Black sevens going
down to Uruguay. They will take on Fiji in their
third Paul game this afternoon at about twenty past five.
As far as the Blackfern Sevens are concerned, their third
Poul game is against Japan, that is at eight twenty
five tonight. Just updating you on Live Sport which is
happening right now. And the Super Smash women's competition has

(01:27:54):
landed in Mount Monganui where it's Northern Districts against Otago.
Otago have won the toss in the women's game and
they have elected to bowl first and Northern will will
begin their runings very very shortly. Otago already threw to
next weekend's finals. Now the way it works, of course,
as are the top three playing the finals and both

(01:28:14):
the women's and the men's. It's two v three next
Saturday in Wellington for the right to face the top
placed finisher, and that game will be on Sunday, just
on twelve past two. Christ Church's new six hundred and
eighty three million dollar stadium, tech KAHA or one New
Zealand Stadium as it will be known, is well in

(01:28:36):
truly taking shape. If you drive down Barbados Street towards
Morehouse av or up Madrath Street, you simply cannot miss it.
It's looking spectacular and I'm sure excitement is building for
its opening. Let's bring in Chief Executive of Venues or TLTAHI,
Caroline Harvey. Tia Caroline, thanks for joining us. Are you
on target for your scheduled opening date next year?

Speaker 21 (01:28:59):
We we sure are yep April twenty twenty six, certainly
about four hundred and forty days away, which is approximately.

Speaker 2 (01:29:09):
Spoken like somebody with a calendar on your wall that
you're ticking off the dates on. So it's been on
schedule the whole time. There have been no fishhooks on
the journey so far.

Speaker 23 (01:29:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 21 (01:29:20):
Look it's treading really really well. Obviously, there's always things
that come along that the contractors had to shift things around,
but they've just been amazing. So the big risky stuff
happening at the minute, which is building that roof, as
you've seen coming out of the ground, that's the biggest
risk in the program. And that's all tracking really, really well.

(01:29:43):
So no, bring on April twenty twenty six. We're really
comfortable that that date certainly on trap.

Speaker 2 (01:29:49):
Have you decided what the first event there will be yet?

Speaker 21 (01:29:53):
Oh, it's always the question, isn't it. Look what we're
doing actually is we're designing kind of a program of
events for that first for the three to six months.

Speaker 9 (01:30:03):
And the reason why we're.

Speaker 21 (01:30:05):
Doing that is we kind of want to do four
main things. One is get as many people in our
community through that building. We've waited a long time for
this and so that's probably one of the most important things.
We want to showcase its diversity, so it's multi use functionality.
We want to get as many global eyeballs on that,
so we want a lot of broadcast eyeballs on it.

Speaker 22 (01:30:25):
So that's Crusaders, that's.

Speaker 21 (01:30:27):
The Phoenix, that's one New Dner Warriors, all that guaranteed
content that's already beer. And then we want to drive visitation,
So that's getting those major entertainment X in there. So
we've got a number of conversations happening at the minute
around what those big entertainment X could be. We're not
locking them in just yet. We've certainly got a couple
of very active conversations underway.

Speaker 2 (01:30:48):
I bet you have. Are you planning any sort of
open day for Cantabrians or those from further afield to
wander through and have a look Not they can't just
wander anywhere, but have you got an open day of
any sort plan?

Speaker 21 (01:31:02):
Yeah, that's definitely part of the plan. So we want
to get our community through to have a good look around.
That gives us a really good opportunity to test all
of the retail outlets and all of those things as well.
So no, definitely more than one open day, that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:31:17):
Have you started talking to New Zealand Rugby about All
Blacks test matches next year?

Speaker 21 (01:31:23):
Yep, that's those conversations have started absolutely. So Look, we
haven't seen a schedule of matches, but what we really
want to do is we've not seen a lot of
all about rugby here and christ shoots over the last
few years. I think we've had two and twelve years,
which is just not enough. So we can't wait for
to have the right in actually here in christ shoot

(01:31:45):
so we can see our wonderful all blacks here. So yep,
definitely start of those conversations, very very active, and I
know that they can't wait to get under that root either.

Speaker 2 (01:31:55):
Absolutely right. You'll go into a competitive bidding process, won't you?
With other New Zealand venues on sporting events and cultural events.
How confident are you that you'll be a really wrong bidder,
if not the strongest bidder.

Speaker 21 (01:32:09):
Yeah, Look, we're really confident. We're really lucky. We've got
we're going to have the most premium stadium in this country,
and it's not only going to be innovative in design,
but it's going to be really really uniquely local and
that's an awesome combination. But what we've also got is
city infrastructure to support high distation. So we've got a

(01:32:32):
great international airport, we've got plenty of accommodation, and so
we're really well positioned to maximize this opportunity for our
city and about time.

Speaker 2 (01:32:42):
Indeed, look I'm looking again, spoken like someone with four
hundred and forty days to tick off on her calendar.
Another part of it is it right in the city, Caroline.
I mean you simply cannot miss it as you as
I say, driving down Barbados or up Madras. It's just
rising right there in front of everybody. How how big
a feature is it that it is so central?

Speaker 21 (01:33:03):
Oh, a huge feature, obviously, Lanka. A part was really
well positioned, but it was a bit of a treat
walking from the central city out to Lancaster Park. But
this is right in the heart of the city. You're
four hundred meters from the bus interchange, you're probably less
than a k from the terrace.

Speaker 9 (01:33:22):
So if you just.

Speaker 21 (01:33:23):
Imagine that activity around the city, the ability just to
walk to the stadium, you get the lights, you get
that feeling of excitement as you walk towards the stadium.

Speaker 6 (01:33:34):
Like it just as perfectly.

Speaker 21 (01:33:35):
Positioned, and it will also activate that part of the
city as well, you know, that sort of eastern part
of christ Huts that really needs it.

Speaker 2 (01:33:42):
We're obviously a sports show, but I did want to
ask you about concerts because clearly they're part of what
DECA will be all about as well. Can you tell
us what you envisage the concert experience to be like
at the new venue.

Speaker 21 (01:33:57):
Yeah, well look, I mean obviously having a roof to
game changer. So look, it's going to be cold in
there when it's cold outside, and we're warm in there
when it's warm out, but you're not going to get
rained on.

Speaker 6 (01:34:07):
It's not going to be.

Speaker 21 (01:34:08):
Windy, and that not only for the guest experience, is
going to change the game, but also for an artist's
performing and for a promoter bring an artist here. You know,
if you think about you know those Dalton John concerts
for example in Auckland, it was such a nightmare for
that city to miss out on that because of the weather.
So we're just not going to have those issues. So

(01:34:30):
the guest experience will be far enhanced. And the cool
thing about one New Zealand Stadium is we'll do large
concerts that around that, so that at thirty six maybe
pushing on forty thousand, But then there's also a smaller
concert mode which creates an arena style concert at the
southern end of the stadium, so will be the largest
indoor arena in New Zealand at fourteen fifteen thousand.

Speaker 2 (01:34:54):
Incredible And back to sport, how are your conversations with
the Crusaders. I get the feeling Colin Mansbridge will be
a guy you speak to fairly regularly because obviously they'll
have a new home at Tica.

Speaker 21 (01:35:06):
Huh oh. I know they're so excited and we're so
excited to see them run out for the first time there.
They've waited a long time to have a home that
they didn't know to be the most successful super rugby
club by a country mile. They've had a temporary stadium
and albeit it's done off an absolute service over the years,
it's about time they had a venue fitting of their

(01:35:29):
wonderful kind of performance. So yeah, Collins pumped, the team's pumped.
We just can't wait to get in there. And we're
doing some different things around our partnership as well, which
is really exciting.

Speaker 2 (01:35:40):
And as you mentioned, a temporary stadium has has been
used in the meantime. There's a Phoenix game there this
afternoon at Apollo Projects Stadium out at Addington. What's the
future for that venue.

Speaker 21 (01:35:51):
Look, it will be turning thirteen this year. We will
have a little thirteenth birthday celebration and it's as a said,
it's done as a service, but look that the intention
is that the stadium will no longer be venues. It'll
likely be decommissioned and the council decide what to do
with the land. It's a great piece of land obviously

(01:36:13):
in a really good location, so I'm sure it's a
balue to our city. But yeah, I think we will
soon Whilst we'll cherish the memories of it, I think
we'll soon put it in the back of our minds
and enjoyed a new one.

Speaker 2 (01:36:25):
Right, Okay, Carolina. Just to finish between now and the
opening in April of next year, what are the major landmarks?
What are the things that you know that I guess
you're looking forward to seeing ticked off ahead of the
grand opening in around fourteen months fifteen months time.

Speaker 21 (01:36:41):
Yeah, Look, I think construction wise, getting that roof finished
is a major milestone that's coming up in the next
few months, and then obviously all that intern will fit
out and getting the turf started. But for us, we'll
go on sale for corporate hospitality in April, and that's
quite a bit milestone for us because obviously naming rights
was a big deal. We've done our poorage arrangements are

(01:37:04):
taketing and content and all those things, but getting corporate
hospitality on sale means that that's the first time people
in our community and outside of it can actually get
a piece of the pie. And we've got a really
high demand. I think we've got about three hundred on
a waiting list at the minute, and that's just a
sweet So we've only got twenty three of those, so
it's a good problem to have. But yeah, so getting

(01:37:26):
that on sale and then obviously announcing those first events,
major entertainment events, will be a big milestone as well. Yeah,
so lots to look forward to. But that four hundred
and forty days is going to go quite quickly, so
we've got couny to do.

Speaker 2 (01:37:40):
And will there be stadium memberships available? Can a person
buy a stadium membership? Will that be available?

Speaker 21 (01:37:46):
Yeah, definitely. So obviously the Crusaders will have their membership,
and we'll have an integrated membership with the Crusaders, so
you'll be able to buy a membership that will have
guaranteed content the likes of the Crusaders, ken Ity, Rugby One,
US Young Warriors, the Phoenax. All those partnerships have got
locked in. And then obviously the first option to just

(01:38:06):
for concerts and those things that aren't lockdown every year.

Speaker 2 (01:38:11):
Excellent. Thanks so much for the update, Caroline. It's an
exciting time. I'm sure the days will at times go fast,
but at times we'll drag as we head towards April
of next year. But can't wait to see it open.
Thank you for providing us with an update this afternoon.

Speaker 21 (01:38:24):
No no worries, thank you, Thank.

Speaker 2 (01:38:26):
You, Caroline. Caroline Harvey Tea the chief executive of Venues
or tul tahi. Anybody who comes to christ Here's these
days as a visitor and then comes back to wherever
they were from talks about Hey, I can see it,
I can see it. And for Cantabrians, you must just
be amped about this because it has been a very
long time. What did Caroline say, thirteen years? Ye it

(01:38:48):
is you just work forwards, don't you? From twenty eleven
As to the lack of a decent size venue in
the Garden City, great to know that after all this
time and it has taken a while, that it is
going to be available for use from a next year.
Just can't wait to see the all blacks play there,

(01:39:09):
the Crusaders obviously, Phoenix, the Warriors and everything else that
gets gets scheduled in there. And that's just the sport,
the cultural events, concerts and such like. The fine folk
of Canterbury of it to wait far too long for this,
So good to know that it is only another four
hundred odd days to wait and you'll have your bright,
shiny new stadium in downtown christ Church. Two twenty three.

(01:39:32):
Let's take a break. When we come back, We're off
to Allislee the cutu Ka Millions today, Dad Taylor from
the tab with us.

Speaker 1 (01:39:38):
The voice of Sport on your Home of Sport Weekend
Sport with Jason Vine and GJ. Gunner Homes New Zealand's
most trusted home builder News Talks V.

Speaker 2 (01:39:48):
Two twenty six. Cutteramillions Night at Ellislie one of the
biggest meetings on the New Zealand racing calendar. The first
of a six race schedule jumps at four thirty eight
this afternoon. The two key races on the card are
the Cutter a Million's two year Old and three year
Old Races four and five. Let's bring in Thad Taylor
from the tab. He must be like a kid on
Christmas morning? How big is this meeting for the tap?

Speaker 7 (01:40:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 13 (01:40:11):
This is clearly the biggest domestic meeting we have now, Jason,
good afternoon to you there. Yeah, it's a fantastic meeting
and it's just grown and grown over the last sort
of five or so years into a bit of a
behemoth in terms of New Zealand racing. Obviously, those respected
days that we all sort of know and love, like
Derby Day, New Zealand Cup Day and the like is
still strong, but this brings a whole another flavor. Five

(01:40:34):
million dollars up for grabs over six races here at
HQ to nine. I'm just sitting as we speak Piney
in the CEO's office at Autand Racing Club, just looking
at the window here, just watching the fever start to
build here on track at Ellerslie.

Speaker 2 (01:40:47):
It was very good man the see and good of
him to offer up his prime position for this radio
channel like it. The two key races on the cut,
as I say, the two year old and three year
old characters. These are the two racers for horses that
were sold or offered for sale at the New Zealand
Bloodstock color of sales.

Speaker 13 (01:41:04):
Is that right, That's absolutely correct. The sales are on
the back of the Karaka Meeting. Sales begin tomorrow out
at Karaka and they go Sunday Monday and further the
group the book one sales Sunday Monday. Horses that have
brought through the Karaka sales ring eligible for the Karaka
two year old and three year old racers. So it's
a great concept. It's not a new concept. The Magic

(01:41:25):
Millions are in the Gold Coast and the like, they
have done something like this, But this is our Kadaka
Million and as I say, it's right up there in
terms of domestic New Zealand racing. So it's really gone
from strength to strength, as I say, So if you
go out there, I won't be opening the wallet unfortunately,
pine out there at Karaka over the next couple of days,
I've just come up a couple of hundred thousand short.

(01:41:46):
But it's a great atmosphere out there as well. If
you do get a chance to go and sit in
the sales ring for an hour or so, that is
a lot of fun in itself. There's the action of
plenty even after the racing's finished tonight, over the next
couple of days.

Speaker 2 (01:41:59):
Now, this is the first of the two World Paul
meetings in New Zealand the other ones champions Day on
the eighth of March. Can you just play what that
means for us?

Speaker 13 (01:42:08):
Yeah, So the world Pool is a totalizata pool, or
a pool where everyone's money's lumped together. And we have
twenty five different countries or regions around the world that
will be betting into the same tote pool as we
call them a totalizata pool, then this just means that
we get a far larger pool. We got a lot
more eyes on our product as well, So it's a
real coup for the ta B. It's a real cop

(01:42:30):
for the Auckland Racing Club to have a World Pool meeting.
So that will be very very interesting to watch on
the last three races tonight. The pools will be huge,
The trifective pools will be big, the treble pools will
be big, the double pools will be big, all boosted
by twenty five different racing regions around the world betting
into the same pool. So it's exciting. It'll be fun

(01:42:50):
to watch from you know, from my standpoint of the
sort of a student of the game, just to watch
how the pool reacts over the next few hours. So
that's going to be exciting, but it's great for customers
as well.

Speaker 15 (01:43:01):
It's gonse.

Speaker 13 (01:43:02):
It gives them some sort of certainty around their dividends
and the probably increased dividends and trifectors and trebles, and
certainly they'll be very very stable with the amount of
liquidity in that World Pool. So it's a great thing
for New Zealand racing and above all things else, it
means is eyes right around the world are on this
Karaka meeting tonight at Elslie and the last.

Speaker 2 (01:43:22):
Race of the night seven forty three tonight, the kind
of Group one sprint race these seven hundred thousand dollars railway.
Has that been moved to this day is what's happened
with that?

Speaker 13 (01:43:31):
Yeah, exactly has been moved to this day. And to
have a World Pool meeting, or to qualify to be
a World Pool meeting, you need a Group one race
on your card. So this has been moved to create
the ability to have the World Pool, among other things
sit You know, obviously they're always working on the calendar
and trying to find the right sort of balance around
that as well, but that is certainly one of the
main reasons that the railway has been moved to tonight

(01:43:54):
and that means we can have a worldpool on those
last three races. So jee's a great addition of the
Railway piney my goodness me. You know the Karaka two
and three year old are the feature races on the night.
But you know, if you could only watched one race
on the night, it probably would be the Sustema Railway
Race number six on the card. We've got two gun
three year old Phillies are going up against each other,

(01:44:15):
Alabama lasting captured by Love against the old season war
Hawse sprinters, the wait for Age sprinters, the likes of
y tac lu Berroon, Babylon, Berlin Croshetti as well. So
that is going to be extremely exciting.

Speaker 7 (01:44:30):
Race.

Speaker 13 (01:44:31):
Are the last race on the card, the Railway Sprint,
they'll be going for it race number six there hours.

Speaker 2 (01:44:36):
Well, let's go back to races four and five. As
you say, the A Million's two year old and three
year old. Have you got any advice for us around
those two?

Speaker 7 (01:44:44):
Yeah?

Speaker 13 (01:44:44):
Look, TRKW, the stable TRKW have an extremely good record
manager David Alice, trained by Mark Walker and Sam Burgess,
and they have an incredible record in the race. They've
got four sorry three horses in the race. Now, they
did have four. The first emergency was also their runner.
It didn't quite make the fields. So they have three
runners in the race. They have two of the three

(01:45:05):
favorites one. I think I'm not even out sure how
many Karraka two year old racers at one. I think
they had seven in a row at one point. And
they hold the two favorites there and it's a Bravery
born and also lar de Rada, and they get the
gun Australian jockeys to come over and ride them as well,
and Craig Williams and Blake Shin and the like, so
they lose nothing there. Then we had the barrier drawer

(01:45:26):
on Wednesday and they drew barrier two and barrier five.
So if they needed any more favors Tiakaw, they got
them through that barrier draw and I can tell you
that they don't. So look it'd be pretty mad, I
say mad that you know, you might do worse than
backing tiak out in the two year old race. Too
Sweet as the CD Raider trained by Ruyd And Burgerson,
father of Sam Burgesson who trades at Tiaco. It's a

(01:45:47):
bit of a connection there. She's a CD raider that
brings the right form one very well last time, but
drew barrier fifteen and will come into barrier fourteen with
the scratching of the emergency, but the outside barrier which
will make two sweets life a little bit difficult. So yeah,
potentially looked at tiakaw In that two year old that's

(01:46:07):
racing number.

Speaker 2 (01:46:08):
Four pinting good stuff all right. Well, in terms of
a crowd at Ellieslie today, presumably it'll be large, good day.

Speaker 13 (01:46:16):
Ah, there's no atmosphere like it, and boys get paid.
It'll be out here. It's a group of boys and
girls that come out and they have a massive function
out here, and they'll have a hosted pot or basically
a punter's club run out of here of the day
and they'll have a few hundred thousand that they'll be
trying to attack me with during the day. They bring
an incredible atmosphere the chance. There is no race meaning

(01:46:39):
like it in New Zealand. So if you haven't managed
to make it to a Kadak a million, I would
suggest you put that on your bucket list. Certainly in
terms of New Zealand domestic racing, it would be the
event to come to. I'm just looking around at all
the tents, the plenty of hospitality. I'm sure the sold
out signs will be up well and truly here. So yeah,
there's no atmosphere like Kadaka Million and the stands will

(01:46:59):
be erupting to come around sort of six o'clock, seven
o'clock tonight.

Speaker 2 (01:47:04):
Exciting stuff. Thanks indeed for your time as all. Dad.
You better give Paul Wilcox his office back and we'll
catch up again soon.

Speaker 7 (01:47:11):
Mate.

Speaker 13 (01:47:12):
He's starting to give me the evil wife finey, so
I'd better get out of here. Thanks for having me
and good luck. If anyone's having a go tonight.

Speaker 2 (01:47:18):
You're a good man. Thanks that Taylor there from the
tav You can just tell the excitement that's building for
the Kulaka Millions at alice Ley. First race and a
six race schedule jumps at four thirty eight. Over five
million in in stakes up for grabs on the day
in the first of two World Pool meetings. Massive boon
for the industry and an indication the progress being made

(01:47:39):
in New Zealand racing in recent years. Twenty six away
from three, let's get a breakaway when we come back
back to christ Church, we come where the Wellington Phoenix
are in under two and a half hours now they'll
be taking on the Central Coast Mariners at Apollo Projects
Stadium out in Addington. You'd have to think actually that
the next time the Phoenix come back, they'll they'll time
that in with the opening of the new stadium here.

(01:48:02):
They'll try and push a game back I guess into
the April May window. It'll be the Phoenix who have
one of the first events at the new stadium. Anyway,
this afternoon they're at Addington up against the Mariners. We'll
get you inside the Wellington Phoenix camp when we come back.

Speaker 1 (01:48:17):
The big issues on and after Fields Call eight hundred
eighty ten eighty Weekends Forward with Jason Paine and GJ.
Gunner Homes New Zealand's most trusted home, Milder News talks a.

Speaker 2 (01:48:28):
Baby coming up twenty two away from three. Just updating
live sport from Bay Oval and Mount Monganu Women's super
Smash the Northern Brave against against the Otago Sparks. Otago
won the toss, sent Northern into bat and the seventh
over there forty one for one. Jess what can scoring
the bulk of the runs for Northern. She's thirty nine
out of twenty six deliveries Northern forty one for one

(01:48:49):
coming towards the end of the seventh over in their
Super Smash match at Bay Oval. The Wellington Phoenix back
in action this afternoon and back in christ Church for
the first time since twenty sixteen. They take on the
same side actually that they played in the last game
they played here back in twenty sixteen, the Central Coast
Mariners at Apollo Projects Stadium five o'clock kickoff this afternoon.

(01:49:13):
The Phoenix, after a fairly challenging recent run, got back
to winning ways on Monday night away at MacArthur.

Speaker 4 (01:49:21):
He's been ninety nine not outs, but this is it
for Redly John number one hundred.

Speaker 2 (01:49:33):
Discussed Costa Barbarusa's there, joining an exclusive group of just
four players to have scored one hundred a League goals.
He did it from the penalty spot and got the
Wellington Phoenix a two to one win over MacArthur. Ahead
of the game against the Mariners this afternoon, I spoke
with Costa Barbarusis during the week asden first of all,
if it was nice to have the one hundred goal

(01:49:54):
milestone ticked off.

Speaker 27 (01:49:57):
Yeah, I mean as soon as I hit ninety nine,
I was sort of just obviously wanting to score the
next game, in the next game, So I took I
think four games, but look, it was a relief just
to obviously move on and move past it. I knew
it was going to be a great moment at the time,
but I also like never won the attention fully on

(01:50:18):
me all the time either, so I just wanted to
get it done, have a great moment, and then move
past it and look for the next goals we.

Speaker 2 (01:50:27):
Could the eighteen year old Coster who scored his first
A League goal ever have imagined this.

Speaker 27 (01:50:33):
Not really, No, I only started thinking about it probably
when I reached seventy eighty, especially, like I've said, playing
a wide most of the time, There's been a few
moments in between there that I've played up front more
to fill in when people were missing, But it's only
been the last few years where I've played as a striker,
So not really.

Speaker 23 (01:50:53):
I always did love goals.

Speaker 27 (01:50:55):
Scoring goals as a kid, and then obviously hadn't senior football,
but it wasn't primarily my role on the team, but
growing into that as yeah, it's been amazing and playing
striker the last few years has sparked that goal scoring
sort of hunger in me that I had as a
kid as well.

Speaker 2 (01:51:13):
And is it a responsibility that you're happy to shoulder
for this team? I mean, you've got seven now this season.
The next best is a couple, Yet you're happy to
shoulder the bulk of the goal scoring responsibility for this team.

Speaker 27 (01:51:24):
Yeah, And I think you know at times chances might
be able to premium for us this year, but I
know I've got that confidence in me that if I
get one or two that I'll put one away and
it's sort of yeah, not showing away from it is
the thing that I think that the coach and the
staff are happy to give that responsibility to me because

(01:51:48):
they know that I can take it all on and
still be doing other things on the pitch as well,
linking play, getting back and defending making those four to runs.

Speaker 23 (01:51:58):
So it's a bit of everything.

Speaker 27 (01:51:59):
But the key thing for me is not to be
frustrated noise sniff out a chance.

Speaker 2 (01:52:05):
And the penalty that you won that led to you
getting one hundred goals. Just talk us through the pictures
that you saw at that time and how it played
out for you.

Speaker 8 (01:52:13):
Yeah, so the.

Speaker 27 (01:52:15):
Ball obviously was a great ball from Conchie, and once
it bounced, I sort of had a quick glance what
Kurda was sort of in between coming. Then when it bounce,
I saw he had come out and I was going
to hit it on the half volley, but He's kind
of made my mind up for me in a way
rushing out, And then I knew German went to cover

(01:52:35):
the goal, so, like I said, him rushing out sort
of made that decision easy for me to try to
take it past him. I was trying to decide between
taking it inside him or just down the line. I knew,
you know, if I had it past them, that contact
would probably come because it's quite close. Like I said,
my touch was probably going closer to the byline.

Speaker 23 (01:52:57):
But that's the game.

Speaker 27 (01:52:58):
And yeah, I think obviously clear penalty, but I think
it was a quick sort of decision to make.

Speaker 2 (01:53:05):
And Mauly, these milestones mean a lot personally, but when
it's a win, probably even more so. I mean a
goal on a four to one loss probably not quite
so special. How significant, you know, to get the win
and to you know, four points in the last two games.
Does I feel like things are turning around a little bit.

Speaker 27 (01:53:20):
Yeah, I mean it's a you know, a patience thing
at the moment. I think with the team, we've had
a bit of bad luck with injuries, but also now
because of those injuries, we're sort of, I guess, putting
a bit too much sort of expectancy on guys that
might not be ready for at the moment. I think

(01:53:42):
it's good to sprinkle young players, and so we've sort
of been forced to that, which is nothing against anyone.

Speaker 23 (01:53:48):
That's just the way things play out.

Speaker 27 (01:53:51):
And like you said, when you miss the captain, you know,
one of your better players, or to you know, Marco
and Tim, it's just played out that way. But we
are a work in progress, and we are when everyone's
fit by especially more so now. So I think the
last few weeks have given us something really good to
build on.

Speaker 2 (01:54:09):
And even though you are a work in progress, you're
still beginning to pick up points again, do you still
feel like a top six proposition?

Speaker 8 (01:54:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 27 (01:54:16):
I think that's got to be the minimum aim for us.
You know, I think the last six weeks haven't gone
to plan, definitely, But if we just give up now,
then what's the point, you know, we always want to
you know, I want to push for more than that,
but we've got to take it week by week. Let
those guys get experience and get comfortable in the league
as well.

Speaker 23 (01:54:35):
So that's the minimum that we'll.

Speaker 2 (01:54:37):
Be looking for, right and cross chats this weekend. I
don't know whether you've played a league down there. Did
you play one of the early games? I can't remember
you playing in the early years for the Phoenix down there.

Speaker 23 (01:54:48):
I don't think I did.

Speaker 27 (01:54:49):
I think I remember playing Wonderers somewhere, but I think
there was Hamilton away, So I no, I haven't even
played there for the next set, right.

Speaker 2 (01:54:58):
And so then as you look ahead to Mariners and
then Brisbane on White tonguey day, does it feel like
this could be a little turning point, you know, like
say four points last two games, two kind of winnable games,
both at home. Does it feel like this could be
a turning point?

Speaker 27 (01:55:11):
Yeah, every game is winnable for us, and you know
it's easy to say that, but even you look back
past the Sydney game to Adelaide, you know, are points.

Speaker 23 (01:55:21):
There for us?

Speaker 7 (01:55:22):
Really?

Speaker 23 (01:55:22):
You know, if we if.

Speaker 27 (01:55:23):
We look at it, so then you think five points
from three games and then looking forward, Yeah, it's two
winnable games. Six points, you know, definitely there. I think
Camerons are coming good too, and Brisbane's a trigger team
as they're shown last week.

Speaker 23 (01:55:38):
So it's not going to be easy.

Speaker 27 (01:55:40):
But we've got a Yeah, like you said, we've got
to pick up points now and believe that based off
these next the last couple.

Speaker 23 (01:55:47):
Of weeks, that we can really do something all right.

Speaker 2 (01:55:49):
Last one for me is that another milestone could be
coming your way. You're got forty five assists in the
A League. That's level with great good one at the top.
So I mean, if you've got a chance on goal,
we could square it to somebody. Will you Will you
do that to get the get the assist record?

Speaker 8 (01:56:04):
Nah?

Speaker 23 (01:56:04):
Go for one on one? No, I mean if it's
an open goal.

Speaker 7 (01:56:09):
I mean.

Speaker 27 (01:56:11):
I think that you know, those are to show that
if somebody's in a better position, I usually do pass it.
But look at another it's another great one that's probably
showing more As me playing as a winger, I feel
like I've got to do a recount for those because
I feel like I've got more than that. But yeah,
I pride myself and that as much as goals to

(01:56:32):
hold that record with. You know, Goodwin's an amazing player too,
so yeah, I'll be hoping that. I would have hoped
that to already have a sister or two by now,
but it just hasn't played out that way.

Speaker 23 (01:56:43):
But yeah, I'd love to add to that Tully too.

Speaker 2 (01:56:46):
That is a cost of Barbarusis, who will be a
key part of Wellington Phoenix's quest for a win over
the Mariners this afternoon at Apollo Project Stadium in christ Church.
As well. One of the new players to the team
this season one of the two Japanese players, Kazuki Nagasawa.
Now he scored his first Phoenix goal in the win
over MacArthur. He got the first one Costa Barbarusis with

(01:57:08):
the second from the penalty spot. So I spoke to
Kazuki Nagasawa during the week as well and asked him
how nice it was to get his first Phoenix goal.

Speaker 19 (01:57:17):
I'm really glad to get the goal of the lye.

Speaker 28 (01:57:21):
That was one of my first goal as a player
of a league and that win was very important for us,
so I'm really bad for that.

Speaker 2 (01:57:33):
I saw after he scored the goal that made it
won all. But it wasn't as though you were satisfied.
You were like, right, let's get back and go again.
That was that the mentality at the time, to not
just settle for a point, but to go for the win.

Speaker 22 (01:57:46):
Uh.

Speaker 28 (01:57:47):
Yeah, I want to express that, not like happy to
get in goal. I just want to win the game.
So I just want to express that.

Speaker 2 (01:57:57):
Yeah, nice finish though, you must you know now that
you've won the game, did you look back and happy
with the goal?

Speaker 28 (01:58:03):
Yeah, it was very happy and and the assist was
very good from ey Get and then then he got.

Speaker 19 (01:58:12):
The ball, then he got the pass. I was.

Speaker 28 (01:58:18):
Realized that he was trying to like freak or something,
and actually he did like the same thing in the
game like ten twenty minutes ago, and he missed.

Speaker 19 (01:58:32):
That like freak.

Speaker 28 (01:58:34):
But I feel like I'm sure that he trying to
did it again. So that was very good assist that,
by the way.

Speaker 8 (01:58:42):
Oh it was.

Speaker 2 (01:58:43):
And see the kind of player Shiga who you expect
to be able to do things like that, you know,
he seems to be capable of spectacular things.

Speaker 19 (01:58:54):
Yeah, and he never get an easy goal and an
easy assist as well.

Speaker 28 (01:59:02):
But that's that's shown how he was really good player
is so I'm very happy to be with playing with
him to make it very easier for me to get
a goal.

Speaker 2 (01:59:15):
So we went over MacArthur off the back of the
point against Sydney FC. Does it feel as though the
momentum of the season might be changing and things might
be getting back onto the positive side of things again?

Speaker 19 (01:59:27):
Yeah, I hopefully.

Speaker 28 (01:59:30):
This wind makes us a little bit like getting better
and this is the momentum to change the like mood
and atmosphere. But yeah, we have to like change mind
and like prepared to the next game.

Speaker 19 (01:59:49):
That is the most important thing for us to know.

Speaker 2 (01:59:53):
And you've been here for half a season now, are
you enjoying yourself? Do you enjoy being a Wellington Phoenix player?

Speaker 28 (02:00:00):
Yeah, I'm very enjoying and very satisfied. And also I'm
very struggling to like playing.

Speaker 19 (02:00:10):
Make teams better.

Speaker 28 (02:00:13):
It's it's especially I think this team well now is
very like young team.

Speaker 19 (02:00:20):
And now the last squad we.

Speaker 28 (02:00:23):
Have only like five players over thirty and the other
player was really really really young and.

Speaker 19 (02:00:30):
This is this is.

Speaker 28 (02:00:35):
This is all like over thirty players. The first experience
as a player like playing with the really young team.
So we wanna we're gonna make good like good environment
to like growing up and you have to get a results.
We have a responsible to win the game, especially the

(02:00:57):
old player. So that's also a very good experience for
me too.

Speaker 7 (02:01:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:01:02):
But remember when you came here, that was Shinsight. We
called you Sinsight. You know, it's one of the old
as one of the older older players. So are you
You're comfortable in a leadership role even though you're quite
new to the team.

Speaker 28 (02:01:17):
Not comfortable, but yeah, I'm I feel I feel like
kind of responsible to like make it better, make us better.
So yeah, so I don't want to everybody call me sentire,
but yeah, that I am chained to be nasty everyone.

Speaker 2 (02:01:40):
Yeah that is Kazuki Nagasawa, one of the nicest men
you will ever meet in sport or in general life,
one of the Wellington Phoenix's Japanese imports and a goalscorer
against MacArthur on Monday night to give them a two
to one win five o'clock this afternoon at Apollo Project
Stadium in christ Church. Big numbers expected pre sales were
well over ten thousand and climbing last time I checked,

(02:02:02):
so big crowd coming for the Wellington Phoenix's match against
the Central Coast Mariners. The same afternoon nine to three
News Talks.

Speaker 1 (02:02:08):
EB analyzing every view from every angle in the sporting
world weekends for it with Jason Ye. They call eighty
News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (02:02:18):
Just on five and a half away from three. That's
us for Weekend Sport four today. We are back tomorrow
obviously between midday and three. Tim Sifeit is on the
show tomorrow. Making his living these days as a T
twenty player in the various franchise legs around the place.
He's been playing Big Bash. He's now in the ILT
twenty competition. Tim Sifet on the show and also Luca Harrington,

(02:02:41):
our latest X Games gold medalist, also with us a
bit of tennis and football for you, and lots more
besides Jess Davidson after three with the Weekend Collective. Huge
thanks to you for listening in and to Andy McDonald
for producing the show. It's all gone smoothly, I think, mate,
So I think we can reward you with the exits off.

Speaker 29 (02:02:58):
Yeah, yeah, no, it's tough tough work making go smoothly, Piney,
but you've done well that we get we get through it.
Especially with yours host No Exit Exit band. Today Cold Chisel,
they're playing a pretty cool gig that topaus some aer
summer festival. I think it is down there, so sort
of from where you'd rather be, almost Cold Chisel leading
us out. I think they're playing possibly even right now.
So for those of you that aren't there, here's a

(02:03:20):
bit of a bit of what you're missing out on, a.

Speaker 2 (02:03:22):
Bit of fomo from Cold Chisel. Thanks mate, see tomorrow.
We'll see you tomorrow to at midday.

Speaker 19 (02:03:36):
Chinese presence, I'm some.

Speaker 30 (02:03:52):
NaSTA last amos.

Speaker 1 (02:04:16):
Almost for more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine. Listen

(02:04:40):
live to news talks it be Weekends from midday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio

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