Full Show Podcast: 23 August 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 (00:29):
Hi there, Cura, Good afternoon. Welcome into the Saturday edition
of Weekend Sport on News Talks EDB. August twenty three
on Jason Pine Show Producer Anny McDonald talking Sport with
you until three. Very special day for Cody Taylor. Tomorrow
he will become the fourteenth All Black Centurion when he
runs out against Argentina and Buona. Series. Going to pay
tribute to one of our truly great hookers after one

(00:52):
with two of his former Crusaders and All Blacks teammates,
White Crockett and Matt Todd. Your tributes to Cody Taylor
are welcome to. We'll also get you to Argentina after
one to preview the test tomorrow's sports broadcast at ESPN Argentina.
Zuka Konti going to join us. Can they finally get
that elusive win over the All Blacks on Argentinian soil?

(01:12):
Or will the All Blacks go two from two? You
can give us your predictions if you like as well.
Live commentary from nine tomorrow morning here on news Talks
HEB with Elliott Smith and Antstram. First up today, though
the freshly signed broadcast deal between Sky and New Zealand
Rugby details announced yesterday a few interesting features, free to

(01:33):
wear provincial rugby on TV and Z and for the
first time, test matches for both the All Blacks and
the Black Ferns that sit outside the broadcast agreement and
will be negotiated on a game by game basis. What
does this all mean and why?

Speaker 3 (01:48):
Ends?

Speaker 2 (01:48):
At our board chair and former All Blacks Captain David
kirk along shortly Head of Sport at Sky. Gary Burchett
is also with us this hour and your views on
this are encouraged. How do you feel as a rugby
fan about the various bits and pieces of this broadcast deal?
The freend who Ebit's great, but what about having to
maybe pay another provider to watch the All Blacks. Most

(02:13):
of it's on Sky, but as I say, the odd
test match here and there maybe one a year sitting
outside it? Are we going to watch the All Blacks
on Netflix for example, So plenty to chew over other
matters around today, plenty happening. The exodus of our top
netball players from the A and Z Premiership continues. Many
of them have signed deals to play in the Australian

(02:33):
Supernetball comp next year. So how are they feeling about this?
Across the Tasman All of these kiwi's just dropping into
their comp. Former Australian Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander on that
the all white squad to face the soccer Who's Home
and Away next month has been confirmed. We'll chat with
head coach Darren Baisley. The eightieth edition of Cycling's Love
Welter Espanya under way tonight. There are the three keywis involved.

(02:55):
One of them Dion Smith. He's with us after two.
Ossie correspondent Adam Peacock along in his regular slot. What
about that finish to the Canberra Penrith game last night?
Incredible stuff? Your chance to win when we play a
sporting chants with the tab as well Live Sport this afternoon.
Budding MPC Round four tartanaky Waycautor in New Plymouth, five

(03:17):
past two, kickoff at doubles as a Ramphilly Shield challenge
for the Mulu Me. I'm going to get you to
Stadium Tartanucky before kickoff for a bit of a preview
and keep you updated once it kicks off. Round three
of the Farrah Palmercupp is underway Tartanucky, North Harbor approaching
halftime and it is it's not North Harbor, it is
it's Tasman. My apologies Tasman against Tartanuky are tasman Ley

(03:38):
twenty six to ten approaching halftime, North Harbor against Wellington
and Canterbury against Counties Manco from five past two and
Heartland Championship Rugby to keep an eye on in Little Tornia, Ashburton,
Top Or Westport, Oxford and Timurdoo this afternoon. The show
is yours to contribute to if you would like to,
oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty nine two nine to

(04:00):
two for your text messages emails into Jason at Newstalk
SEDB dot co dot NZ coming up eleven past.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
The scoop from the track Fields and the Court on
your home of sport weekends for it with Jason Vine
Youth TALKSB.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
New Zealand Rugby has confirmed a new agreement with Sky
as broadcast partner for all rugby in New Zealand for
the five years from twenty twenty six to twenty thirty.
Here are the details. Sky will broadcast exclusively live every
All Blacks match played in Sansar countries, including the Bledisloe
Cup and Rugby Championship, New Tours between the Spring Box

(04:38):
and the All Blacks, the New Nations Cup tournament, and
the twenty twenty nine British and Irish Lions Tour of
New Zealand. Also all Black Ferns matches played in Sansar
countries and the British and Irish Lions Women's Tour. Here
in twenty twenty seven, every Super Rugby, Pacific Super Rugby,
Opicky and superw Match, MAULDI, All Blacks and All Blacks

(04:59):
fifteen matches played in Sansar countries as well TV and
ZED Meantime has secured free to We're broadcast rights for
provincial rugby, including all NPC matches and select Farah Palmer
Cup and Heartland Championship games. In all, ninety three provincial
matches will be available free to view on TV and

(05:21):
Z Plus, with three games a week in appointment viewing
slots on TV and Z one. Sky customers of course
will have access to all of those games as well.
Let's bring in New Zealand Rugby chair David Kirk. David,
thanks for joining us. How happy are you with the
deal you've struck.

Speaker 4 (05:39):
Well, I'm very happy. I think it's a great deal
Ponzell and Rugby, and I'm sure it's a deal a
little work well for Sky, so we'll have a committed
and enthusiastic partner to work with and looking forward to
the next five years.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
How important was it to you to have NPC on
free to air?

Speaker 4 (05:57):
Very important. We know that it's more and more competitive
to have young people and fans generally gauge with rugby.
There are lots of alternatives these days, so it's really
important for us to be able to get the great
pregnant who player in this country, both men's and women's,
in front of as many people as possible, and particularly

(06:18):
in a period of challenging household budgets, it really is
great to be able to broadcast free to wear ninety
three NPC games and selected far Apartment Cup games and
also Heartland games.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
How do those conversations play out? Because I guess in
an ideal world, a broadcaster wants everything behind their paywall,
whereas as you say, you want as many eyeballs on
the game as possible while maximizing your broadcast revenue. So
is that one of the more challenging parts of the
conversation the negotiation?

Speaker 4 (06:51):
Yes, I think you know what happens in these negotiations
as people bring to the negotiation table what matters to them,
what's important to them, and what they want to see
in the agreement. And often there's lots of agreement on
that and you can be pretty aliant, but then sometimes
there's disagreement and you have to find ways around that,

(07:11):
and you know, sometimes there are tradeoffs, and the trade
offs are, you know, how much money one party is
prepared to pay, and if they're not prepared to pay
more than that, then we need to find other ways
for the party with the content that's as n d
R to get value out of the deal. And being
able to carve out matches or to to co broadcast

(07:32):
matches is a way in which we've been able to
solve some of those challenges. So it means it's kind
of a win win for both parties when you get
that agreement.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
Sky have recently bought TV three. Of course, did that
happen a bit too late for them to be considered
as a free to wear partner.

Speaker 4 (07:51):
I don't know that would have been, you know it
would been to them, but I think yes, as the untasis,
it wasn't that long ago that they announced that they
had made that purchase, and here we are announced in
the agreement, and the agreement has been been in the
process of being negotiated for considerable time before that, so
it was very late in the piece. But they know

(08:12):
they'll have their own views and understandings about what they
want to do with TV three.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Up to five offshore all Blacks and Blackburn's tests respectively
across the five year period are not included in this deal.
Why have you done that?

Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, this is another very innovative and really interesting carve
out if you like carving out five test matches. We
don't know exactly what they are or where they'll be
at the moment, but these these test matches are not
covered by the deal, which means the opportunity for us
to think about you reach and engagement with fans. We

(08:48):
may make a decision to take less money but engage
more people, for instance, or we may find that there's
an alternative broadcaster would like to broadcast those games in
New Zealand. So it just gives us an opportunity to
be a bit innovative, to take advantage of potential market
changes and opportunities. And again, and I think it's something
that works for both parties.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
Is there any chance that Sky will bid for and
or win broadcast rights for some or all of those
test matches?

Speaker 4 (09:17):
That will be entirely up to them. They will, they
are certainly very welcome to bid for them, and I
imagine they will actually but that they can't certainly can't
forecast exactly what they will do, but they will certainly
be in the next if they want to be.

Speaker 2 (09:32):
Is this a way of getting the all blacks onto
a massive platform like Netflix for example, That's.

Speaker 4 (09:37):
Definitely possibility, no doubt, that's definitely possibility. And it's more
sort of beginning to test the waters a little bit,
if you like, for major global streaming program platforms, is
what they are inclined to do. So, taking the opportunity,
for instance, to broadcast or hover you match in New

(09:58):
Zealand and in other jurisdictions and seeing what responses and
how they can leverage that or growth of their own
subscribers and so on will be something that we would
certainly be happy to to investigate, and I think they
would as well.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
Again, the balance, I guess, David iss eyeballs of the money,
isn't it. You know, if you've got you know, a
significant amount of money for the rights to broadcast these
these five matches, would it actually matter how many people
were watching?

Speaker 4 (10:31):
Well, yes, yes it does. It always matters how many
people are watching. We want to get the game in
front of people, and we want people to understand, to
connect with our teams, to watch our teams, hopefully to
watch our teams win. So that's that's always at the
forefront of our thinking. But but of course we need
to fund the game. We need to fund all the

(10:52):
investment in the community game. We need to fund the
professional players, so we need we need to balance those
two things.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
I'm almost certain you've done market research on this. You
believe that there are potential you know, potential bit of
plural for the rights for these matches.

Speaker 4 (11:09):
Yeah, absolutely, we know, you know there's there. It's you know,
there's a range of people who could who could definitely
do it. And you have pointed to the major global
streaming services and there are a lot of them now,
and there are a number of services which are very
specifically focused on sport and indeed buying rights to sport
around the world. So you know, those are two sort

(11:30):
of groups of of thetential, but there would be a
range of others as well. There are definitely opportunities.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
And this and just to clarify these matches, they're like
a young spring box all blacks before the last Rugby
World Cup sort of arrangement or a one off test somewhere.
Is that Is that what we're talking about here?

Speaker 4 (11:48):
Correct, That's exactly what we're talking about.

Speaker 5 (11:50):
All right.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Can you foresee a time, David, where Live Rugby is
broadcast on your own digital channel, ends at our Plus
and you and you sell direct to consumer.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
That's a possibility, It's it's it would be a little
way off at the moment in terms of our ability
to monetize that that We are not charging a lot
for people to join inded our Plus because we want
to build and build our fan base and we want
people to engage with us and engage with the specific
content we produce.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
In the house and.

Speaker 4 (12:20):
Sometimes re deploy from other places onto jed our Plus.
We want to build a fan base all around the world,
and many other sports have have done this. It is
and it's a great way to be able to offer
a real value to sponsors when they know that you
can put them in front of their brands, in front

(12:42):
of a lot of people on your own digital platform.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
And it's been widely reported this deal is worth significantly
less and dollar terms to ends it are than the
previous deal or is that something that you have budgeted for.

Speaker 4 (12:55):
Yes, it is, and it is. We're somewhat less as
a domestic deal with the previous deal. People familiar with
the circumstances will know that the deal was a really
a one off situation when there was a great deal
of competition for the broadcasting rights because Spark at that
time was starting up their own sports but broadcasting rights

(13:18):
and they were very keen to get broadcasting lights. So
that was a one off situation which we didn't have
this time around. But what we do have this time
around is a whole lot more international content, including the
greatest rivalry with South Africa and the Nation's Cup and
other events, and that's going to get us back to

(13:38):
in total pretty much exactly where we are with the
old deal.

Speaker 2 (13:44):
Was the were the all Blacks and Blackfoods tease matches
outside the steal a major sticking point for Sky.

Speaker 4 (13:50):
The five You mean we're talking yet, No, No, no,
they were. I mean that's again, you know, a way
of squaring the circle if you like, you know, they
were they were only able to pay a certain amount.
We realized that there was more value, and they accepted
that there was more value in these additional games. They
weren't able to pay for those, so they were happy

(14:11):
for us to find a way to monetize them ourselves later.

Speaker 2 (14:16):
All right, So squared away. So in summary, happy with
where we are heading into the next five years, and
some opportunities, as you say, to leverage some broadcast revenue
from these matches that sit outside this deal you've struck
with Sky.

Speaker 4 (14:29):
Yeah, they're absolutely happy, Jason. You know, it's been going
on for a long time. It's great to bring it
to close. It's great to have both parties feeling that
they are going forward together. We've been partners for a
long time, going forward together with a deal that works
for both of us. So we're both feeling good about it.
And that's exactly where we want to be because we've
got to work together for the next ideas well.

Speaker 2 (14:50):
Next port of business. You've got to find a new CEO.
How's that going underway?

Speaker 4 (14:55):
And you know, the way these processes work, there is
a clear position description written, so we need to really
be clear about what we're looking for in our next CEO,
and we need to engage a search consultant partner. And
we've done both of those two things, and now that
partner's out there scouring the landscape for you know, a

(15:17):
long list of people, and then that gets shortened to
a short list and then we start the interview process.
So it takes a little while. It's a sort of
a methodical process, and you know, we're very hopeful that
we'll we'll find someone who'll be great.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
For us, be pretty attractive role. Wouldn't that it'd be
a few people with their hat in that ring.

Speaker 4 (15:35):
I think you're right, Jason, people, you know, the all
blacks and increasingly our other black brands and black fans
in our sevens teams are you know, extraordinary sporting teams
on the global stage and we have you know, it's
challenging for TV executive that we but but if you're
up to the challenge. You know, the combination of a
global running a global sports brand and company, and you know,

(16:01):
running community rugby and investing in community rugby and being
part of what rugby means to the Zealanders, it's pretty attractive.
As you say, I think it's really challenging that something
that could be really meaningful and worthwhile for chief executors.

Speaker 2 (16:15):
Really appreciate you joining us to give us background to
the broadcast deal. David, Thanks so much for your time
this afternoon. Jason, Thank you David. David Kirk, Chair of
the Board of New Zealand Rugby, with some background to
this broadcast deal. You've no doubt done a bit of
reading on it over the last twenty four hours since
it was announced. You've had a bit of a think
about it. Listen to David Kirk. We're going to get
a sky view from Head of Sport Gary Burchett before

(16:37):
one o'clock, but your chance to provide some feedback now,
oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. A couple of
parts of this were most interesting to me. The first
bit was the free to wear, but fantastic, NPC, Fara,
Palmer Cup, some Heartland Championship on free to wear. Every
sports organization now knows they must have a free to

(16:58):
wear element. Cricket worked it out, Netball worked it out. Rugby, no,
they have to have some free to wear. They want
as big an audience as possible on their product and
not everybody can affords guy. Fact of life, not everybody
can afford it, So having Provincial Rugby on free to
wear ticks that box. In terms of eyeballs, the big

(17:22):
balance in a professional sporting organization is eyeballs v. Dollars
and you've got to strike the balance.

Speaker 6 (17:30):
You have to.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
The hardbit about getting the balance is that you can't
really quantify the impact of eyeballs on your sport. You
can quantify dollars in your bank account, that's easy, but
you can't quantify the effect of having your product available
to as wide an audience as possible. That can only

(17:54):
be done anecdotally. Really. You can look at data around
things like participation, crowds, viewer numbers obviously, but you can't
really accurately measure the positive impact of eyes on your sport.
Apart from knowing that the more the better, so frediware great.

(18:16):
It also makes up some of the shortfall from the deal,
which is far less than the last one between Sky
and New Zealand. Rugby reports had the last deal at
one hundred and eleven million per year. This one closer
to seventy five million per year. Reportedly. The difference, obviously

(18:36):
back when the last one was signed was the Spark
were in the market. There was a competitive tension that
does not exist anymore, well certainly not at the moment,
so there was no bidding war going on here and
no fear from Sky really that they were going to
lose the rights. Yes, there was a bit of chat

(18:58):
about an overseas operator like a design or somebody like
that coming in, but it never really felt like that
was going to happen. TV in z make up some
of that shortfall. They'll be paying insid Are for the
rights to broadcast free Toware, but not all of it.
So the revenue play now for INSIDR is selling the
matches that sit outside the agreement, and that was the

(19:20):
other really interesting part of this for me. Five matches
by the All Blacks or featuring the All Blacks, five
matches featuring the Black ferns sit outside this agreement, so
we don't know who those games will be against or
where they'll be. But if we spit ball a bit,
it could be anywhere, couldn't they We could see the

(19:41):
All Blacks play the spring Box in Saudi Arabia. That
is not beyond the realms of possibility at all. INSIDR
would get a match fee for a game like that,
Plus they can now sell the broadcast rights now. I'm
sure Sky are going to be at the table for that,
and Gary Birchick can confirm that when we speak to

(20:02):
him a little while. I'm pretty sure that if there's
a team playing in a black jersey, scot I will
want to be at the table for that. Keeping those
games outside of this broadcast deal gives ensit Our a
bit of leverage, a bit of extra revenue generating ability.
It's just a matter where those games are going to
be and where we the customers are going to buy

(20:25):
them from. If they're on Sky happy days. If you're
a Sky customer, you just watch it as you always have.
But there are lots of streaming platforms with big audiences
who might be interested in dipping their toe in this water.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility that will
be watching The All Blacks on Netflix. It's quite possible, Insie.

(20:48):
I might find that a really attractive proposition. Look at
the numbers of Netflix subscribers that there are, and if
New Zealand Rugby feel as though they can get even
a fraction of those Netflix customers watching The All Blacks,
then you know they might take less money for a
broadcast platform of that size. Conversely, there might be a

(21:12):
smaller platform that is willing to pay significantly more. And
that's why ask David Cook the question, if they're getting
a big chunk of money, does it actually matter how
many people are watching? Again, it comes back to the balance,
of course it does, is the answer. Oh, eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty Mark, I mate.

Speaker 3 (21:31):
Hey Bonnie, Yeah, interesting about Netflix. There seem to be
more than dipping their tail into sport. They seem to
be Yeah, it seems to be the growth market putting
a lot of money into it in New Zealander. I
want to see MPC. I think this might save the NPC.
I think NPC was almost on life support and I'm

(21:52):
glad that people have decided, especially people with a bit
of power in the rugby to change things up, because
I think rugby was in real trouble. You know, they
were losing a lot of money even though they've got
the big injection of money. And I think we need
the NPC to be good as a feeder, you know,
through the Super Rugby and obviously on to higher honor.

(22:13):
To me, I think it's got to be good for rugby,
doesn't it.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
Absolutely absolutely it does. There's no downside to me, Mark
two in PC being on Fredaware. I think it's a
boost for you know, as you say, for those those
players who get more exposure. Look, the ones who make
the decisions around elevation to Super Rugby et cetera are
watching anyway. But you know you're right. If you're watching
a game and all of a sudden someone in that

(22:39):
game has a stormer and there are there are tens
of thousands more people watching it and tens of thousands
more people talking about it, then yes, absolutely, And I
think from us, for us as consumers and for rugby
fans and for sports fans, if we can see something
on fred Aware as a collective, then I think that's great.

Speaker 7 (22:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (22:57):
I'd like to see almost tickets being given. You're almost
given away to go to the games to create a
bit of atmosphere, because that's even when you're watching it
on TV, you almost get you know, there's no one there,
you know what I mean? Well, I think it needs
to be a bit of a drive to actually get
people to go and watch these these MPC games. I
mean there's probably more people that turn up to some

(23:19):
of the high school high school rugby games and the
than their provincial teams.

Speaker 2 (23:24):
Without doubt, Without doubt, I think the one A final
of Eden Park last week was a great demonstration of
that mark. From what I understand, there were hundreds of
not thousands watching that and then they sort of drifted
away once the NPC game started. I think that the
the other part of that, and it's a different subject
I know, is as venue choice, you know, you've got

(23:45):
to move away from the big kavanas stadiums for MPC
games have to.

Speaker 3 (23:49):
Yeah, yeah, it'll be a good idea too, but I
mean I think, yeah, getting people along, they've certainly got
to be a priority to sort of, yeah, create a
bit of environment because you said, as I said, you
certainly do notice that on the on the TV, even
when you get to the semi finals. It's sort of
like a ghost town when you when they tend to
pass the stands or whatever, you know, there's just no

(24:10):
one there.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
Yeah, indeed, good on you, Mark, good to chat mate. Thanks,
thanks for our kicking us off on this discussion of
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty spear line. If you
want to jump aboard, just a couple of questions. Does
it include the Lions games? Yes, is the answer. When
the British and Irish Lines women's team come here in
twenty twenty seven, and when the British and Irish Lions
men come here in twenty twenty nine, those are included

(24:31):
in this deal. A few people asking about the Northern
Tours at the end of the year. Those aren't New
Zealand Rugby's games to sell. They can't sell the rights
to those games because they're not We don't own those games.
So Sky will buy the right to broadcast those games
from from the rif you in England or whoever it is,

(24:52):
whose game it is, And I'm not exactly sure of
the current deal with those broadcasters, but I think you
can rest assured those games will be on Sky down
here twenty nine away from one. We'll take a break, Alex,
hold their mate with you. Right after this.

Speaker 1 (25:09):
The Big issues on and after Field Call eight hundred
eighty ten eighty Weekend Sport with Jason.

Speaker 8 (25:16):
Fain and GJ.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
Gunnerhomes New Zealand's most trusted home, Milder News talks a baby.

Speaker 2 (25:21):
Coming up twenty five to one. Couple of texts, Jason,
will the Free to Wear games be live? Yes, they
will be. The Freddywear games are definitely live. And finally,
they're also saying that MPC games are live on Sky
and TV in ZI. So Sky is still broadcasting Yeah, Ken,
that's correct, So everything's on Sky. The exclusively live staff

(25:42):
is everything apart from MPC. MPC is also live on
TV and Z Alex. Hi, gooday, Jason, how are you good? Thanks? Major,
you're sending bright and Shiny for a Saturday afternoon mate,
I am.

Speaker 1 (25:57):
I can't wait.

Speaker 9 (25:58):
Long time listener, first time caller. Hey, I was just
calling them to talk about don't you think we need
more of this than Super Rugby as well?

Speaker 2 (26:06):
Free to Wear?

Speaker 9 (26:08):
Yeah, because if you look at the NRL and their viewership,
they are just going through the roof man and Super rugby.
We're just falling behind our crowds and everything. The Crusader
is always pulling a good crowd, but everywhere else, I
don't know.

Speaker 2 (26:24):
Free to wear Super Rugby, Alex, you won't get an
argument from many people on our side of the fence
made in terms of rugby fans, who would get the
chance on a Friday night to tune into the Crusades,
Hurricanes or whatever it was. I just can't see it happening, mate,
because everything you take off pay per view reduces the
dollar amount that Sky will pay. I totally get your man. Look.

(26:48):
I think you know, being able to watch as much
rugby or sport free to wear as possible is a
good thing for us. I just think the sports organizations
need the revenue from broadcasts so much as I'd love
to see it happen. And are there are games on
Sky Open and now that Sky owned TV three, I
wouldn't be surprised if in the future the odd Super

(27:08):
Rugby game pops up on free too.

Speaker 9 (27:10):
We are on TV three, yeah, and particularly maybe that
Magic Round too, because obviously it's going to pull up crowds,
but then people that can't make it. I think that
would be like a perfect thing. Like in christ Church
next year, they'll still sell out because it's a brand
new stadium, but if we chuck that live, so many

(27:30):
more people will be.

Speaker 10 (27:31):
Able to watch it.

Speaker 2 (27:32):
Yeah, that's a good point, Alex. Look, it's the great
balancing act made between But you know, like I say,
a sports organization, broadcast revenue is a massive part of
how they keep their business running. And let's not forget
New Zealand Rugby needs to run the entire rugby ecosystem,
not just the top end. So they've got to get
as much money as they can from the broadcaster, while
as you say, exposing it to as many people as possible.

Speaker 5 (27:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (27:55):
And I also think the Zelland Rugby is missing out
by not displaying the top four on TV for first
esteem rugby. I think there's potential there. I know what
the awkward principles say, but I just disagree with it, especially.

Speaker 10 (28:08):
At the top four.

Speaker 2 (28:10):
Good on Alex, good stuff mate who's played in the competition.

Speaker 9 (28:13):
I just feel like it's better to be on show.

Speaker 2 (28:17):
Give a shout out to your school mate.

Speaker 9 (28:20):
Going a play of scholars.

Speaker 2 (28:23):
Good on the Alex. He don't don't don't hear that
to call back any time, mate, I've enjoyed chatting to you.
Always good to get a new voice on the air.
Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty A couple of
texts through here, done that one. Don't have to read
that one again. No point reading a text twice. Totally
agree with the call of suggesting free tickets to MPC.
Every primary and secondary score boy and girl who's registered

(28:45):
to play gets free tickets or a child's season ticket.
Love it, Rick, Like you said anything with that, and
like I don't want to be a year but the
Devil's Advocate. Part of it is that ticket revenue is
still a big part of what provinces, you know, can
collect gate takings. I know it's not huge, but it's
still a part of it.

Speaker 11 (29:05):
Lionel, Hello, Hi, Yeah, I'm just listening to all these
comments and I think they're wonderful. But I would think,
why don't we offer packages kind of like a loyalty
scheme you by the season, make your tickets really affordable,
and get the private enterprise to come in with incentives,
like you know, if you get if you want side

(29:25):
of the whole season, the last game, you'll get us
a freebie or stuff like loyalty points, et cetera, et cetera, competitions,
et cetera. On the game awards. An incentive to draw
people is apart from the ticket, because I think a
lot of people in this economic times are hurting. You know,
you've got to think twice. Whereas it's great it happens

(29:47):
if you had a Rugby stadium, but if you watch
it on TV, you actually see more of the game
in many ways because it's cameras and pointing. So I
would advocate for package deals which are really good and
family wise or individual wise, it get me to the game.
And then there's there's such a flip at the Overseas
International Soccer they start seeing it is really an outing

(30:10):
and if it's an affordable outda and the food is
that they show you around there is not too expensive,
I'm pretty sure you're going to attract a lot more.

Speaker 2 (30:17):
People without Doubtlinel, Yeah, look, the more people coming through
the gate, the better. It looks better on TV as well.
And I guess the fact that if something's on free
to wear as well as you say, if somebody's watching
a game of rugby free to wear and I think, hey,
that looks quite cool and there's a game in there
town or wherever it is, they might just be more
inclined to go along. And as you say, if you
add a little you had a little incentive there in

(30:38):
terms of you know, a good pricing. You know some
sponsor offerings can only be good. Appreciate you call Lionel.
Thanks mate, Cam. You're taking the Ramfully Shield home to Hamilton.

Speaker 12 (30:49):
Today hopefully pininy Hell are you today? Mate?

Speaker 13 (30:52):
Good?

Speaker 2 (30:53):
Thanks mate?

Speaker 12 (30:53):
Yeah, yeah, hey big way A fan forever. I was
here in nineteen ninety three when we took the Shield
off Auckland and always love listen to you.

Speaker 2 (31:06):
Thanks can. That's very kind of you, mate. So what
times do you give your boys against the Amber and
Blacks this afternoon?

Speaker 12 (31:12):
Look, tab's one twenty two to four dollars. I saved
thirty seventy to Taraniki. Unfortunately it's a four.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
Other mooner's paying four dollars to work this afternoon.

Speaker 12 (31:23):
Yes they are yeah wow yeah, but always listen to
you every Saturday and between midday and one. You guys
are awesome and to order way can they people out
there for I love you guys and leave you.

Speaker 2 (31:41):
Your little beyonly Cam. I love that mate.

Speaker 1 (31:44):
I love that.

Speaker 2 (31:44):
It's not bad money actually for the Molu men. Good
on your cam. I appreciate your kind words and you
call just on nineteen away from one. Got to take
a break, come back and check them with Sky? What
do they feel about this deal? Gary Burchett is the
head of Sport. He's standing by to chat to us
after this one.

Speaker 1 (31:59):
Crouch hold Engage Weekend Sports with Jason Paine and GJ
under Homes, New Zealand's first US to No Milder News
Toms b.

Speaker 2 (32:08):
Twelve forty four on Weekend Sport. We've been talking the
freshly signed broadcast deal announced yesterday between New Zealand Rugby
and Sky. Gary Burchett is head of Sport Content at
Sky and joins us. Now, good afternoon, Gary. How happy
are you with this outcome?

Speaker 14 (32:22):
Jason, good day to you and to your listeners. Are
tremendously happy, yes, and rightly so. You know, rugby is
the backbone of sporting passions in this country, and the
Black Ferns and the all Blacks. You know, they're the
strongest product we have. They're a huge driver for subscription,
they're a huge talking point in this country. So to

(32:44):
secure that high quality rugby for another five years is
a wonderful shot in the arm for us, for nz
R and for rugby fans in our Tatar roller.

Speaker 2 (32:55):
Were there any particular sticking points, any challenging parts of
this negotiation that has taken us to what are we
now getting towards the end of August before everything was
locked away?

Speaker 14 (33:08):
Well, I think I think we can both be pretty
candid and know that the talks went on for some time, right.
It's you know, when you're looking to secure you know,
rights for this period and few ends that are and
you're looking for the right partner. Of course, there are
going to be sticking points, and I wasn't at the
negotiating table, so I'm not privy to what the minutia
was for those sticking points. But looks as someone who's

(33:31):
charged with entertaining sports fans and my job is to
make the rugby look great, all I can say is
that it set me up for a superb weekend and
it's just a wonderful and invigorating development just for my colleagues,
you know, who work week in week out, you know
putting on you know, such high quality of rugby for

(33:52):
our sports fans.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
So look, we're thrilled as a business that operates in
the pay per view space. Are you on board with
New Zealand rugby and other sports as well, Gary wanting
free to wear elements in their broadcast deals? Yeah, of course.

Speaker 14 (34:05):
And if I was on the other side, I'm looking
for exposure. I'm looking for as many eyeballs as I
possibly can. But we have, you know, and presently do
have a freeoware platform in sky Open and a number
of our media rights agreements specify that a certain number
of matches need to be on freeoware TV. So it's

(34:27):
nothing new. I guess TV three is just a newer
and a shinier model. It's going to garner more eyeballs,
so absolutely, and it's a great way to increase the
profile of a sport and get more New Zealand as
cheering around their teams.

Speaker 2 (34:39):
So Sky now owns TV three. So are you keen
to see in the future free to wear sport on
TV three?

Speaker 14 (34:47):
Yes, But very selfishly speaking, the Sky Sports subscriber must
come first. They're the ones that put you know, money
into the coffers, but they are also the ones that
help finance such deals that we've just done with New
Zealand rugby. It is you know, the hard working coin
from our subscribers that helps generate, you know, our productions

(35:07):
and allows us to secure the right. So yes, I
am absolutely comfortable with sport being on free to wear,
but the way I operate and the way Sky operates,
we have to be very loyal to our loyal customers.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
How much of an anchor are or how much sorry,
how much of an anchor is rugby for your sports subscribers?

Speaker 5 (35:30):
It's huge.

Speaker 14 (35:31):
Like one of the first things the I did when
I came into the role was to go to the
customer team and just to understand the drivers for subscription.
And I don't think it to surprise you that the
number one sport as to why people would.

Speaker 2 (35:45):
Subscribe to Sky is rugby.

Speaker 14 (35:47):
Number two is NRL number three and this was the
fun that really surprised me is motorsport. So yeah, I
mean rugby is far and away the sport that has
made New Zealand famous. The All Blacks are an international
brand there. When people talk about, you know, such distinguished
boarding teams, you think about the Yankees, you think about

(36:08):
Real Madrid, you think about Manchester United, and you think
about the All Blacks, So they're in They're in that realm.
I mean, they are such a big deal, which is
why we're absolutely delighted that we can continue being partners
with NZR and the Black Ferns and the All Blacks
for the next five years and.

Speaker 2 (36:25):
Zell and Rugby has reserved the right to play up
to five offshore All Blacks and Black Ferns matches respectively
over the five year term. They will sit outside this
broadcast agreement negotiated on a match by match basis well
Sky bid to broadcast those games.

Speaker 14 (36:41):
I think you know the answer to that. If there's
All Blacks or Black Ferns available, Yeah, I mean, we'd
want to be in the running. And we can understand
and appreciate he's going to Rugby wanting to take certain
matches outside of this territory completely.

Speaker 2 (36:59):
I completely get it.

Speaker 14 (37:00):
I mean, I'm personally looking forward to watching the All
Blacks take on Ireland in Chicago. And I guess what
a lot of people do don't know is that Sky
Sports is actually the production partner and host broadcaster of
that event. So our directors and our producers and our
key broadcast personnel will be working alongside American crew to
put on that test match, and I think I think

(37:21):
that's going to be a consideration for ends that are
that they know there's one thing about actually having the
rights to the match, but who's going to stage it,
who's going to put on the production. The wonderful thing
about Sky is that we've been in people's loungees and
screens for the best part of thirty years showcasing rugby.
We have a proven reputation of putting on high class
rugby productions and that I know that gives ends it
are a lot of comfort.

Speaker 2 (37:42):
When that sort of negotiation period comes around, when we
know when, when, and where these matches are going to be,
the ones that sit outside the agreement. How do you
even start their negotiation? Gara, how do you know what
you know the rights to one game are actually worth?

Speaker 8 (37:57):
Really good question.

Speaker 14 (37:58):
I don't know the answer to that, And you know,
I was having a think about that. Those valuations, I mean,
I guess you know, valuations are also sort of in
to performance. So if teams and leagues are doing particularly
well and they're rating well, you know there's a lot
of market support, the commercialization is healthy. Then I think
that also adds to you know, the conversation on how

(38:18):
you actually price up an event. But you know, look,
I think there is an appetite absolutely to take the
New Zealand all Blacks and Black Ferns rugby team brands
globally to to you know, to build an international fan base.
And we're really wholly supportive of that. It's a it's
a really pragmatic way of thinking. And yeah, absolutely we
want to be we want to be at the table.
We certainly, we certainly want to have more you know,

(38:41):
teams in black paraded on Sky Sports screens, all.

Speaker 2 (38:43):
Right, and with the rights locked in now for the
next five years. You've always been a big fan of
innovation and broadcast coverage. Are you're keen to do some
new and different things in your rugby coverage over the
next five years?

Speaker 14 (38:55):
I really am, Yes, I think you know, I've always
taken the view that our job as broadcasters and storytellers
is to bring people closer to the sports that they love.
I've had, I've had wonderful opportunities to do with with
Big Bash League, you know, putting putting cameras in the
hats of umpires and in helmets of batters, you know,

(39:16):
I was involved in the technology where we might Dutch
shamee war and ball by ball. So yeah, innovation is
a really important part of our work. A. We do
need to bring our viewers close to the sport. We
need to make sure that they feel like they're watching
a premium event. So there's some really cool technology. And
I know you're a football fan. You might have seen
the body cams. Yes that the ben been trialing and football.

(39:39):
So there's like a little stabilized camera you put it
on the ref and because the ref is pretty much
following the ball, it's almost like you've got a camera
person just following and tracking the live action. I mean,
that is a really intimate way of bringing the game,
you know, to football supporters. So yeah, I mean I'm
always up for a conversation with any of our sporting
codes to try and elevate the viewing experience.

Speaker 2 (40:00):
Well, congress to you and the team at Sky for
securing rugby rights over the next five years. Really appreciate
you insight the stuff and Gary, thanks for joining us.

Speaker 8 (40:07):
I appreciate your support.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
Jason, thank you, no, thank you, Garry. Gary Birchett, head
of Sport Content at Sky eight to one News, Talk Seppi.

Speaker 1 (40:15):
Breaking down the Hail Mary's and the epic fails weekend
Sport with Jason Pin News Talk Zenvy.

Speaker 2 (40:24):
Coming up four to one, Andy says the Stags won't
need to be on the TV Piney because everyone in
the South will be at the game the way they're going,
I've only won two games at a row Eddie. Calm down, mate, especially,
he continues, when White Cuttle will take the shield today
and Southland does a hit and run in Hamilton next week,
I had done this, those those sums clearly you have.

(40:46):
I don't know whether White Cutter win the shield this afternoon.

Speaker 3 (40:48):
You know, I.

Speaker 2 (40:50):
Enjoyed chatting to Cam before with this cow bell. I
love that, and a big part of me wants, you know,
such passionate fans as those in the White cutto to
take the shield back. They seem to have had it
a lot though, really haven't they. It seems like they've
sort of got it every every other year. That said,
without any that any research deeper than just my memory

(41:12):
about when the last time they had the log. But
you know they've had it. Tellannaky White Cuddle this afternoon,
five past two in New Plymouth, why should gets you
a preview of that game with our Gold Sport lead
commentator Phil Quinny. He's seen a lot of rugby at
that park. I can tell you. He's on the show
after one o'clock, but first up after the news. Want
to pay tribute to Cody Taylor, who will tomorrow morning

(41:35):
become an All Black centurion. Just the fourteenth guy to
do that. A couple of us former All Blacks and
Crusader's teammates pay tribute after one.

Speaker 1 (41:44):
The only place to discuss the biggest Fours issues on
and after fields.

Speaker 8 (41:49):
It's all on w James Ford with Jason Pade on
your home of Sport News Talks.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
One o seven. This is weekend Sport on News Talk.
Saidb I'm Jason Fine, Andy McDonald's show producer, Hits All three.
A special day for Cody Taylor. Tomorrow he will become
the fourteenth All Blacks centurion when he runs out against
Argentina and Buenas series. He debuted against that same opposition
in twenty fifteen in christ Church, coming off the bench

(42:17):
and scoring a try. Well, the All Blacks screw it this.

Speaker 15 (42:20):
Time and mccaur has it a great piece of destructive
scrummaging there from the All Blacks, they go.

Speaker 8 (42:26):
For the lane.

Speaker 5 (42:31):
That's Taylor, not defeat a night at this time.

Speaker 2 (42:36):
Staring night devout. Yeah, that was Cody Taylor. A decade ago.
Tomorrow Morning Test number one hundred. White Crockett played seventy
two times for the All Blacks in a record two
hundred and three games for the Crusaders between two thousand
and six and twenty eighteen, the last six of those
years alongside Cody Taylor. He joins US now White. Can

(42:56):
you remember the first time you became aware of Cody
Taylor as a rugby player.

Speaker 6 (43:02):
I do.

Speaker 13 (43:03):
I remember it was a preseason game for the Cruse
and he came off the bench and I think his
first touch of the ball, he got the ball inside
our half halfway line, stepped two or three people and
sprinted off and beat the fullback for pace, caught under

(43:23):
the post. And I was sitting next to Krew Flynn
in the stands because we went playing we're having a
bit of a longer break at the start of the season,
and I said, oh, Jesus can can play mate. I
think he wanted to keep an eye on this one,
and yeah, and he's turned out to be pretty bloody good.

Speaker 2 (43:42):
He certainly has so once he got into a team
environment with him, I mean that's your first impression and
a pretty decent first impression once he came into the
team environment. How did you find Cody Taylor early on
in his professional rugby career?

Speaker 13 (43:56):
Well, he started off how he is now. He hasn't
changed at all. Really. I think he just you know,
he's super dedicated to his craft and getting better, and
that was right from the get go. You know, he's
really meticulous about his nutrition and his training, and I think,
you know, like looking at him now, you know, I

(44:19):
feel like he's still getting better and still playing absolutely
at the peak of his powers, so you know, and
that's credit to the work that he does. And I
think also another fact thing that I think about Cody
as you see, super super well balanced guy. You know,
he's a family man. You know, he enjoys himself off
the off the field, but when he's in the in

(44:39):
that team environment, he's working extremely hard.

Speaker 2 (44:41):
There are a few hookers around and I'm sure you've
come across them who are a bit chirpy. They don't
mind a chat, especially at scrum time.

Speaker 8 (44:47):
Was he ever like that?

Speaker 13 (44:48):
No, not at all. Cody was Cody was head down
and actions a lot like Kivy Melamo. I think, you know,
he just you know, just led his action instead of talking,
and you know, very rarely, I mean, I must say,
you know, he he didn't you enjoy a good scrum
win and he might maybe have a couple of words

(45:10):
at that point, but now I think he is real
actions man, rather than words.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
You've wrapped your arm around a few blokes wearing wearing
the two jumper or the sixteen jump or whatever it
might be. What as a as a front row forward?
What do you want from your hooker?

Speaker 13 (45:26):
Of communication? And I think is really important. So he
can he can feel different things that you can't, especially
as a loose head. He's feeling different things from the
tight head.

Speaker 6 (45:38):
Than what I am.

Speaker 13 (45:39):
So he'll let me know little things that's happening and
things that I can do to to help him out
and vice versa. You know, if I find feeling something
that I'm not getting from him, that that communication was
always open. But but yeah, I think that's that's really important.
And yeah, I suppose just you know, just having someone

(46:02):
that does what they say they're going to do and
works really hard to someone that you can really trust,
because you know you as a prop, you really just
rely on your hookers so so much, and he's not
where you need him to be. It's pretty pretty tough
to do your job.

Speaker 2 (46:19):
And you'd been in the All Blacks for a while
when Cody Taylor made his test daybot what was it
ten years ago? Now, you'd been there for a while.
A special moment. I think you might have been in
the reserves with him when he made his testdayble was
that right?

Speaker 13 (46:30):
Yeah, that sounds better, right, I can't quite recall, but yeah,
it was really special. Actually, I think you know, obviously,
I've played a lot with Corey Flunn over the years
and we're still really good mates. And Corey worked really
hard on bringing Cody through and not giving him his

(46:52):
jersey and making him he still work really hard to
try and go past them. And I saw what Cody
put in to get there. People forget actually that Cody
spent two or three years at the Crusaders is number
two or number three hooker. He was often behind Cody
and Ben for now, so he had to really do

(47:14):
his time, you know, probably even I'm sure he may
have even considered moving away from the Crusaders to get
his opportunity, but he didn't. He stuck at it, worked
really hard and eventually, you know, we went past a
couple of those guys and it's always it's always difficult
when someone goes past year. But you know, pretty pretty

(47:35):
amazing what Corey did for I think for Cody, and
you know that sort of stood him in good steed
to go on to do what he's done.

Speaker 8 (47:43):
Now.

Speaker 2 (47:43):
That's a pretty special quality, isn't it. Because I'm sure
you know you've been in teams with guys who can't
get in the team and as you say, are down
the pecking order a bit, and that affects them in
and around the team and personally, for it must have
been a pretty cool quality and a teammate that even
if you are number three or you perceive yourself to
be that, you're still just working hard every day.

Speaker 13 (48:03):
Yeah, and I think it goes both ways. You know,
that was the environment that we sort of we came through,
you know, when we were coming up, and we made
sure that you know, the guys that weren't getting there
you getting it, getting much of a crack, We're still
encouraging them and still working with them on on developing
their game. You know, it's funny, funny enough. It was,
you know, for myself and Corey that were sort of

(48:25):
I suppose, you know, number number one and number two
for a long time, and we had Joe Moody and
Cody Taylor coming through who we everyone knew. You could
see how much potential and how good a future they had,
but you know, sometimes they went getting that crack and
you know, I suppose we work really hard on those guys,

(48:47):
and I'm sure that they're working really hard with the
younger guys coming through as well, passing that bed and
onto that next crop of talent. And there's certainly some
some some good ones coming through.

Speaker 2 (48:56):
That's for sure. Terrific insight. Well, thanks so much for
joining us, mate, I know it'll be a special day
for everybody who's worn red and black. Thanks for taking
the time for it yet this afternoon now.

Speaker 13 (49:05):
Absolutely, And you know, obviously Cody is what he's done
on the field is incredible, but off the field as well,
he's a great human and a really just just just
a great news yander in general and someone that I
think we're really proud of.

Speaker 2 (49:19):
Very well said, thanks, White, White, Crockett there, former teammate
in Crusaders colors, Canterbury colors and All Blacks colors of
Cody Taylor. Let's bring in Matt Todd. He played twenty
five tests for the All Blacks, seventy two games for
Canterbury and one hundred and forty one for the Crusaders,
many of those alongside Cody Taylor. He's now, of course
Matt Todd Crusaders defense coach, so he can offer us

(49:41):
a pretty unique perspective. Let's start there. Actually, Matt, is
the Cody Taylor that you now coach any different from
the Cody Taylor who was a teammate of yours?

Speaker 10 (49:51):
Not too much and obviously as as you get older, yeah,
mature a little wit. But in terms of his work
ethic and that that's something that really stands out when
you talk about Cody. Like a lot of people after
a long season news you're offseason to kind of way
from it and relaxed. But Cody, he's that type of boat.
It's always sort of seeing how he can challenge himself

(50:12):
and push himself physically, and he's straight into getting himself better.
And I guess that's why he's had the career he's
had in the length of a career He's head.

Speaker 2 (50:23):
What was he like when he first came into the
Canterbury and Crusaders teams that you were a part of.

Speaker 10 (50:30):
I guess just a young, enthusiastic blop like he was
obviously a great athlete, natural speed and backed himself. You know,
he wanted to get in there, he wanted to challenge
himself and you saw, you know, like every time he
got given the opportunity, he took out he he I
guess progressed pretty quickly from when he debuted for Kenna
for the Crusaders to be in the Ilbecks was a

(50:52):
fairly rapid kind of promotion, but it was just through
that enthusiasm, excitement and backing himself whenever he got the opportunity.

Speaker 2 (51:03):
What have you seen from him in terms of his
evolution as as a hooker.

Speaker 10 (51:09):
Yeah, I guess it's just that sort of staying to
step ahead of how the game's gone. You know, the
modern day hooker they need to be able to play
on the edge, play almost as an extra you know,
back or lucy at times, and he can certainly do that,
but whilst still having that core part of his game.
You know, was lying out, throwing his scrummer gens working closer.

(51:31):
I think that ability to be able to play multiple
types of game and have the skill set to be
able to, I guess, adjust to the game plan depending
on the team, and just that ability to physically continue
to evolve. And you know there's always younger players commentation
his position, but the work he pits them physically keeps

(51:53):
him at the top of his game. And he's always
seeking those little bits how he can get better, how
he can look after his body, how he can get
more out of his body.

Speaker 2 (52:02):
You talked about core roles there, and you often hear
them when when you're talking about the hooking position and
as you say, throwing into the line out, scrummaging, that
sort of thing. I guess you could easily doll that
stuff in once you've been around for a while. By
the sounds of it, he doesn't do that.

Speaker 8 (52:15):
Nah like I think.

Speaker 10 (52:17):
You're never comfortable. You know, you don't have a career
like he does, and you rest on your laurels. I
think you tick that box off.

Speaker 5 (52:22):
He's always.

Speaker 10 (52:25):
Working on or always trying to try and get better.
But at the same time, I guess when you've done
it for as long as he is, he knows the
process that works. So if he doesn't get it right,
he knows, you know how to rectify the steps, to
make any adjustments and can move on quickly from a mistake,
because you're never going to get it right all the time,
but it's about making sure you're not making the same mistakes.

(52:45):
And when you've done it for as long as he
has that ability to have that process to work through
it just and now the next one, what.

Speaker 2 (52:52):
About when younger players have come into the side. You know,
with eyes on his position, younger hookers into the environment
that he's a part of. What do you see from
him in scenarios like that.

Speaker 10 (53:03):
He's a great mentor for the younger players coming through.
You know, he understands he was that that guy one time.
And and I think you know, when he was a
young guy, he had older hokers like Flynny and etcetera
who helped him and welcomed him, but but challenged him.
But they helped him get the best out of it.
And I think he's the same. You know, he welcomes
any new hooker in any young ho because he helps them.

(53:25):
But he also you know, makes it clear that he's
the standard they need to get to and he will
help them. But he's not going to give give up
his jersey. You know, you're gonna have to take it
off from if you want to get it.

Speaker 2 (53:36):
And do you see from the younger players in your environment,
not just hookers, but all players. Do you see them
looking at Cody Taylor and realizing what you need to
do and what you need to be to become not
just an All Black, a good all blacker, one hundred
test all Black.

Speaker 10 (53:52):
Yeah, certainly, you know, and you'd be silly not to.
You know, he lives He's type of like that lives
at every day. It's not a sort of sometimes thing.
And you know, I guess that's why he's parting one
hundred tests and still playing at the level that he
is and still got plenty of footy in front of
him because he lives it all the time. And yet
you see, you know, he's in there on his days
off doing extras. He's looking after his body, he's making

(54:14):
sure he's he knows his opposition. Every week, he's done
the homework around that. You know, he tests himself physically
during the week, so he heads into the game, and
he's confident that he's where he needs to be physically,
So all those little things, you know, it's nutrition, all
the little stuff that stacks up. You know, he's world
classed in all those areas. And for young players coming
into you know, where it's crusades, all the all blacks.

(54:36):
You just see what he does and how diligent is
with all that little stuff, and you soon, you know,
you soon learn what's required. But it's not easy, and
it's one thing to see it, but it's to be
about to actually live it as another thing.

Speaker 2 (54:49):
And you have moved into coaching. Is that a pass
you could see Cody Taylor taking.

Speaker 10 (54:55):
Yeah, he's certainly good. You know, he's one of those
guys as well that he's always looking for extra stuff
outside of the game to I guess mentally refresh him.
And he's always got little sided tests in that. So
wherever he goes down the coaching path, I'm not sure,
but he's certainly got the knowledge to to do it,
and he relates well to the other players, so he could.

(55:15):
But he's got a lot of I guess varied interests
in stuff away from the game that perhaps he goes
that road I'm not too sure.

Speaker 2 (55:22):
All right, Matt Well, I appreciate you taking the time
to pay tribute to one of your former teammates and
now one of your players as a Crusader's defense coach.
Thanks very much for your time, mate. That's Matt Todd
and before Matt White Crockett paying tribute to Cody Taylor.
When you think of great All Blacks hookers, it is
quite a crowded field. Kevin me A Lummel, Sean Fitzpatrick,

(55:45):
Dane Coles, Andy Dalton, Cody Taylor absolutely belongs in that conversation.
The constant themes you hear about Cody Taylor are around
his work, ethic and just how much playing rugby means
to him, whether it's for Canterbury, the Crusaders or the
All Blacks. He apits amises what it means to be

(56:09):
part of something that is bigger than you. The jersey
has never been bigger than Cody Taylor. The team has
never been bigger, The game has never been bigger than
Cody Taylor. But he's enhanced the jersey, enhanced his teams,
and really done the game of rugby proud. He models
the way for anyone who joins the teams that he
is in. And you heard that from Matt Todd and

(56:30):
from White Crockett. They look at Cody Taylor and they
understand what it means to be an All Black, to
be a crusader, to be a Canterbury player. He's a
leader in the size that he's a part of. He
hasn't often been captain of those teams, but he is
a prime example of the old adage that you do
not need an armband to lead. What a player he's been.

(56:54):
There is more to come, and what a special moment
for Cody Taylor and his family tomorrow morning when he
becomes All Blacks Test Centurion number fourteen one twenty two.
We're going to take a break. We'll get you to
Argentina sh shortly. Actually have a look at this game tomorrow.
With Zuka Konti out of esp and Argentina farmers don't
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(57:36):
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(58:01):
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Speaker 8 (58:13):
You be the TMO.

Speaker 1 (58:14):
Have your say on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty
Weekend Sport with Jason Paine and GJ. Guvnerholmes, New Zealand's
most trusted home builder News Talks, They'd be.

Speaker 2 (58:24):
News Talks will be one twenty six is going to
get you to Stadium Tartanuky inside the next ten minutes
to preview the ran Furley Shield Challenge by What Cuttle
for Taranhauky This afternoon. Ranfurlly Shield Defense of Taranuki, who
are actually looking pretty damn good in the MPC this year,
just quietly, including budding fifty on Auckland last week at
Eden Park. Phil Quinny and Kemahari have the call on

(58:46):
gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Phil Quiney with us inside the
next ten minutes. But Argentina and the All Blacks meet
tomorrow morning in their second Rugby Championship Test of twenty
twenty five.

Speaker 16 (58:58):
The All Blacks go back to number one in the
world for the first time since November twenty twenty one.

Speaker 2 (59:05):
Forty one four six tries to three. Yeah, a pretty
comprehensive win, well eventually anyway, from the All Blacks nine
o'clock tomorrow morning, catch the call with Elliot Smith and
and Strawn. Let's bring in Argentinian rugby journalist Zuko Zuka
Conti from ESPN. So great to get the chance to chat.

(59:26):
The Pumas got back to within seven points of the
All Blacks last week. Did you sense they might be
about to claim their first win? That all lusive first
win over the All Blacks on Argentinian soil?

Speaker 17 (59:39):
Him ed, how are you hopefully for us? Hopefully for
us that when it's coming. It was like yesterday when
Parramatta then grassearch Wellington. But all you Argentinian rugby fans
are waiting for our first home soil victory. I think

(01:00:00):
it's gonna be very tough because I think that the
oil Blacks Oilways, from one week to the other improve
a loge. Sometimes in the same match they improve a loge,
and of course we are willing that Argentina is going
to improve to make some I think that growns as

(01:00:23):
a team in some specific points that are going to
be vital tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (01:00:29):
What are those specific areas? So where do the mind
improvements need to come? Where would you like to see
the improvements come from Argentina.

Speaker 17 (01:00:39):
From Argentina, I think that it's very important the mindset
because specifically in the first half, because last year Rugby Championship,
the three victories came after a comeback because of the
of going I don't know, but fourteen twenty one points down.

(01:01:04):
Last week in Cordova, it was another match where Argentina
start losing and then the team shows that encouraged to
go back and go straight into the into the game.
But of course the mindset to be in the game

(01:01:26):
since the kickoff till the end. And then of course
the defense of the line and the mall, because last
week three tries came came because of the of the
line of mall of the All Blacks. Of course, I
want to be to watch an improvement there.

Speaker 2 (01:01:50):
Just the two changes to the Argentina side. Did you
expect more changes or did that feel about right?

Speaker 5 (01:01:57):
No?

Speaker 17 (01:01:57):
I think that it's it's right. Probably I would like
to see Gideo Petty as a starter. I get surprised
to Giddo being the bench again, but Hong on Salez
it's now. I think that it's one of the best
players in the team. I get surprised last week when

(01:02:19):
he was benched and now as a starter. I think
that in the line out, for example, it's going to
be so important not to win our own balls, of course,
to try to steal some All Blacks balls. And then
of course I think that the change of of the

(01:02:43):
of Matteo Carredras. I think that it's good is going
to maintain in the team. But the coach choose to
delegate as a starter, and Matteo Carreda's too, so I
think that that is going to be a point where
the All Blacks are going to attack because it's grow
in all the kicking game, it's so important in the

(01:03:07):
air battle, and without its growth, I think that the
All Blacks are going to use a lot the the
kicking game, the kicking strategy, strategy where are building buried,
for example. I think it's a master a mastermind.

Speaker 2 (01:03:22):
What did you think of the All Blacks performance last week?

Speaker 18 (01:03:28):
It was not fantastic.

Speaker 1 (01:03:30):
It was.

Speaker 18 (01:03:32):
In Argentina, we call it like pragmatic. It was like
a victory word.

Speaker 17 (01:03:37):
The All Blacks show you the class that the team
has in the in terms of consistency, in terms of
being a solid team in the moments that the game needs,
a solid mind in the final minutes of the in
the start, in the final minutes of the first half,
in the final minutes of the of the game. I

(01:03:59):
don't know, but probably when you have an advantage of
twenty twenty five points, your mind relax a little bit,
so Argentina come back. But when Argentina put near seven points,
the Oil Blacks the push the celebrator again and they
go back again with his game.

Speaker 18 (01:04:19):
They don't choose to go to the polls.

Speaker 17 (01:04:22):
They go to the line out because they watch and
I think that in a good decision, that there is
a point to exploit.

Speaker 18 (01:04:33):
So I don't know.

Speaker 17 (01:04:35):
We always hear in Argentina admire the oil Blacks game.
We probably will learn a lot about playing against the
Oil Blacks. And for example, today I make an interview
with Pablo Mattela that you know a lot because Pablo
plays there in chryst And one season with the Crusaders,
and Pablo.

Speaker 2 (01:04:55):
Told me that in the last game he'll.

Speaker 17 (01:04:59):
Learned more about rugby and the Oil Blacks, that in
the other eighteen that they play against the All Blacks.
And because of that, I'm willing that tomorrow the Argentina
team is it's going to prove a lot.

Speaker 2 (01:05:14):
Wow, that is great insight from Pablo Mateta. So Parametta,
christ Church, Wellington? Are we going to add buenas Aires?
Is it finally going to happen? Zuka?

Speaker 18 (01:05:27):
Hopefully? I don't know. It's always a dream.

Speaker 17 (01:05:29):
I remember being in Paramatta going in the car to
the to the stadium and some friends ride me via
what's up?

Speaker 18 (01:05:40):
How is the team?

Speaker 17 (01:05:40):
And we with Argentina with the Pumas, we never have
a clear view about how is the team? The team
Probably when the game start we take there the real
sensation about how is the team. I think that if
Argentina it's good in the contact, I think that the
All Bucks tomorrow, for example, they are going to start

(01:06:03):
playing straight, going boy to body to body. So if
Argentina it's physical physically there in the in the battle,
probably we are going to be near in the match.
And then it's some deitiles being good in the with
the kicking, with the points. I remember the game is

(01:06:26):
scriter a million of Ailie with his right foot in paramatta,
Nico Santez.

Speaker 18 (01:06:32):
We need an inspirational.

Speaker 17 (01:06:35):
Game of the kicker, good, good performance of the important
players and always a little bit of good luck.

Speaker 2 (01:06:48):
Wonderful to talk with you again, Zuka, thank you for
joining us. Enjoy the game.

Speaker 18 (01:06:53):
Thank you very much, and you enjoyed the game too.

Speaker 17 (01:06:56):
It's always a pleasure and a priverledge for us being
playing against.

Speaker 2 (01:07:00):
The All Blacks. Wonderful stuff. Soka, thanks so much in
the Zuka CONTI there out of esping in Argentina. Head
of tomorrow second Rugby Championship test for commentary here on
News Talks. EDB built up from around ten to nine.
Kickoff at ten past nine with Elliott Smith and and
Strawn bang on twenty five to two weekends for it.
Taranaki put the ran fully shield on the line. This

(01:07:21):
afternoon they welcome White Cuttle to New Plymouth. Kickoff at
five past two. So far this sheit the fended off
challenges from King Country, from Thames Valley and from Northland.

Speaker 7 (01:07:31):
He makes a beautiful break through up to the twenty two.

Speaker 19 (01:07:33):
He's got a man inside. That's just Jacob and Josh.
Jacob will Square, beautifully done.

Speaker 7 (01:07:38):
Jacob rather mina bookie. Nadkins just put the foot down.

Speaker 2 (01:07:42):
That is the voice of Phil Quinney of course, to
alongside Ken Mahari has the call for you on Gold
Sport and iHeartRadio. Phil give us a weather report first
of all, and good.

Speaker 7 (01:07:50):
Afternoon, afternoon, Piey. I can report that the voices are
hell of a lot better today than it was three
weeks ago when I just listened back to that. My goodness,
we're in the middle of a dig flu bug, but
managed to get through that one. The weather is magnificent,
a beautiful day here, not a breath of wind, blue sky,
the mountain looking like the best mountain of the world.

(01:08:13):
What a site, what a place we've got here pining.
It really is something spectacular on the daylight today, clouding
over just a little bit around the mountain, but otherwise
a beautiful day here and the conditions absolutely perfect for
what should be a very very interesting challenge from White Kado.
They've been a boogey team for Tallanlaukey over the years.
Play the number of times those bloody cow bells have

(01:08:36):
gone home with the shield, it's been it's been an
unpleasant experience many times. And of course last time they
met why Cando Tananauky fifteen fourteen in the quarter final
of the MPC last year. So Toanerakee certainly are well
aware of the threat that the mulus bring to stadium
Tllanhakey this afternoon.

Speaker 2 (01:08:55):
All right, let's talk about the ambrom Blacks in twenty
twenty five three ones from three the Northland Shield Defense
and then forty six twenty four away at North Harbor
and then fifty on Auckland last week at Eden Park.
What's been most impressive to you about their start to
twenty twenty five.

Speaker 7 (01:09:11):
The most impressive thing is that Barnsey and the boys
repaid all of us that have suffered at Eden Park
through the nineteen eighties and early nineties until we took
the shield off them in ninety six. And thank you
Barnsey and the boys for putting fifty points on Auckland
last week. That was phenomenal, wasn't it. But that's payback
for all those years we've gone up and played the

(01:09:31):
All Blacks and been spanked. But it's just been a
very very impressive all round performance. Forwards and backs combining
really well. They're starting to really come into their milk,
as we say here in Dairy Country. Three matches in
really getting that cohesive flow. That was an outstanding performance
last week against Auckland. Josh Jacob and Logan Crowley really

(01:09:52):
combining nicely. Jacob's just developing into a fantastic number ten.
And when you think, I mean people talk about the
value of the MPC pinety and I know you talk
about it all the time, the grassroots of the game,
the shop window of the game, the development of of
players through to All Black level. Less than two seasons ago,
Piney Josh Jacob was in the development side for Tallaennachen.

(01:10:13):
He was playing in a very average Englewood Club team
and now he's in the top four in the country
in the number ten Jersey without a doubt, so he's
been extremely impressive. The Fords have been dominant in just
about every match. They've played a very solid unit, that
lovely Ford lineout drive they get going with Bradley Slater
on the end of a number of tries already the season.

(01:10:34):
Guys like Michael Loft have been impressive from seven and
so to was Bowshoe at eight. They're struggling in locks.
They've obviously lost Josh Lord to Argentina for the All Blacks.
Fitty Sara is out injured, so they're a little bit
light in that area, but they're making up for it
next man up mentality, and they've certainly stepped up and
played a wonderful attacking brand of rugby. If it's on,

(01:10:57):
it's on, doesn't matter whether you're on your own goal
line or on their twenty two. They love to attack
the ball from everywhere and speech is like rada matabuki.
Nick can fall back and take a solemony on the wing.
Have a really made advantage of that as well. It's
been a very impressive start to the season. They are
one of the form sides, unbeaten three from three and
I'd certainly be hoping to go four from four, keep

(01:11:18):
the shield for at least another week or two. And
also the Ryan Wheler Memorial Trophy that these two Chiefs
franchises of course play for, so that local derby element
to it as well. It's exciting afternoon, Jason.

Speaker 2 (01:11:29):
Absolutely, Phil, I'm getting goosebumps even listening to you talk
about it. And I've got no skin in this game
at all. Just on way Cuttor, you look at their
back line, I mean, Aaron Crude and the old man
of the team, but still running around pretty well at ten.
Then Gideon Rampling, Baalen Sullivan, Ollie mathis this rising star
Josh Morby at fallback. It's a pretty decent whit Kaddow team,
isn't it.

Speaker 20 (01:11:49):
Oh?

Speaker 7 (01:11:49):
Absolutely, And certainly I know Neil Barnes is not taking
them lightly at all. As I've said right at the start,
this why Kadow Union has a habit of spoiling our party.
They are a very good back line. You start to
wonder whether that's Aaron Crude or his son, don't you.
I mean, he's been around for so long, but it's
the man himself, and of course Limus off Wanger on

(01:12:10):
the bench as well, so a ton of experience, certainly
in the back line, not so much in the forward pack.
They'll be tested today, but they've got some real talent
there as well, with the likes of Jerome Brown at
eight so I follow at six and Jacobson at seven,
a big Hamilton burr at lock. So they might be
down a little bit on NPC experience, but they're not
down on rugby experience or rugby intelligence, and I think

(01:12:31):
you'll see a lot of that today. How they'll play
the game. They've had two close winds one point victories
and a loss, so they haven't got away to the
best of starts way Kato, but again they can if
they turn it on it's going to be a hell
of a game this afternoon. I think we'll see a
very exciting brand of rugby. The conditions absolutely will lend
itself to that. As I said, not a breath of wind,

(01:12:52):
perfect ground conditions and much the same surface as the
Waycado boys that used to of course at Hamilton with
that synthetic mix. So why Cano a little bit down
on power maybe, but won't be down on motivation, that's
for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:13:04):
And Studium Taranaki it's all, doesn't it all been revamped, refreshed, redone.
How's it looking?

Speaker 7 (01:13:09):
Oh looks great, mate. That mean the all new grands down.
Of course, the old grandstand was earthquake written off, and
some five years later I think we now look out
at what is a magnificent new stand. It's a little
bit closer to the ground as well, by a few meters,
not that you know, but it's a little bit more intimate,
I guess from that perspective. The corporate boxes, the corporate lounge,

(01:13:30):
the Legends lounge up top, really is a magnificent facility.
And underneath what you can't see when you look at it,
the facilities for the players, the referees, the administrators, and
for the community because it's a community stadium are just
first rate. So we're looking forward to some big matches,
not only rugby, but soccer and a number of other events.
It is a community stadium, a community facility, and the

(01:13:51):
community will certainly get their money's worth out of it.
But it's great to have it back one d per capacity.

Speaker 2 (01:13:58):
Has your partner in crime, Ken Mahari arrived. You're all
their presence incorrect, easy mate, good, good to hear you
both in fine voice. Look, I couldn't even tell yeah
the flu last time, Phil, So.

Speaker 7 (01:14:13):
I'll tell you. Roddy was very unselfish with it. He
passed it around her that life a thousand among others.
Blame the wife. The wife gave it to me. It's
the only thing she's given me all year.

Speaker 9 (01:14:23):
And I gave it.

Speaker 7 (01:14:24):
I gave it to Ken and he gave it to
his wife. So there we go. We'd like to share
things around on the commentary box here Jason, I love it.

Speaker 1 (01:14:29):
I love it.

Speaker 2 (01:14:30):
Boys. Have a great call. There is Phil Quinny and
Kim Mahary with the call of Taranaki's Shield defense against
White Cut all this afternoon. Get it on Gold Sport
and iHeart Radio from just taft to two o'clock. We'll
keep you updated here on scores and scoring action as well.
Great to get the chance to chat to two just
died in the Wall provincial rugby men Phil Quinney and

(01:14:50):
Ken Maharry there with the call. Seventeen away from two.
We'll take a break and come back with our Australian
correspondent Adam Peacock.

Speaker 8 (01:14:58):
It's more than just a game.

Speaker 1 (01:15:00):
Weekend Sport with Jason kne and GJ. Gunner homes New
Zealand's most trusted home build news.

Speaker 2 (01:15:06):
Dogs fourteen to two. But part of our Saturdays is
Australian correspondent and Peacock who joins us. Now, can we
start with the rugby? The Wallaby's coming up with one
of the all time great comebacks last week? Adam? How
enthusiastic was the reaction to what the Wallabies did at
Ellis Park last weekend?

Speaker 6 (01:15:24):
Yeah, it was fantastic. As you know, it's the same
deal over there. When our teams play in South Africa,
it's in the dead of nights and not everyone ends
up watching it. I think the final moments of that
game was about quarter past two in the morning, so
a lot of people woke up and we're like, oh cool,
we had a win. And it was like, oh my god,
we were won like that. Twenty two nil down and

(01:15:45):
coming back to plow the spring box away in the
second half doesn't happen at Ellis Park, does it. So Yeah,
the reaction was one of ultimately surprised but pleasant surprise obviously,
And yeah, it's obviously a team going in the right
way under Joe Schmidt, and you just hope with the
great coach stepping aside that it can be involved come

(01:16:06):
out because whatever he's found with this group and the
way that they can come together, that there's an immense
amount of unity in that team and that's hard to get.
You just don't want to walk out the door when
he walks out the door. So yeah, so he's done
a fabulous job and it's no real surprise giving his CV,
but there's another one to try and win it in

(01:16:28):
Cape Town in a few hours time, so hopefully that
can back it up.

Speaker 2 (01:16:31):
What is the official or even the unofficial word on
Joshmut's involvement beyond his contract? Is there a word that
he'll be some sort of consultant either officially unofficially, have
a connection to the team in any way.

Speaker 6 (01:16:43):
Yeah, it's a bit ambiguous at this stage, but I
know I'm good mate of a few people who work
in m't Be Australia and they are so keen to
have him involved in some way, shape or form. And
I think the relationship and the crossover with Les kids
who's going to come in and be the main guy
going forward. Les would be stupid not to kind of
keep the door Ajar like you'd imagine Eddie Jones kind

(01:17:06):
of kept him the door of Jarda the guy took over.
Probably not, but that rugby's in a different place now
from the Jones here, so yeah, it's one to keep
an eye on exactly what he does. But yeah, if
Fingers crossed it, he does. They involved because Australian rugby
needs it. Australian rugby more so than just about any
other country in the world, needs the wall it is
to do well because that's what impresses people, that's what

(01:17:28):
lets people know that the sport's going on. And for
for instance, for the spring Box to make ten changes
to their starting lineup for this second test tells you
that this side has got something going for it out
of last week and yeah, hopefully that rugby Australia kind
of gets everything going around the two national sides, obviously

(01:17:48):
the women's side of finding the World Cup and we're
going to play their first matter to night against some
alas so that the national sides of the absolute beacon
of the sport and everything else filters downstreet with Sometimes
it goes the other way.

Speaker 2 (01:18:01):
Let's go to the NRL last night, two cracking games
featuring four very good teams is beating Penrith and Golden Point.
Incredible finish. Where does the finish of that game sit
compared to other ones you've seen.

Speaker 6 (01:18:14):
It's as good as the guests like. In terms of
amazing finishes, I haven't seen that. I can't remember an
instance where a guy's going for the match winning field goal,
hits the post and then the other team gets the ball,
sprints up the other end of the field without the
tackle being made and win the game. It's pretty out
there scenario. So yeah, it was an incredible finish, and

(01:18:36):
there have been other great finishes as well, but that's
certainly put it in the top ten of all time
and it's big for Cambra. I thought they were gone.
I was actually out to dinner, so I wasn't watching
the match live. I've not gone back and watched the highlights,
and you never rivily get the field for the rhythm
of the game and how they did it. But look
at the four teams that played last week, and we'll
get to the other game in the second last night,

(01:18:56):
I can see them being the last the teams in
the competition. So last night we got a little precursor
of maybe prelim final weekend because and it lived up
to it.

Speaker 2 (01:19:05):
Two great games four indeed year, the second one of
the Storm beating the Bulldogs. Five wins in a row
now for the Storm, including Bulldogs Panthers and consecutive weeks.
They just always look dangerous, don't they. And they, I
mean they know how to win in August and September
looking dangerous again the Storm to go quite deep, they do.

Speaker 6 (01:19:23):
I hope you don't mind me mentioning the bookmakers. The
bookmakers have got them what really pronounced favorites at the moment.

Speaker 10 (01:19:31):
I didn't see it.

Speaker 6 (01:19:33):
I see them being one of four. I don't see
them being an absolute standout. And I went back and
had to look because I'm just going to feeling people
get blown away by Melbourne Storm of fans say yeah,
they're great because they always make finals, but for them
to have the ross they do, they've got a losing
records since Camen Smith's retired in finals games. They're four

(01:19:53):
and five in finals games since twenty twenty, so they've
still got a bit to prove. And I just saw
last night, like the Dogs, the Dogs actually got over
the line six times. Brandon tries to disallowed family not
disputing the fact. But there's a couple twice they had
the ball Kno knocked out of their hands as they
were going to ground like that. They're just freak occurrences.

(01:20:15):
That's just hanging on stuff. So I feel that the
Bulldogs will take a lot out of that. I've heear
so the Dogs going into that one thinking all this
will be a determining fact whether or not they can
win a comp or not. But in a big game
like this, I think they aimed up and I think
they're still in practilations. Probably not the favorite option, but yeah, Canberra,
Penriis Dogs and Melbourne got outside those four and quite

(01:20:38):
very hard to hit someone else to break into our
top four.

Speaker 2 (01:20:41):
I can always rely on you for cool headed logic.
In the midst of all this frenzy passion about teams
on Australian sporting matters.

Speaker 6 (01:20:49):
Finally got an issue at the moment because I've got
my manly team has just imploded, and the team in
the Premier League, Newcastle, their best player doesn't want to play.
So I just thought almost given up on the passionate
side of things, because everything I put passion into just
throws it back in my face. So Yeah, that's why
I've taken the logical love morning.

Speaker 2 (01:21:07):
All of our listeners can totally relate to being sports
fans themselves. Always great to chat mate. We'll do it
again next Saturday. Now, thank you mate. That's Edam p
Cock here, Austraining correspondent. Yes, with this call head of
logic Warriors Titans tonight. Of course, let's not forget that
seven point thirty Warriors Titans. Can we just beat this team?
Can we just please beat this team and keep this
march towards the top four going. The Raiders did us

(01:21:30):
a favor last night beating the Panthers. It was always
going to be when and we're in in terms of
the top four, but just a bit of extra breathing space.
Perhaps Sharks are up there as well, though. Of course
just one tonight, boys, just win tonight. We'll cover it
off tomorrow regardless of what happens. Seven and a half
to two New Stalks.

Speaker 1 (01:21:47):
MB analyzing every view from every angle in the sporting
world weekends for it with Jason Pie.

Speaker 8 (01:21:54):
They're call eight hundred and eighty eighty News.

Speaker 2 (01:21:56):
Talks MB four to two an email interesting rugby fact
Cody Taylor Tomorrow becomes the fourteenth player with one hundred
test match appearances for the All Blacks and the third
from Fielding Agricultural High School. The only other school with
more than one player on the list of christ Church
Boys High with two. Many of the higher profile rugby
schools have no one on the list, and as it happens,

(01:22:17):
the email continues. Fielding last week won the Moasca Cup
for the first time. They're defending it and the Hurricanes
Region First fifteen title today against Hastings Boys High at
Massi University, the winner qualifying for a place in the
National Secondary School's Top four playoff. Thanks indeed, year field
In High School Cody Taylor, joining Sam Whitelocke and Aaron Smith,

(01:22:39):
I think as the other two old Boys to chalk
up one hundred tests. After two o'clock, How do the
Aussies feel about all of our best netballers going over
there and taking spots up in the Australian Super Netball
comp Lisa Alexander, former Diamonds coach, will go to love Welter,
Espana as well with Dion Smith, one of the three
key we was taking part.

Speaker 1 (01:23:01):
To the only place to discuss the biggest sports issues
on and after fields all on Wi jons Ford with
Jason Vane on Your Home of Sports US Talks till seven.

Speaker 2 (01:23:14):
Welcome back in. This is Weekend'spot until three's and beverage
after that with the Weekend Collective. We're going to play
a sporting chance this hour with the tab. We've got
a one hundred and fifty dollars bonus bet to place
on your behalf. I'll give you three options on where
you can place it. You choose one, we place the bet.
If it happens, you get the winnings minus the one fifty.

(01:23:35):
Of course, pretty lucrative. Last week all three options came home,
so our winner was a winner from the start. He
didn't know that at the time, of course, anyway. A
sporting Chance before three Darren Basely all Whites coaches on
the show. This our Dion Smith one of three kiwis
in the final Grand Tour of the year cycling Wise

(01:23:56):
Love Welter, a Spaniard. He's on the show. Lisa Alexander
standing by to chat to us to the former Australian
Diamonds coach about the influx of kiwis into Australia's Supernetball competition. Obviously,
the eligibility rules have change now and that has been
the catalyst for close to a dozen of our top
players signing contracts in Australia. So how they're feeling about

(01:24:18):
that over there, Lisa Alexander. Shortly, we will also keep
eyes on live sport, including White Cuttle's challenge for the
Rand Philly Shield against Tartanaki at Stadium Tartanaki. But as
we always do at around about this time on weekend sport,
it's time to get you up to date or update
you on the stuff that you're monymist. A bit of
sport has been happening in the last little while which

(01:24:40):
you might not have caught up with. Starting with the
Premier League. A flood of goals. This is, in case
you mister by the way, a flood of goals. It's
Chelsea sunk west Ham in the Premier League this morning.

Speaker 21 (01:24:50):
Can't they defend this that if that's a Hemison doesn't
really convince again and it is a.

Speaker 5 (01:24:56):
Fifth for Chelsea.

Speaker 21 (01:24:58):
Absolute charnish at the hands of Chelsea Hair. It is
a real horror show in front of their own fans.

Speaker 2 (01:25:10):
Five to one to Chelsea as they continue their momentum
from the Club World Cup win, staying in the UK
A predictable start to the Women's Rugby World Cup for England.
England will rumble once more.

Speaker 10 (01:25:22):
This relentless light wave is going to get another.

Speaker 22 (01:25:28):
Can eleventh try in the match. Lark KiB Davis thethora.

Speaker 2 (01:25:33):
Of thislf Homina stuff. A sixty nine to seven pummeling
of the United States for the hosts England. The Blackburns
open their campaign against Spain Monday morning. We're all on
the show tomorrow. In the NPC, Canterbury made short work
of the Magpies to improve the four and O Canterbury
charge away U stuff.

Speaker 16 (01:25:54):
Goes to the left hand side and McNicol eyes a
hole puts the pedal to the metal and goes through untouched.

Speaker 2 (01:26:02):
And scores a twenty six to seven win for Canterbury.
In the Bay and two blockbuster NRL matches last night,
the Melbourne Storm holding on to beat the Bulldogs.

Speaker 16 (01:26:12):
Speedies almost there, saved to Hays but Melbourne closing in.
There's it, high kick, it's big, it's there, it's remargable,
it's save.

Speaker 2 (01:26:24):
The Accurt's twenty fourteen to the Melbourne Storm and an
utterly incredible finish and the match between the Raiders and
the Panthers that went to Golden Point and Nathan Cleary
was lining up to win it with a drop goal
for the Panthers.

Speaker 8 (01:26:41):
Clary in position thirty seven minutes out right, it's up
step the coast.

Speaker 7 (01:26:49):
The posts, my goodness, taper.

Speaker 5 (01:26:52):
Top for the battle say today.

Speaker 21 (01:26:58):
Had stage the adscas.

Speaker 1 (01:27:17):
Breaking down the hail Mary's and the epic fails. Weekend
Sport with Jason hin News Talk.

Speaker 2 (01:27:24):
Zenb Incredible stuff there from Vossy Andrew Voss calling one
but a hyperbole perhaps, but you can't blame them with
that finish from the Canberra Raiders to get up over
the Penrith Panthers. As mentioned before too, the Warriors taken
on the Gold Coast Titans tonight afternoon pint he says
Mark on text. Here's a stat for you, Titans Warriors.
The Titans have won six of the last seven games. Mark.

(01:27:46):
I was aware of that stat. I was spectacularly ignoring
it and I hope that it won't come into play tonight,
but I appreciate you've bringing it to my attention and
to the attention of our listeners. I'm sure most Warriors
fans know the rather poor record that their team has
against the Titans. Let's hope that that will end tonight

(01:28:07):
will certainly not be continued tonight. Seven point thirty or
La covered off for you on the show tomorrow. The
exodus of our top netball players meantime from the A
and Z Premiership continues. Whitney Sooners and Jane Watson will
play for the Sydney based Giants next year. Kelly Jackson,
Maddy Gordon and Tapius Selby Rickett have all joined the

(01:28:28):
Queensland Firebirds. Grace Wicky, of course, returns for a second
season with the new South Wales Swifts. Karen Berger's off
to the Sunshine Coast Lightning. Kate Heffernan has joined the
Adelaide Thunderbirds and there may be more to come. So
how are they feeling about this? Across the Tasman Let's
bring in former Australian Diamonds coach and Member of the

(01:28:50):
Order of Australia for services to netball, Lisa Alexander. Lisa,
thanks for joining us across New Zealand. What has your
reaction been to the influx of New Zealand players signed
by Australian clubs.

Speaker 22 (01:29:03):
I am not surprised one bet. And it's something actually
that once the eligibility rule was discussed by New Zealand Netball,
of course, then I just thought it was just a
matter of time that those players, particularly your top seven
from the Silver Ferns, would be definitely targeted by recruiters

(01:29:27):
over here for those clubs. And you know, it's the
world's best domestic competition and it's great.

Speaker 5 (01:29:34):
I think it's fantastic.

Speaker 2 (01:29:36):
Has there been, to your knowledge, any pushback from the
Australian nitball public. Maybe some Australian players who see their
spots potentially taken in these teams by New Zealanders.

Speaker 22 (01:29:49):
Look, I have a fairly close eye on social media
over here. But at the end of the day, I
think everyone realized, and particularly because it's such a globally
supported competition, there's a lot of people from England that
support it, also from New Zealand I think, and South Africa.
They seem to think that it's a great thing for
the sport that the best players in the world are

(01:30:12):
playing in. What is I think we know now the
world's best domestic competition to netball.

Speaker 2 (01:30:18):
As you pointed out, the catalyst for this has been
the changing of the Silver Ferns eligibility rules allowing players
to apply for an exemption to still play for New
Zealand while playing their domestic netball elsewhere. Do you think
that was the right move by Netball New Zealand.

Speaker 22 (01:30:32):
I think it had to happen because Netbull's moving well
and truly into the professional era and it would have
been really restricting their ability to earn a salary and
be professional netball as if they weren't allowed to do that.
So I think it's a smart move and I don't
think it will have a major impact on the strength

(01:30:56):
of the Silver Ferns, that's for certain. I think it
will actually strengthen them to a greater level. And what's
going to have to obviously happen is a lot more
investment into the New Zealand Pathway and to ensure that
the competition, the domestic competition is as good as it
can be in New Zealand as well, which is what
Australia will need to do too, particularly with the reserves competition.

(01:31:21):
So you've really got to keep and continue that pipeline
of talent and you've got to keep them interested and
then obviously getting those opportunities in international contests.

Speaker 2 (01:31:33):
You've landed on a very good point, actually, Lisa. Having
so many of our international players in Supernepal, which as
you say, is without doubt the strongest domestic competition in
the world, that will almost certainly strengthen the Silver Ferns.
I've got no doubt about that. Should that be a
consideration for administrators in Australia to be aware of.

Speaker 22 (01:31:52):
Look, they are aware of it. They were aware of
it back in two seventeen when I was Australian Diamonds
coach and we had to put our submissions in around
from our high performance unit, around the rules for eligibility,
and even at that time we argued that perhaps two
imports per team would be enough, but you know, the

(01:32:14):
powers that be at the time felt that they really
wanted to have a league on its own that would
be the best domestic competition in the world, so they
went with the open entry of as many imports as possible.
And I think it's actually enriched our netball here in
Australia as well. I think we are learning more about

(01:32:34):
our opposition as well at the same time, so it's
not necessarily all doom and gloom. In fact, you know
you've got eight kiwi's coming over and you know there's
still sixty five spots for restrain and athletes in this competition,
so there's still you know, the numbers are still in
our favor.

Speaker 2 (01:32:53):
As you say, it'll need a rethink over here, a refresher,
a look at the pathways to make sure that the
ayan d premissurep out domestic competition is still strong. How
important is it you know that New Zealand nipple internationally
and semestically is strong.

Speaker 22 (01:33:09):
Oh, it's absolutely critical for the next stages of the
growth of the sport, particularly if we're going as we've
already said and lizz Elis is put out there, we
want netball to be in the twenty thirty two Brisbane Olympics.
You know, I think it's vital that we have as
much international competitiveness as we possibly can, and we're starting

(01:33:32):
to do that now. South Africa coming over to play
ours in a Test series I think is terrific, and
we just need to really grow the sport from a
global perspective. Of course, that means higher income from broadcast
rights when it gets displayed into countries like America.

Speaker 11 (01:33:50):
I know there's a.

Speaker 22 (01:33:51):
Push over there to get more eyeballs on screens watching netball,
and certainly from my point of view, we've got to
make sure we provide a fantastic high performance setting an
environment for those athletes to really and shine on the
international stage.

Speaker 2 (01:34:09):
I read some quotes from you recently saying you were
a fan of there being a couple of New Zealand
teams in Super Netball as part of competition expansion. Now
that was before these eligibility rules over here were changed.
Can you still see that happening? Are you still keen
on that idea of a couple of New Zealand based
teams in super Netball?

Speaker 11 (01:34:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 22 (01:34:29):
Look, I think so, and I think we can also
look to Asia as well. Singapore, particularly from an economic
point of view, is a very big part of the
driving economics in this area, and they've also got some
very strong netballers there too, So I think reaching out
a little bit and particularly over the ditch is an

(01:34:52):
important part of the puzzle if we can get that
expansion model happening.

Speaker 2 (01:34:58):
Some very interesting thoughts, Lisa, thanks so much for joining us.
Really appreciate your insight from your side of the Tasman
Lisa Alexander, their former Australian Diamonds. So by the sounds
of it, well it's obvious she's a fan. Had to happen,
she said, was always going to happen when the eligibility
rules changed, that the Australian teams would snap up our
best players. And as she said, there's still a lot

(01:35:19):
of spots available for Australian players. For our best players,
great right, great, great for them to get the opportunity
to go over there and experience a highest standard of
NIP all, let's be honest to also pick up a
contract because there's still a little bit of uncertain about
what's going to be happening back here. The next challenge

(01:35:42):
for New Zealand franchises and for NEPB on New Zealand
is to make sure that our a m Z Premiership
doesn't drop down a couple of notches. Inevitably it may
well do with all of these players leaving, but they've
got to find a way to keep it generating. At
the bottom ends a couple of bits of news she
might have caught up on today. A boost for the

(01:36:02):
Southern Steel Kimmey Order pois ERNs mid quarter has resigned
with them for the upcoming season, so that's good news.
Tiana Matudo. Meantime, the Pulse shooter and former Silver Fern
shooter has signed with the Birmingham Panthers in England's Netball
Super League, so she has gone even further afield. Be
very interesting to see what happens in terms of the

(01:36:24):
ans at premiership and the shape of it in twenty
twenty six. It's a coming up twenty past two. We'll
go to the the Veilter Espanyah Cycling Grand Tour. Shortly
just updating you on some live sport Farrah Palmer Cup
Round three action. Tasman have beaten Tananaki forty eight twenty five.
Early in the game between North Harbor and the Wellington

(01:36:47):
Pride at Albany, the Pride Wellington lead North Harbor five
to three after twelve minutes. It's a different story at
Rugby Park in christ Church less than fifteen minutes gone
and Canterbury already led Counties twenty eight nil twenty eight
nil after fifteen minutes and Counties have a play are
in the bin as well, which isn't helping them. So

(01:37:08):
Canterbury off to a flyer there and if we transition
across to the NPC, doubling as a ran fairly shield
defense for Tartanuki early on in that game. Well, fifteen
minute is gone now still scoreless. Still scoreless between Tutanucky
and Wykatto. Fifteen minutes gone at Stadium Tartanuky in New Plymouth.
We'll take a break after this. We're off to the

(01:37:30):
start of the Welter Espanyard Grand Tour. Three key he
was taking part. Dion Smith is one of them. He's
going to preview the tour for us and his hopes
in it when we come back. Start your journey today
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Speaker 1 (01:38:37):
The Tough Questions Off the Turf Weekends Sport with Jason
Paine and GJ. Gardner Holmes, New Zealand's most trusted home
builder News Dogs MB.

Speaker 2 (01:38:47):
Coming up to twenty five. The eightieth edition of Love
Welter Espanya gets under way tonight, departing from Turin in
Italy before heading to Spain in the fourth stage. The
race will feature Danish superstar Ewnis finger Gar in three
key weeks, George Bennett for Israel Premier Tech, FinFisher Black
for Red Bull, Bora Hands Grow and Dion Smith for

(01:39:07):
Into Marchie a Vonti. Dion Smith is with us. You've
done all three Grand Tours previously Deon Tour de France
Zero to Tellia of Welter Hispania. What are the differences
between the Welter and the other two Grand Tours?

Speaker 5 (01:39:23):
Yeah, each pretty unique.

Speaker 23 (01:39:25):
I mean the tour has a lot more sort of
media attention, and you know, it's a bit more worldwide known,
as you mentioned people that don't know cycling, and yeah,
the Jero obviously is the first one of the year,
so yeah, sort of brings a different energy and then
the Welter it seems like a bit more relaxed and

(01:39:46):
you know, kind of summer vibes. I guess it's the
last shot for last Grand Tour for people to sort
of show themselves.

Speaker 2 (01:39:53):
Really, you had a disappointing time in the Zero to
tell you this year, having to abandon the race after
crashing on the sixth stage. How do you reflect back
on that and how keen are you to make amends here?

Speaker 23 (01:40:05):
Yeah, it's always just wanting to leave, especially so early on.
But yeah, initially I wasn't actually supposed to be on
the Welter, but yeah, I had to talk with my
team and they were they were keen for me to
come and my ship my shapes looking pretty good at
the moment, so it's good to sort of try again,

(01:40:26):
I guess, And yeah, well we'll see how it goes.
We have a pretty good team here, We've got some
some good options for stages. Yeah, looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (01:40:37):
Just expand on that for us day on, because obviously,
as you just said, it wasn't the plan to be
here at the zero. Would you normally plan to do
two Grand Tours in a year. I wouldn't imagine you would.
So the crash and the zero meant the change of plan.
You wouldn't normally do two in a year, would you.

Speaker 5 (01:40:53):
No, I wouldn't normally do two.

Speaker 23 (01:40:54):
It's some people do and some people like it, but
for me, yeah, one's one's normally enough. Three weeks is
quite long. But the plan and obviously.

Speaker 5 (01:41:06):
Needed six stages of the Yuro, so it wasn't too.

Speaker 23 (01:41:09):
Heavy on the BEE and I had a rest and
built up and did a few other races, and yeah,
I decided that I've come here, and yeah, there was
a space space available for me to fill in, and.

Speaker 5 (01:41:23):
Yeah, I was a good fit for the team. So yeah,
that was sort of the reasoning.

Speaker 2 (01:41:29):
So tell us about your role in the team, the
spot that has opened for you. What is your role?
You there to pick up stage wins, to help fight
for general classification.

Speaker 23 (01:41:38):
Yeah, I guess more of a support. We have a sprinter,
a Belgian guy, Ana Merits. He's pretty keen and his
form's looking pretty good. So I've worked with him this
year and I think he likes me sort of guiding
him towards the end of the sprints.

Speaker 5 (01:41:56):
And yeah, if I get the opportunity myself.

Speaker 23 (01:41:58):
To get in a good breakaway, or if there's a
sort of harder finish for me, and maybe you'll have
an opportunity.

Speaker 5 (01:42:07):
So yeah, it's sort of a bit of a mixed role.

Speaker 7 (01:42:10):
Really.

Speaker 5 (01:42:11):
I can sort of do a bit of everything. So yeah,
we'll see how it goes.

Speaker 23 (01:42:16):
And yeah, but like I say, help helping the sprints,
And we've got a couple of good climbers that can
get in sort of the harder hilly breakaways, so fucking
support them as well.

Speaker 2 (01:42:28):
What if it, like Dionne racing, not necessarily to win yourself,
but to help someone else win a stage or general
classification or whatever it might be. Does that bring a
certain degree of pride but also a feeling of being
part of a team rather than just an individual cyclist.

Speaker 5 (01:42:44):
Yeah, it does.

Speaker 23 (01:42:45):
I mean, you know, younger me might have not thought
the same, but sort of when you get older.

Speaker 5 (01:42:51):
And you realize sort of what goes around comes around, and.

Speaker 23 (01:42:56):
So like you say, yeah, it feels really good to
help help a teammate and also watch them succeed. And yeah,
if it's your opportunity to go for a result that
you would hope they would do.

Speaker 5 (01:43:08):
The same thing.

Speaker 23 (01:43:09):
So yeah, it is more of a team sport than
you think if you don't know much about cycling.

Speaker 5 (01:43:14):
So yeah, it's quite rewarding.

Speaker 2 (01:43:16):
You look at the field for this rice No Tada pagatca,
but Joannis finger Gut is in the rice. You know,
we're talking the apparitionial ons here of of cyclists around
the world. What is it like in the Palaton when
riders of their caliber are involved.

Speaker 23 (01:43:33):
Yeah, I mean it's it's different, Like sometimes I feel
like I'm in a different sport to.

Speaker 5 (01:43:41):
Taday and Joanness.

Speaker 23 (01:43:42):
But yeah, they're just like a generational talent really and
it is cool to see. It can be pretty annoying
because they make the race pretty hard, but yeah, no,
it's it's good to see like sort of their rivalry,
I guess, so hopefully ving Guard someone can sort of

(01:44:03):
rival ving Guard it as well as I'm sure I'm
sure there'll be a couple other guys that will shake
things up.

Speaker 5 (01:44:10):
So yeah, you never know.

Speaker 23 (01:44:12):
It's three weeks, so you've got to have quite a
bit of luck on your side and the strong teams
that and the world is usually sort of gives you
the opportunity for a breakaway and things like that. So yeah, opportunists,
I should say, So hopefully it's not all a lot
of jumper visma.

Speaker 5 (01:44:33):
Yeah, and hopefully we can find our opportunity somewhere.

Speaker 2 (01:44:37):
And as I mentioned, three Kiwi's writing yourself and the
two Nelsonians Fan Fisher Black George Bennett also on this tour,
how do you expect those guys to go?

Speaker 22 (01:44:46):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (01:44:46):
Good?

Speaker 23 (01:44:47):
Yeah, I mean George obviously has been around for a
long time and he's still I am good mates with him,
and he's still motivated as ever and going going reasonably well.
So and then yeah, just another young talent coming out
of ENDZ, which is really cool to see. And yeah,

(01:45:09):
I could imagine they'll both be up there in a
few stages and I'm not sure quite sure what their
roles are, but for sure Finn I could imagine we'll get.

Speaker 5 (01:45:20):
Up for a stage.

Speaker 2 (01:45:22):
And there are quite a few key we's involved on
the world too, And now we've had the opportunity to
speak to a couple of them recently, Corbyn Strong, Sam
Buley another one mentioned obviously Finn and George and yourself.
Do you keep it in touch with these guys on
a regular basis outside of events or is it just
when you kind of bump into them at the events
that you say today?

Speaker 23 (01:45:42):
No, no, yeah, Corbyn, I'm also good mates with them.
We go train together and sort of hang out off.

Speaker 5 (01:45:50):
The bike as well.

Speaker 23 (01:45:52):
And also Burely, I was obviously teammates with him and
I've learn him for a long time. Obviously he's a
director now so it's a bit different. Can't really get
up for a training ride. But no, no, we asked
he was trying to stick together a little bit. And
where are the or and and Andora or in girona
sort of a mixed between both, So yeah, there's always

(01:46:12):
Kiwis floating around. So it's it's quite cool, sort of
a home away from home and something to relate to
and if you.

Speaker 2 (01:46:20):
Type your name into Google, you get about one hundred
pages of you nearly getting taken out by a goat
during the hero to tell you what happened, man.

Speaker 5 (01:46:31):
I mean, any media is good media. I guess it
was quite funny.

Speaker 23 (01:46:35):
But I think Corbyn got sticking on that stage and
I think I got more media attention than him, more interviews.

Speaker 17 (01:46:42):
But yeah, it was.

Speaker 23 (01:46:44):
It was just crazy what people want to see, really,
isn't it?

Speaker 5 (01:46:48):
Not really the bike race but a goat nearly taking
someone out, So yeah, it's just one of those things
and sort of just blew up and yeah, it was
a bit crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:46:58):
Really is that normal?

Speaker 8 (01:47:00):
Though?

Speaker 2 (01:47:01):
Livestock on the course, oh.

Speaker 5 (01:47:03):
You get I guess you do get live stock. I
mean maybe more wild dogs or something.

Speaker 23 (01:47:08):
But yeah, I think it was just more funny because
it was a goat and sort of jumping around. But yeah,
I mean not often you might get a deer or
I don't know, a horse maybe, but yeah, it's not
very very Austen so it's quite unique.

Speaker 5 (01:47:24):
I guess.

Speaker 2 (01:47:25):
Yeah, I guess it was. Well. I hope the race
course in the Jura in the Velta Espana is clear
of livestock and you have an excellent Grand Tour ahead thereon.
Thanks for taking the time for a chat to its
making all the best, Thanks so much, No, thank you.
That's Dion Smith, one of three kiwis involved in Laberta Hispania,
which gets under way tonight. Fin Fisher Black and George

(01:47:46):
Bennett the other two coming up twenty six away from
three Darren Baslely all whites coach shortly, but time to
play a sporting chance with the tab. I'm going to
offer you the chance of three bets or the choice
rather of three bets short evens, all long. You decide
which one you want and we will place a one

(01:48:07):
hundred and fifty dollars bonus bet on your behalf if
it comes home. The winnings minus the initial one fifty
are all yours. You must be over eighteen call now,
oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighteen now all three
bets one. Last week, despite both me and our winted
Jason laughing off the long odds option. The long odds

(01:48:29):
was for Australia to beat South Africa thirteen plus. It
would have earned him two and a half grand. Instead,
Jason picked Sunderland to beat west Ham, which also came
home he picked up three hundred and thirty. Even if
he had gone short and picked the All Blacks to
beat Argentina thirteen plus, he would have won just over
two hundred. So if you want to have a go
at a sporting chance with the tab o eight hundred

(01:48:49):
eighty ten eighty.

Speaker 1 (01:48:52):
The biggest season sport are on Weekend Sport with Jason
Pain and GJ. Gunnomes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder
news Dogs they'd be.

Speaker 8 (01:49:03):
It's time for a sporting chance thanks to.

Speaker 2 (01:49:08):
Yes, it is twenty two away from three. Simon, Hi mate,
Hey pony, very good Simon. I'm going to give you
three options from the tab We've got them short, evens
or long, so you know, I'm not going to say
a sure thing, but something which is likely, something which

(01:49:30):
is kind of a bit of a coin toss, and
something which feels unlikely. You just have to choose which
one you want and we'll place the bonus bet for you,
the one hundred and fifty dollars bonus bet, and if
it happens, we'll take the one fifty off and give
you the rest of the cash. How does that sound
sounds really good to me?

Speaker 12 (01:49:44):
Mate.

Speaker 2 (01:49:45):
All right, all right, here are the options, all right,
so listen closely. Your three options. Short Now, Andy's given
all of these names, which I really like. So the
short option is the please, for the love of God,
just beat this damn team Special. It's Gold Coast Titans
against the Warriors. The Warriors to win tonight is paying
a dollar seventy three. So if the Warriors win to

(01:50:06):
if you choose this and the Warriors win, you would
win one hundred and nine dollars fifty. That is your
short option, all right. Middle, It's called the who else
were you honestly expecting? Special? It's Manchester City Tottenham in
the Premier League Erling Harland to be the first goal scorer.
It's paying three seventy five. If he scores the first goal,

(01:50:29):
you would win four hundred and twelve dollars fifty. All right,
What and the long option, the You've got to be
mad to think it'll happen again? Special? Spring Box Wallabies
Wallaby's thirteen plus. It's paying fifteen dollars. You would win
two thousand, one hundred. Bear in mind, Simon that this

(01:50:51):
bet came in last week. Jason Winner last week didn't
pick it. He would have won two and a half grand,
you'd win two thy one hundred, but you'd need the
Wallabees to beat South Africa by thirteen plus, so that
Arling Harland to be first goal scorer for City again
Spurs or the Warriors to beat the Titans. Which one
are you going to go with?

Speaker 3 (01:51:12):
We'll we'll get along on those Walla Bees, go.

Speaker 2 (01:51:15):
On, Simon?

Speaker 7 (01:51:16):
Why not?

Speaker 3 (01:51:17):
Well? Why not?

Speaker 12 (01:51:19):
Pretty good?

Speaker 2 (01:51:19):
So yeah, yep, it's not your money again, will it?

Speaker 9 (01:51:26):
My sister's birthday today, so happy birthday and all that,
you know, and yeah, why not, but we shoulday, we'll
do nicely.

Speaker 2 (01:51:33):
I love it, Simon, I love it all right. We're
going to place the one hundred and fifty dollars bonus
bet on the Wallabes to beat the spring Box by
thirteen plus tomorrow morning. If it happens, two one hundred
dollars cash is yours. You can spend some of it
on your mum and your sister if you like, for
their birthdays, or you could use it yourself made. But
we'll place the bet and hope that it happens.

Speaker 3 (01:51:52):
Alrighty, thank you very much, appreciate all that.

Speaker 2 (01:51:55):
No, appreciate you. Ringing and Simon hold there and he's
just going to make sure he's got all your details.
We'll get the bet placed and if it happens that
money is all yours, we'll do it all again next week.
Thanks to our mates at theab AS always bet responsibly.
The All White squad to face the Soccaro's home and
away next month has been confirmed. The main feature is

(01:52:15):
the return of Ryan Thomas, who hasn't played for New
Zealand since twenty nineteen. He has recovered from a long
term injury which has severely limited his playing time over
the past few seasons, but he has had consistent game
minutes in the last year or so with his Dutch
club PEX Waller. He also captains that team. So Ryan
Thomas back in the squad. The games are in Canberra

(01:52:37):
on the night of Friday September the fifth, and at
go Media Stadium in Auckland on the night of Tuesday
September the ninth. All Whites head coach Darren Baisley as
whe us let's start with Ryan Thomas, can we base?
How nice is it to name him again in an
All White squad?

Speaker 20 (01:52:53):
Hey planning? Good to catch up? Yeah? I mean that
it's awesome for us to have Ryan back in the
shirt and in the squad. You know, he's someone I've
kept in touch with for the last five or six years. Really,
I've known Ryan since he was young. So it's it's
been a shame what he's gone through at his club.
You know, he reached some heights over there, and you know,
has had these injuries that he's been battling. And since

(01:53:14):
I've been you know, talking to him around the All Whites,
he's always he's never ruled it out, and he's always
said he just needed to have that good six months
injury free, feel fit and strong again before you know,
contemplating taking on extra loading. And yeah, here we are
now and he's he's feeling really good and fit and strong,
and yeah, he's excited to come back in.

Speaker 2 (01:53:32):
Was there any thought perhaps to bringing him in the
next window, which is up in Europe, doesn't have to
travel so far, gives another month, or were you very
keen and was he keen to be in for this
this two game series against the Aussies.

Speaker 20 (01:53:46):
Now, we've been very open with Ryan, you know, and
I've always said to him, when you're ready, you know,
we'll pick you. You know, so it's it's not really
been a case of when do we want him? You know,
we've always wanted him, so we're really waiting for him
to jump. And like I do before most tours, you
ring him, catch up with him. How's it going, you know,
And then I sort of pose the quest and again

(01:54:07):
all right, I sort of say to you know what
I'm going to ask you, and he's.

Speaker 3 (01:54:10):
Like, okay, yeah, cool.

Speaker 20 (01:54:11):
And this time was different, you know, he was in
a way better place. He said, you know, I'm ready.
I think I'm ready. So I said, okay, cool, Well
here's your options. All We've got tour coming up in
September Australia home and away, but we do have Europe
in October with two good games in Europe, and I
personally also thought that would be a good option for him.
So he said, I have thinks about that, and you know,

(01:54:33):
I'm keen to come back in and you know, rang
me back the next the next morning and said, you
know what, I've never played against Australia. I'm really keen.
I want him and yeah, he's so he's coming back
for these games and hopefully, you know that will that
will be him back in the fold.

Speaker 2 (01:54:47):
Great to see his name back on the team sheet.
A couple of other players to ask you about James McGarry.
He hasn't played for New Zealand since his sole appearance
actually twenty nineteen, so he's been out for a while
as well. I know he's been in and around squads.

Speaker 20 (01:54:59):
Tell us about his inclusion, Well, I didn't know it
was that long since he'd played, but because we tried
to pick him couple of years ago when he was
at Aberdeen and you know, called him up to the
squad and then unfortunately he just got injured beforehand and
had to pull out. So that was a shame. And
you know, he's another one I've known for a long
time and we've tracked him in Scotland and in Greece
and you know now he's moved to Australia and we

(01:55:21):
just felt that this is a really good opportunity to
bring him in have a look at him closer. You know,
he is local, which is handy. You know, we've got
some players in that sort of left back position. In
regards to Francis and Libby, you know that can play
different positions. You know they've both played as a left winger,
for us at different windows, and you know Libby has
played it center back for Empli as well. Plus Libby

(01:55:43):
is carrying a bit of a hamstring that he's sort
of working through at the moment, so we thought that
was a great opportunity to bring James in.

Speaker 4 (01:55:51):
You know, he can have a look back with the
squad and we can have a good look at him.

Speaker 2 (01:55:54):
Chris what is there? Of course, we saw him named
in the p f A Team of the Season earlier
this week. How cool was it for you to see him,
you know, and photos and footage of him up on
a stage with the likes of Muhammed Salah, Virgil Van Dyke,
Declan Rice. You know here he is Chris Wood one
of ours.

Speaker 20 (01:56:10):
Yeah, there's there's a Kiwi's mixing it with the big boys.
It's amazing. You know, I've been saying it all well
for a long time now, but you know, specifically the
last season, what he did last season in regards to
goals in that league is just amazing and it might
be something that we never see again, you know, having
a Kiwi doing that and making Team of the season.
Hopefully we do hopefully he does it again, you know,

(01:56:34):
but you know, hopefully we get more coming through, but yeah,
what an amazing achievement last year and what he's just
done there, and then to start the season with two
goals because he is He's told me I want to
beat it. He wants to beat what he did last year,
and what a way to start, you know, two goals
opening day, you know, and he's got goals for us
in the World Cup. You know, he's very close to

(01:56:54):
breaking appearance records, he's already broke goal scoring records.

Speaker 11 (01:56:57):
So yeah, he's doing very well.

Speaker 2 (01:57:00):
We know he's always going to be their base. And
in the past, you've had similar types of players to him,
and you're all white squads, the likes of Max Marta,
Ben Wayne, those sorts of players, neither of those who
are on this Are you starting to think that your
attacking options are now going to be players who aren't
the same as Chris Wood because it's either Chris Wood
in that role or nobody in that role.

Speaker 20 (01:57:23):
Well, I mean, we'll always have somebody in that role,
but yeah, I don't think we can look to replicate Woods.
He you know, he's what he is, and Max matter
and Ben Wayne are different and different to each other.
But yeah, I think you're right what you're saying. We've
I mean, Costa has been the most recent replacement and
he is a different type of forward, but offers are

(01:57:44):
something different as well. So I don't think we're trying
to replace Woodsey. But you know, we've got lots of
good options in there, and you know, for this tour,
Ben Wayne is young, he's a long term option, and
for this one, you know, we looked at him. He's
just joined Port Vale. They don't stop for the window,
and we looked at why would we bring him all
the way from England to New Zealand. You know, if
we're saying that Costa's the first replacement for woods right now,

(01:58:07):
but Ben, you know, Wayno's still a long term, really
good potential option for us, as Max Matter is, and
you know, and there's other players involved in that as well.
So I think every tour is different and we look
at it from an individual point of view. What's best
for this player now, And we've done that really for
Ben Way and for Matt Garbett and for Tommy Smith,
you know, for this specific tour.

Speaker 2 (01:58:27):
Yeah, you've alluded to a couple of players I want
to ask about it. Actually met Garbett. He's got a
new club now. I had a bit of a challenging
time the back end of his stunt at neck Rada.
He's at League one Peterborough. Now, what has your message
been to Matt Garbett in the last few months while
he's been looking for a club and now that he's
found one.

Speaker 20 (01:58:46):
You know, we have to remember that Matt's is a
young man. He's still very young, so we've supported him
all the way through. You know, when he wasn't playing
at mac you know, we picked him for the March
and we picked him in June. He's a good player,
he's a very good player.

Speaker 11 (01:59:00):
He is fit.

Speaker 20 (01:59:01):
You know, it wasn't ideal. He wasn't you know, match
fit and getting those match minutes. So it was really
important that he you know, he did get a club
and he took his time. He had a lot of options,
very mature lad, you know, he didn't just jump at
the first option, and potentially there were some things there
where he might have got more money, but he knew
maybe that's not the right move. So it's been a

(01:59:23):
difficult period for him. You know, he had a few
other things that were close to happening and didn't quite happen,
which is always frustrating for players and you know, the
one that they want maybe doesn't quite happen. And then
this came up and he spoke to the club and
the coach and yeah, I think it's a good move
for him, you know, and an opportunity for him to
get back playing in a tough league.

Speaker 3 (01:59:43):
You know.

Speaker 20 (01:59:44):
It was where Tyler Binden played last season, you know,
and he's obviously progressed really well, so it's a tough league.
I think it will suit him. The English sort of
style will suit him. I think he can play higher
than that level, but right now it's important that he
just cements his place there and he does play to
his full potential and we start seeing that that player
that we know is in there.

Speaker 2 (02:00:03):
You've been very consistent with your selections but also sprinkled
and some dB Thomson bringing players in and out. Is
it possible that someone who hasn't played for the All
Whites yet could go to the World Cup?

Speaker 18 (02:00:15):
For sure?

Speaker 20 (02:00:16):
You know, definitely, you know, I mean that's football. You know,
two years ago, people didn't know Tyler Binden and probably
the other center backs in the squad.

Speaker 5 (02:00:26):
You know.

Speaker 20 (02:00:27):
I was talking to Nando the other day and obviously
Nando's picked up an injury and that's a shame for him.
And we were talking about other players and the competition
for places, and you know that he now knows who
he's up against. But you know, two years ago when
he was a constant, you know, he was looking at
Tommy Smith and Boxel. He didn't he wasn't looking at
Finn Sermon and Tyler Binden back then now and suddenly

(02:00:48):
now he's got players coming up from beneath him. So
I think younger players are always an option, but there's
also players hit form. Someone like Owen Parker. Price has
just moved to the Swedish second Division, you know, and
at the top of that division, he could become a
player in the Swedish Top League by the end of
this season. And there's young players like Luke brook Smith
that are doing really well and if he had a

(02:01:11):
breakout season, yes he could jump in. Matt w Dis
we're sort of as another player that's never played for us,
you know, we've had him in a squad, but he
got injured that day, you know, and if he fulfills
potential and starts performing, yeah, we'll definitely look at everybody
as an option and.

Speaker 2 (02:01:28):
Just on the soccer rows, all Whites haven't beaten them
since two thousand and two, just one goal against them
in the last seven matches against Australia. How keen are
you to beat these guys?

Speaker 20 (02:01:40):
Well, you know you saying those stats, that's yeah, that's
not good enough far. You know, we're playing Australia and
we've got that record, so it's something that we need
to put right. And then we look at their last game.
We played them in London two years ago. You know,
we didn't really perform on that day and we never
we never really left a performance on the pitch that
we or people could.

Speaker 8 (02:02:00):
Be proud of.

Speaker 20 (02:02:00):
So yeah, definitely something that we're here, the players are
aware of and keen to put right. You know, it
should be a fierce competitive rivalry and yeah, we want
to take the Ashes.

Speaker 2 (02:02:15):
Brilliant. Can't wait for these games. Another great squad you
have named based Thanks for joining us, mate, look forward
to seeing how these games play out. No doubt, catch
up when you're back here in New Zealand after the
first game, pa, Any good to catch up, No good
to talk, but it's thanks indeed, Darren Basley, head coach
of the All Whites. They take on Australia Home and
Away Canberra Friday September five and go Media Stadium, Auckland
on Tuesday September the ninth halftime at Stadium Tartanaki, tight battle,

(02:02:41):
Tartanaky five, White cut All three. It's like the old days,
isn't it? Five to three at half time White Cutter
looking to prize away the ran fully shield the Amber
and Blacks looking to hold on to it. Five to
three at a half time coming up eight away from three.
News TALKSIB when it's.

Speaker 8 (02:02:56):
Down to the line. You made a call on eight
Weekend Sports with Jason Pine. News TALKSIB five to three.

Speaker 2 (02:03:05):
Just a reminder of to morrow on Weekend Sport. We're
on the air at the slightly earlier time of just
after eleven. Is the All Blacks Argentina Test of course,
which should finish it around about eleven o'clock, just after
and then we'll take over. Elliot Smith and Anstrawn have
the call for you here on News Talks HEADB. They'll
start there built up just before nine, kick off at
ten past nine and then we'll take over at full
time to break it all down, We'll get inside the
All Blacks camp. We'll take lots of your calls and

(02:03:28):
feedback and dissect the Rugby Warriors tomorrow as well. Whatever
happens tonight, whatever happens, we'll break that down for you
on the show tomorrow as well. Tim Beverage after three,
thanks so much for listening, and as always, thanks to
any McDonald for producing what is our exit song today? Mate?

Speaker 15 (02:03:44):
Yeah, piney and sort of to celebrate Cody Taylor, one
of the bigger anchors of the All Blacks front row
for the past decade. Actually it's been, hasn't it. I've
gone for the Mutton Birds anchor me to finish it.

Speaker 2 (02:03:55):
It's a cracker. It's a crack. Good choice.

Speaker 19 (02:03:59):
See tomorrow, folks, Thank you, see, thank you.

Speaker 5 (02:04:45):
Alcome ang.

Speaker 1 (02:04:56):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to news Talks it be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.

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Full Show Podcast: 23 August 2025

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