Full Show Podcast: 12 October 2025

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

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Hello, you're a good afternoon. WelCom in a very warm
welcome and to the Sunday edition of Weekend Sport on
News Talks EDB. October twelfth, Happy thirty seventh birthday to
our most capped All Black Sam Whitelocke. Happy forty fourth
to another All Black's great, Conrad Smith. And it's Trevor
Chapel's birthdaday as well, seventy three Trevor Chapel. I'm Jason Pine.

(00:52):
The show is produced by Andy McDonald. We're going to
talk sport with you until three. It is Bathhurst one
thousand day, They're underweight and the Great Race at Mount
Panorama from one forty five this afternoon, New Zealand Time.
Well you there this hour to set the scene with
Eric Thompson and then provide updates once the race is underway.

(01:12):
Ryan Wood is the best of the Kei we's fourth
on the grid. Four other key we lead drivers involved
and Fabian Coultard as a co driver. Lots about Hurst
coverage for you this afternoon. Now, question for you, isn't
it time we brought back the Boxing Day Cricket Test?
Some very interesting comments across the Tasman this week. Osmond

(01:35):
Kawa jab the eighty four Test. Australian opening batsman reckons
cricket bosses over there should consider moving the Boxing Day
Test if that allows top Australian players to play in
the Big Bash every year. Australian cricket commentator Jim Maxwell
on that after one. But shouldn't we bring back our
own Boxing Day Test? Isn't it time to do that?

(01:58):
The first one nineteen ninety eight, had it for four
years and again in three then it took a break.
We played a bunch of white ball cricket on Boxing Day.
It came back in twenty fourteen, then again in twenty eighteen.
Last time we had it was twenty twenty at bay Oval.
Surely we have to find a way to revive the
Boxing Day Cricket Test. I want to kick that around

(02:19):
with you after one first up today though a joint
statement from eight international rugby unions, including our own, this
week warning players they will not be eligible for international
selection if they switch to the proposed Rugby three sixty League.
New Zealand Rugby's general manager of Professional Rugby and Performance,

(02:40):
Chris Landrum is standing by to chat with us on
that and then I'm keen to get your thoughts on
R three sixty. What are you hearing? What are your reading?
What are you seeing? Is it even a thing? And
if it does get off the ground, with the massive
money that's being talked about, will it see a mass
exodus of our top players chasing those huge dollars that

(03:00):
are being talked about. Want to talk some R three
sixty with you this hour, other matters around today all
Whit's defendive. Finn Sermon is on the show. They're in
camp in Europe right now and narrow one nil loss
to Poland on Friday. They play Norway complete with Arling
Harland on Wednesday? How is Finn Sermon looking forward to
locking horns with Arling Harland's free ski slope style and

(03:22):
big air athlete Luca Harrington was on Friday night crowned
the twenty twenty five Snow Sports New Zealand Athlete of
the Year. It was hardly a surprise. He has had
an exceptional year. He's in for a chat about it.
James mcconey as well with his regular Sunday offerings, but
a live sport while we're on the air this afternoon.
The bath is one thousand, obviously from one forty five

(03:44):
and the fourth and final Buddings MPC Quarterfinal kicks off
at five past two, Canterbury hosting counties Manico and christ Yurch.
Going to preview that one for you with our Goldsport
commentary team before two and then keep you up data
once it's underway. Otago Bay, of Plenty and Hawks Bay
all safely through to next week's semi finals. Please feel

(04:05):
free to join the show at any time. The invitation
is open for you. Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty
will get you through on the phone. Text messages to
nine two ninety two. Normal charges apply. Emails to Jason
at Newstalk SB dot co dot NZ bang on eleven
past midday.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
From breaking down the Hail Mary's and the epic fails
Weekend Sport with Jason him News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
A rare joint statement from eight International rugby unions, including
New Zealand's, this week warning players they will not be
eligible for international selection if they switch to the proposed
Rugby three sixty League. Now there have been reports of
big money offers for leading rugby and rugby league players
for the competition, which is being promoted by former England

(04:52):
international Mike Tindall. Our three sixty organizers have said they
want to work with the unions and that player welfare
is their top priority, but New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, England, Scotland,
Front and Italy have united in their opposition. The union said,
as a group of national rugby unions, we are urging

(05:15):
extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the
proposed R three sixty competition. They went on to say
we will be advising men's and women's players that participation
in R three sixty would make them ineligible for international selection.
New Zealand Rugby's general manager of Professional Rugby and Performance

(05:38):
is Chris Landrum, who joins us now. Chris, thanks for
your time this afternoon. This of course, doesn't actually change
anything from New Zealand Rugby's point of view, does it.
It's always been the case that you have to play
super rugby to play for the All Blacks. But were
you surprised that South Africa and Australia, who do select
overseas players for their test teams, have also said they

(06:00):
won't select our three sixty players for international rugby pure plenty.

Speaker 3 (06:07):
Thanks for having me on again, mate, No, I'm not surprised.
I think when all the unions are looking at three
sixty and thinking about the implications of their players playing
in it and a league establishing. Given we've had very

(06:31):
very minimal dialogue with the principles of the proposed tournament,
I think everybody's seeing threat at the moment and a
real challenge to the existing rugby business model. So I'm
not surprised at all.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
Could that threat over time become an opportunity.

Speaker 3 (06:57):
Well, we're open minded, right, but one of the challenges
at the moment is that most of the principles have
largely gone to ground. It's very difficult to yet any
information or responses to questions that either ourselves or the
International Rugby Players Association have had asked about, things like

(07:18):
how will this actually work in practice? Is it even
feasible for them to release players? What are their plans,
particularly around women's rugby, because the release windows for international
women's rugby occur at different times in the calendar to
the men's. A whole range of questions like this, and

(07:43):
until those get answered, it's impossible to know whether there's
opportunity in it at all. But the threat in the
absence of information seems really clear to all national unions,
I think, and if I could summarize that pioneer, I know,
we don't like talking about business models when we're talking
about sport, but the reality is, in simple terms, professional

(08:08):
rugby as it's constructed globally now makes money and that
money funds the community game, and that's the same the
New Zealand or England, or Ireland or France or any
of the countries that have signed up now. The R
three sixty model appears to be founded on a concept

(08:32):
that their professional competition will make money, but that money
won't be reinvested back into the community game around the world,
that those profits will be heading straight to the back
pockets of a wealthy elite. So that's the challenge, and
that's why you're seeing the national unions come.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
Out the way we have so our three sixty's response
to the union's joint statement included the sentence, our philosophy
is clear. If players want to play for their country,
they should have that opportunity. Why would the unions stand
in their way? What is your reaction to that?

Speaker 3 (09:12):
Well, from a New Zealand perspective, it's really clear, right,
We've always wanted our best players playing in our domestic competitions.
Our eligibility policy is founded on that premise. To this extent,
Rsbury sixty is no different from any other competition that's
come along over the years.

Speaker 4 (09:35):
We have made the odd exception around.

Speaker 3 (09:37):
Sabbaticals, haven't we piney and probably going to be your
next question, But the reality is those are in competitions
that exist within the existing rugby ecosystem, not a competition that,
for want of more information, looks like it's a threat

(09:57):
to that ecosystem and our ability to fund our community
programs and.

Speaker 4 (10:03):
Our pathway.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
Yeah, I do have sabbaticals written down here. I assume
that that sabbaticals wouldn't be available in R three sixty.
But what about players who come off contract with you Galway,
play in other countries then come back home. Leicster Fighting Anoku.
The latest example returned from his time in France in
water the Black Jersey again last weekend. Richie Wonger coming
back from Japan next year. In the future, could you

(10:26):
see some of your players leaving to play rugby three
sixty for a season or two and then coming back.

Speaker 3 (10:35):
Well, nothing's impossible, poney, But there's a big difference between
going and playing for Toulon or going and playing for Tshiba.
And at the moment, what we understand to be going
to play at R three sixteen, and that is those
in the competitions I quoted the French competition, the Japanese competition.

(10:58):
They exist within the current rugby ecosystem, and that allows
for the profits from the international game and professional rugby
to circle around the system and fund the community game.
And so we've shown some flexibility, we've shown open minds
in the past to support our retention and support our

(11:19):
all Blacks performance.

Speaker 5 (11:23):
R three sixty.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
Appears to be a step too far, mate, because the
money's not going to come back and float around the
system and fund our clubs and our schools.

Speaker 2 (11:35):
Our three sixty say, and I guess you have to
take this with a grain of salt. That they have
agreements in place with two hundred players. Do you know
how many of any of those are New Zealanders.

Speaker 3 (11:47):
Well, what I can say is that weighing in R
three sixty is not something that's come up in any
All Blacks contract negotiations we've had in the last twelve months.
Our players appear to be really excited by the calendar
of rugbed it's available if you're playing New Zealand over the.

Speaker 4 (12:07):
Next four years.

Speaker 3 (12:08):
It's not impossible that some have signed some free contract agreements.

Speaker 5 (12:15):
By me, all I'd say is I really hope the.

Speaker 3 (12:17):
Players and agents are doing their illegal due diligence, that
they understand whether those agreements are binding or are on foot,
and have taken advice on it.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
And this might not be a question for you, given
that you're concern as current players, But do you think
players who reached the end of their contracts with New
Zealand Rugby then a head off shore and this has
happened most regularly to Japan to end their careers, do
you think those sorts of players would be tempted by
R three point sixty as opposed to going and playing
in Japan for example?

Speaker 3 (12:54):
Oh, look, I'm sure there's temptation there because the sorts
of numbers that are being banded about are considerable, right,
but nobody really knows whether they're real, or how they
will be funded, or the economics of a tournament where

(13:15):
it's essentially a traveling roadshow and there's a huge, huge
cost involved in putting on a competition of that order,
And it may well be that the principles and the
funders and behind it can afford to do that. But yeah, look,
I understand the temptation. I think what the national unions

(13:39):
have established again in the absence of any real engagement
with R three sixty, is that players have got a choice,
and indeed, even the competition still needs to be sanctioned
by World Rugby, and I see that thereferred that sanctioning
application till the middle of next year.

Speaker 4 (13:58):
It was due to be.

Speaker 3 (14:00):
Discussed and determined by World Rugby in September.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
Do you think it'll get off the ground.

Speaker 3 (14:07):
I don't know. I've been in the game and around
the game for a long time. We've seen quote unquote
rebel circuits discussed before, or alternative competitions discussed before. Many
have come and gone. I would say R three sixty

(14:31):
has always seemed a little bit more serious to us. Certainly,
the discussions around it inside the rugby business have been
ongoing for over twelve months.

Speaker 6 (14:43):
Probably now.

Speaker 3 (14:45):
Will it get up?

Speaker 5 (14:46):
I just don't know.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
It's really a question probably for players and agents. What
I'm focused on is New Zealand. New Zealand rugby are
all blacks and black ferns. We've got a really fantastic
calendar of rugby coming up for our best players to
put us the bat and we know they're really excited

(15:08):
about that. Tours to and from South Africa, British and
Irish Lions tours, coming Nations championships, hopefully a World Club
Cup at some point. There's so much to look forward to,
a truly unique five year period coming up for our

(15:32):
best players, our teams in black, and that's where our
focus is.

Speaker 2 (15:36):
Chris, Thank you for clarifying New Zealand Rugby's viewpoints so eloquently.
Always appreciate your time. Thanks for taking the.

Speaker 4 (15:42):
Call, Beshore Pioneer.

Speaker 2 (15:44):
Nice to chat, Nice to debt to you too, Chris.
Chris LENDERM, New Zealand Rugby's general manager of a Professional
rugby and performance Keen to get your views on our
three sixty oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. Chris
Lendrum made New Zealand Rugby's view pretty clear there, and
it's a consistent view, no change from the stants they've
always taken. If you want to play the All Blacks,

(16:07):
you play Super rugby, and that stance is paid off.
New Zealand Rugby has every player they want for the
next World Cup contracted to the end of twenty twenty seven,
and they have a dozen or so players contracted beyond that.
They've done a very good job of making sure our
most important players are locked in.

Speaker 3 (16:27):
Now.

Speaker 2 (16:27):
The fact that South Africa and Australia in particular have
joined this united Front is more telling for me because
it's a departure from their policy of selecting players from
outside their own domestic competitions for test matches. So their
involvement in this United Front is a departure from their

(16:49):
normal policy. And Chris leandrom a couple of times pointed
out the fact that proceeds from professional rugby in the
unions that have joined together on this are fed back
into the community and that is very salient. It's a
salient point I feel also as though R three sixty
would have more ants of tempting players across if they

(17:10):
were launching in twenty twenty eight, the year after a
World Cup, when we always see an exodus of players,
usually to places like Japan that tends to be the
most common destination for those finishing their international careers. I
feel as though that would be a more logical time
for them to launch. And then you ask yourself, which

(17:32):
sorts of players would look at our three P sixty
as an option It would be most ATTRACTI wouldn't it
to a player who's coming to the end of their
All Blacks career, who's been to a World Cup or
World Cup's plural and as looking for that last contract
or two before they retire and move on to the
next stage of their life. The sorts of players, as

(17:53):
I say, who right now look to finish their careers
up in Japan. There are any number of former All
Blacks up there right now, Sam Kaine, TJ. Pettanatta, Aaron
Smith's up there, Brady Retallic to name a few. If
our three sixty gets off the ground, I feel like
it's the Japanese clubs who should be more worried because
they will have genuine competition for the players who right
now see Japan as their final rugby destination. So then

(18:19):
you look at the current crop of All Blacks and
who might have their head turned by this, And it's guys,
as I say, I have had very good All Blacks careers,
have been to a World Cup or two, but who
are not now first choice in their position, and who
may or may not go to the next Rugby World Cup.
If I'm R three sixty, those are the types of

(18:40):
guys I'm getting in touch with. I'd be on the
phone straight away to see veryes. He's only contracted, incidentally,
until the end of twenty twenty six, not twenty seven.
Riko Yowani might be an option. Dalton Papali he might
be an option. Both contracted until twenty twenty seven, but
we know that these things can be gotten out off.
Anton Lennard Brown might be an option. He's contracted until

(19:03):
the end of twenty twenty eight. But again we're talking
about older players. Unless R three sixty are able to
tempt an elite young player into the fold, a first
choice All Black who's nearer the start of their career
than the end, then I'm not sure too much has
really changed, and I don't think there's any need for

(19:24):
panic or even concern. If if they could tempt Camera
Reguard or Wallace Stiti or Will Jordan, then we would
have a problem and then would have to have another conversation.
Of course, all of this is contingent on R three

(19:45):
sixty actually getting off the ground at all, and I
would love to get an update from them. I'd like
to know if this is all actually a thing or not,
and what impact has the stance from these eight unions
had on their plans, How far down the track are
they to having their competition sanctioned by World Rugby, which,
as you heard Chris Lendham say, hasn't happened yet because

(20:06):
without that it's just a dream, isn't it now. We've
reached out several times this week to invite a representative
from R three sixty onto the show. It feels to
me like they'd want to state their case, an update
a big sports minded New Zealand audience like this show
has on their plans and their progress, but we've had
no reply, and from what I can say, I don't
think any other New Zealand based media outlet has either. Look,

(20:28):
the invitation to them remains open and always will very
keen to hear from R. Three sixty about this. As
I say, we've tried, and we will keep trying. The
invitation that was there for you right now, Oh eight
hundred eighty ten eighteen hello, grunt.

Speaker 7 (20:43):
Yeah. And finally, I think your idea, if it has
any chance at all of getting off the ground, is
twenty eight.

Speaker 8 (20:51):
I mean, you know, at the end of this year.

Speaker 4 (20:55):
Goodness me.

Speaker 7 (20:56):
I mean, for a start, I think, I mean I
would class them as exhibition games, and I'm not a
big fan of exhibition games. The reason that Super Rugby
does so well is because although there's a few players
in each club Superclub that come from other areas, the

(21:18):
majority of Super Rugby players come from that general area.
So there's the local area, so there's a buy in.
And you know, if you're talking about sort of you know,
all blacks at the end of their career and things
like that, and are they going to try and make
sort of national teams out of players who've you know,

(21:43):
basically been past that if you like, can't make them
all blacks anymore, or things like that, and the fact
that they've gone to ground. I mean live golf went
well because golf is an individual sport and so you
know you're watching the top players playing on golf courses.

(22:03):
The fact that they're playing live golf, there's no real
difference to the normal PGA. So I would put as
about a five percent chance that we're getting off the
ground this year, maybe a bit more in twenty eight.
But like kind of like Chris Lendrim said, certainly, the
one thing that has done has got well world rugby

(22:27):
into gear and doing, you know, more tours and things
like that. So the African Tour next year.

Speaker 4 (22:33):
The Woman's and.

Speaker 7 (22:37):
Lines to Lines Tour coming to New Zealand and twenty seven,
and the men coming in twenty nine. So I think
there's not much chance of at all getting off the ground,
and if it does, I wouldn't bother watching the exhibition
games anyway.

Speaker 2 (22:51):
So that's and that last sentence there, grunt is the
interesting one, as would you watch it? And I was
thinking this week would I watch it? I mean, I'm
a huge sports fan as you are. Would I watch
a competition like this where I had no real skin
of the game as far as nationality is concerned, As
I understand it made. It's going to be a draft system.
So it's not as though, you know, a bunch of
New Zealand guys are all going to end up in

(23:12):
the same team. For example, a couple might, but it's
all done on a draft system. It's a bit of
a traveling circus. They're going to travel around all sorts
of places and play these games. I mean, is it
going to be appointment viewing for us back here? I
don't know. And what I don't want to do is
completely disregard it because I know that, you know, those
who initially turned up their nose at T twenty cricket

(23:34):
are probably looking at it now and thinking, goodness me,
look at this behemoth that T twenty cricket has become.
Well R three sixty ever become that. It's so difficult
to say. It's difficult to see, if I'm honest, particularly
when you have the world's strongest national unions putting a

(23:56):
stake in the ground and saying if you play our
through sixty, you go for it, but that is the
end of your chances of playing for the national team again.
Not to labor the point, but this is no change
at all from New Zealand Rugby. They haven't departed at
all from their longstanding policy that you must pay slooper

(24:18):
rugby if you want to play for the All Blacks. Look,
no one blames the players, right. Agents are duty bound
to put offers in front of their players when and
if they receive them. And of course our top rugby
agents who deal with our top rugby players will of
course have been given offers expressions of interest, will have

(24:43):
had conversations with the three sixty powers that be, and
off the back of those have been duty bound, I'm sure,
to put offers or to at least discuss it with
their with the clients, their players, And if it's right
for a player, it's the same as us.

Speaker 4 (25:04):
Right.

Speaker 2 (25:04):
If we were offered a job somewhere other than where
we work right now, and the money was better and
everything else wrapped around it was something that you met
favorably with, then take it. No, I don't think anybody
now in our professional world of sport would begrudge a

(25:25):
player for taking an offer offshore. They have to think
about it right now. Look at Richie m Wonger as a
good example, right, he had an offer to go to Japan,
a very very good offer, weighed up the pros and
cons that he wouldn't be able to play for the
All Blacks while he was over there, probably thought about
coming back at the end of it, and that's exactly

(25:45):
what's happened. But other players, Charles Piataw is a good example.
He got given a very good offer to go and
play over in Europe, and at the peak of his powers,
really took that offer. Has made a very good career
for himself, has obviously benefited financially from it. But he,

(26:07):
you know, gave up the Black jersey and that was
his decision. Guys might do it, but like I say,
until they tempt awigh somebody at the start of their career,
or a younger All Black like the guys I mentioned before, Cameroy,
Guard Wallace, a tech someone like that, then I don't
think this is any different really from the current landscape

(26:28):
as far as New Zealand is concerned. Guys leave at
the end of their careers, normally after a World Cup,
and go and get one or two more contracts elsewhere,
usually in Japan. If they've got no desire or intention
or realistic prospect of coming back to play for the
All blacks. Then why wouldn't you look at all the
different options and if R three sixties the best one,
money was take it. But I'm just keen to know

(26:51):
if it's a thing. Twenty six to one people. We'll
talk a bit more about this after the break. Oh,
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty spear line for you
to jump aboard.

Speaker 4 (26:58):
It's more than just a game.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
We can sport with Jason Kine and GJ. Cunnomes, New
Zealand's most trusted her and builder.

Speaker 4 (27:06):
News Talks, The.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
News talks they be We'll get you to bath first
before one. It's twenty three to one. Back to the
lines in a minute. Ohent On text, don't underestimate the
power of the dollar. IPL has changed world cricket forever.
The Saudi Premier League is attracting many great footballers now
for big money. Oh and the only thing I would
say about those two competitions compared to this one is
that the governing bodies of football and cricket have haven't

(27:29):
stipulated that you can't play for them if you play
in those competitions. I mean, cricket has had to embrace it,
hasn't it. And look, maybe there is a time down
the line where where Rugby where R three sixty is
like the ipl that the balance of power tips and
it becomes so popular that those eight unions have to

(27:53):
walk back their stance. It's possible. It doesn't feel the
most likely, but it's possible. And just before we go
the lines, another text here from from not I've read
that one, or read so I don't have to read it.
I can go straight to you, Paul, how are you mate?

Speaker 9 (28:12):
Okay, finey, Yeah, I think you're right done. Underestimate the
power of money, piney. I mean, I've got no doubt
that there are a lot of players looking at R
three sixteen and watching, wait and see how it unfolds.
And should it get off the ground, you've got to
realize that. You know, you've seen, like you mentioned all

(28:33):
Blacks that have gone taking the money out of seas
who have already played for the All Blacks or whatever.
But I think if this keeps off the ground, I'm
thinking of Pacific Island players in particular, because a lot
of them come from nothing, and if you know, New
Zealand Rugby have had their had their they've had the fortunate,

(28:53):
fortunate circumstance to basically pick and choose a huge amount
of Pacific players to the detriment of the island nations
which are struggling. Now, those island nations, those island players
that are in New Zealand coming through it, I'll be
looking at R three six and unfortunately, you know, the
All Blacks, the war or the prestige of it has
diminished because there are all of those who get called
into the All Blacks or through the system, they might

(29:14):
play one test and need their cast aside. So if
you're super rugby players or EBC whatever, they'll be looking
at US three sixty. I think from no money with
port family Balby thinking this is my chance, this is
my opportunity, and trust me, they'll take the money mate,
every day.

Speaker 2 (29:29):
Absolutely well. And it's the right it's the right thing
to do. You're right, you know, Fiji Sama tong I
haven't co signed this statement with the big and for
many of those players this might be. This might be
a very very good thing for those unions. If the
Fijian national team can can pick players who are playing
in R three sixty, which they will, and those players
are exposed to a very good, you know, level of

(29:51):
rugby and can make that living from it. Then I
think that could be a really good thing for the
Island nations.

Speaker 9 (29:56):
Yeah absolutely, I mean what has the IRB or New
Zealand Rugby Union done for the Pacific Nations? And yes,
people will say, oh you know that they were, they were,
they will come through us this and you know, and whatever,
have you picked the eyes out of them? They've let
let them. I mean, from what I'm hearing, some has
to qualify to be in the next World Cup. They're
basically gone backwards. So this is an opportunity for particularly

(30:18):
those are and we all know that they're the best
athletes out there, the Pacific Island players. So you know,
it just keeps off the ground. You know, it's going
to change the whole landscape made. And you know, as
far as the NRL players go, you know, guys like
paying half in there. You know it'll be I'd be
devastated a paying half win. But you couldn't blame them.
They're throwing it sort of money at them. But then again,

(30:40):
you know, does he want to or players like him
do they do? They want to be going from country
to country playing there a traveling circus on a corn
flex competition on YouTube. You know that it all comes
down to that again. You know where they won't be
there won't be a lead athletes, but they currently are
in the n r L. So yeah, there's a lot
to unfold, mate.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
I saw the NRL's response and you probably show it
as well, Paul, being the big league fan that you are.
They they said that they, you know, would impose sanctions
on anybody who went to our three sixty, but they
didn't really say what those sanctions were. I mean, it's
no look at league's not the same as rugby, isn't it.
You said, if you said to those league players, okay, hey,
well if you go you can't play for Australia, they
probably shrug their shoulder and say, okay, well that doesn't

(31:23):
really matter. They also talk perhaps about if you go
you can't come back. So if you go to R
three sixty, the door back to the NRL has closed
for you. Whether they could enforce it or not, I
don't know. Yeah, that's the only one really, or origins
the other one, isn't it, because there's a there's a
huge carard of playing origin over there.

Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (31:42):
But to be honest, you know, these players like the
lomechs Zech Lomex or Eppenhouse.

Speaker 7 (31:47):
You know.

Speaker 9 (31:48):
See you go to three sixty and you know whatever,
who cares? But guys like paying Hearts and Nathan clearly
know those. They'll be devastated. But I do know that
the the NRL Velina is just no mark and they
have a special Wachist fund built without that, you know,
to keep huge high profile players like Reese Walsh and
in our game mates. So I don't believe gets or

(32:09):
worry mate. We all know the ships of talent coming
through there. But I think rugby, especially in New Zealand
in Australia with a specific island players, that's where a
lot of the damage is going to come through and
get off the ground.

Speaker 5 (32:20):
Mate.

Speaker 2 (32:20):
Yeah, salient point, very salient point, Paul. You'll watching whether
it's just as will I as will. We all good
to chat to you as always, mate, Thanks indeed for
the call. Saudi Arabia. That's indeed they are behind this
is this text. Are impatient. When they get inspired, they
want things to happen immediately, and they think money can
fix everything in their favor. And the text continues, Why

(32:41):
would Mike Tindall put his name to something that was fake.
I agree, why would he He's a He's a highly
credible name and probably a bit of a poster boy
if you like for this. And I would love to
hear more like I say. And he's been beavering away
trying to get somebody to chat to us. Hasn't happened yet.

(33:02):
Hopefully they will. Hopefully they will. People of a certain
age says, remember the Ferrari over the introduction of Kerry
Packer's Pajama Cricket game that transformed cricket grame. The only
difference I guess is that cricket wasn't professional back then.
That transformed cricket because it was an amateur game where
players basically couldn't earn anything for their labors. And you know,

(33:27):
the Kerry Packer into the World Series Cup, the colored clothing,
the white ball and everything. You're right, it did transform cricket,
just as T twenty cricket has. Look none of us
has got a crystal ball. We can't look down the
track and say that R three sixty will be the
rugby equivalent of IPL But we can't discount it, can

(33:50):
we We can't say that it will never happen. Back
when t twenty started. I don't think anybody could possibly
have envisaged the way that that would change the game,
and yet here we are seventeen away from one. We'll
take a come back and head to batheist Eric Tooms
and with a preview of this afternoon's great.

Speaker 1 (34:08):
Race, the Tough Questions off the turf Weekend Sport with
Jason Pine and GJ. Gubnerholmes, New Zealand's most trusted home
builder News Dogs.

Speaker 2 (34:18):
V twelve forty seven less than an hour till BATHOOST
one thousand gets underway for twenty twenty five. One forty
five is start time. Broddie Kisticky. We'll start from pole
for a third straight year after winning the top ten
shootout last night.

Speaker 10 (34:32):
Another chase, He's got that thing stop it's packs number
attacks second.

Speaker 11 (34:37):
Gear out on the other side on the gearshift.

Speaker 2 (34:39):
That looks stable. Brodie's got to throw absolutely everything at this.

Speaker 12 (34:43):
In the final quarter they.

Speaker 11 (34:45):
Dare not blink in the respective garages.

Speaker 2 (34:47):
Last corner out can number.

Speaker 13 (34:49):
Thirty eight comes up to greet the line and the party.

Speaker 2 (34:52):
Kisticky takes up.

Speaker 14 (34:57):
Time.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
Done, honey, that is a mega lab and slon Mega
glass gats the field by over a tenth a half. Wow,
that is Brodie Kostek's running the top ten shootout. Ryan Wood,
in his first top ten shooto, was fourth, just four
tenths of a second behind Kostecki's time. The New Zealand

(35:23):
Herald's Eric Thompson is at Mount Panorama and as I
understand it, overlooking the start finish line, are you at
paint the picture for us?

Speaker 15 (35:32):
Oh, mate, the air it's palpable that things are getting
underway and I can just watching them wheeling out all
the supercars. All the cars have been rolled out in
front of the pit garage and you can just feel it, Bunny,
the air has just changed. Something's just changed in the
atmosphere of everything in the crowds. Looking across at the crowds,
all the grandstands about three quarters full. People are filing in.

(35:55):
But it's the banks, all the grass banks along the
staff finished straight, ran mate. You couldn't get a maybe
be lucky to get a match box in there. And
you can hear the whistles going because the drivers have
just finished their parade lap, all standing in the back
of the utes and bits and pieces like that, and

(36:17):
so they're all coming back into pedlant. I'm just looking
at a lot of the drivers. It's just Brady Stecky
and Dodd Hal's would have just pulled up, mate, looking
down on them now defending champion And as your audio said,
you know he did, you know I lapped for the
ages about the only way I could describe it, because
cam Walls has put in an absolute blast and mossed.

(36:39):
It went so hard and Ryan Wood got fourth. We
actually thought he might have been on for at least
you know, our front row staff, but everybody just pulled
it out of the bag. And I swear to god,
p only half the time those cars around the top
of the mountain, we're out of control and the drivers
were just passengers.

Speaker 2 (36:56):
How happy will Ryan would be with P four and
his first of a top ten shootout.

Speaker 15 (37:01):
It's funny talking to him last night. He was a
bit he said, I'm a little bit gusted because he said,
he said, I made the tiny mistake across skyline and
he said, I just knew you can't afford to make
a mistake. Then he sort of you could see him
thinking about it, you know, like the wheels the cocks
turning in his mind, and he said well, actually, for
my first ever shoot out at Bathurst, I'm pretty happy

(37:23):
with four because the talent in that field, as the
listeners listeners will know, is pretty pretty good. So he
Young reflects and he said, yeah, we did a Yeah,
we did pretty good. Second row. You know you're on
the second row, and I reckon that sprint down to
hell corner, the ninety degree left before you climb up
the mountain. Finally, if you only you're going to watch

(37:44):
one lap, watch that one because all these guys will
be wanting to get their noses in front to head
up the mountain first and stay out of trouble.

Speaker 2 (37:52):
The other can we drive us further back in the field.
Matt Payne eighteenth, andre Heimgartner nineteenth, Richie stand Away is
twenty third. Jackson he was twenty fourth. What will their
race strategy be et.

Speaker 15 (38:04):
I reckon in the first four or five laps. Having
chatted to Matt, pain is really disappointed. But his car
just hasn't been right ever since Thursday. It just really hasn't.
There was a flash of brilliance while brilliance for him
his tenth quickst at one stage. But their thing will
be to stay out of trouble, you know, and just

(38:25):
not go too hard too soon, because everybody else would
be doing that. It's a long race, as we know,
it's a thousand kilometers, some sometimes called the world's longest
sprint race because they're basically but gone are the days
where drivers will be able to chill for a bit
for the first couple of hours, you know, make sure
the car is right, relax a bit down conrad straight.

(38:46):
Now it's just it's just the testicles to the wall
for a quie about a flight, as I can do
it these days we did. So there guy will hope
they'll work on strategy, they'll work on pit stops, tire changes,
and don't you get all these cars, every single car
mandated that they have to change the break rotors and

(39:10):
discpads at some stage, so you know, if you get
that timing right. So for these guys, for the bulk
of the kiwis other than what it's going to be
really predicated on strategy. But the interesting thing, also, Piney,
is that today here is glorious. It's a zua, blue skies,
a little bit of wind, but rain is forecast, and
especially in the last hour of the race, some quite

(39:31):
heavy rain, so you know that's gonna that'll be a real.

Speaker 2 (39:34):
Roll of the dice fifty three minutes until they go eat.
So I can sense the excitement in your voice, and
why not love having you one mate. We're going to
get back to you after the race has been going
for a little while, maybe just after two o'clock, to
get some early assessment from you. Thanks for joining us,
Eric Thompson read him at NZ Herald dot co dot NZ.
Some fantastic content there as you prepare for the start

(39:56):
of the Bathurst one thousand at one forty five New
Zealand time this afternoon, seven and a half away from
one now, when.

Speaker 1 (40:03):
It's down to the line. You made a call ten
eighty Weekend Sports with Jason Hine, News Talk.

Speaker 2 (40:11):
Zemb coming up four to one on text, Jason, I'd
be far more interested in watching R three sixty than
any other regional rugby tournament of the world. The likes
of shoot Shield, Japanese Division one, Top fourteen, United Rugby Championship,
Curry Cup, Major League Rugby, European Rugby, Gallaha Premiership. I've
never been to India, the text continues, but I still
have a favorite team in the IPL. The Geni super Kings.

(40:32):
Because of the Keywi connection, I think R three sixty
could be like a lot better version of the sevens.
We wait and see, We wait and see. Thank you
for your calls and correspondence on our three sixty. We'll
continue to try and prod them to come on and
tell us more. We'd love to hear more from R
three sixty about exactly where they are and what their
plans are and the landmarks along the way, including the

(40:55):
all important sanctioning of their competition by World Rugby After
one going to flick across the cricket in Australia, they're
talking or there has been talk about move the Boxing
Day Test Usmond Kawaja has said some very interesting things
about this. How are they feeling about this across the
Tasman Jim Max, We're going to join us and shouldn't

(41:17):
we bring our Boxing Day Test back?

Speaker 1 (41:21):
The only place to discuss the biggest fourse issues on
and after fields. It's all on Weekends Forward with Jason
Taine on your home of Sport with New York.

Speaker 2 (41:34):
Hello there, welcome and welcome back. This this weekend's fort
On News Talks, hedb On Jason Pine, Andy McDonald alongside
one oh seventh the time James mcony this hour, as
always on a Sunday, the fourth and final quarter final
and the Buddings ENDPC is about an hour away from
getting underway at Apollo Projects Stadium in christ Church, Canterbury

(41:56):
up against Counties Manico. Actually, the good folk of christ Church,
could I trouble you for a quick weather report? What's
the day like? Conducive? Is it to running rugby? Let's
hope so ninet two nine two if you can just
provide a very quick weather update for us from christ
Jug we could wait, I guess until we get to

(42:18):
our commentary team there and around twenty twenty five minutes
or sober. If you have the time and the inclination,
just fire off a quick weather report to us nine
two ninety two. Bathhurst is also drawing closer. One forty
five is when it all starts at Mount Panorama. We

(42:39):
look at the kiwis and we find Ryan Wood there
qualifying fourth after the top ten shootout yesterday. Actually the
Kiwi who starts furthest up, although he won't be in
the car to start, is Fabian Coultart. He's co driving
with Chaz Mostrt who starts third on the grid alongside
Ryan Wood, So that's the Keywi interest near the top
of the grid. Then you drop down to Matt Paine

(43:01):
in eighteenth, andre Heimgartner nineteenth, Richie Standaway twenty third and
Jackson Evans twenty fourth. Those are the Kiwis who are
involved this afternoon when bathist Pet's underway at around one
forty five. Will be sure to keep you right up
to date. Dev says gooda pinety hot and windy. Thank you.

(43:21):
Deb twenty six degrees says this one blustery should be
hard and fast running rugby.

Speaker 5 (43:27):
That's what we like.

Speaker 2 (43:28):
That's what we like to hear. Counties actually don't. You've
probably picked up on this. Counties have had just a
really crazy season. They lost their first five games, they
were zero to five and look gone for all money.
Then they won their next five games in a row
and in the last four games they're averaging over fifty

(43:51):
points per game. I don't know what happened midseason, but
something has. So are they genuine contenders to beat Canterbury
this afternoon? I guess they have to be. They're there,
aren't they? The other three quarterfinals all went to the
home side Otago Friday night, Bay of plenty yesterday and
then Hawks Bay last night. So a Canterbury gonna complete

(44:13):
that quartet? Or are counties going to surprise us? All goodness,
look at all these look at all these tests. I'd
better get through the because people have actually taken the time.
A warm northwest breeze, sunny, a balmie twenty five in
christ Church, hot with strong westerly wind, says this one,
bright sunshine and a blustery northwester of piney hot end

(44:36):
windy christ chair is twenty five A fairly strong westerly wind,
says Barb. The weather's hot, norwester of blowing twenty six
hot with a bit of a breeze. Although they've misspelt
that freeze, I presume they mean breeze. Thank you so
much the good folk of christ Church for furnishing us
with that information. Looks like it's going to be a
cracker down there. We'll get to our commentary team, as

(44:57):
I say, around half past one, but we start this
hour with cricket. Could the iconic Boxing Day cricket Test
at the Melbourne Cricket Ground be under threat? Strikes has
taken thirty two years the New Zealand have another Boxing
Day wicket at the MCG. Well, you mentioned the World

(45:20):
Cup final.

Speaker 15 (45:20):
We start knocked over my Coavin.

Speaker 2 (45:22):
How about muster payback first over? We said it wasn't quick.

Speaker 4 (45:26):
He built out to one thirty.

Speaker 2 (45:27):
But we said it had to be accurate. He had
to make them play.

Speaker 14 (45:31):
And this is a great sign because it's.

Speaker 2 (45:32):
Swung Warning absolutely, it's a beautiful delivery.

Speaker 7 (45:35):
Nip back.

Speaker 2 (45:36):
It swung in Trent Bolt right on the money. It's
all about setting the tone early in Trent Volt's done that.
How good to hear the voice of Shane Warn in
that commentary from twenty nineteen. I think that was actually
the high point of New Zealand's last visit to the
MCG was Trent Bolt getting a wicket very early on.
It didn't go quite as well after that. Some very
interesting comments though across the Tasman this week eighty four

(45:58):
Test Australian opener Usmond Kawaja believes cricket bosses there should
consider moving the Boxing and the New Year's Tests if
that allows top Australian players to take part in the
Big Bash every year. Usmond Kawaja says, at some level
at some stage, everything that grows must change. He goes

(46:21):
on to say, as much as I love the Boxing
Day and Sydney Cricket ground test matches and I don't
want to move them, if it's better for the growth
of the game and allows Australian players to play in
the Big Bash, I think it's worth talking about and exploring.
The longtime voice of Australian Cricket, Jim Maxwell. As with
US Jim, how would the average Australian cricket fan have

(46:44):
reacted to those comments from Usmand Kawaja?

Speaker 13 (46:49):
Well, I can't speak for all of them, but I
hope if they've got a bit of common sense and
an interest in the future of the game, they'd ignore them.
I don't think that's on by any stretch of the
imagination at the moment.

Speaker 4 (47:00):
At the moment, because we live in a.

Speaker 13 (47:03):
Rapidly changing world where money, money is talking the game,
and that conflict that keeps growing between sort of traditional
test cricket and the ICC running the game and the
franchises that are getting bigger and more powerful around the
world is on a collision course. How do you work

(47:27):
out what is the best program for the year. You
don't have Test cricket on Boxing days. South Africa don't,
but Australia hangs on to it. And as long as
Cricket Australia have the view that that is the most
important thing in.

Speaker 4 (47:42):
Terms of the Australian team to have.

Speaker 13 (47:46):
Boxing Day in particular and a series of next years
against New Zealand in Australia. I don't think what Usman's
saying is going to mean much.

Speaker 4 (47:57):
But it may in time, yes it could.

Speaker 2 (48:00):
How important and iconic does the Boxing Day Test in
particular continue to be on the Australia in cricket calendar,
Jim Well.

Speaker 13 (48:09):
It's the biggest earner in the summer in terms of
what comes through the gate apart from eyeballs on television
and the holiday period. So it is very very important
and that's the way it's going to be for as
long as we can sustain a competitive looking test match

(48:29):
every Boxing day, and that in itself does become a
little bit of a problem when you know, and you
move away to having Pakistan West Indies dare I say
it hopefully not New Zealand because they're okay at the moment,
but we are moving to a changing landscape in the
world of Test cricket. I think two divisions may well

(48:49):
become the order of the day. Fortunately, unfortunately, whichever way
you want to look at it. But yes, Boxing Day
is a big event. It's not quite the Melbourne Cup,
but you know you're going to get fifty thousand plus
you'll get almost one hundred thousand this year with England
in Australia.

Speaker 4 (49:10):
So it's a big day and a big match in
the scheme of things during an Australian summer.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
The reason Osmond Kwaja even made the comments, I think
was because top players, top top players like Pat commons
like Travis Head have been offered massive money to quit
Australian cricket altogether and just play franchise cricket full time.
If it is a matter of moving Test matches, but
keeping players like that, is it worthy of at least
opening a discussion or not?

Speaker 7 (49:39):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (49:39):
I think I think the other side is going to
have to make ren for it. I say that advisedly.

Speaker 13 (49:45):
I think there are one hundred and seventy four IPL
matches coming up next year, so we're looking at it
an amazing amount of T twenty cricket, which you know,
for for a lot of us is more than the
corn flax can go down in the space of a week.
There's too much of it and it's all a bit
the same. But the see is the kind of cricket

(50:08):
world where we're moving towards more and more, particularly on
the back of all the corporates in India are throwing
so much money at it. I mean, you know now
that the IPL in terms of the television side of
it in particular, is almost as big as American NFL.
That's how big it's become. And you can see why

(50:30):
with that huge audience out there, it's no wonder that
people want to have part of it.

Speaker 14 (50:35):
All, you know.

Speaker 13 (50:36):
Beyond that and all these temptations and discussions about other
leagues being formed.

Speaker 5 (50:45):
It's not about Test cricket there for sure.

Speaker 13 (50:47):
It's all about T twenty. And I suppose if we're
going to keep people in this game of cricket, we're
going to have to find a way to manage all
of that.

Speaker 4 (50:57):
And that's the difficulty. The players, on.

Speaker 13 (51:00):
One hand, feel most of them that substantially test crickets
what the game is about. Avid on the other, the
people who run it, who like to collect the crumbs
and put coins in the bank. They see it's far
more realistic longer term to have more and more.

Speaker 5 (51:19):
Of that which pays the tune the circus that.

Speaker 4 (51:24):
Goes around regularly and draws the crowd. But Test cricket
does pretty well still for Australia and for England. Not
so much for India perhaps in terms of crowds, but at.

Speaker 13 (51:35):
Least for the time being, I think Test crickets are
secure and so's.

Speaker 4 (51:38):
The Boxing day Test. But that can change.

Speaker 2 (51:41):
Just to word on your Big Besh Jim, there's been
ongoing talks about the possible privatization of the franchises, even
moving the competition into a different window so it doesn't
have to compete with other overseas leagues for talent. What
is the current health of the Big Besh in your view?

Speaker 4 (51:59):
Oh, I think it's very healthy.

Speaker 13 (52:01):
But there are as ever in Australia competing interests in
these to see who's going to have ownership, and most
of the states, as far as I can see, don't.

Speaker 4 (52:10):
Want it at the moment.

Speaker 13 (52:12):
But once again, the amount of money that's going to
be pumped in money from India, this is where it's
going to come from.

Speaker 4 (52:19):
To corporatize the game.

Speaker 13 (52:21):
And have private ownership will be overwhelming, so at some
point it will probably have to happen. But at the
moment the States are very keen to hang on to
the product, if I can call it that, that they've got.

Speaker 4 (52:35):
That's a pretty good earner for.

Speaker 13 (52:37):
Them and it makes enough sense to keep it as
it is, provided of course that they can get more
access to the best players, and that's part of what
Osmond Kawaja was on about, of course.

Speaker 2 (52:51):
And just a word on the Ashes, as you say,
there'll be huge interest both domestically and from the visiting
fans as well. I can tell you, Jim, I think
it's the cricket I'm most looking forward to in the
summer ahead. We've just got three Test matches against the
West Indies and December to consume us as far as
the red ballers can. How much anticipation is there around
about the upcoming Ashes.

Speaker 13 (53:11):
Well from Australian perspective, despite the fact that it looks
like Pat Cummins may not even play a Test this
summer because of his back problems. The interest in the
series just a number of people, a bit like when
the lines we're here recently, will be huge, will be
full houses and a number of days of Test match cricket,
and I think the expectation is that it is going

(53:35):
to be a challenging, competitive series. There's a lot of
speculation about who and white and where and white at
this point because we're still about five or six weeks
away from it. I mean, will bend Stokes bowl? Will
he be fit enough for the whole series? There are
so many questions around the injuries on the fringe or

(53:56):
actual with both sides, about who will be selected, particularly
in the Australian top three, so we've got a lot
to look forward to. Massive expectation always is when England
come to town, but probably more so this time because
you're looking at what I've described as a redemption series

(54:17):
for Smith and Stokes in particular, probably the last time
we see either or both of them playing in a
in a Test match series against each other. So there's
lots of things cranking around as we move towards a
serious transition stage for the Australian team in the next
two years. A lot of the fellows will gained to

(54:38):
a watch during this summer probably won't be playing again
in another year or two from now, and that's an
interesting thought on its own.

Speaker 4 (54:46):
Who's going to replace them?

Speaker 13 (54:47):
But yeah, a lot of expectation and hopefully to watch
some exciting cricket because England certainly always promise to deliver
that excitement when they're batting.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
Well, well, certainly you have eyes on the side of
the testment as well. Wonderful to chat Jim, Thank you
so much for taking the time, right Jason, all the
best man, all the best of you too, Jim Jim
Maxwell there, Yeah, I love the way he says the
word cricket. It's just so laid back, isn't it. Yeah,
just comes us up images of sitting on the bank
at an ASHES Test and listening to Jim Maxwell call

(55:20):
the game. Just on this whole thing. I mean, it
would be misguided in my view to move it, for
Australian cricket to move the Boxing Day Test. But that
really isn't how cool to make Is it nothing to
do with us? It's not our our test match to
move or maybe to give opinion on. But what is
I reckon? As I was sort of thinking about talking

(55:42):
to Jim Max, what today, why don't we bring back
our Boxing Day Test?

Speaker 15 (55:48):
We should?

Speaker 2 (55:48):
Shouldn't we? We should bring it back, Oh, eight hundred
and eighty, ten eighty, Just want to kick this around
with you. The first one was in nineteen ninety eight.
We had it for four years, so it looked like
they were starting to establish something regular. On our cricket
calendar said it for four years, then a year off,
then back again in two thousand and three, so we

(56:11):
had five and six years, all of those at the base,
and then it took a break and it was replaced
most summers by an ODI or a T twenty, usually
at Eden Park on Boxing Day. The Boxing Day test
then came back in twenty fourteen at Hagley and then
there were ODI's there for the next three years, and

(56:32):
then a test again in twenty eighteen, and most recently
we had one in twenty twenty at Bay Oval in
the Mount but nothing since that of either color ball
actually on Boxing Day. It felt like we gave it
a chance initially to become a feature of our summer
but just didn't follow through. Surely we have to find
a way to revive it. Look I totally get the

(56:54):
scheduling issues. I totally understand how difficult it is to
shoehorn everything in, but if we're going to have Test
cricket here in December, which we are are this year.
Surely one of those three Test matches could have been
played from Boxing Day through to what would it be,
the thirtieth. At the moment, they're all sort of crammed

(57:18):
in between the start of December and about the twenty second.
Those fifteen days or fifteen scheduled days anyway of Test
cricket are all shoehorned in there. Why couldn't one of
those Test matches be played from Boxing Day? Again? I
get the scheduling issues, I totally get it, but why

(57:40):
couldn't we give it another crack o? Eight one hundred
and eighty ten eighty. Who's in favor of this?

Speaker 4 (57:45):
Is it just me?

Speaker 2 (57:47):
Or would you also be a fan of watching Test
cricket from Boxing Day through to the back end of
the year. I W eight hundred eighty ten eighty. Let's
kick it around one twenty four, twenty one minutes away
from the start of the Bathhurst one thousand. As the
build up continues, we'll get you back to Bathurst after two.
It's a beautifull day there and a key We interest

(58:10):
three or four five drivers and a co driver there,
so we'll keep eyes on that for you as well,
but please talk about a Boxing day cricket ore we
eight one hundred and eighty ten eighty or nine two
nine two one text back in a moment.

Speaker 1 (58:19):
The biggest seams in sports are on Weekend Sports with
Jason Pain and GJ. Gunnomes, New Zealand's most trusted home Builder,
News Talks, NB.

Speaker 2 (58:29):
News Talks EV and Weekend Sport talking the Boxing Day Test.
A bunch of texts through here mussys pinety. The Boxing
Day Test is in now DNA. I'm fifty three, remember
watching it as a teenager. One of the reasons I
wanted to play and watch cricket, even though it's in Australia.
I love it. Yeah, no, Muzza, I'll I'll totally watch
the Boxing Day Test from Australia. Quite happy to do that.

(58:49):
And this year it's an ASHES test. But I just
I don't know we could we could bring it back,
couldn't we? By the way, says muzz are you sounding
a bit flat? Are you missing broadcasting from a pub?
I don't think so, muss. I don't feel flat, I
hope and it sound that way. I'll try and lift
the vibe Jason. As far as a spectacle goes, says Stephen,
the opening day of a Nash's Test against a big

(59:10):
Bash League contest is like fine dining as opposed to
fish and chips.

Speaker 14 (59:15):
Nice.

Speaker 2 (59:16):
What about this, says this text? A boxing day test
at Pooka Kurda Park. Love that. Let's book a good
of park a text test ground. There's too small, isn't it?
But yeah, I mean I actually wouldn't care where it was.
Jeeus book a cur A Park pinting over the end
of day one and the team batting first. But it's
called seven hundred even t twenty games there teams get

(59:37):
about one thousand four defenses going for four man stop
it as much as I'd love to see that. Okay,
all right, we'll take pook A cur A Park off
the list of potential venues. Then, you know, obviously it
started at the Basin and I liked that, went to
christ Church and had a few there, and then the
Mounts in twenty twenty, sit the one at the Mountain
twenty twenty the last one. You might not remember all

(01:00:00):
the details of the game, but I'm sure you remember
Mitchell Santner's Court in Bolt right near the end of
day five he caught Narsim Shah four and a half
overs to go. Pakistan had basically survived well over one
hundred and twenty overs and New Zealand was sort of
chipping away and chipping away, and Mitchell Satan had got
that court in bold and that led not directly but

(01:00:22):
certainly contributed in large parts in New Zealand making the
World Test Championship final. So that was the last time
we ever had one. The other one that stands out
and Andy reminded me about this. I'd forgotten this. I
don't know how, but in twenty fourteen when we played
Shri Lanka at Hagley, Brendan McCullum got one hundred and
ninety five of one hundred and thirty four balls, eighteen

(01:00:42):
fours and eleven sixes. He just smashed it and I
went and had a quick look back and he did.
He absolutely smashed it. The other things I remember at
boxing day tests going back all we will Simon Dall
in the very first one against India in nineteen ninety
eight took a seven foot seven four sixty five he
took in the first innings and then in nineteen ninety

(01:01:03):
nine Matthew Sinclair skippy a double one hundred on Test
debut against the West Indies two hundred and fourteen. He
got started batting on boxing day, finished it off on
the twenty seventh, two hundred and fourteen on debut. Got
to bring it back, Kevin, got to bring it back.

Speaker 4 (01:01:25):
Yeah, Hey, how are you?

Speaker 2 (01:01:26):
I'm good?

Speaker 7 (01:01:28):
Good?

Speaker 1 (01:01:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 16 (01:01:28):
Of course that's when I heard your discussion with Jim
Mattswell from ABC Cricket. What's the idea of moving boxing
the boxing day from the MCD to somewhere else that
is out like sacriligious.

Speaker 2 (01:01:42):
I totally agree, Kevin, I totally agree, And like I say,
this isn't our, this isn't our Cricket, shared Gill. It's Australias.
But even the very thought of moving the boxing days,
it's like moving Melbourne Cup away from the first Tuesday
in November, or.

Speaker 16 (01:01:56):
Moving the all the idea of moving the Rupid League
Grand Final from moving the Rupty League Grand fart of
the Brisbane don't be apart from COVID. Let's see one.

Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
Look, I just don't see it happening, Kevin, I just
don't see it happening. And look it's just Orsmond Kwaj's view.
And I don't know what the context was, why what
he was asked about. I know that there's a lot
of chat about the big bash over there at the
moment and how they can continue to compete with other
T twenty leagues around the place, and he was probably
just asked about it. He's always been a bit of
a fan of privatization. I think wasman so interesting to

(01:02:29):
hear him say that. I'd love it to come back,
says Alexis and be a feature of our summer. I
wonder though, if it's because the players need to be
in camp on Christmas Day. Yeah, I mean I get that, Alexis,
I do, but I think that's that was the case
when they used to have it. And look, I don't
think there's any player pushback here. I think they've said, I, look,
we don't want to get together on Christmas Day. I think,

(01:02:51):
you know, cricketers accept the fact that they have to
be available in and around that summer period when the
rest of us are sunning ourselves and enjoying far too
much to eat and drink. I'd love to see a
Test match starting in boxing down New Zealand says this
one put it in their contracts. The Aussy Test match
games here have seventy five thousand plus turnout on the

(01:03:12):
first day. We need as much exposure and support to
introduce more people to the game, King, says Pinty. I'm
off to the Adelaide Test. Can't wait, Probably won't miss
a ball over the whole series. Ken, you're speaking my language.
I could quite easily, quite happily, if circumstances allowed, sit
and watch every single delivery of a Test match and

(01:03:33):
of a Test series. I could quite happily do that. Anyway,
that's a discussion, perhaps also for another day. Twenty eight
away from two, Otago, Bay of Plenty and Hawks Bay
safely through to the semi finals of the Bunnings MPC.
Bay have Pine scored twenty four unanswered points yesterday in
tot On It to beat Tasman twenty seven to seven.
Hawks Bay two good for Tallanhaki last night winning twenty

(01:03:53):
six twelve in Napier caught a final number four Canterbury
against County's Manico five past two this afternoon. If Canterbury win,
they'll host Hawks Bay in the semis, with Otago against
Bay of Plenty in the other one. If Counties were
to win. This afternoon, they'll go to Dunedin to meet
Otago and Bay of Plentywood host Hawks Bay to find
out who the real Bay is now. As I said before,

(01:04:15):
County Spanakaw have had the most extraordinary season. They lost
their first five games, but then won their next five
to sneak into the top eight. Their last four games
have seen them win sixty four to ten, forty nine
to twenty eight, forty eight twenty four and forty nine
to forty one against Tasman a week ago. That's an
average of fifty two and a half points per game
in their last four. Full commentary from Apollo Project Stadi

(01:04:37):
in This Afternoon available on gold Sport. Nick Buley, John
Haggett and Craig Kerr have to call for you, Nick.
I know Counties are in hot form, but they couldn't
possibly beat Canterbury too, could they?

Speaker 17 (01:04:48):
Good afternoons you Piney, Yeah, I'm not too sure. It's
so hard to read this team, isn't it. And as
you sort of outline there the season of two halves,
I guess my greatest concern is who they have beaten.
With the greatest respect to Southland Harbor Auckland and Munawa two.

Speaker 14 (01:05:04):
All those four teams aren't here in the quarterfinals.

Speaker 17 (01:05:07):
Tasman were of course that forty nine to forty one win,
but you can't dismiss the way in which they have
gone about scoring points.

Speaker 14 (01:05:14):
Attending Nanai Satro at fallback.

Speaker 17 (01:05:16):
Is that another tremendous season in the Bunnings NPC Gibson
porpore Letty as well at second five eighth with's seven tries.
So look, it's a lovely day here compared to what
it was seven days ago when it rained almost all
weekend here in christ Church for that Canterbury Tartanaki game.
So there'll be no excuses in terms of the style
of rugby that counties like to play. But you just

(01:05:36):
look at Canterbury. You look at how methodical they are
and the way they go about their business. You know,
holding a Tartanaki team last week to just fourteen points.
It's going to be a tool order. But stranger things
have happened this season, pinting we shall, yes they.

Speaker 2 (01:05:50):
Have, Yeah we will, and say looking forward to hearing
how it all plays out now. Andrew news Stubbs at
first five. He's played just about everywhere in the team
this season. How have you assessed his ability to transition
between positions but also to run the cutter for the
Red and Blacks.

Speaker 17 (01:06:04):
Well, look, I'll bring in my exper co commentator, John
Haggard's played a bit of first five eighth Piney's sitting
to my right, Hags.

Speaker 14 (01:06:10):
What do you made at a new start this season?

Speaker 2 (01:06:12):
Yeah, he's been.

Speaker 18 (01:06:13):
He's been in one of the better players with Canterbury's
certainly a very challenged athlete, obviously played a lot of sevens.
You know, he's really brought a bit of control into
that Cannoby pivot position and he certainly knows how to
drive the team around. I do like the way that
he likes to have a bit of a look and
a bit of a dart. Got a really good vision
and he can set that back line away pretty well.
So yeahs as we talked about Nick talked about the weather,

(01:06:35):
great weather. As I know Andrew new Stub will love
playing in this sort of conditions. So yeah, look out
for a bit of excitement this afternoon.

Speaker 2 (01:06:42):
Now further back, guys, Chaffee hockey at fallback, there's an
All Blacks touring squad being named tomorrow. I Monti Nadowa
won't tour through injury. There's probably a spot open in
the back three. Could Chaffee Hackey be on the plane.

Speaker 14 (01:06:57):
It's a good question. I know he's been there or
thereabouts last year.

Speaker 17 (01:07:00):
I think if he's not in the thirty six man
squad for the All Blacks, he will be in the
mix of that All Blacks team that is going to
be coached by Jamie Joseph. But there's another player too, Piney.
He's got plenty of X factor about him versus tility,
big punts, very good under the high ball, and we
know how much the modern game in twenty twenty five,
A lot of it is one in the ear and

(01:07:22):
the contestable kicks. So look, I'm intrigued to see how
Schaffee Hockey go. I personally think he's better on the
right wing than he is at fullback, but such has
been the case with injuries to like Sir Johnny mcnicholey
is slotted back at fullback this afternoon. But it is
another opportunity for Schaffee Hockey, among others, to stake a
claim before that team comes out tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (01:07:41):
And Hagg's I want to ask about Otago as well
who got there the other night against Waikato courtesy of
that very late penalty. But another really impressive win for them,
and what has been a very impressive season. We may
well be on a collision course Canniburry v Otago in
the Bunnings MPC final. I'm not quite sure where your
allegiance would lie. But Otago, have you been in pressed
with them?

Speaker 4 (01:08:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (01:08:01):
How good?

Speaker 2 (01:08:01):
Would be a great final, wouldn't it?

Speaker 5 (01:08:02):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:08:03):
Targo the real deal.

Speaker 18 (01:08:04):
Certainly, they played a lot of spirit, got a bit
of X factor there and a lot of the number
of their players in the middle of another way, he
just drives a team around the park and they're stay
in games. You know, they never give up. They look
as though they've lost their couple of times, but no,
the old grit determination. If the Blue and Gold comes out,
so yep, it's going to be a good one next
week in the semi final for them, and if Kennerby
gets through today, they could be on track to meet

(01:08:24):
each other.

Speaker 2 (01:08:25):
All right, So conditions, as you've outlined are very very good.
But a running rugby we've seen some high scoring, haven't we.
And even that game I just mentioned, the forty four
to forty one. It was slightly tidy yesterday, not quite
as as many points scored. But what are we looking at?
I mean, Canterbury really are quite firm favorites. I'm looking
at the at the tab on it's a dollar twelve
to Counties five seventy five. But are we Are we

(01:08:47):
looking at a trifas this afternoon or not?

Speaker 14 (01:08:50):
I think so.

Speaker 17 (01:08:51):
And the one thing I would say here in christ
chitch Pine is if it's a good day, you can
beat your bottom dollar. There's a Northwest to go alongside
it that's sweeping through from the north, from the northwest obviously,
but end to end. So whatever team probably wins the tossle,
we'll like to play with that early on and we'll
have that at their backs. I think you look at

(01:09:12):
just the stats from the round robin Cannabury fifty two
tries for the season, County's Banker forty nine, and I
think at least three quarters of them are coming the
last month or so, so I think it'll be high scoring. However,
as I mentioned at the top, Canterbury very clinical defensively,
guys like Tom Christie leading the competition for tackles. They're
right up there for dominant tackles as well. So yeah,

(01:09:35):
I suspect the high scoring one given the conditions, given
what these two teams have to offer on attack. But
at the same time too, Canterbury certainly a tough aster,
a tough nut to crack, so to speak, at their
defensive end excellently.

Speaker 2 (01:09:46):
That's great curve as sideline for us this afternoon. Is
he is he turned up? Is he ready to go?

Speaker 14 (01:09:51):
He's just got dry from last week, pinty, but he
is ready to go.

Speaker 17 (01:09:56):
He's got the shorts and the jandle's on and he
is very much looking forward to today comfit to last week.

Speaker 2 (01:10:02):
Let me tell you that what a picture of paint.
What a picture of paint. Have a great, great call, guys,
thanks for joining us. That's Nick Bailey, our lead commentator
in christ Jetch alongside John Haggett with Craig Curse sideline.
If you'd like to hear commentary of the game, easy
enough to do Gold Sport on your radio or via
iHeart Radio. They have the four core for you of
Canterbury against Counties from ten past two this afternoon. So

(01:10:25):
as I say, Otago Bay of Plenty and Hawks Bay
have all safely won through to the semi so the
home sides the top seeds all going through. Canterbury odds
on to make that four from four are the top
four moving through to the semis. If they were to
win this afternoon, Canterbury would host Hawks Bay in the
semi finals next weekend and Otago would come up against

(01:10:48):
Bay of Plenty in the other one. If Counties were
to win this afternoon, and as Nick Bailey said, you know,
stranger things have happened, it would be a strange thing
to happen. But Counties certainly have momentum on their side,
five straight wins and scoring tries for fun, letting a
few win at the other end of course. But you know,
if they were to this afternoon, then they would go

(01:11:08):
to Dunedin to play Otago next weekend and it would
be the battle of the bays. Bay of Plenty and
Hawks Bay up in Todong in the other semi final.
It's the less likely of the scenarios, but that's why
we love sport, because strange things sometimes happen. Twenty to two,
five minutes away from a start at Bathurst, We'll take

(01:11:29):
a break come back. James mcconey in his regular Sunday slot.

Speaker 1 (01:11:32):
Don't get caught off Side Call eight hundred eighty ten
eighty Weekend Sports with Jason Paine and GJ. Guvnerhomes New
Zealand's most trusted home builder, News.

Speaker 2 (01:11:41):
Dogs n B seventeen away from two on text. Nothing
better than a lazy boxing day at the cricket with
the best packed lunch you'll ever eat, Christmas leftovers, ham cake,
the works. How good James mcconey on a Sunday is
always you'd be a fan of a boxing day cricket

(01:12:02):
test return, wouldn't you?

Speaker 5 (01:12:04):
Look, I'm open to thing pony really, you know me?
But maybe what about the would you be happy with
the twenty seventh? I mean, do we need to compete
with Australia because I'm just wondering whether if we stagger
it it might be might work. Well, I mean I'm
boxing now. I'm just trying to buy a cheap laptop
from Harvey Norman, you know, like everyone.

Speaker 2 (01:12:23):
Else, I'm just trying to return my unwanted said Christmas
gifts exactly.

Speaker 5 (01:12:29):
There's a lot of admin on boxing days.

Speaker 2 (01:12:32):
That's a very good point you make, actually, and other
events too. I think the Elleslie Racers are on boxing
now another bits and pieces too, so you maybe a
bit of clear air, maybe boxing. They can be an
admin day and then we have the twenty seventh through
until New Year's even stead.

Speaker 5 (01:12:46):
Yeah, how about that. We can do this money twenty seventh,
make it happen.

Speaker 2 (01:12:50):
I've written it down, okay. In PC, I have loved
the NPC this season and I really enjoyed watching both
of the quarterfinals yesterday as well as Otaga winning on
Friday night. Or have you and you must have enjoyed
it to I know you love your provincial rugby.

Speaker 5 (01:13:06):
I really do, and I don't mind Otaga winning. I
think Whitecotts will. Getting the benefit of three All Blacks
coming back was a bit of a cheap code for
them and a great game, but good on Otago. I'm
glad they went through just for the storyline really, because
I've got some players who are playing out of their
skin who may even be bolted in the near future.

(01:13:27):
And I'm talking about Dylan Pledger of course, a little
half back, and Lucas Casey that open so Flanka from
Kenny Kenny who just keeps on scoring vital tries and
has legit Wheels. I mean it's just a matter of time. Really,
surely you have to.

Speaker 2 (01:13:45):
Think so, right, And that's what the NPC has always
done as thrown up guys who most of us had
never heard of, and then they have a terrific season,
they end up in Super Rugby and then you know,
then it is up to them, I guess, to take
the next steps. But yeah, I mean, part from the
fact that my Wellington was so terrible this year, I
have loved it. Canterbury Counties, Counties any chance. This afternoon

(01:14:07):
we just had Nick biorling the team on from christ Church.
They're obviously favors, but Counties have been cheapen. I've been
pretty prolific in the last few weeks.

Speaker 5 (01:14:15):
Yeah, the other team with genuine Razzell Poney. I know
you love Razell and so I think that there's but
there's more to it than that, Like speaking of loose forwards,
they've really got a great trio with Dalton Papa le
just shifting over to the blindside, I think at the
behest of the all black selectors who sort of wanted

(01:14:36):
to see him at number six, but that's allowed others
to flourish in those other two positions and so the
four packs going, well, you know, Jimmy Tupo, you need
that veteran presence, but it's the midfield. I just wanted
to focus on a little bit. Gibson Poppa Lee, who
I think leads in terms of yards after contact, several

(01:14:57):
stats at second five. Just a battleship really and he's
full steam ahead. And then to be the author who
people have seen play from Wina Pacifica and other other teams.
He is a classy center and I just think that
they sort of just open up for the champagn rugby
that we expect from Counties. One other player as well,

(01:15:19):
Yowani moor Nanu, the hooker we saw play for the Crusaders.
I mean, he's scored a sixty meter chip in chase
in the NBC last year Trive and is and he
looks like he's another one who could be pushing for
all black selection in the very near future.

Speaker 2 (01:15:35):
Well, let's talk about all black selection in the very
very very near future. Tomorrow, in fact, around eleven thirty,
they're going to unveil the touring squad for the Northern
Hemisphere Tour, which of course takes in the Test against
Ireland in Chicago as well. A couple of injuries will
mean that new faces are introduced. Are we going to
see any new All Blacks guys who haven't been involved before.

Speaker 5 (01:15:58):
Well, I think Jimple just seems to me like he's
probably got the best chance of getting a tour at halfback.
But then you know, when you think about those other injuries,
there will be a couple of opportunities. I mean, I
do like the idea of even I noticed in the
loose forwards that people making noises about Devin Flanders, and

(01:16:18):
I like Flanders. You know, Homer Simpson didn't, but I'm
a big fan of him, and I think that, you know,
there's room for a veteran presence, and the Lucy's someone
who is a drafter. So I just thought of heard
his name popping up, Andy, that it had popped up
on your show, Pony Well.

Speaker 2 (01:16:36):
I wondered whether Caleb Tounguetowel might be an option in
the back three. I'm not sure if he's fit again,
I think he is, but he was the other one
whose name I heard mentioned. He feels like he's going
to be an All Black at some stage. Could it
be tomorrow?

Speaker 5 (01:16:50):
Yeah, I think Tangy Taylor is the one who Raised
was very excited by during Super Rugby. Then he got injured.
And even though I think Raiser himself proclaimed that Lerocrda
was the fastest man in New Zealand rugby, I spoke
to Leroy himself and he did confirm that Tell was
quicker than him and was indeed there in the sevens together,

(01:17:12):
so they know. And I think having that elite pace
makes a really big difference. And so it's probably a
good segue, actually elite pace, Pony, because we could move
on to the Warrior's new signing pera from the Titans.

Speaker 2 (01:17:27):
Yeah, well it's a great segue. So why don't you
pick up that segue and run with it as fast
as he might.

Speaker 4 (01:17:33):
This is the one thing that we.

Speaker 5 (01:17:35):
Have been missing for the wise. Let's be honest, we
just don't have elite gas. I mean, yeah, Roger is
still a supreme athlete, but in terms of out mount pace,
Potata has scored so many try fastest to fifty tries
in the NRL. That's a record. So we've got someone
who's an absolute flyer. I think it makes a really

(01:17:57):
big difference. You look at that NRL Grand Final. What
stood out for you? I mean, Reese Walsh, just that
elite pace makes all the difference, isn't it. So at
the moment, I'd say how fastest player might be Leka Halathena,
certainly over twenty meters. But this is this is big
and probably a bit of a bummer for Dallen White
Seni's a lesniak because I guess that's where he might

(01:18:19):
slide in on the wing.

Speaker 2 (01:18:20):
Now, the other person I've seen linked with a move
to the Warriors is and this isn't on your list,
so my apologies for dropping this on you. As one
of New Zealand's brightest and most recognizable young talents, and
that's Harry Inch out of Tasman. He's long been regarded
as a guy from his time at Nelson College who
could go a long way in the fifteen man game.
But apparently he signed or has certainly expressed interest in

(01:18:42):
going to rugby league. Have you heard these stories?

Speaker 5 (01:18:45):
Yeah, I heard that quite a while ago. Actually, Harry Inch, Yeah,
out of Nelson College. He was you know, he's a
really good show and go first five, loves to run,
take on the line. I think that the Warriors courted him,
you know, kind of like they went all out. I
mean they helicoptered him up from Nelson to to Anie Hunger.
They think Monty Betha met him at the holliport. They

(01:19:09):
showed him around the Warriors and you know, pretty much
wind him and dined him and then send him down
to back down to Nelson. But he always had aspirations
of playing for the All Blacks, so I thought that
might have been off the table. But maybe it's back on.
Maybe he's just sort of reading the tea leaves and things.
It's worth a nudge because I mean, why not. I

(01:19:30):
think the Warriors really want him and he could probably
see himself playing first grade sooner than later.

Speaker 2 (01:19:38):
All right, to finish today when I ask about the
New York Giants, who've been terrible for a wee while,
but they have found some new hope.

Speaker 5 (01:19:46):
Yeah, this is for fans of teams who they who
were kind of in the dole drums. Really, I'm talking
about West Tiger's fan in the NRL. Maybe there's an
Everton fan out there from English football, you know those
they just can't see any hope. But this is a
team that was similarly struggling, got rid of the best player,
say Qui Barclay, a running back, but instead now they've drafted, well,

(01:20:11):
got a quarterback called Jackson Dart. Great name for a quarterback,
wouldn't you agree? I do Dart? Yes? And then Cam
Scatterboo even better name for the running back who sends
people scattering. And he scored three touchdowns I think in
their last game. And my might have been before when
I was three, I believe. But anyway, these guys have

(01:20:32):
come together are great mates. They're very gen z that
kind of like this new generation coming through and just
have transformed that team. I know it's only one win,
but it was against the Philadelphia Eagles who won the
Super Bowls. So watch this space. I mean, that's the thing.
If you've got a team that kind of sucks, two
players can make all the difference.

Speaker 2 (01:20:54):
It's always great chatting to you, James. Thanks for joining
us this afternoon, mate. Enjoy the rest of you all weekend,
and we will catch up again next Sunday if that
fits with you.

Speaker 5 (01:21:02):
Mate, anytime, we'll talk RUEB three sixty. I'm keen to
represent the man. I think they're going to save on
sand as well for the fields's work. Let's the one saving.

Speaker 2 (01:21:13):
James McConney a big part of our Sundays around this
time every weekend on Weekend Sport follow him via his
socials and also was part of the alternative commentary collective.
And the crowd goes, well, seven to two, they're underway
at Bathhurst. We're back after this.

Speaker 1 (01:21:27):
Goop from the track, fields and and the court on
your home of sort Weekend Sport with Jason vine Us talks.

Speaker 2 (01:21:34):
In me from Mark on text? What the heck party
talking halfbacks? And you don't mention for our Fuckatava. I
don't know this to be true, and I thought for
Fukatava was terrific for hawks Bay last night by the way,
apart from being sent to the bin for a bit.
But I think he might be doing the three years
stand down to play for Tonga. He in fact has

(01:21:55):
seen out that three years there's only two Test matches
were against Ireland in twenty twenty two. I don't know.
I don't know this to be true, but if he
wanted to, he could play for Tonga for our fucker
Tavan now and it does seem to be a very
long list of halfbacks just on them. I just I
feel like they they shouldn't take from Lake Christie on
this tour. Nothing against Finlay Christie, but let's look ahead,

(01:22:18):
right Roy garth Lafttermar, I think they should take Cayle
Preston as their third guy. Or Dylan Pledger. Well, I
just remember he's never played Super Rugby. News next to
two and then we're back with the last hour.

Speaker 1 (01:22:30):
It's the only place to discuss the biggest sports issues
on and afterfield. It's all on Winter and Ford with
Jason Paine on your home of Sport, New York.

Speaker 4 (01:22:43):
Hello.

Speaker 2 (01:22:44):
Then this is Weekend Sport on News TALKSB until three
Jason Pine with Any McDonald alongside Luca Harrington. What a
year he has had, our top snow sporter has announced
on Friday night at the twenty twenty five Snow Sports
New Zealand Awards, Luca Harrington's on the show this hour.

(01:23:07):
I've forgotten actually before I was getting ready to interview him,
just how exceptional his year had been and the number
of accolades he had earned and most recently, of course,
in the first cohort of New Zealander's name to go
to the Winter Olympics in February of next year in Italy.
So look at Harrington and South and sermon out of

(01:23:29):
Norway shortly or Whites defender. They lost narrowly to Poland
on Friday morning. New Zealand time did the All Whites
they take on Norway this coming Wednesday morning, Finn sermon
out of the All Whites. Will keep you up to
date with Bathurst. Eric Thompson is there for us and
we'll get across to Mount Panorama and keep eyes on
that for you, as well as the Bunnings MPC quarterfinal

(01:23:52):
as well between Canterbury and Counties Manico which is just
underway at Apollo Project Stadium in christ Church. Your calls
and correspondents are always welcome. Text messages to nine two
ninety two emails to Jason at News Talks. He had
beat dot codt NZ or phone OH eight hundred eighty
ten to eighty to get through. If something catches your
ear that you would like to pass comment on. But

(01:24:14):
as we approach eight past two, as we always do
at around this time on weekend sport, let's get you
up to date with some of the stuff you modermisted
in case you missed it. It should come as no surprise,
but Earling Harland continue scoring goals, this time for Norway
in their European World Cup qualifiers. And you holand his

(01:24:37):
black posts, and Harland has his hat trick, hat.

Speaker 10 (01:24:41):
Trick number six fris Country, gol number fifty one frisk
Country and it's this twelfth strike.

Speaker 2 (01:24:50):
In this qualifying cup. Late Earling Harland's hat trick leading
Norway to a five nil win over Israel this morning
to the Women's Cricket World Cup, and nets of a
Branch has put together a classy knock to keep England
undefeated at the tournament.

Speaker 4 (01:25:07):
Shot.

Speaker 2 (01:25:08):
Oh, that's magnificent.

Speaker 3 (01:25:10):
What a shot, dad is What a way to bring
up one hundred, a record one hundred as well for
Natsiver Brunt when she walked out here, well there was
tough guying for England.

Speaker 2 (01:25:24):
That she's played it beautifully. Nets of Brunt century spurring
England to an eighty nine run win over Sri Lanka.
So the NPC quarter finals, two of them. Yesterday, Bay
of Plenty ruthless against Tasman.

Speaker 11 (01:25:38):
Oh, look at the scrum they pushed them right off.
It has the corea brought what it's a penalty try.
I think the Coorra broad and got over the line
and he might have knocked it on, but a penalty
try has been given.

Speaker 13 (01:25:50):
All the same.

Speaker 11 (01:25:51):
Oh my word, Bay of plenty scrum. They have totally
annihilated the tasmand.

Speaker 2 (01:25:58):
Muckel twenty seven to seven. As the Steamers marched through
to the Semis, also marching on Hawks Bay bes ten
wamlan epifig Cot passed in the Katie Daho and you'll
go through its class. The hudsd's the trial point that
was well put together. So the Magpies through with a
twenty six twelve win over Taranaki and after the US

(01:26:20):
to finish an historic win for the Seattle Mariners as
they advanced to Major League Baseball's American League Championship Series.

Speaker 12 (01:26:29):
Polancoll with one swing could end the series. Hotter pods,
two pounds series.

Speaker 1 (01:26:47):
When it's down to the line, you made a call
on eighty Weekend Sport with Jason Pine News.

Speaker 2 (01:26:54):
Talk ZB coming up eleven minutes past two. The All
Whites have lost narrowly to Poland in the first of
two friendlies in the latest FIFA window in Europe, and
there is before time. We saw Darren bezes Man go
down by one goals. And now that was on Friday morning,
a one nil loss to thirty sixth ranked Poland. Ther

(01:27:17):
Whites incidentally are currently one hundred and third in the
world for what that's worth, So a narrow loss to
a much more highly ranked opponent. The Your Whites have
now relocated to Oslo, where they will meet world number
thirty one Norway on Wednesday morning. All Whites defender Finn
sermon is whether thanks for joining us, Finn, appreciate your time.

(01:27:38):
One of the main things the review of that narrow
one nil loss to Poland has thrown.

Speaker 10 (01:27:44):
Up thanks for having me on boney the review we
looked at a few different things. One of them was
that we kind of we're continuing to get the wall
forward and progress the ball. We just needs to be
better in the final third creator create some better or
clearer chances and honestly, just yeah, I should try to

(01:28:07):
shoot more, and yeah, create more opportunities for us to
actually put the ball on the back of the neck,
because that's almost the one thing that's kind of missing
right now is that.

Speaker 2 (01:28:16):
I mean, I know your brief as a defender, really,
so I guess you'll leave that to the guys further
up the pitch, but for those players, the players in
the opposing penalty area, is that something that is I
don't know, challenging to work on. How do you work
on being more clinical in front of goal?

Speaker 3 (01:28:33):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (01:28:33):
I think it's partly. It's both a team thing and
a kind of individual thing. I think it's up to
the team to, you know, kind of agrest the ball
and it's up to especially defenders to help us agress
the ball forwards up the pitch, and then I guess
when it comes into the attackers sort of stuff, that's
where those players with the talent and creativity they kind

(01:28:54):
of they kind of take over and that's kind of
that's where they shine. And this is the thing is
these guys, all or all our players in that attacking
third have got quality and creativity and have goals.

Speaker 6 (01:29:05):
In them, and so it's just about.

Speaker 10 (01:29:08):
Us working and working as a team to to put
players in the best vision to score and then getting
the ball there.

Speaker 2 (01:29:13):
Do you feel as though you know once that sort
of thing clicks at the attacking end, that you'll be
able to turn these these close losses into into draws
or even wins, which of course you'll need if you're
going to get out of the group at the World
Cup next year.

Speaker 10 (01:29:27):
Yeah, I definitely think so, because we've shown that we can,
you know, like someone can control games with both with
the ball and without the ball, and where we're not.

Speaker 6 (01:29:38):
It's like where we lost five nels against Poland.

Speaker 10 (01:29:43):
You know, so one nil, we score a goal earlier
in that game or before they score, and the results
could be completely different. So yeah, I have full I
have full confidence that when we do start turning these
these kind of games and moments into into some more goals,
it will only help our results positively.

Speaker 2 (01:30:04):
Apart from the goal, you can say that, how did
you write the defensive performance against Poland?

Speaker 6 (01:30:09):
Yeah, I mean I thought I thought we were decent.
I think that it's always difficult.

Speaker 10 (01:30:13):
I mean, any national team game is difficult because you're
kind of not used to playing with each other and
only get limited time on the training on the training
training ground. But I honestly think that we as as
a back four, as a defense, as a team, we
we do understand each other quite well. And you know,
we defended. I thought we defended decent. We limited them
to kind of mainly mainly shots outside the box and

(01:30:37):
and and low kind of opportunity chances. The goal they took,
they took the cole extremely well. You know, bar down
is not a bad finish, So that was a little
bit disappointing, But honestly, I don't think it was a
bad performance defensively.

Speaker 2 (01:30:53):
You talked about the combinations that you're forging there and
and you're limited time together. You've partnered both Michael Boxel
and Tyler Binden in recent matches for New Zealand. How
different are they as central defensive partners.

Speaker 6 (01:31:08):
They're a little bit different.

Speaker 10 (01:31:10):
It's kind of hard to hard to explain it. Tyler
is probably a little bit more use to playing on
the left than box he is, but but he does.
Boxy does a great job when he does play there. Anyway,
I think box He's probably got a little bit more
I don't know, he say, like speed and physicality than Tyler.
So there's that kind of aspect to it. But I mean,

(01:31:33):
they're both fantastic players, and I enjoy playing with both
of them. And I know that bays Or he always
tells us that it's a difficult decision of who kind
of who plays out of the three or four or
five of us center backs, So.

Speaker 6 (01:31:52):
Yes, it's kind of it's up to him, not up.

Speaker 2 (01:31:55):
To me indeed, And no Nando Pineker on this two
of courses he recovers from a from a knock, but
there is a new face in the squad. Another scene
about George Stranger who's playing his football in Scotland on
the sure, you've ever played alongside George, so how do
you integrate him into your defensive system? So if he's needed,
he's ready to go.

Speaker 6 (01:32:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:32:15):
I've not played with George before and I've not been
him before, so it was called meeting him and he's
a real nice guy. So I've enjoyed training with him
and hanging out with him. Yeah, I think it's just
we do have a limited time on the pitch, but
when we do get on the pictures is talking to
him and kind of explaining I guess how I play
and how we kind of try to defend as the team,

(01:32:37):
and just just talking communicating with him kind of of
what we've been doing and what we've been doing as
a group for the last two three years, and then
also understanding what he likes and how he defends. So
it's always good to get a perspective and just try
to all get on the same page about what we're
trying to do.

Speaker 2 (01:32:58):
So look forward to Norway. Now on Wednesday, you have
the task of trying to contain one of the world's
best strikers in Earling Harland. How much do you relish
a challenge like that?

Speaker 6 (01:33:10):
I think I think all of us relish that challenge.
I think.

Speaker 10 (01:33:16):
From a personal point of view, it's it's only it's
only really an opportunity.

Speaker 6 (01:33:21):
Like I say, a challenge is a good thing.

Speaker 10 (01:33:24):
It's one of the best strikers in the world, and
so that's that's gonna be a challenge for any defender.
You know, you can see you see what he does
to Premier League and Champions League defenders. So that's kind
of not not that there's no pressure on it, but
it's it's kind of a yeah, like I said, just
an opportunity to go up against a fantastic player and

(01:33:45):
and someone that.

Speaker 6 (01:33:47):
You probably don't go up against every every single week.

Speaker 2 (01:33:50):
And in that regard, was it a little bit disappointing.
You can get the chance to test yourself against Polish
superstar Robert Lewandowski on on Friday. He just he was
an unused substitute for Poland.

Speaker 10 (01:34:03):
Yeah, it would have been cool to play them, whether
he's he played a full ninety or or just came
off the bench.

Speaker 6 (01:34:10):
So that was, I guess a little bit disappointing.

Speaker 10 (01:34:12):
But you can only play who's who's in front of you, right,
So whoever they put out is always as a good challenge.

Speaker 2 (01:34:19):
The team obviously has has eyes on the World Cup
next year. Every time you get together, I presume there's
a bit of edge there, you know. Do you do
you talk much about the World Cup next year when
you're together in camp?

Speaker 6 (01:34:33):
Yeah, we were talking about it as a team.

Speaker 10 (01:34:35):
I think it's it's it's always in the kind of
I don't know, has that in the back of our
minds because that is what we're kind of what we're building,
what we're building towards and and where we're where we're headed.
So kind of all of this, all of these tours,
all of these international windows are a lead up to
that World Cup. So yeah, we talk about it, and

(01:34:56):
then amongst the amongst the boys, there's starting to be
a little bit more and more more chat about it
and kind of excited to see the draw and see
where we might be playing and that sort of stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:35:07):
Indeed, and at club level, fin You've played ninety minutes
and pretty much every game this season for Portland Timbers.
You've been a well, I rusted on starter pretty much
for the team. How do you evaluate your growth as
a player since your move to the US and in
particular in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 10 (01:35:25):
I mean, I've absolutely loved it this year, to be honest,
I've felt like I do feel like I've grown week
to week, month to month at the club that I'm at.
You know, I love playing for Portland and I've got
fantastic staff there who look after me well and also
continue to push me every single week to continue to improve.

(01:35:50):
I think in twenty twenty five, like you say, I've
played a lot and that's that's been great for my development.
And you know, throughout the year I started to get
more and more kind of responsibility. And I don't know
if onus is the right word, but like there's more
press from my performances and more just yet more responsibility,

(01:36:11):
which has been awesome for me. You know, I love
that and I want to take that on. So you know,
it's been great. It's been a good year so far.
From Portland We're heading into the playoffs, so the next
the next few games are going to be big for us.

Speaker 2 (01:36:25):
Good stuff and the new A League season about to
start back here. I know you've got other other things
on your mind with the MLS playoffs and such like,
but will you still keep an eye on what happens
at Wellington Phoenix.

Speaker 6 (01:36:37):
Yeah? I think I always will. I think I always will.

Speaker 10 (01:36:40):
I'm excited to watch the first game against Perth because
obviously my got my Wellington Wellington mates and then also
a few boys in the Perth team who I'm quite
close with, like Sutzon Scottie. So yeah, I'm excited. I'm
excited to watch that and see how the next over
the season.

Speaker 2 (01:36:58):
Great to get the chance to chat, Thanks Indeed for
your time. I look forward to seeing you take on Earling,
Harland and Norway on win day morning, New Zealand Time.
Really appreciate the chat.

Speaker 6 (01:37:08):
Thanks, Pony, appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (01:37:09):
No, I appreciate you joining us, Finn, Thanks indeed, Finn
sermon there out of the All Whites camp. So five
am Wednesday morning, New Zealand time is when they have
their next match up against as I say, Norway and Erling, Harland.
No score between Canterbury and Counties after nearly ten minutes
in christ years. Just want to stay with football for
a moment because, as I mentioned that a Finn sermon.

(01:37:30):
The new A League men's football season underway next weekend.
Auckland FC open with an away match against Melbourne Victory
on Saturday night, and the Phoenix are also a way
to start their season all the way away in Western Australia.
They take on Perth Glory also next Saturday night. One
of the new faces in the Wellington Phoenix this season

(01:37:50):
is Australian Nikola Maleusnich. He's a striker who's previously played
for Adelaide United, for Brisbane Raw and most recently for
Perth Glory one hundred and sixty two combined matches across
the last eight seasons, twenty six goals in that time.
I caught up with Nikola Meliusnich during the week to
see how he'd settled into Wellington.

Speaker 19 (01:38:09):
Yeah, it's been good so far. I mean, it took
me a while to find a place to settle in,
but finally got there and yeah, really enjoying enjoying the city.

Speaker 3 (01:38:16):
Now.

Speaker 19 (01:38:16):
My family came over recently so it's been really really
good to have them here as well and experience the
nice days.

Speaker 2 (01:38:23):
So yeah, they get nicer during the summer, don't worry.
How did this will come about? You're at Perth. Tell
us about the conversations that have led you to become
a Wellington Phoenix player.

Speaker 4 (01:38:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 19 (01:38:33):
I mean I was at Perth and then my contract
ended there, and then I was looking for something new
and when Chief You called me, I was pretty keen
to come over. She had to sort out the finer things,
and then yeah, came over and yeah, just sort of
fit in quite well. So yeah, that's how it sort
of happened. Happened really quick. Actually, yeah, so good to hear.

Speaker 2 (01:38:54):
How do you reflect on your time at Perth pretty challenging.

Speaker 19 (01:38:57):
Yeah, I mean it was a difficult season personally and
yeah altogether as well. I had a few injuries sort
of sent me back a lot of the season. So yeah,
definitely definitely looking to improve on that and put that
in the past. So but yeah, obviously I still feel
like I've got a lot to give and I'm really
looking forward to the season that's going to be coming,

(01:39:19):
and I feel really positive on how things are going here, So.

Speaker 2 (01:39:24):
I guess on one of the upsides, would you got
time with Oli Sale? That's never boring, is it.

Speaker 6 (01:39:30):
Yeah, he's a good guy.

Speaker 19 (01:39:33):
He has a big, big personality in the addressing room,
but he's always there for the boys and yeah, definitely
good to have him around. So yeah, obviously awkward boys
will be enjoying him.

Speaker 7 (01:39:40):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:39:41):
So you've been around this league for a while, obviously,
Perth Adelaide. What's it been like settling into a new
team in a new country.

Speaker 19 (01:39:50):
I mean it's generally across the league, it's pretty similar,
so you know, how's it done?

Speaker 5 (01:39:57):
Mark?

Speaker 19 (01:39:57):
For a bit it was a bit more difficult, but here,
you know, everyone speaks English and you sort of know
the players as well because you play against him, So yeah,
it's been quite easy in that sort of in terms
of that. But yeah, coming to the training facilities is
really something remarkable, to be honest, compared to some of
the ALA clubs. Yeah, it's really really good to have
these facilities and to be part of it, and yeah,

(01:40:18):
it makes it just a little bit easier coming in
every day.

Speaker 2 (01:40:20):
So yeah, haven't been around the league for a while.
What are the keys to success in the A League?

Speaker 7 (01:40:26):
Oh?

Speaker 19 (01:40:26):
I feel like the culture is probably the biggest one,
and I think we touched on that early in the
preseason and haven't really spoke about it so far, which
means it's a good thing. It means we're heading in
the right direction. And I feel like the boys have
all bought in to a single goal and we're all
working towards it. So I feel like if we can
have that one goal and everyone working towards or putting
everything towards that single thing, I know there's going to

(01:40:48):
be hurdles and speed bumps, But as long as we
have clear or clear instructions, clear processes, I feel like, yeah,
that sort of builds something. Yeah, set us up for
a really good season.

Speaker 2 (01:41:00):
It looks like, in broad terms, Chief his skin on
a three four to three sort of formation. Where is
your best place in that formation?

Speaker 19 (01:41:08):
Probably somewhere nowhere needed defense, not the next three, and
just yeah, somewhere up upside where I can sort of
try and help score goals and assist and you know,
press and yeah, apply my skill sets that I feel
like I'm good at.

Speaker 6 (01:41:24):
And yeah, definitely at the top somewhere.

Speaker 2 (01:41:26):
Yes, it's one of the front three, not one of
the what I mean was mainly seeing you in wide
areas having is that kind of way you feel most comfortable.

Speaker 19 (01:41:32):
Yeah, yes, And I mean I played a bit upfront
as well and through the midfield, so I'm pretty used
to most of those positions. But yeah, definitely in a
four three three, I used to play on the wings.
So yeah, but I mean in today's game, there's a
lot of rotations, a lot of a lot of movements,
so you end up playing pretty much every position.

Speaker 2 (01:41:49):
So and your speed gets talked about a lot. You're
still as quick as you were. You work hard on that.

Speaker 19 (01:41:56):
I don't necessarily work hard, and I am still pretty quick,
but yeah, definitely don't do specific things to work and
it sort of just came naturally to me as I
was growing up. And yeah, so definitely something that I
that it gets talked about a lot, but yeah, you know,
there's also other quick players in the league as well.

Speaker 2 (01:42:13):
So yeah, and it's the new season, what two weeks away.
You've had a few seasons now, do you still get
a sense of anticipation a bit of excitement a head
of a new season, particularly at a new club.

Speaker 19 (01:42:24):
Of course, I mean whether it's a new club or club,
everything everything's all that brighter at the start of the season.
You know, you have your aspirations as a team and
goals and you have hope. So I feel like you're
If you're not excited, then there's a bit of a problem, mate.
But yeah, definitely excited, nervous and really eager to see
how we go. And it's just nice to put everything

(01:42:44):
we put what sort of worked on throughout the d
off season to practice and really test ourselves. So yeah,
definitely excited.

Speaker 2 (01:42:51):
I know you're going to focus on the next game,
but have you thought about the Derbies?

Speaker 19 (01:42:54):
Yeah, well of course I have. I heard it gets
a little bit and I watched to be fair last year,
gets a bit heated, and yeah, definitely excited to be
part of it. I know the boys are as well,
so yeah, definitely definitely excited to see what they bring
this season.

Speaker 2 (01:43:09):
That is the voice of Nicola Meluisnich new Wellington Phoenix striker.
A week from now will have their first game in
the books. Next Saturday night, Phoenix played Perth Glory and
as mentioned Auckland f C Up against Melbourne Victory, who,
of course the last team they played last season. In
that two legged semi final you might remember, which ended
in defeat for Auckland FC. After the absolutely exceptional debut season,

(01:43:32):
so Y Melbourne victory away in their first game. Both
teams have their first home games of the season over
Labor weekend to twenty seven. Let's take a break, come
back and get you to Mount Panorama. Eric Thompson going
to update this eighteen nineteen laps or so into the
one hundred and sixty one laps of the Bathurst one thousand.
He is with us when we come back.

Speaker 1 (01:43:54):
The Voice of Sport on your home of Sport Weekend
Sport with Jason Vyne GJ Gunner Homes New Zealand's most
trusted home builder News talks'd.

Speaker 2 (01:44:03):
Be just gone two thirty. They've been underway for around
forty five minutes. Were just under at Bathurs the Great
Race nineteen into one hundred and sixty one laps. Eric
Thompson from The New Zealand. Here he was watching on
at Mount Panorama at what can you tell us about
the opening stages of the race.

Speaker 15 (01:44:24):
As typical as the entire pack just launched themselves towards
Hell Corner apstutely named. I'd have to say because many
a race has ended before it started on that corner.
But they all managed to get through. But the drag
up the mountain was unbelievable, as two and three cars
white for a while. But Todd, Halse Hazel were driving

(01:44:48):
with Brady Costeki established like an early lead and comfortable,
and the top five or six drivers sort of maybe
swat one or two positions. Nothing there but Heiney from
position about ten to twenty and a lot of and
because most of the co drivers started on three main
game drivers started, but in that pack was like Craiglun's tender.

(01:45:12):
About half a dozen other former main game drivers mate
and they, I swear to the good Lord, they must
have thought it was going to be a five lap
sprint race. The way they were banging door handles, I mean, seriously,
Archie Barjie, pushing, shoving, banging wheels, three white up mountains
straight in the grass and the dirt bits of car

(01:45:33):
body work flying off everywhere in rule sitting. You're just going,
good Lord, somebody better get on the radio and tell
them it's one hundred and sixty one laps diys chill.
They eventually did shell and settle down, but good lord,
it was just like you just had the feeling it
it was going to be a big one, but it
hasn't been, and a couple of cars have come in

(01:45:56):
for pit stops and put the main game drivers back in.
But the weather's taking a quite a sudden turn, not
for the worst yet, but that you can feel the
air precious. It's got a little bit colder, and teams
are all scrubbing up and down foot lane, are willing
out wets or intermediates, so it could get interesting pretty soon.

Speaker 2 (01:46:15):
Py just on the tactics et of the co drivers
for the most part starting is that common? Is that
what normally happens. I guess a large time we thought
that the that the main guys, particularly the ones who
earned the places during the top ten shootout, might start first.

Speaker 15 (01:46:33):
Yeah, it used to be like that, but because the
co drivers have to do a minimum of six and
they're gonna have to like pet to fuel at least
two or sometimes three times in that distance, so basically
the co drivers have to do three spints. So most
of the majority ninety percent of the teams want to

(01:46:54):
get the co drivers mandatory laps out of the way
to start with, so towards the end of the race.

Speaker 2 (01:47:02):
You don't have a co driver in the car, gotcha.

Speaker 16 (01:47:04):
You know, you got to have.

Speaker 15 (01:47:05):
All the main main guys going going for the win.
So that's what most teams do. But at times here
when all the co drivers have started and there are
six rookies in the field and the supercar in the
supercars field, who haven't you raced these cars before? Normally
all the rookies are trying to like audition.

Speaker 5 (01:47:26):
For a main drive next year, which can normally lead
to chaos.

Speaker 15 (01:47:29):
But I think there were some pretty stern words Pinting
said in the garage before the race started.

Speaker 5 (01:47:34):
Bend it and you're in trouble.

Speaker 2 (01:47:37):
Yeah, just know your place, young Fella's probably a lot
of way of putting it. But we know Fobean Coltart
is co driving for chairs Moster, so is he He's
been out there from the start, has he?

Speaker 6 (01:47:48):
Yeah?

Speaker 15 (01:47:48):
Yeah, he's doing a good job solid. I think he's
in fifth or sixth moment, pretty much where they started.
He's doing a really good job. Ryan Wood's co driver, Yeah,
Jaden Odaja, he's doing a really solid job there. It's
they're sitting fourth at the moment, I think. But the
really interesting that there's a young guy call Cooper Murray's.

Speaker 5 (01:48:10):
He's flying.

Speaker 15 (01:48:10):
He's in second place. But hazard Wood looks really comfortable
defending champion. He's got Mark winter Bottom driving with Chans
Moster is sitting just comfortably. You know these guys, you know,
the co drivers that have been main game drivers, know
how it works. They understand the massinations of it all,
and so they're just just sitting there waiting to things

(01:48:34):
settle down. It's sort of the race plane has only
many years I've watched, it sort of has a bit
of a rhythm to it.

Speaker 2 (01:48:42):
It's like not far.

Speaker 15 (01:48:43):
Crazy in the first thirty minutes, then it sort of
settles down in a build up to the first pit stop,
and then you know, if the weather doesn't change or anything, right,
it sort of just has this sort of plateau and
then at about half ways distance it really just starts
to amp up again. So which I pretty confident that's

(01:49:05):
going to happen again this year.

Speaker 2 (01:49:07):
One thing I didn't get the chance to ask you
last time we spoke on the year was about the
wind at Bathost did mention that there might be some
rain later? Does the wind become affector at Mount Panorama?

Speaker 8 (01:49:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 15 (01:49:19):
It really affected the Top ten shootout because it was
blowing sort of if you're standing on pitt Lane and
if you listeners can pitcher it and you're looking up
at the mountain. The wind was blowing from right to left.
So the cars across the top and skyline were going
ten to fifteen ki kilometers an hour faster across the top,

(01:49:40):
which means because you don't have a speedometer in the car,
sometimes you don't realize that, but when you come to
your breaking point, suddenly you're going that little bit faster
and it's just like that, oh squeeze the budget time
down to the department, so that that caught some of
them out when they just went off onto the grass.
So it does really affect it. And especially if you

(01:50:00):
get a towel went down Conrad, that can make the
cars go palpably quicker, but then you're going to be
an headwind up the mountain, so you'd be using more fuel. So, yes,
you are absolutely right. Pinety paid quite a big factor,
especially if it's gusty, because at one minute you'd be
minding your own business and it's all called of groovy.
The next lap it might gust up to sort of
forty or fifty knots and suddenly the car has moved,

(01:50:24):
you know, a foot to the left or right, and
you don't want the car to move a millimeter, let
alone at four or two.

Speaker 2 (01:50:30):
You paint some wonderful pictures for us. Mate, thank you
so much for joining us across the weekend on weekend Sport.
I'll leave you to it and look forward to reading
your report and your reaction pieces of it later at
endsy Herald dot code on ends at Eric Thompson's been
that mount panorama for us right across the weekend, So
through twenty two of one hundred and sixty one laps. Currently,
as et mentioned, a number of the co drivers are

(01:50:53):
in the seat at the moment, and it is Todd
Hazelwood who is the co driver to Brodie Costeki, the
pulsater who continues to lead, then Cooper Murray. They start
a sixth on the grid. Cooper Murray's is the the
main game driver, with Job Stewart there in second place
at the moment. Jamie Wincup, who's co driver for Brock Feene,
currently in third position, and I'm just gonna look down

(01:51:16):
and try and find Ryan Wood. Can't find him. At
the moment. His co driver Jaden o Jada just not
able to read the graphics on his position at the moment,
just before we move to a break and get onto
some some snow sport action. Just wanted to go back
twenty four hours because every Saturday we play a sporting

(01:51:36):
chance with the tab. We offer up a one hundred
and fifty dollars bonus bet and give one of our
listeners the chance to punt with it on a choice
of three options short, evens, all long. Now, Blake was
our lucky caller yesterday, so I gave him his three options.
Brodie Kistiki to win the top ten shootout, you'd get
one eighty seven fifty Tasman. To beat Bay of plenty

(01:51:59):
by one to twelve, you'd get four eighty hawks Bay
Taranaki to have fewer than thirty points sixteen hundred and fifty.
What are you going to go for, Blake?

Speaker 9 (01:52:10):
Me, mate, I'm going to go short, buddy, I'm going
to stick them by man.

Speaker 5 (01:52:14):
Yep, I'm going to go short with KOSTICKI.

Speaker 2 (01:52:17):
Brodie kstick is your man. You're you've got a bit
of a soft spot for Brody Well if he wins
the top ten shootout, and as I said to Eric Thompson,
everybody's chasing him. One eighty seven to fifty for you.

Speaker 5 (01:52:27):
Mate, brilliant. That's really really top notch stuff. Thank you
so much.

Speaker 2 (01:52:30):
That was Blake yesterday, a very astute pick Australian supercar
driver Brodie Kistiki indeed winning the top ten shootout. So
Blake collected one hundred and eighty seven dollars fifty for that.
If he'd gone with either of the other two, he'd
have won nothing. So sometimes very good to go short.
We'll play a sporting chants again next Saturday on Weekend

(01:52:52):
Sport twenty one away from three. When we come back,
Luca Harrington is going to join us, one of our
most promising young snow sporters who on Friday night was
named Snow Sports New Zealand Athlete of the Year. He's
going to recap his exceptional year and look ahead for us.
Luca Harrington on the show after this.

Speaker 1 (01:53:12):
The Big Issues on and after Fields Call oh eight
hundred eighty ten eighty Weekend Sport with Jason.

Speaker 2 (01:53:18):
Fine and GJ.

Speaker 1 (01:53:19):
Gunnerholmes, New Zealand's most trusted home Milder News talks at Baby.

Speaker 2 (01:53:24):
Seventeen to three. At the snow Sports New Zealand Annual
Awards Night in Wonica on Friday Night, Freeskial, free Ski,
Slope Style and Big Air athlete Luca Harrington was named
snow Sports New Zealand Athlete of the Year. Luca Harrington
had an exceptional twenty twenty four to twenty five season,
winning on some of the biggest stages in free skiing.

(01:53:45):
In January, he claimed gold in slope Style and silver
in big Air at his first appearance at the Winter
X Games. In March, he became the first key We
to claim the Crystal Globe as overall champion for the
FIS Big Air World Cup Tour, and two weeks later
the first key We to win the FIS Free Ski
Big Air World Champion. Your World Champion twenty twenty five.

Speaker 8 (01:54:10):
Here an Angerden, Luca Harrington.

Speaker 14 (01:54:13):
What a legend yiney five are you hitting?

Speaker 4 (01:54:18):
Luca?

Speaker 8 (01:54:18):
Let's go World Champs twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (01:54:22):
Luca Harrington is with us. Congratulations on the award, Luca,
and on an absolutely exceptional year. If you and I
were talking a year ago, could you have imagined the
success that you have had in the last twelve months.

Speaker 8 (01:54:37):
Thank you very much, first of all, but no, absolutely not.
This is those results were not what I was seeing
in my future.

Speaker 4 (01:54:45):
Going into last season.

Speaker 8 (01:54:46):
But I'm very grateful for every moment that and for
everything that happened.

Speaker 2 (01:54:52):
Let's talk about the X Games and Aspen in January,
gold and silver there. Now, initially, weren't you just an
alternate for those games?

Speaker 8 (01:55:02):
Yeah, exactly, So I was fortunate enough to get two alternates.
I went for sup Cell ones for Big Air, and
that originally meant that I'm a backup in case somebody
does get hurt, but it means that I get to
train and ski and be a part of the whole
event right up until the actual competition.

Speaker 2 (01:55:22):
And so when did you find out that not only
could you do all those things, but you actually were
in the field for the two events.

Speaker 4 (01:55:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (01:55:30):
So actually about a week before the X Game, so
I got the official invite into the Big Air. But
then coming down to Slope style, it was you know,
I trained all week. I was kind of assuming I
wasn't going to be in in the event, but uh,
the night before the slop Cell event, we had a
Big Air training at night under the lights, which was awesome.

(01:55:52):
And then I got back down into the athlete zone,
pulled out my phone and it's you know, nine o'clock
at night, and we got the We got the slop
cell the next day and I get an email saying, hey,
you're in. So that was a pretty crazy moment.

Speaker 2 (01:56:05):
Absolutely, in some ways, did that take any pressure that
you might have been feeling off that, you know, hey,
this is almost a bit of a free hit, a
bit of a bonus.

Speaker 8 (01:56:15):
Yeah, absolutely, I think I think that's exactly what happened.
I was, you know, I felt so relaxed up there
during that comp. I wasn't you know, I wasn't expecting
anything of myself. I was just trying to embrace the
embrace the moment and enjoy being there with some my
you know, some of my idols and some of my
really good peers. So yeah, I definitely think that that

(01:56:37):
whole confidence thing was very My confidence was very high
up in there, just because I wasn't having to feel
that pressure.

Speaker 2 (01:56:45):
So look at just for the benefit of some of
our listeners who aren't as familiar with snowsports as others,
can you just explain the difference between slope style and
big Air.

Speaker 8 (01:56:54):
For us, Yeah, absolutely so. Slope Style is an event
where there are multiple features throughout the run. Usually it
consists of consists of about three different rails, which are
you know, the big big metal rails that we slide on,
and then usually three different jumps as well. With a

(01:57:14):
Big Air event is just one big jump and uh yeah,
you just got to do two different directions. We're in
the slope Cell run. You have to really put a
lot more effort in and create a bunch of different
tricks and link them together.

Speaker 2 (01:57:28):
Do you have a favorite of the two?

Speaker 7 (01:57:32):
Not really.

Speaker 8 (01:57:33):
I think I was definitely a little bit more successful
in Big Air this year, but I really love the
challenge to slope Cell.

Speaker 2 (01:57:39):
So in the Big Air, as you say, it's just
the one jump, I know you get three runs. But
as you standing at the top there, how do you
prepare yourself for some of the to us anyway death
defying tricks that you're pulling out.

Speaker 8 (01:57:53):
Yeah, that's it's definitely scary. It's never easy standing at
the top of a massive jump, putting your putting your
body on the line. But I guess you know, we
we spend so much time doing this stuff and we
work really hard to perfect these tricks and to do
them safely. So it's really just trusting and putting belief

(01:58:14):
in your stuff. When you're standing at the top.

Speaker 2 (01:58:16):
There and as you're performing these tricks in mid air,
look goodness, may most of us can't even put ourselves
into that situation. Are you aware of what you're doing
in those seconds when you're in the air or is
it only till afterwards that you realize, hey, I've actually
nailed that.

Speaker 7 (01:58:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (01:58:35):
Absolutely, I mean that's a huge part of perfecting a
trick is to be very aware in the air of
what you are and that's a huge part of our
sport when we're doing these when we're doing these double
and triple cort tricks, is to know and where you
are and be spotting the landing and always be aware
of your surroundings so that you know you're not ending

(01:58:55):
up falling or landing where you don't want to be landing.

Speaker 2 (01:58:59):
So X Games success there, then you went on to
win the Crystal Globe as overall champion for the Big
Air World Cup, were the first keyp We to win that.
A couple of weeks later, the first key We to
win the Free Sky Big Air World Championship. How special
was the World Championship win for you?

Speaker 8 (01:59:15):
Yeah, that was pretty incredible. You know, we've seen it
happen from Zoe in the past, and you know, it's
the World Chance that comes around every two years. It's
a very special moment. Only a few people get to
selected to go as part of the New Zealand team,
So yeah, the World Chances is definitely a very special

(01:59:37):
moment for me.

Speaker 2 (01:59:38):
Whenever I watch snow sports, it always looks as though
the competitors are just as happy for one another when
they pull off great performances as they are in their
own performances. What is the camaraderie really like in your sport?

Speaker 4 (01:59:53):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (01:59:53):
Absolutely, I mean it is an individual sport, and of
course we're always wanting to beat each other and you know,
be at the top of the on the top of
the steps. But in the end, our culture and our
community in the freestyle scene is just just one giant family,
you know we are. We're all there doing it for
the same reasons. We're all there to push each other

(02:00:14):
and to help each other, and of course we're going
to celebrate each other along the way.

Speaker 2 (02:00:18):
All right, let's look ahead now, weik Osawaga. You were
confirmed as one of the first group of New Zealand
athletes to earn selection for the Winter Olympics coming up
in Melana, Cootina in February. So between now and then,
what will your build up involve?

Speaker 8 (02:00:34):
Yeah, so, of course that's the that's the big one.
We have a couple of months in between where we
will be We're heading off to Austria at the end
of this month actually to get in some training, to
go to a training camp in the Stubai Valley just
outside Innsbruck. But then before the Olympics, I'll be doing
around I think five or six competitions going in so

(02:00:58):
a few of these will be the World Cup Tour,
so the Big airon slipstyle World Cup Tour. And then
I've also been ucky enough to get an invite back
to the X Games again this year, so I'll be
competing in that in January, before the Olympics.

Speaker 2 (02:01:13):
Where does the Winter Games, Luca? You know you talk
about Big Air and how special sorry X Games and
how big, how special that is. Does the Winter Olympics compare?
Are you able to compare the two?

Speaker 8 (02:01:26):
I mean absolutely yeah. The Olympics, of course, it's it's
the big one. It comes around every four years, where
X Games is every year. But honestly, to some people
in the freestyle community, the X Games is almost more
important because even less even less people get to go
to that one. And if you're so, if you're one

(02:01:47):
of those few people selected to be skiing during the
X Games, it's a pretty incredible thing.

Speaker 2 (02:01:53):
And your brother Ben went to the twenty twenty two
Winter Games and the half pipe, I know he's gunning
for selection for twenty twenty six as well. How special
would it be to go to a Winter Olympic Games
together as brothers?

Speaker 8 (02:02:06):
Yeah, it would be incredible. That's been a huge golf
for me and my family, and you know, it's been
our dream for so long to have us both there.
You know, it's a hard one not to be there
with him at the twenty twenty two Games. But I
think things are looking pretty bright this year and it's
gonna be very honored to be skiing with him in

(02:02:29):
Italy this year.

Speaker 2 (02:02:30):
What is it about that town of yours, man Wannica.
It's probably used so many world class snowsport athletes and
so many families as well, with multiple siblings who are
all just amazing.

Speaker 8 (02:02:42):
Yeah, it's pretty crazy. Definitely something in the water down here.

Speaker 2 (02:02:45):
But I'm just going to tell you what that might
be fair enough. How nice has it been there to
be home for it? Because you spend the you know,
you spend the year or most of the sort of offshore.
How nice has it been to have a bit of
time back home?

Speaker 8 (02:02:57):
Oh, it's always so good. I mean it's a bit tough.
Our winters are nowhere near as long as the Northern
Hemisphere winters, so you know, I feel like I am
not spending more time away from home than I do
at home, but you know, makes it that much more special.

Speaker 4 (02:03:10):
Than I am back.

Speaker 2 (02:03:13):
Luca, congrats on a terrific year, mate, and on your
award on Friday night, which I know was well accepted
and thoroughly deserved. All the best for what lies ahead.
Made a very exciting time as we draw closer to
the Winter Olympics. I really appreciate you taking the time
for a chat.

Speaker 8 (02:03:29):
Absolutely, thank you for the chat, and yeah, appreciate the support.
Thank you guys.

Speaker 2 (02:03:34):
Thank you. Luca. Luca Harrington snow Sports New Zealand Athlete
of the Year seven to three New stalks. He'd be
four to three. That's us on Weekend Sport for today,
huge thanks to Anny McDonald for pulling the two shows together.
Thanks to you as well for listening in and taking
part of That's what you Chose to do. Tim Beverage
is on your radio after three o'clock exit song today
Will It's all been about Beth. It's really across the weekend,

(02:03:56):
and so the car theme continues and a good description
of what I'm going to do now is just shut
up and watch people drive. See them row night.

Speaker 1 (02:04:25):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live
to news talks at b Weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio

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