Full Show Podcast: 22 November 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 Vain on your
home of Sport News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Hello, Jott to get afternoon. Welcome in. This is the
Saturday edition of Weekend Sport on News Talks EDB for
November twenty two. Happy eighty second birthday to twelve time
Grand Slam Singles tennis winner Billy Jenkin speaking of tennis champions,
Happy fifty eighth to three time Wimbledon Men's champ Boris Becker,
and happy sixty second birthday to former Wallaby's coach Dave Rennie.

(00:53):
I'm Jason Pine. Show producer is Andy McDonald. We're here
talking sport with you until three on the show. Today
the very first media interview with a representative from the
proposed new domestic Tea twenty Cricket League en ZED twenty.
Don McKinnon is the chairman of the n ZED twenty
establishing Committee, one of the most experienced and respected figures

(01:17):
in sports governance in this country. He's with us shortly
to tell us who's behind n ZED twenty, why it's needed,
how it'll work and what fans can expect. Your views
on this proposed new comp are very welcome to Don
McKinnon and enn ZED twenty. First up this afternoon the
thirteenth and final All Blacks test of the year, Cardiff

(01:38):
tomorrow morning from just after four the All Blacks against Wales.
Former Welsh and British and Irish lines winger Alex Cuthbert
is with us after one to give us a hometown
viewpoint and then we could kick this run around as well.
What do you make of the side that Scott robertson
his name for this one? What do you need to
see for your confidence to return after what happened at

(01:59):
Twickenham a week ago? Or has that ship actually sailed?
And regardless of what happens tomorrow morning, still need off
season questions to be answered before the All Blacks reassemble
in twenty twenty six. So All Blacks after one other
matters around today Cricketing Royalty after two the ashes underway

(02:20):
in extraordinary fashion, nineteen wickets on the first day in Perth, England,
all out one seven to two, Australia stumbled to one
twenty three for nine. In reply, it stunts. One of
the true greats of English cricket, Sir Ian Botham now
Lord Botham, is with us after two o'clock. Australian correspondent
Adam Peacock also live from Perth in his regular Saturday

(02:42):
slot around one forty five, and Star black Cap Daryl
Mitchell also on the show today, fresh from his confirmation
this week as the world's top ODI batsman. Unfortunately, he
picked up an injury in the first match of the
current series against the West Indies down in christ Church.
It's ruled him out of the second and third matches.
We'll get an update on how he's tracking towards next

(03:02):
month's Test Series when Daryl Mitchell joins us this afternoon
and here we Dan Hooker. We'll meet Armenian arman Seruki
In in the five round main event of the UFC's
first card and cuts out tomorrow morning. We'll cover that
off with host of UFC on Sky Sport Rivenda Hernia.
Also a sporting chance with the tab your chance to
place a one hundred and fifty dollars bonus bet and

(03:25):
collect the winnings, but a live sport this afternoon. The
third and final practice session at the Las Vegas Grand
Prix underway soon. Liam Lawson was sixth fastest in the
second practice yesterday, after being thirteenth quickest in practice one.
Third practice from one to thirty. Qualifying is from five
this afternoon, the race itself five tomorrow afternoon, and that

(03:45):
third and final ODI between the Black Apps and the
West and East from two at Seddon Park and Hamilton.
We'll keep you updated once we have toss and team
details and first ballers bold at two. As always, the
show is nothing without you, so please get involved. Oh
eight hundred eighty ten eighty for your phone calls, send
you text messages to nine two ninety two or emails
to Jason at newst edb dot co dot MZ. Just

(04:08):
go one eleven past midday.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
When it's down to the line.

Speaker 3 (04:11):
You made a call on.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Eighty Weekend Sports with Jason Pine, News Dog ZEB.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
There's been a lot of recent talk about a proposed
new franchise based domestic T twenty cricket competition here in
New Zealand en ZED twenty. For the first time, we
can hear from those behind the idea. Don McKinnon is
the chair of the n ZED twenty establishing Committee and
one of the most experienced and respected figures in New

(04:39):
Zealand sporting governance. He joins us now on Weekend Sport. Don,
thanks for your time. Let's start with who is involved
in n Z twenty.

Speaker 4 (04:50):
Yeah, Gothanon, Jason Well, I am.

Speaker 5 (04:53):
There's it about three or four months ago, and I
was approached back then by a group of people including
Stephen Flemming, obviously one of the greats of our game,
Heath Mills, who's the the CEO of the Players Association,
some of the MHS and a few other people who

(05:14):
love the game and.

Speaker 4 (05:16):
I think are really well respected in the game.

Speaker 5 (05:18):
And basically I was asked if I would have a
look at this project, whether I thought it was viable,
whether I thought it could work in New Zealand, and
if I did, how we might advance it to a
point where we could bring it to New Zealand Cricket
as an option for them to.

Speaker 4 (05:34):
Have a really good look at. So that's been the process.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Do you think it's viable?

Speaker 4 (05:39):
Yeah, I do.

Speaker 5 (05:40):
In fact, I'm extraordinarily excited by it, and that excitement's
actually growing over time. I must admit throw the go
back a decade. I was actually on the board of
New Zealand Cricket and we looked at setting up a
franchise league back in twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen. I think
it was at the time we didn't think it was viable.

(06:02):
But as one highly respect figure put to me, you know,
there's never been more money in the international game of
cricket At the moment. It's a wash in cash, frankly,
and so many people around the world are excited by it,
are investing in it, and Franklin, New Zealand's not part
of that. We've stayed in that model where we're very

(06:24):
much relied on our wonderful international teams, our black Caps,
our White Ferns to sort of carry beload, and I
just think the time is right to maybe tweak that
model and to create something at our domestic league that
fans are really excited by. So yes, I think the
money's there, and I think the interests there, and I

(06:44):
think the timing is perfect.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
So where specifically or even generally would investment in n
Z twenty come from, Well.

Speaker 5 (06:53):
That's inevitably a good chunk of it would be international. Now,
obviously in cricket, India is very high on that list,
but it's by no means the only areas or countries
where money is coming into the game, and you see
that in areas like South Africa in the Caribbean League.
You see it the interest in even European cricket at

(07:14):
the moment, Asian cricket. So our initial investigations inquiries show
a really high level of interest in investing in this
tournament in New Zealand. We would want if we possibly could,
also have local investment, and the model we have created

(07:34):
also ensures some really significant benefits for our major associations.
So the community game benefits from this competition if we
get it right. But I've been frankly a little bit
blown away by just how respected cricket in New Zealand
is and therefore the level of interest in getting involved

(07:56):
in something that we set up.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
I want to come back to the grassroots benefit in
a moment. But investment of the type you're talking about,
is it sustainable over a long period of time.

Speaker 4 (08:07):
Yeah, again, it's a great question. I think the answer
is yes.

Speaker 5 (08:10):
But but you know, only time tells, right, So The
key thing to bear in mind here is we are
probably not probably we are the only major cricketing nation
that doesn't have a form of franchise cricket. Now. The
BBL is slightly different in Australia in the sense its
ownership is more out of the states at present. That
could change in the future. But what we're looking to

(08:33):
do here is not novel. In actual fact, it's done
all around the world. The better question might be why
aren't we now? What we do know is that the
South African League, for example, has gone from loss making
to extraordinarily successful. The Caribbean League has done exactly the same,
And the Caribbean League is probably the model we've most

(08:54):
folks mostly looked at as replicating, in part in the
sense it's a relatively small economy, a relatively small talent pool.
Yet it is reinvigorating the game and the carbon. You know,
you just have to watch anything on TV and see
fans in Trinidad or in Jamaica just going absolutely nuts

(09:14):
over domestic cricketer game.

Speaker 4 (09:17):
So, you know, will it be here in thirty years time, I.

Speaker 5 (09:21):
Don't know, but the model is certainly doing great things
for the game at the moment, and I think that
we there's absolutely no reason we can't do it here.

Speaker 2 (09:31):
What would New Zealand crickets involvement in the NZ twenty
consist of?

Speaker 4 (09:37):
Well, most importantly, they have to agree to it.

Speaker 5 (09:39):
So I mean one of the reasons I was keen
to talk is that there's been this somewhat strange description
floating around of a rebel league. This is as far
from a rebel league as you could get. Certainly the
group that I've described other people that have tried to
bring it together, but we brought it to New Zealand
Cricket as a proposal some months ago.

Speaker 4 (10:04):
I've worked closely with news could.

Speaker 5 (10:06):
A Board, ends'd Sea Board have put two members of
their board on our committee to help us assess the project.
They have been really clear and this in telling us
this is one option that they wish to look at
and it's by no means the only option to grow
the game in New Zealand, and frankly that's that's good governance.

(10:27):
I support that on no problem with that at all.
But you know, it would be crazy to do this
without the support of New Zion Cricket, and we are
doing our best to set this up in a way
where ultimately their boarould go Yes, we're on board, we
want to grant this license, we want to support this,
and if they don't it, if they've got something better

(10:49):
that they think can invigorate the game in New Zealand,
then then so beet on all for cricket growing in
New Zealand. So if there's something better out there, that's
the option they'll take. I have to say though, that
from my perspective and with the team I'm working with,
we think this is just so citing such a great
opportunity for the game.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
You alluded to it before, Don How would NZ twenty
benefit the grassroots of the game here in New Zealand.

Speaker 5 (11:16):
Well, first and foremost, the model we've designed would be
you receive a league at league investor puts money into
actually help fund the competition for a period of time
until we can get it back to break even and
then to actually start making money. You then sell your teams.
Our concept would be potentially six teams and the men's

(11:38):
competition around the country. We are also wanting to have
a woman's comp that the men's comp would be six
teams around the country. Effectively, the revenue generator from the
sale of those teams would go into a capital fund
for our major associations, and the major associations excuse me,
the major associations would own twenty five percent of the

(12:01):
cop Now that's the concept that's still open to discussion
with NZC and other parties. But if you think about it,
the Team Fund basically creates an investment which will help
fund community cricket through the MS four years to come.
And if this thing starts to make really good money,
there's ongoing distributions as well, so it's certainly not just

(12:25):
elite cricket with no interest in the game here. If
it works, that money goes straight into a major associations.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
If the competition's played in January, which by the sounds
of it is the proposed window for it, how would
you ensure top quality import players Given the fact that
the Aussie Big Bash is on at that time, the
South African T twenty competition is also on at that time,
you wouldn't be the only game on the globe during January.

Speaker 5 (12:51):
Correct, Yeah, and we're really conscious of that, I think, Jason.
The first thing is we want to make sure our
very best New Zealand players are playing in it. So
Heath has been talking a lot too. You know, the
Daryl Mitchell's of this world and the Kane Williamsons and
our best players, they are incredibly excited about this as

(13:12):
a concept. So you know, first and foremost you're going
to have, you know, a young kid playing for Otago
bowling to Finellen for example. That's got to be good
for the game in New Zealand. Do you think about
it too?

Speaker 6 (13:24):
Though?

Speaker 5 (13:25):
There's an awful lot of really good white ball cricketers
around the world, and not all of them can play
in South Africa and Australia, so I have no doubt
that there would be the opportunity to still supplement squads.
You know, let's take a squad of say fifteen players.
Three or four of those might be international players, and
they would still be very good, exciting players that we

(13:46):
think would help put bums on seats. There might also be,
and we're just exploring this at the moment, the possibility
of a marquee player. So if an Onus is listen,
I'm I comply with a salary cap which we'd have
in place around the fundag of my team, but I'm
allowed to spend whatever I like on one player. That's
another way where we're sort of thinking about whether that

(14:06):
could just if you've got the money and you want
to spend it on you know, I don't know, a
Nicholas Pouran or Ben Stokes or whatever, then if it's
your private money, you're not taking that money out of
the community game.

Speaker 4 (14:19):
That could only be good.

Speaker 2 (14:20):
In my view, is there a desire to make sure
that n Z twenty also improves the international performances of
our black Caps and White fans.

Speaker 5 (14:31):
I think it sort of happens automatically. I mean, I'll
be the first to say that that the key to
this model is that the Black Caps and the White
Fans remain the pre eminent model, the pre eminent tool
to drive the game in New Zealand. That's the way
the models set up. And we are only talking about
sort of in the men's case, a four week window

(14:52):
of this comp But you know the example I gave
of it, you know, a young quick bowl of Bowlington
finel and at the top of the top of a
teach n Z twenty match can only improve skill set.
You know, at the moment, so many of our best
players are actually not committing to New Zealand contracts because
of the money they can earn around the world. We

(15:15):
feel quite confident this will help n ZCA retain that
talent and retain more centrally contracted players.

Speaker 4 (15:23):
It's not the panacea to everything. Would be the first
to say that as well, but.

Speaker 5 (15:27):
From our perspective, it could only be good in terms
of improving the quality of our young men and women
coming through our system.

Speaker 2 (15:35):
You mentioned the Caribbean Premier League before as a competition
you're perhaps looking to model yourselves on. Is there any
kind of cautionary tale there done and that the overwhelming
focus on their T twenty game has had a dramatic
effect on their test side.

Speaker 5 (15:53):
Well, I think Jason, there the dramatic effect on their
test side, to be honest, probably have started twenty thirty
years ago.

Speaker 4 (16:00):
So I don't think the Caribbean League really it can.

Speaker 5 (16:07):
Have the It's probably fair that that has to wear
that responsibility. But I think the key thing about what
we're talking about here is we're looking to design something
really unique and boutique. So we're simply talking about four
weeks and we know, for example that you know we'll
be occasions when that four week window has to adjust. So,

(16:29):
for example, the Black Cats play I think the Fourth
Test against Australia last week at the beginning at the
beginning of January twenty seven, if that was our start
date for the comp, we have to adjust slightly our
window to make sure the Black Cats were still totally
the pre eminent thing on display in terms of cricket
New Zealand.

Speaker 4 (16:49):
But I think if we do.

Speaker 5 (16:50):
It small, we do it's really snappy, sharp. We create
something that's totally faan obsessive for four weeks of a
year in another period before Christmas, potentially for our woman.
I don't think that's going to take away from the
overall focus on our international teams. I think it can
only help more people get excited about cricket, so that
you know, at the end of a Insied twenty comp

(17:12):
we've got some international side coming to New Zealand. I
think more bums are going to be on seats, not less.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
And you mentioned before that there are other ways, and
I'm sure you've heard them. There's a whether it's a
proposal or an idea of a New Zealand team or
teams entering Australia's Big Bash. Do you have a view
on that and why INZED twenty would be a better option, Well.

Speaker 7 (17:35):
I do.

Speaker 5 (17:35):
I mean again, I'll be the first to applaud New
Zealand Cricket for looking at all of their options and
I think they're doing the right thing. And as I
see it, if ultimately they say that's better for cricket
in New Zealand, then we will live with that and.

Speaker 4 (17:52):
I will wish that project every success.

Speaker 5 (17:55):
I think from our perspective, assuming we can get the
investment and people are in title, it's a question whether
we can or not. But if we can deliver the
investment we believe we can receive, then it seems to
me a competition that's played throughout New Zealand. So in
our idea will be talking ideally holiday venues. You know,

(18:15):
could you imagine a team in Queenstown, for example, at
the peak of summer with some of our best players
playing some great international players.

Speaker 4 (18:23):
So I think it's.

Speaker 5 (18:23):
Better for fans, I think it's better for players. I
think it's better for our regions and personally I think
it's better for the black Cap White Fern development program.
But as I said, that's just our opinion and I
fully accept that New Zealand Cricket are looking at all
their options, as I said, as they should.

Speaker 2 (18:43):
So what is your time frame that you're working to
now as an establishing committee? What are the next steps?
Ideally don would be looking at something that is up
and running, you know, the summer after this one. Would
that be possible?

Speaker 4 (18:56):
Yeah, that's that's still the goal, Jason.

Speaker 5 (19:01):
It's fair to say that some of this talk around
rebel League has not been overly helpful for us, to
be fair, but you may or may not be aware
that that super Smash effectively is no longer televised as
I understand it after this summer, and we think that
provides a real opportunity for us to step in and

(19:23):
create something really exciting at that time. So our goal
is still to have a competition in place by January
twenty seven, and we've got a work program, a pretty
detailed one between now and then, so that's what we're
going to keep working to. New Zealand Cricket obviously need

(19:45):
to make a decision relatively soon as to whether they
want to continue to work with us to see if
that's achievable or look at other options. But at the moment,
if we can and it sets a hell of a
big ask, I've got to admit, but we're going to
work really hard to see if we could have this
ready to go straight after the the last test against

(20:07):
the Aussies next year.

Speaker 4 (20:08):
Sorry, not much, ye had twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 2 (20:10):
Yes, has the labeling of this incorrectly as you say
as a rebel league? Has that been unhelpful in terms
of securing investment?

Speaker 5 (20:20):
Well, I think investors from overseas want to come to
New Zealand for all the right reasons, and the right
reasons are certainly for the people we're talking to, who
I have to say are really high quality overseas investors,
extremely reputable, extremely well regarded. They don't want to come
into an environment that's controversial. They wanted to come into

(20:40):
an environment where they're welcomed. They want to come into
an environment where they can make a difference. So that's
the sort of environment we're looking to create, and I
hope everybody in new Land Cragitt wants that sort of
environment because that can only.

Speaker 4 (20:55):
Be good for the game.

Speaker 5 (20:56):
I mean, somebody said to me recently, you know, they
raised the question of overseas investments, and I mentioned the example,
which is dear to you of AFC. I mean AFC
are founded in part on overseas investments, and you could
only describe them as being as that investment, as being
outstanding for football, outstanding for the game. So I hope

(21:17):
we're mature enough as a country and as a sporting
nation to go if overseas investors are looking to invest
in our sport for the right reasons, for the right
sort of people's that's just awesome and we should be
welcoming that with open arms.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
Don, you've given us a terrific insight this afternoon. Thanks
so much for your time. We look forward to staying
in touch with developments to come.

Speaker 8 (21:41):
Chere.

Speaker 4 (21:41):
Jason, thanks very much for your time.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
No, thanks for yours, Don, I appreciate it very much.
Don McKinnon there, the chair of the Establishing Committee for
ENZED twenty. Very keen on your reaction to what you
heard there. Oh, eight one hundred and eighty ten eighty.
The first time we've had official word out of the
establishing Committee. We kicked this around a little bit last weekend,
but we didn't have specifics really. Now we have from

(22:05):
done a lot more detailed, a lot more context, a
lot more explanation from those involved officially in making this
a reality. We can now absolutely and unequivocally stop calling
this a rebel league if we ever were. NZ twenty
is absolutely totally, one hundred percent not a rebel league,
and the fact that it's been described in those terms

(22:27):
in certain circles, admittedly infrequently, is completely disingenuous. This would
be a competition that New Zealand Cricket would endorse and
hopefully embrace. It would replace the Supersmash, not compete with.

Speaker 9 (22:41):
It.

Speaker 2 (22:42):
Seems to me there are two main challenges facing NZ
twenty investment and attracting good overseas players. Let's look at
the second one. First, provided New Zealand Cricket agrees to
not schedule international cricket in January, all of our top
New Zealand players should be available. Then you have to
inject each team with quality overseas players. The planners, as

(23:05):
Don said, death three or four per team. They have
to be box office cricketers in the T twenty format
who people will turn up to see locking horns with
our best short format players. Investment would largely come initially,
at least from offshore, and again there's been a bit
of talk that that is somehow a bad thing. As

(23:27):
Don McKinnon just said, international cricket is a wash with cash,
so why shouldn't we have some of that. We're the
only Tier one nation without a franchise based T twenty
cricket competition, and the comparison he made there with Auckland
f C is a very good one. The majority owner
of Auckland f C, Bill Foley, is American, but look

(23:49):
what his investment did for the game of football in
this country last year and continues to it absolutely invigorated it.
There was a great phrase in there from Dom McKinnon
which describes what they're visualizing, unique and boutique arsenal catchphrase,
a month long proposition in the heart of summer during

(24:09):
New Zealand's holiday period. It's the shot in the arm our,
shortest format neat surely so surely we should at least
give it a crack. Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty
is our number, Dallas hold their mate with you after
this a spearline for you. O eight hundred eighty ten eighty,
let's kick around n Z twenty here at News Talks,
he'd be twenty eight to one.

Speaker 1 (24:30):
The voice of Sport on your Home of Sport Weekend
Sport with Jason Vane and GJ. Gunnos, New Zealand's most
trusted oh Builder News Talks.

Speaker 2 (24:39):
He'd be twenty six to one. Heper text be back
coming through. On the interview with Don McKinnon. One says
is that Don McKinnon, the former politician, no different Don McKinnon.
I'm glad you asked very different. Don McKinnon spelt differently.
That is not Sir Don McKinnon, the former Deputy Prime
Minister of New Zealand. No different Don McKinnon. This is
Don McKinnon, the Sports administrator. So good to get that

(25:00):
cleared up, Dallas High, mate.

Speaker 10 (25:03):
Cricket's just changing all the time, and like yesterday in
the Test match, it was almost like a one day game,
and now it's like today is almost like another one
day game. It's like everything's changing. It's like the old
five day Test is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

(25:24):
And I noticed too the rain shortened game in Napier
the other night that was thirty four overs. You know what,
I thought that was the perfect lengths of a game
of an inning thirty four overs each, thirty five overs.
It just it was like a good compromise between fifty
and twenty. What did you think about that?

Speaker 11 (25:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (25:46):
Actually, funnily enough, as they were batting, I was thinking,
I was trying to work out whether they were batting
like it was a fifty over game or like it
was a T twenty game. I think they went at
about sevens, didn't they? And I guess through necessity rather
than design. Yeah. Look, I there's a lot of conversation
tell us about what the place of fifty over cricket
might be in the future of international cricket. It seems
to be the one that's that's that's left off to

(26:10):
one side and many waste test cricket being the one
with historical significance and you know, things like the ashes,
et cetera. A wonderful viewing, and then the T twenty,
which is obviously the main cash injector into the game. Look,
I hope fifty over has a future. I still enjoy
watching it, but but there's no doubt that that T

(26:30):
twenty cricketers is the game, as I say, injects the
cash and probably the excitement and attracts new fans to
the game the world over.

Speaker 10 (26:41):
Yeah, I just wish twenty. I just wish there's a
few more overs, you know, But that's just me. But
but I love I'll watch anything cricket. And but what
about TV TV rights to this new the new thing?
Did he talk about that? Because TV been on TV
one this Wendy's tour. It's fantastic because a lot of

(27:03):
us don't actually have Sky, and so I'll be tuning
into that and I'll be listening listening to you in
both of them as well on the radio while I'm
watching the TV one. So I think TV coverage is
so important to cricket. You know, for a while there
we had none. But also that January window, Yeah, that's

(27:26):
the perfect time for t twenties, you know, sort of
that beach vibe. You know, that's jet we should be
watching playing cricket in January.

Speaker 8 (27:36):
You know.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
Yeah, Well that's the proposal here. Dellis just on the
broadcasting side of it, I would imagine I don't know
this for a fact, but I would imagine that they
would be looking for a broadcast partner, more than likely
a pay per view partner who would pay obviously for
the right to broadcast. Look, I think it's been completely

(28:00):
by luck more than design. The fact that we've had
free to wear cricket since the demise of Spark Sport.
We all know the store their Sparksport fell over. TVNZ
picked it up New Zealand crickets still got paid their
money by Spark even though Spark didn't exist anymore, and
all the cricket turned up on free to air, which
has been fantastic and yes it's been great to watch.
But Sky will pick it up again from next summer

(28:21):
International cricket. That is interestingly, they haven't picked up Super Smash, so,
as Don alluded to in that chat quite accurately, Super
Smash does not have a broadcast partner for next summer.
So in terms of the timing of this NZED twenty,
I'm sure would go to Sky first and say what

(28:43):
about it. Would you like to add this to your
portfolio of cricket. It would give you a month's worth
of exciting content in January. That'll be the way I'd
expect it to go. But on top of that, Dallas,
I would say that with the changing landscape there would
be a free to wear element to it. I think

(29:04):
all sport have worked out maybe franchise leagues are different.
Maybe they're different, but I think most sports have worked out,
certainly those with a national organization like New Zealand Cricket,
New Zealand Rugby and others, that freedom wear is important
for the promotion of your game. Now, maybe a franchise
league wouldn't have that as one of its objectives one
of its necessities. They may just believe that it's a

(29:29):
pay per view proposition which they will sell to a
Sky TV or someone similar and if you want to
watch it, you become a Sky subscriber. A franchise league
like this wouldn't necessarily have as their as one of
their embedded desires to get exposure. Thanks for your call, Dallas,

(29:52):
Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty few texts here
speedline if you want to jump aboard. Chris as Don
was excellent. The idea sounds great for a boutique event
that's held on the peak of our summer holidays. Incidentally,
can Don please be points and immediately to every major
sport board. Yeah, I think he's got a bit on
his plate. Imagine the Queenstown hospitality workers being able to

(30:14):
tend up on the pitch the night before and after
Cricket Games. Yeah, I can imagine that text here. Jason,
this sounds like the Players Association is planning on taking
over New Zealand Cricket. Can you please comment. I don't
feel like that's the case. I didn't get any of
that sort of feeling from the chat there. The Players

(30:37):
Association will clearly be a part of this. Heath Mills,
the head of the Players Association, as part of the
establishing committee is don mentioned, but so too are board
members from New Zealand Cricket. So to our former players
like Stephen Fleming and others. So too are others who
don't have skin in the game officially. I'm not sure

(30:59):
that this is a Players Association driven thing. Doesn't strike
me as that at all. Brekcess Jason good interview. I
just don't see why though overseas investors would see any
value in it. Indian players aren't allowed to play, well,
I think they would be. Brett goes on and say,
the Aussies will be in the Big Bash. How does
it differ from the Super Smash We had players like

(31:20):
Jay Wardener and Elise Perry in the competition. What am
I missing? Brett? I think it would be supersized right.
I think the goal would be a lot more ambitious
than the ad hoc adding of an overseas player here
or there to one of our super smash teams. I mean,
at the moment teams decide whether they want to get
a Jayawardener or an Elise Perry or whoever it might

(31:40):
be into their team. It's almost, as I say, ad
hoc and often as the result of happy circumstances rather
than actual planning. It feels to me as though the
NZ twenty sides would once they had their established Black
Caps and New Zealand players and there would target three

(32:02):
or four high quality overseas player. I think that's the difference,
and the trick would be tempting them to New Zealand
ahead of the likes of the Big Bash and the
South African twenty competition, which are on at the same time.

Speaker 12 (32:20):
Now.

Speaker 2 (32:21):
I had a suggested to me last week that if
you're an overseas player and you have a family that
you'd like to travel with for a month in January,
and you'd like to take them to a country and
experience all that country has to offer while you're playing cricket,
that New Zealand would be a very attractive proposition in
that regard, certainly a lot more attractive perhaps than certain

(32:45):
parts of South Africa. So I think we have that
in our favor. The other thing we have here in
New Zealand is an ability to allow big, big stars
from other countries just to blend in. Indian players would
be certainly allowed and I'm sure encouraged to be involved

(33:05):
in this competition, and I'm sure some of those high quality,
high profile Indian players would love the relative anonymity of
being here in New Zealand because in their own country
they can hardly go out without being absolutely mobbed. It's

(33:26):
a bit better in Australia. In fact, it's a lot
better in Australia. But still perhaps there's a degree of
it over here. If we were walking down the street,
you or I and saw Rowat Sharma or Resharb Pant
or ms DONI would probably just give them the up
eyebrows theyky mate and carry on. I think there's a
high degree of attraction for that in overseas players. More

(33:49):
text to rebi a spear line, if you want to
jump a boll, we're going to switch to rugby after
one o'clock. But let's talk some NZ twenty cricket. Any
fish hooks I'm missing or are you all in on this?
It feels to me as though it's the invigoration of
the shortest form of the game here that is needed
and it's a good time for it too. With the
lapsing of the broadcast deal. New Zealand Cricket looking for

(34:11):
a shot in the arm for T twenty in Seid
twenty has a lot to like about it. Back in
a second Weekend Sports sixteen to one.

Speaker 1 (34:19):
The big issues on and after field call oh eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty Weekend Sport with Jason Fine
and GJ. Gunner homes New Zealand's first trusted home. Bilder
News talks.

Speaker 2 (34:30):
A baby thirteen away from my back to the lines
in a six Just got a message from my good
friend and colleague at the New Zealand Herald, Alex Powell,
who who texts don't forget Piney about the IPL team's
multi club ownership. Players, for example, contracted to Mumbai Indians
would have to play for Mumbai Indians Cape Town in
the SA twenty or Mumbai Indians Emirates in the ILT twenty.

(34:54):
Before New Zealand entered the conversation. It's a good point,
as always from New Alex feels as though there are
enough players to go around, though, but you do make
a good point, Phil, Good afternoon, mate.

Speaker 13 (35:04):
Loon Powney, how are you very good?

Speaker 6 (35:08):
Excellent? Excellent?

Speaker 13 (35:09):
I've gone a wee bit blank because I was just
talking to Andy and I said, I quite likely because.

Speaker 2 (35:15):
You're having a bit of conversation, been a conversation with
my producer, then with me.

Speaker 13 (35:20):
Well, I just I just listened to the interview. You know,
there was an excellent interview that had with the fellow
and I was thinking the same thing when that person
texted and says that Don McKinnon the politician, because that
was I was thinking that too, but or wondering that,
but and then I had it. So I had a
couple of questions because it's to replace the super smashes

(35:40):
and not a domestic competition, But I do like the
sound of it and the idea of it, and I
think it it's worth a going that. But I was
kind of thinking my own sort of reservations are would
we would we be able to attract the big players here,
the big name players because of the money that they

(36:01):
can get, you know, going to Australia with their Big
Bash in the South African competition and which I imagine
would have a lot more money, you know, so that.

Speaker 2 (36:09):
Well, yeah, well if the money was the same, though, Phil,
we see again we I think we need to realize
just how much money there is and and of course
we gravitate towards India and when we talk cricket, but
I think we, you know, don't underestimate how much money
there is sofa, if a team owner wanted to match

(36:30):
what was available in South Africa and the Big Bash
and the ILT twenty, then they would be able to.
So then it becomes a conversation around where do you
want to go to play your cricket if money was
the if the money was the same everywhere, it's then
about other factors that you use to attract those players.

Speaker 13 (36:50):
Oh yeah, oh that's quite good then, yeh, Because if
it comes down to like a private owner for a start,
and I did like the idea, like you said, and
he did say, didn't he that that would start off
with like a private owner picking up the paying for
it basically, and then would a New Zealand cricket takeover
or something. But I but I like.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
No, no, no news, No, New Zealand Cricket wouldn't take
over it. No, that that that is not part of this.
They would There would be a league investor and then
the and then the franchise of six of them would
be sold to private ownership. So New Zealand Cricket are
I was going to say, an interested bystander. They endorsed this,
it's part of their obviously, it's part of the cricket

(37:32):
program here in New Zealand. But they would not in
any way have an ownership ownership stake. That is my understanding.

Speaker 13 (37:38):
Oh good one, okay. And he did say that that
money would go down to the organizations, wouldn't it like
the cricket organizations, and be into the and yeah, so
supporting and putting money into our own domestic organizations and
things like and help them.

Speaker 2 (37:56):
YEA a major association fund I think he called it,
phil saying that, yes, that that would be something that
would happen. And I got sort of a little bit
more detail about that in terms of the major associations
benefiting through that community fund, which will be part of
the revenue generated out of this out of this competition.

(38:17):
Feel good to chat to you made. I'm glad you
your mind unblanked. Good conversation. Always good to have a
chat to you. Make a couple of other texts before
we move on. If the focus Jason is on having
access to a game of wash with capital, that can
only be good for cricket in New Zealand. Frankly, we're
probably a bit late to that party, so coming up
with this can only be good. Helps having Stephen Fleming involves,
says Mike. Yeah, no, there's some good credibility in it.

(38:37):
Even listening to Don McKinnon, he's clearly a pretty capable guy,
right And if he was invited into this conversation three
or four months ago, and at any stage in that
time worked out that this was not a goer, he
would have jumped off. He would he just would have said, hey,
thanks guys, interesting what you're doing, but not for me.

(38:58):
The fact that he hasn't a guy with his credibility
says a lot about it. Mar says, can we have
more games in Napier Piney? We need the rain, it's
how you break the drought and Napier de schidual from
cricket There eight to one New STALKSB.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
Analyzing every view from every angle in the sporting world
weekends for it with Jason Pie they call eight hundred
and eighty and eighty US talks.

Speaker 2 (39:24):
NB five to one. Just on the the Indian players
being available to play, Yes, I said before they'd be
able to play. Obviously, the rule at the moment is
that if you are an IPL contracted player or contracted
to or you want to play international cricket, you can't
play in the other legs. I was thinking of rav Ashwin,

(39:45):
who recently signed with the Sydney Thunder in the Australian
Big Bash League. But I've had to point it out
to me that he had to end his IPL career
in order to be able to play in the Big Bash.
So it was a bit of a groundbreaking situation for
rav Ashwin. So yes, Indian pliers would have to make

(40:05):
that decision. But it feels to me like Indian cricketers
a bit like New Zealand rugby players. You know, there
are a lot of high quality Indian cricketers who we
have never heard of, never ever heard of, but who
given the opportunity and the platform, could become absolute superstars

(40:26):
in the T twenty games. So again, yes there are
players who would be off the table, but I still
feel as though there will be a lot of players
on the table. And New Zealand as an attractive destination
for a franchise cricketing experience in January. Unique and boutique
is what Don McKinnon called it. I think would be
a very very palatable proposition, particularly as I say, if

(40:48):
you're traveling with your family you want to you know
the worst places you can spend a month then New
Zealand in January. Yes, I know the weather sometimes doesn't
come to the party, but oftentimes it does. Thanks for
your cause and correspondence heaps of texts, we'll keep in
close contact with NZ twenty and and update you on
their progress as well. After the news at one we'll

(41:10):
flick across the rugby final Test match of the year,
All Blacks v Wales tomorrow morning in Cardiff's.

Speaker 1 (41:17):
The only place to discuss the biggest sports issues on
and after fields. It's all on Weekend Sport with Jason
Tade on your Home of Sport US Talks one seven.

Speaker 2 (41:31):
Welcome into Weekends Sport. Welcome back in an hour or
so from now, Sir Ian Botham. Lord Botham, I think
is this correct title these days? One of the greatest
cricketers of all time. I'm going to join us on
the show talking Ashes. Did you see that yesterday over
in Perth? Nineteen wickets on the first day games half over?

(41:52):
We've only got through one day. Quite the scenes in
Perth with players forgetting how to bat when playing red
ball cricket for long periods of yesterday anyway, have a
look back on day one prospects for the Ashes and
also a bit of a wander down memory lane hopefully
as well with Lord Botham when he joins us after

(42:15):
two o'clock Rugby shortly as we zoom in on the
final All Blacks Test of the year against Wales ten
past four tomorrow morning. Full commentary here on news Talks
d B as the All Blacks take on Wales. It's
a funny old feeling, isn't it. I heard a great
description during the week of this Test match from Elliott Smith,
our match commentator and rugby editor on the Rugby Direct podcast.

(42:39):
He said, this feels like the bronze medal match at
a World Cup, and it does. That's exactly what it
feels like. It's almost got a sense of being anti climactic.
We were all looking forward to the Grand Slam and
the possibilities of the All Blacks becoming the first site
in fifteen years to beat all four of the home

(43:00):
nations and test matches across a month. England put paid
to that last week and there's been a malaise hanging
over All Blacks fandom I sense in the last week
or so. So what do you need to see tomorrow
morning to emerge from twenty twenty five with a bit
of optimism or is that a ship that has sailed.

(43:22):
I'm going to hear from Alex Cuthbert shortly fifty Test
Welsh winger played a couple of times against ther Bax
scored the very first time he played against them actually
twenty twelve and Cardiff. He's standing by the chat to
us in terms of live sport. Liam Lawson and practice
number three at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. That's underway
in around twenty minutes at one point thirty, and we
should have toys and team details from Seddon Park and

(43:44):
Hamilton as well in around half an hour. The third
and final one day International between the black Caps and
the West Indies before they revert to test mode. What
are we going to see over here in these test
matches in December? Hopefully these test matches will get into
the sort of third or fourth day anyway that all
remains to be seen. You can call us at any
time of eight hundred and eighty ten eighty then it's

(44:06):
a text nineteen ninety two. As I say, the thirteenth
the final All Blacks Test of the year, Principality Stadium
card of ten past four tomorrow morning, New Zealand time.
It's the thirty eighth meeting between these two dating back
to nineteen oh five. Wales won three of the first four,
but the All Blacks have won the last thirty three

(44:27):
test matches between the two, dating all the way back
to nineteen sixty three. Matches between the two have been
infrequent in recent times. This is just the fifth meeting
since a three test series here in New Zealand in
twenty sixteen, and it's the first time the All Blacks
have played Wales in over three years. Great pleasure to
welcome into the show former Welsh winger Alex Cuthbert.

Speaker 14 (44:48):
Checking it up by Sam robiton Dexcleayer, Oh the halfway,
he's on his own, slums into the last Lady Thinnish
defense such.

Speaker 2 (44:56):
As oh and Farrell.

Speaker 14 (44:57):
Now the worst fours arrayed. Phillips gets it out too,
bigger de Ley, Halfpenny, Jimmie Roberts, chip minute on the outside,
us Bitler them closing the gap did it first? That
must be a ship championship to Wales. Absolutely fantastic. They

(45:19):
kept the best until last. Nothing at all England could
do from their own twenty two Wales with the try
of the championship and the try to win the championship
a second for Alex Cuthbert and Wales magnificent.

Speaker 2 (45:36):
Heh high excitement there. Alex Cuthbert debut for Wales twenty
eleven went on to earn fifty seven caps for his
national site, scoring sixteen tries, including that one, and playing
a pivotal role in the Six Nations Grand Slam winning
campaign in twenty twelve and the Six Nations Championship win
in twenty thirteen. He also toured with the British and
Irish lines to Australia in twenty thirteen, where he scored

(45:57):
a crucial try in the first Test victory over the
Wallabies in Brisbane. At club level, he enjoyed success with Cardiff,
Exeter and Osprayce and officially announced his retirement in September.
He's already started to forge a successful career in rugby
punditry across various platforms. Alex Cuthbert is with us. Alex,

(46:17):
thanks for joining us, mate. I'm going to dive straight
in here. What has happened to Welsh rugby in the
two years since the last Rugby World Cup?

Speaker 3 (46:26):
Wow?

Speaker 15 (46:27):
Good morning and how long have you got mate? It's
been a it's been a bit of a rollercoaster, to
be honest, mate. You know, weirdly, I was actually that
was my last campaign, was the World Cup. So I
got injured in the summer before and I didn't play
a game after that, to be honest, So that that

(46:48):
was my last campaign. And weirdly we were actually in
an all right state, you know, in terms of obviously
Warren Gatton coming in, we got out the group. We know,
beat like the Fiji. We absolutely thunked Australia forty points
and you could look at that squad then and think, oh,
hang on better, you know, there's something to work with.
But I think after that World Cup, a lot of

(47:10):
boys retired, obviously, like myself down bigger and when there
were a number of boys, and I think there was
just a bit of some wrong decision in maybe getting
rid of us too soon, maybe not trying to integrate
some youngsters. And then we'll see then a lot of
things happening with the union in terms of budgets and

(47:32):
contract situations because we had a number of strike you know,
I was in one where we were literally just about
to pull the plug against England, which is one of
the biggest games in you know, in the European fictionalist.
So yeah, since then, mate, it's sort of gone down here,
and obviously now they're trying to decide whether we cut

(47:53):
the amount of regions. You know, it's like they're all
about trying to get rid of the team down in
West Wales, whether that's the Osprays or Scarlets. You know,
that's pretty much like trying to say they're going to
get rid of the Highlanders because they're down south. So
you know, geographically it just seems wild, doesn't it. So yeah,
a lot of things up in the air mate, at
the moment, and it's a lot to take in, you know,

(48:15):
especially this Welsh and national team. There's a lot of
young players in there who a lot of this is
happening for the first time.

Speaker 2 (48:21):
So if we look with an optimistic leans, then how
much optimism is there that, you know, having been through
this very challenging two year period, that things can and
will turn around in the next little while or will
it still take a bit of time.

Speaker 15 (48:39):
This is going to be sometime, mate. This is we're
talking a number of years. We're talking near enough an
era in terms of where they put the money now,
So do you put your pump your money into these
three regions and hopefully you know, we start correcting players,
but it starts on the bottom for me, so like
school level and that's sort of that age grade when

(48:59):
they're getting into sort of like cults rugby and senior
men's rugby. We're losing too many kids, so we lose
a lot because to England for college and education, and
then obviously then clubs in England pick up those players
and then obviously we've lost a few.

Speaker 3 (49:14):
I likes to fail.

Speaker 15 (49:15):
Manual bos He was you know, he's he lives in
you know, he's from Cardiff, should be playing for Wales
and he's playing for England. You know, we're not We're
not in a nation gifted with a lot of players,
our world class players to lose to England especially, So yeah,
that's going to be a big focus point in terms

(49:37):
of Obviously, firstly it's figuring out what team they are
going to get rid of, so we are definitely going
down to three teams, So that's the biggest talking point,
and and and and trying to navigate through that because
it's it's gonna get messy. Let's be honest. You know,
there's no one that's just going to say, oh yeah,
I'll put my hand up and be the team to go.
You know, it's going to come to tender and then
we're talking all finances then. But ideally in the future,

(49:59):
I guess we're going to get to a point in
two years where hopefully our product is good enough to
maybe move leagues or something like that.

Speaker 3 (50:05):
That's the what's been banded around.

Speaker 15 (50:07):
But for me, I think we need to put our
money into our into our infrastructure lower down and the
players that we're losing, especially the younger ages, and whether
we look to the World Cup in six years and
ten years, maybe that might be the right answer. And
maybe not give up on this team now in the
next World Cup, but you know, put the resources in
the in the areas where we're going to start to

(50:28):
see some benefit, whether it is five, six, seven, eight
years time.

Speaker 2 (50:31):
It is such a challenging and interesting time for Welsh rugby.
How is new Welsh head coach Steve Tandy regarded.

Speaker 3 (50:41):
Yeah, I thought as Ricker sort of speaks to himself.

Speaker 15 (50:44):
For I think, you know, we went to As he's
done his trade in Wales.

Speaker 3 (50:48):
Then he went out and went to the Waratas.

Speaker 15 (50:50):
I think, you know, that's the best thing for a
young coaches, going out and exploring different experiences.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
It opens your eyes because.

Speaker 15 (50:56):
When you end up being in a country or coaching
in a place for a long period of time, even
as a player, I remember when I was in Wales
and you feel like that's the b or and end,
or then I moved away and you're like, well, hang
on a minute, let's see the game completely different. So
I think Steve's done that, you know, and then he
went to Scotland and he definitely improved their defense. Albeit
you know, we're seeing this leaking a little bit at

(51:18):
the moment, isn't it. But I think he's the right
man because he's welsh Man's Welsh, He's very passionate. He's
a guy that's going to feel the hurt of the
nation in terms of you know, being twelve in the
world is absolutely insane when you think about it, really
where we were even five, six, seven years ago, we
were actually weirdly world number one for a week, so,
you know, not that long ago. So yeah, I think

(51:41):
he's the right man. He's got some young coaches as well.
You know, they're going to earn their trades and I
guess we will figure out in the next eighteen months
really if that group are really gonna be good enough.
But the end of the day, mate, you're only as
good as what you've got to deal with, isn't it.
In terms of your player pool and the quality of players.
And if you look at that Welsh squad, the good

(52:03):
rubber players, but I'd probably say we only got two
three world class rubber players. The rest are good rugby players.
But are they up to international level at the moment. No,
But you can sort of forgive some of them with
obviously the excuses over the last couple of years. But
it's going to get to the point where Steve's gonna
have quite a bit of time with these guys and
if we don't see any I guess identity or a

(52:26):
bit of fight in these games, we're just going to
get further and further behind. In the likes of Arzentina,
who are absolutely flying. You know, you obviously maybe they're
going through a bit of a transition period at the moment.
Australia not sure where they are, but you know, South
Africa seemed to be just flying further and further ahead,
and we don't want that gap to get bigger because
the whole point of the new restruction of this league

(52:48):
is that we get closer together and it's more competitive,
isn't it.

Speaker 2 (52:52):
Well, let's talk about this game. Do the All Blacks
feel in any way vulnerable to you given what happened
at twicking them a week ago?

Speaker 3 (53:01):
No, not all.

Speaker 15 (53:02):
I'll be honest. That game I look at it from
a point of view where they're You look at the
stats and you think, how are they lost by that much?
So that I don't think they're far off it, But
looking at their team this weekend, it's very It's quite mismatch,
isn't it for you? I don't know what you guys
think about it, but there's a lot of players that
haven't played a lot of minutes together, a lot of

(53:24):
obviously top perhaps players, don't get me wrong, you know,
likes of that Rico Idy and Antilip Brown and these
sort of guys who don't get me wrong. They probably
just love a night out in Cardiff and then they
go well every time they come here, don't they. So
you know, I don't think there's any pressure on them.
The bookies have got Wales plus twenty eight. You know
that they're obviously expecting to win pretty well. But whether

(53:44):
Wales can sort of rattle certain players, you know, they
haven't had a lot of minutes. They don't seem to
be quite on the money babes, you know, in terms
of what they're after. Defensively they look quite weak and
you know, especially off set piece. You know how England
sort of seem to really get some games through there.
So Wales Matt Chare at the backs coach is very
good at start a place. So if Wales can get

(54:05):
a little bit parody in the line out and the
scrum Whaloes won't be quite dangerous because we have got
some extracts to players, but we just seem to we
lose control when we're not winning the front foot game line.
And the New Zealand are pretty good defensively as well.
And they're very good New Zealand their defensive lineup, so
that's gonna be a problem as well.

Speaker 2 (54:23):
For worse, you first played against the All Black selex
And twenty twelve, scored a try and that taste match
at calif all of your most vivid memories of that day.

Speaker 3 (54:34):
Oh, I loved it.

Speaker 15 (54:34):
It was class I think, you know, I'd only just
sort of joined the squad for a year and I
was sort of I guess you could say I was
probably still a fan mate, to be honest, you know,
I was that that team, you know, standing the Hacker
was unbelieve atmosphere and you know the team we played,
you can Nate McCaw ma Carter there was. You know,
that's probably one of the greatest All Blacks teams in
the long, long time. Isn't it so very lucky to

(54:56):
be involved that? And I loved every minute it And
we probably were a bit of rabbit headlights, probably gave
All Blacks too much respect maybe, and.

Speaker 3 (55:03):
They got a pretty good first half and we fought back.

Speaker 15 (55:06):
I think we scored a thirteen man lineup, which was
the first I think Gats wanted that, so he got that.
And then I remember we played All Blacks a couple
of years later and for seventy to two minutes we
were winning and actually we all thought we were actually
going to win the game, and then a Bowden Barrett
Golden Boy chip over the top. You know, it looks
like it's still a bounce into Lee Halfpenny's hand, you know,

(55:28):
straight into his hand. He scored, and then it sort
of just opened the floodgates and m pulled away. But
he always love playing your brats because you know they
test you in every asset of the game, whether.

Speaker 3 (55:39):
It's mindset, the physicality. They've got everything.

Speaker 8 (55:43):
You know.

Speaker 15 (55:43):
You know when you play other teams like South Africa,
you know physically you got to match up Australia. You
know they've got great play, but if you match them physically,
you could probably outpower them. New Zealand just seemed to
have it all and I guess that over the last
couple years they may have lost that physicality battle a
little bit more, and South Africa probably overtake him. But
you know, they've still got some world class players with

(56:04):
a lot of talent. You know, I love will Joe
and I think he's an unbelievable player, just makes things happen.
Rico I only can be anything. Really, thirteen probably not
his best position, But and then Damian and Kenzie. He's
a box office, isn't he? So it's going to be
exciting again. I think there's gonna be a lot of
tries scored, so yeah, it's gonna be a fun one.

Speaker 2 (56:23):
So what would be a good outcome for Wiles? Then
it doesn't sound as though you're you know, you're optimistic
that they'll won the game? What do you say? Twenty
eight plus? The books are offering what would be a
good outcome for Wiles in terms of the way they
compete across the eighty minutes? Not necessarious school on Alex,
but but what you see out there for eighty minutes,
what would be a good outcome?

Speaker 3 (56:42):
Yeah?

Speaker 15 (56:42):
I think I think you've got to take the school
eye out of the game. I think that's let's be honest.
I can't come on here and just say, yeah, I
think we're going to win, because let's be honest, we're
not going to win. But what I want to see
is we want to see I want to see aggression
at the breakdown. I honestly, physically, I just want to
see them go after New Zealand. You know that New
Zealand hurt from losing to England. You know us the

(57:02):
worst was up for you guys. It's like us losing
to what you know. No one's to lose them boys today.
So you just want to see a bit of fight.
You want to see a little bit of continuity in
terms of I like Dan. They're sticking with Dan Embers
at ten. I think this new center partnership can work.
How do we get Lewis rough standard ball in space
because he's the fastest man in the field. He's got
great for Blair Murray, you know, I think earlier I

(57:24):
want to see him control those airs. He struggled the
last couple of games.

Speaker 3 (57:27):
We want it.

Speaker 15 (57:28):
If we can win that aerial game or compete in it,
we'll be in the game a bit longer. Because of
the last couple games we've lost it. We're just giving
teams such easy ins and you cannot give the team
like New Zealand nllnings so I want to see a
lot of tries. I think we can score three four tries.
I'd be pretty happy with that. And I look at
a bit of identity and and and be a bit
imaginative with some of our startup plays. You know, we

(57:49):
saw England rip the New Zealand open a few times.
So hopefully we can get a few good starters and
the platform is good enough to playoff. And yeah, I
do feel like there's gonna be a lot of tries,
but it'd be obviously the good result for you guys.

Speaker 2 (58:02):
Just the Finnish. If we just circle back to your
your career, and it was only very recently that you
officially announced your retirement, as you say, you know, as
recently as the last World Cup. You're involved in the
Welsh see that with the benefit of a little bit
of hindsight, now not a lot, but a little bit,
how do you reflect on your on your rugby career?

Speaker 15 (58:22):
Mate, To be honest, I got I haven't really got
any regrets. I've I've I've been involved in some really
top teams, whether it's for Wales ex the Chiefs. I
won the Premiership and the European Cup. I was lucky
enough to be win the European Cup for Cardiff. You know,
I've been in around winning teams and I've always had
that mentality and I guess it's just served me well
in the teams. I've always worked hard and I'll put

(58:45):
it to it. I was never the most you know,
amazing rugby player, but I grafted me and I worked
hard and I did the simple things well, I think
over and over and I guess coaches, you know, they
looked that, especially in big games, and I hopefully be
remembered for the big moments for Wales and for the Lions.
Obviously it's called as well. So yeah, I like the

(59:06):
big moments and I guess you could probably say I
was sort of one of them. And the only thing
I do regret is not touring with as straight with
Wales to New Zealand. I missed that series. I had
to have a New York before and you know I've
done the Wellington sevens back in the day and that
was well, you know what it was like was pretty good.
So yeah, that's the only the only the only regret

(59:27):
is just not been able to to tall New Zealand,
whether it's for the Lions or Wales. But other than that,
met Yeah, I've enjoyed every moment and you know the
best thing about it is my boys. Five he ended up,
he did get to watch me play, albeit get my
head taken off against Fiji.

Speaker 3 (59:41):
So yeah, no regrets for.

Speaker 2 (59:46):
You're not the even be the first all the last
guy then happened to get to Fiji. Old imagine and
look if you can make it down here. She would
absolutely love New Zealand, you know, in a in a
touring scenes and yeah, those Wellington sevens days gee though,
were absolutely iconic. Mate, it's been awesome to catch up.
Thank you so much for joining us across New Zealand
and enjoy the game. At Cardiff they choose mate, all
the best, All the best to you too, Alex Lex

(01:00:06):
but their former Welsh international winger and British and Irish
Lions winger as well. These days are rugby pundit and
as you can hear, they're a phillly astute analyst of
the game. Look, he's realistic, isn't he. He knows that
Wales are not going to beat the All Blacks tomorrow
morning at Cardiff. Look, I think even the most die
hard optimistic of Welsh fans would accept that. Look, it's

(01:00:28):
not absolutely impossible, of course it's not, but it would
be a massive shock, the shock of this World Cup cycle,
without a shadow of a doubt, if Wales, off the
back of what has been a pretty abject couple of
years since that Rugby World Cup, was somehow able to
tip up the All Blacks tomorrow morning. These talks from Rugby,

(01:00:50):
you can open the lines on it. Oh, eight hundred
eighty ten eighty. I'm not entirely sure. I had to
feel about this Test match as I say, we are
going to beat Wales, aren't we? But the fact that
there are so many changes from last weekend in terms
of the team almost creates a little bit of a
false economy. In many ways, a decent chunk of the

(01:01:13):
players who faced England aren't even going to be involved
in this game in Cardiff. They're going to watch from
the stands de Groot, Taylor, Savia Larkey, Roy Guard, Boden Barrett,
to Pire, Proctor Carter. How many is that? Nine? Nine
players from the starting fifteen last week aren't even going

(01:01:36):
to be involved in this one? So unlike a midyear test,
when you can assess the team's ability and players' abilities
to bounce back from a defeat. You can't rarely do
that in this case. You can't say that if we
beat Wales comfortably tomorrow morning, that is the result of

(01:01:57):
being stung last week, because it's an almost entirely different team.
It's an All Blacks team with wholesale changes, Guys who
have had very little rugby the last month finally getting
their chance. And in that regard, it's a good thing
we haven't seen Ricco Yowane for ages. When was the
last time Riko Juani played a game of rugby? Just

(01:02:19):
trying to work that out. He didn't play at all?
Did he against Ireland, Scotland or England. There's a guy
with you'd have to think a point to prove. Reuben
Love another one. He's had next to no rugby in
an All Blacks jersey this year, just a second starts
he started against France and Hamilton in the third Test

(01:02:42):
in that series. Finally gets another crack at it. Antony
leonnet Brown, Look, you know he I'm sure thinks he
still has plenty to offer this All Black side. Even
though there's perhaps a school of thought along with the
likes of Riko Jouanne and sever Reese is on the
reserves bench for this one, that their ship has sailed,
that they perhaps have reached the end of their all

(01:03:04):
Blacks career. So Kena know how you think it will
play out, and the bigger question obviously is how we
rate the year. That will be what dominates the rugby
discussion over the next few weeks. We really, I guess,
have to wait until after tomorrow to accurately do that.
We probably should at least give Wales that courtesy of

(01:03:27):
waiting until tomorrow before we start judging a year. Let's
wait until the year's actually finished. It feels though, to
me like whatever happens tomorrow won't have huge relevance on
how we assess twenty twenty five on the whole. The
losses this year to England at Twickenham last week, to

(01:03:50):
Argentina in Argentina for the first time, and that record
loss in Wellington, these are big talking points when you
review a year. But then when you zoom up and
out from it and you look down upon it, I
feel the same as I felt last Sunday when I
said this, there just doesn't seem to be the improvement.

(01:04:13):
The improvement that we all expected that there would be.
And at the risk of repeating something I said last week,
I do not feel more optimistic about the World Cup
now than I did when Scott Robertson took over as
coach because and I don't know that many or any
all Blacks fans do. Do you, hand on heart feel

(01:04:36):
more confident about winning the Rugby World Cup now than
you did at the start of twenty twenty four. We've
got some time to talk to some rugby before we
get to Perth, to chat with Adam Peacock and then Lord,
both of them after two o eight hundred eighty ten
eighty some preliminary rugby thoughts. I know you'll have lots
to talk about tomorrow once the test is done, but

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Speaker 1 (01:05:59):
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Speaker 4 (01:06:06):
Was trusted home Milder News Talk to Baby.

Speaker 2 (01:06:09):
Twenty five to two Cold I Charlie, Hey, Jase, are
you doing?

Speaker 5 (01:06:14):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:06:14):
Well mine, I haven't heard from you for a while.
How are you being?

Speaker 16 (01:06:16):
I know certainly I've been do what I've been doing.

Speaker 2 (01:06:20):
You don't have to apologize. You don't have to apologize
for not getting in touch Tally. I know, I know
how you are.

Speaker 11 (01:06:26):
Mate.

Speaker 16 (01:06:27):
If I'm ever going to call after an England win,
I should have been after We care a bit flat,
But I am man. I enjoyed the Ashes yesterday.

Speaker 7 (01:06:35):
That was unbelievable. The atmosphere was just absolutely incredible.

Speaker 16 (01:06:38):
I just forgot how great it is.

Speaker 2 (01:06:40):
Yeah, so good.

Speaker 16 (01:06:41):
That's That's not why I called. I was just wanted
to commentation about after watching the breakdown last weekend, which
I really enjoy and I don't know if you saw it,
but Mills was was free scathing on the coach and
such like. One of the things I disagree with them.
One he said he thought we had the players at
the moment and that it was basically it wasn't a
player issue or a quality issue, and I'm not sure

(01:07:03):
about that. And I was asking people at work about
how many all blacks today would get into World fifteen,
and I can't remember it being a time where that
potentially would have been so few.

Speaker 2 (01:07:15):
Great filter to look at it through, Charlie, and I
agree with you, and then you start comparing it and
I know this is a little bit fraught with danger.
But then you start comparing this team to the team
of say twenty fifteen, and you say, how many from
this team would supplant a player from that wonderful twenty
fifteen side for example, or any of the great All

(01:07:35):
Black sides that we've we've been watching. There are a
couple of world class class players in there, but I, yeah,
I tend to agree with you that it is not
a generational All Blacks team in terms of the talent.

Speaker 16 (01:07:49):
Yeah, I think we've got some good All Blacks in
the team. I mean, potentially someone like Already we'll look
back on that and hopefully someone like Roy god in
the future of his early days for him. But in general,
you know, someone like Mackenzie for example, that everyone got
so over excited about off the Scottish game. For me,
solid all black. You know, he can do some amazing things,
no doubt, but he'll never go down as a great

(01:08:12):
All Black. I mean, you know, never in the history.
And you know, I'm not really picking on him, but
I'm just looking across the board about even like a
Will Jordan, I don't know where he's going to sit.
He's scored lots of tries and such like, but there
are very very few right now. I could honestly say
that I would remember probably in ten years time and
as potentially a great team. And you're right, none of

(01:08:33):
this team potentially would get into that twenty fifteen team.

Speaker 7 (01:08:36):
I really don't think.

Speaker 2 (01:08:38):
Yeah, it's a great point, and yeah, I think Will
Jordan will absolutely become our top Test tri scorer. He
seems to have that on his sites and he's so
prolific that no doubt he'll knock that off at some
stage in the next year or so. But yeah, when
you look back in one of our favorite pastimes, you know,
naming ol our all time greatest All Blacks team, is
he going to be there at fallback for example, ahead

(01:09:00):
of the likes of a Christian Cullum. Is it going
to be one of our great wingers alongside the likes
of Jonah and others. So yeah, it's a it's a
great fielder to run it through. Mate, Just thought, what
I've got you. There's the ashes. I love the issues,
absolutely love it. But what a bogger's day yesterday, What
a crazy day of cricket.

Speaker 16 (01:09:19):
I mean, it was just extraordinary because the pitch didn't
really look that difficult. I mean there's bouncy which you're
going to get.

Speaker 7 (01:09:24):
Over there anyway.

Speaker 16 (01:09:26):
But I thought, okay, well the English are going to
do what the English do and that you know, they're
just crazy. But the Australians, and I'm not really sure
quite is how bad their batting is or how good
the England bowling is. But if that is a you know,
I wouldn't be buying.

Speaker 7 (01:09:41):
It to a ticket for the fourth day at the moment.

Speaker 16 (01:09:44):
I mean, it could be over today. I mean, it's
it's that extraordinary right now that the way the players
are playing, I'm getting the pitch will calm down like
it did last time they were there, although it's obviously
a different environment, but it's just the noise and it
just reminds you how much the Australians are crazy and
how much Test match cricket and we just don't.

Speaker 4 (01:10:05):
Get it here anymore.

Speaker 16 (01:10:06):
It's sad that we don't get you the bossing Day
Test match and whatever here and I really miss that,
certainly coming from the UK, where Test matches that have
valued so highly.

Speaker 2 (01:10:16):
Yeah, looking forward to our team getting over the next summer.
How good to hear from you again, Charlie mate. I
know how busy you are, so I appreciate you taking
the time to call and make callback anytime. Oh eight
hundred and eighty ten out his own number, high, Jim.

Speaker 11 (01:10:29):
How are you good?

Speaker 6 (01:10:31):
I'm just wondering if Scott Robertson has been enough yet
to get the fack after all these at least two coaches,
and Jamie Joseph and Joe Smith who do a far
far with a job. If Jamie Joseph had been coaching them,
they wouldn't have been so poorous against the English, I'm sure, Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:10:49):
A couple of parts of this, Jim. One is I
don't think they will make the change. I saw a
reported yesterday by Gregor Paul and The Herald as a
possible here. I think he described it as a nuclear
option that they would after two years of Scott Robertson,
make a change for the next Rugby World Cup. I
don't think they will. I just don't know whether they'll

(01:11:10):
have the courage or the stomach for it. And the
second part of is that you have to have somebody
like a Jamie Joseph or a Joe Schmitt ready to
take over. Now Jamie Joseph, as we know, is currently
employed by the Highlanders, and he took that New Zealand
fifteen job, so he's clearly in and the rounds. But
I don't think he brings Tony Brown with him. I
think Tony Brown probably stays with South Africa at the moment.

(01:11:32):
So look, would we be in a better position. Don't know.
It might all be a moot point, Jim, because I
don't think they'll make the change.

Speaker 11 (01:11:41):
No, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:11:43):
Yeah, but it up though, Jim. Good to kick it
around anyway. Look, isn't it Isn't it crazy?

Speaker 3 (01:11:48):
Though?

Speaker 2 (01:11:49):
Isn't it crazy? If you and I were talking, you know,
at the start of the twenty twenty four international season
and you'd suggest it to me, I'll be calling you
in mid November next year and talking about a possible
coaching change. You know, we wouldn't have believed it, would we.
I don't think any of us expect it to be
in the situation. Good on your Jim, Thanks for calling

(01:12:09):
and mate, love talking to you. Thanks indeed, nineteen away
from two a couple of texts before we move Kilopiney.
Only two alarms left for the Northern tour. One to
get up to watch the All Blacks play Wales, and
one about the current state of All Blacks rugby. Not
sure if there's any upside for the All Blacks and
what feels like a third fourth playoff minus the medal.
If the Bench Blacks play well, there'll be questions about
why these players weren't given earlier opportunities. If they don't,

(01:12:32):
there'll be questions about Razors selection capabilities. There seems to
be a sense of panic in both the players and
coaching staff that is very uncharacteristic of the All Blacks.
The text continues, there is not a winning margin that
will make up for last week's loss and restore trust
in the current coaching panel. And as this fixture has
shifted from being a certain win to ice the Grand

(01:12:53):
Slam to becoming a potential banana skin, I wonder what
if Wales do pull off a win? Thanks Aden, Look,
I think I said before that that New Zealand Rugby
won't have the courage to make a change. Don't have
the courage or the inclination. The other part of it
is also with Mark Robinson leaving as CEO and no
appointment in our future, who would actually do the sacking.

(01:13:18):
If they were to do it, I guess it falls
to the board. But anyway, as I say, I cannot
see a scenario under which they make a change. Wales
will play one for the ages, says GT, and eventually
take it by three with a penalty right at the end.
The singing and the valleys will carry on until the

(01:13:39):
sun comes up. Your reddit here first, GT. If you're right,
then I think we will have to close down the
news talks. He'd be phone system tomorrow because it will
implode upon itself. Thanks for your text. We'll take a break,
come back and get you to Perth, where day two
of the first ASHES test is about an hour and

(01:14:00):
a half away. Adam Peacock, our regular Australian correspondent, is
in Perth. We'll catch up with him shortly.

Speaker 1 (01:14:06):
Shod you be the TMO. Have your say on eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty Weekends Sport with Jason Pain
and GJ. Guvnerholmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder.

Speaker 9 (01:14:16):
News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:14:17):
They'd be news talks. There'd be one forty five, get
you to Perth and just a moment with Adam Peacock.
Don't forget after two were joined by Lord Botham, Sir
Ian Botham. Ian Botham just call them what you will.
One of the all time great English cricketers. He's in
Perth as well. He'll give us his assessment of the
first day where English cricketers at the moment. Does he
like the the Brendan McCullum effect. Is he a fan

(01:14:38):
of the way they play their Test match cricket And
perhaps we can reminisce a little bit with Ian Botham
as well. I was looking at some of the stats
actually from what they called Botham's ashes in nineteen eighty one,
that absolutely extraordinary ashes series which Ian Botham began as
England captain and the captaincy was taken off them after

(01:15:02):
the first two Test matches, a loss and a drawer,
and then from there he just and absolutely berserk with
bat and ball. And there was that utterly, utterly remarkable
Test match at Headingley where England won after following on
Ian both Them got one hundred and forty nine not
out in the second innings of that Test match, and

(01:15:22):
then Bob Willis came charging in and almost single handedly
bowled Australia out for not many took eight for and
from there England went on to claim one of the
most famous Ashes victories in their history. So Ian Botham,
Lord Botham to join us after two o'clock here on
news talks, he'd be but let's get you to Perth,

(01:15:44):
where our Australian correspondent, Adam Peacock is completely Bonker's day
off Ashes cricket yesterday, Adam England all at one seven
two Australia one twenty three for nine. Are we going
to get into a third day?

Speaker 6 (01:15:57):
Uh?

Speaker 7 (01:15:58):
Yeah, Because I stand here outside First Stadium right now
about to go in. It's actually sprinkling, so.

Speaker 8 (01:16:06):
That might play a part today.

Speaker 7 (01:16:07):
But no, it was an extraordinary day.

Speaker 11 (01:16:10):
It's cricket. There was just.

Speaker 7 (01:16:13):
Unfortunately it feels like modern cricket because things happened quickly
when the ball dominates the bat. So yeah, I don't
know what to think about what we're going to expect today.
I don't entirely know you can actually confidently predict anything.
But England are very much on top with this fifty

(01:16:34):
run advantage at the moment, with Australia only one weeket left.

Speaker 2 (01:16:37):
Can you can you just just clarify the situation A
situation with Osmond Kowaja, who should have been opening the
batting but didn't because what he spent too much time
off the field during England's and things.

Speaker 17 (01:16:51):
Is that right, Well, he was off the field when
the innings ended, so you need to be back out there,
and I think with seven minutes, you need to be
out there for like a seven minute period.

Speaker 7 (01:17:01):
So apparently got a backspasm and then matt backspasm meant
that he wasn't ready to go on and he wasn't
quite right, and that meant he couldn't come out and
bat straight away. And then obviously Australia lost the Wigan
in his first innings, so then everything falls back and
it was he falls down the order. So yeah, it

(01:17:23):
wasn't great, not ideal, but hopefully he gets himself right
and he's ready to take his proper place in the
lineup when Australia back again.

Speaker 2 (01:17:32):
Mitchell starks seven for fifty eight. How good was he yesterday?

Speaker 3 (01:17:37):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (01:17:37):
Brilliant, Yeah, just bold in the right areas, but bold
with the right rhythm. Knowing him a bit, he's kind
of prepped perfectly. He built up, built up, built up,
so he's got himself into a physical state, which is
really good. He just wasn't happy with his rhythm in
terms of spell on spell rhythm going in to the
Test match, but he found it yesterday. He was fantastic

(01:17:59):
and he deserved everything he got. Look, the second part
of England winnings was diabolical the way they went about it.
They lost five to twelve in nineteen four so there
was absolutely no patience whatsoever there and the Autralian bowlers
just put it in a good area and then the
English batters did the west for them. So yeah, he'd
be really satisfied with his bowling performance. He wouldn't be
verybody happy that he had to go out there and

(01:18:19):
bat in the day's play like he's done his part.
And this is where the division between batter and bowler
exists in a cricket dressing room. And I dare say
not that it was a horrible division in the dressing
room yesterday, but there would have been some silent moments
between the two sets of proponents that are meant to

(01:18:40):
be good at one thing in cricket, and yesterday the
batter just didn't name up.

Speaker 2 (01:18:44):
Yeah, and you talked about some of the English shot making,
there was some fairly average shot selection among the Australian
batters too, wasn't there.

Speaker 7 (01:18:52):
Yeah, that just doesn't seem that ability Like the greatest
thing you can have in j just cricket is patients
and how do you be patient with the ball with
the bat and that's just don't try and hit every
ball everybody, Like Travis said, for instance, he got himself
in twenty and yeah, he makes you pay by being attacking.
And he just hit a shot that he picked out

(01:19:15):
on and I'm not joking. There was no one within
sixty meters that that guy mid on a part from
the bowler, but there was no one else there, so
he was just penpted into that to go, yeah, wow,
look at all the space over there. I'll go for it,
and just picked out He could not have picked out
that field or any better. So yeah, on a ball
that you can just let go to the keeper, you

(01:19:35):
don't have to get involved with. But that's how Travis plays.
So but finding that balance that it feels like it's
really finite these days with the in Test cricket, these
batters were playing a lot of Test twenty cricket. They
just can't help themselves. So I don't know how they
find a way to rebult with that Australia. But they're
going to have to because if they come up and
you know, serve up one hundred and forty hundred and

(01:19:56):
forty in test matches, that these tests are going to.

Speaker 2 (01:19:58):
Go to days all right, ninety minutes until day two
starts just before you go. The Wallaby's repped there year
with the Test match against France Paris tomorrow morning. I've
lost to England, Italy and Ireland in the last three weeks.
What chance the Wallaby's getting end the year on a
high and beat France in Paris?

Speaker 7 (01:20:14):
Be a miracle? Yeah, And I'm only going off the
way that Australia are performing at the moment. And yeah,
that the air has certainly gone out of the balloom.
And there's a few questions been asked if Joe Schmidt
and but we've been here before and I think I've
said it to you more than a few times. When
the depth is tested in Australian rugby, bad things happen

(01:20:38):
like that. It's not we don't have the depth of
the other nations. We don't like England. They're making all
these changes week in week out, and they continue to
win test matches. So yeah, it's frustrating because that this
is where Australia rugby really needs to look after itself
for the future in terms of Okay, balance the book,
get them thought of, have the Lions to have the

(01:20:59):
World Cup, get the revenue going in the right direction.
But rugby league clubs all around Australia infiltrating the traditional
development pathway of Australian rugby, and that's the private schools.
They're becoming rugby league schools really quickly. So I've got
a few issues behind the scenes Rugby Australia to try

(01:21:21):
and rebuild the depths at the top level. So because
things like this are going to happen, we're when you're
scratching around on tours trying to find solutions that possibly
aren't there, and it's really unfair on the guys who
are playing and also trying to coach a squad when
they're just it's not a fair fight with some of
these European nations and countries like this New Zealand and

(01:21:42):
South Africa.

Speaker 2 (01:21:44):
Interesting times. Hey, great the chat has always Adam, enjoy
our perth mate. Hope Day two goes well and we
get a day three. Always good to catch up. Adam
Peacock are Australian correspondent, part of our Saturday seven to two.
Coming up to News at two and then we are
back to Perth where Lord both of them, Ian Botham
going to join us with a chat about the Ashes.
We'll also check them with Darryl Mitchell, who this week

(01:22:05):
went to the top of the ODI batting rankings, just
the second key we ever to do that. And we'll
look at Dan Hookers fight tomorrow morning as well. In
Hamilton the Western He's have won the toss and elected
to bat first in the third and final ODI that
is underway very shortly. We'll keep eyes on that for
you too.

Speaker 1 (01:22:24):
It's the only place to discuss the biggest Fours issues
on and after fields.

Speaker 4 (01:22:29):
It's all on WI.

Speaker 1 (01:22:30):
Jens Ford with Jason Vane on your home of Sport.

Speaker 2 (01:22:35):
Used Talks two seven. This is Weekend Sport on News
Talks AB. I'm Jason Pine with Any McDonnell producing the show.
We're in Perth again shortly, Lord Botham, Ian Botham to
join us Cricketing Royalty after a remarkable first day of
the Ashes with nineteen wickets falling, Lord botham gonna chat

(01:22:56):
to us about that and his incredible career. Daryl Mitchell's
on the show this hour as well. He no doubt
is watching what's happening in Hamilton with the black Caps
up against the West Indies, unable to play because of
a little groin injury he picked up in christ Urch
in Game one. The happy part of that is he
can chat to us about the upcoming Test series against

(01:23:17):
the West Indies and the fact he is now officially
the world's top ODI batsman, moving to the top of
the ICC rankings. During the week, we'll also look ahead
to Kiwi Dan Hooker's fight in Kata tomorrow morning the
UFC and Kuta for the first time. He'll take on
the Armenian Arman Serukian post of UFC on sky Ravi

(01:23:37):
Hunia to join us to preview that one.

Speaker 18 (01:23:39):
Well.

Speaker 2 (01:23:39):
Keep eyes on the one day are in Hamilton as well,
and on Liam Lawson in the final practice at the
Las Vegas Grand Prix. So heeps to entertain you hopefully
before we hand over the tim beverage for the weekend
collective at three. Let's get underway in this hour as
we always do around a past two with a look
back at some of the stuff that might have happened
outside of your sphere of consciousness, some of the stuff

(01:24:03):
you may have missed in case you missed. At the
A League back and a red cards couldn't stop Adelaide
United from running away with a big one at home
over Melbourne City. Barnett's kept it in. Look at the
spats for Ryan right in the middle. The bullvet's Ryan
White to pretty sit probably up the post again, Bunnet

(01:24:24):
flows up. It's full one, shabby Barnette if four won
the final score there at Cooper Stadium to the NFL.
The Houston Texans picking up a big upset win over
the Buffalo Bills, and it brings your gear back into
the backfield.

Speaker 12 (01:24:41):
Flare them out Allan throws off his back foot short picked.

Speaker 2 (01:24:46):
At the nine yard line.

Speaker 12 (01:24:48):
Full look now, it's over passionate appearance offense and the
Buffalo Bills are going to come into Houston at get
beaten for the second year in a row.

Speaker 2 (01:25:01):
The final score twenty three to nineteen, the Texans moving
above fifty percent in winning percine toge staying stateside and
NBA basketballer Korea high for seventy six a star Tyrese
Maxi pulled his team to an overtime victory over the
Milwaukee Bucks Brands.

Speaker 4 (01:25:18):
Blown Pascuzman drops it off to Drummond Maxie to the.

Speaker 18 (01:25:24):
Left hand perse fifty, a new career high.

Speaker 4 (01:25:27):
For mister Maxie. Sixers in prison, nine and six overall.

Speaker 2 (01:25:31):
And still with basketball, but close at a home in
the Australian National Basketball League, Elawarra Hawks star Javal McGhee
was oh so close to forcing the most unlikely of
overtimes against Melbourne United his three quarter a court Eve
finding the net, but it was released just after time expired.

(01:25:52):
Javal McGhee will have to go from Mick Court in
the head way of the Wassena. They're viewing it before
the fish of nearest.

Speaker 7 (01:26:10):
Development Eve waved it away.

Speaker 2 (01:26:13):
We're gonna go through a review. How Nope, Nope, it's
up the shop. Talk has expired, The Craig goes unanswered
and the Hawks are beaten on What the.

Speaker 1 (01:26:27):
Nights analyzing every view from every angle in the Sporting
World Weekend Sport with Jason Vye then call.

Speaker 2 (01:26:37):
Us talks eNB. It has been a chaotic opening day
meantime of the first Ashes cricket Test between Australia and
England in Perth. Stokes, white of the crease, gets him,
just gets biggets when his team made.

Speaker 18 (01:26:52):
Then Ben Stokes cars takes the catch.

Speaker 12 (01:26:56):
An England captain as he softened does, delivers exactly when.

Speaker 2 (01:27:00):
England needs something edge as a carry.

Speaker 10 (01:27:04):
They like it.

Speaker 2 (01:27:05):
This Harry Porkin. It's five for the captain. A huge
statement from them. Starts on the opening day. What a leader,
what a man. Incredible first day nineteen wickets falling the
most on the first day of an Ash's cricket Test
since nineteen o nine. England bundled out for one hundred

(01:27:27):
and seventy two, Mitchell Stark taking a career best seven
for fifty eight, but Australia could only manage one hundred
and twenty three for nine in reply at stumps on
day one day trail by forty nine runs. Day two
is underway in just over an hour from now. It's
a huge pleasure to welcome in one of the true
greats of English cricket and one of the game's best

(01:27:50):
ever all rounders in one hundred and two Test matches
across fifteen years in the England side. Ian Botham scored
five two hundred runs, including fourteen centuries, took three hundred
and eighty three Test wickets along with one hundred and
twenty catches. But more than that, he find English cricket
during his time in the side, and in nineteen eighty

(01:28:10):
one produced one of the most extraordinary performances in the
storied history of the Ashes, leading England to victory with
bat and ball. He was knighted in two thousand and
seven and in twenty twenty was appointed by the Prime
Minister to the House of Lords, so we now know
him as Lord Botham. Thanks for joining us, Lord Botham,
it's great to have you on the show. Let's start

(01:28:31):
with yesterday. What did you make of the start of
the current Ashes series? Nineteen wickets on the opening day.

Speaker 11 (01:28:38):
Well, you always say that quick bowls, fast bowls and
good bowls win matches, and we've got five very good
bowls out there and they're all around well from ninety
upwards Miles brow, So that showed yesterday in Australia have
looked very uncomfortable.

Speaker 2 (01:28:52):
Some of the batting from both sides actually was fairly ordinary.
Did you think there'd be a bit more discerning with
their shot selection both sides, given it was day one
of the ashes.

Speaker 11 (01:29:05):
Well, I don't think you're so. He's got very many
bad shots though, you're just bowled out and I think
that's the way. That's the way it's shaping. And go
to Brisbane next our day night, So goodness knows what
will happen with that with it, But no, look at
a very good day for England. They've got a decent
read should things should provide the weather doesn't interfere too

(01:29:27):
much today, But no, I think it's going to be
exciting day and almost wrap it up today.

Speaker 2 (01:29:34):
Well it's quite possible. Bean Stokes didn't come to the
bowl increase until the twenty eighth over, but mcd up
five for twenty three from six overs. Just as a
bowling captain, how do you know when it is the
right time to bring yourself on.

Speaker 11 (01:29:50):
Well, I think he saved himself. He let his main
strike bowlers go. They're all exceptional. Brad and Cass I
thought looked fantastic. He aggressive in the face of the
Australians and you know Josh Archer just says to run
up and people start to shake in. So no, it's
a strong side. This you need to give credit, not

(01:30:11):
saying bad shots and bad shots. You need say they
only make those bad shots when they're under pressure. We're
not fancying it and you're right.

Speaker 2 (01:30:19):
Some terrific bowling. Joshra Archer. He debot for England and
Test cricket in twenty nineteen. But this is only his
sixteenth Test. He's thirty now, but picked up both openers yesterday.
Could he still forge a good Test career in his
thirties for England as a fast bowler?

Speaker 11 (01:30:37):
Oh thirty not thirties? Yeah, yeah, but no he's If
he stays fit and strong, you have a massive impact
for probably the next four maybe five years.

Speaker 2 (01:30:50):
Another Test fifty yesterday for Harry Brook. Prodigious talents. How
good might he become? And he already is, but how
good might he be in all formats for England?

Speaker 11 (01:31:00):
Well, he's refreshing, he has no fear. He backs himself
against who ever's bowling, doesn't matter who it is. Mitchell
Stark he charged him the second ball and distracted before.
So look, you know he is a unique talent and
one that crowds are going to love to watch that
he is explosive and can win games very quickly.

Speaker 2 (01:31:24):
Are you a fan of England's approach to tat cricket
under Brendan McCullum.

Speaker 11 (01:31:28):
Well, no, never, Look now it's seventy or eighty runs
we're ahead. I leave it with that. Let's have a
work for you know, if you're seventy or eighty runs behind,
then we'd have a discussion. But at the moment in
the driving seat, very much.

Speaker 2 (01:31:41):
Sir, And I know there was a bit of check yep, sorry,
carry on.

Speaker 11 (01:31:45):
No, I's going to say that that's because of the
aggressive way they played, and you know you can't have
it always. People love it. Crowds are full, the highest
crowd they ever had here yesterday. It's going to be
like that all the way through this series. It's not
a series you want to go to sleep and pasting
will change quickly.

Speaker 2 (01:32:00):
Absolutely. And I know there was some talk about about,
I guess a list and comprehensive build up for the
England side. Again, we look at yesterday and it doesn't
seem to have previcted them too much. Do you think though,
they might have given themselves a bit more of a
build up to the ashes than the intersquad nets they head.

Speaker 11 (01:32:18):
Yeah, well I think I went on record as saying that,
and I felt that they needed more time to put
the build up. But we'll see that. You know, I
love it if they proved me wrong. Happy days, very
happy days.

Speaker 2 (01:32:31):
Your test career remarkable. Don't know time to cover the
whole thing, but I did want to ask about nineteen
ninety one, that remarkable series. How often do you think
back to that summer?

Speaker 11 (01:32:43):
No, as you guys keep reminding me, No, I'm actually
I'm pretty relaxed that all that. I think it was great.
I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the fact we turned people.
It must must forget that England was intermoil and a
little bit as is at the moment, but it was
in turmoil with we had the race, riots, we had

(01:33:04):
the minus strike. Everything you would possibly go wrong, what
was going wrong, and we happened to be the guys
that just suddenly turned the light on and gave everyone
something to look at. So look at the end of
the day, Yeah, it was a great moment personally, but
there's also great moments from a great team, a very
good team and a very good team that hell, there

(01:33:25):
has high you know, we were written off yet again
by a wonderful brass and who continuously writes some writers
off and yet when they actually start to perform. I
haven't seen the headlines today, but I should think they
might be quite as severe as they as they usually are.

Speaker 2 (01:33:42):
Were they quite severe leading into yesterday before the series
even started.

Speaker 11 (01:33:46):
Of course they weren't what you expect. They're English.

Speaker 2 (01:33:50):
Well, I just wanted to get confirmation. Really, I suspect that.
I suspect that they might be, but good to have
the confirmation. Yeah, well they might be quite there might
be a lot kinder today. It's just saying we're looking
at up you know, well you hope so, wouldn't you?

Speaker 11 (01:34:02):
So?

Speaker 2 (01:34:03):
Okay, so get the final wicket and then get back
and what is it likely to be like on day
two there? Do you expect a bit more application? Or
will England just continue to type and go for it
at five or six and over if they can?

Speaker 11 (01:34:15):
So what's this application? Is that mean you have forty
five balls and you have three runs and you get out?
Is that application?

Speaker 4 (01:34:20):
Well? I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:34:21):
You actually you make a very good point. You're right,
it's I guess people look at what how test cricket
used to be and applying yourself, playing yourself and all
that sort of stuff. Is that irrelevant now to Test.

Speaker 11 (01:34:32):
Cricket, It's not relevant. It's a matter you play accordingly.
And I think the pictures are like the usual Australian wickets.
This one is a little bit and even bounce, which
will continue the cracks to open and drop in pitches.
So at the moment there's only one side really, I
think is in the strongest, strongest position as the English.

(01:34:54):
At the end of the day. You know these guys,
you know, they're in their own world. They're very much
to keep themselves themselves. They do a lot of things
together and that's that's fantastic. It's great team spirit. We
did that in eighty six seven when we came over
here and it worked and we thrashed Australia. So hopefully
we'll see what happens now.

Speaker 2 (01:35:14):
Fantastic. What's the venue like in Perth? Most of us
here heaven had the chance to go. Is it a
good Test cricket venue?

Speaker 11 (01:35:20):
Well, it's it's the only one that's really viable because
old sixty thousand or whatever it is fifty odd thousands,
so so the stadium, yeah, I mean, i'd love to
see the Whacker only had what seventeen thousand capacity, so
you know logistically this is where it'll be. The Optic
Stadium is very modern. I think it's used by the
AFL most of the time as well, so it's getting

(01:35:43):
plenty of service. But that's the biggest crowd they've had.
So that's how it says a lot about the where
test career is now. It's exciting, it's buistic and it's
nice to say that England are in.

Speaker 2 (01:35:54):
Charge and look forward to seeing how the rest of
this taste and the eshes play out, Lord both And
thank you for taking the time for joining us across
New Zealand. I really appreciate your time.

Speaker 11 (01:36:03):
I'll be joining you in a lovely little island in
about a month or so's time, two months, son, so
look forward to.

Speaker 2 (01:36:10):
Look forward to having you down here, Lord both Them.
Thanks indeed, that's Ian Botham. Lord Botham, of course, one
of the great all rounders of his time, of any
time you remember back to the eighties and he and
Sir Richard Hadley Cappel, Devan Rahan Kahan, you know, they
were just a generational bunch of all rounders and you
look at the numbers that that Ian both them put

(01:36:32):
up and they still stand the test of time today.
You know, to be able to score over five thousand
Test runs and take close to four hundred Test wickets,
I mean, those are the numbers that were unheard of
back then. And that nineteen eighty one Ashes series, as
I was saying before two o'clock, Ian Botham started that

(01:36:54):
series as England captain and after a draw and a loss,
and in the second loss he got a pair I
think a pair of ducks and he was remove moved
from the captain c but then went on to play
an absolutely starring role with bat and ball to help

(01:37:15):
England to a what eventually turned out to be a
three to one series win. Six Test matches in that
Ashes series, one hundred and forty nine not out as
England followed on in that Test match at Headingley. Then
he got another one hundred later in the series he
got a five for like five for eleven or something
in one of the other Test matches to bowl England

(01:37:36):
to victory. Just absolutely remarkable. The fact we're still talking
about an Ash's series forty four years later, when there's
been so much cricket since both them's ashes. Yeh, remember
I remember sort of seeing it as a young boy.
I read a lot about that series and there was
that famous story. Wasn't about that Headingley Test? Where was it?

(01:37:58):
Dennis Lilly and Rod Marsh they bet that they saw
odds of five hundred to one for England to win
that Test after they had been asked to follow on,
and they took They took the bet. They basically bet
against themselves. Yeah, much simpler times back then. There was
a bit of a backlash after that happened. So if

(01:38:22):
we look at the current game, if you haven't caught
up with the score yesterday, it was just terrific theater.
You know, I still feel like you can apply yourself
in Test cricket, can't you.

Speaker 11 (01:38:33):
You can?

Speaker 2 (01:38:33):
You know you can play yourself and you've got five days,
not just twenty overs anyway, one seventy two all out
England and then Australia one twenty three for nine. I
thought some of England's shot making and there back half
of their first time it was pretty pretty ordinary. There
were some fairly ordinary shots played. But then again I
thought Australia too, there's some trummy the ball Travis Head

(01:38:57):
got out too. Yeah, not great. Email here from Glenn, Hi,
Jason heard you on Heather Show yesterday, very disappointed. The
ash is England via Australia and you weren't sure who
to root for? Punintended, seriously, the author cricket team the
most unlikable and despicable team on the planet after Manchester.
You're not, Glenn goes on to say. But actually, on

(01:39:19):
a serious note, what is it with New Zealanders who
just like to hate anything English? You can follow an
English football team. It does annoy me and is why
I do, says Glenn, actually cheer for anyone against the
all Blacks, Australia included, to be honest, even the French
different from all the other codes. But the Abs n
because of any supporters are arrogant. It's your typical AB's fan,
although that is fast dissipating and destined for the bin

(01:39:42):
as the century long aura has gone forever. Anyway, enough,
said says Glenn. Thankfully the internation will break is over.
We've got Premier League action again. Thank you, Glenn, appreciate
it very much. In Hamilton, speaking of cricket, just an
update before we move. The West Indies, having won the
toss and elected to bat first, are thirty one for
two in the sixth over, thirty one for two after

(01:40:05):
five and a bit ter. So I'll just bring the
scorecard up so I can let you know who's been
among the wickets for New Zealand. What a surprise Matt
Henry two for fourteen, two for fourteen for Matt Henry.
The West Indies thirty one for two in the sixth
over two twenty five. When we come back, we're close
to the home and still talking cricket. Darryl Mitchell is

(01:40:27):
top of the ICC One Day International batting ranking. See
is officially the world's best ODI batsman. Not available today
through a groin injury, but available to chat to us.
Darryl Mitchell with us right after this.

Speaker 1 (01:40:41):
It's more than just a game. Weekend Sport with Jason
Pine and GJ. Garnomes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder.

Speaker 2 (01:40:49):
News talks then be two twenty eight on Weekend Sport.
Darryl Mitchell is officially the world's best One Day International batsman.
Pulls away and.

Speaker 18 (01:41:02):
He gets it, finds the gap, does Darryl Mitchell, and
it's the raise the bat moment, simply brilliant for Mitchell
on his way to his seventh One Day International hundred.

Speaker 2 (01:41:16):
Yeah wonderful innings one hundred and nineteen against the West
Indies and christ Church last Sunday, moving Daryl Mitchell to
the top of the ICC ODI rankings. It's just the
second time a New Zealander has occupied the top spot,
following Glenn Turner's reign all the way back in nineteen
seventy nine. Others such as Martin Crowe, Nathan Astal Came

(01:41:37):
Williamson and Ross Taylor have spent time in the top
five of the ODI batting rankings, but have never been
number one. Unfortunately, Daryl Mitchell injured himself during that innings
and was ruled out for the rest of the three
match series, but that has allowed him to join us
for a chat. I want to get to the number
one ranking in a sect, Daryl, and congratulate you on that,
but how is the injury and crucially will you be

(01:42:00):
okay for the West Indies Test matches starting in around
ten days from now?

Speaker 11 (01:42:06):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (01:42:06):
Fastly have yeah, nice to catch up with you. Yeah, look,
obviously Niggli timing to pick up a little grond injury.
It's yeah, not what you want, but y'are aiming to
be back for that first Test. There's obviously some pretty
key things with tick off over the next sort of
ten days or so to try and get right for
that first ball. But you'll be doing everything I can
to try and be there at Hagley.

Speaker 2 (01:42:25):
Promising news, good stuff. All right, Well, congratulations on being
number one. You've never struck me as a man who's
driven really deeply by milestones. But what doesn't mean to
be just the second New Zealand at a top the
icc ODI rankings.

Speaker 8 (01:42:39):
Yeah, look, it's obviously something a year you don't aim
for or even think you'll ever achieve. But I guess yes,
having sitting back over the last few days and recognizing
that apart from Glen turn And no one else has
done it, it's very special. It's probably something that will
I guess at the end of your career you probably
look back on very fondly, more than I guess when
you're in the in the middle of your trying to
do your thing.

Speaker 2 (01:42:59):
It's a brilliant record you've fashioned in fifty over cricket,
fifty six matches now for New Zealand, nearly two and
a half thousand runs. You ever over fifty three your
century the other day you're seventh in the format. What
do you think you've had such good success in fifty
over cricket.

Speaker 8 (01:43:16):
Look, I've said it before, and I just love playing
for New Zeland and especially across all three formats. You know,
it's a real challenge to be able to keep backing
up over the three formats day after day. So yeah, look,
I just love I love wearing the silver fir and
I love getting stuck into contests and trying to win
little moments. That's kind of what drives me and across
all three formats. So yeah, it's loally good. Suns.

Speaker 2 (01:43:37):
How much adjustment does it take because it seems, you know,
as I say, one day you're playing T twenty in
fifty over stuff we just mentioned before getting ready for
Red Bull cricket. How does the adjustment work? And have
you got better at switching between the formats?

Speaker 8 (01:43:52):
Yeah, I think it's definitely evolved over my career, and
I guess I'm lucky now I'm a little bit older
and I know how I need to prepare for each format,
and I guess the key little things at the two
day out day out trainings that I need to tinkle
with to be ready to go for each format they
bring different challenges, but it's also good fun trying to
chop and change between them.

Speaker 2 (01:44:10):
How much has the way you banned in fifty over
cricket changed?

Speaker 8 (01:44:16):
I don't think. I think for me, it's just it's
whatever the team needs in that moment. A lot of
it we talk about partnerships and working together with your
mate down the other end. Obviously, conditions around the world
differ at ground to ground, so it's adapting to what
you see on that surface and what way as a
partnership we can keep trying to find ways to put
pressure on them. One day cricket, you got a little

(01:44:38):
bit more time than T twenty cricket, so you probably
don't need to be as high risk, but you need
to build partnerships for longer periods of time. But I
guess my role in that sort of four spot across
both T twenty and and One day cricket is keep
trying to find ways to put pressure on them, and yeah,
do that for as long as they can.

Speaker 2 (01:44:54):
Has playing so much T twenty cricket changed the way
that you bant in fifty over.

Speaker 8 (01:44:59):
Cricket, I think it probably gives you more confidence when
you want to want to put someone under pressure and
take on different field settings, You've probably got the confidence
you can do it because you've done it in T
twenty crickets. But also I think there's a nature of
the Test game as well with absorbing spells early on
when that new balls, fishing news islander is doing a bit,
and then you can use your T twenty skills later

(01:45:20):
on in the innings to try and increase I guess
where we want to be and when you're working.

Speaker 2 (01:45:24):
On your batting, let's go back to fifty over cricket.
Are you looking for new scoring areas or are you
pretty comfortable in your game now that you've got your
scoring areas and you just work to enhance those as
much as you can.

Speaker 8 (01:45:37):
Now, I think you're always trying to get better. You
always trying to find ways. I mean, bowlers are adapting
to what you do and trying to find ways to
shut you down, just that you're trying to find ways
to score against them. So it's constantly evolving. And that's
the cool thing about the game is you can't sit
still going to keep trying to get better.

Speaker 2 (01:45:52):
One hundred the other day, as are saying Christ Jitch,
there seem to be a lot of emotion and elation
wrapped around your tongue down there. Was it particularly special
for you that innings?

Speaker 8 (01:46:02):
Look, it's nice, I guess doing it at home at
my home ground where I show for work each day
and do all the hard stuff that no one sees.
So it's nice to that. And obviously family as well.
The girls were there, which is always cool, and you're
nice for them, I guess to see Dad get one
hundred very cool.

Speaker 2 (01:46:17):
Tell us about Mitchell Saton's leadership of our white ball sides.
It's something he's been doing for a little while. Now,
what sort of style is he bringing as ODI and
T twenty captain for New Zealand.

Speaker 8 (01:46:28):
Yeah, look, he's obviously done it for a while. He's
a good friend and we've known each other a long time,
so I'm very proud of I guess what he's achieving
in the game is and he's a great captain. He's
very smart with the game. He sees it and reads
it really well, and he's a very calm influence on
the group. He's sometimes he questioned if he does have
a heartbeat, which is always nice to have when you
have a captain in precious situations like that. Look he's yeah,

(01:46:52):
he's shown both with batan ball the skills he's got,
but also the leader as well.

Speaker 2 (01:46:56):
The next nice see event the T twenty World Cup
early next year. Have you started thinking about that tournament?

Speaker 11 (01:47:02):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (01:47:03):
Look, I guess you're always preparing for it and you're
practicing things you know that will hopefully help us win
a World Cup in a few months time. But it's
the nature of the game is you know. We've obviously
got Odi eyes today and then the Test match in
a week's time, so you're constantly balancing I guess, yeah,
the future as well as the present.

Speaker 2 (01:47:20):
And we saw you get a bowl and an odio
against Pakistan bay Oval back in the last Summer four rovers.
You even got a wicket, Barbara's I'm not a bad scalp.
Do you still get your bowling loads in? Do you
still want to bowl a little bit in fifty over cricket?

Speaker 11 (01:47:33):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (01:47:33):
I definitely consider myself an all round us still, and
I guess the nature of our bowling attack at the
moment of the boys are doing a great job, so
I haven't haven't needed to bowl any overs, but I'm
always prepared, I'm always training it, and yeah, I guess
when called upon, I'll be ready.

Speaker 3 (01:47:47):
To do a job.

Speaker 2 (01:47:48):
Catch any of the ashes. Yesterday, Yeah I did.

Speaker 8 (01:47:51):
I packed up and watched a little bit in the afternoon.
It's a great watch and obviously with us going there
next summer as well, it's it's good to see, I guess,
especially how Optus is playing, because yeah, that looked like
tough work.

Speaker 2 (01:48:01):
Indeed, indeed, well, good to hear that you're on track
for the first Test match in ten days or so.
Congrats on being number one of the ODIO rankings, Daryl,
always procat catching up.

Speaker 8 (01:48:10):
Thanks for the time, No, no, where's good to catch up.

Speaker 2 (01:48:12):
No, good to catch up with you too, Daryl. Darrel
Mitchell there are currently just at the back end of
his rehab from that little groin strain he picked up
last weekend. I guess with a couple of odiis. Yeah, probably,
even though he is number one in the world, you
probably say, okay, you know, rest from those. We've got
test matches coming up and then the T twenty World Cup,
so you don't want to aggravate it in any way.

(01:48:32):
If it's just a little niggle and by the sounds
of things, that's what it is. He'll be absolutely okay
for the Test matches against the West Indies, the third
and final ODII in Hamilton coming towards the end of
the eight day over, the West Indies having won the
toss and elected the bat forty three for two forty
three for two coming towards the end of the eighth over.

(01:48:53):
For those of you wondering about Liam Lawson, he has
briefly topped the time sheets in third practice at the
Las Vegas Grand Prix. He's finished seventh Mercedes George Russell
clocking the fastest time. So that's third and final practice.
Qualifying is at at five o'clock this afternoon. Got a

(01:49:13):
great text actually in from Angus whereas a Piney mate
watching free practice number three from the boat near way.
Heiki absolute day for it. Qualifying will be interesting as
it rained earlier in the day. Definitely worth watching. Go Liam,
hope you will. I am well, Angus. I'm very well made,
all the better from here for hearing from you. Thanks indeed,

(01:49:33):
News Talk said, be okay, let's play a sporting chance.
We do this every Saturday afternoon with the tab. I'm
going to offer you the choice of three bets, short,
evens or long. You decide which one you want, and
we'll place a one hundred and fifty dollars bonus bet
on your behalf that comes home. The winnings might it's

(01:49:54):
the initial one fifty or yours. You've got to be
over eighteen to play. If you are, and we'd like
to call now oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty.

Speaker 1 (01:50:02):
The tough Questions off the turf weekends for it with
Jason Kine, then GJ. Gunnerholmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder.
It's time for a sporting chance thanks to TB.

Speaker 2 (01:50:17):
Here it is two forty time to play a sporting chants.
Michael's on the line. I'm going to offer Michael the
choice of three bets, short, evens or long. Michael makes
a decision on which one he likes. We place a
one hundred and fifty dollars bonus bet on his behalf,
and if in fact it comes home, the winnings minus
the initial one fifty are all yours. Michael, you understand

(01:50:41):
the rules, pretty simple concept.

Speaker 8 (01:50:43):
It is so Jason, that would be good thinking.

Speaker 2 (01:50:46):
Sounds like you're over eighteen. You can confirm that, Michael, Yeah,
I am here, I am okay. Good stuff. All right,
here's your three options short. It's called the maybe bas
Ball does work after all Special. It's on the ashes
and it's for Australia's first innings to be under one
hundred and twenty nine point five runs. They're currently won

(01:51:09):
twenty three for nine, so you're basically betting on whether
Australia can get to one hundred and thirty before they're out.
It's paying a dollar eighty seven. You would win one
hundred and thirty dollars and fifty cents. That is your
short option for Evans. The I Love this Kid special

(01:51:30):
Wales against the All Blacks Reuben Love to score two
or more tries. It's paying four dollars twenty you would
win four hundred and eighty that's your evens bet. And
long the hook Line and Sinker Special Dan Hooker up
against Arman Serukian in the octagon tomorrow morning and cutter.

(01:51:53):
The bet is for Dan Hooker to achieve a knockout
or technical knockout in the first round. It's paying thirty
one dollars. You would win four and a half grand
if that happens. So, Michael, which do you choose Australia
to be bowled out before they score seven more runs
in their first innings to one one hundred and thirty

(01:52:14):
dollars fifty Ruben Love to score two or more tries
tomorrow morning to win four hundred and eighty or Dan
Hooker with a first round KO or TKO to win
four and a half grand? Which one do you like?

Speaker 8 (01:52:27):
The Hooker? One's very tempting, hasn't it a bit far
for me? And so live in Palmston North because Reuben
Love went to Boys High Palms North, Boys highle go for.

Speaker 2 (01:52:36):
Evans good stuff. I said to Andy, actually just before
we came back on there, I said, I really liked
the Ruben Loved one two or more tries tomorrow morning.
I feel like it's going to be an open game,
a good Parmi North boy, as you say. And he's
had few opportunities, so a chance to impress, all right.
So if Ruben Love scores two or more tries tomorrow,
you win four hundred and eighty dollars. Michael, We're going

(01:52:57):
to place the bit for you, mate. Hope it happens.
We'll keep our fingers crossed. Just hold there for a
second and you'll make sure that he's got all of
your details. If you get a result, the winnings will
be or yours and we'll do it again in a
week's time. Thanks to our mates at the tab as always,
please bet responsibly. Speaking of Dan Hooker, as mentioned, he'll
meet Armenian Arman Serukian in the five round main event

(01:53:21):
of the UFC's first card in Kuta tomorrow morning, New
Zealand time. Dan Hooker goes into the bout ranked number
six in the division, while Serukian is the number one contender.
Host of UFC on sky Sport Ravenda Hernia is with us,
Rev Thanks for taking the time. It feels like Dan
hook is an underdog for this fight. How big an

(01:53:42):
underdog is he?

Speaker 19 (01:53:45):
Oh, he's an absolute underdog, Jason, But nothing new though,
we're howkill we boys?

Speaker 3 (01:53:50):
Really?

Speaker 19 (01:53:50):
In general, he's an underdog, you know, I think for
good reasons, considering just as you said, Arman seruki and
the number one contender, you get through Arman Serukian and
you got a shot at the title. So very much so,
Arman Serukian. I think he's on a seven fight win
Stream three of them and grappling competitions, and yeah, he's

(01:54:11):
been you know, running red hot for a little while.
Dan Hooker though three fight win streak himself, and he's
been you know, slowly working his way back up the division.
So yeah, Arman Seruki Serukian the favored fighter here. But
as we know, Dan loves to come in and disappoint
these wrestlers.

Speaker 2 (01:54:27):
Absolutely he does. Now does he also typically raise his
performance against higher ranked opponents.

Speaker 19 (01:54:36):
Yeah, he does. I mean that's just Dan as an athlete.
I feel, you know, when we saw that fight against
Matteus Gamrot in Perth and August last year, he definitely
did that. He was a heavy underdog for that fight
as well, especially considering Gamrock was a heavy wrestler. But
he really does, you know, step it up. And I
don't think it's just you know, the technical sense, you know,

(01:54:56):
by what he brings in terms of his fighting ability, psychology, psychologically,
Dan Hooker, I always say, how do I say this nicely?
It's like kind of like that little of a psychofactor
where he is his biggest fan, he is his biggest supporter,
and he you know, truly believes in himself to be
able to get the job done. So I've always admired

(01:55:16):
his mental strength coming into fights, and I feel like,
after eleven years in the UFC, that's really been built.
He knows what he needs to do. He's one, you know,
gifted athlete that can carry out a game plan no
matter what style is coming at him. So I feel like,
you know, that experience really is his strength and gives
him that confidence in any fight.

Speaker 8 (01:55:36):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:55:36):
So Dan Hooker hasn't fought for more than a year
due to injury, Will that be in any way of
factor here?

Speaker 6 (01:55:44):
You know what?

Speaker 19 (01:55:44):
Most probably you know, you have to be honest about that.
But Dan just lives for competition. He's you know, kept
himself busy over that year and a half. Him and
his wife welcomed a new baby. He started his own
promotion that a lot of people are talking about, you know,
on the side as well, but as well, he has
been working super super hard in the gym part. Has

(01:56:07):
never stopped. Even with his arm and a cast, he
was still training, you know, He's still throwing kicks, still
working on his conditioning, knowing that a big fight was
imminent for him after that win against Gamrock. So he's
never stopped the only thing that did stop was you know,
competing in the octagon. Of course, earlier this year he
was supposed to fight justin gait Chee. That wasn't to

(01:56:28):
be because he reinjured himself. So he has always been
around in the gym working, and you know, he's not
just in the gym, you know, you know, just casually
he's he's training and fighting as a UFC fighter. So
he has been active. But yeah, that might that might
play a part because he's been out for a little while.
But so too has Arman Serukian. He's been out for

(01:56:49):
a little while as well, hasn't been in the UFC
octagon for a while as well, So it'll be interesting
to see what these two bring with a long time off.

Speaker 2 (01:56:55):
Tell us about On Serukian, the type of fighter he is,
and what he brings to the octagon in terms of
his specific strengths.

Speaker 19 (01:57:03):
Yeah, arm On Serukian is just that well fighter. I
don't feel like he's you know, a master of anything,
because he's you know, pretty good at you know, being
a complete MMO fighter. He started his career twenty eighteen
and on debut faced Isla Makachev, losing that fight. Ya
unanimous decision, So he came into the lightweight division making

(01:57:24):
an absolute splash despite not getting that decision, but taking
Islam all the way to the end of those rounds.
But yeah, very well rounded fighter. He's quite elusive as well.
He's you know, dangerous on the ground. He knows what
he's doing with the wrestling. We see over and Katar
at the moment, he's walking around with Hamza Chamaye, who's
the current middleweight champion. We see Ilia Supiria walking around

(01:57:44):
as well, so he's surrounded by really great, technical, strong,
you know, fighting champions at the moment. So he'll be
coming in knowing that this is his big opportunity after
missing out on a title shot earlier this year, so
his you know, mental fortitude will be up there as well.
But yeah, very well rounded fighter. And I'm just interested

(01:58:04):
to see how City Kickboxing as a team look to
combat that.

Speaker 2 (01:58:07):
How do you think they will because excuse me as
you say, Serukian very good wrestler, good grappler. I think
Dan Hooker's strength is probably his striking. So what normally
happens when two fighters like that collide.

Speaker 19 (01:58:20):
Well, Dan Hooker, you know, he has his strength as well.
And he made mention of that when I spoke to
him this week talking about how he was really surprised
at how short Armand's arms were, which is, you know,
every fight starts on the feet in that striking position,
so Dan knows that he well and truly has that
reach advantage. Dan Hooker doesn't really keep to that range

(01:58:42):
typically during a fight, though traditionally he does like to
fight in the pocket. He does like to fight throw
uppercuts and hooks to really damage those fighters.

Speaker 17 (01:58:52):
But I think he knows.

Speaker 19 (01:58:53):
He knows that up against the cage and Serukian is
going to be dangerous. He knows, you know, defensively, what
he will need to do if Arman is successful in
getting him to the ground, as he showed against Gamrock.
But Dan Hooker is very very elusive on the ground
as well. We saw those scrambles against Gamrot. But I
think that if he does keep it at that range
and keeps Arman on the outside, considering that strength, that

(01:59:16):
he will have success there. And Dan has like a
strength that you know, no one really realizes until you're
there standing in front of him and copying that. We
saw that with Jaylen Turner in the in the successful
fight there, so it'd be interesting. And we're also mentioned
on the show this week that Dan Hooker was awarded
a black belt and Brazilian jiu jitsu, so he's been working.
You know, he has his wrestling grappling pedigree as well.

(01:59:42):
So yeah, I feel that Dan honing in on his
own strength, which he is really good at, could make
for a great upset.

Speaker 2 (01:59:48):
All right, And whoever wins, what's the reward? Rev Who
does the winner get to fight next? Is it a
title shot?

Speaker 7 (01:59:55):
It's a title shot.

Speaker 19 (01:59:57):
Dana White has said that the winner of this fight
will go for the title shot because obviously Arman Serukian,
he is at number one. You beat number one, you
get a title shot. Or if you are number one
and you've been told that the next fight is the
top shot, you get that title shot. The current champion
is Ilia Tapuria. He is also running red hot right now.
But Dan Hooker, through his you know, eleven years of
fighting in the US, has always spoken about fighting for

(02:00:21):
about He's never spoken about holding the title. He just
wants to fight the best. So after beating Armann this weekend,
who is the best at the moment by way of
the rankings, he gets to fight for that title shot.
So hopefully a golden year for New Zealand and the
lightweight division in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 2 (02:00:39):
Absolutely the stake so high. Thanks so much for providing
such great insight, Revender, always great to catch up.

Speaker 19 (02:00:44):
You're very welcome.

Speaker 2 (02:00:45):
Thank you, no, thank you. That is our host of
UFC on Sky Sport, Ravinda Hernie sa UFC Fight Night
main card Dan Hooker against the Armenian Arman Serukian seven
o'clock tomorrow morning. You can catch it on ESPN and
also on Sky Sport. Now nine to three, the West
Indies are sixty four for three in the eleventh over,
having won the toss and elected the bat first and

(02:01:07):
the third and final ODI at Sedon Park in Hamilton.
Back in a second.

Speaker 1 (02:01:12):
The scoons from the track field and the court on
your home of sort Weekend Sport with Jason Vine News
Talks b.

Speaker 2 (02:01:20):
Stix away from three just to quick look at to
tomorrow's show will unpack in quite some detail the final
All Blacks Test of the year and look at rating
the year as well with you after the final Test
of twenty twenty five against Wales in Cardiff. Other matters
around tomorrow. I want to sort of draw down into
this Ali Cartor thing. What a terrible, terrible set of
circumstances which has seen him now have to miss the

(02:01:42):
entire NRL season because of the head knocks he took
during the Pacific Championship Test against the Kiwis. And we'll
also track Liam Lawson at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Thanks so much for listening in today. Huge thanks to
Andy McDonald for producing, as per usual, exit song today. Mate.

Speaker 20 (02:01:59):
Yeah, well piney this week, I like most of it.
Feels like New Zealand went to the Metallica concert, which
is which is very, very fun. A lot of people
are said to me afterwards they didn't realize I was
I was a bogan, but I've got a little bit
of that in me, so anyway, I've gone with Metallica
Master of.

Speaker 2 (02:02:14):
Puppets to finish the show today. Excellent choice. I'm a
young bogan like yourself. Yes, well done. I certainly don't
look at but I connect it sometimes. Good, well you
do that for the rest of the song.

Speaker 9 (02:02:26):
We'll see Tom Fish.

Speaker 1 (02:03:53):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to news Talks. It be Weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio

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