October 25, 2025 • 7 mins
This week on The Sunday Panel, 818 director Chris Henry and host of The Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more!
Netball NZ recently confirmed Dame Noeline Taurua will return as Silver Ferns coach. What do we make of this whole saga? And do we think Taurua's return will be smooth sailing?
Former US presidential candidate Kamala Harris has hinted she may run for the White House again following the release of her new book. Do we think she'll announce anything?
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News talks 'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Time for the panel. And joining me today is Chris Henry,
director at eight one eight. Good morning, Chris, good morning,
and the Dean Higgins, host of The Prosperity Project. Good morning,
good morning, Good to have you with us. Okay, we
have finally heard from Netborn, New Zealand. They have confirmed
that Dame Noling Toto has been reinstated as Silver Fern's
head coach. It's effective immediately. However, she's not starting until
(00:36):
next year. Back proper, Chris, from a PR point of view,
how do your rate how this has been handled?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Well?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
These ones are souber challenging when it comes to employment matters.
This only so much that you can say, and you
really need to let the process kind of work around
in the background. But I do feel for both sides
of this, it is dragged out for so long, and
when these things drag out, it just leads to speculation
and what may have happened. And you know, they put
a statement out today they said as much as they could,
(01:05):
but it still leaves a lot of an arts questions
and I think many more questions to come, especially when
Dame Neelin comes back into the role for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I mean, who didn't get involved in this conversation the Dean.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Well, exactly when you've got ministers and even the Prime
Minister wading in, I think it's fair to say you
can conclude it hasn't been handled that well. But I
think Chris is right. When the issues are kind of
opaque and you can quote the employment issues and so
therefore we can't say anything, then there's this void that
(01:38):
the public rushes into fill with speculation and reckons on
you know, are these players snowflakes? Is it genuine bullying?
Is their mismanagement? Is it a swing in the opposite
direction that's gone too far? After you know that tragic
case of Olivia Podmore in cycling and very well justified
soul searching that followed that. And the problem is we
(02:02):
just don't know, And so I think when she does
come back, are we going to know anymore? Or we're
going to have to keep guessing until they play some
netball that changes the focus.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
And Adain, I think you hit the nut on the
head there, And Chris, I'd like to get your perspective
on how you do deal with this. We have no
idea of the context, we have no idea what's happened.
We've been given no information, and as you say, we've
been left to fill in all these kind of gaps,
which is really unfair. And I have a huge amount
of sympathy for actually, you know, the players, and for
the coaching staff and Noline who's been involved in this,
(02:37):
because we've been left to come up with our own
sort of idea about what's happened. How do you deal
with that, Chris, that lack of information and then still
being able to control the narrative and looking after the
people involved, that should be a you know, a priority.
And it hasn't happened.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Oh absolutely. I mean it's super hard because the way
that the employment law works is that you really can't
say anything. So I suppose it comes down to when
the dust is said, sort of take it on the
chin and then hopefully an explanation later in the pace.
But trying to do things as quickly as possible is
probably the only advice that I've got. If you've got
(03:15):
an issue like this, you really want to try and
have it sorted as soon as you possibly can. And
I would assume that both parties have been trying that,
but it's just not the way that it's worked out,
and the Dean.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I don't me. I think there's going to have to
be a lot of work for Nolene to return to
be smooth sailing.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Well.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
I guess it depends. Are the issues that prompted this
in the first place have they actually been resolved. There's
definitely surely going to be some bad blood because at
least from the outside and I'm dancing around this because
there's so little that we know, but from the outside
it seems like Noline has been treated poorly, but we
(03:59):
don't know about the nuances of what prompted this in
the first place, so has anyone else been treated poorly?
There definitely is going to have to be some repair
so that they can actually move on and get back
to what they're meant to be doing, which is playing
amazing meant Fork well.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Look, I think that a win over Australia the saftening
would be step in the right direction, don't you wouldn't
it moving this story on and seeing where it's going
to end up. I want to talk to you guys
too about Kamala Harris who has hinted that she might
run for president again, and this is all She's on
a book tour, and Chris, I don't know, this might
(04:38):
be the kind of headline that you want from someone
on a book book to it in order to give
a little bit of pul I was wondering. I was
wondering whether this is just purely for promotional purposes. But
you know, she's made this announcement, She's kind of said, look,
I'm not finished with politics yet. The polls say, look,
you know, we'd prefer that Dwayne the Rock Johnson was
(05:00):
the president over you. Is this Do you think this
is a matter of sort of testing the water, so
to speak, to gauge reaction as to whether she you know,
people are interested in her returning.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Chris, yeah, I definitely. I mean, first of all, to
your point about whether this is well timed, one thousand percent,
she's trying to sell a book. Bringing herself back into
the narrative at the moment is key. And I think
she's also probably got that awesome opportunity where you know,
she's far enough out from the election that she can
sort of be testing the waters at this stage. Also,
what's currently happening with her opponent or her former opponent,
(05:35):
I should say, gives her some quite good time to
sort of remind people that she was there and it
could have been her. So a little bit of one
of those moments where she can go out and say
what she wants because she really doesn't have any consequence
at this stage. It's just an idea, throwing it out there.
Let's see what the people have to say.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Could you see her winning a presidential election again, well,
you know, running and potentially winning the Dean I.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Think it depends on why you think she lost so
decisively in the first place. Was it because she'd been
in Biden's shadow and you know he only bowed out
what was I think the title of the book is
one hundred and seven days, so she only had one
hundred and seven days to kind of distance herself from
what he did or didn't do and what the public
thought of that. Or I think, like you've already alluded to,
(06:24):
if the polls already show that people would rather Dwane
the Rock Johnson, I think that tells you a lot
that Americans aren't necessarily particularly interested in someone being really
well qualified to do the most important job in the
country unfortunately, because a look who they chose over Karmela,
and look who they're already favoring in the polls. He's
(06:46):
an actor who hasn't necessarily waded into politics or even
indicated he.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Wants to do it.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
So I mean, and I guess you could also throw
into the mix that just enough of America is racist
and sexist enough to ensure that a woman of color
is probably still a long way from the White House.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Thank you both so much, appreciate your time this morning.
In response to that BBC interview that Kamla did, a
White House spokesperson said, when Kamala Harris lost the election
in a landside, she should have taken the hint the
American people don't care about her absurd line, So that
was their response there.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News talks 'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Time for the panel. And joining me today is Chris Henry,
director at eight one eight. Good morning, Chris, good morning,
and the Dean Higgins, host of The Prosperity Project. Good morning,
good morning, Good to have you with us. Okay, we
have finally heard from Netborn, New Zealand. They have confirmed
that Dame Noling Toto has been reinstated as Silver Fern's
head coach. It's effective immediately. However, she's not starting until
(00:36):
next year. Back proper, Chris, from a PR point of view,
how do your rate how this has been handled?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Well?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
These ones are souber challenging when it comes to employment matters.
This only so much that you can say, and you
really need to let the process kind of work around
in the background. But I do feel for both sides
of this, it is dragged out for so long, and
when these things drag out, it just leads to speculation
and what may have happened. And you know, they put
a statement out today they said as much as they could,
(01:05):
but it still leaves a lot of an arts questions
and I think many more questions to come, especially when
Dame Neelin comes back into the role for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I mean, who didn't get involved in this conversation the Dean.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Well, exactly when you've got ministers and even the Prime
Minister wading in, I think it's fair to say you
can conclude it hasn't been handled that well. But I
think Chris is right. When the issues are kind of
opaque and you can quote the employment issues and so
therefore we can't say anything, then there's this void that
(01:38):
the public rushes into fill with speculation and reckons on
you know, are these players snowflakes? Is it genuine bullying?
Is their mismanagement? Is it a swing in the opposite
direction that's gone too far? After you know that tragic
case of Olivia Podmore in cycling and very well justified
soul searching that followed that. And the problem is we
(02:02):
just don't know, And so I think when she does
come back, are we going to know anymore? Or we're
going to have to keep guessing until they play some
netball that changes the focus.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
And Adain, I think you hit the nut on the
head there, And Chris, I'd like to get your perspective
on how you do deal with this. We have no
idea of the context, we have no idea what's happened.
We've been given no information, and as you say, we've
been left to fill in all these kind of gaps,
which is really unfair. And I have a huge amount
of sympathy for actually, you know, the players, and for
the coaching staff and Noline who's been involved in this,
(02:37):
because we've been left to come up with our own
sort of idea about what's happened. How do you deal
with that, Chris, that lack of information and then still
being able to control the narrative and looking after the
people involved, that should be a you know, a priority.
And it hasn't happened.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Oh absolutely. I mean it's super hard because the way
that the employment law works is that you really can't
say anything. So I suppose it comes down to when
the dust is said, sort of take it on the
chin and then hopefully an explanation later in the pace.
But trying to do things as quickly as possible is
probably the only advice that I've got. If you've got
(03:15):
an issue like this, you really want to try and
have it sorted as soon as you possibly can. And
I would assume that both parties have been trying that,
but it's just not the way that it's worked out,
and the Dean.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I don't me. I think there's going to have to
be a lot of work for Nolene to return to
be smooth sailing.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Well.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
I guess it depends. Are the issues that prompted this
in the first place have they actually been resolved. There's
definitely surely going to be some bad blood because at
least from the outside and I'm dancing around this because
there's so little that we know, but from the outside
it seems like Noline has been treated poorly, but we
(03:59):
don't know about the nuances of what prompted this in
the first place, so has anyone else been treated poorly?
There definitely is going to have to be some repair
so that they can actually move on and get back
to what they're meant to be doing, which is playing
amazing meant Fork well.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Look, I think that a win over Australia the saftening
would be step in the right direction, don't you wouldn't
it moving this story on and seeing where it's going
to end up. I want to talk to you guys
too about Kamala Harris who has hinted that she might
run for president again, and this is all She's on
a book tour, and Chris, I don't know, this might
(04:38):
be the kind of headline that you want from someone
on a book book to it in order to give
a little bit of pul I was wondering. I was
wondering whether this is just purely for promotional purposes. But
you know, she's made this announcement, She's kind of said, look,
I'm not finished with politics yet. The polls say, look,
you know, we'd prefer that Dwayne the Rock Johnson was
(05:00):
the president over you. Is this Do you think this
is a matter of sort of testing the water, so
to speak, to gauge reaction as to whether she you know,
people are interested in her returning.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Chris, yeah, I definitely. I mean, first of all, to
your point about whether this is well timed, one thousand percent,
she's trying to sell a book. Bringing herself back into
the narrative at the moment is key. And I think
she's also probably got that awesome opportunity where you know,
she's far enough out from the election that she can
sort of be testing the waters at this stage. Also,
what's currently happening with her opponent or her former opponent,
(05:35):
I should say, gives her some quite good time to
sort of remind people that she was there and it
could have been her. So a little bit of one
of those moments where she can go out and say
what she wants because she really doesn't have any consequence
at this stage. It's just an idea, throwing it out there.
Let's see what the people have to say.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Could you see her winning a presidential election again, well,
you know, running and potentially winning the Dean I.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Think it depends on why you think she lost so
decisively in the first place. Was it because she'd been
in Biden's shadow and you know he only bowed out
what was I think the title of the book is
one hundred and seven days, so she only had one
hundred and seven days to kind of distance herself from
what he did or didn't do and what the public
thought of that. Or I think, like you've already alluded to,
(06:24):
if the polls already show that people would rather Dwane
the Rock Johnson, I think that tells you a lot
that Americans aren't necessarily particularly interested in someone being really
well qualified to do the most important job in the
country unfortunately, because a look who they chose over Karmela,
and look who they're already favoring in the polls. He's
(06:46):
an actor who hasn't necessarily waded into politics or even
indicated he.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Wants to do it.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
So I mean, and I guess you could also throw
into the mix that just enough of America is racist
and sexist enough to ensure that a woman of color
is probably still a long way from the White House.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Thank you both so much, appreciate your time this morning.
In response to that BBC interview that Kamla did, a
White House spokesperson said, when Kamala Harris lost the election
in a landside, she should have taken the hint the
American people don't care about her absurd line, So that
was their response there.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!