February 18, 2025 • 42 mins
D'Arcy Waldegrave returned to wrap this week's sporting news - On today's agenda:
Michael Burgess - NZ Herald sports writer on changes needed to the Halberg Awards.
Nathan Limm - ZB sports writer live from the Red Carpet at the awards.
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 Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from news Talk SED.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be there, I was sports Talk. I'm Darcy Autogo. Still
(00:38):
no change over the weekend, plenty of time rotting on
the couch watching spot offs regular god I cover it
off yesterday with the Pine Man. Will let that one
rest big focus of the day is the sixty second
Hallberg Awards. The Glithiraki of the sporting world and some
(01:02):
sortied journalists, agents and hangers on are all lurking around
Spark Arena ready for the action to start and be
about fifty minutes time things to get underway. We're going
to chat about that shortly with Michael Burgess, who wants
to see some change, only small change, with some change
in the way this is presented, put together, awarded. The
(01:26):
focus needs to be because it is just in case
we hadn't noticed no longer the sixties, things might have
to change. We need your thoughts on that. After we
talked to burg about his column which came out and
selling to Herald Today into the Heerld, dot co, dot
n Z, and then later on in the Peace we'll
get to Nathan Lynn, who's the job of shining his shoes,
(01:50):
putting some pants and a shirt on and going along
there and getting in people's faces, or find out what
the general vibration is around the sixty second Halberg Awards.
It's a gleaming day for New Zealand sport. Take me
a long time just get the relevance of it. But
we're going to talk about it tonight anyway and what
can change and how it can be. I suppose schmacked
(02:13):
up for the new generation. What has to because it
seems very much stuck in the past, doesn't it. Yeah,
we'll talk about that later on the piece on. There's
an announcement coming out from New Zealand Cricket at half
past seven as well. We'll keep abreast on that, will
let you know what is going on ahead of the
(02:34):
Champions Trophy which starts twenty four five six seven hours away.
Right before we do any of that, though, let's do
what we normally do a whole lot of this sport
today that in sport today. Australian Rugby League Commissioned chair
Peter Wesdey Zealand again the Landies, has gone full grovel
to try and persuade President Trump to darken the door
(02:56):
of the NRL experience in Las Vegas. He wants the
Potus to have a gander at the Wars with the
Sharks game. Here's his pre recorded message. Not Trump, but
the land Is and you put this message on Trump's
favorite TV show, Fox and Friends.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Mister President, we want to introduce you to the toughest
game on Earth, rugby league. There's no sport more brutal
than rugby league. Our players don't wear pads or helmets.
Hope to see you at Allegiance Stadium in Las Vegas.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
A bit of a Landy's plan. He has never seen UFC,
but that's okay. Look, you've got to give them credit
where credits due. I suppose if you're going to try
and get some kind of footprint the United States of America,
half the country voted for that bloke. So if he
says it's cool, they'll climb in. So you get where
the groovel's going. But some of the stuff about how
(03:51):
good Fox Sport is, how unbiassed, what a great source
of news anyway, Novak jock Lechairs spoken on the yuk
Senate affair. The Italian world number one has had a
telling off for as possible of drug reading. He's been
sent to the naughty corner for a couple of months,
but he'll be back for the French opens. That's all right,
(04:13):
Noveck shows as word carefully.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Majority of the players doesn't feel that it's fair. Majority
of the players feel like there is favorism happening. It
appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you're
a top player, if you have access to the top
lawyers and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Not a lot of gray there from Novak. Conversation between
HAROCKI Sucky and the table talking topping AUKLANDFC has resulted
in a year long extension for the Skipper, just the
news the team needs heading into this weekend's derby clash
versus the Phoenix. Coach Steve Carker pumped.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
He's our leader, a great experienced player and as you
can see, his fantastic player as well defensively really strong.
The boys loved him, so we're very pleased to have
him for another year.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Bang and the black Caps are ready to go the
champions trophy work into life tomorrow evening when our men's
first to live in take on Pakistan. Tom Latham has
filled his boots with.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Lessons it's just about trying to focus on that first
match and obviously playing a couple of games against Pakistan,
taking a lot of learnings and hopeure we can take
them into the first game.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Hopefully it's twelve minutes after nine and that's after seven,
excuse me, And.
Speaker 6 (05:30):
That's sport today right here.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
It is interesting first text I've received on nineteen nine
two ZBZB standard text charge does apply? Remind you nows
I am an avid? Okay, I'm going to cut this
blokesome slack because I know he didn't mean to write
I am an avoid follower of many sports. It was
just a typo. I am an avid follower of many
(05:55):
sports and I travel regularly to watch all. My interest
in the Halbergs is zero. There is no criteria and
it's meaningless ouch well to talk about that the possible
or tweaks and adjustment with John the New Zealand Herald
sports writer across a number of different disciplines Michael Burgess,
(06:15):
as we look at his thoughts around what may need
to tweak to drag this particular award ceremony into this century,
he joins us, Now, good evening, Michael Burgess.
Speaker 6 (06:30):
I'm good mate, shining got to be good.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
That's it. And it's a massive day or a massive
night coming up for New Zealand sport. You've written a
piece in the Herald around this talking about a new
category to recognized excellent and big leagues. You feel that
is lacking and the Halbergs maybe needs to be tweaked.
So first up, talk us through what needs to happen.
(06:54):
Do you think to bring it kicking and screaming into
twenty twenty five and beyond.
Speaker 7 (06:59):
Yeah, that's kind of the summary, Dars. I mean, you know,
I love the Halbergs. There's such an important part of
the sporting landscape. We've grown up watching that look forward
to them every year, but it just needs to become
a bit more relevant and for me, I'll be thinking
about this for quite a few years. But the penny
dropped when I was having a look at Chris Wood.
We all know what he's done this past year in
(07:20):
the Premier League has been incredible. He's the talk of England,
let alone New Zealand for everything he's done. But it's
not you. You know, he's been doing amazing things for
seven or eight years and this is the first time
he's been a finalist.
Speaker 6 (07:34):
So it's just.
Speaker 7 (07:35):
Occurred to me, you know, how is there not a
way to recognize what this guy's doing in terms of
a global achievement? So yeah, I just think there needs
to be a category and what you call it. My
initial idea was you call it, you know, best global
achievement or best achievement in a global sport. I don't know,
something that might be a bit clunky, but something that
(07:55):
just recognizes people that.
Speaker 6 (07:57):
Do amazing things in the biggest sports.
Speaker 7 (07:59):
They might not win a trophy or a medal or
a championship, but they do things that make all of
us so proud, that get everyone talking and get people
around the world talking.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
It's global the nature of New Zealand sports people, because
it has to be. How many young sports people disappear
overseas to minor leagues or smaller competition to build themselves
up to a position where they can compete on that
stage and then to be I suppose ignored a preference
of of an Olympic sport. That's kind of gutting.
Speaker 8 (08:31):
Yeah, it's hard, isn't it, Because you don't want to
criticize other achievements because everyone who does what they're doing,
their chosen sport is absolutely incredible, and especially those who
achieve at the Olympics or win world championships.
Speaker 7 (08:46):
So I'm really reluctant to criticize anyone and what they've done.
It's just the judges in an awkward position, you know,
the judges, what is it now, the sixty second year,
the judges are still stuck with this model of Sportsman
of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year and Supreme Award.
And it's very hard, I guess, to compare someone playing
(09:07):
in the NBA or someone riding in the Tour de France,
which by the way, is incredible to get to get
a place on a Tour de France team, compared to
someone winning a world championship shot put. You know, it's
just so hard to really analyze, Okay, what's better, what's not?
But I think when you're looking at the likes of
(09:28):
Steven Adams and Chris Wood, to me are great examples.
Stephen Adams, we all know what he's done in the NBA.
How long has he been there?
Speaker 6 (09:36):
That a decade? Dos? He was amazing for Oklahoma.
Speaker 7 (09:40):
For a few seasons sort of in twenty sixteen, seventeen eighteen,
absolutely incredible what he was doing. He's been a finalist
once in twenty fourteen, in his rookie season. It's like
he's sort of been airbrushed from history of it. You know,
if you just wanted to Jose's zellan sport by the
Helburger words, you wouldn't have heard of him, which just
doesn't seem right, does it.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
It's a big focus on the fact that's a fundraiser.
We know this, this is the most important part of
that that you cannot walk away from. At the end
of the night, people celebrate the winners, the Supreme Award winners,
the Means, the woman's son and so forth, and the
charity moves to one side. So it kind of has
to be addressed because essentially it's still about winning and.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
Losing exactly exactly. The charity does incredible things.
Speaker 7 (10:24):
Sir Mary Holberg did amazing things.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
He was an incredible New Zealander.
Speaker 7 (10:30):
Will never forget him, and I love the fact that
these awards will always honor him and what he did.
And yeah, you can't forget the foundation and what they
do the other three hundred and sixty four days of
the year, but on this night, it's all about judging
elite sports people and what they've done to make us,
you know, so so proud.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
As a nation.
Speaker 7 (10:51):
So you know, can we really forget you know, one
more example, Dars. This year Lu Lusan Lulusan. She's obviously
not in any of their categories, but you know, she
sort of stopped the nation when she reached the quarterfinals
at wimbled and became the first woman to do that
in the open era, first qu female to do that
in first New Zealander since eighty three. Amazing stuff, and
(11:14):
there's no category for that. It's an Olympic year, so
there's a lot of other great female sports women achievements,
but it doesn't seem right, does it.
Speaker 6 (11:23):
That Also, Lulu is not in the history books.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
It's almost michael Burg just like the allocation of these words,
as are these awards. It's quite a distinct archaic feeling
about it. It's very much fifty sixty seventies, like it
hasn't developed with the sporting world, It hasn't kept up
with the developments of the nature of sport globally. Is
(11:49):
that a fair criticism or not?
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Possibly, Dars.
Speaker 7 (11:52):
I mean, I think to your point earlier kiwis are
just doing amazing things in so many different sports that
we probably didn't think was possible ten or twenty years ago.
Chris Wood, great example, Steven Adams. We probably never thought
we'd have a Q in the NBA regularly.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
You know, we had Kirk Penny go there. But to
have someone.
Speaker 7 (12:10):
Regular and being what you call a big name, and
then you throw in someone like Liam Lawson getting a
seat at Red Bull after eleven races, I think it
is so you know, he's been the talk of water
coolers around officers all around New Zealand for the.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
Last six to nine months.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
So the awards do have to adjust because they have
felt in the past that it's been a little bit elitist,
I guess, and there has been a focus on certain
sports and we all know the talk about other sports
that traditionally been ignored. So yeah, it's just time for
a bit of a shift, a bit of a move,
and it will be a good thing because the more
(12:47):
relevant they are, the more people that are talking about them,
the more important they are, and ultimately the more money
that will be raised.
Speaker 6 (12:56):
For the foundation. So I think everybody wins.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
You make one comment as well, Michael, there's the sense
that the judging panel, the revamped judging panels take and
I'm quoting a more lateral and imaginative view than in
the past, and you pick James McDonald the jockey, for example,
one of the finalists. Tell us about that, about how
it's changed, about this lateral and imaginative view and how
(13:21):
big this is.
Speaker 7 (13:22):
Well, it's just good to see, I know from looking
at the judging panel there's a few new faces on
there and I feel like they've brought a fresh a
fresh approach, a fresh thought to it. And the two
examples I used were indeed Chris Wood and James McDonald,
because jockeys have always been ignored, but James McDonald is
(13:44):
a sensation in Australia. There's so many people just saying,
how can this guy from New Zealand be doing what
he's doing?
Speaker 6 (13:50):
And what is the other example? Obviously, because he.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Hasn't technically won anything, you know, whether either the All
Whites or not again Forest, which was always sort of
the measure.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
He hasn't been in a final or that kind of thing.
Speaker 7 (14:01):
But the judges have recognized what he is doing is
something that we've never seen before and we might never
see again. And surely that has to be a measure
as well, So that's a step towards towards just just.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
Thinking outside the square.
Speaker 7 (14:18):
I think for a long time they were quite the
judges could be quite close minded. I mean the classic
example for me was back in nineteen ninety one we
had Wynton Rufer at Verde Bremen in the Bundesliga. He
won a European trophy that year, I think it was
Uapha Cup, beating Napoli on the way with Jaga Maridonna.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
You know, he scored a heap of goals in the
Bundesliga doing this amazing thing.
Speaker 7 (14:43):
I think he made a finalist, but he missed out
on the awards, and the Supreme Award went to Philippa Baker,
with all respect to Philip Baker, who won the World
championship in the lightweight skulls, which wasn't even an Olympic class.
So it just sort of shows how focused we were
on just world championships and man medals, and thankfully.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
We've moved on a lot long way since then.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Forget the refs call, you make the call. Sports Talk
on your home of Sports News Talk zib.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
As Michael Burgess there as sports writer for New Zealand Herald,
are taking a look at the relevance of the way
the Hellberg Awards are put together. We're going to go
to the Red carpet and about what only thirty five no,
probably in about twenty minutes time, and talk to Nathan Limb,
who was lurking there with intense to report further on that.
(15:41):
So a couple of questions here for you in this
and they do refer by a few texts through already
on Moneto nine two z B ZB Darcy. The Halberg's
are a joke. And I say that due to the
fact that Scott Dixon has never been nominated Steve he has.
In fact he's won Sportsman of the Year a couple
(16:01):
of times. Has he won the supreme what he might
have done? So I often get that sent to me
he has and he's won Sports from the Year at least,
So just you know, back up the truck wever there.
What I'd like to ask you is this is a
common phrase, It's been used recently in rugby. Other Hallbergs
(16:21):
fit the purpose? Do they still represent the pinnacle of
sporting awards here in New Zealand. I'm interested in how
you believe these awards reflect modern sport, reflect the youth
(16:44):
of today, which is very very important. You look at
the teens and the twenties and the thirties and does
this ceremony reverberate with them? Does it mean a great deal?
And if you're in that age group in your twenties
slightly younger early thirties, does this represent your four Is
(17:07):
this something that you feel is about you and your
sport wants and desires. Does it engage with that generation?
Because this is the future that they cover the sport
that most people care about. Because on the surface of it,
it looks like once every four years, it's a celebration
(17:30):
of the Olympic Games, which is wonderful. The Olympic Games
is a celebration in itself. But if you win gold
in the Olympic Games, that's it. You're in. You're going
to be one of the finalists. And we know their history,
Sir Murray Helberg has, and we know how important the Olympics,
(17:51):
and we know that this is what this is set
up to reflect that. But in twenty twenty five, should
it be more? Should it cover more about what the
modern sports consumer desires and likes? Because it looks to me,
even though they've tried to whip things up a wee
(18:11):
bit and they probably scared the life out of themselves.
When Israeli Dussan you're turned up in his master jacket.
It's still very It's still archaic, isn't it. Men wear
your suits, women dress up in your glad rags and
we're going to give you an award and you can
have a week talk. This doesn't seem modern. I mean
(18:32):
that might not be important to you. For me, it
just seems dated. Your calls coming up shortly On eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty at twenty five minutes after seven,
there's a sports talk on used Talk to e B.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Next you hear it from the biggest names and sports
men have your say on eight hundred eighty Sports Talk
on your whole of sports and news dogs it be.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Dancing news dogs eb oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty.
Hellberg's still fit for purpose? Does it still represent and
cover what people mostly care about in sport here in
New Zealand. It's a bit of a relic, isn't it.
(19:36):
I'm trying to say this with due respect because there's
a number of people out there who received this award,
who think the best of it and they've got it
and fant that's great. But there's something distinctly Blazer and
Tie that doesn't reverberate with the modern world. Maybe I
just need to go back into the past. Good day, Mark,
(19:57):
how are you?
Speaker 9 (19:59):
Well, that's just controlled. It's a doubt set and it
was reinforced when Halberg's took over it. So nineteen forty
nine we get the first Sportsman of the Year, and
it was until ninety eight. I think it was a
cricketer back in nineteen forty nine. So we go, we
come all the way forward to eighty six and Hadley's
the last sportsman and then we go into the supreme
(20:23):
categories and all of this. But effectively, what happened with
was originally a standalone sort of being the Sportsman in
the Year and then got absorbed in when the Helper
Trust just took over sort of the management and the
operation and the running of it effectively. Well that was
the Auckland Grammar Old Boys network effectively where Murray went
to school and as a considerably extensive network, as many
(20:45):
people will know, and that's the era of John Graham.
Now that is old Auckland, that of even.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
My era is That's what I'm talking about right.
Speaker 9 (20:56):
Very very very much so. And the emphasis back to
the Olympic sports is what has curtail its ability to
stretch out and reach into into others where people have
competed for a long time in various different disciplines. For example,
you don't see Courtney the motorcyight, the motocross girl up
for this and she keeps winning everything every year and
(21:18):
she's not even given them an end.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Who were championships so many of them. Would people say
it's a niche sport. I'd suggest that rowing is a
niche sport. It's just something that we got at the Olympics.
Speaker 9 (21:31):
Going back and pulling in a boat competed to riding
a motorbike. Everyone in the world rides motorbikele can has
the opportunity to do ride a motorbike. Not everybody gives
the opportunity to fit in a growing eight. It's a
pretty elite sort of thing and that's been the atmosphere
around it, and they've controlled it because we got the
source of the funds and the money. Now most of
(21:53):
these men are dead now, most have been the honest thing.
I'm not being harsh or anything, but most of them
have passed on and what we left with is a husk.
I think we retool it. I think I think we
look for all sorts of ways to look all across
the spectrum of Kiwi's participation in sport wherever. It is,
like we had Cody Forsyth was the tar top hoolo
(22:17):
player on the planet forever, never even got noticed. People
didn't know about them. We've got Jason Wynyard never got
particularly noticed for a long time, Sunny bowlstad back in the.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Day, or Woods extraordin end tim of sports, and that,
yet argues, is as big across a number of places
as something like rowing, for example.
Speaker 9 (22:40):
Far bigger, far bigger participation base I would I would No, Yeah,
I'd say because looking at it with forest all over
the world and you need woodsman and woods women.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
A husk. I get that, And it goes back to
one of my favorites along the fact that people lean
on tradition because they are terrified of change, and it
keeps people comfortable knowing this is something they're dad great
and this is still what the hellbergs is. It's going
back to those healthy in days, it's not like that anymore.
Speaker 9 (23:17):
Yeah, but they make you feel uncomfortable, aren't they When
you see these results that they are up and you're like, yeah, no,
that's not right, that's weird. And it's because, well, we've
got to consider the Olympians first, because we're this type
of organization. And it's like, that's why the rowers. Roberdell
won this thing.
Speaker 10 (23:33):
Three years in a row.
Speaker 11 (23:36):
Three for three years.
Speaker 9 (23:37):
You're telling me Rob Wdell was the best sportsman, the
best No, look, statistically impossible.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
But what made drives though? Didn't he want a handful
as well on the tread?
Speaker 11 (23:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (23:50):
Look, the rowers if they if they do there they
are because that's part of the card they and that's
where the husk is actually shifted. Potently. I'm not in
the workings of the Hellberg Trust, but I should imagine
the rowers that old boy network, which is very all
in rowing, would have stepped into the breach.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
There.
Speaker 9 (24:11):
We'll keep it under. That's the way that works in
that world.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Really sorry, really interesting, Caul. Thanks very much, Chris Charing.
I think you've put out exactly what I was referencing
about the relevance of the Hallberg's in this day and
age twenty twenty five. Now we know that Sir Murray
started it off. It is part of the charity, which
(24:43):
is fantastic. It claims to be. It's a recognition of
New Zealand's top sporting achievements. I'll tell you who the
Supreme Award winners were for the last handful of years,
(25:03):
and you tell me if this represents New Zealand sport
at the top level. Seriously, the size of the sports,
the relevance of it amongst everybody. We'll go back to say, well,
I don't know. I was mentioning that we'll go back
to well, Rob with Dell, we're old mates before I
mean before Hena, it was a Loader and Famino, a
(25:26):
couple of Olympians Woodell, Woodell, Widell, three rowings in a row,
Karin Georgiana Rivers Swindell. It was the next to you
Tall Blacks twenty twenty. That's odd, two thousand and two
silver Ferns. Okay, this is getting a bit diverse, Sarah Olmer,
(25:47):
Michael Campbell won the Gulf and five, so we're getting
a spread here, then, Mahi Drysdelle Valerie Peelly Valerie Phely
Valerie Feely again, Olympic, Olympic, Olympic commonfferent. It's all athletic,
all whites, all blacks, Bond and Murray Lydia Co Bond
and Murray, all Blacks, Carrington Team New Zealand, Walsh, Silver Ferns, Carrington,
(26:11):
Sadowski Senate. Look, it's a modern sport, but it was
still at the Olympics that really got up there and
then Carrington. It is enormously skewed by what even though
it's in a wonderful celebration we all love to watch
the Olympics is still it's a questionable organization. It really is.
(26:38):
I don't think this represents the best we've got. I
don't see any league represent tape stunds. It's what lawn
But no, Hi, Trevor's see.
Speaker 11 (26:49):
How are you mate?
Speaker 2 (26:50):
I'm very good. How about yourself?
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Ah?
Speaker 11 (26:52):
Good mate? Good live and breathing.
Speaker 9 (26:54):
That's the main thing helps, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
It's easy to pay tax when you're alive.
Speaker 11 (27:01):
And I've got a few questions about it. People actually
told what to wear?
Speaker 9 (27:05):
Are they when?
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I don't know? But it feels do.
Speaker 11 (27:08):
They like clamming up? Do they like maybe the people
like maybe the ladies and the guys they like clamming
up for that night. Glamming up for that night.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Well, I mean I feel sorry for the men because
the idea of dressing up for men is they all
wear the identical clothes, like they're wearing a short uniform.
I just find that even more bizarre. In fact, what
do we doing in twenty twenty five still wearing suits
to work? There's an archaic concept in itself, but that's
not sport. Yeah, they enjoy the dressing up and the
going out.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
I get yeah, okay.
Speaker 11 (27:36):
I And so who selects them? I mean apparently the
people that pick them. I mean, you've got to give
them some credit. I mean, you know, they look at
all sports, they look at people, they put somebody puts
forward their story on who they think the best sportsman is.
So it's not as though it's a favorable It's favored
by anybody, is it. I mean, so, I don't.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Think the majority of people who get selected and win
are Olympians. And I don't think that the Olympic Games
is a true representation of the strength of sport here
in New Zealand. I don't think it's relevant like it
used to be before. Even the Olympic Games admit that
because they started adding speed climbing.
Speaker 11 (28:20):
Yeah, that's right, So therefore you will get some variation
in it. Maybe they will. We'll get a person that
one and speed climbing and the main thing. Darthia. I
just always find a reader.
Speaker 10 (28:32):
How people.
Speaker 11 (28:33):
Some people get quite upset because the person, the person
they think should win didn't win. I mean it doesn't
matter really, I mean, lydia Co or the cyclists or
you know, the canoeist. Does it really matter who wins? Like,
we're not going to get up tight about it, are we.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Well, no, I'm not losing any sleep over in him
because I know, I know, I know that sportsmen do
not compete to win a gong like this. They don't.
It's a nice I'm going to do really well on
this Olympic Games because I want to win the Hallberg.
There's no way in hell they think like that. They
(29:13):
compete to be the best in their business and be
the best in their sport.
Speaker 12 (29:17):
That's what they're there for.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
And this is an added bonus that really if they
didn't get it, I mean they love it at the time.
It's all very nice. Dah dahah, but not the be
all and end, or is it surely?
Speaker 11 (29:28):
Well? Look, I bet you that all of sportsmans have
won it, you know, as well as all the prize
when they one and all the tighters have won. I
guarantee they still rate very highly being New Zealand sports
Person of the Year. I mean, we should ask them
if it's important to them, and I think you'll find
to most of them it is.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Well, it probably is, but they're hardly going to say, oh,
not really, I'm just more worried about winning my race
because they wouldn't do that because they're very polite people.
They don't want to upset anyone, so they're going to go, yep, okay, no, sweet,
it was love. It was a nice night. I got
celebrated by my peers and da da da da da.
For me, I don't think it represents where we're going.
But I mean it's just me, just an opinion. This
(30:08):
is which is why.
Speaker 11 (30:11):
Yeah, sometimes there's nothing wrong with tradition. Oh, you don't
have to change.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
You know you don't. But I think hanging on to
the past, you're probably doomed to still be in a cave.
I don't think that hanging on to the past and
tradition is healthy, and so.
Speaker 11 (30:33):
See, how do you see tonight then as a variation
like the people turn up and bodies and jendles and
a bit of rap music and stuff like that. I mean,
what do you see as a change from from what
it is? How do you see what a change could be?
Or who do well or might do well for the
awards themselves? What change the music they play and let
(30:56):
people wear what they want and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
I didn't say any of that. I think the way.
Speaker 11 (31:01):
I'm just wondering what, Yeah, but you change might be good.
The change might be good.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Sing here Trevor is it's quite ironic because now you're
getting really shirty over this concept. The tradition is an
insane concept grasped on to people who are terrified of change.
So and then you're getting shirty with me, which is
the saying people get upset when their mates don't win
the awards. They could flash it out tomorrow. It really
(31:27):
it doesn't mean anything. It's some good talk back and
I'm sure the people that wanted a greatness, you know,
and something to celebrate, But to me it doesn't have
the relevance that I think they think it does. It
just smacks of self important, pompous organizations.
Speaker 11 (31:47):
Okay, look at it. I think it's great. I'll put
the TV on watch it and two ones and whoever
the ones? That doesn't really matter. I just think.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Absolutely a lot of people do, Trev. You're not alight.
I'm not saying I'm right because I'm bloody not. It's
just my opinion. That's what I get paid to do.
Speaker 12 (32:03):
Broat night with the TV.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
It's nineteen minutes to eight. This is a news talks
AIRB Just quickly, I've got this for you. A lucky
Ferguson's been ruled out of the Champions Trophy. Carl Jameson
(32:31):
has been called in the foot injury pain in his
right foot after an formal War Matt warm up excuse
me match against Afghanistan. Wouldn't be fit to the whole
shooting match, so Ganapery. King's quick, Jamison's going to replace him.
He's just been playing. He's been playing for the Kings
and domestic cricket. So he's come back after a long
(32:55):
recovery from that stress fracture. He was playing today. Wasn't
he in the trophy? So throwing him on a plane,
so get rid of the bowl. There's news talks there be.
Speaker 13 (33:09):
It's eighteen minutes day.
Speaker 12 (33:28):
Seven forty six. Talk on news talks there be.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
We've got Nathan and then shortly I've got a sloppy
mouth today. I say that because somebody wants to know
why I sound like I've just had a stroke. Have
you tried learning to speak so it doesn't sound like
(33:55):
you're having a stroke, Thanks Aaron. Interesting, as they say, great, interesting,
Nathan Limb. He's got his fancy shirt on, he's pre
a pair of slacks and put his best shoes on.
I don't even think you're wearing your cap, are you? Nathan?
You are so dressed and ready to.
Speaker 10 (34:13):
Go tell you what darth. Yeah, I did check on
a shirt, but I came here and immediately felt totally
under dressed because everyone's brought out the top tier tuxedos,
the bow ties. I've lost count of how many bow ties.
All of the women are dressed up, all in makeup, SOEs,
all glitz and glamour down at Spark Arena in downtown Auckland.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
At the moment, all the men look the same. I mean,
can you tell the difference.
Speaker 10 (34:40):
Eric Murray was a pink tie and had a pink handkerchief,
so he probably stood out mostly from the men. But yeah,
I'd say the vast majority have played it fairly conservatively.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
So around the place with everyone's there, we all know
the sports people are there and the wags for one
of a better phrase, there's some coaches, administrators, anybody non
sporty hanging around the plane.
Speaker 10 (35:08):
I'm sure there are quite I mean there's here. There
are loads and loads of people who have come through,
and you're sort of you're looking out for the key
faces that you know, Dan Carter's here, Richie mccare and
Jimmy Flynt, Jim and McCaw rather are here as well,
and you know, there's there's a lot of sort of
past sports icons who have shown up. But yeah, there's
there's plenty of people around. No one stands out that
(35:30):
I jumped out that jumped out at me in a
non sporting context, Darcy. But to be honest, even the
sports stars sometimes it's a bit hard to pick up
that you used to seeing them in their in their
in their jerseys and they covered in sweet and mudd
and they're all dree stuff.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
They look great, do you e An own a taxedo, Nathan.
Speaker 10 (35:51):
You don't need to help me on nationally.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
I'm the fifty five year old man. I haven't got
one either. I don't see the point I'd wear a scort.
In fact, next time I get invited to that, which
will be never, I'm gonna wear a Bianca seen. Sorry
out for the Grammy Awards. If you know what I'm
talking about, you're gonna be sicking your mouth. Right, favorites,
what are you looking at here?
Speaker 10 (36:11):
We've got you don't need.
Speaker 12 (36:13):
The Sportsman of the Year.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Finn Butcher, Hamish Kurr, Hayden Wild, Chris Wood. Where does
that goat well?
Speaker 10 (36:21):
I mean take your perk.
Speaker 6 (36:23):
I mean, is there a scene of.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
It around there? If if you heard conversation overhearing sticking
your nose and where it's.
Speaker 10 (36:29):
Not you know, there's there's a bit about but everyone's
you know, this is New Zealand. Everyone's very humble. Everyone's
got a smile on their face. Everyone's just playing it
very very cool. But I mean you could pack any
of those athletes and they'd they'd be more than worthy
of winning the Sportsmen of the Year. Obviously, the Paris
Olympians dominating the nominees tonight. You know, you've got the
(36:52):
likes of Dame Lisa Carrington, Dame Lydia Co in the
women's category, and as you said, the Hamish Kurf and Butcher.
But then you know, you look at someone like Chris
Wood who's actually competing on a stage totally different, that
is world renowned, and he's seeding to an extent that
we've never seen before from a New Zealander. So there's
a lot to consider really for the judges. And how
(37:14):
do you compare something like that to winning an Olympic
gold medal?
Speaker 2 (37:18):
You don't, Well, we are we are now you guys
are I'm an interested bystander. You go toward the sportswomen
and were out looking the tennis and twig in the rowing,
and you mentioned a Lisa Carrington, Amelia at least andrews Co.
It's it's so difficult I'd lean toward. I'd say in
(37:41):
that one there, it's probably going to be Lydia because
she won a gold medal, thus picking up the hat
trick of all the different ones, and she won a
major and she got induced to the Golf Hall of
Fame as the youngest ever. So I'd say, she's had
three different pretty good metrics, so I reckon that'll probably
give her it the Team in the Year and she
(38:02):
was made. There you go, and that's right up there, Alley,
very nice, You've got Team of the Year. I don't
know where you'd go with that. The big thing really
is the money that it's generating for charity. Men. That's it.
And I can complain all my all I want that.
I'm not going to lose any sleep that there will
be There would have been thousands of people over the
(38:26):
sixty two years that have benefit benefited from that, and
I keep having to go back to that focus because
that's what it's about.
Speaker 10 (38:35):
Yeah, I fully agree with you, Darcien. I'm not usually
one for the happy clappy sort of oh sports the
winner on the day. You know, we like to debate
who should actually be winning everything, but at the end
of the day, all of the athletes are here have
done exceptional things throughout the year that you almost cannot
comp How do you compare the White Ferns winning the
World Cup to Lisa Carrington winning another gold medal? You know,
(38:57):
it's you can't. They're in such totally different fields. But
there is an underlying meaning to that. Like you said that,
the money raise for charity, and it is just a
nice night to celebrate everyone and recognize how talented of
a sporting nation we are.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
It's still in a celebration of the Olympic Games, and
they just sprinkle a bit of other sport and just
to keep the peasants like me happy. Nathan, you enjoy yourself.
I don't know how you're going to dress up to
get to the after party, but try hard.
Speaker 10 (39:24):
I'm going to do my best stuff. I have to
tuck in there and see if I can get a
few drinks with a few famous people.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
You know, mate, just put a white towel over your
arm and just pretend like your staff. They'll let you
in anyway. Nathan, thanks for joining us, coming to us live,
albeit underdressed. His words, not mine, And that all gets
underway and starts proper like at eight o'clock and the
winners will be announced in good time. A couple of
hours the ceremony goes for. Oh it's a long time.
(39:55):
I'm going to finish the show with a part of
texts coming up next. Unless you'd like to stick your
shoe into the conversation fit for purpose. Really is it
or not? It's a good charity. This is news talk.
Speaker 12 (40:16):
Long pulls a bit wound up. I see Halberts or
a joke.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Top performances of the sporting and period Arlem Lawson and
the Giz and Corney Duncan should have won it previously,
but Dame Lisa will win it again in a minority
sport and outside of New Zealand doesn't even register. Odd,
It's pretty big in Europe, regardless of any other achievement
this year. If Joseph Parker wins his belt, then he'll
(40:51):
be the supreme sportsman. End of the way. These judges
pick someone from esport to win. The way these judges
pick someone from esport will win before anybody else. A
lot of people text again talking about the lack of
motor sport representation. It is in there, it does get there.
(41:11):
Dixon's one of a couple of times I guess was
nominated last year. I think McLaughlin two, so it's not
completely left out. But as a moon was a sports
person that impressed me to ask remember who I did?
I chattered to a few times. She was cool and
other says this is still the old Boys network. Great conversation,
(41:31):
though Lydia Code you Rock among many other sporting superstars.
This is not a punched down on sports people that
go there at all. It's the nature of the organization,
how it structed, what it represents, and this bizarre need
to hang on to the past. It's counterproductive all of that. Dars,
(41:57):
I'm staking to see what the problem with the hell
Birds is. It sounds positive to me now, great, awesome thing.
I'm not a fan of staying still and our right back. Apologies.
If you actually hadn't had a stroke, good point, I
might have done. I just don't know. I'm Darcy water
(42:18):
Grave any Duff. Thanks for producing ketch again tomorrow here
on News Talk zed B.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
For more from sports Talk, listen live to News Talk
said B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from news Talk SED.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be there, I was sports Talk. I'm Darcy Autogo. Still
(00:38):
no change over the weekend, plenty of time rotting on
the couch watching spot offs regular god I cover it
off yesterday with the Pine Man. Will let that one
rest big focus of the day is the sixty second
Hallberg Awards. The Glithiraki of the sporting world and some
(01:02):
sortied journalists, agents and hangers on are all lurking around
Spark Arena ready for the action to start and be
about fifty minutes time things to get underway. We're going
to chat about that shortly with Michael Burgess, who wants
to see some change, only small change, with some change
in the way this is presented, put together, awarded. The
(01:26):
focus needs to be because it is just in case
we hadn't noticed no longer the sixties, things might have
to change. We need your thoughts on that. After we
talked to burg about his column which came out and
selling to Herald Today into the Heerld, dot co, dot
n Z, and then later on in the Peace we'll
get to Nathan Lynn, who's the job of shining his shoes,
(01:50):
putting some pants and a shirt on and going along
there and getting in people's faces, or find out what
the general vibration is around the sixty second Halberg Awards.
It's a gleaming day for New Zealand sport. Take me
a long time just get the relevance of it. But
we're going to talk about it tonight anyway and what
can change and how it can be. I suppose schmacked
(02:13):
up for the new generation. What has to because it
seems very much stuck in the past, doesn't it. Yeah,
we'll talk about that later on the piece on. There's
an announcement coming out from New Zealand Cricket at half
past seven as well. We'll keep abreast on that, will
let you know what is going on ahead of the
(02:34):
Champions Trophy which starts twenty four five six seven hours away.
Right before we do any of that, though, let's do
what we normally do a whole lot of this sport
today that in sport today. Australian Rugby League Commissioned chair
Peter Wesdey Zealand again the Landies, has gone full grovel
to try and persuade President Trump to darken the door
(02:56):
of the NRL experience in Las Vegas. He wants the
Potus to have a gander at the Wars with the
Sharks game. Here's his pre recorded message. Not Trump, but
the land Is and you put this message on Trump's
favorite TV show, Fox and Friends.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Mister President, we want to introduce you to the toughest
game on Earth, rugby league. There's no sport more brutal
than rugby league. Our players don't wear pads or helmets.
Hope to see you at Allegiance Stadium in Las Vegas.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
A bit of a Landy's plan. He has never seen UFC,
but that's okay. Look, you've got to give them credit
where credits due. I suppose if you're going to try
and get some kind of footprint the United States of America,
half the country voted for that bloke. So if he
says it's cool, they'll climb in. So you get where
the groovel's going. But some of the stuff about how
(03:51):
good Fox Sport is, how unbiassed, what a great source
of news anyway, Novak jock Lechairs spoken on the yuk
Senate affair. The Italian world number one has had a
telling off for as possible of drug reading. He's been
sent to the naughty corner for a couple of months,
but he'll be back for the French opens. That's all right,
(04:13):
Noveck shows as word carefully.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Majority of the players doesn't feel that it's fair. Majority
of the players feel like there is favorism happening. It
appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you're
a top player, if you have access to the top
lawyers and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Not a lot of gray there from Novak. Conversation between
HAROCKI Sucky and the table talking topping AUKLANDFC has resulted
in a year long extension for the Skipper, just the
news the team needs heading into this weekend's derby clash
versus the Phoenix. Coach Steve Carker pumped.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
He's our leader, a great experienced player and as you
can see, his fantastic player as well defensively really strong.
The boys loved him, so we're very pleased to have
him for another year.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Bang and the black Caps are ready to go the
champions trophy work into life tomorrow evening when our men's
first to live in take on Pakistan. Tom Latham has
filled his boots with.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Lessons it's just about trying to focus on that first
match and obviously playing a couple of games against Pakistan,
taking a lot of learnings and hopeure we can take
them into the first game.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Hopefully it's twelve minutes after nine and that's after seven,
excuse me, And.
Speaker 6 (05:30):
That's sport today right here.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
It is interesting first text I've received on nineteen nine
two ZBZB standard text charge does apply? Remind you nows
I am an avid? Okay, I'm going to cut this
blokesome slack because I know he didn't mean to write
I am an avoid follower of many sports. It was
just a typo. I am an avid follower of many
(05:55):
sports and I travel regularly to watch all. My interest
in the Halbergs is zero. There is no criteria and
it's meaningless ouch well to talk about that the possible
or tweaks and adjustment with John the New Zealand Herald
sports writer across a number of different disciplines Michael Burgess,
(06:15):
as we look at his thoughts around what may need
to tweak to drag this particular award ceremony into this century,
he joins us, Now, good evening, Michael Burgess.
Speaker 6 (06:30):
I'm good mate, shining got to be good.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
That's it. And it's a massive day or a massive
night coming up for New Zealand sport. You've written a
piece in the Herald around this talking about a new
category to recognized excellent and big leagues. You feel that
is lacking and the Halbergs maybe needs to be tweaked.
So first up, talk us through what needs to happen.
(06:54):
Do you think to bring it kicking and screaming into
twenty twenty five and beyond.
Speaker 7 (06:59):
Yeah, that's kind of the summary, Dars. I mean, you know,
I love the Halbergs. There's such an important part of
the sporting landscape. We've grown up watching that look forward
to them every year, but it just needs to become
a bit more relevant and for me, I'll be thinking
about this for quite a few years. But the penny
dropped when I was having a look at Chris Wood.
We all know what he's done this past year in
(07:20):
the Premier League has been incredible. He's the talk of England,
let alone New Zealand for everything he's done. But it's
not you. You know, he's been doing amazing things for
seven or eight years and this is the first time
he's been a finalist.
Speaker 6 (07:34):
So it's just.
Speaker 7 (07:35):
Occurred to me, you know, how is there not a
way to recognize what this guy's doing in terms of
a global achievement? So yeah, I just think there needs
to be a category and what you call it. My
initial idea was you call it, you know, best global
achievement or best achievement in a global sport. I don't know,
something that might be a bit clunky, but something that
(07:55):
just recognizes people that.
Speaker 6 (07:57):
Do amazing things in the biggest sports.
Speaker 7 (07:59):
They might not win a trophy or a medal or
a championship, but they do things that make all of
us so proud, that get everyone talking and get people
around the world talking.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
It's global the nature of New Zealand sports people, because
it has to be. How many young sports people disappear
overseas to minor leagues or smaller competition to build themselves
up to a position where they can compete on that
stage and then to be I suppose ignored a preference
of of an Olympic sport. That's kind of gutting.
Speaker 8 (08:31):
Yeah, it's hard, isn't it, Because you don't want to
criticize other achievements because everyone who does what they're doing,
their chosen sport is absolutely incredible, and especially those who
achieve at the Olympics or win world championships.
Speaker 7 (08:46):
So I'm really reluctant to criticize anyone and what they've done.
It's just the judges in an awkward position, you know,
the judges, what is it now, the sixty second year,
the judges are still stuck with this model of Sportsman
of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year and Supreme Award.
And it's very hard, I guess, to compare someone playing
(09:07):
in the NBA or someone riding in the Tour de France,
which by the way, is incredible to get to get
a place on a Tour de France team, compared to
someone winning a world championship shot put. You know, it's
just so hard to really analyze, Okay, what's better, what's not?
But I think when you're looking at the likes of
(09:28):
Steven Adams and Chris Wood, to me are great examples.
Stephen Adams, we all know what he's done in the NBA.
How long has he been there?
Speaker 6 (09:36):
That a decade? Dos? He was amazing for Oklahoma.
Speaker 7 (09:40):
For a few seasons sort of in twenty sixteen, seventeen eighteen,
absolutely incredible what he was doing. He's been a finalist
once in twenty fourteen, in his rookie season. It's like
he's sort of been airbrushed from history of it. You know,
if you just wanted to Jose's zellan sport by the
Helburger words, you wouldn't have heard of him, which just
doesn't seem right, does it.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
It's a big focus on the fact that's a fundraiser.
We know this, this is the most important part of
that that you cannot walk away from. At the end
of the night, people celebrate the winners, the Supreme Award winners,
the Means, the woman's son and so forth, and the
charity moves to one side. So it kind of has
to be addressed because essentially it's still about winning and.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
Losing exactly exactly. The charity does incredible things.
Speaker 7 (10:24):
Sir Mary Holberg did amazing things.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
He was an incredible New Zealander.
Speaker 7 (10:30):
Will never forget him, and I love the fact that
these awards will always honor him and what he did.
And yeah, you can't forget the foundation and what they
do the other three hundred and sixty four days of
the year, but on this night, it's all about judging
elite sports people and what they've done to make us,
you know, so so proud.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
As a nation.
Speaker 7 (10:51):
So you know, can we really forget you know, one
more example, Dars. This year Lu Lusan Lulusan. She's obviously
not in any of their categories, but you know, she
sort of stopped the nation when she reached the quarterfinals
at wimbled and became the first woman to do that
in the open era, first qu female to do that
in first New Zealander since eighty three. Amazing stuff, and
(11:14):
there's no category for that. It's an Olympic year, so
there's a lot of other great female sports women achievements,
but it doesn't seem right, does it.
Speaker 6 (11:23):
That Also, Lulu is not in the history books.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
It's almost michael Burg just like the allocation of these words,
as are these awards. It's quite a distinct archaic feeling
about it. It's very much fifty sixty seventies, like it
hasn't developed with the sporting world, It hasn't kept up
with the developments of the nature of sport globally. Is
(11:49):
that a fair criticism or not?
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Possibly, Dars.
Speaker 7 (11:52):
I mean, I think to your point earlier kiwis are
just doing amazing things in so many different sports that
we probably didn't think was possible ten or twenty years ago.
Chris Wood, great example, Steven Adams. We probably never thought
we'd have a Q in the NBA regularly.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
You know, we had Kirk Penny go there. But to
have someone.
Speaker 7 (12:10):
Regular and being what you call a big name, and
then you throw in someone like Liam Lawson getting a
seat at Red Bull after eleven races, I think it
is so you know, he's been the talk of water
coolers around officers all around New Zealand for the.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
Last six to nine months.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
So the awards do have to adjust because they have
felt in the past that it's been a little bit elitist,
I guess, and there has been a focus on certain
sports and we all know the talk about other sports
that traditionally been ignored. So yeah, it's just time for
a bit of a shift, a bit of a move,
and it will be a good thing because the more
(12:47):
relevant they are, the more people that are talking about them,
the more important they are, and ultimately the more money
that will be raised.
Speaker 6 (12:56):
For the foundation. So I think everybody wins.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
You make one comment as well, Michael, there's the sense
that the judging panel, the revamped judging panels take and
I'm quoting a more lateral and imaginative view than in
the past, and you pick James McDonald the jockey, for example,
one of the finalists. Tell us about that, about how
it's changed, about this lateral and imaginative view and how
(13:21):
big this is.
Speaker 7 (13:22):
Well, it's just good to see, I know from looking
at the judging panel there's a few new faces on
there and I feel like they've brought a fresh a
fresh approach, a fresh thought to it. And the two
examples I used were indeed Chris Wood and James McDonald,
because jockeys have always been ignored, but James McDonald is
(13:44):
a sensation in Australia. There's so many people just saying,
how can this guy from New Zealand be doing what
he's doing?
Speaker 6 (13:50):
And what is the other example? Obviously, because he.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Hasn't technically won anything, you know, whether either the All
Whites or not again Forest, which was always sort of
the measure.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
He hasn't been in a final or that kind of thing.
Speaker 7 (14:01):
But the judges have recognized what he is doing is
something that we've never seen before and we might never
see again. And surely that has to be a measure
as well, So that's a step towards towards just just.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
Thinking outside the square.
Speaker 7 (14:18):
I think for a long time they were quite the
judges could be quite close minded. I mean the classic
example for me was back in nineteen ninety one we
had Wynton Rufer at Verde Bremen in the Bundesliga. He
won a European trophy that year, I think it was
Uapha Cup, beating Napoli on the way with Jaga Maridonna.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
You know, he scored a heap of goals in the
Bundesliga doing this amazing thing.
Speaker 7 (14:43):
I think he made a finalist, but he missed out
on the awards, and the Supreme Award went to Philippa Baker,
with all respect to Philip Baker, who won the World
championship in the lightweight skulls, which wasn't even an Olympic class.
So it just sort of shows how focused we were
on just world championships and man medals, and thankfully.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
We've moved on a lot long way since then.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Forget the refs call, you make the call. Sports Talk
on your home of Sports News Talk zib.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
As Michael Burgess there as sports writer for New Zealand Herald,
are taking a look at the relevance of the way
the Hellberg Awards are put together. We're going to go
to the Red carpet and about what only thirty five no,
probably in about twenty minutes time, and talk to Nathan Limb,
who was lurking there with intense to report further on that.
(15:41):
So a couple of questions here for you in this
and they do refer by a few texts through already
on Moneto nine two z B ZB Darcy. The Halberg's
are a joke. And I say that due to the
fact that Scott Dixon has never been nominated Steve he has.
In fact he's won Sportsman of the Year a couple
(16:01):
of times. Has he won the supreme what he might
have done? So I often get that sent to me
he has and he's won Sports from the Year at least,
So just you know, back up the truck wever there.
What I'd like to ask you is this is a
common phrase, It's been used recently in rugby. Other Hallbergs
(16:21):
fit the purpose? Do they still represent the pinnacle of
sporting awards here in New Zealand. I'm interested in how
you believe these awards reflect modern sport, reflect the youth
(16:44):
of today, which is very very important. You look at
the teens and the twenties and the thirties and does
this ceremony reverberate with them? Does it mean a great deal?
And if you're in that age group in your twenties
slightly younger early thirties, does this represent your four Is
(17:07):
this something that you feel is about you and your
sport wants and desires. Does it engage with that generation?
Because this is the future that they cover the sport
that most people care about. Because on the surface of it,
it looks like once every four years, it's a celebration
(17:30):
of the Olympic Games, which is wonderful. The Olympic Games
is a celebration in itself. But if you win gold
in the Olympic Games, that's it. You're in. You're going
to be one of the finalists. And we know their history,
Sir Murray Helberg has, and we know how important the Olympics,
(17:51):
and we know that this is what this is set
up to reflect that. But in twenty twenty five, should
it be more? Should it cover more about what the
modern sports consumer desires and likes? Because it looks to me,
even though they've tried to whip things up a wee
(18:11):
bit and they probably scared the life out of themselves.
When Israeli Dussan you're turned up in his master jacket.
It's still very It's still archaic, isn't it. Men wear
your suits, women dress up in your glad rags and
we're going to give you an award and you can
have a week talk. This doesn't seem modern. I mean
(18:32):
that might not be important to you. For me, it
just seems dated. Your calls coming up shortly On eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty at twenty five minutes after seven,
there's a sports talk on used Talk to e B.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Next you hear it from the biggest names and sports
men have your say on eight hundred eighty Sports Talk
on your whole of sports and news dogs it be.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Dancing news dogs eb oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty.
Hellberg's still fit for purpose? Does it still represent and
cover what people mostly care about in sport here in
New Zealand. It's a bit of a relic, isn't it.
(19:36):
I'm trying to say this with due respect because there's
a number of people out there who received this award,
who think the best of it and they've got it
and fant that's great. But there's something distinctly Blazer and
Tie that doesn't reverberate with the modern world. Maybe I
just need to go back into the past. Good day, Mark,
(19:57):
how are you?
Speaker 9 (19:59):
Well, that's just controlled. It's a doubt set and it
was reinforced when Halberg's took over it. So nineteen forty
nine we get the first Sportsman of the Year, and
it was until ninety eight. I think it was a
cricketer back in nineteen forty nine. So we go, we
come all the way forward to eighty six and Hadley's
the last sportsman and then we go into the supreme
(20:23):
categories and all of this. But effectively, what happened with
was originally a standalone sort of being the Sportsman in
the Year and then got absorbed in when the Helper
Trust just took over sort of the management and the
operation and the running of it effectively. Well that was
the Auckland Grammar Old Boys network effectively where Murray went
to school and as a considerably extensive network, as many
(20:45):
people will know, and that's the era of John Graham.
Now that is old Auckland, that of even.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
My era is That's what I'm talking about right.
Speaker 9 (20:56):
Very very very much so. And the emphasis back to
the Olympic sports is what has curtail its ability to
stretch out and reach into into others where people have
competed for a long time in various different disciplines. For example,
you don't see Courtney the motorcyight, the motocross girl up
for this and she keeps winning everything every year and
(21:18):
she's not even given them an end.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Who were championships so many of them. Would people say
it's a niche sport. I'd suggest that rowing is a
niche sport. It's just something that we got at the Olympics.
Speaker 9 (21:31):
Going back and pulling in a boat competed to riding
a motorbike. Everyone in the world rides motorbikele can has
the opportunity to do ride a motorbike. Not everybody gives
the opportunity to fit in a growing eight. It's a
pretty elite sort of thing and that's been the atmosphere
around it, and they've controlled it because we got the
source of the funds and the money. Now most of
(21:53):
these men are dead now, most have been the honest thing.
I'm not being harsh or anything, but most of them
have passed on and what we left with is a husk.
I think we retool it. I think I think we
look for all sorts of ways to look all across
the spectrum of Kiwi's participation in sport wherever. It is,
like we had Cody Forsyth was the tar top hoolo
(22:17):
player on the planet forever, never even got noticed. People
didn't know about them. We've got Jason Wynyard never got
particularly noticed for a long time, Sunny bowlstad back in the.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Day, or Woods extraordin end tim of sports, and that,
yet argues, is as big across a number of places
as something like rowing, for example.
Speaker 9 (22:40):
Far bigger, far bigger participation base I would I would No, Yeah,
I'd say because looking at it with forest all over
the world and you need woodsman and woods women.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
A husk. I get that, And it goes back to
one of my favorites along the fact that people lean
on tradition because they are terrified of change, and it
keeps people comfortable knowing this is something they're dad great
and this is still what the hellbergs is. It's going
back to those healthy in days, it's not like that anymore.
Speaker 9 (23:17):
Yeah, but they make you feel uncomfortable, aren't they When
you see these results that they are up and you're like, yeah, no,
that's not right, that's weird. And it's because, well, we've
got to consider the Olympians first, because we're this type
of organization. And it's like, that's why the rowers. Roberdell
won this thing.
Speaker 10 (23:33):
Three years in a row.
Speaker 11 (23:36):
Three for three years.
Speaker 9 (23:37):
You're telling me Rob Wdell was the best sportsman, the
best No, look, statistically impossible.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
But what made drives though? Didn't he want a handful
as well on the tread?
Speaker 11 (23:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (23:50):
Look, the rowers if they if they do there they
are because that's part of the card they and that's
where the husk is actually shifted. Potently. I'm not in
the workings of the Hellberg Trust, but I should imagine
the rowers that old boy network, which is very all
in rowing, would have stepped into the breach.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
There.
Speaker 9 (24:11):
We'll keep it under. That's the way that works in
that world.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Really sorry, really interesting, Caul. Thanks very much, Chris Charing.
I think you've put out exactly what I was referencing
about the relevance of the Hallberg's in this day and
age twenty twenty five. Now we know that Sir Murray
started it off. It is part of the charity, which
(24:43):
is fantastic. It claims to be. It's a recognition of
New Zealand's top sporting achievements. I'll tell you who the
Supreme Award winners were for the last handful of years,
(25:03):
and you tell me if this represents New Zealand sport
at the top level. Seriously, the size of the sports,
the relevance of it amongst everybody. We'll go back to say, well,
I don't know. I was mentioning that we'll go back
to well, Rob with Dell, we're old mates before I
mean before Hena, it was a Loader and Famino, a
(25:26):
couple of Olympians Woodell, Woodell, Widell, three rowings in a row,
Karin Georgiana Rivers Swindell. It was the next to you
Tall Blacks twenty twenty. That's odd, two thousand and two
silver Ferns. Okay, this is getting a bit diverse, Sarah Olmer,
(25:47):
Michael Campbell won the Gulf and five, so we're getting
a spread here, then, Mahi Drysdelle Valerie Peelly Valerie Phely
Valerie Feely again, Olympic, Olympic, Olympic commonfferent. It's all athletic,
all whites, all blacks, Bond and Murray Lydia Co Bond
and Murray, all Blacks, Carrington Team New Zealand, Walsh, Silver Ferns, Carrington,
(26:11):
Sadowski Senate. Look, it's a modern sport, but it was
still at the Olympics that really got up there and
then Carrington. It is enormously skewed by what even though
it's in a wonderful celebration we all love to watch
the Olympics is still it's a questionable organization. It really is.
(26:38):
I don't think this represents the best we've got. I
don't see any league represent tape stunds. It's what lawn
But no, Hi, Trevor's see.
Speaker 11 (26:49):
How are you mate?
Speaker 2 (26:50):
I'm very good. How about yourself?
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Ah?
Speaker 11 (26:52):
Good mate? Good live and breathing.
Speaker 9 (26:54):
That's the main thing helps, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
It's easy to pay tax when you're alive.
Speaker 11 (27:01):
And I've got a few questions about it. People actually
told what to wear?
Speaker 9 (27:05):
Are they when?
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I don't know? But it feels do.
Speaker 11 (27:08):
They like clamming up? Do they like maybe the people
like maybe the ladies and the guys they like clamming
up for that night. Glamming up for that night.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Well, I mean I feel sorry for the men because
the idea of dressing up for men is they all
wear the identical clothes, like they're wearing a short uniform.
I just find that even more bizarre. In fact, what
do we doing in twenty twenty five still wearing suits
to work? There's an archaic concept in itself, but that's
not sport. Yeah, they enjoy the dressing up and the
going out.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
I get yeah, okay.
Speaker 11 (27:36):
I And so who selects them? I mean apparently the
people that pick them. I mean, you've got to give
them some credit. I mean, you know, they look at
all sports, they look at people, they put somebody puts
forward their story on who they think the best sportsman is.
So it's not as though it's a favorable It's favored
by anybody, is it. I mean, so, I don't.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Think the majority of people who get selected and win
are Olympians. And I don't think that the Olympic Games
is a true representation of the strength of sport here
in New Zealand. I don't think it's relevant like it
used to be before. Even the Olympic Games admit that
because they started adding speed climbing.
Speaker 11 (28:20):
Yeah, that's right, So therefore you will get some variation
in it. Maybe they will. We'll get a person that
one and speed climbing and the main thing. Darthia. I
just always find a reader.
Speaker 10 (28:32):
How people.
Speaker 11 (28:33):
Some people get quite upset because the person, the person
they think should win didn't win. I mean it doesn't
matter really, I mean, lydia Co or the cyclists or
you know, the canoeist. Does it really matter who wins? Like,
we're not going to get up tight about it, are we.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Well, no, I'm not losing any sleep over in him
because I know, I know, I know that sportsmen do
not compete to win a gong like this. They don't.
It's a nice I'm going to do really well on
this Olympic Games because I want to win the Hallberg.
There's no way in hell they think like that. They
(29:13):
compete to be the best in their business and be
the best in their sport.
Speaker 12 (29:17):
That's what they're there for.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
And this is an added bonus that really if they
didn't get it, I mean they love it at the time.
It's all very nice. Dah dahah, but not the be
all and end, or is it surely?
Speaker 11 (29:28):
Well? Look, I bet you that all of sportsmans have
won it, you know, as well as all the prize
when they one and all the tighters have won. I
guarantee they still rate very highly being New Zealand sports
Person of the Year. I mean, we should ask them
if it's important to them, and I think you'll find
to most of them it is.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Well, it probably is, but they're hardly going to say, oh,
not really, I'm just more worried about winning my race
because they wouldn't do that because they're very polite people.
They don't want to upset anyone, so they're going to go, yep, okay, no, sweet,
it was love. It was a nice night. I got
celebrated by my peers and da da da da da.
For me, I don't think it represents where we're going.
But I mean it's just me, just an opinion. This
(30:08):
is which is why.
Speaker 11 (30:11):
Yeah, sometimes there's nothing wrong with tradition. Oh, you don't
have to change.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
You know you don't. But I think hanging on to
the past, you're probably doomed to still be in a cave.
I don't think that hanging on to the past and
tradition is healthy, and so.
Speaker 11 (30:33):
See, how do you see tonight then as a variation
like the people turn up and bodies and jendles and
a bit of rap music and stuff like that. I mean,
what do you see as a change from from what
it is? How do you see what a change could be?
Or who do well or might do well for the
awards themselves? What change the music they play and let
(30:56):
people wear what they want and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
I didn't say any of that. I think the way.
Speaker 11 (31:01):
I'm just wondering what, Yeah, but you change might be good.
The change might be good.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Sing here Trevor is it's quite ironic because now you're
getting really shirty over this concept. The tradition is an
insane concept grasped on to people who are terrified of change.
So and then you're getting shirty with me, which is
the saying people get upset when their mates don't win
the awards. They could flash it out tomorrow. It really
(31:27):
it doesn't mean anything. It's some good talk back and
I'm sure the people that wanted a greatness, you know,
and something to celebrate, But to me it doesn't have
the relevance that I think they think it does. It
just smacks of self important, pompous organizations.
Speaker 11 (31:47):
Okay, look at it. I think it's great. I'll put
the TV on watch it and two ones and whoever
the ones? That doesn't really matter. I just think.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Absolutely a lot of people do, Trev. You're not alight.
I'm not saying I'm right because I'm bloody not. It's
just my opinion. That's what I get paid to do.
Speaker 12 (32:03):
Broat night with the TV.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
It's nineteen minutes to eight. This is a news talks
AIRB Just quickly, I've got this for you. A lucky
Ferguson's been ruled out of the Champions Trophy. Carl Jameson
(32:31):
has been called in the foot injury pain in his
right foot after an formal War Matt warm up excuse
me match against Afghanistan. Wouldn't be fit to the whole
shooting match, so Ganapery. King's quick, Jamison's going to replace him.
He's just been playing. He's been playing for the Kings
and domestic cricket. So he's come back after a long
(32:55):
recovery from that stress fracture. He was playing today. Wasn't
he in the trophy? So throwing him on a plane,
so get rid of the bowl. There's news talks there be.
Speaker 13 (33:09):
It's eighteen minutes day.
Speaker 12 (33:28):
Seven forty six. Talk on news talks there be.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
We've got Nathan and then shortly I've got a sloppy
mouth today. I say that because somebody wants to know
why I sound like I've just had a stroke. Have
you tried learning to speak so it doesn't sound like
(33:55):
you're having a stroke, Thanks Aaron. Interesting, as they say, great, interesting,
Nathan Limb. He's got his fancy shirt on, he's pre
a pair of slacks and put his best shoes on.
I don't even think you're wearing your cap, are you? Nathan?
You are so dressed and ready to.
Speaker 10 (34:13):
Go tell you what darth. Yeah, I did check on
a shirt, but I came here and immediately felt totally
under dressed because everyone's brought out the top tier tuxedos,
the bow ties. I've lost count of how many bow ties.
All of the women are dressed up, all in makeup, SOEs,
all glitz and glamour down at Spark Arena in downtown Auckland.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
At the moment, all the men look the same. I mean,
can you tell the difference.
Speaker 10 (34:40):
Eric Murray was a pink tie and had a pink handkerchief,
so he probably stood out mostly from the men. But yeah,
I'd say the vast majority have played it fairly conservatively.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
So around the place with everyone's there, we all know
the sports people are there and the wags for one
of a better phrase, there's some coaches, administrators, anybody non
sporty hanging around the plane.
Speaker 10 (35:08):
I'm sure there are quite I mean there's here. There
are loads and loads of people who have come through,
and you're sort of you're looking out for the key
faces that you know, Dan Carter's here, Richie mccare and
Jimmy Flynt, Jim and McCaw rather are here as well,
and you know, there's there's a lot of sort of
past sports icons who have shown up. But yeah, there's
there's plenty of people around. No one stands out that
(35:30):
I jumped out that jumped out at me in a
non sporting context, Darcy. But to be honest, even the
sports stars sometimes it's a bit hard to pick up
that you used to seeing them in their in their
in their jerseys and they covered in sweet and mudd
and they're all dree stuff.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
They look great, do you e An own a taxedo, Nathan.
Speaker 10 (35:51):
You don't need to help me on nationally.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
I'm the fifty five year old man. I haven't got
one either. I don't see the point I'd wear a scort.
In fact, next time I get invited to that, which
will be never, I'm gonna wear a Bianca seen. Sorry
out for the Grammy Awards. If you know what I'm
talking about, you're gonna be sicking your mouth. Right, favorites,
what are you looking at here?
Speaker 10 (36:11):
We've got you don't need.
Speaker 12 (36:13):
The Sportsman of the Year.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Finn Butcher, Hamish Kurr, Hayden Wild, Chris Wood. Where does
that goat well?
Speaker 10 (36:21):
I mean take your perk.
Speaker 6 (36:23):
I mean, is there a scene of.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
It around there? If if you heard conversation overhearing sticking
your nose and where it's.
Speaker 10 (36:29):
Not you know, there's there's a bit about but everyone's
you know, this is New Zealand. Everyone's very humble. Everyone's
got a smile on their face. Everyone's just playing it
very very cool. But I mean you could pack any
of those athletes and they'd they'd be more than worthy
of winning the Sportsmen of the Year. Obviously, the Paris
Olympians dominating the nominees tonight. You know, you've got the
(36:52):
likes of Dame Lisa Carrington, Dame Lydia Co in the
women's category, and as you said, the Hamish Kurf and Butcher.
But then you know, you look at someone like Chris
Wood who's actually competing on a stage totally different, that
is world renowned, and he's seeding to an extent that
we've never seen before from a New Zealander. So there's
a lot to consider really for the judges. And how
(37:14):
do you compare something like that to winning an Olympic
gold medal?
Speaker 2 (37:18):
You don't, Well, we are we are now you guys
are I'm an interested bystander. You go toward the sportswomen
and were out looking the tennis and twig in the rowing,
and you mentioned a Lisa Carrington, Amelia at least andrews Co.
It's it's so difficult I'd lean toward. I'd say in
(37:41):
that one there, it's probably going to be Lydia because
she won a gold medal, thus picking up the hat
trick of all the different ones, and she won a
major and she got induced to the Golf Hall of
Fame as the youngest ever. So I'd say, she's had
three different pretty good metrics, so I reckon that'll probably
give her it the Team in the Year and she
(38:02):
was made. There you go, and that's right up there, Alley,
very nice, You've got Team of the Year. I don't
know where you'd go with that. The big thing really
is the money that it's generating for charity. Men. That's it.
And I can complain all my all I want that.
I'm not going to lose any sleep that there will
be There would have been thousands of people over the
(38:26):
sixty two years that have benefit benefited from that, and
I keep having to go back to that focus because
that's what it's about.
Speaker 10 (38:35):
Yeah, I fully agree with you, Darcien. I'm not usually
one for the happy clappy sort of oh sports the
winner on the day. You know, we like to debate
who should actually be winning everything, but at the end
of the day, all of the athletes are here have
done exceptional things throughout the year that you almost cannot
comp How do you compare the White Ferns winning the
World Cup to Lisa Carrington winning another gold medal? You know,
(38:57):
it's you can't. They're in such totally different fields. But
there is an underlying meaning to that. Like you said that,
the money raise for charity, and it is just a
nice night to celebrate everyone and recognize how talented of
a sporting nation we are.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
It's still in a celebration of the Olympic Games, and
they just sprinkle a bit of other sport and just
to keep the peasants like me happy. Nathan, you enjoy yourself.
I don't know how you're going to dress up to
get to the after party, but try hard.
Speaker 10 (39:24):
I'm going to do my best stuff. I have to
tuck in there and see if I can get a
few drinks with a few famous people.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
You know, mate, just put a white towel over your
arm and just pretend like your staff. They'll let you
in anyway. Nathan, thanks for joining us, coming to us live,
albeit underdressed. His words, not mine, And that all gets
underway and starts proper like at eight o'clock and the
winners will be announced in good time. A couple of
hours the ceremony goes for. Oh it's a long time.
(39:55):
I'm going to finish the show with a part of
texts coming up next. Unless you'd like to stick your
shoe into the conversation fit for purpose. Really is it
or not? It's a good charity. This is news talk.
Speaker 12 (40:16):
Long pulls a bit wound up. I see Halberts or
a joke.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Top performances of the sporting and period Arlem Lawson and
the Giz and Corney Duncan should have won it previously,
but Dame Lisa will win it again in a minority
sport and outside of New Zealand doesn't even register. Odd,
It's pretty big in Europe, regardless of any other achievement
this year. If Joseph Parker wins his belt, then he'll
(40:51):
be the supreme sportsman. End of the way. These judges
pick someone from esport to win. The way these judges
pick someone from esport will win before anybody else. A
lot of people text again talking about the lack of
motor sport representation. It is in there, it does get there.
(41:11):
Dixon's one of a couple of times I guess was
nominated last year. I think McLaughlin two, so it's not
completely left out. But as a moon was a sports
person that impressed me to ask remember who I did?
I chattered to a few times. She was cool and
other says this is still the old Boys network. Great conversation,
(41:31):
though Lydia Code you Rock among many other sporting superstars.
This is not a punched down on sports people that
go there at all. It's the nature of the organization,
how it structed, what it represents, and this bizarre need
to hang on to the past. It's counterproductive all of that. Dars,
(41:57):
I'm staking to see what the problem with the hell
Birds is. It sounds positive to me now, great, awesome thing.
I'm not a fan of staying still and our right back. Apologies.
If you actually hadn't had a stroke, good point, I
might have done. I just don't know. I'm Darcy water
(42:18):
Grave any Duff. Thanks for producing ketch again tomorrow here
on News Talk zed B.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
For more from sports Talk, listen live to News Talk
said B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com