The Chiefs Manawa are looking to bounce back after a shaky start to the Super Rugby Aupiki season.
They dropped their opening game to Matatu, losing by 6 points.
Chiefs Manwa utility back (and Black Fern and Sevens Black Fern and former Newcastle Knight )Tenika Willison spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk about how they're going to beat the Blues Women - and about how she's managed to code hop so successfully.
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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 Dancy Wildergrave
from news Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Are we going to go to the chess Manoa camp
who got steamrolled by Mattha through last weekend up against
the Blues coming up tomorrow? And we are joined now
by Niko Willison as we look at that, and good
evening to you.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I trust you well shout out yes, Sam, thank you,
thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Great to hear. You've got a game coming up tomorrow
which I find a little strange. Why a Friday game?
What happened there? What happened to weekend rugby Tanika for
chess Man.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I'm not too sure, but I quite like the Friday night,
Friday night games. Friday night put it in then actually
have the whole weekend I guess recover in all to
kind of that good stuff. No, not too sure, but yeah,
I quite like it.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
You get told me to play, you just turn up
and play right.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah exactly. Then we got the easy job mates, I
know you haven't.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
It makes it nice and simple though, So you're not
carrying any the damage from the matter two defeat last
week because it's the first time up.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yeah, well yeah, first game. But I guess, as cliche
as it sounds, we are one team, so together we
I guess we take that loss, but we take the
learnings out of it. And fields that played last week
I think have dropped that game onto the week with Blues.
We can't be dwelling on anything coming up against a
strong Blues site, So not looking forward to the weekend
(01:31):
or tomorrow. Sorry, And yeah, first game back pretty exciting
and see.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
The old habits die hard. You still think it's the
weekend as well. So I love when athletes say they
pick up lessons from the game and then I get
to ask them the obvious questions. So what were they?
What did you group learn out of that defeat?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, I think something that we've been focusing on is
around just our roles, something which is something we can
be doing a lot better. But obvious. Yeah, there was
a second game of rugby for the season. There's mondaway
and we're still I guess trying to figure out combos
and all that kind of stuff. But yeah, one big
(02:10):
thing is skill, a skill execution. We all know how
to play rugby, so it's bettering that and there should
take care of itself.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I suppose when you look at that game last week.
It was it was sitting okay, and then Marta II
just pulled out an amsolute banger on the second half.
It was almost like shell shock the team with what happened.
So all your respect to Marta II for what they did,
but you guys question your defensive structures, defense of the
part that you played in the fact that they were
(02:41):
such an offensive threat.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah. No, I mean, I guess there's players there are
times where you are kind of qustioning, you know, like, damn,
what kind of system are we running? Is this going
to work? But that's what the time. We have a
short time, short turn around in a really short season,
so it does kind of get to those points at times.
But at the same time, we showed glimpses that it
(03:04):
does work. And I think that we talked a lot
about the trust piece that we need to have, say
within each other, the ones that are playing on the field,
but also the trust that we have and the coaches
that are I guess playing out these these systems, because yeah,
a few look at our coaching stuff. We have got
some pretty big coaches and behind these events and attacking systems.
(03:28):
So I guess it's just for us aguring out how
we want to play it and just trusting it because
it does work. We've showed glimpses of there. I think
that's the biggest thing is, Yeah, we've shown that we
can do it. It's just being able to do it.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Tanika Wilson joined us here on news Talk ZB. You're
linking up with a couple of SEVENS mates. I suppose
Ruby Towey stands out there. I mean she's pretty hard
to suppress and see that, lady. But your journey, and
I've spoken about this before around the Wayne athletes within
rugby rugby league, You've got a zig zagged through various versions,
(04:03):
haven't you? Sevens? You picked up a gold medal, A
played in what the Newcastle team? So you played league,
you're back playing fifteens. Now how does that work for you?
Havn't I suppose constantly pivot for a new role?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah? Yeah. Firstly, to be jamming alongside Ruby two again,
it's been a long long time and I think the
last time we played alongside each other was twenty twenty one,
which is in trial matches for the Tokyo Olympics, so
not even on the word stage. And to be it's
quite full circuit to come back around to be home
at Chiefs Manoa after the season in twenty twenty three
(04:40):
which he wasn't here. Yeah, running back with her this season,
it's pretty exciting and I'm of course I'm excited to
have Medi who I played alongside twenty twenty three as well,
and that SEMs. Yeah, really cool to be playing alongside
those two and to find it back with Ruby. And
for me just around the switching of codes, I think
(05:01):
I've always been someone to chop and change in between
the team and what's just to keep my options open.
They're not have all my eggs in one basket. So
with Sevens you got I generally found myself finding things
outside of Stevens and that was like for a refresher
it with Sevens it is, you know, because of this
full time and quite so long, you're competing every single
(05:23):
day and then if you travel away with the team
you might not even play. So things like that kind
of took a tole on me personally. Just been in
the Sevens for so long, I don't think I played
enough rugby. So where what I did was look outside
of that environment, went and played things for clubs came
(05:44):
back to open key, I played touch where if I
could as well, and yeah, then lucky enough up you
had to go to the League and played for Newcastle,
which was very exciting. I never played league before and
really grateful for them to take a chance on me,
someone who's just it's headless and go up too. But
people around me helped me a lot, and that just
(06:08):
makes me me so that I can go whatever I'm
at the time, I go back to whatever it is,
refreshed and video the role.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I think the transition across codes would be more difficult
if you're playing up front. I'd suggest it probably would be,
wouldn't it. Being like fleet Foot, I suppose it transfers
quite well, doesn't it to Nika?
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
No, lucky to be in the positions that allows me
to transfer those skills, what were they're quite similar, Like
you said, so outside back generally you can transfer into anything.
Then that's what I found with the help of the
players around me though, just kind of continuously supporting me,
(06:51):
helping me where they could, and then having some fun
with it.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
All right, tell us a wee bit about what happens
tomorrow night. What do you think you're going to achieve.
What are you going to put down there for the
fine people of Auckland City to take a look at.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Yep, to the Garden of Eden, I'm pretty pretty cool
place to play. It would say that Prittical Stadium not
as cool as SMG Sadam here and like. But I
think we're going to put on the show for sure.
Obviously we've loused, like I said, are a good side.
I don't think we've even scratched the surface of the
(07:28):
potential that we have in our team. So one thing
that I want to know as my individual role is
to just bring some aggression and then the second thing
is making sure that I can give to those around
me in terms of in terms of skill, electric execution
(07:49):
and role clarity. Is just playing some rugby clinical rugby
is what I wanted. You're going to see from the
chiefs mone of what tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Is there any revenge lurking around the sheets after what
happened last year when you got rolled in the final
at Eden Park.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Look, there's three teams in the competition of four teams,
you know, and you'll have a bit of dana and
whatnot holding something against each team, So that's not so
much revenge. I guess it's more like I speaking early
about the potential and we haven't the inspecial service of it.
Yet another chance for us to just go another level
(08:27):
early on in the season, but also wanting to make
our mark and I guess show that Chess are here
to turn up, turn up and play, and then we
ain't going to be any easy team to let anyone
run over us.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Looking forward to it, Get amongst, enjoy yourself in the
Garden of Aiden, and thanks very much Sneaker Wilson for
your time here on News Talks EB most appreciated.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, thank you, thank you for your time.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
For more from sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from news Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Are we going to go to the chess Manoa camp
who got steamrolled by Mattha through last weekend up against
the Blues coming up tomorrow? And we are joined now
by Niko Willison as we look at that, and good
evening to you.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I trust you well shout out yes, Sam, thank you,
thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Great to hear. You've got a game coming up tomorrow
which I find a little strange. Why a Friday game?
What happened there? What happened to weekend rugby Tanika for
chess Man.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I'm not too sure, but I quite like the Friday night,
Friday night games. Friday night put it in then actually
have the whole weekend I guess recover in all to
kind of that good stuff. No, not too sure, but yeah,
I quite like it.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
You get told me to play, you just turn up
and play right.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah exactly. Then we got the easy job mates, I
know you haven't.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
It makes it nice and simple though, So you're not
carrying any the damage from the matter two defeat last
week because it's the first time up.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yeah, well yeah, first game. But I guess, as cliche
as it sounds, we are one team, so together we
I guess we take that loss, but we take the
learnings out of it. And fields that played last week
I think have dropped that game onto the week with Blues.
We can't be dwelling on anything coming up against a
strong Blues site, So not looking forward to the weekend
(01:31):
or tomorrow. Sorry, And yeah, first game back pretty exciting
and see.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
The old habits die hard. You still think it's the
weekend as well. So I love when athletes say they
pick up lessons from the game and then I get
to ask them the obvious questions. So what were they?
What did you group learn out of that defeat?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, I think something that we've been focusing on is
around just our roles, something which is something we can
be doing a lot better. But obvious. Yeah, there was
a second game of rugby for the season. There's mondaway
and we're still I guess trying to figure out combos
and all that kind of stuff. But yeah, one big
(02:10):
thing is skill, a skill execution. We all know how
to play rugby, so it's bettering that and there should
take care of itself.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I suppose when you look at that game last week.
It was it was sitting okay, and then Marta II
just pulled out an amsolute banger on the second half.
It was almost like shell shock the team with what happened.
So all your respect to Marta II for what they did,
but you guys question your defensive structures, defense of the
part that you played in the fact that they were
(02:41):
such an offensive threat.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah. No, I mean, I guess there's players there are
times where you are kind of qustioning, you know, like, damn,
what kind of system are we running? Is this going
to work? But that's what the time. We have a
short time, short turn around in a really short season,
so it does kind of get to those points at times.
But at the same time, we showed glimpses that it
(03:04):
does work. And I think that we talked a lot
about the trust piece that we need to have, say
within each other, the ones that are playing on the field,
but also the trust that we have and the coaches
that are I guess playing out these these systems, because yeah,
a few look at our coaching stuff. We have got
some pretty big coaches and behind these events and attacking systems.
(03:28):
So I guess it's just for us aguring out how
we want to play it and just trusting it because
it does work. We've showed glimpses of there. I think
that's the biggest thing is, Yeah, we've shown that we
can do it. It's just being able to do it.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Tanika Wilson joined us here on news Talk ZB. You're
linking up with a couple of SEVENS mates. I suppose
Ruby Towey stands out there. I mean she's pretty hard
to suppress and see that, lady. But your journey, and
I've spoken about this before around the Wayne athletes within
rugby rugby league, You've got a zig zagged through various versions,
(04:03):
haven't you? Sevens? You picked up a gold medal, A
played in what the Newcastle team? So you played league,
you're back playing fifteens. Now how does that work for you?
Havn't I suppose constantly pivot for a new role?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah? Yeah. Firstly, to be jamming alongside Ruby two again,
it's been a long long time and I think the
last time we played alongside each other was twenty twenty one,
which is in trial matches for the Tokyo Olympics, so
not even on the word stage. And to be it's
quite full circuit to come back around to be home
at Chiefs Manoa after the season in twenty twenty three
(04:40):
which he wasn't here. Yeah, running back with her this season,
it's pretty exciting and I'm of course I'm excited to
have Medi who I played alongside twenty twenty three as well,
and that SEMs. Yeah, really cool to be playing alongside
those two and to find it back with Ruby. And
for me just around the switching of codes, I think
(05:01):
I've always been someone to chop and change in between
the team and what's just to keep my options open.
They're not have all my eggs in one basket. So
with Sevens you got I generally found myself finding things
outside of Stevens and that was like for a refresher
it with Sevens it is, you know, because of this
full time and quite so long, you're competing every single
(05:23):
day and then if you travel away with the team
you might not even play. So things like that kind
of took a tole on me personally. Just been in
the Sevens for so long, I don't think I played
enough rugby. So where what I did was look outside
of that environment, went and played things for clubs came
(05:44):
back to open key, I played touch where if I
could as well, and yeah, then lucky enough up you
had to go to the League and played for Newcastle,
which was very exciting. I never played league before and
really grateful for them to take a chance on me,
someone who's just it's headless and go up too. But
people around me helped me a lot, and that just
(06:08):
makes me me so that I can go whatever I'm
at the time, I go back to whatever it is,
refreshed and video the role.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I think the transition across codes would be more difficult
if you're playing up front. I'd suggest it probably would be,
wouldn't it. Being like fleet Foot, I suppose it transfers
quite well, doesn't it to Nika?
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
No, lucky to be in the positions that allows me
to transfer those skills, what were they're quite similar, Like
you said, so outside back generally you can transfer into anything.
Then that's what I found with the help of the
players around me though, just kind of continuously supporting me,
(06:51):
helping me where they could, and then having some fun
with it.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
All right, tell us a wee bit about what happens
tomorrow night. What do you think you're going to achieve.
What are you going to put down there for the
fine people of Auckland City to take a look at.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Yep, to the Garden of Eden, I'm pretty pretty cool
place to play. It would say that Prittical Stadium not
as cool as SMG Sadam here and like. But I
think we're going to put on the show for sure.
Obviously we've loused, like I said, are a good side.
I don't think we've even scratched the surface of the
(07:28):
potential that we have in our team. So one thing
that I want to know as my individual role is
to just bring some aggression and then the second thing
is making sure that I can give to those around
me in terms of in terms of skill, electric execution
(07:49):
and role clarity. Is just playing some rugby clinical rugby
is what I wanted. You're going to see from the
chiefs mone of what tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Is there any revenge lurking around the sheets after what
happened last year when you got rolled in the final
at Eden Park.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Look, there's three teams in the competition of four teams,
you know, and you'll have a bit of dana and
whatnot holding something against each team, So that's not so
much revenge. I guess it's more like I speaking early
about the potential and we haven't the inspecial service of it.
Yet another chance for us to just go another level
(08:27):
early on in the season, but also wanting to make
our mark and I guess show that Chess are here
to turn up, turn up and play, and then we
ain't going to be any easy team to let anyone
run over us.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Looking forward to it, Get amongst, enjoy yourself in the
Garden of Aiden, and thanks very much Sneaker Wilson for
your time here on News Talks EB most appreciated.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, thank you, thank you for your time.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
For more from sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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