June 19, 2025 • 9 mins
Here at Sportstalk, we're all swept up in Super Rugby fever!
After we hashed out the issue with the cowbells yesterday, we thought we'd better do at least one preview of the actual game.
So D'Arcy Waldegrave had a chinwag with Crusaders assistant coach Ryan Crotty.
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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 Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be all right, let's talk some rugby Crusaders taking
on the Chiefs. It's live on gold Sport and that's
five past seven on Saturday night. The Crusaders at there, Well,
if you're being polite, you call it their grand old stadium,
their grand old lady that's worked its way through the light.
(00:31):
Or if you're being rude, you can say it that
dump that they dare call a stadium. It's it's gone,
we'd like to think. And we're joined now by assistant
coach all of the Crusaders.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Up against the Chiefs. Is that name is Ryan Craddy? Good?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It Ryan, Good the talk and great to have you on.
What's it like being involved in a coaching capacity in
a final when you've spent so much time prepping for
these games as a player. How much more removed is it?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It's the same but different? Yeah, yes, I guess obviously.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
As a coach it's just making sure all the boys
have got everything they need and prepared as best.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
You can for the big game. And as a player,
I think your focus is a lot narrow and with
your role and what.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
You need to bring and execute and this, I guess
the space you need to get in for to build
yourself up to go out and perform in a big game.
But I think obviously as a coach you're a lot
more spreading, not quite as narrow in your focus and
looking after the whole group or are those those those
(01:38):
critical players and the positions you're looking after but not same.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Bit different but still very special, very special.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Is it any less stressful or does it just add
more now that you've got so many more responsibilities.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I think if you're you've realized pretty quickly as a
coach you don't have the same kind of control or
influence as you do as a player.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
So I don't know. I thought last week I thought
I was.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
I was pretty kind of relaxed heading into it, but
then kind of game time rolled around and it was
the nerves started to kick in.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Is the intensity of the match went on?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
So you might have to ask me that after the
game or during the game on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Will you'd be feeling helpless? Wouldn't you?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
More than anything? When you're sitting there going I actually
can't get in there and clean someone out or have
a crack at the ref you can't, So that lack
of control on the night must be very frustrating for
a player like yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Well, I used to get a lot like that as
a player.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
You know, if you'd come off the field, you know,
and you're sitting on the bench watching their last ten
to fifteen minutes, that's all.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You in the stands with an injury.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
That's when the real kind of stress used to kick
in because you're just so invested in what you're doing
as a player and you care so deeply about getting
the results you work so hard for and you're not
out there fluencing it directly. But as a coach, I
think you really do trust. You trust the boys and
(03:13):
because you see how hard they work, and you said
the way they prepare, and you know how good they are,
so you trust them in those those pressure moments. So
I think that's the main thing I've probably learned more
as a coach is just not that I didn't trust
when I was a player, But when you're working with
these guys day and day out, you see how see
how much it means to them, you see how good
(03:34):
they are, and yeah, you just really back them and
trust them.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
So how much has your thought process change from being
a younger player to a player that's finally hung as
boots up to being a coach around the expectations of
the coach player relationship.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
How's that developed, Ryan, I'm still probably figuring out, mate.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
I wouldn't say I'm an expert. I've only been coaching
for I don't have enough being call it coaching for
four or five months.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
It's a cool I'm in a cool space, I think,
come having played with a heck of a lot of
these guys as soon as as recent as five six months,
seven months ago, so.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
You still got that that friendship, that connection, that genuine care.
So it's it's quite easy to that that that relationship
I fear is really genuine from my own.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
So it's just about, you know, being being my being
myself and being authentic and doing my best for the
guys and whatever space they need.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
They're your friends. Do they even listen to you?
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Some of them do? Some of them probably not. They
the boys have been awesome.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
They've been really really supportive, and they've the coaches have
been so supportive everyone. I'm really grateful for how I've
been treated coming into the environment in a different capacity,
So I'm really lucky.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
But now the guys are great.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
They I think they respect the way I see and
I understand the game, and I guess my rugby IQ
and they're only too happy to have a conversation and
bounce ideas.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
And now the guy's been great.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
The Chiefs clear and present danger. They have had a
fantastic gear in saying that they've been at the final.
I've lost count how many times they've been there over
the last few years and got the bride'smaids boukay. So
they becoming at this like a bottle of the gate.
You expect something quite extraordinary from the Chiefs with all
(05:37):
that disappointment built up.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Yeah, I unfortunately know what that feels like as a
young crusader. The early part of I guess of myself
Toddy Toddy in the coach's office as well, Our early
part of our careers came so close so many times,
and you just know how much that builds the desire to.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Go that one.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
More so the context of their history. Regardless as a final,
you know to both teams are going to be extremely hungry.
It'll be an absolute cracker. So the boys are preparing accordingly.
We're excited, We're we're grateful for another week together and
grateful we get to send off the old girl, the
(06:19):
old scaffold stadium off as we put in a performance
that would do it justice.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Yeah, the orange theory lean to as I like to
call it, Next year is going to be huge for you.
So you would have been pouring over the tape, looking
at your computer, so on and so forth. What do
you know about the Chiefs where they're tender underbelly lies?
Have you found a space to actually dominate, to maybe
do something in there?
Speaker 4 (06:45):
I think we have to trust our game, trust what
we've been doing well all a year and off weeks.
What we know, you know, our game under pressure, and
that's that's what we can control.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
We can't can't control the Chiefs. Chiefs.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
We respect them, and we prepare accordingly, and we used
we do our homework, and we know they've got some
exciting talent. They're a very very good team. But we
say we can control what we can control, and we
prepare and relentless with that, and we just be excited
for the opportunity to go out in front of our
(07:20):
people on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
If you want to control somebody. It'll be Damien McKenzie.
Good luck with that, but you put a master plan
around him. You're opening up the holes everywhere. That is
a fine balance for the coaching stuff. Look, recognize what
you can do, but if you can't look up and
look across the other side with your nuts, aren't you
so you know what threats they bring. You're aware of
that and how you can maybe counter those or close
(07:44):
those down.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Well, demas an exceptional player, they've got threats right across
the park. You did right, but we've had some outstanding
if it's defensively this year. I think Toddy's doing a
great job preparing our group.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
And Mate, you look at their amount of tackles we've
had to make on.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Numerous occasions where we know we I think that's how
much the script cares and how much we we.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Want to work for each other and how proud we
are of pulling the jersey on.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
So when our finals, you need to go another year.
So it'd be great to see what we're made of
on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And one last thing, Ryan Croddy and thanks so much.
And the listener's frequent listens to this program are probably
tired of me. Saying this but tough. It's what I'm
leaning on at the moment. Many years ago I had
Todd Blackadder on the program talking about the final and
this is against the Chiefs and what does it come
down to. When he said one thing, Darcy, discipline And
(08:43):
I got the text the next day from Todd Blackadder
after the victory saying, discipline first and foremost for you
guys right one.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
We've previewed that we needed to be better from the weekend.
We've been pretty good so far this year. I felt, well,
you know, we've built a bit of momentum in the
middle part of the season and you look through all
the games all over the world.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
At the moment that's the most disciplined on the right
side of the penalty account. They are, they're winning games,
So we have to be squeaky clean on Saturday and
just trust. I think if we trust, then with those
little penalties or guys going out of system and things
like that, we trust and trust in our game, trust
(09:28):
each other, then those penalties are we should be on
the right side of the ledge of there.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news talks.
They'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 Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be all right, let's talk some rugby Crusaders taking
on the Chiefs. It's live on gold Sport and that's
five past seven on Saturday night. The Crusaders at there, Well,
if you're being polite, you call it their grand old stadium,
their grand old lady that's worked its way through the light.
(00:31):
Or if you're being rude, you can say it that
dump that they dare call a stadium. It's it's gone,
we'd like to think. And we're joined now by assistant
coach all of the Crusaders.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Up against the Chiefs. Is that name is Ryan Craddy? Good?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It Ryan, Good the talk and great to have you on.
What's it like being involved in a coaching capacity in
a final when you've spent so much time prepping for
these games as a player. How much more removed is it?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It's the same but different? Yeah, yes, I guess obviously.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
As a coach it's just making sure all the boys
have got everything they need and prepared as best.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
You can for the big game. And as a player,
I think your focus is a lot narrow and with
your role and what.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
You need to bring and execute and this, I guess
the space you need to get in for to build
yourself up to go out and perform in a big game.
But I think obviously as a coach you're a lot
more spreading, not quite as narrow in your focus and
looking after the whole group or are those those those
(01:38):
critical players and the positions you're looking after but not same.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Bit different but still very special, very special.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Is it any less stressful or does it just add
more now that you've got so many more responsibilities.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I think if you're you've realized pretty quickly as a
coach you don't have the same kind of control or
influence as you do as a player.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
So I don't know. I thought last week I thought
I was.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
I was pretty kind of relaxed heading into it, but
then kind of game time rolled around and it was
the nerves started to kick in.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Is the intensity of the match went on?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
So you might have to ask me that after the
game or during the game on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Will you'd be feeling helpless? Wouldn't you?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
More than anything? When you're sitting there going I actually
can't get in there and clean someone out or have
a crack at the ref you can't, So that lack
of control on the night must be very frustrating for
a player like yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Well, I used to get a lot like that as
a player.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
You know, if you'd come off the field, you know,
and you're sitting on the bench watching their last ten
to fifteen minutes, that's all.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You in the stands with an injury.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
That's when the real kind of stress used to kick
in because you're just so invested in what you're doing
as a player and you care so deeply about getting
the results you work so hard for and you're not
out there fluencing it directly. But as a coach, I
think you really do trust. You trust the boys and
(03:13):
because you see how hard they work, and you said
the way they prepare, and you know how good they are,
so you trust them in those those pressure moments. So
I think that's the main thing I've probably learned more
as a coach is just not that I didn't trust
when I was a player, But when you're working with
these guys day and day out, you see how see
how much it means to them, you see how good
(03:34):
they are, and yeah, you just really back them and
trust them.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
So how much has your thought process change from being
a younger player to a player that's finally hung as
boots up to being a coach around the expectations of
the coach player relationship.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
How's that developed, Ryan, I'm still probably figuring out, mate.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
I wouldn't say I'm an expert. I've only been coaching
for I don't have enough being call it coaching for
four or five months.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
It's a cool I'm in a cool space, I think,
come having played with a heck of a lot of
these guys as soon as as recent as five six months,
seven months ago, so.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
You still got that that friendship, that connection, that genuine care.
So it's it's quite easy to that that that relationship
I fear is really genuine from my own.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
So it's just about, you know, being being my being
myself and being authentic and doing my best for the
guys and whatever space they need.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
They're your friends. Do they even listen to you?
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Some of them do? Some of them probably not. They
the boys have been awesome.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
They've been really really supportive, and they've the coaches have
been so supportive everyone. I'm really grateful for how I've
been treated coming into the environment in a different capacity,
So I'm really lucky.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
But now the guys are great.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
They I think they respect the way I see and
I understand the game, and I guess my rugby IQ
and they're only too happy to have a conversation and
bounce ideas.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
And now the guy's been great.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
The Chiefs clear and present danger. They have had a
fantastic gear in saying that they've been at the final.
I've lost count how many times they've been there over
the last few years and got the bride'smaids boukay. So
they becoming at this like a bottle of the gate.
You expect something quite extraordinary from the Chiefs with all
(05:37):
that disappointment built up.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Yeah, I unfortunately know what that feels like as a
young crusader. The early part of I guess of myself
Toddy Toddy in the coach's office as well, Our early
part of our careers came so close so many times,
and you just know how much that builds the desire to.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Go that one.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
More so the context of their history. Regardless as a final,
you know to both teams are going to be extremely hungry.
It'll be an absolute cracker. So the boys are preparing accordingly.
We're excited, We're we're grateful for another week together and
grateful we get to send off the old girl, the
(06:19):
old scaffold stadium off as we put in a performance
that would do it justice.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Yeah, the orange theory lean to as I like to
call it, Next year is going to be huge for you.
So you would have been pouring over the tape, looking
at your computer, so on and so forth. What do
you know about the Chiefs where they're tender underbelly lies?
Have you found a space to actually dominate, to maybe
do something in there?
Speaker 4 (06:45):
I think we have to trust our game, trust what
we've been doing well all a year and off weeks.
What we know, you know, our game under pressure, and
that's that's what we can control.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
We can't can't control the Chiefs. Chiefs.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
We respect them, and we prepare accordingly, and we used
we do our homework, and we know they've got some
exciting talent. They're a very very good team. But we
say we can control what we can control, and we
prepare and relentless with that, and we just be excited
for the opportunity to go out in front of our
(07:20):
people on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
If you want to control somebody. It'll be Damien McKenzie.
Good luck with that, but you put a master plan
around him. You're opening up the holes everywhere. That is
a fine balance for the coaching stuff. Look, recognize what
you can do, but if you can't look up and
look across the other side with your nuts, aren't you
so you know what threats they bring. You're aware of
that and how you can maybe counter those or close
(07:44):
those down.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Well, demas an exceptional player, they've got threats right across
the park. You did right, but we've had some outstanding
if it's defensively this year. I think Toddy's doing a
great job preparing our group.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
And Mate, you look at their amount of tackles we've
had to make on.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Numerous occasions where we know we I think that's how
much the script cares and how much we we.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Want to work for each other and how proud we
are of pulling the jersey on.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
So when our finals, you need to go another year.
So it'd be great to see what we're made of
on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And one last thing, Ryan Croddy and thanks so much.
And the listener's frequent listens to this program are probably
tired of me. Saying this but tough. It's what I'm
leaning on at the moment. Many years ago I had
Todd Blackadder on the program talking about the final and
this is against the Chiefs and what does it come
down to. When he said one thing, Darcy, discipline And
(08:43):
I got the text the next day from Todd Blackadder
after the victory saying, discipline first and foremost for you
guys right one.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
We've previewed that we needed to be better from the weekend.
We've been pretty good so far this year. I felt, well,
you know, we've built a bit of momentum in the
middle part of the season and you look through all
the games all over the world.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
At the moment that's the most disciplined on the right
side of the penalty account. They are, they're winning games,
So we have to be squeaky clean on Saturday and
just trust. I think if we trust, then with those
little penalties or guys going out of system and things
like that, we trust and trust in our game, trust
(09:28):
each other, then those penalties are we should be on
the right side of the ledge of there.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news talks.
They'd be from seven pm weekdays or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio,
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