March 28, 2025 • 7 mins
A chance for former Black Cap Neil Wagner to close the latest chapter on his cricketing career in fairytale fashion.
The 64-test seamer's confirmed Northern Districts' final round Plunket Shield match, starting 11am today against Otago in Dunedin, will be his last domestic match in New Zealand.
ND have a seven-point lead in the competition.
Robbie O'Donnell joined D'Arcy to preview the final round and reflect on Wagner's influence on the side.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk s'be twenty.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
This is the All Sport Breakfast Plunket Shield final round
that starts today. A lot on this final round, still
three teams and with a shout of winning the Plunket Shield.
Northern District have forgot the break on everybody us on
eighty nine points. They take on oh Target University Oval.
Wellington and Canterbury play each other at the basin Wellington
(00:34):
on eighty two, Canterbury on eight. So it is a
very tight affair moving into this final round. We're joined
now by a man who did good for his new
team at Northern Districts last time out. His name is
Robbie O'Donnell and he joined this now. Good day buddy,
morning dars how I am on good massive day for yourselves,
(00:56):
massive day for Northern in your cross here is you
have the Plunket Shield. That would add extra pressure or
does it? When it comes to you and you and
the mean.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Look, I think there's certainly some added pressure, but we're
currently in a position where I think every team wants
to be and that's where yeah, we've got a trophy
on the line at the end of the Sport Day fixture,
and we just got to keep trying to rinse and
repeat the way we've been playing throughout the season.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
To be honest, I got to enjoy the fact you
went away from home down to Wellington and in a
game that was almost wrecked by the weather, you managed
to triumph. And now you're a way again to try
and win the Shield. You guys like touring, huh yeah, yeah, no,
we certainly do.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
We know that's just the nature of you know, how
we play, trying to get trying to get momentum on
the road is pretty important because, yeah, we try and
make our home games a bit of a fortress and
Hamilton and the Mountain the likes, and then when we
hit the road, we yeah, we have to try and
adjust the different conditions around the country and put our
best foot forward. But look great comeback in that game. Yeah,
(02:05):
it was a hell of a game of cricket, to
be honest, Like both teams didn't get any batting points
in the first innings and then yeah, to sort of
put them on the back foot a little bit in
the third innings and then sort of bounce a lot
of them out at the back end. It was a
good way to go to the top of the table.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Colla away of a game for yourself. Yeah, you got
things rolling with a golden duck, then you came back
with a one hundred and fifty, your first century for Northern,
your tenth. Overall, that's focus for you. How did you
get yourself into that headset, that mindset.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, it's exactly that mindset, to be honest, I think.
But a pressure came off when I got through my
first delivery in the second innings, just knowing that it
couldn't have been a king pair. And then from there, look,
we just tried to put a partnership together and I guess, yeah,
the wicket had potentially flattened out a little bit, but
it's looking to sort of counter attack a little bit
off the balls in your area, try and play the
(02:58):
shots that you know you can play, and then hopefully
try and force them to go searching elsewhere for wickets.
And yeah, I suppose Lucky enough spent a bit of
time the crease with Brett Hampton and we put a
nice big partnership on there, which yeah, got us back
into the game. And then yeah, bowlers have certainly been
doing a hell of a job and that's why we're
in the position we're in. You've got to take twenty
wickets and ford aad cricket and we've managed to do
(03:20):
that pretty much throughout the competition.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Down at Northern What drove you away from Auckland? You're
home for I don't know how many years.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Look it was it wasn't necessarily driven away. It was
just opportunity came up and yeah, and and a different
way to look at it, challenging myself to play in
different conditions. There's home grounds and play with some different
guys that I had played with in the past and
against the lot as well, So that was the main decision.
(03:50):
And yeah, look it hasn't been necessarily the fairy tale
ride so far. But yeah we're down in Duneda now
and we're trying to hunt down the plunket shield, which
which would be a great way to finish the season
with a good bunch of boys.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
He had a good role as well with jeet Ravel
and here is a guy that you've played with before
in Auckland. But like a comfortable pair of old slippers
when you guys came together, because that was a that
was a good stand at really seat your running before
you and Hampton went to town.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Yeah, oh lovely to be back under under Jerry's leadership. Yeah.
The guy's a fearless operator and everybody knows how how
good he is, especially in this format, is the ability
to obviously open the batting and in the most challenging
conditions and really sort of pick a scrap and get
stuck in and try and bat for days at a time,
not just sessions. So lovely being back with GD and
(04:40):
and a few other boys that I've played a bit
of a cricket with and played a lot against over
the years who have taken me under their wings, the
likes of Henry Cooper, you know, fierce competitor, tries to
hit the ball hard, back straight. And then Joe Carter
as well, who's you know, he's just gone from strength
to strength in his career and he's got to set
a new hips so he's moving beautifully in the field
(05:02):
as well.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
What about old school the fire brand and Neil Wagner.
Great to see him still performing at a level one Waggy.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
That's probably one of the most pleasing things as actually
being on the same team as him. Now, yeah, look everybody,
everybody's come up against Wags in his prime and yeah,
look it's not comfortable. He knows how to make you
uncomfortable and I'm very glad he's been doing it for
us this season. And it's it's not just the shortball
stuff that he's done for so many years when he's yelling,
(05:33):
but he's he's got the ball swinging and he's put
it in some good areas and look he's he's led
our bowling group, which is experienced, but yeah, he's taken
us to that next level. So yeah, what a way
to come down to Dunedin. Obviously he played a fair
bit of cricket down here as well with the plunket
shield on the line, and Waggy will be leading us
(05:54):
through any sort of fights we get into this game,
So really looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Are you are numbers Nuffy, Robbie O'Donnell?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Not massively? No, No.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
So when you brought up your tea enth century didn't
mean much to you.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Every century means a bit, mate, But yeah, I didn't
didn't know where it was or where it is. I
think the most important thing for me was getting one
for nd and the boys and just trying to contribute
towards games and you know, get in the fight, try
and win games of cricket, enjoy it when we do
it as a group of lads, and yeah, we're trying
to chase down trophies, so we didn't necessarily click in
(06:32):
the one day comp before trophy. This year we put
a few good performances in the t twenties and we've
actually been really consistent in the four day stuff. So
we got one last to ride out here and beautiful Dunedin.
We look like we've got a bit of good weather
on the horizon, so hopefully we can get out there
and make the most of it.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And your destiny essentially is in your own hands. If
you wipe Otago planket shield as yours, but if you
don't wipe them, it's up to the vagaries of Wellington
taking on Canterbury.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah, that's certainly, that's that's as much as we can
control as this first session on day one and then
trying to get things right as we go along.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
We do.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
We will be watching, you know, it's just the way
it plays out, but we don't have any control over
that fixture. So look, we've got a good group of
guys down here to do one more job, one last push,
last game of the season, and yeah, look we're in
with a hunt. So everybody's up and about and we
can't wait to get stuck in months hard.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Great to catch up again, Robbie. O'donald do your best
as I know you will. And regards to the team,
especially young Jeep. Such a nice character.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
I'll make sure I passed that on, especially the young
aspect of your love that.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk Said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk s'be twenty.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
This is the All Sport Breakfast Plunket Shield final round
that starts today. A lot on this final round, still
three teams and with a shout of winning the Plunket Shield.
Northern District have forgot the break on everybody us on
eighty nine points. They take on oh Target University Oval.
Wellington and Canterbury play each other at the basin Wellington
(00:34):
on eighty two, Canterbury on eight. So it is a
very tight affair moving into this final round. We're joined
now by a man who did good for his new
team at Northern Districts last time out. His name is
Robbie O'Donnell and he joined this now. Good day buddy,
morning dars how I am on good massive day for yourselves,
(00:56):
massive day for Northern in your cross here is you
have the Plunket Shield. That would add extra pressure or
does it? When it comes to you and you and
the mean.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Look, I think there's certainly some added pressure, but we're
currently in a position where I think every team wants
to be and that's where yeah, we've got a trophy
on the line at the end of the Sport Day fixture,
and we just got to keep trying to rinse and
repeat the way we've been playing throughout the season.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
To be honest, I got to enjoy the fact you
went away from home down to Wellington and in a
game that was almost wrecked by the weather, you managed
to triumph. And now you're a way again to try
and win the Shield. You guys like touring, huh yeah, yeah, no,
we certainly do.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
We know that's just the nature of you know, how
we play, trying to get trying to get momentum on
the road is pretty important because, yeah, we try and
make our home games a bit of a fortress and
Hamilton and the Mountain the likes, and then when we
hit the road, we yeah, we have to try and
adjust the different conditions around the country and put our
best foot forward. But look great comeback in that game. Yeah,
(02:05):
it was a hell of a game of cricket, to
be honest, Like both teams didn't get any batting points
in the first innings and then yeah, to sort of
put them on the back foot a little bit in
the third innings and then sort of bounce a lot
of them out at the back end. It was a
good way to go to the top of the table.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Colla away of a game for yourself. Yeah, you got
things rolling with a golden duck, then you came back
with a one hundred and fifty, your first century for Northern,
your tenth. Overall, that's focus for you. How did you
get yourself into that headset, that mindset.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, it's exactly that mindset, to be honest, I think.
But a pressure came off when I got through my
first delivery in the second innings, just knowing that it
couldn't have been a king pair. And then from there, look,
we just tried to put a partnership together and I guess, yeah,
the wicket had potentially flattened out a little bit, but
it's looking to sort of counter attack a little bit
off the balls in your area, try and play the
(02:58):
shots that you know you can play, and then hopefully
try and force them to go searching elsewhere for wickets.
And yeah, I suppose Lucky enough spent a bit of
time the crease with Brett Hampton and we put a
nice big partnership on there, which yeah, got us back
into the game. And then yeah, bowlers have certainly been
doing a hell of a job and that's why we're
in the position we're in. You've got to take twenty
wickets and ford aad cricket and we've managed to do
(03:20):
that pretty much throughout the competition.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Down at Northern What drove you away from Auckland? You're
home for I don't know how many years.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Look it was it wasn't necessarily driven away. It was
just opportunity came up and yeah, and and a different
way to look at it, challenging myself to play in
different conditions. There's home grounds and play with some different
guys that I had played with in the past and
against the lot as well, So that was the main decision.
(03:50):
And yeah, look it hasn't been necessarily the fairy tale
ride so far. But yeah we're down in Duneda now
and we're trying to hunt down the plunket shield, which
which would be a great way to finish the season
with a good bunch of boys.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
He had a good role as well with jeet Ravel
and here is a guy that you've played with before
in Auckland. But like a comfortable pair of old slippers
when you guys came together, because that was a that
was a good stand at really seat your running before
you and Hampton went to town.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Yeah, oh lovely to be back under under Jerry's leadership. Yeah.
The guy's a fearless operator and everybody knows how how
good he is, especially in this format, is the ability
to obviously open the batting and in the most challenging
conditions and really sort of pick a scrap and get
stuck in and try and bat for days at a time,
not just sessions. So lovely being back with GD and
(04:40):
and a few other boys that I've played a bit
of a cricket with and played a lot against over
the years who have taken me under their wings, the
likes of Henry Cooper, you know, fierce competitor, tries to
hit the ball hard, back straight. And then Joe Carter
as well, who's you know, he's just gone from strength
to strength in his career and he's got to set
a new hips so he's moving beautifully in the field
(05:02):
as well.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
What about old school the fire brand and Neil Wagner.
Great to see him still performing at a level one Waggy.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
That's probably one of the most pleasing things as actually
being on the same team as him. Now, yeah, look everybody,
everybody's come up against Wags in his prime and yeah,
look it's not comfortable. He knows how to make you
uncomfortable and I'm very glad he's been doing it for
us this season. And it's it's not just the shortball
stuff that he's done for so many years when he's yelling,
(05:33):
but he's he's got the ball swinging and he's put
it in some good areas and look he's he's led
our bowling group, which is experienced, but yeah, he's taken
us to that next level. So yeah, what a way
to come down to Dunedin. Obviously he played a fair
bit of cricket down here as well with the plunket
shield on the line, and Waggy will be leading us
(05:54):
through any sort of fights we get into this game,
So really looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Are you are numbers Nuffy, Robbie O'Donnell?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Not massively? No, No.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
So when you brought up your tea enth century didn't
mean much to you.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Every century means a bit, mate, But yeah, I didn't
didn't know where it was or where it is. I
think the most important thing for me was getting one
for nd and the boys and just trying to contribute
towards games and you know, get in the fight, try
and win games of cricket, enjoy it when we do
it as a group of lads, and yeah, we're trying
to chase down trophies, so we didn't necessarily click in
(06:32):
the one day comp before trophy. This year we put
a few good performances in the t twenties and we've
actually been really consistent in the four day stuff. So
we got one last to ride out here and beautiful Dunedin.
We look like we've got a bit of good weather
on the horizon, so hopefully we can get out there
and make the most of it.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And your destiny essentially is in your own hands. If
you wipe Otago planket shield as yours, but if you
don't wipe them, it's up to the vagaries of Wellington
taking on Canterbury.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah, that's certainly, that's that's as much as we can
control as this first session on day one and then
trying to get things right as we go along.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
We do.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
We will be watching, you know, it's just the way
it plays out, but we don't have any control over
that fixture. So look, we've got a good group of
guys down here to do one more job, one last push,
last game of the season, and yeah, look we're in
with a hunt. So everybody's up and about and we
can't wait to get stuck in months hard.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Great to catch up again, Robbie. O'donald do your best
as I know you will. And regards to the team,
especially young Jeep. Such a nice character.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
I'll make sure I passed that on, especially the young
aspect of your love that.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk Said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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