July 25, 2025 • 7 mins
Warriors coach Andrew Webster admits they possess no intimidation factor over the visiting Gold Coast Titans when the two NRL sides meet today at Mt Smart.
The Titans beat the Warriors twice last year, highlighted by a 66-6 drubbing across the Ditch – one of the worst results in the Auckland club's history.
They’ll have the chance to avenge themselves this evening, and forward Jacob Laban joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss their key focuses in the clash.
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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 All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hold the Wars after what happened to Brisbane and probably
should have won and Reese Walsh blew up right royal
at the end of it because the try he scored
he was slightly offside so they went yeah nah, So
that means the break should should the Warriors win the
surffternoon big six points between fourth and fifth.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
So cool.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
We're talking that game now Warriors v. Titans. Jacob Laban
joins the program. One of the young superstars of the
side is with this now, not.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
In a Jacob good morning morning.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Big day always is when you're playing for the Wars,
especially at home. What's the excitement level, what's the tension
like when you've got a home game in front of
your friends, in front of your family. Does that change
much when you're at home?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, I would say it changes a bit.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
But knowing that our support crew overseas or they turned
up to sing seem you know and see support crew,
but nothing saying home here, Masma.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Well you're at home, but you can't not because someone
keeps introducing you to me. Is Wellington's finest, so but
you still feel at home.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Right, Yeah, yeah, home away from me.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, that's it. It's all about being an You've had
a great year to see. You've got to be happy
with how you've progressed through the ranks and what you've
put down. I think that the whole team has has
lifted him.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
They Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the season so far.
Little bumps along the way, but it's part of the journey.
So yeah, hopfully we can get some minds.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
When you look at your own contribution, how do you
rate that? How do you judge your performances?
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I reckon it's been all right lately American.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I could add a bit more to it, but other
than that, just I just need to keep you uping
awhere my my progress and helping the team up a
bit more where I can.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Do you look at numbers like you know, head ups
or tackles or meters game post what you how do
you rate your performance? Is a numbers space or how
you felt or what the coach said.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Or oh a bit about a bit of how I feel.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
And the only numbers I look at is like how
many tackles I'm making and how many how many tackles
I've missed, and if I can get the missed tackles
lower and the more tackles up, then I feel satisfied.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Did and on a defensive mode very much. And something
we've seen a lot more of this season is out
and out trust on your insides, knowing they're going to
make their tackles so you don't get caught with that overlap.
And that I think is bouncing through a lot of
work in that space to know your teammates are going
to do what they're supposed to do.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Yeah, a lot of a lot of it I had
to do with preseason, just grading away each stage, just
protecting your inside short and you know, if worst comes
to worse, we just scrambled for each other.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
When you look at your rise and rise through the ranks,
this is a come see then you thought it would.
Is it right about the time it should be? You're
ripe and ready for this.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
I would say there's a bit more for me to
learn in the game. I just feel like I'm just
taking it a week by week and you know, trying
to better myself each week.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Often here from season NRL players that even guys that
come in who are sizable and they're quick. They suddenly
realize they're playing against men, not their own young fellas
nineteen twenty twenty one, and that's quite a shock to
the system. Have you felt that and at the top,
at the top of your game.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yeah, I felt that.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
You know, I think I said it before the interview
I had just before that. You know, I'm playing with
men now, So it's not you know, any player that
you're switched off.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
They can easily come and score.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Try to and for yourself, you've got to pay them
the due respect. But you've also got to realize that
you can actually overrun these blokes. Do you actually have
the physicality to do that? So you've got an interesting
balance out between respect and then wanting to impress your
own upon these older players.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
There's a bit of that, just being confident about what
you can do, and you know, for man in front
of me and wants to run me over, I'm not
going to let that happen.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The energy that you guys get from the second row,
in fact, like the middle's full stop, is huge. I mean,
all the talk's been about leke A Lasima and I'm
presuming you quite like that because people aren't focused on
you as much because this bloke, everybody knows who he
is and where he is.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Yeah, he's just a freaking he's been doing this since
he's been a kid, moistore as a kid. But yeah,
to me, it's no surprise. But yeah, I'm happy. It's
just everyone's seeing it now.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
So yeah, pressure on him and the people around him
to perform because, as I said, everyone knows where he
is now. The eyes are all on him. Have you
seen him? Change is added to change much now that
he actually is no longer a secret. He's actually a
weapon that's right out there.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
No, he keeps pretty humble. He keeps himself in a
good way. I haven't seen him being, you know, arrogant
or anything like that. And I feel like if yours,
our seniors would be quick to humble them.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
So it's good to see when you look at the
position you guys are in at the moment, and after
that last second, when last week you're comfortably there in the.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Top four, how do you carry that? Because there'll be
a lot of people going, well, it's all very well now,
and they did at the start of the season. What's
going to happen mid season? What's going to happen two
thirds the way through, but you haven't let yourselves all
the fans down so plainly that energy behind what you're doing,
you're carrying it, you're holding it. Well, how do you
go about that blend between confidence and understanding where you sit?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah, well, like I said, we just probably have to
take it. We take it, you know, each thing week
week by week, knowing what we can do and knowing
how we can dominate other teams. It's sort of a
good thing. So yeah, just take it week by week.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
And how do you like around the trap? Said the warriors?
That might end up flogging your jersey because it's all
about the youth coming through. And you look down to
New South Wales. He do you see who's who's there?
Who you're looking over your shoulder at, Jacob.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Uh, probably someone that please in my position for all
of them keep us in Kells and Eddie you're a
mile arm. Those who have been just corving up in flair,
I mean, cup and just you know taking the eighteenth
man roll on like without you know, any complaining and
stuff they do.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So it's good, real good.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, Jacob Labe and hey thanks for joining us. Another
one of the young men charging through the grades to
represent the wires, plenty of them. Nice to hear as
well that there's a few more in reserve that we
don't really know about. Frightening worries Titans. That kicks off
(06:55):
at five pm today. It's at Go MEETI Stadium in Auckland.
Sold out in the other ways, is isn't it? I
don't hate you take us to that. Maybe I should
get a media pass and I can go along and
take look at it. And then the Women's Warriors head
quarter to three that starts things off. There should be
a wonderful afternoon. You can watch it all on Skysport
one if need be. This is News Talks EB.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set 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 SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hold the Wars after what happened to Brisbane and probably
should have won and Reese Walsh blew up right royal
at the end of it because the try he scored
he was slightly offside so they went yeah nah, So
that means the break should should the Warriors win the
surffternoon big six points between fourth and fifth.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
So cool.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
We're talking that game now Warriors v. Titans. Jacob Laban
joins the program. One of the young superstars of the
side is with this now, not.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
In a Jacob good morning morning.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Big day always is when you're playing for the Wars,
especially at home. What's the excitement level, what's the tension
like when you've got a home game in front of
your friends, in front of your family. Does that change
much when you're at home?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, I would say it changes a bit.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
But knowing that our support crew overseas or they turned
up to sing seem you know and see support crew,
but nothing saying home here, Masma.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Well you're at home, but you can't not because someone
keeps introducing you to me. Is Wellington's finest, so but
you still feel at home.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Right, Yeah, yeah, home away from me.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, that's it. It's all about being an You've had
a great year to see. You've got to be happy
with how you've progressed through the ranks and what you've
put down. I think that the whole team has has
lifted him.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
They Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the season so far.
Little bumps along the way, but it's part of the journey.
So yeah, hopfully we can get some minds.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
When you look at your own contribution, how do you
rate that? How do you judge your performances?
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I reckon it's been all right lately American.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I could add a bit more to it, but other
than that, just I just need to keep you uping
awhere my my progress and helping the team up a
bit more where I can.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Do you look at numbers like you know, head ups
or tackles or meters game post what you how do
you rate your performance? Is a numbers space or how
you felt or what the coach said.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Or oh a bit about a bit of how I feel.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
And the only numbers I look at is like how
many tackles I'm making and how many how many tackles
I've missed, and if I can get the missed tackles
lower and the more tackles up, then I feel satisfied.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Did and on a defensive mode very much. And something
we've seen a lot more of this season is out
and out trust on your insides, knowing they're going to
make their tackles so you don't get caught with that overlap.
And that I think is bouncing through a lot of
work in that space to know your teammates are going
to do what they're supposed to do.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Yeah, a lot of a lot of it I had
to do with preseason, just grading away each stage, just
protecting your inside short and you know, if worst comes
to worse, we just scrambled for each other.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
When you look at your rise and rise through the ranks,
this is a come see then you thought it would.
Is it right about the time it should be? You're
ripe and ready for this.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
I would say there's a bit more for me to
learn in the game. I just feel like I'm just
taking it a week by week and you know, trying
to better myself each week.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Often here from season NRL players that even guys that
come in who are sizable and they're quick. They suddenly
realize they're playing against men, not their own young fellas
nineteen twenty twenty one, and that's quite a shock to
the system. Have you felt that and at the top,
at the top of your game.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yeah, I felt that.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
You know, I think I said it before the interview
I had just before that. You know, I'm playing with
men now, So it's not you know, any player that
you're switched off.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
They can easily come and score.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Try to and for yourself, you've got to pay them
the due respect. But you've also got to realize that
you can actually overrun these blokes. Do you actually have
the physicality to do that? So you've got an interesting
balance out between respect and then wanting to impress your
own upon these older players.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
There's a bit of that, just being confident about what
you can do, and you know, for man in front
of me and wants to run me over, I'm not
going to let that happen.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The energy that you guys get from the second row,
in fact, like the middle's full stop, is huge. I mean,
all the talk's been about leke A Lasima and I'm
presuming you quite like that because people aren't focused on
you as much because this bloke, everybody knows who he
is and where he is.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Yeah, he's just a freaking he's been doing this since
he's been a kid, moistore as a kid. But yeah,
to me, it's no surprise. But yeah, I'm happy. It's
just everyone's seeing it now.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
So yeah, pressure on him and the people around him
to perform because, as I said, everyone knows where he
is now. The eyes are all on him. Have you
seen him? Change is added to change much now that
he actually is no longer a secret. He's actually a
weapon that's right out there.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
No, he keeps pretty humble. He keeps himself in a
good way. I haven't seen him being, you know, arrogant
or anything like that. And I feel like if yours,
our seniors would be quick to humble them.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
So it's good to see when you look at the
position you guys are in at the moment, and after
that last second, when last week you're comfortably there in the.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Top four, how do you carry that? Because there'll be
a lot of people going, well, it's all very well now,
and they did at the start of the season. What's
going to happen mid season? What's going to happen two
thirds the way through, but you haven't let yourselves all
the fans down so plainly that energy behind what you're doing,
you're carrying it, you're holding it. Well, how do you
go about that blend between confidence and understanding where you sit?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah, well, like I said, we just probably have to
take it. We take it, you know, each thing week
week by week, knowing what we can do and knowing
how we can dominate other teams. It's sort of a
good thing. So yeah, just take it week by week.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
And how do you like around the trap? Said the warriors?
That might end up flogging your jersey because it's all
about the youth coming through. And you look down to
New South Wales. He do you see who's who's there?
Who you're looking over your shoulder at, Jacob.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Uh, probably someone that please in my position for all
of them keep us in Kells and Eddie you're a
mile arm. Those who have been just corving up in flair,
I mean, cup and just you know taking the eighteenth
man roll on like without you know, any complaining and
stuff they do.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So it's good, real good.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, Jacob Labe and hey thanks for joining us. Another
one of the young men charging through the grades to
represent the wires, plenty of them. Nice to hear as
well that there's a few more in reserve that we
don't really know about. Frightening worries Titans. That kicks off
(06:55):
at five pm today. It's at Go MEETI Stadium in Auckland.
Sold out in the other ways, is isn't it? I
don't hate you take us to that. Maybe I should
get a media pass and I can go along and
take look at it. And then the Women's Warriors head
quarter to three that starts things off. There should be
a wonderful afternoon. You can watch it all on Skysport
one if need be. This is News Talks EB.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set BE on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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