The Muster- Nathan Burdon: Wrapping The Stags Season

Nathan Burdon wraps another Stags NPC season which promised so much!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Our residents spotting Gary. Nathan Burton joins us once again
on the muster. Nath's good afternoon. The song is messaging
a bottle, What do you reckon? The message in the
bottle would be from Rugby Southland if somebody founded after
this season.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, interesting question. It has been an interesting and interesting
old season. And I guess it's always a roller coaster
ride when you're when you're a Stags fan. But this
season in particular has dished up some incredible highs and
one in particular, but some but some pretty low loads
as well, hasn't it. And yeah, it's just really hard
to I guess put a gauge on the on the

(00:40):
whole season because the disparity between what they were like
when they were when.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
They were very good and.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
What they were like when they were very bad was
just was a very wide margin.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
They had three wins in a row to set up
the season. Unfortunately the next four games they conceded fifty
points in each of them. It just went from bad
to worse, carbonating in that US to a very average
North harves side, it has to be said last week,
and I think the concern is when we look at
next season they talk about keeping the squad together, but
this is South and you know, for a fact, let's

(01:10):
be honest, how many of those players will be back
down South next year compared to what we had this season,
the continuation from last year, and it's just going to
I don't know what changes.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
I guess that's one of the frustrating factors, isn't it?
From going into this season and as we sort of
looked a head and planned and got excited about about
the year head and you thought about those sort of
an increasing number of guys who were either playing at
Super rugby level or going over and playing Major league
rugby in the States. But at least we're getting some

(01:42):
sort of a professional you know, outing outside of the NPC,
and so we're training professionals. You know, they're in the
gym twelve months of the year, they were doing all
that good stuff. And the hope that sort of the
more we have of that the stack, you know, the
more consistent the Stags will be. But but it just
didn't come to pass this year. And you know, you

(02:04):
could you can put your finger on on injuries.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
I think if.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
The Stags the Stags at their best with their full
squad were more than competitive against against most of the
competition that they came up against this year, but they
just weren't able to put that that strongest fifteen or
twenty three out on the park often enough.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
It's in this year that other team's face as well though,
hence you got a squad at twenty three. But what
was it the Stags save put up there on the
tribune forty players used throughout the year.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, it might have been closer to closer to fifty two,
which was interesting as well the number two last year.
And I guess some key players and some key positions.
I think it's when you start getting hit and you know,
the front row was a great example, once you start
getting hit in the same position with multiple injuries and

(02:53):
sort of hark back to Auckland at one.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Stage went down to their sixth tight head prop.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
But this was a kid who was in New Zealand
under twenty representatives, so you know, they had that depth
that they could cover. And obviously Aukland's not probably the
best example because they didn't have a data even worse
season than we did, didn't they, But you know, it
just sort of goes to show we don't obviously have
the depth that we need. I would love to It
would be great to have a golden run where the

(03:19):
Stags did have limited injury issues during the season, just
to see where they're at, because well, obviously we know
you know, it was an issue that was pinpointed by
the coaches during the season that when they have to
go to the cupboard and look at the likes of
your south and development, self and country that sort of thing,
they don't at the moment have the faith that they

(03:40):
can bring those guys up to NPC level.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
When does it get to the stage that perhaps we
consider we are what we are as a rugby union
and perhaps Heartland comes into the equation. I'm not saying
do it, but do we just need to be realistic
at some stage perhaps given we've still got the support
regardless of what grade would play.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, it's a it's a wholey old chestnut that one,
isn't it. And and it's an argument that's been tossed
tossed around backwards and forwards. And you know, when I
when I've looked back at Southam's rugby history, we've we've
just a province that we just don't sit comfortably at
either level we're either up in first division taking air
licks or we're down in second division and you know,

(04:21):
and we're we're almost a bit of a bully down
in that competition.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
The I guess that the siding factor for me is,
you know, do we want.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
The Jack Taylor's of this world and the Shawn Withees
and and those sorts of guys. Do we want them
to be playing in a Maroon jersey and and hopefully
going on to higher honors while they're still in South End?
Or are we happy for them to be going off
and playing for a Targo and Canterbury and and the
likes of you know, the Jif Fawson's are just a
Marshall's following that sort of path as they as they

(04:50):
did in the olden days. Because if we stop being
a first division union, that's that's what's going to happen.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
And the rest thing you said Tigo only last year,
the last couple of years actually they haven't been going
into flash, but all of a sudden the stars have
aligned and well, I've got to kind of take back
the words I said we won the Shield about us
having a developmental program up in Dunedin, because it Taga
this year has been the standout team and the competition.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yea, they have and this is a team that is
not chopped full of superstars, you know, they they've got some,
they've got a handy amount of super rugby players, but
it's been it's been some of the guys that haven't
even played Super rugby yet that have been real standouts
for that team. The coach, Mark Brown has got them
absolutely cranking. And this was a team and I know,

(05:33):
you know, we sort of they managed to they won
Stag Day to kick their kick the competition off. But
when you when you looked at them early doors, you
never saw them as being a serious title contender. But gee,
you know, they finished the regular season with the Ranfrey
Shield locked up and every chance to go on and
actually win the competition. So there's you know, there's something

(05:56):
to be said that the coach, that the people involved
in that team have been able to sort of squeeze
everything out of the talent that they've got. Great to
see a guy like Cam Miller, you know, really starting
to hit his straps in that number ten jersey and
building his confidence.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
Now the net Botney zelland Debarcer getting Dame Nolen totro.
This goes from bad to worse for the organization.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
It's a it's just such a tough situation and such
a bad look for the sport at a time when
they when they know they needed some positive headlines. But
things were sort of morphed from some sort of a
performance or a culture issue and a bit of a
clash between players and the coaching staff into an employment issue.

(06:39):
And at that stage it all becomes very legal and
and and all very messy, doesn't it. And no one's
really sort of coming out of this thing with too
much credits, you know. I always sort of fall back
to the to the fact, you know, Dame Nolean Total
would have to be one of the most respected figures
in the game, and just sort of wonder whether whether

(07:00):
she's being treated fairly through this whole process. I guess
the answer to their is, you know, from the outside,
just feels like she hasn't been And I think Netbule's
done itself a bit of a disservice through the whole thing.

Speaker 1 (07:11):
And you wouldn't blame Dane Noel Lane from walking away
from coaching the Silver Friends altogether, would you?

Speaker 2 (07:17):
No, absolutely not. And I think we sort of forget
just what a lonely position a coach, and especially a
coach at that level can be. You sort of think
of that the coach as being the sort of all
powerful figure. But at the end of the day, the
players have each other to lean on, and if a
coach doesn't have the support of the organization above her
or above them and around them, then they're just They're

(07:40):
just one person and they you know, you sort of
wonder who they have to, who they have to lean
a shoulder to lean on, So, you know, a pretty
pretty tough position really.

Speaker 1 (07:49):
Just finally, Reese Welsh, he won a premiership with the
Bristol Broncos, not forgetting his with the Warriors for a
year during the COVID era, but look this guy. I've
never seen a guy in a league field, or a
rugby field for that matter, possibly Janah Lomu, but seagull
handedly win a competition on his own the way that
the way that Reese Welsh did on Sunday night. That
was an unbelievable performance in the NFL Final.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, and a guy who at the very at the
same time can be probably the most prodigiously talented rugby
league player on the planet, but also the most polarizing.
You know, I watched very early on in that game,
him making no arms, tackled it.

Speaker 3 (08:27):
In another sport he.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
Would have been he would have been off with a
red card and you wouldn't have seen him again, probably
for six months. But for some reason in a grand final,
sort of all bets are off and then he goes
on to sort of as you say, just just take
that game where the scruff of.

Speaker 3 (08:41):
The neck can basically win the broncos A title.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
So he's a very talented player. He's only young, and
he's going to be making headlines for a long time.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
Yet the guy just who's his talent and the way
that he did those tackles four or five try saving
tackles for goodness, say try assists. He's a guy whenever
he gets the ball, thing is going to happen. That's
how good he is.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah, I read somewhere he's like eighty eight telegrams ringing
we you know, but but the but the power as
on both sides of the ball is absolutely outstanding. And
not a massively tall bloke either, for you know, for
a fallback, and obviously rugby league still has a has
an aerial aspect to it as well. But you're just
prodigiously talented.

Speaker 1 (09:23):
Residents Sporting Gary Nathan Brdant. Always appreciate your time.

Speaker 2 (09:27):
Lovely thanks mate, laugh out loud with ag proud because
life on the land can be a laughing matter.

Speaker 1 (09:36):
Brought to us by sheer Well Data working.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
To help the livestock farmer.

Speaker 1 (09:40):
My wife accused me of Stephen Heresosaurus. Not only was
a shot, but I was appalled, aghast and dismayed. That's
us for the afternoon. The podcast going up very shortly.
I'm Andy Muller. This has been the muster on Hokanui.
Cheosed the Peters genetics during the afternoon. Loose sky, how
good see tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
That's