October 16, 2024 • 18 mins
Over the next week, two big sporting gambles years in the making are about to have their payoff.
On Saturday, Auckland FC – our newest A-League football team – will play their debut game against the Brisbane Roar.
And then on Monday, rising Formula 1 star Liam Lawson makes his debut as a full-time driver for Red Bull at the US Grand Prix.
It’s an exciting time for Kiwi sport, and shows at the changing potential of where we can succeed.
Today on The Front Page, we dig into these exciting developments with Newstalk ZB sport news director Clay Wilson and senior sports reporter and podcast host Elliott Smith.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Dan Goodwin
Producer: Ethan Sills
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Kielder.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a
daily podcast presented by The New Zealand Herald. Over the
next week, big sporting gambles years in the making are
about to have their payoff. On Saturday, Auckland FC, our
(00:27):
newest A League football team, will play their debut game
against the Brisbane Raw and then on Monday, Rising Formula
One star Liam Lawson makes his debut as a full
time driver for Red Bull at the US Grand Prix.
It's an exciting time for Kiwi Sport and shows the
changing potential of where we can succeed today. On the
(00:51):
Front Page we dig into these exciting developments with News
Talk ZB Sport news director Clay Wilson and senior sports
reporter and podcast host Elliott Smith. Elliott New Zealand isn't
the sort of country where you typically have more than
one team in an Australian league.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Right, so why was Auckland DEFC even created money?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Money is basically it for the A League and a
very attractive proposition given by Bill Foley and his investment
team to get an expansion team. A league has not
been shy about wanting to expand and wanting to increase
their reach around Australia but also in New Zealand. And
Bill Foley has got the kind of pockets, the billionaire
(01:38):
pockets that can serve as the A League and set
up a team in Auckland. So it all comes back
to the Dolls and what they're able to do and
for the A League it opens up Auckland as a
commercial market to the A League. Now Wellington has trucked
along the Phoenix themselves pretty well without any sort of
silverware success. But what Auckland does big commercial market, it's
(02:00):
where a lot of the New Zealand businesses are headquartered
and opens up that commercial market more so than what
Wellington's able to do.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
So you mentioned, yeah, he's an American billionaire.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Does he have any any connections to New Zealand, Like,
is he one of those people that owns a giant
farm in the White and Upper somewhere?
Speaker 3 (02:15):
He owns a winery? Yeah, several, at least one, quite
a few wineries. So he's connected their regular visitor to
New Zealand and so he's had that connection. He's talked
a bit about building a stadium, so he seems like
he's in this for the long time rather than just
a short while, which is a positive if you don't
want just a head and run investor that's going to
(02:36):
pull their money out after two years when things go awry.
He seems like he's in it for the long haul.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
This is an exciting time to be involved with football
in Oakland. You know, we're going to create pathways for
young boys and girls to not only play football at
a professional level as them mature, but I also have
a pathway to go to the Scottish Premier League, to
go to the League One in France, to go perhaps
to the Premier League with AFC Bournemers. And we're proud
(03:06):
of this plan that we've put together and that we're
about to implement. That's what Auckland FC is all about.
It's about creating these pathways, about being entertaining and about
being part of the community.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
What are their chances really.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
They've got a pretty good roster, but sometimes in the
A league that doesn't mean very much at all. Sometimes
a good roster gets you in mid table, sometimes it
gets you towards the top of the table, and sometimes
it gets you right down the bottom. I guess that
the proof will be as the season goes on, how
they build and how they come together as a team.
They've got the right parts. They've got a lot of
exciting players from both New Zealand, former internationals and current internationals,
(03:47):
and also some from abroad as well, so I think
it's a pretty good mix. And what it has shown
is that there is enough players to go around when
you're adding some international players, some All Whites returning home
that across the All Whites Storrycross Aalkland and the Wellington Phoenix,
there are enough to have two professional sides in New Zealand.
Whether they can sustain it commercially and fan wise, I
(04:09):
think is the big question around it, because football is
not the kind of sport in New Zealand that it
is abroad. The Wellington Phoenix have had a good backing
from their city and from others around the country for
some time, but whether it's enough to be commercially sustainable
as a fan driven enterprise, I think the jury is
still out. There's gonna be a lot of hype around
(04:31):
this first game this weekend, around the first derby's but
as the season goes on, will those fans continue to
show up, Will they show up again in round twenty.
Will they show up again in round one twenty twenty
five to twenty six. That's the real question for me
whether it can be sustained.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Well, what does the arrival of Auckland FC actually mean
for the Wellington Phoenix. Are they happy about having a
new local team to compete against?
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Not particularly.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I don't think though, because it cuts off their commercial
opportunities to an extent as well, that they can't go
up to all Aukland. It will go to big businesses
and go we're the only football team. If you want
to tap into football in this country, you have to
go to the Wellington Phoenix and have to be sponsored
or part of our sponsorship team. So that cuts off
the point of difference to an extent. And now there's two,
(05:14):
so that is an issue for them that they've got
to try and figure out. They've had Auckland as a
semi base or a second base for a few years
now and they've taken games to Eden Park very successfully
got some decent crowds there. They can't really do that anymore.
We can't go up to the home base of where
another team is based now, so they have to look
at christ Church and other markets to try and extend
their reach around there. So I think they'll enjoy the
(05:37):
derby games, but whether they actually enjoy the presence of
a second New Zealand team in the A League, I'm
not entirely sure. I think the jury's out for the
Phoenix in that one.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Clay, have you got your kit ready?
Speaker 5 (05:48):
No, but I have got tickets for a game because
I would like to get along early on and see
what it's all about. And I think early on you
are going to see this first game is going to
be pretty close to sold out, if not sold out,
because of the hype around it being the first game,
and you want us to get on board with that
early and see what it's what it's all about in football,
of course as a fans sport, and the fans themselves
(06:09):
have known for being such great supporters. You know, we've
seen what the small contingent comparatively to other football clubs
around the world at the Phoenix, the Yellow Fever. You know,
they can make a lot of noise and make a
great atmosphere and that in that stadium down there in Wellington.
So I think what we will get, you know, a
great atmosphere early on and mount Smart of course, the
Home of the Warriors is renowned for that kind of thing.
(06:30):
So yeah, we'll get along and see what it's all about.
But it will be so dependent on how they go
results wise, because as Elliott says, it's all very well
first game, these first derby's with the Phoenix, but as
the season goes on, if the results aren't coming then,
as with any sport, fans are going to dwindle slightly
and that's when the struggles are going to come on.
So get in there early and let's see like they've
(06:50):
got They've got, they've got a roster to do it,
but whether they can in their first season just remains
to be seen.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I mean, it's going to be ultimately a good thing
for football in New Zealand right to have more pathways
into a professional sporting career. I mean, rugby is our
national sport, but I think football is really popular with
kids at the moment.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
Clay right, well, football quite a long time ago, and
Elliott will correct me if I'm wrong here, but at
a junior level went past rugby in terms of numbers,
not necessarily at a youth or secondary school level, and
that may have changed since, but the likes of football
and basketball were really boomed in the last ten to
fifteen twenty years. So those players of course now are
coming through to be young adults, teenagers, players that want
(07:31):
to perhaps or are talented enough to move into the
professional ranks. Of course, if there's only one professional team here,
you only have one option. Now they instead of maybe
ten spots on a roster for one team, you have
twenty or twenty five spots that those talented young New
Zealand players have the ability to go into. So yeah,
of course that's a good thing. Whether the Phoenix are
(07:53):
so stoked about that because now there's competition for that
young talent coming through and you know, of course that
young talent is good for them in a way. You
don't pay a lot for it either, so you know,
you keep a bit of money in the coffers to
go splash abroad. But definitely for those young players coming
through a good thing to have that extra team as
a pathway to the next step to Europe, to the
(08:14):
United States, to these kind of other markets.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Well, there have been talks for ages about a second
New Zealand based NRL team, Hey Elliott, if Auckland FC
is a success, could that inspire more double ups of
teams in the years to comet.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Possibly. Yeah, either think there'll be a close eye or
an eye have been kept on it by the NRL
as to how this rivalry develops. And I think the
NRAL are keen to get that point where they can
have a second New Zealand team. There's a bit of
water to go under the bridge, but rivalry is so
key in sport at the moment and always has been.
But you can sell TV deals on the back of that,
(08:48):
commercial deals, various things on that, and I think they'll
be looking to see whether two teams are sustainable in
the market. So I think there'll be a little bit
of a test case for the A League, which is
with AUDUISPEICCT smaller in terms of reach and interest and
the NRL is on both sides of the Tasman But
if they can prove it can be done at the
A League level, then it'll give the NRAL some idea
(09:10):
as to whether the Warriors can be joined by Saya
South Island team. And there's I think three competing beds
or ideas and they've all got various ideas as to
how it should be approached. You and twenty thirty has
sort of been airmarked as a possible entry date for
a South Island based team. But I think there will
be some signs as to whether it's commercially sustainable, fans
(09:32):
sustainable from these A League teams over the next few years,
because if it flops like previous A League previous teams
in Auckland have done, and the National Soccer League as
it was called in the earliest ration of the A
League that the Knights were in the competition for a
wee bed and the Kings before then. So I think
there's going to be some signs there. For Pete of
Landy's in the NROL, they go, hey, this is actually workable.
(09:52):
There is an untapped market in New Zealand where we
can put some more sport on and create some more teams.
So as I said at the top, it's all about
money and if they can prove it can be done,
then I think there'll be some real interest around that.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Now onto another sporting event I guess to watch out
for this weekend onto Liam Lawson Clay.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
This has been years in the making, hasn't it. I
feel like we've been talking about him returning to Formula
one for donkeys years. So why is now the time frame?
Speaker 5 (10:35):
Well, it's been a bit of a I don't know
if saga is the right word, but that's sort of
how it's felt, especially in the last kind of six
to twelve months. Of course, he made that replacement stint
last year when Daniel Ricardo got injured and he did
so so well in those five races that the expectation
was that he was going to get a full time
drive for this year. That of course never eventuated and
he had to step back into that reserve role. But
(10:55):
really this is something that Liam Lawson has probably been
working towards on the verge of for the last four
five years really. Of course, you know, starting out and
his younger years back here, but then went to Europe
I think about sixteen or seventeen years old with the
backing of a large number of kind of motorsport enthusiasts
here in New Zealand and then has worked his way
to this point and really in the last kind of
a few months. You know, Formula one is a cutthroat business.
(11:18):
As always, generally what happens is that someone has to
not perform for you to perform, and Liam's spoken about
this already this week and Daniel Ricardo was brought into
that second seat at Racing Balls, which is the second
team for Red Bull there effectively their junior team, to
see if he could rediscover that form he had early
in his career and get back to that Red Bull
main team that of course never eventuated, and they've decided
(11:40):
to bring Liam in. And I think the timing of
this is really telling as to what Liam's future looks
like next year because they haven't confirmed a deal, but
we're going to see over this next six races what
he's going to do, and then they're going to make
a decision, I think off the back of that, you.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
Know, it's it's the six rounds left of the season,
so I've come in at a difficult time. It's going
to be a very challenging point obviously. You know, all
these guys have done three quarters of a season now,
so I have to try and try and compete with
that now at tracks that I haven't done as well,
so it's going to be challenging. I've spoken to my parents,
I've spoken to everybody that's that's been behind me on
(12:18):
this journey, and it's very very special. But we don't
have much time to really let this say, can we
get get right to work?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Well, there must be so much pressure on him to deliver,
given how long he's waited for this, and the fact
that he's replacing Daniel Ricardo.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Well, we saw what he could do last year stepping
in at much shorter notice, and he did very well.
He clearly is someone who can adapt very quickly, has
the skills, he has the talent. So I think you
know he's coming into it this time having already gone
through that and show and proven that he's a driver
that I can get into a Formula one car pretty
quickly and get up to speed with the rest of
(12:56):
the field. The difference this time, however, is that last
time there was real not I mean, he won't agree
with this, but the perception was there wasn't that much
pressure on him because he was born in so late notice,
he was only in there as an injury replacement. It
was like, well, let's see what he does. We're not
really expecting anything of him. But as I've already alluded to,
these last six races this time around are really a
(13:17):
test case for what Liam's going to be doing next year,
and so that there really is pressure on to perform
and perform well if he wants to ensure that he
a gets a full time drive with Racing Bulls that
second team, but there's a lot of talk about whether
he might even be in contention for the proper Red
Bull team and that seat alongside Max Forsteppin because his
(13:38):
pressure on Sergio Pirezho's the second driver there. So you know,
there's a lot of opportunity here for Liam and of
course with that comes pressure. But you know he said
multiple times and even again this week that anytime you
step into a Formula One car you know it could
be your last because it's such a cutthroat competition industry.
The pressure is there regardless, but definitely this time around
(13:59):
different than it was last year.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
What will success actually look like for him?
Speaker 5 (14:04):
Well, the problem this weekend for Liam is that he's
inherited a grid penalty for the US Grand Prix, which
has come from Daniel Ricardo via the team because the
teams had to replace the engine in the car, and
how the rules work, you've only get so many engines
for the season, so he wherever he qualifies, he's going
to be ten places back from that and chances are
you know for a car that are like he's going
(14:25):
to be driving, getting into the top ten is a
really really good effort. Chances are he's going to be
starting at the back of the field, so perhaps that
brings expectation down a little bit, but they so closely
monitor everything these drivers do. It's not like he's not
under scrutiny because he's starting at the back of the field.
If that's the case, if he starts at the back,
if he can work his way, say inside the top fifteen,
maybe just outside the points the top ten drivers in
(14:46):
each race score points, then that would be a really
great effort. Because you have to remember in Formula one
not all things are equal when it comes to cars,
and that racing Bulls car has had its struggles this year.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Elliott will you but you'll be watching his something else
this weekend.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Right, I'll be watching the MPC semifinals Chelsea. I'm looking
forward to this Wellington and Waikato and on Saturday night
before that, they have plenty Canterbury on Saturday afternoon. A
couple of upsets last week in the NPC. It's been
a great competition the NPC this year. It's revitalized a
little bit around provincial rugby, so or a couple of
upsets in the quarter finals, and you're to have these
(15:22):
semi finals on a week out from the All Black
starting the End of View Tour. Very very exciting looking
forward to that.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
And you'll be looking forward to the All Blacks obviously absolutely.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yes. They start next weekend in Yokohama against Japan, so
it starts a really tough five tiss schedule for them.
So Japan first, then over to England to play at Twickenham, Ireland,
after that France, so three big tests and three weeks
and then they finish off the End of View Tour
against Italy and Chubrun. And by that point in the
season we'll get a read, I think on how this
(15:51):
All Blacks team is tracking under Scott Robinson for the
first year.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Both of you have been covering sport for most of
your careers. Are you excited by the fact we're able
to talk about some different sports.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It's not just rugby or sailing anymore. We're actually seeing
some excitement and some movement in different fields.
Speaker 6 (16:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
I think that's the way society has kind of gone right.
It's allowed more sports to flourish at a junior level
and that's now coming through to a senior an elite level.
And you know, Elliott might have a slightly different viewpoint.
You know, he's obviously our voice of rugby and our
rugby commentator and is heavily involved with that. But us
in the sports team, you know, we're in the job
(16:32):
because we love sport, not just one sport. So for
us to be able to come in on any given
day and have one of fifteen twenty twenty five sports
to talk about as great and quite often some of
the best stories, some of the best interviews, some of
the best moments in terms of your job, come in
these in these minor sports when you least expect it.
So you know, the personalities of people are perhaps a
(16:54):
little bit more out there those kinds of things. Yeah,
it's great. It's great to have such variety now.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Yeah it is, and wasn't the case. You know, I
think back fifteen twenty years ago, maybe you got a
couple of NBA games a week on ESPN. Now you
can pretty much watch them all over streaming and then
peace heaps on the ESPN. NFL Major League Baseball Formula One.
You know, used to be buried in the middle of
the knife. You didn't get up and watch it, that
was your chance. Now you can see highlights and various things.
So what it has done is level the playing field.
(17:20):
And that's the challenge for sports like rugby that have
had this stranglehold on New Zealand culture for so long
is to keep pace with these sports if they want
to still be the sport of choice for New Zealand
going forward. And I think that's it's a really interesting topic,
but it's liveled the playing field in terms of what
sports people are interested in.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Plan Elliott, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Thank you, no worries.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
That's it for this episode of The Front Page. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at enzed Herald dot co dot nz. The Front Page
is produced by Ethan Seales. Dan Goodwin is the sound engineer.
I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to The Front Page on iHeartRadio
(18:05):
or wherever you get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow
Speaker 1 (18:09):
For another look behind the headlines.
Kielder.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a
daily podcast presented by The New Zealand Herald. Over the
next week, big sporting gambles years in the making are
about to have their payoff. On Saturday, Auckland FC, our
(00:27):
newest A League football team, will play their debut game
against the Brisbane Raw and then on Monday, Rising Formula
One star Liam Lawson makes his debut as a full
time driver for Red Bull at the US Grand Prix.
It's an exciting time for Kiwi Sport and shows the
changing potential of where we can succeed today. On the
(00:51):
Front Page we dig into these exciting developments with News
Talk ZB Sport news director Clay Wilson and senior sports
reporter and podcast host Elliott Smith. Elliott New Zealand isn't
the sort of country where you typically have more than
one team in an Australian league.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Right, so why was Auckland DEFC even created money?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Money is basically it for the A League and a
very attractive proposition given by Bill Foley and his investment
team to get an expansion team. A league has not
been shy about wanting to expand and wanting to increase
their reach around Australia but also in New Zealand. And
Bill Foley has got the kind of pockets, the billionaire
(01:38):
pockets that can serve as the A League and set
up a team in Auckland. So it all comes back
to the Dolls and what they're able to do and
for the A League it opens up Auckland as a
commercial market to the A League. Now Wellington has trucked
along the Phoenix themselves pretty well without any sort of
silverware success. But what Auckland does big commercial market, it's
(02:00):
where a lot of the New Zealand businesses are headquartered
and opens up that commercial market more so than what
Wellington's able to do.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
So you mentioned, yeah, he's an American billionaire.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Does he have any any connections to New Zealand, Like,
is he one of those people that owns a giant
farm in the White and Upper somewhere?
Speaker 3 (02:15):
He owns a winery? Yeah, several, at least one, quite
a few wineries. So he's connected their regular visitor to
New Zealand and so he's had that connection. He's talked
a bit about building a stadium, so he seems like
he's in this for the long time rather than just
a short while, which is a positive if you don't
want just a head and run investor that's going to
(02:36):
pull their money out after two years when things go awry.
He seems like he's in it for the long haul.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
This is an exciting time to be involved with football
in Oakland. You know, we're going to create pathways for
young boys and girls to not only play football at
a professional level as them mature, but I also have
a pathway to go to the Scottish Premier League, to
go to the League One in France, to go perhaps
to the Premier League with AFC Bournemers. And we're proud
(03:06):
of this plan that we've put together and that we're
about to implement. That's what Auckland FC is all about.
It's about creating these pathways, about being entertaining and about
being part of the community.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
What are their chances really.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
They've got a pretty good roster, but sometimes in the
A league that doesn't mean very much at all. Sometimes
a good roster gets you in mid table, sometimes it
gets you towards the top of the table, and sometimes
it gets you right down the bottom. I guess that
the proof will be as the season goes on, how
they build and how they come together as a team.
They've got the right parts. They've got a lot of
exciting players from both New Zealand, former internationals and current internationals,
(03:47):
and also some from abroad as well, so I think
it's a pretty good mix. And what it has shown
is that there is enough players to go around when
you're adding some international players, some All Whites returning home
that across the All Whites Storrycross Aalkland and the Wellington Phoenix,
there are enough to have two professional sides in New Zealand.
Whether they can sustain it commercially and fan wise, I
(04:09):
think is the big question around it, because football is
not the kind of sport in New Zealand that it
is abroad. The Wellington Phoenix have had a good backing
from their city and from others around the country for
some time, but whether it's enough to be commercially sustainable
as a fan driven enterprise, I think the jury is
still out. There's gonna be a lot of hype around
(04:31):
this first game this weekend, around the first derby's but
as the season goes on, will those fans continue to
show up, Will they show up again in round twenty.
Will they show up again in round one twenty twenty
five to twenty six. That's the real question for me
whether it can be sustained.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Well, what does the arrival of Auckland FC actually mean
for the Wellington Phoenix. Are they happy about having a
new local team to compete against?
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Not particularly.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I don't think though, because it cuts off their commercial
opportunities to an extent as well, that they can't go
up to all Aukland. It will go to big businesses
and go we're the only football team. If you want
to tap into football in this country, you have to
go to the Wellington Phoenix and have to be sponsored
or part of our sponsorship team. So that cuts off
the point of difference to an extent. And now there's two,
(05:14):
so that is an issue for them that they've got
to try and figure out. They've had Auckland as a
semi base or a second base for a few years
now and they've taken games to Eden Park very successfully
got some decent crowds there. They can't really do that anymore.
We can't go up to the home base of where
another team is based now, so they have to look
at christ Church and other markets to try and extend
their reach around there. So I think they'll enjoy the
(05:37):
derby games, but whether they actually enjoy the presence of
a second New Zealand team in the A League, I'm
not entirely sure. I think the jury's out for the
Phoenix in that one.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Clay, have you got your kit ready?
Speaker 5 (05:48):
No, but I have got tickets for a game because
I would like to get along early on and see
what it's all about. And I think early on you
are going to see this first game is going to
be pretty close to sold out, if not sold out,
because of the hype around it being the first game,
and you want us to get on board with that
early and see what it's what it's all about in football,
of course as a fans sport, and the fans themselves
(06:09):
have known for being such great supporters. You know, we've
seen what the small contingent comparatively to other football clubs
around the world at the Phoenix, the Yellow Fever. You know,
they can make a lot of noise and make a
great atmosphere and that in that stadium down there in Wellington.
So I think what we will get, you know, a
great atmosphere early on and mount Smart of course, the
Home of the Warriors is renowned for that kind of thing.
(06:30):
So yeah, we'll get along and see what it's all about.
But it will be so dependent on how they go
results wise, because as Elliott says, it's all very well
first game, these first derby's with the Phoenix, but as
the season goes on, if the results aren't coming then,
as with any sport, fans are going to dwindle slightly
and that's when the struggles are going to come on.
So get in there early and let's see like they've
(06:50):
got They've got, they've got a roster to do it,
but whether they can in their first season just remains
to be seen.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I mean, it's going to be ultimately a good thing
for football in New Zealand right to have more pathways
into a professional sporting career. I mean, rugby is our
national sport, but I think football is really popular with
kids at the moment.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
Clay right, well, football quite a long time ago, and
Elliott will correct me if I'm wrong here, but at
a junior level went past rugby in terms of numbers,
not necessarily at a youth or secondary school level, and
that may have changed since, but the likes of football
and basketball were really boomed in the last ten to
fifteen twenty years. So those players of course now are
coming through to be young adults, teenagers, players that want
(07:31):
to perhaps or are talented enough to move into the
professional ranks. Of course, if there's only one professional team here,
you only have one option. Now they instead of maybe
ten spots on a roster for one team, you have
twenty or twenty five spots that those talented young New
Zealand players have the ability to go into. So yeah,
of course that's a good thing. Whether the Phoenix are
(07:53):
so stoked about that because now there's competition for that
young talent coming through and you know, of course that
young talent is good for them in a way. You
don't pay a lot for it either, so you know,
you keep a bit of money in the coffers to
go splash abroad. But definitely for those young players coming
through a good thing to have that extra team as
a pathway to the next step to Europe, to the
(08:14):
United States, to these kind of other markets.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Well, there have been talks for ages about a second
New Zealand based NRL team, Hey Elliott, if Auckland FC
is a success, could that inspire more double ups of
teams in the years to comet.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Possibly. Yeah, either think there'll be a close eye or
an eye have been kept on it by the NRL
as to how this rivalry develops. And I think the
NRAL are keen to get that point where they can
have a second New Zealand team. There's a bit of
water to go under the bridge, but rivalry is so
key in sport at the moment and always has been.
But you can sell TV deals on the back of that,
(08:48):
commercial deals, various things on that, and I think they'll
be looking to see whether two teams are sustainable in
the market. So I think there'll be a little bit
of a test case for the A League, which is
with AUDUISPEICCT smaller in terms of reach and interest and
the NRL is on both sides of the Tasman But
if they can prove it can be done at the
A League level, then it'll give the NRAL some idea
(09:10):
as to whether the Warriors can be joined by Saya
South Island team. And there's I think three competing beds
or ideas and they've all got various ideas as to
how it should be approached. You and twenty thirty has
sort of been airmarked as a possible entry date for
a South Island based team. But I think there will
be some signs as to whether it's commercially sustainable, fans
(09:32):
sustainable from these A League teams over the next few years,
because if it flops like previous A League previous teams
in Auckland have done, and the National Soccer League as
it was called in the earliest ration of the A
League that the Knights were in the competition for a
wee bed and the Kings before then. So I think
there's going to be some signs there. For Pete of
Landy's in the NROL, they go, hey, this is actually workable.
(09:52):
There is an untapped market in New Zealand where we
can put some more sport on and create some more teams.
So as I said at the top, it's all about
money and if they can prove it can be done,
then I think there'll be some real interest around that.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Now onto another sporting event I guess to watch out
for this weekend onto Liam Lawson Clay.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
This has been years in the making, hasn't it. I
feel like we've been talking about him returning to Formula
one for donkeys years. So why is now the time frame?
Speaker 5 (10:35):
Well, it's been a bit of a I don't know
if saga is the right word, but that's sort of
how it's felt, especially in the last kind of six
to twelve months. Of course, he made that replacement stint
last year when Daniel Ricardo got injured and he did
so so well in those five races that the expectation
was that he was going to get a full time
drive for this year. That of course never eventuated and
he had to step back into that reserve role. But
(10:55):
really this is something that Liam Lawson has probably been
working towards on the verge of for the last four
five years really. Of course, you know, starting out and
his younger years back here, but then went to Europe
I think about sixteen or seventeen years old with the
backing of a large number of kind of motorsport enthusiasts
here in New Zealand and then has worked his way
to this point and really in the last kind of
a few months. You know, Formula one is a cutthroat business.
(11:18):
As always, generally what happens is that someone has to
not perform for you to perform, and Liam's spoken about
this already this week and Daniel Ricardo was brought into
that second seat at Racing Balls, which is the second
team for Red Bull there effectively their junior team, to
see if he could rediscover that form he had early
in his career and get back to that Red Bull
main team that of course never eventuated, and they've decided
(11:40):
to bring Liam in. And I think the timing of
this is really telling as to what Liam's future looks
like next year because they haven't confirmed a deal, but
we're going to see over this next six races what
he's going to do, and then they're going to make
a decision, I think off the back of that, you.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
Know, it's it's the six rounds left of the season,
so I've come in at a difficult time. It's going
to be a very challenging point obviously. You know, all
these guys have done three quarters of a season now,
so I have to try and try and compete with
that now at tracks that I haven't done as well,
so it's going to be challenging. I've spoken to my parents,
I've spoken to everybody that's that's been behind me on
(12:18):
this journey, and it's very very special. But we don't
have much time to really let this say, can we
get get right to work?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Well, there must be so much pressure on him to deliver,
given how long he's waited for this, and the fact
that he's replacing Daniel Ricardo.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Well, we saw what he could do last year stepping
in at much shorter notice, and he did very well.
He clearly is someone who can adapt very quickly, has
the skills, he has the talent. So I think you
know he's coming into it this time having already gone
through that and show and proven that he's a driver
that I can get into a Formula one car pretty
quickly and get up to speed with the rest of
(12:56):
the field. The difference this time, however, is that last
time there was real not I mean, he won't agree
with this, but the perception was there wasn't that much
pressure on him because he was born in so late notice,
he was only in there as an injury replacement. It
was like, well, let's see what he does. We're not
really expecting anything of him. But as I've already alluded to,
these last six races this time around are really a
(13:17):
test case for what Liam's going to be doing next year,
and so that there really is pressure on to perform
and perform well if he wants to ensure that he
a gets a full time drive with Racing Bulls that
second team, but there's a lot of talk about whether
he might even be in contention for the proper Red
Bull team and that seat alongside Max Forsteppin because his
(13:38):
pressure on Sergio Pirezho's the second driver there. So you know,
there's a lot of opportunity here for Liam and of
course with that comes pressure. But you know he said
multiple times and even again this week that anytime you
step into a Formula One car you know it could
be your last because it's such a cutthroat competition industry.
The pressure is there regardless, but definitely this time around
(13:59):
different than it was last year.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
What will success actually look like for him?
Speaker 5 (14:04):
Well, the problem this weekend for Liam is that he's
inherited a grid penalty for the US Grand Prix, which
has come from Daniel Ricardo via the team because the
teams had to replace the engine in the car, and
how the rules work, you've only get so many engines
for the season, so he wherever he qualifies, he's going
to be ten places back from that and chances are
you know for a car that are like he's going
(14:25):
to be driving, getting into the top ten is a
really really good effort. Chances are he's going to be
starting at the back of the field, so perhaps that
brings expectation down a little bit, but they so closely
monitor everything these drivers do. It's not like he's not
under scrutiny because he's starting at the back of the field.
If that's the case, if he starts at the back,
if he can work his way, say inside the top fifteen,
maybe just outside the points the top ten drivers in
(14:46):
each race score points, then that would be a really
great effort. Because you have to remember in Formula one
not all things are equal when it comes to cars,
and that racing Bulls car has had its struggles this year.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Elliott will you but you'll be watching his something else
this weekend.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Right, I'll be watching the MPC semifinals Chelsea. I'm looking
forward to this Wellington and Waikato and on Saturday night
before that, they have plenty Canterbury on Saturday afternoon. A
couple of upsets last week in the NPC. It's been
a great competition the NPC this year. It's revitalized a
little bit around provincial rugby, so or a couple of
upsets in the quarter finals, and you're to have these
(15:22):
semi finals on a week out from the All Black
starting the End of View Tour. Very very exciting looking
forward to that.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
And you'll be looking forward to the All Blacks obviously absolutely.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yes. They start next weekend in Yokohama against Japan, so
it starts a really tough five tiss schedule for them.
So Japan first, then over to England to play at Twickenham, Ireland,
after that France, so three big tests and three weeks
and then they finish off the End of View Tour
against Italy and Chubrun. And by that point in the
season we'll get a read, I think on how this
(15:51):
All Blacks team is tracking under Scott Robinson for the
first year.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Both of you have been covering sport for most of
your careers. Are you excited by the fact we're able
to talk about some different sports.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It's not just rugby or sailing anymore. We're actually seeing
some excitement and some movement in different fields.
Speaker 6 (16:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
I think that's the way society has kind of gone right.
It's allowed more sports to flourish at a junior level
and that's now coming through to a senior an elite level.
And you know, Elliott might have a slightly different viewpoint.
You know, he's obviously our voice of rugby and our
rugby commentator and is heavily involved with that. But us
in the sports team, you know, we're in the job
(16:32):
because we love sport, not just one sport. So for
us to be able to come in on any given
day and have one of fifteen twenty twenty five sports
to talk about as great and quite often some of
the best stories, some of the best interviews, some of
the best moments in terms of your job, come in
these in these minor sports when you least expect it.
So you know, the personalities of people are perhaps a
(16:54):
little bit more out there those kinds of things. Yeah,
it's great. It's great to have such variety now.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Yeah it is, and wasn't the case. You know, I
think back fifteen twenty years ago, maybe you got a
couple of NBA games a week on ESPN. Now you
can pretty much watch them all over streaming and then
peace heaps on the ESPN. NFL Major League Baseball Formula One.
You know, used to be buried in the middle of
the knife. You didn't get up and watch it, that
was your chance. Now you can see highlights and various things.
So what it has done is level the playing field.
(17:20):
And that's the challenge for sports like rugby that have
had this stranglehold on New Zealand culture for so long
is to keep pace with these sports if they want
to still be the sport of choice for New Zealand
going forward. And I think that's it's a really interesting topic,
but it's liveled the playing field in terms of what
sports people are interested in.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Plan Elliott, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Thank you, no worries.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
That's it for this episode of The Front Page. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at enzed Herald dot co dot nz. The Front Page
is produced by Ethan Seales. Dan Goodwin is the sound engineer.
I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to The Front Page on iHeartRadio
(18:05):
or wherever you get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow
Speaker 1 (18:09):
For another look behind the headlines.
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