Full Show Podcast: 19 October 2024

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from News Talks EDB, counting down to the inaugural Auckland
FC MAXXL.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
From Mount Smart Stadium, Autland.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
It's Weekend Sport with Jason Pine on your home of
sport newstorms MB.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Yeah, it's on a good afternoon and welcome into Weekend
Sport on News Talks ed B. October nineteen, Happy birthday
of vander Hollyfield. I'm Jason Pine, Andy McDonald his show producer.
We are here until three and we are coming to
your live today from Go Media Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland,
as we build towards the first ever game of a

(00:50):
league football for the competition's newest franchise, Auckland FC, at
five o'clock this afternoon. They will become the first professional
football team in our biggest city since the folding of
the New Zealand Nights all the way back in two
thousand and seven. Auckland FC start with the home game
against Brisbane Raw this afternoon, which all reports have headed

(01:13):
for a sellout. Plenty of football guests for you on
the show today. Auckland FC CEO Nick Beckert is right
here actually joining us shortly. Co owner and former All
Black Ali Williams. This our too, Director of Football Terry
mcflynn a little bit later on and we'll check in
with the team's active support as well. They're called the
port to find out what they've got planned for the

(01:36):
day and if you're coming, if you're fizzed, let us
know by getting in touch other matters around today, the
White Ferns are into the final of the T twenty
Cricket World Cup. Is that a sentence you were expecting
two weeks ago? New Zealand have beaten the West Indies
by eight runs in their semi final this morning. They
will play South Africa in Monday morning's final. Former White

(01:59):
Fern and now commentator Katie Martin breaks it down for
us after one o'clock and the Black Caps are in
a strong position after three days of the first cricket
Test against India. Another sentence which felt unlikely a week
or so ago. Former New Zealand coach Mike Hessen on
New Zealand's chances of pushing for victory over the next
two days. He'll join us after one o'clock as well.

(02:21):
NPC semi finals today, Bay of plenty Canterbury and Wellington.
Whitecuttle will look at those for you and the world's
richest horse race with a prize pool of twenty million
Australian dollars, the Everest over twelve hundred meters. It goes
at six fifteen tonight, New Zealand time at Ramwerck and
Sydney going to cover that off as well, including the
tab Mega Millions. The tab are putting ten million dollars

(02:45):
up if you can pick the correct finishing order of
all twelve runners in the Everest. Last year somebody did
it and won ten million dollars oz. He correspondent Adam Peacock,
along with his usual offerings from across the Tasman Live
Sport this afternoon Heartland Championship Rugby the Meads Cup final
mid Canterbury. Of course, having ended that long, long winning

(03:07):
run of South Canterbrick are into the finals. They take
on Thames Valley. That game is in t Ottaha this
afternoon from five past two. Please join the show if
that's what you feel like doing. Lines are open all
afternoon on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty nine two
ninety two is our text line and you can send
your emails into Jason at NEWSTALKSEDB dot co dot Nz.

(03:30):
Just gone ten past midday.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Analyzing every view from every angle in the sporting world
weekends for it with Jason Vive.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
They call eight hundred and eighties eighty News Talks.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
EDB and so. Auckland FC, after nearly a year of planning,
will finally play their first professional football match this afternoon,
five o'clock kickoff against Brisbane Raw at Go Media Mount
Smart Stadium. Joined here now by Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker. Nick,
great to see you. The day has finally arrived. How
are you feeling?

Speaker 4 (04:01):
Hey, thanks for having me. I am very pumped.

Speaker 5 (04:03):
It's looking like a salout. It's going to be a
great day, the sun shining. There's a couple of good
omens out there.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
Absolutely right, we're at the start line. Are you where
you wanted to be?

Speaker 5 (04:14):
Absolutely? It's been like, you know, it's been a pretty
sort of hectic ten months. It's fair to say things
have gone very fast. But you know we've stuck to
what we said we were going to do and to
have all can respond in this way and sound out
Go Media is amazing.

Speaker 4 (04:29):
It's amazing. We're really happy.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
When you look back. I want to talk about some
of the challenges you face, but there must have been
some really cool milestones along the way when you thought, hey,
we're actually doing this, we're a football club. What were
some of those moments that you think back on with
particular fondness.

Speaker 5 (04:46):
I think I think the kind of the way that
we went about things, with the plan that we set
ourselves and the fact that we stuck to it. I
think the biggest challenge for us solely has been time.
But the big milestones that we had were I guess
you've got when we appointed Steve Steve Korakib and obviously
Terry at Flynn's the football director and head coach. That
was a big moment for us as we knew then

(05:07):
we had two great winners who are in there and
they were going to build a great football team.

Speaker 4 (05:11):
So that was super exciting.

Speaker 5 (05:13):
Then you kind of start, as you know, things like
we get the stadium, we get the place to train.
It actually becomes real. It's becomes something that you can
actually touch and look at and walk around. So those
those were obviously massive things. You know, our first member
comes on board, you know, we sell our first ticket,
those things. I think, you know, we can all everyone
who's involved in the club now can say we were
there from day one. And that's the exciting part, right,

(05:36):
All these things are first and they happen, and you know,
for me coming back to Auckland after living oversea for
twenty years and be able to start.

Speaker 4 (05:43):
Up a club in my boyhood home so exciting.

Speaker 3 (05:46):
Yeah, amazing. So along the way, I'm sure there were
challenges as well. What were some of the things that
I don't want to say kept you all wake at
night but furrowed your brow occasionally. What were some of
the bigger challenges you talked about time? How did that
manifest itself?

Speaker 5 (06:00):
Well, I think time on a sense that we it
took us a long time to pull the squad together.

Speaker 4 (06:04):
We wanted to have it.

Speaker 5 (06:05):
We got some really quality key we players, right and
that sort of you know, bringing back a few always
from overseas and that type of thing.

Speaker 4 (06:13):
That took a bit of time for us.

Speaker 5 (06:15):
You know, we had to go out and convince people
that we were the real deal, that we actually are
a team. We had ambition and we knew we had
a plan to go. But once we started convincing people
that they bought into it and they came on board,
So that that's sort of like you know when you're
when you knew you're an unknown, Like you know, we've
never we've never lost a game, piny, but we've never
won a game, and so we're all find out today
what's going to happen there. But you sort of so

(06:37):
you have to take people on the journey with you,
and you want them. You know, we're really lucky in
the fact that we're backed by amazing owners, you know,
Orking so ready for a football team now.

Speaker 4 (06:46):
But to actually get sit in front of people and tell.

Speaker 5 (06:48):
Them, you know, in terms of players commercial partners, you've
got to convince them that this is the real deal
and take them on the journey.

Speaker 3 (06:55):
Tell us about that commercial side of it, because it
is a tough commercial market, right You're out there battling
away with with other sporting franchises, other people who are
looking for marketing money from from corporates. How did you
go about selling the vision to them and forging those
commercial relationships.

Speaker 5 (07:11):
I think for us, we were really clear about what
our values were as a club. You know, we wanted
to embed ourselves in the community. We wanted to create
pathways for youth pathways. We're really ambitious. We want to win,
we don't want to make up the numbers, and we
want to be here for all of Aucklands, so that
inclusivity side of things. And when you have values like
that and you sit down in front of a partner,
they get convinced that they want to be part of
that too. And I think the big breakthrough was when

(07:33):
we got Fonterra so akor milk came on front of shirt.

Speaker 4 (07:36):
That was a big moment for us as a club.

Speaker 5 (07:38):
It's great to have such a strong Kiwi brand on
the front of our home jersey. And then after that,
it's sort of like it just all flowed. After kind
of that, the floodgates opened, I guess.

Speaker 3 (07:47):
So we're now going to enter a time where the
team are going to play every week. How do you
insulate yourself against results because they can't win every week?
They might, sure, but how do you make sure that
sponsors aren't I guess put off by you know, if
you have a couple of losses in a row, for example.

Speaker 5 (08:04):
Yeah, sure, And I mean that's sport, right, and that's
going to happen at some point. I think if you
have if you have the foundations in place and you
sort of have a steady growth, you're not having these
massive spikes and big falls. I think people can you know,
they sort of get on board for that. And the
other part to it is what we're creating here, certainly
for all of our home games, is that extra match
to experience. So we're putting something on for the It's

(08:27):
an entertainment show as well as some ninety minutes of
fantastic football on the pitch. So people are going to
come out here, they're going to have fun. We've got
a great family fun fan zone. There's Lily World up
here with a porter meeting beforehand and having a good
old party before they go down and get the stats.
The atmosphere will be electric, so people come along for
that and hopefully we'll just see the results coming off
the back of that too.

Speaker 3 (08:47):
You sort of crossed over there into the fan engagement
as well. How have you gone about forging links in
the football community, which, as I'm sure you've worked out,
as you know, it's there are some passionate people in clubland.

Speaker 4 (08:58):
Definitely.

Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, have you gone about forging those community connections.

Speaker 4 (09:02):
We've done from day one.

Speaker 5 (09:04):
We said we want to be part of the football
community here in Auckland, and I think it's easy to
say that, but actions actually sort of louder than words, right,
And so we've done a couple of things. We've had
a membership rebate program with the clubs where every membership
that have sold through the clubs they got a rebate
back onto that credits and revenue, right, so that's actually
clubs need more money.

Speaker 4 (09:25):
We helped out in that sense.

Speaker 5 (09:26):
I think every player that we took from a local club,
we've paid the FIFA training conversation back to them and.

Speaker 4 (09:33):
These little jest is a little moments, but it adds
up to a lot.

Speaker 5 (09:35):
You know, we've given one hundred and seventy k back
into Auckland clubs before we've even kicked a ball, so
that's really exciting. And then we've just got out there
as boots on ground. You know, it's going around. It's
many people were there every weekend during the weeks. You know,
we're taking players out there. My community team have done
a fantastic job and super proud of them. So it's actually,
you know, it's just the hard work. You've got to
get out there and do it absolutely.

Speaker 3 (09:56):
Can you tell us a bit about Bill Foley as
a club owner?

Speaker 5 (09:59):
Yeah, Bill's great, He's super engaged, you know, obviously incredibly
successful man as a businessman, but rarely successful with all
the sports teams, and so he's he's always there at
the end of the phone when I need him. He's
obviously coming to the game today, and you know, i'll
pick up and Ringmond just ask me a random question.

Speaker 4 (10:16):
He's always answered. He's always got some really good advice fromhim.

Speaker 5 (10:18):
I mean what he's done both with the Golden the
Golden Knights in Vegas. You know, you look at Bournemouth now,
the results that's getting, that the whole Matchdad experience that's
taken place there.

Speaker 4 (10:27):
He's a wealth of knowledge and I tap into it
all the time.

Speaker 3 (10:30):
Fantastic And have you had things you didn't expect along
the way?

Speaker 4 (10:35):
Good question?

Speaker 5 (10:37):
You know, well, I was, to be honest, absolutely stoked,
but also quite surprised that we've got Hiroki so soon
as the Japanese international seventy one matches for Japan played
in the Bundesliga and the French Top League, three World Cups.
You're the guy's absolute quality player and the fact that
he wanted to come. He came on early, came out here,

(10:58):
wants to be part of something new, wants to you know,
play play in the A League, but also live in Auckland.

Speaker 4 (11:04):
Yeah, I stoked about that.

Speaker 6 (11:05):
Outstanding.

Speaker 3 (11:06):
So we're a few hours away from kickoff. How will
you spend your day.

Speaker 5 (11:11):
I've got a meeting with the boss in about an hour,
so we're going to go through everything that's happening there
and then I'm just going to try and take a
couple of moments is to enjoy it, you know, like
it's it's been a lot of hard work and you
do this what you do it for.

Speaker 4 (11:23):
So I want to take a moment to say, you know,
of soak it up and breathe it in.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
Yeah, and so you should congratulations on getting us to
the start line of Auckland f C. Such an exciting time.
I know, you know there are people heading to Mount
Smart from all four corners of the region. So Nick,
great to get the chance to chat to you in
a very busy day for you. I hope you do
enjoy it. I hope you get the time to soak
it up as well. And here's hoping Aukland f C
get off to a winning start on the grass as well.

Speaker 4 (11:47):
Thanks Piney appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (11:48):
No, thank you Nick. Nick Becker there CEO of Auckland
FC leading us off today. You've heard from Nick Becker.
Keep for your thoughts now on this eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty. Running a sports team is a professional
sports seemer costly and can sometimes be a bit of
a fickle business. The courage to even take this on

(12:10):
has to be applauded. And I was thinking on the
drive to Mount Smart today, of the sports in which
New Zealand teams compete in Australian competitions, did you really
expect that football would be the first one to get
a second New Zealand team. It seemed most obvious that

(12:31):
the Warriors would get a local derby before the Phoenix did.
But the second New Zealand team in the NRL now
looks well a lot less likely, doesn't it, And it
did a few years ago. Maybe it won't happen at all.
We all hope it does, but the internal politics of
the NRL will make that a little bit challenging. You

(12:54):
would have to think the ANBL where the Breakers are.
Of course, they're the only New Zealand side who have
won the competition. If you take the Breakers, the Warriors
and the Phoenix, they've won it multiple times in fact.
But it is football that gets a derby. It's football
that now has two teams here in New Zealand, and
I'm keen to know what you think the sustainability of

(13:16):
that will be. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty.
We've had professional football teams in Auckland before, of course,
and the last one was an absolute disaster. The Knights
were short lived and instantly forgotten. Do you get the
feeling that Auckland FC can avoid the mistakes of the
failed football franchise that came before them. It feels to me,

(13:39):
I have to say, as though Auckland FC have arrived
at the start line in pretty good shape. On the field,
the roster is a good one. Outside of the imports
you're about five, preference has been given to local talent.
Eighteen of the twenty six contracted players are kiwis and
while you never really know until they play, the imports

(14:02):
are well credentialed, most notably club captain Hiroki Sakai, who
brings the experience of three World Cups and more than
seventy Japanese caps. You just heard Nick Becker say then
he was quite surprised that they gotten and off the field,
the hype machine has been in full swing. A sellout
expected today, over twenty five thousand set to pack into
the stands here where the Warriors fans normally watch and

(14:24):
worship their heroes. Today it'll be the round ball taking
center stage, and it feels like Auckland FC have pushed
the right buttons to get bums on seats here at
Mount Smart. Of course, the proof will be in the
ongoing pudding here when the opening day hype wears off
and this team plays every other week and needs to

(14:45):
attract crowds every couple of weeks. The team can, of
course help that by winning on the field. Everybody wants
to follow a winning team. But it also feels as
though the club has done all it can to engage
with the local community and get typically partisan local club
members at the very least a bit curious about this team.
So let's look forward to Folies Brave New world, a

(15:08):
world he isn't in just to make up the numbers,
just quietly his ice hockey team, the Vegas Golden Knights,
were immediately competitive. They made the playoffs regularly right from
the start. They won the Stanley Cup after just six
years of existence. The Phoenix have been around for eighteen
years and they've never won any self aware, so it
can Bill's big bucks and boundless enthusiasm fast track the

(15:33):
Black Knights to the winner's circle. I guess we're about
to find out. Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty nine,
two ninety two. If you prefer to see a text,
Hello Simon.

Speaker 7 (15:42):
Hey Piney, happy birthday for yesterday mate.

Speaker 3 (15:44):
Thank you Simon. That's very kind of you.

Speaker 7 (15:47):
It's sorry to dob you into your listeners. Hey, the
pressure is on the Knicks. I think Buckland ft extremely
well resourced. I actually saw parts of that at the
National Secondary Schools Tournament up in Auckland where where they
were scouting quite in a really positive way. So they've

(16:14):
got their systems and processes in place. You look at
Bill Foley's history and it's nothing but success, and I
think that the Phoenix will have to up their game
so that they're not that second team in New Zealand,
or that they they drop off completely. I think that

(16:35):
the Phoenix have got good systems and processes in place
as well, and we've got two highly competitive teams and
I think we really need to support them, and especially
Auckland in this first season. I think the derby bit's
really exciting. I think that this could be either team's yere.

Speaker 8 (16:54):
You know.

Speaker 7 (16:54):
I think, given you know, a bit of luck and
some some fantastic management, I think that either of those
teams with their rosters could do well.

Speaker 3 (17:04):
Pinty Oh, Simon, I totally agree. I think they're both
top six sides on paper, as you and I both know,
though the game's played on grass. Not to use a
too obvious cliche, but you're right, yeah, but no, but
you're right though. The rosters are good. Auckland have done
a really good job of building a roster with depth
across positions. Chiefs did a great job gian Colo Italiana
with Wellington last year. They've lost a few, but they've

(17:25):
recruited back. Simon, How good are the Derby's going to be?

Speaker 7 (17:29):
They're going to be great, And you know, like there's
some aspects that I'm really looking forward to. The leadership
of both sides, you know, the Japanese lad sounds on
the radio fantastic, you know, like as philosophy and I
think also you know he's got a culture of of
doing well alongside his vice captains, you know, Tommy Smith

(17:51):
and our Australian colleague and Wellington. You know Alex Ruth
is coming ahead and leads some bounds. You know that
he's been totally impressive for the All Waits. His leadership
has stepped up every single season and with a gain
in form, not a loss in form.

Speaker 9 (18:09):
By it, there's a few there's a few.

Speaker 7 (18:12):
Players around him as well. We know, you know, we've
we've seen that and and I think it's exciting for
football and it's exciting for the youth of of of
New Zealand, both men and women. You know the fact
that you know we've got women's teams coming into this
as well, and you know we've done well in internationally

(18:32):
you know of late with both our men's sides. I think,
you know, building get through.

Speaker 10 (18:37):
The A League.

Speaker 7 (18:38):
There's something fantastic and you know, like I just love it,
Like you know how passionate I am about football, and
you know, having having coached the wrongs I first eleven
at the National tournament this year and seeing how many
of those those wrong as I first eleven kids are
looking for pathways, and not just the playing pathways. It's

(18:59):
the administrative pathways and the refereeing pathways that are being created,
not just in re the rate relation to part time,
but you know professional full time job related pathways in football.
And that day Piney that was never.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
Really there and now there are two, Simon, Now there
are two great to chat to. You might always enjoy
your passion and enthusiasm and yeah, good to catch up.
Thanks for calling in and kicking us off. Jason, Hi mate,
Oh hello, hello, Jason, how are you there?

Speaker 7 (19:31):
Good?

Speaker 9 (19:31):
Thanks listen. I was just listening because I liked it
being overhead that there was a final. I didn't know
there's and I've never been to Mount Smart But having
said that, I was in Australia. I've been back to
seven years and I've got to watch the finals on TV.
But here, once it's sold there, you can't take you
to watch it live. And I was thinking, you know,

(19:55):
it'd be nice to go there if you had some
maybe spare tickets.

Speaker 3 (19:59):
Jason, I don't have any spare tickets. Unfortunately. I do
admire your enthusiasm and your and just the gold to
ring up and asked for them. I'm not saying that
in a negative fashion, Jason. If I had some tickets,
I would give them to you. I don't have any tickets,
so unfortunately I can't help you. But it's a long season.

(20:20):
They played twelve or thirteen games. Who knows, they might
give us some tickets to give away. So you've got
the number now in your phone. You can call us
if we give some away. Dean, how are you mate?

Speaker 11 (20:31):
Yeah? Can I mate? Happy Saturday. I'm a Rugby fan,
but I'm a Ragby fan. But I brought for my
sons a season ticket and I thought this would be
pretty easy. And lie and behold the tickets that I
was trying to buy are on the stand. We're all
sold out, somethinking bye goodness. This is a season ticket

(20:52):
to get thirteen weeks, and how hard to get a
four seedo. So I'm thinking to myself, that's a pretty
much have sold out stadium for the next thirteen weeks
in some form or another.

Speaker 3 (21:05):
So that's a pretty yeah, that's interesting today. Yep, yep, yep.
I'm sorry then, I don't mean to sorry, I don't
interrupt that. I'm yeah, I don't know that the whole
stadium is sold out entirely. But I think for today, certainly,
if you were looking for for tickets in certain parts
of the stadium, you'd be out of luck, because yes,
it has. It has gone particularly well. So your sons

(21:27):
are heading along today, you said, yeah, yeah, we've.

Speaker 11 (21:31):
Got a four set up, four seats for the season,
and I think it's going to do well. Mate. Even
a Bi's sold ten thousand seats for season tickets. That's
pretty damn good for a small stadium like Mount Smart.

Speaker 3 (21:47):
Totally agree, Dean, I totally agree. That would be an
amazing I don't know the numbers of season tickets that
have been sold, but by the sounds of what you're
telling me, it's difficult to get tickets for today. And
I mean, obviously not every game is going to be
an opening game, but the enthusiasm is certainly there. Hope
you get along to watch with your sons. Well then,
I know you're a rugby man, but yeah, even the

(22:08):
curiosity factor, I think you'd enjoy it if you came
along just to just to watch the crowd and enjoy
their chanting and that sort of thing. Good to chat
to you, mate. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten, eighty
twelve to twenty nine. Cameron, please hold their mate with
you after this, there's a spear line if you want
to jump aboard. Before one o'clock. Elie William's going to
pop in for a chat as well. Here on News
Talks HEADB Johnny.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
Down to walk the FC's inaugural A League Man on
your home of Sport Weekend Sport Live from Auton sut
Smart Citium with Jason Hyde and g Jcob Noves, New.

Speaker 3 (22:37):
Zealand Sports Trusted home Builder, News Talk Sead B twenty
eight away from one broadcasting Life from Mount Smart Stadium,
A ticket update in just a moment for you. Let's
get back to the line. So thanks for holding Cameron.
Good afternoon, no good day finding how we go?

Speaker 7 (22:51):
Good?

Speaker 3 (22:51):
Thanks mate?

Speaker 12 (22:53):
Yeah, I just wanted to say, look, how impressed on
him with the club. I mean a couple of things.
I think what impressed me most was when they originally launched.
Bill Foley came out and effectively said, you know, even
if he doesn't get sponsors and plays in front of
the stadiums, which obviously wasn't going to be the case,
but he could still afford to run that club. And

(23:14):
I think in Auckland we've been used to teams like
the Knights and the Warriors have had their financial struggles
as we've known in the past, and other clubs who
have sailed pretty close to the win financially from time
to time. And obviously, like you said, the Knights came
and go and the Kings came and went pretty quickly.
And so it's so nice to be able to get

(23:35):
him behind the club you know is going to be
here for the long term because they've got the financial backing.

Speaker 3 (23:40):
Yeah, absolutely agree, Cameron. They's nothing worse than supporting a
team that has a tenuous future. And I know there
are there were Knights fans, of course, there were who
turned up and then all of a sudden the club
didn't exist anymore. But you're so right about Bill Foley.
He's not here for you know, first thing, he's not
here for a short time, and he's not here to
make up the numbers. He wants his teams to be successful.

(24:02):
But I think you're so right. It's a lot more
comfortable to jump on board a club's bandwagon of fans
if you know the club's going to be there for
a while.

Speaker 13 (24:13):
And look.

Speaker 12 (24:14):
And the other thing point is I heard him talk
about how they've been at junior clubs and like, that's
one thing that really really impressed me is because I
mean I'm involved in Bucklam's Beach, which is a fairly
big junior setup, and rayin Hale or Shine. There've been
members of that Auckland f C team there every week,
even out pamphlets you know, as you say, rebates the clubs,

(24:35):
like really selling the club. And whilst whilst their next
stars aren't coming probably anytime soon, out of those football clubs,
they've been engaging with the Aukland public. And I think
that to a guy like me, you know, who's who
is probably a couch couch person more than anything, I
think it's great engagement.

Speaker 3 (24:54):
Yeah. And the other thing that's impressive about that camera
is they said from the start that that's what they
were going to do. It's so easy to say that
we're going to get out into the clubs and we're
going to engage. But the fact that you know, I'm
pretty sure yours isn't a unique experience. The fact they've
actually done it, put the leg work and got out
and about and tried to engage with the community inside

(25:16):
which they have to operate is really impressive to me.
That's great, great to hear. Yeah, thank you very much, No,
thank you, Cameron. Enjoy Enjoy the game. Hope you can
get along to it, and if you can't get there today,
a game in the future. Interesting. What sort of cut
through are you seeing and hearing? I know this is
likely there be more of our listeners in Auckland, but

(25:40):
are you sort of feeling that there is a buzz
around and if you are coming along this afternoon, actually
give us a buzz if you come into the game.
Let us know about the buzz around your family, your
group of friends, around this new team in town. If
you are coming along to the game at Mount Smart,
I would love to hear from you. There's talk obviously

(26:01):
that Mount Smart is the initial home of the team.
I know there's been chat about Western Springs being potentially redeveloped.
Obviously the speedway people will have something to say about that.
But moving down the track, that's just another example of
Bill Foley's ambition around this team. He wants a boutique stadium.

(26:23):
And when you say boutique, you're kind of looking in that.
I don't know maybe ten to fifteen thousand capacity bracket.
I mean, that's the kind of stadium that is perfect
for football in this country. That's the problem or the
problem with Wellington Phoenix and Wellington using Sky Stadium is
for starters, it's the wrong shape and secondly it's too

(26:46):
big for football. Yes, we had that magnificent semi final
last year when we packed it out with thirty five
thousand there, but the best place to watch a game
of football is in a rectangular stadium with a crowd
and ice and close. And when there are twelve thousand
or when there are eight thousand people there, it looks
like it's kind of full. You put eight thousand people
at wee Pack Stadium sorry sky Stadium in Wellington and

(27:10):
there's still twenty seven thousand empty seats and they're yellow
so they're quite obvious. So yeah, Bill Foley has talked
about a purpose built boutique rectangular football stadium for Auckland
FC in the years ahead. I hope you can make
it happen, just on tickets. The game is not completely

(27:31):
sold out, so if you are in the Auckland region
or can get to Mount Smart Stadium, go media Mounts
Smart stadium, we should call it by its correct name.
If you can get here for a five o'clock kick off,
there are still tickets available. It's pretty easy to obviously
get them online these days. As I understand it, it's
I think it's one of those where you don't print

(27:51):
your ticket out, you just have it on your phone.
I'm sure you could turn up at the gate here
as well and get a ticket from the box office,
but there are no printed tickets as I understand it,
They're completely electronic. But there are still some available. While
there's been a lot of talk of a sellout, things
have been tracking that way all week. It'll be pretty
chokers out here this afternoon. There are still tickets available

(28:14):
if you want to jump aboard. Carlos says when and
where is the first local derby? Can tell you, Carlos,
you don't have to wait very long. The first Phoenix
Auckland FC derby is in a couple of weeks round three.
In fact, it's two weeks. I want to say two
weeks today. Pretty sure it's two weeks today, the second

(28:35):
of November. Does that sound right? Is two weeks today,
the second of November. I'm pretty sure that it is,
So that's the first derby and as far as the
first derby in Auckland is concerned, that as in round
seven in the early part of December. So that's when
you can watch these two teams go at one another,
the two New Zealand sides in Football's A League News

(28:55):
Talks at B. It is a twenty two away from one.
We're going to take a break and then joined here
at Mount Smart Stadium by one of the owners none
more as a former All Black and Rugby World Cup winner,
but a co owned in this Auckland FC ownership group,
Ali Williams. Going to have a chat to us right
after this on Weekend Sport.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
The pitch is ready.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
Are you live from Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium, made of
Alton FC's first A League match. It's Weekend Sport with
Jason Vine and GG Gunner homes New Zealand's most trusted
home Miller News TALKSB.

Speaker 3 (29:28):
Eighteen to one on News Talks B, broadcasting live from
Go Media Mount smarthead of Auckland FC's first ever game
in the A League football competition. If you're coming to
the game, if you're on your way, perhaps from somewhere
a little bit further out and if you're not driving,
flick us a text. If you're coming from somewhere a
little bit outside of the Auckland region, we'd love to
know where we're all coming from. Twenty three to twenty

(29:50):
five thousand set to pack in this afternoon here at
the home of Auckland FC. Bill Foley, of course, is
the majority owner of the football club, but there is
an ownership group made up of a number of other
prominent investors, including former or bl and Rugby World Cup
winner Alie Williams, who was with us. Now, Ellie, thanks

(30:11):
for popping in for a bit of a chat. Take
us back to the start of all of this. How
did you get involved?

Speaker 14 (30:17):
Look, it's a long it's a long story, but but
but Anna herself actually asked me why do we not
have a professional football team in Auckland And I said,
well we did, It's it's been a long time between
drinks and Anna, being the person that she is, proactive,
got straight up onto the A League and rang them
and said, mate, where's your expansion documents? Anyway, long story short,

(30:38):
they send them through and you know, we looked at
other people and other partners around the world, around that,
and you know, we've we've ended up in a partnership
with with Bill Foley, Winston Reed, Steve Adams, Noah Heicky
and Tim Brown and and we're having a lot of fun.
And the fruits are today right seeing seeing everyone together

(30:59):
and and feeling the excitement leading up to it and
also the it's almost an unknown you know, how how
is this all going to turn out?

Speaker 3 (31:07):
Well, look, we're not going to go away.

Speaker 14 (31:08):
We're going to have some fun. We're going to make
some mistakes, we can guarantee that, but we're going to have,
you know, one the people, the communities forefront of our
decision making in terms of making this fun, getting some excitement.
And then the player pathway, how do we give kids,
younger kids, both women, girls, boys and men an opportunity

(31:30):
to achieve their dreams and higher honors. And that's not
just playing for the all whites. That's that's playing for
bigger and better clubs than this one. And we're quite
happy to be a stepping stone two bigger things.

Speaker 3 (31:42):
What is your day to day involvement in the football club.

Speaker 14 (31:47):
I've just been at Pony Club with my daughter, so
basically first priority has been as being a dad and
a husband, and then you know, we'll turn up and
have some fun with everyone else.

Speaker 3 (32:01):
You know, there's a.

Speaker 14 (32:02):
Little bit of a bit of stuff that you've got
to do commercially to support the pe people that have
helped us right and believed in the vision, So a
bit of that. But then it's about excitement, like it's
about energy, and it's about enjoying enjoying something, because I
think it gets hard to motivate yourself day in and
day out to help out and to make change if
you're not seeing and appreciating the little successes that you get.

(32:23):
So today is one of those moments where we can
really sit back and have a bit of fun with everything.
And then obviously you go back to drawing book holds
and look at where we can get better. But today, yeah,
today is about having fun with everyone else.

Speaker 3 (32:37):
How has Bill Foley been to deal with?

Speaker 14 (32:40):
Pretty straight shooter? Jumping a room with Bill and Anna
and I tell you what, we're not mucking around and
when it comes to decision making or their drive to
be successful on all elements right, not only winning but
making this club a success all around the world, So
pretty pretty simple. I love I love working with with him.

(33:03):
He's a great human and you know, got some excitement
the guys, you know, almost pushing at and he's got
energy like a like a young fourteen year old. So yeah,
really really really great human on the grass.

Speaker 3 (33:15):
Allie. On the football side of things, what are your
expectations for the side on the field in season one.

Speaker 14 (33:21):
I don't think any sports person in the world goes
out to lose, right, so very clearly, every every game
they want to win, right, every game. As individuals, they
want to play their best. What does success look like
as a club? It's it's about fan engagement, it's about
getting a buy and it's about getting a belief that
we're not here for a short term. We're here for

(33:42):
a long term. We're here for a you know, we're
here to make a change in football in this country.
We're also here to propel and create youth passes, path pathways.
We're also here to tie in communities of Auckland, and
we're here to to turn turn football and sport into
into a fun and entertaining element. And that success, how

(34:02):
do you measure that? Well, a lot of people are
going to try and do it on the field with
the result for us it's not so much about that.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
Hey, I'm not gonna lie.

Speaker 14 (34:09):
We want to do well and you know, like anything,
we want to win cold hard, So that's where it's at.

Speaker 3 (34:16):
It'll be easier though, want to engage with fans to
get some momentum behind this football club if the team
is winning football matches.

Speaker 14 (34:22):
Right, Okay, we've got two options. Right, you can go
down the success path, which is all about what's on
the field, or you can go down what happens between
Sunday and Saturday. Right, and for us just looking success
on the field, then do we even need fans? Well,
that's not success for us. Right, So success for us
is buying in the whole community, buying in the people,

(34:44):
getting them excited, talking about it week to week, getting
energy around it.

Speaker 3 (34:48):
And you can create energy.

Speaker 14 (34:51):
You can succeed and I know that's going to sound weird,
but you can succeed by failing, right. You can succeed
because you learn from your mistakes and you move forward.

Speaker 2 (34:59):
Right.

Speaker 14 (35:00):
What is if we finish last and we get four
people into the English Premiership? Is that a failed season?
Or in my eyes wouldn't be right that we finished first,
win the champion our first year and then next year
we finished fourth. Is that failure to win or not?
So you know what I mean. So it's not in
our in our eyes, it's very much it can't be

(35:20):
about results. We give that responsibility and that privilege to
the players and they take that how they want to
and you know the coaches.

Speaker 3 (35:30):
Those guys, they don't want to lose.

Speaker 14 (35:33):
So it's really, really, in my eyes, a silly question
to ask what does it look like and is it
just based around results from our point of view? No,
it's not just based around results from the players point
of view. Yes, it's based around results.

Speaker 3 (35:46):
Very good, very good, good approach on and off the field.
So this afternoon, any of your high profile former rugby
teammates coming along to game one?

Speaker 14 (35:55):
Yep, yeah, no, if you know, put some invitations long
and wide. You know, typical rugby guys. They want everything
for free, and they want a car park and they
want me to almost carry them in there. But we've
got a few of the lads upstairs and you know,
like anything, they just want to have fun. They want
to see people succeed. I think generally most of us
Kiwis we want to see success and we want to

(36:17):
see people having fun and excitement around things, because you
know it's not easy out there at the moment. We
will feel for everyone, right and we've we've got to
stick in and moments like this to get some excitement
is just really really special for everyone. So good to
have them all here and good to see the smiles
and good to see a whole wide range of sports
men and women come out to watch.

Speaker 3 (36:38):
And I know we're game by game with Brisbane this afternoon,
but a couple of weeks down the track, your first
visit to Wellington for the derby. Then early December it'll
be Phoenix coming the other way for the first derby
at Mount Smart. How much you're looking forward to those
games against Wellington Phoenix.

Speaker 14 (36:52):
The rivalry between the Phoenix and Auckland f C is
going to be huge. They are a great supporter club,
you know what I mean that they've been in this
league for a long long time and we just want
to see a great old rivalry. But you know it's
slightly different, right You've got you've got the Phoenix there
in Wellington, but then you've got Auckland FC. But it's

(37:13):
not really Auckland f C. It's more the Nations team.
So you've got people from Dunedin, people from christ Church,
people from all over New Zealand supporting Auckland against the Phoenix.
So you know that Derby is going to be really,
really good. And I promote everyone from all over the
country to where blue and Black against the fans.

Speaker 3 (37:32):
It's the way to stoke the embers. You must expect though,
that there are some Aucklanders who have supported Wellington Phoenix
for what close to twenty years now who are going
to stick with them. They're going to remain Phoenix fans
and not jump across.

Speaker 14 (37:46):
They'll be jumping over and supporting the blue and black
of the Black Knights.

Speaker 4 (37:50):
Mate.

Speaker 14 (37:51):
That's that simple. I don't think they've really got a choice,
to be honest. But here's the best part about life.
You make your own choices, eh And at the end
of the day, that's what we want. We want people
to be fully engaged in this football team for the
right reason. If you're in it throughout thick and thin,
that's who we want, right And you know, I'm not

(38:12):
here to persuade anyone who they want to support. I'm
just here to make, you know, encourage people to have
some fun on who they support, but I don't see
why you wouldn't support us.

Speaker 3 (38:23):
Wonderful, A great day ahead, an exciting day, Alli, congrats
on everything you've done to bring this to fruition, you
and the other members of the ownership group. I hope
it's a fantastic day for you. Thanks for having a chat.

Speaker 14 (38:33):
Cheers, buddy and everyone have fun today. Stay safe, Yeah,
you stay safe. To Ellie, I know you will.

Speaker 3 (38:38):
Ellie Williams there stoking the embers. I'm interested actually in
what Auckland based fans will do. Auckland based Phoenix fans,
that is what they will do because up until now,
up until today, they've only had Wellington Phoenix as their
professional club, and whenever the Phoenix have brought games to Auckland,
which they have regularly over the period of their life,

(39:01):
which is now eighteen years, they've always been really well
supported up here. Always been big crowds to Phoenix games
at Mount Smart or Eden Park. I think they might
have played to the play game in Albany. I'm going
back a little bit. I think they might have. There
were always a lot of big crowds, big crowds, and
so there were Phoenix fans in Auckland. What are those

(39:24):
fans going to do when the derby's here? They might
come along what Chalukland f C every you know, because
geographically they're here, right, But what are they going to
do in the derby? Hey, Chris, how are.

Speaker 2 (39:35):
You you know?

Speaker 13 (39:37):
I heard what the previous gentleman was just saying, people
from christ Church to needed Wellington, Parmerston North, maybe we
are not going to change allegiance from the Phoenix to
an Auckland based side. You know, no way, Like you

(39:58):
are the enemy of the nation and you just have
to look at it. In the rugby and in the cricket.
Long as Auckland losers, the rest of the country is happy.
So I mean, this guy's got a great attitude and
God blessed him. What a positive human being. But seriously,

(40:20):
if I found a bloke in christ Church, born and
bred who said he goes for the Auckland team over
the Phoenix, I'll be like, you might need a bit
of a slap.

Speaker 4 (40:31):
Chris.

Speaker 3 (40:33):
I love you, love your chat mate, love your chat yeah,
and I love Ali Williams chat too. Why the stoke
at the embers of a rivalry? Absolutely love it. Seven
away from One News talks.

Speaker 1 (40:45):
From the drag field and the court on Your Home
of Sport, Weekend Sport with Jason Vine News Talks.

Speaker 3 (40:53):
Four to one, News Talks EDB text for how I'm
a Todonger based now X Phoenix supporter who's now an
Auckland the FC supporter. I changed because they're pretty much
our local professional side. Come on the Black Knights. Good
on your Phil, Good on you. I wonder where that
geographical thing stops. Does it stop at topor does it
stop north of Wellington? Even I don't know, I'm sure

(41:16):
there'll be Auckland FC fans all over the country as
there are Wellington Phoenix fans all over the country. Shifting
our attention to cricket after one o'clock, celebrating our White
ferns into the T twenty World Cup Final.

Speaker 1 (41:28):
Your Home of Sport play from Auckland's Found Smarts Stadium.
It's Weekend Sport with Jason Hines, News Talks ev.

Speaker 3 (41:38):
One. Welcome into the show. As the man just said,
I don't know who that guy is, but he's got
a great voice. One are. We're broadcasting live from go
Media Mount Sparts Stadium as we head towards kickoff in
Auckland f C first ever game of professional football. We're
going to return to Auckland f C after two o'clock.
Got other matters to attend to this hour. But if

(41:58):
you are coming to the game, and you're listening in
on your way, perhaps from somewhere a bit further out,
let us know where you're coming from. Be interesting to
know who is coming the furthest nine two nine two
is our text number. I mentioned before about what or
before one o'clock, about what Phoenix fans will do, particularly

(42:19):
those who are based in and around the Auckland region.
Because one thing about fandom is that you are supposed
to pick a team and stick with it, pick and stick,
as they say, through thick and thin. You're not supposed
to jump off one team and onto another one. This
is slightly different, granted, because up until now there hasn't
been a team in Auckland to support. The Phoenix are

(42:42):
the only, or have been the only professional football team
in this country. So if you wanted to support a
professional team, you supported the Phoenix. Now there is an
option for those based in Auckland. However, I'm sure, in
fact I know this to be true. There are some
fans of the Phoenix based in Auckland who won't jump,
they will continue to be Phoenix fans. And when the

(43:02):
Darbies are on up here in Auckland, I am so
curious to see how many Phoenix fans there are at
the home game for Auckland f C. When they first
been in a derby. It's in Wellington, so we know
that's going to be the majority of Phoenix fans, but
I hear there are a good bunch of Auckland f
C fans going down as well. I just think creates

(43:23):
a great dynamic, doesn't it a terrific dynamic. We had
Phil from Todonga before one o'clock who said, look, I'm
jumping off the Phoenix. I'm on at Auckland f C.
Text here Phil, Phil can jog on, see you later,
power your turncoat. They're not my words, Phil, They're not
my words. They're the words of an anonymous texter. Finally,
I'm looking forward to the rivalry between Auckland f C

(43:44):
and the Nick, says Simon, particularly looking forward to seeing
how Phoenix fans receive Alex Paulson. Yeah, that's going to
be very interesting. The backstory to this very quickly as
Alex Paulson used to play for Wellington earned a had
a great season last season, earned a move to the
Premier League with Bournemouth. Bournemouth are owned by the same people,
Bill Foley and Co. Who owned Auckland f C. Alex

(44:06):
Paulson is loaned back to Auckland FC and will now
play against the Phoenix. So that's a very interesting storyline.
Nothing to do with him, I'm sure he's just it's
just happened around him. No choice that he's made. However,
when Alex Paulson turns up at the Sky Stadium in
a couple of weeks, that will be very instructive. What
I hope happens is that if there's good natured ribbing

(44:30):
given to Alex Paulson during the game, that when he
leaves the ground he has given the reception that he
deserves because he was utterly stupendous for the Phoenix Alex
Paulson and deserves a reception after the game. During a
game though, all's fair in love and war, as they say,
and if we're honest, the only people who are truly

(44:51):
loyal to a football club or any sporting team are
its fans. Players come and go. Coaches come and go.
The fans are the ones who pick and stick, well
most of them do. Anyway, back to the football after
two with Terry mcflynn. He's the director of football. But
let's go to cricket. We woke up this morning, or

(45:12):
you might have stayed up to watch or got up
to watch. We woke up, though many of us, to
the news that the White Ferns are through to the
final of the T twenty Cricket World Cup in the UAE.

Speaker 15 (45:23):
Not enough and New Zealand legends Susie Biggs, Sophie Divine
here to who who have turned the tables on the
West Indies And finally they have exercised the gorse of
twenty sixteen and they are into the final of the
AICC Women's T twenty Walk up twenty twenty.

Speaker 3 (45:46):
Four Outstanding New Zealand beating the West Indies by eight
runs in Shahjah this morning. In their semi final. They
scored one hundred and twenty eight for nine and then
restricted the Windys to one hundred and twenty for eight
from their twenty overs. Former Whitefern and now commentator Katie
martin As joined us. She watched on and comment did
this game this morning as she has been for the

(46:09):
entire tournament. The White Ferns in a World Cup final.
Katie Martin, how good is this?

Speaker 5 (46:14):
Oh?

Speaker 16 (46:15):
I don't think I would have believed this about in
the last eighteen months or so, but these haven't. They
performed like what key We've performed like They've just showed
so much heart and determination. And I saw the girls
at the end of the game and they're all just
in disbelief. They sort of can't quite believe what's happened.
So it's a pretty special moment. It's been a long
time between drinks for the women's team to make a final,

(46:36):
so hopefully make him knock the top off. It's probably yeah,
Everest the teach when he woke up between the men
and the women, So yeah, they've got an opportunity to
do it on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (46:45):
At the innings break, did one hundred and twenty eight
feel like enough?

Speaker 16 (46:51):
Not really? Because of the West Indies and you would
have seen a lot of Western these scenes throughout the years.
They are probably the most unpredictable side. And when we
kept dropping to Andrew Dodd and I thought, oh goodness,
gracious me, you know one said he didn't look like
a big enough score. But you sort of just get
a sense that their bowling side of it has really
clicked right. Social Vines mainly used their five key bowlers

(47:13):
and obviously a few youngsters in that bowling line up
as well, and there's just so much clarity in how
they go about it, and they've had so much belief
walking out onto the park. And I think the results, well,
maybe we haven't performed. I guess that our very very best.
We've scrapped our way and we've found a way to win.
And I think that's in tournament play that's the most

(47:33):
crucial thing. And in the end and ended up being
enough runs.

Speaker 3 (47:38):
Were there some key moments Katie in the West Indies
innings where things really turned Where were there were pivotal
times key wicket or something similar where you thought, okay,
this is swinging back in New Zealand's favor now.

Speaker 11 (47:52):
I thought the.

Speaker 16 (47:53):
Way that we bowled in the power play, especially the
Hailey Matthews is one of the most dangerous batters in
the world. You sort of felt if she was there
near the end, it gave the West Indy the very
best chance. I thought the way that we bowled to
her and Joseph who was so dangerous against England. I
thought our planning was outstanding. You saw that they executed it.
You saw the pressure they built, and I thought, okay,

(48:14):
we've put the western there's a little bit behind the
game here early and you just felt that if Deandrew
Dondon was there at the end and we saw the
massive over against Tajohu, that they could win that. So
I think the power play was so crucial for us,
and we created opportunities and in the end the way
that that if we're taking those it would have been
a far more comfortable win as well. But yeah, I'd

(48:34):
just send the clarity that the girls were bowling with
and the planning that the team had put in really
paid divid.

Speaker 3 (48:39):
And start Eden Carson three for twenty nine gees. She's
having some sort of tournament. What have you seen in
the development of her bowling?

Speaker 16 (48:48):
Fine, wouldn't you love to interview after a game?

Speaker 3 (48:51):
Absolutely, there's no.

Speaker 16 (48:54):
Word need it isn't I think the interview says at all. Yeah.
I've had such a privilege to be able to play
with eating at the sparks for a number of years.
But the one thing that people probably outside of the
team hadn't seen. As the last eighteen months the team
has been overloaded on skill development, tactical development. I've seen

(49:15):
Eden Castle walk at her nets in tears because she's
made so much change to her bowling action. And I
think you think about a country girl from rand Fairly.
You know, she used to be on the farm before
driving to then Eden to get to Sparks training, and
now she's had the benefit of that contracting period and
she's had a tough couple of years. She's really had

(49:36):
to push herself way beyond her comfort zone. And there's
just this heart, this massive heart in Eden, and this
massive caring factor that nobody sees. He's a real little
sensitive soul. She's a bit of a She's part of
the cool crew of the White Firms, which are the
younger group, although Foodie would probably say she was part
of that group as well, but she just epitomizes that humble, loyal,

(50:00):
you know, do it for the team sort of attitude.
And it's just been so pleasing her development and and
to see the success and the work probably that she's
done in the background that no one will ever see,
but her walking out in that field and then walking
back off. She knows deep down what she's been thready
to put herself in the best position possible. So it's
just so pleasing and so cool to see as a

(50:21):
former teammate and now someone that gets to watch them
pretty close up, just see how much she's sort of
realized her own skill and her own I guess telling
that she's got.

Speaker 3 (50:30):
That's amazing insight. Another of the youngsters, Georgia Plumber, she's
been entrusted with the responsibility of opening the batting. It's
been a rocky road too, hasn't it. What have you
made though of that move to move Georgia up to
open and drop Sophie Devine down to four for ten twenties.

Speaker 16 (50:45):
I think it's probably the most spoken about most questions
that you get asks around who should open the batting
for New Zealand. And she's had something like thirty plus
games for New Zealand, really really struggled at the top.
And again she's someone that has been overloaded with that
development of his skill set. I mean, she struggled to
bat more than ten fifteen balls and domestic cricket over

(51:06):
the last few years. And I think I was just
saying this to someone before. I feel like there's three
warm up games against Australia, I shouldn't say them warm
up games. So the three games leading in has put
that team and especially her in such good stead that
fifty she saw it scored against Australia. You just saw
her after ten overs just relax and just we've always
known that she's had the talent. She's always looked really

(51:28):
great and it was just around finding a tempo in
a way to that and maybe tonight she's lost a
little bit of that composure, but she was still able
to scrap and fight, and anybody else Piney, I think
that doesn't have that same heart and resilience sort of
really fallen over at international cricket. There's so much external noises,
so many discussions about why she shouldn't be there and

(51:49):
why Sophie should be in that position and to be
able to continue that and actually, you know, she's stood
up in the opening partnership Bates. He's probably struggled a
bit more around strike crade and George has been that
senior pro in terms of that. Well a police support
her from a leadership perspective. At the other end, from
Susie Bates. So it's it's so cool to see her
smile and thrive and after being under such enormous pressure.

Speaker 3 (52:11):
Amazing. Well, they breed them tough in Tawa, as you know, Katie,
there's a few there.

Speaker 16 (52:15):
Yeah, well you know, yes, Sophiels say that she baby
said all of them and she developed them their cricket skills.
But it's a weird place tower, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (52:27):
All Right? So South Africa, South Africa in the final.
That's three o'clock in the morning over here Monday mornings.
A lot of people will be getting up to watch
someday for you. They've had a good tournament and knocked
the Australians off on the Seami's how do we stack
up against South Africa?

Speaker 16 (52:40):
Isn't it Another chapter in New Zealand's sporting history with
the proces, but whether it's in cricket or rugby. And
I'll be talking about that twenty fifteen men semi final
for the next two days and just made me say
in the word choke a couple of times, not too many,
but no, they're they're really well led by Laura Wolf
and I think they've had different players step up up

(53:02):
at different times. There a side that wears their hat
on their sleeve, passionate, but they're a really skillful side.
I think it's probably going to be our bowl has
come up against their batches, and I think whoever wins
that battle is a team that's really going to get
up on top. So I think, yeah, Marizon Cat, we
haven't seen too much of our and Chloe trying either,
so there are two really destructive players. And I think again,

(53:26):
it just comes down to those key, little crucial moments.
Which way does it swing and whoever it takes that
and whoever hopefully catches a few more catches at the
outfit I think will be the winning side. But there's
no doubt going to be a lot of passion in
that game.

Speaker 3 (53:39):
It's just one we can't wait for. I don't think anybody,
well not too many anyway, at the start of the
tournament expected New Zealand to be there right at the
end of the Grand Final, but here we are, South Africa,
New Zealand. Three o'clock Monday morning, Katie, great to chat.
Thanks for staying up late for us. Really appreciate your time.

Speaker 16 (53:53):
Thanks Funny, appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (53:54):
No, thank you, Katie, Katie Martin there from the UAE
where I don't know what time it is, but she
stayed up for us. Can we just celebrate The White
Ferns into a World Cup final Monday morning at three o'clock.
They will play for silverware. They'll play South africaut Oh
eight hundred eighty ten eighty. Did anyone, anyone at all

(54:17):
see this coming? Jump on the phone. If you did,
you don't have to prove it to me. I'll believe you.
Jump on the phone if you didn't, Oh, eight hundred
eighty ten eighty. Let's celebrate what this team has achieved.
And yes there's still one game to go, but they
are a very good chance of winning it. Australia aren't

(54:38):
there anymore, England aren't there anymore, both knocked out. South
Africa are a good team. They've been probably the standout
team at this tournament, which stands to reason they're three
to the final. But New Zealand have beaten some good
teams at this tournament and here they are in the final.
Australia can't win it, England can't win it, the West

(54:58):
Indies can't win it. New Zealand can win it. Can
I just give a shout out to a couple of players.
Georgia Plummer. As Katie said, she has been the target
of a heck of a lot of criticism as she
tries to find her way as an international opener. She
is our top run scorer at this tournament. Are very important.

(55:19):
Thirty three or thirty one balls this morning. Great to
see her produce consistently, and she's terrific in the field
as well, which is just another string to her bow
and mealy Kerr, which rarely should stop being surprised, I
think by her brilliance. But what about mealy Kerr's bowling

(55:39):
at this tournament. Here are her figures across the five matches.
One for nineteen, four for twenty six, two for thirteen,
three for fourteen, two for fourteen. That is twelve wickets
at an average of seven point one seven and less
than four point seven runs and over. Those are t

(56:00):
twenty figures right out of the top drawer. There are others,
of course, and it's always a team effort sport, but
those two, in a sport where numbers can tell you
a lot, have been exceptional, really really good. Oh eight
hundred and d being hi, matey.

Speaker 10 (56:22):
If you're not getting behind wom with sports at general,
roll with your bed. H it was a World Cup
the changer for me. Eggland played wet food that Eden
Park and yeah, that just changed evening for me. Since then,
I've been home and hose and getting behind it because

(56:43):
what I see with right in a cricket also, it's
just some just awesome, awesome stuff, you know, yeah, stuff
you'd never see, you'd never see and and it goes
back to the roots, you know, of the true the
true renatas or the meaning of sport. You know, we're

(57:06):
I think we're trouble the means as we've got too
much and there's too much money on the line maybe
or there's too much there's too much of something on
the line. You just see these people playing with without
any secret thought. These these these guilds, these women playing
without any second thought. Yeah, the I'll be tuning in
because that's that's messive.

Speaker 3 (57:28):
I'll be the same, mate. Yeah, I didn't know. No,
I don't think, no, Ben, And you shouldn't feel bad
about not seeing it coming, mate, saw this coming, no one.

Speaker 10 (57:38):
But but what South Africa has been doing to us?
Oh yeah, yeahs And as the last year as well, look,
if it has to be that way, then you know
what'll be the country. We will be the country then
they handed to but I'll be geting behind out and
that's for sure. And good luck to the good luck

(58:01):
to them.

Speaker 3 (58:01):
And yeah awesome, top member, Yeah top man. But I
love I love the way you see for the words, mate,
which is the same as me. You know, we didn't
expect this, but it's so cool. And you're right. The
other thing about about the our women's teams as well,
and we want to play. I'm going to play you.
Eden Carson's postmatch interview in a Moment is they are
so real. The athletes who represent us are so authentic.

(58:28):
Greater chatty, you Ben, thanks for calling in mate, Get
the Get the alarm set for three o'clock on Monday morning, Paul,
did you watch it this morning?

Speaker 9 (58:36):
Oh well, yes, yes, and no.

Speaker 17 (58:38):
I set my alarm for about quarters to three. The
alarm went off and I thought I'm too tired. But
I woke up at five and I'll put it on
and watched the last and half two hours, yep.

Speaker 10 (58:48):
And it was just body terrific, you know.

Speaker 17 (58:52):
I mean, there was a few wobbles when they missed
a couple of catches, two or three catches really which
weren't which by international standards. I didn't think they'd have
been disappointed, and they knew. And then one of the
girls they missed, I think one or two catches off
was that DeAndre, who then smacked three sixes. And when
she smacked those three sixes, it was almost like we've

(59:13):
seen this before. You know, we snatched defeat from the
clause of victory, but then we got her out in
the next over and that was just no great performance.

Speaker 11 (59:23):
Good.

Speaker 10 (59:23):
Good on your girls and looking.

Speaker 2 (59:24):
Forward to Monday.

Speaker 3 (59:25):
Yeah, I am too, Paul. Good on your mate, and
good on your phone. Like when you're alarm went off
at quarter to three, if you like me, you're like,
why is my alarm going off at quarter to three?
I normally sit my alarm for sporting events, as you
may do as well, Paul, And that there's that split
second of why am I waking up at this time? Oh,
that's right, the White Ferns are playing. I think there'll
be a lot of alarms sit for three o'clock Monday morning.

(59:47):
Mine will be Brendan High.

Speaker 13 (59:49):
Yeah, Hi, what a great match.

Speaker 3 (59:53):
Well summarized Brendan, well summerized it was a great match.
Did you did you catch much or any of it?

Speaker 10 (01:00:00):
Get the highlights of it?

Speaker 1 (01:00:01):
But yeah.

Speaker 13 (01:00:04):
TV, so I haven't got the slides. I have tried
crack time, but that's not exactly blot so yeah, well
I'm not able to get the sky TV feed.

Speaker 3 (01:00:17):
Well I can tell you it was yeah, yeah, Sorry, Brendan,
you're right. Congratulations to the mate. Sorry I didn't meanterrupt, interrupt.
You know it's a great achievement, isn't it.

Speaker 13 (01:00:26):
Yeah, there's a great achievement.

Speaker 18 (01:00:27):
Yeah, and Led along with Ryan Fox and the Black
fans were putting the flag out there in America's Cup
is doing well as well, so we're doing well.

Speaker 3 (01:00:36):
There's plenty on Brendan, there is plenty on America's Cup. Actually,
a couple of people have texted the show and said, hey,
are we talking America's Cup today? There's so much on there.
At six to ahead now Team New Zealand so one
went away from winning the whole thing or retaining the Cup.
We are going to give it a decent nudge tomorrow.

(01:00:57):
What we're hoping is that overnight tonight they win one
of the two races and retain it. So don't worry.
We haven't forgotten about Team New Zealand. Were trying to
fit everything in today one twenty six Jef hold there
if you would mate, We're with you right after this
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty celebrating our white ferns
ninet two nine to two. If you prefer to do
that by text back after this start your journey today

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Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
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Speaker 3 (01:02:27):
Thirty talking the White Ferns.

Speaker 19 (01:02:28):
Hi, Jeff, Yeah, Hi mate.

Speaker 7 (01:02:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 19 (01:02:32):
The first thing I'm going to say is congratulations to
the New Zealand cricket team, Ladies cricket team, for such
an achievement that is unbelievable. I certainly will be getting
up to what's the game. I have watched several games
of the Loadies cricket To me, whether they win or

(01:02:54):
they lose, they're still a great team and New Zealanders
should be right behind them. I think it's fabulous. It's
unbelievable that have come such a long way and such
a I've had their disappointments They've had their ups and downs.
But I've heard about something about someone listening a few catchers,

(01:03:18):
but who doesn't you know every cricket team would have
a team member that would fail to catch a ball.
So congratulations to the ladies to get to the Grand Final.

Speaker 3 (01:03:33):
Very well said Jeff. Very Well said, you've encapsulated. I
think what a lot of people are thinking. And for
a long time it was it was hard to imagine
this up until recently. What did they lose? Was it
ten twelve games in a row? That is not championship
winning form. But something's happened within this team and it
is just so good to see. Matt says, I watched

(01:03:54):
the last couple of o's this morning on my phone
in my tractor. It's moments like these that make me
realize how proud I am to be a key. With
the look on those players faces, especially Susie Bates after
the final ball was awesome. I might have even had
a wee tear, says Matt. Love it, Matt good Man.
We spoke about Eden Carson before Katie Martin mentioned her.

(01:04:15):
I just wanted to play her brief post match interview.
It's only about ninety seconds, but just to give you
an idea of the emotion that she was feeling. She
was awarded Player of the match for her three wickets,
which were pretty integral to making sure the westend. He's
never got anywhere close to the target or close. They
got close, but not close enough. Laura McGoldrick spoke to

(01:04:36):
Eden Carson immediately after the game had finished.

Speaker 20 (01:04:39):
Oh no, haws, and you and I have got to
stop meeting like this. Three for twenty nine and a
semi final to help propel your team to a final. Congratulations,
thank you.

Speaker 21 (01:04:51):
Emotional, No, you're right girl.

Speaker 22 (01:04:53):
How are you feeling as she can see it, but
emotional but really proud of the girl some yeah, yeah.

Speaker 20 (01:04:59):
It's a big moment and this team has been working
really hard for a long time. Talk us through the
last couple of overs out there.

Speaker 22 (01:05:06):
Oh honestly, you know when DeAndre Johnan was absolutely home
and I was like, oh no, but if the girls
really stuck around each other in supporting and we knew
that we could get it done. And you know, we
got over the line and the end so happilyp out
of the girls.

Speaker 23 (01:05:18):
Great start and.

Speaker 20 (01:05:19):
You knew that was what you needed with that total
on the board, talk us through your wickets and what
was going through your mind, because it felt like you
just once you started, you really got going.

Speaker 22 (01:05:27):
Yeah, I think you know, we really had to defend
another bit of a low total below his part, but
you know, trying to get early wickets against westdays, we
know that dangerous side as we saw against England.

Speaker 3 (01:05:37):
So to be able to get.

Speaker 22 (01:05:38):
Early wickets and stop more pushure and really helped us
get the way.

Speaker 20 (01:05:41):
You were able to use the surface to your advantage.
Did you see that when you're batting? Did you have
a feeling it was going to work in your face?

Speaker 2 (01:05:47):
Yeah?

Speaker 22 (01:05:48):
We saw how the Westdny's bold they bold a bit
more back of the length, and we saw that that
was working, and personally I think I was boling a
little bit full, but it's all right.

Speaker 20 (01:05:56):
So you're officially a finalist in the ICC Women's T
twenty World Nice eating cars and three for twenty nine
in a semi final. Congratulations and good luck for the final.

Speaker 3 (01:06:11):
Thank you, absolute authenticity, absolute realness there, Eden Carson, can
I Chris he go Pine?

Speaker 24 (01:06:18):
Look, I don't mean to ring your three SAT days
in a row. Give you a break, but.

Speaker 3 (01:06:22):
Chris, you know you've got the number, and you've got
the number on your phone mate, you ring as often as.

Speaker 24 (01:06:25):
You like anyway, Move over Rugby. The Craig of season
well and truly here two great efforts. I'll tell you
the big thing about the White fans because I remember
ringing you and being quite critical in a few months
ago because I couldn't understand why they couldn't perform better
with the players they had. But the big key for
the final Pinty, in my opinion, will be the experience

(01:06:47):
of Craig McMillan. He knows the pain of being the
batting coach at Lord, doesn't he?

Speaker 3 (01:06:51):
Yes, yes, yes, no, it's a good point you make.
I want I mean, I don't. We're very quick to criticize,
aren't we when things aren't going well. But you're right,
Craig's joined that team as a batting coach. He may
well have had something quite significant to do with the
way they're going.

Speaker 24 (01:07:06):
We've got the experience there. They're only concerned, what I mean,
without wanting to be too critical. They took two or
three brilliant catchers, but they dropped a couple, you know,
And I was Susie Bates, you too, got a cricket
at a sweet balls that close to the off stump.

Speaker 3 (01:07:22):
Did you watch the black Caps at or what are
you thinking about the black Caps?

Speaker 24 (01:07:24):
I don't want to look they've got that team going
sow he's a different man. I think I think they
wouldn't want to chase more than one fifty. I think
they've got to not leave guys over for say, no
more than a leader of one hundred.

Speaker 3 (01:07:43):
Yes, yeah, I agree. I agree. Getting getting Coolie last
ball last night was crucial. Yeah, messive, So I would
have looked a heck of a lot different if they've
been coming back and at seventy odd not out. But
you're getting him on the last ball of the day Extuallychross,
I've got Mike Hessen standing by the chat to us
on that, mate. So not saying you're not an expert,
because you are, but let's get the thoughts of Mike

(01:08:04):
Hesson in just a moment. I appreciate your call though,
and I know wal chat again and you see that
you've been critical of the white films. That's okay. We're
allowed to be. We're allowed to look at a team
that we as representing us and say, you know what,
I wish they were doing better than they are. Why
aren't they doing this once there than that? But then
by the same token, we then have to celebrate when
they do do the right things, which they did this morning.

(01:08:24):
It's wonderful to see. Let's getting behind this team as
they look to win the silver out to the men.
A century by rightch and Ravender has put in New
Zealand in a strong position after three days of the
first cricket Test against India. In being Galaru, New Zealand
four hundred and two in their first innings, India two
hundred and thirty one for three in their second innings.

(01:08:45):
It stumps on day three and as I just mentioned,
a wicket on the very last ball of the day.

Speaker 25 (01:08:53):
Hey's darn edge.

Speaker 3 (01:08:54):
It's darns.

Speaker 23 (01:08:55):
They're all celebrating. The fingers gone up.

Speaker 25 (01:08:58):
Can you imagine you've thought you'd set.

Speaker 4 (01:09:01):
It all in a Test.

Speaker 2 (01:09:02):
Test match cricket?

Speaker 19 (01:09:03):
Who writes the scripts for Test match cricket it's ended
in the tragedy for India.

Speaker 3 (01:09:09):
Former Black Caps coach Mike Keesson joins us to unpack
this here. It feels like New Zealand are ahead in
this Test match. How do you assess their ability to
go on and win it.

Speaker 26 (01:09:19):
Oh, look, there's certainly well ahead in the Test match.
I mean an outstanding first couple of days, to be fair,
but we've also seen how the last sort of two
or three hours, how the game can change so quickly.
So even though they're ahead, probably takes you know, one
innings of good batting from India.

Speaker 21 (01:09:36):
You know, you can potentially score one hundred.

Speaker 26 (01:09:38):
And fifty hundred and sixty runs in a session and
then you're going to have to bat the fourth innings.
So yeah, New Zealand has been excellent so far. But yeah,
there's certainly there'll be no complacency, that's for sure.

Speaker 3 (01:09:49):
What do you think their bowling plan will be on
day four?

Speaker 21 (01:09:53):
Well, I think it's going to have to be denial.

Speaker 26 (01:09:55):
And I think that's the way you take wickets in
India is when it's flat.

Speaker 21 (01:09:58):
And they're scoring at a rate you know, close to
a runner ball.

Speaker 26 (01:10:01):
You know they are feeding off the I guess the
ego of you know, basically taking the game away from you.
So and then hopefully you get a little bit fearful
and then you go searching, and that's kind of what
an end of you are praying on. So I think
from a New Zealand perspective, you've got to be really disciplined.
You've got to make India take tough options and if
you do that then you will create opportunities. Certainly not

(01:10:22):
as quickly as they did in the first innings because
you know conditions won't allow that. But it's going to
be a real perseverance day for New Zealand today.

Speaker 3 (01:10:30):
Will it be a mix do you think, Mike of
seam and spin or will it be mainly spin? What's
your take on that?

Speaker 26 (01:10:36):
Oh, I think you've you've probably got to lock in
a spinner at one end. I think you know they
took Paatel down, especially Sarfrez yesterday, so you know he
didn't bowl as much as he wanted. But I think
between him and Phillip's at one end and then rotate
your three seamers from the other with there's a little
bit more variable bounce.

Speaker 21 (01:10:51):
So yeah, they're going to have to.

Speaker 26 (01:10:53):
Use those resources carefully and probably rotate pretty quickly. I
would think from the SEMA's just sort of short two
three over spells.

Speaker 3 (01:11:00):
What did you make of that crazy first day?

Speaker 21 (01:11:05):
Oh, it was a bit of a he was a
collection of events really.

Speaker 26 (01:11:09):
I mean, obviously, you know when they did the review
they talked about how or the pitch review they talked
about how dry it was underneath. It was a little
bit tacky, but you know, both captains were going to bat,
so you know we'd be certainly having a different conversation
if Tom Lasmand won the toss and and.

Speaker 21 (01:11:26):
The Test match was over pretty much.

Speaker 26 (01:11:28):
So in the end, I think both sides probably misunderstood
the conditions, the fact it was a bit of a
perfect storm because it stayed overcast and it rained again
so went back under covers sort of allowed that whole
scene movement for about three hours, and the New Zealand
seem was certainly capitalized on it.

Speaker 3 (01:11:43):
Ruch and Ravendra he scored the first century by a
key week in India since twenty twelve. How good could
he go on to be for New Zealand?

Speaker 26 (01:11:53):
Well, only his ninth Test match and you know we've
already got so many highlights already.

Speaker 21 (01:11:58):
For me, it was you know, sure we talked about
his technique.

Speaker 26 (01:12:01):
And his class and his ability to time the ball,
but for me, it was his decision making and that's
what's going to hold him apart.

Speaker 21 (01:12:08):
You know, for years to come.

Speaker 26 (01:12:09):
You know, if he can keep that decision making nice
and clear and decisive, then he's going to have plenty
more good days. And you know, you don't want to
say how good he's going to because hey, who knows.

Speaker 21 (01:12:18):
He could be better than we even think. But he
is exceptional.

Speaker 26 (01:12:22):
He's got a fantastic technique and all round game and
as I said, just his clarity a thought yesterday was outstanding.

Speaker 3 (01:12:29):
What did you make of the captaincy change after the
SriLankan Test matches?

Speaker 26 (01:12:34):
Oh, look, you know I've spoken about it. I was
a bit frustrated that Tim was put in that position.
I think when you when you're already told that you're
not a guaranteed to be in the eleven, I can't
see how you can then be named captain. And that
put Tim in a difficult situation, you know, sitting in
those selection meetings knowing that potentially he's not going to
play those games. So look, I think he did the

(01:12:55):
right thing, and yeah, I think it'll work well. I mean,
Tom's a very good captain. Between the two of them,
they'll still be big leaders in the group and it
just takes that pressure off to him.

Speaker 3 (01:13:05):
Watching Matt Henry on that first day, which actually was
the second day after the first day wash out, it
just seemed incredible to me like that, you know, he
sat on the sidelines for two Test matches in Sri Lanka.
I know we can't go back and rewrite the past,
but it kind of brought home in stark reality that
our best seam bowler at the moment is Matt Henry
and he couldn't get a game in Sri Lanka.

Speaker 26 (01:13:24):
Yeah, but in Sri Lanka it never seemed at all,
So you don't really want seam bowlers in India. Sorry,
in Sri Lanka, I mean, Benglaru was very odd in
terms of the fact that it seemed. And I think
the second innings is probably a fairer reflection of what
you would have got in Sri Lanka. So you know,
the swing bowling is probably more effective. I think what

(01:13:44):
we saw from Tim Saudi is very much down on
pace in Sri Lanka, and now we see sort of
up to early one thirties, mid one thirties. You know,
Matt Henry is a very fine bowler and probably deserved
to play at least one of those tests. But I
don't think we could have expected Matt Henry to do
what he did the other day in Sri Lanka. I
think that's probably a bridge too far. Even those conditions and.

Speaker 3 (01:14:07):
The White Ferns into the T twenty World Cup final.

Speaker 26 (01:14:09):
Hats outstanding, absolutely outstanding. It's been a heck of a
tough run for the White Ferns. I think thirteen losses
on the bounce heading into.

Speaker 21 (01:14:17):
The World Cup. You know, no one is really you know,
looking at.

Speaker 26 (01:14:21):
Them as a potential finalist, and you know, it's been
outstanding from the very first game against India.

Speaker 13 (01:14:27):
Where they played they played beautifully.

Speaker 26 (01:14:28):
They got humbled in Sri lank and Shaja against Australia,
which I think was a great thing because they sort
of changed their method and they the way they bought
it out yesterday against the Western He's from a batting perspective,
they looked like they understood the conditions really well. And
you know, absolutely delighted for those older players that have
been to so many World Cups and haven't come this far.

(01:14:49):
So great opportunity against South Africa, We're going to have
a new winner.

Speaker 3 (01:14:53):
Indeed, plenty good cricket to watch with red and white
ball over the next few days. Always appreciate your time, Mike.
Thanks indeed, pleasure. Thanks Funny, No, thanks Mike, Mike Essen there,
former Black Caps coach. They'll resume at around four forty
five this afternoon with India two third, one for three.
They trail by one hundred and twenty five runs with
seven second innings wickets in hand. Back in a second
across the Tasman with Adam Peacock, Johnny.

Speaker 1 (01:15:15):
Down to walk to the FC's inaugural A League Man
on your home of sport Weekend Sport Live from autun
Smells Smart Stadium with Jason Hyde and g Jcob Noves,
New Zealand's first trusted home builder, News Talk.

Speaker 3 (01:15:28):
Sa'd be thirteen to two. Let's get here across the Tasman.
Dam Peacock joins us in a regular slot, Adam, Let's
go straight to the TEA twenty Cricket World Cup. Australia
knocked out in the semi finals. Did anyone see this coming?

Speaker 26 (01:15:40):
In?

Speaker 3 (01:15:40):
Good afternoon, by the way.

Speaker 27 (01:15:42):
Good afternoon, piney. Yet not over here, certainly not over here.
A wild result for the Australian women who were wasn't
as if it was like out of nowhere and someone
played an unbelievable lone hand and it was yeah, they
run a mammoth run chase that they they attained. No,
it was just they partly applied, they restricted with the

(01:16:03):
bat and South Africa just nearly three hovers to spare.
So yeah, it was a weird one from Australia because
they don't have many bad days, especially in games like that,
and everything was tracking along perfectly. Everyone got the sense that, oh, yeah,
well they're just building and they're going to get even
better when the knockout stages come. Didn't happen. Unleissa really
missed out. She had a foot injury, so.

Speaker 28 (01:16:23):
Maybe that.

Speaker 27 (01:16:25):
Might explain something because it's changing the leadership out the
field and everything like that. But overall, yeah, Southareca totally
deserved to get through, and by the sounds of it,
New Zealand too, And like after the try series that
they played over here before Australia's played New Zealand into
the form.

Speaker 3 (01:16:41):
Yes, yes, that suggestion has been put forward, I must say.
So we need to need to give thanks to our
big sisters from across the taskman for getting us into form.
It's t twenty though, isn't it. Although having said that,
Australia have been very consistent in the women's game at
T twenty, haven't they. You can't just say well, it's
a you know, it's a game which swings on small margins.

(01:17:01):
Australia have been very consistent, what won the last three
of these World Cups.

Speaker 27 (01:17:06):
Yeah, yeah, this is actually you look at it from
in a wider sense, and I'm sure I've spoken ablest
the early about it. I'll do a podcast with her
other here. She's wanting the women's game to expand and
get bigger, and how do you do that where you
don't have the same winner six out of seven or
whatever it is for Australia. You mix it up a bit.
And it's not just Australia India dancing between the two.

(01:17:26):
India didn't even make the knockout stages of course, and
we've got two totally new teams in there. So hopefully
this helps women's cricket over in New Zealand if they
get it done. Hopefully it helps it over in South
Africa if they get it done, and two markets where
let's face it, especially you look at the men's side,
they're doing everything they can to try and make sure
that their best players don't just fall into the franchise

(01:17:47):
cricket world, which is a difficult thing to do because
of sheer weighted money. So I hopefully this kicks along
the sport in those respective countries as well and helps
those homeboards get a bit more funding.

Speaker 3 (01:18:00):
All right, big off field story this week. I have
you all sawt of the Ditch was Greater Wastern Sydney.
I was going to say, man, Monday, the thing's wacky Wednesday.
I think the principles are still the same. What's gone
on here?

Speaker 27 (01:18:11):
Idiot Wednesday? But yeah, so they've come up with this
idea and I can't quite I'm racking my brain trying
to work at what didn't someone go hold up? This
Maybe ain't a great idea what they've done. They've come
up with a theme called controversial couples and then done

(01:18:31):
skits based on those couples. Now, someone went dressed as
Jared Hayne and an identity and an unidentified woman, so
obviously entertaining to what he's been through in his life.
He's been acquitted after about three or four trials. But
still someone went dressed as the Twin Towers. There was

(01:18:52):
another one that they didn't release who it was, but
it was a well known sportsman and a female. So
what they've done, they've basically just gone and decided to
make obviously dark humor. But it hasn't gone down too
well over here. Once it's come to light, now I
can't work it. There was there was another one there.

(01:19:13):
The player went crossed as Django Django Unchained Quentin Tarantino
movie where a slave gets kind of freed and goes
out into the world and everything like that. That player
actually asked staff members and everything if it was okay
if he went like this, because he is of I
think African, he's got African blood, he's got African. How

(01:19:34):
it did, so, he was okay with it, but he
wanted to check with everyone else in the club. I
would have thought at that point someone in the club
would have gone, yeah, but why are you doing this
and then got to the bottom of it before it
even happens. So a few players of Cops so Samptons
like rubbed out for four games, some of Copps significant
fines and the club has just copped a full stop

(01:19:56):
all week for having You know, everyone talks about culture, Well,
I don't think so many people are thinking that culture
is fly at the moment. Something like this went down
at the end of.

Speaker 3 (01:20:07):
Season gathering incredible all right, and the A League is
underways bringing the show today from Mount Smart Stadium where
in a few hours Auckland f C will play their
very first A League men's football game. We had a
draw last night and they'll all drawer in the opening game,
which after all the build up, we're hoping like a
for a five four or something. But how's the A
League sort of cutting through on your side of the

(01:20:29):
Tasman No massive cut through.

Speaker 27 (01:20:31):
But in the football community, I've just noticed a bit
of a change that people are actually looking forward to
watching it as opposed to just sitting now winging about
everything that's going on. It's like, oh, let's just watch
the football. Look, it's not perfect. We know that on
an Ames Poetian it was it was last season. All
that all of the off field is years that Bill
Foley actually spoke about this week in the Sinning Morning
Herald over here the Aukland f C owner or majority

(01:20:53):
owner about the funding band cut that they go in
thinking they get too million a year. They get five
hundred and thirty years that translates over there to the
Kiwi dollar. But still it's now about the football and
walk on sc on the face of it, you'll talk
about it a lot, say this afternoon, they have recruited
so well, they've got a couple of Japanese players, internationals,

(01:21:15):
top players, they've got some top kiwis coming back. You know,
it's like a not a no expense spared, but it
hasn't been a problem to stick curacter to build a squad.
So a lot of excitement over there obviously about it,
and intrigue over here. So yeah, on the whole we're
looking for I'm going to the Sydney Derby later tonight
as well, so with my boys, so looking forward to
watching that. It's going to be a wide hot atmosphere

(01:21:37):
in thirty thousand people, so they can't be going to
if there's anticipation about it in the football community and
this crowds like we're.

Speaker 3 (01:21:44):
Going to see today, absolutely right, yep, absolutely right, thanks Adam.
We'll enjoy the Sydney Derby to not to see it
to sell out, so you'll be in amongst a big
crowd sold out here at Mount Smart this afternoon as well.
So that's a pretty gooday to Yeah, pretty good way
to kick off the season. Hey, great to chat as
always mate. We'll do it again next Saturday. Yeah good
thanks mate. That's Adam Peacock from Australia. At this time
every Saturday seven to two News Talk sad.

Speaker 2 (01:22:03):
Be when it's down to the line.

Speaker 1 (01:22:06):
You made a call on eight hundred ten eighty Weekend
Sport with Jason Hine, News Talks.

Speaker 3 (01:22:12):
MB four to two. I finally come into the game
from Havelock North and Hawks Bay. The boys are combining
the match ahead of playing in the Auckland United Under
twelve tournament tomorrow. Good stuff Phoenix till I die, it
says here though, okay, Son'll be a few Phoenix fans
here this afternoon. Director of Football with Auckland FC is
Terry mcflynn. He's been in charge of putting together the team.

(01:22:34):
How happy is he with it? He joins us. After
two we'll also talk about the Everest, the richest horse
race on the globe.

Speaker 1 (01:22:45):
Counting down to the inaugural Auckland FC match live from
Mount Smart Stadium, Alton. It's Weekend Sport with Jason Pine
on your home of Sport News Storms.

Speaker 3 (01:22:58):
MB seven past two. Welcome into the show. Welcome back
to the show. As the case may be another hour
of Weekend Sport, then we'll hand it over to the
Weekend and Collective. We're about three hours away from kickoff
in Auckland FC's inaugural game of professional football in the
A League Men's Competition. They take on Brisbane Raw five
o'clock this afternoon. Go Media Mount Smart, which is where

(01:23:19):
we are broadcasting Weekend Sport from. Terry mcflynn is the
Director of Football at Auckland FC, basically in charge of
all footballing matters, including hiring coaches and recruiting players. He's
just arrived actually ready to have a chat to us
about how he's put the squad together and what has hopes,

(01:23:39):
dreams and expectations are for them over the next twenty
six or twenty seven games. Terry mcflynn. Shortly we'll get
you inside the Port as well, which is the active
support for this team. If you think yellow fever for
Wellington Phoenix, the Port are the equivalent for Auckland FC.
It's all of a chat to a member of the Port.

(01:23:59):
We'll also get you across to Brandwick in Sydney because
the Everest is on today. It is the world's richest
horse race, a prize pool of twenty million Australian dollars.
Would you believe jumps at six fifteen tonight, New Zealand
Time at Ramwick. McK geran going to talk to us
about that and about the Mega Millions. The tav Mega Millions.

(01:24:20):
You can win ten million bucks just by correctly predicting
the finishing order of all twelve runners. That might sound difficult,
but somebody did it last year in one ten mili.
We'll keep an eye on Live sport as well. They're
just about to kick off if they haven't already in
Tiaraha the Meads Cup Final in the Heartland Championship Rugby competition.
Thames Valley the favorites at home against Mid Canterbury, the

(01:24:43):
team that knocked off South Canterbury a week ago in
the semifinals. Your causing correspondents continue to be welcomed on
the show. Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty nine two
ninety two if you would prefer to correspond with us
by text, but with a time ticking towards nine past two,
as we always do it around about this time on
weekend sport. We'd like to make sure that nothing has

(01:25:06):
escaped your attention, that you're brought up to date with
everything that's going on in the sporting world. We call
it in Casha missed it and we start in Rugby
League's Pacific Nations Cup where it was a solid start
for the Kangaroos.

Speaker 2 (01:25:20):
Didn't dead it on.

Speaker 15 (01:25:22):
His own up den it fools that at Stars of
Day New Top Dinner a wonderful moment.

Speaker 2 (01:25:30):
They're boozling the tongue.

Speaker 3 (01:25:32):
In defense that try securing Australia in eighteen nil went
over tonguap for the Jill Rouse though the Australian women's
team it was a bit more comprehensive.

Speaker 2 (01:25:43):
We play the ball.

Speaker 3 (01:25:44):
Though they flooded the short side.

Speaker 25 (01:25:46):
Higgins now acin his Isabel Telly and she goes in
what they did in the last World Cup they better.

Speaker 3 (01:25:57):
In Crisbine eighty four nil, the Jill Arrouse winners over
pap on New Guinea to cricket Test cricket Pakistan have
responded in sound fashion to their loss in the first
Test in Maltaane.

Speaker 2 (01:26:11):
Has that been taken? Pakistan record their.

Speaker 29 (01:26:14):
Victory after going winless at homes for eleven games and
it's been done in some dramatic fashion and shine us
with an all of Pakistan can celebrate.

Speaker 3 (01:26:25):
Yeah, Pakistan winning that one by one hundred and fifty
two runs. Ellie Wollaston continues her great year with another
gold at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

Speaker 18 (01:26:36):
Wallaston fights back on the inside. She doesn't need the
points now, but she might as well. Volentee Big brushed
from behind as well Stenberg.

Speaker 12 (01:26:44):
Trying to hold on, but.

Speaker 18 (01:26:45):
It's Wallaston that will win the points race in the end.
You'll win the omnium here at the World Championships. What
a sensationally smart and strong ride once again.

Speaker 3 (01:26:55):
From Alie Wallaston to playing goal. Yeah. Congratulations to Ellie
Walliston and to the America's Cup where the old Mug
is just one race away. For Team New Zealand, it
has been.

Speaker 16 (01:27:08):
Full head over the volt pecking your way through such
a complicated racetrack.

Speaker 3 (01:27:13):
It has been a masterclass from.

Speaker 26 (01:27:15):
The kiwis is going to prove at this point to
be a monumental day for the defender.

Speaker 18 (01:27:23):
Emwritt's Team New Zealand have moved to match points in
the match and leads six to two.

Speaker 1 (01:27:33):
The sup from the track field and the court on
your home of Sport Weekend Sport with Jason Vine Talks.

Speaker 3 (01:27:40):
B It's twelve minutes past two as the show comes
to you live from go Media Mount Smart Stadium in
the Auckland suburb of Penrose. It's the home of the
Warriors during the NRL season, but will be the home
of Auckland FC during the A League football season. Their
first ever professional game kicks off at five o'clock this
afternoon against Brisbane Raw. Auckland FC director of Football is

(01:28:02):
Terry mcflynn, himself the veteran of one hundred and seventy
eight matches across the first nine seasons of the A
League and the winner of two championships with Sydney FC.
He's popped into our mobile studio for a check. Good
to see you, Terry. How are you feeling.

Speaker 6 (01:28:18):
Yeah, I'm good, Jesson.

Speaker 30 (01:28:20):
You know, it's been eleven months in the making, a
lot of hard work behind the scenes. We've got a
fantastic staff, both falling off the pitch. So yeah, we've
been building up for this day for a long time.

Speaker 3 (01:28:28):
So already let's talk about the roster ye have assembled.
How do you assess it. Yeah, we're really happy where
we've got to.

Speaker 30 (01:28:35):
You know, we had a real clear strategy from day
one to build a team for the community from the community.
We had a real key focus on getting as many
Kiwi players back inter professional football as we possibly could,
and I think we've learned in a very very positive space.

Speaker 6 (01:28:50):
You know, the eighteen Kiwi Boys.

Speaker 30 (01:28:52):
Three Aussies and five foreigners, so the blend of youth
which is great for the club sustainability and long term
future proofing and succession plannings there. But we've got enough
quality to be a challenger for the team for the
title season.

Speaker 3 (01:29:07):
I want to talk about the imports of the moment,
but the Kiwi Boys, how did you go about identifying
the ones that would fit what you were after?

Speaker 6 (01:29:14):
Look, there's a real.

Speaker 30 (01:29:16):
Blend really of how we fitted well, how we find
the ones that we wanted. Obviously we went to the
very top. We tried to get as many all whites
back as possible. You know, as well publicized that Steve
and myself went to Egypt in the March fift a
window and met with all the players and discussions whether
it was right for them now this season, whether it's
next season, whether it's a season after just to let

(01:29:39):
them know that what we want to do as a
football club and build a football club for New Zealand.
So yeah, look we got the boys back from the
very top and then the younger ones. We were watching
three four games football every week here in the local
league school football. There's a lot of talent in the
Northern Region Football League. There's a lot of talent in
the school football here and these kids just need an opportunity.

Speaker 3 (01:30:01):
You could have if you wanted to stacked it with Australias,
you could have done that. You've got three good ones.
Galloway hall Bringer in particular, I think will be a
real big player for you. Was there was it? Did
you ever at any time think I could use a
couple more Rossies or were you always quite keen on
that key Wee strategy?

Speaker 30 (01:30:21):
Now, look, we're always very very keen. I say King,
King's not the right way. We're always focused on having
a KeyWe strategy.

Speaker 6 (01:30:28):
You know. For us, it's it's about building a football
club that this city wants to get behind, that this
region wants to get behind.

Speaker 30 (01:30:35):
And I think having players from the community for the community,
one of your own.

Speaker 6 (01:30:41):
It's easy to back, it's easy to get behind.

Speaker 30 (01:30:42):
And so for us, it was very, very clear. And
what made it even easier, Jason, to be honest, was
when we saw the talented here and not having a
professional club in this city, in this region for seventeen
eighteen years. This city's crying out for a football team,
a professional team, and these kids that want to be
professional footballers need somewhere to play.

Speaker 3 (01:31:04):
When you identify a player, I think that guy looks
good on the grass, then what, Terry, how much due
diligence if that's the right word do you do on
the person?

Speaker 6 (01:31:15):
Yeah, we do loads.

Speaker 30 (01:31:16):
You know, We've got a clear recruitment strategy built on
character and competence. So the competents said of it, We've
got our the way we want to play. What Auckland
FC footballer looks like from a player profile point of view, technical, tactical, physical, mental.
We do a lot of due diligence in terms of
the character of the person. We were building a really

(01:31:37):
strong culture here of togetherness, a really strong culture of family.

Speaker 6 (01:31:42):
We all do this together. We're all here.

Speaker 30 (01:31:43):
We work hard for each other every single day, and
every single person that we've brought into the football club,
beard staff member or player is here for the right reasons.

Speaker 3 (01:31:51):
Let's talk about the imports, because there are I'm sure
literally thousands who get pitched to you, you get sent there,
show real or whatever they're called these days. What is
your process around recruiting you your five imports?

Speaker 30 (01:32:05):
Look, the imports is very very important first and foremost. Again,
if we go back to what we want to do
long term and the sustainability and succession planning of the club,
we wanted players that have played at good levels. We
want a players that have been professionals for a long
period of time, had that durability at the top level,
which can educate the younger players in our group what

(01:32:25):
it means to be a professional both on and off
the park. So the five that we've landed on again
at good ages. You know, Louis Faustraates twenty six, twenty seven,
you share more Mays twenty seven. Felipe Gallegos brings a
little bit more experience. Obviously, Hiroki's very experienced at thirty
four three World Cups. So for us it was about, yes,

(01:32:48):
can they perform on the park weekend week out, which
we know they can bring success to the city brings
success to the football club, but longer term, can they
actually educate the younger players and what it means to
be a.

Speaker 3 (01:32:58):
Professional Hiaiki Saka has a great kid asny What a
what a player? What a career? How did that happen?

Speaker 30 (01:33:06):
Ball in in life, sometimes you just get a bit
of luck. We were very fortunate with Hiroki. You know,
he's a wonderful man, first and foremost, such a humble
human being to have done what he's done in the
game and in life, and to come in every day
and see the big smile on his face and how
he welcomes the younger players in. And it was a

(01:33:28):
conversation with an agent, Lustika based in Australia, who who
brought Shin Giano to the.

Speaker 6 (01:33:35):
A League many years ago.

Speaker 30 (01:33:37):
He's obviously got a lot of contacts and business partners
in Japan, and we had a conversation one night and
it just sort of developed from there.

Speaker 6 (01:33:44):
We spoke to Hiroki. He was very open to the project.

Speaker 30 (01:33:47):
He wanted to be part of something new, something you
want to help build something, So that for us was.

Speaker 6 (01:33:54):
Music to our ears.

Speaker 30 (01:33:55):
To be honest that we had someone of that ilk
in world football, that wanted to come and help us
build a football club here, and even just the conversations
beyond that with other players that we had Hiroki Soaka
as part of the roster was a.

Speaker 6 (01:34:07):
Big, big help in the recruitment for other players.

Speaker 3 (01:34:10):
I be Steve Corker head coach, a guy you know, well,
what are the nature of your most common conversations with
Steve Corriker.

Speaker 30 (01:34:20):
Look at the very start, obviously we went Nick Becker,
the CEO, myself started the club, and obviously the next
appointment was going to be the head coach. We had
a really clear remit from the owner, mister Bill Foley,
that he wanted someone who knew the A League, someone
who knew the salary cap, who knew the players, who

(01:34:40):
understood what it what it was here in a cap system,
in a roster system, cap roster as well, but someone
who had also win won the A League.

Speaker 6 (01:34:50):
So there was only two coaches available at.

Speaker 30 (01:34:51):
That time and who had won the A League and
understanding of what the A League was. And we interviewed
eleven coaches in the process, and Steve obviously, she said, Jason,
we've we've worked together for many many years and we
we know each other inside out, so the working relationship
was already there. We've got the same thinking and methodology

(01:35:13):
in terms of football and how we want to play
and how we want to do things, but also culturally
the way we want the team to function, the club
to function, the culture to evolve. So yeah, look, the
conversations in the early days was I think he sort
of felt a little bit he's a coach, so he
wants to be on the grass and he wants to
be coaching. And when we didn't have any players, he

(01:35:33):
didn't know players to coach, and we didn't have any balls,
we didn't have any cones, we didn't have any hurdles,
we had nothing.

Speaker 6 (01:35:39):
So you know, we were going around watching.

Speaker 30 (01:35:41):
Games and many many conversations, watching videos, watching highlight reels,
cutting up clips, doing data, and then slowly we started
building player by player by player, and I think July
one we started with nine players at North Harbor Stadium
and then we just built from there. But now, look,
Steve's he's a winner and he's come here to win,

(01:36:03):
as I have, as Nick has, as.

Speaker 6 (01:36:05):
Everyone who's here, and we've got a really really clear.

Speaker 30 (01:36:08):
Vision as a football club to be the first News
Gelling team to win the Arnague.

Speaker 3 (01:36:12):
So how are you spend your day? You've come down
to chat to me in amongst a very busy schedule
for you. I'm sure what the afternoon look like for
you up to kick off and during the game.

Speaker 30 (01:36:22):
Look, you know a lot of work that gets done
by the staff is unseen. So I just come down
to check on how everything was at the citium today
and catch.

Speaker 6 (01:36:33):
Up with Nick this morning and make sure there's a
lot of hype around today.

Speaker 30 (01:36:40):
You know, there's been a hasn't been a professional club
in this city for seventeen or eighteen years, and you know,
we've got a fantastic staff, beautiful beautiful people. So you're
just checking in with them, making sure that everything's going
to run smooth.

Speaker 6 (01:36:52):
For them today and they enjoy the moment. I think it's.

Speaker 30 (01:36:55):
Important that they sit back at some point today and
reflect on everything they've done to get it to this point.
You know, as a football club, we started as a
phone call or an email or what's up message back
November twenty twenty three, and to be sitting here today
with a sell out crowd, a team on the park
is going to be competitive and a real buzz around

(01:37:15):
the city. It's something that every every member of staff
at up on the should be really proud of.

Speaker 3 (01:37:19):
Will you get the chance to do that? Will you
take a moment?

Speaker 6 (01:37:22):
Yeah, look, therell be there'll be a moment today. Obviously
we've got to focus on winning, which is why while
we're here and what we're doing.

Speaker 30 (01:37:29):
But the boys are ready, you know, they've a trend.
I think yesterday was session sixty one since we started,
so we've we're ready to go. But I think it's
important that the staff, the players, the families actually recognized, well,
this is real now you know we're here, and it's
it's for the long term. It's not a flash in

(01:37:50):
the pan. It's not something that's going to come and go.
It's it's it's something that the city has been.

Speaker 6 (01:37:54):
Crying out for.

Speaker 30 (01:37:54):
And yeah, look during the game, you know, I'll be
what an only do game today is? I mean the
changing with the boys beforehand, just making sure they're relaxed,
making sure the coaches are relaxed, everything's in place.

Speaker 6 (01:38:07):
Obviously you get through.

Speaker 30 (01:38:08):
The first half, halftime again, just reassess, keep the emotional
levels level, keep everything sort of in check, and then yeah,
what's the second half and then we go again. And
but I think that the most important thing really for
us is it's it's a journey, you know, it's a
a We're going to get everything right day one. Now,
we'll definitely know we're going to make mistakes and we're

(01:38:29):
going to learn from them. We're going to grow as
a football club and as a as a staff. And
but yeah, it's all about working together. And as I
said before that the people we've brought in, there's a
real togetherness, there's a real unity behind what we want
to achieve and they said that vision is clear to
be the first new gilant into win the Earleague.

Speaker 3 (01:38:44):
Congrets on getting Oaklands to the start line, Terry, It's
an exciting day for you, for your fan base, for
the owners, everybody connected to the club. Great to see right,
Thanks for stopping again, problem, Thank you, Thank you, Terry.
Terry mcflunn, they director of football here at Oakland FC.
We're broadcasting from Mount Smart today until three o'clock five
o'clock kickoff or just after for Oorkland FC's first game

(01:39:06):
in this competition against Brisbane Raw two twenty three. Updating
you on some live sport which is happening right now.
Heartland Championship Meads Cup Final in te Otaha at Boyd
Park in t Odaha to be precise fifteen minutes gone
and Mid Canterbury out to a five to three lead
over Thames Valley early days though, but Mid Canterbury five
Thames Valley three in the Meads Cup Final in the

(01:39:29):
Heartland Championship two twenty three. It'll be jam packed at
Randwick in Sydney this afternoon and into the evening because
it's a huge race day. But the everest is set
to jump at six fifteen tonight the world's richest horse
race meant to be an event to showcase Australian sprinting prowess,

(01:39:51):
but a couple of Kiwi horses, as I understand it,
are the favorites for this. We'll find out more about
it and about the Mega Millions, the Ta B Mega
Millions as well. Mcgerron going to join us from Sydney
when we come back here at News Talks EDB. It
is two twenty four on Weekend Sport.

Speaker 2 (01:40:07):
The pitch is ready.

Speaker 1 (01:40:09):
Are you live from Alvan's Mount Smart Stadium made of
Alton FC's first A League match.

Speaker 2 (01:40:15):
It's Weekend Sport with Jason Vine and GJ.

Speaker 1 (01:40:18):
Gung homes New Zealand's most trusted home Miller News Talk ZB.

Speaker 3 (01:40:23):
Two twenty seven. Yes and d we are at Mount Smart.
But there is a lot of other sport going on,
including the world's richest horse race, a prize pool of
twenty million Australian dollars. The Everest over twelve hundred meters
jumps at six fifteen This evening New Zealand time at
Randwick in Sydney. New Zealand Herald Racing editor mcgarren joins
us from Ramwick. MC, thanks for your time as always.

(01:40:45):
First of all, this is a slot race. Can you
just explain that concept to us?

Speaker 8 (01:40:50):
Yeah, High Piney, big hide at all your listeners and
good luck to awk from their sea with estus game today.
It's the great thing for the city, in great for
forty in the country. The slot race means that basically
people can buy a slot, that is the right to
race a horse. A human could buy it often at
the corporation because these slots are very expensive, are six

(01:41:11):
hundred thousand dollars and there's only twelve of them, so
anybody can go out and buy one. And then you
say I have a slot, so I need to find
a horse. Now you may have your own horse, in
which case you race, or for example, you and I
buy a slot together, and then we think we want
to get Jolie Star. So we negotiate with the owners

(01:41:32):
of Jolie Star and say the top prize the first
price today seven million if because we paid for the slot,
because obviously it hasn't cost the owners of the horse anything.
You say, we might go fifty to fifty, or if
you've got a really good horse, you might go sixty forty.
So that's seven million dollars, which is the first prize.
The trainers and jockey's percentage comes out, so takes it

(01:41:54):
down to six. If we're fifty to fifty, you get
three million, as and we do as a slot holders,
and they get three million. Now, most of the big
corporations that are involved and this can actually use it
as tax deductibility as marketing expense, so the actual six
hundred won't cost them six hundred much my marketing expenses.
But they're still negotiations to be done, and you're still

(01:42:15):
got to find a horse. And if you find a
horse three months ago and it loses form, you might
have to go point another horse. So there's a whole
array of politics and interesting machinations around the entire thing,
and people who want to work with each other and
don't want to work with each other, and how it
aligns with their brand. It's really fascinating. It's part election,

(01:42:36):
part nrl AFL draft type thing and part horse race.
And then want all of that's happened, pointy, Then we
get to quarter past six to night. The horses don't hear,
they get in the barriers and inside sixty eight seconds
they did the up twenty million dollars. So it's one
of the world's richest sporting events but also one of

(01:42:58):
the world's quickest.

Speaker 3 (01:42:59):
Indeed so quick. Now. I read your piece this morning
in the Herald and you pointed out that the Everest
was set up to show Australian sprinting prowess. But there
are a couple of Kiwi horses who are probably favorite.

Speaker 8 (01:43:12):
Mack, Yeah, they are the favorite. So there's two New
Zealand owned horses in the race I Wish I win,
which races in the tab slot and they have an
enormous array of promotions around him. And then there's a
horse called Jolie Starr, who's owned by Cambridge stud Brendan
and Joe Lindsey, who didn't race that many horses ten

(01:43:32):
years ago. Brendan Lindsay, famous for setting up and then
selling Systeamer the Plastic found business for six hundred and
six million dollars. He bought Cambridge start off for now
late Sir Patrick Hogan, and has tipped an enormous amount
of money into rebuilding it.

Speaker 9 (01:43:48):
Now.

Speaker 8 (01:43:49):
This will be a huge coupe for the New Zealand
industry because if I wish I win, wins his father
Sababiel the stallion stands in my cutock. If Jolie Star winds,
she'll return home to New Zealand to become a broud
me as one of the most valuable horses on Earth.
Female horses in anyway. So New Zealand horses are basically

(01:44:09):
breed more to win sixteen hundred to twenty four hundred
or thirty two hundred that be in the Meltourne Cup distances.
The European horses are bred for twenty four to thirty two,
but the Australians are speed mad. They love fast, quick
horses who run up two and three. So for us
to be first and second favorites to win a race.

(01:44:31):
Set up for Australian horses would almost be a little
bit like I've mentioned the NRL World Cup soccer for league,
so the League World Cup, it'd be like the Kiwis
playing Tonga in the final and all the Australians and
the Kangaroo supporters having to watch. That's what it will
be like if we manage to pull this off today

(01:44:52):
at Randwick.

Speaker 3 (01:44:53):
How strong is the competition maker? Who are the big
threats to our two Kiwi horses?

Speaker 8 (01:44:59):
Well, you're talking about big boys here, but the people
involved in this stuff make the people who run the
America's Cup.

Speaker 10 (01:45:06):
They work in a store.

Speaker 8 (01:45:08):
Like You've got Godolphin, who are the Arabs who not
only owned most of the oil wells and Dubai but
also Emirates. They on the airline, so they're serious people.
Then you've got cor War, who are the world leaders
and horse racing who were set up on the back
of Magna's breweries. And again they're talking you're getting involved
with the billionaires. And then you've got a guy called
mister Jiang from China who owns you Long and he

(01:45:32):
has been buying horses like imperators. The New Zealand horse
he paid six point six million dollars for this year.
He'll buy horses for a million dollars on a win.
It is. These are serious, serious players and the money
involved is astronomical. So not only I know some people think, well,
that doesn't affect me. It's not just about them. There's
other horses in the race who are owned by syndicates.

(01:45:54):
One of the horses is owned by a syndicate which
has a childcare worker involved. Just some normal lady who's
enjoying her life, had a couple percentage points on a
horse and now she's going head to head with Shaik Muhammed,
who owns good Dolphin, and they're all in the only
their boxes today. Each horse and slot gets a box
and the horses don't know who owned them. That's the
majesty of racing is once you've got the horse, no

(01:46:17):
matter how much money you've spent on it, they don't know.
This race could be won by a horse who costs
ten million, It could be one by a horse who
cost one hundred thousand dollars. So the horses the Kei
Weis have to beat. I think the three year olds
are the big Danger and they are owned by the Superpowers,
Stormboy owned by Coolmore, Traffic Warden owned by Godolphin, and

(01:46:39):
the horse I like each way in the race, Growing
Empire owned by you Long, which is out of China.
So the New Zealanders are up against it. But at
this stage, about five hours out from the race or
four hours out from the race, they are the favorites.
The weather is good in Sydney and the track is
a soft five piney, so that means it's pretty much perfect.

(01:47:00):
No one will be disadvantaged or advantage to either way.

Speaker 3 (01:47:03):
Now the taba resortso giving punters here a chance to
win ten million dollars if we can pick the correct
finishing order of all twelve runners. Now that sounds difficult
mat but I think last year somebody did.

Speaker 8 (01:47:18):
Yeah, I do it to Morgan got it remarkable. So
it's free. Basically, if you're a TAB customer, it's free.
If you're a TV customer, you can log on to
your website, you don't have to put any money, and
you can you can open the TIV account with two dollars.
This is not just about gambling, and if you don't
feel a gambling don't get but you can enter this
competition for free. It's like a free lotto ticket, and

(01:47:40):
you probably won't win, but it's good fun. I entered
and I can win. I do some work for the tab,
but Piney you can eat. Anybody listening is can need
to just go to tab dot co, dot MZ and
you've got to pick all twelve horses in the correct
finishing audit. If you don't know anything, look go and
favoritism or to go in your favorite colors. It really

(01:48:00):
doesn't matter. It's a free lotto ticket. As I said,
somebody pulled it off last year in an Auckland mang
Go ten million tax free Piney, so ironically he won
more money than all those people were talking about who
actually had a horse in the race.

Speaker 3 (01:48:16):
Incredible. If I was going to do it, then Mac
I'd go. I wish I went and Jolly Star one
and two, so I'd have that for starters. Would I
be on the right track?

Speaker 8 (01:48:26):
Look the market that that's the dividends of the horse's
suggestion would be I like growing empire off back to him.
It's one of those things with gambling. Not everybody should
gamble if you have no disposable income and you and
the family are doing things stuff, then don't you. But
if you have got twenty dollars, which is what it
cost you to go to the movies, and you want
to have a bit of fund this afternoon, what would

(01:48:46):
I do. Well, you're already going to be riding the
kiwis I wish I win and Jolie Stark because you're
a New Zealander and you want them to win because
it's a big deal. So what I'd do is back
growing empire. He's eight dollars, did your ten dollars each
way on it and again bit responsibly. But if you've
got that sort of coin in your pocket, it's not
a disaster. It rolls home the wins. You turn twenty

(01:49:07):
into one hundred and all of a sudden you're not
going to the movies tonight. Maybe you're going out for dinner.
That's what I would do.

Speaker 9 (01:49:12):
Piney.

Speaker 8 (01:49:13):
It's a very even race and by no means an
easy race to pick. But I can't overestimate to you
how difficult it is to get a horse into this race,
like you are really playing with the world leaders. So
to have two New Zealand horses not only in the race,
but to be favored and knowing that could have future
impact on our breeding. As I said to explain it

(01:49:36):
to people who are listening to this who don't care
about racing, it's a little bit like if we had
two guys who played in the EPL, we'll kick a
soccer thing for today. If we had two kids from
New Zealand who ended up playing in the EPL and
then they ended up in the Champions League, you're up
against the best in the world. I realized soccer is
by far bigger things than horse racing, but the chances

(01:49:58):
of doing it are that difficult because there are so
many horses bred and any horse in the world is
eligible for this race. Horses have come from overseas for
it before, so that's how hard there is to get here. Then, Piney,
you've got to win.

Speaker 3 (01:50:13):
You've planted a brilliant picture for us. What's the What
sort of crowd will they get at ram with today?

Speaker 8 (01:50:19):
Sold out forty six thousand people. That's all they are
actually allowed to have because of the logistics of the
place and how many bathrooms they need and how many
security stuff and all that needs sold out three days before. Now,
when you think about sport in Australia, there's only about
three sports that ever sell out. Rugby no longer sells out,
not really. Maybe the Albrick Keise might, but only if

(01:50:41):
the Eulbricks are playing the worse. Obviously NRL can sell
out a final, they didn't sell out their recent final
because of the makeup of the two teams not being
Sydney based teams. Soccer can sell out clearly, particularly when
you play in Melbourne or Sydney. You see they can
sell out a bigger event, and obviously AFL can sell
out something, but obviously as you play their biggest games

(01:51:02):
at the G it's incredibly hard in Australia to sell
out a sporting event. There's so much sport on here,
so in Sydney to sell out three days beforehand for
forty six thousand tickets. And racing is a vastly different
animal from other race from other days. You can go
to any NRL final when your jeans and your boots,
you don't need to prepare takes it. It's a lot

(01:51:23):
goes into racing today. The amount of money this day
would pour into the Sydney economy is staggering, just through
people who buying suits and buying stuff and going out
for dinners and breakfast and staying in hotels. Every economic
study you see about major raceming engin, We're about to
have one in christ Church for the carnival down there.
They have significantly more impact on the city economically than

(01:51:46):
an Ordex test because not only do more people travel
for it behind it, but they stay for longer and
they spend more money when they're there. And that's why
these huge cities like Melbourne and Sydney had these huge carnivals,
because the money goes back into them and that's one
of the key things. Anybody who works in christ Rich's
hospitality will tell you the biggest week of the year

(01:52:07):
is cut week in christ Which and that's the same
for many many towns and cities around New Zealand and Australia.
So hawks racing is not everybody's cup of teeth on it.
I absolutely get that and respect it, but it is
undeniably a huge economic driver for that type of stuff,
even in a place as big as Sydney.

Speaker 3 (01:52:28):
Nick. Great to get the chance to chat to you.
Thanks for painting such a good picture for us. All
the best this afternoon catch up again, So no thanks
for taking a cale Binnie.

Speaker 8 (01:52:35):
We appreciate the chet made and asualty. Congratulations to open
their seed. Everybody involved. It is no small undertaking. I
hope everybody enjoys listens.

Speaker 3 (01:52:42):
Game Tom Man mc thanks And that's New Zealand Herald
Racing editor mcgarren absolute authority on horse racing with some
very sensible messaging there as well. Yeah the everest it
jumps at six fifteen this evening, New Zealand time at
Ramwick and Sydney. I wish I win one of the favorites,
the other Kiwi horse Jolly Starr. A couple of keiw

(01:53:06):
horses up against up against some of the fastest in Australia.
What makes a sixty eight seconds incredible? Incredible stuff. Let
me just check the Meads Cup score for you before
we take a break and move on in the show.
I'll be able to tell you the score if it refreshed.
Here we go. Thames Valley now ten, eight ahead of

(01:53:28):
Mid Canterbury after half an hour in t Uaha. This
is the Heartland Championship Meads Cup Final. Thames Valley ten,
Mid Canterbury eight, half an hour gone in to Utaha.
It has been on twenty to three. We're back in
a second. We'll get you inside. The most fanatical Auckland
FC fans. They're called the Port. Today is their first
chance to get along and support the team in a

(01:53:50):
proper professional game. How they're feeling. We'll get you inside
the Port right after this.

Speaker 1 (01:53:56):
And Penrose from Mount Smart Stadium on your home of
Force Weekends for us with Jason Pine and GJ. Gunnhomes
New Zealand's most trusted home builder US.

Speaker 3 (01:54:06):
Talk coming up sixteen away from three on the day
of Auckland FC's first ever professional football match in the
A League. We're coming to your life from Go Media,
Mount Smart Stadium. Let's get you inside the Port, which
is the active support for Auckland f C. The most
fanatical fans, those who are I guess looking to emulate

(01:54:27):
what the Yellow Fever have done with Wellington Phoenix. Let's
see if they can can blaze a similar trail. John o'
ross is a member of the Port and he joins
us now on weekends Sport. John, thanks for taking the time.
Take us back to the origins of all of this.
How was the Port formed?

Speaker 28 (01:54:46):
The Port formed quite early on, as soon as a
team that announced you know, are we giving an a
league team in Auckland? Are made of mine? Set up
the Facebook group just the followers group, expected like thirty
to fifty people. He just wanted, you know, fifty people
to come along to a game day to support, like

(01:55:07):
in a small group kind of thing. And then the
page kind of just exploded. It was the first one
on the scene. And that's what everyone kind of just magnetized.
Is that a word?

Speaker 3 (01:55:21):
I think?

Speaker 7 (01:55:21):
So?

Speaker 3 (01:55:22):
I think so, yeah, we'll go with it.

Speaker 28 (01:55:24):
Yeah everyone, yeah, everyone was drawn to it. And then
the same guy who made that page, he came up
with the supporters group called the Port and he wanted
he wanted that to be the members of that group
to be the main guys behind the goal, supporting through

(01:55:47):
thick and thin, just real, real hard out active support.
And that's just completely blown up now and we've got
merely well we've sold out the stand already and it's
quite unbelievable how it's happened.

Speaker 3 (01:56:01):
Fantastic. So how many how many sort of hardcore uh
you know, medical port fans do you think they are?
I mean, how many seats? How many were not Saints?
But how many did you have to sell in the
port section of Mount Smith to sell it out.

Speaker 9 (01:56:17):
I should know that.

Speaker 28 (01:56:20):
I think it was. I think there's four hundred and
something in each base. So we started off with baye
twenty two, but then the amount of people we were
getting on the on the port page was acceiving that number,
so we asked the cub if we could have more
spaces and they gave us days twenty one, two and

(01:56:41):
twenty three. So both that's that's the port fiction and
basically Bay twenty two is where you're going to be
standing up for the whole ninety minute. You're going to
be singing for the whole ninety minutes, chanting, drummed, everything flagged,
everything going off to.

Speaker 3 (01:56:59):
Be great, outstanding. And so you're directly behind one of
the goals.

Speaker 28 (01:57:04):
Yeah, straight behind, So we're not the bank end. We're
on the complete opposite side in the south standt gotcha
directly behind?

Speaker 2 (01:57:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:57:13):
What about getting to the game, because if you, like
many football fans around the world, you'll meet somewhere beforehand,
have something to eat, something to drink perhaps, and then
get to the game. You've got anything planning for getting
to the game this afternoon?

Speaker 28 (01:57:28):
Yep, So there is two meeting spots. I believe there's
so for the away days, Tyler Street Sports Bar in
town just by Breda Mart That's that's going to be
the go to place on the way day to watch
Auten play, so that there's a bunch of people meeting
up there and then they're going to take a train

(01:57:49):
to Non Smart. Otherwise, big meet up at Liddle World,
which is right well part of the stadium just outside
on Morris Morris Road I think, or Morris av And yeah,
we're all meeting up here at Lilywild's the majority of people.

Speaker 3 (01:58:10):
I'd say, you've got a few chants sorted of you
because I guess you know this is game one, so
if you had the chance to, I don't know. Do
you practice these things or do they just happen organically?
How does how do you expect it all to work
with your chanting.

Speaker 28 (01:58:25):
In the In our main organizers group, there's about there's
about ten of us, and we've come up with chance.
We've been to the two pre season friendly that got
played here against Auckland United and East Coast Bays and
the songs kind of just came naturally at those two games,

(01:58:48):
and then we've just come up with heaps of ideas,
brainstorm stuff, and there's a whole bunch that have come
together that are just absolute bangers. So you'll hear them today.
You'll hear them, You'll hear them pre match at Lilywild,
at the pub.

Speaker 3 (01:59:03):
Just it's going to be a literate outstanding. How much
are you looking forward to the derbies?

Speaker 28 (01:59:12):
I'm looking forward to them. I wouldn't like, I wouldn't
say the derbies yet, you know, we're either let that
happen naturally, yeah, yep. But you know, it's kind of
like the It's kind of like, you know, I don't
want to talk about rugby, but you know, it's like
Blues with Hurricanes, you know, or Blues Myths Crusaders, each team.

(01:59:33):
You know, both team, both teams they want to win,
you know, so just for bragging, right, And I think
after the first game, boom, it's going to be a
rivalry straight away. Whoever gets the result or draw, whatever,
the ribrary will just start after the first game.

Speaker 3 (01:59:48):
I think, what are your hopes and your expectations for
the team on the field, John O, when it's first season,
how do you reckon they'll go?

Speaker 28 (02:00:00):
Truthfully, in my own opinion, I think they haven't played
much together obviously, and new teams, some new players just
have been brought in. They haven't had time to jelly.
I'm guessing so it might take a few games to
heat up. But I'm feeling with the players that we

(02:00:21):
do have. After we heat up a little bit, I
think we only click together really well. I think we'll
make finals footy in our first season, which is probably
about expectations, but yeah, we're not here just to take part.
We're here to compete and here to win, so expectations.

Speaker 4 (02:00:43):
Are high now.

Speaker 3 (02:00:44):
It's good to hear. Got to leave it there, John
and I. We've got lots more to do as kick
off fast approaches. Thanks for taking the time to join us.
John O Ross there who is a member of the
of the Port the Act of support for Auckland FC.
Just checking on the Meats Cup approaching halftime in to
Otawha and the final teams fairly seventeen to eight ahead

(02:01:05):
of Mid Canterbury. As we approach halftime just on nine
and a half to three. New stalk'sbro breaking down the
Hail Mary's and the epic fails.

Speaker 2 (02:01:18):
Weekend Sport with Jason Hin new Stalk ZENB.

Speaker 3 (02:01:22):
Two fifty three. That's just about us for the Saturday
edition of Weekend Sport tomorrow. There is a heck of
a lot going on. The America's Cup. We could retain
that tomorrow morning with just one more race win off
the coast of Barcelona. The White Ferns, of course, we
know they're into the final of the T twenty Cricket
World Cup, so we will try and get inside their

(02:01:42):
camp and get a bit of an insight into how
they've managed to make their way all the way to
the final of the T twenty Cricket World Cup. The
Phoenix play tomorrow. Of course, We've got some rugby league
to look forward to. The Silver Ferns play Australia tomorrow
night and the NPC semi finals. Of course, by this
time tomorrow we'll have our finalists and the NPC. So look,

(02:02:05):
we're going to make tomorrow bit of a moving feast.
In fact, when I say we, Andy is going to
make it a bit of a moving feast. He's in
charge of the content. So good luck mate. I get
everything in.

Speaker 31 (02:02:15):
Thank you fantastic hospital pass you've left me with there,
But no, no, we'll be able to I'm body excited
about the white fence.

Speaker 2 (02:02:20):
Did you pick that?

Speaker 3 (02:02:22):
I absolutely, Actually, I think I think.

Speaker 31 (02:02:24):
You said that an hour ago that you didn't pick that,
but neither did I. Actually they got a lot of criticism,
and rightfully so. But now they deserve all the praise
we can give them. To be honest, I reckon indeed.

Speaker 3 (02:02:34):
Indeed, all right, hey, well as you start to plan
for tomorrow, what is your choice of exit song for
us today?

Speaker 31 (02:02:40):
Well, I'm a bit guilty of going back to some
of my past favorites. Obviously you know that I play
a bit of elementop. I'm not doing Almenop today. But
there's great song because we talked about horses today, Darryl
Braithwait's absolutely fantastic hit The Horses will play us out?

Speaker 3 (02:02:54):
Yes, like it, Like it a lot. Thanks for listening
and Tim Beverage after three with the Weekend Collective. We're
back tomorrow from midday, covering off whatever it is that
drops into our content bin shall we call it? It's
been a pleasure broadcasting from Mount Smart that I will
see it.

Speaker 23 (02:03:09):
Dam Thank you.

Speaker 1 (02:04:16):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to news talks at b Weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio

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