Full Show Podcast: 22 March 2025

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB. The only place for the big names,
the big issues, the big controversies and the big conversations.
It's all on Weekend Sport with Jason Vine on your
home of Sport News Talks ed B.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Hello, kiol A, good afternoon, Welcome in. This is Saturday's
edition of Weekend Sport on News Talks EDB for March
twenty two. I'm Jason Pine. Show producer is Annie McDonald.
We're talking sport until three. I honestly didn't know where
it's a look. Last night there was this kick from
Harris to Vitas.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
And this Lett to start agett here the Chiefs and
go down the right handline and decended by the water.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
And it's how Billy down the left week flank. Bas
he got the league.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Here's the why, and it's more again and maybe this
one ain't over.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
And this to Paglet cident blast.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
You run out of plays to describe his goalscoring for
and this shepman goes out trade has he got enough?

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yes he has? Flat six Sen said the Beer Garden
of Eating. What a Friday night on the sporting scene,
rugby league, rugby, football, cricket and much born. Besides, we're
going to try and cover off as much of that
as we can today. Warriors fullback charms Nicol klukstart leads

(01:46):
us off today after a first win in seven years
over the Roosters at a Jumping Go Media stadium last night.
Great to see the stands packed as pero usual for
the Warriors. Chiefs assistant coach David Hill this hour as well,
after his site played a game of two halves last
night against one. They were forty three seven ahead at

(02:09):
halftime and then Minor Pacifica came roaring back to get
to with an eight at one stage, but the Chiefs
closing it out as they go into the buy. We're
in the all Whites camp after one with rising star
Tyler Binden. Other matters around today. The name on everyone's
lips in athletics circles is Sam Ruth, who captured headlines

(02:29):
around the world this week becoming the youngest athlete ever
to run a sub for minute mile. We'll put this
into context for you after two o'clock with double Olympic champion, sorry,
double Olympic medalist, almost promoted in there in the fifteen
hundred meters. Nick willis Sam Ruth's dad Ben also along
for a chat sale GP hit San Francisco tomorrow. Lived
MacKaye is with us out of the Black Foils. Adam

(02:51):
Peacock updating Australian sporting matters as usual, just on the
Grand Prix as well as you heard from Wayna on
the Sports Newsleam Lawson has endured an unhappy qualifying for
the sprint race the Chinese Grand Prix, this time tomorrow
after Midday Tomorrow, Australian F one legend Mark Webber is
on the show with us, looking forward to chatting to

(03:13):
him tomorrow about Liam Lawson, about racing F one and
about what he's up to these days. He's actually in
New Zealand at the moment, Mark Webber, so he's with
us tomorrow after Midday Live Sport this afternoon, Round four
of six and Super Rugby opicky the Hurricanes Port looking
for their first one of the season. They take on
Mata two in Upper Hut from five past two and three.
Plunket Shield Cricket matches to keep eyes on as well

(03:35):
in Wellington, in christ Church and in Dunedin. Please join
the show whenever you like. If the mood takes you, oh,
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty, we'll get you through
on the phones nine two ninety two via text message
emails into Jason at Newstalk SEDB, dot co dot NZE
ten past mid.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Day analyzing every view from every angle in the sporting world.
Weekend Sport with Jason Pie they call O eight hundred
and eighties and eighty News Talks eNB.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
A hard fought and hugely deserved win for the Warriors
at go Media Stadium last night and Metcar will tiny.

Speaker 5 (04:09):
It up.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Back to back for trees.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
For the Warriors here at twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
Hans and feet easy for the home team and a
real arm wrestle last night, the Warriors snapping a run
of eight straight losses to the Roosters dating back to
March of twenty eighteen, a gripping contest at go Media Stadium.
They won it by fourteen points to six. I'm going
to get full fullback chance, Nicol klukstart online to chat

(04:47):
about this one shortly. Your thoughts are welcome to Warriors fans.
I think after Las Vegas there was a fair degree
of reasonable doubt about the Warriors this year, but since
they got back it has been a much sterner, stiff
competitive Warriors side. This feels like the Warriors of twenty

(05:10):
twenty three to me, without wanting to get too far
ahead of ourselves because we're only three rounds into the competition,
it just seems as though the Warriors have got so
much more about them this year. Let's forget Vegas, let's
leave that off to one side, and in fact, let's
maybe let's maybe not consider going there anymore, because since
they got back, well maybe we do. And when they

(05:32):
get back they turn on performances like this. But last night,
fourteen points to six in what was a really hard
fought contest, Warriors fullback chance Nicol klukstar is with us.
Been a week while chant since you beat the Roosters.
That was a battle, man, What are the satisfaction levels
like after that one last night?

Speaker 6 (05:53):
Yeah, eighteen was or really satisfying. Like you said, it's
been a while since I've had owe with the Roosters,
especially of Warriors colors. I think the first time was
my debut game and lucky enough was my fift years
last night, So yeah, really satisfied.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
Outstanding milestone for you to enjoy. Yeah, you were behind
in the game though until the sixty fifth minute. It
was tight though. How hard was it to be patient
with ball in hand but also solid on defense with
the scoreline so close.

Speaker 6 (06:28):
Yeah, I think we've We've done a lot of work
on that over the preseason. And I don't feel too
anxious or you know, nervous about the clock ticking down
and you know the arm wrestles that were getting in
with the Russes. I felt like it was going to
happen eventually, and we needed a big play and Sanew
stepped up in that moment, and then we were able

(06:49):
to capitalize with another try. So just about trusting all
the work that we've done in the preseason.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
Oh, I must have met When I saw Shanela Harris
dev to put that kick in in the sixty fifth minute,
I wasn't exactly sure he'd got it right. But what
about his try outstanding?

Speaker 6 (07:05):
I know there was I also looking at it as well.
But we put our house in those positions for a reason,
and you know, someone like to step up like that,
he wants to take those moments with both hands, and
he did.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
And two more tries for Ali Layatawa as well. How
impressed have you been with him in the last couple
of matches.

Speaker 6 (07:26):
Yeah, very impressed. I was just saying us for the
game that he's someone that's only growing into the position
that he's playing. He's still a young kid, and I
know that after a few more games strung together, he's
going to find this seed more and more. So I
feel like the best has come yet to come with Ali.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
And what about yourself. Chn's a great game from you.
Over three hundred running meters, seven tackle breaks you put
Ali through for his second try. How much confidence does
a game like last night give you.

Speaker 6 (07:56):
Yeah, it's a lot of confidence x. I think just
the way that we played the game too, the the
arm wrestles that we're able to get into with the Roosters.
You know, they're aside that's known for that sort of
stuff and they're a top four team every year. So
for us to go to to toe with one of
the heavyweights of the of the premierships, there was real

(08:20):
reassuring that what we have here at the Warriors is
growing violent. We just have to keep buying into what
we're doing.

Speaker 2 (08:26):
And it was the fewest points you've conceded since twenty
twenty three as well, just the six points last night
from you know, a decent rooster's side. How much has
defense been a focus for you?

Speaker 6 (08:37):
Massive, massive focus for US. Defense wins premierships, and that's
something that we want to be known for. And being
resilient on our trial line and resilience in our defenses
is what we want to be known for. And we
know that's what it takes to be a great side
in the NURL, and that's that's where we want to be.

Speaker 2 (08:54):
How much of good defense is mental, you know, wanting
to make those tackles, but you know, compared to actually,
you know, your defensive structure, everybody being in the right place.

Speaker 6 (09:05):
I feel like it's the you know, over half or
three quarters of as mental in my opinion, because it
takes effort, you know, it's it's not going to be
perfect throughout the whole game. And if you watch the game,
you could see that there was a few times where
they made a couple of line breaks, which which isn't
what we want. But the scramble and and the effort

(09:25):
from everyone getting back and wanting to be in the
picture to try and stop the tryers is what we're
happy with, and that takes care and and effort and
or mental Yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
Well, I mean you've just described what you did in
the second half. The roosters were attacking down there, right
down your left hand side, Dominict Young's coming towards the
corner flag you go sliding in there. Did you get
a I don't know, look like you looked like your
war one in a particularly uncomfortable area at that time.

Speaker 6 (09:50):
Yes, no, I got. I flew straight into his knee
with my love. So it's it wasn't always unpleasant, but
Roger done done a good job and half half helped
me there, didn't make them facts as heavy as it
could have been, So yeah, it's not too bad. It
probably looks like I got a little bit of both ox.
But I think a few people will be happy looking
at that.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Love it, love it. Unfortunately that Roger did have to
go off injured. I think after that incident, is he
is he holding up? Okay?

Speaker 6 (10:18):
Yeah, he's holding up Okay. I think he's just gonna
do his due diligence with the medical staff there and
and see how's it all going. And one needs to
be done to make sure that he's right for the
next game, and yeah, hopefully fingers crossed he'll be all right.

Speaker 2 (10:32):
Another player I just want to ask you about quickly
is tying two old Picky? Yeah, looking dangerous again again.
How good's have been watching his growth? Yeah?

Speaker 6 (10:41):
I love you today. I love you. He's only going
to grow more and more the more times he plays
in that position. And you know, for him getting the
NRL experience, that's something that you just can't teach, no
matter how how much or how hard you're training. So
for him to be able to gain that experience, it's
it's invaluable. And yeah, he's he's working towards building the

(11:03):
type of player that he wants to be, and when
he gets his opportun in whatever position it has been,
he's taking over.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
With both fans, this looks like a completely different team
now to the one that played in Round one in Vegas.
What has been behind the turnaround since you got back?

Speaker 6 (11:19):
Just been us, that's you know, there's a lot of people,
I guess doubting us or you know, giving us a
bit of stick, But I'll myself and the team were
real confident and what we could do with our side
because round one we just weren't us or ourselves at
all and every aspect of their game, and I knew

(11:41):
it was going to be an easy fix up as
long as we just did everything that we we've been
training in preseason and the last two games in particular
last night as an example that the way that we
were on the grind with teams and hang in there
and be resilient on our defensive line, that's that's who
we want to be and that's why we want to
keep doing week in, week out good stuff.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
And just to finish another twenty three thousand plus packing
in last night and it Go Media. It must be
must be all some running out there and having the
energy in that ground feeding feeding into.

Speaker 7 (12:09):
You, is it?

Speaker 8 (12:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (12:11):
Massive? I just want to massive thanks to all our fans,
our lawyer and supporter of fans that turn up weekend,
week out, whether we're home or away. You know, running
so I packed out go Media Stadium as something that
you can't experience anywhere else. So it gives us a
list and I'm pretty sure it's quite intimidating for a
way teams that come to playoffs.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
Absolutely, Hey, great to chat chance, congratulations on a milestone
match and a terrific performance last night. Hope the hope
the Boatox starts to come down a little bit. We'll
see your next next Sunday away at the Tigers.

Speaker 6 (12:45):
Cool ass, thanks for that team, have a good one name.

Speaker 2 (12:46):
You have a good one to chance. Thanks indeed for
taking our call chance Nico clue Star there worries fall back.
Another great game from him, I thought, I mean it's
only the third game, but his best game of the season,
without a shadow of a doubt. And there's been people
who say, you know, is he the right guy to
be in the number one jersey? Well, absolutely for me,
he is. I thought he was really good last night,
and the the courage that he brings and everybody brings.

(13:08):
And it's really interesting listening to him talk about defense
there because you know, he's what did he say, over
half and maybe three quarters mental. You have to want
to do it because you know, and this is the
same with all contactsport, rugby, Union's exactly the same. You
have to accept that you are going to for your
pain because some of the hits that go in in

(13:31):
these games, you know, for mere mortals like you and I, yeah,
we can't imagine taking hits like that. But to want
to do it, but also to be in the right
place to make those tackles, but also the last ditch
stuff like the incident we were talking about there where
Dominic Young was going towards the corner flag. Roger ty

(13:52):
Varsischek comes across, puts his own body on the line
and as it happens, it look like a perhaps a
hamstring as he went across to make that or I
guess slow the progress of Dominic Young and ankle tap
him and then Chance nickel Lukestar flies in. I actually
thought he wore it. I thought he got head butted around.
This could have around his waist, which would not be

(14:14):
a lot of fun at all. But as you heard
him say, there a knee and the lip. Yeah, so
he sort of you could see he sort of recoiled
after the tackle. But you've got you have to want
to put yourself in that position, and these players absolutely do.
Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty Warriors fans, can
I ask you to perhaps cast your mind back to

(14:35):
after Vegas and then bring yourself forward to where we
are now, because I think after the loss of the
Raiders there were a lot of people a lot of
people with genuine concerns about this team. Just the way
that they played that day was again Charms just said it.
Then it wasn't us, that wasn't us. The last two weekends,

(15:00):
I think, like I say, there was genuine concern coming
back home for two tough games, the Sea Eagles, one
of the favorites, the Roosters, who the Warriors haven't beaten
for seven years. I think a lot of people thought
we were staring down the barrel of oen three to
start the season at the very least. But look at
it now, what a difference this last fortnight has made.

(15:24):
And who knows, maybe maybe Vegas was a blessing in disguise.
The fact that it happens it demanded a response, and
the Warriors have come up with a response. Fourteen to
six last night that tells the tale of an arm wrestle.
None of this fifty five thirty three you get in

(15:45):
Super rugby. But to concede just six points against a
Rooster's team that has plenty of attacking threats says a
lot about them. That's more like us. As you heard
Chance nikol klukstars say, oh, eight hundred and eighty ten
eighty to talk some Warriors nine two ninety two on text.
What did you make of it?

Speaker 9 (16:03):
Mark?

Speaker 10 (16:06):
Yeah, sort of a throwback, wasn't it for the whole
days when rugby leagues you know, had low schools really
and they seen some huge scores this season. You know,
I was one of the people that thought Rogers should
be at fullback, but chances you know, he's more than
proved himself in the last couple of years at fullback.
As you said, I think last night was one of
the best games he's played and it was a real

(16:28):
testament to the team that they ground out at went
against a pretty good side who beat their premiers last week,
and you know that first game in Las Vegas, people
were sort of you know, deriding the eirfit or whatever.
But you know, I think the Raiders are a genuine
team this year. I mean, maybe the Broncos last week,
and I mean they thaoughly deserved they went over the Warriors,
and I thought they were a pretty good team. So

(16:48):
you know, maybe the Warriors were off. I mean, you
can have an off day, but you know, I think
you've got to look at the competition as well and
give them a bit of credit.

Speaker 2 (16:55):
Are you, Oh, without doubt. Yeah, they were as bad
as the Warriors were in Vegas. Mark the writers were
very good and you could see the final whistle how
delighted they were to have put out that performance first up,
you know, as you say, then they beat the bron coach,
another good team last week, so you can't do much
better than two from two and for Raiders fans a

(17:18):
trip to Manly tomorrow, so that's another really good test
for them. Now Manly, off the back of what happened
last week against the Warriors, they certainly will not want
to surrender anything to the Raiders tomorrow. So already you're
getting lots of little great storylines in amongst the first
two or three rounds where teams who everybody thought we
were going to be great aren't great. Teams were worried
about have actually surprised us.

Speaker 6 (17:39):
I like it.

Speaker 10 (17:41):
Yeah, and I think, you know, Webster has coached a
really good side. I mean, I think he's coaching resilience.
I mean, rugby league is really you know, as you
alluded to, a bit of a war of attrition. It's
probably one of the toughest seasons in sport to get
through a season for the players themselves, and you know,
when your stars go out, like obviously Roger's probably going

(18:02):
to be out for a while, Flowing Handy, I'd say that,
you know, I'm doing what my teen is out at
the moment. And I think maybe in the past teams
have relied on the big stars, and I think to
win a rugby league gets more go through a rugby
league season, you really need to have that when your
big stars go out, you still need to be able
to perform, and I think that's what we've seen through

(18:23):
the Warriors the last couple of weeks is a real
I guess, you know, I mean it's a word that
uses a lot, but quite a bit of resilience.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah. Absolutely. They've also used the same seventeen players for
all three games, which you know, in a sport like
the SASI you've just outline, Mark, is so unusual, you know,
for the same seventeen guys to be available, leave alone picked.
It's going to change obviously next week, because I think
you're right, A blowing handy normally takes what three or
four weeks, so it might be that Roger's out for
a little bit, but yeah, to use the same seventeen

(18:50):
and that's brave too from Andrew Webster because off the
back of the round one lost to Canberra, he could
easily have said, okay, I'm going to make a few
changes here because you blokes didn't really do it for me.
But instead he gave them the opportunity to to atone
and they did. And have.

Speaker 10 (19:06):
Just one last thing. What happened did the Chiefs last night?
There lost to be a lot of money in.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
Well they won the game? Did you did you bet
on them by thirty plus or something I did? Well,
I'll tell you what. David hill their assistant coaches, is
on the I've got David Hill on in the next
fifteen minutes. I'll try and find out what happened in
the second half for.

Speaker 10 (19:24):
You, mate, ask him if I get a refund.

Speaker 2 (19:27):
Okay, well, i'll see if he can. I'll see if
he can help you out with that.

Speaker 9 (19:32):
Mark.

Speaker 2 (19:33):
Thanks mate. I eighty ten eighty nine to nine to
two is our text number two. Tries to Ali a
last night, says Nigel layah Tawa. Sorry, says Nigel. He's
still got the skills, looking fit and strong. Um, I
can see you having a bit of a joke there, right, Ali,

(19:55):
No it's Ali l'a Tawa who was the the Warriors player.
Thank you Nigel for your text. Jason, don't forget the
Hawk Cup cricket match between Taranaki and South Canterbury. I
won't forget it, Scott. I can give you an update
if you like. South Canterbury one hundred and forty one
all out. Tadanakee won forty three for four. This is
the second day of this Zone four challenge in Cricket's

(20:19):
Hawk Cup. This is a for yeah for cricket aficionados.
The Hawk Cup has been played for between near provinces
like the likes of South Canterbury, Tadanakee, Nelson etc. For
a long time. So yeah, South South Canburary won forty
one Todaanauky won forty three for four. Jess says Jason.

(20:40):
My partner Conrad said that people were writing them off
after the Vegas game, which was ridiculous because the Raiders
are a strong team and as Chance just said, they
were not playing like themselves his quote, we weren't us. Yes, yes,
I've been trying. I always try to ring it and
talk to you about sport because I love it. Which

(21:01):
is you can you can text if you like, you
can call if you like. In fact, the invitations they're
not just for you, but for anybody. O. Eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty. We'll talk a bit more Warriors.
Where are going to get onto the rugby before one o'clock?
But if you want to have you say on what
you saw last night, if you were there in particular,
I didn't get the chance to watch it live. I
was otherwise engaged. But I have watched a replay this

(21:22):
morning and it just looked I mean that the Warriors
home crowd. You know, you talk about Auckland FC, and
yes they've done a brilliant job at that same venue,
but the Warriors fan base is just brilliant.

Speaker 11 (21:36):
Ay.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
I just love love watching them after a after a win,
and the way the players wander. I saw James Fisherharas
still out there, you know, forty five minutes an hour
after full time, whistles, signing autographs, meeting the fans, and
they are just it almost seems like they just they
everybody there knows each other and it's just just that

(21:58):
happens to be. Seventeen guys go out there and play
rugby league and then after the game they're on mixes
and mingles with one another. I think they're They're as
good an example as I know in New Zealand of
connecting with your fan base. And it's happened over a
number of years. And that's why last year, when the
Warriors weren't winning too often, that people still turned up.

(22:19):
And that's why off the back of the Raiders performance. Yeah,
it was not quite a full house last week, but
last night it was what twenty three? What's the Place?
Old Fall? Twenty five? Another terrific, terrific turnout. So kudos
to the Warriors again for the engagement that they managed
to find with their fan base. Twelve twenty nine Number

(22:41):
is I eight hundred and eighty ten eighty Back with
more of your calls after this on news Talks V.

Speaker 1 (22:45):
The Voice of Sport on your Home of Sport Weekend
Sport with Jason Vain and GJ. Gunn Homes New Zealand's
most trusted home builder.

Speaker 2 (22:54):
News Talks V twenty eight Away from One talking the Warriors.
I eight hundred and eighty ten eighty Barry, how are
you feeling after three games?

Speaker 12 (23:03):
Jason, have a look at the truth. I don't think
that they've got the the stamnia to do the whole
season and have a winner at the end of it.

Speaker 13 (23:19):
What makes you?

Speaker 14 (23:20):
What's form that?

Speaker 2 (23:21):
What's formed that for you? I mean they, yes, they
weren't great in the first game, but they've been very
good the last two.

Speaker 12 (23:28):
Well, look, have a look at their past, and that
sums up the whole team because most of those players
are from the past. And I don't think that they'll
do it, honestly, don't. You've got all your believers, but
I'm a disbeliever.

Speaker 2 (23:44):
All right, Berry, Well, I want you to. I want
you to have a yarn to us off and across
the season. I'll remember today the twenty second of marchal.
You may well be wrong. My name Barry, oh will Berry.
Don't worry about that. It's burnt into my consciousness now.
I mean, you may well be right. I hope you're wrong.

Speaker 12 (24:00):
You after another three games, Ah.

Speaker 2 (24:02):
Go on, Barry your beauty. I'll look forward to chatting
to you then, mate, Okay, all right, all the best
all of this. Look, Look, you could be right. One
of my favorite phrases is that a good predictor of
future behavior is past behavior. But I'm not sure that
it necessarily applies here. How many of these Warriors players
have been there, you know, for a long time. There

(24:26):
are you know, a couple of new guys. And actually
there's a text here from Jamie. What about the two
younger players who came off the bench and really added something.
The future is looking good for the Warriors. Yeah, you're
talking about the likes of Dimitric Vaimonga and Liqua Hala
Sima Hala. Siam is not even twenty yet. I don't
think Jackson Ford and Dylan Walker have been around for

(24:48):
a bit longer coming off the bench. But I guess
you look at the team and okay, yes, yes, I
suppose some of them have been there for a while,
but then others have not. James Fishaharis first season at
the Warriors. You know, there's Ali Leitawa is early in
his career. Jackie says, one thing that's not being mentioned

(25:10):
is how good the Raiders are this year. Last week
they did to Brisbane what they did to the Warriors
in Round one. I think the Raiders are going to
be a big team this year. Darren, do you share
the pessimism of Barry or are you a little bit
more optimistic about the Warriors.

Speaker 13 (25:25):
I'm definitely more optimistic. I rang up to say that,
I'm going to say various seats on the bandwagon.

Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yes, Darren, I love it.

Speaker 13 (25:33):
I think I think Sparring Vegas, we're looking really good.
We're doing the small things really well. We're kicking to
the corners, we're completing our sets, we're not making too
many silly eras. I think we're looking really good for
at least the top eight in it.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
I think so too. And you can only take the
sample size that's been presented to us, and yeah, look,
the start wasn't ideal. But if you're as good as
your last game, and that was last night, they think
the Warriors are going okay. I agree, Darren. I think
they were a top a proposition.

Speaker 9 (26:02):
Yep, that's right.

Speaker 13 (26:03):
If we make it, you only got to win three
games from there.

Speaker 15 (26:04):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (26:05):
Go on, Darren. See this is the this is the
broad spectrum of viewpoints in the ZB audience. You see,
there's the pessimism of Bowrye, the optimism of people like yourself,
and I don't mind it. It takes all types. But
thanks for thanks for balancing things up for us, mate.

Speaker 13 (26:20):
No worries up the wars, up the.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
Wars there and good on your mate twenty five to one,
eight hundred and eighty ten u Y. I thought the
refereeing in the Warriors game was outstanding, says this text. Yeah. Look,
if we're not talking about it, then it was probably
quite good. I think that's a general rule of thumb,
isn't it that if you're not talking about the refereeing,
then it's it's probably something that is. There's been acceptable

(26:46):
on the night, well more than acceptable, good on the night.
Let's give kudos where it's due. Well done to the
officiating team. Get at Piney, says Andy. Kudos to the
Warriors bench. We were able to rest James Fisher Harris
and Mitch Barnett at the same time with Ford and
Hellas Sima coming on. Plus the depth of the squad

(27:10):
with the new South Wales Cup team who are sweeping
sides away, and that's I think that was the problem
or one of the problems that was highlighted in the
first game. Wasn't it that there were two There was
there were too many times when Mitch Barnett and James
Fisher Harris were both off at the same time. And
that comes down to management, doesn't it. But who did

(27:32):
I asked last week, who do we have on last
week talking about the Warriors? It was it was one
of the coaching team, wasn't it. And he said, look,
these those positions are tough positions. You can't expect to
be out there. You are going to run out a path.
You need a bit of time on the bench. And
I guess the you know, if they're both going from

(27:52):
the start, James Fisher, Harris and Mitch Barnett, whoever it
is in the front row, they are going to clock
up the GPS numbers, the hits and all of that
and around about the same time. So I'm not sure
that there's a lot you can do really sometimes about
up about staggering your interchange, particularly when it comes to
the front rowers. David Hill from the Chiefs not too

(28:15):
far away, justin, Hello, matey mate, how are you going?
Very good? Justin.

Speaker 16 (28:21):
I've been listening to you your radio this morning has
been very awesome, very interesting, and I like to agree
with you guys with the Warriors the moment, they're looking
very good. It's a nice fresh look too, I think,
and this season anything could happen, o, my son, Well.

Speaker 2 (28:36):
Justin that's see that again. It's the the optimism that
I like. You're right, you know, and if you've followed
the Warriors for a while, you'll know that that's a
very good way of describing them. Anything could happen.

Speaker 10 (28:46):
Definitely, anything could happen.

Speaker 17 (28:48):
And at the moment, I mean there's a lot of
teams stepped up in the in the first few weeks.
I mean, like you said, the Roosters, they did beat Penris,
but then we beat Rusters, so interesting, interesting health and
so far.

Speaker 2 (29:01):
Oh yeah, and yeah, the teams that beat the best, yes,
absolutely dead right mate. Yeah, I mean I think at
the moment it feels to me, and again small sample size,
we're only three games in, but it feels like the
Storm are good and everybody else is in a bit
of a pack behind them, and a bunch of teams
could turn out to be quite good, could turn out

(29:22):
to be good for a while, could turn out to
be terrible to start with, and then make a late run.
That's what the NRL season is. How many rounds are there?
Twenty five, twenty seven, twenty seven rounds with three rounds in,
But that doesn't mean, we can't be a bit optimistic
about what we're seeing. Aaron Clark played well, says this
text up the wires, she says. Dave from Masterton, a

(29:45):
regular listener and text to the show. Adrian says the
Warriors have far too many in inverted commas supporters like Barry.
Even after a win, the social media pages of full
of people saying half the team should be playing reserve
grade when we have to fence like our last two games,
how can you not be optimistic about our chances? Good point, Adrian.
After letting thirty in the first game, just to combine

(30:08):
twenty two in the last two games, the defense has
clearly improved. Justin, justin I've said, I've chatted to you.
I'm going to go to Dave. Hello, Dave.

Speaker 6 (30:19):
Good.

Speaker 18 (30:20):
Yeah, but roller coaster season of the Warriors again.

Speaker 11 (30:25):
We've had a bit of.

Speaker 18 (30:28):
Blosso in Vegas, are smashing the next week and then
a tough, bretty winness.

Speaker 11 (30:34):
So we're going to go.

Speaker 18 (30:36):
But what I thought was really good, which I noticed
last night, and not a lot of people.

Speaker 2 (30:46):
Well, Dave, just you're just starting to break up a bit,
and I get the feeling you're about to make a
really good point. I'm going to put you back on
hold and see if Andy can chat to you and
find a better place for you to be in your
house that that improves your reception. In the meantime, we'll
go to Frank.

Speaker 19 (31:00):
Hello, Frank, Yeah, Pony, Yeah, I've got very much optimism
on this team this year. They they were a combination
of experienced players and young players who got fire in
their belly. And what I like about it is that
their second grade team I've got. They're a great side,

(31:22):
and that's a good storehouse to go to for new players.
For the Warriors, I run the tennis bets at Papakura
on a Friday, and I've got the flag, and every
time they win, I fly the flag. Of course, every
time they lose, well, I'll I'll keep it in my bag.
But I don't think I'll be keeping it in my

(31:43):
bag very often.

Speaker 2 (31:45):
May fly often, may and fly often.

Speaker 19 (31:47):
Frank, Yes, Yeah, I'm just loving what I'm what I'm seeing.
You know, these these guys have okay Vegas. I think
there were so many attractions for them, and a lot
of them hadn't been there, and I think they indulged
a little bit in the attraction. So their play was
a little bit, shall we say, lack luster, but boy

(32:09):
are they looking good. And I've got a lot of confidence,
so I think we can get the top eight. I
think we can probably sneak into the top four, but
the top eight, I'm pretty certain we can get there.

Speaker 2 (32:21):
Love it good man, Frank. Great to have your optimism
on board. As I say, hopefully that flag of yours
flies often in Papa Quarter in the year ahead. Dave,
we got your back, you know, yeah, much better.

Speaker 18 (32:33):
What I saw last What I saw last night, which
I really liked was those young boys Lecqua, Dmitry Ali
and Jacob Laban as well. I'll get to that, but
they really consoled each other, like one of them made
a mistake and then I ran over and helped him out,

(32:54):
said it's all right. And they seem to have a
real strong team bond between them. And then yeah, at
the end, when I think Arlie got that try, you
saw Jacob Laban jump up from eighteen. Man incredibly excited.
I think that sort of stuff. You can form a
core of your of your team around, you know. Yeah,

(33:15):
and and like true warriors, you know, like the HT
you know, he's uh you know, he's had his troubles
and all that sort of stuff, but you can tell
his heart is with the Warriors and it's those sort
of players that will build a premiership winning team, players
that have that heart and soul behind them.

Speaker 2 (33:37):
Did you think when Janella Harris Toba put up that
kick that he hadn't got it quite right?

Speaker 15 (33:43):
Yeah?

Speaker 18 (33:44):
I didn't know where it was gone.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
I watched what's he doing? But then you know then
because it basically kicked it was like an up and under,
and then he then he chased after the short distance
to chase after it gathers at scores and that was
that was the key moment in the game.

Speaker 18 (34:00):
Yeah, yeah, I thought that, and yeah, really excited by Ali.
Amazing player so far. Yes, you've got plenty of experienced
mistakes in him, and then you saw, Yeah, there was
another point in the game where I think it was
Dimitri took the ball up and I think the hooker

(34:22):
Connor Watson from the Roosters just snuck his foot underneath
when he was playing the ball and chipped it out
and you could see that was experience versus that experience,
and I think I think there's all those young boys
needs a lot of game time.

Speaker 2 (34:38):
Yeah, yeah, it only comes with games. You're right, Dave,
it only comes with Well, it only comes with experience,
doesn't it.

Speaker 11 (34:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 18 (34:46):
Yeah, next time, the experienced players probably not going to
get away with that cheeky little move. Yeah, you know,
I took my hat off to him.

Speaker 11 (34:54):
I thought, I thought, I thought.

Speaker 18 (34:56):
I thought it was brilliant in the end to just
lodge the ball like that without anyone even seeing it
or knowing it.

Speaker 2 (35:03):
Good on your Dave, excellent a chat mate. Glad we
got your on a decent line. And yeah, I know
you'll keep the faith and we'll talk off and across
the across the season. Sixteen away from one News Talks,
B I think we'll keep this rolling. We'll keep a
line open for the Warriors. Oh, eight hundred and eighty
ten eighty nine, two ninety two on text, if you'd
like to jump aboard as we as we celebrate a
bit of a renaissance after the after the disappointment of Vegas.

(35:26):
That can stay there. Now we can look ahead and
back to back wins. Well, do I know Oka at
the moment, aren't they talking Warriors on news Talks? Heb
back in a moment.

Speaker 1 (35:36):
The big issues on and after Fields Call eight hundred
eighty ten eighty Weekends forward with Jason.

Speaker 18 (35:42):
Fain and GJ.

Speaker 1 (35:43):
Gunder Homes, New Zealand's first trusted home Milder News talks ed.

Speaker 2 (35:47):
BB coming out twelve way from one. Well, we'll kick
David Hill back to after one o'clock, assistant coach of
the Chiefs find out exactly what happened in that second
half last night when they were miles ahead forty three
seven ahead at halftime. What a first half, by the way,
but then Mana pacifica came roaring back into things. Excuse me,
so what happened there? David Hill? After one o'clock we'll

(36:08):
also get inside the All Whites camp a few more
minutes to talk Warriors though, if you would like to
I eight hundred and eighty ten eighty It's so true,
says this text, that Warriors fans have a real connection
with the team but also with each other. You only
have to see someone wearing Warriors gear and you feel
like you know them. Everyone was in such a good

(36:29):
mood last night, twenty three thousand people just loving it.
The passion is here to stay. Yeah, I mean, there's
a real connection. You're right between the fans themselves and
the players on the field, but you're right about the fans,
And I guess that's one of the reasons why we
wear replica gear. And if you see somebody wearing a

(36:52):
Warrior's top, if you're a Warriors fan or a whatever
top it is, if you're a fan of that team,
you immediately feel that connection with them, and you know
a little quickly, little up the Wars or come on
you next, or whatever it might be. It's yeah, it's
it's just all part of it, isn't it all part
of being a sports fan. Aaron Clark has been exceptional,

(37:13):
says this one mister tackle where they scored the try.
But his delivery from first receiver, the way he carries
the ball, his ball playing in general, exceptional, a real threat.
It gives Wade Eggan an opportunity to dummy and carry
as Clark has been such a handful. Yeah, no, good point.

(37:34):
He has been very, very good. I'm not quite sure
why they had him on the interchange bench in the
first game. Was it the first game he came off
the interchange. He started the last two and it's been
good to see Hello Craig.

Speaker 8 (37:48):
Yeah, hi, Jason here. So I'm an AG fan from
ninety five. Love it to grant time on Interbay. Has
got for tickets even this season, even though the two
of us just to take mates. So that's my credentials.
There's a Warrior's fan. But I'd love the fact that

(38:08):
Frisher Harris is here, Fisher Harris effect that he'll have
on the rest of the career as opposed no one
ever talked about for newer break effects because he just
didn't have that impact on the rest of the team.
But I'm of the belief that if we can make
the eighth, that's great. If we can make the four
and have a winning home semifinal like we did in

(38:30):
twenty three, that's ever win the Grand Final in my lifetime,
because here's just so many things that have to go
right to win a Grand Final, and I believe the
unconscious bias and the problems of going to Sydney and
winning are just too much. You know, too many duck,

(38:54):
too many decks have to be in a right to
win a Grand Final. And I think I'd stacked the Warriors.
But I'm happy. I'm happy if they can make the
four and win that home semifinal, like they didn't three
their toolsome So yeah, I think they've got a good
chance this year. So yeah, that's my take on it.

Speaker 2 (39:14):
It's a great take, great and I reckon, I reckon
you might see a you might see a championship. You
might see you know, another Grand final and a winning
Grand Final in your lifetime. Mate, I really do. I
think you might just so keep the faith. I know
you will as an OG supporter. Good to have your calling,
and mate, Jamie, you've got the last word for this one.

Speaker 20 (39:35):
Yeah, hey, yeah, to see where the earlier guy Berry
was coming from. I mean we you know, we've won
a couple of games and then we've fallen off the rail.
So I mean we've been there before. But I think
the pleasing thing is, you know, we showed like last
week our tech tech was good and then in this week,
I mean last night was obviously but a lot more

(39:55):
about defense. But we can put those two together and
when when a lot more games during the season, there's
no reason why we can't make the eighth maybe even higher.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
Yeah. I feel cautiously optimistic because I can almost hear
it in your voice. Jamie, the cautious optimism. Yes, you're right,
because we've been burnt before, haven't we And it's just
two games. But yeah, I think, yeah, I think you're right. Look,
if you're on the on the basis of last night
and last weekend, this is a top eight side, without question.
It's probably even a top four side. If you're beating

(40:27):
Manly then you're probably in the in the conversation anyway
for the top four. So yeah, I like the cautious optimism, mate.
I think that's probably a good a good way of
summing it up.

Speaker 20 (40:37):
Yeah, I think so just years isn't out for too long?
I mean, for music can't take a while, but yeah,
hopefully it's only two or three weeks at most and
then yes, definitely be Beck sooner rather than later.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
Yeah, back into it. Good on you, Jamie, good thoughts, mate,
appreciate your call. Seven to one us Talksb's.

Speaker 1 (40:55):
Good from the track fields and the court on your
home of Lord Weeke with Jason.

Speaker 2 (41:02):
Four to one. Final club of texts before one o'clock.
Piney Warriors looking good from my perspective, says Carlos two
of us. A check summed it up, Hammi gone and
making a tri saving tackle mindset for all on d
is great. Can't lose if you keep the opposition scoreless.
Go the WS, thanks Carlos, and Mars says that can't piney.
Everyone knows that no one wears nixt jerseys outside of

(41:23):
the stadium. Yes they do, Mars. I see plenty of
Phoenix shirts around Wellington, not so many in Auckland where
I am today. Lots of blue and black around. But
I take your point. After one o'clock we're going to
get inside the All Whites camp. A comprehensive seven zerl
win over Fiji last night means they are now ninety
minutes away from next year's World Cup. If they can
beat New Caledonia on Monday night at Eden Park, they

(41:45):
will punch their ticket to the World Cup next year.
Rising star Tyler Binden leads us off after one.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
It's the only place to discuss the biggest sports issues
on and after fields.

Speaker 21 (41:56):
It's all on Winter.

Speaker 1 (41:57):
Sport with Jason Vain on your home of Sport News Talks.

Speaker 2 (42:04):
Hello There, one O seven. This is News Talks EDB
Weekend Sports Saturday Edition. In an hour or so, Nick
Willis is on the show. What does he make of
Sam Ruth's extraordinary rise to prominence. Youngest ever human being
to run a sub forman mile this week. Nick Willis

(42:26):
was a fairly handy runner growing up as well. How
fast was he running at about the same age over
that same distance and what could Sam Ruth go on
to achieve? Nick Willis? In an hour or so, Ben Ruth,
father of Sam, also going to pop in for a chat.
We'll go to the Black Boys camp as well. That's
next hour, but this out we're inside the All Whites camp.
Shortly David Hills has gracefully agreed to be rescheduled. We're

(42:52):
going to chat to David Hill, the assistant coach of
the Chiefs last hour, but we kind of got carried
away talking about the Warriors, so he said, yeah, just
give me a calling of you like okay. We will
Adam Peacock from Australia at around quarters to two as well.
We'll keep you updated on lives sport with three plankets
shield matches happening around the place and a super rugby
opicky game also kicking off in about an hour or

(43:15):
so with the Hurricanes power up against Marta II. That
game taking place in Upper Hut oh eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty is our phone number. Nine two ninety
two is our text line, and we're going to kick
off the hour with football. Skipper Chris Wood has scored
a hat trick in New Zealand's seven nil thrashing of
Fiji in the Football World Cup Oceania Qualifier semi final

(43:39):
last night in Wellington, New.

Speaker 4 (43:43):
Zealand's All Whites and ninety minutes from the fifth of
World Cup next year seven heaven tonight in Wellington, a
hand trick from their skipper, their talisman, their main man,
Chris Wood goals for seeing for payin for barbarusis.

Speaker 2 (44:03):
And an own goal in the mix as well. He
has seven l last night. So New Zealand have moved
to Auckland. The All Whites have anyway, They've got on
a plane and hopped hopped up to Auckland where on
Monday nights at seven o'clock they will face New Caledonia
at Eden Park for a spot at next year's World Cup.
There were twenty one thousand there in Wellington last night, ready,

(44:24):
good crowd and chatting to the powers that be there
expecting at least that and actually quite a bit more
at Eden Park on Monday night. They're talking thirty maybe
thirty five thousand turning up to watch history being made.
Only twice before have New Zealand been to a senior
men's World Cup nineteen eighty two and twenty ten. So

(44:45):
a chance on Monday night for those in and around
the Auckland region to witness history made, hopefully anyway for
a third time. All Whites center back Tyler Binden joins us.
Thanks for taking our call, Tyler, as you look to
build now towards the final on Monday night. First of all, though,
how happy with the plane group and the coaching staff
with the performance you're put on against Fijili. It's night

(45:06):
and Wellington.

Speaker 7 (45:08):
Yeah, I think we're extremely happy, you know, and you
can't complain. We've got a clean sheet, we scored seven goals,
so it's a good result from everybody. I think, of course,
you can always take small bits, but I think in
these moments we have to move on now and focus
on the next game at hand and realize we did
really well.

Speaker 2 (45:26):
How did you make sure and the lead up to
this game, the game last night, I mean, how did
you make sure you didn't get ahead of yourselves and
start thinking about Monday, just focusing solely on Fiji on
the Friday rather than know what a result there might
mean for you.

Speaker 7 (45:42):
I think for us, you know, we ever take everything
game by game or the crazy sport, anything can happen,
so a games never won until the ninety minutes are over.
So we just were thinking like that and taking it
like we would any other game.

Speaker 2 (45:58):
The seven goals, as you say, impressive, but from a
defensive point of view, a clean sheet is a box
ticked as well. How happy were you and the rest
of the of the defense with thought the way you
kept Fiji at bay?

Speaker 7 (46:11):
I think we were very happy. You know, our prior
is to keep a clean sheet, and if we do that,
we can't lose, so we're all very happy.

Speaker 2 (46:21):
You've got Michael Boxel alongside. Of course, he's been around
the national team for a while. How helpful and influential
has he been inside this national team environment for you?

Speaker 7 (46:31):
Personally, he's awesome, you know, He's a great guy and
I do learn quite a bit from him just in general. Really,
I think I'll work well off him and they take
smre bits that I can defensively and offensively, and.

Speaker 2 (46:46):
At the other end of course, your captain Chris Wood
another hat trick for New Zealand forty four goals. Now
for the National side. Can you put into words the
influence that Chris Wood has on this site?

Speaker 9 (47:01):
I think it's quite hard.

Speaker 7 (47:02):
From honest, you know, he's like a living legend that
you get to play with every day. I think would
be the best termnology for it.

Speaker 2 (47:11):
Did you see that? Did you see what happened to
him when he went up into the stands to sign autographs?
Have you caught up with that?

Speaker 22 (47:17):
No?

Speaker 7 (47:17):
I did see a few things on social media saying
that he's got a yellow just because he went had
some autographs, which I thought was quite funny.

Speaker 10 (47:25):
But I don't know.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
Yeah, I think it has to be one of the
more unusual yellow cards. You know, he's he's giving up
his time to go and you have a few selfies
and autographs and all of a sudden he finds himself
and the referees notebook. But I guess he'll probably he'll
probably wear that one. So now that your spot in
the final is secure on Monday night, how exciting a
prospect is it that you are now effectively ninety minutes

(47:50):
away from going to a World Cup.

Speaker 7 (47:53):
I think it's really cool. You know, it's going to
World Cup is not an easy feat and not everyone
gets to do it, so hopefully we can do it.
And it's a dream, you know. I think everyone in
all the dreams of it, they dreamed as a care
to everyone growing up wants to be in a World Cup.
So to be able to have the opportunity to play
in a game that could potentially get us there is

(48:15):
really cool.

Speaker 2 (48:15):
How do you think the next couple of days will
be structured, Tyler? You know today will it be mainly
sort of recovery and then back on the grass tomorrow
or do you have a training session today? What's the
what's the structure for the weekend?

Speaker 7 (48:27):
Yeah, so just be recovery today, probably go over how
the game was Fiji, what we can improve on, what
new cold and you will bring to us, and then
we'll train tomorrow and prepare ourselves for the upcoming fixture.

Speaker 2 (48:43):
You played, of course some some youth international football for
the United States. Can you talk about the circumstances around
the choice to commit to New Zealand.

Speaker 7 (48:52):
I think for me it wasn't it wasn't hard. Thew
Zealand's always do my home. I always wanted to play
for the All White so when they called it was
it was a no brainer for me to just accept
that opportunity and grab it with both hands.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
And you did you play your junior football in Auckland?

Speaker 7 (49:10):
Yes, yes, that's rights.

Speaker 2 (49:13):
Yeah, the mighty East Coast Bays. And so just take
us through for those who are underware of it, your
journey from from junior football to where you are now.

Speaker 7 (49:25):
Yes, I was at East Coast Be's when I was
younger and he zoning, and then I had moved to
the States. I was at LFC and then from there
I moved to England and have been out reading since
and then yeah, and.

Speaker 2 (49:41):
In February signed by Nottingham Forest of course, but loaned
back to Reading for the rest of the current season.
What is the plan at the end of the season, Tyler?
Have you talked with the you know, the powers that
be at Nottingham Forest as a loan move likely? What's
the most likely scenario for you in the next year
to eighteen months or so.

Speaker 7 (49:59):
It all depends really, I'm most likely not going for
a preseason and then depending on how they see me,
can you either get loaned out or stay with the
squad and see what happens from there. So it's all uncertain,
but it's all very exciting.

Speaker 2 (50:14):
I'm building a bit of a key we cohort there
at Forest because obviously Chris Wood is there, You're there,
Marco Staminich also in the box. He's playing on loan
in Greece. At the moment, of course, it sounds like
the key we are taking over at Forrest.

Speaker 7 (50:29):
It's a little little really, I think it's quite cools.
Not every day that you get to see three qwi's
playing for such a big club, So I think all
of us stay there and play, I think to be
really special.

Speaker 2 (50:42):
It would indeed, And you've been clocking up the minutes
for Reading as well. I'm sure you've heard the stat
as well. As of November last year, you played more
minutes as a professional than any other teenager in the world.
You captained Reading when you were nineteen. Why do you
think you've adjusted so quickly to top level football.

Speaker 7 (51:03):
I'm not sure really. I think my parents have helped
you with that a lot.

Speaker 9 (51:08):
I think.

Speaker 7 (51:10):
Growing up around them, and we're staying focused on what
I can do for the team and whether that's on
the pitch off the pits, just all the small details.
I think that's helped me a lot.

Speaker 2 (51:21):
Hey, your mum Jenny is seventy seven cap football fir
and how big an influence has she been on you?

Speaker 7 (51:27):
She's been awesome?

Speaker 1 (51:28):
You know.

Speaker 7 (51:28):
I think without her I wouldn't be where I am today.
She's an amazing mom and isn't a bit a person.
So to be able to learn off her when I
asked it, and then even just to be at her
trainings when I was little, you know, it's inspired me
to keep pushing on and keep dreaming.

Speaker 2 (51:49):
And is it true? I've heard I've heard a rumor
or whispering that you are sitting in your driving test
on Tuesday? Is this true?

Speaker 7 (51:58):
Who told you that?

Speaker 11 (52:00):
Funny?

Speaker 2 (52:03):
Can you confirm that this is the case?

Speaker 9 (52:06):
That is the key what's going on here?

Speaker 7 (52:11):
It's worked out time wise because last time was in
New Zealander, I wasn't able to take my full due
to the ant of time. You have to have your
restricted license. So whenever I come back to New Zealand,
I tray and just slowly tick off the boxes.

Speaker 2 (52:24):
So yeah, I want to come down. Thirty thousand people
are leading park on Monday night to watch you hopefully
qualify for Whorl Cup and then you've got to do
three point turns and he'll starts on Tuesday to try
and keep your license. May I'd be more nervous about that.

Speaker 7 (52:41):
I know you've got to take everything day by day,
so I'm more focused on the game at hand and
then we'll go from there.

Speaker 2 (52:49):
Good to know, hey, Tyler, great to check. Great on
a good performance last night from you and the rest
of your white. Terrific stuff to get past Fiji with
such ease. All the best for Monday night against New
Caledonia and on towards what could be a really exciting
time for you on the team. Thanks for taking the time.

Speaker 9 (53:04):
For a chat.

Speaker 7 (53:05):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (53:06):
I appreciate you taking our call. Tyler things. Indeed, Tyler
Binden there, one of the rising stars of New Zealand football,
looked so composed out there last night. Yes it was
only Fiji, but if you've been following Tyler Bindon's career
at all, you know that that is one very promising
young football up. Once he gets his driver's license, he'll
be able to drive himself to training. That'll be handy.

(53:26):
Any thoughts on the Football eight hundred eighty ten eighty.
I mentioned it to Tyler during that chat there, and
I'm not sure if you've caught up with this, but
it has captured headlines not just here but right around
the world. Chris Wood scores a hat trick and is
then substituted after about an hour, I think it was,

(53:47):
so goes and sits down on the bench. And then,
if you know Sky Stadium, the pitch is a little
bit in from the from the crowd. It's overal right,
so where the benches are They probably I know twenty
twenty five meters between there and where the crowd are.
But a couple of members of the crowd have got
Chris Ward's attention and asked to for you know, said

(54:08):
beckon him over to come and sign something or get
a selfie or wa something like that. Next minute, Chris
Wood is up in the crowd. He's climbed up the
stairs and got into the crowd and is signing autographs
and having selfies. And basically there's just this throng of people,

(54:29):
mainly kids, but some slightly older kids as well, just
gathered around Chris Wood like the pied piper. He's just
a magnet for all these people. But that's not the
end of it. It ends because he's told to come
down by the officiating team who give him a yellow card,

(54:51):
a yellow card for being up in the stands, giving
freely of his time, showing his Kiwi generosity, giving some
of those kids a moment they'll remember for many, many,
many years. And his reward is a yellow card. I
mean he laughed it off at the end. Like I said,

(55:13):
it's gone viral. This has been picked up by a
lot of overseas sports websites. One of the best lines
I read this morning was from The Guardian and said,
Chris Wood pulled off the genuinely special achievement of getting
his name in the referees notebook, for putting his name
in other people's notebooks. Well, that's very clever. Not that
people really have notebooks anymore? Do they autograph books in

(55:36):
the traditional sense? Simon wolf Wellington identity and football referee.
What did you make of that yellow card? Simon? Would
you have brandished one if you'd been in that position?

Speaker 9 (55:49):
Not at all, Pioney, not at all. You know, those
kids we're getting some special moments. Football was getting special moments,
a special moment right round the world. You know, you're
seeing something that was unique, can in no danger to anyone, anybody,
and you get a referee taking the attention away from

(56:14):
a pretty magnificent hat trick, a really strong all white performance,
and it's gaining headlines, you know, around the world, not
the proper moments, but the moment that Chris, it's something special,
you know, and it's just you know, the spirit of

(56:36):
the game. You know, I certainly wouldn't have you know,
the most I would have done was was to get
a message out and say, you know, be careful.

Speaker 2 (56:45):
Yeah, I think the only thing I could think of, Simon.
The only thing I can think of is that maybe
maybe they were a bit worried that big that once
word spread that he was there, that a lot of
people would have kind of rushed over to that part
of the of the you know, the stadium it's all seater,
of course, and that would have disrupted the viewing of
a few people and things like that. That's the only
thing I can think of.

Speaker 9 (57:05):
Yeah, But I think, you know, with our stadium, and
you had to understand that the context of yesterday's game
was special because you know, there's all these kids the
the it was very pure. You know, the all whites
were already six mil up and you just couldn't see
that there would be any any issue with it. And

(57:28):
I just think, you know, Chris Woods just the special
of ol he isn't he Not only that, but he's
leading a really great group of youngsters and they're listening
to Thailand there. You know what role models they are football,
You know, the whole atmosphere and the whole culture of
that all white side, not just the the the all

(57:50):
white side, but actually New Zealand football at a an
elite level at the moment is really really strong. You
can you can just see that there's there's great leadership
and Chris is showing leadership internationally. He's in that it
is the faith of to an agree. I wouldn't say

(58:11):
that he isn't actually the face of New Zealand sports
internationally at the moment, because he is.

Speaker 2 (58:17):
Yeah, good assessment. I think he is too.

Speaker 9 (58:19):
He's now in the New Zealand. Yeah here in New Zealand,
yeah we're a rugby playing nation. But you know, the
headlines around the world continually about Chris and his performances
both on and.

Speaker 10 (58:32):
Off the field.

Speaker 9 (58:34):
You know, like you, it wouldn't surprise me if he
got one of those big sportsmanship awards at the end
of the season, because that's the way that that he's
he's acting, you know, and it's a phenomenal role modeling.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
Yeah, I agree, you know.

Speaker 9 (58:50):
And just in context to what worried me was that
had he been on another yellow card, he wouldn't have
been playing in the final.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
Yeah. I've had that mention to me as well by
a couple of people this morning, Simon. If he been
on a yellow for something else on the game and
then he comes off and he got another yellow, that
makes a red and he's suspended for the finals. So yeah,
that would have been I don't think we would have
been joking about it quite as much today if that
had been the case.

Speaker 9 (59:16):
We would interest Bene. You know, I think as a referee,
you control the game. I thought referee control became pretty
well he did. It was just that it was just
that moment, and I had that feeling that it may
have come through an air piece from someone way up high,
you know, to say, you know, do something. But I
think that in the moment he probably just aired and

(59:41):
how it was managed, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (59:43):
Simon I totally totally agree, and yeah, good viewpoint from
you as well as somebody who has been a referee
for many years understands the game, has a good feel
for the game, and I think that's probably what was
lacking here. And you're right maybe he was. You know,
there's no way that Norbert hall Arda the referee, would
have seen Chris up in the crowd. I'm sure, as
you say, he was alerted to it by the fourth official,
who might have had someone in his ear telling, you know,

(01:00:05):
telling him that the you know that a rule was
being breached of some sort. You know, there was no
fuel to the game by the issuing of that yellow card,
and I'm not sure that's entirely the referee's fault. In
many ways though, it's got all eyes on New Zealand.
Like I said, this has gone viral around the place
yet to you, Simon, thanks for calling in. Someone has

(01:00:27):
said here it's not about the kids. There's time for
that after the game, be professional and follow the rules.
I would say that, actually it's all about the kids.
That stadium last night was fall to the well. I
was gonna say fall to the brim. There were twenty
one thousand there a huge number of kids who are

(01:00:48):
there to see their heroes. So for me, it's largely
about the kids. And when you say this time for
that after the game, well a couple of things. First
thing I'll say is this that Chris would continued after
the game to sign as many autographs as he could,
to have as many selfish as he could. But the
all Whites were on a charter flight last night out

(01:01:09):
of Wellington. They had to be out of the stadium
at a certain time to get out to the airport
so that they could all get on board the charter
flight get up to Auckland. From what I understand, they
all got their heads down last night about one thirty
two o'clock, so there was a bit of time pressure
on them. And not just Chris Wood, but many many

(01:01:31):
of those players stayed out last night, well after the
final whistle to sign autographs, to have selfies. And you
can perhaps understand it with younger players, new players, it's
all a bit new to them. It's all like kind
of exciting, Oh, people are asking me for a photo
and an autograph of selfie whatever it might be. But

(01:01:52):
for Chris Wood, he doesn't have to do that sort
of thing. If it doesn't want to, it doesn't have to.
He's under no obligation to do it. But I feel
like he leads in that way because his team mats
will look at him and say, well, if it's good
enough for Chris Wood to sign autographs and have selfies,
then I'm damn sure we're going to do it. I

(01:02:16):
just thought, you know, the yellow card last night. In
many ways it has shone a light on Chris Ward
and what a tremendous human he is, and so in
many ways it's actually had a silver lining in that way,
because every narrative I've seen, apart from the odd text
like the one we just got here, have said what
a cool thing for him to you know, this is
he's pretty famous, it's one of the leading scorers in

(01:02:39):
the Premier League. Can't walk down the streets of Nottingham
without being set upon by fans in a positive way.
Of course, you know, for him just to wander up
into the stand and start signing autographs, it is so key,
we so key, we.

Speaker 11 (01:02:58):
Love it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
Oh, eight hundred and eighty, ten eighty, you got a
couple of texts through here. Let's get to the phones though,
Hello George China. What's going on?

Speaker 23 (01:03:08):
We watched the soccer last night, and we watched some
of the rugby, and I just want to comment on
your commentary.

Speaker 2 (01:03:16):
Yes please mate, of course, of course I've got I'm
open to all kinds of critique.

Speaker 23 (01:03:22):
Right, this one has nothing to do with you, though.
Your verbal commentary is very good, but the sound was crap.
It sounded like you guys are talking out of a
cell phone when you're doing your commentary, and the crowd
alwis it disappeared to just a faint background swapped to
the rugby. Full sound from the commentary based on the

(01:03:43):
voice and everything, a nice full commentary verbal sound, and
the crowd was all in on the TV. On the
sound as well. Go back to the soccer, it was
like dead, is it deliberate or what?

Speaker 2 (01:03:54):
No, it's not deliberate, George, and I was made aware
of that actually during the game, and there's very little
I could actually do about it. Obviously that's not my Yeah,
I know, I know, I know you're not. I know
you're not. Yeah, I think there were without having had
a debrief yet, there were some issues with the sound
and they are going to absolutely fix it for Monday night.
I appreciate you bring it up, but yeah, it wasn't

(01:04:15):
deliberate any in any way, shape or form.

Speaker 23 (01:04:17):
No, it's nothing to do with you. It's the technical guys,
and I'm just wondering, is that sound for the soccer
the same setup, studio sound wise as it is for
the rugby.

Speaker 2 (01:04:27):
It wasn't last night, George. No, it was a different provider.
So the rugby you would have been watching last night
was on Skysport. Supposedly last night was a different, different operation.
So yeah, rugby, but.

Speaker 23 (01:04:39):
When they've got the rugby at the stadium, it's a
totally different sound, direct and sound from their whole thing's
it's like you're there, But last night it was like
you're setting on a cell phone.

Speaker 2 (01:04:49):
Yeah no, George, I take your point and look at
it was a different provider. I know they're aware of
it and absolutely working hard to fix it for for
Monday night. Appreciate you call though very much. Indeed, I
agree with the tech. If a rule was broken, then
the ref is completely right. What are rules for then?

(01:05:10):
If it's a stupid rule, then get it removed. Yeah,
and another text through here. I'm from Argentina. These FIFA
rules on Woods yellow are understood because of the danger
the players are exposed to. But this is one of
the reasons I'm here. Besides, have you seen Leonel Messi's
reaction to field invaders. Yeah, this wasn't a pitch invasion.

(01:05:34):
This was Chris Wood going up into the stand, you know,
to meet some of his fans. Now, he clearly and
correctly assessed that there was no danger to his health.
He was going up to sign a few autographs. So guy,
I get it. I get what you're saying as well
that you know, in some places going into the crowd

(01:05:55):
can be fraught with danger because you don't know what
you're going to get. That's why the crowd aren't till
out on the field. Then a ladder just run out
willy nilly. So I guess the reverse supplies as well.
But at the heart of all of this was Chris
Wood trying to make memories for young kids, trying to
get around as many of those who had turned up
as he could, to shake their hand, to have a photo,

(01:06:19):
to sign an autograph, whatever it might be. You know,
I understand that rules are there for a reason, but
can we hover above the rule book just for a
second and admire what he did. I can. You might
not want to, but I can. I can absolutely applaud

(01:06:39):
and admire Chris Wood forgiving a bunch of kids a
moment that they'll remember for a long long time. And
you know what I reckon he You know, he'll think
to himself, if it got me a yellow card, then
so be it. One p thirty two News Talk, said
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Speaker 1 (01:07:54):
Crutch hold Ngage Weekends for us with Jason Thame and
Gjgunner Homes, New Zealand's first trusted home builder News Talk
to Bibi.

Speaker 2 (01:08:04):
Twenty five to two. Funny ol game of Pook Kobe
last night, the Chiefs surviving a second half fight back
from a one to pacificate to prevail fifty thirty five.

Speaker 3 (01:08:13):
To start again. Hear the Chiefs are go down the
right handline and by the one, and it's how really
down the left flank flank pitting on the legs. There's
a way and they score again and maybe just one
ain't over.

Speaker 2 (01:08:25):
Yeah, well it was a funny old game. As I say,
the tabletop is conceding twenty eight unanswered points in the
second half after leading forty three to seven at halftime.
Chiefs assistant coach David Hill is with us. Would you
like to talk about the first half or the second half?

Speaker 11 (01:08:43):
First, Wow, I'm the defense coach, so I'd prefer not
to talk about the second half. It was definitely a
game or two hands. They came off the buy and
joked that they were still on the buy and we're
going into the buy, and we thought we went to
the buy at halftime. So yeah, it was a weird one.
But it was some good stuff for both sides on

(01:09:05):
their teching of the ball us on the first half
and then in the second half, so good spectacle. But yeah,
not ideal for us to lapse like that in that
second half.

Speaker 2 (01:09:14):
Were there any real nervous moments when they got with
them what eight points near the end?

Speaker 11 (01:09:20):
I think time was always on our side, I think
because we built up such a big lead in that
first half and felt like when we when we needed
to turn the dial up, we could. So yeah, it
was a weird one, like it's you know, they had
such a big lead and then have that chip away
so easily. That was a concerning but not nervous. More
and more frustration and a little bit of a little

(01:09:43):
bit disappointment and how that panned out, but if they'd
scored again, then well we would have been it would
have been touchy bum time. But managed to come away
with it. So yeah, not a not a not a
harringdus result heating into the BUI. So it was what
it was.

Speaker 2 (01:09:55):
What did you see through your defense coach eyes in
that second half?

Speaker 11 (01:10:01):
Yeah, it got on the wrong side of the ref
pretty quickly in that early in that second half. And
again the referees are doing a great job around the
flow of the game and the speed of the game.
And one of the things I think most of the
d coaches and the coaches in general are finding, once
momentum swings and you're on the wrong side of it,
it's actually really, really tough to get stops and get

(01:10:23):
back in the game. So we managed to give a
couple of good stops in a goal line and get
some turnovers and then ended up back there again. So
the territory is a big one, and when momentum's gone
in favor of the other team, it is it is
tough to stop. So most of the coaches around there
are trying to figure out some strategies and some legal
ways around stopping momentum. So that was the disappointing things

(01:10:46):
we did a couple of times and didn't didn't do
it enough.

Speaker 2 (01:10:48):
Is there also a part of it that you're ahead
by so much at halftime? What was it forty three
to seven at half time, that it's it's hard to
put your foot on the throat when you're when you're
so far ahead after the first forty Ye.

Speaker 11 (01:11:02):
Yes, yes, you'd prefer not to use that as an excuse,
but it was at the back of our mind a
little bit. We made earlier changes and you know that
by playing so well in the first half, it gave
us a little bit of room to move in terms
of our subs and our and our players come off
the bench. But that will be the you know, the
it's a poor excuse, but there's a small element of it.

(01:11:24):
But we'd highlighted that at halftime that that was the
the biggest streap for us, was us just taking the
foot off the throat a little bit and being a
little bit not complacent, but not as not as urgent.

Speaker 8 (01:11:32):
As we liked.

Speaker 11 (01:11:33):
And yeah, something that we can you know, we'll head
up to the buy and have a good week, but
have to highlight that next week before we sort of
prepare to play the Reds at home.

Speaker 2 (01:11:44):
Mana Pacifica have conceded the most points this year, but
they've also scored more points than anyone else except for
you guys. Have they become Have they become a trickier Opponentna?

Speaker 11 (01:11:56):
Oh, absolutely yeah, And that's to be fair, that's it's
one of those we previewed it scoring you know, five
to six tris a game. And their attack and there
you know, like have the lead Pelle Greenee, the wingers,
both the wingers. Even though Alamala wasn't playing like tom
of for our you know this hit pieces was going
better and Ivadia had played then that's a bit of

(01:12:19):
emotional stuff as well. So their attack is improving. And
again you know, like like I said with the d
stuff as when when you're under the pump and the
opposition has got momentum, it's hard to stop. But they
are a hard team to stop once they get gone.
So they're definitely improved and well coached and going good.
So we'll get them again later in the year and

(01:12:39):
and be well prepared for that one.

Speaker 2 (01:12:41):
Well you're going good to and too. The buy well
clear at the top. Five wins and a loss how
satisfied are you in general terms as a coach and
group with the first six rounds.

Speaker 11 (01:12:51):
Yeah, we had a good coaches meeting sort of towards
the end of last week. You know, probably had to
play the Blues twice, the Crusaders once, the Brumbies once,
and the Dura and Fiji. So not the easiest draw
by any stretch. So you know, like a five and
one going into the Buyo. You know, we would have
taken that absolutely at the start of the season. So

(01:13:13):
we really really content around lots of stuff, right you.
I've changed a few things about how we've played and
also had to deal with some tough games, so I
feel that set us up pretty well. So we're content.
But it's the long old comp and you know, the
weather all change and daylight saving will stop and all
of a sudden things will be a little bit different,
so aware that we'll have to adapt and just as

(01:13:35):
we go forward. But yeah, content.

Speaker 2 (01:13:37):
You've also, David used thirty five players in six matches
this season. In the entirety of last season you only
used thirty nine, So is your depth being tested?

Speaker 11 (01:13:49):
Are we been here a little bit of that's actually
by design. We have had you know, just like everyone else,
we've we've had our injuries and we've lost players along
the way. We're a bit short on the outside backs
and still got a wild Statsa and a Josh Lord
and a n Nice Sutur to come back. So you know,

(01:14:09):
I think it's probably a reality of the comp that
you'll you'll probably need to use between thirty five and
forty players and sort of happy to have that in
the back of your mind. Accordingly, when we don't make
a we make a conscious efort to try and give
everyone a crack early on, whether it's in pre season
or in the game. So James Thompson made his debut yesterday.
You know, it was a big one to Homer, County's

(01:14:30):
captain and wanting to represent the Chief, so he deserved that.
And yeah, I think the depth is something you have
to be conscious of, but it's probably a little bit
easier if you get a couple of early wins. That
makes those changes sort of easier to deal with. So yeah,
building the depth is important and you're going to need
it later on. Like you said, it puts thirty nine
to forty players in a year. That's that's that's quite

(01:14:52):
a few when you think you may put twenty three
out on the day. So some challenges for everyone there.

Speaker 2 (01:14:57):
And everyone's here's pricked up when you said, Wallace a
t t any updated time frame on his possible on
his possible return.

Speaker 11 (01:15:06):
So it's one of those ones we decided not to
talk about it and don't get too excited that if
the psier of the dock or someone says, oh, he
might be back by this round, you start counting down
the days, which is unfair Wallace, and unfair probably on
our medical people say yeah, there's no, Yeah, I don't.
I don't actually have an update or a date that

(01:15:27):
I know that I could I could say. But he's
he's you know, he's around the place. He's running, and
he's he's looking good, he's keen. He's such a great,
amazing personality that it's just nice to see him smile
and in the gym working hard. So that'll be a
good little boost for us as well, like you know,
like he had a breakthrough year and and didn't pay
too badly for a few tifts, so it would be

(01:15:48):
nice to have him back and give us a bit
of a boost on both.

Speaker 2 (01:15:50):
Sides of the ball, right, So you do expecting back
at some stakes the Super Rugby season.

Speaker 11 (01:15:54):
That, yeah, that's the plan. I think it was always
that he might get back towards the end of the
rounds and potentially be available for the finals. That was,
you know, that was the original plan, and I'm not
sure where it's out at the moment, but he's Yeah,
he's smiley, he's cheeky, he's looking good.

Speaker 2 (01:16:09):
Good updates, good update, excellent, David. All right, we'll enjoy
the buye you give you guys a few days off.
They've got to far flung parts of the country, do
they and relax a little bit before you get them
back in ahead of your next game.

Speaker 11 (01:16:21):
Yeah. Well, because we were supposed to play this game
in Tonga, so yes, I think a few treble plans
we're starting from Tonga that had to get adjusted. So
I think probably a bit more local than it than
it was originally intenders. I think there was a few
people who would have probably just stayed in Tonga or
gone to another island. But yep, they'll do what they
need to do when they've ent it. So it's like

(01:16:41):
I said, five and one heading into it, they can
they can refresh and I think I've got a message
abou an hour ago from the S and C just
giving them their program WHI they're away, so I'm sure
they'd love them to see that.

Speaker 2 (01:16:50):
They are well on a good first six games. David,
your top of the table. Enjoyed the buy mate, Thanks
for chatting. Always enjoy catching up.

Speaker 11 (01:16:57):
Awesome cheers mate, Thank you, no, thank you, David.

Speaker 2 (01:16:59):
David Hill, Assistant coach of the Chiefs. It's call it
to two.

Speaker 1 (01:17:03):
You be the TMO. Have your say on eighty Weekend
Sport with Jason hin and GJ. Gunerholmes, New Zealand's most
trusted Owen Builder News Talk.

Speaker 2 (01:17:14):
Let's get you to Australia. Our Australian correspondent Adam P.
Cockers here. Let's start with usman Kowaja always seems to
be and around the head lines. What's the story with
Ozzy this week?

Speaker 24 (01:17:24):
Yeah, this has blown up, blown up yesterday. So Ouzzy
didn't play the last Shield game down in South Australia
and a lot of people just assumed that he just
wanted to skip it so he could go to the
Australian Grand Prix. And it brought about the thought that
all these guys are just picking and choosing when they
can be bothered to play for their state when they're

(01:17:44):
not playing for their country. And Ozzie took umbrage at
that and came out and delivered his own press conference
yesterday and laid down his side of the story, which
said that basically he reported a hamstring problem to Cricket Australia,
their physios, the Queensland physios. Now none of this is
a problem. If if the head of Queensland Cricket didn't

(01:18:05):
come out before that, how disappointed he was. And so
Joe Dawes, former cricketer. There's a bit of a bit
of beef between those two and where the truth lies
exactly remains to be seen. But you've got to take
Busy on face value. I'd say that, Yeah, Joe Dawes
said he didn't know about this hamstring issue and it
was like basically alluding to the fact that it's concocted

(01:18:26):
and you know, he's just skipping around his responsibility. So
it's all one big mess. And as he does, he
came out and said it his side of the story
pretty plainly.

Speaker 9 (01:18:37):
He likes doing that.

Speaker 2 (01:18:38):
Indeed, but did he go to the Grand Prix He
presumably did go to the Grand Prix.

Speaker 6 (01:18:42):
Did he?

Speaker 25 (01:18:44):
Yeah?

Speaker 24 (01:18:44):
Yeah, And I think by the tone of his voice
yesterday it was under the impression that he was all
okay to because he was managing his workloads. So he's
played the cricket he wants to over the summer. He's
late thirties, so he doesn't need to be doing two
k time trolls in between playing every single red ball
fixture available. That's fair enough. But Queensland did him in

(01:19:06):
that last one. They got away with it. They will
play in the Shield Final, which is our domestic.

Speaker 10 (01:19:11):
Competition over here.

Speaker 24 (01:19:12):
That the ship hear siealed, so they still will play
despite being second best against South Australia in that game
that was he missed. And intriguingly, he has been named
in a fourteen man squad to play in that Shield Final.
So we'll see what happens.

Speaker 2 (01:19:25):
We will indeed, we'll follow that one with interest World
Cup qualifying. The All Whites are in World Cup qualifying
as we speak. So to the soccer who's out of Asia,
are good five to one win over Indonesia on Thursday
night in Sydney. They're off to China next. How are
they placed? You know, relative to the other teams in Asia,
what you know, what are their chances? Are they good

(01:19:47):
of going to another World Cup?

Speaker 24 (01:19:49):
They're better after that win the other night, which is
strange one because we didn't actually play that well, but
we took all our chances and won five to one,
and you kind of have to stop yourself from getting
to kind of buried in the performance and go, look,
we've walked away from soccer's performances where we've made it
really hard for ourselves by missing the stack of chances,

(01:20:12):
most famously against I think it was Thailand back when
Ancheposter Conglu was manager, and that result meant that then
we had to go down the playoff route. So yeah,
it was weird. It certainly wasn't a skate like you
guys seven Neil, your biggest problem was Chris Wood getting
booked for bloody signing autograph exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:20:30):
Look, I know it's something that you've hit to deal
with in the past as well. Hard for you to
go anywhere without without a notebook being thrust in your direction. Actually,
I saw a great line overnight from I think it
was the Guardian in the UK that Chris Wood has
achieved the genuinely astonishing feat of going into the referees
notebook for putting his name in other people's notebooks, which
I thought was quite clever.

Speaker 24 (01:20:51):
I just actually surprised kid's still asking for autographs over there.
I've to throw back at you guys. There's all selfie
is no. Look it was Chris Wood in the grandstand
and the referee grandstanding. But no, it's good to see
that you guys are going to go through and get
that automatic spot. And over here it's a little tougher
for us. With the Asian Confederation. We've got Saudi Arabia,

(01:21:12):
Rod and our Hammo so at one point ahead of them.
We play China away, which is its masses. It's as
big as it gets as a World Cup qualifier, So
we're going to take care of business there because Saudi
Arabia traveled to Japan, who have already qualified. But the Japanese,
you know, they're very honorable people. They won't just they
won't be still drunk. That's what I'm putting out. Because

(01:21:33):
they qualify the other night, they'll hapilly put up a
good show for their Australian friends, if you know what
I mean, I do know.

Speaker 2 (01:21:39):
What you mean, and I'm sure they will. As you say,
the Japanese, I think, like any sporting team, you know,
they might ease off a bit, but they're still very
good and shouldn't shouldn't drop the ball in this case. Hey,
let's go to the NRL to finish. Melbourne Storm the
other night beating the Penrith Panthers and what was a
bit of a It was a close contest thirty twenty four.
I know you and I have talked about the Melbourne
Storm being overriding favorites for the NRL. Does this, even

(01:22:02):
this early in the season, just solidify those claims.

Speaker 24 (01:22:06):
Yeah, because they're good, is very, very good, and it
was evident the other night. They jumped out to an
early lead and Nathan Cleary went off with a head
knock and I doubt that he's going to play his
next game. But Melbourne Storm have, like you know, they
have the unenviable thing of having to buy in the
second round. So it's kind of a disjointed start of
the season. But when they were on, they were very on,

(01:22:27):
and that that's the best footing of any team so
far this season. So strange old game though, because Penrith
without Cleary stayed with and nearly caused a massive upset
without Cleary, So good signs there. And that's the same
way as the Roosters the week before being involved in
a high scoring contest, So Penris against the russ a

(01:22:50):
high scoring contest. Weird game saying with that one. Yeah,
there's still all sorting themselves out.

Speaker 2 (01:22:55):
But Melbourne and the benchmark, Yeah, I certainly thanks Adam.
Always great to chat. Adam Peacock from Australia six and
a half to two, New Stalk three and a half
to two after two o'clock. Nick willis one of our
great middle distance runners, so what does he make of
the emergence the rapid meteoric rise? You might say Sam
Ruth youngest ever to go under four minutes for the mile.
Nick willis right after the two o'clock news.

Speaker 1 (01:23:18):
It's the only place to discuss the biggest sports issues
on and after fields.

Speaker 21 (01:23:23):
It's all on winter and sport.

Speaker 1 (01:23:24):
With Jason Vane on your home of sport US Talk.

Speaker 2 (01:23:30):
Just gone six past two. Welcome into the show. We're
talking sport with you until three. Tim Beverage set to
take over with the Weekend Collective. After that middle distance
running we have a proud history of those running over
middle distance eight and fifteen hundred meters the mile in
our history and the name on everybody slips at the

(01:23:51):
moment as perhaps our next big thing in middle distance
running is fifteen year old Sam Ruth, who this week
became the youngest human being ever to go under four
minutes for the mile. So how good might he be?
And how good is he at this age in comparison

(01:24:12):
to those who have come before him? One of those
who have come before him is Nick willis double Olympic
medallist in the fifteen hundred meters. How is he assessed?
What he's seen from Sam Routh? Nick willis very shortly
in Sam's dad Ben himself a very very good middle
distance run up. Also going to pop in for a
chat live Mackay out of the black foils as they

(01:24:35):
look forward to San Francisco sale GP tomorrow, and your
calls and correspondence continue to be encouraged and welcomed. Oh
eight hundred eighty ten eighty will get you through on
the phone nine two ninety two for a text and
emails to Jason at Newstalk Sedd dot co dot nz.
But as we tick towards eight pass two. As we

(01:24:56):
always do at around about this time on weekend sport,
we might like to make sure that you're up to
date with everything you need to be up to date
with in case you missed it. Saturday edition. Starting in
the NRL, the Broncos bouncing back from their loss last week.
Another massive shift from Payne Hears guiding them to a
win over the Cowboys.

Speaker 3 (01:25:17):
Who's been controlling proceedings at the map, pass down the middle,
Who's gonna stop him?

Speaker 2 (01:25:22):
The business through day? He's done a man, He's an animal.
Twenty six sixteen the final score there another tough another
tough outing though for Liam Lawson this time and the
sprint qualifiers at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Speaker 18 (01:25:39):
I see this.

Speaker 14 (01:25:39):
Lewis Hamilton goes quick at buying nearly two tenths from
Landon Norris. For Liam Lawson that is club lost and
that is bad news.

Speaker 15 (01:25:50):
Ouch ouch William Lawson.

Speaker 2 (01:25:53):
Yeah, Liam Lawson will start last for today's sprint race.
That's not the main race, so don't worry. That's just
today's sprint race. A good result for Lewis Hamilton, max.

Speaker 14 (01:26:02):
For Stafford, the man who's taking poll in half of
the teen sprints to be had in Formula one. Comes
to the line now and go second fastest by eighteen
one thousands of a second. He's ahead of past three.
He is behind Hamilton and they're celebrating our Ferrari.

Speaker 2 (01:26:20):
At Lewis Hamilton's first poll with his new team to cricket.
Australia show their class against the White Ferns at Eden
Park yesterday. What's a boundary to bring it up?

Speaker 26 (01:26:29):
We'll get it with a lovely shot eased way through
the off side. It may not reach, it may not reach,
but it doesn't matter. They're completed one run. That's all
they needed. Rnie will end seventy five not out a
sparkling display.

Speaker 2 (01:26:47):
An eight wicket win for Australia over our white Ferns
and the all whites we know. Will play New Caledonia
for a spot at next year's FIFA World Cup after
let cat gul that's what they're called. New Caledonia beat
Tahiti yesterday. Got fit a pitch?

Speaker 4 (01:27:02):
She's the keeper of ussolutely set stational.

Speaker 2 (01:27:07):
I'm short goodfit a pitch. He has written his name
massive sport letters across this game.

Speaker 1 (01:27:18):
The scoop from the track Fields and the court on
your home of Sport Weekend Sport with.

Speaker 2 (01:27:24):
Jason Vine talks in me ten past two. The name
on everyone's lips in athletic circles both here and around
the world at the moment is Sam Ruth, who captured
global headlines during the week becoming the youngest athlete ever
to run a sub for minute mile.

Speaker 14 (01:27:39):
Sam Tanner lead Sam Ruth onto the home straight.

Speaker 2 (01:27:44):
Here they come.

Speaker 14 (01:27:45):
The crowd ruars them down the home straight.

Speaker 22 (01:27:47):
Eric Comedia out swath Stadium, Sam Tanna smiling.

Speaker 14 (01:27:52):
Sam Routh's right now.

Speaker 22 (01:27:56):
Oh that's a sub for baby. That's a sub for
both Ben Fall and Sam Ruth.

Speaker 2 (01:28:08):
Joe sub for in the mile.

Speaker 22 (01:28:11):
There's number forty nine, number fifty.

Speaker 2 (01:28:16):
Wowie, wowie. Indeed, Nick Willis is one of our very
best middle distance runners. In fact, New Zealand's only two
time Olympic medalist in the fifteen hundred meters silver in
two thousand and eight in Beijing, Bronze at Rio in
twenty sixteen. Nick, I seem to remember you battling it
out with Sam's dad, Ben Ruth back in the day

(01:28:38):
in Wellington Secondary schools Athletics.

Speaker 6 (01:28:42):
Have I got that right?

Speaker 27 (01:28:43):
I don't even think it was a battle. He was
miles ahead of me. He was a seventh former when
I was the third form. So yeah, no, Ben was
the local Wellington legend and all of us looked up
to and we all were sort of seeing how fay
we could get in the sport. And he was a
great mentor and a good friend over the years as well.
So we've kept in touching, especially with Sam's meteorite rise

(01:29:05):
in the last three four months, so that's been fun
to sort of touch base with Ben through this process
as well.

Speaker 2 (01:29:11):
Well. I'll ask you a bit more about that in
a moment, in terms of any advice you've been passing
on or the connection you've got, But in terms of
what Sam achieved on Wednesday night going under four minutes
for the mile as a fifteen year old, can you
somehow put into context for us just what a feat
that is.

Speaker 27 (01:29:32):
I mean, the best context I use for myself is
that my best for the fifteen hundred meters, which is
one hundred and nine meters shorter than a mile at
that same age, was four zero nine, So I would
have been about two hundred and fifty to three hundred
meters behind him. When he crossed that line in the
same time, so that sort of shows And I was

(01:29:52):
the national champion at the time for my age, so
I thought that was a pretty good effort.

Speaker 21 (01:29:56):
So he's so much.

Speaker 27 (01:29:57):
Further ahead, and we all know how great the.

Speaker 21 (01:30:01):
Younger, the young yakab Ainger brick Center is.

Speaker 27 (01:30:04):
He's sort of the biggest name in our sports these days,
and he set all of the youth age group records
and now Sam's taken his first one of yukubs in
the mile, So yeah, it really sets the stage for
a really exciting and promising future ahead. But most impressive
to me, honestly, is that there was a lot of
pressure going into this race. They called their goal publicly,

(01:30:27):
and they invited the crowd down, and they did it
on a New Zealand track and it was catered around
him producing this moment, and the pressure didn't get the
best of them. If anything, he rose to the occasion.
So I think that's what also sort of gives me
a lot of hope and excitement for the future, as
he would like leave this small pond and onto the big,

(01:30:47):
scary ocean of the world athletics.

Speaker 21 (01:30:49):
But I think he will handle that pressure a problem
at all.

Speaker 2 (01:30:52):
In terms of his age, Nick, when would a middle
distance runner, a fifteen hundred meter runner, a miler typically
reach their peak? I know you're an outline because you
were winning bronze medals into your thirties, but when would
a middle distance runner typically reached their peak?

Speaker 27 (01:31:08):
I mean, yeah, the historically we used to say sort
of twenty four to twenty seven was the peak age.
But the next crop of kids coming through I call
them kids because I still view them that way. In
most recently through the last three or four years, there's
a handful of them all now doing incredibly well. Ainger Brickson,
as we all know very well, but in fifth place

(01:31:30):
at the Olympics has passed year. In the fifteen hundred
was this guy named Neils Laros from the Netherlands who
ran three twenty nine and now young cam Myles.

Speaker 21 (01:31:38):
He's only eighteen.

Speaker 27 (01:31:39):
He just ran a three forty seven mile from Australia,
so he's only three years older than Sam, but he's
running eleven seconds fastest. So there's there's a whole crop
of these younger guys coming through now. So you almost
need to be doing what Sam's doing if you want
to be considered a medal threat in the next one
or two Olympics.

Speaker 2 (01:31:57):
How technical a rice is if we talk fifteen hundred
meters here, how technical a rice is that.

Speaker 27 (01:32:04):
Well, of late, they haven't been tactical at all because
Inger bricks and goes to the front and just pushes
it hard from the gun and they will just get
on the train. So you've got to have the endurance,
and they were all to just get on that and
hang on.

Speaker 21 (01:32:16):
For dear life.

Speaker 27 (01:32:17):
But I have a suspicion once he moves up exclusively
to the longer distances, then there may be a couple
of championship races which would be more like the ones
that I used to take part in them, where people
sort of bided their time until the bell lap. But Sam,
I was debating with my dad about this, and he
wasn't sure about Sam's closing speed, but he certainly showed

(01:32:38):
that he had that in the New Zealand Championships just
a couple of weeks ago in Dunedin where he dead
heated with Sam Tana with a withering sprinter over the
last four hundred meters.

Speaker 21 (01:32:48):
So I think he's.

Speaker 27 (01:32:49):
Got He's got all of the tools that you need
to speed the endurance. But probably more important than all
of that stuff is that he's got an incredibly stable
environment at home with his parents and then his coach
and his training partner in Craig Kirk. With the coach
and then Sam Tanner's training partner, He's really got the
full shabang when it comes to making sure that there's

(01:33:10):
the right people around him to foster this talent, but
also shelter him from some of the distractions and tentations
that might come the way in terms of sponsorships or
agents or other coaches trying to lure him away. You
can just sort of keep doing what he's doing, go
for a few laps around the mount and enjoy his
time just being a lad in total, while also having

(01:33:33):
some amazing results as well.

Speaker 2 (01:33:35):
I was going to ask you that because I can
imagine that, you know, a lot of young athletes don't
have family parents, for example, who have been good at
the same thing that they're good at, so they could
easily have their head turned as you say Nick bye
by you know, deals with footwear manufacturers or university you know,
scholarships and such like. How helpful do you think it'll

(01:33:57):
be for Sam that he's got his dad, Ben as
one of his biggest guiders.

Speaker 27 (01:34:04):
Yeah, I'm sure Ben's Ben and his mum's Jess are
not immune to some of those temptations as well, because Hey,
I'm a parent. I get excited when my son's playing basketball,
and you sort of ride your kids' coattails a little bit.
But Ben has the connections right to ask the right questions,
and that's partly why he reached out to me a
month or so ago. Hey, all these shoe companies are
reaching out to me like what's considered market read and

(01:34:27):
all that sort of stuff, and that's the line of
work that I'm in. But he's also a successful business
owner himself, so they're probably not as a need to
make a hasty decision on that front as well. But
the main thing they want to do is like keep
their options open. And once you sort of head down
certain paths, it's hard to turn back from. So keep

(01:34:48):
all of the options out in front of you, so
that as Sam gets older and he can make his
own decisions, they're still there presented.

Speaker 2 (01:34:55):
How helpful do you assess Sam Tanner has been for
Sam Ruth. I mean, first of all, on the pacemaking
on Wednesday night, that clearly was a big help. But
in terms of being alongside a you know, now I
feel the experienced fifteen hundred meter runer.

Speaker 21 (01:35:09):
Yeah, not just his experience at the very top.

Speaker 27 (01:35:12):
For anyone who's ever been around Sam, he's he's probably
the most enthusiastic, enthusiastic and positive person I've ever been around.
And nearly everyone who you'll see who's ever met Sam
will feel that same way as well.

Speaker 21 (01:35:26):
He's got just just.

Speaker 27 (01:35:27):
Like charismatic enthusiasm that just it just emanates off of
his presence and like it just makes everyone a better
people around him. And so, first of all, Sam's around
that example, but also having been someone that yeah, has
done it at the very top, and Sam Tanner is
because of that attitude that he has, He's also pretty

(01:35:49):
care free, so he doesn't let the stress get the
best of him. He's a surfer as his background, so
he's pretty laid back and going to an Olympic start
line doesn't intimidate him at all and it's just oh
sweet as bro So I think that a lot of that,
just like seeing that example and then coming alongside has
really helped Sam Ruth. But also the fact that Sam

(01:36:11):
Tana doesn't have an ego and has no problem cheering
him along this whole way. And sometimes it's hard to
have two alphas in a training group, there starts to
be some sort of tension brewing, But that wouldn't be
the case at all with Sam Tanner. He's excited to
help Sam Ruth along as best as he can.

Speaker 2 (01:36:29):
Which I think you were with Sam Tanner, would you?
Did I see that you pace You were pace maker
when Sam Tana first went sub for Is that right?

Speaker 11 (01:36:38):
Yeah?

Speaker 21 (01:36:38):
It was all for show, though I deep down was
insecure it. Now I'm just jecking.

Speaker 27 (01:36:43):
No, that's fun right, Like a lot of us are
fans first before the talent sort of gets a chance
to realize itself. So like I, as much as in
and us want to see the next New Zealand great
Milea come through.

Speaker 21 (01:36:57):
And so.

Speaker 27 (01:36:59):
Sam Tanner, hopefully you have his time, get break my
New Zealand record and breat Peter Snell's and John Walker's
records and.

Speaker 21 (01:37:06):
Hopefully win a Meddle or two.

Speaker 27 (01:37:08):
And then Sam Ruth, You're about to keep the momentum going.

Speaker 21 (01:37:11):
So that would be the ideal world.

Speaker 27 (01:37:13):
But it also helps Sam Tanner out right, because he's
decided to not be based overseas and be boast in total,
so rather than just training.

Speaker 21 (01:37:21):
With high school kids he is.

Speaker 27 (01:37:23):
It just has happens that one of them is the
greatest fifteen year old of all time. So he'll now
have a world class training partner to help keep him
on his toes and make sure he doesn't sort of
get a bit complacent. And the nine months of the
year when you're not racing over in Europe and just.

Speaker 2 (01:37:39):
Back to sam Ruth to finish. Is all of this
happening perhaps in any way too quickly? Nick? Could there
be a danger that this is all happening so so quickly.
We're talking now about a Commonwealth Games next year that
he could go to as a sixteen year old and
Olympic Games in a couple of years as an eighteen
year old. Is this all happening a little bit too
quickly or not?

Speaker 27 (01:38:00):
I think his team around him are asking the right
questions and they are going to make some way decisions.
And you want to expose him to opportunities because you
want him to stay excited, but you also don't want
to miss out on what has made him such a
good runner as doing the real basics that is required
in the other nine months of the year and training

(01:38:21):
so that you can peek at the time of the year.
The hard thing is a key we is you're in
an opposite hemisphere, so the seasons are reversed. So you
got to pick and choose your battles wisely when you
go to the Northern Hemisphere to race against those Northern
Hemisphere athletes, and it's necessary, but you can't always sacrifice

(01:38:41):
the off season training that has done behind closed doors
that helps you become the great athlete you are. So
I'm sure they'll pick and choose those battles, and one
day he will have to make the decision that he's
too big for the New Zealand scene and he will
still base there, but he will train through the New
Zealand summer and pretend that it's like the Northern Hemisphere
winter and focuses racing in the June July August time frame.

(01:39:04):
But I don't think that's necess here in the next
couple of years, but I'm sure Craig and Ben and
their team will make the good decisions.

Speaker 2 (01:39:11):
Exciting times ahead. Nick, thanks so much for joining us
to lend us your analysis. And inside always appreciate you're
taking the time. Good to catch up as well. All
the best and we'll talk again. So I hope.

Speaker 21 (01:39:20):
Hey, thanks Jason. Take care Bobo, Yeah, take care as well.

Speaker 2 (01:39:23):
Nick nick Willis there, a double Olympic medalist in the
fifteen hundred meters, still closely connected by the sounds of
things to the Ruth family through his relationship with Sam's dad,
Ben Ruth, who incidentally is going to join us next
on Newstalks EDB two twenty three.

Speaker 1 (01:39:37):
Back after this It's more than just a game weekend
sport with Jason Pine and GJ. Gunnomes, New Zealand's most
trusted home builder News Talks NB.

Speaker 2 (01:39:48):
Two twenty five. We're in San Francisco for sale GP
in the next fifteen twenty minutes or so. But back
to Sam Ruth, this young, incredibly talented middle distance runner
with huge potential, youngest ever to go under the foreman
at mark for the mile during the week. We've just
heard f nick Willis, let's continue to chat about Sam

(01:40:09):
and get pretty close to him, bringing in Dad, proud Dad,
no doubt, Ben Ruth.

Speaker 27 (01:40:14):
Ben.

Speaker 2 (01:40:14):
Before we get onto Sam, nick Willis just said, then
he remembers you beating him in the battles you had
back at secondary school in Wellington. Do you have have
similar memories of running against Nick.

Speaker 25 (01:40:26):
I had some fantastic battles with Nack. It was actually
probably one of my breakthrough races was breathing his older
brother Steve will Less. It was a sub form Mither
himself in an eight hundred and Wellington, which was one
of the big big moments in my life. And I
broke a couple of New Zealand under twenty records at
that time, and then Nick very shortly came hot on
my heels and I had a crack at the New
Zealand under twenty mile record one year at four three
I ran a four h four and then the very

(01:40:48):
next year and Nick came around me in the last
two hundred to get to get that record. I think
as a seventeen year old run four oh one. So yeah,
we've had a very long history and he was one
of the very first people I called once I realized
I had the challenge ahead of me that I've got.

Speaker 2 (01:41:02):
Yeah, and he has mentioned that obviously as well. Has
he been a source of good advice for you?

Speaker 25 (01:41:11):
Honestly, I cannot. I can't rate Nick highly enough his
you know, your your interview with him, you can tell
he's his wisdom, has calm demeanor, he's really really thoughtful.
We've been in Europe together discussing the sport and how
things can improve, and he's just a really considered, well
thought out individual. So I've got all the time in
the world for and I asked him for some key

(01:41:33):
advice and he gave me about five key points, and
I've implemented all of those things. I've I made some
mistakes when I was running. I didn't cack on the
way that I should have. I should have got my
tunsils out sooner. There's just a whole host of things
that I could have done and should have done. And
I think Nick, listening to that interview, maybe has I
probably had a bit of a reputation of overtraining and

(01:41:53):
pushing too hard and getting a bit over excited myself
as an athlete. And I think Nick has I could
hear a slight concern that's that's that sort of thing
is what can hurt athletes. But talking about the wider team,
and I think he said that use the term the
whole shebang and that's what we've really got. It's unbelievable
support that Sam's got around him and such valuable contributions

(01:42:15):
from people late.

Speaker 2 (01:42:15):
Neck overtraining is a really interesting concept to me because
I get you know, you hear all the time, don't
you you have to work hard to get success, and
it's true you do. But the overtraining side of it,
how do you know when you are doing that? How
do you know when too much is too much?

Speaker 25 (01:42:34):
You know, I'm probably not the person to ask for
that because I've always done too much?

Speaker 2 (01:42:40):
What did the experts say? What do the experts say
about this?

Speaker 25 (01:42:43):
This is the wonderful thing, right. Craig and I have
been great mates for many many years and raced together,
and I mean he's he's proven himself coaching Sam Tanner
from seventeen through the Olympic semifinals and Hayden Wild from
a young man that lived with him as like I
think a sixteen seventeen year old through to Olympic medals
and Craig like, our roles are very clear. I don't

(01:43:03):
understand with his coaching because he's clearly incredible and believable
at it, and that's his role. Jess's role is making
sure that Sam's got the stability home life, good health,
food to sleep, all those sorts of things and the
right things to prioritize for him. And my job is
to maybe take some of the burden off them in
terms of media, but to create opportunities for him as well.

(01:43:24):
So it's a real team.

Speaker 2 (01:43:27):
You must, though, have some views being a runner yourself, Ben,
do you ever I don't know scratchy head about what
Craig is asking if Sam or do you I know
you have full trust, but do you ever does anything
he ever, you know, gets Sam to do surprise you?

Speaker 25 (01:43:44):
Honestly, Sam, Sam does so little training. He trains. He's
got Sam Tanner as a training partner, but he doesn't train.
He trains with Samtanna, but he doesn't train like Sam Tanner.
So Sam Tanner ran that mile on Saturday on Wednesday, sorry,
and then he immediately carried on to a session afterwards.
So he carried on doing reps after that session. So
and you wouldn't have seen Sam doing that. So you know,

(01:44:06):
even I'm sending out a track right the second and
they're doing reps and Sam Tanner's working harder and longer
and Craig really doesn't put a lot of emphasis on
how hard he's training. It's more how easily he's training
and making sure it's within his abilities, and he does
pulls those EVAs incredibly well.

Speaker 2 (01:44:22):
You've been in an around track and field for most
of your adult life and probably even before that, Ben,
are you able to admire what Sam is doing from
a purely running sense, or you know, because you must
be an extremely proud dad as well? Are you able
to be both admira of as running but a proud

(01:44:43):
father as well.

Speaker 25 (01:44:46):
From an athletic point of view. I really can't wrap
my head around it. I would have thought that this
was not something that was possible for anybody on the planet.
And I'm biased, but it's shockingly quick at shockingly young age.
And I think that's one of the one of the
key challenges that we've got is, you know, it's only
running and Sam is you know, we want them to

(01:45:09):
be a good, humble person who supports and helps others
and as a kind as a kind man. And one
of the things that Sam's decided today is he was
trying to figure out how he could help Craig and
Sam Tanner for everything that they do for him. And
he's got his spikes that he wore on the race
that he broke the world record, and he's putting them
up on trade me. Actually he's too young to put
them up on trade me, so I'll put them up
on trade me. So they're just up now if if

(01:45:32):
anybody searches this Sam Sam Ruth spikes, they're on trade me.
And that money is just going to get there to
be donated to Craig and Sam Tanner to help them
however they want to choose to use it, because they're
the most generous, kind hearted people that I know. And

(01:45:53):
Nick Wollas was saying, how Sam Tanner is, you know,
a surfer and relaxed and to elphas in the group
can be dangerous. But Sam Tanner could not be a
more encouraging, dynamic, positive influence and my son's life and
Jess and I are just incredibly grateful.

Speaker 2 (01:46:09):
For that brilliant stuff. What will be a few clicking
on to trade me to have a look at those
those world record spikes? For sure, Ben, I've got a
teenage son and he leaves his stuff lying around everywhere,
and you know, I mean it's Sam a typical teenage boy.
In other ways, apart from his incredible athletic ability, I'm.

Speaker 25 (01:46:31):
Going to go with no, he's he's just a lovely kiddy.
He envisits thisssher and helps us with dinner and take
the rubbish out and moans the lawns. And yeah, he
takes himself off to bed and goes to bed early
because he knows that sleep really helps him. He's just
like he's got a YouTube clip. Towering R and R
is their YouTube and Instagram channel, and they did a

(01:46:54):
video and you'll if somebody watches that, you'll see how
relaxed they are. What's his mates having banda before the race.
It's like just literally like they've just gone to the
track to have an ordinary Saturday afternoon session. And that's
that's really abnormal. I can't believe how he's coped. And
that was one of the things for us is how
much pressure do you put on a child at a
young age. And I decided that we'd do this and

(01:47:16):
would organize this smeet and would promote it to give
him the opportunity of having all this pressure but at
a time that he's surrounded by a lot of people
that love and care for him, he is surrounded by
obviously his family and all his mates, and in the race,
some incredible things happened that for Sam they were better
than what his performance was. Like, Hamish Murray ran a
four h five mile, which all of a sudden means

(01:47:37):
that he's going to get into the university that he
wants to in America and it was his last race
of the season to do that. So that's going to
change Hamish's life. And George Wiley ran a four h
three mile, which any other year for a seventeen year
old is unbelievable, and that's going to change which universities
he gets into. So he's just so proud of those
guys who took seconds off their time, and you know,

(01:47:57):
it's about the team and the squad and everybody around
them succeeding.

Speaker 20 (01:48:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:48:00):
Well, it just seems is though, even listening to you
being you know, how down to earth you are and
how you know I think you know the qualities obviously
that you're trying to instill in in Sam. I'm sure
qualities that you display on a daily basis as well,
and you've demonstrated that through through just chatting to us.
So do you do you do you plot a path forward,

(01:48:21):
do you and how far ahead do you do you
plan for for Sam's athletic career.

Speaker 25 (01:48:28):
Yeah, so it's it's a quite an enjoyable process.

Speaker 11 (01:48:31):
Really.

Speaker 25 (01:48:32):
I sit down with my aunt Craig and we talk
about we talk about, you know, what's ideal, and he's
he's a little bit run out. Other than his training mate,
he's run out of anybody that's faster than in New Zealand.
So you've got to travel out in New Zealand. There's
a ridiculously fast race in Australia. It's the fastest race
in Australia all year by by a country mile. And
his ranks second to last in at next next Saturday.

(01:48:54):
So that's a that's a deep end for him. And
then he's going to La for the biggest high school
race in America on the twelfth of April. But then
he's we've decided that he's probably going to go to
America in July. So Craig decides this. Craig decide all
of his training program. Then I run it by Jess
to make sure we get the tick of approval from
in terms of school and leaving home and how we're
going to manage it from a home home life balance

(01:49:15):
and Daisy my daughter, and how we're going to all
do that, and whether they travel and we sort of
all work together as the teams come out with the
plan that gives them the opportunities and the exposure, but
the support and also maintainers every day Kiri, schoolboy life.

Speaker 2 (01:49:30):
An exciting time for you and your family, for Sam,
for the athletics community here in New Zealand. We just
can't wait to see what the future holds for this
remarkable young man who, as I said, has obviously had
a terrific grounding from yourself and Jess and everybody else
wrapped around and been all the best. We can't wait
to see what happens next. Thanks for taking the time

(01:49:51):
for a chat today.

Speaker 25 (01:49:52):
Thanks so much, Jason really appreciate the support. And yeah,
let's see where this seems up.

Speaker 2 (01:49:57):
Let's see indeed. Thanks Ben Ben Ruth, father of Sam Ruth.
Ben himself a terrific middle distance runner, and well just
listening to him. You know, often, you know, learn a
lot about a child by talking to their parents, can't you.
And when you find somebody who's a bit of a
high achiever, it's fairly common that their parents are well

(01:50:18):
adjusted people and great supporters, and that's obviously the case
with Ben. So he mentioned there that Sam's chucked his
spikes on trade me to raise a bit of money
for his coach and training partner for Craig Kirkwood and
Sam Ruth and the youth development group that they run.
I've just brought up the listing. Actually, Sam Ruth used
spikes less than four minutes use it says here the

(01:50:42):
description one young owner a little water exposure but dry
now hopefully good for another decade or so. Verified as
being raised in for only three minutes fifty eight point
three five seconds, still have the stickers in the heels,
can vouch for the faint whiff of achievement. I love it.
I love it well. The reserves been met, which is

(01:51:04):
good news. If you search up Sam Ruth, that's Ruth
rug spikes, you can get to that listing. And if
you're perhaps interested in sporting memorabilia, maybe you might want
to place a bid on the spikes Sam Ruth was
wearing when he became the youngest ever sub formanut miler
twenty three to three. We'll get a breakaway when we

(01:51:26):
come back We're in San Francisco for the latest event
in sal GP Team New Zealand or Blackfoil's strategist Live
Mackay with Us after.

Speaker 1 (01:51:34):
This the Tough Questions off the turf Weekend Sport with
Jason Pine and GJ. Gunnerholmes, New Zealand's most trusted home
Builder news B.

Speaker 2 (01:51:44):
Two forty on Weekend Sport Sale GP hits San Francisco
this weekend for event five of season four. The Black
Foyles bouncing back from double disappointment in Auckland and Sydney
to finish second in Los Angeles last weekend and moved
to third in the championship standings, three points behind Australia
and second with Great Britain a further two points ahead

(01:52:05):
at the top. Black four Oil's strategist Live Mackay's with
Us out of San Francisco. Lov thanks for joining us.
You won two fleet races in LA, finished second and
another two then second in the finals. So what went
so much better in LA than in Auckland and Sydney.

Speaker 15 (01:52:22):
Yeah, Hey, nice to chat with you.

Speaker 28 (01:52:25):
Yeah, I I mean, you're right, it was a bit
of a comeback from Sydney in Auckland, but it was
I mean, it was a different weekend. We had lighter
conditions and have done a lot of work on our
starting and yeah, finally got to LA and was able
to execute a lot of that work.

Speaker 15 (01:52:43):
So yeah, I think it's just it's always.

Speaker 28 (01:52:45):
A completely different venue, different scene when we change events.
But it was just stoke that some of we've been
doing a lot of hard when in that area. So
we're just happy that we were able to execute some
of those.

Speaker 2 (01:52:59):
Yeah, what does the hard work that you're putting into
your starts consist of?

Speaker 28 (01:53:06):
So with sale GP, it's quite challenging, and the fact
that we get no time on the water, but with
you get unlimited basically that data and analysis. So these
different softwarees that we use and run through all the data,
we have a lot of meetings about it, and get
all the video that you could even want. So a

(01:53:27):
lot of that is to do with communication analysis, understanding
what each of us can see on the boat, and
just looking into that time on distance, so looking at
you know, obviously that max by coming off the top
of the line paid a few times for us, and
then that midpack trying to get off the line at
the past point also paid, So each star is completely different,

(01:53:50):
and because we're now doing eight races per amin, you
get a lot of chances at it. And I think
we're doing a good job an LA of reviewing between
each start and being dynamic with that approach. So I mean,
we're here now in San Francisco and it will be
completely different again this weekend, but hoping to build on it.

Speaker 2 (01:54:09):
Just before we look at the weekend ahead. You mentioned
all the data and video that's available to you. With
so much information there, how do you drill down into
what is really important and most useful for you?

Speaker 28 (01:54:23):
I think because we've done you know, we're a few
seasons and now we can really see what's going to
be the priority at what venue. So we've been to
Los Angeles before, we've seen that direction and how the
different corese geometry plays out. So each menu is very
different in the way of the length, the size of

(01:54:46):
the start bots, and that really affects how eleven boats
can behave. So the start is super challenging because you
don't know how you know, the decision making of ten
other teams and how that will work. But I think
we're seeing, you know, we've got so much history from
the few years that you do such stuff to see

(01:55:06):
patterns and we can really review that between events and
bring up past years to then really apply it for
the upcoming race weekend. And that's the huge benefit of
having the coaches booth live and they can see what's
going on. They have a bird's eye view of how
the start's playing out, and they're speaking to you in

(01:55:27):
real time. So yeah, we're continuing to develop and really
push that area and we're starting to see some improvement there.
But again, you can't get ahead of yourself.

Speaker 2 (01:55:39):
So for the first time you're going to sail on
back to back weekends, does that present a unique challenge
in itself or actually is there an advantage to being
able to sail so soon after you lasted.

Speaker 28 (01:55:53):
I think there's definitely pros and ponds. It's been a
huge push for our shore crew to you know, you've
got to pull apart the whole bow and then they've
all been trucked up here to San Fran and put
back together again, and it's been a big push there.
But we've got on the water for practice racing today
and it's you know, all the eleven boats are in
great shape, so that's been a challenge. I think for

(01:56:15):
us as sailors, it's pretty awesome opportunity for the first
time to do this. You really lack getting hours on
the water, so to do it, you know, in quick succession,
it really allows us to build on those you know,
weaknesses and really step forward. I think all teams are
taking an advantage of it. So yeah, it's just the

(01:56:38):
team who does it the fastest.

Speaker 2 (01:56:39):
Now I've seen it reported live that San Francisco could
produce the most extreme conditions of the twenty twenty five
sole GP calendar. So how will that change the way
you sail this event?

Speaker 28 (01:56:52):
Yeah, I mean we saw a real mix out there today.
It actually started off at four or five knots and
the reason had come in for quite a while, so
I think it's a really changeable venue. And once the
breeze does come in, it definitely feels.

Speaker 15 (01:57:09):
Very full on.

Speaker 28 (01:57:10):
It's very tidal, quite chaotic, and the breeze is very
split and it's super strong.

Speaker 15 (01:57:17):
In some parts, you know, you're seeing.

Speaker 28 (01:57:20):
Twenty twenty five knots and then in others it's twelve knots.
So that's a really challenging racecourse and I think it's
great viewing but it's very dynamic. It's saying I think
you see a lot of crashes out there, a lot
of near misses, and you know, a lot of high
speed intersections. So it's definitely challenging, especially for my role

(01:57:42):
in that aspect. But it's a pretty awesome racecourse to
get into.

Speaker 2 (01:57:47):
I was going to ask you about the strategist role
in conditions like these, Do you have to make more
instinctive decisions and conditions like these?

Speaker 28 (01:57:57):
Yes, I think we were just discussing it now in
our debrief. Actually, the intersections they change very lu minute
because it run's angles change a lot with the different pressure.

Speaker 15 (01:58:11):
So yeah, it's pretty intense, to be.

Speaker 28 (01:58:14):
Honest, and I think it's you know, there's quite a
big swell out there today as well, so it's making
Irun's lives pretty hard crossing the boat and you know,
the flight control is pretty full on, and I think
for me it's it's you know, learning that eleven boats
on the courses is a lot, so just making sure
I keep my head out and then trying to get

(01:58:34):
ahead of everything. I think this type of racing is amazing,
it's awesome, it's super intense, but the biggest challenge is
getting far enough ahead the you know the race is
so I mean, you know you're looking at ten to
fourteen minutes and you're going at really high speed. So
it's really trying to get a head of what's happening,

(01:58:57):
where the pressure is and trying to give that in
basic form to Pete.

Speaker 15 (01:59:02):
So yeah, he can obviously make a good decision.

Speaker 2 (01:59:05):
And just finally your foot in. As you mentioned before,
four races a day now used to be three, so
a lot more racing time. How much does that change things?

Speaker 28 (01:59:16):
I think it changes a lot for the grinders, to
be honest. I think that's the biggest They are working
hard up there and it's pretty full on definitely in
this venue, to be honest. But it changes things in
the way of I mean on the first day you
can definitely rack up a lot of points. Well not

(01:59:36):
rack up a lot of points because you get low
scoring if you have a bad day, but yeah, it's
you can definitely lose it on the first day, I
think more so with the four races, so really just
trying to stay consistent with that, with that approach, and
then yeah, I think going into Sunday is a different
day again, and you just have so many chances with

(01:59:58):
those three races before the finals, so it's just fighting
for every position.

Speaker 2 (02:00:03):
Love all the best. Thanks for joining us the day before.
I hope, I hope San Francisco goes as well as
Los Angeles did last week in think maybe even just
slightly better and you get a victory in San Franz.
Thanks for taking the time for a chat to us
this afternoon.

Speaker 15 (02:00:16):
Yeah, no, thanks having me on.

Speaker 2 (02:00:17):
As Liv mckaye. She's strategist with the black falls, of course,
as they hit event five in season four San Francisco.
They bounced back terrifically well last weekend in Los Angeles
after disappointing regattas at home in Auckland and then the
following one in Sydney much much better in LA was
great to see, so let's hope we see more of
the same when sal GP San Francisco is underway mid

(02:00:40):
morning tomorrow, New Zealand Time. We'll keep you up to
date with what happens tomorrow on the show tomorrow afternoon,
eleven to three. Get a circle back to the All
Whites very briefly before we finished the show after the
seven nil victory last night over fig which secured their
place in monday nights Oceania World Cup qualifying final. Had
a quick word to all Whites midfielder Joe Bell to

(02:01:03):
find out his assessment of the performance. Yeah, it's good.

Speaker 29 (02:01:06):
Obviously we all recognized that this was the focus since
we've been back, and Yeah, getting through this first one,
I think it was fantastic. The boys obviously played some
really nice passages of football, and to get a good
scoreline as well, it's always good for the confidence going
into the next one. So I thought it was a
really professional performance from us.

Speaker 2 (02:01:22):
The way it structured. Obviously hit tonight to get through
to get to Monday. How difficult was it to just
focus on tonight?

Speaker 29 (02:01:28):
Yeah, it obviously it poses its threats, but I think
we've just got such an experienced squad and a really
good balance within the squad with young players as well,
So I think we had Yeah, within the group, we
had a pretty good way of keeping control of the
atmosphere and the focus going into it. So I think
that's one of our really strong points within the team.

Speaker 2 (02:01:45):
How important was the early goal to kind of take
the sting out of Fiji? If there was to be
some I just hit to bays. If it's still all
after half an hour, the shape of the game changes
a bit for sure.

Speaker 29 (02:01:54):
Obviously, I think everyone is going to go for early
goals and these kind of games knowing the way that
they're going to carry. So it was fantastic ball from
South Reed and a good head of from with this.
So yeah, I think that first one really lets you
kind of a little bit in a sense, not relaxed
so much, but unless your shoulders come down a little bit.
So it was really good, So not hopefully the same
on Monday.

Speaker 2 (02:02:14):
You're the glue in the side man. When goals are
going in at the top end, you're just missed the
consistency in the middle there. How much do you enjoy
playing for this team? I love playing for this team.

Speaker 29 (02:02:23):
It's fantastic. And being able to play back on home soil,
it it's such a special experience, especially in front of
the friends, and to have family and friends in the
stands too, it just means so much. So there's so
many talented players out there, it's kind of nice to
be a little bit more defensive and just let them
have fun with it. So no, it was a really
enjoyable night to night.

Speaker 2 (02:02:40):
And just a word on your skipper. Two consecutive heat tricks,
now forty three goals for New Zealand. He's just irresistible
at the moment, isn't he.

Speaker 29 (02:02:46):
He just can't stop scoring. But the thing with Woodsy
that I feel like people are starting to understand, but
I think they haven't understood for a long time. He's
just so down to earth. You can have a copy
with him. He's a fantastic guy and he connects with
all the boys on the team and I think that's
a real testament to the character that he is. And yeah,
the impact that he's having on football here in this country,

(02:03:07):
it's just, yeah, you can't really put it into words.
So it's just fantastic to be around him and then
to share the patch with them.

Speaker 2 (02:03:13):
Mission accomplished. One to go. We'll see him Monday.

Speaker 29 (02:03:15):
Chares finey thanks.

Speaker 2 (02:03:16):
That is Joe bell Or Whites, midfielder after the seven
I'll win last night Monday night, New Caledonia seven o'clock
kick off at Eden Park for a place at next
year's World Cup. Eight to three News talks edb.

Speaker 1 (02:03:26):
Breaking down the Hail Mary's and the epic fields. Weekend
Sport with Jason yin News Talk ZENB.

Speaker 2 (02:03:34):
Five to three. That's us on weekend Sport for the day,
tim Beverage will set to go with the weekend Collective
Saturday edition after three. We're back tomorrow after midday. Our
guest is motor Racing Royalty former Australian Formula one great
Mark Webber, who also had some time in endurance racing
alongside our very own Brendan Hartley. What does he make
of Liam Lawson's difficult introduction to F one? Mark Webber

(02:03:56):
is our guest after midday tomorrow. Huge thanks to Annie
McDonald for producing the show. Your reward as per usual
as the Saturday exit song, So what are we going with?

Speaker 30 (02:04:05):
Yeah, the song actually goes out to Tyler Bandon, who
has a pretty big test in front of him. Obviously,
it took me three goals to get my driver's license,
so good luck to him on Tuesday after hopefully he
would have qualified. The all Whites to the people will
cut fast car will take us out. Tyler Bandon, good
luck mate.

Speaker 2 (02:04:25):
Thanks you see tomorrow, guys and the.

Speaker 5 (02:04:28):
Bars and more your friends than you do your kids.
Padaw is home for better but maybe together you and
need to find that they've got no plans to handle on.

Speaker 15 (02:04:37):
Take a fast car and keep on driving.

Speaker 5 (02:04:49):
You've got a pair.

Speaker 2 (02:04:50):
Fast car is fast enough so you can die away.

Speaker 5 (02:04:54):
You're gonna make a decision, leave tonight to live and
die this way.

Speaker 1 (02:05:17):
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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