On today’s episode, Martin Devlin attempts to juggle a variety of sports to recap from over the weekend, including a couple of New Zealand franchises further proving their playoff credentials. But first off, Black Caps coach Gary Stead joins the show to talk ahead of the Twenty20 and test series’ at home to Australia, getting underway on Wednesday this week. Would Stead prefer his side win a T20 series or a single test against Australia? He reveals that to Devlin
Plus, experienced football commentator Simon Hill talks the Wellington Phoenix continuing to top the A-League table, NBL analyst Liam Santamaria chats the New Zealand Breakers who secured their place in the playoffs, league icon Frank Endacott shares his thoughts on the Warriors’ first NRL pre-season trial against the Wests Tigers in Christchurch, and Matt Gunn is positive about his Canterbury Bulldogs, England cricket and the Phoenix. All that and much more!
Want to hear all the best bits from It’s Only Sport? Click here to catch highlights from every show hosted by Martin Devlin, Monday to Friday. Available on all major podcasting websites. https://www.spreaker.com/show/its-only-sport
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Diin unamed five 4 3 2 one the platform welcome to another podcast people iOS it’s only sport Mar develin Lin War we do a live show one till 4: every afternoon on the platform the only Daily Independent Sports Radio Show in New Zealand what is the platform
Well best you’re down load the app find out for yourself yeah look it’s 9 hours of free programming free Independent Media every single day of the week starts at 7:00 in the morning and runs through till 4: in the afternoon we don’t receive any government funding at
All so if you’d like to help us out at all well sponsorships advertising packages available plus of course you can subscribe to platform plus today on the show Gary stead black apps coach we’re playing Australia in three t20s it’s now called the chapel Headley because that Encompass us now the Ws and
The t20s that kicks off on Wednesday but all eyes I think for most Cricket fans on Thursday week when we play the first test against the O coming off this historic series one against a very depleted let’s always remember that South African side the kns the Phoenix
Well cockadoodle do you don’t get to the top of the table by chance and you don’t stay there if you don’t deserve to still be there the Knicks are five points clear in the a league Simon Hill Aussie so caller commentator all over that EPL with Tom renie the big moan Monday golf
What are you doing what kind of rule is it that you disqualify a player simply because he fills his scorecard and wrong in this day and age what an amate move in a professional sport especially with live golf breathing down your neck LBP let’s be positive Matt gun and the
Breakers yeah finishing sixth well most of us probably would have taken that 6 seven weeks ago but the chance was there yesterday late yesterday to finish fourth didn’t do it plus the W are back in business NRL League pre-season no it’s not the season but still it’s back
And how godamn good we begin the show every way the same way tablets in hand I say gather my flock it is time for a sermon what do we learn from the weekend sport let’s go to the mountain top we live in an amazing amazing world and it’s wasted on the crappiest generation
Of just spoiled idiots what do we learn from the weekend is Sport golf that’s professional golf that’s the PGA Tour is still stuck in a a Time Warp disqualifying Jordan spe for signing an incorrect scorecard is just in this day and age ridiculous he signed the wrong score it’s not cheating he fog
Brained it to DQ him out of the tournament is so heavy-handed such an unnecessary thing to do hi time they rewrote dced that rle the breakers punched their ticket to the finals took care of business versus Brisbane Friday night a comfy home in enough to make the top six however
Yesterday away Adelaide they could have made the top four and blew it the last eight games one five lost three the last three games lost two of those sixth on the table and on a way trip now to the Sydney Kings it’s a rematch of last year’s
Final fourth would have been two bites at the Cherry but kind of season ended as it has been right throughout the campaign just not quite good enough for most of it the NRL has started just a fort night away now so it hasn’t really started but pre-season has which is just
A tester it’s just a little Morel before the real deal begins and how good just to see League back big BLS buffing and barging into each other rugby league mate how good yes the Warriors played but it’s pre-season that’s about all that needs to be said well done Christ
Church absolutely brilliant day for it big crowd in Roger played but it’s preseason you can’t read anything else into it the Phoenix roll on we say this every week they won again and a great win it was to away to MacArthur 21 played 18 games now 110
Drawn six lost two top of the table is earned it’s not given you don’t get a turn at it you win most of your games you accumulate the most points the best team at the end of the round robin sits at top the table for a reason because
They’ve been the best over the course of the season the Knicks just keep on keeping on and it’s absolutely brilliant as a New Zealand sports fan how can you not like this lot how can you not be happy for them that was a great result last night and they deserve to be where
They are the eepl is still very much one of the most bitly competitive leagues in the world every year around this time always separates into three or four different kind of mini leagues three teams going for the title three or more battling each other for the Champions League
Places five or six scrapping for their lives to avoid relegation three months of the campaign to go and all of that up for grabs every week means there’s going to be chops and changes when it comes to each of those as I said mini leagues another heap of story lines to
Chew over which makes it such a brilliant all round competition to follow and Kane Williamson is the best batsman in the world right now there is no one playing Cricket better than him not carrying a bat anyway seven centuries in the last seven tests and better than that in two of those he
Carried his Bat throughout the second Innings to win those test matches for New Zealand and that was against Sri Lanka in Christ Church and against South Africa in Hamilton 32 test tons at a rate faster than anyone else who’s achieved as much as he’s achieved the
Man is a true great he is a bonafide run machine divin what do you want we want information information you won’t get it the platform First Lock headlocks yeah well there’s a fa bit flying around floating around nothing really um oh no actually I’ll start off
With probably the the best news story of the day uh Qs one my Louis clear yes great news has added more gold to New Zealand’s Hall at the World Championships in Doha bolting to victory in the men’s 400 meter individual medle uh earlier today so that makes it two
Golds and a silver for New Zealand at these World aquatic World Swimming Champs and we had no Golds prior to this um event didn’t we yeah that’s right so was the first time ever that a man and a woman in New Zealand have won world championship titles in the PO forget
About who’s there who’s not there don’t don’t matter I think cl’s comment was brilliant wasn’t it like he said history doesn’t remember who’s not there history remembers who wins yeah yeah that’s me uh uh New Zealand will be without Peter Burling when they take to the water to contest the Australian League
Of the SGP Series this coming week and Burling will be home in New Zealand with his wife as she prepares to give birth to their first child um in terms of Replacements feter Nathan outridge will step in as his replacement in Australia that’s lovely news for the berlings uh
The breakers they’re into the NBL finals though they had a chance to finish fourth on the table couldn’t manage that they took on the adelade 36 last night to finish off the regular season losing 7670 the next game for the breakers Wednesday they take on uh not this Wednesday excuse me the following
Wednesday a take on the Sydney Kings and a repeat of the final Series last year the winner of that I think it’s like an elimination kind of matchup the winner of that then moves on the losers gone for good it’s a one-off match uh for the
Phoenix they remain top of the A- League table a two1 win away to MacArthur very dodgy penalty call that put them a head earlier a shocker mate absolute shocker probably shouldn’t have been a pen marshmallow penalty wasn’t you take it 2-1 they win uh the match for the second
Straight week the start was delayed so last week it was due to a kit issue when they took on Western United and Wellington and this week it was a proper issue you know it was thunder and rain and thunderstorms and what not so the match lightning okay I mean you showed
Me a a Twitter clip last week of a guy getting hit by lightning playing in the pH Indonesia there you go yeah um so 61 minutes the start of that match was delay but let’s go to the table the Phoenix 36 points 5 points ahead of the
Central Coast Mariners who are second on 31 and then MacArthur on 28 Melbourne Victory on 28 Melbourne Victory have played 17 games they’ve only lost one but they’ve only won six they’ve drawn 10 how does that happen uh Premier League this morning Manchester United beating Luton that’s a big win big win
Luton they are a nasty nasty team okay well let’s just go through it Arsenal won in the 998th Minute Man City came back and won late your mob DW what you talking about what are youing actually I would agree with United and the day we drew with Luton we we should
Have lost i’ take the three points yeah but you know it’s man anyway you guys uh two1 winners this morning Brighton hammering Sheffield 5-0 other matches over the week in Man City dropping points at home to Chelsea Chelsea looked good from what I saw at least uh Tottenham losing to wolves Liverpool
Beating brenford Arsenal pummeling Burnley H as the table look like Liverpool on top 57 points Arsenal are in second on 55 Man City third on 53 though of City keep saying this win that game in hand they go up to second with 56 points but the important thing is is
Because they drop points even if they win that game in hand Liverpool is still top Tottenham uh fifth EST villera Fourth Man United sixth you guys were only three points off fifth you’re not far you’re five points off fourth anyway uh all right India England
In the cricket i h the score card up where’s it gone England India excuse me bear with me here India winning but in terms of how much 434 runs in the third of five test they declared at 4344 in this second Innings England needed 557 what did they get
122 yeah pretty ordinary so India winning that test and they lead the series two games to1 and NRL preseason just want to run through some results from over the weekend the Warriors opening their preseason account if you will yesterday against the West Tigers no one typically would care but a
Sellout crowd in Christ Church for that incredible so the Tigers winning that game though the rabits beat the dragons Broncos beat the Cowboys Dolphins beat the Titans Raiders beating the eels roosters beating the sea eagles Knight’s beating the Sharks and in the result of the weekend which is getting one met gun
Excited for his slot later on this show the doggies beating the storm what happened 20 years ago this year doggies won they won the premiership and the last time they made the Grand Final 10 years ago this year reading what you will I mean there was
One year that I think the Warriors put 40 something points on the Broncos in preseason what happened that season well the Broncos made the eight and the Warriors didn’t okay yeah uh and just finally for any German football fans uh Bayern Munich have lost another game back toback losses they are now eight
Points off by lusen who are first who haven’t lost a game all season uh Bayern Munich have won every single uh Bundesliga since the 1213 season so it’s been over 10 years since another team’s actually won it maybe this year will be different that’s what’s making news M divin that is a disgusting
The platform black caps coming off a yeah I was going to say comprehensive comfortable a pretty easy Series win over South Africa’s G team two tests two wins thrashed him in the first and in the end seven Wicket win on day four with Kane Williamson carrying his Bat
Throughout the yeah it was as easy as it gets in test Cricket but the next opponent just happened to be the world test Champions that’s Australia Gary black caps coach joined us today we’re talking about the T20 series kicking off on Wednesday but what’s more important
To him winning that or winning one of these two tests against the O starting Thursday week you’re about to find out Gary Ste how do you assess that two Match test Series win versus South Africa ah very very happy with it overall um I I think most pundits out
There would have expected us to win and uh was sort of puts you in a little bit of a no win situation really that you you you go out there and um we played we played some reasonable Cricket I thought the first test in particular we were very convincing second test I expected
Them to bounce back a bit more than they did and I guess adjusted their style of play and we were put under some more pressure there which is also good when we lead into the Australian series but to ultimately get the points was was very pleasing and also history made
First time in 92 years in the 18th series that would get a win against them yeah absolutely um uh I guess people will look back in the future and say oh they weren’t at full strength but we can only play what’s in front of us and and ultimately we we got the the
Maximum points that we could and I and I think that aers well for us when you when you consider the world test Championship look they were under strength they left 56 players behind we know that you’re exactly right you can only beat who you beat um but is that
Disappointing for you though I mean 92 years of History you got the tradition with it would you obviously you would have preferred to play the full strength side I think so yeah I mean that’s that’s um that’s where the the world of cricket is at the moment and uh I think test
Cricket has been placed under pressure with some of these franchise leagues that are that are I guess popping up all around the world and may continue to do so so I think it’s moved fast the last 18 months or so and and it will be interesting to see where we are in 18
Months time as well around the whole world of cricket at the same time though and we saw this a few weeks ago with the Wendy’s winning in austral in that same day I mean that you know the double header of England winning and then you know I don’t know how much of the
England India series you’ve been watching but of course you know so much interest and US playing Australia coming up and test Cricket you know that it’s just that Balancing Act isn’t it do you feel that they’ve got it right or do you think that South Africa sending this
Underst strength team as a sign that they haven’t got it right no I think it’s just a clash of um of competitions at the time and and we may face that more in the future and there’s always potentially going to be a first time
That happen and and this may be it so I I I absolutely guarantee you it won’t be the last time it happens though in the future so um unless we can find Windows for for I guess test cricket and and franchise Cricket that don’t Clash but
It’s pretty hard with I think the amount of cricket there is around the world these days and um yeah but also encouraging as as you say that we we’ve seen some results um like West indes tipping up Australia and I think Pakistan taking them close as well well
Because I think that gives gives all teams ENC encouragement and especially us who are playing them next is that the last thing we need a wounded Australian side though maybe but um look when you start the game uh it doesn’t really matter whether whether you’re wounded whether you’re Underdog it’s just going
Out there and and and playing your best cricket and I think if we do that we’ll certainly be competitive Gary St blacks coach with us I read a really interesting um statistical article by Ian Anderson uh last week I don’t know whether you were been brought to your
Attention as well but in the last few series Bangladesh away Bangladesh at home uh England here Sri Lanka two tests we play really well in one and then kind of struggled to to to recreate that form in the second one or be it the first one
Or the second one if you know what I mean but and we did that against South Africa as well played brilliant in the first run and then struggle why is that we still won the second test though by we got we got over the line look I
Don’t think there’s any real pets I think there’s uh a lot of uh test nations are have got better as well I think it’s a more complete um program than uh where where teams are closer to each other and and when you you go to I guess a away
Conditions I think it’s always hard to win and and we’re seeing the odd upset now which I think is great for the game I mean England winning the first test and and India was fantastic West Indies getting over Australia in Australia I think is one of the hardest things to do
So I think that that augus well says that maybe maybe our countries are all evening up a little bit and the the chance of beating opposition if you’re slightly off does happen can we beat Australia yes we can yeah I mean they’re formidable they’re World test Champions
As we know but um we were two years before that as well and I know there’s a lot of fire in the in the team and and certainly looking forward to the challenge ahead what’s a win for you would it would a series split be a
Win we want to win every test match if we can but um look I mean we’re still relatively early into this cycle of the the world test championship and um I think any team if they were to win two here would would see it as a was a as as
An absolute Victory and go a long way in terms of putting your name forward for potential finalist for the for the next way so every test match we go into though we start a fresh we’re trying to I guess just play our best cricket and and regardless of of who the opposition
Is if you can do that for long long periods of time you do give your a good chance if you had to make a choice Gary St with us on the platform black caps coach between winning the T20 series or winning a test against Australia what would it
Be well I think in terms of priorities right now I’d take a test match one um I think the T20 series would would be great again and and um last time Australia here we did manage to get over the top of them 3-2 um but there’s a
World Cup just around the corner and and we know where potentially a few players down who aren’t in our T20 side um but but that’s great opportunity for others to come in and and push their push their case and say hey I’m here and don’t forget about me to hear the full
Interview download the platform at the App Store via platform plus you can go back and listen to the whole show and all of the interviews in full moing all the time oh it’s Monday I got a moan on all right the dumbest most out of touch wake up you morons Rule and
Will sport happened on the weekend golf PGA Tour golf the Genesis Invitational Jordan SPI dced out of the tournament after the second round because he signed an incorrect scorecard an admin error he signed for a three at the par 34th and a second round 72 when in fact he made
Four on that hole and a second round 73 so what so what he signed it wrong and look I know golf you’re precious traditional never change rules but so what this is a professional sport it’s not amate days what say it was a genuine fog brain mistake which it was of course
It was why would he cheat and try to get away with something that everyone and that’s every single person who’s watching or interested or following or score cheing knew anyway so clearly it couldn’t be anything other than a mistake so correct the mistake and move on how in this day and age where
Everything’s recorded anyway it’s computerized it’s continually refreshed and updated online it’s filmed life TV so damn what if he signed it wrong to toss this guy out of the tournament is just stupid is what it is it’s such an overreaction it also cheats the fans from seeing one of the guys that they’ve
Paid to see you’ve got live golf all over you like Nicholas on the back n at the 86 Masters you want your best golfers playing you need your best players playing you want Spectators to be seeing watching paying to see and watch these players yes I get that these
Are the rules but these are rules that are so unnecessary now so outdated so idiotic so prehistoric that they need to be given what he got just change them change the rules they it it really is that easy it’s not spe who should be dqd it’s the dumbass out ofate idiotic rule
Divin I’m as bad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore the platform the Phoenix top of the table and we’re saying this week after week after week you don’t get to be top of the table in any professional football league unless you are the best team over that many
Games that have been played to put you there and the Phoenix have not lost in 2024 they’ played eight they’ve won four they’ve drawn four including a couple of brilliant wins in the last few weeks away from home that’s away to the Jets and then this one away to MacArthur last
Night lightning delayed play for 61 minutes got a really soft penalty the next hey Costa got two you take it don’t you Simon Hill a league commentator out of Australia well was that a penalty or not not for me no and to be honest I think um MacArthur probably a bit stiff
That they didn’t get one of their own prior to that so and I’ve listen to msk’s postgame press conference and uh probably wisely said look I’ve been advised by my club not to say anything publicly but we’ll be taking it up with the authorities so they’re clearly not
Happy the Bulls but you know that’s that’s the way the game goes um again this this Hawks back to a point that I’ve been saying probably since Jesus was allow that you know you can have all the technology in the world V goal line technology whatever you want the end of
The day it’s still humans who uh interpreting what they’re watching and uh uh to me yeah that that was a nonsense but anyway that that’s football ex exactly it and look and you you know you Tak him because the next game there’s going to be a decision the other
Way way and as you say MacArthur had one which looked pretty similar and I thought that was really soft and I was glad it wasn’t given and I just thought that there was no way that um whoever I can’t can’t remember his name was was ever going to score from that position
And I kind of think that’s got to be taken into account he couldn’t even cross the ball he lost control of it but anyway Costa barbar rusus rolls at the right way scores a second goal and the Knicks hang on and so when you’re looking at that points table played 18
There’s eight games to go one 10 drawn six lost two and a five-point lead it’s theirs to lose now right pretty well yeah yeah absolutely look you know they’ve they’ve been the story of the season and and full credit to Jean Carlo Italiano and all his players and stuff I mean you
Know on paper you look at them not just one to 11 but even the depth or lack of really uh to to the squad and they shouldn’t be anywhere near the top of the table in my opinion but they are because they are you know more than the
The sum of their of their parts and uh you know they’ve got a great team ethos they work for each other I mean yesterday they had four key outs and then they lose Alex rofer five minutes before kickoff and they just go okay let’s get on with it um and they dig in
On a difficult pitch against tough opposition and you know maybe they got a little bit of luck yesterday but I think over the course of the journey maybe they’ve earned that yeah yeah well that’s what happens is it so good on them you know you could say that
Liverpool got a bit of luck yesterday because man city drawing against Chelsea against side that came up to your place and actually played like a Chelsea side that has spent a billion EUR where you’d expect them to so but look you know when you’re sitting there after 18 games
Simon and my point is that you can’t it’s no fluke that you top after 18 games after three or four games you can say oh okay whatever but after 18 games when you’ve only lost two that says that you deserve to be there absolutely it is
No fluke uh thanks for bringing up man city by the way uh but yeah look you know as again you look at the the the key players that that contribute uh and every every player is playing their part obviously but Costa barbar rusus has really stepped up to the plate this
Season 10 goals you know particularly of late in the absence of Oscar Zada who is you know almost back to to full fitness so he’ll be a key addition uh no badar CV yesterday no Alex ruer no Tim pay they are experienced pros and and leaders for that Wellington Phoenix team
And yet some of the kids that came in Isaac Hughes uh Finn Ki Kelly helds had a very good season out on the leftand side of Defense um it’s it’s an amazing story and uh you know personally I I hope they go on and win the Premiership
Because I I think they deserve to do it and uh it would be great for New Zealand football particularly with you know the ockland franchise about to join the competition next year to give that rivalry a a real rev up right from the start and of course they are the only
Club currently in the competition that has yet to win a trophy so it’s probably time they did and uh you know they’ll never have a better chance than this season that’s for sure Simon Hil is with us of course A League of course you recognize that voice if you are a fan of
The last eight games four wins four draws haven’t lost in 2024 and I think that’s what he’s done hasn’t he chiefy if I can call him that Jan Carlo that he’s he’s he’s he’s just stiffened the side up and I remember talking to him earlier in the season and it was just
You know it was almost about a not wanting to lose philosophy well that’s obviously standing the team in really good stead cuz one of the things that was impressive yesterday was the way they defended I thought and I was counting 91 players behind the ball at
Times you got to do that when you’re away from home and down on strength as they were yeah yeah sometimes you got to dig in and sometimes it’s not been pretty uh you know I remember the the game early on in the season against Melbourne Victory where they didn’t have
A single shot in the entire 90 minutes and came away with a one all draw somehow um and and that there might have even won it I think there was a penalty decision that was overturned because of an offside uh so you know sometimes you
You can call it lock um but also you you you earn that lock by by being resilient and uh they’re very solid defensively Alex pson is having an outstanding season between the posts uh so much so that you know one of the very few preseason signings that was brought in
Jack Duncan has has hardly played a game um they’ve not gone big in the transfer Market they’ve relied on a a mix of good experienced Pros like cve like Zada like David Ball like barbar rusus like Scott woodon uh with the best of of the academy that is coming through and
Clearly there’s there’s a lot of talent coming through that system so you know it’s it’s a good model and um you know for all of us and I include myself in this who thought once UK T left the club you thought oh you know that that that
Could be a big problem because he did such a good job there but goodness mate uh chiefy has done uh an amazing job so far and uh he’s a super guy as well very very personable uh and I hope for his sake as much as anybody else that uh
They go on and lift the premier’s plate to hear the full interview download the platform at the App Store via platform plus you can go back and listen to the whole show and all of the interviews in full up the W it’s begun already people we’re only two weeks away from the
Beginning of the Season Christ CH packing it out yesterday brilliant for League hey you can’t read too much into it well you can’t read anything into it really if you’re a Warriors fan apart from the fact that there is Squad depth there a lot of young boys young men
Stood up and Roger back with a Warriors shirt on big smiles from Christ Church including from the former Warriors coach and kiwi Coach Frank inop Frank what an occasion in Christ Church I got to say congratulations to the local population for packing out that stadium and making
It a sellout I know it’s only pre-season but it just says at the moment it must be heartwarming for a bloke like you just to see how popular this team this sport is right now oh fantastic man and you know um I heard what two two weeks two and a half
Weeks ago that uh all the stand tickets were sold the covered stand and uh I knew then that they’d get a sell out and uh and a wonderful day to go with it and um yeah a a great occasion for everyone that went and of course with all the
Chitter chatter around about possibly getting another New Zealand team based in the South Island I mean this can only help surely uh without a doubt um and you know you you’ve mostly heard there are plans of foot and um and people working behind the scenes to get that done so
There’s a that’ll help their case for 100% what do we read into the game if anything at all well yeah the one thing I’ve got to stress is never take into account trial results um you know I mean you look at the teams um there was a lot of first
Graders is missing but I it what it showed to me was the Warriors have got plenty of depth because those young fellas played their heart out yesterday and uh and I I think with any any luck they could have won the game not that the result means that much in Trials but
They play well enough to win and um yeah it showed it showed me they got something there for the future so that’s the New South Wales cup side and of course you know you’ve been in a position where you’ve been coaching this team in the past as well so that’s going
To make weby feel pretty good you think 100% uh you know I mean every team allows 15% um or thereabouts for injuries uh every week so you know when when you get two or three injuries in your in your first grade Squad you you know now that you got players you can
Call up and they won’t let you down and I saw plenty of cases of that yesterday so you know everyone wants to be able to put something on it don’t they and say okay it means this it means that it’s I mean I just think that’s probably a lot
Of us just feeling like we want the season to start exactly and you know people have been hanging out for months for the season to start and all of a sudden we see the charity Shield the other night between um souths and and and the dragons and that was full on that was
You know full of first graders um then I watched another game was at the the roosters and Manley and um Manley had a young team out there and they look really good really good I think they in for a big improved year but they played against just about a full strength
Rooster Squad so it’s it’s it’s interesting to see the strategy of the different coaches some putting a first grade team out there and some with only two or three players out there so you know it’s um they’ve all got their own strategies and it’ll come to four and
Round one Frank get from war coach ke coach with us is always on the platform Roger tasar Sheek uh he played most of the game yesterday and I think that again is is just weby saying look he needs the game time because he’s been
Out of the game for a couple of years he looked pretty good he looked better than than good I thought he was fantastic I I thought he was the Warriors best player to be honest and um and you know I always had a little query on his front on the fence
Well I had no queries yesterday when when I saw him tackling and uh yeah he he he he’s come back and he’s going to be a real asset possibly at um I would say left center for the uh for the Warriors because they won’t move the
Fullback um Nicole clar he he chance had a a very good year last year so I’m picking I’ll keep him there um but if something happened to him during the game they got a good replacement and putting um Roger to V she back at fullback also so he’s going to be a
Great asset to the team and only strengthen us even more I’m G to ask you throughout the season Frank of course how’s it going and what you think and where you think the team is going to finish but right now what would you take in terms of where the Warriors finished
Do you think a top eight would be a really successful year uh well it’s always a successful year if you finished top eight but I I’d be looking for I’d be looking top four five with this team this year they in fact top four again I’d be prepared to
Say for the reason being that they’ve got the same team as last year plus two really top additions and Kurt um catell um he’s a great asset uh and also Roger toara shik so I’m picking they’re going to be stronger so you’ll be um I know
The coach will be looking at top four again and right this so the tight five five sport topics when the bell goes we move on quickly to the next one LS clber and Erica Fairweather world champions in the pool and Doha what does it mean for our Olympic prospects slin
Was in Christ Church great crowd lots of reserved players or young players or second stringers or whatever getting a run Roger looked pretty good and Z deserve to be sent off what more can you take out of that game Lam they’re selling two for one tickets to the Las Vegas League opener
Extravaganza depending on Whose PR that you read and believe what does that tell us about those two games in Las Vegas Aussie equestrian Shane Rose has been stood down after on the weekend wearing a manini you know the Borat manini to some equestrian horsey thingy D to die how
Ridiculous is that he’s been stood down he may not go to the Olympics now because of that is that idiotic as the Jordan Speed roll um Breakers your thoughts on that Phoenix as well and super Rugby’s just four days away Lam but let’s kick it off with ls clber and Erica Fairweather and
Erica Fairweather winning another medal in the pool so look these two are world champions I said at the start of the show I really like Lewis’s attitude to it hey it doesn’t matter who’s there look the reality is is that the world’s best swimmers in these events Louis clber won in the 4×100
Medley uh Eric with winning a 400 m gold in the freestyle the best swimmers in the world aren’t there they’re obviously tapering off or saving themselves or building up or they’ve got other things to do than go to the world Champs and Olympic year it does seem rather queer
To me to have World Championships in the same year as Olympic year given that the world champions chips are effectively the Olympics right but at the same time you know this is history for New Zealand in the pool are they going to win medals at the Olympics I like their prospects after
This because I tell you what it does it convinces both of them that they are capable at the highest level of delivering yeah and that’s a massive confidence boost for both they’ll know what they have to do from here sure you know you don’t have to set a world
Record time at the Olympics to win a gold medal you just got to beat everyone that’s in the pool with you right and they prove that they can yeah feeding everyone that’s in the pool not who’s not in the pool who is in the pool it’s
Um well I mean look at the last Olympic Games I I I I I can’t really remember how er Fe with had wi I don’t even know if she was at the last olymp I’m pretty sure she was but Louis cirt um got into the final of a number of uh races and
There was one which was his supposedly a specialist event which he was sort of running third or fourth for most of the race and then tailed off towards the end so I think for those two as well as other young swimmers we’ve got coming up it’s a case
Of um I don’t know growing more into their mature adult swim self if that makes sense so yeah sure they probably better chances for medals now but I don’t know look I’m not the most clued when it comes to swimming and who the um and what these to like the ceiling their
Potential is but I think they’d be in the mix based on Purely the fact that if you get medals at a world Champs sure the not all of the best are there no but a lot of good ones are and what it says to me is that you’ve actually got to do
It on that day at that time in that race so and that’s what the Olympics is about I’ve been to enough Olympic Games to you know I watched hot favorites completely belly it I’ve watched you know I’ve watched a bit of cheating going on the Olympics to be perfectly fair but not
Necessarily the number one seed wins those events and you got to learn how to win and I think this is the most Val I was going to say that going to events like this going to meets and competitions and competing those in a world what I was
About to say World Cup year excuse me in an olympic year is the best preparation isn’t it cuz you’re you’re simulating those races whereas the ones who are supposedly the best in the world and they in the rigorous training regimes back in their home countries where they’re actually not competing they’re
Just training I don’t know I’d rather be racing the NBA allar weekends on the East versus West game is about to start yeah I look I watched a fair bit of this yesterday uh because I like the Three-Point Contest um I liked watching Steph Curry and he won
Against oh what’s her name Sabrina yes and that’s right yeah um and he was always going to cuz there’s nobody better at shooting a three-point basketball than him uh as far as the dunk contest went I just it’s just it’s lost its luster to me you know
It’s just so gimmicky these days and then you get this game East versus West which look even the commentators yesterday were struggling through the slam dunk contest they were really struggling to Hype it up and to keep interest alive well the bloku W it plays
In the G League he’s not even in the NBA he’s in the second division he’s also a white guy he’s I mean white men don’t have any personality just you know here am I I remember the slam dunk contest in you see those beautiful posters of Michael
Jordan flying in from about half court it seemed you know and but just I just want to see the best players do normal dunks like just actually like you would see in a game have a dunk contest with LeBron James Kevin Durant Paul George and don’t have any drones or little
Flashing lights or on spinning platforms a guy with ball and give us your most exciting dunk yeah and give give us your stars I don’t want to watch Max mclan no I don’t want to watch Max who’s a nobody sounds like somebody’s programming radio somewhere doesn’t
He hey Max M he’s on T2 spinning the disc um and as far as this East West game goes look it’s like to me the uh the the pro what was it the bloody NFL pro thing where where they just had to stop in the end because there’s no
Defense and it’s just a sham and that’s what this is I can’t remember the last time I watched one of these look the MLB game where they used to you know have the American League against the national league and the winner of that held home advantage throughout the playoffs that
Meant something the World Series yeah and the players actually went and played but it’s just it’s a bit like watching yesterday the the NRL preseason how much of it did you watch I watched the most of the Warriors game I tuned in for the Bron
That yeah a little bit um I think I watched the Dolphins play but in the it was just on in the background in the end and I don’t know how much you can read into any of this again either we’ll talk to Frank Endicott I got a few questions
For you afterwards but the the thing that I got most about the NRL preseason games was that it’s here it’s now it’s real it’s only two weeks away the rest of it is instantly forgettable isn’t apart from Zion did he deserve a red card Zion m from the warriors uh I
Thought so there’s a mitigating Factor as why not because the blow who is tackling is being tackled by someone else is kind of falling isn’t it so I think that’s enough of a reason not to give it then again mate they’ve got to get serious about their head injuries
The head KN the shoulders to the head look I read a bit of Twitter argument about this mate and there’s one guy saying oh you aim for the collarbone well if you’re aiming for the collarbone you’re aiming too high yeah look rugby legs or the I don’t know
Abdominal area you can’t but that’s the thing and Rugby’s a lot more strict than rugby league um it shouldn’t be no it shouldn’t be and to me it until you get out of this mentality you’re going to have Jared War har Graves elbow guys in
The face all SE no no no come on that was different that was him singling out a bloke you just got stop the head high stuff before a lawsuit kills this game well it’s going to it’s going to otherwise look read read the read the rugby thing before you start arguing
About it two for one tickets now Las Vegas Lo what does that tell you they are not selling any not selling many tickets okay that’s and look the NL is going to take a whole lot of joural over there and they’re all on a a lovely donut freebie trip and they’ll all write
The articles that they’re told to write it’s a bit like the New Zealand mainstream political media under the labor government you know they’re all getting paid and so they all write what it is they’re told to write put it in the framework and everything else I like
The idea it’s in Vegas but just you know as Public Enemy once saying don’t believe the hype Shane Rose has been stood down by a question in Australia after wearing the manini to an event some kind of charity event over the weekend he actually wore three costumes
One of them was a gorilla costume one was here we are with an Olympic Games in Paris this year L and Russian Russian athletes who were banned for four years by wer are going to compete y drug cheats the whole lot of them right and yet this guy could potentially be banned
For just being a dick and wearing a silly man Keeny is there something wrong with this story well um it’s always the equestrians isn’t it are they a little bit off well you mean riding ready Teddy behind the double browns with what they get up to
There I mean it does have that the equestrian has that you know kind of they car swirly don’t they whip their horses well whatever they in each other you know mean they’re wearing top hats but you know they’re doing a sport thigh high leather boots and rubbing each
Other with saddle soap I don’t know but it just it creates that impression writing going on you just know anyway but um surely this guy I mean just he’s out having a bit of fun doing is he is he on cour is he working is he on he
Should be punished for the fact he’s a 50-year old man doing it that’s a bit to me I mean like my dad’s in his 50s I don’t want to see but also like you’re right you’ve got I mean it’s the same with we talk about you know man city
Getting off all all the charges and you pick on the little guy you know Evon or Nottingham Forest it’s kind of a similar thing where it’s like like okay fine can you keep Russia banned then cuz you convicted them essentially and then they appealed it and the moment that they
Appealed it you knew no it’s going to be trimmed back and sure enough it was only a twoyear ban and no they’re not actually banned you know they they could flbe guy could actually just compete under a different flag or something yeah just do that at least we Russian yeah
Wear at least you know wear what you meant to wear when you are competing with it all right finally then Super Rugby 4 days away are you excited no not at all the first game’s going to be good cuz it’s Chiefs Crusaders I see like the I’ve always held an interest of
Sorts in Super Rugby I loved it when I was a kid like pretty much everyone in this country who like this Sport and then lost interest but I still you know would watch games I have no interest I just come on man I’m sorry I don’t care
I just do not care this competition is not marketed or not marketed well there’s no access to the players or the coaches from a media and a fans perspective like That season launch last week that should have been open to the public it should have been on a Saturday
Afternoon and you involve all of you know you go go to schools go to clubs invite kids and their families and get them involved it shouldn’t be a closed door you know caviar champagne sort of event that only the media go to that’s not right how do you how are you fan
Centric by doing that you’re not so there’s no link to the fans whatsoever I mean personally it’s really hard to get a lot of these guys for interviews it’s really closed off which makes me less interested in it and also the game of rugby itself is struggling cuz there’s
So many confusing rules it’s hard to follow something changes here and there you know there’s issues with we talked about head high tackles and lawsuits before there’s that bubbling way in the background and there’s no crowds and the games aren’t exactly fun to attend anyway the breakers punch the ticket on
Friday good home win against the Brisbane bullets but like it has been all season injuries again McDow white out with his shoulder now Anthony lamb he has gone for the season and a really disappointing finish last night in Adelaide could have been a fourth spot
End up six and have to go away to the Sydney Kings Liam Santa Maria is one of the a& experts out of Australia see him all over the TV he’s also general manager of the of the Future Stars program talking Breakers it feels a bit flat after that loss to the 36ers
Finishing sixth instead of fourth yeah it does uh they’re in though and uh that’s the important thing they’re in the postseason they yet to extend their campaign but uh fourth place finish would have been terrific would have given him a double chance a chance to to win one and go straight
Into a semi-final appearance and now not only do they not have that uh they got to go on the road and play against the two-time defending champs and then you couple all of that Martin with um the injury to will McDale white yesterday and uh yeah I think it’s a bit of sweet
Feeling for the breakers right now it must be it kind of summed up the whole season for me though just when you think they’re getting it back getting it right getting and and then comes another foot trp yep I agree um gez they’ve had some adversity Tomy mcomie spoke about it
Really well in the postgame press conference yesterday saying injuries injuries are a CL of sport and um but gez we’ve uh it’s been a dooy of a season for us in that regard they had the season ending injury to Justinian Jessup early in the year now of course
They were able to bounce back from that with the signing of Anthony lamb but then of course he goes down with the rupture to kill his tendon late in the year and then now a second dislocated shoulder for will mcdal white uh and the expectation we’re waiting uh confirmation from The Breakers the
Expectation is that that’s his season done so man they are well and truly up against it from here Breakers and the Kings will they finish um Fifth and six respectively that’s the Kings and Breakers in six two time last year’s two finalists so is anyone going to be
Wanting to play whoever wins that in terms of the playoffs let’s just put Melbourne and the Wildcats aside I’m talking about the Jack jumpers and Hawks well so the loser of the Jack jumpers and the Hawks will host the winner of Sydney in New Zealand and to
Be honest I don’t think either of those are are really the kind of scary proposition that um you know you can sometimes find in that situation because the Kings they so hot and cold um that you know if the if they’re not really um on top of things we’ve found that they
You can quickly kind of um you know deflate that team and put them away so tazzy and D laara have both had good success against Sydney and this New Zealand team I thought they could Soldier on here without Anthony lamb but without will mcdell white as well geez
That’s makes it very very tough and Ila and Tasmania have both been playing at a very high level so I don’t give either of those two teams the Kings or the breakers uh a lot of Hope from here to make a significant playoff run Liam Santa Maria with us we discussing the
And the regulations season wrapped up last night we got a week off and the playoffs start next Wednesday out of 10 teams only three of them have a record over 500 the Hawks split at 14 and 14 between Fifth and 9th you’ve got got 13 13 wins uh 13 wins 12
Wins 12 wins is it a worry for the league that only three teams out of the 10 had a winning record No in fact I think it’s it’s a great advantage of our league it’s a real positive um now why has that happened well because of the extreme
Parity that exists across the middle section of the league we’ve had one team up the top Melbourne United who have been pretty dominant never lost two games in a row this season and and ended up with over 20 wins but you don’t have a team at the bottom this year that’s
Just been gifting victories to that middle class you don’t have a team like aawara who only won three games last year or or a team um you know like that just just losing a whole bunch so we’ve got a team at the bottom with double
Digit wins at the end of the year so it shows the fact that nobody’s been wallowing at the bottom and there’s been extreme parody across the middle section of the league and um you know as a result regardless winning record losing record 500 record we got the best six
Teams remaining and they’re going to duuk it out LBP let’s be positive Matt gun with us every Monday as always plenty of sport to talk about Breakers making the play offs the next top of the table India thrashing England in the cricket and goodby basb what a pathetic
Batting effort from the pals that was but most importantly of all as we approached the beginning of the NR season so much hope and expectation in the 20 years since his beloved Bulldogs last won a championship and they beat Melbourne in pre-season don’t get more positive than that our doggies [ __ ] the Melbourne
Storm I’m going top four I’m not even going top eight now I’m being positive I’m saying top four on that performance mate the Dogg is flying high after the opening performance in the pre-season competition and Martin I’ve got to say looking very expansive with the dogs good up front very expansive
Looked to the wings scored out wide uh we are looking top eight just like we were at this stage last year see the only difference the only difference is is is that this year is the year oh last sorry La last year last year it was a
Glimmer but it wasn’t to be this year I believe it’s to be it’s to be this year well I’m I’m I’m leaning enough positives out of the performance of the wars against the West Tigers especially in attracting a sellout crowd for a start and playing a Reserve side that
Came within two points against a virtual full strength West tiger side so I’m looking positively at that as well and I’m saying I’m saying top eight at least if not top four on the basis of that well yeah let’s not forget too they played what 60 Minutes a man down the
War yeah good point yeah yeah so so uh RTS looked comfortable yep in uh in the outside Center position I think that might work um and uh well I mean you know they didn’t win and uh great news for Benji over there in Bal main but at
The end of the day Martin I’m going to say definitely top eight again the Warriors they have to be better than last year uh looked pretty good on the weekend even though they lost but sat down much to the side for the second half and it was rookies left right and
Center so yeah but doggies manate just keep an eye on those doggies all right the Warriors yes but let’s just keep an eye on those doggies Bears ball looks great until yeah produce a performance like that against India where you get bowled for 100 chasing 500 or something
And you were 224 for two chasing 400 OD in the first Innings and you just start thrashing and playing across the line and playing [ __ ] shots and that and it does look at that it’s it’s either one or the other isn’t it it either it either wins and you feel fantastic or
You look like the worst test Cricket side that England’s ever picked yeah well Hamet is the word of it you 434 run loss and 122 in the second Innings if you listen to Ben stes though we’ve got to have a look at the DRS oh because Zack Zack Crawley’s dismissal EV
Believe should have been out forget about 434 runs behind at the end of the test yeah yeah Ben like we’ve got to look at this uh this uh DRS yeah it is spectacular Cricket but you know once one starts to fall or people don’t have the confidence that game doesn’t that
That game doesn’t work and what else that game doesn’t do it doesn’t allow teams to guts it out once it starts to go wrong because they’re so used to just swinging the bat you know so if you don’t get it right you are a fool let’s be positive about the breakers and I’m
Struggling here mate cuz after Friday night punch the ticket to the final and I was doing all the calculations hang on a second going to finish fourth here away to Adelaide well that’s a gimme I mean they’re second to bottom the table you know they’re going to win that one
That’s fourth that’s two bites at the Cherry then to turn around but I suppose it’s reflective of the whole season isn’t it just when you think the breakers are back on track they yeah okay and now a away Sydney in a must-win one-off match next week I kind of feel
As a bit of a s taste to it at the end there it wasn’t that long ago I said there were absolutely no chance of making the play well that’s you know I thought they were no go um and then putting themselves in a position to be there uh disappointing
Again over the weekend and comes down to a coin toss um I think the season has probably turned out better than I expected to be honest but reflective of the whole year haven’t been consistent haven’t really had the same I suppose uh switched on this between the squad
Consistently over the the year and they’ll be lucky to beat Sydney yeah a lot of injuries as well haven’t helped maid and now you got McDow white out again so yeah I mean but that’s you sport yeah well that’s well that’s the way it goes isn’t it and that’s why to
Start a season’s important they were halfway through the season look nowhere came back but it’s just been too much of a struggle so um no real surprises there the real surprise to me is that they were in a position to be in the top four to hear the full interview download the
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