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Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine

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Speaker 1: from News Talk.

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Speaker 2: ZEDB Legiant Stadium, Las Vegas, building up towards a kickoff

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Speaker 2: at one o'clock. Let's lead things off with Warriors CEO

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Speaker 2: Cam George live from Las Vegas, Caam, Thanks for taking

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Speaker 2: the time. How have the last few days in Vegas been?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's been good, mate, It's the excitement has been

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Speaker 3: building up, you know, as the game day has got

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Speaker 3: closer and closer, and you know there's a lot a

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Speaker 3: lot of people here from New Zealand or supporting the Warriors.

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Speaker 3: So at the end of the day, it's been a

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Speaker 3: great week. But we've got a job to do today

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Speaker 3: which we're very much looking forward to being at the

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Speaker 3: stadium and get those two points.

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Speaker 2: What sense do you get from the team and the

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Speaker 2: coaching staff ahead of what is a pretty special occasion,

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Speaker 2: but what is also, let's face it, a season opener

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Speaker 2: for the new twenty twenty five NURL season.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, look, the boys are excited, coaches are excited, you know,

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Speaker 3: because of the difference in the season opener. You know,

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Speaker 3: well wouldn't you be with this opportunity. However, the thing

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Speaker 3: I've been most impressed about the whole week since we

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Speaker 3: arrived last Saturday. Is you know, the guys have really

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Speaker 3: you know, built up the week and grown their focus

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Speaker 3: into the job at hand, and they haven't let that,

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Speaker 3: you know, that focus get away from them. They've been really,

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Speaker 3: really good on the park training, they've been very good

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Speaker 3: away from training at the hotel and just you know,

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Speaker 3: looking after themselves and getting ready for the week. So

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Speaker 3: there's a real sense of excitement. But it's not over

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Speaker 3: the top. You know, the boys have certainly got their

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Speaker 3: their mind in the game, so to speak.

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Speaker 2: I remember when you joined me in studio last year, Cam,

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Speaker 2: this this hadn't been confirmed. You you didn't know whether

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Speaker 2: you were going to Las Vegas or not. Can you

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Speaker 2: just remind us how you found out and whether you

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Speaker 2: had to pitch for it, how it all played out.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, we pitched last year. I can't remember the dateline.

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Speaker 3: But it's it's a long process and you know, you've

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Speaker 3: got to, uh, They're not just let anyone come here

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Speaker 3: for the sake of it. You've got to add value

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Speaker 3: to the event and you've got to be really you know,

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Speaker 3: keen to buy in and grow the support of the game.

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Speaker 3: Over here. And by that I mean there's a lot

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Speaker 3: of media and other activities you got to undertake to

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Speaker 3: try and help the NRL grow the sport. So you know,

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Speaker 3: we've been busy all week. I've been flat out all

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Speaker 3: week doing different things for the media and also the

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Speaker 3: NRL and the players have as well. So you know

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Speaker 3: where where we've where we found out I can't exactly

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Speaker 3: remember the date, but I was pretty confident we'd get

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Speaker 3: there at the end of the day because of the

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Speaker 3: certainly the fan you know, the fan engagement we can

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Speaker 3: bring to the event, which is clearly on hand to

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Speaker 3: see if you're floating around Las Vegas.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I've seen plenty of footage coming back. It

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Speaker 2: seems as though one New Zealand Warriors ripple like a

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Speaker 2: Jerseys have taken over the large parts of the Las

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Speaker 2: Vegas Strip. Are you are you mixing and mingling with

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Speaker 2: a few Warriors fans and the lead up to this afternoon.

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Speaker 3: It's absolutely crazy to see the number of Warriors supporters here.

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Speaker 3: I have no doubt, no doubt in my mind that

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Speaker 3: we would be doubled to any other club here at

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Speaker 3: the moment, and you know, really proud of that and

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Speaker 3: it's really important that we you know, we've we put

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Speaker 3: in a good performance today to acknowledge all these people

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Speaker 3: that have traveled far and wide to be here. But

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Speaker 3: our supporters honestly are everywhere. It's just unreal walking around

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Speaker 3: the streets and you know, saying hello, you get a

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Speaker 3: lot of up the wires. They're just so proud and

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Speaker 3: I just, you know, I just really want to win

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Speaker 3: today for these.

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Speaker 2: Guys, tremendous. How other nerves do you get nervous?

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Speaker 3: I get, Yeah, I get a little bit nervous, particularly

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Speaker 3: for these types of events. You know, they don't come

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Speaker 3: along every day. So as I just touched on, I

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Speaker 3: just I just really want to make sure that the

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Speaker 3: club represents our fan base really well today and that's

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Speaker 3: very important to me. So yeah, I get a little

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Speaker 3: bit nervous for those said reasons.

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Speaker 2: All Right, we'll great to get the chance to check

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Speaker 2: to you so close to kick off. Cam, thanks indeed

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Speaker 2: for taking out call all the best of this afternoon.

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Speaker 2: We'll see you back home.

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Speaker 3: Ah Waite. Thanks mate.

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Speaker 1: For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live

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Speaker 1: to News Talk set B Weekends from midday, or follow

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Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio,