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Speaker 1: This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talk said B.
Speaker 2: Hi there and welcome into the back end of your week.
Speaker 2: The last day of the Monday to Friday week, the
Speaker 2: last day of February twenty eight to February twenty twenty five,
Speaker 2: to be precise. This is the Sports Fixed podcast. My
Speaker 2: name's Jason Pine.
Speaker 3: And I'm Darcy Watergrave. Not looking forward to autumn, but
Speaker 3: there you have it. It doesn't matter. The weather is
Speaker 3: fantastic regardless.
Speaker 2: Yeah it is here in Wellington. I know it is
Speaker 2: where you are as well, and who knows, we might
Speaker 2: get the extension of summer. But rather than try a
Speaker 2: hand at amateur meteorology, let's stick to what we're We're
Speaker 2: kind of good at what we're what we're supposedly paid for,
Speaker 2: and that's to talk a bit of sport. There's a
Speaker 2: weekend coming up with lots of things happening in it.
Speaker 2: I want to kick around Super Rugby and the start
Speaker 2: of the NRL season with you.
Speaker 3: Who have we got coming up?
Speaker 2: In terms of a guest today from.
Speaker 3: Brea Tate joins us Pineys. We take a look forward
Speaker 3: to the action coming up in Las Vegas and indeed
Speaker 3: the rest of the season.
Speaker 2: Brilliant staff and the latest and sports news as well.
Speaker 2: So let's get into it. In other news, let's get
Speaker 2: things going with a look at some of the big
Speaker 2: sports stories around today. I hint the Chiefs are likely
Speaker 2: to look within when they begin the process to replace
Speaker 2: Clayton McMillan after the season. Chief CEO Simon Graffers says
Speaker 2: they have good options on the current staff to take over.
Speaker 4: View at the stage is I think we've got really
Speaker 4: good capability internally and so I think there's some really
Speaker 4: good contenders internally.
Speaker 2: The Black Stacks women have come from a goal down
Speaker 2: to beat Scotland three to one and secure passage through
Speaker 2: to the semi finals at Hockey's Nations Cup in Santiago.
Speaker 3: Scotland have taken the keeper off. There's a chance share
Speaker 3: for New Zealand to just rampone the paint that.
Speaker 5: Sarah staff as superbly from a tightangle.
Speaker 2: And no easing into his latest new sporting venture for
Speaker 2: former All Blacks loose Ford Liam Messim who tackle iron
Speaker 2: Man New Zealand and toeport tomorrow. While many get him
Speaker 2: to the sport through the half iron Man distance, Messa
Speaker 2: says he had a friend who did that and decided
Speaker 2: that it wasn't for him.
Speaker 6: I watching half the movie, leaving in retunity to watch.
Speaker 6: And then also I just did not want to fill
Speaker 6: the pain twice because if I don't half and mentally
Speaker 6: I knew that I had to do that again and
Speaker 6: double it. So physically probably more mentally be able to
Speaker 6: do that.
Speaker 1: Dissecting the sporting agenda, It's Sports Fix with Jason Vain
Speaker 1: and Darcy Walter Grave.
Speaker 3: Brent Take joins the program. Now as we take a
Speaker 3: look at the start of the n r L, all
Speaker 3: the glamour and glitz of Las Vegas. Sprent, welcome, plainly
Speaker 3: you're not over there. Did you not get the invite
Speaker 3: or does Las Vegas? Las Vegas terrorize you?
Speaker 4: I'll probably a bit of both, to be honest, that
Speaker 4: no knowing might mate. So it did make my way over,
Speaker 4: but I certainly will in the next couple of years
Speaker 4: make my way over to watch his game for sure.
Speaker 3: Great way to start the season. You think you're down
Speaker 3: with this now they've got one under the belt.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think it's an awesome way to start the season. Mate.
Speaker 4: I think, you know, just the hype that's around it,
Speaker 4: the amount of people that are over there, and what
Speaker 4: it's done for I guess, you know, the the amount
Speaker 4: of money that it's pumped into Vegas and how much
Speaker 4: they've received it well so, and you know, I think
Speaker 4: everyone back home he is excited to see the season
Speaker 4: kick off over there. So I made I love it.
Speaker 4: I love the idea. I think it's straight to the
Speaker 4: really pushing the boundaries and taking fo you to a
Speaker 4: different market. So I can't see too many negatives about it.
Speaker 3: Will it actually get traction there? I suppose the whole
Speaker 3: idea is to get more eyeballs and get more interested
Speaker 3: in rugby league. That's a pretty tall order in the
Speaker 3: United States of America, isn't it. Yeah, yeah it is.
Speaker 4: But you've got to try and look the amount of
Speaker 4: you know, publicity, and you know, even back home, you know,
Speaker 4: everyone's talking about it. Everyone you know is you know,
Speaker 4: anyone I speak to, you know can't wait for the
Speaker 4: weekend happen. And you know, I think the eyeballs that
Speaker 4: they had on it last year and the amount of
Speaker 4: interest it's it's peaked again this year made you know,
Speaker 4: whilst it is a bit of a gamble and it
Speaker 4: is hard to get some traction over in America, you've
Speaker 4: got to be in at the winter. I just think
Speaker 4: it's a great idea and you know, proof will be
Speaker 4: in the pudding after five years. But you know, even
Speaker 4: after five years we've kicked the season off the way
Speaker 4: we have, I can't see us looking back and saying
Speaker 4: it didn't work. Really, I think it's a it's a
Speaker 4: wonderful way to kick off a.
Speaker 3: You that's keyies aren't too happy with Peter valandis because
Speaker 3: he kind of teams on ignoring us when it comes
Speaker 3: to our second team, but that's another story. Regardless whether
Speaker 3: you like him or not, you've got to give him
Speaker 3: credit for the bullish way he goes about things. The
Speaker 3: guy is a He's an achiever, isn't He looks up
Speaker 3: and fights.
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 4: Absolutely, mate, I think he's been awesome for Lea, you know,
Speaker 4: certainly obviously you know through that COVID period without him
Speaker 4: at the helm, Mate, I hate I'll shut it to
Speaker 4: think where we'd be. And we're as healthy as we've
Speaker 4: ever been under Peter Landis. And as you said, he's
Speaker 4: not want to just sit down and see it. He
Speaker 4: does push the boundaries, and I guess as a chairman,
Speaker 4: that's what you've got to do. You've got to set
Speaker 4: some high goals and shoot for the stars. And certainly,
Speaker 4: you know rugby Leage's never been in better positions. So yeah,
Speaker 4: be interesting to see what he does with that that,
Speaker 4: you know, the twentieth team or whenever that comes about. Yeah,
Speaker 4: it'll be interesting because that you know, we're hearing a
Speaker 4: lot about it in the last few weeks. And yeah,
Speaker 4: I think another team in New Zealand would be wonderful,
Speaker 4: but yeah, we'll have to sit back and see.
Speaker 3: I guess only one team in New Zealand now, and
Speaker 3: they're not here. They're over in Vegas about to take
Speaker 3: on the Raid. Has had a crazy year and then
Speaker 3: last year it kind of all just slipped away. So
Speaker 3: back now to the drawing board. Some big changes within
Speaker 3: this team, notably a Fisher Harris turning up of course,
Speaker 3: so we lost our other rather large prop too, which
Speaker 3: could be considered a blow. But I don't like for like,
Speaker 3: I'd rather have fish, wouldn't you.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, look, I think it is a bit of
Speaker 4: a light for like fanil Baker's obviously a wonderful player.
Speaker 4: Probably a little bit unsettling there in the last year
Speaker 4: at the Warriors. But yeah, may look when I think
Speaker 4: back to the Warriors every time, you know, the club
Speaker 4: seems to have some expectation around finishing well or you know,
Speaker 4: make having a top four side for someone known reason.
Speaker 4: Just in the past, even when I was there, we
Speaker 4: never really handled it well. And I think that was
Speaker 4: probably very similar last year. So you know, they sort
Speaker 4: of go into the season fine under the radar a
Speaker 4: little bit. Mate, I really like the team. I think
Speaker 4: you know that you're just as strong as what they
Speaker 4: are last year, you know, even though you've lost some
Speaker 4: really big names. But yeah, I think it's a really
Speaker 4: good team. I'm really looking forward to watching them play
Speaker 4: this year. I'm hoping to have a good year.
Speaker 3: Well, we've got Aroon Clark coming in and that's a
Speaker 3: big shoes. He's got the fill and Taho Harris real
Speaker 3: shame for the game that he's gone. I think there's
Speaker 3: a lot of eyes on this returning player, someone definite
Speaker 3: to look out for. And then I'm on the other
Speaker 3: side of it, well, in the halves, know Sean Johnson
Speaker 3: is quite the better on there, isn't it Brian for
Speaker 3: the Sex and seven roles, and that's going to be
Speaker 3: intriguing over the next few weeks.
Speaker 4: Yeah, just on Aaron Clark, I reckon he's a really
Speaker 4: good player, mate. I think he's excellent. I personally think
Speaker 4: he'll do really well in that thirteen spot. And I
Speaker 4: get the feeling that, you know, Andrew Webster has put
Speaker 4: a lot of faith in him, and I think he's
Speaker 4: that sort of player that to repay that faith with
Speaker 4: good performances. So I think he's a really good player.
Speaker 4: I like him, But I really like Metcalfe. I think
Speaker 4: he's a wonderful young half and if he can stay
Speaker 4: fit for you guys, he's had some injury troubles the
Speaker 4: last couple of years, I think he's going to be
Speaker 4: a really good player. So you guys have got some
Speaker 4: depth of warriors in the halves, which is good. You know,
Speaker 4: not many teams have that depth that you guys have got,
Speaker 4: so there is some options there. But look, there's plenty
Speaker 4: of plenty of intrigue around this team. Yeah, as I said,
Speaker 4: when you've got to play a like two of us,
Speaker 4: a check on the wing mate. You've got a pretty
Speaker 4: handy back line and a pretty handy team.
Speaker 3: Another huge year, looking forward to our love rugby league.
Speaker 3: Who's got a massive break? You actually start salivating for
Speaker 3: the game and it's getting going on Sunday, New Zealand time,
Speaker 3: Brent take thanks so much for your time. Don't change
Speaker 3: your number. May I'll be pestering you for the rest
Speaker 3: of the season, Chairs bro.
Speaker 4: Good only make go the Warriors this weekend sportstacks.
Speaker 2: The start of any new season in any sport brings
Speaker 2: with it a sense of optimism untarnished by anything in
Speaker 2: the way of results. For the next couple of days,
Speaker 2: and for the only time in the next seven months,
Speaker 2: all seventeen NRL teams are on exactly the same number
Speaker 2: of points, their seasons stretch ahead of them, full of hope,
Speaker 2: expectation and dream outcomes, many of which, of course, will
Speaker 2: be dashed after just a few matches. This is the
Speaker 2: scenario currently faced by Warriors fans who begin their annual
Speaker 2: love affair with their rugby league team. Like any relationship,
Speaker 2: it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
Speaker 3: Far from it.
Speaker 2: Both parties go in with the best of intentions, will
Speaker 2: support you we'll win for you. But the path too
Speaker 2: happily ever after is be set on all sides with
Speaker 2: memories of seasons past and the many and varied obstacles
Speaker 2: of the current season. Injuries form suspensions, off field matters
Speaker 2: where they travel, and other teams just being better. These
Speaker 2: and several other factors will come into play between now
Speaker 2: and the end of the season. You could say this
Speaker 2: Warrior side isn't as strong as last year's. No Shawn Johnson,
Speaker 2: no Tohu Harris, no Adam for Nouah Blake, no Marcello Montoya,
Speaker 2: no Jazz Tavanga dlan Wa Tennis Lesniak out for the
Speaker 2: first chunk of games, But even so it still looks
Speaker 2: like a pretty good team. James Fisher Harris, of course,
Speaker 2: is a massive pickup, Aaron Clark is back, and there
Speaker 2: are a corps of players who, on their day, could
Speaker 2: form the base of a team that may very well
Speaker 2: replicate what the Warriors did in twenty two three, and,
Speaker 2: who knows, maybe even go a little bit better. That's
Speaker 2: what I'm going to go with anyway, because if you
Speaker 2: can't be optimistic ahead of round one, when can you
Speaker 2: up the wars our year?
Speaker 1: The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2: And to the Chamber we go and on Friday, as
Speaker 2: per usual, there is a big weekend of sport to
Speaker 2: look forward to. Want to get to the start of
Speaker 2: the NRL season in Vegas shortly, but Super Rugby dars
Speaker 2: round three of Super Rugby. Your crusaders have a weekend off,
Speaker 2: so you can kind of rest easy and look at
Speaker 2: all these other matches with a very objective eye. Do
Speaker 2: you see any upsets coming? And let's focus it on
Speaker 2: Hurricanes Blues that tab reckon. The Blues are favorites. They
Speaker 2: haven't won a game in their first two rounds this season.
Speaker 2: The Canes off the back of getting away with one
Speaker 2: against Fiji and drew a last weekend.
Speaker 3: What do you see playing out at sky Stadium tomorrow night.
Speaker 3: I like the way you said I can look at
Speaker 3: it out of one good eye. Know I'm a cantab,
Speaker 3: don't you. Whether you do that deliberately or not, I
Speaker 3: don't know. So what do I see from my one
Speaker 3: good eye out of this? Blues have got their backs
Speaker 3: to the wall. They have Hurricanes would expect at home
Speaker 3: to be able to roll them. But with expectations in
Speaker 3: the Hurricanes. Does that really come to bear, I'm not
Speaker 3: sure if it does. I'd say pressure on both sides
Speaker 3: with this. And if you look at what we've seen
Speaker 3: in Super rugby so far, the standout point is defense
Speaker 3: is not key. So the team that understands how to
Speaker 3: tackle and actually protect their line long term is going
Speaker 3: to be the team that's going to end up winning.
Speaker 3: And I don't know who you want to give that
Speaker 3: job to or who you think is going to have
Speaker 3: success in that space.
Speaker 2: Pinty, Well, it's interesting you say that because I think
Speaker 2: the Blues last year, you know, their success was built
Speaker 2: very much on doing the basics right, you know, dominance upfronts,
Speaker 2: getting the forward battle won, and then releasing their rock
Speaker 2: star backs. But it seems as though this season all
Speaker 2: that's tough upfront have been put to the back of
Speaker 2: the back of the priority que for most of these teams.
Speaker 2: And it's the Blues really who I wouldn't say have
Speaker 2: suffered because of that. But they're the lowest scoring team
Speaker 2: in the competition. They haven't had a win yet and
Speaker 2: I'll tell you what, mate, that wouldn't want to be
Speaker 2: oh and three after three rounds. I'm not saying they're
Speaker 2: going down the line of the twenty twenty four Crusaders.
Speaker 2: Sorry to bring that up, but I mean vern Cottle
Speaker 2: would be stern, even sterner vernee of their oh and
Speaker 2: three after three games.
Speaker 3: I tell you who's hurting right here and right now.
Speaker 3: It's Boden Barrett. Now, he had a shocker last week
Speaker 3: and it's been well pointed out by a lot of people,
Speaker 3: and I know the way he operates. He is going
Speaker 3: to have an almost peerless game this weekend. He won't
Speaker 3: do that again because that was shoddy. Is that a
Speaker 3: fair thing to say?
Speaker 4: I think so.
Speaker 2: I think it's very fair. I think that's exactly what
Speaker 2: he was. And look he you know, we know he's
Speaker 2: a quality player and may well come to sky Stadium's
Speaker 2: former home, of course and do a number on his
Speaker 2: former team. But yeah, looking forward to seeing that tonight.
Speaker 2: ONEA PACIFICA. That's an interesting team for me. They've they've
Speaker 2: scored eighty points in their first two games, but been
Speaker 2: on the losing side both times.
Speaker 3: What does this tell us? This tells us that maybe
Speaker 3: they're upset they didn't get a Marvel top like the
Speaker 3: other five franchises did in Super Rugby and maybe that
Speaker 3: will come to pass tonight and I'll turn up with rage.
Speaker 3: I don't know what to make of this team so
Speaker 3: far and how they operate. I'm sure that already behind
Speaker 3: the scenes are trying to lift them, but they'd be
Speaker 3: I might say, questioning themselves. But well, they've got a
Speaker 3: lot to prove. And what they've got against the Heightened
Speaker 3: is a team that it's a zombie team. They refuse
Speaker 3: to die. You could chop their head off and they
Speaker 3: still won't die. That game last week was phenomenal. It
Speaker 3: was frightening, So I'd say the whole of Mauana at
Speaker 3: the moment and looking at Nahua going oh no, you don't,
Speaker 3: Oh no, you don't.
Speaker 4: JB.
Speaker 2: Joseph is the king of the zombies then in that case,
Speaker 2: because his fingerprints were all over that when last weekend
Speaker 2: against the Blues quick on. The Chiefs are two from
Speaker 2: two form side to start the season. I can't see
Speaker 2: them having too many problems with the Brumbies in Hamilton
Speaker 2: tomorrow afternoon, can you.
Speaker 3: Well they've got the added bonus of Clayton McMillan, who's
Speaker 3: upsticks at the end of the season and leaving. And
Speaker 3: I think if that's going to add well, it can't
Speaker 3: not add more strength to the arm of the Chiefs.
Speaker 3: They're going to do that for him. Not they don't
Speaker 3: do it for themselves and him anyway, but knowing he's
Speaker 3: going and knowing how close they've come to titles on
Speaker 3: so many occasions and already fantastic team, this is going
Speaker 3: to give him something extra. And the Brummis are like, yeah,
Speaker 3: not on my watch, but we will see home game
Speaker 3: FMG Stadium. I'm expecting big things from the Chiefs, carrying
Speaker 3: on from what they've left off the last two matches.
Speaker 2: Don't forget you can listen to all games involving New
Speaker 2: Zealand sides, including more wide Pacific on gold Sport and
Speaker 2: via iHeartRadio. Let's jump across to the NRL, which starts
Speaker 2: this weekend. The Warriors lead us off against the Raiders
Speaker 2: at the very civilized viewing time of one o'clock Sunday
Speaker 2: afternoon in Las Vegas. I almost, I almost feel silly
Speaker 2: asking you this question.
Speaker 3: Is it our year?
Speaker 5: Don't you?
Speaker 3: Dare? No?
Speaker 2: I was just gonna ask what we should expect from
Speaker 2: the Warriors in twenty twenty five, which is a roundabout
Speaker 2: way of asking the same thing.
Speaker 3: Let's say they don't know, we don't know. Nobody knows,
Speaker 3: and that's the excitement around what the Warriors are and
Speaker 3: what they represent. I think the fan base are happy.
Speaker 4: With that now.
Speaker 3: They're like, Okay, we might not get it all, we
Speaker 3: might get nothing at all, but we know it's going
Speaker 3: to be fun. So we're climbing on in and I
Speaker 3: love that dedication from the fan base. But there are
Speaker 3: a limber of points to look here. We've got no
Speaker 3: Tallo Harris, that is absolutely immense. Seawn Johnson wasn't Sewn
Speaker 3: Johnson last year, but again a magic player, but he's out.
Speaker 3: No adding for Neua Blake, so we've lost some kingpins
Speaker 3: are going ahead, but the replacement players that are coming
Speaker 3: on and look watching twevus as sheep run out on
Speaker 3: the wing, are watching the fish go to town where
Speaker 3: he is. I'm really fascinated by Aaron Clark playing in
Speaker 3: the lock position. No interest, It'll bring fascination, it'll bring eyeballs,
Speaker 3: and we all hope they're going to win. But it's
Speaker 3: a very foreign climb. I just don't know. At least
Speaker 3: haven't got curfews though, right, not like their opposition.
Speaker 2: Well it's right, and probably rightly so on the Raiders too,
Speaker 2: given the way that they landed so spectacularly in Vegas.
Speaker 2: After this weekend, of course, two home games Friday March
Speaker 2: fourteen Friday March twenty one, Sea Eagles and Roosters, So
Speaker 2: a good chance for the Mount Smart faithful will get involved.
Speaker 2: Speaking of Mount Smart, Aukland FC of there tomorrow against
Speaker 2: Adelaide United top of the table clash. My prediction Auckland
Speaker 2: FC will when that the Phoenix play Melbourne City tonight
Speaker 2: does and I much as much as it, you know,
Speaker 2: I'm almost Retican to say this. I wonder whether the
Speaker 2: Phoenix season might just turn ever so slightly with victory tonight.
Speaker 3: I'll put it this way. Futy shirt Friday DA instead
Speaker 3: of putting my Phoenix shirt onto shows support after the
Speaker 3: devastation of last week's absolute pummeling at the hands or
Speaker 3: more should I say feet of Auckland FC, I'm wearing
Speaker 3: a breaker's singlet that says it all.
Speaker 5: I think, out of season on folly shirt, flying in
Speaker 5: the gut, looking at the stars, all of these franchises
Speaker 5: that I'm supporting.
Speaker 3: I feel so bad about this.
Speaker 2: That is us in the chamber for today.
Speaker 3: We're back in these four walls next week.
Speaker 1: A vix. We've got just the ticket. It's Sports Fix
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Speaker 1: Yep.
Speaker 2: Let's hope you're back with us next week. You're a
Speaker 2: great hype man. Dus see you next week.
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