1
00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:10,547
Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine

2
00:00:10,707 --> 00:00:11,907
Speaker 1: from News Talks edb.

3
00:00:12,747 --> 00:00:15,587
Speaker 2: Auckland FC were scheduled to be playing a top of

4
00:00:15,627 --> 00:00:20,547
Speaker 2: the table A League men's clash tonight against Sydney FC. Unfortunately,

5
00:00:21,027 --> 00:00:25,147
Speaker 2: the Leichhart Oval pitch has failed an inspection, so the

6
00:00:25,147 --> 00:00:28,027
Speaker 2: game's been postponed. A new date for it is yet

7
00:00:28,067 --> 00:00:31,387
Speaker 2: to be confirmed. What that means is that Auckland's next

8
00:00:31,427 --> 00:00:35,147
Speaker 2: match is now against the Newcastle Jets at Mount Smart

9
00:00:35,227 --> 00:00:38,387
Speaker 2: on New Year's Day. Leading the line for Auckland FC

10
00:00:38,667 --> 00:00:42,667
Speaker 2: this season has been their new import English striker Sam Cosgrove.

11
00:00:43,067 --> 00:00:48,147
Speaker 3: Oh what a hander from Cosgrove. We have spoken about him.

12
00:00:48,387 --> 00:00:52,187
Speaker 3: That is out of absolutely nothing. Who goes to the

13
00:00:52,307 --> 00:00:54,907
Speaker 3: edge of the fox. It's a wonderful delivery and the

14
00:00:55,147 --> 00:00:59,587
Speaker 3: danger of Sam Cosgrove just pops up once again. He's

15
00:00:59,667 --> 00:01:00,827
Speaker 3: virtually unmarked on.

16
00:01:00,787 --> 00:01:01,707
Speaker 1: A six yard fox.

17
00:01:01,747 --> 00:01:04,667
Speaker 3: Andrew Redmain stopped him a couple of times for all

18
00:01:04,787 --> 00:01:07,107
Speaker 3: I had of that is after a great delivery, Same

19
00:01:07,227 --> 00:01:10,427
Speaker 3: Hardscrive gets he sported the season an upland late too.

20
00:01:11,107 --> 00:01:13,787
Speaker 2: Same Cosgrove joins us on Weekend Sport. Thanks for your time,

21
00:01:13,867 --> 00:01:17,907
Speaker 2: Same two away wins in your last two games. So

22
00:01:18,067 --> 00:01:20,867
Speaker 2: how happy do you think the coaching staff were with

23
00:01:20,867 --> 00:01:23,307
Speaker 2: with your performances over the last couple of hes.

24
00:01:24,827 --> 00:01:28,747
Speaker 4: I'm not too sure about my individual performances. Obviously, a

25
00:01:28,787 --> 00:01:31,587
Speaker 4: goal and assists and an assist is kind of what

26
00:01:31,627 --> 00:01:33,347
Speaker 4: I'm here to do. But you know, I think that

27
00:01:33,627 --> 00:01:38,027
Speaker 4: as a collective, that's kind of what we're more more

28
00:01:38,067 --> 00:01:41,267
Speaker 4: concerned about, you know, the emphasis and how we're starting games,

29
00:01:41,387 --> 00:01:44,307
Speaker 4: how we're continuing games, and how we're finishing games. And

30
00:01:44,307 --> 00:01:46,707
Speaker 4: I think over the course of one hundred and eighty

31
00:01:46,747 --> 00:01:49,387
Speaker 4: minutes plus, I think the manager will be happy. And

32
00:01:49,907 --> 00:01:52,627
Speaker 4: as as players, we've been we've been pleased with the

33
00:01:52,667 --> 00:01:55,467
Speaker 4: way the way we've been going and the performances we're

34
00:01:55,467 --> 00:01:59,147
Speaker 4: putting in. So yeah, definitely that the mood is The

35
00:01:59,187 --> 00:02:00,507
Speaker 4: mood is good in camp right now.

36
00:02:00,947 --> 00:02:04,587
Speaker 2: It was over forty degrees during the day there in

37
00:02:04,667 --> 00:02:07,987
Speaker 2: Sydney last Friday, I think still or so it'd kickoff

38
00:02:07,987 --> 00:02:11,067
Speaker 2: in your game against Western Sydney. How are you personally

39
00:02:11,107 --> 00:02:14,467
Speaker 2: dealing with the physical demands of playing football in the summer,

40
00:02:14,507 --> 00:02:16,507
Speaker 2: having been used to playing it in the winter for

41
00:02:16,547 --> 00:02:17,107
Speaker 2: so many.

42
00:02:16,947 --> 00:02:21,667
Speaker 5: Seasons, It's been tough, mate. I won't lie. It's definitely

43
00:02:21,707 --> 00:02:23,187
Speaker 5: something that's that's new for me.

44
00:02:23,747 --> 00:02:26,307
Speaker 4: I mean obviously back home, I've only really ever played

45
00:02:26,347 --> 00:02:31,267
Speaker 4: consistently in England and Scotland and you get maybe three

46
00:02:31,347 --> 00:02:34,427
Speaker 4: or four weeks a year that get over twenty degrees.

47
00:02:34,507 --> 00:02:37,347
Speaker 4: So yeah, walking around Sydney on our kind of pre

48
00:02:37,467 --> 00:02:41,947
Speaker 4: match walking forty two degree blasting heat was interesting. And

49
00:02:41,987 --> 00:02:45,387
Speaker 4: then it didn't really feel like it cooled down too much.

50
00:02:45,427 --> 00:02:48,027
Speaker 4: It was almost as if the dry heat stopped and

51
00:02:48,027 --> 00:02:51,907
Speaker 4: the humidity ramped up. So yeah, I'll be honest, it

52
00:02:52,187 --> 00:02:54,067
Speaker 4: was tough and it's something that I'm going to have

53
00:02:54,107 --> 00:02:57,427
Speaker 4: to get used to very quickly coming into the summer

54
00:02:57,427 --> 00:03:00,467
Speaker 4: in the Southern Hemisphere. But listen, it's it's part and

55
00:03:00,507 --> 00:03:02,267
Speaker 4: partals coming here. I knew this was going to be

56
00:03:02,267 --> 00:03:05,267
Speaker 4: the case when I came over, so I'm adapting well,

57
00:03:05,307 --> 00:03:07,507
Speaker 4: but it's going to take it will take probably a

58
00:03:07,507 --> 00:03:08,747
Speaker 4: wee better time to get used to.

59
00:03:08,827 --> 00:03:10,827
Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess the other thing that that will be

60
00:03:10,867 --> 00:03:12,947
Speaker 2: a little bit different for you as the travel. Of

61
00:03:12,947 --> 00:03:14,787
Speaker 2: course you travel in the UK, but it would be

62
00:03:14,827 --> 00:03:18,187
Speaker 2: mainly bess travel, wouldn't it. How have you found the

63
00:03:18,227 --> 00:03:20,347
Speaker 2: train's tasman are travel?

64
00:03:20,987 --> 00:03:21,387
Speaker 5: So far.

65
00:03:21,667 --> 00:03:23,867
Speaker 4: I've enjoyed it too, honest mate. The you know, the

66
00:03:24,187 --> 00:03:26,507
Speaker 4: back and forth through the airport, it's it's good. And

67
00:03:27,107 --> 00:03:29,827
Speaker 4: it's similar to the bus travel back home. I mean

68
00:03:30,507 --> 00:03:33,987
Speaker 4: the flight across is about three hours then you get

69
00:03:34,067 --> 00:03:36,267
Speaker 4: give or take an hour or two either side, so

70
00:03:37,307 --> 00:03:39,787
Speaker 4: you know, I was regularly doing four or five six

71
00:03:39,827 --> 00:03:42,827
Speaker 4: hour plus bus journeys back home in England, so it's

72
00:03:42,827 --> 00:03:46,747
Speaker 4: not too dissimilar. But listen, as there was no excuse

73
00:03:46,787 --> 00:03:48,627
Speaker 4: for the boys last year, so we absolutely won't be

74
00:03:48,667 --> 00:03:51,467
Speaker 4: an excuse for us this year. We we can't feel

75
00:03:51,467 --> 00:03:53,947
Speaker 4: sorry for ourselves at all with the travel or anything

76
00:03:54,027 --> 00:03:56,987
Speaker 4: like that. And as you said, kind of, so far

77
00:03:57,107 --> 00:04:00,387
Speaker 4: we've we've performed well away from home, so if we

78
00:04:00,387 --> 00:04:02,587
Speaker 4: could pick up another another three points, it will have

79
00:04:02,587 --> 00:04:05,547
Speaker 4: been an impressive and impressive throughout three away from home

80
00:04:05,627 --> 00:04:07,547
Speaker 4: during this period before Auckland.

81
00:04:07,587 --> 00:04:10,987
Speaker 2: You played most recently for Stockport County Online from Barnsley.

82
00:04:11,387 --> 00:04:13,667
Speaker 2: How did the move to Auckland come about?

83
00:04:16,827 --> 00:04:18,387
Speaker 5: The long story or the short story?

84
00:04:19,267 --> 00:04:22,707
Speaker 2: Got plenty of time, We've got plenty of I'll keep.

85
00:04:22,627 --> 00:04:25,267
Speaker 4: It fairly short, but no, it was it was something

86
00:04:25,307 --> 00:04:29,027
Speaker 4: that came completely out of the blue. Obviously, I found

87
00:04:29,027 --> 00:04:32,947
Speaker 4: myself kind of out of contract as a free agent,

88
00:04:33,027 --> 00:04:37,187
Speaker 4: but it was relatively early days and I had plenty

89
00:04:37,227 --> 00:04:40,547
Speaker 4: of options in England and up and down the country,

90
00:04:40,587 --> 00:04:43,827
Speaker 4: but there was nothing that really kind of excited me

91
00:04:43,907 --> 00:04:46,587
Speaker 4: at the time. And it was just a call completely

92
00:04:46,627 --> 00:04:48,507
Speaker 4: out of the blue from my agent and he mentioned

93
00:04:49,147 --> 00:04:51,707
Speaker 4: Auckland and my geography isn't too bad, I said to him,

94
00:04:52,067 --> 00:04:56,467
Speaker 4: New Zealand, isn't it? It was, I'll be honest, it's

95
00:04:56,507 --> 00:04:58,467
Speaker 4: kind of The more that I looked into the club

96
00:04:58,507 --> 00:05:01,387
Speaker 4: and the league and everything that had kind of gone on,

97
00:05:01,467 --> 00:05:04,387
Speaker 4: the more it did excite me as a challenge. And

98
00:05:05,107 --> 00:05:08,187
Speaker 4: as I said, I'd only ever played a consistently within

99
00:05:08,267 --> 00:05:11,827
Speaker 4: England and Scotland, and as if kind of my career

100
00:05:11,867 --> 00:05:15,867
Speaker 4: had gone a wee bit stale and I needed kind

101
00:05:15,907 --> 00:05:19,347
Speaker 4: of something to bring a little bit more life into

102
00:05:19,387 --> 00:05:22,067
Speaker 4: me and my footballing career and this kind of seemed

103
00:05:22,387 --> 00:05:24,867
Speaker 4: a perfect opportunity to go and do something different and

104
00:05:24,947 --> 00:05:28,467
Speaker 4: experience something new. And so far I've absolutely loved it

105
00:05:28,507 --> 00:05:31,627
Speaker 4: and it seems like the correct decision so far.

106
00:05:31,747 --> 00:05:34,387
Speaker 5: So long long mate, continue.

107
00:05:34,067 --> 00:05:36,747
Speaker 2: Absolutely And you came into a squad at Auckland where

108
00:05:37,107 --> 00:05:39,507
Speaker 2: it was fairly consistent from last year, a couple of departures,

109
00:05:39,507 --> 00:05:43,467
Speaker 2: couple of new arrivals, obviously yourself included how easy a

110
00:05:43,507 --> 00:05:46,347
Speaker 2: squad was it to fit into when you first arrived.

111
00:05:47,547 --> 00:05:50,587
Speaker 4: Yeah, it really is, I mean straight away kind of

112
00:05:50,627 --> 00:05:55,227
Speaker 4: the manager and the coach has explained in detail what

113
00:05:55,267 --> 00:05:58,147
Speaker 4: they wanted from me and the player that they wanted

114
00:05:58,267 --> 00:06:01,827
Speaker 4: me to be and where I'd fit into the plans.

115
00:06:01,867 --> 00:06:05,867
Speaker 4: And I think that there's one thing that's really evident

116
00:06:05,867 --> 00:06:08,707
Speaker 4: coming in as is this is an incredibly humble and

117
00:06:08,907 --> 00:06:13,667
Speaker 4: welcoming squad. We work extremely hard. There's no there's no egos,

118
00:06:13,707 --> 00:06:16,227
Speaker 4: there's no one who kind of spits the dummy out

119
00:06:16,227 --> 00:06:19,187
Speaker 4: when things are going going against them. So in terms

120
00:06:19,227 --> 00:06:22,547
Speaker 4: of coming into the squad, everyone was incredibly welcoming. As

121
00:06:22,587 --> 00:06:25,827
Speaker 4: I said, it was highlighted from day one what the

122
00:06:25,827 --> 00:06:28,227
Speaker 4: manager wanted from me, and you know, I've been working

123
00:06:28,627 --> 00:06:31,987
Speaker 4: hard to be that since day one, and it's it's taken.

124
00:06:32,227 --> 00:06:34,107
Speaker 4: It's taken a little bit of time to get myself

125
00:06:34,187 --> 00:06:36,827
Speaker 4: kind of up to the up to speed physically with

126
00:06:36,867 --> 00:06:37,667
Speaker 4: what the manager wants.

127
00:06:37,667 --> 00:06:39,267
Speaker 5: And there's still a lot.

128
00:06:39,147 --> 00:06:40,947
Speaker 4: More work to come from me on that side of things,

129
00:06:40,947 --> 00:06:44,827
Speaker 4: but so far so far, so good, so kind of

130
00:06:45,027 --> 00:06:45,947
Speaker 4: how that continues.

131
00:06:46,227 --> 00:06:48,187
Speaker 2: There's a striker coming into a new club and you've

132
00:06:48,227 --> 00:06:51,107
Speaker 2: you've come into new clubs before in the UK, you've

133
00:06:51,187 --> 00:06:54,627
Speaker 2: had a few clubs on your CV. Do you feel

134
00:06:54,827 --> 00:06:58,467
Speaker 2: extra pressure to score goals early? I know you know

135
00:06:58,947 --> 00:07:01,747
Speaker 2: it's about more than just that, but do you feel

136
00:07:01,747 --> 00:07:04,827
Speaker 2: as a striker precia to get off the mark into

137
00:07:04,867 --> 00:07:06,147
Speaker 2: consistently score goals?

138
00:07:06,587 --> 00:07:08,347
Speaker 5: Hm, I'd say so yeah.

139
00:07:08,387 --> 00:07:10,587
Speaker 4: I mean there's there's one thing the matter where you

140
00:07:10,667 --> 00:07:13,427
Speaker 4: go in the world playing football, there's a universal currency

141
00:07:13,467 --> 00:07:17,067
Speaker 4: of goals and points. So for me as a striker,

142
00:07:17,187 --> 00:07:20,827
Speaker 4: it's I'm going to be measured on very very simply

143
00:07:20,907 --> 00:07:23,347
Speaker 4: my goal return, and the team is going to be

144
00:07:23,347 --> 00:07:25,787
Speaker 4: measured on how how many points would pick up. So

145
00:07:26,347 --> 00:07:31,387
Speaker 4: you know, these numbers they do matter. But it is

146
00:07:31,427 --> 00:07:33,707
Speaker 4: the old cliche. As long as we're kind of putting

147
00:07:33,707 --> 00:07:36,947
Speaker 4: in good performances and we're winning games, I'm happy.

148
00:07:37,107 --> 00:07:37,907
Speaker 5: Whoever scores.

149
00:07:37,947 --> 00:07:41,547
Speaker 4: You know mentioned the one at the weekend where I've

150
00:07:41,587 --> 00:07:44,427
Speaker 4: taken a shot and it's taken a dubious deflection off

151
00:07:44,987 --> 00:07:48,187
Speaker 4: mister Randall and he's taken taking credit for the goal.

152
00:07:48,227 --> 00:07:51,667
Speaker 5: But listeners, as long as we can keep picking up

153
00:07:51,667 --> 00:07:53,667
Speaker 5: three points. I'm not bothered. I fascor.

154
00:07:54,307 --> 00:07:58,067
Speaker 2: I think dubious Dubious has been very kind to Randall

155
00:07:58,227 --> 00:08:01,187
Speaker 2: in that situation. Hell on Earth? Has he been credited

156
00:08:01,267 --> 00:08:03,747
Speaker 2: with that he gets he's on the ground, he's lying down,

157
00:08:03,827 --> 00:08:04,747
Speaker 2: there's he got that goal?

158
00:08:05,387 --> 00:08:07,067
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, I'm joking with him.

159
00:08:07,067 --> 00:08:09,627
Speaker 4: We had a we had a joke after the after

160
00:08:09,667 --> 00:08:12,867
Speaker 4: the Phoenix game the first RB where I've kind of

161
00:08:13,267 --> 00:08:17,747
Speaker 4: nicked one of his goals by obviously completely unintentionally trying

162
00:08:17,747 --> 00:08:20,067
Speaker 4: to move the defender out of the way and it

163
00:08:20,107 --> 00:08:21,467
Speaker 4: has ricocheted onto my leg.

164
00:08:21,547 --> 00:08:23,987
Speaker 5: So I was laughing and joking. I said, I'll try and.

165
00:08:23,907 --> 00:08:26,747
Speaker 4: Get you a an easy assist at some point this

166
00:08:26,787 --> 00:08:27,827
Speaker 4: season to make it even.

167
00:08:27,867 --> 00:08:30,867
Speaker 5: And I think I've I've repaid that debt for sure.

168
00:08:31,027 --> 00:08:34,427
Speaker 2: Absolutely Well. The manager has plenty of options in a tech,

169
00:08:34,507 --> 00:08:38,067
Speaker 2: doesn't he? Both starting an in game behind you, Lachlan Brooks,

170
00:08:38,067 --> 00:08:40,827
Speaker 2: you see Randal gives you my my Logan Rogerson, Marley France,

171
00:08:40,867 --> 00:08:45,507
Speaker 2: Waliam Gillian. So how have you gone about forging connections

172
00:08:45,787 --> 00:08:48,627
Speaker 2: with each of them? Or are they all just interchangeable

173
00:08:48,707 --> 00:08:51,227
Speaker 2: parts in the upland FC system.

174
00:08:51,627 --> 00:08:55,067
Speaker 4: I think so, I mean you mentioned some of those names,

175
00:08:55,067 --> 00:08:57,227
Speaker 4: and one thing that's been evident, and one thing the

176
00:08:57,267 --> 00:08:59,627
Speaker 4: manager has really driven home, is that he's not going

177
00:08:59,707 --> 00:09:02,627
Speaker 4: to be afraid to make changes. We've got kind of

178
00:09:02,707 --> 00:09:05,627
Speaker 4: quality and strength and depth all over the pitch. Now

179
00:09:05,667 --> 00:09:10,507
Speaker 4: there's there's very, very talented and impressive boys that aren't

180
00:09:10,547 --> 00:09:12,667
Speaker 4: even getting a sniff on the bench at the moment.

181
00:09:13,067 --> 00:09:16,827
Speaker 4: So I think one thing for us is just we've

182
00:09:16,907 --> 00:09:18,707
Speaker 4: got the shirt the boys that are started now, but

183
00:09:18,707 --> 00:09:21,187
Speaker 4: there's absolutely no god given right that we're going to

184
00:09:21,187 --> 00:09:23,667
Speaker 4: be starting the next game. So from that point of view,

185
00:09:23,707 --> 00:09:26,587
Speaker 4: there's the pressure to perform every single game because we

186
00:09:26,667 --> 00:09:30,827
Speaker 4: know we've got hungry guys behind the scenes. But yeah, listen,

187
00:09:30,827 --> 00:09:33,867
Speaker 4: everyone has their own strengths, And I mean, I think

188
00:09:33,867 --> 00:09:35,267
Speaker 4: at the start of the season, there was.

189
00:09:36,867 --> 00:09:39,827
Speaker 5: The front four was myself, Luckie, who.

190
00:09:39,787 --> 00:09:43,307
Speaker 4: Knew Jesse who has been unbelievable this season but didn't

191
00:09:43,387 --> 00:09:46,387
Speaker 4: play loads of football last season. And then because Gmomi

192
00:09:46,467 --> 00:09:50,467
Speaker 4: who was kind of recovering from a pretty serious knee injury,

193
00:09:50,467 --> 00:09:53,227
Speaker 4: that kind of got swept under the carpet a little bit.

194
00:09:53,307 --> 00:09:56,987
Speaker 4: So there was definitely connections that needed to be formed.

195
00:09:57,027 --> 00:09:59,627
Speaker 4: But I think that as you said, those connections are

196
00:09:59,667 --> 00:10:02,707
Speaker 4: kind of forming really well now and we're learning about

197
00:10:02,747 --> 00:10:05,707
Speaker 4: each other. I'm learning about the players around me, and

198
00:10:06,107 --> 00:10:07,387
Speaker 4: it's definitely coming.

199
00:10:08,027 --> 00:10:08,827
Speaker 5: It's coming together.

200
00:10:09,587 --> 00:10:11,667
Speaker 4: So if we can kind of continue along that path,

201
00:10:11,707 --> 00:10:15,427
Speaker 4: I'm sure that there'll be plenty more success through the season.

202
00:10:15,467 --> 00:10:17,267
Speaker 2: From Yeah, I'm sure there will be. Sam, good on

203
00:10:17,307 --> 00:10:18,827
Speaker 2: you mate, great to chat to you. A shame you

204
00:10:18,827 --> 00:10:22,027
Speaker 2: couldn't get a game tonight that we could enjoy against ADNEYFC.

205
00:10:22,907 --> 00:10:26,027
Speaker 2: A date for that to be confirmed, a postponement date,

206
00:10:26,067 --> 00:10:28,627
Speaker 2: but Aukland the FC top of the table at Christmas time.

207
00:10:28,667 --> 00:10:30,107
Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us, Sam.

208
00:10:30,107 --> 00:10:33,307
Speaker 1: For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live

209
00:10:33,427 --> 00:10:36,707
Speaker 1: to News Talk z B weekends from midday, or follow

210
00:10:36,747 --> 00:10:38,347
Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio