1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Now let's get to Alex Smith's sport Ellick. Good morning morning, Ryan, 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: good to see you. Now, look, probably a lot of 3 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: people know the answer to this question, but I'm wondering 4 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: what does that actually mean to win an A league 5 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: minor premiership. 6 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:13,040 Speaker 2: Oh, you get a bit of silverware, a nice place 7 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 2: and you're crowned for the best team over the course 8 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 2: of the regular season. But it is great. Let let's 9 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 2: not get me wrong with you on that front. But 10 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 2: you're only going to remember the ultimate winner after the playoffs. 11 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 2: So Aukland, they see put themselves in the best possible position. 12 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 2: They've still got one game of the regular season to go, 13 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,279 Speaker 2: then they're into the playoffs and we hope that ends 14 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: in a Grand Final victory. The A League's kind of 15 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 2: unique in terms of the footballing world elsewhere, you know, 16 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 2: like Liverpool's about to do this morning. Winning the Premier League, 17 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 2: you finish top of the regular season. There's only a 18 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 2: regular season. You finish top of that, you win the 19 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 2: Premier League. But the A League probably because in this 20 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: part of the world and we've got the Nral finals 21 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 2: and the Super Rugby Finals and everything like that, we're 22 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 2: not used to a top of the log sort of format, 23 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: so they play on and have the finals after that. 24 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: So basically we've done We've done the business. We're at 25 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: top of the thing heading into the playoffs and then 26 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: hopefully into the Grand Final. That's right, which would be lovely. 27 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 2: Now. 28 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 1: The Warriors currently sitting fourth on the ladder. 29 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is a very good start for them, and 30 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 2: a couple of good wins in a Rye Broncos and 31 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 2: then the Knights on Anzac Day and christ Chooch. You 32 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 2: look at the NRAL this year and it's a competition 33 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: full of upsets. The Panthers, four time winners, back at 34 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 2: the bottom of the league. The Storm as always are 35 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 2: up there, but there's a whole mix of teams in 36 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 2: the top eight at the moment that are jostling for position, 37 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 2: and the Warriors are right up there and it feels 38 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 2: like they can bank a few more wins. They've got 39 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,199 Speaker 2: the Cowboys away at the Magic Round this weekend. There's 40 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 2: going to be a tough match to the Cowboys in 41 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 2: the top eight as well, but they're building quite nicely. 42 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 2: I think they had that blip against the Storm a 43 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 2: few weeks back where they were completely terrible, but they 44 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 2: seem to have found the rhythm a little bit and 45 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 2: in the top four. It's a good spot to be 46 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 2: in at this point of the season. And then some 47 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 2: of the teams start losing origin players in a few 48 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 2: weeks time and that creates a whole new dynamic in 49 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 2: the league and teams become a little bit weaker. 50 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: So look at the Warriors, they picked up a couple 51 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: of wins on on a bit of a role in 52 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: the Narl Past stick. Look, we're looking quite good across 53 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: the board, yeah, apart. 54 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 2: From the Blues and the Super Rugby team, quite honest. 55 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:09,679 Speaker 1: But we've got the Chiefs and the Crusaders at the top. 56 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 2: That's right. And it feels like in a couple of 57 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 2: weeks time they're going to meet in a regular season 58 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 2: game in christ Jews that that could well decide who 59 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 2: gets top of the seedings for the playoffs, and we 60 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 2: know how important that is in Super Rugby. You play 61 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 2: at home, you're more likely to win. The Hurricanes getting 62 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 2: into the top six over the course of the weekend, 63 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 2: so they're right still in the mix. But the Blues, 64 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 2: this title defense of theirs is going backwards. That are 65 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 2: rated not it's very poor against the Reds on the weekend. 66 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 2: They can still sneak into the ploffs for line, but 67 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 2: hard to see them making a run towards the title 68 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 2: from here. Can't see it all. 69 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: Right, Elliott, great stuff Goode is always Alex smith Zbig Sport. 70 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, Listen live 71 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: to news talks. It'd be from five am weekdays, or 72 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.