Full Show | Mornings with Tony Johnson (14/9/26)

0:00Hembroigad just holds it up, my materially Roy Gad almost found his win in the line! Brickett! It's this Brickbok series. Rugby's greatest rivalry in 2026 goes the way of the world champions. You look at it. We were confident that if we had a few things right tonight, we would have a good chance to win and fail short. They're just pointing from that perspective from a tour point of view. You know, I go set three, four or five months ago whenever I got appointed. It's really excited about the tour coming here because we knew it was going to be tough, but we'd learn a lot about ourselves and we'd leave with a better understanding of our game model and tighter as a group and so on. And we're definitely in that position. Yeah, so the result hits parts really proud of the effort really excited about where our game is heading and knowing that we need to be better.

1:02You know, you look at the numbers. It was a very even game tonight, the score felt even with 15 to go. We were right in it. Disappointed parts, but still really proud of the effort and feel that we're tracking in right direction. Joseph picking out Anderson, Mayor Anderson again, cutting out through the middle Anderson, caught him quite fine by Pillar and the shoulder, but it's there for Mick Eilitz. New Zealand goes steaming over the line and it's Leana Mick Eilitz, who gets the try and gives him some breathing room. Not wide enough guys little kick. Try what it's set up. The other four hands, great finish. It sells it. Ripley, she won't go anywhere. That's what he can't box. She's down in the line. Game seven ace. Riverpina. Who sets the line? Six, four, five, seven, six, two. Two forms from Shavelin to there. Rebacking to play the terrific final.

2:02This will be the final player, the game, Ali Leia Tuller wrapped up. Ripley, Ed and G. The Dolphins have come to Mount Smart in their first never final appearance and have sunk the Warriors by 10 points and moved through to their first never preliminary final. Morning all. Welcome to a new week after a weekend where well not everything went according to planned it at the whole Blacks lose the series to the Springboks 3-1. And while it's disappointing, is it such a surprise to you the box are an awesome team right now. They were the team that got better as the series went on. Still a lot can happen over the next 12-13 months but they're already looking like a team ready to win a record third straight World Cup year. Next year it's disappointing for all Black fans and I suppose if you're of my generation you'll have felt that disappointment in the past. The reason why only one all Blacks team is one of three or four tier series in South Africa. It's a hard place to win. This time they were trying to be the Springbok team as good as anything they may be the world has ever seen.

3:06They're an established dynasty in the sport. The all Blacks went into the series hoping to play around them. Take away from their strengths. Run them round. But in the end the power, the relentless power of the box just proved too much. And under relentless pressure familiar problems emerged. It's not to say the all Blacks didn't play their part in an enthralling series. They weren't disgraced. They weren't embarrassed, not smashed. But still 3-1 tells the story of where these teams are right now. Failure? Well it'll only be a failure if they can't learn and come up with the answers. The same way Graham Henry's team did after losing three to the box in 2009. But I think in the end you've just got to tip your hat to that Springbok team. And think well how can the all Blacks get better in the next 12 months before the World Cup? All of that on the show this morning will discuss it with our panel and strong and Richard Turner. Plus a full wrap of the NPC. What a weekend in the province is so much fun to be had watching the NPC at the moment. The Warriors? Well they're going to have to take the hard road to NRL Glory now after being upstaged by the dolphins.

4:07You could call it the night. Herbie went to go media. How good was he? The Warriors now have to pick themselves up and have sought out a few worrying injuries and head to Eden Park. And the night's Scottish Satas going to join us later on in the show. We'll go through all that with the weekend's action wrappers we do on a Monday morning. US Open Final is an action Alexander Zverev doing better with Ben Shelton. We'll go to the States. We're checking with our grusk and about an hour from now. But we'll update that in just a moment. We'll have a full wrap of the EPL action as well with Matt Reed. Some fascinating observations he'll have no doubt. And of course Mick will be along to wrap up the weekend's racing Brian driving the show today and in the studio. Ricardo, how are you, mate? Yeah, good things to do. What a massive weekend. I don't know. Brian's very quiet. This morning he did warn us. He didn't warn us. He said he didn't have a great weekend. His hawks paid lost their row. His Warriors lost. His all blacks lost. It's been a tough weekend for him.

5:09Yeah, he still turns up for work. Still front. Fronts. Yeah, still front. To be fair, Brian, you did say last week that you were worried about the dolphins that there's such an attacking threat. If you don't get your D-lines all right and that, they can really hurt you. They're an exciting talented team. They just finished strongly, didn't they? Yeah, they did. And you know, as was talked about the last week was so. The last three games Warriors have considered 88 points. And was it defensive again that let them down? They had that game won. Was there for them to finish out and they couldn't finish it out? I guess one of the big news stories is the week where, on of course, they could have really done with a weekend off because it looked like some of the guys were carrying some knocks, niggles, injuries towards the end of the game. And you would have loved a week just to sort a few of those things out, not the case. They got to get back up and looked at still in this thing. They can still win this thing. It's just they're now taking the hard road. Yeah, the hard road. Hard road. Hard road. Play the nights at Eden Park on Sunday. Venue where the Warriors have a one in five record in six games.

6:10I'm not going to get negative about that. Okay. Look, you know what, the one thing about this playing at Eden Park, that we were talking about it last week. And I know a lot of people and I can understand absolutely why. You're a Warriors diehard. You want those games at Go Media Stadium. It's your inner sanctum. It's a spiritual home. And it has a spirit about it. And it's one of the reasons why. And it's what you always hoped it would turn out to be. The place where visiting teams from Australia, they come over and they know they're up against it, not just a really good team, but they're up against the crowd on everything. They go to Eden Park. Maybe they lose some of that. I suppose the one silver lining is a bigger crowd. Hopefully, tickets don't end up in the hands of some of those grubby touts. Yeah, although, I mean, you know, a bigger crowd. None of that money goes into the Warriors pockets because it's a one through the finals. No, no. Time it all goes into the NRL. Yeah, but I'm talking about pricing fans out of the contest with that sort of thing. You know, hard. Working people who part with their dough every week to go to a game

7:13and people get a hold of these tickets and try and up the value of them and sell them on. Hopefully with a bigger crowd there's less scope for that happening. What I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah, possibly. Possibly. Well, I've been waiting to see on that. It's just a hope. Yeah, just a hope. Yeah. Time for some headlines for you, PGG writes in two of New Zealand's trusted pro-turf specialists. Well, let's start with a good news story, shall we? From a New Zealand sporting team. Yeah. Oh, and absolutely this morning. Yeah. Liam Lawson produces best Formula One finish for Red Bull. And I like this from him. Still expressed frustration. It is sixth place in the Spanish Grand Prix. Now, he produced a really good drive. He recorded his tenth top-ten finish of the season, which is absolutely superb because Camilla Antony won the thing off course. But Lawson said there was still a bit of a feeling of water. He said, well, you had really good speed this weekend, especially in qualifying. Yesterday it was very strong. Just a shame we couldn't maximize Q3 because I think we had the potential to have both cars in the top five. But yeah, it's a good result.

8:14From where we started, I'm pretty happy. Now, sixth place means he has ninth in the drivers' championship. I think another possible drive for Red Bull at Azerbaijan, which is where he has his career best finish of 50, got that last year. So we'll have to wait and see how Haja comes back from this wrist injury. That wrist injury was supposed to be one week. Now it's been three Grand Prix. I wonder with Lawson, the way he's delivering, where the Red Bull is just like, let's just keep him in here. He's getting his manufacturer points as well, right? Yeah. Had the second most manufacturer points this weekend behind Mercedes. Yeah. So they topped McLaren and they topped McLaren. That's important. I think Piaustry finished behind him, didn't they? He had one or two problems with it. Yeah, and I thought it was a really solid effort. I think he passed Colour Pinto. I think, obviously, Louis Hamilton having some problems with his brakes. And that sent him going backwards and what have you. But that's a really solid effort. There's a little sidelight here, and it has to be put into context.

9:14But this is now the most points ever gained by New Zealander in an F1 Championship series. Now you have to go back to the days where the likes of Danny Holm and Chris Aimon and Bruce McClaren were in their heyday. They had far fewer racers. Yes. So I mean, but it is just a little numerical thing. Well, yeah, I suppose you could, you know, that's just the modern sport, right? I mean, Will Jordan is, you know, up there for the most tries for the All Blacks. But how many more tests is he played than people, you know, some of those other greats from yesterday, in terms of how many tests the All Blacks played for a year? Well, you look at Ian Kirkpatrick. I think he had the record at one stage, something like 16 tries, and then Stu Wilson beat it, but Ian Kirkpatrick's tries were scored over a period of over 10 years. Yeah. So that's a bad day. It's different. It's different. I think it's a professional sport. I wasn't saying it's not an Apple's V app, it's just a little sidelight thing if you like that sort of thing that it's the most ever scored in a championship by New Zealander. I think he's going great. Yeah, he's going very well. Now it's a tennis. And Elena and Rai Bikina has delivered a devastating performance

10:15to the Throne 2 Time Defending Champion, Aayana Sabalinka, 6'4, 5'7, 6'2", in the US Open Final, earning a third grand slam crown, and sending her to number one as well, Kazakstani, kept her composure to snap Sabalinka's 20 match winning streak at Flushing Meadow, and denied her the chance to go level with Serena Williams in Curricevitt with three straight New York titles. So that was a big talking point, and a great result and a fantastic match as well. Yeah, that'll be a popular one too. I'm not sure that Sabalinka is everyone's favourite. She's a fantastic player. Talking to people who aren't very popular. Zverev is, I don't know, for various reasons, not popular. And I want to talk about this with Al Gruskin later on. Someone reckons that he had spent over two hours at this tournament just bouncing the ball before he serves. Yeah, well, that's a good one. That's a good one, right? Yeah. And we complain about scrum's that reason. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, he's playing Shelton in the final. And Shelton, of course, is very popular here in New Zealand.

11:16And just picked up a set, the American has taken the third set, 7.5. So Zverev taking the first two, 6.3.7.6 in the tiebreaker. And now Shelton fighting back. And so he's taking one back, 7.5. Just taking out the third set. We're going to talk to Al about an hour. I'm not sure that's going to be finished. No, it might not be now. I've had looked there, Brian and I were like, oh, this could be finished before the hour's out. Because the way Zverev took the first two sets. But yeah, certainly that is now being a bit more of an arm wrestle. NPC News, Southland Stung Bay of Plenty 4312 in in Vicarga, yesterday, probably the opposite of the round. That's called 7 tries to 2. Bay of Plenty had three yellow cards in the match as well. Also used to have the other bay, Hawks Bay, lost their own beaten record in the pod tournament, Darby, going down 31-24 to North Harbour. But Hawks Bay still top of the ladder. Three points clearer Harbour with Northland and Otago running out the top four. Then Cannerbury, a fifth after they smashed Wellington 66-19

12:18in Cross-Jurch. Tasman, Mono, 2, Wykuts, or Roundout the top eight. Northland, holding onto the shield 34-17 against the Moulos, have just one challenge left to keep the shield for 20-27. That comes September 26 against County County County. Can you use Mono, go, yeah. Well, an upset boy, there were a few of them. Mono, were two. That was a brilliant performance to get up and with a clutch penalty goal to beat Tarnaki. Yeah, Northland holding the shield. North Harbour. Yeah, it is a surprise. Harbour had been playing gangbusters. And we talk about this with the guys in a moment. So, yeah, an upset. But the way they've been playing, the way they started the game, I thought Hawks Bay, this might be a day reckoning here. But just, you know, I'm not saying it's going to derail their campaign. I still think they're the favourites to win it. They're a very good side. But just a couple of little pointers from that game and Brock has been talking about their discipline. And they've got a sort of it out. But Harbour, yeah, the brilliant. So, okay, that's it. Headlines. We've got plenty more of those as the morning wears on.

13:21Yeah, there's a developing story coming out of the EPL. But we'll get to that in the next hour. I think Matt Reid's going to join us in that hour as well after the tennis. And the NFL kicked off, too. Yeah, actually. Yeah, I actually, just on that, the Bears versus the Panthers has just set a record for the most points in the opening round of the NFL for a game. 96 points were shared between the two. 57 to 30 something. It was 59 to 37, it was. 59 to 37, the Bears beat the Panthers. I came in and saw the score at half time at 31, 24 and thought it was full time. But 96 points straight up between the two, the most ever in the opening round of an NFL. Yeah, I think Ravens, what, 41, 23 over the Colts, there were a number of high-schooler and games, Bengals. That's the team that I love. They're 33, 27 over the Buck and Ears, Lions, 31, 30 over the Saints. Bill's 36, 31 over the Texans, yeah, a lot of points being scored. But very spectacular start.

14:21And of course, that match that they played in Australia, two, what a great success that was. But anyway, it's coming up 915 sport nation mornings. We'll go to our panel in just a moment. Don't forget your text, double eight, double three. You will have your say. Well, the final test of the greatest rivalry series in Baltimore played before a packed stadium. The 114th match between the two and the Springboks wanted to take the series. 3-1, they've now won eight of the last 10 between the two sides. No question that they are the best team in the world at the moment. They've got it over the All Blacks in the series. But have Dave Renianco and his All Blacks closed the gap? Well, to look back on the series, maybe take a look at what has to happen now and also everything else that's happened in rugby over the weekend, our Monday morning panel. All Blacks now commentators, Richard Turner and Ants Drawn. Morningfellas. Morningfellas. Morningfellas. Well, Ants, I'll start with you. I think people were asking the question before this with the Springboks, naming pretty much the same team again just a couple of changes, whether they might tire a bit.

15:24But I think it has to be said that the Springboks were the team that really got better as the series went on and it showed in that last match. Well, I think ultimately, Russ Eurasma was one who was kind of Christian for what you're going to use of broader squad for this particular series. And he probably loved us into a bit of a false sense of security. And I think what he did was he actually just banked on a group of about 24-25 players. And I think you're right Tony, I just think they got better and better. They adjusted nicely to where they were dented by the Oblux on in the Alice Park test. But the way they played, staying on scripts, trusting their systems, they were clearly the best team. And they were improving as a series went on. Yet Richard in terms of the Oblux, obviously they started the series well. They took advantage of a Springbok team that was a little bit clunky in the first test. They still deserved to win that game. I'm not saying they didn't. They scored five tries to win.

16:25Was it almost the opposite? And did the realities of actually going on a tour, being on the road for that period of time, the relentless training of matches, did that kind of see them almost not fall away at the end? But kind of not get better as the series went on. But look, I think Tony, I think I guess I'm graph half full. I think we were, but the same, we continued to get better. Obviously we've got a new management team in there. They've brought some new ideas. And I think we just saw developing of those ideas. The challenge for us is that, as you've mentioned, as everyone's mentioning, we had a series against the best side in the world. So we're trying to develop a new set of ideas, a new game plan, and probably the toughest environment, not only the best side in the world,

17:26but on their home patch. It was always going to be a big challenge. And I think again, optimistically, I was really comfortable with the outcome in terms of direction we're heading. So I think at the moment, you're in all black pan, you're either doing more gloom because we lock free in a row or you're still in my camp, we're optimistic and like we were going like what we're doing. And I think the future looks pretty good. And the all blacks obviously went in with a plan, and there was a definite plan about what they were doing, that they were trying to get the ball wide into space, trying to outstrip the spring box, play around them, maybe play away from their strengths. And at times they did that to really great effect. I mean, they played their part in what has been an enthralling spectacle, this whole series, but when it comes down to it, do they still have to find a way to have to confront the reality, that if you want to beat the spring box side, you are somehow,

18:26you're going to have to meet them at the call face. Well, look, I've been coding first and foremost, you know, one of the criticisms that we've had over the last two to three years of this all black team is the inability to have more layers to their attack. You know, we've been very wondering, we'll probably up until this season. So what we're seeing now is some really nice pieces, which enables us to use the skill set, you know, that we have across the park. And we saw that in spades, not only in the midweek games, it's not that we're giving, but obviously at Alice Park, and then just, you know, just little snippets of it, as he went through tests, two, three, and four. The problem is, with having a more extensive attack, is you've still got to do the front of the mental's right. You know, our set piece still has work to do. Scrum, Scrum, Scrum, I got better. Lineout was okay. Our breakdown issues are still significant. You know, we are still losing, particularly against this best group in the world. We are losing the collision stakes,

19:26and that nullifies how we can play on top of teams. So that's got to be sorted out. And of course, I mean, I'm like a broken record. The aerial battle itself has become such a weapon for South Africa, but it's going to be a weapon for other teams that play against us, unless we can rectify it. Now, I don't know where the solution comes from, but, you know, the handling, the isolation plays, the lack of dominance at breakdown, and the aerial issues still exist with this group. And, you know, they are going to need to be fixed as we head into the World Cup. Yeah. Richard Ant mentioned the set piece there. It's always going to be such a battle. We've talked so much about the scrums, the lineouts, I just thought the side of the all blacks in the end, just throwing the ball straight to Ethan de Groot at the front, getting it out of there, getting it in and out, we're kind of symbolized that the kind of the heat that the spring box was putting on them.

20:26There's just, I suppose the thing is, you look at guys like even ETSABETH and Peter Steph Dutoy and Malcolm Marx and these guys, and you think, surely by now, they should be fading away, but they're not. No, far from it. I mean, there should be just a freak, isn't it? I mean, it has been around for that long yet, has performances, you know, a seemingly just consistently at a high level. So look at, yeah, I mean, he's an amazing athlete, and yeah, we keep up that, or he and the end of the spring box, we'll backpick pressure on us at the lineout time, and yeah, at times we felt like we kind of maybe, maybe pushed the panic button a little bit, but again, I thought, I thought, particularly at scrum time, we were reasonably solid, we made some good improvements, and we'll continue to make improvements here. I like the comments of Neil Barnes,

21:26all the matches actually, he's a realist, he lives in the real world now, and he doesn't beat around the bush, and I think they will continue, particularly upfront that coaching group, will continue to make improvements here. And yeah, again, we come back to acknowledging the simple fact that, yes, they are the best team in the world, and the best team in the world has made up by some of the best players in the world. And so, you know, a lot of lessons to be taken out of there, and as long as we continue to take those lessons and prove ourselves, then yeah, look, I think we, look at the players that we're blooded, I think, we're sitting in a pretty comfortable position, leading into what's an important year next year. Yeah, it just goes back to a comment that I made at the top of the show, and then I was referring really to 2009, when the spring box won three matches against the All Blacks, two in South Africa, one in New Zealand, and Graham Henry said, the silver lining about that was that it made them sit down as a group,

22:27and take a very long, hard assessment of where they were at, and what might need to change, maybe, person, and the team that needed to change, or maybe the way, I mean, that was when they mixed up the coaching staff, started swapping duties around just to get some fresh thinking. And as I said, I think that's probably what they have to do. I think we'll find out a lot more about the All Black teams. They've got the blood as low cut coming up, and they've got the tour away at the end of the year. And I think that's going to be a really early indicator of just what it is that they have been able to learn and adjust coming out of this series. Well, I think you did right. I mean, they had a definitive plan, heading into South Africa. And there is no secret, the areas of the game that they've addressed. I think it's quite just meetings. They have actually progressed in some of those areas, but there is still some concern over the fundamental aspect of the game that we're not quite getting right. So this test series against Australia,

23:29and then the end of the year tour, there's no risk for the wicked mate as we know. They are great opportunities for us to rectify those. We're going to be playing a slightly different group against a different group, because the demographic is different when you play against those nations I've just mentioned. But, you know, a deep dive, have a look, a temperate to check, check the coaches, check their output and their ability to adjust on the run, and sound every go, and obviously the players, each and every one of the 44 should be assessed. It's not a witch hunt Tony, they need to be assessed on how they've contributed to this particular tour. And I know we've been late and with a few injuries, so we'll have to sort those out. But, you know, there's a lot of progress being made by the individuals on this tour, but some have not done so. So, you know, like the pod set around Barnes, let's be honest, and have a good, accurate assessment of where we're at. And hopefully we can make some changes as we go into the back end of the year.

24:31Yeah, just talking about some of the personnel, and obviously a couple of significant changes were made for this match in Baltimore, Richie Morgan, came in to the number 10 jersey, and I'd be interested to know what your take was on his performance guys. But also, a guy that I think's just been terrific on this tour, and he was terrific again in this test. Ethan Blackout is a guy who really put up his hand and said, I want to be part of this going forward. This is what I can do. Well, you go twice. Yeah, I thought, yeah, look, I mean, we all know him. He's one of these guys that he's been around a little while now, and he's always been capable. And we know the reasons why he's struggled, injury-wise, but he's seemingly on a good path in terms of avoiding injury. But look, yeah, one of these guys, in this beauty of that touring environment,

25:31you get an opportunity to impress you, and then you get rewarded for it, and then he's taken that reward with open arms and quite literally run with it. So, yeah, look, and that's asking, we're looking at the positive value of this portoney that we have developed, and some players have advanced as they're and alluded to some of advanced, some haven't. So, yep, look, it's another good thing that's come out of this port, is that it's good to see a player of Eastern Black Alas ability and capabilities performing to Wally, what his skill level is, and it's great to see. I mean, he was the ideal guy in that environment as well. You know, we all know he's raw, bow and he's rough, he's tough, and we needed a bit of that, so it was good to see. You guys played on an era where touring South Africa would be it with the all blacks, or maybe those pre-season, the super-ten that they used to have, and then super rugby kicking, and you know what it's like going to South Africa. This is a whole new experience, really.

26:31Guys have been on tour in the past, they've been on those, say, three or four match tours of the UK, but this was different. There were matches against the other, that the four URC teams in South Africa, there were the test matches, plus the trip over to Baltimore, just a completely different experience for some of these guys, and for the fans who went, and everyone I know who went, instead what a fantastic, wonderful experience it was to go to South Africa. Just give us your thoughts on this whole concept of bringing back the tour. We're going to have one here in New Zealand in a couple of years' time. And do you think in the final analysis that it was the right thing, it was a good thing to do, it was a beneficial thing? Look, I'm not quite sure how it all ended up fiscally, Tony in terms of the money that it generated, but if we park that just for one moment, do it South Africa is relentless. And one of the things that creates the relentlessness is, wherever you look if you're a player,

27:31there is always South African duties. The progulism is just out the gate when you get there, so you're always faced on every corner, every training among every game, every venue when you play. What's this amazing amount of support that the local team gets from South Africa? And if you want to look at New Zealand, we are the same. So the similarities between the two countries, and when you travel to one or the other, you're going to experience the same thing. I mean, let's be honest, it is the national game of both countries, and there's no secret to that. So by being able to retain this rivalry, as long as they don't overuse it, overplay it, and do it too often, make it special. Then these stories will continue to add immense value to building the racership between the two countries, but also making sure that both nations stay on top of the world, numbers one and two. That's the other thing that we can't lose side of the fact.

28:32So I was one of those lucky people that traveled for 20 days every year, Tony, and it was a wonderful experience. And this is how it gets there, to be honest, a great host, as I hope we are, when they come and travel to our nation. So overall, I think it was a great success in that regard, but again, I'm not quite sure, physically, how it all landed. Well, I think the money that they earned from Baltimore certainly made that part of it worthwhile, and the sight of a crowd like that for a rugby game in the United States once upon a time was unthinkable. Before we move on, we'll look at the NPC in just a moment. Your thoughts, your final thoughts on this greatest rivalry series? I think, as a fan, it was a fantastic experience. And the ultimate would have been to have been there and experience it, but it's a wonderful series, I think, and it was a fantastic test that was competitive, the unknown outcomes, and that's all you can ask for.

29:34And a test series, and yeah, we've always had that traditional South Africa have always been our greatest rivalry, so it's off to those who have put this together. And we look forward to hosting South Africa in a couple of years' time, because I think it'll be big as well. And let's hope that we can be as good a host in two years' time as the South African fans obviously were this time round. Yeah, 935 will talk NPC with our Monday panel, and strong and Richard Turner in just a moment. 938 Sport Nation mornings just before we look at the NPC, Black Furns, of course, in action over the weekend, and they had a good win. Hard for win over France, but a good win all the same Scotland next weekend, then of course the big one against England. But, Ants drawn, France are a good team, and I thought we saw in this game just what Whitney Hansen is bringing to the side is, yes, you've got all this talent, let's use it, but the structures of their play and their determination to do the hard meters, again, just pay it off for them, and it was a good win.

30:34Yeah, I think so, Tony. And I mean, let's be honest, the female program, it's come off a pretty tough, well-cut program, where they perhaps underachieved just into the number of players and quality players we have here in New Zealand, was a big one against South Africa, that was a statement first and foremost. And I just like the way that they attacked to work, of course they earn the right to get there by doing all the hard work through the middle as well. And then that transferred on to that French team, who arguably are probably one of the best, if not the best in the world at the moment, and I just thought that what they've learnt from the South African game, they traveled through to France, and again, they are a team that likes to attack, but they are a team that are not short on doing their hard work at set-piece. We talked about that with the All Blacks. Winning collisions, keeping the ball alive with some real tempo, and they're straight-rowed, certainly out wide. So that building really nicely, I think, to kind of rectify the disappointment of a year or so ago,

31:35as they head into their big tournament. Yeah, the discipline was better as well, although I especially factor in that they had neutral referees, which they didn't have in South Africa, and they had those four yellow cards. Rich, I thought Mia Anderson, they've so many good loose forwards around, and they've had a couple of injuries, but I thought Mia Anderson was super impressive. Oh, she was. Yeah, yeah, great. I mean, obviously, we're all rewarded with a well-taken tribe, but yeah, impressive, actually. And yes, she was strong both sides of all. I thought she was particularly strong, defensively, impressive. So, yeah, again, that's a great competition that they're involved in, that W.S.B.B. and its own environment, and good opportunity for all of them, I thought they were strong. Yes, France is a very strong side, and I think what they'll take most out of that performance, Tony, is that they created a few opportunities that they didn't take, so they'll look back at that and say, look, we've put away a very strong front side,

32:37and we probably wound at our best, so that's encouraging for them throughout, obviously, the big test and a couple of tests, I think they've got the next hour. Yeah, I thought they were going to go in Finland, so they were going to port to that. I thought their midfield defense in particular was outstanding. Okay, you guys are probably climbing over each other to answer this next one, but North Harbour, they took on Hawks Bay, Hawks Bay have just been fantastic. They had maximum points, but there's something, this North Harbour team at the moment is on fire. Yeah, they are, Tony, and I think one of the key things here is they look really, really well connected. We talk about having a team galvanize, a culture when the pressure really comes on, how they respond, and you can see that in spade at the moment, bare mind it was a real arm wrestle through to half time, and then for about 10 or 12, 15 minutes, Hawks Bay flick the switch, and got a nice 12 point lead on North Harbour, and they had to respond, and they just responded excellently well. They used the ball to whip again,

33:38they've got such a good back three, and Rice came on and made a real difference as well. If you give those three four players at the back too much time in space, they can really burn you, and that's exactly what they did, they got back in front, and then they were just relentless right through until the end, and of course that was coupled with some really good defense at the back end as well. We're both North Harbour players, me and Pod, and it's really pleasing to see a team again, I'll go back that look really, really well connected, and they're planning some great footies. Yeah, you're right, I mean it's bold, it's fearless, it's like it was back in the days when you guys were playing, but it's still quite measured. It's not quite as madcap, Richard, dare I say it. Yeah, well, I think, you know, what I'm, we every time I talk to the boys in that environment, you know, they actually, you know, that's what they talk about, they talk about playing the game of the Harbour of Old, and they've embraced it and they've gone,

34:39this is Harbour rugby, and this is how we want to go about playing the game, but yeah, I mean, it's all very well to have the attitude towards that, but you've actually, you know, you've actually got to go out there and do the, you know, as we know, and rugby, you've got to do the basics right, and they've got a really, really nice balance, you know, and it's alluded to some really exciting backline, but they've got some really, really good hardworking, and young, that's the exciting thing for Harbour fans. It's a very, very young team. You mentioned, and these guys all come out of the club system, and, you know, they've got this immense self-belief and what they're doing, and look at, and, you know, as much as they, they had a disappointing season last year, and I talked to Ted Melbourne about it, you know, he said, as much as last year losing became a habit, he said, this year winning's become a habit, and that's a much better feeling. Yeah, you mentioned Hunter Rice series, the son of Dean Rice, who was a great softball, one of these young, great softball players, and boy, he's a lecturer, and he's got so many good ones in Hawkes Bay, they just, Brock James has talked about it,

35:40they're disciplined, does have to improve, and maybe this time it costs them. Richard, you've covered a lot of Northland, because it's not far up the road from where you are these days, the shield, they've made it clear. This is their priority. We saw that with the team they put on the field against North Harbour. I think, anyone going up there in his county's Monaco, have got the only challenge left, and anyone wants to take that shield, you better take a crowbar and a sledgehammer with you. Yeah, it's no doubt about that. A bit more, I think you might have to actually show a couple of each of players on the field, if you're going to give yourself a chance to success up there. But Northland, yeah, again, not too dissimilar to Harbour, just a massive amount of internal self-belief, and what they're doing, they've got a really, really well-balanced squad. I think Marcel Renato has been a huge asset to them this season, just bringing some solidity to their forward pack, and the forward pack gone from a liability to now, you know, a huge weapon for them, and then, yeah, they've got the fans turning up,

36:41they're doing all the right things with the shield, and that's just fostering this movement, that's going to be really tough. Counties are going to, as I say, they're not only going to have to bring their 18 tiny, but they might have to bring a couple of extras in throw them on, if they're going to be successful in a couple of weeks' time. And we're always looking for field good stories around this time of the year, and PC, and we're seeing some terrific young players coming through, but Matoa 2 are turning into one of those stories as well. They don't get that many wins over Tadonaki. They got one, you've got to say, hats off, young Reese McDonnell, whose grandfather was a springbok, a clutch penalty. I mean, that was not an easy kick, and he just nailed it. Yeah, well, they're building it off the back of a really good win, against Bay of Prenny 2 the week before Tony, where that game was held to a scalper for 40 minutes, and then they just took over control of the game. Their game drivers, and McDonnell was one of those. They just settled the game down, and they really dominated Bay of Prenny. Well, they've taken that through success,

37:41breed success at NPC level. And, again, as you mentioned, I've been here, team like Tadonaki, who can really hurt you if you get it wrong, just their ability to hold onto that game, and obviously, that penalty you mentioned was excellent. But, you know, let's look at the boys who are really delivering for them. I think Kyle Brown's had a great season. Based on Yosé and Halden, how good have they been in the loose for three? I mean, those three have been so dominant in that area of the game, it helps them with the way they attack. And, of course, just the other hardworking players that have got in and around them, it's a real successory, and we know Sam Ward, of course, don't we, Sammy Ward's a good mate of ours. He's a mate of pods as well. He's down there assisting, and he's just loving it. He's here in the environment, sensational, there's some realism around what they do. Not a great expectation, I suppose, but they're just delivering weekend weekend. It's kind of impressive. Yeah. You touched on it, Bayer Plenty,

38:42not having a great season. I know they've got a really deep injury list, but you can't take anything away from the stags. What a great finish to the weekend. That was Richard Topping Bayer Plenty, 43 to 12, and gosh, what would a Southland team be without, like a Rutledge or a Dermity, or one of those names in it? Yeah, exactly. Look, I'm certainly enjoyed sitting down and watching that 80 minutes play, and I mean, Bayer Plenty, after the game was, you know, he was just said, you know, that Bayer Plenty, you're in that hole, and I've talked about it, you know, success, success breeds positively, and unfortunately, you know, by a pretty little thereabouts, but not just not delivering, but you know, Southland here, when they're on their day, they've got a, you know, massive support base down there, which is great, and just putting it together and seemingly enjoying it as well.

39:43So, yeah, look, I mean, everything over all ponies just been so good. 30 season, 20, 26, and you know, there were, the Southland game was another example of that. Yeah, Auckland probably managed to slow down Stephen Bates' hair loss rate at the weekend by getting a win over Counties, Monaco 43 to 33. Otago Tasman, and a real shooting match, that one, 57, 33. Shannon Brazil, making a comeback, 30 started strongly. Good to see him, just going to be interesting to see how he goes the rest of the season, whether he's still a contender for the All Blacks. Yeah, well, I mean, he's one of those players, as in the mungles that we need, you know, running around in a black shirt, and because he was so destructive when he was there in the past. But of course, you know, he's coming back from a long injury, and this is the best platform for him to, you know, get his game going again, but just going back to you, Otago, Tim, Tony,

40:43the NPC for mine, and I'm going to click comment. I know it's a step back from Super Rugby, and then obviously it's a step back from international rugby, but we still, seriously have to look at those players that are performing week and week out at this level, to whether they're good enough to go through to the next level. I mean, you look at that Otago team, one player that springs to mind, and I've got big reps on Lucas Casey. Yeah. He's been exceptional for them. You know, Leo Willie still running around. He's been in your black mix before, you know, where does he sit now? You know, and there's lots of others there. I think we seriously got to keep looking at the NPC players for that opportunity to just step through to the next level, and be careful. If it's just a trial or, you know, a training or whatever it is, don't ignore what's happening at NPC level because there are some good players running around. Yeah, that's great. Thanks very much for that, fellas. Anastron Richard Turner, the other game, haven't mentioned Canterbury was great to be in Christchurch. The weekend, God, the city's looking good,

41:43and they were too strong for a Wellington team who, well, they battled away bravely, but Canterbury in the end just too much class. So Hawkes Bay, North Arbor, Northland Otago, the top four, then Canterbury Tasman, Monterbury, Tuw, Waikato. That's our wrap of the weekend's rugby. Thanks very much to Anastron and Richard Turner for their thoughts that is coming up 9.51 now, Sport Nation mornings. Get to some of your texts. I haven't got much time, but thanks for the more W-883 marks. His TJ might be concerned as the next test match at Eden Park, record on the line, let us load up on the line. Surely the all black can bounce back. My concern is the Aussies have a warm-up game against the spring box. We have three weeks off. Will that catch us off guard? And he's saving graces the Aussies have lost playmaker Gordon for the rest of the year. Surely the Aussies will target the areas the box exposed us on. Yeah. I think they'll be up for that. Don't worry. Problems, the Australians can't play up front like the box can play. No, and I think that's some context is going to be put in it when we get around of those games. Look, I won't start any more texts in case I can't finish them,

42:43but we will get to them. Keep them coming. W-883 right now on Sport Nation mornings. We're going to go to the States at the moment. It's all over at the US Open. We have a winner of the men's singles, and we'll get to that in just a sec. And the EPL coming up in the next hour, NRL after 11 on Sport Nation mornings. Ryan for Abbin Ylson, the Clive Arts. Clive Arts. Levels for the generation. Well, he slipped over, but he still managed to put it in. The latest pull corner is rattled off the crossbar. It's Balumi deflected it in. Well, this is incredible. From one overhines, how setting leads?

43:43Hold it up, climbing, gross. Thoughts the 10th or second for him. But don't call that fly. And what is he left fly? That is a slump dunk into the top left hand corner. Took a deflected hammer. But the flag is off. It's not going to count. Early Harleys outside. Looks like early Harleys is offside. From that sum of angle. Well, well, there might be a little plot twist coming here. Come from Manchester City. Early Harleys has given City the lead in the top. Yeah, EPL coming up later on this hour. We're also going to go to the States very shortly, where it's all been wrapped up at Flushing Better, the US Open. And that's coming up in this hour.

44:43NRL after 11, looking forward to hearing from Scottie Sattler. He'll have a really good, I guess, new, true view on what happened at the weekend. I know a lot of worries, fans will be disappointed. Maybe a little bit anxious about the fact that they're having to back up now and go to Eden Park. And I'm sure he will have a really objective view on that. But let's get some headlines for Kato. He's got headlines with PGG writes in turf, Liam Lawson, produced his best F1 finish for Red Bull. Still expressed a better disappointment in finishing sixth in the Spanish Grand Prix. He has recorded his 10th top 10 finish of the season. So he's up to ninth in the driver's standings with his sixth place finish. He thought they could have done better in Q3, but pretty happy. He thought they could have been in the top five. But as it is, he got sixth. That's pretty good. Kimmy Anthony Alley, too good for the rest. He's won again. I think it's his eighth win of the season now. He's got a championship lead of 81 points after 14 rounds. And probably just put himself out beyond the likes of Lano Norris and his team at George Russell.

45:46And we'll hear a little bit from Liam later on when we go to our mass-bought clipping segment in this hour. Yeah, we'll do that a little bit later. Now on, EPR, we didn't get that to that earlier. But Manchester City of one-attentz Manchester Derby 1-0 with a controversial VAR goal to Erling Harland that came up with Manchester City lost Phil Fauden to a red card for kicking Bruno Fernandez in the stomach. Now, who kicked who first? Well, what's his name? Phil Fauden was lying on the ball. You can't lie on the ball. You are allowed to kick at the ball if somebody is lying on it. But what you can't do is lie on the floor and studs up kick somebody in the stomach when the ball's nowhere near them. Right. Yeah, it's violent conduct. So he'll probably get a three-game ban for that Phil Fauden. Oh, it's OK. But the referees association in the UK is now called pro-ref. And David Mitterd, that it was a mistake in awarding the goal because the law states that Enzo Fernandez

46:46doesn't matter if he hasn't touched the ball, he was in an offside position and he attempted to get involved with the play, which then puts off the key brand, the defender. So it should have been disallowed. I'm sorry. I feel your pain, brother. I really do. I know. But look, we could turn the temperature in here up to 35 degrees and you would not take that Manchester United shirt off. No, it's interesting too that Dermott Gallagher, who's now retired, but he's been on talk sport today. And he said he couldn't believe it was offside and Joe Hart, the former Manchester City keeper, said, these are the laws. I can't believe they've got this wrong. I made up an Arsenal fan. I would have been quite happy to have that goal disallowed. Yeah, yeah, 100% you would have been. You've been alone at the top because Arsenal had a win to know yesterday against Sunderland. So four games, four wins for both Arsenal and Manchester City as things stand. They are the two top teams in the league. Elsewhere Coventry got Hammett Five-Nill at home by Brighton. They've now played four games. No wins, no draws, no goals.

47:47And you can see the 10 looking ugly for them. They're just about to be closing the book on them being real again. Well, already wouldn't they? Yeah, I'll tell you what, Frank Lampard won't be long for this world. I don't think he might get the ass. They've got one game before the international window. And I wouldn't be surprised if these had changed, made there. There were two old draws between Bournemouth and Brentford and Chelsea in Hull City. You still remain unbeaten after four. My second favourite team now. There you go, the Tigers. Now that Woody's only coming on after about 91 minutes. Exactly. Yeah. And then we did win 2-1 at Forest. And as you said, Liam Delap, who they built to effectively replace, would scored. He opened the scoring in that game and is looking pretty good for them. It switched another promoted team, 1-3 to it, Palace. And there was also Nillal draws for Spurs and Everton and Liverpool and Fullham. There's always that little bit in me that wants the promoted teams to have a good season to stay there. Don't just have that up and then down thing. But it's so hard. It must be so, so hard coming out of the champion. We had to talk more about that with Matt Reed just a little bit later on.

48:47Yeah. Those are your sports units headlines with PGG rights and turf. Premium turf grass seed that's tested by the experts and trusted by the professionals I can tell you at half time, the Philadelphia Eagles lead the Washington Commanders 14-9 in the NFL. I suppose just get a couple of texts in two before we move on with the hour. Because as I say, we always love getting your texts. Keep them coming, double-eight, double-three. Yeah, obviously there's a lot of disappointment coming out of them. And this one here, I don't see the upward, you've said trajectory, trajectory and scrums lineouts catching the high ball on the tour. They were together for eight weeks. There should have been improvements. Week to week, the coaching staff have to be accountable for this. And held to the standard, the NZAU set in removing razor. One positive from the Baltimore test was Ethan Blackatter. He was everywhere as our traditional seven has always been. I thought he was terrific and I would have had him in earlier in the series as well. Our setpiece high ball breakdown, obvious serious weaknesses. What was more scary in this game, however, was our defense out wide and in the middle.

49:48Massive gaps, props trying to tackle wingers, etc. Discipline also a big issue. Vahey gives away silly penalties and got found out on defense. Not the answer, it's six. I think a lot of people have been saying that he is. I just, he did that thing where he held on around the leg of a player at a ruck for too long and gave away apparently and that's the second test in a row that someone's done something like that. It was Jacob Sin in the previous one where he took a guy out off the ball. Those are those silly moments. I still can't help but think. Wave after, wave after, wave. And it's such a test of composure and the key is not to do those sorts of things when you're under pressure. I'd also say in this test match too, Rick, that I thought the spring box moved the ball more. They moved it in their backline and I think that's what struck that New Zealand defense. That New Zealand defense had just gotten so used to standing there or moving up and taking wave after, wave after big guys. Suddenly they start moving the ball around and it did compromise their defense. That South African winger was superb.

50:49Every time he got the ball and no, no, no. I answered. Every time he got the ball and broken play. I mean it was like Cullen like some of the way he was cutting through. Oh yeah, he's so clever on his feet. Matt has texted an interesting one here, Tony. He's still the talk about the tonguey towels. Well, he's still coming back from his injuries out of the moon boot now but he's making a good recovery Caleb tonguey towel. Kairan Tom Moui for now. He says the talk about those sorts of wingers are the best aerial exponent in New Zealand to both codes is Israel Leota. He says he has 6'5 and 110 kgs. I'll take you word for that. And as quick as Kairan saw him live on the week, what a presence. You're looking around. I thought McDonald too, the cannery winger has shown real skill in the air as well if that's what you're looking at. Israel Leota has been signed by the Broncos I think. He wasn't my Warno but he's gone to the Broncos. Yeah, okay. And then Jim from Tomuka just a reminder of the heartland. I know the boys were talking about it early on today.

51:51But South Cannery beating mid cannery in an epic thriller year boys, great effort. Those matches are always awesome South Cannery against mid cannery. So yeah, keep those texts coming. Double eight, double three but in just a moment we are going to head to Flushing Meadow into the United States where they are crowning the champion of the US Open. It's 14 after 10. Sport Nation Mornings, Jim's just texted back saying why didn't we talk more about the heartland as part of our rugby roundup. Well, mate, we'd love to. And I suppose this morning we had the test match from Baltimore to talk about. We had the black ferns and we had the NPC but Jim we know you're a regular listener and we love getting your text mate tomorrow morning. We will do a feature on it. I promise you that. So thanks very much for your text. Okay, to tennis we have time now to go to the United States where well they've crowned a new women's champion. For the second time this morning, Alexander Zverev has claimed the US men's singles crown. He has beaten Ben Shelton in the final and a talk is through all that in the climax to another great tournament.

52:57Al Grusken joins us. How are you Al? Well, I have all these notes ready to talk about the black ferns. So I guess I'll have to come back to do that later as well. But appreciate you guys having me. Appreciate that match finishing in time for this. It's very good time. It's been a hack of a US Open. Tell us about the final because early on it really did look like Alexander Zverev was taking a pretty firm control and just when he was getting his first serves and Shelton was having real trouble putting a dent in it. Now there's a reason Alexander Zverev has won now 16 consecutive matches against left handed players and the reason is his backhand. His backhand is up there with just about any backhand we have seen in the history of our sport. And accordingly, Al Fee builds his patterns on picking on those spots, the slider T serve on the do side, the slider wide on the ad. You can't do that against Sasha Zverev. If he takes that away right away and accordingly, if you don't have a backhand that can hurt his forehand, which Ben Shelton really didn't and you saw that most to your point on the return of serve,

54:05you're just going to have a problem. Now you add to that Zverev is 6 foot 6. He hits his serve 130 miles per hour and he makes that serve 70% of the time. And he's done that for five years now consecutively. It's why he's been able to compete at the top of the tennis world for about a decade consecutively. It's why he's now a two-time major champion. He just doesn't have a real hole in his game and against the left. He gets to play to his strengths always. We saw that for that. Yeah. Just a correction there. I think I said his second title. It's his second grand slam title. He's won the French Open and he has previously appeared in a US Open Final. Look, he's not everyone's favorite cup of tea. Zverev, I think there's been allegations made against him which apparently came up in commentary. Merrick Carillo made some reference to it. And he makes people angry with this repetitive bouncing of the ball before his serve. I mean, what do you make of it? Do you think that's just part of the game or do you think he stretches it out too much?

55:05Somewhere in between, I mean, certainly there's a gamesmanship aspect to it. They were discussing that on the broadcast I was watching today as well where, look, it disrupts the rhythm of your opponent. Now, every player gets to play at their own pace of serve. Every player can choose how long to a point. They want to take between those two points. And there is a serve clock now, right? There is a mandated, you have 30 seconds to start that service motion to get that toss in the air. He doesn't violate that rule. But certainly as a viewing product, it sucks when things are this choppy when you don't get to watch consecutive tennis where it does feel like every point is its own entity. And it just becomes a choppy experience. That place to his advantage, he gets a rhythm. He's used to it. He injects his pace into every match that he plays. It's why we had those 3 a.m. finishes when he was the late night match early in week number one. Look, he's also been the guy in his generation.

56:07He was a junior French open champion, a world junior number one, a guy who was anointed by the ATP-2 or the next thing. And there comes an arrogance. When you've been told you're the next thing, your entire life, I think Sasha's there is not shy in bearing that arrogance particularly in the press room to which he has always had some sort of antagonistic relationship with. The tennis to his credit has become undeniable. He has been the one stable thing in a year where anything has been but stable on the men's side. And so it's a fascinating case. He now is a Hall of Famer by Resume. The question is, will his peers in the tennis media be willing to vote him in given everything that comes with him off the court? It's a fascinating question. Ben Shelton, a worthy finalist in his popular here. He's been to New Zealand. People really liked the guy. And he had a fantastic match of 5 set quarter final win over Alcharez.

57:09Just I think the last time we were on we were thinking maybe Alcharez despite the layoff, maybe he could do it but Shelton toppled him there. And that was a really, really worthy performance in a worthy finalist. Ben's exceptional. I think he becomes the fifth lefty in this century to have reached a major final and in that Alcharez match he proved something every tennis fan had hoped from him throughout the course of his career. Which is that the best version of Ben Shelton when he steps on the court. His serve will be the biggest weapon on the court against any opponent that he faces. And you saw that against Carlos Alcharez. I was joking around with some friends. He's hitting 147 miles per hour at 3.33 a.m. It's like, dude, you get a D.Y. From moving that fast at 3.30 a.m. It's just ridiculous to see like you're not supposed to be able to do that. And you know, you have to play perfect attacking tennis against Carlos Alcharez. And he did for three and a half hours, four hours consecutively to where you now are assured, okay, this is within him.

58:15Now today ran into the issue of again. He could attack the Alcharez backhand. He can't do that against Sasha's fervor. It's also his first slam final. And I think the status players in their first slam final are like one in 20 or something crazy against opponents who have played in a slam final over the last 20 years. It's just you don't usually win your first slam final. If you do, you're probably Carlos Alcharez. You're probably E.G. Fionte, one of those special talents. It's just a bad match up for him. It has been historically. I think he's won one set in the four or five matches. He's played against Fera for his career. But Ben can do things that no one else can do. And it's a fun segment. I like to do because here in America, we like to draft things. I guess it's just in our nature. And if you're drafting one skill you would want for the next five years to beat Alcharez to beat center, the number one overall draft pick is Ben serve.

59:15You want Ben serve and we'll figure out the rest of the tennis afterwards because if you have Ben serve, you have a shot versus anyone. And even today against Varev and taking a set, he kind of proved that that he can do that in a lead level over the course of two weeks. Now we had that time obviously famous time where we had the big four or three depending on where you rate any Murray. They dominated all of tennis. They started to go by the wayside. We've got one left in the Joker and then you have the center Alcharez, Duopoly, and you thought, well, this is going to be us for the next ten years. But now that's Varev is one way. He's won two this season. Obviously he's got that winning feeling. We've seen the likes of Shelton come through and make a grand final at a Masters. Are we now seeing that next crop come through? It might not just be Cernor and Alcharez for the next ten years. Well, you mentioned for Varev this season, I mean, he turned 29 earlier this year. This is when he should be at the peaks of his powers.

1:00:18He made something only seven other men have done. He made the semifinals were better at all four majors. He probably could have won three of the four as well. He was two sets to one up on Carlos Alcharez and really should have beaten him with Alcharez cramping in that Australian open semifinal. Now notably didn't and Alcharez goes on to win that Australian open title. He wins the French open. He wins the US open. He makes the final of Wimbledon as well. And yet through all of that success, he only beat two top ten players at the majors this season. Beat Fritz at Wimbledon, beat Shelton here at the US open. He didn't have to beat in Alcharez to win his slam title. He didn't have to beat a sinner who was obviously out of this US open with injury. And so even in winning two slams and being as consistent as he was, sinner owns him at the 1000s in the matches they played earlier this year. Alcharez beat him while cramping at the Australian open. So Zvarov is the only one who going into 2027 could have a claim to a third spot in a big three and yet.

1:01:28You still feel like there's separation between even him and sinner Alcharez who win healthy. I think live on their own planet. Now there are two year point other young guys Shelton's coming up. Rafa Houdar has had a massive year of success. Yaka Menchik, 1000 level champion. He makes the role on Garo semifinals. There are younger players ascending, but they still haven't proven it the way you have to to be considered a big three. So I do think after two rough years, the field is finally starting to turn in an upwards direction. I still think you use the best word. It's a duopoly. And until someone beats one of those two guys or both of them, well, healthy, they kind of sit in their own tier. Yeah. The women's final. It did go with the seatings in the two finalists. It was one V2. And in the end, Elena Rybakina got up over Sabalinka in three sets. Boy, when she gets that first serve right, it is such a weapon.

1:02:29Yeah. It's a joke round always that if you were to create a country club because you got to separate the best of the best. And I call it Serena Williams power tennis country club where it's a this elite property. I figure in Florida like beautiful golf course. We got all three surfaces of tennis, a wonderful dining room, by the way, where all diverse sorts of cuisine served up. Whatever you want, we've got it for you. And for me, there's an elite group of players who can play with a degree of power tennis that just takes the racket out of your hand. And when you can do that, you can have build a property on Serena Williams power tennis country club. And Elena Rybakina's property is one of the top five we've got. Like she's got the guest house in the back, the pool, the on site tennis court. It's just remarkable to your point the power that she can play with at all moments. She's that strong. Her technique is that smooth. The first serve to your point, just electric. She out hit world number one Arena Sapulanka.

1:03:30And is a deserving world number one. She'll send it at spot on I think today. I was going to say on Monday on Monday here in the United States. I believe it is already Monday in New Zealand, if I'm doing my math correctly. So today. You're talking to the future. So today. And how can you say she doesn't deserve it? She won two major titles. She beat Sapulanka in both of them. She's the best player in the world. And it's rare you get a moment like this where the world number one does so by beating the previous best. It's just a really clean transition of the throne from Sapulanka Rybakina. She's earned it. She's been the best player for the last year. I guess Sapulanka crumbled a little bit in the end, but it was just under the pressure. There was a great win for Rybakina and a worthy champion beating Sapulanka in the final in three, six, two in the last. And of course, as we mentioned, Alejandro Zverev has now been crowned as the US Open Men's Champion. Well, thank you so much. Wonderful coverage you've given us throughout the tournament. And we're very grateful for that.

1:04:37No, I appreciate you guys again. I've got the Black Ferns notes. So I'm on ice if you need me, but always appreciate getting to hang out with you guys during the major. And thank you again for having me. Good man. That's Al Graskin from the States 1026 Sport Nation, EPL next. Well, there's a familiar look to the top of the English Premier League, four games in Arsenal and Manchester City separated by just one goal on the differential after both kept their 100% record intact at the weekend. It's always great to get the thoughts of UK writer, broadcast of football academic Matt Reed. Hello, Matt. Hello. How are you doing? Yeah, good. Good. Look, firstly, let's get to your, well, it's your Sunday afternoon. Firstly, 199th Manchester Derby at Old Trafford, just the Irling Harlan goal separating them in the end. And a pretty contentious sort of a match this one. You had VAR. You had a red card. It was quite a turbulent match. It was. And we had we had Phil Foden sent off for a for an interesting altercation with Bruno Fernandez. Not many people defending him and saying that he should have not got the red card because he kicked out of Fernandez, but there was there was a very pronounced kick from Fernandez, the United Midfielder before that point on to Foden trying to get the ball, which was essentially was resting under him at the time.

1:06:00It was it was one of those six of one half done as another kind of situations. The fact that the phone was lying on the ground, he'd rived, spun himself around and he kind of straightened his legs in a very aggressive kind of way, which caught Fernandez. Fernandez did what Fernandez is very good at doing. And he made the most of the situation. He dropped. He rolled his body was broken, etc. Immediately recovered, assuming Spoden got the red card. But yeah, it could very easily have been it could very easily be in a yellow card for Fernandez as well. But potentially being called back for the fact that Fernandez was the initiator of the of the issue and it could be taking off for both and Foden could have got away with it. But very few are saying that he should just just down the pitch because he lost his head. And for Phil Foden at the moment, he is a player who needs to rebuild his career. So moments like this and non-good news. And even the goal it was a drawn out sort of a fear was VAR one way then the other and before they finally confirmed it. It's horrible VAR. I just got there. That's my top line for this. If you go back far enough and if you zoom in closely enough, you can find some way of ruling out most goals.

1:07:09And the ball was played across or ruling in either either way. And the ball was played across and it just looked like, like Harlan was offside. It just looked like it was. That was the optics of that situation. But you then kind of wind it back and you look at this little toe tip of the toe at the fast side of the pitch, which was just at the point the ball was played was just keeping Erling Harland on side. It was no one store it. Nobody was sitting there going, oh no, it's okay. He will be on side because that's going to keep him on side. Actually, he was off. To all intent to purpose, it looked so clear that he was off. But the wonders of VAR me and they've spotted this and the goal is to do it, which in the end of it has decided the match. Yeah, I think we thought when technology started coming more and more into sport and we've had the same issue with rugby here in New Zealand that everyone thought, okay, this is going to be great. We're not going to have any more contentious decisions in sport because we've got all the evidence there and they're going to look through it and they'll get everything absolutely right.

1:08:13And this will be some kind of panacea to everything that ails the game. And instead you end up having these almost forensic examinations of scoring moment and people trying to find reasons not to award a goal or a try or whatever it is. It certainly hasn't been the cure all that a lot of people thought it was going to be regardless of what sport it is. No, I know exactly. And it has it's had a huge impact across multiple sports. Intrinsically, it does the right thing. It normally gets to the right decision. It's very, very rare that it's incorrect. But God, it's a fun sponge, isn't it? It sucks the life out of those moments. And when you've got a player who does look so off, he going back to all of these stages of build up the opposite of the possibility of a hair being flipped on Enzo Fernandez's head as he throws himself toward the toward heading the ball across and it didn't happen. And then you can have like look across the pitch and actually say, well, actually there is a bit of an angle there on the camera. It does look a bit deceptive and maybe maybe on the far side, you've got a player there who's keeping him on or playing him off.

1:09:19It just drags it all out too much. But absolutely, I was of your view. I thought this could be the thing which decides those black and white kind of moments and it made it really much better. But it's just dragging it out too far. Yeah, it's interesting you talked about the Harlan being offside because for me that wasn't the issue. And if you look at the laws of the game when it comes to offside, it says offside can be given when a player who's in an offside position clearly attempts to play the ball but doesn't touch it. And for me, Enzo Fernandez clearly attempted to play the ball. So I mean, he wasn't an offside position. So for me, I'm expecting PGMOL to be issuing an apology to Manchester United probably tomorrow. Yeah, we've had many of these haven't we where it's like the player gets within again, a matter of millimeters, certainly less than a centimeter from the top of his head catching that ball. And he's throwing himself at the ball. He's influencing the player on his long side and who has to go and mark him rather than dragging across and trying to cover a shot from Harland, etc, etc. You know, it does feel sometimes like the the law is being chosen to be used in certain ways at certain times to fit with a decision that's been made at some point.

1:10:29And there's not I'm not suggesting there is an agenda, but there is there, but these things kind of like picking choosers to whether somebody's interfering in not and that's all of these gray areas. I was creating the chaos. But it doesn't let's just go back to the to the to the match, though, shall we? Maynight did play against a reduced number down to 10 men and Manchester City. Maynight had hit the post twice. They played in the early stages, actually, against 11 men. They probably played better, but they had two really good chances, rushed with a main, who, mainly very good hitting the post. But they couldn't they couldn't polish off and they couldn't let outrun and outfight and outthink a Manchester City side with one player less. And that's a huge alarm for Michael Carriket present because at the moment not scoring enough goals and rarely keeping a clear shot. Yeah, it leaves them four points from four games. There are only three points out of the top five. It's not a great stats. One team and we'll talk about Arsenal in a moment, obviously, because they're top of the table, but I just keep coming back to hull.

1:11:29They have made such a great start. One of the promoted teams, they get a two-all draw at Stanford Bridge. Third place, one of only three undefeated teams. Now, I don't think anyone thinks they're going to stay there, but hell, what a start. Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. And it's not like they've gone out and they've bought big names or names with Premier League experience. Or they've spent huge amounts of money like Hipstwitch, and there's been a bit of a mix between the promoted sides. So Hipstwitch has split us, loads, huge amounts of money. Some players have Premier League experienced, some younger players who hadn't quite got the chance that the teams that they were at. A Coventry City have gone for a little bit the other way, where they've got experienced Premier League players, people who've been in the Brentford Reserve, or been not quite getting into the night on Forest First team, the A1 Youth and the Pinnix of this world. Whereas hull city, you look across their side, and nobody else was looking at any of these players, frankly. The players that they brought in, people like Zalakis in gold and people like Mendi at the back, and a number of the players are on the bench for them.

1:12:35They've no one was looking at them, and they've got all of these hardworking club captives, people like Coil and Johnny Egan, who's been in the Premier League before with Sheffield United, and the midfield of Crooks and Slater. These are your experienced or young enough becoming players who have been floating around in the lower reaches of the championship. For a long time, nobody else was looking at them, and what do they do? They step up to this level. They'd buy a few players, most of them don't get into the team, because Suga Yukaravitch has stuck to the bulk of the players that we had before, and they've been awesome. They've been nothing sure or fantastic. The argument that's been given for hull city is that because they were almost favourites to be relegated last year, they're in the bottom five, at least likely to play as clubs, and they'd say to make it into the challenge for promotion last year from the championship. Because they were not expecting them, because their whole model has been about, well, let's absorb and then let's go boom.

1:13:37Let's break, let's get the ball up to the Bernui, let's use our wingers really well. We'll drive him from wide, we've got a really good play on the right, Bulumi, who scored two goals, and yesterday, and he's looking really good generally. But their whole model is basically, let's absorb the pressure, let's be hard to beat, and then we'll just go boom, and we'll attack at pace, and with numbers. And they've done amazingly. At times yesterday, Chelsea, big spending, glamorous Chelsea were hanging on. It's interesting, you talk about hull in that way, because you're right, in terms of all the numbers, I think the fourth most goals considered in the championship last season, the second most ex-G against the championship last season. I thought for sure, they were going to be challenging Derby for the worst Premier League record of all time this season, but they're not. Unbeaten. Conversely though, you talk about Coventry. Coventry ran away with the championship last season, was scoring goals for fun. Much in the way that Ipswich, Undercure and McKinnida did a couple years ago, and Burnley did undervents and company a couple years ago. All of those teams who have dominated the championship have come up to the Premier League and struggled, whereas the battlers seem to cope better with that step up.

1:14:46Why do you think that is? Doesn't it make sense though? You step yourself back and you say, well actually, this team that's coming up is going to be one of the favorites to be relegated. They are going to have one of the weakest playing squads. Doesn't matter how much money you spend, you're not going to convince the best players in the world to come to a team who aren't guaranteed to be in the Premier League for more than one year. So it just makes sense that the team that's used to scrapping, the team that's used to having lower possession, the team that's used to having to play on the counter, and has got this core of doggied, I mean, it's the old dogs of war. I'm like phrase, doggied battlers who scrap away, who know what their positions are, know what their jobs are, and will then explode forward when actually the time when the small opportunities come. And because they're a team who are used to getting very few opportunities, it means that they tend to take them when they come their way. So I think it just, I've increasingly been considering this, and the teams that get promoted, the ones, as you say, the ones that are the champions, the ones that are the real standouts.

1:15:47Often they don't do as well as those teams who've come in the last moment and who've pushed up at actually who are the ones who have a very low possession. It was exactly the same with Leicester City when Leicester City were promoted and in the next year, and they managed to keep themselves in the Premier League and the next year they managed to go and win the Premier League. I'm not suggesting a whole of a few steps away from that, but I'll tell you what, I'm not ruling them out for a champion league push. Oh, that'd be amazing, wouldn't it? Look, Arsenal, they have amazing. Up in the Northeast, you know, they had to battle over Sunderlin, Gimereus getting on the board, their big money signing in the off season. And that was a 97th minute goal by Bicayo Sucker, in the end, enough to get them to the top of the table on goals, foreign against. Yeah, absolutely. The balance of that team is working really well for them. They've now got a left-winger in Zollis and a right-winger or a right-side-of-forwards, let's say, in Sucker. And the two of them are consistently finding each other with cross-field balls. Oda Gardner has a bit more space because he doesn't have somebody like Ezair on the left or Martin, or a trossard.

1:16:57Who am I thinking of? Oh, Trossard, who consistently were cutting inside and trying to have shots in the collar box. There's just a large amount of space now for Oda Gardner to be working in. And that attacking unit now is looking creative and clever, and you're getting the best out of Oda Gardner, and having it's looking consistently like he's actually, you know, he's confident to be shooting and scoring. That said, Stundland, one of the toughest sides for Arsenal to face last year. Stundland really, really, like, random close. And they ran them close again this time. A couple of moments where it could have gone one or two ways. And there was a save from David Rire, a penalty save, which is one of the best penalty saves I've ever seen. He absolutely committed to it, he chucked himself to his left. And he's turned the penalty around the post. And he's put Arsenal in this position to be going on and taking advantage again. But I mean, if that had gone in, it would have been a much harder day, but Arsenal were creating a number of chances. We're very polished and soccer solace Oda Gardner again. Looks very, very good.

1:18:00At the other end of I suppose the scale, we've had two schoolers draws, and Liverpool were involved in one of them against Fullham. I think Alison only had to make one save in the entire game and Tottenham for the second time. And boy, talk about teams that splashed out another nillal draw for them. And nillal draws is not much of a party trick, really, is it? It's not much of a party trick, it's not really a pit. Liverpool very poor. I mean, this is a home match against Fullham. Fullham, who I regard as being one of the five most likely sides to be relegated this season. In which, which has got a new manager with a rather patchy and very short record of management, they've not added a great deal of quality. They've got a fantastic attack in midfield, I call Josh King. He was a very young English player who's really want to watch. But the squad isn't particularly strong. They aren't loaded with names. They've gone to Liverpool and pretty comfortable, really.

1:19:04A managed to get a nill nill draw against Liverpool. It's not pieced together yet for ERAO lessons. He's gone up there and taken over. Barclay, played for them. They've spent all of this money on playing on the left for them. He had a few little moments, a few little runs. But generally, it wasn't flowing for Liverpool. And Liverpool have got a lot of work to do. I thought it was a telling sign that there will be changes that cost a stomach ass came in at left back for Liverpool, rather than Corkes starting the match. And I thought that was a good sign for Liverpool. But then a half time, stomach ass came on and Corkes went back. Corkes came off and Corkes went back on. So the defence is rather unremarkable. Around how that left right back is playing okay. The midfield without Alexis McAllister, interesting news, not been offered a new contract, is a little bit on the slow side. And we still aren't seeing much from the attacking position. I feared that, well, I suspected that Alexander Eastack would now have his shooting boots on, having got a couple of goals last week.

1:20:11But again, nothing really coming from him either. So, yeah, a bit of an issue for them. And Tottenham, they've spent so much money having they. So many players brought in. I mean, 19-year-old Harrison Armstrong and James Garner just mopping up absolutely everything that Sandra Tnally was trying to pass around them yesterday. First 20 minutes, Spurs, quite good. Actually, not the ball around a little bit, got the ball into the attacking third. But after that point, Everton was slightly on top. And this is an Everton team which has lost by threes, fours and fives down at Tottenham over the last five years. Got a really bit bogie team, essentially, for Tottenham. So, Tottenham can't be Everton at home or score a goal against them. Then it doesn't take much really for Tottenham at the moment. They've got a lot of work to do to turn that around. I thought Roberto DeZurby did his best to Jose Marenia impersonation after the match by saying, we've had back-to-back little draws in Italy that'd be calling me a genius. What are you going to write about? Fluff it around!

1:21:12It's a nice little distraction from things. I mean, you've got players, the money that they've spent, the likes of Marmoush and Savio, who's now known. And the other players they brought in there, and they aren't getting a tune out of them. He's going to try and distract as much as he can, but there was very little created. There's a lot of work to do. We've got a game tomorrow, leads versus Newcastle. Both the last two games at Ellen Road have been score draws. Leads and Newcastle this season have had three games each. And two of those each have been score draws. So tell me this is going to be a score draw. Is that how Punditry works? That's exactly how it works, isn't it? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I think that Leads' defence is really, really tightened up this season. Leads are a team who are now looking very hard to beat. It makes them less exciting, if this being the Monday night match in the Premier League, it won't be one that's packing out the pubs.

1:22:13But it's a bit of a clash of styles. You've got a very robust and capable defensive unit at Leads. You've got James Traffling-Gol, who obviously is trying to push now to be challenging Jordan Pickford to be England's number one. I think he's got some way to go before he really manages to do that. But you've got a very, very tough Leads defence. But as a home team, they're going to have to try and win the match. So it would be less interesting, I think, if Newcastle were the home team. I think Newcastle would then have the impetus because they have more attacking talent. I think Newcastle would be a strong favourites. And it would be an attack versus defence match. This one's a little bit awkward because of that fact that Leads are the home team. They have to be getting some points and trying to win this match. And if they do, Leads get managed to get a win. Either team managed to get a win. They'll be up in the top four of the league. For me, you might get that scoring goal, but we'd score in draw, but maybe only a one-one. Look should mention before we go, Ipswich, they're going all right.

1:23:14They've got their second win. Late winner at Cellhurst Park. Nottingham Forest there first win too. And a good one, Aston Villa, having a bit of a rough start to the year after being so good last season. So yeah, fascinating round, wasn't it? Well, it wasn't fascinating round. And you've got some fabulous managers in the bottom half of the Premier League. I'm such a huge fan of Oliver Glazner. And I can't help but feel that Forest will start clicking into gear and coming together with the players that he's got there now. So I wasn't overly surprised about that. The other side of that is that Una M. Wright is, for me, tactically probably the best team builder that exists in the Premier League now. And his team, Aston Villa, are sitting in the bottom three. Very leaky. The relying on defence, which has to feature Victor Lindelof or Tyrone Ming's. And that's a recipe for disaster as far as I'm concerned of the modern world. They don't have the new players that have come in, people like Manzami, who I was suggesting, who's a box-to-box midfielder, hasn't got himself a place in the midfiel,

1:24:16he's sitting on the bench at the moment. So the new signings aren't quite paying off at the moment for Villa. And there needs to be some things changing there, because they aren't looking like a team who can really dominate an opponent. And Forest, with a better side of the day. Well, it's all started to get very busy now, because there's all sorts of action, various cup competitions, Europa League, European Champions League and the EPL so much. It's great to get your thoughts on it, Matt. Thanks very much. You have a great week. Yeah, you too. Great to talk. It's coming up 10.55 on Sport Nation mornings, NRL coming up after 11 o'clock. I've been fact-checked. And rightly so, Jason, thank you for pointing that out. And he goes, I-T-J, I realise as an Arsenal fan, it's easy to get carried away, correct. But there are currently eight unbeaten teams in the Premier League, not three. You're absolutely right, Jason. I was only looking at the top of the table, Liverpool, Brentford and Everton all have won-win, three draws. Newcastle and Leeds, won-win and two draws.

1:25:18Yeah, and they played them all morning, seven o'clock, New Zealand time. Yeah, that's right. So there are eight. I was only looking at the two. But thank you for that, Jason. And Peter from Cambridge saying, they've already issued the apology and said the goal shouldn't have stood. Does that make you feel better? Mr Manchester United? No, of course it doesn't. Of course not. Of course not. This means that an injustice has been done. There needs to be an investigation. The newsroom. Take the points off them. Yeah, exactly. Come on, that's ridiculous. There's got to be an investigation into this. 100% Jeff Toe v. Okay, it's coming up four minutes away from 11 o'clock, here with Sport Nation mornings. First mile they can share the night. It goes on and on and on and on and on and on. Jenny underneath the stick. He goes towards the wide side. Here is to Peter. Shakes towards the inside. Goes to Toe, I picky on the out. I picky. Do I picky? They do I picky! He dances through them.

1:26:19He goes around them. And he scores the open. Try on the final matchup. They are going to get the points to do with a kick out in front of him. The Dolphins have a chance on the left side. Quick hands, Selwyn Cotto. Just like that of the restart. The Dolphins show why they are one of the most potent attack in the competition. Because they just go right to left in one quick swoop. And they bring the score back to him. Points to six with a kick to count. Oh, that passes forward. It's a 4-0, 4-0, NMG. They might score off it. It's six more. The pass was forward and final circle score. And the Warriors can't defend against 14. It's our, he puts one high in the air. This could be a big moment. Underneath the camp, Pereira lands back on the Warriors. I know it's picked up by Boastock and he is scored. So it will probably be the game winner for the Dolphins. I see it would be a big moment. It's perhaps the biggest of the match.

1:27:20NRL coming up in this hour on Sport Nation mornings. Scott Sadler is going to join us very shortly to go through the weekend's action and the path now that the Warriors will have to take. Keep the text coming. 008.003. Mikey says, high T.J. Shea Fihaki is by far the best under the high ball and in the air in this country. This group will never pick him though. You think we'd get a high ball specialist against the best team in the world. Rory's not happy. He says, springboard fans are becoming the most painful bunch of wounders in the world. I know it's a case of sing when you're winning and winners are winners but good grief are painful winners. Well, I have to pens where you're getting your sample size from, mate, because personal experience. I reckon they're good. I reckon they're really good and they're fantastic in their own country. They're great hosts. But if you will go crawling around in the corridors of social media, you're going to... For all the worst of... Yeah, yeah. You're going to find stuff that you don't like.

1:28:21But thanks for that Rory. Yeah, 008.003. It's coming up three minutes after 11 and let's go to one of our new features on Sport Nation mornings. Normally we do headlines about now but now we're going to take some mass sport. Born more struggling to make the cut, spring into a brand new mass sport model. Yeah, Liam Lawson, of course, finished sixth in Madrid, the latest Grand Prix. It is his tenth top ten finish of the season. Means he's ninth in the drivers' championship. And actually a bit disappointed. I thought they could have done better in Q3 and got the car into the top five. But yeah, it did pretty well, especially with Lewis Hamilton having a retire with break issues. But got past a few cars and managed to hold them off. As well, this is what Lewis, Liam Lawson had to say after the race. From where we started quite an OK race, just super hard to overtake.

1:29:21So, Winfrey and Oldson, straight into you were starting on the hards. But I think the VSC didn't really help at the start. And then, yeah, from there we were just, honestly I was away on a little bit. So, yeah, would have been nice to qualify higher yesterday. I think that was a little bit frustrating on my behalf. But from where we started, it's a good race. Another weekend in the Red Bull, of course. You feel like you've learnt a lot from these last few weekends, things that you can take forward. Definitely, I mean, if I'm much more comfortable in the car, especially yesterday afternoon I would say, made quite a big step. So, yeah, overall I feel good. Some things that are closer to my car, they feel a bit nice and out to drive as well. Yeah, that is Liam Lawson speaking after that, of course, as I mentioned. The finish sixth in the Red Bull, the rest of the placings will like this. Kimmy Anting-Yally winning his eighth race of this season. He finished first. Max Verstappen was just behind him. Len and Orison, third, Charles LeClerc in the first of the Ferraris and fourth, George Russell.

1:30:22The second of the Mercedes in fifth place with then Liam Lawson. Franco Colopinto, Oscar Piestri, the McLaren in eighth. Avid Limblad to the racing bull's teammate, Ovelaim Lawson's generally. In ninth in Niko Holkumburg, in tenth, also in the points. Yeah. Madering. This was the first race in the new circuit in Madrid and by the sound of it, not quite as bad as Monaco, but really hard to pass on. Yeah, that's what's coming out of this. It's been quite difficult to pass on, but it was a fast track. So, if you've got speed in your car, it was about starting to get being fast and then staying fast, staying ahead of everybody else. Yeah, interesting. So those are your news clubings with Matt Sport. Just updating on a couple of things. We've got a full round of NFL on it. The moment the Eagles in the commanders, there's one point in that in the last ten minutes of the fourth quarter. The Eagles leading 17-16. The Cardinals are 23-14 up over the L.A. Chargers in the fourth quarter.

1:31:22The Packers lead the Vikings 22-17 and the Raiders 27-13 up against the Dolphins earlier. We saw the Bengals beat the Bucks 33-27. The Lions win and overtiming as the Saints 31-30. The Jets, would you believe it? One again. They beat the Titans 23-10. Ravens 41-23 over the Colts. Still is 20-13 over the Falcons. The Jags beat the Browns 34-10. The Bills beat the Texans 36-31 and the Game of the Round. How's this? The Bears 59, the Panthers 37-96 points. We'll talk to San Brief about that. Yeah, we'll get him on and get a full wrap-up. We're also going to do a heartland wrap-up tomorrow. We've got a really full show already taking shape for tomorrow morning. And we've got a special guest on Wednesday. I should add Brian McKekney. Now, you're roomed last week on the show on Wednesday, the top five of everything. And we did people double international or people who represented New Zealand at multiple sports. And Brian McKekney was on that list.

1:32:24Brian McKekney was down south of the weekend. They had a bit of a reunion in one of the Southland teams that he was involved in. And Brian's going to join us on the show Wednesday morning between 9 and 10. That's something to look forward to. Also to look forward to in just a moment, our full wrap- Monday wrap of the NRL. That's coming up next on Sport Nation mornings. Just going to 11 minutes after 11 on Sport Nation mornings. TJ and Rick, the Warriors are going to have to take us. I suppose you'd call it the indirect route, the D tour. Now, after losing out to the Dolphins 26-16 in front of the faithful at Go Media Stadium Saturday evening, Warriors led at the break 12-8. Dolphins only took the lead 12 minutes from the end, but inspired by Herbie Farnworth in particular. That was the fins who were in the trip to the next week after this, to play the winner of the Sharks and the Roosters game, which is coming up this weekend. Penrith got by the Roosters. And they'll line, wait for the winner of the Warriors' Knights game to be played even Park Sunday to go through the weekend. Well, this is a great pleasure, as always, to bring in the legend. That is Scott Sattler. Morning to your Scott.

1:33:26Morning. How are you going? Yeah, good mate. Well, we'll start with the Warriors. The Faith will be keeping the Faith, but just from a neutral perspective, how much harder does losing that game make it for the Warriors from here on in? Yeah, it puts a lot of pressure on the squad. And probably more so during warm-up when you lose one of your key players in lack of Hall of Fame, that has a really real adverse effect on the group when you're depending on someone who's so important, so special. And then in a warm-up, you're seeing him getting whisked away by medical staff, like psychologically, that does a lot to a side. But they're still able to hold their nerves the Warriors. This is being so good this year, but losing that first week, it's not ideal because you've got players that are carrying needle injuries. You want to give them every chance they can at the back end of the season to try and heal from some of those injuries as well. So, yeah, it's not ideal, but the history has told us that there's clubs that have come back

1:34:28and won the competition because they've had to take the long-rate home. There have been a lot of injuries in their Warriors camp. Scott, and as you mentioned, let you go down as well. And that is probably exposed a bit of a weakness over the last four weeks for the Warriors, which is somewhere around that edge defense and losing liquor didn't help that. How did you think that Adam Pompey went out late notice coming in and filling that spot? Oh, well, you've just got to deal with the situation. You've got to be able to change your paradigm, change your thinking, and go into beast mode. And he did his best. He's coming up against a couple of outside backs with the dolphins. They're outside backs in their fullbacker. They're elite. You've got to be in a elite level as well to be able to stop that on slope. It wasn't ideal for Adam. It wasn't ideal for the Warriors. You lose an extraordinary player for a very, very good player. But yeah, I felt as though with the last minute change,

1:35:29I felt as though at times you might have been a little bit of a deer in the headlights. But in saying that, I think it's crossed for the last, that Leck is hamstringing his only minor. And we don't know whether it's going to affect him this weekend as well. I felt as though that manly really exposed the Warriors the week before and with a team like the dolphins who can, it's really frightening to play against the side at any time, especially in finals when their attitude is, if you're going to score 20 or we're going to score 30, it's a dangerous team to play against. And what manly did to the Warriors the week before, with lack of field position, I thought the dolphins would have been looking at a lot of weaknesses in that defense. But the good part about it finishing the top four, you get a chance to work on it. Yeah, you get a chance to work on it. Made a mind who's Australian, but from the start of the playoffs has been on the Warriors to go the whole way. And he said he thought he was surprised that the Warriors took the two as often as they did.

1:36:29Now I know it's player footy and you've got to win games, but he said like, do what got you there. What did you make of how often the Warriors took the two? Yeah, sometimes in finals it's hard to score points. We saw that in the Panthers and Roosters game at 12 all and with the eight or nine minutes to go, Nathan Cleary takes the best possible opportunity to take the one point because there was a lot of points on offer. And with the Warriors, I felt it was a, I felt as though it was a safe, it was a safe bet. And sometimes you do that in finals, but you've also got to look at the team that you're playing against the dolphins who can score, put 40 or 50 under team in the blink of an eye. So I think when you're playing against a team like a dolphin, you've got to win possession. You've got to continually win possession and then starve them to the ball as much as possible. So I felt as though they could have taken a little bit more gas out of the dolphins at times and they didn't take that option. It's a classic damned if you do damned if you don't situation though in some situations, isn't it?

1:37:29And it's also, and also I can see where the Warriors are coming from also, respectfully. You've got a lot of players that haven't played finals football. You've got a lot of players that haven't played grand finals and instant nationals as well. So finding that balance and just being able to, you know, to calm the situation as well and keep everyone on a level head and not take them into that heart of a gentleman the whole time where, so yeah, there's a method to the madness as well. But you know, when you're playing against the watch of the guys like dolphins and the panties, you've got to starve them to possession. Yeah, the last 20 minutes of that game, it was quite a turn around and you had almost subtitled the Herbie Funworth show. I mean, it defends winning championships in that. But this guy, he's freaky or he's so hard to contain. Yeah, he is. I think sometimes the Herbie doesn't know what he's doing after time. He just jumps around the field and he looks for an opportunity.

1:38:29He looks for a lazy defender and he'll expose it as well. And that's always one of the elite centers in the competition as well. And the harder to contain those guys, you know, it's not just the man that's defending them. It's the man on the inside that's probably got the hardest, the hardest role. They've got to get up and make sure they're covering the inside of their team. And just ensuring that they're pressing and put a lot of pressure on the player like Herbie as well. You can't lead him dictate turns too as well. So, yeah. So, you know, sometimes it's slapping the face. You're playing at home, you sort of rely on what the home crowd and the adrenaline is going to give you. And the energy is going to give you as well. And all of a sudden you get a slap in the face. Sometimes it's not a bad thing. Look, it's been club's who famously knelt back in 1999. The dragons went down and pulled their pants down in the first week of the finals. And the Melbourne had to get a long way home. And they're not winning tight battles to get through to the grand final. They're winning one of the most controversial circumstances of the world.

1:39:29But some teams need to stay need, they need to keep going. Sometimes like the rest, other teams need to keep going. And I think the Warriors are a team that would enjoy, yeah. It's not a deal, you'd love the week off, of course. But I think they're also a team that need to stay engaged. Yeah, the only thing I'd say about that by the end of the game, it looked like a few of them were just carrying little knocks and niggles and stuff. And again, it's that, was it they call it rust against rest or something like that? That's the argument when you get to this stage of the season. Are you better off having a week just to mend some tired bodies or are you better off keeping going? And maybe turning that to your advantage, the fact that you've got another game. Yeah, you're right. I think, yeah, only from Mike Spheres in O3, when we won the Combat Penra, we beat Brisbane Week 1, and we had the weekend off and played the Warriors in Week 3 for the Grand Final Qualifier. And we had a really young playing group, a really young playing group.

1:40:29And I was an older player, 31 at the stage. And I didn't care whether I had to keep playing or had to wake off. Because you just used to playing when you're a mature player, but you like to get those niggles fixed up. But as a young group, the young guys, I think, that's where it affects this time of year, the young guys, whether they need to wake off or whether they need to keep playing. And, you know, I feel as though this Warriors team, with their young players, I think they'll enjoy to keep playing, to be able to stay in the hunt. Look, if you're looking for someone to lead the way though, in a situation like that and help get the team, I wouldn't say they're on the canvas by any stretch, but just to pick them up, if there's any disappointment, their James Fisher Harris. I guess that's what you want from a marquee player like him. He's absolutely fantastic. Was it something like 152 metres from 20 runs, 35 tackles? I mean, that is star quality, that is. Well, you're dealing with an elite player, and those elite players,

1:41:31they're a little bit like horse trainers, like they, and really good coaches like horse trainers as well, they just get their team, they get themselves individually, they get them ready for the back end of season, like the spring carnivals. And that's what guys, that's what pinnets, they're realizing they're going to drop a few games leading into the finals, but I know about three weeks out from the finals, they're going to put their foot on the accelerator, and they're going to send a message to the rest of the comp, and they did that, again, they see, and they've done it multiple times over the last four or five years. So, James Fisher Harris is no different, but guys like himself, Kurt Kate, well, they're the guys that, they're the guys that know that what takes at this time of year, especially when you're down, because you've got to flush it really quickly, and you're going to get back on the horse again the next day, and you can't delve so much into what happened last week, because the coaches will do the rectifying, the players just have to do the execution. Scott, we should look at the new castle nights. Now, I don't know about you, but going into that game on Friday night, I was all about the rabbit-o's and by how many.

1:42:31It didn't work out that way. Now, there's quite a few nervous warriors fans over here. What did you make of that night's performance on Friday? Again, it's about shutting down the elite players. You know, they've got a couple of elite players in Bradman Best, and Karl and Palmer, and just Karl and Palmer's mere existence puts pressure on everyone, but if you can shut him down and keep his run meters down, and especially the back rolls, I know that when we at the Gold Coast Towers are playing against Newcastle and a couple of ties in the case, and just here, especially the second time, I'm here a few weeks out from the end of the season. Is that shutting down those two back rolls? Getting out and putting as much pressure on those back rolls as possible, and working them over as well, making them do a lot of work, which takes away from their attacking advantages, which then brings Thailand into the picture as well. So there's so many things that play out on the back of their two back rolls. If you can control them, will any control you take to, or you can control the game?

1:43:32I think the war is in a pretty good position, actually. You just got to shut down that big guy at the back. And trying to avoid the sort of start that the night's made, I think was where they took control of the game quite early. He wasn't against the rabbit, so they just got out of the blocks really smart. And I'll do it this week as well, because they want to, they, well, they did really well as they moved that south, any team from sideline to sideline. So they've, they've guys in the middle who haven't just continually moved laterally across. So it's hard for big guys to do that. And I'll do that again against the warriors this week. They'll just move them side to side with really clean early ball movement. And I'll just get there big guys working over time. And then when they find the time right time, they'll pull the trigger. So it'll be all, it'll be all about setting them up initially and then pull the trigger eventually. Yeah, look, the panthers got up against the roosters when it really counted. They'd lost to them a few weeks ago when there wasn't much in it. The panthers got up. Look, clearly such a key man. Firstly, there is some thought he's gone on report, hasn't he?

1:44:35And people are wondering, is he likely to get a stand down out of that? What are your thoughts on that? No, no, he's, yeah, hasn't got any fences on the back. He's got fences on going off fences. He hasn't got second and third off fences. He'll just be a fine at worst. And this time of year as well, the game won't shut out, you know, the best player of the game who's on a marketing point of view. He puts buns on seat. So, you know, or, you know, and he knows should either, you know, it's quite a knock you as active. They have been consistent on it this year as well, which is pleasing to see, especially in a big game like that. But, you know, I've been interested in how to play this time of year. They don't panic. They stay in the fight. They go toe to toe with you, and they just wait for you to blink. And when the opportunity arose on the back of the Moses Leotus, quit play the ball and they took advantage of it. And that's what the good players do. They don't wait for the final moment, so they'll take them when they come. And that's why it clears, is who he is,

1:45:37and that's why the penraiths are who they are, is because they're used to this time of year, and you've got to win the trenches, drag you under the trenches, and you've got to be willing to be comfortable there. As a former panther, mate, no doubt, if you've still got ears in the camp, what are you hearing about that foot injury you seem to pick up? Yeah, now it's a serious hit. It's from all reports. It's just a tweak. And if it was that serious, and he knows his own body, I think you would have seen him drag from the field, to be honest. I even went to high school that draw. I was reading on the field, so, I feel I've got strong ties there, and I've some works there, actually, in the footy office. So, I've always had emotional ties there. Yeah. Roosters take on Cronulla. Now you're expecting a roosters bounce back? Yeah, I don't have to take from Cronulla. I've never been able to work Cronulla around. There are two in the can put our 40 or 50 on you, in the blink of an eye, but then there's days that if, you know,

1:46:37if you're really controlling, and then the game, you control, you know, their whole heart beat of the side. So, I think Braden Trindle is the key there. I think you've got to shut down Braden Trindle. It's going to shut down the sharkies, person themselves. But, yeah, this roosters side, the level that they played at last yesterday, that was a high quality game. That was a grand final, like what we saw yesterday afternoon. And again, the roosters are one of those sides who got elite players. And they've done a great job, but, you know, they're boarding two per Cronulla years ago, to win back to back to Tremenships. They're boarding in Dallet Cherry Evans for this very reason. He wasn't able to ice it yesterday, but he's very rarely misses two times in a row. So, yeah, they've got elite players that know how to play this time of year as well. Our bigger mess will Egan Butcher be for them next week, and you think? Oh, yeah, you know, he's been a really good soldier for them. He's only still very young. Egan, but I suppose he was a young Faketty, who's been a revelation this year. He came on the field when he left the field, Egan Butcher. So, what they've done really well is they've been able to stock up their back row. They've got a couple of really good handy back rows

1:47:38that are coming through their NRL squad. So, Egan Butcher, you had all handled that change pretty easily, I think. And in terms of the sharks and the cowboys, you mentioned them in the sharks coming into the finals. I think they were one and four. I think cowboys were two and two with a buy as well. The talk round in the office was, could both teams lose this? Because neither of them have been in a great form. That fits Gibbon. Obviously, in the coaching box, he's got Rooster's DNA. So, this game will be in a lot to him. I guess there's a little bit of that knowing how to shift through the gears when you need to. Yeah, first and foremost, I'm a huge fan of Craig Fitzgiven. You're never going to hear an ill word of him from my mouth because I've got so much respect for him. He's a great competitor as a player. And he's a great competitor as a coach as well. He'll have them climbed. He'll have them climbed. And he has got that Rooster's DNA. He's spent a number of years there. But with this Rooster side, they've got these players that have played a lot of big time

1:48:38like Grand Final's State of Ores and Test match for the year as well. And we saw a side yesterday that many people thought were limping into the final without Sam Walker. But they found a way. They found a way to push the Panthers right to the 80th minute. And he's aware of that. He's got to find something from his side. He's got to find something more from the Sharkies. And it's got to come from a sense of resilience and especially defensively. They've got everything in the tack. But defensively, they've got to be on their game against his side. Against his Rooster side. Okay, Scott, just to guess wrap things up. You've got the dolphins earning the trip to the Suncorp. They'll lie and wait. Who are they going to play? Sharks or Roosters? I think they'll play the Roosters. Yeah. And then Penrith, lying and waiting for the win of the Wari is Knights who a Penrith going to play. I think I'll play the Wari is good on you mate. All right. Hey, always, always great to hear from you. You wanted to make sure you got to invite back.

1:49:38You see, you had so many worries. No, I'm sure it tells it as it is. Yeah, good on you mate. Hey, listen, Scott Sadler. Thanks very much for joining us. You have a great week, mate. Yeah, anytime, guys. All right. It's 28 minutes after 11 o'clock now. Sport Nation mornings. 11.32 Sport Nation mornings. Jamie texts if Nathan Claire is going to get not suspended because it would be bad for marketing. Then the whole finding stroke suspension thing needs an overhaul. Yeah, I see what you say. I don't think Scott Sadler was of the opinion that it actually warranted a suspension anyway. No. I mean, he did chuck that comment in. Well, I think it was Ezra Maim about three weeks ago. Made a similar challenge on a kicker. And there was no damage to the kicker. It was negligible if you like. The ten in the bin, it got put in report, he got to find. So there was previous. But thanks for the text anyway, Jamie, double eight, double three. I look up at the monitor and I can see Daniel waving hello. At least it looks like Daniel. See how he's had a haircut.

1:50:38He has. He looks flash. Or inside of that it might be that it's... Flash Harry. Do I have to be in my eye? Yeah. Brian's just sung a verse of Daniel while we were in the commercial break. I dare you to sing it on air. Me? You my brother. You right. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Do I still feel the pain? Yeah, we are all feeling it now. Yeah. Good on you, Brian. What a mud 18 hours I had on Saturday evening. Well, Wellington lines sinking to new depths. The wires go down then Sunday morning. A golf between those two sides and Baltimore. You're not fun, not a great weekend. Didn't quite go according to plan, did it? No. No, that is kind of an understatement. Yes, felt though that test against South Africa. We weren't... I just think without our first choice line up, it was always going to be a bit of a battle.

1:51:39Their depth is clearly far superior. So when you lead for lots, seven minutes of the game, that just tells you really really. Just from the Wellington perspective. And I know they're having a tough season. I was interested to comment that Trent Leonard made, he said, the one really positive thing he'd say, they're not acting like a... They're not turning up down beat or anything. They're still giving it everything they've got. I got to say, and I'd made a comment on it on Saturday night after the game. Dooplacy Curiffy, absolutely showing his class, how articulate and intelligent, thoughtful and inspiring that guy is. He is one of the most impressive characters people in that whole competition in our game. No doubt about that. He's a really impressive individual. You're absolutely right about that, TJ. But, you know, they're number-speak for themselves, seven matches, seven losses. And their points differential is close to 100 worst than anyone else in the competition. So that miles off it. And if the review has not already started, it should.

1:52:39Okay. Oh boy. Should we talk about some of the... I'm joking, I'm joking. So, to the first game, TJ, that they obviously spent their prices in the red hole, parvin' bowls. And they're just in a massive hole now. Can you take anything, Daniel, from the way that North Harbour invested in youth last season, wore a bunch of losses and have come back stronger this season? You've seen any parallels? Yeah, well, hopefully. You know, there's only a couple of years ago, Wellington won it. So, of course, that's probably where, myself and other fans are sort of thinking, like, why aren't we near the top? So, it seems a lot of recruits into the site. It just has a work, it has a... And I think if you ask some sort of real hard grass roots fans, it's like, that's a semi-professional competition. Why have any leaned on club players? But of course, the Wellington group would probably counter it with what we've had. In their words of Tony Jones, the CEO, unparalleled injuries. So, yeah, it's not pretty, but... I've got a so-it's hard enough losing to Canabry any day, they're like by 60.

1:53:39North Haber have invested in their own club players coming out of the schools. The likes of Rosmoney and West Lake and Tucker Pooner. And they've got a side there playing with a great deal of joy at the moment. But look, can we find some joy in your afternoon, Daniel, between 12 and three? Well, sadly, well, hope so. That's why we rely on our listers to do that for us, to talk the good, the bad and the ugly of the sporting weekend on I-101-5-08. 11. We'll do our regular features after one o'clock we'll play the presser. One kick at a time after two. Brian H.B., I think, had the joy from Canabry fans, perspective actually being there to watch Canabry's walloping of Wellington. The long-time radio rugby commentator will be alongside Dacquian. And bring him for our panel, the Monday mop-up, and about quarter past two to put the old bow on the weekend. Good, man. Thank you, Daniel. Well, here from your afternoon. I'll be cheering. I'll be cheering. Good. 12 till three. Daniel McCarty on Sport Nation. And that's what, just 23 minutes away now.

1:54:39MacGeran coming up next with a wrap of the weekend's racing. We are 22 minutes away from Medaille now on Sport Nation mornings with TJ Ann Rick, joining a company this morning, 008-03. Got any more text. We'd squeeze them in before the end of the show. But, in the meantime, it's time to go racing our regular Monday review of the Thorea Red Racing scene, or who better to bring it to us than Michael Geron. Hello, Mike. How are you, mate? Morning, TJ. Good, brother. I'm really looking forward to this week for a whole lot of reasons. Good morning to you and to all of our listeners. It's a weird sort of crossover week, because at once spring has sprung, as they say, the sort of emphasis comes on the court of horses that the well-writtens of the world are those type of horses and the flat horses. But, there's still a hangover, and it's a really important hangover from winter racing, because this weekend at Keioha, first on Friday, and then on Sunday,

1:55:40we have what used to be called the Great Norons, the Neko, the Great New Zealand Hoodle, and the Great New Zealand Steeple Chase. So, that one Friday and Sunday, so there's a little bit of wintery. And then in between them, you have all these massive big races for the flat gallop, there's like allosally, which of course, races on about a soft, soft, six-moche of the time, is smacked being in the middle. So, all those things, you know, for the same place at the same time. So, people who don't follow racing, who are listening to this, it's a lot of sort of crazy times of the year, where they're literally playing cricket at Eden Park on a Friday night, and then on Saturday, they're playing a rugby game type thing. So, it's really interesting, and for the jumps, people, this is their big weekend of the year. So, Tiara has become the spiritual home of jumps racing, and those sort of want a little bit of rain to stick around, so the tracks are a little bit wet, because the jump is tender like that. Yet for the galloping choice of the flat train is for everybody else. They're hoping where the geads don't prove,

1:56:41so over the next two or three weeks, when we start head down to Hawke's Bay, for the big legs of the triple crown, the tracks are getting good. So, it's a really unusual crossover time for racing, and among all that, we've got questions about New Zealand horses heading to Australia, what horses are heading to our big races, what horses are going to go to ricketing through the down the line of the Guinness races. So, it's a really cool time, Tony, but it's a time with lots and lots of questions. I want to get back to the great Northern, and just a moment with great New Zealand as it's known now, but firstly, Tiago, big weekend for them, both sides of the Tasman. Yeah, well, they want to feature race at Rickiden, with a law school tweeter thing, who is now one of the favorites for the New Zealand thousand guineae. So, they often, because they have a surf on them, so Tiago has a base in Victoria, the main base is at McMuttor, and they have a base in the surf all of them. And every year they've seen some water through to the surf on them,

1:57:41look at a reconnaissance party. They go down there, they race on what's usually, draw a track and get ready for the cup carnival, and it's work really well for them. So, they want the Kennedy Bell steaks the other day, but a lot more importantly, they want to race at Flemington, with a horse called Lara, and to Pover, who is our best juvenile last season. It's important for a couple of reasons. Pursuitly, it at least justifies our juvenile crop from last season. If we send our best two-year-olds, as three-year-olds, to Australia, and they get their last kicked, people go over to the New Zealand horses and they're no good. So, who winnings really important, but also the cruisers she won? That means she won't come back to race over here again on the spring. So, she's favourite for the New Zealand 1000 goodies. But she's no chance, more or less no chance, 99% no chance, to tune up for the race. The other thing too, is of course, the arc has set up a base in Victoria, and they're all really expensive things to do,

1:58:41and they've got like 70 horses over there, but you've got to get these Saturday wins. Big Saturday wins, Flemington, or Randbrook or Rose Hill. That's what everybody wants. That's what the owners want. So, you need those wins after you put that investment in. So, they had a big weekend on both sides of the test run, and it affects the markets for punters, because the TABs in a really tricky position, the TAB opens markets for races, and it's a horse like Lara and the Povergate with the drawn from the market. That's okay, but in Pills they withdraw it, the TABs sort of have to leave the horse in there, to get people the option to back it, even if it's not coming. So, it's a little weird thing, it's like, for example, if you were backing first Troy Scorer in the NRL Grand Final, and your first Troy Scorer was going to be Roger Tuvache's sheet. Obviously, he's not playing in the NRL Final, so he can't be first Troy Scorer, but until they definitively have him sign, he's no chance you'll play, then they can't take him out of the market,

1:59:42but they're really confusing times of bookmakers, because once they open these markets, until these horses are actually physically with the drawn, they need to leave them in there. For example, well written, our best horse is the TAB favourite for the Hattern Mile at Hastings in 12 days time. It's a group one race, it's the favourite, but it's no chance of starting. But it's in the nominations, so until Stephen Marsh pulls the horse out of the race and says, we're definitely not going there. The TAB has to leave it in the market. So our job at the Herald and on radio shows up this is to tell people about most people quite in no any way, but tell them that, so they don't end up putting money on a horse who's not starting. But again, it's not the TAB's fault, it's just the way the system works, because trainers leave the India Tony, just in case something goes wrong with the flight, and the horse ends up staying in New Zealand. So, as I said, lots of questions, lots of information going on, lots of information going on, all sorts of directions of the moment.

2:00:42So what's D-Day then for, well written, in terms of? Next Monday. Next Monday, yeah. Next Monday, so she'll leave a bit. So, she'll either be getting on a plane, next Monday or Tuesday, or she won't be. Now, she's absolutely going to sit me. But like, if something goes wrong, then she could possibly go ahead and model, but it's 99 to 1 against. But again, it's the tricky one for the bookies until someone withdraws the horse, and then they have to leave it in the marketplace. So, a bad job, and the hero of this morning's to say, these horses might start, these horses will, this is what you're actually playing into. Yeah. Let's go back to Tiarawer, and you mentioned it there. It's now called the Great New Zealand Steeple Chase, used to be called the Great Northern, and I get all nostalgic when I hear that, because it takes me back to the mid 80s, and Keith Hobb was a favourite of mine. I loved his commentaries on the racing, and he did the Great Northern on numerous occasions. And I don't know whether you remember it,

2:01:43but his call when Hunterville won the third straight, Great Northern in 1985, it's still one of the great pieces of sports commentary, where Hobb just kind of lost himself for a moment, got a little bit personal, because it meant a lot to him. And I think that's one of the things that made him such a special caller. You recall that? Absolutely. It's our red rum moment. So there's a horse, a red rum, who undergrads the Grand National. It's a zombie, yeah. And very few horses that are pulled out, sort of stuff off of it. And Hobb was greater than injecting himself into the commentary. As is George Simon, George Simon's really good at it too, to add that extra level of personality. And yeah, I'm one of the people getting this delgid, about the fact that these are going three times over the hill, where now those leaps were gone, to that before on the show, the reason it was sold, it made sense, it's a straight-air track, the money they got from selling the hill, has helped secure racing's future in the North. So I've got no issue with that, even though it was great fun at the time.

2:02:44But Tiara has seems to be working only down the last year, on the Sunday. And it was a fantastic occasion, because it's a different type of racing, jumps racing. It's a little bit like, some people love Club rugby, and some people love the all-wraps. And some of those people are crossover people, but there's plenty of people going to the all-wraps, could have made a bit of a loose thing, going to watch Maris play, Poms and Me Club rugby. But the people who love it, really love it. And jumps racing's like that, there will only be a thousand people with Tiara on Sunday, for the jumps racing, for the great New Zealand. But those thousand people will care implicitly about what they see, and it's a really important part of the industry jumps racing. So this weekend's a really big one. They've had a little bit of bad luck, because all of them are following the worry of the flag on Sunday, but it's racing up, starting at 6.05, that the race meeting will be able to be out of the way, because one of the really big factors, Tony, will understand this, because obviously this is an in-tane run show, is sports becoming so big deal,

2:03:46not only for people with you, but for punters, that the absolute worst thing a racing club wants is to be smacked, bang in the middle of a sporting event. Now definitely about the old blacks, because the old blacks play very few afternoon games anymore. But the worry is playing on the afternoon, or Friday nights for the harness, or can cannibalize two no-but. The great news is the racing will be finished by 5 past 6 when we all go to Eden Park. So they've dodged a bullet there, but it's a really interesting one many people don't realize, is that when you put a massive sporting event, and the worries of the old blacks, of course, of the pick two, or during a race meeting, a lot of people change a channel and don't come back. The good users of this Sunday, you can watch the great New Zealand, enjoy yourself, change channels, and watch your photo glorious. I presume we'll be talking a little bit further about this on Wednesday, on the midweek, Maureen. Mate, we'll get a big dive into the jump season because it's almost done, by then also we'll know more about well-written.

2:04:46Now here's the crucial aspect for who it. She is set to the $1.5 million Epson at Randwick and Sydney in October the 3rd. The wait for the Epson coming out today. Now the reason they're important is A, what wait she gets, as in what Andy kept you to carry. Who else turns up in the wait? What other horses are going to be there? And what wait she gets? Made it to them and what Jokey is able to ride through. Because all the good Sydney Jokeys want to ride well written. But some of them could ride at different waits to other waits. So today's wait will be release from the afternoon for well-written in the Epson, the next important step. And we'll follow all of that up on Wednesday. We could go up to the midweek, Maureen and I'll leave it there. Here's you know. Yes, and I will look forward to seeing you then. In the meantime. You can go up. You have a great week. And I will see you bright and breezy at 11 o'clock on Wednesday on Sport Nation mornings. Looking forward and by the way, Tony,

2:05:47last week on the show we had one tip of the Wednesday show. We had Jasmine Force at Orange. You should back this horse. Roll home and pay $4.60. So the last four weeks, at 11 o'clock on Wednesday morning, we've had four different ditches. Three of them, their tip of the day, have won. Radio listeners, if you want to make a dollar, stick around, we'll see you at the clock on Wednesday morning. Wednesday's is quite a big morning for that, because as well as you and the guests that you have on who often have some very good information, we also have Dave Lysky with the golf as well. So it's, yeah, it can be a very profitable thing listening to the show on Wednesday mornings. Thank you very much, mate. Well, I'll do you one. I'll leave Dave to the golf. Yeah, I'll like to. Okay, yeah, a hacker. Yeah, all right, mate. Good on you. He's not a hack when it comes to writing about racing, though, and talking about it, he is the best in the business. Mick Aaron. And he'll be along between 11 and 12 on Wednesday morning, Sport Nation mornings. And just to repeat, if you didn't catch it early, you're going to have a special guest between 9 and 10 on Wednesday.

2:06:49Morning, Brian McKecney is going to join us, and we've got some special guests in the studio tomorrow. We'll tell you about those in just a moment. No, we'll tell you about it now. You don't tell you about it now. We don't tell you about it right now. We got the New Zealand Cricketers. Yeah, we do. We got New Zealand Cricketers coming through over the next couple of days, actually. So we should have as he gays with us in the studio tomorrow morning at 11.15. Yep, and I think later on in the week, you're going to be talking to one of the black caps. Yeah, maybe Matt Fisher. Yeah, thanks. So yeah, they're going to be just rolling through. I think breakfast will have a couple as well. So they should be good to catch up with them ahead of, well, the summer of cricket, which I think gets underway, maybe even this weekend. Yeah. And also, we're going to have some other features on the show. We're going to take a good, hard look at the heartland. Haven't really done that on the show so far. And we've got a few other things being lined up for tomorrow. Ready? You guys have been hard at it. Yeah, we've got Casey Frank coming on so on Friday, the NBLs out of Australia, tips off. So Casey's going to jump on and give us a bit of a deep dive into a breakers preview for the season.

2:07:50Also, Tauihi, tips off in him at 10 days. We'll see if Charlie Slagerwalk is going to be joined by any other big names. She's obviously going to be playing for the Tokamano with Queens. Alongside Sister Crystal, that's going to be worth watching. That's fantastic. That will be fantastic. So we'll do all of that. Our Sam Brief is going to join us out of Chicago after his visit. Chicago after his beers put 59 points on the Carolina Panthers in Carolina and 96 point game, the biggest ever in NFL history on the opening day. So he is the opening weekend. So he's going to join us on that as well. Yeah. Well, that brings us to the end of our show. Thanks for your company this morning, everyone. Thanks for all the texts. Well, takes more of them tomorrow. Double eight, double three. But, yep. That's Monday morning done and dust. It's been a very busy morning. Hope you've enjoyed the show. Thanks very much to Brian. Of course, to you, Rick. And you stand by because very shortly to take you through the early part of your afternoon providing a bit of a therapy if you had a bad weekend like he had. Daniel McCarty.

2:08:50That's coming up next. And I will see you tomorrow morning, Brighton Breezy. Nine o'clock on Sport Nation Mornings with T.J. Rick.