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Ed be Hello there, and welcome into a fresh episode of the Sports Fix podcast. As February rushes towards its climax thing penultimate day, Thursday, February twenty seven, I'm Jason.
Fine, does that mean it's the end of summer?
Oh?
Look, I don't think you need to bring the podcast down this.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm missing the sun already. It didn't take long to disappear. But no, the sun is shining from the podcast. That's all we need to know.
Right indeed, And yes, you're right, it is towards the end of summer, so I guess. Look, I was going to say we get into the winter codes, but Rugby's twelve months of the year. Now our big news today around CLAYT. McMillan, I've got some thoughts, You've got some thoughts. Anybody we can check to in a position of authority around this?
How about the Chief executive Officer of the Chiefs his name no, Simon Grafis is going to join nas to talk about how this developed, what happens next. So as many questions I can throw at Simon, they'll be coming up shortly.
Looking forward to that and as I say, a few other issues to kick around in the chamber, plus the latest and sports news, So let's get into it. In other news, let's get you underway with some of the big sports stories around today. Warriors coach Andrew Webster has addressed what's become an annual question from the club's fan base ahead of the new NRL League season, posed by Mike Hosking.
Is this our year?
I hope?
So I'm as confident as it being the last two seasons. So one year we come out and did it, the second year we didn't.
So hopefully third the chant the English Premier League Football Crown is another step closer for Liverpool. That's full time. Liverpool go thirteen points there, We're just ten.
Games to go and the title gets ever closer.
In honest lots first fantastic year in charge, the reads of meeting Newcastle to nil at Anfield the same time as their nearest rivals Arsenal Drew nill All at third place, Nottingham Forest and Josh Gary's just two shots off the lead. After his first round at Golf's New Zealand Open, he started with a five under pass sixty six to be two shots back in a typer third.
Bit of a shaky start the first few holes, made a few rough swings and listen, two or three good chances and to come home strong after my first bogeon like thirteen. It was good to bounce back to three birdies on the truck. So I haven't lost too much touch of the leaders. So that's the goal.
Round one leading a VEX. We've got just the ticket. It's Sports Fix powered by News Talks IVY.
We'll join now on the Fixed podcast by the CEO of the White Couple Chiefs. His name is Simon Grafis. He joins us now. Simon, quite a big day for the club and welcome.
Yeah, it's a big club.
And just to clarify, it's not just the Waykido Chiefs were obviously whole Chiefs region which Wakido is one of them.
But yeah, happy, happy to carry on.
I think that's very very important that you define that and you've made a lot of Chiefs fans very happy. My apologies, that's all good.
Yeah, but yeah, big day for the club in terms of obviously the news that break today around around Clayton, and yeah, he's certainly been.
Had a massive presence with the club.
And although disappointed, it's also we do celebrate that stuff too, you know. We in a lot of ways, we're here to developed players and coaches and it's good to see them go on to bigger and better things and hopefully we're you know, we're an important part of that that development cycle.
How long have you known? How long has it been chatted about, because obviously he had to peel away from his contract.
We're at the.
Club and end Z are so long negotiations signon.
I don't know. I don't think it's been that long.
And look, Clayton and I have got a really good, good relationship and Clayton's kept me informed right from when it was highly unlikely. But as the process has gone through, it seems to have got more and more likely until sort of, you know, last week, it was like jeepess, this thing looks like it's going to happen.
Quite a distraction. I'd expect for everybody pretty good to get it out of the way now before we get our hands on it and start circulating rumors, right ah.
And look to be fear that's what we you know, we were we were actually planning on trying to trying to keep a lid on it until our by around. We thought that would be a better way to deal with it in terms of the team. But it is what it is, so therefore we've just had to front foot and and and just come.
Out with it.
But yeah, look, I hope we want to minimize the distraction the team of you know, they've got to focus week to week and if they do a job each week, then you know, then then then we might we might be in a position to have a crack at another title.
You know.
I'm presuming they approached him or did he have fear is out looking to advance his career.
I'm not one hundred percent sure, but obviously Clayton was up in Ireland with the All Black fifteen and they played Monster, so I imagine he probably You know, we've got a John Ryan came down to play for the club a couple of seasons ago. Alex Nankevill's up there. There are a couple other players that he's coached, so he knows some of them.
I don't know.
It's while he was up there, I imagine he probably he might have made some connections. Yeah, I'm not out sure they.
You said before Simon that it's very much it's not a development club because you're there to win titles, but there's a lot of trains it going on with players advancing and with coaches advancing as well. He happy with that as a club in the way things work through.
Well, I think it's just part and parcel of it, you know, Like in terms of players, you'd probably have up to twenty percent. Players normally change each season and and there's an element of always changed at a coaching group. I think, you know, the head coach is probably a little bit different. But if you have a lookover history, you know, five years out of a head coach is
actually probably a good run. So as a club, we have to have plans in place for succession for all our roles, whether that's head coach, the rest of the coaching group, players back off of staff, you know, like, so we need to we need to make sure that we've got got things in place to carry on past any one person.
Oh, it's interested in the nature of contracts in the sporting world. They don't appear to actually mean a great deal. You kind of walk away from them if it suits you. Is that a fair thing to say? Contracts aren't really that. They don't stick people to their roles, do they. Ah?
No, I'm not sure about that because I mean, you're like, they don't want to get into the technicalities of it. But Clayton, Clayton was contracted here till the till the end of twenty six, but he actually had an exit clause at the end of twenty five, so he's actually what he's doing is actually aligned with his contract. So there's no he's not walking away from anything. He always had an option to get out of it. Hoped I'd hoped obviously that he would have he would have done
the full term. But so this is probably just a year earlier than we're probably what we're planning for.
So what happens now you are plenty going to try and strive to win this elusive title for the club and Clayton McMillan. When do you start looking for a replacement? Who do you talk to around that? Have you already done that? What is that that process? Simon? To find the next man off the rank.
Yeah, Look, that's a great question, but we're Look, we're pretty focused on making sure this isn't a big distraction. So I think the key thing for us is to keep everyone aligned with what they've got to do week by a week, and then we will go through a process. We've finished the season, done our review process, so then go through a process for head coach.
Thanks for your time. Simon grafis CEO of the Chiefs Sports. The head coach of Afghanistan's men's A cricket team, Jonathan Trott, said no side would ever again take Afghanistan lightly after they knocked to England out of the champions Trophy overnight. I don't want to correct you, Jonathan Trott, but i'd suggest there isn't a cricket team in world cricket that takes Afghanistan lightly. It's only been a handful of years since they were admitted into the international fold. In that
time they've come up some quiet outrageous results. In fact, the last four ODI series they've secured victory. No, not against the big heavy hitters in the big punches, but they got South Africa cooked and they can interrupt, worry, upset and beat great teams New Zealand only know too well the strength of Afghanistans watching that game last night.
It started off slow, it was a bit of a crawl, but like in all good games of one dance national cricket, slowly but surely the team with the bat builds and builds and builds, post a huge total and then defend that total. It was all on the line for England. They lose that they are out of the champions Trophy, and they did and they are gone. It's not the home stretch for Afghanistan, but it's close taking on their
Australian team in a couple of days time. As far as me referencing the men's cricket team, I think that's very very important. There is much debate around the legitimacy of the Afghanistan men's team in world cricket and weather due to the Taliban's outrageous treatment of their women, whether Afghanistan cricket should be allowed to compete at that level. I don't think that punishment meets it out towards Afghanistan men's cricket team will do anyone any favors. International sporting
pressure indeed help unravel the South African apartheid government. But in this case, the Taliban don't care about sport. They don't care about cricket. They just care about oppressing the females. To take away afghanistan joy through cricket is just downright cruel and it will achieve nothing.
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Let us assemble this the two of us can two people assemble in the chamber? Why here we are?
It's an assembly?
They were just like a school. Do you know that there's a law? I digress here. There's a law in the UK that you have to have three people to constitute a riot. Two people cannot write, but three people can.
Is it in a fray with two people? I don't know.
Maybe it's an assembly, I'm not I.
Don't remember that term being used a few years ago. I'm not quite sure where you're afraid came Horetually it might have been. That's what it was. Go figure, Yeah, we definitely digress. Let's get back to subject if we can.
Indeed, yeah, we'll bring it back to sports and Clayton McMillan. We've heard from the Chief CEO. Interesting thoughts there. Look, I find it hard to have any negative feeling towards Clayton McMillan about this. I'm sure some Chiefs fans will say, hey, you should have stuck it out, you had another season. But look, I think for his development and for the long term future of what he might want to achieve, it's a pretty good move.
Isn't it. I like what someone was saying around the fact that, look, they understand that they don't keep players and coaches forever. This is not a destination. This is almost a transition as they come through learn about the fine art of coaching. And we know that mc millan, he's an aspirational kind of character and I expect he wants to go on to the top job. So he's
done that for five years. He hasn't won a title, but he's won was the highest percentage of the last five years when it comes to a super coach of winning. So that's fantastic. Now he's going to the Northern hemisphere. And what do they say about all black coaching, Jason, what do they say you need.
International experience or I had my mic offtal experience. I was listening to you and sort of gazing into the middle distance. You need international overseas experience Darci.
Yeah, and that's what he's getting in spades. Of course he was over there Worth the All Black fifteen, hung out with Munster, would have had a few words and he's moved on from there. I don't think he goes with any grief from anybody from what he's done with the Chiefs.
Do you know somebody said to me this morning when this news was out that if they don't win Super Rugby this year, the Chiefs, then Clayton McMillan could look back on his tenure in charge of the Chiefs with some sense of missed opportunity, failure.
Weren't you No?
I tried to find a different word the guy I was talking to He said failure, But I don't say. Look if you make if you make two, he's made three finals now, hasn't he. In like, I think they were the best team two years ago, lost to the Crusaders in the final that was in Hamilton, probably should
have won. I'm not sure they were the best one of the best two teams last year, but that massive performance by Wallace a Titi in the semi to beat the Hurricanes, not by himself but with the Chiefs got them into the final where they were well beaten by the Blues. I think they're the best team in the first couple of rounds this season, could go to the final. But if they weren't to win it, duce, how would you judge Clayton McMillan.
This is difficult because I remember being criticized for saying that Ian Foster failed as the All Black coach because he got to the final but he didn't win it. And if you're being super hardcore about this, there's winning and everything else is last. It doesn't matter. That's how people will get mark when they look back in time. What did you win? Oh you got to finals? Do you had a winning record? Fantastic? Did you win anything?
No?
Well next please? I mean is that harsh?
No, it's not harsh, not when it comes to rugby in our country, and certainly not when it comes to the All Blacks. Maybe a little bit more lenience is required in super rugby. But I think you're right about the All Blacks. That's I mean, that's who we are. We are New Zealand and much as it sounds harsh and losing All Blacks team is not acceptable.
Well, he's not going to the All blacks. Yet he's still got a while to go.
So let's not put the cart before the horse, if you will, Jason, I will not put any carts before any horses. But I do want to ask you about something that goes a bit quicker than a horse and a cart, and that is Liam Lawson in a Formula one vehicle. Now put some context around this for us, if you would. I saw he was second fastest in the opening round of practice. Is that or the opening round of testing? Can you get context to lips and texting?
So they both of the drivers, both some self and max first step and get a squirt around in Bahrain as they start, I suppose putting their cars through their paces. Not they go one hundred percent. They still need to keep some secrets, if you will, tucked up their sleeve before the first event in Melbourne in two weeks time. But it's the real first time you actually see all of the cars on the track having a look. So
Liam ended up finishing eighth right across the day. But he's still got another day to see what he can pull out of that. So I don't think you can read too much into it. He had we off here, do we spin he didn't stick it into the hoardings, which is a huge positive. You know, the car came back with four wheels, which is good. But apparently that same corner Max fish Stamp and actually had a little off a few years ago as well. But I don't think he can read too much into this or any
of the results yet. It's just you know, getting some time getting your feet under the desk. If I think you will, we'll know a whole lot more when it comes to qualifying in two weeks at Albert Park.
All right, well, just before we go, I do want to mention Liverpool because they won this morning against Newcastle and have gone thirteen points clear at the top of the Premier League ladder. All be up with a game in hands, right, Tell me I was hoping you wouldn't put me in this position. It doesn't feel like they can, but d us they're my team, so anything is possible here mate. Look, I think to all observers, you know,
biased and unbiased, it's theirs to lose now. They have opened up a huge gap between them and the chasing pack. If they can hold their nerve, it would be quite remarkable. And Arnaslot's first year as coach to win the thing. Look, I I'm feeling confident. Like I say, it's a big buffet to Paul back, but well we've been around sport for long enough to know, dus that funny things happen in these games that we track and we follow, So I'm not counting any chickens. Put it that way.
Good idea. One thing on this though, what has he brought to Liverpool that's given them such outrageous success so far. That's a massive buffer, Jay, It really is.
Yeah, structure. I think you know, Jurgen Klopp was a generational manager for Liverpool and really you know, put them on the right track, and he did win the Premier League in the COVID season, you know. But I think arna slot's coming and ends really has just without too much pomp and ceremony, without too much outward beating of any chests, he's just made the team better. You look at Marmott, Clara and Virgil van Dyke, two of the best players on the planet. That is the spine of
that team. Van Dyke had center back Mahmod Zalah, the most potent attacker in Europe and probably the world, and then he's just built everybody else around them. So I think, in very broad terms, he has just made an already team you know, better and a lot better, good enough in fact, to see off all comers. So yeah, we're about to see what happens over the next couple of months.
We've run out it, sorry, potent attacking force in Europe except for Chris Ford. Now you can finish it.
Okay, Yes, Liz, I've ring fenced the Sheriff of Nottingham. Don't you worry about that. He is still He's still our guy. That is all we have time for in the affray the Chamber.
Today us a Vinion It's Sports Fix with Jason Hyne and.
And on that note, that ends the Sportsbooks podcast for today, Thursday, the twenty seventh of February. We really appreciate you downloading and listening in, and especially those of you who subscribe, which is actually quite easy to us, is it.
I don't have to because I make the podcast, but I'm presuming it is, and you should encourage yourself to do it your friends and family as well. It's worth the ride. It's worth the minimal effort, of course, isn't it, Piney.
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