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B Hi, there, welcome into a new week, which means a fresh episode of the Sports Fix podcast. It's Monday, March the third. I'm Jason Pine. Good to have you along the Warriors. Well, a trip to Vegas sounds like a good idea and I'm sure it was for many reasons. But on the grass at Allegiance Stadium, the Warriors suffering their biggest ever first round NRL defeat thirty points to eight. So the Canberra Raiders. How concerned should Warriors fans be?
Richie Barnett's on the podcast today to talk that through Elijah Few pops into the chamber as well to talk rugby league rugby and a bit of football too and the latest and sports news. So let's get into it. In other news, let's take a check on some of the big sports stories around today. Alex below has taken the check in flat bag over a fast finishing Scott Dixon in the season opening Indy Car Series race at
Saint Petersburg. Alex, Hello, you're reigned champion demand they all need to beat lays down a marker on the streets of Saint Pete. Scott Dixon overtook Joseph Neugarten and finished second on the final lap. The black Caps will face South Africa or a spot in the Champions Trophy Cricket Final after losing to India by forty four runs in their final group match in Dubai overnight.
And that's it, you know, just.
Played another line which blamed.
Together far took Glamor forever afraid that is infducis at India.
Who's at the top of the debok Man Henry took five wickets to restrict and he get the two forty nine for nine. But after a promising start in New Zealand, all out for two hundred and five in the forty sixth over and Fulham have knocked Manchester United out in the fifth round of Football's FA Cup with a fourth to three win on penalties. Fulham keeper Burned Leno made two saves in the shootout.
Sexy fail Us and Fulham celebrated.
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You're listening to the Sports Fix podcast. A brutal reality check for the Warriors in Las Vegas yesterday, going down thirty points to eight to the Camera Raiders in Las Vegas, conceding five tries to two and being outclassed in pretty much every area of the game. Let's bring in form a kie, long time rugby leg professional Sky Sport analyst Richie Barnett. Richie, how worried should we be about that first up performance from the Warriors in twenty twenty five?
Heah, I mean you'd certainly be worried about the performance. Being the first up game in Las Vegas. You know that all the hype was real and the tone was set for a fantastic matchup and what we had last year was incredible, but they didn't deliver as we'd expect. And there's one side camera who were incredible, to be honest, and the Warriors were just suffocated.
It was really concerning what will be taking up most of coach Andrew Webster's thinking time on the flight home.
Oh, there was certainly the execution part, but I think without their go forward and their territory, it was really difficult and that was because of Canbra's brutal defense, and they just basically, you know, over that period of the game, they just wore them down physically in the attack and physically in defense. So they'll be concentrating on really getting the yardage game going, getting into the territor where they can attack straighten up the defense. They were very much
east to west. They weren't direct enough. We saw that in the trial matches where they were really executing their set pieces and their shape looked really, really good. I thought Metcalf played really well in the pre season in terms of squaring the set piece up and there was a nice balance, but it just seemed to fall to pieces. And I guess you know, when you're up against a side who was probably one of the fittest team on
the well in the comp and also the youngest. They're the youngest side in the competition, believe it or not. They've lost quite a lot of their strike power over the last year, and so as the Warriors, but they performed extremely well.
What a team like the Raiders is dominating you like that physically when the Warriors had the ball, what's the best way to combat that.
It's interesting, and it really is. It's just an aggressive approach. They really do have to match the energy. But when I look at it, actually, when I start to delve into it, they have really traditionally in their forward pack, it's pretty straight up and down. Kirk Capewell. You see n Cordy who just runs directed. There's no real footwork in the way they play. Most of them don't have a step with Aidan Vanila Blake's gone, so there was a player that actually could step through. Most of them
run direct. There's no real footwork, late footwork at the line. Most of the forwards actually in the camera raiders are a prototype that has got one strength and secondly that footwork in the line late that would that gets them through there through the line, and they're really physical. For some strange reason, they are very very strong players. I
couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe what I've seen, and I don't think it gave it just justice when you're actually watching about how physical that game was.
Indeed, well you talk about the writers stepping through the defensive line. The Warriors missed forty tackles twenty eight in the first half alone. Richie, how do you explain.
That, Well, it's this young fellow called Tamale and he got weeks at fallback and tomorrow and Chris s thee best in Chris. Somehow they have got the strength to get through. They were throwing numbers at them. They would have three or four tacklers in there and they'd still get through one. It's an attitude. Secondly, it's energy. Thirdly, you've got to give it back to them as well. Sometimes you've got to pivot a little bit too. It looked like that was again very pedestrian in the way
it is. It Actually the game actually unfolds as you you start to win the battle of the ruck, and once you start winning that things are different. Then you start to question everything in your seeing as we are questioning everything now what needs to change? And then we start to look at the spine. What are they not
doing well? You can't do anything if you're not going fortyre, not winning the ruck, and you're not being physical in the ruck, and so there's so many facets to where they lost the game, and it all combines to a really average game where you just can't win anything. The kicking game and they were back at the forty kicking and most occasions that's why it looked pretty boring because they were kicking on the forty. They couldn't challenge their kicks,
so they weren't building pressure off the kick. So everything was just a real Munday watch, wasn't it.
It was? Yeah, And you landed on such a good point about the halves and whether we can assess them or not without a platform. But how did you assess the performance of Chanelle, Harris Devita and Luke Metcalfe. No Sewan Johnson anymore, he's a big loss, but what about these two?
I just think you can't even really gauge it when you fall not going forward now had three runs. I think Luke Metcalfe had three runs. And they'll direct thing with both of them there there there, they're run the runners of the ball, so you're not going to get creativity as such, but they'll only be effective if you're going forward to winning that battle. So there wasn't really anything.
I thought Chanelle's kicking game was pretty good considering we was kicking it from Luke had obviously not a great game on that right side they tried to. If we saw what they they were constructing, it was very very east to west, you know, and in the trial match, I saw something that was quite different than what I've seen in a while. They executed it well. There was nice synergy and balance between what they were doing in the preseasons, but this one here just looked like they
were starting new. They didn't know each other's play. I know that you built chemistry and combinations, but to start the season off then in the battle of the rack, that's concerning, And.
To build chemistry and combination you have to play together often, don't you. But do you think Andrew Webster will be attempted at all to think about Tomati Martin in one of those positions?
I reckon there's a huge consideration what I do have an issue with, And like anything, when you leak, we're not in that battle of the ruck. You get exposed on the endes, you know, decision making. As much as we've got real young, talented, robust runners such as Leo Tower, they were pretty he was exposed to early, you know, when they scored the first try sebasting Chris and the left And that was a real, real simple thing for
me where an experience comes into play. He turned, his body was in front of the defender inside he turns by the inward, so he was stuck. He was gone then and there, and they scored a try, which is the first try of the game, which could have been saved, and that's the start of the game. For the camera wires exposed decision making from youngsters, which is concerning for me because when you're on a when you when things
happen for you, it's easy to defend. But when things you're against the war, that's when the true defenders come out. And I just wonder if they start to look at Harper to come to the side or an experience center, because they've got an experience on the centers, that's where all the defense, that's where all the attack goes, that's where all the decision makers have to be really really strong.
Certainly, plenty of food for thought after the Vegas experience, Richie, thanks for joining us, mate, Really appreciate your time. Richie Barnett on the Sports Fix podcast Sportsfect. There was a quite extraordinary game of football at go Media Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Auckland f C welcomed one of their closest challenges for the A League title, Adelaide United to
town another weltering Auckland afternoon. Auckland f C had continued this community engagement of theirs by erecting a fairiss wheel at one end and all sorts of circus activities. You have to hand it to them, they know how to get people along to their games. Nearly seventeen thousand there again on Saturday afternoon, after quarter of an hour, Auckland
FC were already two knill ahead. Gauzumo Mai, their super striker from Uruguay, had lashed one and from outside the area, and then added a second from close range, and it looked as though this was going to be a procession to another three points for Auckland FC. But Adelaide United but back before halftime to make it to one. But then shortly after the break Auckland FC went three to one ahead. Now a lot of teams away at Auckland
FC in this situation just kind of lie down. They shrugged their shoulders and say, you know what, this is not our day, or to just get to the end of the game and get on the plane and go back home and start again next weekend. Adelaide United to the contrary, thought, no, we are here for a contest and we are going to give Auckland FC a contest, and what followed was a couple of penalty decisions. One was given on the advice of VR, one was given
on the field and not overturns by VR. Both were vehemently protested by Steve corik At, the head coach of Auckland FC, both during the game and afterwards as well, but both stood and both were converted by Zach claff of Adelaide United. So all of a sudden, it's three to three with ten minutes to go, and then the craziest sequence of events as we ticked past the ninety
minute mark. First of all, Auckland's talismanic captain Hiroki sark I scored a goal in the second minute of at a Time and it looked as though the home side was going to come out on top of a seven goal thriller. But true to form, Adelaide United said no, we're not done yet either. They went down the other end and in the eighth minute of at a Time they scored an equalizer and it finished four to four.
It is such an unlikely, uncommon score line in football, and it really was just typical of a quite extraordinary day. So the points are shared, but I don't reckon that is the last time these two teams will face off during the season. That felt to me like a between the top two teams in the competition. And I would say that we may well see the same two on the same patch of grass in the A League Final at the back end of May, and I don't think you would get too many arguments.
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix.
On the Sports Fix podcast, an important part of any Sports Fix podcast. As a visit to the Chamber on Monday. As you'll know regular Monday listeners, it's the People's Chamber with Elijah feet were joining us. Elijah, I'm not quite sure how to how to put this Warrior's result performance into context from yesterday? Have you given it some thoughts? Can you perhaps do that for me and me and our listeners.
Yeah, I mean basically, the Warriors fell flat like under the bright lights of Sin City and Las Vegas. I guess the American dream tends to a nightmare for the Warriors that they're probably hoping that this heavy defeat or in the performance that they put up, you know what Happensvegas stays in Vegas and that's what the Warriors will be hoping. Like I think on attack, it was stifled.
There weren't many opportunities being created. And when that sort of happens, you look to your playmakers, the likes of Luke Metcalf and Shanel Harris Tavita that that was at the right combination in the halves, the use of the strike weapons, the rotation in the forwards bringing off Barnett and Fisher Harris for Clark and Dylan Walker.
Was that the right rotation there?
So I think plenty of questions coming out of their opening round performance and defence, like they missed plenty of tackles, they lacked the accuracy and discipline on that side of the ball. So a lot to work on for the Warriors. But hey, there's only round one, so you're hoping that if you're a Warriors fan, that the Warriors can consertainly. I mean, there's only one way they go from here.
I'd say, indeed, we've just reeled off an entire list though of issues facing this team. And I know they do have what teen days now, don't they because they don't play until until Friday. Weeks I've got a decent amount of time to try and put some of those things right. If you were really drilling down into the main focus here is what would you be doing if you were Andrew Webster on the flight home, what would you be writing down in your notebook?
I'd say the main thing is defence.
I mean, we know the old Mantra defence wins championships, and I think the opening round performance is not the type of defense you would have liked to see from a team that you know, all this hype building into the season, throughout the preseason and they come into Las Vegas and just four flat on that side of the ball, Like a lot of the tackles that were missed were just real sloppy, sloppy defense.
They pretty much just fell off the Raiders.
And I mean those are the sort of things that need to be worked on right away before you focus on something like attack, because you know defense is going to take the seam a long way. So for me, if I'm Andrew Webster, it's the defense first and foremost.
The Raiders look good, though, ah, I know they're not in many people's pre season top four predictions, but they look all were they made to look good? What did you make of the Green Machine.
I personally think that they were made to look good because the Warriors just looked really bad in their opening round performance. But again, it is round one, so I think if we see a couple more of these performances from Canberra, don't want to take too much away from their performances.
From their performance because.
They did play really well, and a lot of great players in that side, like a Xavier Savage and a Sebastian Cris like those backs. They've really got some some weapons out there, so it was a great performance. But again I don't want to overreact after round one.
All right, Well, we'll see how we are in a few weeks. We'll talk about this weekly, no doubt here in the People's Chamber, as we will and have been on Super Rugby. Should we just give the trophy to the Chiefs now?
Maybe we might have to, especially now that they've got this extra incensive of sending Clayton McMillan out a winner. Yes, I'm considering they've they've come up short the last couple of years. Maybe this year is the year to give the Chiefs the title. They look really good and it's pretty much the Chiefs. The Chiefs and everyone else. That's there's a bit of a gap in between the Chiefs and and the rest of the competition right now. So I'm very impressive performance against the Brumbies.
Yeah, I thought they were just very very good in all areas. And I was trying in the you know, in the in the spirit of being objective and not that I'm from the Chiefs country at all. I'm a Hurricanes fan, but to try and find some fault but I couldn't really find any. And competition for places players you know, you know, just consistently playing well. Quinta Paia, what a game from him. I just thought he was terrific the other day. Playing in the afternoon is always helpful,
of course. Damian mackenzie, have you heard anything about his potential injury today? Do we know whether he might be out for a bit?
Not too sure yet yet to receive an update on that, but that might be. They might have fans a little bit worried, both Chiefs and the all back, so hopefully it's not too serious. But yeah, he's been us downing to start the season. Damian McKenzie.
And as well as guy a guy.
Like Quincy Pia who has been along with some mast the time of Naiwai, one of the best midfielders to start in the Super Rugby.
So but yeah, hopefully.
Dmac that injury isn't isn't too bad and.
Good to see the plucky battlers the Blues finally get a win.
Yeah great, Oh, I mean, thanks for bringing that up, fine and all.
It was against my hurricades. I don't have to, but I am yah.
Yeah, I'm not too sure what happened at the end of the game there.
There was a little bit of a delay and so I couldn't really explain what happened there, But you ended up with bone and barried at half back. I think a j lamb came in on one of the flanks, one of the most Yeah, a very weird scrum at the end of the game, I'd say, but the Blues scraped out.
A win there.
I'd say the Blues and the Hurricanes are sort of in the similar tier and that they're both teams that you know, can compete for a title, but for one reason or another, they've just been a little bit slow to come out of the gates. But I do think as the season goes on, both of these teams will find themselves near the top of the table. But that was a great game on Saturday night.
You just to try and explain what happened at the back end of that game. I think as I understand it, Sam not could come on as reserve half ber we had taken the place of Finlay. Christie got a whack in their head and it was a decent whack in their head. So the Blue said, okay, well he needs to go off for an HIA assessment, therefore we can replace him. But the independent doctor said no, he does not have an HIA, so you can't replace him. It was and they were down to fourteen by that stage anyway,
the Blues which further complicated things. Very odd though to see let's just say Boden part feeding the scrime right at the end.
Yeah, I guess for the way the Super Roby competition has been before, this fast, free flowing rugby. That's probably the longest stretch of non rugby that we've seen so far this season.
So credits to both of our teams. They're poney for doing.
That, absolutely right, absolutely right. Just a quick word on Auckland FC for all against Adelaide. They know that they have dropped a couple of points here because they led three times throughout the game and late on and couldn't get it done. Eight points though, still seems like a decent buffet, doesn't it. With eight games to go, yeah, for.
Sure, And I think I mean to come away for a single point. I think Auklanc will be disappointed, but they'll they'll take that single point. It was a great game. I managed to be there in the crowd, and I mean you thought Heroarchic Psychai had had won the game there in stoppage time again for Auckland f C in a stoppage time goal, and then Adelaide served Auckland a dose of their own medicine by coming back with their equalizers. So and you could hear a pin drop when that
when Adelaide scored that final goal. So they pretty much silenced the crowd there. But it definitely lived up to the building of the top of the table clash. But yeah, Auckland f C, I think they'll be disappointed, but they'll take that single point.
I reckon that's a Grand Final dress rehearsal. I think those two could well meet in the Grand Final on that same patch of grass. Actually, that'd be an occasion not to miss. All right, Elijah, great to chat sport with you in the People's Chamber, provided your many commitments allow. But we'll do it again next Monday, for sure.
Thank you, Bindie dissecting the sporting agenda.
It's sports Facs with.
Jason Time and that's us on the Sports Fix podcast
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