James McOnie: The Crowd Goes Wild host on the Warriors' latest victory and the Super Rugby season

You're listening to the weekend's sport podcast with Jason Fein from News Talk ZB

There's always at this time on a Sunday afternoon. We get the pleasure of the company of James McHoney. How about those warriors James?

How about the MWAS look

Fantastic stuff just looking so prominent and assured, but also lots of forwards scoring tries

I'm sure you caught the game party, but I don't think I've seen a game where so many forwards thought it down

No, it was it was right across the ball wasn't we had Clark Ford. Halicema was playing in the centers

So I guess we can't really count him fish a Harris

What about right at what about right at the M in Luke Hanson got the ball passed to him for a day boot try as well

I love the I'm just just love that what that said about the team too

Yeah, and if you talk about like Halicema Lekah Halicema who is a burgeoning superstar

We all know that he topped the tri scores for the warriors last year with 13

Mainly scoring, you know, being a second roller. I think he's going to rewrite record books

I can even see even those grizzled old Aussie pandits on the on the Fox Sports TV shows

Starting to say it's Lekah Halicema. He is box office

You have to watch him and when Alex Johnston broke the tri scoring record for the NRL with 233 last weekend

I sort of went on a bit of a deep dive to see who else is on that list and not the only four that

Within Kui has Steve Menzies a great manly second-rower

Who was a bit like Lekah hybrid sort of second-race center

But I think Lekah is on target to be a bit like Menzies on the tri scoring fun

Yeah, he's some players, and you and you don't want to get too excited at such a young age

But then you think okay, well if he's that young what might he go on to achieve?

He could be anything couldn't he?

Yeah, there's this whole thing at some

Yeah, speed and power is such a massive part of his game that you know

There might be others that will come along that will be more powerful and quicker in that position

But right now it's him and and you know that those types of players

They they have to make a while the sun shines and so on those but contracts while they can I think he's yeah

It's just going to be incredible to see

How many people he humbles in this game because he's already doing it and

You can even see the players

Lekah took a while to put the ball down

Used today, but the guy didn't even bother trying to challenge him because they know it's Lekah, you know

Yeah, I don't understand too actually didn't sort of just a dive on it immediately

Did he was in the end goal throw I'll put it down a bit

And there's no time and even goes here you're Lekah

Do that so I think he's already got superstar status and he's been afforded that respect by the

As opponents and now you know, um, I look at save a player like

Literal mature and grigging with when they burst onto the scene. They were sort of

So hot to handle

But they maintain it for a long time. It's up to him to have that work

If they're in that determination to be like net for you know the next nine or ten seasons

Let's get a super rugby round sixes in the books

Hurricanes blues crusaders chiefs all inside the top six after

Well most of them played six games some just five. Are you willing to um to install the hurricanes as super rugby favourites

Well, I've always been willing to do that opponent. It's not just because you know, I'm on your show

Is there many things I like about the hurricane? Well, I will say

could be your enthusiasm

The great Larry dad show another good show another really good show because you haven't really played anyone yet

You've played your one or you've beaten all the bottom bottom teams

I noticed the hurricanes haven't quite played anyone in that in that top-ish along. So

Let's just wait, but I just love the way the hurricane play they scored what I consider a

A worldie of a try from maybe 70 odd meters out and they made it look so easy

And they did it so quick that it was like you you would have been hard pressed to sprint alongside and keep up because it wasn't just like

Stop start the flow is incredible that they've got

I think you know the try I'm talking about. I think Devin Flanders finished it

Yes

And he is one player who I'd be quite happy to see him in an all-blank's jersey

And I wonder whether someone like Dave Rene might just start taking a look at some of the people he likes

And I'm sure Devin Flanders will be standing out and on that note Ruben love what a statement came from him

I don't think I've seen a better crosskick like that as a football man

Yourself like me piney bet pass

Was like a Dutch team in the 1970s, you know

total football Johan Croix

Changing direction changing the point of attack. I thought switching

There was an amazing crosskick. Yeah, I loved it too. It was it was awesome to watch and you're right

I mean the the the five games they've played are against the five teams who currently occupy the bottom five positions on the table

Outside the top six so I get I get exactly what you're saying

Hey, did you see Peyton Spencer make his debut for the blues last night?

And then some really cool scenes afterwards Carlos was there watching on he looks like he could still play by the way

I know Carlos was certainly

Sickeningly fit and well put together and

always

Quite quite

Umbling interviewing him in the way you sort of still looks like a total athlete. I mean he

I think it's it's actually really nice having a role model like Carlos because he is

He was quite happy for a Peyton to play cricket. Peyton was an outstanding cricketer and Hamilton boys high

And and Carlos was all good with it and he and it was totally

Peyton's call there was zero pressure and in fact there was kind of hoping he might just end up

Sticking the cricket is a good very good fast polar

So now he's in rugby and his dad's game and look he's a lovely kid

Can we call him a kid is 22 year 21

He is and I mean he's also

You know, there's so much potential there. It's it's just that I think I don't think the shadow

I don't think Carlos will cast the shadow. It's he's just like a Ronnie Clark. I think Caleb's his own

I'm playing now and and his dad used to be amazing. That's that's all it is

But yeah, I did I did appreciate that when he was listing all the people that who were here for him

Carlos had to say remember mum and he goes, oh yeah, mum's here too. Yeah

Love that or I just uh to finish with a league football now the Phoenix Pete Brisbane yesterday

You know Jim that was the that was the the first time that the

The Phoenix of one consecutive matches in the a leg since November

2024. That's a long time ago. I can't believe that. I love that Chris Greenmaker who you know very well

And I've met a few times over the years because he's such a staple in New Zealand football

I love that he's taken over the team kept all the way year me and goal many people would many many managers would not do that

Have kids had shown faith and that a guy who's gone viral around the world for his calamities

He's also managed to somehow get the best out of

Luke Brooksmith this teenager who's outrageous talent and then of course

He provided the assist for his a the Nigerian striker who is really outstanding

I my my dream is for them to just make the playoffs and have to play Auckland FC

And perhaps get a bit of redemption or at least

You know make it just so close that it's a no wider. I that's that will be the ultimate redemption story

Especially for the other way you mean goal, but definitely I think for Greenmaker

He can they need to sign them up as manager. He's he's waited long enough

Yeah, and I got a couple of my WhatsApp groups were buzzing last night with that possibility that Auckland FC

Finish third the Phoenix get up and somehow get it get into sixth and then three place six in an elimination final

In week one of the quick one of the playoffs. So off to go media. We go for Auckland FC

He gets Wellington Phoenix our first ever finals Darby. How good would that be?

I know that's and that that I think both teams have shown really great signs

It was just that capitulation, which is always tough to take

Especially I can see the Phoenix fans how much they're hurting. I think there's there's some good signs there

And when I look at their team sheet. I just go I mean come on build to a Loma you've got

There's so much talent there. There is so much talent and of course, you know

Tim Payne order and Alex Rufa the old guard look don't keep the faith if you're part of yellow fever

It's still a still a great side in there

Top stuff James always enjoy chatting to you mate. Thanks indeed. We'll do it again next Sunday

James McHoney huge part of our Sundays catch them on the alternative

Commentary collective crack goes wild and across your socials as well

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