"Manaia Responds To The Willie Mason Situation"

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1:01No, great. Well, not the first time. Tony Law? Thanks mate, lovely to be here. No, I've been on a bunch of times. So, you know, if you've humiliated yourself and quite frankly, you've humiliated your family but that's not the first time. Not the first time this week. If you've humiliated your family this week. I mean, it's been a tough week for old Manacas. There's been a lot of Manacas this week. Too much. Oh, Ragi. Too much. I mean, we were lucky enough to talk to Willie Mason, Justin Hordeau yesterday. They were doing the band Wagon trying to rally up some, you know, fans in Sydney whose teams may have been knocked out and get them on the Warriors bandwagon. You know, was it for the love of the game? Was it for a paycheck? Who knows? But you got to admit, you got to say still the out there doing the work. And I would say, fear Jews is time for us to repay because most Warriors fans have a secondary team that they support for when the playoffs roll around. What's your second team? I don't want to admit it, but it was probably the Broncos for a while there. Just because it's growing up as a kid. I was a fan. I also grew up as a kid. Manly for me.

2:03Always liked a bit of Manly. Can we love Manly? Yeah, Matthew Ridge sort of right in my growing up era. He was running around the air and something to latch onto. Isaac went one step further and just went straight to the eels. Yeah, yeah. No, no second team. Speaking of Manly, and sorry if we're going to talk about this later. We'll come back to the William Mason thing. But what the fuck was on that dude's head on the weekend? I haven't seen that. That's crazy. Now, I just, I maybe I've seen it as hasn't lodged in my brain, but that's the craziest he gear. How we allow like where are the bullies in the team? And if I wore that to training? Yeah. Everyone on the team would be like, take off that fucking he gear. I think there's only one player on the NRL who could and people wouldn't say it and it doesn't. Yeah, we're talking about our own. Yeah, yes. Yeah, it's quite the bubble wrap. Quite an ugly thing, eh? It's insane. And it falls off every every game. Is it like a special eerie one or something? It reminds me of like an inverted golf ball or like the thing they wrap a booze bottle with it at the customs. Yeah, yeah, customs. It's a hell of a thing. No, it's insane.

3:05So yeah, we don't have to talk about the William Mason thing. No, so the William Mason incident. So yeah, we asked him about the, I guess just a record of the Colcey, what his memory was of you costing him about the David Kidwell 2006 tackle at a bar in Christchurch after the Warriors game down there. And he seemed to remember it well. He was very familiar with it. I was like, yeah, I remember this bloody drone going getting in my face. I think we've got the audio of it, do we? We have an apology to make to you guys. There is a member of our team, Minaya. He's not present here. So we just want to, yeah, he found an excuse not to come on the pod today. Is he's housing some significant demons which relate to you guys, mainly you, Willie. Yeah, you guys were in Christchurch for the Warriors Cowboys game. We were there also. I believe both of us were staying in the Ridge's hotel, a stone throw from Takar Stadium, also had an ice-settle back or bloody Mary's there, which yeah, which we had a few postmatch drinks there. Now I'm not sure if you remember, Willie, but there was a brief exchange, which can only be described as someone under

4:07a full head of steam, 5, 10, 110 kgs, big bearded with a Warriors jersey. Now that doesn't narrow it down in terms of Warriors fans. Because they're going to get you down to a thousand. But in effect, what happened is he came in and had a chat to you, but in mid-conversation, he browned out completely. And this is where things get a bit blurry. He claims that it was amicable. However, bystanders claim it was the clear case of a wasted wires fan wounding our former kangaroo about as running with David Kidwell. And some people say he was even offered to, he even offered to recreate the incident with you in the bar. Can you remember it? Can you recall any of this? Yeah, he's been stupid. I was just like me. I actually think that like it's, I got like trauma about it or something like that or the mass is 20 years ago. I still kiddie in a cafe two weeks ago. And I haven't seen kiddie that much in 20 years, got up in brace, gave a mad hug. What's going on? Life goes on, but it doesn't go on for some people.

5:08Such an iconic thing, right? And I tried to explain to him what happened. And he's like, he had his own little perception. So you can't really argue with idiots. Is there any message you'd like to send to him that we can pass on? Of course, he didn't have I didn't have the goal to come on and show face. So is there any message you'd like to pass on to him? That's all right. Like I can talk to anyone. As long as it's like like an amicable decent like conversation, mate. Don't just have one of you. We all side. You can't understand my side. I actually played the game and got hit. And don't worry. I wasn't there, but I know that I would have got that energy. He's got the reply already. He's got a bit of an issue for you though. Yeah, surely. You must have wounders must have fuckheads all the time. One luck in that sort of generation as well. And I'm like, I'm well-passed. I'm detached emotionally from the game and everything like that. But I was very iconic moment in New Zealand rugby and Australian rugby and in my career as well. So it's like it was pretty cool. I look at it and

6:09just it was just a moment. You know, I've had plenty of moments and that was just one of them. Well, he's going to regret not being here to defend himself. And he certainly is. I'm maybe we should have a good conversation. Maybe at the Grand Final, we can sort of set up a He's coming to the Grand Final. We can see up a meeting at the Grand Final. Can we hook up with the levels with the levels team before the Grand Final and he needs he needs to. I love that action. Yes, so what do you have to say if you self-heaven? This is one of the craziest situations I've ever found myself in that I'm being forced to answer allegations from Lane who wasn't even there. Yes, I mean, I was in the town. Well, Lane wasn't there either. So what happened was, I don't know, just the day one after I had a young to Willie and they produced a looky-stay. They actually look at him over and was just like, I hate bro, see your podcast every now and then like finally ACC whatever. John come over and have a young to Willie. I was like, no, I'm too

7:11pissed. Yes. And he goes, no, you're coming over to the young to Willie. And I just, the only thing Lane got right in there was you brought out. I brought out. And at one point I sort of come to sitting at this table. I was like, I'm too pissed. I'm leaving. And so I walked off and I went and told Lane and I was just like, oh, so I just talked to Willie Mass. I can't remember anything I said. And he's like, holy shit, what did you say? But the very next day the pantsman gets into the group chat. He's just like, I heard he was hitting him up about the David Kidwell thing. Then the day after that, Lane comes on the podcast and said that I tried to run it straight. Well, then the day after that, I was trying to fight him. And it's just gone. The last thing further and further and further. I heard that there was a physical altercation. That was where it started for me. Someone was like, he's human. I tried to have a physical altercation with Willie Mason. Yeah. That was how it was pitched to me. And you know, I believed it. Did you, is that in my nature that I would just come and start swigging? Scrub out Willie Mason. I feel like it's a bit of projection there from Lane. As a fire would go out there and just like, oh, what about with David Kidwell fucking wasted you?

8:13So your claim is that it's not in your sort of, it's not in my wheelhouse. The Kidwell incident isn't like, well, like he said, he's like, that was 20 years ago. Some people are just stuck in that era. But I, I myself definitely am stuck in that era. If when I think Willie Mason, one of the first things I think of is Kidwell. Yeah. But not me. I think of the levels podcast. You think of the levels point? I'm an out one from day one. And so what's crazy is having to defend yourself against something that didn't happen. And even crazy is still it obviously did happen to him from someone that was there at that, at that bar. And he has a memory of someone having to go out of him about David Kidwell. So your defense is just didn't happen. Just blank point blank denial. How do you defend yourself against something that didn't happen? I don't know. I'm just wondering if that is what you're, if that's what you're mounting as your defense of it didn't happen because you've also said that you did go over there. Yeah. So you've had opportunity for the crime. Yeah. You've browned out so you don't recall the crime.

9:14Yeah. Anything good happened? I could have done it. Yeah. So you've got opportunity. You've got... Leading the witness, Your Honor. No, you've got opportunity to commit the crime. Are there motives? I mean, you're a proud at New Zealander. Any proud New Zealander would happily, you know, after a couple of years as well. Go up to Willie Mason and bring something up that you didn't do 20 years ago. I think so. Opportunity, motives, sane behaviour. And I would also say there's like probable course, which would be the beer's your... The beer's your pad. They've given you the confidence. That turned me into a young J-Lane. And I've gone up there and... A mouthpiece for J-Lane. And the craziest part is, so he obviously has a memory of someone doing that. And J-Lane has now led the witness, depending it directly onto me. Yeah. It's like when there's an artist who has the sketch who's done the crime and they're like, years, I think you had a... Yeah. ...who knows, didn't he? Sort of, uh, two years. I know that I'm dead to rights. There's no... I have no defense because... I mean, how can you defend against it? It just got worse and worse as that audio played out.

10:14I know. It was an idiot. Wunder fucking... ...fifteen, I'm six foot. Five-two fat fucking... I was like, oh my god. It was a police incident. And can I get an hate crime right there? Can I say... And I know this isn't that funny, but I was having a real rough day. I was like, oh, what is this now? What fresh hell is this? Oh, Laine's calling me a fuckwit or Wunder. Told Willie Mason that I was the guy who came up to him and wanted to have a crack in him about David Kidwell. It could be the funniest person to have a beef with. Could I have an email? No, I'm not. For now, I've been speaking to him. For Laine and Isaac's perspective. The idea that you're speaking with Willie Mason. Like, if you're... Beful with Jeff Tovey, you know. Yeah. I mean, that's comedy, but with Willie Mason, it's a... It's a thing of beauty. And I think you should be proud of yourself. You've held yourself in good. What have I done that I should be proud of? You know, you've represented New Zealand. You've gone up and you've hit up Willie Mason about the Kidwell incident. And you've said, yeah, yeah, you have. We can confirm. And you've said, listen, mate, I'm standing up for Alty and over here.

11:1520 years on from the thing I don't remember happening. Yeah, and it's just a thing that I remember. I remember that. It was on from a thing I don't remember happening. Yeah, and it's also not like he did anything. He just knocked out. In the incident, he just got knocked out, fell on the ground. Yeah. And then Kidwell sort of let him have it. Why don't we re-litigate in the David Kidwell incident? That's not part of the story. I think that's part of the story. Evidently you and G Lane remember that far more clearly than I do, which is why I know. I would say every single listener of this podcast has that in their mind probably once a week. Yeah. Well, look, the long short of all of that is now, and I know the more you try and defend yourself, just the worse it gets. Yeah, explaining is losing. Explaining is losing, yeah. I've been, I've been trumped. I've got Lane D'Arrangements in row. Who, again, like you said yesterday, has found a way to weasel his way out of this podcast. Yes, he has. He's chucked me in very last minute. Yeah, he's like, you go and defend.

12:16You've had a face to face though, right? You've been able to sit down and read you and let. Yeah, and I was like, why are you running around trying to create beef with me and famous inter-error people? We don't know who I am. Well, maybe. And the first thing's hearing of me is, because I wonder if the other thing is then in his mind is he going, well, that never happened. So he's gone back to them and claimed that it did, which is even crazier. Well, I guess now for Willie Mason's mind, it didn't happen. It did happen, yeah. I know. I know. I'm dead to rights. You're dead to rights. I'm dead to rights. There's nothing I can do. The only out for you here is to run it straight with Willie Mason outside the grand final. Who wins this? You. And the viewer. You and Lane. I'll back you on that one. I know there's no backing. I don't want to be dragged into this as having, I'm here for good content into entertaining people. And I think that would entertain the masses. Well, you were saying outside before that. No, you're talking about it. You're talking about it. You're talking about it.

13:16You could cover him, Dan Hooker, one minute scraps. But he might get you in just the game or I'd be like, this isn't a man who's also said he could kick a, like, a salva chip to the death of someone else. What's the, uh, cassowere? Cassowere. I forgot the name of the bird. Yeah. Cass, you could kick a cassowere to death, but you could run it straight with Willie Mason. Why are you guys trying to do this to me? What have I done? Why is this just like a, why are we trying to manufacture a scrap with Willie Mason? Now, because I'm a big fan of Willie Mason. I don't like him. I was talking to him. We are never going to be friends now because of this. This is what I was trying to petition for. And during the interview was that you guys catch up, have a bruski, have a laugh. You can talk it over. Maybe it's a, uh, chicken parlor. And then it's all, it's all in checks and, uh, friendship. As opposed to what? The run it straight. Yeah, see, this is, I don't want the run it straight. I've been backed into a corner of the price. We're sea war. We don't want war. I've been backed. Were you wearing a hoodie when, when you, when you, when you called him out? No, because I don't think he's seen your shoulders.

14:17Because if, if Willie Mason has seen your shoulders, I don't think he had one there run it straight. He wouldn't want that smoke. What we need is someone who is actually there. You were there. Yeah, but unfortunately, I can't remember. He's an underline witness. Yeah, I am, but I don't. Yeah. The only other person was Luke, is they produced it. I think maybe Luke, so Luke could be the secret. Also, have we thought about getting a hypnitheopistum to unlock the memories in your brain? I'm here as well for you. If you could have every single drunk memory back, but the downside was you had to have them all back. Would you unlock the, would you open Pandora's Box? You keep them all in there. Isn't that like a defense mechanism from your brain to stop you from walking out into traffic? It's your brain's version of turn this podcast off. It's like, oh, I've seen enough. Oh, I'm cured, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He's even been laid out of the show. I only want to do this podcast out of it. I wish he'd go from here talking about the wires being in the seagulls. Yeah. Just. Just. Oh, yeah. Look, like I said, I don't even want to do this now.

15:18I don't know. What did you guys think? I think that you have a particular take. We can get lead. We can get back on track here. I thought it was a good performance from the Warriors. Seagulls coming out with everything, with nothing, nothing again from that game. They see the last season. They want to leave it all out on the field. Warriors, they just had a job to do win and they're done it. And it's as simple as that. I think for me, at least we have someone who can do a drop go. Because I don't think we knew who that was until last week. Obviously, an exact same thing. And I like the idea that it was sort of like a live training session to be like, all right, this is going to come for us. They have been for about a month, it feels like. Yeah, well, it really has been that sort of vibe. Like, I think we probably could have gone for the try on those day stages, but they were like, now let's set up for a drop go. Let's try to like tick one of these off. So we know we've got it in the back sky rocket. Yeah. I kind of would think that this started podcast is really good. I just think that you're vibe. Fucking out. It has. Yeah. Fucking out. That's a rock to me. Absolutely rock to me. I think it's good for the Warriors. Like you said, to find that person who's willing to step up

16:21and ice those games because every other team in the finals or every other good team has that person. We know who Panthers are going to win in when the game's on the line. We know who Rouss is going to win the games on the line. Games on the line. Warriors all year have been that team where there's no real out and out star player. It's everybody playing consistent for the so for CHT to step up. It's great time. It did make me nervous. It did make me nervous that game. I feel like we got there were points there. It's happened with the Knights game the week before where it just looked like every time they touched the ball they were going to score a try. Yeah, there was certainly that action down there. That right hand edge was crazy when they were just sort of galloping down every time they needed to and don't end down. And I think the early points is it is you that they're going to have to work on in these finals games. I don't think you can give away sort of 16 points at the start of every game and then be like sweet now. Come back. Now we'll come back because both of the last two games when we've done that, you have kind of thought of the comeback as on. Yeah. But yeah, in a final series it just might not be that easy just to gallivate back.

17:24I guess the other flip side of that is that we will have a bunch of people back. So it's kind of a different team. This is true. And your chuk challenge on the wing, I feel like it sure is it up a little bit. I just a heavy hitter out there just to just a little fire that defense because yeah, it's been a little weak. But yeah, we'll see how we go, especially in backline, like a dolphins. Yeah. I think we can be that weak. No, no, we'll get into the dolphins very shortly. I think every week this year we've had home tickets to give away. But we've also thanks to mates of four and twenty had a flow away from a few people to go to the game. They went to that game, the Manly Seagal's versus the Warriors game. And they sent us a bit of audio back. Yeah, we won the four and twenty forest back. It just was 31, 30. Hell of a game. Hell of a game. Just want to show our appreciation for the two boys. With the an owing shift up here from Wellington.

18:25Yeah, you know, Mount Smart, what a place, what a place. Yeah, look, just passing on our thanks and Carl wants to say. Absolutely. Was there a part there that bell that's run at a time? That's funny. It just completely ran out of time. It sounds like a four twenty pie. Wasn't the only thing they're enjoying. Yeah, it's a good thing to stay. Couple of eggs for the ultra as you'd have to think as well. Oh, good to hear that they enjoyed that. Well, it's a good game in the end. Yeah, an exciting game to be at as well. There was that sort of lingering feeling during it. Because at the start, you know, high hopes for the minor premiership. You think it's easy if we can sort of chuck on anywhere from sort of 10 plus points. We're in the conversation and then by the end, you were like, fuck, at least just one. It's just one or even lose week years. We're just we're going to be sick and do the way. Yeah, sort of how it ended up there. I don't think we could take to read too far into any of, to be honest, these last few games. Aside from the fact, I feel like Tain is recovered from that off the heezy the week before and bounce back. So an incredible orabombing there.

19:26Getting humiliated in front of his friends and family. Yeah. So yeah, we'll take a break. We'll come back and have a little preview of the dolphins game this Saturday. But just quickly this week's episode of the off the back seat is D and we'll be back. I'm picking the scab. All right, cancel your plans. If you didn't manage to get tickets, which a lot of people didn't, the warriors are playing finals. You can join Isaac's going to be you this Saturday on the ACC YouTube channels. The warriors take on the dolphins. We're one of the NRL finals. You guys will be in the Biccia lounge for every high, every low, and every emotional overreaction. You can join the ACC hosted pot as well on Biccia using the code the ACC6969 and get amongst it. If you're new to the Biccia app, sign up and deposit 50 bucks to score $100 bonus cash. R18, but responsibly, you were saying before, Tony,

20:27these teams that have been ripping that right edge apart against the warriors have all had stacked talent down their left edge. You probably almost won't find any more stacked talent down that side than the dolphin. That's wild. Yeah. Look at the names in there and it is absolutely stacked, but that's why you've got to keep it in the forwards. Brother, we're going to charge up through the gums. That was Ford Pack is out the gate. I mean, it was a beautiful thing seeing their team name on Tuesday at pop up and you look through the team and you know, we've had a couple of players who have done well, but have lodged into that starting side of the last couple of weeks. And you know, you would have to admit they're not sort of either the first second or third choice player that you would like there. But this week, it's looking different. It felt good to see. The only weird one you would have said was Chan's it. He was great at game down in Christchurch before I admit Willie Mason. It's a great idea to make a game. We just on the beers or did you move to sort of liquor?

21:28No, it's strongly on the beers. Then I can hit Willie Mason and... They call them a cowd punch these days. Yeah, a cowd punched Willie Mason. Called him a pussy and then... A cowd punch. I reckon I could cowd punch Willie Mason as hard as I could and it would have zero effect. Like just no, no I odor of him. He'd be like, what the fuck was that? I reckon you could not cowd punch Willie Mason and Jey Lane would tell everyone you did. Yeah, I don't know. I would rather have faced the dolphins this week. Sorry, the roosters this week than the dolphins. Obviously they're humming, but they're also just the kind of team that scares the person at a Warriors fans. You know what I mean? I'm keeping the faith. But when you got hammer sweeping around the back of Herbie, Throbbo, I mean it's Isaac Catoa. Yeah, even like Boss Stockett's young, but so much talent floating around out there. You know what? I do like the idea though of giving no excuses for the premiership.

22:32And they will win the wires, take it all out. It's like we walk through good teams to do it. We walk through fire, baby. Beat the dolphins here. I was like, oh look at their back line. Absolutely. I can stack the death. And you're like, well, we took care then week one. And then we get to put our feet up for a week. I reckon we're going to come out through it. Yes. It's going to be weathering the storm initially. I'm sure that we don't give up like those first quick couple of tries. Like we had those last couple of weeks. We've kind of got the Warriors had a tendency to switch off just before half-tip. It's sort of around when fish got subbed off. Yeah. You could lose a little bit of money around there, but I feel like we've sort of showed that up recently. Jackson forwards back into the team. Yeah, it's a good manner injection. Injection? Yeah. It's going to be interesting to see how he got, I mean, he's been out for a long time now at that pec injury. Yeah, it's a good time to get him back in though. There's still enough meat on the bone of the season for him to play some good minutes. And as far as we know, he is the greatest player in the NRL because when the Dell EMs went behind closed doors, he was still at the top of the table.

23:33Yeah, so... Seeking you in a row, we've had that. Well, I haven't gone behind closed doors. I haven't gone behind closed doors. No, last year it was metcalf before he did his ACL. Yeah. He was the Dell EM player of the year. Was the EM for that the Shorty J stealathon? I think that was the EM before that. 2012. When he got done dirty? I got served a real yesterday that was saying, oh, the top five individual seasons and it was like Ben Barber, Jared Hane, all the Isaacs, and then it was like 2023, Kaelin Ponga. But I was like, he wasn't even the best player that year. No. Sean Johnson was the best player. He certainly was. He had been Barber guy. More of a Jared Hane guy. More of a Jared Hane guy. More of a Jared Hane guy. Yep, I've rocked with him all on field and off field. Wow. No, off field as well. I've asked the one singing his innocence in long behold. Everybody's back on the hand train. He was invited to... He's invited back into the NRL sort of facilities and in our Get-A-Mona. I don't think he'll be on commentary anytime soon,

24:33but yeah, he's... And I'm looking for it. And all of a sudden, I'm not the worst thing that's happened on this panel. No, that's because so much better. I feel so much better. I mean, off field is an NFL, of course. Yeah. Yeah. I did say that he posted, obviously, the NFL is in Melbourne this weekend. And I saw he posted some highlights. And it's tough when you're... I mean, and I'm not saying I'm any Jared Hane, right? But it's tough when your highlights consist of like just a couple of like, okay, runs. But you're like, how what could have been? You're like, no, I think you gave it a crack. Yeah. It really makes you realize how freakish the NFL players would be if they did come over and play in the NFL. Well, and all... Oh. I don't know. Nessie Betel. Jared Hane, who was like a generational talent in our, couldn't crack it. Yes, but I also think there's like, college running backs or kick returners or whatever he was. Yeah. That also don't make the NFL. Like, it's really hard thing to do, even if you are a free athlete and have done your whole life. So, even if you're a free athlete, but you've never played it before,

25:34Oregon, that's hard. So you think that the barrier to entry is not having played it your whole life? The experience. That's it. Yeah, I mean, it's, it's sadly it. Cause he was 20, I think he was 26 or 27. And then learn a new sport, went over there with a coach, a whole lot of politics around this. So basically, the coach who got him over there with Jim Tom Soulai, I believe. He... I told you this was a favorite place. He got let go. Maybe... He got let go right before the final squad was decided. So all that preseason, Jared Hane was, you know, pun returning, playing defense on the, on the, on the puns to start the game. I thought he would have cracked the squad. Jim Tom Soulai, the coach who got him over there got dropped like maybe a month before. They made that final cut and then they made the coach come again. What's that? You claim it as politics. I claim it as politics. Because coach, what is it? Politics, you know, as an experience because he doesn't play it his whole life because it seems like there's sort of two different, two different stories here. I also heard that he threatened in our old legend, the runner straight out of it. That would be very nice. After one of the warriors.

26:35He got a skinful, a reminded Willie Mason of the Kidwell incident. Yeah. That'll do it. That'll end any career. I see it in worse careers. Oh, it's in good mind. Yeah, how do you think we're going to go this weekend? We had a guy on the breakfast show this morning. He wanted to put a bet on the warriors, but he was one to 12. He didn't think we're going to blow them out. If we beat the dolphins, how much do you reckon it's going to be by? I think it's by about four points. Okay, within a score. I'm going to be one of those squeakiest of bums where the last couple of plays you're like, Jesus, for the love of fuck would you put it out? Yeah, yeah. I think it's going to be crazy at the game. Also that I managed to get tickets. Did you guys try and enter the lottery to get tickets? Well, I did. And I actually got tickets. Oh, you did? I have a prior commitment on that night. I am working, have a stand-up comedy show that was booked in months ago. That overlaps. And so I went online. He took it scalping then. No, well, I mean, I just wanted to see if I could do it.

27:35I got through and I thought, no, I that can't go because you bought tickets to the market. I didn't buy tickets. I just sat them with them there in my cart and let them tick over for seven minutes and they were released back to the wild. Well, so this was what was crazy about. To see if I, well, I don't want to be one of those guys who buys them and then sells them. I should have. So I just wanted to, ideally, I would have tried to buy tickets. I wouldn't have got through and then I got, oh, well, I couldn't have got anyway. So I'll do the gig that was already pre-booked in. That was kind of what I was mentally hoping for. And then I got through and was like, ah. It's a family full somewhere that can't go because you're turning. Well, they can go because I did release tickets. No. I released tickets. And I heard that you tried to keep that. I'm never met Willie Mason in person. Oh, neither of them. My Mrs. Dutta, she said that she's a big, you know, she's got to get in tickets online. She did a lot of concerts. And so she was very prepared for it. But it was this crazy situation where you're in the waiting room and it tells you what position you were in. We were 300th when she jumped in.

28:37Which is good. What number were you? I think we're about 400. Yeah, yeah. That's not many people for, eight is the most you can buy, which is quite a lot. Normally it's like four. Yeah, it's a lot. And we had another friend who was trying as well. And they were number 5,000 in the queue. Yeah, it's tough. Which was great. And they reckon they logged on about the same time as us. You get let in and it's like go and you've got it. So we were trying to initially buy six because it was six months I wanted to go. And as you click, it's like this ridiculous game of whack-a-mole where you get to click with the blue buttons. And so you're trying to get sixels sitting next to each other. And as you get to the fifth one, someone buys the first one out from underneath you. So you're going along and people are buying up the tickets behind you. As you're going. It's the worst system and I can't believe they still do it. Especially if you're on a phone because your finger is too small to press the little blue circle. Yeah. It should be a clear drop down menu that says, you know, take a price. And how many tickets you want? You click six or four. This price, boom, takes you through.

29:37And it just, Alex, we shouldn't be choosing where we're sitting because by the time you press them, they do, they disappear. So you're better off going like back a few rows from where you want to sit because they won't get gobbled up fast. But I tried to do it on a computer. It was much easier but still tricky. But I had done it before on my phone and my massive fucking fingers. You can't press the tiny little blue dots because they're like, they're a millimeter. It's just a ridiculous game of Wacomole. It was absolutely insane. But we managed to get four, luckily. I'm looking forward to going to this. This will be... Who's up, Cap? Hey. Who's up, Cap? Who's the two unlucky? Will you mention it Justin Hottel? No, they'll be there, mate. They'll be on the sideline and the bandwagon. Are they going to be at the game? I mean, you'd hope so for the amount of time to be going on with that big wasp fans. Yeah, so I reckon... I reckon we win this one, I reckon we get the week off and then we come back and play the third game. I want to take a break, but I want to talk about the Eden Park Mount Stake. Because this is popped up again this week. I thought it was behind us.

30:38What's that quick break will be right there? I just quickly, our tier B good punt is going to be the Warriors to trail at any stage and then win by 13 plus who put that on. Oh, I love that. That is bullsy. That is paying $6. So we put $100. That's only paying $6. I think it's actually a pretty decent bet. 13 plus is pretty crazy. I reckon we got it in us. If we start to run it up in the end, the boys are on, if the crowd is on, I don't know what the weather is doing on Saturday. If there's a beautiful day at Mount Smut. So for all NRL finals games from Friday through Sunday, get your bet on on the NRL finals of the tier B. Play say three league, same game mode, if it loses by one, get it back as bonus cash. It's available on every game this weekend. And the NRL TZC supply, R18, bet responsibly. Yeah, I want to talk about the, so the Mount Smut Eden Park things popped up again because the landies came out this morning or overnight and said, we're about 90% sure that that game, the second Warriors game,

31:39will be at Eden Park. Yeah. And there's a few different trains of thought here. One is by having it at Mount Smut, you're locking 25,000 people out of that game. That experience that we were just winging about then, it's going to be a bit easier for people if it's a 50,000 seat stadium. The flip side of that is, you're told for the whole year that the purpose of doing well in the regular season is to get the home field advantage. And I think you're kind of giving that away. I know we're in the same city, but it's not the same thing. Anybody who went to a Blues game versus a Warriors game this year knows that. But no one went to a Blues game that was sold out. I think my take is definitely that why wouldn't you want an extra 20,000 Wars fans in the crowd? There's going to be the same people still. Members will get the same early access. You would imagine that I don't think it will bring in a new trance of fans who have been in the whole year and don't know how to behave. I think it will give fans from out of town the opportunity

32:40who might not be heading over to the grand final. They'll be able to come up and go for it. You'll get all your traveling Wars fans. I think for me, it's a... The Travelling community. There's a no brainer. I just think there are 20 more thousands. I don't know. We lose that Mount Smart all the time. It's not like it's a venue that we haven't lost since 1986 or whatever. Yeah. We lost the final... We lost it the finals last year at Mount Smart if I'm not mistaken. It's not a happy hunting ground. So 100% it gives us an advantage because it has that sort of a mistake about it. But does it really? And it's not like we're going to get more of whoever we might be facing at Eden Park. I just think it's a massive... For me, it's a no brainer at all. Just get there. More people supporting the fans. 50,000 people going apeshit for the Wars. Yeah. I mean, why not get in there? But then by that logic, should every Sydney team have to play at... They have to... The biggest stadium as well. Well, the sharks have been booted out of Shark Park. They've been to...

33:41Aliens. They're headed to Aliens. But I guess are they slightly bigger stadiums? So I think Shark Park can fit like 14,000 people. Aliens are somewhere... Yeah, and it's... Huge, right? But what are the other stadiums that are still holding? I imagine the Panthers are still playing at home. What's that? Let's be like... Combat? Combat, Combat, Big. Yeah, Combat, Big. So these stadiums are probably big anyway. But should they have to then play at that stadium Australia with the Grand Finalist? Is it a core stadium? Well, I guess you would say that that gives the opposition teams more chance of getting a lot more fans there too. And that really does even the playing field. Where I just don't think Eden Park does. I don't know what the... What's the downside? The downside, it's a vibe thing, which I know is a really weak argument against the NRL. But the vibe is you've been tricking out to Mount Smart all year. Yeah. You know, doing it tough and what you want is the memory of being at Mount Smart when they won that game. I think if we look back and watch the highlights of this finals run in a few years, I'll be like, fuck, that's right.

34:41They play to Eden Park. That's weird. But they also... You're giving 19,000 more people the chance to have that memory. Players routine as well. Don't even give me stutter on how stupid the Mount Smart joke is going to look. Yeah, he will look out of place. That is a fair point. But they can roll... The spy one, then. They can roll. But it's a whole day out. Everyone gets... I think the rail loop be open then, so there will be people... Oh, boy. The city rail loop will be operating. So people will be able to train in from all areas. Yeah, can you get there... No, we live in the same neighborhood. I get to cut the bus like an absolute bitch. We actually can't get there from... Can you get there from your place? No. But it will be good for... I don't know if you live on K-Rose. Why the fuck lives there? Penrose. How is it any easier to get? No, it's not. That's what I mean. They always talk about the train. Are you going to train? Yeah, but the train doesn't go to my house. No. Anyway. The train will be good if I'm with you at home. If you do live right beside the train station, shit there, it'll be good stuff.

35:42Yeah. Now, I'm firmly in the levered at Mount Smart. Magical thinking sort of, yeah. Well, but why do I care if the NRL makes $100,000 more dollars to that? You should care because you've just talked at length about how hard it was to get a ticket for this first game. But how literally, till your friends, you had to ditch so you could go. You've got a chance of more people being able to get tickets and go and watch the team there for supporting all year at the grand final. No, they also could have logged in and got their own tickets. A few of people are locked out. There's more chance. 50,000 people is just louder than 25 or whatever. It's like you've got double the amount of people. But the vibes better with more people. I know there's obviously a bad thing because both of you had the chance, oh, you got tickets and you had the chance to get tickets. But I was talking to people out in office. They don't know anybody else, but Maniah, they actually got tickets. Could there be a thing where the NRL to push that want for Eden Park, a biggest stadium,

36:42that there may be, I know, jinks the tickets a little bit. Your partner got tickets. Is she usually the ticket buyer for Warriors Games for you? Yeah. Ah, shit. Well, that rules out there. Oh, sorry. But they might have made it harder. Maybe they did make it harder. Maybe they offered up. They sort of held some back for a little bit. To first time buyers. Maybe they gave the tickets to the first time buyers. So the actual fans, the real, you know, the Warriors faithful can briot and give us Eden Park. So we can, yeah. The other issue with Eden Park is the Eden Park neighbours community. Is it going to be past Helen Clark's bedtime? That is going to keep her up. That is going to be the issue. Another concern. They're going to have to shush them up halfway through the second half to get listened guys. We love the song. We love the 100%. Can you keep it down? Can we just knock that thing up? One verse. We'll give you one verse of the Warriors song at the end. You don't get to do it twice. Yes. It is keeping up Helen Clark. She is. 40% savage. 40%. So will the game be pushed to Eden Park 90% chance, even if it's next week? Like Warriors drop this game as well?

37:44I think that's what they're saying. I was led to believe that if we lost this next game, that then it would remain at Mount Smart. Oh really? That's the until I've got it at the ground. So if we lose this game and we have to play the following week. Oh, we should throw it. That will be at Mount Smart. But then we still have to play a prelim in Australia. At the end of it. There will be. So it will be. If we lose this one, then we have to go again. And then we at Mount Smart because I... Yes, I don't know why they would say maybe less people wanted to go. Yeah. I don't know what the idea is. I don't know. I don't know either. That's a vibe thing for me. I just can't rip my head around us playing an elimination final at Eden Park. Then why not play the whole season at Eden Park? You know, you got a... You got scheduling issues. Is the park available the whole time? You got bloody... Oh, please? Robbie Williams is out there. Matt, he's bloody singing Angels instead. Coldplay. Coldplay? Wild shows. You got... He got bloody Christmas. He got Travis Scott and he's raging. That's a fair point. You can't have... You know, a lucky halicema hitting it up on the back fence when Travis Scott's raging. All right, so...

38:47So I'm still riddled by the Willie Massive Day. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tomorrow, which is Friday, which could be today, depending on when you're listening to... Yeah, it depends. Could be yesterday. Could be yesterday, you've probably missed it. All across the Nation Kiwis being encouraged to wear it for the Wars and wear Wars kit. You can wear it on game day or you can wear it on the Friday or today to be honest. But this September 11th, I know... Let's we forget. Do not forget. Jesus. Do wear it for the Wars. That's the messaging we're going with. Delete this fucking podcast, you're on it. This is not going to be a... Supermost important September 11th. Wear it for the Wars. Wear it for the Wars. Turn this podcast off.