Weekend Sport with Jason Pine (Newstalk ZB)

Our regular correspondent, James McOnie, was on the mic this morning for the Rugby World Cup quarter-final between Ireland and the All Blacks.

He joined Piney on the show to discuss what he saw from his point of view, and he also got a quick cameo from Jordie Barrett.

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Piney caught up again with James McOnie, this time to discuss the World Cup Final, the Blackcaps captaincy, and Free to air cricket.

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Piney and Bonnie break down victories for both the Wellington Phoenix men and women, including high drama at Porirua Park and Oskar Zawada's goalscoring return.

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Piney catches up with Blackcaps batsman Mark Chapman to chat about his impressive T20 series in Pakistan.

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John Solly is a grassroots golfer who has just won a competition to compete with the pros at the NZ Golf Open, he chats with Piney about having the opportunity to compete with the best.

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Mbappe inspires France to back-to-back World Cup finals as Morocco's brave resistance ends.

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After a nervy qualifier, Hamish Kerr has made it into the finals for the Olympic high jump. 

Roger Te Puni, one of New Zealand’s best high jumpers, joined Piney to discuss Kerr’s chances in the finals.  

He told Piney that in his opinion, Kerr is absolutely a gold medal chance. 

Te Puni said that the other contenders are strong jumpers, but Kerr has shown some pretty great form that could get him to the gold. 

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It was a challenging year for Rugby Australia last year and coach Joe Schmidt is making it no brighter as he takes his time in revealing his future with the team.

The head coach had said he would share his plans in December.

December has been and gone and Rugby Australia want him to stay on as head coach, but will he?

Christy Doran weighs in with Piney and explains why Schmidt might not be feeling the pressure to reveal his cards.

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The Hurricanes are facing the Blues tonight in the marquee match of this round of Super Rugby. 

Ahead of the match, Piney decided to catch up with Blues midfielder Rieko Ioane to get a feel for how the game may play out. 

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From the Crowd Goes Wild, James McOnie joins us from Athens, Georgia to discuss the Kiwi contingent in the NBA, Steven Adams and Sean Marks. And he also details his College Football experience.

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Former Black Caps coach Steve Rixon is fondly regarded for guiding the Kiwi side through 1997 to 2000.

He oversaw a period of significant success for the team, including in 1999 where New Zealand won two tests in a series in England.

He joined Piney to discuss these historic moments for the team.

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Piney catches up with Liam Napier from the New Zealand Herald to discuss whether overseas rugby players should be able to be picked for the All Blacks.

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Piney chats with new Highlanders Head coach ahead of the 2023 Super Rugby Season.

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All Blacks eligibility has once again been thrust into the spotlight, with Sam Cane bringing up the potential need to look at changing the rules over overseas eligibility for the All Blacks.

Piney had a chat with NZRPA Boss Rob Nichol to find out his thoughts, and whether changes might need to happen.

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Where is New Zealand's home of cricket? 

Craig Cumming has played at them all, coached at them all, and been a spectator at them all. 

From the Basin Reserve, to the Hagley Oval, to the Bay Oval, Piney and Craig discuss their favourites. 

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American import Anthony Lamb has starred in the Breakers' thumping NBL win over South East Melbourne in Auckland.

The New Yorker scored 31 points on his 26th birthday as the Breakers won by a whopping 31 points.

Former Breaker Casey Frank joined Piney to discuss the victory.

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Piney catches up with South African born All Rounder, Dean Foxcroft, who's been making a name for himself for the Otago Volts. They talk about his form, lockdown, and his potential future with New Zealand Cricket.

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The race is on to determine the future host of the 2035 Rugby World Cup, and plenty of contenders have voiced interest.

Reports claim that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have expressed interest in hosting the event - but Spain, Japan and Italy have also thrown their hats in the ring for the cup.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark played a key role in getting the Rugby World Cup over to our shores in 2011 - and she joined Piney to discuss whether it could happen again.

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The Warriors are set to clash against the Wests Tigers in Christchurch in a highly anticipated NRL preseason trial.

Warriors centre Marcelo Montoya looks forward to this opportunity- and he joined Piney to discuss.

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Racing experts and fans alike have reacted with shock after Liam Lawson was recently axed from Red Bull's senior Formula 1 team.

Yuki Tsunoda has been promoted from Racing Bulls in place of the Kiwi ahead of next week's Japanese Grand Prix.

Toyota Racing Series founder Barrie Thomlinson joined Piney to discuss. 

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Andrew Kratzmann is a former professional tennis player who in 2000 paired up with Roger Federer in the Doubles at Wimbledon and the US Open. He looks back on Roger's career and what it was like to play alongside him.

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There's less than a week to go until the 2024 Paris Olympics, and sports fans are feeling the hype.

Sports broadcaster Joseph Romanos joined Piney to outline his predictions.

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The Penrith Panthers are looking to make it four Premiership wins in a row as they take on the Melbourne Storm tonight. Piney catches up with Panthers legend and 2003 NRL Premiership winner Ryan Girdler to preview the Grand Final

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A historic defeat to Afghanistan for the Black Caps.

They've lost to the Asian nation for the first time in a Twenty20 international, dropping their World Cup opener by 84 runs in Guyana.

Cricket commentator Dylan Cleaver joined Piney to unpack the loss.

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Piney caught up with Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby, Elliott Smith, to find out what went wrong for the All Blacks at Stade de France. 

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Wellington Phoenix legend Paul Ifill catches up with Piney to discuss the teams recent struggles.

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Auckland could become one of the cornerstones of the SailGP calendar, with the league discussing a six-year agreement to run events in the City of Sails. 

The global foiling league made its debut in Auckland in January, with bumper crowds turning out to enjoy the action on the Waitematā Harbour. 

It’s a sight Sir Russell Coutts hopes to see more of in years to come. 

“One of the things we’re trying to do with SailGP is make it an annual event, and I know the authorities in New Zealand are interested as well, so we’re discussing something like a six-year, or six-season, term, because there are huge benefits in coming back year after year,” he told the Herald. 

“Like many of the iconic events around the world, whether it be the Melbourne Cup or the Australian Open tennis, people get to know when they’re on at a certain time of the year and that has its distinct advantages. 

“We’re looking to do the same as we build out our calendar to 20-plus events a year. We’re looking to grow those events in the various continents around the world. 

“So in Australasia, of course, we’re looking to expand that calendar of events and no doubt you’ll see some announcements on that in the coming weeks.” 

Coutts said the make-up of those six years was still being discussed, with the potential of a four-year commitment with a two-year right of renewal an option alongside a straight six-year deal. 

It comes after the success of its first time in Auckland, with the event having a 46% audience increase between that and the season opener in Dubai late in 2024. 

The economic impact report for the event is expected to be made public soon, however, Coutts told the Herald it revealed a US$36 million ($63m) return. 

That number is a 73% increase on the 2024 New Zealand SailGP event, held in Christchurch, which amassed a total economic impact of US$20.7m for the host region. 

In a statement to the Herald, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said it was positive about the potential to host SailGP again. 

“As with any major event investment, there is a process to follow including post-event analysis and a new business case. We are working constructively with the SailGP team to ensure we have all the information to take this forward and are working to a mid-April timeline,” Hill said. 

“We face significant funding challenges for attracting and delivering major events in Auckland. At present, we do not have a sustainable long-term funding model and this remains a critical issue.” 

While Coutts has previously spoken about the potential for other host cities in New Zealand, he said at this stage the organisation was not looking anywhere but Auckland. 

“It was a great event in Auckland, wasn’t it? I think it was hugely successful from SailGP’s perspective, but also from the city’s perspective and New Zealand’s perspective for that matter 

“We are not looking, at this stage, at other events in New Zealand, but that’s not to say we wouldn’t do at some time in the future.” 

While season five has its fourth of 13 confirmed events on the calendar in Los Angeles this weekend, plans are already in place for further expansion in season six. 

This season brought the addition of two new teams and another two are expected to be added for the next campaign as well as more stops on the calendar. 

The expanded lineup is also expected to see racing move to split-fleet racing, with seven boats on the water at a time opposed to the current structure in which all 12 teams compete against one another in fleet racing. 

“We’re going to run a process with the next two teams that we put on sale, which are teams 13 and 14, that’ll be more of a structured assessment of the various buyers,” Coutts said. 

“We know that there’s buyer interest out there, and obviously we evaluate which country they’re going to be representing as well and the where they could host an event, because we like to pair teams with events in their own countries as well. 

“All of those things come into it as well as the offer on the economics behind the team. We’ll be going through a process for that for teams 13 and 14 over the coming months and that process will be announced in due course.” 

- Christopher Reive 

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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith to analyse the new cross-hemisphere international rugby competition.

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Saturday night marks the day where the 2023 Womens World Cup will be drawn.

Former FIFA World cup winner Gilberto Silva was in town for the event, and he spoke about the lead-up.

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Luke Kemeys is a founder of betting syndicate Boys Get paid, and they've had a successful New Zealand cup week. Piney catches up with Luke to chat about their success.

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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 12 January 2025, Black Caps captain Mitchell Santner on the squad named for the ICC Champions Trophy.

Aussie Rugby journalist Christy Doran on whether Joe Schmidt will extend his contract with Aussie Rugby.

And Tennis commentator Craig Gabriel previews the Australian Open.

Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Former All Blacks coach John Hart discussed the All Black's chances ahead of next week's World Cup final.

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The Taini Jamison Series decider happens today after debutant Amelia Walmsley helped lift the silver Ferns to a series levelling win in Porirua on Wednesday.

She joined Piney ahead of time to preview the decider.

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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to talk about Chris Wood's latest hat-trick, Auckland FC's latest win, the first week of the Six Nations and the Super Bowl.

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We review one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history with Saudi Arabia beating Argentina 2-1, while the Socceroos had a tough evening on their 2022 World Cup debut.

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Piney catches up with James McOnie to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.

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Piney catches up with Kiwi Sailors and Olympic medal hopefuls Erica Dawson and Micah Wilkinson ahead of the start of the European season, and to talk about their preparation for Paris 2024.

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The 2011 Rugby World Cup final was the most stressful rugby experience for All Blacks fans, but they managed to break their 24 year drought when they beat France 8-7 at Eden Park.

Piney caught up with the All Blacks winger from that game, Cory Jane, to reminisce on that day.

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The NZR CEO, Mark Robinson joins Piney to talk about what has been a turbulent few weeks for the All Blacks.

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Piney chats with triathlete Rebecca Clarke to find out what the Challenge Wanaka triathlon festival is all about.

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The 2024 Olympic Games kicked off with a bang – or a light show. 

NZ Herald Sports Reporter Michael Burgess is on the ground in Paris, taking in the festivities before and as the games begin. 

He joined Piney to give a sense of the energy and excitement in the city. 

"I think this is going to be an absolute beauty, mainly because of the venues being all in the city, all these classic venues, and talking to the athletes, they’re all so excited about being able to perform at some of these iconic stadiums and venues.” 

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Piney and Bonnie discuss the weekend's football action with the Phoenix women and All Whites suffering narrow defeats and a Football Ferns goalkeeper starring for her club side.

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Ireland have beaten South Africa 13-8 in their heavyweight Pool B clash at Stade de France at the Rugby World Cup.

Rugby editor Elliott Smith breaks down this morning's action with Piney.

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The Football Ferns are facing Thailand in a couple of international friendlies, the first of which kicked off at 3pm today. 

The games are taking place in Christchurch, home to forward Gabi Rennie. 

She joined Jason Pine for a chat ahead of today’s match and a look into how preparations are going for Olympic selections. 

“At this rate, our main priority is definitely get the wins,” Rennie told Piney. 

“After the World Cup we’ve, you know, haven’t had that much opportunity to play other than the Samoa Tour, so it’s going to be really good for us to get some good wins.” 

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Piney breaks down the 0-0 draw with Switzerland which spells the end of the World Cup dream for New Zealand.

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Newstalk ZB Sport editor Matt Brown speaks to Jason Pine live from the ASB Classic which is once  again in danger of being affected by the weather.

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It’s a whole new world for New Zealand’s futsal scene.

For the first time ever, a New Zealand team has qualified for the Men’s Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.

Futsal Whites coach Marvin Eakins joins Piney to discuss their journey to the World Cup.

“It's been a heck of a ride... with lots of heartbreak and lots of stories along the way.” 

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At least three former All Whites have joined the ownership group of Auckland FC ahead of the upcoming A-League season.

Noah Hickey is among those who've committed to investing in the new team - he joined Piney to discuss.

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Former Football Fern Kirsty Yallop caught up with Piney about the FIFA Women’s World Cup, how the knockout stages are shaping up, and whether New Zealand should be happy with their performance.

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Sweden made headlines after it refused to use Video Assistant Referees following a fan revolt against its introduction. 

BBC Newcastle commentator Matthew Raisbeck joined Piney to discuss the future of this technology.

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Piney catches up with Blackcap Daryl Mitchell after he took home the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for best Test cricketer.

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Piney catches up with Rowena Massey, the head of the New Zealand delegation at the Special Olympics, as the games come to a close.

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All eyes will be on the very first Kiwi football derby taking place tonight. 

Amid all of the fans in the audience will be one very keen eyed spectator – All Whites coach Darren Bazeley. 

He joined Piney in the studio for a chat about the importance of this match and what he’ll be looking to see from players, and gave some insight into how this could impact All White selections. 

“I think it's one of the biggest days in football in the country for a long, long time.” 

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Auckland FC are putting faith in their preparation as they get ready for their first-ever A-League match. 

They’re facing off against the Brisbane Roar at a packed out Mt Smart Stadium this evening, the match kicking off at 5pm. 

The Club’s Head of Football, Terry McFlynn, joined Piney for a chat about the club’s preparations leading up to the match.  

“The boys are ready, you know, they've trained, I think yesterday was session 61 since we started. So we're ready to go.” 

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The Warriors' high-profile clash in Vegas wouldn't have been possible without the support of one of their biggest sponsors.

One NZ CEO Jason Paris flew in to catch the action from Invercargill.

He joined Piney to discuss the action.

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Canterbury's won the men's one-day domestic cricket title by five wickets over Auckland in Christchurch on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Set a rain-reduced target of 206, the hosts got there with five balls to spare after Tom Latham had earlier made 64.

Coach Peter Fulton joined ZB's Jason Pine to discuss.

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The Crusaders have made their way to the top spot. 

They’re sitting in first after a seven-point win over the Hurricanes in Wellington. 

Coach Rob Penney joined Jason Pine to unpack the win and look ahead to the rest of the season.  

“We’ve got an opportunity now to against a really good Blues team.” 

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Piney catches up with Chiefs mental skills coach to discuss his role, what's made the Chiefs so successful, and his role with Scotland rugby.

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The change in Black Caps test captaincy obviously had to happen. 

Whether it was the captaincy that affected his performances or not, and I actually think it played a big part, the fact is Tim Southee wasn't doing enough to guarantee his place in the team. 

That becomes a real issue when you're the captain, even more so on the sub-continent. 

More often than not, you play just two seamers in tests over there, so you need to pick your quickest bowler and your best bowler.  

Tim Southee is neither of these. 

The omission of Matt Henry can only be explained by Southee being captain/ 

The last time Henry bowled in test cricket was against Australia at the end of our home summer. He took 5-70 and 3-36 in the first test, then 7-67 and 2-94 in the second. 

17 wickets at 15.71, easily our best bowler, and probably the best across both sides in the series.  

Tim Southee took 4 wickets in those two tests at an average of 61. 

Henry also contributed some handy runs, averaging over 25 across the series, Southee averaged 8.5. 

But Matt Henry was the man left out of these Sri Lankan tests because Tim Southee was captain. Imagine taking 7 for 67 in an innings against Australia, then being dropped for the next test. 

Thankfully, that'll be one of the first things put right by the captaincy change – it'll ensure Matt Henry plays against India. 

The question now is whether Tim Southee even goes on that tour. 

I don't think he should. 

He should stay back here, get out of the limelight, freshen up, and get ready to play the three tests against England before Christmas.  

He should definitely play those tests, we'll have a seam-heavy attack, and Southee still earns his place in a 4-prong attack with Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke, and probably Ben Sears. I don't know the current status of Kyle Jamieson, hopefully we'll see him again this summer. 

But Southee plays those tests. 

And I think that might be a good way to bring the curtain down on what has been, by every measure, a terrific career. 382 test wickets, only Sir Richard Hadlee has more for us than that. 

Wouldn't it be great to see him join the exclusive 400-wicket club? 

18 more wickets might be a stretch in three tests, but who knows? Without having to worry about anything other than bowling, and on reasonably seam-friendly wickets at Hagley, the Basin, and Seddon Park, he could do it. 

I honestly think relinquishing the captaincy is a good thing for Tim Southee. 

He is one of our cricketing greats, he deserves to go out on top.  

The longer the captaincy saga played out, the more his legacy was being tainted. Now he's got the chance for a swansong at home and to enjoy a fitting end to a great, great career. 

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From The Crowd Goes Wild, James McOnie joins the show with some glowing praise for the city of Hamilton after the All Blacks big win at FMG Stadium.

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Piney catches up with Warriors captain Tohu Harris as the team prepare for their magic round clash v the Panthers. 

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For the first time since 1999 a World Heavyweight unification fight will be taking place. 

Britain's Tyson Fury is squaring off against Ukraine's Oleksander Usyk in Saudi Arabia.  

Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker is there to witness the fight, and he joined Elliott Smith to share what he thinks will go down. 

He told Elliott that the delay has given each fighter more time to prepare, and it’s more time for the buzz and excitement surrounding the event to grow. 

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Beauden Barrett isn't going to be saying goodbye to test rugby anytime soon.

NZ Rugby confirmed in a recent interview that Barrett is set to sign a multiyear year deal through to 2027- which will make him available for the All Blacks come 2024.

ZB sports commentator Elliott Smith joins Piney to discuss.

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In trying to improve the consistency of the White Ferns, where should we be focusing our attention?

First and foremost, it seems to me that our domestic competition simply doesn't prepare our players for international cricket.

There are a couple of sides that dominate domestic women's cricket, but the overall standard of the domestic comp is simply too far below international cricket.

Scoring lots of runs and taking lots of wickets domestically isn't a good indicator as to whether a player is ready to contribute consistently at international level, because the gap is currently too big between the two.

The best elite sporting structures also create competition for places in the national side.

The realisation and crystal-clear knowledge that if you don't perform, there's someone waiting to take your place - and take their chance - simply doesn't exist right now.

And that in no way says that players don't care because they know they can't get dropped, but it's a simple fact that competition for places increases performance.

Bryan Stronach talked about addressing that - not only the Super Smash and Hallyburton-Johnstone Sheild - but the age-group comps and creating a bigger pool of talent.

But the word he used most was time, it takes time.

Unfortunately, in the instant gratification and results-driven business of elite sport, you're not always afforded that.

The worst thing that can happen here is for apathy to set in, in the White Ferns fan-base, especially its discretionary one.

Sports fans who will take interest and invest in a side they see is making progress, and is backed by an organisation with a constant search for improvement - my gut feel is that isn't how NZ sports fans feel about the White Ferns right now.

They are very much on the fence about watching them or not.

And there's only one thing worse than not performing and not progressing - and that is becoming irrelevant.

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NZ Herald racing editor Michael Guerin spoke to Jason Pine about the death of renowned horse breeder Sir Patrick Hogan.

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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joins Piney to discuss the All Blacks losing to the Springboks and Lydia Ko's successful golf run.

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The White Ferns have lost a rain-hit second women’s one-day international against Australia. 

Despite the loss, bowler Molly Penfold was a star with career-best figures of four for 42. 

Molly tells Jason Pine the team knew they were coming up against the world’s best and unfortunately couldn’t get across the line. 

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Kiwi football star Finn Surman is back in the country. 

He was stateside for the last half season, playing in the Major League Soccer franchise for the Portland Timbers.  

He joined Piney for a chat about what it’s been like to play in the MLS, and playing with the Timbers. 

Surman told him that MLS is a step up in intensity from A-League. 

“The intensity, the speed of what people do, whether that's thinking or just the actions that they do is, is just a little that little bit faster.” 

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The newly appointed coach of the Black Sox, Thomas Makea, is gearing up for the team's WBSC Oceania regional qualifier.

The 17-strong squad is set to compete in American Samoa from Novemer 9th to 11th.

Makea joins Piney ahead of the event.

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Piney catches up with Chiefs Manawa assistant coach Darryl Suasua ahead of their match against Matatu.

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The Super Bowl is drawing closer, with the NFL playoff games kicking off tomorrow. 

The Ravens will play against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions will clash with the San Francisco 49ers, with the winners going on to compete in the biggest football event of the season.

ESPN sportswriter Bill Barnwell joined Piney to discuss what to expect come playoff time.

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Piney caught up with Black Fern Georgia Ponsonby after the Ferns overcame an early scare to beat the USA, claiming the World Pacific Four Series Title.

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Piney and Bonnie return for 2024, breaking down the latest performances by the Wellington Phoenix men and women, and wrapping kiwis playing overseas.

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Piney catches up with NZ Heralds chief rugby writer Liam Napier to preview the Super Rugby Quarter Finals.

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Piney was joined by Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak after his hat trick helped lead the Warriors to their sixth straight win.

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Former All Whites goalkeeper Jake Gleeson says he contemplated taking his life after prolonged surgeries turned into a battle for survival and forced his early retirement. 

In August 2018, while contracted to the Portland Timbers in the United States, Gleeson had surgery to treat stress fractures in both legs. It should have been a routine procedure, but he developed osteomyelitis from an infection. What followed was not only a physical struggle but an emotional descent that would push him to the brink. 

Fourteen surgeries later, and nearly five years after Gleeson began legal action, a jury found doctor Richard Edelson guilty of medical negligence for failing to properly disinfect the plates inserted into Gleeson’s legs before the initial operation. Gleeson, now 34, was awarded US$20.4 million (NZ$35.7m) in damages. 

What was meant to be a three-month stint on the sidelines turned into a nightmare of medical complications and forced Gleeson to retire, having made 59 appearances for the Timbers and winning eight caps for the All Whites between 2011 and 2014. 

The fallout has been brutal for Gleeson, who struggles to complete mundane tasks such as exercising. The mental toll has been equally devastating. 

Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine on Weekend Sport, Gleeson says he reached a point where he considered taking his life. 

“I’d been prescribed so many opioids, like painkillers and anti-anxiety medication, I filled this pill jar up with enough pills that I know that if I took it all at once it would kill me. 

“I drove out a few times to different places around Portland with that. I had that around me for ... a few months and there were some close calls where I thought that that was going to be the day. 

“There were points I just didn’t want to live any more. Simple as that. 

“But I never went through with it, which I’m happy about. The last few years have been a slow climb out of a very deep, dark hole.” 

After his initial surgery, things appeared normal but, after two weeks, an infection on his right leg appeared. Antibiotics initially worked, but the infection worsened and he needed a second operation. 

At this point, pus was coming out of the wound and Gleeson was given a PICC line - a type of catheter - that was pumping antibiotics from his leg to an artery near the heart. It was a further two weeks before the plate in his right leg came out. 

Days later, problems began in his left leg. 

Portland Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson shows his disappointment after the the 4-1 loss against Real Salt Lake in 2017. Photo / Getty Images 

“I saw that same redness, same warmth, same everything that was a sign of infection, and they pulled that plate out straight away. 

“Because I developed osteomyelitis in my right leg, essentially the infection had travelled through my blood and settled on the foreign hardware on my left leg. 

“If they had just removed the plate on the first surgery, or even checked the underside of it to know that that’s where the infection was, we could have avoided a lot more of the surgeries that I went through.” 

Gleeson had another appointment with Edelson, who was pleased with the recovery of the left leg, but problems were still occurring with the right. 

Despite raising concerns, Gleeson was told “it’s just bad blood flow, the wound will heal and you’re fine”. 

An angry Gleeson consulted another team doctor and was immediately rushed to hospital, where he had three surgeries in five days to clear the osteomyelitis and dead bone. 

“They had to go in and chunk out parts of my bone and there was dead tissue in there,” he recalls. 

“My body had gone septic and I had a 40-degree temperature, cuddling a bag of ice on my couch with all this medicine still coursing through me every week.” 

It was at this point that he found out Edelson had not properly sanitised an orthopaedic plate, after realising he was missing one and bringing one in from an outside facility during the surgery. 

As Gleeson improved after working with a new doctor, he opted to have metal rods inserted into both legs in February 2019 in an effort to save his career. 

He had four more operations but the rod in his right leg became immediately infected. Three weeks later, doctors said the rods had to come out. 

In July 2020, Gleeson formally began legal action. Finally, on March 29, a Multnomah County jury in Portland agreed that Edelson had violated his duty of care and awarded NZ$35.7m to Gleeson. 

“This is the first step and, once again, a very long path,” says Gleeson. 

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I’m very tired still. 

“The money is a bonus once we figure out what it all looks like, because I’m not currently sitting with a huge cheque in my account. 

“Once it settles and is confirmed, I’ve already started conversations with some local groups around here to highlight this, and I want to kind of utilise it also to bring attention to mental health, especially for athletes. 

“I would like to go somewhere nice with my fiancée and throw my phone in a lockbox somewhere and take a week to take some deep breaths and start to put this all behind us as we move forward with our lives.” 

He says the Timbers club was poorly managed at the time and “swept me under the rug”. The figures involved have since gone and he is excited about attending his first Timbers match since the ordeal later this month. 

He says he would do anything to be able to step onto the pitch one last time, but is looking forward to be involved again in the sport he loves, having initially walked away from it. 

He is also looking forward to seeing the All Whites in action at next year’s World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico. 

“I couldn’t be more excited for the All Whites and the boys on the team that I know and all the young guns coming through. 

“They’re an impressive bunch, so I’ll be there supporting them for sure. Hopefully they can cause some upsets.” 

SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION 

Where to get help:
• Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
• Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call or text 1737
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111 

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Another year brings another Auckland Easter show, with more Kiwi athletes making an appearance at the Auckland Showgrounds. 

Top Kiwi BMX champion Ellie Chew joined Piney to discuss.

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The New Zealand Warriors are flying high in the NRL – coming within one game of the Grand Final in 2023.

They’ve continued their form this season sitting firmly in the top eight – and getting plaudits on both sides of the Tasman.

So, what’s behind their recent success? How far can this club go? Will this be the Warriors' golden era?

The club’s CEO Cameron George joined Weekend Sport’s Jason Pine in studio on Sunday to answer all these questions.

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Piney steps out of the commentary booth and walks around the park at FMG prior to the second test between the All Blacks and Argentina. There he bumps into groundskeeper Carl Johnson.

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The Warriors are looking to make it 4 wins in a row as they face off against the Sea Eagles at Mt Smart this afternoon.  

Piney caught up with Warriors second rower and off-season signing Kurt Capewell to preview the game and discuss how his move to New Zealand is going for him. 

He told Piney that they’ve definitely been improving week by week, and as long as that keeps building, they can hopefully keep stacking the wins up. 

“Winning is fun, winning’s good, at the end of the day, that’s what we’re here to do." 

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The Chiefs are level with the Crusaders on 32 competition points but lead on points difference.

This is a significant departure following an underwhelming Super Rugby season in 2024.

Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge joined Piney to discuss.

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Piney catches up with Blues hooker Kurt Eklund, to look forward to their Super Rugby season.

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Wallabies legend Stirling Mortlock joins the show to look at what the appointment of Eddie Jones means for the Wallabies and their chances at the world cup.

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Christopher Luxon was one of multiple All Blacks fans out supporting New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final.

The Prime Minister-elect watched the All Blacks lose 12-11 to the Springboks from the comfort of Coops Corner Bar on Auckland's Viaduct.

Luxon says the mood was pretty respectful when walking around the Viaduct.

He says we're all disappointed, but the fans he encountered were all proud of the teams' efforts.

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Wellington Phoenix standout Ben Old has moved to Ligue 1 football team Saint Etienne.  

He caught up with Piney to discuss his time in the capital and how this move was brought about. 

He told him that he was never in a rush to leave the Phoenix, but when he got the offer from Saint Etienne, he was hooked. 

“It wasn’t the easiest thing to go through, but I’m so glad it’s all been sorted out now.” 

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The Wellington Phoenix women are back in action against the Brisbane Roar, following an international break.

They beat the Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney in their last outing.

Head coach Paul Temple talked with Jason Pine on Weekend Sport about the team's chances.

Men's team striker Oskar Zavada spoke to Jason Pine about the team's victory against Perth Glory, and their plans for the season.

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This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Sam Ruthe's record-setting performance, the Super Rugby season and the All Whites' upcoming clash.

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The length of the NRL season has been the topic of debate lately. 

The season runs seven months from the first week of March until the first week of September, and questions have arisen as to how much it impacts players’ ability to play International Rugby League.  

Piney caught up with NZRL CEO Greg Peters for a chat about how we go about getting more of the international game.  

“If you really want to return out of the international game, you've got to give it clear space with the top players available, and a decent window to really monetize it and make it appeal to the hearts and minds of fans around the world.” 

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Auckland FC are trying to keep what's likely to be a milestone achievement from becoming a distraction as they return home from their latest A-League football triumph.

The Black Knights have a six point buffer at the top of the standings after a 2-nil away win over Melbourne Victory.

A win over Perth Glory next Sunday at Mount Smart would secure Auckland FC the Premiers Plate for the top finishing side in the regular season.

Director of Football Terry McFlynn joined Piney to discuss.

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A new personal best is on the horizon for pole vaulter Imogen Ayris ahead of this afternoon's Sir Graeme Douglas International in Auckland.

The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist has a top jump of 4.54 metres, but needs to clear 4.73 metres or be ranked inside the world's top 32 to secure a spot in Paris.

She joined Piney ahead of the event.

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A third successive win for the Warriors is in the books following Saturday evening's match.

The team thrashed the South Sydney Rabbitohs 34-4 on the road.

Assistant coach Stacey Jones says the team weathered the onslaught from the Rabbitohs- especially during the all-important back half of the match.

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The Black Foils are set to make headway in this weekend's SailGP event.

Co-CEO Blair Tuke joined Piney to discuss.

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Elliott Smith catches up with Kiwi motorsport star Marcus Armstong after he announced his mover to IndyCar.

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Blues play the Crusaders in Christchurch tonight, Piney catches up with Blues hooker Ricky Riccitelli

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Piney catches up with golf expert Graeme Agars to discuss Ryan Fox's performance at the PGA Championship.

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Liam Lawson will have a fulltime drive in Formula One next year, with his Red Bull team appearing to virtually confirm the news.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko – in an interview with an Austrian newspaper – says a decision will be made in the next month and the New Zealander will definitely be in one of their cars next year.

Motorsport expert Bob McMurray joined Piney to explain further. 

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Jason Pine catches up with coach Ufuk Talay and defender Tim Payne of the Phoenix men's side ahead of their match against Sydney FC.

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