What a Lad (rova | James Marshall)

Carlo Tizzano has burst on to the international rugby scene this season with an incredible work rate and tackle success rate and after this conversation it's easy to understand why.

Growing up as an angry child, with 3 other brother constantly winding him up the aggression in his game was always going to be there. Having started out as a winger, he decided to move in to 7 a move with had plenty of doubters and even cost him a spot in the academy. However, as you'll hear Carlo has an incredible self belief, while also having incredible discipline to achieve goals quickly. 

Carlo has also recently been diagnosed with ADHD which he describes as an absolute game changer and has made sense of a lot of his behaviour growing up especially at school. His ability to focus on tasks especially in games has been a big part of his rapid rise.

The best part about this episode is that Carlo is an absolute lad who doesn't filter anything, he tells it straight and is very true to himself which always makes for the best podcasts. I'm sure by the end of this you'll have a new favourite Wallaby!

Chapters

01:30 Introduction to Carlo Tizzano
03:00 Playing Style and Transition from Winger to Number Seven
08:42 Italian Background and Growing Up in a Household of Boys
11:39 ADHD Diagnosis and Overcoming Burnout
19:00 Meal Planning and Putting on Weight
24:08 Mindset and Success in Club Rugby
28:13 Becoming a Professional Rugby Player
29:29 Confidence and Debut Experiences
36:08 Challenges and Growth in Different Teams
44:05 Moving to Ealing and Embracing a Different Style of Rugby
48:22 The Wild Ride at Ealing and the Importance of Enjoyment
53:19 Opportunity to Return to the Western Force
59:49 Playing for the Force
01:11:52 The future of the Western Force
01:19:06 Toughest players to tackle
01:23:46 Advice for listeners

Cam Roigard is one of the most exciting talents in the game right now. In the last couple of years he has made every post a winner, rapidly climbing through the ranks after starring for Counties Manakau, carving up Super Rugby with the Hurricanes before heading of to the RWC with the All Blacks. It was here on the world stage where we all got to see the huge talent that this young man possesses and has got plenty excited about where he can get to.

The beauty of this story is that Cam wasn't the star growing up. He didn't make the rep teams and at just 17 years old he was told that he had peaked. His incredible work ethic combined with his love for the game and competitive nature meant he did everything he could to achieve his dream and did he what!

As you'll hear Cam is a champion lad, someone who just loves the game and wants to push himself as far as he can and it's exciting to think where he could potentially end up. If you enjoy this episode please let me know in the comments and please give it a share so that I can have more awesome guests like Cam come on.

Will Jordan is one of those rugby players who is just a joy to watch. He's fast, he's got all the skills and of course he scores plenty of tries. His strike rate speaks for itself, having scored 31 tries in 31 games for the All Blacks at international level and he's quickly approaching 100 if to add on his Tasman Mako and Crusader ones as well.

However as we always hear on these episodes, the rugby professional rugby career is not just all good fun and scoring tries there are always ups and downs to go through with Will himself having had a tough run of late. Last year he suffered an unusual injury which had no time frame and left him struggling in a race against the clock to get back in time for the RWC. This year before the season has even started he's had to go under the knife on his shoulder which has ruled him out for the Super Rugby season.

It was awesome to chat to Will about how he has handled some of these harder points in his career, as well as all the incredible things he has done recently including a very strong Rugby World Cup. As you'll hear, Will is one of the easiest guys to have a conversation with, he has a great mind for the game and is just an all round champion lad!

In this episode I am joined by the legendary Black Fern sisters Chelsea and Alana Bremner. These two champion humans have a very special bond, having grown up in the same room together until 17, to winning a RWC together. They have shared many special moments throughout their journey to becoming professional rugby players.

As you will hear both Chelsea and Alana are such great inspirations for all athletes in our game especially the young females.

Richard Kahui is one of those player that when fit was one of the best in the world and the unfortunate thing for him and all of NZ rugby fans was the fact that the "when fit" part was all to few and far between. The man known as Kaks had to go through 5 Full shoulder reconstructions plus another shoulder surgery in the space of 6 years which made fighting for the dream All Black 13 jersey a tough gig. It was also a real challenge mentally to continue to do everything possible to get back from these injuries only to have to go through it all again.

Some key topics that stood out for me were...

• How working hard on a building apprenticeship helped with the life after rugby transition
•  The power that the Steve Renolf headgear had on his tackling 
• The role of self-confidence in achieving success
• The dedication and sacrifice are necessary to pursue a dream in rugby 
• Obviously the challenges of injuries and the impact on performance
• The emotions with winning the 2011 RWC
• Why he decided to leave NZ rugby
• How he found playing in Japan for 7 years
• And all your questions and heaps more!

Heading into this episode I had only ever heard great things about this great man and after the episode it is clear to see why. A genuine champion man who was the ultimate team mate. His love for the game was clear and although he had some tough times throughout his career, to play for 18 years at the level he did is incredible. If you enjoy this episode please give it a share  so I can continue to bring more great guests like this!

Aaron Mauger loves rugby, he's so passionate about the game and he is so grateful for his involvement in the game and he's certainly been involved!

From playing for Canterbury straight out of school, to becoming a Crusader and All Black not long after. He then moved to Leicester were he won premierships over there, before injuries forced him to retire at just 30. Post playing he was always going to stay in the game and with his incredible rugby knowledge has gone on to become a great coach!

Some bit's that stood out for me were...

• His relationship with his brother Nathan and their mindset playing together 
• How hard it can be for a young 10 to come in boss the team around especially when one was your teacher the year before
• The massive influence Andrew Mertens had on him
• The night of the 96-12 win over the Waratahs and the story behind the front flip
• The 2003 and 2007 RWC experiences
• The struggle of wanting to keep playing when the body is breaking down
• The reality of the life as a coach and the impact that can have on your family
• And heaps more

I loved hearing about Azza's mindset on how he approaches life, he's very grateful for every thing and he has a real passion for the game of rugby. It made me realise how good this game is, so many great people involved in the game and Aaron Mauger is certianly one of those.

Colin Cooper is one of the great great human beings, he's one of the wisest souls on the planet – a true legend of rugby in New Zealand with an incredible career spanning over four decades!

Having played over 100 matches for Taranaki and represented the NZ Maori, and Junior All Blacks Colin has left a huge mark on the game as a player. After hanging up his boots, Colin transitioned to coaching, where he made his mark as the coach of the NZ U21s, an assistant at the Crusaders, the head coach of the Hurricanes, and the Chiefs, and of course, led the Taranaki Bulls to an NPC championship.

He has also coached the Junior All Blacks and the NZ Maoris, showcasing a remarkable versatility in the sport. Beyond his impressive accolades, anyone who has worked with Colin will know that he is one kindest and most genuine people you'll ever meet. I've got so much respect for Colin and learnt plenty in this episode so I know you will enjoy this one.

What a Lad is a podcast by James Marshall who talks to some of the biggest names and best lads on the planet.

Tim Naki has to be one of the most likeable lads you'll meet. He's as down to earth as they come, he's quick witted, he loves a beer, he loves a punt and to his amazement he has somehow managed to get over 1 Million people along for his Blackjack journey of turning $1500 into over half a million dollars.

The champion Tim Naki will answer every question you have ever wanted to know about the man in this one some key topics...

How the idea started to bet 10c for every follower,

How high or low he will go before he takes the money,

He talks about some exciting opportunities that have come from it,

How he deals with the emotions of having 100k on 1 hand of Blackjack,

He strongly advisors against anyone trying the same thing or betting out of their mean,

He shares plenty of great advice and answers some seriously tough question.

Post listening to this episode I'm sure you will agree that Tim is one of the all time great lads, honour to have him on What a Lad and if you're not already go and follow his journey!

Bailey Simonsson is one of the best outside backs in the NRL and it was crazy to hear how close he was to giving up on the game! After a couple of years with the BOP Steamers and a short stint with the All Blacks 7's side Bailey returned home back to Australia with no professional contract. 12 months later and he's playing in the NRL final for the Canberra Raiders.

This episode is another case of the different pressures that are placed on these guys in both codes of footy. The pressure to take your opportunities when you're starting out, which was highlighted for Bailey with the NZ 7's side. How to deal with imposter syndrome, which he felt while training with the Chiefs as a teenager. The long term injury set backs which Bailey has had his fair share of including his current ACL recovery! Also dealing with the abuse that comes with a low fantasy NRL score.

As you'll hear Bailey is a champion lad who has a real good energy and plenty of cool insights into his journey and rugby league. If you enjoy this episode please give it a share so that we can continue to bring more great guest like this. 

This week we are joined by the lad Peter Breen, who is the founder of Rugby Bricks which is responsible for improving goal kicking all over the world with the production of some of the great kicking tees ever. He’s also played the game professionally for Otago and Northland and has been coaching professionally all around the world, including plenty of NRL clubs and has just recently finished as an assistant coach with the mighty Matatu. Theres plenty of gold in this episode, whether you're an aspiring player, coach, business owner, content creator or father I'm sure you will learn plenty from this one. 

Everyone loves a battler and when it comes to one of the greatest battlers to ever play the game the great Laurence Corlett has to be up there. The man who debuted for the Hurricanes 10 years after his first class debut for Canterbury, the man known as Frank put in a 7 minute shift that will never be forgotten at the Hurricanes. The story of Laurence Corlett is one that has so many layers, he's a true yes man who put himself out there and he can tell one heck of a story.

Some bits that stood out for me in this one were...

• How Dane Coles gave him the opportunity to get a Super Rugby cap
• Why he had to keep his beanie on during his first meeting with Steve Hansen
• His battles with throwing as a hooker throughout his career
• How he ended up at a student flat after signing his first Super Rugby contract
• Becoming the Taranaki CEO and the struggles involved with that role
• Surviving a Heart Attack!
• His time on My Kitchen Rules the reality TV show
• Plenty of yellow card stories including his fight with Liam Messam
• And heaps more!

Lads don't get much better than Frank, such a genuine guy, he has great energy and great yarns. I know you'll enjoy this one and when you do please give it a share.

Daryl Mitchell is the NZ Black Cap who deserves every single bit of success he gets! From battling away in the NZ domestic league to becoming one of the best all rounders in the world he has had a unique pathway to becoming a professional athlete with a mindset we can all learn from.

Some key parts of this chat were..

-Hearing how growing up with his dad John Mitchell who was an All Black coach and coached all around the world and the moves they made as a family.

-Mitchell talks about his love for all sports, his journey in cricket, and the challenges of juggling different formats of the game.

-He also shares insights into his mental preparation and the importance of being present in the game.

-He also spoke about his experience playing in the IPL, the pressure of performing, and the incredible atmosphere in India.

-He also discusses his plans for the future and the challenges of being away from home for long periods of time.

-Daryl emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself and focusing on what one can control.

As you'll hear in this one, Daryl is such a humble man who has achieved so many great things in the game of cricket. I loved hearing about his mindset and there is plenty of awesome advice in this one. If you enjoy the episode please give it a share and let me know what stands out for you in the comments.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background of Darrell Mitchell

02:06 Growing Up with an All Black Coach Father and Moving to Different Places

06:32 Early Love for Sports and Playing Rugby and Cricket

11:08 Cricket Journey in the UK and Australia

16:07 Joining Northern Districts and Transitioning to Canterbury

20:32 The Importance of Mindset in Cricket

25:10 Technical and Mental Aspects of Batting

28:37 Transitioning Between T20 and Test Cricket

32:54 Experiences in the IPL Auction

35:50 Being Part of the IPL and Playing for CSK

38:29 The Atmosphere in India 41:06 Passion for Cricket

45:43 Future Plans

49:40 Focus on How You Play

51:30 Team First Mentality

01:06:52 Concentration Techniques

The Chris Eaton episode is one that left my cheeks sore from laughing so much, while also pulled on the heartstrings to bring tears in the eyes. This story is one of the most incredible stories yet. 

From growing up in Flaxmere which he would describe as "the hood", staying out of trouble growing up was about as hard as keeping the Hurricanes 9 jersey off TJ Perenara.After several last chances with Hawkes Bay relating off field incidents and a contract which involved no alcohol, Chris got through it to end up playing 114 games for his beloved Magpies. He then had 2 good seasons with the Hurricanes in Super Rugby which he shares plenty of good stories from those times.

Then the moment that changed his life forever. The tragic death of his wife. Hearing him talk about the moment he had to tell his 4 year old daughter the news was the saddest thing I've heard on the podcast. The way he bounced back from that tragic event is so inspiring and hearing how his life is now is very cool to hear.

Chris is a very funny story teller and some of the yarns in this one go straight to the all time hall of fame. I know you'll enjoy this one and when you do please give it a share so I can continue to bring you champion lads like this man.

This week I am joined by Japanese royalty Lomano Lemek! The Japanese rugby legend who has been to the Olympics with the Japanese 7s side who finished 4th, He’s been to 2 RWC’s and has recently signed with Honda Heat again to take him through to 19 years playing professionally in Japan. From a young age Mano wanted to be a professional rugby player and being in the 1st XV at the age of just 14 made that a really realistic dream. However, after that season he failed to make any rep teams which really tested his commitment and perseverance of that dream a pretty random opportunity came up for him to play in Japan with the Canon Eagles. 

Some parts that stood out for me in this one were…

• The exciting launch of his new App P2P to help players and teams make contracting easier
• We hear about his humble upbringing and his early focus to make rugby a career
• How a random opportunity at the Canon Eagles at 19 years old changed his life
• His decision to play Japan 7’s and experience the first Olympics with 7s involved
• How he found his time at the Sunwolves and playing Super Rugby
• Experiencing 2 RWC and the different challenges that were involved leading up to those tournaments
• Some classic Jamie Joesph yarn Plenty of stories from his Top league career
• And he’s more!

As you’ll hear Lemano has had some career and deserves every single yen he has earns and he is a massive lad who gives an awesome insight into rugby in Japan. If you enjoy this episode please give it a share so I can continue to bring you great guests like this.

Check out the p2p platform here https://p2psport.com/

Ross Devlin was your classic old school player, he threw his body and head into everything and was too tough to ever want to come off. Now Ross is convinced that he has CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) from multiple concussions which included a very significant car crash. He now just wants to help others who may have it or even better prevent people from getting it.

The key message in this episode is to try and help players, coaches, parents or whoever, that concussions and multiple concussions need to be taken more seriously at all levels of any sport. It's never an injury to tough it out because the danger and potential long term affects are massive. If you know someone this episode might help, please pass it on.

Mulls & John from The Sporting Rumble and Jimmy Marshall from What a Lad have joined forces to bring you the the perfect poddy to get fizzed up for Super Rugby Pacific.

On the show we preview the 6 kiwi teams (including Moana Pasifika), look at the Coaches, All Blacks Bolters, who'd you live in a tent with on a deserted island, and who will win Super Rugby Pacific? 

Follow The Sporting Rumble here: https://bit.ly/4bjy96U

Follow What A Lad here: https://bit.ly/3SFcJsi

Tamaiti Williams is one of the most exciting talents in the game, he's a whopping 196cm (6ft4) and 140kg (308lbs) with the speed and light feet of an outside back. He's got the skillset of a playmaker and most importantly for his position he's a beast at scrum time comfortably playing both sides of the scrum. All this at just 23 years of age! The potential of this champion lad is huge and it was awesome to go through his journey up until now.

Some key bits that stood out for me...

• The emotional rollercoaster the last 12months has been, going to a RWC, getting injured, getting married, having a baby at just 27 weeks, becoming an All Black again. That's an episode in itself.
• Hearing about Tamaiti's upbringing in Perth where he had to grow up fast. 
• The plan that his parents had to help him achieve success in rugby, which involved moving back to NZ and then down to the Crusaders academy 
• The challenges that came with those moves - Becoming a Crusader and then becoming and All Black and what that meant to him and his family. 
• We hear all about the RWC in France including that last scrum. 
• Plans in the future, all your questions and more.

Tamaiti is such a humble giant, who speaks openly about the challenges he has faced and will continue to face to reach his potential. There's so much good stuff in this one and as you'll hear he is such a lad. If you enjoy this episode I would hugely appreciate it if you could give it a share so I can continue to bring you great guests like this. Side Note- New camera stopped recording at the 1 hour mark so apologies for the average footage for the last bit. On a positive, the What a Lad studio is on only weeks away so the footage going forward will be top notch.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview

04:12 Tamaiti's Remarkable last 12 months

09:44 Challenges and Triumphs of Fatherhood

14:21 Overcoming Injuries and Personal Challenges

19:21 Balancing Personal and Professional Responsibilities

32:02 Upbringing in Australia and Decision to Move to New Zealand

38:07 Transition from Number Eight to Prop

46:30 Dealing with Homesickness

51:11 Importance of Hard Work and Perseverance

52:01 From the Crusaders to the All Blacks

54:01 Joining the Crusaders

55:50 Mindset and Nerves in Games

57:25 Working Through Challenges in the Scrum

01:04:13 Getting Fit and Staying Fit

01:13:15 Overcoming Challenges in the Scrum

01:18:24 Becoming the Greatest Ever

01:32:21 Advice for a What a Lad listener

For this episode I jump on the other side of the mic by going on the O-Studio podcast hosted by the 2 time What a Lad guest Tim Bateman and his co hosts Sophie and Matty. 

They do such an awesome job hosting as I share my journey and a few things I have learnt along the way.

To listen to more episodes of theirs head to the link below...

https://www.ostudio.co.nz/community/o-studio-podcast

Bryn Hall has not only been one of the best 9's in NZ rugby for the last decade but he's also been the voice of the game for many with his gift to articulate rugby union in a way to relate to the masses on the Aoteroa Rugby Pod and in Commentary.

What stood out in this episode for me, was just how dedicated Bryn was to achieving the dream of being a professional rugby player from a young age. Then once he was in there, it was his drive to compete and always grow his game, trying to take on as much information as he can. He also talks about his battles with overthinking the game and fighting for the Crusaders no9 jersey for a good 6 years with good mate Mitchell Drummond.

As you'll hear in this one Bryn is such an easy guy to listen to, speaks really well with a great balance of humour and insightful information. He is a true lad and I know you will enjoy this one! If you do please give it a share 🙌

Joel Everson with potentially the craziest story ever on What a Lad! This episode will blow your mind and I’m sure it will also inspire you and I’m sure it will help many.

Joel Everson is the 2:06m lock who had a 12 year rugby career playing for Canterbury, Southland, the Crusaders, Clermont and Hino in Japan. It was his time in Hino where his life was flipped upside down, coming out of a night club in Tokyo, surrounded by Police to then being locked away in a Japanese prison for 23 days.

There’s soo much in this one and some keys that stood out…

The challenges he faced after his rugby career transitioning into a normal life and finding his passion.

He talks about his upbringing, the impact of his parents' divorce, and how rugby became his escape.

How different his life could’ve been had he not found rugby and went down the troubled path he was heading.

Joel discusses his time in the Crusaders Academy, his pathway into Canterbury and the Crusader and his move to Japan.

He reflects on the moments leading up to his arrest, his time in the holding cell, and the challenges he faced mentally and emotionally.

Joel discusses the support he received from his family and friends, the impact on his rugby career, and the lessons he learned from the experience.

He emphasises the importance of self-care, seeking help, and being aware of one's thoughts and mental health.

And heaps more!

As you’ll hear the fact that Joel was open to coming on and sharing his story so openly in the chance it may help someone in a similar position just goes to show you what a champion lad he is,I know you will enjoy this episode so when you do please give it a share

For this episode I jump on one of the biggest podcasts in the country, The Dom Harvey podcast which is of course hosted by the great Dom Harvey. I talk through everything from footy, coaching and podcasting. If you enjoy Dom's work go and check out his other episodes as well. 

Jamie Hannah is one of the most impressive young players in our game, you don't often see forwards with the skillset and game awareness that this kid has as well as the engine and toughness to boot. He is one very impressive player.

He is also a massive lad as well, growing up in North Canterbury living the good life on the farm riding motorbikes and playing footy. Some key points in this episode were..

• His journey from playing in the academy to making his mark in professional rugby.
• The challenges of maintaining weight and strength. 
• The valuable lessons he learned from experienced players like Sam Whitelock.
• The importance of playing freely
• His journey to becoming a Crusader, and his aspirations to play for the All Blacks.
• The importance of skill development, overcoming challenges, and maintaining a positive mindset
• And heaps more.

This episode will be one we can all watch back in 10 years time and see how cool it was to hear the future star of our game talking about his journey but for now it's an awesome insight into the journey of a very talented lad. If you enjoy this episode please give it a share so I can continue to bring you these episodes.

Ross Filipo is one of the greatest lads in our game, whose journey through rugby has been nothing short of fascinating. Starting his rugby journey at 15, Ross shares his evolution from a talented but hesitant first five who could goal kick off both feet, to becoming the skilful and physical lock forward we knew him as.

In this episode we explore key moments throughout his career, including: 

Early Years: Ross always had the talent however he was naturally inclined to just cruise before a change of mindset saw a change in outcomes.

Becoming a Pro: The challenges that came with the transition into professionalism and how a move down to the Crusaders shaped him as a person.

Becoming an All Black: The pressures and challenges of international rugby and what stopped him from having more games

Injuries and Comebacks: Ross opens up about significant injuries, including a neck injury and how he returned from shoulder surgery in record time.

Life Abroad: His overseas adventures, from playing in France to coaching in Japan and the struggles that come with living in a foreign country without your family.

Personal Growth: Ross's candid reflections on mental health, life changing decisions he has made , and how it transformed his life as a father and a coach.

As you'll hear in this one, Ross is a such a genuine human being who has plenty of wisdom and shares plenty of classic stories throughout. If you enjoy this one which I'm sure you will make sure you give it a share and I will continue to bring more great guests like this.

Not many thought I would be able to rope in the humble All Black legend Joe Moody on to What a Lad but here he is. In his first ever podcast, the great loose head prop (and a bit of tight head) shares his journey through his raw and honest nature that he approaches his life with.

Some of the highlights of this episode were...

Hearing how Joe grew up with 3 older sisters doing the odd dress up,

How he dominated for his country at wrestling up until the age of 21,

Why he moved to prop and how hard that transition was.

Breaking his leg the day before flying out to become an All Black on the end of year tour.

How close he was turning down going to the 2015 RWC.

How hard missing out on the 2023 RWC was on him.

And heaps more, including some great questions from you guys!

As you’ll hear, Joe Moody is a great lad, who shares his journey exactly how it is. True legend of the game and hopefully there’s a few more years left in him here!

Sam Whitelock is one of the all-time greats of rugby! In this episode he discusses his recent decision to retire from Rugby and future plans. The man who is the most capped All Black ever has had an incredible career which was so cool to go through with him. You will be sure to learn plenty in this one!

I loved hearing around Sam's mindset to the game, his consistency to perform in some of the biggest games has been special to witness. Also his leadership is something that has really stood out for anyone who has played with him and when you hear the detail he would go to to make sure everyone was on, you can see why that part of his game is so well respected.

As you'll hear Sam is such a champion lad and you will realise why he has had so much success in his career.

Chapters

00:00- Introduction and Retirement Announcement

02:31- The Decision to Retire

07:47- Life After Rugby and Future Plans

10:00- The Challenges of Life After Rugby

11:11- The Influence of Family and Multiple Sports

24:49- Joining Canterbury and Playing with Legends

30:04- Transitioning to Canterbury and Making an Impact

31:09- Introduction to Canterbury Rugby

33:18- Journey to Becoming an All Black

41:08- Challenges of the Earthquakes and the Rugby World Cup

45:08- Captaining the Crusaders

55:17- Leadership and Developing Future Leaders

01:03:47- Transition to Japan and New Challenges

01:08:18- Memorable Games

01:08:22- The Importance of Family Support and Enjoying the Journey

01:11:15- From Good to Great: Consistency and Continuous Improvement

01:13:29- Questions

01:31:53- Setting Goals and Celebrating Achievements

One of the great lads of Welsh and NZ rugby Johnny McNicholl is on What a Lad this week, after returning to Super Rugby in red hot form!

Having started in Christchurch with Canterbury and the Crusaders, Johnny then spent 8 seasons over in Wales with the Scarletts as well as playing international rugby for Wales. Now he has returned to where it all started and is back with the Crusaders passing on his wisdom and ripping it up on the field.

Some bits that stood out in this chat were...

How setbacks early in his career fuelled him to work harder

The confidence Johnny has always had in his own ability

Why he decided to leave NZ rugby at a young age

How tough it was for him to miss out on the RWC with Wales

What made him send his address to a keyboard warrior

Some epic yarns including one of him fighting Ray Lee-Lo at training

As you'll hear the man they call J Mac is an absolute champion, someone who understands the game of rugby so well, he's always willing to help others and is just good value to be around.

Timoci Tavatavanawi is the Fijian powerhouse who has quickly become the most destructive ball carrier in Rugby. The man is an absolute nightmare to tackle with his combination of power and leg drive and just the physique which is has hard as rock. I

t was awesome to get the man they call Jim on the share his journey from growing up in a Fijian village to playing for Tasman Mako, Moana Pacifica and the Highlanders. He talks about the importance of family and the Fijian community support and how important it is to give back to the community. Jim also talks about a range of topics including his key to bulking, his mother's surprise visit, to watch him play, why he hasn't played for Fiji yet, the role of religion in his life, and his future goals.

I'm so glad to be able to get Jim on What a Lad, he's a great character of our game who has an inspiring story and I hope this episode inspires many especially young Fijians out there to chase their dreams. If you enjoy this episode, please share the episode anyway you can, that'll help me continue to bring you awesome guests like this.

Matt Todd is one of the most understated Canterbury, Crusader and All Black legend there is! A man who just went about his work consistently every week racking up 20+ tackles, missing none and doing it all again the following week! There’s not many tougher than the great Matt Todd!

Some highlights in this episode were…

How much passion he has for the game from a youngster up until now.

What he lacked in natural ability he made up for with hard work and the ability to keep turning up.

Why he never saw Richie McCaw as a road block for his career more an opportunity.

How he became the Crusaders defence coach a year after playing.

Whether he thinks he could throw the boots on for the Crusaders this year?

And heaps more, including some classic questions from some of you.

After this episode I’m sure you will appreciate why there is so much respect for the great man down here. Tough, hard working and enjoys a good time which means he is of course a massive lad! An honour to get him on the podcast, I hope you enjoy the episode.

Shiray Kaka is the NZ Black Ferns 7s star who is also one of the biggest personalities in the game! Her bubbly energy combined with a unique ability to be real and share her feelings, made her a dream guest for this. Her journey through professional rugby hasn't been an easy one and this episode reflects that with plenty of laughs, a few tears and plenty a relatable advice.

Some topics we cover in this episode are...

• The disappointment of her latest injury taking away her Olympic dream
• How she went from a naturally talented player to become an Olympic Gold medalist
• The beauty and challenges of her relationship with Gillies Kaka
• How hard her injuries have been on her mentally and how she got through those challenges
• The challenges professional female athletes face
• The importance of mental health and self-care in the world of sports
• And plenty of great advice!

As you'll hear, Shiray is such a likeable character who tells it exactly how it is. This episode will give you as good of an insight into the challenges and pressures professional athletes face

Dexter Dunn is one of the greatest Harness Drivers ever, period. His strike rate since he started out as a teenager speaks for itself. He was NZ's leading driver for 10 years straight, winning almost every big race there is to win in Australasia. He then moved over to America where he has quickly becoming the leading driver in America and the world winning over 50 Million in stakes!

In this episode you will hear an incredible insight into the life of a world leading reinsman, from how hectic his schedule is having up to 8 meetings a week to handling the aftermath of a bad drive with online abuse being a big part of it. You'll also hear the genuine love and care that he has for the horses with a pretty cool story about the horse Christen Me who is still with him today.

I really enjoyed this one, although a completely different sport there are so many similarities between harness driving and almost every other sport. Dexters mindset and competitiveness are what help him be so successful as well as some incredibly soft hands. As you will hear he is also just a massive lad, he loves a beer, loves his footy and can tell a yarn! 

Casey Laulala is one of the most likeable characters you'll meet with an inspiring story from growing up in Samoa to becoming an All Black. 

Some bits that stood out for me in this one were..

• What life was like growing up in Samoa with 6 siblings including All Black Nepo Laulala
• The pressure Casey put on him self to impress his dad and make him proud
• How he focused his mindset was to achieve his goals 
• His memories playing with and against some of the greats of the game
• Why he moved overseas and how he ended up at Cardiff, Munster and Racing Metro
• The transition in to coaching and why that wasn't for him
• The career change into Real Estate 
• And he's more classic stories.

As you'll hear Casey is a very well spoken and honest man who shares some great insights and advice from his journey to the top. If you enjoyed this episode please give it and I will continue to bring you more great guest like this!

When I think of genuine superstars of Australian rugby, I think James O’Connor. He is the youngest ever player to play Super Rugby at just 17years old. He burst on to the rugby scene with his boy band looks and his incredible talent. At 18 he was playing international rugby for Australia and with that came high expectations of him as a role model, a role he wasn’t ready for.

I loved this episode so much because you can hear in raw honesty what these young professional athletes go through when bursting onto the scene. James has had some incredible highs through his rugby but also some incredibly dark times, none darker than spending a couple of nights in prison in France.

The cool part of this chat is hearing where James is at now, he’s loving his rugby more than ever, he’s has a really balanced life and is now content with the little things in his life. 

This is one of the most inspiring episode of What a Lad and as you’ll hear James is an absolute lad who has so much knowledge which he shares in this!

Norm Maxwell was pound for pound the hardest hitter this game has probably ever seen. At just 90kgs the All Black lock through himself into collisions like no other every time he stepped on the field. However you tell Norm that he's tough and he's not buying it.

From growing up with feeling the field was the only place he was free and his first big collision being the first time he felt respected, Norm always was going to play rugby. His Crusaders contract came quicker than he'd ever thought and something that was was far from ready for. Throughout his career his battled with injuries and a sore body which took it's toll and forced him to change his identity as a player and a person.

It's clear after this episode that players weren't prepared for professional rugby at the time and you can hear the struggles that Norm had to face not just physically but mentally and psychologically as well.

This is one of my all time favourite episodes Norm is a story teller who is so open and honest and I know you'll enjoy this one! If you do can you please do me a favour and share and subscribe so I can keep bringing you more legends like the great Norm Maxwell.

When we talk about the greatest rugby family in this country ever, it's almost impossible to go past the Barretts. Kevin 'Smylie' Barrett was a Taranaki legend who also played for the Hurricanes, Beauden is a 100 game All Black, RWC winner and 2 x World Player of the year, Scott has captained the Crusaders to 4 Super Rugby titles and is the current Captain of the All Blacks, Jordie at just 27 has racked up over 50 games for the All Blacks and dominated where ever he plays. Kane was tracking the same path before 2 significant head injuries forced him to retire at just 22 years old.

It was awesome to sit down with Kane and talk through where he is at now and how he looks back on his career, some bits that stood out for me were..

• The battle between the Barrett brothers to be the Alpha growing up
• How Kane would fire up the Francis Douglas 1st XV side, once resulting in a yellow card
• The time Kane picked up his coach Neil Barns as a 16yo and dropped him on his head
• His pathway into NZ Schools for 2 years, Taranaki and the Blues
• What forced Kane into retirement and how hard that was to deal with
• How he looks at his brothers successful careers
• His new life of the farm
• And heaps more!

This was such an incredible insight from such a champion lad, you can only admire the way Kane has gone about his life post footy and it was so cool to hear about his journey.

With the arrival of Pure Sport to NZ shores there is no better time to be joined by the Pure Sport Co-Founder and absolute lad Grayson Hart! Most of you will already know Graysons story from his appearance on What a Lad in Season 1, where he shared his awesome journey through footy and life after. 

In this one we dig a bit deeper into the business side of things and life after footy. Having turned an idea into UKs leading wellness brand it's pretty inspiring to hear how he's done it.

It's always an honour having Grayson on, I love his mindset and how open he is with everything. If you enjoy this episode, please give it a share and if you're after some Pure Sport products head over Pure Sport and use the discount code whatalad20 for 20% off.

Also this episode was brought to you by Swysh, the perfect Fathers Day gift – Check them out Here Swysh and don't forget to use the code DAD10 for 10% off

And finally if you're interested in more information about O-Studio from the legend Tim Bateman then click here O-Studio

For this prank I call a young Pita Ahki who had just joined the Hurricanes. I call him as someone from one of our new sponsors (they weren't a sponsor) Pita Pit and offer him an average offer to join the team.

If you enjoy this episode share it with your mates and follow the journey at

www.whatalad.com 

Pari Pari Parkinson is one of the most unique characters in NZ rugby. From his unique hairstyles on his 2.08m frame, to his often painted toenails and just his unique personality which he owns and doesn't change for anyone, makes him a lad!

On the field the man is a beast, after a couple of dominate years for the Highlanders and the Mako, Pari was knocking on the door of an All Black call up. Unfortunately his NPC was cut short with Tasman with a horrific knee injury that looks set to put him out for 7-12 months.

I loved this episode because it was so honest and I love Pari's care free nature that he approaches life. Often we can get caught up worrying about the past or the future, Pari just lives in the moment and has a good time doing it. 

As you'll hear in this episode Pari is a lad and if you enjoy this episode as much as I did listening back to it please give it a share. 

And if you're keen to support the podcast head over to www.whatalad.com and get yourself some merch.

I've held off getting this guest on as long as I could. I know you need to time your big names well, so I think now is a great time to take the podcast global and get on an international sensation, who has the self acclaimed best banter in world rugby, Jebb Sinclair!

Jebb has represented Canada at two world cups, he's also represented them on the 7's circuit, he's played Super Rugby with the Stormers, he's won the Curry Cup with the Western Province and he's also a legend of the great club London Irish. He's obviously had a very successful career and some of the stories along the way are classic. Hearing how his Super Rugby career came about being one of the greats.

Everyone who's played with Jebb will know what a character he is, and it's fair to say he's very well known for 2 things, banter and fights. He does not let us down here with either as he shares plenty of stories about both of those topics.

As always if you enjoy this episode please share it and make sure you go check out www.whatalad.com for ways to get involved with our partners Puresport CBD or Fortune Favours.

What a guest Ricky Riccitelli was to get into the What a Lad studio for the last time, this man is a seriously good lad and there were plenty of laughs had in this episode.

The South African born, Taranaki raised, front rower has had some career to date and at still only 27 has plenty more to give. He started his professional footy career with Hawkes Bay and the Hurricanes where he played a huge role as a young fella to win their first ever Super Rugby title in 2016. He has since moved home to Taranaki and moved up to the Blues for a new opportunity as he pushes to get back into the All Blacks frame.

I know you are going to enjoy this one as there are some classic stories in it and when I'm laughing during my edit it's generally a sign that you'll be laughing too. If you do enjoy it, please give it a share always greatly appreciated!

If you're interested in more information about O-Studio from the legend Tim Bateman then click here O-Studio

Also if you're keen to get your hands on some Pure Sport products, then click this link here Pure Sport and use the discount code whatalad20 for 20% off 

Finally if you enjoy your racing go and give champion trainer Regan Todd at Todds Racing a follow! Or DM me if you're keen to get in on What a Lad (the horse).

Pablo Matera is one of the best loose forwards in the world, he is the very passionate captain of his country Argentina and most importantly one of the great lads in the game. It was an honour to get Pablo on What a lad and go through his incredible journey so far.

He's been everywhere, he's done it all. From playing in the UK with the Leicester Tigers, France with Stade Francais, NZ with the Crusaders and of course Argentina with the Jaguares and the national side. That's not to mention the next move to Japan with the Honda heat. With all that comes plenty of experiences and plenty of great stories that Pablo shares throughout this episode.

Ultimately at the end of the day this podcast is about giving the listeners an insight into what these legends are like off the field and there is just no way you can't love the guy after this episode. If you enjoy this episode as much as I did please give it a share! 

This episode was sponsored by Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check them out Here Swysh

If you're interested in more information about O-Studio from the legend Tim Bateman then click here O-Studio

Finally if you enjoy your racing go and give champion trainer Regan Todd at Todds Racing a follow! Or DM me if you're keen to get in on What a Lad (the horse).

Most fans will know Victor Vito as the big physical beast, who is big fast and strong and has all the skills in the world. The Victor Vito you are about to hear is the very well educated, absolute lad, who gives a very open and honest breakdown of his rugby career to date.

Most will remember the day Victor burst on the the World stage at the 2009 Wellington 7's, where he put on an absolute clinic. From that tournament he was instantly headlined as the next big thing, even labelled as the next "Jonah"

Fast forward 13 years and Victor can look back on an incredibly successful rugby career. He's a Super Rugby winner and centurion at the Hurricanes, a double RWC winner with the All Blacks in 2011 & 2015 and since moving to La Rochelle in France he has played some of his best footy, playing well over 100 games.

Anyone who knows Victor will know that he is a very intelligent man and is a real thinker. What really fascinated me in this episode, was that on reflection, how he felt that had held him back in his career. Often over thinking the game instead of backing his natural instincts.

I really enjoyed this chat with the Wellington great, plenty of good yarns in this one. If you do enjoy the episode please give it a share on your socials and tag What a Lad. This episode is also out on YouTube as all my episodes from now on will be so go subscribe to the What a Lad channel and give this video a watch/like/comment if you can.

In this episode we catch up with the next big thing in NZ rugby Salesi Rayasi. We talk about everything from growing up in Japan, to why he tucks his pants up so high. He also takes us through his rise through Wellington Club Rugby to Mitre 10 cup to Super Rugby and NZ 7s. Salesi also shows off his gift of impressions where he demonstrates at least 5 absolute classics! He also takes us back to the moment he met some important people in his career including Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Ben Lam, Ngani Laumape and of course Jonty. 

I hope you enjoy the podcast and if you do please subscribe on whatever platform you listen to it and share it with your mates.

Also follow the journey through

www.whatalad.com 

Richie Mo'unga is without a doubt one of the best players in the game and somehow even a better lad! It was awesome to get one of the greats on the Swysh What a Lad podcast and go through his journey.

From a young kid who always believed he would get to where he is, I loved hearing the mindset that Richie has had on his way to the very top.

After missing out on the NZ schools team, a set back he struggled with at the time. He now looks back at that miss selection, as a 5 time Super Rugby winner with the Crusaders and a key member in the All Blacks.

I throughly enjoyed this episode, I think this could be an extremely helpful episode for any young player coming through. Richie Mo'unga is without a doubt a lad! If you enjoy this episode as always please give it a share.

Thanks to our sponsors for helping bring this podcast to you, go and support them

Swysh

Pure Sport

O-Studio

Pomeroys

Conor Gilsenan, the London Irish legend, the reality TV star and one of the biggest lads you'll meet joins me this week on What a Lad.

Gilly is a man who has popped up in plenty of other episodes already and with his recent appearance on the UK hit reality TV show 'The Apprentice' now was the perfect time to get him on.

However there is a lot more to this mans story than a few weeks on the Apprentice. He had an incredible rugby career which saw him play for all the Ireland age group sides. He then got selected into the Leinster academy where he trained alongside some of the greats of the game, before moving over to London Irish where he became a club legend on and off the field. He's also best mates with one of the best musicians on the planet, Nial Horan. So it was cool to hear a bit about the perks that come with having a mate like him.

As you'll hear, Gilly is one of those guys who is always brings good energy no matter the situation. He also loves a laugh and a good time. If you enjoy this episode please give it a share.

This episode was sponsored by Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check
them out Here Swysh

Also if you're keen to get your hands on some Pure Sport products, then click this link here Pure Sport and use the discount code whatalad20 for 20% off

Some players just get no luck during their careers and that pretty much sums up Hugh Rentons career to date. Hugh has had a massive wrap on him as a player since joining the Hurricanes straight out of school on a 3 year deal but unfortunately due to injury he has struggled to string any decent amount of games together. That's hopefully all about to change as he eyes up a big season, after recently signing with the Tasman Mako for this seasons Mitre10 Cup.

Hugh has also had to deal with the shock death of his Dad to suicide which he is incredibly open to talk about, as he just wants to help anyone in a similar situation. He also shares some really good lessons on how he's dealt with that and kept his life moving in the right direction.

As you'll hear Hugh is a real lad, one of the most professional players I've played with and it's only a matter of time before his career takes off and I'm certainly hoping its this Mitre10 Cup.

As always if you enjoy this episode please share it to others who you think might like it. Also if you're keen to follow the What a Lad journey follow the link below

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en

Man this episode with Robbie Flynn got me good, it is the classic case of talent vs discipline but with so much more to it. Robbie Flynn really should be a household name. He should be known as a rugby player who played at the highest level, with the natural talent that he had. Unfortunately, Robbie blew chance, after chance, after chance, as he struggled with self discipline and like many talented kids, he just kind of expected things to happen.

Hearing Robbie talk about his upbringing was incredible and to say he had a tough start to life would be a massive understatement. His love for rugby throughout the episode is clear and self confidence that he has is refreshing to hear.

Now Robbie is still playing in Italy with the club Vincenza at the age of 35. He can look back on his career and realise what a great opportunity he missed out on but he also wants to help anyone out there who's in the same position.

Anyone who knows the man they call Megatron, will know he's a real character, who loves a good time so it was awesome to have him on What a Lad. I hope you all find this episode as inspiring and funny as I did and if you do know someone who would benefit from hearing this episode please share it with them.

The website www.whatalad.com is now live so head over to there to check it out and look out for the merch drop in the next few weeks! There's also a link to puresport and fortune favours on the website along with the promo code for a discount on there stuff.

The recent Moana Pacifica signing and Tasman Mako, Willie Havili joins me on What a Lad this week.

Its awesome to see Willie back playing at the level that he is, after taking some time away from rugby to find his love for the game again. The honesty that Willie talks about his struggles in this episode is extremely refreshing. He talks about the pressure that comes with being the younger brother of All Black David Havili and also how hard he found it joining the Blues as a replacement player in his first professional year.

However, how he's managed to turn his mindset around rugby is inspiring. He's taken all the pressure off himself by finishing his building apprenticeship and found hobbies outside of the game which has helped massively. 

There is also plenty of good yarns in this one from his journey so far and as you'll hear Willie is an absolute lad!

As always if you enjoy this episode please give it a share and it you want to support the podcast head over to www.whatalad.com

In this episode I catch up with the extremely talented Hurricanes prop Alex Fidow. Not only is he super talented on the field but he also has a few hidden talents off it! The man they call Axe takes us through his journey so far sharing some good stories along the way. He also talks about his plans for life after Rugby which is interestingly another sport. 

Alex Fidow is definitely a name you will hearing a lot more about over the next few years so here is an opportunity to get to know everything you need to know about him.

If you enjoy the podcast please share it with your mates and follow the What a Lad journey at 

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/

Here's a prank from late Super Rugby Aotearoa, where we call one of the best finishers in world rugby, Rieko Ioane. So for this prank, our prank expert Reggie Goodes makes the call, as he is looking to sell more shares in his dodgy adult DVD store, Fiesta Videos. Being a DVD store investment in todays climate is always going to be a tough sell, however, he had obviously just signed up Shaun Stevenson for 43k for 40% of the business so he was feeling pretty confident with the call. 

For those who know Rieko well, tell me he's an absolute lad and enjoys a good laugh. As always if you enjoy this episode, please share it and if you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en

This episode was brought to you by 3 great partners and below is how you can get involved with them 

Fortune Favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ.

Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount

Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod

Pure Sport CBD and to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. Its so good, You will not regret it!

As many of you will already know, Jona Nareki is a lad! A lad with plenty of good stories from his career to date and a personality that will have you laughing away listening to this one.

Known as one of the most exciting backs in the country with his speed, footwork and deceptive strength, Jona has been deadly on the wing for Otago and the Highlanders over the past few season. Unfortunately last season he did his ACL so 9 months on the sideline is never easy as a first injury. However hearing the mindset that he took into his recovery, it's no coincidence that he has returned to the form he left off at.

I really enjoyed this episode, lots of lols as he would say and it's cool to share the story of one of the real characters in the game. If you enjoy the episode please give it a share, it is very much appreciated.

This episode was sponsored by Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check them out Here Swysh

Also if you're keen to get your hands on some Pure Sport products, then click this link here Pure Sport and use the discount code whatalad20 for 20% off

Finally if you enjoy your racing go and give champion trainer Regan Todd at Todds Racing a follow! Or DM me if you're keen to get in on What a Lad (the horse).

In this episode I catch up with one of the biggest names in NZ rugby TJ Perenara. TJ has achieved so much in his career already that it's hard to believe that he is still only 28! He's already the most capped Hurricane is history and has scored a ridiculous 57 tries in Super Rugby! His life off the field is also busy as he prepares to become a father and has recently started his own business (pullup cards). His mindset is something that I think sets him apart from other players and it was interesting to hear how he developed that. I literally could of spoken to TJ for a good couple of hours as he's achieved so much and has so much going on in his life. This is an episode you don't want to miss!

If you enjoy this episode as always please share it and if you want to follow journey the What a Lad journey follow the link below...

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en

This one here was my very first prank which was on a young Hisa Sasagi who had just arrived to the Hurricanes. I call him as a Hurricanes fan called Keithy and try to invite him to my farm. Hisa is a top lad as you will hear in the prank.

If you enjoy the prank please share it and follow the journey at

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/

Here's an episode I jumped on last week for one of the Nelson lads, Conner Karena, who is out there doing real good things with his podcast. It's always cool to jump on someone else's podcast, to see how they do things and a good chance to reflect on the journey that I've had.

Conner has had some real good guests on his podcast, a couple of my favourite episodes are the ones he did with NRL star Brandon Smith and Tasman star Leciester Fainga'anuku which were both awesome yarns. 

If you want to check them out search 'An Ordinary Kiwi Podcast' on any podcast platform.

After a big week of recruiting and suggestions from you all, I have a big list of guests lined up for 'What a Lad' over the next few weeks so stay right on.

I know you've all heard the Mike Coman story (Season 1, episode 3) which was one of the greatest episodes to date. Now we've got him back on by popular demand for a Q&A, where you guys throw him some real hard hitting questions!

Now Moo is one of my best mates and even I learnt heaps about him in this one and I even learnt heaps in general. From parenting advice to rugby and life advice, this episode has it all. Moo is a natural story teller and there is plenty of laughs to be had listening to this one.

As always if you enjoy this episode please give it a share!

If you're after the best coffee beans in NZ or one of there many tea selections head over to Pomeroys and use the code LAD03 for 20% off

Also if you're keen to get your hands on some Pure Sport products, then click this link here Pure Sport and use the discount code whatalad20 for 20% off 

Before we start talking Semi Finals, lets sit back and take in what was the best weekend of Rugby you will see! Some of the most entertaining, competitive and intense games you will see, topped of by an All Blacks v Ireland game for the ages. 37 phases deep playing for the win, it truely was edge of the seat stuff. France v South Africa was in the same boat for intensity and drama! While both Wales v Argentina and Fiji v England both went right down to the wire. There's been lots of complaining about the draw but with that weekend of rugby viewing I am not complaining.

We do also look forward to the Semi Finals in this episode, both Searley and Jacob Atkins share their thoughts for the games after some in depth analysis. I also share made fantasy rugby update and a surprise tactic I'm going to run this week to try and catch the pack.

So much in this one, if you enjoy it as always please give it a share

The proud Southern man, Jamie Mackintosh aka Whopper, joins me this week to go through his eventful career to date. 

During his time in NZ, Whopper was a highly rated school boy who played a record number of games for the NZ age grade sides, making NZ Schools at 16! He then went on to become the face of the Southland Stags, the Highlanders captain and was even capped for the All Blacks.

Whopper finished up in NZ rugby with the Chiefs and has since played all around the world including Montpellier, Ohio, Pau and he has just finished the MLR season in America with Austin. Now he is back in NZ, as the assistant coach of Otago for this seasons Bunnings Cup, ready to share his experience to the next generation.

Whopper sprinkles priceless advice throughout the podcast, in an episode you don't want to miss. As you'll also hear, the big marn is an absolute lad, who has loved a beer and a laugh throughout his career and happy to share his stories in his gifted story telling way.

If you enjoy this episode please give it a share, tag what a lad podcast it's very much appreciated.

For this prank we go back 2 years to when the big Samoan International, Kane Leaupepe, had just joined the Hurricanes halfway through the year. Whenever that happened it always meant there was a good chance for a new prank. So for this prank, I call Kane as Phil Collins the (made up) son of The Hurricanes owner, just to welcome him to the team. 

For those who don't know Kane, he is an absolute lad and a very switched on customer so he was always going to be a tough target.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the prank, if you do please share it, if you don't all good!

The Speights What a Lad podcast season 4 is under way and what a guest to start! Michael Fatialofa was one of the toughest players on the field I ever played with and he proved he was even tougher off it after a life changing tackle.

While playing for Worcester, Michael Fatialofa was hit awkwardly in a tackle that caused him to be Paraliyzed from the neck down and told he will never walk again. From that moment his life completely changed and hearing the battle he has gone through the last 3 years left me feeling inspired, sad and proud of what he has been able to achieve.

This episode is an awesome reminder to be truely grateful for everything you have in your life, as like in Michaels case it can literally be taken away from you over night. I'm so grateful for Fat's coming on What a Lad and speaking so openly about his journey, it is one of the most powerful and inspiring episodes yet! If you enjoy this episode please give it a share!

Cheers to our mates at Speights for bringing you this episode, good on ya mate!

How good is the Rugby World Cup, huge wins from NZ, SA and Ireland. Fiji with a massive win in the context of the competition in one of the games of the tournament. England scoring tries. Last week had everything so the lads are all back on board to talk everything RWC both reviewing last week and previewing the week ahead.

There are some very juicy match up this week with South Africa v Ireland the pick of them and surprisingly we all agree on the winner of that game and it might not be who you expect. Aus v Wales has a split decision here but that's a huge game for the pool and lots more good games to follow especially if you're playing fantasy rugby.

There's some must buys this week for fantasy so tune in to the episode to find out who they are.

Breathing is something we do every minute of the day and it's crazy how many of us don't breathe correctly including myself. It's mind blowing to hear how beneficial changing the way you breathe can be for high performance sport or everyday life. 

So in this episode I catch up with the breath guru Jamie O'Donnell and talk all things breathing. This episode will definitely make you think about the way you breath and hopefully you pick up some tips on how you can breathe better and perform better or live a better lifestyle.

I can't really do the episode justice by writing about it so give it a listen and if you enjoy it or know someone who would benefit in hearing it then please give it a share.

If you're interested in more information about O-Studio from the legend Tim Bateman then click here O-Studio

Finally if you enjoy your racing go and give champion trainer Regan Todd at Todds Racing a follow!

In this episode you'll hear the brutal reality of professional sport, one minute Ollie Hoskins has 2 more years left on his significant London Irish contract, the next minute he has nothing! What makes it worse is that there are now 50 other players in the same boat, on top of the players from Wasps and Worcester meaning that negotiation power as a rugby player is incredibly low. That's not to mention the staff either, so the collapse of London Irish has been very tough times for all involve. However it was great to get an insight into how thar whole process went down from the most passionate London Irish man I know. 

It was also cool to go through his journey from growing up in Perth and going from being a massive Western Force fan to becoming a Western Force player. A converted loosie who was moved into prop shares his battles with becoming a frontrower and all the mental struggles he had to overcome to get to where he is today. Even how Ollie became a one cap Wallaby is a fascinating story in itself!

So much in this episode to get your ears around and as you'll hear Ollie is an absolute lad!

Shane Christie is one of NZ's great lads! This is one of the the most honest, raw and engaging episodes I've ever done, as we talk about topics which are very close to home, like concussion in rugby and the incredibly sad passing of a good mate Billy Guyton.

Many will know Shane as a Super Rugby winner with the Highlanders, or an NPC winner with Tasman as both a player and coach, or maybe even for his time with the NZ Maori All Blacks. However I think what every one loves about Shane Christie, is he always tells it how it is. That doesn't stop here either as he shares...

- His unique pathway to becoming a professional rugby player, which included building and playing Club for 7 years!

- The disappointing first season with the Crusaders.

- His move to the Highlanders and how they found success in 2015.

- How hard ending his career with concussion was

- The post footy transition into coaching

- The depth he has gone to to help recover from his concussion symptoms, and heaps more.

I've been waiting a long time to get this man on and I am so happy he agreed to come on, he's a true lad!

When I think of Scotland Rugby I straight away think Greig Laidlaw, the absolute lad who has captained his country more than any other player.

He's also someone who has had so many great experiences playing all around the world which included Edinburgh in Scotland, Gloucester in England, Clermont in France and the Shining Arcs in Japan. Over his career he was known as one of the best goal kickers in the game and ended up with the 2nd most point ever scored for Scotland.

Having just retired from the game it's always cool to hear the story from the start all the way through and how he has gone straight into coaching next season in Japan.

Full of good stories this one and although I had never actually meet Greig before it felt like I'd known him for years, such a lad!

For this prank I call All Black and Chiefs star Damian Mckenzie to see if I can get him to do a nude calendar for the new food company he's using. Damian is one of the real good lads of NZ rugby and handles the prank like a champion.

If you enjoy this prank please share it and make sure you tag the What a Lad page when you share. Link below

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/

Piri Weepu is a true NZ rugby legend, the instinctive halfback had a unique ability as a 9 and showed all his talents as he helped guided the All Blacks to the 2011 RWC when the nation started the 'Keep Calm Piri is on' movement.

We talk about plenty in this one like...

Piri's Tiki Tours and how he got his own TV show

Growing up in Wainuomata and his love for League

Making his way into the Wellington Lions and Hurricanes

The fog Final where he was KO'd

Missing out on the 2007 RWC with the All Blacks and how hard that was

How close he was to going to the NRL

Making the 2011 RWC and how he handled the pressure of the nation

His departure at the Hurricanes

The stroke he had at the Blues

His move over to the UK and France and why he feel out of love for the game

The struggles with life after rugby

And hard to believe but heaps more in this mammoth episode.

Piri is such a true character of the game and such a good lad, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one. If you do please do us a huge favour and share it with someone you think would enjoy it.

When I saw Ryan Crotty strolling down my street the other day I thought I need to get this Canterbury, Crusader and All Black legend on the podcast because he is one of the great lads!

Fresh after returning from Japan after winning the Top League with Kubota, Crotts was straight back helping out at the Crusaders at training which basically sums up what a lad this man is.

In this episode he goes through his pathway through the NZ ranks which saw him go from being the ball boy for Dan Carter to playing outside him in the space of a few years. Ryan talks about some of his tougher years battling with injuries in particular concussion and also missing out on selection for the 2015 RWC. There was also plenty of good times to reminisce on as well, winning 7 NPC title, 3 Super Rugby titles, 5 Rugby Championships and heaps more.

As you will hear Ryan Crotty is one of those genuine good guys who has an awesome mindset towards life.

In this episode I catch up with the hardest player on this planet to tackle, Ngani Laumape.

Unfortunately the audio quality on this episode is not great but Ngani certainly makes up for that with his chat and it was awesome to go through the journey of this powerhouse midfielder.

Ngani talks about everything is this episode from his time with the Warriors, his transition to Rugby and he has heaps of good stories from his time in both codes. He has also had his fair amount of setbacks throughout his career, through injury and non selection and he shares some great advice for anyone struggling through that.

People often assume Ngani is quite an angry guy but as you'll hear in this interview it couldn't be further from the truth, he loves banter and a good laugh and is an all round good lad! If you enjoy this episode it'd be much appreciated if you could share it and thanks heaps for all the support so far!

This episode was brought to you by 3 great partners and below is how you can get involved with them 

Fortune Favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ.

Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount

Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod

Pure Sport CBD and to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. It's so good, You will not regret it!

For episode 200 I could not think of a better guest than the large chested All Black midfielder Jack Goodhue! It was so good to get him on What a Lad to share plenty of laughs and thoughts from his career to date.

Jack the proud Northland boy has had a career many dream of. Winning NPC titles with Canterbury, winning 6 Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders and becoming an All Black all make for a great CV. Amongst all that success is also a fair amount of hard times as well, in particular dealing with long term knee injuries. It was awesome to hear how he managed to deal with these and some advice for anyone in a similar situation.

He also talks about his beloved mullet, how one book changed his life and he even tells the story on why his testicles distracted him from is All Black call up.

I'm sure you will all enjoy this episode and if you do remember to please give it a share.

Here he is, the lad that most of you asked for, the super talented, the very popular, Louie Chapman!

Louie has burst onto the NZ rugby scene this season with his impressive cameos off the bench for the Tasman Mako. At the raw age of just 20 Louie makes his podcast debut on 'What a Lad' to share insight into his path to professional rugby. His rugby story is obviously pretty short having just started but wee Russ also answers some good questions from some of you which gives you a good indication of what a lad he is!

If you enjoy this episode as always please share it. If you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en

This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ.

One of NZ rugbys biggest names is off! Liam Mitchell the Hurricane and Manawatu Turbo legend, has decided to head off shore with a deal that no one saw coming. He tell's all exclusively to the What a Lad podcast just because he is an absolute lad. 

Many of you will already know the Liam Mitchell story from his What a Lad episode in season 1, where he shared is journey from being in the 4th XV at school, to becoming the leader of the Manawatu Bucketheads and then becoming an official Turbo the following year!

Now the great lad known as Chippy is off to ply his trade in Italy but as you'll hear thats about as much as he knows of the deal. It's always good getting good lads on the podcast, if you enjoy this episode then please give it share it's very much appreciated.

We're trying something a bit different with this one and giving you a Marshall brother preview Super Rugby Pacific. We preview the games and highlight a key member from each team. We also give our predictions for top try scorer, niggle goat and Lad of the year.

On top of that we also talk about our fantasy rugby sides and why we have picked up who we have and if you are keen to join the What a Lad comp follow this link and set one up https://sportsdeck.com/rugby/dreamteam/?action=join-group&code=224984

In this episode I jumped on the Everyday with Garage Gym NZ podcast as we speak about the What a Lad podcast, a bit about my career and the recent coaching job with the Crusaders.

I really enjoyed jumping on this one so if you enjoy it go and check out some of his other yarns here Everyday

This episode was sponsored by Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check them out Here Swysh

Also if you're keen to support the What a Lad podcast head over to www.whatalad.com and get your self the last bit of merch left.

Jimmy Gopperth has had an incredible 19 year rugby career, where he has made a name for himself on both sides of the world. His consistency and his ability to kick his goals in any situation, has made him widely regarded as one of the best NZ imports into the Premiership.

However before he made the move overseas, he was responsible of running the cutter for the Wellington and Hurricanes backlines, full of legends of the game. Cullen, Umaga, Lomu just to name a few. He then had a short stint with North Harbour and the Blues before a contract over in the UK with Newcastle was offered and accepted. Jimmy adapted to the different style in the Premiership quicker than most as he became the top points scorer in his first year playing. After a short and enjoyable stint with Leinster, Jimmy has since been with Wasps for the last 7 years.

The fact that Jimmy is still playing to the extremely high level that he is, as he quickly approaches 39 is a truely incredible effort. With another move around the corner it'll be no surprise to see him still domianting well into his 40s.

As you'll hear in this episode, Jimmy is such a great lad who has plenty of stories and experiences that he shares throughout the podcast.

If you enjoy this episode please give it a share, it's very much appreciated.

The major sponsor of What a Lad is Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check
them out Here Swysh

If you're interested in more information about O-Studio from the legend Tim Bateman then click here O-Studio

Finally if you're keen to get your hands on some Pure Sport products, then click this link here Pure Sport and use the discount code whatalad20 for 20% off

The lads just keep coming and honestly they don't get much bigger than Ardie Savea. The man who is leading the way for NZ athletes on and off the field, inspiring many, including myself, along the way.

It was awesome to get Ardie on, who is no stranger to a podcast as he has one of the best going around, with the Ardie Savea podcast. 

In this episode we talk about Ardie signing on with NZ rugby for another 4 years and how he found the process of being his own agent. We obviously chat rugby and go through his incredible career which has seen him consistently be one of the best players in the world. And of course there was plenty to chat about off the field with his clothing business ASAV clothing and even some exciting plans going forward.

As you'll hear and as you probably already know Ardie is an absolute lad who has had a incredible career with plenty more ahead.

If you enjoy this episode please give it a share and if you want to support the podcast head over to www.whatalad.com 

Grateful to have the king lad Isaac John on What a Lad and man there was plenty to talk about in this one!

Starting with Isaac's successful NRL career, where he played for the Warriors, Panthers and Manly. He also got picked for the Kiwis from playing reserve grade!

Then we go through the transition into business after footy where he has excelled. He has started up the YKTR clothing brand, which has since expanded into YKTR sports and is growing very quickly. He also has a very successful podcast in the Ice Project and has recently launched the Inner circle which is an online education platform. He's making big moves and it was awesome to hear how he went about it.

As you'll hear Ice is an absolute lad, who has inspired so many throughout his journey, he's always willing to help others and is very generous with his time! If you enjoy this episode then please give it a share!

Back by popular demand we got all the lads back from the Super Rugby Preview shows to look into the International Test week in particular the All Blacks v Ireland test.

Before we get into that one though, we look back to the fixture on Wednesday night between the NZ Maoris v Ireland XV which was a quality game. No surprises to Tom obviously that the Maoris got up for that one.

We give our thoughts on the All Black lineup and who we are expecting to see big games from in the big one.

We also go through all the international games this weekend and try to pick you a winner. There is plenty good rugby to enjoy this weekend!

This episode was sponsored by Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check them out Here Swysh

Also if you're keen to get your hands on some Pure Sport products, then click this link here Pure Sport and use the discount code whatalad20 for 20% off

In this episode I catch up with the Irish legend himself, Jamison Gibson-Park and geez what a lad he is!

The kid who was raised on Great Barrier Island, is one of those guys who is good at literally everything! He is still talked about almost everyday at the Hurricanes, as being the greatest mini team signing in history, after he carried the Mavericks to their greatest winning margin. He is soo gifted, so it's absolutely no surprise to see him going on to becoming one of the best halfbacks in world rugby.

Jammo has had a very successful career, winning the ITM cup with Taranaki, Super Rugby with the Hurricanes, the Champions Cup and Pro 14 a number of times with Leinster and now he's at the pinnacle of the sport playing International rugby for Ireland.

Like all rugby careers, it hasn't all gone to plan, with Jammo missing out on the NZ u20's a side he was expected to make. He was also completely blind shotted from the Blues after one minute being their starting halfback, to having no contract the next week. It just goes to show the brutal reality of professional sport and some of the challenges you face in it.

After listening to this episode, I'm sure you'll realise what a great lad Jammo is and if you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I did please give it a share.

Thanks to www.straightface.co.nz and www.puresportcbd.com for helping bring this episode to you and to get a discount from either of those partners all the information is on the www.whatalad.com website!

This week we are lucky enough to be joined by Crusaders coach and goat lad Andrew Goodman, who joins Searley and I for another cracking week of Super Rugby. There has been some great games of rugby lately and some juicy match ups again this weekend!

We start off by reviewing all of last weeks games, including getting Goody's thoughts on the Hurricanes v Crusaders finish.

We preview all of the games for this week including potentially the game of the season, the Crusaders vs the Blues. As always we chose a player each from each game to look out for and try to find you winners where we can.

It was awesome to get an insight from Goody who has one of the best rugby minds in the game so grateful to get him on for this one!

This episode was sponsored by Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check them out Here Swysh

Jordie Barrett, yes the great Jordie Barrett, has come on what a lad and as he has always done on the field, he has well and truely delivered with this yarn!

I throughly enjoyed listening back to this episode and we spoke about so much that it's hard to know where to start. What else is hard, is to believe that Jordie is only 24 years old! It feels like he has been around for ever and he certainly has some experiences from along the way.

In his first ever podcast, Jordie opens up about some key moments throughout his career to date and openly discusses the future, which has had me thinking for days what's best for the great Hurricane and All Black going forward.

As you'll hear Jordie is such a lad and if you enjoy this episode which I'm sure you will, please give it a share that helps the podcast out massively so it's very much appreciated.

If there is one job in rugby that is under appreciated it has to be the referee, such a tough job in such a complex game where the expectation is to always be right. This week I was lucky enough to have Paul Williams on What a Lad and Paul is in my opinion one of the best referees in the game.

It's always good to get an insight into a different side of the game and hearing more about life as a referee is fascinating. I also think hearing Paul speak helps you realise that he is just a good lad who is making spilt second decisions to the best of his ability. 

I really enjoyed this episode and grateful to have Paul come on and share some valuable insight in to being a ref and some good yarns.

Imagine a Super Rugby team made up of 2021 NRL players, the best players in League swapping codes, to compete in the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition. That's what we have done here in this podcast, so if you enjoy the NRL then this episode is for you.

To help select the side I have called on some NRL and Super Rugby gurus, in the form of Hurricanes star Jackson Garden-Bachop, ex Warriors Legend Charlie Gubb and Liam Mitchell the Hurricane and (keyboard) Warrior. These lads all bring some great insight which makes for some good debate in making our team. 

Congratulations to all the men who were named, proud day for you all I'm sure.

We are making some cool What a Lad Super Rugby Jerseys for this team, so if you are keen to have your own Jersey then head over to www.whatalad.com and check them out!

Finals Footy is here! We've been pumped for this weekend for ages and now it's finally here! After last weekends disaster round on the picks, it's fair to say Searley and I make it up to you this week with all the information you need to pick the games correctly.

We do start with last weeks games though and what a way for the 4 teams who have finished to exit. Huge wins from the Force, Rebels, Moana and an unbelievable effort from the Drua! Like I said, terrible for the picks but great for Super Rugby and what an awesome addition the Drua and Moana have been to the comp.

We also go through all the quarter finals and share our insight into the knockout matches, highlight our key players and Searley even comes up trumps with some ticket discounts! This is arguable the best preview yet so I hope you enjoy it and enjoy the round of Super Rugby.

This episode was sponsored by Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check them out Here Swysh

If you want to use Searley 2 for 1 ticket discount for the Blues v Highlanders game use the code 241PROMO 

Professional sport always sounds like the dream lifestyle but as you'll hear, in this episode from Denny Solomona, it does come with it's challenges.

The honesty that Denny speaks with in this episode is so admirable and refreshing. It was crazy to hear what he was putting his body through, yet whenever he got on the field he was consistently one of the best.

Having been signed with the Melbourne Storm at 15, it's fair to say everything happened pretty quickly. However struggling to ever get any game time behind the great Billy Slater, he headed over to the London Broncos. A move that in hindsight wasn't the best idea. Denny missed his family, his side was getting pumped and he struggled with the use of  drugs and alcohol. 
However he still had plenty of success on the field in the Super League scoring a record number of tries in a season and being in the running for the Man of Steel award.

Denny then changed codes, moving to Sale and instantly made an impact, making the England international side very quickly. However he was still suffering with mental health issues, a topic that he is very open about. 

Now he's in a great space heading back to NZ to give NZ rugby a crack and personally I cant wait to see him out there doing his thing.

I really enjoyed this chat with Denny, I think there will be a lot of people who can relate to plenty in this episode. If you enjoy it or you know someone who would please give it a share, it's very much appreciated.

Angus Ta'avao, what a lad he is! Man it was a good laugh to get one of the real characters in the game on What a Lad and go through his unbelievable journey! 

One thing I admire about big Gus is his ability to be himself in any situation, he's one of the few rugby players out there who is portrays himself exactly how his is in the changing rooms. He's always a real laugh and such a good lad to be around.

On top of that he's also had an incredible rugby journey to becoming an All Black, with the year he made his debut, he had just been let go by the Waratahs and couldn't get a contract in NZ other than a temporary replacement player contract for the Chiefs. A true case of never giving up on yourself or your dreams and keep believing in yourself.

There's so much in the episode, it's obviously full with humour but it's also very inspiring hearing how Gus has overcome the challenges that have been in front of him. If you enjoy this episode please give it a share, I'm sure you probably already know but this will just confirm to you What a Lad Angus Ta'avao is!

If you want to get involved with Pure Sport CBD head over to www.whatalad.com for the promo code for 20% off this great product.

This prank was inspired by the recent naming of the North v South teams and seeing a young Nelson lad Mitchell Hunt named in the North team. So I thought it would be a good idea to see if I could call Mitch as the Media guy for the North team and try to get some audio recordings off him to convince the public that he is a true North Islander. As you'll hear Hunty is a great lad and I'm looking forward to him having a big game for the North and a massive season for the mighty Mako.

As always if you enjoy this episode please share it, tag the What a Lad account in on it too. I really appreciate all the support! Follow the journey here

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en

I never thought this day would come, Finlay Christie coming on What a Lad but we did it!

It was a pleasure to sit down with this Scotland born legend, as he talks through his pathway to becoming one of the best halfbacks in the country. The man they call Red didn't have your conventional pathway to the top, after starting off as a talented gymnast before switching to rugby basically for the social side of the game. It wasn't until a standout club season down in Christchurch that his career took off and shortly after made both the Makos and the Chiefs very quickly.

Finlay also talks about where he is at in terms of his international career with Scotland, who, as you could imagine are very keen to get this super talented man back to his country of birth.

As you'll hear in the podcast Red is a true lad, very chilled, loves a desiel but when he gets on the field is very competitive and is as mad as a snake! If you enjoy hearing Finlays story please share it or tell someone about it who you think might like it. I really appreciate all the support to date!

To follow the journey head to the link below

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en

Thanks to my 3 great partners for helping bring this episode to you

Fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ.

Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount

Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod

Pure Sport CBD and to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. You will not regret it!

Brodie Retallick is one of the all time great All Blacks and also one of the all time lads so what better way to start What a Lad season 5 than with the great man himself! The man they call Guzzler has had an incredible journey and in his first ever long form podcast he goes through it all! Some highlights...

- Turning up to CHBS as the tallest kid in the school at Year 9.

- How he went from missing out on the Crusader Academy to becoming an All Black in the space of 3 years.

- How his training mindset helped him improve so quickly.

- The different experiences at 3 RWCs finishing with a Gold, Silver and Bronze.

- His time at the Chiefs which included winning 2 Super Rugby Titles

- Why he moved to Japan

- And heaps more including a heap of your questions!

As you'll hear Brodie is such a champion, he deserves all the accolades he gets and a true lad! If you enjoy this episode please give it a share and make sure you are subscribing so you don't miss another episode.

Noah Hotham is one of the most exciting young rugby talents on the planet and it was a pleasure to get him on the podcast and go through the first 19 years of the young mans life.

The Tasman Mako and NZ u20 star has burst on to the NZ rugby scene in 2022 and has just signed a 3 year deal with the Crusaders. It's not often kids come straight out of school in the physical shape Noah did but after hearing about his time at Hamilton Boys it now all makes sense. Noah is fit, fast and strong and has an incredible ability to break open a game which was proven in this years Bunnings Cup scoring 7 tries himself.

This young man has a massive future in the game and he is an absolute lad. If you enjoy this episode please give it a share, it'd be much appreciated.

If you're interested in more information about O-Studio from the legend Tim Bateman then click here O-Studio

Also if you’re looking to build, renovate your existing home or looking at a commercial development get in touch with Hayden. Email hayden@earlqs.co.nz

P 027 255 4977

The current All Black assistant coach and absolute lad John Plumtree joins me this week on What a Lad to go through his incredible career to date.

Plum has a very impressive CV, where he represented Taranaki, Natal Sharks, Hawkes Bay and even the South Africa 7s side. As for a coach it's even more impressive, having coached Swansea, Wellington, the Sharks, the Hurricanes, he was also the assistant coach for Ireland and Japan and now of course he is with the mighty All Blacks.

Plum gives some great insight into the selection process for the All Blacks, the pressure that comes with coaching them and gives some great advice to any aspiring coaches. He also shares plenty of good stories from his time in the game and as you'll hear in this episode he is an absolute lad so it was a pleasure having him come on.

If you enjoy this episode please give it a share and if you're keen to help the podcast grow, head over to www.whatalad.com and get yourself some Lad merch, What a Lad coffee or some puresport cbd. Any support is very much appreciated!

There is no game without the man in the middle, so it was awesome to get one of the best referees in the world, Ben O' Keeffe on What a Lad to give an insight into one of the hardest jobs in the world. 

Ben, who at the age of 32 has quickly gone through ranks and is now one of the best in the game. Having recently returned from the Lions tour of South Africa, he gives some great insight into the pressure involved in being in charge of a test match like that. He also gives great insight into what life as a top referee is like.

Rugby is such a tough game to referee as the rules are all so subjective. Yet, after almost every game played, if you read the comments they'll mainly be bagging the ref and his decisions. I hope this episode sheds some light into how difficult the job is and the fact that if you look at a game from one teams perspective there is always going to be missed calls.

As you'll hear, Ben is a great lad, who loves his rugby and wants to do his best for the game. I certainly learnt a lot from this episode and I hope you do too.

If you enjoy this one or you know someone who is always abusing the referees, then please share this podcast with them so they can understand what its's like out there in the middle.

And then there were 4! Semi Final time, with a couple of huge match ups to look forward to!

Before we look ahead, we do look back to what was an entertaining round of Quarter Finals. Searley as always joins me and shares his thoughts on the 4 games and some important take aways from those game.

We then get into the big ones and preview what we think will happen in these two Semi Finals. We also find some juicy value for you with some powerplays and some other options.

And go get amongst the new Swysh discount code and get one from Searley or yours truely. Check them out Here Swysh

Ben Smith the self acclaimed 'white battler', who has gone on to be one the the greatest outside backs of this generation.

For the Highlanders, he is right up there with the best to ever pull on the Jersey. Playing in Highlanders colours 153 times, which included Co-Captaining them to the 2015 Super Rugby title.

He also played a huge part in the All Blacks success in the same year helping them to the RWC victory! 

Off the field the man they call Bender (not actually for his bender ability) is such a lad, so highly respected by his team mates and you can see why. I throughly enjoyed this episode and the exciting thing is he is not done yet so watch this space.

If you enjoy this episode, please give it a share, I do really appreciate anyone who is helping spread the word.

This episode was sponsored by Swysh, Go and get your Ben Smith personalised video message here Swysh

If you're interested in more information about O-Studio from the legend Tim Bateman then click here O-Studio

Tim Bateman has probably been one of the most under appreciated rugby players in New Zealand. He's someone you don't really notice how much he does for a team until he's in your side. He has a massive influence on any team that he is involved with! His rugby brain is the best that I played with. So getting him to come on to What a Lad and give an insight into his 15 year professional career was awesome.

Timmy was a school boy star for CBHS, who then forced his way into a very stacked Canterbury and Crusaders side at a real young age. He left NZ rugby in his early 20's to play in Japan and returned back to NZ 2 years later to join up with the Hurricanes and the Wellington Lions. Timmy was forced to head back to Japan, so that his wife Laura could get the best treatment she could for her multiple sclerosis, which she was diagnosed with in 2012. He then returned back to Christchurch for family reasons, before being offered a contract to finish up with the Crusaders. He has since retired every year but is currently still playing in Japan with the Toshiba Brave Lupus.

Off the field Timmy is someone who's always been working at life after rugby and he now has two very successful businesses in the form of, the Cloud 9 float Club and O-Studios, which are both based down in Christchurch. 

Timmy is incredibly smart, inspirational, absolutely quality rugby player and what a lad. He is someone I always enjoyed talking to throughout my career and he goes even better on a podcast, so if you enjoy this episode as much as I did, please give it a share. If you're in the Christchurch area do your self a favour and go and experience a float at Cloud9 studios or go check out O-Studios.

The setting was perfect, the backdrop of the famous deck which over looks the sea, the shiny new bike just to my right with the sofa seat attached and a cold fortune favours in hand. Podcast settings don't get much better and to share it with Samoan International, Kieron Fonotia one of the real lads in NZ rugby, was special. 

Big Fonny has had an incredible career having played for the Tasman Mako, the Crusaders, the Ospreys and the Scarlets and he has some absolute classic yarns from his experiences throughout his journey.

I love the honesty that Fonz brings to the podcast, he's a man who is not afraid to say it how it is. I finished this podcast with sore checks from laughing so that's always a good sign.

It's awesome for NZ rugby to have the experienced players come back to the province where it all started for them and it's been awesome to see the influence Fonny has had on this Tasman Mako team. He's a lad!

As always if you enjoy this episode as always please share it and if you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below

https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en

This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ.

New Prank Friday is back with a very familiar prank for What a Lad listeners, "Dougie" from TVNZ has already got Tasman Mako Jacob Norris on board for his new TV show. So his next step is to get his brother, Chiefs and Waikato Star, Ollie Norris on. The new TV show which involves some big names and plenty on nudity is sure to be a hit and its great to get a couple of great lads like the Norris brothers involved.

As you'll hear Ollie does bloody well and he is an absolute lad so I hope you enjoy.

Alex Malcom may not be your house hold name but if you do enjoy your rugby, then you probably know his Facebook page 'The Legend of Marty Banks'. His page is of course named after one of What a Lad listeners favourite guests, Marty Banks and to hear how the whole page came about is pretty crazy.

To think that Alex now gets asked for his autograph or for a selfie at rugby games, for being the man behind a social media page, is something that he is still getting use to. From being a self acclaimed "awful" rugby player, to starting up this page as a bit of a joke, it's pretty cool to see where it is at now.

After hearing how much time that Alex puts into his page, it's no wonder that he has had the success that he has. To think that he has done it all for his love of the game is pretty inspiring stuff. As you'll here Alex is a lad who is looking to use his platform to have a positive influence on the game which is awesome to hear!  Also if you haven't heard of his page go give it a follow

https://www.facebook.com/watch/martybanksrugby/

Also if you want any information on What a Lad products or sponsors discounts head over to

www.whatalad.com

Codie Taylor is one of NZ rugbys great lads, a champion man on and off the field. He's also one of the best hookers in the modern era where his speed and skillset set him apart.

Codie is someone who takes great care of his body, he has a rigorous training and recovery schedule which has certainly helped him avoid injuries throughout his 12 year career to date. However that doesn't mean its all smooth sailing, hearing him speak about how tough it can be under the spotlight when your form isn't where you'd like it to be was interesting.

Codie has also launched his own recovery and performance drink called Eclipse, an unreal drink! That was cool to hear about how he got into running his own business and what he has learnt from that experience. I really enjoyed this one,

Codie Taylor is one of the greats.

Thanks to our mates at Speights for sponsoring this episode.

What an incredible journey Danny Cipriani has had on and off the field!

On it he's one of the best ball players at the line we have seen, his understanding of the game is next level and has played some incredible rugby over his 18 year career. The biggest mystery is to why such a talent only ended with 16 caps for his country and something we discuss in detail throughout the episode.

Off the field it's like a TV drama, so much has gone on it's hard to believe it's been his life. He's a man who seem's to have things come to him whether it's paparazi, women and off field incidents, it certainly has been an eventful journey. 

What Danny has been through and seeing him out the other side so content and in love is inspiring. I'm sure whatever opinion you had on Danny Cipriani before listening to this episode you'll finish it thinking what a lad he is.

Sam Cane the All Black skipper and Chiefs legend has just proven how much of a lad he is, by jumping on What a Lad during a very busy time for him. Just a week out from captaining the All Blacks in a huge test series against Ireland, while still adjusting to life as a Dad, Sam is good enough to take the time time to talk us through his incredible journey.

We talk about everything from the pressures involved with captaining the All Blacks, how he came back from a fractured neck, his upbringing, some career highlights and heaps more.

As you'll hear, Sam is such a champion lad and you can tell why he is so respected by all team mates and opposition. If you enjoy this episode please give it a share and lets jump on the Sam Cane bandwagon and get in behind this great man as he leads our country for the mighty All Blacks.

This episode was sponsored by Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check them out Here Swysh

If you're interested in more information about O-Studio from the legend Tim Bateman then click here O-Studio