What a Lad

Brodie Retallick- What a Lad

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.

Anton Lienert-Brown - What a Lad

Here it is, the last episode of season 4 and as always I love to finish the season with one of the all time lads and who better than the All Black and Chiefs legend Anton Lienert-Brown. Anton in my eyes has been someone who has been a real trailblazer for keeping things real, openly speaking about the highs and lows of his rugby journey.
In this episode he goes in to detail about..
The recent Rugby World Cup and his feelings pre and post some of those special games
How he went from being a Prop in year 9 to a CHBS 1st XV star in year 13
The influence Wayne Smith had on getting him up to Waikato and the Chiefs
Playing his first professional game at just 18yo, against the Bulls, at Loftus and the emotions that came with a disappointing debut.
His battle with aniexty leading up to becoming an All Black and what has helped him handle it.
His All Black career and some memorable moments,
And heaps more.
Anton is a champion lad who has had an incredible journey, I'm sure you will enjoy this one and if you do please give it a share. Also thanks for tuning in to another season of What a Lad, grateful for all the support and really excited about whats ahead in season 5!
 

Kayla Ahki- One of the greats!

We always hear about the journey from an athletes point of view but never from the one behind the scenes doing all the hard work. However in this episode with Kayla Ahki we get the best of both. The former NZ 7s rugby super star was the best female player in the game in 2013 after switching from Netball not long before. She won World Series Circuits and even a Silver Medal at the Olympics, while her combination of speed and strength made her a genuine star of the game.
Now this is the part as males we take for granted, the decision during your player career to become a parent. Kayla who is the wife of Tongan and Toulouse super star in his own right Pita Ahki, her decision for someone who’s at the top of the game to take time out to become a Mother and a supportive wife is really cool to hear.
 
In this episode Kayla talks in detail about..
 
Growing up in a Rugby family ( Dad Charlie McAlister- Maori All Black, Brother Luke McAlister- All Black)
Her pathway into the Mystics at a young age
Why she decided to make the switch to 7s from Netball
The challenges that came with becoming a Mum while still having the dream to be out there playing
The challenges involved with the role of being the support for Pita through his rugby journey
And heaps more.
 
Kayla has done amazing things for the women’s game on and off the field and it was awesome to hear her journey. She’s full of good energy and has an incredible journey to share. I know you’ll enjoy this one. Be sure to check out Kaylas podcast life from the sidelines too link here Life from the Sidelines

Paul Iffil- What a Lad

Gambling addictions are growing in society rapidly and even more so if professional sport. Disposable income, plenty of spare time and chasing that buzz you get from professional sports make pro athletes high risk. As you'll hear in this episode with one of the greats Paul Iffil, it was those things that had him lose around 2 Million pounds in his career.
Paul was an English Football star playing in some of the biggest games against some of the biggest names. New Zealanders will know him more for his prolific goal scoring record with the Wellington Phoenix. Like all athletes Paul had his struggles with injuries, form and non selection but the biggest struggle for him throughout his career was his gambling.
In this episode we go through some plenty including.. 
Why Paul's first pro Football contract worked out to be less than his academy contract.
How a scratchy addiction as a teenager turned into a gambling addiction.
How Paul ended up in NZ with the Wellington Phoenix.
Plenty of incredible gambling stories with some of the amounts mind blowing.
How his negative self talk held in back from becoming a English Premiership super star,
How Paul managed to eventually break his gambling addiction a become 6 years clean, 
And heaps more!
It's very rare to find someone willing to come on and talk about the dark side of a gambling addiction but super grateful to Paul for coming on and sharing so openly. If you know someone who needs to hear this one please forward it on to them and it might just make the difference.

Ged Robinson- Life after Rugby

The life after rugby transition has been a struggle for so many who have been through it and as you’ll hear in this episode with Ged Robinson, it doesn’t have to be that way. Our mindset around how we approach this next stage of our life needs to change and there are many pieces of absolute gold advice in here from Ged.
The former professional rugby player who played for plenty of teams including Manawatu, Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Canterbury and in Super Rugby played for the Hurricanes, Rebels, Highlanders, Crusaders has plenty of good stories throughout his journey. However it's the life after rugby transition is where you will be inspired.
 
What we go through in detail in this episode is..
How Ged went from the chubby hooker that the academy didn't want to becoming a Junior All Black.
How what you learn in professional sport actually sets you up for an even bigger career after.
The challenges you will face when you hit life after rugby so you can prepare for what's ahead.
Plenty of tips for anyone approaching that next phase of their career,
And much more.
 
As you'll hear in this one, Ged is a natural story teller who is passionate about helping others through that next phase. A true lad who I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to.
To show your interest in Geds life after rugby transition course head to Betterman
To get your hands on some What a Lad Merch for the perfect Christmas gift head to What a Lad

Corey Flynn- What a Lad

Corey Flynn is the definition of a lad! He's just one of those truely genuine good blokes who has had a rugby career take him on some journey. He's had some huge achievements like winning the Rugby World Cup but hearing what he had to go through to get that opportunity made it so much more special then the trophy.
In this episode we got through plenty including,
The tough decision to leave Southland to go to Canterbury and the Crusaders.
Being named in the 2003 RWC squad out of no where (crazy story how he found out)
A rough patch in his career much revolved around injuries and drinking
How he got out of that rough patch to force his way back into the All Blacks
His time in France and Scotland,
Even playing heartland for Westcoast,
and much much more.
I'd had plenty of requests to get Flynny and after this conversation I now know why, he's so honest and open in this episode as well as sharing plenty of good stories from his time. I know you'll enjoy this one!

The RWC Final- Dance in France final Review

That’s it! The 2023 RWC is all over and man has that taken us on an emotional rollercoaster.
So much to discuss in this last ever episode of the Dance in France review show. It’s been awesome having Searley and Jacob Atkins join me for the RWC to give their analysis and for this one last time they go hard.
 
7 out of the 8 knockout games came down to the last play! Again the final was no different, the All blacks playing a majority of the game with 14 men, South Africa playing with plenty of passion, winning collisions. Tension was high, drama was even higher. You’ll hear all our thoughts in the episode but incredibly proud of the All Blacks and their performance.
 
We also talk the 3rd and 4th playoff game, how we think we can fix the TMO issue with our game, fantasy rugby wrap up and heaps more.
 
I’ve really enjoyed bringing these episodes to you, hopefully in 4 years time we are even bigger and better!

Hugh Renton- Mental Health

Hugh Renton is one of the NZ rugbys hard men, he's tough, he's aggressive and he has a reckless regard for his body. He's also had to be very tough mentally with some of the challenges he has faced in his professional career to date. From being signed on a 3 year contract with the Hurricanes straight out of school with a non functional arm, to losing his Dad to suicide. Hugh has had plenty to deal with.
The best thing from all that, is he has learnt so much about himself and the mind through his journey and is wanting to share what he's learnt to help other. He has always had an incredible work ethic and his desire to become better, learn more about the mind, means he has plenty of good advice to share.
After releasing Shanes episode last week it's clear there is so much that needs to be done in this space so I hope that some of the tools Hugh shares are beneficial for you all.

RWC Dance in France- The Final

Here it is! We are at the pinnacle of the sport a Rugby World Cup final with 2 of the most dominant teams in the history of the sport going at it as the mighty All Blacks get set to take on the Springboks. What a way to finish which has been such an incredible World Cup. So many good games and I’m sure this weekend will be no different.
As always on here, we are joined by two of the great rugby analysis in the form of Searley from Searley talks sport and Jacob Atkins as we review last weeks semi finals. Plenty to review in those 2 games with the All Blacks being far too good for Argentina and South Africa using their get out of jail free card on England.
We obviously go through the final in an in depth review and try to predict what we can expect to see out there on Saturday night in France. Also touching on the Bronze playoff game .
Also to finish we share our initial thoughts to announcement of the new RWC format and the new Nations Championship.

Shane Christie - What a 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!