Latest / WCBH / Vegas 9s Count Down: Garramilla Duavata

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Vegas 9s Count Down: Garramilla Duavata · WCBH

• 0:00
  Hey, it's Cam with the WCBH mini-episode, so get your strapping strap,
• 0:04
  the magic sponge doused and the oranges cut children corded as we catch up with
• 0:07
  Leon Cleal, coach of Garamila Duovada prior to the commencement of the Vegas Nines.
• 0:12
  Welcome back to WCBH, Leon. What's the atmosphere like in Vegas?
• 0:17
  Yeah, it's electric over here.
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  It's really exciting. Rugby league's certainly taken a hold over here.
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  People are talking about it with the girls walking around in their training
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  uniforms and that when we come back to the hotel from training or go to the
• 0:30
  pool, lots of questions being asked. So it's really exciting.
• 0:34
  How was the travel? What have you done since arriving in the States?
• 0:39
  We got to Vegas – sorry, we got to L.A. on Thursday night or Thursday – yeah, Thursday night.
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  Friday, Saturday, we spent in L.A.
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  We did a tour of L.A. and went to an NBA game on the Friday,
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  the Lakers versus the Clippers.
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  Saturday, we spent the day at Universal Studios and just had a nice casual dinner on Saturday night.
• 1:02
  And then Sunday, we spent the day stopping off and driving to Vegas.
• 1:07
  He got into Vegas late Sunday afternoon and then hit the training paddock on
• 1:13
  Monday for the first time yesterday.
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  How good? Who won, Lakers or Packers? Lakers. Lakers, it was a great game, actually.
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  Lakers were in front by about 15 at one stage and the Clippers came back and
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  got in front and then the Lakers sort of pulled away.
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  I think they won by four points in the end.
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  How good. What an experience. How are training preparations coming along?
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  Where are you training at?
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  Training at a place called Charlie
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  Frith Park, which is about five minutes out of the centre of Vegas.
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  It's an okay ground. And the girls, yesterday we did about a two and a half hour session.
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  We're in our first session since we left Darwin, sort of five days.
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  It was as to be expected. A little bit nervous, a little bit trying to get used
• 2:02
  to it, getting back in the switch.
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  Of things, the bright lights of Vegas, everything that's happening over here.
• 2:09
  So the girls sort of took a little while to get into it. By the end of the training, they were good.
• 2:16
  But today's training was sensational. Really proud of the way they trained this morning.
• 2:23
  The enthusiasm was there, the desire, the want. It was really good this morning, very impressive.
• 2:29
  That's exactly what you want. What's the weather like over there?
• 2:32
  Because they're just coming out of their winter, aren't they?
• 2:34
  Look, we've been really lucky, to be honest, Cam. The week before we got here,
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  it was zero to about 11 degrees of a day.
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  We've had 22, 23 degrees the last two days.
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  And the night, tonight's only supposed to be about 11.
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  It's quite mild. We're all down at Fremont Street now experiencing the old Vegas.
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  And, yeah, it's quite a mild night. How good. Now, I hear the view has changed.
• 3:03
  How will the new structure work?
• 3:06
  Yeah, so they've got us playing six games now, so...
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  We'll play everyone once. There was 18 originally in our draw,
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  and now there's only seven.
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  One of the teams have pulled out.
• 3:19
  So a big effort. Glad I've got the 16 players now.
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  We've got four games on day one, two games on day two, and then hopefully a
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  third game, which is just a 1v2 grand final.
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  So it's pretty cutthroat this year. It certainly is.
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  So just the top two teams, they go through to the grand final.
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  1v2 and will that be on the 28th at Allegiant or will that be played on the 27th?
• 3:46
  They're still tossing up on that one. Look, hopefully it'll be still at Allegiant
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  on the 28th but I'll let you know as it gets a little bit closer.
• 3:56
  Yeah, how good. What an experience that would be to run out at Allegiant.
• 4:00
  Do you get a sense of how much the game has grown in the standard of rugby league over in the States?
• 4:06
  Yeah, look, it'll be interesting. Tomorrow, we're doing a warm-up game tomorrow
• 4:12
  before the competition starts on Thursday here.
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  We're playing a selected American collegiate side.
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  And I had a look at their side today, and out of their 16 players,
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  14 of them are from all different universities or colleges around the state.
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  So it's a true American side. A lot of the girls have played under-19s for the US Rugby 7 site.
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  So a lot of these girls are rugby union girls, just haven't got the rugby league experience.
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  So it'll be an interesting game, but it'll certainly show us where it is.
• 4:49
  But there's definitely interest in the college system, and that's where you need to get it over here.
• 4:55
  I've been picking up a few interviews with players from some of the teams over
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  there, the Copperheads and the Brooklyn Kings as well.
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  There certainly seems to be a lot of interest around at the moment with Rugby League in America.
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  And as you said, getting that key collegiate system involved in Rugby League
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  would be a huge win for the game.
• 5:15
  Oh, definitely. And you mentioned the Orlando Copperheads. I think they've got two men's sides here.
• 5:22
  So that's a massive effort by them, two men's sides and a women's side.
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  So it's great to see. It's great to see the game growing.
• 5:32
  I interviewed Kavonte Moses from the Atlanta Copperheads the other day.
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  I've shared that podcast already, but I also shared some of his highlights on
• 5:41
  the page as well. He's a destructive front rower.
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  I likened him to Jason Talmalolo, and I told him to keep an eye out for our
• 5:50
  girls over there, so to get an opportunity to watch the Premier Division Copperheads
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  keep an eye out for Kavonte Moses, Leon?
• 5:58
  Oh, I certainly will. I'll go up and introduce myself.
• 6:01
  Absolutely. I said he should come up and say hello to you as well.
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  He's very interested in rugby league.
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  Cowboys v. Knights and the Bulldogs v. Dragons, they'll play at a league in the NRL season opener.
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  Have you had an opportunity to interact with the clubs or be around some of
• 6:17
  that NRL lead-up activities? Yes.
• 6:20
  Not at this moment. There'll be an opportunity tomorrow night at the FanFest for us.
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  But once again, I'm leaving that up to the girls whether they want to come down to the FanFest.
• 6:32
  FanFest and beat part of it. It's the night before our game.
• 6:37
  We would have played a warm-up game tomorrow as well.
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  We've got the official launch tomorrow night, so we do have to come for that part.
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  So it's really now their time. We've had the holiday.
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  It's now to get on with the job while we're here. How good is that?
• 6:56
  Well, wish the girls all the very best for me.
• 6:58
  And pending your availability and your time, It'd be great to catch up after
• 7:02
  day one just to check in on the results and how everyone went.
• 7:07
  Certainly would, Kim. Yeah, happy. Just let me know at the time and I'll certainly catch up.
• 7:13
  And if you want, I can grab one of the girls to have a quick chat and see what
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  their experience is about the whole thing over here.
• 7:20
  That'd be brilliant. Well, thanks for joining us on WCBH, Leon.
• 7:23
  Good luck on day one. That is full-time on this WCBH mini. Make sure you follow
• 7:28
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• 7:33
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