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Mini EH finals review · Lets Stick Together

0:00
SPEAKER_01: In this episode, Phil and Brendan discuss the EHL finals and there's a few shitter hits at the end as well to enjoy.
0:07
SPEAKER_01: Hope you enjoy listening.
0:10
SPEAKER_00: You doesn't show up either.
0:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well fucking waste of time.
0:14
SPEAKER_00: Tull next.
0:38
SPEAKER_00: Episode seven of Let's Stick Together brought to you by Y One.
0:42
SPEAKER_00: Me and Brendan are actually in the same room.
0:46
SPEAKER_00: He's somehow taken over my house.
0:50
SPEAKER_00: He sat eating a small bagel on a big plate.
0:54
SPEAKER_00: What's the Phil's frustration?
0:56
SPEAKER_00: We were waiting on Yup, but Yupe has had busier and and bigger fish to fry.
1:02
SPEAKER_00: Crisis talks.
1:11
SPEAKER_00: So Brendan, is everything okay?
1:14
SPEAKER_00: It's weird actually asking you that, and you're right next to me.
1:17
SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, mate.
1:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
1:19
SPEAKER_01: Um had a pretty eventful few days, but uh visa now all applied for, approved, now just waiting on the passport to return today.
1:29
SPEAKER_01: Cleared my flat so it can now be rented out to new tenants.
1:32
SPEAKER_01: That was another job today.
1:34
SPEAKER_01: Um real life shit.
1:36
SPEAKER_01: Real life you forget how long real life shit takes.
1:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
1:42
SPEAKER_01: You think you've got a full day and it turns out I've lost the day, it's just gone.
1:46
SPEAKER_00: It's also really funny doing life with you because you still go through your huge emotional roller coasters.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: Even just now you've put you've put Indy to bed and came out so happy with yourself.
1:57
SPEAKER_00: And I said, Oh yeah, how was it?
1:58
SPEAKER_00: And he's like, She's fine, everything's all good.
2:00
SPEAKER_00: Two seconds later, she's out downstairs, jumping around.
2:04
SPEAKER_00: She lied to me, she said she was ready for bed.
2:09
SPEAKER_00: No, but um we are maybe you pull join, maybe you won't.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna find out, but we're just gonna probably do a mini episode.
2:17
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna break down the oh wait.
2:20
SPEAKER_00: This is actually perfect timing.
2:27
SPEAKER_00: You're on record.
2:29
SPEAKER_00: You're on record.
2:34
SPEAKER_01: Do you want to say do you want to say sorry to the listeners?
2:48
SPEAKER_00: And and it they've been spoiled with my attendance, so it's it's good for them to detox a bit from my uh evidence and my uh and uh and all the quality stuff I've been giving.
3:00
SPEAKER_00: So that was you the England hockey finals.
3:05
SPEAKER_00: You actually managed to tune in, I think.
3:07
SPEAKER_01: I tuned into the finals, yeah.
3:08
SPEAKER_01: I tuned into both finals actually.
3:12
SPEAKER_00: So first of all, we already talked about it.
3:14
SPEAKER_00: It was at Nottingham Hockey Centre.
3:16
SPEAKER_00: There were semi-finals on the Saturday and then finals on the Sunday.
3:22
SPEAKER_00: Before we go into the men's side, uh Reading were the surprise winner of the women's side, which which I say surprise, it was a pretty big surprise.
3:33
SPEAKER_00: They were up against Hampstead and Westminster, Serbiton and EG.
3:37
SPEAKER_00: They they beat Hampstead on shootouts on the Saturday and then played against Serbiton on the final on the Sunday, with all of the other teams having uh having lots of GB in England players, lots of centralised players, would have been the heavy underdogs and managed to cause one of the biggest upsets.
3:58
SPEAKER_00: Did you watch any of that?
4:00
SPEAKER_00: I did.
4:01
SPEAKER_01: Um I have to admit, wasn't the most exciting of games, but having said that, I actually thought Reading deserved to win.
4:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
4:10
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, which was actually quite I do know what, mate, it's fucking refreshing.
4:15
SPEAKER_01: I quite like a team who who basically shouldn't be in that position, really based on paper, actually come out and do a job.
4:23
SPEAKER_01: Um I don't know how they'll fare in Europe.
4:27
SPEAKER_01: I don't feel they'll fare that well.
4:29
SPEAKER_01: Um you love an underdog.
4:31
SPEAKER_01: I do love an underdog, but not as yeah, it was good, it was good to watch, but I wouldn't necessarily say it was the most exciting of games, probably.
4:38
SPEAKER_00: Now you're now you're a coach.
4:39
SPEAKER_00: Did it was it a tactical masterclass?
4:42
SPEAKER_00: Was it the way they were set up?
4:44
SPEAKER_00: Was it just I mean the goal itself?
4:47
SPEAKER_00: It was a 1-0 game, and if you watch the goal back, it was a really, really nice goal.
4:51
SPEAKER_00: Aerial over the top to the baseline, she comes off the baseline and smashes it in the top corner.
4:55
SPEAKER_00: Upright backhand, yeah.
4:56
SPEAKER_00: It's a pretty good goal.
4:58
SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, I've I don't know if a tactical masterclass, I just feel it was it was quite easy to thwart Serviton's best efforts, if I'm honest.
5:10
SPEAKER_01: Um sit deep and basically stop them from playing, basically stopping the runners playing.
5:15
SPEAKER_01: I think Lizzie Neal spoke really well after the game and basically said that was the game plan was stop the runners from running and make sure Giselle can't outlet deep.
5:24
SPEAKER_01: And I feel like that is pretty much Serviton's game in an upshot.
5:28
SPEAKER_01: So from that point of view.
5:30
SPEAKER_01: Tactical master class.
5:32
SPEAKER_01: To know I I question whether Serbiton asked enough questions is probably the best way I'd describe it.
5:37
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I feel it was Serbiton's to lose rather than Reading's to win, if that makes sense.
5:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
5:43
SPEAKER_00: I think also obviously quite a big upset because Hampstead won the league, they already got the EHL spot, and then obviously they were expected to win the semi-final, which then meant that because they only get two European spots, the third fourth was a dead rubber.
5:58
SPEAKER_00: Um which again was it?
6:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
6:02
SPEAKER_00: Because Hampstead have already qualified, that means that only one team.
6:06
SPEAKER_01: Oh, well, in which case, does that mean Serbiton haven't got Europe?
6:10
SPEAKER_00: It means Serbiton don't have Europe.
6:13
SPEAKER_01: So Serbon and E.G.
6:15
SPEAKER_01: don't have Europe, it's Hampstead and Reading.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
6:18
SPEAKER_01: Wow.
6:19
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
6:19
SPEAKER_01: That is the first I've heard about.
6:21
SPEAKER_01: Only because England hockey have posted, I swear at the time, saying E.G.
6:26
SPEAKER_01: women are in Europe, which then probably suggests that Serbiton women are in Europe, which then means all four women's teams are in Europe according to England hockey.
6:35
SPEAKER_00: We claim to know what we're talking about.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure, but yeah.
6:41
SPEAKER_01: It's a bit complicated.
6:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and then obviously this is gonna be slightly tough for me, and I'm sure there's lots of smug people out there that can't laugh at you, but um I got I got relegated, so yeah, you did get that.
6:53
SPEAKER_01: I'm probably in the I'm probably one of the best people to ask.
6:56
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, OG's we lost 2-1 in the final against Serviton on on Sunday, having beaten Oxted on Saturday, and Serviton having beaten Wimbledon on Saturday, both had fairly convincing semi-final wins.
7:10
SPEAKER_00: Was a lot of fun um to play in that one.
7:14
SPEAKER_00: Um did you watch any of that game?
7:18
SPEAKER_01: I didn't watch either semi-final, unfortunately, so I can't talk.
7:21
SPEAKER_01: But from what I gather, goals of galore from both games.
7:24
SPEAKER_01: I mean, there was what, 6-2 and 4-0?
7:26
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
7:27
SPEAKER_01: So we're looking at 12 goals over two games, it's pretty good going.
7:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
7:30
SPEAKER_01: Um it just looked a good event, to be honest.
7:33
SPEAKER_01: The whole thing looked pretty good from personal reflection.
7:37
SPEAKER_01: Um, just from the highlights from the Saturday I'm watching on uh sorry, the highlights from the semis and then watching the final on the Sunday, on the was it Monday, Sunday?
7:45
SPEAKER_01: Sunday, Sunday, yeah.
7:48
SPEAKER_00: I think I think in general, Nottingham Hockey Centre put on a really good event if we're gonna go in this direction to start with.
7:54
SPEAKER_00: They had a bar, an outdoor bar type of area with the game on on big screens, they had food stalls, coffee areas, a kids area.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, you know, it was a it's a really nice setup.
8:06
SPEAKER_00: I do think that still struggling to bring in lots of people, um which is slightly disappointing, but I think given the nature that all all eight teams who were playing were London clubs.
8:22
SPEAKER_01: The furthest north was what, Reading?
8:24
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
8:24
SPEAKER_00: So you're obviously gonna struggle to bring your fans up unless they're really, really passionate fans, which we've proved in hockey is quite tough to come by.
8:32
SPEAKER_00: How much were tickets?
8:33
SPEAKER_00: Tickets were I think it was£35 for the weekend.
8:37
SPEAKER_00: Uh maybe I could be making this up£20.
8:42
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then under 16 you had to pay, and parking you had to pay, which I do think for not having to really pay more than five to seven pounds for a Premier League game to then charge that amount for the finals for the exact same standard.
8:59
SPEAKER_01: It's a shit show, mate.
9:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
9:01
SPEAKER_01: I I I started this conversation last week, and I'm regretting not following it through last week.
9:08
SPEAKER_01: Of like, I just don't think there should be a price to pay to go watch Premier League hockey.
9:13
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think if you're smart, you put a premium on products like a beer, like a drink, you put an extra 50p or whatever on drinks, and you make your money that way and you make the returns in the bar.
9:25
SPEAKER_01: I just don't I think six quids expensive to watch a Premier League game.
9:29
unknown: Yeah.
9:29
SPEAKER_01: Let alone 35 fucking quid.
9:31
SPEAKER_01: Oh, do you know what?
9:32
SPEAKER_01: It's not worth it.
9:34
SPEAKER_01: No, I do especially with parking.
9:36
SPEAKER_01: You're asking people to like the whole point of like not having it at Lee Valley is that it shouldn't be a premium to go and watch good hockey.
9:44
SPEAKER_01: You should be able to access it cheap, if not free.
9:48
SPEAKER_01: Like, and clearly England hockey have chosen those prices.
9:50
SPEAKER_01: It's not the clubs that have chosen those prices because Serbiton's prices, funnily enough, were exactly the same.
9:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I just yeah, I think it's I I'll be honest with you, I think it's a bit of a waste of time, the event, if you're gonna put a price like that on it from a from an experience point of view, because ultimately if you're paying for a family of four, it's over a hundred quid.
10:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
10:12
SPEAKER_00: And the product, unfortunately, isn't there yet to be able to charge that amount of money.
10:17
SPEAKER_00: No, they did obviously put a lot of effort in, which was good to see.
10:21
SPEAKER_00: But like you say, I think that there's definitely things that I would have, you know, I would have made it a lot cheaper.
10:26
SPEAKER_00: I don't know why you've got to pay for parking.
10:28
SPEAKER_01: Um surely the aim of the game is to just get people through the door.
10:33
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
10:34
SPEAKER_01: Is that not like you can't make a viable product unless you've got demand?
10:38
SPEAKER_01: And at the moment there's no demand.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: Oh, do you know what?
10:40
SPEAKER_01: There's no demand.
10:41
SPEAKER_01: Let's put a premium on the price.
10:43
SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
10:43
SPEAKER_01: Fucking smart that is for a business, isn't it?
10:46
SPEAKER_01: Oh, Bill, you've set me off.
10:48
SPEAKER_00: Also, there's there's I mean, there's there's other things.
10:50
SPEAKER_00: I think they did a there was a YouTube live stream, which is obviously good because you can tune in and watch the game really easily.
10:56
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, which is which is good.
10:58
SPEAKER_00: I do think that if you want to again make the product better, you have to improve the cameras, get multiple cameras.
11:05
SPEAKER_00: You know, you have to spend money to make money.
11:08
SPEAKER_00: And at the moment, like watching it back, there was replays, but we're talking very low, low quality.
11:14
SPEAKER_01: And that's I reckon that's one of the best setups in the country.
11:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
11:18
SPEAKER_01: I actually, yeah, I to be honest, it was quite relatively easy to follow online.
11:24
SPEAKER_01: I was at a wedding in Sweden and I managed to watch it, and there were no issues with the live stream compared to previous years in Serberton.
11:30
SPEAKER_01: That was a nightmare for quality.
11:33
SPEAKER_01: This was much better, but it's still if we're talking about a product, it's still not where it should be.
11:40
SPEAKER_01: Realistically, if you're looking to try and get people to invest in a league, yeah.
11:44
SPEAKER_01: Or sponsor, at least well, I mean they had a sponsor, but it's a question whether that's an actual sponsor for the finals weekend.
11:50
SPEAKER_01: Right.
11:50
SPEAKER_01: The athlete app.
11:51
SPEAKER_01: Well, what is it?
11:52
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
11:53
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
11:54
SPEAKER_01: Nobody knows what it was, but uh, they somehow conjured up a sponsor for a finals weekend, yet there's still nothing on a shirt.
12:00
SPEAKER_01: Didn't roll off the tongue.
12:02
SPEAKER_01: Athlete.app.
12:04
SPEAKER_01: What's that even mean?
12:05
SPEAKER_01: What's that even mean?
12:07
SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, I mean, we've talked a lot about that, but we but in the past as well.
12:12
SPEAKER_00: But I mean we I've got to get on to the painful secret that is the the final.
12:16
SPEAKER_00: We we OG season before the the final, we'd played 20, 119, and drew one going into the final.
12:27
SPEAKER_00: Obviously, completely heavy favourites.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: I think on paper it was we weren't heavy favourites.
12:33
SPEAKER_00: I think um we had a few injuries.
12:35
SPEAKER_00: Sam Ward went down, he had a he had a hand operation.
12:38
SPEAKER_00: Uh we had a we had various niggles, they sound like excuses, but various niggles throughout the team.
12:43
SPEAKER_00: But I think you look on paper and serve it in a very, very good outfit.
12:49
SPEAKER_00: And yes, we we were beating 2-1 in the final.
12:53
SPEAKER_01: So my question, my first question is did it feel like a repeat of EHL?
13:02
SPEAKER_01: Because you you basically came up against another team that's run and gun uh in Serbaton.
13:07
SPEAKER_01: They were they're built for counter-attacking, they've got realistic, they have got physical beasts thinking about it with people like Stu, Roshmere, Tim Nurse.
13:15
SPEAKER_01: Nick Park wasn't playing, but that kind of like physical output is pretty high, and it's kind of a bit of a um what's the word I'm looking for?
13:26
SPEAKER_01: Not SQP.
13:27
SPEAKER_01: What's the word?
13:28
SPEAKER_00: It's not a good matchup for us, a unique selling point, USP.
13:32
SPEAKER_01: That's the one.
13:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I had to try and work out what is that a unique selling point?
13:35
SPEAKER_01: Is it no, isn't like that?
13:36
SPEAKER_01: Is that is Serbiton's USP?
13:37
SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay, okay, okay.
13:39
SPEAKER_01: They're basically physical specimens that they just work themselves to the ground.
13:42
SPEAKER_01: So I think like that's my first question is did it feel like a bit of a repeat or did it feel a little bit different?
13:48
SPEAKER_00: Felt different, but I understand that you're I understand the similarity between the games.
13:53
SPEAKER_00: We had yeah, multiple.
13:55
SPEAKER_00: I think we had the lion's share of possession.
13:58
SPEAKER_00: Um, we had more corners.
13:59
SPEAKER_00: I would probably guess we'd have more shots, more circle entries.
14:04
SPEAKER_00: Um, but they were more clinical.
14:07
SPEAKER_00: They scored two very nice rebound goals.
14:10
SPEAKER_00: Um, Tom Carson scored what isn't absolutely outrageous.
14:14
SPEAKER_01: I think that's genuinely one of the best goals I've ever seen.
14:17
SPEAKER_01: Just for like the the sheer like audacity to lob a six foot five goalkeeper from where he was to catch the goalkeeper, to catch Mazzarello off guard.
14:29
SPEAKER_01: I actually like the more I've watched it, I actually watched it back about six or seven times at the time because I was trying to work out and Tom has the ability to conjure up something out of nothing, and he genuinely, and but by from what I've seen this year of highlights and things like that, Tom has been pretty lethal for OGs this year, and obviously in the absence of Wardy, like you've got to take your hat off to that kind of finish.
14:51
SPEAKER_01: That is so smart.
14:53
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
14:53
SPEAKER_00: I think he's he's one of he has been very good this year, and he is one of the most out-of-the-box thinkers you can possibly play with, which has its huge pros, a couple of cons with it.
15:06
SPEAKER_00: But no, it's it was it was if you haven't seen it, go to Instagram, look on England hockey, look on the the the highlight of of that goal because it is is an unbelievably good goal.
15:17
SPEAKER_00: He he makes a really nice trap, a very difficult trap.
15:19
SPEAKER_00: The ball's rolling into the he fake slaps and then chips it over an on-rushing Maz.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: Um it's it's it's an unbelievably good goal.
15:28
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, he you know, we had people try and step into Woody's shoes.
15:32
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think I I said in an interview on Saturday that I didn't realise he'd scored 38 goals, I think, in 17 games for us.
15:41
SPEAKER_00: That's ridiculous.
15:42
SPEAKER_00: So left a fairly big hole in our in our um in our team because he's always just the guy stood in the silly positions, he's always the he's the flicker, he's the guy that just is is happy to put his head where it hurts and score the dirty goals.
15:57
SPEAKER_00: We all had to try and step up and try and fill that void, um, which we obviously did unsuccessfully.
16:03
SPEAKER_01: Um that that would have been my like next point was I guess I I probably underappreciate how important Wardie is from a like and I actually spoke to Baz about this after the game because I was intrigued as Baz being Sultan's head coach.
16:19
SPEAKER_01: I was kind of intrigued as to like you forget how much of an impact Warty makes on and off the ball, and I probably haven't given him enough credit in myself from like uh playing with playing against, but he is like he is a pretty big presence.
16:34
SPEAKER_01: Um, obviously, now what England and GB's leading goal scorer, um as you say, 38 goals in a season is actually ridiculous.
16:42
SPEAKER_01: You kind of like, as you say, you almost irreplaceable, and especially in the system that you guys play, it is a big loss.
16:49
SPEAKER_01: So it's like, do you try it's almost like the money ball?
16:52
SPEAKER_01: Do you try and replace him or do you try and go about it a different way?
16:55
SPEAKER_01: And in such a short time span, it's pretty difficult to then try and almost completely change the way you play.
17:02
SPEAKER_01: So you've almost got to hope that someone's able to fill that void, I guess.
17:05
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but at the same time, last year they were missing James Aubrey and Wardie for both the finals and the EHL, where they got a bronze medal and they won the championship.
17:16
SPEAKER_00: So it's it it obviously can be done.
17:19
SPEAKER_01: Did Aubrey not play in the no, really?
17:22
SPEAKER_00: So so uh it was always about us stepping up and being able to to fill fill fill the gap, and actually, I think the way we played and the way we dominated the ball and the way we created chances probably gave us enough chances to be able to say yes.
17:36
SPEAKER_00: I think again, there's definitely someone who is just the I think has been serving the standout time and time again the last year, and it's James Masarello.
17:45
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't it wasn't a game of like the goalies, but I think again, like when the moment matters, he's he's he's turned up to be a very clutch goalie and made some made some big saves and generally has a presence where it's it's very hard to score a goal against him.
18:02
SPEAKER_01: So then off the back of that, do you where do you where do you put Maz in relation to world goalkeepers?
18:10
SPEAKER_00: That's a pretty on the pretty on-the-spot question, but top three, I think, right now.
18:16
SPEAKER_00: I don't know, it's very it's very biased because we see him every day.
18:19
SPEAKER_00: And I and and I I was lucky enough to play with um Vincent Van Ash in the Hockey India League, and he he was absolutely ridiculous.
18:29
SPEAKER_00: Um and and and shocked me as to just how old how how how good he is as like he's he's getting on now.
18:37
SPEAKER_00: I think he must be 38, but he was so so good.
18:40
SPEAKER_00: Um so you so obviously you have that bias of like seeing him every day, but his his yeah, his work ethic has been has been unbelievably good, and the way he just manages to stop the ball all the time.
18:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
18:52
SPEAKER_00: Um also again, like you know, I know that having also been lucky, I'm just name-dropping here, play with Perman Black, he would be sat at home being like, I am the best goalie in the world, and he he has enough to back that up as well.
19:05
SPEAKER_01: You've also played with Payno, so you've played with both.
19:09
SPEAKER_01: I guess like because I uh the thing I quite like about like to be fair, all four goalkeepers that you've like managed to play with, uh Van Ash, Pymin, uh Paino, Maz, they're all uniquely different, which I also think is like something that can be like Davy Hart's probably another one where like they're just different.
19:30
SPEAKER_01: They're not all the same goalkeeper, they're not the same shape, they're not the same like style, which I also think is like quite cool in the fact that there's no like one mold.
19:39
SPEAKER_01: There's like a complete you can basically make it however you want, and I think what's pretty impressive I I think really impressive about Maz is the coaches that he's had.
19:48
SPEAKER_01: I don't know, maybe apart from McGregor, but even then, no one I don't think anyone that's coached him is the same height as him, so he's had to try and like he's had to work it out on his own, which I think almost gives a bit more testament to where he's got to so far.
20:00
SPEAKER_01: I think it's actually really impressive, yeah.
20:03
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but I think, yeah, I mean it's also a really like uh going back to the final, it's always one of them situations where it's it's it's can you play when the pressure's on you?
20:16
SPEAKER_00: And and I think that was that was maybe a difficult thing for us to reflect on.
20:19
SPEAKER_00: Is that you know we've won every game this year, bar one, going into that game, and like we I was so confident that we'd always just find a way to win, and eventually someone has got to pip you.
20:31
SPEAKER_00: And I and I think a lot of people say that basically it's really hard to get to the top, but it's even harder to stay there.
20:38
SPEAKER_00: And I think there's definitely things that you know it's gonna give us a more hunger next year to not take everything as as easy to make sure that you're not taking stuff for granted.
20:48
SPEAKER_00: It is really hard to probably the motivation for some of the guys who've won three in a row to carry on going, to carry on pushing as hard, but this gives us a nice opportunity to basically be able to reset and go again.
21:00
SPEAKER_01: Do you do you think losing in Europe had an impact or not?
21:05
SPEAKER_01: Um because obviously, like they're they're the only games you've lost, or the only game you've lost prior to anything in the league.
21:15
SPEAKER_01: So it's like I don't I wonder how much if that took a bit of momentum out because it was realistic.
21:19
SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm I was definitely one of the people where I thought you guys had a real crack at Europe and then obviously that you played a team that played run and gun and basically they worked it out pretty quickly of just let's just go hell for leather the whole time and see it, see what happens type thing.
21:36
SPEAKER_00: It probably had an impact, but I don't think consciously I think we still had the belief and we still, you know, came came back from Europe and convincingly beat Wimbledon and then went into the semi-finals pretty strong.
21:47
SPEAKER_00: But I think the thing we've got to do is try and work out how to get to that next step for next year and work out how we can how we can find the find the difference to to come up against a Dutch team and be able to win and come up against Serban or whoever it's going to be next game with.
22:02
SPEAKER_01: I think that's like I I actually said it at the time I don't think it's a bad thing.
22:08
SPEAKER_01: I think it's only a positive for the league, I think it's only a positive for Serbiton, and I think it's only a positive for OGs as well.
22:15
SPEAKER_01: Because I think there's like, as you say, like the root uh every everyone talks about like OGs, Holcomb, this, that, and the other, but like I think the makeup is what will be really interesting to see who comes in.
22:27
SPEAKER_01: Do you go for a bit more use?
22:29
SPEAKER_01: Do you not go for use?
22:30
SPEAKER_01: Do you go for a different style of play?
22:32
SPEAKER_01: Do you stay with the same style?
22:33
SPEAKER_01: I think there's like a really good opportunity to learn from the what this the last four weeks or five weeks of the season rather than necessarily the first 20 weeks, I guess.
22:43
SPEAKER_01: Because the difficult the difficulty for you guys is the fact that you have been winning.
22:47
SPEAKER_01: No one's really tested you apart from who was the drawer against earlier in the year?
22:52
SPEAKER_01: Wimbledon.
22:53
SPEAKER_01: So like that no one's really tested you guys too much from that point of view.
22:57
SPEAKER_01: So I think there's like um it is as you say, like it's just an opportunity.
23:02
SPEAKER_00: You love an underdog and I love a champ.
23:05
SPEAKER_00: And so I think it can it can be good for the league in both ways.
23:08
SPEAKER_00: Like if we'd have won, people would have kept having to hunt us.
23:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
23:11
SPEAKER_00: And now that now that Cerberon have won, it gives us the hunger to to start hunting them next year.
23:17
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I think it's also like what will be really interesting with the Serbon group is there are they are a lot younger.
23:24
SPEAKER_01: Do they get carried away?
23:25
SPEAKER_01: Do they get crashed back to reality at some point?
23:28
SPEAKER_01: Do they yeah?
23:29
SPEAKER_01: I think it's I think it's really like the league, although the league structure is fucking useless.
23:35
SPEAKER_01: I actually think I actually think the league could be really exciting next year because of like Wimbledon have strengthened, Serbiton are going to strengthen, you guys are gonna strengthen.
23:43
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, my worry is that the bottom six are gonna drift further and further and further afield to the point that it's almost irrelevant.
23:50
SPEAKER_01: You might as well just have a top six play in the league on our own in London.
23:53
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
23:54
SPEAKER_00: And um you watched the final, who who stood out to you?
23:59
SPEAKER_01: Um I d I wouldn't necessarily say they like stand out.
24:05
SPEAKER_01: I guess the the problem with being a the problem with coaching and kind of like looking at games now is you don't necessarily enjoy the spectacle.
24:11
SPEAKER_01: You kind of look at like who plays differently, who impacts the game.
24:16
SPEAKER_01: Like I'm I'm such a fan of I'm such a fan of as a player having played with him and then actually like watching him is James Gore.
24:24
SPEAKER_01: I actually really enjoy watching Jammer play because he kind of does the dirty work to give the opportunities to then um create goal scoring opportunities whilst also doing the defensive stuff.
24:35
SPEAKER_01: Um I quite like Jake Payton, I think he's quite a nice player.
24:38
SPEAKER_01: Um didn't seem to do that much in the in the final, to be honest, but actually he took his goal really well.
24:43
SPEAKER_01: Um I mean Maz is Maz is different, gravy.
24:47
SPEAKER_01: Um I really enjoy watching Mazarello as well.
24:51
SPEAKER_01: Um Tom Carson, I actually think is I think he's I think he should be knocking at the door for the international stuff again.
24:58
SPEAKER_01: I really I really do because I like and this is again like off the back of not getting selected for Paris and kind of going into that world of coaching.
25:07
SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm a real sucker for a blend, and I think there's I think there's an opportunity missed sometimes with having someone who's a little bit different.
25:17
SPEAKER_01: Um and I think that can come across in so many different ways and different players.
25:21
SPEAKER_01: And I think if I look at selection from Paris, my argument would be is there were a lot of players that were very good, but I don't know if they were the right blend for a group to win something because I think it became a little bit predictable.
25:34
SPEAKER_01: So my my thing is like actually who can offer something a little bit different while still maintaining a majority of you looking for a for a pay rise or continue getting paid by asking the Y1 CEO to be to be back in the G V programs.
25:50
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I'd love a pay rise.
25:51
SPEAKER_01: No, I I just think he I think he offers something different, and he's proven this year that goals can come in any shape or form with um the techniques that he's got.
25:59
SPEAKER_01: Um and I bet and I like again having played against like there's players in that what I did enjoy was actually like the final was an actual final.
26:08
SPEAKER_01: I think previously there's been games where it's been heavily one-sided and it's been pretty difficult, whereas actually watching the game, like it didn't seem like either team could really get on top of the other one.
26:18
SPEAKER_01: I think that's kind of like the testament to where both squads are at is I think Serberton have caught up quite a bit this year.
26:26
SPEAKER_01: Um, do I think they're the best squad in the league?
26:30
SPEAKER_01: Not sure.
26:31
SPEAKER_01: Do I think they're the best team?
26:33
SPEAKER_01: Not sure.
26:33
SPEAKER_01: Do I think they were do I think they deserve to win outright in the final?
26:36
SPEAKER_01: Probably not.
26:37
SPEAKER_01: I actually think it was a pretty even game and either team could win.
26:39
SPEAKER_01: Conversation with yourself asking yourself questions that you're not sure of is great.
26:44
SPEAKER_01: I think my point my point is that I don't think there was an overall from watching the final, I don't think there was an out and out winner.
26:50
unknown: No.
26:50
SPEAKER_01: Which I think, which I think is good.
26:52
SPEAKER_00: What I think is good from the last couple of years is there was a real game where both teams turned up, both teams um um came with form, with aggression, with like a game plan.
27:02
SPEAKER_00: We we were always going to keep the ball for longer periods, they were always gonna be able to try and ride the storm defensively and then hit us on the break.
27:11
SPEAKER_00: Um there was an absolute fierce competitiveness to the to the game, which obviously not many people watching, but if anyone watching and you heard what what I guess is the fun stuff is that you don't hear is I've spent the day with Dave Goodfield as as a co-partner at the Social Being Coffee, but we we had a we had basically spent the whole game shouting at each other when the other one made a mistake, um giving each other loads of shit because you just as soon as you step over the white line and the competitive streak hits, um you can't help but you just want to win so badly.
27:48
SPEAKER_00: And me and him have been competitive for so many years that it just brings it out of you.
27:53
SPEAKER_00: But I think it's a it's an amazing thing that you there's so many people on that pitch that cared so deeply about winning that it was just it was great to be a part of, even though it hurt a lot losing to losing to losing to Gooders and and Co.
28:07
SPEAKER_00: But again, I think um Yeah.
28:13
SPEAKER_01: It's odd, isn't it?
28:14
SPEAKER_01: It's uh what I find really odd is like I know football, there's like breaks and there's like different things and this, that, and the other.
28:22
SPEAKER_01: Hockey is literally two days' time you're gonna be either working with them or you're gonna see them at Bisham or you're gonna like so whatever feud you have on a Saturday night is 6 pm till 9 pm has to kind of get quashed on the Sunday, and you have to be ready to like smile at them on a Monday or have a conversation or in most cases just joke about it.
28:40
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, maybe with a bit of sarcasticness, maybe with a bit of abuse, this, that, and the other, but like it's such an odd sport for that that you have to then deal with the ups and the downs really quickly, which I think actually makes a lot of hockey players quite resilient on that front, yeah, especially international stuff.
28:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, agreed.
28:59
SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, and and you would be here um saying he's very happy because Struan Walker, who's joining OR next year, scored four goals over the weekend, including the winner against us.
29:12
SPEAKER_00: So he'll be very, very smug next week when we can talk to him and and um include him in the fact that he's he's he he made a big impact and play and played pretty nicely.
29:23
SPEAKER_00: Um any other shout-outs?
29:27
SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, probably to George to be fair.
29:31
SPEAKER_01: George Opinna's last game.
29:32
SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, I mean it's it must be weird stepping away after so many years.
29:40
SPEAKER_01: Um just a hell of an effort from the big guy.
29:44
SPEAKER_01: Um I think it's gonna be it's gonna be an interesting shift, but fair I mean I mean fair play to him.
29:50
SPEAKER_01: You can't knock what he's done, you can't knock how he's gone about it, he's gone about it his own way, and you kind of I've nothing but admiration for the authenticity that he showed day in, day out, whether it's shit owls read 24-7 or whether it's kind of just knuckling down when it needs to be or just being open and honest when it needs to be, I think.
30:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's definitely done done it his own way, and I commend that.
30:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and well, for for the the information there is that George has fully retired from from club hockey.
30:17
SPEAKER_00: He played his last year, he's he's been a an admirable servant for Beaston, Holcomb, OGs, GB, England, um, and he and he had a a fitting send-off where he got a nice tunnel at the end of the game from both both sets of players, um, which is really nice actually when you when you get to go out, you know, he would have loved to go out winning and and and with a beer in the in the in the change rooms, but still for people to show you know someone who's who's given a lot to the sport over the last 20 years, you know, it's a nice way to nice way to end with a final and with with plenty of people watching with his son in the crowd.
30:51
SPEAKER_00: So that's pretty cool.
30:53
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, was was was lovely for him.
30:55
SPEAKER_00: Um yeah.
30:58
SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, I mean we we were planning on just doing a mini episode just to break down the the hockey finals.
31:04
SPEAKER_00: I think we've done a decent job.
31:07
SPEAKER_00: Sorry that Yupe isn't here.
31:09
SPEAKER_00: He's obviously got more important things on his mind, um which hopefully he can he can answer for next week.
31:15
SPEAKER_00: Um but better.
31:17
SPEAKER_00: We've we've done it, we've done it, we've done a half decent job there.
31:20
SPEAKER_00: If you've got any uh any comments, if you were there at the weekend, then let us let us know.
31:25
SPEAKER_00: Um, and we will be back next week for a full episode.
31:29
SPEAKER_00: Brendan, it's been nice actually talking to you face to face.
31:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's been weird.
31:33
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it has been a bit weird.
31:35
SPEAKER_01: I like ship, but it's been weird because you've been staring at the screen the whole time, and I've been staring at you the whole time.
31:39
SPEAKER_00: We've been scaring a mic, so it's that's been a weird dynamic.
31:42
SPEAKER_00: We can finally get over that now.
31:43
SPEAKER_00: But um, yeah, we will see.
31:45
SPEAKER_00: Oh, you haven't got a shell here, have you?
31:48
SPEAKER_00: Um you haven't got a quick one.
31:52
SPEAKER_01: No, I had one the other day and I've forgotten it now.
31:54
SPEAKER_01: That's really annoying.
31:56
SPEAKER_01: Um what do you think?
31:58
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I have got one.
31:59
SPEAKER_01: Go on.
32:00
SPEAKER_01: Bringing a shopping bag to games.
32:04
SPEAKER_01: So I've seen so many people doing this with like Tesco's bag for lives and this, that, and the other.
32:10
SPEAKER_01: Like, where do you sit on the shopping bag to games?
32:13
SPEAKER_01: I know like Robbie Gleason, who's one of the Beast and Boys, is like an avid shopping bag has to be brought to games.
32:20
SPEAKER_01: I remember one of our mates, Greg Nolan, played at Richmond this year, used to turn up with a Tesco's bag that I'm pretty sure he used textbooks in for shin pads one game in the Prem.
32:30
SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, I think you're gonna know where I set with this.
32:33
SPEAKER_00: I mean, you'll think it's shit, but it is shit because it's shit.
32:36
SPEAKER_00: And I think that people started thinking it's like a cool thing to do.
32:39
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think that's the problem, is that we all own a hockey bag, either a stick bag, either a holdle, either a rucksack.
32:46
SPEAKER_00: It's just put your stuff in there.
32:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
32:49
SPEAKER_00: Like if you need to carry a little bag with some a sandwich or something, that's fair enough, but it's just not acceptable.
32:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
32:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
32:56
SPEAKER_01: Well, I I quite like it though, because it's just it just again showcases how budget our sport is.
33:02
SPEAKER_00: Why do you want to showcase that?
33:04
SPEAKER_01: Because I'm not I'm not owning.
33:07
SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm hide away.
33:08
SPEAKER_01: I kind of want to own the fact that until we sort a lot of shit out, it's gonna stay budget.
33:13
SPEAKER_00: Disagree.
33:14
SPEAKER_00: Right.
33:14
SPEAKER_00: I had one, um, James Gore.
33:16
SPEAKER_00: Speaking of James Gall, he um he had a thing apparently this year where he was basically waiting, where in the warm-up towards the end, he would do sprints.
33:25
SPEAKER_00: They the Serbit and team would do sprints, and every single time he would run into the opposition's half as far as he could um to try and get in their head beforehand.
33:34
SPEAKER_00: And just before the final, sorry, just before the final, he did it and he ran close to me, and me and Jammer are fairly fairly close, so I just told him to go fuck himself.
33:43
SPEAKER_00: Um wow, as in as in as a as a bit of a joke, but he was then like, Oh, so this is the line, and he was basically on our 25, so we got 25 yards into our heart.
33:54
SPEAKER_01: That's a hit to me.
33:55
SPEAKER_01: That's a hit.
33:56
SPEAKER_01: Um, I've got one more.
33:58
SPEAKER_00: I do I do also think that is a hit if you look at what you can get into the other.
34:02
SPEAKER_01: That's a good bit of chit already.
34:04
SPEAKER_01: There's so two things.
34:06
SPEAKER_01: Um PCD, when you're on PCA, throwing pieces of PCD kit away so the opposition can't use all their kit to defend with.
34:16
SPEAKER_01: That's my first one.
34:19
SPEAKER_02: Hit go on.
34:20
SPEAKER_01: I quite like the chit already involved in just grabbing a glove and just chucking it.
34:24
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but you've got to do it subtly because you've got to seem like you're helping whilst not helping.
34:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
34:28
SPEAKER_00: Like, because if they see you just randomly throw it over a fence, that's not going well for you.
34:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
34:32
SPEAKER_01: Um, and my second one is in the warm-up, going for a shit, so you miss most of the warm-up.
34:39
SPEAKER_00: You've talked about this on the pod.
34:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he does it all the time.
34:42
SPEAKER_01: We had a guy this year who without fail, the warm-up would start, and he'd the first jog, he'd do all the jogging around, and then the minute it came to stretches, would bolt it until the end of the stretches, and then would somehow miraculously come back for the hot for the sticking ball.
34:58
SPEAKER_01: Every single game without fail.
35:02
SPEAKER_01: I think I prefer to see the stretches than the run.
35:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm I'm on board with that.
35:06
SPEAKER_01: And I'm but I'm also like, how bad are your bowels that you don't trust yourself to half time?
35:12
SPEAKER_01: Or he just really doesn't want to warm up.
35:14
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, which is obviously the case.
35:15
SPEAKER_01: And he's got away with it for the whole season, which is fair enough.
35:18
SPEAKER_01: How do you stop someone going to take a shit?
35:20
SPEAKER_01: Well, my confusion is his hamstring kept going during the season.
35:24
SPEAKER_01: Do you think he should have been?
35:25
SPEAKER_01: Some of the questions he should be should he have been stretching, or would that have not made a difference?
35:29
SPEAKER_01: Like assistant coach, couldn't you have asked him that?
35:30
SPEAKER_01: No, I wasn't assistant coach, I was I was helper.
35:34
SPEAKER_01: Glorified help.
35:35
SPEAKER_01: Couldn't you've asked him that rather than asking him on podcasting aggressive?
35:38
SPEAKER_01: I didn't ask him.
35:39
SPEAKER_01: And he just went, I can't help it when I need to shit.
35:41
SPEAKER_01: And I was like, Yeah, well, that's kind of a that's the common answer, wouldn't it?
35:45
SPEAKER_01: Well, you can just stop having a coffee late on you, you'd probably be alright.
35:49
SPEAKER_00: They said I'm not caffeinated enough.
35:52
SPEAKER_01: Um, have I got any others?
35:54
SPEAKER_01: Have I seen any more things this year that I would question?
35:59
SPEAKER_01: Oh, here's another one.
36:01
SPEAKER_01: Is this a show here, or are you just are you just now in rant mode?
36:04
SPEAKER_01: I'm just I'm just in things that I've seen this year that I've not witnessed before.
36:08
SPEAKER_01: Um a manager handing out paracetamol pre-game to players, hypoprofen and paracetamol.
36:16
SPEAKER_01: It's a huge hit.
36:18
SPEAKER_00: If he's coming well prepared to give the lads the drugs they need.
36:21
SPEAKER_00: Fair enough, can't argue that.
36:22
SPEAKER_00: What what would the why who why would that be a shit?
36:24
SPEAKER_01: Well, more the fact that why are players constantly taking painkillers before every game this season.
36:31
SPEAKER_01: Some people need to, Brent.
36:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I get that.
36:33
SPEAKER_01: I get that.
36:34
SPEAKER_01: I just yeah, I thought that was quite an interesting observation this year that I've had.
36:38
SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, well, I think that I think that's that's pretty comprehensive.
36:43
SPEAKER_00: We'll we'll we'll wrap it up there.
36:45
SPEAKER_00: This has been a little short episode of Let's Stick Together um with with me and Brent.
36:50
SPEAKER_00: Um nice to be nice to be face to face.
36:53
SPEAKER_00: Me staring at a screen, you staring at me.
36:55
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's a good dynamic.
36:56
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, feels about right.
36:57
SPEAKER_00: You will hopefully be back next week.
36:59
SPEAKER_00: Uh for we we think we're gonna break down a couple of cool things, so watch this space.
37:06
SPEAKER_00: Okay, see you later.
37:08
SPEAKER_00: See you then.