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Brendan's back... · Lets Stick Together

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: So let's stick together.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: Is it episode five of season nine?
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: Is it a special?
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know anymore.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: We've hit new levels of crap.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: What a start.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: We tried.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: It's 2026.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: Youp is doing his standard stuff where he has decided that he's been unavailable for the past two months.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: And then he said maybe he was available, he's currently in South Africa.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: But he's he's got the runs, so he can't join our call.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: So what we have done is done what a lot of the fans wanted, and we have tracked him down.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: And Brendan is back.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, Brendan.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Hey mate.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we tried to get a three of us, and Yupe's faking the shits, so he's out.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so it's just me and Phil having a good old catch-up.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: Just so he couldn't talk to you again.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I don't blame him to be fair.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: I don't blame him at all.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it happens when you reach the top of the world.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: You just can't be bothered with the people who are really low down, 25th in the world.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: You're just not bothered by them, you know?
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: You're already going into your USA rankings, he's already there.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: This is the life now.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: USA.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm all about numbers.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, me and Brennan haven't really spoken either since since your wedding.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, I mean, this is this is brand new for us.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: We're gonna learn a lot in the next I don't know how long we're gonna talk for.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, we are brought to you by Y1 Hockey Astor.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: Brendan is still rocking an eight-year-old Y-1 hockey shirt that's way too small for him.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: If we had any professionalism, we would clip it and watch him kiss the badge, but we haven't.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: Brendan, have you got any new Y1 clothes?
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: Are you just wrecking rocking?
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: No, still ripping the old ones, haven't got anything new.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Turns out, it turns out the tariffs and taxes are a real ballg to get anything across that border.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're not getting we're not getting into Trump, are we?
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, no, no, we'll stay off him.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um do you think you've have you have you missed home or you uh you just live in the USA dream right now?
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Oh big question to start off.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, 100% you miss home.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's it's one of those it what's really annoying is I'm really bad at communicating in general.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: So what's annoying is the fact that it's not that I'm in a different world, I'm just bad at communicating.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, 100%.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's especially over the last I think the wedding was a real high, and then because it was kind of everybody who we hadn't either not seen in a while, or people we just want to spend a lot of time with, and we kind of catch up with everyone, we kind of get to a good point, and then five days later we're in the crash back of reality of work, and it's like fuck, we miss people.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that was a real low point, I think.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we'd we'd love to be in a position where we can see friends and family more, but then we just encourage everyone to come over to the US where it's 22 degrees in January and it's lovely.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, I mean, we were talking the other day and you were like, Oh yeah, it is raining, and then I looked in Charlotte and it was like 20 degrees and raining.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: But then you also use the term I'm going to play some pickup basketball before is work.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I was like, Oh my goodness, this couldn't be you've just turned into American Brendan.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: Which I well, I I've got to ask before I go on.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just gonna monologue for a bit.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: Is that people sent in requests when we started the new season saying that they they missed you?
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what what do you think they missed about you?
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh my lack of opinions, um, probably my stupidity, probably not having a third person to take the piss out of.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: I reckon there's quite a few things.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um maybe Paina really filled in for you.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if you I I assume you haven't listened to any of the new season.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: No, and I that's my plan actually for the flights, because we've got I was saying, Phil, we're flying to Spain soon.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I've I've got a good sadly, it's not a two-hour flight, it's an eight-hour flight.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um so yeah, I've got that to look forward to.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I'm gonna actually get on the I'm gonna get on the new season on that flight because I've got time, which is nice, which is something I don't actually have too often um these days.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um Peino sat on the fence a lot.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: He was he was he got quite defensive about when we did we did the goalie cool wall, and he got quite defensive about when we just obviously what we were gonna do, which was just rip into goalies.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: What and do you know what annoys me is I actually messaged Peino uh because I saw his latest haircut.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Can we discuss this?
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what what is going on with that man at the moment?
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is he is he just doing whatever he wants?
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Is that is that where we're at?
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because if so, fair play, but god, it was bad.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Was that your message to him?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: I messaged him saying, talk me through it.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: That's all I said.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: I screenshotted his picture of him on the national team lineup, and I just said talk me through it because it's that bad.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: He's been calling him well, people have been calling him Victor Crum, which is I actually think a bit of a compliment.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I don't want to give him that satisfaction as as both fans of Harry Potter.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to give him that satisfaction of being a Victor Crumb.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: Would you yeah, if you haven't, if you're not a Potter fan, look it up.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: Victor Crumb is an excellent, and obviously look up a new photo of Oli Payne who's decided to shave his head.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, I mean a little bit of an update, I guess, for what's been going on.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: It is we are in the middle of chaos, I would say.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, we had Christmas, you was in Argentina in December.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I have uh coming back from seven weeks out, I had a calf tear, hence missing pro league in December, and then Yupe's now in South Africa, everyone's a bit all over the place.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Hockey India League's going on, um, and then we've started to have pro league in February, everything is uh is is full on go.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: So normally, I I I will apologize to anyone who cares about listening to us for the lack of episodes.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but there's been been plenty happening.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we're gonna try and cover a few things.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, first of all, I guess we can start at the Hockey India League briefly.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: The Hockey India League has been going on, the women's competition has finished.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: There were four teams in that.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I would love to be able to tell you who won that.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: I would take a stab at the Tigers.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Brendan, do you have a no tigers were in the final, but the I want to say the Pipers one, I want to say Delhi won.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: I think you're right, you know.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: The Delhi Pipers won.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: And um, yeah, did you did you manage to catch any of the the women's hockey India League?
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I actually I've actually managed to watch quite a lot of it because uh we've our trainings have been pushed back, so we actually have the morning slot where the India games are on.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: So it's actually we've been able to watch it live.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and one of the US goalkeepers is in the India League, so it was actually we actually watched quite a bit.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um I and I have to admit, I am an avid watcher of Orchard's Instagram.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: So whenever Simon Orchard posts, I'm on it.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: And he touched on actually a really good point of the women's India League is is not good.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's a lot of old names trying to make some cash last minute rather than the best of the best.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that like in comparison to the men's, where I think the men's is actually like young players going at it like players who are in their prime, I think it's a very, very different ball game.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I watched it, but I wasn't necessarily impressed.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: That makes sense.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I agree.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: They're not they're still not quite making it as enticing as enough as possible, I guess.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: I I guess for everyone, really.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_01: But it's it's almost there, but it's just not quite there.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like watching the women hit the nail on the head with the fact that you know they lost the Dutch and the Belgians, I think, didn't go this year, which you know is a hell of a lot of very good players.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: When you had you know, Yibi Janssen there last year, she was clearly like a huge, a huge figure to you know bring in people, news for social media, etc.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, one of the gripes I have got, this is this is a slightly different one, is that I obviously I went last year and they're doing it over four venues this year, I think, for the men.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I know that the women's culminated at Ranchy, and the men are currently in Ranchy, recording this on the 14th of January as one of the like legs where you play each other.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: That ranchy pitch is possibly one of the worst pitches I've ever played on, and it's almost making everyone look I would go as far as 25% worse than they actually are because of how bad that pitch is.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I it question for you is do you think it should?
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: I know it's the Hockey India League, but do you think it if there's a possibility that it should change countries every so often?
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: How would that work?
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'm just thinking from like a point of view of like it can still be the Hockey India League with Indian money and Indian names for teams, but you just change the country for where it's hosted for a year.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: Because and the only reason I say this is for that exact reason, right?
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Of like if you put it in a different country, do you and it's probably a a loaded question if it's in a different country, do you think other teams will be like other players will be interested in going?
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: This is one of these, but I'm really gonna try hard not to shoot you down straight away.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: No, please do, because then we're straight back into what we used to do.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: Then it wouldn't be the Hockey India League, Brendan, it'd be the Hockey Um Holland League or it'd be the Hockey Malaysia League, and you'd have to fly all of these Indians out to play, and there'd only be like two what do you mean perfect?
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: Why are there loads of Indians just chilling in Malaysia playing?
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's still technically the highest standard of competition, right?
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Club competition, that's what it is equivalently.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: So then I was like, Well, I wonder if you just put it in a different country for a bit.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: Like over the winter period, you just go to a hot country like a South Africa or like an Australia or a New Zealand, where they just like I know they've got their own versions and this, that, and the other before you shoot me down.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: I was just like, I don't know, just do you know what?
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: It just doesn't entice me enough.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I thought you were gonna The fact that I'm seeing Slazenger fucking shirts everywhere just is enough for me to be like, I'm out.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: I thought you were gonna say something sensible, like they could ask another team to have a franchise in it.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then you'd be like, Oh, well, that'd be cool.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: You could have the Kuala Lumpa legends in it.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you could have a Bangladesh team.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: You could do you could do anything different.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: I just think there's like that well-known good hockey nation, the Bangladesh team.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Bill, they came sixth in the Asian Cup.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Come on, man, as a as a coach, I need to know these things.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: No, but like you couldn't enter a Malaysian team, you could enter, like, yeah, there's there's differences.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, maybe they maybe they can get something.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: They also they've got no fans watching, which I find crazy because 10 years ago when the mil when the hockey in the league was going, it was nuts.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: You had so many, so many great crowds, like even the ranch, they're doing it in Ranchy right now.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: And back when um Ashley Jackson and Barry Middleton were playing for the Ranchy Rays, the Ranchi Rhinos, whichever version it was, that place was packed and they were going crazy.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_01: So, what have they done wrong to stop people coming?
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I think it is, and I genuinely think it this is a big thing was you know when they stopped, I think they're just they lost a load of people.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: And because it took a few years to build it back up, you've got to remember, right?
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: When Indian comp like I know we discussed this, that and the other being in India, but when you've got so many different competitions that happen in India, at some point people aren't going to be able to afford something else.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like, and I I think it's free to watch, right?
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: Or it's like free to attend.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Tickets are free.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: And and the fact that you haven't even got people attending suggests that there's either marketing strategies are bad, even though the social media looks all right, marketing strategies clearly are poor, or there's something afoot.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, there's just something not quite right.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: Because as you say, like, imagine if it was free.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think it if it was free in the UK, people would come and watch?
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I actually do.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: I actually think that I I agree.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: I think pri I think tickets price everyone out in the UK, whereas in India that's clearly not the issue.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but not I'm not even talking about big numbers.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'm reckoning if you had like six teams in the UK dotted around, you might get a thousand fans at a game.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know, maybe we're stretching here.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: No, I think you would, because as long as the beers are cheap, you'd be fine.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, true, true.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: It is good.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's maybe it's one of them slow burners.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um I still don't think like compared to last year as well, it seems like there's less in like I think you could probably convert Orchid's Orch's point about the women and put it to the men a little bit because you do see like there isn't you know, there isn't there's no duchies there this year.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know you could name a lot of world-class players that aren't there, and it would be great to see the best of the best playing.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, I I don't know if I don't I don't know what they need to do.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's still pretty good, and I'm sure that the like when we were in the finals last year for Summer, them crowds were absolutely insane.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like in in that raw keller stadium with 20,000 people, it was it was absolutely insane like how good that was.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: I mean I'm assuming that's where it's ending again this time.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: No, it's in Bubon Espa this time.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, oh nice, yeah.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm I am a pretty good place for it, but yeah, as it as it progresses, I am hoping that it you know the crowds will come in and we'll see we'll see bigger crowds.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: But like the hockey on show, I think, is exactly what LST have always pushed for, where it's like there's a lot of carnage, there is a lot of like transition hockey, and there's there's there's been quite high scoring games.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, the hockey I think is a good product.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: Put it on a good pitch with decent cameras.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's it's it's almost there.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's also like your point, there's four different venues, right?
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: Four's probably a bit too many because you're asking a lot of one people traveling, two time because you've got a there's time to travel, this, that, and the other.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: I wonder if it's like a three or a two venue, but you change the two venues each year, so it's not the same two venues every time.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I think there's just probably ultimately, I think people crave consistency and it's only its second year of restarting, right?
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: So again, like probably in year three, year four, there's a bit more of like we can buy into this.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: The reason I thought it worked last time was that everyone played home games and they they got behind their own team.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: A home team, yeah, franchises, I guess.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: So like you're playing games, you know, like how many games at home, and you can really build a relationship with the fans.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas like now it's a bit like, oh, we're just playing in Ranchy because we're playing in Ranchy, like yeah, uh it yeah, maybe there's there's some work to do, but um, I guess who's who's are we gonna try and we're gonna try and head up the marketing team out there?
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think I am, but you know, I am I am now a fully fledged marketing person for for for Y1 sports, so you know, and I know little to nothing, so you know what are we gonna do?
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um I guess if you've watched lots of games, could you give us a couple of standouts?
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_01: Women and men, is that possible, Brendan?
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I I this is gonna sound really blunt, I don't mean it to.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: On the women's side, I don't know if there necessarily was a standout.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, Gorzolani scored a lot of flicks, but the flyers were practically non-existent, they might as well have been paper thin.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, like the runners, so I'm like, um, and on the men's side, what is disappointing is like I know, I know it sounds, and it kind of goes back to the LST point, right?
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: Of like, if you're looking at MVPs, you want the MVP to be the best player, but the MVP is going to be the person that scores the most drag flicks, like, yeah, great, but fuck, come on.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um so far, I mean, Tom Boone's been pretty electric so far, unsurprisingly.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, five goals today.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know when this episode is going out, but they'll probably be last week.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: He scored five goals.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: He scored four, I think, today, maybe three or four today.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: So five today.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: Is it five today?
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: Fuck.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah, so I'm like, he's he's looked pretty sharp to be honest.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and his team looks pretty good as well, the ranchy guys.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but then like it's hard to look past Kalinga with Van Doren and Hendricks.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: Like, Van Doren's pretty much running the show at the back, and then Hendrix just scores a flick or two, so they're like, they're doing pretty well with the world, but a real big bugbear.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: Right, here we go.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: This is actually gonna set me off.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: So Kalinga Lancers have got the Aussie under 21 head coach, right?
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: Or ex, however it means, and he signed three or four of the young Aussie players.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: They paid a ridiculous amount for one of the Aussie goalkeepers to sit on the bench.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: To sit on the bench, Phil.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't play as the number one goalkeeper, but he got paid a wedge.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: Can we can we discuss this?
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: Is there like what's the ruling on this?
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe he he also, the guy who's the coach, also signed three of his hometown young Australian cooker bros for outrageous amounts of money.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: Genius.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: Is it sports washing?
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: Just asking a question.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it yeah, I mean, I don't really understand it because I'd never even heard of one of them, and he went for 40 lakh.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: I I'll be honest with you, Phil.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: The only reason I know about it is because of our main man, what now Tim.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's the only reason I know about half of them because they play for Melbourne.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but like for me, there's like there's there's definitely something in the fact that like the best players, like certain players went for 10 lakh that should be going for 30, 40, and certain players went for 40 lakh that should be going for five or ten.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like, we cannot deny that there is something real interesting about the whole bidding system.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: It it does work and it doesn't work because it throws you fucking curveballs, but a hundred percent the reason that some players won't be there is because they didn't get paid enough.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and essentially it's about like your connections with the coaches and the staff because like if you were in the hockey in the last time you made good rapport, if you have you know, if there's a there's a Dutch coach and he's brought in uh you know, it was the Campon coach and he's brought in two Campon guards as replacements and Van Batten.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: So like I don't think that that can be classed as like it's just about whether you have the right connections and whether that coach rates you, I guess would be my point.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: Because you know, last year when I got the late call up, it was because uh Yaron Bart, who was the sawmer coach at the time, uh he coached me at OR, and you know, I was on his list to to call.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, I don't know, it is it is slightly difficult, isn't it?
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because we you have to tread a soft line there, Brennan.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_01: Sport washing might be a bit strong.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's 100% very strong.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just saying it's like my biggest question is who else who else was bidding on them Aussies in that Kalinga team to bump up that price?
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: Was it a blind was it a blind bid?
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know, because it should that the numbers suggest it should have been.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um it's fascinating.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: But that's it, but again, that goes back to the point of like do people know enough about what's going on who are putting the bids in?
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: Because Stacy, like the head coach Jay Stacy, clearly knows those guys well and knows that if they're all together, they're all going to be pretty good because they all play with each other weekly.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like that makes a lot of it's common sense, right?
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: In the same way that Van Batam and Sandine, like it makes sense, but at the same time, I'm questioning back to the point of like, is it the best against the best?
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: Probably not.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: Is it good players and very good players playing together?
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like the argument of that combination.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's where the like the conversation kind of dips in and out of that like best versus the best bit, which was their like that was almost their trade up their like trademark phrase last year, whereas it's not really that this year.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: No, it's definitely stuffed.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for anyone who hasn't caught it, it's still on for a for another week or so.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it most of the games are on YouTube if you're in the UK.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think probably if you're in Europe as well.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um normally around 2 pm UK time.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I would say check them out.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um probably got to move it on, Brendan.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I mean just a qu a a bit of a catch-up on the pro league, I guess, is is something that we we normally do.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, how how enthralled are you with the pro league now that you you aren't playing in it, aren't coaching in it?
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: You're in an international setup, but the pro the other pro league is slightly irrelevant to you.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: Does is it still a product that you follow as a coach?
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, follow, but am I a fan of it?
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: No, I think it's pretty shit.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um the fact that Ireland hosted, but Ireland weren't playing in it, I find really odd, obviously, with the men.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like I just find it, I find it a bit peculiar, the whole system still.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think, yeah, if I'm honest, bring back champions, trophy, and world league.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: Let's let's go back to the old system.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: It makes sense.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think the problem we've got now with the way the pro league works and nations cup is no one wants to host a nations cup because it costs too much, if we're being brutally honest.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: So then actually there's no benefit in hosting things.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: People kind of seem to lose money.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: So then I'm like, right, well, then what's the what's the fucking point?
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: Because we're a we're a sport that's that's really struggles with finances.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like, okay, well then how do we actually make it more beneficial?
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then it kind of brings me on to like the the other point of like I think there should be a minimum amount of games that teams have to play a year with the way the ranking system works, that I don't think works unless you're in the pro league because you're the only ones that get games because everyone else is trying to like fight around you to do it.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um again, sorry, go on.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: I've got I've got I know because you kind of you're zigzagging a little bit, maybe, but I I I was gonna I was gonna pitch something at you.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: I'm ready for the pro league, right?
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: And to reduce it slightly.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm ready.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: You make the pro league, so I had this idea, I'm gonna struggle to pitch it, so I'm gonna ensure I'm gonna get torn down, but you make the pro league more tournament-based, but still over the length of time it is.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_01: So you have two group stages, one in December, one in February, right?
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: And you you you probably have to have an even amount of teams because nine is stupid, and there's nine teams, so it just doesn't make any sense, right?
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: Then based on how you did in your group, you go into the summer as a knockout tournament format.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: So you might play two games or three games, maybe it could be like Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, as like a best of three quarter finals, then a best of three semi-finals, and then a finals like weekend.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: I haven't I haven't, you know, crossed all the I's and dotted all the T's, but I was like, what would make the Pro League better and easier to follow is make it a group stage, make it super simple.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: Two, five teams.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you only have to go to two places or maybe even one place, you place in that group pool, then you go into June.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_01: You haven't got crazy amounts of games.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_01: It could be like we did at the Olympic qualifiers a few years ago, where you play a you know, a combined score aggregate score over two games in a quarter final that you that everyone knows how to follow.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: You got a quarter final, that's you know what that means.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_01: You're into the last eight teams, then the semi-final, then you really create this product that you know the finals are here, and we are playing here, and this is how you can follow it, and it's dead easy.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: It cuts down the games a little bit, cuts down the travel, cuts down the cost.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe for the Aussies, if that's happening, maybe you have to have everything in Europe for the final eight.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh but I just thought I would enjoy that more to play in, I would enjoy it more to watch.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_01: What are your thoughts?
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: I really like that idea.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: I think it the difficulty would be group stages because you probably need to.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you don't necessarily have to play those games at the same time, but yeah, you're basically looking what Southern Hemisphere for the group stages and then northern hemisphere for the finals, right?
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's basically what you're looking at.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, maybe.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you said yeah, you could have the group stages in Australia and Argentina.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think what would be really good is having you've got it both ways, right?
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: So then you've got so let's say 10 teams in it, two groups of five, your top two go through to the finals and they play their crossover.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: The bottom two do exactly the same thing in Europe as well, but a different venue.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: So so like the the team that's higher ranked hosts those games, the knockouts, and then the finals in a neutral venue is probably the best way to do it, I think, from that side of things.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think that's like but the neutral venue would be not too far away.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like, for example, if it's if it's let's say, for example, England finish top of the group stage in what in one of them and it's they're playing Oz, they'll host, but then the the their playoff would be over the course of a week, it would be a Friday and a Sunday, and then the following week it would be in, let's say, in Holland or something, it would be Friday, Sunday, the finals, and then you could have the final and the the relegation and the winner playing at the same venue for that final.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: So you've always got then something different.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: I really like that idea because I think it's I'll be honest with you, I think it's I think it's pretty shit.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's like they still can't work out a format that works, and it's like last year was the first relegation we've seen, and it was pretty like there wasn't really much about it.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_01: It's all it's all scheduling as well, it's all about who can play when.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's not about like when you can create the best time for the most excitement.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: But we are a podcast, we are talking to you as fans.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_01: If you think that's a good idea, maybe you let us know.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: If you think it's absolutely terrible, I would also like you to let me know.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: That would be fantastic.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: We are gonna go on, Brendan.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: I was gonna say, could you then almost replicate the format on a more condensed version for indoor?
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, you bring indoor into it.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: I want out.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_00: And the only the only reason I say that is because I think indoor's kind of dying a death at the moment because FIH aren't interested in it, they're interested in everything else.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_00: Bear in mind hockey India League's all over the fucking social media.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm like, right, well, why don't we not bring indoor in?
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: Because you've got teams like Iran, they'd be in the top 10.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: You've got obviously, like, you've you've basically just got different teams in it that would actually be pretty good, and then you basically just host it all in Europe over December and January.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: I think that would encourage teams to get back into indoor, really, because like UK England are pretty much like, well, it's non-existent, right?
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: We don't do it, but there's quite a lot of interest in playing it.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm like, why would you not provide a product that would then encourage people to play?
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like I know you don't use it.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's scheduling, though, isn't it?
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's basically saying, like, where do you want the best players and where do you want them to play?
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like, do you want them in the hockey India League?
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_01: Do you want them in indoor?
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: Do you want them to be able to do that?
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: But that would then, if you're with your with your point of like pro league condensing their program, indoor condensing a program means there's actually a pocket of space for India League to be that January fix.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_00: So then you could do December and till and December and February is your pro league windows, and then your summer pro league window, then the leagues work around it, and then everything matches up on a date unlike a world calendar.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_01: I'm with you, mate.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm with you.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: But I mean I'm not gonna shoot it down.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_01: All right, well, we are gonna come back after the break for a for a little bit of sliding doors.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: And if you don't know what about sliding doors, we're coming.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: We'll be back in a sec.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_01: And we're back, little part two with me and me and Brendan.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_01: We are missing you, but I'm sure you are too.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, I I feel like again, a little update, I reckon we'll probably get and try and do the end of the season.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe we've got some pro league and a world cup qualifier because we've messed up royally.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm thinking that the rest of this season might be in March.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: So, listeners, if you could bear with us, that would be fantastic.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we do like doing this.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Brendan Brendan clearly misses us terribly because he was bothering us to with his crazy schedule that we actually fit him in.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the well, the the nice bit is the World Cup qualifiers, we're all in the same hotel.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: Uh all teams, you know, yeah, but eight teams are all in the same hotel.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_00: Which I think is going to be utter bedland.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I guess also, I guess to fill people in if they don't know, at the end of February, start of March, there are the World Cup qualifiers.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_01: There are there is one eight, so there's two eight-team tournaments for the men and two eight team tournaments for the women.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_01: Top three qualify for each with a best loser scenario involved.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_01: Effectively, seven women's teams are going to qualify, and seven men's teams are going to qualify for the last spots of the World Cup in the summer.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_01: We've got lucky as we are the top ranked nation, and we are going to Egypt.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_01: And Brendan with USA is the um is the lowest ranked nation, and he's also coming to Egypt.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: So it'll be fantastic for us to for us to meet up.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: And we could, I mean, I'm guessing it's not going to be possible because you're going to be very busy watching lots of video.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to be bumming about drinking coffee and trying to play some hockey.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, um, if we both make it, I'm pretty sure you are going to make it.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, we so that so that's something to to watch out for, something to that's on the horizon a little bit.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, I I actually wanted to talk about your career highlights.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to make it interview-based, but I wanted to make it like looking back now, your career's finished, and um now you're in the coaching world, and anything you took for granted of being a player, and also you know, like what are them?
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_01: I guess it's on and off pitch.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like, do you view it look back, and is it really easy for you to think of like a real shining on-pitch and off-pitch career highlight?
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, like my I think still that first Europeans in 2017, if you remember that one, that's still like my like I think 2017 Europeans is still my like real highlight.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: I think that tournament, I probably didn't appreciate how much fun it was, because we were all new to it.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but the group that we had and like the coaching, like the whole thing for it was like just a lot of fun.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um and like we did like we probably overachieved in that tournament, but I don't know if we overachieved or we just achieved.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_00: Like it was like that tournament between that and the final Europeans that I played in, because that's it's the tournament that I played in consistently.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't I didn't get picked for the big ones, but I played in the smaller ones.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I think that like, and between that and the 2023 Europeans where we didn't play that well, but we did well, and then you look back at like the 2017 one where we actually played really well and we play like we did well, I think there's like there's those bits where I'm like, I kind of wish I kind of wish I just went out and played rather than like overthought.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: I kind of wish I just went out, but though those two tournaments are probably my two highlights for that on pitch.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um what games what games stand out between the the f the first probably not the probably not the Holland one for you?
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_00: No, that was a bad day.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, that's that semi-final was a bad day on pitch, but an amazing day about five minutes before the start of the game because that anthem was unreal.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, those Germany games in that tournament in 2017 were unbelievable.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_00: Both Germany games were like seriously good hockey games, and like probably a good advert.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, that whole tournament was probably a good advert for hockey because it was end-to-end with all teams, high-scoring games, but also there was quite a lot of good defensive stuff.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_00: It was just probably some of the best hockey players playing at that time.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then 2020, I think 2023 Europeans was that semi-final game.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_00: I probably won't forget that for a while.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_00: That was pretty unreal because it was just a it was a what a nil-nil.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't happen too often, but both teams defended like pretty unbelievably.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I think that's probably like those are the those are the games.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_00: Classics always against fucking Germany.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um those were probably on it, and then off pitch, like I always go back to 2018 commies.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_00: Like that tournament in the flats that we had was just like we had a really good blend of people, kind of like everything we had.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_00: We had the youngest and we had the oldest in the groups, we had guys that came in just for the tournament.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_00: We had like just a really, really fun tournament in a great country.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_00: The setup was amazing, the kind of like the way it was all done.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, like even things like playing on the SNES for who has to go and get the piss pots, like that stuff for me.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_00: I still remember now the cricket in the with the wet tennis ball in the flat, breaking mugs and smashing, like the whole thing was just carnage, but it was so much fun at the same time, and it kind of flew by, which is a bit like I wish I kind of appreciated it more at the time, and now looking back, like what an unbelievable time we had.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they were probably like my like standout moments.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, I'm with you.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_01: I'm with you.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_01: I and I can I can understand.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_01: I always feel like you miss out on a little bit of context for the fans, but I like how you fly through them in your own brand and way.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um you remember when we're in the flat and we're smashing the mugs.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_01: That was good.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's like um it's funny now being in like a coaching position because you like you hear some of the stuff that the players talk about and are like I want to relate to it, but I've also got to be like, Brendan, you've got to be professional, mate.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_00: Like you can't.
• 35:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I think there's like Are you what type of coach what type of coach are you now?
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like, are you are you understanding?
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_01: Are you empathetic of the players because you were only there like a year or a year and a half ago?
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: Or are you trying to really distance yourself and be uh be all like uh what's the word?
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like haughty and uh aloof.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_00: No, I'm uh I'm un unsurprisingly, I am myself, so I'm very much approachable.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um I kind of just like I have a real empathetic, probably to the point that I sometimes need to be like, I actually need to push him here.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um that's been quite hard to try and find the balance, but actually the the head coach that I'm pretty much learning off is like he used to be a player as well, so there's kind of he's a little bit more on the other side of it.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_00: So then actually what we do is this is the classic good cop, bad cop.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_00: But it's it's sometimes good cop, good cop, and it's sometimes bad cop, bad cop, but sometimes you don't get it right.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but what's really nice is I kind of like learning from him, and he's he's probably given me more opportunity than I probably ever thought I'd get in terms of like understanding how the system works, like who you need to speak to within the company, and this, that, and the other.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_00: But he's also like from a player point of view, he's pretty hard and he's pretty no nonsense, but it's but it's consistent.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that's what's been really good for me because sometimes I can be soft, and there's times where I need to actually put the hammer down and push him a bit, and that's actually been like probably one of the best things for me to learn off.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I wouldn't say I'm I'd love to.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'd love to hear you put the hammer down.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't be like it doesn't happen and it's squeaky when it does.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm excited.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_01: I would be I would love to be that fly on the wall when the when the when the hammer goes down from Brendan.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_01: I mean I understand that you will be now a well-respected coach and that you have all the respect.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um I I bet you're dreading Brendan will be dreading coming to Egypt because he's gonna, you know, for whatever England team is there, you know, 70% of them will have played with Brendan, known Brendan as the Joker, as the fun guy, as the um yeah yeah, and and you're gonna be there trying to be as serious as possible with your USA team, and just people will not be able to help themselves as to just treat you like friend Brendan.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's gonna be a fun time.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_00: The nice bit is is I don't think I've I don't think I've changed enough to not be the same guy.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think I just probably have a lot more responsibility on my shoulders now.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like there's moments when I've got to be serious when previously I'd have been the one at the back, kind of just pissing around.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think what has I think what has been really cool is seeing just how a how different you can do things.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_00: I think being in a centralized environment now, I kind of wish we'd done some things different back home.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's probably been like my one thing that kind of like now looking back, I wish it was a I wish we'd done some things tight slightly different.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like some of the technical stuff that I've gone through this year, I never even thought about as a player, and I never had coached me.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_00: But actually, the head coach that we've got is so technical with stuff that it's like I actually sometimes I thought some coaches in the UK were technical, and it turns out they were nowhere near as technical as I thought they were, um, which has been really eye-opening because I think like now, even now, even though I'm what one year into the not even a year into the job, there's stuff that I've learned already where I'm like, fuck, we missed a trick.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and actually now, now implementing it with a different group, it's really interesting.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_00: And it'll be interesting to see where it goes and this, that, and the other, because we're playing against teams coming up who are so much higher ranked that it's like maybe we're just not there yet to implement them because we're not.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's like we're in such a low.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_01: Go on, give us, give us, give us some uh give us like a small example.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I think stuff like just footwork and things like that, we kind of like I don't think we ever thought about or we're ever coached to really understand like the impact of how footwork can open up opportunities and things like that.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we I don't necessarily think I w I wish we had more of like a hockey understanding from an SNC point of view that I think we probably missed out because football and things are different, rugby and things are different.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_00: We don't necessarily like whereas here you've got more like lacrosse-based, where it's it's pretty similar to hockey, so there's like there's a lot more crossover of sport here, despite kids not doing it at school.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_00: Whereas in the UK we do all these sports, but we probably don't necessarily understand anywhere near as much as we probably should do.
• 39:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um that's actually been really interesting to kind of see um and implement and talk about more and more.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I actually think I actually think if I'm being really honest, until Craig came in, I don't know how much coaching we actually received.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, sorry.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, sorry.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um I don't know how much coaching we actually received from a coaching point of view.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um that sounds really weird now looking back, but it's actually really interesting that I think people assume when you're at the top in terms of when you're international, you don't need as much coaching.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_00: Whereas I actually think I think you need just as much as if you're a if if not anything more than a novice because you need to next next level rather than I think a lot of the time people just think you'll work it out, which sounds really weird.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and and and yeah, I I always think that everything always gets put in boxes, doesn't it?
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like um when you're a coach, you know, someone has a formula and you think that you know that that everyone has to go down the same path.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that there's a million different ways to uh to a gold medal, there's a million different ways to a like a senior international hockey player, and you and you don't have to you know follow the guide behind before you you don't have to, you know, like I always love the example of Scotty Scheffler for golf, like his swing and his if if no one knows golf, I'm sorry, but like watch watch his golf swing and and he he has this weird right foot slide that makes no sense at all.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's the world number one, and I always like that exact example when you apply it to sport because it it doesn't have to be right, you know.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_01: Like Brendan started talking about footwork.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_01: My my instant thought was like that's mental, like why is that important?
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_01: But it it could be very important, like I don't know, I don't want to be closed-minded to that, but yeah, it's it's um it's definitely interesting, and and I think like fresh viewpoints, and you like I said, I think it's it's this challenge of no one knows what wins a gold medal until you do it.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um I want to make a a segue because we don't have a crazy amount of time.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's a really interesting point.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_01: We will, you know, we've talked some serious stuff there.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I would like to kind of talk a bit of predictions, maybe a bit of betting, not betting, but like if you if you had a small pot of money and you had to bet on a couple of things for the for this World Cup in the summer, um is there a team, is there a player you'd you'd be backing, you know.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you can go in whi whichever way direction you want.
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um I I'd be you know, it's it's easy to to chuck out a bet and say this person, you know, the Dutch are gonna win gold for the women.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_01: That's not exciting.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I don't want that, Brendan.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um I'll I'll join you.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_01: I just need to think of it myself.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_01: I just asked the questions, then don't actually answer.
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I'm I'm gonna put myself out on a limb and I'm gonna say China women to win gold and the women's.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_01: You're getting good odds for that.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think like I and don't get me wrong, I think it's Raoul, I think Raoul Aaron's the new coach, I think he's I think he's gonna get the best out of the Dutch coach.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_01: The new Dutch coach or the women uh the Chinese coaches, uh Dutch coach.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_00: Alison Allen's still doing the women.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um but I think I think the Chinese women will get gold this year.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I I won't give you the reason why, because I'm not sure it should be publicly announced, but I think from like a point of view of like I don't think the Dutch women are anywhere near as good as everyone thinks they are.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you talk about public announcements.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_01: I missed that.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_01: What are you on about?
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_00: No, I no, nothing to do with public announcements, just my it's my opinion from having like so.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_00: Long story short, um I did a project off the back for the US uh women's team off the back of the Olympics.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um and like in that I had to do quite a lot of in depth research into the tournament and kind of like teams and this, that, and the other.
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I ultimately think like I don't think the Dutch women are anywhere near as good as everyone thinks they are.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_00: I think people just stand off them, which means they get the ball to their better players.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: More consistently than anyone else does, which is why I think they win games.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_00: Whereas I'll be honest with you, I think their defence is pretty poor.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I when I talk more, I would love to be here right now.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_01: It'd be great, wouldn't it?
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_01: This is why Yaub.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I wish you didn't get the runs.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um so that's why, so that's why I think because China are the only team that will press them.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I think if Belgium full pressed, and I think if Argentina full pressed rather than sit at half court, I think they'd have better odds of winning games against them.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but they don't.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_00: Nice.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_00: Good that's a good coach like that, Brendan.
• 44:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and on the men's side, um, I'm actually really I'm I'm again gonna put myself under limb, and I think I think the Aussies will be on a comeback.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think Hagar in that position with the new group that's coming through, I think will be really interesting.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I think Belgian men are also on the up as well.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think they're coming back into it all with a young group that's coming through.
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I think both of those are kind of like the teams that are probably gonna ruffle some feathers a bit and probably pull off a shock result or two that I think will make things a little bit different because of what's annoying about the Belgian side is the fact that all their fucking good players are still pretty young.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_00: So, like your Van Dorans, etc., are still pretty like young on that score.
• 45:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I think actually they'll be I think it'll be really interesting to see how it like plays out.
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but they're my like three teams that I'm kind of like intrigued to see how they do.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um but I really do think China women have an opportunity.
• 45:29
  SPEAKER_00: I just don't know whether they're ready for it.
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um but I think what Allison's done is amazing over there.
• 45:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I like your predictions though.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_01: I think they're pretty good.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_01: You've you've come back stronger uh to LST.
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_01: Normally they're sitting on the fence, there's some interesting opinions.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_01: I do, I still think with the men's game, I still think it's almost like apart from the Dutch, who've obviously had quite a lot of success over the last four or five years.
• 45:54
  SPEAKER_01: I still think there's a wide open, wide open space there.
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like the Argentinians have are coming back and looking pretty strong, they're very difficult to play.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_01: The Spanish have been have been good for a couple of years now.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um and and I just don't think you could predict it because like the Germans aren't, you know, they've lost two of their leaders in the last two years, and yet to see whether how many of an impact that will have, but Max Grambush and like Nicolas Vellan, like not having them at the World Cup, no matter what you say, they were like clutch players, like unbelievable.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_00: So the problem I've got with like so if you look at Argentina, Argentina basically struggled until they replaced Payat with Domine, and now suddenly they're like they're pretty hard to play against, right?
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_00: The Dutch have like they've got Yip Yans and he's been in and out, but they've they've they're starting to find like more flickers.
• 46:46
  SPEAKER_00: Like every team is still in the same boat, right?
• 46:49
  SPEAKER_00: Of like, have they got a gun flicker?
• 46:51
  SPEAKER_00: And then England are like trying to replay, they're trying to find one in um oh what's his name?
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_00: He plays at the back.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_00: Hoops, yeah.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_00: So then I'm like, right, okay, well, until they become like a world-class flicker, I don't necessarily know if you like break into that top four or five teams.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_00: So like Aussies have got like govers, um, Belgians have still got that state of affairs, though, isn't it?
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and no, and that's but that's my point, right?
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_00: Is like our game is so dependent on a world-class flicker still.
• 47:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like the Dutch women, like if you look at China, China have got Gubing Feng, Argentina women have got Gorzolani, and you've got Yibi Jansen, and until you break that, like, until you break that mold of find a way to basically score open play goals for fun, everyone's sitting in a deep zone.
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_00: So then they give away corners, that's the only thing they give away.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_00: That means if you don't have a corner flicker that puts the ball in the back of the net consistently, it's always gonna be hard.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_00: Like Argentina, like Argentina have now got a coach that's defensively minded from the men's point of view, which is why they're suddenly doing so like they're doing really well because they've got a gun flicker and they're defensive and they hit you on the counter.
• 47:57
  SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, of course they're gonna do pretty well.
• 47:59
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's like common sense, right?
• 48:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's how you win games.
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like you're right, it's a sad state of affairs, but it's just where our sport's at.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't know.
• 48:08
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if it's like I mean, I kind of commented on your opinion, like being a sad state of affairs if that I do agree with you.
• 48:13
  SPEAKER_01: Having a flicker, having a flicker is super important.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_01: I still, you know, like you can look back on a couple of years ago, and like the Dutch won a Europeans without scoring a without Yip Jansen scoring a flick.
• 48:25
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's not like it's totally dependent, but I would much prefer it to be more heavily weighted on good players and good good systems and lack of deep zone.
• 48:33
  SPEAKER_01: That would be my dream.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, if you brought in a rule that would limit people to play a deep zone one quarter and that's it in a game, that'd be great.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_00: Because then hockey would be more expansive and it'd be a lot more fun.
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_01: But you look at you need to you you need to listen to Orchard's episode, mate.
• 48:46
  SPEAKER_01: He came up with some good uh some good ideas to to make it.
• 48:52
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like I'm in the room with you lot.
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think yeah, I just I just think there's like it's really interesting the global trends of where things have shifted from to now, and I think they're gonna go back again.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like you're seeing straight hits coming out at corners, you're seeing this, that, and X, Y, and Z.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's it's that classic cycle of things going round and it's on and it's on its way back again into in two years' time, three years' time, everyone will be playing man to man again because everyone's worked out how to play against Zoe and we go back through the cycles again.
• 49:21
  SPEAKER_00: It's like that.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's interesting to see if anyone books the trend or anyone goes against it and does something a little bit different.
• 49:27
  SPEAKER_00: It'll be interesting to see.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I agree.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_01: I think I think this is a nice place to end, Bryn.
• 49:33
  SPEAKER_01: This has been a uh, you know, we could probably keep talking, keep talking shop a lot of the time.
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm keen to I'm keen to get the three of us back, me, Yupe, and uh and you in a room and see if you can I'm sure he'll defend the um the Dutch women to the hill.
• 49:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um but we wanted to bring you a a little episode just to just to say happy new year, and we're still here and we still plan on still being here, but we don't know the plan for the future because we're less than useless and have limited time.
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um but it's been an enjoyable episode, Brennan.
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's been an absolute, absolute delight to get you back on.
• 50:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't say that lightly, I'd say you you you know you offered some opinions, you're a good coach now.
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you don't know that yet.
• 50:19
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe I'll find out hopefully in Egypt.
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um but yeah, this has been let's stick together.
• 50:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'll go episode five of season nine.
• 50:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um Brennan's signing off words of wisdom.
• 50:31
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what?
• 50:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's been a blast.
• 50:33
  SPEAKER_00: I've genuinely like this is this has been like, yeah, needed this.
• 50:38
  SPEAKER_01: I've got a joke for you actually.
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_01: Knock knock knock who's there shit.
• 50:43
  SPEAKER_01: I messed it up already.
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_01: Oh try again.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, why did the chicken cross the road?
• 50:51
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know why.
• 50:52
  SPEAKER_01: They get to the moron's house.
• 50:54
  SPEAKER_01: Knock knock.
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_00: I have like flashbacks to Michael Scott trying to tell uh the joke.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I just remembered, I didn't remember jokes, I just remembered it and I was like, maybe I'll get Brennan to call himself a moron and messed it up.
• 51:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just too excited.
• 51:19
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that's been yeah, we'll see you next time.
• 51:22
  SPEAKER_01: Cheers, guys.