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We Found Brendan · Lets Stick Together

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: In episode five, we've lost Yup and we we have found Brendan.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna talk a pro league review and England hockey first half of the season review.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: So coming next.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Episode five of Let's Dit Together.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: We we we don't have Yupe for the first time.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: I've just logged on, we've just started talking.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Brendan's here with a big smile on his face.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: This is the first time we've spoken in weeks.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: We thought we'd just press record and see how we go.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: We we found him and he started replying to our messages, which was nice.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um Brendan.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Hello.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Oh hi, I'm so sorry.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: I wonder how many apologies have you got to make.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's horrible being five hours ahead.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: Behind behind is really like not enjoyable.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um because you miss half the day.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: So every time you like log on to like a group chat or something, I've like missed a lot of conversation, and normally everyone's busy when I wake up because it's middle of the day, so it's like yeah, so a lot of apologies.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, sorry.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: And how go on, give us a give us a we've got to talk a few, a few uh few through a few things.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: You've been talking about doing some coaching.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: How can you can you elaborate?
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: How how's that going?
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: What are you doing?
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so um in the classic like post-Olympic cycle, there's obviously spots where coaches haven't necessarily been filled yet, and it takes a little bit of time for coaches to be assigned roles.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um so what's happened is I've basically helped bridge that gap by basically being here.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I've basically basically just been thrown in a bit of the deep end coaching straight away from playing, um, which is a bit of a novelty.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I have a real appreciation for how hard it is coaching.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: Right, so rewind.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Who are you coaching?
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, sorry.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's quite important.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the women's assistant and the men's assistant haven't necessarily been filled as of yet.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm basically stepped in.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: So we had the women had Germany here this last week.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: It was like a Germany under 23 side.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we basically I was filling in as an assistant coach helping there.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then in December, the men are going to Chile, the USA men are going to Chile.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm basically going as a stand-in assistant as well with that.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yes, it's it's a yeah, it's weird being on the other side of everything.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I think as players, we've had it pretty easy.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: You spent a lot of time behind a laptop looking at clips.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know what?
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: I have a real appreciation for a code window.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: Well, when it's done when it's done well.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you obviously you get your coding on sports code and we take it for granted from like a player point of view.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: So like you just look at your outlaying clips and this, that, and the other.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's now like a real appreciation for like a whole game view.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: It really does make a huge difference because I've done the video stuff for Bowden this year, which we'll get on to later.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I've done the video stuff for Boden this year, and it's just on Huddle and there's no coding.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: So I have to like watch the video and clip bits myself, and it's like, oh wow, that's a lot of effort.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas this is like a bit of a dream in comparison.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I mean, that's pretty exciting.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: How is the how is it how I mean, how are you enjoying it?
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: How is it, you know, being a coach?
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know what?
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_01: I've really enjoyed it.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: I thought it was gonna be it's been stressful, it's been long hours, but you kind of wake up with a plan, which is quite cool.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, to be honest, I've actually just really enjoyed it.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's just been hard.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a real crash back to reality.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas as an athlete, your days are like two hours and then you shut off, and then you if you're on the pitch again, you have another two hours, and in the gap, you can do whatever you want.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas what I've started to realize is days as a coach, you're looking at like for us the other day, we had a game, and on the game day we worked for 14 hours, so it's like the contrasting time of obviously you're not necessarily physically exertion as this as you would do as an athlete, but mentally as a coach, you are fried a lot of the time, is what I'm finding.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, okay.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't know if we've done this because we haven't spoken to you, but you you've officially retired.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: So, congratulations.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, this feels like an interview so far.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: We're definitely gonna get back to me giving you some shit in a second, but yeah, please do.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: You've officially retired.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Congratulations.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, on on behalf of everyone on an illustrious career.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, how's it how's it feel?
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: That sounds sarcastic, it's not meant to.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it does.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: How does it feel being retired?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Was it a hard decision?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, what's what's it been like?
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: I've enjoyed retirement.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: I'm physically nowhere near where I was, put it that way.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's been nice to not think about like playing.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: Sounds really weird, but it's been quite nice like for a period of time just not worried about picking up a stick and playing.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, have I missed it?
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, of course.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but then again, like I saw the I saw the pro league squad for the England women got released, and I was like, I don't even know half these people, so I was like, okay, this is actually probably a good sign that I've actually have retired from that point of view.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I definitely miss playing at the moment, but I think because I'm still I've been helping in a performance environment, it's a bit of a different like feel because I still feel I'm in it, if that makes sense.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: So it's actually made the transition probably a little bit easier.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you've like bridged the gap for yourself.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's not like you're fully out, you're still doing something.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, that's what that's mean.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's good to hear me.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we'll get into some more of them questions later down the line.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: I will just put the joke you put in of Laura Myers got in touch after you retired um and wanted to know about you know what's the best and worst haircut you went through uh through your career, because you've probably had the most eclectic set of haircuts we've ever seen.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um probably deserves like an Instagram reel or someone to create all of the ridiculous photos we've got of you either being a balded boncer, going through the trying to grow your hair, but not being able to put it in a top knot yet.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um looking like homeless man, uh the cool slick back gym from American Pie.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Like you've probably done it all.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what's your what's your best and worst?
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: I think the best was probably either Baldy Bouncer or when it's fully tied up.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: I'd say that's probably where it's been best, which doesn't say much.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: The worst, and I think you've probably got the most evidence of is the Stephen Avery phase.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: That was probably the worst phase.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um making a murderer.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: So that was that was a pretty dark period, but that was worryingly before I started messing around with my hair.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: I thought that's when I looked acceptable.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I mean if we're half switched on, we will like get that voiceover of photos of you doing having them haircuts because that that just that description doesn't do it justice.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um on to a tiny bit of news.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna try and make these episodes slightly smaller shorter.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna try and have some focus to our life, but let's stick together.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: So here we here we go.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: We might go wrong, but we'll we'll see how we're going.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: Just firstly, thanks to Reese Linnell, who got in touch um about my idea last week.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know, Brendan, if you listen to your own trumpet.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: I haven't managed to, I haven't had enough time, unfortunately.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't listen to the episodes, but I did I already knew that, so I don't have to give you too much shit.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: I've got an idea, Brendan, where we get rid of short corners and we introduced a little I don't want to have to go over it again.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a little circle at the top of the D where you have a shot.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Whoever wins the corner has the shot.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um uh it would be exciting.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you can have a think about it and get back to me.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: But Reese Linnell was kind enough to message in saying, Well done, Phil, that's a good idea.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: Or uh he also said maybe do a shootout.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the only problem I had with that was probably the amount of goals you would score from a shootout would be higher than shots from the top of the D.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: But I am yet to test that theory.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: So Brendan, as a coaching that in.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: I love that theory.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: I I love that idea of hitting from the top of the D.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: I'm on board 100%.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, well, we'll just we're we're gonna get together and write our our um letter to the FIH, but we'll get that over the line shortly.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and finally, Tom Carson as an avid listener, also mentioned that if we did the star awards last week, Brendan, talking about how Harman Priet and Yibi Janssen won it, uh, Tom Carson pointed out that if you know these drag flickers now winning the award, how has Hendrix not won an award?
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Uh you know, if if we are kind of talking about MVP as opposed to uh best player, how has Hendrix in his you know five years of being a dominant drag flicker and winning them the World Cup Europeans Olympics, how has he not even been nominated?
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Do you agree with that?
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: Do you think yeah, I do.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: Do you think there should be two separate awards, an MVP and a best player?
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, maybe.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just thinking, because then if you have an MVP, then you probably take into account goalkeepers as well as drag flickers, whereas you have like an overall MVP, but best player, I think, is I I'm in complete agreement.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's a ridiculous award to have someone like that not nominated, considering how influential he's probably been to world hockey over the past eight years.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, agreed.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I couldn't help but agree a little bit.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: I would say that Yibi Jansen and um Harman Priet are much like they're they're far superior to Hendrix on an on a non-flicking scale.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe that's what tipped it for them, and the fact that Harmon Prix Indian.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but apart from apart from that, um I should have said at the start of the episode obviously, we are brought to you by Y1.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think this episode is coming out too late for the Black Friday launch.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: But hopefully people have checked out there was a Project Vava, a Project Hamper, and a Project Blanc, which we're getting limited edition sticks have been released.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, if we've missed that deadline, there is a 50% off last season sticks in the Black Friday sale from the 29th of November to the 2nd of December.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: So check that out.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Uh if you want to pick up any Black Friday sticks that you missed out on, which was the Thursday, the 28th of 5 p.m.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, Brendan, you look confused.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: No, I just love the fact that they're like, I don't know, like the Black Friday from Young Ones always seems really cool because their sticks go like just black and white.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's like the coolest designs, personally.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: But that's just they yeah, I I've I'm desperate to get my hands on one of them because I asked them to make a slightly thicker edge for me to stop hitting my reverses so far over the bar.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so apparently they they might be doing that for me.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm hoping to get my hands on one of them.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: They do all look unbelievable, I've got to say.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: So check it out.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: They just get it.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: I feel they just get it right.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know what I mean?
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, that's Brendan being positive.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: I can't believe it.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: This is crazy, man.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm telling you now, Phil, and I'm being deadly serious.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: The weather here makes everyone happier.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Everybody's happy.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: I'm yet to meet a rude person here.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: And the average, like the temperature, like the coldest it's been is about 10 degrees.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: Screw you, mate.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: Screw you.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Know your audience.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: We're miserable.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry about that.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: We're miserable.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's fucking cold.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, no, we're not, we're happy.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: On to the onto the topics for this this week.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna uh review the England hockey first half of the season for the uh the women's and men's Premier League, and then we're gonna go on to the first set of batch of pro league games uh coming up, so we're just gonna go through a bit of information on that.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um Brendan, like the club season.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: So England hockey first half of the club season Premier Leagues.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, just to give you a quick rundown is that the the the women's has been a really tight show so far.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: Hampstead have uh finished the first half of the season top, uh, with Reading in second, Surbiton in third, and E.G.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: in fourth.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we've got Sutton, Caulfield at the bottom really struggling uh with only one point and everyone in between.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um my old Georgians team has done a perfect 11 from 11 um with with with a bang in 33 points, followed by Holcombe, Serbiton, then Wimble and Hampstead, and Bowden and Richmond kind of struck struggling at the at the bottom of your team, Brendan.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, who hopefully are going to come back and save the day in the second half of the year.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what we you've you've coached a little bit for Bowden, you've you've obviously been heavily involved, which is why I've we've done this episode.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what are your biggest takeaways from the first half of the club season?
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: Should we start with the women?
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, let's start with the women.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think it's really interesting the fact that there's a top four.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: I think previously there's been like two, maybe.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um but actually the women's leagues, I think it's getting stronger.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's taken a bit of time, but I think it's actually getting there now.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think it's uh Reading seem to do really well in the league season, but I'm yet to see them do well in the playoffs.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: So that's the bit that I'm kind of intrigued about.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: The next the second phase will be interesting for them because I think it'll be it'll tell them where they really are, whereas in the first phase they seem to do really well.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um but actually like I think it's just quite good for their league that everything's quite close and substance aren't at the top at the moment.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's also pretty good.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, Hamstead women seem to be having an absolute storm considering they've not had what Lily Owsley or Holly Hunt, I want to say.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_01: They're both in one's in Argentina and one's been in Oz.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: So I think from that point of view, the league's probably closer with so many people resting potentially.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: I don't really know the ins and outs of it, but there's a lot of players not necessarily playing at the moment.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: So that'll be interesting to see.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it seems like they've got quite a nice split with the women about like the competition this year because like historically Serbiton have always just ran away with the league for the past how many years.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we're talking over 10 years now.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: And so finally, we've got a situation where you know we've got a bit of a fight for top spot.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: We've got Reading, obviously, who who don't have a huge amount of internationals but have been successful for the last couple of seasons.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like you say, we'll be interested to see if they can like pull it out of the bag at the end of the year.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then Hampstead have only conceded six goals in 11 games, and that does say quite a lot.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: That is incredibly impressive, to be honest with you.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: That well, actually, a ridiculous stat.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: So obviously, Miriam uh Pritchard in goal is obviously doing a sterling job alongside you know the whole of the team, I'm guessing.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think what's also interesting is whilst Sutton Copfield are struggling, that set there's a second spot potentially on that relegation group.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of teams that could potentially get relegated in that group.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that's also pretty uh exciting from their league point of view, between six to eleventh place is four points, where as we all well know, towards the end of the season, that's when it becomes real important as to what the situation is.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think that's quite interesting.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think that's a good thing that we go from from the the top six and bottom six now split into phase two?
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: Would you prefer to see a just another ram robin of you play all the teams?
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because then you know you have the most accurate picture of who gets relegated, or are you happy with this split where you know these these women's teams who have it's really tight are going to be playing each other and it's probably gonna mean you know really important tiny margins.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: What do you what do you think of that?
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: I think it would be I think what's nice about it is the fact that you're basically playing against teams.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: The thing that annoys me is, for example, Loughborough students, women are on the same points as Clifton, but at the moment they go into the top six and Clifton get put in the bottom six, which I think is a bit I don't necessarily agree with.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think it should probably be more related to like if you're on the same points, it should be a bottom seven and top five.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know what I mean?
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like it shouldn't be, and I don't think that it necessarily affects anything.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: I think it actually makes it a little bit more exciting from the point of view of actually then you've got three spots, for example, in the bottom seven where they can go into the top eight.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_01: I think that makes it a bit more exciting.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it can be done a little bit more, a little bit more clever.
• 17:08
  unknown: Yeah.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and and there's there's another there's another part that I've been thinking of, which why I would lean towards just playing a regular season where you play everyone home and away, and it's that it would create it creates a bigger gap between the best and the worst teams.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, yes, it might not be fun to lose, you know, by a lot of goals, but the ability to reflect on that, work on that, and actually get another pop at the cherry, I think is important rather than just being like, Oh, we've played them now and we've lost big.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you could we we only uh we only scrape by Beast and uh 3-2.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: They could be looking at that thinking, we know how to play OGs, or or you know, if we're the team, it's it's I just much prefer to see it like not an old school league season, yeah.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: Because you you're losing the fact that you're gonna play against the better and worse teams gonna play each other, so you're hopefully gonna try and bridge a gap and they could get slightly closer to you, but also it just seems fairer to me.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think the you know the other thing we I think we spoke about a while ago, and I like as an as athletes, like it's also quite nice to play against teams that are worse than you.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know what I mean?
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: If you're a top team, because you have to learn how to beat the crap team sometimes, like and equally, like as a bottom team, if you're not exposed to those top teams, how much you learn and how much you develop as a team and this, that, and the other, and how much do you get from those games?
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's like whilst losing 8-0 isn't exactly what you want to be doing, there is a lot of learning from there, and kind of the exposure piece is probably a big one that I think we probably miss the mark on as a league structure.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, having said that, the decisions that have been made have been made for certain reasons, and I do understand them.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: And like there's obviously there's a bit of give and take with both, but I just love an old school home and away fixture.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know what I mean?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like, as you say, like you play Beast and uh whether it was at home or away, you know you've got that reverse fixture the opposite way, where they're either going to care about it more because they got close.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: And I just think there's just um there's something about it where you can learn from the first game to play against them the second time.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's quite yeah, yeah, that we do miss.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: And if we we do want to improve the league, that this this way is not is not the way to do it.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's just to just to split the best and the worst teams, it's it's not the way to do it.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um on to on to the men.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um oh, sorry, I'll just do a quick one for from the women, Bren.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like, have you got any teams that you think have like stood out or like punched above their weight, or you know, any players that you would particularly think to watch out for if you watch it, if you went down to watch any of their games?
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I can't say I've watched loads this year, um, obviously just not being around, but I would say that I think I think Reading to be second in the league and quite comfortably second in the league is actually really impressive from, as you say, a group that's got maybe two internationals in their group, um, which I think is pretty impressive.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_01: That I think uh Rob Foxwell Smith, their coach, is doing a I think a great job.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: And with the team around him, I think they've done a great job as a squad.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think it I think it'll be really interesting to see off the back of these international fixtures if players come back hot and ready to go for the second half of the season, like how the impact of this international block will affect from now till Feb will affect that league starting in March again.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: So, from that point of view, I I agree with you.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: I think six goals to be conceded as Hampstead in 11 games is mightily impressive, and something that I don't necessarily think many people would have thought was going to be the case at the start of the season.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think for any team, regardless of if you're like OGs or anyone, like six goals is ridiculous.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, what what I would say is quite an interesting stat, and looking at it now, is the max the women's teams have scored is 34, and the max the men's have scored is 70.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: So that's just averaging double the amount of goals a game, which I think is actually really like interesting just as a statistic on its own.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I was going to get to that because I don't want to blow our own trumpet, but if we could go on to the men's side, like I said, OGs would were sitting pretty at the top.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: But uh looking at it, scoring 70 goals, the next team in the in the in both leagues that have scored anywhere close to Serbiton who've scored 53, so the 17 goal gap.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, as I already said last week, I would put this down to to to the majority of the time just our forwards and their quality.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but it's it's it's pretty impressive to even for a very star-studded team to come out and score 70 goals.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um the question will be: can you back it up when the time comes and when it matters?
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: So phase one is is more more a feeling out, I would say, phase, and then when you go into the phase two, it'll about it'll be about can you prove it?
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: But Brendan, the same questions for you is is what would you take away from from the men?
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Side, you've obviously watched a lot more of them.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: You've played for Bowden in the first two or three games.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, what are you making of it?
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, Bowden's three points against Beaston's huge just from like a league point of view, from like a position point of view.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: Whilst we're bottom, we're not far off, which I think makes a big difference.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, to be honest, uh, having played you guys, um, I actually thought we coped pretty well for the majority of the game, but then it's you said it to yourself, like the quality of the forwards that you've got, but also just the general team.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, let's stay away from OGs for a bit now because I feel I can already feel the hate from the listeners.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: Let's, let's, let's I just want to say, like, like genuinely from my point of view, I think it's a real good opportunity for you guys to go and win something in Europe.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like the squad is there, it feels like everything's clicking now.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: There's not been that much change from last year to this year.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: All that's happened is you've added a bit of a bit of extra quality.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so from that point of view, it's a really good opportunity.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: Holcomb being top two, I think, is really exciting.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um KB Kwan's obviously doing some, he's obviously ruffled a few feathers, but he's obviously doing something over that way over on the east side of the country.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: I would say that that it I hasn't surprised me that much.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: I do I do think Serbiton, you know, will be chomping at the bit to play Holcomb again.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, the effect that Kwan's had at basically every team that he's gone to in the way that he changes the culture, he changes the um locker room, he changes the way that teams play.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, he he adds an extra five to ten percent of intensity into every player.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's unsurprising that they sit where they have, where they've won one.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, won nine, drawn one, lost one.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um you know, had big results against Serbiton, Wimbledon, and Hamstead, who were all you know rivals and and were ahead of them last year.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that is pretty pretty impressive.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, who would you say is as underperformed?
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'd probably say I think probably Hampstead at the moment, considering the people they've signed and all the change they've had.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like there's a lot of change, but ultimately at the moment they are sitting fifth rather than in that top four.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I'd say from that point of view, I'd also say potentially Serviton have underperformed.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: I think to be third, I think you'd be considering the squad they've had.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: I know there's been a lot of injuries and a lot of movement, um, but I think those two teams would probably want to be in that top three spot, and in obviously the order of OGs, Serviton, Hampstead.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um other than that, I think the league's probably I mean, the top five is exactly who you'd imagined would be in the top five, and the bottom seven is exactly who you imagined would be in the bottom seven.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um it will be interesting to see on the second half of the season, like the second phase, how good EG are.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_01: Bear in mind they've just forked out a wedge for Banders.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_01: I think that'll be interesting.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and Oxted are there.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_01: Oxted, Beaston, and EG are probably that next layer anyway.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I think from that point of view, the league's played out exactly how you'd imagined it in on a bigger scale.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I imagine Surton and Hampstead would want to be in that top three rather than at the moment being in that top five.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and yeah, it's it's been it's been a tight fight for that sixth spot.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: So if when the league splits and Oxtead just uh uh pipped it on the on the last day, I think they have probably been the most consistent and you know they've performed consistently pretty well to make top six, whether or not that's a win for them, because there's there's a the ongoing joke about like you having to play the toughest teams now, and then to go into phase three a little bit um underconfident if you if you if you take a few heavy losses or if you struggle, um, and then you know you've got E.G.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_00: Beast and Cardiff really fighting for that seventh and eighth spot in phase three where they can go on and try and cause an upset in in one of them games, if everyone can actually remember how the how the uh how the format works.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm assuming they can.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, and then you've got you know, from a Bowden point of view, when you put your Bowden hat on, you've got South get on five points, Richmond on four points, and you on three points.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: What are you what are you thinking about for the for the second phase?
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean each game's a final, that's as simple as it is.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like each game you've got to give absolutely everything to try and get those points.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um looking back at those games, it was pretty frustrating, probably from a personal point of view, watching it back from a distance, um, because those are the games you obviously want to be involved in.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, just a bit frustrated from the point of view of like I don't think we're far off it.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's just individual errors from a lower league point of view that if you're a league below, you you get away with, whereas like at this level you just don't, and that's regardless of whether you're playing a top team or a bot or a bottom half team.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I think it's it's well within our reach, it's well within our control, which I think is a pretty good place to be still.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I've to be honest, mate, I've absolutely loved the challenge of being in a different group and being in a different space.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so from that point of view, yeah, I'm not I'm not necessarily downhearted by being bottom of the league.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: I'm quite excited to see if we can basically get off it um and get ourselves into a position where we can stay in that league, and that's the aim of the game, is to keep that team in the league.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, from a personal point of view.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: Nice.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: And and lastly, I will uh yeah, it will be it'll be interesting, and hopefully, you know, you can get a couple of people up to Manchester and and and and get the flares going again, get some rain, hopefully, for people and really try and churn out a few wins because that's what you need.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_00: You need to make that home ground a more of a fortress.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the last one I think to who's overperformed, I think was Cardiff, uh having played them.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: They've still got a game to play before the Christmas break against you, against Bowdoin.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that would see them move up to seventh if they can win that.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I just think normally a tricky second season, like they say in the prem the football Premier League, but it normally is.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um I mean, they've actually thrived, they've they've they've won some decent games um and they've stayed in more games.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_00: They've got a bunch of you know competent guys who who I think can cause an upset on their day.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: So it will be interesting, like well done to Cardiff is my is my is my shout out.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: I think I mean I'm in agreement with you.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_01: Like I think Wallin had done a great job at Cardiff.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um the only one I'd question potentially is EG.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, they give it full beans about being this top club, this, that, and the other, and they're still in the bottom half.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like, if I was them, I'd be pretty pissed off that I'm not in that top six.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and as you say, Oxtead brought it on the last day.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_01: I think that kind of like that would frustrate me as a if I was part of that EG group, because I'd be thinking we should be in that top six given everyone talks about the history and they talk about the history enough themselves.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I think from that point of view, I'd be pretty miffed to be in that bottom six.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and and now they have signed banders, it will be an interesting uh way through to 100% trying to make their goal has to be making the top eight for that phase three and then seeing what they can do from there because you're right, they they they've signed a lot of good players, they have a lot of good players, and they yeah, I think they will be disappointed with with seventh or eighth, whatever Cardiff do.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_00: We are gonna take a short break.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we'll be back in a second.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: And we're back for the second part, which is the preview of the pro league.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's restarting uh in the next few days.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_00: There are both women's and men's matches.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, hopefully, people will understand that there are three team Ram Robins uh pretty much anywhere, unless there's six teams, but mostly three teams.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_00: So the first one is Belgium, China, and England are in Hangzhou in China uh in the next week.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_00: So you can catch some of them games uh if you want to.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, Belgium, Netherlands, and Argentina women are in Santiago del Estero from the 10th to the 15th of December.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: The Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium men are in Amsterdam from the 30th of November to the 9th of December.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: And Argentina, Ireland, and England men are in Santiago del Estero from the 11th to the 16th of December.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: So, firstly, it is exciting.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think this is one of the one of the main positives of the Pro League is that at a random time the pro league starts back up.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: You can watch some good international hockey on your screens.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, find that you know, I'm excited to to watch some of these games and and and see how these teams are faring up post post-Olimpics, seeing what teams are doing, seeing whether they've had a complete revamp, whether they're just trying to build on what they've got.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, Brendan, what are you excited for for the Pro League?
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_01: I think you've just said it then.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: I think there's like end of a cycle, start of a new cycle, as we're seeing quite a lot of players are starting to retire.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think it'll be really interesting to see, as you say, what then what new kids come on the block um and what already present players are kind of taking the world by the scruff of the neck.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it'll be it's a really exciting tournament.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um Tiago del Estero is still the place to go.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_01: I think I'd need to rethink that.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but other than that, um, I think it'll be really interesting to see how the English girls get out in China, considering it's a pretty young group.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I think it'll be really interesting for the England guys out in Santiago as well.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: So, speaking of that, we'll talk about the England Women's Pro League squad, which has been announced.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: There's only two of the members who went to Paris are in it.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and 11 new caps.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_00: So several players are that were several current players are playing abroad, taking time away.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_00: Uh in Australia, uh playing in the hockey one, or in Argentina for Lily Ausley's case in Holland.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so there's there's a whole bunch of of new guys, new sorry, new girls come in.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, Brendan, have you seen the team?
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_00: What what do you think?
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've seen the team.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's um it's young, which I think is actually pretty good.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think off the back of potentially a frustrating Olympic campaign.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's probably quite a good thing to get a load of new guys with new experience.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um that 21's group seems to do pretty well from an England point of view.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_01: So I actually think it's a good promotion of giving guys opportunity, which I think is pretty exciting.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think they're quite lucky in the fact that they're going to China to play against two sides that aren't.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_01: I I think it basically, if you had a choice of either going to Argentina to play against Argentina and Netherlands or China and Belgium, you'd probably choose the China and Belgium with a young group.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_01: So I think they've done pretty well to kind of get that opportunity early doors.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: And and now you're retired, you can start you can start saying what you think.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're an you're an advocate and uh and you enjoy playing the game, uh watching watching all types of of of the hockey.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, what did they need to change?
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_00: What was what was important?
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: Because let's be honest, that that that cycle post-commonwealth games for the women was was disappointing.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um do they need a do they need a complete clean out?
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: Do they need to like build what with what they've got?
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_00: What what what do you think?
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I think they needed probably some.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_01: I think what the men's squad had really well was they had a few guys that came in mid-cycle that kind of gave the group a bit of a re like a bit of a push and kind of pushed the older guys to push a bit harder and also kept uh and the new guys kept going as well.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_01: So what it created was healthy competition.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_01: I can't necessarily say I saw the same with the women.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_01: I think there was um there were guys that looked pretty comfortable and pretty happy in the positions they were in, which the classic leads to a bit of stagnant play rather than necessarily people constantly pushing.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_01: So from that point of view, I'm not saying they were lazy, but I think it's it's easier to be more proactive with how you're trying to make yourself better when there's healthier competition around.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I don't necessarily think they had that in that lice in that last cycle.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas now, hopefully with this in mind, with younger, with the younger players coming through, I think what will actually help is it or what it will start to create is an environment where healthy competition's actually a great thing to have.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um I don't know what your thoughts were, but that that was probably mine, to be honest.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's something we don't talk about a lot.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think it's something we've ever spoken about a lot, but it's it's you know, what is the stage of the team that they're in?
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_00: Is it a time for a total, like like I said, like a total revamp?
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_00: Is it a case of like it's it's you know, how of many people who you think, you know, we could take a few hard losses in the first two years, but it's all about giving players caps, it's all about seeing where the future is.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's a classic, like when you talk about NBA uh teams or American sports, they tend to have a complete re-haul, go for the draft, take in a load of new guys and and try and build something that that might last, you know, that might come good in you know four, four, three, four years.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, obviously, them conversations must happen for for all um all teams.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've been listening to the uh the shootout podcast with Simon Orchard, and he's talking about can you, you know, did the Australian men need a complete reset, get rid of anyone, you know, who's who's in the older age group and and start them start them new because he thinks that that's what needs to happen.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I'm I'm I'm on the fence about it, um shock, but um it seems it seems like something needs to change.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what, but something, and maybe this this will be really interesting to see how these how these new 11 new caps do.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_00: Do they sink or swim, you know, and how the how that goes, I guess.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think I think your point's so valid though, is like nobody really has the perfect answer.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_01: No one knows what the perfect answer is.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_01: I think the big thing is like whatever you decide to go with.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_01: So from this point of view, like it's great because they've clearly committed to going, we're gonna give guys new experiences.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that kind of like is evident in what the squad they've picked, which means we're probably gonna see some people that we've never seen before, we're probably gonna see some things that we've never seen before from that point of view, which is also great.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it also gives the guys that have been in what I I said before was a bit stagnant.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_01: Actually, it probably gives them a bit of a breather to step away.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's healthy that half the women have gone to Oz.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's healthy that like Lily's like gone to Argentina.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's great that people have kind of gone and just given themselves a bit of distance and whether they come back is a different story.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_01: But I think it's just a really like I think it's good that they gave them space.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it'll just be interesting to see how they settle back in if they do.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, if they don't, or as you say, like do you take the casualties and go, do you know what?
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's for the it's for the greater good, um, which I think will be quite interesting from that point of view.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry how to do that.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, great, great half us uh reference.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um and and in this new team, I think the the question I've got for you is who who should this team be based around um for the next four years?
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_00: Who who are you thinking that you're like, I want that person at the forefront, like kind of leading the leading the charge for this for this new new team.
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, before the last cycle, I would say the mainstays are Lily Owersley, Hannah Martin, um Holly Webb, uh don't know if I'm missing uh Anna Thoman, you know, you know, very, very established, good players, like but every cycle it kind of changes and adapts and evolves.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that them them guys could still play a big part, but are they, you know, should it be the younger generation now that they're you know focusing on?
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think um, I mean, if you're looking on the sheet, there's a few names that have been around now in what Lily, uh Lizzie Neal, Lily Walker, uh Sophie Hamilton.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_01: What I would like to see is, and and sorry, and Darcy Bourne, I think what would be really good is like a spine of those four.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_01: And I think if we're looking really like tactical from the last cycle, we saw Sophie Hamilton hanging out on the wide positions and getting the ball pretty deep and having to like run 60 yards to get to make an impact.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think what would be really good is a spine of Lizzie Neal at the back, Lily Walker in the middle, Sophie Hamilton playing in front of her, and Darcy up front, and then you work around that spine, which then means Sophie's attack in the middle of the pitch 30 yards closer to the D rather than on the sideline 30 yards further back.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think that kind of like for me would be really interesting to see how she'd cope in the guts.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_01: And realistically, if we're looking at her development as a player, I'd 100% put her in the guts because that's what she needs to be able to do is basically be more impactful.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_01: And at the moment, it's easy to get the ball and sideline, but the impact that she potentially might have is nowhere near as big as what I think she could produce.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_01: So, from that point of view, I think if I was if I was in Ralphie's shoes as a as a coach, I would be looking at Sophie going, This is your opportunity basically to be our big player at the moment, whilst everyone's away, and then when everyone else comes back in, we can basically build around, and you've then got a spine of quality of people coming back in, plus somebody who's now got a bit of a new lease of life as such.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's probably what I'd do personally.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I I think it's a it's a it's a fair, it's a fair observation.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think that someone like Lily Walker has been uh overlooked a lot in the last 12-18 months, but I think she's got huge quality, and I'm I'm hoping that to see her more as a mainstay, um, more as a player who who starts to lead lead uh lead that team.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um whether or not that happens, obviously, we're just we're just offering our opinions.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh on to the men's squad.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_00: Like we don't know the team yet going to Argentina.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um we what I wanted to talk about is first of all, I should have said this at the start, but the GB team goes back to England, Scotland, Wales.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_00: So obviously the the women's squad lost a lost a fair few of the men's squad, for example, losing Morton, Draper, Schipley from the last Olympics, and and have to go away uh back to back to England.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then it's it's worth noting that like there's there's a few of us on our holidays, so to speak.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_00: So uh so me, James Gall, uh, David Ames, Ian Sloan on our on our on our holidays, having our extended break, uh coming back, or maybe not coming back next in the new year.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um but just to talk about like who do you want to see?
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_00: Who are the fresh faces that you want to see going out to Argentina and putting the shirt on and uh and making an impact?
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_00: Who you who you who you looking forward to seeing?
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_01: I think it'll be like I think those guys who are the younger ones going to that Olympics, so like in nurse, uh your Connor Williamsons, like people who basically are in that bracket between 22 to 24.
• 41:07
  SPEAKER_01: I think it'll be really interesting to see how they cope.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_01: Because it is like they're playing against Argentina.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I appreciate Netherlands aren't there this track this time, but like playing against Argentina is going to be a real test for quite a few of the guys, and as we well know, playing Argentina and Santiago Del Estero in the arse end of nowhere is a pretty tough environment to be in.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_01: Playing a game at 9:30 p.m.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like, it isn't what you class as a normal trip, but it's a great testament of character.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the one person that I'm really excited to see is Crofty.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think we like for the guys that don't necessarily watch much of the Premier League and stuff, like I love watching Crofty play because he just plays the game differently to everybody else.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_01: He plays it in the most simplistic style of I'm gonna post up, I'm gonna get the ball, and I'm gonna shoot.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I'd love to see him wrap a few Argentinians around the kneecaps by accident from following through because he just hits the ball really hard.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like the guy just plays the game a bit like an old school centre forward, and I think that's something that could come back into the game.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_01: And as we're seeing with the game evolving from short corners from flicking back to hitting and stuff like that, there's a space in this in this world of hockey for people like Henry Croft, and I think it'll be really good test for see how where he's at with his development because he's not he's not that he's young, but he's he's not necessarily had the exposure, and I think it's only gonna be good for his development.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, you uh took them words right out of my mouth.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm I'm really hoping that he's on the plane.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, he's a terrifying player to play against, and someone that I'm I'm I'm uh really thinking is gonna have a big impact in an England shirt in the next few years.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, as a as a as a prediction, uh we've all we've all talked him up.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um what about the the you know the mainstays?
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_00: What who you're looking for there?
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_00: Who are you looking for to run the show for in an in an England team in the next few months?
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_01: I think it'll be interesting to see where Zach and where Zach Wallace and Jack Waller are at.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_01: I think as those now senior players in that group, Liam Sanford, like those guys, like it'd be really interesting to see where they're at from a mental point of view, off the back of the games.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_01: Like they've all had pretty good starts to their seasons of where Zach and Jack playing abroad and Sandy at home.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_01: Like it'd be really interesting to see just where they're at mentally.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, I think I think it's a great challenge for those guys.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think it'll be like orbs as well in that group, like depending how they how they get on, I think it'll be really good just as a challenge, to be honest.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, I'd tell you, I'm just I'm just really excited to see this group because I think it's a young group um with the guys like yourself and essentially Ames, Jammer, Sloner coming back, it'll be a real good blend of um young and old.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's actually a really healthy thing for a group.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_01: I think if you have one or the other, I think it's you get there's a there's positive negatives.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas I think when you have a blend, I think you kind of mellow out those negatives.
• 43:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um how does it how does it feel being like one of the first tries?
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_01: trips where you're not going.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know what I mean?
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's been a while since you've probably not gone on one of these trips.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_00: Didn't get expected to ask a question, Brennan.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, I think there'll be part part of me that is is is always edgy and always will would start watching the games and want to play.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_00: There's definitely been more of a sense of like happy to step away for a few months and get my focus on my body, getting it right, trying to recover and make sure that like if if you know I'm gonna carry on for a little bit that I that my body and mind are in the exact right spot to go and do that and still still have an impact or a positive impact on the team.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah I think a bit of both like it's like contentment that I'm doing the right thing for myself but also that that little little young version of Phil which is like why aren't you running chasing the ball around?
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_00: What why are you doing that?
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah I'm I'm really excited to to watch the boys to to to hopefully see him get some wins against Ireland and Argentina um just a quick one there is a there's an absolute bang in games in Amsterdam which is Netherlands Germany and Belgium playing um you've got all three teams which are uh in different stages you've got belgium who are you know are looking looking to looking to do a fairly major rebuild I would say they've got a lot of a lot of a lot of you know seven major players have retired I think um including like Van Obel uh Denea John John Doman uh Cedric Charlier you've got you've got and I'm sure there's a load more good ones that I've missed but you know that is a major rebuild so it'll be interesting to see the young guys they bring in and how they're doing with that you've got Netherlands who have that world you know that Olympic champion team and they've just bringing in the few new guys to blood uh there hasn't been that much change in that team and then you've got Germany somewhere in the middle I would say what are you are you excited to watch them games yeah I think it'll be interesting obviously the last game Germany Netherlands played was Olympic final where there was a bit of histrionics and things like that.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that's also going to be quite interesting to see if there's anything held by individuals or if actually everyone's just it's a new cycle everyone's just looking to go forwards from there.
• 46:28
  SPEAKER_01: I I agree with you I think they're absolutely caucus.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah it'll be interesting it'll be really exciting and as you say Belgium are in that completely different rebuild phase.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously we've lost Craig Sieben from our well from the GB program.
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_01: He's gone to Belgium they've obviously seen the quality there so I think from that point of view it's it'll be really interesting to see as you say where they are because they've got a load of young guys in um and are they just doing what they did eight years ago and going for that kind of rebuild with a new group and just pushing that group so yeah it'd be really interesting to see how it goes pending all the games are on with snow and ice and everything else that goes on in Europe at this stage of the year.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_00: And lastly the the the women uh Argentina Netherlands and Germany to I would argue the three best teams uh at the Olympics or or you know three of the best teams uh from 2024 are all going to be in Santiago playing are the Netherlands still gonna be as good uh you know what do you see from from them three teams yeah I think Germany from a little bit of an insight I think the Germany side that's going pretty young so I think that's gonna be a pretty tough task for those guys um let's face it the Argentina and Netherlands games are going to be the ones that are going to be tasty top two teams in the world so it'll be interesting to see how they go.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah I think the Netherlands are just going to carry on where they left off to be perfectly honest with you coming off the back of their own season back in Argentina where they love to be anyway so from that point of view I don't see anything other than Netherlands steamrolling everybody and setting the world exactly how they left it three months ago.
• 48:03
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah I don't sadly I don't see anything different um but I'd love to be surprised I'd love to see an Argentina side come out and really go after them but I just don't know if that's gonna happen.
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah okay I mean this has been quite a serious let's stick together I've I've been an absolute pleasure to talk to you again Brendan we've we've we've it's been a while rattled through the the previews the reviews uh forgotten how to say them words now but yeah and and you p is going to be back I think next week um he's currently training hard for his games in in Amsterdam in a couple of weeks we can track all three of us down and get ourselves into a uh into a zoom call and do another recording we're gonna do it as soon as possible um yeah if you guys out there have any ideas what you want us to talk we've got some good ideas uh for the future but if you you know want us to interview anyone we we're always open to ideas shoot us a DM Brendan probably won't reply to that because uh he's in charge of social media and he hasn't replied to anyone gotta finish with a with a bitchy note haven't we um but you know we'll we'll still appreciate it have you got any uh closing remarks no it feels so right i've i've been useless um i've got so many messages i still need to reply to so i'm just feeling i'm just apologizing to everyone um no it's been great to be back yeah and and this has been let's stit together brought to you by what I want we will see you in next week or maybe the weekend