Podcast appearances and mentions of wellington saints

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Zoe George & David Farrar. They discuss the budget lock up lock out, and the Wellington Saints campaign to get basketball hoops into schools. Plus.... Do you remember the Bermuda triangle? Zoe George is a communications consultant and freelance sports journalist David Farrar is the Editor of Kiwiblog and Owner of Curia Market Research whose clients include The National Party [picture id="4M6XEG6_copyrightīmage_270090" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Rangimarie "Marnie" Dougall-Mita is a professional basketball player for the Wellington Saints, content creator, and someone who's been on a powerful journey of self-discovery. Honestly, could have yarned to Marnie for a couple more hours – it's almost like he runs his own podcast (check it out, Yarns with Marns). In this episode, we unpack the defining moments that have shaped him — from a devastating knee injury that left him sidelined and spiraling mentally, to rebuilding himself through self-development, vulnerability, and spiritual growth. Marnie opens up about the pressure of performing in pro sport, the weight of identity, and what it took to start showing up more authentically in his life and online. We talk about what it means to process childhood wounds, and how he's learning to share his truth through content. Whether you're into sport, self-discovery, or just love hearing people reflect with honesty — this is a special kōrero with someone who's still evolving in real time. Please check out our awesome sponsors and use code BTS20 for 20% off all Moana Road products!  Moana Road – https://moanaroad.co.nz/ Kaboose Media – https://www.kaboosemedia.co.nz/ Marnie Insta – https://www.instagram.com/marnie_mita/ Noa Woolloff Insta – https://www.instagram.com/noawoolloff/ Beyond the Surface Insta – https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_surfacenz/ Beyond the Surface YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthesurfacenz Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/4ZArq1WSsV1pMID1dkHbBL?si=ae3f007dd7794cde    

This week in the Niche Cache we check in with our kiwi sports delusions which leads into a Kiwi County Tour update for New Zealand cricketers in County Championship. Then we react to Steven Adams and his Houston Rockets losing their first NBA playoffs game vs Golden State Warriors before checking in with the NBL where Wellington Saints and Canterbury Rams are top of the league. We also chat through the continued form of Jackson Ball and Carlin Davison, as well as Corey Webster and Dontae Russo-Nance leading Manawatu. Then we have lots to discuss about New Zealand Warriors who defeated Brisbane Broncos and have an Anzac celebration in Christchurch vs Newcastle Knights. Chris Wood got back into a scoring groove for Nottingham Forest while Moses Dyer and Callum McCowatt are scoring goals so we check in with the Flying Kiwis. And Auckland FC are still dominating and top of the A-League after their win vs Melbourne Victory.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/elnichecacheNewsletter: https://thenichecache.substack.comHook us up with a brew: https://buymeacoffee.com/thenichecacheSay kia ora: thenichecache@gmail.comwww.theniche-cache.com(00:00) Intro(09:19) Mindfulness(17:24) Kiwi cricket delusion(31:50) NZers in County Cricket(37:03) Steven Adams in NBA Playoffs(57:08) NBL(01:10:10) NZ Warriors(01:51:18) Chris Wood, Moses Dyer, Callum McCowatt(02:04:04) Auckland FC

The Hurricanes take on the Crusaders at Sky Stadium tonight - a spectacle that will include fireworks for the first time at Sky Stadium in a decade. What can we expect from the game - and might we see a big crowd? Also, the Wellington Saints are at the top of the table after beating Southland last night. Who are the stars? Newstalk ZB Weekend Sport host Jason Pine and All Sport Breakfast host Adam Cooper joined Nick Mills for the Friday Sport Kickoff. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Auckland Tuatara have trounced the winless Indian Panthers 114-71 in their New Zealand NBL basketball game on the North Shore. Meanwhile, the Canterbury Rams defeated the Manawatu Jets 92-81 in Christchurch. This afternoon sees the Otago Nuggets take on the Wellington Saints at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin. Nuggets Head Coach Mike Kelly joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss their season so far. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hurricanes take on the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland this weekend - and while its not a do-or-die game, the Hurricanes are in desperate need of a win. What can we expect? Also, the Wellington Saints went from a 26-point lead over the Franklin Bulls in the third quarter to winning by just six points at the end of the match. How did they perform? Newstalk ZB Weekend Sport host Jason Pine and All Sport Breakfast host Adam Cooper joined Nick Mills for the Friday Sport Kickoff. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Braswell, who was born in Baltimore, underwent emergency heart surgery last month. He joined the Breakers in 2010 and also played for Southland Sharks and coached Wellington Saints in the National Basketball League. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Australian NBL returns to Wellington for the first time in five years this weekend where the Breakers will take on the Sydney Kings at TSB Arena. On the court will be Shaun Bruce, a former Wellington Saints player now playing for the Kings. He joined Nick Mills to discuss what to expect on Saturday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan Ngatai is a New Zealand Basketball player from Porirua. He has represented several clubs, including championship stints with the NZ Breakers, Wellington Saints, and the Otago Nuggets. He has also been a key player for the Tall Blacks across various campaigns. - In this podcast we talked about: Switching codes from Rugby to Basketball Playing alongside legends of the game on the court The feeling of putting on the black jersey and representing New Zealand Leading the Haka for the Tall Blacks, and what it means to represent his culture Filling the mentor role for younger players Dropping 47 points for the Hawks How becoming a father has changed his perspective on everything Episode out now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeartRadio.

There are a number of debutants in the All Blacks squad to play Fiji in San Diego on Saturday, and the Wellington Saints take on the Franklin Bulls in Wellington tonight.  To talk through the weekend's sport, Nick was joined by Weekend Sport host Jason Pine and All Sport Breakfast host Adam Cooper.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Franklin Bulls are through the NBL basketball semi-finals after belting the Wellington Saints 104-67 in the capital. They'll take on the Auckland Tuatara next Wednesday at Eventfinda Stadium Meanwhile the Canterbury Rams take on the Taranaki Airs in the first Semi-Final on Sunday afternoon. Airs player Derone Raukawa joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a top of the table faceoff tomorrow afternoon, with the Hurricanes taking on the Blues at Eden Park.  All Sport Breakfast host Adam Cooper and Weekend Sport host Jason Pine joined Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills to talk that match, as well as the Phoenix first semi-final on Sunday, and the Saint's home game, also on Sunday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

D'Arcy Waldegrave understands that the Warriors are going to buy a bar in Kingsland and turn it into a Warriors-themed bar. Now the Warriors don't tend to run bars very much because they are, after all, a rugby league team - so could this work? Nick Mills was long-time owner of the Wellington Saints and has owned a lot of bars too, so D'Arcy got his opinion on the whole thing on Sportstalk. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Pine and Adam Cooper joined Nick Mills to preview all the Wellington action as part of the FIFA Womens' World Cup, and reflect on the historic opening game for the Football Ferns. They also check in on the Wellington Saints, local golfer Daniel Hillier, and preview the Jubilee Cup club rugby final between Paremata-Plimmerton and Oriental Rongotai. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Saints CEO Jordan Mills joined the show to preview their sell-out clash at TSB Bank Arena. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ethan Rusbatch out of the Hawk's Bay Hawks joined the show to preview their clash against the Saints.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rolling through the variety once more, with a bit of Soul-Instinctive Mindfulness to begin (3:40) and then on we go. Top billing is an impressive Warriors win vs Dolphins in the NRL (5:43) as well as a few kiwis getting amongst the Central Coast Mariners A-League glory (10:10). Kai Kara-France's controversial loss follows (15:06) along with the Wellington Saints on the rise in the NBL (17:12). There's a Lydia Ko check-in (19:25). Some Liberato Cacace excitement/intrigue (20:47). Junior Pauga headlines some Kiwi-NRL youngsters in the spotlight (25:40). Then we've got the Tall Ferns on tour (28:49), Jordan Riki sizzling for Broncos (32:18), a Flying Kiwis transfer watchlist (32:50)... and then Musical Jams (35:10). Be amongst it. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/elnichecache Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thenichecache Email newsletter: https://thenichecache.substack.com Aotearoa sports blog: https://www.theniche-cache.com

Saints coach talks about the team turning their season around and contends that the NBL Playoffs should be held in Wellington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All Sports Breakfast host Adam Cooper and Newstalk ZB All Blacks commentator and Deputy Sports News Editor Elliott Smith join Nick Mills for Friday Sport. Together they preview the Wellington Phoenix facing their biggest game of the year, the Hurricanes in action against the Fijian Drua in Suva, reports that Shaun Johnson may leave the Warriors again, and whether the Saints will have another win against the Rams in Christchurch. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Dempster joined us out of the Nelson Giants to preview their bottom of the table clash against the Wellington Saints.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Tuatara Head Coach Aaron Young joined the program, to preview their clash against the Wellington Saints.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Pine and Adam join Nick Mills to chat about the All Blacks coaching debacle, a Bulgarian international being signed by the Phoenix, club rugby and the Wellington Saints continuing their mid-season resurgence in the NBL. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guy Molloy has called it quits on coaching the Melbourne Boomers WNBL team after almost a decade with the club. Molloy will move to New Zealand to take on a dual role which includes coaching the New Zealand Tall Ferns (National Women's team) and coach the Wellington Saints in the NZNBL. Molloy has spent 32 years coaching at a national level in Australia which included stints with The Australia Women's national team, Canberra, Perth and Melbourne in the WNBL and for the men spent time in the NBL coaching both the Cairns Taipans and South Dragons. It's fair to say no other coach has the experience Molloy has at coaching both sexes at a national level and he joins the podcast to chat with Dan Boyce on the differences between coaching men and women and the lessons he's learnt from coaching in our national leagues. Molloy also coached Ben Simmons and Dante Exum as head coach of the men's national under-17 side, the Emus.     Topics include... Guy on his decision to leave the Melbourne Boomers WNBL and coach in New Zealand (2:00) Thoughts on the growth and development of the WNBL over the last 9 years (6:00) How the Boomers players feel about Molloy leaving at the end of the year (7:30) Guy Molloy outlines his new role in New Zealand which includes coaching the Women's National Team and the Wellington Saints in the NZNBL (9:00) Guy takes us through his 32 year coaching journey that started with coaching the Canberra Capitals (WNBL), Canberra Cannons (NBL) and Canberra Gunners at only 23 years of age (13:30) Guy on his experiences coaching the Australian Opals in the early 90s and memories of Oz94 - FIBA Women's World Championships held in Australia (18:00) Coaching the Perth Breakers in the WNBL (24:00) Michelle Timms, the trailblazer, and what she did to put Australian Basketball on the map (26:00) Switching from the WNBL to the NBL to coach the Cairns Taipans in 2001 (31:00) Remembering the Cairns Taipans from the early 2000's (38:00) The hard work involved in building a winning culture with the Taipans program and making the playoffs for the first time in 2004 (41:00) Winning a championship as part of the South Dragons in 2009 (46:30) The demise of the South Dragons (50:00) Coaching Ben Simmons and Dante Exum on the Australian junior team (56:30) Returning to the WNBL and being a part of the Melbourne Boomers in 2013 (101:30) Recruiting or coaching what's more difficult? (105:00) The differences between coaching Men and Women (107:00) The toughest lessons Guy faced over his coaching journey so far (112:00) The highlight of his coaching career so far (1:14:00) Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Listen to our previous interviews with the biggest stars in Australian Basketball, head to Aussiehoopla.com. Check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, AJ Ogilvy, Daniel Kickert Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Vic Law, Jack White, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Brad Newley, Dusty Hannahs Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton, Donald Sloan The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Mike Mitchell, Darnell Mee, Isaac Burton, Adonis Jordan, Shawn Redhage, Willie Farley, Al Green, Corey "Homicide" Williams, Andre Moore, Steve Woodberry, Gary Ervin, Ebi Ere, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chuck Harmison, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner All that and much more. Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com

Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Tait moved to Auckland as a four-year-old and later attended Avondale College where he was a member of the first Avondale team ever to win a New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship in 1999. Tait was awarded the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament. Professional careerIn 2000, Tait joined the Auckland Rebels of the New Zealand National Basketball League where he went on to play eight seasons for the club, winning three championships (2000, 2004 and 2005) and earned league MVP in 2005. During this time, he also played in the Australian National Basketball League for the Victoria Giants in 2002–03 as a development player, and the New Zealand Breakers from 2003 to 2006. He also played in Switzerland for BC Boncourt in 2006–07.[1] After an injury-riddled season for the Wollongong Hawks in 2007–08, Tait returned to New Zealand where he played for the Wellington Saints during the 2008 New Zealand NBL season before re-joining Wollongong for the 2008–09 NBL season. He went on to play a further three seasons for Wellington and won back-to-back championships (2010 and 2011) for the second time in his career.[2][3] He also earned back-to-back Finals MVP honours in 2010 and 2011.[4][5] In December 2010, Tait signed with the Cairns Taipans for the rest of the 2010–11 NBL season.[6] In November 2011, Tait signed with the Auckland Pirates for the 2012 New Zealand NBL season,[7] going on to captain the team to the 2012 NBL championship, as he captured his own personal championship three-peat in the process.[8] In December 2012, following the Pirates pulling out of the league, Tait signed a three-year deal with the Wellington Saints, returning to the club for a second stint.[9][10] He went on to win the 2013 Most Valuable Player award, his third time doing so.[11] In 2014, Tait led the Saints to an eighth NBL championship as he recorded his seventh title and was named the Final Four MVP.[12] On 9 April 2015, Tait was named Round 1 Player of the Week after he opened the 2015 season with a double-double of 22 points and 10 assists in a road win over the Taranaki Mountainairs on 2 April, then backed it up four days later with 22 points in a home win over the Canterbury Rams.[13] He went on to lead the Saints back to the grand final, where they were defeated by the Southland Sharks.[14] On 5 November 2015, Tait signed a three-year deal with the Super City Rangers.[15] On 26 March 2016, he recorded 19 points and 15 assists against the Canterbury Rams, setting a Rangers franchise record for assists in a game.[16][17] On 11 May 2018, Tait announced that the 2018 season would be his last in the NBL.[18][19][20] The following day, he recorded a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in a 124–121 loss to the Manawatu Jets.[21][22] On 7 June 2018, Tait became just the ninth player to reach 300 NBL games.[23][24] National team careerTait made his international debut in 2003 for the New Zealand Tall Blacks and was a member of the 2006 Commonwealth Games side that won the silver medal in Melbourne. In 2009, Tait was the starting point guard for the New Zealand team that defeated the Australian Boomers on their way to winning the FIBA Oceania Championship. Tait participated in the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey and was a member of the first ever New Zealand side to win the Stanković Cup in 2011 in China. He went on to play for New Zealand at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship. In May 2016, Tait retired from international basketball after a career spanning 12 years (2003–2015).[25]

Get in touch with the hosts! Stevie Cozens:Instagram: @basketballcontentnzTwitter: @steviecozens Producer, Josh Jeffares:Instagram: @joshjbullshoopsTwitter: @joshjbullshoops

A basketball prodigy from Bay City, Michigan, who went on to an outstanding collegiate career at Syracuse before embarking on a seven-year professional career overseas and in the NBA D-League. His stops overseas included playing in the Ukraine, Israel, Greece and New Zealand. In 2010, he helped the Wellington Saints in the New Zealand NBL win a championship and he also led the league in scoring. He also played in the NBA D-League with the Reno Bighorns in 2009-10 and the Idaho Stampede in 2011-12. In the last two years, he has also played competitively in The Basketball Tournament with a group of fellow Syracuse alums on a team called Boeheim's Army, reaching the semifinals in 2017 and the final eight in 2018. In college, he starred for Syracuse from 2005-09 and tallied 1,680 career points, 14th in school history. He was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie team after averaging 12.1 points and 2.3 assists and upped that to 14.8 points and 4.1 assists as a sophomore, where he was a Honorable Mention All-Big East selection. He played in just 10 games as a junior after tearing his ACL, but came back strong as a redshirt junior in 2008-09 posting 15.7 points per game, helping Syracuse to a 28-10 record and a run to the NCAA Sweet 16. Devendorf played in 116 career games averaging 14.3 points and is fourth in career 3-point baskets at Syracuse with 208, sixth in three-point attempts (550) and fifth in three-point percentage (.378). He also accumulated 372 assists, 170 steals and shot 43.8 percent from the field and 79.5 percent at the free throw line. As a senior, he knocked down 82 three pointers, the 10th-best single-season total at Syracuse. https://youtu.be/t90efvN_2fo IG- ed23hoops

Get in touch with the hosts! Stevie Cozens:Instagram: @basketballcontentnzTwitter: @steviecozens Producer, Josh Jeffares:Instagram: @joshjbullshoopsTwitter: @joshjbullshoops

Damian Collins has multi-time NBL Champion during a 16 year NBL career mostly with the Wellington Saints and now General Manager of Capital Zone Basketball Trust Damien Ekenasio on the show as they talked about Damien's new project with youth development, how his buddle is managing through Level 4 and what he is looking forward to the most with the release of Michael Jordans - The Last Dance. Photo Credit: Andrew Turner - https://www.atphoto.co

Wellington Saints and Tall Blacks coach/ Breakers and Tall Blacks legend Pauli Henare joins Huw and Andrew from his car to discuss all things NZNBL (HUGE week for the Saints) and FIBA World Cup.Huw froths over Mika, and Andrew froths over DKP

Zico Coronel, Reimagining Scouting Reports, and Analogies in Coaching Guest: Zico Coronel, New Zealand Professional Coach In this week’s basketball coaching conversation, New Zealand professional coach Zico Coronel joins the podcast to talk about visiting the Houston Rockets, reimaging scouting reports, and using analogies in coaching. Coronel is in his second season as the head coach of the Taylor Hawks in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NBL). In his first season he lead the Hawks to 12 wins and a semi-final berth. This was a drastic improvement as the previous three years the Hawks won 10 games combined. Prior to becoming head coach of the Taylor Hawks, Coronel served as an assistant coach to the Wellington Saints. There he was the assistant coach to Kevin Braswell who is also head coach of the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian NBL.   Breakdown 1:00 - Travels in North America with the Houston Rockets 2:30 - Houston Rockets Team Practices 4:00 - Individual Workouts 6:00 - James Harden and His Individual Workouts 8:00 - Transfer into the Game and Simplicity 10:30 - Evaluating the Quality of the Shot 13:20 - Other Takeaways from the Houston Rockets 15:00 - Pieces of Advices for Coaches 16:00 - Takeaways from other Coaches 19:50 - Things Coaches Overvalued in Scouting Reports 23:50 - Helping Players Transfer Information 27:00 - Improving Players and Emphasizing Scouting Reports 28:30 - Improving Scouting Reports and Challenge for the Players 31:30 - Not Need to Write Generalities on Scouting Reports 33:50 - Good Thing at the Pro Level and Adaptability 36:30 - Using Metaphors and Analogies to Increase Understanding 38:00 - Snipers, Medieval Torture Racks and Lava 42:00 - "Don't Let The Defense get Close to the Ball when Spacing..." 45:00 - "Take A Hostage" when Defending Ball Screens 47:00 - Crack The iPhone 50:00 - Initiative During Ball Screen 51:30 - The Theory of Subtle Offense 54:30 - North Angle and One Screen 59:00 - Importance of Decision Making 1:01:30 - Other Examples of his Defense 1:04:00 - Subtleties of Offense and Defense 1:07:00 - Brilliant Coaching in NBA Zico Coronel’s Bio Bio: https://www.zicocoronel.com/about Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zico_Coronel Website: https://www.zicocoronel.com Quizzing: https://kahoot.com/   Basketball Immersion Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

The Classic NBL Podcast has been temporarily brought out of retirement to preview the upcoming 2019 New Zealand NBL season.While there will be no weekly podcast this season - cue cries of desperation from the tens of devoted listeners - Niall Anderson and Sam Garriock had enough takes that they wanted to get out onto the ol' world wide web that they decided to put together a two-part NBL preview extravaganza, for old times' sake.In Part Two, the guys discuss the league having games broadcast on SKY this year, the league's expansion into Australia, and preview the fortunes of the Southern Huskies, Hawke's Bay Hawks [well, kinda...], Wellington Saints and Southland Sharks.Thanks for listening - see you for the World Cup?

The Classic NBL Podcast has been temporarily brought out of retirement to preview the upcoming 2019 New Zealand NBL season.While there will be no weekly podcast this season - cue cries of desperation from the tens of devoted listeners - Niall Anderson and Sam Garriock had enough takes that they wanted to get out onto the ol' world wide web that they decided to put together a two-part NBL preview extravaganza, for old times' sake.In Part Two, the guys discuss the league having games broadcast on SKY this year, the league's expansion into Australia, and preview the fortunes of the Southern Huskies, Hawke's Bay Hawks [well, kinda...], Wellington Saints and Southland Sharks.Thanks for listening - see you for the World Cup?

Former overseas basketball players Kevin Owens and Seth Doliboa share stories about their experiences playing professional basketball.  Listen as they discuss the behind the scenes aspects of overseas basketball.

Former overseas basketball players Kevin Owens and Seth Doliboa share stories about their experiences playing professional basketball.  Listen as they discuss the behind the scenes aspects of overseas basketball.

LISTEN TO ALEX PLEDGER TALK WITH D'ARCY AND GORAN ABOVEThey were injured, they were underdogs and they stood in the way of history, but the Southland Sharks smelled blood.Their opponents, the Wellington Saints, had been the rulers of the NBL the last two seasons, and were primed for a three-peat. Yet, they had one last obstacle in their way – A Sharks team who knew they had what it took to dethrone the kings.After all, they had already done it twice this year, so why not one more time on the Saints' home court?It took a gargantuan effort, but the Sharks pulled it off. They ambushed the Saints, holding off a ferocious comeback to claim their third NBL title, and deny the hosts a storybook send-off for departing coach Kevin Braswell.His counterpart, Judd Flavell, was a picture of relief at the final whistle, having clung on after the Saints came roaring back from a 17-point deficit."The Saints made one hell of a comeback. The wheels got a bit wobbly there but credit to the guys. You get down to those last few possessions and we talked about it being a grind-out game. Such a different game, the first half to the second but I'm immensely proud of the guys. We've had some adversity this week so to deal with that and come away with the championship is fantastic."There's just something about Wellington for the Sharks, having defeated the Saints in the capital three years ago for their second title. Today, they repeated the dose for number three.Good things weren't coming in threes for the Saints, who came up short of what would have been their first three-peat; once again being usurped by their greatest rivals.The Sharks have been their only consistent challenger over the past few seasons, and even more so recently; in their last 45 games, the Saints have lost just five times – but four of them at the hands of the Sharks.The two sides, through no fault of their own, have turned the league into somewhat of a procession, combining to win all of the past six titles. However, as Flavell notes, "the Saints and the Sharks will continue the rivalry for the next few years at least," and if they deliver incredible displays like they did in the finale, it will be a delight to look forward to.That the Sharks managed to set the final alight despite largely being without star guard Jarrad Weeks underlines the impressiveness of their accomplishment. Hobbled by a hamstring injury, Weeks missed their semifinal win over the Nelson Giants, and mustered six valiant minutes in the finale before ceding way.When he left the court, the Sharks led 23-15. It was a lead they would never relinquish, after an incredible display of shot making evolved into a desperate defensive stand at the end.To call it a game worthy of a final would be an understatement. The Sharks shot out to a substantial lead behind an offensive masterclass – they could barely miss in the first half, with Conor Morgan and Reuben Te Rangi leading the way.Te Rangi picked the perfect time for his best game of the season, dropping 26 points on his way to the Finals MVP award, while Derone Raukawa stepped into the void left by Weeks, operating as the offensive fulcrum for large periods and battling manfully on defence.Their lead stretched to 17, but you can't keep a champion team down, and the Saints stormed back as the Sharks cooled off. Slowly but surely the Saints chipped away at the deficit, with Shea Ili – awarded the 2018 league MVP at night's end – leading the charge with 27 points.Suddenly, the deficit was just one, and the Sharks were having to call upon their bench as semifinal standout Conor Morgan fouled out. However, the Sharks' depth has been their calling card all year long, and they clung desperately to their evaporating advantage as the home crowd roared.Down by two with 13 seconds to go, the Saints had one final possession, and in fitting style, had three shots to keep their season alive.Three times they missed, and the third time wa...

Tall Blacks basketball coach Paul Henare, who has been announced as the coach of the Wellington Saints in next year’s NZ NBL.  It means he’s effectively swapped jobs with Kevin Braswell, who has his head coach role at the Breakers.He's signed on as coach of the Wellington Saints in the National Basketball League, which falls in between New Zealand's final qualifiers in February and the world cup itself in August.Henare says it's important for coaches to be on the sidelines as much as possible. "Just to be able to fine tune your craft and work on things systematically and monitor the players really closely."LISTEN AS PAUL HENARE SPEAKS TO D'ARCY AND GORAN ABOVE.

Tall Blacks basketball coach Paul Henare, who has been announced as the coach of the Wellington Saints in next year’s NZ NBL.  It means he’s effectively swapped jobs with Kevin Braswell, who has his head coach role at the Breakers.He's signed on as coach of the Wellington Saints in the National Basketball League, which falls in between New Zealand's final qualifiers in February and the world cup itself in August.Henare says it's important for coaches to be on the sidelines as much as possible. "Just to be able to fine tune your craft and work on things systematically and monitor the players really closely."LISTEN AS PAUL HENARE SPEAKS TO D'ARCY AND GORAN ABOVE.

On this week's podcast, the guys re-examine the NBL playoff race in the midst of losses for the Bay Hawks and Wellington Saints. The investigative branch of the podcast gets answers on Jamie Skeen's classic nickname, while there's some love for Alonzo Burton after a big weekend. Then, in the second half of the podcast (37.40), Tall Blacks discussion returns - what to make of the 14-man squad, and what to expect from their upcoming World Cup qualifying games.

On this week's podcast, the guys re-examine the NBL playoff race in the midst of losses for the Bay Hawks and Wellington Saints. The investigative branch of the podcast gets answers on Jamie Skeen's classic nickname, while there's some love for Alonzo Burton after a big weekend. Then, in the second half of the podcast (37.40), Tall Blacks discussion returns - what to make of the 14-man squad, and what to expect from their upcoming World Cup qualifying games.

Wellington Saints guard Jordan Mills joins the show (From 10.00 to 24.00) to discuss how the Saints squad looks for 2018, Shea Ili's growth, the best players he's played with, that time he dropped 33 on the Waikato Pistons (RIP), and share some classic stories from his career. Niall Anderson and Sam Garriock then look at how the Saints will fare after their unbeaten season last year, and evaluate their chances of going perfect again in 2018.

Wellington Saints guard Jordan Mills joins the show (From 10.00 to 24.00) to discuss how the Saints squad looks for 2018, Shea Ili's growth, the best players he's played with, that time he dropped 33 on the Waikato Pistons (RIP), and share some classic stories from his career. Niall Anderson and Sam Garriock then look at how the Saints will fare after their unbeaten season last year, and evaluate their chances of going perfect again in 2018.

Listen above to D'arcy speaking to Kevin Braswell about how he got the job, and how there is no animosity between he and outgoing coach Paul Henare, because they are like brothers.He led the Southland Sharks to titles in two of his five seasons in charge before coaching the Wellington Saints to successive crowns in 2016 and 2017.The Baltimore native will be a natural fit at the Breakers, according to chief executive Matt Walsh."He's someone who knows the club and has a strong association with the NBL," he said.Read more: Kevin Braswell named new Breakers coachLISTEN ABOVE AS D'ARCY SPEAKS WITH NEW BREAKERS COACH KEVIN BRASWELL

Listen above to D'arcy speaking to Kevin Braswell about how he got the job, and how there is no animosity between he and outgoing coach Paul Henare, because they are like brothers.He led the Southland Sharks to titles in two of his five seasons in charge before coaching the Wellington Saints to successive crowns in 2016 and 2017.The Baltimore native will be a natural fit at the Breakers, according to chief executive Matt Walsh."He's someone who knows the club and has a strong association with the NBL," he said.Read more: Kevin Braswell named new Breakers coachLISTEN ABOVE AS D'ARCY SPEAKS WITH NEW BREAKERS COACH KEVIN BRASWELL

Niall and Sam break down the two NBL semifinals - Wellington Saints v Canterbury Rams and Southland Sharks v Supercity Rangers. Also, which player is "A human shiv", and what would happen if the NBL season was 82 games?

Niall and Sam break down the two NBL semifinals - Wellington Saints v Canterbury Rams and Southland Sharks v Supercity Rangers. Also, which player is "A human shiv", and what would happen if the NBL season was 82 games?

Matt Twort joins Sam and Niall to look at the Saints 2017 season. How big of a favourite are the Saints? Do they have the MVP on their roster? What will the big man rotation look like? Plus, Sam says another very geeky thing, and Niall and Matt share embarrassing Pitbull revelations.

Matt Twort joins Sam and Niall to look at the Saints 2017 season. How big of a favourite are the Saints? Do they have the MVP on their roster? What will the big man rotation look like? Plus, Sam says another very geeky thing, and Niall and Matt share embarrassing Pitbull revelations.

To kick of 2017, we're having a focus on elite athletes and coaches who are also educators. Todays guest is Zico Coronel from Rongotai College. Zico is an exceptional teacher and basketball coach. He has been the Assistant Head Coach of the Wellington Saints for a number of years, has coached in many schools around New Zealand, won a variety of championships with his current junior basketball team, and more recently was named Head Coach of the New Zealand U16 Boys team. I love the way Zico infuses his passion for basketball within all aspects of his teaching!

To kick of 2017, we're having a focus on elite athletes and coaches who are also educators. Todays guest is Zico Coronel from Rongotai College. Zico is an exceptional teacher and basketball coach. He has been the Assistant Head Coach of the Wellington Saints for a number of years, has coached in many schools around New Zealand, won a variety of championships with his current junior basketball team, and more recently was named Head Coach of the New Zealand U16 Boys team. I love the way Zico infuses his passion for basketball within all aspects of his teaching!