OUT THE BLOCKS | Keano Kini gets an opportunity to shine against the Cook Islands

Scotty (0:00)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:15)

Hit me, Akers, you only had an hour to talk about Rugby League last night, that's never enough for you. Go, Kiwi side to face the Cook Islands.

Sammy Akers (0:22)

That was an hour on air, don't worry, I got plenty afterwards, my poor family.

SPEAKER_2 (0:28)

Can I just paint the picture of the Ackerman household? You get off radio last night with the World Cup show, and then it's kind of like children gather around.

Daddy's got things to say about Rugby League. Do you gather around the fireplace there in your beautiful home in Tauranga and they sit on the floor while you take your position at the pulpit and preach all things Kiwis Rugby League?

Sammy Akers (0:49)

That's how it looked in my head, but it was more, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, while they look at a little screen.

SPEAKER_2 (0:54)

But yeah, it's... Do they go to bed and you're like, Dad, can you read us a bedtime story? And you bring out the annals and just recap every single minute of that 30 nil scoreline against Australia.

Sammy Akers (1:05)

Is that their favourite bedtime story?

It's a funny story. Earlier on in lives for our family, both one of the kids and Mercedes was finding it hard to sleep for a while. So my trick was just to talk openly through, not reading, just free-balling on top of the head. Rugby League statistics and seasons that live long in the memory bank.

SPEAKER_2 (1:26)

So good.

Sammy Akers (1:26)

It used to put the kids to sleep.

SPEAKER_2 (1:28)

So good.

Sammy Akers (1:31)

My eldest, if he was having a rough night, it was the dulcet tones of Ray Warren that put my kid to sleep.

SPEAKER_2 (1:37)

Oh, how good.

Sammy Akers (1:38)

He would just sleep with Ray.

Yeah. Rabs does that to a man, just makes you feel comfortable and good inside. Yeah. So as I regaled my family, what I love most about this team was that they didn't try to overplay their hand. I was a little bit worried they'd tinker with the halves. Yeah. I thought, yeah, it might be a chance. Okay, well, we'll put Tamati in and see how that would work. But I think, I think in Cody Nicarima and and Jerome Hughes together is the way to go. They want reps, right? Stacey Jones.

SPEAKER_2 (2:06)

They want these guys to build and build and build right down to the business end of this competition.

Sammy Akers (2:13)

That's right. And it's, Tamati Martin is a kind of player that is so affable as a human, as an end and athlete, that he can slot in where needed, when needed. I think that making these two get those reps together, find those right touches, considering it was going so well and then slipped away towards the back part of that game against Australia, I think is crucial. I think it shows that where our wingers are is where our wingers are. There's not a whole lot of depth there. Like, what are your other options? If they weren't gonna put chance there with Kaylen Pong, what else are you gonna do now? So the wingers are there and need to be kept healthy and fit because that's a little bit of a problem area. But I love the forward rotation. I love getting Aaron Clark in the start, Joey Tapere retaining a middle spot, but coming forward as well. Just prepared to give a little bit of a rotate through. Now, we're glad that the Alpha is not here because he would be like punching holes in the walls with Xavier Willison named on edge. But I quite like it. I think that Willison needs to be...

SPEAKER_2 (3:12)

Why would Alpha be punching holes in the walls with Xavier Willison on edge?

Sammy Akers (3:16)

He's a middle.

He loves him in the middle, not so much on the edge.

I think having the ability to change up the edge to add a little bit of size, respectfully to what Papalei and Nakora bring, they don't have that, he's a monster running at me type of style of second row. And to have someone there to play that way if need be, I think is bang on the money. I love it. And the two young men making their debut off the bench as well in Laban and Tanner Stiles-Smith. It's been such a joy to watch these guys grow as performers on the football stage in the last couple of years. Tanner Stiles-Smith, let's not forget, a Christchurch boy. And here he is making his test debut under the roof at Takaha. How amazing that'll be for him. So I just think the balance is right Sumo, because they're not disrespecting the Cook Islands. They're not just going, I will just run people left, right and center and give people a wholehearted rest. But what it is, is making sure that the squad has all touched the footy and raring to go come the business end of the tournament.