What a Lad

The Speights What a Lad podcast season 4 is under way and what a guest to start! Michael Fatialofa was one of the toughest players on the field I ever played with and he proved he was even tougher off it after a life changing tackle. While playing for Worcester, Michael Fatialofa was hit awkwardly in a tackle that caused him to be Paraliyzed from the neck down and told he will never walk again. Fr...

Here it is, the last episode of Season 3 and there is no better way to finish what has been a massive season then with greatest lad of them all Tamati Ellison!  The gifted singer, actor, rugby player, baby maker and coach has had some journey to date and there was so much to go through in this one. From his child acting days to his pathway into the All Blacks and so many good stories along the way...

Noah Hotham is one of the most exciting young rugby talents on the planet and it was a pleasure to get him on the podcast and go through the first 19 years of the young mans life. The Tasman Mako and NZ u20 star has burst on to the NZ rugby scene in 2022 and has just signed a 3 year deal with the Crusaders. It's not often kids come straight out of school in the physical shape Noah did but after he...

Breathing is something we do every minute of the day and it's crazy how many of us don't breathe correctly including myself. It's mind blowing to hear how beneficial changing the way you breathe can be for high performance sport or everyday life.  So in this episode I catch up with the breath guru Jamie O'Donnell and talk all things breathing. This episode will definitely make you think about the...

After however many episodes I have done so far, it's clear that every single rugby career is full of up and downs. In Colin Slade's case, the highs were some of the biggest highs you can get in the game, kicking match winning conversions for the All Black and winning plenty of titles, including 2 RWCs. However when I think of players who had an unfair amount of injuries, Colin Slade would be right...

After the recent retirement of the great American International Tony Lamborn, I knew I just had to get him on and man he does not dissapoint! A man who has never been shy to tell it is, does exactly that in this episode with some unreal yarns. Having played for plenty of team's all over the world, Tony has plenty of unique experiences on and off the field. It was also really cool to hear him speak...

I know you've all heard the Mike Coman story (Season 1, episode 3) which was one of the greatest episodes to date. Now we've got him back on by popular demand for a Q&A, where you guys throw him some real hard hitting questions! Now Moo is one of my best mates and even I learnt heaps about him in this one and I even learnt heaps in general. From parenting advice to rugby and life advice, this epis...

Our first ever dual code international has jumped on What a Lad in the form of one of the greats Matt Duffie!   Matt who started off as a teenager with the Melbourne Storm playing with the big 4 Greg Inglis, Cam Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater! He then had the chance to represent the Kiwis before being hammered by injuries which eventually saw him switch codes.   After a rough start in Super...

What a guest Ricky Riccitelli was to get into the What a Lad studio for the last time, this man is a seriously good lad and there were plenty of laughs had in this episode. The South African born, Taranaki raised, front rower has had some career to date and at still only 27 has plenty more to give. He started his professional footy career with Hawkes Bay and the Hurricanes where he played a huge r...

It was awesome to get Shaun 'Shooter' Stevenson on What a Lad, this time for a yarn and not a prank about a dodgy DVD store. Although it was good to hear his side of the story from that prank! Shooter has a lot going on at the moment, he is obviously coming off a massive season with North Harbour in the NPC, where he was one of the best players in the comp. He has since some how missed out on the...

If you've played rugby in NZ in the last decade, it is highly likely you have either played with or against this great lad, Joe Royal. Joe has had a different career to many of the guests who have been on already, there were certainly no fast tracked contracts here. Joe spent 7 years battling away in the Auckland club rugby scene before deciding to take a risk and give it a crack with the BOP Stea...

It's not often we get someone on who has literally died while playing but in this episode with one of the great lads Hoani Macdonald I do. To think Hoani was given a 1% chance of surviving that day, after having a heart attack in the middle of a game, is mind blowing! It certainly makes you realise how grateful we should be to be living and it certainly made me grateful to have the opportunity to...

Pablo Matera is one of the best loose forwards in the world, he is the very passionate captain of his country Argentina and most importantly one of the great lads in the game. It was an honour to get Pablo on What a lad and go through his incredible journey so far. He's been everywhere, he's done it all. From playing in the UK with the Leicester Tigers, France with Stade Francais, NZ with the Crus...

I suppose I get a lot of guests on who go on to become All Blacks or get to where they strived to be, this episode with Papa Wharewera is a bit different. The extremely talented halfback who captained NZ schools had a successful career at his feet. However, what you'll hear in this episode is the other side of pro rugby, the injuries, the pressures of juggling work/life balance, the mental health...

The Picton prince, Dan Hawkins is a self acclaimed white battler but what he is really most known for is being one of the games great lads. Anyone who has had anything to do with Dan will know what a champion he is and are bound to have some good stories and memories. For those who don't know him well then you're in for a treat with this episode. After living on a boat growing up it's fair to say...

The great Ngani Laumape is back on What a Lad and this time we get to hear what is next for the most destructive ball carrier in the game. I love hearing about all the factors that come into play when players make their decision on their playing future. I know a lot of people were hoping on a return to NZ rugby and back playing for their respected franchise but when you hear the details it's easy...

As many of you will already know, Jona Nareki is a lad! A lad with plenty of good stories from his career to date and a personality that will have you laughing away listening to this one. Known as one of the most exciting backs in the country with his speed, footwork and deceptive strength, Jona has been deadly on the wing for Otago and the Highlanders over the past few season. Unfortunately last...

With the arrival of Pure Sport to NZ shores there is no better time to be joined by the Pure Sport Co-Founder and absolute lad Grayson Hart! Most of you will already know Graysons story from his appearance on What a Lad in Season 1, where he shared his awesome journey through footy and life after.  In this one we dig a bit deeper into the business side of things and life after footy. Having turned...

In this episode I jumped on the Everyday with Garage Gym NZ podcast as we speak about the What a Lad podcast, a bit about my career and the recent coaching job with the Crusaders. I really enjoyed jumping on this one so if you enjoy it go and check out some of his other yarns here Everyday This episode was sponsored by Swysh, the perfect gift for sport fans – Check them out Here  Swysh Also if you...

This week I’m joined by Tasman Mako co head coach and one of the best butchers going around Dan Perrin and he’s maddd! Nothing has come easy for the man known as Piggy, hard work and patience saw him eventually have a successful rugby career, which actually started as one of the original Mako men. He also spent some time at the Crusaders before an opportunity to move up to BOP and the Chiefs came...

It's not often I get Australian Rugby legends on What a Lad, so this episode with Western Force and Wallaby legend Pek Cowan is a real treat. Pek has been playing professional rugby for the last 17 years and is about to throw the boots on for one last season with the Wellington Lions, at the tender age of 36. Any player who has been in the game for that long is bound to have plenty of good yarns a...

After a huge comeback from all the Northern Hemisphere teams last week the scene has been set for a huge round of footy with 4 series going down to a decider! Well done to anyone who predicted the results last week, a shocking round from Searley and I, Tojo did alright but for the last round one of us at least will make it up to you. As always in this episode we review all the games from last week...

After plenty of requests, it was awesome to get the great Scott Hamilton on What a Lad and I now know why he was so popular! Firstly his rugby journey from the CHBS 3rd XV to becoming an All Black is inspiring in itself. He has plenty of good yarns from his Canterbury and Crusaders days and his time spent over in the UK with Leicester. It was also incredibly powerful to hear about the struggles he...

How good is International rugby at the moment! Some great last week so it was only fitting to get the thoughts of the usual panel of Searley, Tojo and I. We share all of our thoughts on the All Blacks first test and all the others ones from around the world. We also look forward to the games this week again with a focus on the All Blacks v Ireland 2nd test but also give our predictions for all the...

Those who know John Schwalger will know he is one of the genuine good guys of our game. Such a great lad who has plenty of good stories from his career and some tough moments he has had to overcome. Obviously John has now finished his playing days which saw him have a very successful rugby career. This saw him play for the Wellington Lions, the Hurricanes, Agen and of course the All Blacks. There...