DSPN - Devlin Sports Podcast Network

Moana Pasifika is all but done, and we’re still trying to work out what that really means. We get Jamie Wall in to unpack the sadness around the club’s collapse, the funding model that was always under pressure, and the bigger picture for Pacific rugby.

We also get into what a 10-team Super Rugby comp looks like from here, why coaches keep heading offshore, and whether New Zealand rugby is just caught in the same cycle again. Then we finish on this weekend’s big matchups, including the Hurricanes and Chiefs, Patrick Tuipulotu’s return for the Blues, and whether the Crusaders can lift without the horses and without much rhythm.
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What actually needs to change if the All Blacks want to stay at the top? That’s the big question in this one, and we get stuck into it with two men who know the game inside out, Sir Graham Henry and former NZ Rugby chair Brent Impey.

In a very special extended chat, we talk Super Rugby, offshore eligibility, player depth, club rugby, the financial squeeze on the game, and why Sir Graham believes New Zealand cannot keep doing the same thing and expect to stay the best in the world. Brent counters with the economic reality, the value of a strong domestic competition, and why the community game still needs far more attention.

There’s also plenty on Dave Rennie’s new coaching group, player ownership, the lessons from 2007 and 2011, and why both men still reckon the All Blacks have the talent to be right in the fight.
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Not every big hit is a good hit, and not every whistle needs to blow. This week on the DSPN, we get Jeff the Ref back in to work through some of the trickiest calls from the Super Rugby weekend.

We get into tip tackles, head clashes, yellow cards that maybe should not have been, and a few moments where the refs probably left everyone scratching their heads. Jeff also owns a correction from last week, explains why player safety has to stay front and centre, and gives us the referee’s view on penalty counts, back chat, mauls and TMO intervention.
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The vibe rankings are back and things are starting to feel very real.

On the DSPN, Marty and Lachie break down where every Super Rugby team actually sits right now, and more importantly, who’s already out of the race. The Hurricanes are clear at the top, the Chiefs and Blues are chasing, and the big question becomes whether anyone can genuinely disrupt what’s starting to look like a locked-in top six.

We get into the struggles of the bottom teams, why the Highlanders and Force might have missed their moment, and how the Brumbies have quietly built one of the strongest cases in the competition. Plus, we debate just how far the Crusaders can really go and whether their inconsistency rules them out of title contention.
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The Hurricanes are humming, the Chiefs are waiting, and suddenly every big Super Rugby matchup feels like an All Blacks trial.

On the DSPN, Marty is joined by Ant Strachan to break down just how good the Hurricanes really are after putting away the Blues, why Cam Roigard is right at the top of his game, and what Ruben Love is doing to force his way into the test conversation. We also get into the value of combinations, the pressure building around the 10 jersey, and where Damian McKenzie fits into it all.

Then we zoom out to the bigger picture. We talk fresh eyes in the All Blacks coaching group, why these next few weeks matter so much for selection, and whether Super Rugby is giving our best players the platform they need heading into a huge international season.
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