The Unused Subs

This week on The Unused Subs it’s Lachie Brook of Auckland FC joining the bench. Where doesn’t this chat take us?! When he’s not ripping on his new ‘Best Friend Forever’ Callan Elliot we chat about his growing collection of fabulous goals in the A-League, the son of ‘Goldenballs’ Romeo Beckham, Lachie’s love of music but his disdain of sing-song football initiations, and yes, it seems that all roads lead to… Mormon underwear.But we start with the almost-obvious first question: who did it better when Auckland met Central Coast Mariners - his BFF or Sam Cosgrove? After all, they both scored from stunning diving headers! Perhaps Cal would like to address which net he deposited the ball into, but it was splendid technique nonetheless. Lachie has started playing more centrally in recent weeks for the Black Knights, so does he prefer that or a wider, roaming role? Playing in the middle allowed him to score in the 2nd kiwi derby, a move that he reveals came straight from the training ground!Elsewhere, Jacob and Lachie trade David Beckham stories. How does Becks make a crisp white shirt look so damn good? Spoon also tells us about his time at Chasing the Fox with Team All Whites, and Goran has some big news to share… which is something of a Christmas present come early for the Subs. So chuck on your favourite undies, Mormon or otherwise, and enjoy the latest episode with one half of ‘The Evil Twins’, Lachlan Brook of Auckland FC! Apologies to Callan Elliot in advance.FOLLOW THE UNUSED SUBS!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theunusedsubs/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theunusedsubsKiwis talk football too!#football #soccer #newzealand

If you’ve been with The Unused Subs from the start, you’d know that Tommy Smith kicked off the very first episode back in January when he was plying his trade with Auckland FC. Now in the UK, he makes a welcome return to chat about the All Whites’ FIFA World Cup opponents, and his old team piling on more misery atop a luckless Wellington Phoenix - Saturday’s 3-1 win extends their perfect record over Wellington to 5 wins!All of the key moments in that kiwi derby are discussed: The red card to Manjrekar James, the penalties won by Sam Cosgrove, the inclusion of Logan Rogerson on the right, the performance of Josh Oluwayemi, the impact of referee Adam Kersey… plus: how the Nix can gain a foothold in what appears to be a very one-sided contest.Away from the Kiwi Derby, we now know that the All Whites will meet Belgium, Egypt and Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Tommy chats about how the AWs will approach the fixtures, how his role in the team has changed since his maiden World Cup appearance back in 2010, and how his experience will aid the vast majority of the squad.It’s a chance to stroll down memory lane as well, remembering some of the incredible moments from 15 years ago… as well as how annoying a drug test can be when you’re trying to celebrate with teammates!And if you thought Paul Ifill’s 4 X’s with Collinson Forex was top draw, wait until you hear the names Tommy comes up with for his dream 5 a-side team - and the ones who fail to make the cut!FOLLOW THE UNUSED SUBS!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theunusedsubs/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theunusedsubsKiwis talk football too!#football #soccer #newzealand

The 5th NZ Derby is this Saturday at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart…  and depending on which side of the fence you sit, you’re either gonna love or despise our special guest this week:  Corban Piper of the Wellington Phoenix.In a relatively short A-League career, Corban’s made a name for himself thanks to his physical approach to the game, however he took that to Super Saiyan levels in the 2-1 defeat to Auckland FC last month; a run-in with Dan Hall, a coming-together with Michael Woud, and a Wellington Phoenix legend was born.  In the same breath though, a target was placed on his back ahead of the next meeting between the two sides, for Auckland players and fans alike.In this episode, Corban talks about how he embraces ‘the hate’ and uses it to enhance his on-field performance.  He takes us back to the last derby, into THAT moment, and describes the emotion and feeling of it.  And most importantly, he looks forward to Saturday and what the next 90 minutes holds in store for all of us!We also chat about his love of the gym, which is only eclipsed by his obsession with eggs…  his not so well known osteitis pubis battle, his friendship with Ben Old and the role Corban’s mother played in Oldie’s career, and just what is his best/favourite position…  because he’s played everywhere on the park!What a way to bar up for the next instalment of the Kiwi Derby - Corban Piper, Public Enemy Number 1 on The Unused Subs!FOLLOW THE UNUSED SUBS!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theunusedsubs/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theunusedsubsKiwis talk football too!#football #soccer #newzealand

This week’s guest is an absolute ripper:  it’s All Whites defender Bill Tuiloma, repping Aotearoa and Pasifika all over the footballing world.  From humble beginnings on Auckland’s North Shore, the Beach Haven resident helped put Birkenhead on the map…  and then wound up in Marseille under the watchful eye of the legendary Marcelo Bielsa as a teenager! How does a young man with Samoan heritage avoid playing sport with an oval-shaped ball?  One fateful day for his father on the rugby field set Bill off on the round-ball path - a journey that has taken him to France, the New Zealand national team, and the USA for the last 8 years.Bill talks about his recent outings with the All Whites against Ecuador and Colombia, the 'fun' of facing off against Luis Diaz, the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, the disappointment of failing to qualify in 2022, and also the impressive 'El Loco' Bielsa - one of the truly phenomenal minds of world football.Before Bill takes centre stage, the Subs Bench wraps the weekend for the Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC, we find out if Paul Ifill can reveal the worst trialist in Nix history, and there’s an apology issued to Corban Piper…  all of this and so much more in the latest offering from The Unused Subs!FOLLOW THE UNUSED SUBS!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theunusedsubs/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theunusedsubsKiwis talk football too! #football #soccer #newzealand

Joining Paul, Jacob and Goran this week is MICHAEL WOUD - Auckland FC's number 1 goalkeeper for Season 25/26. It's been a long and difficult road back to the pitch for Woudy, after being stuck behind Alex Paulsen for AFC's inaugural A-League campaign. He talks about the dark times during a stretch of more than 600 days where he failed to play a competitive football match, and how he has actually had to get used to playing again!Woud speaks about the phone call from Terry McFlynn alerting him to AP's signing, and how difficult it has been to try to emerge from his shadow given Paulsen's obvious talents. We ask about his World Cup aspirations with the All Whites, given he is back in the shop window, and chat about THAT kiwi derby in the capital where he and Corban Piper of the Wellington Phoenix appeared to exchange pleasantries, and perhaps, just a little bit more too!Elsewhere there's a Pickle Juice update from Iffy, Spoon talks about the 3 journos who got on his bad side during his playing days, and there's empathy for an opposition keeper as Michael details the difficulties of being Josh Oluwayemi in the Phoenix high line system.FOLLOW THE UNUSED SUBS!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theunusedsubs/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theunusedsubsKiwis talk football too!#football #soccer #newzealand