'A Small Hiatus'

It's let's stick together. We are finally back. It's season six, episode one, brought to you by Y1 Hockey. Welcome back. We finally managed to get in a room together since December. It's now April the second, third. How are you guys? Pretty good. Although I am spending quite a lot of time with you at the moment. So, you know, good. Yeah, sorry. Yeah, good. Good. It's bad for me. I'm on the edge, but what are you going to do? How are you? Let's not start on a negative. Who gets more annoyed by who? Is it Brandon with Phil or Phil with Brandon? It's definitely Phil by Brandon. Ah, okay. I kind of goes without saying that. Yeah, Phil has been pointing a lot of fingers this week and unfortunately losing. That also sounds like Phil. That's vintage Phil. Yeah, it's been solid. But you, how are you before we get into who's done what? Leslas, how are you? I'm good. I'm good. We just had just had training today again with national team started back up last week after a small hiatus. It's what you guys call it, right? Yeah. I've looked the past three months. I've studied English just for our listeners to get even better. They can understand me better. But no, I'm good. Can't complain. How are you, Philip? Yeah, I'm pretty good. I did write down a few things because we actually, Brandon already put this out very, very, he started strongly on social media. He said, what do you guys want to hear? And our good friend, Flo van Obel, he did, he wanted a little recap from all of our lives. So before I ask you what you've done, I did, I wrote down the highlights of what I thought has happened. It's episode one, Brent. We're going to have to roll with the punches here. That's fine. He went to South Africa twice. He also went to India for a month. He won a shootout. He was clutch and won a shootout for Holland. Like, wow. Oh, big time. We went to a man and qualified for the Olympics. Brendan went to the Maldives with Maddie. What a guy. Wow. And I started joined the social bean, a coffee company with a good friend, Chris Griffiths, Jacob Draper and Dave Goodfield, and my lovely wife. That was a very, very quick fire. Do you want to pick up any of them? Fuck me. We've been away for a long time. And that's, I also didn't know a couple of things. But yeah, it's been a while. A lot has happened. You also forgot that also, but we went to Argentina. I think it was in December or that's before we stopped. We didn't, we did an episode there, didn't we? Oh, fair. Yeah. But it was also this winter. So I've had a pre, I think I've spent two weeks at home in the past four months. That's how it felt. I now can finally talk with you guys about what a shithole Hukena is. Because it's nothing, it doesn't deserve any more credit besides the stadium, besides like the village we call the stadium, like everything around, which was the best I've ever seen. But besides that, it was complete and utter shit. It was a, it was a very busy summer, but, or winter, but I, I enjoyed it. Yeah. I have two questions. Number one, is it still a smoggy in Roquella? Yeah, we were first in Bhubaneshwal and there you could look directly into the sun without sunglasses because there was like smog in front. So I got kind of used to it because I've spent what feels like half a lifetime there, but it was only a month. And the second question is, is it still genuinely just the village, like the little houses or apartments, whatever you want to call it, and the stadium, and then there's just nothing else still? Yeah, in the proper runway? No, still. We went, this time we went by bus. We flew through to, I don't know, another place, and no clue what it's called, and then all the teams that went the same day with the same plane went by bus, which was like a two and a half hour drive, which was okay, like not going to complain there. Yeah, I'm going to complain. It was fucking shit as well because it was like, it was a bus and the roads are fucking dangerous there. The good thing is you're in the bus, so you can look at the road, so you're not as worried. You just hope you'll end up there. But yeah, the village, it's just, it's fucking, it's disgusting to be honest. I just don't, it's a whole different topic, and we'll get into it probably later, but I don't know. We've started really, we've started really positive and strong here, haven't we? Yeah, I don't know how you expect people to give a top performance when they have to lay on what is a wooden table and they call it a bed. It's, there's dust and there's dirt everywhere in your bathroom, everywhere. They did, they did paint it, which it was all gray, I heard, and now they painted it, so good job by them. And how is, you also went to South Africa? Oh, what a country. I have no clue if we have any South African listeners, probably not, but fuck me, that's a good country, man. They, they, they, they, they, they got lucky where they were, where they are. Fucking, Cape Town is fucking beautiful with, with the ocean and with stable mountains and shit. And we had, I first went to give some clarification. I first went on a holiday, which was planned a long, long time ago. Then I came back and eight days later, I was again in the, in the 12 hour flight to South Africa because we had a training camp there, and I didn't know we had a training camp when I booked, well, we booked the flight to South Africa with my entire family. So yeah, I've seen a lot of South Africa and it's, it's fucking amazing. I would recommend it to anyone who can. And yeah, like you said, I mean, first of all, I should have said shout out to Flo, I know we're like, we're all on the same page. We want to do a little recap. We're also going to talk, I'm sure a little bit about him and his team later on. But also you, Jeroen Dalme, who's the Dutch men's national coach, much really liked spending time with you because he thought we'll go to Argentina for a bit and then we'll chuck in a South Africa tip just before we go to India for a month. So yeah, he must really enjoy, enjoy your company. Yeah, I don't know if he enjoys my company because a month, I can imagine two weeks with you, the mall is already quite heavy, but a month with you, the mall, I can see people who are getting could get annoyed by the amount of energy and possess I'll bring. But I was rooming with Flo's Wotterboog. Like, I don't know if he's an avid listener anymore, but like he probably forgets, but like that we even have a podcast, but he was a guest. And at the end of the two and a half week, it was good that it was only two and a half weeks, because I don't know if we would be friends by now if it was any longer. And Brendan, just on to you. I mean, like I mentioned, we qualify for the Olympics, but more importantly, you went on holiday to the Maldives because suddenly you've got cash from somewhere, we just need to know where. And you thought, well, let's go to the Maldives and let's let's lap it up in one of them fancy, fancy houses that go on to over the sea. How is that? Yeah, I mean, first holiday with Maddy in what four years. So yeah, pretty nice holiday. Yeah, it was lovely. I mean, I don't think I'll ever go on a holiday like it. It was genuinely unbelievable. But it was one of them where probably similar to you where it's like, it's the one chance you can basically have a holiday between now and the Olympics. So I was like, I've got to take this opportunity and go. And thankfully did go. Yeah, we brushed over Oman. Oman was different, wasn't it? Yeah, true. True. I mean, we qualify for the Olympics. We can do a very brief rundown. It was amazing country. I would recommend it to anyone. Like it's for some winter sun. I really enjoyed it. I would say we were staying in the amazing hotel. They put together a really cool hockey setup. And, you know, we were treated really nicely. Everything was perfect apart from the fact that no one cares about hockey in Oman since no one watches. And that is quite a key part, I would say. But other than that, it was enjoyable. We probably made it as fuss-free as possible to get through to the Olympics in a while. So it was pretty good. Visit Oman. I'm not getting paid to say that. Yeah, the sun was great. I wouldn't necessarily say I want to go back to Oman. Yeah, because you didn't leave. I didn't. I just didn't really... I didn't think much of it, to be honest. I thought it was really... It's just a really odd country. Not in a not in a negative way or a positive way. It's just an odd country. Quote, Brendan. I don't like taxes. So I'm not going anywhere. I've been on Oman. Generally. It's one of my favorite countries as a holiday. I know I sound sarcastic now, but it's a really good holiday, Brendan. Is it because it's really clean in certain areas? Almost a little bit spookily clean. You know what, Brendan? Not everyone has the money to go to the Maldives every winter. I don't have the money to go every winter. Or any winter. I like Oman. I'm Timo, man. Yeah, same. Screw you, Brendan. Well, we asked a load of you. Brendan put it out. We got a load of responses. So thank you for that. We're going to go into some of them. We've got some bigger topics, but firstly, we'll do a little bit on the news. Very recently, we have... Brendan put it out. I missed that one. Sorry. Go on, Phil. The news. The Hockey and the League is officially set to return this year. It's come out. Just come out for anyone who's actually interested. Hopefully they don't hear you. Rant about Bubba Nesswa and Rukella, because he's got no chance of getting picked. But yeah, it's set to return on 28th of December, 24. And it's going through until the second of February, 25. So just over a month, it's eight men's teams, six women's teams. Not sure why they couldn't have just made it eight of each, but they've got to do that. And yeah, the selection, the auction is due to happen after Paris. It's pretty exciting, guys. By the way, Bubba Nesswa, I love. The hotel we're in is fucking amazing. Bubba Nesswa, I love. Rukella is not that amazing, but I was happily going to play for Rukella Hockey Club or whatever it's going to be called if they'll pay me some money. The sound of that was heavy backtracking. Banking on us not having any Indian listeners, basically. Well, you know what, if they listen to, to, to any episode though, the guy has a good shot of going like apart from my hockey skills, which, which also make it debatable whether someone wants to actually pay money for me to have a team. But I mean, yeah, big picture. It's good for hockey, I think. 100%. And I think, I think a lot of people, a lot of hockey players, a lot of top hockey players were waiting for them to come back. It's been a topic in the last couple of years. And I think they planned it perfectly the year after the Olympics. I don't know how much it's going to interfere with international hockey as in the pro league, which December till February, I think the pro other hockey in your league, they want to do it somewhere mid December to February. And that's most of the time like the busy period pro league wise. So I'm curious how that's going to develop. But yeah, I think it's really good for hockey. And I think, I hope they have deep pockets. Surely, surely people are going to choose money over caps, surely. Well, no, I think to be honest with you, if you look at the schedule from this year just to be nerdy is that we played the first games in Argentina and ended that about the 19th of December. And I think the first pro league after that wasn't until early Feb. So there was a gap there, I'm pretty sure. Don't make me don't quote me on that, but I'm pretty sure there was a gap there. So maybe they have, they say they've worked with the FIH to create the right timing. No, if you want to get paid, there's officially no holiday time. You basically won't have any holiday time from like hockey then surely. Yeah. Well, let's be honest, Brent, people want this to happen. Like first of all, for the sport, it creates a different like idea. You watch more interesting, I guess, like less tactical hockey, like really cool teams, like hopefully really well televised. And you know, it gives the option for players to, well, there's eight teams. So I don't know how many players are actually gonna be picked. It'll be, it'll be, we worked it out of, if there's like eight internationals, it'd be around 64 players for the men's. And, you know, it's going to be stiff competition to get a spot, I think. But it's very, very exciting. I'm pretty sure 90% of people are going to be happy that the hockey in the league was returning because I watched it when it first came out. I thought it was awesome. The hockey focus got in touch and actually said they've given us a great idea on the pod to try and build a team with a budget. So maybe that's a topic for future discussions, by who you go after if you were an owner of a team. So we'll give Brendan like Kalinga Lancis. You're going with no brainer. Send it, send him as the, he's the pinnacle of your team. The spearhead 100%. What, what, what's your, do you guys have, because you have to fill in a base price? What, what do you, what's your base? What are you guys going for? Like, you don't want, you don't want it to be too low because you'll end up in Rukeda for, for six weeks on, on like, this is 5,000 euros, but you also don't want to go too high and that they think, oh, this guy's so full of himself. I'm not going to buy him. Well, I already know that about you. So I'm going, I'm going really high as a base price. You like me or you don't, but it's also me as a hockey player. You really like me or you really don't. So I hope one of them does. So what, so what price are you giving yourself? I'll go, I'll go for 40. I didn't think the base price last time even went that high. No, I think, I think the base price you can go, you can go like 20, I think you can go for a base price of 20 or something. It was, yeah, I think the max was 20. Yeah, then I'm going for 20. Bill. Brent, Brent, I was just going to say, I, my prediction about you is either you just randomly decide that it's too popular and you're not putting your name in the hat at all, or you go and you'd be like 2000 euros is my base price. Yeah, I'll go for the experience. I'd start, I'd start at eight. That would be my number. I made six weeks of India for 8,000. You'll end up with 4,000. That doesn't get you to the Maldives, mate. Yeah, Mali, Mali's expecting more than that, bro. Hey, people might bid. If you start low, people might bid. You don't know. Bill, what are you saying? Yeah, probably somewhere in the middle, like 15. Like it's got to be worth your while, but you don't want to... That's not in the middle. Middle would be 10, Bill. Between you and you. Oh, right. Okay. Oh, nice save, bro. Yeah. Right, we're definitely getting into some more hockey in the next few episodes, but thanks for pointing out Hockey Focus. We'll definitely do that. Can't wait for Brendan's ridiculously rash team. More news. I've got to bring it up. Maddie, Maddie Hinch, our very own, is got the USA field hockey goalkeeper women's job. Have I got that right, Brendan? Yeah, terribly worded, but yeah. Yeah, awful. And that is up to Paris and then on to LA. So very exciting for her. She's officially moving up in the world in the US. She is the goalkeeper coach of the US women's team. Yeah, I said it really badly. Okay. Yeah, you've just worded it much better. Yeah, to be honest, I think it's a bit of a missed opportunity from a GB point of view that they've kind of lost their probably most successful ever goalkeeper and like person who's been probably the most clutch that they've probably ever had. And they've not really tried to like keep her at any stage. So I find that quite odd. But I think it's, I think it's an amazing opportunity for the US women's to be honest. I think they're going to gain quite a lot from having her on board. Because I think if she, when she, if she goes to Paris, which I think she is, then she's the only person within that camp that has been to an Olympics before. So I think that's like invaluable experience as well to have amongst the group. So I think from that point of view, it's kind of like, it's a bit twofold from them. Obviously the goalkeeping side, but also just kind of like having somebody who's been there and kind of quite probably quite relaxed in that environment because she's been there a few times, like I think makes a huge difference for a group. So yeah. I wonder if she's going to feel weird putting the team USA kit on? What's going to be, she'll be over for pro league. So she'll have a taste of it in London anyway, being in a different kit, which I think will be, it'll definitely feel a little bit different, but I think it'll be one of those things that I think you'll just get used to it quite quickly. In the same way we would do if we moved to club sides. It's obviously, yeah, it's nations, but it's past playing. It's now a job, isn't it? So. And are you, are you a bit worried, Brandon, with like LeBron James and Tatum and like Steph Curry there going to sneak in on many, they're all in the same, in the same in the same flat? I was wondering where that question was going. Yeah. I'm not, not really, to be honest. Such a weird question. I tell you what though, everybody wants to get photos. I'll be so jealous if she gets photos with those guys. That'll kill me. And I know it'll kill you as well. Yeah, it will. I will ask if you're like, if I will like make a standard sticker of myself doing this and then ask her if she can like put it in the photograph with her in the back. Cardboard cuts out. Yeah. Right, moving on. We've got quite a lot of stuff about the Euro Hockey League, which is just finished. We wanted to get down into some, some, some detail on that. Did you guys watch it firstly? Yeah, I did. I watched a lot, which is a first as in that I can actually talk with you guys about. Nice. So, so for anyone who didn't, the Euro Hockey League finals were over Easter weekend. And on the men's side, Pinocchio ended up beating Campong in the final. And then old Georgians beat Rod Weiss in the bronze medal match. And on the women's side, Amsterdam beat Mannheimer in the final. And sticks a beat junior. They beat them in the bronze medal match. But I wanted to talk about firstly, my first takeaway is I'll ask all of you actually what your takeaway was from the weekend. I'll go first to give you a little bit of time. But mine was that I think that when the EHL gets down to the final 16 and onwards, I think it's way more exciting to watch than most international hockey. I think the product of firstly, the gap between the best players and the worst players being bigger, and the fact that the seems just more freedom, more like creativity, it lends to watching the hockey being way better. And the examples are like Rod Weiss and Campong played an insane five all, you know, like old Georgians quarterfinal against Campo wasn't the like the best game to watch. But there was so much like, like biting it, there was so much like freedom to play. There was so much end to end. There was lots of action in both circles. I found that really, really exciting. What's your take? Well, my my rebundle to that is that a rebuttal is that the final was the most boring final I've maybe ever seen. I think we were we were spoiled with the semi-final. I think it was the best semi the best hockey game I've watched in ages, Rod Weiss against Campo. And you kind of knew Rod Weiss was coming back. You felt it the second half. You knew those German fuckers were going to do it again. My biggest takeaway was that Ashley Jackson is the biggest legend I have ever seen the way he was on the field here. Absolutely fuck all these throw throw a couple highballs in there. He looks like he really doesn't give a shit. And he got away with the bronze medal at the EHL. I mean, yeah, that's just for me. That was the biggest takeaway. Like, what an absolute legend that is. But I was I was kind of disappointed with the with the OGs team, because I gave them a good chance against Pinocchio, but they I I just I missed quite a lot of good players. Because Aubrey is injured. He plays for OGs, right? Yeah. Aubrey broke his foot last week, so the week before the EHL. And Sam Ward had an operation on his hip a few months ago. So he's still recovering from that. Yeah, I think yeah, you felt that they were missing a couple solid players to really make it tough on Pinocchio. I expected a bit more from that game because once the game started, I noticed I missed a couple guys. So that was kind of disappointing, but they did well for what they for for what they could. And I didn't expect them to win the bronze medal match to be honest, because I rate Cologne pretty highly. Mats Kambush was insane. I thought he was really good. Tom Kambush also didn't disappoint with getting a red card in the final game. He did his part again. Flicked a couple corners, gave a couple of insane high balls, was extremely annoyed all tournament long and ended up with a red card. So if you if you don't know him and want to know, just watch the entire EHL back and you'll get the gist of it. But that was my biggest takeaway. There was a lot of takeaways there. I'll I'll weigh in. I actually agree with you. I think it is the most exciting form of hockey. But I think it's also because it's just a knockout. The whole way through is a knockout. And you've got people that want to win rather than a happy drawing. So I think from that point of view, it definitely sets it up until you get to the final, obviously. I agree with you. I think it was a real stalemate in the final. The genuine lack of quality. More from the point of view of like, neither team really looked like they wanted to go and win it. It was a case of once pin a case scored, it was defend. And it wasn't really didn't even look like Kampong really would they look knackered, to be honest, which again lends itself to the tournament format of teams basically playing back to back. I think it's a bit bullshit. Doesn't just to just to give people information on that because what was interesting was the the games and the way that they did in the schedule meant that there was a semifinal on Friday and then one on Saturday. Is that right? It was Saturday, a semifinal on Sunday, and then the final was on Monday. Yeah. So it meant that pin a K got an extra 24 hours rest on Kampong, which when you write when people won't maybe understand this completely, but for hockey, that's a pretty huge deal. Like the turnaround time, the recovery time, and OGs also had an extra 24 hours on rot vice. And it was not that much for shock that both OGs and pin a K won that game. And I don't think it's a coincidence that that happened. No. So currently the team that has the extra day is always won. Yeah. And especially the fact what kind of game the semifinal of Kampong and rot vice was, which you cannot control as a tournament, but I think that kind of made it. But I don't know why they why they don't, but maybe it has to do with ticketing and stuff. But I don't know why they don't just get a women's day and a men's day. Because then you can then every team has the same amount of rest and has the same preparation. Yeah. And it showcases the sport for what it is rather than actually just trying to pack too much in and strut and not really formatting the tournament well enough. Like you shouldn't have just a final stage to have a two final stakes. It makes it like that. Yeah. Like they do with European Cups. I think they always women's final day and the men's final day. And I think that that helps the quality of the of the game. I don't know if it helps with ticketing and stuff, because I don't know how popular, how much more popular the women's game is or how much more popular the men's game is. I don't know the tickets, but I think that would help a lot. I think. Yeah. Yeah. The other thing I was going to do is those two other things was the other thing I was going to say was stadiums being packed. I think makes such a huge difference. Like the atmosphere looked amazing at the HL like genuinely sold out on the final day. I think makes such a big difference for us as athletes, let alone obviously everybody else watching in the stands. And my third point is backing up you point. I'm so happy that the world got to see Tom Grandbush for what he is a complete and utter ball bag. He moans like that all the fucking time and gets away with it. And this is the first bloke that's just gone. Do you know what? You're a correct mate. See you later. And I am here for it. I absolutely love it. If you're not going to get sent off for anyone doesn't know it came up on the microphone pretty clearly. But he did you see the sea bomb? Yeah, he dropped the sea bomb. He said he I mean I don't understand why I mean it's part of the reason Germans do this a lot. I feel like as soon as you get to like 100 caps as a German, lots of them just are under this weird impression that nothing can ever be blown against them. Like I really, really like Matt's but whenever you play against him, he gets so angry about everything. And you're just like, you just need to chill out a bit mate. Is everything's all right? Like, like sometimes someone tackles you and that's okay. I'm maybe pot kettle black, maybe not. But at the same time, I'm not always shouting and screaming and turning greens into reds. I do. Yeah, you don't you don't turn greens into redsville, but you definitely do the bit before you shout and scream. From a distance. No, not always from a distance. No, no. Bit of stuff. By the way, also, the guy from Kent, the French guy in the quarterfinal game, he also got a red card or like you got a suspension. Really? Yeah, the guy also really, they should have gotten the stroke or at least the penalty corner and the referee said play on and then I think my son is his name. Yeah, he went at it against the ref and he got a suspension as well. What's the what is the suspension then when you get red card now? Does it depend on how the severity of it? He gets one game. He got one game. He was very aggressive apparently and they don't say he didn't spit. He spit towards the referee if that makes sense. So not so not not like the Spanish guy did, but he spits like towards him. Bands are pointless. Like you might as well just not have a band. One game ban is nothing. You might as well bin that off like let's go but let's go to five and ten game bands. Let's make it really worthwhile. Yeah, they used to do that in hockey. It used to be like 30 days or something, didn't it? Yeah. Yeah, also I also didn't but we'll do it. I'll have my my my little piece of advice towards the referees after the break. And we're back. I mean, let's let's let's finish off the EHL segment with some umpires. I've got some but you wanted to weigh in first. Yeah, I think I think the the I think yeah, how am I going to put this? The there were some some mistakes all fine because I think that I've learned that I need to agree or accept that I make mistakes in the field. So the referee is also allowed to make mistakes. So don't get me wrong on that. Yeah, brand. But I'm waiting for the but what the one the one thing that really annoys me is the video referee and and the amount of talking they do now. Just because your mic's up doesn't mean you have to you have to constantly talk and explain yourself. Like, sometimes they also like you you have to to to to to referee a game between some of the wine and the grambush brothers. Yeah, if you give them just a little bit too much, they were going to wine all game against you and they were I don't know the what her what her name was. I think Alice Alison Brie or something or whatever she like or Alison something she with every decision she started explaining herself as kind of like looking for validation from the players that she said, yeah, she was constantly saying guys make it easy for me. I'm like, just shut up and blow the whistle if you feel like there's a there's a there's a foul. And then also the video referee made some critical errors, which I was arena like the one the compound game against Pinocchio. Like, I'm sorry, but it's never it's never what you call the shadow or like obstruction, obstruction, like do go gets gets mainly makes it makes a backstick. Like, what's the file? I don't know. So, so I have an issue with this. And the issue is Hendricks isn't allowed to speak to the umpire at all. No, no, so Campong refer. Hendricks then wades in after Campong referred and says, can you have a look for obstruction, which he's not allowed to do. So that's that's mistake number one by umpire at this point. So this is obviously European final. Then the second part is the umpire then says to the video ref. Can you also have a look for obstruction? That's mistake number two. So he's heard the mistake and hasn't said anything. Second one is then relayed the information which he shouldn't do. And the third one is I don't think she'll see that if that was the case. I don't think she'd see that scenario. She will never because you wouldn't be looking for it. And it 100% was a backstick and it'd be a corner. And then you're given away a corner against Campong, which is which is potentially a pretty good opportunity for them to score. So I think from that point of view, it's a big thing. And especially as you said, because basically Pinocchio is using Campong's video referral in their own good. So it makes absolutely zero sense. So yeah, I think I don't think the referees did did a horrible job or anything. It's not gonna be wrong. But I think there was like, at a certain point, I was like, I got kind of annoyed with like the amount of talking they did. And I don't mind referees talking a lot because it helps sometimes in their explanations. And I prefer them to talk as much as they did then that they're arrogant and don't talk at all. But like, kind of annoyed me at a certain point, they took a lot of the spotlight. And that's not the referees job by Pinocchio. So the first thing is like, just on the other side of the coin, is that Hendricks did a good job, didn't he? Yeah, fair. It's like very, very clever. It was very clever. And he did very well. And I think that it's not a knock on Hendricks. I think it's a knock on. No, no, no. It's just interesting, isn't it? Like the players can manipulate and get their own way a little bit, which like we went into a lot in like the European final last year in the in the in the summer about how you can like use the time or use the umpires in your own favor. Well, I would be intrigued about this. It's still deeper, you guys. Still sits deeper. It does with me. Yeah. Yeah. Well, also carry on for you. Maybe on that point was was was like, are umpires training? Like, they're gonna go and like, like do any HL stuff? Like, are they are they training at all? And like, are they actually looking and reviewing the performances and then like handing out the right games to the right people? Because it just seems like it's like, Oh, well, now, this person is a well renowned umpire. So we're just going to give them the the EHR final. I think I think they review stuff. But I would question the training bit. Because like, I have a real issue, especially in the UK, I think the standard of officiating isn't good. And the people that are on arguably the biggest games of the season now, I don't think up to scratch majority of the time, if I'm being if I'm being brutally honest. And it's so frustrating because like, especially the English League has now been orchestrated that you have high pressure games, high pressure moments more often. But then I don't think the officiating is up is up to the same level as what the game is. And I think that's what and for me, it's frustrating because I would love an umpire genuinely would love an umpire to come down to training and run and like umpire during our sessions. Like for me, that's a great opportunity for one to have training as a higher standard as possible. Because let's face it, coaches umpire and doesn't necessarily help. But also like, it shows that their willingness to get better as well is a huge thing for me. Yeah. And then and then then I think you should pay them. I don't think there's any referee that's that's being paid. I think they're all doing it for for, I don't know how you guys call it volunteering. Yeah, volunteer when they only get the expenses back like they're traveling back. Yeah, they've been covered but I don't want them to to invest and grow. They're all doing it as kind of like a hobby or kind of like on the side. They're all on day jobs and and and so I think if you really want them to get to get better and invest in it, it's actually tough on them because they're probably they're just doing it as hobby and they get yelled at all someday for 60 minutes or all game. They won't they won't they won't get better because they don't train and I think it's it's it's also it's fucking difficult to umpire like don't get me wrong. But yeah, you should pay them you should pay them and give them give them like at least a couple hundred euros a game or whatever that they at least like have an incentive to to train. Do you know do you know also on the initial point about like a little bit about you said about the Sandin Vine and the Grand Bush brothers like and I kind of like against you but I kind of like when you hear a lot from the umpire and them trying to talk to like players constantly. I do understand maybe the over explaining point but like wouldn't it be nicer for us to go in a more direction of like the rugby where there's like a greater level and again I understand like myself with pot kettle black here but like a greater level of respect towards the umpires as opposed to going in a football direction where you just abuse them and everything's okay like could we get to that point by just being way harsher for like you could turn around and say like across the board for international games and club games from next season basically any chat back is like a card would would it change or are we too deep in it? I think it would but yeah I agree I think the I think the issue is is consistency of it because I think like in like in any refereeing scenario rugby there's so much consistency on it the fact that all umpire all referees basically do the same thing I think once we get to a level of consistency I think it will see a stark change but I think the only way it's going to go is if we do start cards are just given out for people. All players the same as well because all players refer to them as don't they? Yeah yeah but I think I think they should go with then they should also uh stop with making um rules which are uh interpretable interpretable. Yeah yeah yeah. I think as soon as the interpretation comes into play like with the high ball or with dangerous or not I think and there are there are it's tough to make like clear black or white rule about it but then as soon as there is interpretation there's discussion. I have a question on that so are we at the point now where we can change the interpretation? So an umpire sitting in terms of for example if an umpire sees it from their point of view they're given their point of view can we now as players ask the question from our point of view and it be held in the same regard? Does that make sense? No. Like because that's where it should if we're talking about interpretation that's where it should be where you're basically it's two different points of view like there should be held in equal hands from their point of view but I think the problem is is with interpretation we basically ask a question and the umpire always puts their spin on the question and I think it's now I think we're at that point where we should be able to ask the questions equally that makes sense with equal waiting. Yeah I don't I don't think we just have I think every team I've played in now has the appointment as soon as it's interpretation you don't ask a video. Yeah that's what we have. It's the final minute or final second of a game but like there's nothing the referees can do about it or we can do about it I think I think as soon as interpretation comes into play it's tough to make like I agree with Phil with like the consistency thing and with the talking I think as soon as you make like the rule that as soon as you talk unrespectful without respect or unrespectfully to a referee you just get a green card and if it's if it's twice it's a yellow and if it's three times it's a red like I think as if you make that a rule and you can you can talk to him you can ask what are you with what are you whistling for whatever but like not I think that's yeah I agree yeah you got that in the end nice Brendan getting on his high horse about interpretation. Well that was so valid though no all I'm gonna say is like the aerial rule now is because there's so much interpretation on it nobody really understands what the rule is so therefore as you've said the minute a decision is made whether or not you agree just get on with it but it is to the point that it is so individualized for each umpire that it's now so confusing I think yeah but it's gone even that far with me that I just don't like I don't question anything with the aerial anymore it's basically someone the ball gets chucked I've chuck a 50p piece up in my mind and then it's just like oh well that that way they're gone okay cool just get on with it like I can't believe people still get angry by it it's like no one fucking knows no one knows why we started yeah let's end let's end the EHL with with a shout out to our to our avid listener and a fan of the podcast and we are a fan of him with Ronaldo getting EHL because I now think he has won everything there is to win for him he's won the belgium league with Dragon he's won the league last year with Hofklasse with Pinocchio he's won the EHL now and has won the europeans olympics world cup so big heads off to him from but has but has he won the indian hockey league oh I don't know if he played in it if he no I don't know if he played in it but we're gonna look at opening fucking will if I'm winning that's depressing yeah he he will go for a big money for big money I think yeah he might step through the net because someone's put so much money on hardxing and he and he comes out he's only gone for five grand it's a raw keller yeah pinokkei amslam congratulations for winning um shout out to flow no just not been okay just for now and right oh and okay I was like okay just toasted right let's move it on um oh yeah so someone someone asked the question egcvw that's actually going to be one of my pet peeves is that when people do ridiculous instagram handles and I'm trying to write them down this is eg underscore cvw wrote in saying should the EHL be hosting UK soon I think yes it should it could be good crack we have we have some decent fans show up you shut up say nothing can't be in hold every year place a bit go make another picture with each other on the balcony right because we're back and Brenda's done this nice shout out to you guys we're gonna do some like quick fire topics from you and then we're gonna get into the coop so I'm just gonna choose the ones that are pretty easy to to to get out there and and just see if you guys can can can can give me a quick lowdown first one is Kerri x26 margo van geffen and Ava drummond being dropped this close to paris is it a shock did you see it coming what's going on I'll let you answer this one it's quick fire is it a big shock no it's not a it's not a the timing of it is is the shock I think I don't think it's a it's a huge shock I think the shock is is is in that they both have 250 something caps um yeah I don't think that the the correct action a question is whether it was a shock that they got dropped for me it's it's unexpected as in that I I don't necessarily completely agree with with the decision I think especially Ava still brings a lot of value to the women's team in both experience but also in play um and I think yeah I like there's there are 34 and 35 so they they are probably on the back end of their career um it's always a bit painful because they they've meant so much for dutch hockey uh they're they're both double olympic gold winners multiple world cups I think the european cups are not even mentioned because they have won so much more um which has a lot about them and Ava would have gone to her fifth olympics um so yeah I think that that makes it a bit bit more painful uh it's always painful to get dropped especially such legend as as those two uh yeah I I think the women's team is just such an incredible team right now and they're I think they're on their way to a gold medal um without any bumps in the road to be honest um so they'll probably still end up winning gold yeah I think it's kind of a shock but also not I know I know Paul wasn't the biggest fan of both Ava and Margot or I know I think uh so yeah it wasn't the biggest shock but uh I think it was more in their experience and their value for dutch hockey yeah nice quick fire questions that um you know what the fuck you feel it's a podcast you're supposed to talk that's a perfect answer you lot of time for that perfect that was good that was good sorry sorry no thanks bro yeah next question Phil um let's do a quick one is the coop with you coming back yes next question yes good right um are english clubs happy that OGs came third um or are they only are the only people happy the OGs people Brendan uh yes clubs are happy because it also gives us a better opportunity to get back to three teams in Europe so yes other teams are happy as well and yeah there isn't this I don't think there's this big like we we eat different teams like you have arrived with most teams but yeah I think it's pretty yeah it's not a hate it's it's a very much a yeah it was a good weekend for english club teams full stop men's unwomen's rupert shippler is a huge fan he's put in some questions um best beer of choice post game well uh rupert I'm um I'm an athlete I don't drink so uh just say a beer ah beer uh yeah to be honest I don't really give a shit whatever whatever it is put in my hands I drink and ask rules for me yeah that's sider in the apple cider off I'm running with my apple cider no I don't know I think I just I just like after a game I just like a good old fashion like a like a from the tap just the next question please mate all right two more from shippley unpies and shorts what do you think sorry unpies and shorts no not a thing next one I'm gonna plead the fifth unless it's with hockey socks then which case yes I'm all in um and Simon organ sent a message to a question to you he said uh will around your road become dutch champions this year I I sure fucking hope so but I have no clue I'm I'm I'm I'm kind of kind of nervous of how good blubula is starting to become again oh they're on the roll no I think we have a good shot at it and and I think we're not the team with I think we have a lot of quality I don't think we're the team with the most quality and as been okay showed last year I think you also need a bit of luck and a bit of being in form at the right time so I hope that the right form it's not there yet with us so I hope that's a good sign and I hope we get informed exactly at the right moment nice um someone's asked about put socks have we done this before yeah we've done it we want to look like football players and they're fucking awesome listen more evidently that's great response very quick response um where is the new logo with you pinned um I think you're mistaking us for a productive and efficient podcast um it will happen probably not but sometimes you know what um I I think this is a very very good question I think Brandon is now actually putting some time in to actually get us in some new graphics and stuff right which is like a good job but I'm I'm also kind of done to only give give give being the absolute the the one who keeps this show going who is always on time who who puts in the work who who who gets everything done with this podcast and not get the credit I'm really done with not even being in the photo you guys you are you this podcast is nothing without no kidding but it wouldn't be nice if I could get in the logo yeah I agree Brendon can you sort that out or not I will try we've tried fucking seven times just make it fucking happen Brendon Jesus come on commit to it Brendon give us give us a give us so we can come back to episode one and say Brendon you said it can you give us an assurance I cannot give you an assurance but I will try my hardest right in the last one episode I'm on a strike until there is a logo absolutely fine okay okay okay no you you stay you stay you see you feel so let's get let's go Phil then has to spend more time with just me and him and that's not for our relationship don't leave me at last one is a more of a more of a medium response does hockey faza putting does hockey need more pundits and opinions i.e. Neville and Carragher yes I could I mean there is a simple answer of yes I think it might have been why this podcast started we're not looking to be Neville and Carragher and Gary Lineker or Mika Richards but we're we're what's wrong Brendon that's a man who doesn't watch football to put those three together okay they're not on Monday Night Football okay thank you and we do need more like people they need to be more opinionated people need to be the problem is I think hockey's still such a small world that if you say something bad about someone it's eventually going to come back to them and I think that's the the challenge that the three of us face um on a weekly basis that you or you doesn't you kind of said it but I'll say you to you to feel like very very like on the closet all the time I actually give some like valid opinions actually say what I think hey don't don't drag me around in this little little no no no I was gonna come to you too I was going to compliment Brendon because Brendon went at Tom Grandbush today and I'm proud of you right he's a bullsack yeah so we've comprehensively answered the questions there um let's move on to uh what we've all been waiting for and I'm looking forward to the sound effect again it's uh in the coop with you welcome to the main event everyone back in the coop you know what I've actually put in a lot of work to give you guys another season of coop and another like some banger questions I hope my two other colleagues slash friends um also give me some magic to work with first question if we were a sitcom character who would we three me so like which sitcom character represents us feel so I've got like one me and Brendon talk this through because I was trying to offend him at the same time it's like talk it through we the really easy one to start with which is just like completely generic is is the in between us because because there's three characters in that that I think we'll you know relate to uh quite closely you hopefully you know that you're Neil um or no sorry of course sorry J J yeah I thought J so Brendon is Simon because he's he's like Maddie is Carly yeah and I'm the briefcase Wonka yeah I think yeah I I couldn't have yeah I think that's very very good I was actually I was I was also like thinking about uh feel you being like gender being a bit uh you know settled with uh settled with like Monica like you you don't have the funny side of him but you have the you have like the sarcastic uh uh comments you're very settled um yeah so I was thinking a bit with you that I came with Brendon I kind of came with um yeah both creed from the office like something along those lines can I just jump in on the office because I also had that we we we moved around with this and Brendon's not going to be happy but you're you you're Michael Scott yeah right Brendon's Dwight and I'm Jim and again for similar reasons is like I'm kind of I know that maybe that's a push for me but in terms of the relationship of you're kind of needy you but you're like a larger than life needy character um yeah Brendon's just a moron and I'm the guy who is settled who bullies the moron I tried to push for Phil to be Oscar but Phil didn't agree I hope people know the office otherwise yeah I hope so as well but I also I also thought Harry Potter uh Jenny sat there for a while just I went on to films Harry Potter is a great sitcom by indeed yeah I went on to films Brendon didn't didn't know what sitcom I'm Harry you're Ron yeah I was also thinking Family Guy that like I'm probably uh Peter Griffin without without the big Phil is probably Stewie and you are my Chris and you are Meg you see you can just fit I just fitted around Brendon like so I just it was like state where they were terrible like like but but just finishing off with Brendon is Meg it just makes it good I thought Chris was the worst yeah okay can I ask just the last one um and I had um Ham from Modern Family for Brendon Cam oh very dramatic never seen Modern Family okay yeah it's it's really cool it's company he yeah and who are you from Modern Family then or you don't have one for yourself um yeah I'm Phil ah I think that's a stretch that it's a big stretch yeah he's way too funny to be you um okay thank you guys uh next one uh would you rather be chronically underdressed or overdressed to every occasion so let me give some some like context it means like if you go to to like just uh just to get together with friends you will come in the tuxedo it also means that when you play a hockey game and you're currently overdressed you're wearing double gloves and helmet uh shin guards big shoes with protection or you go underdressed and you don't even wear shin guards you just wear your like like you're not even your jersey don't wear shin guard like so you're currently underdressed or overdressed under just because it's double gloves I sealed it oh this is tough I was gonna choose under but the thought of playing hockey with no protection actually scares me a little bit it's also very annoying when you or like when you have to go to like a like a black tie party and you you come in your shorts and just a white shirt I'm pretty I know that makes me happy what funeral funeral and you're there in shorts and t-shirt oh you don't have to make it morbid mate all right that's just how it is feel like if you're saying we're going to a wedding and I'm like oh no I don't have to wear a suit I'm not that mad about that but being overdressed at a wedding and coming with like sparkles this shit is also right it's also you're in a wedding dress overdressed you're in a wedding dress too yeah but the double glove thing is also that that really sets me off wearing double gloves and like the the helmet and shit around the face mask the whole time would be quite funny though yeah but okay but what would you choose you would go overdressed brand or not uh I think I'd have to choose overdressed yeah and yeah I would go underdressed as well Phil just quit hockey don't play hockey right if I can't wear a mouth guard then she's got a I'll figure out something else yeah I'm quite happy you know the tarnishing gods that you get from footballers oh yeah I've got real I've got a real issue with that but anyway come okay um would you do you guys want another we want a hockey one or you do you want a let's let's put in a hockey one a hockey one okay um which coach would you like to work with in the future or what is a coach to which you would say oh I would really love to work with him there's there's one coach but I've had one session by and I would love to have worked with him for longer and that was Eric Verboom he came he applied for the assistant role uh a few years ago and came and did one session and during the session I genuinely think 80 percent of the people in our team couldn't do the drills that he gave us and I was like this guy's actually this guy's a genius and you guys missed out yeah I he was he was the one coach that I've been like holy but that I've had like experience of and I was like oh shit this guy's unbelievable are you feel I think I think from what I've heard about him Shane McLeod I think yeah I heard him as well the Belgian guy who won all that stuff I was just everyone who I've spoke to who's had him who's been coached by him has spoken incredibly highly they're like amazing man management um reviews and the way he treats people are really that sound pretty cool yeah he apparently is right like a really good people's manager he's I just have it from here so he's not the best wokie coach as in like giving training and shit but he's like really good at making people be their best selves on the field as shit so I think he would be referred can I add in because I've heard so many great stories and the fact that he's like completely out of the box is Paul Vanass because yeah I wanted to say him as well oh feel look at look at us two minds are thinking like three minds thinking like like I would I wanted to say exact same thing because he's not because I think he's the best coach just because he seems like again I mean he's in the best way possible he's such an idiot sometimes that I think he would be really really funny to work with him I think you'd be amazed every week with the amount of shit he says and does and whatever but on the other hand you're also like I don't think you'll ever feel secure or anything with him you're also your toes probably because he's I think yeah for the stories for the like for the like what we're getting today yeah like what's he gonna do because because I've heard some really funny stuff when he like at half time or something I'm not sure I've got this right but at halftime I've been told that he went in gave him all the score out of 10 and he just pointed to them and gave him a score and I'm like that's absolute gold dust like I'd aspire to be a coach like that and then be really highly regarded as well you try two out of ten he did some really rogue shit apparently I don't have I don't have all the stories but he has to he did some rogue shit love it come on give us one more are we one more are you guys one more you guys are such a okay I'm doing not I'm doing non hockey or do I do a hockey one do another hockey one we had two hockey one okay um you're really putting me on the spot here Philip but I'm very well prepared um all right would you rather room oh who would you rather room with for a six week trip to India out of the other two like I think for Brandon and me it's quite like it's I think Phil needs to make a tough decision yeah no it's not that tough oh maybe it is tough actually it's between your mom and your dad but in the in the bad way for Phil I think do you think I'll flip the question do you think you'd survive six weeks in India as a three if we went to the same team in the hockey league do you think we'd survive as a three easy I think it'd be easy yeah I'd survive I don't know if you got I'd survive easy I also think that would be that just makes me really excited if we could yeah I'd imagine putting in a bid like the auction it doesn't come up as our names it just comes up as let's stick together the threesome how much do you think we're worth as a three I think 55 50 to 60 for me six for you Brandon and 10 for Phil so we'll come up at around 80 yeah I mean going back to your question the problem is is that like I know what I'm going with Brandon um because I see it day in and day out and and and that's you know that's not it's not that exciting to to think about for six weeks in India sorry Brandon like the problem would be is that it's a bit of an unknown with you you like yeah you're intrigued are you yeah I'm intrigued I would be also worried about our friendship yeah he's intrigued but not for the right reasons like me me and Brent could last because there's so much like love hate there that that even if we came out and hating each other it'd be okay I don't know that's pretty fair but I'm gonna go with you I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna look the glass half full we'd have a great time I listen you would have a great time Philip I do sleep naked and I do not find that uncomfortable and I don't flush toilets sorry Brandon sorry do you do you not find that uncomfortable sleeping naked it's made honestly try it once you'll never go back it's I've tried it I don't like it I like wearing buckies it's a sense of freedom you'll never experience anywhere else in the world that is why he's Jay it's a sense of freedom you don't get within the holidays that is why he's Jay between us oh god okay sorry right I think that's been you know this has been a really really enjoyable first episode back it's been season six it's been a long time coming say again it's been very hockey for us yeah we were a hockey podcast I don't know what else you'd expect I don't know if people's expectations went up or down from season five but we are back like thank you for getting in touch with us on social media please tell other people about our podcast like we're Brandon are you alright yeah podcast I was just sorry yeah it's been a long day and also and also let us know whether whether you think it was good but also let us know do you think we are worth a season six are we like the hangover and are we just doing one too many or do you want us to keep on going like Fast and the Furious I'm on the Fast and the Furious side I think we still have a lot of gold to give you guys but let us know great now gee this has been let's sit together with me Phil and the lucky man see you next week cheerio oh the apple cider off I'm Brandon with my apple cider