A bumper episode from The Unused Subs this week with so much to cover off!  Our special guest is Wellington Phoenix Original and All Whites superstar striker Shane Smeltz, but before we get to him the Subs unpack:

* The Michael Woud last-minute shocker against Central Coast Mariners

* Should Oli Sail replace Woud in the Auckland FC goal?

* What is Auckland FC’s best attacking line-up?

* The 21-second wondergoal from Lachie Bayliss for the Jets vs Phoenix

* The first week of the OFC Pro League

* The Wellington Phoenix Women who have surged into 2nd spot!

Smeltzy kicks off around the 15-minute mark.  It’s a big week for the Wellington Phoenix, as they prepare for their 500th Men’s match in club history.  Shane was there at the very beginning, so we ask about his memories of Game No. 1, his efforts across the first two seasons which lead to a Johnny Warren Medal win…  which in turn put huge pressure on Paul Ifill who was signed to replace Smeltzy and all his goals!

We find out about Terry Serepisos - the former owner’s shoes, dance moves and on-field abilities come under intense scrutiny!  

And with Shane being one of only 4 kiwis to have scored at a FIFA World Cup, and as the 2026 edition is less than 5 months away, it was a glorious chance to review his goal against Italy - was he offside? - and he reveals the real life Mario Kart-style race that could have gone so differently for one All Whites defender in South Africa!

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The giant frame of Sam Cosgrove eased into the Tyler St Sport studio this week! The Auckland FC big man was ready to chat all things about his move to NZ from the UK, and experiencing his first summer Christmas. Whether Paul Ifill could hang in for the entire chat though was placed in serious doubt; sat at Christchurch Airport ready to fly home, with low phone battery and no charging cable in sight!

Regardless, The Unused Subs pushed on, as Sam and Iffy compare their experiences as import forwards in the A-League. Sam speaks about the extensive travel, getting used to the numerous time differences across Australasia, and the impossible heat that comes with playing football during summertime... something he's never been faced with before!

He mentions Duncan Ferguson who helped hone his craft as a target man in his younger years, talks about THAT scarcely believable goal after 28-seconds in the Kiwi derby and how AFC planned to nail the Phoenix high line, we create a commercial opportunity for he and Francis De Vries, and pose the question: Has he ever heard 'Sam Cosgrove' and 'Ballon D'Or' in the same sentence? The answer may shock you, but not if you support Aberdeen.

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This week, The Unused Subs lick their wounds after a rough weekend.  Jacob Spoonley endured a late, white-knuckle drive from Napier to Wellington after his flight to cover the Phoenix/Adelaide game was canceled, and poor old Paul Ifill got sprayed and drenched in the pre-game by a rogue sprinkler!  Some say his jacket is still drying out.

To the football itself though, and the Subs talk about the FA Cup 3rd Round results for our flying kiwis - in particular Liberato Cacace and his super strike on the way to chopping down Nottingham Forest.  Iffy talks to the mindset of the lower level sides in the Cup; desperately wanting to face the biggest clubs in the earlier rounds, but looking to avoid them the deeper you go in the knockout competition!

With Tim Payne and Nikola Mileusnic back on the park for the Nix, and All Whites defender Bill Tuiloma officially on the books, we look at what Chiefy’s preferred Starting XI might be for the remainder of the A-League season…  is there room for all the big names, and where might THAT side finish up on the league ladder?  Meanwhile, Auckland FC won again on the road, and Lachie Brook scored another wondergoal against the Roar.  He can play central, he can play on each flank…  What is his best position?  But most importantly: what’s his best position for the team’s sake?

And with former Phoenix gaffer Ufuk Talay being compared to Aussie shock jock Kyle Sandilands in a post-match presser, Paul Ifill unleashes the tale of how he was once mistaken for the iconic recording artist Craig David on a night out in London!  It’s funny what a bit of stubble, double denim and a stretch limousine can make people believe!

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Happy New Year everyone! The Unused Subs are back like we never left (because we didn’t) and our first guest of 2026 is 20 year old Football Ferns striker Milly Clegg - yes, we know, she’s the daughter of former Black Sticks hockey captain Kylie, but let’s see how long it takes for us to mention her… because Mum always hijacks Milly’s chats for some reason!

Today we review our respective New Year’s Eve celebrations before talking about Milly’s Canadian experience with Halifax Tides in the newly-formed Northern Super League. SPOILER ALERT: Wins were few and far between unfortunately! But with that difficult season under her belt, Milly reveals what she has learnt about her game, and how she can take things to another level with Racing Louisville in the NWSL.

Paul Ifill delivers what can only be referred to as A STRIKER’S MASTERCLASS; how an attacker can improve on their craft, and what some players aren’t doing correctly in one-on-one situations with a keeper… even at A-League level!

We revisit Milly’s astonishing year of THREE World Cups, culminating in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on kiwi soil. All the while attempting to complete her schooling at Mt Albert Grammar!

And yes, eventually we’ll talk about her exceptional sporting family, including Mum… plus how her Dad broke his back, how her uncle ripped a hamstring, and how Milly herself didn’t wind up playing hockey or cricket when she easily could have.

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For the final time in 2025 Jacob & Goran enter the Tyler St Sport studio where they are joined by Paul Ifill.  As the new year approaches rapidly the Subs bench uses this time to review the key moments of the year that was, and look forward to big things in 2026!

Michael Boxall’s unlikely goal in the World Cup Qualifier against New Caledonia, Auckland FC winning the Premiers Plate in their very first A-League season, the Wellington Phoenix with an extremely poor showing in the 3rd-ever Kiwi derby, plus kiwi players securing moves to big offshore clubs - just some of the things we look back on from the past 365 days.

Looking ahead to 2026 though, the guys make some predictions.  Will Giancarlo Italiano retain his place as head coach of the Phoenix?  We ask the same for Steve Corica; due to his success with AFC surely he’s in danger of being snapped up!  And given that the All Whites are putting themselves in the shop window at the FIFA World Cup, which player will receive the ‘Winston Reid treatment’ and sign for a Premier League club when it’s all said and done?

Oh, and there’s serious frustration that the Auckland/Sydney game was postponed due to an unsafe field…  classic A-League eh.  Just find a venue!

Happy New Year to you, enjoy the show and we’ll see you again in 2026!

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Last week, Auckland FC’s Lachie Brook joined the Subs Bench at Tyler St Sport and took it upon himself to reveal the secret life of teammate Callan Elliot. The man Lachie described was something of a moody, angry individual, capable of abusing a postman or messing with a stranger’s car for no good reason. In this week’s episode, Callan will attempt to set the record straight and clear his name.

But not without some difficulty along the way! From an unscheduled guest popping in, to receiving absolutely no support from former mentor Paul Ifill, it’s clear that the odds are against the AFC wingback. And of course, we have to ask Callan about that brilliant own goal he scored… just to make him feel even better about himself!

Away from Lachie’s character assassination, we learn about Callan’s experience as a trialist under Marko Rudan at the Wellington Phoenix, how former Nix player David Williams nearly ‘broke’ Callan one morning at 3am, the difficulties he faced both on and off the pitch when exiting Wellington, and he provides the lowdown on his fellow Evil Twin: who is the real angry man - Callan or Lachie?

And because it’s Christmas, Paul Ifill tells a story involving Neil Warnock, a heart rate monitor, a chocolate fountain and man's best friend!? Happy holidays indeed from the lads at The Unused Subs!

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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!

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