Macquarie Sports Radio Breakfast With John Stanley & Beau Ryan

Former Australian test bowler Stephen O'Keefe has revealed the extra motivation behind Mitchell Starc's heroics in the Sheffield Shield for the NSW Blues.  Starc produced a 10-wicket man of the match performance against Tasmaina in the Marsh Sheffield Shield, and O'Keefe believes Starc's Ashes snubs in this years' series was a key motivation for the Australian paceman.  “I reckon he had a bee in his bonnet as well yesterday. He was up against Tim Paine, the Australian Captain, and we saw in that game at Drummoyne Oval what he could have done in the Ashes," O'Keefe said.  "He played one test over in the UK and we’ve just seen what he can potentially do. He’s back in form and I think Starc is always good when he has a chip on his shoulder."  Starc amazingly only played in one match during the Ashes series, but O'Keefe said Starc's performance in the Sheffield Shield proved why he is one of the best bowlers in the world.  “He was unbelievable yesterday. When the o

Fox Sports Football analyst Andy Harper is pumped ahead of this weekend's Sydney darby in the A-League, believing football fans across Australia should strap themselves in for what is going to be a blockbuster clash.  Sydney FC will take on the Western Sydney Wanderers at Bankwest Stadium this Saturday night and Harper says it's a match football fans won't want to miss.  “This game is going to be one to remember. If it’s not a sell out yet, it is definitely heading that way which is not unexpected at all. For the listeners out there, you should join in because it is going to be an historic night," Harper said.  With both sides undefeated and sitting atop of the A-League table, the match will be an even bigger occasion than those in the past, which are the headlines of the A-League regular season.  “The first night the league played at Bankwest Stadium it was great, but there is nothing quite like a Sydney darby in A-League terms. These things can really go off and because

The Everest run and won by Yes Yes Yes over the weekend and trainer Chris Waller called in for a chat and we also catch up with legend of Racing, Bryan Martin. Wallabies suffered a heavy defeat to England at the Rugby World Cup and coach Michael Cheika fell on his sword and quit as coach of Australia, Jeremy Paul joins us with his thoughts on the situation. Andrew Gaze joins us and Piggy almost DIED on the way to the studios this morning!  

Former Wallaby Jeremy Paul has labelled Crusaders coach Scott Robinson as the man to take over as the Wallabies next leader after another failed World Cup campaign.  After Australia's 40-16 quarter-final loss to England on Sunday night, coach Michael Cheika made a shock decision to not seek a new contract after his tenure ends on December 31. Cheika's reign as the Wallabies Coach resulted in 34 wins from 68 tests, after starting in the position in 2014.  Paul, who played 72 tests for the Wallabies said that Robinson was the only logical option moving forward. "Robinson is a coach who can not only look after superstars but produce superstars as well. Robinson started with four internationals in his team, but now you look at the current All Blacks squad and there are eight Crusaders in that team with another two off the bench," Paul said.  "He is a production line sort of coach but he is also a coach that can produce winners."  After winning the past three consecutive Super Rugby titles, Pau

The newly crowned Everest winning trainer Chris Waller joined Macquarie Sports Radio to speak of his excitement after his horse 'Yes Yes Yes' stormed home to win the third annual turf race. Over 40,000 onlookers packed into Randwick racecourse to watch the three year-old colt take out the $14 million prize pack as he dashed clear down in the middle of the track, running past favourite 'Santa Anna Lane' and 'Trekking' in third place. With the Everest now contesting with the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup for Australia's most prestigious and well-known race, Waller said the build up to the event was unlike anything he has been apart of.  "Leading into it with all the talk around the race, it was like the Grand Final in footy. And that's the great thing about this race, people want to know about who is in the race and what's happening. Not only are the horses household names, but these horses are constantly racing weeks before the event and they'll continue to race as well after it," Waller said.  "It was

Daniel Vidot joins us live in Studio. Darren Lehmann is backing Joe Burns to open the batting with David Warner and selectors watching Sheffield Shield with Will Pucovski pushing for a Test spot, we catch up with Carl Rackeman. Wallabies vs England tomorrow in Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals we have a chat with Phil Kearns. England Nines player Sam Tomkins calls in from the other side of the world and we learn that he is a bit of a fan of the pig and it’s a massive weekend of horse racing in Sydney and Melbourne, Richie Callandar gives us his tips.

Former Rugby League player Daniel Vidot has revealed to Macquarie Sport Radio the moment he knew to hang up the boots, and chase his dream as a professional wrestler. Vidot, who played 114 NRL games across nine years told Piggy, Levy and Jimmy that he owes his start in Wrestling to former Rugby League star Nigel Vagana. “Nigel Vagana was the person that actually hooked it up and the WWE were in fact looking for Rugby players and I came up in conversation,” Vidot said. But, it was in Vidot’s milestone match for the Brisbane Broncos in 2015 that he realised that it was time to give away Rugby League for good. “Back in 2015 when I was playing for the Broncos, it was my 100th game at Suncorp Stadium and my family were all there. It was a dream come true for me but I felt that after the game, that it was it for me. Ever since after that I lost my mojo for Rugby League,” Vidot said. “I still remember the game it was against the Knights. There was a moment when I scored a try in t

Macquarie Sports Radio’s Breakfast host Mark Levy has responded to the explosive claims made by the ABC’s 7:30 report on Thursday night, which revealed that hundreds of registered racehorses are being discarded to slaughterhouses in Australia. Levy questioned the timing of the report in the lead up to this weekend’s Caulfield Cup and the Everest, the richest turf race in the world. “Given what I have seen and what I have read, it’s quite clear to me that they are talking about three-hundred horses being killed in this abattoir in Queensland,” Levy said. “Now we’re talking about an industry that has thousands of horses. I know this isn’t a small number, but I just find the timing of the story quite ridiculous leading into the Everest and Caulfield Cup tomorrow.” The ABC also made a similar report in 2016 into the alleged animal cruelty within the greyhound racing industry and Levy said he wasn’t surprised the broadcasters were now taking aim aga

NRL strikes deal with NSW government to keep grand final in Sydney at SCG. A soccer wrap with Simon Hill as Western United started season with a bang. AFL Trade period has wrapped up, we check out the biggest winners and losers with Jon Ralph. Judge Paul Conlon joins us with his legal view on Nelson Asofa Solomona Case saying “Would have likely escaped police charges if the incident was in Australia”. Dave Carlson gives us a preview of the Million Dollar Chase.

Fox Sports Football Analyst has doubled down on his criticism of the VAR in this year's A-League's, after a scathing article earlier in the week for The Daily Telegraph, where he said we had "created a monster."  Hill made the comments after a controversial opening A-League round which left fans and players scratching their heads at some dubious decisions.  “To me, I think we’re just heading down a road where we’re going to stop the game every five and ten minutes," Hill said.  “The fans don’t know what is going on and the players don’t know whether or not to celebrate."  With VAR being used to make decisions on minute rulings, Hill said it's ruined the true nature of what sport is about.  “Specifically for offside calls, there has to be a little bit of leeway. If we’re having to go into such depth to figure out if someone is offside, then I think we’re losing some of the essence of what sports is about," Hill said.  “Pa

Everest winning horse trainer Peter Snowden has spoken to Macquarie Sports Radio ahead of Redzel's title defence this Saturday afternoon at Randwick Racecourse.  Speaking after Redzel drew barrier seven in Tuesday night's draw the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Snowden spoke about the meteoric rise of NSW's premier race event.  "The hype about this race is only getting bigger and bigger. We keep saying that each year but we're only in its third year and it's a race that si going to be around for a while and the quality is only better again as well," Snowden said.  "It's certainly going to be a great spectacle." With much emphasis being placed on the barrier that each horse gets, Snowden said the position on the track won't matter due to the class of all the horses.  “They are twelve of the best sprinters in the land and they can make bad luck into good luck just based on their ability so I think it will be pan out fine. I’m only really worried about my horse and I think barrier seven i

The debate continues on Steve Smith returning as captain he says he is not interested we catch up with our mate and legend Ian Chappell. Phil Rothfield gives his thoughts on the Nelson Asofa Solomona story with a resolution is expected today. Doping ban ‘stitch-up’: ASADA documents have cast doubt over Bombers ruling – Mick Warner broke the story and joins us with the latest. Wallabies take on England in the World Cup Quarter Finals, Stephen Hoiles calls in for a preview and the man who, along with Wade Graham and Tyson Frizell, is one of three players set to play in every upcoming fixture on the Australian international calendar... Ben Hunt. Ahead of the Everest, we also catch up with Peter Snowden  

Cameron Ling has called on for a 'thorough investigation' after the latest news revealing the damaging news about the Essendon Drugs saga from 2013.  Mick Warner from the Herald Sun broke the story on Tuesday night revealing that the drug that sparked the Essendon supplements scandal, Thymosin Beta-4, was only listed as a banned substance the day before the Bombers “self-reported” to the AFL in February 2013, which was several months after the injections stopped. Ling, a three-time premiership winner with Geelong, says that as many players careers were tarnished from this drugs saga, they have every right to feel frustrated and that an investigation needs to be put in place.  “I think this has got to be looked into. Jobe Watson lost a Bronwlow in 2012 for this, and a lot of players lost their careers and I would like a pretty thorough investigation of all this evidence,” Ling said.  “If any of these thirty-four players have been wrongly suspended and had accolades

Herald Sun reporter Mick Warner has opened up on the story revealing damaging revelations about the Essendon drug saga from 2013.  Warner, who broke the story on Tuesday night, revealed that the drug that sparked the Essendon supplements scandal, Thymosin Beta-4, was only listed as a banned substance the day before the Bombers "self-reported" to the AFL in February 2013, which was several months after the injections stopped.  "On that Monday February 4th 2013, before Essendon 'self-reported' to the AFL, someone from ASADA between 2:34 am and 12:59 pm altered or changed the status of Thymosin Beta-4," Warner said.  "So previous to that if you checked the ASADA website with that drug, it would just say nothing and wouldn't recognise it. However, after February 4th, the website would would say this it was banned from the sport."  "However, ASADA said yesterday that this isn't relevant because the drug has always been banned under WADA." However, even with these revelations coming out, Warner

Former Australian cricket Captain Ian Chappell has defended the captaincy of Tim Paine amidst reports that star batsman Steve Smith should be reinstated as leader of the national team.  Smith, who was notoriously stripped of his captaincy after the infamous 'sandpapergate' scandal has enjoyed a sensational year so far, leading Australia to retain the Ashes in England, forcing many pundits to agree that Smith should have the 'C' next to his name again.  However, Chappell does agree that as Australia has an absent of notable leaders, Smith may well be reinstated as captain.  “I think Tim Paine has done a good job in extenuating circumstances, and I don’t understand some of the criticism he gets," Chappell said.  “My only point is that when Tim Paine does decide to retire and you’re looking ahead, I don’t see anyone else there who can take over the captaincy. So I think that Steve Smith could become captain again purely because there’s no other alternatives

Eddie Betts traded to Carlton in ‘fairytale ending’ to his incredible career, he joins us for a chat. Andy Harper calls in as the Socceroos v Chinese Taipei tonight in a World Cup Qualifierwith Jamie MacLaren emerging as a key strike weapon. Cooper Cronk linking up with the GWS Giants according to reports we go straight to a GWS Board Member – Jimmy Bartel. Tim Clark – The Jockey riding Nature Strip in the Everest on Saturday give us a call and we get a Cricket wrap with Stephen O’Keefe with what has already been a successful period for Australia after winning the Ashes. The boys ask, can a leopard change its “sports”? Who has made transitions between sports    

Supercars driver Lee Holdsworth has shared his thoughts on the latest controversy coming out of Bathurst 1000, and if Scott McLaughlin should be stripped of the title. McLaughlin’s and DJR Team Penske’s victory remains provisional while an investigation is being conducted into the “disgraceful” acts from Penske driver Fabian Coulthard. During the 135th lap of the Bathurst 1000, Coulthard was seen slowing down the race and causing a logjam with the cars behind him, which in turn created a huge gap between race leader McLaughlin and eventual runner up, Shane Van Gisbergen. “To be fair, Scotty had the pace and he deserved to win that race I think, but Shane probably would have had a crack as well had he not been held up behind Fabian,” Holdsworth said. “And then there is us as well who should have been in third after all that and that really pissed us off.” Holdsworth, who finished tenth in the race and is a member of the Bottle-O Racing Team & Supercheap Auto

AFL star Eddie Betts has opened up about his emotional return to the Carlton Blues where his career started back in 2005.  The small forward was traded to Carlton on Monday afternoon from the Adelaide Crows for a future fourth fourth round pick.  Speaking with Piggy, Levy and Jimmy, Betts said he still has to pinch himself for being back with the Blues.  "I walked in yesterday at the press conference and it was just so surreal. It was mixed emotions and I can't believe I'm back after six years in the navy blue," Betts said.  A chance to return home was always on the mind of Betts who even revealed he turned down a longer contract offer from the Gold Coast Suns.  "I thought about Gary Ablett going back to Geelong after being with the Suns and I thought, 'well why can't I do that?'"  "I got the two offers from both Carlton and Gold Coast and I actually turned down the Suns offer which was a three-year deal to take Carlton's deal and finish it off where it started."  After

Jimmy Bartel has responded to the rumours that retired Premiership winning star Cooper Cronk may join the GWS Giants coaching staff for the 2020 AFL season.  Brent Read from The Australian broke the story in the lead up to the NRL Grand Final, saying the AFL runners-up were keen to tap into the mind and abilities from Cronk, who is one of the most decorated players in NRL history.  "We've had some chats with Cooper and we'd love to get him involved around the boys and the club," Bartel said.  "He's played ten thousand games at the elite level. Origins, Australian representatives, what hasn't he done?"  Bartel, who is a board member on the Giants, said it's Cronk's qualities and character that make him such a prized recruit for any coaching staff.  "It's his leadership, it's his experience, just everything he brings to the table. Of course we'd love to get him involved," Bartel said.  "If we can get him involved, I think it would be of maximum benefit to the Giants." 

Scott McLaughlin claims maiden win at Bathurst from pole – We catch up with him after his win. Tim Paine scores a century for Tas to find form ahead of the Test Series as Harry Conway takes 10 wickets for the match as NSW beats Queensland and Justin Langer lends his support to David Warner ahead of the Test Series.. Darren Lehmann joins us as the Summer of Cricket gets underway. Matthew Nicks to be appointed coach of the Adelaide Crows, we get all the news on the AFL trades from Jimmy Bartel and Tom Morris from the Herald Sun. Trent Robinson, Roosters Coach drops into the studio after the NRL Grand Final win.