Episode 38. (Knox Raiders NBL1 Player Series) Haliegh Reinoehl and Samuel Taulapiu

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

The Big Easy Basketball Podcast embraces and acknowledges local basketball heroes and personalities that have served the community and help develop basketball scars both now and in the future.

SPEAKER_05 0:25

Welcome back to the Big Easy Basketball Podcast. Today we have absolutely blessed to have two superstars from the Knox Raiders MBL One teams. We've got Hayley and Samuel. Welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Thank you. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_05 0:38

Now, Haley, we'll start with you. Just for listeners out there, just give us an overview of your basketball career so far.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Yep. So I've been playing for quite a few years now. Went four years at Akron University in the States and then played in Switzerland, Germany first league, and then four years in Mount Gambier, and then two years in the New Zealand League. So this is like pro season nine, I think. Yep. So yep.

SPEAKER_05 1:07

So just before we get to you, Sam, that that you've done a fair bit of travel in. So what's your um your junior career was obvious? You're obviously American. You come from Indiana.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Yep. Yep.

SPEAKER_05 1:17

And um tell us a bit about that and the difference that you had growing up in America, then traveling the world.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Um, yep. So grew up in Indiana. Everybody has a basketball hoop in their driveway in Indiana. Um, so it's pretty awesome. My dad coached me throughout a lot of my travel ball. Um, and then I represented my high school throughout um, you know, just you represent your school. It's not like club play like how it is here. And then um, yeah, ended up getting the opportunity to play at Akron and um met some really cool people, and that was about five hours away from home.

SPEAKER_05 1:49

Yep. And so you're at Mount Gambier for four years, was it, or five? Four years. Four years. And and how did you find the transition coming from like Mount Gambier, a fairly large but a noble bit country town to to coming to Knox?

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Um, there's a lot of people here.

SPEAKER_05 2:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Um, and there's a lot more traffic. Um, but I think that the transition from Mount Gambier to Knox uh was um pretty awesome in a way that I get the opportunity to play here and represent such an amazing club. Um, but it was kind of bittersweet. I did really enjoy my four years at Mount Gambier and the people and the connections that you make in a small town um are a little bit irreplaceable. So um that was an amazing experience for me. But just being at Knox is um rewarding in itself just because it's such a beautifully ran program and things like that.

SPEAKER_05 2:39

And uh Sam, what about yourself? You tell us a bit about your basketball journey so far.

SPEAKER_04 2:44

Yeah, so um I was originally born in New Zealand and I moved to Australia when I was three, and I started playing basketball when I was 11. Um, I just started playing domestically, nothing serious, and then I started my my rep career, I guess, for my juniors at San Andrew Gam Sabres. Um I finished there under 20s, um, and then I went to America for college. I did uh two years at two different junior colleges, and then uh my last three years at NAIA in Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_05 3:16

And currently a Knox Raiders player. So how have you found this year? I know you're injured at the moment, but how have you found this year so far?

SPEAKER_04 3:23

Um, I've enjoyed it. I mean, I got injured in preseason, but I think on and off the court and what I've been able to do with the team so far has just been amazing. Um I've personally known Nunny for seven to eight years now because we both come from San Andream. So I think transitioning from coming back to Australia from college, um, and I texted Nunny and we just spoke a little bit, and he said, you know, he has a spot available at Knox, and then coming here and everything that he said was here was here. It was you know it was the easiest transition and it was really fun to be a part of.

SPEAKER_05 3:54

Yeah, it's a lovely facility that you get to play out of and train out of each week, isn't it? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, that's it. What does a typical week look like for an athlete these days in the MBL One?

SPEAKER_01 4:05

Uh yep, I I can't speak for the boys, but I know that they have a pretty similar schedule. Um, usually we have uh, you know, it depends if we play a single or double on the weekend, but um, usually Indies Monday, uh Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. So that's like an hour in the morning on court with Cine. Um and then we have lifts before practice. Usually the girls lift about four times a week, three to four times a week. And then we have two team trainings um Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then um playing on the weekends. We do have film sessions as well. Um, and then uh yeah, we get the opportunity, like we're about to go do some coaching, so some community service as well. Um, and that's really what your week looks like.

SPEAKER_05 4:45

So not much time to downtime there, is there? Basketball, basketball, basketball.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Pretty, pretty much when you're in season. But I mean, you have usually like in the middle of the afternoon, you have a few hours, uh, maybe like four to five hours to rest, refuel, and reset, and some of the girls work, actually. So it's it's awesome.

unknown 5:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 5:01

Now coming from New Zealand and coming from the United States, what's something that Australians do that makes absolutely no sense to you?

SPEAKER_04 5:10

I think uh thinking the Australian meat pies are better than one than the ones in New Zealand. Yeah. I think there's no chance that Australian meat pies are better than the ones in New Zealand.

SPEAKER_05 5:19

Oh, you think the New Zealand ones are better? So much better. I didn't ask a controversial question there so we just shoot straight.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

I don't really know. I mean, I come from America, so there's a lot of things that Australia does better than America.

SPEAKER_05 5:33

Oh, we do better things here?

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Yeah, I would say so. You it makes a little bit more sense here. Um yeah, I'm not so sure.

SPEAKER_05 5:41

That's all right. Well, what about your teammates? Who on the who on your roster talks the most trash?

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Alicia Frolling. That's easy.

SPEAKER_05 5:49

Do you want to blink and think about that one? What about you, Buzz? Is this uh on court or off-court? Oh, bit of both. A bit of both. I think actually give us one of each. Give us one of each.

SPEAKER_04 5:58

I think off court it'll be Brody. And then on court it'd be Jarvis.

SPEAKER_05 6:03

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

And and for you on and off court is um, I mean, I would say Alicia definitely on court, but um, yeah, I would I don't really know. I wouldn't, I don't think I have an on-court or off-court one.

SPEAKER_05 6:15

Yeah, just say Alicia both ways, poor Alicia.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

I suppose so.

SPEAKER_05 6:20

Um just with your teammates again, who spends the most time getting ready? And we can we can throw the coaches into that. Like before a game, who takes the most time looking at themselves in front of the mirror, making sure their uniforms are idle looking the best they can?

SPEAKER_03 6:34

Aiden. Aiden, period.

SPEAKER_01 6:38

I don't know. Me, Belle, and Alicia are there like pretty early, so we're like take the longest to get ready, quote unquote. But um I don't know. I don't know, maybe Swainie and Aggie, they're always looking beautiful. So I would say maybe they do spend a little bit more time. But um, but yeah, that would be that.

SPEAKER_05 6:57

Yeah. Do you have a funny teammate? Like who's the funniest in the in your roster?

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Um Paige Bradley's pretty funny, and so is Paige Burroughs. Both pages. I'll take double pages.

SPEAKER_04 7:10

Um, I would say Duam. He's a little bit quieter, but um, I guess me and him have been kind of injured this season, so we've been working out a little bit more together. So I've gotten closer with him. Um, I wouldn't say it's what he says, but it's just his facial expressions. Like sometimes at practice, he'll just look at me at a certain way, and we kind of just know what's going on, and you know, it's pretty funny.

SPEAKER_05 7:32

Yeah, have you got a teammate that you think would dominate on Love Island?

SPEAKER_01 7:40

I don't think so, honestly.

SPEAKER_05 7:41

That would be any good on there?

SPEAKER_01 7:43

Probably not. I don't mean I'm not so I'm not so sure.

SPEAKER_05 7:47

You're being too kind here, Haley.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Maybe, maybe I feel like I feel like I would want to see Paige Bradley on Love Island just because I think that she would just like I don't know, be on there with a whole bunch of jokes and things like that. But I don't know if anybody would like necessarily dominate on it. I don't know if anybody would want to be on it.

SPEAKER_04 8:05

Uh I think Trezarian. I think his laugh alone will bring in a lot of attention from the other contestants and the crowd as well. But yeah.

SPEAKER_05 8:16

If you had a teammate that could become a world a WWE wrestler, who do you think it would be?

SPEAKER_04 8:25

Probably Iggy. I mean, he's a grown man, so I'd I'd assume he has grown man strength. And um you assume that yeah. Um but yeah, Iggy.

SPEAKER_02 8:39

A wrestler?

SPEAKER_01 8:41

I don't I have no I don't have no idea. I feel like we don't have like super aggressive girls on the team. Maybe I would wrestle somewhere.

SPEAKER_05 8:50

You're thinking yourself?

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Maybe.

SPEAKER_05 8:54

Which teammate would become famous outside of basketball?

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Shanice Swain. Sweeney for sure.

SPEAKER_04 9:02

Probably just airing it again. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 9:04

Not a TikTok following, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_04 9:06

Yeah, I was about to mention um I don't follow him on TikTok. Don't you can cut that out, but I heard that he's quite kind of famous on TikTok.

SPEAKER_05 9:15

What about um yourselves here? Give us a basketball opinion that would immediately start an argument. And not the meat pie one, but a basketball argument that would I don't know, it's probably when I call guards little people.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

It happens. It usually starts the guards get a little upset when I call them little. But they're little people. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:42

I think it's like I think just telling anyone, any basketball player that they can't shoot, or like hearing like leave them open, and like you know it's just being competitive, but like at training, you could be the best shooter. But for me, I'm gonna get in your head and say leave them open. And that just, you know.

SPEAKER_05 9:58

What's the current currently the most overrated basketball move?

SPEAKER_01 10:04

I would say like a wide open right hand layup.

SPEAKER_05 10:08

What if you're left-handed?

SPEAKER_01 10:10

I mean, maybe, but like there's a lot of people that blow that those layups, so sometimes they're a wide open fast break layup harder than you think.

SPEAKER_04 10:23

I was overrated basketball. Maybe like a step back three or something. I don't know. That was a show in the dark.

SPEAKER_05 10:32

What what sport do you think you could go pro in without even trying? Outside of basketball, of course.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

I don't know, I'm a pretty one sport athlete. I struggle at other sports.

SPEAKER_05 10:54

You think you do the curling thing, like the winter Olympics curling or something like that?

SPEAKER_01 10:57

I mean, no, I have a friend who's an Olympic bobsledder, and that is no. No, that's crazy. Like, I don't think I have respect for all other athletes. I don't think that I could just step into somebody's sport and be a professional.

SPEAKER_03 11:10

Oh well.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

I mean boys might have different opinions. They think they can do everything, so what's more could you also play?

SPEAKER_04 11:18

You stumbled me when you said I respect the other athletes, which I do. But I feel like table tennis. Oh yeah. Yeah. I've never I maybe played three games in my life, but I feel like I could still go professional in it. Yeah. You're not a professional rugby player or anything like that, coming from New Zealand? I tried it. Uh my uncles played for the All Blacks and some more, but um, they were a little bit bigger than me, and I didn't get the huge genetics, so I chose a little bit more, less physical sport.

SPEAKER_05 11:46

Settled down on that. Yeah.

unknown 11:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 11:50

Which one of your teammates has the worst music taste?

SPEAKER_01 11:58

I don't know because I'm always on aux, so I don't really allow that to happen. I don't know when people listen to their headphones.

SPEAKER_04 12:08

Um it's gotta be one of the twins. I know we're like almost midway through season, but I still can't tell the difference. And one of the twins always plays this uh, I think it's like a Yu-Gi-Oh or something song, but it gets the team going, but I'm not a fan of it.

SPEAKER_05 12:26

What's your funniest road trip moment so far this year?

SPEAKER_01 12:32

We haven't really gone on the road, but I mean I guess, but we just drive.

SPEAKER_05 12:40

Yeah. Nothing's happened that's been fun. No, not really. What about during timeout? Actually, fuzz, you were you smiled then and you said you could see you're gonna say something. What was yours?

SPEAKER_04 12:49

No, I think um when we went to Benigo, we had a a bus, and um, it was just having Geordie Hunter on there and him basically keeping the rookies in place, you know, just seeing him lie down on top of all the rookies and explaining like when he was a junior, this is what Andrew Bogert did to him. So it was kind of funny, but at the same time it was like a full circle moment, like, wow, this is pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_05 13:11

How how did those rookies take it?

SPEAKER_04 13:13

Oh, they loved it. Yeah. Um, and I think, you know, props to them, but the energy that they bring into training really boosts our entire environment. Um, because you know, we have some dudes who work full-time, we have older dudes who, you know, bodies aren't up to scratch as they used to be. So having those 18, 19 year olds who are constantly full of energy bringing everyone up, you know, it really keeps our trainings at a high standard.

SPEAKER_05 13:37

What's the uh what's your how do your teammates who's got the weirdest habit and what is it? You want to throw someone under the bus here? I can sense it. Come on.

SPEAKER_02 13:58

I don't I really don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 14:04

I wouldn't say it's a habit, but Brandon and Kobe sweat a lot. Like I would say before warm-ups, they're already drenched. I don't like I'm trying to think of all my teammates, and there's nothing that jumps to my mind where I'm like, yeah, that's weird. Or like, yeah, that's something you don't usually do, but besides them two just sweating, you know, an absurd amount, then I think my team's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_05 14:30

What's uh the weirdest thing that's happened at a timeout this year? Tough questions for you today.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

Yeah, because we've only played eleven games.

SPEAKER_05 14:40

I know. There must have been something.

SPEAKER_04 14:47

It wasn't really weird, but none of the voice cracked. And obviously, because I'm not playing, I was able to giggle at that, but um other than that nothing too weird during the timeouts.

SPEAKER_05 15:03

We'll finish off with three quick ones. And we've the theme today has been throwing our teammates under the bus. So uh which one of your teammates is most likely to miss the team bus?

SPEAKER_01 15:16

Um I'm gonna have to go with I'll probably I don't know, maybe um maybe Aggie and Sweeney. Maybe, I don't know, because they're just they're on their own time. They're my roommates.

SPEAKER_05 15:28

Which one's most likely to become a coach after but like after they finish playing?

SPEAKER_04 15:41

Only because we've had talks about this before, but I think Iggy.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

I would say Burroughs.

SPEAKER_05 15:47

Probably and finally, which one of your teammates would be the worst Uber driver?

SPEAKER_01 15:54

Probably me. Really? Yeah, I'm a terrible driver. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:58

I think either of our imports.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

See.

unknown 16:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:02

I've never been in their car, but they drove on the wrong side of the road, so settles everything.

SPEAKER_05 16:08

Haley and Samley, it's been fantastic having you on today.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 16:11

Appreciate it. And good luck with the injury, and hopefully we see you back on the court. And Haley, it's been great having you on the court so far, and good luck with the rest of the season. Yep, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

The Big Easy Podcast is committed to promoting local basketball personalities. This coming weekend, you may very well be sharing the court with a local basketball hero.