Yeah, sure did, Jamie and I was a good mate Grizz over the years. Yeah, it was probably latterly more so that you know, we sort of saw each other and talk to each other quite a bit. He was part of a group in Warrington was formed by the late Doug Catley sort of you know, to address what was wrong with the game. And there's quite a few ex All Blacks and rugby people that were part of that and yeah, and so yeah, we kept in contact all the time, and yeah it was he was. He was a good makers and yes, condolences to his family. You know. Gris never really talked too much about about his illness, but which you know, which which I expected that of Gris. I mean he didn't go on about anything too much, but yes, anyway, yeah, I said that he's gone and yeah, the rest in peace.

Yeah, sure did, Jamie and I was a good mate Grizz over the years. Yeah, it was probably latterly more so that you know, we sort of saw each other and talk to each other quite a bit. He was part of a group in Warrington was formed by the late Doug Catley sort of you know, to address what was wrong with the game. And there's quite a few ex All Blacks and rugby people that were part of that and yeah, and so yeah, we kept in contact all the time, and yeah it was he was. He was a good makers and yes, condolences to his family. You know. Gris never really talked too much about about his illness, but which you know, which which I expected that of Gris. I mean he didn't go on about anything too much, but yes, anyway, yeah, I said that he's gone and yeah, the rest in peace.

As a young buck, you went down to Canterbury basically to make your way I think with Haimush McDonald into the into the All Blacks. So you were to cut your teeth playing at rugby for Canterbury with Gris.

As a young buck, you went down to Canterbury basically to make your way I think with Haimush McDonald into the into the All Blacks. So you were to cut your teeth playing at rugby for Canterbury with Gris.

Yeah, well we sent it up playing for run Or because he was Glenmark and we played, you know, we played in the Norse Canoby competition and we went round down there at to farm, not to not to make make through a headway and rugby was mainly farm for some farming reasons that we went down there. Maney managed to do cropping which we didn't do a lot of here and yeah, and so you know, things happened and yeah, so we there was a sort of introduction to Gris Wiley really and sort of and then there was the start of it. Yeah.

Yeah, well we sent it up playing for run Or because he was Glenmark and we played, you know, we played in the Norse Canoby competition and we went round down there at to farm, not to not to make make through a headway and rugby was mainly farm for some farming reasons that we went down there. Maney managed to do cropping which we didn't do a lot of here and yeah, and so you know, things happened and yeah, so we there was a sort of introduction to Gris Wiley really and sort of and then there was the start of it. Yeah.

So as as young guys playing sub union rugby and Canterbury when you played Glenmark were you were a bit fearful of him because he was no shrinking.

So as as young guys playing sub union rugby and Canterbury when you played Glenmark were you were a bit fearful of him because he was no shrinking.

Violet, that's for sure. No, we had to keep an eye on them all. That was sure. He was able to keep an eye on most people, so he had to watch out for them. He was a good plague Grizz. You know, he had everything. He had all the skills, He was quick, he could play six, seven or eight was without any problems at all, without any adjustments that he had to play. I think he put probably for third number eight and where he could control things from his way, and he was good at it too, so you know, yeah, he was. He was playing great plague Grizz. He shoult have. He should have had more games for the All Blacks, is no doubt about that. You know. There was I suppose a lot of good loose forwards around then, but you know he was, he was right up there and just you know, he should have in my view, and I guess a lot of others too in their view with it that he should have had more games for the Abs. There's no doubt about that. He was. He was a great player Grizz and he you know, he was passionate. He no game. He would ever just go out there and have a game. Was all on with Grizz so and he was always great to have the side and those Test matches that we played with each other. You know he was. He was always there and you could always rely on him and he didn't have to worry about grizz. I mean, he was so passionate about it. He knew that he was going to be one hundred plus every game that he played, particularly when he pulled out all that jersey on. So yeah, you know he was. He was. He was great to play, with no doubt about it.

Violet, that's for sure. No, we had to keep an eye on them all. That was sure. He was able to keep an eye on most people, so he had to watch out for them. He was a good plague Grizz. You know, he had everything. He had all the skills, He was quick, he could play six, seven or eight was without any problems at all, without any adjustments that he had to play. I think he put probably for third number eight and where he could control things from his way, and he was good at it too, so you know, yeah, he was. He was playing great plague Grizz. He shoult have. He should have had more games for the All Blacks, is no doubt about that. You know. There was I suppose a lot of good loose forwards around then, but you know he was, he was right up there and just you know, he should have in my view, and I guess a lot of others too in their view with it that he should have had more games for the Abs. There's no doubt about that. He was. He was a great player Grizz and he you know, he was passionate. He no game. He would ever just go out there and have a game. Was all on with Grizz so and he was always great to have the side and those Test matches that we played with each other. You know he was. He was always there and you could always rely on him and he didn't have to worry about grizz. I mean, he was so passionate about it. He knew that he was going to be one hundred plus every game that he played, particularly when he pulled out all that jersey on. So yeah, you know he was. He was. He was great to play, with no doubt about it.

His first Test was the Second Test against the spring Box and Africa and nineteen seventy that was the series you were never going to win because it was fifteen versus sixteen. I think you scored a try by memory when when you won that second Test. Tough tow that one. Incidentally, his last game for the All Blacks, and as you say he should have played more, was in that bizarre one off Test against England in nineteen seventy three when they lost their three provincial games and then beat the All Blacks. You were captain. His last Test was my old mate Kenny Stewart's first Test.

His first Test was the Second Test against the spring Box and Africa and nineteen seventy that was the series you were never going to win because it was fifteen versus sixteen. I think you scored a try by memory when when you won that second Test. Tough tow that one. Incidentally, his last game for the All Blacks, and as you say he should have played more, was in that bizarre one off Test against England in nineteen seventy three when they lost their three provincial games and then beat the All Blacks. You were captain. His last Test was my old mate Kenny Stewart's first Test.

Yeah, exactly. I wish you hadn't sort.

Yeah, exactly. I wish you hadn't sort.

Of sorry for Do you want me to play? Do you want me to play the audio if you try against the Lions in nineteen seventy one, that'll make you feel better.

Of sorry for Do you want me to play? Do you want me to play the audio if you try against the Lions in nineteen seventy one, that'll make you feel better.

No, I wouldn't take away that lasted as Heaton Parker had, no way. Yeah, that has always been a stiicular thing with me.

No, I wouldn't take away that lasted as Heaton Parker had, no way. Yeah, that has always been a stiicular thing with me.

I bet you it has. You know, as good as he was as a rugby player, he probably in some ways made even a bigger mark as a coach, especially like when he was coaching that Canterbury team which was in the doldrums, and then he took over in the early eighties. And I know because I was at Lincoln at the time and my wife to be was flatting with Warwick Taylor and I used to get all the stories from Warwick about how hard Gris's trainings were. He was. He was legendary hard man as a coach.

I bet you it has. You know, as good as he was as a rugby player, he probably in some ways made even a bigger mark as a coach, especially like when he was coaching that Canterbury team which was in the doldrums, and then he took over in the early eighties. And I know because I was at Lincoln at the time and my wife to be was flatting with Warwick Taylor and I used to get all the stories from Warwick about how hard Gris's trainings were. He was. He was legendary hard man as a coach.

Oh for sure. You know he was always going to be like that too. I mean that that's what that was his nature, and so he was always going to be a good coach because he didn't take you know, he didn't take fools too easily and so he got he did things his way and they're always successful ways, so you know, they're great. Run he had with Cannoby Auklan defeated him at Lencaster Park. Yeah, I was at that game, and yeah, I mean he was. Yeah, he was always going to be a great coach. And you know, he just he would have just picked up players and they were They would have all wanted the players, like you've got no idea with grizzause if you didn't, you either didn't say or he got it through verbal verbal means. And so that's why he was so good as a coach, you know. And he had all these huge respect and so yeah, he was always going to be a very successful coach, which he was here.

Oh for sure. You know he was always going to be like that too. I mean that that's what that was his nature, and so he was always going to be a good coach because he didn't take you know, he didn't take fools too easily and so he got he did things his way and they're always successful ways, so you know, they're great. Run he had with Cannoby Auklan defeated him at Lencaster Park. Yeah, I was at that game, and yeah, I mean he was. Yeah, he was always going to be a great coach. And you know, he just he would have just picked up players and they were They would have all wanted the players, like you've got no idea with grizzause if you didn't, you either didn't say or he got it through verbal verbal means. And so that's why he was so good as a coach, you know. And he had all these huge respect and so yeah, he was always going to be a very successful coach, which he was here.

Well, I ran across him a few times. He once put me in a headlock, believe it or not, poor little me and Tarne Norton's spats alehouse in christ Church. But the last time I saw him was with you a couple of years ago here in Dunedin for the for the Bledislope Cup. He was he was down for that. He was having a do I say, an early morning morning tea. It might have been an early bear before the game, but I reckon as he got older he mellowed a bit. I think his bark was worse than his bite.

Well, I ran across him a few times. He once put me in a headlock, believe it or not, poor little me and Tarne Norton's spats alehouse in christ Church. But the last time I saw him was with you a couple of years ago here in Dunedin for the for the Bledislope Cup. He was he was down for that. He was having a do I say, an early morning morning tea. It might have been an early bear before the game, but I reckon as he got older he mellowed a bit. I think his bark was worse than his bite.

Yeah, well it could have been I'm not sure he was. He was something else. He didn't hold back if he wanted to say something, and you know, just that was with a lot of meanings. So when you're yeah, you listened, that's for sure, and everyone else and so yeah he was. He was great, great, great mate, Chris. And yes, I he's left us that, you know, seems just you know, this life and so goes on. We're all going to end up in the same place in some states. So might ever be with a matter on somewhere.

Yeah, well it could have been I'm not sure he was. He was something else. He didn't hold back if he wanted to say something, and you know, just that was with a lot of meanings. So when you're yeah, you listened, that's for sure, and everyone else and so yeah he was. He was great, great, great mate, Chris. And yes, I he's left us that, you know, seems just you know, this life and so goes on. We're all going to end up in the same place in some states. So might ever be with a matter on somewhere.

Well you might, of course. Just finally, the other the other passion you and Gris Waly obviously shared was farming.

Well you might, of course. Just finally, the other the other passion you and Gris Waly obviously shared was farming.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, he farmed up there at omer he and yeah he was. He was a good farmer too, don't he fund Like he played rugby and so he was passionate about that as well. So yeah, you know, he's a talents all around, Chris, no doubt about that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, he farmed up there at omer he and yeah he was. He was a good farmer too, don't he fund Like he played rugby and so he was passionate about that as well. So yeah, you know, he's a talents all around, Chris, no doubt about that.

He's a legend actually just on a light. And note there's a legendary story about Griss's mailbox too. When Ranfully won the shield, didn't they go past and leave something in the mailbox after they beat Canterbury in nineteen seventy three, I'll bet you Grizz wasn't too happy about that.

He's a legend actually just on a light. And note there's a legendary story about Griss's mailbox too. When Ranfully won the shield, didn't they go past and leave something in the mailbox after they beat Canterbury in nineteen seventy three, I'll bet you Grizz wasn't too happy about that.

I never really heard too much about that.

I never really heard too much about that.

I might it might just be legend and folklore, but yeah, look, one of the great one, you know, one of the old school guys, and you know there's not many left now and we just want to pay tribute to him. And thank you In Kirkpatrick, patron of New Zealand Rugby, for coming onto the show today and paying tribute to your old mate. It was lovely.

I might it might just be legend and folklore, but yeah, look, one of the great one, you know, one of the old school guys, and you know there's not many left now and we just want to pay tribute to him. And thank you In Kirkpatrick, patron of New Zealand Rugby, for coming onto the show today and paying tribute to your old mate. It was lovely.

Pleasure, pleasure, Jamie, no problem is talking about griz. Yeah, we'll never forget him. Really. I actually had a whiskey with Andy Jeffore yesterday as then to serve wish him well and will continue to do that, I think, because you know, whiskey was one of his favorite drinks, good stuff, and so we did that, so we'll keep on doing that as well. Good on your.

Pleasure, pleasure, Jamie, no problem is talking about griz. Yeah, we'll never forget him. Really. I actually had a whiskey with Andy Jeffore yesterday as then to serve wish him well and will continue to do that, I think, because you know, whiskey was one of his favorite drinks, good stuff, and so we did that, so we'll keep on doing that as well. Good on your.

Thank you very much for your time. What a lovely tribute there from Anne Kirkpatrick.

Thank you very much for your time. What a lovely tribute there from Anne Kirkpatrick.