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The Times Interview - Peter Leitch, Explain Yourself to Dean Wedlake
Thursday, 12 July 2007
• Howick and Pakuranga Times
Peter Charles Leitch, QSM. Times photo Bruce Nicholson.
PETER Charles Leitch, QSM - The Mad Butcher - is passion personified. There was no prouder man than the 63-year-old Bucklands Beach resident when appointed manager of the New Zealand rugby league side before their 2005 Tri-Nations campaign. Not only that, he became part of history when the Kiwis produced a famous, comprehensive 24-0 thrashing of the more fancied Australians in the final.
So proud in fact, Leitch wrote a book about it. Entitled ‘The Year the Kiwis Flew’, it gives a rare and fascinating view behind the scenes of one of this country’s finest sporting hours and has sold 8000 copies. A year later, the Kiwis were again outstanding in the wake of the Nathan Fien ‘Grannygate’ saga, eventually losing a 16-12 golden point thriller to the Kangaroos hailed as the greatest match in international league’s 99-year history.
Leitch was on hand to document the action again, producing ‘The Year That Was’, which was released in Mad Butcher stores last month.
Following emergency heart surgery to remove a blood clot in May, the eccentric Butcher was told to calm things down a notch and watch his health. Judging by the impassioned bellowing down his beloved cell phone for a radio programme during the Times’ visit, it’s not something he’s quite come to terms with yet. In between clutching a ring-laden hand to his ear to field a number of calls, Leitch spoke candidly about the undertaking of the new book, prospects for his beloved Warriors this season and other things that make the Mad Butcher tick.
You’ve underwritten the entire cost of The Year That Was and aren’t expecting to breakeven on sales. Why?
I wasn’t going to do a book, then so many people said to me the final was the greatest test they’d seen. Players were falling on the ground with exhaustion.
The Aussies did not want to lose the game. The Kiwis wanted to win it. It would’ve made me and Bluey [coach Brian McClennan] the greatest coach and manager ever. So I thought, that has to be documented. The reason I did the books was also a little personal. I was the manager so I got a few plugs in the book, but mainly so in 50 years time my grandkids can pick it up and say, ‘my Pop was involved in this’ and players like Nigel Vagana or Ruben Wiki can do the same. The thing about the second book is that everyone is raving about it. The reason they’re raving about it is I got 10 different writers so you’ve got 10 different styles. I thought it was very smart of me, to be fair. It gives you a real insight into the Kiwis.
Now that it seems McClennan is destined to take up a coaching role in Leeds, what sort of loss will that be for New Zealand rugby league?
That’s if we do lose him. I’d change the rules. You’ve got to be flexible in life. I’m a great Brian McClennan fan. He’s the greatest thing since sliced bread in rugby league, not only his coaching ability but also his principles, integrity and honesty.
What does it mean to you to count guys like Ruben and Stacey Jones as close personal friends?
It’s hard for me to explain that, but when I announced my retirement those guys came up to me and whispered things in my ear that I’ll just never forget.
It’s special. I have the greatest admiration for Ruben Wiki. I think he’s a fantastic bloke and Stacey is a wonderful bloke too. Ruben just wears his heart on his sleeve and as manager there was a couple of times I had to talk to him about issues and the respect was always there- he’s just a wonderful, wonderful person.
How did it feel to be in the Kiwis camp during the Tri-Nations victory in 2005, and to do it so convincingly over a strong Australian side?
It was exciting because I always remember just before I left, a guy came up to me and said, “you’re wasting your time going Butch, you haven’t got your best players, you haven’t got Sonny Bill [Williams] or Benji Marshall, haven’t got this bloke, haven’t got that bloke” etc.
I thought “geez, when blokes make quite a forceful statement like that it really knocks your confidence and wonder ‘why are we going?’ We went away and made a pact that we’d stick together as a unit, we’d not worry about having a grog-up too often and all that. I’m not saying that all trips are a piss-up, but we made the commitment to concentrate on the footy a lot more and built a really good thing. Brian did some really smart things like giving the guys a couple of days off to refresh - he led the way before Graham Henry, to be fair.
To win 24-0 was plain unbelievable, although we didn’t celebrate it until we got back to New Zealand. I took all the boys down to Swashbucklers down on the waterfront - imagine that, a butcher taking the boys to a seafood restaurant - where we had a day on the piss and had an absolutely fantastic day.
What’s your take on your beloved Warriors’ form in 2007?
I take one game at a time. We didn’t go so well this weekend [an 18-12 loss to the Cowboys] but we went very good the weekend before and we’ll keep chipping away. I’ve got the greatest confidence in [coach] Ivan Cleary, John Hart is doing a good job in the engine room and I’ve got all the confidence in the world in the boys. It’s a very tough competition and you’ve only got to look at last week’s results to see anything goes. One of the good things, touch wood, is that we’ve never really been towelled up yet.
Any young Warriors or Kiwis players you’ve got big wraps on at the moment?
There’s a few of them. You look at guys like Sam Rapira coming through, you’ve got Hame [Epalahame Lauaki] who’s stepped up this year, I think we can see more out of Evarn Tuimavave and then you’ve got our development squads with some good players coming through. Tony Iro’s doing a good job there so it’s exciting times.
What else excites the Mad Butcher in sport?
I love all sports mate. I was patron of Manukau City Soccer Club for many years, I like to get down and watch Pakuranga rugby when I can - I don’t get down there much though as it’s a time factor. I went down to watch my beloved Mangere Hawks beat Otara in the weekend which was good, I enjoyed watching the tennis over the weekend with the girl [Venus] Williams winning on a crook leg, which I thought was a fantastic effort. I’m going to Christchurch for the rugby this weekend, flying home for the Warriors then back to the South Island on Sunday night. The passion is still there, I’m just not as heavily involved as I used to be.
With your recent health issues, are you having to be less of a Mad Butcher and more of a calm, collected butcher these days?
I think I’ve got to be a bit more calmer and careful. I’m in recovery mode right now and we’ll just see. I’m just thankful to be here because the reality is if I hadn’t had gone to the doctors when I did, the specialist said I would’ve conked out. The old Butcher won’t lie down- he’s not a quitter. He wants to be around and see the Warriors win a grand final and the Kiwis beat the Aussies again. A bit of unfinished business is yet to come.
•
The Year That Was
can be purchased for $10 at any Mad Butcher store or at
www.madbutcher.co.nz
.