So what what's the story behind the album?

Yeah, I guess it's musically speaking, it's kind of.

Slight departure from the Scottish jazz sort of sound.

There's a lot of music influenced by sort of singer-songwriter aesthetics.

There's sort of a double guitar, some acoustic guitars, electric guitars, but also has the sort of core band sound that's been in the past.

and so it's it's yeah that's sort of the slight change in departure i'd describe it sort of the aesthetic of a singer-songwriter album but sort of the freedom of jazz and it's also there's no there's no lyrics or singing but in that sound world um i guess yeah this kind of just reflects the story behind music kind of reflects the time of supporting someone through a lot of sort of health issues.

And it's sort of, I guess, I guess it just reflects what's going on in your life.

What made you do that?

What have you made of Origin's call to come to New Zealand and to tinker with that eligibility when it comes to internationals?

I think the one of it coming to New Zealand is actually pretty good.

And I think most people here would probably prefer that than, you know, it goes to Perth, it goes to Adelaide, it goes to Melbourne, like, like New Zealand is more relevant for rugby league than, than Adelaide.

So, and I think you see the support that rugby league gets when, especially the big games in New Zealand, I think an origin game over there at Eden Park is going to look awesome.

So I think people are pretty happy with that.

And then, The eligibility rules, probably the one I'm disappointed about as a Queenslander, I wish they'd done this a bit sooner because Jason Tamalolo in a Queensland origin jersey would have looked amazing.

It's probably just a bit – he's still good, but it's a bit like the knees don't let him play for too many minutes anymore.

Does supercars still have the same sheen that it once had for Australian motorsport fans?

What have you made of Origin's call to come to New Zealand and to tinker with that eligibility when it comes to internationals?

I think the one of it coming to New Zealand is actually pretty good.

And I think most people here would probably prefer that than, you know, it goes to Perth, it goes to Adelaide, it goes to Melbourne, like New Zealand is more relevant for rugby league than Adelaide.

So, and I think you see the support that rugby league gets when, especially the big games in New Zealand, I think an origin game over there at Eden Park is going to look awesome.

So I think people are pretty happy with that.

And then, The eligibility rules, probably the one I'm disappointed about as a Queenslander.

I wish they'd done this a bit sooner because Jason Tamalolo in a Queensland origin jersey would have looked amazing.

Does supercars still have the same sheen that it once had for Australian motorsport fans?

But, jeez, that is such a mammoth event for Australia now, isn't it?

Yeah, it's huge.

I was in Melbourne for a few days.

I live in Sydney and you sort of, until you get to Melbourne, then you just don't realise how big it is.

It's like you get there and, you know you're in the middle of like a huge world sporting event and it's gone to another level like away from like off the court like it's bringing in a hundred thousand people a day I think one thing that they've got to be really careful of is it's got it's almost become too big so people who actually go there for the tennis are having trouble getting in there and getting and being able to afford it watching the tennis and that but it's just it's one of those events it's become a It's a bit like the Grand Prix in Melbourne as well.

The people just go there because everyone else is.

But I thought the tennis was pretty ordinary until it got to the amazing semifinals.

Any GM roles going for yourself, Eddie? Are you going to go to PNG alongside Michael Chammas?

Now let's talk about obviously Bethel is the man who can make things a little bit harder but the tail does not have a great deal of experience in wagging for England in the series now does

it? Apart from early on they went all right with Jofra Archer actually he was pretty surprising with the bat big Jofra but yeah they they look like you would think wickets should fall Fairly quickly in the morning here today.

But hasn't Bethel played beautifully? And that was real test cricket, wasn't it? Like it's 142 not out and it was patient and poised and everything.

Didn't play early in the series.

And it's his first first-class century, to be fair.

So it's not like he'd been banging down the door to be picked.

But he looks good, doesn't he? He looked fantastic yesterday.

Do they lead with him as the opener and give him the chance to sort of get that swan song, his last one at crease? Or do they move him up the order? Has there been any chat around that at all?

It must be fun for you boys, eh? Is it a sharpen the pitchforks as soon as something happens to try and bait people out and try and get someone like Stuart Broad to get these comments? Is it just, yeah, you try and wait for this?

There is a bit of that.

Neil, just before I go, you are one of our favourites here in Australia.

We love watching you play and celebrate wickets, by the way.

But I think it's, yeah, the thing with the Ashes, it just gets, it takes over everything.

And then the big problem is when you have test matches that don't go five days, there's too many days in between where there's not really much going on.

So that's where you see all of the media stuff really whip up because they're not talking about what's actually happening on the field.

And that's in any form of... of sport that's all you can do is take and make the most of what's on offer to you and they haven't been forced into the the deep dark waters very often i wasn't blown away by them outside the travis head innings as a batting line up in the in the first test and again the second test had some good touches to it but i think that england's bowling played into that a little bit but look australia here your three nil is it will a uh would a three two series finale or say a 4-1 or a 3-1 would that be considered an acceptable finish from here or are Aussies absolutely demanding that you sweep the leg and go for the jugular from here?