Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - We catch up with Auckland FC coach Steve before the big finals match!

Episode Date: May 21, 2026

Steve Corica opens up on finals pressure, facing his old club, and the red card that got everyone talking!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got the coach, Steve Karka, on the phone. Good boy, Steve. Hi, guys. How are we? Crystal clear line you've got here, Steve. It's beautiful. It's very good. Very, very proud of this line.

It's so good. Well, you know, it's up there with you guys making the grand final. I'm very proud of that. This must be a very exciting week for you on the club. Yeah, definitely. You know, obviously, first grand final for us in two years that we've been started as a club and won the Premiership first year and grand final this year. It's very exciting for everyone around Auckland.

I want to know what is your, because you seem very lovely, and I was wondering what your halftime chat is like. So say we're down by one at half time. Are you a screamer? Are you like a motivational? I can be probably maybe both, I think. Depends on how the game, if we're playing well, if we're losing. If we're losing and, you know, we're playing well,

It's maybe a different conversation, but if we're losing and not playing well, then maybe I'm a screamer. You kind of have to be quite self-aware that the cameras are going to cut to you at any point during the game as well, Steve, I imagine. Well, you are, but I don't think that matters at times. We're doing this Netflix documentary, and I've got a camera on me all the time. So I think it's just become natural now for me just to do wherever I want. Are you across the edit of that documentary? Like maybe don't put that better in? Yeah, we are.

We are actually. We have to be because some foul language. Some stuff was said. Ogle FC are playing Sydney FC. Maybe not everyone knows that you used to play for Sydney FC for many years, won championships as a player, and then also coach for many years and won championships as well. So how does it feel to be up against your old club?

Yeah, very weird. You know, I spent 19 years at Sydney FC, so that's a long time been football to be at one club. So obviously I played five years. there and the rest of the time was coaching. So it is going to be weird, but it's obviously probably better for us that we're hosting it here in Auckland. So I don't get booed in Sydney.

So once we win, so. But no, it's really good for, obviously, for New Zealand. This first time ever any team's been in, men's teams ever been in a grand final. So we want to get on and win it, really. We're so excited about it and looking forward to it tomorrow. Do you think there's anything about Sydney? see that's left over from when you were there. Like, can you tell that they're going to do a certain play?

There's obviously some players still there that, you know, that I had coached, that I brought in. But it has been like almost three years, I think, now. So the new coach has come in. There's a new coach that has only been there for six weeks. So he's obviously doing really well. He hasn't lost in six weeks. So they've got to this position.

But, yeah, it's, you can't. really judge from, you know, my time back there has changed, obviously. Do they still give you access to the Google Docs, mate? Can you still? See all the information. You know how it pops up, like, it pops up Anonymous Fox or something on the actually speaking of Anonymous Fox. You have Silver Fox is the word popping around when your name's mentioned sometimes

in the office. How do you feel about that attention, Steve? Yeah, I've had that before as well. So it's just not unusual But yeah It's quite nice actually to hear that I'm part of a group chat of many girls That has a name I can't say on the radio

But it does involve you One of my friends has got a One of my friends has got a Mrs Corrick a T-shirt printed out With your face on it She's coming over today actually So you're going to behave The actual one

Oh so is your family still based in Australia Steve? Well they are They're based in Sydney as well So Oh well that's a huge commitment from you to live over here. Yeah, yeah, it's been two years now, obviously.

They come and go, obviously. I've got a son in school still, year 11, so we're in school holidays, obviously moments like this, they come over. I've got two older daughters as well, that one of them's coming over, one's got a wedding in Sydney, so she can't make it as well. So I've got quite a number of family coming over for this game, which is nice. Does your wife know that you're a bit of a first track over here? I don't think she does, though.

She's going to find out. How are all these bitches on your face on their t-shirt? 29 years. I think she's forgotten about that. Quickly, sorry before you go, Steve. You did meet our producer Grace the other day. And she's like, can I please just ask Steve one question. Hi, Steve.

Okay, you might not be able to answer this, but my flat are really big fans, and we've been debating over what the answer is. You know how a couple weeks ago you got a red card? Yeah. The coach getting a red card, yeah. What was it for? Oh, what was that for? You know that red bull sign, that phone thing around where I stand?

So I basically kicked that away at one of the decisions from the referees. But the fourth official was right next to me. And there was a ball right beside that as well. So I actually kicked the ball as well. And he thought I was kicking it at him. Oh, I thought to him afterwards. I said, listen, I was an ex-professional footballer. He was to move away.

If I wanted to hit you, I would have hit you.