# RACE TO THE FINALS! Can Penrith Win Without Yeo?

An episode of [Backstage with Cooper & Matty Johns](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1729949087), 9 Aug 2026, 46 min.

Audio: https://p.podderapp.com/2544644999/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/d7a60aed-0ec1-4a17-9f87-b248003b7796/7acd2b2a-5f58-4b5a-a0b6-b4a100cb715b/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=676e8df2-b284-47a4-9fbd-b248003b77ad

The race to the NRL finals heats up as Isiah Yeo’s injury puts Penrith’s premiership hopes under the microscope. The Wahs are flying, the ladder is tightening, and we ask whether Webster or the Warriors deserve more credit for their rise. Plus, the Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Knights, Dolphins, Global Round — and a fiery AFL rant to finish! MERCH LINK HERE: https://3b1e7f.myshopify.com/ Subscribe, Watch, and Follow Catch the full episode on YouTube and stay updated by following us on social media: Linktree: Backstage with Cooper & Matty Contact Us For any enquiries, email us at: contact@johnsmedia.com.au Timestamps 0:00-The Mock 3:00-The Sharks 11:00-Isiah Yeo Pec Injury 13:00-The Panthers 19:30-The Ladder 22:00-The Bulldogs 26:40-The Sea Eagles 30:30-The Wahs! 36:00-The Knights 38:00-The Dolphins 41:00-Global Round 44:30-The AFL Beef See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Well, well, well, you certainly jinxed your mate thirty two
[0:03] Speaker 1: from thirty two couldn't miss Then suddenly, mate, did you
[0:08] Speaker 1: get involved?
[0:09] Speaker 2: I look, I've had a lot of Shark fans dm
[0:12] Speaker 2: me about it and of our listeners calling me the
[0:14] Speaker 2: mock getting straight into me. I don't think it was me.
[0:18] Speaker 2: I think it was a big hype into it before
[0:20] Speaker 2: me rewarding him with blonde hair bet. Potentially, I think
[0:24] Speaker 2: it's it's I heard Jimmy Maloney talking on a podcast
[0:27] Speaker 2: during the week. Actually he went on a similar run.
[0:29] Speaker 2: I think when he whenever Daryl Halligan was coaching him
[0:32] Speaker 2: goal kicking it what do when he was at Penrith,
[0:34] Speaker 2: I think he kicked like twenty seven or something or
[0:36] Speaker 2: twenty six in a row yep and didn't realize he
[0:39] Speaker 2: was on a streak, and then Daryl Halligan said to him,
[0:42] Speaker 2: made the streaks going good, hitting him really well like
[0:44] Speaker 2: you're looking at I think he was looking at breaking
[0:45] Speaker 2: the Penrith record for that yep first kick the next
[0:48] Speaker 2: like two days later when he was playing just because
[0:51] Speaker 2: it had been drawn to his attention or missed it
[0:53] Speaker 2: and he said, hit it really poorly. So it's one
[0:55] Speaker 2: of those things you almost wanted like just not know
[0:59] Speaker 2: what's going on.
[1:00] Speaker 1: Yeah, you know what I mean. It's interesting with goalkickers,
[1:03] Speaker 1: yeah goalkicking. To speak to people who have but who
[1:06] Speaker 1: are the top tier kickers, They say, goal kicking has
[1:09] Speaker 1: nothing to do with the ball. It's just everything going
[1:12] Speaker 1: on between the years, and it's trying to shut off
[1:14] Speaker 1: that noise. You've got a certain technique, things that you
[1:17] Speaker 1: want to do, or your cues, but you don't want
[1:20] Speaker 1: to focus on the cues, you know what I mean.
[1:22] Speaker 1: It's almost like unconscious. So it's such a fine line
[1:24] Speaker 1: in so many different aspects. And you see different guys
[1:28] Speaker 1: like Mark Rodell who's put the arm in the air,
[1:30] Speaker 1: you know. You see different guys that will hold there,
[1:32] Speaker 1: like Johnny Wilkinson would actually with his left hand hold
[1:36] Speaker 1: his right arm to keep that shoulder square. All these
[1:39] Speaker 1: little cues, but at the very essence of it, you're
[1:41] Speaker 1: trying to forget all those things and just block it
[1:44] Speaker 1: all out and just quite in the mind. I don't
[1:48] Speaker 1: imagine when you're going into kick sometimes in your mind
[1:50] Speaker 1: you're going okay, like it's just working a million miles now,
[1:54] Speaker 1: You're just trying to shut it up.
[1:55] Speaker 2: Well, it's even like you look at the goal kicker
[2:00] Speaker 2: every other aspect of the game. It's so quick you
[2:02] Speaker 2: don't have time to think about it. But it's like
[2:04] Speaker 2: your score and then it's just you there the goalkicker,
[2:07] Speaker 2: You walk back, you set it up on the tee,
[2:09] Speaker 2: and it's like you almost you just want it done
[2:10] Speaker 2: because it's like the build up of the crowd. The
[2:12] Speaker 2: kids start to flaunter over where you are, start giving
[2:15] Speaker 2: your ship, you know, start getting into youa.
[2:17] Speaker 1: What do you obviously the penalty shootouts, you know the
[2:19] Speaker 1: World Cup or you know Champions League penalty shootouts at
[2:22] Speaker 1: the end of the game, what's the first thing that
[2:24] Speaker 1: the goalkeeper does. The goalkeeper walks out, walks around, walks
[2:28] Speaker 1: up to the strike cab, walks back again, and the
[2:31] Speaker 1: referee is trying to hurry him up because they know
[2:33] Speaker 1: all they're doing is dragging it out and exerting pressure
[2:37] Speaker 1: on the on the guys take the penalty goal and
[2:41] Speaker 1: the other one who's made you see with the NBA
[2:42] Speaker 1: with the shoot you know, like got free throw, free throw,
[2:45] Speaker 1: so they just given more time to think about it.
[2:46] Speaker 2: Yeah, you overthink. The beauty of a game is it's quick.
[2:49] Speaker 2: You actually don't have time to think. All you do
[2:51] Speaker 2: when is reacting. We're about to talk about the isaiaho
[2:54] Speaker 2: Peck injury, but just on the Sharkis for one more second.
[2:58] Speaker 2: They got beat by the Wooden Speed the Dragons. People
[3:02] Speaker 2: have been tipping the Sharkis to go really good. I
[3:05] Speaker 2: actually thought the Dragons they probably beat a lot of
[3:07] Speaker 2: other teams on their day. They played really really well,
[3:10] Speaker 2: played really well. Do you how do you see that lost?
[3:13] Speaker 2: Is that something where you look at the Sharks and
[3:15] Speaker 2: you put a line to them through them for finals
[3:18] Speaker 2: or an extent or is it a good freshen up
[3:20] Speaker 2: before finals?
[3:21] Speaker 1: This season Cooper is so it's been so bizarre that
[3:25] Speaker 1: you know, it's unlike any other season. The fact that,
[3:27] Speaker 1: I mean, how would how would you still think that
[3:30] Speaker 1: the Dolphins can win this competition after being beat sixty
[3:32] Speaker 1: six No, but by the Sharks. But it's just the
[3:36] Speaker 1: nature of this competition. You know, teams rack up scores
[3:40] Speaker 1: really quickly. Other teams don't so much lose form but
[3:46] Speaker 1: just come off for a week or two. It's a
[3:48] Speaker 1: little bit like that, Like you said, coopas to look
[3:50] Speaker 1: at the Dragons where they are in the ladder and go, oh,
[3:53] Speaker 1: you know, jeez, that's a really bad loss. But mate,
[3:56] Speaker 1: the Dragons have proven themselves. One thing doing Young's done
[3:59] Speaker 1: really quickly with them is turn them into a tough
[4:01] Speaker 1: side to beat. And I've said this before, the people
[4:06] Speaker 1: at the very base of a rugby league side. If
[4:09] Speaker 1: you're coaching aside the very base, the number one thing
[4:11] Speaker 1: you must set up is the fact that before you
[4:14] Speaker 1: talk about winning and everything, you must be a tough
[4:17] Speaker 1: side to beat. You know, and yeah, okay, what does
[4:19] Speaker 1: that entail? What it means You're a side that doesn't
[4:22] Speaker 1: give up cheap field position, doesn't make a lot of errors.
[4:26] Speaker 1: You know, they kick well to the corners, they chase hard,
[4:28] Speaker 1: they're enthusiastic with defense. Those very basic things make you
[4:32] Speaker 1: a very hard side to beat. And that's how it
[4:36] Speaker 1: proved against against the Sharkies. There's been little cues coming
[4:40] Speaker 1: about the Sharks after that Dolphins win. There's been you know,
[4:43] Speaker 1: when you go on a long winning run, oftentimes when
[4:46] Speaker 1: the when the loss eventually happens, you go back and
[4:49] Speaker 1: have your football you're playing, say two or three games
[4:52] Speaker 1: into the long winning streak, and compared to where your
[4:54] Speaker 1: football got to and you go, oh god, we got sloppy,
[4:57] Speaker 1: you know all those hilarious and I reckon the first
[4:59] Speaker 1: sign could it was last week with FITZI, when FITZI
[5:03] Speaker 1: was up in that box. Last week's the most animated
[5:05] Speaker 1: I've ever seen him, and like hitting the table and
[5:08] Speaker 1: I mean effectively they had the game ounder control. But
[5:10] Speaker 1: he was obviously seeing things that were slipping into their
[5:14] Speaker 1: football that he didn't like. That's probably held them back
[5:17] Speaker 1: in previous campaigns. Yeah, I thought it was more FITZI
[5:20] Speaker 1: trying to strong arm the team, going mate, hoping it's
[5:23] Speaker 1: on camera to show them, But I think the other
[5:26] Speaker 1: way now, I'm thinking he's starting to see he saw
[5:28] Speaker 1: some things coming into their game.
[5:29] Speaker 2: Well, even a lot of people looked at their draw
[5:31] Speaker 2: for the last four and they went, it's a real
[5:33] Speaker 2: easy draw to the extent where Sharks may finish first
[5:37] Speaker 2: because they should win all these games. I don't think
[5:39] Speaker 2: they have many teams in the top eight. I don't
[5:41] Speaker 2: think they have any teams in the top eight their
[5:43] Speaker 2: last sort of four games. So you almost look the
[5:47] Speaker 2: other end and go, this Dragon's game. Although it's a
[5:49] Speaker 2: shock to the system and fans are probably going how
[5:52] Speaker 2: they're going to win the comp. They're getting beat by
[5:53] Speaker 2: team coming last. It might be a thing where they
[5:56] Speaker 2: can go into review this week and FITZI can go like,
[5:59] Speaker 2: fix up these detail is it clearly he's seen and
[6:01] Speaker 2: you've seen slipping and they actually had it's a real
[6:04] Speaker 2: tough game that they had yesterday leading into the finals.
[6:07] Speaker 1: It would be a really good practice to go and say, right,
[6:11] Speaker 1: just let's have a look at all our stuff we
[6:13] Speaker 1: did in week two of our long run. Now, let's
[6:17] Speaker 1: just have a look at how we were last week
[6:19] Speaker 1: against South's you know, and then how that turned into
[6:21] Speaker 1: this week. It's really funny, Coop. I'm not being a
[6:23] Speaker 1: smart ass saying this or you know, coming out in
[6:28] Speaker 1: revision going oh you know what I said in this
[6:31] Speaker 1: arrest of it. But the best example I can give
[6:34] Speaker 1: people on how long winning streaks can actually be bad
[6:39] Speaker 1: for football is the Melbourne Storm side you played.
[6:42] Speaker 2: In that year Falcons.
[6:44] Speaker 1: I don't know the Storm when you is win nineteen
[6:47] Speaker 1: in a row. Yeah, not the NRL side, the l
[6:52] Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, Yeah twenty twenty. You were in that side.
[6:54] Speaker 1: You were part of that side. You went in for
[6:56] Speaker 1: different spots. You guys won nineteen in a row and
[6:59] Speaker 1: for a long time in the season started looking like
[7:02] Speaker 1: unbeatable magic.
[7:04] Speaker 2: It was the year after Cameron Smith retired to remember
[7:06] Speaker 2: the Boys hit the ground running yep.
[7:07] Speaker 1: And I'm telling you you've played a game against the
[7:10] Speaker 1: Cowboys and I went away and all those won the game.
[7:14] Speaker 1: I said, there's no way. They say I was going
[7:16] Speaker 1: to win the competition. They're like, why is that? And
[7:18] Speaker 1: I said, have a look at how far their football's deteriorated.
[7:22] Speaker 1: And they're like, oh, yeah, but they'll get it back
[7:24] Speaker 1: on track. I said, no, no, no, it's been going
[7:26] Speaker 1: bad for quite a while. I think it's got past
[7:29] Speaker 1: to the point at the part of the it's hit
[7:32] Speaker 1: the time of the season. I don't think they've got
[7:34] Speaker 1: time to adjust it back. And I still maintain that
[7:38] Speaker 1: that when you've got to game nineteen and twenty, I
[7:41] Speaker 1: remember just going mate the foot. The football was so bad,
[7:44] Speaker 1: Like it got so bad. You played a game against
[7:46] Speaker 1: the Cowboys and like the Boys doing things on the
[7:49] Speaker 1: sidel like running over the sideline, you know, just doing
[7:52] Speaker 1: really stupid things. That was. It was very unlike Melbourne
[8:00] Speaker 1: say that the least at the time, but it was just.
[8:03] Speaker 3: How far is too gone, Like are you saying, are
[8:05] Speaker 3: you saying it's too far gone, you're too close to
[8:08] Speaker 3: the finals, or it's so far gone that if you
[8:10] Speaker 3: go on a streak that long and it does get
[8:13] Speaker 3: to that stage that it's almost too far gone.
[8:16] Speaker 1: I think Jacket a little bit of both. I think
[8:18] Speaker 1: I think there's certain things that can creep into your
[8:20] Speaker 1: football that once they're in there, it almost takes an
[8:23] Speaker 1: offseason get them out to have it. It becomes habitual,
[8:27] Speaker 1: and winning covers a lot of that. When you're winning
[8:29] Speaker 1: games and long winning streak. Even the coach can recognize
[8:33] Speaker 1: that things creeping in. But because you're winning, you're getting w's,
[8:37] Speaker 1: it sort of smethers over the cracks. The then would
[8:39] Speaker 1: it's when suddenly the loss finally happens.
[8:43] Speaker 2: It just like, well, I remember that year, like I
[8:46] Speaker 2: like you said, the boys were like unstoppable, even when
[8:49] Speaker 2: people were getting injured and going in like the next
[8:51] Speaker 2: man up, like everyone was getting wrapped in that who
[8:54] Speaker 2: was going into that side? And then I think it
[8:56] Speaker 2: was the game. It's the preliminary finance against Panda Panthers
[9:00] Speaker 2: and a team that hadn't you know, hadn't been going
[9:02] Speaker 2: on this run. We'd won the mind A Premiership, but
[9:06] Speaker 2: you go on such a long run and then for that,
[9:09] Speaker 2: for those nine En games, you're the standard. Everyone's doing
[9:11] Speaker 2: video on you, taking your good stuff, you know, picking
[9:14] Speaker 2: apart your guys game and they got up there and
[9:17] Speaker 2: I remember at the end of that game the boys
[9:18] Speaker 2: got beat. I didn't play in that and Craig Bellamy
[9:22] Speaker 2: said to the boys in the sheds after game, this
[9:25] Speaker 2: was the most winnable competition that I've ever coached in
[9:28] Speaker 2: my life, and we've let that slip, like nineteen games
[9:30] Speaker 2: in a row. It's almost bet a bit of complacency,
[9:33] Speaker 2: and there's a bit of psychological stuff like the Nico
[9:35] Speaker 2: goalkicking thirty two in a row. You almost think like
[9:38] Speaker 2: a loss is coming. You know you can't you can't
[9:41] Speaker 2: go underfeed forever. You know a loss is coming. And
[9:43] Speaker 2: then you get into finals where you almost want to
[9:45] Speaker 2: have a finals. So there a loss before finals, so
[9:48] Speaker 2: the pressure's gone, the streak is gone, and you can
[9:51] Speaker 2: start again.
[9:51] Speaker 1: Well, I think we've gone a long way around saying
[9:54] Speaker 1: that that loss. I don't think time will hurt the
[9:57] Speaker 1: Sharks too much. Yeah, I think it's I think it's
[9:59] Speaker 1: probably come at the right time, if their football had
[10:02] Speaker 1: just started to deteriorate, if Fitzi's recognized that their football
[10:07] Speaker 1: reached just peak at sixty six l and since then
[10:09] Speaker 1: it's just been gradually going off a little bit. I
[10:12] Speaker 1: think that that win coming at this moment is God's.
[10:15] Speaker 3: Hand something to you can never doubt the back end
[10:17] Speaker 3: of the year. And I know it sounds funny, but
[10:20] Speaker 3: like those teams at the bottom, they've started looking towards
[10:23] Speaker 3: Mad Monday. And when you do that, it gives you
[10:26] Speaker 3: a little bit of extra energy because you want to
[10:28] Speaker 3: finish on a high as you know, you might finish
[10:31] Speaker 3: the year in a spot you don't want to be in,
[10:33] Speaker 3: but you know, and I'll say this amongst some teammates
[10:37] Speaker 3: I've had in the past, if you finish low, some
[10:40] Speaker 3: people take it like if you finish going to Mad
[10:42] Speaker 3: Money off a win.
[10:43] Speaker 4: They almost go into Mad Monday as if they just
[10:45] Speaker 4: won the calm.
[10:46] Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, well yeah, on a a week such a
[10:49] Speaker 2: long time, you can lose ten in a row and
[10:50] Speaker 2: they have a really good win. Like the Dragons, they've
[10:52] Speaker 2: won two games all year. They're probably sitting there in
[10:55] Speaker 2: review to day going, yes, how good a we gone.
[10:57] Speaker 2: But there's one three games.
[10:59] Speaker 1: Yeah, let's be real. Yeah that's right.
[11:01] Speaker 2: Now, let's get in the biggest news at the moment
[11:03] Speaker 2: leading into finals, because the ladder's starting to tape shape.
[11:06] Speaker 2: But Isaiah Oh in that Warriors game on Friday night
[11:11] Speaker 2: has it looks like a pack injury. They're still kind
[11:14] Speaker 2: of keeping their class to the chest. I reckon by
[11:16] Speaker 2: tomorrow when this comes out, we'll probably know more. But
[11:19] Speaker 2: it didn't look good and it looks like a pack
[11:21] Speaker 2: from everything I've seen in Peck injuries.
[11:22] Speaker 1: It does coop. It is look like Isaiah is going
[11:25] Speaker 1: to be part of this competition all the part of this,
[11:28] Speaker 1: the rest of this campaign for Penrith. It has surprised
[11:31] Speaker 1: me to look. Firstly off the top is how big
[11:33] Speaker 1: a loss it. It's a huge loss, huge loss because
[11:36] Speaker 1: he's as much as their halfback as Nathan is. As
[11:39] Speaker 1: far as you know where, you know when when to
[11:41] Speaker 1: call the ball, when to take the ball forward, when
[11:43] Speaker 1: to push it sideways, you know where should it go,
[11:45] Speaker 1: he has a huge role in that. It's a huge loss.
[11:49] Speaker 1: I am surprised how quickly people have come out and said, oh,
[11:52] Speaker 1: they can't win them. Put the line through them. And
[11:54] Speaker 1: there's a lot of people have come out and said that,
[11:55] Speaker 1: do you think they can still win the COMPA, Yeah,
[11:57] Speaker 1: they're still my favorites.
[11:58] Speaker 2: The coow think they're saut there.
[12:01] Speaker 3: They've had a really good apprenticeship there for Lindy Lindsay
[12:04] Speaker 3: Smith like he's been doing. If you watch some of
[12:06] Speaker 3: his staff when he's not starting it comes on, he
[12:09] Speaker 3: does the.
[12:10] Speaker 2: Role quite well.
[12:11] Speaker 1: Jack. I really think it'd be a mistake to try
[12:14] Speaker 1: to play the same way you just Lindsey can, but
[12:18] Speaker 1: Lindsay at this point hasn't got the past selection and
[12:21] Speaker 1: the vision that Isaiah had. I think it would be
[12:24] Speaker 1: a mistake from Penrith to try to get get someone
[12:27] Speaker 1: like Lindsay and say right, I guess now you're going
[12:29] Speaker 1: to play the Ya role. I think this could push
[12:34] Speaker 1: Nathan towards probably another level. I think this has I
[12:41] Speaker 1: really like I don't like Nathan so much on sweep
[12:43] Speaker 1: shapes where Isaiah Gallant to the ball short out of
[12:46] Speaker 1: the back of Nathan sweeping, it's effective, It's really effective.
[12:49] Speaker 1: I get that at work sometimes. But for Nathan's best football,
[12:52] Speaker 1: Nathan to me always plays his best football when he
[12:55] Speaker 1: puts pushes up flat at the event at the ruck line,
[13:00] Speaker 1: and he's dead square because when he's standing square out
[13:03] Speaker 1: and going to the defense, every option is available to him.
[13:06] Speaker 1: When he's on sweep shape, sweeping behind plays off Isaiah,
[13:10] Speaker 1: he's going down a Coula sack. Now he can't check back.
[13:13] Speaker 1: He's on that one way route and he does little
[13:15] Speaker 1: deceptive players all the rest of it. But he's not
[13:17] Speaker 1: near as as dangerous as when he's on that first receiver.
[13:20] Speaker 1: And I'll say the same about Reece Walsh. That's why
[13:22] Speaker 1: I really like it when Adam Reynolds wasn't there at
[13:25] Speaker 1: times last year when Reye Walsh went into that first
[13:28] Speaker 1: and second receiver and catching the ball square rather than
[13:31] Speaker 1: on a sweep, how dangerous he became. It's the same
[13:33] Speaker 1: with Nathan, so I think it'd be Firstly, it's a
[13:36] Speaker 1: mistake to try to play the exact same style of football.
[13:39] Speaker 1: I think they'll adjust. I think you're seeing more Nathan
[13:42] Speaker 1: playing that pure playmaker role. Secondly, the other guy who's
[13:45] Speaker 1: going to be vital is Jack Cogga. Cogger is going
[13:49] Speaker 1: to be so important to this because you know, like
[13:52] Speaker 1: you know, if when Jack was in that team, he
[13:57] Speaker 1: was the second deputy. If Nathan he's the sheriff and
[14:02] Speaker 1: the first deputy is Isaiah. He was the second deputy.
[14:05] Speaker 1: Now he slips up into that role. He is so important.
[14:08] Speaker 1: I thought with Jack anyway, watching the way that Nathan
[14:11] Speaker 1: was playing when Jack was there, that they couldn't they
[14:14] Speaker 1: couldn't drop Jack that he I think he has to
[14:16] Speaker 1: be there for the rest of this season, even more
[14:18] Speaker 1: so now it's just essential if you go and right, oh, well,
[14:25] Speaker 1: you know what does that mean? From there? Put it
[14:27] Speaker 1: this way? Is that it for Blaze? Now? I think
[14:29] Speaker 1: Blaze has a spot on the bench. In fact, this week,
[14:33] Speaker 1: I don't know if Dylan Edwards is back this week.
[14:35] Speaker 1: I'd love to see and young Edgar has proved his
[14:38] Speaker 1: Jesus a player of quality. But I'd love to see
[14:40] Speaker 1: Blaze for his own confidence and just to see what
[14:42] Speaker 1: he does. I'd love to see the spine well, the
[14:45] Speaker 1: creative players this week be seven clear, he six, Cogo
[14:49] Speaker 1: won Tilly. I'd love to see what he could do there.
[14:52] Speaker 2: I think he's played full back at Parramatta and his
[14:53] Speaker 2: debut in his day he did a really good job,
[14:56] Speaker 2: played really really football there, so people forget like he
[14:59] Speaker 2: was an outside back he first come into first grade
[15:01] Speaker 2: and he's only developed his body since then.
[15:03] Speaker 1: And for mine, Nathan, with Jack Cogger alongside him, Nathan
[15:08] Speaker 1: was able to actually not babysit sets, being able to
[15:10] Speaker 1: go all in knowing the Coggle will come on the
[15:12] Speaker 1: back of it and finish the set. So it takes
[15:15] Speaker 1: a load off a load off Nathan. Now without Isaiah,
[15:19] Speaker 1: that Jack Cogger role is just so essential that Jack's
[15:22] Speaker 1: got to have a big finish to the season and
[15:24] Speaker 1: even more of a reason why, in my opinion, can't
[15:26] Speaker 1: put plays back into the sixth.
[15:28] Speaker 2: I'll have a different opinion to you. I they're not
[15:30] Speaker 2: my favorites anymore to win the comp They're not my
[15:32] Speaker 2: favorite I think Isaiaho, like you said, he's so important
[15:36] Speaker 2: to how they play their football, how they build pressure,
[15:39] Speaker 2: how they attack the middle third, so then they can
[15:41] Speaker 2: skim the edges later in the game. So I and look,
[15:45] Speaker 2: maybe I'm going to get clipped up, but in the
[15:47] Speaker 2: final series by Penrith, they're going to put my face
[15:49] Speaker 2: on the big screen. You know, you know that, you know,
[15:51] Speaker 2: like when people get on debut videos and they go,
[15:53] Speaker 2: you know, this bloke never believed in me. Maybe coming
[15:56] Speaker 2: to the final series, they'll clip this up and saying
[15:58] Speaker 2: we can't win the comp and they would put shit
[16:01] Speaker 2: on me. But I just don't think. I don't think
[16:03] Speaker 2: they're my favorites anymore to win the con. Look, Penri's
[16:07] Speaker 2: biggest strength has always been like their preparation during the week,
[16:10] Speaker 2: and it almost it doesn't matter who's there, the people,
[16:13] Speaker 2: the deputies on the field, they're the ones that control
[16:15] Speaker 2: it and execute it. Like there's a game two weekends
[16:18] Speaker 2: ago and I think I was doing the commentary for it.
[16:22] Speaker 2: They played out at Wogga or out at Mudgie against
[16:25] Speaker 2: Camber Raiders, yep, and they had a And this is
[16:28] Speaker 2: what I mean by their strengths, always their preparation during
[16:30] Speaker 2: the week and what they can, their vision, what they see.
[16:33] Speaker 2: They saw in Canberra that when they set a scrum
[16:36] Speaker 2: on the fast scrum line, that their blind side winger
[16:39] Speaker 2: would set on the open side I think was Jed Stewart,
[16:41] Speaker 2: he'd come to the aid defender on the open side.
[16:43] Speaker 2: So they come up with a play where Nathan would
[16:46] Speaker 2: drop a drop a middle straight into Jed Stewart who
[16:49] Speaker 2: was the left side winger. He's at Marka and then
[16:52] Speaker 2: they would instantly hit the short side with like a
[16:54] Speaker 2: two or three man overlap. I think ed Jackson, Edgar Jackson,
[16:57] Speaker 2: Edgar britt he scored the the try on that play.
[17:01] Speaker 1: If people go little straighten.
[17:03] Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, So that that has always been their biggest strength,
[17:07] Speaker 2: which is which makes me think, well, they're not a
[17:10] Speaker 2: ride off, but I still don't think they're the favorites
[17:12] Speaker 2: to win the Common now.
[17:13] Speaker 1: So okay, so just go back to that. So why
[17:18] Speaker 1: with Isaiah and I being there, what is that relation
[17:21] Speaker 1: to what you were just talking about.
[17:23] Speaker 2: I would say their biggest strength is how could they
[17:25] Speaker 2: prepare during the week, right, So even though Yo, he's
[17:27] Speaker 2: not there, Yeah, Yo, he's not there, but he it's
[17:31] Speaker 2: still that's why for me they're still premiership threats. I
[17:34] Speaker 2: still I just think, no, Yo out there, for what
[17:36] Speaker 2: he does with the legs, bee through the middle and
[17:38] Speaker 2: his vision and pass selection. That's the biggest thing. You
[17:40] Speaker 2: can have these shapes and how you prepared during the week.
[17:43] Speaker 2: But Yo, he's got the vision and you know how
[17:46] Speaker 2: to if it to change things on the run. You know,
[17:49] Speaker 2: he's got that. He's got he's almost like an on
[17:51] Speaker 2: field coach where he goes this isn't working what prepared
[17:53] Speaker 2: They've changed a little bit. I can change what we're doing.
[17:55] Speaker 1: Well. Listen what Lori Lorie Daily said about him as
[17:59] Speaker 1: far as a skipper in his leadership with State of
[18:00] Speaker 1: Origin and the great Roy Simmons, who's one of the
[18:03] Speaker 1: greatest panthers of all time. And Roy Royce is not
[18:07] Speaker 1: a bloke to come out with hyperble or you know,
[18:10] Speaker 1: make big hot takes and makes Royce is just a very,
[18:15] Speaker 1: very such a straight up bloke. He says. We said,
[18:19] Speaker 1: when I Yo finishes, he'll be known as the greatest
[18:21] Speaker 1: panther of all time. That's a wrap, that's a bigger
[18:24] Speaker 1: that's enormous rap you think about you know Brandy, Nathan
[18:27] Speaker 1: Gowie and you've got Nathan, You've got Dylan was all
[18:30] Speaker 1: that he said. It'll be Yo, And when you think
[18:32] Speaker 1: about it, it is hard to argue with it.
[18:34] Speaker 4: The crazy thing is like through all those all those runs, like.
[18:37] Speaker 3: They all had little periods, if not a few six
[18:40] Speaker 3: week periods where you had you know, the hook are out,
[18:43] Speaker 3: Nathan out or Dylan Edwards out.
[18:45] Speaker 4: But Yo's been the one that's always sort of He's
[18:48] Speaker 4: never missed more than.
[18:49] Speaker 2: A couple of weeks. He's he's always been the anchor
[18:52] Speaker 2: for him. He's always been there and you can see that,
[18:54] Speaker 2: like they've come out and prioritized like the signings of
[18:58] Speaker 2: like Yo and Nathan. They've said in terms of P
[19:00] Speaker 2: and G coming to the comp They're like, these are
[19:02] Speaker 2: the guys we need to sign now, and so they
[19:04] Speaker 2: know how vitally is. But like you said, Jack, Nathan's
[19:07] Speaker 2: missed extended periods of time at club Land due to
[19:10] Speaker 2: hamstring issues the last few years. He's come back for finals.
[19:13] Speaker 2: But Yo, he's always been that consistent.
[19:15] Speaker 1: He's been able to stabilize it. Well, one thing I'll
[19:18] Speaker 1: say about Penrith, which is in my opinion they're still
[19:21] Speaker 1: my favorites, but secondly they can't afford another injury. Goes
[19:24] Speaker 1: with that, so we can't afford another major injury to
[19:27] Speaker 1: an airward sort of course. And Nathan that goes without
[19:29] Speaker 1: saying let's do now.
[19:32] Speaker 2: We're able to do this now because I think there's
[19:34] Speaker 2: three or four weeks to go leading into finals. The
[19:37] Speaker 2: ladder's finally started to take shape. Yeah, it's been a
[19:41] Speaker 2: long year in terms of it. The points are so tight.
[19:44] Speaker 2: One win considered chop and change. This has been the
[19:47] Speaker 2: round where really the ladders start. You can sort of
[19:49] Speaker 2: see who's in contention. Still nine teams left, yeaheen is
[19:54] Speaker 2: I mean people who are I think tenth right now
[19:57] Speaker 2: is manly and eleventh of I don't I think it's
[20:01] Speaker 2: too big a you know, I don't get that.
[20:03] Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean math mathematically, all these things can happen here.
[20:07] Speaker 1: Let's talk straight. People are driving in the car. We
[20:10] Speaker 1: don't we talk about, you know, one day something could
[20:13] Speaker 1: possibly you.
[20:14] Speaker 4: Know, a religious man, nogious, very tired.
[20:17] Speaker 2: It's only the Bulldogs. It's only the Bulldogs who are
[20:20] Speaker 2: ninth who can slip in into that that role at
[20:22] Speaker 2: the moment. The beauty of the last four rounds. The
[20:25] Speaker 2: only two teams in the top eight who have a
[20:27] Speaker 2: buy I believe is Cowboys and South Sydney and Newcastle
[20:31] Speaker 2: and you maybe it's just Castle last round. Okay, so
[20:35] Speaker 2: it might be just Cowboys and Newcastle.
[20:37] Speaker 1: Castle. Yes, Cowboys, Newcastle.
[20:39] Speaker 2: Cowboys Newcastle. So they're very lucky that they get those
[20:41] Speaker 2: guaranteed two points. For me, it just looks like it's
[20:45] Speaker 2: really between South and Boys.
[20:46] Speaker 1: I totally agree with you Cowboys, as you said, they've
[20:50] Speaker 1: got to buy but apart from the buy mate, they
[20:52] Speaker 1: have got a great run home. Like honestly, it would
[20:56] Speaker 1: be a complete catastrophe. It'd be like almost much what
[21:00] Speaker 1: us watch what went wrong for them not to play finals?
[21:02] Speaker 2: Foot watch what happens now?
[21:04] Speaker 1: Something like that. Yeah, Nights Knights will get there. Just
[21:09] Speaker 1: they're just playing great football. The system of players good
[21:12] Speaker 1: and they get that. And points wise, they've accumulated enough
[21:14] Speaker 1: with the with the buy Dolphins of course locked them
[21:17] Speaker 1: in mate Dolphins, They've got their set. I said on
[21:20] Speaker 1: your top four finish it is it's the South. It's
[21:23] Speaker 1: South versus the Dogs and this week up against each other,
[21:27] Speaker 1: the timing has been perfect, huge one for Sous. If
[21:30] Speaker 1: Sous can knock over the Dogs, I think that's it
[21:32] Speaker 1: for the Dogs again like that, that would be set
[21:36] Speaker 1: all the top.
[21:36] Speaker 2: I literally think it's whoever wins this week, Souse Dogs
[21:40] Speaker 2: They yeah, they summent themselves in the eight.
[21:42] Speaker 1: You'd think so. But but but dogs will only go
[21:45] Speaker 1: on equal points. Souse and Souse still have a points
[21:48] Speaker 1: differential at Vanda Jovem.
[21:50] Speaker 2: But I more mean from in terms of a Bulldogs
[21:54] Speaker 2: standpoint of Souse knock them off Bulldogs, I reckon they're done, yes, completely.
[21:57] Speaker 1: But if you think that, But if you if you
[22:00] Speaker 1: think that the Dogs beat South, the Dogs will get there,
[22:02] Speaker 1: they'll knock Souse.
[22:03] Speaker 2: I think so.
[22:04] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[22:04] Speaker 2: I think if they if they beat Sous this week,
[22:06] Speaker 2: I think they go on a little run.
[22:07] Speaker 3: They've been building, they have been building, and what they
[22:10] Speaker 3: did against the Roosters last night.
[22:11] Speaker 2: I know the Roosters were a bit off and Teddy
[22:12] Speaker 2: went off at halftime, but they're playing tough. Like you
[22:15] Speaker 2: had Presto and Galvin on the show yesterday, How was there?
[22:18] Speaker 2: What sort of confidence did you get from that?
[22:20] Speaker 4: Yeah?
[22:20] Speaker 1: It really really good. You know they're they're pretty unassuming
[22:23] Speaker 1: sort of guys. You know, like Presto is a little awkward,
[22:25] Speaker 1: like yeah, but but Galvin is just really relaxed and
[22:27] Speaker 1: it's just a big guy out Galvin. He is a
[22:30] Speaker 1: big guys, big guy. But yeah, they're they're really confident
[22:33] Speaker 1: that there. Of course, they were really disappointed by that loss.
[22:38] Speaker 1: You know, they should have won that game, and I
[22:40] Speaker 1: reckon Cook. You know people have said to me, do
[22:42] Speaker 1: you think Stephen Crichton is a long term six And
[22:45] Speaker 1: I said no, absolutely, naughties And I think when you
[22:48] Speaker 1: saw the other night when the game was really on
[22:51] Speaker 1: the line and where natural playmakers sort of manufactured stuff,
[22:55] Speaker 1: Critter just couldn't. It's just not in his natural makeup.
[22:58] Speaker 1: He was you know, they were trying to get a
[22:59] Speaker 1: few things on, but they just couldn't quite have it.
[23:01] Speaker 1: It broke down a couple it broke down a few
[23:03] Speaker 1: times against a quality defense, and that's where that's where
[23:08] Speaker 1: you just need that extra pure playmaker there. But but
[23:11] Speaker 1: you know, Coops, you know, the big loss for them,
[23:14] Speaker 1: another big satility Tuper losing him, that's another hamstring injury
[23:19] Speaker 1: for him, that same hamstring that went. That's is a
[23:22] Speaker 1: huge loss. He's like as Pharos leadership made his you
[23:29] Speaker 1: know he's not captain of the club, but what like
[23:32] Speaker 1: he's got the exact same standing as a sleeping crime
[23:35] Speaker 1: with his action.
[23:35] Speaker 2: Yeah, with his actions, like he leads with his he
[23:38] Speaker 2: sometimes flips the whole game just when it comes off
[23:40] Speaker 2: the bench. And one run he can flip a whole game.
[23:43] Speaker 1: And then first run when he come off the other night,
[23:45] Speaker 1: like it was just a huge run and then hamstring
[23:48] Speaker 1: the next one.
[23:49] Speaker 2: The one thing that dogs have got just flying at
[23:51] Speaker 2: the moment is that left edge. Stephen Crichton, Like you said,
[23:54] Speaker 2: he's at six, Burtons at three are playing that left center.
[23:57] Speaker 2: But Bill WILLI army kickout, really kick out what he's
[24:00] Speaker 2: doing at the moment for them, that's that's for me.
[24:02] Speaker 2: Where when they're at their best, ye like the perfect
[24:06] Speaker 2: program that they got right now, I've got Presto on
[24:08] Speaker 2: the right punching holes and like it gets a lot
[24:10] Speaker 2: of rock speed by getting one on ones and then
[24:13] Speaker 2: immediately they go two pass. Critter just hits kick out early.
[24:16] Speaker 2: He either beach on the outside or his big left foot.
[24:19] Speaker 2: Like as a half, all you want to do is
[24:21] Speaker 2: just get up on the back row and just and
[24:23] Speaker 2: sometimes you like them getting the ball later at the
[24:25] Speaker 2: line because you get your whole body in front. They're
[24:27] Speaker 2: not they're not footwork and you just got to make
[24:29] Speaker 2: a tough tackle. But with kickout, they hit him early
[24:32] Speaker 2: and it's almost like, fuck, are you going to beat me?
[24:34] Speaker 2: And you get up and you want to stand still
[24:37] Speaker 2: so you can get in a strong position to tackle.
[24:39] Speaker 2: But he either skips on the outside and puts his
[24:41] Speaker 2: outside men away, or he hits you with the big
[24:43] Speaker 2: left foot left.
[24:44] Speaker 1: Yes, And that's that's the thing in the boys like
[24:46] Speaker 1: for people, you can get a guy who's really big
[24:48] Speaker 1: and strong and powerful and he runs straight at you.
[24:51] Speaker 1: You you might not make the tackle, but you get
[24:54] Speaker 1: your body in front and you know, like you come
[24:56] Speaker 1: down as a mistackle, but they'll rebound off you and
[24:58] Speaker 1: someone else will grab him. Like it's a soft miss.
[25:01] Speaker 1: Soft misses in it's not a costly miss, whereas when
[25:04] Speaker 1: you get big blokes would really lay footwork mate, it's
[25:06] Speaker 1: a nightmare because you just can't position yourself and it
[25:09] Speaker 1: leads to those really those big misses.
[25:12] Speaker 2: The two hardest I think back rolls in the common
[25:14] Speaker 2: tackle kick out because he can get it early. But
[25:17] Speaker 2: the other one tomol La Kawatu, because he can he
[25:20] Speaker 2: can beat you in every single way you get like
[25:22] Speaker 2: he hits you, he gets early, and like you said,
[25:24] Speaker 2: he's got a fan spin footwork, and he just like
[25:26] Speaker 2: you can never brace and actually just get ready to
[25:29] Speaker 2: get your body in front because you can beat you
[25:30] Speaker 2: in so many different ways.
[25:31] Speaker 1: Well, when the draft and when the Bulldogs went to
[25:35] Speaker 1: the top of the table sort of midway through last year,
[25:39] Speaker 1: one of the combinations that really got him there and
[25:41] Speaker 1: early in the season the combination was Matt Burton and
[25:44] Speaker 1: six kick our edgeback rower and Santa was Stephen Crichton.
[25:50] Speaker 1: Now that same combinations there, but just in different spots.
[25:54] Speaker 1: Crichton at six and of course Burton's gone to three.
[25:56] Speaker 1: It doesn't Burton look happy, like just everything about that
[26:00] Speaker 1: thing has changed. When he's gone to three. You just
[26:01] Speaker 1: see how the roles is just simplified. Mate, his involvements,
[26:06] Speaker 1: his involvements at almost twice as much is when he's
[26:09] Speaker 1: playing six. He just at six, he just got lost
[26:11] Speaker 1: in the contest.
[26:12] Speaker 2: He almost you almost forgot how good a runner he
[26:15] Speaker 2: was at six because how fast he is, Like Burdo's
[26:17] Speaker 2: really fast and he's a big body, and you forget
[26:20] Speaker 2: that because so much of the time it was like
[26:22] Speaker 2: what you see critical and it's just hitting, hit and
[26:25] Speaker 2: kick our early or you never really see him bring
[26:27] Speaker 2: these big left foot step in. Now he's forced to
[26:29] Speaker 2: use his weapon, which is his big left foot and
[26:32] Speaker 2: his speed. Just on manly for a sec because you know,
[26:36] Speaker 2: it's been it's been a whirlwind of fosball for ten
[26:39] Speaker 2: weeks and now they've lost five in a row, and
[26:41] Speaker 2: like we said, they're they're out of contention really for
[26:43] Speaker 2: that top eight. My personal opinion. I think because Manly
[26:48] Speaker 2: fans really got their hopes. So I think a lot
[26:49] Speaker 2: of people in the NRL went, well, you know, Manly's
[26:51] Speaker 2: gonna do something special this year, and they've dropped off
[26:54] Speaker 2: as of late. They've had a fair few injuries and whatnot.
[26:56] Speaker 2: But I would I would urge people's opinions not to
[27:00] Speaker 2: really go at you know, not just the club, but
[27:03] Speaker 2: at Kieran forun because Fozzy has taken over hold one.
[27:07] Speaker 1: Are you telling people are starting going a little bit?
[27:09] Speaker 2: People are going him. Yeah, people are starting to go well,
[27:12] Speaker 2: people who have said foz Ball is now fraudible, so
[27:16] Speaker 2: look and look Fosball. I think this is probably why
[27:20] Speaker 2: Foz didn't want it to turn into like what it did,
[27:23] Speaker 2: because he was realistically going, well, what goes up might
[27:26] Speaker 2: come down, you know what I mean, And I don't
[27:27] Speaker 2: want it to blow up in my face. But what
[27:29] Speaker 2: you saw from that ten weeks was that was an
[27:31] Speaker 2: instant reaction to what Foz changed in the attitude of
[27:34] Speaker 2: that squad. Now, this squad hasn't changed, Their system has
[27:37] Speaker 2: not changed from you know, from what Sebes has put
[27:40] Speaker 2: in there, which we saw wasn't really working for them.
[27:43] Speaker 2: It was just an attitude change. And the last five
[27:46] Speaker 2: weeks you've seen on Plat out and gone down a
[27:48] Speaker 2: little bit. They've had Brooksy go down injured, amongst a
[27:51] Speaker 2: lot of other middles. They haven't got the depth. Now,
[27:53] Speaker 2: this isn't Kieran Forun's squad. He hasn't assembled this squad.
[27:56] Speaker 2: He hasn't got the players necessarily in positions where he
[27:58] Speaker 2: might not even want them, nor has he had a
[28:01] Speaker 2: full pre season to build the habits that he wants
[28:03] Speaker 2: into some of these players, and a really forward pack.
[28:05] Speaker 2: So I think it is a very unfair thing to
[28:07] Speaker 2: do with doubt to start to go at Fozzy Bear Coop.
[28:12] Speaker 1: And I've said, I've I've spoke to numerous people right
[28:18] Speaker 1: who have been in a position that Kieran was placed in,
[28:22] Speaker 1: and I always say to them, the interim job looks like, oh,
[28:25] Speaker 1: mate has a really great job. You know, you come
[28:27] Speaker 1: in there and there's nothing to lose. I said, just
[28:30] Speaker 1: be really careful when you take it. They're like, what
[28:33] Speaker 1: do you mean? I said, what you are doing. You
[28:35] Speaker 1: are taking over a team that has basically you're taking
[28:40] Speaker 1: over someone else's pre season, if that makes sense. Yeah,
[28:43] Speaker 1: like people going into an off season and a preseason,
[28:47] Speaker 1: all the stuff that you do there, that's what sets
[28:49] Speaker 1: you up for a great year as a team and
[28:52] Speaker 1: a great year individually. So oftentimes, when you know when
[28:56] Speaker 1: a team, when a coach gets sacked, they've obviously had
[28:58] Speaker 1: a terrible start to the season. And you know when
[29:02] Speaker 1: you just hand the team straight over to an interim coach,
[29:05] Speaker 1: you know he keeps the side happy for a little bit,
[29:07] Speaker 1: but at the end of the day, the fundamentals and
[29:10] Speaker 1: the core principles that the other coaches placed in there
[29:13] Speaker 1: don't just evaporate. They're still sitting there, and it takes
[29:16] Speaker 1: a full off season to bleed those things. You said
[29:18] Speaker 1: it's habitual, it becomes a habit. So Kieran, as you
[29:22] Speaker 1: are exactly right.
[29:23] Speaker 4: Coops could use a metaphor, Matthew.
[29:26] Speaker 3: Would it be as if you started a novel and
[29:29] Speaker 3: you created all the characters, you got through the first
[29:31] Speaker 3: two chapters, and then you handed it to someone else.
[29:33] Speaker 1: Absolutely, that's exactly what would be doing it handed over
[29:36] Speaker 1: and well, yes, say, you're right, Coop. For Kieran, I
[29:43] Speaker 1: think when he took over the side that great winning
[29:45] Speaker 1: streak was for him, he'd have been going yeah and
[29:48] Speaker 1: he's a realistic, he's a pragmatic guy. He'd have gone yeah, yeah,
[29:51] Speaker 1: but he knew, he would have knew what was coming.
[29:55] Speaker 1: As I said before, those problems that existed in the
[29:57] Speaker 1: seies regime just doesn't disagree. And because Foles comes into
[30:00] Speaker 1: the job. So it's a really big preseason an off
[30:03] Speaker 1: season coming up for Folls and merely hey you the
[30:06] Speaker 1: other one, right and Blake who gets maligned a lot
[30:08] Speaker 1: and bagged a lot, but I tear what you don't
[30:11] Speaker 1: Sometimes you don't know what you had until he's not there.
[30:14] Speaker 1: Luke Brooks Brooks, Yeah, Brooksy, he balanced out that side
[30:17] Speaker 1: really really well with his with his run first, past
[30:20] Speaker 1: second attitude approach to the game, and it worked really
[30:23] Speaker 1: well with Jamal who's very sort of steady player. So yeah,
[30:27] Speaker 1: you know, just you know with Brooksy Brooks, he's been
[30:30] Speaker 1: he's been a bit lost for him.
[30:32] Speaker 2: Yeah, And can we just talk about another side in
[30:34] Speaker 2: the top four which you haven't touched on out the Warriors.
[30:36] Speaker 2: I want to apologize to the wise fans because I
[30:38] Speaker 2: think about a month ago we did an episode, you know,
[30:41] Speaker 2: a season update like this, and I said I didn't
[30:44] Speaker 2: have him as a Premiership threat. I didn't think that
[30:46] Speaker 2: they had the X factor or the halves to when
[30:48] Speaker 2: they got to finals yep, to really take to the
[30:50] Speaker 2: next level.
[30:51] Speaker 1: I can understand that.
[30:52] Speaker 2: I well, at the time, I am eating my words
[30:54] Speaker 2: now I want to apologize because I seriously think they
[30:57] Speaker 2: have the most well balanced side and some of the
[31:01] Speaker 2: players in there, like if Alekahala Sima was playing here
[31:04] Speaker 2: in New South Wales and he was a New South Welshman,
[31:06] Speaker 2: people would be saying this bloke could be unbelievable the
[31:09] Speaker 2: state of origin. A lot of these Kiwi boys over
[31:11] Speaker 2: there who were playing, they're not being talked, they're being
[31:14] Speaker 2: slept on and not disrespected, but their ability is probably
[31:17] Speaker 2: being slept on a little bit. But they are playing
[31:20] Speaker 2: so fucking good and so out of their skin.
[31:22] Speaker 1: Unreal.
[31:23] Speaker 2: Andrew Webster's got a big issue on his hands because
[31:26] Speaker 2: Luke Metcalf obviously going to Dragons next year. He's been
[31:28] Speaker 2: out of the side. He just came back in to
[31:31] Speaker 2: this side and you know, was probably a man of
[31:33] Speaker 2: the match in their win against Panrith Panthers. If you're
[31:35] Speaker 2: Andrew Webster when tomorrow Martin's healthy, what.
[31:38] Speaker 1: Do you do? Firstly, when you were saying about you know,
[31:40] Speaker 1: you were concerned if they had that, you know, the
[31:44] Speaker 1: havelves to win the composition, and that's a I totally
[31:47] Speaker 1: get that. I sort of thought I did think they
[31:51] Speaker 1: are I have got them and did have them as
[31:54] Speaker 1: a team that could win the comp but it wasn't
[31:56] Speaker 1: based off halves, that makes sense. I've always had concerns
[31:59] Speaker 1: about Sell and Tomorrow as a combination, like when they
[32:03] Speaker 1: lost Tanner, Like Tanner was the guy that was saying.
[32:06] Speaker 1: I was like, you know, when they kept picking him
[32:08] Speaker 1: ascown now where he's put a lot of trust in,
[32:10] Speaker 1: he must see something to training that a lot of
[32:12] Speaker 1: us don't see. I didn't see. And then he got
[32:15] Speaker 1: him firing. And then when he offer the Achilles and
[32:18] Speaker 1: Tomorrow comeing in, I thought, oh, how's this going to
[32:20] Speaker 1: go to Mara and Chanell because a lot of their
[32:22] Speaker 1: football is very very similar how I see their football.
[32:27] Speaker 1: So Tomorrow is out. I like Metcalf as a player,
[32:32] Speaker 1: I really like him. I like it. I like him
[32:35] Speaker 1: because I like him in that role because he is
[32:38] Speaker 1: a run first, past second mentality, and this work works
[32:42] Speaker 1: really well for the Warriors because warriors Warriors win the
[32:45] Speaker 1: yardish battle ninety five percent of the time. And when
[32:49] Speaker 1: you win the artish battle and you're to pushing and
[32:51] Speaker 1: you're pushing the opposition back and back and back, mate
[32:54] Speaker 1: all the spaces through the middle, and that's what Metcalf's
[32:56] Speaker 1: really good at. On top of that, when you got
[32:59] Speaker 1: Waygan there and his brilliant work around the rucks, sometimes
[33:03] Speaker 1: you don't necessarily need two sevens and six are going
[33:07] Speaker 1: to push the ball sideways as well. I think you
[33:09] Speaker 1: need one who's who can do that play that sort
[33:11] Speaker 1: of a bit of finesse, but you want the other
[33:13] Speaker 1: one who's more run and thrust, and that's Metcalf. I
[33:17] Speaker 1: really like Metcalf. I I'm not privy to what goes
[33:21] Speaker 1: on as far as like we're watching Luke as a
[33:26] Speaker 1: as a player and judging him what he did with
[33:28] Speaker 1: the football. He did a couple of things things defensively
[33:31] Speaker 1: that would have caught the coach's eye. I think Andrew
[33:34] Speaker 1: Webson probably has a few concerns about Luke defensive eoys,
[33:38] Speaker 1: but I'd back him to get through that and fix
[33:41] Speaker 1: that part of his game. I just really like him.
[33:43] Speaker 1: There love, There was no there was a reason that
[33:46] Speaker 1: he was leading the dally Ms last year till he
[33:48] Speaker 1: did his ACL we've been reminded of it.
[33:50] Speaker 2: I love post Game, he did any of Sean Johnson,
[33:54] Speaker 2: and because you saw the post tri celebration where he
[33:56] Speaker 2: stood up in front of the crowd and put his
[33:58] Speaker 2: hands there almost like you know, like here I am, yeah, Rio,
[34:01] Speaker 2: the Rio.
[34:02] Speaker 1: Jesus, Yeah Yeah, Christ Chrysler Redeemer.
[34:05] Speaker 2: But it was almost like he's like here he copied.
[34:08] Speaker 2: I think it was Jude Bellingham. He said he got
[34:09] Speaker 2: it from did in the World Cup. It's almost like here,
[34:11] Speaker 2: I am you know what I mean. It looks like
[34:13] Speaker 2: people have been saying, oh, you know, he's sort of
[34:15] Speaker 2: having to go at the club or and your website
[34:17] Speaker 2: like you know, here I am picking. I actually like that.
[34:19] Speaker 2: I actually really like and you can be because he
[34:22] Speaker 2: spoke about it in an interview after put it really well.
[34:24] Speaker 2: He's like, sometimes you have to It's a little bit
[34:26] Speaker 2: like Michael Jordan's sometimes you have to make up. You know,
[34:29] Speaker 2: there are a certain storyline to get the best out
[34:32] Speaker 2: of yourself. And it seemed like he's been telling him
[34:34] Speaker 2: like to keep himself working hard and motivated training, you know,
[34:37] Speaker 2: like the club's off me I'll show them the club's
[34:39] Speaker 2: off me. I'll show that now.
[34:41] Speaker 1: And he's come out there and he's shown them now,
[34:43] Speaker 1: and he's shown his teammates. Now you got to get
[34:45] Speaker 1: on with it. Luke, that'd be my advice for him,
[34:48] Speaker 1: you know, don't carry this chip on your shoulder right
[34:50] Speaker 1: whatever is Bean has been. Those other guys came in
[34:52] Speaker 1: and played. Well, that's what it was hard for you
[34:54] Speaker 1: to get back into the side. And I understand the frustration,
[34:58] Speaker 1: absolutely understand that. But mate, you're back in the side,
[35:01] Speaker 1: you're playing good. Be one of them. Don't stand on
[35:03] Speaker 1: the outside a little bit now, if that makes sense,
[35:05] Speaker 1: you know what I mean. You're part of the boys now.
[35:08] Speaker 1: You know you were in there in a team that
[35:11] Speaker 1: is up to their eyeballs and winning their first ever competition.
[35:14] Speaker 3: It's very rare that we do see, you know, first
[35:17] Speaker 3: first string half goes down and then later in the
[35:19] Speaker 3: year we have a halves battle between the second and
[35:22] Speaker 3: third string. Like, do we think it's great roster management
[35:26] Speaker 3: by the wires or Andrew Webster's coaching.
[35:28] Speaker 1: I think I think great. I think I think it's
[35:32] Speaker 1: I think it's more great system, great coaching.
[35:35] Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, But wise have got great depth. Even
[35:38] Speaker 2: I look at next year, like they got Green Anderson
[35:40] Speaker 2: will Warlbrick going in a team that they've already got
[35:42] Speaker 2: an abundance of, like really good outside backs. So they're
[35:46] Speaker 2: like they're very good at filling a squad full of
[35:48] Speaker 2: depth in the positions they need.
[35:50] Speaker 1: Penrith are my favorite to win the camp. Who would
[35:52] Speaker 1: I like to see win the competition? A bit Warriors? Yeah,
[35:56] Speaker 1: I'd love to see the Dolphins. Dolphins can do us smatching,
[35:59] Speaker 1: smash and grab. I'd love to see the Knights win
[36:01] Speaker 1: the competition, of course, Like you know, but if we're
[36:04] Speaker 1: talking about if we're going to talk about those very
[36:08] Speaker 1: top teams and the ones, you know, the top four sides,
[36:12] Speaker 1: that's where if you talk about who in that top
[36:17] Speaker 1: four would you love to see the win the comp
[36:18] Speaker 1: I just see the worries. They deserve it, you know
[36:21] Speaker 1: what I mean, given to the game, everything in the
[36:24] Speaker 1: fan base. Yeah, what is night scream file?
[36:28] Speaker 2: Who can win? Is there anyone in that Just before
[36:30] Speaker 2: we move off the ladder in two a bit of
[36:31] Speaker 2: global around chat five to eight, is there anyone you
[36:34] Speaker 2: can see that can actually win that comp because no
[36:35] Speaker 2: one's won it outside of the top four.
[36:37] Speaker 1: Dolphins, and I tear what I've stated before and Jack
[36:40] Speaker 1: had a conversation about this. The Knight's going to be
[36:42] Speaker 1: a really dangerous time team through September. A couple of things.
[36:48] Speaker 4: There.
[36:48] Speaker 1: Their last game before the finals is the Buye so
[36:51] Speaker 1: they've got a two week rest, Mate, jeez, what they've got.
[36:56] Speaker 4: They've got it.
[36:56] Speaker 3: They've not got the worst run geez, Like even like
[37:00] Speaker 3: having dal Brown out and Del Lucas like they've they've
[37:03] Speaker 3: filled the left edge well with that young Francis like
[37:05] Speaker 3: he's been killing.
[37:09] Speaker 1: Mate, is unbelievable, has been unbelievable. The Knight's going to
[37:13] Speaker 1: be really They're going to be a really, really dangerous side.
[37:15] Speaker 1: I like, I'm starting to like what you can see
[37:17] Speaker 1: Flat Sharp going into that role in tail and operating
[37:20] Speaker 1: together very dangerously. If the Knight's going to be dangerous.
[37:23] Speaker 4: If they win even this year, right without those guys, if.
[37:26] Speaker 3: They win, won two games in the finals, get to
[37:30] Speaker 3: the prelims and opt out with those Bloats coming back,
[37:33] Speaker 3: There's going to be some expectation on the Newcastle Knights
[37:36] Speaker 3: going in around one.
[37:38] Speaker 1: Jackals or something, and I reckon the Knights ahead about
[37:40] Speaker 1: to have a really great decade. It's been a long time,
[37:43] Speaker 1: a lot of hurt for a long time. But watching
[37:47] Speaker 1: the team you blows coach again last year in the prelim,
[37:50] Speaker 1: mainly against Newcastle in that semi final, out mate, there
[37:53] Speaker 1: the depth they have in that club and Australian schoolboys
[37:57] Speaker 1: full of Newcastle kids. They've got it right. They've finally
[38:01] Speaker 1: got that pathways humming again and made it.
[38:04] Speaker 2: It'll lead to add on that and they've always had juniors,
[38:06] Speaker 2: but add on that now they've got a really strong,
[38:08] Speaker 2: like first grade system. But you look, you look, They've
[38:12] Speaker 2: they can lose Kaleen, they can lose Dylan Brown, they
[38:14] Speaker 2: can lose Deylan Lucas and they still win games. And
[38:16] Speaker 2: the blokes that go into that side, Like you look
[38:18] Speaker 2: at Fletcher Hunt, what he did there in the year
[38:20] Speaker 2: when he go to full back, not a known fullback,
[38:22] Speaker 2: but goes into a really strong system and excels.
[38:25] Speaker 1: Dolphins. Can I just talk about them for a sell?
[38:28] Speaker 1: I mate, I love the Dolphins how to go about
[38:30] Speaker 1: their work. But the other night, I think it's just
[38:32] Speaker 1: really something. If you go back and watch the game
[38:33] Speaker 1: on second look, what's really really interesting is that they're
[38:38] Speaker 1: beating them. They get beat twenty four nil Broncos just
[38:41] Speaker 1: running right over him. And then Christian Walk goes to
[38:44] Speaker 1: the bench. He brings Max Plath on. Max Plath comes
[38:47] Speaker 1: onto the team, onto the field, and just his involvement,
[38:51] Speaker 1: his energy, mate, the shitt he has in him getting
[38:55] Speaker 1: into the opposition may just totally totally change the contest.
[38:58] Speaker 1: And then a couple of minutes after that, Kurt Donna,
[39:00] Speaker 1: who comes on. It's just really interesting. I think I
[39:03] Speaker 1: think Max, you know, I think I think Christian Wolf,
[39:07] Speaker 1: I reckonend. Max. I don't know what he's carrying at
[39:09] Speaker 1: the moment, slight injury, but once you get back to
[39:11] Speaker 1: full health, he's just a muster start. Oh he just
[39:15] Speaker 1: made it. And I think the same oftentimes about Donahue too.
[39:18] Speaker 1: I just love Kurt Dona, who was a player, those
[39:20] Speaker 1: two blokes. I said about the Knights having a decade
[39:23] Speaker 1: of dominance. Mate, So will this this team Dolphins, and
[39:26] Speaker 1: they are capable with the half back Isaiah a Tewa
[39:29] Speaker 1: five try assists and his second game back. It's the
[39:32] Speaker 1: second game.
[39:33] Speaker 2: Yeah, mate, wow, And you look at like everyone knows
[39:35] Speaker 2: their outside backs. How good they are? We are Christian
[39:37] Speaker 2: Wolf on the radio today and I asked him about
[39:40] Speaker 2: Lamoelhu and Finophiliarchy because I reckon they're the best. I
[39:43] Speaker 2: think they're nearly the best back row combination.
[39:46] Speaker 1: In the camp at the moment.
[39:47] Speaker 2: Yeah, And he said, matey, he said, they're so good
[39:49] Speaker 2: and they're so different. They both have each other's strengths,
[39:51] Speaker 2: but they're rockheart. He said, of this is the fittest
[39:53] Speaker 2: I've ever seen them, and this is the most focus
[39:56] Speaker 2: I've ever seen them. So like to have the look
[40:00] Speaker 2: talking about Plath and Donahues through the middle with their legs,
[40:02] Speaker 2: speed and amongst other really good forwards they've got like
[40:04] Speaker 2: Flegler and Tommy Gilbert. But then you add those back
[40:07] Speaker 2: rollers like those hard you can hit them early or later.
[40:11] Speaker 2: The line back rollers with the craft and finesse of
[40:13] Speaker 2: Katola and Cody Nikorema like they're a real dangerous side.
[40:16] Speaker 1: You've got Asako who's good in yardage. You've got a
[40:19] Speaker 1: Hammer who's doing his stuff. Herbie Farnworth is aguly the
[40:22] Speaker 1: best competent as center in the competition. Cobbo Cobbo who
[40:26] Speaker 1: is just playing out of his skin of this world,
[40:29] Speaker 1: Jack boss Off.
[40:30] Speaker 3: Their death is probably I was talking to some about
[40:33] Speaker 3: this the other day. I reckon, when you look across
[40:35] Speaker 3: all the squads one to thirty, I reckon, they've got
[40:38] Speaker 3: the most enter already squad.
[40:40] Speaker 1: Jacobt and a lot of them young guys up.
[40:43] Speaker 2: To global round. It's been announced this week. Wow that
[40:49] Speaker 2: obviously we know the success of Las Vegas, but there's
[40:52] Speaker 2: been in twenty twenty eight. They're looking at taking a
[40:55] Speaker 2: global round where they're playing across the world. They floated
[40:58] Speaker 2: Abu Dhabi, but they said might be a little bit
[41:00] Speaker 2: risk gay and too far, too far and too far
[41:03] Speaker 2: you can't Other than that, they're saying Europe and Asia
[41:07] Speaker 2: are the favorites to kind of take it somewhere.
[41:09] Speaker 1: So far they're talking to the UK. Yeah, they're they're saying.
[41:12] Speaker 1: They're saying London, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
[41:16] Speaker 2: I love Tokyo.
[41:17] Speaker 1: I would say to fans when it does get announced
[41:20] Speaker 1: and you got to pick one, pick Tokyo. Tokyo will
[41:23] Speaker 1: be unbelievable the crowd. And do you know what Coop
[41:25] Speaker 1: I think as far as Rugula League, if we if
[41:28] Speaker 1: we take it to the UK, I think you take
[41:31] Speaker 1: it up to Manchester, you take it up, go North,
[41:33] Speaker 1: go North, mate into the heart land. I just and.
[41:37] Speaker 2: Reward, reward those super League fans.
[41:39] Speaker 1: That reward that they need it. And but the one
[41:42] Speaker 1: as far as going to a different country and making
[41:44] Speaker 1: it work, really making a den, I think Tokyo. Like
[41:47] Speaker 1: I often said, I think if there's one place that
[41:49] Speaker 1: rugularly can really make a decent impact, it's japan rugby.
[41:54] Speaker 1: They love Japanese that the Japanese love their rugby and
[41:58] Speaker 1: you know, like it's.
[41:59] Speaker 4: Fast and hard like that they'll love that.
[42:01] Speaker 1: They love it. Eddie Jones is like he's a god
[42:04] Speaker 1: there and he's a massive league man, and there's so.
[42:06] Speaker 2: Many Ossie's over there, not just fans, but Ossie players
[42:09] Speaker 2: playing rugby union and whatnot. So like those players would
[42:13] Speaker 2: love straight.
[42:14] Speaker 1: Away with the Japanese audience. It takes them one game
[42:18] Speaker 1: and they get the rules okay, you know, and they understand.
[42:21] Speaker 2: Someone else said to me the other day, wouldn't it
[42:22] Speaker 2: be sick? Like South Africa would be cool too. Obviously
[42:25] Speaker 2: they've got the big rugby like they love rugby union.
[42:28] Speaker 2: But I reckon that's another place that you could probably
[42:30] Speaker 2: tap into.
[42:31] Speaker 1: It was Cooper in the early nineties, Australian rugby league.
[42:36] Speaker 1: The aarl were booming a one hour highlights package. It
[42:40] Speaker 1: was a South African TV. They tell me it rated
[42:43] Speaker 1: so well that the power brokers, the power brokers in
[42:46] Speaker 1: rugby union in South Africa are the same power brokers
[42:49] Speaker 1: at the very top of politics. Okay, and mate, believe me.
[42:52] Speaker 1: You have a look over over the years, you know,
[42:55] Speaker 1: from from the fifties, have a look of what the
[42:59] Speaker 1: South African like power breakers deal with rugby league. Any
[43:02] Speaker 1: sniff for coming in, they just cut it off at
[43:03] Speaker 1: the knees really, like you know, like you know, we
[43:08] Speaker 1: it was making some serious inroads rugby league in South
[43:12] Speaker 1: Africa and then you know, when the Super League War happened,
[43:15] Speaker 1: it fell apart and rugby union went professional. But there's
[43:18] Speaker 1: been South African players have come out and had an
[43:19] Speaker 1: impact here in the English game enormously. But I've heard
[43:25] Speaker 1: people say all the time about the Perth Bears, then
[43:28] Speaker 1: they'll be able to go out of South Africa and
[43:30] Speaker 1: sort of. It's it's a lot harder than you think.
[43:33] Speaker 1: You're battling a lot of bureaucracy and powerful people there
[43:37] Speaker 1: to make it work.
[43:38] Speaker 2: See what with Tako.
[43:40] Speaker 3: One good thing too would be it's way more affordable
[43:42] Speaker 3: for fans, like in terms of like your flights would
[43:45] Speaker 3: be just about the most expensive thing you'll have to do.
[43:47] Speaker 4: Whereas when we're in obviously, when we're.
[43:49] Speaker 3: In Vegas, like the Aussie dollar doesn't go very far,
[43:53] Speaker 3: you know, it gets you almost have to pay double
[43:55] Speaker 3: on most things and then plus tax.
[43:58] Speaker 4: But from our experience couping in Tokyo, it's very affordable.
[44:01] Speaker 2: Affordable. Man, imagine the Golden Guy District just riddle bit
[44:04] Speaker 2: Aussies already is.
[44:06] Speaker 1: Nuts robot restaurant sick.
[44:09] Speaker 2: They just be like karaoke rooms.
[44:11] Speaker 3: It's just the funnest place you can go there and
[44:14] Speaker 3: just it's just like another plan. The rules are so
[44:18] Speaker 3: like loose, so loose, and the Japanese people will be
[44:20] Speaker 3: going what just listening to the cold Chisel in some karaoke.
[44:23] Speaker 1: Yeah, it's your ziomus.
[44:25] Speaker 2: You're like, my here you go on zio mas.
[44:27] Speaker 1: But it buys and sells Vegas every day of the week.
[44:29] Speaker 1: As far as fun, I reckon kills it.
[44:32] Speaker 2: You just spoke about rugby union. I've got a bit
[44:34] Speaker 2: of a rand about another sport I want to go down.
[44:36] Speaker 2: Do you mind of that? Because at the moment. I've
[44:38] Speaker 2: got a real problem with the AFL. I've actually got
[44:40] Speaker 2: a theory. I think the AFL are probably the biggest
[44:42] Speaker 2: plagiarizers amongst any sport I've ever seen. I've written some
[44:46] Speaker 2: stuff down here. First of all, state of Origin. I
[44:49] Speaker 2: think State of Origin the NFL is the best sporting
[44:51] Speaker 2: spectule Australia has, if not the world. A fella have
[44:55] Speaker 2: done their own little version which and they've tried to
[44:57] Speaker 2: replicate the rivalry and the hatred of it, which as
[45:00] Speaker 2: much rivalry and hatred as the Teletubbies. There was absolutely
[45:03] Speaker 2: nothing in it. If you saw postmatch interviews, no one
[45:05] Speaker 2: even cared about it. And then I go into the
[45:08] Speaker 2: next Magic Round, obviously all games in one location. They decided, hey,
[45:12] Speaker 2: let's gather all of our AFL teams will put it
[45:14] Speaker 2: in one location in Adelaide and we'll call it Gather Round,
[45:17] Speaker 2: which was just blatant plagiarism. They just copy and pasted
[45:20] Speaker 2: the exact same idea of Magic Round yep, and made
[45:22] Speaker 2: it their own. And now I look at Gather Round,
[45:25] Speaker 2: I mean now I look at Global Round. Sorry, I
[45:27] Speaker 2: think they're just gonna they're going to try to copy
[45:29] Speaker 2: that in their own sense. If I'm looking at making
[45:31] Speaker 2: it into my own little analogy. If I'm doing an
[45:33] Speaker 2: exam and I'm looking at my mate next to me
[45:36] Speaker 2: multiple choice answers, and I'm copying all that and I
[45:38] Speaker 2: get caught, that's cheating. Like that is cheating, and I
[45:42] Speaker 2: am punished for that, and I am failed for that.
[45:44] Speaker 2: So from this rant, I just want the AFL to know,
[45:47] Speaker 2: stop plagiarizing. If you want to copy and paste something,
[45:50] Speaker 2: fucking take the sleeves and put them on your guernseys.
[45:53] Speaker 2: Because I'm never a fan of that. You're in the
[45:54] Speaker 2: coldest state in Australia, put some fucking sleeves on.
[45:57] Speaker 3: Like.
[45:57] Speaker 1: There's just say one more thing they're plagiarizing in the
[45:59] Speaker 1: fact that the shorts have loosened over the years. Guys,
[46:03] Speaker 1: please get back to where it used to be, those
[46:06] Speaker 1: really tight ball hanging shorts that just left nothing to
[46:09] Speaker 1: the imagination. Now they've gone to those sort of more
[46:12] Speaker 1: traditional shorts, and the sports poorer for it.
[46:15] Speaker 2: Tighten those shorts up. Chopper right over, have a good week, Matthew.
[46:21] Speaker 1: Yanks, guys, good on your boys. Love you, I love
[46:24] Speaker 1: you to

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