#39 - SG ball & Harold Matthews finals preview

My finals preview for the sg ball & Harold Matthews competitions 

The Cyril Connell gf preview added to the lost files, will post my QLD content later on either today or tomorrow. Stay tuned

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Transcript

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Gentlemen, welcome back to the shortball podcast where I've got too much to talk about this week. I've got three interviews lined up. I've got two separate podcasts to record here and also have already recorded and uploaded a podcast over on my new show Tie In, which is going to be all my interviews across all, you know, a range of different sports, all the sort of things that interest me. Um for those of you who've only sort of known me through the shortball and all that, uh or only joined recently when um since I've been doing the junior comp coverage and all that, I've always posted and taken an interest in a lot of sports. I've sort of gone into my lane because it's worked for me now in terms of covering the junior footy. But um, yeah, I've sort of grown up around the horse racing industry. I've done a couple of really good interviews over there over the time, especially if you're watching on YouTube, you'll be able to scroll down and I've interviewed the likes of you know Zach Purt and Chris Wallace, some of the biggest names in the industry. Um, so yeah, that that's what this new podcast tie in is all about. Just allowing myself to sort of branch out and do some more of the things that interest me as well, especially more so on that horse racing side of things, because it's in it is an industry I've got a lot of love for. Uh, it's an industry I grew up in, you know. Um, my family has worked in racing for for as long as I I could remember. Uh, yeah, so something else to to sort of follow if you are interested in following my content outside of just you know covering the junior rugby league and all that sort of thing, but obviously not for everyone, but yeah, just go check out um tie in for all that other stuff. But yeah, huge week for myself in terms of you know what I've got to cover, and that's in the midst of uh the junior reps finals coming up, Howard Matthews SG Ball. Of course, we'll get into that. The Cyril Connell Cup grand final this weekend, Maumining is getting to the business end, NRL Q's just started back up. It's all going on at the moment in the junior rugby league space. So can't wait to cover it in this episode, and then also got another episode coming out on Friday, one that I know a lot of you will have been following on my Instagram over the last nine weeks or so. My player of the year rankings, the the player of the year winner, and my team of the year for the season. So I'll be doing a podcast revealing that, and I've got a special guest interview on that uh show as well. So um, we are ready to go here. We'll start off as usual with our performances of the week in SG Ball for the final round of the season. It was Chase Butler with his three tries his performance against the Bears. He was everywhere. The the stats didn't really do him justice, and you know, he had a nightmare of a of a day off the boot in terms of his goal kicking. Um, but he in terms of you know his attack and his organization, he was just every single try, if you go back and watch the highlights of this game, I I guarantee you I reckon nearly every single try, Chase Butler had his hands on the footy at some point in the lead up to it. Whether it was only a minor contribution, you know, digging his line out the back and then you know it went through the halves and the fullback and and all that, like that happened a few times. But you know, some of the the touches that he had for his tri-assists were unreal. He had a chip and chase over the top and then a kick back inside for I think it was Cooper McKenzie, who he also had an awesome one in that game. I I sort of come away from that game thinking, okay, my performance of the week is going to be one of these guys. You know, Chase Butler, Cooper McKenzie had really awesome games. Jalen Bishop as well. He was good at Jersey's number six. Uh, a couple of the forwards were really good. I'll talk about the forwards later. Um, I'm a really big fan of this uh Newcastle Knights forward pack, and we'll cover that when we get to it. But yeah, Chase Butler, he was awesome there. And Howard Matthews, it was Charlie Bait up for mine. He was uh unreal in this game in a season where his Hares partner stood out and been the guy all year. Uh Charlie Bait up, he's been awesome in the last couple of weeks since returning. And you know, he he's put in probably his best performance of the year in a blowout win, albeit. But you know, three line breaks, a couple of tries, his couple of tries. He was awesome in this performance, um, wearing jersey number six for the uh South Sydney Rabbidos. Another Rabbitos player, Matt Dufty, he was a New South Wales Cup and Pathways player of the round. Felt weird giving a pathways player of the round to somebody who's played, what, 100 NRL games nearly? Um, but yeah, three tries, 326 metres, two line breaks, four tackle breaks. Every single time he touched the ball, he just looked like he was going to carve uh the Bulldogs up and he and he did really. Um, it was an awesome performance from him. And then in NRL Q, the first round of action there, it was Caden Lars, 169 run meters, two line breaks, one try, one uh try assist. He was awesome in this game through the middle. Um, Cowboys fans have been talking about him getting more minutes in the first grade setup, and yeah, he he proved that he was a level above NRL Q on the weekend. He was enormous in the Cowboys 28-26 win over the undefeated Dolphins there. Um, I do have on my run sheet the order uh of last week's show, which was covering Cyril Connell and NRL Q first, and then um SG Ball Howard Matthews. But what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna flip that around and cover SG Ball and Howard Matthews first, because it is the finals coming up, and then I'll cover the Cyril Connell Grand Final, and then I'll cover NRL Q last because it's round two. Um but let's get straight into it. SG Ball Finals, Eels vs Bulldogs. It is the first matchup of the weekend, 10am out at uh Ringrose, or it might be 11.30 times, whatever. I'll post them up on my Instagram. But um, yeah, Eels vs Bulldogs out at Ringrose first game to cover. Now, here's the thing: all these games are on at the same time. I will be out at Blacktown to cover those games, so there won't be any live coverage of the Ring Rose and Lycart games on my Instagram um as they happen. Uh, if I get sent mad highlights or whatever, or something crazy has happened, another game match winners, all that sort of stuff, I'll post it. But um, other than that, I'll be covering the Blacktown games live. Um, firstly, because it's the closest to me, and secondly, because four of the eight games will be there. Um, yeah, so ELS Bulldogs. I think a guy that's played just about half of the season, or maybe even less, the Parramatta Eels fullback, he's the guy in this one. Um, he's been an elite form. Every single time he's played for Parramatta, he's been one of the best players on the park. He he he was awesome in this game on the weekend as well, um, against the Bulldogs. So this is a rematch of last weekend's um round nine game, which happens twice in this final series, which is unreal. But um, yeah, it was 31 to 6 last week. I thought Riley Davis was Parramatta's best. He did get Sinbinder in the game, but whatever. Um came up with a lot of mad try-saving tackles. Uh you know, his defence was unreal. He he was returning the ball really well in an attack. He just looked like an absolute live wire. He was he was in everything. He he you know, he's one of those smaller type of fullbacks coming through, very crafty, very, very nippy and quick that's able to split the defence open. And he dominated the Bulldogs last week. And you know, the Bulldogs would be would be really honing in on him in this week. Make sure he doesn't repeat that because if he does, um they're gonna be in trouble. Uh because you know, last week it ended up 31 points to six. Cannot afford to do that again this week and allow Riley Davis to get away with what he's been doing. Um, you know, the wings, the wingers for Parramatta on fire. Semyola Saravi, he's been awesome since he's come back. I think he's got a really bright future in rugby league. And Soros Bloomfield, he's sort of been, you know, he was up and down the first few weeks. I think he's played some really good footy throughout the course of the season. He he has had some down moments as well, but I think overall he's been a net positive for this parameterial side, especially the last few weeks. I think he's had some unreal games. I think round eight was was a really big standout game. Um, and last week against the dogs, he was he was good as well. Um, but yeah, that that that wing matchup is going to be awesome. Paul Johnson, Joe Breich versus Um Samuela Saravi and Cyrus Bloomfield, four really talented guys there out on the wings. Um two guys that are also in really good form and and really talented players that I like in the dummy half position, Carwin Patterson and Gyra Trey Stewart. I think Jyra's really underrated at the moment. Uh last year he was awesome in Howard Matthews, and this year in SG Ball, he's just been a stalwart in the middle for this um this Parramatorial side. I don't know if stalwart's the right word. Um, let me search up that definition. Um, loyal, reliable, yeah, reliable. 100%. I've nailed that. Um yeah, so I think there's going to be a really good dummy half match up between the two. Calvin Patterson's played some unreal footy at the back end of this year. Um, and you know, he was a key part of the Howard Matthews inaugural. Uh the Warriors Howard Matthews inaugural competition win. That was an absolute mouthful. Uh, but yeah, he he's always been a highly talented player. He's a good leader through the middle. He's a captain of the this Bulldog side, and I think he's going to be really important in this game. No David Bryanton. He went back up to Queensland. Not sure what the full story is there. Um, anything else? I think Jackson Coin is back in in top form as well. Uh, he he's returned from injury recently, and yeah, I think he's been he's been really good. Uh he was really good against the Bulldogs last week, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Uh, the next matchup, Rabido's versus Eagles. Rabido's were huge winners last time. I think it was 38-12 uh full-time in that in that one, and or 38 to 10. And yeah, I think the Seagulls they they need to be really honing in on that game, seeing what they did wrong and seeing what they can improve on. I think they've been better since then, but yeah, they're gonna be looking for a redemption game in here. The guys that dominated in that game were, you know, you likes to Cody Hills, Philip Lavaciaho's through the middle. They really rolled along. I thought it was one of Cody Hills' best performances this year as well. Um, Taja Alvarez, I believe, scored a couple in that game as well, off the top of my head. That was I think it was the first game that Isaac Fotomuala and Taja Alvarez linked up in the halves, and and Rabidos looked really good. And since then, they've been incredible. They're the minor premiers, undefeated all year, eight, eight, uh, seven wins, one draw. This Rabidos side is proper gun. And you know, the way that they dispatched the Seagulls last time, the Seagulls they have been awesome this year, they've gotten into the top four, they're a very good rugby league side, but yeah, this Rabidos side I think might be that level above, and they're a team that I expect to see in the grand final based on what they've done so far this year. Um, yeah, the South Sydney Middles, Maddox Fowie had a really good game last week. Phil Avicao has been one of the players that the players of the tournament. Um, he's been unreal. Cody Hill, probably the form nine. I expect him to be the New South Wales under-19s hooker. And then you put on top of that Isaac Fort'emwala, incredible uh ball playing, live wire half, partnered with Taj Alvarez, one of the best ball running halves in the competition. You know, some of the guys that have come in, Lockie Walters and Dwayne Lyons have been really good, and then the best centre pairing in the competition, Bar Nunn, Dane Jennings, Dean Tower. This is this Rabidos side has got so many strike weapons across the park. And I said in the preseason, I called them Smokies to win the comp just because they got so much strike power around the uh around the team or across the park, rather, and they've really unlocked it, and it is so exciting to watch for this House Sydney Rabidos side. Their pathways have been incredible. Um, the rebuild that they've gone through there is you know really admirable. The the Seagulls, the large brothers, they've been killing it. I actually really like what their back rollers have been doing. You know, your Bo McKeys and your Cifra Oldfields and the likes there. Lucas Butler, I think, has been one of the foreign players in the competition over the last couple of weeks as well through the middle. So he's there. Bo McKee, there's no Sifer Oldfield, he's missed the last two weeks. I'm not sure when he's back, but um, yeah, even the middles, their scramble defence last week against the Central Coast Roosers was incredible. Oscar Crotty has has been in really good form. You know, they're missing some key players. You know, Lachlan Metcalf missing the season wasn't ideal, but Bo Alexander has been really good filling in for him. Yeah, uh, gonna be a good matchup, but I just think the Rabbitoes are that level above. And I think the Rabbidos, I'd say that for the Rabbit's about probably 70% of the teams that have made the finals. I think maybe um, you know, the the Roosters and the Storm are the two that could compete with them at the moment based on the evidence in front of me. Um, I think the Seagulls, a very talented team. Uh, injury riddled, it's gonna be tough for them, especially with you know the score that that was put on last time. Uh, I've got the rabbit hose in this. Panthers vs. Knights. This was an unreal game last time. It was decided by Elijah Burbay's absolute brilliance. Uh, two tries in that game, and you know, just some incredible work to win that game for the Penrith Panthers. I think this game is gonna be, you know, I don't know whether you call it an upset or not. I think Panthers have probably been a team that um everybody knows has been really good this year. Um, you know, that they've been right at the top there, and and I think the Knights probably people haven't put that same uh tag or same bit of respect on them. But I I the reason why I think that they could take it to the Panthers, obviously last time was a really close game, it could have gone either way. I thought in that game, Caleb McCrae and Bo Hill were awesome through the middle, the lock and the front rower. Caleb McCrae's named in the back row now, and Bo Hill's named at front row. Cooper Townsend comes into the 13. Those are three guys that are very, very talented footballers through the middle. I think their middle forwards could really take it to Penrith here. And you know, Penrith have got a really good forward pack as well. Down on troops a little bit, but um, you know, I just think Curtis Mulherren, he's been killing it as well. Diesel Hagen comes back, he's been playing New South Wales Cup. This is a forward pack that I think could take on the best forward packs in the competition and go really well. Um, you know, even off the bench, Ashton Allen, Riley Wells, Ethan Jarmain, Cooper McKenzie was awesome last week, and now he goes back to the bench in favour of Toby Winter, who's uh back in that fullback jersey. The back five has been awesome. I I think and Chase Butler's been pulling the strings all year and been one of the premier players in the competition. So I think this night side could really, really take it to the Panthers here. Um, anything else to add on this game? Yeah, Panthers, I like their back row combination. It was always Leo Latu and Buster Heinmarsh had been really good. Ryan Goncarves came in last week and and had a really good performance there. Um, Cedric Peter Tefola and Elijah Berve have been really good in the halves this year. Darcy Felton put in another cracking game. He was my fullback of the week last uh for last round. So yeah, it's gonna be a good game. I've just really, really frought this night's forward pack. Um, so I think they can pull off a bit of an upset there. Storm versus Roosters. This is going to be a cracking game if it is anything like last week's. The Melbourne Storm, they won this game through pure effort last week. It was 28 to 18 in the end. They got some brilliance um out of Joseph Liddamu late. I didn't think the Roosters weren't, I didn't think they were bad last week at all. And I think the Storm were just were just the better side on the day, and um there's every chance they could go and do that again. I have been pro-roosters in terms of I think they're they're the best team in the competition, but Storm ambushed them and they did it through a number of number of ways. One, jerseys in the picture, they just every single time the Roosters looked dangerous, Rex Bathing Swaite, Darcy Smith, these guys were on in attack. Um I'll talk about you know the defensive side of the ball for the Roosters in a second, but in attack, those guys were on fire, and every single time they made a break, there was five storm jerseys to the Roosters three or the Roosters two. Or there was, you know, the the main example that I took, I think it was Rex Bathingswaite made the break. Elise Clark comes from the other side of the field, makes a tackle. There's no centre on that side of the field now because Aleze Clark's has just um Elise Clark's just come over and made that tackle, but the Roosters spread it to the right as they should have. I think Kai Fial uh Fia, he he makes a mad tackle covering across the cover defense, but there was also the winger there and the halves inside like there was a a nearly a full line of storm players after a clean line break like that. It was just the effort on effort on effort that they had in this game was unreal, and they really tested out the Roosers under the high ball. I thought um that was a that was the one part of the game that I looked at the Roosters and went they've they've really cost themselves here. A lot of balls allowed to bounce or a lot of balls put down. Um you know, I thought the back three, well, particularly more so uh Rex Bathingswaite, who's a very talented player, he he had a bit of a an off day under the high ball there. So I expect him to bounce back. And um I I do think for the most part the Roosters will bounce back and probably win this game that they'll take a lot of learnings out of last week and might be the cliche of the loss that you needed to have. But um, yeah, that's where I sort of uh standing on the on this matchup. Um one thing I did really like from the storm, they had a couple of early shifts, and I think this is something that they probably picked up when game planning for it was the roosters' defensive intensity, line speed, and everything through the middle, they just get in your face inside your half. The storm a couple of times made great meterage go on the early shift. I'll be interested to see if they do that again because yeah, there was a couple of occasions there where roosters were getting up and keeping up that intensity that they've had the whole year, and you know, would go out, they they'd fizz it out to a centre, and there was one time I think it was again Aleze Clark, he made about 40 meters and got the storm to the halfway, and I think they rolled down and um I don't think they scored that set, but I think they um ended up you know winning the momentum back through that set. So yeah, this will be that'll be something to watch in this game to see a storm go back to that well of of shifting out early and trying to beat the pressure um of the roosters. Five players to watch in this week's SG Ball finals. Um obviously because there's eight teams. I used to do this, and it would be you know, six teams or four teams would play of weekend, and I could do one from each team, but um, yeah, there's eight teams, so it's not gonna be one from each team, but you know, suck it up. Um Jackson Corner for the Panama Reels. Really good defensive lock, put shots on. Um, you know, he copped a little bit of his own medicine last week against the Bulldogs, got absolutely folded. But apart from that, um, just a really good middle forward, good on both sides of the ball. He's a great ball player. I think he's you know the prototype lock and a guy that I'm really excited to see moving forward. Cody Hill for the South Sydney Rabbit's crafty number nine around the ruck, and his defence is up there with the best nines in the competition. Uh Elijah Bervay, I don't need to say too much about this kid. He's been on fire. He's such a great instinctual player at number seven there. He he can, you know, turn turn the game. I think Panthers, I don't know how high up the ladder they get without him. Um yeah, he's been unreal this season, and you know, two games, the Raiders and the Knights, where his instinctual play was able to win the game for them here, and and if Panthers are to win this week, him doing that will be so key to it. Hayden Watson for the Melbourne Storm. He's another sort of that instinctual half, um, you know, probably a natural number nine, but he's been killing it at seven so far this year for the storm. His kicking game's been unreal. I think he's gonna be a guy that um if he performs to the same level as he did last week against the Roosters, he could cause them some dramas again. And then Carter Marico for the Sydney Roosters in age up. He was last year's Harold Matthews player of the year, but geez, he's he's really stepped up an SG ball this year. He's been one of the premier players in the competition despite being an age up, and you know, there's a couple of Harold Matthews guys last year that are really killing it, but he's you know really stood out in that age rule once again. So there's your SG ball coverage. Um, let's move over to Harold Matthews. Panthers vs. Rabidos is the first matchup, a matchup where neither of these two teams have met yet. Um, the Panthers so loss, they came they lost to the Knights about mid-season, they're both undefeated going into that game. And then the Rabbitoes, they lost to the Steelers in week one and a heartbreaking loss, should have been a draw. Um, you know, they they were really impressive in that performance as well. And you know, both of these teams have just been incredible uh all year. I think this is going to be a hectic matchup. You know, both forward packs are really strong. I love Cordella Rama, um Ryan Chloe through the middle as well at number nine. He's been really good for the Panthers, one of the top players in this competition so far. It's a really, really strong matchup. Tyler Siburas Amana, he's another one that I wanted to give a rap for the Penrith Panthers, and then the Rabbidoes, you know, they've got a really damaging forward pack as well. We've spoken about a lot of these guys over and over again. Anthony My Lungi, he's incredible through the middle. Um, you know, Xavier Solivale Lil Manu, um, Josiah Manu for uh Manuw Afatoa. All these guys he he he had a really good performance on the weekend as well. All these guys, i it's gonna make for a thrilling matchup through the middle, and then it's about okay, which back line is gonna produce the most the halves of Peyton Tarrow and Charlie Baet up. That is an incredible halves combination. It's probably the best in the competition. I said that about mid season. I said if they weren't the best, I definitely said they'll write up their incredible halves combination versus two halves that are in great form. Kingston Gray and Whittle was one of their best last week. And then Jalen Moran as well. He was up in age last year, and Howard Matthews was incredible. And then this year he is going good again. So yeah, this is probably the matchup of the round across both Harold Matthews and SG Ball, probably potentially. So yeah, very keen to see how they go. They're both coming off huge wins in round nine. So yeah, it'll be interesting to see how this one plays out. It'll be one in the middle, and then yeah, very keen to see how the halves go because they're both in form and they both killed it last week inside big wins. Roosers versus Eagles, the next one. The Roosters they're well and truly back in form. Uh they, you know, had a bit of a down patch through the middle part of the season. They've picked up enormously, and their spine is in form. Some of the plays that they're coming up with against the storm, I just think they've clicked over into that next year now where they're ready to launch in in finals. Just the the way that they've built and built and built on their game. They're back to full strength now. Their spine's probably one of the best in the comp. Harper Boothroids in incredible form. The halves, Samuel Large, Charlie Webb. I've wrapped them up all year. Caleb Zara's one of the premier nines in the competition. He's been unreal. That play that he had, he looked one way, steps back across the other way, drags a defender across, and then Harper Boothroids going bang straight up the middle, or it might have been Samuel Large. It was one of the other spy members. One of them, I'm certain it was Harper Boothroyd. Twists it back inside and then just leaves that space just in behind the ruck for them. That was just such it's fun for you to watch, and I it is a very fun team to watch this rooster side. The Seagulls, they've got some fun players as well. I I I really like their back rower, Jet Watkin. I think defensively he he's really stood out to me, especially the last couple of weeks. He's had some really good games throughout the season as well on the attacking side of the ball. Um I do think they've got a pretty good side, the Manley Seagulls. Um let me pull up their team list because I was gonna talk about a player, but I don't know if he actually got named. I can't remember seeing his name in the team sheet. Yeah, he's out this week. There's two of them that are out that are huge losses in Billy Miller and um and Jack Smith. And Jaden Richards is out as well. That's huge for the Manley Seagles. Um, yeah, quite disappointing because I wanted to see them full strength against this Rooster side because it could have been a really fun matchup. Um, through the centres, Munatoya and Andy Toya for the Roosters as well. They're worth shouting out. They've been awesome this year. Andy Toyer's really picked up in the back half of the year, um, been really good, and Munatoya is a good two-way player as well. William Tartan, he's been really good for the Manly Seagulls this year as well, uh this last couple of weeks as well. Um, yeah, he he's gonna be one to follow in this finals series. Anyone else from Manley? Kalito Vaseli started the year off really well and he's had his moments um since then. But yeah, I think this rooster side, I rate them very highly, and I think they're playing their best footy of recent weeks. Knights versus Steelers, another great matchup. I do think the Knights they've played at such a high level this year, but um yeah, this is going to be interesting. The Steelers, that'll probably a team preseason that I had right up there as premiership heavyweights, but and they've been good this year, top four, obviously. Um but yeah, the Knights, they've just gone to an incredible level and from one to 17. I can't really name any faults through their side. I think a guy that's been really underrated, and I'll give him a shout-out because I have given a lot of these Knights players shout-outs over the course of the season. But um Hayden Schearl through the middle, I think he's a goer. Um, I really like what he's done this year. Cade McKay in the back row is a gun. Um, the halves guns. The back five is probably the best back five in the competition. Benji Thompson's been the form outside back in the competition, Malachi Five A Eli, Kobe McGorgee, like all these guys. It is a really strong lineup. And then you compare like this centre matchup, Destin Talsala and Hunter Burgoyce versus um, or Hunter Burgess versus Kobe McGorgi and Malachi Five A Eli. It's gonna be an awesome matchup. Ryder Tupo versus Oliver Burton. The matchup that I really wanted to highlight in this game, though, was Riley Rostran versus Asher Chapman. Asher Chapman, every single week that he's played, he doesn't matter what position he plays, 6, 13, 9, you could put him in the back row, you could put him at fullback. He has played fullback as well, I'm pretty sure. Um, at some point last year when Oliver Burton was out. Such a versatile, I almost compare him to Tyron Wishar in terms of a an a royal player comp. Um, you know, for the play for the people that haven't seen him play. Just can fill in anywhere, got a really strong running game, tough as. I really like this, Asher Chapman, and and Riley Rostran as well. He he's been right up there with the best players in the competition. His ball playing has come leaps and bounds this year. He's had a really good short kicking game, created plenty of points off his own play. So um yeah, I think this is going to be the matchup to watch in this nights vs. Steelers game. Eals vs Raiders. The Raiders they had an awesome win last week over the Sharks. Their centre pairing is incredible. Nate Stokes and Altas Atelua have been really, really strong players, um, great running games on the pair of them, defensively, both really good as well. I think this centres matchup is going to be very enticing. I would have liked to see Lorima CSU for Parramatta. He's I think he's out with schoolboy rugby commitments, which is frustrating from a rugby league man, but you know, it is what it is. But I would have loved to have seen you know Tyler Lama and Lorima CSCU versus Nate Stokes and Altasadulua. That could have been an unbelievable matchup. But yeah, I think a guy who's really hitting his top form for the Parramatta Reels is Jake Capavilla. I highlighted him a lot in the preseason. He just didn't quite hit his top form through the first couple of weeks, but yeah, the last few weeks he's been really, really good, Capavilla. And yeah, I'm very keen to see how he goes in this matchup. Um, Bailey Logue's been in top form as well the last couple of weeks. He was awesome in that Sharks game. Um who else have we got? Um who else to shout out? Yeah, Hayden Bell. Nate Bobham's been good as well. He he'll be up for this matchup in the lock position. But Hayden Bell, he's been the Parramatic Reals best player this year, I think, bar none. Um, yeah, so he's gonna be a guy to watch for the Paramatarils as well. Players to watch Harold Matthews Finals. Peyton Taro, the obvious one, just been playing at another level so far this year. Um I I mentioned it in the trolls. He looked like he was playing a completely different game to the Knights, and you know, the Knights have turned out to be a pretty good, pretty good side. Um, I don't think they'll full strength in that game at all. I think they would, you know, they'll miss a fair few players, but Peyton Taro made uh uh a few of them look silly in that game, and yeah, he's just continued to maintain that form throughout the throughout the whole year, and he's definitely one of the premier players in this age group. Um Amos Vinga out the back for the Panthers, he's been you know one of the best fullbacks in the competition this year. Three on two situations, you just don't know where to look, whether he's gonna run or pass. He's running games, obviously, probably his strongest asset. Um, and support play, he's been doing that really well. He's done a lot of a lot of really, really good things this year for the Penrith Panthers. So I'm keen to see how he goes. Charlie Webb, an exciting number seven at the Roosters. Last week, he was lethal. He's just so quick off the mark, and um defensively, he hits and sticks like well and truly. Um, yeah, when he makes contact, he he's really, really good on that side of the ball, as is How's partner? Um, I think this spine for the Roosters is generally just one to watch. But yeah, Charlie Webb, an awesome number seven there. Cade McKay, he's my guy at the Knights to watch out for in this final series. He went to another level in the finals last year and age up in Howard Matthews as they went on to make the grand final. And yeah, he he's been awesome this year out in that left edge. Him and Riley Roshan have formed an incredible combination. And then Ashard Chapman, he's another guy to watch for the Steelers. I think he's um yeah, got an incredible running game, both sides of the ball, he's super versatile. Like I said before, he's got that Tyron Wishart comp about him, um, just you know, in my opinion, and yeah, I think he's he's gonna be the guy for the Steelers in this final series, and he's already proven himself at this level. He was awesome last year in the final series, despite the Steelers going loss-loss, and he'll be looking to drag them to going a couple better this year. Alright, other talking points that I wanted to bring up. I am keeping this one short because I've got a fair bit to do. Um, but yeah, I wanted to talk about Casey McLean, a guy that I gave huge raps when he was coming through the grades, and I think he sort of went under the radar a little bit. Panthers did a really good job of uh of keeping his name tied under wraps. It's no longer like that anymore. He is one of the premier centres in the competition. He is 19 years old. He did not play SG ball, he went straight from Howard Matthews to Jersey Flag and then to New South Wales Cup. He was 17, maybe had just turned 18, lining up in New South Wales Cup trial. He was that guy coming through the grades, and I just don't think he got enough hype during that time. You know, your Paul Alamotti's, you hear Masi Makasini's, all these guys. He was at that level in terms of the hype that he deserved and how dominant he was in the centre position. These other guys, rightfully so, got their hype coming through, but Casey McLean Panthers just kept him sort of you know flying under the radar, and yeah, he he's just an incredible player, and he stepped right up to to being one of the best centres in the competition at such a young age, and I I'd love to see him in origin. I don't know just quite yet, but mate, uh I've spoken about it a lot. There's two there's two things I want for these um origin outside backs as a New South Wales fan. I want to see a quick outside back because I don't think we've got too many like rapid outside backs, and Casey McLean is rapid. I don't know how many people have taken note of it, but he he could he could be in the starting grid for a hundred meter dash for the NRL. He is rapid. Sean Russell, who's no slouch, Sean Russell last year's NRL trolls chased down Xavier Savage. He's no slouch. Casey McLean reeled him in before he'd made it to the 30 the other day against Parramatta. Yeah, he he is lightning quick and defensively they come under the under the microscope a lot. I'd suggest to anybody who's questioning Casey McLean defensively, go and watch his game against the Dolphins in in I think it was his third or fourth game in the NRL. He was unbelievable in that game defensively, and you know he is a good defender. He's taken a little bit of time to get that combination right with Blaze Telang and Um Tom Jenkins, as you would it's three young players out there and not too much first grade experience, but one-on-one defensively, very rarely gets beaten. He's got good contact, and I think his reads are going to become a lot better. So I think those two assets that he's got make him a really good candidate. I was thinking Tolu Cooler. I really like I really like him to be in New South Wales um in New South Wales origin talks, but Casey McLean's got those two assets, he could be the long-term guy there for New South Wales. I really do like him. And then the last one, I didn't really speak about New South Wales Cup today because I've just got so much on, but um, yeah, Jet Cleary, he's been killing it. I wanted to talk about his performance against the Newtown Jets. He's come such a long way. I I said it the other day. Like he the fact that he went from playing under 19 club footy, lining up against me in a game, to being one of the best players in the New South Wales Cup competition. He's leading my New South Wales Cup player tally. He is flying, doing a lot of really good, uh a lot of little things really well. He's kicking games enormous. His creativity in his running game is something that he's really added added to his arsenal, and yeah, he's been enormous jet clear in New South Wales Cup, so keep a high on him, Maurice fans. Got on Friday, make sure you're there. I've got the Howard Matthews SG Ball Player of the Year team of the year announcements on that podcast. I've also got three interviews coming out on tie-in. One of those interviews will be featured in that SG Ball and Howard Matthews Player of the Year podcast as well. So that's a little um teaser for what's ahead there. Um but yeah, make sure you follow me on all socials, um, Jacob Tyson underscores on Instagram as well as the short ball on Instagram. Follow all my TikToks in that as well. Um, you know, both of those pages if you're interested in in what I'm doing outside of just covering the junior reps and and uh news of the World Cup and all that sort of thing. Um but yeah, we'll wrap it up there. Thanks for listening for another week, and we'll see you on the next one.