S2 Episode 10: ARC26 Schools and Interstate Preview

We're getting to the pointy end of the 2026 Australian Rowing Championships, and we've brought the whole team together for a commentary box chat during a delay in racing.

Join Chris McCarthy, Stuart John, Antonietta Di Cosmo, and special guest, Interstate commentator Richard Dorrstein for everything you need to know ahead of a blockbuster day of schools and interstate racing at the Australian Rowing Championships.

This podcast is sponsored by WinTech Racing Australia.

WinTech Racing has established itself as the world's largest and foremost sustainable boat builder, producing over 2000 shells annually.

They are dedicated to promoting the growth of rowing by making it easier and more affordable to buy boats featuring cutting-edge technology that improve performance at all levels. 

Learn more about how you can get a fair price and unfair advantage at wintechracing.com.au

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

There's a difference between being cocky and arrogant and believing in the cause.

SPEAKER_03 0:05

Scottish college have been sitting in race all year. They're a very good group.

SPEAKER_04 0:08

They get it in front of that class is that she proved her class and her experience and why she is the best colour in the country, being the only women's single scholar race.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Could this be the year where neither Victoria or New Zealand's don't finish?

SPEAKER_03 0:34

Welcome to Rowing Down Under, a podcast by Jaren with Chris McCarthy and Stuart John.

SPEAKER_04 0:41

Hello Rowing fans, and welcome back to Rowing Down Under, the Jammer Ren podcast, that is here to bring you all the latest racing news, opinions, and predictions here at the Australian Rowing Championships. My name is Chris McCarthy. I am joined here in the commentary box as we wait for resumption in racing on Friday morningslash afternoon by Anticosmo, by our co-commentator Richard Dorstein, I think his first appearance on the podcast for this season at least, and by Stuart John. And in this episode, we're going to take you through uh everything that we think is going to happen on Sunday. We've got, by the time uh this goes out, we've got all of our interstate previews up on the website on jrn.news, and uh we're gonna give you all uh our individual takes on on those. And to you first, what are you thinking about uh today's racing? Just quickly. Regatta so far, it's a bit blowy here.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Well, I'm all weighed in and ready to go, because I'm meant to be racing, but I not much you can do about the wind, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_04 1:38

Yeah, Richard's got the laptop out. Stu's just uh telling us all about politics. Richard's into it as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:45

Yeah, no, it's it's been an interesting few hours up here in the commentary box. Chris talking everything about racing on the course, unfortunately, but uh it has been a tough regatta for uh rolling Australia in terms of trying to keep the schedule on track. But we're hopeful uh that the wind will uh go away and we can be back racing this afternoon.

SPEAKER_04 2:01

Yeah. Stu, anything that you're really hoping doesn't get cancelled today? What are you looking for? Uh, it's gonna be out of date by the time this podcast goes out, actually. Don't don't don't don't don't tell me that. But uh what what have you what's your take been so far? It's it's just been a bit cursed here, hasn't it?

SPEAKER_02 2:15

I mean, yeah, I mean the when I came in this morning the weather was cold, the crowd was warming up, and the racing was hot. There were some races where I think it was the under-17 men's double skulls, where the Lichard crew was leading with about five metres to go and somehow finished in the bronze medal position. So there were some great races right throughout the start of the day. And uh yeah, it's just a shame that unfortunately we've been blown out for now.

Schools Racing

SPEAKER_04 2:39

Yep, and uh I mean we'll we won't go through the racing too much. I don't think what we're saying is gonna be too out of date because the racing has been great the entire way through the championships. The weather just has not simply complied. Uh so we will get into everything that we're gonna think is gonna happen on Sunday, but first a quick word from our sponsor. Rowing Down Under Season 2 is proudly sponsored by Wintech Racing Australia. Wintech Racing have established themselves as the world's largest and foremost sustainable boat builder, producing over 2,000 shells annually. They're dedicated to promoting the growth of rowing by making it easier and more affordable to buy boats featuring cutting-edge technology that improve performance at all levels. Now this is the part of the spiel we're supposed to throw superfluous words at you like best, fastest, ultimate. But Wintech Australia are better served by real words like authentic, character, and service. Because what Wintech stands for is genuine and built upon the very best people and practices. Wintech's unwavering commitment to sustainability, affordability, and innovation drive them to propel the sport of rowing into a more inclusive and exciting future where your excellence will know no boundaries. Learn more about how you can get a fair price and an unfair advantage at WintechRacing.com.au. Right, let's get into it. We'll start with the schools racing. Uh, we'll go through what we think is gonna happen in the uh the quads and the eights. Um and Stu's got the microphone. Stu, schoolgirl quad.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

Schoolgirl quad's gonna be the battle of the greens. It's uh either Canberra Girls Grammar or Gibson grammar. We're gonna go through and take that one. I think it's gonna be fascinating to see how they go down the course. Um so yeah, no, it should be a really interesting one. Schoolboys won.

SPEAKER_04 4:22

Don't ruin my flow here, Stuart. Tell me who you think's gonna win and pass the microphone on to Richard, and Richard could tell you who's gonna do it.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

What do you think?

SPEAKER_03 4:29

This is gonna show up my Victorian bias straight away, but the Gibson Grammar School quad's been very impressive this season, as it have been for the past three years, really. And that means taking themselves uh, I think the head of the school girls race they won a couple weeks ago is almost a foregone conclusion. This is their their main event. Uh so if uh look, Canberra Girls Grammar is very good quad too. It'll be a fantastic race, but I'm certainly on uh Gibson Grammar School there.

SPEAKER_04 4:49

And to the next Victorian in the box.

SPEAKER_00 4:51

Yeah, no, no surprise, I'm backing Giphy Grammar in all the way. Even if they don't win and Canberra manages to snag it, I will back those girls to the line.

unknown 4:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:59

I'm gonna I'll I'll even it up. I think uh Canberra Girls Grammar, I think uh it's it's really tough to predict between the two of them, uh both of them such strong momentum. Um I think the Canberra Girls Grammar Girls may have done maybe a little bit less racing this week as well so far. It's hard to tell, it's hard to keep track of how much racing we've actually had uh so far, but I think that's gonna um I I think it'll go the way of Canberra Girls Grammar. Uh Nick Bartlett, if you're listening, feel free to tell me uh why I'm wrong or send me a message uh rubbing it in my face if I am wrong.

SPEAKER_05 5:29

He will.

SPEAKER_04 5:30

He will. Well, last time we mentioned him on the podcast, he didn't uh he didn't text me, so maybe we're just talking smack about him behind his back. We'll find out. Um and uh so boys quad Stuart, I think I know what you're gonna say here, and I think I know what everyone's gonna say here because I think this one is possibly one of the biggest foregone conclusions of the regatta.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

We said that last year, but then Kinross lost. Uh Maris College, they're really, really quick crew. Um that was super quick at the head of the river, the school boys head of the river up in Sydney recently, the ACT head of the lake. Um I'm not gonna say that it's a foregone conclusion because if conditions are like they have been, we've seen some crews miss out because they can't handle the rougher conditions and they can't handle the waves. So it they're the favourites. I'd like to see them win, but I don't know that it's as set as you're making it out to be.

SPEAKER_04 6:19

I think you raise a good point. Of course, like the the racing's throwing up some uh some fantastic surprises. However, Marist have got so their under-17 quad won by 20 seconds earlier in the week in the heat. Uh two boys out of the under-17 quad are in the uh the schoolboy quad. I believe Lucas Delgado is one of them, and he won he uh beat Luca Wilson in the single in very, very tough conditions, and I thought Luca Wilson was a foregone conclusion in that race. So I think that's only extra credit to Marist College, who probably don't need it uh at this stage.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

So your track record with foregone conclusions is not good so far.

SPEAKER_04 6:51

No, exactly, but you know, now I'm trying to back the other side. Who knows? It's everything's just uh all topsy turvy here at Lake Barrington.

SPEAKER_03 6:58

Richard, who I can't argue, Chris, with any any of that, obviously, but uh just looking for some value further down the page. I noticed a crew from St. Patrick's Ballarat who've been racing in fours for most of the season, very used to rough water on uh Lake Wenderee, so uh you know you can't write off the Ballarat schools, but uh I think I think you're right. Um the interesting part about the school race, obviously, it's possible as we now know the reprochages may or may not be held. So they may have to qualify directly from a heat all the way through to the final, which just can change obviously the progression system and maybe add some pressure on some crews to get the heat right, and who knows what that may lead to.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

And I was having an interesting conversation just before with some some guys from Maris and how they go about being taught to handle wind in the conditions. They're one of the few school kid crews that know how to back into the blocks and uh know how to bail themselves out in these sort of conditions.

SPEAKER_04 7:45

So Well, the start line at Lake Burley Griffin is uh the most exposed part of the course down there.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

So if you can knock in the first 500, you're pretty good for the rest of the race. So if what they were saying on the bank is true, then Mars is in with a good shot.

SPEAKER_04 7:58

Cool. Alright. Well, that's uh fairly conclusive for us. I think that's as as in agreement as uh will possibly be. Let's move on to the eights. Uh schoolgirl eight for the Sydney Cup. Last year, one of the fantastic competitions of last year's regatta uh threw up surprises pretty much every round of the competition. Um we've seen so far this year, I think our main contenders are probably Melbourne Girls Grandma, Pimble Ladies College, um and maybe Scotch Oakburn. It's still hard to get a read on him. We haven't seen them in sort of full strength, we've seen them out in pairs and cox fours and all the rest of it. Maybe Scotch Oakburn. Um and uh I think could see some other Victorian schools challenge because the transition from 1500 to 2K is always a bit weird. I don't know if Pimble if Kinross are close enough to sort of come back and contest here. Stuart, where where are you leaning for this one?

SPEAKER_02 8:47

It's a really open one. I don't know that there's a particular favourite. Like Pimble ladies have been the quickest, but we saw Kinross get past some New South Wales championships. We saw Scotch Scotch Oakburn, as you say, set very, very close to a national record here uh just a couple of weeks ago at the Tasmanian Head of the River, and obviously Melbourne Girls Grandma won the Victorian Head of the River.

SPEAKER_04 9:08

So And then almost broke their own national record here in the heats of the under-19 eight on Wednesday. Yeah, so it's could have too if they didn't stop one stroke before the line.

SPEAKER_02 9:16

So I don't know that there is a crew I I don't know that there's a crew that I would say hand on heart, you know. I I don't know there'd be a crew that I'd put my money on for the win, maybe for replacing, and that'd that'd be about it. But the it's any one of those crews, and yeah, I think just with Kinross, I think just because they won that New South Wales title um and really put PLC under pressure, uh PLC uh Pimble Ladies, sorry, um, then you know, at the head of the river, reacted a lot better, I think, when Kinross pushed them hard through the early stages. Um but possibly Pimble ladies, but I don't say that with any kind of confidence. Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_04 9:57

Richard, tell me why Melbourne Girls Grummer's gonna win.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

Well, yeah, look, you've taken the words out of my mouth, Chris. But firstly, wouldn't it be great to see a Scotch Oakman from Loncest and get up here on their homework? That would be a fantastic trip. They've been great in the pairs and the fours racing so far this week. So if they can get it to get in the eight as they did at their head of the river, anything's possible, and they probably know these conditions obviously better than any other crew in the race. Um in Melbourne, it was uh Furbank and Loreto Turak most of the season with the two leading eights. Suddenly, Melbourne Girls Grammar School got it right on head of the schoolgirls day, which is not often their best race. They tend to race better over 2,000 metres historically than 1500. So on that basis, they'll be better here. They've been uh on the podium the last five years in the school girls eight, Melbourne Girls Grammar School, and I reckon they should win this year.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

I know Al Al Matthews has taken over that programme, and he's he's a pretty techie coach in terms of conditions and things like that. So I if it's windy and it's kind of like what we've been seeing this week, Melbourne are pretty I'd be say that they're suited to handle this, but if it's flat, I wouldn't discount Pimble at all.

SPEAKER_04 10:57

Yeah, I think I'm similar. Um I think that's sort of where I'm leading as well. Um I think the other thing to note is that a couple of the Pimble girls have done a fair bit of racing this week for clubs. Yeah. Um Phillips was in a quad and you know has another racer doing that, and um saw Emilia Callinane in the uh four for Sydney Turner got a bronze medal in the under 194. They've done a little bit more, I think, in the Melbourne. I mean Melbourne Girls' grandma doing the under 1908. Um but I think doing you know, everyone being sort of on the same level of fatigue is probably not as damaging as a couple.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

But also pulling yourself out of your cruise, like if they're doing club racing, as we've been seeing, you you're being thrown into different styles. You you noted earlier in the week the Scotch boys, just to jump to the Scotch boys, they have a very distinctive style that they row in their school boat and then they get into club boats and it's different again.

SPEAKER_04 11:39

This is the rung down under bingo card, I reckon, and telling us that Scotch row, a very different style.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Yeah, I love it. It's not it's it's a thing. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:46

Oh no, it's a hundred percent a thing. I just love how you're very nice about it.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

Oh you know what? Let's skip on to the I reckon they'll win because of their style in this. If they've got wind, their deadlift rowing was gonna get them around that's gonna get them to the end.

SPEAKER_04 11:59

I I think so. Cool. All right, let's move on to the to the boys of the end. Sorry, just a kick.

SPEAKER_00 12:03

I think Scotch is gonna win the boys.

SPEAKER_04 12:05

Yeah, I think um I've well uh let's let's go full circle here. Stuart, who have you got for the boys?

SPEAKER_02 12:10

Scotch.

SPEAKER_04 12:11

Cool.

SPEAKER_02 12:11

I I think they're just that little bit quicker, and as Ant says, you know, that with that with the the way that they row in the headwind conditions, if it's like it has been, then it's gonna be hard to see anyone really going past them. And I think you know, we've seen Shaw and Riverview both cancel each other out, so to speak. Um I just think Scotch might just be that little bit quicker.

SPEAKER_03 12:34

Yeah. Yeah, look again, looking for the story, the Queensland would love to see the Southport school who went so close as you and I well recall, Chris, two years ago to uh getting up when Kings beat them. Um I'm not sure they've been undefeated in Queensland for three years.

SPEAKER_04 12:46

I well recall because I almost called them first across the line. I didn't even see Kings going.

SPEAKER_03 12:50

Exactly right, but uh but uh yeah, that was a that was a fantastic race. But I probably don't think it's rare for Queensland schools to win the nationals. Um and despite Southport having not lost race in three years, uh up in Queensland, uh I I think uh Scotch College, I've been seeing in race all year, they're a very good crew. Uh they get out in front, they start fast, uh, that lead most of their races by a length after 500 metres from there, it's very hard to be caught in a schools race. Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 13:12

I yeah, I'm gonna I think we're all gonna say Scotch just because of how rough these uh conditions would be. I'd say the only if we have a really, really fast Sunday, like we're talking 2006 where everybody record was broken uh fast and some of those the school boy eight records still stands. If we have a really fast Sunday, that's probably the only chance, I think, because I think they are big boys in the Scotch crew, and that'll bring everyone up. And uh it'll uh it should bring everyone a little bit closer in saying that it'll still be a bit of a lottery, uh, given how intense we've seen the wind. Um yeah, I just think that that that Scotch crew in the head is in the headwind condition that was that we've seen, um it'll it'll be Scotch all the way.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

We saw it at Scotch Merck's um regatta with Melbourne grammar and and Scotch, but it was windy and Scotch just sort of powered through. And then head of the river in Melbourne was oh, in Negambi, wasn't as windy, and the Melbourne grammar crew was a bit closer to Scotch, but yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:08

Yeah, yeah. And uh it will be we can reveal this exclusively on the jab on the uh on the Ron Down podcast, it will be the last chance for a couple of years for Scotch to uh to win ahead of the river or for the Southport school, because what we're hearing is that next year the Brisbane GPS and the Victorian APS Heads of the River will clash with the national championships, and uh we all know what's more important to those schools, it's it's their local race. Everyone's scrambling for the microphone here.

SPEAKER_03 14:30

Yeah, it's unfortunate it's a huge problem for the national championships, obviously, as we know in Perth next year. If the Victorian schools, especially, and obviously the Queensland schools aren't going to be there, it's not gonna be the same school boys eight competition that we expect and we have here this year. So I think that look, it's it's unfortunate, but um uh the calendar being as it is, it's a difficult one to solve.

Racing resumes!

SPEAKER_04 14:46

It's also difficult for what we understand is that the New South Wales GPS head of the river will be the weekend before nationals. It's still difficult for them as well, because uh it's a it's five days' drive to or four and a half days drive to Perth, and uh to get the trailers over there for the start of the schools racing is difficult. So um it will be uh it'll be a challenge, but uh hopefully better conditions at Perth uh than what we've had uh this week. Hopefully better conditions in Perth than uh what we've what they've had this week as Cyclone Norel uh does its completes its lap of the country and uh make makes landfall in West Australia at the moment. So I'm glad we're not in Perth at the moment. Um but uh anyway, I think we are digressing. Any uh big takes we'll uh I think we'll we'll just have a quick little break because we are here in the commentary box and uh we are going to uh do an an announcement on the rest of the day's racing, courtesy of Richard. We might we might mic up and see what he's got to say. What have we got for us, Richard?

SPEAKER_03 15:40

So everyone here at the course. I can now revise that racing will resume at uh one o'clock pm. So in 52 minutes time, racing will resume here at Lake Barrington. The schedule for the remainder of today is now online. Please uh ignore the Saturday race schedule as that will be revised following the completion of racing today. But the new schedule for the remainder of Friday is now available on the Regatta website. So uh great news here at Lake Barrington. Racing will resume in 51 minutes time at 1 o'clock PM.

SPEAKER_04 16:16

Brilliant, we're gonna go racing. So we've got a little bit of time uh to finish off our podcast before that, um, and we will move on to the Interstate Regatta. Unless anyone's got any uh big calls for the singles. I really I want to see uh uh Isabella Henderson win the uh school goals.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

The Amadale School Girls. Yeah, that would be a story.

SPEAKER_04 16:35

Well, she took a national championship this morning in the double, um, which I haven't seen her around, but I'm sure there's far more tears uh even than yesterday when she took the silver medal in the singles. So uh that'll be the only one uh that I'm uh r really rooting for uh in terms of uh the school small boats. But let's move on to the interstate regatta. We'll go in order of the uh we'll go in order of the the the competition. So the Para single skulls first on the women's side, uh Isabel Egan for uh the Australian Capital Territory, Georgina Browning for New South Wales, Wallace Russell for Queensland, Susanna Lutze for Victoria, and uh Tasmania Stuart uh Ella Marshall. Ella Marshall, cool, because it's just had uh the Tasmanian teams announced uh in the last half an hour or so. Uh quick round the room, who's gonna win the Para single scale?

SPEAKER_02 17:22

Women's Para single scale. I've got Wallace Russell. I've done the preview for JRN, so I think Wallace Russell showed in the because we still haven't had the women's PR three final either. We've come close. Yeah, we've we've come close a couple of times. They were actually on the starting blocks and then had to go back down again. So but I think Wallace Russell for Queensland, it would be I think Queensland's first ever medal in the women's PR3 single skulls, and I reckon it's going to be a gold. And I've got her, it'll be between Susanna Lutzi and uh Ella Marshall from Tasmania for the silver and the bronze. I think I I'm in two minds. I'll pick Susanna in the preview to finish second, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ella got third either. They're both training together at the National Training Centre. They had a great battle in the race for lanes and home waters, your first time pulling on the green of Tasmania. There's a good chance that Ella could uh go up and pinch second.

SPEAKER_03 18:18

Yeah, can't disagree, Stuart, uh, with any of that. We did see Isabel Egan uh pick up a medal yesterday in the uh double scale, um, who's racing for the ACT, but uh Wallace Russell, experienced athlete uh from CoinZone, former Australian representative, of course, in a lightweight vote, and um I think it'd be nice to see that medal head north of the tweet.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

I I feel like I'm a bit biased when I say this, but obviously Susanna won this event last year.

SPEAKER_04 18:40

Also, you're sharing a bed with her with this event.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

All right, hang on, hang on. Do you realize how that sounds? Anyway, yes. Okay, so I value my life, Susanna Lutzi for this. Um, but Alan Marshall also a banks thrower, so she's representing Tasmania. She has made some like gains from last season to this season, so I would tend to agree with Stu on that one. But yeah, Wallace is a gun. She was a gun in the Able Body events and now moving across to Para. So a very strong contender for the gold there.

SPEAKER_04 19:09

Yep. I I think it's hard to go past uh Wallace Russell for that one. I I backsters for a challenge, but um I I could be could be a bit off there. Uh Interstate Men's PR3 single skull Stuart. This might be a good one for you. So we've got uh Cormac Hayes in Australian Capital Territory, Mac Russell. So have we ever seen a brother-sister duo compete uh uh in the two single skulls? Is Emmy Frederico ever done the uh the Nell Slutter? And then we could like have have that going on. There's been a brother-sister in the eighths though, there's been a brother-sister, yeah, yeah. Well those, yeah, yeah. You just said Eddie, didn't you? After you called her Emmy Emmy Frido yesterday. Yeah, Friday. Yeah, yeah. Um sorry, Flynn Wilkinson, New South Wales.

SPEAKER_02 19:51

Tasmania is uh no announcements. No announcements.

SPEAKER_04 19:55

Oh scratch, scratch, sorry, not nothing from Tasmania. Victoria, Aaron Skinner, uh Stu, I think we're all going to be in agreement here after what we saw in uh the PR3 single race earlier on in the week.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Cormac Hayes, the Australian Capital Territory. He would be the second ever men's PR3 single scholar to win from the ACT. It would only be about the fourth uh different winner that we've ever had from the ACT. It is going to be a big deal. We are, you know, he was involved in a very uh uh nasty accident a couple of years ago, and this is his return to racing. He is determined, and Sunday is the one that he 100% wants to win. And we he showed on the waters in tough headwind conditions in the men's PR three final that he is an ex still an extremely good rower, he knows how to move the boat, and I am very much looking forward to this race because I think Cormac can do it.

SPEAKER_03 20:52

Yeah, have to agree, Stuart, with everything you said there. Um Mac Russell, we know we'll fight hard. He seems to to grow a leg when he puts on the maroon of Queensland too. Um and Aaron Skinner, the Victorian, at his 20th consecutive national championships, apparently. So an incredible uh effort to see him here and the eighth time he will row uh for Victoria in this event, too. So I see a lot of him, he has to race often in Victoria. There aren't that many para races, he often races up in the open men's single skull up against uh in the in the at the senior level. So he um he has uh travel the length and breadth of Victoria and now the country to come and compete, and uh looking forward to seeing him on the water too. But I think you're right, Cormac Hayes is clearly the class scholar in the field.

SPEAKER_00 21:29

Yeah, Cormac. I don't have much to add to that conversation. I agree with literally everything Richard said in Stu.

SPEAKER_04 21:34

I I'd love to see Cormac win. I reckon Flynn would give him a good good tilt. Um I think it'll be really close. It'll come down to conditions, actually. Um I'd love to see Cormac win. It's obviously such a great story. Um I I think Flynn he he had a very bad he had a very bad row in the in the in the race uh the other day, and I think he probably c would concede that. Um and um he's still on paper would probably be the one of the former athletes of the field. Like he's a big unit, he's powerful on the urging, he's good at winning these. Single scale race, like these parasitic scale races. So I think he will put up a tough competition. It's not a foregone conclusion. But I think we're all pretty keen to see Cormac get up in that one. Interstate women's single skull for the Nell Slatter Trophy. Catherine Kahn from the Australian Capital Territory. Eliza Bridgefoot from Queensland, New South Wales, is represented by Tara Rigney. South Australia has Ella Bramwell. Tasmania has Anika Readen. Anika Reardon, yes, just announced. Romy Cantwell from Victoria. And do we have a West Australian scholar? Georgia Patton. Georgia Patton. Oh, yes, yes, we've been told Georgia Patton, exactly. Yes, we were talking about this last night. This one, I think it's going to be quite interesting because Tara, although she 100% she proved her class and her experience and why she is the best scholar in the country in the Open Women's Single Skull Race. She had, you know, the conditions threw everything at her, Sarah Fard threw everything at her, and she stayed calm, wrote really well to the conditions, and just slowly moved away, slowly and gracefully. Gracefully is a good way to uh describe how she rose as well. Um absolute pleasure to watch. Um I would still have her as favourite. I would still think Rommy Campbell had obviously a pretty sh an absolute Barry Crocker, I think, in the uh in the Open Women's single, and um could put up a charge, as could Georgia Patton. Georgia Patton, good in the tough conditions. We know she can be good in the single, she was good in the single the other week at over 250 metres. Um that might be all it takes here if uh if the conditions are rough. So um I still think Tara, but uh I think um yeah, could there there's uh there's a f a few challenges coming from all over the shop.

SPEAKER_02 23:38

There's a few challenges. So Tara has the chance to equal history. Uh Mary Renoff won the Nelson five times in a row. Tara's won it for the last four years. I think New South Wales won it this last six times. Um so you could have Tara.

SPEAKER_04 23:53

2022, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

2022, yep. And then I think in 2019 as well. I think uh Maddie Edmonds was Jen Horton.

SPEAKER_04 24:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:01

Yeah, so Maddie Edmonds was the last one to oh just into Jacinta or Maddie. Maddie Maddie Maddie Edmonds was a sweep roll. I just entered it. Um Maddie Edmonds was the last one to not from New South Wales to win it. I think what's going to happen this year is that Sally Keogh won it four uh five times as well, just not consecutive. I think what's gonna happen here. Last year we saw Tara Rigney win, a sweeper from WA come second, and then Romy Cantwell come third. And I think that's exactly what's gonna happen again on Sunday. We're gonna have Tara Rigney winning it, her fifth Nell Slatter, the sweeper from WA, this time it's Georgia Patton, not Bronwyn Cox, and then Romy Cantwell coming through in third. So split ends say history never repeats, but uh I reckon there's a good chance of it doing so in the Nell Slatter.

SPEAKER_03 24:46

I do love the musical interludes you bring to this too, uh Stuart. But um correct in the was it last year Tara came in just for the uh on that last day.

SPEAKER_04 24:54

Yes, I think it was I think she was here the day before. Um I don't think she flew in on Sunday morning. No, no, but that was her only race.

SPEAKER_03 24:59

Yeah, she'd had a girl's week on the wines, I think, somewhere in New Zealand, and uh came in, won the uh Nell Slatter and the Queen's Cup, refused to elaborate, and then we didn't see her again for so all the evidence suggests if you can do that on that preparation, then here with the actual week of racing, I was in I was watching her race uh yesterday down from the water's edge, and I think I was impressed with the way she did control herself in the condition, then gradually row through and take the lead and go on to win in the end quite substantially. So all the evidence suggests she should win it. She beat Romy Campbell boy 15 seconds last year. Romy's had a fantastic year, obviously, and I suspect we'll get a lot closer. I would, you know, probably love to say the Victorian can win it, but I think Tara Rigney is um is is the favourite, and and if I had to pick someone, I'd be on her. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 25:40

Not a lot of chat about Eliza Bridgeford from Queensland, who is a young gun, she's younger than the rest of the field, I believe, rowing in this, and she won the under 23s. Yeah, yeah, she is. I I back her in to put up a good fight in this. She's strong and she's made some incredible improvements over the last year. Um interesting to note about Rummy, it seems to be a repeat of history from last year because of course in the skull open skull she was in the B-final. So maybe Barrington.

SPEAKER_04 26:05

Yeah, the semi was tough.

SPEAKER_00 26:07

Yeah, maybe Barrington's just not not her field as much as I want to call her up as well. But Tara, I think, is the best place. But I'd a lie I would back Eliza in to get up on the podium.

SPEAKER_04 26:18

Yep, yep. I I'm gonna agree with that actually. Uh Tara, Tara Georgia, um, and uh Eliza. None of us have mentioned Catherine Khan here. Sorry, Stuart from the ACT. ACT's had plenty of glory here. Um in this plenty of glory.

SPEAKER_02 26:31

It was one row.

SPEAKER_04 26:31

It's had plenty of glory in this podcast so far. Uh that's enough, thank you. We'll I'm sure we'll have plenty more. Uh as we uh talk about all the ACT entries uh that are coming up. So in the Interstate Men's Single Skull for the President's Cup, uh the Australian Capital Territory has Hamish Harding, Marcus Delamata for New South Wales, Cormac Kennedy Leverett for Queensland, Mitch Reinhardt for South Australia, Matt Dickenberg for Tasmania. Victoria has uh Max Curry. I have Max Curry down here. Is it still Max?

SPEAKER_00 26:58

Or is it Dom?

SPEAKER_02 26:59

Yeah, well.

SPEAKER_04 26:59

I thought I was under the pressure it was Dom Frederico, actually, until I just read that. But uh let me just refresh something might have changed, and let me just so we'll see if uh So there's a number that haven't.

SPEAKER_02 27:07

So I think Mitch Reinhardt might be changed out for South Australia as well, because now South Australia will talk about the King's Cup. They are keeping their powder drive for the KC. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:17

Um, yeah, we saw things last night. I think they weren't sure who was going to do it, and they were thinking they weren't they weren't what were gonna you know not care about the uh the presidents.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

Yeah, so I I think this one's gonna come down to a race between two, Marcus Stelamata of New South Wales and Cormac Kennedy Leverett of Queensland. So Cormac still hasn't won the open men's single skulls. He came third yesterday in again pretty tough conditions. Uh he can move a single scale, and he won the President's Cup in Perth back in 2023.

SPEAKER_04 27:47

After not winning the Open Men's single scale.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

After not winning the Open Men's Single Scale. So he's a definite chance of that. But the race between him and Marcus Delamata, I think, is going to be an absolute cracker. I'm just going to lean the way of the Queenslander because that's what I do.

SPEAKER_04 28:02

Before we got on here, we describe this as the anything but New South Wales podcast. We've got uh two uh Victoria slash Queenslanders in uh Stuart and uh and Richard slash Act. Yes, but you've got some Victorian roots as well. Anything but New South Wales. You've got uh the the person who's never never never left the uh the education state, uh Angie Cosmo, as as as Victorian as they come, petitioning to be uh Mrs. Victoria. Uh I believe. Uh yeah, so uh keep the let's keep that in mind.

SPEAKER_02 28:30

And we should probably point out, Chris, that you have done nothing but wear light blue for the King School Sydney rowing club.

SPEAKER_04 28:35

Yeah, white light blue has been my entire life and uh yeah, Interstate Day in 2019 was possibly one of the best days of my life, even though I didn't even race. Uh completely agree, Stuart.

SPEAKER_03 28:47

You took the words out of my mouth, I think. Call Mac uh Kenny Levit just probably. But um yeah, as simple as that.

SPEAKER_00 28:54

Max is sorry, yeah. I've got it in front of me, Max Curry confirmed for Victoria. He's young, he's younger than these men rowing. I need to call them. Gold medalists yesterday, and from Hawthorne from one of the smaller clubs down the Yarra.

SPEAKER_04 29:07

He's been training it in your own club for the last six months. Yes, well, that helps.

SPEAKER_00 29:11

Um I I'm gonna be a bit different. I think Marcus Del Mada has a good race in him. I oh yeah, given what we saw earlier in the week, I back Marcus in for this race.

SPEAKER_04 29:22

It it meant so much to him, and we said on the on the on the podcast earlier in the week uh that um how uh how much he's improved, like uh all around, on and off the water, um, really worked on a lot of things, and um, you know, he's he really, really wants this. And he really wants to be uh a part of a successful Olympic men's scaling squad. And um, you know, he's he's he's at the point he's bringing up the people around him, and he really wants, you know, he was just so it meant a lot to him yesterday. And I think the momentum of winning that trophy yesterday um is going to carry forward, and I think he's gonna win the President's Cup. Um I Cormac is gonna put up a bloody good fight. I don't think Cormac put up his biggest fight ever in the uh in the open men single race. Um he did for the first half of the race, but then it was kind of over. Um and it was between uh uh Marcus and and Jacko, but um I think um yeah, I think Marcus has got this one, and uh I think that one, yeah, back to New South Wales uh for this year. Uh let's let me just as rowing manager needs me to refresh it all the time. That's a new thing. Like it used to be open all the time. Anyway. Interstate lightweight women's quad skull. I'm not gonna read through all of the names, but I think they're all pretty accurate there. But we've got uh New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory. Seven uh all is that that's everyone?

SPEAKER_02 30:39

That's everyone. That's everyone.

SPEAKER_04 30:41

Yeah, all seven. So um one of the there's a few events that have got all seven. Um most of actually most of them have got all seven, apart from the the Paras, the Penrith Cup, and the Queen's Cup. All the other events have uh have got all seven. This might be a long segment for us, for Zelotis are tough. Um and uh Ant, do we want to r recl you know, exclude you from this one?

SPEAKER_00 31:04

No, don't exclude me from this one. I know too much. I know all of these athletes.

SPEAKER_04 31:08

Also, Ant's uh has rowed in this event, what, three times? Four times. Four times.

SPEAKER_00 31:12

Four, three times too much. Don't take that first time off me. And a Gamby. No, I know a lot about all of these crews. Western Australia is pretty much unchanged from last year, and they were leading through the kilometre, and they got up on the bronze, which a lot of and in a really old boat too, historic but old.

SPEAKER_04 31:26

Still got the old boat. Oh yeah. And the doubles are the doubles they've been rowing all week are really old as well.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

Yeah, but they're performing like those the mentality, those Western Australians, is next level. So they will be hot. Queensland is a little bit more experienced crew with Tiggy Wake in there and Alice O'Toole, so they will also be hot.

SPEAKER_04 31:42

Billy Campbell's been doing good things this week as well.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

So they'll be a strong crew to beat. And the New South Wales girls, there are some repeat names in there as well.

SPEAKER_04 31:50

Um it before. Yeah. Um Nicole Vance is a weapon. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:55

Yeah, and then in the ACT, you've got Alexandra Moylan who won the open skull skull list. You've got a very experienced international rower leading that boat, same with Hannah Tippett in the Tassie boat. Our Victoria boat is very new. They're all strong rowers, but they're all new. None of them other than Francesca Spano, who's younger than these girls, have done it before. Um Strong crew, I back them in to perform strongly, but it'll be interesting on the day because the vibe is completely different to the rest of the week's racing. If if the week is chaos, Sunday's not. And if people are friendly throughout the week, Sunday means business. Yeah. So it'll be interesting to see how those more experienced crews go versus those who haven't done it before.

SPEAKER_04 32:33

The tone certainly changes on Sunday. And uh even me just trying to poke around, trying to get some crews out of people, not at least yourself and uh try and get some uh entries out of people. Well, that's exactly the text message we got from Noel Donaldson.

SPEAKER_03 32:47

From the Noel Donaldson playbook that the Victorian crews are absolutely secret until uh they go out to race on the uh Sunday afternoon. So I guess a shroud of mystery does remain over a few crews still. But uh that was a fantastic summary, and I can't.

SPEAKER_04 32:59

We'll just we're gonna need to move through these ones a little bit quicker. Yeah. Um we are getting a little bit long in the tooth, and people probably are turning off by now.

SPEAKER_03 33:06

So say whatever you want. I was gonna say that uh last year Tasmania won it, but obviously there's a different crew this year. I think Victoria probably uh have taken this event very seriously as Antwell knows, and I reckon they'll win it. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 33:17

Yeah. If I had a seven-sided dice, I'd roll it, and that would probably give as much chance as I've got of trying to be able trying to be able to make a case for just about every single crew, and Ant's done that. Um so you know, I I'm excited for the ACT crew. Um I'd love to see Alex Moylan on the podium for the Australian Capital Territory, because I dare say it's probably not gonna happen in the Queen's Cub, but um yeah, I I am going to roll a seven-sided dice, get a platypus to tip a name out of a bucket. I genuinely don't know.

SPEAKER_04 33:50

Yeah, um I'll say WA. Why not? Um I don't know. That's gonna be that's gonna be one of the one of the best races. Uh Low means Coxless 4 for the Penrith Cup. Uh we have everyone except for Australian Capital Territory, so New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Victoria, the uh incumbents. Um and uh I think no one's gonna come near them. Victoria. It is a very changed crew. I think there's only uh is there only one back from last year? Hastings, the only one that was in it last year. Very changed crew. Um I think they could have we saw them at the New South Wales Championships in 2-4s, and we saw them in open lightweight bands eight. Beat the New South Wales crew and the lightweight band's eight by a couple of postcodes. Um and you know, I at that point I knew that Victoria could field the bottom four guys out of that eight, or even there's also that mercantile pair that raced yesterday, the two first year out of school, Scotch boys. I think they could field the bottom two guys out of the eight and those two Scotch guys and still beat everyone. So Victoria all the way, not even a question.

SPEAKER_02 34:49

No, you can't argue with that. It's uh it's got to be the Victorians.

SPEAKER_03 34:53

It's a good dying crew for New South Wales, there I see as well. But uh yeah, Victoria by the length of the Flemington Strait.

SPEAKER_00 35:00

I can't add anything to that because that was a good call by Richard.

SPEAKER_04 35:03

Yep, yep, yep. Alright, I like that. Cool. Let's get into the youth eights. All states uh represented in both the youth eights don't have a crew in front of me for Tasmania, but there was one announced today, Stuart. Yes, they are running a youth eight.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

Uh yes, they are running a youth eight.

SPEAKER_04 35:17

I think they're running a youth men's and youth women's eight, so New South Wales, the incumbents in uh this event, a few back from last year, and uh as well as uh some bright young talent, Patty Bowland uh in there when she's still at school. Uh Australian Capital Territory with uh a very strong uh showing with national champions.

SPEAKER_02 35:35

I think that crew might have been scratched. Okay, I think it just hasn't been updated.

SPEAKER_04 35:38

Let's maybe uh forget that then. Uh Queensland, Paterson, Drury, Hilton, that's a really strong crew. South Australia, Grace Barrera, Tamara Bates, um uh Victorians have had some good results across that crew as well. The West Australians, um, uh we saw them in the New South Wales titles, weren't quite up to the task of um one of the uh oh no, do they win that at the New South Wales titles? I can't remember. They race the under-21-8 at seven o'clock on the Sunday morning for some stupid reason. Um but uh who who have we got in this?

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Look, I think in this it's again a very open race. We've seen Queensland do well in the last couple of years. Uh they got first in Sydney and they got second last year, New South Wales winning it last year. Uh geez, the New South Wales crew is pretty strong, you know. Um Paddy Boland in there, the two Madelines, Madeline Mannons and Madeline Swain as well. Um again, it's yeah, I think the WA crew actually, the Hanson Narois uh in amongst that. So I reckon they could upset the Apple card a bit there.

SPEAKER_03 36:41

That's fair enough. This is gonna sound like a broken record, sure, but uh you took the words out of my mouth. I was looking at looking at the crews here. I'm a big fan of the Hanson Nahoy family who always leave Tasmania with a swag of medals as two of them in this boat, along with Stella Wandela's who won a medal yesterday. I I think that's uh uh a very decent crew, and um I would say Western Australia.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

Yeah, Western Australia or Queensland, they've been producing some good results out of their young ones. Um well, yeah. I'm just agreeing with Richard now. I'm redundant.

SPEAKER_04 37:13

All of you guys have got phones and laptops out there. I'm fairly sure you're all just scribbling, you're you're doodling, you're drawing things there because uh you're all just copying each other and not coming up with any original ideas. I think a good case could be made for both the New South Wales or the West Australian or the West Australian crews. Of course, me. So uh at the New South Wales titles, the West Australian eight raced and beat uh the Sydney Rowan club under 21-8 by three and a half seconds. Uh I think when you take a few people out of that Sydney Roan Club under 21-8, you put the Maddies in from uh what is it? Maddie and Mad Dogs. What did Feno say that he called them?

SPEAKER_00 37:46

Mads and Mad Dog and the other one was by the lamp. Mad Dog and the other one by the dogs. Mad Dog and Swain. Yeah, Mad Dog and Swain.

SPEAKER_04 37:51

Um and uh I think we put them in, you put Patty Boland in. Uh I'm gonna I'm gonna take New South Wales for this one. Um the yeah, worked out last year. Um, and last year we didn't think that they were gonna win. Um, and uh I think they're gonna do it this year. I think they are a more experienced crew than the uh West Australians. I think that's what it's gonna come down to. Interstate men's youth eight for the Noel F. Wilkinson trophy. Australian Capital Territory, they are still racing, Stuart. Good. They are still on. New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, which is coming up as a weird composite thing. Thanks, rowing manager. Tasmania.

SPEAKER_02 38:24

I know they scratched that Tasmania. No, Tasmania uh still rowing.

SPEAKER_04 38:28

Tasmania still rowing, cool. Victoria and Western Australia. Um I'll I'll I'll New South Wales.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

New South Wales, New South Wales are an extremely strong crew. Uh, you know, you can never have too much Maloney, and uh they've got a couple of them in that New York.

SPEAKER_04 38:44

Well, they've got they've only got two this year. Yeah. Not three.

SPEAKER_02 38:47

Not a couple of them. Um I think I mean the ACT crew could actually, I think the best that ACT's ever done in the youth aid is fifth. And I reckon they could potentially get up towards fourth. There's some pretty strong athletes that have done reasonably well, being part of the high performance program this year. Uh, WA again, like Remy Payne, Liam Davis, Quinton Marquettos, uh Luca Kardacy, they're all very, very fast. So I think it will be between the New South Wales and WA and Queensland potentially in the medals as well.

SPEAKER_03 39:21

Yeah, some strong names in that Queensland crew uh two there, Stuart, who've been busy all week here. Oliver Kent uh amongst them, Leonard uh Hughes, who've been up and down the course several times, getting good results. Uh, and look, I cannot ride off a Victorian uh male eight. Uh the James Rook coach crew again, they won this last year. Obviously, a different crew this time round, but uh, they'll be in the mix as well.

SPEAKER_04 39:42

They're a dark horse last year. Gee, we didn't think that they were gonna be anything special, and they romped the field. I think New South Wales massively dropped the ball last year uh in the youth eight, and I think they'll probably acknowledge that. I think the boat was set up wrong, and I think they all thought they were gonna win it.

SPEAKER_00 39:56

Um Yeah, I think with the youth boys, it comes down a lot to mentality. There's a difference between like believing in yourself, and for example, this is something that rookie is actually very good at. Oh mate, is getting you to believe in the team and believe in the cause. There's a difference between being cocky and arrogant and believing in the cause, and I think that comes into play with the young boys.

SPEAKER_04 40:15

Absolutely. He did a great job of that last year. I have been lucky enough to be cocked uh cocked by James Rook a couple of times uh when he was uh at the women's centre, and he occasionally they'd he'd they'd be running small boats for weeks on end and he'd come and cocks at Sydney Rowan Club, which is a lot of fun. And um he is just good at just getting you to believe in what you're doing. Um uh yeah, but I still think New South Wales. Um Interstate Women's Eight, ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania has scratched Victoria and Western Australia, so no South Australian crew, no Tasmanian crew in this race. Incumbent champions, New South Wales, after a famous shellacking last year. You knew where that was going, didn't you? I was about to say myself.

SPEAKER_03 40:56

I was about to use the word shellacking, Chris, but you beat me too.

SPEAKER_04 40:59

Yeah, so we made it onto the podcast last year. It was brilliant. Um I uh fairly fairly unchanged pretty much is it pretty much unchanged, that crew. Um if not, it would only be uh very similar. Yeah, I don't see anyone coming anywhere near them.

SPEAKER_03 41:15

Another shrike coming up, you think? Another shellaking coming up. Yeah. Yeah. Regrettably, Chris, I probably have to agree. Um Victoria will race well, they always do uh in their eights. Racers are determined to get there, but they've dominated that trophy for the past twenty years. I think it's only three times including the COVID year. Victoria has not won that race. I wouldn't include the COVID year. Two races they haven't won last year. Exactly right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 41:36

Yeah, 19 and last year. Yep. Um nothing to add. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:43

I think the one to look out for is WA. Uh they've got four members of the Women's National Training Centre in there. You've got Georgia Patton, you've got Jackie Swick, Bronwyn Cox, Rebecca Pretorius, Greta Spencer's a very talented young rower. I think she's been rowing with uh Lila Fieves. And I think Lila's here at this um championships. I think they're probably still just an Annabelle, a fit Annabelle McIntyre off winning the Queen's Cup.

SPEAKER_04 42:08

But my if Queen's Cup's coming home next year in Perth, you reckon?

SPEAKER_02 42:12

I reckon WA could well finish second on Sunday.

SPEAKER_04 42:17

I would pick them for second.

SPEAKER_02 42:18

Or potentially they'll they'll be pushing. I think they'll push harder than the um they won't push harder necessarily, but they will push New South Wales harder in the pink boat, in the Gina Reinhardt. In the Gina Reinhardt than potentially Victoria will. It'll be a great battle between Victoria and WA. And I I don't WA I think are the ones to watch out. The one that I really would like to quickly point out, Ella Costell, the Kiwi rower rowing for Queensland, um, grew up in on the Gold Coast. Why do you want to point it out to you?

SPEAKER_04 42:46

There's no problems with it.

SPEAKER_02 42:47

No, there's no problems with it. It is it is one of the things. So if you are an Australian citizen, you row for your state of origin. Ella Costell learnt to row on the Gold Coast. Um, I think she might I don't know if she rowed for Queensland in the Euthace before she went over to the US. Um but yeah, the Lily Olton I know was pretty excited at the opening ceremony for didn't say the name, but um yeah, if Ella is actually here, then um that's gonna make that Queensland boat a bit interesting.

SPEAKER_04 43:14

Yeah, I think so. I think um I think there's still I I uh the they're not I still don't think they're at the calibre of uh those leading three that we've mentioned. I think New South Wales from WA from Victoria. Um King's Cup. King's Cup's I think the uh probably the best prospect uh it's ever been, um, at least in our lifetimes. Um sorry, at least in Antony's lifetimes, maybe I'm sorry, you guys you guys have been alive for more competitive racing than us.

SPEAKER_02 43:41

Um you I think he just called us old, Richard.

SPEAKER_04 43:46

Very subtle, isn't he? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:47

I don't know why he thinks he's young.

SPEAKER_04 43:50

I am like almost the same age as you.

SPEAKER_00 43:53

That sounds so desperate, Chris. That sounded so desperate. We're different generations, man.

SPEAKER_04 44:00

I think we actually I think we actually are.

SPEAKER_00 44:03

Do you remember time pre phones?

SPEAKER_04 44:05

Prephones. Prephones. Broyden from BMA comes in and joins us for the podcast. We're just gonna keep talking. You guys do your thing. Um we'll we will pause.

SPEAKER_00 44:20

Um sorry, I've gotta go in real soon.

SPEAKER_04 44:23

Okay, alright. Okay, King's Cup. Last event of uh the championships. Uh we have uh all but uh all but Tasmania in this event, uh ACT notably entering their first crew since uh 2020 and will hopefully race their first crew since 2015, 15, 13. Um so ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia. As Ben Homer joins us, he can maybe give us his opinion on the King's Cup. I know he's desperate to uh to to jump on the podcast. He's a very loyal listener. Always see that one listen from Newcastle. Uh and I and I know it's not my girlfriend who lives in Newcastle, so I know it's been I know it's bad, exactly. It's too much of a Interstate Men's 8. Let's uh let's get through this reasonably quickly. Interstate men's eight, uh reigning champions, Victoria. Um in uh Victoria currently sitting on 70 wins in the King's Cup New South Wales on 40. Um, but uh I think wide open. A few people injured out of the Victorian crew, one injured out of the New South Wales crew, Queensland looking good, South Australia looking well rested, and uh with uh the powder dry and uh the powder full, I think. Um Stu, who have you got?

SPEAKER_02 45:26

Look, could this be the year where neither Victoria or New South Wales don't finish in the top two? Victoria and New South Wales don't finish in the top two. I think this century you have seen it where I think it's been once where and that was when WA won with the West Italians back in the early 2000s. Um I could see a scenario where it's Queensland and South Australia top two. Um I again it's it's between them, New South Wales, Victoria. Um again, four-sided dice. I don't know who I would pick, but I think it is going to be a humdinger.

SPEAKER_04 46:02

I think that's uh I think that's wrong to say neither will Victoria or New South Wales will finish in the top two. Um but I'm going rogue. Go go rogue, go right.

SPEAKER_03 46:12

That's what uh Sir Humphrey from Yes Minister would call a courageous call. But uh, if you're right uh on Sunday afternoon, Stuart, I'll be the first to congratulate you for that. Um the Queenslander and me would love to see something like that, as we know it's been way too long since 1939, since Queensland road in the top two. It's been a hundred years since Tasmania won the King's Cup. Unfortunately, they have a scratch from the race, so they won't break that drought uh this year either. Um but it will not surprise you to hear that I'm on Victoria to win it.

SPEAKER_04 46:37

I'm not gonna skip Ben. Ben, who have you got to win the King's Cup, mate? Welcome to Ben Homer, first time on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 46:43

Yeah, thank you, guys. I'm gonna make it short but sweet. I'm gonna go for South Australia. I like that crew. It looks looks pretty sharp. I'm gonna go for uh for an upset outside of the uh the big two. I like it.

SPEAKER_00 46:57

I might get like put down for not backing my own state in here, but Queensland looks pretty good, and I've I've had Tom Shaw, who's a very loyal listener of this podcast, in my ear about that crew. There's a few changes yet to be made to that crew lineup because I haven't seen batters all week. So I'm assuming he's one of those NTC athletes that just unfortunately may be injured. So a few substitutions.

SPEAKER_04 47:17

That's not state secrets coming out of the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 47:19

Yeah, that's not a state secret. You can go and check the entries for that. Um but Tom, I I I've also had the pleasure of being coxed by Tom Shaw as well, and he's similar to rookie in the sense of he can make you believe in your cause.

SPEAKER_04 47:31

Big girl energy.

SPEAKER_00 47:32

Yeah, that's actually one of his calls, genuinely.

SPEAKER_04 47:35

I know. You told me last year on this podcast.

SPEAKER_00 47:37

Oh, oh, did I? Okay, well, there you go. Short term memory loss. Um I think Queensland's in for a real good shot there.

SPEAKER_04 47:45

I am gonna be a realist. Um I am also gonna back I I actually I think that the New South Wales crew is still very, very good, and they have all performed very well this week. Uh better than everyone else, than than the vast majority of the rest of the rest of the on average, I think better than the rest of the crews. I'm gonna back New South Wales to win it. I'm gonna say Queensland to come second and Victoria to come third. Um, which I think would still be a massive upset. Uh but I think the other stat that I would like to point out, Alex Nickel back in the boat, uh, wasn't here last year, rowing for Oxford Brooks, has uh raced four New South Wales four times, twice in the Utah and twice in the King's Cup, has never lost. Only person to have raced four races and never lost, uh, and still be currently undefeated, I think.

SPEAKER_02 48:29

Good time to start.

SPEAKER_04 48:32

Time to start. Um he didn't race the interstate regatta at uh at Lake Barrington last time we uh last time we raced here. So uh yeah, undefeated uh in that in this event. I think, yeah, uh I I can I can see him I can see him doing it. Um I can see New South Wales somehow doing it. I think um that's pretty much gonna wrap us all up because Ant's got a race. We're looking out, and there's no white caps on the water here at the commentary box, and it's looking like we're gonna have a good afternoon of racing. So thank you all for listening here on Rowing Down Under. And uh as always, Rowing Down Under season two is sponsored by WinTech Racing Australia. WinTech Racing have established themselves as the world's largest and foremost sustainable boat builder, boosting over 2,000 shells annually. Wintech's unwavering commitment to sustainability, affordability, and innovation drive them to propel the sport of rowing into a more inclusive and exciting future where your excellence will know no boundaries. Wintech Racing Australia can be found at RegattaKeU and I here at the Australian Rowing Championships and all the other boat builders. Please go and see John O. He's got some uh he's got some merch, he's doing repairs, and uh he's got some built on for sale as well. Learn more about how you can get a fair price and an unfair advantage at wintechracing.com.au