They've been doing it all day sir!
Two Englishmen in Australia, talking sports and life in a new country
They've been doing it all day sir!
Rugba League Rollercoaster: Upsets, Injuries, and Ref Controversies
The boys break down another unpredictable week in the NRL where upsets dominated and referee decisions came under scrutiny.
• Tom Trbojevic suffers another injury - adding to his frustrating history of physical setbacks
• The Rabbitohs demolish Panthers in a stunning upset
• Titans continue to impress with a solid victory over the Roosters, looking like potential dark horses for the eight
• Dragons shock Storm with a 14-8 victory in terrible weather conditions
• Cowboys edge Raiders in sweltering Townsville humidity despite controversial referee decisions
• Bulldogs improve to 4-0 for the first time since 1993 after defeating Sharks
• Reed Mahoney's concerning shoulder charge receives just an $1800 fine despite the dangerous nature of the hit
• Manly defeat Eels with DCE receiving mostly positive reception amid transfer rumours
• Jerome Luai suspended for two weeks after a high shot against the Tigers
Tune in next week as we preview Multicultural Round with all eight games promising more exciting action across the competition.
Welcome to another episode of. They've Been Doing it All Day, sir. I'm Ben and I'm Chris. What a week it's been with DCE. Again, the circus continues and everything's going on in the NRL. Everyone is beating everyone, so let's get stuck in. How's?
Speaker 2:your week been mate.
Speaker 1:Do you know what? It's been good. My week has been good. This week I had a very successful weight loss week. I feel it's something I've been focusing on recently. I've been trying to get as much steps as I can in weekly, keep moving, and I'm the lightest I've ever been in my adult career. So I've just touched 109.5 kilos, down from 121 kilos pre-Christmas. So I feel like I'm doing well on that front and, yeah, it seems to be going well, just making sure I'm focused on getting moving and that's what I've been doing over the last week. But what about yourself? How have you been doing?
Speaker 2:Yeah, not too bad. Not too bad. Cheers. Mate Dropped a stupid amount of money on a pair of running trainers over the weekend. I've got the half marathon coming up.
Speaker 1:Bit of a fitness theme going on here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely, definitely. You've got to show it off every now and then, if you don't show it off, it hasn't happened.
Speaker 1:What did you go for? What running shoes did you go for? I went for hockers.
Speaker 2:I went for hockers. I'm about 30 foot in them because the heel is huge. But no, I went into athlete's foot to get measured up and stuff like that. And then when I told the store assistant what trainers I was wearing for my running, she just laughed at me and was like those are rubbish.
Speaker 2:You need a change now and I did and honestly, it feels like I'm running on a cloud. So, yeah, I did a bit of running over the weekend, got the half marathon in a few weeks' time, so I've got to keep the steps up for that and, yeah, we'll see how that goes.
Speaker 1:How far did you run over the weekend? What was the course I did?
Speaker 2:14 as an on and off on Sunday, so I ran 10K from Collaroy up to Harbour and then back up into DY A few hills in that one. Yeah, about 300 meters worth of elevation. It was um that hill going up into dy, but I I was rotten by the end of it. Uh, and then and then yesterday just did a cheeky 5k is a bit of a reactivation run yeah, I gotta get back on the running bad mind.
Speaker 1:And I said a few weeks ago that I was going to sign up for the city to surf and a couple of um emails have come through saying early sign up for city to surf Surf. And a couple of emails have come through saying early sign up for City to Surf and get your early bird entries in now. But since I've started running I've re-aggravated and we spoke about injuries last week but I've re-aggravated something in my hip. So just through years of contact I think I've taught well, I don't think I know because I've had an MRI on it but I've torn my hip cartilage, my ring in my hip and when I wasn't running, low impact. But now I've started running there's a bit more impact going through the hip.
Speaker 1:So I'm a bit on the fence as to whether I'm going to sign up for City Surf. It's something I want to do. It's wanting to tick off the bucket list to say I've run City to surf, so we'll see. I mean, when the actual full entries come around, pay a bit more for entry than I could have done, but I might sign up for it. But I think that links injuries links very well to one of the big talking points of of this week in the NRL, and that's missed injuries himself. Tom Trebojevic went down again. We were at the game on on Sunday. Um, he was out the back of the back of the tri-score what's it called Tri-zone, Tri-zone the goal, the scoring area, I don't know what to reference it goal.
Speaker 1:But he was sitting out the back at his knee straps and it's like he already had his other knee strapped and it's almost like, well, what's he done now? But he then made a, accelerated away and you thought, oh, he's all right. But then you just noticed something wasn't quite right. Yeah, he was hobbling side to side. Comes out that he's um damaged his mcl, which is on the other knee to what he's had issues with, I think I believe. So I feel sorry for the guy. I must admit it seems like he's been through the ring of it over the last six, seven years. And it seems like he's been through the ring of it over the last six, seven years. And he's not someone that doesn't look like he trains hard, he's putting all this effort in and it just things seem to be going wrong. But it's very disappointing from a fan's point of view. And what were your kind of initial reactions when you saw it?
Speaker 2:Just devastation. To be honest, he's a massive. He's such an impactful player when he's fully fit, which is one of the things. Even as you said, there he was on a support run, hobbling, accelerating at full speed he's there to give it 100%. Until he can't give it 100%, yeah.
Speaker 1:He could have offloaded the ball, didn't he? But I just don't think the step was there to be able to do it. I don't think he had the confidence in his knee.
Speaker 2:There was a period, there was a time just before halftime as well where he dropped the ball. It bounced off his chest, went forward where he normally grabs it and it's a quick offload to Saab, and that's how they've scored so many tries. And it just looked. He didn't have any confidence in what was underneath him, um, and he ended up dropping, dropping it and getting clattered. So it's a massive shame, um, we'll talk about sort of how him coming off impacted the game a little bit later on, but the list of injuries he's had it's, you know?
Speaker 1:it reminds me of I don't know we we weren't about when turbo had his absolute stellar career and stellar season in 2021, when he broke numerous amounts of records.
Speaker 2:Even then, I think he only played 18 games.
Speaker 1:He missed a few. Then, through looking at the list here in 2021. He pulled a hammy, so he missed five weeks from that, but it reminds me very much of so for people listening from the UK or people that are familiar with the Premiership, chelsea have got a right-back called Rhys James. He's Chelsea's club captain. He's had a similar sort of journey with injuries, in terms of he burst onto the scene during COVID Frank Lampard was the manager, was bedding in youth to try and bring some talent through scored an absolute screamer against Brighton, thumped it into the top corner for about 20, 25 yards out and then, consistently, was in the team just dominating.
Speaker 1:He played against Juventus in the Champions League, scored a couple there, scored against Newcastle in the rain like some incredible goals, and his defensive ability and crossing ability was great. What happened, though, is he got one injury, which was his hamstring, repeated. That again, another hamstring injury, another hamstring repeated. That again. Another hamstring injury, another hamstring injury, and it seems like similar to turbo. Once your body is out of a line through an injury and you're focusing on rehabbing that area, it seems like the forces on the rest of your body are a bit all over the place and leading to more injury? Are you got any examples of players that might be sitting similar positions?
Speaker 2:similar luke shaw and I was just reading something. I think it's been a year since he last played a game for man United and I think he's pocketed his £8 million salary while sitting on the bench. He's another on his day, a very good player, but yeah, it's just one of those things that he's just constantly. David Bentley as well, I think, is a good example.
Speaker 1:He definitely, at the back end of his career, injuries killed him and he ended up slowing down, but Do you think this reflects badly on Manny's medical staff?
Speaker 2:I think it's just sometimes the body. Not everyone's the same physiologically and they don't always react to the same thing as well, because everyone used to say that about Arsenal, how they used to just have an endless amount of injuries, but not anyone else in that Manly team is.
Speaker 2:This is a very good point off, as injured as much as he is, and we were discussing it in the pub after the game on Sunday. So last year he had his most games in a while, in 2024. He played 20 games. Just looking at it now 17 tries and 17 assists is mental. And then the last time he played 20 or more games was 2018. So even the season, as I said, where he was incredible in 2021, he only played 18 games, and the last time he played a decent amount of games, plus a decent amount of origin, was 2018, where he played three games in origin, as well as pretty much a full season for Manly. And you just go through 2018, games 19, 12 games, 27 games, 21, 18, 22, 7, 23, 11 and then last year, 20 like that's. That's a man riddled with injuries.
Speaker 1:that who's who's just, unfortunately just been and you look at the list of them as well, it's hamstring, pec, hamstring shoulder, like the hamstring, is the common theme through this. But there's a peck that's popped up his shoulder last year as well that he played on that. He landed on and played, played through for the last few games, but he wasn't the same he did, and there was a clip, I think, where he had a car no, I don't think I had a car was or someone went through and went to touch the ball down, but they didn didn't get to it and he's dived on it. He's just wincing in pain. But I feel sorry for the guy.
Speaker 1:I think in order for Manley to be successful and reach their full potential, he needs to be fit, he needs to be playing. But the positive is now we don't rely on him as much, which we'll touch on later. But let's get into the last week's fixtures then. So let's call it from the outset some terrible tipping. Last week I went eight for eight, the week before and we both went three for eight this week.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to go for terrible tipping. I'm going to go for upset weekend. That's what I reckon it is. Who would have seen the blustery field conditions of the storm dragons game? Very true sneak in the win, who saw the absolute demolition of the panthers from the rabbit o's in front of a very empty, of course, stadium this week as well um, but you know it's, it's, it's fantastic, fantastic viewing for the nrl. Teams are beating everyone, everyone's beating everyone, which is exactly what you want.
Speaker 1:It is and if anyone tips eight for eight out there, fair play this week, because that is some serious tipping. Um, if you got them one, that all those correct. But first up, as you mentioned, thursday night, the rabbit has played the panthers. Yeah, we both tipped. I think most people tipped the Panthers in this. But one thing that we didn't discuss was the fact that Nathan Cleary was out, which in previous seasons Jerome Luai would have been there, yeah, whereas we can touch on that in a bit, but he wasn't there this time. They lost Scotty Sorensen in the seventh minute the same time he was out. But I think that's the worst half of football I've ever seen in the NRL in terms of, let alone Penrith. But Dane Laurie at fullback had a stinker. He was dropping everything.
Speaker 2:He had a dreadful game in just general Handling errors all over the place, positional um, forward passes, like he just he just looked like a rabbit in the headlights, he just was panicking any any attacking situation he was in.
Speaker 1:he just I wouldn't say bottled it, but he made the wrong decision and and couldn't execute his, what he was trying to do but when he came on on the wing out in vegas, I, I think it was, and he played pretty well, I there I'm pretty sure he scored twice, correct? That could be, that could be wrong, but it seemed like they lost Cleary, they lost Edwards, they lost Sorensen who's a bit, who's a leader. The Luai impact is now rearing its ugly head and I it could be a potential that not the panthers took him for granted, but the impact that he has on that team is now being highlighted a lot 100, 100.
Speaker 2:I'm a massive believer of that. And isaiah yow disappeared, uh, in the game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he threw a forward pass and it was the most blatant forward pass you've ever seen in your life and you never see that from him um, but there's there's other elements to the game as well.
Speaker 2:Like they would, as you said, they're sort of hitting the sort of the kickers late it I. I don't understand why anyone goes anywhere near the kicker for yeah, just miss him.
Speaker 1:Don't even bother touching him what, what?
Speaker 2:I don't. I don't get the point. Yes, put pressure on, so so you, it he, so the kicker has to kick the ball, but then just turn your back and then go away. There is literally no point, because the kickers now can just flop to the floor and then it's a penalty 50, 60 metres up.
Speaker 1:It's another one that feels unfairly punished.
Speaker 2:No, it is rightly punished.
Speaker 1:No, I mean like where they catch the ball in terms of that sort of penalty is.
Speaker 2:But just don't touch him, it's not hard, I agree.
Speaker 1:I fully agree on that one.
Speaker 2:Just run past and that's what kills you. From that side of things as well.
Speaker 1:Trent Talal who played against Manly in the preseason. He started at seven both in the pre-season and in this game. I don't know whether the nerves got the better of him in the fact that the pressure was in him to be the creative in an era. In an nrl game like pre-season there's a bit of pressure off man. It's basically a resi's game man. He had a weaker side out, whereas in this one he was terrible. In the first half he was all over the place. I think he came off later on as well. I don't think he played the full game but he was kicking balls out the back, kicking balls long. He just didn't see. From what I saw against manly in that pre-season game, he had the ball on a rope. He was yeah, he was incredible. He was putting it everywhere. So it's interesting to see how the pressure of the, the nrl and having that all eyes on you may have impacted him. But I mean, I think Penrith will be all right. Yeah, if they got Cleary back this week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you've got Jack Cole in there. He's just going about his business. He scored. You can't take that away from him. But the thing is again, he's a very young player, ford, you can't take that away from him. But the thing is, again, he's a very young player and you can't expect him to then just light up the game when you've got so many other key positions missing. Key players Again and this is what I was talking about the other week is one. Man can't just win you a game. There's a support and an act around that needs to be there, and with the likes of without, um, oh god, my mind's my dylan edwards, yeah, without dylan edwards.
Speaker 2:The likes of cleary, the likes of siren son, up front, it just drops their leadership pack and then you've got players looking around going oh shit, I'm, I don't know, who do I?
Speaker 1:do I now?
Speaker 2:stand up like am I now the leader.
Speaker 1:Well, brian Toto was also considered as a leader. He's out for four weeks now with a hamstring, so clearly he does come back.
Speaker 2:They are starting to dwindle down.
Speaker 1:There's a key moment in the game, though, and I'm not going to take anything away from the Rabbitohs they executed their chances.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about the Rabbitohs before going on to that point. It's one of those things and it used to hate me. I used to hate it when Birmingham would beat your Chelsea's or your man United's and you'd watch matches the day after, or you'd watch the game back and you'd listen to the commentary and it was just all about how poorly the top team had performed and it wasn't how well the Birmingham performed. I remember when we beat you 1-0 at St Andrews I think this was 2010-11, lebo, you scored within the fourth or fifth minute, I think, and it was then all about how Chelsea were just really bad and I was just like, well, no, we've.
Speaker 1:Birmingham did all right They've shut them out.
Speaker 2:We've put a shift in at home. We've been resilient. The last season as well, we went 17 games unbeaten in a row, but you're still going on about. So that's why I think we should let's actually talk about how well the Rabbitohs actually did, as well, and for all of Penrith's errors, the Rabbitohs still had to capitalise on that.
Speaker 1:They did, and that's what they did. They found a weakness in attacking Penrith's right edge. And what's the name of their winger? Alex Mitchell. Is that his name? Alex Johnson sorry, alex Mitchell, alex Johnson, sorry, he went over in the corner, injured himself in the process, but apparently it's not too serious. But they found the gaps they needed to and they managed to score and they were dominating them. At one point they were, I think, 28-0 gaps. They needed to, yeah, and they managed to score and they were dominating them.
Speaker 1:At one point they were, I think, 28 nil up. I think they were first time pemriff have been scoreless or something at half time.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, they were 20 nil 28, yeah, 28 nil up at half time. Yeah, they didn't score in the second half and then I.
Speaker 1:It was a completely different game in the second half, but I'll give a shout out to, to the rabbit owes jack white and I thought was really good. Uh, keon kalerma tongue, he was an absolute animal running the ball.
Speaker 2:Oh, what a, what a, what a boy. Uh, reminds me a lot of alakawatu, and that that's, and you know, you've got him five, six meters out, you're not stopping, and it's scary that they're both new south wales it could be that could be your second rose in a couple of years' time.
Speaker 1:Well, angus Crichton and Liam Martin. Liam Martin's an animal as well, he's a dog, but it's just the potential for talent there is. And there's someone for Canberra as well. It's going to annoy me his name, but there's a lot of talent for that. New South Wales, those positions. But your man, jai Gray, loves a boy. Yeah, and Jamie Humphries, to be fair.
Speaker 2:I said to you on Sunday as well, when we're at the game, he just for all of the talk around his poor defensive work and one of the reasons why he left Manly was apparently because he was poor defensively like he. He puts himself right in at the front row of of making tackles and there was a few times where they were coming out from their 10 and he was the first person there to make it. Where you'd expect a front rower or you'd expect um, yeah, you'd expect a prop or some of your big boys in to make the tackle and Jamie Humphries like nah, I'll take this there was an, there was an effort and it was highlighted um the levels network.
Speaker 1:He kicked the ball long. So they get a seven tackle set. They run it out and instead of him sulking he was that was jogs back, gets a line, accelerates into Laurie and just hits him as hard as he can, gets up, makes the next tackle, but then he got called for a penalty in the third. But it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2:That's the kind of energy you need in order to make up for your mistake in order to make up for your mistake. That's the leadership that's missing. Sometimes, manly, let that go, yeah, but from all, we can't divulge too much into it. But from all accounts, there's a lot of talent coming through in large and Welsh Fingers crossed.
Speaker 1:There is a controversial point that I want to talk about in this game. So I think the referees' decisions this week were questionable, dreadful At 28-12, point I want to talk about in this game. So I think the referees decisions this week were questionable, dreadful at 2812. Penrith were back in the game and Leota goes over. Goes over scores a try and it's ruled a knock on. It's 100% grounded. If anyone watches that and you can change your mind from evidence that they've shown. A couple of weeks ago in New Zealand, jason Staab goes over in the corner, dives, does exactly what Liotta does in terms of the ball is still under control, but it's coming away from his hand and he touches it down. It's given a try. I'm of the opinion that if that try is given, penrith go on and win the game, because that takes them. Then it was pretty much under the posts. That takes them to 28-18. They have all the momentum. They have 16 minutes left in the game and the ref has absolutely done them a disservice there.
Speaker 2:I don't know how they saw any sort of separation, but this is the infuriation that I have about this game and the knock-ons. I ranted a good 10, 15 minutes about it at the game on Sunday as well, but it just baffles me how the slightest movement forward is a knock-on. And it's like clearly he's putting it down with one hand. He's in control of it the whole time.
Speaker 1:The ball doesn't leave his hand. Yet they've called it a knock-on. It's a strange one, and it's a rule that I think needs clearing up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because again, there's. What game was it? I think it was the? Yeah, it was the Sharks-Dogs game where they went up for a 50-50 and the ball was knocked on.
Speaker 1:No, it was.
Speaker 2:Storm Dragons. Sorry, it was the Storm Dragons. Yeah, and he goes up, he pulls it into his chest, but because the defender's got an arm in there and it touches his arm to his chest, but because the defender's got an arm in there and it touches his arm, it was classed as a knock on you can't contest the ball in the air, which is another joke, and I was like okay, that's not right, but right yeah anyway, don't want to dive too much onto that, but, yeah, 100%, I think they have the momentum.
Speaker 2:And that's one of the most frightening things about Penrith is, when they get into that rhythm of just attack, attack, attack. They are so hard to stop. But Rabbit O's did extremely well in stopping that and rattled them in areas. And again, I've never seen Panthers' defence so poor. It was bad and Rabbit O's did incredibly well to to open that up jai gray, top of the daily m leaderboard.
Speaker 1:Um, he's going all guns blazing. All reports have mitchell coming back at left center and him remaining at fullback this week, and we'll look at next week's fixtures in a bit, but um, next game on the friday was roosters versus titans. This was a cagey first half but we seem to have well, I've got the titans so wrong, yeah, I they look so good now I now we're a couple of games into the season.
Speaker 1:You look at how many points they put on the bulldogs they've put. They put 20 points on the bulldogs and everyone else is struggling to put points in them. So you've got to respect the titans in attack. They've got some big boys that put in some big hits as well. The Roosters did make some poor decisions. Sand and Smith tried to force a pass that wasn't there, which got taken the Hulk back down the other end, which changed the momentum of the game. David Fafita was in Spencer Lenu's head as well.
Speaker 2:He fully got in between his ears and this is what we've discussed about, where the Spencer Lenu is a starter. Everything we've talked about and every good performance he's ever put in he's come on from the bench. So that's something that may need to be addressed and they may need to go into the market for a prop to keep Spencer Lenu on the bench. Sometimes I know it's amazing to be a starter and stuff like that, but sometimes you need to understand a player's potential to be able to affect a game when everyone starts dropping tired because david, for feet is a prime example of that.
Speaker 1:Used to be a start and now he's coming off the bench and he's putting in solid performances from the bench and maybe that's just a conversation that I need to have with with spencer, because it didn't.
Speaker 2:It didn't knock his chances of getting in the New South Wales team last year. No, he was fully in it and he did his job. He did exactly what his job is in state of origin as well, and he comes on and he causes so many issues Because you're running at a tiring pack, you're running at tiring backs and he's not someone that you want running at you. So he's not had the best start of the season where he was last year.
Speaker 1:He hasn't. And another person that looks in a bit of strife as well is Victor Radley. He took another knock to the head, got taken off passes HIA, but it's actually come out that he's fractured his cheek. Was it the cheek?
Speaker 2:yeah.
Speaker 1:Which, okay, is not HIA, but in order to fracture your cheek you've got to have significant brain rattling going on Like something's got to happen to your head. He is joining a few people from the Roosters that have suffered from long concussions. I think Boyd Cordner was one of the players that played for him that had to medically retire through concussion. So this isn't something the Roosters aren't experienced that in dealing with, but he's going to have to really consider and the roosters how to manage him, because the one thing that you don't want to happen in is your brain turning to mush.
Speaker 2:yeah, the thing is that when I look at the roosters, um, it is screaming out for dCE to be in there. Let's quiet that down.
Speaker 1:Let's not talk about that.
Speaker 2:Which is a really frustrating thing.
Speaker 1:It is because there's stuff coming up as well about Chad Townsend not being in it, although he was signed as a backup.
Speaker 2:They're a very creative half away from being a very good team.
Speaker 1:When Sam Walker comes back and they get their players back next year they'll have could have a spine of um tedesco walker, cherry evans and who was it? Who they, who they have, is there in their number nine? That would be radley. No, who's the guy coming down from? Uh, the cowboys, it's really going to annoy me. Uh, connor watson. Connor watson's going to be coming down. They're going to have a spine if dc's dropped in there. That, annoyingly, could be very good. It's really going to annoy me. Connor Watson, connor Watson's going to be coming down. They're going to have a spine If DCE's dropped in there. That, annoyingly could be very good. And it's going to be at Manny's expense, man, I feel.
Speaker 2:We'll get on to DCE in a bit but it could tarnish a lot of things.
Speaker 1:But on to the Titans they look solid after round one.
Speaker 2:They just Just look. So when I was watching last week's game against the Knights, I was very much in the oh, the Knights have stopped chances here and it's the Knights' fault that they didn't score. But then watching this game, it's then you watch the overlap and you're like actually the Titans' defense is really good. They are just solid at making tackles, they're just relentless in just constant pressure, wave after wave after wave of boys shortening in the gap like they don't they don't stop, and, and sometimes the rooster's only had five, six meters to work with, which sometimes is is nigh on impossible to get something moving.
Speaker 2:But so I've got to take my, take my hat off to, to, to the, to the titans and yeah, they're big boys, completely wrong.
Speaker 1:yeah, big boys are turning up as well, big Tino. I've really got to work on my pronunciation of his surname because I don't want to do it an injustice by saying it, but he's stepped up. Doesn't look like he's missed a year from his ACL? David Fafita, Regan Campbell-Gillard they're just playing well. Let's hope they can keep it up. And said it last week.
Speaker 2:They are going gonna upset a few teams this year um.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna say they could be the dark horses for the eight. I agree, I pretty we'll have to review our picks at some point, but I'm pretty sure I got them quite high up in the in the pecking order. But on to the next game, which was at a soaking, wet sun corpse stadium. Um, dolphinscos. Dolphins came out firing in this. They're high pressure, good attack. They just couldn't capitalise. So Dolphins of last year under Wayne Bennett and I suppose this is something about the Rabbitohs the Rabbitohs have won three games that no one expected them to win. They're in a very good position. Is that the Wayne Bennett effect? Because you now look at the Dolphins, they could have got something out of this game if they had scored early on and broncos just absorbed the pressure, absorbed the pressure, absorbed the pressure, bang, went down the over in and scored.
Speaker 2:Yeah um again, broncos aren't the team that I thought they were. They, uh, they have digressed so much since week one.
Speaker 1:It's mental how they're getting wins um, they've still got a couple of animals in there, though they're performing pretty well don't, don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2:Right, I pain has is not human, he's, he's. He's been incredible um selling cabo again. You can't. You can't argue with what he does, but when are they going to drop reach walsh?
Speaker 1:I don, he's not. There was a dicey moment in the game as well. When was it? A long kick went over someone's head and he's thrown a looping pass and it's like where is that going? And they managed to just get out of the end zone and I don't know he didn't. I said it last week If he wasn't the face of the NRL and the face of the franchise, I don't believe he would be playing. He would have been dropped to the bench and they've got options that could go at fullback. But there was another controversial moment in this game where the Dolphins could have had a 40-20. Cobbo stopped it from going out, but his foot was on the line. Those sort of mistakes in a game I don't mind, because that is genuine. You can't review that and it's genuinely. The line Lionel's miles away from it and it's a matter of centimeters.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's a key moment and a big moment in the game because then Ketone Staggs crashes over a couple of series or sets later. But it's a case of there will be some human error. It's when the bunker comes in that there is still error, like the Leo Etri. But Payne Haas in the first half 10 runs, 103 metres with the ball.
Speaker 2:When you're getting 10 metres of run, it's you should be in the nfl. Yeah, the hard-earned.
Speaker 1:I saw this. I saw a post earlier on instagram, the vb hard-earned index. They count uh meters over, run meters eight plus you get like two plus points for something like that and he's the highest rated player in the vb hard-earned, indexed by a mile so far.
Speaker 1:And he's just so fast, he's agile, he, he, just, he can step, he can run over people throw money at him in Manly well, I know there was the post earlier today that someone put up as an April Fool but um, and it was saying, like our Manly have contract, agreed a contract with Payne Harsin from 2027, which is an April Fool. But there is genuine interest from Manly, from Tony Mastrov. But my opinions now about Tony Mastrov have slightly changed after what I was listening to on a podcast this morning. So I don't know what to believe when he's saying something. But we'll talk about the Manly stuff moving forward. But, like you said, broncos have fallen off Massively. They're winning games, which is annoying, but better teams will beat them. They need a fast track, they need no rain, but when they come up against a decent team, then we'll get to know how they're going.
Speaker 2:I reckon I can't wait for them to get a brookie, because after watching them dismantle Manly at Magic Round the last couple of years, it's going to be really nice to be able to Some big boys going up against Payne Haas as well. Yeah, ola Kuwata will take his head.
Speaker 1:Good one, though That'll be a good fixture. I can't remember what week it is, but they are coming to Brookie because for the last three years, Manly have played their home game against the Broncos as part of Magic Round. That won't be happening this year because Manly have got the bye. So the Broncos, for the first time in 10 years, I think I read are coming down to Brookie. So looking forward to that one. But on to what?
Speaker 2:may be considered the biggest upset of the weekend. Yeah, again, I know we've dropped it in here a couple of times, but it just reminded me of a cold Wednesday night at Stoke. You've got the likes of your Arsenal or man United going to Stoke on a cold Tuesday night and just nothing clicked for them. Dragons just absorbed everything. Val Holmes decided to turn up with his boots. He did this week, this week, which was quite nice to see, also putting in a decent, decent, try um, but but yeah, they. I just again. I don't know whether I've jumped to conclusion with the storm, because of the storms didn't look incredible against they have lost last year's daily m winner in jerome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that is going to impact things, but it's a case of the teams are starting to settle down now. I believe, like we've now over the first three weeks, where people are starting to get their lungs underneath them. The fitness you do see a few people going down with cramp, but not as many that were noticed.
Speaker 1:Jesus Christ, yeah, before and there's. We're starting to see where teams are, the lie of the land with teams. Melbourne is still a good team, but I don't think they're as exceptional. When people were saying Melbourne are miles above everyone, it's Melbourne Penrith, then the gap is a lot closer and there is an opportunity for people, to everyone, to beat everyone to an extent, unless you're an Eels fan. But an example the Dragons 14, 14, storm 8 this week. There's an upset there and clint gutherson got, yeah, number of meters. Uh, valentine holmes, like you say, was better with his kicking, disgusting conditions as well. The ball was blowing about all over the place, it was wet, it was horrible, but just a strong performance from the dragons and they we use this word rattled quite a lot. They definitely got in their heads when they were defending solidly. They took their, they took their opportunities and they just ground out a cold tuesday night in stoke victory.
Speaker 2:They, they did really well because it wasn't like storm, weren't in it, like you still had 140-odd meters from Pappenhausen. Coates hit 150. Will Warbrick, I know he saw that War-we Jonathan Wass, he hit 194. So it's not like they weren't attacking, they were getting the meters in.
Speaker 1:They got more run meters in total.
Speaker 2:Again, it's just one of those performances if you, if you, hide the score and you look at the stats, it's definitely a storm win, but they didn't take the chances. That again, just another, very similar to the panthers just making poor decision. That's one thing I noticed a lot over this weekend was decision making which was shocking in a couple of games, noticeably the Sharks game, which we'll touch on in a minute, but just a gutsy win by the Dragons.
Speaker 1:Yeah, props to them. First win of the season, I believe. So what a team to get your first win. They had a bye week, didn't they actually last week, and they must have worked on a lot of things to focus on the storm and they did have the Panthers last week, so that would have taken a fair bit out of them, which I don't really like.
Speaker 2:Sometimes as an excuse just because you've played a good team doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to perform. These are professional athletes. They've had a week off, able to regenerate and and rejuvenate. Like it's not like we're mid-season yeah, and they're playing back-to-back fixtures. It's not like in football, where you're playing on a saturday and then a saturday went they've got some time off.
Speaker 1:They've got a couple of days off, um, but going from one horrendous conditions to play in to arguably god more horrendous conditions to play with, going up to townsville cowboys against the raiders. It was, I think, 38 degrees, 90 percent humidity it was only 29.
Speaker 2:It had a look at the temperature and I said it was 29. It was the humidity that were killing them the humidity was like 90. They have like a because they needed the drinks break basically yeah because they have an index of of what the temperature and then what the humidity. Yeah, if, if they're together, then a drink is needed. Yeah, it's the same when we had our semi-finals a few years ago. It was like if it got to 37 yeah, the game would have been called off okay and then there's like a table that goes, goes around.
Speaker 1:So fair enough, but cowboys, we both tip them.
Speaker 2:This is one of the one yeah, we saw it coming, one of three that we got right this week.
Speaker 1:Cowboys beat the Raiders 30 points to 20. And my word, did the Cowboys target a weakness in the Raiders' back line and that was KO? Weeks got found out under the high ball.
Speaker 2:He looked poor at Manley as well. This is the air raiding them. They struggle. It'd be interesting to know how many Against Manly?
Speaker 1:just to clarify, because he did play for Manly, but last week when the Raiders played, oh, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:Manly air raided them last week and there was drops all hour and it was the same this week. Their back three are not doing well under the high ball and that is a big problem. Yeah, because if you can, if you've got, if you have, if they go and play the Dogs, if Raiders go play the Dogs and Matty Burton's back like his swirling bombs are going to cause all sorts of issues for this.
Speaker 1:Raiders team. Even Sexton's got a boot on him and he's putting him high up in the air.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, raiders look like they need to sort something out at the back Because, as well, I don't know if it's a fad at the moment, but everyone seems to not contest high balls. They're just waiting for it to bounce down and it's leading to errors. Savage went up for uncontested Sorry. The Cowboys also did it as well Long boot downfield and Drinkwater was trying. I don't know whether he was trying to get his foot back on the line to get the seven tackle set, but he looked, didn't contest it. Savage just jumps over his head, catches the ball and goes in for a Raiders try. I can never understand why they're not going up and contesting high balls.
Speaker 2:I can understand if it's a kick into the 20, 30 box area.
Speaker 1:Fifth tackle If there's no pressure of it going back, that's fair enough.
Speaker 2:You can watch that bounce and then you can try and get it, because when you watch it in the game, both wingers drop back, naturally, and then you've got three there. Yeah, defend, ready to defend from like back forwards instead of trying to catch up, um, but but yeah, it's. It's baffling me sometimes, um, but the cowboys just looked, they just executed better than the raiders they did. They didn't look amazing.
Speaker 1:There's still issues there it was end to end both. Both teams could have won this game, but just cowboys, like you say, executed a lot better. Jake clifford got two tries. I thought he was very, yeah, very impressive. Um, again another game where there was contentious referee. Refereeing calls papali on report twice. Now, coming from a um football soccer background, yeah, we use yellow cards. If you get two yellow cards, you get sent off. It feels to me that being on report is almost a yellow card in terms of it's a warning. Yeah, if anything else is happening. I believe that if someone gets two on reports in a half, surely they need to be going to the bin. Also, I read that papali put his hands on the ref. I didn't see it. I don't remember this, but he's been fined three thousand dollars for that. He tapped his stomach, um yeah, which it's a bit of a mug off, I think it's a bit yeah, so I might change my opinion on that rather quickly on report twice.
Speaker 1:I don't. I don't think a player should still be on the field 100% not.
Speaker 2:He may end up getting a few weeks. No, he's not, he's not. So then, yeah, I don't see the point of it then.
Speaker 1:The whole idea of a consequence right is to change behaviour. You want to change the behaviour of individuals or an individual, by putting them on report and a fine, a monetary fine yeah, All right, it's $3,000, which to some people, and a lot of people that's a lot of money.
Speaker 1:But to someone that's on four or 500 grand a year, that's not much money at all and it just doesn't seem to me like a disincentive to change your behavior. And we're going to talk about Reid Marnie in a minute in the Bulldogs game. But there was another incident in this game where Cohen Hess got binned, for I think it might have been high shot or crusher, I can't quite remember, but Corey Horsburgh did exactly the same. Hess goes to the bin, horsburgh doesn't, and that would have been Horsburgh two weeks in a row going into the bin. So should that be an immediate?
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, because again, in football, if you have X amount of yellow cards within a period of time, you then get a two-week or a week suspension. So yeah, if you do get X amount of Simbin, surely there is some more repercussions. But that's what they've come out. The NRL have now said that they are going to be Simbin in any high tackles. No, they haven't.
Speaker 1:And don't get me started on Buzz. I don't like Buzz Roth, whatever his name is, as a reporter. He misreported.
Speaker 2:Ah, okay, Sorry my bad.
Speaker 1:It was a high.
Speaker 1:Any high shot is going to get simbined.
Speaker 1:Andrew Abdo had to come out and clarify on NRL 360 that it's actually, if they go through their decision tree and there's forceful contact with the head with no mitigating circumstances, which I forceful contact with the head with no mitigating circumstances, which there was, which I thought was it is, but there was four incidents this week that should have been a sim bin in that weren't, and it annoys me that and I think this is a highlight and this is going off on a tangent slightly from the games.
Speaker 1:I think this highlights the media circus at the moment. There's a lot, it seems like it's intensified so much that, yeah, nrl 360 who, fox Sports, nrl Online, which are Channel 9, are really competing with each other to try and break a story first, to try and get views, clicks, likes, all this sort of stuff, and they come out with some absolute waffle and it's like the reporter wants to get so much credit. Reporter wants to get so much credit like michael shamas I think is his name, who reported the dcd thing early, all of a sudden has come out earlier and said that pain haas wants to switch nationalities from australia to samoa which will impact his um origin eligibility.
Speaker 1:Well, why is that being made public? Apparently, australia, australian, uh, rugby league didn't even know about this, but why is he the one that's making it public? It seems like it's a very much one-upmanship from the media and it's going to ruin players careers. It's going to ruin. There's going to be a story that breaks. That is going to have like a huge impact. That shouldn't be just someone trying to get something for like social media, for you, like it's easy access, but it feels like it's ramped up right.
Speaker 1:this isn't, isn't me, just no, no, no.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I get where you're coming from in that sense, because when we were growing up it'd be teletext or newspaper like bring back teletext, like get rid of social media. I want to be reading about the news on my telly.
Speaker 1:But even in the short time that we've been in Australia and following the NRL years ago, it feels like it's gone absolutely mental well, there's the nrl deal coming up, or something like that, though isn't there. That's a very valid point. That's why they might be competing for clicks and likes, because it might provide data for that I remember reading that somewhere and it's it is starting to get daft in that sense.
Speaker 2:And there's all this whirlwind around dc and the smear campaign and and he's come out and said that he knows who it is, and all this and that's what social media gives you now is you can start a hate campaign within seconds, whereas it used to be. You had to wait till the next morning to read it in the newspapers, to then go down the pub and chat to your mates about it. Um, it just gives too many people platform to make silly comments.
Speaker 1:It does. But just to get back to the game, because otherwise we could talk about this for ages and I'm sure some stuff's going to come out about DCE later on. But one thing I'm going to give the Cowboys credit for is when Cohen Hess went off for his binning. The defensive side of the ball for the Cowboys was fantastic. They conceded one try, but they were under pressure, under pressure, under pressure. They absorbed it and they managed to survive that on the floor.
Speaker 1:Tough conditions as well, real tough conditions. It was very back and forward, like we said, but the Cowboys managed to take their chances, great goal line defence. But then on to the Saturday night game, which again more controversy around the referees, but the dogs, my word like shithouses the finest order absolute shithouses, but I've got to give them credit for what they do.
Speaker 2:Oh, 100% like I'm, I'm here for it. I love it, but to a certain extent there's, there's, there was a couple of points where I think it went over the top, but yeah, they are again. We refer to them a lot, but they're the stoke of of a bit more that.
Speaker 1:I think they've been a bit more successful than Stoke.
Speaker 2:But you know what I mean. There's that nitty gritty. Who do you think you are coming to our home ground? We're going to kick you to shit for the next 80 minutes and you're going to just take it. I mentioned last week that there would be periods where the dogs would rattle the sharks. I didn't realize it was going to be me.
Speaker 1:All 80 minutes yeah.
Speaker 2:And Jesus, the sharks shut themselves.
Speaker 1:They did, and fair play to the dogs. Their first win down in the Shire for 14 years, First time going 4-0. So four wins to start the season since 1993. You've got to reflect back on last year. They had a real poor start to the season. Last year they lost five games in a row and they're still finishing the eight. These boys are bouncing, Bouncing. And are they minor Premier favourites? They're no Burton, no Kikau. I've got a sneaky feeling that they might be finishing top of the table, Not really conceding either. They aren't Very good defensively and again, that's why the Titans fair play to them At Bell more managed to score 20. But we look at how we mentioned earlier. Everyone's beating everyone. The Bulldogs aren't losing. I'm not sure whether they've got the experience to go deep into the finals. The rest of the season will tell. At the moment, though, I think they are very good favourites to win the minor premiership.
Speaker 2:So for people that don't know, they've got some great leaders in there as well, though.
Speaker 1:They do For people that don't know what the minor premiership is. It's basically you finish top of the ladder, top of the table, at the end of the season. Then it goes into the playoffs for the premiership. But fair play to the dogs, yeah.
Speaker 2:And I think Sharks was their first big test and look what happened? Yeah, they just dismantled them.
Speaker 1:One thing I will say about the Sharks touching it earlier. Decision-making from the Sharks was terrible.
Speaker 2:Dreadful, dreadful, dreadful. I don't think you'll say it many times, but Molotalo had such a poor game Like he was. He was worse than Week weeks under the high ball. There was in this, in the dying, well, in the, in the pressure of the second half, where the sharks were still in it, there were two kicks that went straight to his chest and bounced straight off and it was just like god he um, it was just dreadful, um there were times when they were trying to offload on the floor to no one.
Speaker 1:They it's. We mentioned the sharks have a bad run, like when we were talking about them previously. They have a bad run in them. They have a bad game, and it seems like the bad came games come when they're under pressure against a good team. Um, and the dogs are proven to be a good team. One person that I do want to shout out in this, though, is j Preston, the guy for me player of the week. He scored one try, two line breaks, three tackle breaks. So a line break and a try assist, and the assist as well. I don't know if you remember it, but he's running through the line as a decoy runner, and it seems like the ball's passed to him late. He catches it behind his back, takes a couple of steps and then offloads it to Bronson Sherry, who just takes it behind his back, takes a couple of steps and then offloads it to Bronson Sherry, who just takes it in his stride through the gap.
Speaker 2:He had a good game as well. Bronson Sherry, he had a very good game.
Speaker 1:So for me, player of the week, it's another questionable decisions around judiciary and someone being on too.
Speaker 2:It's absolutely diabolical. Oh, what about that? Send him off, send the dressing-edge off, tooth.
Speaker 1:It was absolutely diabolical. So read Marnie One comes in late on Karl Rudolph and forearm fully to the jaw. Karl Rudolph's fingers were like he was standard response from being out cold on report and I'm like this is a joke.
Speaker 2:So I'm like all right fair enough. And then the next one.
Speaker 1:I couldn't believe it. His response to his quote was along the lines of if someone is lying on the floor, I'm not just going to flop on them, and he led with his shoulder to his head whilst he was on the floor and on report. But what makes it even worse, he got an $1,800 fine for it.
Speaker 2:That boy should have been gone. He should have been off the field. First of all because this is one of the things they do in Union around red cards is if the player's in a vulnerable position.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And he definitely was.
Speaker 1:His face was in the dirt and his arms were down by his side.
Speaker 2:I don't think I've ever seen anyone so vulnerable in my life on the field, and he just goes straight into his temple. Yeah, like I get it. I get how the dogs run. I'm here for it that side of it. I get how the dogs run. I'm here for it that side of it, nah.
Speaker 1:We mentioned this last week, though, or it might have been the week before. Are the judiciary and the referees reacting more to the impact of what they're doing? It was Cam Munster's hip drop, that's when we related to this. If he would have snapped his leg, would he have got a serious ban for this? Same with this, if he was on the floor and led with the shoulder to the head and knocked him out.
Speaker 2:That's opened up the doors to do whatever you want when a player's on the floor.
Speaker 1:now and it's so bad they've only fined him. It is so bad. And pennies yeah.
Speaker 2:Like you were just saying about the player who rubbed the referee's belly got three grand. Papali got three grand. He gets $1,800 for trying to decapitate someone on the floor.
Speaker 1:And, like Willie Mason, jokes around and say small guys on small guys. But like I said earlier, there's no disincentive. What's $1,800? And you get away with it. There's no disincentive to do this. You can't change behavior. What's?
Speaker 2:a junior parlor, like running in from five metres and then going into the side of like Munster's head. What's stopping him doing that now? It's opened the floodgates for people to take advantage, and unless he gets stomped out quickly it could be a bit of a problem.
Speaker 1:They're going to clamp down hard on it though from what was mentioned. I'm going to throw something out there. I think there's going to be an overreaction and we're going to see a significant number of sin bins for what could be controversial. Weaker, I think, because a high shot is still a high shot, right, but I think there will be some questionable shouts as to people going to the bin I'm going to go for six over the weekend.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I reckon there could be more. I reckon there could be at least one a game, so that's eight. But I do believe, or I hope, this doesn't cause, doesn't impact the outcome of any game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but just quickly going back onto the Sharks, what's going on there In the sense of the inconsistency to deal with pressure? We saw it last year as well. What's the issue amongst that unit? Where is this coming from? Because you apply a bit of pressure to them, they crumble. And is it because of strong leadership within the team?
Speaker 1:as in, they don't have strong leadership. Nico hines doesn't strike me as a leader like he can lead by actions, but I don't think he's a leader by voice and motivation. And that's judging from an outside perspective, not knowing anything about the guy.
Speaker 2:there's elements of them where they should be running away with the league. Yeah, they've got that Penrith like not aura, but they've got that Penrith feel about them and if they had a couple of good leaders and big players in there, I think they'd be running away with it. So I think that's an issue for them to look at. First of all is why are we crumbling on the field?
Speaker 1:And even for Noah Blake wasn't at it, he got rattled as well he did.
Speaker 2:Who was it that he threw out at? That was towards the end, wasn't?
Speaker 1:it when things weren't going their way.
Speaker 2:yeah, but the thing is that kills momentum again. Again they could have come back into the game.
Speaker 1:Was it Reid Marnie? I think it might have been his as well into the game. Was it Reid Marnie? I think it might have been his as well. He's just Reid Marnie as well is a little I don't know what to describe him, as he just gets under your skin because Olokowatu no, no it wasn't, it was old mate who dyed his hair. Yes, I know who you're on about, was it?
Speaker 2:Bailey Harwood.
Speaker 1:Possibly it might have the dogs in the uh, I think it was the finals fixture. Olukawatu leveled someone don't know who it was proper form tackle shoulder under the ball. Absolutely walloped him immediately. Reed was chirping at the referee, going high shot, high shot, high shot. You watch hot, high shot. You watch the replay. Probably one of the best tackles hits that you put in. He's just one of those like a j James Tedesco kind of just always at the referee nagging. But I mean, look, can't take anything away from the dogs. They're performing really well. Sharks, they're just doing what the Sharks do, look good and then just find this form Panic. Yeah, but on to Sunday Fortress, fortress Brookvale. Now we were there, we got there a little bit early blustery, blustery day.
Speaker 1:The posts were swaying back and forward and the weather was all over the place. I think there was meant to be a helicopter delivering the game ball, which didn't happen before the game. We were both sitting there eagerly anticipating what the reception was like when Daily Cherry Evans name came up on the scoreboard. Now, overall, it was positive, I'd say 95% of the crowd, like you, hear a few different reports From Cherry Evans' perspective, it was cheers From a lot of reporters around the ground. It was cheers when we were sitting.
Speaker 2:I felt like it was mixed from 50-50 from where we were to be honest.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I felt there were some boos, but then, as the game went on, oh the hill got behind him the hill got behind him, everyone got behind him, and even his post-game press conference was a bit inflammatory and saying about a smear campaign and trying to put it to bed. Which hasn't he's ignited the yeah, the. He's chucked fuel on the fire even more. I feel. His responses of him coming out and saying what he's saying about how he was nervous before the game, how he actually was worried about how he was going to receive, shows that he actually cares. You could see it in his performance as well.
Speaker 1:I think he was nearly in tears when he was running out as well, when people were cheering him. You look at, watch it back, like he's glassy-eyed and he's glassy-eyed at the end. Emotion doesn't come if you don't care, no. And I doesn't come if you don't care, no. And I believe that's a very good sign that he's locked in, he's focused, he does want to win a premiership, and what a better way to say I could. I don't care who he signs for if mania lifting the trophy at the end of the year.
Speaker 1:He could sign for the roosters, he could sign for whoever he wants if mania lifting that trophy at the end of the year. So the boys just need to focus on getting the job done and stick it to the storm this weekend. But let's have a look at this game first. Yeah, forwards, putting in the hard yards they were.
Speaker 2:They were massively, and I want to sort of go into the eels first instead of and then we can talk about manly, because I feel like we're going to get away with it and not really mention the eels. Um, watching the eels, there is something there there is which I think is really frustrating from a fan point of view. Yeah, is you can definitely see they are Moses away from being a very, very good team, I think.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't go very good Not very good, good, good, competitive team yeah.
Speaker 2:If Moses was there they wouldn't be in the spoon conversation. But again, shocking execution. There was a couple of tries. They scored in the corner in the first half, which was then a forward pass, which it was and then Lomax again, probably I think it was about 20 minutes later in the corner on their right hand side, another forward pass and it ends up getting called back. It's those little bits of execution which are killing them again. First 10-20 minutes, manly were trying knocking on the door. They were asking if anyone was in and the ears were going.
Speaker 1:No, you're staying out. Sorry, manly were trying knocking on the door.
Speaker 2:They were asking if anyone was in. The Eels were answering. The Eels were going no, you're staying out, sorry. So I've got to give it to the Eels on that side of things. But going on to Manly, this shift that I think again we mentioned a few weeks ago. There was no plan B. I think our plan A has shifted to plan B and it's just give the forwards the ball and let them just hammer into the boys. I agree. Al-aqa'atu absolute performance, one of the performances of the game. 183 metres for a forward is incredible. 72 metres post post contact as well. Yeah, he, they. There was times.
Speaker 1:He just wasn't, he wasn't being stopped he sat someone down running out of yardage early on number 16. Yeah, he was the guy that was making his two and he scored at the end. Actually, who was it? Uh, off and go. No, no, it's off and go. He scored. He sat him down running. Was it Offengaro? No, offengaro, he scored.
Speaker 2:He sat him down running with the ball and he stone dead, stopped him stone dead in his track and he had seven tackle breaks as well. He had a great game. And another mention is is Lehigh Hoppawattie stepping back into fullback?
Speaker 1:what a performance he got. He featured in a number of teams of the week this week because he played on the wing and at fullback Got 213 metres carrying the ball, which is very impressive. One of the things I liked from Manly this week was it was an ugly win. I don't think it was as impressive as we thought it was going to be. It was a professional win. We got the job done. So there was a stat that I saw before that Parramatta had conceded 10 of their 17 tries. They conceded this year down on their left edge and Manly had scored seven on their right edge. It was destined for a Jason Saab opener. The boy puts on the burners and no one is catching him and he shimmy shakes whoever it is.
Speaker 2:He is being. He's been so good this year.
Speaker 1:What would have been great? What would have been great is if he offloaded it to DC and DC went over. I think there would have been a ruptuous applause and cheer from everyone, and that would have silenced everything. Saab wants to. He must be getting a try bonus. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:He must be scoring and getting a try bonus but I think he's got a point to prove this year as well he has.
Speaker 1:I've been very impressed with him so far, very impressed, very impressed.
Speaker 2:He's defensively. He's not looking shaky. He's looking a lot more solid than he was last year.
Speaker 1:He doesn't commit so much when he comes in off the he does.
Speaker 2:He's making some hits and stopping some some moves, which is which is fantastic. His decision making has got a lot better. I wonder if someone's just sat him down in the film room and gone right, we're gonna work through your decision making here like and he's got me through it too early, too early, too early.
Speaker 1:Perfect, that's what you need to do. One one acknowledgement I do want to give is old back fence brownie. Ah, what a boy. There's a picture that manly posted up of him with his heels on the fence and I said he could get a season ticket in row a of the bob falton. The guy is so far back and then I tried to record it and some woman came down the stairs and literally stopped and turned I couldn't believe it of his first kick return comedy time.
Speaker 2:You know it's finest um, but it was, it was, it was good. Luke brooks I was really really impressed with um. He's he again, he just goes about his business. He, he performs really well, consistently, um, he, he's not afraid to tackle no he isn't he's.
Speaker 2:he's there as a backup sort of kicker. Again, I feel like it's a Cleary-Lewis situation where all the spotlight is on DCE and not Brooks, as it was, on Cleary instead of Lewis, and he's just going about his business in that sixth role and there's talk about him going to seven.
Speaker 1:I don't think he's got the leadership capabilities to control a team. That's my only hesitation.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, we could see how that is how that goes. But what Kalua's try? I was really impressed in that move because Hoppawate executed Tom Cervojevic's role in that, where it's the quick offload to the centre, which really impressed me, because the issue, what I think over the last couple of weeks is Hoppawate wasn't quick enough in in that position.
Speaker 2:he was a little bit slow in the offload experience yeah, exactly, but how he settled in and his mentality to go right, I'm a starting winger. Oh shit, I've now got to shift to fall back again. Yeah, for 60 minutes.
Speaker 2:He's gonna have it for the next four weeks, I think so but it's that being able to transition mid-game as well, and he's, he does it brilliantly, he's. I think he's going to have it for the next four weeks. I think so. But it's that it being able to transition mid-game as well, and he's, he does it brilliantly, he's. I think he's dropped one catch or one deep ball cost us a bit against the warriors, but he's no weeks and um he's just so consistent in what, what he does, he he's really good at running it out.
Speaker 2:There was a point where he did get manhandled by Lomax, I think, at one point, which is a little bit of a. He's all right, it's a little bit of a downside to him, but I feel so much more confident about this back line without Travoy, without Turbo, than I did last season my only concern is Tommy Talal isn't back yet, so we can't say we've experienced a full back line without Turbo Farlalo on the wing.
Speaker 1:I know he did well in the New South Wales Cup yeah, but he's to me he will be the weakest link in that and it'll be interesting to see how he goes this week. He's named to start against a storm yeah, but we keep eyes on that. And Moody, just getting round four fixtures complete Tigers versus the Waz. We both went with the Tigers in this and the Waz came out with a victory 26-24, was it? They ran out, yeah, 26-24. Now I didn't get to watch the second half of this because I was walking up Beacon Hill Road after. We went for a few schooners after. But the Tigers could have won this.
Speaker 1:They should have won this. They should have won this, and this is where my opinion that the Tigers lack the knowledge of how to win in tight games like this. The Warriors have got a lot of players that have been there before and managed to turn up and get it done, whereas the Tigers, where they're used to losing, it's almost like they've gone. Oh not again. Oh not again, we're going to lose. A tight one had multiple opportunities and there was a kick down the sideline that Luai put in that, that winger number 22,. Burst down the side. He picks that up. They might have a full set with.
Speaker 2:It was the chicken crawl back where Norm was there. It just picks up and it was just stupid mistakes like that.
Speaker 1:But Terrell May had an absolute game again. He dropped a try. I didn't see it, but I heard earlier that he dropped a try, which was fairly costly. But I didn't watch much of this so I can't comment too much on it. One thing that has come out of it, though, two things for Jerome Luai actually actually not what, not just one potentially injured his shoulder, so a re-aggravation of an injury, but he's suspended for two games. Now, if he's injured, I'm pretty sure it will override the suspension. So he'll serve the suspension whilst injured and it won't impact how long he'd have been out for anyway.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but then again, was his shot any worse than Rima Honey's shot? Just because the player was standing up doesn't mean it's not as bad. Yes, it was shoulder contact.
Speaker 1:I fully agree with what you're saying.
Speaker 2:I don't understand why Luai's got two weeks and Rima Honey's got away with with nothing it was forceful contact direct to the head, which is exactly what there was poor timing as well in the technique and he's lent him with a shoulder I think he's he's accelerated up too early yeah which is meant.
Speaker 2:Instead of hitting him in the chest, he's then shot up to the head, um, but yeah, that's that I. I mentioned I it could be the old tigers creeping in a little bit, um of last season, but we'll see how they they go how they bounce back.
Speaker 1:So, to summarize the round absolutely terrible tipping from both of us, three out of eight. But let's move on to round five, and it's multicultural round, so it's recognizing the unique heritage of every member of the NRL community and celebrating the diversity that makes the NRL a stronger product and represents a lot of people from a lot of nations and a lot of backgrounds. So just some stats there's players from 65 different national heritages represented across the NRL and NRLW. 30% of players are born overseas. That's a significant portion of players born overseas, yeah, and then 47 percent of players have one parent from another country. So there's a lot of um. There's a diverse representation of individuals, families, backgrounds, cultures within the nrl and I think that's what makes it such a love to see it. Yeah, great, great passion. There's great passion that comes with that as well, and cultures that are represented um really show off their colors, show off their pride and they really get behind the boys.
Speaker 1:So, multicultural around this weekend it'll be a good one, but it kicks off on thursday night. Let's go through these tips quite quick and see where. See where we get to. So thursday night, geo stadium, 8 pm, the raiders against the sharks this one difficult to call it is very difficult, considering what we've just seen.
Speaker 2:Um, I'm gonna go for. I'm gonna go for sharks, because I don't think they'll go back to back defeats. They they need to fight, they need to address what's happening within that changing room of why they are dropping. Um, they've got enough talent within there to be winning these games. Raiders are now on a little bit of a losing streak. So, yeah, let's see how they can adapt and and come away from that. Um, I think it'll be end to end and I'm gonna go sharks yeah, sharks, $1.57 favorites against $2.41 raiders.
Speaker 1:It's in canberra, uh, depends what the weather's like it's meant to be dry-ish. I believe the Sharks are going to come out and against not as a good team, like not to disrespect the Raiders, but they played against the Bulldogs. I don't think this is a game where they fall off Like they feel the pressure. I think the Sharks get it done. Up next on Friday, we've got the Penrith Panthers against the North Queensland Cowboys.
Speaker 2:This one's out at the Combank Thoughts I don't know. Cleary is back. Cleary is back. Okay, panthers no, it's one of those. Yeah, cowboys got their first win Brilliant, but they didn't do it convincingly. I think they just executed a lot better. I don't think ivan cleary will. It's the first time.
Speaker 1:Like you, said they can't lose four in a row. They can't, they can't lose four.
Speaker 2:They are going to be. They're going to be in that dressing room and ivan's going to absolutely bollock them, um, and I expect them to come in and just be the machine that they are yeah, panthers $1.21.
Speaker 1:Favorites cowboys are quite long. At four dollars, 45 then on friday, I think this will be a very good matchup. Do you know what I'm going? Bunnies, we've got rabbitos against the roosters at. This is what annoys me. Why is it at the accord? Why is it a 90 000 seat, a stadium, when you've got the aliens which would be?
Speaker 2:this is a look. This is a local derby.
Speaker 1:This is perfect for the Allianz. This is 45,000 people crammed into an intense atmosphere of a game against two teams next door to each other that would hate each other, and it's the Rabbitohs against the Roosters. The Rabbitohs are $1.66 for every Rooster. The Roosters are $2.23. Yeah, I'm going to go.
Speaker 2:Rabbitohs. I think Wayne Bennett effect. I think Wayne Bennett effect. The roosters look rattled at the moment and they look like they're missing something. But then you've got the Rabbitohs, who have got Latrell Mitchell back as well, who's going to just be an extra force on that left edge.
Speaker 1:I heard him referred to earlier as the Tari Ferrari, and that made me giggle with that, because he is looking fresh as well.
Speaker 2:He is he's looking really real fresh. I expect a lot of attack to go down that left. Yeah, with Jai Gray joining that attack. I think it could be a fantastic game for Jai Gray to put his foot down to go. This is why I need to stay at fullback. Yeah, and Mitchell, just to come in and go right. This is what you're missing, boys.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to go with you in this one. I'm going to tip the bunnies they impressed me last week against the Panthers. Latrell Mitchell coming back, jai Gray staying in to give them those meters yeah, I think they'll cause the Roosters problems. So both going for the Rabbitohs in that one. Up next, the Eels against the Dragons. This one's at Combank as well. Interestingly, dragons obviously coming up off a win against a Storm. You said the Eels are looking better, so who are you going with in this one?
Speaker 2:I'm going to go for the Dragons Just because of what they did against the Storm. They just got that nitty-gritty win of what they did against the Storm. They just got that nitty-nitty win. I think Ewell's just they are, that's there. But without Moses I just can't and Dylan Brown just doesn't look like he wants to be there. So I think the Dragons, with Val Holmes starting to get a bit of momentum as well and he's kicking coming into it and Gutherson starting to put in some hard yards, I'm going to go Dragons.
Speaker 1:I believe they're starting to click the Dragons, so I'm going to join you on that one. They're $1.53 favourites. $2.52 on the Eels. The Dragons I can see backing up their performance against the Storm and getting this done. Saturday 5.30pm. We've got the Titans against the Dolphins. It seems like there's been a bit of a Queensland rotation around, was it?
Speaker 2:Dolphins.
Speaker 1:Broncos, Titans, Broncos.
Speaker 2:It seems like they've just rotated around. Titans are looking strong.
Speaker 1:I'm going GC Titans here, so interestingly, last week I said the Seabus Super Stadium, right, and I always thought it meant the Seabus and it was a super stadium and I was like the stadium ain't that super? And then I realized that an advert came on tv and it's sea bus super, like superannuation. What an idiot. So I see that and I'm like, oh, that's why it's the super stadium.
Speaker 1:Click that off and get it on tiktok yeah, but I'm definitely going for the titans as well, this is closer than I thought it was going to be in the odds $1.49 for the Titans $2.64. But from what I've seen from the Dolphins and what I've seen from the Titans, they're worlds apart.
Speaker 2:Clearly a Dolphins fan working at sports better there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree. So both going with the Titans on that one 7.35 game on Saturday night is the Broncos $1.14 against the Tigers $6.
Speaker 2:I think this is tighter than what those odds have. Without Luai, though, I think Tigers are going to struggle. That's a very valid point. I don't think the rhythm in attack is going to be there. The difference between last season and this season has been Luai, and why they have been a lot closer in games is because of Luai. Traoré, don't get me wrong. I think he's still going to have a good game. He's going to be May versus Haas, which is going to be brilliant to see. A barnstormer. It's going to be a barnstormer, but even with out Walsh, I reckon Broncos have got this.
Speaker 1:One thing I do want to shout out from last week, which we forgot to mention about the Broncos Brendan Piacora's hit on Herbie Farnworth was enormous.
Speaker 1:A fair play to Farnworth. I've got a lot of time for him. Obviously he's English as well, so I've got to back my boys. But he got straight up. But what a hit from Piacora. He read it a mile off and he absolutely smashed him. But I think the Broncos are going to get this one done. They're massive favourites. And again, reece Walsh watch, let's see what he's like. Then on to Sunday. We say it all week Fortress Brookie, four pints par.
Speaker 1:Brookie oval, manly against a Storm. Now this one is Storm of the favourites. $1.53 favourites EC equals a $2.51. Think Trebojevic being out Skews those odds slightly. We I think Trebojevic being out skews those odds slightly. We beat them last year at Brookie DCE on the charge Yep Victory tour. Yep Manly to get it done. Yep Next.
Speaker 2:I think it will be a close game. Yeah, I think it could be a really good Sunday Ivo game While you're enjoying your roast dinners. It's going to be close. They've got some talent there, but I think Manly are going to be able to match them.
Speaker 1:Still no Jerome Hughes. He's out, but.
Speaker 2:And no Big Nelson either.
Speaker 1:No, big Nelson, which I'm not mad at. We've got the opportunity to be physical. They do have a Toya Kamano who is a very physical player. He can run the ball very well. They've got Tyron Wishart as well, who played last week, who looked a bit shaky. He was one of the people touted to be coming to Manly as DCE's replacement. Be interesting to see how his interview goes at Brookvale in front of the old Brookie crowd. I don't think he's the frontrunner, I think it's Jamal Fogarty from the Raiders from all reports, so for the Raiders from all reports. So we'll see how that goes. But let's go, manny 13 plus, let's just stick it out there, Manny 13 plus.
Speaker 1:And then last game of the weekend, we have the Dogs against the Knights Dogs. Do you know what? I'm looking on NRLcom and seeing Bulldogs first just looks weird Like Bulldogs first against the Knights. Dogs are $1.42, Knights are $2.87.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to go to the Dogs. It's at the Accord, which is shocking, a terrible stadium. If this gets more than 10,000 people, I'll be surprised. But yeah, dogs, dogs will out. The Knights have had a week off, but they just didn't look anywhere where they should have been against the Titans. So I against the Titans, so I'm going to go, dogs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is going to be closer than I think it's going to be, or that didn't really make sense. I think this one's going to be close. I'm going to go Dogs as well, I think we've. Have we tipped every single person?
Speaker 2:I think so. Again, the same, again.
Speaker 1:So we could even be sitting here next week with egg on our face or celebrating 8 for 8, because Manly are definitely beating the Storm. 100% Bulldogs, though, to win it. And that wraps up the week's fixtures. The Warriors are on a bye, but yeah, it's an interesting one.
Speaker 2:Everything is shaping up nicely within another great week is coming up another great week of football.
Speaker 1:So if you've enjoyed what you listened to this week, please make sure to like and subscribe. Chuck some comments in the comment box down below. We want to get some questions in to interact with the audience. But thanks again for listening and we'll catch you in the next one. See you later.