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!
Masters of the Meltdown!
The sports world delivered major moments this week as Rory McIlroy finally completed his career Grand Slam with a playoff victory at Augusta, while Lachie Galvin rejected a $5 million contract from the Tigers, throwing the NRL player market into chaos.
After a busy week in sports, join us again for more coverage as we bring you the best analysis and updates each week.
Hello and welcome to another episode of. They've Been Doing it All Day, sir. I'm Ben and I'm Chris. What next for Lockie Galvin? Let's get stuck in.
Speaker 2:How's your week been, mate?
Speaker 1:It's not been too bad actually Very regular response that I give, but I think there's been some major, major sporting events happening over the weekend. Two big ones to talk about, I believe. First one involving Rory McIlroy yeah, massive, you got much interest in golf?
Speaker 2:Not really, not as much as everything else.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So for anyone that doesn't know I think it's been pretty much almost everywhere on social media that Rory McIlroy has become a Grand Slam champion Finally put into bed the questions around whether he can win the Masters. He secured a playoff victory against justin rose in the final round on sunday at augusta. Did you watch any of it?
Speaker 2:I know I saw the notification come through that he'd bogeyed the last hole to that 10. Take it to, uh, take it to a playoff. And I was like, oh, here we go. Yeah, but it's an absolute great feat. And I was reading the other day the amount of stuff that you get for for winning the Masters it's ridiculous um, you get your own sort of replica trophy. You get a free membership for life. Um, your jacket is always there. You're sharing a locker. It's it's pretty, it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what you get so Rory McIlroy wins it in a playoff on the 18th and Justin Rose, which this is a weird. Like I wasn't. I wanted Rory McIlroy to win, even though he's not an Englishman he's a Northern Irishman, but the person that he's coming up against, justin Rose, is an Englishman. I love Justin Rose. Great golfer seems like a real cool guy. But this is the second time Justin Rose has lost in a playoff. I believe he lost to Sergio Garcia or Cabrera I can't remember one of the two a Spanish individual a couple of years ago, and then he lost to Rory McIlroy, but he was very complimentary of Rory deserving to win. It came down to some moments of madness from Rory in terms of he four shots in front after nine holes comes to the 13th, which is one of the easier par fives on the course, the way that he decided to play it. So he hits a nice drive, he lays up and he there's a creek that you can hit it over and he duffs it and he hits it in the creek and everyone's like, what has he done? Not a repeat of, I think it's 2011, where he just bottled it. He bottled, winning it. Yeah, he double bogeyed that hole.
Speaker 1:Justin rose birdied a hole so it brings it back to level, then he bogeys the next hole and it was a roller coaster.
Speaker 1:But on the 15th, which is another par five, he hit one of the best shots I've ever seen, like under pressure, and he hits it to within a couple of feet and he should have got an eagle but he got a birdie and I think that gave him the confidence to then go on. But, like you say, like, oh, he's one shot ahead, going up the 18th, hits a great drive and then bang, hits it in the bunker and takes three out of the bunker and he bogeys it and it's going to a playoff. But when it comes to the playoff hole, he repeated back down to the tee at 18, hits an incredible drive and then hits it within two feet. How do they decide which hole to use for the playoff? It's predetermined. So some tournaments, uh, they use, they select a hole, but I believe that it's a one hole playoff and then you just compete, repeat, repeat, repeat that hole but sometimes in some tournaments they use maybe a three hole playoff, although that might not have been around for a while.
Speaker 1:I'm not 100 sure on how they do it. It's usually a one-hole playoff, but I have seen times and I might be thinking back to the early 2000s where they'd use a three-hole playoff, but they often use the 18th because I think it's easier for fans to go back to stuff like that. But I've never seen an outburst of emotion from someone on a green after well, apart from me a few times, and I might have like missed the part and snapped my club or something, but, um, to win a tournament.
Speaker 1:There was been so much pressure on rory mcelroy to do the grand slam, win all the four majors, but it was real, real, good, poignant moment in golf, I think, because he's the I would say he's the second best golfer behind tiger woods to ever have played the game. Yeah, um, so to complete the career, grand slam is a huge achievement, um, but from the highs of mcelroy winning the masters, let's talk about birmingham and their experience in the yeah, I wouldn't say you're going from highs to lows, because you're going from highs to highs to low.
Speaker 2:Because this time last week we were discussing how there was a chance for Blues to win League One and go up with a double by winning the Virtue Trophy Beat Peterborough on Wednesday morning 2-1. Secured promotion.
Speaker 1:Was that through someone else? No, no, no, that was through us.
Speaker 2:And then Saturday, Wrexham ended up drawing, I believe, and that meant we went up as champions. And then on Sunday, massive day out for the Blues fans, 50-odd thousand at Wembley to watch some absolute utter dross Was it bad it was really bad.
Speaker 2:I did not wait up till midnight to watch my two centre-backs play the ball between each other for 90 minutes. It was infuriating, to say the least. Peterborough had a game plan, executed it brilliantly. They looked so threatening every time they went forward because of their counter-attack. They've got some very good players up front, which I messaged you about on the I said it was all over.
Speaker 1:I said you were walking to the trophy and you said hold on Peterborough decent going forward.
Speaker 2:They've scored. I think they scored 97 goals this year and conceded 100. Scored 97 goals this year and conceded 100. So they've, they've been, and you've lost two nil and they've done. But but that's the thing is, they can score goals. Yeah, um, and it was an absolute worldie of a free kick um, not going to take that away and an absolute incredible finish for their second goal. Like both top bins, you're not, you're not getting anywhere near them. And yep, we had a goal ruled off for offside, which was about 30 foot offside, and then we, um, we should have had a penalty at one point where their defender is completely shoulder barged, our attack running through for the ball and just nothing. So, uh, is what it is um, good day out. Yeah, everyone seemed to have a great time.
Speaker 1:Um, do you know an interesting stat that I heard the other day I think gary neville was talking about it on the Overlap podcast around the average amount of touches, or sorry, who's getting the most and I know this links to Premier League, but I think it reflects of what you're talking about around who your centre-backs playing ball. They were saying that the centre-backs now have the most touches of a team during a game or throughout a season. Who have, on average, the most touches? And it goes to show you the kind of entertaining style of football that's not being played that everyone's got to build from the back.
Speaker 2:Everyone's got to do this. It's so robotic.
Speaker 1:It's terrible as well. And you look at man United that are trying to put in place this play-out from the back and they've got a keeper that can't do it.
Speaker 2:They've got centre-backs that can't do it and they're absolutely terrible they've got a keeper that can't do it and they've got a back-up keeper who can't do it and they're trying. It goes back to what I've said for God knows how many times on here. It's never go in and try and implement a system that you don't.
Speaker 2:I messaged my mates at half time going we need to bring on Alfie May, lukasz Jukowicz, little and large Hoy up front and absolutely. But nah didn't come and Christoph Klara and Ben Davies were just passing the ball to each other for a while and no one, no one, just attacked no one does that anymore? No one just picks up the ball from midfield and just runs. They're always looking for a pass and it's infuriating. It does my head in.
Speaker 1:There's no creativity. No, there's none.
Speaker 2:Everyone's robotic, everyone's a fucking zombie, sorry.
Speaker 1:He's lost it, it's gone.
Speaker 1:It just does my head in watching football sometimes it's yeah, I think, if I was to reflect on what you just said there like this is why I feel my passion now lies in the NRL because I go to watch a sport, and maybe it's because I'm early on in my journey of watching the NRL, but I feel it's an exciting product where something's always happening.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the ball's always moving, there's big hits, there's big tackles, there's uh crazy passes, there's this and the other, whereas you watch football, soccer nowadays and it is pass left, pass right, go back, try and create a run. And to me, I watched chelsea against, uh, ipswich. I watched a bit of it. It was on at 11 o'clock on two, two draw, don't even get me started, but um, it was boring. Yeah, and I don't find like I can engage with with a footy match for 90 minutes now if, if something not exciting is not happening within the first 20-25 minutes, I'm like I'm done with this. I'll wake up in the morning and watch it and that's why I feel like I've fallen out of love with the Premier League.
Speaker 2:And Sunday you just scream for someone just to do that. I think everyone's so afraid that they're now in a system where everyone has to do their job or the system fails. Everyone's afraid of just taking that chance. Um, but yeah, from from that to then, um, I don't know, I've got, I think I've got to mention about the, the sort of the formula one as well. Um, just as a little bit of a local lad plug, um, yeah, was it bahrain or china?
Speaker 2:it was bahrain second win of the season. Um, he's's up there at the top with his McLaren teammate, lando Norris, who's leading the way with 77 points, and Piastri's got 74. So it looks like a good season ahead for the team in Orange, if they can maintain For me, though.
Speaker 1:I've heard a lot of Lando Norris talk, and he's a very negatively framed person. It's almost like he's put in blame as to why he's not being successful already. But he's, he hasn't got the elite mentality of I'm gonna go out and I'm gonna win. I'm gonna do this, it's oh, but I'm in the slur car I've got these problems. I've got that. I've got that like. It just feels like could just be a way of deflecting. Yeah, but you look at max verstappen he is, and when lewis ham Hamilton, when he was dominating, it was just I'm going to go out and win and I'm going to do everything I can to win.
Speaker 2:But that's 11 world championships between the two of them so.
Speaker 1:I do. I'm not very, I'm not overly engaged in Formula 1. I lost interest when Hamilton got absolutely robbed of his title a couple of years ago and then I feel it was just dominated by Max Verstappen for a number of years. It's nice to see that there are now a few more drivers and teams that are starting to battle it out for the title.
Speaker 1:So it's one way to keep an eye on, one way to update every now and then. But it's good to see an Australian get his maiden. Is it his maiden? No, his second, second Grand Prix victory, but first of this season, second of the season. Oh, oh, I've absolutely butchered that there but yeah, so, and one actually.
Speaker 1:I randomly, was watching a tiktok just a minute ago about how they're complaining that it was the british broadcasters, british broadcasters in sky focusing on the battle for second and third right because it was involved two british drivers, yeah, which I'm guessing is russell and norris, yeah, and not focusing on piastri winning it To be fair a lot of times in Formula 1, if you're leading from pole and you get a good start and you can just If you're 10, 12 seconds ahead before other drivers start taking their pits and taking their pit stops, you're going to just walk the race.
Speaker 1:But didn't I see that Piastri also put in the fastest lap by close to a second?
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's quick, which is absolutely bonkers. That McLaren is very quick.
Speaker 1:I didn't watch the race, but the title that I read was Piastri lays down his credentials for the Formula One title. So, yeah, we'll keep up to date with that next. Where's the next race?
Speaker 2:I want to say it is still in the Middle East.
Speaker 1:They do a little loop and then have a break?
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do. Let's have a quick look at the F1 fixtures. Is it fixtures or race schedule? It's in Saudi Arabia, saudi Arabia. So there we go. Yeah, this weekend at Jeddah, there we go. Yeah, this weekend at Jeddah, there we go.
Speaker 1:But we can link Birmingham's and football's boring nature and one-dimensional nature to how manly he played this week and link it great to the NRL of going through some of the fixtures that took place this weekend, big news coming out. Today, though, lockie Galvin has decided well, was it yesterday or today that the news came out?
Speaker 2:So we're filming on a Tuesday, I think it came out yesterday that he's turned down their $5 million offer and can I just say the Tigers have acted very spoiled, brat way around it as well. It's just in the description of oh, we offered him the highest contract that we've ever offered a junior, and stuff like that. And I'm just like players. Players are able to do what they want. At the end of the day, they've got a very short career, short career to create as much money as possible. And I was talking I was talking about it earlier today. It's like we've mentioned it before where, within football, some of these players are on £350,000 a week, which is A joke, which is more than some of these players' contracts a year.
Speaker 2:So $700,000 a week, yeah, which is crazy. And these players their careers aren't Well, depending on position-wise. Their careers aren't long, so they want to make as much money and see what best development. And you've got to take your player's opinion as well. If he doesn't feel like he's developing under Benji Marshall, then that's his right. It happens all the time. Players and coaches don't get on, but I do like the Tigers' way of going. Okay, fair enough, see you later.
Speaker 1:And the difference, like the Tigers way of going OK, fair enough, see you later and the difference between the Tigers being able to go all right, see you later is that Galvin's only been in the system for a year and six weeks, like six rounds, whereas with Manly and DCE, he's been ingrained in the system when we rely on him. So I feel the Tigers stance on it has been strong and they're like OK, well, if you're done with us, when then we're done with you? He's been named in the New South Wales Cup team. I think, though, it will have the same impact that it's had on Manly in terms of speculation turmoil.
Speaker 1:Now what's going to go on? Like Latu, is it Latu Finu that's got to come in? Yeah, one of the Finu brothers has got to come in and pair Jerome Luai, jerome. Jerome Luai is posting up on Instagram saying bitch, don't kill my vibe. Like putting that Kendrick Lamar song in the background. Like he's saying team first. There is going to be an atmosphere there. Tigers fans as well are surely going to be absolutely gutted that they're losing Galvin even though I know I've heard a few of them talk about well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but we don't have to pay him one point. However much million a year, we can invest that elsewhere, so yeah. Adam Dewey's coming um this week at halfback and Jerome Lewis moved to move to six um, which is which is quite an interesting one. There. Marshall's obviously listened to his leaders and gone okay, and we'll see if that does have any sort of impact. But they've got Parramatta at home at the Combank this week, which is again very weird considering that's the Eels' home stadium. But we'll discuss about that a bit later.
Speaker 1:That is interesting. So there's a few destinations that Galvin. They've come out and said that he's not going to be released at 2027, but I think that's an absolute smokescreen. There's no way they're going to keep him on the books for 18 months without thinking, okay, let's offload him. Although he's not going to be on much financially at the moment, let's offload him and open up a roster spot and bring someone in few places that have been named. I know the eels because his connection of being a junior there, but they released him him.
Speaker 1:The Panthers. They're looking for someone to solidify the halves. And what a pull. Saying Nathan Cleary's there, the Dolphins have got money, the Roosters have got money, and then the Manly Seagulls are also in there. What a replacement for DCU.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it would be pretty awesome, like there was last week. We were absolutely singing his praises and the way he was leading the game, so it would be interesting. But then you've got the looks of Jerry Walsh and Large coming through. Is it a case of you're going to start bringing them in sporadically and have Brooks and Galvin as your halves and then bring those in as and when, because otherwise then that's just been a wasted sort of development for Jerry Walsh and I'm just trying to figure out when, when buying a young because they're using a, an nfl term he's going to be a franchise player yeah he's going to be at the club for a prolonged period of time, you'd imagine.
Speaker 2:So it's it's where everything else that they've already set in motion fits as well.
Speaker 1:But this is the difficulty. We're talking about three young players here in large Walsh and Galvin. Galvin's proven it in NRL games. But then I hear Gus Gould, who there's all this going on about him publicly Grooming's not the word, I don't know what it is, but like tapping him up, like trying to, and then he's like dissonance himself saying now we've got our own talent pool, but they could also be in for him. But with that it's a case of well, gus gould said he won't reach his potential until 24, 25 years old, which is five years time. Yeah, so is it a case that whoever's his next club isn't his lifelong club? It might be a case of then where does he go after that?
Speaker 1:Manly need a short-term fix. There's talks about Jamal Fogarty coming in, who would be only a two-year short-term fix for DCE. Or there's Lockie Galvin come in from next year if he gets released from the Tigers, which I think he does and he's there for five years. Partner's Luke Brooks. Maybe then Joey Walsh is ready to take the reins a few years in. So this throws a massive spanner in Manley's plans and if the DCE negotiations are anything to go by, I don't know how much I trust Manly's management to get it done. But keep an eye on this one because it's going to be a talking point for the whole season. There's no way it's going to rest. At least the limelight has been taken off of DCE, but DCE's transfer and Lockheed Galvin's transfer are going to be the two that I feel that dominate. But then Jerome Luai is off contract.
Speaker 1:That's what I was just about to mention as well, 1st of November he can start speaking to other clubs as well by the Instagram post though of.
Speaker 1:Team First. It feels like he's pretty committed to the Tigers. But let's take a look at the games that happened over the past week. Review the round, round six Real interesting start. We both tipped. Do you know what? The tipping side of things? You beat me this week. You got five correct. It came down to that last game, knights-tigers, which I look back at the footage, and I just went with the Knights because I wanted it to be different to you. That cost me, but, yeah, you got five right. I got four right. One that we both got wrong, though, yeah, is the Dolphins against the Panthers. So the Dolphins topple the Panthers 30 points to 12. And my, my, my, the Panthers are in trouble.
Speaker 2:Text you this very well halfway through the game. That was a spoon-worthy performance by the Panthers.
Speaker 1:I was listening to the Buy Round podcast earlier and they were talking about points needed or wins needed to get top four and top eight right. So Panthers have only got one win, which is the first game of the season.
Speaker 1:So they haven't won on Australian soil, which is another bonkers stat. This year they need at least going by past year stats and you've got to remember that this year everyone's beaten everyone, so it could be a bit different. But they need to win 11 or 12 of their remaining 18 games to get in the top eight in order to get into the top four, which I think we can write them off to get into the top four, they need to win 14 to 16 of their last 18 games I I genuinely can't see where that comes from, because they're just so defensively poor at the moment hang on, they got manly next week, not this week coming, but next week, that's, that's, that's one of their wins.
Speaker 2:Um, but the, the game in itself. Um, I thought was going to go pump, but once it started, when dolphins lost their challenge early on, I was was like, right, here we go. This is going to be an absolute rampage. But then the Dolphins stopped Penrith after quite a strong set and then I'm sure there was a six again. There was a repeat set in there.
Speaker 1:I remember now.
Speaker 2:I missed the first 10 minutes of this game and then they were so resilient in defence, which was fantastic to see, and then it was just a bit of trade in sets. And then in the 14th minute the Dolphins went down and scored a try, the Hammer converting after a very poor attempt by Penrith's right edge to stop them. And it's their 14th try they've conceded down that right edge this season.
Speaker 1:I was going to say. One of the things I noted down from that game is that they looked like they were going to score Dolphins looked like they were going to score every time they went forward, especially attacking their left Penrith right, and it looks so poor and they look so poor defensively. We spoke about this I can't remember when it was, but it's been mentioned in other places that Serraldo, the Bulldogs coach, was very defensively minded and when he was at Panthers it's now a case of none of those players that are coming into the Penrith system experienced his methodology, his way of thinking, and it's not there anymore. Look at the defensive jobs that the Bulldogs are doing. They are the best defense in the competition and now Panthers are the worst and it's yes, it wasn't a factor last year because they had, uh, fisher Harris, they had Jerome Luai, they had the backup of last year in the experience of those people, but now it's all gone and they've got inexperience there and they are getting torn apart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's. It's decision making again and sort of poor decision making, and I like it. I think it was about the eighth minute. Um, there was a great.
Speaker 1:Kit martin chased it down, as he does all the time makes a great hit goes to drive him out and then dives on that, just yeah flops on and it's just like come on, yes.
Speaker 2:And then that's when I started watching, actually at that exact point, and then it led to the, to the, the try yeah they were able to. It was back-to-back penalties and then dolphins went and scored and it's, it's those, those key points in a game where, if, if, pemriff had just kept them in their 40, essentially in from that set, it's a completely different game.
Speaker 1:But because of that stupid decision to flop on, it stung them and one I feel like I'm going to talk about this a couple of times about predictable play, because Manly was certainly predictable in the game they played against the Sharks, but it felt like when Hemriff were going forward it'd be a case of Cleary in the middle trying to make something happen, would whip it out wide. But then Dolphins read it like a book and I'm pretty sure at one point Bostock comes in and absolutely wallops Isaac Tango and hits him because he read it a mile off and the ball couldn't get out to the winger quick enough.
Speaker 2:No. And are Penrith going to make the top eight From this? No, I think there's too much happening elsewhere from other teams for them to. If they're playing like this week in, week out, it's not their attack, it's the defence side of things and where you'd normally have a very strong defensive Penrith team who could score 20, 30 points and then not really concede any and go on and win, whereas this team they're sort of still scoring around 20 points a game but they're shipping 30, like they did against Dolphins.
Speaker 1:Well, they only scored 12 in this one and their second try came off an absolute comical error. Bostock's gone to kick it out the back, oh yeah that was it, and he's absolutely sliced it and Liotta's just dived on top of it and scored. But that goes to show the state of affairs. All right, they've lost Brian Toto. He's out of a hamstring, but who else is there talent-wise to come back?
Speaker 2:There's nothing. Edwards was back and he looked like he offered more than Lowry from fullback. He was another player like.
Speaker 1:He gives it his all, he gives everything.
Speaker 2:He's trying to create so much, Just like Cleary, he's inserting himself into the attacking line to add that additional person and just nothing came off from that side of things. The Dolphins' defence did look a little bit stretched and lacked a bit of structure at times in the first half. I think there was a knock-on in the first half and their defence was just all over the place. An absolute disarray from that side of things. But then they were just unstoppable going forward, like you said, which absolutely, absolutely killed them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, dolphins certainly seem to be fine in their feet, and Panthers, who knows what's going to happen. Another one interesting one to keep an eye on. But the second game of the weekend. Well, the Friday night early kickoff Dragons against the Titans. We both tipped the Dragons in this one and they and they came out victorious, which was, uh, I think, a very, very strong performance. Worrying going into playing the manly seagulls this thursday night but, they beat the titans 38 16.
Speaker 1:Opening 10 minutes of this game was end to end. Yeah, I thought we were in for a very close one, but Val Holmes seemed to just turn up and have a day of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's started to really click these last couple of weeks.
Speaker 1:A little bit of inconsistency with his conversions, but Well, I think there was a point he was seven conversions for seven in a period of last week and this week and then he missed a few, but that again starting to get that consistency back yeah um, whereas at the start of the season he looked like he left his boots at home.
Speaker 2:Um, and the dragons were just so so good in what they did. Um christian to a polluter was was so so good in that game. He's such an absolute animal 276 run meters.
Speaker 1:Line breaks um five tackle breaks as well they targeted that edge to go at because they were just whipping it out whenever they were down on the goal line. They're whipping it out there. And what a way to uh celebrate a new, new deal. Christian to a pelotto in. He got told by sh Shane Flanagan as well, he needs to stop the celebration. Then he couldn't resist himself. He signed a new deal over.
Speaker 2:He goes two tries it was his second try.
Speaker 1:They were up by a fair few points at that point as well, so there was even a point, though, where he's sitting on the bench and I can't remember who it was scored, but they, they panned to him with ice on his hamstring and he sits there and he gives it the money sign. So, yeah, he's definitely um, he's worthy of that money, he, that new contract, he, he finishes well, he executes well and he scored seven, seven tries in in five games to start the season. But the first half I felt like the titans grew into it and it was. It was a tight first half, but um, just homes made a difference. There was a. That was it the second try I believe they scored. It might even be the first where it went so quickly through his hands and he got it out to to a blow, just strolled over. But um, he's so good foul homes.
Speaker 1:They were talking on commentary. I remember it now. They were saying, um, how he moves like a running back and obviously when I played in the nfl he went over as part of the ipp development program international player pathway development program and he, just he's one of those ones where he doesn't change his body level. When he cuts, like now, it feels like his feet take him in a direction, but you can't tell from his upper body where he's going and and I believe that causes a lot of issues.
Speaker 1:It causes issues Because they can't read what he's doing. They plant their feet in set, thinking he's going to run at him, and next thing you know he's going off in a direction that they can't read. He's definitely I said it. It was either last week or the week before that the dragons are starting to click. Yeah, and unfortunately they are. And yeah, they play Manly this Thursday.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll discuss that in a little bit, but from a Titans point of view, I did say losing Big Tino was going to impact them, because they just didn't have that oomph in the middle that he tends to bring Fair play to David Fafita, though he had a day he got 203 run meters as well, like that's a.
Speaker 2:That's a lot for for a second row. Um, he was trying to take that lead, but I think, as you said, there's going to be a lot of talk about it, but there was just a lot of one dimensional attack by the titans where he just didn't seem to to open up at all they said on.
Speaker 1:They said on comms as well that not so much the attack of the Titans but the defense, they would have focused on Gutherson in the middle. Watch out for him, keep him contained and you'll be fine. What they didn't do is then account for Valholm, turpilotto. I can't remember the other center, the big guy that came on begins with S. Anyway, tyrell Sloan, no, sloan, he's a fullback.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sorry, he's a winger, suli, suli, yeah, moses.
Speaker 1:Suli, that's it. And they didn't account for all that and they've gone right. Contain Gutherson Last week he got 200 and something meters. Stop it up the middle, the big boys. But they just didn't focus on the wings and that's where they got killed down. The Dragons' left their right, just absolutely tore them apart. But what did you think of the kind of just in general over the weekend, the referees' performance of high shots? There was one in this game. Brock Gray got sent to the bin. He went for an arm tackle, slipped up, he hit the shoulder of his teammate and then it slipped up and hit the jaw. I thought it was a bit questionable.
Speaker 2:They were consistent again this weekend with it, so there wasn't many points where you're like, oh, that should have been in the bin. It was anything that was in the face was dealt with, and that's what we've asked for is just the consistency side of things. So now players understand that, anything on the head they're going to which should be the consequence to change behaviour.
Speaker 1:People now might start thinking I can't go anywhere near the jaw of my arm or the head with my arm. I can't go anywhere near the head with my shoulder, and it should make them start thinking about when I engage in that first contact where I'm second man in, I've got to go shoulder to shoulder, I've got to aim for nipple at best and if I go high I'm hitting sternum or shoulder. Fingers crossed.
Speaker 2:It changes things, but um well, that did that created a bit of discussion, didn't it on our social media pages was when we mentioned about the high tackles in general. It's to shut off the ball, yeah, um, which, yeah, completely understand, completely get, but you don't have to hit people in the head, no, exactly. Yeah, exactly, you need to. You need to be going lower, but it's, it's. It's, unfortunately. You aim to hit around the chest area, around the sternum area, which is now a high tackle in in club union.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, and you slip up and you take the jaw, boom, or if they lower their level by a little fraction, which I don't think is mitigating circumstances, because it feels like a bit of a natural drop in height when you get tackled. You're not getting away with it, um. So yeah I think, great win for the dragons. They got a tough one at brookie next. We'll preview that in a bit. But then the second game on the friday night was the broncos against the roosters. Now, annoying, I said in the preview to this, if there wasn't, if there was going to be an upset in the fixtures this weekend.
Speaker 1:This wasn't going to be it. Well, bugger me sideways, this was an upset. But in saying that, the Sydney Roosters looked fairly decent, Like they weren't the Sydney Roosters of last year, but they managed to defeat the Broncos 26-16, got the win. Real dogged performance up at the Suncorp. Yep, yeah, what did you think of it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolute gutsy performance by the Roosters. They shut down the Broncos. The Broncos didn't really have much attack, the roosters just played, played really well, played to their sort of strengths of everything Reese bowl shedding again. Very inca, very, very bad guy. There was the. I Can't remember who scored. The try thing was about the second really Smith's up in the air. No, it wasn't that one.
Speaker 1:Oh, there was that, that one, but then it was the one where they broke through the middle and I made a business decision.
Speaker 2:I think he takes me there. He, he made, he dived. So he did a very dramatic dive to make sure he he looked like he was making the tackle but it just looked so bad. And then there was the high kick, which he just completely bought, but there was a few kicks he left, like there was one to Cobbo that ended up going to Cobbo where, yeah, walsh was right next to it and he just let it bounce and Cobbo picked it up and, yeah, it was a very, again, very poor performance by him yeah, but Hugo Savala from the young heart seven that came in for the Roosters.
Speaker 1:Six foot four tall or six, maybe even six foot five tall, he was putting boots up in the air, and for the Roosters it might have been their first try boots up in the air. Reece Walsh doesn't even make an like half attempts to go jump up for it. Billy Smith just jumps over the top of him, catches it and strolls in for a try. Reece Walshh, I'm telling you I said it for a few weeks if he wasn't the face of the nrl, the guy would be playing in new south wales cup. He is pretty poor. Um, one thing I've noticed, though, about the roosters is sand and smith. In the halves he is he halves. Is he six? I believe? Yeah, sand and smith is six.
Speaker 1:He, twice this season, has thrown two interceptions down on the goal line. Selwyn cobbos, breakaway, try this one, and I can't remember a couple of weeks ago who it was against. But it's basically the same same situation, same scenario. He's gone to play it wide and there's someone standing there, yeah, and he still decided to throw the ball. And it just makes me think like, is that going to cost them?
Speaker 1:Is it like in key moments. Is he the person, because I've heard Brandon Smith talk about him being the future with Sam Walker when he comes back and them two together. But it seems like he's got a lot of work to do because unfortunately for them it didn't impact this game, but it certainly changed the momentum for a short period of time after that because I believe after that they then scored immediately after Adam Reynolds done again. Yeah, yeah, walsh scored, yeah, great powerful Payne Haas, even though he was restricted I heard Willie Mason talking about this, restricting Payne Haas to 140 metres. Is Payne Haas having a bad game, which is mental? But he had a line break and then Adam Reynolds sets him up a few offloads and they're 10-8 up and it's through those mistakes from being down on the goal line to then a couple of sets being down.
Speaker 1:Is that going to cost them later on, if they can eradicate that?
Speaker 2:I think it's a pre-emptive play and there's a set set way for it, so he's making the pass without even seeing what the defensive? Line are doing, which it can clearly cost you, it's it. You still need to take that millisecond to look at where the, where the line is, and you can't, you can't be throwing passes blind, especially down there, if you just, you just take the, you take the hit and just let it recycle. But other than that, no, the Roosters look a lot more solid than they have in previous weeks.
Speaker 1:And then old Spencer Lenu got himself in the he's been in the talking books a little bit over the last few days. I'm on the fence of this one. There's multiple reports that have been flying around about he was approached by jonathan thurston to say, oh, can you have an interview? Obviously he's held on to a lot of yeah, a lot of the comments that were said around the ban that he got what. What he said was wrong. He got punished for it. Whether it was a fair punishment or not, that's people's opinion. But Thurston then didn't come out when Ezra Mann got the punishment and that's where Spencer Lenu, I feel, was held onto a lot of frustration.
Speaker 2:He was very, very angry around it.
Speaker 1:And he's just given it to him. And the annoying thing about it is if jonathan thurston went up to him in the locker room or whatever and it's not being filmed, we might have heard about it but not there wouldn't have been too much. Yeah, blow up about it, but as well you've got to realize that this is. He's just finished a sport which is all of his aggressions left out on the field. He's just ran out to hit people, hurt, hurt people, run over people. You can't approach someone that's so heightened with adrenaline and kind of reactionary in a war sport and try and broker a relationship in the middle of the field.
Speaker 2:I heard it was multiple times as well.
Speaker 2:It wasn't just the once, and I think Lenu's declined a couple of times and then just told him what he thinks of him, which you know what Players are entitled to. They should be able to refuse interviews with players that they don't want. The best example is Sir Alex Ferguson refused to talk to the BBC for years because of, I think they said one comment about his Manchester United team. So I think players have the full right to to to speak who to the they want and don't want, but this has been massively blown out. Blown out.
Speaker 1:it has but it it adds, it's a topic of conversation. That's a very controversial topic of conversation and triggering for a lot of people in terms of it did involve a racist accusation in Las Vegas which, understandably, um, what was said he got punished for and he got found guilty of. It did involve a racist accusation in Las Vegas which, understandably, what was said he got punished for and he got found guilty of it. So there are elements of, in fact, that, but that wasn't the focus of this, but there are elements of past history. That makes this a lot more, a lot better for media companies to create a story about and blow up about, because it will sell, it will get clicks, it will get likes and it will sell papers. But, from the game perspective itself, lenu's a absolute animal and and where did he come from?
Speaker 2:as in he, he came from the bench I think, in that game as well, which is what we we spoke about, I think the previous, last week was, and and what other podcasts have said is is to get the best out of lenu. Is you need those 20-minute bursts from?
Speaker 1:him.
Speaker 2:It just comes on his physical, yeah, and he can change a game and the Broncos are so reliant on their middle because they've got a very big pack and if you can come on and disrupt that as well for that 20-minute period, it could shift the game from where the the broncos were hoping it to go.
Speaker 1:So and you look at their result in round one, right they got. So the broncos won 50 points to 14 and they've turned that around from a 50 point or what's that? 36 point deficit to winning a game. By what is it? One by 12, 10, um, one by 10 did. Is it a case of naivety from the broncos thinking now we're going to beat this thought we're going to absolutely turn them over? I don't know, but james tedesco had a performance so you look at the.
Speaker 1:You look at the two fullbacks, right. You look at the two fullbacks in this game and you have an experienced fullback in james tedesco, 200 plus yards carrying the ball, 10 line breaks, and he was solid defensively, he was helping out. And then you look at reese walsh who's making 17 errors for the year. He's got the highest amount of errors for the season. And it's just night and day. The roosters have the makings of a team that look like they compete, like they're not going to be competing for a title, they're not going to be competing for a premiership, but they look like they could be a team that can make the eight and oh yeah, without a shadow of a doubt, they've, they've shifted um and you're sort of talking about, they're like with the fullback is arguably one of the the most important position on the field, because you that that last line of defense.
Speaker 2:You're under so much pressure from the, from the the kicking side of things as well, but you also have to bring so much in attack like a lot of the team's attacks rely on what their fullback can do and if their fullbacks are quiet, then it affects their, affects the performance.
Speaker 2:Like, look at the dolphins, first few games of the season, when the hammer was kept quiet, they they weren't, they weren't going anywhere. It's the same with with the dragons. When gutherson was was shut down. Now he started to play and he started to to be able to shift the, the focus from the opposition's defense. The dragons are now free flown in their attack. Yeah, and it's such an important position that you can see shown there that the again a lot of the run me is where, from the, from the roosters kicks and from the defensive side, walsh was handing over to cobo who to be fair to the boy, give him from like sort of back fence.
Speaker 2:He's going to cause some damage. But the ruse's defensive line was up so quickly they neutralize that yeah and he's supposed to be this quick feet, incredible runner of the ball, and surely, if you've got a bit of open space it's like what I said about marcus smith right at the start of this is if you give that boy some room to run into, he can can create something. Walsh just isn't doing that.
Speaker 1:He took a high shot as well in the game which might have opened up those scars from Joseph Sorelli On that point. What a great link. Yes, his try sorry, he didn't get the try but his assist for the New South Wales Waratahs Coast to coast, coast to coast, so from one end of the field to the other described as the potential try of the decade. I know we switched codes here. We've gone from league to union or footy to rugby as it's called over here, but yeah, you sent it to me. What a great try. And focusing on what's coming in the future, I believe that the Australians are going to cause the Lions more problems than first thought.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of talent starting to grow within the Australian sort of camp and the Waratahs now, I think, are undefeated at home, which is crazy, considering I think they finished near enough bottom of the ladder last year and they've had a massive shift. And, yeah, it's fantastic to see Everyone's predictions of going from a whitewash from the Lions to now they think the Australian pundits think they can get a test match?
Speaker 2:It'd be interesting. That's what I can say Because a lot of the players I think the UK and Irish players will have had a period of time off before the Lions, where the Australian will be playing up to like May, june. So they'll be coming in with pre-rehearsed momentum while the Lions will have had a period of time off training.
Speaker 1:One game against Argentina. Which isn't going to be an easy game but on that that, make sure like and subscribe, because we're going to be heading along to a lot of six out of the nine of the fixtures. We're going to be going in full kit as well. We're going to be hopefully reviewing some of the games, maybe a quick little 20 minute review of the weekend how things have gone, and then we'll try and get some clips, maybe when we're out and about socialising before and after, if we can still talk.
Speaker 1:Yeah, might be in full kit socks, everything. We'll see how it goes.
Speaker 2:My shorts arrived yesterday, so I've got it ready to go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think I bought the socks in the UK when I was over there or something like that.
Speaker 1:I can't remember, but yeah, click on that subscribe button keep updated with kind of how we're going, because we're going to see how we can make sure we keep this kind of NRL segment going and the Lions as well. But talking of fullbacks that are having an impact, it's the Sharks against the Seagulls. Sharks beat us 24-18. I mean the scoreline is, I think, very, very flattering for Manly. We got blown away. What's the name of Will Kennedy?
Speaker 2:Will Kennedy, absolutely tore us apart and you got 115 meters, which is very surprising.
Speaker 1:Very surprising. Well, you had 80 of them wiped off, or 60 of them wiped off for a contentious.
Speaker 2:What's the penalty called?
Speaker 1:Interference. What's it called Escorting? Escorting what I feel it was. Yeah, it was. I don't know whether I'm looking at that with maroon tinted glasses.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was Stone Street. Changed his angle. If the referee called, it's a penalty, yeah exactly it's a penalty.
Speaker 1:It's a penalty what a tense, like first 35 minutes. Though I don't know whether it's to do with the atmosphere in the stadium, it being quiet, not full, but it felt to me both teams were scared about making a mistake.
Speaker 2:I just don't think Manly had anything in attack.
Speaker 1:They didn't.
Speaker 2:It was so one-dimensional, it was so poor. It was so easy to read as well.
Speaker 1:There was a 10-minute period where we had 92% possession and did nothing so that is nine minutes and 20 seconds of the ball, I think mathematically. And we did nothing with it, didn't score lack of creative creativity, so, predictable, ship it wide. They could read what was going on. There was no. I just I didn't know, it was just rubbish.
Speaker 2:No one did anything to try and create something. Either I was talking about it, about the football. You want someone to pick the ball up in midfield and just run when there was kicks in behind, or they were trying. It started to create gaps. But, to be fair to him, will Kennedy was everywhere as well. He read every little kick and was in position sort of straight off.
Speaker 1:But even then the kicking game was poor. Now we've often in the past said we overlook the team that have won and focus on the team that have lost. I think in this case Manny were poor. If Manny would have taken their chances when they had the ball, when they were down in the red zone for a stupid amount of time, we would be talking about a different result. Yes, cronulla executed, but you look at the two moments of genius that opened the scoring for them. Trindle, brilliant pass out wide. What a grab by Stone Street. He's like one-handed it darts along the sideline.
Speaker 2:It was a great try.
Speaker 1:Ridiculous great try and then the kick that Trindle's put in for the second. He'd had two moments that were great and it just frustrates me that Manly could have been 10, 12, 18 points up by that point. If they could have been creative. Sharks don't look great. I don't think they've hit their full potential. I don't think they've quite figured out what they are like in terms of moving forward. But you look at that pass from Trindle, it's creativity, it's skipping a man and throwing it out wide. When the when the wingers dived in because he's seen it and he's thrown it over the top, we didn't look anywhere near that. It only took until when did we score our first try? Like the 48, 49th minute or something like that 51st on fifth tackle, a bit of scrambling, let's lob the ball around and see what happens, and then is it far lalo that went over kick through little kick through.
Speaker 1:Far lalo goes through, or is it the cherry evans on, I don't even know, but it's just so frustrating that we don't have any creativity. And then you get seabold coming out in the press conference after going.
Speaker 2:We saw some good things, we did this done about you, but I didn't see much, and I think it was Hiroti's try where DC made a very good business decision he tried to intercept the ball he might have been Kennedy's try. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:He's gone to intercept the ball and it was just so frustrating he stepped inside to try and get the interception, but then there's no one behind him. Like Oluwatu, injures himself on that play. Apparently he's been named for this week, so he seems to be alright. But my like high hopes before the season started. Right, it's gone. We can talk about the rollercoaster of being an NRL fan, but for me, perseco's injury is a lot bigger than of being an NRL fan.
Speaker 2:But for me, perseco's injury is A lot bigger than I thought it was going to be.
Speaker 1:It's significant because Takiyaho like big body but he just seems to walk into contact. He's not physical and I don't want to slag the guy off but get physical. I saw him in his first carry when he came on first game of the season. It's Cowboys. He was physical in that first hit up. Where's that gone? Aloe like yes, comes on his physical, but it just seems that we're lacking that partner of having two real physical forwards. Yeah, I can't wait for matt lodge to come back. I think he's going to bring some fire in the front. Uh, hit ups, but I'm starting to think that we're not of top four team and I'm questioning to think I think we could be 8 to 8 to 12 where we're gonna finish.
Speaker 2:It feels to me that you want to avoid that melting pot of team 5 to 17 or well amongst it even 7 to 15, and I believe now that we're a team that could, unless we sort things out, we're a team that could easily miss out on the top 8 if we don't pull it right together and you touched on it there the attack is so one dimensional because there's nothing coming from the middle and there's no heavy, big runners, as you said, in the middle which then draws players in to then be able to shift, like Aliquart is playing on the air and he he takes four or five players with him.
Speaker 1:All that he does is run forward every time and pumping his legs high up, high waistband get yeah, but you need that from your props as well.
Speaker 2:You need that from your middles and and if the fuck? Yeah, but even jake taking the ball into contact like yeah, and, and the passing as well, is so slow that everyone stood still while the ball was being passed down the line.
Speaker 2:And no one's running onto it, no one's coming onto things at pace, the ball's being looped. I said to you and the boys on Saturday, if I was an NRL coach, the first two things that I would do is I'd bring in a specific kicking coach that will be able to even though I hate the short line kickoff, there is a period within the 20 30 meter line. If you get enough height on that thing, you can get, you can be competitive but then also gives enough distance away from the line that you're not going to be straight on your 10. And I'll bring in a scrum half coach to get the ball moving, zipping, zipping out, like everyone should be able to zip that ball out quickly and but because it's been looped and it's taken half an hour to get to players and you have to receive it like 10 meters back and and they're standing still when the ball's being shipped.
Speaker 2:There's no wonder defenses can read what's happening, because it's taken half an hour to the for the ball to get out to the wide.
Speaker 1:Absolute manly meltdown right now, absolute manly meltdown.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was just really infuriating because that speed from the first couple of games is completely gone and you can't even say it's because Turbo's not there, because Hoppawattu played fullback for, I think, the majority of one of those games.
Speaker 1:Defensively. I don't think Hoppawattu's there.
Speaker 2:He's 20 years old he's got a lot to learn as and I and as I've just said, it's the most important, probably, position on the field, but I I saw a lot of hate for him floating around the social media pages on saturday review comments and I put a few comments back because he let one bomb absolute drop and he's made two mistakes in the five games he's played at fullback.
Speaker 2:One was against the tigers where he knocked on and possibly that he should have put the body underneath it, but he's so good under the high ball cowboys?
Speaker 1:no, who did we play?
Speaker 2:warriors, warriors, sorry it was the warriors, and he's so good under the high ball that no I'm never nervous when he goes up for it. I'm like he's always coming down with this thing. Very true, and there was a lot of hate around him. I think it's his, his position on him reading the game which is letting him down.
Speaker 1:Because he could have been in a better position for their first try. If the wingers crashing in as much as he is, there's got to be support around the outside, and if he knows he's doing that, maybe he's there quicker, but I don't know. We in that one. But let's get on with the rest of the pictures. Otherwise I think we could be dissecting Manly's problems all night as the armchair fans that we are. But Cowboys beat the Rabbitohs 24-16. Yep, I think the Cowboys have changed their fortune. I think they could be in a position where they could. They had a terrible start to the year, yeah, but they're in. I think they could be in a position where they had a terrible start to the year, yeah, but they're in a position now where they're looking all right, like low scoring. It was 6-4 at halftime, but they came out in the second half and, yeah, proved that they've actually got something about them.
Speaker 2:It was. The thing about this game is I think it wasn't too bad because the Rabbitohs were so depleted in what they had in their resources I think for it to be 16-24,. There was a lot of times where you'd think the Rabbitohs were going to come in and win it and do some damage, but they just didn't take that extra step. So I don't know, I'm not that convinced of the Cowboys just yet. In that sense I think they're still not as amazing as they are. But I think I very much picked the Rabbitohs in this one and I think it was because I fell into the nostalgia of Latrell Mitchell going to the halves and I thought he was going to absolutely rip it up and I should have stuck with the proper thinking of the game and going.
Speaker 1:They're down to a lot of plays here and that's, I believe, like Latrell Mitchell in the halves is a good experiment, but he's a fullback or he's a centre Like. I don't think he's quite there to play in the halves. Where's he been named this week as well? I don't know where he's been. Let's have a look. But for me, the Cowboys are what three wins in a row now they beat the Panthers, they beat the Raiders and now they beat the Rabbitohs.
Speaker 2:They're starting to gain some momentum, yeah he's still in the house, but they're coming up against the Bulldogs and I don't think I'll be, and they've got Matt Burton back yes, well, I know he's been named on. Where's he been named?
Speaker 1:he might be back. But oh, the Cowboys have got a bye this week, so they're going to beat the buy. They're going to get two points to Cowboys this week. That's four in a row, four wins on a bounce. You can't argue with that one. They're in a solid position. It's just whether they can keep.
Speaker 2:Oh no, they lost to the Raiders, didn't they?
Speaker 1:No one Hang on. Let me check. I'm not chatting, absolute.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they lost to. I'm 100% sure they lost to the Raiders.
Speaker 1:I bet you five bucks. They didn't. You got it in front of you. They beat the Raiders 30 points to 20. I thought the Raiders won Cowboys 30, raiders 20. When did it win?
Speaker 2:I can't remember the stats yeah because why did I think the Raiders won?
Speaker 1:No, the Raiders got a sin bin, didn't they? Yeah, the Raiders got a sin bin and anyway, by the by, they've won three in a row. They're about to win four in the row because they got the buy and all of a sudden they got points on the board and the season's starting to turn around. So yeah, um, I just felt the rabbit is a two depleted. Uh, pressure, pressure, pressure from the cowboys physicality and it just wore them down. But jai gray had a good game, got a try like he's definitely proven his worth at fullback.
Speaker 2:It'd be interesting to see how they go now, though I don't think Mitchell's going to be going back to fullback. I think he'd say it week in, week out. Jai's correct. Jai Gray is too good to not have on that field.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the next game Eels against the Raiders. We were in the DYRSL so didn't really get to pay too much attention to this, but I don't think there was too much attention that need paying to this. No disrespect to raiders fans or eels fans, but they've turned around and absolutely battered them. They've stuck 50 on them. That's the second time this season that the eels have had 50 stuck on them. They are in. Like we spoke about zach lomax making a difference last week. This was prior to him releasing that he had fractured his foot, so without him, without mitchell moses, dylan brown did get a try, though I believe he did so, but to get absolutely waxed 50 points to 12. It was up in darwin. Um, yeah, terrible turn performance from from the eels, uh, and the Raiders just dominated, they did.
Speaker 2:Jamal Fogarty just kept ticking everything over Very, very good game by pretty much everyone. You don't score 50 points without everything clicking, and the Raiders are starting. It's really difficult to understand where the Raiders are, because they put out this sort of performance and they look absolutely solid. There's so much going on. They're back free when clicking, are so quick and can create so much space, but then they get games like they did when they played against Manly and it's like they do when they played against the Cowboys as well, which you've just rightly corrected me on, and it's just trying to figure out how they can keep that consistency going.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they've got the Titans up next, so it'll be interesting to see how they go. But Hudson Young again puts in another top performance.
Speaker 2:I think that's really helping them is they've got two very athletic and creative second rowers in. Hudson Young and Matty Nicholson scored again, so that's both their second rowers scoring.
Speaker 1:Hudson Young and Matty Nicholson Scored again, so that's both their second rowers scoring.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's what I mean. If your second rowers are scoring probably as frequently as your wingers are, you're opening up teams massively because they're clearly shifting their focus from one point to the other and that's how the gaps are creating. So, because their wingers are such a threat, as well as the centre, as well as the second row, you can't just focus on one area, so you can't just bite in because they're going to be able to ship it out. Keir Weeks can insert himself brilliantly, get the ball out to the wingers and then you can't then focus. Try and focus on the wingers, because you got the likes of hudson, hudson, nicholson, who can just dart around players and score as well.
Speaker 1:I mean there was a bold shout earlier I can't remember what radio station I heard it but like the camber raiders could win the premiership, like there's no saying they will, I think that's not a bad shout of saying they could. Um, but let's not carry it, get carried away. They're playing the eels who have had 50 stuck on them twice. All right, they got one victory against the dragons was it yet because I beat the dragons, but other than that, they've looked absolutely terrible.
Speaker 1:We can't, we can't, be jumping to conclusions about the raiders winning, winning premierships after that, because the team that we're about to talk about next is my word If there is a complete separate conversation talking about the one standout team that are likely to win the premiership and then everyone else, even if what I've just said makes sense. Basically, the Melbourne Storm are a mile above absolutely everyone else.
Speaker 2:I don't understand what happened against that game against the Dragons.
Speaker 1:Jerome Hughes wasn't playing.
Speaker 2:He's had an incredible week last week and he had an incredible week this week as well. God, they just. Everything just works for them.
Speaker 1:I don't even want to spend too much time on it because they're just so good that whatever they do works. Yeah, they move the ball well. So I was in the car listening to this on the radio, right, and it was a period where someone got sent to the bin. I don't even know who it was that got sent to the bin, but I just heard it was like basically, kick off, try, kick off, try, kick off, try Jackson Ford, and they were just breaking through with ease line breaks galore, and it was a case of how do you stop them? You can't. They scored 90 points in two games.
Speaker 2:And I said it last week they just constantly seem to have overlaps and not just one or two players, five or six ready to take the ball against two or three defenders, and they're just so good. Players, five or six ready to to just take the ball against two or three defenders, and they're just, it's just so good. They have constant intensity in the middle as well um, they have the best attack by a mile.
Speaker 1:So it's almost of that philosophy I kind of remember who it was. That doesn't matter how many you score, we're going to score more.
Speaker 2:But it was, wasn't it in holloway at blackpool, when they when up and they didn't get relegated?
Speaker 1:The Broncos, who some may say have as good attack, but they're just absolutely destroying the metrics. In terms of points scored, the Broncos are pretty close, but the Broncos stuck 50 on the Roosters' first game of the season 184 points in and you know, the annoying thing is I know we're moving on to Manly, but 166 points Manly have scored. Alright, they haven't had a bye week yet, so that's one more game, I suppose. But anyway, enough about the Seagulls, we're talking about the Storm. They look ridiculous. P Munster looks good. Hughes looks good.
Speaker 2:Hughes is just orchestrating it so well and then Xavier Coates.
Speaker 1:Was it him that jumped up for the ball took it off and then just offloaded as well, like give it a rest.
Speaker 2:I know we're still a while away, but I I worry at state of origin, with Coates one side, cabo on the other, like they are nah any high ball.
Speaker 1:I don't know. New South Wales are clean sweeping it 3-0 this year. Don't get it twisted. Maybe I'm being a bit too.
Speaker 2:I was just about to say, and also you said that the Broncos versus Roosters definitely wasn't going to be a yeah, fair enough.
Speaker 1:And then, moving on to the last game of the week. I know we're skipping over the Storm, but they're just too good. The Warriors, I suppose. I suppose this actually touched on them.
Speaker 2:I think they've lost Fisher Harris as well. Yeah, injured Torn.
Speaker 1:Peck, so torn is Peck, so he's going to be out. He's a leader Without him. Are they going to be dishing up those sort of performances?
Speaker 2:I don't know, I don't know. It's a big loss in the middle that is down. They've got backs to burn as well, and if they're shut off and they've not got anything in the middle, then it's a bit of a shame for the Warriors.
Speaker 1:It is. Our friends want us to tip the Warriors, but it's going to be difficult now with not having Fisher Harrison but rumours that Joey Marnu might be going to the Warriors which will be an interesting signing for them, but we'll see how that one goes.
Speaker 1:And then on to the final game of the weekend. I'll be honest, I'll be brutally honest with this one. I didn't watch it because I was preoccupied, but from all accounts, the Knights were absolutely terrible. Tigers turn over the Knights 20 points to four. From what I was listening to summaries of it the Knights were just dropping everything. They had nothing in attack. They were trying to get Bradman Best going and he couldn't. Ponga was not good, just just nothing.
Speaker 2:Well, and this is what we said last week if you shut that, if you shut down Ponga and Ponga and Best they, they have nothing and they were so one-dimensional. It was really, really bad um longest time between they were scoring.
Speaker 2:They were they were a minute away from going back-to-back games without scoring a point and I was chatting to my mate who's a Knights fan and he was like, oh yeah, to make it sound even worse, we haven't scored a point. This was halfway through the game. We haven't scored a point since the 22nd of March and they were. I think there's been. I think they scored in the game before their bye, within the last 10 minutes, and they scored within the last minute in this game. They are 11 minutes. They were essentially 11 minutes away from going three on the bounce without scoring we talk.
Speaker 1:I'm looking at the ladder. Now you want to talk about terrible attacking stats. The eels have scored 79 points this season. The newcastle knights have scored 46 jesus, they are the worst by a country mile a lot as well, that is, that's a gap that is absolutely terrible and I tipped them because I wanted to be different when maybe I don't do that again in the future.
Speaker 1:But, summarising the round, it was another eventful one. We've had upsets, we've had performances, like Val Holmes finally deciding to turn up Manly, which one of those are going to turn up. But let's look at round seven. We've got some interesting fixtures coming up. Coming up and kicking it off with Brookvale Oval.
Speaker 2:We have the Manly.
Speaker 1:Seagulls $1.60. Favourites I don't know who's doing these Against the St George Illawarra Dragons at $2.34.
Speaker 2:Thursday night $7.50 kickoff night 750 kickoff. I'm saying he's exact same as I did last week. Um, I'm not gonna not be tipping the ceos. So I'll be tipping the ceos, but I genuinely think it could be an absolute dragons blow out I'm apprehensive of this one um sarb's back now he's been better in defense.
Speaker 1:He has been and I reflected on this with my father-in-law. I was like we missed Saab.
Speaker 2:I actually I was watching. Just quickly go back on the game, there was a couple of points where I think if Saab was on that field we would have scored, because there was one breakaway where I think it was like Fowlalo got the ball and he got chased, where he got caught quite quickly, whereas with Saab I think he was up the sideline. I think that's what we missed is that additional pace on the wing, because once he gets tall.
Speaker 1:He's tall as well, and I'm pretty sure it is that wing that. No, he would have been on the right wing. Ignore that I was thinking. When Braden Trindle throws that ball, does it get to Stone Street?
Speaker 2:yeah, it was Tommy Talao's first game back as well, yeah.
Speaker 1:Saab's on the right wing, isn't he?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Which is the opposite side, but still we miss his height. Like for all the criticism we may have of him last season, he has improved this year. I'm going to tip the Seagulls in this because it's at Brookie, and I'm one I've said this before if I don't think Manny are going to win, I will tip against them, but because it's at Brookie, I think we're going to get the job done. I think the crowd get behind them and I feel that we're going to see a performance that is going to be creative. We're going to go back to plan A, plan B, mix it up and we're going to see. I'm going to go by.
Speaker 2:We are a turbo away from this being our strongest back line. I think We've now Tommy Talal back.
Speaker 1:What's your opinions of him coming back next week, the week before the?
Speaker 2:bye, I wouldn't risk it. I wouldn't risk it. There's no point. It's against the Panthers as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but we say this the one game that the Panthers are going to turn up will be next week. We'll preview that one next week. So both tipping the Seagulls in that one. Hopefully. Good night at Brookie Oval. We having any beers this Thursday? We'll see, we'll see. We'll see Next up on the Friday 4.05pm. This game, I believe, is close to a sellout at the York Horse Stadium.
Speaker 2:That'd be pretty awesome.
Speaker 1:So we've got the Bulldogs sitting first on the ladder. Top of the ladder $1.31, against the Rabbitohs $3.46.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going. The Dogs They've got is Kikau back starting or is he just back? So they've got Matty Burton's back in at six, which is huge, absolute bombs. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think Kikau's still a week away. I think his name, but I don't think he'll start.
Speaker 2:He's a reserve, and so is Blake Wilson. Blake Wilson's a reserve as well. Rabbit O's have got Cody Walker back, which is a big one. Has he been named? Yeah, he's starting at seven Interesting, which is a big.
Speaker 1:It's still a big name to bring back in I read that Josh Eustace and the he is, but he did play in the New South Wales Cup. I read that Lewis Dodd was likely to start this game, so I reckon Cody Walker is named, but he's not going to be in the final. Okay, that could be wrong, but something I read earlier suggested that lewis dodd's going to get his make his first nrl uh performance.
Speaker 2:That'll be interesting to see. But, um, but, yeah, I'm going to go with uh the dogs on this. I think they're, they're, they're so, they're so strong and, like you say, they're scoring points for sort of fun at the moment as well they are.
Speaker 1:Um, I'm going to take the dogs, so I don't think there's going to be any other scoreline, because the dogs are so good defensively. Yeah, what the rabbit toes have and who they've lost, um, I'm not sure that they're going to have it in attack, like there could be an eventuality, this game to shut out as well. Yeah, because of how good the dogs like depends if cody walker plays um little trail mitchell. I think actually that's what I might have read the trail mitchell going. Of how good the dogs are, it depends if Cody Walker plays Latrell Mitchell. I think actually that's what I might have read Latrell Mitchell going back to the centres and then Lewis Dodd coming in at six, which would be interesting, because then that does give them that bit of power on an edge.
Speaker 1:I just see the Bulldogs getting this done, though I can't see them losing to the Rabbitohs, because it's Good Friday, rabbitohs, because it's good Friday, it's going to be an absolute balmy atmosphere. Yeah, the Belmore balmy army are going to be out at the Accor Stadium. It's going to be a rowdy one-one to certainly keep an eye on. Then, friday 8 pm, at the Suncorp, we have the Dolphins $4.75 against the Storm $1.22 favourites. They're even shorter than the Bulldogs. To win Again. I can only see this going one way.
Speaker 2:I don't think we need to touch on that too much. Storm.
Speaker 1:If there's going to be an upset this week, it's not going to be this fixture.
Speaker 2:There you go. Everyone get your picture on the Dolphins.
Speaker 1:But no, the Storm are going to win it and I think they win this one comfortably. The Dolphins have looked good, like we've touched on this, but how good the storm have looked. I don't think they'll be able to stop them and it'll be interesting to see how many they can score against them. I think it'll be a fairly fairly one-sided victory for the storm. Uh, they just look too good. They're moving on to saturday 5 30 pm kickoff. We're at the go media stadium in auckland. We have the New Zealand Warriors, the Waz, $3.04, against the Brisbane Broncos, $1.38. I've said this before I don't think this is as wide difference of prices as what this suggests.
Speaker 2:And also I think this is going to be the first difference one we're going to have. I expect Payne has to have a big game in this, because the Warriors have lost James Fisher-Harris. But in saying that, it is in New Zealand and the Wards just seem to be a different team in New Zealand. So I'm going to go the Wards.
Speaker 1:You're going to go the Wards Interesting. I was actually going to go the wars. You're going to go the wars Interesting, I was actually going to go the wars. But I in my head I was like, do you know what I will tip, the opposite to what you are. Because when you opened up with pain hats I was like, okay, I'm going to tip, I'm going to go with the wars, but because you and I'm flip to go Broncos. I do think the Broncos have enough to beat the Warriors. Sorry to all our WOS supporters out there, the New Zealand factor is big, but I think the Broncos get it done. So you've actually convinced me with your preamble of the pick that I was going to pick. But on to another repeat fixture of one that happened only a couple of weeks ago. We've got the Roosters against the Panthers at the Allianz, so at least it's a stadium that's not going to be empty. Roosters, $2.22 against the $1.66 Panthers. I am on the fence of this one. I'm going to go the.
Speaker 2:Roosters. I'm going to go Roosters as well. Have you seen them back in the centres?
Speaker 1:let me just click on this one here. Who've got?
Speaker 2:back in. Yeah, have you seen who's come back into the centres?
Speaker 1:fair Roosters who am I? Ah, big Marky Mark, no one going to need to watch, say I was like skipping through names. I was like, who are you on about? And then I realised that he was out and he's in Again. Alluded to it last week. Guy's a unit, six foot four.
Speaker 2:That back line against the like. Thomas Jenkins had an absolute mare he's coming up against. He'll come up against Tapu and Tapu, tapu.
Speaker 1:And Big Mark.
Speaker 2:That's going to be a Casey McLean as well in defence isn't amazing their right-hand side might get torched, you know?
Speaker 1:Yeah, their right-hand side might get absolutely torched. And do you know? I really rate that, robert Toya. He's impressed me for the first few weeks of the season. Their back line is looking stronger and stronger.
Speaker 2:I know, and I reckon this could be like a Roosters 48, panthers 10.
Speaker 1:That's bold. The Hugo Savala look good, they're shaping up to be all right, it's all. Yeah, this is the thing, though the Roosters this is the thing though the Roosters have on paper, I believe, a good starting line up now. Lenu's coming off the bench. I think it's the depth that they lack, so we'll see how they go. The Panthers need to turn things around and they need to turn things around quick, but I'm going Roosters in this one. We'll see how that one goes down. I mean, if there's going to be an upset, that might be. That might be, yeah, the one that upsets it. But on to sunday, we got the titans against the raiders. Titans two dollars ten against the raiders dollar 75. Uh, we're up at the sea bus super stadium, sea bus, superannuation stadium. Um, what are your thoughts on this one?
Speaker 2:Tino is back for the Titans but, I think the Raiders are just too good at the moment. Titans are in a little bit of a rut and it's getting out of that. It's always really hard to stop a rut against an informed team that's just come off the back of scoring 50.
Speaker 1:They're showing form where the Titans are. Last year they showed promise for the first three rounds of the season, maybe four rounds, and then last couple Like they showed promise for the first three rounds of the season, maybe four rounds, and then last couple of weeks they've dropped off a bit. I'm going to join you on tipping the Raiders Okay. Considering I had them for the spoon, I'm actually really enjoying what I'm seeing from the Raiders.
Speaker 1:I've corrected that a couple of weeks ago, the fact they got a British guy in there or English guy in there. It's all English guys storming, steamrolling, people running it over. I do appreciate that, so fair play to them Both tipping the Raiders in that one. Then we got the Knights against the Sharks. So Knights $3.30 on the Sunday and Sharks $1.34. Yeah, I believe this is a Sharks win. I think it's pretty comfortable.
Speaker 2:The Knights can't score in a moment and I think it showed. It showed on saturday how well the sharks and shut down a one, the fight one dimension offense. And if there's an offense that's more one dimensional than manny, it's the night, so, yeah, I'm gonna go for the for the sharks on this one as well yeah, sharks for me, if there's going to be an upset, I potentially could see it here.
Speaker 1:I feel the knights could bounce back could bounce back after some terrible performances, but I'm going to put money on the Sharks winning this one and then on to an Easter Monday special.
Speaker 2:Easter Monday classic.
Speaker 1:Easter Monday classic the West Tigers $1.72 favourites, with no Lockie Galvin not named in the starting line-up in the New South Wales Cup team against the Parramatta Eels the bottom of the ladder Absolutely terrible. The Parramatta Eels the bottom of the ladder Absolutely terrible. Parramatta Eels at $2.13. Where's the money going? You said you were going to back the Tigers every game of the season.
Speaker 2:Mitch Moses is back as well. No, he's not. He's been named to start.
Speaker 1:That's an interesting one. I didn't even notice that. That explains the email that I got earlier from the NRL the random notifications that I got. That says he's back or whatever it was. Moses has risen. I'm going with the Tigers? Yeah, they're bottom of the ladder. Is the Galvin stuff going to impact them?
Speaker 2:though I don't think it will. I don't think it will as much because he's not a senior player, he's a, he's a, he's a, he's a junior um, but there were.
Speaker 1:There was something I heard earlier that said that jerome luai almost took a back seat, or took a back seat to him, so that he could have the limelight. So he was the well he's been an absolute snake.
Speaker 2:Then jerome luai. From what I've been reading, yeah, but I'm still gonna take, still going to take the Tigers, I think if the Eels had Lomax, I reckon I would have been tipping the Eels for this, just because of the combination that him and Moses have.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But I'm going to go for the Tigers and I think it's either going to go one or two ways here. I think it's either going to be a tight Tigers win or they're going to absolutely blow them out.
Speaker 1:Yeah to be a tight tigers win or they're going to absolutely blow them out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's either going to be heads or tails, isn't it a real?
Speaker 1:tight one. So 50 50 chance there, um, so yeah. And then we mentioned it, the cowboys on the buy um, but yeah, let's see how we can go this week. Yeah, you, I got 50 right last week. You got um five out of five out of eight. Last week long weekend, though, you got football thursday to monday, which is good, fantastic, absolutely fantastic weekend. I think the weather's shaping up to be alright over the weekend as well.
Speaker 2:Saturday.
Speaker 1:Sunday, so should be good. But yeah, anything else you want to chat about, can't think of anything really that's probably about it.
Speaker 2:To be honest, mate, brilliant, we've rambled enough we have, we've rambled on for too.