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!
Ep#15: What Magic Round Reveals About NRL's True Contenders
Magic Round lived up to its name with spectacular performances, dramatic finishes, and unexpected upsets that have reshaped the NRL landscape heading into the middle third of the season.
The weekend's standout clash saw Canberra edge Melbourne 20-18 in golden point, with Jamal Fogarty coolly slotting the match-winning penalty after a controversial high shot call on Trent Loiero. Fogarty's composed performance showcased exactly why Manly was eager to secure his services for next season – his game management, tactical kicking, and clutch play under pressure mark him as a significant acquisition for the Sea Eagles.
Nathan Cleary delivered a masterclass against Brisbane, absorbing heavy hits only to respond with game-changing plays that steered Penrith to a dominant 32-8 victory. His try – eerily reminiscent of his Grand Final heroics from two years ago – served as a stark reminder that when Cleary is at his best, the Panthers remain the competition's benchmark despite their current ladder position.
The Warriors continued their impressive campaign with a gutsy 30-26 win over North Queensland, with Luke Metcalf emerging as the game's hero through his playmaking brilliance and a match-saving tackle in the dying moments. Meanwhile, the Tigers overcame the Dragons 34-28 in a contest defined by Jayden Su'a's calamitous error before halftime, where dropping the ball over the line led to a 12-point swing that completely shifted the game's momentum.
Stephen Crichton's commanding performance in Canterbury's win over the Gold Coast further cemented his status as one of the game's most complete players, showcasing the leadership, defensive prowess and attacking flair that make him a frontrunner for the New South Wales captaincy.
Round 10 promises more drama as first-placed Canberra faces second-placed Canterbury in what could be the match of the round, while Manly hosts Cronulla in a crucial mid-table battle that could define both teams' trajectories heading into the Origin period.
Follow us across social media @theyvebeendoingitalldaysir for weekly predictions and join the conversation about everything happening in the wild world of rugby league.
Hello and welcome to this week's episode of They've Been Doing it All Day, sir, I'm Ben and I'm Chris. What a weekend Magic Round was. Let's get stuck in.
Speaker 2:Nice change of attire there this week, mate.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I thought I'd switch it up. Do you know why? Because Chelsea beat the reigning Premier League champions this weekend and, yeah, it's nice to get one over on Liverpool. So I thought I'd put the top on support the boys. I haven't done it in a while. So, yeah, thought I'd thought I'd put someone on to represent.
Speaker 2:But I also noticed there's something shiny hanging around your neck yeah, just casually did the half marathon at the uh at the weekend. You know, I think I've hit every stereotypical point that you do after 30 years old. You start a podcast and do a half marathon. Um, I'm absolutely killing it in life, I think. So, uh. So, yeah, it's, it was a fun experience. Probably won't do one again, um, but no, it was good to what was the time?
Speaker 1:what was the time you?
Speaker 2:got. I did it in 213. As I was saying earlier, I'm closer to 110 kilos than I am 100, so getting around in under two and two hours 15 was was sort of my goal. Um did a bit, got got to about 15 16k and then started doing eight on four off, just to get through the massive hills. And, to be fair, there were a few people who were starting to hit the deck and I was like I'm not taking it that serious, so started to feel a bit light-headed. I was like I'm just gonna put on the brakes a little bit and just make make sure I get myself to the end where, whereas my partner she she flew around in, I think, 154. So yeah, she was gone from the start line. I tried to keep up with her for 2K and then she disappeared. But to be fair to her, she did put a fair bit of training in compared to me, who did it once every couple of weeks.
Speaker 1:Believe it or not, training helps. Training helps you to get better time. Training helps. Training helps you to get better time. I've heard.
Speaker 2:I've heard um what were the pre-race nerves like talk, talk me through kind of the morning. Nothing like considering. I'm extremely nervous when it comes to most sporting events, anything. Yeah, I was so chilled um, had a couple of crumpets in the morning, had a coffee.
Speaker 2:The most frustrating thing was trying to just start it's like you're in your wave and it's how busy was it oh, there's 20,000 people that did it um and we were in the blue wave sorry, which which was the second or third one to go um, and it you just crammed in and you're all funneled out to the front and it just takes forever to go the only running event that I've a busy running event I've done.
Speaker 1:I did the vitality 10k through london, london, and it started on the Mall. For people that are not familiar with London, that's the road that leads up to Buckingham Palace and it was a similar sort of thing just everyone funneling out a gate and you go through the chip timer and you're like, oh, I'm off to a slow start already. Then you're trying to catch up, and this was only 10K, so trying to catch up, and this was only 10k, so so trying to catch up over 21 point.
Speaker 2:What is it? 21.6 kilometers or something like that? Yeah, um, but it's a bit off-putting because the first k marker it was it wasn't okay, it was like at 700 meters, and then it puts you off a little bit and then, oh yeah, there's a you, because there's everyone doing it at the same time. You're then diving in and out of people. There's groups who are just huddled together, going really slowly and weaving in and out as well, probably doing it for a good cause, but you know, sod them well, yes, I was.
Speaker 2:I was doing it for the mark hughes foundation you know fair enough, good one to get in there but but yeah, it was, it was good what was the relief? Like crossing the line. Thank god, this is over um I was.
Speaker 2:I was feeling like that from about 18k in um, but the issue was like the last, I think, four or five k. There's massive hills and now it's like over the race is about 230, 240 meters of elevation and it absolutely saps it out of you. Um, I'd say it's a lot harder than the city to surf.
Speaker 1:Oh really, yeah yeah, well, I'm not going to be signing up for either. My body is absolutely wrecked. You said about being a stereotypical 30 year old. I'm a stereotypical, typical mid 30. It feels like all I have to do is sneeze, get out of bed, wrong lie and my back is in bits like I don't know what I've done. But I'm definitely gonna have to go to the physio and get it sorted out. Like just I'm a wreck at the moment. There's going to be no. I've been told to stop running, so I can't even can't even train for anything like that because of the meniscus in my knees.
Speaker 1:My knees swelled up the other day, so, yeah, we've got to try and try and sort that out. But, um, yeah, what a weekend of sport it was. What magic round was an incredible one to watch. Um, but let's start off with our performances of magic round who Round? Who have you kind of picked for your performance of the round I've gone for?
Speaker 2:Big Teddy at the back. There's been the fight between him and Dylan Edwards for who's going to be state of origin number one. I reckon he's fully cemented that game. One jersey now.
Speaker 1:You reckon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll get into it in a little bit why I think that. But yeah, his performance 271 run meters, two line breaks, two try assists. He was so important to that Roosters team after Smith went off early.
Speaker 1:Back-to-back weeks as well, doing it last week against the Dragons and then this week against. Who did they play this week? Dolphins, dolphins. Of course they did. Yeah, he certainly stood out as one of their better performance. Of course they did. Yeah, he certainly stood out as one of their better performance. I went for someone that has been on a very underperforming side that performed really well. So, fletcher Sharp. It was his 21st birthday over the weekend, which what a better way to celebrate than scoring three tries for the struggling Newcastle Knights against the Rabbitohs. So, considering they're struggling to put points on the board, can't argue of going over. Two of them were very early as well, so kind of shot out to a lead. But yeah, that's who my performance of the round was.
Speaker 1:I mean there's loads we could have mentioned. Yeah, Fogarty had a game.
Speaker 2:Had a great game. Luke Metcalf had a great game.
Speaker 1:Cleary had a round of it. But we'll touch on those when we get through the fixtures. But who was your flop of the round? I've gone for this team solely because it is at their home ground.
Speaker 2:Even though it was a way game, so much around it They'd come off a few big wins. They were looking a solid team. I've gone for the Broncos to get your pants pulled down at at home.
Speaker 1:A magic round, it's, it's a little little bit embarrassing, I think yeah, by a team that's.
Speaker 2:I mean, we're touching on them in a bit, but struggling yeah, massively struggling, yeah, so, and to let them do what they did to them as well, it's a bit bit unforgiving, really and they're so inconsistent.
Speaker 1:The broncos my flop of the round. I can't look past jayden sewers. Error just before halftime, like people say, about 12 point swings and he's dived over and you watch the replay and it's like he's, as he's, leaning forward to commit himself to diving over. He's just brought his knee up and need the ball out. But the fact that then jareem bullers run 105 meters and quickly quickly and scored six.
Speaker 1:It's a full 12 point swing like. Those sort of things don't happen often, but when they do, they are calamitous and we were messaging at the time and I can't think of a another error in sports that has been so costly immediately, like, for example, you mentioned about oh, what about, oh, what about Fernando Torres' miss against man United? But it's like United didn't go up the other end and then score straight away. It was an open goal he missed, but then it just led to a goal kick and play on for a while. It was this drops the ball from seemingly no one around him scoring it. To then go up the other end and concede was oh yeah, probably.
Speaker 2:Probably another one, just from from my history, would be uh, walshack Chesney and Lauren Cashelny um Carling Cup final 2011. Yeah, knock, run into each other. Ball ball gets spilled over Fermi Martins straight through.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's more of a calamitous mistake, though, when you're down your own end yeah, not being in a position to score the other end, and then it's just really costing it and that kind of swung the momentum of the game massively the dragons were, would have been six points behind, I think, at halftime.
Speaker 1:Then it would have been 18 12 and it could have swung everything that happened after the half. But yeah, there was one thing I am going to mention. Do you know what? The performance of the, the referees. I put them as my flop last week and it was such good rugby to be able to watch in the fact that it just flowed.
Speaker 2:They weren't getting pestered every two minutes, though, by the bunker which massively shifted it, and I mentioned it last week. It's so hard to referee when you've got someone chatting away in your ear every couple of minutes. So, yeah, it was good to to, but this is the thing though.
Speaker 1:God knows what they're going to be like this week, who knows and also like the judiciary fines that have been handed down, like, yeah, otoyo kamana's stamp in the melbourne game, which I'll talk about in a second didn't get any, didn't get any fine for it, didn't get cited or anything, even though the bargy bargy after he got put in the bin. Maybe it's a bit of double jeopardy if you get put in the bin then you can't get fined. I don't know, but it's like little things like that. And then, um, yeah, in fact, let's move on to the magic, the magic round fixtures, because we're going to touch on the raider storm first. But just to go over the, the tips, um, I got off to a fairly good start, tipping a few, correct, and your start wasn't too great. I had a mayor I'm absolutely mayor.
Speaker 2:Um, no, no, dancing around it. Um, I thought I'd be bold in my predictions and literally no one turned up which, uh, other than the raiders, one which we both, we were both sort of happy with. But yeah, no, it was very frustrating to see that happening, um, and I think it just shows that you can sit here, have a thought process of what's going to happen.
Speaker 1:A logical thought process.
Speaker 2:I might know.
Speaker 1:Whatever like my mind did change about four or five times during the week I'm gonna say this, though like we're currently filming on a tuesday, so team lists have just been released, but a lot can happen between tuesday and friday, saturday, sund, last minute changes can take place, injuries can happen, switches so there are some times where I'm like, hmm, I actually think they're going to win, but we've got to stick true to our tips on a.
Speaker 1:Tuesday and go with them. But I finished with five out of eight. This week you got three out of eight. But let's get into reviewing the round and we'll kick off with what I thought was game of the round. We're reviewing the round and we're kick off with what I thought was game of the round. Um, it was second versus third on the table the raiders 20 defeat, the storm 18 and golden point. Let's get to the most controversial moment of the match straight away the um penalty call on trent liero uh to effectively win the game for the for the raiders foggett. He sticks over the penalty. Do you think it was the right call?
Speaker 2:high shot it's so difficult, um in just that we've talked about it week on, week he, he couldn't go anywhere yeah he was there in the tackle. Tackle's been made, he the players and slipping down and he's obviously coming to come and support the tackle. It's high contact. It is a penalty.
Speaker 1:It is.
Speaker 2:And the only thing I suppose he could have tried to do in that situation is drag the player down. I think it was Hudson Young who was carrying the ball. Powerful runner, powerful runner and he could have tried to pull him down, but it was such a short period of time, it's such a small gap to make a decision, but unfortunately, any contact to the head is being penalized. It's not the first week it's happened, so the players are aware and yeah, we called for it last week.
Speaker 1:We were saying, look, we don't mind high contact penalties being given, like if you make contact with the head which is semi-forceful, whatever that moderate force is, then fair enough, give a penalty, don't send to the bin, don't put on report. That's exactly what happened. He hit him in the head with a forearm. Could he avoid it? Probably not, but still, it's contact with the head and it is a penalty. So I do think it was the correct decision. The interesting one before that was well, there was two Pappenhausen's field goal when he dropped it over.
Speaker 2:And if you look back, I don't know what. I'll ask what your opinion is. But I thought he did elbow him to the face as he went through, which again it by the rule book, yeah, and when you watch it in sort of full motion it does look like he's. He's sort of pulled um, like just naturally in the tackle and his forearm comes around.
Speaker 2:But when you do slow it down you do see the tackler's arms buckle and he just comes in second effort he goes like I'm gonna give you something and you're like you can't, you can't do that it's it's stupid, and it's such a stupid thing to do in that situation as well, like if it was midfield yeah, you know you could possibly get a but it's dying embers of a game that that would have then put them out of reach.
Speaker 1:You've got to have the smarts about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's game management, poor game management and that side of things, um, but yeah, what, what were your?
Speaker 1:thoughts. I thought it was a penalty. Um, that one and the one that I was a bit confused about was the toyah kamano one where he seemingly stamped on him um, there is again a second effort with his boot to like, yeah, which then canberra get the penalty, go down the other end, and then it leads to the um hudson, young, high shot. But it's just one of those things where Melbourne have got to realize, like a toy commander's young Liero probably should know better you're in a position to win the game, you're in golden point. Like, just keep your head, keep calm, um, and then you'll seemingly be in a good position to win the game.
Speaker 2:They should have won the game because Pappenhausen puts it over yeah, and even in that position as well, like they, they were what that was on the, the 20 or even closer, even closer. I think it was on the 10 and again it's just as you said poor game management, not understanding the situation, rise into something that you could just walk away from um, and there's two instances that lost melbourne the game essentially indeed.
Speaker 1:But on that note of game management, one person that I thought managed the game fairly well for the Raiders and put them in good positions was Manly's latest signing, jamal Fogarty. He looks good, he does, and do you know what I love? I wouldn't love's a strong word, actually.
Speaker 2:What I like about him at the moment, because as soon as he puts on that Marine jersey I'm pretty sure I will love him, yeah, yeah but it's well hang on the Queensland, the manly marine jersey, okay, but when he puts out his boot is enormous, like he can kick you out of trouble.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and he also was involved in the two tries. That apart from the moment of excellence for Kaya. Wiggs, like the two that they scored before that he was involved in, like the pass before the pass, yeah, which is always good to have from your seven, but yeah, I'm looking forward to him coming to manly yeah, you're never going to get a massive run game out of him.
Speaker 2:He's not a. He's not a running half um, which you can forgive, and he'll be partnered with um old luki brooks so he can do all the running. But he's his calmness, as you said to to make passes, make the correct kicks, make the right reads, reads Defensively as well. He's solid. He's a solid unit as well. He's not exactly small.
Speaker 1:He is, and under pressure as well. You see him. I thought there was an opportunity that he might miss that in front of the post at the end but he showed his worth and kind of slotted it over. But there's some controversial talk around. People have mentioned before about him potentially being called up for origin. I think there's a few options before him Ben Hunt playing seven, but Cherry Evans isn't in the greatest of forms, well it depends on what he does in these next couple of games.
Speaker 2:I think with that. But you've got the likes of Cam Munster as well in the halves. You know you can chop and change a little bit, but he's asking the question.
Speaker 1:It's down to them to answer it or not yeah, I think two weeks we find out whether who's going to be named, so but yeah, great win for the Raiders. We both tipped him. We thought that they were going to cause an upset, and I'm just going to mention Kai Weeks' individual try as well. He played it, played it manly for a season. We were like get rid of this useless Giza. And then he's just finding his form at fullback for the Raiders.
Speaker 1:And yeah, just three minutes to go chips over the top, chases it and away he goes, matty.
Speaker 2:Nicholson's little um offload as well by getting lit up to him. True, it's. It's one of those moments where you're getting absolutely obliterated, but you need to focus on the pass. He did it well and then weeks was gone. Yeah, that was. That was pretty. That was pretty decent as well.
Speaker 1:Raiders looking good though. But on to the Broncos. You mentioned you got them in your flop of the week, beaten by the Panthers 32-8, absolutely annihilated. Shocking, Nathan Cleary.
Speaker 2:what an animal A couple of shots he took as well to then just get up and he made massive game changing hits like points straight after. I think the first one he got from Carrigan straight down in the first half. He got lit up off the ball, steps up, was there to try, nearly got an assist but Liam Martin just got stopped before the line but then gets the penalty and slots it and then the other one by Ketone Staggs wallops in Staggs gets up 40-20 straight after, like in the next set, it just shows the presence of the man.
Speaker 1:He can just shut down, like as a team, you think, right, we're on here, we've just walloped Cleary, we're going to move the ball, and then, all of a sudden, your momentum's gone because he stuck. And what I loved about him as well I can't remember who he shot out the line, but he shot out the line and hit someone and he set the tone from it. It was like yeah, clear, he's on. And one of the biggest things which he must have had in his locker from the grand final two years ago is where he ran exactly the same place, saw exactly the same thing and I don't know whether he gave a little pump and saw it, but cuts inside and I sent you the overlay of the two.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was brilliant and they're exactly the same. But he has. He just reminded the league that he's about.
Speaker 2:Pemreth are about and take us seriously this is I think there's massive differences between how they've been last week compared to others is Broncos were knocking on the door for a very prolonged period of time at the start of the first half, but the Panthers were answering pretty much everything. I think they only conceded one try in the first 10,.
Speaker 2:I think it was which previous weeks they've gone on to sort of concede one or two and there's been that momentum and slowed the Panthers down, but they were just defensively a different team. But in saying that, you can't say the same about the Broncos. The Broncos' defensive lines were all over the place that try you're talking about. You don't need four or five or six players shifting with a three or four overlap.
Speaker 1:They bit on it and they were trying to get out.
Speaker 2:Cleary just strolls right in, and this is where you get taught from, regardless of if it's league or union is. You need guards around the rook. You need to have one or two guards there to watch the cutbacks. It wasn't there and it's a bit of a schoolboy error.
Speaker 1:It is, and with the Broncos I kind of feel that, if I mean, payne Haas still had a good game, but not as good by his standards as what it is Like. He didn't get over 200 meters, still ran for like 180 or something like that. But Selwyn Cobbo had a really good game. He I love the way he runs it straight from fullback, like there's none of this messing dancing around. He can run it sideways, but as soon as he sees a gap he's north-south hitting it. He's north-south hitting it. But if Adam Reynolds ain't having a good game, if Ben Hunt isn't having a good game, if Staggs ain't having a good game, mariner isn't having a good game. It's like they need everyone to click to put a performance on, and if one or two of those aren't on form, it seems like they can't get the job done.
Speaker 2:They don't have a couple of different plans and yeah, Reynolds missing a big 40-20.
Speaker 1:Twice, I think.
Speaker 2:I think he kicked two out on the forward didn't he? Yeah, which is not like him. I think he's got three or four for the season which is crazy.
Speaker 2:Some halves go throughout the whole career. We've only gotten a few. But what I did want to mention about this is just in that New South Wales fullback debate with Dylan Edwards. First half he looked very shy under the high ball. He was sort of positioning himself away from it and not really being that one to contest it. I think from their first try where it clipped off the post he was ending.
Speaker 1:It was the other side of the post, wasn't it? Yeah, and it's like.
Speaker 2:I think a couple of Well last season he would have ran through the post to be up in the air to collect that. So that's why I've got Tedesco just over Edwards at the moment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, fair enough. I heard something interesting earlier about Pembroke. Need to win 10 of their last 15 to get in the eight, but if they do, it means that they're an informed team and I wouldn't like to meet them in the finals.
Speaker 1:I still don't think they're going to make the eight, but we'll see how it goes, because they've still got to navigate origin without some of their major stars. But on to the next game. This was an absolute ball game. Cowboys 26 were defeated by the New Zealand Warriors. Up the wars we didn't tip the.
Speaker 1:Warriors and it very nearly looked like it was going our way. But my word, luke Metcalf, what a try-saving tackle to stop. Is it Tulangi in the corner? Fair play to him, but he's proven. He had a stinker in Vegas. They've one-written him off, but I think he's going to be a future star, yeah, massively.
Speaker 2:He was incredible, very similar to Fogarty, how he just ran the game he was everywhere he was everywhere he was making the key passes, and then there was a few times where he'd link up with Harris Tevita and they would create overlaps create plays both on the left and the right and, yeah, he had an incredible game for such a young half to start, as you said, with Vegas and then coming back into it. But no, what do you think? Sort of shifted in that sense Because the Warriors dominated that first half.
Speaker 1:they did they flew away of it, but then they they could have easily lost it. Do you know, at one point there was a turning point where I believe the Cowboys physicality because Tuomalolo, jason Tuomalolo, had one of his best games since recent memory. He he got I think it was like 90 post contact meters or something like that. He was running hard and I'm thinking that maybe the Warriors didn't have that physicality in the middle to slow that down, which then leads to tiredness. If we talk about the referee and of the game, it was a fairly free, flowing game. So the Cowboys on the front foot, there's cracks that are going to appear because people are starting to get fatigued, and that's what we want to see from a game. We want to see high scoring games, fatigue kicking in.
Speaker 1:But there was a period of what? Seven minutes where the Cowboys scored three. I was like if they carry on at this rate they could absolutely blow them away in the second half. But fair play to the Warriors for digging deep. Some inspirational, some inspirational tackles for a Metcalf. And then there was a few little errors from the Cowboys here and there where their fatigue, I think, started to kick in. But the Warriors dug deep and just managed to get it done and I feel a bit aggrieved by this one because I feel the Cowboys could have done it.
Speaker 2:Drinkwater left two conversions out there which would have tied the game. And, yeah, just going off the back of that, I think the Cowboys got a lot more creative in the second half as well, like there was the little kick through on the fourth tackle which was unreal vision. And then there was the sort of the missed passes to Lange, who then scored in the corner, and I think they were very much targeting to a peaky, is it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, to a peaky in the second half, which he was a little bit all over the place but it's then saying that he got an absolute unreal fingertip uh touchdown in the goal area to stop a certain try as well. So, um, but now it was the headline. Should have all been all about luke metcalf in that game, to be honest yeah and, and the scoreline warranted his performance. Um, it would have been a shame to him to lose, lose.
Speaker 1:I get what you're saying with that one, but I mean the next game that we're going to talk about, the Dragons against the Tigers. What a game this was as well Tigers 34, dragons 28. I've mentioned about it before, but that blunder, we can't skip past it talking about it again. But it was a big momentum swinger, massively, massively Feel sorry for the guy, because it's then repeated on every screen and you can hear the crowd reacting, the moans, the groans, and it's like, oh no. And he's looking up at that, thinking what have I? And as soon as he went over you could see that he knew he dropped it as well.
Speaker 2:Every Tigers player had given up as well.
Speaker 1:You look at Adam Dewey he wasn't even and he'd stop running and it's just horrible, horrible for the man feel sorry for the guy, but I'll tell you one thing the tigers are surprising, considering what's happened. Um, I think they're showing a bit of resilience in terms of the performances that they're able to string. Together won a tight one last week. This week they flew out to a lead as well, and for a fortunate error they've then gone even further in front but managed to maintain that.
Speaker 1:Because we look at, like, what happened to the Warriors after half time, they kind of fell apart, but the Tigers managed to dig deep, stay strong and yeah, did you see Taruva's interview after the game?
Speaker 1:yeah, I thought it was so comical, what a guy, first time being interviewed he's just so happy he's in awe of being interviewed by like all of the superstars Sean Johnson, yeah, and he's just so happy he's in awe of being interviewed by like all of the superstars sean johnson, yeah, and he's just there. He's like, yes, I've made it malman ingo calling out the tiger chant or whatever it was, and he's just there, just unbelievable.
Speaker 2:But it's good to see different people interviewed yeah, 100, and it's not the same same players each time. You don't. You don't want to go to like the superstars, it's. It's good to get that um, and he's just a great, great little character. And again he's on the score sheet. He's always guaranteed any time Troy's a scorer. He's absolutely fantastic out on the wing.
Speaker 2:And I think that then helps to what the deciding factor in this game really was, and I think it was the Tigers had the better attack than the Dragons, because both teams, defensively, at times, were chucking, but I think the Tigers were just a lot more, as you say, resilient in what they were doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and one thing I suppose this links to the kind of interview thing my thinking of they're trying to avoid Galvin and Luai being interviewed on TV and I reckon it feels like there's a bit of tension from what Luai came out and said in terms of I don't have to like the guy, but we've mentioned it when you step across that white line, we've got to remain professional. But do you think that tension between the two of them potential tension could be trying like improving performances because they want to prove that there isn't something wrong?
Speaker 2:I think I genuinely think this could have been an instance that has just been blown up by the media and it's a lot bigger because of the media than it actually is. But could he stay?
Speaker 1:until 2027? I'm getting the vibes that he could, and.
Speaker 2:When he had a great offload. Galvin had an unreal offload to Charlie Staines for the first try. If you watch the film back, Luai runs straight over to Galvin.
Speaker 2:And it's like did Luai do that because it's on the big screen or is that because they are actually getting on it? And it was just blown out of proportion. And you could think the little posts were just a little bit of banter between mates, which has been maybe blown up a little bit. But you know what they are, luai and galvin together uh, looking very good when they do start linking up, yeah, um, but but one of the things about galvin is he made a few mistakes in attack, but he turns and he's straight up trying to get the commitment's there.
Speaker 1:He's committed to the cause. Maybe it was that getting dropped in the game. He's like oh, right now I've actually got to prove what I'm worth, because I'm out the door soon, so I've got to prove it. But yeah, I mean we look at the Tigers and we think they're on a good trajectory. The Dragons, though I mean good trajectory. The dragons, though I mean shane flanagan after was a bit frustrated in the press about the mistake, whether that actually cost them, but where?
Speaker 1:for the dragons, I don't know? Um, they're an interesting one, they beat manly and then they've looked terrible in their last two games against the roosters.
Speaker 2:I've said it every time they were terrible against manly as well. Um, but I felt a bit sorry again for gututherson because he just was marshalling that team and he was trying so hard to get it over the line for them.
Speaker 1:But just couldn't get there. We might have mentioned it last week, I can't remember. A lot's happened in the last week but it just doesn't feel like that experienced core of players in Holmes, gutherson who's the cook like is not really clicking. So I don't know whether that's coming back to bite them, going experience over kind of emerging talent or anything like that. But we'll see what happens with the dragons. Well, on to the next game. Uh, the rabbit toes. I didn't think they would get beat in this, but I predicted the knights. But I didn't think it'd be. You did. I thought it would be low scoring the Rabbitohs defeated by the Newcastle Knights points 30-4. The South Sydney Rabbitohs looking free-fall.
Speaker 2:I know they've got a lot of injuries.
Speaker 1:And Luttrell wasn't playing because of his high shot, but even when he was playing last week, it didn't feel like there was much difference from him. What do we think is happening? Can they turn it around, or?
Speaker 2:no, I think they're. They're gonna have a very difficult next few weeks. Um, they've they've hit a wall in the aspect of the injuries are really starting to to to show, um, and you've got, you've got a lot of sort of unknown names in there and they didn't. They've got another halves partnership. Um, they didn't like Cody Walker's missing as well, which is who's absolutely huge it's. It's not just one man who's causing like or not implementing in into this and yeah, they're. They're in a bit of a free-for-all as you're saying. I can't see, I can't see them getting over it over the next four or five weeks.
Speaker 1:I don't think one of their leading tacklers as well, mamazoula is. He hits everything that moves Like as a number nine, he's just. He's like Tom Starling, sort of just hits everything that's going Dislocate.
Speaker 1:well, apparently it hasn't been officially released what his injury was, but it either looked like shoulder or elbow being dislocated. But he's out this week and that's a big part of their attack and their well, him moving the ball quickly, ruck speed, but defensively they run at him and he's solid, so losing him, I reckon they're in a world of hurt. They've got a tough one this week against the Broncos. I don't think they're trying people in all different positions and then people are getting injured so they're having to fill in and like they talk about lewis dodd coming over from the super league, he's not in the plans whatsoever because all the injuries that they've had, yet they're moving white and into the halves. Uh, who else have they? They experimented with in the halves too many.
Speaker 1:um, campbell, graham, I think it was, or whoever it is that jai gray was up there, like it's everyone but Lewis Dodd, so his future at the club isn't there. But thinking about the Newcastle Knights a bit, because we don't want to heap on and lump on the rabbit O's there going through a bit of a tough patch at the moment, do you think this could be a turning?
Speaker 2:point for them Not to sound horrible about it, but I think this was just against a very, very poor. It was a training game really for the Knights.
Speaker 1:Hey, don't knock my Fletcher Sharp.
Speaker 2:No, no Fletcher Sharp to score a hat-trick in any NRL game regardless if he was in front of you is incredible, but I reckon Caelan Pogger could have sat down, made a cup of tea by the time. He was even touched, sometimes when he was receiving the ball. And that's the massive difference. When you have a shift in player quality is the amount of time that they then give the opposition, and that's something that the Knights have been missing is being able to make decisions, and they haven't been making the correct ones, but with the time they're making the better decisions, opening things up, and I'm a massive fan of the boy, but Jai Gray got manhandled a few times this game as well, which doesn't really help.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you what. Well, I think I saw it that Greg Marjou, one winger, got a significant number of metres.
Speaker 2:I think it was over 200.
Speaker 1:And then you look at Bradman Best running physical as well. When those two are switched on, no matter who your centres and wingers partnership are trying to stop them. Two is difficult, but they've got the Titans next. I reckon if they can put together back-to-back wins the Knights, this could change, but I still don't see them as challenging any of the top teams or anything like that.
Speaker 2:I think they're more worried about what's beneath them than they are what's above. But just to put it again, just quickly, going on to what the style of the game was, I think the Rabbitohs had a kick and Ponga collected it in their 20 and they ended up running up the other end and scoring from one or two passes. Poor tackling, poor defensive lines. It was more of a Rabbitohs capitulation than it was a Knights, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, they're going to win the comp sort of performance. We've been there with Manly, so you never know you've got to enjoy.
Speaker 1:You've got to enjoy every win. You've got to enjoy every win. You do, indeed. But on to the Roosters, dolphins. So the Roosters defeat the Dolphins 36 points to 26. There were some standout performers in this game. You mentioned about James Tedesco. Robert Toyer in the centres is turning into a great find, great player. But for me it felt like kind of the Dolphins really didn't turn up and they turned up in patches but then they never turned up for the whole 80 minutes. But decent back-to-back attacking performances by the Roosters. They're sticking points on teams, yeah, and their attack is incredible.
Speaker 2:They've got massive bodies who are brilliant and athletic in everything they do. Yeah, but, as you said, the Dolphins didn't turn up for the first God knows how long.
Speaker 1:They never really troubled the, which is really frustrating. Sorry, the Dolphins never really troubled the Roosters, yeah.
Speaker 2:They still put 26 points on them, which you know you can't shrug at that and you could have thought that you were texting me going. Oh, they can't, they can't can they? They can't, can they? And then no, robert Toye.
Speaker 1:Exactly Like they got within two scores and a bit of momentum, and this is what I mean about they turned it on and then switched off, and then, all of a sudden, the Roosters go down the other end and very good team, as I said, going forward.
Speaker 2:Defensively. There's question marks, yeah, massive questions around defensive, but also to do what they did after losing Sandon Smith so early, who's been sort of pinnacle in their attack all year, or the last few games at least. But, as I said, the player of the round is is Tedesco stood up and he was. He was in that little half back position every now and then linking up play and then, yeah, dolphins didn't turn up until they were getting absolutely hammered. So again, for a team who's supposed to be at their home ground, it's it's very, very disappointing.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, it's very, very disappointing. Yeah well, I think their actual home ground is the Keio.
Speaker 2:Stadium Ah, okay.
Speaker 1:But they do play a lot of their games at the Suncorp. But yeah, I think the Roosters are they back? Not sure. I think they need to improve defensively.
Speaker 2:But saying that, like they are so confident in their attack, You've seen what's.
Speaker 1:They've let Dom Young go, they're letting Dom Young go, like immediately.
Speaker 2:So they're very confident in what they're doing. They've clearly got plans. I wonder who's going to pick him up? I don't.
Speaker 1:I think the Knights should really go for him yeah, it makes sense to go back to the Knights because, then, you have Marju one wing, dom Young, the next Bradman best.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll see what happens. There's a few other teams I'm sure will be in for him, but he's got to leave by what? The 30th of June, something like that. So not long to go. But on to the Dogs Now. They defeated the Titans 38-18. Now there's a lot of talk around kind of Stephen Crichton and him being the best defensive centre, him being a leader. No one really talks about his attack. I believe he's one of the best all-round players in the game At the weekend he showed his attack.
Speaker 1:There was a moment when he's sprinting down the wing. In fact there's two moments One where he's sprinting down the wing and you can just see his acceleration. Around the corner he offloads it to Kras and then also his little goose step little fake goose step and he looks inside to give it a pass and then knows that Karras is on the outside and immediately just pops it off. If it wasn't for him, I don't think Karras has as many tries as he does and, like Steven Crichton, I love the guy.
Speaker 1:I think, he's one that he I think currently he's the best all-round player in the league.
Speaker 2:I can't really that, um, especially on form, like like you've you've got, you've got players who are having amazing seasons, like like we've talked about. Terrell may pain house like, but I forgot to mention him.
Speaker 1:In the tigers game earlier. He led the stats for vb hard and index. Sorry to not shout him out. What an animal, but um onto the dogs but, yeah, crying cry.
Speaker 2:We discussed it last week like he has been arguably the best sign in in the last two years to for what he's. He has been arguably the best signing in the last two years for what his output has been. You can see it whenever a team he's in. You saw it in that Panthers team he was in. See it in Origen. He's a massive leader in everything that he does.
Speaker 1:I was about to say, with Origen being selected in a couple of weeks and the talk about last year's captain, jake Trubojevic, not being picked for me, me.
Speaker 2:All roads point towards steven cry and leading the blues to a whitewash against the maroons. Yeah, 100, if he can keep his his head, he's cool. Um, like, one of the best things about crying is he's up in your face, he's, he's the king of like the shithousery as well, like he won't back down from anything. But as a leader and as a captain, you've got to draw a line at some point because, especially in origin, you know, up at the suncorp, last thing you want is just losing his head, because look at what the dogs did last time. They were up there like they. They went a little bit over the boil, lost their heads and then lost their heads. So I I would, I'd happily have him as the new south wales captain. Yeah, but it's just then having the conversation with him. Right now You've got to lead this team. But, yeah, completely agree, he's unreal. I reckon only Nathan Cleary when he's on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, maybe as well. Are you talking about players? Sorry, or captain?
Speaker 2:No, no, as best all-round players, because Cleary throws his body in front of everything. Yeah, he's not a pretty boy. Seven. He will hit things and hit things hard. True, but at the moment I can't think of anyone else, to be honest.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely, but the Titans didn't offer much. They lost their seven Tom Weaver, who was in for eight, campbell, who's back this week. But losing your seven after a couple of minutes to a HIA category one, yeah, but there wasn't really anyone that stood out for him. It's difficult. Look, they've got so much pace in attack and they're back three, five, like electric going forward sometimes. But there must be something going on, because David Fafita to be for Dez Hasler to say you've got a lot to work on to get back, like being dropped to the Queensland Cup team, there's something going on in the camp but Kieran Foran apparently was on track to come back for this round not been named in the team, so he must.
Speaker 1:I mean he's an older guy, I think he's 36, 37, tore his bicep. I dread to know feel what that would feel like because, like I said, ninja Money and back and it feels like I'm in a world of trouble. So yeah, to come back from that. They're not rushing him, but do you reckon he makes a difference when he's back? I'm not sure. I know too much about him, if I'm honest.
Speaker 2:No, from just reading the Manly pages, he's always in quite high regard. Yeah, and there was talk when DC said he was leaving that to get him back for a couple of years, just to over it. But I don't think it's the attack that's the issue. It's the defence. They're shipping a lot of points Other than that first time. They played the dogs and they put 20 on them and they kept the dogs quite down every week since then. What was it against the Cowboys? They shifted another 30, 40 points. Their defence is all over the place place and we've seen it at manly. I think hasler has a bit of a habit of losing the dressing room and I don't know whether that's that's happening at the titans at the moment yeah, we'll see, time will tell, but one big thing to come out of this game was jacob preston.
Speaker 1:Now we said last week about um, was it simply we got that wrong a couple of weeks ago about his ban?
Speaker 1:we didn't realize the judiciary was happening after, but Jacob Preston has been slammed with a three to four three match ban. Should he contest it, it'll be a four match ban for a crusher tackle. They are contesting it, apparently, so that's still to happen. But to me I don't know whether you've seen it, I watched it earlier on the bus there's nothing he could do, and like he flicks the top of big tino's head yeah and it just so happens to be.
Speaker 1:I don't feel it's a three-game ban, it's a fine at most. So they could lose him for three to four, along with the other um bands that they have as well so well.
Speaker 2:This is the thing as well. I haven't seen many of these turned over, especially like the big crusher tackles, especially you look at what happened with Sorensen last week. He's ended up going from a 2-3 game. Oh, sorensen, that we spoke about sorry, not simply Sorensen last week, that it hadn't been decided so they must feel confident in what they've got and the evidence they've got. But especially these big band ones, I don't think they're that often turned over, to be honest.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree, but we'll see how it impacts them. And then on to the final game of the week, which was actually the first game on the Friday night, but it just felt like a run-of-the-mill Sharks performance.
Speaker 2:Just got the job done. Points, points, points.
Speaker 1:They beat the Eels 28-18. Nico Hines actually had a very good performance. It feels like the last couple of weeks things are starting to click. But the Eels I don't know what to make of them. You tip them, I tip the Sharks, but you don't know who's going to turn up for the Eels.
Speaker 2:No, and this was just stupid mistakes, drop passes. It was just the Eels' start of the season performance which allowed the Sharks. To be honest, I wasn't that impressed by the Sharks, they just were the better team out of two teams. I'm not saying they were in any sort of position to lose this and saying that they'll probably go and absolutely annihilate Manly. Do you know what I?
Speaker 1:wrote a little note here about the Eels that I thought they looked the better team in the first half but they couldn't get it done in the red zone and you look at the tries that were scored, addo Carr just seems to be scoring for fun.
Speaker 1:At the tries that were scored. Addo Carr just seems to be scoring for fun at the moment, which is good. But the one thing that stood out for me was the try that Nicora scored. He was on the numbers and he ran from all the way outside to all the way inside with a powerful run. That was such a good line to run and a powerful finish. I think that was the highlight of the game. Like Braden Trindle, when they were down, they were down to 12 kicks, a 40, 20, which massively helped, which McInnes then goes on and scores from. But Parra just seemed to rely on their offloads.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it just feels like same the Raiders and the Eels are just offload, offload offload Raiders aren't doing as much at the moment they aren't they?
Speaker 2:I think they've calmed it down, whereas the Eels love an offload and they were shipping it from side to side as well without any real execution, which again sort of slowed it down for them. But I don't know if Lomax comes into this team and when he does come back I think they are going to be a different sort of beast, because you've got a different attacking threat there and with Addo Carr I messaged you and I was like, especially with everything that's gone on with ezra mam and the bulldogs, do you think the bulldogs are like sort of kicking themselves a little bit in?
Speaker 1:100% adokar. Yeah, um, it's probably something they stood by by their principles of a club, like if you're caught defacing the club somewhat or putting the club into disrepute, then you've got to go. But the guy's an animal. Yeah, he's a very good finisher, he's a physical runner. Um, runs through a defender, scores tries they, definitely they. He would have made their attack better this year, no doubt, um, but let's look at that, was that was magic round. What a weekend. It seemed like from the outset that it was a party atmosphere. Next, year.
Speaker 2:Well, to be fair, it started off with a fantastic state of origin game very valid which we'll quickly go over. Did you manage to get much of this?
Speaker 1:I did. I was in the gym whilst watching it. I was doing a little bit of treadmill walking just to get some steps in. I thought the New South Wales it was even for a bit, I think, whilst they were finding their feet because it's the first game of the season. But then New South Wales decided to step it up and they absolutely blew them away. And if I'm being honest, if it continues in this trajectory, I can only see a 3-0 whitewash for the girls in blue.
Speaker 2:Yeah, massive and New South Wales were a different animal in the second half I think that second half was one of the most complete halves of rugby league I think I've seen from that point of view. There was two massive standouts for me in Jessica Sergius and Isabel Kelly, both the centres for New South Wales.
Speaker 1:If I'm correct in saying, isn't Sergius Tommy Talao's?
Speaker 2:missus, I don't know. I'd have to Google that.
Speaker 1:If that's correct, we'll keep it in. But yeah, I'm pretty sure she is so.
Speaker 2:yeah, the two centres, jessica Sergis and Isabel Kelly. They were incredible in attack as well as defence there was one of the tries for oh, there we go. Well, they've been clearly training together Exactly Two very good players. Freshard for her first try.
Speaker 2:Kelly did a pretty decent offload who, while she was falling, was able to flick it yeah, yeah there in the corner and there was a few times that she hit the queensland players and drove them back a few yards as well, especially within the second half. Um, and then jesse southwell was very much instrumental, orchestrated a brilliant attack. Attack in that second half Only shout out I'll probably give to Queensland is Tamika Upton at fullback. She was very good under the high ball.
Speaker 1:Who. It wasn't her then, Because I remember one of New South Wales' first tries or actually it was Queensland's try where the fullback didn't jump. She just waited for the ball to come down and then she got jumped jumped over the top. That's one of the things it seems like a common theme in the game that people don't seem to be jumping behind balls.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but now, like, like you say, if they turn up to the Allianz and give that sort of performance, I think it could be an absolute whitewash this series so very much looking forward to, to seeing that game next week, isn't next Thursday.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but great start to the round, Really crowd involved, biggest crowd, biggest watched sporting fixture. On Channel 9 as well this year Unreal Fair play and the game is getting bigger and I think that will entice more people to watch the women's game because it's physical, it's competitive yeah.
Speaker 2:The pace of it, where it was played at as well, was really impressive yeah, and it was a great start to what was a great weekend.
Speaker 1:I think we might have to try and somehow carve up next year and get up there and give it a go, because manly will hopefully be playing next year not on the friday night against the broncos. Yeah, we'll see. Let's look ahead to the round 10 fixtures. We've got the roosters on a buy this week, but up first on the thursday night. We've got some thursday night foot. We've got the $1.80 Parramatta Eels at home against the $2.05 Dolphins.
Speaker 2:Who are you going with? I'm going to go for the Dolphins in this one. If they turn up, I think they could absolutely obliterate the Eels, but in saying that, I think the Eels will still have a good fight for it. So I'm just going for the Dolphins.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to join you on that one. I believe the Dolphins are in attack. They've got too much for the. Eels, the Hammer. Asako. Herbie Farnworth's playing well, nicarima Katoa. They're kind of like skill players I feel, even though mitch moses for the eels, I do think that the dolphins will get this one done and we're going to put something new in. We're each going to give a bet for, for different games, and we were to people to place a little bit of a flutter we were going to put a bit of flutter on.
Speaker 1:I've used the odds from sports bet for my ones. But I'm gonna go. I think this is going to be a high scoring affair. So I'm going to go over 48 and a half points and Josh Addo-Kar to score first. That multi, that double, will give you $14.25. So that's my best bet for this game.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Moving on to the Newcastle Knights against the Gold Coast Titans. This one is on Friday. The Newcastle Knights $1.47 favorites against the Gold Coast Titans $2.71. Two struggling teams coming up against each other. Where's the cash in this one, oh? God, there it is For bad reasons. This is a tough one to pick.
Speaker 2:This is horrible, just going on the fact that the Titans have actually stuck points on teams that have been doing a hell of a lot better than them. I'm going to tip the Titans just in this. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go back to back nights. I'm going to go nights this week. I feel that victory last week is going to spark something into action. They're at home, the McDonnell Jones Stadium. They're performing in front of their home crowd. I believe the Knights get this one done, but where's your actual?
Speaker 2:buzz. To be fair, I wasn't very confident in saying that.
Speaker 1:You've said it now no no, I'm sticking with it.
Speaker 2:I'm sticking with it. I've gone for a three-try multi. I've gone for James Skiller, Jojo Fita and Bradman Best, all to score at $10.25.
Speaker 1:Oh, nice little return on that one. Yeah, let's move on to the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the Brisbane Broncos. It seems like things can only go from bad to worse for the Rabbitohs, but they're at $3.72. So we have the $3.72 South Sydney Rabbitohs against the $1.28.
Speaker 2:Brisbane Broncos. I am going to go for the Broncos. Unfortunately, with everything that's happening with the Rabbitohs, even though Jamie Humphries is back and Latrell Mitchell is back, yes, but, as I said, it was the defence that's really letting them down and they've still got a fair few rookies in there. And if you've got Cobb over and off the back fence, off every monster kick by Humphries, I think there's going to be a few gaps there.
Speaker 1:I agree with you Brisbane Broncos to get this one done. Interesting talking point from this, though Ezra Mann was eligible to play this round. His ban has been served. He got booed. He got booed on screen by everyone in the stadium when he came up, so I reckon that could be a business decision not to play him. Maybe get him some footy back in Queensland Cup to get him up to speed, but when he comes back I don't think he's going to be received well.
Speaker 2:No, not at all.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go with you on this one, though, like I said, the Brisbane Broncos, if they turn it on, this could be an absolute cricket score. So because of that, my best bet this for this game is going to be Broncos to score 31 plus okay, but Luttrell Mitchell to score any time, and that gets you $5.25. So I think it's going to be a high scoring one for the.
Speaker 1:Broncos on to the Canberra Raiders against the Bulldogs. What a test this one for the broncos. Onto the canberra raiders against the bulldogs. What a test this is for the raiders and what a test this is for the bulldogs. This could have match of the round written all over it, but we've got the canberra raiders dollar 73 against the bulldogs two dollars 12. This is first versus second. This is. This is a horrible week to tip this is horrible.
Speaker 2:It's always been Everything, but now everything just seems to be a lot closer. Let's have a quick look at who's in and who's in Matty Burton's back. It's Burton and Sexton for the. But I'm do you know what? I'm going to go for the? I'm going to go for the Raiders. I'm going to back the Raiders. I just really like what they're doing. I really like what they're doing and I think, if they can get a We've said it before when the Bulldogs last played a testing team in the Broncos, they crumbled a little bit and I reckon the Raiders have got that grit in them to beat the Dogs.
Speaker 1:I'm going to agree with you the fact it's in Canberra as well. Their momentum is shifting. To agree with you the fact it's in Canberra as well their momentum is shifting. The only thing that potentially could go against the Raiders is the fact that they might. They're going into this game as favorites. They love playing the underdog. I'm a bit like Ricky Stewart probably loves giving it the hype up about our we're underdogs showing what we're worth. But I think they get it done down in Canberra. I'm gonna stick it on the Raiders as well. I'm going to tip the Raiders with you, but where's your?
Speaker 2:bet for this one. So again, this is to be fair with mine. I like to go for try scorers, but I think there's going to be a few tries. I've gone for three try scorers. I've gone for Bronson Cherry and Sebastian Crisp, so both centres, and then he hasn't scored in a couple of games. So I think he's going to come out flying Big hoodie on and that's 20.75.
Speaker 1:$20 on that one. Of course, get amongst that one. Then we move on to the next game on the Saturday, which is the St George Dragons against the New Zealand Warriors. Up the waz, up the waz Dragons $2.14. Warriors $1.71. Warriors currently sitting third on the table.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep, and I think I'm going to bat the boys and I'm going to go for the waz in this one. I think the Dragons are in a bit of a world of pain and even though it is in the gong and they do like to play in the gong, I'm going to go for the Warriors.
Speaker 1:I'm going to join you on the Warriors. I believe they have too much with Luke Metcalf carving it up. I believe he continues his rich run of form. Harris Tavita interestingly, tuivasa Shek is back. I don't think he's been named in the squad. He's in the reserves, but someone that is back is Dalin Wateni-Zelezniak. So with that, just to confirm, I am tipping the New Zealand Warriors. But with my bet for this game I'm going big DWZ two plus tries on the return, paying $3.90.
Speaker 1:I think, that's a good one to go with. Then on to the next game on the saturday night. Heading up to the queensland country bank stadium in townsville, we got the two dollar forty cowboys against the dollar 58 penrith panthers.
Speaker 2:Okay it feels like another tough one again. It's just it's. Do you know what? I'm going to? Just say it straight away If the Panthers turn up like they did against the Broncos, they'll steamroll in this game, I reckon, even though it is up in. But we did and played so well. Oh, my God, this is, do you know what? I'm going to go for the Panthers. I'm going to go for the Panthers. I'm going to go for the bank.
Speaker 1:I'm going to back the Panthers, back the Panthers on this one. I'm going to have to join you on this one. It annoys me because I'm like. The Panthers are so unpredictable Whenever you tip them, they lose. Are you the man of the game? But then what they showed against the Broncos, you can't ignore that. You cannot ignore that one bit. Can't ignore that. You cannot ignore that one bit. And that was on foreign soil. That was up in Queensland. This game's up in Queensland, so they're kind of well-versed.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think the Panthers get this done. Cleary might be guiding the boys to another victory.
Speaker 2:Also, brian Tahoe is back as well, which is a big inclusion.
Speaker 1:Where's your money at? What are you putting?
Speaker 2:on in this one. So I've got Talangi, Telangi, Tato and Derby all to score and then Cleary and Drinkwater both to have six plus points at $9.75. Nice, Just to stick those little six pointers on it does bump it up from $6 up to $9. So you know it's a couple of every penny and all that.
Speaker 1:Exactly, exactly. Then on to the Sunday games. We'll talk about the 4.05 one in a second which we're excited for. But at 2 pm we have the Melbourne Storm at $1.17 against the West Tigers. Big odds on this one $5.10.
Speaker 2:That is mad. That is crazy. Is it Amy Park? It's Amy Park. Conditions are good, weather's fine, flat track, dry weather. This is going to be a flat track bully game for the Storm. I reckon they're going to put on a good 40 points. I still reckon the Tigers will score 28,. So I reckon it could be like a good 40-28. Saying that now, watch me, egg on my face. The Tigers absolutely steamroll it. But yeah, I think it's flat track bully time and they'll put some points on.
Speaker 1:I can't see beyond the Melbourne storm in this one as well. At home they're a different animal. Tigers, yes, they've improved. This will be a kind of real big test to see where they're lining up. Melbourne have looked shaky, but I see the storm getting it done and then, kind of my bet reflects what you've just said there. I've gone over 9.5 tries in the game and then Melbourne to get to 10 points first, only paying $2.50. So 10 tries and Melbourne to get 10 points first, $2.50. But it could be a guarantee in the back pocket. We say it every week, the moment of the week, then on to oh, it's Mother's Day on Sunday as well, by the way, it's not my Mother's Day.
Speaker 2:That's already been and gone.
Speaker 1:That's something for you to worry about not me. Talking of Mother's Day, on to the most important thing. On Sunday We've got the $1.64 Manly Warringah Seagulls against the $2.27 Cronulla Sharks.
Speaker 2:Manly, manly all the way. It's good to see that Seabold has recognized the mobility in the pack. Yeah, moved Jake Tavois rich down the prop, which is a big, big one. Then you've got that combination between Simpkin and Tavanga at the lock and the hooker position, which they were very good at. You got jake opposite for noah blake, mr tackle versus mr run over. So that'll be, yeah, that'll be, an interesting one. So, but now I think this is our arguably this is our best back line as well. Um with with chivojevic, sab kalua called cola gik Hoppawate, so that's a very dangerous attack right there.
Speaker 1:It is. This feels like a must-win game for Manly in terms of. We lost a close one when we were in Perth against the Sharks. It almost felt like people were scared to make a mistake. We're both locked up with 10 points on the table, sitting next to each other on the table. This one will determine, I I think, how our next. So let's split the season into three phases, right? We're nine games through, so we're a third of the way. Everyone's found their feet, everyone's kind of figured each other out. This reminds me this. Next nine games with the origin period reminds me a bit like moving day in golf, when they talk about the Saturday in golf where you have a real opportunity to shoot up the ladder, cement yourself in the top eight. This is the first game of that kind of second phase of the season. I believe we win this and I believe we win this quite comfortably. I think the Sharks didn't show much last week. They just grind out their processes. Will Kennedy's playing pretty?
Speaker 2:well at the moment.
Speaker 1:He did take a fairly big knock though, I believe, last weekend. So we'll see how that impacts his performance. And it seems like stone street just seems to be getting the ball constantly and if he scores one, he scores two. So the key to us winning this game is keeping kennedy quiet and stopping him getting the ball to stone street. Yeah, if we can do that, we win this comfortably. So I'm going with the manly warringa seagulls 13 plus.
Speaker 2:That's not my bet, you're the one with the bet on this one they're winning at 13 but 13 plus.
Speaker 1:But where's your money at for?
Speaker 2:this one. I've gone big on this one. I've gone big on this one. I think we're going to use our right edge brilliantly. So I've got all of Saab, aliquota and Garrick to score yes, with Molotalo and Stone Street. And then Garrick 8 plus points, heinz 6 plus points at $72.
Speaker 1:This is going to be like 40 points to 30 or something going on. Yeah, I think it will be.
Speaker 2:But then if you were to put a bet on all the ball tees that I've just done in my three or four games, the odds are $149,306 and 62 to 1.
Speaker 1:I did think about doing that, but I was doing it on the bus on my phone and I was trying to go back and forward. So fair play, that's worth a dollar.
Speaker 2:looking forward to it, looking forward to being back at Brookie um Sunday though.
Speaker 1:So probably not too many beers, maybe just a couple to settle the nerves. Settle the nerves, um. But yeah, be sure to follow along on socials to kind of see who we're tipping and progress as it goes. But one quick thing to touch on before we round things off. This Thursday we have the British and Irish Lions. The squad is going to be getting announced of who's coming over to Australia. They've got the warm-up game coming up against Argentina. But some big news that came out this morning is Caelan Dorris, who was almost a lot to be British and Irish Lions captain, suffered an injury at the weekend on his shoulder and was requiring surgery. So he's touch and go whether he's going to be on the plane. Don't quite know how long the recovery is going to be, but do you think that means that Big Maro?
Speaker 2:Tojo is going to be Lions captain. Yeah, he was going to be number two. If he gets selected, I think the word that you used a few episodes ago.
Speaker 1:was he's being groomed to be the Lions captain, or was that England captain that ago? Was he's being groomed to be the?
Speaker 2:Lions captain. That was England captain, not quite Lions, but no, he is a massive leader, he's a massive influence in that team and I think he would be a massive asset to all the lads coming in as well. But no, I'm really excited to see who they select. I reckon it's going to be a physical, physical, big team, because that's how Andy Farrell likes his rugby. So expect some big centres, some big forwards in there as well.
Speaker 1:Owen Farrell, I think as well, got knocked out at the weekend.
Speaker 2:Daddy will pick him.
Speaker 1:Exactly a bit of nepotism or something like that Daddy will pick him. We'll see how it goes, but follow us along on Insta because we're going to post our predictions up on Insta, hopefully get them out Thursday ahead of when they were actually predicted. So follow. They've been doing it all day, sir, on Insta and on TikTok and on YouTube. Like and subscribe and, yeah, show us some love. But anything else you want to touch on Piastri winning his second in a row.
Speaker 2:He's absolutely killing it. It's just very happy. It's just good to see him going along. Mclaren are absolutely firing at the moment and it's nice to see Windy Mac's not doing very well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, love to see it, but thank you for watching along this week. Make sure you like and subscribe on all platforms and we'll catch you in the next one.
Speaker 2:See you later.