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#16: Comeback Kings: Latrell's Field Goal Magic
The week of the comeback sees some extraordinary NRL performances as teams defy halftime deficits to claim dramatic victories. We break down the most impressive individual displays and what they mean for Origin selection.
• Stephen Crichton makes a compelling case for Origin captaincy with his dominant second-half performance against the Raiders
• Latrell Mitchell's 47-meter field goal in wet conditions delivers victory for the Rabbitohs against the Broncos
• Panthers and Cowboys play out a 30-30 draw that exposes Penrith's defensive weaknesses
• Melbourne Storm demolish Wests Tigers 64-0, raising questions about resilience and mercy rules
• Gold Coast Titans complete the biggest comeback in their NRL history against the Newcastle Knights
• Round 11 predictions include several tight contests that could influence ladder positions
• We reveal our full NSW Origin selections based on current form, not reputation
• Controversial omissions from our Origin teams include Tom Trbojevic and Jake Trbojevic
Join us next week as we analyse the fallout from Round 11 and react to the official Origin team announcements.
Hello and welcome to this week's episode of. They've Been Doing it All Day, sir, I'm Ben and I'm Chris. It was the week of the comeback, with some great auditions for Origin. Let's get stuck in how are things going mate? Not too bad. We're wearing a few different jerseys this week.
Speaker 2:We are. We are. You're wearing the native Australian jersey.
Speaker 1:I feel like I've drawn the short straw, but I suppose I more australian than you are and the fact that I have two australian or three australian wow wow no, actually I saved myself on that. I've got two australian children because only two of the three were born in australia one of them.
Speaker 1:One of them was born in the uk so there we go yeah, I saved myself there massively, but, um, like I mentioned, some huge comebacks this weekend and we got a lot to get through, so I want to cover this one quickly. What's one of the biggest comebacks that you've seen in sport or for Birmingham or anyone that you can think of?
Speaker 2:There's a couple of ones I always talk about. First one is the Birmingham City versus West Ham United in the Carling Cup semi-final 3-1 down on aggregate Ended up winning 4-3 in extra time. Craig Garner screamer into the bottom corner. And the other one always sticks out is Newcastle versus Arsenal. Arsenal 4-0 up at halftime ended up drawing 4-4.
Speaker 1:Cech Teote scored an absolute screamer Is that the one where he volleys it from about 35 yards out bottom corner yeah incredible, incredible goal, but those are the two that really jump out for myself.
Speaker 2:Have you got anything on the same lines?
Speaker 1:I've got one. I've got one huge one, and it links to some of the Chelsea tops that are around, and that's Chelsea's comeback in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Hostile environment away at the Allianz 1-0 down, huge underdogs throughout the whole tournament. And then Didier Drogba pops up in the 88th minute just not a header in from Frank Lampard's corner, takes it to extra time and then to win on penalties, with Didier Drogba scoring his last penalty ever for Chelsea, although he then comes back and plays Chelsea again. But moving on to the NRL, though, we've got some huge comebacks this week and some huge performances from individuals. Who are you going to go with your performance?
Speaker 2:of the round this week. My performance of the round is Latrell Mitchell Watching him against that Broncos team. He was doing so much throughout the game that I think went under the radar as well. He's very much highlighted in that second half but even in the first half he was putting in changes. Two standout points in the first half was the one-on-one tackle to Payne Haas, who normally trucks fullbacks but varied to the side of Mitchell and Mitchell was able to take the tackle and he ended up getting a one-on-one strip as well when the Broncos were bringing up some momentum. But then my little mention alongside that has got to be Blaise Talangi Four assists for a very young half who's come into this very well-oiled previous year's Panthers team and very much wore that six jersey and wore it well.
Speaker 1:He's had a bit of a rough start to the season as well, with people not getting selected for a while and then people questioning whether he's got it too early. Maybe it's coming to his Panthers team, but he definitely put in a performance.
Speaker 2:He earned his dollars. He certainly did.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go with Stephen Crichton. Now I know I'm just going to caveat that we have a lot of people that will be like and yes, he scored a shed load of points, equaled the record of the most points scored in a single game. I believe all was certainly up there in the table, but his was not as situational as kind of. My pick for Crichton and yours is for Luttrell In the fact that both of these teams were behind at halftime. And then Steven Crichton just was unreal in that second half.
Speaker 1:I don't know whether they noticed a weakness in the Raiders' line and just decided for him to start opening up the legs and just run at gaps, run at space, but the way he was moving the ball around one-handed, swimming it over people, palming people off on the way and then offloading to Kraz for tries, I think he was just unreal. And then he was supported by Kikau's work on the other side as well. So they just, the dogs, turned up in the second half and we'll get onto that one in a bit, but flop of the round. We've gone for a joint flop of the round. So I'll let you talk about your reasons.
Speaker 2:It's the Tigers. When you concede 64 points and you don't score any, you can't really overlook that. We did talk about the storm being flat track bullies and but even still shipping 64 points and we we we are very much haters of teams that don't score in league um. I think this could be like the third or fourth team um this season and yeah, it's not not only 64, but then not scoring yourselves in a time where you'd expect around 70, 80 minutes things to have tied a couple of tries, especially with the players that the Tigers have on the team.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, that's why I've gone for the Tigers.
Speaker 1:They've got one of the best finishes in the game in Taruva on the wing, creative in the middle with Luai Galvin, power through the middle with Terrell May, who was probably one of their standout performers. I don't know whether you can have a standout performer when you get back at 64-0, but for what they've got, the hype that has been created around them and the weapons that they've brought in, I just think it's embarrassing to get your pants pulled down. 64-0 away from home biggest loss this season. I believe they had one last year as well against the Cowboys, but they then reversed that and beat the Cowboys Very similar at Leichhardt Oval. But yeah, big flop of the round there. Can't really think of anyone else talking a flop. So my tips weren't exactly great. I got 50% again.
Speaker 2:You can't argue with that, especially with the year that everyone's having as well. So you can't argue with that. Yeah, um, especially with you. Look at the broncos rabbit o's especially rabbit o's coming off, the loss of the to the night, not knowing what panthers are going to turn up you're not never knowing what panthers are going to turn up. Um, it was a horrible round of tip as well.
Speaker 1:So four, four out of eight, I'd be happy with that and you took the week with the one differential that we picked. I picked the Knights, sorry, you picked the Titans and, yeah, the Titans. Talking of comebacks, the Titans came back in that one. But let's kick off with the review of the round. We're going to start with the Bulldogs 33, defeating the Raiders 20. What a comeback.
Speaker 2:It was very I think you can say this for pretty much every game where the comeback was on. It was a game of two halves. I haven't seen this year yet a game that has two halves so different from each other 20-0 down at halftime, so different from each other.
Speaker 2:20 nil down at half time separated from each other as well, with the with the same two teams. Um, don't get me wrong, the raiders. The raiders looked incredible in that first half the, the constant barrage against the dogs, and the dogs just didn't have any answers. They were. They looked at six and sevens. They really struggled with everything. Fogarty, strange, styling, were all creating such such patterns within the play.
Speaker 1:The dogs just had no answers yeah, and with that comeback in the second half, do you think that reinforces? People said they were premiership contenders beforehand, but do you think it highlights that the fact that they could, they can win it all? Do you reckon that first half highlights potentially some vulnerability and weakness? What? What's your takeaway from that?
Speaker 2:I got it, got it written down here that's, that's a premiership. Winning second half. Um it all. It's all well and good doing well when you, when you've got the momentum and and you're, you're scoring the tries, you're winning games. It's, it's how you dig deep when things aren't going your way. You could question them when they played the Broncos the other week. They just lost their heads and it was in a real struggle. This game could have easily have gone that way. I think they were probably a sin bin away from that happening.
Speaker 1:Same result, yeah.
Speaker 2:But it was incredible to watch that second half and seeing the individual performances that came off it as well.
Speaker 1:It was immense yeah, like I mentioned earlier, crichton just opened them up on that right hand side and as soon as they saw that had impact once, they just went straight to it. In 17 minutes they were from 20 points down to then winning the game. I think it was so fair play to them. But what do you think of the shouts of Stephen Crichton being Origin captain? He's my.
Speaker 2:Origin captain. He would be my captain straight away. I think we discussed this last week or in previous weeks about him being Origin captain. His leadership skills are incredible, as we discussed last week, him being able to show his defence and attack these last couple of weeks. He's an all-round player. But then, flipping on that, if it's not going to be Crichton, who do you think would take the armband?
Speaker 1:I reckon, isaiah Yao, we'll get it just through experience. We're going to cover our origin picks later and maybe we'll talk a little bit about the captaincy debate then. But just to touch on the raiders, they've lost matty nicholson, one of the guys that we absolutely love on here. He's broken his leg, uh, lower lower leg, near enough ankle, I think. He's out for eight to ten weeks, which isn't good, but what happened to him in the second half?
Speaker 2:I think it was just pure pace. Pure pace and the speed that the dogs were playing the game at. It was relentless in the fact that it was just set after, like sort of tackle after tackle after tackle, Every pickup, every person who went into dummy half was stepping forward before passing and it just separated the Raiders line. Don't get me wrong. Strange put in an incredible try-saving tackle against Tracy where he was able to flip him around and then hold him up.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That was an incredible moment in the game All for nothing because I think two tackles that year they scored.
Speaker 2:If the Raiders went on to win that game, that could have been highlighted the year that tackle.
Speaker 1:But because it's ended up being in a loss. It's going to go under the radar, yeah, everything. Um, I think it was just the overwhelming pressure as well the dogs found something that they could exploit, and whether it is the gaps in the line from the centers, because kick out was getting, he was line breaking. Uh, you had crichton one side, karras was dancing around people. It just seemed that things clicked and I don't know whether it's a bit of pressure expectation from the Raiders, the fact that they'd blown out to a 20 point lead and then, all of a sudden, within what was it? Eight, nine second half minutes, they were only up two points.
Speaker 1:And pressure bursts can burst a steel pipe. Imagine what it can do to the Canberra Raiders can burst a steel pipe. Imagine what it can do to the camera raiders. But, um, yeah, on to the next game, which was another cracking comeback, and one man stole the limelight. We got the rabbit toes 22 defeat in the broncos 14. Latrell to the rescue in the wet. He is a big time player, big time players make big time plays and my word was the 50 claims.
Speaker 2:It's 50 meters, 47, 47 meter field goal to win it unreal that that that thing traveled 55 meters like it would it was.
Speaker 1:I don't think you'll see a better connection no, hit it right out the middle and, if he knew, as soon as he kicked it he turned around and walked away and was just, yeah, that's incredible.
Speaker 2:That must be such a great feeling. I stood behind, I like. Whenever I've tried to drop, kick a ball, I've probably got no further than 10 metres. After a bit of repetition I've been all right, yeah. But I couldn't even dream of hitting one like that and then just seeing it float over and then being able to walk off, especially with the scenario he did it in as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you mentioned it earlier, it wasn't just that he put in some great plays earlier on, and I just think it highlights why he's a perfect fit for the origin stage, because when people need him, he steps up, and a couple of years ago when he was playing at centre just trucking people and running people over, just had people second-guessing. He's got to be a dead cert for the team sheet, right.
Speaker 2:Definitely set for the team shoot right Definitely.
Speaker 2:I think that performance has put him there, just sort of the point he's a try-saver on Mariner as well Mariner's not an easy boy to catch and to be able to show him the sideline and make the tackle. He did Form tackle and then I think it was a few moments later well, it may have been a little bit later, I can't remember the timings of it but then to hit the two-point field goal, that's an eight-point shift. Essentially that he's done on his own there. And one point I did notice and we discussed about it on Sunday is what his attitude was like at half-time.
Speaker 2:So at half-time, keogh had the camera on the Rabbitohs huddle and he was going around everyone jeering them up like sort of come on, boys. We're still in this and, to be fair, they were the broncos couldn't get away um.
Speaker 1:So I don't know whether you saw it differently or not now, I agree, like 40 nil at halftime I think was uh underwhelming for kind of what the broncos can do. So fair play, play to the Rabbitohs for keeping them at bay and, yeah, putting in a performance to keep it close at halftime, because it certainly could have got away from them. But it all came down to who scored first in the second half and the Rabbitohs came out, got that score within what? Five, ten minutes of the start of the second half and you're like right, this isn't over, because we know the Broncos are shaky. You and you're like right, this is, this isn't over, because we know the broncos are shaky. You never know which broncos are going to show up.
Speaker 1:Um, and I love selwyn cobbett off the back fence like he is. There was a few times where he made a business decision just to run it straight, run it to someone he targeted, uh, jai gray, when he was on. I think he was like you know what? I'm just going to run straight at you, um, and try to him over, but fair play to him, he stopped him. But you just don't know which Broncos players are going to turn up. Payne Haas had a good show in again, but he was kept quiet for his standards.
Speaker 2:Yeah, made a shocking 150 metres.
Speaker 1:It's mental when he averages 170 metres or whatever it is it's kind of shocking, but you just don't know week on week who's going to turn up. Well, they're 5-5. Now the Broncos, I believe they're close to that 4-5, 5-4, 5-5, one of them, but I wouldn't like to get them in the playoffs in the finals, should they get there, but onto teams as well that you wouldn't want to get in the playoffs or the finals. Cowboys 30, Panthers 30, I believe Penrith were lucky to get away of a point in this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, massively, especially when it went into Golden Point. There was, I think the Cowboys had about three or four genuine attempts to be able to see the game off and yeah, I I was watching it back. It'd be really interesting to see where they were sort of in offside line, because there was a few times I think Cleary's called for something in the fact that it was questionable whether one of them, whoever it was, was offside.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like the pace they get in there like 10 metres by the time the ball's rolled out and then the pass is going back even further. So there's a 15-metre gap. These they must have been setting off early at some point.
Speaker 1:I said it on Sunday at the Manly game like there's no way that players can react as quick as they do to when the exactly the foot touches the ball to then make up that distance and be where they are in the time they are. So there's got to be some hoodoo voodoo going on to get them out there early. But they had. They were genuine chances and I think last year. If valentine holmes is there, does that make a difference. Does he slot them? Do the cowboys walk away with the win?
Speaker 2:yeah, massively, massively. Um you can. You can argue, if he was there, whether it had gone to sort of 30, 30, whether there would have been a bit more prominent in attack. But the real frustrating with the Panthers at the moment is they're starting to click into this Panthers attacking-wise that we've known for the last four or five seasons. Their issue now is their defense.
Speaker 1:And by.
Speaker 2:God, their defense is all over the place at times. Yeah, the gaps, the tackling element of it as well. It's just not a Panthers team, that you know, when it comes to defensive work.
Speaker 1:Well, it helps when their physio's spraying water on the ball and trying to get it. What's your thoughts on that? Both of them were doing it, apparently.
Speaker 2:Yeah, unless it's not water, but I can't think of anything else that it would make. Wasn't it raining anyway or the weather?
Speaker 1:it's humid up there, the ball's going to be slippery anyway yeah, and spraying water on it.
Speaker 2:It's like it's the dark arts of the game. It's a bit, don't get me wrong it's pathetic because by the time you because the ball's got to travel 50 odd metres to get down the other end, probably by the time it's it's gone down there it's fairly dry probably dried off, um, and I don't know how much of an advantage you're actually going to really gain from it.
Speaker 1:But the ref. The ref picked it up. When the cowboys done it, he changed the ball. So there obviously is a law around ball tampering.
Speaker 2:But 100, but why is a trainer allowed to walk with a ball anyway, like, that's very true that that's another thing, um, but, but yeah, that was that was. That was quite funny in that aspect. But um, well, we didn't even touch on it in the previous game about mitchell's last minute try, so there, was a couple of yeah there was a couple of uh controversial moments, I suppose, over the weekend yeah, what's your thoughts on that?
Speaker 1:I'm I'm blowing up. I'm not calling Latrell's one, it's like a bit he'd taken a knee, he'd conceded the game and then dive through Wrap him then. True.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, but you see it all the time within the games. Like last tackle, someone would drop to the knee, someone will still go over and wrap them.
Speaker 1:Next time it happens, he's going to get an absolute shot on him, and so he should.
Speaker 2:But unfortunately that's the thing you open yourself up to. If you are going to do that, people are going to absolutely wallop you, and he should be. He should accept it. If that does happen, mismatch interviews you go. Yeah, I tricked the. The broncos got cleared out this week, absolutely fine, um, but I'm not too fussed about it.
Speaker 1:Broncos, no better, they should play within play between the two whistles you never know, it could be a um key deciding fact coming down to points differential at the end of the season. Imagine if they sneak in by five points and it's him sneaking over.
Speaker 1:Um. Another close one though warriors 15 defeating the dragons 14. Um, another very, very close loss for the dragons this year. Uh, what do you think is holding like? What is causing them to mess up so much in when they need, when they need, extra points? Because they did it against the eels when, yeah when lomax slotted it over for for the eels. They messed it up then by I think it was Lockie Elias that might have kicked it out on the forward. There's this they couldn't get close enough. They were messing around with a ruck. They were passing it too many times. What do they need to do?
Speaker 2:We've discussed on the sort of the senior players in sort of key positions and that side of things. Senior players in key positions and that side of things. It could well be a case of they don't have the player in the halves to be able to control that. They've got Val Holmes at centre, who is a fantastic player. They've got Gutherson at full-back a brilliant player. Players you want in attack, but when you want someone orchestrating the attack you need that from your halves and sort of hiding away. But being at the centre and full back they're just so inconsistent with what they do as well. And there's moments where they are incredible in attack and they're doing so well, but then you go back and then it's they're just seeing things that I don't know what they're seeing. So I personally think it's just not having the experience in the halves. I don't know what they're seeing. So I personally think it's just not having the experience in the halves could be an issue?
Speaker 2:I don't know whether you're seeing it a little differently or not.
Speaker 1:Well, it's interesting because we talk about people in the halves that are able to do that, and Luke Metcalf, on the other side, he stepped up, slotted the extra point. I think they did it quite early, didn't they? There was like seven minutes to go or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there was still a fair bit of time left Fair bit of time.
Speaker 1:So fair play to manage that and go. Do you know what? I don't think we're going to get down. Let's just put one over and put us in front Scoreboard pressure. But he's been phenomenal the last couple of weeks. We spoke about him last week.
Speaker 2:He scored in this and replacement yeah, massively, massively, and I think that's such a big thing for them, considering he had an absolute shocker week one in Vegas and everyone was on his back and whatnot. But he's been, as you say, incredible over the last two, three, maybe even longer. He pulls that game together.
Speaker 2:As you said, the game management is brilliant for someone so sort of young within the position and within the team and you look at it as well. Like with Warriors, they're winning these close games and they're underscoring as well. They're not scoring many points, but they're winning the game.
Speaker 1:So I think they're third or fourth, I think, within sort of least points scored there was a stat I saw earlier that said they're either third or fourth on the all-time ladder of the team with the lowest points differential at this point of the season to be in the top four the lowest was the west tigers. They had like a minus two points difference in the early 2000s. But the Warriors being on, what is it plus one?
Speaker 2:One. Yeah, they're second on a plus one difference.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it goes to show that when they win their games, they either win them well or win them tight, and when they lose, they lose the tight ones. So look, we've said it before, defence wins games. It doesn't matter how many points are on the board from the opposition, as long as you score more than them. That's all that matters getting the two points on the board and a team that did score more points than the opposition, which they haven't done in recent weeks the Gold Coast Titans defeating the Newcastle Knights 24-20. For the first, what is it? 15, 20 minutes of this game? I thought here we go.
Speaker 2:I've tipped the knights, here they're on they are on, yeah, but how quickly that can turn it did. Um, what one thing I picked up on this as well is how unhappy hazler looked at the end, just just in general throughout the game.
Speaker 1:Um, I think it was more relief. Maybe at the end you know where he's, staring, deadpan into the camera. I reckon it's a relief of I might have just saved my job for another few weeks then.
Speaker 2:It was just really weird watching, because you then flip onto the Storm game where Craig Bellamy was fuming the whole way through.
Speaker 1:Not a smile on his face, not a smile.
Speaker 2:Absolutely going mental the whole way through. Not a smile on his face, not a smile. Absolutely going mental the whole. And your team's 64 and up, and this one, that's like they've. They've had their issues last week and the last few weeks and you pull off an incredible comeback. I think it's their, isn't it their?
Speaker 2:history yeah, yeah, biggest, biggest comeback in nrl history, and he's just sat there like, oh, so that was, that's something I picked up on which I thought was quite I don't know. Is it telling a little bit of a story of, as, as we said, that the jessing room may not be swinging in his favor at the moment?
Speaker 1:pressure from above. I think there's a few media articles that have been flying around recently around if he doesn't secure top eight, he's gone at the end of the year. So there must have been a point in that game where he's like right, I've just. I think I've just sold my house down on the northern beaches. I thought I was here long term. Now I've got to rethink where I'm going to be living in the next few months because I'm about to get the old tin tack. But I think he was relieved at the end.
Speaker 1:But one thing this defeat does is piles the pressure on for Adam O'Brien, newcastle sitting bottom of the ladder. What they won, two games, lost seven there. But that's like, like you mentioned earlier about the Warriors although the Knights aren't scoring that many points defensively, they're not conceding that many points either. So it's a bit of a tale of two. I think we touched on it last week when we spoke about where the Knights and the Warriors sat on the table Two complete opposite ends but, were very similar in kind of points scored, points conceded.
Speaker 1:But one thing from this Greg Marjou has done his knee in I believe. Don't know long he's out for, but perfect timing to get Dom Young in.
Speaker 2:Well, that's all stalled, isn't it? Apparently I was reading earlier. They'd they'd turn around and said um to the roosters. Oh, you can still pay his contract for a year and we'll have him and the rooster was like well, no, no, that's not why we're getting rid of him.
Speaker 2:Like it's, you need to get rid of it and I think they should be doing everything they can to try and get him in. I don't know whether it could be a case that Dom Young has to take a pay cut for just the rest of the year.
Speaker 1:I reckon he will.
Speaker 2:To then be able to re-sign next year. But they are screaming out for someone in that side of things and I think it'd be interesting the versatility of him as well, because I remember reading on the Manly pages that weekend Manly should go for him and play him second row. He's a big boy, he's a big unit. Does he have the attributes to be able to play second? One of the big things that has been his issues we discussed is his defensive work. Yeah, you are a little bit hidden within that second row element If you can make the hits against your opposite second row just hold him up.
Speaker 2:That's all you need to do it's a lot better than being on your own and making a decision whether I'm going to cut him, whether I'm going to stick and go out, but I don't.
Speaker 1:I can't see that being his position personally, but I just thought it'd be quite interesting thing to to highlight, I suppose we'll see how it goes, because I saw, yeah, trent robertson come out today and saying we are not getting rid of Dom Young for the way the Knights are saying it's going to happen and don't promise him things before things have actually materialized.
Speaker 1:But we're keeping an eye on that one. On to the storm, the Melbourne storm, Back down to earth with a crash, I believe, for the Tigers 64-0. We were preparing to go and watch Manly at this point. We were having a few schooners and the scoreboard was just ticking over, ticking over. Every time we refreshed a page it was 32, 39, 40, 50. It was just relentless. How did the Tigers bounce back from a 64-0 battering?
Speaker 2:That's going to be a big indicator of their bottle yeah is what, what, what they can do internally to shift that. This is either going to motivate them or going to put them on the beach for the next couple of weeks, which is not what you want to do especially.
Speaker 1:well, I was going to say jerome luai's dad coming out and tweeting off on instagram after saying activate the release clause, or release clause activated, since corrected it, and saying that his wife has banned him from using social media now Talking about us having a couple of skewers.
Speaker 2:I reckon he'd had a few when he posted that.
Speaker 1:Certainly. But, like you say, test of the metal but adding stuff to it like outside, noise from inside, how does that impact him?
Speaker 2:It's yeah, outside noise from inside. How does that impact them? It it's yeah like that you'd think they've had enough with everything that came on with galvin and now this this with his, with with the dad, but I suppose it's just. It's around the halves. It's not everyone within the team that are causing a bit of bother. It just seems to be a bit of a bit of noise from that sense. But ryan pappenhausen can't argue.
Speaker 1:He's put himself within a chance of playing origin. I don't believe for game one like I believe there's too many or two other main contenders out there that stand out above him. But if he continues putting in performances like this, two or three game, two or three, should there be an injury, certainly put himself on the list for that. But one interesting thing that I saw earlier should there be a mercy rule in the NRL? No, if you're 50 points down, do you reckon there should be a clock running or something?
Speaker 2:No mercy rules are for amateur sports, because everyone's going to go to work on Monday morning as professional athletes. You should be a psychologically be able to cope with this, yeah, and and and go with it, go, roll with it. And b it's professional sports. So this is, this is a once in a blue moon occurrence. It's not like it's happening. They hope, they hope. Yeah, god, I've just absolutely killed the tigers there, but it doesn't happen every week. There's not a blowout like this every week in the.
Speaker 2:NRL. So I think that is a silly comment, whoever made that. But I suppose the Storms just show what they can do when against a defense that don't want to defend.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So right now, after that weekend, storm against the Dogs of the second half, against the Raiders who wins?
Speaker 2:It's a tough one, dogs. I'm going Dogs Because I think the Storm may not be able to keep up defensively when the Dogs switch to the way they did. To keep up defensively when the dogs switch to the way they did. And also more of a fan of Steven Crotten than I am Cam Munster, so I don't really not a massive fan of the Storm.
Speaker 2:It's one of those, but that is a tough one and it depends the situation as well. I think the way the Storm played don't get me wrong. I reckon they would have put points on any team, but if there was a team within the comp to be able to do it back, I think it could be the Dogs.
Speaker 1:It'd be an interesting one.
Speaker 2:What's your thoughts around it, though?
Speaker 1:I reckon the Dogs, defensively, would be able to stop what the Storm had. I don't think they'd let it get get to that point. I believe they got the weapons to, yeah, nullify some of their attacking plays and where they find themselves and then to flip that they've got the attacking performance to to shut them down and create time off the ball with that.
Speaker 1:So I believe the dogs out of those two performances was better, but it was only for 40 minutes yeah whereas the storm stuck it on them for the whole 80, which is a big, is a big factor that you've got to consider. So it'll be great to see them play off in the in the final somewhere. Let's hope it is the grand final if they're the two form teams at the start at the time, but there's a few people and a few other teams that will have a say in that. Let's move on to the. We've got two more games to go. The dolphins 20 defeat the eels 16. Um, I believe, herbie farmworth. He scored four consecutive, four consecutive games. He has now proven kind of why he can be one of the best centers in the game massive, and it wasn't too long ago you were calling him out for not performing too well performing um, he's, yeah, had a great game um, the try to seal it as well broke through two arm tackles sidestepped, was it?
Speaker 1:I don't think it was the hammer at the back, it might have been, but he walked, then jogged around and put it under and he's just week on week getting better and better.
Speaker 2:Yeah, incredible and it's great to see what the league can do. Like, very happy he's English, we're going to be wearing that white against the gold in the Ashes series.
Speaker 1:AJ Br white against the gold in the ashes series. Um aj brimson for the old titans is deferred. Yes, so we got another nrl player representing england in the ashes as well which is good.
Speaker 2:There we go, um, but yeah, it was. It was one of those games where and this is where I my thought process was going is when I said, um, I messaged you about possibly the knights being the worst team in the comp, the other teams around them. So you've got the bun being the worst team in the comp, the other teams around them. So you've got the Bunnies, who have been absolutely injury riddled, but they're always there or thereabouts, they're never too far away. The Eels again injuries in key attacking positions. They haven't really had a full strength team yet. I think this could be their first weekend.
Speaker 1:Where Lomax is back. They've got really had a full strength team yet I think this could be their first weekend.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when Lomax is back. When Lomax is back, they've got Moses, they've got Alucard, they've got some attacking weapons and again against a Dolphins team that can turn it on. We've seen they did it against a Storm.
Speaker 1:they're not too far away and that's what my thought process of those teams around the Knights is why that's my thought process for it, because this game could have easily gone to the eels, as it did to the Dolphins. It certainly could have, and one of the people that was the massive difference for the Dolphins, though, was Katoa. He shows things from such a young age. The first try that they scored when he runs it into the line. He runs it so deep into the line but fakes it one way and then turns around and pass it the other way, leaving I think it was Moses and the winger just absolutely on toast, not expecting it.
Speaker 1:Flat-footed farm worth quick offload, and I don't know kind of remember who it was. Maybe it was Avarillo that went over in the corner, but it was or Bostock, I think. But it was just great play from him. He's turning into a future star. I believe he's only young. Sign he's gonna sign, or has signed or might be signing a con long, or they want to lock him up. One of those options we'll get there soon, but they're going to want to keep him for a long time because he's going to be a future star of the game for sure and this is the interesting thing is that he was he's born in new zealand but then played his um union away his junior out in pembroke.
Speaker 2:So would that mean he's eligible to play origin?
Speaker 1:isn't it like 13 or 14?
Speaker 1:you've got to do that, I believe or so there's some age that you've got to have played rep football from, but we can look into that and find out. If anyone knows, please put it down in the comments below as to how, what's, what, your origin determination is, because you haven't got a clue. But good game. I thought the the dolphins it was a great few, a great um. Try saving tackle by the hammer at the end where, like you say, eels could have broke away of it. Addo car was gassing down the sideline, um, and it was just fortunate enough that there was a man with even, in fact, wasn't that? Isn't that a flashback to? They played out in um, they played one of the rounds out in somewhere, yeah, when he was, and they were running, they were running down the sideline and he caught him up.
Speaker 1:It was kind of a bit of payback for that, I guess. Uh, fox versus the the hammer yeah, I remember that. Now on to the final game of the round. Um, it was the final game on a Sunday.
Speaker 2:Was there another game? Yeah, was there another game.
Speaker 1:Can we skip over this one, but we've put it last because we also thought it was the most boring game of the round as well. Not just the fact that Manny lost, but there was nothing much going for this game. We were sat in the stands. The Sharks raced out to well. They didn't race out again. They were 14 nil up at half time, the third time manly haven't scored a point at home in the first half, which is worrying. Manly bring it back to 14 all. And then horrendous mistake by garrick put gave gives it to braden trindle. They go over. Then go get go over again. One of my biggest things from this game, though Wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts on it as DCE checked out. Is he gone? Is he at the Roosters?
Speaker 2:The amazing thing was that this is two different DCEs. Against Penrith he was everywhere, he was orchestrating the game, and this week it was the exact same performance he put in against the Dragons.
Speaker 1:His kicking was terrible. We were sitting in the stands and every kick was no height, on it, flat, no distance, straight to a person, straight to a person, not really causing them, and then their fullback. I've forgotten his name Kennedy. Kennedy just has loads of room to run it back. Making meters. Next thing you know they're making 50 meters down the field easily and the mistakes that are being made and like. We're going to talk about origin in a minute. But for me aliquot has got to cut mistakes out of his game yeah, I don't know where this is all creeped in from he offloaded to some one of the sharks players.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just hold on to the ball, man, don't offload it.
Speaker 2:And yeah, I don't know whether he's trying to do too much um in in that essence and the garrick try it's. It's a really difficult one because that's, that's a, that's an anomaly man. That is just shit look in that sense that he's rolling and the ball pops out um granted, you can go.
Speaker 2:Why didn't he just knock it out the back? He was never getting out the goal area, but that it's just so unlucky from that side of things. And the tackle, the try for Faneuil Blake as well. Like you might, the the manly line should have just escorted him through.
Speaker 1:I'm pretty sure didn't um Cherry Evans make a business decision on that one potentially? I? Don't blame you, to be honest, like if I saw Faneuil Blake, you know what I mean it's, but it had to be him as well, the ex-manly guy to to fly over and score and it was.
Speaker 2:There was just Again. Kola was incredible.
Speaker 1:Standout.
Speaker 2:Where this has come from. He's gone under the radar in performances-wise and then the last couple of weeks he's just shone above the rest of the thing. It's because of how poor everyone else is playing.
Speaker 2:Broke five tackles. Yeah, incredible, yeah, incredible. And we were saying in the pub after the game it seems that they have a blueprint for one game. It works, and they just then copy and paste it for the next team. You saw that early in the um first half when garrick tried to, there was there was the. The same move they did against, uh, the the panthers for the first try and garrick came in on that crash and just didn't collect ball and just got absolutely nailed and they kicked off after that.
Speaker 1:didn't? He got a bit of argy bargygy after that one to then make a mistake later on and give them a try, but anyway.
Speaker 2:But there was no room to do that.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:Again, I never understand why the halves or whoever's passing the ball, isn't reading what's happening.
Speaker 1:It's like against the Dragons. When it was given to Ben, yeah, and he dropped it straight away.
Speaker 2:There was just no attacking attempt. Brooks had a bit of a quiet game for him attacking. Why he's still incredible in defence?
Speaker 1:Fair play to the guy Puts his body on the line.
Speaker 2:All the time. I don't know why it's then. We've had all these weeks of DCE not kicking to. Then DCE kicking and Brooks is doing nothing. Now he's now doing kick. His kick-offs were absolutely shocking as well.
Speaker 1:The first one he did was terrible.
Speaker 2:So I don't know what's going on. Turbo had a quiet game.
Speaker 1:He's not 100%. He can't get selected for origin. There's no way a guy can get selected for origin.
Speaker 2:No, and this is what we'll talk about in a minute. But we shot ourselves in the foot with having Falalo on the bench and not having an additional forward. So Jake Cervojevic who I think we've now all come to the conclusion is can't play more than 50, 60 minutes, had to play 72 minutes. Tavanga and Simkin just didn't look like their combination. They did against the Panthers. I was watching this game and I couldn't understand what the game plan was.
Speaker 1:No that Kola try against Pemrith, where he's looped in from the other side, coming run under line, even Ola Kuwatu going up and jumping for balls. To be fair, I thought Ola Kuwatu had been knocked clean out later in the game.
Speaker 2:Ah, yeah, that was big.
Speaker 1:How he was allowed to stay back on the field. I do not know. We'd be fuming. Yeah, it was terrible. But we looked at the stats after this game and they were fairly even and it was definitely like I'm not taking anything away from the Sharks they came down to or they came up to. Brookie Oval got their job done. They were methodical in what they did.
Speaker 1:They ran it through the middle Same as they capitalised on mistakes, but it was definitely more of a case of Manly being poor than it was a Sharks dominating win massively and the one that sticks out the most is tackle breaks.
Speaker 2:Sharks had 30, manly had 17 exactly. I reckon we could have a good old rant for a good while about this, and some of it is the players, but then, as we said, something's got to be happening with the coaching For them to come out at post-game interview against the Panthers and say that move was created at halftime they've then had pretty much two weeks off and couldn't create anything more spectacular to try and break down the Sharks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, terrible. We'll leave it there, though. Poor for Manny. Where we see us going in the future, I don't know, worried about making the top eight, but we shall see. Um on to round 11, we're going to continue with the same tips and best bets for round 11. Just want to say that I got the only bet of the week, um, which was a pretty comfortable one. It was storm to reach 10 points first and over 9.5 tries in the game. I will say I didn't expect expect Melbourne to score all 9.5 plus. I thought the Tigers might chip in, but remember that was only paying $2.50, so it's almost a guarantee. And moving on to this week's fixtures, on Friday we've got the $1.69 Newcastle Knights against a $2.17 Parramatta Eels. This tight one, lomax, is back for the Eels, though, which I think will be a big inclusion. Where are you going with this one?
Speaker 2:so, after what I've just said, uh, about the knights and the eels, I think there's only one way I can really go with this tip and back with what I'm saying um, and I will be back in the Parramatta eels, um, I'm excited to see what the the combination of Lomax at a car and Moses can do. And yeah, I just can't really not pick the eels on this one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bailey Simonson is out. I think he fractured his foot maybe, or something like that for the eels. But having Lomax back, marju and Leo Thompson out for the Knights, I'm going to go with you on this one. I'm going to back the $2.31 Parramatta Eels to get this one done. What's your best bet for this one? Where's your money?
Speaker 2:going to go. As I am a fan of the try scorers, I've gone at a car on try low max. One try and then flex a shot. One try. Yeah, I like that. What's?
Speaker 1:that paying $10. $10? That's a nice little return on that. One Second game on the Friday we got the top of the table Canterbury Banks down Bulldogs at $1.37 against the $3.11 Sydney Roosters. What are you saying, dogs?
Speaker 2:Where's it being played at the core Friday night? I reckon the Bel, belmore, belmore, barmy army will uh, I nearly said belmarsh then that's a prison.
Speaker 2:It's a prison in london um I think the belmore barmy army will be out in force. Um, it don't get me wrong, the roosters at times do have a very exciting attack, but I think they will struggle defensively if the Bulldogs decide to put, like, skip through the gears, um, like they did, and Crichton's on an absolute high. So I'm gonna go for the dogs on this one yeah, I'm gonna join you on that with the dogs.
Speaker 1:I think they got too much for the for the roosters um, they're only missing the weak, gutted dog that is Jamin Salmon. Um scored a great try the weekend and obviously gave it to the camera. Interesting to see that Lindsay Collins is back. He's been named in the reserves for the Roosters. Dom Young has also been named as well. I'm just trying to see where he's lining up. He definitely can't be in the starting. No, he's not. He's not in the starting lineup, but I think the dogs have got enough at home. Like you say, the Belmore-Barmmy army are going to be out on the friday night. I believe they get this one done. I potentially think it could, be uh, quite comfortable. But my best bet for this one, I'm gonna go roosters to score first, because I saw a stat and I haven't fact checked this, but sports bet told me that roosters have scored first in 100 of their games this season. So I'm gonna go roosters to score first, but the dogs to win nice three dollars, $3.75. That one's paying Good bit of stat looking there.
Speaker 1:Good bit of research. I thought, whether it's true or not, which you hope, sportsbet is telling you that it is true. You hope it is. They wouldn't lie to you, would they, no? But we have the next up on the Saturday, the 3pm kickoff. We have the Dolphins paying $2 against the New Zealand Warriors at $1.84. Is it up the wars or not?
Speaker 2:I'm wars upping Fisher Harris' back this week, which is a huge, huge addition. Don't get me wrong. Mitch Barnett has been incredible this season at prom, but then to have his partner in crime back in Fisher Harris against the Dolphins team, who are on a bit of a slump. And again, dwz is just waiting to unleash something, isn't he? So I'm going up the wires on this one. I'm going Warriors.
Speaker 1:I'm on the fence with this one. I'm real on the fence with this one. The Warriors don't travel well, although that might just be a stereotype, because they're currently sitting second in the table, so they must be doing something right. Metcalf is on absolute fire. Dolphins do look good, but I'm going to have to up the wars.
Speaker 1:I'm going to have to go with the Warriors for this one. I just think Fisher Harris is a big inclusion. Let's hope the injury that he had he's not getting any niggles from it and he's he's running at full pace, full steam ahead. What's your bet?
Speaker 2:where you, where you going just a, just a low one. Um, I've gone for the hammer and dwz at any time.
Speaker 1:Three dollars forty take that nice little return. I think dwz certainly wants to get on the score sheet he needs to unleash, he does. And then on to the queens. Oh, I hate thinking about Manly, the Queensland Country Bank Stadium. We're going the $1.65 North Queensland Cowboys against the $2.26 Manly Seagulls.
Speaker 2:I'm not talking too much about this. It's Manly. I'm not very happy with it and, as I've always said, I will never not back my team. But one of the interesting things to see is that Joey Walsh has been brought into the reserves after making his New South Wales Cup debut last week. I believe and this leads me to possibly start some sort of speculation of are they thinking of releasing DCE early and bringing Walsh in?
Speaker 2:Well, the Roosters have released, obviously, brandon Smith early and they're trying to get rid of Dom Young Trying to get rid of Dom Young.
Speaker 1:So are they freeing up that salary cap space to make a move before the end of June, the 30th? I'm not sure.
Speaker 2:I just think it was quite a shock inclusion. If I'm being honest, if they're not thinking of bringing them up into first grade any time soon, why bring them into the reserves? Um, but, friend of the pod, matt lodge is, uh, is is back in the reserves, we. We were saying we. The game was screaming out for someone like large, on, on, um, on rejuvenated energy just to run in, rip in and go mental yeah I can't wait.
Speaker 2:Can't wait to see him on the uh, on the field. But yeah, I'm not very happy with his selection, but I'm going to go for the Manly Seagulls.
Speaker 1:I originally was going to take the Cowboys because I believe the Cowboys have got a lot of weapons to their game. But I've got a feeling that we're going to turn it around. We're going to go out there and we're going to win a sweaty one. I reckon the Manly Seagulls are going to get this done. We're going to get it done away from home and I've gone turbo to score. You've got to remember original edition Teams are being named after. I know he might not have done enough before, but he wants to put in a good performance. Manly to win under 50. Five points. Seven dollars fifty. Get amongst that one um. Then on to the final game on the saturday. This is going to be. This could be a barnstormer. We got the two dollar 31 cronulla sharks against the dollar 62 melbourne storm. This is down at shark park. Who you going with, um?
Speaker 2:like the thought process, for through this game, for this one is mad the Sharks didn't impress me at all against me and they haven't impressed me for the last couple of games and the Storm have been unreal. But then every time I've gone yes, storm, 30-plus points going to be incredible they've absolutely shut the bed In saying that I think the Storm are going to be absolutely unreal and going to put it on the Sharks, because the Sharks team at the weekend came up against a very one-dimensional attack Bang average, whereas the Storm have got so much creativity. And when Pappenhausen gets going, when Jerome Hughes gets going, come on man.
Speaker 1:Cam Munster has been named. Hang on, I could be getting that one who was out? No, sorry, harry, grant grant. Yeah, camas has always been playing what an idiot he's.
Speaker 2:But harry he's been.
Speaker 1:He's been named in the extended bench or the reserves, so it'd be interesting to see whether he gets promoted or not, or whether it's just one week too early. Uh, so you're going for the melbourne storm in this one? Yes, I'm gonna take your logic saying that the melbourne storm have a mess up in them, and I'm gonna tip the cornell of sharks point of difference between the two of us. But I think down at shark park, um, ko hero is is doing well. They've got stone street. Uh, they've lost hazleton, though. So when he went down with that shoulder injury, he's actually he's actually out this week. Uh, I'm gonna go for the cornell of sharks, but what's your best bet for this game?
Speaker 2:I've gone. I did have it. Here we go. I've gone for Coates, pappahausen, sown Street and Molotalo, all to score $12.25. That's not bad. No, it's a nice little cheeky one. Nice little one to lie in the pocket and then, just to go off what I said, Sharks are 3-1 at home at the moment and the Storm are 1-2 away. So there we go.
Speaker 1:That'll be a decisive one for the tips this week. We'll see how it goes. But on to Sunday, the 2pm kickoff. We've got the $1.30 Brisbane Broncos up against the $3.55 St George Illawarra Dragons.
Speaker 2:Broncos for this one Again. Which team's going to turn up? It's so frustrating.
Speaker 1:They've lost Ben Hunt hamstring out for a while. It means Ezra Mamm has been named. It will be interesting to see how he gets received.
Speaker 2:It's at the Suncorp as well. He's going to have to put in a shift and a half in, you know, yeah, and I think they've got the battle over the halves, even with Ezra Mamm, and that forward pack is just ridiculous compared to the Dragons. So I'm going to go for the Broncos on this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I believe the Broncos put in a better performance than they did last week. I'm going to go for. The Broncos put in a better performance than they did last week. I'm going to go for the Broncos in this one and my bet is going to reflect that as well. I'm going to go Broncos 13 plus. But just to add a bit of spice to it, Dragons to score first in the second half $6.75. So a nice one to keep the game interesting as well, as the Broncos are potentially running away with it in the first half. But on to the 4.05pm game.
Speaker 2:we got the $1.32 Canberra Raiders the Matty Nicholson-Luss Canberra Raiders against the $3.44 Gold Coast Titans. I've just got the form guide up, actually, and it's Raiders are 4-1 at home, titans are 2-3 away. Not that that was ever going to deter from who I was going to select, but I'm going to go for the Raiders on this one. They've got a bounce back from last week. The Titans were all over the place against a Knights team that could only play for 40 minutes. The Raiders can turn on for 80.
Speaker 1:So I reckon this could be a a big scoring one for the raiders I think they're going to learn their lesson off of last week as well and make sure they put in a performance longer than 40 minutes. Um, I believe they beat the titans quite comfortably, so I'm going to join you in tipping the raiders on this one. Where are you going to put the cash?
Speaker 2:I've gone for Hudson, young, ethan, strange Raiders 13+ and Fuggerty 8+ at $10.25.
Speaker 1:Nice, that's another one that could bring in some coin. On to the final game of the weekend. This one is at Campbelltown Sports Stadium. This one, the odds on it are very interesting. We've got the 10th place West Tigers at Campbelltown Sports Stadium. This one, the odds on it are very interesting. We've got the 10th place West Tigers at $1.92 against the 11th place South Sydney Rabbitohs at $1.92.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Where is your cash at?
Speaker 2:Ooh, is it Campbelltown where?
Speaker 1:the Tigers don't do very well. They weren't meant to have done very well, and then they've done all right there recently.
Speaker 2:I am really struggling. This one's really really difficult.
Speaker 1:It's really difficult. Alex Johnson's back for the Rabbitohs after that injury he got against Penrith.
Speaker 2:I'm going to go for the Bunnies on this one. I don't know what it is the origin side of it coming up. I just think they may grit it out again.
Speaker 1:A nice gritty win for the.
Speaker 1:South Sydney Rabbitohs. I'll go and cause a bit of controversy on this. It can go either way. I think this is a toss of a coin. I'm going to go with the West Tigers. They'll want to bounce back from the 64-0 drubbing against the Storm, and what better way to do that than beat a team that's a similar record with you on the ladder? And then to reflect that, I'm going to go with the Tigers. Keep it nice and simple Tigers 1-12, playing $3.05. So there are tips of the week, A few best bets in there as well, but let us know how you get on with those Then. Pre the surrounds fixtures we've got the women's game two state of origin being played in Sydney at the.
Speaker 1:Allianz. The New South Wales women are 1-0 up in the series, won it up in Queensland and now they're coming down to New South Wales. How do you reckon this one's going to go?
Speaker 2:If New South Wales play half the way they did against the North, they're going to run away with it. I can't see anything outside of a New South Wales women's win. Jessie Southwell was incredible, as I said previously, and the two centres, sergius and Kelly, were like absolute hammers in midfield. So I'm going to go for New South.
Speaker 1:Wales. Yeah, it's interesting to think back to last year on this one, where New South Wales you mentioned it last time took a 1-0 lead in similar vein, and then they came down and played in Newcastle, I believe and they won the Maroon of Queensland one game too, and then they went on to win the Series 2-1. I don't think it will be a repeat of that. If New South Wales turn up like they did at home, at a stadium that is incredible as well, and I'm assuming it will be packed out, everyone will be behind the girls the New South Wales girls. Everyone will be behind the girls, the New South Wales girls. I think this has got 2-0 written all over it and I'm hoping it's going to be a 3-0 series. Whitewash, but great link from the women's origin to the men's origin.
Speaker 1:Selections taking place this weekend after the Sunday fixtures are complete. What we're going to do is we're going to go through each of our teams Now. We're going to select people that we want to see pick, that we'd like to see pick, not necessarily who are going to be picked. Obviously, we hope there's going to be some similarities between the teams that we see and the teams that are actually going to be pulled out. But there's some things that, as people that haven't watched a game for a long period of time and don't necessarily understand, like what an origin player is, what the historical origin.
Speaker 1:Players are, but we're the sort, we're of the same belief that you should be picked on form not necessarily on previous.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I know there's been a lot made around the element of oh, last year's team won origin, so they should just stick with that. Granted, but there's been a year since that's happened. Players have changed teams. Things aren't going as well for them. This year. Just because they've won one series doesn't necessarily mean they're going to go and do it again, and that's why, again, we've had the discussion. I think it's a big thing to pick players on form as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, shall I go with mine first, and then you go through your team.
Speaker 1:Go for it. So interesting one for me. I've gone for James Tedesco at fullback. I don't think Dylan Edwards has performed like he did last year in the lead up to Origin. Pappenhausen has made a late shout but I don't think he's quite game one ready. James Tedesco has been there, done that. Captain the side. I think he should get the fullback spot In the centres. I've gone for the Origin man himself that we spoke about earlier, latrell Mitchell, and who I believe is going to be the origin captain in Stephen Crichton. Them two devastating in the centres.
Speaker 1:My wing choices are quite interesting. Actually there's been talk of this guy, jacob Carraz, being selected for origin, but he's overshadowed by the likes of Brian Toto because of previous. I believe Crichton and Carraz, what they've done at the Bulldogs can make a significant impact for New South Wales on the right edge. And then the other wing. I've gone with Josh Adokar. The guy can just finish and he's got pace to burn. I love him. I would have picked Lomax, but I believe he's been out for too long. You watch, he'll go this weekend and score probably like five tries or something like that. And then my halves partnership I've gone with Luai at six and Cleary at seven, because they've been there, done that together. Luai is a leader, cleary's a leader and he's the only one in Penrith that's kind of really stood out, I feel in recent weeks.
Speaker 1:Hooker, do you know what? I'm a bit wasn't really sure as to the difference between Rhys Robson, who I've gone for at Hooker, and Connor Watson. They could be interchangeable. So I've gone Rhce Robson starting hooker and then Connor Watson as a utility player on the bench. My props are Payne Haas and Mitch Barnett. I just think they're two powerhouses. Second row I would love to see Huddy Young start in there and I do love Angus Crichton, so those two are my second row. And then at at lock. I mentioned earlier Isaiah Yao On the bench. Connor Watson like I mentioned Spencer Lenu, liam Martin because he is a dog, but I just don't think he's quite reached the form of last year and then Terrell May to make his.
Speaker 1:Origin debut. That means no Jake Trubojevic in there, no Ola Kuwatu, no Tom Trubojevic. I think those boys not just because we're manly fans and want them to have a rest and be at full speed, full tilt, during origin I just don't think they perform well enough to be there. Who have you gone with?
Speaker 2:so I've gone for a couple of not outsiders, but I've sort of stacked on a couple of positions just because there's players. I believe that should be in there from what I'm saying. So, first of all, I've got Ryan Pappenhausen at fullback. I think you can't ignore what he's doing. Tedesco and Edwards have been nowhere near his level and you've got to feel really sorry for Pappenhausen if he's completely overlooked. Granted, you've got to blood them in at some point. And what's easier, game one or game two? So if they go on and lose this and bring him in game two, and he's even more pressure.
Speaker 2:Whereas game one, you've then got two games to try and bag it up. Very similar. With yourself, I've got Adhokara at one wing, I've got Lomax or Tahoe on the other. With yourself, I've got Adhukara at one wing, I've got Lomax or Tahoe on the other. I think, just because of previous, they'll be doing that and they're absolutely incredible. When they get going, my centres are the exact same as yours, mitchell and Crichton. They are dogs of the highest order.
Speaker 1:That's what you need up against the.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and Mitchell was a different animal when he came in game. It was incredible to watch last year, and Stephen Crichton I've got down as my captain as well. At six I've got Jerome Luai just because absolute, dog, brilliant player. But then I've also gone for a little bit of a.
Speaker 1:I don't know whether it's an outsider one, but I've gone for Ethan Strange put him real good performances in and you can't argue are in the table either.
Speaker 2:And just because he does everything he's been incredible in attack. He's done incredible stuff in defensive work as well. He's been shifting a game and again there's going to be a point where these players are going to have to start coming through Seven Cleary. I think that's acceptable, apart from the fact that when we went to Penrith I had a very in-depth conversation with one of our friends saying I've never seen Cleary. I think that's except, apart from the fact that when we went to Pembroke I had a very in-depth conversation with one of our friends saying I've never seen Cleary do it at Origin.
Speaker 1:Let's hope this is the year.
Speaker 2:But yeah, him there Hass and Barnett at props I've gone. Connor Watson to start at Hooker, hudson Young and Liam Martin. I think Liam Martin is a little bit ahead of angus crime because the the, the work he puts in on sort of kick yeah kicks and things like that.
Speaker 1:He's always downfield, he's, he's like he's not suit work another thing that led me towards crichton, though, is how high he wears his shorts. So yeah, you know, for a bit of drip, I think there's only one good 13 at the moment on the bench.
Speaker 2:So that utility person.
Speaker 1:I've either gone, robson, as yourself, or I've gone Tom Starling you can't ignore what the Raiders are doing, and this guy hits everything that moves as well and he's so pinnacle in their attack and if you brought Starling on second phase of an origin game tiring pack, queensland pack he would start opening things up.
Speaker 2:But the three of them are so similar in what they do it's very difficult to be doing that. And then very similar in the sense I've got Spencer Lenu, terrell May and then I've got Angus Crichton as well as my, my other bench.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we've got similarities. You've included the odd Canberra Raider in there, which maybe it's reflecting the fact that I tipped them to be the Wooden.
Speaker 1:Spring contenders for the for the start of the season can't argue what they've done, but we've got a lot to look forward to this weekend. We've got the Women's Origin on Thursday, we've got the nrl uh round 11 and then we've got the selections coming out on sunday, I can't remember. Do like one team, release them at three o'clock on one team, release them later in the day. Or do they one on sunday, one on monday? I don't know, I can't remember. I'm not too sure. But um, that's the end of another episode. Give us a like, give us a subscribe, comment down below on some of your thoughts and opinions on our origin choices, and thank you for listening this weekend and catch you in the next one. Good night, god bless.