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#17: Countdown to Origin!
The landscape of the NRL shifts dramatically as Origin selections reshape team rosters and the countdown to State of Origin begins. This episode dives deep into the aftermath of Round 11's most compelling storylines, from the Bulldogs cementing their status as the comeback kings to the Storm's troubling away form.
Recapping our weekend adventure at the newly opened Chalkies bar in Brookvale watching Manly defeat North Queensland, we explore why certain venues enhance the live sports viewing experience before analyzing the standout performances across the round. Clint Gutherson's 233-meter masterclass for the Eels and Koloamatangi's monster 80-minute prop performance lead our performance highlights, while the Knights' continued struggles earn them the dubious "flop of the round" designation.
The Origin team selections provoke passionate discussion about selection philosophies, with Robert Toia's Queensland selection after just ten NRL appearances raising eyebrows. We examine how both teams have balanced experience with form and the potential impact of key matchups, particularly Latrell Mitchell facing off against the rookie Queenslander.
Several fascinating patterns emerge from our game-by-game breakdown: the Bulldogs' remarkable second-half revival abilities under Stephen Crichton's leadership; the Broncos' troubling habit of surrendering early leads; and Melbourne's stark home/away performance disparity that threatens their premiership credentials. We also celebrate Xavier Coates' gravity-defying acrobatics that produced what may be the try of the season.
Looking ahead to Round 12, we provide detailed predictions for each fixture, considering the significant impact of Origin selections on team strength. Will depleted rosters create opportunities for upset victories, and which teams are best positioned to weather the Origin period? Find out as we analyze every matchup while offering our betting tips for the weekend's action.
Welcome to this week's episode of. They've Been Doing it All Day, sir, I'm Chris and I'm Ben. The Origin teams have been selected. Battle commences next week. Let's get stuck in.
Speaker 2:How's your week been, mate?
Speaker 1:It's been a decent week, my friend, thank you very much for asking. Got a little, had a few drinks over the weekend, which is not like us, but other than that's been been pretty chill. What about yourself?
Speaker 2:yeah, it was good. Um, I realized one thing that we missed out last week was actually why we were wearing australia and, uh, british and irish lions tops, and I decided to wear one tonight just to commemorate the fact that the british and irish lions team was selected. Uh, last week it was good to see mario tojo named as captain. It was one thing that we had mentioned previously. That would happen and there's a lot of anticipation for this tour. I think, with Australian rugby growing in stature in terms of the names that are kind of coming out, like Joseph Soorley making a name for himself, although he broke his jaw I think it's going to build from here on. Um, and the incitement excitement's gonna build and, yeah, looking forward to the tour starting. When is it?
Speaker 1:end of june, not too far away, it's not too far and I've seen good old joe smith started to throw the lions as the favorites and already talking and it'd be interesting. It'd be a lot more interesting than it would have first been. Um, especially with the resurgence of it, and, yeah, I'm really looking forward to getting out to perth and watching that first game. Um, not too, not too far away at all.
Speaker 2:We were talking about a three nil whitewash but, hopefully it'll be a lot closer. But talking to the beers, over the weekend we um decided to go along to the new establishment in Brookvale and go and watch the Manly Seagulls against the North Queensland Cowboys in Chalkies in Brookvale. I thought it was quite a good venue. I really enjoyed myself. We got some. We had some decent beers, decent cocktails. What was your kind of feeling about the vibe of the place? What were you taking?
Speaker 1:away. It's really cool how it's split into two, in the sense of you've got your pool, pool bar, slash sports bar in the front bit and then you've got like a cocktail bar out the back. Um, it was quite cool in that that aspect. We were very lucky.
Speaker 1:We managed to get seats right at the bar as well, um, which is brilliant, because the telly behind the bar turned, had the game on, well, so we weren't having to stretch our necks to watch it down on the big screen. But no, it's a cool little venue actually. It is.
Speaker 2:Do you know what the screen in there? Actually, it's in an awkward place in terms of above the door, but the way they split the three screens, it means no matter where you're sitting or where you are, you get a good view of any of the sporting action that's going on. I presume that they can put multiple sports on on different screens, but we got very fortunate in the fact that the screen behind the bar, yeah, got turned on, flicked onto the, onto the footy and we were watching along. Nice, uh, good crowd in there, real good crowd. You got people playing pool as well. They've got um split areas, like you say, and it I thought I think it's a good new venue and it's something different that brookvale needed. For anyone that's never been to brookvale, it's like the only sports venue really, apart from four pines, which is good. They show sport down there, but it's somewhere new, somewhere different.
Speaker 1:Um, that we decided to check out and, yeah, had a fair few beers, yeah it was delightful, delightful saturday, and then to come out after the shark storm game to torrential rain and getting absolutely soaked.
Speaker 2:Uh, on the way home, yeah jogging over and getting a maccas on the way it has to be done.
Speaker 1:It has to be done.
Speaker 2:Diet diet going real well, yeah, yeah well, I've.
Speaker 1:I've got sports play at the back end of this year, so I've got to keep that fighting weight on. So so I tell myself anyway.
Speaker 2:Yeah, true.
Speaker 1:But yeah, let's go into the performance of the round this week. You can start this week, as I think I went first last week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you did. I actually didn't watch this game live. I only the person I'm going to pick. I didn't watch this game live because I had to go to the mall to do a bit of shopping but decided to come home and watch the extended highlights of the dragons against the broncos.
Speaker 2:Uh, clint gutherson, for me, performance of the round. Uh, absolute standout for the whole game 233 meters, two line breaks, two tries, but the one, the bit that stood out for me was uh, what was there two minutes to go? Something like that. Who else? But pain harsh is steam rolling through towards the goal line, towards the try line, and Clint Gutherson comes up with a match-saving tackle. I like there was an opportunity for them to go down the other end and seal it, and I think there was a hand that came in from the winger I can't remember who it was from and Gutherson could have sealed it there. But I think he had an outstanding game, big contributing factor towards towards the win. I think his leadership as well, definitely from the back, like marshalling the troops, being able to see everything, and his link play with Cook for the for the try off the scrum, was really good. How just quick ball back inside and bowled over for the try, so mine was Clint Gutherson, this week standout performer. What about yourself?
Speaker 1:um, just going on from that as well, I think we have mentioned a couple of weeks about how he's been trying his his best to to organize that team and we we have been very critical on the, the senior players, so to speak uh, within the squad, but he's always been trying to carry the team. That would have been mine as well, but I saw you got there first, but I've gone for Kola Matangi at the Rabbit O's.
Speaker 1:Big week, big, big week for the boy. He played 80 minutes a prop which I think you're only looking at Terrell May, who's really hitting, hitting those numbers.
Speaker 2:has carrigan, maybe somewhere similar they get pulled off every now and then, though, those two.
Speaker 1:So but he, he put in a hell of a shift. Um, I think he was kept on to essentially neutralize terrell may yeah but then when you look at the stats, he he had a lot more running meters and then terrell may had a lot more tackles, so that so there could be some sort of correlation there, saying that he had 282 overall meters for a prop mental and the biggest one is he had 151 post-contact meters.
Speaker 2:Just running three people.
Speaker 1:Which I think is more than some of the backs had. Yeah, in general, which is crazy Four tackle breaks and 49 tackles. So he did it on both sides of the ball. But in saying that, do have to give Terrell May a little bit of a shout out as well. He had 63 tackles, was running through people, it was he had. Let me just quickly oh it's gone A hundred. No, he only had he had 190 meters. Yeah, which? Oh it's gone? No, he only had 190 metres yeah. Which is crazy.
Speaker 2:There's a couple of other ones that I just want to shout out as well. First off, adam Faneuil-Blake was an absolute monster as well. He put in some serious metres and we'll talk about him when we talk about the Shark Storm game. But he was a force. But Max King Gies has been putting in consistent performances and been rewarded with an origin call up and we'll talk about the origin teams in a second. But I think at one point he was nearly off. Contract dogs gave him a chance, giving up on footy, and now he's performing so consistently and well. He's been selected for origin. So fair play to him. And then the last one to shout out. I'll talk about him more when we talk about the Storm Sharks. I forgot who they played. I mentioned it a second ago Xavier Coates. The finishing ability of him is unreal and his third try was absolutely ridiculous. But who's your flop of the round?
Speaker 1:I've gone for the Knights. I think their performance is dropping week by week and, in saying that, they were six minutes away from hitting that zero again. They just don't seem to be getting out of their rut. I texted my mate the other day who's a Knights fan. I was like what's going on and he was like mate, I don't know. I don't know what is happening. So, yeah, another loss for the Knights, and that's who I've gone for. The sort of flop of the round.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've gone for the Broncos for two reasons on this one. But then I heard something that's kind of changed my opinion on one of the reasons I'm going to give. But the first is the performance. I mean I don't know what's going on with them. They looked like they were going to run away with it against the dragons they were dominating. Ezra man was fantastic on his return, um.
Speaker 2:But linking to the Ezra man thing, one of the reasons why I think the flop of the round is because the way that they've handled the Marty Tapao incident, um of him getting fired for liking the Instagram post. Then I was listening to a podcast earlier that was also highlighting the fact that if you're a player that's going to be so reluctant against the coach's ways and he's had problems with Madge before then maybe it's best for him to move on. But linking that to how they handled the Ezra Mams situation, it's a bit unfair. Like saying comments about a coach and getting fired and then nearly injuring a family and coming back after your suspension is a bit interesting. But also on that point, someone did mention that Ezra Mams is the future of the club, like he's the future number six. So his talent in the future, you can somewhat forgive some of the things that have happened, but I'm still going to put them down as the flop for handling a very difficult situation in the way that they did and losing in the way they did as well.
Speaker 2:So yeah they're my flop of the week.
Speaker 1:Have you got any honourable mentions in there?
Speaker 2:I would have said the Knights, because they're absolutely terrible. I think they're the worst team in the comp by a mile. And how they're going to do without Caelan Ponganel moving forward, I do not know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's going to be. It's going to be a big struggle. Uh, in that sense and you know what you got you might have to throw the cowboys in there as well. Um, manly, even though they defended extremely well at home, cowboys you would have. And where was where was did, and he had a very, very quiet game. So much talk about him and dce having a, having a shoot off, umoff between the two of them in this game. And DCE again didn't have the best of games. No, but Yautshan did, and that shows the sort of performance that he put in. So just thought I'd drop that one in there as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I suppose that links nicely to Origin selections. You mentioned it at the start. The teams are in. What are your thoughts on the New South Wales line-up?
Speaker 1:I feel sorry for, I think, what we mentioned last week in the sense of Karras and Adhokar. You were a big Karras fan on the wing and Adhokar has been putting try after try after try in. I think he's previously represented New South Wales as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah it came out that Carras has torn his calf maybe or something like that. So that would have been a huge contributing factor. I don't think he'd have been selected anyway.
Speaker 1:No, but it's a team that got the job done last year. I think it's going to be exciting sight, exciting seeing moses and cleary play together. Um, hopefully cleary can actually turn it on yeah, as we've always said, all eyes are going to be on him, for sure but the thing is, you've got that moses lomax connection, you've got crichton and mitchell in the centers, who are going to be dogs of the highest order the only one that I'm unsure about is edwards at the back, like he's not played well all year and I think his selection is very much his martins and critons, I think have all been on last year's performance yeah, in origin and what they bring to that aspect, not on recent form yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2:Um, I'm brian totto as well, I think is one that's, yeah, selected on reputation. Uh, he's a great finisher, but this year he's been injured for a significant period and he didn't look that great when he came back last week. Um, so, surprised by well, not surprised by that, but I think they've gone with a solid game one previous. Yeah, uh, just to get it out there. Max King obviously being selected, hudson Young coming back into the frame. Spencer Lenya off the bench is going to be.
Speaker 1:He's a different animal.
Speaker 2:The way he ripped into at the weekend as well. I thought it was against the Bulldogs and he knocked out whoever it was off the return.
Speaker 2:I think he was signaling his intent for what the physicality is going to bring at origin and that kind of silenced any doubt of whether he was going to be an impact player off the bench. But Queensland, they've picked Robert Toyer, which I think is really interesting. Guys only played 10 games in the NRL. I have said previously this year that I've liked what I've seen from him. He's been really impressive for the Roosters and he is going to be testing his mettle up against Latrell Mitchell in game one. Be interesting to see how he handles.
Speaker 1:Uh origin, latrell and, and he's going to be up against both Latrell and Lomax, so he could get defensively found out as well. Yeah, saying that, good, good sort of selection. I'm really looking for, forward to that Lomax coach battle, two boys who can get off the floor vertically, so it's going to be interesting to see how they're they're played. Yeah, dc's kick. The really annoying thing for me is if we watch this origin and DC's kicking game comes into the best he's done.
Speaker 2:He's going to be prime DCE. No doubt about it. He's going to turn into prime DCE and it came out today. I don't know if you saw that he has finally broken his bit of silence and said yes, I am playing next year and I'm in talks with two clubs.
Speaker 1:One of them is the Roosters.
Speaker 2:He's going to come out and play. He's going to come out and play and it's going to highlight even more that there's something just not quite right in Manu.
Speaker 1:But no other than that. They've got Big Tino backing up prop and they've shifted Carrington to lock. It's going to be good. You know what you're going to get from Kam Munster. You know what you're getting from Val Holmes. You know what you're getting from the Hammer. It's going to be a good match, team game. But hopefully it's a case of origin round two last year and just blow 50 past them. And also on that I think Campbell Graham's performance against the Tigers as well helped with his selection on the bench. And if Crichton comes unstuck with his groin, the bench. And if crichton comes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if crichton comes unstuck with his groin or whatever it is, they're talking about great person to not an awful replacement yeah, the way he played. Not an awful replacement. But we're fully preview origin next week and we'll try and get our video out or our podcast out before the game on the wednesday. So keep an eye out for that. But should we move on to round 11?
Speaker 1:let's get stuck in let's get stuck in.
Speaker 2:Where are we kicking it off?
Speaker 1:we're kicking it off the your flop of the round broncos 26, dragons 30. Would you say this was a shot win for the, for the dragons, or do you reckon the broncos just are shocking under pressure?
Speaker 2:I think it definitely was a shock. Um, in the way that the the Broncos shot out to a lead, like Ezra Mann was so influential in the kind of first few minutes. Um, a questionable, uh assist for the first try. Um, giving it to Shibasaki, it was almost like he was playing quarterback in the pocket and he launched it forward. How the line judge, how the touch he hasn't seen that, I don't know. But the Broncos have been questionable of late. They've lost five of their last six. What was that stat that you told me earlier on the way in here?
Speaker 1:Something about. It's the third game on this trot that they've been leading, so they've scored first and ended up losing They've scored first and ended up losing Mad.
Speaker 2:So what to make of them I don't know. And is there unrest within the Broncos because of this stuff that's coming out about Madge and his training methods and the way he wants to take it forward? Like I said, it was a shock. But if we've spoken about the Dragons starting to piece it together over the last few weeks, they've lost three games this season by one point. But I think with this result they've showed the fight that they have and they're learning by their kind of errors. And to bring it back in the manner that they did down to 12, scoring two tries was it in that time? I think really gives them the belief that whoever we're coming up against, we're coming up against a physical pack in past Carrigan, that we can actually do this. So I think really gives them the belief that whoever we're coming up against, we're coming up against a physical pack in Haas Carrigan, that we can actually do this. So I think this springboards the Dragons' confidence quite high. But for the Broncos you just don't know what to make of them.
Speaker 1:No, I completely agree. As I said, last week they were leading, ended up losing. Even though they got absolutely hammered by the panthers again, they were still the first team to score, ended up losing, and I you do. You do worry about them and and thinking about where the continuity is coming from in the sense of where are they playing together? What is their game plan?
Speaker 2:um, which then all go, all goes back to do you think they rely too heavily on their individuals instead of having a system which is there to beat teams I think on one of their tries, like they showed that they've got the ability to be creative as a team it was either the first, the second to last trial, the last try they scored great movement, whipped it out wide I think it was Arthur's that that went over um, but they seem to go missing, like they go missing for significant periods of time. Uh, one thing I don't get as well is why teams do this. So the Dragons just had someone sent to the bin and the mindset of the Broncos is to kick the two points to go. I think it's 14 points up at that point. Back yourself, you're against 12 men. You've got a physical pack in Haas Carrigan, you've got Selwyn Cobbo running the ball like he's a man possessed at times like running people over. Back yourself to get a try in that situation from 10 meters out.
Speaker 2:I don't know whether it's a mindset thing, I don't know whether it's a decision that they've made based like prior to the game, but I think it's. It's a. Is it a weakness that they haven't haven't tried to punch it in from there and think, oh, you know what, we got 14 and we'll be fine, we'll see this one out, but I think they they do rely too much on their, their individuals, to make plays and come unstuck when it starts to go wrong. What are your thoughts on that one?
Speaker 1:yeah, I, I, I agree with you on that. The sense of taking the two in close games, yes, um, but with that one, that one man extra can be so huge if you, if you kick out, if, if you go into the tactical element of it and instead of kicking at the 10 kick it out at the 20, so you've got 20 meters to work with and then go from sideline to sideline quite quickly, just wear them down, they.
Speaker 1:You've got five tackles to do that and there's going to be a gap that opens up somewhere, um, and it's just, they have the ability to be able to do that. Are they missing reese walsh? No, I don't think so. Um, I don't think he would change much in this. Maybe a case of instead of cobo being a bulldozer, you have walsh, who does is a step away from a magnificent play at times, but in saying that, I don't think the link play is there.
Speaker 2:But I even question the Reece Walsh thing, right, because he's just started his own YouTube channel. Now, I'm not against people starting YouTube channels or professional athletes starting YouTube channels, but the problem is I saw him filming on the bench on the weekend against the Dragons and it's almost like hang on, where are your priorities in this? I know, look, it's his life. He wants to make something out of when he's injured, but I don't think it's a good look. I think he's a very self-centered person.
Speaker 1:You're not the biggest fan of doing that, either are you, because I remember you've lost your head at a couple of the lads who've got their phones out on the sideline yeah, football as well, but that is very true.
Speaker 1:I'm very much a sideline marshal when it comes to remaining professional copy generational thing uh, yeah, possibly um but then I think you mentioned it previously there in in ezra ma'am's performance it seemed what he's done has been very much brushed under the carpet and everyone's gotten over it, when really the severity of it is, as you said, he nearly killed a family. Well he really injured a family.
Speaker 2:Everyone has short-term memories when it comes to this as well. I think he was getting booed to start off with, and when he was coming up on screen he was getting booed and stuff like that. But all of a sudden he puts in a performance Three try assists, four try assists I can't even remember how many it was but his athleticism. For his first try I think he only scored one try. But to take the ball in midair, sidestep someone as he lands and then sidestep someone else and go over everyone soon forgot about what had happened and realized like, oh, hang on, especially broncos, like we need this asset back. But I don't know, I'm, I'm a bit on the fence about.
Speaker 2:I think he should have like as the nrl do you want that? As in everyone referencing that constantly all the time, like is it something that they maybe should have taken a more serious approach of it, an extended ban or, um, something a little bit more serious? But then on the flip side of that they've been, they're only going off the back of what a court has said, what a judge has said. So it's a difficult one, but it's definitely swept under the carpet. He'll get a hostile reception wherever he goes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I think broncos fans will be like yeah, but we got him back, look what he's done yeah, and in saying that, just a comparison to it sort of, is you look at what happened with Rio Ferdinand back in what 2004, I think it was he missed a drug test and he ended up getting banned for eight months. Eric Cantona jumped into the crowd and Confu kicked a fan and he had a, I think, a year paulo decanio pushed a ref and got banned for six months or something like that, maybe even longer and man was under the influence, driving without a license, and he gets nine games.
Speaker 1:Nine games that should have been, should have been a big, big suspension, that, um. But anyway, fair play to the dragons. They've they put in a, put in a shift, they've shown what that, what's there, um, for them. I suppose they did it against the storm as well. Gritty, gritty, great performance, then, and it gets manly and I get. Well, no, I was, I still agree, man even after that game and bronco dragons didn't win yeah um, but then moving on to the next one, sharks 31, storm 26.
Speaker 1:We had the pleasure of watching this in chalkies. You were bouncing around when the shark scored. Like you were a diehard sharks fan, which was quite interesting to him.
Speaker 2:I was at that point I was five for five on the tips. I was flying that is very true.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's something we haven't actually touched on is our tips performance from last week yeah, um what is? I think we're both six.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got six. I think you got six yeah.
Speaker 1:I got six because I got the Rabbit O's you went. Tigers yeah, both lost.
Speaker 2:Broncos won and then you went Sharks, I went Storm yeah.
Speaker 1:So you know what Decent week. We sort of haters out there that are questioning us, nah, but um, yeah, sharks 31, storm 26, it was a weird game. It was a weird game again, like the storm had it in them to win in that sense. Um, but with that, he's been left out of origin this year, which I think he should be yeah he's back past two years. He's not been good. Nico heinz, is he starting to put in those consistent week in, week out performances?
Speaker 2:I saw something that he said um recently around. He's glad he's taken away the pressure of origin in the fact that if he wants, he wants to be successful with the sharks and then whatever comes after that, whether it's origin, whether it's he wants to win premierships or whether it's call-ups for nationals or representative teams, like he wants to play for the sharks first. Um, he's played well over the last three weeks so he got three week three assists against the eels in magic round, which was influential. Um did well against us at brookie.
Speaker 2:Like he had a quieter game at Brookie it was more Trindle that kind of took the limelight there and Stone Street. But he does seem to be orchestrating the attack pretty well. They're averaging I think it's like 29 points a game or just below that or something over the last few games. So it does seem like things are clicking in attack and that's got to come down to him. But for me, him saying that I'm going to take the pressure off myself, take myself away from the origin arena, is certainly starting to pay dividends around this time as well, because this is when pressure builds up on players and they start kind of crumbling under it a bit really would you say that it's more of a I'm gonna jump before I'm pushed with origin, in the sense of I'm actually going to take myself away from Origen contention when he may have never been in the plans of Origen.
Speaker 2:Or what do you think. Do you reckon he would have got selected or been near selection?
Speaker 1:No, I don't think he's anywhere near it. You've got three halves straight off the back in Luai, Moses and Cleary. I think Ethan Strange would have been number four personally, so he's fifth string at best yeah, um, so I think he's done that, maybe for a little bit of, a little bit of uh, good way to win over the Sharks fans here yeah, I get what you're saying.
Speaker 2:I know what you mean. Yeah, push before yeah or jump before you're pushed.
Speaker 1:Yeah before we put in in that sense. But one thing I want to mention about this another prop having a massive run game huge for Noah Blake, 249 metres. What is it with the props this year?
Speaker 2:his side steps as well, like his late foot movement, is just so hard to tackle.
Speaker 1:He's massive he is we are up in the Ken Arthurson and up in the second tier towards the back, and even from there you can tell the size of the man.
Speaker 1:But now I have to mention about that with a big run performance. This isn't the first time this Melbourne team either has ended up losing from these sort of positions. The one that I just mentioned there, the Dragons, was probably a big shock performance. Is there struggles within this team? Are they really what we say in the sense of flat-trap bullies, or is there just a sense of when they're coming up against real tough opposition, they just struggle at the moment.
Speaker 2:You mentioned about the Dragons. That was the game that they've lost against a tough opposition. They just struggle at the moment. You mentioned about the Dragons. That was the kind of that was a game that they've lost against a lower opposition. I suppose you can class that. But cold Saturday, coggera, pouring down with rain, windy, horrible conditions. But it seems like they don't travel well. They got torn a new one by the Dolphins in Brisbane. They got turned over by the Raiders again in Brisbane at Magic Round and they've lost to the Sharks in Cronulla. We've mentioned it before At home. I think they're unstoppable. I haven't looked at it, but they're averaging a silly amount of points. Mentioned it before at home. I think they're unstoppable. They could. I haven't looked at it, but they're averaging silly amount of points. I think at home it's like they're putting 40 on every team.
Speaker 2:Put 64 on the tigers the other week, um, but it's their away form that's concerning. Now, I think they're going to be fortunate, because they will finish in the top four, that they're going to get a home seed draw for the finals. But should they need to travel away anywhere in the finals, I think they could find themselves in a bit come, a bit unstuck, um. So yeah, is there something missing? I'm not too sure that. It seems like they got a lot of leaders in their squad, like in munster. Hughes peppenhausen seems to be standing up, grant, like they've got the people there, but when they go away from home they just seem to bottle it they've won one away game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, terrible. They go away from home. They just seem to bottle it, the one away game yeah Terrible.
Speaker 2:Against who, well, I can Brookvale over.
Speaker 1:No, but this is the really amazing thing about the Storm is you watch them live and their sets their formation sets are incredible and so quickly set up. Yeah, you're like how can any team stop this Is set up? Yeah, you're like, how can any team stop this? Um, is there an issue with the defense? Do they struggle against teams with bigger props and having big run games within the middle?
Speaker 2:um, yeah, because the dolphins haven't got that and they. They ripped them apart. They put 40 on them, didn't?
Speaker 1:they, that's true, but the dragons do have some big bodies. Yeah, um two piloto. Was it's two piloto isn't?
Speaker 2:it winger.
Speaker 1:He was playing like they've got some big boys in the middle as well, so saying that they they put 30 past the panthers and beat them at home. But again, that's, that's at home.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, I will say in this one, though, like their attacking threat is ridiculous and that man on the wing, xavier coats. There's two fantastic tries this week. Right, there are two tries that are out of this world for different reasons. Xavier Coates leap I don't think I've ever seen anyone leap as high in my time watching the game, even in AFL. From the odd game that I've watched of AFL, there surely was some agents on the phone from the Swans going oh no, he's in Melbourne, though, and there's loads of teams in Melbourne.
Speaker 2:That's how much I know about the AFL, but I'm sure who's down there Collingwood were on the phone to his manager going does this geezer want to come over and play in the AFL? Because it's unreal, knee on back, going as high as he can and then to get it down after that. Fair play to the guy. Um, it was an unreal. And even his second one, diving over in the corner one-handed being chased down. He, I think he's the best finisher in, yeah, in the nrl it's not the first season he's been like that.
Speaker 1:He's been back to back to back seasons. I reckon as long as I've watched him he's, he's always been on real finish in the corner and he's been like the the highlight of of how to do it. Um, in, in that sense. But then, flipping on from that, talking back back onto Cronulla, do you reckon this brings them back to being proper premiership threats, or is the jury still out a little bit on that one?
Speaker 2:The competition's open. I believe the competition is really open. Like Melbourne struggle away from home. The Bulldogs have looked good. It'd be interesting to see how they go this weekend. With a lot of people missing, injury starts kicking. But we'll talk about them soon. They've got some absolute grit in them to get the finish to come back the way that they have. I do think the Sharks are in the race and that's because of the big man up front and what their pack is doing. Fenua Blake is an animal. It will take a lot to stop him've lost stone street for six weeks, I think. He's got or 12 weeks. Sorry, syndesmosis broke his or syndesmosis surgery. I'm not quite sure what the surgery is. Everyone loves talking about it with a syndesmosis injury, um, but he's out for a while. Interesting to see how they go there. But kale, is it ero? It's not kale.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's kale ero he's, he's going to be the natural replacement for that. And then they've got Molotalo on the wing, who's an absolute grub Like. He, by all accounts, is the nicest man off the field, but as soon as he gets on the field he just gets under everyone's skin, and I think Pappenhausen even lostalo when he's iced the game at the end, and something I heard was that the ref said if we had gone into golden point, you'd have been in the bin. So it just goes to show that he gets under people's skin. Yep, um, but I think, yeah, the sharks can be. If they keep this up, they can be in the race for the for the premiership.
Speaker 2:What's your thoughts?
Speaker 1:yeah, they're very much how we described them at the start of the season. These professional wins just going about their business, playing well, um, they just need to continue doing it. Yeah, they just need to keep building week on week on week, um, and just and just go from there, I suppose on to the next game tigers 12 rabbit owes 22 down at campbell town sports stadium.
Speaker 2:We've mentioned about the tiger struggle there, but of late they've been all right. On to the next game Tigers 12, Rabbitohs 22, down at Campbelltown Sports Stadium. We've mentioned about the Tigers' struggle there, but of late they've been all right. South Sydney Rabbitohs survived a big scare there. I thought the Tigers were going to come back and get it done, but did the Tigers lose this game or did the Rabbitohs take it?
Speaker 1:I think the answer to that question is in how the Rabbitohs reacted to that Sim binning. In the 67th minute they conceded one try. I think it was in that 10 minutes when the Tigers were steamrolling pressure. They were spending a lot of time in the Rabbitohs' half.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think a couple of others could have gone to the bin. I think there was a Mitchell was trying to do a couple of kicks at the rook. Yeah, there was a couple of close points and if I was a West Tigers fan watching that game I would have felt the ref was heavily in the Rabbitohs' favour. There was a few calls that were going the Rabbitohs' way, but in saying that it just shows the heart of this Rabbitohs team that have been under the pump all season Always dogged by injuries as well.
Speaker 1:They're back in the eight. I think they are, and going off the points that I mentioned last week as well, is, when I watch this Rabidettos team, I don't see a bottom ladder team. I do see a team, if everyone was fit, who would be in solid contention, not for the eight, but even the, possibly saying hello to the top four yeah, and they've just signed Brandon Smith as well, so having cheese on the roster, hopefully get back to some form there, but how uh?
Speaker 2:how funny was it seeing the trail's pants?
Speaker 1:get pulled down twice by happy carousel like that's something you don't normally see from it, like the first one he was.
Speaker 2:He might have gone to the shops, got something to eat.
Speaker 1:Come back like it was so bad yeah, corusel went for that little cheeky little kick through, faked it, then just dodged past Mitchell, which was brilliant in that sense, galvin going in the bin as well, I think. The last couple of weeks I've watched him. There seems to be a lot of errors creeping in in his game.
Speaker 2:What like dropping the ball over the line?
Speaker 1:to potentially win it. I think that's quite a harsh one.
Speaker 2:His arm was getting ripped back, wasn that it?
Speaker 1:was. I think it was a good defensive yeah he punched through and I suppose you should be. You should be converting from right, like when you're over the line. You should be able to hold it on for that long, but he's, he's been. There's been a few interception passes, um, he's. There's been a few drops and creeping into his game. But, as I said, saying that you just mentioned him, campbell ground had an unreal game, um he was everywhere.
Speaker 1:The the boot of both mitchell and humphries is ridiculous like I think this is the probably the worst team to play as a fullback is because that ball is going high. It's doing everything in the air from both of them.
Speaker 2:It was a wet, windy one down in Campbelltown as well, and it was not nice at all.
Speaker 1:I was expecting another massive Mitchell drop goal, but no, I'm more of a this was a good Rabbitohs win than it was a Tigers loss.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think it's going to be interesting to see how the Rabbitohs go. They've got a bye this week, but in general, mitchell should be a stalwart in the Origin team. How do you reckon they'll go without him?
Speaker 1:They did all right without him at the start of the season.
Speaker 2:They did.
Speaker 1:Depends. I would say big Jai Gray, but he's little Jai Gray it did depends.
Speaker 2:I would say big Jai Gray, but he's little Jai Gray.
Speaker 1:Terrell May. There was one where he pushed like knocked Gray off his feet. But when you're a man that size, I suppose you're just used to it in the sense of getting run over on a continuous basis. But who are they playing in the it all?
Speaker 2:depends on who they're playing in the next Origin round. I think Well, they've got Bulldogs at. Yeah, Bulldogs away and then they've got Manly at Brookie. They're the two games that are preceding.
Speaker 1:Origin games Origin selection Bulldogs.
Speaker 2:Do you think they beat the Bulldogs even if they had Latrell?
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:No, so I don't think he makes a big difference there.
Speaker 1:I think the game's at the Accor as well, and you saw what the Belmarsh I think. I'm just going to call them the Belmarsh Barmy Army the Belmore Barmy Army. You saw what they bought the last time they were at Accor and does he make a difference against Manly at Brookie?
Speaker 2:I think that's one that they could potentially cause trouble because Manly have been terrible at home. But it'll be interesting to see how they do without him, how they reshuffle the pack and where they go from there. So yeah, but good win for the Rabbitohs. They're looking good for the eight.
Speaker 1:And then we take a little trip back into the city, into the CBD Bulldogs 24, roosters 20. What were your thoughts, just straight off the bat?
Speaker 2:Another huge comeback by the Bulldogs I think I said it somewhere the comeback to bat kings. I just don't know what makes them such a good second half team. I was listening to the Byron podcast earlier and Brandon Smith was saying that they were just wearing the roosters down. And I suppose in the first half the energy that they bring their defensive kind of structure means that teams have to work extra hard in order to score against them, for example, mark Nwonga and Nitawasa scoring one of the best tries I think I might have ever seen. So in order to do that they've got to come up with special moments now. That then wears teams down into the second half and it allows the Bulldogs attack to them flow. At halftime. I thought there's no way the Bulldogs are going to come back in this. And then you just saw how out on their feet the Roosters were in the second half just consistent, constantly knocking at the door, knocking at the door, knocking at the door and then bang, they just kind of toppled them over quick time and held on.
Speaker 1:It's just that intense attack that they come out and do. You saw it against the Raiders last week. They scored. What was they come out and do like? You saw it against the raiders last week. They scored. What is it trying the 49th minute, trying the 56th minute, trying the 62nd minute? That's, that's quick fire yeah tries um, especially with exchanges sets, and they're just.
Speaker 1:They're just such a good team, like the dogs, I think yeah not just not just coming, but roosters have been hit and miss this year. But in saying that, when the Roosters have been up they tend to be able to shut out games. To be fair to them, raiders have been incredible this year. Both comebacks are ridiculous.
Speaker 2:I think it comes down to Stephen Crichton, if I'm honest, because you think back to the 2023 final against the Broncos. He's been there. He's been in a high pressure situation where teams are down. He had an elite team around him where he saw how those people reacted, what to do, what was needed to be done. If you're learning off that and then you're taking it to a new team, when you find yourself in those pressure situations, you're the one that's leading that team, and he's been there before and I think he's brought that kind of mindset to the team and they just seem like the comeback kings at the moment. They won't want to rely on that for the whole season. It might be a case as well that I think Serraldo is one of the best defensive coaches in the league that at halftime he sees something, tweaks it, and then they are a bit more solid in the second half, which again wears teams down. They can then count off of that. But yeah, the Roosters.
Speaker 1:So, going off that you're saying about Crichton? And their leadership, what are the Roosters? Do you reckon the Roosters are missing something in there?
Speaker 2:It feels like they are. It seems like they have leaders in Angus, crichton, tedesco, but I don't know what's happening in those moments, because they go through kind of patches of looking like they're going to stroll over teams and looking so fluid. And then it seems like there's errors and mistakes. I think Robert Toyo tried to flick one out the back. There was a mistake there, big Marky Mark. He dropped a fair few high kicks, but seeing Burton kick him pretty much out of the stadium like I wouldn't like to be under them swirling around trying to catch them. And it's mistakes like that that have cost them.
Speaker 2:Now, how do you change when, once the mistakes creep in on the field? Is it a case of mindset that they're stuck in thinking, oh no, we're letting this one go away. How are we going to change it? And who's reinforcing that? Who's? Who's there on the field saying, no, we're better than this, because they've had a bit of a shaky season. They're not exactly the most confident, confident high teams at the moment. So, yeah, I don't know. It does feel like they're, um, lacking something out there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I I agree in that sense and that's why I think DCE is going to end up going there, in the sense of they need that sort of reassurance success. You've got two very good young halves coming through who haven't been horrendous in that sense, but having someone like DCE in there it does shift that even further. And losing Sandon Smith as well, not Sandon Smith.
Speaker 2:Brandon Smith, one of them, so many Smiths in that team there is.
Speaker 1:He would have brought some sort of leadership, even though he's a loose cannon. You're missing that in that sense. But going on to big barking marks, try best you've seen.
Speaker 2:There's only one that rivals it, um, and it's someone that we spoke about earlier xavier coach. That is either last year or the year before I can't remember which season it was but when he scored the winner against the warriors yeah yeah, that where he's up in the air from about 10 meters out, goes over the top, touches it down in the corner for a finish.
Speaker 2:I think xavier coates was better, but in the lead up, the actual skill of what no one going to say does in terms of hops like he's doing the triple jump, kicks it with like a foot like semi out, and then has the smarts to run back in bounds to make sure he's in the field of play and drag it in and score. He's an absolute freak of an athlete. He's incredible.
Speaker 1:He's, he's, he's, he's strolled into this sport and made it look like child's play at times he needs to work under the high ball maybe but it's quite strange coming from union though, because I'm sure he played wing at union, so he would have been part of a back three wasn't he?
Speaker 2:sevens, though, where there's not much kicking going on. I'm sure he was. I'm sure he was wallabies.
Speaker 1:Um, he't he sevens though, where there's not much kicking going on. I'm sure he was Wallabies.
Speaker 2:He has played sevens, though.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but even still, I'm sure he was part of that back three.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know whether it's just because there's more pressure under the high ball in NRL in that sense, but no, I completely agree. I think Coates is against DW. He was against.
Speaker 2:DW yeah, he goes over his head, doesn't he?
Speaker 1:Yeah, again, just talking about that boys' athleticism. It's absolutely mental. But I did see a few videos knocking around. I wonder how many middle-aged blokes tried it at the weekend in their club rugby.
Speaker 2:ACL was probably gone, yeah.
Speaker 1:Popping left, right and centre. I know I was probably gone. Yeah, Popping left, right and centre.
Speaker 2:Oh no.
Speaker 1:But then leads on to the Cowboys Six Eagles 24.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Bit of a surprise I was, I'm not going to lie made it all even better. We were a few beers deep enjoying it, so that always enhances the experience.
Speaker 2:It does. I think I smacked my hand so hard on the side of the bar as well that I got a bruise.
Speaker 1:I've got a bruised thumb from where I was smacking it when big benny traboy which went over yeah, so with this and the performance against the panthers, so losing jake early on, who was out cold, to vanga. How he came back on the field, I do not know, because he was out. He looked like he was out cold as he went down like I watched.
Speaker 2:I see the things from the nrl physio on yeah on insta and he says like look, category one symptoms can vary massively as to what they are. So if he comes off and is assessed by an independent doctor and doesn't continue to show those signs, then they've been medically cleared to come back on. But he received a full skull to the cheek, split him open and went down like he was absolutely lights out. So how he was allowed back on I mean, fortunately he was allowed back on for us but you gotta question the kind of protocols that go through player safety sometimes but.
Speaker 1:But in saying that, jake was out of the game for most of it, we were manly, reshuffled the pack for the second time in three weeks and ended up winning we said this against the panthers that you know it's.
Speaker 2:Jake wasn't there and we were manic. We were a bit more free-flowing bit a bit more creativity, moving about like getting the ball. It felt like running a bit better. And then look, this game was what? 6-6 at halftime. Jake goes off. Six minutes before halftime, I think it was. We come out in the second half and we put points on the board. Now I don't know why that is. I'm not an expert analyzer to know why things are changing when he's on the field but it just seems to me like it slows things down maybe, or causes like a a focus that need. That isn't quite right, but it seems like when he's not on the field we're looking better. What, what's kind of your?
Speaker 1:I think he's a 20-minute burst prop at the moment. You saw it at Origin last year. He would start the game, 20 minutes get bought off and then Isaiah Yow would play the remainder, I think, the game against the Sharks at home. We double-stacked, we added a back on the bench which didn't allow the forwards to be able to interchange as much. Um, in that sense and I think that does help um, his abilities are there. Like if you, he's an absolute tackle machine yeah we can't take that away from him.
Speaker 1:Um, he's also been pinged a lot for six again penalties and for him the rule, which sometimes I think is harsh because the ref.
Speaker 2:I don't know the rule in this.
Speaker 1:No, the ref goes through different motions.
Speaker 2:And different refs have different expectations of how long, and it's stupid.
Speaker 1:So other than that I did say the other week, I do like the look of Tevanger and Simkin. They do seem to have a good combination there and the pace they do play is a lot better. But in saying that Manly's defence was just so good, it was just again just absorbed so much pressure from the Cowboys and the Cowboys just didn't look like they were going to score.
Speaker 2:We've said this. I think we might have said this sitting next to each other in the stands, but apart from Melbourne, we haven't had a significant like lapse in defensive performance all season and our goal line stands. We look fairly solid. Now don't get me wrong. The odd team goes through here and there and we'd like make a mistake by jumping in too much on the edge. But we got the cowboys number we restrict. We've restricted them to 18 points over the two games that we played and they've stuck 50 on teams recently. They've looked good going forward. They scored 106 points in three games before this one. So Seabs has just got their number and gone. Cowboys, you ain't going to do it against us. So we scored 66 against them. It seems like in the two games that we've played conceded 18. It seems like a team that we've performed well against this year.
Speaker 2:But one thing I will say is that our defence absorbed a lot of pressure in the first half and it's a credit to whatever work they're doing, because if we break at any point then the game could have gone the other way.
Speaker 1:But yeah, yeah, solid defensive, defensive performance yeah, and and it was good to see the attack, and I've I've said it a couple of times we look a lot more threatening when brooks and dc combined as well, and I've banked on about combinations here and ever seen a.
Speaker 1:Ever seen a. Saw an interview with joe schmidt when he was talking about the lions combinations that you have. It is amazing how you can break down things on the field and when they've flown together to one side, dc and Brooks and it's gone through their hands Manly just seemed to open up teams instead of staying separate on each of the sides. So you have that element, but then you've got to look at the boy at the back At a certain point. I'm still on the fence for this. He does absorb a lot of attacking pressure doesn't he?
Speaker 1:He does shift the defense.
Speaker 2:He does. He's good when he's fully fit and I don't think he's there. There's something not right with him. You can tell when he's on because he's sideline to sideline, he's walloping everything, whereas now he seems to like when he's got the ball, runs into contact. It doesn't seem like it's at full pace.
Speaker 2:Randomly, what popped up on tiktok last night was the highlights of um 2021 game against the cowboys, when he scored four tries and like we weren't should have had two we weren't about when, like we, we didn't get c turbo in full flight yeah but you look back at that and you're like, wow, the turbo that we are seeing nowadays is miles off. If he can get back to 80 of that, yeah, I think we stand a very good chance of being a lot better this season, um, but at the moment he's doing well for what he's got. I'm glad he's not been selected for origin and he'll be able to get some rest.
Speaker 2:But yeah, if he can improve, if he can get healthier defensively and with the ball, I think we could be a lot better. I think he did drop two Brennan Budda turbo tries as well, didn't I have turbo to score under 50.5 points and Manly to win, and he just Did everything not to score. It was Navale as well that set him up, weren't it that broke through? I think it was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and he's been good off the bench he's been. Yeah, Shame he's got dropped this week, but there we are.
Speaker 2:There we are. Let's move on to the next one, the raiders. The canberra raiders 40 against. I keep going to call the titans the tennessee titans just because of the nfl, but the gold coast titans, um raiders, potent in attack. They've got speed for days everywhere they've got just ability. Care weeks is looking good. Uh, savage is just looking like an animal. But what do you reckon they're looking like for the rest of the season?
Speaker 1:The Raiders are on a bit of a roll Unreal. I absolutely love the Raiders Big fan, absolute big fan of them. I think it helps that we're watching Jamal Fogarty, even though he had a shocking day with the boot.
Speaker 2:That was a bit worrying, I was like everyone's been banging on.
Speaker 1:oh, when Fogarty gets in he should kick over Garrick and I'm like I'm okay having Garrick still on the boot.
Speaker 2:Same. The one thing that Fogarty does do, though, is boot the ball high, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:His defensive kicking is incredible and saying that he left eight points out there, so this could have been closer to this could have been in closer to a 50 burger um in that sense. But I I'm a huge fan of the raiders. I love watching them, um, I think starling starling's having a great season, hudson young's having a great season, my richard's having like the. Every one of them is having such a good season and, as you said, they're fast. Wherever they come from. They can score from anywhere. They are an absolute pleasure to watch at times they are.
Speaker 2:Let's see how they go over a few injuries like Nicholson's injured. They've got Hudson Young missing from origin. They are playing this weekend so it'd be interesting to see how they go without them. But looking at the Titans, uh, kieran Foran came back. I think he looked all right in places. You can tell he was a bit off the pace, but you reckon he's going to support the, stabilize them and get them back to kind of not looking too terrible. I don't know the.
Speaker 1:Titans are a tough team to put your finger on. They are Like they've lost David Fafita, who you would have expected to be a big, big time player. Tino is is putting shifts in, but again it's not doing too much for the team. He will definitely bring him to some sort of a calmness yeah, I suppose.
Speaker 1:But they've got a lot of work to do and it could be a case of them, them in the, them and the knights fighting out for the for the spoon this year yeah, I think I agree with you on that one.
Speaker 2:Um timely return. They need him back, but whether he's going to do much I do not know. Um next game, we've got two more to go Dolphins 12, warriors 16. Now, low scoring Slugfest. We watched this one with our pre-beers at Freshie Brewery getting our free schooner of that. I can't even remember the name of the lager, the new one that they bought it was like Stock or Stocktake or something it was.
Speaker 1:Pilsner, I think.
Speaker 2:Pilsner. But yeah, we were sitting there watching that. Yeah, we were sitting there watching that. Tell you what? Just shout out to James Fisher Harris for coming back, Although snuck a disgusting shot. That was huge. I reckon it was the blonde goatee and the blonde rat's tail that made him just look swift. He's now at home he is. The one thing that got me from this game, though, is how did the referees miss Roger Tuivasa-Shek's knock on, and being such a tight game.
Speaker 1:You reckon the dolphins feel absolutely robbed by that massively, like how there isn't that the bunker can't have. Like the bunker loves to interfere how we did, how they haven't interfered there and gone. How, lad, you've just missed an absolute clanger there. How have you missed, missed that? And the challenge rule? I don't think they can challenge it.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:When the play ends, even though again you can get Simbin from something you did two years ago. You know it's Terrible. It's interesting in that sense how three people could have missed that. I do not know. But you know, got to take your chances Do. And I've mentioned about the warriors. They've been winning games, but not winning them big. They're on plus five goal goal difference now, or points difference, sorry, and they're still second in the comp. So it's mad.
Speaker 1:Something's something going on there and you've just gotta you just gotta give it to metcalf and the boys and they're doing well.
Speaker 2:And a way win as well. And a way win and a way win. I know you mentioned they won two out of four, so I can't remember the stats that you brought up last week, but I looked at it earlier. Warriors are five on the bounce, six on the bounce. However many they've won on the bounce, at what point do and I know this is going to upset a few people, maybe, because at what point do we start taking them seriously as genuine contenders to win the Premiership?
Speaker 1:I reckon, another five games. I think that would give a good indication, even though saying that they lose Mitch Barnett to Origin yeah so if he, Fisher Harris is out this weekend as well.
Speaker 2:are they playing this weekend, or have they got a bye? Oh, they are out this weekend as well. Are they playing this weekend, or have they got a bye? Oh, they are playing this weekend, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:They're playing the.
Speaker 2:Raiders.
Speaker 1:At the Raiders, I think, isn't it.
Speaker 2:It is in New. Zealand.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, so that's them still. They're 5-0 in NZ. Yeah, we'll talk about that game in a second.
Speaker 2:But they've got the Raiders Rabbitohs, sharks Bayh and then Panthers, broncos in the next five, six.
Speaker 1:So it's a tough old schedule coming up. If they come out of that four and two, I reckon you can start going. Hang on the Warriors are actually cooking here, but no other than that Dolphins just didn't.
Speaker 2:Left it too late, too little, too late, and I think I mean, look, dolphins have got the flair and attack, but they just didn't seem to get it done today. Today Didn't seem to get it done at the weekend. But yeah, we'll see how the Warriors go over the next five weeks and I think I said split the season into three. If they're from the second third, if they're there or thereabouts, then maybe we'll start having conversations, but we're not fully up in the wars just yet, not just yet and then on to the final game of the week, which was really good for the Eels.
Speaker 2:I think it was a real good performance by the Eels, but they lose a lot of their stars. Now to Origen. They defeated the Knights 28-6, but how terrible are the Knights so bad?
Speaker 1:So bad they're losing Ponga this week? They've just got nothing. I think we've talked about it. They've just got nothing going forward, even though what they tried they scored was a pretty good move. But other than that, no, it's quite worrying.
Speaker 2:They rely on him too much. They try and get him in the game too much. They've lost Bradman Best. He's injured, he's been out. I just can't see them doing anything this season. It was almost like they've written the season off themselves as well. They're focusing on next year, getting Dylan Brown in, trying to build the squad for next year and making sure they got players in place. I noticed Dom Young's name for the roosters this week.
Speaker 2:He's actually like starting, so we'll see how that goes about getting him up there before what, june the 30th they got just over a month to get to get him there. But um, players that stood out for the eels, lomax, moses, first time we've seen them together yeah, it's pretty awesome not gonna lie you saw it last year in origin.
Speaker 1:They've got this connection that they had beforehand. They've got adekar in there as well. Their attack is starting to come. Very nice, um, and, as you say, if galvin comes into that as well, it's yeah.
Speaker 2:So rumors are that galvin. Well, the tigers are having a board meeting around this time to discuss whether galvin can be released early. The likelihood is that he's going to end up at Parramatta Next year. They're going to have Moses at seven, galvin at six, lomax on one wing, adhokar on the other wing. Is it Oongi at fullback? Like they're looking, I feel this year it's a little too late, especially with the origin period coming up now, and they're guaranteed to lose moses and lomax for all three games, unless moses drops an absolute stinker, yep, which I don't think he will, because last year he was unbelievable especially of lomax, that combination with high balls out to the wing.
Speaker 2:Um, I think next year we could be talking about a completely different paramount team. Uh yeah. So we'll see how that one goes. But I suppose the first game that kicked off the whole week, the whole weekend's fixtures, was the women's state of origin, the New South Wales girls just absolutely blowing past Queensland. Let's see a repeat for the men, hopefully coming up on Wednesday. But first thing I want to address through this how terrible was the pitch?
Speaker 1:blow it up like it is 800 million dollars for a pitch like that.
Speaker 2:It is disgraceful and it's not the first time it's happened either. No, like.
Speaker 1:I reckon this could have been 40 50 to new south wales. If, if, if the pitch was able to withstand what they're trying to do. Their whole game plan was speed it out. Let's use what we've got. And it got in the backs and they had to go to old style rugby league of sticking it at the jumper, just absolute powering through. It's shocking, absolutely shocking.
Speaker 2:When you see Jamie Chapman running through on that surface sticking in a left right, good night.
Speaker 1:And seeing Tameka Upton just I don't know whether it's the old fake.
Speaker 2:I've done my hamstring because I've been done so much. But yeah, she absolutely sent her to the cleaners as well, like the trail got sent to the cleaners by Appy absolute dominance, though. Shout out to the women 2-0, and then they go up to Newcastle, don't they hopefully get?
Speaker 1:it fast track bullies, that game, I think.
Speaker 2:Well, let's go on to week 12. Who we got up first?
Speaker 1:We've got the Dogs versus the Dolphins at the Accor Stadium Kickoff, Thursday 7.50. Should be a good game, this one. Not sure where I'm going yet. Dogs are at $1.36. Dolphins are $3.18. Where are you going?
Speaker 2:See, I look at the players that are out for the Bulldogs. So Saluka Fafita, I think, was the one that got knocked out by Spencer Lenu, so he's out. Jacob Perez is out. Kurt Mann's 18th man for Queensland, so he's out. Max King getting his first call up, and steven crichton they are some big names that are out. Um, josh curran is back, though, who's I thought was missing for them last week. He was one of the ones I noticed was like hang on, could do with him back, but then the dolphins are losing the hammer yeah tom gilbert through injury as well, I think tore his pec, uh.
Speaker 2:But I think the dogs, I still think the dogs, with matty burton in there, um, has enough. Connor tracy at fullback. Bronson sherry is an absolute animal running the ball. Montoya sexton kick out, yeah, I've the bulldogs should.
Speaker 1:Yeah, get this one done yeah, I'm gonna go for with you on that one. I think the dogs have, dogs have got it. Um, I think they've just got too much for for that dolphins team, to be honest yeah where's your money at?
Speaker 2:my actual money, I'm gonna go. I don't think this is gonna be a runaway victory for the, for the bulldogs, so I'm going to go. Dogs to win 1 to 12. Um, but seeing as herbie farnworth is in absolute try scoring form him to score any time paying 7.25 delightful. It is then next up. Uh, we have the paramata eels against the manly waringa seagulls 8 pm on the Friday. The Parramatta Eels are $2.82. The Manly Seagulls are $1.43.
Speaker 1:Manly have only lost DCE. Who's a big name? Jake Civojevic. Matt Lodge is back in the team, which is great to see. Big fan of Matty Lodge. Lachlan Croker is on the bench as well.
Speaker 2:Good to see Been out.
Speaker 1:big fan of uh, matty lodge, lachlan croaker is on the bench as well. Good to see been out for a while injured. I think I'm back in every way going for, going for manly. I think we could.
Speaker 2:We could do quite well in this game I agree, we often struggle against out at paramount.
Speaker 1:I think is quite a big rivalry, which I found out we're.
Speaker 2:We both joined the league at the same time and, um, yeah, seen as a big rivalry again learning learning new things about the sport every day. Moses and Lomax are two huge losses for the Ills. We just mentioned that they've come back at a great time for them, but then they lose them. I think, man, you get this done. I think they get it done quite comfortably. I say that quite regularly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know about it.
Speaker 2:They've still got some weapons in Addo car, but yeah, I think the Seagulls take this one away from home. Continue a bit of form. Nice to see Matt Lodge back, like you mentioned. What are you putting your cash on, though?
Speaker 1:I'm going for Saab Turbo, addo car, cola, triz, garrick 6 plus points at $18 nice it'll be interesting if that comes off, because that's a good little one. I might actually lump 10 bucks on it. That's nice, nice little one there. That will take us nicely into the Saturday Penrith Panthers versus the Newcastle Knights up in Bathurst.
Speaker 2:So oh, we're going a little bit of a regional yeah, a little bit of a regional away day there.
Speaker 1:Panthers at $1.35. Knights at $3.23. I think that really tells a tale. Knights have lost Caelan Ponga. And Jacob Saifidi, who's a powerful runner Panthers have lost Brian Tahoe, dylan Edwards, isaiah Papali, liam Martin, luke Granger and Nathan.
Speaker 2:Cleary Luke Garner. They were.
Speaker 1:Garner. Sorry, what did I say, granger?
Speaker 2:Luke Granger and N-Dog Nathan Cleary. Luke Garner they were Garner. Sorry, what did I say?
Speaker 1:Granger, granger. I'm dyslexic. It looks like Granger for me.
Speaker 2:Didn't know where that one came from. I still think that the Pembroke Panthers have more than enough to get this done. Mitch Kenny has been named as captain. Moses Leota is in. Lindsay. Mitch Kenny has been named as captain. Moses Leota is in Lindsay Smith. It'd be interesting to see what Blaise Talangi does. Brad Schneider's been named at seven, but I think this will be an opportunity for For Blaise to take it on his back yeah to kind of see what he can do about Cleary there.
Speaker 2:But I can't see anything other than a Panthers win. It'll be nice to see a bit of regional footy people out in the country getting.
Speaker 2:Get and see, see the panthers. What about yourself? Yeah, exact same panthers all the way. Uh, even with, even against a depleted team, I can't really see the knights doing much. Yeah, and with that I've gone for the panthers to win 13 plus alamotti anytime at three dollars 40. So a nice little low one, hopefully a little guarantee. But then on to the 7.35pm kickoff on the Saturday. This one's in Gosford, so going up to the.
Speaker 2:Central Coast. We've got the Sydney Roosters $3.36 against the Cronulla Sharks at $1.33. This one, those odds are surprising actually. But yeah, where are you going?
Speaker 1:This is because the Sh sharks haven't lost anyone. Well, they've lost. They've lost samson street. Sorry um the roosters. I, I just back the sharks, though I've just got a, I've just got a feeling the sharks are gonna do it uh, so I'm gonna go. I go Sharks for this one.
Speaker 2:This is a lot, I feel like the odds of like. When I looked at the odds I was like, oh, who have? Why are the Roosters? Am I missing something? Have they lost, I suppose, like Angus Crichton's, a big loss Lindsay Collins. They've lost Connor.
Speaker 1:Watson, spencer, lenu yeah, I look at these names now I'm like shut up, ben, like the sharks are winning this and they're winning this comfortably. So yeah, yeah, uh, where's where's, where's your money? I've gone for a mulatalo big marky mark.
Speaker 2:Try at any time. Six points to heinz and smith at nine dollars.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nice so so yeah, and then finally, on the sunday we're up in. Well, we're over in New Zealand, sorry for the Waz versus the Raiders Huge game, 4.05. Kickoff Warriors $1.80. Raiders $2.05. Where's your money going?
Speaker 2:This is a difficult one. This has got the Warriors don't? Warriors are good at home. Right, I've got to talk through my thought process here, just to think it out loud, and I've been on the fence of this one for a while. Warriors at home perform well at home, undefeated at home or whatever. It is 5-0 that you've said, absolutely blowing everyone away or grinding out wins actually at home. Raiders on form. They've lost Hudson Young. He's representing New South Wales. Warriors have lost Mitch Barnett, fisher, harris. I'm going to go with the Raiders on this one. I reckon the Raiders away from home and the Warriors their first loss on New Zealand soil.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to go Raiders as well. I think losing both Fisher Harris and Barnett in the middle is huge. That's a big, big loss. This is going to be a fantastic game to watch for the Packs. These two teams have got pace everywhere, so that'd be pretty awesome to watch. And then, where are you gonna lump your your last bit of money in?
Speaker 2:part of me thinks this is going to be a cagey one, but then I think about a little bit more. I'm like what you've just said there. It's going to be a bit free flowing. There's people that are going to want to put points on the board, so I've got raiders to win over 43.5 points total, paying $3.50. Nice, yeah, we'll take it from there. But any other sport to reflect on over the weekend Formula 1, who won the one Formula 1?
Speaker 1:we'll pass on that one. Nothing from football for me, because we've been as I said. Blues have been done for the last couple of.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you what I will shout out. Actually, crystal Palace are winning the FA Cup.
Speaker 1:Yeah huge win.
Speaker 2:The reason why I used to live around the corner from Selhurst Park when I lived in South London. What a massive win for a small club like in regards to the size of other clubs in the Premier League. It would do so much for Selhurst Crystal Palace. The area bring a lot of joy to the people around there like they were a big part of the community in terms of when game days were on, everyone was about and amongst it. So yeah, shout out to Beatman City. No one's like seeing that.
Speaker 1:Dean Anderson big game, yeah, absolutely great should he have been sent off?
Speaker 2:I don't know, questionable, I don't think he did, but absolute man of the match performance from him. But yeah, big week Origin next week. Looking forward to that. We're going to be filming on the Tuesday preview and that Hopefully get it out. But yeah, another week flies by. Another week of NRL to look forward to. Thank you for listening in and we'll catch you in the next one. See you next week.