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!
Dogs of War: How The "Mongrel" Factor Could Decide Origin 2
BONUS Origin 2 Preview! With this weeks full episode being released on Thursday, we break down the upcoming State of Origin Game 2 match in Perth, exploring team changes, tactical decisions, and our predictions for what promises to be a crucial encounter.
Can't wait to see if our predictions hold true or if we end up with egg on our faces after Origin 2!
Hello and welcome to a bonus episode of. They've Been Doing it All Day, sir. I'm Ben and I'm Chris. Preview Origin. Let's get stuck in.
Speaker 2:Origin 2 is upon us tomorrow. How are you feeling about?
Speaker 1:it. I feel confident, but I feel that's what Queenslanders want us to feel confident. I feel they've got a bit of a point to prove and I'm really intrigued to see the physicality of this Queensland team coming out, because there's been a lot going on in the Well, not a lot going on in the media. It feels like the media have tried to hype it up more, but you know that Billy Slater behind the scenes is going to be revving the boys up, but what are your thoughts about how it's going to pan out?
Speaker 2:New South Wales have got a good record in Perth, which again feeds to them. It is that we're the underdogs mentality at Queensland that they absolutely love and they do feed off that. But I've been seeing as well. If Billy Slater loses this series, I think he could be gone as the coach as well. Yeah, especially with how he handled DCE with going oh yeah, it's not a personality issue and then dropping him straight away. So it's going to be interesting how things come there. A couple of changes as well.
Speaker 1:Personally, I don't think the teams are going to be fully confirmed. I think you know they've named it 1-17 that they've come up. I reckon there's going to be some late mail and we won't know until an hour before, so I'm going to take the teams with a pinch of salt Interesting. What are your thoughts on the changes from Queensland?
Speaker 2:I've mentioned in the actual episode that we run, which you can watch, hopefully on Thursday, when it's released, that there's some pressure around Dearden. Yeah, I think, with the confidence that Slater has put in him to bring him in straight into seven, I think there's a lot of pressure on him to perform. And one of the big things about Origin is the kicking game. There's been mention about him not having the strongest. I think he needs to perform there as well as back it up with what he can do in the run game as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for me there's some weird choices, like Trent Lierro has come on and he's starting over Patty Carrigan. But what they've said, or what I've heard, is that Billy Slater wasn't happy with their physicality when they came off the bench. They felt that they were all right for the first 20 minutes, but when interchange bench came on, they kind of lost, started losing it then.
Speaker 1:So I think he's starting with his, and I don't want to call him weaker because I don't want to discredit them, but the players that he feels will be good to start the game and keep that intensity up.
Speaker 1:But then bring the reinforcements of Peg Harrigan off the bench and Lindsay Collins off the bench to really solidify that physicality and not get run over in the middle. Because that's what fundamentally happened they were losing the ruck, they weren't getting the New South Wales forwards on their back and, yeah, they were losing it in the middle really. But one thing I don't get, and this is why I mentioned about whether those changes are actually going to happen an hour before kick off, picked Corey Horsburgh, who is an absolute dog, like very good season yeah, gets involved, gets amongst it, aggro.
Speaker 1:Why pick him if you're going to stick him at number 20 as a reserve? Decisions like that.
Speaker 2:And the thing with Ezra Mamby in there as well, is it going to be actually cloak and dagger and it's actually going to be Mamb starting. Can you imagine? Yeah, that would be mental. But with that, I think, if Billy Slater does go with that sort of, as you said, weakened it is hard to say weakened, but the starters that you wouldn't expect to be starting and the New South Wales first 20 minutes has run through them. But they're the starters that you wouldn't expect to be starting and the New South Wales first 20 minutes has run through them.
Speaker 1:He's going to be sat there with massive egg on his face, taking some big gambles. His reputation is his reputation on the line. I think it is he's made some big calls.
Speaker 1:Like you said, dropping DCE is huge. That will be a defining moment in his legacy. I think If this all goes, pete Tong, then that could be a moment they call out because DCE didn't really do much wrong in the first game. Everyone was terrible, everyone was poor, yeah, so to single him out and drop him be interesting to see how Cam Munster goes at captain Feels like he's built for that. The stash just kind of leans itself to just being a bit of a mongrel and barking orders and getting things done.
Speaker 2:But I do like the New South Wales line-up, yeah even with the addition of Jerome Luai in there as well. As much as I'm very happy with Mitch Moses being in there and I think he does start just above Luai but talking about the dog mentality within this squad, he comes in and just brings it to another level, him crichton, toto edwards, yo cleary, all back together like that's something to be reckoned with, like they don't just win, what is it?
Speaker 1:four back to back together for no reason. So I think, yeah, like you said, others are going to buy into that dog mentality as well. You're going to, I think you're going to get the best from Latrell Mitchell over in Perth. Steven Crichton, like I said, he's going to be back to his absolute animal and the impact it's going to have, I reckon even Payne Haas is just going to Spencer Lenya as well.
Speaker 2:They're not going to avoid kicking off to him. They have to kick off to him when he's on. Do you know the?
Speaker 1:best thing I like, though Toya Kamana has come out and said I hope they kick to me as well. You've got two animals just waiting to get the ball off the back fence. Interestingly, I've stuck a little 10 sheet on Jerome Luai being man of the match.
Speaker 2:Okay, bit of a point to prove. Yeah, I can see that happening $17. Okay.
Speaker 1:If we get that one chicken wings on me, lovely, how good. But looking at the odds for it, so if we get that one chicken wings on me, lovely how good.
Speaker 1:But looking at the odds for it like they've shortened. So Queensland were at $3 something yesterday, they've shortened to $2.77 and New South Wales are $1.45. I think that's quite reflective. It's interesting to see Queensland so such a difference. But they love the underdog. The underdog is they do love that mentality. Yeah, and it's interesting to see queensland so, yeah, such a difference. But they love the underdog the underdog.
Speaker 2:They do, they do love that mentality yeah, and it's setting up.
Speaker 1:It could go one or two ways new south wales absolutely blow them away. Or queensland. Come out of a point to prove and and win a win, a dogged one yeah. Would you reckon if you had to put your money on a score line points difference? What do you reckon it'd be?
Speaker 2:I think back to, was it? Where was it? Adelaide last year, game two or?
Speaker 1:was it.
Speaker 2:Melbourne. Let's have a. Let's have a quick look at that, actually, because the blue on my I'm pretty sure it was Adelaide last year, game two. Oh no, it was MCG. Yeah, that cricket ground mentality. The cathedral of the stadium.
Speaker 2:They just turned it on so good, so well. That cricket ground mentality the cathedral of the stadium. They just turned it on so good, so well. As we've said, I think the last 10 out of the last 11 tries Queensland have scored have been when the New South Wales have been down to 12 men. If New South Wales can avoid a yellow, I think it could be an absolute drumming.
Speaker 1:I'd have to agree with you on that one. I mean, we look back to game two last year. Like you said, 38-18 at the MCG. I reckon we could be seeing similar sort of scorelines. New South Wales are going to want to put this to bed, this series to bed, quite early.
Speaker 2:I mean, look, we're recording this now and we could have an egg in our face, but recording this now and we could have an egg in our face.
Speaker 1:But I think it would be a massive, it would be a big upset if, if Queensland do come out victorious in this. Yeah, but for me, new South Wales get this done. 13 plus plus plus. I think it's quite going to be quite comfortable. I think it'll be tight cagey for the first couple of minutes. I'm hoping we mentioned this last time that game one didn't live up to game three of last year. There wasn't really the pace, physicality, intensity. I'm hoping, through the little bit of media circus and storm that um would aaron woods's yeah, has caused sharon woods, everyone might fire them up a bit. And yeah, the spencer lenu saga him giving it like you think that they want to set a physical tone and you're hoping everyone's going to come out all guns blazing this one. Um, like I said, I put jerome luai on to be man of the match, point to prove. Uh, would you have if you had to lump a bet on another? Another great one I saw, but it wasn't paying too much. Was Zach Lomax a scorer any time? I think that's a given.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he loves scoring, doesn't he? Yeah, probably a Toto and Lomax double. Yeah, and then maybe throwing a forward in there, someone unexpected.
Speaker 1:Maybe a Huddie Young, huddie Young, tau and Lomax. Do you know what that sounds? Quite an inviting one. What do you reckon about Cleary getting 10 plus points? Do you reckon his kicking game is going to be better this?
Speaker 2:time it needs to be. He needs to switch that on. I think he might be filled with confidence having Luai back. The fantastic thing watching that Panthers be filled with confidence having Luai back and the fantastic thing watching that Panthers Tigers game is.
Speaker 1:Luai lit him up a couple of times he did, and then just to be dapping each other up when they come back into camp as well it'd be nice to.
Speaker 2:I reckon it'd be nice for him to have him next to him this time and not be run over. So so yeah, we're hoping it's going to be a comfortable win.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a comfortable New South Wales win, but we'll see how things go. Any final thoughts, any bold even bolder predictions or statements of anything that's going to happen?
Speaker 2:Paying house two plus tries. You heard it here first, but yeah, quick little origin preview.
Speaker 1:Hopefully you get this one out before the game so everyone can either laugh at us or join us in our successes. But yeah, thank you for joining us in this bonus episode and we'll catch you in the next one.
Speaker 2:Hope you watch the main one as well.