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!
#24 Tigers Surprise, Lions Disappoint, and Cricket Catastrophes
Rugby fans witnessed an underwhelming performance as the British and Irish Lions secured a 21-10 victory against the Waratahs, with questions arising about their readiness for the upcoming Test series. Despite moments of brilliance from Alex Mitchell and Finn Russell's orchestration attempts, the Lions' attack seemed disjointed, struggling to implement Irish methods after just three weeks together.
The rugby world buzzed with news of Owen Farrell's surprise call-up to the Lions squad. His leadership qualities and versatility at fly-half and inside center could prove invaluable, especially following recent injuries. Though he'll miss the upcoming Brumbies clash, his potential involvement against the Australia-New Zealand invitational team might determine his Test series prospects.
NRL fans were treated to several compelling narratives, including the Broncos' remarkable comeback against the Bulldogs, the Raiders' continued rise despite late-game fatigue issues, and perhaps most surprisingly, the Wests Tigers' 30-28 upset over the Roosters—featuring a historic moment with all three Fainu brothers scoring in the same match. Meanwhile, State of Origin anticipation builds toward a decider where New South Wales enters as favorites but Queensland's determination and experience remain dangerous factors.
Cricket enthusiasts endured England's brutal 336-run defeat to India, highlighted by some troubling statistics—including six ducks in their first innings giving both a median and mode score of zero. The Australian cricket team completed their series victory over a competitive West Indies side, while Formula 1 fans celebrated McLaren's impressive 1-2 finish at the British Grand Prix.
As we prepare to travel to Canberra for the Lions' clash against the Brumbies—a team that defeated them in 2013—we're reminded of sport's beautiful unpredictability. Whether you're passionate about rugby, league, cricket, or motorsport, the emotional rollercoaster continues. What storylines will next week bring? Join us to find out!
Welcome along to this week's episode of. They've Been Doing it All Day, Sir. The Lions are purring gently along in Australia and the Tigers roared against the Roosters. Let's get stuck in.
Speaker 3:How's your week been, mate Do?
Speaker 1:you know it's been good A lot of sport over the weekend, a lot of stuff to watch. We had cricket, cricket, union league, full jam pack, fixture a fixture list of things going on. Uh, yeah, it was my birthday weekend as well, so um had a few celebratory breakfasts, a couple of um yeah, takeaways as well over the weekend. So the diet has well and truly gone out the window. Uh, and yeah, I had a few beers. Oh, that's good. What about yourself? How's your weekend been?
Speaker 3:Pretty much the same, to be honest, wasn't it Just full of sport, full of activities, which involved a couple of drinks, but now, other than that, pretty chilled. So yeah, yeah. And we kicked it off on Saturday, but now, other than that, pretty chilled, so yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we kicked it off on Saturday. We had the Lions against the Tars at the Allianz. Took it a bit easier this weekend, though, didn't we? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Didn't want to, I think, diving in a bit early. I think the highlight of the game was me having my fish and chips, if I'm being perfectly honest.
Speaker 1:You know what the size of the portion was pretty good.
Speaker 3:I was quite. I was quite happy when I first got up there and was like oh, 20, 20. I was like don't know how I feel about this. But then when they actually presented me this mammoth box, I was like all right, okay, uh, so yeah yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1:Decent portion. One thing that I was a bit surprised about um, on saturday I know it's what what do they call it a tour game, not a warm do they call it a tour game, not a warm up? They call it a tour game. But I was a bit surprised about the lack of atmosphere in the city, considering it was yeah, it was a game based in the city, whereas when the test match happens it's out at Homebush.
Speaker 1:So there was the old Scottish mate playing the bagpipes that was quite cool on top of that, that pub that's on the corner of opposite central, as we made our way up to Molly Malone's to sample a few of their Guinnesses.
Speaker 3:Watch a very good game with France-New Zealand.
Speaker 1:That was a tight one and looking back at it, there was some questionable decisions from the referees and I think actually in the Australia-Fiji one we'll talk about it maybe in a bit but a very questionable decision in that one around fiji not being awarded a try, uh. But let's get into the lions against the.
Speaker 3:The tars lions walk away 21, 10 victors. Yeah, very underwhelming. Ah, yeah, it was. It was a very, very bad game. Game of rugby. Just the normality of running away with it in the second half just didn't happen. The scrums were poor. I think is a big highlight of it. It was just a difficult watch. I've watched some grassroots rugby and I think I've been more entertained there than I was on Saturday.
Speaker 1:There was a lot of mistakes as well. There was a lot of trying to force things, trying to bullet passes in people not being there, trying to move the ball quickly, and it seems like the attack hasn't fully embedded into what? Because there's a lot of chat around trying to instill the Irish methods to the attack and for a team that's only been together, what three weeks? It's going to be tough to do, but it's a worrying sign.
Speaker 3:It's not, because look what they did against the Reds and Western Force. This is a completely different team that played that game. You've got Alex Mitchell, who had a great game, to be fair to him? Yeah, he did.
Speaker 3:Finn Smith was was trying to orchestrate something and they're not going to be probably in the test team so we'll talk about in a minute. But when we head down to Canberra on Wednesday it's going to be a completely different team again. So it's understandable that it's not Jen as quickly, but they'll have a. They'll have a week from saturday yeah to get that first test 11, 15 sorry working together and then hopefully gelling by game one in brisbane yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1:And interesting comments by andy farrell after the game. I don't know if you saw them, but he blamed them the the pitch wasn't as wet as when. Sorry, it was wet when they were playing, but it wasn't as wet as when. Sorry, it was wet when they were playing, but it wasn't as wet when they walked out the day before or something like that and said it was sticky. Sounded like just an excuse to me.
Speaker 3:Just buy some stick'em. You see the NRL players spray their hands and arms with stick'em before kick-off. I don't know whether that would actually slow down Union, because sometimes you do need to have an absolute whip on a pass and it sticking to you may be a bit of an issue, but come on, they're professional athletes, it's it didn't make any difference to the game.
Speaker 1:I thought the Lions were poor and it was a bit of shock amongst the the Lions supporters at how bad it was. Let's hope that doesn't start, that doesn't seep into the kind of like. I don't want to discredit the players that are out there, but more the test players that will be kind of hopefully focused on playing this Wednesday. But one big change that's happened since we last recorded was that the big man himself, Owen Farrell, has been called up. What's your thoughts and opinions on that?
Speaker 3:I think he's a great, great mindset to have around the camp I think that's out of all the other players that are possibly able to be selected. He comes in as a utility for 10 12, which allows marcus smith a bit more released to then look after that 15 rottl jersey after losing daily um. But I think he's been selected and brought over more because of the mindset and what he would be like around a camp yeah and not necessarily like I don't agree with what they were saying that he's been out here previously, he knows how to win one.
Speaker 3:He was an absolute. He was a child when he was at virtually last out here yeah so it was the leaders around him that that did that, whereas now, because of the teams he has been in, I reckon he would be a big face in helping this team win.
Speaker 1:I agree he hasn't played for a fair few weeks because of concussion. Just re-signed back with Saracens as well. He's not named in the squad on Wednesday against the Brumbies but I think he'll play against the Australia-New Zealand invitational team on Saturday If he sticks a performance in there against the Brumbies, but I think he'll play against the uh Australia New Zealand Invitational team on.
Speaker 1:Saturday. If he sticks a performance in there, I I think he's within a shout of. Should anything happen to Finn Russell, um, I think he's. Then he's might be the next name on the team sheet, but it'll want to push for yeah a test spot in, maybe test two or test three. There's only one game in between them, though, and it's's against the Maori and Pacifica. Sorry, maori and Indigenous.
Speaker 3:Invitational. That's going to be a tough game.
Speaker 1:I don't think we'll find anything out from it, though.
Speaker 3:That's just going to be a ruthless aggression and physicality yeah so it'll be interesting to see who's starting in that.
Speaker 1:But going down to the Brumbies, we're filming this on Monday because we're going down on the Wednesday, so not the usual schedule, but lost to them in 2013,. In a real tight one.
Speaker 3:So there's a bit of a flag up on this one. Yeah, 100%, and this could be one of the tall losses. I think it'll come with this or the one on Saturday, if there is going to be a loss within the warm-up games. So I think it's going to be a tough test for them and I think, with the weather, actually how cold it's going to be, how cold it will actually be, I don't even want to think about it.
Speaker 3:Let's quickly get in the search Because for people watching in the UK, don't believe it gets cold. It does, and on Wednesday it's going to be highs of 10. And when we're at the game it's going to be seven degrees, six degrees.
Speaker 1:It's going to be cold. I'm not looking forward to it. Definitely going to wrap up for this one. The other ones kind of been in shorts and a jumper.
Speaker 3:That's been a bold.
Speaker 1:I won't be doing that for this one. I believe this is going to be the bar. A few changes, um, maybe looking at the front row in particular but I think is this could be the closest to the test team that we're going to see.
Speaker 1:I think the pack are there's a few names in there, like I love tom curry, but it's him and morgan that are kind of fighting it out for for that spot. So this is a bit of an audition for the pack. Are there's a few names in there? I love Tom Curry, but it's him and Morgan that are kind of fighting it out for that spot. So this is a bit of an audition for Curry this on Wednesday.
Speaker 3:Honestly, I think Morgan's tipping him.
Speaker 1:He had a great game on Saturday. To be fair to him.
Speaker 3:Especially with his game on Wednesday as well. It was pretty incredible he came off the bench on Saturday.
Speaker 1:if I'm correct. I hope I'm correct in saying that, but I mean, look, it's a tour game against the Tars. Not the greatest of experiences. Good to be able to go along to the Allianz, though full, it was well near enough full capacity. Biggest letdown, though, was you went to the bar what? 20 minutes into the game. Oh, it took forever, didn't come back until nearly halftime everything was so slow.
Speaker 1:Normally in the grounds around here, especially the newer ones, you go after 10-15 minutes of kick off you're up service back out, not in the Allianz, I'd be intrigued to know and I was thinking about this earlier. I'd be intrigued to know if the Allianz has actually had a full capacity or near full capacity. They would have done for one of the concerts, surely?
Speaker 1:but, the stadiums out here. So for people that haven't been to Australian, experienced Australian stadiums, they're all very much they're bowls, so there's only one level to them. I'm not talking about the bigger stadiums, but usually the 40,000 to 45,000 capacity stadiums and smaller. They have that one level where it's only one concourse, where bars are around and when there's a flood of people coming and going at different times, like there was during this game, it's not like there was a half-time rush or standard rush to go and get drinks at half-time. It was more constant throughout.
Speaker 1:It was just there was a steady flow of people going through the bars, um, but at the bigger stadiums like the Allianz and MCG, like sorry, the Accor and MCG, there's multiple concourses, different levels. So fingers crossed, touch wood, it'll be better for that one. But yeah, we'll see how it goes. We're driving, we're taking the three, three hour drive down to Canberra and back on Wednesday get the old chimney firing up wobbling all the way down there, hopefully make it there and back in one piece. But another big fixture that's happening on Wednesday and we are missing it. It kicks off at pretty much exactly the same time as the Lions game, but it's state of origin game three. New South Wales are favourites at $1.43 against Queensland at $2.83. What's your thoughts and opinions around how this one's going to go?
Speaker 3:It needs to go. I know it's all about ifs, buts and maybes, but with New South Wales, how they ended that game three. If they play like that, this could be.
Speaker 1:Game two or game three last year?
Speaker 3:No sorry, Well, no, no game two. Yeah.
Speaker 3:The only issue I've got now is this Because it's now 1-1, it could be a cagey first half yeah and it could like be very similar to to game three last year, whereas that's you don't want that from origin, you want you want the expansive play and and this new south wales attack shows that they get rolling they've got some absolute set pieces that can rip open everyone. Yeah, cam munster as well. I think he's going to be massive in this game. He's he's recently lost his lost his father, which is, which is quite a bit a big, big loss for him, and I think that's only going to fire him up. Yeah, it's the sort of thing he's going to be instrumental in this.
Speaker 1:It's the sort of thing that you like devastating news and absolutely gutted for him and feel for him. But as a new south welshman, you think if they needed a spark, like something to go right where who we're doing it for, what we're playing for not only the state, but a different level yeah, um, obviously they got a few changes.
Speaker 1:The old queensland has got a few changes. They got the hammer coming in at fullback, they've got shibasaki and toyah in its centers and I believe that could be where the game is won and lost. The tackle up against against the contest, up against Luttrell Mitchell and Stephen Criott, and you've got the experience of those two against a fairly rookie combination of Shibasaki and Toya. Toya has played two games before, but Shibasaki straight in first, but his story is incredible where he's come from. I don't want it to be a tight one.
Speaker 3:I don't want it to be a tight one. I don't want it to be a tight one. Yeah, I want it to.
Speaker 1:be well, we're not going to watch it, so it's. Could we watch it on the way back? You're just holding the.
Speaker 3:Obviously you've got to look at their forwards as well. They've brought in Josh properly.
Speaker 1:Experience one last dance. That's another bit of motivation as well.
Speaker 3:And he's a big body as well. He's a big addition to this origin side. So you know what I think it's a little more even than it suggests in the odds, but I'm going for a New South Wales win.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think the line's like 7.5 or something like that, which is about right, I'd say. But I want to see New South Wales play in the first half like they did in the second half last game, and if they do that it should be game over by halftime. But it's Origin, it's Game 3, it's in Sydney, hopefully a bit of home field advantage, but the two times that we've been to it's not really in a home field advantage. It doesn't feel like because you're so far away from the pitch it doesn't feel like there's any kind of momentum to get behind them, mind you saying that Surly did get sent off after seven minutes in last year's one.
Speaker 1:So we will see. But yeah, as we're going down, as we're watching the Lions, we'll be keeping a keen eye out on that one and we'll reflect on it next week. But on to round 18, only a short few fixtures this weekend, but it kicked off with the Bulldogs racing out to an 18-point lead actually against the Broncos and ended up losing 22-0. 22-18, not 22-0. 22-18. What are your thoughts on it?
Speaker 3:16-0 at half-time. To be fair, this is the second time in three weeks Broncos have gone in with a big deficit at half-time. They did it against the Sharks and they've just come out and looked like the only team going to win the game. I've got to give it to them. I very much thought in my prediction that because they've lost the likes of Walsh, that their attack wasn't going to be as fluid. But I was wrong. But that second half by them was an incredible watch.
Speaker 1:Ezra Mahm had a good game. He performed pretty well. I fear for the dogs, though, that the signing of Lockie Galvin has somewhat upset the apple cart in the fact that Reid Marnie yeah, you can talk about being professional and playing, but he's off. He might be off or he is off. He signed with the Cowboys, hasn't he? That happened over the weekend. You got Sexton at the young age of how young is he? 24? Something like that disappearing off to the Catalan Dragons. It feels like I don't know, something isn't going right behind the scenes. And although they are like professional until the end of the season and stuff like that, the sign there's clearly some things that have been said that is forcing it off. And are they going to finish in the top four? Highly likely, but does it impact them in the long run? Can they be favourites for the title? I'm not too sure now, but yeah, very interesting one.
Speaker 3:We'll see. And do you know what? It's probably the right period to go through a lull Because, as you say, you're going in through your, your thirds, they're going through this, this second third of the season, coming into the start of the, the final third of the season, and they're at a bit of a lull, whereas if they can get on a four or five game bounce before though the playoffs, it's. You're a different, you're a different animal. Um and the thing, the question for the bronco, the likes of the broncos and the Panthers, is they've had this massive force of acceleration in the middle part of the season. It's if they can keep it maintained until the back end. So there's a lot of dynamics at work at the moment, which will be interesting to see how they finish the season.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree with that and I suppose you raise a good point, like this signing of Galvin. They've got enough time to figure it out before the full business end of the season. But Another team that just keep on chalking up wins the Raiders 28, defeat the Dragons 24.
Speaker 3:And KO Weeks had an absolute week, and this is the thing that's Nice little pun there. This is the thing that's really annoying me about Manly fans as well, and we've discussed it last week and I saw it with the Farno brothers Is it Farno?
Speaker 1:Farno, yeah, farno brothers.
Speaker 3:There's a reason why these players get. I saw it with the Fainu brothers. Is it Fainu Fainu? Fainu Fainu brothers?
Speaker 1:There's a reason why these players get let go. We had this conversation on the bus on the way home, didn't we? On Saturday night?
Speaker 3:There's a reason why they get let go. Yeah. And just because they go away and then perform incredibly well at another club doesn't guarantee that they would have done that at Manly.
Speaker 3:Yep perform incredibly well at another club doesn't guarantee that they would have done that at manly. Yep, I agree, and you've seen this as the examples they use. We've been in football, like kevin de bruyne, at chelsea. He was not the player he was when he joined man city after walsh. But mo salah was not the player when he was at chelsea. And you can then look what is there issues internally with the club if you're not unlocking the potential. But you never know, a change of scenery, a change of different manager, a change of mindset within the player could then possibly elevate them to the next level. Yep.
Speaker 3:So I think it's fantastic of where he was, but when we watched him at Manly he was nowhere near this player and I think if he had stayed at Manly I don't think he would be where he is now.
Speaker 1:No, I don't think he would have either, and he wouldn't have been playing at fullback. All right, turbo's been injured so he might have got the odd chance, but I still think Kola would have been ahead of him at fullback so he wouldn't have got reps there. But you don't often see kick returns in the NRL and he did one at the weekend which was pretty fantastic, followed the ref, juked him out of his boots and then went around the outside of him, but what a week for him. The only worry I have for the Raiders is they let teams back into the game.
Speaker 3:It's the fatigue and I think this is. We touched on it last week and it's happening in the second half and sort of the back end of the second half. You look at the teams around them. They've had one bye, I think, and everyone else has had three or two or three byes. It's tough. They've had one break while everyone else has had three. That recovery, and you say it was a forced buy at the start of the season, but that's irrelevant Ages away, yeah, that's irrelevant.
Speaker 3:So you know what? I think this buy has come at the right time for the Raiders. They will be rested, they can again review things and work into that, and then they'll have another buy quite soon after. Yeah. So I reckon, going into the back end of the season, we'll stop seeing this second half meltdown and we'll start seeing that Raiders that have been so dominant throughout games start to rear its ugly head again.
Speaker 1:And I look at the fixtures they've got after the bye and before their next bye. So the next four fixtures they've got the Eels, knights, dragons and Sea Eagles. So that's a healthy run of fixtures that they can put performances on for 80 minutes. And then after the buy, they've got the Panthers Will that be a grand final preview? Tigers and Dolphins, so they've got a fairly comfortable run in For me. They, just after this buy, need to start putting in 80-minute performances yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1:But considering they were 67 bucks to win the premiership before the season started, can't really go wrong with them. At the moment, I think they're going to win the minor premiership, but a team that has been up and down and inconsistent. And another shaky performance away from home. The Melbourne Storm beat the Queensland Cowboys 26 to 20. They have won five in a row, though, so they're putting some form together. Didn't get to see much of this game, though, because this was on the Saturday night when we were making our way into the city.
Speaker 1:You managed to catch any of it. See any of the highlights.
Speaker 3:Seen parts of it and it's toe for toe. Within that first half it was score for score and it took I think it was just the Storm's relentlessness and I think to go with sort of the system that's installed, that Bellamy's installed in them that played for the the full 80 yeah in that sense and we're able to, to get that final, final score towards the end.
Speaker 3:Uh well, sorry, um, within, within sort of 15 to go that kind of killed it a bit as well, yeah but you know, like it's, there's got to be a period of time where they're not going to get away with it. Yeah. And I'm not worried. But if you're Craig Bellamy looking at this, you just don't want that to be in the final playoffs. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Is when all their luck does run out and then they end up getting knocked out in the first round, and I still think they're going to struggle for the four, especially with the momentum that the Broncos and the Panthers have got. A couple of losses from the storm and they could drop out.
Speaker 1:Well, it's not even that let's say realistically, they make the top four. Let's have a quick look at who they've got over the coming weeks. So they've got Manly at flat track they've got the Knights, they've got Manly, they've got the Roosters, they've got the Eels, then they've got Broncos, panthers and Bulldogs three games in a row.
Speaker 1:You see, at this time of the season you start weighing up who you're likely to face in the finals. They finish top four. But in the finals they finish top four, but in the bottom half of the top four they've got an away fixture. They don't perform well away from home, so they'll be playing one of the top two at home. Lose that. They then have a home fixture against potentially like the Panthers or the Broncos. So there could be a time, there could be a chance that they're coming up against two teams in form having to play them. They'll be at home, so they've got that advantage, but it's not guaranteed. Then, if they win that it's anyone's game, who knows, but they're just so inconsistent away from home. Yeah, that's the issue. They're playing the Knights up in Newcastle this weekend. It'll be interesting to see how they go there. I think they'll blow them away, but we'll get on to our tips later on. And then they play the Seahawks at home and I think we're going to blow them away there, but maybe that's a bit too optimistic.
Speaker 1:But a game that completely took everyone by surprise. I feel, there's only a handful of people out there that I think tip the Tigers, roosters 28, tigers 30. And you mentioned them earlier, the Fainu brothers all scored and I think I've read a stat that it's the first time three brothers have scored in one game. All Manly products. But well, actually they weren't. I heard they came through the.
Speaker 1:It might have been the Dragons or youth team and then Manly got them on board they played it might have been the Dragons or the youth team and then Manny got them on board. They played in their New South Wales Cup team, but then we let them go. But yeah, not many people saw this result come in.
Speaker 3:I'm one of those people and I think it was a case of the Roosters handed it to them as well don't get me wrong. The Tigers did incredibly well. They were effective in attack. You don't put 30 points up on a team and not deserve to be where you are. I just it was just roosters. This is the inconsistency that we were seeing at the start of the season, which sort of crept in and took the game. Essentially.
Speaker 1:The mistake for the tigers. Second try I think it was like just a fumble forward fine, who picks it up? The number seven picks it up and just sprints the length of the field, go straight over little things like that from halfway. But I believe with these two points because I didn't expect the tigers to win this game, this these two points pushes them away from a little bit further away from getting the wooden spoon. But a team that is right in that race is the Rabbitohs, who we'll touch on in a minute.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I think the Roosters were fairly lucky, like Daniel Tupou's leap, for his try over in the corner was fantastic. And then you've got Big Marky Mark who wants. If you want someone to make a play, it seems like you give the ball to him. He, for the tried minute before half time, just palms off. Someone drives forward scores and he scored again late on as well. So another double for him. What a signing for the Roosters one for the future.
Speaker 3:What a rookie season. I know he signed last year, but his first full season. He's, he's, he's done incredible.
Speaker 1:He's an absolute utility of a player we've touched on two players actually that are probably within a shout for the most improved of the city. If no one can need to whilstase can be included in this, because but he's, he was, I suppose he's the most improved in league, but Keo Weeks and him, I'd say potentially up there for two.
Speaker 3:I think Weeks would, as a genuine, most improved because, you can't really have a most improved when it's your first season. It's more of a rocky of the year sort of thing. Yeah, true, I get what you're saying. But no, that's absolutely massive, and especially coming from League Union. Sorry to then come into League and dominate like it has, like you've had it the other way around, but coming from Union you don't normally see this much domination and he's been absolutely killing it. He has.
Speaker 1:So hopefully we might have two early predictions for some awards there. You never know. But on to the final game of the weekend. Yep, the back-to-back Manly Warringah Seagulls beat the South Sydney Rabbitohs 30 points to 12. First back-to-back win since week three and four of the season and because of the bye we're going to have eight points in four weeks. How good. But how'd you rate the performance?
Speaker 3:I would say it was a Raiders-esque performance, where Manley played for 60 minutes and then shut off defensively.
Speaker 1:The cue was in the wreck for the last 20 minutes.
Speaker 3:It's worrying, but it's been like that all season. It's not the first time we've witnessed that and I have to applaud the intensity and the kicks and the kick chase this week. At times it was relentless and the Rabbitohs were struggling to get to their 40 from a kick.
Speaker 3:And it was the intensity throughout, like even when in the first five minutes, when the Rabbitohs were on top massively it's that goal line defence and that even though there was six against six against, it was that pressure and it just didn't look like it was going to fold. But then again, when the Rabbitohs started attacking late in the second, it was just so easy. It was back to the way Manly have been defending.
Speaker 1:And, interestingly, saab went down injured, got taken off, talal came on and they both were ineffective over in that corner. Now don't get me wrong. Saab put in a really good hit early on in the game and I thought all right, here we go. And then he seems to just go back to old ways of crashing in. I don't know whether having, whether it's smart play from the rabbit who's noticing that Hoppawattie was over the other side, or whether he didn't make it across in time, but it seems like we've mentioned it before the defensive capabilities of Hoppawattie at fullback probably need to improve a little bit, but what he offers with everything else kind of outweighs that. I thought Turberda had a good game. It's nice to see him. The first couple of hit-ups he almost danced into contact again, but he, I think, got a bit of confidence in himself and managed to break through a few tackles.
Speaker 3:It was like, oh, here we go he just he does need that confidence, if I'm not made of glass and even though with his injuries like he just just needs that confidence boost. And you, you, I thought talal was a little bit better when sab came on to be fair defensively. But you watch it from behind and and Turbo and Saba on that side, I think DCE had filled in and was defending on that side, because he's normally on the no, he's normally on that side actually because, he has Aliquatu next to him, and I don't know whether Turbo doesn't trust DCE's defensiveness and tackling ability because he seems to stutter on who he needs to pick up.
Speaker 3:Instead of flowing and trusting that DCE's got the inside, he makes a decision to plant, which then delays him.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 3:I think, it was the first or second try. If he had just flowed without stopping, he would have made the tackle and he would have made the tackle. Yeah, and he would have stopped there, but because he hesitated and made sure that the ball got offloaded instead of trusting DCE had it if he decided to cut up the middle, it delayed him getting out and it was an easy pass down the side.
Speaker 1:I must admit I do prefer Turbo at centre defensively than Garrick. I think Garrick is so much better on the wing. And at centre defensively than Garrick.
Speaker 1:I think Garrick is so much better on the wing and like Turbo's just a solid body at centre when he makes the right decision. You're not going to run through him, Whereas Garrick's got the odd arm tackling him. But my concern for Manly is not necessarily the performance or the fact that we've gone back to back and we're on a bit of a high, but it's who we've got over the next four games.
Speaker 3:This is disgusting.
Speaker 1:So we've got the Storm in Melbourne, we've got the Bulldogs away at the Allianz, we've got the Roosters at home and we've got the Raiders away. So we're effectively playing. Well, take the Roosters out of that. We're playing the top four over the next three weeks. Four weeks, five weeks with a buy. Actually, what do you reckon success is out of those four fixtures? Like realistic success? I'm not talking saying oh, we're going to win all four, we've got to win all four.
Speaker 3:What do you reckon a good? I reckon you have to go two and two to keep everything alive.
Speaker 1:I think anything over that, so the next question is where do those two come from then?
Speaker 3:You look at it and you've got to go Roosters at home. I agree with that one. And if you catch the Bulldogs, just with their instability at the moment, maybe I can't see us beating Raiders down at the GeoO and I can't see us beating the Storm at Storm. They've only had one defeat at home this season. Yeah, I don't even think that was. I think that was the Magic Round game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because they were the home team.
Speaker 3:I don't think they've lost at Amy Park. Yeah. So I'd say it's those two in the middle I agree.
Speaker 1:I reckon that's our best chance of getting two wins out of that. If I'm being honest with you, I think success is getting one victory out of those, because then I look at the four games after that. We've got the Tigers, dolphins, dragons and Warriors, which I think are four winnable fixtures if we perform well, and I think that's where we've got to get our momentum in if we're going to make the eight to win those games.
Speaker 3:That's fair.
Speaker 1:So we'll see how it goes, but let's get on to round 19. Big, more fixtures this weekend, but we're doing this on a Monday, so we're recording on Monday for the first time, we don't have team lists.
Speaker 1:It feels weird we're going straight off of kind of Just form, just vibes. It feels weird. We're going straight off of kind of just form, just vibes, just pure vibes, pure vibes. And um, we're going the the money odds as well. So the betting odds that we use obviously haven't are not correct. As of team lists being revealed, people will be backing up for origin. We don't know how that game's going to go, physicality, but let's kick it off. Friday night 8 pm shark park. We got the sharks at dollar 67 against.67 against the Dolphins $2.22.
Speaker 3:Sharks have been dreadful at home recently. I don't know who's going to be, I don't know whether Hammer's going to back up, but I'm going to go. The Dolphins?
Speaker 1:I'm going to have to agree with you on that one. I think the Dolphins will get this one done. It's going to be an interesting one, see, it's going to be an interesting one. See whether Hammer does actually back up Depends on how it goes Wednesday. Sharks have been dropping, plummeting as of late, so I'm going to go with the Dolphins on that one as well.
Speaker 3:And then we're up at the McDonnell Joe's Stadium on Saturday for the three o'clock kickoff. Knights at $4 against the Storm at $1.25.
Speaker 1:I don't think it matters who backs up in this one. I can't see the Knights winning this. But I've said this many a time and I said, like the Roosters Tigers, I said it was going to be a cricket score and look what happened. So I'm going to go with a storm and I believe, for example, it depends how Xavier Coates goes with his hamstring If he's playing after this. There's a few mitigating circumstances and it feels weird tipping without team sheets. But Storm have surely got enough to get this done. I'm going to go. Knights, you reckon Brabham Best is going to have an absolute field day?
Speaker 3:Do you know what, talking about that I wasn't far off with my Reuben Garrick prediction was I?
Speaker 1:Yeah, very, very true, 14 plus. I saw prediction was at one point. Yeah, very, very true, 14 plus. I saw him ticking over and I was like if he'd have got one more of those, those conversions I would have been.
Speaker 3:I'd look like a great prediction guy. Yeah, there was a slight irony in my prediction and alex johnson didn't score as well, johnson didn't score. Um, I just think the knights, even though they where they are in the league, they are defensively sound and one of the things that with these tight games that the Storm away have won is the other team have leaked points. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Whereas the one that they struggled against the Rabbitohs, where it went to golden point, they were kept to. What? 14 points was it? Yeah, At full time, and I think the Knights have that in them defensively. They've had a week off. They're going to come back. They'll have had no one at origin because Pong is injured. Yeah, you know what? I think this could be the one. Who knows I think this could be the one that's too many for the.
Speaker 1:Storm Fair play, fair play. All right, fair enough. And then after that at the 5.30 kickoff we go down to Coggera Oval. We've got the Dragons $2.55 against the Roosters $1.52.
Speaker 3:I'm going to go for Roosters on this one. I think they need to turn on from last week, if I'm being perfectly honest. Cut the mistakes out and I reckon they'll run away with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I believe the Roosters will win this one as well. They're going to have their origin stars back. I mean, I'm pretty confident that even after the physicalness of Game 3 last year, angus Crichton backed up, most of them backed up. So I think they'll be fine and the Roosters to win this one down at Cogger Oval.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and the next is the final game on the Saturday. The Cowboys at 288 against the Bulldogs at 142.
Speaker 1:There's always one fixture that stumps me every week, and it's this one. The Cowboys didn't look. They've got problems at fullback. For some reason they don't like contesting big kicks, and when you've got Matty Burton sticking up huge bombs, is that going to cause a problem for the Cowboys, because they don't like attacking the kicks and they've made a few mistakes when the ball's gone up. So I'm going to go with the Bulldogs on this one, purely because I think they have to have the ability to put pressure on them under the high ball.
Speaker 1:Who are you going with?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm going to go for the Bulldogs as well. I think they need to stop this decline and I think this needs to be the game that they go. Right, lads, we're actually winning the comp and this is why they're going to stick it on them, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:And then over to New Zealand, we go. We're at Go Media Stadium in Auckland. We've got the New Zealand Warriors, the Waz, at $1.36, against the team that causes an upset, the West Tigers at $3.18.
Speaker 3:Talking about teams that need to turn up and go. This is why we're in the top four. You've got to go, warriors, for this one. Yeah. I'm going to go for the Warriors.
Speaker 1:Even though they've lost Metcalf. This will be their first outing since that injury. I think they're too strong for the Tigers, so I'm also going to join you with getting the New Zealand Warriors for the win.
Speaker 3:And then we're at the Combank with the Parramatta Eels at 380 against the Panthers at 127.
Speaker 1:Home game. That's not a home game, that's an away game for the Panthers. Moses is still out, isn't he? He'll still be injured for this one. Lomax will be back, depends how many of the Panthers stars back up. I think, to be honest, the point in which they are in the season. I think they'll all want to back up because they know that the Panthers are on a roll and I feel that, yeah, the Panthers will win this one.
Speaker 3:So this reverse fixture finished 18-10 to the Panthers at the same stadium. Wasn't it a away game?
Speaker 1:and it was after Origin as well.
Speaker 3:I was just double checking that and I think it was yeah, because I remember hearing that the same fixture is occurring twice after Origin so after game one on the 28th of May they played on the 1st of June well, well well, same situation, but nah, what I've seen from the Panthers the last few weeks has been ridiculous.
Speaker 3:Um, I think you'd be silly to bet against them at the moment, especially with the way the way the year was performed against the Dragons. If they do that against the Panthers, it could be 50 before halftime yeah, uh.
Speaker 1:Then the final game on the Sunday. We're going to the Seabus Super Stadium where we got the Gold Coast Titansans at 3.70 against the brisbane broncos of dollar 29. This is am I going crazy here, or is this another reverse of a fixture during origin, because it only felt like yesterday that we were talking about a queensland derby?
Speaker 3:ah, there's been loads of queensland derbies recently though, but hasn't there?
Speaker 1:there is, but where are you going with this one? It's broncos man.
Speaker 3:I don't even think this one needs an explanation. Broncos are unreal at the moment. Titans aren't. This could be an absolute hammering.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to go with you, with the Broncos. And the upsetting thing for the Titans is the Rabbitohs are guaranteed two points this week because they're on the bye. So it puts a bit of distance between them and the Wooden Spoon. Titans have got to win it, but I can't see them doing it. I'm going broncos all day, every day, um, and then we'll move on to the cricket.
Speaker 1:So, very interesting developments over the last. What is it? Five days, four, five days that has happened. So india absolutely walking away with the second test, winning by 336 runs. Um, interesting fact that got sent over to me that England for those maths nerds out there, england's median and mode score in their first innings was zero. So for people that aren't aware of what the median and mode are, if you line all the numbers up of the scores that England got in the first innings, the median, which which is the middle number, so the sixth number, was zero and the mode, the one that most frequently occurs in those 11 numbers, was also zero because we got six ducks. So, yeah, really interesting fact that came up, even though England scored 407 runs.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you've got to look at it as a bit of a failure across both bat and ball. You look at India. They scored God what nearly over 1,000 runs in two innings and England only managed 670. So you've got to look at that and go right. Fundamentally, our bowling was shit and fundamentally, our batting was shit, apart from Jamie.
Speaker 1:Smith.
Speaker 3:Yeah, jamie Smith was Mr Consistent in that actually he scored what?
Speaker 1:250 of the runs, yeah, which is what?
Speaker 3:over a third of the runs were scored by one batsman.
Speaker 1:So yeah, our batting was shit.
Speaker 3:I think you can't. There's no blame here other than that you can blame. You can't turn in. I saw Soaks came out and said it was more like a subcontinent pitch, but it wasn't because. Never, because the batsmen were getting runs and the pacers were getting wickets. It all goes down to. There's just no pace in the bowling attack and unfortunately this trial with Bashir is our number one spinner. As a spinner in test, you need to be able to hold down our end.
Speaker 1:You need to be able to bowl. Didn't he get spanked all over the place? 280 runs or something like that.
Speaker 3:You need to be able to bowl 20, 30 overs on the bounce and keep it down to two, three and build that pressure, because that's how you get runs is, if you've got one end where you pace, from the other end you're like shit, where are the? Where are we scoring runs? Um, as much as I was extremely happy with how they performed in that first test, got away with one, yeah, they did, and we've always said that it's going to be england's bowling that lets us down and you need some.
Speaker 3:You need some pace, you need you need a couple of bowlers in there who are. You need one that's bowling over 90 and one that flirts with 90 on a continuous basis.
Speaker 1:Or looking at the changes that are potentially coming in. So Atkinson's been called up into the test squad so he can bowl at 90 plus. I think he averages like 89 or something like that. So what we're talking for the Aussies 150, 50 odd kilometres an hour, which would take that Overton in his younger years could bowl up to 150-plus kilometres an hour, 90-odd mile an hour. But the man that is going to be the big question is Joffre Archer. He's only bowled 18 first-class overs in tests in four years, so is he going to come in for the third test? Apparently it is going to be a complete switch-up. Yeah, it needs to be.
Speaker 3:I think they've needed to assess their bowling attacks for years. Like Broad and Anderson were able to get as many wickets. Even Anderson struggled in Australia to be fair, but they were able to get wickets becauseickets. Even Anderson struggled in Australia to be fair, but they were able to get wickets because they were just very skillful bowlers. Yeah, and there should have been a rotation of pace around them, because there hasn't been. You look at the great teams that England have had With that team that won.
Speaker 1:They've all had Broad and Anderson in it.
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, but with that 0-10 team you had Tim Bresnan who could chuck the ball down yeah you had Steve Finn, who was no, no mug. With it as well. You had Graham Swan, who was arguably England's best produced spinner, and you had even Monty Panesar to back up Graham Swan with spin yeah so you're like, you're looking at, you're getting wickets from everywhere and you're not just relying on two people to get the majority of wickets and then just this trickle. So in bas ball, we trust we do.
Speaker 1:Another interesting stat that comes out, in fact, that comes out from this one shrimp and gill first person score 250 plus and 150 plus in the same same test matching captain's captain, captain's knock, I mean he scored more runs in one innings than or two innings than England nearly did.
Speaker 3:No, he scored more runs in one inning because I think he scored 280 in the first innings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're right, it might have been 260, but either way he scored more than England did in one, so fair play to him. Interesting developments as well Obviously, australia beat West Indies. They've won the series 2-0, but, low scoring from the top order Affairs. Well, low scoring from the top order, but also low scoring test matches.
Speaker 3:I think that's more to do with the pitches as well and the bowling attacks. The West Indies bowling attack is no mug, exactly it's decent. They've got again pace. You look at it in its pace. And one little thing I wanted to shout out just at the very end here a friend of the pod. Oh yeah, I forgot about this.
Speaker 1:Found out on the socials Adam Higgs a friend of the pod, mutual friend of ours.
Speaker 3:Scored a pick six for the Wembley Stallions the other week. So I saw a picture of it and said I'll give him a little shout out.
Speaker 1:Fair play. He's certainly got more grey hairs in the last few years compared to when I was playing alongside him. But a pick six is no mean feat. And yeah, playing at his age, I don't know how he's done it.
Speaker 3:But one last little sport that we've forgotten about your little tipple the old Formula 1, the British Grand Prix, yeah, again a 1-2 for McLaren. Old Norris Piastri, I haven't seen the incident, but Verstappen spun again on a safety lap yeah. I think Piastri slammed his brakes on or something he got a 10 second penalty for it.
Speaker 1:It didn't really impact anything.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I saw this Hulkenberg was about 30 seconds behind them.
Speaker 1:Hulkenberg's first podium in 240 races or something like that, didn't know what to do and left his helmet. And he won a Lego trophy as well, didn't he? It weren't even a silver trophy.
Speaker 3:I've got to say again, it'd be interesting to see the incident. But and see the incident, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's Verstappen trying to be aggressive behind the safety car again and he's got caught out.
Speaker 1:I did see this come up on my social media feed earlier. Actually, the penalty you couldn't, verstappen couldn't see where Piastri was because of the spray, and Piastri tried to slow the grid down and slammed his anchors on and apparently it was too much pressure that he slowed down by and Verstappen just went straight past him. That was the penalty. The incident where he spun I didn't see because it doesn't really interest me, but I like keeping up to date with it. There we are. What a weekend We've got ahead, travelling down to Canberra. On Wednesday we're going to go see the Lions again against the Brumbies and then we're having a weekend off. Have we got any sport next weekend that we're attending? No, and then the big one after that Brisbane. But thank you for tuning in again for this week's episode and we will catch you in the next one. See you later.