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!
Toilet Water and The Top 8: The Bizarre Final Weeks of NRL Season
The NRL season is drawing to a dramatic close with just one round remaining before finals, and we're breaking down all the action as the competition reaches its climax.
We kick things off discussing standout performers who've made their mark this season. Matty Nicholson proved Super League talent can translate to NRL success before his unfortunate injury, while rookies Robert Toia and Leka Halasima have exploded onto the scene. Manly's Tolu Kola has been a revelation at center, with his blistering speed apparently inherited from his father – a former Tongan 100m sprinter who reportedly ran a 10.5-10.6 second time.
Team performances have delivered major surprises, none bigger than the Raiders claiming the minor premiership after being widely tipped for the wooden spoon. The Bulldogs have been another revelation, securing a finals position after years in the wilderness. Meanwhile, the Warriors and Dolphins both showed promise before injuries derailed their campaigns.
The disappointments have been equally notable. Jerome Luai's $1.2 million move to the Tigers hasn't delivered as expected, while Manly's star-studded roster has significantly underperformed despite showing frustrating flashes of brilliance in recent weeks. Even Nathan Cleary has had an uncharacteristically inconsistent season by his lofty standards.
Round 26 delivered some fascinating results, with the Roosters demolishing the Storm 40-10 in Melbourne to sound a serious finals warning. The Broncos strengthened their top-four hopes despite Reece Walsh's bizarre toilet water drinking incident going viral, while Manly continued their late-season form surge with a 40-24 win over the Dragons.
Looking ahead to the final round, crucial battles remain for the top four and to avoid the wooden spoon. The Knights and Titans are locked in a battle to avoid last place, potentially creating a "spoon relay" as last year's wooden spooners (Tigers) could hand over the unwanted trophy to this year's recipients.
With finals approaching, this season feels more unpredictable than most. Multiple teams are hitting form at the right time, creating genuine hope for several contenders. Subscribe to catch our full season review once the premiership is decided!
Hello and welcome to this week's episode. They've been doing all day. Sir, how are we 26 rounds through the NRL season? I hope you got your toilet water ready. Let's go.
Speaker 2:I like it. How's your week been, mate?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's been good On the way over here. Have you do you know the film Back to the Future? Yeah, I was driving along and a DeLorean pulled up next to me and I was like and a DeLorean pulled up next to me and I was like is that a DeLorean, isn't it a DeLorean? And then on the back it had a sticker before it was going to take off and power back to 1988 or whatever it was that is quite funny because I was reading something the other week about how a man got arrested for was trying to travel back to the future.
Speaker 2:It wasn't in Sydney, was it?
Speaker 1:No, no, no, it wasn't in Seaforth, anywhere near Seaforth, where I was driving past.
Speaker 2:Somewhere in America, I think.
Speaker 1:Oh, fair enough. But yeah, my week been quite a quiet one actually. Yeah, we didn't have any antics over the weekend. Obviously, manly were playing away from home, didn't go along and watch, thought I'd stay at and we bumped into each other on. Sunday, didn't we? That was a bit of a strange one. Where were we? Cromer Park, yeah, we went along. You were watching someone in the women's final Division 1?.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, the second grade.
Speaker 1:Yeah, second grade yeah.
Speaker 2:Manly Vale second grade, I think it was.
Speaker 1:And then some of my wife's friends were representing in the premiership final. But, unfortunately, both teams that we followed yep didn't win lost um. Yours lost 2-1 in normal time and my wife's friends lost on penalty 6-5. Hate to hear it. You do hate to hear it. Yeah, how's your week been?
Speaker 2:yeah, pretty much the same. To be honest, pretty chill, um nothing, nothing to write home about, um, just ticking along nicely, you know, week by week, uh. So yeah, just pretty, pretty chilled one compared to previous previous weeks.
Speaker 1:I'm being perfectly honest yeah, I mentioned you just a second ago, but today, whilst I was at work, I was walking around um the offices and I saw on the lower floor, buzz rothfield um sitting outside having a coffee, and one of the things he mentioned on Fox 360, nrl 360 this week was, in order to remove the team's resting players, that a wildcard playoff should be introduced. What are your thoughts on it? Stupid.
Speaker 2:It's stupid. They've earned the right. These teams have earned the right to be able to do that. If they've cemented themselves in the top four, the top eight and they know they've cemented themselves in the top four know that the top six eight and they're not they're not going to make the four. They can do whatever they want, like it's their squad, they can do what they like with it. Um, to then extend it to the top 10 and then in the finals you then need to extend. How many teams are in the in the comp? You can't have, you can't have 17 teams in a comp.
Speaker 1:You can't have teams in the bottom like the way into the bottom half of the table, a chance of making finals.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's stupid. I do think, though, it's a ridiculous idea.
Speaker 1:If you think to NFL structures, the wildcard system in that works well because there is a large volume of teams across two conferences, like you said, maybe when it how many teams in the NFL?
Speaker 2:32 teams, 32, yeah.
Speaker 1:When there's 20 teams in the league, you might okay top 10 teams and 7 to 10 have a wildcard weekend, which then gives the top six teams a week off, which might help the finals. It might improve fan engagement in more numbers, more viewing figures. When you think about this as a business, it might help out, but Manly would be sitting in 10th now.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we'd be playing a wildcard game against Penrith.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but don't really deserve to be there.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:And this is the thing that I do sit back sometimes and look at and go when it comes to the back end of the season and fans are like, oh, we need to get in the eight. Oh, we can do it, we can mathematically do it in the last game of the season. It's like you then look at it and go if you've got to rely on a 80-point swing, do you really deserve to be there in the first place?
Speaker 1:Here's one to think about, though you saying that arguably the form team at the moment okay, they've not played the greatest of teams, but it's the paramount eels, right, and you would like you'd argue that teams that are coming into form at the back end of the season are the ones you want in the final series because of an entertainment factor. Now, I'm not saying the paramount eels will win it and they cause damage any of the top teams, but let's say they snuck into 10th spot. I know they mathematically can't now, but snuck into that 10th spot. They would be the form team going into the finals and maybe, you never know, could cause a little upset.
Speaker 2:I'm not sold on it if I'm being perfectly honest.
Speaker 1:Yeah, fair enough. But I mean there's a few teams on the slide in the top four.
Speaker 1:That I'd arguably have over, I'd have the Eels. No, I wouldn't shut up. But talking of that standout, we've got one week left of the season, one week left of the regular season Thought it'd be a good time just to talk about some of the standout performers of the year and maybe some of the players that have been a little bit or teams that have been a little bit underwhelming. We'll do a full season review once the season's finished and the finals could influence this massively. But who are some some of your standout performers of the year? Um, so far?
Speaker 2:so, yeah, we've obviously for this, we've got notes in front of us and things like that. And I think one person that's been missed because of because of injury, who was a massive influence in the second row for Canberra at the start of the season, is Matty Nicholson yeah, can't argue with it.
Speaker 2:I think he's had a great season, debut season in the NRL, coming over from the Super League, yeah and playing the way he did and the way he started the season. I think he had a fantastic standout performance up until he got injured, because if you look at it in general, the NRL looks down on the Super League as a league.
Speaker 1:Well, flip side to that, you look at Lewis Dodd at the.
Speaker 2:Rabbitohs, precisely so. From the NRL to the Super League. This is a retirement track where it's coming the other way. You really need to prove yourself, and I think, up until he got injured, nicholson did.
Speaker 1:Yeah, other way you really need to prove yourself. Yeah, and I think up until he got injured nicholson did. Yeah, I agree, unlucky that he what was it? Broke his ankle, broke his, broke his leg.
Speaker 1:Some of the ones for me that have stood out are the two that are made um, sorry, the uh one that made origin in robert toyah. I think he's been been fantastic. Um, up out down there for the roosters. Uh, he's part of the reason why they're pushing for kind of this final spot he's been. He's solidified that that center position. But to me, leka halasima, for the warriors, has been a huge, huge standout performer, just the way. He's. One of these two is going to win rookie of the year. Um burst onto the scene. Mika richards-esque when he ran the length of the field against the Tigers on a cold Saturday, sunday night, whatever it was in Campbelltown. But another few notable mentions, I think Herbie Farnworth yeah, you talk about players having to come over. I know he played for the Broncos, but he's had an absolute standout season. But another big standout for me, mark Nwanganitawase. He's been incredible. What an acquisition from Rugby Union, but one that's gone under the radar. Who's performed seriously well over the last few weeks? Tolu Kola.
Speaker 2:Unreal. He's been an absolute wedge of a human in the centre for Manly. His speed, his performances have been unreal and incredible. For someone that you saw at the start of the season. You're right and you're sort of unsure of where he sort of sits, but I reckon this season was definitely his coming-of-age season.
Speaker 1:Heard a stat earlier that his dad was a um. I think he's tongan heritage heritage. I think um was a tongan 100 meter runner and ran like a 10, 50 or 60 something time, which explains where he gets his speed from like. He showed glimpses of it last year, uh, when he played at fullback and then also in that finals game against the Bulldogs where he won the game running with one boot or whatever it was yeah so we knew, we knew he had it in him.
Speaker 1:Any teams that you reckon have stood out for you this year, I've got one clear one yeah, there is.
Speaker 2:There is one massively clear one. You look at, you look at the, you look at the eight as it is. Do you know what? Up until they started slipping off, you've got to say the Warriors.
Speaker 1:That comes down to the Metcalf injury.
Speaker 2:right, they were really, and the Dolphins as well. Again, if it wasn't for a couple of injuries, you could have said there would have been really standout performers, because you've got I suppose one half of it is the Bulldogs.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You've got to tip your hat to them and say they've had an absolutely outstanding season to get where they are and cement where they are.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I'm probably going to go with the Bulldogs with the honorable mentions of what could have been for the warriors and dolphins yeah, raiders for me, yeah, to finish bottom, which was probably probably the worst tip I could have made.
Speaker 1:I think it's because they were. They lost a lot of key players over the last couple of seasons and didn't look like they'd replace them from what we saw of weeks. Um, I suppose linking onto people that have stood out Ethan Strange he's been fantastic as well, but others for me, like last couple of standouts Xavier Coates probably the most lethal finisher Imagine him and Marky Mark on opposite wings that'd be ridiculous. Daniel Tupou again another one, and then one player that's performed really well at the start of the year and has kind of just ground it out week in, week out. Terrell May, for the Tigers. I think he's been a big impact player, but let's flip it and go to not going to call them flops, but let's call them underwhelming. So, players that we expected more from, or teams that we expected more from.
Speaker 2:I saw this man's contract, I think it was, so I'm gonna go forward to start it off. Jerome luai. He's on 1.2 million dollars at the tigers and he's had a quite a quiet season. Yeah, for for who he is and what he, what he can do, I just don't think it's been there for him. There's been glimpses, don't get me wrong, but I just I reckon the saga of the Lockheed Galvin has caused a.
Speaker 1:I mean on that could add Lockheed Galvin into this, like all the hype around him going to the Bulldogs. Has he really performed? Don't think so. I just can't get beyond Manly. I know they're our team and I know there is disappointment, but people say our stacked rosters, like the Titans, should be finishing. If you look at their team on paper they should be finishing in the eight. You look at most other teams they should be finishing in the eight. But Manly are seriously stacked with talent and who knows what it's come down to. But I think there's certain players specifically within that that have underperformed this year compared to previous years. I think Turbo last couple of weeks shown like what he can do, what he can get back to and unfortunately I don't know whether it's because of the head knocks, but Jake just hasn't been the same player that he was last year, gave away a lot of. He's given away a lot of penalties this year and, yeah, hopefully rests up and comes back next year. You got any thoughts?
Speaker 2:on others, go on that sort of pigtailed DCE. That's an awful season for him, for the majority of it, again the last couple of weeks showing glimpses of what he can do. But what's the point? Because he's trying to earn that contract, but it just means absolutely nothing yeah, a few other.
Speaker 1:I mean the Cowboys have been disappointed. They're another team on paper that you could say and look, they took the Broncos real close this last weekend. Dom Young didn't have the impact to the Roosters that everyone thought he'd have ended up back at the Knights. And, yeah, all right, he's shown glimpses, but we're talking about the Knights here. And what do you reckon about this one Nathan Cleary? Bit of an underwhelming season.
Speaker 2:I think yeah. I think you look at his season, you stand back. You look at his season as a whole. It's not been amazing. Had a very poor origin, had a very poor start of the season with the Panthers Injuries. Last couple of weeks he's been missing the golden points to win the games.
Speaker 1:Very true, very true. Usually has ice in his veins, not this time.
Speaker 2:I know. So yeah, you could probably argue that one quite comfortably.
Speaker 1:And then this is what I mean, though Like maybe we're sitting here in five weeks time at the end of the final series and he's just pulled off an absolute blinder. And then we're like, oh yeah, yeah, that's what, that's what Nathan Cleary does, but another, another few, I think, that I just listed down here, I think big Nelson Osofa Solomana um, he's been sloppy this year like paid decent for a front rower and he's just given away too many penalties. Um, sloppy in his play injuries. And Caelan Ponga I know I think his first try was when we were up in Newcastle and he scored the winner in Golden Point.
Speaker 1:Just sums it up, really, doesn't it Sums it all up. But yeah, there's a few more players out there that I can't really none of them spring to mind that stand out, but the ones that I mentioned there kind of are the big ones. But look, like we said about Nathan Cleary, there's still time for them to turn it around. And yeah, we could be sitting here. We say it all the time we've had it on our face when he's lifting five in a row.
Speaker 1:But let's get on to round 26, the penultimate round of the regular. I can't believe how quickly this feels like it's gone, it's absolutely flown, it's absolutely flown by. But we're going to start down. At Cogger Oval, the Manly Seagulls defeat the St George Illawarra Dragons 40-24. And again, we say it, week after week, back-to-back weeks. Where has this performance been all season?
Speaker 2:It's infuriating, it's absolutely infuriating. What's Corey Waddell doing? Scoring two? He's going over. He's a prime second rower, again just turbo hitting the holes. Dc creating passes, kohler just running absolute riot. I've got no explanation to talk about where it's come from and all I can say it's quite disappointing to see that the team had it in their locker all season and have by all means looked to have downed tools and not played because of issues within the ranks.
Speaker 1:And I know he's on kicking duty. He's taken over from Garrick, but DC scored 18 points last week yeah. Didn't score a try last week, but this week scored a tryc. Scored 18 points. Last week, yeah, didn't score a try last week, but this week scored a try and scored 16 points 34 points over the last two weeks. Like it's, it is frustrating. Um, the creativity is that we talk about this. Pass back on the inside. It not working.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cory and cory's going over all of a sudden, like I know, his instagram had all he's got. He's got a cooking program is, or instagram is cats, but he was eating.
Speaker 2:He was eating meat pies.
Speaker 1:He was eating two of them and, yeah, he went over back on the inside twice. I'm like how have we managed to do this?
Speaker 2:What's changed to not being able to read that? One thing I've noticed is that Brooks and DC just haven't had as much pressure on them as previous weeks.
Speaker 1:They did start doing. They were more keen off a turbo actually, when he filled into the line. They were flying out of the line towards him and also the halves were moving.
Speaker 2:They weren't catching the ball dead, they were actually moving before getting the ball, so there was movement around it instead of being flat-footed. So you know what Injuries. It's annoying.
Speaker 1:I mean, there were rumours that Perseco was going to come back this week.
Speaker 2:I'm glad.
Speaker 1:I'm glad he's not coming back because I mean, look, we lost Tolu Koda as well. Looked a little bit innocuous, didn't really see the replay of it, but torn his MCL out for four to six weeks probably best case scenario given, and if it was ACL that would have hampered his pre-season.
Speaker 2:He's got the whole off-season to recover now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which is good, because 2026, Manly's year. Stick it in the bookmarks 2026. We're coming for you. Up next, though, team that are on the slide Warriors defeated by the Parramatta Eels 26-22. I called this one.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:I said the Eels would win away and they did this one. I know I said the eels would win away and they did um contentious moment in this one disallowed try. Adam pompey went over, uh, and there was a lot of scrutiny around the bunker, but to me hits his fingers. It clearly goes from traveling to hitting fingers and going directly down like I, I don't see how people can argue with nice.
Speaker 2:Not, I completely agree with you it's. It's worrying, though, for the Warriors side of things. It is because they're gonna. They're still fighting they're gonna be one and done in final to get into the into the floor and they're playing a pretty strong team against Manly as well hmm, and a week before the finals.
Speaker 2:You don't want to be doing this like going back to. What we were talking about at the start is that you want to be able to rest your players, like the Panthers, have to give yourself the best chance in the finals, but they're having to go out full tilt against a Manly team who are hitting a bit of form DC's last game at home. They're not going to be a team that's going to take it lying down, so I do worry about where this Warriors team are going to end up going.
Speaker 1:Well, the Sharks have got the Knights, the Broncos have got the Storm and the Storm have actually named a fairly strong side for this. So if the Warriors don't win, they finish sixth, which means they then face the Panthers week one and the Panthers. Well, the Panthers are still at risk of finishing eighth if the Roosters, who have the Roosters, got again this week.
Speaker 2:The Roosters have got oh no, no, they haven't got the Storm. Sorry, I'm looking at the wrong week the roosters have got rabbit hoes at home.
Speaker 1:Rabbit, of course they have rabbit hoes at home. So that's like a I mean the trail mitchell's not playing, but it's one that they could win and that could leapfrog. They could leapfrog the panthers like it's. I wouldn't want to play either of those teams as warriors. I wouldn't want to play panthers or teams.
Speaker 1:If I was the Warriors I wouldn't want to play Pampers or Roosters knowing the form that both of them in my I think Warriors are week one and done. We were going to try and get our mate on Will, but he decided to go skiing instead. So maybe next week we can get him on as a preview a finals preview and see how confident he's feeling. But good end to the season for the Eels. They're going to be one to watch for next year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I massively bookmark that. I think they are going to be cooking next season.
Speaker 1:Definitely, but a team who had their last game of the season on Saturday and I just want to shout out their glow-in-the-dark kit Awesome. The entrances, awesome. Simon Elson. This is completely off topic, but back home there's a um american football team called the uwe bullets university team, um, and they posted up a picture which looked like they had a glow-in-the-dark kit. So I messaged my mate who's one of the coaches on the team. I was like ah, nrl team over here, I've got a glow-in-the-dark kit. Ain't that what you guys have got? He's like mate, you play three o'clock on a saturday in daylight, why would we be having a glow-in-the-dark kit? I was like, fair point. He's like, yeah, when we're playing Aberystwyth away in the middle of the day, why would we have a glow-in-the-dark kit? I'm like, oh yeah, fair enough, but the Cowboys look slick in this and they put in a slick performance as well. They did.
Speaker 2:They looked sort of solid, but Broncos put in even slicker performance.
Speaker 1:It's because Reece Walsh is drinking toilet water.
Speaker 2:This is weird man. This is what Early signs of CTE already, Like why would you do that? And secondly, why would you post it anywhere where it's going to be reshared?
Speaker 1:Even if you're like do you know what? I'm going to do this as a bit of banter. I'm going to do this as a joke. What bit of banter is drinking bog water like? He said apparently there's a new toilet, and then I see this meme going around about ah the the plumber.
Speaker 2:Definitely christen that toilet before you know. No, no, he's, he's living in lulu.
Speaker 1:La la land it's absolute disgusting behavior but, they snuck out a victory 38, 38-30, high-scoring game. It was the last game of the weekend as well, wasn't it? Great game to finish on Broncos. If they beat the Storm this weekend, they're secured in the top four, which has sort of come out of nowhere.
Speaker 2:to be honest, it has. They've gone on a bit of a march, they're 4-1 the last five games so they're not doing too bad.
Speaker 1:They're a dark horse. I reckon it's going to be a seriously tight finals series. But this next game, storm Roosters. Storm raced out to a 10-0 lead and you're like, oh, this one's done, this one ain't going to happen. The Roosters ain't got Sam Walker.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then in Craig Bellamy's 600th game, the Storm produced a stinker of a second half 40 unanswered points and the Roosters just look, they were toying with them. They were big Marky. Mark was having fun. He was running down the wing of scoring for fun. Tupou it was. It was ridiculous and we have.
Speaker 2:we have said this well, I've said it about the route, the Storm for a while and it's it's actually taken a while for a team to actually stick one on them, but I suppose they had a fair few saying that they still have Cam Munster and the likes of Warbrick and Anderson playing.
Speaker 2:Like yeah they didn't have Xavier Coates, but we knew it was going to be a ball game on the wingers when you lose Coates. But to ship 40 at home two weeks outside of the finals. You look at the Panthers-Bulldogs game. Panthers had a nobody team and that was still a relatively competitive game, whereas this one the Roosters just ran away with it.
Speaker 1:I reckon if this would have been a closer game as in, if the Roosters still would have won, but it would have been a closer game as in score if the Roosters still would have won, but it would have been a closer game the Storm would have rested a lot more players this week Because they're clear of second. If the Bulldogs win this weekend, it doesn't matter because their points difference is significantly better. So they're not going to jump in the Storm of cemented second. So I reckon it's a bit of a rocket on the backside to say that's unacceptable. We need to be in better form going into the finals. So that's why they're not. I think Toyo Kamano's out and someone else is out, but other than that they're pretty much giving it a good shot.
Speaker 1:But yeah, roosters, if you want to talk about dark horses, they are a team, they are the bottom. The five to eight is looking scary Like Sharks. Warriors I'm not too convinced about, but any of the others I think they could cause some serious problems. Yep, and the team that just absolutely blew me away in my prediction and my tip of them finishing bottom of the ladder clinched the minor premiership at home against the West Tigers 24-10. Fair play to them like. This was close. It was tight at half time. I think it was half time it was a close game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a bit nervy for them, wasn't it? But then the Raiders, and in particular, one player I'm looking forward to seeing at Four Pines Park next year.
Speaker 1:Jamal Fogarty just commanded the ship like was moving it around. And do you know what? The more I see still pictures of this geezer. He is wedged, his arms are massive. I'm like this is the boy, this is the commander in general that we need. In the middle he's kicking game. Just how high he boots the ball in the air. Like everyone's just always nervous about catching the ball, I'd say, get him to, get him to brookie, get him to brookie. But yeah, they're looking good like if. If. I'm honest, I think the raiders are the clear favorites yeah at the moment.
Speaker 1:But um playoff penrith finals. Penrith are a different animal. They very much are. Raiders haven't necessarily got the experience for the finals, but Sticky Ricky in charge, he's got the leadership skills. He's won a premiership before, so watch out for them yeah, definitely fair play, and they've done it in front of their home fans as well.
Speaker 2:Exactly which is really nice, isn't it? It's really nice to be able to lift the trophy in front of your home fans.
Speaker 1:Hell of a shield as well. It's massive.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's ridiculous, but they deserve it. They've been able to. They've kept up form all season. They had their little blip of where they were only turning up for a half, for a couple of weeks and and they sorted that out. But now they've looked a different animal all season.
Speaker 1:To be fair to them, yeah, and a team that had a chance to get off the bottom of the table the Gold Coast Titans.
Speaker 2:So I was on verge of eight from eight with my tips. Was this the only team that let you down. Yeah, Titans were the only team that let me down.
Speaker 1:Wowzers. Well, at one point it was 18-0. They were 18-0 down, weren't they? And then they brought it back to 18-0 and you're like, here we go. And then they nearly done it at the end as well. Dolphins raced out to a bit of a lead and they just kept them within touching distance but just couldn't get it over the line, at the end, losing to the Dolphins 36-30 they do, even though they lost to Manly.
Speaker 2:They've scored 66 points in two weeks. Granted, they've still conceded 80 odd.
Speaker 1:But you know, it's. They're never down and out and I was thinking about this earlier. They lost Jack Bostock as well early in the season, who was scoring for fun on the wing like long legs, good finisher. They lost Herbie Farmworth. Obviously next year, if they manage to keep them all together, a couple of decent signings, yeah they're going to be pushing for eight, maybe even four Eels and Dolphins got to watch out for them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but a team that I think deserve the wooden spoon. I actually have seen more out of the Titans over the last number of weeks than I have. The Newcastle Knights Got battered by the Cronulla Sharks 40 points to 16. Knights were 10-0 up at one point in this and then it all went south. The Sharks just I don't know. Like I've not got much to say about the Knights, bradman Best was about the only thing that was trying Nothing really to.
Speaker 1:I think they'll be extremely disappointed with their season what does your mate say about supporting the Knights at the moment? I haven't spoken to him about it. To be honest, does he not bring it up?
Speaker 2:no, might drop him a message, see if he's okay so you want to come on and review the season.
Speaker 1:We should get him on. I'll get him on. I'll get him on review the season how does it feel finishing bottom of the ladder when next week the titans overtake them? I don't even know who the titans are going to go through that in a second. But but.
Speaker 2:But no, it's uh, but to be to be fair, it'd be quite nice. Well, the titans have got the tigers and knights have got the eels, so that's I'll tell you what that's got knights potential last day of the season, bottom of the table.
Speaker 2:Um, but one thing I want to suggest, which I think will be a bit of a sneak preview for the viewers. But when we go through our table predictions, what we should do is you get three points if you get the team in the correct spot, but then you get a point if you've got them either side. So, for example, if you've got a team that's finished fifth but you had them at fourth, you still get a point.
Speaker 1:Yeah and see who's got the most out of that. I get zero points for Raiders, so I know that already.
Speaker 2:But I could be starting on six points if the table finishes as it is today, because I had the Titans finish bottom of the Knights to finish 16th.
Speaker 1:Fair play, fair play. And then the first game of the weekend, which kicked off on Thursday night. Bit of a letdown, because, well, we had this discussion last week and I do. I do think the panthers let their fans down a bit in terms of not picking I don't care, I did.
Speaker 2:You know they're in the finals, that's all they need to worry about. Rest, rest players, and play and play hard. Or what would you rather have? Well, manly, have gone for it and have your best 13 out there and not be able to perform week in, week out, yeah, or be in the finals and just watch your New South Wales, your second grade team, get into your first grade teams.
Speaker 1:They didn't look too bad to start off with. They were up there, they were in their face, and the thing that killed them, though, was the Bulldogs line speed. It is fast. I've never played the game of rugby league before, and I've never been played especially at the NRL level, but it felt to me that they just couldn't read the game as quick as the Bulldogs in defence. They were out up in their face. They couldn't move it quick enough, but the Bulldogs prev prevail 28-4. One big one for them. They've lost Jacob Carraz. For four weeks. There was talk about it potentially being a syndesmosis injury and being out for longer, but bit of a loss for them going into finals. He's definitely one of the better wingers that they've had all year, but they put in a good show and they did what they needed to do. They beat an under under experienced panthers side, um tucked them away quite nicely, um, but it's hotting up in the race for the top eight.
Speaker 1:It is it is very, very nicely we've got a few fixtures that we're going to go through which might determine where we think they're going to finish um at the end of the season. But the spots that are up for grabs I mean fourth, yeah, and a, they're the two ones that are in the spotlight and, as we've mentioned, the wooden spoon the wooden spoon is on there is still up for grabs. So, looking at the points difference, I'm just going looking at the spoon now yeah, oh no, oh yeah. Yeah, the knights have. Knights have a worse points difference. So all that needs to happen, all that needs to happen. They've only got bloody five and six wins all season. But the Titans need to win. But let's get into round 27,. Kicking it off on Thursday night we're at the Suncorp the Broncos $2.25 against the Melbourne Storm at $1.65.
Speaker 2:I'm going to go Broncos. I think the Broncos are going to be an absolute beast to secure the top four. I think we're going to see some of the best football from the Broncos this season. I think the Storm, with their poor form, are going to get caught out again. I don't think the Storm are going to win it.
Speaker 1:I noticed Jerome Hughes has been named as starting, which seems a bit risky. A bit risky. A little bit risky, xavier Coates isn't. He's in the reserves, I believe, isn't he?
Speaker 2:No, he's back. Oh, is he have?
Speaker 1:I just completely skipped past him. Yeah, oh, yeah, so he is on the wing. Yeah, I reckon Reece walsh's toilet water, yeah, he's gonna get him over the line and I think the brisbane broncos are gonna win this one, cementing themselves in the top four and for the final time on friday six o'clock kickoff.
Speaker 2:Dce's manly are at home against the New Zealand Warriors.
Speaker 1:Might not be the final time. Might not be the final time.
Speaker 2:What? Playing for Manly at four-point part. You think there's going to be a massive U-turn.
Speaker 1:Well, we can't play at four-point part. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:We may play at four-point part for another team.
Speaker 1:I reckon you never know the Roosters could ship 40.
Speaker 2:We could score 50, not at all, I don't think that's going to happen. Well, we've got the Seagulls at $1.51 against the Warriors at $2.56 look team's been named.
Speaker 1:Both have gone pretty strong given what they've got available. Tolu Kola, obviously, I think a big loss big loss Nathan Brown, Alois, all these people that have got injured. Big losses, Olokowatu big loss. But Joey Walsh has been named at 14. He is going to be making his NRL debut. Saw him in Manly yesterday. I was just sitting there on the wall chilling rumoured that he's going to be coming on for Luke Brooks. He's going to partner DCE in the middle. I reckon he's going to carve. I reckon DCE is going to carve.
Speaker 2:I reckon Manly are going to carve it up and we're winning this 20 plus the Manly Seagulls, I'm joining that bang wagon going to be saying Just going to be an unreal performance to finish off the season.
Speaker 1:I reckon Caleb Navale is going to get an actual try this week, not a penalty try. Go on, navale. I reckon he's been impressive. If he's not in the starting 17 next year, someone needs Ed Rattlin. But what a game. After this. We've got the Sydney Roosters $1.28 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs $3.73. The local of localist derbies.
Speaker 2:And the Roosters are going to come out on top. Sorry, I don't see any other way. To be honest, sam Walker's back in. The Roosters are on an absolute charge at the moment and I just can't see the rabbit. Oh, stopping them.
Speaker 1:I agree. Um, it'd be nice for Alex Johnson. Imagine if he scores three in this game. I was just thinking if he scores three in this game and gets over the line against the Roosters um and scores 50 on them, and Manu scored 50 and then next, you know we're in the eight because the Dolphins might lose highly unlikely, but uh, yeah, for me you can't see anything other than the roosters. I reckon this is them laying it down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I reckon they're gonna absolutely stamp authority on this and they're gonna gonna power through them and then we're down at the wind stadium um for the first game on the saturday, with the dragons at 475 against the Panthers at $1.19.
Speaker 1:Panthers have gone strong. Doesn't surprise me. They're back to almost back to full strength. Dragons ain't bad down in Wollongong, you know they ain't bad, but they ain't good enough to beat this Penrith Panthers team that are going to be wanting to put on a show ahead of finals football. So I'm going with the Penrith.
Speaker 2:Pampers in this one I think I'm going to join you there.
Speaker 1:They're going to have to put up a few combinations to start slicking going into their finals week and then on Saturday I've just thought about this we're at the $2.10 against the West Tigers at $1.75. And this could be last season's spoon winners handing over the spoon to this season's spoon winners.
Speaker 2:This is an actual like relay spoon bowl. Yeah, it is, it is. But you know what I'm going to. Titans are going to defy the odds. After being spoon favorites all season, they're going to win this game. The Tigers are going to be on the beaches beaches they're not going to really care about it. Titans are going to win and they're going to avoid the uh, they're going to avoid the, the wooden spoon am I going bananas or did this lot play not too long ago?
Speaker 1:it feels like this game was fairly recent. Maybe I'm thinking of the cowboys game, I don't know but it feels like they didn't play too long ago. I could be wrong. I definitely could be wrong, but I reckon the Tigers get this one done. I reckon they go with that mentality of let's finish the season strong, get prepared for next year and, yeah, they turn over the Titans on away soil.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, they played. Sorry, just to go back, they played at the end of July and there was one point in it like our oval. Do I want to take that into consideration? Do you want to change your pick?
Speaker 1:No, I'll keep it with the Tigers. I'll keep it with the Tigers.
Speaker 2:And then for the last game on the Saturday, we're at the Accor Stadium with the Bulldogs at $1.54 and the Sharks at $2.40.
Speaker 1:Third versus fifth. This is probably, so you've got two teams that want to go in good finishes, to be in form going into finals. This will be a good test for both of them to see where they're at. But for me, sharks, I think, are looking the better at the two teams, I'm going to go with the Cronulla Sharks.
Speaker 2:I'm going to disagree there and go for the Dogs. Dogs at home. They need to finish the season strong to go back, go in the finals. So I'm going to go for the Dogs.
Speaker 1:Fair play. And then on the Sunday, the early kickoff. On the Sunday never back the early kickoff Dolphins at $1.22 up against the minor premiership winning Canberra Raiders at $4.30. Got to be their longest odds of the season. There's a reason why Everyone is on the bench.
Speaker 2:I think the changes are going to kill them and I'm going to go for the Dolphins.
Speaker 1:Dolphins are also chasing a top eight spot even though. They've got a difficult game. A lot of rested players, tamale getting minutes under his boots and in his legs. Even Tim O'Connell is back. Chris is playing. It's not the weakest. It's not the weakest, but I just yeah Matty Nicholson back starting in second row, which is good, and Morgan Smoovey I reckon the Raiders have got enough. You know you reckon. I reckon, but I'm going to go Dolphins, I'm going to go for the Dolphins at home. Give their fans a good send off.
Speaker 2:They're going to beat the Raiders and then last game on the Sunday, last game of the regular season.
Speaker 1:We've got the $1.22 Parramatta Eels against the $4.35 Newcastle Knights this is nuts, right, because the Knights are going to lose this game. The Parramatta Eels are winning. It comes down to the Titans. Tigers like this is crazy. It's crazy, isn't it? This is huge. So imagine the pressure. Well, let's say, the titans beat the tigers, right, the knights have got to go into this game going. We've got to win. Yeah, this could be a hell of a finish to the weekend, but I think the paramount ills are winning this and they're winning it comfortably I'm going to join you.
Speaker 2:I think they're flying into the last games of the season. We're going to want to finish the game strong, season strong, bring it into next season. I'm going to go Parramatta Eels and the Titans don't finish bottom.
Speaker 1:Mad, mad. Well, be sure to like and subscribe. And yeah, see our review of round 27,. See how many we got right and wrong. See, yeah, who finishes bottom of the table. Last bit of business, We'll go back over to England, the old footy. How did Birmingham get on this week? Lost 2-0 to Leicester away which you know what Difficult.
Speaker 2:We've had four games, seven points from four games, considering we've just come up from League 1. And in those four games we played two of the relegated teams from yeah, from the prem. So I'll take seven points yeah it's not bad um jamie vardy.
Speaker 1:Did he go from leicester to this italian team? I think?
Speaker 2:he retired from leicester and then left, then went to italian teams. I think he was a free agent. Ah, fair enough.
Speaker 1:Fancied a bit of cash but Chelsea beat Fulham 2-0. Nice little Saturday night 9.30 game that Manchester stay up and watch Real boring. It seems like Premier League football at the moment is Robotic, pretty boring. Var controversy massively. Fulham had a goal disallowed. The PGMOL whatever their acronym is have come out and said it was the wrong decision. Goal should have stood. Chelsea would have won 2-1 if it counts, if you want to work on that logic. But João Pedro for Chelsea seems like it could be, seems like a boy could be a decent sign in. But Arsenal-Liverpool as well. I suppose that's one to mention the old Arsenal fans crying into their cornflakes the fact that they lost to Liverpool. What a strike there. Unreal free kick.
Speaker 2:Have you seen it from the?
Speaker 1:ref.
Speaker 2:Have you seen it from the ref view?
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's unreal from the ref cam.
Speaker 1:Absolutely pings.
Speaker 2:A lot of the refs are wearing cameras now. And he stood behind it Unreal and have cameras now. Okay, he stood behind it, unreal and have you seen out there? The ray came out and said we've got to get used to these puma footballs all right, the geezers not even put that much bend on it like there were balls in the past that were the swerving all over the gaff yeah, and this, this one's just been bent into the top corner, stupid um, oh.
Speaker 1:One thing about chelsea as well. I know your old man will love this bit of business, but they've just recalled mark gay from from loan from sunderland, because of, uh the um, uh, nicholas jackson, liam de lapp, hamstring. Nicholas jackson's gone to buy munich, apparently one of the best clubs in the world. I don't know about that one, but I think he's just a bit soured by.
Speaker 2:Surely there should be some rules in that like it's it's you shouldn't be able to recall alone, alone with like three games into the season, I know, but have you seen that parent club, that sister club for Chelsea, Strasbourg, right, Am I?
Speaker 1:I don't know who it is, but anyway, Ben Chilwell's gone there. Seems all a bit dodgy tactics, but anyway, yeah, I think that's about it for this week. Oh, Formula 1. Obviously old Australian mate.
Speaker 2:Oscar Potashary won it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's steaming ahead in the championship now, isn't he? They are, they're running away with it. I didn't watch it, but was the old Zandvoort crowd going mad for Verstappen with? The old orange army out, always, always. They absolutely love him. Yeah, fair play, but that's another. That's crazy how quickly everything's going by.
Speaker 1:Please like and subscribe. Follow along. We're going to be reviewing the season and looking over the final fixtures of the year. A lot going on, but be sure to hit that subscribe button and we'll catch you in the next one. See you there.