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!
The Unstoppable Machine!
The quest for rugby league immortality continues as Penrith Panthers deliver what might be the most clinical 40 minutes of football ever witnessed. Their demolition of the Canterbury Bulldogs—the league's best defensive team—was nothing short of spectacular, with players like Brian To'o showing why the Panthers machine becomes nearly unstoppable during finals football.
Meanwhile, the Cronulla Sharks continue their impressive late-season surge, winning nine of their last ten games and moving silently through the competition like "the G in lasagna." Their defensive resilience against Canberra, absorbing 29 tackles in the red zone without breaking, showcases why they're legitimate title contenders despite flying under the radar.
Off the field, drama unfolds at Manly with Tom Trbojevic's contract negotiations hitting a snag. Initially offered $2.5 million over three years, the board has reduced this by $300,000, creating a situation reminiscent of the Daly Cherry-Evans saga years ago. This leads us to fascinating discussions about player value versus availability and the salary cap implications for the Sea Eagles.
We also dive into the fascinating concept of restructuring the NRL finals format to include a bye week before the grand final—similar to the NFL model—which would allow concussed players the mandatory recovery period without missing the season's biggest game. However, implementing such changes would require significant restructuring of the entire finals system.
Before predicting the preliminary finals outcomes (spoiler: we're split on whether the Sharks can upset the Storm), we review our preseason ladder predictions with some hilariously inaccurate forecasts—particularly around the Raiders, who we tipped for the wooden spoon but finished minor premiers!
Hit that subscribe button to join our growing community as we continue analyzing rugby league's most compelling storylines. We're trying to reach 100 subscribers and we're over halfway there—your support makes all the difference!
Hello and welcome to this week's episode of They've Been Doing it All Day, sir Are Penrith Unstoppable, let's get stuck in.
Speaker 2:How's your week been, mate?
Speaker 1:Do you know what? It's been a mixed bag. We obviously recorded late last week, recording early this week because I'm off to America tomorrow so we can't record on our usual Tuesday. But on Friday on the way to work I had someone rear-end me and drive up my arse and smash the back of my car. So I thought it was going to be a good day. I was driving across Sydney Harbour Bridge, sun was out, sun was shining, it was warm. I was like you know what Today's going to be a good day? Then what today's going to be a good day. Then I got rear-ended, so yeah, wasn't good. And then weekend did nothing, sat and watched football.
Speaker 2:How's the?
Speaker 1:whiplash, was it? You know, shoulders a bit sore at the moment, shoulders definitely a bit sore, necks a bit sore, but no, I can't complain. It was a low-speed accident. His car's definitely worse off than mine, um, but it's just a rigmarole now the little chimney held strong, did it?
Speaker 1:it did. And you know what the frame of it held up. It's the actual plastic on the bumper. That's just a little bit um, compressed. No damage to the sensors lights rear lights cracked a little bit, but what happened was there was a car that had its hazards on lights cracked a little bit.
Speaker 1:But what happened was there was a car that had its hazards on next to us and as we got out he was like sorry mate. I was looking at that car next to us. I was like why aren't you looking in front of you? But anyway, enough of my, enough of my uh troubles on friday. How was your weekend?
Speaker 2:yeah, really good, really good. Um, what did I do? Had a few beers friday after work, which was good. Made my way from Haymarket into Manly Thought you weren't drinking until Grand Final. Yeah, that's gone out the window then Saturday was up bright and early before coaching and then, pretty chilled, actually went to Freshly Local in Freshwater, had a mortadella or mortadella sandwich. Honestly, they are brilliant.
Speaker 1:I would highly recommend a visit there speaking up this place, you said it was a good little new open establishment to head along to. And now the food. Oh, you got given all the complementaries last time as well. Yeah, yeah, well that's.
Speaker 2:You know. Here's what it is when you're a high roller. But no, the the sandwiches were so good because Because they're not cheap like $18, but the ingredients that they use, you can tell, are just top quality. So I would recommend popping in for a mid-afternoon snack.
Speaker 1:You've just reminded me of something actually Last week. So the reason why, as you mentioned, fresh here and there's a stairway opposite and we've been meaning to go to there to get a roast Apparently pretty decent, okay, gets, it's a nice little place small so it gets filled up pretty quickly.
Speaker 1:You gotta be there early. But I went to um avalon. I know roasts we speak, we've spoken about a few times. I went to avalon and the yorkshire rose I think it was up in avalon. I went to for a roast and you know what? Probably the best so far okay, that's good. I'd recommend it. Bit of a trek, but it's a long way it is. Once you're going around the barren joey like Espen, you're like you might as well be in Queensland.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm far too far north for a roast, but I heard the flag went well. Flag flag, american football went well this weekend.
Speaker 2:Yeah, won both games. It was quite a shock not shocking start but slow start to both games we conceded. So, from a defensive point of view, we conceded 30 points in the two games, all of them in the first half of both games. Need to come firing out those blocks. Yeah, but then on the flip side two second half shutouts.
Speaker 2:So if you can prolong that across the whole game. But it's also a new group of players so they haven't all played together previously understanding what the other teams are doing. So being able to, I think it's more of a testament to how quickly we can adapt and shift to what the offence is putting in front of us to then be able to sort of close down and and that's the one thing you've got to remember in in sort of flagging. What I do say is it's an offensive game, the whole point is points, points, it is points, points, points, exactly so you can't stop every, every drive.
Speaker 2:You, you want to, but you can't. It's just going, oh, it's, we've conceded. So what? Let's assess, let's go again.
Speaker 1:So no, it was a good, it was a good week, brilliant, nice and warm, not too, hot, great weekend for it bit different today, though all of a sudden on the way over here at the foot of the lightning bucking it down with rain. But, yeah, managed to stay dry, which was good. But just want to shout out the two new subscribers that we got over the weekend. So thank you to those couple of subscribers hitting that subscribe button. If you haven't done so already, please hit that subscribe button. We're trying to get to 100 subscribers in the not so distant future.
Speaker 1:We're over halfway there, so really appreciate you hitting that subscribe button. But another few things that happened over the weekend and which have materialized a little bit since I first heard them was the Manly circus continues with Tom Trubojevic's contract negotiations. I was listening to Triple M on Sunday and I heard Buzz Rothfield come up and I'm like part of me is like oh, what's he got to say? Sometimes can't stand what he said. But then he mentioned about two things about manly, first one being um, in fact it wasn't buzz rothfield, it was michael chamas that did the turbo thing. But buzz said that, uh, the who's their coach of willie peters.
Speaker 1:willie peters is the succession plan for seabold in 2027. He's still got unfinished business in England but once that's done he's going to be coming in and rumours that I saw today that Adam O'Brien's going to be coming in as assistant coach at.
Speaker 1:Manly as well. But on the Turbo talk, shamash said that Turbo was offered $2.5 million over three years, went to the board and the board have come back and said no, you got that wrong. We're going to offer 300 grand less, 100 grand a year less. I don't know what to make of it. It feels like the DCE situation all over again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is ridiculous, I suppose, if you look at it from the side of the board, is it like are we going gonna get that much of a player over those, over those three? Years um, you can, and you can understand it from that point of view, because he's had so much money from the club and he's not. He's been amazing when he's played, but he's not every week, week in, week out, whereas if he has another season, like 2023, where he missed half the season or the majority of the season, or even 22,.
Speaker 2:I don't think he played a lot. And then it's like, right, we've just thumped another 2.5 million for someone who's only going to play one and a half seasons, compared to three.
Speaker 1:He did come out and say earlier this year and he even bargained with the club I swear to see if he could give back 400 grand. So I'm a bit on the fence with this one, because at one one time he's turned around and said I want to be a one-man club. I'll never play against Manly. I'm willing to give back however much money. And then he he's disgruntled. Now that they've offered 100 grand less, I can see the well he's got his mortgage to pay for in Colorado.
Speaker 1:You know I can see how it makes you feel devalued if you're if one thing's said and then the goalposts change and you're offered something else well, we don't know what's happening we don't know what we don't know what's happening behind closed doors.
Speaker 2:And this is the whole point of contract negotiations. Is the management go with one thing, the board go? Actually, this is where we we value it's just because you don't. Just because you get pushed at this rate doesn't necessarily mean that the club see you at that rate. But anyway, you then look at it from two sides. He's an amazing player. He can shift a game in the blink of an eye. If fully fit and playing a full season, then he is absolutely worth it 100%.
Speaker 2:But, then it's the case. If he does, then go actually, no, I don't want to stay. I then leave you. Look at it from a point of view where that that frees up 1.2 million in the cap space, manly can then go and lump on someone like Payne Haas because there's more money opening up from the likes of Jake taking a pay cut as well, but one of the big things I think the Manly need to go after is a utility back.
Speaker 2:Because, losing Tommy Talal, like Falalo, brilliant player, but you lose one of Kola, or if Garrick sticks around, don't know what's happening with Garrick. But if you lose either Hoppawattu or Kola, you're then down a utility back and you're trying to then shift Falalo trying to's happening there. But if you lose either Hoppawatt or Okola, you're then down a utility back and you're trying to then shift Falah, like trying to bring in there.
Speaker 1:Bit of depth. We need a bit of depth and he would secure that. It's just yeah.
Speaker 2:It's just how much you want to pay for an incredible player but someone that may not play full season. I personally want them to.
Speaker 1:I want them to sign him personally, yeah I agree, but what's on the table apparently is um two years with sammy burgess in the uk, so we'll see what happens there. But the other thing that was mentioned and this is probably one of the best points I've heard buzz made around fixed fixtures and scheduling is in afl. They're contemplating the idea of introducing a bi-week between semi-finals and the grand final. Around fixtures and scheduling is in AFL. They're contemplating the idea of introducing a bye week between semifinals and the grand final. They do it in the NFL and it's to make sure that the product and the players that you have on offer are the best available at that time. There's an 11-day stand-down policy, obviously with concussions. You look at Hazleton, who got knocked out by Tom Starlin at the weekend. He's now out of the prelim final because of that 11-day stand-down. Now, if it was the grand final this weekend he'd be gutted, but if there was a bye he would be involved. What's your thoughts?
Speaker 2:on it. I think they would need to completely restructure how the finals are done, because you can't then have a team who then misses a week, has a week off, and I get what you mean has a week off and then another week and then plays one game and then has another week off. I think you need to then make it fair where, as they do in the NFL, where they have the. This then links back to the wildcard rounds that were mentioned. Here we go. They have the wildcard rounds and then they go into quarterfinal-final final.
Speaker 2:Yeah, none of this. Elimination final it's, it's in.
Speaker 1:There needs to that would then be the elimination effect.
Speaker 2:To replace the elimination final, the wild card yeah, so the wild card would be when it then the top four seeds it takes the value off the top four, then but then you, it's the top four seeds then automatically go to the the second round, yeah, and then it's the wild card. From then it go to the second round, yeah, and then it's the wild card. From then it'd be, it'd have to be fifth to what would be fifth, down to 10th, 10th.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sorry, after the wild card it'd be the winners out of those bottom ones.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so then they go play the top four, then they go into the semi-final and then final. I think that would be the better way to structure it, because it then just gives this other team a week off. Rest play again week off play.
Speaker 1:Gordon Tallis' response was injuries happen, play on, but I just feel with concussions I think a week off before the final is a good idea. Because you look at Tom Starling's hit this weekend right on Hazleton. He comes in, he's low, it's a genuine accident. He didn't get put on report, he didn't get punished. If it was the grand final this weekend, hazleton would be missing it purely because of an accident. I think that's the time it could be used, but yeah, I didn't even think about the whole restructuring that would be needed for it.
Speaker 2:I don't think you could probably do it is. It's just then the. The winners of the elimination finals, then, are one week off. One week on. One week off, one week yeah, consistency yeah and it's, then how does that play into keeping players rested, keeping players warm and getting into getting?
Speaker 2:stuck in where you've got other teams that can build momentum. So there'll be pros and cons from each side of it. Um, they're just, would they? I reckon it would need to be assessed. I again, really good idea. Players can then come back or fill 100 and then fly into the final.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, instead of having a six, seven day turnaround yeah, and you mentioned their um teams gaining momentum, and that is a great segue into the first game of the weekend, which was the Canberra Raiders 12, cronulla Sharks 32. If there is one team that is building momentum at the moment, it's the Sharks. The Sharks have won nine out of the last 10 games. I heard the stat on the way here. They are just silently moving about their business like the G in lasagna. They are on one Our tip last week. We both said the raiders would come out hot and they did. They was 29 tackles in the red zone. They just could not finish for toffee and and and you.
Speaker 2:You can look at it and go are the raiders? Were were poor, not to finish, but then you flip it on its head and go. The sharks just were able to keep them out they were they were able to answer any question that they had. And, going into this, I think someone commented on one of our videos about us, not about not taking into consideration, about the extra time and how much it saps out, and I completely agree with what they said you did mention and I did.
Speaker 2:I did mention it, but I didn't like give it the full thought process that it should have had, because they went to extra time. It wasn't just an extra five minutes, it ended up being like 10, 20 minutes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was a long, 15 minutes maybe.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you can understand how that sucks it out of the players to then be able to then come back around and do it again, and it's not the first time it has ever happened within finals. You see it within sporting competitions all the time. A good reference could be the 2019 world cup with england. Have play in australia in the in the quarters, then new zealand in the semifinal, which was a massive, physical, hard-fought game, to then get mentally prepared for another one against.
Speaker 2:South Africa so, but saying that the Sharks just dominated the Raiders they did, and I think the the bit that switched.
Speaker 1:It was just before halftime when um Mulatalo scored, uh went over, and then Hines, back to back, they just hit them and that, I think, then sucked the energy out of the, out of the Raiders. Yes, they came back after half time. They had that one that was disallowed from obstruction. And then who was it? Tamale went over in the corner, I think it was, but at that point there backs up against the wall. The Sharks then managed to break, get one um, and I think that's when the tiredness of the previous week starts to kick in, when the legs get heavy. The back end. But Blake Braley was phenomenal. I think we could touch on how Ethan Strange was a big loss for the Raiders in the way that he runs the ball.
Speaker 1:Well, blake Braley was doing similar things, just attacking gaps direction, got a few penalties and I just think he was a difference maker. There was a point where Sharks are attacking. He picked up the ball quickly from the ruck, ran down, got tackled high it's questionable but it was a high tackle and then from there they kicked two points to open up a gap where the Raiders really had to push, but the Sharks, I don't know, can they win the whole thing?
Speaker 2:Do you know what I would love to see a Panthers-Sharks final. Like both teams that finished outside the top four.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that would be unreal.
Speaker 2:And you look about how the Storm have gone about their business, winning those games and it goes back to the point we just made about flipping the momentum and the Sharks having another game fairly comfortably Like, yes, they had an extra 80 minutes in their legs, but they've come on to this. In the storm they're going to have to come out flying. Honestly, they need to come out flying and ticking to dominate the Sharks team. If the Sharks can do what they did against the Raiders absorb that pressure to start defensively sound and then turn it on I can't see why the the sharks can't make the final frustratingly, when we do our tips in a second, we're not going to have team sheets for who's coming up, but it's whether jerome hughes plays and is fit, um I.
Speaker 1:It'd be interesting to see what the news comes out. One question I want to ask you from this though jamal foggety, like his high balls mental boots, it's so high. But that's two games now, so we're talking about extra time. The previous week and this, he hasn't managed to get the Raiders over the line, I think.
Speaker 2:I think this was a lot more to do with the Sharks than it was the Raiders, I think the. Sharks was just too good.
Speaker 1:I can't wait to see him in a maroon jersey. I'm just going to say that.
Speaker 2:And also, with one game, you can't expect one player to turn things on. You can argue Walsh did it in the first round against the Raiders, but the other 12 kept them within reach, and then you've got to have the swan song of the people around you, and that's the issue. It's just the the big, big players that have been making plays all season just haven't been able to do that in the same I think for the rate is it's a see me that was playing.
Speaker 1:I may have got that wrong, that name wrong or the person wrong, but it wasn't even stranger. It's playing alongside him which is huge, which freed him up to do a lot more things. But when I think forward to manly next year, luke brooks has actually been like fairly solid.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think they can form a decent partnership between foggett and brooks and then brooks is a tackling machine and one thing I suppose when I mentioned about blake braley the geese made 61 tackles and so he was a standout for the sharks. But um, luke brooks runs the ball. Luke brooks, I think, will benefit from someone like foggett either.
Speaker 2:Can boot a high ball up there. I just think they're going to be a good partnership If you add a cheeky Reid Marnie to that and then have rotation with.
Speaker 1:Joey Walsh. Has it been confirmed that he's off to the Cowboys? I don't know, but if he's available, you're right, he's older, he's someone manly, needs Just a little grub at nine. We've got Simpkin at nine and that's it really. So it'd be interesting to see don't know what's happening with Croker, but it'd be interesting to see he's done, I reckon he is, he is.
Speaker 1:but let's get on to the next game of the weekend, and my word, the Penrith Panthers when they get into finals form. Last week against the Warriors, it was a bit hit and miss. They were comfortable. They were a bit hit and miss, but this might be the most clinical and perfect 40 minutes to a football game I've ever witnessed.
Speaker 2:It was just they made it look so easy. At times it was ridiculous, Like the amount of space the wingers had.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Like Alamotti and Taro, at times they just walked into, walked the tries over we're talking about the bulldogs, who are the best team defensively in the league I was, I was, I was in, I was in shock watching it sometime, but everything they tried just worked, yeah, which which really really helps as well.
Speaker 2:Um, and the everyone that they bought off the bench as well. Um, papaly, yes, papaly came off the bench as well, papali.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was Papali who came off the bench.
Speaker 2:He had something a little bit different when he came off Liam Henry.
Speaker 1:When he came off the bench, Mitch Kenny's little. Was it Mitch Kenny? Yeah, Mitch Kenny's little. Dink through that. He dives on, he does a little somersault. Everything just seemed to work.
Speaker 2:And they're just a different animal. This finals team, yeah.
Speaker 1:It was 36 points to eight at half time and Cameron Serraldo I was listening to the presser after and he came out and said like all right, yeah, we lost Crichton, but we we run a system where we should be able to plug someone in that and they have the same responsibility and he just said we came up against a team that have shown why they're four time pushing for five time back-to-backs, and I think one of the plays that highlights this is or one player in particular is, brian toto like he's had a fairly quiet season by his standards in terms of scoring and an impact. But two moments in this, I think, when um he's only scored.
Speaker 1:I think that was his seventh try, yeah but I think it was caraz that broke down the wing and he was double defending against. He hit the who's, the fullback, his name's escaped me.
Speaker 2:It's gone. I was just about to say Burton, but it's not Tracy Tracy, so Tracy was there and then Kouraz was on the outside.
Speaker 1:He's held them up and then the ball's gone out and he's tackled Kouraz out of bounds.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, that play which is phenomenal, and then later, on.
Speaker 1:he's in the same position with Sherry and I can't remember who was on the outside of him and he intercepts a ball, takes it the other way and it leads to a score. So I mean today I drove through Bankstown I had to get from Well. I stopped at that cafe because I had heard it on the radio and I was like I need to get a coffee on the way through. So I said Joe Bell's. I think it is Great place, you can tell. Bellmore is somewhere that love their footy. Like there's murals everywhere. There was a seat reserved for Gus in the corner, like it was pretty cool, but the atmosphere was quiet today. But do you know what sums this up? For me, they're 30,. What is it? Did I say 36 to eight? They might've even scored just after halftime as well, and Nathan Cleary just bangs out a 40-20.
Speaker 2:That was incredible.
Speaker 1:And then celebrates as well.
Speaker 2:after it, the hook he had on it that was an incredible 40-20. But that's what I say. Everything they touched it just turned to gold in that game.
Speaker 1:Similar with me and my betting, not going to lie here at the moment.
Speaker 1:I've had a few good weekends. Last week, uh guy, the person whose studio this is me and him had a little flutter on the boxing in which we had, uh, terence crawford to win on points. We won that one. And then this week in this game I was like two minutes before the game I was like, oh, should I put a cheeky little multi on? And I did. And it was Panthers head to head, alamotti to score either first, second or third and Bronson Sherry to score, and at halftime I was like is Sherry going to score?
Speaker 1:And then he strolls in Cheers for the $18.50 back on that one. So big question from this, though Are Penrith now the favourites to win the grand final?
Speaker 2:I know we say it all the time, but it depends what Broncos team turn up.
Speaker 1:I said it last week. I said these two games that we've got coming up, I believe anyone from this four could win it. We talk about Penrith being favourites. Sharks the form they're in Storm just seem to be grinding results out. And then you've got Broncos, who are just so unpredictable who have arguably got the most explosive and exciting squad.
Speaker 2:And talking about running into form, they ended up in the four out of nowhere and they've continued that form on into the finals. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean on that list. We've got no team sheets, we've got no news as to who's out injured, because we're doing this on Monday.
Speaker 2:So we are going to be tipping on Piawa vibes, piawa vibes and going off that I'm first game Friday night as well Friday night.
Speaker 1:So they're missing the AFl grand finals on saturday so they're so they're, uh, not, they're avoiding that yeah, I reckon fair enough I reckon they should compete against it. I reckon they should go to where the, where the biggest sport.
Speaker 2:But um, but we've got the first friday night at amy park. The storm flat track bullies at Amy Park, melbourne Storm at $1.45 against the Cronulla Sharks at $2.76 without team lists.
Speaker 1:I would love to know. I would love to know if Jerome Hughes is playing. Even if he is playing, I think it's a massive risk because of his arm and his shoulder I don't think he will play. But Storm are heavy favourites. Sharks have lost Hazleton because of concussion. It's going to be boring, but do the Storm win this? Do the Storm win this? I think they do, because it's at home. I reckon this might be one too far for the Sharks. I'm going to disagree with you. We're going to see Sharks in the final.
Speaker 2:I think they've shown a different side to them in these finals, especially coming into it. The class of the Sharks that we thought was there has decided to turn up and, like I said, if they can just absorb the pressure at the start, get about 15, 20 minutes in without maybe just conceding one, I reckon they'll turn the switch and they'll blow Storm out the water.
Speaker 1:This will be a good match-up in the forwards Atoa Kamarnu, fonua Blake, fonua Blake, and then the other forward. They've got some big boys. Yeah, it's going to be a real interesting one. I'm going to when's this Friday? So I'm going to have to get up at 5 o'clock on Friday morning, I think, to watch this and believe I will be, because it's going to be a hell of a game. And then this one I don't know whether I'm going to be getting up because it'll be at 1am after a wedding, so we'll see. Probably still be awake, quite possibly. But on the Sunday at the Suncorp a very hostile environment at Suncorp I'm sure it's going to be rocking. Yeah, it'll be pumping. It is going to be pumping the Brisbane Broncos at $2.10 against the Penrith Panthers at $1.74, chasing that 5p.
Speaker 2:I'm not betting against this panther panthers finals machine. Um, it's just going to keep ticking. They, they've just got an answer for everything at the moment and the issue is, I think the raid has allowed the broncos to get back into that. That first final yeah I don't think the panthers do that, and I think they're. They're going to blow him out the water. It's bold, it's bold.
Speaker 1:I know very bold. Now again without team list. There's talk of Adam Reynolds coming back in Selwyn Cobbo's playing Queensland Cup so he might be able to come back in for the final if they make it. Ezra Mam, there's talks of both of him and Reynolds training. I actually think if those two come back in they cause too much disruption.
Speaker 1:Or at least if one of them comes in. They cause too much disruption to this Broncos machine that is rolling and humming at the moment. I think Ben Hunt's been fantastic, reece Walsh has proved all his doubters wrong, but I do think it's one little challenge too far for the Broncos. I think they're going to upset the Applecart by bringing them back and I think the Penrith Panthers go to six finals I think it's six finals in a row and set up a mouthwatering fixture against Sharks or Storm, we shall see. But yeah, when are we going to be able to record? Next on, back on wednesday, so we'll record.
Speaker 1:We can do a thursday, thursday next week, yeah, so be sure to follow along and subscribe, catch our reactions to those games and, uh, preview the grand final yep, which we will be attending, which we will be attending, uh. But one little thing that I thought we would do is recap our ladder from the start of the season. So how we've worked this out is you score a point for every position. You're away from what you actually predicted. So where they finished, if you predicted them to finish first and they finished second, you get plus one point, and so on, and then it's the person that wins is the person with the lowest score.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the lowest score.
Speaker 1:yeah, so let's start off with the first place. Canberra Raiders. Where did you tip them?
Speaker 2:to finish, I thought they were going to have an average season. I tipped them at 11th, so for the first one off the bat I've got plus 10 points. Where did you place them, mate?
Speaker 1:That's not bad. You know 10 points. I tipped the Raiders to get the spoon and I mean, look, they had a great season. They've walked away with a minor premiership. So it's not like I can say they've walked away with the same as Manly, because they haven't. They've walked away with a minor premiership and they've looked fantastic. But They've walked away with a minor premiership and they've looked fantastic, but I get plus 16 for that.
Speaker 2:And then in second we had the Storm. Where did you have them?
Speaker 1:finishing. I had them finishing first, so I get plus one for that.
Speaker 2:So did I. I only get the plus one. So there's a couple in here that got the same.
Speaker 1:And then in third place we've got the Bulldogs. We did the same on this as well, yeah, sixth. So we did the same on this as well, yeah, sixth. So we both get plus three for that one. And then the Broncos I had them finished fourth. You go on a bit of a hot streak here. You had them finishing fourth, so I had them. Fifth. So I get plus one and I get nil-poi for who. Who's up next? The Sharks, and you get nil-poi for them as well, again because I had them finish in fifth.
Speaker 2:Where did you place them?
Speaker 1:I got the Broncos and the Sharks the wrong way around, so I thought the Broncos were finishing in top four. Sorry, I thought the Sharks were finishing in top four and the Broncos were finishing in fifth, but they actually flipped it, so I get plus one for both of them.
Speaker 2:Okay, and then in sixth we had the Warriors. Where did you have them finish?
Speaker 1:We both didn't do good on this one I predicted the Warriors to finish 10th, so four points for that one, and I had them at 15th and I got nine points for that one. Yeah, Panthers up next, though in seventh we both predicted them to finish second, so we both get plus five for that one, Roosters. Next one is interesting.
Speaker 2:We split here. I had them finish in ninth. I thought they were just going to finish outside the eight.
Speaker 1:I had them in seventh, so we both get plus one for the Roosters.
Speaker 2:And then in ninth we had the Dolphins, again, not too far apart from this one. I had them finish in 14th, so I get five points.
Speaker 1:And I had them at 13th, finishing with a plus four on that one. And then this one's horrendous In 10th place is the Manly Seagulls. I had them third, so I get seven. I also had them third, so I get seven as well.
Speaker 2:How wrong, how wrong. And then we got in at 11th. We got the Eagles.
Speaker 1:Where do you have them finish? I had them 15th, which at one point I thought do you know what I'm on for this? So I get plus 4 for that. And you had them a little bit higher.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I had them at 12th, so I get the, I get plus 1.
Speaker 1:Then in 12th position was the North Queensland Cowboys. I didn't do too bad on this one. I had them finish in 11th, so get one point for that and I had them at 8th.
Speaker 2:I thought those. I thought the Cowboys were going to be the team that snuck past the Roosters. So I get. I get plus plus 4 for that yep up.
Speaker 1:Next was the Tigers. We got the same score for this, but in different positions, so I had them finishing just off the bottom in 16th and I had them 10th, so you both get plus three, do you? Know at one point in the season they could have been on on for that. They just hit a bit of a bit of a rubbish bit of form and then in 14th we had the rabbit o's.
Speaker 2:I score quite highly on this one. I had them finishing seventh god I was wrong. So that was plus seven points. And then I didn't do too bad, had them 12. Had them finishing in seventh God I was wrong, so that was plus seven points.
Speaker 1:And then I didn't do too bad. Had them 12, had them finishing a little bit higher. They had a bit of a rubbish patch in the season which they could have finished a little bit higher. And then this one killed me really, in fact there's three that killed me, but the Dragons. They finished 15th and I had them finish in eighth. So I get seven points.
Speaker 2:I had them 13th and I get two points there.
Speaker 1:It's not bad and I'm going to shout this one out, your bottom two. You did quite well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was fuming actually, as much as it was good to see the Titans get past the Knights in the last game of the season. I had them to finish 17th, so I get plus one. And I had game of the season. I had them to finish 17th, so I get plus one.
Speaker 1:And I had the knights to finish 16th, so I get plus one on that, whereas for me had the titans to finish 14th, so I only get two for that, which isn't bad, but another one that's absolutely kill me. I had the knights to finish ninth, so I get plus eight. There's three results in this which killed me, the obvious one being the raiders finishing bottom I put them them first and the Dragons and Knights finishing in different positions. So the overall score, I mean it's pretty.
Speaker 1:I feel it's pretty clear I scored 70 and you scored 60. So you take the marbles first in the first. They've been doing it all day, sir tipping ladder, tipping ladder.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we won't talk about the actual tips. Yeah, maybe we should keep a track of that.
Speaker 1:Next year, next year because, even though on the NRL, whatever NRL tips and the ESPN one I've lost interest after a while. I forgot to put them in last week, but we're going to be in the manly tipping competition next year we are. We'll be taking it seriously there, but let's move on to the women's rugby world cup, something you also predicted would happen.
Speaker 2:It's like I know what I talk about sport enough. So, as I said last week, a broken clock is wrong twice a day. I think if we ever get t-shirts, that should be one of the sayings on there.
Speaker 1:Just a little bit about a broken clock being right twice a day. Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 2:So yeah, canada went up with an, upset New Zealand. It's going to take a very, very good, disciplined team to beat this kind of Canadian team. They are just so good at what they do.
Speaker 1:They're so well-oiled.
Speaker 2:But then you've got the England team, which I heard this stat this morning and I was like fuck, they've gone 32 wins on the bounce. The last time they lost was the 2021 World Cup final against New Zealand.
Speaker 1:And is it going to be the 2025 final against?
Speaker 2:Canada. They need to. I think they've just got threats all over them. Hannah Botter I think it's Botterman or Botterham she had an incredible game against France and they've got England, have got such a strong pack and such a fast back line, so if they can utilise that, then they just need to keep the discipline and defence.
Speaker 1:When's the final of that? It's this weekend, isn't?
Speaker 2:it.
Speaker 1:I think it's Saturday, saturday, sunday, saturday. So I think it's Saturday, sunday, saturday. So yeah, hopefully the girls can get it over the line and win the Rugby World Cup, but sporting, I suppose actually a bit of success for Birmingham this week. I read, I noticed so who did you play Swansea?
Speaker 2:Swansea beat Swansea 1-0. Stayed up and watched it. It wasn't too bad actually, because it was a half-nine kickoff. Yeah, yeah, Lyndon Dykes last minutes of the game. It's twice now he's done that this season. Nice, Come off the bench and scored the winner. We just look really, really nervous in the final third. I think there's a lot of just trying to walk the ball in the net.
Speaker 1:There's not enough individualisation to just take a shot or Sounds like the Raiders trying to score against the Sharks.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a bit frustrating because don't get me wrong we're looking okay at the back like strong enough for the back.
Speaker 1:It's only a few 1-0 losses. Sorry, isn't it that you've had? You've not been spanked.
Speaker 2:I think it was 2-0 against Leicester, but not like a battery no, no, no yeah so and then we lost. It's there, but we just need to. We need to be more clinical and operate a lot better in the final third, I reckon, and then things should just slot play, starting to pace.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Chelsea with Dross against United. Robert Sanchez getting sent off after five minutes didn't help the cause. Cole Palmer's injured was pouring down with rain. Didn't have a shot on target until Trevor Chalaba nods one in from a corner. Um, but then had one disallowed as well.
Speaker 2:I watch, I watch the highlights of this.
Speaker 1:First of all, I don't think Bruno Fernandes was on side no, and also I'm gonna shout this out for Robert Sanchez being sent off. Is it me or is Fofana and Chalaba both covering? So he's not the last man. I think it's more of how high you reckon I didn't hear the description for what the red card was, so was it for a dangerous tackle? Yeah, he comes flying out oh, he studs straight to their knee.
Speaker 2:I thought it was for last man, but okay, I think, I think that that he was denying a goal scoring opportunity, like it was clear, like if if Robert Sanchez wasn't there, it was a clear and obvious goal scoring opportunity, and it wasn't exactly the same for the tackles, but then saying that I don't think Casemiro should have had his second book and I don't think that foul was a bookable offence he yanked him back, didn't he? I think it's just more of a a tangle, and and Casemiro wins the ball.
Speaker 2:I don't think it was a booking.
Speaker 1:I think it was a foul, I don't think it was a booking, though Maybe the referee realised that he'd made an error for Sanchez's one, but something we haven't mentioned Big Ange Posta Coglu's back in the premiership Hasn't started well though no, he's not Lost. Talking about Swansea, he ended up losing 3-2 to him picked up a couple of points as Forest manager, as well. Don't look great. We know that the owner of Forest is a bit of a knobhead.
Speaker 2:Don't mention his name. A bit like Voldemort.
Speaker 1:He must not be named. Next thing, you know we'll be getting people sent round our house and lynched or something, but yeah, who knows what's going to happen with that? And then, last bit of sport to cover over well, there is the T20 against Ireland that England won, but we won't touch on. That is the F1. Max Verstappen comes out, victor, a few crashes Azerbaijan there was a fair few crashes in qualifying.
Speaker 2:an old the, piastri, goes flying into the wall in the in the first lap and it's one of the first times, I think, neither McLaren are finished in the in the top three, so old Georgie Russell and Carlos Sainz finished the podium. Fair play, I don't think it really opens up the standings much. I think the other two, I think Piastri and yeah, piastri is a while away from I think he's like 80 points away from Verstappen, and then Norris is about 30 behind him.
Speaker 1:Could see an Australian world champion.
Speaker 2:We could do, we could. How many races are left? There are, it doesn't do. The full fixtures Can't be that many, no.
Speaker 1:Well, who knows, watch this space. But thanks again. Well, thanks again. Thank you for listening to this week's episode. Be sure to hit that subscribe button below, looking forward to this weekend's fixtures. I'm going to be watching them from New York, from America, so we'll see how I can keep up to date. But thanks for tuning in and we'll catch you in the next one. See you later.