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!
Double Ashes Torture!!
Two sports, one theme: Australia’s method beats England’s emotion unless we change how we play. We kick off with rugby league where the Ashes series underlined a harsh gap—Australia’s defensive reading and set-for-set control shut down England’s predictable shapes. We unpack what England must do before the World Cup, why the Tonga opener in Perth is the hinge that decides the route, and how more NRL minutes for English forwards and playmakers is the only sustainable fix. We also go inside Manly’s reset: a new CEO, Kieran Foran’s rapid move into coaching, Tom Trbojevic with the armband, roster questions around Garrick and the backline, and a mobile middle rotation that could grind out a competitive season if the stars stay healthy.
Across the league, we weigh the Roosters’ win-now bet, Storm’s reload under Bellamy, and the market noise around departures and arrivals. The most urgent topic is player welfare: the Eli Katoa head knock in warm-up exposed a serious blind spot. We talk gumshield tech, automated HIA triggers, and why pre-match protocols must match in-game standards if the sport is serious about brain health.
Then we switch to the cricket Ashes. England produced a magnificent new-ball spell—control, hostility, and precision—only to hand momentum back with impatient batting. We break down why discipline beats bravado with the pink ball in Brisbane, how selection should rotate raw pace to keep speeds high, and what England’s top order must change to turn pressure into partnerships. Australia’s attack wasn’t at full strength, which makes smart decision-making even more critical. Leave better, score off the right balls, and manage the night session—do that and the series can swing.
If you care about smart tactics, honest selection, and turning passion into results, you’ll feel right at home here. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves their code, and drop your call: does England level the Ashes in Brisbane or fall 2–0 behind? Your take might feature next time.
Rugby League Coach Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5idCuI81vn8M78XGIF8F1a
Welcome back to another episode they've been doing all day to lose the roundings, a couple of sporting fixtures, but one thing remains the same. England gets battered by Australia in number of sports. Let's get stuck in.
SPEAKER_01:How's the uh last few weeks been, mate?
SPEAKER_00:It's been a while, hasn't it? It's been um nearly a month actually since we last recorded and um a lot has gone on since then. I've been to America. I've been to America again. It feels like every time we record a new episode, I travel stateside, but went to my sister's wedding. She got married in Florida, it was nice to get away. Um America's so expensive though. I I don't advise going there anytime soon. Um watching sport in between um yeah, just being lazy, really, doing not much. The exercise has gone out the window and yeah, eating too much. But what about yourself?
SPEAKER_01:Uh not as not as uh extravagant as yourself, uh my friend. Um I've I've been quite quite chilled to be honest, just continuing with the coaching side of things. Um nothing really to write write home about, I don't think, since we last met.
SPEAKER_00:Nah, it's been a been a quiet off season, hasn't it?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's I think it's I think it's needed. Oh, went to the dentist for the first time in a while at the weekend. I think that's about as exciting. How much does that cost you? Nothing. I've got a health fund, and as it was my first time, didn't have to make any gap payment. So that was that was quite quite good. Um, was a bit ashamed about the pictures that were taken. Uh, had been a couple of years mine that had been. I was a bit nervous.
SPEAKER_00:Don't take this wrong way, but your teeth do look whiter. It's a little bit clean.
SPEAKER_01:No, no, no. I went in for the full MOT, um, full cleaning polish. Uh and I was a bit worried of how much it was going to cost me, if I'll be perfectly honest. I kept putting it off. Um, but nah, I was in there for a good 45 minutes. She's she did a good amazing job, the dentist. Um, you you get looked after, like full um x-ray of major. Nice pictures of before and after, um full like kit after at the end, polish, scrape. Chris's new Nashes.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I was very, very, very, uh, very happy with it. Um fair play. Any any cooking or Sunday roasts gone on since cooking?
SPEAKER_01:No, not not really. Um, been quite busy on weekends. Like the Smash Burger thing is still a Friday thing in our house, which is which is which is incredible. Um, just absolutely getting them down to a fine art now, um, which is really good. Have to come and sample one then soon. Of course, of course. Um but no, other than that, all good.
SPEAKER_00:Fair play. Couple of things, updates that we've got. Um, shout out to all the new subscribers that have um subbed along. Jumped our first aim, was uh 100, and then we absolutely surpassed that. We're on 130 now. So shout out to the new subscribers and viewers. And we um appeared on another podcast recently as well.
SPEAKER_01:We did, we did.
SPEAKER_00:The rugby league coach podcast.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it was a great experience. Uh great, great bloke to have an attack with. Uh, yeah, he was it was a fantastic uh episode, and it just shows how when you when you're talking about something you're passionate about, how quickly the time goes. Yeah. Um, I think we recorded for about an hour or so and it just absolutely flew by.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so he's uh another British guy that moved over here, what, like 30 years ago, something like that, rugby league coach. Um, we'll chuck his details down in the in the description below. But yeah, go ahead over go ahead and watch that fan fan special. Was it fan focused? Fan focus, that's what it was. So he's had a vast amount of experience around the rugby league in Australia. Coach Manley? Coached at Manley, he's coached a few schools international level as well. So yeah, we'll put his details in the description below and yeah, go go check him out. But a lot has happened in the rugby league world since we a lot has happened. Since we last spoke. Let's just do a quick overview of the rugby league ashes. We obviously recorded after the first first game. Yeah, England got beaten convincingly, and not much changed since then.
SPEAKER_01:No, um, and it it just shows how how big the gap is between Australia and England at the moment. Um, England in the the second test were were attacking for what seemed like an absolute age, and Australia just didn't even blink. Um with that, it was just so easy from sideline to sideline to mop up. Um, very much in the third in the third one, they've the Australia just showed their class in that in that test and ended up running and running away with it. Um, not much that could really really be done, I suppose, in that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I agree. And it the frustrating thing is it was like Australia would just could read everything defensively, it's like they they just knew what was coming next. It was almost like the ball goes outside, the ball goes wide, they're gonna try and power over with Dom Young, or I can't remember who else was on the other wing, and it just never really materialized into anything. It wasn't until you saw sparks in game three where the hooker would pick it up and just run with it and break the line, and we'd try something a little bit different. But to me, there's a there's a massive golfing class between Australia and England, and it's a bit worrying for the World Cup.
SPEAKER_01:And and I I I've I've been very vocal of it. Well, more of a text than anything. I did mention it last week, but I I really think England are now the fifth fifth favourites going into this. Um I think they are in a bit of a battle with Tonga at the moment. Um we play, we play in the World Cup. But I think uh Australia, New Zealand, Samoa are are are miles miles ahead in that in that sense. Um and then you're sort of fighting for that fourth fifth spot with with with Tonga.
SPEAKER_00:Have you seen how the rugby league draws work? So group A has four teams in it, group B has three, group C has three, group C play I might be getting this wrong. So but group C play all four teams in group A. Okay. Group B play all three three teams in group C, and then group A play, I think I can't, I might be getting, but I know England play Tonga, even though they're not in their group. England play Tonga, open up in Perth, and I think that'll really determine England's tournament because they'll need to win that in order to cement themselves in the in the top three, because I think they're then relying on Samoa beating New Zealand or something like that.
SPEAKER_01:Which here it is, it says right in here on the una rubber group A teams will each play three matches against the other teams in group A. Oh, okay. Group B and C teams will each play three matches against the teams in the adjacent group, i.e., group B teams will play group C teams only.
SPEAKER_00:And I'm assuming from that, two teams qualify from group A and then one each from because it goes semi-finals, finals. Yeah. So yeah, England need to finish top of their group, fundamentally. Um, and you'd assume well it's an absolute shootout in the other group, but yeah, I I can't see They've got to pay it's gonna beat Tonga, P and G in France.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So it's gonna Tonga's Tonga's gonna be the game that sort of decides it, but there's there's you've got Samoa in there, so Samoa could end up winning all three, and England could only win in at two of the two of the three, and it's that's that's gonna be the worry.
SPEAKER_00:It is, and we think about Tonga, and we'll touch on it a bit later, but they did get um beaten quite comfortably by New Zealand with the unfortunate incident of Eli Katoa in the warm-up, which we'll touch on, like I said, when we go around the league for a few updates, but it's um yeah, Tonga, a team that are there for the beating, but if England don't change things can't sleep on them, and and this is the thing I that they've got a lot of we've we've we spoke about it previously when there's a lot of the NRL players are now uh moving to their cultural teams.
SPEAKER_01:Um and you give them a few more months together, it's gonna be a completely different side again. Like the there was a lot of new introductions across the Samoa and Tonga teams, this this Pacific Championships. Give them a few more camps together, they're gonna be deadly teams to play against.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and one positive thing for England is the Dolphins have signed Morgan Knoll, so there's another British or English player coming over.
SPEAKER_01:Sorry, the he was to be fair, he he did stand out in in the second test. He was giving it to him, uh uh he was giving it to Australia and he was hitting and and running hard. Um, so that it's a good it's gonna be a good exposure for him as well.
SPEAKER_00:It is, and that's one more person getting NRL experience, and that's what England need. Yeah, and I'm starting to think if they need to be more creative. One shout that I did hear um was Andy Farrell. Imagine him coaching coaching England. Well, it's not has he been out of the game too long? That and I think he's too in trench of Ireland. I don't think the the pull of rugby league will get him away from what he's doing with Ireland.
SPEAKER_01:The the only other sort of I suppose cameo experience, not really reflecting on how good he is as a coach, but Sam Burgess just just the dream team, Andy Farrell, Sam Burgess, James Graham, yeah, just three of them. Just going off the the name um site side of things, and would he be able to uh big up a team enough to be able to then run over the other the other nations? Um still sort of not not marked as a coach yet. Um so yeah, it that that could be another the concern for everyone.
SPEAKER_00:I know you mentioned about the Pacific Island teams and kind of them gelling and spending more time together, but the fact that wasn't Australia's full first team.
SPEAKER_01:Well, they could there's that as well. Um I reckon Australia could put two teams in this chat in the World Cup and probably both would play each other in the final.
SPEAKER_00:They good they they could, and the likes of like James Tedesco not even being included in the squad. If he has another season like he did last year, there's no way he can't be in the World Cup squad. Tom Trobojevich being named captain at Manley as well. Like hopefully he's gonna have a big Latrell Mitchell. Yeah, Latrell Mitchell. There are so many players that they've got to come back into this squad. It's scary. So for me, Australia are favourites to the World Cup currently where we stand. Huge favourites. But touching on that, touching on Manly, some some big updates. Yeah, some huge things, huge things. Tony Mastrov gone. Jason King in it as the CEO, former Manly player, one won the premiership with them. And one of the biggest additions though, Kieran Foren coming coming in as coach.
SPEAKER_01:I I absolutely loved how quickly he he was like, he did his did his Pacific Championship was like, yeah, I'm going to straight back up.
SPEAKER_00:He knocked it back, didn't he? He was like, no, I'm not going to take a break. I'm going to go back.
SPEAKER_01:It was brilliant to see it see him in there and and already working with with the youngsters in Walsh and Atoni Large. You get sucked in again at the start of the season. And it may just end up being dis disoped. But I'm I'm I'm loving what I'm seeing coming out of the management.
SPEAKER_00:And I'll tell you what, if we have a stinker of a season, we are gonna look fresh doing it. Because this, the top that I'm wearing now, the new home kit, the training tops that have been released, the away kit, the um singlets that have been released, there is some quality equipment coming out of that that dynasty dynasty factory line of of um of gear stash. But recently, when was it yesterday, day before? Tommy Troboyovich named us captain. Yeah. Big news. Big news. Uh big news. I think it look if he stays healthy and he manages to stay on the field for let's say 90-95% of the games, I think we stand a huge chance. Big question mark is then what happens with Lee High Hoppawate? Are they going to experiment with Turbo in the centres? Maybe playing like that hybrid, flexible centre role, hoppawate at fullback. Um, yeah, it's a real interesting one. What are your thoughts on it?
SPEAKER_01:Um, well, I think everyone had money on Jake being named captain. Um especially. Uh yeah, I just don't think you you've you've got to think with um Kirby Heatherington coming in, yeah, he's gonna be the starter over Jake. And I th I I reckon that the the smart decision would be have Heatherington starting at lock and having Jake in the rotation of the of the of the the props. Um because he can he can do damage, he can hit everything that moves, he can he runs the ball hard. Uh, and if you've got Poseca, Takihaho, him, Bully Moore all rotating, that's not a bad mobile pack. Um granted, you're not gonna get massive, massive meters like some of the big packs do, um, but it's mobile enough to cause cause damage. Um and I I I caveat on the back of what you're saying. He needs to stay fit because you can't you can't have your deputy captain or your vice captain being the captain for the majority of the season because of because it was through injuries, because then I I feel like that knocks down your pedigree of being the captain if if someone else is leading and leading the team.
SPEAKER_00:Um I'm surprised there's not like oh I'm probably I'm sure there will be behind the scenes because last year on the manly way they had like Ola Kawatu in the leadership group um and a few others, Jake obviously being in there, but be interesting to see how they go this year. And one of the players that's been there quite a long time, Ruben Garrick, seeing today that the the roosters are sniffing around him, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um the Bears, um Dragons, somewhere else, the Dragons, yeah, saw that. Uh you know what? It I he if he if Turbo is going to move to centre, I think then he's if if Kohler stays, there is questions around where his position's gonna be. Yeah because you've got Jamal Foggerty coming in, he's probably gonna be place kicking. Yeah, um, that takes that away from from from Garrick. And you you got a question of of what he wants, does he want to be that centre, that kicker who who is the sort of the the leading arc within the team? Um we we we've said for the last few weeks he could be the one that goes, yeah. And to be fair, I I I look I do look like Garrick, he's an absolute workhorse, he doesn't stop. But if I have a choice between Garrick and Cola, probably going to choose Cola every time.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, he's been offered a new contract, apparently. It's a three-year deal on the table. Um, but one thing I will say with the fixtures being released, how moist are you for the season to start? Yeah, 7:30, Brookie Oval on a Saturday. Oh, give it to Jamal Fogerty against his old club in game number one. But with that, fixtures being released, let's have a quick early prediction. Winning the comp where are Manley realistically finishing next year?
SPEAKER_01:Um I'm gonna let go sixth or seventh. I reckon mid mid-bottom eight. Um I I we if if everyone, this is the thing. It's I think we can have a vet if if Pisaka's fit, I think we'll have a similar season to the last season because it you're gonna have those opening games where everyone is gelling still. Yeah, um, I think we have a bit more fire in that forward pack and bringing in Blake Wilson, um, Kobe Hetrington as well, the two big two good signings. I think they will elevate the team, but unfortunately, I still think we have those away slips in us.
SPEAKER_00:Well, Moali might be coming in. There's still talks about the stuff with the rabbit hose and them needing to release money as well for some stuff. So there's a chance we might have another forward coming in, which strengthens things for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, ideally I'd love the top four, but realistically, I I reckon that's six, seven.
SPEAKER_00:We'll do a full out of prediction like we did against show like we did last year, but I agree with you. Uh between uh six and eight, I think we're gonna finish. Um, but let's just quickly touch on some of the stuff around the league. Like, I don't really want to spend too much time on speaking about R360, but Pappenhausen and Lomax have left whether that's actually gonna materialise. Heard talks that Lomax is gonna go play for the wallabies.
SPEAKER_01:Well, this is this is this is a crazy thing because I I do agree, I can't remember who was saying about it. Ah, he'd be he'd be incredible. But there there is just nothing that's coming out about R360, like it's it's all very cloaking daggers at the moment.
SPEAKER_00:I hope today it's on the way. That is in like there's gonna they're gonna set their target list soon and it's gonna be public, but that could just be rumours.
SPEAKER_01:But but it's it's getting set up, getting in the training. These boys are walking away from contracts now, expecting big money. So I don't understand what's what's really happening or what they're being promised. Um there must be something big for them to be able to just step step away.
SPEAKER_00:Well, Pappenhausen apparently is an actual career break. I like he hasn't actually much said much about that. He reckons it's an actual getting away, deciding what he wants to do. Um but what that leaves, I suppose, linking to the Melbourne storm, they've lost Big Nelson, Elie Katoa, which I don't know how he was allowed. Might have been one of the worst hits I have ever seen to someone's head in my life. And how are they not? How's no one noticed it?
SPEAKER_01:It's it's disgusting. Um last I read, he was in observation in Melbourne, back in Melbourne, in in hospital. And this is what you talk about the game of you you're risking your life to play the support. And if you don't have the support and you don't have the care around you, like that this could be medical, medical negligence. Like it's it was he would have I I I said it last week on on the other part. If if that was a game situation, he would have been brought off for a HIA and probably not allowed back on through the independent doctor. I don't think I don't know whether the independent doctor is involved during warm-up, but he should never have been allowed to step on that field.
SPEAKER_00:There was a great suggestion I heard earlier on the ByRound podcast, and it was using the mouth shields, McGum shields that are used in rugby union. So even in warm-ups, if you take a wallop that's significant, it triggers something, and you have to get HIA then, which would stop oh, there was no medical doctors on site. I think it was against New Zealand.
SPEAKER_01:Freddie Stewart got some sort of knock. I I didn't see it, and he ended up ruled out, and that's that's great. I love that. Like I'm I'm I'm all for for for looking after the brain and brain brain care. Is now getting to the to the ages that we are looking back on the sports that we've played, you do sit back and go, a few dodgy decisions, yeah. Um but no, I I really like how it's been taken seriously now.
SPEAKER_00:But this this will change, this will 100% change what happens in the future.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and massively.
SPEAKER_00:I don't want to speculate, but I do think this is the sort of thing that someone retires from. I I'm unsure, and it'll be a shame to see one of the best, biggest talents in the game leave because of negligence of some people. But I personally I don't know what if you'd be able to put your life on the line again. You're gonna be you'll be in a different you'll be niggling at the back of your head. Second guessing, like question.
SPEAKER_01:And that's and that's when you get even more injured, is that second guessing you need to fully commit into the hits and the and the size of how these lads are growing as well. Yeah, you can't you can't be second guessing hitting these, hitting them.
SPEAKER_00:And with that, like Melbourne have lost a couple of players, they've lost uh Peasett as well, he's gone. These three, I think they've lost six players in total. Where do you see them early prediction for next year?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, they'll they'll they'll be up and around, they always are gonna be, aren't they? Yeah, they've they've got a lot of talent, they've got the the Craig Bellamy art of art of rugby league, haven't they? Um just knows how to do it, yeah. It's it's it's very similar to what's happening over in Penrith with Ivan Cleary. Like the the you can give them anyone, and and and you know there's a blueprint there for whoever whoever's coming up through second grade, like and the youth, you know they've already got that that imprinted in them, the blueprint there, so they can easily just slot into wherever needed.
SPEAKER_00:The last big bit of news, which we saw all season coming, but DCE finally signs with the Roosters and his comments saying something I've been thinking about for a while. I don't know about that one where he's trying to stir the pot and get everyone wound up a bit, but I don't know what it does to the Roosters, if I'm honest. Like getting rid of Savala and um Brandon uh Sandon Smith. Yeah, it's gonna be a really interesting one for them for next year. Round four can't come soon enough.
SPEAKER_01:Um I I I generally think I've said this a couple of times, but they're they're a centre away from having the best all-round backline in the comp.
SPEAKER_00:Um I'm like I personally think they're gonna win it next year.
SPEAKER_01:Like the you you look at you look at that bank line, you've got Big Marky Mark on one wing, you've got Tup on the other, you've got um uh Tedesco at full back.
SPEAKER_00:Um improved so much over last year, incredible forward.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you've got uh in the back then you now got Dims DCE and Sam Walker uh work working together. You've got Robert Toya one one centre. Like that that's what I mean. They're a centre away from having a complete back line. No disrespect for for the for the centres at the at the roosters, and then you look at that solid, but you've got the light still of Angus Crichton in there.
SPEAKER_00:Like that you've got to tip them. This feels like the you know, we talk about England World Cup squads of the past, like golden generations, because of the age of this and the rumours of like oh Angus Crichton might go off to um rugby to represent the wallabies as well. This could be their one-shot, one deal with DCE, um, giving it a go. And I think it could go one of two ways. It could unsettle them. Yeah, I don't think it's setting them well for the future, no, but I do think next year they're gonna be a force to be reckoned with.
SPEAKER_01:I the only team I could see it really stopping them is if is is Brisbane. Um if big team, I don't know where he's he's gonna end up going. Um, but if if he was to sign for Brisbane, I I I you might as well just give him the trophy now. Can you imagine him and Haas in the same way? Him and Haas, Patty Carrigan, like it's it's it's stupid. Like you talk about having the complete back line at the Roosters, you've then got the complete forward packet at Brisbane.
SPEAKER_00:So um talking of Brisbane, what a great segue you've you've absolutely flown out there because we're gonna move from one um sporting code in which England got absolutely dominated into another the ashes, the five-day scheduled ashes started this weekend or prior to this weekend. How excited were you for it?
SPEAKER_01:I was buzzing. I was I was in the Haymarket Hotel first watching the first hour, felt like I was in an away, I was in an away end um while the home team was just constantly celebrating goals with the amount of Australians just going mental over wickets. Um, and then I was really I was like, oh, here we go. This is gonna be an absolute battering um when England got balled up for 170 yards. But then when I watched the England bowl, wow, I was like, Jesus, like this, this this could be this could be incredible, yeah. The way that bowling attack went, it's the best, it's the most complete bowling performance I've seen from an England team in in years.
SPEAKER_00:I think I texted you this. I saw it come up somewhere that um since records have begun or data tracking, ball tracking has begun, this was the most devastating um opening spell or bell spell of bowling ever to take place.
SPEAKER_01:They didn't concede a running four overs. Yeah. It was it's it's ridiculous. Archer went for for 11 runs over nine overs. It was it was crazy, it was incredible to watch.
SPEAKER_00:Do you know what? I rewind four years ago, whenever it was, 2021, when the Ashes were last over here. I see Rory Burns step across his staff. I see Stark, bang, leg wicket, leg stum out the ground. And I think to myself, we're not gonna repeat that. We're gonna learn our lessons, we're gonna see out the new ball, we're gonna just field it and you know, sit take the take the wax off the ball, take the shine off the ball, soften it up, away we go. What the fuck is Zach Crawley doing? Swafting at everything, just wafting at absolutely everything.
SPEAKER_01:But fair play to Mitchell Stark, he put on it, he he he put that bowling attack on his on his shoulder. Granted, I don't think the bat and shot selection was the best, but with the only like all name named fast bowler in that team, he put that country on his back and absolutely ripped through England.
SPEAKER_00:Hazel was just been ruled out for the yeah for the whole series, which is a positive for England. But look, Scottie Bowling ain't bowled all right. He ain't too bad. Uh who was it, Doggett as well?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, he did all right. But again, is this more to do with England's because Bolan got spanked all over the place in the first innings for the very few runs that that England did score. Um but he he started moving and and he's he's a seam bowler. Brisbane under the lights. He if England don't if England don't switch on and go, yes, it's good to attack, but sometimes we need to we need to root in. I was listening to Michael, I think it was Michael Vaughan say during the the series against India in the summer, against Bumra, when the ball was hooping, I heard the same thing. England sat back and and managed it, managed really well, put the bad balls away, attacked the other bowlers. Yeah, they just they just didn't do anything, anything like that against against our side.
SPEAKER_00:What I don't get is we're one for 99. Sorry, 99 for one. Let's get it correct and say it the right way around. Lunch, day two, brilliant. We're gonna crack on, we're gonna be sensible, we're gonna come out after lunch, we're gonna see it away again, get settled in. Next thing you know, we bowled out. I could not believe it. And you see what is it, Brooke, Pope, and Root all get out to exactly the same ball, exactly the same shot. What instruction is coming from the dressing room?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I I don't know. And Root can settle in and just Root should just need to settle in and bat. He he he should take on the Alistair Cook role of scoring a hundred off 300 deliveries.
SPEAKER_00:Well, he's never scored a hundred in Australia. I think that's playing heavily.
SPEAKER_01:Well, well, Crawley's now on a on a on a pair, yeah, so he's he's gonna be thinking about getting his first runs. Um Pope's looked in good nick though. Like Pope Duckett looks alright, I'll give him credit. Like I was I've I've been quite surprised with Pope. Like again, not scoring lots of runs, but out of the English bats batters, and and England can bat deep as well. So I summary Which is the really frustrating thing.
SPEAKER_00:I summarised it this way: Australia got out from England's bowling pressure, right? So England put a lot of pressure on them bowling, and it was well played by England. England got out in that first innings through stupid shot selection, Mitch Stark having a bit of a day about it, but we were still scoring runs. In the second innings, England could have done exactly the same. They could have scored well, they could have scored freely, but they just take the shots too far. Like they just they try and drive everything, they try and score off of every single ball, and that needs to settle down. But what makes what does make me laugh is that Travis Head comes out and does exactly the same thing and was able to score a batch is everyone.
SPEAKER_01:Well, and that then, but then that flips onto how Paul England's bowling was because you can't have a devastating attack and expect them to go back to back days of hitting 90 90 odd mile an hour. You need you need to allow to to to rest. Yeah, granted, that did there wasn't a lot of overs in in them, but it it's just it was just so frustrating to watch, and now it's going into a hooping around with the what with the pink with the pink ball, they're the best pink ball test test team. Um Australia.
SPEAKER_00:But you you need I think you how do we prepare for it though? Like we've got three they're playing golf. They got they're playing golf, and there's also three of them who weren't even selected Bethel, Tongue and Potts have gone to Canberra to play in a day nighter.
SPEAKER_01:I don't know what the thinking around it is. I really don't. Does that mean some of our bowlers are injured? I don't know whether it's a case of lads, let's just wipe it out, let's just relax, get in the nets when we get to Brisbane, uh, and we can start prepping there, let's get it out of our heads. Because you surely you wanna, if something's been put on for you where it's specialising in the pink ball, surely you want to go and take advantage of it.
SPEAKER_00:I one thing that I've just thought of like have they planned their squads prior to like any anything happened. So test one's gonna be this team, test two's gonna be this team, test three. Yeah, because if they're preparing tongue and who's the other one, sorry, pots one of wood or archer's gotta go. Yeah, you could or could cars, I suppose I suppose.
SPEAKER_01:No, no, cast you'd probably keep in. Yeah, um because they need to manage their minutes. You now need you now know Wood and Archer are gonna be rotating for the rest of the series. Atkinson could probably play all five, so there's gonna be one one bowling. Uh I don't see any point in bringing in Bashir. Um he he can't hold up an end, and you need that, you need that down here. Stokes, Stokes can be the do the spinners job. That man can bowl 50-15 overs on the trot if he needs to.
SPEAKER_00:He can.
SPEAKER_01:Um just coming back from injury though, so that one's right. But Tongue, do you bring tongue? But he gets spanked all over the place. This is when you're dropping back to your 75, 80 mile an hour bowlers. Um, who when it's who you've got to be waiting until it gets dark so you can actually do stuff with the buttons. Um but in the day sessions, they're just gonna get absolutely torn out all over the place.
SPEAKER_00:Massively excited for it. What what changes do Australia make? Kawaja, he's he's apparently had to pull out of a golfing event today, got back spasms or so from golfing event. That's the last thing I'd have told him to be going and do. Nathan Lyon apparently injured as well. Hazel would obviously not come in. But look, I'll be honest, it might be controversial. This Australia team is there for the take-in.
SPEAKER_01:Hugely. Like they were there for that. That would probably be this is that would that that it was going to be Australia's worst bowling attack this series. It's only going to get better when coming comes back in.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, which he's a question mark, isn't he? For this.
SPEAKER_01:And you need to take advantage of that. You just need to switch on and play. It's not an ODI, it's not 2020. You've got five fucking days to play. Just relax. That's what I was. I was texting you. I was filthy. I was fuming on Saturday. I was absolutely fuming watching it. Like my phone nearly went through the TV. Like, I was I was when I was messaging you, I was just.
SPEAKER_00:I had about 50 beers and went to the pokies to you on my song.
SPEAKER_01:Stop playing, just start playing properly. It's not anyway.
SPEAKER_00:But let's be realistic. Like, we've got the day night test coming up in Brisbane. How do you see it going?
SPEAKER_01:If England bat properly and England win. I really do think they've they've got they've got the full package to be able to beat them. Um, I think it could very much be a high high scoring affair. But if England turn up and bat like they did in the first, it's gonna be Australia done in two and a half days.
SPEAKER_00:We need to win it, like there's no doubt about it. We can't go 2-0 down, otherwise, yeah, we I don't think we're winning all three after that. Um we need to win it. I do think we will win it. I think we'll learn, learn from our mistakes. After seeing that first performance, then and how do you think the series is gonna go? Obviously, we've got we well, not obviously, but we've got tickets to Sydney day one and three. Day three, questionable whether it's gonna be happening. But um yeah, do you think how do you reckon it's gonna be sitting going into Sydney Test five? I'd love for it to be 2 2. Imagine.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, but that yeah, that that would be pretty incredible to be honest, wouldn't it? Um I can see it though. You can you can see it happening.
SPEAKER_00:We we win the next one, we win the day night somehow. Um we win the one after that in Adelaide, they win the box, they win the Melbourne test, it goes into Sydney 2-2.
SPEAKER_01:Um this is all hinging on if England's batting turns up.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um I'm not too worried about the bowling because I thought I reckon that could get firing. Um and how often do you get do you see Steve Smith get squared up like he did?
SPEAKER_00:There were some devastating balls being delivered.
SPEAKER_01:Like I I I don't think their batting lineup is as strong as it has been historically.
SPEAKER_00:No, they can all score they can all score for fun in the in the Queensland Cup in Sheffield Shield or whatever it is.
SPEAKER_01:I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm gonna go England, they're gonna win it 2-1. I don't think I don't think it's gonna be very high scoring. I think there could be a washout in there.
SPEAKER_00:Hopefully not Sydney. Hopefully not Sydney.
SPEAKER_01:Going for a washout. Um but it's it's normally Brisbane that normally gets gets washed out. Um but yeah, I I I think it could it could be 2-1 England.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, well, I'll tell you what we'll do. Well, we'll film another reaction podcast in two weeks' time after that. But um, yeah, we'll leave it there for that one. Thank you for tuning in. Remember to hit that subscribe button, like, share. Try and get us up to 200 followers as soon as we can, 200 subscribers, and we'll uh catch you in the next one.
SPEAKER_01:I really do hate Test cricket.