Manly In Crisis

Manly fans, this one might hurt. We start with a light weekend catch-up, then the gloves come off as we break down how the Sea Eagles unraveled against the Newcastle Knights. From the first set, the mistakes, the edge defence, and the kick chase, it feels like the team is missing something more basic than talent: effort, clarity, and leadership. We talk honestly about what “identity” looks like in rugby league and why Manly’s attack and middle rotation aren’t giving them a platform.

That frustration turns into the bigger question hanging over Brookvale: where does responsibility sit between players and coach? We get into Anthony Seibold pressure, questionable team selection, and the kind of changes that can actually shift momentum. We also float recruitment and roster-balance ideas, including what a read-the-game hooker could add, and why giving young forwards a real shot might inject the energy Manly’s pack is missing.

Then we widen out to the rest of the NRL: the Rabbitohs moment that sparked a pitch invasion, why Anthony Albanese being on the field rubbed us the wrong way, the Eels knocking off the Broncos, the Warriors rolling the Raiders, the Panthers defending like a premiership machine, and the Tigers showing real signs of progress. We finish with our match tips for the week, including a couple of calls that aren’t exactly safe.

If you’re into NRL analysis, coaching debates, and honest fan talk, hit subscribe, share the pod with a mate, and leave us a review. What’s the single change you’d make to fix Manly right now?

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello and welcome to another episode of They've been doing it all day today. Scooby-Doo's less confused than Manly at the moment. Let's get stuck in.

SPEAKER_00 0:11

How was your weekend?

SPEAKER_01 0:14

It was good. It was a good until five past four on Sunday at uh Brookie Oval, if I'm being perfectly honest. Um how about yours?

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Uh you know what? The start of the weekend was actually pretty good, although I felt considerably ropey on Saturday. There was a dad's drinks um for my son's school organized and went along to that. And I won a meat raffle. Yeah. And I won a free hat from the brewery. There we go. But I also drank too many beers and felt absolutely ropey the next day.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

So Christmas is that you're not drinking till?

SPEAKER_00 0:49

Yeah, something like that. Um, I feel like I just need a whole reset. And I feel like every weekend I'm like, nah, I'm not gonna drink this weekend, and next thing I know I'm 20 beers deep. It gets you, it gets you.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Um, I was uh I said to you, I I very much woke up on Saturday, saw the sun, such a beautiful day, and I was just like, I need a beer. I just need to enjoy, enjoy a beer in this weather.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Couldn't think of anything worse, couldn't think and until, like you say, Sunday rolls around, and then things can actually get worse. But one thing to touch on quickly, England's Six Nations. Uh, shocking. Um the Six Nations in general, shocking. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Six Nations in general was incredible. Like one of the most competitive, I think, Six Nations there has been in a while.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

The fact that Scotland could have could have won it.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Yeah, I did I did see something on the Good The Bad the Rugby earlier where I think Joe Marler and James Haskell talk, and Joe Marler made a good point. I think it's the England fans had hyped up England more than England hyping up themselves, if you know what I mean. I don't think it helped that they went 12 games unbeaten, um, so they're expecting something big, but um again, poor tactics in in poor tactical decisions which which ruin momentum and and and cut them cut.

SPEAKER_00 1:59

Discipline, discipline as well, too many yellow cards, um, too many penalties at key points. Questionable whatever the penalty was for that won it for France. But look, if you don't if you stay strong and you you stayed play to the rules, you don't give that away, and you end up winning that game, and what a fantastic victory it would have been. We'd have given Ireland the the Six Nations, but I would have preferred them over the French. But anyway, uh get up to anything else this weekend apart from out and hankering for beers on Saturday and manly on Sunday.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

Pretty chilled, pretty chilled to be honest. Nothing uh nothing to write home about. Um, but I I do feel like we're just skirting around the main thing that we really want to talk about this week. And um this could be a big segment of just pure rant. Oh, mate. Honestly, it was the club's in bits. I've seen I've seen club footy teams a little more organised than how Manly looked on Sunday. Especially with losing Ponger and Brown in the second half. I thought, here we go, it's gonna come out firing, but nothing. Nothing.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

The tone was set from minute one, right? And like you're sitting there, we're sitting there, it happened pretty much in front of us. The ball goes to Luke Brooks. You could see him look at it and go, that's gonna go out. Step forward and go, that's not gonna go out, and then just let it bounce, bounce out the back, and they score from that first set. Defensively looked shocking on the left hand side or Manley's right hand side, Newcastle's left-hand side. They just strolled over. There was no one there to stop. I can't even remember it is that scored the first try. But um, I feel it just comes down, I don't know, like effort.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Effort, but I I also think leader because leadership as well. Because we we've been we've been there the last three seasons now, three seasons under Seabold, and the club the teams regressed, like it's it's not it's not got any better. If anything, it's got worse. Tactically, they uh I I don't I don't understand this concept of the the the the wing is constantly biting in when there's an overlap. It it's it's pointless because you've got you've got people there that aren't making the tackles, you've got Saab who's just trying to fly in and and just doesn't make the make the tackle, yeah. Um and you've got on the other other wing, you've you've got um uh uh hapuate who who who just sometimes fills into mind. Why why they aren't just flowing and and Saab just allow the the the man to cut on the inside and if they cut inside and they beat Garrett, they they cut inside and beat Garrick, but then at least then they've got the one-on-one on the outside, and and and and you should think turbos should be behind there, flying across with them as well to be able to get there. So I I I just don't I just don't understand how after three years that hasn't been fixed.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

One other thing that bamboozles me, right? We bought in a number seven with probably the biggest boot in the league in terms of height, maybe Mitchell Moses can come close, but and Matty Burton, enormous leg that puts significant hang time on the ball, and you think brilliant, we'll be able to get down there, stop them deep in their in their 20 or their 10, and they won't be able to get out. And every time the ball was kicked, it went up in the air. You're looking at it and you're like, fullback makes a catch, or one of the wingers make a catch, and no one is in within 15 metres of them. And someone mentioned it, I can't remember who it was during the game. DC was the one that ran down there all the time. Every time he booted the ball, even though they weren't the greatest of kicks, like they didn't get the biggest height, he was the first one there putting effort in to hit whoever it was, or at least slow down whoever it was that caught the ball. And it's not just in that aspect of the game, you also look at the effort in line speed, like Newcastle were up in Manley's face as soon as the ball was put on the floor, bang, they were up on the line and were stopping us one, two, three, four metre gain. Whereas it seemed they could just make they were just getting the ball, passing it around for fun, creating space, and I don't know, it's just so shit. And what it just tops it all off when I talk about effort is Ruben Garrick, six minutes to go. Alright, whether whether we had gone on to win the game after, I don't know. Like on the day, I was kind of I was looking at it going, he's done that to try and get a penalty out of out of Dom Young, who made the tackle. But the fact there was no one near him when he played the ball, and Saab's absolutely run off to a completely different direction, not even focusing on where the what could potentially happen. He was looking for the offload inside or looking for Garrick to give the ball and has just gone, ah, I don't need to jog back. He could have been the person that picked up the ball and ran. Everyone was offside. Saab could have picked the ball up and scored easily. If someone would have run after him and followed, yeah, alright, there's only six minutes to go, but fucking move yourself, like get down there, and it was just terrible, it was absolutely terrible. And like you said, Ponger, Fletcher Sharp wasn't there, uh, Dylan Brown was out, and we looked like the team that were just that were missing all of those players.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

And and that's what it comes down to is again, I I skirted on it with leadership. There was a moment, uh, I think into the second half where Turbo took took the ball at dummy half and no one was set up for an attacking play. We were like five to ten metres out, and there wasn't attacking, there wasn't any attacking set set up. So you've got to look at it. Is it is it the halves aren't setting things up? Is is Foggetty not really gotten in the in the rhythm yet to be able to set up the attacking attacking lines. Do they have any attacking plays to actually run through? Surely, surely they should. They've got but but it's it's getting there, and you're not seeing anything. You're not you're not seeing any any any sort of identity, I suppose, in that. Like the couple of kicks where cola chased down, they ended up one of them they ended up getting a scrum off, and I think that's when Foggetty or Turbo scored. And then the the other one, uh, which was ridiculous, was they end up getting to the get into the tri stopping it five metres in, and they end up going coast to coast. And it it it it was it was just baffling, absolutely baffling.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

Our ability to keep the pressure on down in the when they're in their 20 is ridiculous. Like I said, it's terrible. Last week we pinned the raiders down, I think it was we spoke about this KO weeks, fumbles the ball, they get down the other end. This week, exactly the same situation happened again. Bradman Best seemingly just walked through the middle of the line. I don't know who it was. I would take a guess, it's it was either it was on the right side again, yeah. Right side again. I think it might have been Garrick or it might have even been Nathan Brown when he was on, I can't remember. But then just takes off, and it's just an easy like try. Look, at one point we were 12-nil down and we brought it back to 12-10. There was a contentious call at the very start as well, where was it Saab maybe who dived off the side and batted it? Yeah. I haven't watched a replay of it. Whether it actually went forward or not, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 8:56

No, it didn't because it had to go backwards to come off Ponger.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

That was it. Or whoever it was. But look, Ponger was he was outstanding when he was on. Brown was outstanding when but the fact that they both injured, they had no flexure sharpers back up. They had two people rotating on their bench for their final two interchange. It was just shocking. And you look at some of the stats, like we had our forwards, and it's a what it's worrying where our forwards are at. Like Paseca had nine runs. We've got Jake, who had three. Like, we can talk a bit more about this in a second, about his what his future looks like from people that are fans, not like any knowing anything about the situation. Ola Kawatu, arguably one of the most devastating second rowers, running the ball. He got seven runs. Ethan Bullimore, seven runs. You look at all of the nights forwards, they had double-digit runs and they were breaking the line, running hard, and that's where they're setting up the space. It seems like I heard before the season, or just like reviewing Man in general, their philosophy is to spread the ball quickly, move it about, try and get it wide. And it seems like we can't do that. Teams have just figured it out and gone. Do you know what? If we put pressure there, if we bring someone in there, if we cut out that ball there, it's just it will shut them down.

SPEAKER_01 10:09

Really worries me after watching the Roosters against the Warriors, how what the score line's gonna be. I I I I honestly worry about Manley's attack because the line speed that the Roosters have is I think one of the best. Yeah, like the the speed they they can get up and shut down attacks. I'm I'm I'm I'm worried in that sense. And there's just no oomph in the middle in the middle of the in the middle of the park either. Like you've got Poseca who who looks still a little bit, you know what? I'm not too sure on how my body can hold here. I I was watching it on the levels, um Willie Mason was saying about how Oli Kawatu he should be having 10 runs a half. Like something's gonna happen with when he's got the ball in his hand. So it's it's it's a case of I I just don't know. I I just I just don't see what yes, the players have come out and said we we have to do we have to take a bit of responsibility.

SPEAKER_00 11:03

There were a lot of mistakes, like of course you do. We'll talk about Seabold in a minute and a little and the pressure that he's under, but there were a hell of a lot of mistakes, 15 mistakes made by Manley, and some of them were absolute howlers. Luke Brooks in particular, two I like there was a lot of pressure. We were going down one end. Turbo dropped one.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Turbo dropped one, and it just seemed like I think they scored three to the so the two Brooks knock-ons and the turbo one. I think that's where three of their tries came from.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Yeah, and it's just mistakes like that that just can't happen. But I look at Jake Treboyovic, and like we've known Matt, like you say, we've been following Manny for three, four seasons, and you can never talk about someone that's taken like a head knock because you never know, you've never been in that situation, but it just seems like he has lost a step, and confidence might not I don't know, like confidence might not be a hundred percent. And I heard the Byround podcast talking about it, and it's like if you drop Jake, does that impact Ben, Tom? Like, I'll give Ben his dues, like he hasn't been the best in recent seasons, but he looks like he's he's just running.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

He's just can he's just going about his business. Like he had a solid performance, like he's his his hands have got better. Um he's he's hitting the line hard, he's making tackle, he's making tackles. He's uh I think I said he he was arguably the best performer for Manley on um on Sunday. And rightly so, he's he's he's stuck at his craft and he's he's earning he's earning the odds. He's he's he's playing a lot better than than some of the others on on that on that on that squad, and it's it's it's it's really starting to show.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

It is one of the things that I saw earlier, which I thought was quite interesting. Obviously, Manley are gonna get linked to absolutely everyone, like Bronson Sherry were linked to him, and then um Connor Watson as well. Yeah, I saw Connor Watson. Connor Watson, which like I said, we're gonna get linked to absolutely everyone, but that would be someone that reads the game, reads it from Do you do you allow Garrick to go early to then get Watson? I mean, I would. I think when we've got an overload of of backs, I think we need more we need more oomph, and they need and this and this is what we we do.

SPEAKER_01 13:10

Uh we do need a hooker who who will will give and drive. Um, and this is what I was saying to you. Go after Bronson, and I reckon you drop Saab and bring on Blake Wilson and have Cherry and Wilson on that on that right right side. Like, there's the you you then think about the aerial attack, but Saab doesn't bring anything. Like, I I when a ball goes up to win, I'm I'm backing the ball.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

Like it's it it it a lot of the time, and you talk about his speed, but other than that, like what what does he offer? Like, it's not like you say he's jumping up and competing for the high balls because he's not getting there, no, like no one's effort is to get down there, and I don't think we were in once in a position on Sunday for Fogerty to put up a ball, which I don't think his balls that he kicked up when we were near the goal line were that great. Like they came, there was one I remember that was in front of us. It came so short, there was no pressure on the try-line in order for Saab or whoever Ola Kawali to jump up and actually go for it. But on the team selection front, like this is where Seabold is in control, and this is what he is responsible for. The mistakes on the field you can kind of let go because they're players and they've come out and admitted too many mistakes. But the team selection is one thing that I just don't understand and don't get. You've got Joey Walsh, who he was talking about minutes and like wanting to get him to play cup, but something needed to change. We needed some spark, we needed someone to inject something into the game. He's not on the bench. Instead, we picked Corey Waddell, who doesn't even make an appearance, and he was terrible last week. We're lacking forwards, and we've got two huge bodies men playing in New South Wales Cup. We've got Fafita and Laafe, and everyone talks about oh, Laffey's too young, he's he's only 19 years old, he needs experience. Well, Cooper Bay that plays for the Titans, 19 years old, scored for the Titans this weekend against the Dolphins, and it makes you think why not just pick them up? They would play without fear if they're good enough, play them. The young kids that are not scared of reputation, they want to prove a point and they want to get out of there, be physical. Look what um Laffey did to uh Sean Kepi in preseason, ran him over and ran him into the turf. He's gonna want to prove a point and come on. If he's not selected for the Roosters, I'm telling you, I think I might rip up the season ticket, the plastic season ticket before we even go.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Something big needs that something big needs to change. Something big really needs to change.

SPEAKER_00 15:26

I read earlier that Fafita's on a on a training trial as well, so I don't know whether that needs obviously come over for the dragons. How they didn't extend his contract, so yeah. I don't know when is it one of those ones where he's only activated from round 10 onwards? Can he not be picked? But he's another big body, and I don't know, it's just so frustrating. But it's the biggest frustration about this is when Turbo comes out and players come out after, and they go, Yeah, got no excuse for that. You've got 17,000 people in the stadium that are paid money, and you've got people that pay memberships, and manly bloat uh they gloat about their memberships and how many they've got, and this, that, and the other, and you turn up that dross. I it's like patience wears thin quickly, and I think that's where there's a lot of calls for Seabold out. And oh, I'm fully on that band, my gun.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

Uh there's there's a there's a gentleman in in England who I reckon would do a fantastic job, and uh I think it's time to bring about in Willie Peters, get straight on the phone to him. Imagine how much long as he got at the Broncos, I'd bring him him straight down. That that would because one of the things I've I've got to say is the players looking fit. Like, I don't know what they've been doing in pre-season, and I can't exactly talk. I like I've I've I've I I'm a half marathon and now I've been out for two weeks with me foot. Like, it's it's there's uh something needs to happen, and there's a spark, there's a spark that needs no needs to needs to go into it. But there needs to be a change, like you know, when that new manager bounce comes in and and I was shouting to that at work and I was uh uh uh today and I was saying about Sean Edwards, like not necessarily coming in coming in as a head coach, because I don't think that's his role, but if he came in as a defensive coach, like uh I wrote in 2008 when he was under Warren Gutland, Wales conceded two tries in the 2008 um Six Nations. Yeah, so uh he I know that France scored is conceded 19, but it's really hard to keep up to it. But that he he's he's he's proven that he he can he can work and so but is he been too far out of league now? And uh same with uh Andy Farrell, but like there's there's there's names over there in the in in rugby union at the moment who are who are bringing strong teams together. Will they venture back over? You just don't know.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

And the thing is, like, obviously Mashtrov went, so Mash uh Seabold was Mashtrov's hire, so Jason King has almost got a an almost free play, but he's got a free play to go. This wasn't me.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

So the next higher is going to be huge. Yeah, the next the next hire is huge because because what happened with Dez, Seabold's come in and just not worked. Yeah, Manly have now been out of really any sort of competition for the for the for the Prem for a while now. They are that sort of you talk about sleepy giants, but Manly are a team that need to be on the cusp.

SPEAKER_00 18:12

Like last year, there was so much promise until DC came out and did all that shit, and then we got injuries, and then this, that, and the other happened. But last year could have been a year if things had gone another way. That not contending for the premiership, I don't think we were good enough, but we could we beat all the top teams, yeah. So something was in there, and then all of a sudden, to drop off a cliff like we had and genuinely look like like I was joking last week saying we're not gonna get the spoon, like we lost by one point to last year's premiers, who then got waxed by the Warriors, but we actually look like spoon contenders. That was one of the worst performances in sport in general, yeah. I think I've ever seen. Really bad. If you had to give Seabolder a um lifespan that you had to prove himself, how long are you giving him? A couple of weeks, if that. I reckon we need to beat the roosters.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

If we don't beat the game, if you if you don't beat the roosters, uh I think if we get embarrassed by the roosters, I think he's gone. And I I really think Roosters could put 50 points on us.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

We're preview it next week and we'll go through what we think's gonna happen next week, but I don't know, like DC coming back to four pines park. You think that might g up the boys to get stuck in? Manly have got a week now to or 10 days to sort themselves out. Let's hope they're not just sitting on their thumbs feeling sorry, sitting on their asses, sorry, twiddling their thumbs, feeling sorry for themselves.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

Well, my mate saw Alakowatu, Taki'aho uh, and Garrick, I think it was, and Cordy Waddell outside of Donny's on Sunday after the game.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

So, yeah, who knows? And Takihaho once come back maybe in a couple of weeks. I don't know whether he'll be fit. He'll be a welcome return, but again, like it's an aging forward. Geezer's been alright, he's been solid, but he's not that powerful runner through the middle, like that forward that just brings it. And I think that's where the young energy would come in of Laffi. Yeah, just give him the ball, see what he can do.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Um, I suppose from the the laws of Manly to the highs of Rabbit O's, and uh even though they they lost the game, great to see a little bit of uh a momentum, momentous occasion. And I've got I've got to say I loved the uh the pitch invasion. I'm I'm I'm all I'm all for that. Fully on board. As soon as as soon as one went on, the the the the stewards were like as soon as the roosters fan went on, then everyone went on.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

The one thing that pisses me off, right? Anthony Albanese, like why is he why is it making about him? Why is he on the field? Get off. You're the prime minister, like get off the field, don't make it about you. One, you should be slapped with a five and a half gram fine because you entered the field of play, but just let the man celebrate his moment. I know you're a rabbit hose fan, fair enough, but don't make it about you, get off the field. But what a great scene, and the best shot was like they'd all obviously started diving on top, and then it went to the above shot, and you could just see like the people coming in from all angles. Um but I you could argue that the rabbit hose were back in the game, they might have even been winning off that try. I can't remember, I can't remember how it was.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

It was it it was um it was a great game, and like the the rabbit hose have really impressed, and the roosters just I think we're we're just we're just that the defensive speed is is ridiculous. It is so fast. The likes of Lindsay Collins, Angus Crichton, they are so fast off the line, and it is it is scary.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

But I I reckon the field in the pitch invasion, had it have not happened, Rabatos hold momentum and they go on and win that game. Yeah. Whereas what happened was they come out, like the height builds up, then the adrenaline comes off, they've got to go out, get themselves charged up again. And look, DC didn't have the greatest of games last week against the Warriors. But if there's one thing the man can do, that's stick a grabber kick in that causes disruption, and then when you've got a weapon like weapon like Tedesco dives on it and away you go. But look, close game rabbiters look good when they when they need to, roosters have fired back. One that we did not see coming though. Eels toppling the Broncos. Who knows what is going on?

SPEAKER_01 22:04

I said it to you. The Broncos are playing like to get match sacked. I always go to it's always quite fun of the meme that goes around when um I think it was Liverpool versus Blackburn and Steven Gerards as a as a penalty, I think, to save Roy Hodgson's job. He looks over at the bench and then skies it. Um and and that's how I feel the Broncos are playing at the moment. You you see like Walsh dropped an absolute clanger, like an absolute dolly. And he just he just goes about ah, right, I'm just gonna I'm just gonna crack on. Like there was no emotion, there was no emotion for the players either. Like it would just it just felt a bit bit not scripted per se, but it just like and they they were dominating the game, and they with the which is a thing I don't understand. They were absolutely flying, and then just the the foot came off the pedal and they were struggling.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Gotta give credit to the eels though. Like they they looked they looked alright. This is the Eels. That's the sort of performance from the Eels that I thought would thought would come. Josh Shadow Carr came back, um, and Mitch Moses was just so good. So good. I do think the Eels are going to cause problems for a lot of teams this year. Yeah, so do I. And I think the Broncos have got, mind you, look at last year, they just finished the season strong and then look what they went on to do. So we can't write we can't write anyone off at the moment. The Panthers finished bottom of the table or bottom of the table. Oh yeah, actually, manly. But um a team that had performed very well over the first two weeks of the season, which I didn't think would happen. The Wars, they absolutely destroyed the Raiders. This was on the this was the Friday night early game, so I was sinking a few beers whilst winning meet raffles, didn't really pay much attention to this. So when I flicked the score and I was like 40 points against the Raiders.

SPEAKER_01 23:43

When K weeks went over, I was like, I may have got this slightly wrong, yeah. Uh but then they were just one with the with the ground as they as they are, score 40 odd points, 40 points on the chart, and it's they just the attack was just from everywhere. They they they made the Raiders look very uncomfortable. Um and uh I think the power in the middle um really really helped. We still got Mitch Barnett to come back as well. Yeah, um and Luke Metcalf. So uh you've got it you've got to hand it to him.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

Um they're solid in New Zealand, it'll be interesting to see how they go this week and how they travel.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Fisher Fisher Harris had another good game, like he was he was very much leading from the front. Um and I it's just I want to go back actually. Sorry, just to briefly touch on the the eels. One one player that really impressed me in that game was Kalmatoualange. He he had an incredible game, took the lid off and was just running over people. Um the reason why it reminds me because I it the Lecca Hal I was just about to say about Lecka Halasima and how he's he started, and they've both got that little the little Lorat's tail. Um bit of a quiet start to the season from Hody Young. Also, Tarpane, he gets away with murder against Manley.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

He should have been binned early on, and he should have been binned in this game as well. I didn't see it. I know you messaged me, but I wasn't watching it at that time. Did he lift the leg again?

SPEAKER_01 25:05

No, I think it was a high shot. I can't I can't I can't remember what it was, but it was high shot, no arms, and it I think it was straight in the face. And I was just like, how's he got away with that?

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Um yeah, there's people like uh the Storm, I can't remember what who did they play Storm play last? Storm Eels, maybe last week, and oh what's his champ chops? McDonald gets just knocked out coal by one of the Eels players, and there's nothing the geezer could do about it, and he gets binned mental. But I tell you, one team like I've tipped them to be premiers, and I'm happy with my choice. Yeah, they just look solid. The Penriff Panthers just look solid.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

Defensively, defensively, I agree. I I I don't think I don't think the sharks the the sharks could have attacked for about three days, and I don't think they would have scored any more points. Where where is that is that where where they they lack and in what we were talking about and what I've said at the start of the season, why they are just a cemented top top six seed team, but their inability to be able to break down strong defensive teams is their downfall, and that's where you've got the likes of Nico Hines to that need they need to come up with something else.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

Um, Panthers hadn't conceded a point in three halves of football, which was which is mental.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

Defensively, they're they look incredible, they look solid, they look, they look relaxed, they looked, um, they look like they're they're there attacking wise. There are occasions where it's like, have these lads actually played together before? There was a few hospital passes and there was a few row passes, and I'm like, hmm.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

Uh, which is the only on in the season though, and which is the only thing I can say about the Panthers at the moment. Jenkins is having a great start to the season. Uh scored, I think he scored a couple last week, a couple this week, but they just look like business as usual. Yeah. Like they lost to the Raiders, yeah. It was the Raiders they lost to last year in the in the finals, was it?

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Yes. Yes. No, they beat the Broncos, lost the Broncos.

SPEAKER_00 26:57

Lost the Broncos, sorry. Oh, yeah, and then the Broncos lost the Raiders. Uh, Raiders lost the Broncos. So it's like they've just gone, they've gone, do you know what? We're not far away, we don't need to tweak much, no one's leaving, off we go, as usual, and they're just carrying on. Team that has surprised, or not surprised, but the performance they put on already against the Cowboys, but Tigers look good. Yeah, like they look they look settled.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

Um Jerome Lua had an absolute ball game. Absolute ball game. Adam Dewey at six, he he was it, yeah, he was six, wasn't he? Um I think it was. No, no, he's Dewey seven Lua six. Yeah, so they they look settled in the halves, bringing in all all the all the all the the the weapons they have. Um they've got the like the Terrell Mays, like Pierce Paul in the within the second row. I I I sort of mentioned that him at sort of the back end of when we were going for our selections, but I hadn't realised how much of a powerhouse a powerhouse he he was going to be and how much of an impact. Again, it's against the Cowboys. They've shipped a fair few points at the start of the season. Um, but if I was a Tigers fan, I'd be very happy with how they look at the moment.

SPEAKER_00 28:04

Yeah, how they've started, how they look. Um, be interesting to see how they go this week. Like the Cowboys, it feels like it's manly and the Cowboys for the spoon, which is which is mental. Um, but yeah, it'll be interesting to see how the Tigers back that up. Good performance. Benji Marshall seems to have got them humming a bit, and his ways are kind of working now. Uh, but moving on to the storm, yeah. That could have gone one or two ways that game against the dragons.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

It was it was um it was quite strange. Um up and up until just after half time, like the dragons looked like they were they were in it and they were gonna cause a bit of an upset, but they just then flopped, I think is is the is the is the greatest thing. Um but again that's just Storm's brilliance. Harry Grant again, another great little try where he just lets everyone everyone just flow and he's just pummeled.

SPEAKER_00 28:56

Yeah, looks off he goes so good. One of the turning points I think in the game was Gutherson went off for a HIA. Now, interestingly, I didn't actually think he got hit that hard in the head at all. And is are the referees cracking it down and the doctors cracking down on if you go down and like hold your head and stuff like that, you've got to come off for a HIA. If that's the case, fantastic because it all eradicate that from the game. And this is if that is the case, this was a pivotal moment because he obviously at the back is solid, can read the game pretty well defensively. But after he went off, Falongo just carved up, like he saw the space, he saw the gaps, he knew the fullback was out of position, and he just literally gooeys on every single step as well. Like, you don't know where he's going, what he's gonna do, he'll plant his foot in the floor and just disappear. And yeah, he won them that game, but they're just stacked with stacked with players. Last year they lost that game. Obviously, it was horrendous weather down is it Cograt Oval, but this one was down in the gong. Um they just they travelled well. Dragons, not the strongest of teams, but long old season for them, and Storm just looked like weather carrying on.

SPEAKER_01 29:59

Yep, and then finally the Dolphins managed to get it just over, like just just get it over against the Titans. Um, bit of a bit of a derby feel about this game, though. I think is is is is the best way. No one really wanted to make mistakes. It was uh cagey, it was cagey at times, um, and then just a little bit of magic at the end just seals it for the Dolphins.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Yeah, I I thought an upset was on the cards at one point. I was like, oh no, here we go. Everyone's tipped the Dolphins and the Titans might win it. But like I said, Cooper by just takes the ball on an inside line at the right time because the ball was played quick out the bottom of the ruck, running inside, two dolphins players are running into each other, haven't hadn't cleared the ruck properly, hadn't got up off the floor, goes over. Kid that just is gonna go out and give it his all. It's exactly what Manly needs to do.

SPEAKER_01 30:49

Yeah, very much so. Um nicely leads us into the tips for next week. Uh well, this week, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Tips ain't looking too good so far.

SPEAKER_01 30:57

Uh no, I've great. No, it's been been I did. I think I've got five this week. I haven't even looked. All kicking off on Thursday uh at the Geo Stadium in Canberra with the Raiders$1.87 against the Bulldogs$1.97.

SPEAKER_00 31:11

Interesting. This is um gonna be a tight game. Yeah. I'm not 100% sure who is gonna win this. It's gonna be a stab, and obviously, Bronson Sherry been dropped out because his attitude stinks and he could be off. Yeah, um, I it's what I don't know. Canberra, will they bounce back against the Warriors against their performance against the Warriors? It's at home. Bulldogs was that weren't the greatest in in Vegas. In fact, was it Vegas the last time they played? Yeah, it was there on a bye last week. I reckon the Raiders win this game.

SPEAKER_01 31:45

I don't. I thought I'm gonna go for the Bulldogs. The reason being is Bulldogs have had the bye, and the Raiders have had to travel to and from New Zealand. Um, I think a little bit of that travel is gonna be uh have a little bit of an impact um in into it. Um and I just from what uh from what I've seen from the Raiders over the over the dogs, I think the Bulldogs have just got that grit in them to be able to turn them over.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

Yep, that takes us into Friday. The 6 p.m. kickoff is at the Allianz. The Sydney Roosters,$2.39 against those Penrith Panthers at$1.58.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Um I'm gonna go for the Panthers in this. Uh defensively sound. I think anything that the Roosters throw at them, I reckon the Panthers are gonna be okay to deal with. They're gonna have some different threats in regards to sort of, I suppose, DCE linking it with big Marky Mark and Tupot. Um, but I think defensively and attacking structure wise, I think the Panthers have got this.

SPEAKER_00 32:45

The wingers will be a difference in this because Brian Toto is quite short, not quite high that can't gets found out under the high ball. Origin and Xavier Coach, yeah. Showed that. So I reckon their plan will be to attack that side, and I think it's Marky Mark that's it might be. I could be wrong on that one. I think this is going to be a close game. Um, I think the Roosters will show us what they've this will give be a good leveler of where they're at. Um, but I think the Panthers win it.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

Yeah, then that moves us into the late kickoff, um the eight o'clock kickoff on the Friday. The Melbourne Storm at$1.35 against the Brisbane Broncos at$3.23 already. Um at Amy Park as well. Storm. Storm by a big amount as well. I don't think it'll be big. I don't I do defensively, Broncos just look all over the place.

SPEAKER_00 33:35

Yeah, I reckon it'll be a 13 plus or I don't know. I don't think it'll be like a 40. They might score 40 points against him. I don't know, but I think it'll be 13 plus margin of. I'd be betting over the line, whatever it is, whatever it is, over that. And then Saturday, we are at the McDonnell Jones Stadium, Newcastle Knights, Manley's Nemesis at$2.37 against the New Zealand Warriors at$1.59.

SPEAKER_01 34:00

So this is gonna this is gonna be quite a tough one. Um Sandon Smith and Fletcher Sharper in the halves. Ponga hasn't been named. Warriors are gonna be away, so we're gonna get to see what they're like. Um but saying that, I I I saw I didn't see enough from Newcastle when they lost their sp their sort of spine. Whereas the Warriors are on a on a high, and I I reckon the Warriors are gonna get the win.

SPEAKER_00 34:26

Yeah, I reckon the Warriors are ticking. I think they got um some good link up play. I think they're using their weapons appropriately. Warriors get this one done. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 34:38

Um, and then we're back at the Ocean Protect Stadium. I like I quite like that name with the$1.43 Sharks against the$2.85 Dolphins.

SPEAKER_00 34:48

It's the Sharks at home, they just do they play boring because they just run down the middle. Um, dolphins will want to bounce back from that performance against the Titans. They got the they got the W, but I don't think it was the most convincing performance. Interesting, it all depends what the weather's doing this weekend in Sydney as well, because the weather at the moment is absolutely shite. So, is it gonna be a wet one? I don't know, but sharks for me.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

I'm gonna go for the sharks as well. Again, just because they're at home and they just go about their business and they'll want to bounce back from the Panthers performance. So I think that'll just give them that little bit of an extra, extra edge.

SPEAKER_00 35:25

Then the 7.35 game, we're up in Gosford. Little Seni Coast Adventure for the South Sydney Rabbit Hoes at$1.57 against the West Tigers at$2.40. I think this is gonna be a good game.

SPEAKER_01 35:35

I think that's quite disrespectful for to the Tigers as well. I don't think there's that much in it. I think just because the Tigers have had the one game, um, they're they're they're selling them a little short. I'm I I'm gonna go out on a limit. I'm gonna I'm gonna back the Tigers in this one. Um I s I saw enough from them for the Cowboys to see that the Rabbit O's are gonna cause them a little bit of trouble. If they can shut down that left edge, because one of one of the things you watch from from last week, they were trying to get Alex the Johnson over the line so much that they really forgot about their right. Um I think it may be a little bit of that. They're gonna try and force it too much, and the Tigers are just I I think there's enough in them to be able to sort of take a little bit of a leap and get ahead.

SPEAKER_00 36:18

Joe, I'm gonna join you on this one. I reckon the Tigers Tigers get it done. Like it's not a it's not it is a rabbit hose home game, but it's not really home field, so it's almost a neutral venue. Yeah, and I reckon the tigers are gonna have a bit of a few fans potentially up there with some of the players that they've they've bought in. Um so yeah, I'm gonna go for the tigers.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

And then that brings us to the first game on the Sunday, the five past four kickoff, the Parramatta Eels at$1.42 against the Dragons at$2.87.

SPEAKER_00 36:47

Hmm. Eels. I think the Eels are they're gonna be buzzing after that that victory last week. Um, they're gonna unlock some of their weapons. I'm just seeing who else who's been brought in, no one. Uh sorry, I forgot what I was gonna say. Uh yeah, they brought in the same team as last week, few names brought in to support, but for me, uh the parameter eels.

SPEAKER_01 37:17

I'm gonna go for the eels as well. I I I saw enough of them uh to to to really cause a bit of an issue to the dragons, and that the dragons sort of slipping off um is is quite worrying in that in that retrospect. So I'm gonna join you with the with the Eels though.

SPEAKER_00 37:30

And the last game of the round on the Sunday, it's another Queensland B. Yeah. Uh it's the Cowboys at$1.60 against the Titans,$2.34. This one is in Townsville.

SPEAKER_01 37:43

I don't know whether the sports bet know something that we don't, uh, because those odds don't seem seem right. Um Cowboys are dreadful. Like, I think they they're just above Manly at the moment, and on that and how how dreadful the them two have been. Where the Titans have a little bit of umph and I'm I'm I'm gonna back the Titans in this one. I think they were they were quite very good against the Dolphins. I think they've got something in them to cause the Cowboys issues.

SPEAKER_00 38:12

I agree. I I fully back the Titans on this one. Like you say, I don't know why the Cowboys are$1.60 favourites, they've not looked good at all in their first two games. The Titans have look looked alright, like uh the first game of the season. I know they got absolutely waxed, but they looked like they'd improved, figured some things out last week, and I think they're gonna get better week on week. So I'm gonna go with the uh Gold Coast Titans in this one, and then finally, Manny on the bye. Two points, two points back of the net, secured, finally got some points on the board, um, and away we go. But wow, that it's needed. The boys need to be out on the field over the weekend, they're not not messing around and getting things done. But that wraps it up for another week of review and tips. Be sure to hit that subscribe button, give us a like on this one. It everything every little helps, and we will catch you in the next one. See you later.