INSANITY!

Manly fans know the feeling: you open the team list hoping for a spark, then you see no changes and the dread creeps in. We talk through what that says about confidence, coaching, and whether sticking with the same plan is brave or just stubborn. With Anthony Seibold under the microscope and a tough match looming, we ask the uncomfortable question about development too: are young players being protected from a bad season, or are they being denied the chance to learn in the fire? 

From there we hit the week’s biggest rugby league conversations beyond Brookvale. The Brisbane Broncos situation feels like a proper implosion even after a win, and we unpack why staff exits, internal arguments, and symbolism inside a club can matter as much as what happens on the field. We also get into the new six again rule and ruck infringements, the “dark arts” of slowing the play-the-ball, and how teams like the Penrith Panthers are turning defensive resets into an advantage. The trade-off is obvious: more blowouts, more momentum swings, and too much referee interpretation unless the NRL tightens the line with clearer standards and more sin bins for deliberate fouls. 

Then it’s a fast run through Round 3 with the moments everyone’s replaying: Panthers brilliance, Roosters struggles, Storm’s second-half collapse, Dolphins making a statement, gritty defence in Canberra, Rabbitohs attacking threats, and the Latrell Mitchell penalty try moment. We close by tipping Round 4 with odds and calling out the matchups that feel lopsided versus the games that could surprise. If you enjoy honest NRL analysis and the weekly chaos of footy fandom, subscribe, share this with a mate, and leave a review so more people find the show.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello and welcome to this week's episode that we're doing all data. Some old visa ones said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Let's get stuck in.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Love the f philosophical intro, mate.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

We might as well go straight into it. Okay, dive in. Dive in dive in. What is Anthony Seabold doing? I don't know. What is he doing? At four o'clock today, I get an email from Manly Boringa Seagulls saying team lists have been revealed. I'm there excited, thinking, do you know what? Here we go. Gonna see Youngblood bedded in. We're gonna have a go. And the first opening sentence is there's been no change to the lineup from round three or round whatever bloody it was, round two. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't even be bothered to read on. Like it's that pathetic. Corey Waddell is now named in on the actual bench. Like in the see SIBO does it in a weird way where I think he names top four of the like the first four on the bench of the four that are gonna play the be the rotation. Laffey's in it 19 and I can't even remember who's 20 or sorry, 18 and 19, but it's just it's ridiculous. No change. We are gonna get walloped.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Um yeah, it's it uh it's not looking good. It's not looking good. Um but saying that the the old roosters have conceded, they've shipped some points to the start of this season. Um I was listening to something or read something where no one's really having a go at Trent. Trent Robinson at the moment.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Or you say that I did uh funnily enough, on the just before I left to come over to come over here, I saw that um Polytis or someone has come out and said he's safe in his job because there's a few murmurings of he might leave his contract early or he might be gone. But I mean, look, they've had 40 put on him twice in three games. Um and the root they when they played the rabbit hose, it was a tense affair. So I don't know, anything can happen this Thursday, but I just I I'm not inspired.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

No, like I feel like I'm not inspired either.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Feel like I'm rocking up to Brookie with the inevitable gonna happen, and it feels to me like if Manley don't get this win, then the writing's on the wall, Seabold can absolutely do one, and I think the hill will just go absolutely immense.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Yeah, I th I think it could turn, I think it could turn inside the ground. So we'll uh we'll see.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

Yeah, but my week anyway. Yeah, how was you how was your week been? Back to my week. Um, yeah, not too bad actually. Went went to um uh what was that navy thing that was on over the weekend in the harbour where all those navy ships came in and they did like a review of the fleet, I think it was called. Uh so we went across to Rose Bay, had lunch at Rose Bay Hotel, and then just played in the park there and watched the fighter jets fly over. We went a lot across on the mount because a bit of a nightmare, obviously. You have to go manly to Circular Key, Circular Key to Rose Bay. So we were on one of the big, big ferries, the old Queens Cliff. We went past a couple of the ships, and the old sailors were on the edge waving, the boys absolutely loved it. Um, so yeah, it was a good afternoon. Started pouring down with rain at one point, but we managed to stay dry as well. So that was Saturday. Uh that was it with them. Just watched Footy over the weekend.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

But what about yourself? Uh, pretty, pretty similar to be honest. Nothing, nothing much. Um, bought a new plant, which is prior place in the uh in our living room. Um alive and well, a few days old. Alive and well. Um adds a bit of ambience to the uh to the living room now. Um but no, that's about it to be honest. Nothing nothing crazy.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Chilled weekend, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Pretty chilled, popped out for a few drinks on um on Saturday. Uh nothing, nothing crazy, uh, to be honest. Um, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Yeah. Interestingly, I saw earlier the um Ashes, England Ashes Review came out. Internal inquiry. So the public aren't even gonna like we're not can't even read into anything. But the three themes that they came around with are basically boys love getting on the booze, preparation wasn't good enough, and the um pathway to county from county cricket's not good enough. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

Tell me something I don't know. Yeah, well, great review, boys.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Yeah, like what's wrong with the boys going having a beer? Yeah, I know they're losing, but like let them have some time down.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

Maybe what the thing is, this was all it was all planned with them probably being up or the series being a lot tighter with this trip to Noosa, and it's only it only looks worse because of the situation that we were in.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Yeah. Um we should go to the um T20 game at the SCG, I think November the 29th or something like that. Going to that, I think it's a Sunday, so hopefully it won't be too much of a late one afternoon one. But I mean, the worst thing I think happened that happened on uh Ashes Tour was when, like, from a social standpoint, is when Zach Crawley decided to spill his cash all over the streets of Noosa and they were public picking up like dollar bills all over the place. Other than that, like yeah, the Ben Ducket thing can do one. Yeah, big old situation at the Broncos unfolding this week though.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

I know it's it's all it's all gone Pete's hunger.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

It's it's it's properly imploding. I know, like from a club legend having his name removed from a conference room. Like I'm I'm not quite sure whether it's like I don't know, I don't know much about the structure of their conference rooms, but was it a main conference room? I don't know, don't know, and that's been that's been scrubbed as well for uh an NRLW representative, which positive move. And Gordon Talis has come out and said like fair play, uh, and it doesn't take away from his accolades that you change with the club. But it turns out that I read today that um assistant coach Ben Tio Yeah, he's he's gone. He's gone, he's walked out, he had an argument with Madge on Friday, and that some of the like not related probably, but some of the people refused to use that conference room. So a couple of things boiling up.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Um like I say, it's all imploding a little bit there at the moment, and and and you'd think after a decent win over the storm it would have all settled down a little bit, but um it's uh there's there's clearly animosity amongst amongst the but the playing and coaching staff, and it's just uh is it if is everyone disagreeing with Madge? And it it's it's come come to this point now where everyone's starting to to bail. A player's gonna start sort of downing tools soon as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Um I listened to I can't remember whose podcast it was, but Ben Tio was on a podcast, it might have been the by around, not too sure. But he came across as like a player as a coach that really cared for players um and really respected their opinion. And it feels like is if he's sided on the side of the players, yeah, and this has led to this disrupt this argument, which apparently obviously happened before the storm game. Yeah, they go out with that game. Um, and then on the Monday they tried to patch it up. So yesterday they tried to patch it up, and then he's just quit. He's gone, nah, can't do this, see you later. So I don't know, it'd be interesting to see how things unfold from here, especially with losing Payne House as well.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Yeah, he's well, he's he's gonna that's more of a end of a season thing, isn't it? So it's it's gonna be uh yeah, it's there's just it's just it just doesn't seem right there, especially off the back of winning a premiership, you don't expect the team to come out like this, everyone sort of pointing fingers and and hierarchy starting to to tumble. So unless unless Madge has come out and what what sort of Gordon Talis was saying about Adam Reynolds is is he tough enough to play? And that's where it could have all stemmed from. Was was Madge actually in the change room going, right? What's the issues here? Should you be playing? Um do you really are you really injured?

SPEAKER_01 7:24

So well they beat the storm at home. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It's an interesting one, but a couple of a couple of other podcasters done this about just reflecting on this rule change that's happened this year. The new six again rule, obviously, they've changed it from a six again being outside the 40 instead of a penalty inside the 40 to now outside the 20.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

Yeah, what's your thoughts on so far the impact of it's had on the game and um well there's no there's no implication for for for teams causing issues at the rook.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Or being offside, unless it's continuous and then a penalty's blown.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

But even then, I don't think the referees are really really pinging it.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

So but what because it as soon as they get out their 20, you can just go, okay, then you've now gonna march the field in in six tackles, and we'll just keep slowing you down.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

Whereas before, and this is my grievance with it, you get pay penalised because they boot the ball 30, 40 metres downfield and they're within attacking range straight away. Whereas now, and some people keep alluding to it, like the Panthers are experts at doing this, like the majority of their rock infringement penalties come from either first or second tackle, light and in the opposition's half. So they slow the players down, slow the player or the ball down and go, right, let's reset on our line. Yeah, and we're just gonna stop you.

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Well, I think it was Willie Mason was saying it. It was saying how the the the dark arts around the rock have really improved it uh for them, and how they're if they're out of defensive structure, they'll just lay on a bloke for another couple of seconds and let it reset, get it reset again, and then we'll we'll we'll still stop you.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

It feels like they do it inside their own 20 as well, like they've got massive kahunas, and I think at the moment they are a level above everyone.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

How many points is it 10 points they've seen in through three games?

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Three games, and like we're talking about one of the best defensive like structures, like people talk about the Bulldogs, but the Panthers at the moment are just phenomenal. That's ridiculous. They have the confidence to go, you're not getting past us, but even still, they go, All right, we'll stay on top of you for a couple of seconds so we can get reset, and then you're not gonna get anywhere near our goal line from doing that. They they've been pretty good, but one of the things I heard Craig Bellamy say on um the new Channel 9 programme, I've forgotten the name, but um, is that it'll be interesting to see what athletes come out of this in like 10 years' time as to like the longevity of their career and what type of athlete is as well, because you look at the likes of Nelson Osofa Soloma Solomona, like he never would have survived. I guess he might have, like, this is me jumping the gun here. But a man that's like over two metres tall, hundred and however many kilos, trying to keep up that pace. Yeah, I don't think you're gonna see bigger forwards in the game anymore. I think it's gonna have to be a hybrid, like a hundred kilo athlete that's just fit as anything, and just uh I think we're gonna see the loss of of some big some big boys.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

Yeah, and it it it's is it is it sort of pushing towards the rugby sevens sort of style of of play where it is just a constant attacking intent? But the thing the one of the things that you'll have to look at is if they are going to keep this uh penalty outside of uh outside of the 20, do they do they then add an extra tackle in? So it's it's it's a case of that they they have the the the attacking team have the ability to get further on the field and put themselves into better better position. Because if you're if you're just getting absolutely battered and you're just being kept inside your 20 and 30, but there are rook infringements happening and you're still not being able to move the ball, it it's not going to benefit a team, it's not benefiting teams at all.

SPEAKER_01 11:03

I believe there's a bit of an inconsistency with referees at the moment as well. Some referees are pinging it a lot quicker and a lot more frequently than other referees.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

It's too much open for interpretation as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

And that's the problem, right? What they need to start doing is deciding on something like I don't know how you codify it and I don't how you make it black and white, but if you commit X amount of ruck infringements in a phase, certain period of play, a set, whatever, someone's got to go to the bin because that will stamp it out and it will improve people clearing the ruck, like getting back in, getting square. And I just think having someone sent off for some or like putting the bin.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

Surely someone should just go. The the referee should have the the now to go if it's a it's a if it's a deliberate foul, it should be in the in the bin because you don't have bookings or anything in in the game. But if it's a borderline sometimes but in football, yeah, and in in rugby as well, if there's a deliberate foul committed, there's there's a bin in. It's it's it's a yellow card.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

The the knock-on, the the obvious trying to intercept and knock on is one of the put them in the bin straight away.

SPEAKER_00 12:03

You you've got someone lying down for six seconds, seven seconds, knowing exactly what they're doing, waiting for the straight up game, bump gun, you've got you're 10 in the bin.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

What game was it over the weekend? Was it Eels Dragons where um someone didn't realise that the penalty had been called or something? Yeah, it was the Eels Dragons, and he just grabbed him as he ran away and he got bin. Like it's it's nearly as deliberate as that. Like laying on someone is pretty pretty deliberate. But one thing that you mentioned there about it feels like it's now attacking, attacking, like score, score, score. Basketball. Exactly. And I don't think the game's designed to be like that.

SPEAKER_00 12:39

No, it's not 100% not.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

It's it's it's not uh it's not an end-to-end, it's not an end-to-end game, and it needs to be a game for the fans where they can get up and get behind solid defenses, like big hits, um, great like tackles, whereas at the moment it just feels like it's creating tiredness to open up scoring opportunities. And I do think another point that was raised was momentum's a big thing to get back if you haven't got it. And we are seeing some one-sided scores in the first two rounds, yes, like 40 odds, 50 odds, like it's a low scoring score. So I don't know. I'm still on the fence. I think it's gonna be like anything. I think they're gonna start the year hard on it, and it'll just they're gonna get feedback from fans going, you know what, this is not good for the game, and then come origin time, probably some of the best origins that we'll see, high pace, everyone hitting everyone. We're going to game one, aren't we? As well, so hopefully that one will be good, and then it'll reset and and yeah, because last year's product was so good, like the competitive nature of the games last year. Yeah, I mean, look, the Broncos did exactly what they did in the grand final on Friday, so has much changed? I don't know, but it'd be interesting to see how this plays out over the season. And if anyone gets pinged for Manley on Thursday night for being slow. 100%. I'm pretty sure it will. But let's get into round three and we'll kick it off with Manley's opponents on uh Thursday night. The Roosters got absolutely turned over by the Panthers, and as we've mentioned already, like they do feel like a cut above the rest. Some of the tries in this were ridiculous. Brian Toto, like Ozy got the ball, little nudge for him, little nudge, picked it up, but and like I think it's Tedesco in his face, has literally just dropped it, nudged again, run around him and scored. Incredible trip. Try of the season, I think, already. If you had to compare that and like Mark Nawang and Itowase from last year, where he around the I I reckon that's better because it's two phases that he's had to get right. Which one? Uh Tito's, yeah. And like everything's had to have gone perfect, like the balls had to have bounced perfect. Mark could say that about Marky Mark as well.

SPEAKER_00 14:42

So no, I say titles, but because it's the two phases, yeah. It's fifth tackle as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

The other incredible thing, uh, Papaliti's pass out wide, like as a big man, as a big man, to bullet it as fast as he did, to skip a man out any, I think any half in the game would be frothing over that pass. And we're talking about a big man just whipping it out wide and scoring in the corner, but they just are on a I worry, like we've got them round nine at the combank.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

I will not be venturing out of the combat this game. No, I don't I don't I don't think I'll be venturing out there. And and the one one of the players that you've got to say is absolutely reaping the awards of what's happening at the moment is good old Milky Jenkins. Like he's scoring for fun at the moment, and he's just he's just reaping the awards of of being involved in an incredible attacking attacking structure. He's he's got so much room out on the wing, but I'll I'll give him his dues as well. He's being able to make some hard finishes when he's not got a lot of room, so he's he's he's starting to to come alive uh a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

He stays fit, like it might be worth a little flutter on top tri scorer this season. 100% could be a chance at it, but it seems yeah, roosters have had 40 stuck on them, they're gonna be banging for blood.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Yeah, yeah, unfortunately, it's gonna be also the core. But they just didn't look like they were gonna do anything.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

Nah, they started well. First 10 minutes, they started really well, and then Panthers just took over for the next 70.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

I could I couldn't believe the shift in in momentum in the game. It's it they just uh uh what with the old Fox AI momentum tracker. Oh, I don't um but just just how it quickly changed on a on a on a knife edge, and it I think didn't did clear was it this game or last week clearies 42? I can't remember everything all the games just mould into one. Um no, I think it was it was it was last week, but uh uh the week before, sorry. And and again, just it he's just dominating the games now, he's just controlling the games. And uh is it is it the year he actually turns up at uh can he do it on a can he do it on a mild Wednesday night at the MCG?

SPEAKER_01 16:51

That's the biggest question. Um but onto momentum swingers, Storm 14, Broncos 18. I thought Storm were gonna absolutely stride away with this one at half time, and then Broncos scored a minute after the break, and next thing you know, they're 18 points of 14 up and 15 minutes.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

I they just didn't like the storm just didn't do anything in the second half, right? I I was I was goldsmacked, they were just uh I did I don't think the Broncos really changed much. I think this was more of a Storm's Storm loss than it was a Broncos win in the sense of I think Storm got complacent and just didn't didn't do anything talking about polit teams switching off, right? They were ripping them up. Broncos looked like all over the place at what at one point in the first half, and to come out in the second half in that in that sort of style and and get 18 points put on you, and you don't even look slightly scoring yourselves.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

Nah, they didn't, and that was a worrying thing. Like at home, they're usually like don't get me wrong, Farlongo does look like a problem. Like Papenhausen's gone, and they've just bought in another geezer that dances around all over the place, can break a line, and he's fast as anything. Um, but even he couldn't even he couldn't get it going in the second half, which was interesting. But like fair play to the Broncos' first win of the year without Adam Reynolds, obviously the the pain point of of what's been going on. Um I still think they'd be up there. Like sending a blip in the road for the storm, Broncos would be interesting to see how they bounce back.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

Yeah, 100%. Uh no, like I think the storm have got the quality the quality in there, and and um they're gonna be in and in a round there, but it's it it it to be fair, like you say, it's it was similar to the grand final as well, like they where the storm looked like they were gonna walk away with it and then they just switched off. Um is is is that a thing with them? Is it they do they take things for granted and and against the bigger teams they get bit they get bitten from it? Because if you if you look against the dragons, they it was only that last probably 10-15 minute period where they then ran away with it. Yeah, so is is there is there something more mentally within that squad that's starting to rear.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

Yeah, possibly. Be interesting to see how they bounce back from this. I surely Bellamy's got a shotgun. I'll give it Ruppman a new one and they'll just it'll be absolutely sound. A result I didn't see coming though, nah dolphins tearing apart the sharks. Like I I knew the dolphins could potentially cause an upset, didn't say it last week, said that it was pretty confident the sharks would win at home. Sharks were just outplayed, they were out skilled, they were outworked, they were out creativeness, if that's even a word, and the dolphins just blew them off the park.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

And and this is this is the thing, when you've got quite I I suppose I don't really want to use the word creative because that's boring, but when when you've got sort of very fast-paced weapons weapons, uh the sharks seem to crumble. Yeah, you you saw it against the Panthers last the week before, you saw it against this week. When they're being stretched from from a creativity point of view, from a from a set piece point of view, they they really struggle to to defensively stop it. Um and when there's that pressure on on the sharks, again, you go to Nico Hines, where is that grabbing the team by the scruff of the neck and and bringing them forward and going, all right, lads, we we need to we need to switch it on a little bit here. It just it just net when the sharks start getting beat, they it's I'd love to know what the stats are like around when when the sharks start losing by a certain amount, how many games they actually come back against that they they do because I don't think they're a massive.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

It's like they almost throw their toys out the pram, like they're like they try stuff and it doesn't work, and then they start like coming up against a brick wall and just don't know what to do and they sort of sulk and then kind of yeah, down tools almost. But in this one, like spoke about Papali's pass, Katoa's pass. I I feel like I'm fairly alright at passing a ball, right? Like, I feel like I can I can whip a ball pretty well off my right hand, off my left hand, like it's not as good. But to do what he did, like from pretty much like where the number even not even the numbers where that mark is, whatever it is, like all the way to the sideline, looped it, pace fast, so quick to the winger, like it might be up there pass of the season already. It was off the especially left-handed, yeah. Like, I just I know they're professionals, right? Like, we should expect to they do this every day, Benjamin. They do it every day, but especially him.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

He's probably probably there's a good majority at every training session where he's probably passing, but still it was an incredible pass.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

Like, I think it will be pass of the season unless there's something out, something else out there, like that'll beat it. But Dolphins, I'm telling you, like they're looking, they're looking all right.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

A bit of a shaky game against the Titans, and uh well, which I think just ends up being a bit of a sends everyone's sort of radars all over the place, especially going into this this week. But um, but yeah, they're they're they're looking they're looking solid.

SPEAKER_01 21:55

They are. They got an interesting one this week against the Broncos, so um Yeah, that would be a good old one to show where they're at. I want to talk about the stadium of the next one for a little bit. We've been there. We went down to Canberra and we didn't walk away with cuts on our hands because of how shoddy the stadium was. We were freezing there.

SPEAKER_00 22:17

I was cut, it was close to frostbite.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

I think I think my hands could have frozen to that pole in front of us.

SPEAKER_00 22:21

It was not warm. It was not a warm day down in Canberra.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

I heard once that the GIO stadium, whatever it used to be called, was one of the most like advanced or or modern stadiums in Australia. And now you've got Cam Seraldo apparently sliding the door. I'm not too sure about that. Yeah. Like it seems to me that sliding a door wouldn't unless he slid it in, I don't know, in not in celebration. Because I don't know if it I think it happened at the end of the game. I'm not too sure. But as he walked away with a slice of the.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

They had leaking in the change rooms as well, didn't they?

SPEAKER_01 22:55

Oh my word.

SPEAKER_00 22:56

Like the bit the thing was falling into bits.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

The conditions were terrible. Like it was absolutely pissing down with rain. A few handling errors in the game as well, which you can expect, but I can't really remember much from the game. It was on Thursday. Feels like forever ago. Bulldogs walk away 14-10. I think it's the Raiders have done well. Like they were putting pressure on like fair play to the Bulldogs defence. I do remember they were under the kosh, like for a fair.

SPEAKER_00 23:20

Yeah, they were. They were. And then they went on up the other end. And like to be fair, the both both both teams defensively periods during the game were under a lot of pressure and were able to hold. And I think this the scoreline does reflect a very good defensive performance because in that sort of weather, you've got to play a lot of up the up the jumper rugby, and it's it's not a case you can't fling it out, you can't do a lot more extravagant passes, you've got to go for the the safer options. Yeah, but it's still not easy to defend against. And I think both teams were defensively sort of sound with with all their pressure that they faced.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

I did think the Raiders were gonna go. I I thought the Raiders would pinch it at the end, and they didn't, they just couldn't get it over the line. But fair play to the Bulldogs. A team though, the next game that we'll look at the Rabbit O's Tigers, like fair play to the Rabbit O's, but the Tigers look in a bit of trouble now by the losing. Although Dewey apparently is just a uh tight hamstring.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

But if your hamstring's tight in round three, yeah, that's not a good he's he's a bit he's a bit injury prone, though, isn't he? He's he has he's had some few serious injuries, I believe. He's he's he's he's missed a lot, he missed a lot of last season as well. Well, missed a bits of last season as well.

SPEAKER_01 24:31

Um but he had it he had that his leg like in compression tights, and then um he must have got it strapped at half time or something, because when he did it, like you could see under his shorts that he had tape on his like top of his hamstring. Okay, and he goes down and you're like oh dear, and I can't remember whether it happened before or after, but Luai, MCL four weeks. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 24:54

That's that's the that's the biggest thing. It's it's the the the now their their engine room, their creativity is is under question. Um Dewey's been named this week. Um we'll see how how how true that is, but I suppose closer to the Warriors away with Luke Metcalfe's just come back as well.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

So I has it has it been properly named or he's been named.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Um but but look, oh yeah, I I've I've I've gotta I've gotta I've gotta hand it to him. Um one boy that I I he sung his praises last year. I pr I sing I love this boy. I could I could see a magical little genius in in him um last season, and this year I think he's just improved so much more. Like he's he's a player that attacking wise he he can create something out of out of nothing because he's just so nippy, but defensively for for a small bloke, yeah, he he doesn't he doesn't half throw himself about and it he he just he he flies into things at 100 miles an hour, he's got no regard for his body.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

When you see, I can't remember whether it was Jerome Buller or Skelton that had the ball at the end, but it was an inside line, handed it to him, and it's like either of them, Gai Grey, pretty much on the goal line. Like I think it's about four or five metres out, yeah. Uh surely runs over him. Bang, hits him, like does the old acceptance tackle where you just but knew his role. Yeah, stuck knew he had to put his body on the line, being an undersized individual, put his body on the line, stop him from going over. Because I reckon if they score there, that would bring it back. They were, I think they would have been two behind if they'd have converted. I think they go on to win the game. So, game winning tackle, and another one that was absolutely outstanding with Jack White and in the centre, it's like he was I think he was hitting everything.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

He's he's he's he's did he score in this? I can't remember if he scored or not. But he's he's he's he's he's having a hell of a hell of a season.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

But this is the thing because I I said it last last week about the left and right, about the left and right, because there's so much emphasis on their left-hand side, and rightly so he didn't do that apart from the um I didn't Latro Mitchell score actually and Alex Johnson score. So I don't know what you were talking about.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

Yeah, but I think David I think David Fafita set up for Jai Gray's try as well because he ran through. But you've got to put so much respect to that left-hand side as the defensive as a defensive team, it almost creates space for the right hand side and then lets the right hand side create like um be a little bit more creative. And and that's what's happened with uh Campbell Graham has is managed to flop flop over a couple of times as as well this season, and Whiteon's just having a a solid start, and they're just doing what they need to do.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

White and did score, so yeah, white and grey Mitchell Johnson, not not a bad corset. Tries coming from all over the place, tries coming from all over. But a controversial bit in this match, um Latrell Mitchell's tackle on Macassimi as he scored.

SPEAKER_00 27:42

Yeah, so when when you originally watch it and it's it's got it from the angle from like front on, you're like, ah, it's it's a bit soft, it's a bit soft. But then when you see the angle from behind and you see Latrell Mitchell, like he's nowhere near punching the ball out.

SPEAKER_01 27:57

I think it was a left-hand arm carrier as well, and he's going with his right arm to his right side of his face.

SPEAKER_00 28:03

He's he's nowhere near the body. Um, he's he's you couldn't you couldn't argue with it, yeah. He's he's he's he's full-on just punched him in the face, like or just hit hit him across the face. And I you've you've got to say the commitment, yeah, you it's not it's not a try until the ball's put down, but in that in that point of view, and then that scenario, it was if he hits him a little bit harder or catches him in the wrong spot, he knocks him out, probably drops the ball, probably doesn't get the try.

SPEAKER_01 28:27

So I'd say it is worthy of a penalty try, yeah. Eight-point try. Um first time I think I've seen an eight-point try.

SPEAKER_00 28:34

Yeah, I I've it was more we may have seen one actually.

SPEAKER_01 28:37

I didn't think it was a rule, I didn't think everybody was. But I just find it interesting as well, they've got to make the conversion, so it could still only be there's no advantage to it. And it was a decent kick that Dewey slotted over from the sideline as well. So fair play to him. I think the old that that was the shot when there was the uh Bulldogs fan in the background that lifted his top up and did a little belly dance with a fans. So interesting that that one. Um, but yeah, next opponent for the Tigers is the Warriors who just tore apart, who tore apart the Knights, right? And this is exactly what a good team does against a team that is missing some of their best players, they just tear them apart, and Warriors have got the competition on notice, I think, a little bit at the moment.

SPEAKER_00 29:20

Massively, and especially with them their next game back at home, which where they've just been incredible all already. Um look, I like you say, they just they just knew what they needed to do. They stretched the nights. Um, to be fair, when Fletcher Hunt went over, uh, I was like, okay, here we go. Now maybe maybe the knights aren't that sort of beatable, but then the Warriors just went on an absolute hammering streak and just showed showed their class. Uh they they stayed calm throughout the game, didn't really do anything stupid, just knew what their game plan was to get over them, and then just managed to execute all throughout the 80 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 29:58

Exactly. Yeah, and fair play to Tanner Boyd, like coming over, like didn't have the most successful careers, not like most people do, the Gold Coast Titans, but came over to the Warriors under a bit of bit of pressure, like to perform, and he's been fantastic so far. And this week, hopefully, he's gonna have partnered with um Luke Metcalf. Metcalf in the halves. Like heard someone say that from last year's Warriors starting 13, they're losing six of their starting players, or they've currently don't have six of their starting players, so they could be a force to be reckoned with sh when they're all fit and later in the season when they need to be. Um, but yeah, Warriors, Warriors looking good at the moment. Then Eels Dragons. Um, was this Sunday? This was some Sunday footy. Uh, there was one incident that I'll talk about in this, not going to cover too much about the game. One, I love Addo Fox's breakaway try, though. Addo Fox had a car, the Fox where he's running away. Um, but a nasty little hip drop. It was not nice. Nah, and I think it's Hopgood, Hopgood's out for the season. Yeah. Uh ACL. But funny enough, I actually just went on NRL.com and Couchman's been handed a four-game ban. Which the talk the thing that I was going to discuss in this, but that's been clarified, is that last year Toff Sipley got done interestingly against the Dragons as well, or against the Dragons. Um, he broke Matt Fagai's leg. Uh at the time we it didn't you didn't know it was broken, but yeah, um it came out after the game that it was, and it was accidental. I'm pretty sure if I remember rightly, didn't like Tavanger bump him or something, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:29

End up flipping and he fell on him.

SPEAKER_01 31:31

Um, and he ended up getting a four-game ban. So I was gonna like there's calls out there that because he's ruined his season, that he should get an eight-game ban, or it was or flip of that, it was a pure accident, so therefore, should you punish him?

SPEAKER_00 31:45

Like no one goes out to uh you st you still you still have control, you still have control of where you put your body and then and how you execute tackling. So it not everything is is an accident, per se. So he still needs to be punished for it, just with the consistency of sort of last year. And I don't think a result of a tackle should be should be the should always be the the the injury doesn't determine the sentence, yeah. No, a hundred percent like granted if it's uh a 10-yard uh 10 meter sprint at someone's head with your shoulder, 100%. You should be you should be banned for life, but in these sort of instances the injury shouldn't really reflect the the punishment, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:25

So four games is fine, yeah. I think for that one. Um what we round four, we play them in oh so couching will be out, I think, for the manly game. Interesting. So last game of the weekend was the Cowboys Titans, yeah. Bit of pressure off of Todd Payton for now. I did I did think I did think at a point the Titans are gonna come back and get this one done.

SPEAKER_00 32:46

Yeah, I did uh I'm disappointed, very disappointed. I I think that um the the the game against the the Dolphins was a little bit of I get what you mean now, like blue smoke smoke screen, really smoke screen, uh um because you you look at what what either what both teams went on to then do, um it's it's a bit a bit frustrating, Tracy, in that in that sense. Uh but you know it could could well be Titans and Manly for the Spoon, if I'm being perfectly honest.

SPEAKER_01 33:16

It's a worry. Like I had a thought as well. I'm thinking of driving up to the Seabus Super Stadium to watch Manly in July because it might be a spoon early spoon bowl can container. I think we play them as well at Four Pines Park. Um, I've got the uh schedule on my fridge at home. When I went along to the fan day, there was a uh little handout you got that was a free a schedule you can stick on your fridge, and every time I look at the fixtures, and I think Titans is like round 20, 20 odd, something like that at Four Pines Park. But yeah, we play them up at the season. Ignore me about round twenty then.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

Saturday, 7:35 kickoff, and then yeah, Sunday the 19th of July. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:55

But your birthday birthday month, start of July is my birthday. Okay, that's 10 o'clock. Might drive up there. So drive up there on the Friday and Saturday, stop by like Tamworth or somewhere, just some few little places on the way. Yeah, go in to go out, just explore a bit of the bit of the north coast of New South Wales, then go and watch it, see if the gymney can handle it. But yeah, pressure off Todd Payton for now. Um we'll see how they go this week. But let's get into the round four tips. We're starting Thursday night for Pines Park.

SPEAKER_00 34:26

You know what? I never bet against Manly, and I'm still not going to. I think there's gonna be something about DC coming back, there's gonna be a lot of carnival around that. I think the boys are gonna be hyped. Um, I think under the lights, Thursday night, I think there's gonna be a performance and there's gonna be some magic bestowed upon us, and Manly are gonna come out winners.

SPEAKER_01 34:51

Yeah, alright. And look, I do hope we have I have egg on my face with what I'm about to say. I think Jose Mourinho once came out and said he is the specialist in winning, right? He said he's specialist in success, I think were his words. Okay, and then when he was talking about Arsenal, he said they were specialists in failure.

SPEAKER_00 35:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:14

I think Anthony Siebold is a specialist in failure. He took the Broncos to their first wooden spoon ever. Yeah, he also is not looking good for Manley and the Spoon. And like looking at this team sheet, and this is something that I reflected on earlier, and I heard someone mention about Tom Dearden, right? So Tom Deerden's career started at the Broncos. He only won four out or four out of his first 34 games. His first season for the Broncos was when they won the spoon. Who was the coach? Seabold. So all this talk about Joey Walsh, like get him in the team, get him in the team, do this. I wonder if he's still somewhat scarred from having a significant impact on a talented player, like people were saying he was the next big thing. He doesn't want to do the same to Joey Walsh because he might know that this season isn't going to be successful for Manley. So I don't know whether he's trying to shield him or protect him, but then on the flip side of that, you go, just give him a chance, give the boy a chance. You let the boy learn, just let the boy play, let him learn. But for this game, uh, I think we're gonna get absolutely battered. I think it's gonna be 40 odd 10, 40 or 12. I'm not looking forward to it one bit.

SPEAKER_00 36:26

Well, anyway, uh on to onto the Friday first game. Uh, we've got the Warriors uh at$1.22 against the West Tigers at$4.30 at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland. Wow, that odd those odds are big.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

It's because Jerome Louis is out. Like he like you can Tigers have got some good players, they have got some creativity, but without him, I don't think they're it's a bold statement. I don't think they're anything without Jerome Louis, which is harsh, but he really does take them to another level or a level above what they were. Warriors are gonna they're gonna win this and they're gonna win this comfortably at home. And then what a Friday night game. We're at the Sun Court, we've got the dollar sixty four Brisbane Broncos against the$2.26 Redcliffe Dolphins. I I I I genuinely don't know. Um Big Man Payne House is out injured, collarbone, apparently.

SPEAKER_00 37:27

Well I'm gonna go dolphins.

SPEAKER_01 37:35

Does it depend what the weather's doing in Brisbane? No, it doesn't. It doesn't depend what the weather's doing. I reckon the Broncos are gonna have a bit of a boutum. I reckon they're gonna bounce bounce back and off that win they're gonna be buoyant. I reckon Broncos cause somewhat an upset by beating my suspected top four dolphins. So I'm gonna go with the Broncos in this one.

SPEAKER_00 37:57

Jeez. Uh, which leads us nicely into Saturday for the three o'clock kickoff at the Accor Stadium. Jesus Christ, why? Surely, surely this loses money.

SPEAKER_01 38:05

Oh, randomly talking about the Accor, I read earlier that South Sydney, Rabbit O's, have been granted permission to play their games at the Allianz. Or they've got a split in between the Allianz and the Accor. Surely it loses money. Surely. It must do. Like, unless unless the Bulldogs pack it out with 40 40. For the Knights, they're getting I 10. I reckon between 15 and 20,000. It loses money. Saturday afternoon. Mind you, Saturday afternoon. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 38:30

Anyway, we've got the dollar twenty-three Bulldogs against the$4.20 knights, and I think that reflects very much well how the outcome of the game's going to be.

SPEAKER_01 38:40

Yeah. Bulldogs. I this will be a good one to get the attack going. If like to see, because there haven't been free scoring, they haven't been high scoring.

SPEAKER_00 38:48

You can't sleep on the knights either.

SPEAKER_01 38:49

You can't, but Bulldogs are winning this all day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:51

I know 100% agree with that. But I just don't think they can go into it with that mentality of our let's try out our attacking lines. They need to just get the basics right first of all.

SPEAKER_01 39:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:00

To then be able to build off. Um, but yeah, I'm gonna go with the Bulldogs as well.

SPEAKER_01 39:05

Just looking at all the fixtures this weekend, there are some serious mismatches. And I don't know whether this is a reflection, like we're talking about earlier, the six again rule of teams knowing how to operate it and then there being blowouts. But next game we got the combank. So is it a home game for the Panthers or is it a home game for the Eels? Who knows? I'm not too sure. But it's the$1.20 Penrith Panthers against the$4.60 Parramatta Eels.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

Panthers.

SPEAKER_01 39:28

Yeah, we don't even let's just move on.

SPEAKER_00 39:31

Panthers and then we're going up to the Queensland Country Bank Stadium for the nine. Well, not for not for the nine for the$7.35 kickoff. We've got the Cowboys at$4.75 at home in Townsville against the$1.19 Melbourne Storm. I think that is the shortest odds of the weekend, and that's with the the the Panthers at$1.20 as well.

SPEAKER_01 39:57

Mad Storm Storm. At least on Sunday, we've got like a fairly even-ish even game. We're down at the Geo in Canberra. Hopefully not raining. Hopefully they fix the uh the sheds and uh the coach's box. The Canberra Raiders,$1.85 against the Cornella Sharks at$2.

SPEAKER_00 40:23

When I think of the Raiders, I I I see them like very similar to sort of the the Dolphins and how they do have some weapons and have some speed. It's not at full strength of what it normally it can be. But seeing that how they defensively performed against the dogs, and seeing how the sharks perform against a team who can who can withstand pressure, and then how then crumble with a little bit of speed. I'm gonna go with the I'm gonna go with the Raiders on this one.

SPEAKER_01 40:53

I'm gonna join you. I think the Raiders at home, I think they get this one done if it's dry, which I think this weekend is meant to be dry, but um, yeah, I reckon they they win this one, Canberra Raiders.

SPEAKER_00 41:04

And then we finish up at the C Bus Super Stadium with the closest odds of the weekend. We've got the Gold Coast Titans at$1.87 against the St. George Illawarra Dragons at$1.97.

SPEAKER_01 41:16

Do you know? Um I like watching footy. I enjoy I enjoy watching footy. Like I watch mainly pretty much any game that's on TV. This one might be a miss. A bit of a struggle.

SPEAKER_00 41:29

I don't know. Uh Dragons have been scoring points.

SPEAKER_01 41:33

They have, and I do like Gufferson, I do like Valhomes. Um I love Moneyman, turipilotu, thanks Manley. Yeah, I am gonna back the Titans in this one.

SPEAKER_00 41:46

I'm gonna go opposite. Dragons. I I've seen more in the dragons attacking wise. Yeah, fair enough. The lat the two last two games, they've been thereabouts, all the way up to about 60-70 minutes, yeah. I don't see the Titans bringing the same effect as the Eels and then what the storm did. So I'm gonna go after the Dragons.

SPEAKER_01 42:07

Fair enough. Well, hopefully, we're gonna be sitting here next week and we're gonna be talking about how good man you were. Yeah, and we're gonna be two more points. We're gonna run four points on the ladder, and we're gonna be looking at it. Yeah, but if you if you agree with the fact that we're gonna be sitting here with Veg on our face, hit that subscribe button. Um, like the video as well. That helps out get us to a new audience. But I think that's about it for this week. We uh we've got a worrying Thursday night ahead of us. Let's just hope it ends ends successfully. Yeah, first day, but we'll catch you in the next one.