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They've been doing it all day sir!
Two Englishmen in Australia, talking sports and life in a new country
They've been doing it all day sir!
Disruptor Chaos
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The NRL served up one of those weekends where every match feels like it comes with a storyline and at least one moment that makes you pause and go, “Wait, is that really the rule now?” We start with the human side of being a fan: getting down to Wollongong, scoping out WIN Stadium, and judging the matchday experience properly. The location is great, the hill has its charm, but the sightlines, tiny scoreboards, and painful bar queues raise a bigger question about what a modern rugby league stadium needs to keep fans locked in. Then we get stuck into the most controversial refereeing topic of the week: the disruptor rule. Two high ball contests, two very different interpretations, and suddenly it feels like you can be penalised for barely making contact or even for “disrupting” without touching anyone. We talk through what the NRL is trying to protect, why slow motion bunker reviews can make every contest look illegal, and what clarity would actually look like for wingers, fullbacks, and fans. From there it’s a full Round Six NRL review: Bulldogs turning over the Panthers, Manly’s hot start then grind against the Dragons, the Cowboys’ rise, the Storm’s worrying slide, the Roosters’ comeback over the Sharks, the Titans piling on the Eels, and the Tigers flying up the ladder with real depth and belief. We finish by tipping Round Seven and checking in on the Premier League nerves. If you enjoy honest rugby league chat, hit subscribe, share the show with a mate, and leave a review with your take: should the disruptor rule be tightened, rewritten, or scrapped?
Hello and welcome to another episode of They've Been Doing It All Day Ster. Foreign is at the wheel. How good does it feel? Let's get stuck in.
SPEAKER_00I like it. Foreign is certainly at the will. Certainly at the wheel. But how's your week been?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's been um been really good, mate. Had uh went out for a lovely dinner on uh on Saturday. I mean the uh other month went to Bessie and Alma's in Surrey Hills. Um fancy? Yeah, food was like ridiculous, it was so good. Um went to this nice little wine bar as well beforehand. Uh it was like eight dollars for a house uh house glass of red and six dollars for a Peroni red nice uh bottle. I was like, I could get used to this. I know it was a good deal. Uh had a lovely, had a lovely meal, great ambience. Um had the first league game of the season as well for the league. Unfortunately lost. Um just played there, they just adjusted quite well defensively. Um we've got a bit to bit to work on, but it was it was positive shine. So it was positive shines, positive signs were shown.
SPEAKER_00If you had to if you had to say what you looked like in comparison to an NRL team, like ranking them where they were, what sort of start to the season do you reckon it was? Manly. Oh right, there we go. It's not a great start to the season.
SPEAKER_01Just to keep it in eye, but it's definitely not the coaches this time. No, no. Uh no, no, no, honestly. Um, I think there just needs to be a uh we had 20 minutes worth of competitive uh preseason, so it's it's it's just fine in the feet. There's a lot of talent amongst the team. Um, so it'll all it'll all come good and uh against the team who were in the league above final last year. So not bad. No, so you know it it's it's it's positive signs. I'm always quite positive when we're coaching. Um, but yeah, that's that's me. What about yourself?
SPEAKER_00Well, today's been a shit show already. Yeah, I know. We um I forgot the bloody uh what's it called? I can't even remember the name of the hard drive. Hard drive, that's what it is. Had to go back and get that, so that was already a bit of a disruption to the start. Um but yeah, I suppose big news was I bought a house the other day. Big news, just the one that you casually drop, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So first home man's now in a lot of debt.
SPEAKER_00I know, super amount of debt, but like it's just stress now for the rest of my life of how am I going to pay this mortgage? But positive place to be in. So in a couple of weeks' time, the old set might change again. Yeah, trying to trying to think about how we can uh spruce up the background. I've got this like clothes rail that we can just hang jerseys off or something to start off with, yeah, and then we'll figure it out. But other than that, um pretty quiet weekend, really didn't get up to much. Um yeah, just stressing over getting mortgages sorted and all this sort of stuff. So yeah, it's been a good one. But Thursday night we went down Thursday night, it wasn't Friday night, quite feels like forever ago. We went down to the Gong, that was a good one. Um, we'll talk about a bit about the game in a bit. But what were your thoughts of Wynn Stadium?
SPEAKER_01Uh it's a rogue stadium, I think it is a bit bit bit bit family friendly, family-oriented. Uh, where we were supposed to sit, I don't know how that can be given. Like, we were so when if you ever watch it on the on the TV, it's that little stand right by the the hill. Yeah. Um and you it's you you're you're literally facing the other way, and you have to turn your neck just to look at the stuff. It's very valid. You're looking at the other stand behind the goal. There's no green grass in front of you. Nah, you have to turn your neck to watch out, and we were like, no, nah, not doing with this. So we went and we went at the start on the hill. Um, but no, it's it's it's another one on TikTok. It is. I felt like there was I don't know.
SPEAKER_00It felt like there was more manly fans than there were.
SPEAKER_01The the manly fans uh turned up in numbers, which is which has not always been the case when we've been away. Uh I remember when we went to Parramatta last year, we were very in a we were in a very we were very much surrounded. Um yeah, so so yeah, it was it was good. It was good. What about yourself?
SPEAKER_00Um I I think the location does it a better justice than I mean to be fair, that big stand opposite you don't see on TV. So like when you're on the hill and you're getting to see it, it's like oh it's not a bad stadium, but it I mean the scoreboard I think was one thing I mentioned. It's it's not the best stadium for fan interaction interaction or fan experience. Like, don't get me wrong, you've got the hill, but the cue for the bar was an absolute joke. Um, and then yeah, the screen was tucked away in the corner in which it looked like it was driven in on the back of a truck. I think it was, and the scoreboards were minute. It's difficult to see what tackle it was, all that sort of stuff. So, like you say, ticked one off. That's another one in Sydney that we've ticked, or just outside Sydney. I think we're gonna try and get along to a shark park and compare that in a couple of weeks. I would go back though, yeah. I would. I would go back. Parking was easy enough around it was it was easy enough to walk down, and we absolutely destroyed a McDonald's on the way out. A McDonald's on the way out. That was disgusting, yeah. It was. I text you know, so I feel like I've woken up with a McHangover. Yeah, it was absolutely ridiculous. So much salt, so much salt, crazy. It was absolutely crazy, but a few controversies this week for the big one being the disruptor rule. Um, a few incidents this week, DCE booted one up, Robert Toyer contested against Stone Street. Yep. Um, their boat, like he's travelling at full speed, jumping for the ball, but apparently slightly contacted his arm and it was a disruptor call. And then in the Broncos uh Cowboys game, which we were actually listening to on the way home, and I remember hearing this on the radio and them saying, like, this is ridiculous when Shibasaki jumped up and I've watched it back, and he kind of like takes his eye off of him for a second. It's like he's looking and then just goes, Ah, and then he didn't even touch him and he got called for a disruptor. I my I don't know what to make of this rule. Like, I know Anna Z come out and said those two calls were incorrect, but how are you meant to contest for a ball now?
SPEAKER_01I was just about to say, how are you supposed to do it cleanly? Um, because it's it's it's also a case of Shibisaki was called for even though he didn't touch him, but his actions disrupted him. And it's like, what do you mean? Just being being in his presence was enough to distract him.
SPEAKER_00Is it like going fake when they go to catch it?
SPEAKER_01Or when you're faking to jump a contest and you're going, oh actually, I'm not gonna jump. Is that is that not allowed?
SPEAKER_00It's it's it's ridiculous. Do you know? Interestingly, I remember last year, I can't remember what game it was, but in one of the games, um, it might have even been a manly game, I can't remember. An ex-teammate was on the other team and they shouted for the ball, even they're in the line, and they threw it and they intercepted it. Surely that's a disruptor as well. Like by shouting for the ball if you're on the other team, it's similar to disrupting you playing the ball. I just think it's a joke of a rule. Yeah. The one thing they have cleared up though is that the one-handed knockback isn't actually a thing. It's only if you can like if you go up with one hand and you get the ball, that's fine. But if you jump and you just make contact and blow them out of the way to get it, then it's not. But it just are we gonna see the similar sort of thing that we do with every rule tweak, every rule change that after six weeks they notice that they're doing the wrong thing, yeah, doing wrong, and the next thing you know, it's absolutely anything goes.
SPEAKER_01Well, the the nine thing is though, is they're they're slowing it down frame by frame. Yeah, they're they're looking for a reason to to incorporate it. So it's it's just you're gonna you're gonna find fault, especially when things slow down. And there was one thing that I was I think I can't remember which try it was, or there was a no try. And Ashley Kyron went straight up to the bunker, even though he knew it wasn't a try, but he went up to the bunker and the bunker spotted a penalty, which I think is just starting to get ridiculous because they're they're that's not the that wasn't the reason why it was gone up, and yeah they're they're looking to they're looking to call penalties now, yeah, which which is which is starting to get a little frustrating.
SPEAKER_00I think if you if you challenge something, I suppose no, that was on a try-scoring play or like no try, but they had to review it. Something else has been picked up. But it links back to the Mitchell Moses one the week before, I think, where he challenged the I can't remember what I know he did challenge the high contact, but you're not meant to be able to challenge those sort of things.
SPEAKER_01Well um Tedesco, I'm sure at Manley uh challenged something and then he goes.
SPEAKER_00In the um when Ola Kawati went up, but I just feel that now there's there's gonna be fair contest of the ball. I feel like we're gonna see more being able to go up, the clarification around the one hand, no one's gonna be like, oh, I've got to jump up with two hands now. Um so it'll be yeah, hopefully a bit more free for and a bit more like it's a contact sport at the end of the day. Yeah, like two people jumping for the ball are gonna be in contact with each other.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but I think it's it's it's about um defenselessness, isn't it? It's it's like in American football. Um when you're defenselessly, it's it's yes, it's contact, but if if a if a uh wing is going up in the air, eyes on the ball, feet nowhere near, any sort of touch can result in quite a serious injury. Yeah, um, true. So it'll be see how it's ironed out and dealt with over the next couple of weeks.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, let's get into reviewing round six. One thing I will say about every single game this week, it seemed like there was something that happened, or like every game was somewhat entertaining. Um, and I think last week we're talking about how the Panthers were somewhat unstoppable or were on a tear, I think was the name of the episode last week. Yeah, and they got turned over by the Bulldogs.
SPEAKER_01And the Bulldogs were just flying out, they they were so fat in everything they did, the pace they did everything out there, their defensive line just shut down the Panthers. Yeah, like don't get me wrong, the Panthers didn't have the best of games, they were trying to force too much at times. You could you could see trying to make a tri-assist every pass, and it's like they were overcomplicating things when in instead of just sort of steadying the ship, but you've got you've got to hand it to the Bulldogs. Uh, kick Al had who has has been missing all season, yeah. Uh had had his best game of the season, best game of the season so far, and and prove why he's he's he is a formidable second rower.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and one thing that worked well was the um talking of second rows, Jacob Preston, the old short inside ball, which is all they do, it's it's all they do, and it never works, but this time it worked. And Lucky Galvin had a good game, like his games plaudits with the with the um pundits as well.
SPEAKER_01In that he's it takes was it someone said it takes 50 NRL games or something to uh yeah, he's he's gonna he's got a lot long way to go ahead of him, and and I think the Bulldogs very much see him as a as a franchise player, so to speak, and he'll be there for years to come. Um so he he's gonna he's gonna have inconsistent seasons. He it it wouldn't be right, uh it wouldn't be natural if he's he's if he's balling week in, week out. Um he's what 19, 20 years old, like he's he's got a long another at least 10 years ahead of him to develop in his game. Uh but yeah, Panthers just I don't think it's a sign of struggle at all, and in that sense, but it can show when you're a top team and you don't turn up what what can happen to you.
SPEAKER_00It does, but a couple of things are guaranteed in life at the moment. That's death, taxes, um Milky Jenkins scoring doubles in games. So it seems like he's on for breaking the record of 30 in a season. He's got what 14 so far, so he's almost halfway there, and we're six games in, which is yeah.
SPEAKER_01I know it's it's incredible, but again, is it is that just because of the product of the system?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we I mean I mentioned about this before, like that he went to the Knights and wasn't great, and then comes back to the Panthers and absolutely kills it. But I did read that their salary cap is tight for next year, and they won't be able to offer him what he's worth, so he could be looking to go elsewhere. But one way that they can solve that is the talk of Nathan Cleary testing the open market on November 1, and he's apparently been offered what a million pounds, which in today's current conversions is 1.9 million dollars a year to go to Hull. Is it Hull?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um, it's it's it's it's wild that that sort of money's coming out, and and I I don't get how Hull are gonna be able to afford it because they don't they don't turn over that much money in a season. The Super League does not turn up so that much money. The NRL are trying to force the buyer of the Super League, and it's there's gonna be some sort of uh money coming in from that to help the club, but yeah, it that that that could be a huge one. Um but to go of all places and I'm a mate of work, he's he's a massive cut hull FC fan. Uh but Hull Hull, I I don't I don't understand it, but we'll we'll see how that uh that pans out.
SPEAKER_00We will so I reckon he just wants to be close to closer to Mary.
SPEAKER_01Needs to have a massive, massive state of origin, though, if this is his last season.
SPEAKER_00It is indeed. But let's go down to the gong. Let's let's talk about let's talk about the resurgent Manley Seagulls um I watching this game, like we get out to a flying start, we go 16-nil up, and you're like, this is gonna be we could. I think I actually turned around and said to you at one point, what's the record score in the in the NRL? Got a bit ahead of yourself there. Got a bit ahead of myself, but it felt like the referee wanted to even the game up.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think I think that that with the with the maroon tinted glasses on, definitely 100%. Like last week against the Dolphins, you could say he was rather kind to us. Uh whereas this week it did look like he was trying to even it out. But again, it was just played for 20 minutes and then just stopped, and then we reverted back to the old uh try trying to play it out with the with the backs, forwards look knackered. As soon as we lose Jake defensively, we look all over.
SPEAKER_00I think it was a combination of losing. So obviously Jake went off with his eye, but also at the same time, around a similar time, Poseca goes off, Heatherington comes off, and then you get Corey Waddell come on at prop, and you get Laffey come on as well. So we're talking about someone that's been a bit of a defensive liability this season, and then someone that is completely a rookie in the NRL.
SPEAKER_01He just hits everything that moves, tries to hit everything that moves, but unfortunately, like it's incredible to watch doing everyone, but he'll he'll need to learn to settle down and and and say show he can't do everything. It's like, yes, and you we know you're trying to get your moment here, but you're an incredible player, you can see that, so just settle down. I I did see at one point, I think, when they went over for one of the tries, Foggerty was giving him a bit of a an earful. I don't know what that was uh around or whether it was just a bit of a motivational, but um uh dragons just look they they look like they should be so much more threatening than they are.
SPEAKER_00Do you know they remind me of, and it's only because I can got the picture in my head of Christian Romero crying, they remind me of Tottenham Hotspur at the moment. They remind just a team that is got good players, but lacking just yeah, knowing what to do, confidence. Like they came back into the game, yeah. Um the few Ola Kawai switches off. I don't know whether the referee like I was having a word with him and didn't allow him to line up again, and then I can't remember who it was, goes over, um, and then set two scores on the sideline. It seems like he slide tackle Jake Tom Troboyovich and then gets back up, and that puts him ahead, and you think, oh no, here we go again. But look, dug deep, managed to get ourselves out of the situation. Good to see Kobe Heavington get his first try for the club straight under the post, and then like just taking advantage. I know it was the try before, but the kickoff return was pretty sweet.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's you very rarely see uh but like it's two games now this season that's called straight off kickoff, yeah. Um so that's well the the Roosters won with one tick one one pass, but you know it's it the I think it's highlighting how solid our left edges as well. Um with uh Ben you've got Ben, you've got Cola, and you've got Hoppawati. Like Kohler's pass to Hapawati. Do you know what? I've seen a lot more forward passes being called flat. It was flat. So that that's one of the the the the weird ones. Um look the the also the dragons had a couple of tries disallowed. So this is this is the thing, they've got it, they've got it in them. Um and I don't know what dragons fans think of Shane Flanagan as their coach or it is the players, but I think from how the players are coming out and saying it is them like we we're just not clicking, it seems a little bit more different to how manly we're coming out.
SPEAKER_00I don't know though, like a lot of them are moving on. Like a few players have agreed now to leave in 27. There's people wanting exits from the club. I saw Pacific uh is his name, Pacific Tonga. I think his name is like he's the young guy, he's off or wants to leave, uh, one of their wingers forwards. But then they got Kalerma Tungi coming in next year, so it'd be interesting to see how that all goes. Um, Jake's eye looked pretty bad. Yeah, it's been named this week, yeah. Like you're worried, it split open, didn't it? And then you're worried that it's gonna fracture being fractured, but no fracture, and he's been named. So it'd be interesting to see how he goes this week. But tough one for Manley up against the Cowboys, um, who what a segue put up 35 points against the Broncos. When this is the one we listened to on the way home, and I uh said that's a bit of an odd score line to finish. 31-35. Obviously, the two drop goals, um, and it's the first time that score has ever been recorded in an NRL fixture. So 31-35. Uh Cowboys on an absolute hot run at the moment, though.
SPEAKER_01Turn their season around massively considering the first couple of weeks ago, we were saying that they were certain for us in the spoon race. Um, but they just look class. They're just again, it's they're just like one of those teams that just uh are just able to just churn away and and just never look defeated. Um, like the Broncos just were pounding the pressure, and it's it what from what it sounded like as well, it was just constant and end to end.
SPEAKER_00Um one thing that helps the Cowboys is Jason Tamalolo's found some form, yeah, which hasn't been happening over the last few years. So having a big boy up front, and this might be looking forward, looking forward to next week already. Like I could I'm concerned about his size and his devastating ability playing them against our manly forward pack.
SPEAKER_01It's like when we ever play here at Parramatta, um Paolo or Junior Paolo always has a deck, like and and hit because of his size and and whatnot. So yeah, that that that we'll discuss in a little bit, but you know what? For a for a team that lost a good majority of their spine, you can't you can't diss the Broncos.
SPEAKER_00That's the thing that I was gonna say is a saving grace for Manly coming up against uh Cowboys this week. They're a Broncos team that were depleted, like they have lost their spine. Um and although Tom Duffy came, was it is it was Chester? Who was it who came? Oh Chester, Tom Chester, not Duffy. Uh he was an ex-cowboy, come in, performed well, and they interviewed him after the game on triple E and like he was proud of his performance, obviously, on the losing side. It was Tom Duffy. Oh, Duffy. So um it's they have got that backup now of if things go not because I I don't get this. Reynolds has been named this week. He's a ticking time bomb when it comes to injury, hamstring, groin, whatever it is. So old Duffy needs to be warming his boots up because he could be a regular in the side, but that's the only saving grace for Manly this week, I think, is that the Cowboys were coming up against a depleted Broncos squad. Um, the old Perth double header had uh some drama.
SPEAKER_01Yes, it did, and it did, and my my boys out for a while, out for a while, gutted, absolutely gutted for four to six, they reckon, don't they?
SPEAKER_00Four to six weeks, I think it is. Devastating, he was just coming into some great form as well. He was, he just appeared on the old Matty John's footy show as well, and they were like gassing him up, talking about how well he's doing, and then bang. Yeah, it was a nasty like two people on top of him, just point of the shoulder into the floor. You could tell it hurt him straight away. And then, like from that, that's a reshuffle. Um, I think they lost a bit of their shape, and just raiders are just finding their way through. And Hudson Young decided to turn up. Uh K Weeks turned up as well, didn't he? Oh, did he? Yeah, just uh did you see his little fake um fake pass to him, fake dummy pass to himself and then just took off. It's like everyone bit on him, everyone just bit on the fake to himself, and he just cuts off down the middle. Um Rabbit O's came, what was it, 20 something, six at halftime or four at halftime?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they came back, they came out, they came, yeah, it was 24-4 at half time. They came out absolutely swinging. Um, and and again, like that that that left edge of of uh the the rabbit o's Cody Walker going over a couple of times, Latrell going over again, Alex Johnston and Johnston's, yeah, it's Johnston. They're they're they're a team there or they're about, but they're just constantly running in in into this adversity. Um well Fafita's that now. Yeah, so they've lost Fafita and J Grey who have been two starlets of their their their start. So um it'll be sort of see how they can then re-comfort this. Raiders, is this a kick start to their season, or is this going to be very much how their season is with with sort of ups and downs? And look, at the end of the day, Rebbe O's lost their fullback quite early, had to reshuffle, and they've only the Raiders only in when you buy two points. They still have to look at themselves defensively, in my opinion, as well.
SPEAKER_00Well, they've got a tough one up next, but is it a tough one? Because they're playing the Melbourne Storm who got turned absolutely turned over by the Warriors. Like the Warriors were something else in the game. Their physicalness was off the chart, their forward pack was ridiculous. And what sums it up was Roger Tuavasa Shek's, he walloped him. Like we'll brought Warbricks through, you think he scored, and he flies over from centre and he just absolutely smashes him. And that I think that it just summarizes the performance from the Warriors. They were so dominant, they're physical, they're running the ball hard up front. Um, Storm had a fair few amount of errors in them, in which old Bellamy was chewing out Chan on the sideline, I think at half time. Um, that's four straight losses for the Storm. That's huge.
SPEAKER_01Like, that is huge for them. And they they look so far away from the normal Storm that they normally are. Like they're making these errors, they just look not confused, but just so out of sorts. Um losing a lot of their like big players as well. Like how much is actually losing Papenhausen out the back been in the in that in that sense. Uh, how much of an impact did he actually have within within that team? Yeah. Uh defensively, again, they just they're just looking so far away from it.
SPEAKER_00They are. They obviously lost Mig Nelson, yeah. Big body in the middle. Like, I know he is a bit of a liability, right? Like he came on and he gave away a fair amount of penalties, but he's still a huge physical body in the middle, which slows things down. They've lost Xavier Coates, yeah injury, Achilles injury, needs recruit. At least he's coming back. Like they've got someone to come back, but I think their biggest loss by a mile is Ellie Carter. Like his effort level, his hustle, his ability under the high ball. I think he is their biggest loss. And at the start of the season, I think I tipped them to finish seventh in the table. Feeling a bit smug right now, that that could be a possibility. But it's just because of those losses, I didn't think they'd be able to bounce back. Um, I didn't expect them to perform this badly or poorly at the start of the season. Don't get me wrong, they've got loads of time to turn it around. But worrying times, especially at home as well, like getting actually turned over at home.
SPEAKER_01They're they're flat trap bullies, are no more.
SPEAKER_00They are. Um, the other game that uh happened over in at the Optus in Perth, this one got the uh better attendance out of the two games because it was the the later game, but the Roosters 34 beating the Sharks 22. I thought this was I thought the sharks were storming away with this at one point.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and uh they they absolutely again it's just a bit of a bit of a bit of a theme of this week. Teams coming out of the the traps, but just not being able to sort of withstand it. There were what three tries up within the within the first 25 minutes. Um and then old hide Heinz he goes missing. You do um and this is something that we've said constantly, and it's it's it's not a it's not a hidden opinion um out in the in the world either. It's sharks see sharks depend on having consistency within within their halves, and Nico Heinz is arguably one of the most inconsistent, yeah. And you you see it from them as a as a team. They have their their peaks of being absolutely world class like last week, and then this where the they've continued on from that and then gone uh everything everything sort of stops.
SPEAKER_00So they took their foot off the brake. I don't know, like oh, took their foot off the brake, put their foot on the brake, whatever the saying is at half time, took their foot off the gas, you know, whatever I'm trying to say. They they they got ahead of themselves maybe at half time, and then the roosters just came out in the second half and tell you telly with the day, yeah. Big DCE as well gets his hundredth try. I don't know if you saw their Instagram post, but it was like the caption underneath was um like the Manese Eagles were tagged and they were shaking hands with the Roosters, and then under it was like it's only the last two that count anyway. So it's like, yeah, fuck off. But yeah, he scored his hundredth um try in the NRL. But Roosters look alright, like it's hard to they've got like Victor Radley being back, I think is huge for the programme. And Spencer Lenyou didn't have the greatest of games, made a few mistakes, but um he seemed alright. He had something, didn't he? Yeah, so many games. Certainly had something, but I think this was the next two games, the Sunday was maybe one of the most unexpected but yet entertaining Sundays of football that has happened in a long time. So if anyone saw the Titans absolutely smashing the eels, fair play.
SPEAKER_01When you look at this a little bit more like fair enough, it it's it's it's everyone should have picked the Titans because the amount of injuries the Eels have had.
SPEAKER_00Yes, like and I did tick the Titans, yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_01And I don't think it was that much of a shock. No. Uh when you when you add up everyone that he's injured at the Eels. Um, but you know what? I didn't see it being that much of a blowout though.
SPEAKER_00Nah, they were just carving him apart for fun as well. Like Keanu Kinney was just getting meters on meters, and I think he came out after, like he had a shocker last week, yeah. I think it was dropping quite a lot, bit of confidence, dented, and then this week he's just come out and said, or just proved everyone wrong, and it like he's just devastating. Like there's a reason why he's New Zealand's starting fullback, yeah. Like he's pretty good, he's just in a bit like an under par team, undercooked team, but it shows they've got the class, they've got the weapons, it's just putting it together. But the eels are in disarray. Yeah, I think they're they're they're they're gonna be able to do that. Yeah, but they play manly next week at home, like it's a guaranteed victory for the eels.
SPEAKER_01The Lanfite 90 offloads and score 30 tries or something daff like that. And I've I heard on the radio earlier they're like they've got all their scouts out and trying to look for players, looking for they've got agents phoning about about their clients and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00Is this a kick? Is this a kickback of the like Zach Lomax debacle? Like they've let a weapon go. Like Josh Adokarr is aging, he's fast. But imagine if you one on each wing, then Mitchell Moses actually has weapons either side, yeah. And it adds to it, like, yeah, all right, they've had a few head knocks. But at one point, I swear Mitch Moses was just gonna give up just before half time. I remember seeing him um they had they got a penalty and they kicked it out, and uh they just took the tap and ran down the sideline. He's standing there with his arms in the air, like, what is going on? So I think he's he's struggling a bit, but yeah, you watch next week, they'll turn up, they'll turn up against Manley and absolutely smash him. But the other game that finished off the weekend said this was going to be a ball game, yeah, and it was an absolute ball game. How good are the tigers? But did not see the tigers sticking as many points as they scored on the nights. Taruva scoring a hat trick. Yeah, tigers are top of a ladder.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, he had a great interview after. Yeah, he did have a great, he had a great, he's always a character whenever he's interviewed, isn't he? Having a having a chat with uh old Milky.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, he took his spot, didn't he? And he's just there having a laugh. Um, but Tigers have got a bit of decision making this weekend. Jerome Louis's been named, John Madden's in at 14. But how do you get Dewey, Madden, and Louai? Did you move Dewey back to the centres? I don't know. It's it's a difficult one. Um but they've got an over they've got an abundance of weapons now.
SPEAKER_01I know they do, and and it it's I think this is what the Titans are expect the Titans, the Tigers were expecting last season, yeah. Everyone joining. Um, but Benji's worked with them last season, obviously had a great preseason with them, and and it's it's not this is probably an absolute rogue comment to say, but it's very Panthers-esque with the next man up mentality, yeah, which has sort of shown just at the start of this season. Um, especially when you're coming in to replace a such an influence like Louis, um, they're starting to have that dog of next next person up, let's let's keep it going. Just strengthens their bench as well, right?
SPEAKER_00Because if they need to switch anything up or change anything, bring him on. They've had Madden that's played what three, four games now, can bring him on, get into the role, move someone somewhere, like you say, Dewey out to the centres, or even someone go to nine, but you don't replace Coruso. So it's they've got options, they've got a lot of options. Kaipius Paul's he's such a good signing.
SPEAKER_01He's such a big physical buller, Buller, Macasini. Like they're they've they've had such a like Taruva's score a hat trick from centre, yeah. Like, which is which is which which is wild.
SPEAKER_00Um, but they they have just got dogs, absolute dog and mongrel in the this performance from the Knights is exactly what I expected them to play like week in, week out, yeah. Once Ponga and Brown went down. I was like, right, this is what we're gonna see. Everyone will manage to roll them over, especially after they lost Bradman best as well. So they've done I think they've done well to hold it together up until this point. Um, Brown's back this weekend, so it'd be interesting to see how they go. But yeah, Tigers sitting second in the ladder is absolutely nuts. And let's have let's just let's have a little scout on uh what they're paying to win the lot.
SPEAKER_01I think it was like $40, I think.
SPEAKER_00It's only $21. 21 bucks to win it. It's that's not that bad, you know. Um but yeah, good weekend of football. I look for I look at this week that's coming up, and some I think we've got some mismatches um in in this week's fixtures. So let's get into them. Um Thursday night. Yeah, we're at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium. We've got the $1.59 North Queensland Cowboys against the $2.36 Manley Sea Eagles.
SPEAKER_01Manly Sea Eagles. Three on the three on the bounce. On the bounce. Um, just gonna go up to Queensland and just tuck them in again.
SPEAKER_00Just tuck them in. I read something earlier that um we performed, we've we haven't lost up in Townsville in a while.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but we have 2016 was last time we lost, but we also don't win down at the win at the down in Wollingong, so things are just gonna change over, aren't they? Really?
SPEAKER_00And records are there to be broken, right? Like let's keep it going. So there's two records, or a few records, us not losing up in Townsville, Cowboys three on the bounce, one of them's got to end. Yeah, so I'm not sure which one, but I'm gonna tip that it's gonna be the Manese Eagles that win. Um interesting team selections on this one, like Taki Aho's back on the interchange. I obviously calf muscle, you can't just put him in from the start, especially with how Heatherington and Poseca have gone. Really interested to see the fact that Nathan Brown's been named and Laffey's on the bench.
SPEAKER_01Well, unless unless, like I say, there's some uh restrictions around how many games Laffey can play. Yeah, very true. But but no bit disappointed with that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Nathan Brown's been a bit of a like I love him for what he does, backfence brownie, but when it comes to the penalties and I don't know, just being undersized as a forward in the modern game, we'll see how it goes.
SPEAKER_01And that takes us to the Friday six o'clock kickoff at the Geo Stadium in Canberra. You've got the $2.14 Canberra Raiders against the $1.71 Melbourne Storm.
SPEAKER_00I wouldn't say it was I don't know, I wouldn't say $1.71 Storm. Um this is a difficult one to tip. Raiders, high scoring game, didn't look great defensively. Storm looking really vulnerable, not looking like it's clicking purely for the fact this is at home. I'm gonna go for the Raiders.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna go for the Raiders as well because of the pace that they have and what they can do. Um I think the Storm's defence look a little bit more vulnerable, but I wouldn't be wouldn't put it past like Harry Grant nick nicking a couple of under tries or something like that as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and then an interesting one Friday, eight o'clock kickoff. We go up to Darwin with the Dolphins, $4.90 against the Panthers, $1.18.
SPEAKER_01And it's gonna be the $1.18 team that are gonna win this. Uh unfortunately. Uh Dolphins come back off the bye, they're on the bye last week, yeah. Um I think old uh Ivan would have had an absolute rollicking um to the to the to the panthers. Um Leon Martin out with MCL though. Nah, I don't really see that much. That doesn't really make massive much of a difference. Um so I'm gonna go for the Panthers, I think.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'm gonna join you on that one. Uh seeing the game up in Darwin reminds me of my time when I used to go up there for for work. Um, I was once up there when the Eels played the Dolphins, I believe. But there we go, I'm going for the Panthers.
SPEAKER_01Um, and then that takes us into the Saturday three o'clock kickoff um at the GO Go Media Stadium in Auckland. We've got the Warriors at $1.31 against the Titans at 3.46.
SPEAKER_00Interesting one, this um few back for the Warriors, Charnes, Kirk Capewell, Barnett's named, um see how his thumb goes. Yeah, Warriors at home. I was just about to say, you've got to up the wires. You've got to up the wires at home. Warriors at home.
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, the Titans put up a good shift last week, but I think I don't see him really being able to back it up against a very strong and flying wires team at the moment.
SPEAKER_00I agree, and then we go to the Accor. We've got the South Sydney Rabbit Hows at $1.22 against the St. George Illawarra Dragons at $4.30.
SPEAKER_01Unfortunately, I think it's gonna be another loss for the Dragons, and I'm gonna I'm gonna go the Rabbit Hows.
SPEAKER_00I reckon the Rabbit How's absolutely carve them apart. Yeah, I reckon this could be Shane. I reckon this could be Shane Flanagan's last game. Um it's difficult to turn around what what he's got. Like I look at the names coming back in for the dragons. There's nothing much that they can do with the squad that they got. Um, yeah, dragons but uh rabbit o's by a shed load.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think they'll they'll lose this and probably roosters, and then when when they go into the buy, may maybe goodbye to old uh Shane Flanagan. Yeah, unfortunately. Um anyway, that takes us into the last game on the Saturday at the Campbell Town Sports Stadium. We've got the West Tigers who are second at $1.52 against the Brisbane Broncos sat at 11th at $2.52.
SPEAKER_00I the West Tigers next four fixtures are like Broncos, Roosters, uh, Storm, and I can't remember the fourth team. I actually reckon they could beat them all. So do I. I think there's a big chance that the Tigers could be sitting pretty in like second in going into magic round. Who they play at Magic Round? Manly. Great, um, so I in this one because Taylor May's back, and he was big in the sentence for them, like aggressive. Louis back. Um Lau Lili's back from his suspension, I believe it was. Yeah. Tigers, like Reynolds back, but I reckon his hamstrings going.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm gonna go to Tigers as well.
SPEAKER_00First game on a Sunday. We're at the Allianz. We've got the South, the Sydney Roosters at $1.29 against the Newcastle Knights, $3.62.
SPEAKER_01Dylan Brown's back.
SPEAKER_00Yep. And that's it. They've lost Dylan Lucas because he got elbowed in the throat, French throat cartilage, uh, Tyson Frazel, rib cartilage damage. They are down a few boys.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think I'm gonna go for the for the roosters in this one. I'm gonna join you. I'm gonna go for the for the roosters. Um, and then finally, um, we are at the Combank Stadium in Sydney with the $4.45 Parramatta Eels against the $1.21 Cambri Banks Town Bulldogs.
SPEAKER_00Bulldogs. I'm not gonna say any more on this. I think the Eels are in a world of strife. Bulldogs. Bulldogs. Yeah, so there we go. Round seven. Let's quickly touch on one thing, actually, that I thought at the end. Are Arsenal going to bottle the Premier League?
SPEAKER_01It's looking like it, isn't it? Oh, that is getting that is getting close. Like they go, they play Man City this weekend. Oh, is it this weekend? This weekend. If that if that lead then drops down to three points, I think they've then got to play like West Ham and like teams that are going to be fighting. Um so yeah, because Man City have got a game in hand playing Arsenal. So that if they win it, they go above them on gold difference.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, if they win both of them, yeah. Which is mad. If Arsenal lose a league, this might be the biggest and Tottenham get relegated. And Tottenham get relegated. That's absolutely unreal. But I think it might be the biggest bottling of a league since Newcastle did it in '93. I would love it. I would love it if we beat them. Exactly. Kevin Keegan giving it large, and then they actually lose, lose out in the league. But yeah, what when's that on this weekend? The Arsenal game. I'm done. I'm gonna keep an eye on it. I don't know whether I'll get up and watch it unless it's the early kickoff. But yeah, that's it for another week. We're gonna lock and loathe, and we're gonna watch the NRL get watch the Manly Seagulls beat the Cowboys on Thursday night, and we'll be back next week. So hit that like button, subscribe. Thanks for following along, and we'll catch you in the next one.
SPEAKER_02See you there.