All Bark No Bite

Beer-soaked Anzac Weekend turns into a full-blown NRL therapy session: public holiday surcharges, two-up wins and losses, and that unbeatable feeling when you walk into a packed ground and everything smells like grass, hot chips, and chaos. We start with the fan stuff that makes footy weekends feel real, then snap straight into what matters most: who’s actually good right now, and why.

Manly’s run has us talking seriously. We break down the Brookvale win through pressure, tempo, and game management, and why the second-half surge looks repeatable rather than lucky. We also look at what decides the next stretch, especially the middle battle against the Penrith Panthers, plus how injuries and bench rotation can change an 80-minute effort. If you care about the Sea Eagles, the Panthers, or just how momentum swings in rugby league, you’ll get plenty to argue with.

Then we zoom out to the ladder and the noise. The Wests Tigers push into contender territory, but the Jerome Luai transfer reports raise big questions about leadership and trust in the NRL. We don’t hold back on the Canterbury Bulldogs either: where the attack stalls, why the hype feels louder than the results, and what that means when Origin season starts creeping closer.

We finish with State of Origin debates (centres and the NSW fullback spot), quick takes on the rest of the round, and our NRL Round 9 tips, including Dolphins vs Storm and the headline Panthers vs Sea Eagles at Commbank. If you enjoy blunt footy chat, subscribe, share the show with a mate, and leave a review. What’s your spiciest Origin pick right now?

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello and welcome to another episode of They've Been Doing It All Day, sir. You know what? I'm starting to believe Manly may never lose again. God bless Fosball. Let's get stuck in.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

How's your weekend? Weekend? How's yeah? How's your weekend been, mate?

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Beer central, I think, is the best way to describe it. It was a real heavy one, wasn't it? Loved every minute of it though.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Yeah, uh, obviously Anzac Weekend. Yep. Heavy on Saturday. Yes. Heavy beers. It was a good one though.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Popped into a couple of establishments, sampled their nectar ale, and it was delightful.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

We did. And one of the things that was a hot topic over the weekend as well was the annoyance and frustration of surcharges and ridiculous. Bank holiday, or what they call them public holiday, public holiday surcharges over here. Why am I paying an extra 1.52% on everything that I'm buying when it's a standard weekend day? I don't get it. It just blows my mind. And it just makes everything you think, oh, these beers won't be in the grand scheme of things that expensive. The next thing you know, you're like, it's getting out of hand now.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Yeah, I know. It's like you're almost buying another beer in surcharges. It's ridiculous.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

And it's to get my own money, it's to use my own money. I don't even get it. But anyway.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Anyway, there we go. It's to pay for the stuff.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

It is. Um, yeah, real long felt like a real long weekend. Yeah. I don't know about you, but after Saturday, I was uh recovering a bit. Sunday before we had to get up for the mighty Manly Seagulls, playing against the Paramount Hills at Four Pines Park. But um, yeah, it was a good weekend, I feel. Good weekend.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Yeah, good, great weekend all round, to be honest.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

One to celebrate the uh Anzacs. We had a good good few good few outings or good few establishments, like you said, that we saw. A bit of two up, bit of two up, yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Failed shockingly, but you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Fair bit of money won, fair bit of money lost.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Uh I bet twice, was lost twice. Was like, yeah, that's me, done. Yeah, I didn't even didn't even try and sort of win it back because I was like, there's only one way this is going.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

I think I got to about five bucks up was my best, and then it went sharply downhill. What a tradition, though. Not gonna it's a phenomenal game. Like, who would have thought that spinning three coins or two coins as it should be would just capture the attention of so many people and lead to raucous scenes standing around a circle, someone just tossing a few co few tossing a few coins in the air. Yeah, unbelievable scenes, but um yeah, other than that, like pretty hazy as well. The the weekend can't really remember much, and I think that's gonna reflect when we talk about the games in a bit because there's certainly one game which I don't think we well, I didn't watch any at all of, and that was the Warriors against the Dolphins.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

That was on the Sunday, I know, but no, I went back and re-watched that. Um so but you know, yeah, it was touch like I I went again on the Saturday. Well, the Sunday, I had a few more beers, and I was like, I was like, Live sport beers, what what gets better?

SPEAKER_00 2:56

I actually think live sport is one of it might be up there with one of the best things in life.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

We were talking about this as we walked in the ground. It's just it's it's everything that accompanies accompanies it. It's the smell of the hot dogs, it's the smell of the grass. Uh someone has just dropped their bat and it smells eggy. You're just like, yes, this is this is what I live for.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

Yeah, the the concrete steps, the shitty plastic seats, the uncomfortable awkwardness that you're moving, you just love it because the sound of the roar, as soon as the players walk out, it's like absolutely fantastic, and you forget everything that's bad about Four Pines Park, and then you just watch the Manly Seagulls destroy the Paramount of Hills.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

So and one thing I know when I went down to see my friends who were sat on the hill, where we're sat, one thing you don't realise is sort of how packed it is. When I was down on pitch level, I was like, oh, there's a couple of people in here. Yeah, and it and it you just when you're down with it, it just it just adds adds to the atmosphere as well.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

A few people have said, and I can't remember which um it might have been Andrew Voss Vossi that said it's the busiest he's seen Brookvale. He reckons that they definitely let in more than 17 and a half thousand people that said they were there. Um the busiest he's seen Brookvale. And he he raised a very valid point, like with the resurgence of Fosball, yeah, that Four Pines Park is going to be a sellout for the rest of the year.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

I think it's gotta be if they if they continue in this form, like Broncos, it's gonna be heaving. Yeah, like late Saturday kickoff. It will be. Um Titans, I think it will be the exact exact same because again, I think that's another late Saturday kickoff.

SPEAKER_00 4:21

I also think it's one as well that potentially families can come to because there might not be as much demand for tickets, but it will sell out in in that way. Um but yeah, I don't think we're gonna see a game that's what was that one of the games earlier this season only had like 15,000 at it and it felt would have been was it not no longer.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

It was the Roosters, I think.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

It was the Roosters game, and it felt I mean they say that there's 15,000 there because of the members that have already got their tickets, but they don't turn up and it just feels empty. But I think, yeah, for the Broncos it's gonna be absolutely heaven. I think that's a great place to start, though. Yep. Sunday for Pines Park or Foz Pines Park as it is now renamed. Yeah, for and back at the wheel, four and back at the helm. What a performance it was.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

Uh incredible performance, but one of the things that I absolutely loved in that first half was just the game management. It was such a physical, hard game. Like the Eels and Eels and Manley went toe to toe, like throughout the whole game. It's like a chess match to start off with. It really was, and the physicality of it, the the just matching every set for set, like Brooks had a great break, tried to offload it to, I think it was Cola, but just couldn't get the offload. It was that it was that sort of half, and then the the game management of Fogg at EBM was just a slot one over first person since 2014. Yeah. Half for Manley who wasn't DCE to score a goal, uh, to score an extra point uh or a field goal. Um but then the second half started, and Jesus, it was just relentless.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

I think what supported that is Manley's relentless like pressure throughout the whole of the first half. Like, yeah, alright, not but we also commented later on in the game that there wasn't many stoppages in the game. It felt like a fast game, it felt felt like a lot of um time and possession. Haven't looked at the stats of it, but I think we then that then led us to dominate in the second half, and one I think a key part in the first half, which would be about 13 seconds to go, maybe, or it might have been a bit more, was Ola Kawatu's hit on Dylan Walker. Like that was huge, it was huge, and it I don't know what the injury report is for Walker, they were saying, like either broken arm or shoulder, but that kind of set the tempo for then because that was a knock on. I think, yeah, it was a scrum that we then got, and then we foggetty kicked off of that, so that set the tone, and then whatever was said at halftime. I'd love to have heard the old half-time team talk to rev them up and absolutely give it one, but um it just feels like everything's clicking at the moment, and I mentioned Vossi a minute ago. He was saying how forin's got them playing a style of football where if you like if you remember against with um Siebold, all that Jason Saab did and all that Hoppawati did was well crash in defensively, but they were dropping back for the high ball, then they'd or they'd take second carry out of yardage on kickoff for one of the tries for Saab's try, Hoppawate was in the middle of the field, Saab was in the middle of the field, and they were backing each other up. So to give them that freedom and that creativity to leave their role outside and come back inside. There's something different happening, which is positive.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Uh oh, yeah, 100%. It and and it just highlights massively the coach was the problem, uh, and and you you just have to own it and go, right, I I just I just couldn't get the best out of these these players, whereas certain styles of football do, and yeah, and that's what's happened. It's uh they've they've come in, and uh we we've said previously a little bit of a worry is I feel like it does have that Solskjaer at Man United effect where when he first came back after everything was a little bit low and peaked brilliantly, but then dropped off the other side. I I don't think it will be as dramatic. Um, but there's one player that I I I mentioned during the game and got me a a little bit of got me a beer the week before because of his uh his his his try from uh Lehigh. But Brandon Wacum has been such a good just had such a great resurgence at night.

SPEAKER_00 8:20

And he brings so much like the one of the things that we always comment on it was how the pace from the bottom of the rook the ball was was coming out where he is now like zipping it both both left and right, and defensively he's he's been he's been still he was solid, and you could tell he was hurting, like he put in some extra well, it looked like he was hurting, he put in some extra minutes because Corey Waddell went off early on torn peck out for three months, so he had to put in some extra minutes early on in the game, and they were just running at him, running at him, running at him. He was he was absorbing everything, and you could tell his like shoulder was a bit a bit droopy towards the end of the first half, but solid, solid knock from the geezer. Um, I think him and the Simpkin balance works really well because it's not like neither of them are really high quality, like nines hookers that are going to be out there just dominating the game week in, week out, but they bring a level of the same pace, the same style. Simpkin does like to pick it up and run as well, loves a scoop, which is good. Um, so yeah, everything seems positive, but on that point of like the Solskar fall-off, I think the next three games determine kind of where we're at as a team. Like we've got Penrith this weekend, which is enormous, Broncos the week after at home, which hopefully everyone will be able to get absolutely rowdy for. And then we've got the Tigers at Magic Round, which I think is a good one to finish it off with. Um, but it seems like I don't know, it just there's such a positive buzz around the team, around everything at the moment.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

Well, yeah, and and you can sort of see that. So the four games he's been in charge, he uh mainly now averaging 37.75 points four and only conceding 15. Yeah, that's over four four weeks. Um, where Eels and Cowboys both put on big scores the week before. I think they've both put on 30 the week before playing us, um, 30 odd. Penrith have just put 40 on the on the knights. Yeah, is that a little bit of an omen that they're they're gonna just struggle against us? And one of the things I was listening to to the levels uh podcast about the game, which made me click like this may not be as much as one-sided to Penrith as it as it could be, was when they were talking about Manley's line speed and the speed to break down the eels, is where the Panthers came unstuck against the dogs. Yeah, so if they can keep that pressure and keep it going for 80 minutes, not switch off because we can't be 33-18 with 10 minutes to go against Panthers because they they can score three or four tries quickly and and win the game, and they've they've shown it throughout. So um I I don't think it's as far as off as people may think. I agree. Uh, and it's I'm I'm really looking forward to these next three games.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

You look as well at some of the results that other teams like it does feel like a year where everyone's beaten everyone apart from the like apart from Penriff. Like, yeah, right, they had that one thing against the Bulldogs, but other than that, they've looked unstoppable. It just feels like uh the first few games and first few weeks of the season were a bit of a everyone finding their feet, and now everyone's settling into a rhythm. The fact that we've got Seabold out as well, which we've been calling for for like since the night, since we went to the nights last year away, it just feels like, yeah, some um normalities resume to the league, but yeah, there's still some huge blowout scores in that.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

Talking about teams that are starting to turn into contenders, though, like Tigers, they the conversation needs to start being happening around them, you know.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

It does, and Thursday feels like an age ago. I say this every week, that but particularly after this weekend, Thursday feels like a very, very, very long time ago. But they tore the Raiders a new one. Like the only time the only reason the Raiders scored is because Api Corasel was off the field for 10 minutes, and that was it. Yeah, they just dominated them, they look so physical to Rel May. Every single game is just up for it, just running through everyone. Uh, who else? Uh Faenu. I couldn't I couldn't think of his name. He's having a great season, he's having an unreal season. Um Taylor May as well. Yeah, Taylor May, he's he's playing well, like they're all just up constantly. And even when Louai wasn't there, like they played well, Madden comes in. Um, Dewey's having a season of his life, isn't he? He's up there, probably one of the best players in the league at the moment. Um, and they just tore this Raiders team apart. And this is the it's weird. This is the Raiders team that I think everyone expected last year. Yes, and they put themselves on a pedestal last year of where obviously becoming minor premiers that everyone expected them to do the same this year, but they've they've lost one key part of that, and we've benefited from that in Manly and Jamal Fo Fogerty. But the Tigers are are they a lock on for the top four? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Oh you've you you've got it, you've got to start taking some serious thought around it. Yeah, um, and and they've just got that barrent, they looked a lot better in attack this this week. Um, as I mentioned sort of last week, they look a little they looked a little lost at times, but they seemed so sure. That also noticed what you were mentioning about Louai doing his little hop skips, and which may uh offset some players within within their attack. Um, but what the the the moment of the game for me was seeing Big Royce hunt like butt buttons sprint through the middle. There's there is no one better, there's no one quicker than a big man who's got his chance.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

And I think that's a chance in everything. If he like we can talk about in many walks of life, if a big man has a chance, he's gonna do everything that he can to score. And um, yeah, great. Like, what is it, 30 metres out or something like that? He runs in from a little sidestep, goes, leaves Kyle Weeks.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

We're talking about like one of the Weeks made a massive business decision.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

But he's did he slip or did he kind of go, oh no, no, I can't stop. It's 130 kilos. My studs have gone on from underneath me. But yeah, every they all seem to love it, and they were like, he mind you, there's a bit of handbags at the end as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

Between Tom Stalin and uh did you see the thing that happened after that?

SPEAKER_00 14:11

The geezer that messaged Stalin and said like something about his missus, like if you ever come here again. Oh, that's that's awesome. I mean, have you seen the follow-up from that? Nah. So someone then said, uh, you've got to send a video of yourself apologizing on all fours, otherwise, I'm sending your details to the police. Geezer done it. Like he's there, like basically like a cat on the floor saying, I'm sorry. And I think Papa Lee's just got a video of it, and it's it's hilarious. You should have a look at it, it's pretty funny. But one thing that's come out today is that well, it came out yesterday, Jerome Louis over in Port Moresby. My concern for the Tigers is, and I was listening to the Byram podcast earlier, and they were saying like a similar sort of thing. If you're a young player at the Tigers and you've got Jerome Louis leading you, who kicked up such a fuss when Lockheed Galvin was going to the Bulldogs, he's effectively doing the same thing to the Tigers now. I know it's not until 2028, or that's what the reports are, it's not until 2028. But how can you entrust someone or listen to someone that is kind of contradicting what they said?

SPEAKER_01 15:16

This is what I don't like about the the transfers and stuff in in the NRL. It's like peep team players can go two years away. Yeah. It's like, nah, because as soon as as soon as you indicate that you want to go, for me, I'd want them out of the changing room, I'd want them gone. Alright, okay, so you're you're I'm now having to fight shoulder to shoulder with you. I'm having to dig deep, give my blood, but you're gonna be pissing off in a couple of weeks, it's a couple of years' time. I I don't feel as as great with that. And I could this this could be I don't think it's gonna be as serious as DCA last year with Manley when he came out and said he left. There's still it's still two years away, allegedly. And I so I don't think it's gonna have a bigger impact, but in saying that, I think there are gonna be a couple of people who will be questioning him, going like last year you absolutely ripped Galvin a Gavin a new one. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 16:10

And then on top of that, other players might be thinking, Well, hang on, the Perth Bears are struggling to get a team together, there's an opportunity for me to leave this year, maybe on a bit better money, or I could go and join him in PNG and the Tigers and then turn him around looking like they've got egg on their face because they threw all their eggs somewhat in the luigh basket, yeah, and now it's kind of backfiring. So be an interesting one, interesting one to see. Um but talking of Lockie Galvin and the and the and the Bulldogs, I actually think they might be the biggest frauds in the competition. They are hype, they are might be a bit controversial, but some doggies fans might have some hairs standing up on their back with that one. But they might be the biggest frauds, like all talk, all bark, no bite. They have been woeful this year, they've won great performance against the Panthers, and for the players that they've got, the team that they're supposedly meant to have, they're just not that good. And I put this down to getting rid of Toby Sexton. I think that they had a man there that had a bit of experience playing at seven, and if you watch it, I think he's at Catalan now, in he, or something like that. And he's whipping it around, and he he might be coming back for the for the Perth Bears, and he wants to come back and prove a point that he shouldn't have been let go, and it makes you think as well about the hierarchy of things, Gus Gould wanting to bring in Galvin with Seraldo and Gould on the same page, like I don't know, it just reeks of things not going right.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

Yeah, and and I think you could you could have had because what what they've done the the the old Matty Burton is they've he they've brought him mainly into the highest, but you could still have him playing fullback, you could still have him in the centres. Matty Burton was always going to be on that field, yeah. And you could have had Locky, Lockie and Sexton playing with each other, and I think that would have worked out quite nice nicely. I think they would have complemented each other in that sense. Whereas you've got Matty Burton now trying to trying to sort of take the the reins of the reins of the team, and you've got a young Lockie Galvin who's again trying to step up into a position where he's running an attack.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

50 games in or 51 games into his career.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Which which the only thing that seems to be working is the the the short pop off to Preston. And when that gets shut down, they don't seem to have anything.

SPEAKER_00 18:31

What's it I read about Preston earlier? Geez is playing with two basically something in both of his legs or something like that. He needs surgery in both of his, or he's injured in both of his legs, but he's playing on, and like there was an output rate, and in the first game he had like a high output, and then it's dropped off week on week. So you think on top of that, like Crichton and his shoulder injury, oh, it might be both his shoulders actually. Uh Preston, but Cry Crichton, his shoulder injury, yeah. He's falling off a little bit, like he's not as dominant as as productive as what he can be. And I suppose on that, like I I personally don't think if we're going on current form, Stephen Crichton is a guarantee for a centre position at Origin.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

I don't think he makes the I don't think he makes the 18. If you go if you're going off current form, he he he unfortunately isn't there. You've got you've got Latrell Mitchell who's who's absolutely owning the left centre position, best left centre in the in the in the comp at the moment. Yeah, um, arguably best centre. And then you've got two right centres who are one at one at the Broncos and one at the Panthers who are doing extremely well. Cautoni Staggs last last week against um uh against the tiger, yeah, against the Tigers, had one of the best defensive performances I think I've seen from his.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

He was up in everyone's face as well, like smiling, laughing, and it was just he's dominant.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

And you've got Casey McLean, who's an absolute wizard with the ball at the moment. So it's you there's there's there's two centres already for the for the right hand side battling it out. You've got Latrell, you probably need a little bit of backup, but you've you also can't take Kohler out of the conversation either. Like when he's been playing at centre within an attack that wasn't producing anything, he has that, he has that bright spot, he has those origin plays, as as people, as people like to say around this time of year. So I I I he will only get on from his name and what he brings to a squad. That that dog mentality is what he'll get in in for, but on current form, nah.

SPEAKER_00 20:28

You mentioned about Katoni Stags there as well, he's having a hell of a season. Obviously, the Broncos they clean the flu like they're under strength at the moment, they're massively injured, and they've just turned over that bulldog side, in which Crichton's the leader of. And I think if you had to put the two of them up against each other, I'd be picking Catoni Stags all day long. And then you mentioned about Latrell Mitchell there, what a performance against the storm. Like, I we were we were fair few beers deep into into this one on Saturday night, but I got home and watched the second half, and I've never seen a team stroll over with ease so much on one side of the field. It was like there were gaps appearing all over the place, and the storm look a shambles.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Oh, shocking, absolutely shocking at the moment. Um reckon they'll make the top eight. No, not the way they're going, no. I say I said at the start because never I don't think I'll see Manley losing again. I can't see the Storm winning again.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Yeah, they've got the Dolphins this weekend, which will be an interesting one. Apparently, the Dolphins are favourites. Obviously, we'll get onto the fixtures in a bit, but two, I suppose the two questions from that are the Storm going to finish in the top eight? I'm not sure. So you look at Penrith last year, come two completely different sides. Like Penrith still had people to come back, or they still had people that will underperform him. Yeah. Whereas Stormer lost Kamakamita, Kamakamita, like I don't know how long he's out for with the stroke. Obviously, they lost um uh what have I forgotten his name? Giza had the brain. Katoa? Yeah, Katoa in the in the preseason. Um, Pappenhausen's gone. Yes, they've got probably the best. Spine in the competition, but I don't know. I'm not too sure whether, like, I'll give Farlongo his his dues a hell of a try. Um, also randomly on that, have you seen the uh voting for the uh Dali M awards? He got one point in that game, Farlongo. Like, how you've just been waxed 40, whatever it was. Did both teams get a set of three, or is it just no more? So I can't I can't remember how people are voting, but basically it's an anonymous panel, so you don't know who's voting. Um, people vote for 3-2-1, and obviously six, five, and then three, however many you get. And he got one point from a number of people voted for him to get one point. I don't get how when you get walloped like that defensively as well, it's a shambles because you're letting 42 points in your back. Like you're not covering he scored a try like you're playing rugby 08 on amateur.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Like he he darted through everyone and and and and went over. It was it was incredible. And he's he's he's he's he's he's talking about players who are keeping a uh a team going, he's he's been unbelievable. Like Jerome Hughes and and Munster have been missing. Harry Grant again is probably the only one who's given giving them a bit of a Munster and Hughes.

SPEAKER_00 23:12

Well, Hughes is now injured, yeah. He's out, yeah. So they they've been non-existent, but looking at the rabbit O's, spoke about the Tigers finishing in top four. Like I current form, uh like, and if they continue it, and that's a big if. Like Cam Murray's playing absolutely phenomenally. Obviously, Ltrell's play he's dropped goal, like just absolute swag. One of the cleanest hits of a ball, I think I've seen it.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

I watched him didn't he do it last year as well against some someone at the It was raining, like was it?

SPEAKER_00 23:40

Might have even been the Bulldogs, I can't remember. No one was expecting he just drops it from behind the 40. But I think they're a good chance, uh definitely finish in top four.

SPEAKER_01 23:51

Someone's who you've got to mention in the rabbit hose at the moment, Matt Dufty.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

Yeah, back to back over 300 meters. I read something as well. The most post-contact meters in a game since um Joey Manu for the roosters against someone, like post-contact meters from a fullback, like fair play to him.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

Just not the biggest either. Like against a storm, but he loves it as well. Like he and any chance he gets, he he's getting that ball and he wants to run with it. Um, and and again, refer back to the level, like they were having that conversation about Jai Gray and Dufty's wing.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

Jai Grey goes straight back in. Yeah, I don't think there's any question about it. He's got to go straight back in.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Dufty's looking better in attacking sense though, but I think Jai's got more the defensive side. Yeah. Um, but what so then that's him Domino and goes back to New South Wales Court?

SPEAKER_00 24:35

Nah, like he's gonna play somewhere, but where? I don't know. Like, you can't not keep him in, like you can't just say see you later after putting in 600 metres in two games. And obviously, probably still two or three more games that he that he's got left.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

Um if you can continue, it's yeah, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 24:53

But let's get back to the the centres conversation at Origin because that's where this this all started. If you had to pick now, who would your two centres be? Your two stars and Mitchell. Stags and Mitchell, that's hard to disagree. And I think I'd have Casey McLean in there because he could probably play on the wing. Yeah, he could he could could he go inside one. Well, could he nah he wouldn't? We'd have there'd be cover for that. But I think they're they're the they're the two that are a lock at the moment. But I don't know, I just get a feeling that because Stephen Crichton is Stephen Crichton, yeah, he's gonna get called up. But um, I mean the rest of the games this week were pretty run-of-the-mill, pretty, pretty bang average. When I say that, it's just Panthers doing what the Panthers do best, absolutely tear apart the Knights, Dylan Edwards. I mean, I was walking down to Brookie when I saw this, and I refreshed the score and he'd scored three tries in eight minutes, and then they win that what was it, 44-12? 44-12, yeah. The only thing that didn't that didn't appear on that score sheet was uh Tom Jenkins. Shocking, suck him, overrated player. Why is he not scoring two tries?

SPEAKER_01 25:54

He's now gave it he gave it he gave it to Brian Tar. Brian Tar got two so instead, so he's like, oh my wing, my wing partner can have a have a couple of tries this week.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

He's now not on for 51 tries or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

Well, he just needs to uh no, he doesn't need to score four against Magnus. No, he does the next game. No, he needs to score, he needs to score six in the game in the table.

SPEAKER_00 26:11

Okay, well, back-to-back stinkers would be nice. That'd be believed. It'd be delightful. Mind you, it wasn't a stinker, he probably just wasn't in the positions that everyone else. And the knights just got carved up. But on the knights that obviously Pong assigned for another few years, um, good for them. A lot of money though being invested in three players, and they've got obviously Fletcher, is it Fletcher Hunt, Fletcher Sharp, whichever one it is, the other half that they're the young guy that obviously he's gonna be wanting more money, so they've got a salary cap balance that they're gonna have to find. But the other game on Saturday that we were yeah, two upping our way out of uh trying to two up our way out of trouble.

SPEAKER_01 26:46

My idiotic decision. Oh, you'd have gone eight for eight, we'd like. If I didn't believe the hype around the uh around the dragons, there was no hype.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

There was no hype.

SPEAKER_01 26:56

I I believed in it. Whatever whatever hype I heard, I believed it.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

Old mate Young was like, oh yeah, I know the dragons DNA, I'm I've got nowhere to get this club, and then you get turned over, like massively turned over. Don't get me wrong, towards the end there were some I watched the highlights back of this, there were some sloppy tries that the the roosters score, so poor at times, and the yellow cards are questionable, like one of them did he need to rush out the line and wallop the kicker. I don't know, but it's just one of those games that it was on in the background whilst we're tossing coins all over the place, and the roosters ended up absolutely destroying them. But we did a little origin comparison earlier at the centre position. We talked about the Panthers, talked about the Roosters, who gets a starting fullback spot for New South Wales.

SPEAKER_01 27:45

We discussed this on Sunday as well. I I'm I'm I'm a big fan of I think I've always been a Dylan Edwards fan, um, and I am leading towards him at the moment, but Roy Keane, Lee Catamole. Can can you can you go Edwards over to Desco?

SPEAKER_00 28:05

Oh, it's a difficult one. I think Tedesco's resurgence. You said it about the Brandon Wacom earlier.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

This geezer is he's having a season and a half, anyway.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

He has he and he's he's done it for a while now as well. Um, Edwards is just so good though. It all comes what happens over the next couple of weeks. Who who's maybe picks up a little niggle? Yeah, who has a dip in form. But if we were to go with anyone and they're going on pure form, you have to look at Dylan Edwards with the Panthers. But Tedesco is more than within a shout of that starting fullback spot. And I don't there's no one else outside outside of those two.

SPEAKER_01 28:42

No, no, not at the moment, no.

SPEAKER_00 28:44

Last two games though, Cowboys, Sharks. Uh I don't know how I feel about this. A point a minute felt like a bit of a basketball game. Sharks, yeah. I could say the same about the Bulldogs, all bark. Does a shark bark? Probably not, but all bark, no bite. Um and they just can't fulfil their fulfill their talent, their potential, no, not at all.

SPEAKER_01 29:07

Um the Cowboys uh reduced to six the week before against Manley and then scored 40 46 against the sharks. It's are Manly are Manley good. I did say about how they've they've improved defensively. Uh this could showcase that a little bit as well. Granted, it probably wasn't as humid, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

One thing I'm worried about for Manly against the Panthers, which probably talk about in a sec, is the middles and being able to control the middles, but the cowboys have some big middles.

SPEAKER_01 29:37

Big boys. Ah, where were where was Junior Paolo on the weekend? Oh man, a man normally rips us to bits. He did there was a fair few offloads from him in the first half. But if if you're talking about big, big middle middle middles to to try and control, he's he's probably the big one of the biggest out there.

SPEAKER_00 29:54

He is, and he loves turning around like you say, offloading the ball and it was non-existent. Um I feel like Poseca is is shooting. He he he he needs to have a big game, yeah. He does, he does. But cowboy sharks, obviously, cowboys come where the win, few stand-up performances, drink water was running all over him, like he was just tearing them apart. And then, like I said, the last game of the week, Warriors Dolphins didn't didn't see any of it. Didn't genuinely jump.

SPEAKER_01 30:18

I watch back, I watched about the highlights, uh, and no. Any insight? What let me know? No, no, not a lot happened. Uh it was a good it was a good first half. Um the Dolphins race raced out, uh, but then I th the Warriors just just just came back, scored that, and the they didn't try 18-14 down, weren't they?

SPEAKER_00 30:37

And then they what scored in the last couple of minutes or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

Yeah, it was it was a pretty eventful second half.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

But you know, I'd think if I had to pick my top four at this present moment in time, I think I'd go Panthers, Warriors, Tigers, Rabbits would be my top four. Like thinking about it. Don't know about you. I'd like I can't think of anyone else. So I'd I'd squeeze like who falls out of that? Who would you confidently turn around and go, apart from Hanley, that yes, they would they would outdo them. No one no one at the moment. No, I've gotta agree with that one. So there we go. Well, let's get into what round are we on nowadays? Round nine, season's flying by. We're over a third of the way. Well, we're not. This is the third, the third third, first third of the season will be done after this. Um Friday night, we're at the accord. It's not yeah, it is Friday night, first of May, pinch punch first air month. The Bulldogs, $1.74 against the Cowboys, $2.10. I don't know about this one. Marie Salungi's out for the Cowboys, which is fair fairly big. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Um and we're all about we're all about talking about form. I'm I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go for the Cowboys.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

I I really don't know who to pick in this one. I really do not know who to tip in this one. Cowboys looked good against the sharks. I'm gonna go Bulldogs. I reckon I reckon they might might get this one done.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

And then we get to the second kickoff on the Friday, eight o'clock. We've got the Dolphins at $1.62 against the Storm at $2.31 at the Suncorp.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

Wild Jerome Hughes is out, obviously. Yeah, injured his shoulder, arm, whatever it is. Dolphins are like this. Is heavy favourites for the Dolphins? Really surprised by this. Um, Morgan Knowles is back. I think he picked up a slight injury in the warm-up. They can't like the storm can't lose seven on a bounce, can they? They they can't, they can't, but I think they're gonna. I think the dolphins will win this game.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

I'm gonna join you with that one. I I I I see a lot what I'm seeing from the Dolphins and not what I'm seeing from the Storm.

SPEAKER_00 32:59

Hmm, interesting. Then on Saturday, we are remaining in Queensland. We've got the uh Gold Coast Titans at a dollar ninety Wowsers against the Canberra Raiders at a dollar ninety-three at the C bus super. Like that is that can't that can't be right. Like what what what what does sports better know that we don't really we don't? Um he's out, but he was out last. Oh no, he's in, he's back in.

SPEAKER_01 33:33

I'm gonna I'm gonna go for I'm gonna go for the Raiders in this one. I think that they they're gonna have a bit of a resurgence, and I just don't think the Titans are there defensively.

SPEAKER_00 33:41

Yeah, I'm gonna agree with you. Like the Titans looked alright last week against the Eels, wasn't it? That they no, yeah. Was it the Eels that they they were on the bye week, sorry last week, the week before they beat the Eels, I believe. Let me just check that. Check that I'm not chatting absolute waffle. No, they're lost. Lost the Warriors. What am I who am I talking about then? Where am I going with this? Who did the Titans beat recently? Why am I getting this wrong? Oh, yeah, they batted the Eels a couple of weeks ago, 52-10. So it wasn't last week, it was the week or two weeks ago, it was the week before. Um nah, but the Raiders are winning this one.

SPEAKER_01 34:14

Yeah, yeah. Um, and then we've got the 5.30 kickoff. We've got the at the we're at the combank. Double double games at the combat this week, man. We've got the Paramount Eels at $2.86 against the Waz at a dollar 43.

SPEAKER_00 34:30

Fair few players back for the Waz as well. Luke Metcalf, is he starting? No, he's not. He's on the extended bench, I believe. Oh no, he's on number 20, he's been named at number 20, so whether he actually gets on, who knows? There was talks as well that Metcalf should probably play a bit of New South Wales Cup to get himself back from his ACL.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

I I agree with this because he's not really looked settled when he's come back those couple of games. So I think he did upset the apple cart a little bit. Um I I agree with that. I think he just needs to play a little bit of uh reserve.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Legs under him. I think the Warriors win this game though. Yeah, I don't agree, Mrs. I'm mopping the wires. Don't think there's much dude. What a game we have then at 7.35 on a Saturday at the Allianz, the Roosters at $1.56 against the Broncos at $2.44. And I believe the Broncos have got a few names back for this. Patty Carrigan, Reese Walsh, Jesse Arthur's.

SPEAKER_01 35:22

Yeah, you've got Walsh back starting. You've got Patty Carrigan back starting. This is gonna be a hell of a game. This is gonna be a hell of a game. I think it's gonna come down to the fullbacks and the back three, and I just I think the roosters just edge it. I'm yeah, I'm I'm I'm just I'm gonna just tipping the roosters.

SPEAKER_00 35:59

I'm not sure about this one. I the Broncos are put in a hell of a shift over the last couple of weeks, but I think this one might be a little hurdle too far. But it's a good it's a good I think it's a good barometer of like where both teams are at to see what they're doing, but I'm gonna go for the Sydney Roosters in this one.

SPEAKER_01 36:15

And then we've got the first game on the Sunday. We're at a two o'clock. Three up on the Sunday. Yeah, um two o'clock kickoff at the McDonnell Jones Stadium. Um we've got the Knights at $2.11 against the Rabbit O's at $1.73.

SPEAKER_00 36:32

I don't think there's uh much that needs to be said about this. Give me the Rabbit O's and give me the Rabbit O's by 30. Yeah, Rabbit O's absolutely storming at home. They will. Then we move to the Ocean Protect Stadium, Shark Park. We got the Crenella Sharks at $1.52 against the West Tigers, $2.54.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

But again, what what do they are Apicorisel's out?

SPEAKER_00 36:56

Oh, of course he is. He's got it.

SPEAKER_01 36:56

Kai Pierce Paul is out, and Dream Buller is Dareen Buller is out. Um that is huge. Yeah, that is that is those are three big players they're missing. I think with what's happening with Louis, they may be a little bit of an up upset of the Apple Cart. Sharks at home normally tend to pull it together. I'm gonna I'm gonna go for the sharks in this one.

SPEAKER_00 37:20

This is an interesting one because sharks played Warriors, I think, last time at home. It was a bit of a back and forward sloppy game, but the sharks did come away with a win, I believe. Yeah, I'm gonna go with the sharks. Sharks in this. Api Corosaw is a big well when he was off the field. I know they were down to 12 men, but either raider scored twice when he was off the field. So yeah, I'm gonna go with the sharks.

SPEAKER_01 37:42

And then finally, to round up the weekend, what a finish. 6.15 on Sunday at the Combank Stadium. We've got the $1.25 Penrith Panthers against the $3.90 Manly Waringa Sea Eagles.

SPEAKER_00 38:00

I'm really surprised by $3.90. Yeah. Last time we went to the Combank and played the Panthers, we turned them over.

SPEAKER_01 38:06

Just a vanga had a hell of a game.

SPEAKER_00 38:08

He did, and that's where we were talking about last week. Cola's little inside uh move coming from the other side of the field. Look, Corey Waddell's are only out. I know it says Josh Felody as well, but or Feledi, but he hasn't got on much. Um, Waddell, is he much of a loss? I think he's more of a liability than look, he's put in a good shift. I can't this like put him down for that. But I do worry that we don't have much on the bench with well.

SPEAKER_01 38:34

This is what I'm thinking. What what has what has Fuzz seen to drop Liuffy?

SPEAKER_00 38:41

Well, I did read something that someone put up that in the two games that he's played, he played what, four, eight minutes and thirty minutes, and he's only had like five hit-ups total for 26 metres. He's coming up against arguably the most disciplined frontline pack going. Maybe it's just a little bit too early.

SPEAKER_01 39:00

But then what has he seen to then go, right? I'm gonna bring Blake Wilson onto the bench, and I'm also gonna be bring Jackson Sherub in there as well, who's gonna be at 19th. But I don't know, and I don't know much about Cherub to be fair. No, he's not I don't think he's I've I've not seen enough of him, and I don't think he's he's made his NRL debut.

SPEAKER_00 39:20

But what I think they bought Nathan Brown in for what I don't know just just a bit of mongrel, bit of just yeah, late footwork, bit of upset, bit of undersized, bit of back fence, bit of just you know, experience. So I get that, but I'm mind you, I don't mind Takihahi off the bench at all.

SPEAKER_01 39:36

No, I can't I'm quite liking Takiarahi.

SPEAKER_00 39:37

He brings that like size and bit of experience when Jake goes off. Yeah. Oh fuck, this does my head in. Like I say I better my head and not my heart.

SPEAKER_01 39:50

I think the heart wins on this one.

SPEAKER_00 39:53

I'm gonna have to go for the Penrith Panthers. Fucking no. I'm gonna go this season. Manly Seagulls are winning this one. Sod it. I'm going for the Manly Seagulls. I've got back the boys on such a run of form. We're winning it. Manly Seagulls are winning. Exactly. We are winning this game 13 plus.

SPEAKER_01 40:08

Women's state of origin. Finish it up.

SPEAKER_00 40:11

Uh, not too familiar with the squads that have been picked. I noticed they were picked the other day. Um I still don't understand why this is so far before the season starts. Before the season starts.

SPEAKER_01 40:22

Surely the risk of it's like a pre-season friendly.

SPEAKER_00 40:26

Surely the risk of injury as well, it's like super high. Yeah. Um last year it was a 3-0 whitewash, wasn't it? Or was it 2-1? I think it was 2-1.

SPEAKER_01 40:35

I think naked, I think Queensland came back.

SPEAKER_00 40:36

One of the one of the ones that absolutely thumped it down with rain, didn't it?

SPEAKER_01 40:40

I think that was the last game. I think it was like 10-13 or something like that.

SPEAKER_00 40:44

Got her back the back the blues. Ah, back the blues every every single day. Um New South Wales are winning this one without a shadow of a doubt.

SPEAKER_01 40:51

Yeah, 100%. New South winning the full thing. And the church is gonna absolutely dominate over Tamika Upton, and it's gonna be a great game.

SPEAKER_00 40:59

Yeah, oh, one thing I forgot to mention earlier on as well. We've got 151 subscribers. Two people subscribed from last week. We got over 150. So if you're new around here, like and subscribe. With the counts going up, keep it going. Um, any other news from around the sporting world apart from Chelsea absolutely dominating League United and getting to the final of the FA Cup? Um probably gonna get battered by Man City in the final.

SPEAKER_01 41:19

Arsenal won, didn't they? So can't really touch on that.

SPEAKER_00 41:21

Oh, there's the offense fixture congestion with City that they're talking with the league about how they can try and arrange fixtures so it doesn't mess them up as much. No, City. They've got two games in hand that need to be played in between other games. And so Arsenal play again next. So City should in theory be six points behind City the next time they play. Uh City should be six points behind Arsenal next time they play. Gosh. It's a bit unfair the scheduling like that. But look, Arsenal cannot win the league.

SPEAKER_01 41:48

No, they can't.

SPEAKER_00 41:49

Um but other than that, no, I don't think there's any other big team. Not much going on in the world, is there? I think Tyson, uh Fury, and Andy Josh Joe potentially signed the fight, but other than that, there we go. That's what it is. Well, thanks for tuning in. Hit that like and subscribe button, and we'll catch you in the next one. See you next week.