Selection Week

Origin selection week always turns rugby league into an argument, and we lean all the way into it. We start with the biggest call of the lot: who deserves the New South Wales fullback jersey right now, what the decision says about the Blues’ style, and what has to happen on the field for the pick to look smart. From kick returns and high-ball work to defensive muscle, we talk through the standards Origin demands and the awkward contingency question nobody wants to answer until a game is on the line. 

From there we move through the rest of the squad, where “picked on form” collides with “picked for the role”. We look at wing options, why power and yardage can matter as much as pace, and which forwards feel stiff to miss out when you’re trying to build a bench that can actually cover injuries and momentum shifts. We also dig into the eligibility rule changes and how they quietly reshape the entire selection landscape for State of Origin. 

Then it’s Magic Round, and the bigger theme that won’t go away: why so many NRL matches are turning into blowouts. We debate ruck speed, fatigue, defence, momentum, and the bunker, then roll through the key games and storylines, including form teams, injury worries, and what it all means for the run to finals. We wrap with our tips for the five-game week and a quick tease of our Origin preview next time. Subscribe, share the episode with a mate, and leave a review, then tell us your NSW 19 and why?

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Hello and welcome along to this week's episode. They've been doing it all day today. Origin selections are in. Let's get stuck in.

SPEAKER_02 0:08

How'd you week been, mate?

SPEAKER_03 0:10

Hectic. Hectic. It has been hectic. Buying a house is uh a lot more stressful. Well, it shouldn't have been this stressful, but it seems like people have made it this stressful. And I've been spending the last few days rushing around trying to get signatures, trying to get documents certified, and it's yeah, just been carnage. Um carnage. It's meant to all happen this Friday, but and I hope it does, but we'll see. Um, yeah, it's just honestly, it feels like it's taken up my last week. It feels like everything I've been thinking about. Um, and I can't really remember what I've done over the last week because it's been that chaotic, but enough of my troubles. How's your week been?

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Yeah, it's been good, mate. It's been good. I didn't do anything on uh over the weekend, it was very chill, chill. I tell a lie. I spent nearly three hours, four hours cleaning the barbecue. That was that was fun. Um have you neglected it?

SPEAKER_03 1:00

Is that why it took so long?

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Not I've neglected like the roof and stuff of the barbecue. So like the the base tray and everything, we we I do clean out, and I've given it a cloak like the hot plate and the grill we do clean. Yeah, it's just that that was absolute utter filth. Um so I had the old uh oven cleaner on it, did about two or three rounds, yeah, nearly spotless. And I was like, I've been going at this forever, I'm I'm not going anymore. You've got to look, I say this all the time, it pays to look after it. Oh, massively 100% massively, and you you've gotta you've gotta put a lot of elbow grease into a barbecue, especially looking after it. And what do we do? Four hours worth of cleaning, and we made burgers straight on it. And uh you've just got to do it, you've got to do it, otherwise you just never use it again.

SPEAKER_03 1:44

It's the same with pots and pans, like most pans should stay non stick for a significant amount of time, but if you don't clean it right, then all those oils and fats they just get cooked onto it and then you lose your non-stick.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

So we we went on a massive non-stick binge. Uh we've got rid of all our non-stick stuff. We're we're all uh hex clad or whatever it is. No, not even that. We're we're stainless steel.

SPEAKER_03 2:08

Stainless steel. Yeah, we're just new to what boring chat. This is horrendous, but this is absolutely horrendous. There's this there's this new, I can't remember the name of the company. It's it's this hex clad stuff, but it hasn't got any coating on it, and it's chemical free, and it's this new bollocks technology that is metal resistant.

SPEAKER_02 2:28

I've been tempted to look into getting some pans, but well scan pan, scan pan, the Scandinavians it's solid, absolutely brilliant. You've got to but the thing is you've got to heat them up until the water's dancing, and then that that's that's when you know what's going on.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

It's old mate on TikTok, isn't it? When he's like teaching you how to cook with stainless, honestly, revelation, yeah. But again, you don't look after it, then then everything's gonna be sticking to it for then on. But um, big week this week, huge origin selection. Um, some bit some interesting choices by Laurie Daly. Um, and we'll go through them quickly in a bit. I looked through that team that I sent through to the group the other day, yeah, and I wasn't far off. Like I had Angus Crichton in instead of Hudson Young, but I had Hudson Young on the bench, had Terrell May on the bench. It was mainly the bench spots that I didn't get right, but big man on a kawati starting, but the fullback one I did get right. Yeah. Do you reckon it's the right choice?

SPEAKER_02 3:24

Uh I I reckon leading into this weekend, yes. Um but with uh last weekend, sorry, yes, but with neither really Teddy or or Edwards performing over the weekend, they both had very quiet performances. A few errors in both as well. Yeah, I think I think Edwards rightly so should feel hard done by. Um, but then you've got you've got to look at it how many Panthers players is too many Panthers players to to sort of spoil the spoil the the the the team. Um I really do believe there is something in that if if you have too many players for one from one team, they very much try and then start playing their own way, yeah. And you have to, especially with representative, you've got to have your own stamp on how you're gonna play. Yeah, um, and too many sort of speaking and going, oh no, we'll do it this way, it can sort of upset the apple cart in that sense. But Teddy needs to perform game one, he needs to put in a shift, he needs the I reckon he needs to clear 200 metres, needs to be take catching anything in the air because he's gonna have to do a lot of aerial work, especially with cola and patato picked on the bank on the on the wings. Um so it's it's gonna be uh it I think all eyes are gonna be on it be on him for game one.

SPEAKER_03 4:34

I agree, I think it's the right choice. The only concern is, and this is I suppose what happens if Tedesco something happens to Tedesco, who covers it fullback? So you have Cola go back there, but then we're talking about high ball pressure, and as we've seen at Manly, yeah, he's not the greatest under the high ball, and you have Sam Walker kicking the ball up there, giving it the big one. But Tedesco is definitely better defensively when it comes to size and physicality. Like, don't get me wrong, Dylan Edwards has made some incredible tackles back there. But it seems to me with selecting Toto and especially Cola on the wing, it's like there's gonna be just explosive plays and trying to score out of opportunity rather than structure.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

But there's gonna be a lot of power coming out of defensive sets as well. So I I was thinking about this the other day. One thing that cola and Toto bring is when they're back in their 20 and they're taking the first hit-ups while the forwards are coming back, the two of them can earn big meters. Yeah, and I think that's what that's not probably bad bad thinking a bit between it with it, because if if the forwards are shattered and you need to get 10-20 metres to get away from your own line, I think uh Tao and Cola are able to do that.

SPEAKER_03 5:48

I do think what Cola's done over the last what four weeks has made like look if Lutrell Mitchell is fit, yeah, does Cola start on the wing? I'm not I'm not too sure, but then who would go outside of him? I don't like I would Crichton move to the wing?

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Staggs, Crichton. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 6:08

I don't think Staggs is a winger. I think Crichton would move to the wing, but then I just think one person that has missed out massively from this, obviously, apart from Dylan Edwards, is Josh Adokarr, because he's got the same pace as Kohler. I'd say he's got not too dissimilar explosive ability as Kohler. It's just interesting that they have, I think they've just picked Kohler on form, which is what Laurie Bailey said he was going to do. But the other one, this is the one that is massively hard done by because the amount of tries he scored is Thomas Jenkins not getting picked. But I do think for that reason of what you've just said, been able to run the ball powerfully. I think that's why it would have been Kohler or Alo Carr over um Jenkins. But another person that I thought was unfairly done by is one of the some of the forward selections. Yeah, huge, like Terrell May. I don't know what he's got to do to get an origin jersey, but also the bigger one is Jackson Ford.

SPEAKER_02 7:07

I don't know how he's missed out.

SPEAKER_03 7:08

He's scoring regularly, he's a powerhouse. The Warriors, I believe, have the best forward pack in the competition as an all-round unit. Um, and how he's not been selected alongside Mitch Barnett, I don't know. I don't know what else he's gonna do.

SPEAKER_02 7:23

You could you could bring it. I was I was listening earlier, he's actually started more first grade games at second row than he has at a prop. And he would have been good cover for your second second rows because you're looking at you're looking at that that the bench, um, you've got two nines there in Cam Murray and Victor Radley. So or you've got lock in Murray. But I I don't really know if if Oli Kawatu or or Hudson Young go down, where where does that sort of reshuffle happen? Who who comes in? Does Cam Murray come into the second row? I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 7:53

I reckon Radley. That's what Radley's been picked for, isn't it? To go to go to be a utility, yeah. It's interesting though, in that this has all become all come because of those eligibility rules as well. They change the eligibility rules for Noah Blake, Victor Radley's been able to come in. They're the two kind of big names that have benefited from this, and there's some older ruled new like older selection ruled New South Wales players that you'd be like, you would have been picked this year had it been for that. Um I do I don't know how I feel about the series at the moment. It feels like because there's so many players that have been lost through injury. I'm a bit like I hope it is as electric as it can be. I'm just like not having Payne Hasse is a big one. Um, it's always great to see the big man, but also Keon Kaloma Tungi hasn't been picked either, which is which he's had quite a quiet one with with the rabbit hose, really, hasn't he?

SPEAKER_02 8:53

Everything's been around that left edge with with Fafit. Well, I know Fafita's been out a while now, but Mitchell and Johnson have been getting a lot more of the plaudits that the middle hasn't really been been hasn't shone that in too much light. And then you you to be fair, you you you go and look at the the the the Queensland team, like Reese Walsh not in there, which is which is quite a big shot over Kalen Ponger. To be fair, Ponga has had a class season. Yeah, yeah. So when when he's been when he's been fit, um you they've lost the likes of Xavier Coates on the wing where you've got Salem Cobo who's starting to hit form at the right time. Um I reckon he he's gonna be an issue, which is that again, my only like quite with having such small wingers is is big bodies, he's he's he's a big body, and I remember the first origin I watched that he absolutely ripped it up on the on the wing.

SPEAKER_03 9:42

Um I'm not so I'm not too fussed about Jojo Fafita. No, um I'm just don't get me wrong, weekend. Yeah, I'm glad he's not playing against Manley, but um if you put him in an origin stage, look, we could say this, and look what happened to Robert Toyo Larson.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

He actually ripped it up, didn't he?

SPEAKER_03 9:57

So he ripped it up and he was more than ready for it. Um, but yeah, I do believe that Kohler's gonna have his hands full with Cobbo. Yeah um but who's spine? If we had to like rank spines, who's got the better spine? So we got what we got Grant, Walker, uh Munster and Ponger, or Tedesco, Moses, Cleary, and Reese Robson. They're both pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

Yeah, then well it depends what Nathan Cleary you get. I this is a this is gonna be a massive rogue comment, but I was just thinking about it just because of the amount of great form he's been in. How far do you think Luke Brooks was away in the halves? Give it a rest. No, genuine, genuine, genuine question, question.

SPEAKER_03 10:40

Nah, nah, he was he was miles away. Like, surely that wasn't even a name that came into consideration. Like, don't get me wrong, he's performed really well over the last few weeks.

SPEAKER_02 10:52

So you've got probably Lou I and Strange ahead of him.

SPEAKER_03 10:55

Yeah, who else? It's a very valid point, but those two I think are but then I But Louai's done nothing. You say this now, like Jerome Louai hasn't actually done much over the last couple of weeks. I know it's an absolute Jerome Huai. I said it the weekend.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

I know it's an absolute rogue comment, but like with form, if you just want someone to go about the business and take the pressure off the seven, he's he's one that's been performing, especially since we've done against the Panthers as well.

SPEAKER_03 11:21

Like he was playing, he was after it against the Panthers, and that you can you can't compare the two intensities of a standard NRL game against that. But I'm just I just you know I it's not look look I now that you've now that you've highlighted it, yeah. I don't know who I'd put above there we go Luke Brooks being what fifth, fourth, fourth selection, yeah. His backup, but um yeah, Luai doesn't get picked, I don't think he's done enough. At least been injured for a bit. Like the start of the season, had he have had they have carried on in that yeah vein, I think we might have been having a different conversation. Um, but he hasn't done enough, I don't think. Um I'm just trying to think if there's been any other controversies picked in the team. It feels I don't know, like they're gonna go into camp, see how it goes, see if the media can get it hyped. Obviously, Queenslanders are where they want to be. Two dollar something outsiders. Yeah, they love being the outsiders. But New South Wales don't get origin. Um, and we'll see what happens, see what happens there. But yeah, just as a reminder, hit that hit that subscribe button. We got uh one more subscriber, I think, from last week, or two more actually. Some of the line up the some of the shorts that we put out, we've got some subscribers from, so yeah, hit that subscribe button trying to push it out to as many rugby league fans as we can. Um but yeah, it's uh let's get into magic rounds. Yes, let's get stuck in. First question I'm gonna talk about though. Yep. Do you feel it was magic?

SPEAKER_02 12:50

Uh I just I don't I didn't feel like there was any close, close games. It's it's I think it's just highlighted what's happening with the season. Everything just seems to be a blowout. Yeah, I agree. I'll be like, but but I'm I'm watching the games, but and I but I just I don't understand how though.

SPEAKER_03 13:05

Yeah, it's it's not the six again rule, like people that's just changed the game as in the way people are playing it. Like, ruck speed's getting faster, players are getting tired, how much impact it has on momentum? I'm not too sure. But what is it that is the contributing factor to I mean, who like is it inability to is there not as much of a focus on defence? Is it focus on attack? Is it errors, injuries? There's so many factors that go into it, and look the metrics that the NRL will look at is ball and play time has gone up, ruck speed has gone down. Um is it as entertaining for the fans?

SPEAKER_02 13:46

But it but it also it also seems like when a team gets behind, they just the heads drop, and it just doesn't seem to be the the building. Well, we've had some incredible comebacks this season as well, um, to bring games really close. And like I I don't understand it because we'll talk about it in a moment, but there was times when the Tigers' defence was really shutting down Manly and Manley couldn't do anything, but then they still ended up scoring 40 points past them.

SPEAKER_03 14:10

After that first 10 minutes when, or whatever it was, 20 minutes when we went three tries up, you're like, this could be it could be huge. I genuinely at one point was like, we're gonna see an 80 score here.

SPEAKER_02 14:19

Their momentum shifted, and it's it's like, well, if it was a case of the the 60 game rule, you surely would have we you would have seen well, I I I I haven't been able to put my finger on it at the moment.

SPEAKER_03 14:29

But one example, and it might be the referees, I reckon it could be something to do with the way the game is being refereed because this first game that we're looking at Panthers defeat in the Dragons 28-6, instant just before half time. So obviously, who was it? Um Cook kicks the ball through, Toto gets fingers on the ball and he kicks it out of his hands. Now, what I heard the ref say was he had possession of the ball.

SPEAKER_02 14:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:56

Absolute bollocks, like his fingers literally had touched the ball. There's no if he ah look, I'm thinking about things as I'm speaking now. If he was over the try-line and done that, technically he has control of the ball.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

If he's got downward forces, I I reckon it's more like it's like the goalkeepers in football. As soon as you have a like you're touching the ball, you're in control of the ball. Because you've got to think you've got to you've got to think about there needs to be a line just from a safety point of view. Yeah, it's like if you then if you you need to have a have a have a secure line. So if it is as soon as you touch the ball, it's you've got possession of the pool, and then someone can't kick it out of your hands.

SPEAKER_03 15:28

But if you look at it, like it's it it's he just touched it and he kicked it out. If he this is gonna like his interpretation, if he had applied pressure to the ball and like fully had a grip on it, then maybe but the thing is if if Cook had then stopped, had a tackle, and then another set, and then they would have scored another player and they'd have scored off that, that wouldn't have been reviewed. Yeah, well, it was Toto. Well, Toto got the ball, so but because they would have gone into a six again.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

So let's say that they had a cover in wing or Jenkins was covering uh around, tackled Cook, and then they scored off the next next player, it wouldn't have been reviewed. Maybe maybe it's it's it's it's one of those it's where how far back well, obviously that was a main instant, but then it it does go into the bunker how far back can you you coast? It was 12-6 at the time.

SPEAKER_03 16:17

Had they scored that it'd have been 12-0. Would it have made a difference to the overall? Probably not, probably not. I think the Panthers were almost coasting. Like, don't get me wrong, it's probably the best dragons performance they've put in, but it's not looking.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

So I don't think you can do much on that pitch either when it got the last game of the weekend as well. Yeah, there's the the you could see it giving up, and if you're trying to get quick ball, quick feet, it's it's not a it was not a surface to be able to do that on.

SPEAKER_03 16:40

It wasn't, but Nathan Cleary takes away three daily end points again. He's pulling away Jackson Ford though in second, then the top four is what Dylan Edwards third, Tedesco fourth, and then I'll go top five, drinkwater fifth. I'd if Cleary continues, I think he's gonna walk it again this year. But my concern is for the Dragons. We've already said it once, we've gone through the fixtures. Do they win a game this year? They must they have to.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

They'll they'll they'll end up if if it's not against the Titans, they'll end up winning a game against a team who's resting players for finals and stuff.

SPEAKER_03 17:12

I could be wrong. Back into the odds may have shortened to like $17 or something not to win a game for the rest of the season, which is nuts. But a team that are hitting some form, um the Warriors, yeah, they uh absolutely demolish the Broncos. It's like a few couple of breakaway tries from Wateni Zelezniak, um, but big loss, Tanner Boyd, the man that's been in form. You see you saw the ACL go. Uh, I think I messaged straight away. I was like, that's his ACL gone. How much of an impact do we think? Like they've got um they've lost both halves now, haven't they? Tomorrow Martin get the long-term potential job, but the Broncos are in a bit of strife as well. They're not looking good.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

And uh my I nearly put it on mute. The commentators were doing my head in, like, they were honestly just wanting the Broncos to win, like everything. Oh they were 30 odd points down. And they said with like 16 minutes left. You can't sleep on the Broncos, the Broncos are gonna be able to. I know I've said it a couple of times, but Jesus Christ, they must have been watching a different game to what I was because they weren't doing anything. They were like, Oh yeah, you you're Walsh. Walsh klein was a ref in this one as well, weren't they? Walsh needs to a bit of Walsh magic, and it can change. They just wanted them to score. And when uh I can't remember who was it who scored? It went over in the corner.

SPEAKER_03 18:40

They was it Mam? It might have been, yeah, when he was tiptoed along the sideline, weren't it?

SPEAKER_02 18:44

I can't remember who it was, but they they really wanted it to be a try, even it was it was a dropped uh just did my head in.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

I feel like absolute heading. Well, I messaged this on during the game. I was like, I felt I feel like because the Broncos are the biggest uh like earning franchise in the in the competition that and they've got a lot of poster boys that play for them. I felt like there was a message from NRL head office down to the bunker to go, oi, get Kline to even this one up. We can't have this weekend going this bad, and then he tried to sway a few things, but it didn't quite work, and then the Warriors ran out on top. But Warriors are looking impressive, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:21

They're looking brilliant, they're thinking solid.

SPEAKER_03 19:23

I just worry about this injury for them, whether Metcalf coming back and obviously him now off next year signing for the Dragons. How much that'll impact them, but it seems that um the Broncos might not be making finals footy this year. They're looking, they're not looking good at all. They are not looking good, but one of the biggest upsets of the weekend, huge, considering they had no Tommy Deerden, the Cowboys beat the Roosters 18-12.

SPEAKER_02 19:50

It's just there, I don't get the Cowboys, really don't. Um, talk about the Sharks being inconsistent, like they should have run away with it the week before against the Eels, and then the Eels got absolutely done in by the storm, and then they go out and do make the the Roosters look like a team that never played. Yeah, bonkers.

SPEAKER_03 20:07

Um another horrendous decision in this, by the way. I don't know if you can remember it, but um Ruben Cotter was basically on the goal line, and the kick through, and he was basically making a tackle and then let go because he realized whatever, and then he got put in the bin for 10 minutes. Oh, and Matt Lodge real early on as well, was another one that got put in the bin. But that could have absolutely ruined the game for the Cowboys, but they managed to get back, they managed to uh hold on, get the win.

SPEAKER_02 20:36

I think uh I thought you were gonna say uh DC trying to do a two-pointer just before half time. Oh, yeah. He does not have the mineral, he does not have the power to get to drop goal from four to two.

SPEAKER_03 20:45

Because there was a penalty, wasn't there, and they couldn't end on a penalty, so they booted it out.

SPEAKER_02 20:49

And then he I don't think it even made the same meter line.

SPEAKER_03 20:51

I don't and it was so wide as well. Bless him. He tried. Um, but I that was it. I saw an interview before that with DC before the game about there was something to do with a seven in a row and trying to get seven wins in a row, and it's almost like they were cursing themselves. And when you were hearing how what they were saying, it was like, oh, this could this could go the wrong way. But I it's it's a difficult one, right? Because Deerden's gonna be out for a while for the Cowboys. Um, it'll be interesting to see what they can do whilst he's out, this origin period. Um, they've got to try and get through. They would have wouldn't have had him anyway through that. So they hopefully they're a bit more prepared than this hasn't come out of the blue, like, oh no, we've lost Deirdre and like it's not something that's surprising, but it'll be interesting to see how they how they go now. Like Magic Round, it was in front of somewhat a home crowd because it was in their home state. Um but yeah, I Yeah, it was huge. Roosters, interesting one. Um this this game, we said it could be game of the round. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:54

Was it? It was a bit disappointed in it to be honest. Yeah, I don't think the rabbit was turned up. No. They they were really they were so far off it and it's it's such a shame. I I I thought it was gonna be tries galore, I thought it was gonna be a very end-to-end game. Um but the Dolphins just got a got a hold of it and just dominated for the for the game. It it reminded me, it was very similar to how they did the storm in a couple of weeks before as well, where they just they just got a hold of the game and just didn't let anyone uh have any sort of momentum. Um, and and that's what they did in this as well.

SPEAKER_03 22:25

But the fact that Latrell came off early, what I know it was only eight minutes early, like it wasn't, but it shows that he wasn't a hundred percent. The fact he's off kicking duties, yeah. Um he got taken off two minutes, uh, eight minutes early, he's out of origin squads. There's like they've got now starting to get a few injuries, white and broken arm, Fafita out injured, Alex Johnson not playing. Um, it'd be interesting to see how long they can sustain keep it up now that they've got those injuries. If they go through this next four to six weeks with a couple of wins, a couple of wins holding it together, and then they get players back. I think they would be in a good position come the back end of the season. But a team that are ready, I think, and building week on week. I mean, the Dolphins just look like they're getting stronger, yeah. Like when they have everyone.

SPEAKER_02 23:13

They're a really nice team to watch as well.

SPEAKER_03 23:15

They are, it's annoying because you want to hate them, but I feel like you can't.

SPEAKER_02 23:20

I don't really I've got no angst to see. Because they've got Herbie Farnworth playing before. Yeah, I've I don't and and uh Morgan Knowles as well.

SPEAKER_03 23:26

Another sexiest man in the NRL. He's a good looking boy. He is a good looking boy, decent rig on him as well. But he had a day 173 metres. Um if they keep this up, they're finals bound, first time in their history. Yeah, and they've got so many strike weapons as well that I wouldn't like to have meet, I wouldn't like to meet them in the finals. Um this game, Titans versus Knights. I the Knights just look, I don't know, they look like they could be a serious threat. Proper outsiders, don't they? They do like we talk about dark horses. This the knights are the ones that you go their back line, their back line is good. It's good, like it's such a good's looking like he's back home, yeah, finishing Marju. Alright, he might have he they I think he had two light two breakaways in which he could have scored the first one but got caught, so maybe the pace ain't 100% there. But like he just reads the game so well. Titans, I thought they would do better, they um I don't know, would just look sloppy, making a lot of errors. Um when I look when you look at their spine though, is it is it up there?

SPEAKER_02 24:36

Oh, it's good. Well, you look at Fletcher Sharp coming in at centre, and he ends up going on and scoring two tries. It's it's it's it's mad how they can lose Brabham Best, but then Sharp comes in and still puts in a performance that probably best would have been proud of. And then you've got Dane Gag, you've got the back four essentially, other than Ponga scoring tries.

SPEAKER_03 24:55

Gagai, a man that's on the um retirement tour. Yeah. By just I like what a great thing to do. Like, it's my last year, I'm just gonna get everyone's jerseys. Yeah, and people are now buying into it, and like they're having photos at the end of the game, they want to change, they want to exchange jerseys with him. It's such a good thing to do. Um, interesting stat that Titans haven't won at Magic Round in Magic Round history. Jeez, don't know how true it is, but it got spat out to me. So I was like, right, let's put it in. There we go. And they're that they're again a team that uh are struggling a little bit. They're in free fall. Like they're lucky that I I feel they're lucky that the dragons are so bad. Yeah. Because that on the current form, I'd say the it's yeah, they're definitely, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 25:41

Yeah, um, they they they could be very dangerously at that bottom.

SPEAKER_03 25:44

Um when we when we looked at the fixtures, I think we identified that the Titans, they play the Titans, Dragons play Titans twice. Yeah, and they're the only two games that they might sneak a win in. So we'll see. It's up to the Titans to determine whether the Dragons go winless for the year. But let's let's go on to the game of the round. Yes, of course. Let's go on to the game of the round. The Manly Sea Eagles, absolutely talented. It was never in doubt.

SPEAKER_02 26:09

Never in doubt.

SPEAKER_03 26:09

It was never, never, never in doubt. Never doubt 46-18. Kieran Foser Fossen, four-in has got them humming. Yeah, sort of questions being asked now. Are we I'm gonna take it one step further than top four contenders? Are we genuine premiership contenders?

SPEAKER_02 26:30

Yeah, 100%. Like you look you look back at that one loss against the Panthers, went toe-to-toe with the Panthers with with with a brand new half coming in without without turbo. Kohler at four losing Kobe Heverrington in the first couple of minutes. Yep. So that was three like made that's that's three major blows right there in the in the game, and you lose by two points for by a team that have been battering everyone else. I think that's that's what you've got to look at more than any any other team.

SPEAKER_03 26:59

I think it's our defensive capabilities that it's ridiculous. Like the so shocked. You look at some of the stats at the weekend, right? Man, you put up the stats of Falalo got 268 metres. He's looking so good, but Ola Kowatu got 265 metres, and Hoppowati got 251 metres. That's 750 metres off three geezers. That's phenomenal. But then you look at the flip side of that, of the average points conceded in the last six games since Foreign's taken over, and it's 14.9 or something like that. Which two tries well, three three tries trying to conversion penalty, whatever way you want to look at it. It's absolutely unbelievable that we're limiting teams that in a in a in a season where teams seem to be scoring for fun, yeah, they're not scoring for fun against Manley. And that just shows what a bit of look at cowboys, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

Stopped them to, I think it was six points, wasn't it? Yeah, they've been scoring for fun. Dolphins, that's the huge one. Broncos, to be fair to them, have still been scoring for fun. Eels, the exact same. Yeah, Panthers kept them to 18, which is I think their lowest. Is it their lowest score? Quite possible. I might I don't know, depending on how many scored against the sharks, can't remember off the top of my head. Uh me and the bulldog, sorry. Um so it it's just everything just seems to be clicking. Defence wins championships. It might massively does, and they they they just seem to be humming, like as as a unit as well. Gotta say, Garrick's uh place kicking is is so much better than Foggerty's.

SPEAKER_03 28:28

It's because it's not there's no whip on it. Like it's just so strange. You can see the line, and you're like, yeah, that's that or that's slightly curving back, not that worry of oh, he's got to stick it out by the corner flag and then it's got to bend back in. If he should be on full-time kicking duties, especially now with Foggerty's groin.

SPEAKER_02 28:44

Yeah, just rest Foggate and just let Garrick knock him out knock him over. I I I genuinely think I wonder if he's ever had if he's having conversations with his agent going, I think I may jump the gun. Because what's he gonna do? He's gonna ride the bench at the roosters, Garrett.

SPEAKER_03 28:57

Yeah, maybe, maybe well with Nawanga Nitawase off, he might play on the wing, but they've bought they've just bought uh what's his name from the storm is coming down. Uh the Dolphin, sorry, yeah, is is going to the he's going no they bought in I'm chatting rubbish. I'm absolutely gone off on one ear. I actually I'm I'm getting confused with different players signing different places, but I do think for the Roosters he's gonna struggle he's not gonna stroll straight into that starting lineup.

SPEAKER_02 29:23

Why is he who's their goal kicker?

SPEAKER_03 29:27

Uh is it Sam Walker? It is Sam Walker. Is he a better goal kicker than Sam Walker? Is that the reason why he's been bought in? Maybe. I don't know. Um but Foggity comes back in immediately, regains control, marshals the troops.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

Mate, it the the the authority he has over that team already. It you can just you can just see it. Like the the the lads just listen to every like you see all the little behind the scenes, and I don't know how much it is to sort of doctor to make him look like a leader, but he genuinely he genuinely looked like he's coming and just taking, and all the lads are like, Yes, we're we're buying in, we're buying into this.

SPEAKER_03 30:02

I heard um an inter an interview earlier or a radio segment, Justin Horrow was on his SCN or whatever it is, and he was in the box over the weekend with Forin and Turbo was in there, and he was saying, like, Turbo was calling plays like two or three tackles out as to where they're setting up what they're doing. He said the way that they read the game, and the reason it why he reckons Manly are doing so well is because foreign is not far removed from this modern game, so he understands it. Um, and to be able to then have a leader in Foggity that can probably communicate the ideas of what he's thinking, he's just getting the best out of everyone, like Luke Brooks hum in Falalo was incredible at the weekend at fullback. We don't even have to say much about Ola Kawatu, like the geezer is unstoppable, he's absolutely something else. And when Safarf wrapped him up, broke off of that, and then absolutely sat him down. It's got to be every year he does something, Ola Kawato. Remember when we were sitting in the old Bob Fulton and him and Josh Alloway just leveled his hit on Reese Walsh last week, exactly. Every week he seems to have done something, and again, talking of things being done week on week, Tolu Cola scores the try of the round. Yep. Um absolutely phenomenal, and that's one of the reasons why he was probably selected on the wing for New South Wales because he can do stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 31:19

I was a bit worried going into this about the the hooker position, not gonna not gonna lie, but how we were gonna cope in the middle, but Ducker Clay and and Simpkin just solid. Just yeah, I I really like this bringing bringing Jake off at 13 and putting the replacement hooker or what or the starting hooker in at 13. Like I'm um and and you know what? I know I've been told to calm it down, but Brownie's Brownie's ball playing. You've got just you've got to gotta go back. Granted, there were some other elements of him that weren't amazing. Go back and watch Brownie's ball playing.

SPEAKER_03 31:50

It's the late footwork and the little like step left drop off right.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

Some of the passes he was popping to Kobe Everetton, like to get in this line. It was it was it was incredible.

SPEAKER_03 31:59

There's just confidence everywhere, and we're like getting to the teams in a bit for this week. And you think like these young kids that are coming in that have not played many games, you just feel like Foss is gonna just get them in ready to go, but enough of Glazing Manly and like how much we are we are gonna romp home to the title, like Penriff best watch out. They ain't getting like old Ivans getting sent off with uh runners up middle. I'm telling you, you heard it here first. Um, anyway, two more games left to go for sharks versus Bulldogs. I worry for the Bulldogs, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

I really worry for them. They they've got absolutely nothing. Uh and and you know what? The more I watch it, the more I think that um Lucky Galvin is taking a lot of sclap for no reason. I he is he is the only one that is organising anything or trying to get that back line moving. He's he's directing traffic, he's he's trying to he's playing both sides of the both sides of the of the of the field, just he's trying to create something, but there's nothing's coming from anywhere, no, anywhere else.

SPEAKER_03 32:55

And like defensively as well, they just look terrible. Like they were they were going through with ease. The sharks were going through with ease at the weekend. Um and one player that I said would has done well for the sharks, Mullatalo's back, and he didn't even look like he'd been out, like he'd been out for nine months or eight months with an ACL injury, and you would never have picked it. Um but with him coming back, like sharks, they're just so up and down. I yeah, you never want to you never want to put anything on them. They're just one of the biggest yo-yo teams. You can never predict when they're gonna be firing, and you never predict when you can never you think ah sharks are back, like but then they're not, and then they're not. But last game of that we'll go through, uh Storm said they'd win back to back, yeah, one back to back. Are they actually back though? Like, are we gonna are we gonna see a Panthers-esque revival and see them reach the top eight? There was I was contemplating putting lumping on like a hundred bucks for them to make the top eight, but it it was like it was they were like three dollars something or four dollars something to make the top eight, and it was then it was out like highlighted how many players they lose in origin, like the key players that they lose in origin. So they're losing Grant and Munster now, yeah, which is huge. Um, and there were some other things that came up that as well that made you think like, ooh, yeah, I don't know whether they are, they've got to win 12 of their last however many games. Um so I didn't I didn't lump on, but they're I think they're ones to watch. Yeah, I think if they make the last if they make the eight and they're in there come September, you can never rule them out. Um but I don't know, yeah. And Eels, yeah, just outclassed.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

I've got an egg on my face, and I'm quite happy to wear that because if it would have gone the other way, I would have been I would have been sat here quite smug.

SPEAKER_03 34:51

Yeah, I know. Well, let's get on to the draw for this week, which I realise I haven't actually got ready and prepared. There's only five games this week. Five games, yep. Five games this week, and it kicks off. Oh, I thought it was a Friday night start. It's not it's Thursday. Thursday, Thursday, 7.50 kickoff. We are at the GIO Stadium in Canberra. We have the Raiders at $1.95 against the Dolphins $1.89.

SPEAKER_02 35:17

I am going to go. I'm gonna go for the Raiders on this one. At home. Because you look at you look at who at the the Dolphins have lost. I think uh I think the the the Raiders just yeah, just just pick it and I've got the better side of the draw.

SPEAKER_03 35:37

Two huge outs for the well, there's a fair few huge outs for them, but I think Plath and Tommy Flegler, physical, their big losses, obviously the hammer, uh Nicaremo like made a difference when he came back into the squad after being out. Um and Cobo's just a big boy. I'm I'm not too sure because I think because can you remember actually this time this was the game last year at the start of the season where the Dolphins where there was the floods and that and they weren't gonna come down and they didn't know what to do, it was against the Raiders. I don't know why I randomly remembered that, um, and they did actually lose, but I think they're gonna lose again.

SPEAKER_02 36:15

I'm gonna pick the Raiders in this one, uh and then we've got the only kickoff on the Friday, uh, which is the lovely eight o'clock kickoff at the Accor Stadium. Oh, why we've got the $1.73 Bulldogs against the $2.11 Melbourne Storm, and I think these odds do reflect this game actually.

SPEAKER_03 36:35

It's an interesting one. Um I say that a lot, but isn't Crichton the only one that's been selected? Yeah, so the Bulldogs are somewhat at full strength, right? Without Crichton, who I don't think has been performing the best. They do have Caraz back on the wing. Sherry um has been alright.

SPEAKER_02 36:56

Have the Storm lost too many players in I think they've lost their key players, which I think is giving me is saying that. Harry Grant are going.

SPEAKER_03 37:05

I think Harry Grant's a big one. Uh but the Bulldogs have been terrible. Yeah. This is genuinely difficult to pick.

SPEAKER_02 37:14

Um I'm gonna go the Storm. I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go Bulldogs. I'm gonna bet the Bulldogs on this one.

SPEAKER_03 37:21

Fair enough. And then Saturday, 5.30 pm, the Dragons, shorter odds than they were last week at $4.10 against the New Zealand Warriors at $1.23. What?

SPEAKER_02 37:38

Was quite comfortably. Yeah. I'm I'm gonna agree with that. You look you lose Mitch Barnett, but your front row still consists James Fisher Harris and Jackson Ford.

SPEAKER_03 37:48

Yeah, alright. I'm gonna go with the New Zealand Warriors in this. So that's that's a very valid point. I hadn't even considered that.

SPEAKER_01 37:54

Like it's you look at you look at that that forward pack, Fisher Harris, Egan Halasima. Like, that's that that's fucking that's fucking wild.

SPEAKER_03 38:03

And that's another thing that the Broncos are struggling to do. Handle Leka Halasima, like every high ball that went up there trying to back into him. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

Uh, and then we're at uh the for the 735 kickoff on the Saturday, we're at Fos Pines Park with the Sea Eagles at $1.22 against the Gold Coast Titans at $4.35.

SPEAKER_03 38:25

I wouldn't have said they were $4.35. Um Josh Felody comes in at centre, he got a couple of minutes against the Knights. I think it was aggressive, looked aggressive, powerful runner. Um, Blake Wilson comes in on the wing as well again when he came on. Just solid. Looks solid. Um quick, can move the ball. Uh Brandon Wakeham's back. Wake hims back, which mad that we're saying this absolutely phenomenal addition to be having back, brings the aggression off the line, line speed. Be interesting to see how the young gun Jackson Jackson Sherub goes replacing Hamole Ola Kawatu, and I believe he's in between Fogat uh uh Foggati and Garrick, so yeah, should you should you've got two wise head is heads there to be able to chat to you. What's really good is that Laffi has been named at 17, which means he's first rotation, yeah. Hopefully on the bench. Joey Walsh again named. So should anything happen, we got the absolute superstar coming in.

SPEAKER_02 39:20

On a Tony Large in the reserves as well.

SPEAKER_03 39:22

Manly, Manley 13 plus. Yes, I'm gonna go for Manley as well. Might even be 30 plus the way things are going. Um, and then final game of the weekend, Sunday. The only kickoff on Sunday, we're up in Townsville. The North Queensland Cowboys at $1.69 against the South Sydney Rabbito's at $2.17. There's a lot of players.

SPEAKER_02 39:52

Summer Lolo's back as well.

SPEAKER_03 39:54

Yeah. I've got to look through the Rabbito's lineup to get a to get a better understanding of where I'm gonna go with this one. Uh after their performance last week, I think I can't back the rabbit hose. I'm gonna have to go for the cowboys as well. There we go. And that's it, five games this weekend. But next week we are going to be going to Origin. So this time next week, we'll get together our origin preview. Yeah, see how it goes. We should review our state of origin beers and see if any have changed, see if there's any new additions that have come up. I don't think they would. But no, I don't think they would have. But remember, hit that subscribe button and we'll catch you in the next one.

SPEAKER_00 40:37

See you later.