Origin Night At The MCG

One missed conversion, one late kick, and suddenly everything feels like State of Origin. We start with a proper 22-20 local nail-biter and use it as the perfect launchpad into Origin Game 2 at the MCG, where the margins are even thinner and the noise is a lot louder. 

We talk selections and tactics with a hard focus on what actually swings big games: starting fast, holding the ball, and winning the kick battle. Mitch Moses is the centrepiece, not just as a name but for what his kicking profile unlocks, especially with aerial threats and the chaos that can come from wet weather in Melbourne. We also get into the weirdness of playing Origin on an oval and the idea that depth perception can change how you defend and chase kicks. 

From there, it is a straight-shooting NRL Round 15 review: the emotional weight of Jai Arrow’s moment, the Broncos’ alarming slide, the Dolphins hanging 48 on the Roosters, the Sharks edging the Warriors 10-8, and the Eels tipping over the Raiders while bigger questions about roster calls and spine balance hang in the air. We finish with Round 16 tips and odds across the weekend, then a quick detour into the football World Cup viewing experience abroad plus England vs Croatia. 

If you enjoyed the mix of State of Origin analysis, NRL match review, betting odds context, and honest predictions, subscribe, share the episode with a mate, and leave us a review so more footy tragics can find the show.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello and welcome to another episode. They've been doing it all day from the Eve of Origin 2. Can the blues get it done at the MTG? Let's get stuck in.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

How's your week been, mate?

SPEAKER_00 0:14

It's been busy, been hectic, been doing a bit of house renovations, aka trying to turn my laundry into something that's a bit more functional. Um started a new job this week as well, which has just been chaotic. So hectic. Yeah, it's been uh been pretty full on. But um yeah, how's your weekend been? How'd the how'd the uh ferrets go? Yes, we were back.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

We were back, uh, as we said the other the other week, since a few of the girls have now found the uh podcast, do a little, I suppose, game review. Uh to it was a tight one this weekend. It was very much so, very much so. We uh we we ended up winning 22-20. Uh definitely a game for the neutral. Um, very very some very high quality uh rugby was was was played. Um we went up uh 10-nil very, very quickly uh within the 13-10 minutes. I think it was straight off the kickoff. They knocked on, we recovered two two tackles in in the corner.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

Is it was it one of the ones where you thought, here we go, what's the what's the real record for the league score?

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Yeah, what's the record league score? Um yeah, so we we we scored, unfortunately, wasn't wasn't converted. Um we then went down, kicked got the ball. I think we we kicked, went back down, they made him another mistake, we we capitalised, um, and then momentum shift rapidly. Um fair to fair to to uh lycart. We're out in lycart, I think it's lycart we played, I can't remember. Um they they they were able to shift the ball quite well. Probably the most skillful team we've played so far this season. Um had some hard runners and then they just momentum. They they brought the brought the defence in, were able to get it out. They scored 16 on answer points uh to to sort of end the first half. It ended in in a bit of a stalemate. So the old uh Fox Momentum tracker would have been uh would have been like a like a heart rate. Um but then second half we came out flying. Um just again a very much an arm wrestle. We were able to score a couple of good tries, um both both converted. I had a chat with uh I had a chat with the referee as I thought one of them was very close to give away they've been doing it with A, sir. Uh was close, close to that. I th I thought one of them was uh could have been an eight-pointer.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Uh because they went over hair pull. Oh, I hate to see.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

I did ask the referee. I was I was uh as as I went out to chat with the kicker, she converted it brilliantly. Um you couldn't spake. I was like, sir, can I just ask what would qualify as an eight point eight-point try here? And he was like, to be fair, I did ask my touch judge, but it was in the motion of it was shirt with hair over it and not an actual hair pull. So it would have been what's the play style?

SPEAKER_00 2:59

Is it run run uh power through the middle or is it quick hands out at the back?

SPEAKER_02 3:04

Mixture of both. We we do have some very strong middles uh who love who love to run the ball. Um and we have some absolutely devastating outside backs as well. Um so we're we're we we're just there's been it's been really annoying because there've been such breaks in play, uh, unfortunately, just due to due to games being called early and you just showed me a picture of someone with their eggs. Yeah, split open, yeah. We had to we had to uh to deal with that as well, um, which is all always fun in games. Um but no, and then we went we ended up going 22 yeah, 22-16 up. Uh, and then with the final final play of the game, we were able to push them into the corner. So they could they scored in in the corner. So it's effort plays, yeah. Effort plays. Uh they scored in the corner, couldn't convert, ended up winning 22-20. So hell of a like I said, one for the neutral.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Winner, absolute, absolute winners. And uh, I think that links in nicely because uh we're moving on to state of origin game two. Obviously, first game, New South Wales win it 22-20. So James Tedesco last minute, but Nathan Cleary could convert on this one to win it. Whereas uh yeah, fortunate old Lycart, whoever it was, didn't convert in your game. Um, but game at the MCG tomorrow. Uh I'm few changes, few changes have been made. Uh I actually think that they're gonna benefit New South Wales massively. The only thing that's that's quite interesting is that Mitch Moses has been given so much time to recover and get over his injury. Two concerns. One is that his hamstring will go in very early on, which then means Ethan Strange comes on, but I wouldn't be too mad at that.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

Yeah, but the but the thing is then it's down to three subs, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Yeah, but the other thing is like the amount of time that he got compared to like Crichton is ridiculous. I maybe Crichton's AC joint is pretty bad, but um he seemed like he was willing to pay. And I swear I saw a post from the Bulldogs that said the captain's ready to go or something like that for Origin.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

But um, I think Moses is a massive inclusion, huge, huge, and I think it's it's benefited with Casey McLean being injured and and big market coming in. Like I said, the I think last week with um when Moses and Lomax linked up uh a couple of years ago at DMCG, it was absolutely devastating. And now we've got you've got Moses attacking kicking game with probably the best aerial threat in the league at the moment. Uh I think he's one of the best attacking wingers in the league at the moment. I don't I don't think I I it's it should just be an air rate to that corner. Um it should be, in my in my in my opinion. And it it's it's only like it it's sort of shown how poor the team selection was beforehand that injuries has has made the team better.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:53

Uh with cola going back to centre as well. I think that I think that's that's that that's huge. Great play. Um, and I I think what they'll do is they'll they'll they'll swap it around and have Cola alongside Big Marky Mark and then have uh stags with with Toto.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

It's having no one any toase on the same side that Walker is, isn't it? So that he that he's he knows his kicking game inside out, he knows his triggers as to when he's gonna potentially stick one through late, so he'll be able to read it hopefully um and and do a better defensive job on the edge. One thing that uh new set needs to do is start fast. They can't the mistakes can't happen like last time, and some ball security would be good. I saw them preparing the pitch though at the MCG and it was bucking it down. I don't know what the weather is meant to be like tomorrow, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

Um, but I think I think what what's gonna happen is is Painhouse brings something different in the middle does it as well. Um not even been spoken about, he's the best forward in the game. Yeah, he's he's just he's just gonna go about his business quite quietly. And uh did I did I dream that Tino's out or nah his father passed away. Okay, that was it. Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Same look, I obviously condolences to him, his family. Obviously, brother plays the Titans as well. Um, I think his father died of cancer, so terrible thing to have to go through. But it's almost like this happened last year with Munster as well. Was it Munster whose dad died?

SPEAKER_02 7:16

And they all of a sudden come out and with with Jaiaro as well. I think they've got a lot of yeah, emotional, emotional backup there as well. Um, and and that you can even then that will flip into it how we discussed sort of um the the games from the weekend as well with with with uh the rabbit hose. But I've just looked at the odds. So $1.92 or $1.92. Uh so it should be. Like I don't I don't see one team better than the other at the moment. I think they're both evenly matched. Um, and that's what you want from Origin is you want evens, you want Smackbang in the middle, you want a great, great fight.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

Um Carrigan's a big out for yeah, he's huge for Queensland. I'll tell you what could be exciting and and kind of terrifying as well at the same time, is if Reese Walsh, Kalen Ponger, and Hamaso Tabuai Fido are on the field at the same time. That is a scary thought. But there was talks like Ponger going in at 13, which he did on his debut. Um, Walsh coming in at fullback. It's scary what could happen. But there's also I mean, I heard a stat on the drive over here that Cam Murray could potentially start at 13 for New South Wales, and he's three for three when he started it long. But you you'd you drop as a yeah, I don't know. Maybe he moves up up front, pain hardened him, Mitch Barnett off the bench. Uh he was my opinion of the first game was that he was a bit um error prone and a bit shy into contact. Not Barnett, yeah. I'm not disrespecting anything about running into contact, but he seemed to turn his back, look for the offloads rather than try forward and then play quick off that. And obviously, the mistakes from then Brian Toto led to the three tries for for the for Queensland. But hopefully, if they clean that up, I I don't know. I've I've got a feeling that Mitch Moses booting the ball up high.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

It's different, it's it's a different kicking game to what game one was. Cleary Cleary's defensive kicks weren't amazing where Moses has got the boot.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

You look at the kick that won it, though. Look at the kick that Cleary put in that won it, how high that goes up, and then Tedesco's given the time to run onto it. Moses will be doing that, and it's no longer Nitawasa, it's Tedesco.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

It's should have been Ala Kawati.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

I was about to say it should have been Ala Kawati, but who who else will be running onto that as well? Like Hudson Young's good under the high ball. There's there's there's threats there, it's just it they should be utilised. What the weather's like, I think is gonna play a big factor. But also there's a talk of um playing in a AFL or an oval as well, can mess with your depth perception of of where things are landing. I don't know, it's what it's what people are saying, it's what James Graham said. It really like messes with your picking up where people are running from and stuff like that. So be interesting to see where we go. But the question is where's the cash? What do you reckon? $1.92, $1.92.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

It's always gonna be New South Wales, doesn't it? It's gotta be about the poison blue. Um I'm I'm I'm gonna caveat that with this with a big if. But if Moses and the wing with Nita RSA link up, like I hope they do, I reckon it could be like game game two, was it game two of uh 2024? And I reckon it could be 30, 35, 40, like 18 to New South Wales.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

I'm gonna go take me back to game one, 2021, when New South Wales stuck 50 on Queensland. I'm gonna go as bold as that. I reckon it's gonna be 13 plus. I wouldn't quite say 50, but I reckon it's gonna be uh 28 14 or something like that. I don't I think it's gonna be um again. I'm gonna caveat this if New South Wales start well, if they don't, then it's gonna be a lot tighter of an affair. But uh let's get into oh one the one last thing the crowd that's expected, like talking about um Footy and Victoria and like not being a popular sport. I reckon there's gonna be like 95,000 people there. Oh, I love that. That'd be mental. And we've been there when it's been that many, and it's a great stadium. It is, and like the Lions tour was the the effort put into that was probably slightly more, but the event itself was fantastic, and hopefully that's replicated tomorrow. But it'd be a good one to go to one one day, go to 100 something there. But let's get into round 15. Um last weekend, some one-sided results again, but from teams that you didn't expect. Jai Arrows um came out and rang the legacy bells.

SPEAKER_02 11:46

Did you see him blowing his nose straight? Do you know what?

SPEAKER_00 11:48

I thought so sorry. I'm glad they no one's brought it up. Like no one on social media or anything has like made a clip of that.

SPEAKER_02 11:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Um, and I'm glad, but I was sitting there with a lump in my throat.

SPEAKER_02 12:01

Yeah, it was ah, it was it was so so moving. Yeah. Um and him him carrying his daughter out and and just knowing the battle that they're going through at the moment, um, with the white jerseys around and and and just walking out to that atmosphere, that applause, it was it was it was it was moving. It was moving to watch.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

What I reckon could have made it a little bit better for um I reckon if the Broncos would have worn the black jersey that they wore the week before, the the black jersey against the white jersey, arrow like on the back of the bunnies jersey, and an arrow above on the Brisbane jersey. I just think it would have been like a visual spectacle that would have been something completely different to what we'd have seen before. But yeah, that was um pretty tough to watch at the start, especially like being a father as well, and knowing what potentially is ahead, like it's just pulls on every heartstring going. But the rabbit hose, did they do him do him a good performance? Did they? Was it more like was it more the Broncos just being terrible, or was it?

SPEAKER_02 13:02

I think I think the bro the the bunnies had an extra bounce in their step. Like Jamie Humphreys came on and was was ridiculous, like the man with the biggest biceps in in the NRL.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

What did I say last year? Sexiest legs in the NRL.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

Jesus he came on, he came on relatively early, didn't he? And had a had a great great game. Yeah. Um again, Alex Johnson just scoring tries for fun.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

But he was open, he was so open constantly. It was mental. He scored a hat-trick, didn't he? I think most hat tricks now, or some in in the NRL, another record that he broke, and he's catching old Milky Jenkins for the for the top try scorer.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

Scored four, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

Geez, but um, I mean the rabbit hose were down their origin stars as well, so it's not like we can say, Oh, the Broncos were missing painhouse. Carrigan obviously uh ma'am was injured. I oh yeah, he did his uh arm, didn't he, or shoulder early on. But they can the can we write the Broncos off?

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Can can we now go they're not gonna make the eight? I th I think you you you can um because from what I've seen from them over the last three weeks, is uh they've been absolutely dire, they've been absolutely dreadful with all their stars there as well. Yeah, um they've lost their bottom two teams and then they get absolutely fumped by the Rabbit's. I don't know whether it's uh the players of down tools and waiting for Major to get sacked to to then uh re rego and try and sneak into the eight. Um but to be fair, from a New South Wales perspective, if he does if they do sack Major, I reckon give him the New South Wales a job straight back, even if if they they win this this state of origin. Um but uh yeah, I I I reckon and uh it must I think we've mentioned it previously, it must be the biggest downfall from champ like champions to to to to the next season. I reckon if it wasn't for the dragons and the top these could have been if if if if they weren't that bad, I reckon this they could have gone from a top to bottom.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

Seabow got them a spoon, didn't he? They could be could be serving up another one under Madge, but I don't think they've got it in them to go on the incredible run that they did last year. So I I said this about the Panthers at about the same time last year. Yeah, I don't think they're gonna make the eight. I think we can write them off. Um, but another team, absolutely terrible. But this the Dolphins Roosters, right? Yeah, I know both teams score 48, Rabbo's 48, Dolphins 48, both sides absolutely ravished from um origin players. But this just goes to show like the Dolphins have got a lot of strength in death, yeah, they don't the roosters just don't seem to have it, like their backups to be fair. Uh HIA, cat wand. Um, that young kid that came in, he was out for the count. Savala got was done out for the count, um, and there was a fair few rookies on the bench, but dolphins just look like they could score from anywhere.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

Yeah, and they've been they've been doing this all season as well. Like they've they've had their blips, but when they're when they're on, they're like they're they're they're they're able to just like move the ball so quickly. I remember when they played the Stormer uh like about what a few weeks a few months ago now, was it a month ago, about f about six, seven weeks ago? It's very similar to that. They were just moving the ball, sort of toying, toying with the with the storm's defence and just being able to go over. And this is the this is the issue with the roosters, even when even when they've got a full team in, they're not really uh blowing teams out of the water. No um like they've had big wins against the you can't write off against the the dragons and things like that, but they've not gone like storming away. It's all there's always been a couple of tries in it. Um it's not like when Manley beat the Dolphins, there was there's 50 odd points in it, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 16:55

Um it's crazy to think that we turned this team over, yeah. Like a full strength Dolphins we turned over.

SPEAKER_02 17:01

And and yeah, and no one showing any respect for us. No, no, and but that's the worry for the roosters is are they gonna limp into the top four and then are they gonna struggle past that? Or are they just gonna find the the the formula just to be able to win ugly?

SPEAKER_00 17:16

I'm not too sure. It'd be interesting to see how they go. Um whether I I look, I actually I think they're gonna finish in top eight, but I don't think they're gonna finish in the top four. Uh, but a team, two teams that are genuine top four contenders absolutely battled it out. This was a shock. This was I didn't think the sharks would get it done in New Zealand 10-8. Um, who was it? Trindle, who got the winner? Um, and Kennedy, was it I know it might be it's Kennedy that maybe blocked the yeah, Kennedy came out and scooped the ball up.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

Like that that that's a hell of a play. How's it stuck in his arm? Like, how's it stuck? How's that not a bit a knock-on as well?

SPEAKER_00 17:53

With how quick they are with knock-ons in this sport, like it didn't touch the floor, like I give him credit, like it just literally went under his arm and he fell forward onto the ball.

SPEAKER_02 18:01

I know, but but how how the ball like you you've seen. I reckon if he did does that another hundred times, he never gathers the ball like that again.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

Like it the it's it's one of those but the the shot to win it, like absolutely out of nowhere. Probably dropped it at an angle sideways, boom, straight through. Um, and then the Warriors obviously had a chance to level it up, poor Adam Pompey, like huge pressure, and he just pushes it wide, pushes it wide. Um look, I I'm not sure about sharks, they do seem to be turning up a bit.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Well, old mate uh in the in the group, um the mate of ours put it nicely is that they've they've played two teams who are lost players during Origin and they've not really lost anyone. They've lost Fanou Bacon, they've lost Blake Blade Blade.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

We could have beaten them, like yeah, we could have beaten them. It was just a shock. Warriors could have beaten them, but they were just they were just poor, coulda, woulda, shoulda, didn't. That's the problem. Um, and then Eels turning over the Raiders 15-12, 9-0 up at half time, I think they were. Raiders hadn't scored in three halves of football. They were looking absolutely no, yeah, three halves of football. Yeah, they were looking terrible, and then all of a sudden they turned it on in the second half. I thought I generally thought they were gonna come back and win it. Um, it was but they're it they're in a bit of a bit of a situation, a bit of a hole. Because their number seven's playing for Manley. Exactly, exactly that. The one of the best number sevens outside of Nathan Cleary is is imagine imagine if they'd have offered him the three-year contract he wanted.

SPEAKER_02 19:35

I don't think they'd be in this situation.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

No, they they wouldn't. They've got um young halves pairing, and they need it's almost like Foggity didn't settle in it, man, at the start because new system, yeah, coach didn't have a clue, but now he's been given kind of what feels like a bit of freedom, and he's learning who who's what, where who's like who in the zoo, where to play the ball, give it to Hamole early, let him do all the work rather than hold it on and wait. Like it seems like he's steering the ship now, yeah. Um, and we've got that leader that took the Raiders to the to the minor premiership last year. So um this look, I thought this was a bit of an upset. Eel's missing quite a lot of players.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

I say it was, yeah, definitely. Definitely. Um, and and just their big players just aren't aren't firing. Like Ker Weeks has had a bit a bit of a couple of quiet weeks. Um and you you you sort of would would expect a lot more from him. Uh he's had a head a hell of a last couple of uh seasons, and I was I was reading some I can't remember who it was, but someone's done a a little bit of analysis of fallbacks and where they like to attack, and raiders are the highest percentage that their fallback attacks to the right, I think it is, um, to their right or their left, I can't remember which word, like it was like eight, ninety odd percent, and not and not from saying this, it feels like I know this them going that way on screen, they were attacking the top quite a lot, so it might have been going their left, yeah. So and and they they don't utilise him on both sides when uh to be honest, I don't know why the person who posted it did it because he didn't really explain any why behind it, it was just more of an analysis of a lot of teams doing it. Kennedy again, uh not Kennedy, um Edwards, Dylan Edwards at the Panthers, he's very one-sided. Um yeah, he's he's very one-sided, whereas Turbo Manley is he's very split, and but and you can see how much of an impact he has on the game because he can attack him in from from both sides. Yeah, so I don't know if having a system where the fullback is just attacking one side is actually a den detriment to someone like Kerr Weeks, who is an absolute, he's a space demon, and if they know he's going to be going one side. Like Clayton Fowlala, I think Clayton Falala you you could put as a a very similar comparison of of type of player, not like skill level at the moment, because weeks is is is a head.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Wiggs is a bit quicker as well.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

Yeah, but the heat Fal Alos again can just find a gap and hit it hit it hard. So I think that's something they may want to look at if they're if they're listening. Um if you never know.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

On that note, we got nine subscribers this week. So you never know. You never know what it could be raiders. But shout out you mad dogs. And if you're new around here, make sure you hit that subscribe button, leave a comment, let us know your thoughts on some of the games this week. But uh the last game of the weekend, I said it was gonna be a tough watch. Yeah, I know, it was the game of the week. And it was actually game of the week. So Tigers defeat the Titans 36-20 out. Now I'm gonna be honest with this, like a high scoring game, poor defensively, but I think the Titans were robbed at the end. Yeah. Um, saf one of the most obvious hip drops I think I've ever seen in this sport. He like wraps both his legs around him, goes down. The Gizu even fumbles the ball from the pain that he's clearly in from that play on their go down, Jerome Louis scores. They would have had a penalty there a minute to go, knock it down, one attack in set, you never know what could happen. Tigers were lucky. I tell you what, must have been the referee going. Do you know it'd be good for the league? I reckon last game at Lycart for a while. Yeah, I'm just gonna give it to the Tigers. Look, Jerome Louis had an absolute ball game, can't take it away from him. But Titans have got some weapons, like Keanu Kinney is something else.

SPEAKER_02 23:19

Yeah, they they do, but again, it's just the defensive side of them that that's that's letting them down. Um you can see you can score as many points as you want, but if you're not if you're not stopping them, then that's gonna be it's always gonna be an issue. You can't defence wins championships, it does, and you can't go in with the Ian Holloway mentality of we're gonna score more more goals than you because unfortunately they don't have the defence to to probably stop more teams. And uh Philip Sami as well is is uh is he's having a great season. He's been an absolute breakout player, Jaden Cam Campbell always seems to find the trial line as well.

SPEAKER_00 23:51

Oh, he was phenomenal as well. And he's Keanu Kinney though, like his support play, but then to offload it to Campbell that was there, whoever was running alongside him, he's phenomenal. I I've got a feeling that he won't be at the Titans for too long. I reckon someone will someone will snap him up. Um let's get into round 16. We uh let me get the fixtures up. We're kicking it off Friday night at the McDonnell Jones Stadium. We're up in Newcastle, the Knights, $1.25 against the Dragons, $4.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Have you seen have you seen the Knights backline as well? It is pretty much their full strength back, it's it is their full strength back line.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Yeah, obviously, Ponger, you'd think, well, depending on how physical it is and whether he moves to 13 or 12, he should play. But where are you going with this one?

SPEAKER_02 24:39

Oh, there's only one way.

SPEAKER_00 24:40

Knights. Uh the knights are gonna slay the dragons. Dragons don't seem as bad as what they have been. Like they I think they're getting better. I definitely think they're getting better, but the knights are winning this one.

SPEAKER_01 24:51

I know that's like where are you going with that?

SPEAKER_00 24:53

There's no doubt about it. The knights are winning this one.

SPEAKER_02 24:55

Put put on Greg Margie and Dom Jung to score four tries between them. Like that's that's that's where the that's where you need to need to go, and that's that's what's gonna, I think, unfortunately happen. Um, and then we've got the three o'clock kickoff on the Saturday at Campbelltown Sports Stadium. Uh, we've got the West Tigers at $2.99 against the Dolphins at $1.48.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

Could be a decent game, this um it all depends what happens with the Dolphins big boys. But look, they tore apart the Roosters with their backups without their origin stars, and I'd say the Tigers are nowhere near what the Roosters are. Um Macassini's back though, that's that's good. Pierce Paul's out with what torn peck, so he's gonna be out.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

He's had a bit of an injury-ridden season, hasn't he?

SPEAKER_00 25:39

He's gonna be out for a for a few weeks, but for me, Dolphins.

SPEAKER_02 25:44

Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna agree with you on that one. I'm gonna go the old dolphins and then Saturday, 5 30.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

We're at the C bus super, the Gold Coast Titans, $4.30 against the Penrith Panthers at $1.23.

SPEAKER_02 25:57

Penrith.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

Yeah, I can't I can't really see this going any other way.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

Um boys aren't the boys aren't backing up again.

SPEAKER_00 26:06

Ivan just knows how to arrest them. Like he has that much trust, or he literally goes, you know what? We're so far ahead that even if we do.

SPEAKER_02 26:14

I think it could be I think it could be an assess because they they are they have been named in the in the 20 yeah in the 2020.

SPEAKER_00 26:20

But he won't risk them, he's smart, he won't risk them, but the panthers are winner.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

He'll test the waters, but yeah, I'm gonna go for Panthers. Um and then we've got the 735 kickoff at the Accor Stadium. Semi-chubbed. We've got the Bulldogs at $3.19 against the Manley Warringa Seagulls at $1.36.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

And Turbo is back. Turbo is back. Um I like the look of the lineup, not gonna lie. Uh Turbo, fullback, Saab, Cola, Garrick, Hoppawate, Brooks. Why isn't it? Why is his name not in the hat for the original playing origin? Uh I liked Wakeham starting. Wake him back, yeah. I do like Wake Come starting, bit of aggression, firing it up from the start, and then Simpkin comes off the bench, Ola Kawa fresh off of a bye week, give it a rest. The geezer could run for like 600 metres. Um, Ben Chabojovic off the back of one of his best performances a couple of weeks ago. Cut that cut back inside. It didn't start off very well. No, it didn't start off very well. But um I'm hoping Laffey gets more minutes uh this week. Yeah, see how it goes. Bully Moore's back. He didn't play last game, did he? Yeah, didn't he have a head knock or something? Something like that, but manly manly 13 plus.

SPEAKER_02 27:38

Manly 13 plus. I'm I'm all about that.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

Yeah, doggies, not your day, and then we're at the one New Zealand Stadium on the Sunday in Christchurch at the Warriors two dollars two dollars? The Warriors $1.36 against the Cowboys, $3.16. Right.

SPEAKER_02 27:55

I think the they've got the big boys back, they've got Mitchie Barnett back. Uh let's make half starting. No, um I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go the Warriors. They can't they can't go back-to-back losses in in New Zealand. I'm gonna go the Warriors.

SPEAKER_00 28:12

Yeah, I I think the Warriors win this one.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

And then we that takes us nicely into the Sunday. Uh, the 405 kickoff at Amy Park. We've got the $1.38 Storm against the $3.08 Raiders.

SPEAKER_00 28:27

Storm at home obviously look good. Raiders struggle to score points, but the Storm ain't great defensively this year. But I reckon the Melbourne Storm get this one done.

SPEAKER_02 28:37

Yeah, I I haven't backed the Storm in a while. Um, but I I do I do think they'll they'll get this one this one done. They they're starting to to get pull some results together, and I think the Raiders are in a bit of free-for-all, so I'm gonna go for the go for the storm.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

And then we finish it off Sunday night, 6.15 at the Allianz. We've got the Sydney Roosters at $1.52 against the Crenella Sharks at $2.53.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

Like your head says Roosters with this at home, all players back, they'll be sort of on form, but with the way the sharks have been playing, are you can you ignore them? Is it is has it been origin that has helped the sharks? Um and I'm gonna go for yes it has, and I think the roosters are gonna get it done at home.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

This will be a test for the sharks. This will yeah, give us an understanding of if it's just coming up against origin impacted teams. Um although part of me thinks part of me thinks they are gonna get it done, but but but but after the performance last week, I think the Roosters will turn it around and I'm gonna back the Sydney Roosters as well. That's it. Who's on the bye? The Broncos got a week off, eels got a week off. Oh, so if anything happens to Mitch Moses, hopefully it won't impact them, and then the Rabbit Hos have got a week off. But let's quickly touch on the event that is on at the moment of the World Cup. Feels a bit weird watching it over here, not gonna lie.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

Yeah, it's not warm, like you know.

SPEAKER_00 30:09

I don't know. I when I watch a World Cup or a tournament, I feel like warm pub garden. Yeah, just it just feels weird.

SPEAKER_02 30:17

I've never I never I didn't really watch any Qatar, the Qatar World Cup.

SPEAKER_01 30:21

Um I can't even remember it. Uh oh, we got knocked out by France, didn't we? Yeah, um 2-1.

SPEAKER_02 30:27

But no, I've been I've been watching a bit of it. Uh it's been quite nice to watch it on my way into work, actually. Yeah, there's been some good, very good and some surprise performances about that. Like Kate Verde drawing with Spain, like that is huge. Yeah, that is enormous. A 40-year-old goalkeeper. All draws today, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

All the games are finishing draws. Um Japan look alright, like they don't look too bad. Yeah, they they played played Brazil, didn't look great at all, but I tell you, do look good Morocco, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

Well, got well handed to the US as well.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

No, um word Paraguay is just absolutely terrible.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

No, probably that, and then you gotta mention the I suppose the country that we're living in. You do, you do good, good, good performance against Turkey.

SPEAKER_00 31:07

It was, and do you know what? Um at half time, I sent a message and I said 45 minutes gonna be a long time to play like the way they are. Obviously, is it Irikanda? Is that that's his name? Great goal, knocks it long, one of the best first touches to take it inside the defender and then slot it past the keeper. Giza started at buying Munich and now plays for Watford. I reckon his value has just gone up from a couple of mil to 20 plus.

SPEAKER_02 31:33

That's the danger of the World Cup, isn't it? Is the World Cup inflated rates and then you actually get it to the team and they're like, Oh, you're gonna be.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

You remember Hamas Rodriguez when he scored the screamer for Colombia, and then he went to Madrid, and then he ended up at Everton, and then there was that rumour going around that he'd had his dick cut off or something. Do you remember that? I do the sex change operation that you'd had absolutely bonkers, but um, yeah, so Australia then defended for 45 minutes and then another breakaway goal. Um, great, another great finish. They got a difficult one. I'm not gonna lie, I was sitting there on the sofa, actually gave it a clap, was watching it with my son, actually was like, Go on, boys. It felt wrong, yeah, felt wrong.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

But one thing is nice is look at that. South Africa aren't exactly great at a sport, it's quite nice for them to get humbled for a change. It was opening game of the tournament as well. Yeah, I sent it to I sent one of the the there was an Irish comedian, she came out and said my my husband's uh South African, and it's been quite nice to see him being humbled for a change when it comes to a sport, big sporting event, and I sent it to him. Um, and I I have to agree, yeah. It is quite nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

But when the Rugby World Cup comes, yeah, I'm sure that would change of course quite quickly. But England kickoff on Thursday. We are playing Croatia. It's probably the toughest, it is the toughest group fixture up first. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:51

Prep hasn't been amazed even been the sweet 18 grand worth of kit nicked. Nicked shootings happening near the the uh the training camp, tunnel at tornadoes, earthquakes, and then Tuchel being asked about random different things that are just not related to football.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

Um, I've said this before when Tuchel is at Chelsea, he's a great tournament manager. Questionable decisions as to who he selected, but if the guy knows how to do one thing, that's win trophies in tournaments. So we'll see. Excited to see how we go against Croatia. But that's it. Origin tomorrow. Um looking forward to it. Hopefully, it'll be a physical one. Hopefully, New South Wales win 13 plus. But join us next week for a review, and we'll catch you the next one. Let's be having you.