Never Again: The CommBank Curse

Seventeen errors can ruin more than a scoreboard, they can ruin your whole day. We start with a last-minute trip to Commbank Stadium that turns into a full-blown vent: leaving early, boiling over at the mistakes, and asking how a team can hand a winnable NRL game away so completely. From Manly Sea Eagles injuries and reshuffles to the uncomfortable truth about consistency, we dig into what the loss actually says about game management and composure.

The tone flips when we talk about a perfect weekend on the other side of sport: a 50 nil win, a brutally honest film session, and the simple culture builders that make teams better. Yes, that includes the classic donuts-for-defense reward, but it also includes support play, line speed, and calmer execution. If you coach, play, or just love the details, this part is packed with practical takeaways.

Then it is straight into big-stage chaos as England beat Mexico at the World Cup. We relive the red card and penalty swings, shout out Jude Bellingham and Jordan Pickford, and talk about why Thomas Tuchel feels built for tournament football. From there, we preview the State of Origin decider with selection debates, key players who have to stand up, and our score picks, before closing out with NRL round reviews, tipping for the week ahead, and a rugby union check-in as the Rugby World Cup approaches.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Hello and welcome to this week's episode they've been doing it all day to I'm never going to the combank again is hurt. Let's get stuck in. Absolutely terrible. Well, actually, tell her two halves, tell her, tell her two days. Um decided last minute to go to the combank on Sunday. Chucking decision. Never, never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever in my life am I going there again. I think what we've seen Mandy win once there.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Yeah. Well, you said that in 2000 and I think when we were there in 2023 or 24 when we were leaving after an absolute disgraceful performance. Yeah. Then last season when we were there watching them against the heels, we were saying the exact same thing. So when when I you could imagine the shock what I saw when you messaged me going, oh, last minute decision to go to the combat, you're coming, and I went, No.

SPEAKER_03 0:49

Um I couldn't believe it. Like I took my son and I thought, do you know what? It'll be it's a good stadium to go and watch because quite big, quite accessible. But I was just getting so infuriated by what was it, 17 errors? Yeah, 17 errors. Oh fuck, we'll get onto the game in a bit, but like my blood was boiling. Um I just walked out of the stadium, we left early, didn't even do you know the little video that I didn't duty, didn't even do that because I was so angry. Um, and then ah it was just it was just a nightmare. But then couple that with what happened on Monday, yeah. England beating Mexico, it was absolutely phenomenal. We'll touch on that in a second because I know we usually talk about footy, but yeah, the World Cup is something else.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

But you had a good result on yeah, so while you were venturing out to the combank, uh I was I was we were at home um at Forestville. Up the ferrets, up the ferrets, got a cheeky 50-nil win. Um, so we we promised the girls, I think it's very much an American football thing, but if you stop a team from scoring, the defensive coaches normally buy donuts for the defence. As we uh stopped them from scoring this week, we we said we'll we'll bring donuts to the next training session for the whole team, rightly, rightly deserved. Um and yeah, ran out 50-nil. We had uh quite a quite an honest, I think, film session last Wednesday. Honesty is the best policy. Like we we dug into we dug into what we what did well because there was sparks of brilliance during the game, um, but then there was also sparks of not brilliance, not so brilliant. And everything we asked for from the team, they produced on on Sunday. Um one of the big things was support, they were flying around each other, supporting each other, which was so much better. Uh this the line speed was was brilliant in defence and attack. Everything was just a lot more fluid and a lot more karma. Um, so some fantastic individual performances. Our fullback again, she scored score last week, scored a hat trick this week. Not bad. Uh she uh we've got our uh the forest Milky Jenkins. There we go. The center the centers were were scoring for fun as well. Um fantastic, fantastic try from from our uh one of our props of front rows as well, just flying through the defensive line, just did not did not stop. From all angles by the time, do we? It was honestly, it was it was brilliant, it was brilliant. Um so big uh big up then. We've got a buy this week. Uh but then top of the table clash, we're now top, top of the table clash next, not next week and the weekend after. Tasty, I might come along to it.

SPEAKER_03 3:14

What date's that?

SPEAKER_01 3:15

The 19th, I think it is. Oh yeah, I might come along.

SPEAKER_03 3:18

We'll see what's going on.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

But yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:20

But sports field agenda. And look, like I said, we don't usually talk much soccer, but with it being the the World Cup, um, Monday was one of the biggest emotional roller coasters I think I've ever been on.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

Oh like it was just absolute pandemonium. I was watching it in work, like you read the red card, like the the bigger the big events I think the ref got right. The two penalties were penalties, a red card was a red card in modern football, but the the stubbornness of England and and just uh take take about Jude Bellingham, Jordan Pickford, and it Dan Burns.

SPEAKER_03 3:52

Dan Burns made the most clearances ever.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

I think everyone in an England shirt around the world went, why the hell does he bring in Mom?

SPEAKER_03 3:58

Didn't he come off a Harry Kane as well or something like that? Uh yeah, it was ridiculous. And I yeah, Tuchel, yes. Let me I I my admiration of Thomas Tuchel is endless, right? When he was at Chelsea, for those that don't know, he was manager of Chelsea. Chelsea's owner got done for being part of the Russia-Ukraine war. So Chelsea had to sell their club to an American. Americans came in, and Thomas Tuchel was thrown under the bus basically basically, got rid of, and he was probably one of the most passionate managers Chelsea have ever had. And tournament football, I've said this before, was his specialism. He there was one time when Chelsea didn't know they're in limbo about um the finances of the club. He said he would drive the bus to get the players there. And there's one thing, and we were talking about it just before. There's that video of uh John Stone's feigning the shoulder injury and then giving it the pump, and you can just see by his reaction how much he loves it. The geezer knows what he's doing, and there were so many moments in this game. You mentioned about your girls flying out and covering well, like Harry Kane summed it up perfectly. England were covering every brick blade of grass. Um, where do you think it ranks in England performances?

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Um I think that is I think it's quite close to the the but then there was drips and drabs. I think with all the adversity and everything, everything was stacked against the altitude, playing Mexico and Mexico.

SPEAKER_02 5:20

What altitude?

SPEAKER_01 5:21

Yeah, have that. Stick your tacos at your ass. There was so much going against England, yeah, uh, penalty, red card. I I I think it is probably the best World Cup performance the whole as a as a whole tournament performance, I think. I I I think I've witnessed just because of as you said, Jed Spence came on and made it so difficult.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

I was concerned when he came on.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

Exactly. Same with Dan Byrne, like the the stick he got after the the Congo game, Jed Spence, but he comes out, he made it so difficult for that for that right-hand side winger to get the ball in. He was jockeying, jockeying, slowing everything down. Um, but absolutely in attack, just looked look again, just being able to fly away for Anthony Gordon, take about like again or the abuse that he was getting.

SPEAKER_03 6:02

I was like, that's 120 million pound penalty that he'd won there. He just slipped his tag from Barcelona.

SPEAKER_01 6:07

So, yeah, I I I personally think it's it's the best World Cup England performance I've I've witnessed.

SPEAKER_03 6:12

I agree, witness, and I put I actually ranked it. Obviously, I wasn't around for the 1966 World Cup, but that's obviously going to be the the uh number one because we won a World Cup. I put it second to that. I don't think there's any other performance that yeah, all right, people can say uh it's only Mexico. I agree, player for player, still tenth in the world, it's player for player, though we blow them off the park. But to go to the Azteca altitude, which I I think Bellingham came out after and said nah, it wasn't really a problem, but just to defensively be so solid, penalties sloppy from Kane, first goal. Look, it was a clearance by uh Concer that just dropped straight.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

Like nine times, and that's the thing, nine times out of ten, there's probably an England player flicking that on. Yeah, it stood right there. And and it it's it's such a hard clearance. You're running towards your goal to even get it away from the goal. Uh, it just it just fell uh like it.

SPEAKER_03 7:00

Pickford was phenomenal.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Oh, the boys are not a he is, he is.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

But look, I'm gonna be honest as well. We've got a tough test in Norway coming up, and you know who and Harland Harland is gonna be an absolute beast. But the one player that I feel most sorry for from all of this is Jordan Henderson. Like, how unfortunate he's just copied Dan Byrne jumping over the thing, slipped obviously because it's wet, gone down and snapped his arm a bit wrist arm. But he came out in the pre-match press conference with Tuchel and they had like that banter about the Viagra tablets and everything. You can tell he's around the team for the morale puffs. And I reckon like the the boys might give it for Hendo like next game, but tough Odegaard, Haaland.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

Who's their goalkeeper? He he had an absolute world evil performance against Brazil as well. He kept a minute, you kept so they're there for their take in, though. They they are, they are, but you just can't you can't sleep on them like Haaland's second goal was oh my word, it's just so nonchalant.

SPEAKER_03 7:55

It's like his backlift and struck it, and then Alison couldn't even get there. Like it was so accurate. Oh I've started watching his YouTube channel as well. He's a funny geezer.

SPEAKER_02 8:04

Did you see you see him go out after the Dallas game? Yeah, got it.

SPEAKER_03 8:07

After they got a cowboy hat, got a cowboy hat, and you know he was just dropping mine. Geezer's just signed that year contract for god knows how much, but he was just dropping cash for everyone. They're all just dressed as cowboys. Love the geezer, but I hope he has a terrible game on on Sunday morning. But um, let's get into tomorrow night's state of origin, it's the decider. Um it's uh some of the selections as well, like more and more's coming out. Brian Toto, is he just a scapegoat? Should he is Boss Stock actually gonna make a difference with the high ball, all that sort of stuff? Um, I don't know how I feel about it. Like, I'm not really excited for it if I'm honest.

SPEAKER_01 8:41

No, neither am I. I I think it could be an absolute massacre. Um, especially if if if the if Queensland get going early. They're just just their attack has been incredible across the three of the three games. Um, the two games, sorry. Um they've got so much. They've dominated New South Wales. Don't even uh don't look like they've got a game plan at the moment, which is quite worrying. Um but look, anything can happen. It's a what it's one game. It's one it's one game. There's some there's some big names in there that need to pull out, some big performances. I I like Liam Martin being called back in. He's he's the I think he's very similar to to as I was saying last last week about Lindsay Collins just finding this additional energy when it comes to origin. I think Liam Martin's that as well.

SPEAKER_03 9:27

He scored as well for the Panthers at the weekend, so getting him getting a bit of um bit of traction ahead of the game. But Mitch Moses is on kind of last legs, he's got to perform cleary, got to turn up. Um, but the bit my biggest worry is Hamole Olakuatu is on the bench, right? He's got to be used effectively, you've got to give him early ball, you've got to allow him to make defenders miss rather than getting the ball at like a standstill and trying to do something, he's not that kind of player. Um, and one, I don't think one of Olaquatu or Cola's gonna get on, so it'll be interesting. I mean, I'm not I'm not mad, yeah, but they're two strike weapons that's not exactly angry at that. No, I think Bradman Best is the right call as well. Yeah, he he is he's he's a dominant force, he's an origin dog as well, he hates Queensland. Like he's come out in press conferences and said that he doesn't like Queenslanders, and that's the sort of thing that we need. But look, the players we've got to watch out for Harry Grant, Cam Munster, Sam Walker, Sam Walker.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

Hopefully he's his head's turned a little bit um with the with the news about his contract and up for up for Z.

SPEAKER_03 10:32

Who do you say it's some ridiculous that the eels might go for him?

SPEAKER_01 10:36

Or even the dragons. If the dragons get on him, I'm I'm lumping on them making the eight next season.

SPEAKER_03 10:44

I'll tell you they could they could be a decent little force to be reckon with actually next year. A little one season in a window shot at it. But we've got the Queen's Lamaroons at $1.55 and the New South Wales Blues at $2.50. We love an underdog tag. Yes. Where do you reckon it's going? What do you reckon's happening?

SPEAKER_01 11:01

I'm not gonna back anyone else other than the blues, am I? I'm just I'm gonna stick Stephen Crichton's gonna turn up, have an absolute dog of a game, Brab and best. Score, give me a score. 12 12 10.

SPEAKER_03 11:11

You tell me they they're big games and it's one by two points.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

It's gonna be it's gonna be two boys are gonna they're gonna just have a defense defensive and attacking masterclass. Um I'm not sure. Um I don't know. I could be I could be uh chatting out some.

SPEAKER_03 11:25

I reckon it's gonna be like 2018. I reckon it's gonna be a close one. What did I hear Gordon Talli say? Um, as long as we win by half a point, that's all that matters, and that that is it. Just go up there, put the body on the line. I I do know I really hope it's got that origin three game vibe from two years ago. 2024 where it was literally non-stop for the first half hour and that it was just like the most physical game. I'm hoping it produces that. I do feel like it's been somewhat overshadowed by the World Cup though. I don't know whether that's just an England perspective or Australia because the soccer roos are doing alright. It's almost like it's been on the background.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Not really heard about it.

SPEAKER_03 12:01

Nah, it's a bit a bit strange. So it'd be interesting to see how the boys come out and um yeah, I hope it's an absolute barnstormer. Barnstormer, yeah. Talking of non-barnstormers, though. Let's get into it. I hate it, I hate talking about it, but we got bought back down to earth with a crash losing a game at the combank that we should have won.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Yeah, 100%. And you you mentioned it before, the the errors column is is where it was lost. Yeah. You you you don't make five of them and I reckon you win the game comfortably.

SPEAKER_03 12:36

You don't you don't make one of them, like I think even Bully More, I get it, I get it. You're you see the try line, you think you can reach it, you go for it, and then you fall up short. But momentum would have taken him over, and then we're what two points behind or something like that at that time. I just like it brings back all the memories. Joey Walsh's little flick, fantastic. Yeah, Turbo was not expecting it.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

Which which surprises me for a player of Turbo's quality. Like you you can always expect expect the ball, and he he just he he yeah, he looked like he never played foot in his life trying to catch it. Um and it is it is quite frustrating, but you I've seen so much negativity about it, and I I've I calmed myself down, I think, after the dogs game. Like you look at the three games that Manly have lost within the origin period sharks lost by a try, dogs lost by a point, and then this game we lost it ourselves.

SPEAKER_03 13:30

Yeah, the the Paramount were all right, like don't get me wrong, Dylan Walker's little flick behind was quality, but our defense was solid, like in general, it wasn't too bad. They did make a number of line breaks, but when it needed to step up, it did. And we like you say, we killed ourselves as a game that we should have won. And like Foz's comments after, I love the passion. The first thing I'll say is Seabold would have come out and said there were plenty of good things from that game, we can take a lot of positives, blah blah same old rhetoric that comes out all the time. But forum comes out and talks about that up and down. Um, we've got to find out why. But the why is we've lost two of our best players, like make a massive difference as well. But it's because it balances the field, right? You that if you've got turbo swinging one way, you've then got a threat of cola on the other side that they have to consider. And if you've got turbo swinging one way, you've got Olaquati on the inside of him back swinging to the right. So, and the threat that he put like any team would, I think, be in trouble losing those two players.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

Also, losing Falalo early, uh Ben Trovovich having to play centre again, then go back to centre second row. Like again, people call him for his head. He's probably been the most consistent player throughout the throughout the season, had a great start to the season, had had he's had a just a a good season. Yeah. Um Laffi was impressive, his running was impressive. Strong uh strong runner. Uh, and and you you look, he's he's he's in the team as a second rower. He's then been made to a centre where he's he's he's in more of a vulnerable position in the defensive line. Look, and it it completely messes with your with your game plan. He's not a center, uh, he's just he's just a a backup centre, and and and that that hurt that hurt us as well.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

And I'm guessing at that point he didn't want to bring Felady on because he didn't know what was going to happen with Falalo. He ended up coming on later. But I mean, look, he's been out of a peck injury, but Waddell was below par. I think he's lost a game step, like he wasn't reading I think he was be I think he's been brought back a bit too early, to be honest. A bit undercooked, but look, where did can we be written off with a top four?

SPEAKER_01 15:27

Yeah, I'm not sure. Um I I think these next these next three games are huge. So I reckon beating the cowboys at home, Titans away, and then the sharks at home. Yeah, I think if we do if we go and do that and do it comfortably, I think it shows that we are yeah top four in in waiting, because then we go into the bye before the sort of store storm away. But it's gonna be that Titans away, which is the big one because we we've really struggled with away games which we're supposed to win. Yeah. Um, and that would be the uh I think that would be key mark. If we lose that, I don't think we're gonna make the four.

SPEAKER_03 16:01

Yeah, um, but Luke Brooks, big loss, I think that'll we've lost some impactful like Taki Aho, yeah, big loss in the front. Like, yeah, Laffi's coming in bigger. Brandon Wakem. Brandon Wakum, it'll be good when he comes back. Simkin, I don't know whether he's an 80-minute player. No, he's not. Um, but Luke Brooks just defensively and his organisational skills. Joey Walsh will get there, don't get me wrong. But it's a couple of weeks, a couple bit weeks of experience to get him where he needs to be. But look, he puts his body on the line, doesn't he's not scared of getting hit, so he's out there. But anyway, uh I going to the combank again? Probably. Yeah, I I probably will. I probably probably will. But uh, let's talk about oh one thing I thought when I was out there actually. Um, obviously, all this talk about Brookbelt Brookvale being re-redeveloped, and I was thinking, do you know what? The top part of the combank, yeah, take away the bottom layer, that'd be perfect for man. It'd be quite steep, and then you can have the concourse underneath coming coming round and through. It'd be interesting to see how that develops because I've seen some pictures of it.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

Um yeah, I wouldn't I wouldn't mind it as like four separate stands, as in like the still keep the concourse, like the concourse as it is as it is, but then just build the the steepness off it. Yeah, I think that would quite be quite nice. I'm not I don't know whether I'm sold over the bowl effect, yeah, where you can just go anywhere in the style. They are pretty pretty amazing um in in that in that regard, but it can be a bit soulless.

SPEAKER_03 17:30

Whereas you don't want you know we said that on Saturday. When we were there on Saturday, we said even though there's 18,000 people in there for a 45,000 seat of stadium, it was like there's not much, not much happening here. It's but that's why I think it should only be the top part, yeah. Because if you add the bottom part in that adds another 15,000 people, like yes, man, you have a good support and it'd be on the northern beaches, but I don't think you get 35,000 people there week in, week out. So I reckon the sweet spot would be around 25.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Yeah, 25. I think you need to still keep a little bit of a a brookie feel to it, yeah, and not overramp it too much. I think it'd be devastating to get rid of the hill because I think that's quite a big it's inevitable, it is inevitable, but it is part of the part of the history. Um, but but no, I get I get what you get what you're saying.

SPEAKER_03 18:14

Anyway, uh let's start off with the um the dragons. I said they'd do it.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

I said they'd like that was an incredible pick to be fair.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

I tipped the dragons, that was an incredible pick. It looked at one point, I was like, oh, I don't know whether I've made the right decision here, and then they blew them off the park towards the end. Um, second win of the season. Genuinely, like I was watching it and they they actually looked all right, like they were moving the ball because the biggest concern I had was that oh the dragons are terrible and they're not going to be able to score, and they stuck 24 points on them. But on that, have you ever played for a team that um has been in the dragon situation where you've been terrible all season and you just jag a few wins, yeah?

SPEAKER_01 18:54

Yeah, there's like one of the what the club that I played will be for growing up. Um we were dreadful, uh absolutely awful. And we beat um, I think when we got to like 16, 17, we we hadn't won all game, and then we just mustered this performance against Kidderminster and absolutely hammered them. And then last game of the season we had uh we had a a local derby um against old Eds, who I think we'd beaten earlier in the season as well. So we'd out of that 20 odd game season, I think we only won three games, and again we just just turned up and and were incredible. So yeah, I know what it's been like like to be absolutely shafted all season and just get the get the old odd win. Um it's a morale boost though. It is a morale boost. It's better when you're not expecting like that kiddom insta game. I think they were like third in the league or something at the time. We toppled them. We blew them off the park. I was playing scrum half, absolutely absolutely dominating the pack.

SPEAKER_03 19:47

No wonder why you uh you were in the way.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

We don't talk about that.

SPEAKER_03 19:50

In my first year at university, we it was like the first season the team was put together, and um we were terrible, like we we weren't that bad, like we were all right, but we went up to Reddin and we played against them and we beat them in extra time overtime, and the scene's like it was a mud bowl, and we were just diving on the floor and everything. Like it was the only win we got all year, and then we got a draw that was because I don't know, I don't think we had enough players in the other list, but yeah, we went we won one, lost seven, drew one, so one seven and one for the season. Can't argue with that. Nah, but yeah, um, yeah, dragons get their second win. Yeah, great tip. It propelled me. It was the only result. Sorry, manly result was the only one I got wrong this week, and uh yeah, it propelled me up the tipping ladder only for me to come crashing down when manly loses. Very quickly. Um, let's get on to Cronulla, Brisbane 28-16. Madge still thinks that the Broncos can still make the eight. He still reckons they've got a few players to come back. Nah, there's no way, surely there's there's no way that um the Broncos get anywhere near. But if he leaves at the end of the season, I think we spoke about this last week, it's still got to be a success.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

Yeah, 100%. You you you came in one one off the back of an origin win with New South Wales, goes up to goes up to Queensland and turns that that team into an absolute force and and a and a team that can play 80 plus minutes comfortably. Um it's it is a a success of a season. Um and this year they they look like they've down tools early with him. Don't know why. Because there was talks right there about Haasko and going early. Yeah, so I I don't know what the what the issue is up there, but yeah, it would still still be a successful tenure, I reckon.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

Yeah, sharks marching through the top four, but easy fixtures after origin. It'd be interesting to see how this period goes now, now that after Origin finishes, whether they can continue this momentum or not, because I don't know, they got the mighty man, he sealed was in three weeks' time. That's what I mean. That's gonna be a test.

SPEAKER_01 21:49

Big pardon me, that's gonna be a big um test and and a uh a settler to see whereabouts they are.

SPEAKER_03 21:55

It will be, it will be, but um Dylan Brown getting his first. Ever extra point goal or field goal kick beating the Dolphins. I thought Newcastle would win this one, tip tip Newcastle to win this one because I thought the Dolphins would be impacted, but it was tighter than I expected it to be.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

Really, really close game. Again, a game that could have gone either way quite quite comfortably in that regard. The Dolphins missing a fair bit of sting in their in their attack. Yeah. Which was definitely definitely on show. Like you're losing the hammer at fullback is always going to be a big um is going to be a big big loss. And just couldn't get themselves in a position to ice it either. No, to be honest. But like they're they're they're both going to be in the eight. I think even Dolphins could even tip into the into the four, uh, if I'm being perfectly honest.

SPEAKER_03 22:49

I agree, I fully agree. I think both teams look sharp. Um it's gonna be good. I think it's gonna be a good season running. Yeah. Who's gonna make the eight? Who's gonna make the four?

SPEAKER_01 22:58

It's really, really tight at the moment. I hadn't realised, and I was trying to think back if it was like this close last season.

SPEAKER_03 23:03

I don't think it I think by this point, and then I could be wrong. Six to one were pretty clear of then and it was but fighting for seven ten, maybe. I think it was, we're pretty pretty close, but um, yeah, it'll be interesting to see how that how the running happens. But last game, Penrith get the win over the drag uh the dragons, over the rabbit hose. Cody Walker, what are you doing? Idiotic, absolutely idiotic. How old is he?

SPEAKER_01 23:32

35, 36, and the thing is as well, like with the amount of cameras around, and you're never gonna get away with something like that. Nah, so it's just an absolute brain fart from him.

SPEAKER_03 23:44

I don't think I've ever been in a position where I've like fully lost my head like that. I don't think I mean I've been frustrated in a game. I've definitely pushed pushed a few people, I've definitely like maybe sneakily put one in somewhere, but I don't think I've ever done something as blatant and obvious as kicking someone when there's to be fair, I've never played in a game when there's 30 cameras around to go out to you.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

I think that's a slight difference. But yeah, you ever have any head loss moments? Yeah, uh first year playing American football, I uh punched one of the Durham Saints players with his while he had his lid on, it was just out of pure reaction. I broke my little finger. Um, learnt my lesson quite quickly though. You don't punch someone who's got a steel helmet on.

SPEAKER_03 24:27

Yeah, one bad accident actually that I've seen, you've made me think about this. I was playing under I was playing Colts rugby, and we were playing in a semi-final, I think, at Clifton in Bristol, and something had kicked off just before, as in a fight had kicked off just before, and we then we scored, and or they'd scored, and we kicked off. And one of our guys was running down the field, and I think out of like spite, a geezer stuck his leg out to try and trip some one of our players up. I heard the loudest snap I've ever heard in my life, and his leg was just like facing in the wrong direction. So, like, it's dangerous kicking out people, very dangerous. But Penrith get the job done, Milky Jenkins squaring another hat trick.

SPEAKER_01 25:09

I think one of the things about him was that his aerial his aerial presence wasn't a a key to his game or a strength to his game, but this game, like him like propelling himself off other people's backs to gain more height. Oh he he had a he had another great game, came back with a bit of a bang after a bit of a bit of a lull, I suppose.

SPEAKER_03 25:30

Yeah, he did, but and one of them was questionable whether it's double movement though. That's the only one that I was looking at a bit like I'm pretty sure his arm was down, and then he's reached out and he scored. But I I can't see anyone catching him. Like, who's the closest? Alex Johnson was creeping up on him. Um the wing of Nito Asay as well. Yeah, but obviously origin impacted Cobo.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

Oh, again, origin.

SPEAKER_03 25:50

Origin. Um, but we've already mentioned that ladder is shaping up nicely. I think Pam Panthers, you can almost guarantee them winning the minor premiership and then it down to finals football. But it um quite comfortable. It's looking good once it's origin periods out of the way. I'm looking forward to that being done. Everyone can settle back in and then the home run to the final stretch indeed. But let's get into next week's tips. Uh first on the Friday night, we've got an 8 p.m. kickoff with Campbell Town, they're down in Campbelltown. We've got the West Tigers at $3.28 against uh New Zealand Warriors, $1.34.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

Uh, I Warriors coming back off the bye. After watching that West Tigers performance as well, I think I'm gonna be going the Warriors on this one.

SPEAKER_03 26:28

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Um, Tigers lost a few players for injury as well. Um, I can't see them being able to like this Warriors team look good. Uh I think the Warriors get this one done.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Yeah. Um, which leads us nicely into the first kickoff on the Saturday. Uh the three o'clock kickoff with the Dolphins at $1.56 against the Sharks at $2.44.

SPEAKER_03 26:50

This will be a good indicator of where the Sharks are. Um, all the like Dolphins will be origin impacted because their players do play quite a heavy part in in Queensland's side. Um, but I think this will be a good one to let us know where the sharks are. But I think the Dolphins win this at home.

SPEAKER_01 27:10

Yeah, I agree with you. I think the Dolphins, Dolphins come back and win this. I think they could put 13 plus on them as well.

SPEAKER_03 27:16

So that's a bold call. Then we go out to the Accord for the 5.30 kickoff. We've got the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs at $1.58 against the Canberra Raiders, $2.39.

SPEAKER_01 27:27

I think that the Raiders have been really poor in their last couple of wins. Um, I think they only just got over the line against the Dragons. Bulldogs seem to be on a little bit of an up and up. Things started to seem to be clicking. So I'm gonna go for the Bulldogs on this.

SPEAKER_03 27:40

I'm gonna go the opposite. I'm gonna go the Raiders, and the reason why is because Crichton's gonna have a full game at Origin. I don't think, unless any well, if he comes off, he comes off injured. But I just think he's such a talisman for them that if he's out, then and Burton got called into camp, even though Strange actually got cleared to play, didn't he? But I reckon the the Raiders might jag this one.

SPEAKER_01 28:01

Um, and then we've got the last kickoff on the Saturday, the 7.35 at the Allianz Stadium. We've got the Roosters at $1.23 and the Eels at $4.20.

SPEAKER_03 28:11

I can't see anyone other than the Roosters. Um, like the Eels, they played a weak on Manly side without their two biggest attacking threats. The Roosters have got weapons all over the place. Roosters win this comes to round.

SPEAKER_01 28:24

No ingani to RSA double.

SPEAKER_03 28:25

Yeah, and then on the Sunday, 2 pm kickoff, the South Sydney Rabbit O's at $1.98 against the Newcastle Knights at $1.85. What a fixture this could be.

SPEAKER_01 28:34

Oh, that that that could be that could be huge. Um, the way the Knights have been homing in in attack. I'm I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go for the Knights in this one.

SPEAKER_03 28:46

I'm gonna join you on that. I think the the Knights are gonna be too strong. Again, depends on Calen Ponger if he he should back up, but it depends what role he plays in origin. But um yeah, I reckon the Knights win this.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

And then and then and then five past four at Fozz Pines Park, the Manley Seagulls at $1.53 against the Cowboys at $2.51.

SPEAKER_03 29:13

Manly are winning this, like there's no doubt about it. And I look at the lineup, I see that Olaquaru's been named, Cola's been named. I think they'll be pretty fresh.

SPEAKER_01 29:21

I think that'll be fine. I don't think they're gonna play more than 40 minutes.

SPEAKER_03 29:23

I don't think Cola will get on the field. The only way that he will is if Tedesco gets injured and he has to go to fullback or like who else can drop back to fullback? I don't know whether like Crichton will go back to a fullback. Imagine the one I need to say at fullback, be an absolute beast. But that's the only reason that's the only world in which I can see Cola coming on. Yep, so I think he'll be fully fresh. Um, Olaquatu, I think, will get maybe 40 minutes spell, so he'll he should be fresh. Um, I thought Deerden was going to be back for some reason for the Cowboys, but he's not um yeah, Manly at winning this at home.

SPEAKER_01 29:56

Yeah, I'm gonna go for Manley as well.

SPEAKER_03 29:58

And then the last game on the Sunday, 6.15 pm, we got the Melbourne Storm at $1.34 against the Gold Coast Titans at $3.27. Storm. Yeah, I can't I can't really see anyone else. Storm. I can't see anyone else winning this. But that's our tips for this week. If you've enjoyed the tips, make sure to hit that like and subscribe button, and we'd love to hear who you're picking through this round's fixtures. But um a few other interesting sporting fixtures from around the world, especially involved in the rugby calendar, because the rugby world cup is coming up fast. Yep, and the wallabies didn't look too bad against Ireland.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

No, they didn't. I think they've they've started to to get themselves back into play after coming off the back of the Lions tour last year. I think that they're really starting to to to hum at that at the right time.

SPEAKER_03 30:48

Gordon, Gordon, what's his first name? The geese that played for the Titans and then came back to play union. He solidified them in the middle. Uh is it Carter Gordon? Gordon, Carter Gordon, I think. Anyway, but he's um he looked alright, and they show a lot of like Sualities just a beast. And I completely forgot about this. They've got Zach Lomax to come into the fold as well, and the winganita was there, and Angus uh yeah, Angus Crichton as well. I'll tell you what, they they're gonna be it wouldn't surprise me. They play New Zealand in the pool stage. Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if they catch them off guard early um and surprise New Zealand, and that means New Zealand have to uh if all goes well, yeah, we'll have to play New Zealand in the quarterfinal at the Allianz. Well, no, at um a core. Um, but we lost South Africa, we were absolutely turned over by so it was to be fair, the first half was close. We got blown away in the first. I don't know if you watched the highlights, did you see any of it? Uh uh no, because I thought I I knew how this game was gonna but we got we got blown away in the first 15 minutes, and then we came back into the game. I think we got caught off guard with the strength and attitude, yeah. Playing the attitude, um, and then we came back, it was tight at half time, and then they just blew away in the second half.

SPEAKER_01 31:57

Such a good team, South Africa.

SPEAKER_03 31:58

I just I worry, I worry for England with a big year of it.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

It was so inconsistent, like the start of the year was like seven get beat, games unbeaten, going into the six nations. Well, then we tiled up Wales, yeah, and then after that, it's been it's just been absolute dross.

SPEAKER_03 32:13

But apparently the game of the weekend was New Zealand France. There wasn't there was zero box kicking going on, they were just running at each other. Love that all for it. New Zealand came out 34 32 winners, but um, that's it. Origin tomorrow night. Am I buzzing for it? No, I'm not. We'll see how it goes. But if you've enjoyed this episode, hit that subscribe button and we'll catch you in the next one. See you later.