They've been doing it all day sir!
Two Englishmen in Australia, talking sports and life in a new country
They've been doing it all day sir!
Tipping Point
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One missed conversion shouldn’t decide an entire weekend, but in rugby league it keeps happening and we can’t stop talking about it. We start with a quick hit on England’s frustrating game management and what a “successful” finish really means when you spend long stretches sitting deep and absorbing pressure. From there we pivot to the bigger football picture: Spain’s control, why elite teams suffocate opponents, and what England must copy if they want to stop living on fine margins.
Then it’s straight into our NRL round review, starting where it hurts most: Manly. We break down the Titans game swing, the errors that gift tries, and how in-game injuries wreck rotations and defensive line speed. The Tom Trbojevic conversation gets serious too. When hamstrings keep going, it’s not just bad luck, it’s a list-management problem, and we talk through what investing in the next fullback could look like and where the pack is letting the team down.
Around the league, we dig into Storm v Roosters, the Broncos shocking the Panthers, and the uncomfortable question of whether Penrith peaked too early. We also hit the Warriors v Dragons controversy, the ladder squeeze, and why teams with shaky goal-kicking percentages keep turning wins into losses. Finally, we roll into our Round 21 NRL tipping with odds, matchups, and a bold Manly v Sharks call to close it out.
If you enjoy blunt rugby league analysis, NRL tipping, and real talk about form, injuries, and goal kicking, subscribe for weekly pods, share this with a mate, and leave us a review. What’s your spiciest tip for the round?
Hello and welcome to the Tweaks episode. They've been doing it all day. Football is not coming home and manly season is on life support. Let's get stuck in.
SPEAKER_03I think I could have put it better myself. Depressing.
SPEAKER_01What a depressing weekend of sport. Well, from Thursday to now. Yeah. Let's go Thursday to now.
SPEAKER_03Was not fun, was not a fun watch. Um I think it was a frustrating watch, I think is the main thing. England. So we'll start we'll start on the Thursday watching England. Uh trying to sit back against that Argentinian team with 35 minutes to go was never going to work.
SPEAKER_01But they're not even that good. This is the thing that annoys me the most. They're not that good at all. They have like they had one player that could unlock. Well, you only need one player.
SPEAKER_03And he did, and but he he that the corner, uh, and then Enzo Fernandez just but that's the thing is if you sit back and wait for so much pressure, there's gonna be a worldly that comes out of nowhere.
SPEAKER_01We had three attempts. The first one blew probably like five five feet over the bar, second one Pickford had to tip over, and then last one he's just getting his eye in. But what frustrates me about that is where England were just dropping back, dropping back, dropping back, the midfield just allowed him time to take that shot and look at Pickford's positioning probably wasn't the best. Um, but I suppose one positive people say about third place playoff and it not meaning anything. We batted the French. I know, getting the tournament, I'd say. Yeah, batted the French. Do you know what? It's a success in that sense in the fact that we batted the French and the Argentinians lost the final.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you can't you can't grumble on that. Can't want can't want any more than a second scoring the first hat trick since Gary Linica, I think it was. That was a nice little stat. Highest finish for England since '66.
SPEAKER_01Unreal penalty as well.
SPEAKER_03Shame you couldn't do that a couple years ago. But if Sputzer maybes. So things are on the things are on the up and up. Um, but I think they need to go and win the Euros now. They've got a team there to go do it. Spain, though. Spain are going to be a problem. Yes, they are. They are. That's that's the thing, is like you you you bang on about it, but the way they can control games is ridiculous.
SPEAKER_01Um I reckon we definitely would have put up a better fight than Argentina in the final. They didn't have a shot on target until the 117th minute.
SPEAKER_03The thing that baffles me is Cucurello, the the Cuccarella. The Cuccarella, the Chelsea left back.
SPEAKER_01No, no, no, no, Real Madrid left back.
SPEAKER_03Oh sorry, he's now the Real Madrid left back. He's got all these accolades and he's not that good of a player. Nah. It's absolutely wild. Like, he's a World Cup winner. He's uh has he won the Champions League? Did he win the Champions League with Chelsea? No. No, no, he wasn't there for the Champions League, but I don't believe so. He's won the Euros, he's won the uh the Cup winners' cup with the Super Cup, yeah, yeah. Club World Cup, whatever it was.
SPEAKER_01Club World Cup. The one in which Trump lifted the trophy with us. Yeah, tried to do that again against Spain with Spain, didn't he? He must have won the Champions League if he was there with you with you. 2021, Covid era. Was he left back during COVID? Can't remember. Anyway, um, but yeah, uh fair play to Spain. Football, football was a real winner, real winner. It was, it was. Everyone wanted the RGs to lose, they did and they did, so we can't spectacularly as well, and the way they carried on at full time as well.
SPEAKER_03I hope there were all books thrown at them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it would be nice. I can't see it because FIFA were obviously up the arse of Argentina. So did you see the UEFA president boycotted the final as well? Um, because of the politics interfering with football, uh, the Balogun thing. But we went from that on what Thursday to then England played on Sunday morning, which I suppose was a like we said, was a good thing. And then we'll kick it off with this week's review of fixtures. I said it could be a banana skin, and after 10 minutes, I think I've said this before actually. I've gone, what's the record score? Yeah, you said it straight away. What's the record score that in an NRL game? And then it just flipped on its head from that moment. So frustrating, so annoying. Um, and again, yeah, Turbo's gone.
SPEAKER_03He's he's done, he's his season's done and dusted. Um, and I and I said after the Eels game that Cowboys, Titans, and then Sharks, we needed to get we needed to win these games to have any chance of the eight, and it's not looking very likely at the moment with our next two points probably coming from the bye. Um, sharks coming off uh the unpredictability of them. Um at that point.
SPEAKER_01They've turned up though last couple of weeks.
SPEAKER_03They have, but you you can we'll touch on it, but you can look at Pongers kicking ability, was the reason why they didn't lose to the to the Knights on uh on Friday, last Friday. But yeah, this it's the stupid mistakes, it's like Ethan Bullenball playing the ball and no one there to play it. Yeah, and it it's those stupid, stupid mistakes that's really kidnapped. It's like how how easy they can get through the defensive line as well. There's a couple of the the tries at the Titans score.
SPEAKER_01We said this about the Cowboys last week, it felt like they were just making meters, yeah, easy with ease.
SPEAKER_03And I don't I don't understand what the the issues are. It's the speed just isn't there. Um I suppose we we are the thing the the area we don't lack is in the backs at the moment. We we've we've we've got a few injuries at the moment, we do, but we've got enough to like I'm I'm not mad at the back line. We've still got Saab, Garrick, Faledi, Kola, Hoppowate. That's still a good back four, back five, sorry. It's it's it's it's up front in the pack uh in the second row where we're really struggling. Um as you can see, you you lose Ben Chavoyovich, who you didn't realise as big as a miss as he is. He gets a lot of hate, which I I don't understand. He's been good this season. He's he's he's not as bad as people are making out, but he's not a starting second rower, which which I I would I would agree with.
SPEAKER_01Um and that's why what you said to Senthury today, Jacob Preston.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, Jacob Preston. That would 800 grand a year though. That's it's it's a it's it's a fair old whack.
SPEAKER_01The um salary cap's gonna be going up. Okay, so there's gonna be more money available.
SPEAKER_03Garrick's going, so I suppose that will freeze.
SPEAKER_01Garrick's going turbo surely after this year. Like I didn't he only sign a one-year extension. Yeah, either he stays and takes another pay cut, or I reckon he potentially retires, yeah, goes into this. People talk about going into the centres and like that, the kilometres aren't the same in the legs, like you're not doing as much sprint inside side, but the acceleration you need.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and that's and that's the thing that's kidding him is it's the acceleration. It's like you could you can jog from uh back from making a tackle or a tackle being made and and plan to go and hammer go again.
SPEAKER_01I'm no biomechanist. I did do sports science at uni, but I didn't exactly study a mechanist.
SPEAKER_03Mechanist?
SPEAKER_01Biomechanist, biomechanist? Anyway, um it's weird that it's keeps being opposite hamstrings. Like there's got to be something mechanically wrong with his back just back, his the way he plants his foot, whatever he does. Like it's an unfortunate thing. Like I look at if I look at a premiership comparison, I look at Reese James, right? You look at the England games, he just should have been there for the whole tournament, would have been an absolute dominant right back, and he's got the same issues as what Turbo has. It's either calf, it's either hamstring, it's something to do with the lower body that isn't functioning right. But it's it's a concern. Um like when Faulalo's back, I believe he should start. We were on fire.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, when he he he's now, I think, Manly starting fullback. Um, I think I saw a post that the investment needs to go in now with him. Yeah, um, I think he's got the ability to be absolutely incredible. And everyone was laughing at me when I said about Brooksy being origin. Um we are missing him massively. And we are. I think it showed how much of a real leader he was in the halves because when Walsh came in, when Foggetty was injured, Walsh and Brooks hummed quite well together. Yeah, whereas Foggity and Walsh just haven't had the same um oh, don't get me sad.
SPEAKER_01I just remember time in as well. Foggetty's bloody kicking. He's missed, he missed the first two, didn't he? Look, we lost by six, so that that that nine, weren't it? We lost by nine.
SPEAKER_03Uh no, I think it was just what was the scroll?
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, 38, 32. Sorry.
SPEAKER_03I thought it was only two, it was only two kicks. Um but look, it's you can't be conceding 38 points and still trying to win a game, you know. It's that's that's that's the big issue.
SPEAKER_01Is that the most points we conceded all season? I think so. Let me have a quick scroll through 23. Uh I think it might be uh yeah, it is the most points we conceded all season, which is absolutely bonkers. Like we are ravished with injuries. We can't no.
SPEAKER_03No, no, it's but but it goes back to the point I was making last week as well. It's the in-game injuries that are are are screwing us over. It's the we're losing players for the game and losing them early. So instead of having four on rotation, but we're having we've got three. Yeah, and that's and that's what's really hurt us, and that's what hurts us late late into the game, and the forwards are having to put in extra metres.
SPEAKER_01A positive I'm gonna try and take it for it. Felony's running was pretty powerful. He's he's uh he's got he's got potential, yeah. But let's be realistic, where does our next win come from? Like, let's take the the manly tinted glasses off sharks this weekend. Realistically, probably not by two points, storm in Perth. That one's 50-50, 50-50, dolphins at home.
SPEAKER_03I reckon dolphins at home.
SPEAKER_01No, they're gonna be humming. Knights away, nope, dragons, possibly, although now that they've confirmed Young as their head coach, they might be able to like build on that and think, right, let's take this into next season and then Warriors last game of the season.
SPEAKER_03I think I think it's the Dolphins at home because they've they've looked a little bit shaky as of late. It's a bold comment. It it is a it is a but it is a bold comment. Um, but I just don't I don't say anything from the sharks at Melbourne. Like Melbourne, we'll get on to the game against the the Roosters, but again, a little bit of goal kicking there and the but the Roosters just couldn't seem to kick on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well let's go on to that game then. Let's look at the Sharks against the uh storm against the Roosters. It was like you say, it felt like the Roosters dominated the game, but yeah, just couldn't put it to bed. Like it was just uh the weather wasn't that the greatest as well. Um it was just yeah, a tough watch. There wasn't really much attack and flow, and uh the loss of Hughes a monster for the storm. I mean, any team, if you lose your starting halves partners, you're gonna be absolutely um struggling. And I can't believe it, like two Achilles injuries in the weekend as well. Seeing uh Warbreak go down. That was that was heartbreaking. Yeah, his time's up.
SPEAKER_03But but this this the game again, you go back to the goal kicking the walker missed two, like coming from back-to-back origins where he wasn't missing anything, he's now on a massive, massive decline off the off the T. Um and that's again, this is why this game seemed a lot closer than it actually was, because they missed an extra four points, which again it just really shows the importance. If we bang on it about the time, but going up by six, going up by six, it it puts daylight between you, you and the opposition in, and you know what, you can almost rely on the kickers not making the kick. Yeah, so it's it's a four points, yeah. It's it's even it's even bigger. Um because if you go up by two converted tries, you're like, you know what, they could score twice here, but their kicker's kicking at 60% this season, yeah, so we could still be up by by four.
SPEAKER_01Can you imagine if like we miss our points differential is pretty good, right? At the moment, we've got we've got to take that into consideration. But can you imagine if Manly miss out on the top eight because of like one conversion, one conversion or a miss or something like that? Be absolutely nuts. But look, Roosters on their day they can look like top four guaranteed, but games like this where they just can't get it over the line, it seems to me like they're they're there to go to the other.
SPEAKER_03Well, they did, they did get it over the line. I think this is, but they didn't they didn't dominate like when the first kick what kick went up to Nowing and Nitoase, I thought, here we go, this this is all that that's gonna happen all night, and he's gonna have an absolute bag of tries. Um, and and but they just they just didn't just didn't kick on.
SPEAKER_01Um they didn't, and there was an element of frustration getting going in there as well. Um, storm did well, like to to hold them to what they did, but yeah, it's an intriguing one, the roosters. Um, we'll see how they go. But the biggest surprise of the round, I think, was the Broncos beating the Panthers. This was huge. I couldn't like we got a bit of stick for uh tipping the Panthers winning this so comfortably, but anyone in their right mind would have tipped.
SPEAKER_03I reckon 90% of the of the nation tips tip the Panthers to beat that win win this game.
SPEAKER_01It must have been, but it's like Reese Walsh decides to turn up in these games. Can he have the influence this year that they need? I think they need to win all of their remaining games. They did it last year somewhat. Can they do it again? Is it repeatable?
SPEAKER_03Can like have they got the you're asking, you're asking a lot um from from from that team. I think Payne has was a massive difference maker in this game as well. Like when he's he's on his day and and and to be fair to to Walsh, when he came on origin origin three, he looked at dangerous. He did. He's when when they were attacking down that right hand side, um the New South Wales left, he just looked a step away from from breaking. If I I think it was was it Crichton was the on that side? Quite possibly, yeah. If Crichton had not timed his tackles as well as uh as he did, I think Wolfe should have been free a few times. And he's and and we've no we've we we know this. We're we're his biggest haters, but his biggest lovers as well when he gets going because he is an absolute talent.
SPEAKER_01Um and it and it and it shows it's that inconsistency though that's the that's the frustrating point. But let's look at the Panthers, right? Like genuine conversation here. They've lost to the Titans, they've lost to the Cowboys, and they've now lost to the Broncos in three of their last four games. They looked solid at the start of the year. We're like, oh, they're gonna run away with it. Like, is there an opportunity? Is there a potential that maybe they peaked like far too early?
SPEAKER_03We we've seen it before, we've seen it from the the Raiders, you could argue last year. They limped to the to the sort of the minor premiership last year and and and and sort of plummeted out. Warriors a couple of years ago before that in 2023 absolutely dominated and had an incredible midseason and then ended limping into the finals and going out, I think, the first round, didn't they? Um in the first virtually straight away. Yeah, you you couldn't you could say that if it if it was any other team, I I think this conversation would be getting a lot more serious, but because it's the Panthers and we know that they can just turn this around quite quite quickly. Um, I don't think we could start talking about that just yet.
SPEAKER_01I was just looking at the table. Warriors and Roosters are two points behind them, like they've all had their buys, they've all had their three buys, so it's a straight shootout from now till the end of the season. Um I reckon there's potential that they don't win the minor premiership, you know. Like, I've got a feeling that they've still got a couple of slip-ups in them, but they welcome back Liam Martin, who's an absolute animal. Like, he's starting to look um in good shape, hitting everything. Obviously, he's been out for a while, but it's finding his feet. But I don't know, like let's keep uh keep an eye on him. Keep an eye on him. And look, the next game that we'll look at is the Warriors talking of team that could potentially Warriors Dragons, like it was a closer game, a lot closer game. And I've been saying that the dragons have been looking like they're gonna improve, and I they got robbed a little bit. Um, sorry, they the dragons, yeah, they got robbed a little bit in this game when um I can't even remember who offloaded the ball on the right hand side, but it was one of the most forward passes I've seen, and that's one thing that's like how can we have technology? How can the bunker not look at a forward pass? Because they do it in union, right? They they they judge forward passes in union. This was literally a flick forward, and I don't know how no one's seen it. What's the touchy doing? What's the touchy doing on Sunday?
SPEAKER_03So the touchies are nowhere near it, they're never they're never up with play, are they? Um but again, it's it's it's it's I think it's a bit of a a story of the dragons all season because it's not the the the only time that they've sort of had a lead at halftime, they've they've scored first, they've been on the up and up, but they just can't seem to get it over the line to get it over the line and finish games. Is it is it a sign of things to come and the building for next year? I 100% agree that this team this team that's that's playing now, I think, beats the the team that started at the start of the season quite comfortably.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um and I think if this team played manly in that game that we went down and watched, yeah, they would have won.
SPEAKER_03They would have won. They would have won. Because again, Manly limped over the line in that game. And again, the building, they've got some they've got some players coming in. Is it going to be a one-season hurrah for them next year to then to then build? Um, you never you never know.
SPEAKER_01But a premiership is a premiership.
SPEAKER_03But the thing is, it it's only gonna do them. I wouldn't say premiership, but it'll only do them in good stead, because if they can finish in the eighth, it it then it goes, oh hang on. Players attract some other players, yeah. So yeah, it's it's it's uh to to see where they started to where they are now, it's it it it's a massive, massive difference.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think they're gonna cause, and this is why talking about the Mandy game at home at Brookie. I'm not too sure, depends who's playing who's back. Like, we'll see how it goes um in that one. But a game that was pretty interesting actually was the Raiders Rabbit O's. Like, I thought this was gonna be an absolute blowout when I I didn't watch this game, but I looked at the score, I think I caught the last 20 minutes of it. I was like, oh, I'm not gonna bother watching this because they're what 24-nil up or something like that, 28-6 at half time. But you know what? I thought the rabbit o's were gonna do it, I thought they were gonna come back.
SPEAKER_03It was the same against the uh the the reverse fixture. I'm sure that was quite a high score in close, close game as well, where it was just try for try. Um, but yeah, it's it's it's the Raiders element of being able to score from any anywhere. So the the Rabbit O's were are able to do it as well. Um, and it's it's it's amazing to see that this rabbit hose team is at six at the moment when you feel like they've not really lit the comp at all.
SPEAKER_01But I don't I don't think they're gonna stay there. Like news today is uh like Cam Murray's out for four weeks of a calf. I did see that, yeah. But then the other thing is like Latrell was expected back in a couple of weeks' time, but they reckon his calf issues are due to nerve damage in his back, so he his season could be over. Um, Cam Murray's a big loss for them, he is an absolute general. Um, I think he's gonna be a bigger loss at this moment in the season than Latrell Mitchell is. Uh, but the Raiders just seem to be churning out results, can't count them out. You can't you can't uh although let's be like, what's the loss of Hudson Hudson Young? How's that going to impact them? It's quite huge, right?
SPEAKER_03They've had a bit of a a season on the up, um midseason push, but Hudson Young is such a vital part for them. And it's like if any team loses their star second row, it it takes on foul at least the defensive, it's the defensive effort, it's the the attacking threat that he also he also brings. Um is that left, is it he plays on the left, doesn't he? Is that left edge gonna be as tight as it normally is? And and and that's that's where the pit the other teams, if they're smart, are just gonna start exploiting and attacking.
SPEAKER_01The two wins off the eight. Um I'll be interested to see like there's gonna be a couple of teams that fall out, right? Yeah, I think the rabbit hose are gonna fall out of the eight. Um, I can see the cowboys maybe falling out the eight. I think anyone like from if I'm being true, like honest here, I think the Dolphins and Knights are fairly secure. A lot of people are saying that the Knights are gonna fall out. I don't know. I think they've got a lot of solid factors going for them in that. But the last two spots, a seven, eighth spot, I reckon it's all the way down to potentially the Broncos, yeah, like all the way down to 13th. Like you can't rule them out. I know probably realistically they're one or one win or sorry, one loss away from because they've had their three buys as well. But it's gonna it's gonna tighten up towards the back end of the season. That's what you want. You want a tight competition, I think. Of course, of course. Um, we talked about we say about the Knights got turned over by the Sharks just um you mentioned about Kalen Pongers goal kicking.
SPEAKER_03That's what it's purely down to. This game was the goal kicking. Um what is it, four tries to yeah? They scored more tries, yeah. And that's and that's something you've got to look at and go, uh, how can you be scoring more tries and still end up losing? And it's it uh it's the going up by six oh ken's four, and and and I bang on about it until I'm blue in the face after time. It's just the goal kicking and the goal goal kicking standard is is is so so poor at times. It is, and it's it's I don't think people realise how much of an importance it it actually is until you sat there going, oh we've just lost because Pong has missed missed two conver he gets two two of the two more conversions, they win the win the game, or uh or one on conversion, then they go into extra point uh golden point.
SPEAKER_01So I was just looking at what's Nathan Cleary's kick percentage. So he's his high 70s, I think he is. Apparently it's around 84%. Is that for the season or is that uh Nathan Cleary's boasts a career goal kick and success rate hovering around 84 to 86 percent. Yeah, his recent percentage is 87.8. So like people just talk about cleary for his ball play, his goal kicking, his crazy like his goal kicking is fantastic as well. He's one of the best strikers of the ball in the NRL. Um, I think Jermaine Osarco is also up there, I believe.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, he's he's but but this isn't another thing because I you it's hard when you talk about goal kicking not to then compare it to the other code in union. And I was just thinking then in in union you have uh so many more opportunities because penalties were three points, and you can get penalties a lot more anywhere on the field, yeah uh at any point. So being able to kick from anywhere on the field is a lot more vital in union than it is it is league because you can you can you can get more more points. Whereas if they if if they're to put uh if you put so mu more emphasis in your goal kickers, uh uh your
SPEAKER_01gonna blow teams away out of the ground if you if you can if your goal kick is kicking at 90-80% a game you're gonna be you're gonna be winning the tighter games because you're gonna have backed yourself you're gonna buy the sixes instead of but it even comes down to like drop goals as well because if you have that confidence in your kicking ability you're almost if you're in the position to take two points you're like yeah I can slot this from here bang straight through the post so it is a big one but um talking about one of the teams that potentially could finish in the top four and another team that could slip out the eight dolphins turn over the cowboys even though the cowboys made a fast start I was just about to say I thought I was a bit when I saw the uh score to this I didn't watch it uh this game but when I was sort of saw the score to it and I saw the cowboys they went 16 0 up didn't they or um mate 10 nil early yeah and I was like oh may have got this got this wrong um uh but then the the dolphins just do what the dolphins do don't they they did and like their wide players and the what the way they spread it and their creativity they're looking good um last week was a blip I think it was last week that they they lost wasn't it so but it's a big sign it's a big couple of weeks for the Cowboys like they've got to secure that I think they might fade away like Deal and coming back's massive but it'd be interesting to see how they turn out and then last game of the round I mean we don't really spend much time on this Bulldogs battered the Tigers battered Tigers are in disarray people were losing their heads twell uh lost his head Dewey was high tackled who else uh number 13 I can't remember it Fayonu one of the brothers he um absolutely chopped someone in half as well uh dangerous tackle he was out for two weeks jerome lewe is coming out saying oh you can drop me if you don't think I'm Benji can drop me doing it there we go that that and that's that's the big thing it's like you look at you look at last season DCE who I think has signed on for another year with the roosters I was reading earlier I don't know how much truth is in that but uh when he came out and said oh yeah I'm off how how quickly that season went and then Louis being told he can leave but even Galvin with the Bulldogs as well like they don't the it's like the Tigers don't seem to learn their lesson. Don't let a player come out mid season and call and cause controversy because it seems like I mean they were they had such a good start to the season. They did they did uh which is I'm pretty sure at some point in some episode I said they might finish in top four.
SPEAKER_03I think yeah well yeah we're well we're reading on the highs there but uh and yeah unfortunat what I normally talk about at the start of the pub but unfortunately we didn't win this weekend our top of the table class oh the women's game how'd it go we lost 14-4 unfortunately um it's a low score considering you got the best offence in the league apparently yeah um we we we played most of the game with 12 um the commitment weren't there no no no no no no it was is we we had a lot of people away for school holidays and stuff like that of course um which you know few educators in the team um parents and educators yes exactly and and and that's what you think and we we we we went with the tactic of playing with 12 and having rotation instead of playing with 13 and everyone playing 80 which worked really well because we went 4-0 up um in the in the first half we didn't get the start of the century no we didn't and then but in the second half we just we were just a little bit disjointed again defensively we were we were good it's just we couldn't then um count on uh account on things one of the one of the the the odd boys comes down and film who films it he does the stats as well and I think our completion rate was at around 50% something like that 40% I think that's what Manley's was yeah so that's that that shows it and it it's brilliant because he's done them for the last three games the the the completions and when we played against hardboard a few weeks ago men lie women lie stats don't stats don't lie they don't lie but the game against harboard where we we we struggled a little bit our completion rate was again down at that that 4050 and then but when we put 50 against Chip and Norton we we completed at that 86% start greasing the ball up in training get people like running through bags get them to hold on to the ball but but look it was it was great effort um you can't you can't take away the heart in defensively I think we would just can't look it and look only we're only conceding 14 or whatever it was yeah but just join it join it in an attack um but we we we go again we've got Kellyville this weekend um they better watch out what animal are they what are Kellyville I don't know I don't I can't I need to they're like rats or something or ferrets or I don't know whatever badgers I don't know what else there could be out there anyway Bulldogs turn over the tigers we'll talk about that game next week Bulldogs turn over the tigers tigers season's in disarray let's get on to what are we at round twenty one I think it is now which is absolutely crazy um do you know what I know we're we're keen manly fans and I never want a football season to end or I never want a sports season to end I can't wait for this one to end from our perspective you never know if we if we if we batter the sharks and oh we'll be up and about march march into the finals absolutely up and about if we batter the sharks for sure but let's get on to Thursday night fixtures it's the battle of the combank yep battle of Parramatta it's the eels at $510 against the Penriff Panthers $1.16 which is absolutely wild considering the Panthers' last few results that the Eels are so high in in the betting um but saying that look the the Panthers can't can't lose this game um I don't think they will but I'll I'll go for the Panthers I'm going for the Panthers I'm gonna go for the Panthers and go Panthers pretty comfortably what's the weather meant to be like on Friday as well I think I know it's a bit of a random one to say but last few games the Panthers have played I'm pretty sure have been in the wet dry track Alec Combank fast track I reckon Panthers 13 plus and then we've got the first kickoff on the Friday six o'clock at the McDonald Jones Stadium we've got the Knights at $2.15 against the Roosters at $1.71 tasty fixture this yeah um very good game this will determine I think even though I believe the Knights are going to finish in the top eight this will determine whether they're on a potential blip in they're in trouble or if they're not um Dane Gagay's out which is just about to say that's huge huge huge but I mean look Fletcher Hunt ain't the worst to come in he's been doing he's not Gaga Gaga just palms people off of fun um but this will be life life after Gaga because he's going to the Broncos at the end of the season so they've they've got a little preparation for next season Tedesco back for the Roosters I'm gonna go for the Roosters to win this one. Yeah I you've got you've got Robert Toyer back as well in in the middle there. I I genuinely think this is going to come down to the goal kicking I I really do.
SPEAKER_01I think it's it's gonna be a as Ponga being on the practice field he's been on the chipping green that's the first terrible performances last week with the boot but I think the gunner the roosters are going to turn out I think having Teddy back is is huge.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna join you and I'm gonna back back the roosters.
SPEAKER_01Fair play um then the 8 pm kickoff we're at the Accore the rabbit owes two dollars against a storm $1.85 this is a lot closer than I thought it was going to be right the storm have got Jerome Hughes back. They've lost Cam Murray and Talis Duncan is he 100% though like this is the thing about the storm like I read last week that it's like an unknown how long he's gonna be out for like whether it could cause reoccurring problems so I suppose they're gonna play him as much as they can but Jerome Hughes out obviously they lost Will Warbreaker's what he's done for the season I'm gonna go for the storm in this one. Oh do the Rabbit O's bounce back after last week Storm aren't as strong as they were away from home I'm gonna back the rabbit o's in this I'm gonna go for rabbits.
SPEAKER_03Okay um and then we've got the first kickoff at this on the Saturday three o'clock at the Geo Stadium in Canberra we've got the Raiders at $1.22 and the West Tigers at $4.25.
SPEAKER_01Raiders Raiders done yeah then we've got the 530 kickoff at the accord oh is it back to back days at the accord it is it is 530 we've got the Bulldogs at $2.52 against the Warriors $1.53.
SPEAKER_03The Wars are being upped um at the core up the Wars yeah Metcalf's named as well but he's on the reserves in the reserves he'll be a late call um I said I can't remember who I said that about last week and they ended up playing I think the Warriors win this yeah they win it pretty comfortably yeah um and then we've got the 735 kickoff at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville you got the Cowboys at $2.13 and the Broncos at $1.72.
SPEAKER_01Interesting interesting the Cowboys have to bounce back and the Broncos might have a bit of confidence coming off of beating the Panthers it all like let's be realistic I think it all depends on what Reese Walsh turns up. If he's on he's on um and I think they will be pretty unstoppable if he's on and I think he will be I'm gonna go for the Broncos I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna join you there. I I really think they're uh Walsh he's gonna back it up and I I do fear for the for the cowboys then at 2 pm on the Sunday we've got one for the absolute NRL purist the rugby league look at the odds look at the odds on this we got the bottom of the table St George Illawarra Dragons at $1.91 against the second bottom from table Gold Coast Titans at $1.92 could be a thriller could be could be a thriller it could be a thriller and and do you know what I think this is going to be a lot more entertaining than it was would have been a few weeks ago Titans can score points dragons can score points but it's who can defensively stop them um this is this is close the do you know what I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna back the Titans I'm gonna go for the Titans. I'm not and the reason why AJ Brimson is out and I think he's a big playmaker for them um and he was knocked out of the game against Manley like it's like similar sort of thing yeah they didn't they they managed to play around him but I don't know I just think the system's gonna be impacted too much dragons are on the up okay dragons to win and then oh and then to kick it off to f to just not kick it off to finish it off on my birthday five past four kickoff at Fonse Pines Park we've got the Seagulls at $2.28 and the sharks at $1.63. I don't mind Hopawai at the back right because Cola has shown in origin that he's a bit shaky under well we knew this anyway like previously but shaky under the high ball and um Trindle can actually boot the ball like pretty pretty well puts a spiral on it like can put you under pressure but I don't get why he's on the wing like why not put Garrick on the wing and then call it in a sentence with with fellow the other side it would just make more sense.
SPEAKER_03So look they're attacking players they're good their forward pack is pretty good we've got Ben Troboyevich back it's at Brooke Sharks are gonna win now I'm back in the boys back in the boys big big game big game by Tanella Poseca and he needs to turn up Liafi they're gonna good runs from him against the they're gonna make Fanu and Blake look like a ballerina to start off the game and Kohler's gonna score a hat trick and we're gonna romp them 40 odd 12.
SPEAKER_01Let's go on previous form right like most times that I've bet against I don't think I've seen the sea eagles beat the sharks live either so oh no we went to bloody ocean protect didn't we uh when we played them last game of the season a few years ago I think they came and batted us and they batted us I think they battered their own last season something I'm hoping that my previous form of betting against Manly and then them winning comes to fruition because I don't know this is just it could be a struggle by tough week of tipping actually tough week of tipping it is we've got to remember we're going out for your birthday the night before so we could be a little bit worse to wear during this one and there could be a heavy chance if it's going badly I might leave it half time. Beat the traffic home beat the traffic beat the traffic home but anyway what your what your tips stick them in the comments below hit that subscribe button hit that like button but thank you for listening on along to this episode and we'll catch you in the next one. See you next week