#3 - Ellyjah Birve

Im joined by Panthers SG ball halfback Ellyjah Birve to talk about his season so far with Penrith, his experience playing for PNG against the Australian Schoolboys, and his goals for the future. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

All right, I'm joined today by my SG Ball player of the year. He won the three two one tally votes that I've been doing throughout the year. Uh the Panthers halfback, one of the leaders in a team that is is into the finals now of the SG Ball competition. I'm joined by Elijah Berve. Mate, how are you going? No, pretty good, mate. Um, yeah, it's been an awesome year. So yeah. Uh how have you found the move down to to Penrith? Obviously, you know, you've been up at Queensland for sort of most of your footy career at least. Um you know, signed earlier this year. What's what adjustments have you had to make, or or has it just been pretty seamless for you?

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Uh it's been pretty easy actually. Um I was originally born up in Cairns, far north, and uh moved down the sunny coast when I was 13, did my all my high school there. So I think moving to Penrith was a bit easy for me because I sort of know how to transition myself. Um, but yeah, no, it's been it's been great uh moving down here. Um it's a good opportunity, so found it found it all right.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Um you've you've got you know a really strong side, obviously, with with this Penriss system. They've always sort of had um really good systems. I wanted to ask you about your your right edge because that is something um in the trials I noticed very early. You seem to have a very good combination from the start, you know, you know, Leo, Leo Latu and um Tyler out out on the edge as well. How quickly did that combination form? Did you know any of those guys before you went down there? What was that like?

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Um, no, actually, I really didn't know anyone uh when I first moved down because I did pre-season with Fleck and then um you know coming to the SG after the New Year's. Uh I didn't really know anyone. Um, but I think um we all just have a similar bit of footy. We just like to play off the cuff and stuff, and yeah, I think we just kind of clicked in that para uh trial. And I think ever since then we've been you know quite on. So um, yeah, I think yeah, it's been dangerous down our right side. So um hopefully we can keep going uh through the final series. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Yeah, so that's gonna be something that you do you sort of game plan towards going setting up towards that right side more often, or is it just sort of like you said, whatever you see, it's just gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Uh I think we we want to try and go a little bit more to the right side a bit. Um, because I I'm usually a left side player, but um trying to transition myself into a right side player. So I think um, yeah, we're trying to eye on the short sides and stuff, and I think that's where we become uh more dangerous and stuff. So I think we want to work on the short side bits, and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Yeah, so I didn't I didn't realise you were a left side player. Obviously, I hadn't seen too much of you know up at Sunny Coast, but you know, seeing you play um Queensland uh under 18 school boys and and for PG as well. I'll ask you about those experiences in a second as well. But um, yeah, what so with your transition from left side to right side, has that impacted your defence at all, or have you enjoyed it more, or what what side have you sort of preferred playing?

SPEAKER_01 2:55

Uh I prefer playing the left side. Um, I think yeah, it's just my like if I um see a bit of space back on the inside stuff on my left foot. Um, but yeah, um I don't really care about any of which sides. Um each side's fine for me. I just prefer the left side, but yeah, it's just it's it's been fine being on the right side, certainly.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

Yeah. Um you you had the awesome experience towards the back end of last year. You got to play um for that PNG side against the uh Australian school boys. What was it like when you got the the call up to play there? And then what was the overall experience like of that tour?

SPEAKER_01 3:28

Yeah, it was a uh phone call, uh text message from uh Joey Grimer, um, where I was uh stoked to um be able to uh be recognised and uh get asked to play against the Australian School Boys, and overall, like it was such an amazing experience. Um obviously, you know, don't know much about my PNG culture, but um, I think going into there and doing that week in PNG, I've I learned a lot. Um yeah, it was an unreal experience, and playing in front of those PNG crowds is is yeah, an amazing experience, really.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

Yeah, can't explain them all. I I've got sort of one more thing to to ask you before before I let you go. Um goals for the rest of this season, obviously your Queensley representative that that under 19th jersey would obviously be pretty appealing um to you. Is there any you know anybody that wants to sort of follow your career out of this SG ball competition? Um obviously you've been one of the premier players this this season so far. Um what have you got anything planned out there? Do you want to you know step up to FLEG, step up the cup throughout the rest of the year? Queensland and 19s jerseys, what what's on your goal list?

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Yeah, definitely. I think um, you know, go up to FLEG, uh get a couple games there. Um, yeah, try and see if I can get a cracking cup as well. Um, but yeah, I think the uh main one was you know just do um you know get a hold of a Queensland jersey for that under 19 squad and stuff. So I think yeah, yeah, just about that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

You played a little bit with um Hayden Watson or with and against Hayden Watson across your career. It has have you been sort of following the rest of the competition, SG Ball, and seeing how they're going down there?

SPEAKER_01 5:12

Uh yeah, definitely. Um, you know, you when the teams reverse up and coming throughout the round, you know, you do a bit of air on them. And yeah, look, um, yeah, Hayden Watson's a gun, bro. Like I play with him uh not just in rugby league, but touch free and stuff, and yeah, just the yeah, he's just the gun, bro.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Yeah, so you you would you be keen to sort of pull on a jersey next to him. Obviously, he made the side last year. He's you know, probably one of the front runners he's he got named in that emergence squad. And that would would you be keen to form a halves combination with him potentially, you know, you as a six, him as a seven, or vice versa?

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Yeah, definitely. Um I think yeah, we'll uh halve combinations when I come on off the bench at the National School Boys, and you know, yeah, just partnering with him. Like um, you know, we just play a lot of food together. He's like he's kind of the same, off the cuff as well. Um, so yeah, it'll be pretty, pretty cool to play with him again and yeah, put him in the quiz on joys with him as well.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

All right, awesome. Thanks for your time today, brother. Good luck for the uh rest of the final series and and good luck for the rest of your career as well. Cheers, brother. Thanks a lot.