August 12, 2024 • 30 mins
Ben Hurley joins Manaia Stewart to go over the Warriors' heartbreaking loss in golden point against the Dolphins 32-30 (0:00).
Then the fellas get into the 'Stonka of the Round' with the Panthers beating the Eels 36-34 featuring Nathan Cleary putting on a masterclass to remind everyone he's the best player in the league (13:38)!
Finally, they wrap up the episode with another edition of 'Hurley's Heroes' (25:06).
Brought to you by Four'N Twenty!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I'll get out there for rugby league fans around the
country and indeed around the world, and welcome into the
Mad Monday podcast again for another Monday. My name is
Mina Stewart and I am joined down the line from
a gloomy looking why he by Ben Hurley, Good afternoon,
being hey, getting on mate.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, look, let's just say that the weather is kind
of reflecting my mood. This in ourl season is just
a gloomy day with patches of drizzle.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
It is, it is.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
It's I think that game kind of summed up our
whole season, didn't it. We lost to the Dolphins thirty
to thirty two and golden point, and it was just
it just summed up like an okay start patches where
we completely fell off some really heartbreaking one hundred meters
breakaway tries. Then we come right back into it only
to get beaten not just by a drop goal, but
(00:57):
by a two point field goal, which I think was quite.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Poet in the way that we lost. That wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, we've never scored a two point field goal, right,
I can't remember one in the Warrior's history. I mean,
we barely scored a field goal. It's just not something
we do well. And you know, as exciting as it
is going to Golden Point, you know, my heart just
sinks because it's just not something we're good at.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
No, and I think, Oh, somebody mentioned on one of
the Reddit threads that I was trawling this morning looking
for some sort of glimmer of hope, and they've done
the numbers on if we had have made all of
our kicks where we'd be sitting, we'd actually be inside
the top eight. There's so many of these games where
it's like, yeah, we lost a couple of kicks here,
we don't really have a kicking option. In defense of that,
(01:45):
they would say, because someone came up to me this
morning and said, how come we don't have a kicker?
It's like we do. We've got four of them. This
is just the fourth one, you know what I mean?
It shouldn't actually be on his shoulders. Is it as
simple as we missed all our kicks?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
No? Oh, I've got something to say about Shane Harris
Devita and I professed this in our thread last night.
I think he's a great player. I'm just not sure
he's a half. I'm not sure he has those little
you know, a little skill that you know, those little skills,
kicking skills, and he does make the odd mistake. I
(02:23):
would like to see him put on ten kgs and
move into the thirteen role. I think he's really good
on defense. He's a brilliant reader of the game. And
you know, why not have a ball playing possibly kicking
number thirteen in the in the style of like a
Brad Fittler.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah, I don't mind it. I do know he is
actually quite a lot smaller than you'd think he'd be.
I remember when he first started. This was a few
years ago now. I interviewed him and this was when
he'd just broken into the squad and I said, what's
your because we actually had I think snacker chingy chips
in the studio and I was offering them around, like
you guys are allowed to eat these or what? And
he goes, yeah, I'm allowed to eat anything I want.
(03:04):
The coaches want me to put on as much muscle,
as much weight as I possibly can, So yeah, I'm
with you. I reckon just go healthily the this summer,
tuck in Christmas time, go nuts and then and then
come back with a bit of bulk.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
I agree with.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, I think if Metcalf can come back next year
the and I'd love to mind him. Martin in the
in the halves. I just think he's he's so good
and he was one of our best players the other day.
But he can't do everything. He's so solid. So him
and Metcalf and the halves and and SNeW Harris Tavita,
(03:41):
you know, potentially replacing like a Jazz and Dila Walker.
You know, we are going to be short of a
ball playing back rower next year unless we signed someone,
you know, then yeah, that's it's it's not a it's
not a win all it's not a cure all. Rather,
but it's a possibility.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
It's not the panacet for me though, despite the fact
that we lost that and yeah, reflecting on the fact
that it was a loss, it's heartbreaking, etcetera, etcetera. I
actually really enjoyed that game, particularly the last twenty minutes.
There was a turning point. The first sixty was like
fucking hell, here we go again. Then the last twenty
and I actually had to jot it down just so
that I could remember the sequence of events that turned
(04:23):
it around for us. It was Ali Leadsawa makes a break.
He goes the length of the field and then a
tackle later or two tackles later, he crosses the line
and fumbles the ball cold. At that point, Id Cossey,
who's running through celebrating what was a botch to try,
gives him the flying People's knee from hell to the
(04:43):
side of the head.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Knocked them.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Stone Gould the only dude who showed up with his
boots laser that on Sunday. He got knocked out, Hia,
he's gone. He'll be gone next week because it didn't
come back. On a couple of plays later, we then
do score to Maty Martin and tom Ally they bonk
Hids and all of a sudden and there's four concussions
out on the field, And that is what turned at
least around the commentary. We were just saying, everybody out there,
(05:08):
high speed hongies for the Warriors, get them behind your team.
Hit but whoever you're watching the game with texts coming in,
I've head butted the dog, I've head butted my nan,
I've heit buttered the mirror. They've all been sent for Hias.
And I think that turned the game around, at least
just for the commentary, but it felt like for the
Warriors too.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I mean, potentially it's good that we're having a terrible season.
Otherwise there could have been more injuries. You know, more tries,
more celebrations equals more injuries.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I was just thinking, God, if we win this, we
have to fully lean into high speed Hongies for the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
It's the only way around.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
I went over and hit buttered Chris and the commentary
just to get a bit of money going.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I mean, you know, a Hongy from Chris is quite
a heavy duty thing anyway, with his Schnods.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Area code hongies going around at the ground. Yeah, it
was o Sullivan and Ice that Ccht had a couple
of cracks at it. He shanked both of them, but
I think they're under a fair bit of pressure. Would
you have liked to see Tomighty have a shot at
one of those drop goals?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Yeah, I don't know. Is it part of his skal seen?
I mean, I'm sure, I'm sure he can drop kick
a ball. But it's funny how they tend to have
specialists for these sorts of things, don't they.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, because when and he missed it, but Jemina Sako
had a crack from it, felt like halfway and when
it got to the post it was still going up.
It was mammoth shot, but he missed it, thankfully. But
in the end it didn't matter. I think the other
one I dug out a bit of a statistic here
for you. Webe only used six interchanges on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Now you're allowed ten.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
And I think this is that would shock anyone who
hadn't watched the Warriors this season, But anyone that has,
you know that he, I mean, did last even Come on, I.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Don't think he did. Played zero minutes, played zero minutes.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So on top of the fact that we're already struggling
as a squad, it doesn't it feel like we're playing
with one hand tied behind our backs when he's not
putting these guys on.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, it's weird with Lasso, isn't he Because he really
is only can only really play one position. That's that's
why I think we are going to miss Jazz next year,
because and Dylan Walker, because there's such great utilities, you know,
and and Jazz can play hooker as well. You know.
(07:25):
There's been a lot of criticism about Webbe's use of
the bench all year, and no one has a solution.
No one gets the theory here. What is what is
the tactic? You know, we're a team which is traditionally
not necessarily the fittest team, and I'm not sure that
(07:47):
we're getting any fit of this year, so why not
make use of the resources?
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Is it a trust issue?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Because you know, I've been fielding texts from my dad
this whole season being like he's been so pigheated. When
is he going to when's he going to finally switch
out years back? When's he going to make use of
the interchanges? Is it just that he has a group
of players that he trusts and he doesn't want to
stray away from that.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, that's important, that trust thing. And you know, players
feeling comfortable in their roles and all that. You know,
they don't call them we're blesso for no reason. You know,
he's definitely a holistic coach if you like. So. Yeah,
that's the only reason I can see is that he
(08:32):
wants people to feel comfortable in their roles and and
not feel like they're under scrutiny every single minute of
every game.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, do you think Sean Johnson would have made a
difference to that game?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Not this year?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Even just the drop goal. You know he's got absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
I mean, of all the players we've got, he's a
guy who can ice games. Yeah yeah, absolutely, no good
call on that one. But Tomty's just done such a
great job in that seven jersey for well, they played
in the eighteen jersey. Yeah, yes, but yeah, he's just
something done so and for some reason he won't play
(09:15):
them together anymore.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, this there just seems to be like a I
think he's just finally admitted they don't click together. And
then but that's brutal because you know, tomoighty's going to
be our half back presumably next year, so I don't know,
benching him, how does that go for you next year?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Is there just an aesthetic clash in that Shawn Johnson's
always been the handsomest guy at the club, and now
there's a new handsomer potentially, I'm not saying necessarily, you know,
it's down to individual tastes, but definitely a you know,
pretender for the crown of handsomest.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
I think I think you've put the phit the nail
on the head there, Ben, I think that's exactly what
it is. There's a there's a problem there with you know,
we talk about overlapping skill sets. You've got two beautiful,
beautiful men and Seawan Johnson's walked out unto the field.
Just go fucking hold on, I hang on, here's how
this works, mate.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
It's too much sexy, too much sexy on the field.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
And I think if anyone's proven that this year, it's
the Broncos. You know, they've got too many hot thirds
all across the park and look how that's turned out
for them. So yeah, you're right, maybe a few more
I goes in the team next year could be the guy.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Yeah, just to you know, just to add to my
gloomy mood about this. In ourl season, my other team
lost the Broncos in the weekend, So I'm really not
I'm just really not feeling this season. I'm kind of
wishing it's over.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Well, I mean mathematically, they asked web after the game,
how do you feel? You know, what's the plan for
the rest of the season, and he goes, well, the
highest we can finish is on twenty nine points, and
we don't know how the other teams are going to go,
so that could potentially get us in the top eight.
So we're just going to fire a shot over the
next three or four weeks, whatever it is. I don't
think he actually believes that. But but if the Warriors
(11:03):
are out, who is your second team?
Speaker 3 (11:04):
It's usually the Cow, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, Cow, it's the Cow's lost to the Broncos. The
Broncos have lost about four in a row and then
suddenly turned it around against my team in the weekend.
So I'm just I just didn't have a great weekend
on on the NRL. I must have met.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah, we're all focusing on the Olympics. I think for me,
I'm going to jump on the bull Dogs. They're going
to be my second team this year. I think they've
found something in these last couple of weeks and they're
just firing shots, I would say, and I actually said
this on the commentary. When we started that game, it
looked like we were going to have a crack, and
we did throughout the game, but it was a bit messy,
(11:40):
But like I felt like we were shifting early. Do
you think we'll said a bit more of that? Do
you reckon now that you know it's kind of out
of reach? Do you think we're just fire a few
shots and have a crack.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
That's what it did seem like at the start of
their game. And then Hurley Hancock's really fun with grabs
the ball and runs one hundred me doesn't. Now I
think we've got shell shocked after that.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah, big time.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
We've got gun sho Ray gunshow after Yeah, it was
just a brutal, brutal knocked back from chance. So then
our fullback's not there. Hummu fun with goes the whole length.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Of the field.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I don't know, how do you think, So, presuming Sean's
back for the rest of the season, do you think
there'll be an element of the farewell tour of Sean
Johnson that will help us?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, I mean you'd hope. Have we got two more
home games, so it was one of the dogs, that's it.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
So I mean, assuming you'll play that game at least
And yeah, I don't even know what's wrong with him.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
If I'm honest, they said it was a quad issue.
Now I wonder if he it must have happened between
when he announced his retirement, because surely you don't announce
your retirement if you know you're not playing that week.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Yeah, it must look I don't know. I hope he's
back for those games anyway.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Yeah, Like I said, the last game is the twenty
third of August against the Bulldogs that has sold out
four and twenty four pack price pack is one of
the only ways you can now get this a segue.
By the way, Ben, each one the Mad Monday.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Team again, thank you you're broadcaster.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Four tickets the Warriors and four and twenty five ouches.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
He did.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Just text the monthly keyword to three two three six.
Listen to podcast apps like this one to find out
the new keyword. And this month it is game. So
game to three two three six your last chance to
get tickets to Sean Johnson's farewell game. We're going to
take a quick break and we'll come back with the
Stonker off the Round.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
All right, now, it is time for the Stalker off
the Round.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
And it was Friday Night's fixture between the Eels and
the Panthers. In the end it was thirty six to
thirty four. But this was one of the wildest games
of the season. I think, Ben, where did you watch
this one?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
I was just watching this at home and just a marvelous,
marvel game, amazing comeback from a champion side. I actually
wanted to talk about about the Panthers and how good
they are. They are so good that when they win,
when they win the whole competition, whoever they play in
(14:16):
the Grand Final next year is so demoralized generally has
a shitter of a year the next year. So in
twenty twenty one, sorry, in twenty twenty they played the
Sorry in twenty two one and I was right, they
played the rabbit Os and beat them in the Grand Final.
The next year, the Rabbits was seventh, The following year
(14:39):
they played the Eels in the Grand Final, and then
the following year after the Eels were tenth. Last year
they played the Broncos beat the Broncos in the final.
The Broncos are currently thirteenth, So they not only beat them,
they demoralized them.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Yeah, this team, they ripped the beating hard on them.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
The Rabbits and the Eels second last and third last
respectively this year.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
So yeah, it's a continual slide. Why don't you lose
to the Panthers in the Grand Final. You're poked for
like three years.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, it's not like you just have a shit of
the next season. No, no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
The Spirals at Rotts and that's why we did well
to avoid the Grand Final last year.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I think, yeah, there was a tepic moves. It served
us well.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
The highlight of this game for me, This game actually bloom.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
I was watching this round in the mate's place and
I got ober home a halfway through the second half.
I was like, Panthers are going to ice this one.
I got home to catch the end of it. I
was just like, oh my god, what is going on?
The most insane captain's challenge that you will see in
a game of rugby legus. It was off the kickoff,
the Eels kick it off, the Panthers knocked it on
(15:49):
and what I thought was one of the clearest knock
ons that you will see. And I wonder if it
was just because it was the last two minutes. I like,
fuck it, stop the game. We'll just challenge it because
we've got it up our sleep. They challenged it only
was a correct call. Yeah, it was a stone cold
knock on off the Panthers. They then found that Cleary
had shepherded one of the players and so that gave
(16:11):
the Eels the chance at winning the game or tying
the game, right which they blew, which they then blew.
And this is not the first time that Gutho has
done that this season, is it.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
No? I'm look, Garthuson's a great player, but Nathan Cleary
is a champion and that's the difference, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Like Yeah, yeah, just that whole Panthers team. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
They keep losing players they keep every year. I guess
salary cap or you know, just because you win the
competition and you're worth more. You know, they'll lose two
or three key players and then then they're back again.
I mean, you can't see them missing the Grand Final
this year. I think it'll be it. I think everyone
assumes it's going to be a Storm Panthers final. Yeah yeah,
(16:59):
and that'd be five Grand Finals in a row.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Yeah, And I got to be honest, I think four
championships in a row as well.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Well, yeah, that's what's on the line.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I was thinking that this game was a little closer
than it needed to be, and the only note that
I wrote down in this game was that if this
was a playoffs game or a finals game, I feel
like the Panthers would have actually taken this one away.
I don't think they would have let it get as
close as it was. I don't really understand why, but
it just seemed like, fresh off beating us the Eels,
(17:31):
they really found something there and then really pushed.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
They're the bogy team of Penrith, aren't they? They seem
to have It's the West Sydney rivalry situation. They seemed
to rise to the occasion versus Penrith except in a
Grand Final.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Except obviously in a Grand Final and then subsequently every
game since then. I idea, if if it was a
finals game, I really think that the Panthers would have
hunt them one. Nathan Clary just another master class. He's
by far the best player in regular league right now,
isn't here?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Yeah? How did you look? It's just a little bit
of supercoach too, because I had him at the start
of the season. Then he got injured, but I managed
to keep him, and then he came back and I
was like, I'm feeling pretty good because I still had him,
put him back in and he was terrible for like
two or three games, and so then I sell him,
(18:28):
thinking because then he gets injured again. Then I sell
him and I think, oh, this is fine. You know,
he's not going to be the player this season that
he usually is, and then you how did you all
know to buy him again?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I just all know.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I just think I think it's one of those ones
where it's like, if you're going to be wrong, how
do you want to be wrong? And you want to
be wrong by picking Nathan Cleary and he has a
shit it because I think that's you know, less likely
than picking Nathan Cleary, and he goes, well, that's my
whole thing was just fuck it.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
You have to have Nathan Cleary.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And I don't want to lose because the other guy did,
because then I'll be like, oh, obviously.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
You have to have Nathan Cleary. He's the best player.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
But you must have sold him the first time when
he got injured.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
I brought him back here. Yeah, I couldn't have played
it any worse. I sold him, then mortgaged my team
to bring him back when he first did the hammy again,
So then I sold him again, and then yeah, brought
him back early.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
It's paid.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
You brought him three times?
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Yeah, yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
See, I just didn't think he was going to I
just didn't think he was going to be on the
park for the rest of the season.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
It didn't matter because in our head to head league,
Adams knocked me out this week anyway. But the only thing,
the only thing that kept me in it was a
captain Ponger and he Captain Cleary, and so I came
within about five points.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
And well, I was unbeaten in our in our league
for the first five weeks. I've had a very similar
season to the Brisbane Broncos, and that I am now
seventh on the table.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Yeah, you got out to a flyer and then I
just got reeled back in.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Yeah, it was the Origin period that. Yeah, I always
I always just forget about that and I always end
up picking loads of Origin players, which just screws you
for that period.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yeah, I got really arrogant because in our head to
head leg I was a hit by quite a bit.
And so then I started like trying to project ahead
and get players in for like the run home. And
then I dropped a game to you, and I dropped
the game to the guy who runs Flavor the radio station,
and then all of a sudden, I lose this game.
(20:30):
Don't get a second shot at it.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I'm more of an.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Overall guy anyway, to be fair, Just quickly I know,
we've got to hur the heroes, and we'll get to
it in a sick There was a couple of other
things I wanted to mention before we got there.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Did you see the.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Shane Flanagan Stephen Crichton nose by debacle? No, so he
was taking I mean, as it happened, Stephen Crichton, I
believe he had tackled Flannagan and then he's just hid
into Flannagan's head and his nose ended up in his mouth.
(21:04):
And now there's a bit of conjecture as to whether
Flanagan actually bit down or not. But when he came
back up, Crichton had blood coming out of his nose.
And when he's taking photos of fans after the game,
he's got blood coming out of his nose.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
He's laid a formal complaint.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
With the NRL, said the Shane Kyle Kyle Flanagan bit
his nose. And so that's in front of the judiciary
this week. We'll probably find out by tomorrow whether it's
happened or not.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
That's like a six week ban.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Yeah, that's like a Mike Tyson type situation a different sense. Organ.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Yeah, there was a photo I saw this morning and
you could see his noses in Flannagan's mouth and its
stretched out you can see.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
So I was like, he's definitely but on their brain explosion.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
And the other one I wanted to get to is
I don't know whether I've got a bit of like
Trump derangement syndrome about this new eighteenth NRL franchise stories.
You know, it was going to be the Kia in
the South Island, then it was going to be Papua
New Guinea. The latest story is that it's been confirmed
that it's going to be the Bears and they're going
(22:08):
to be playing out of Perth.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Oh is that confirmed?
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Well, this is the thing. Every report that I see
sees that it's all confirmed. But they said that about
P and G, they said that about fucking the care.
I don't know what's really anymore.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Well, I heard it from somebody in the know in
the weekend that there's going to be three new ones.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
All in the one go.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
That's what I had heard, and one of them will
be the Bears. And that's all I know.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Oh, so maybe what's so confusing is they're all they're
all confirmed.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Maybe maybe it's a P andng A Bears and a South.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Island Southern care Yeah, potentially.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
All I know is as someone with family that lives
over in Western Australia, that flight to Perth sucks if
marking sucks man, because it's like a three hour flight
to wherever Sidney or Melbourne, whichever way you go. That's
another five six hours over to Perth plus the time
zone difference Like that is it? It only serves to
punish the Warriors further. But now if we find out
(23:07):
that they bring in P and G as well, I
guarantee you if that happens in the same season, the
Warriors will be the only team who have to play
Perth and then in Port Moresby back to back.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Are they going to play out of Port Moresby or
they play out of Brisbane?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Have a team in the Queensland competition, don't they?
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Oh, I don't know. I don't know if they do.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
I think the team in the Bringing competition, yeah right.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
I just yeah, I don't know how they're going to
play that. I would hate I don't think it would
work if they brought it in a P and G
team and then played them out of Brisbane Because I
feel like you've sort of end up where Morena Pacifica are,
where it's like, oh, it's a team for the Pacific Islands.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
It's like I'm going to play out of the other. Yeah,
I don't know. Anyway, Western Beers apparently coming out of Perth.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
The Western Bears, I mean doesn't really. I don't think
that's really going to satisfy the North Sydney Bears fans
who have felt aggrieved for many, many years.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
No, No, I don't think so either. It's I don't know.
But again, like I said, you see these reports every
other day. We'll find out that the Warrington Wolves are
during the NRL next year. Now, all right, we're going
to take a quick break. When we come back, we're
going to have Hurley's Heroes. But just before we do,
there's a couple of spots left on our trip and
for legal reasons earlier love this to join the ACC
(24:31):
team for a massive rugby league weekend in March of
twenty twenty five. I'll tell you what's going on there.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
But we've got oh okay, nah, but rugby league themed
weekend in the United.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
States, that's right, And the key word that you need
to text to book your spot is Vegas. Now that
I don't want you to read too far into that
for legal reasons, but Massive Rugby League weekend first weekend
of March twenty twenty five. If you want to join
the ACC team, you can text Vegas three two three
twos Little three two three six to book your spot.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Quick break, we'll come back with Hurley's Heroes.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Okay, welcome to Hurley's Heroes. Just a little side note.
The Papua New Guinea Hunters are a professional rugby league
team based in Papua New Guinea. They play in the
Queensland Cup. They are a feeder team for the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Oh they go, but they are.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
But I was wrong about them being based out of Brisbane.
They are in the competition, but they are a Port
Moresby side. Anyway, let's get into this week's Hurley's Heroes and.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Lighter Shawn Johnson retiring, I thought we could take a
look at another Warriors legend. I was a self proclaimed
average rugby union player at school and when I moved
to Wellington, I joined the Wellington Workers rugby league team
and began attracting attractive attention from professional clubs. I had
(26:02):
offers from the Bulldogs and from the Paramatta Eels, but
turned them both down to play for the Warriors. I
played three hundred and one games for the Warriors, scoring
sixty three tries. I averaged seventy six minutes a game
throughout my career and only missed ten percent of the
(26:23):
available games through injury. Since retiring, I did a building
apprenticeship in Nelson. I've also done some assistant coaching roles
with the Black Ferns and the Broncos NARLW team am I,
Simon Mannering, Stacey Jones, Michael Luck, Arwyn gutenbeil All, Lee
(26:44):
Odin Ryan.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I like that there's a couple of extra ones in there,
because you knew you'd have to put Lee Odin Ryan in.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
There to chuck a couple more red hearings in there.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Look, unfortunately, I've just been out at Mount Smouth Stadium
the Giant Mural. It's got a number on there that
really gave it away. I also know about the the
apprenticeship thing, and in a couple of weeks the Warriors
are going to have their Night of Knights where they
named the Clubman of the Year. That medal is named
after the one and only Simon Mannering.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Yes, I thought it might be a little bit easy,
but look, do you know what well done manya? And
I just thought it would be nices think about a
nicer time in Warriors history. And we love Simon Manoring,
a very humble and private guy, definitely not a celebrity,
and you know, lives a pretty quiet life these days.
(27:41):
I think he was.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Oh what a player he was. Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
That actually did spark a bit of joy in me.
And like I said, there's a mural out there of him,
sort of like a Spartan from the movie three hundred
and it's got three hundred.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
And one on it.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
That's out in the car park out there at Mount Smart. God,
how would you go being Warriors legend Simon Mannering just
on various building sites. Can you imagine how hard he
must get punished?
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Oh my god, I thought exactly that. When I was
researching this, I was just like, you must spend your
entire life talking about specific Warriors games, particularly the twenty
eleven Grand Final, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Yeah, that'll be a big part of it.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
But I also there'd be people like who would have
such a firm memory of you doing something. But to
the players themselves, it's like asking someone what they did
at work three years ago on a Wednesday at four
in the afternoon. I have no fucking idea. Also sety
as a part of it, but I think there'd also
be There'd be the guy who hits you up straight away,
(28:45):
Oh I'm a huge fan, blah blah blah. They'd be
the guy who sidles up.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
To your lunch. Hey, you there are Simon Manoring, aren't you.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Then there'd be the other guy who'd be like, oh,
so you can play three hundred games for the fucking Warriors,
but you can't get the door hinges on my last time.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Yeah, you can't put some framing timber up in the rain.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Oh god, yeah, I feel so much better about myself now.
Just thinking back to club legend Simon Manoring, I.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Could get a Simon Manoring tattoo, I reckon.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Just about where would you get it? Of his face?
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Maybe of his faith, or maybe it was just a jersey.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Simon mannering jersey just on the on the side.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
A few different positions. So he played scenery, he played locke,
he played back row.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
I think back row would be That's what I associated
with When I think of the great man Simon Minoring,
he did any he did anything the club asked of him. Well,
thank you very much for joining me on the podcast
this week, Hurley, greener pastures ahead. I'm sure, as we said,
the last game for the Warriors, our last home game
(29:55):
for this season at least is on the twenty third
against the Bulldogs. I'm just friends looking up who we've
got this week. It is the Sea Eagles, who we've
only played once this season. That was the draw, the
draw at the start of the year. That is on Friday,
eight pm. And I think that's Chris and Die commentating
that one. We'll have another podcast episode on Thursday for
(30:17):
you to sink your teeth in.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
But thank you very much for joining us early and
we'll see you later on.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Anybody
I'll get out there for rugby league fans around the
country and indeed around the world, and welcome into the
Mad Monday podcast again for another Monday. My name is
Mina Stewart and I am joined down the line from
a gloomy looking why he by Ben Hurley, Good afternoon,
being hey, getting on mate.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, look, let's just say that the weather is kind
of reflecting my mood. This in ourl season is just
a gloomy day with patches of drizzle.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
It is, it is.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
It's I think that game kind of summed up our
whole season, didn't it. We lost to the Dolphins thirty
to thirty two and golden point, and it was just
it just summed up like an okay start patches where
we completely fell off some really heartbreaking one hundred meters
breakaway tries. Then we come right back into it only
to get beaten not just by a drop goal, but
(00:57):
by a two point field goal, which I think was quite.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Poet in the way that we lost. That wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, we've never scored a two point field goal, right,
I can't remember one in the Warrior's history. I mean,
we barely scored a field goal. It's just not something
we do well. And you know, as exciting as it
is going to Golden Point, you know, my heart just
sinks because it's just not something we're good at.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
No, and I think, Oh, somebody mentioned on one of
the Reddit threads that I was trawling this morning looking
for some sort of glimmer of hope, and they've done
the numbers on if we had have made all of
our kicks where we'd be sitting, we'd actually be inside
the top eight. There's so many of these games where
it's like, yeah, we lost a couple of kicks here,
we don't really have a kicking option. In defense of that,
(01:45):
they would say, because someone came up to me this
morning and said, how come we don't have a kicker?
It's like we do. We've got four of them. This
is just the fourth one, you know what I mean?
It shouldn't actually be on his shoulders. Is it as
simple as we missed all our kicks?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
No? Oh, I've got something to say about Shane Harris
Devita and I professed this in our thread last night.
I think he's a great player. I'm just not sure
he's a half. I'm not sure he has those little
you know, a little skill that you know, those little skills,
kicking skills, and he does make the odd mistake. I
(02:23):
would like to see him put on ten kgs and
move into the thirteen role. I think he's really good
on defense. He's a brilliant reader of the game. And
you know, why not have a ball playing possibly kicking
number thirteen in the in the style of like a
Brad Fittler.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah, I don't mind it. I do know he is
actually quite a lot smaller than you'd think he'd be.
I remember when he first started. This was a few
years ago now. I interviewed him and this was when
he'd just broken into the squad and I said, what's
your because we actually had I think snacker chingy chips
in the studio and I was offering them around, like
you guys are allowed to eat these or what? And
he goes, yeah, I'm allowed to eat anything I want.
(03:04):
The coaches want me to put on as much muscle,
as much weight as I possibly can, So yeah, I'm
with you. I reckon just go healthily the this summer,
tuck in Christmas time, go nuts and then and then
come back with a bit of bulk.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
I agree with.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, I think if Metcalf can come back next year
the and I'd love to mind him. Martin in the
in the halves. I just think he's he's so good
and he was one of our best players the other day.
But he can't do everything. He's so solid. So him
and Metcalf and the halves and and SNeW Harris Tavita,
(03:41):
you know, potentially replacing like a Jazz and Dila Walker.
You know, we are going to be short of a
ball playing back rower next year unless we signed someone,
you know, then yeah, that's it's it's not a it's
not a win all it's not a cure all. Rather,
but it's a possibility.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
It's not the panacet for me though, despite the fact
that we lost that and yeah, reflecting on the fact
that it was a loss, it's heartbreaking, etcetera, etcetera. I
actually really enjoyed that game, particularly the last twenty minutes.
There was a turning point. The first sixty was like
fucking hell, here we go again. Then the last twenty
and I actually had to jot it down just so
that I could remember the sequence of events that turned
(04:23):
it around for us. It was Ali Leadsawa makes a break.
He goes the length of the field and then a
tackle later or two tackles later, he crosses the line
and fumbles the ball cold. At that point, Id Cossey,
who's running through celebrating what was a botch to try,
gives him the flying People's knee from hell to the
(04:43):
side of the head.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Knocked them.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Stone Gould the only dude who showed up with his
boots laser that on Sunday. He got knocked out, Hia,
he's gone. He'll be gone next week because it didn't
come back. On a couple of plays later, we then
do score to Maty Martin and tom Ally they bonk
Hids and all of a sudden and there's four concussions
out on the field, And that is what turned at
least around the commentary. We were just saying, everybody out there,
(05:08):
high speed hongies for the Warriors, get them behind your team.
Hit but whoever you're watching the game with texts coming in,
I've head butted the dog, I've head butted my nan,
I've heit buttered the mirror. They've all been sent for Hias.
And I think that turned the game around, at least
just for the commentary, but it felt like for the
Warriors too.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I mean, potentially it's good that we're having a terrible season.
Otherwise there could have been more injuries. You know, more tries,
more celebrations equals more injuries.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I was just thinking, God, if we win this, we
have to fully lean into high speed Hongies for the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
It's the only way around.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
I went over and hit buttered Chris and the commentary
just to get a bit of money going.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I mean, you know, a Hongy from Chris is quite
a heavy duty thing anyway, with his Schnods.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Area code hongies going around at the ground. Yeah, it
was o Sullivan and Ice that Ccht had a couple
of cracks at it. He shanked both of them, but
I think they're under a fair bit of pressure. Would
you have liked to see Tomighty have a shot at
one of those drop goals?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Yeah, I don't know. Is it part of his skal seen?
I mean, I'm sure, I'm sure he can drop kick
a ball. But it's funny how they tend to have
specialists for these sorts of things, don't they.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, because when and he missed it, but Jemina Sako
had a crack from it, felt like halfway and when
it got to the post it was still going up.
It was mammoth shot, but he missed it, thankfully. But
in the end it didn't matter. I think the other
one I dug out a bit of a statistic here
for you. Webe only used six interchanges on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Now you're allowed ten.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
And I think this is that would shock anyone who
hadn't watched the Warriors this season, But anyone that has,
you know that he, I mean, did last even Come on, I.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Don't think he did. Played zero minutes, played zero minutes.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So on top of the fact that we're already struggling
as a squad, it doesn't it feel like we're playing
with one hand tied behind our backs when he's not
putting these guys on.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, it's weird with Lasso, isn't he Because he really
is only can only really play one position. That's that's
why I think we are going to miss Jazz next year,
because and Dylan Walker, because there's such great utilities, you know,
and and Jazz can play hooker as well. You know.
(07:25):
There's been a lot of criticism about Webbe's use of
the bench all year, and no one has a solution.
No one gets the theory here. What is what is
the tactic? You know, we're a team which is traditionally
not necessarily the fittest team, and I'm not sure that
(07:47):
we're getting any fit of this year, so why not
make use of the resources?
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Is it a trust issue?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Because you know, I've been fielding texts from my dad
this whole season being like he's been so pigheated. When
is he going to when's he going to finally switch
out years back? When's he going to make use of
the interchanges? Is it just that he has a group
of players that he trusts and he doesn't want to
stray away from that.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, that's important, that trust thing. And you know, players
feeling comfortable in their roles and all that. You know,
they don't call them we're blesso for no reason. You know,
he's definitely a holistic coach if you like. So. Yeah,
that's the only reason I can see is that he
(08:32):
wants people to feel comfortable in their roles and and
not feel like they're under scrutiny every single minute of
every game.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, do you think Sean Johnson would have made a
difference to that game?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Not this year?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Even just the drop goal. You know he's got absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
I mean, of all the players we've got, he's a
guy who can ice games. Yeah yeah, absolutely, no good
call on that one. But Tomty's just done such a
great job in that seven jersey for well, they played
in the eighteen jersey. Yeah, yes, but yeah, he's just
something done so and for some reason he won't play
(09:15):
them together anymore.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, this there just seems to be like a I
think he's just finally admitted they don't click together. And
then but that's brutal because you know, tomoighty's going to
be our half back presumably next year, so I don't know,
benching him, how does that go for you next year?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Is there just an aesthetic clash in that Shawn Johnson's
always been the handsomest guy at the club, and now
there's a new handsomer potentially, I'm not saying necessarily, you know,
it's down to individual tastes, but definitely a you know,
pretender for the crown of handsomest.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
I think I think you've put the phit the nail
on the head there, Ben, I think that's exactly what
it is. There's a there's a problem there with you know,
we talk about overlapping skill sets. You've got two beautiful,
beautiful men and Seawan Johnson's walked out unto the field.
Just go fucking hold on, I hang on, here's how
this works, mate.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
It's too much sexy, too much sexy on the field.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
And I think if anyone's proven that this year, it's
the Broncos. You know, they've got too many hot thirds
all across the park and look how that's turned out
for them. So yeah, you're right, maybe a few more
I goes in the team next year could be the guy.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Yeah, just to you know, just to add to my
gloomy mood about this. In ourl season, my other team
lost the Broncos in the weekend, So I'm really not
I'm just really not feeling this season. I'm kind of
wishing it's over.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Well, I mean mathematically, they asked web after the game,
how do you feel? You know, what's the plan for
the rest of the season, and he goes, well, the
highest we can finish is on twenty nine points, and
we don't know how the other teams are going to go,
so that could potentially get us in the top eight.
So we're just going to fire a shot over the
next three or four weeks, whatever it is. I don't
think he actually believes that. But but if the Warriors
(11:03):
are out, who is your second team?
Speaker 3 (11:04):
It's usually the Cow, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, Cow, it's the Cow's lost to the Broncos. The
Broncos have lost about four in a row and then
suddenly turned it around against my team in the weekend.
So I'm just I just didn't have a great weekend
on on the NRL. I must have met.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah, we're all focusing on the Olympics. I think for me,
I'm going to jump on the bull Dogs. They're going
to be my second team this year. I think they've
found something in these last couple of weeks and they're
just firing shots, I would say, and I actually said
this on the commentary. When we started that game, it
looked like we were going to have a crack, and
we did throughout the game, but it was a bit messy,
(11:40):
But like I felt like we were shifting early. Do
you think we'll said a bit more of that? Do
you reckon now that you know it's kind of out
of reach? Do you think we're just fire a few
shots and have a crack.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
That's what it did seem like at the start of
their game. And then Hurley Hancock's really fun with grabs
the ball and runs one hundred me doesn't. Now I
think we've got shell shocked after that.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah, big time.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
We've got gun sho Ray gunshow after Yeah, it was
just a brutal, brutal knocked back from chance. So then
our fullback's not there. Hummu fun with goes the whole length.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Of the field.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I don't know, how do you think, So, presuming Sean's
back for the rest of the season, do you think
there'll be an element of the farewell tour of Sean
Johnson that will help us?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, I mean you'd hope. Have we got two more
home games, so it was one of the dogs, that's it.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
So I mean, assuming you'll play that game at least
And yeah, I don't even know what's wrong with him.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
If I'm honest, they said it was a quad issue.
Now I wonder if he it must have happened between
when he announced his retirement, because surely you don't announce
your retirement if you know you're not playing that week.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Yeah, it must look I don't know. I hope he's
back for those games anyway.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Yeah, Like I said, the last game is the twenty
third of August against the Bulldogs that has sold out
four and twenty four pack price pack is one of
the only ways you can now get this a segue.
By the way, Ben, each one the Mad Monday.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Team again, thank you you're broadcaster.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Four tickets the Warriors and four and twenty five ouches.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
He did.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Just text the monthly keyword to three two three six.
Listen to podcast apps like this one to find out
the new keyword. And this month it is game. So
game to three two three six your last chance to
get tickets to Sean Johnson's farewell game. We're going to
take a quick break and we'll come back with the
Stonker off the Round.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
All right, now, it is time for the Stalker off
the Round.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
And it was Friday Night's fixture between the Eels and
the Panthers. In the end it was thirty six to
thirty four. But this was one of the wildest games
of the season. I think, Ben, where did you watch
this one?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
I was just watching this at home and just a marvelous,
marvel game, amazing comeback from a champion side. I actually
wanted to talk about about the Panthers and how good
they are. They are so good that when they win,
when they win the whole competition, whoever they play in
(14:16):
the Grand Final next year is so demoralized generally has
a shitter of a year the next year. So in
twenty twenty one, sorry, in twenty twenty they played the
Sorry in twenty two one and I was right, they
played the rabbit Os and beat them in the Grand Final.
The next year, the Rabbits was seventh, The following year
(14:39):
they played the Eels in the Grand Final, and then
the following year after the Eels were tenth. Last year
they played the Broncos beat the Broncos in the final.
The Broncos are currently thirteenth, So they not only beat them,
they demoralized them.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Yeah, this team, they ripped the beating hard on them.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
The Rabbits and the Eels second last and third last
respectively this year.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
So yeah, it's a continual slide. Why don't you lose
to the Panthers in the Grand Final. You're poked for
like three years.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, it's not like you just have a shit of
the next season. No, no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
The Spirals at Rotts and that's why we did well
to avoid the Grand Final last year.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I think, yeah, there was a tepic moves. It served
us well.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
The highlight of this game for me, This game actually bloom.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
I was watching this round in the mate's place and
I got ober home a halfway through the second half.
I was like, Panthers are going to ice this one.
I got home to catch the end of it. I
was just like, oh my god, what is going on?
The most insane captain's challenge that you will see in
a game of rugby legus. It was off the kickoff,
the Eels kick it off, the Panthers knocked it on
(15:49):
and what I thought was one of the clearest knock
ons that you will see. And I wonder if it
was just because it was the last two minutes. I like,
fuck it, stop the game. We'll just challenge it because
we've got it up our sleep. They challenged it only
was a correct call. Yeah, it was a stone cold
knock on off the Panthers. They then found that Cleary
had shepherded one of the players and so that gave
(16:11):
the Eels the chance at winning the game or tying
the game, right which they blew, which they then blew.
And this is not the first time that Gutho has
done that this season, is it.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
No? I'm look, Garthuson's a great player, but Nathan Cleary
is a champion and that's the difference, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Like Yeah, yeah, just that whole Panthers team. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
They keep losing players they keep every year. I guess
salary cap or you know, just because you win the
competition and you're worth more. You know, they'll lose two
or three key players and then then they're back again.
I mean, you can't see them missing the Grand Final
this year. I think it'll be it. I think everyone
assumes it's going to be a Storm Panthers final. Yeah yeah,
(16:59):
and that'd be five Grand Finals in a row.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Yeah, And I got to be honest, I think four
championships in a row as well.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Well, yeah, that's what's on the line.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I was thinking that this game was a little closer
than it needed to be, and the only note that
I wrote down in this game was that if this
was a playoffs game or a finals game, I feel
like the Panthers would have actually taken this one away.
I don't think they would have let it get as
close as it was. I don't really understand why, but
it just seemed like, fresh off beating us the Eels,
(17:31):
they really found something there and then really pushed.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
They're the bogy team of Penrith, aren't they? They seem
to have It's the West Sydney rivalry situation. They seemed
to rise to the occasion versus Penrith except in a
Grand Final.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Except obviously in a Grand Final and then subsequently every
game since then. I idea, if if it was a
finals game, I really think that the Panthers would have
hunt them one. Nathan Clary just another master class. He's
by far the best player in regular league right now,
isn't here?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Yeah? How did you look? It's just a little bit
of supercoach too, because I had him at the start
of the season. Then he got injured, but I managed
to keep him, and then he came back and I
was like, I'm feeling pretty good because I still had him,
put him back in and he was terrible for like
two or three games, and so then I sell him,
(18:28):
thinking because then he gets injured again. Then I sell
him and I think, oh, this is fine. You know,
he's not going to be the player this season that
he usually is, and then you how did you all
know to buy him again?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I just all know.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I just think I think it's one of those ones
where it's like, if you're going to be wrong, how
do you want to be wrong? And you want to
be wrong by picking Nathan Cleary and he has a
shit it because I think that's you know, less likely
than picking Nathan Cleary, and he goes, well, that's my
whole thing was just fuck it.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
You have to have Nathan Cleary.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And I don't want to lose because the other guy did,
because then I'll be like, oh, obviously.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
You have to have Nathan Cleary. He's the best player.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
But you must have sold him the first time when
he got injured.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
I brought him back here. Yeah, I couldn't have played
it any worse. I sold him, then mortgaged my team
to bring him back when he first did the hammy again,
So then I sold him again, and then yeah, brought
him back early.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
It's paid.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
You brought him three times?
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Yeah, yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
See, I just didn't think he was going to I
just didn't think he was going to be on the
park for the rest of the season.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
It didn't matter because in our head to head league,
Adams knocked me out this week anyway. But the only thing,
the only thing that kept me in it was a
captain Ponger and he Captain Cleary, and so I came
within about five points.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
And well, I was unbeaten in our in our league
for the first five weeks. I've had a very similar
season to the Brisbane Broncos, and that I am now
seventh on the table.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Yeah, you got out to a flyer and then I
just got reeled back in.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Yeah, it was the Origin period that. Yeah, I always
I always just forget about that and I always end
up picking loads of Origin players, which just screws you
for that period.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yeah, I got really arrogant because in our head to
head leg I was a hit by quite a bit.
And so then I started like trying to project ahead
and get players in for like the run home. And
then I dropped a game to you, and I dropped
the game to the guy who runs Flavor the radio station,
and then all of a sudden, I lose this game.
(20:30):
Don't get a second shot at it.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I'm more of an.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Overall guy anyway, to be fair, Just quickly I know,
we've got to hur the heroes, and we'll get to
it in a sick There was a couple of other
things I wanted to mention before we got there.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Did you see the.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Shane Flanagan Stephen Crichton nose by debacle? No, so he
was taking I mean, as it happened, Stephen Crichton, I
believe he had tackled Flannagan and then he's just hid
into Flannagan's head and his nose ended up in his mouth.
(21:04):
And now there's a bit of conjecture as to whether
Flanagan actually bit down or not. But when he came
back up, Crichton had blood coming out of his nose.
And when he's taking photos of fans after the game,
he's got blood coming out of his nose.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
He's laid a formal complaint.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
With the NRL, said the Shane Kyle Kyle Flanagan bit
his nose. And so that's in front of the judiciary
this week. We'll probably find out by tomorrow whether it's
happened or not.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
That's like a six week ban.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Yeah, that's like a Mike Tyson type situation a different sense. Organ.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Yeah, there was a photo I saw this morning and
you could see his noses in Flannagan's mouth and its
stretched out you can see.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
So I was like, he's definitely but on their brain explosion.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
And the other one I wanted to get to is
I don't know whether I've got a bit of like
Trump derangement syndrome about this new eighteenth NRL franchise stories.
You know, it was going to be the Kia in
the South Island, then it was going to be Papua
New Guinea. The latest story is that it's been confirmed
that it's going to be the Bears and they're going
(22:08):
to be playing out of Perth.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Oh is that confirmed?
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Well, this is the thing. Every report that I see
sees that it's all confirmed. But they said that about
P and G, they said that about fucking the care.
I don't know what's really anymore.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Well, I heard it from somebody in the know in
the weekend that there's going to be three new ones.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
All in the one go.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
That's what I had heard, and one of them will
be the Bears. And that's all I know.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Oh, so maybe what's so confusing is they're all they're
all confirmed.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Maybe maybe it's a P andng A Bears and a South.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Island Southern care Yeah, potentially.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
All I know is as someone with family that lives
over in Western Australia, that flight to Perth sucks if
marking sucks man, because it's like a three hour flight
to wherever Sidney or Melbourne, whichever way you go. That's
another five six hours over to Perth plus the time
zone difference Like that is it? It only serves to
punish the Warriors further. But now if we find out
(23:07):
that they bring in P and G as well, I
guarantee you if that happens in the same season, the
Warriors will be the only team who have to play
Perth and then in Port Moresby back to back.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Are they going to play out of Port Moresby or
they play out of Brisbane?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Have a team in the Queensland competition, don't they?
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Oh, I don't know. I don't know if they do.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
I think the team in the Bringing competition, yeah right.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
I just yeah, I don't know how they're going to
play that. I would hate I don't think it would
work if they brought it in a P and G
team and then played them out of Brisbane Because I
feel like you've sort of end up where Morena Pacifica are,
where it's like, oh, it's a team for the Pacific Islands.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
It's like I'm going to play out of the other. Yeah,
I don't know. Anyway, Western Beers apparently coming out of Perth.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
The Western Bears, I mean doesn't really. I don't think
that's really going to satisfy the North Sydney Bears fans
who have felt aggrieved for many, many years.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
No, No, I don't think so either. It's I don't know.
But again, like I said, you see these reports every
other day. We'll find out that the Warrington Wolves are
during the NRL next year. Now, all right, we're going
to take a quick break. When we come back, we're
going to have Hurley's Heroes. But just before we do,
there's a couple of spots left on our trip and
for legal reasons earlier love this to join the ACC
(24:31):
team for a massive rugby league weekend in March of
twenty twenty five. I'll tell you what's going on there.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
But we've got oh okay, nah, but rugby league themed
weekend in the United.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
States, that's right, And the key word that you need
to text to book your spot is Vegas. Now that
I don't want you to read too far into that
for legal reasons, but Massive Rugby League weekend first weekend
of March twenty twenty five. If you want to join
the ACC team, you can text Vegas three two three
twos Little three two three six to book your spot.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Quick break, we'll come back with Hurley's Heroes.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Okay, welcome to Hurley's Heroes. Just a little side note.
The Papua New Guinea Hunters are a professional rugby league
team based in Papua New Guinea. They play in the
Queensland Cup. They are a feeder team for the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Oh they go, but they are.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
But I was wrong about them being based out of Brisbane.
They are in the competition, but they are a Port
Moresby side. Anyway, let's get into this week's Hurley's Heroes and.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Lighter Shawn Johnson retiring, I thought we could take a
look at another Warriors legend. I was a self proclaimed
average rugby union player at school and when I moved
to Wellington, I joined the Wellington Workers rugby league team
and began attracting attractive attention from professional clubs. I had
(26:02):
offers from the Bulldogs and from the Paramatta Eels, but
turned them both down to play for the Warriors. I
played three hundred and one games for the Warriors, scoring
sixty three tries. I averaged seventy six minutes a game
throughout my career and only missed ten percent of the
(26:23):
available games through injury. Since retiring, I did a building
apprenticeship in Nelson. I've also done some assistant coaching roles
with the Black Ferns and the Broncos NARLW team am I,
Simon Mannering, Stacey Jones, Michael Luck, Arwyn gutenbeil All, Lee
(26:44):
Odin Ryan.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I like that there's a couple of extra ones in there,
because you knew you'd have to put Lee Odin Ryan in.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
There to chuck a couple more red hearings in there.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Look, unfortunately, I've just been out at Mount Smouth Stadium
the Giant Mural. It's got a number on there that
really gave it away. I also know about the the
apprenticeship thing, and in a couple of weeks the Warriors
are going to have their Night of Knights where they
named the Clubman of the Year. That medal is named
after the one and only Simon Mannering.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Yes, I thought it might be a little bit easy,
but look, do you know what well done manya? And
I just thought it would be nices think about a
nicer time in Warriors history. And we love Simon Manoring,
a very humble and private guy, definitely not a celebrity,
and you know, lives a pretty quiet life these days.
(27:41):
I think he was.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Oh what a player he was. Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
That actually did spark a bit of joy in me.
And like I said, there's a mural out there of him,
sort of like a Spartan from the movie three hundred
and it's got three hundred.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
And one on it.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
That's out in the car park out there at Mount Smart. God,
how would you go being Warriors legend Simon Mannering just
on various building sites. Can you imagine how hard he
must get punished?
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Oh my god, I thought exactly that. When I was
researching this, I was just like, you must spend your
entire life talking about specific Warriors games, particularly the twenty
eleven Grand Final, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Yeah, that'll be a big part of it.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
But I also there'd be people like who would have
such a firm memory of you doing something. But to
the players themselves, it's like asking someone what they did
at work three years ago on a Wednesday at four
in the afternoon. I have no fucking idea. Also sety
as a part of it, but I think there'd also
be There'd be the guy who hits you up straight away,
(28:45):
Oh I'm a huge fan, blah blah blah. They'd be
the guy who sidles up.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
To your lunch. Hey, you there are Simon Manoring, aren't you.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Then there'd be the other guy who'd be like, oh,
so you can play three hundred games for the fucking Warriors,
but you can't get the door hinges on my last time.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Yeah, you can't put some framing timber up in the rain.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Oh god, yeah, I feel so much better about myself now.
Just thinking back to club legend Simon Manoring, I.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Could get a Simon Manoring tattoo, I reckon.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Just about where would you get it? Of his face?
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Maybe of his faith, or maybe it was just a jersey.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Simon mannering jersey just on the on the side.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
A few different positions. So he played scenery, he played locke,
he played back row.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
I think back row would be That's what I associated
with When I think of the great man Simon Minoring,
he did any he did anything the club asked of him. Well,
thank you very much for joining me on the podcast
this week, Hurley, greener pastures ahead. I'm sure, as we said,
the last game for the Warriors, our last home game
(29:55):
for this season at least is on the twenty third
against the Bulldogs. I'm just friends looking up who we've
got this week. It is the Sea Eagles, who we've
only played once this season. That was the draw, the
draw at the start of the year. That is on Friday,
eight pm. And I think that's Chris and Die commentating
that one. We'll have another podcast episode on Thursday for
(30:17):
you to sink your teeth in.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
But thank you very much for joining us early and
we'll see you later on.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Anybody
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