Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldegrave
from News Talks'd.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be the Warriors bounce back from massive disappointment when they
got beaten by the Bulldogs with a resounding forty two
to be more sex victory over the Gold Coast Titans.
They return home this Friday night. Someone said to me
today for arguably the biggest match of the entire season. Well,
(00:34):
they haven't reached the final yet and I'd say based
on what's going on now, it is the biggest match
of their season. Today. It's up against the Penrith Panthers,
absolute powerhouse of the NRL. It's number one, the Panthers
have been number three the Warriors. I mean so much
for the running for the Warriors, not only points wise,
(00:56):
but for their state of mind, for their head spaced
about to turn around this Panthers side. We're going to
talk about that later with you, But first, a real
and richie regular Generals with a daily Telegraph regularly appears
on NRLs three sixty thrixty NRL thrixty. He's with us now,
Sorry about that, Dan, evening, Dean.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
How are you good, ducky? How are you champion?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah? I'm looking forward to this Friday night and there
as the understatement, the teams are out. The Warriors are
taking on the Panthers. Here's a theory. If the Warriors
can't get this done at home, they've got no chance
a title. This is pivotal to me. What do you
say from that side of the ditch team?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Oh? Yes, certainly corrected his pivotal game for the Warriors.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
I wouldn't go as far to say if they lose
this game that their season is over. I wrote a
I guess you could call it a contentious column in
Yesterday's Daily Telegraph over here in Sydney, saying that I
believe that the Roosters and Panthers are well ahead of
the chaping package.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
You said.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I saw that you said they were the only two
even within Kiwey.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I know what you wrote a bit of criticism, Darthy.
That's all right, you want people talking about your stories.
But of course the Sharks are going very well too.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
They're flying at the moment.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
But I really think that the Warriors, as much as
I'd love to say the Warriors win a enteral premiership,
they have to get that top two spot Darthy. That
would give them of course the home final and if
they win that well, then they go into the preliminary
final at home as well. So it's crucial to the
top two. But at the moment I think they're going
to fall just short.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
What are you based that on?
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I just based it on the form of other teams.
The Warriors were good last week, they were poored the
week before. Their forms been solid without being brilliant. I'm
still yet to see a Warriors game in the last
month or so that I've really gone, you know what,
they can win this comp where you look at the
Panthers last weekend they flogged the Raiders and of course
there was that debarkle up in towns with where the
(02:57):
Roosters beat North Queensland by putting eighty on them. So
I think the Roosters and Panthers have really determined that
this is the time of year where you've got to
kickstart your campaign. Every victory in a Grand Final start somewhere,
and the good side started a few weeks out, and
I think they're starting to get their momentum now. And
(03:17):
look the Warriors, if they are going to get that momentum,
if they go desperately search for it, Darthy.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
It's got to start against the Panthers. Is Friday in case, have.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Been there, done that? Is that why you like the
Roosters and the Panthers. They know what it's like. And
then I had to breathe and that's the thin air
of those great heights.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Yeah, they know how to win big games.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Look, big big players, big rosters, win big moments in
big games. And look the Warriors still, you know, as
much as they've been successful in recent years, they still have.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Made a Grand Final.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So a lot of the players, you know, haven't played
in the real big games before. A lot of them
don't play state of origin because of their key we background.
So look, I just think the other two teams that
Roosters and Panthers. You go through their rosters, Darcy, they've
got a combined total of eighteen state.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Of origin players.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I mean, it's in when you look at their rosters
and look right here, right now, Darcy.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I'm sure I'll be proven wrong.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
I've been wrong millions of times before, but I just
think those are the two teams that are out in front,
and it'd be an all Sydney Grand Final East versus West.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I think you're referencing before of recent times they've not
been to a final because of course they took on
those roosters would have been twenty odd years ago now
in a final two. But that's so far in the
past it's not really relevant the moment. As a team.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
No, we need the players in big games every single year,
whether it be in Origin or semi finals, and the
Warriors have been in and around those finals for a
couple of years now. But please don't get me wrong, Darcy.
I think rugby league would go to another level. It's
already flying in New Zealand from everything were understand over
here in Sydney, But could you imagine if the Warrior
has actually won a Grand finally, he would go through
(04:55):
the roof in terms of ratings, popularity, sponsorship, commercial corporate membership, attendances,
so on and so on. So I think everyone over
here in Australia would love to the Warriors win, and
I think Andrew Webs has done an absolutely remarkable job
this year. But I just I don't know, there's just
something inside me Darky thinks they're going to fall one
(05:15):
week short.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
When you look at the game on Friday, it's a
home game, it's a go media stadium. There's a significant
out in the Panthers' side. How much effect will that
have on the flow of the team with Case McLean gone.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yeah, Case he's been a brilliant player the last sort
of eighteen months. He's really come on as a as
a kid with a rugby union background to play State
of Origin. He's certainly got a lot of natural gifts
in his game. He's a beautiful running player, he's got
a lovely passing game. He's got all the skills, hence
why he played State of Origin this year. So look,
it is a big loss, but as we know with Penrith,
(05:52):
one of their great attributes, one of their great.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Strength, I guess you could say, is their depth.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
And I think yet again it's a real next man
up mentality at Penrith, and I think you'll find the
replacements that come in do the job and that's how
they've looked upon their footy over the last.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Five or six years. The interesting one at Penrith, o'
darthy is their.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Five eighth jack. We know Blake playing, he was there
for most of the year. He was dropped last week.
But I think Cogger is a lovely foil for Nathan.
Clearing plays a very structured game, a real game that
an old fashion five eight might play, and it gives
Nathan that freedom, and that frees him up to run
a bit more. And that's when Nathan deady is most dangerous.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Looking at the has there's been much stuff and nonsense
made of the lack of an individual Luke metcarf He
still hasn't managed to hit. He's on the interchange again,
still hasn't played any time since that. How instrumental do
you think it is that he doesn't come in and
they leave the likes of to Mighty Martin and Chanell,
Harris Tavita where they are. They've got the bulk, they've
(06:55):
got the middles doing well, They're going to run well.
Be'tween the middles aren't doing particularly well. Maybe these guys
start showing their relative lack of X factory.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
A good way of putting it. Look, I've got big
wraps on the Warriors halves, but I don't know.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I'm just not sure.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
To Murray Martin, Genel Harris de Vita, I just don't
know whether they're up to the level of winning a premiership.
That's Please don't mistake that as a criticism.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
They're very good footballers, but I think to win a
premiership you need.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Absolute and I'm just not sure whether the Warriors halfbacks
or halves are in that category. You know the roosters
of Sam Walker daily, chair Evans is there. You look
at the Panthers. Of course they've got Nathan Cleary there.
I just wonder whether the Warriors are going to come
up just a little shy in that area. But it's
(07:46):
a very well out inside the Warriors and they're very
well coached.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
We know that.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Interesting times lie ahead, but look at some point, Darthy,
let's be fair, dicame here. The Warriors have to win
a competition. They've had a window here for a couple
of years now. Their successes through the roof.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
We all know that.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
We hear the crowds every week at go Media Stadium.
But still they came in in nineteen ninety five. We're
thirty one years into their existence now and they're still
searching for inaugural competition. It's got to come sooner rather
than later. They really can't let it stretch out and
go on and on and on. The windows open. Now
now is the time they got to strike.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
I pin my hopes on the fact that the Sharks
took half a century, so I mean there's time to go.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Just thing Richie this week in though this Friday night,
the relative strengths and weaknesses. If you're a Warrior's coach,
where do you attack? If you're the Penmouth coach, where
do you look to exploit this Warrior's side?
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Yeah? Good question. Are they're a bit of a hard one?
Who answer me? With the Panthers, they don't really have
a heap of weaknesses.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Hence, while they've won four Premierships in the last five
years and reached five Grand Finals the last six years,
look they've been a bit scratchy in recent form in
recent weeks. Rather, their win last week was strong, but
up unto a lair of the Panthers, they just looked
a little bit lethargic to me. Maybe it was a
state of origin hangover with obviously Leah Martin played Nathan
(09:10):
played repped through in that so maybe that was a
bit of a reefing behind him being maybe if they
touch off the pace. But as I said, last week's
game really kicked out of their push and searched.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Towards the finals. The Warriors have got a good team.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
I'm sure Penrith's coach Ivan Cleary will know how he
wants to attack the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Maybe out wide there might be a few defensive deficiencies,
a few bad reads.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
You know, As I said, I think the halves they
can be put people can put pressure on the haarms.
I'm not sure whether they stand up in those really
really high pressure moments. So look, it's gonna be one
of those games. It's going to be a high intensity game.
It's going to be a very a big game in
terms of atmosphere, in terms of crowd, in terms of physicality, speed,
(09:57):
It's going to have all the ingredients to be an
absolute ripping game of rugby league.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
And you know we over here can't wait to see
it unfold.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
And Dean, finally, you stand in the situation with Metcalfe.
We know he's not going to be hearing next year
he signed, he's going away. He has got that X
factor's got that crazy speed. How satisfied are you that
he's being handing handed well by Webster because he must
be fear boiling when he gets on the park. He's
going to explode if he gets out there.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Yeah, I'm a bit surprised where he came out last
week saying that he'd only be playing Medcalf if there
was injuries. I didn't hear that from Webster's mouth, so
that's what was reported over here in Australia, and I
was a bit surprised. I would have thought Andrew might
have just kept Medcalf sort of bubbling along in terms
of enthusiasm, keeping him ready just in case there was
(10:48):
a call up. So I was a bit surprised that
he put that tag on him. Look, he's an elite player,
but he's not going to be there. It seems that
Andrew Webster made the call earlier this year that he's
not going to be there next year, so he won't
be part of this YS plans. Look whether it comes
back to butt them, I guess time will tell. But
look a very good play to be having on your
(11:08):
reserves bench.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I said last but I lied. This is it Panthers
will worries who and by how much do you think.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
I'll go to Panthers?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I think, as I said before, they're starting to really
hot up their season. Nathan will be big. He always
has been around this time of year. He loves August September.
It'll be tight. I'm thinking it'll be about twenty points
to fourteen.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I like the way you're not trying to suck up
to my audience by telling the truth. All the Panthers
are going to go a long way in this business.
Tean Richie, I sweet hey, thanks very much for your time. Bro.
You have a fantastic week of it and enjoy the
upcoming round. We thank you for your time.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Good on your Darcy Cheers pal. For more from Sports Talk,
listen live to News Talks.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
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