Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcast now on
iHeartRadio The.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Big League Podcast, League Podcast Poet by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, we dissect the
Hallish sixty six six sixty six six dumpsterfire the Warriors
served up on the Gold Coast. Will He Poaching is
along for an extended chat about the Warrior's equal heaviest
loss in history. We all have a crack and putting
ourselves in Andrew Webster's shoes for what unquestionably is his
(00:43):
toughest challenge to date as the Warriors coach.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
My name is Nick Bewley. Let's go God b LB.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Well here I was thinking on suburn for the notably
absent Nathan Lemon Cruz through a relatively run of the
mill week for the Warriors. On the back of it,
when surely over the bottom place team in the NRL
who had just lost to the Wests Tigers. Maybe touch
on Origin two in Melbourne, look for to the Broncos
in town Boy? How was I mistaken? The Warrior is
(01:12):
instead at the weekend spout out one of, if not
their worst performances in club history, trounced and tortured by
one of the worst sides in the competition this year.
The Gold Coast Titans had never scored more than fifty
points in a game in their history.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
They ran in.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Sixty six points eleven converted tries. They have the worst
defense in the comp this season, they conceded just the
one try. While it is the warriors worse loss by
a margin in their history, there is no doubt in
my mind it is worse than the seventy to ten
hiding to the Melbourne Storm a couple of years ago.
Michael Burgess, seeing a sports writer the New Zealand Herald,
(01:49):
flat listless, embarrassing with some of the words you trot
it out in your match report.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
You've now had two nights to sleep on it.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Are you still equally dumbfounded with what you saw on
Saturday afternoon?
Speaker 4 (02:01):
And welcome?
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Thank you. Yeah, I'm still in disbelief, I really am.
Speaker 6 (02:05):
But still it was a game where you were watching
and you couldn't why I believe what you were seeing
was that bad? At times you think is this actually
first grade? Is this actually happening? Two days later, it
kind of feels worse because it's sinking in everything that
did happen. The first half was bad enough, but then
you think, okay, well, at least if they get probably
not going to win the game, but they get some respectability.
(02:25):
But even that didn't happen. So there's a lot to
talk about here. I would say one thing it is
it is a mystery to me that us, the media,
the fans, and it seems like even the players keep
underestimating and underrating the Titans because the Titans have inflicted
a lot of misery on the Warriors over the year.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Six from eight now, I think the six from.
Speaker 6 (02:43):
You think back to the forty four zero with the
Matt Lodge doing the fingers. You think back to the
last game of the twenty twenty two season, Chanelle's last game,
when they came back from fourteen points down in the
last seven minutes to win the game. So they've done
this a few times and they're.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Actually Anzac days and there you go, they're.
Speaker 6 (03:02):
Not Actually they're definitely a team that's on the improve
their last but they're not terrible and not trying to
make excuses, but they're not a bad little team. But
you're exactly right what you say there's a really good
argument this could be the worst loss in Warrior's history.
It's certainly worse than the seventy ten and twenty twenty
two against Melbourne because number one, that was against Melbourne,
(03:23):
that was an antic day and that was during COVID.
And it's probably worse than the sixty two to six
against Penrith, which I also had the misfortune of doing
the match report for, because that was under Matt Elliott.
It was a time of change. It wasn't a fantastic
Warriors team. This is supposedly this is a really good
Warriors team with a lot of really good players coming
off an amazing season. So these are all the things
(03:45):
that are still two days later, really really mysterious.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Well, we're going to wrap the bandaid off, but I
want to touch on the defense before.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
We get to the low lights.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I suppose eleven tries conceded, second most points conceded in
a match for the Warriors in club history. Was that
the lack of effort and the feeble nature of the
defense burge both through the middle. A real lack of
physicality that coach Andrew Webster acknowledged, but the lack of
connection and cohesion on the.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Edges as well.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Forty four miss tackles I believe thirty in the first half,
and the Titans just rolled up their sleeves. They made
an average set distance of fifty one meters.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
That's half the field.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
What did you make of the limp defensive effort of
that Warrior's side.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
Yeah, fifty one meters. That says something, doesn't it.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
I mean that the Warriors had selected a smaller pack,
you know, And that's where we can get into this
later a bit as well, about the selections. But you know,
sometimes maybe you get too cute when you end up
having Jackson Ford, who worked really hard and he was
actually a one player that kind of could hold his
head slightly high, I guess. But for a period you've
got Jackson Ford and Jastevanger out there as your two
(04:51):
props and things like that, you know, you can pay
a price for because.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Now Harris Devita at lock there at one point.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
So yeah, it's just.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
It's just you got to wonder sometimes you can get
too cute with what you're trying to do. They had
Harris DaVita Johnson to Marty An Eagan all on. I
feel at the same time all kind of trying to
be playmakers, and it can. It just was a fruit seller,
but not a good fruit saler, but got a little
bit mixed up, you know. But going back to your
question about the defense, I think the thing that really
(05:21):
hurts is that, you know, the Warriors have become known
in the Andrew Webster area for being resilient and being tough,
especially through the middle. You know, things happen on the edges,
and you can forgive that because it happens to every team,
but some of the defense up the middle for the
early Titans tries were just unbelievably bad. And the main thing,
(05:43):
the main thing that stood out to me was the
Titans weren't doing anything amazing to score tries. It was
turnstile stuff, you know, it was real turnstile stuff that
we thought had long gone. Just simple misses. Because you
can have stats are a funny thing. Sometimes sometimes you
can have a game where where there is forty miss tackles,
but it's one of those sort of open games and
(06:04):
it's not quite as bad as it sounds. But this
game the missed state you mentioned, most of those who
are like really really bad misses. So that's when you
start to dig in and think, wait a minute, that's
when you start to wonder about attitude. You know, it's
not just technique, it's attitude. And when you start talking
about attitude on defense, especially in the first half, Okay,
(06:25):
the last twenty minutes the game, that's a bit different.
Games gone. You know, I get that, what are we're bothering?
But first half of a game where you got so
much to play for you're desperate to when you're coming
off a loss and you're desperate revenge against the Titans,
it just doesn't add up.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
The Big League Podcast podcast time now to bring in
Willi Poaching. Former Super League coach Warrior Foundation Warrior nineteen
ninety five, was on the Sky Sports panel on Saturday afternoon,
trying to unpack what he had just witnessed, what we'd
all just witnessed, a sixty six to six loss to
(07:00):
the Gold Coast Titan. Thanks so much for your time, Willi,
I asked Michael Burgess the exact same question, But two
days on, are you equally as shocked and dumbfounded as
to what you witnessed on Saturday afternoon?
Speaker 7 (07:13):
And welcome, Yeah, I am equally as baffled by the
performance and how well the Gold Coast dominated the Warriors.
There was something I never envisaged at all. The Warriors
were competitive for big moments against the Melbourne Storm the
week before, and I was really confident in how they
(07:34):
were going to go against the bottom side of the
league going into the Gold Coast, a bigger pack, faster track.
I thought everything was going to be going towards the
way the Warriors ceriting their game plan, but that almost
backfired on them, if anything.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Yeah, and there was some interesting comments too from Andrew
Webster in terms of perhaps taking things for grants. They
didn't feel like they were complacent, just confident. But obviously
now the post mortem begins, the examination of everything from
preparation time, going over across the Tasman and looking at
those effort areas. It's probably the concerning thing for me, Well,
(08:09):
I'm not sure about yourself, but the lack of if
at the feeble nature of their defense. We were just
unpacking before forty four missed tackles and the Gold Coast
Titans average set distance was fifty one meter. That's half
the field and it's just not going to cut it
in the NRL, is it.
Speaker 7 (08:26):
Yeah, I'll start with the coach's comments, you've got to
have some level of confidence. That over confidence can start
to come off as arrogance, and there's no reason for
the Warriors to have any of that after a loss
last weekend. So I understand they would come in with
a confidence taking the positives out of last week. But
(08:48):
if anything, the danger was complacency. Complacency against the side
that was at the bottom of the table. But you've
also got to understand that the last time you played
that opposition on Anasac Day, they did a job. You know,
that's always got to be seated in the back of
your mind. As far as having any motivation to get
(09:09):
yourself ready to be up for the match, I agree
with this. As the game went on, you could just
see the effort levels drop. That's the alarming sign. And
this is what I said in the commentary. My concern
was the long term effects of this loss, because it
wasn't just the loss that's going to hurt. It's the
(09:29):
manner of the loss and how they got dominated in
every facet of the game from an opposition that got
dominated by a fellow salad dweller and the Tigers the
week before they seem to find the want and the
desire a bit more than the Warriors. And that's always
a tough thing to answer yourself when you've been beaten
(09:53):
that way. You should never be able to question your
want and your desire or your effort, but some of
those were lacking.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Take us into the mindset then of coach Web. So
you've been a coach, you've been a player. You're coming
in two a new week, the prison Broncos in town
on Saturday afternoon.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Where do you begin your review?
Speaker 7 (10:13):
Your review process would have started straight away. You've got
to analyze their emotions, of all the players and where
they're at. You've got to allow them to stew over it.
They've got to take it all in and it's got
to hurt, but it can't hurt for too long. You've
going to analyze it. Do your review, go through it,
cut the game up into pieces, dissect it, make the
(10:34):
selection calls that you have to, and then you've got
to start moving on to the Broncos. Hopefully by today
they're starting to make some of those decisions and have
those conversations so that the guys that are going to
be playing against the Broncos this week are fully clear
in their head what their jobs are and they can
get focused on getting the job right on Saturday evening.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
More broadly speaking, Willie, it's been a bit of one
of those sort of rural roller coaster years for the
Warriors and season twenty twenty four obviously sublime last year
or the way to the preliminary final. What if you
made of the Warriors in twenty twenty four and is
there a bit of a second year syndromes and the
creeping a little bit under Andrew Webster?
Speaker 4 (11:13):
What do you make of the inconsistency?
Speaker 7 (11:15):
Possibly a second year syndrome. They made minimal changes and
they brought to capwell and really and Roger from last year.
But there's a side that looked like football was easy
last year. They looked really happy and confident and they
were playing with a synergy where things were just happening
(11:36):
and that came off hard work and they needed to
realize some of that. But some of those combinations haven't worked.
They lost Luke Metcalf early in the season, which seems
in hindsight to be a bigger loss than what people thought,
and definitely what I thought. He's been a big loss
to what Shawn Johnson was doing. But I think it's
(11:58):
also been a year that's uncovered some young talent. It's
allowed in the initial part through injury, some of the
younger guys to step up, and they did a great
job against Penrith and then against the Dolphins and got
a couple of wins in a row. But as is normal,
you get your senior players back and they e their
stripes and got the runs on the board to come
(12:21):
straight back into the side, but they haven't been able
to take off where the young kids were. And I
think from mine, I think it's an indication that some
of these young kids need a longer run and deserve
a longer run, and there may be a direction that
the team needs to go down for a little while.
And I spoke this morning about how the Panthers were
(12:43):
in this situation. They lost a couple of senior players.
The Broncos had it as well, but they went with
the young side that took a hit for a little while,
and that little while may only be a season, but
they've come out and look what the Panthers have done
since they've got a young side and the nucuse of
their side is from that area. They're all Western Sydney
(13:04):
lads that know what they're playing for, They had that
purpose to play for, and it could be something with
the Warrior's look at going forward.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
That it's an interesting point and obviously our eyes will
be fixed on the team list coming out Tuesday evening.
Of course there'll probably be some chopping and changing in.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
That as we build towards game day.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
But if we look at like you mentioned Willie, some
of those names that were involved across that three week
block where they beat the Panthers, the Dolphins and the Cowboys,
that guys like Taane to Opeki ali Aleah Talo who's
on the comeback from injury, Buntier follow hasn't been cited
since sort of minimal role for Jacob Laban. It feels
a real dilemma, a crossroads moment in a way for
(13:49):
Andrew Webs to hear between being low hill, which he
has been, and rewarding those guys, particularly who served him
so well in his first year in twenty twenty three,
and what you're alluding to in terms of giving guys
with energy and nothing to lose the opportunity to stake
a further claim.
Speaker 7 (14:06):
Yeah, whatever you go down, whichever route you go to.
It's based on trust, and unfortunately, when your form starts
to wane, your trust level or your value trust value
level goes down. And I think the season's at a
point now where it's at a tipping edge and you've
(14:28):
got to make a decision that that's going to try
and rescue the season and what's left of it. Because
whilst we said on Saturday night that the game against
the Gold Coast wasn't a must win, it wasn't and
this one isn't exactly a must win, but you're getting
to that territory and you don't want to get into
that territory. They don't want to be chasing points at
(14:48):
the end of the year. So I think some of
those young kids may give that a level of enthusiasm,
that effort, that energy that may give them the list
required to especially turn it around and get the Broncos.
This week, this is the big League Pod.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Greight Insight.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
There Willie Poaching bringing back Michael Burgess now from the
New Zealand Herald or Birge.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
We've gone over the defense. Let's unpack. I don't know
if you want to call it attack, but.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Let's say that the Warriors in possession, clunky, cluttered, pretty
ineffective in the end and rightly or wrongly Burge. As
you know, it is the half back that gets all applaud.
It's in recognition when the team's going well, such as
last year, and then they get all the scrutiny and
criticism after a defeat now now sewn Johnson who did
(15:39):
hobloft by on a hobble off but looked hampered by
a new injury, a hamstring injury in that game. He's
now winless in his last seven matches, wearing the seven
Jersey six losses and that draw to the Manly Seagulls.
And it wasn't a surprise to me, Bergin. I'm sure
it won't be to you either that you know, the
fan base has again come out with the pitchforks and
(16:02):
whatnot in the hours after before we get into it
in terms of the halves pairing with Johnson returning from
his r kills you alongside to mighty Martin. Adourno on
the Gold Coast after the sixty six to six loss,
asked Andrew Webster about his.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Star halfback lacking a bit of spark. Here's the response, I.
Speaker 8 (16:20):
Think if we turned up today and we were physical
and we really went after the opposition and we wanted
to win that battle, I feel like you might have
saw the best in Shawn today at the end of
the day when we got roll completely down the field
and every single player was accountable for that.
Speaker 5 (16:36):
Today, if we had heaps of ball.
Speaker 8 (16:37):
Or something like that and we go forward and our
defense was amazing, I feel like we could start talking
about half backs and fullbacks and hookers and how could
you improve things and change things. Today we weren't there
physically but absolutely dominating, So to be talking about those
things off the back of that seeing it's the wrong.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Gave way and look, Berge well, I agree, and the
rubbish that they dished up defensively was the primary reason
they lost that. The halves peering this is two games now,
the Storm last week and then to the title at
the weekend. For mine, it's not working this confusion to
Marie got the ball more against the Storm, Sean sort
of playing out the back, almost like a natural five eighth.
(17:20):
If anything, it feels Webster's sort of over complicated it
trying to utilize to mighty Martin Moore after how effective
he was and that stretch of games against Penrith, the
Dolphins and the Cowboys when they won three straight. What
did you make of the Warriors with ball in hand?
And I guess, sort of more broadly speaking, the new
look Havel's combination with to Mighty and.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Sean it was just so predictable, wasn't it.
Speaker 6 (17:45):
And that was the thing that was hurting them as
the Titans knew what was coming all the time, and
those basic plays in the quarter. Who is their best
weapon on the edge, He was covered by three defenders
every time because there was no variation, There was little
decoy runners. Everything was done way behind the advantage line,
not done at pace, so they're always attacking a set
defensive line and in the modern game, it just doesn't work.
(18:09):
And then you think about, okay, there was a lack
of change in the angle, there was a lack of offloads.
It was all this, all the all the good stuff
that we had seen last year particularly, and then this
year we've seen in fits and starts. I guess there's
a whole lot of things to consider here, but but
the basic thing is is that that they have they
have lost their mojo on attack again after getting it
(18:31):
back briefly in that in that amazing three game winning
bursts for three, you know, you have to say remarkable
wins the way they did it. In terms of your
broader question, it's it's a really hard one. I mean,
you can see the theory, you know, you can see
the theory that they realized they were getting a bit
predictable with everything going through. Sean Tomato comes in plays great,
(18:52):
but he also plays great behind a team that found
their spark with some changes and changes to the game plan,
changes to their training. So it all coincided at the
right time. So the thinking is, now, right, Let's let's
do the best of both worlds. Let's have a double threat.
Let's have two guys sharing the attack makes it harder
(19:12):
for the opposition, et cetera, et cetera. But that's a
lot easier said than done, you know, and it just
looks it just looks confused. I said before, I thought
it looked even worse when you had Chanelle on the
field as well, because there's four guys sort of trying
to try to play make and it was working so well.
You know, this is a while ago now, but with
Sean running everything and then it worked really well with
to Marty running everything. So they might have to bite
(19:36):
the bullet and relegate to Marty to a secondary role.
But that's hard to do because he's been playing quite well.
I don't expect Sean to play this weekend. I think
if he's got a hamstring strain and he's had all
these other things, I can't see how it'll be back
in time for the Saturday game. So that might delay
this conundrum for a week or so if he does play. Jesus,
(19:59):
it's a big call either way, isn't it what they do.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
One hundred percent?
Speaker 3 (20:02):
And we're in Let's not forget we're in Round seventeen
now and the position the Warriors are on the ladder,
they can forward to be tinkering and trying new systems.
By and large, last year, in particular, the Warriors having
a dominant half back in Sean Johnson and having the
perfect foil which they don't have at their disposal at
(20:22):
the moment. Luke Metcalf who's injured, worked beautifully. It was
clear whose.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Role was what in terms of game management, and then
sort of.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Playing a little bit off the cuff and Metcalf and
playing that support role, and that's why he scored a
bucketload of tries and Seawn Johnson had a ton of
assists for mine. Martin's Actually he proved in that three
game stretch against the Penrith and the Cowboys and the
Dolphins that he's a halfback. He likes to be a
game manager, have the ball in his hands, and as
(20:51):
you alluded to've kind of come together with something in
the middle which just isn't working. You look at some
of the other, you know, the really good teams in
the NRAL. When Nathan clar is fit, for example, at Penrith,
he's the game manager. Lewie does his thing on the
left edge. Similar with the Melbourne Storm. Jerome Hughes is
a facilitator, buying larger a running threat too, but Cameron
(21:11):
Monster's left to do his thing. And I just don't
think you can afford to have too many chefs in
the kitchen with Chanelle Harris Tavita mixed in there as well,
with Wade Egg and Dylan Walker likes to be there
at first receiver and a ball playing.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
Role as well.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
So it is a tricky little spot and I do
wonder too, Burge. It sort of leads me on to
My next point around whether the fact that Sean and
Roger to a lesser extent as well, and some of
the senior players immediately coming in or coming straight back
in from their injuries after that really impressive three week
stretch has caused I don't want to say friction or disruption,
(21:48):
but there's some interesting commentary online.
Speaker 4 (21:51):
And I do take this with a grain.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Of salt because everyone's very emotional, particularly after what happened
on Saturday evening, but it feels like there's still some
lingering questions there around it is this a happy camp?
Speaker 4 (22:01):
And I just want to read one comment here.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
This is from someone who took the time to put
a comment there on Facebook who was at the game
behind the post set at the Gold Coast. Is he
being at the game and being so close to the
ground after the first try was scored. I'm assuming this
is the first Gold Coast try. I could not believe
the bickering and disunity behind the posts. This is clearly
a team that is not happy and unified. I'm not
(22:23):
trying to put the boot in here, but this was
an embarrassment for the club and the players are clearly
not united. Also, Adam Fanol Blake no interest in the game,
and it's probably time to cut people from the team
that don't believe in the vision. I mean, those are
strong words, and I get where this person's coming from
a meeting. This is immediately on in full time when
they've just lost by sixty points.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
But you're there in and around the club.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Obviously there's been a lot of conversation around Adam Fanol Blake,
who is off at the end of the season. Is
this a connected team and do you feel like this
particular person might have a point here in terms of
being a bit of disunity after those senior guys just
walking straight in given how well the young bucks that
the reserve guys did in that three week block.
Speaker 6 (23:06):
I mean, what he witnessed doesn't sound go right, does it?
That that's the first thing you would say we could
start with ad And it's a bit mysterious because you know,
he had that public humiliation where he was he was
dropped after the Penrith game. You know my understanding as well,
it's not my understanding. I know that that wasn't just
(23:26):
Webster didn't make that decision on the basis of that
one incident. Yeah, there had been some other things going on.
That's my understanding. So so that was the line in
the sand. They said, right, enough's enough. I'm not saying
there were massive things, but I'm saying it was just
little things that had been noticed that weren't impressing people.
So line in the sand, that's enough. Bomb and Adam
(23:48):
what I heard. He responded really well, you know, he
took ownership. He was, you know, in the gym on
the day of the the Frink Cliff game, you know,
and then he bounced back really well against the Cowboys,
so he thought, right, this is this is a really
good sign. But he was okay against the storm. But
I agree he was. He was pretty.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Poor for that had he had three runs in the
first half Bird on Saturday.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
Pretty poor for the senior forward, really poor. And there
were a couple of moments in the second half where
where he just they just ran through and that was that.
And he seemed to be he seemed to be jogging.
So so that that that's one thing that you look
at and think, okay, that needs to be sorted out.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
In terms of your broader question, Roger came back in.
Speaker 6 (24:32):
It was actually quite simple because Roco got Sean is
a different story. I think players understand with Sean that
he belongs there, but I can understand why there would
be some tension when when you've got some other players
who've been there and earned those three wins, and I
think of guys like Bunty, Alfoer and tom Alee who
(24:53):
played really well against the Dolphins in that game, and
then they're sort of not seen again. The Big Boys
come back for the Cowboys game, and Bunty, for example,
hasn't played since. So they definitely don't look like a
connected team when you're see what you saw on Saturday,
but they look super connected against the Cowboys, So that
is the mystery. I don't think there's massive, massive divisions
(25:18):
at the moment and a whole lot of cliques from
what I've seen and heard. But I also don't think
they are as unified as they were last year. There's
no doubt about that. There's a little bit of magic
that's gone out of the recipe.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
The Big League Podcast for the biggest league fans, Big Hits,
Big Mullets, The Big League.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Podcast, The Brisbane Broncos in Town, another sold out go
Media Stadium, Mount Smart this weekend is going to be
really interesting to see the fan reaction. Will touch on
that in a short minute, but from a selection standpoint,
teamless Tuesday tomorrow six o'clock the list will come out.
Of course, Andrew webs is pretty well known for chopping
(26:00):
and changing it up later in the week. The twenty
four hour sort of cut off an hour before kickoff, etc.
Before we get into what we would like to see
in terms of the team. Andrew Webster was asked in
the aftermath of the loss to the Titans what his
philosophy is when it comes to selection on the back
in particular of such a poor performance.
Speaker 5 (26:21):
I think you've got to be consistent.
Speaker 8 (26:23):
You're going to try and take all the emotion out
of it because you picked them the team next week tonight,
I don't know if we'd have a team because mind
of serve a name.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Was really poor.
Speaker 8 (26:32):
You've got to look at where do we go wrong?
Did we do anything well? If you did, let's talk
about it and what was our preparation like because I
thought it was good and asked them and then we've
got to we've got to come up with a plan
how we're going to win this week.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Can't look too far ahead and.
Speaker 8 (26:49):
My philosophy is We've got to stay tight as a team.
I've got to show some care for each other and
not point the finger, and we're all in this together.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
With that of Mine Burge, it sounds like he's probably
going to let the core group have an opportunity to
redeem themselves. Of course, we expect provided everything goes we
state of Origin Sewe and Melbourne Wednesday night, Mitch Barnett,
Kirk cape Well will slop back and Dallan matenez Lesniak
as well has sat out, has served as one week suspension.
(27:18):
Can you do you get a sense as there's going
to be any other any other changes.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
It's a hard one knowing Andrew Webstern what he's done
during his time, during his what is it forty forty
five forty six games in charge of the Warriors, he's
pretty loyal. I wonder if this will be a case
of he'll be telling the players. He won't see the
players until Tuesday morning because they're on a day off
on Monday. I wonder if we'll be telling the players
on Tuesday morning, look, this is what we're going to do,
(27:45):
and he'll reveal a selection to them, but he will
say a lot of you.
Speaker 6 (27:50):
Guys are on your last chance. You know, this is
your last chance to perform, and we'll give I'm giving
you one more shot. Otherwise there is going to be
wholesale changes. It's a real gamble. He'd be tempted to
throw in six or seven new guys. Grab some guys
from reserve grade have been playing really well, but that's
that's a tough call on them to be thrown into
(28:11):
a game against the Broncos in an absolute pressure situation.
So does he back the guys have done it for
him in the past to rebound. I just hope that
the selections are a bit more, a bit more logical, because,
as I say, some things have just been getting a
bit too cute.
Speaker 5 (28:27):
For example, Dylan Walker.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
I'm glad you brought that up in the second row.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
Now, Okay, to be fair to Andrew Webster, it should
have made sense because he's a.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Guy who's played I can play anywhere, right.
Speaker 5 (28:38):
Can play anywhere.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
It was a really good center played for Australia in
the center, so you think, okay, it's just one over.
But he just looked he had one of his worst
games for the Warriors, and he's been so good for
the Warriors, one of the best imports I can remember,
and he was just all at sea when the logical
thing this is, you know, being a hindsight hero, But
the logical thing would have been, you know, Jackson Ford's
(29:00):
second row and Walker stays in the middle. You know,
so there's things.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Or Jacob Laban, who was on the interchange or Laban.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Yeah, Laban just just a guy who knows the position.
Because Walker, as you mentioned before, he has been so
good up the middle in his combination with Tomaty Martin
was a big part of ye that success period that
they had. And yeah, the other thing is what he
does around the halves if Sean is available. And then
the wider question of how they play. I mean, the
(29:26):
thing about Tomati is he proved himself in that period,
so they have to give him a slightly bigger role.
And also he's probably thinking, well, he's aware that I've
got to contribute more to the team, But it's just
how you shuffle it and it should still be mostly
Sean and then to Marty just gets more of the ball,
but he does this thing on the left maybe like
the penwith model. So yeah, there's a few players that
(29:49):
will be very lucky to get another start, but they might,
but it would be good to see guys like maybe
Tom Alay as I mentioned Bantao Fo. Yeah, maybe they
get another shot because they were so good when they
were last when they were last year.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Yeah, and when and Reserve Grade New South Wales Cup
for the Warriors at the weekend to see Moa Graham
Pofa who got a game in that three week block
for the Warriors in the centers. He scored a double,
So I feel like there's a he's sort of banging
down the door for another crack there in the centers
as well. I've been a fan of Adam Pompey. In
(30:22):
the last month to six weeks. There was a couple
of pretty glaring defensivenesses. He wasn't alone there, but be
interesting to see those team selections. Just a quick thought
on on Brisbane Burge hasn't given the season that they
had last year or the way to the Grand Final.
I think they're currently sitting at seventh on the Nral Ladder.
They've had a couple of surprising losses. They themselves have
(30:44):
lost to the Gold Coast Titans and I heard Kevin
Walters late last week. They're on the by of course
around this Origin period with the travel after Origin on
Wednesday night, very much anticipating that paynehas and Patrick Carrigan
won't play, but Reese Walsh all going, well, of course
it's his first game back from that horror tackle in
Origin one.
Speaker 4 (31:05):
Reese Walsh will play. What if you made?
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Because more broadly speaking on the Broncos this season and
is there's a pretty big opportunity there for a win
for the Warriors when they're without their two big guns
up front and Paynehasen Patrick Harrigan.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
Yeah, it feels like the Broncos have just not quite
rediscovered where they were. You know, they were so good
in the last three or four months of last season,
but ever since going to Vegas and not winning and
then they've come back from there and they've had moments,
but certainly not the consistency you expect because a lot
(31:40):
of people saw them as Premiership favorites. You know, you
thought that, oh the Penrith can't do it again, they've
lost players, But look at the Broncos, all these young guys,
they're really really on the up and they could they
will still be in the mix and they could still
turn it around. But it's definitely it's definitely a good
time to play them, you would think.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
But on the other hand, is it really a good
time to play them?
Speaker 6 (31:59):
Because the Warriors seems so out of sorts. I mean,
they do have this record of rebounding. They've done it
a couple of times this season, and they've done in
the past after heavy losses. But it's going to take
a lot. It's going to take a really good start
that they're desperately need confidence. But even if they have
a really good start, we've seen them be overhauled on
(32:22):
several occasions this season. So yeah, it's really quite I'd
say it'll be a very it'll be a very nervous
one on Saturday, but that's a good it's a best
case scenario.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
The worst case scenario is it's not a nervous.
Speaker 6 (32:36):
One at all, and we get another game where you're
sort of you're sort of watching, you know, watching, trying
to hide behind the couch and don't want to look,
you know, So let's see what happened.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Well, that'll be me, I'm sure, because I'm down here
in christ But I'm really curious to see what the
fan responses as well, of course the Warriors there's still
riding that wave of momentum from last year and they're
selling out games well in advance.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
So this one here on Saturday five o'clock is sold out.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
But Birge I suspect if there were tickets available right now,
they probably wouldn't be being snapped up. Why on earth
would you put your hard earned dollary dues towards going
to a Warriors game if they're going to serve up
some hot garbage like they did on Saturday. It was
interesting too too. Who Harris I think? He only answered
(33:23):
one question at the post match press conference Saturday afternoon
after the Titans loss. He was asked about that very
fact that it will be a sell out back at
Mount Smart against the Broncos. What is he expecting from
the crowd and do they feel like they owe they're faithful.
Speaker 9 (33:38):
We've got to repay the faith that they've had a
nice Their support for us has been outstanding and so
has the the fans that live away from New Zealand.
And we are embarrassed of the performce who put out
there tonight and the thought of doing that at home
it just doesn't sit well. So we can't afford to
have two of.
Speaker 5 (33:57):
Those in a row.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
That's the right thing to say, of course, Burge, but
it'll be actions rather than words. It was interesting to
see some clips as well of a large Warriors contingent
on the Gold Coast. Obviously a huge New Zealand public
or population over there on the GC. But leaving with
about twenty minutes to go, what are you anticipating from
the fan base? I guess there's two sort of parts
(34:18):
of the fan base these days, isn't it. There's the
I guess the bandwagoners who have joined in the last
eighteen months or so, and then there's the faithful who
know this roller coaster very well over the last thirty years.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
I'm sure you'll be there.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
What do you expect to put particularly pre game and
when the team run out and that that first sort
of five or ten minutes.
Speaker 6 (34:36):
Yeah, I mean, if it's a rainy, shitty night, you
do wonder if some of the some of the more
recent fans will will show up.
Speaker 5 (34:41):
It's at five o'clock, which is great.
Speaker 6 (34:43):
I love the five o'clocks in winter because seven thirty
is just it's just too late. The Broncos always bring
fans as well. This is one of the big games
of the year and that's why it's such a shame.
Last year and it went well and away. It was
a shame when it went out of Auckland because I'd
say the Broncos, alongside what would be Rooster's Bulldogs, Storm
definitely and probably Manly are the teams that a lot
(35:04):
of key Wes love or love to follow or love
to watch, so they'll bring the the fans. But you'd
have to say, in thirty thirty years of the Warriors,
no doubt, this is the most unlikely sold out game
in the club history. This is something that you know
in previous years they would have got nine to ten
(35:26):
thousand people after a performance like on Saturday.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
So they're lucky.
Speaker 6 (35:30):
Those fans are locked and they'll be there and they'll
be they'll be they'll be great.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
I mean they were great. They were great. After that was.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
It the Dragons game, I think.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
The Dolphin when they eventually came home for the Dolphins game.
I'm just thinking that last sort of really ordery run.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
Yeah, they were kind of lucky, I.
Speaker 6 (35:48):
Guess because they came home off the back of the
Panthers because they had Knights away, Dragons away, and Roosters away.
So they were kind of lucky in that way. But
I remember times, a couple of times last year when
they had that run of losses and the crowd it
was actually for the record game. They will coher up,
so they'll they'll be there, they'll make plenty of noise,
and they'll be hoping because this team. The strange thing
(36:11):
about this team has already been I would say, correct
me if I'm wrong. There might be more, but there's
already been two pretty significant troughs this year. There's been
the Titans loss on Anziic Day, which no one saw
coming such a big occasion, so anticipated. They lose to
the bottom team I hadn't won a game at that stage.
And then and then I mean Newcastle disappointing, Dragons awful.
(36:32):
But then the Rooster's game was the other flashpoint for
me where you're like, shit, this is this is almost
rock bottom the way they lost that game. And they've
come out of those two, but this feels like a
third trough and this is definitely the worst of the three.
So it feels like they have to rebound, rebound, But
the question is, you know, can they this.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Is going on, Yeah, the Big League Podcast.
Speaker 4 (36:57):
I'm on the Warriors bandwagon since day one.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Big League Podcast.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
All right, Burge, time to get into some quick fire
predictions round even team the seven games, A slightly reduced
round with origin to In fact, we'll start with origin
and it's not here on the list, but Queensland going
into Game two neutral ground, the Melbourne Cricket Ground with
a one nil series lead, Maroons or Blues.
Speaker 9 (37:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
I'm a massive Queensland fan, like a lot of Keywis
since the days of Analanga and Wally Lewis in the
in the late eighties. So I think Queensland have got
the better side and the better coach. But and there's
a big butt here. I would really like I can't
believe I'm saying this. I'd actually like New South Wales
to get this one. Just for Michael Maguire. I just
(37:48):
I just love what he did for the Kiwi's. I
love dealing with him. He's such a professional, he's such
a decent guy, decent human being. He worked so hard
before that first game and it was all blown away
by that that scending off, which is an absolute coach killer.
So you know, I wouldn't mind New South War I
was winning and I think they can because I do
like his selections for this match. The actually played quite
(38:08):
well with twelve men. They really tested Queensland in the
first twenty minutes of the second half and I can
see them getting the job done in a close one
because I just think they'll be more desperate.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
I'm not sure where you've ended up going with them, mate,
but I'm going to yeah with them, I'm going to agree.
Speaker 4 (38:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
I actually I love you know, just purely from a
neutral standpoint to see a series decider. And I think
the reintroduction of Latrell Mitchell cam Murray's back from injury.
I think the Mitch Moses selection is a smart one
as much as I like Nico Hines. Yeah, I think
the Blues might edge this one. Let's go to the
NRL than Friday Nights, the Canary Bulldogs and the Cronulla Sharks.
Speaker 5 (38:49):
I'll go with the Sharks here.
Speaker 6 (38:50):
The dude to start rediscovering some of the form that
made them so good earlier in the season, and I
think this is when it will start.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Yeah, I'm with you there too. I was a little
bit surprised by the Bulldogs at the weekend. That amazingly
the best defensive team in the competition, but leaking. I
think it was twenty eight points against the Roosters. Might
be without Stephen Crichton as well. They're captain after Origin,
so I'll go Sharks. Then it's on to the one
with the most interest here on this side of the
Tasman Birge Warriors Broncos five o'clock Saturday, Go Media Mount Smart.
Speaker 6 (39:23):
Yeah, I'm bit torn here. I have seen a few
really good rebounds over the years. They rebounded from the
sixty two, six and twenty and against the Panis to
win the next game, and they did the same from
memory in twenty twenty two without seventy points against the Storm,
So they have got form with rebounding.
Speaker 5 (39:40):
But I'm going to tip the Broncos. I just.
Speaker 6 (39:44):
Yeah, I know, I think, I mean, who knows. The
Warriors could could certainly do it. They've got the players
and they'll be so desperate and they'll have the crowd
behind them. The Broncos are missing a couple but I
just don't know if I don't know if the Warriors
can rebuild things in the space of a week. Although
on the other hand, they have to. But yeah, I'll
go with the Broncos here.
Speaker 4 (40:04):
I'm sadly with you. Yeah, it's head over heart for mine.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
And I think the big issues that play will be
interesting Sean Johnson whether he plays or whether he doesn't
play with that hamstring issue. But I think the Broncos
a bit too much class and and B. I think
there's a bit more that meets the idea about the
Warriors at the minute.
Speaker 4 (40:21):
Knights els.
Speaker 6 (40:22):
I've got with the Knights here at home. They've been
They've been one of the unsung teams of the of
the season, I think, because you look at their roster
every week and it definitely doesn't scream star power. But
they're getting results, they're staying in the mix, and they're
a very tough team at home.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Just for the sake of something different, I'm going to
go Paramatta.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
They are now bottom of the table after both the
Tigers and the Titans had wins at the weekend. Of course,
they've got an interim coach and Trent Barrett and yeah,
who knows, I'm just throwing something at the dartboard and
see if it sticks there.
Speaker 4 (40:58):
But Paramoted, I think they've got enough decent players.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
Will be interesting to see if Mitch Moses backs up
from Origin, but yeah, with him and Clint Guthison BacT,
they're definitely a better team than they have been at
AGES this year. The Melbourne Storm are hosting The Camera
Raiders Saturday night.
Speaker 6 (41:13):
Yeah, the Storm just pride themselves and performing. They're the
benchmark on performing throughout Origin, regardless of who's there and
who's missing. They're not missing as many players I guess,
as they have done in previous seasons, but they'll still
be missing a few. But they just get the job
done and it takes something special to beat them in Melbourne.
The Raiders got a good record against Melbourne. They play
(41:34):
the sort of style that the Storm doesn't particularly like.
But I just really like what the Storm are doing
this year. Well I don't like it. I really admire
what the Storm are doing this year and they've just
become a really, really hard time to beat and I
think their form will continue in that way.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
Yeah, completely agree. They're the best system team. Maybe Penrith
has got near their level, but when they can plug
in guys like Bronson, Garlic and Tyrone Wishart and names
I never heard of. When Harry Grant and color Away
discussed to show how influential in particular Craig Bellamy is
on this competition on to Sunday Triple Head of Sunday
(42:11):
Actually so a four o'clock in New Zealand kickoff, so
I mean very early over there in New South Wales are.
Speaker 4 (42:19):
The Dragons hosting the Dolphins.
Speaker 6 (42:21):
This is one of the hardest ones to call, very
very tough to call.
Speaker 5 (42:24):
The Dragons have been have been so up and down.
Speaker 6 (42:27):
Probably their best game of the performance of the season
was that game against the Warriors, and since then it's
been quite muddled. The Dolphins aren't great travelers, or that
they had their first win in Sydney just a couple
of weeks ago, but they perform well again against the
Storm and so I I'll lean towards the Dolphins here, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (42:45):
I'm with you.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
First ever, when in New South Wales, I believe a
couple of weeks ago for the Dolphins over Cronulla that
was super impressive and one I certainly didn't pick. And
that they were in it against the Melbourne Storm at
the weekend as well. So Wayne Bennett, just don Wayne
Bennett thinks and against one of his former teams as
well in the Dragons, he'll be right up for that.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
Are Penrith Cowboys.
Speaker 6 (43:07):
Cowboys have have looked good again since that lost to
the Warriors. But it's always hard to tip against the Panthers,
even though they'll they'll have a few players missing too,
or they might have a few players missing. I will
go with Penrith here. They're at home and they're just
they're a bit like the Storm and that when players
(43:29):
are missing it doesn't affect them as much as it
affects other teams.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
Yep, sit and forget. You don't move your tip off
Kerith the last three or four years and finally a
team that is finally feels like sort of delivering on
their All Star cast. The Sydney Roosters hosting the West
Tigers Benji's Boys two in a row Birch.
Speaker 6 (43:50):
Yeah, well no, that's that's it's extraordinary. What to win
to in a row with the team they've got. I
mean it's pretty don't want to be disrespectful, but it's
a pretty limited roster on paper, but he's getting something
out of them. It's it's it's bloody great. But yeah,
the Roosters, they were I think we're forgotten, but they were,
Like I think they were the favorites to win the
(44:13):
competition at the start of the year, just on the
stread of the roster they had, plus the players they
brought in. Rebounded really well against the Bulldogs on the weekend,
So I think the Roosters are back in the groove
and that that should continue. I mean, the Tigers are playing,
playing on emotion and playing really well, but surely they can't.
Speaker 5 (44:35):
Surely they can't be the Roosters, can they.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Well, stranger things happen at the weekend, but yeah, I'm
with you there as well. That'll do for another edition
of the Big League Podcast. Please follow and write Sir
Nathan will be back I'm sure next Monday alongside Michael Burgers.
Speaker 4 (44:51):
My name is Nick Bewley. Have a fantastic week.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
For more from News Talks, they'd be listen live on
air or online and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.