This week on The Big League Podcast - Warriors great Steve Price analyses the form of Luke Metcalf and describes the pressures of entering a Kiwi team as an Australian with the expectation to lead.
Newstalk ZB's Nathan Limm and NZ Herald's Alex Powell discuss what on earth happened in another Magic Round win for the Warriors, and can they keep it going against the Dragons?
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio The
Big League Podcasts poet by News TALKSB.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, Warriors, Great Steve
Price analyzes the form of Luke Metcalf and describes the
pressures of entering a Kiwi team as an Australian with
the expectation to lead. Alex Powell comes off the interchange
to discuss what on earth happens in another Magic Round
result for the Warriors and can they keep it going
against the Dragons. My name is Nathan Limb. Let's go
(00:47):
god b LB. Oh my goodness me. Don't get carried away.
Do not get carried away. We've been hurt before. Oh
stuff it? What's the fun in that? That was one
of the greatest games of rugby league I've ever seen
in my life. Magic Round delivers again. How many people
shit their pants during the second half? The Warriors followed
(01:09):
up the best half of the year with eight minutes
of utter calamity, just toying with our fragile hearts, before
Luke Metcalf backed up a match of attacking brilliance with
a defining tri saving tackle on Murray too Langy in
the corner. Cowboys coach Todd Peyton said after the game,
the Warriors are a top four team and you know
(01:30):
what they might well be. Alex Powell, New Zealand Herald,
rid it, did you shit your pants in the second half?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
No, my pants remained unsoiled as they have all season.
Oh good, but no, you're right, what a what a game?
It feels like every game this year we're looking at
the Warriors and going, well, that was their best win.
You know, they keep going to new levels and I
think that's what they really missed last year, that they
really did well in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
The tight wins, the tightewins are the thing that actually
you wrote about in the Herald after the game. Seven
games they lost last year by six or less than
you won three by that margin, and this year they've
already got those three.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You look back over this modern era of the Aner,
you look at the Panther's in the Storm in particular,
they just win those tight games like it's such a
vital thing to win ugly, to play poorly and still
get two points. And the Warriors just haven't been able
to do it for a long time. It's been such
arranging issue, like every coach has struggled with this. But
if they have managed to turn that corner now, then
(02:29):
it can't come soon enough. They keep doing those like
I don't care if they win every game like that
to the end of the season, you know, because they
are wins, and they are wins you benefit from.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
We're going to hear from Warrior's Great Steve Price next
about the form of Luke Metcalf. But first, here are
the highlights Warriors thirty, Cowboys twenty six.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Here we go Medcart, sub choice pass, poble light.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So it's a larious try.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Here's Metcart floating to the left, winking up. Harris to Foda,
just concious play for Red Corsey who gets over in
the corner, lovely passer. The days he's got Padua, he's
outside eye.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Guess it's not times doesn't even look like and he's
over to have got to hers to day. I'm mental.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Mental is over and if he's cutting down, he's got
number two. Neil comes down. The middle of dating is close, dude,
it is over. Cowboys struck back dead and near.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
The second there the popis a lot. They're coming out
of it, but they're not gonna get him. Wan to
finish for the first half of.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
The Lawris Cid kicking before the last.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
He comes Derby.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
He comes Derby and if he come to Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
There's the pass.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
It's carried up by Tell Money, he's gonna stol.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Rolls it in and perdue. Oh no, down scores. This
is a big chance. This is a big chance he's
over again.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Tell Money.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
His leags got with yes, I do yes, Sprisavor From
that time, it's the beauty. This is the sort of
when you could build a season on the Warriors.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
There six Men of the Year. It just gives you goosebumps.
Audio courtesy of Fox Sports The Big League Podcast. We
are very lucky to be joined on The Big League
Podcast by former Warriors captain Warriors great Steve Price. Steve,
thank you so much for your time. I understand you
were in Magic Route, you were at sun Corpse Stadium
(04:36):
for all the games when you do want how was it?
Did you enjoy? It was a fantastic round of NRAL.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
Yeah, it was really really good.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
You know, the atmosphere and so many people from so
many parts of Australian and Zealand probably even even further
than that, but all in their colors and all going
the suncourt. Yeah, to celebrate regularly.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
It was great. It was really good.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
The atmosphere just looked insane. It looked electric, even with
the rain and sort of the poor conditions that were around.
And the rugby league definitely didn't disappoint. But obviously I
want to talk to you about this Warriors game. I
thought that was one of the most pulsating games of
rugby league I've ever seen. The Warriors Cowboys on Saturday
Night Webster Andrew Webster said afterwards that he thinks he
(05:22):
needs a heart transplant. I feel like I aged about
thirty years watching that. How did you find it?
Speaker 6 (05:28):
Yeah? It was one of those games where one team
was sort of in control of and then another team,
you know, got an opportunity and took a couple of
opportunities and really brought it back to.
Speaker 5 (05:38):
Me in a very close game.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
So I think it would have been a bit easier
on everyone if you know the Boys that had kept
on going. But yeah, I mean the Cowboys are pretty
good team as well.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, for sure, And I did want to talk to
you about Luke Metcalf and I guess his performance because
I think it's fair to say that earlier in the season,
especially off the back of Las Vegas, and there were
early questions around the Warriors attack, he was under a
wee bit of pressure, and that performance it just felt
like he sort of went to another gear. He found
this sort of new vain of form. He scored two
(06:09):
tries five from seven off the team. He was putting
his teammates into space the running meters. I mean, what
did you think, first of all of his performance and
what made it so good in comparison to what he's
brought earlier.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
In the year.
Speaker 6 (06:21):
Yeah, I think when Warriors brought Luke, you know, obviously
saw a lot of potential in him, still a shorty
there at the club to sort of mentor him and
help him. And unfortunately he's had a few injuries over
the last few years, so he's never really had that
opportunity to be able to play a number of games
in a row and start to build that confidence in
those combinations and all that sort of stuff. Now, surely
(06:44):
he's no route, you know, it is up to someone
like Luke to take control and yeah, things can go
well over in Vegas.
Speaker 5 (06:53):
But that happens.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
You know, the Warriors weren't go any team you know
that didn't get their their stuff right in.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
The first week.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
And yeah, it was games like iust of players on
the weekend that you look forward to for guys like
Luke to be I'll show what they can do, for
them to be able to do what they can do,
and then get that confidence so that they can then
go on and keep doing it. So the biggest thing
for Luke is to be able to stay on the
field and you know, take that confidence from not only
(07:25):
the weekend just gone, but he's done some really good
things through this season and even his career at the Warriors,
and just keep building on that.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Mate.
Speaker 6 (07:34):
The biggest thing for a ball player, you know, and
a half back five eight, you know, miss Spine, is
to be able to run the team and be confident
enough to be able to push his players around under
the game plan that the coach has got and the
boys understand that and you know you'll get results like
(07:56):
the boys have been getting over the last few weeks.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
And it wasn't just as a tech obviously that try
saving tackle or marital lungey in the corner, which actually
proved to be the difference. If he hadn't made that tackle,
the Warriors probably wouldn't have won. How impressed to you.
I guess both his defensive efforts as well off the ball.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
Yeah, mate, Again, you know, there are all things that
as a player that's got a bit more confidence and
that type of thing around, and they play the way
that they normally play, and that's all everyone at the
club want work to do, is just to play his
footy and have the confidence to do that on the
NRL arena and some players don't sort of ever get
(08:35):
the chance to do that, and it's really good to
see Luke doing that at the moment and I'm sure
his teammates loved it as well as his supporters, and
as you say, it made the difference in the game.
So that's what you hope your teammates are going to
do when they get that opportunity. But for him to
even be in that position and then pull it off
was it was what you hope and what you're trained for,
(08:57):
and he was able to do it in a big
lament in the game.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Well, can you talk through what the experience is like
coming into a new Zealand team the Warriors as an
Australian and having that expectation to lead. I know Luke's
not the captain, but being the hardback you have to
lead the team around the field. And obviously you have
that experience coming into the Warriors as sort of an
outsider you're not in New Zealander and then taking on
that leadership Roland having other people look to you for
(09:22):
that guidance.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
What is that?
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Is that intimidating?
Speaker 6 (09:26):
It's very different. You're not sure what to expect. And
I've got to say I learned so much about leadership.
You know, probably it was lucky enough at the Bulldogs
to be a leader, but took ten years to get
to that stage. And yeah, then when I went to
the Warriors, I had some amazing other leaders in the
(09:47):
team at Reuben and you know, we had a whole
heap Stacey, were any Logan Lance, a whole heap of
other leaders in the team. So just because you've got
to see beside your name doesn't mean that you're the
one and only. And I think Luke has been able
to you know, in the games that he's played. And
as I said, yeah, like you had guys like Sewan
(10:08):
Johnson and Teho and these sort of guys to be
able to train with every day, run around the footage field,
you know, and start to understand what sort of things
that they do and how much of an impact that
has on the team and in games. And then as
you get more mature and you start to build your
game and build your confidence, you start to work out
(10:30):
how you're going to be able to do that in
the team. So, you know, I don't think he would
have changed himself too much as a player. It's just
that now you know there is no Shawn Johnson and
someone like Luke has to take over. And you know,
he's been able to do that a few times this year,
and hopefully you can just keep on doing that because
(10:51):
you know, that's the development of a player and the
development of leadership and maturity of a player.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
So that's just a natural progression.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
And unfortunately there's players that you don't realize that they
need to do that at different times, or don't realize.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
How much of an impact they have on on a team.
Speaker 6 (11:09):
And yeah, at the moment where it's realizing that and
he's just doing what he does and that's really helpful
for the boys.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
So he just got to keep doing that mate.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I mean, how different is it an Australian environment compared
to a more New Zealand environment, Because ironically the Warriors
have done pretty well over the last few years when
we've had an Australian coach, an Australian CEO, we've now
got an Australian captain as well. How what what do
Australians bring to a New Zealand environment that changes? It's
(11:40):
what's different about the way you guys do it compared
to more New Zealand environment.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
Well, I think first starters. But particularly when I went
over there to New Zealand, you know, obviously rugby unions,
you know, massive spoiled in the country. It's almost like
a religion. So you sort of go over there and
it's very different as they been when I was in Sydney,
where you've got nine teams and regular league is the
(12:06):
game in the town. So you know, there's a lot
more publicity about about your teams in Australia in those
towns and you can't sort of escape it, whereas in
New Zealand and it was very different. It was you know,
everyone was worried more about you know, Ali Williams or
Dean Carter or Richard McCaw in in in Auckland rather
(12:31):
than you know, Steve Price or whoever else. And I
sort of enjoyed that. Actually, it was good because yeah,
you could just get down and do your work and
really enjoyed it. And then when you do that success,
you know, everyone really got behind the team. And that's
certainly what's happened over the last few years, probably post COVID.
(12:51):
I mean last year, every game, every home game was
sold out. That's just so amazing for the club. I
loved playing at Mount Smart even when I was at
the Bulldogs, because every time we played the Warriors. The
Bulldogs have really good support in New Zealand as well,
so it'd always be either a sellout or close to
being a sellout. Both had good teams. Whereas now every
(13:15):
week the Boys get to play in front of a sellout,
which is so incredible as a player, as an opponent,
it's pretty intimidating, and yeah, I think that's really helping them.
I mean, the team sitting at second at the moment
on the NRL Ladder, which is probably one of the
best starts I think the club's ever had. I can't
remember when I was at the club where we were
(13:36):
sitting even in the top eight early in the season.
It just didn't happen and we tried to work out
why it wasn't happening, but we couldn't work it out.
So a really good start to the year, and you know,
the boys just keep on building on it. But I
don't really think it's really got much to do with
whether you're a strain or your cgen or whatever. I
think that's what is different about the Warriors is that
(13:58):
you do have so much of a cultural diversity, and
the greatest thing about that is that whole mix and
understanding and respecting all that and coming together as one.
And that's what I really enjoyed. I think when I
went to the Warriors, we had four bossies in our
team at the time, and you know, the rest of
(14:19):
the squad was made up of a whole heap of
different guys from the Island and New Zealand and obviously Maori.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
But we all done really, really well, and you know.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
Different guys would take up different leadership roles in different
scenarios depending on what we're working with, and it really
really worked well.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Mate.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
I learned so much about leadership and about you know,
how to deal with young men and get help get
the best out of them. But they taught me so
much and hopefully I was able to pass on a
little bit of stuff to them as well. And you
know people always talk about oh, you've got to have
this and you've got to have that. It's not at all.
It's if you had a group of guys who were
(15:01):
together with the same purpose and want to work hard
for each other and have a leader that they respect,
both in a coach and in there sort of seen
you playing group, then there's no reason why you can't
achieve you know what the clubs lean try and achieve
in its whole history and.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Along as similar Vain. What have you made of Mitch
Barnet's captaincy.
Speaker 6 (15:21):
Yeah, I've really been Maye. I've really been impressed. The
only disappointment about Mitchie is that he's from New South Wales.
I've a message him and I actually got to meet
him a couple of times and I've been over for
old boys games and different things and I've been straight
(15:42):
up with him. I've just said, mate, what you've been
doing at the Warrior is I've watched you when you're
playing the previous years in your career, and he's actually
the light switched on.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
He's loving it.
Speaker 6 (15:54):
Obviously his footy is really suiting what the coach is wanting.
And yeah, to have him and James as your leaders,
you know, as you recognize I suppose named captains.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
I think you can't have to better guys.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
And when we're going through the whole discussion, I had
asked the question who should be and I said the
ideal world would be probably both of those guys. But
if you picked one of those guys, that's amazing as well.
And the club did pick both of them because they
just standouts and Whichie. You know, he's actually just being himself, mate,
(16:30):
and you just see his improvement every year. Now his
name is up there with all of the paint hashes
and everything when they're talking new South Wales selection, which
is a huge you know, I don't know, accomplishment for him,
but he doesn't just sit on that. You know, you
just see him trying to improve every week, every off season,
(16:53):
in every game, and that's what you want to be
as a player. And yeah, he's like an a good
old bottle of wine, mate, he's getting better with age.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Todd Payton said after the game he thinks the Warriors
are a top four team this year. Do you agree.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
I think the best thing that can happen is you're
not worried about all that stuff, because I think one
of the issues that we had when I was at
the club was that every time we get talked up,
unfortunately we wouldn't sort of back it up in performance.
So yeah, the less worried about all that sort of stuff.
If the boys keep doing what they're doing at the moment,
(17:29):
all that stuff will look after itself. Top two, top four.
You just got to be in the top eight to
be given it a crack. And the high you can
finish up obviously the better or the lower. I know,
how you look at it. The best way to be
looking at it in the top four, in the top two,
but no matter where you finish, you make it the
best anyway, and it just gives you more chances and
(17:52):
better situations. But at the moment, the boys just got
to keep enjoying what they're doing, mate. And yeah, you know,
I looked at the table and yesterday and not that
I was surprised, but yeah, I was looking at it going, ho, well,
look at that. So our teams one and two, you know, amazing,
like so good and sort of gone under the radar
(18:14):
a little bit, I reckon, and that's probably because of
what happened.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
In round one.
Speaker 6 (18:19):
Yeah, everyone so not raid them off, but there was
so much expectation and then everyone was a bit disappointed.
But yeah, they've just gone back to the drawing board
and done what they've set out to do in the
offseason and now they're sitting where they would have liked
to have been sitting at this time.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Of the year.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
This is the Big League Podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
This is going yeah, the Big League Podcast on the
Warriors band Wagons.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
It's d one, Okay, Alex Powe. Let's go through this
game and a little bit more detail. But we're going
to talk about Luke Metcalf first, just touching on what
Steve Price mentioned about how far he has come and
I guess what he likes about Luke Metcalf. Two tries
five from seven off the tea, seven tackle breaks, one
hundred and sixty two running meters, three hundred and eleven
(19:05):
kick meters, and the tri saving tackle. Murray Taul Lungy,
We've su says the first half was Metcalfe's beast.
Speaker 7 (19:11):
Ever, he's gone really well at learning to play what
manages the game, and he certainly is playing and managing
really well. Soniy Michanell did a great job. Thought were
defensively way better in the first half, which gave them
an opportunity to play.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Very hard to disagree with anything that Andrews said. They're
also very good that Chanell Harris to be to mention that,
I think those twous are combo. Like we talked so
much at the start of the year about is this
the right way to do it? Do you play to
Mighty Martin at six? You bring in a tannerboid? But
this is why that is, so they can grow together
and be a halves combo that develops together as a pair. Look,
I don't know how we think of Luke metcalf because
(19:46):
he's twenty six years old. We tend to talk about
him like he's this young player who's just come on
the scene. Like obviously he's had his injury woes that
has stopped and developing at the rate another you know,
sort of half back in that position would. But the
Warriors are now benefiting from showing the faith in him.
You know, you look at the way he ran a game.
That was the criticism of him. Remember after Vegas, Well,
is he a game managing half?
Speaker 5 (20:05):
No, he's not.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Well now he's learning to be one, which you know,
and that's what Andrew ebs said, like, if we give
him time, he will reward us. And he's done that.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Well. I think we talk about him in that way
as if he's this new kid, because he's only played
what nine games at half back, ten games starting at
half back something like that, so he is fresh in
that role. And I got it wrong. I was calling
for tomat and Martin to come back even into five eighths,
just to show a bit more leadership and that halfs
and Andrew Websley, as he said, has repaid the faith.
(20:33):
I think a few weeks ago you were calling for
them to switch over. Yeah, Chanelle to play half back.
Luke Mick I mean we can admit we got that wrong.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
I look at Luke Metcalfe as a running half and
think the criticism there was wanted, like he wasn't a
game managing seven, right, but you look at Sean Johnson
at that age and neither was he. You do need
to learn how to do it. You look at the
ral and all the leading half back because they are
apart from Nathan Clary, they're all sort of like thirty plus.
You know, you need that experience to actually become a
proper match winning half back.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
If we go and look at the game itself, I
thought the Cowboys attack looked really good early, just in
that first few minutes. Scott drink Water looked really different.
To contain. The Cowboys dominated the stats. They had the
edge in possession runs, run meters, post contact meters, tackle breaks,
average set distance, kick return meters, offloads, passes, fource dropouts,
(21:22):
but they made more errors and the Warriors were benefiting
in that first half by the Cowboys grubbering it dead,
bombing put a bomb went up, just went out on
the full. There was those things that were really then
the Cowboys down and a first half in which they
conceidered what twenty eight points they should have. They should
have dominated that match based on the stat line.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
I mean, how many of those stats were swung in
the second half. Thought like, if we took those stats
at halftime, I imagine it's a very different picture. But
it's like goes back to what I was saying though,
to win ugly, you know, to absorb all that pressure
and not give anything away. Like you remember how many
like before the Warriors open the scoring, the Cowboys had
a couple of sets on the Warrior's line and they
just didn't give anything away.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
You look at how many tackles much Bunett made. You
look how many tackles Aaron Clark made. Like these guys
are really good as a defensive unit. Like you forget
for a two Webster, how poor as that defense was.
But remember the first game between twenty three and the
Warriors just defended sepset against Newcastle Arlington on their own line,
and at that point onwards, they really have been a
good defensive strategy, defensive team. Like Andrew Webster was the
(22:22):
defense coach at Penrith, you know, so you'd like to
think that's what he brings to the table. And I
think we are just seeing it, like you're not. These
things an't gonna happen. I'm like, this is the third
year Andrew Webbs has been there, and I think his
fingerprints are now completely on this team if they already weren't.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
So what happened in the second half that eight minutes
where the Cowboys scored three tries. Scott drink Water just
flicked a switch. The Warriors right edge defense I think
had trouble after Rockerberry went off with a hamstring injury.
Cape Well was just getting gassed a bit on the
outside and he did He did brilliant. He almost pulled
off a try saving tackle in the corner similar to Metcalfs,
(22:56):
but they just managed to stay in. But it just
felt like the Warrior's right edge defense. So the Cowboys
leftage attack. The Cowboys were able to punch holes from
there and then you can pound that with the eras
the Halla Seema drop Chanelle Harris de Vita Knox.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
It dead.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Metcalf's drop out then doesn't go ten. It felt like,
oh no, they're going to blow this somehow.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I think you're bang on about Scott drink Water. Like
we talk so much in journalism about you know, representative football,
and we talked for the New South Wales's jumper about
James Fesco versus Dellan It was I don't know why
Scott drink Water doesn't get a mention. I'm pretty sure
he's in New South watchman. I meant if he's not,
I might be a red face. But he is so good,
Like I know there has been issues with him disciplinarily,
like when Shawn Johnson should have won the Daly m
in twenty twenty three. Scott Drinkwater led that race for
(23:37):
a long time, but then he got suspended and therefore
becomes ineligible to win it. The other player I really
want to mention the Cowboys is Reece Robson. Like I've
written a couple of bits about Wade Egan, should he
be playing state of origin for New South Wales. Reece
Robsons the incumbent, and I think we all got to
remind her exactly why, Like you don't see Wade egg
can get out played too often, but he did there.
You know, Reece Robson really had his number.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And speaking of that eight minutes, coach Andrew Webster even
was a nervous wreck.
Speaker 7 (24:02):
Emotions a heart transplant, that's for sure. My emotions also
really proud, like we've got some guys busted in there
that hung in there. We just were making it so
hard for ourselves.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Metcalf obviously, then with that try saving tackle in the
corner which proved the difference another couple of players we
need to just mention quickly. Aaron Clark into everything, just
a battering ram, especially in that first half, and Adam
Pompey with the intercept try the pace kepts off dominant
first half.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
I think you give Aeron Clark the Simon Manoring middle.
Now I think he is going to absolutely walk that.
This year he has been so like did you hear
his interview after the game with Fox Sports, talked about
how much he just loves being part of this team. Geez,
I love that. You know, there's a local boy who
had to go away, grow up a bit, play a
bit of footing somewhere else for the Gold Coast and
now he's come back and he is the player that
they need. You know, last time I was on here,
(24:50):
we spoke about how he was an improvement on toy
of Aras and I felt a bit wrong sat at
the time because of the player that Tau who was
for the Warriors. But right now, Aaron Clark is an upgrade.
And that's what I said a few weeks go. I'm
saying it again, like they have done so well to
get him.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
On the board.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Is Adam Pompy the most underappreciated Warrior.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Yes, I've been saying it for years.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
He'd been named on the wing, was forced into see him.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It's way too much shit does he I think he
cops heaps of crap from the Warriors fan base.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
I feel like he's not talked about. And maybe that's
just me looking through a media lens, but he sort
of goes under the radar. But anytime, like you remember
that first season, I think he played all but ten
minutes of the Warriors season because he got simmoned in
that last time against Brisbane. But like Andrew Webster and
the coach are the ones that see him every week
and training, they know exactly what it brings and they
never have any issue in going back to him whenever
(25:36):
they need a job done.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Sam healyy what a debut coming off the bench. He
didn't come in to talk a straight away because Wadegan
was still on the field. He came on for Jackson Ford.
I guess he effectively played as a middle but almost
called the match ceiling try with that. Grubber made a
big tack on the second to last defensive seat as well.
Webster says Healey will get more game time if he
keeps working hard.
Speaker 7 (25:56):
He's definitely confident in his own ability. He did one
of those in the week of training for a pretty
good moment too. Yeah, like he backs himself. Cerling wasn't
out there to make up the numbers and now you
want to have an impact.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
I know I just said about Aaron Clay, but the
Warrior's recruitment team have done a bloody good job to
get Sam Healey as well. I know that Cronulla were
devastated to lose him. They really saw a huge future him,
but he just didn't see a way into the first
grade team with Brayley being their hooker. So I look,
it has been a concern this year, the lack of
a genuine second number nine, like Freddy Lassick's not really well.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
They haven't given him a chance this year. He did
okay last year.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
He did okay last year, but it is it's a
very noticeable drop off from when you swap Egan out.
I do agree do it and like you see, like
Aaron Clark's gone him to hook her a couple of times,
like Sanel Harris to been is doing it at the
moment and probably don't want him playing there.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Well, he doesn't like it. Well, it's not this podcast
a couple of weeks ago that he hates.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
So if that's if they're having to be like cautious
and sort of guide Sam Heeley through to give him
a chance. I really did the same with Luke Metcalfe.
He wasn't rushed and straight away he got injured at
the start twenty and twenty three and they sort of
drip fed him through until giving him all the all
the chance he needed last year and now. So if
that's what they do with Sam Heley, then I think
they've shown that they know how to do it.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Should Leka Halaesima be the starting second rower? And what
do you make of his haircut?
Speaker 3 (27:09):
We'll start with the heck, I thought it was very
Jerry Collins, which it.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Was, it was, I remember you making that comment in
the newsroom.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
I don't know what to do with like Ahalasima because
he can clearly do both very well. So it's where
does he have the most impact for the Warriors, if
that's as a starting player, Like I think we fall
into a trap of assigning too much value to who's
a star and who's an interchange bench. Like it is
very much a role based thing and now are very
different roles. Like Russell Packer spoke very well about it
a couple of years ago about being a starting an
(27:36):
arrol Ford is very different from being an interchange in
eral Ford. So if he can do both, then awesome.
But I mean, if he is showing the Warriors that
he deserves to start, then let him run.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
It just depends if you want near Cordy in the
front row and you just take jackson Ford off, or
you hit stick with Capel and the accordion and then
Halaesima provides that bunch that punch birch prefers him on
the interchange. I think he can do both. I do
really like him coming on midway through the second half
and just punching through some tide forwards.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Yeah, you remember that game against the Tigers when he
came on and just gas a couple of guys down
the wing. You know, his natural attributes are just so
like all the Warriors talk about. Like Mitch Barnett spoke
about after that Tiger's game said, he is the most
talented player we've got. Like, I know that talent doesn't
make an NURL player. We've seen so many guys with
talent come through and just not kick on because they
don't work hard. But every indication is that Lekahala Semer
(28:25):
works hard, like is going to be such a good
player for the Warriors.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
Big League Podcast.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Well, the Warriors visit the Dragons and Wollongong on Saturday night.
The Dragons sit tenth on the ladder, three wins, five losses.
They're coming off thirty four to twenty eight loss to
the Tigers. But you know who the Dragon's beat a
few weeks ago, the Storm. What is this competition? New
nineteen year old halfback like in King Pomnia born in
(28:51):
New Zealand, by the way, started alongside Kyle Flanagan against
the Tigers after Lachlan Elias how he got the ax
because he's been struggling for form this year. So it's
a new look Harve's combination. We don't know the team yet,
but presumably they'll come out again. You've also got the
likes of Clint Gufherson, the captain at fullback. But the
area of the Dragon against lineup that looks most potent
to me and that I'd be most aware of as
(29:12):
the censors. Valentine Home, Moses Sooley will be extremely challenging
to stop on the edges.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Especially if Rockerberry's out, Like I think it goes like
we've talked about Adam probably going under the radar. But
the job that rocker Berry does in defense is so
underrated it's criminal. You look at how many one on
one opportunities he just stops, you know, like it's being
a defensive player then or old you will never get
your flowers. But that is Rockerberry's strongest suit for me,
is what he does for that defense.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Did you see Jaden Sewers drop completely? He just needed
to fall down, and that Tiger's game had the ball
over the line is knee, he kneed the ball out
of his own hand, dropped at the Tigers go up
the other end the score.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
And they lost by a converted try and they lost
by converted trick. You'd feel for him.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I mean that was to go and go twenty to
sixteen and kick to come just going into half time
as well.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Yeah, we saw what the Warriors. You know these things
can you know these results can come down to just
one moment. You know that's not unique. But me, you're
just hoping it doesn't happen. To you this week.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
They bombed another try as well shortly afterwards in the
second half on the right edge was just just a
crap pass. It sailed over the Wigger's head. So maybe
they do a few more things like that this weekend.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
I don't know what's making the Dragons. They sort of
remind me of the Warriors last year, like they might
play the lights out one game and knock the Storm over,
but then they're going to be crapped two.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Yeah, I do agree. It's an inconsistency, but in this
competition with everyone knocking over everyone, it's so hard to
find that consistency, and that's what's made to warror. So
I'm presive.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
The Big League Podcast on the Warriors Bad Wagons since
day one, the Big League Podcast for the biggest league fans.
Speaker 8 (30:48):
All right, quick five predictions as zoom through this Alex
Powell for the next round of NRL Action Eels, Dolphins, Eels, Eels,
I'm going to agree with you there, Knights Titans nights.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
I'm going to go with the Knights as well. Ran
straight over the top of the Rabbit o's who are
up next against the Broncos. What is going on at
the Rabbit.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
O's who knows, you know, like Wayne Bennett's gone back,
like they've they've they actually have got a lot of injuries,
you know, and they might have lost John Gray for
this one as well. Say man, I think the Broncos
get up.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, but losing twenty two points to them, I think
the Broncos get up as well. Greatest Bulldogs, Bulldogs still
winning top of the ladder.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I think the Raiders.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
You think the Raiders why either're at home?
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Okay and b They've just tended to storm over That
is true.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
I'm gonna go with the Bulldogs though, Dragon's Warriors Warriors,
Warriors to win a fourth in a row. Cowboys Panthers, Uh, Cowboys.
I'm gonna go with the Cowboys as well. Yeah, it's
just not the Panthers, Storm Tigers, Storm Storm and Seagle
Sharks Sharks. I agree with you there, Alex Powell, Thank
(31:50):
you so much for your time, your wisdom, insight. Please
follow and rate the podcast. My name is Nathan Limb.
Will be back next Monday. Have a fantastic week.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
For more from News Talks d B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows we you wherever
you go.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Without podcasts on iHeartRadio,
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio The
Big League Podcasts poet by News TALKSB.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, Warriors, Great Steve
Price analyzes the form of Luke Metcalf and describes the
pressures of entering a Kiwi team as an Australian with
the expectation to lead. Alex Powell comes off the interchange
to discuss what on earth happens in another Magic Round
result for the Warriors and can they keep it going
against the Dragons. My name is Nathan Limb. Let's go
(00:47):
god b LB. Oh my goodness me. Don't get carried away.
Do not get carried away. We've been hurt before. Oh
stuff it? What's the fun in that? That was one
of the greatest games of rugby league I've ever seen
in my life. Magic Round delivers again. How many people
shit their pants during the second half? The Warriors followed
(01:09):
up the best half of the year with eight minutes
of utter calamity, just toying with our fragile hearts, before
Luke Metcalf backed up a match of attacking brilliance with
a defining tri saving tackle on Murray too Langy in
the corner. Cowboys coach Todd Peyton said after the game,
the Warriors are a top four team and you know
(01:30):
what they might well be. Alex Powell, New Zealand Herald,
rid it, did you shit your pants in the second half?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
No, my pants remained unsoiled as they have all season.
Oh good, but no, you're right, what a what a game?
It feels like every game this year we're looking at
the Warriors and going, well, that was their best win.
You know, they keep going to new levels and I
think that's what they really missed last year, that they
really did well in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
The tight wins, the tightewins are the thing that actually
you wrote about in the Herald after the game. Seven
games they lost last year by six or less than
you won three by that margin, and this year they've
already got those three.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You look back over this modern era of the Aner,
you look at the Panther's in the Storm in particular,
they just win those tight games like it's such a
vital thing to win ugly, to play poorly and still
get two points. And the Warriors just haven't been able
to do it for a long time. It's been such
arranging issue, like every coach has struggled with this. But
if they have managed to turn that corner now, then
(02:29):
it can't come soon enough. They keep doing those like
I don't care if they win every game like that
to the end of the season, you know, because they
are wins, and they are wins you benefit from.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
We're going to hear from Warrior's Great Steve Price next
about the form of Luke Metcalf. But first, here are
the highlights Warriors thirty, Cowboys twenty six.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Here we go Medcart, sub choice pass, poble light.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So it's a larious try.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Here's Metcart floating to the left, winking up. Harris to Foda,
just concious play for Red Corsey who gets over in
the corner, lovely passer. The days he's got Padua, he's
outside eye.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Guess it's not times doesn't even look like and he's
over to have got to hers to day. I'm mental.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Mental is over and if he's cutting down, he's got
number two. Neil comes down. The middle of dating is close, dude,
it is over. Cowboys struck back dead and near.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
The second there the popis a lot. They're coming out
of it, but they're not gonna get him. Wan to
finish for the first half of.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
The Lawris Cid kicking before the last.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
He comes Derby.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
He comes Derby and if he come to Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
There's the pass.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
It's carried up by Tell Money, he's gonna stol.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Rolls it in and perdue. Oh no, down scores. This
is a big chance. This is a big chance he's
over again.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Tell Money.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
His leags got with yes, I do yes, Sprisavor From
that time, it's the beauty. This is the sort of
when you could build a season on the Warriors.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
There six Men of the Year. It just gives you goosebumps.
Audio courtesy of Fox Sports The Big League Podcast. We
are very lucky to be joined on The Big League
Podcast by former Warriors captain Warriors great Steve Price. Steve,
thank you so much for your time. I understand you
were in Magic Route, you were at sun Corpse Stadium
(04:36):
for all the games when you do want how was it?
Did you enjoy? It was a fantastic round of NRAL.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
Yeah, it was really really good.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
You know, the atmosphere and so many people from so
many parts of Australian and Zealand probably even even further
than that, but all in their colors and all going
the suncourt. Yeah, to celebrate regularly.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
It was great. It was really good.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
The atmosphere just looked insane. It looked electric, even with
the rain and sort of the poor conditions that were around.
And the rugby league definitely didn't disappoint. But obviously I
want to talk to you about this Warriors game. I
thought that was one of the most pulsating games of
rugby league I've ever seen. The Warriors Cowboys on Saturday
Night Webster Andrew Webster said afterwards that he thinks he
(05:22):
needs a heart transplant. I feel like I aged about
thirty years watching that. How did you find it?
Speaker 6 (05:28):
Yeah? It was one of those games where one team
was sort of in control of and then another team,
you know, got an opportunity and took a couple of
opportunities and really brought it back to.
Speaker 5 (05:38):
Me in a very close game.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
So I think it would have been a bit easier
on everyone if you know the Boys that had kept
on going. But yeah, I mean the Cowboys are pretty
good team as well.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, for sure, And I did want to talk to
you about Luke Metcalf and I guess his performance because
I think it's fair to say that earlier in the season,
especially off the back of Las Vegas, and there were
early questions around the Warriors attack, he was under a
wee bit of pressure, and that performance it just felt
like he sort of went to another gear. He found
this sort of new vain of form. He scored two
(06:09):
tries five from seven off the team. He was putting
his teammates into space the running meters. I mean, what
did you think, first of all of his performance and
what made it so good in comparison to what he's
brought earlier.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
In the year.
Speaker 6 (06:21):
Yeah, I think when Warriors brought Luke, you know, obviously
saw a lot of potential in him, still a shorty
there at the club to sort of mentor him and
help him. And unfortunately he's had a few injuries over
the last few years, so he's never really had that
opportunity to be able to play a number of games
in a row and start to build that confidence in
those combinations and all that sort of stuff. Now, surely
(06:44):
he's no route, you know, it is up to someone
like Luke to take control and yeah, things can go
well over in Vegas.
Speaker 5 (06:53):
But that happens.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
You know, the Warriors weren't go any team you know
that didn't get their their stuff right in.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
The first week.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
And yeah, it was games like iust of players on
the weekend that you look forward to for guys like
Luke to be I'll show what they can do, for
them to be able to do what they can do,
and then get that confidence so that they can then
go on and keep doing it. So the biggest thing
for Luke is to be able to stay on the
field and you know, take that confidence from not only
(07:25):
the weekend just gone, but he's done some really good
things through this season and even his career at the Warriors,
and just keep building on that.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Mate.
Speaker 6 (07:34):
The biggest thing for a ball player, you know, and
a half back five eight, you know, miss Spine, is
to be able to run the team and be confident
enough to be able to push his players around under
the game plan that the coach has got and the
boys understand that and you know you'll get results like
(07:56):
the boys have been getting over the last few weeks.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
And it wasn't just as a tech obviously that try
saving tackle or marital lungey in the corner, which actually
proved to be the difference. If he hadn't made that tackle,
the Warriors probably wouldn't have won. How impressed to you.
I guess both his defensive efforts as well off the ball.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
Yeah, mate, Again, you know, there are all things that
as a player that's got a bit more confidence and
that type of thing around, and they play the way
that they normally play, and that's all everyone at the
club want work to do, is just to play his
footy and have the confidence to do that on the
NRL arena and some players don't sort of ever get
(08:35):
the chance to do that, and it's really good to
see Luke doing that at the moment and I'm sure
his teammates loved it as well as his supporters, and
as you say, it made the difference in the game.
So that's what you hope your teammates are going to
do when they get that opportunity. But for him to
even be in that position and then pull it off
was it was what you hope and what you're trained for,
(08:57):
and he was able to do it in a big
lament in the game.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Well, can you talk through what the experience is like
coming into a new Zealand team the Warriors as an
Australian and having that expectation to lead. I know Luke's
not the captain, but being the hardback you have to
lead the team around the field. And obviously you have
that experience coming into the Warriors as sort of an
outsider you're not in New Zealander and then taking on
that leadership Roland having other people look to you for
(09:22):
that guidance.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
What is that?
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Is that intimidating?
Speaker 6 (09:26):
It's very different. You're not sure what to expect. And
I've got to say I learned so much about leadership.
You know, probably it was lucky enough at the Bulldogs
to be a leader, but took ten years to get
to that stage. And yeah, then when I went to
the Warriors, I had some amazing other leaders in the
(09:47):
team at Reuben and you know, we had a whole
heap Stacey, were any Logan Lance, a whole heap of
other leaders in the team. So just because you've got
to see beside your name doesn't mean that you're the
one and only. And I think Luke has been able
to you know, in the games that he's played. And
as I said, yeah, like you had guys like Sewan
(10:08):
Johnson and Teho and these sort of guys to be
able to train with every day, run around the footage field,
you know, and start to understand what sort of things
that they do and how much of an impact that
has on the team and in games. And then as
you get more mature and you start to build your
game and build your confidence, you start to work out
(10:30):
how you're going to be able to do that in
the team. So, you know, I don't think he would
have changed himself too much as a player. It's just
that now you know there is no Shawn Johnson and
someone like Luke has to take over. And you know,
he's been able to do that a few times this year,
and hopefully you can just keep on doing that because
(10:51):
you know, that's the development of a player and the
development of leadership and maturity of a player.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
So that's just a natural progression.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
And unfortunately there's players that you don't realize that they
need to do that at different times, or don't realize.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
How much of an impact they have on on a team.
Speaker 6 (11:09):
And yeah, at the moment where it's realizing that and
he's just doing what he does and that's really helpful
for the boys.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
So he just got to keep doing that mate.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I mean, how different is it an Australian environment compared
to a more New Zealand environment, Because ironically the Warriors
have done pretty well over the last few years when
we've had an Australian coach, an Australian CEO, we've now
got an Australian captain as well. How what what do
Australians bring to a New Zealand environment that changes? It's
(11:40):
what's different about the way you guys do it compared
to more New Zealand environment.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
Well, I think first starters. But particularly when I went
over there to New Zealand, you know, obviously rugby unions,
you know, massive spoiled in the country. It's almost like
a religion. So you sort of go over there and
it's very different as they been when I was in Sydney,
where you've got nine teams and regular league is the
(12:06):
game in the town. So you know, there's a lot
more publicity about about your teams in Australia in those
towns and you can't sort of escape it, whereas in
New Zealand and it was very different. It was you know,
everyone was worried more about you know, Ali Williams or
Dean Carter or Richard McCaw in in in Auckland rather
(12:31):
than you know, Steve Price or whoever else. And I
sort of enjoyed that. Actually, it was good because yeah,
you could just get down and do your work and
really enjoyed it. And then when you do that success,
you know, everyone really got behind the team. And that's
certainly what's happened over the last few years, probably post COVID.
(12:51):
I mean last year, every game, every home game was
sold out. That's just so amazing for the club. I
loved playing at Mount Smart even when I was at
the Bulldogs, because every time we played the Warriors. The
Bulldogs have really good support in New Zealand as well,
so it'd always be either a sellout or close to
being a sellout. Both had good teams. Whereas now every
(13:15):
week the Boys get to play in front of a sellout,
which is so incredible as a player, as an opponent,
it's pretty intimidating, and yeah, I think that's really helping them.
I mean, the team sitting at second at the moment
on the NRL Ladder, which is probably one of the
best starts I think the club's ever had. I can't
remember when I was at the club where we were
(13:36):
sitting even in the top eight early in the season.
It just didn't happen and we tried to work out
why it wasn't happening, but we couldn't work it out.
So a really good start to the year, and you know,
the boys just keep on building on it. But I
don't really think it's really got much to do with
whether you're a strain or your cgen or whatever. I
think that's what is different about the Warriors is that
(13:58):
you do have so much of a cultural diversity, and
the greatest thing about that is that whole mix and
understanding and respecting all that and coming together as one.
And that's what I really enjoyed. I think when I
went to the Warriors, we had four bossies in our
team at the time, and you know, the rest of
(14:19):
the squad was made up of a whole heap of
different guys from the Island and New Zealand and obviously Maori.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
But we all done really, really well, and you know.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
Different guys would take up different leadership roles in different
scenarios depending on what we're working with, and it really
really worked well.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Mate.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
I learned so much about leadership and about you know,
how to deal with young men and get help get
the best out of them. But they taught me so
much and hopefully I was able to pass on a
little bit of stuff to them as well. And you
know people always talk about oh, you've got to have
this and you've got to have that. It's not at all.
It's if you had a group of guys who were
(15:01):
together with the same purpose and want to work hard
for each other and have a leader that they respect,
both in a coach and in there sort of seen
you playing group, then there's no reason why you can't
achieve you know what the clubs lean try and achieve
in its whole history and.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Along as similar Vain. What have you made of Mitch
Barnet's captaincy.
Speaker 6 (15:21):
Yeah, I've really been Maye. I've really been impressed. The
only disappointment about Mitchie is that he's from New South Wales.
I've a message him and I actually got to meet
him a couple of times and I've been over for
old boys games and different things and I've been straight
(15:42):
up with him. I've just said, mate, what you've been
doing at the Warrior is I've watched you when you're
playing the previous years in your career, and he's actually
the light switched on.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
He's loving it.
Speaker 6 (15:54):
Obviously his footy is really suiting what the coach is wanting.
And yeah, to have him and James as your leaders,
you know, as you recognize I suppose named captains.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
I think you can't have to better guys.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
And when we're going through the whole discussion, I had
asked the question who should be and I said the
ideal world would be probably both of those guys. But
if you picked one of those guys, that's amazing as well.
And the club did pick both of them because they
just standouts and Whichie. You know, he's actually just being himself, mate,
(16:30):
and you just see his improvement every year. Now his
name is up there with all of the paint hashes
and everything when they're talking new South Wales selection, which
is a huge you know, I don't know, accomplishment for him,
but he doesn't just sit on that. You know, you
just see him trying to improve every week, every off season,
(16:53):
in every game, and that's what you want to be
as a player. And yeah, he's like an a good
old bottle of wine, mate, he's getting better with age.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Todd Payton said after the game he thinks the Warriors
are a top four team this year. Do you agree.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
I think the best thing that can happen is you're
not worried about all that stuff, because I think one
of the issues that we had when I was at
the club was that every time we get talked up,
unfortunately we wouldn't sort of back it up in performance.
So yeah, the less worried about all that sort of stuff.
If the boys keep doing what they're doing at the moment,
(17:29):
all that stuff will look after itself. Top two, top four.
You just got to be in the top eight to
be given it a crack. And the high you can
finish up obviously the better or the lower. I know,
how you look at it. The best way to be
looking at it in the top four, in the top two,
but no matter where you finish, you make it the
best anyway, and it just gives you more chances and
(17:52):
better situations. But at the moment, the boys just got
to keep enjoying what they're doing, mate. And yeah, you know,
I looked at the table and yesterday and not that
I was surprised, but yeah, I was looking at it going, ho, well,
look at that. So our teams one and two, you know, amazing,
like so good and sort of gone under the radar
(18:14):
a little bit, I reckon, and that's probably because of
what happened.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
In round one.
Speaker 6 (18:19):
Yeah, everyone so not raid them off, but there was
so much expectation and then everyone was a bit disappointed.
But yeah, they've just gone back to the drawing board
and done what they've set out to do in the
offseason and now they're sitting where they would have liked
to have been sitting at this time.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Of the year.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
This is the Big League Podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
This is going yeah, the Big League Podcast on the
Warriors band Wagons.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
It's d one, Okay, Alex Powe. Let's go through this
game and a little bit more detail. But we're going
to talk about Luke Metcalf first, just touching on what
Steve Price mentioned about how far he has come and
I guess what he likes about Luke Metcalf. Two tries
five from seven off the tea, seven tackle breaks, one
hundred and sixty two running meters, three hundred and eleven
(19:05):
kick meters, and the tri saving tackle. Murray Taul Lungy,
We've su says the first half was Metcalfe's beast.
Speaker 7 (19:11):
Ever, he's gone really well at learning to play what
manages the game, and he certainly is playing and managing
really well. Soniy Michanell did a great job. Thought were
defensively way better in the first half, which gave them
an opportunity to play.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Very hard to disagree with anything that Andrews said. They're
also very good that Chanell Harris to be to mention that,
I think those twous are combo. Like we talked so
much at the start of the year about is this
the right way to do it? Do you play to
Mighty Martin at six? You bring in a tannerboid? But
this is why that is, so they can grow together
and be a halves combo that develops together as a pair. Look,
I don't know how we think of Luke metcalf because
(19:46):
he's twenty six years old. We tend to talk about
him like he's this young player who's just come on
the scene. Like obviously he's had his injury woes that
has stopped and developing at the rate another you know,
sort of half back in that position would. But the
Warriors are now benefiting from showing the faith in him.
You know, you look at the way he ran a game.
That was the criticism of him. Remember after Vegas, Well,
is he a game managing half?
Speaker 5 (20:05):
No, he's not.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Well now he's learning to be one, which you know,
and that's what Andrew ebs said, like, if we give
him time, he will reward us. And he's done that.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Well. I think we talk about him in that way
as if he's this new kid, because he's only played
what nine games at half back, ten games starting at
half back something like that, so he is fresh in
that role. And I got it wrong. I was calling
for tomat and Martin to come back even into five eighths,
just to show a bit more leadership and that halfs
and Andrew Websley, as he said, has repaid the faith.
(20:33):
I think a few weeks ago you were calling for
them to switch over. Yeah, Chanelle to play half back.
Luke Mick I mean we can admit we got that wrong.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
I look at Luke Metcalfe as a running half and
think the criticism there was wanted, like he wasn't a
game managing seven, right, but you look at Sean Johnson
at that age and neither was he. You do need
to learn how to do it. You look at the
ral and all the leading half back because they are
apart from Nathan Clary, they're all sort of like thirty plus.
You know, you need that experience to actually become a
proper match winning half back.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
If we go and look at the game itself, I
thought the Cowboys attack looked really good early, just in
that first few minutes. Scott drink Water looked really different.
To contain. The Cowboys dominated the stats. They had the
edge in possession runs, run meters, post contact meters, tackle breaks,
average set distance, kick return meters, offloads, passes, fource dropouts,
(21:22):
but they made more errors and the Warriors were benefiting
in that first half by the Cowboys grubbering it dead,
bombing put a bomb went up, just went out on
the full. There was those things that were really then
the Cowboys down and a first half in which they
conceidered what twenty eight points they should have. They should
have dominated that match based on the stat line.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
I mean, how many of those stats were swung in
the second half. Thought like, if we took those stats
at halftime, I imagine it's a very different picture. But
it's like goes back to what I was saying though,
to win ugly, you know, to absorb all that pressure
and not give anything away. Like you remember how many
like before the Warriors open the scoring, the Cowboys had
a couple of sets on the Warrior's line and they
just didn't give anything away.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
You look at how many tackles much Bunett made. You
look how many tackles Aaron Clark made. Like these guys
are really good as a defensive unit. Like you forget
for a two Webster, how poor as that defense was.
But remember the first game between twenty three and the
Warriors just defended sepset against Newcastle Arlington on their own line,
and at that point onwards, they really have been a
good defensive strategy, defensive team. Like Andrew Webster was the
(22:22):
defense coach at Penrith, you know, so you'd like to
think that's what he brings to the table. And I
think we are just seeing it, like you're not. These
things an't gonna happen. I'm like, this is the third
year Andrew Webbs has been there, and I think his
fingerprints are now completely on this team if they already weren't.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
So what happened in the second half that eight minutes
where the Cowboys scored three tries. Scott drink Water just
flicked a switch. The Warriors right edge defense I think
had trouble after Rockerberry went off with a hamstring injury.
Cape Well was just getting gassed a bit on the
outside and he did He did brilliant. He almost pulled
off a try saving tackle in the corner similar to Metcalfs,
(22:56):
but they just managed to stay in. But it just
felt like the Warrior's right edge defense. So the Cowboys
leftage attack. The Cowboys were able to punch holes from
there and then you can pound that with the eras
the Halla Seema drop Chanelle Harris de Vita Knox.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
It dead.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Metcalf's drop out then doesn't go ten. It felt like,
oh no, they're going to blow this somehow.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I think you're bang on about Scott drink Water. Like
we talk so much in journalism about you know, representative football,
and we talked for the New South Wales's jumper about
James Fesco versus Dellan It was I don't know why
Scott drink Water doesn't get a mention. I'm pretty sure
he's in New South watchman. I meant if he's not,
I might be a red face. But he is so good,
Like I know there has been issues with him disciplinarily,
like when Shawn Johnson should have won the Daly m
in twenty twenty three. Scott Drinkwater led that race for
(23:37):
a long time, but then he got suspended and therefore
becomes ineligible to win it. The other player I really
want to mention the Cowboys is Reece Robson. Like I've
written a couple of bits about Wade Egan, should he
be playing state of origin for New South Wales. Reece
Robsons the incumbent, and I think we all got to
remind her exactly why, Like you don't see Wade egg
can get out played too often, but he did there.
You know, Reece Robson really had his number.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And speaking of that eight minutes, coach Andrew Webster even
was a nervous wreck.
Speaker 7 (24:02):
Emotions a heart transplant, that's for sure. My emotions also
really proud, like we've got some guys busted in there
that hung in there. We just were making it so
hard for ourselves.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Metcalf obviously, then with that try saving tackle in the
corner which proved the difference another couple of players we
need to just mention quickly. Aaron Clark into everything, just
a battering ram, especially in that first half, and Adam
Pompey with the intercept try the pace kepts off dominant
first half.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
I think you give Aeron Clark the Simon Manoring middle.
Now I think he is going to absolutely walk that.
This year he has been so like did you hear
his interview after the game with Fox Sports, talked about
how much he just loves being part of this team. Geez,
I love that. You know, there's a local boy who
had to go away, grow up a bit, play a
bit of footing somewhere else for the Gold Coast and
now he's come back and he is the player that
they need. You know, last time I was on here,
(24:50):
we spoke about how he was an improvement on toy
of Aras and I felt a bit wrong sat at
the time because of the player that Tau who was
for the Warriors. But right now, Aaron Clark is an upgrade.
And that's what I said a few weeks go. I'm
saying it again, like they have done so well to
get him.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
On the board.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Is Adam Pompy the most underappreciated Warrior.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Yes, I've been saying it for years.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
He'd been named on the wing, was forced into see him.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It's way too much shit does he I think he
cops heaps of crap from the Warriors fan base.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
I feel like he's not talked about. And maybe that's
just me looking through a media lens, but he sort
of goes under the radar. But anytime, like you remember
that first season, I think he played all but ten
minutes of the Warriors season because he got simmoned in
that last time against Brisbane. But like Andrew Webster and
the coach are the ones that see him every week
and training, they know exactly what it brings and they
never have any issue in going back to him whenever
(25:36):
they need a job done.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Sam healyy what a debut coming off the bench. He
didn't come in to talk a straight away because Wadegan
was still on the field. He came on for Jackson Ford.
I guess he effectively played as a middle but almost
called the match ceiling try with that. Grubber made a
big tack on the second to last defensive seat as well.
Webster says Healey will get more game time if he
keeps working hard.
Speaker 7 (25:56):
He's definitely confident in his own ability. He did one
of those in the week of training for a pretty
good moment too. Yeah, like he backs himself. Cerling wasn't
out there to make up the numbers and now you
want to have an impact.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
I know I just said about Aaron Clay, but the
Warrior's recruitment team have done a bloody good job to
get Sam Healey as well. I know that Cronulla were
devastated to lose him. They really saw a huge future him,
but he just didn't see a way into the first
grade team with Brayley being their hooker. So I look,
it has been a concern this year, the lack of
a genuine second number nine, like Freddy Lassick's not really well.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
They haven't given him a chance this year. He did
okay last year.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
He did okay last year, but it is it's a
very noticeable drop off from when you swap Egan out.
I do agree do it and like you see, like
Aaron Clark's gone him to hook her a couple of times,
like Sanel Harris to been is doing it at the
moment and probably don't want him playing there.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Well, he doesn't like it. Well, it's not this podcast
a couple of weeks ago that he hates.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
So if that's if they're having to be like cautious
and sort of guide Sam Heeley through to give him
a chance. I really did the same with Luke Metcalfe.
He wasn't rushed and straight away he got injured at
the start twenty and twenty three and they sort of
drip fed him through until giving him all the all
the chance he needed last year and now. So if
that's what they do with Sam Heley, then I think
they've shown that they know how to do it.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Should Leka Halaesima be the starting second rower? And what
do you make of his haircut?
Speaker 3 (27:09):
We'll start with the heck, I thought it was very
Jerry Collins, which it.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Was, it was, I remember you making that comment in
the newsroom.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
I don't know what to do with like Ahalasima because
he can clearly do both very well. So it's where
does he have the most impact for the Warriors, if
that's as a starting player, Like I think we fall
into a trap of assigning too much value to who's
a star and who's an interchange bench. Like it is
very much a role based thing and now are very
different roles. Like Russell Packer spoke very well about it
a couple of years ago about being a starting an
(27:36):
arrol Ford is very different from being an interchange in
eral Ford. So if he can do both, then awesome.
But I mean, if he is showing the Warriors that
he deserves to start, then let him run.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
It just depends if you want near Cordy in the
front row and you just take jackson Ford off, or
you hit stick with Capel and the accordion and then
Halaesima provides that bunch that punch birch prefers him on
the interchange. I think he can do both. I do
really like him coming on midway through the second half
and just punching through some tide forwards.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Yeah, you remember that game against the Tigers when he
came on and just gas a couple of guys down
the wing. You know, his natural attributes are just so
like all the Warriors talk about. Like Mitch Barnett spoke
about after that Tiger's game said, he is the most
talented player we've got. Like, I know that talent doesn't
make an NURL player. We've seen so many guys with
talent come through and just not kick on because they
don't work hard. But every indication is that Lekahala Semer
(28:25):
works hard, like is going to be such a good
player for the Warriors.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
Big League Podcast.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Well, the Warriors visit the Dragons and Wollongong on Saturday night.
The Dragons sit tenth on the ladder, three wins, five losses.
They're coming off thirty four to twenty eight loss to
the Tigers. But you know who the Dragon's beat a
few weeks ago, the Storm. What is this competition? New
nineteen year old halfback like in King Pomnia born in
(28:51):
New Zealand, by the way, started alongside Kyle Flanagan against
the Tigers after Lachlan Elias how he got the ax
because he's been struggling for form this year. So it's
a new look Harve's combination. We don't know the team yet,
but presumably they'll come out again. You've also got the
likes of Clint Gufherson, the captain at fullback. But the
area of the Dragon against lineup that looks most potent
to me and that I'd be most aware of as
(29:12):
the censors. Valentine Home, Moses Sooley will be extremely challenging
to stop on the edges.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Especially if Rockerberry's out, Like I think it goes like
we've talked about Adam probably going under the radar. But
the job that rocker Berry does in defense is so
underrated it's criminal. You look at how many one on
one opportunities he just stops, you know, like it's being
a defensive player then or old you will never get
your flowers. But that is Rockerberry's strongest suit for me,
is what he does for that defense.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Did you see Jaden Sewers drop completely? He just needed
to fall down, and that Tiger's game had the ball
over the line is knee, he kneed the ball out
of his own hand, dropped at the Tigers go up
the other end the score.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
And they lost by a converted try and they lost
by converted trick. You'd feel for him.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I mean that was to go and go twenty to
sixteen and kick to come just going into half time
as well.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Yeah, we saw what the Warriors. You know these things
can you know these results can come down to just
one moment. You know that's not unique. But me, you're
just hoping it doesn't happen. To you this week.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
They bombed another try as well shortly afterwards in the
second half on the right edge was just just a
crap pass. It sailed over the Wigger's head. So maybe
they do a few more things like that this weekend.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
I don't know what's making the Dragons. They sort of
remind me of the Warriors last year, like they might
play the lights out one game and knock the Storm over,
but then they're going to be crapped two.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Yeah, I do agree. It's an inconsistency, but in this
competition with everyone knocking over everyone, it's so hard to
find that consistency, and that's what's made to warror. So
I'm presive.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
The Big League Podcast on the Warriors Bad Wagons since
day one, the Big League Podcast for the biggest league fans.
Speaker 8 (30:48):
All right, quick five predictions as zoom through this Alex
Powell for the next round of NRL Action Eels, Dolphins, Eels, Eels,
I'm going to agree with you there, Knights Titans nights.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
I'm going to go with the Knights as well. Ran
straight over the top of the Rabbit o's who are
up next against the Broncos. What is going on at
the Rabbit.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
O's who knows, you know, like Wayne Bennett's gone back,
like they've they've they actually have got a lot of injuries,
you know, and they might have lost John Gray for
this one as well. Say man, I think the Broncos
get up.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, but losing twenty two points to them, I think
the Broncos get up as well. Greatest Bulldogs, Bulldogs still
winning top of the ladder.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I think the Raiders.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
You think the Raiders why either're at home?
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Okay and b They've just tended to storm over That
is true.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
I'm gonna go with the Bulldogs though, Dragon's Warriors Warriors,
Warriors to win a fourth in a row. Cowboys Panthers, Uh, Cowboys.
I'm gonna go with the Cowboys as well. Yeah, it's
just not the Panthers, Storm Tigers, Storm Storm and Seagle
Sharks Sharks. I agree with you there, Alex Powell, Thank
(31:50):
you so much for your time, your wisdom, insight. Please
follow and rate the podcast. My name is Nathan Limb.
Will be back next Monday. Have a fantastic week.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
For more from News Talks d B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows we you wherever
you go.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Without podcasts on iHeartRadio,
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