June 22, 2025 • 35 mins
This week on The Big League Podcast - Former Kiwis coach Brian "Bluey" McLennan joins to explain why he isn't disappointed by the Warriors loss to the Panthers and what they need to adjust if they're to rebound against the Broncos in Brisbane.
Newstalk ZB's Nathan Limm and NZ Herald's Michael Burgess unravel an underwhelming performance - what happened to the Warriors' attack, their defence and how big is the reshuffle in the back-line going to be for this week given the injuries?
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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.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Big League Podcast Day News TALKSB.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, former kiwi's coach
Brian Bluis mcclennan joins to explain why he isn't disappointed
by the Warriors lost to the Panthers and what they
need to do if they're to rebound against the Broncos
in Brisbane. Michael Burgess and I will unravel an underwhelming performance,
what happened to the Warriors attack their defense and how
(00:43):
big is the reshuffle in the back line going to
be for this week given the injuries. My name is
Nathan Limb. Let's go b LB. There will be bumps
in the road. There will be bumps in the road.
The Warriors lost to an understrength Panthers outfit on home
turf is disappointing and out of character. But it's truly
(01:04):
a great thing that these kinds of efforts are now
the exception rather than the norm. Weebster talks about their
game plan being based off creating pressure through kickchase and
that just wasn't there. Injuries and a makeshift center pairing
resulted in the Warrior's defense opening up far more opportunities
than usual. Well, the Haves struggled to create options with
(01:25):
the boot. But let's not stress out over this. The
warriors somewhat unexpected wind streak in the early part of
this season has created a buffer. They've dropped to fourth
on the ladder, but there is a six point gap
back to Brisbane in fifth. Michael Burgess, Senior New Zealand
Herald Rider. I'm not usually this carm after a loss. No,
(01:47):
you're not, and I'm the opposite. I'm quite stressed out
over this, really yeah, yeah, I really am. I think it's.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I think it's quite concerning, not just the result, but
the manner of the performance.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
You realize said it.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
It was the first time this season that they came
into a match at Mount Smart Go Meta Stadium as favorites.
The first time you know, they weren't the favorites. Gives
Manly all the Roosters, all the Raiders, all the Broncos
and so to be big favorites and have all that
expectation Penrith coming back after six years, you know, to me,
(02:24):
it was just all set up to deliver in front
of a full house and just just the way they
lost and the way they played.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
I don't know, it's it's quite a worry. Well, does
complacency come into it? Given? And that's the question I
know that a few people will be asking this week.
That's something that I'm going to ask Brian Blue mcclennan
about as well, and it's something webs have talked about afterwards,
and we're going to hear from him shortly. But do
you think the Warriors were complacent going and given the
(02:54):
names that Penrith had out I mean, Webster hated that question.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Coaches always do because it sort of implies that the
players are turned up expecting to win, that they just
had to go out there and it was going to happen.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
It's a bit of a it's a bit of a word.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
I'm sure they weren't complacent, but I'll also say that
it's hard, isn't it mentally to come into a game
like that knowing that pennth are missing five key players,
not just five key players, five massive stars. So you're
already it's in the back of your mind. And I
wonder if it did affect their energy or their focus,
especially early on because it looked just looked a bit
(03:30):
different to me than what we saw against Cronello with
us sew up for it so intense. I'm sure once
it got through that period they switched on, but in
a funny sort of way. I don't think it helped them.
I think they would have gone better having all those
players there for better than a funny sort of way.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Actually, let's play this clip now since we're on the topic.
Coach Andrew Webster, was it you who asked this question? Berg?
It wasn't me.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I was going to I was ready to ask it,
but Grant Chapman from rad angel And got in first.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
But it was certainly a question on my mind.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
And because you could also sense the crowd on the
first half, there's this sort of uneasy feeling, and the
crowd was thinking, what's happening? Because which is maybe that's
the crowds. It's our fault for everyone expecting the Warriors.
We're just going to do it relatively easily.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yeah, it's my fault. But there was something in the
air that wasn't quite right. Coach Andrew Ribster. It's the
nine claims that a side didn't turn up when you.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
Worry about that, and you see complacency. It's because when
our players turn up and don't try and they tried,
they tried so hard and they just got things so wrong.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
If anything, they'll probably reaping.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Too hard, too hard. I mean, yeah, that's what I'm saying.
I'd be reluctant to criticize the effort if it was
definitely there. There were a whole lot of other factors
which are going to go into But the reason I'm
a bit mistressed out is the wrong word. But the
reason why I think this loss will actually be quite
painful is that it could in We could be sitting
(04:53):
here in September talking about that they've just missed out
on the top four, and we'll look back on a
game like that.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I hope I'm wrong, but it feels quite pivotal. Now
we're going to hear from former kiwi's coach Brian Bluey
McLennan shortly, but first here the highlights. Panthers twenty eight,
Warriors eighteen. That's sixteen on the way is McLean again?
Speaker 6 (05:18):
McLean creates the spray stop chickens.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
We'll score for the Panthers.
Speaker 6 (05:24):
He can't on the last's Ben donner check set fives
over it.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I'll tell you what wat's these listics and put trouble there.
He's sorry, so.
Speaker 6 (05:35):
Straight through the game, sorry said it's gonna score.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I smell play by Penrith. What there's we can't good
all leged, that's fautiful execution. What is fucking froth guys.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Hallasema, let's as ry Penrath have scored on certainty to
money to land.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
He dups this out.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Isaiah tell Lonny that tried for Penrith and wants he
trying to fight as the bounce yes on a body. Well,
sometimes you need a bit of luckch which is then
Sport and Tenuth have got the bounce of all bouncers
right there in the bitch of five monment. Good football
(06:23):
ran taffa mare in Tafa Ny almost lasted, but it's
fantastic finish out. They still come to walking and get
the victory over the Warriors twenty eight points to eighteen.
Audio courtesy of sky Sport The Big League Podcast. We're
(06:45):
very lucky to be joined on The Big League Podcast
by former kiwi's coach Brian Bluie mcclennan. Brian, thank you
so much for your time. How are you going?
Speaker 6 (06:54):
Yeah, really good.
Speaker 7 (06:55):
Thanks, that's it's a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Obviously that the Warriors losing to the Panthers over the
week kend is weird the Warriors, I guess, going in
as favorites. Panthers had a few players. First of all,
what did you make of the game? What's your reaction
to the lost because it's disappointing, isn't it given the
caliber that we've grown to expect from the Warriors.
Speaker 6 (07:16):
Well, I'm personally not disappointed. I think the Warriors are
having a fantastic year and they come up against a
club that's been in the last five Grand Finals in
one far. I know they had some origin players out,
but the culture of that club is of the highest level,
probably the greatest.
Speaker 7 (07:37):
Club in recent history of the NRL anyway, And.
Speaker 6 (07:42):
They really got their game on the Panthers. You know,
they really grind hard and I thought that they won
the physical battle from the start.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Do you think that there was an element of complacency
within the Warriors given how they've been going and given
the five players superstar players really that Penrith didn't.
Speaker 7 (08:03):
Have, I'm not sure they did. You know they didn't,
didn't you jump out of the gates. Well, I thought
though the Panthers really did.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
They really got into their their Armorystal style of playing,
and they were really physical and really good in the contact,
and I thought the Warriors first up contact and defense
wasn't as good as it normally is.
Speaker 7 (08:30):
Mitchell Barney and he's the best at it. You run
anywhere near him, he just claims.
Speaker 6 (08:34):
Here and it's all over and it's a good tempo
style of tackle for the defense to reset.
Speaker 7 (08:40):
They're going to have the grow to with the rest
of the season without.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
Him, obviously, but they get their first up contacts, and
they're going to need to play against Brisbane.
Speaker 7 (08:50):
They get that right. That'll go a long way towards
helping them win the game.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Obviously, it was very close in the first half and
you felt like the wires were definitely in it, and
then in the second half there was a point at
which it started to just unravel. I guess what do
you think were the areas in which it did unravel?
What were you seeing from the wires that I out
the Panthers to take control the first.
Speaker 6 (09:11):
Up contact, what I just talked about before was a big,
big improvement for the Warriors.
Speaker 7 (09:16):
To work on when they played Brisbane.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
I also thought that the Warriors kicking game wasn't as
good as it normally is, and I thought the Panthers
kicking game was really good. I liked I liked that
when the Panthers got up by the half way or
just inside the Warriors half, they put up contestable clicks,
(09:41):
which applies pressure. It's a hard take for the bat
three when you've got to come forward to catch a
ball and you've got that you've got the defenders rushing
down on you. It was contestable kicks, so I thought
that was an area that the Panthers did really well.
I hope people don't judge the Warriors too harsh to
year they were coming off by and yes they missed
(10:02):
the jump, but the plan against a club being in
the last five.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
Grand finals and this could be the real kickstart for
the Panthers going forward, and I'm sure would have rang
alarm bells across all the other clubs in the NRL
as well. It was more about how good the Panther
has played.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
I thought you mentioned the Warriors kicking game struggling a
little bit there, and it was obvious that Luke Metcalfe
was carrying some sort of thigh issue. He wasn't doing
the kicking off the tee. How much did you do
you think that that affected the Warriors attack, especially in
that second half. And how worrying is it given how
well Metcalf's played this year.
Speaker 7 (10:40):
Well, it was more about where they kicked.
Speaker 6 (10:43):
You know, they got to result kicking to the Panthers
right edge and then then went and started kicking to
the other side, which was a little little confusing.
Speaker 7 (10:53):
You know, I can bet that the coaching staff would
have been saying, yeah, keep going out to that side,
but that can happen.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
Yeah, he did look a bit ginger, but just over
halfway through a season, loads of players are playing with injuries.
Has this the NRL's It's tough, it's relentless, I'd say
with the weak preparation leading into Broncos, you know, there's
a good chance he's going to be you know, Luke
metcalf is going to be fine for the Broncos game.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
And I suppose in talking about injuries, there are a
couple of other ones as well. Dylan ytenis a lesniak
with an ankle issue near corda with that head clash
and potentially a fraction knows, I believe, but particularly with
the Dollen one because he went off. Pompey then shifted
to the wing and the two centers were to Midy
Martin and Mala Graham Tulfer, who obviously aren't first choice
(11:42):
centers for the club. And given how pivotal center is
as a defensive position, that probably played into it as well, do.
Speaker 7 (11:49):
You think, Yeah, that's a good point.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
And the center's determined a lot in the club's defensive systems,
you know. And Tomarty's jumped around in quite a few
different positions this year, and yeah, and he's been really good,
you know. Molla has a pretty good effort by him,
you know, and a hell of its throw as well.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
So they'll be really licking at jobs about getting ready
for Brisbane.
Speaker 6 (12:14):
And given that Brisbane a yeah, they've regained some sort
of form and they're so athletics as individuals to Broncos.
This makes for it such an exciting matchup and I'm
you know, I bet you the Warriors are really looking
forward to it.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
And given that matchup coming up, what areas do the
Warriors need to improve? You mentioned the first up had
ups the first up contact. Is there any other areas
that you think the Warriors will really need to look
at if they want to get the job done against Brisbane,
who put on a spectacular comeback against Cornello over the weekend.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
Yeah, well, they're so athletics, so your first up contact
in your defense is just critical against side that had
great athleticism and the Bronco is having so many tackle breakers,
you've got to be spot on there. And the Warriors
have been very successful this year in defending territory.
Speaker 7 (13:06):
It's the best of it is the best Warriors.
Speaker 6 (13:08):
Team I've ever seen do it where they you know,
they're kicked chase and they make it extremely difficult for
their opponents to get out of their own twenty to
thirty and with their aligned speed and their contact and
their wrestle, they've been very, very good.
Speaker 7 (13:26):
And they just missed the jump on the.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
Weekend against Panthers, So I would imagine they'll be going
back to what's what's been a bit of a cornerstone
for them. Their edge defense on the whole throughout the
year has been very very good, So that's the main
area to get back to that and obviously on offense,
to you know to get their conbos.
Speaker 7 (13:46):
Working again, and you know, and ask plenty of questions.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
And your set's always judged by how it's finished, and
that involves your kicking games, so you know, I'm sure
they'll work hard on that this week and finished with
really good kicks that apply loads of pressure.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Is the Big League Podcast on the World's Bad Wagon
since day one. This is the Big League podcast.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
Right, Let's go through this game in a little bit
more detail, because my friend Michael Burgess, he's a bit
down in the dumps about this, which I've only just learned. Actually,
I thought he'd support me in being fairly low key
about this, but he's a bit hot and bothered. First
of all, you said they didn't come out too hot
out of the gates. I actually thought their start was
okay overall. Look Metcap with an early forty twenty attempt
(14:38):
at just about when over the sideline. I thought the
running lines early on were pretty good. Yet Aaron Clark
punching his nose in between defenders pretty much every time.
Jacob Labn's Tribe was a good example of that. A
bit later on both sides I thought put in some
good hits, but Penrith was winning the collisions overall, do
you think.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Yeah, Look, the Warriors started quite well. They rolled up
the field and they had some early ball in the
just outside the red zone. He was looking pretty promising.
You thought, here we go, and there was a drop
ball i think from Maela Graham Talfa. From then on,
for the next fifteen minutes, they couldn't get any ball
inside the Penrith Arth. They were just stuck in their
(15:17):
own half and Penrith We're down there going through their
plays and looked like just any other Penwrith team. You
forgot that the stars weren't there, and I think the
Warriors got quite frustrated, but also used up a lot
of the Warrior's petrol. But the worst part of that period, mate,
was when you're playing a team full of young kids,
(15:40):
what's the most important thing to do. The most important
thing to do is stamp your authority early. But instead
they sort of opened the door for Penrith and all
these young Panthers who'd come over thinking shit were playing
the Warriors sold at ground far out mounts.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Marn't ever been there before.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
They got some confidence they started to play and so
for me, that first twenty minutes was quite crucial and
from then on the Panthers look quite good.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Now, Dylan Watson is a lesni e suffered an ankle
in from a Scott Sorenson hip drop tackle. Now Soarrenson
now faces a two match ban for that, plus a
fine for the high tackle on charlesnkel Crookstar. But for me,
that that changed the game because suddenly Dallan went off
and he just before he went off, he sort of
came out of the line. He was clearly limping and
(16:26):
Sirenson goes through in the Panthers score a try. But
the reshuffle that happened, Dallan went off, Pompy goes to
the wing, Graham Tolfer and Tomato Martin come into send us.
How did that affect it a lot? You know, a lot.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
And that's the thing having none of their first choice
centers on the field, plus the corde Losing the cordo
as well in the first half was another big one,
which we'll talk about in a minute. But yeah, that
thing about with the hip drop, it must these kind
of things must be so frustrating for a coach because
it was a blatant hip drop that you could see
on the replay. Didn't see it straight away, and I
(17:01):
know you went at the ground, Nath, but being at
the ground, it was just ridiculous because Dallan could hardly
stand and he was just sort of jumping around on
one foot and you're like, okay, in most other sports
they stopped play, but not only you know, we've got
this thing where they don't. But if Dallan had to
stay down, they would have examined. It would have been
a penalty, maybe sience and Sindben definitely on report. Dylan
(17:25):
goes off, Warriors could have replaced him and the Warriors
would have got the ball. So that try, what I'm
trying to say is that try wouldn't have happened.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Da da Da da da. So it's funny how little
moments do change things. With the Warriors attack, Metcalf was
obviously carrying some sort of thigh issue, had it sort
of a compression band thing on. Pompey was doing the
kicking off the tee. I'm thinking that that definitely affected
the Warrior's attack and their efficiency with the boot. What
(17:54):
do we know what the injury is? He wasn't moving well,
was he yet?
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Andrew Webs explained it after the match is a corked
a cork thigh sort of thing, So what does that
mean cork Well, yeah, a dead leg I guess you'd
call it, you know, that kind of thing, but obviously
a pretty severe dead league.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
He wasn't moving that way. You could sort of see.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
There was a penmouth try later in the second half
where he made a grab at the guy but couldn't
bend down properly.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
So yeah, he wasn't wasn't moving like he normally would.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
I asked Andrew after the game if he'd be okay
for this weekend, and he indicated he would be, So
that is promising. What we've got to remember about this
game as well, is the Panthers made a lot of errors.
If you go back and look at it, they made
a lot of errors themselves. They would drop balls, you know,
they got all these new players. I think their air
account was something like thirteen to nine. So the Panthers
(18:48):
weren't smooth either. So the Warriors were getting all these
chances to get themselves going and get the momentum and
couldn't take them.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Now, Warrior's coach, as I mentioned at the start, Andrew Ribs.
He talks about creating pressure through their kickchase, and after
the game he pointed as to why their attack struggle
any pressure for long enough periods.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
We build a game on our kick chase and to
metimes we put a kick in and play one, play
two they'd had in the other way, whether like a
mini line break or a full line break.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Now, in terms of that kick chase, the battle in
the air really swung the momentum I felt in this contest.
There were a couple of bombs and consecutive sets that
the Panthers won inside the Warriors half. They just won
that battle in the yir and that leads to Scott
Sorenson try. It was a little bit back and forth
and there was a little bit of luck involved sometimes,
(19:39):
but for me it felt like Penrith kind of earned
their luck. You think about that, the bounce of the
ball that led to a try late for Penrith to
really put the Warriors the sort of foot on the throat.
Did you feel that as well?
Speaker 4 (19:50):
But yeah, I think they did in there luck and
sometimes it looked a bit like watching a rugby match
with there are all these sort of midfield bombs. They
weren't going as long as they normally would quite in
the midfield, but that made it hard for Chance or
someone else to actually take them, and you know, often
there was a bit of a mess Penrith how came
up with the ball. I mean they even came up
(20:11):
with the ball a couple of times on there. They
had a couple of goal land dropouts. One in particular,
I don't remember it where it bounced. It must have
bounced just about ten meters out from the Penrith goal line.
Kept on bouncing, so everyone's waiting for it to bounce
over the twenty meter line, and somehow Penrith still got
to it first, which sort of.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
It summed up the night, the lack of urgency from
the home side for that kind of thing to happen.
The kicking game was a bit of a mess and
Penrith took advantage.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
For me, the turning point and probably the pivotal point
in the game, was the Warriors were attacking down the
right edge. They were down fourteen twelve at the time
and they had an overlap. Thomas Jenkins intercepts the ball
runs fifty sixty meters up the field and Penrith ended
up scoring a couple of tries later through Blaze Tarlangi
(21:06):
and I felt like that was that was almost a
twelve point swing given the Warriors were about to score
a try ends up at the other end Penrith score
and they just couldn't wrestle the momentum back again. After that,
it was pretty much all Penrith.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
The crowd, the crowd in the far corner already on
their feet because they saw Charms running drawing his man
about to put Pompy away.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Jenkins read it. We talked about Jenkins last week. He's away.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
And then I mean the try was still quite disappointing.
The Blaze did well, but he beat some ineffecial tackles.
But yeah, that was that was a backbreak of mate.
But I think one thing we haven't talked about, which
we need to talk about, which is a big factor,
is do you think the Warriors win this game with
Mitch Barnett.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Yeah? I think they do. One hundred percent think they do.
And that's because you talk about that first up contact,
those first up tackles. Who's the man running out of
a lot, who's the man putting in those hits, who's
leading the troops from the front, and you know, he's
a different kind of leader to Jameson James Harris is
putting in big hats. He was doing some work, man,
But having Mitch Barnett on the field, that composure, that direction,
(22:14):
and the effort that he puts them up through the middle.
I think the Warriors when the game if he plays,
and that's the thing.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
I mean, it's spilt milk. It's all over. So we've
got to forget about it. But that was the point
I was trying to make a few weeks ago when
I said that it's the biggest set injury set back
in ten years and Nathan sort.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Of rolling his eyes, Oh, it's just going on.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
But now some sort of history thing again from years
ago they were was forgotten.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
That was he twenty nineteen, that was ancient.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
That was the point I was trying to make that
it matters so much to such to a team who
were in such a good such a.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Good run, and so not having Barnett is fine.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
And they got through it against the Sharks because everyone
else played a bit better, you know, everyone else set up,
but also because they had in the Corda. So what
I'm coming to is not having Barnett and then you're
losing the corde, you know, Fisher Harrison, the quarter where
you're too heavy hitters in the middle, suddenly one of
them's gone. I felt that it was quite a big
factor in what we've discussed about. They couldn't win the collisions,
(23:13):
they couldn't dominate the ruck just because they didn't quite
have the size, the presence, the power when the quarter
had gone and Barnett or there. So that's going to
be an ongoing issue. You know, it's not just missing Barnette.
That's how you get over not having him. Game after game,
the game did finish on a bit of a highlight
with Marilo.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Graham told us stunning solo, try pace the footwork the
running line as well. So it's a shame he's heading
off to South Sydney. I don't really blame him given
the depth the Warriors do have in the centers, but
I mean, injuries happen, and we're seeing it now. There's
struggling in the center is now with the names that
they have out and we're going to talk about how
they're going to reshuffle for the Broncos game. But lastly
(23:53):
from Webster, he acknowledges that wasn't how they wanted to
return from a buy, but they will be back and better.
You just never know when hiccup and the roads come.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
We've had these hiccups and we've come back on went
really well from them, and we'll do it again. We're
sitting in our addressing room disappointed because we want to
win every game.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
Big League Podcast Now the Warriors face the Broncos in
Brisbane on Saturday afternoon. The Broncos are fifth on the
ladder with seven wins and seven losses. They're one spot
behind the Warriors, but as I mentioned earlier, six points adrift.
Now seven wins, seven losses, it kind of seems wrong
that you can have a fifty percent win record and
(24:31):
still be fifth on the ladder. But they're coming off
with thirty four to twenty eight win over the Sharks,
a pulsating game in which they overturned a sixteen point deficit.
They were down twenty two to six late in the
first half and later they were still down twenty eight
twelve in the second. But they've got so many tackle breakers.
The Broncos is Brian McLennan mentioned earlier. They've won their
(24:52):
last two games convincingly but they were on a four
game slide before that. The Broncos are sort of that
team that has all of the talent, all of the stars,
all of the big names, but they seem to have
a bit of drama and they can't get the consistency going.
It's a pound who's been He's left the club. You
know why because he liked an Instagram post criticizing Michael
(25:17):
McGuire's coaching and apparently that was found and he had
to apologize to Michael McGuire, apologize to the senior players,
and now he's been dropped. You know who wasn't dropped
Isra Man. After getting into a drug driving crash earlier
in the year, he had what, he was banned for
a while, and now he's back. How does that make sense?
(25:39):
Someone likes an Instagram post and they're out of there.
You get into a car crash with a woman and
her kid and you're back playing. And I think the
woman had a four year old who was seriously injured.
I mean, yeah, make that make sense with I can't
believe it. It's a bit of Jeff TV going on
in the studio Hereone's got to look into this.
Speaker 6 (26:02):
How does it go.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Investigation. Look, I don't I don't know the ins and
out to their Roman situation, but it does. I don't
like it.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
It's the old story of you know, talent gets you
a lot of extra things in life that they shouldn't.
We've seen all those high profile sportsmen here. We've seen
all blacks. You can list a few of them still
in the team that you know escaped conviction for certain
things because they're all blacks.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
But you don't like that. And the tapower thing.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
All I could say is that I imagine there were
other things going on before the Instagram post. I imagine
there'd been other issues. It wasn't and that was like
the final straw. Let's see where they go from here.
But as I say that, it will really help them.
The way they won that game against the sharks's going to.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Be held accountable now. The Warriors played the Broncos at
Mount Smart back in April. The match went to golden point,
and this golden point underway here and he's well, is
he overcooked it? He has? Justice is good. Luke metcalf
(27:13):
with a stunning penalty from fifty meters. He hadn't kicked
while that game at all, but he slotted that one
and the Warriors win a dramatic one and that sort
of that sort of kicks start. There's probably a couple
of games into this sort of streak, this hot period
that the Warriors have had.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
No it did it sort of because it came after
they got thrashed in Melbourne, so it really really got
them going again. If they had lost that golden point
against the Broncos, who knows where they'd be. And I
still remember Metcalf stepping up and I was like, We're
sitting there thinking he's not going to try and kick this.
He's fifty meters out. You know, surely they kicked the
touch and tried and set up the field goal.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
It wasn't even closer, cleared it easily.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
So but you would say the Broncos have got a
lot to play for, a lot of motivation when they
When you lose like that, it hurts, so they'll they'll
certainly want to be back for that.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Now, what are the Warriors going to do with their lineup?
Berg We mentioned it earlier, Rocker Berry is still out
with the hamstring, Ali Lao Tyler still weeks away with
an ankle injury. There's no Dulan Watteni's a lesni act presumably,
so we need another winger. Does ed course he come
back onto the wing? From New South Wales Coupy scored
two tries in what was the tenth win in a
(28:20):
row just by the way over the weekend. Well done
to them. But does Ed Corsey come back onto the wing?
This tame to a peaky but he got knocked out
cold last last week week and a half. I don't
want him to play.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
No, I don't think he should play if it's only
it was only year Saturday before last. If he played,
he'd have to be training this week and surely you
need a longer stand down. So and plus plus, let's
not forget this a bye after this game, isn't there?
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Am I right?
Speaker 4 (28:50):
So give him, give him a few weeks, give him
a few weeks off, make the most of it. Ed course,
he deserves, deserves his chance, and that seems to be
the logical selection because then you would also I imagine
god old Kirk cape Well will come back into the centers.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Oh yeah, hardest working center in the NRL.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
You know he's a forward, but he's doing such a
good job there, he'll come back into the center as
you would think, and they'll have to find someone to
replace the courting The.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Big League Podcast for the biggest league fans, The Big
League Podcast on the Warriors Bad Wagons since day one.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Okay, but let's just go through quick fire predictions. We're
back to a full NRL round, which is quite weird.
We've had a few a few weeks without a full
NRL round. But and it's and it is actually a
really tough one to pick straight off the back Panthers
versus the Bulldogs we talked about, is this a turning
point for the Panthers. They have their origin players back
there at home, and the Bulldogs are top of the
(29:55):
table and have been the form team in the NRL
this year.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
Just to say again apologies to our listeners again for
some pretty awful picks over the weekend, especially that both
of us. I am so sure that the Dolphins were
going to just you know, take care of the Knights,
no problem. It was a real shame to the Rabbitos
couldn't get up against the storm. That would have been incredible.
But onto these predictions. Yes, it's a turning point for
the Panthers and they will they'll beat the Bulldogs on
(30:24):
Tuesday night, their big names arrested. They'll be coming into
a dressing room, that's so they'll just be buzzing after
that win in Auckland. They'll be ready to go point
to prove, and yeah, they'll be too good.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
I wasn't sure if we were going to disagree on
this one, but yeah, I'm bound on the Panthers to
beat the Bulldogs as well.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Sea Eagles versus the Tigers, I'll go with the Seagulls
here at home. That's probably the only reason.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Manly coming off the bye, so you know, it's always
a bit of a coin flip in that regard. But yeah,
the Tigers just git out of it. So I'm going
to go with the Seagules. Knights, Raiders. I'll go with
the Raiders.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Although the Knights were bloody good, man, they were bloody good.
The way they won that game in the last ten
minutes against the Dolphins spectacular, try to win it. That'll
really give them a boost, so they'll be they'll be tough,
but I'll go over the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
No disagreements so far. Here we go. Broncos Warriors, Brisbane.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
Really hard to call this one. Broncos will have a
lot of things in their favorite a lot to play for,
a lot of confidence all their players back. I think
maybe Payne Haas there's still some issues, some thoughts around
his back. They want to avenge the defeat at Mount
Smart and unfortunately I think they will. I think they
(31:48):
will be too strong for the Warriors. We've seen the
Warriors so good on the road this season, but I
don't know if they can do it again against the
against the Broncos team that might have found their mojo
in the second half.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
This doesn't happen very often, Burge. But oh no, I'm
gonna tap Brisbane. I don't want it to be like
this thing. We were like, oh, Warriors the winning, so
we'll pick the Warriors, and then the Warriors suddenly losing.
We both stopped picking the Warriors. Given the reshuffle, how
good Brisbane looks on it? Brisbane might you know they're
(32:24):
a coin flip They're a coin flip side. They might
have a you know, someone post something on Instagram on
a Thursday night and then they can't play on Saturday.
We don't know, but based on the form and the players,
Brisbane will win. It's it's just going to be a
hard match. It's going to be really hard match.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
The Warriors going to play really well to win, and
Broncos will have a lot of reasons why why they
can win. But no one should be too worried. The
way we've been tipping this year exactly. I mean most
weeks you couldn't tip sand out of a bucket. So
I think what I think, both of us haven't been
(33:02):
great with the predictions.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Prove us wrong these words, so breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Look at a bit close. Of course, the Warriors can
still win, but the Broncos will be favorites and it's
going to be hard. Tell me to shush Dragons versus
the Eels. Dragon's coming off the buy. I believe Eel's
coming off a really good win for them. I go
to the Eels here.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Actually, the Dragons actually put up a really good fight
against the Sharks a couple of weeks ago, so I'm
going to back them off the buy as well. Dolphins, Bunnies,
Bunnies with very very close loss to the Storm.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
Oh, they were so good. I mean they have been incredible.
They have in the last four weeks they have played
the top four teams. I'm pretty sure I'm right in
saying that they've played all teams currently sitting in the
top quarter of the competition. Haven't won any of those games,
but they've all been close. Golden Put loss to the
Storm the latest example. Gutsy team Man still missing so
(33:59):
many players it could be hard for them. This will
be up at sun Corp. I think the Dolphins should
bounce back from beating Newcastle, but of course way be
against this former club. It'll be It'll be interesting, but
I'll go with the home team.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
I reckon the Rabbit O's get up Storm Sharks in Melbourne,
so Man, the Storm go to the JLA.
Speaker 4 (34:18):
The Revenues could have won that game and Bellamie would
have been absolutely humid because they had it. They had
it done a couple of times. The Rabbitues keep coming
back and Storm tend to when they do that, they
tend to get it right the following week, so they'll
I think they'll beat the Sharks, who must be hurting
from the way they lost to Brisbane.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Sharks are all over the place. Titans versus the Cowboys
to finish times losing to the Eels in the round
just gone and the Cowboys getting absolutely flogged by the
Dolphins a couple of weeks ago, then rebounded by getting
flogged by the Roosters.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
Yeah, you wouldn't call this a classic Queensland Derby, would you.
I mean the sort of Broncos Cowboys, the one we
look forward to. This is the one that at the
moment is a bit I don't know where these two
teams are.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
If you're in neutral, why would you watch this?
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Well, the Titans are entertaining the way they play all
their paces right around the Cowboys. Actually a really good
at ten. I contend too, So that's why you should
watch it. There you go.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
I've just given you a reason. There'll be plenty of tries.
Speaker 6 (35:15):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
Maybe I'll sure that's at the draw. But I'm so
passionate about this, I don't know. I think the Titans,
I guess at home, might swing it. It's gonna pick
the Cowboys. Thank you, Michael. We're just for your time,
you're wisdom, your insight. Hopefully the Warriors make us eat
our words and beat Brisbane on Saturday. I'm sure you'll
(35:41):
be watching. We'll be back next Monday to review that action.
Please follow and rate the podcast. My name is Nathan Limb, Hey,
you have a fantastic week, all right.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
For more from News Talks d B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio The.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Big League Podcast Day News TALKSB.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, former kiwi's coach
Brian Bluis mcclennan joins to explain why he isn't disappointed
by the Warriors lost to the Panthers and what they
need to do if they're to rebound against the Broncos
in Brisbane. Michael Burgess and I will unravel an underwhelming performance,
what happened to the Warriors attack their defense and how
(00:43):
big is the reshuffle in the back line going to
be for this week given the injuries. My name is
Nathan Limb. Let's go b LB. There will be bumps
in the road. There will be bumps in the road.
The Warriors lost to an understrength Panthers outfit on home
turf is disappointing and out of character. But it's truly
(01:04):
a great thing that these kinds of efforts are now
the exception rather than the norm. Weebster talks about their
game plan being based off creating pressure through kickchase and
that just wasn't there. Injuries and a makeshift center pairing
resulted in the Warrior's defense opening up far more opportunities
than usual. Well, the Haves struggled to create options with
(01:25):
the boot. But let's not stress out over this. The
warriors somewhat unexpected wind streak in the early part of
this season has created a buffer. They've dropped to fourth
on the ladder, but there is a six point gap
back to Brisbane in fifth. Michael Burgess, Senior New Zealand
Herald Rider. I'm not usually this carm after a loss. No,
(01:47):
you're not, and I'm the opposite. I'm quite stressed out
over this, really yeah, yeah, I really am. I think it's.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I think it's quite concerning, not just the result, but
the manner of the performance.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
You realize said it.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
It was the first time this season that they came
into a match at Mount Smart Go Meta Stadium as favorites.
The first time you know, they weren't the favorites. Gives
Manly all the Roosters, all the Raiders, all the Broncos
and so to be big favorites and have all that
expectation Penrith coming back after six years, you know, to me,
(02:24):
it was just all set up to deliver in front
of a full house and just just the way they
lost and the way they played.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
I don't know, it's it's quite a worry. Well, does
complacency come into it? Given? And that's the question I
know that a few people will be asking this week.
That's something that I'm going to ask Brian Blue mcclennan
about as well, and it's something webs have talked about afterwards,
and we're going to hear from him shortly. But do
you think the Warriors were complacent going and given the
(02:54):
names that Penrith had out I mean, Webster hated that question.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Coaches always do because it sort of implies that the
players are turned up expecting to win, that they just
had to go out there and it was going to happen.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
It's a bit of a it's a bit of a word.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
I'm sure they weren't complacent, but I'll also say that
it's hard, isn't it mentally to come into a game
like that knowing that pennth are missing five key players,
not just five key players, five massive stars. So you're
already it's in the back of your mind. And I
wonder if it did affect their energy or their focus,
especially early on because it looked just looked a bit
(03:30):
different to me than what we saw against Cronello with
us sew up for it so intense. I'm sure once
it got through that period they switched on, but in
a funny sort of way. I don't think it helped them.
I think they would have gone better having all those
players there for better than a funny sort of way.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Actually, let's play this clip now since we're on the topic.
Coach Andrew Webster, was it you who asked this question? Berg?
It wasn't me.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I was going to I was ready to ask it,
but Grant Chapman from rad angel And got in first.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
But it was certainly a question on my mind.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
And because you could also sense the crowd on the
first half, there's this sort of uneasy feeling, and the
crowd was thinking, what's happening? Because which is maybe that's
the crowds. It's our fault for everyone expecting the Warriors.
We're just going to do it relatively easily.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yeah, it's my fault. But there was something in the
air that wasn't quite right. Coach Andrew Ribster. It's the
nine claims that a side didn't turn up when you.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
Worry about that, and you see complacency. It's because when
our players turn up and don't try and they tried,
they tried so hard and they just got things so wrong.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
If anything, they'll probably reaping.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Too hard, too hard. I mean, yeah, that's what I'm saying.
I'd be reluctant to criticize the effort if it was
definitely there. There were a whole lot of other factors
which are going to go into But the reason I'm
a bit mistressed out is the wrong word. But the
reason why I think this loss will actually be quite
painful is that it could in We could be sitting
(04:53):
here in September talking about that they've just missed out
on the top four, and we'll look back on a
game like that.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I hope I'm wrong, but it feels quite pivotal. Now
we're going to hear from former kiwi's coach Brian Bluey
McLennan shortly, but first here the highlights. Panthers twenty eight,
Warriors eighteen. That's sixteen on the way is McLean again?
Speaker 6 (05:18):
McLean creates the spray stop chickens.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
We'll score for the Panthers.
Speaker 6 (05:24):
He can't on the last's Ben donner check set fives
over it.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I'll tell you what wat's these listics and put trouble there.
He's sorry, so.
Speaker 6 (05:35):
Straight through the game, sorry said it's gonna score.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I smell play by Penrith. What there's we can't good
all leged, that's fautiful execution. What is fucking froth guys.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Hallasema, let's as ry Penrath have scored on certainty to
money to land.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
He dups this out.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Isaiah tell Lonny that tried for Penrith and wants he
trying to fight as the bounce yes on a body. Well,
sometimes you need a bit of luckch which is then
Sport and Tenuth have got the bounce of all bouncers
right there in the bitch of five monment. Good football
(06:23):
ran taffa mare in Tafa Ny almost lasted, but it's
fantastic finish out. They still come to walking and get
the victory over the Warriors twenty eight points to eighteen.
Audio courtesy of sky Sport The Big League Podcast. We're
(06:45):
very lucky to be joined on The Big League Podcast
by former kiwi's coach Brian Bluie mcclennan. Brian, thank you
so much for your time. How are you going?
Speaker 6 (06:54):
Yeah, really good.
Speaker 7 (06:55):
Thanks, that's it's a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Obviously that the Warriors losing to the Panthers over the
week kend is weird the Warriors, I guess, going in
as favorites. Panthers had a few players. First of all,
what did you make of the game? What's your reaction
to the lost because it's disappointing, isn't it given the
caliber that we've grown to expect from the Warriors.
Speaker 6 (07:16):
Well, I'm personally not disappointed. I think the Warriors are
having a fantastic year and they come up against a
club that's been in the last five Grand Finals in
one far. I know they had some origin players out,
but the culture of that club is of the highest level,
probably the greatest.
Speaker 7 (07:37):
Club in recent history of the NRL anyway, And.
Speaker 6 (07:42):
They really got their game on the Panthers. You know,
they really grind hard and I thought that they won
the physical battle from the start.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Do you think that there was an element of complacency
within the Warriors given how they've been going and given
the five players superstar players really that Penrith didn't.
Speaker 7 (08:03):
Have, I'm not sure they did. You know they didn't,
didn't you jump out of the gates. Well, I thought
though the Panthers really did.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
They really got into their their Armorystal style of playing,
and they were really physical and really good in the contact,
and I thought the Warriors first up contact and defense
wasn't as good as it normally is.
Speaker 7 (08:30):
Mitchell Barney and he's the best at it. You run
anywhere near him, he just claims.
Speaker 6 (08:34):
Here and it's all over and it's a good tempo
style of tackle for the defense to reset.
Speaker 7 (08:40):
They're going to have the grow to with the rest
of the season without.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
Him, obviously, but they get their first up contacts, and
they're going to need to play against Brisbane.
Speaker 7 (08:50):
They get that right. That'll go a long way towards
helping them win the game.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Obviously, it was very close in the first half and
you felt like the wires were definitely in it, and
then in the second half there was a point at
which it started to just unravel. I guess what do
you think were the areas in which it did unravel?
What were you seeing from the wires that I out
the Panthers to take control the first.
Speaker 6 (09:11):
Up contact, what I just talked about before was a big,
big improvement for the Warriors.
Speaker 7 (09:16):
To work on when they played Brisbane.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
I also thought that the Warriors kicking game wasn't as
good as it normally is, and I thought the Panthers
kicking game was really good. I liked I liked that
when the Panthers got up by the half way or
just inside the Warriors half, they put up contestable clicks,
(09:41):
which applies pressure. It's a hard take for the bat
three when you've got to come forward to catch a
ball and you've got that you've got the defenders rushing
down on you. It was contestable kicks, so I thought
that was an area that the Panthers did really well.
I hope people don't judge the Warriors too harsh to
year they were coming off by and yes they missed
(10:02):
the jump, but the plan against a club being in
the last five.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
Grand finals and this could be the real kickstart for
the Panthers going forward, and I'm sure would have rang
alarm bells across all the other clubs in the NRL
as well. It was more about how good the Panther
has played.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
I thought you mentioned the Warriors kicking game struggling a
little bit there, and it was obvious that Luke Metcalfe
was carrying some sort of thigh issue. He wasn't doing
the kicking off the tee. How much did you do
you think that that affected the Warriors attack, especially in
that second half. And how worrying is it given how
well Metcalf's played this year.
Speaker 7 (10:40):
Well, it was more about where they kicked.
Speaker 6 (10:43):
You know, they got to result kicking to the Panthers
right edge and then then went and started kicking to
the other side, which was a little little confusing.
Speaker 7 (10:53):
You know, I can bet that the coaching staff would
have been saying, yeah, keep going out to that side,
but that can happen.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
Yeah, he did look a bit ginger, but just over
halfway through a season, loads of players are playing with injuries.
Has this the NRL's It's tough, it's relentless, I'd say
with the weak preparation leading into Broncos, you know, there's
a good chance he's going to be you know, Luke
metcalf is going to be fine for the Broncos game.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
And I suppose in talking about injuries, there are a
couple of other ones as well. Dylan ytenis a lesniak
with an ankle issue near corda with that head clash
and potentially a fraction knows, I believe, but particularly with
the Dollen one because he went off. Pompey then shifted
to the wing and the two centers were to Midy
Martin and Mala Graham Tulfer, who obviously aren't first choice
(11:42):
centers for the club. And given how pivotal center is
as a defensive position, that probably played into it as well, do.
Speaker 7 (11:49):
You think, Yeah, that's a good point.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
And the center's determined a lot in the club's defensive systems,
you know. And Tomarty's jumped around in quite a few
different positions this year, and yeah, and he's been really good,
you know. Molla has a pretty good effort by him,
you know, and a hell of its throw as well.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
So they'll be really licking at jobs about getting ready
for Brisbane.
Speaker 6 (12:14):
And given that Brisbane a yeah, they've regained some sort
of form and they're so athletics as individuals to Broncos.
This makes for it such an exciting matchup and I'm
you know, I bet you the Warriors are really looking
forward to it.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
And given that matchup coming up, what areas do the
Warriors need to improve? You mentioned the first up had
ups the first up contact. Is there any other areas
that you think the Warriors will really need to look
at if they want to get the job done against Brisbane,
who put on a spectacular comeback against Cornello over the weekend.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
Yeah, well, they're so athletics, so your first up contact
in your defense is just critical against side that had
great athleticism and the Bronco is having so many tackle breakers,
you've got to be spot on there. And the Warriors
have been very successful this year in defending territory.
Speaker 7 (13:06):
It's the best of it is the best Warriors.
Speaker 6 (13:08):
Team I've ever seen do it where they you know,
they're kicked chase and they make it extremely difficult for
their opponents to get out of their own twenty to
thirty and with their aligned speed and their contact and
their wrestle, they've been very, very good.
Speaker 7 (13:26):
And they just missed the jump on the.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
Weekend against Panthers, So I would imagine they'll be going
back to what's what's been a bit of a cornerstone
for them. Their edge defense on the whole throughout the
year has been very very good, So that's the main
area to get back to that and obviously on offense,
to you know to get their conbos.
Speaker 7 (13:46):
Working again, and you know, and ask plenty of questions.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
And your set's always judged by how it's finished, and
that involves your kicking games, so you know, I'm sure
they'll work hard on that this week and finished with
really good kicks that apply loads of pressure.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Is the Big League Podcast on the World's Bad Wagon
since day one. This is the Big League podcast.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
Right, Let's go through this game in a little bit
more detail, because my friend Michael Burgess, he's a bit
down in the dumps about this, which I've only just learned. Actually,
I thought he'd support me in being fairly low key
about this, but he's a bit hot and bothered. First
of all, you said they didn't come out too hot
out of the gates. I actually thought their start was
okay overall. Look Metcap with an early forty twenty attempt
(14:38):
at just about when over the sideline. I thought the
running lines early on were pretty good. Yet Aaron Clark
punching his nose in between defenders pretty much every time.
Jacob Labn's Tribe was a good example of that. A
bit later on both sides I thought put in some
good hits, but Penrith was winning the collisions overall, do
you think.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Yeah, Look, the Warriors started quite well. They rolled up
the field and they had some early ball in the
just outside the red zone. He was looking pretty promising.
You thought, here we go, and there was a drop
ball i think from Maela Graham Talfa. From then on,
for the next fifteen minutes, they couldn't get any ball
inside the Penrith Arth. They were just stuck in their
(15:17):
own half and Penrith We're down there going through their
plays and looked like just any other Penwrith team. You
forgot that the stars weren't there, and I think the
Warriors got quite frustrated, but also used up a lot
of the Warrior's petrol. But the worst part of that period, mate,
was when you're playing a team full of young kids,
(15:40):
what's the most important thing to do. The most important
thing to do is stamp your authority early. But instead
they sort of opened the door for Penrith and all
these young Panthers who'd come over thinking shit were playing
the Warriors sold at ground far out mounts.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Marn't ever been there before.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
They got some confidence they started to play and so
for me, that first twenty minutes was quite crucial and
from then on the Panthers look quite good.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Now, Dylan Watson is a lesni e suffered an ankle
in from a Scott Sorenson hip drop tackle. Now Soarrenson
now faces a two match ban for that, plus a
fine for the high tackle on charlesnkel Crookstar. But for me,
that that changed the game because suddenly Dallan went off
and he just before he went off, he sort of
came out of the line. He was clearly limping and
(16:26):
Sirenson goes through in the Panthers score a try. But
the reshuffle that happened, Dallan went off, Pompy goes to
the wing, Graham Tolfer and Tomato Martin come into send us.
How did that affect it a lot? You know, a lot.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
And that's the thing having none of their first choice
centers on the field, plus the corde Losing the cordo
as well in the first half was another big one,
which we'll talk about in a minute. But yeah, that
thing about with the hip drop, it must these kind
of things must be so frustrating for a coach because
it was a blatant hip drop that you could see
on the replay. Didn't see it straight away, and I
(17:01):
know you went at the ground, Nath, but being at
the ground, it was just ridiculous because Dallan could hardly
stand and he was just sort of jumping around on
one foot and you're like, okay, in most other sports
they stopped play, but not only you know, we've got
this thing where they don't. But if Dallan had to
stay down, they would have examined. It would have been
a penalty, maybe sience and Sindben definitely on report. Dylan
(17:25):
goes off, Warriors could have replaced him and the Warriors
would have got the ball. So that try, what I'm
trying to say is that try wouldn't have happened.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Da da Da da da. So it's funny how little
moments do change things. With the Warriors attack, Metcalf was
obviously carrying some sort of thigh issue, had it sort
of a compression band thing on. Pompey was doing the
kicking off the tee. I'm thinking that that definitely affected
the Warrior's attack and their efficiency with the boot. What
(17:54):
do we know what the injury is? He wasn't moving well,
was he yet?
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Andrew Webs explained it after the match is a corked
a cork thigh sort of thing, So what does that
mean cork Well, yeah, a dead leg I guess you'd
call it, you know, that kind of thing, but obviously
a pretty severe dead league.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
He wasn't moving that way. You could sort of see.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
There was a penmouth try later in the second half
where he made a grab at the guy but couldn't
bend down properly.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
So yeah, he wasn't wasn't moving like he normally would.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
I asked Andrew after the game if he'd be okay
for this weekend, and he indicated he would be, So
that is promising. What we've got to remember about this
game as well, is the Panthers made a lot of errors.
If you go back and look at it, they made
a lot of errors themselves. They would drop balls, you know,
they got all these new players. I think their air
account was something like thirteen to nine. So the Panthers
(18:48):
weren't smooth either. So the Warriors were getting all these
chances to get themselves going and get the momentum and
couldn't take them.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Now, Warrior's coach, as I mentioned at the start, Andrew Ribs.
He talks about creating pressure through their kickchase, and after
the game he pointed as to why their attack struggle
any pressure for long enough periods.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
We build a game on our kick chase and to
metimes we put a kick in and play one, play
two they'd had in the other way, whether like a
mini line break or a full line break.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Now, in terms of that kick chase, the battle in
the air really swung the momentum I felt in this contest.
There were a couple of bombs and consecutive sets that
the Panthers won inside the Warriors half. They just won
that battle in the yir and that leads to Scott
Sorenson try. It was a little bit back and forth
and there was a little bit of luck involved sometimes,
(19:39):
but for me it felt like Penrith kind of earned
their luck. You think about that, the bounce of the
ball that led to a try late for Penrith to
really put the Warriors the sort of foot on the throat.
Did you feel that as well?
Speaker 4 (19:50):
But yeah, I think they did in there luck and
sometimes it looked a bit like watching a rugby match
with there are all these sort of midfield bombs. They
weren't going as long as they normally would quite in
the midfield, but that made it hard for Chance or
someone else to actually take them, and you know, often
there was a bit of a mess Penrith how came
up with the ball. I mean they even came up
(20:11):
with the ball a couple of times on there. They
had a couple of goal land dropouts. One in particular,
I don't remember it where it bounced. It must have
bounced just about ten meters out from the Penrith goal line.
Kept on bouncing, so everyone's waiting for it to bounce
over the twenty meter line, and somehow Penrith still got
to it first, which sort of.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
It summed up the night, the lack of urgency from
the home side for that kind of thing to happen.
The kicking game was a bit of a mess and
Penrith took advantage.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
For me, the turning point and probably the pivotal point
in the game, was the Warriors were attacking down the
right edge. They were down fourteen twelve at the time
and they had an overlap. Thomas Jenkins intercepts the ball
runs fifty sixty meters up the field and Penrith ended
up scoring a couple of tries later through Blaze Tarlangi
(21:06):
and I felt like that was that was almost a
twelve point swing given the Warriors were about to score
a try ends up at the other end Penrith score
and they just couldn't wrestle the momentum back again. After that,
it was pretty much all Penrith.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
The crowd, the crowd in the far corner already on
their feet because they saw Charms running drawing his man
about to put Pompy away.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Jenkins read it. We talked about Jenkins last week. He's away.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
And then I mean the try was still quite disappointing.
The Blaze did well, but he beat some ineffecial tackles.
But yeah, that was that was a backbreak of mate.
But I think one thing we haven't talked about, which
we need to talk about, which is a big factor,
is do you think the Warriors win this game with
Mitch Barnett.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Yeah? I think they do. One hundred percent think they do.
And that's because you talk about that first up contact,
those first up tackles. Who's the man running out of
a lot, who's the man putting in those hits, who's
leading the troops from the front, and you know, he's
a different kind of leader to Jameson James Harris is
putting in big hats. He was doing some work, man,
But having Mitch Barnett on the field, that composure, that direction,
(22:14):
and the effort that he puts them up through the middle.
I think the Warriors when the game if he plays,
and that's the thing.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
I mean, it's spilt milk. It's all over. So we've
got to forget about it. But that was the point
I was trying to make a few weeks ago when
I said that it's the biggest set injury set back
in ten years and Nathan sort.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Of rolling his eyes, Oh, it's just going on.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
But now some sort of history thing again from years
ago they were was forgotten.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
That was he twenty nineteen, that was ancient.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
That was the point I was trying to make that
it matters so much to such to a team who
were in such a good such a.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Good run, and so not having Barnett is fine.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
And they got through it against the Sharks because everyone
else played a bit better, you know, everyone else set up,
but also because they had in the Corda. So what
I'm coming to is not having Barnett and then you're
losing the corde, you know, Fisher Harrison, the quarter where
you're too heavy hitters in the middle, suddenly one of
them's gone. I felt that it was quite a big
factor in what we've discussed about. They couldn't win the collisions,
(23:13):
they couldn't dominate the ruck just because they didn't quite
have the size, the presence, the power when the quarter
had gone and Barnett or there. So that's going to
be an ongoing issue. You know, it's not just missing Barnette.
That's how you get over not having him. Game after game,
the game did finish on a bit of a highlight
with Marilo.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Graham told us stunning solo, try pace the footwork the
running line as well. So it's a shame he's heading
off to South Sydney. I don't really blame him given
the depth the Warriors do have in the centers, but
I mean, injuries happen, and we're seeing it now. There's
struggling in the center is now with the names that
they have out and we're going to talk about how
they're going to reshuffle for the Broncos game. But lastly
(23:53):
from Webster, he acknowledges that wasn't how they wanted to
return from a buy, but they will be back and better.
You just never know when hiccup and the roads come.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
We've had these hiccups and we've come back on went
really well from them, and we'll do it again. We're
sitting in our addressing room disappointed because we want to
win every game.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
Big League Podcast Now the Warriors face the Broncos in
Brisbane on Saturday afternoon. The Broncos are fifth on the
ladder with seven wins and seven losses. They're one spot
behind the Warriors, but as I mentioned earlier, six points adrift.
Now seven wins, seven losses, it kind of seems wrong
that you can have a fifty percent win record and
(24:31):
still be fifth on the ladder. But they're coming off
with thirty four to twenty eight win over the Sharks,
a pulsating game in which they overturned a sixteen point deficit.
They were down twenty two to six late in the
first half and later they were still down twenty eight
twelve in the second. But they've got so many tackle breakers.
The Broncos is Brian McLennan mentioned earlier. They've won their
(24:52):
last two games convincingly but they were on a four
game slide before that. The Broncos are sort of that
team that has all of the talent, all of the stars,
all of the big names, but they seem to have
a bit of drama and they can't get the consistency going.
It's a pound who's been He's left the club. You
know why because he liked an Instagram post criticizing Michael
(25:17):
McGuire's coaching and apparently that was found and he had
to apologize to Michael McGuire, apologize to the senior players,
and now he's been dropped. You know who wasn't dropped
Isra Man. After getting into a drug driving crash earlier
in the year, he had what, he was banned for
a while, and now he's back. How does that make sense?
(25:39):
Someone likes an Instagram post and they're out of there.
You get into a car crash with a woman and
her kid and you're back playing. And I think the
woman had a four year old who was seriously injured.
I mean, yeah, make that make sense with I can't
believe it. It's a bit of Jeff TV going on
in the studio Hereone's got to look into this.
Speaker 6 (26:02):
How does it go.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Investigation. Look, I don't I don't know the ins and
out to their Roman situation, but it does. I don't
like it.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
It's the old story of you know, talent gets you
a lot of extra things in life that they shouldn't.
We've seen all those high profile sportsmen here. We've seen
all blacks. You can list a few of them still
in the team that you know escaped conviction for certain
things because they're all blacks.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
But you don't like that. And the tapower thing.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
All I could say is that I imagine there were
other things going on before the Instagram post. I imagine
there'd been other issues. It wasn't and that was like
the final straw. Let's see where they go from here.
But as I say that, it will really help them.
The way they won that game against the sharks's going to.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Be held accountable now. The Warriors played the Broncos at
Mount Smart back in April. The match went to golden point,
and this golden point underway here and he's well, is
he overcooked it? He has? Justice is good. Luke metcalf
(27:13):
with a stunning penalty from fifty meters. He hadn't kicked
while that game at all, but he slotted that one
and the Warriors win a dramatic one and that sort
of that sort of kicks start. There's probably a couple
of games into this sort of streak, this hot period
that the Warriors have had.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
No it did it sort of because it came after
they got thrashed in Melbourne, so it really really got
them going again. If they had lost that golden point
against the Broncos, who knows where they'd be. And I
still remember Metcalf stepping up and I was like, We're
sitting there thinking he's not going to try and kick this.
He's fifty meters out. You know, surely they kicked the
touch and tried and set up the field goal.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
It wasn't even closer, cleared it easily.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
So but you would say the Broncos have got a
lot to play for, a lot of motivation when they
When you lose like that, it hurts, so they'll they'll
certainly want to be back for that.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Now, what are the Warriors going to do with their lineup?
Berg We mentioned it earlier, Rocker Berry is still out
with the hamstring, Ali Lao Tyler still weeks away with
an ankle injury. There's no Dulan Watteni's a lesni act presumably,
so we need another winger. Does ed course he come
back onto the wing? From New South Wales Coupy scored
two tries in what was the tenth win in a
(28:20):
row just by the way over the weekend. Well done
to them. But does Ed Corsey come back onto the wing?
This tame to a peaky but he got knocked out
cold last last week week and a half. I don't
want him to play.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
No, I don't think he should play if it's only
it was only year Saturday before last. If he played,
he'd have to be training this week and surely you
need a longer stand down. So and plus plus, let's
not forget this a bye after this game, isn't there?
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Am I right?
Speaker 4 (28:50):
So give him, give him a few weeks, give him
a few weeks off, make the most of it. Ed course,
he deserves, deserves his chance, and that seems to be
the logical selection because then you would also I imagine
god old Kirk cape Well will come back into the centers.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Oh yeah, hardest working center in the NRL.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
You know he's a forward, but he's doing such a
good job there, he'll come back into the center as
you would think, and they'll have to find someone to
replace the courting The.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Big League Podcast for the biggest league fans, The Big
League Podcast on the Warriors Bad Wagons since day one.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Okay, but let's just go through quick fire predictions. We're
back to a full NRL round, which is quite weird.
We've had a few a few weeks without a full
NRL round. But and it's and it is actually a
really tough one to pick straight off the back Panthers
versus the Bulldogs we talked about, is this a turning
point for the Panthers. They have their origin players back
there at home, and the Bulldogs are top of the
(29:55):
table and have been the form team in the NRL
this year.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
Just to say again apologies to our listeners again for
some pretty awful picks over the weekend, especially that both
of us. I am so sure that the Dolphins were
going to just you know, take care of the Knights,
no problem. It was a real shame to the Rabbitos
couldn't get up against the storm. That would have been incredible.
But onto these predictions. Yes, it's a turning point for
the Panthers and they will they'll beat the Bulldogs on
(30:24):
Tuesday night, their big names arrested. They'll be coming into
a dressing room, that's so they'll just be buzzing after
that win in Auckland. They'll be ready to go point
to prove, and yeah, they'll be too good.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
I wasn't sure if we were going to disagree on
this one, but yeah, I'm bound on the Panthers to
beat the Bulldogs as well.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Sea Eagles versus the Tigers, I'll go with the Seagulls
here at home. That's probably the only reason.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Manly coming off the bye, so you know, it's always
a bit of a coin flip in that regard. But yeah,
the Tigers just git out of it. So I'm going
to go with the Seagules. Knights, Raiders. I'll go with
the Raiders.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Although the Knights were bloody good, man, they were bloody good.
The way they won that game in the last ten
minutes against the Dolphins spectacular, try to win it. That'll
really give them a boost, so they'll be they'll be tough,
but I'll go over the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
No disagreements so far. Here we go. Broncos Warriors, Brisbane.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
Really hard to call this one. Broncos will have a
lot of things in their favorite a lot to play for,
a lot of confidence all their players back. I think
maybe Payne Haas there's still some issues, some thoughts around
his back. They want to avenge the defeat at Mount
Smart and unfortunately I think they will. I think they
(31:48):
will be too strong for the Warriors. We've seen the
Warriors so good on the road this season, but I
don't know if they can do it again against the
against the Broncos team that might have found their mojo
in the second half.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
This doesn't happen very often, Burge. But oh no, I'm
gonna tap Brisbane. I don't want it to be like
this thing. We were like, oh, Warriors the winning, so
we'll pick the Warriors, and then the Warriors suddenly losing.
We both stopped picking the Warriors. Given the reshuffle, how
good Brisbane looks on it? Brisbane might you know they're
(32:24):
a coin flip They're a coin flip side. They might
have a you know, someone post something on Instagram on
a Thursday night and then they can't play on Saturday.
We don't know, but based on the form and the players,
Brisbane will win. It's it's just going to be a
hard match. It's going to be really hard match.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
The Warriors going to play really well to win, and
Broncos will have a lot of reasons why why they
can win. But no one should be too worried. The
way we've been tipping this year exactly. I mean most
weeks you couldn't tip sand out of a bucket. So
I think what I think, both of us haven't been
(33:02):
great with the predictions.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Prove us wrong these words, so breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Look at a bit close. Of course, the Warriors can
still win, but the Broncos will be favorites and it's
going to be hard. Tell me to shush Dragons versus
the Eels. Dragon's coming off the buy. I believe Eel's
coming off a really good win for them. I go
to the Eels here.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Actually, the Dragons actually put up a really good fight
against the Sharks a couple of weeks ago, so I'm
going to back them off the buy as well. Dolphins, Bunnies,
Bunnies with very very close loss to the Storm.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
Oh, they were so good. I mean they have been incredible.
They have in the last four weeks they have played
the top four teams. I'm pretty sure I'm right in
saying that they've played all teams currently sitting in the
top quarter of the competition. Haven't won any of those games,
but they've all been close. Golden Put loss to the
Storm the latest example. Gutsy team Man still missing so
(33:59):
many players it could be hard for them. This will
be up at sun Corp. I think the Dolphins should
bounce back from beating Newcastle, but of course way be
against this former club. It'll be It'll be interesting, but
I'll go with the home team.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
I reckon the Rabbit O's get up Storm Sharks in Melbourne,
so Man, the Storm go to the JLA.
Speaker 4 (34:18):
The Revenues could have won that game and Bellamie would
have been absolutely humid because they had it. They had
it done a couple of times. The Rabbitues keep coming
back and Storm tend to when they do that, they
tend to get it right the following week, so they'll
I think they'll beat the Sharks, who must be hurting
from the way they lost to Brisbane.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Sharks are all over the place. Titans versus the Cowboys
to finish times losing to the Eels in the round
just gone and the Cowboys getting absolutely flogged by the
Dolphins a couple of weeks ago, then rebounded by getting
flogged by the Roosters.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
Yeah, you wouldn't call this a classic Queensland Derby, would you.
I mean the sort of Broncos Cowboys, the one we
look forward to. This is the one that at the
moment is a bit I don't know where these two
teams are.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
If you're in neutral, why would you watch this?
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Well, the Titans are entertaining the way they play all
their paces right around the Cowboys. Actually a really good
at ten. I contend too, So that's why you should
watch it. There you go.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
I've just given you a reason. There'll be plenty of tries.
Speaker 6 (35:15):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
Maybe I'll sure that's at the draw. But I'm so
passionate about this, I don't know. I think the Titans,
I guess at home, might swing it. It's gonna pick
the Cowboys. Thank you, Michael. We're just for your time,
you're wisdom, your insight. Hopefully the Warriors make us eat
our words and beat Brisbane on Saturday. I'm sure you'll
(35:41):
be watching. We'll be back next Monday to review that action.
Please follow and rate the podcast. My name is Nathan Limb, Hey,
you have a fantastic week, all right.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
For more from News Talks d B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
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