Adam Peacock: Australian Correspondent ahead of the NRL Grand Final between the Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm

It’s the final week of NRL over in Australia, with the Grand Final coming down to two entirely expected parties. 

The Penrith Panthers are looking to win their fourth championship in a row as they play the Melbourne Storm Sunday night. 

Our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Jason Pine to give his thoughts as to who will come out on top. 

“Flip of the coin,” he said. 

“It’s really tough to cut through it.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
The Tasman Australian correspondent. Adam Peacock's with us in RL
Grand Final tomorrow night, Adam Storm v. Panthers, the clash
we always thought we'd get the one we wanted. Who
wins this?

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Ah? Well, flip to the coin generally is piney good afternoon.
It's it's really tough to cut through it because Penrith
of I mean, they're in their fifth straight Grand Finals
and for their fourth straight, when Melbourne have all of
a sudden revitalized themselves and are playing some really quick
attacking footie. So you've got the ones that have been there,

(00:45):
done that, the ones that look like they're about to
go there and do that. And it's really.

Speaker 4 (00:49):
Difficult to match out because they even each other out
so well. They're so good that they're clearly the two teams.
So I'm just leaning towards Penrith Bond by virtue of
the fact that they can sorry Melbourne by virtue of
the fact that they can play a little bit quick.
I see there you go, and they've ben confused about
make it's that close but it should be a great
game of footy, and it's going to be dry as well.

(01:11):
You know what I say about drive whether footage ten
times better than what weather footage.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
So yeah, this will be a spectacle. This will be
a damn good game of regular.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
League, just on the fact that they are clearly the
two best sides. How big is the gat back? Because
I mean, the Storm gave it to the Roosters, you
know last weekend, and the Rooster's not a bad side,
but they're nowhere near clearly nowhere near the Storm probably
know where near the Panthers. How big is the gat
back from these two?

Speaker 3 (01:34):
I reckon if these two play any other team, they
beat them nine times out of ten at the moment.
That's how significant I think it is when when the
stakes are high, like a Grand Final qualifier, that's how
that's how big it is at the moment. And there
are a few factors why it's happened like that, but
it's it's good that it's there's two of them and
not like just one of them and everyone's just rocking

(01:56):
up to a Grand Final. From I thinking well can
I keep it within twenty? That's not the case, So yeah,
clearly the best two and we get it's like a
title fight almost. It's yeah, you know, trying to say
it happened and start yep.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Can't wait for tomorrow night. Okay, Women's T twenty Cricket
World Cup. I'm sure you've caught up with the news
that the White Ferns beat into your air opening match.
Australia have won the last three of these. You're confident
they'll make it four.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
Without being arrogant? How can you not be because they've
they've got such well balanced side and sometimes it doesn't
quite work out lots like that. I mean, look, Meg
Lanning has given the GameLine. I think one by one
these big players like Alisa Heay, who all worked with
over here in Australia and she's magnificent and keen to
captain this side. Alise Perry, one by one doll drips

(02:44):
away in the next four to five years. But we've
got this undercurrent coming through and it's because we've got
such a strong WBBL the domestic women's T twenty competition
that runs here in early summer, and I think New
Zealand have benefited from that particular competition. We see Sophy
Designe over here all the time. Emearly occur as a
big addition to the Sydney Sixers, and they're two of

(03:05):
the key we's s players and look what they've done
to India overnight. So and India send players here as well.
So I think Australia's depth is their key and they've
got selection issues who to lead out and that's the
them good problem. So they place your anchor first up.
They've got to get over that. They've got to get going.
Should be okay in that one, but yeah, really happy
for the Keys and it blows that tournament wide open
because India are expected to be with Australia there at

(03:27):
the finish. But that's massive, especially with that run raids
as well.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Indeed, and Australia against New Zealand early hours of Wednesday
morning as well, So we'll look forward to that one.
Another one of your female teams are the absolute juggernaught
that is the Matilda's football team. I've got a change
of coach Tony Goustafson replaced in an interim or placed
an interim charge or replaced an interim charge by Tom Somani,
who of course was in charge of our football firns

(03:52):
for a while. Who are the favorites for the permanent
role as head coach of the Matilda's moving forward.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
There's no one yet. Pine. It's really weird that I
think they're happy to really take their time because there's
no qualifiers on the horizon, tournament on the horizon that
there will be soon, there'll be in a women's Asian
Cup to really plan for. But the Tommy Somani and
I don't know, if you got to know him, he's
one of the best blokes going around. He would just
take the air out of the room. You know, you

(04:19):
just get every under the chill out. You'll get everyone
on the same page. Look, a lot of these players,
like the Sam Kurk, Caitlin Ford, Tom gave their Matilda's
debuts to in his first first crack at Matilda's coach.
So I mean, it could work out that the whole
squad just love working under Tom, and they bring in
another assistant who you know, might be more modern and

(04:39):
not calling Tom not modern, but like a younger freshman
face to be the assistant, and Tom might be the
figure ahead and oversee things that that might be the
way they go, or they do actually get someone in
of international recognition. There's no real candidates from the women's
game here in Australia. They could go men and ex
to Mantilda won't mention her name, but she said, why
don't we go for someone like at john Ala Whisky,

(05:01):
which you know, okay, someone from the men's game to
come over. So we'll wait see, But I think all
options are still on the table and they're really going
to take their time with this one.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
Actually, just before you go the me inside Tony Popovich
and charge there now of course, of the soccer us
named his first squad in the last couple of days.
How has his appointment been been received after you know,
sort of a week or so of time since the
announcement was made.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
Yeah, and in Age his first squad yesterday, So bringing
back players like mask La Loongo and giving young mission
for Looplay from Melbourn Victory, a player that you've obviously
sent a few times over there, Pioney given his chance
in a soccer has squad. So a few changes, a
few adjustments, but nothing holds are Yeah, like it's hard,
it's hard to bag. It's not as if we're riding

(05:45):
on the streets about this appointment it's fine. He was
the next next cab off. He was without a club job.
He was easy access. He loves the soccers. He's made
that very very clear in his press conference yesterday, says
I'm not doing sales pitches the players. If they want
to play, they make themselves available and it's up to
meet a pick. And but I'm not just going to
ring up people and say please please for me. That's

(06:07):
not going to happen. So I like that.

Speaker 4 (06:08):
I like that.

Speaker 3 (06:09):
So yeah, and he's brought in some soccer's experience with
Hayden Fox and Paul O'Connor's in his assistance as well.
So I mean we'll wait see. I mean they've got
Japan away as their second match. I think judgment will
be cast after that one next week.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
All right, all it's great chatting Australian sport with you, Adam.
Thanks for taking the time. We'll do it again next Saturday.
Kid Funny, you have a good one too, mate. Thanks indeed,
Adam Peacock. There our regular Australian correspondent with matters from
across the Tasman.

Speaker 1 (06:33):
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