September 14, 2024 • 11 mins
The first week of the NRL Finals are underway, which started with a dominant win to the three-time reigning champions.
Piney catches up with Brad Walter from NRL.com to discuss what we might see from the rest of the finals matches this weekend.
“People have been concerned that the Panthers have been flat, you know, and haven't looked sort of maybe as hungry as they have in past years, but they certainly came out last night looking like the team to beat in in the final series.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Week one of the NRL Finals Underway qualifying final last night.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Kenny Back's back Cleary early kick, he I come, he
come turn again.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Here, surely I can going to another preliminary final. Canada's
got two.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Another moment of very brilliance.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, Panthers thirty Roosters ten. A bit of a hiding really,
and all based on a first half performance which just
blew the Roosters away. Brad Walter joins us one of
the more respected voices and pens or keyboards we should
probably say, in rugby league in this part of the world.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Brad.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Twenty two to nil after twenty three minutes last night
to the Panthers. It's basically done in dusted. The game's
almost gone. Why were the Roosters so slow out of
the blocks last night?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I think there's two things. Yeah, the Roosters were slow
out of the blox. They look shell shocked. The Panthers
also were like very very good, very good with Nathan
Cleary back and like he ran the show. And the
Panthers turn into arguably their best performance of the season
or certainly, for quite some time people have been concerned
that the Panthers have been flat, you know, and haven't
(01:24):
looked sort of maybe as hungry as they have in
past years. But they certainly came out last night looking
like the team to beat in the final series. The Roosters, unfortunately,
have had some serious injuries. The key players Brandon Smith,
Sam Walker in particular, no Victor Radley, no Jared Wearrer, Hardgraves,
(01:45):
so you know, they were obviously under strength. But as
I said, key players, two key forwards, too aggressive forwards
in we're hard Graves and Radley, and obviously they're half
back and their hooker. So you know, it's a big
it's going to be a big ask for the Roosters.
Everyone knew that before this game. I think most people
expected that Penriford in. But yeah, it was the way
(02:07):
that the way that they started, the way that both
teams started to be honest, I think took everyone by surprise.
And I think, yeah, most people are thinking now that
you know the Roosters, they'll play the winner of the
Bulldogs manly, you know, they may not like they may
go out in straight sets, they might lose. Again, it's
going hard to see them winning again next week, although
(02:29):
were Ore Hargraves is back from suspension for possibly his
last ever game in the NRL. But yeah, they won't
have Walker or Smith, but Smith back. They're both out
with ACL injuries and the Panthers they've got a week
off now and they're just basically sitting there there, one
win away from a fifth Grand Final, fifth consecutive Grand Final.
It's it's an incredible effort and I don't think it's
(02:51):
been done since maybe the sixties when Saint George won
eleven premierships in a row.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, incredible from the Panthers. Just on Nathan Cleary. He
had quite a time out with injury during the season,
didn't he came back? What about round twenty from memory,
he's been out again with a bit of a shoulder.
How did he look last night? Is he was he
one hundred percent? I mean, or did he not need
to be?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
He's really he's as good as he needs to be.
I don't know if he's one hundred percent, and he's
probably not, but he's as good as he needs to be. Look,
let's remember what he did in the Grand Final last year,
in that last twenty minutes when he turned the game
on its head when he looked like Brisbane and we're
going to win. And then Nathan Cleary absolutely took control
of that game. He was playing them with a busted shoulders,
(03:33):
So he doesn't need to be fully fit, he just
needs to be fit enough to be out there. I
watched him train briefly during earlier in the week, and
to be honest, I didn't think he looked completely or
certainly didn't think he looked one hundred percent fit. From
just what I saw, I thought, maybe, but maybe they'll
(03:53):
even rest him for another week. It wasn't sudden death
for them. But look, he came out and played and
he didn't miss a beat or it looked like he
just hadn't been out at all. He just picked up
where he'd left off, back to his best, and they
just look energized. The Panthers GRESSI forwards led by James Fisher,
Harris and Liam Martin, you know, in a really really
(04:15):
slip back line, Deilan Edwards at the back, and obviously
Lewi and Cleary sort of calling the shots there. Ys
I said, they now look like the team to beat.
But there's three more games this weekend and once we
see the Melbourne Storm, for example, play later on today,
we might have a different view and we'll.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Get to that in a sect. But let's go to
the six v seven elimination final this evening or early
evening Bulldogs Seagles. Of fact, that game's tomorrow. That's who
the Roosters will play the winner of Bulldogs see Eagles.
Let's go with that game though. Six fe seven always
a bit hard to pick. Which way do you think
this one is going?
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Well? Just on form lines, I'm leaning towards the Seagles.
They they played the Bulldogs only two weeks ago and
they were just too be, too strong, too good, if
you know. Basically, they just dominated in the forwards and
they steam rolled their forwards and I sort of think, okay,
(05:15):
that's the blue that's the blueprint of work for Manly.
As I said two weeks ago against the Bulldogs, you know,
they're at full full strength. They've got Tom Travoyevitch backs
to this match. You know, Cherry Evans is, you know,
he's probably arguably in the best form of his career,
and he certainly he might not be as quick as
he as he was, but he's he's smart and he'll
(05:38):
run the show and he'll he'll get his forwards to
do the work they need to do. He will play
off the back of it. He's got a fantastic kicking game,
you know, certainly maybe the long the best long kicking
game in the NRL. So he can kick them out
of trouble, great field position, and has said they've got
Tom Tom, Travoyevitch and you know some other really really
good backs. So I just think maybe Manly, I think
(06:01):
maybe the Bulldogs. They've lost their last two games, including
that one against Many, they haven't looked great. And you know,
a few weeks ago, I think there was a lot
of momentum and the Bulldogs looked, as I said, you know,
they looked like a team that could make a run
for the for the finals from outside the top four.
But yeah, what we've said in the last two weeks,
I think maybe they might have you know that like
(06:21):
they've probably exceeded expectations and if they were to if
they lose this game, I don't think anybody associated with
the club to be disappointed. And I think, you know,
whereas I think Manly have probably got higher aspirations and
can challenge for the premiership, all.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Right, five past six tomorrow New Zealand Time second Qualifying
Finals tonight Storm v Sharks one v four. That's five
past six New Zealand Time, Amy Park in Melbourne. What
would the Sharks have to do really well if they're
going to win this tonight?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Everything when you play the Melbourne Storre and you've got
to play to the best of the ability and you
need need all of your players to do that. But look,
the Sharks are in good form as well. You know,
they've got all their troops back on deck at the
right time of the season, or most of them, although
although Rummy and He's out in the centers, but they've
still got a very strong team. Nick o'hines and Braiden
(07:12):
Trindle back to lead the team around back together. The
Sharks did beat them the Storm down in Melbourne. It
doesn't happen very often. It's happened twice this year and
the Sharks did it, and they did it pretty comprehensively
earlier in the season. So I give them a chance.
They'd be confident they'll go down there. As I said,
they're playing good football at the right time of the year.
(07:34):
They've played a lot of games without key players as
is the Melbourne Storm and that's what's so impressive about them.
But as I said, the Sharks, they've done that, they
spent they played a fair bit of they. Micke Wines
has been out for quite a while and Braiden Trindle
has really stepped up. Daniel Atkinson as well when he
was there, so he's going to be on the bench tonight.
(07:55):
They said, yeah, I think I'll give the Sharks a chance,
but it's going to be really hard to do this
down in Melbourne. And look, Melbourne have got Ryan Papenhausen back.
Munster and Hughes have had a few games together along
with Harry Grant, so they've got their key players back
on deck. It hasn't happened very often. I think they
might have played eight games together this season, which is
about a third or third of the season for those
(08:17):
key spying players. Jerome Hughes is his career best form.
He's the favorite for the dally M Medal. Monster and
that really, you know, that means they're not relying on Monster.
That means and they haven't. He's missed a lot of football.
He's only played fourteen games this year. But Monster's back.
He's a dangerous player if if if you've got to
(08:37):
you know, if Jerome Hughes is running the show, then
Camera Munster can just do you know, pop up when
he needs to and and and he's always a threat.
Harry Grant, you know, arguably the best hooker in the NRL.
And then Ryan Papenhausen at the back, who if once
he gets in a little bit of open space, he's
very hard to stop. Xavier coaches on the wing will
(08:57):
Warbricks have got two big tour wingers that they can
they can kick too, and a FOURD pact that just
he's probably you know a lot of underrated players or
unheralded players in that forward packing, but they all do
their job. And that's the thing with like the Melbourne Storm,
doesn't matter who plays for them, they turn up and
they compete every week. And during the season they won
(09:18):
a lot of close games, really close games one and
two point matches, even games that they snatched at the death,
So you know, it doesn't matter how tight the game is,
you know they're always going to be in the contest.
So I think this is going to be a ripping game.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
And later tonight elimination final up in Townsville Cowboys. Knights
North Queensland win this, don't they?
Speaker 3 (09:39):
I think so. I think it's you know, it's hard
to win. It's hard to travel to North Queensland and
get a win, especially at this time of the year
when you're you know, in the sudden death finals match
the Knights played, I think they played there, you know,
grand finals so to speak. Last Sunday they played the
Dolphins in the last match of the round, which was
effectively well, it was a playoff eighth spot winn winner
(10:01):
got eighth spots, so the Knights they won that game,
but you know that was But now they've got to
go and play actual, real sudden death game. You know,
they just qualified to play in sudden death football and
now now they have got a sudden death game. They've
got to travel to Townsville. They're getting a charter flight
up there, but it's still you know, it's still three
or four hours to Townsville from from Newcastle. You know,
(10:25):
the humidity I think will be quite high up there,
and the crowd will be totally against them. And you know,
Newcastle they snuck into the eighth with a couple of
wins at home at the end of the season. They've
got great support in Newcastle, They're not going to have
much support in Townsville and and they do get behind
the Cowboys up there as well, who I think are playing.
You know, they've started to find their best football at
(10:46):
the right time of the year as well. So if
you it's only a month or so ago that Todd
Payton made a big call to drop Chad Townsend and
bring Jake Clickett in the half back, and since then
that you know they've they've really got on a roll.
And that's turnately the master stroke by Todd Payton.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Final football nothing like it. Always enjoyed chatting league with
your Brad. Things for taking the time.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Hey he likewise party enjoy the footy.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
I enjoy it too, Brod, I know you will. It's
a week one of the finals, Brad Walter. There joining
us are Panthers thirty Roosters ten last night, so Panthers
into the preliminary final. The Roosters, meantime, will wait a
week and play the winner of the Bulldog see Eagles
game tomorrow. Two games today Storm Sharks at five past
six and Cowboys Nights at nine fifty tonight. The first
(11:32):
of those games the Storm Sharks is a qualifying final,
so the winner will go through to the preliminary final.
The loser will get a second crack next week against
the winner of the Cowboys Nights game up in Townsville.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talks ed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Week one of the NRL Finals Underway qualifying final last night.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Kenny Back's back Cleary early kick, he I come, he
come turn again.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Here, surely I can going to another preliminary final. Canada's
got two.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Another moment of very brilliance.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, Panthers thirty Roosters ten. A bit of a hiding really,
and all based on a first half performance which just
blew the Roosters away. Brad Walter joins us one of
the more respected voices and pens or keyboards we should
probably say, in rugby league in this part of the world.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Brad.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Twenty two to nil after twenty three minutes last night
to the Panthers. It's basically done in dusted. The game's
almost gone. Why were the Roosters so slow out of
the blocks last night?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I think there's two things. Yeah, the Roosters were slow
out of the blox. They look shell shocked. The Panthers
also were like very very good, very good with Nathan
Cleary back and like he ran the show. And the
Panthers turn into arguably their best performance of the season
or certainly, for quite some time people have been concerned
that the Panthers have been flat, you know, and haven't
(01:24):
looked sort of maybe as hungry as they have in
past years. But they certainly came out last night looking
like the team to beat in the final series. The Roosters, unfortunately,
have had some serious injuries. The key players Brandon Smith,
Sam Walker in particular, no Victor Radley, no Jared Wearrer, Hardgraves,
(01:45):
so you know, they were obviously under strength. But as
I said, key players, two key forwards, too aggressive forwards
in we're hard Graves and Radley, and obviously they're half
back and their hooker. So you know, it's a big
it's going to be a big ask for the Roosters.
Everyone knew that before this game. I think most people
expected that Penriford in. But yeah, it was the way
(02:07):
that the way that they started, the way that both
teams started to be honest, I think took everyone by surprise.
And I think, yeah, most people are thinking now that
you know the Roosters, they'll play the winner of the
Bulldogs manly, you know, they may not like they may
go out in straight sets, they might lose. Again, it's
going hard to see them winning again next week, although
(02:29):
were Ore Hargraves is back from suspension for possibly his
last ever game in the NRL. But yeah, they won't
have Walker or Smith, but Smith back. They're both out
with ACL injuries and the Panthers they've got a week
off now and they're just basically sitting there there, one
win away from a fifth Grand Final, fifth consecutive Grand Final.
It's it's an incredible effort and I don't think it's
(02:51):
been done since maybe the sixties when Saint George won
eleven premierships in a row.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, incredible from the Panthers. Just on Nathan Cleary. He
had quite a time out with injury during the season,
didn't he came back? What about round twenty from memory,
he's been out again with a bit of a shoulder.
How did he look last night? Is he was he
one hundred percent? I mean, or did he not need
to be?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
He's really he's as good as he needs to be.
I don't know if he's one hundred percent, and he's
probably not, but he's as good as he needs to be. Look,
let's remember what he did in the Grand Final last year,
in that last twenty minutes when he turned the game
on its head when he looked like Brisbane and we're
going to win. And then Nathan Cleary absolutely took control
of that game. He was playing them with a busted shoulders,
(03:33):
So he doesn't need to be fully fit, he just
needs to be fit enough to be out there. I
watched him train briefly during earlier in the week, and
to be honest, I didn't think he looked completely or
certainly didn't think he looked one hundred percent fit. From
just what I saw, I thought, maybe, but maybe they'll
(03:53):
even rest him for another week. It wasn't sudden death
for them. But look, he came out and played and
he didn't miss a beat or it looked like he
just hadn't been out at all. He just picked up
where he'd left off, back to his best, and they
just look energized. The Panthers GRESSI forwards led by James Fisher,
Harris and Liam Martin, you know, in a really really
(04:15):
slip back line, Deilan Edwards at the back, and obviously
Lewi and Cleary sort of calling the shots there. Ys
I said, they now look like the team to beat.
But there's three more games this weekend and once we
see the Melbourne Storm, for example, play later on today,
we might have a different view and we'll.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Get to that in a sect. But let's go to
the six v seven elimination final this evening or early
evening Bulldogs Seagles. Of fact, that game's tomorrow. That's who
the Roosters will play the winner of Bulldogs see Eagles.
Let's go with that game though. Six fe seven always
a bit hard to pick. Which way do you think
this one is going?
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Well? Just on form lines, I'm leaning towards the Seagles.
They they played the Bulldogs only two weeks ago and
they were just too be, too strong, too good, if
you know. Basically, they just dominated in the forwards and
they steam rolled their forwards and I sort of think, okay,
(05:15):
that's the blue that's the blueprint of work for Manly.
As I said two weeks ago against the Bulldogs, you know,
they're at full full strength. They've got Tom Travoyevitch backs
to this match. You know, Cherry Evans is, you know,
he's probably arguably in the best form of his career,
and he certainly he might not be as quick as
he as he was, but he's he's smart and he'll
(05:38):
run the show and he'll he'll get his forwards to
do the work they need to do. He will play
off the back of it. He's got a fantastic kicking game,
you know, certainly maybe the long the best long kicking
game in the NRL. So he can kick them out
of trouble, great field position, and has said they've got
Tom Tom, Travoyevitch and you know some other really really
good backs. So I just think maybe Manly, I think
(06:01):
maybe the Bulldogs. They've lost their last two games, including
that one against Many, they haven't looked great. And you know,
a few weeks ago, I think there was a lot
of momentum and the Bulldogs looked, as I said, you know,
they looked like a team that could make a run
for the for the finals from outside the top four.
But yeah, what we've said in the last two weeks,
I think maybe they might have you know that like
(06:21):
they've probably exceeded expectations and if they were to if
they lose this game, I don't think anybody associated with
the club to be disappointed. And I think, you know,
whereas I think Manly have probably got higher aspirations and
can challenge for the premiership, all.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Right, five past six tomorrow New Zealand Time second Qualifying
Finals tonight Storm v Sharks one v four. That's five
past six New Zealand Time, Amy Park in Melbourne. What
would the Sharks have to do really well if they're
going to win this tonight?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Everything when you play the Melbourne Storre and you've got
to play to the best of the ability and you
need need all of your players to do that. But look,
the Sharks are in good form as well. You know,
they've got all their troops back on deck at the
right time of the season, or most of them, although
although Rummy and He's out in the centers, but they've
still got a very strong team. Nick o'hines and Braiden
(07:12):
Trindle back to lead the team around back together. The
Sharks did beat them the Storm down in Melbourne. It
doesn't happen very often. It's happened twice this year and
the Sharks did it, and they did it pretty comprehensively
earlier in the season. So I give them a chance.
They'd be confident they'll go down there. As I said,
they're playing good football at the right time of the year.
(07:34):
They've played a lot of games without key players as
is the Melbourne Storm and that's what's so impressive about them.
But as I said, the Sharks, they've done that, they
spent they played a fair bit of they. Micke Wines
has been out for quite a while and Braiden Trindle
has really stepped up. Daniel Atkinson as well when he
was there, so he's going to be on the bench tonight.
(07:55):
They said, yeah, I think I'll give the Sharks a chance,
but it's going to be really hard to do this
down in Melbourne. And look, Melbourne have got Ryan Papenhausen back.
Munster and Hughes have had a few games together along
with Harry Grant, so they've got their key players back
on deck. It hasn't happened very often. I think they
might have played eight games together this season, which is
about a third or third of the season for those
(08:17):
key spying players. Jerome Hughes is his career best form.
He's the favorite for the dally M Medal. Monster and
that really, you know, that means they're not relying on Monster.
That means and they haven't. He's missed a lot of football.
He's only played fourteen games this year. But Monster's back.
He's a dangerous player if if if you've got to
(08:37):
you know, if Jerome Hughes is running the show, then
Camera Munster can just do you know, pop up when
he needs to and and and he's always a threat.
Harry Grant, you know, arguably the best hooker in the NRL.
And then Ryan Papenhausen at the back, who if once
he gets in a little bit of open space, he's
very hard to stop. Xavier coaches on the wing will
(08:57):
Warbricks have got two big tour wingers that they can
they can kick too, and a FOURD pact that just
he's probably you know a lot of underrated players or
unheralded players in that forward packing, but they all do
their job. And that's the thing with like the Melbourne Storm,
doesn't matter who plays for them, they turn up and
they compete every week. And during the season they won
(09:18):
a lot of close games, really close games one and
two point matches, even games that they snatched at the death,
So you know, it doesn't matter how tight the game is,
you know they're always going to be in the contest.
So I think this is going to be a ripping game.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
And later tonight elimination final up in Townsville Cowboys. Knights
North Queensland win this, don't they?
Speaker 3 (09:39):
I think so. I think it's you know, it's hard
to win. It's hard to travel to North Queensland and
get a win, especially at this time of the year
when you're you know, in the sudden death finals match
the Knights played, I think they played there, you know,
grand finals so to speak. Last Sunday they played the
Dolphins in the last match of the round, which was
effectively well, it was a playoff eighth spot winn winner
(10:01):
got eighth spots, so the Knights they won that game,
but you know that was But now they've got to
go and play actual, real sudden death game. You know,
they just qualified to play in sudden death football and
now now they have got a sudden death game. They've
got to travel to Townsville. They're getting a charter flight
up there, but it's still you know, it's still three
or four hours to Townsville from from Newcastle. You know,
(10:25):
the humidity I think will be quite high up there,
and the crowd will be totally against them. And you know,
Newcastle they snuck into the eighth with a couple of
wins at home at the end of the season. They've
got great support in Newcastle, They're not going to have
much support in Townsville and and they do get behind
the Cowboys up there as well, who I think are playing.
You know, they've started to find their best football at
(10:46):
the right time of the year as well. So if
you it's only a month or so ago that Todd
Payton made a big call to drop Chad Townsend and
bring Jake Clickett in the half back, and since then
that you know they've they've really got on a roll.
And that's turnately the master stroke by Todd Payton.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Final football nothing like it. Always enjoyed chatting league with
your Brad. Things for taking the time.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Hey he likewise party enjoy the footy.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
I enjoy it too, Brod, I know you will. It's
a week one of the finals, Brad Walter. There joining
us are Panthers thirty Roosters ten last night, so Panthers
into the preliminary final. The Roosters, meantime, will wait a
week and play the winner of the Bulldog see Eagles
game tomorrow. Two games today Storm Sharks at five past
six and Cowboys Nights at nine fifty tonight. The first
(11:32):
of those games the Storm Sharks is a qualifying final,
so the winner will go through to the preliminary final.
The loser will get a second crack next week against
the winner of the Cowboys Nights game up in Townsville.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talks ed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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