Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
A moment of major controversy late in the Warriors Eels
match at go Media last.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Night, Arista Vina Go's highest time. I can't ta singer
to's a hoss to winners on their.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Feet here, everybody was on their feet. Adam Pompey going
over supposedly for a try which would have leveled the
scores with a kick right in front to give the
Warriors a two point lead with just five minutes to play. Instead,
this all right bunker of you looking for a knock
right in the contest.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
It touch off the metric in the contest.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
It's an one Warriors hand over here play the ball.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I'll talk about that one.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, we'll talk about that one. I did Glenn Lama
or a bunker calling or caller overruling the on field
decision of try try chalked off? After the game, Dimitric
Vaimonga said he did get a touch on the ball.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah, I did touch it.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I thought I was faceing of my own ball line
and thought it was knocked back. Yeah. I've watched this
twenty times and you can't tell me unequivocally that that
ball has gone forward off dh Metrik vay Amonger's hand.
No doubt you'll have a view, will open the line shortly.
Worry your CEO, Cam George, as with us, did you
think it was a knock on?
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Look, I just can't see whether it is or whether
it isn't. Look, I only got to see it on
the big screen, which is in the greatest of vision.
But look, at the end of the day, the decisions
being made. My job is to make sure that our
club's ready to go for next week, and I just
(01:52):
I feel like with that particular decision was disappointing because
I conclusively couldn't see which after being sent up as
a try is what is required from the bunker. But
I'll leave that to the powers to be to try
and explain themselves.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Is there anything you can do?
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Not really, Mate, At the end of the day, we
can jump up and down. I can reach out at
the NRL, but it's not going to bring back you
know that time. Look, I'll go through it in the
dust settles on Monday, and you know, I might have
a discussion with the NRL just around the their view
of it. You know, I've heard all different things since
(02:35):
then about you know, they've got this and they've seen
that and all that. Well, that's all great, but at
the end of the day, if they could explain that
to us, that'll be fantastic. But we've got to move on.
It's just too important time of the year not to
move on. So I'll handle that on Monday.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
All right, How do you assess where the team is
at with one regular season game to go and the
top four still a possibility for you?
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Yeah, Look, I'm really proud about boys. You know, we're
in the finals. What a great thing that is for
our fans to start with. The expectation is we want
to be in the top four when we're fighting for that,
but look, you know that's footy at the moment. It's
such a tight competition. But so proud of the guys,
like you have a little at our middle. Last night
(03:20):
when you know James Fisher Harris came off, we had
you know, Eddie and Tanner and Dimitric and Lecquer out there,
Like isn't that a great thing for our future, for
our game, for our footy club. And that's what it's
all about. And the amount of kids we had out
there in the park last night at one time. Just
you know, it's a great sign and it's great things
(03:41):
for our footy club.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Hidden into the finals absolutely and hitting into the future
as well, I think cam because we all know what
happened in twenty twenty three, terrific season last year not
quite so good. This year we're back up there and
challenging for a top four spot, but as the wider
strategy about also backing up in twenty twenty six, in
twenty twenty seven and beyond correct.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
And that's why we've got all of our pathway systems
in place locked in. You know, we've won the minor
Premiership four games out from the conclusion of the new
South Wales Cup competition. I think the average age and
that team's around twenty one twenty two. You know, I
watched the last ten minutes last night with Jacob Laban
and a couple of the other young kids that were
there that are injured on the sidelines, Like there are
(04:24):
so many kids in our club that this experience will
be absolutely fantastic for the future of our club and
our team and for our fans. And we're building that
and you've got to balance the build out and the
build up with all of that experience as well as
trying to win now. And that's why you you know
there's a transition period. But I tell you what, it's
(04:45):
very exciting when you look at our junior teams and
their success and where the NRL's at.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, I do want to get back to the prems
in a minute. But you're right, New South Wales Cup
side played twenty three one twenty, lost a couple and
drawn one. You're nine points clear at the top. Can
you tell us the journey that players go on to
get to the New South Wales Cup side one down
from the premiership.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
So yeah, well, you know, I think David Tanking Katawa
the coach, deserves a lot of credit. Look, it's the
hardest job in the club because you effectively don't know
what team you've got until kickoff, because you know, Weeby
has an overriding call about pulling players up for injuries
and dropping players back for form, and so poor old
(05:29):
David's got the every week got players there have been
drop back. He's got to get their head up, get
their their confidence back up as quick as he can,
and at the same time he loses players at the
last minute for injuries in the NRL. So it's a
really challenging sort of level because of those reasons, and
to win twenty out of twenty three is an absolute
credit to all those guys that have played there, particularly
(05:50):
the young kids that have been pushed up there. I
know Andrew McFadden's philosophy is if you know these young
kids are their showing signs. Were playing him in the
New South Wales Cup to put them up against men
in open age, so they're getting that experience and ready
to step into the NRL at some stage where previously
we'd leave him in there you know, their own age
bracket and it's too big of elite, but you look
(06:13):
at some of the kids that are sitting in there
getting unbelievable experience and it's you know, it's really exciting
from your Jet Cleary's and Luke Hansen's and young Kalis
and those kids. Eddie was only there not long ago.
So it's a it's a difficult level, but it's a
(06:33):
very important stepping stone to our NRL team and results.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Let's go back to the premiership side. You now can't
finish any lower than sixth. That guarantees you at least
one home playoff game because fifth and sixth host those
elimination finals in week one. Does the club benefit financially
from home playoff games?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Do you get that gate?
Speaker 4 (06:55):
No, they're NRL games, so they own the final series,
so they will they receive that financial benefit, which ild
only you know the game receives at the end of
the day. So that's okay. We're just you know, you
work hard to get a home final and that's something
we'll be very proud of and no doubt our fans will.
(07:15):
We'll snap up the tickets very quickly and whoever we play,
we want to make it the harder stay for him
of the season and we want to move on to
the next stage.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
After finishing thirteenth last year, as I say, you'll finished
no lower than sixth. Would you have taken that if
it was often to you at the start of.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
March, But after listen to all you blokes after Vegas,
I we would have taken ten spot because you had
as even there's even people questioning whether we're suitable for
the competition. If you listen to some of the people
on the David Moffett and the likes. But look, mate,
if you go back to last year, we lost I
(07:53):
reckon about seven or eight games by four points or less.
And if you have a look at this year, there's
plenty of teams in similar situations what we were last year.
We're just executed it better this year and got those wins.
And that's that's the difference in this competition. You know,
we want to win the competition absolutely, so we're always
(08:16):
this year, always learning to be better from last year.
And you know, winning those tight games just makes it
so much difference. And it's all about luck with injuries
and the likes. And look at the teams at the top,
they've got all their star players on the field, so
if you can get there to the finals with all
your best team, it makes a hell of a difference.
(08:38):
So I know we're a better club from when we
come back from COVID and where we started coaching is
in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
We are light years ahead.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Of where we were then, and that's that's the important
part to me. We're getting better as a whole club
every year, and yeah, and the NRLW will add another
dimension to that. So really proud of everyone.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
How different or not there's Andrew Webster from the Andrew
Webster who walked in the door at the start of
twenty three.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Yeah, very different. You know, experience is just the greatest
educator and he's experienced a lot in those three years.
He touched on twenty twenty three, we probably jumped out
of the gates, you know, so far above expectations. We
went too well for twenty four. You know, everyone was
expecting us to be in the Premiership contenders, but as
(09:32):
I said, a lot of luck and a lot of
close games he didn't get us there. But twenty five,
you know, he's bounced us back and he's desired to win,
his desire to make this club the best it possibly can.
He's unquestionable and I thoroughly enjoy working with him. He's
a smart operator, and he's learning a lot himself, and
he's a first admit that. But he's very very smart,
(09:52):
very very good, and I couldn't wish to have a
better person in the trenches with us leading our footy
club as a head coach.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Are the what's the substance of the conversations you have
with them? Do you offer rugby league advice to Andrew Wibster.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
He doesn't listen to me. Mate. Look, I'm an absolute
rugby league tragic. I love talking rugby league with him,
but I also appreciate the fact that he's an expert
and they know stuff that you know. You and I
just don't get like that. They see football through a
(10:29):
completely different lens. So you know, I learned a lot
of a lot off Webby and Andrew McFadden and Stacy
and the guys. I ask him a lot of questions
to get a better understanding of certain things. I'll never
sort of question him. I always want to support him.
And you know, the thing is, he's here to do
(10:50):
a job, and my job is to give him the
best environment of succeeding. And I stay in that lane.
But of course, if I want to ask a question,
I certainly asked, and it's probably more around clarification and understanding.
So if I'm doing an interview with you, I can
actually provide some insight into that. We work extremely well together.
It's because we're always talking, we're always sitting down, and
(11:10):
we're always bounce and stuff off each other. It's great,
just on the women's side.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Too great to have them back there one point outside
the top six Dragons today, Broncos next Sunday, then the
Tiger's to finish the regular season. How hopeful are you
they'll be in the playoffs in their first season back.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Yeah, very hopeful. Wonderfully coached by Ronnie Griffiths, got a
good team, good young team, and again these girls are
learning their way too in their first full season and
there's a bit of an NRL experience in there, but
there's a lot of kids in there that have just
come through the local system and look, there's such there's
(11:48):
such a great crew, and they're inspiring so many young
ladies in this country to play the sport and playing
down and Hamilton's really generated their own fan base in
community and they've been averaging about six six and a
half thousand people to a game. And we've got a
big game there next week against some Broncos and we
want everyone to come out and support them, and that'll
(12:08):
be their last game there. But you know, they get
in the finals, I tell you what, they can certainly
rattle the cage of that and who knows. And we've
got a good coach that's been there and done it
all before, so he's really happy with them.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Have they managed to change your mind about applying for
the New Zealand rugby job.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
No, not at all, not for you. Not for you,
No mate, My passion, my whole goal is to be
the Warriors win that competition and make everyone in New
Zealand proud. And the connection we've got with the community
throughout New Zealand's a rural honor and a real privilege
for our footall club and I love being a part
(12:46):
of that. I see I can do a lot more
in rugby league here than anywhere else.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
All right, yeah, and you might have been able to
answer this, but I mean, and it will depend on
next weekend obviously in other games once the regular season's
done and we know whether you know the Warrior is
a fourth which means they'll be away and week one
of the finals or fifth or sixth that means they'll
be home. So what on the Monday information around tickets,
et cetera. If it as a home game, we'll go
to members that sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yeah, yeah, look, i'd say I just can't remember the
draw next week. You know, the NRL might have a
lot of clarity by Saturday night on what that looks like.
I just don't know who's playing on the Sunday or what.
But yeah, look, they'll get to market very quickly through
the clubs on the Monday, and then we'll have we
should have, you know, good clarity by Sunday afternoon. What
(13:33):
it looks like for us, you know, this stage, I'm
hoping we're off to camera, finishing fourth and playing camera
and camera the following weekend. But if we're not, we're home.
You know, let's just fill the house and and have
a really good day out and get to the next
stage of the finals.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Really appreciate your time, Cameron, Thanks for joining us, mate,
enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Thanks, Jase, see you mate.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Cheers mate. So, yeah, that's Cameron George, chief executive of
the Warriors. Of course, always love chatting to Cameron Georgie.
Just yeah, just very open, very honest, very authentic. Con See,
you know they say it comes from the top. You
can see why the Warriors are the why they are
in so many ways.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
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