June 15, 2025 • 33 mins
This week on The Big League Podcast - Sky Sport commentator Beaven Dewar joins to talks through what it's really like commentating the Warriors...the prep, the gameday experience and his worst mistakes.
Newstalk ZB's Nathan Limm and NZ Herald's Michael Burgess debate the best way of dismantling the Panthers and whether Queensland's axing of Daly Cherry-Evans is a masterstroke or a cry for help.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio The
Big League Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
News Talks.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, Sky Sport commentator
Bevan Jewa joins to talk through what it's really like
commentating the Warriors, the prep, the game day experience.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
And his worst mistakes.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Michael Burgess and I will debate the best way of
dismantling the Panthers and debate whether Queensland's acting of daily
Cherry Evans is a master stroke or a cry for help.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
My name is Nathan Limb. Let's go b l B.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
It is my pleasure to be joined on The Big
League Podcast by Sky Sport and Gold Sport commentator Bevan Dua,
who filled in for Glen Lama last year for a
couple of games commentating the Warriors and NRL Action.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Bevin, thank you so much for your time. Welcome to
the podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Thank you, Nathan. I'm happy to be a part of it.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Can you just talk to me about what the experience
of commentating the Warriors was like last year? Your first
time doing it, how did you find it, what was
the overall experience like?
Speaker 4 (01:22):
But yeah, it was an absolute privilege and a pleasure.
I wasn't expecting to do any of any of it.
Last year.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
I got a cool around about February from one of
the executive producers that Sky telling me the Dali Alama
Glen Lama was away.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
For two weeks.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
I was sorry three weeks for the Olympics and happened
to fall on during the two Warriors games. So they
kind of gave me warning in February last year and
they said, look, it will happened late July, and yes,
so they gave me an opportunity, and yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
It was epic.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
I'm you know, commentating at the ground here in front
of you know, thirty thousand people, obviously found twenty five
thousand fans screaming, and then obviously just you know, a
big game, a big opportunity, and I was lucky as well.
It was during that time of the season where the
Warriors still had a chance, so it made the game
a little bit more special as well.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Can you talk me through the game day experience as
a commentator? What are you doing in the few hours
beforehand and what's that anticipation like as it builds towards kickoff?
Speaker 5 (02:28):
Well, I think the preparation starts usually on either a
Tuesday night or a Wednesday when the teams come out.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
So you start prepping.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
Then you make sure you write there all the team
lists out. You have that locked in your head. So
come game day you should have all the team names
and the last names at least memorize you you've written
out all your notes that sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
And as I say, so come game day you're.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
Sort of rearing and ready to go, and it's just
the waiting really. For TV, you have to be there
roughly about two hours before kickoff, so just a lot
of waiting, a lot of an dissipation, and you just
wanted the game to start on the broadcast to start,
So all your prep has done well before game day.
(03:16):
As I say, game days on a Saturday, you try
to get your prep done by the Thursday night and
then it's as simply as it's the simple part. And
then is waiting and once kickoff happens, you're underweight. But yeah,
as I say, it's a lot of waiting and lead
up to kickoff.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
What's it like up in the box? What can you see?
What do you have in front of you? What's your
communication like off air with your co commentator.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Yep, I guess it's sort of similar to a radio
broadcast in terms of you've got a good view.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
With TV, you watch the monitor a majority of the time,
I would say ninety five percent, if not one hundred
percent of the time.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
You talk to those pictures.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
With TV also, you have a director in your ear
that's telling you everything that's happening with the TV production
side of things. So you've got a lot of things
happening in your ear. As I say, you watch the TV,
me and the co commentator, whether it was Monty Bethan
or whoever else. You have a good conversation before the
game to establish what we want to do, and then yeah,
(04:18):
away we go. But as I say, a lot of
it is watching the television, watching the monitor in front
of you. And with television especially you talk to the pictures.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Do you ever worry about you know, because there's a
lot of people watching bevans, I know you're aware.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Do you feel pressure and all?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Do you worry about mispronouncing a name or getting something
wrong or given the amount of attention and eyes and
ears that you know are on you.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
The hardest part for me and I would say a
lot of commentators, especially with TV, is that first five
minutes before kickoff, where you know, you spill off your
little wind tri you go through the team lists, give
your throw to your co commentator, and then throw to
the sideline commentator.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
All that stuff leading up to kick off is the
hard part.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
Once kickoff happens, that's where you go into your natural
zone of commentating, and if you've practiced enough, you should
be sweet.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
As long as you're practiced enough.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
I mean I didn't just get given the Warriors overnight.
I've been commentating for Scott the last ten years, and
before that, you know you'd practice at home in front
of the TV.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
You do it over and over and over and over
and over again until you're confidence.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
So, as I say, come kick off in front of anyone,
in front of any game. As long as you've done
your research and your homework, and you've got the names
and your heads memorized, you should be sweet. As I say,
the hardest part, and with TV, especially as that first
five minutes before kickoff where you've just got to go
through all the team lists and any little intro and
that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Obviously you said you've been commentating for a decade now,
and I know you've done plenty of New South Wales Cup,
but particularly a lot of rugby and across all of
that experience that you have, is there's some stuff, you know.
I'm sure there's been a few moments. Do you have
like a funniest memory or even a blunder from all
your vast experience commentating that stands out to you?
Speaker 6 (06:20):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Yeah, there's been heaps of blunders, mate, heaps of blunders.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Well, I guess you know.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
There was a few years ago I through I threw
down to the sideline commentator to interview a player and
I said that the wrong player's name.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
That sort of thing that that happens all the time.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
The good thing with TV in live sport is that
it happens just like that within an instant, and people forget,
well I do anyway, and it's important to forget your Well,
learn from your mistakes, but learn to forgive yourself and
move on. There's no point dwelling on it because it
will it will end up consuming you and then it
(06:58):
ends up actually affecting your commentating as you go through
your careers.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
So look, you learn from your mistakes. As we all
do we tend.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
To punch ourselves and say, hey, look it, don't do
that again. But as long as you learn, that's the
main thing. And as I said, he behaves a blunders.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Not nothing major.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
I haven't done anything stupid like swear or anything, but
you know, just simple little things like giving giving the
wrong name here, or pronouncing the wrong the wrong pronunciation
or that sort of thing. But as soon as someone
corrects you, you go Okay, what happened again? And it
usually doesn't. So that's the main thing, as long as
you learn from your mistakes.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Just finally, Bevin, is there any advice or any thing
you'd say to any young people or old people listening,
anyone who wants to perhaps pursue this as a career
as a passion. How do you end up being an
NRL commentator?
Speaker 5 (07:54):
Practice practice, practice, practice, practice.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Until you think you are at a standard where.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
You feel like you could put your name out there,
least get in contact with an executive producer or someone
involved in media that could possibly give you a crack,
and then go from there.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
But I do recommend that.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
Your practice, practice practice first too, to get up to
a standard where you're confident that you could go a
little bit further than what you've been doing. And then yeah,
getting in contact with a TV executive or a media
executive who could get to the next level.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
That that would be the idea.
Speaker 5 (08:35):
But the main thing is practice until you get to
a standard that, in your opinion, is good enough to
go the next step.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
All right, I write that down.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Hey, thank you Bevin so much for your time and
joining us on the Big League Podcast. Really appreciate your
wisdom and your insight on what is I'm sure a
pathway that many fans are listening would be very interested in.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Now, thank you Nathan and all the best for twenty
twenty five. This is the Big League.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Podcast on the Worries Bad since day one.
Speaker 7 (09:12):
This is the Big League Podcast.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Michael Burgess, senior New Zealand Herald writer, Welcome into the
podcast as I head butt the mic Bevan Joey.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
It was lovely to hear from him.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Obviously sort of a colleague of ours given all his
work for Gold Sport as well, but I loved hearing
his insight, I suppose, and to the game to experience
the prep that goes into commentating the Warriors, but also
his stuff around making mistakes, not dwelling on things, and
being able to move forward, because if you dwell on mistakes,
it's like anything in life, it's just going to affect
(09:45):
you going forward, and you've just.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Got to drop it, just like a player, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
You've got to keep going for the next half hour
how long the game goes. Especially these days, it is
a problem these days because people will clip up that
mistake and they might replay it on social media, so
it's even harder to be a commentator. But I think
with him, with Glenn Lamer, of course, he does a
lot of the Warriors games. They've had a really tough
(10:09):
job in twenty twenty five if you look at the
season as a whole, not as tough as previous seasons.
But what I'm getting to is all those close finishes
and just such such topsy, twovy games. I don't know,
it takes a lot of energy out of you writing
a metroport let alone trying to trying to commentate these
games that just swing so much. But it also must
be an absolutely thrill.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Oh yeah, you can, and you can hear it in
their voices as well as I love it when you
can hear the commentators just excited as any regular fan,
and that really brings you into the game. And even
even you know the Australian commentators where they're not even
they're not even commentating the game. Someone will kick a
forty meter field goal and they're not even they're.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Just going ah.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
In the background. There's three of them and they're all
piling on. It's really funny as well. But anyway, let's
move on to the Warriors. The Warriors second equal on
the ladder because they picked up a lovely two points
off the buye on twenty four points alongside the Raiders,
with the Bulldogs beating the Bunnies twenty four eighteen to
stay top on twenty six and the Warriors. They go
(11:10):
up against the four time premiership winning Penrith Panthers on
Saturday night at Mount Smart. The Panthers they sit ninth
on the table with five wins, seven losses and a draw.
They beat the Sharks in Las Vegas to start the year,
but then they lost five straight games and everyone was
scratching their heads, going wows, this is the impact of
(11:32):
losing Janie Fisher. Howis Jerome Lewy and the like? But
they won their last two. They've turned the corner and
obviously Michael Burgers. A few weeks ago Nick Beuley saying
on this podcast that he could see them going on
an absolute tear and still making the eight from being
the bottom of the ladder several rounds and they're coming
off the by but had an eighteen fourteen win.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Over the Tigers couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
I think I agreed with Nick at the time from
memory book, because here we go the hindsight agreement.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
There we go.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
Yeah, of course Nick's are very smart man. But I
do remember a debate between three Australian journalists just after
that fifth in a row and saying where are the
Panthers going from here?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Are they gone? And the view of the Tasmon year
was yeah, they're gone. They're not going to come back
from this.
Speaker 6 (12:17):
Their bottom, as you say, bottom of the table record
one and five. Then I think it went to two
and six. But I always felt they had it in
them to make a run. And now you look at
them now they're ninth. You know they're going to be
the team that gets into the eighth and someone else's
displaced because they've just got the experience and know how
around this time of year. But I think we should
(12:38):
have a little pause. This is a bit of a moment, Nathan,
because well, we've been doing this podcast for a couple
of years, but even before that, over the last few years,
been a lot of hard times following covering the Warriors.
But you know the fact that they're sitting second equal
and Penrith and ninth whoever, I mentioned that in the
last few years, you know, and not just after two
(13:00):
weeks of the season. This is we're almost in July.
I mean, this is just this is quite a beautiful moment.
You know that it's Penrith are the ones that doing
the maths and trying to get themselves into the eight,
and the Warriors are the Warriors are locked in there.
It's it's it's quite beautiful. But I don't think we're
quite at mathematical odds with Penrith yet and at ninth
(13:21):
on the table at this at this stage of the season.
He said, they've won two on the bounce. You'd have
to back them to make the eight. As you said,
they've got they've got the know how for this point
of the season. Nathan Clear as their captain obviously they've
got all the experience.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
They've lost those players that I mentioned before. James Fisher
Harris was obviously massive for them. We've seen the impact
of him at the Warriors to so to lose a
leader like that, but they've also got, you know, young
guns stepping up, players who before this season we'd never
heard of. I and my eye on Thomas Jenkins against
in that game against the Tigers, produced a hat trick
(13:57):
and he was running riots and brilliant footwork, speed, power
and contact. He's on that left edge, so it'll be
the Warrior's right edge defense which has been vulnerable that
it's last few weeks and we've talked about that quite
a lot. Did you know Thomas Jenkins before this and
what can you say that the Warriors might have been looking.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
At in terms of that defense?
Speaker 6 (14:18):
Yeah, I didn't know much about Thomas Jenkins, but as
you say, a lot of pace, a lot of danger.
Penrith are a little bit like the storm, aren't they?
That these players you haven't heard of just come in
and perform, and the Warriors have been doing that this year,
which has been great players we have heard of, but
players with less experience come and do the job. Penrith
(14:38):
have been doing it for the last four seasons because
the list of players you talked about departing, they've had
that were the last four seasons, haven't they with leaving
This guy leaves, that guy leaves, and they've always found
a way. This year has been a bit hard. It's
feels like a step too far because you know, if
you look at their team from nineteen twenty, it's been
you know, it's completely changed.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
But yeah, they'll still be there.
Speaker 6 (15:02):
The recipe for doing well against the Panthers feels like, well,
you think, but the Warriors and the Panthers got quite
similar game plans. The Warriors the Panthers' success has been
built on just ruthless defense, high completions, and being efficient
in everything they do, especially one percent is. And if
(15:24):
you look at what the Warrior's success this year, you
talk about defense in almost all the games. I think
they've got the highest completions in the NRL, and they
have become known as a team of one percent is
because it's all these one percenters that have made the
difference in all those close matches.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
So the blueprint is quite similar.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
And it's no surprise that they would have a similar
game plan to Penrith given Andrew Webster, former Panthers assistant coach.
There are several elements of this game that are really interesting,
I suppose in terms of a Warrior's perspective. The first
one is Metcalf versus Clary, the dally M leader. Luke Metcalf,
(16:03):
would you believe it up against well the goat really
in modern times, Nathan Cleary in terms of what he's
been able to produce for so many years. And I
suppose weeks ago when the Warriors played the Rabbit O's
there was a lot of you know, we asked Luke
about coming up against Adam Reynolds and him describing Adam
Reynolds as you know, what he sees is the best
(16:26):
kicker that's right in the NRL and in modern history.
But Nathan Cleary just the all round half and what
he's done in State of Origin as well. I hope
they put I don't know if they're putting Luke Metcalf
up for media this week, but I hope they do
because asking him about that battle, how do you see
that playing now?
Speaker 6 (16:44):
Well he is he'd be one of the more inform
and confident halves in the competition right now, Metcalfe, he hasn't.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
He hasn't had amazing games every week. He's he's the
daim leader.
Speaker 6 (16:58):
That's what I mean. He's been up and down, but
he's done all this. He's done a lot of individual
brilliance that has also contributed. Like his organization hasn't always
been where he wants it to be. It's getting better.
But for a guy that had never played virtually never
played number seven in the NRL because he'd been at
standoff five eight has been.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
He's been. He's been amazing, he really has.
Speaker 6 (17:22):
But the other thing that occurs to me is the
big tests sort of start now, don't they, Because this
is always the crunch time in a season July August.
Team start to play better, the pressions on more so
he'll have to go to another level.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
That's that's probably the test for Luke.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
He'll have to take his game to another level and
be a bit more accurate, a bit more organized, a
bit better with his with his plays in the red zone,
all those kind of things we've talked about.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
But the foundation is there.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Another aspect of this game I suppose that I find
interesting is the James Fisher Harris playing against his former
team who's won premiership after premiership with he's playing them
for the first time. And I don't think he'd ever
say this public le or admit it, but I reckon
he would get fired up for this. This is one
of those games he might have circled on the counting
and gone, you know what, might have a bit of
(18:16):
a not a point to prove because he doesn't have
anything to prove at the stage of his career. But
I think coming up against this former teammates, he'll be
a bit right up for this.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
I don't know, I think it might be the opposite.
I don't know if I agree with you there, but
I hope you're right.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I think it might be a really.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
Hard game of him to play because I think he
still bleeds Penrith. He was there for a decade. He
went there as a sixteen seventeen year old from the
Far North, spent his whole life there. That bond between
the Gos and that team. To go to five Grand
finals in a row, win four of them, it's just
absolutely crazy and it's hard to imagine he'd be able
(18:53):
to just switch that off when he sees them. It's
going to be a really weird night for him. And
he's so committed to the Warriors. You're exactly right, and
he'll want to do well, but I think it could
be one of those ones where if we talked to
him after the game, it was kind of hard to
look up and see see Nathan, and to see Ivan
and the other coaches box and to see different players around.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
I'm not sure how he's going to be, but it
could be quite hard for him.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
The Big League Podcast podcast, right, we don't really talk
about the new South Wales Cup team hell of a
lot on this podcast, Burge, but it's important to mention
them today because over the weekend they won their ninth
straight game, which is a club record, after beating a
Paramatta forty six twenty two, so the thirteenth win of
(19:40):
the season, the top of the ladder on twenty eight points.
And this really just speaks to how good the Warriors
development system is because if you look at the lineup,
the lineups that they've been producing for these New South
Wales Cup game reserve grade games, the halves combination has
been to Marty Martin tone of Boyd, which is a
(20:00):
that is a first grade halves combination, but also the
likes have came to a peaky ed Corsey, tom Alea,
Freddy Lassek BUNTI R Fire, no wonder they've been winning
games Birds.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
They've got almost a first grade team.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
Oh that has helped, I mean because some of those
guys have normally been first grade, but their places have
been taken by young guys, which I think was what
you mentioned.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
What you're meaning by the pathways around those guys.
Speaker 6 (20:23):
There's a lot of kids though, so they've got some names.
I've also got a lot of kids. It's very exciting.
I mean, nine straight wins club record. As you say,
there's seven and seven and zero away. That's even more
impressive for me because away from home, playing reserve grade,
you're not playing in front of big crowds. There's no
(20:44):
Warriors fans there. Normally you're playing at some often playing
at some you know, smaller park. So to do that
so consistently away from home. And I'd like to mention
ton of Boyd and Tomato, but especially a ton of
Boyd because he got signed from the Titans. He's a
you know, he's been a first grade regular. Comes in
(21:04):
has yet to play a minute of first grade, and
he's kept turning up every week in reserve grade and
from what I've seen, playing really well, like he could
have just been kicking star and has dropped his lips.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
I think for me that kind of sums up.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
The culture at the club that a new guy come
in expecting to play or expecting to get a chance
here and there, but has performed so well in reserve grade.
But we need to also mention the horrible incident that
game towards the end with two ol biki absolutely pole
Axt taken.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Out in the last few minutes. By this.
Speaker 6 (21:40):
Yeah, I'm not even going to try and describe the
guy because he must be an absolute meathead to do
what he did with the game already over the score.
You know, I hope he gets a long spell and
just really it was not I wouldn't even recommend watching
the replay.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Not nice to see it all.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
Luckily Tane was able to walk off, but he was
completely knocked out, and it's just something you hope they's
still trying to work to get out of the game,
and you just see moments like that and you think,
what is going on? So let's hope he recovers well,
but obviously he'll be able to tension for a couple
of weeks. You think, can you explain the incident? I
just got completely pollox. You know, you just got completely
(22:15):
smashed just after you passed the ball. But super high.
The Sydney the Daily Telegraph and their story said that,
you know, you're virtually decapitated him, which is a bit
over the top obviously, but super high. And it wasn't
one of those ones where you thought, oh yeah, I
could see that it was a bit of an accident
or taine slipped. It was just came up smashed them,
(22:39):
sort of something you'd see, you know, from years ago,
that they're trying to get out of the game big.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
What state of origin?
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Game two is on Wednesday night's time of recording is
a Monday. Queensland versus New South Wales in Perth is
they like to take games to somewhere outside of New
South Wales and Queensland, so this one over and w
a late team news in regards to New South Wales,
rabbito second right Keon Kalam Tonguey is suffered has suffered
(23:09):
a suspected fractured eye socket and the loss to the
Bulldogs means Bulldogs opposite Jacob Preston is reportedly the man
called in to replace him. Game one, pretty convincing New
South Wales victory.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Burge. I know you're a Queensland fan.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
I support the Blues and Slater Billy Slater has asked
captain and halfback Daily Cherry Evans. He's been dropped. Tommy
Edden brought in bur This is a cry for help,
This is a hail Mary. He's the scapegoat Daily Cherry
Evans and he's been absolutely outed by his coach.
Speaker 6 (23:47):
I'm still thinking about that frashut. It fractured eye socket.
How the hell do you recover from that? Can you
just imagine the absolute pain and negative of that. But yeah,
a big call by Billy. He's done so well as
Queensland coach that people give him a bit of leeway.
But to drop your captain and your number seven. He
has been there a lot with the series on the line,
(24:07):
big call.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I would have.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Given Daily one more chance in a game like this
compared to throwing dead and in who's a different type
of player. But the other school of thought I've heard,
well Daily had had was on his last chance in
Game one because Cherry Evans had he had two poor
games at the end of the series last year. Remember
remember last year queens then won the first game and
the New Servives come back and won the last two.
(24:30):
So there was a feeling that Cherians was on as
last warning, so to speak. He was the oldest player
in origin. I can see both sides of it, but
it feels kind of risky to me. But they've got
bigger issues Queensland. Unfortunately, it feels like we're coming into
a period of New South Wales dominance after all those
glory years for the Maroons. They're probably going to win
(24:52):
the series this year. They won it last year. They've
just got they've just as much as it hurts me
to say it, they've just got the better team on paper.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
I agree if you look at that that back line
of some of the tries that New South Wales scored.
When you've got like the name's Cleary, the Mitchell to
tot or in the corner. Like here's my theory. Also,
this is a side note, but this is my theory
on on why certain New Zealanders support certain teams. And
I think it is an age thing obviously. Sir Graham
(25:21):
Low coach Queensland and that got a lot of Kiwis
to support Queensland. But when you're growing up berge New
South Wales is a dominant team.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
It was a long time ago. They kind of were.
Speaker 6 (25:33):
Queensland had Wally Lewis, Allen Langa that has some big names,
but the main theme every year was that New so
Wales had so many players, they had all the stars.
Queensland had sort of just a small bunch that could
pick from a lot of kiwe's. I seem to think
remember like Queensland because they were the underdogs. The graham
Low factor was a big one and there was something.
(25:53):
It doesn't make a lot of sense really because most
Kiwis their experience of Australia is Sydney most of the
time in New South Wales more than Queensland.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
So I'm not quite sure why it's the underdog thing.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
That's what I think it is because people, a lot
of people my age will support New South Wales and
I support in New South Wales because when I was
growing up, Queensland won every time. I don't remember New
South Wales winning when I was young.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Oh you were growing up the Smiths later Thurston Kronk. Yeah,
ye in a row, exactly right. So New South Wales
never won.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
So that's why I support New South Wales because they
could just never do it. And now that I'm sort
of moved into adulthood, they've started winning and it feels
very very good. But I think there is a generational
split in New Zealand between whether you support New South
Wales and Queensland.
Speaker 6 (26:42):
I think you might be right because probably when you
started supporting them and it was, you know, Queensland winning
every year year on year, it would have start to
get a bit stale and you'd think, oh, it'd be
good if the Blues can do something. And it's a
fascinating rivalry. It's amazing it's gone on so long because
often we need something new, we need something fresh, we
(27:02):
need something It still seems as powerful as ever, but
you don't want one team dominating for two long and
I don't think they will. But yeah, this is going
to be really tricky for Queensland. I just hope that
Nathan Cleary has a really has a game where he's
got to do a lot of work. Put it that well,
let's tap, he has to do thirty tackles and then
he's got the long flight back from Perth. I'm sure
(27:23):
we'll fly straight to Auckland and that will affect them
because when the Warriors game is what Saturday five pm,
So it is tough on those players backing up from
Penrith and the Warriors, but especially the Penrith bunch, which
is another factor on for Saturday's game.
Speaker 7 (27:38):
Isn't it The Big League Podcast for the biggest league fans?
The Big League Podcast.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
On the Warriors badwagon since day one?
Speaker 3 (27:53):
Okay, Birch quick fire predictions for another fairly short round
of NRAL during this Origin period, and we're going to
start off with the Origin game. Some people might be
listening to this after the game has already taken place,
but nevertheless, New South Wales versus Queensland in Perth, Birch yourself.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
We else, Yeah, I think they've got a better record
generally when the when the series travels where it goes
to Melbourne or or Adelaide or Perth a few times,
and as we talked about, they've just got the better
forward pack unfortunately for Queensland fans. And it's hard to
see Queensland. You never know, but it's hard to see
it can.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
I agree with your New South Wales to go to
and oh onto the nr ROL Tigers versus the Raiders.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
Are the Raiders going to lose another game this year?
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Who they have? They not got any of the big dogs.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
No, but they're just going so well, so they'll be
they should be fine for this one. Or that the
Tigers played well last time out. But yeah, the Raiders here.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Warrior Is versus the Panthers at Mount Smart on Saturday night, Birge.
Speaker 6 (28:54):
This is going to be really close, that's all I say.
It's going to be really close. The Panthers, as we
talked about, they're coming into a nice rhythm. They're coming right.
And it's their first visit to Auckland since two thousand
and nineteen. And imagine that Ivan Cleary Nathan Cleary haven't
been to Auckland since twenty nineteen.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
There's a long time ago. Holy shit, you were still
in what diaper university? Yeah? Yeah, so it's cool occasion.
Speaker 6 (29:20):
Great to be playing Penrith here instead of playing them
at Bloody Magic Round or at Penwrith Park.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I think the Warriors will do this, but it'll be
very close. I can't believe. I mean, in years gone by.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
I don't think i've ever on this podcast picked the
Warriors to beat the Panthers.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
But here we go, Dolphins versus the Knights.
Speaker 6 (29:38):
Man the Dolphins, how many points have they scored the
last couple of games. I think there must be like
a century or something. I mean absolutely.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Smoke fifty eight, yes, eight on the Cowboys. Smoked the Cowboys.
Another half century or close to six on the Dolphins.
I mean they're just.
Speaker 6 (29:56):
There, you go, one hundred and fourteen. They're going really
well under Christian Wolf.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
They've put forty four on the Bulldogs a couple of
weeks before that, that is it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
This is ridiculous. Before that they lost to the Warriors.
So there you go.
Speaker 6 (30:08):
So yeah, they're a team in red hot form and
they'll be too good for Newcastle who are struggling but
still showing. They're showing some good fight and resilience in Newcastle.
But they're obviously you know, there's season's gone.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
Rabbit O's versus the Storm usually quite a massive game
this and the Bunnies just haven't found the results so
far this year. They're still there or thereabouts, and I
still think they could threaten the eight there I do.
Speaker 6 (30:36):
Okay, yeah, I feel sorry for the Rabbit O's, like
it's one of those seasons. I've had so many injuries.
You know, people say injuries, Okay, you've just part of
the game. But the players, they've lost so many key players,
so they've never I can't remember the last game where
they had a team close to full strength.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
It's really hard.
Speaker 6 (30:51):
They've also got, from memory, a pretty bad record against
the Storm. I don't think the Rabbit O's have beaten
the Storm or hardly ever in the last ten years,
even it's very rare, So I'll go with the Storm here.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
We'll agree with you.
Speaker 6 (31:07):
Broncos Sharks now, assuming all their players are back for
both teams, which it's three or four days after origins
this Sunday, Assuming they're both back, this could be really tight.
The Broncos need this, they had a very important win
last time out. The Sharks need this too, but I'll
go with I'll go with the home side here, especially
(31:28):
all their Queensland players will be wanting to to bounce
back assuming they do lose the series on Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I'm going to agree with you as well.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
The Broncos to win and last time they played in
those black jerseys and the game it looked like all
Blacks versus Argentina when they had they had, they had
a massive one. I saw a meme afterwards of is
that Reee Walsher?
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Is that? Buton Barras cool jerseys? They really were. Yeah,
I agree Rooster's Cowboys. I don't know. I don't know, Nathan,
stop bugging me. I don't know.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
I really don't care. I mean the Cowboys. You'd have
to think Todd Payton. I've got a lot of time
for Todd. Do you have to think he's under bit
of pressure when you have such a such a heavy loss,
and the Rooster is obviously they still need still hoping
they can relaunch and make a play for the eight.
You'd think the rest is at home. The Cowboys, long journey, Sydney,
et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Go with the.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Roosters sake of it. I'm going for the Cowboys.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
Eels versus the Titans, Battle of the heavyweights.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Are you excited for this one? Burg? It's my big
chance to tip the Eels.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
I haven't tipped the Els for about six weeks, so
I'll go with paramatter, even though the Titans are coming
off a couple of decent efforts themselves, but yes, I'll
go with paramatter on this one.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
At home two teams. I despise picking, but.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
I've got to pick one of them, so we're going
with the Titans. Stuffy Earls, please borrow and rate the podcast.
Thank you, Michael Burgers for your time, your wisdom yet
and so we'll be back next Monday to digest, hopefully
or worries victory over the Panthers.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
At Mount Smart. My name is Nathan Limb. Have a
fantastic week.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
For more from News Talk said B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our show with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio The
Big League Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
News Talks.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, Sky Sport commentator
Bevan Jewa joins to talk through what it's really like
commentating the Warriors, the prep, the game day experience.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
And his worst mistakes.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Michael Burgess and I will debate the best way of
dismantling the Panthers and debate whether Queensland's acting of daily
Cherry Evans is a master stroke or a cry for help.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
My name is Nathan Limb. Let's go b l B.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
It is my pleasure to be joined on The Big
League Podcast by Sky Sport and Gold Sport commentator Bevan Dua,
who filled in for Glen Lama last year for a
couple of games commentating the Warriors and NRL Action.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Bevin, thank you so much for your time. Welcome to
the podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Thank you, Nathan. I'm happy to be a part of it.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Can you just talk to me about what the experience
of commentating the Warriors was like last year? Your first
time doing it, how did you find it, what was
the overall experience like?
Speaker 4 (01:22):
But yeah, it was an absolute privilege and a pleasure.
I wasn't expecting to do any of any of it.
Last year.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
I got a cool around about February from one of
the executive producers that Sky telling me the Dali Alama
Glen Lama was away.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
For two weeks.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
I was sorry three weeks for the Olympics and happened
to fall on during the two Warriors games. So they
kind of gave me warning in February last year and
they said, look, it will happened late July, and yes,
so they gave me an opportunity, and yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
It was epic.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
I'm you know, commentating at the ground here in front
of you know, thirty thousand people, obviously found twenty five
thousand fans screaming, and then obviously just you know, a
big game, a big opportunity, and I was lucky as well.
It was during that time of the season where the
Warriors still had a chance, so it made the game
a little bit more special as well.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Can you talk me through the game day experience as
a commentator? What are you doing in the few hours
beforehand and what's that anticipation like as it builds towards kickoff?
Speaker 5 (02:28):
Well, I think the preparation starts usually on either a
Tuesday night or a Wednesday when the teams come out.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
So you start prepping.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
Then you make sure you write there all the team
lists out. You have that locked in your head. So
come game day you should have all the team names
and the last names at least memorize you you've written
out all your notes that sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
And as I say, so come game day you're.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
Sort of rearing and ready to go, and it's just
the waiting really. For TV, you have to be there
roughly about two hours before kickoff, so just a lot
of waiting, a lot of an dissipation, and you just
wanted the game to start on the broadcast to start,
So all your prep has done well before game day.
(03:16):
As I say, game days on a Saturday, you try
to get your prep done by the Thursday night and
then it's as simply as it's the simple part. And
then is waiting and once kickoff happens, you're underweight. But yeah,
as I say, it's a lot of waiting and lead
up to kickoff.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
What's it like up in the box? What can you see?
What do you have in front of you? What's your
communication like off air with your co commentator.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Yep, I guess it's sort of similar to a radio
broadcast in terms of you've got a good view.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
With TV, you watch the monitor a majority of the time,
I would say ninety five percent, if not one hundred
percent of the time.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
You talk to those pictures.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
With TV also, you have a director in your ear
that's telling you everything that's happening with the TV production
side of things. So you've got a lot of things
happening in your ear. As I say, you watch the TV,
me and the co commentator, whether it was Monty Bethan
or whoever else. You have a good conversation before the
game to establish what we want to do, and then yeah,
(04:18):
away we go. But as I say, a lot of
it is watching the television, watching the monitor in front
of you. And with television especially you talk to the pictures.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Do you ever worry about you know, because there's a
lot of people watching bevans, I know you're aware.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Do you feel pressure and all?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Do you worry about mispronouncing a name or getting something
wrong or given the amount of attention and eyes and
ears that you know are on you.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
The hardest part for me and I would say a
lot of commentators, especially with TV, is that first five
minutes before kickoff, where you know, you spill off your
little wind tri you go through the team lists, give
your throw to your co commentator, and then throw to
the sideline commentator.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
All that stuff leading up to kick off is the
hard part.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
Once kickoff happens, that's where you go into your natural
zone of commentating, and if you've practiced enough, you should
be sweet.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
As long as you're practiced enough.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
I mean I didn't just get given the Warriors overnight.
I've been commentating for Scott the last ten years, and
before that, you know you'd practice at home in front
of the TV.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
You do it over and over and over and over
and over again until you're confidence.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
So, as I say, come kick off in front of anyone,
in front of any game. As long as you've done
your research and your homework, and you've got the names
and your heads memorized, you should be sweet. As I say,
the hardest part, and with TV, especially as that first
five minutes before kickoff where you've just got to go
through all the team lists and any little intro and
that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Obviously you said you've been commentating for a decade now,
and I know you've done plenty of New South Wales Cup,
but particularly a lot of rugby and across all of
that experience that you have, is there's some stuff, you know.
I'm sure there's been a few moments. Do you have
like a funniest memory or even a blunder from all
your vast experience commentating that stands out to you?
Speaker 6 (06:20):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Yeah, there's been heaps of blunders, mate, heaps of blunders.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Well, I guess you know.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
There was a few years ago I through I threw
down to the sideline commentator to interview a player and
I said that the wrong player's name.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
That sort of thing that that happens all the time.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
The good thing with TV in live sport is that
it happens just like that within an instant, and people forget,
well I do anyway, and it's important to forget your Well,
learn from your mistakes, but learn to forgive yourself and
move on. There's no point dwelling on it because it
will it will end up consuming you and then it
(06:58):
ends up actually affecting your commentating as you go through
your careers.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
So look, you learn from your mistakes. As we all
do we tend.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
To punch ourselves and say, hey, look it, don't do
that again. But as long as you learn, that's the
main thing. And as I said, he behaves a blunders.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Not nothing major.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
I haven't done anything stupid like swear or anything, but
you know, just simple little things like giving giving the
wrong name here, or pronouncing the wrong the wrong pronunciation
or that sort of thing. But as soon as someone
corrects you, you go Okay, what happened again? And it
usually doesn't. So that's the main thing, as long as
you learn from your mistakes.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Just finally, Bevin, is there any advice or any thing
you'd say to any young people or old people listening,
anyone who wants to perhaps pursue this as a career
as a passion. How do you end up being an
NRL commentator?
Speaker 5 (07:54):
Practice practice, practice, practice, practice.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Until you think you are at a standard where.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
You feel like you could put your name out there,
least get in contact with an executive producer or someone
involved in media that could possibly give you a crack,
and then go from there.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
But I do recommend that.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
Your practice, practice practice first too, to get up to
a standard where you're confident that you could go a
little bit further than what you've been doing. And then yeah,
getting in contact with a TV executive or a media
executive who could get to the next level.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
That that would be the idea.
Speaker 5 (08:35):
But the main thing is practice until you get to
a standard that, in your opinion, is good enough to
go the next step.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
All right, I write that down.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Hey, thank you Bevin so much for your time and
joining us on the Big League Podcast. Really appreciate your
wisdom and your insight on what is I'm sure a
pathway that many fans are listening would be very interested in.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Now, thank you Nathan and all the best for twenty
twenty five. This is the Big League.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Podcast on the Worries Bad since day one.
Speaker 7 (09:12):
This is the Big League Podcast.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Michael Burgess, senior New Zealand Herald writer, Welcome into the
podcast as I head butt the mic Bevan Joey.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
It was lovely to hear from him.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Obviously sort of a colleague of ours given all his
work for Gold Sport as well, but I loved hearing
his insight, I suppose, and to the game to experience
the prep that goes into commentating the Warriors, but also
his stuff around making mistakes, not dwelling on things, and
being able to move forward, because if you dwell on mistakes,
it's like anything in life, it's just going to affect
(09:45):
you going forward, and you've just.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Got to drop it, just like a player, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
You've got to keep going for the next half hour
how long the game goes. Especially these days, it is
a problem these days because people will clip up that
mistake and they might replay it on social media, so
it's even harder to be a commentator. But I think
with him, with Glenn Lamer, of course, he does a
lot of the Warriors games. They've had a really tough
(10:09):
job in twenty twenty five if you look at the
season as a whole, not as tough as previous seasons.
But what I'm getting to is all those close finishes
and just such such topsy, twovy games. I don't know,
it takes a lot of energy out of you writing
a metroport let alone trying to trying to commentate these
games that just swing so much. But it also must
be an absolutely thrill.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Oh yeah, you can, and you can hear it in
their voices as well as I love it when you
can hear the commentators just excited as any regular fan,
and that really brings you into the game. And even
even you know the Australian commentators where they're not even
they're not even commentating the game. Someone will kick a
forty meter field goal and they're not even they're.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Just going ah.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
In the background. There's three of them and they're all
piling on. It's really funny as well. But anyway, let's
move on to the Warriors. The Warriors second equal on
the ladder because they picked up a lovely two points
off the buye on twenty four points alongside the Raiders,
with the Bulldogs beating the Bunnies twenty four eighteen to
stay top on twenty six and the Warriors. They go
(11:10):
up against the four time premiership winning Penrith Panthers on
Saturday night at Mount Smart. The Panthers they sit ninth
on the table with five wins, seven losses and a draw.
They beat the Sharks in Las Vegas to start the year,
but then they lost five straight games and everyone was
scratching their heads, going wows, this is the impact of
(11:32):
losing Janie Fisher. Howis Jerome Lewy and the like? But
they won their last two. They've turned the corner and
obviously Michael Burgers. A few weeks ago Nick Beuley saying
on this podcast that he could see them going on
an absolute tear and still making the eight from being
the bottom of the ladder several rounds and they're coming
off the by but had an eighteen fourteen win.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Over the Tigers couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
I think I agreed with Nick at the time from
memory book, because here we go the hindsight agreement.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
There we go.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
Yeah, of course Nick's are very smart man. But I
do remember a debate between three Australian journalists just after
that fifth in a row and saying where are the
Panthers going from here?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Are they gone? And the view of the Tasmon year
was yeah, they're gone. They're not going to come back
from this.
Speaker 6 (12:17):
Their bottom, as you say, bottom of the table record
one and five. Then I think it went to two
and six. But I always felt they had it in
them to make a run. And now you look at
them now they're ninth. You know they're going to be
the team that gets into the eighth and someone else's
displaced because they've just got the experience and know how
around this time of year. But I think we should
(12:38):
have a little pause. This is a bit of a moment, Nathan,
because well, we've been doing this podcast for a couple
of years, but even before that, over the last few years,
been a lot of hard times following covering the Warriors.
But you know the fact that they're sitting second equal
and Penrith and ninth whoever, I mentioned that in the
last few years, you know, and not just after two
(13:00):
weeks of the season. This is we're almost in July.
I mean, this is just this is quite a beautiful moment.
You know that it's Penrith are the ones that doing
the maths and trying to get themselves into the eight,
and the Warriors are the Warriors are locked in there.
It's it's it's quite beautiful. But I don't think we're
quite at mathematical odds with Penrith yet and at ninth
(13:21):
on the table at this at this stage of the season.
He said, they've won two on the bounce. You'd have
to back them to make the eight. As you said,
they've got they've got the know how for this point
of the season. Nathan Clear as their captain obviously they've
got all the experience.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
They've lost those players that I mentioned before. James Fisher
Harris was obviously massive for them. We've seen the impact
of him at the Warriors to so to lose a
leader like that, but they've also got, you know, young
guns stepping up, players who before this season we'd never
heard of. I and my eye on Thomas Jenkins against
in that game against the Tigers, produced a hat trick
(13:57):
and he was running riots and brilliant footwork, speed, power
and contact. He's on that left edge, so it'll be
the Warrior's right edge defense which has been vulnerable that
it's last few weeks and we've talked about that quite
a lot. Did you know Thomas Jenkins before this and
what can you say that the Warriors might have been looking.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
At in terms of that defense?
Speaker 6 (14:18):
Yeah, I didn't know much about Thomas Jenkins, but as
you say, a lot of pace, a lot of danger.
Penrith are a little bit like the storm, aren't they?
That these players you haven't heard of just come in
and perform, and the Warriors have been doing that this year,
which has been great players we have heard of, but
players with less experience come and do the job. Penrith
(14:38):
have been doing it for the last four seasons because
the list of players you talked about departing, they've had
that were the last four seasons, haven't they with leaving
This guy leaves, that guy leaves, and they've always found
a way. This year has been a bit hard. It's
feels like a step too far because you know, if
you look at their team from nineteen twenty, it's been
you know, it's completely changed.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
But yeah, they'll still be there.
Speaker 6 (15:02):
The recipe for doing well against the Panthers feels like, well,
you think, but the Warriors and the Panthers got quite
similar game plans. The Warriors the Panthers' success has been
built on just ruthless defense, high completions, and being efficient
in everything they do, especially one percent is. And if
(15:24):
you look at what the Warrior's success this year, you
talk about defense in almost all the games. I think
they've got the highest completions in the NRL, and they
have become known as a team of one percent is
because it's all these one percenters that have made the
difference in all those close matches.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
So the blueprint is quite similar.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
And it's no surprise that they would have a similar
game plan to Penrith given Andrew Webster, former Panthers assistant coach.
There are several elements of this game that are really interesting,
I suppose in terms of a Warrior's perspective. The first
one is Metcalf versus Clary, the dally M leader. Luke Metcalf,
(16:03):
would you believe it up against well the goat really
in modern times, Nathan Cleary in terms of what he's
been able to produce for so many years. And I
suppose weeks ago when the Warriors played the Rabbit O's
there was a lot of you know, we asked Luke
about coming up against Adam Reynolds and him describing Adam
Reynolds as you know, what he sees is the best
(16:26):
kicker that's right in the NRL and in modern history.
But Nathan Cleary just the all round half and what
he's done in State of Origin as well. I hope
they put I don't know if they're putting Luke Metcalf
up for media this week, but I hope they do
because asking him about that battle, how do you see
that playing now?
Speaker 6 (16:44):
Well he is he'd be one of the more inform
and confident halves in the competition right now, Metcalfe, he hasn't.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
He hasn't had amazing games every week. He's he's the
daim leader.
Speaker 6 (16:58):
That's what I mean. He's been up and down, but
he's done all this. He's done a lot of individual
brilliance that has also contributed. Like his organization hasn't always
been where he wants it to be. It's getting better.
But for a guy that had never played virtually never
played number seven in the NRL because he'd been at
standoff five eight has been.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
He's been. He's been amazing, he really has.
Speaker 6 (17:22):
But the other thing that occurs to me is the
big tests sort of start now, don't they, Because this
is always the crunch time in a season July August.
Team start to play better, the pressions on more so
he'll have to go to another level.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
That's that's probably the test for Luke.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
He'll have to take his game to another level and
be a bit more accurate, a bit more organized, a
bit better with his with his plays in the red zone,
all those kind of things we've talked about.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
But the foundation is there.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Another aspect of this game I suppose that I find
interesting is the James Fisher Harris playing against his former
team who's won premiership after premiership with he's playing them
for the first time. And I don't think he'd ever
say this public le or admit it, but I reckon
he would get fired up for this. This is one
of those games he might have circled on the counting
and gone, you know what, might have a bit of
(18:16):
a not a point to prove because he doesn't have
anything to prove at the stage of his career. But
I think coming up against this former teammates, he'll be
a bit right up for this.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
I don't know, I think it might be the opposite.
I don't know if I agree with you there, but
I hope you're right.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I think it might be a really.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
Hard game of him to play because I think he
still bleeds Penrith. He was there for a decade. He
went there as a sixteen seventeen year old from the
Far North, spent his whole life there. That bond between
the Gos and that team. To go to five Grand
finals in a row, win four of them, it's just
absolutely crazy and it's hard to imagine he'd be able
(18:53):
to just switch that off when he sees them. It's
going to be a really weird night for him. And
he's so committed to the Warriors. You're exactly right, and
he'll want to do well, but I think it could
be one of those ones where if we talked to
him after the game, it was kind of hard to
look up and see see Nathan, and to see Ivan
and the other coaches box and to see different players around.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
I'm not sure how he's going to be, but it
could be quite hard for him.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
The Big League Podcast podcast, right, we don't really talk
about the new South Wales Cup team hell of a
lot on this podcast, Burge, but it's important to mention
them today because over the weekend they won their ninth
straight game, which is a club record, after beating a
Paramatta forty six twenty two, so the thirteenth win of
(19:40):
the season, the top of the ladder on twenty eight points.
And this really just speaks to how good the Warriors
development system is because if you look at the lineup,
the lineups that they've been producing for these New South
Wales Cup game reserve grade games, the halves combination has
been to Marty Martin tone of Boyd, which is a
(20:00):
that is a first grade halves combination, but also the
likes have came to a peaky ed Corsey, tom Alea,
Freddy Lassek BUNTI R Fire, no wonder they've been winning
games Birds.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
They've got almost a first grade team.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
Oh that has helped, I mean because some of those
guys have normally been first grade, but their places have
been taken by young guys, which I think was what
you mentioned.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
What you're meaning by the pathways around those guys.
Speaker 6 (20:23):
There's a lot of kids though, so they've got some names.
I've also got a lot of kids. It's very exciting.
I mean, nine straight wins club record. As you say,
there's seven and seven and zero away. That's even more
impressive for me because away from home, playing reserve grade,
you're not playing in front of big crowds. There's no
(20:44):
Warriors fans there. Normally you're playing at some often playing
at some you know, smaller park. So to do that
so consistently away from home. And I'd like to mention
ton of Boyd and Tomato, but especially a ton of
Boyd because he got signed from the Titans. He's a
you know, he's been a first grade regular. Comes in
(21:04):
has yet to play a minute of first grade, and
he's kept turning up every week in reserve grade and
from what I've seen, playing really well, like he could
have just been kicking star and has dropped his lips.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
I think for me that kind of sums up.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
The culture at the club that a new guy come
in expecting to play or expecting to get a chance
here and there, but has performed so well in reserve grade.
But we need to also mention the horrible incident that
game towards the end with two ol biki absolutely pole
Axt taken.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Out in the last few minutes. By this.
Speaker 6 (21:40):
Yeah, I'm not even going to try and describe the
guy because he must be an absolute meathead to do
what he did with the game already over the score.
You know, I hope he gets a long spell and
just really it was not I wouldn't even recommend watching
the replay.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Not nice to see it all.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
Luckily Tane was able to walk off, but he was
completely knocked out, and it's just something you hope they's
still trying to work to get out of the game,
and you just see moments like that and you think,
what is going on? So let's hope he recovers well,
but obviously he'll be able to tension for a couple
of weeks. You think, can you explain the incident? I
just got completely pollox. You know, you just got completely
(22:15):
smashed just after you passed the ball. But super high.
The Sydney the Daily Telegraph and their story said that,
you know, you're virtually decapitated him, which is a bit
over the top obviously, but super high. And it wasn't
one of those ones where you thought, oh yeah, I
could see that it was a bit of an accident
or taine slipped. It was just came up smashed them,
(22:39):
sort of something you'd see, you know, from years ago,
that they're trying to get out of the game big.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
What state of origin?
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Game two is on Wednesday night's time of recording is
a Monday. Queensland versus New South Wales in Perth is
they like to take games to somewhere outside of New
South Wales and Queensland, so this one over and w
a late team news in regards to New South Wales,
rabbito second right Keon Kalam Tonguey is suffered has suffered
(23:09):
a suspected fractured eye socket and the loss to the
Bulldogs means Bulldogs opposite Jacob Preston is reportedly the man
called in to replace him. Game one, pretty convincing New
South Wales victory.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Burge. I know you're a Queensland fan.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
I support the Blues and Slater Billy Slater has asked
captain and halfback Daily Cherry Evans. He's been dropped. Tommy
Edden brought in bur This is a cry for help,
This is a hail Mary. He's the scapegoat Daily Cherry
Evans and he's been absolutely outed by his coach.
Speaker 6 (23:47):
I'm still thinking about that frashut. It fractured eye socket.
How the hell do you recover from that? Can you
just imagine the absolute pain and negative of that. But yeah,
a big call by Billy. He's done so well as
Queensland coach that people give him a bit of leeway.
But to drop your captain and your number seven. He
has been there a lot with the series on the line,
(24:07):
big call.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I would have.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Given Daily one more chance in a game like this
compared to throwing dead and in who's a different type
of player. But the other school of thought I've heard,
well Daily had had was on his last chance in
Game one because Cherry Evans had he had two poor
games at the end of the series last year. Remember
remember last year queens then won the first game and
the New Servives come back and won the last two.
(24:30):
So there was a feeling that Cherians was on as
last warning, so to speak. He was the oldest player
in origin. I can see both sides of it, but
it feels kind of risky to me. But they've got
bigger issues Queensland. Unfortunately, it feels like we're coming into
a period of New South Wales dominance after all those
glory years for the Maroons. They're probably going to win
(24:52):
the series this year. They won it last year. They've
just got they've just as much as it hurts me
to say it, they've just got the better team on paper.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
I agree if you look at that that back line
of some of the tries that New South Wales scored.
When you've got like the name's Cleary, the Mitchell to
tot or in the corner. Like here's my theory. Also,
this is a side note, but this is my theory
on on why certain New Zealanders support certain teams. And
I think it is an age thing obviously. Sir Graham
(25:21):
Low coach Queensland and that got a lot of Kiwis
to support Queensland. But when you're growing up berge New
South Wales is a dominant team.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
It was a long time ago. They kind of were.
Speaker 6 (25:33):
Queensland had Wally Lewis, Allen Langa that has some big names,
but the main theme every year was that New so
Wales had so many players, they had all the stars.
Queensland had sort of just a small bunch that could
pick from a lot of kiwe's. I seem to think
remember like Queensland because they were the underdogs. The graham
Low factor was a big one and there was something.
(25:53):
It doesn't make a lot of sense really because most
Kiwis their experience of Australia is Sydney most of the
time in New South Wales more than Queensland.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
So I'm not quite sure why it's the underdog thing.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
That's what I think it is because people, a lot
of people my age will support New South Wales and
I support in New South Wales because when I was
growing up, Queensland won every time. I don't remember New
South Wales winning when I was young.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Oh you were growing up the Smiths later Thurston Kronk. Yeah,
ye in a row, exactly right. So New South Wales
never won.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
So that's why I support New South Wales because they
could just never do it. And now that I'm sort
of moved into adulthood, they've started winning and it feels
very very good. But I think there is a generational
split in New Zealand between whether you support New South
Wales and Queensland.
Speaker 6 (26:42):
I think you might be right because probably when you
started supporting them and it was, you know, Queensland winning
every year year on year, it would have start to
get a bit stale and you'd think, oh, it'd be
good if the Blues can do something. And it's a
fascinating rivalry. It's amazing it's gone on so long because
often we need something new, we need something fresh, we
(27:02):
need something It still seems as powerful as ever, but
you don't want one team dominating for two long and
I don't think they will. But yeah, this is going
to be really tricky for Queensland. I just hope that
Nathan Cleary has a really has a game where he's
got to do a lot of work. Put it that well,
let's tap, he has to do thirty tackles and then
he's got the long flight back from Perth. I'm sure
(27:23):
we'll fly straight to Auckland and that will affect them
because when the Warriors game is what Saturday five pm,
So it is tough on those players backing up from
Penrith and the Warriors, but especially the Penrith bunch, which
is another factor on for Saturday's game.
Speaker 7 (27:38):
Isn't it The Big League Podcast for the biggest league fans?
The Big League Podcast.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
On the Warriors badwagon since day one?
Speaker 3 (27:53):
Okay, Birch quick fire predictions for another fairly short round
of NRAL during this Origin period, and we're going to
start off with the Origin game. Some people might be
listening to this after the game has already taken place,
but nevertheless, New South Wales versus Queensland in Perth, Birch yourself.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
We else, Yeah, I think they've got a better record
generally when the when the series travels where it goes
to Melbourne or or Adelaide or Perth a few times,
and as we talked about, they've just got the better
forward pack unfortunately for Queensland fans. And it's hard to
see Queensland. You never know, but it's hard to see
it can.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
I agree with your New South Wales to go to
and oh onto the nr ROL Tigers versus the Raiders.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
Are the Raiders going to lose another game this year?
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Who they have? They not got any of the big dogs.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
No, but they're just going so well, so they'll be
they should be fine for this one. Or that the
Tigers played well last time out. But yeah, the Raiders here.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Warrior Is versus the Panthers at Mount Smart on Saturday night, Birge.
Speaker 6 (28:54):
This is going to be really close, that's all I say.
It's going to be really close. The Panthers, as we
talked about, they're coming into a nice rhythm. They're coming right.
And it's their first visit to Auckland since two thousand
and nineteen. And imagine that Ivan Cleary Nathan Cleary haven't
been to Auckland since twenty nineteen.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
There's a long time ago. Holy shit, you were still
in what diaper university? Yeah? Yeah, so it's cool occasion.
Speaker 6 (29:20):
Great to be playing Penrith here instead of playing them
at Bloody Magic Round or at Penwrith Park.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I think the Warriors will do this, but it'll be
very close. I can't believe. I mean, in years gone by.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
I don't think i've ever on this podcast picked the
Warriors to beat the Panthers.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
But here we go, Dolphins versus the Knights.
Speaker 6 (29:38):
Man the Dolphins, how many points have they scored the
last couple of games. I think there must be like
a century or something. I mean absolutely.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Smoke fifty eight, yes, eight on the Cowboys. Smoked the Cowboys.
Another half century or close to six on the Dolphins.
I mean they're just.
Speaker 6 (29:56):
There, you go, one hundred and fourteen. They're going really
well under Christian Wolf.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
They've put forty four on the Bulldogs a couple of
weeks before that, that is it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
This is ridiculous. Before that they lost to the Warriors.
So there you go.
Speaker 6 (30:08):
So yeah, they're a team in red hot form and
they'll be too good for Newcastle who are struggling but
still showing. They're showing some good fight and resilience in Newcastle.
But they're obviously you know, there's season's gone.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
Rabbit O's versus the Storm usually quite a massive game
this and the Bunnies just haven't found the results so
far this year. They're still there or thereabouts, and I
still think they could threaten the eight there I do.
Speaker 6 (30:36):
Okay, yeah, I feel sorry for the Rabbit O's, like
it's one of those seasons. I've had so many injuries.
You know, people say injuries, Okay, you've just part of
the game. But the players, they've lost so many key players,
so they've never I can't remember the last game where
they had a team close to full strength.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
It's really hard.
Speaker 6 (30:51):
They've also got, from memory, a pretty bad record against
the Storm. I don't think the Rabbit O's have beaten
the Storm or hardly ever in the last ten years,
even it's very rare, So I'll go with the Storm here.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
We'll agree with you.
Speaker 6 (31:07):
Broncos Sharks now, assuming all their players are back for
both teams, which it's three or four days after origins
this Sunday, Assuming they're both back, this could be really tight.
The Broncos need this, they had a very important win
last time out. The Sharks need this too, but I'll
go with I'll go with the home side here, especially
(31:28):
all their Queensland players will be wanting to to bounce
back assuming they do lose the series on Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I'm going to agree with you as well.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
The Broncos to win and last time they played in
those black jerseys and the game it looked like all
Blacks versus Argentina when they had they had, they had
a massive one. I saw a meme afterwards of is
that Reee Walsher?
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Is that? Buton Barras cool jerseys? They really were. Yeah,
I agree Rooster's Cowboys. I don't know. I don't know, Nathan,
stop bugging me. I don't know.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
I really don't care. I mean the Cowboys. You'd have
to think Todd Payton. I've got a lot of time
for Todd. Do you have to think he's under bit
of pressure when you have such a such a heavy loss,
and the Rooster is obviously they still need still hoping
they can relaunch and make a play for the eight.
You'd think the rest is at home. The Cowboys, long journey, Sydney,
et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Go with the.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Roosters sake of it. I'm going for the Cowboys.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
Eels versus the Titans, Battle of the heavyweights.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Are you excited for this one? Burg? It's my big
chance to tip the Eels.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
I haven't tipped the Els for about six weeks, so
I'll go with paramatter, even though the Titans are coming
off a couple of decent efforts themselves, but yes, I'll
go with paramatter on this one.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
At home two teams. I despise picking, but.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
I've got to pick one of them, so we're going
with the Titans. Stuffy Earls, please borrow and rate the podcast.
Thank you, Michael Burgers for your time, your wisdom yet
and so we'll be back next Monday to digest, hopefully
or worries victory over the Panthers.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
At Mount Smart. My name is Nathan Limb. Have a
fantastic week.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
For more from News Talk said B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our show with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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