May 30, 2024 • 15 mins
On the podcast this week … the urgent fight to save rare species within the Mary River.
Locals push to use historic methods to protect hundreds of properties from future floods.
The cane industry optimistic ahead of the 2024 crush.
And we chat to Queensland legend Billy Moore about the local talent in the Maroons squad.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
I have White Bay Burnett.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome to iHeart Wired Bay Burnett, your local news fix.
I'm Taylor Larson on today's show, relying on history to
protect hundreds of homes from flooding, and we quiz Amarone's
legend about Queensland's latest debutante. Our first story takes us
to the Gimpie region where there are fears a one
hundred and fifty million year old lungfish could be lost
forever if action isn't taken now. He's our reporter Naomi Lynch.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Traditional owners and scientists are among those voicing their concerns
in a powerful video released by the Burnett Mary Regional Group.
It highlights the rare turtle and fish species living in
the Mary River that are facing multiple threats, including climate change.
Professor Mark Kennard from Griffith University and the National Environmental
Science Program is among those calling for greater protections for
(00:50):
species like the Australian lungfish.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
That's been described as a living fossil, so it's unchanged
from the fossil record more than one hundred and fifty
million years ago. So this is a part of our
heritage of Australia that's still exactly how it was one
hundred and fifty million years ago. Used to have a
much broader distribution tens of thousands of years ago, but
it's now contracted back to the Mary and the Burnette
(01:13):
and a couple of other small attachments around southeast Queensland.
So it's now listed as vulnerable on the Commonwealth Federal
Government Threatened Species List, and it's listed because we're concerned
that it's continuing to decline in its distribution abundance because
of human activities. So I personally would be devastated if
that became extinct under our watch.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Well, he says, it would be a tragedy to lose
such a historic species. It would also be a lost
to the environment itself.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
They play really important roles in the ecosystem. So the lungfish,
it's an omnivore. It eats algae and plants and small wallosts,
that sort of thing, so it plays an important role
in cycling nutrients and carbon through the food web. Something
like the marrior of a cod that's a very large
predator on a top carnivore in the river. So that
also plays a really critical role coologically in the freshwater ecosystem.
(02:02):
So if we were to lose those types keystone species,
you know, I'd have great concern what the cascading effects
of that might be for other species.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
The calls for Grater protection follow a two month survey
of the endangered animals living in the Merry River to
see how they're faring in the wake of the twenty
twenty two floods and to inform future management interventions, with
funding from the Australian and Queensland governments. It's the most
significant species mapping ever done in the local ecosystem. Kira
McGrath from the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee tells us
(02:32):
how they went about it.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
We put nets in the water, they stay in overnight
and then we go back early in the morning and
check the.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Nets and see what we've got.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
The target species that we're looking for at the moment
are our key threatened species in this area, which are
the Merry River cod, Australian lungfish, and we've got two
endangered turtles, the white throated snapping turtle and the Mary
River turtle, so hopefully we'll catch one of those, but
any other number of other species that we might catch
as well.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
The Burnett Mary Regional group will analyze and publish the
results of the survey in the coming weeks, but believes
there's plenty of work to do to ensure the river
and its globally significant species are here for generations to come.
Local landowner Tom Ryan says it's time to make up
for some of the mistakes of the past as we
become more aware of the impacts we have on the
(03:20):
environment around us.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
If you have a look at the damage that we've created.
And I say we because I come from the land,
or was on a farm, I've was brought up on
the farm and on the Darling Downs. The practices that
my parents had were not environmental practices. It was ring,
bark the trees, clear the scrub, grow grass for the cattle.
Oh what about the protection of the waterways? What about
(03:43):
the erosion that's going to push into the rivers? And
it was only that it was a lack of education.
They weren't educated to it. So it's really this is
the importance of science and being educated to this really
just making people aware of the importance.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
He's doing his part to care for the creatures on
his land and what to see others get involved.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I had never seen a lung fish in my life,
or the Merry River cod, and I was certainly unaware
that the turtle was so endangered. I've certainly got a
lot broader well, I've got a full understanding of the
importance of the protection that's required. So consequently, I'm just
quite up for saying, yep, come here, yep, not a problem.
(04:23):
We've listed the property as a land for wildlife, and
just do my best to sort of put the property
in a better condition than when I took over the property.
And if we could all just do a little bit
like that, because this is my little mosaic, but if
we could all do that, we end up with a
really big, beautiful mosaic.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Relying on history could help protect hundreds more homes from
the next major flood event. That's the hope of the
Bunderberg Flood Protection Group, made up of locals pushing for
greater protection measures. Members want to see old floodplains reopened
and the Burnett Rivers capacity re stated. They've looked over
the maps and reports of a Navy engineer who was
appointed by the state government in eighteen seventy. One spokesperson
(05:08):
said McEwan says the methods are tried and tested.
Speaker 6 (05:12):
You can see by looking at those particular maps that
the river had an massive exhaust capacity, and earlier floods
we believe were higher than twenty thirteen. More water came
down the river, but they didn't reach the heights within
the Thunderberg CBD area, simply because it was able to
get away faster.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
SID claims the flow of the river has been significantly
impacted by human intervention. Put simply, the group wants the
water to be able to flow where it once was
able to.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
By reinstating some of the exhaust capacity or the river's capacity,
we believe we could reduce a twenty thirteen type events
back to around eight meters from the nine and a
half meters that it was, and that's an enormous saving.
By the engineer's calculations, it would save Bunderberg about two
hundred and fifty five million dollars.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
The twenty thirteen floods were the worse the region has
ever experienced. Five and a half thousand residents were evacuated,
leaving several suburbs underwater. North Bunderberg was one of the
hardest hit and it's still fresh in many people's minds.
Speaker 6 (06:17):
Everyone in Bunderberg that was impacted by that flood gets nervous.
Every time it rains with any significance amount of precipitation,
you just can't help but think that it all might
happen again, and that's human nature. I really did think
that people over north deserve some form of assurance that
they won't have to go through those airlifts and stuff
(06:40):
like that again.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Eleven years on, there's still no permanent mitigation solution. The
state government is in the design and planning stage of
the almost one hundred and seventy five million dollar Bunderberg
East Flood Levee. It's proposing building a wall along the
river that would protect six hundred homes in East, South
and Central Bunderberg. But SID doesn't believe that's the solution.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
We're all local people and we know only believe we
had the answers if we can only get someone to
stop and listen to us and a lot of our knowledge.
This didn't come from us, It's came from a wealth
of other people and some leading academics in that field,
so that James Cook University and doctor Margaret Cook, they've
all said that our proposals deserve to be exposed in
(07:27):
at least research.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
The Bunderberg Flood Protection Group has been criticized for not
being experts in the field. Members are hoping to hold
a community for them Monday once they've prepared further information
coming up after the break. A positive outlook for our
cane farmers after a tough couple of years. I have Whitebet,
(07:51):
I have white. You're listening to iHeart Whired bay Burnette.
I'm Taylor Larson. There's optimism among local farmers of a
better cane season ahead. It's not hard when you look
at the past two years. The twenty twenty two crush
was pushed into the new year because of a combination
of wet weather and meal performance. Last year. Bunderberg, Isis
(08:12):
and Maryborough were the first regions to cross the line,
winding up in early November. The earlier finish did mean
a lower crop, though, as it had less time to grow.
CEO of Isis Central Mill Craig Woods says the crop
is looking stronger this year.
Speaker 7 (08:27):
The weather's been really really good for growing this year
and it's been a nice wet summer, so it's a
good crop and we expect good ccs which will provide
a significant boost to our region's economy.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
The mill is aiming to crush one point three million tons.
Speaker 7 (08:45):
Two years ago, we're around about one point four million tons,
and if we have a warm winter and we get
a little bit of rain, not too much, I hope
we should, we could end up getting close to that
one point four again. But last year on four actually
we ended up just shy of one point one million tons,
so this is a lot better year for us.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Look going forward, supplies come from the Northbournett, Fraser Coast
and even as far south as the Sunshine Coast, and
it all has to get to the region somehow.
Speaker 7 (09:15):
We do have quite a lot of activity in the
way of trucks and trailers, so we do have trailers
traveling down to Sunshine Coast as well as around Marrabora
and the Isis area. But predominantly a majority of our
cane does come via the rail networks.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Trains have already started moving closer to Bunderberg or at
least one near miss with the car is reported every season.
Speaker 8 (09:37):
So the worst one that I've seen was along Headkeeech Road.
There was a Toyota land Cruiser that was chasing the
train as the road and rail run parallel along head
Geech Road. Just continued and ran in front of the
cane train.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
That's Bunderberg Sugar's cane supply manager Michael Green. He says
around nine hundred and fifty tons of cain will be
loaded onto trains this year bound for the mill. He's
pleading with motorists and pedestrians to not take any risks.
A fully loaded cane train can take up to one
kilometer to come to a complete stop. Michael AD's work
on level crossings is helping to improve safety.
Speaker 8 (10:17):
We've started a significant program to upgrade those thirty eight
and over the last two seasons we've upgraded about fifteen
percent or six of those crossings to a new standard.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Weather pending the official crash starts on June tenth. The
Queensland Maroons have named their first Harvey bayborn player Bruce Atkinson.
Caught up with a master of the game as Origin
Fever returns for twenty twenty four.
Speaker 9 (10:46):
Arthur Beatson running onto the field in the first State
of Origin game, the dominance of the King, Wally Lewis
Billy Moore coming down the tunnel screaming Queenslander and the
Morons winning eight in a row. They're all great Moron
memories and more will be next week. Harvey bays Jermaine
Hopgood is the only debutante in this year's team of
Bunderberg's Police CAFUSI gets a recall after missing twenty twenty three.
(11:09):
For an inside into what Hopgood can expect, I sat
down with legend of the game, Billy Moore. I suppose
the easy thing's done. You've now got to step into
the show and it's going to be the hardest, fastest
game of his life. And he has the skill set
to deliver a great product, but he's going to be
challenged like never before. I remember I played my first
Origin game was twenty one. The first five minutes I
(11:29):
just couldn't believe the speed. It's sensory overload. And I
remember when to the first scrum and Gary lars And
grabbed me and I says, two, it's too quick. He said,
don't worry, mate, you'll adapt. You'll get it. You'll get it.
Then before I knew, it was halftime. So jamay not
be the same. And he gets on that field, it's
going to blow him away. But he's there because he's
very good. He's got to just play the best he's
ever played before, and he's tough. He's suited to Origin
(11:51):
without a doubt. The other thing about Origin, beside the speed,
is the ferocity of the tackles, the lion speed. The
tackle that finishes the game is as hard as the
tackle that starts it. It doesn't really because the Ben's
players are all exceptional. They're all the best of the best.
Talking about tackle toughness, for leice ca Fers, you could
teach Jermaine Hopkood a few tricks there because he's a
tough defender. Jermaine will win and heaps off police. He's
(12:13):
an outstanding back row. He can play in the middle
if he needed to. But he stings spectacled to watch,
it's a difficult thing to do. I know people do
plenty of tackles in their careers, but to sting like
he does against quality ball runners, it's good to watch.
I can't wait to see it, and Jermain will definitely
learn off that as well. But being around the best
of the best, what Jermaine will experience he will get
(12:34):
the ball from the best players in the game and
the right spot at the right time. It's an absolute privilege.
And I remember when I walked off the field after
my first game, he just went, wow, I've just been
in the hands of experts, experts fellicise CAFERSI from Bunderberg,
a big family, big footballing feederly so they might have
thought that his origin career was finished at thirty two.
(12:56):
So be some pretty happy family in Bundy and supporters
up there as well. Without a doubt the Bunderberg clan
will be jumping up and down. And it's been a
great breeding ground for Queensland as Bunderbird, it's a very
proud area for rugby league. It's rega league heartland. But
the Confucius have embedded in the rouge league community in
that region, the Wide Bay region, and he let him down.
He's doing a great job in the NRL, but for
(13:17):
him to go back to the sharp with thirty two, wow,
that's an achievement. Twenty eight I was gone, I couldn't walk.
So I wish him all the best and obviously his
Queens and team as an exciting task, a very tough
task to beat in New South Wales is always very difficult.
Game one at a call Sydney. This is a massive
ass for queens and it's a big ass for you
South Wales too, having lost the last two series, they
(13:39):
must win in Sydney the Blues. Yeah, they go to
Melbourne after that and then they come back to our house.
So if they come back to our house and they
need that game there to win, that's a big task ahead.
But they picked a good side six debitones I think
in the new South Wales team, so obviously see how
that all works out. They're always great players. No one
(14:02):
of that teams are done. Very important question. Who do
you room Jermaine hopgood with wow. If he wants fun,
I'd go Reese Walsh, but he might be outgun in
the look stakes. For me, I think Pat Carrigan would
be a great one. He's just sent out in our
champion Pat Carrigan, future Queensland captain. He's set standards on
and off the park which are of the highest level.
Doesn't mind to wrestle too or I think on and
(14:23):
off the field. That's someone that you could learn from.
My first roomy when I turned twenty one. That first
camp was the late great Peter Jackson. Now what a roomy.
I don't know if that would be a good person
to refeme a room with. But I had fun.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Let's all get behind our local boys. I know I'll
be screaming at my TV on Wednesday night. I like
to think I'm helping the maroons out there, but my
neighbors aren't as convinced. Well that's it for this week.
If you want to hear this episode again or search
for previous ones, look up Iheartwired Baby Bernette on the iHeartRadio,
WAP or wherever you get your podcasts. We're back again
next week with more local, trusted and free news I
(15:03):
Have Wide by Burnette
I have White Bay Burnett.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome to iHeart Wired Bay Burnett, your local news fix.
I'm Taylor Larson on today's show, relying on history to
protect hundreds of homes from flooding, and we quiz Amarone's
legend about Queensland's latest debutante. Our first story takes us
to the Gimpie region where there are fears a one
hundred and fifty million year old lungfish could be lost
forever if action isn't taken now. He's our reporter Naomi Lynch.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Traditional owners and scientists are among those voicing their concerns
in a powerful video released by the Burnett Mary Regional Group.
It highlights the rare turtle and fish species living in
the Mary River that are facing multiple threats, including climate change.
Professor Mark Kennard from Griffith University and the National Environmental
Science Program is among those calling for greater protections for
(00:50):
species like the Australian lungfish.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
That's been described as a living fossil, so it's unchanged
from the fossil record more than one hundred and fifty
million years ago. So this is a part of our
heritage of Australia that's still exactly how it was one
hundred and fifty million years ago. Used to have a
much broader distribution tens of thousands of years ago, but
it's now contracted back to the Mary and the Burnette
(01:13):
and a couple of other small attachments around southeast Queensland.
So it's now listed as vulnerable on the Commonwealth Federal
Government Threatened Species List, and it's listed because we're concerned
that it's continuing to decline in its distribution abundance because
of human activities. So I personally would be devastated if
that became extinct under our watch.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Well, he says, it would be a tragedy to lose
such a historic species. It would also be a lost
to the environment itself.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
They play really important roles in the ecosystem. So the lungfish,
it's an omnivore. It eats algae and plants and small wallosts,
that sort of thing, so it plays an important role
in cycling nutrients and carbon through the food web. Something
like the marrior of a cod that's a very large
predator on a top carnivore in the river. So that
also plays a really critical role coologically in the freshwater ecosystem.
(02:02):
So if we were to lose those types keystone species,
you know, I'd have great concern what the cascading effects
of that might be for other species.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
The calls for Grater protection follow a two month survey
of the endangered animals living in the Merry River to
see how they're faring in the wake of the twenty
twenty two floods and to inform future management interventions, with
funding from the Australian and Queensland governments. It's the most
significant species mapping ever done in the local ecosystem. Kira
McGrath from the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee tells us
(02:32):
how they went about it.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
We put nets in the water, they stay in overnight
and then we go back early in the morning and
check the.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Nets and see what we've got.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
The target species that we're looking for at the moment
are our key threatened species in this area, which are
the Merry River cod, Australian lungfish, and we've got two
endangered turtles, the white throated snapping turtle and the Mary
River turtle, so hopefully we'll catch one of those, but
any other number of other species that we might catch
as well.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
The Burnett Mary Regional group will analyze and publish the
results of the survey in the coming weeks, but believes
there's plenty of work to do to ensure the river
and its globally significant species are here for generations to come.
Local landowner Tom Ryan says it's time to make up
for some of the mistakes of the past as we
become more aware of the impacts we have on the
(03:20):
environment around us.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
If you have a look at the damage that we've created.
And I say we because I come from the land,
or was on a farm, I've was brought up on
the farm and on the Darling Downs. The practices that
my parents had were not environmental practices. It was ring,
bark the trees, clear the scrub, grow grass for the cattle.
Oh what about the protection of the waterways? What about
(03:43):
the erosion that's going to push into the rivers? And
it was only that it was a lack of education.
They weren't educated to it. So it's really this is
the importance of science and being educated to this really
just making people aware of the importance.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
He's doing his part to care for the creatures on
his land and what to see others get involved.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I had never seen a lung fish in my life,
or the Merry River cod, and I was certainly unaware
that the turtle was so endangered. I've certainly got a
lot broader well, I've got a full understanding of the
importance of the protection that's required. So consequently, I'm just
quite up for saying, yep, come here, yep, not a problem.
(04:23):
We've listed the property as a land for wildlife, and
just do my best to sort of put the property
in a better condition than when I took over the property.
And if we could all just do a little bit
like that, because this is my little mosaic, but if
we could all do that, we end up with a
really big, beautiful mosaic.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Relying on history could help protect hundreds more homes from
the next major flood event. That's the hope of the
Bunderberg Flood Protection Group, made up of locals pushing for
greater protection measures. Members want to see old floodplains reopened
and the Burnett Rivers capacity re stated. They've looked over
the maps and reports of a Navy engineer who was
appointed by the state government in eighteen seventy. One spokesperson
(05:08):
said McEwan says the methods are tried and tested.
Speaker 6 (05:12):
You can see by looking at those particular maps that
the river had an massive exhaust capacity, and earlier floods
we believe were higher than twenty thirteen. More water came
down the river, but they didn't reach the heights within
the Thunderberg CBD area, simply because it was able to
get away faster.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
SID claims the flow of the river has been significantly
impacted by human intervention. Put simply, the group wants the
water to be able to flow where it once was
able to.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
By reinstating some of the exhaust capacity or the river's capacity,
we believe we could reduce a twenty thirteen type events
back to around eight meters from the nine and a
half meters that it was, and that's an enormous saving.
By the engineer's calculations, it would save Bunderberg about two
hundred and fifty five million dollars.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
The twenty thirteen floods were the worse the region has
ever experienced. Five and a half thousand residents were evacuated,
leaving several suburbs underwater. North Bunderberg was one of the
hardest hit and it's still fresh in many people's minds.
Speaker 6 (06:17):
Everyone in Bunderberg that was impacted by that flood gets nervous.
Every time it rains with any significance amount of precipitation,
you just can't help but think that it all might
happen again, and that's human nature. I really did think
that people over north deserve some form of assurance that
they won't have to go through those airlifts and stuff
(06:40):
like that again.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Eleven years on, there's still no permanent mitigation solution. The
state government is in the design and planning stage of
the almost one hundred and seventy five million dollar Bunderberg
East Flood Levee. It's proposing building a wall along the
river that would protect six hundred homes in East, South
and Central Bunderberg. But SID doesn't believe that's the solution.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
We're all local people and we know only believe we
had the answers if we can only get someone to
stop and listen to us and a lot of our knowledge.
This didn't come from us, It's came from a wealth
of other people and some leading academics in that field,
so that James Cook University and doctor Margaret Cook, they've
all said that our proposals deserve to be exposed in
(07:27):
at least research.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
The Bunderberg Flood Protection Group has been criticized for not
being experts in the field. Members are hoping to hold
a community for them Monday once they've prepared further information
coming up after the break. A positive outlook for our
cane farmers after a tough couple of years. I have Whitebet,
(07:51):
I have white. You're listening to iHeart Whired bay Burnette.
I'm Taylor Larson. There's optimism among local farmers of a
better cane season ahead. It's not hard when you look
at the past two years. The twenty twenty two crush
was pushed into the new year because of a combination
of wet weather and meal performance. Last year. Bunderberg, Isis
(08:12):
and Maryborough were the first regions to cross the line,
winding up in early November. The earlier finish did mean
a lower crop, though, as it had less time to grow.
CEO of Isis Central Mill Craig Woods says the crop
is looking stronger this year.
Speaker 7 (08:27):
The weather's been really really good for growing this year
and it's been a nice wet summer, so it's a
good crop and we expect good ccs which will provide
a significant boost to our region's economy.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
The mill is aiming to crush one point three million tons.
Speaker 7 (08:45):
Two years ago, we're around about one point four million tons,
and if we have a warm winter and we get
a little bit of rain, not too much, I hope
we should, we could end up getting close to that
one point four again. But last year on four actually
we ended up just shy of one point one million tons,
so this is a lot better year for us.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Look going forward, supplies come from the Northbournett, Fraser Coast
and even as far south as the Sunshine Coast, and
it all has to get to the region somehow.
Speaker 7 (09:15):
We do have quite a lot of activity in the
way of trucks and trailers, so we do have trailers
traveling down to Sunshine Coast as well as around Marrabora
and the Isis area. But predominantly a majority of our
cane does come via the rail networks.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Trains have already started moving closer to Bunderberg or at
least one near miss with the car is reported every season.
Speaker 8 (09:37):
So the worst one that I've seen was along Headkeeech Road.
There was a Toyota land Cruiser that was chasing the
train as the road and rail run parallel along head
Geech Road. Just continued and ran in front of the
cane train.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
That's Bunderberg Sugar's cane supply manager Michael Green. He says
around nine hundred and fifty tons of cain will be
loaded onto trains this year bound for the mill. He's
pleading with motorists and pedestrians to not take any risks.
A fully loaded cane train can take up to one
kilometer to come to a complete stop. Michael AD's work
on level crossings is helping to improve safety.
Speaker 8 (10:17):
We've started a significant program to upgrade those thirty eight
and over the last two seasons we've upgraded about fifteen
percent or six of those crossings to a new standard.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Weather pending the official crash starts on June tenth. The
Queensland Maroons have named their first Harvey bayborn player Bruce Atkinson.
Caught up with a master of the game as Origin
Fever returns for twenty twenty four.
Speaker 9 (10:46):
Arthur Beatson running onto the field in the first State
of Origin game, the dominance of the King, Wally Lewis
Billy Moore coming down the tunnel screaming Queenslander and the
Morons winning eight in a row. They're all great Moron
memories and more will be next week. Harvey bays Jermaine
Hopgood is the only debutante in this year's team of
Bunderberg's Police CAFUSI gets a recall after missing twenty twenty three.
(11:09):
For an inside into what Hopgood can expect, I sat
down with legend of the game, Billy Moore. I suppose
the easy thing's done. You've now got to step into
the show and it's going to be the hardest, fastest
game of his life. And he has the skill set
to deliver a great product, but he's going to be
challenged like never before. I remember I played my first
Origin game was twenty one. The first five minutes I
(11:29):
just couldn't believe the speed. It's sensory overload. And I
remember when to the first scrum and Gary lars And
grabbed me and I says, two, it's too quick. He said,
don't worry, mate, you'll adapt. You'll get it. You'll get it.
Then before I knew, it was halftime. So jamay not
be the same. And he gets on that field, it's
going to blow him away. But he's there because he's
very good. He's got to just play the best he's
ever played before, and he's tough. He's suited to Origin
(11:51):
without a doubt. The other thing about Origin, beside the speed,
is the ferocity of the tackles, the lion speed. The
tackle that finishes the game is as hard as the
tackle that starts it. It doesn't really because the Ben's
players are all exceptional. They're all the best of the best.
Talking about tackle toughness, for leice ca Fers, you could
teach Jermaine Hopkood a few tricks there because he's a
tough defender. Jermaine will win and heaps off police. He's
(12:13):
an outstanding back row. He can play in the middle
if he needed to. But he stings spectacled to watch,
it's a difficult thing to do. I know people do
plenty of tackles in their careers, but to sting like
he does against quality ball runners, it's good to watch.
I can't wait to see it, and Jermain will definitely
learn off that as well. But being around the best
of the best, what Jermaine will experience he will get
(12:34):
the ball from the best players in the game and
the right spot at the right time. It's an absolute privilege.
And I remember when I walked off the field after
my first game, he just went, wow, I've just been
in the hands of experts, experts fellicise CAFERSI from Bunderberg,
a big family, big footballing feederly so they might have
thought that his origin career was finished at thirty two.
(12:56):
So be some pretty happy family in Bundy and supporters
up there as well. Without a doubt the Bunderberg clan
will be jumping up and down. And it's been a
great breeding ground for Queensland as Bunderbird, it's a very
proud area for rugby league. It's rega league heartland. But
the Confucius have embedded in the rouge league community in
that region, the Wide Bay region, and he let him down.
He's doing a great job in the NRL, but for
(13:17):
him to go back to the sharp with thirty two, wow,
that's an achievement. Twenty eight I was gone, I couldn't walk.
So I wish him all the best and obviously his
Queens and team as an exciting task, a very tough
task to beat in New South Wales is always very difficult.
Game one at a call Sydney. This is a massive
ass for queens and it's a big ass for you
South Wales too, having lost the last two series, they
(13:39):
must win in Sydney the Blues. Yeah, they go to
Melbourne after that and then they come back to our house.
So if they come back to our house and they
need that game there to win, that's a big task ahead.
But they picked a good side six debitones I think
in the new South Wales team, so obviously see how
that all works out. They're always great players. No one
(14:02):
of that teams are done. Very important question. Who do
you room Jermaine hopgood with wow. If he wants fun,
I'd go Reese Walsh, but he might be outgun in
the look stakes. For me, I think Pat Carrigan would
be a great one. He's just sent out in our
champion Pat Carrigan, future Queensland captain. He's set standards on
and off the park which are of the highest level.
Doesn't mind to wrestle too or I think on and
(14:23):
off the field. That's someone that you could learn from.
My first roomy when I turned twenty one. That first
camp was the late great Peter Jackson. Now what a roomy.
I don't know if that would be a good person
to refeme a room with. But I had fun.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Let's all get behind our local boys. I know I'll
be screaming at my TV on Wednesday night. I like
to think I'm helping the maroons out there, but my
neighbors aren't as convinced. Well that's it for this week.
If you want to hear this episode again or search
for previous ones, look up Iheartwired Baby Bernette on the iHeartRadio,
WAP or wherever you get your podcasts. We're back again
next week with more local, trusted and free news I
(15:03):
Have Wide by Burnette
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