August 11, 2025 • 26 mins
Matty & Cooper on Premiership contenders, evolving role of Dummy Half, Broncos adapting to halves injuries & emerging youngsters.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
One of the things that really stood out for me
this round was how far many of the young players
have improved this season. I will cover as as we
start to go through the side, but made the locomotive
Penrith still powering along. So the moment they got I
think fourth spot incredible.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Two eighty Melbourne favorites.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Penrith are into four bucks, raided six bucks, Dogs at
six bucks and after that the next line is the
Sharks at twenty three dollars.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
So it really starts.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I think the Broncas are gone from nine to one
twenty six to one.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Talk about that in a second.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
But on the weekend, out of those top four contenders,
the big you know, the big four, who was the best?
Who you think was the best performing too?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Other dogs were.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
I lought the dogs because there was a bit of
pressure around can they play in wet weather? Yep, And
I thought it was a bit of a mystery the
wet weather form because defensively they got their lines speed,
they've got smaller bodies move around and if you hold
the ball, kick well and the fenwell and wet weather,
you should win. So they've got the game style to
do it, but they execute it perfectly. The King game
(01:10):
through Burnt was great. Defensively, they just outworked the opposition
and there was a bit of swagger and arrogance about
their performance about how dare you question we can't playing
the wet I'll show you exactly what.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Really impressed men coops is given the fact that we're
talking that they've been struggling in the wet I half
expected this game they'd just pull everything in a little bit,
but they actually didn't. They kept they kept advancing the
football take tone with their short ball playing, but it
was more controlled. It was a more disciplined ball movement.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
We spoke about anything the Tigers where they're short passing
in wet weather didn't suit them against the Tigers, but
that didn't dig intok out their execution the short passing right,
So what they did, I think they didn't change their
game plan. They just doubled down on executing the past
and some of their hands in.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Wet conditions was Jacob krat very very good.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah, Burton and Galvin were both impressive. Impressive in their
kick combination for totally different reasons. I'm I've never seen
a bloke hit a ball like Burton. Yes, I mean
Ricky went I remember Ricky coming in Coops when he
came in in the late eighties and he revolutionized like
you know, left to right passes and the long torpedoes.
(02:20):
He was something else, this bloke. I've never seen anyone
hit a ball like it.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
They've got good balance because you know that Burton can
launch from the yardage and have that long kicking dominance,
and what Galvin can do with a short form of it.
Like their ability just to play the right play at
the right time. I really, I'm really impressed with what
Burn's done this year, his best year by a country.
More like he is knocking on the door of the
(02:44):
Rep Jersey with number six every time he keeps playing
like this kick here that is one of the best
I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Justin Burton Coops. You're so right.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
He's improvement in the last twolve months in that six jersey.
When he went to last year, when he first started
there as a full time six, you could see that
the number on his jersey waved heavily on him.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
He was thinking, you know, do I steer aside? What
do I do? And he built his game going.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Forward bit by bit. Look up, if I like what
I see I'm going to attack him if I don't
going to give it to villiamy early. But you can
see from there he's just built his game and at
the moment he's firing.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yeah. And he also knows when to use his strengths
around him, like you got Bronze and Cherry kickout and
the thing that Galvin's bought is he knows when to
get the ball to right at.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
The right time.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
So now he's got Preston Crichton on the right, you
got kickout and Cherry on left, and those halves are
doing a good job. And Bailey Hayward starting at number
nine read money on the badge. It almost seems like
that's the way it's going to operate for the rest
of the season.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
We had that feeling all the back end of this
year that that was going to be inevitable.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
You felt that.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
You felt it with Galvin and Toby, and you felt
it with Bailey Haywood and read Marney. Look talking about
young players, we said there's going to be a theme
a little bit here about how young players are even emerging.
And when we talk about Penrith here, Blast Lungey has
he's just improving rapidly out of sight in how he
forms combination with Nathan, but also just a few things
(04:11):
on the weekend Coop I hadn't seen from him, because
when you think of Blaze, you think of him first
and foremost a runner. But there are a few little moments,
like it was the first try he does like a
just a really nice little pump fake, which is the
domain of the experienced playmaker, Like you know, I mean,
that's that's a that's a beautiful bit of playmaker.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Where do you reckon he's got that from?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Well, I reckon the blake alongside he might be showing
a few tricks an extra.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
So at training, when you're running sort of your left
edge versus your right edge, you always pick up what
your position half does or in your team because you
trained against the other side. And there's no doubt that
when Blaze the lung is on the left edge, you know,
defending against Nathan on the right, he can see all
these tricks coming looking in to play out double pump fake,
the old fake, long play short. There's just a lot
(04:59):
of things and creeping into his game that I can
categorically say he never had before. He rides to Penrith,
no doubt, and then learning by Osmoses of around Nathan
and seeing the art of ballplane.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
He's kept that athleticism.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
In that running game, but he's adding these lot of
little spices of nuance that you can only learn by
practicing and seeing someone else do it.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
It looks like he looks comfortable in that system now.
And I can understand when he first went in how
difficult they would have been, because we stated a few
times on this the Penrith attack is very complex one.
There's lots of moving parts and you've got and a
lot of it is an exact science, and I can
only imagine him going in there firstly, and he's like, honestly,
his eyes were roll in the back of his head.
He's trying to learn this system and trying to learn
(05:43):
this in a lot of way, a new position at
this new level. But he looks he just looks tremendous.
And even on the weekend Coops, a number of times
Nathan got caught in the last and earlier in the
season that response that he was given to blaze and
he struggled with the other night against new cars. He
took numerous occasions he took the sixth tackle and just
(06:04):
put the ball where it needed you go.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
And they have bought him in case McLean have brought
a point of difference in the Pernit attack because now Nathan,
who would have probably leant towards Martin to or Edward's
on the right, he's now leaning to the left because
he's knows you've got this young excitement, enthusiasm that can
add a spark on Nathan.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
He set up a try before halftime he his Newcastle
which he sunk into the line almost identical light to
last week and you just see that there. People watching
go well, what's the difference here? But to understand the
subtlety that half second delay, well, it just creates that space.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Done.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
I think it's cogger that turns in on the runner.
And we always talk about get into your target defender
and stopping. The reason why we say it gets your
target fender and square up is when you square up,
the player will lean in and it almost catapults everyone
else to lean in. When you don't square up, you
run across. It allows the defender slide off and get
(07:03):
into that tackle. Do you think they can go on
with it? Do you think pen.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I have I would have Penrith and Melbourne AZUK will favorites.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Let's say Penrith finished fourth and they play anyone who
finishes fourth out Camberrall like, you give them a chance
of winning, don't you. And if they win that first
week and go straight to a prelim, it doesn't matter
who comes through that door, they're a big chance to
make another creand final coops.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Isaiah is a big one. One thing Penrith is very
good at is that the club doesn't leak information, so
at the moment, no one is No one really knows
how serious Isaiah shoulder is at the moment. And just
the way it landed, it looked awk good. I just
I just have the sense it's a little bit more serious.
Everyone thinks we're not talking. It doesn't matter who Penrith
(07:53):
play first week of the finals. I'm backing them. Melbourne
the way they've just suddenly adjusted their football with out
Jerome and you can see that Harry has become the
centerpiece of their football team and Jesus playing good football.
He's playing half back.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Yep, I like two parts to it. It was a
couple of weeks against the Roosters, No Papa naws and
no Munster and Hughes goes down in that game. All
he basically said, like everyone just piling on the ruck
when it's a blown rock. He becomes support runners, not
ball players. And he's set up the victory with that performance.
And then it was obvious from word go the other
(08:34):
night that he was out and running like he didn't
wait for the game to get fatigue. He got out
and he's being crafty about it. And we've seen the
Silver and telling the Silver overplay their hand at Dumby Huff.
Harry Grant is one of the few that doesn't overplay
his hand, like sometimes he bounds out left and right.
But what it does it encourages Tyrone, wish Art and
(08:54):
Monster to become ball runners as opposed to sitting back
and waiting for the long pass. Once he moves, both
those halves go from I'm not worried about the outside,
I'm now running into a hole.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
And once Stefano King, once there's a little bit.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Of rock Spoon is by far the best to take
advantage of Harry Grant.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
And Coop talking to Harry Grant, you know, and number
nine and how that how that role has evolved and
continues to evolve. It's worth while saying this to give
the history of that position, the dummy half, the hooker position.
To give the history was the sole role of the
dummy half was to win the scrum, get the food
across and win the scrum. That's what they were just
(09:35):
sixties seventies, sixty seventies and into the eighties, right into
the eighties. My first off season at Newcastle Knights, which
is nineteen eighty nine, is that the hooker was still
competing for the ball. They practice scrums, competing for the head, get.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
In a scrumb and now you competed in a couple.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Well, it's funny coups.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Because what happened was I still remember going into that
ninety nine season, eighty nine preseason and Aliment Marn come
forward and said, right, we're going to change something. Right
from now on, our dummy halves are going to be
moving dummy halves because your role for the hook and
the old days and dummy half was just fire us
off the ground, don't stand, just straight off the ground
(10:17):
and let the ball go. Bennie a Lies changed anything,
and suddenly they started to go rodo, let's get the
nine operating as a moving dummy half.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
And what we're going to do, We're going to double down.
We're actually going.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
To turn our halves, a number of our halves into hookers.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Benny was the original Benny.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
He was the original in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
He was the first one to really sort of be
getting out of dummy half and playing because Warren Ryan
says he was our half pack. He and Blocker with
their half packs because they had Gary Freeman and McNeil
who were more runners and tenacious competitors.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
And then off the back of benn Is some halfbacks
were being picked at number nine in Repfootble right because
they wanted that creativity and crafty.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
The creativity, it was never a requirement of dummy half.
And then after Bennie had the Walters brothers, so Steve
Walter's right. So Steve was very different to Bennie. And
the fact that Box said was all about power, get
out in his strength and he had a very strong
running game.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
His brother Carod was different to Steve.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Again, Kroen, if I had to comparing to anyone, I'd say,
like he wasn't as expressed as Damian Cook.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
But like this isn't.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Telling me that Kared was a beach printerer, ran on really.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Good unbelieve on sand. But this is what he did.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
He would get out and because Alf and his brother
keV played flat whenever Kard would get the ball and
get up and go, they.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Just turned into ball runners.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Like we was saying before about Harry Rant.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
But the speed at which Keren got out was a
point of difference, right he was Benny at the time
would come out with a little bit of craft and deception.
It'd be like David Cook when he went, he went,
he went, and everyone else had to follow.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
And then you had Danny Verdiris.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Now when you talk about guys, Danny come to Newcastle
at the Australians cool boy as a talented young playmaker
who just got weighed down by the responsibility having to push.
He was seven, he was a seven. As a seven
or a six. They tried, you know what, They tried
to play him everywhere. They tried him in the centers,
they tried him at full back, they put him at
thirteen for a little bit. He could never find his spot.
(12:09):
And we went into a semifinal once and we had
a lot of injuries and Malcolm really said, let's just
throw the young bloke in there, see what he does.
And he found his position because get out of down
half of play, but he didn't have to steer the
side around around the part.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
And then Cameron Smith took it to another level and.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Then you'll meet camera like you know, a view blokes
and thinking about it was coops. I can imagine that
when you transitioned into being a halfback, to have a
nine alongside you who'll get out and play a little
bit half itself. What a difference it makes.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
I think if we're sort of giving advice to any
young dummy half coming through and watching clips of Badius
and Smith, the one consistent thing they do is they.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Hold the ball in two hands.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Yeah, you hold the ball in two hands and think
it's a magic wand and defenders stop. Like when camera
Smith used to cut out and throw a pass or
a kick the paws and deception. He had stop defenders
and that was the opportunity. But he couldn't stop if
he had it in one hand. He stopped because he
put it out there and people looked at it and
they froze. And that was the pass that he threw.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
All the kick that he did on Harry, you know,
talking about how Melbourne have centralized their attack, and it
was really interesting watching the other night. It was their
best night performance. I've had people say to me, he's
always to about night performance. Day night football is very
very different. It's a different style of football you play.
And the adjustment Melbourne made the other night, you know,
with not having your own there, the way they went
(13:29):
back to really centralizing and the more momentum created, the
straighter that they play. I think this is a really
good example where it suddenly gets on the front and
you see him just perhaps drill through the middle, all
through the middle, back through the middle, everything gets going
through the middle. We're in the speed of the ruck,
fast play of the ball.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Don't worry. The more momentum we've got, the straight we're
going to just keep playing.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
And it's a good sign if you're a Storm fan
because playing the Broncos historically, I know this through Craig Bellamy,
it gets.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
To this time.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Yeah, he wants to start ironing out the creases and
start playing their best football.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
And they didn't finish it.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
They didn't go round, They just went through the front
door and Harry Grant became the best player, So they
are sharpening their sword for September because of the way
they're starting to fine tune their performances.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
There's a little bit of train spot of stuff and
it comes off Harry play here will shot in a second.
But at the moment I think that there's We've seen
it with Melbourne, but I've seen one or two other
teams do it very very like the clever teams that
are using a little loophole in the rules that I
think has to be adjusted in some way, shape or form.
(14:36):
And that's that's the kick for the man to the corner. Now,
now we tarry the other night right and at first
you go, oh, what was he thinking there? Well, okay,
what's happening now? Is there about they're exploiting this loophole
where when you kick it to one of your best
loopers like Xavier, no one's going to outjump Xavier Coats.
(14:56):
If that's pinpoint, he goes up, he catches the all
above the defender. The defender can't hitting walls in the air.
For a couple examples on the weekend, right, Wilt you
know this is this is just a loophole that the
clever players are starting to exploit like they're one on
the tig Wilton on the weekend like that. That cannot
be a penalty try.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
So the ball goes up here, wildon gets it. Both
team players competing and coaches will say this. Coaches will say,
if you're a winger in that position, you're Tyrrell slant.
I'm pretty certain that flagging and saying if you can't
catch it, you do not let the opposition catch it.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Right, So what needs to happen here is the game
needs to adjust its rules to the point that as
long as the player is not in a dangerous position,
it's okay. Because if right now, if you all got
the Xavier Coats mark, no woman there to say anyone
else who is super athletic in the air, and I'm
a half back, I'm kicking it in the end goal.
(15:57):
I put it at the highest point over a Brian
or a small winger, and if he cannot physically get
his hands up to it, he's got two options. One
knock the ball out or two tackle the person in
the air.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
That's right, and it's a penalty try.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Because us when you put the ball in the air,
it was a fifty to fifty contest. Now, if you
put it in the right spot and they get their
timing right, it's seventy five percent the attack way right.
The defender has almost been it's so much of his
power to refuse that has been taken away.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
And you know Xavier goes up.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah, I mean the timing. You're waiting for his for
his heat feet to hit the ground so he can
tackle him again.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Otherwise, yeah, you hit him in the air and a penalty.
Try it.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
Just it's an easy fix. As long as the player
is not in a dangerous.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Position, it's okay. That's his hard.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Broncos, Oh, incredible.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
That was That was thirty second two expensive interceptez the
Troy intercept.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Scored by the way, and they were up for it.
Many the Broncos were up for the contest in the
first twenty odd minutes like they were ready to go,
and in the space of a thirty second turnaround, this
season just went up.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
So what do you think of So they're saying Ezra
and so and Colbo at least six weeks they're sensing
seuason over. It's going to think mathematics going to get close.
Renow hoping to be back for the Finals right.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Up, So he's four weeks.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Even then, with his history of hamstring injuries, he's going
to be slightly off his extreme best because he would
be afraid not to tear it again right out.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Well, okay, we talked about Melbourne have lost Jerome and
they adjusted their football. How do Broncos adjust their football?
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Ben Hunt goes to seven. I wouldn't move Billy Walters.
I think he's doing okay at nine. He's got a
point of difference. So there can someone come off the
bench do a tag team number nine effort there. I
don't know who's on their list in terms of their
depth chart, but I feel like if you've got Reyese
Walsh and you've got Ben Hunt, you almost need like a.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Young athletic excitement number six.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Even if he hasn't played, even if he's inexperienced. I
feel like with Ben Hunt getting back to that a
bit like the Nathan Cleary system. Let Ben Hunt play
both sides of the field and let two athletic guys
take advantage of what Ben Hunt does.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
I agree Coups, I totally agree with you.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
I think if they try to play just a watered
down version of how they're playing that we're tempting play now,
it's not going to work for.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
I wouldn't move Catony Stags. I wouldn't move any of
their outside back. They need to find it's pretty hard
to do. But I don't know what their depth chart is.
But someone that is fast with footwork maybe an experience,
but give them attunity and a lot of responsibility goes on.
Ben and Patrick Carrigan comes the ball playing thirteen more
often now.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Like yeah, I agree with the coops. I think if
when it's for a really young, fast athletic six, who
it is, I'm not sure what match does. I think
that's the way to go and allow band to look
after the bread and butter pushing around the park and
recent he just try to open the field up a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
And are they are they done? The Bronx.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I want to see them this week. I mean, the
temptation is to go.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
It's easy to say yeah, but.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
I want to see them this week. Sometimes you just
it's so strange, coops. Sometimes you just you look and
there's injuries in a side and you say, my god,
that's the worst thing can happen. But suddenly the change
of formula just does something to spark. I mean a
couple of the players who have been playing within themselves
might look at that injury and go and be sitting
there going, well, unless I elevate myself, we're gone.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
It might just put a fire and a feel the
feel the blokes I.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Want to I'm really looking forward to seeing how Ress
Walsh goes because there's a that says that he needs
to tone down his performances. That's when everyone was in
the team and get it right right. But now it's
almost like, Okay, Reese, you've been trying to get your
best football and get that right balance. This team needs
you to get it right right now. Now go for it.
(20:14):
Go out there and play like you're about to be
the dominant player. But I need you to be nine
times out of ten getting that pass on the money,
because if he starts missing the mark and going completely
a well, there's no chance. But I feel like someone
with Reese walshing their team who can get it perfectly.
If he catches five for a month here, you then
(20:36):
going Toeah, maybe the Broncos have something.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yeah, I mean, he's the key in the cony.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
What about talking about fullback sketching fight to Desco is
this Tedesco's final, So yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
I think it is.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
I think like his ability to continue improve and he
gets two hundred meters a game and he sketch.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Up, sets up two tries, ball playing.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Ye breaks, tackle, support, play prototype, fallback that gets it
done at both ends of the field. I think he's
a Dallian favorite and I think he wins it. And
this is off the back of he had a great
year last year, missed it by a point to Jerome Hughes,
and that was off the back of criticism the year before.
Now he is arguably the dally M winner, but he's
(21:20):
still not the best fullback in the competition because you've
got Dylan Edwards doing this thing.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah yeah, but he's at a hell of a year.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
It's talking about like young players on the improve. We'll
talking about Hugo in a second. You really impressed me
on the weekend, Hugre Sammy Walker coops. When we young
players with great instincts which developed in the backyard, when
they go into like an NRL or this sort of
level of football and they're giving they're given a football
(21:47):
education and taught structure, it can actually feel like a
straight jacket at first but eventually he's going to make
it them a better player. And you're seeing that now
with Sam. It's like instinct and education coming together.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
I think the number one thing when Sam arrived at
the Roosters was that is generational talent for a halfback
the chip and chase the long passes. But he had
to fill up some of the foundation stuff that if
the game is twelve more with five minutes ago, he
had to learn that craft. But his performance on the
weekend said this about Cameron Smith holding the ball in
(22:20):
two hands. Sam Walker buys time with his movements. He
runs across the field and waits for a winger to
come up, and he throws a ball over the top.
He looks inside for someone bounces back out the right,
and that's created space. When he does that short kicking game.
What most halves do is they run across the field
(22:41):
and kick. He steps off his foot, lets the defense
come up, so then kicks it back through a hole.
He buys an extra second of time for his decisions
by doing some cool, funky things.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
I've really seen a blake who just will trust himself
to get it right eventually, because you'll see him sometimes
just look like he's mandering down coulder sacks and he'll
turn around and go the other way. How I'm not
much there, Hang on, Oh, that's where the ball's got
to get, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Do I throw it or do I kick it?
Speaker 1 (23:10):
And he'll just come up with the right option.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
And the problem when he runs into a coulder sack,
he feels like this is the next development is he
feels like he has to come up with a player
that coulder sack.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
No, you don't just throw it to someone else to
take the tackle.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Impressed by Hugo, Yeah, yeah, smart kid.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
I'll tell you what the I think it was the
mark the Wongan there to us a second try. Straight
ballplane arrow direct created the three on two for Tedesco.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Good.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
But there's enough signs of that kid understands footy and
he's learning pretty quickly. And if he can use his
strengths and compliment what Sam does and stay in the
game when Sam's doing his thing, I think that's a
good thing.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I really like the fact you can see he's got
really strong fundaments as far as his skill and awareness concerned.
One is the one you said we went up early
and he sunk in like Nathan didn't sunk.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Wait there, let it go.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
But other times than that first half coups, he's getting
the ball and he's going, well, the ball's got to
get there quick and just go ping. And it was
getting like twenty meters passes that were hitting guys just
perfectly in the right spot. Right. I finally to round
it off, you young guys on the up and up
ethan strange man. Beautiful, beautiful left sided player. They tell me,
(24:22):
they tell me the other side of the fields is
his preference. But that's left foot right. I know that's right.
He must light the left foot away. I don't know,
but that's what Ricky has said, that the right side
is his preference. But Ricky said after the game, so
you know, this kid should be selected for the ashes
to go away. There's a lot of spots there. But
(24:43):
I would love to see him get a start.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
I think he might be the extra half if it
makes sense, like the player number twenty three or something.
He's just got a determination and a grit that you're like,
you know what, if you've got this type of courage
for contact, want to compete on every play. But you
can teach him the tricks like you can just teach
(25:06):
half backs that kind of stuff. I liked that he
came up against Cherry Evans and he didn't finess his football.
He went, Okay, Cherry, you're an older half back. You
got some question marks in your defense. I'm going to
run the ball. I'm going to see if you can
take me. He scored three trials like it was even.
Turbot came off sideways the art of playing straight director
(25:28):
as a first receiver got over the advantage line quickly
looked up. Turbo came off sideways, told a lie to
the left hand side, and just bounced off that left
foot like he had lightning it. The other thing I
like about him being a young half is that when
you're come in the game sometimes you can have some
deficiency in your defense and coaches go, right, We're going
to go straight at young Matthew John's this week.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Get stuck into him and.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Knock him around.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Good luck.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Ethan Straits doesn't take a backward step like he's physical.
But you used to get dom.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
You just have a talk to Gordon what used to
happ when he used to run into this left Sholder
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Runs it through for Troy
One of the things that really stood out for me
this round was how far many of the young players
have improved this season. I will cover as as we
start to go through the side, but made the locomotive
Penrith still powering along. So the moment they got I
think fourth spot incredible.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Two eighty Melbourne favorites.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Penrith are into four bucks, raided six bucks, Dogs at
six bucks and after that the next line is the
Sharks at twenty three dollars.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
So it really starts.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I think the Broncas are gone from nine to one
twenty six to one.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Talk about that in a second.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
But on the weekend, out of those top four contenders,
the big you know, the big four, who was the best?
Who you think was the best performing too?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Other dogs were.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
I lought the dogs because there was a bit of
pressure around can they play in wet weather? Yep, And
I thought it was a bit of a mystery the
wet weather form because defensively they got their lines speed,
they've got smaller bodies move around and if you hold
the ball, kick well and the fenwell and wet weather,
you should win. So they've got the game style to
do it, but they execute it perfectly. The King game
(01:10):
through Burnt was great. Defensively, they just outworked the opposition
and there was a bit of swagger and arrogance about
their performance about how dare you question we can't playing
the wet I'll show you exactly what.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Really impressed men coops is given the fact that we're
talking that they've been struggling in the wet I half
expected this game they'd just pull everything in a little bit,
but they actually didn't. They kept they kept advancing the
football take tone with their short ball playing, but it
was more controlled. It was a more disciplined ball movement.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
We spoke about anything the Tigers where they're short passing
in wet weather didn't suit them against the Tigers, but
that didn't dig intok out their execution the short passing right,
So what they did, I think they didn't change their
game plan. They just doubled down on executing the past
and some of their hands in.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Wet conditions was Jacob krat very very good.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah, Burton and Galvin were both impressive. Impressive in their
kick combination for totally different reasons. I'm I've never seen
a bloke hit a ball like Burton. Yes, I mean
Ricky went I remember Ricky coming in Coops when he
came in in the late eighties and he revolutionized like
you know, left to right passes and the long torpedoes.
(02:20):
He was something else, this bloke. I've never seen anyone
hit a ball like it.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
They've got good balance because you know that Burton can
launch from the yardage and have that long kicking dominance,
and what Galvin can do with a short form of it.
Like their ability just to play the right play at
the right time. I really, I'm really impressed with what
Burn's done this year, his best year by a country.
More like he is knocking on the door of the
(02:44):
Rep Jersey with number six every time he keeps playing
like this kick here that is one of the best
I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Justin Burton Coops. You're so right.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
He's improvement in the last twolve months in that six jersey.
When he went to last year, when he first started
there as a full time six, you could see that
the number on his jersey waved heavily on him.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
He was thinking, you know, do I steer aside? What
do I do? And he built his game going.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Forward bit by bit. Look up, if I like what
I see I'm going to attack him if I don't
going to give it to villiamy early. But you can
see from there he's just built his game and at
the moment he's firing.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yeah. And he also knows when to use his strengths
around him, like you got Bronze and Cherry kickout and
the thing that Galvin's bought is he knows when to
get the ball to right at.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
The right time.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
So now he's got Preston Crichton on the right, you
got kickout and Cherry on left, and those halves are
doing a good job. And Bailey Hayward starting at number
nine read money on the badge. It almost seems like
that's the way it's going to operate for the rest
of the season.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
We had that feeling all the back end of this
year that that was going to be inevitable.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
You felt that.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
You felt it with Galvin and Toby, and you felt
it with Bailey Haywood and read Marney. Look talking about
young players, we said there's going to be a theme
a little bit here about how young players are even emerging.
And when we talk about Penrith here, Blast Lungey has
he's just improving rapidly out of sight in how he
forms combination with Nathan, but also just a few things
(04:11):
on the weekend Coop I hadn't seen from him, because
when you think of Blaze, you think of him first
and foremost a runner. But there are a few little moments,
like it was the first try he does like a
just a really nice little pump fake, which is the
domain of the experienced playmaker, Like you know, I mean,
that's that's a that's a beautiful bit of playmaker.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Where do you reckon he's got that from?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Well, I reckon the blake alongside he might be showing
a few tricks an extra.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
So at training, when you're running sort of your left
edge versus your right edge, you always pick up what
your position half does or in your team because you
trained against the other side. And there's no doubt that
when Blaze the lung is on the left edge, you know,
defending against Nathan on the right, he can see all
these tricks coming looking in to play out double pump fake,
the old fake, long play short. There's just a lot
(04:59):
of things and creeping into his game that I can
categorically say he never had before. He rides to Penrith,
no doubt, and then learning by Osmoses of around Nathan
and seeing the art of ballplane.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
He's kept that athleticism.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
In that running game, but he's adding these lot of
little spices of nuance that you can only learn by
practicing and seeing someone else do it.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
It looks like he looks comfortable in that system now.
And I can understand when he first went in how
difficult they would have been, because we stated a few
times on this the Penrith attack is very complex one.
There's lots of moving parts and you've got and a
lot of it is an exact science, and I can
only imagine him going in there firstly, and he's like, honestly,
his eyes were roll in the back of his head.
He's trying to learn this system and trying to learn
(05:43):
this in a lot of way, a new position at
this new level. But he looks he just looks tremendous.
And even on the weekend Coops, a number of times
Nathan got caught in the last and earlier in the
season that response that he was given to blaze and
he struggled with the other night against new cars. He
took numerous occasions he took the sixth tackle and just
(06:04):
put the ball where it needed you go.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
And they have bought him in case McLean have brought
a point of difference in the Pernit attack because now Nathan,
who would have probably leant towards Martin to or Edward's
on the right, he's now leaning to the left because
he's knows you've got this young excitement, enthusiasm that can
add a spark on Nathan.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
He set up a try before halftime he his Newcastle
which he sunk into the line almost identical light to
last week and you just see that there. People watching
go well, what's the difference here? But to understand the
subtlety that half second delay, well, it just creates that space.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Done.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
I think it's cogger that turns in on the runner.
And we always talk about get into your target defender
and stopping. The reason why we say it gets your
target fender and square up is when you square up,
the player will lean in and it almost catapults everyone
else to lean in. When you don't square up, you
run across. It allows the defender slide off and get
(07:03):
into that tackle. Do you think they can go on
with it? Do you think pen.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I have I would have Penrith and Melbourne AZUK will favorites.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Let's say Penrith finished fourth and they play anyone who
finishes fourth out Camberrall like, you give them a chance
of winning, don't you. And if they win that first
week and go straight to a prelim, it doesn't matter
who comes through that door, they're a big chance to
make another creand final coops.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Isaiah is a big one. One thing Penrith is very
good at is that the club doesn't leak information, so
at the moment, no one is No one really knows
how serious Isaiah shoulder is at the moment. And just
the way it landed, it looked awk good. I just
I just have the sense it's a little bit more serious.
Everyone thinks we're not talking. It doesn't matter who Penrith
(07:53):
play first week of the finals. I'm backing them. Melbourne
the way they've just suddenly adjusted their football with out
Jerome and you can see that Harry has become the
centerpiece of their football team and Jesus playing good football.
He's playing half back.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Yep, I like two parts to it. It was a
couple of weeks against the Roosters, No Papa naws and
no Munster and Hughes goes down in that game. All
he basically said, like everyone just piling on the ruck
when it's a blown rock. He becomes support runners, not
ball players. And he's set up the victory with that performance.
And then it was obvious from word go the other
(08:34):
night that he was out and running like he didn't
wait for the game to get fatigue. He got out
and he's being crafty about it. And we've seen the
Silver and telling the Silver overplay their hand at Dumby Huff.
Harry Grant is one of the few that doesn't overplay
his hand, like sometimes he bounds out left and right.
But what it does it encourages Tyrone, wish Art and
(08:54):
Monster to become ball runners as opposed to sitting back
and waiting for the long pass. Once he moves, both
those halves go from I'm not worried about the outside,
I'm now running into a hole.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
And once Stefano King, once there's a little bit.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Of rock Spoon is by far the best to take
advantage of Harry Grant.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
And Coop talking to Harry Grant, you know, and number
nine and how that how that role has evolved and
continues to evolve. It's worth while saying this to give
the history of that position, the dummy half, the hooker position.
To give the history was the sole role of the
dummy half was to win the scrum, get the food
across and win the scrum. That's what they were just
(09:35):
sixties seventies, sixty seventies and into the eighties, right into
the eighties. My first off season at Newcastle Knights, which
is nineteen eighty nine, is that the hooker was still
competing for the ball. They practice scrums, competing for the head, get.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
In a scrumb and now you competed in a couple.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Well, it's funny coups.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Because what happened was I still remember going into that
ninety nine season, eighty nine preseason and Aliment Marn come
forward and said, right, we're going to change something. Right
from now on, our dummy halves are going to be
moving dummy halves because your role for the hook and
the old days and dummy half was just fire us
off the ground, don't stand, just straight off the ground
(10:17):
and let the ball go. Bennie a Lies changed anything,
and suddenly they started to go rodo, let's get the
nine operating as a moving dummy half.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
And what we're going to do, We're going to double down.
We're actually going.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
To turn our halves, a number of our halves into hookers.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Benny was the original Benny.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
He was the original in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
He was the first one to really sort of be
getting out of dummy half and playing because Warren Ryan
says he was our half pack. He and Blocker with
their half packs because they had Gary Freeman and McNeil
who were more runners and tenacious competitors.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
And then off the back of benn Is some halfbacks
were being picked at number nine in Repfootble right because
they wanted that creativity and crafty.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
The creativity, it was never a requirement of dummy half.
And then after Bennie had the Walters brothers, so Steve
Walter's right. So Steve was very different to Bennie. And
the fact that Box said was all about power, get
out in his strength and he had a very strong
running game.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
His brother Carod was different to Steve.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Again, Kroen, if I had to comparing to anyone, I'd say,
like he wasn't as expressed as Damian Cook.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
But like this isn't.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Telling me that Kared was a beach printerer, ran on really.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Good unbelieve on sand. But this is what he did.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
He would get out and because Alf and his brother
keV played flat whenever Kard would get the ball and
get up and go, they.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Just turned into ball runners.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Like we was saying before about Harry Rant.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
But the speed at which Keren got out was a
point of difference, right he was Benny at the time
would come out with a little bit of craft and deception.
It'd be like David Cook when he went, he went,
he went, and everyone else had to follow.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
And then you had Danny Verdiris.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Now when you talk about guys, Danny come to Newcastle
at the Australians cool boy as a talented young playmaker
who just got weighed down by the responsibility having to push.
He was seven, he was a seven. As a seven
or a six. They tried, you know what, They tried
to play him everywhere. They tried him in the centers,
they tried him at full back, they put him at
thirteen for a little bit. He could never find his spot.
(12:09):
And we went into a semifinal once and we had
a lot of injuries and Malcolm really said, let's just
throw the young bloke in there, see what he does.
And he found his position because get out of down
half of play, but he didn't have to steer the
side around around the part.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
And then Cameron Smith took it to another level and.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Then you'll meet camera like you know, a view blokes
and thinking about it was coops. I can imagine that
when you transitioned into being a halfback, to have a
nine alongside you who'll get out and play a little
bit half itself. What a difference it makes.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
I think if we're sort of giving advice to any
young dummy half coming through and watching clips of Badius
and Smith, the one consistent thing they do is they.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Hold the ball in two hands.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Yeah, you hold the ball in two hands and think
it's a magic wand and defenders stop. Like when camera
Smith used to cut out and throw a pass or
a kick the paws and deception. He had stop defenders
and that was the opportunity. But he couldn't stop if
he had it in one hand. He stopped because he
put it out there and people looked at it and
they froze. And that was the pass that he threw.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
All the kick that he did on Harry, you know,
talking about how Melbourne have centralized their attack, and it
was really interesting watching the other night. It was their
best night performance. I've had people say to me, he's
always to about night performance. Day night football is very
very different. It's a different style of football you play.
And the adjustment Melbourne made the other night, you know,
with not having your own there, the way they went
(13:29):
back to really centralizing and the more momentum created, the
straighter that they play. I think this is a really
good example where it suddenly gets on the front and
you see him just perhaps drill through the middle, all
through the middle, back through the middle, everything gets going
through the middle. We're in the speed of the ruck,
fast play of the ball.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Don't worry. The more momentum we've got, the straight we're
going to just keep playing.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
And it's a good sign if you're a Storm fan
because playing the Broncos historically, I know this through Craig Bellamy,
it gets.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
To this time.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Yeah, he wants to start ironing out the creases and
start playing their best football.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
And they didn't finish it.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
They didn't go round, They just went through the front
door and Harry Grant became the best player, So they
are sharpening their sword for September because of the way
they're starting to fine tune their performances.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
There's a little bit of train spot of stuff and
it comes off Harry play here will shot in a second.
But at the moment I think that there's We've seen
it with Melbourne, but I've seen one or two other
teams do it very very like the clever teams that
are using a little loophole in the rules that I
think has to be adjusted in some way, shape or form.
(14:36):
And that's that's the kick for the man to the corner. Now,
now we tarry the other night right and at first
you go, oh, what was he thinking there? Well, okay,
what's happening now? Is there about they're exploiting this loophole
where when you kick it to one of your best
loopers like Xavier, no one's going to outjump Xavier Coats.
(14:56):
If that's pinpoint, he goes up, he catches the all
above the defender. The defender can't hitting walls in the air.
For a couple examples on the weekend, right, Wilt you
know this is this is just a loophole that the
clever players are starting to exploit like they're one on
the tig Wilton on the weekend like that. That cannot
be a penalty try.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
So the ball goes up here, wildon gets it. Both
team players competing and coaches will say this. Coaches will say,
if you're a winger in that position, you're Tyrrell slant.
I'm pretty certain that flagging and saying if you can't
catch it, you do not let the opposition catch it.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Right, So what needs to happen here is the game
needs to adjust its rules to the point that as
long as the player is not in a dangerous position,
it's okay. Because if right now, if you all got
the Xavier Coats mark, no woman there to say anyone
else who is super athletic in the air, and I'm
a half back, I'm kicking it in the end goal.
(15:57):
I put it at the highest point over a Brian
or a small winger, and if he cannot physically get
his hands up to it, he's got two options. One
knock the ball out or two tackle the person in
the air.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
That's right, and it's a penalty try.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Because us when you put the ball in the air,
it was a fifty to fifty contest. Now, if you
put it in the right spot and they get their
timing right, it's seventy five percent the attack way right.
The defender has almost been it's so much of his
power to refuse that has been taken away.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
And you know Xavier goes up.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah, I mean the timing. You're waiting for his for
his heat feet to hit the ground so he can
tackle him again.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Otherwise, yeah, you hit him in the air and a penalty.
Try it.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
Just it's an easy fix. As long as the player
is not in a dangerous.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Position, it's okay. That's his hard.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Broncos, Oh, incredible.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
That was That was thirty second two expensive interceptez the
Troy intercept.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Scored by the way, and they were up for it.
Many the Broncos were up for the contest in the
first twenty odd minutes like they were ready to go,
and in the space of a thirty second turnaround, this
season just went up.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
So what do you think of So they're saying Ezra
and so and Colbo at least six weeks they're sensing
seuason over. It's going to think mathematics going to get close.
Renow hoping to be back for the Finals right.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Up, So he's four weeks.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Even then, with his history of hamstring injuries, he's going
to be slightly off his extreme best because he would
be afraid not to tear it again right out.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Well, okay, we talked about Melbourne have lost Jerome and
they adjusted their football. How do Broncos adjust their football?
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Ben Hunt goes to seven. I wouldn't move Billy Walters.
I think he's doing okay at nine. He's got a
point of difference. So there can someone come off the
bench do a tag team number nine effort there. I
don't know who's on their list in terms of their
depth chart, but I feel like if you've got Reyese
Walsh and you've got Ben Hunt, you almost need like a.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Young athletic excitement number six.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Even if he hasn't played, even if he's inexperienced. I
feel like with Ben Hunt getting back to that a
bit like the Nathan Cleary system. Let Ben Hunt play
both sides of the field and let two athletic guys
take advantage of what Ben Hunt does.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
I agree Coups, I totally agree with you.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
I think if they try to play just a watered
down version of how they're playing that we're tempting play now,
it's not going to work for.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
I wouldn't move Catony Stags. I wouldn't move any of
their outside back. They need to find it's pretty hard
to do. But I don't know what their depth chart is.
But someone that is fast with footwork maybe an experience,
but give them attunity and a lot of responsibility goes on.
Ben and Patrick Carrigan comes the ball playing thirteen more
often now.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Like yeah, I agree with the coops. I think if
when it's for a really young, fast athletic six, who
it is, I'm not sure what match does. I think
that's the way to go and allow band to look
after the bread and butter pushing around the park and
recent he just try to open the field up a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
And are they are they done? The Bronx.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I want to see them this week. I mean, the
temptation is to go.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
It's easy to say yeah, but.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
I want to see them this week. Sometimes you just
it's so strange, coops. Sometimes you just you look and
there's injuries in a side and you say, my god,
that's the worst thing can happen. But suddenly the change
of formula just does something to spark. I mean a
couple of the players who have been playing within themselves
might look at that injury and go and be sitting
there going, well, unless I elevate myself, we're gone.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
It might just put a fire and a feel the
feel the blokes I.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Want to I'm really looking forward to seeing how Ress
Walsh goes because there's a that says that he needs
to tone down his performances. That's when everyone was in
the team and get it right right. But now it's
almost like, Okay, Reese, you've been trying to get your
best football and get that right balance. This team needs
you to get it right right now. Now go for it.
(20:14):
Go out there and play like you're about to be
the dominant player. But I need you to be nine
times out of ten getting that pass on the money,
because if he starts missing the mark and going completely
a well, there's no chance. But I feel like someone
with Reese walshing their team who can get it perfectly.
If he catches five for a month here, you then
(20:36):
going Toeah, maybe the Broncos have something.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yeah, I mean, he's the key in the cony.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
What about talking about fullback sketching fight to Desco is
this Tedesco's final, So yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
I think it is.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
I think like his ability to continue improve and he
gets two hundred meters a game and he sketch.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Up, sets up two tries, ball playing.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Ye breaks, tackle, support, play prototype, fallback that gets it
done at both ends of the field. I think he's
a Dallian favorite and I think he wins it. And
this is off the back of he had a great
year last year, missed it by a point to Jerome Hughes,
and that was off the back of criticism the year before.
Now he is arguably the dally M winner, but he's
(21:20):
still not the best fullback in the competition because you've
got Dylan Edwards doing this thing.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah yeah, but he's at a hell of a year.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
It's talking about like young players on the improve. We'll
talking about Hugo in a second. You really impressed me
on the weekend, Hugre Sammy Walker coops. When we young
players with great instincts which developed in the backyard, when
they go into like an NRL or this sort of
level of football and they're giving they're given a football
(21:47):
education and taught structure, it can actually feel like a
straight jacket at first but eventually he's going to make
it them a better player. And you're seeing that now
with Sam. It's like instinct and education coming together.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
I think the number one thing when Sam arrived at
the Roosters was that is generational talent for a halfback
the chip and chase the long passes. But he had
to fill up some of the foundation stuff that if
the game is twelve more with five minutes ago, he
had to learn that craft. But his performance on the
weekend said this about Cameron Smith holding the ball in
(22:20):
two hands. Sam Walker buys time with his movements. He
runs across the field and waits for a winger to
come up, and he throws a ball over the top.
He looks inside for someone bounces back out the right,
and that's created space. When he does that short kicking game.
What most halves do is they run across the field
(22:41):
and kick. He steps off his foot, lets the defense
come up, so then kicks it back through a hole.
He buys an extra second of time for his decisions
by doing some cool, funky things.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
I've really seen a blake who just will trust himself
to get it right eventually, because you'll see him sometimes
just look like he's mandering down coulder sacks and he'll
turn around and go the other way. How I'm not
much there, Hang on, Oh, that's where the ball's got
to get, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Do I throw it or do I kick it?
Speaker 1 (23:10):
And he'll just come up with the right option.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
And the problem when he runs into a coulder sack,
he feels like this is the next development is he
feels like he has to come up with a player
that coulder sack.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
No, you don't just throw it to someone else to
take the tackle.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Impressed by Hugo, Yeah, yeah, smart kid.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
I'll tell you what the I think it was the
mark the Wongan there to us a second try. Straight
ballplane arrow direct created the three on two for Tedesco.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Good.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
But there's enough signs of that kid understands footy and
he's learning pretty quickly. And if he can use his
strengths and compliment what Sam does and stay in the
game when Sam's doing his thing, I think that's a
good thing.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I really like the fact you can see he's got
really strong fundaments as far as his skill and awareness concerned.
One is the one you said we went up early
and he sunk in like Nathan didn't sunk.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Wait there, let it go.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
But other times than that first half coups, he's getting
the ball and he's going, well, the ball's got to
get there quick and just go ping. And it was
getting like twenty meters passes that were hitting guys just
perfectly in the right spot. Right. I finally to round
it off, you young guys on the up and up
ethan strange man. Beautiful, beautiful left sided player. They tell me,
(24:22):
they tell me the other side of the fields is
his preference. But that's left foot right. I know that's right.
He must light the left foot away. I don't know,
but that's what Ricky has said, that the right side
is his preference. But Ricky said after the game, so
you know, this kid should be selected for the ashes
to go away. There's a lot of spots there. But
(24:43):
I would love to see him get a start.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
I think he might be the extra half if it
makes sense, like the player number twenty three or something.
He's just got a determination and a grit that you're like,
you know what, if you've got this type of courage
for contact, want to compete on every play. But you
can teach him the tricks like you can just teach
(25:06):
half backs that kind of stuff. I liked that he
came up against Cherry Evans and he didn't finess his football.
He went, Okay, Cherry, you're an older half back. You
got some question marks in your defense. I'm going to
run the ball. I'm going to see if you can
take me. He scored three trials like it was even.
Turbot came off sideways the art of playing straight director
(25:28):
as a first receiver got over the advantage line quickly
looked up. Turbo came off sideways, told a lie to
the left hand side, and just bounced off that left
foot like he had lightning it. The other thing I
like about him being a young half is that when
you're come in the game sometimes you can have some
deficiency in your defense and coaches go, right, We're going
to go straight at young Matthew John's this week.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Get stuck into him and.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Knock him around.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Good luck.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Ethan Straits doesn't take a backward step like he's physical.
But you used to get dom.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
You just have a talk to Gordon what used to
happ when he used to run into this left Sholder
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Runs it through for Troy
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