Origin 1 Review: “There are a lot more tries on offer for NSW”

Gus breaks down New South Wales' dominant performance in the State of Origin opener, with a deep dive into the effectiveness of their right-side attack and the halves' control. They also touch on the Women's Origin, discuss the impact of Max King, and answer listener questions, including potential changes for Queensland in Game 2. Plus, a tribute to Fatty, and a preview of the upcoming NRL round.

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is six Tackles with Gus with Matthew Thompson and
Gus Good.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome to six Tackles with Gas, a special episode of
the podcast. This week a review of two outstanding games
of State of Origin footy, and we've got a whole
round of Rabia League to follow. We are presented thanks
to our friends at the tab Bill Gould.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Welcome, Matthew Thompson. How are you doing.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
I'm fighting fit. You've covered some ground this week.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
I have.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
I have.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
I've been Brisbane Monday night for one hundred percent footy,
back to Sydney on Tuesday morning, down to Woollongong Tuesday night,
back to Sydney, up to Brisbane on Wednesday for Origin,
back to Sydney, up to Newcastle for the game last night.
I got home at twelve forty five am. This morning,
I drove home from Newcastle after all of that, extremely tired,
laid down on the lounge, fell straight asleep and the

(00:50):
alarm went off at six because I had an eight
am meaning this morning.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Right, your scheff is having the week off, is he?
So your schaef is having the week off? Is he?

Speaker 1 (00:59):
I did all the driving myself, Yeah, right.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
There, You are well, I'd love to have your mileage
a quick explainer. So we were going to be here
on Monday to do a preview of Origin, but Gus
had to go to Brisbane earlier than we thought, and
you might have noticed you had a bit on early
in the week. So we thought, do you know what
we'll do. Let's get together on Friday and review the
two Origin games because we had obviously Men's Origin Wednesday,

(01:25):
Women's Origin last night, so there's a lot to talk about.
On the back of that, we're wondering who's going to
back up for their club teams this weekend. When you
were coaching New South Wales, Gus, did you always encourage
your players to get back there and put him for
their club?

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Was the one thing I said after every Origin game
we had was I think the mark of an Origin
player is not just to play the game in your origin,
but to back up for your club on the weekend
if you're asked to do so. They're the players that
helped you get this jersey, they're the ones that got
you into this representative team, and you need to go
back and play well for your club. So I think
it's the mark of an Origin player to be able
to do that, to back up and go back into

(01:58):
club football, and there are some poor games this weekend
where they need their stars to back up. Sure Panthers,
for example, in recent years, because they've been so well
placed come Origin time, they've actually rested their Origin stars
the last couple of years. I'm not sure they'll have
that luxury this year. I need to keep winning, so
and there's a few other teams in that, babe, so'll
we thought by Friday. By doing it today that we'd

(02:19):
have a better read on actually as who is backing up,
but we probably won't know till an hour before kickoff
with most sides what the representative players are doing well.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
The great news is that there were no injuries as
such out of Origin, so if they can back up well,
if they're up to backing up after the grueling nature
of that game on Wednesday, that they should be okay
to get there. Let's start with the women's Origin though,
so the last take the five club games last week
and the two origins. You know, six of the seven

(02:48):
teams that won were outsiders, including Brisbane. Last night. He
the tap had a about five bucks head to head,
and they've been able to hold off the three Neil whitewash.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
I think for the whole season something like forty six
percent of underdogs have been winning, which is an extraordinary high. Crazy, yeah, crazy.
This competition could flip on its head, honestly for the
back half of the season. I mean it could be
completely different to what the first half has seen. So
there's a lot of footy do we played just yet.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Queensland eighteen, New Southwest fourteen mc donald Jones Stadium, nearly
twenty two thousand, fantastic crowd, so it was. It was
low scoring in the early stages. Queensland scored in the
seventh minute and there are a couple of near misses,
and none more so than poor Isabel Kelly. And then
New South Wales went whack whack whack twenty thirtieth forty

(03:38):
eighth minute, but as they invariably always seem to do,
Queensland raised an effort and got there by four points
in the end.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Well, the first the first sort of fifty minutes of
play was pretty much what we'd seen in the first
two games. You know, Queensland strike early, New South Wales
fight their way back and then sadly get some ascendancy
and just when you thought last night we'd see a
repeat of that, Queensland found something. Some full credit to them,
I mean they'd been beaten thirty two twelve and twenty
six to six in the two previous games. New South

(04:07):
Wales were playing well and it scored some tries to
get to the front fourteen six, and you thought, well,
they'll just go on with it from here. Queensland found away.
They just kept hanging in in defense. They defended really grimly,
They played as physical as they could. They changed their
starting line up a little bit. They they sent Chelsea
Leonaducci out there early just to do a job and
she did a great job. And then all of a

(04:27):
sudden the second half you could just feel it. You
could just feel New South Wales weren't going onto it.
Queensland started to get a little bit of ball and
then they crafted their way back to eighteen fourteen and
from there you could tell New South Wales then started
to protect the lead. So rather than trying to score
more points and go further ahead as they had in
the previous two games, they could see Queensland in the
rear vision mirror and started to protect that and once

(04:47):
you do that, you provite the opposition in and that's
what Queensland did. It was Chelsea landa Ducci to scored
the winning try, none more deserved than her. She got
sent off virtually on the full time, Sireen sent to
the sin bit on the full time. So but it
didn't make any difference. So held on the Queenslanders and
that's a great effort from them. Great Queensland spirit. We've
seen it in Origin so many times. History just repeats,

(05:08):
doesn't it in Origin football?

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yep, the three nil clean sweet. Obviously this is only
early days for three game series for women, but we've
seen it in the men's the men's Origin. It's so
hard to win three.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
Nil, absolutely so hard. Yeah, it's hard. You've either got
to be really dominant or really committed. And it's a
mental challenge. It really is a mental challenge more than
the physical challenge, and sometimes the physical challenge too. But
it's new. South Wales looked like they were going to
go on with it last night and Queensland just found

(05:44):
something extra. They really did and now whatever it motivated them,
other than just Queensland spirit not wanting to lose three nil,
maybe it was the last game for their skipper. I
don't know, but they found a way to hang in there.
They had a plan, they executed it well and they
finished full of running at the back end. I thought
their defense was tremendous where they'd been found wanting in
the first couple of games. They put up the hero

(06:06):
own wall and they refused New South Wales entry when
it really counted.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
So with respect to Ali Briggan, sure she came off
the bench last night, she did.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
Yeah, yeah, Chelsea started the game. She went out there
as an extra big body and threw her weight around.
She really got stuck into them. She burned herself out
when she came off, she actually collapsed on the sideline.
She just they've obviously said to her go out there,
and she had plenty of runs, plenty of tackles, and
she's a big girl and she really you know, she
took some presidents with us. I'll tell you she was.
She was really good. And then she come on at

(06:36):
the back end of the game scored the winning try.
So she had a great game.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
But Ali's been well an icon of women's rugby league.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
I think she six pioneer.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
No doubt, no doubt. And you know, probably the best
women's player ever that we've had. If she's to retire
from rep football, that would be an appropriate stage for her
to leave.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
Yeah. We said that right on the full time side,
and it seemed from her action that that might be
the case. I don't know that we've had an announcement yet,
but if that was to be her last game, what
a way to go out. And I'm sure she won't
be lost to women's rugby League and she'll be bobbing
up somewhere post career. But if that was her last game,
wonderful way to finish.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
So the stage is set for a great NRLUW season,
which you can watch on nine. We've got every game.
It's six games around on Nine's Wide World of Sports.
It's the home of Women's Rugby League and we'll have
it covered for you right throughout the NRLW season. State
of Origin one, sun Corps Stadium Wednesday night, New South
Wales eighteen over Queensland six, the first time since ninety

(07:37):
seven ninety eight, but New South Wales have been able
to win consecutive games at sun Corps Stadium. Obviously a
dominant performance performance in the middle of the field. A
lot of the fallout has been discussions around potential changes
for Queensland and daily Cherry Evans is the man who's
been discussed widely, but Payton has over the top of

(08:01):
Queensland's pack that they just completely blew them away in
the middle.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
He was stunning, and even more so when you consider
that he hardly trained all week. He was in under
an injury cloud the whole time, so he's quite a
special specimen. He's paying hearts, but I thought he was
ably supported by all these fords. I think a CEO
was really good. I think in previous Origin series Queensland

(08:26):
have done a good job when he's brought his Panthers
game to Origin where he does a lot of passing
and a lot of first receiver stuff. He caught them
napping a number of times in that game because he
had no intention of passing the ball and being a
ball player, he just he just kept bouncing off that
leftwood step when his big frame he kept pushing them
out of the way. That Mitch Barnett was good. I
thought Leam Martin was good. Really, all the forwards did
their job and they totally dominated the Queensland side. It

(08:51):
was a strange feeling game watching it. The one feeling
I had the whole game was that New South Wales
were never in danger, and I guess they felt that.
I really think they felt that. I thought they played
a controlled, conservative type game plan. I think their focus
was physicality, to run the ball hard, and to really

(09:12):
try and dish out punishment when they had the ball,
to defend smartly, which they did, and I don't think
they ever really felt threatened by Queensland. Queensland's only try
came when they were down to twelve men. We'll talk
about that little period later, but it was kind of
a lot. We've got the game under control, so let's
not invite them back into it by doing something silly
and turning them all over and giving them a chance

(09:32):
to pick up an intercept or a drop ball or
what have you. And they really closed it out in
typical Origin style. I guess if you looked at the
three game series from a New South Wales perspective, if
we want to win in Queensland, we just need to
go up there and get the job done. It doesn't
have to look pretty, it doesn't have to look fancy.
It needs to be physical, it needs to be professional.
And that's exactly what they did. Watching the game. There

(09:55):
are so many more opportunities for them in attack. There
are a lot of opportunities which won't be lost on them.
And now that they're one up in the series, I
think if they start Game two pretty much the same
physical ways they started Game one, then as that game unfolds,
you'll find them. I think that's when you really find Mitchell,
Moses and Dylan Edwards come into their own and start
to ignite these outside backs, and I think they can

(10:16):
cause Queensland no end of trouble. I saw some real
opportunities for New South Wales that I'm sure New South
Wales have seen, but they just didn't want to go
there on Wednesday night. Those opportunities to be available for
them in game two.

Speaker 2 (10:32):
You know what, even from the first set of the game,
they run sixty meters powerful, so much power.

Speaker 1 (10:38):
They got some penalties early which helped it certainly didn't
help Queensland. And you know, when you talked about the
Queensland some of the Queensland playmakers come under a little
bit of criticism. But it's hard when you spend most
of your time coming out of your own end of
the field trying to get clearing kicks and you've got
pressure on you the whole time, and they never really
got in attacking zones all that much. I thought New

(10:59):
South Wales just totally dominated the key areas of the
game and you can see it in the statistics as well,
line breaks and tackle bus and misstackles from Queensland like
forty nine missed tackles which was incredible, twenty seven ineffective
tackles New South Wales forty nine tackle breaks Queensland less
than half that. It was just a dominant physical performance.

(11:20):
It wasn't what I would call skillful. It wasn't based
on structures and plays and strategy. It was just sheer
origin brutality and they dominated and there wasn't much Queensland
could do about it. Yeah, I think try Queensland square
was against twelve men. Other than that, I never felt
threatened at any stage that they're going to concede a try.
And I think there are a lot more tries on

(11:42):
offer for New South Wales as the series goes on.
What are you seeing, Well, I'm not going to say,
but there are plenty of opportunities. I mean plenty of
opportunities plenty of opportunities. I mean, if they want to
be more expansive from their own end of the field,
I think they are tremendous opportunities.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
You sell it, little Trump, don't get.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
Called to give you a game planned.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
Tremendous opportunities, wonderful opportunity.

Speaker 1 (12:07):
Wonderful, more opportunities than I've ever seen. I know.

Speaker 2 (12:11):
I know about optun nowadays word opportunities than I do.

Speaker 1 (12:15):
Some say the most opportunities, some say the best opportunities.

Speaker 2 (12:20):
Oh, very funny, very funny. Your man Max King went.

Speaker 1 (12:23):
Good, terrific. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (12:25):
I was.

Speaker 1 (12:26):
Actually I was up in you know where the studio
is there where we do this, So I sat up
there on my own. It was quiet, and so when
Max came out, he came out right in front of me,
and I watched him. And as most kids do when
they're having their first Origin game and they're coming off
the bench, they get out there and it's pretty frantic
because the game's going one hundred miles an hour and
you want to keep up. And he was frantic for

(12:46):
like two sets, like he was really rushing around, and
then he kind of got into his rhythm and then
I think we scored and he got the kick one
up from the kickoff where they didn't kick the baller
Dispenser and Max had to take it up on the
other side of the field, and he kind of then
got into his rhythm, and I said, I had some
coffee with his family that afternoon, I went dound to
see his family and come up to the game. I said,

(13:07):
he'll enjoy it because Origin. There's so much fatigue in Origin,
and when you want to have a run, you get
to have a run. No one's going to get in
your way if you want to go and have your run,
So I said, he won't have to worry about getting
his runs up and getting his hands on the ball.
I thought his movements in defense were excellent. I thought
his rock control was excellent, and he virtually did what
he does for the Bulldogs every week. He was gassed.
I mean, it's obviously a much faster and more brutal

(13:29):
brand of football because at the club level he can
play seventy or eighty minutes really easy. But he puts
so much energy, particularly into his first stint, that he
was great. I was really really happy for you.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
What did you think when he was picked.

Speaker 1 (13:43):
I thought it was suiting well, he'd earned it. He
earned it, He really earned the spot, you know, like
you know, bulldogs are having a good year. We're not
getting carried away but where we are. But if you
wanted to point the players that have been major contributors
to that, Max King has been a forward leader in
outside for a couple of seas and he's a tough
kid and he's you know, he can play long minutes,

(14:03):
he plays under durests and in origin. He's the typical
type of player that Queensland had been picking for years
and years and years that New South Wales kind of ignore.
New South Wales tend to go for the bigger and
flashier and the bloke and unload the ball and score
the tries. Where Queensland have built their Origin history on
really hard working honors forwards that don't want to be

(14:24):
the stars of the team. They just want to do
all the gritty hard work. And Max King is that bloke.
He's the bloke that will go out and do that
for you. He's happy to be an unsung hero. He's
happy to play with humility and he did. And he's
a wonderful blood, lovely blood, a lovely family and they
were so thrilled that he was there and there was
a special time. I know what he's been through and

(14:45):
there was a really special day for him.

Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah. So he had two years out of the game
between Melbourne and Canterbury.

Speaker 1 (14:50):
Yeah, he did. He had a very bad Achilles injury.
He always showed promise. I think he was a Newcastle
junior and he got recruited by the Gold Coast, went
up there and showed real promise. I was at the
Gold Coast and he was recruited by the Melbourne Storm.
Now Melburne Storm died by duds, you know, and he
went down there and he got this Achilles injury straight
away and for whatever reason, you know, these are these
tendon injuries like Achilles and ptell attendants. There's no rhyme

(15:14):
or reason to the recovery period. It's virtually a genetic
thing sometimes and if you're susceptible to as this has
been explained to him met by medical people. I'm not
a medical person, but you know, recovery can take a
bit of time. And of course it was around the
COVID period too, I think when he first got the injury,
so he didn't have great access to medical staff and

(15:36):
they just couldn't get it right in Melbourne and they
ended up in They had to release him, and I
think he went home to Newcastle and he was working
with some rehab people up there and they kind of
get it to about ninety percent, but he could feel it.
It wasn't right. He didn't have power, he didn't have strength.
And I'd only just started at the Bulldogs and I
got a phone call. I actually I got an email
from a guy up there that was doing his rehab

(15:56):
to say, I've been working with this black Max King.
I've never met a more dead case and disciplined individual.
And he's not having much luck with this, but he's
working really hard. Could you have a look at him?
Could you? You know? And as it turned out, his manager,
who I know really well, Stephen Gillis, rang me the
next week. He said, I got this blake Max King.
I said, yeah, where's he been? So he's been in Melbourne.
He said, he's he's got this injury. I can't quite

(16:17):
get it right, you know. I said, send him down,
I get the medical people have a look at it.
I said, we'll work with him, see what we can do.
So we gave him an opportunity. But you know that's
the easy part, the hard parts to get it right
and get him going. And I think I said to
you a few weeks ago when the day he had
his first run on grass, a billmore Oble and I

(16:37):
drove past and and I remember too, we had in
the posed session early January, and I was there watching
it was on the back obles out on the end.
I just took a little ten second snippet of him
hitting the ball up and I sent it to his manager.
I said, your boy's back in work, and I said,
he's going good. And then a few weeks later I
rang his manager because we only signed it for twelve

(16:58):
months and we signed him on just opportunity contract and
we were going to go into the first trial game
of the year. And I rang his manager and I
said that Max King. He said yeah. I said, he'll
probably plan the trial this week. He said, that's good,
that's great. Is your right? I see he's going all right.
I said, listen, I want to I want to sign
him up for a couple of years. He said, is
he gone that good? I said, no, he's going terrible.
I said, I want to sign him up for a

(17:21):
couple of years and he said, I can't get down this.
I said, he's playing Friday night. I said, you'll see
what I mean. You'll you'll, you'll suit us his seat.
You'll see what I mean. And he went out in
the trial game and from then on, it's just been
one thing after the other. As I said to a
couple of years ago, when the Bulldogs were having a
very very tough year in twenty three, Max had a
very very serious sternam injury. Played with a lot of pain,

(17:42):
played every week, trained every session. Physically, he couldn't do
his weights. He was sort of in rehab the whole week.
He couldn't do the tackle sessions and what have you.
He lost a lot of weight. Like he gives he
goes around about one hundred and thirteen hundred and fourteen kilos.
He's not small, but he was playing it like one
hundred and one kilos, which was a big loss for
him and it really affected him. But he kept turning

(18:02):
up because we were short on troops and the results
results weren't going good. I think of the twenty twenty
two team that when I first went to the Bulldogs
twenty twenty two, there are only two players that remain
at the club. One's Max King and one's Matt Burton.
Everything else has been turned over and Max King has

(18:23):
been the cornerstone of the revival there at the Bay.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
He's played nearly I think eighty seventy six games. I
think he's played.

Speaker 1 (18:29):
It's been and it gets better. He gets better every year,
he's training gets better every year. This year he had
a terrific offseason. You could just tell he's been terrific
for the side this year and he deserved his Origin
call up. It was an inspired choice by Lorry Daily
and he's.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
So that mentality and those attributes is what Lorrie Daily
pinpointed when he was asked to bet his selection.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
Absolutely, and Laurie gets it like Lurr gets Auction, gets
Origin and he knows what Queenslanders have done over a
long period of time that they really recognize those hard
working players rather than the flashy players. And you know,
I think Max King front row is such an important
position in Origin football because if you get a couple

(19:11):
of injuries and you've got to get someone to play long,
long minutes in the middle of the field and you're
playing against the smartest halves in the game and the
smartest hawkers and fullbacks in the game. It can be
a really dawning experience for those big men. Where Max
King has got the ability to play long minutes at
fast pace and keep up and keep finding something extra.
And he did that. He was absolutely great and I

(19:34):
hope he gets a chance to go to Perth and
do it all again.

Speaker 2 (19:37):
A lot of the focal point of New South Wales,
particularly in the lead, A lot of the analysis was
around that left hand side. I think we spoke about
it last week to or Mitchell Angus Crichton. Mitchell moses
it was wrong of us to overlook the other side
because Zach lame. I have never seen a player take
to origin like him, but he is built for it.

(19:57):
And this isn't the Bulldogs. You know, we're not blowing
the Bulldogs trump. But I don't think I've seen a
better sounder than Stephen Crouchton.

Speaker 1 (20:06):
Good player and he oh. I think with Zach Lamax,
and I think in commentary I might have been saying
it two years before he got selected. He was struggling
at the Dragons were struggling. He was playing center and
they ended up putting you on the wing. And I've
said for a lot of years. I think even Brad
Filer was coaching about someone time I said, don't be
afraid to pick Zach Lamax. He's an origin player. He's

(20:28):
just got that origin physicality about him. He's got a
presence about him, and he can make things happen. He
can force errors in the opposition, he can make big plays.
All bounces for him. He's big and strong and athletic,
and he kicks goals. And when he got his opportunity
was probably a little bit of a surprise to most people,
I guess, but he certainly proved his worth. And he's
he's Origin class. He's Origin tough. People ask you what

(20:51):
an origin player is and it's hard to put into words,
but when you see it, you see it. The tougher
the better for him, absolutely loves it, loves the physical confrontation.
He can make things happen, as he did with the
last try. Stephen Crichton brilliant probably, I think one of
the best defensive centers I've ever seen in my life. Big, tall,

(21:13):
long reach. What was interesting when Brian got sent to
the sin bin just before halftime, I thought, well, I
wonder how they'll manage this. And as soon as they
ran out, Zach Lamax went to the left wing and
I said, well, two things here. I said, what they're
doing is saying to Zach Lamax, you're gonna have to
look after Xavier coach and that high ball. We can't

(21:33):
put another fillure out there that can't catch or hasn't
been in that position before, which was very smart strategy.
And number two, we'll leave Stephen Crichton to mark them
other two blocks over there, only it's only Hammersages and
Valentine Holmes, two of the greatest and fastest ball runners
in the game. We'll just let Stephen Crichton look after
that over there on his own. And when Queensland did

(21:55):
they score their try, they scored it on the other
side of the field. They didn't score it down stephenside.
He's he's a great, great defensive center. And you know
when you say that, then you have vision of the
try he set up for Lomax the first try where
he stepped back against the grain, had four defenders in
front of him and managed to engage them all to
get Lomas away. I managed to engage the more beat one,

(22:17):
then gather the other three together to get the pass
away was it was just so classy Latrell Mitchell's play
on the other side of the field. I mentioned it
that halftime in the broadcast. Crichton's service to his winger
Lomax and Mitchell's mid air catch and pass. I've never
seen anyone do that midair catch and pass, quick hands
to put Brian away with just two great pieces of magic.

(22:39):
That's what That's what Origin is. That's why the best
are so good. Those elite players are so good they
can come up with big moments like that. I thought
it was an excellent mentality to take into the game.
It was a great strategy and the good thing was
they stuck to it. The two halves stuck to it.
I thought the two halves were outstanding. I've heard some
people talking about his game and Mitchell maze. They didn't

(23:01):
do this and didn't do that. They played exactly the
way Origin should be played round the ball. I think
Cleary has now worked out that Origin football is not
club football. I don't play like I play for the club.
I don't set up with the same shapes and the
same plays and try to go around teams. His running
game was reminiscent of what it was in the Grand
Final last year. He got some offloaders, he had some

(23:22):
good runs, he dug into the line, he kicked well,
he had a hand at some player stage of every
one of the tries we scored. I thought he was outstanding,
but I just didn't understand the goal kicking and it
will probably mystify him as well as to what happened there.
And even he shot at field goal. I mean, I
didn't have the comment I had the commentary kind of
in my ear because I was sitting up in the studio,

(23:44):
so it was very faint. Did Andrew John's question the
quality of the ball or the ball?

Speaker 2 (23:49):
He said it sounded different, and he wondered whether it
was the same ball or whether it was inflated to
the same pressure. I said it sounded different.

Speaker 1 (23:56):
Yeah, was coming off the boot different? If general play
their general play kicking both sides now. Valentine Holmes miss
kick too, and then he handed over to Zach Lamax
and he missed his kick, which was a much more
simple kick for a conversion. So I don't know. I
didn't hear in any of the reviews if anyone questioned

(24:17):
the ball or the quality of the ball. But I've
never seen Nathan kick like that had he kicked them
all as hers usually does. I mean it's a pretty
big score line. Yeah, but New South Wales were very
very dominant, very very controlled, masterfully executed. I thought the
halves were brilliant, the Fords were outstanding. The outside backs
did what they have to do. I think the big

(24:37):
key for New South Wales is if they can start
the second game exactly the same mentality, they will find
an increasing number of opportunities to move the ball and
I think Crichton and Latrell Mitchell, Mitchell Moses are going
to have a different sort of game in game two.
I think they'll be able to run in some points.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
Robert Toyer, he said, he go good.

Speaker 1 (24:58):
He's good playman. Yeah, look right at home. Wait'l after
game three. He's a baby like he's only ten games
into a career, you know, but he's he's origin class,
no risk in the world. He's there for as long
as he wants. Now you think he's going to play
there for a long long time and you know, hopefully
injury willing that gets him plenty of games as well.
But no, he did his job no risk in the world.

Speaker 2 (25:22):
Okay, ask us origin. Addition, we all know what this
question is going to be from Ben Robbins. If you
were Billy Slater, what changes would you make to the
Queensland team for Game two? Do you want to tell
Billy how to suck eggs?

Speaker 1 (25:37):
No? No, Look, one of the things I said in
the postmatch Laurie made a comment when they interviewed him
in the dressing room, and his last comment was, as
most coaches say when they win the first game of
the series, we haven't done anything yet, you know. I
came back and I said, well, I think you have
done one thing. You've absolutely shattered Queensland. I can see
it in the coach's face. I can see it in

(25:58):
their faces. They'll right. Immediately after the game they were
a bit shell shocked just how far behind they were
in New South Wales. I don't think there's any hiding
for the fact that they've come out of that game
and gone, krikey, what are we in for here? Here
we are at home, in front of our home crowd
and our opportunity, and we got rilled up for the game.
We had our best hope, we picked our best team
possible and we were just never in it. So do

(26:22):
they panic and make force changes hoping for a miracle
some of the things they saw as a positive out
of the game and saying, well, you know, let's put
did into half back and drop Dady Cherry Evans And
I made the point. Yeah, it didn't came on and
showed some flash and looked good when he came on
the field. But can he be out there for the
first twenty five minutes and make twenty tackles when they
keep running at him with the ball and still be

(26:43):
able to give that bit of flare at the back
end of each half. It's the same with Harry Grant.
Harry Grant's best performances of Queens that have been coming
off the bench. Ben Hunt gets out there and does
the hack work early and Harry Grant comes off the
bench and then does his stuff. You know.

Speaker 2 (26:57):
David Middleton told me a stat before kickoff the other
night that he has Queens that have never won a
game where Harry Green has started. Yeah, and which he
isn't a knock on Harry Grant. No, he hasn't played
much football early, but they get targeted by the opposition players.
So the more juice you can take out of him defensively,
and remember queens they had little ball for the first
twenty minutes. New South Wales's dominator possession, got some penalties,

(27:18):
dominated field position.

Speaker 1 (27:20):
Harry is out there doing a lot of work, a
lot of hack work, and normally when he comes on
after twenty twenty five minutes and he's sharp and fresh
and everyone's getting tired, he's tired at that point he
can't have the impact that he wanted to do. So
I think if I was Queensland, I don't think Ben
Hunt's going to be available, so I'd be looking to
maybe a Reed Marni to start the game for them,

(27:41):
to get them into the game and to do a
lot of the hack work early. He's got a kicking game,
which could be advantageous out of dummy harp. He's got
a running game and he can roll the forwards and
get them going forward. He's a busy, eager defender. He
puts a lot of pressure on other papers, on other players,
and then you've got Harry to come on fresh. That
would probably be the first thing that I'm thinking of.

Speaker 2 (28:02):
Could I throw two other names at you that could
feel that role? Yeah, Max Plath yeah, if he's back.

Speaker 1 (28:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (28:08):
And Jermaine Hopgood.

Speaker 1 (28:09):
Yeah, certainly Jermaine, but certainly not as a dummy.

Speaker 2 (28:14):
Half, not in the first twenty minutes.

Speaker 1 (28:18):
In the first twenty minutes of a game. Jamaine Hopgood
is one of those Queensland type players that I would
have no fear of playing because he's got a high
work rate in him and he's readmand He's got a
hell of a lot more experience than those two blocks,
all right, and he's been in Origin Cans before. He
hasn't played yet, but he's had a hell of a
lot more experience than them a club level, and he's
a real competitor. He's also a niggler. He's also in

(28:40):
the face of the opposition. He can get them distracted.
He can have people looking for him, you know, he
can put people off their game. That's what he does
really well. And he can if he could get through
the early part of the game and then give Harry
Grant opportunity to come into the game when other players
are tied and there's a bit of fatigue in the contest, well,
I think that's all. Well, I'm good. Harry had to

(29:01):
do far too much work early and far too much
hackwork to have an impact as he normally does. Later
in the gapment, he hasn't played much football. He really
hasn't played much football. The Cherry Evans thing, I don't
I get it. Di Eden's time is close and it's
probably getting closer.

Speaker 2 (29:17):
But Didan hasn't played halfback regally?

Speaker 1 (29:21):
No I would. I wouldn't make that change at the moment.
I just don't think you can judge Cherry Evans based
on the way the Queensland forwards were dominated and the
way the game went early on, and then they got
themselves behind on the scoreboard and New South Wales were
able to pressure him and he never he never really
got into the contest, but his forwards didn't allow him
to get into the contest either. If they can get

(29:41):
off to a better start, Cherry Evans will come into
his own with his experience. So it's easy to find
fault with some of the things that their playmakers didn't do,
But there wasn't a lot of opportunity either, and that's
they've got to get their start right. They've got to
get into the game right. They've got to stop giving
away penalties and the come because they're under pressure of course,

(30:02):
you know they're trying to get up off and get
in the face of the opposition, or they're trying to
hold them down a little bit, and they're not getting
square at marker. All the things that little things they
got penalized for. I thought there were too many penalties,
but that's just a personal thing about Origin. I don't
like penalties in Origin. But it certainly played against Queensland
and the opening part of the game. And once once

(30:22):
that happens to you in an Origin game, the fatigue
level drive rises very very quickly because the opposition is
so good and it's so powerful, and you feel like
you're on the back foot the whole time. And then
you're working the ball out of trouble and you're making
no meters and your kickers under pressure laid in the
tackle count. He's kicking the ball and Dylan Edwards is
catching it on the full under no pressure and roaring
it back at you, and he's linking up with Brian

(30:42):
on Zach Lamax. They say you kick the other way,
and Zach Lomax is passing the ball to Dila is
getting over to Brian again. So they were able to
play from the back. Yeah, Queens. Look, they weren't in it.
They just weren't in it, which means they've got to
handle the start better. They've got to get themselves into
the game better. So maybe you look at it up
the starters.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
Maybe I was surprised Corey Hawes wasn't in the team.

Speaker 1 (31:06):
Yeah, now was he injured or did he ever? He wasn't.
He had a HIA and then he come back and play.

Speaker 2 (31:12):
So Corey helayed every ins Inland.

Speaker 1 (31:14):
Yeahy, Corey is the type of Blake who could do
a bit of the hackwork al so then mofat Awacer
can have his impact when he comes off what comes on.
I felt that those fowards just had to work too
hard early in the game. Yeah, so they would be
the only things I'd look at. I would definitely try
to find a way to get Harry Grant back on
the bench in the early part of the game, and

(31:37):
maybe maybe another front rower to do a bit of
the hack work early to have more impact from mofat
Awaker coming off the bench. Other than that, I don't
think there's too many other solutions. Pretty much everything else
was as good as you can get, you know. Reecee
Walsh is not going to be available. There's always that

(31:57):
argument between m Ponger Cobbo.

Speaker 2 (32:02):
Well that's weird.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
So when Cobbo, I don't, I don't, you know, I don't.

Speaker 2 (32:07):
He wasn't even in the Jesse Arthurs was in the
extended scored.

Speaker 1 (32:10):
But Jesse Arthur has been going good, of.

Speaker 2 (32:11):
Course he has. But has Cobo falling that far down
the pecking water these form hasn't been too bad. I
know the teams are going that well, but he's been
playing okay.

Speaker 1 (32:19):
Yeah, No, I can't knock the selection of the Queensland side,
I really can't. But the way the game was played,
that game was over. I felt watching the game that
game was over after about twenty five minutes. There was
no coming back for Queensland. The twelve man situation, the
sin bin gave Queensland some oxygen and the halftime break

(32:40):
and they came out and they got the try which
sort of got them on the but New South Wales
virtually held them at bay. They they just kept them away,
kept them away, kept them away, comfortable that they were
leading fourteen six and it wasn't going to go any further.
And then they got them they try to put it
out the twelve. I see a lot more tries from
New South Wales next time on they scored four this time.

Speaker 2 (33:01):
Tremendous opportunities, there's.

Speaker 1 (33:03):
Real tremendous of a lot of opportunities, some say great opportunities.

Speaker 2 (33:07):
So Queensland have never won in Perth, but every time
they've gone to Perth they've been one kneel up in
the series. They haven't been to Perth trying to save
it yet.

Speaker 1 (33:17):
Yeah, no, I don't have the exact figures, but their
records pretty good have been one kneel down on the
series and leveling up and getting to it a site.
Most series go to it a side, are you. But
they're going to have to work hard. We've still got
to get through two weekends of club football. You said
that no New South Wales players had a new Stephen
Crichton's got an elbow injury and that we're sort of

(33:38):
monitoring hopefully he'll be all right. These players are still
got to get through two club rounds and then they've
got to be picked and go again. Queensland. Really, if
I was not that I want to advise Queensland alone,
I don't have to abilly you have a welling train.
But for me, they probably need a rugged forward starter

(33:59):
they can just burn out for the first twenty minutes,
twenty five minutes to get them in the game, to
give Fadawaker that impact off the bench, and I think
I think they should go for someone like a Reid
Marny to to give Harry grant and easier access into
the game when he's needed to be able to provide

(34:19):
what he does. I think it's too hard for Harry
with the particularly with the little football that he's played too.
He hasn't played a lot of football.

Speaker 2 (34:25):
He played fifty eight minutes against the Sharks, Yeah, after
four weeks out.

Speaker 1 (34:30):
Yeah, so he's you know, it's not enough to go
into Origin, and particularly to start when you're playing against
a really good experience side who knew exactly where he
was at all times. But the way Payne, Haas and
Barnett and Yo really took to them, I mean those
three middle forwards just absolutely took to them. And you know,
Angus Crichton was good, Liam Martin was good, and then

(34:52):
the fellows that come off the bench did their Joel
King come on did really well. It was a really
good solid performance to win eighteen six at Lange Park
in the first Origin that's a big win. That's a
four tries to one. That's a big win. Big win.
And it's only twelve points, but that's a big win.

Speaker 2 (35:12):
Peter Simms is very switched on. He says, well, he asks,
was having Craig Bellamy as an advisor a genius move,
especially considering it's likely he taught Billy everything he knows
about coaching.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
He taught a lot of them blokes what they know.
I actually we were one hundred percent foot of the
other night. I asked Munster. I said, I said, your
club coach is helping out with the Origin side in
New South Wales. My male is that he's going to
do a tip sheet on all the opposition players when
he gets the number six. What's he going to say
about you? You know? He said, don't hang around with me,
he said he was his tip Yeah. So when Laurie

(35:47):
Daly is really good mates with our Bulldog chairman Adam
drewser Yeah. And when Adam was saying that Rory really
wanted to apply for the job, and I said, it's
really important that he has experienced coaches and you know,
whether it's Ivan Cleary or Ricky Stewart or Craig Bellamy,
some fellas that are actually coaching all day every day

(36:10):
just to be around just as a sounding board and
all that and all. It's really pleased that he picked
up Craig Bellamy and he really agreed to do it.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
What a huge cup.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
It's a huge cup, and it's just and I don't
know what the relationship was like, you know, for the
fellows that are in camp. You know, Craig Bellamy didn't
have a lot to say and didn't have a lot
to do, but he was always around. It was nice
to talk to good to talk to him. I'd imagine
in their quiet moments, Laurie's talking to Craig. But it's
just nice to know that he had that experienced bloke
on his shoulder there in case they need to be
a decision around inner change or around changing positions. And

(36:41):
you know, if they got down to twelve men and
just a calm voice at a time, because it's not
something if you're not coaching regularly every day every week,
things like in a change and sin bins and all
these sort of things can get you a little bit
frantic and even in the organizing of training sessions, the
way the place communicated players this year, the nuances in

(37:01):
the rules and how referees are looking at the game.
So he put together a really good team Matt King Young,
Dean Young from Saint George, who he knows really well,
and Craig Bellamy, who's probably the greatest coach of all time.
To have them in his corner, I think that was
really astute from Laurie to call on those people. And

(37:21):
we know all know louri knows origin and Laurie's got
the passion and Laurie can pull people together like no
other than people play for Laurie. There's never been a
question on that. But I really pleased he took someone
like Craig Bellamy with him into that arena. And it's
a greatst set to have.

Speaker 2 (37:38):
The NFL season is here. We're in Oragin time. We're
right in the thick of things at the moment for
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and confidential support, visit Gambling help online dot org dot au. Now,
just before we go to a break and come back
to have a look at Round thirteen, I would like
to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleagues at nine's

(37:59):
World of Sports. The ratings for both women's and men's
Origin have been unbelievable. Women's State of Origin one nine
hundred and twenty seven thousand, Women's State of Origin WHO
one million, sixty seven thousand Last Night nine hundred and
ninety five thousand. Series average nine hundred and ninety six thousand,
three hundred and thirty three people per game throughout the

(38:22):
entire series. A brilliant production and well done to everyone
associated with nine and also the players themselves and on
Wednesday Night GUS. From a ratings perspective, it was the
best Game One result since twenty sixteen. It was Australia's
number one program with total people and all key demographics.
It secured a total national television reach of five point

(38:45):
four four to nine million and a total TV audience
of three point seventy five five million, up eleven point
two percent year on year. The broadcast was fantastic. The
tape pieces leading into Origin they were always a highlight,
but they were really special leading in the Game one
the other night. So to everyone that I work with
at NI, congratulations to you. Has often said it's as

(39:07):
good as any team he's been involved in. That that was.
That was a brilliant broadcast, and the numbers I think
are reflective of the quality.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
Channel nine makes the game bigger than it is, makes
it better than it is. Very very talented people there.
As I've said, I've been in team sport my whole life.
The best team I've ever been involved with is Channel nine.
The people there, and the talent and the work ethic
and the quality of work, and how dedicated they are
to their work. You know, they're inspiring people, really great people.

Speaker 2 (39:37):
Yeah. And the great thing being part of the team
too is that we all we all genuinely love what
we do and we all get on famously. There's even
a little less tension between the Queenslanders and the New
South Walster and these all.

Speaker 1 (39:46):
I don't know about that. I don't know about that.
I saw Fatty before the game.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
Was he there?

Speaker 1 (39:51):
You know, he was at the Sophotl Hotel. I went
over there to meet the King family just to wish
them luck for Max's debut, and Faddy had been doing
a funk there. Probably talking about nineteen ninety five.

Speaker 2 (40:03):
You can talk about it endlessly and it never gets
any less funny.

Speaker 1 (40:06):
The stories get better. And I've actually got to go
up and do a luncheon in a couple of weeks.
It's a thirty year since the nineteen ninety five and
they want me to come up. I said, what to
sit and listen Fatty talk about it again. I've got
nothing to say.

Speaker 2 (40:21):
It's hilarious. So one of the pieces before the game
the other night was Fatty apparently that they set him down.
He took for an hour. We had to cut it
into three minutes. But truly take out your role in it.
I think it's the best origin story ever.

Speaker 1 (40:35):
Oh it's great. It's one of the great It's look
and at the time the game needed it. At the time,
the game really needed it. You know. I'll elaborate on
that story more one day. But at the time, and
I said, I went to him after Game three. I
so that's one of the greatest coaching coaching performances I've
ever seen, Absolutely brilliant.

Speaker 2 (40:53):
Direct So Wayne Bennett stood down because this was all
at the start of the Super League. Yeah, do you
reckon Wayne Bennett would have won with that team. With
that team, Yeah, Look, the point I'm getting it was
a team perfectly suited to Fatty.

Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah. Look wayn Bennett's a great coach, but I don't
think in that environment at that time anyone could have
done it other than Fatty. It's just amazing, Yeah, because
when that Origin series that year, You've got to remember
that earlier in the year there was the Super League
coup and they came in and one of the things
that the Aarl had was its representative football and I

(41:36):
remember Bob Fulton and I were responsible for signing the players.
Our first job was to get an Australian team and
the New Zealand team so we could have Test matches,
and to get a new South Wales team and a
Queensland team to get Origin matches. We wanted to put
the representative football on, so we virtually picked those the
best we could do earlier in the season and signed
them all up. And then of course we had injuries
and all sorts of things during the course of the

(41:57):
year and it was it was a wonderful series. Two
of the fellows who played in that Queensland side, Adrian
Lamb and Matt Singh. I was coaching at the Roosters
at the time, and it was important for the game
that we put on a great Origin series and it
went even though it was painful to lose, but it
was great to be a part of that history. In

(42:19):
the years since, I look back on it as a
really one of the great series for Origin football and
what it did for rugby league at that time.

Speaker 2 (42:28):
M I elaborate best stories in Australian sports.

Speaker 1 (42:31):
I'll elaborated more on it one day. But he did
a great job for it was absolutely wonderful.

Speaker 2 (42:35):
And the first game of the series it was too nil. Yeah,
a Wayne Bartram penalty goal.

Speaker 1 (42:40):
We bombed about six tries. Yeah, it was just but
they kept turning up Queens and they kept finding away,
they kept finding. The second game, we had have tried
this allowed with a minute to go that would have
put us in front the level of the series.

Speaker 2 (42:54):
He called it back a forward pass.

Speaker 1 (42:55):
I don't think it was, but now the funny gods,
the past went that far and he called it forward
and from the next play the ball Brett Dallas picked
it up and running round ninety meters. But we would
have won the game with one pass if that pass
wasn't called forward. So and then I went into the
dressing room after the game to congratulate them, you know,
because I knew a lot of the kids. It was

(43:17):
difficult time, the super League woman and all that, And
I said, I said, now, don't rest on your laurels.
I said, we're coming after in game three. Don't let
us peach you, you know, make sure you really sayeah.
I said, make sure we go back to Queensland and
you blokes do it again. Don't rest on your laurels
because you're tuned all up in the series. But they
didn't need my encouragement, Fatty who already got into them,
and you know, we busted our neck to beat him

(43:38):
in game three and couldn't do it. They just I
think we got to the front twice in game three
and they just kept finding away. There was everything about
Origin that we love, everything that we talk about and
we talk about it not being about talent and being
about courage and all those things that recommends that Queensland spirit.
That there wasn't anyone better to articulate that to that
group of players than what Faddy did at that time.

(44:00):
And it was an incredible time. It was a difficult
time for the game, but it was an incredible result.
For the game and went a long way towards I
believe the AARL surviving and the support that we got
from the people in the public. I think the public
were inspired by it and that's why the ARL had
a lot of support in that particular confrontation.

Speaker 2 (44:22):
And there I say it had New South Wales it
won that series. We don't even think about it again,
would never.

Speaker 1 (44:27):
Get another mention. Look, had New South Wales that won
that series, the game might be different today. Like I
had a lot of things sliding doors moments, remember the
movie Sliding Doors. I call them sliding doors moments. I
just think at that time it was so important. And
then when the two competitions split, I think the Newcastle
went over merely in the Grand Final in our competition.

(44:47):
The way that final series was played and there was
roosters in North Sydney and Manly and Newcastle and all
the games were sort of seventeen sixteen sixteen all and
Newcastle winning their first ever premiership and the way they
did it with the Darren Albert try, it was kind
of like an inspiration for the way the game should
be and the way the game people wanted it to be.
And I think that's what held the arl together. To

(45:08):
be honest, around that time. It's a long time ago,
and I've got to think back in the memory bank
about everything that happened.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
Well, a lot of people listening to us wouldn't even
know about this.

Speaker 1 (45:18):
Players don't know it's thirty years ago.

Speaker 2 (45:20):
Well, you know, in two time, it's thirty years and
two years. So we're gonna to do a documentary.

Speaker 1 (45:25):
Yeah, our players, our players, Our players weren't born.

Speaker 2 (45:32):
I remember it too well.

Speaker 1 (45:33):
The vast majority of players in the world today weren't
born back then. They don't know what Super League was.
I don't know what happened to the game back then.

Speaker 2 (45:40):
Well, we're handing out clawed. It's the colleagues. It's an
absolute travesty. Fatt He isn't in the Hall of Fame,
an absolute travesty.

Speaker 1 (45:47):
He'll be there one day.

Speaker 2 (45:48):
He should be there now. If they don't put him
in this year.

Speaker 1 (45:51):
They should get g out. Is there a Media Hall
Hall of Fame?

Speaker 2 (45:53):
Yeah, you could be in both.

Speaker 1 (45:55):
You should be in the Media Hall of Fame. But
he also should be in the Rugby League Hall of Fame.

Speaker 2 (45:58):
Forty It is a player and a coach.

Speaker 1 (46:01):
He played twenty odd Origins.

Speaker 2 (46:03):
Captain coins and't you want a Captain Australia Once he's
the funniest man ever. But when he tells the story
of how he got the job, he said, I've just
been filming an antiid for the Footag Show and I'm
sitting in my car wiping off my lipstick.

Speaker 1 (46:19):
And Ross livermore Riggs asked.

Speaker 2 (46:20):
Me if I want to coach the Queens, then team.
He goes a what number am I?

Speaker 1 (46:24):
Ross?

Speaker 2 (46:24):
Four? Five six? How many people have you?

Speaker 1 (46:27):
You know where I first met Fatty? I don't think
Fatty remember this? You know where I first met Fatty?
Back in the old days, this is in the seventies.
You go and play against an opposition team. You go
and play some Georgia Coger, or you play Manly at
brook Fa, or you play Norse at Norse Sydney, Albuna
at Cronulla or Western Suburbs at Income. You know, and
you'd go and play and then you'd have your shower
and then you go back to the Lages Club and

(46:48):
have a few beers.

Speaker 2 (46:50):
That's what you do.

Speaker 1 (46:51):
And there were great days and then when you'd have
a few beers and you'd meet the opposition players and
then you know, you kick on back to the r
Leagues Club and go try it back to a few
more beers. And it was the most enjoyable on the
social part of the game. And I think it might
have been my first game at Brookville Oval in first grade.
I can't remember. And anyway, I went back to Mermi mate,

(47:14):
we went back to Manly Lee's Club and we were
standing in Manley Lee's Club and just sort of a
few of the Penrith boys were there, and you know,
we could see sort of manly blokes in the distance
and my mate and I were standing there playing a
poker machine. We were standing on the corner. Anyway, this
red edded thing comes over. He said hello, mate, haw
you going I said good. He said Paul, Hey, Paul,
are you going by? And he introduced us to the

(47:35):
Manly boys and all that. But he came over welcomed us,
thanks for coming back to the club, had a beer,
and that's where I met Paul Vaughton for the first
time back then. And you wouldn't believe it all those
years later working together and he's coaching State of Aria.
I mean, it's just incredible how life goes and what
rugby league can do for you. But that was the
first time I met Paul Vaughton. He went out of

(47:55):
his way to come and introduce himself and introduce us
to the Manly players that we played against on that day.
And yeah, wonderful times, I tell you. I ran into
the other day Terry Randall, Right, yeah, I was able
watching a reserve grade game at Brookball Label Bulldogs were
playing against Manly and Chad Randall, Terry's son, coaches. He
coaches in our system and he was there because it

(48:17):
was locally come over to watch the reserve g plan
his dad come with him. Terry Randall hadn't seen him
for Yonks, one of the great Manly players.

Speaker 2 (48:25):
So there's the Hall of Fame for players and coaches,
I think, and there's a contributor category to do.

Speaker 1 (48:32):
They have a Hall of Flame? Do they have a
Hall of Fame for comedians? We could make that one too,
He could make that one. Is the funniest many of
them met. Well, you look at what he did primetime
TV show, The Footy Show Went was iconic. That's Graham
Kennedy class Don Lane like they were the people that
ran You wouldn't remember all those shows. Yeah, they were

(48:53):
to night shows. And you know some of the biggest
performers in Australian television and international television ran those shows
and held an audience for years and years and years
in primetime television, nighttime television, in variety entertainment and all
that type of thing. And what fad he did. No
one could have done what he did. No one could
have run that show the way he did as absolute

(49:14):
chaos and comedy.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
We just took the piss out of himself with hel Carey.

Speaker 1 (49:18):
Well, yeah, people, what do you.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
Say, You've got to be smart to play the fool.

Speaker 1 (49:24):
It takes a smart man to play the fool. He's
a very smart man.

Speaker 2 (49:28):
He's a great bloke. So they can contribute a category.
James Gilton, J. J. Gilton, George Piggins, Ken Arthurson, Peter
frolingos Ian Heads, John Quayle, Rabs, Frank Hayden. My late
friend David Morrow, who I missed dearly as well, was
inducted just before he passed last year, so Fatty could
be qualify for all of it. Very good. This is

(49:50):
six Tackles with Gasia, our Origin review episode. We'll do
some previewing on the other side, do you know of
the last seven games that have been played, all the
club games last week in the two origins has been six?
Outside has been the at the start, I probably did.
I think I'm getting Alzheimer's a break and we'll come
back and have a look at round thirteen. All right.
Our preview of Round thirteen thanks to our good friends

(50:13):
at the Tab Friday Night Football from Jubilee the Red
at Jubilee Guss he Yes from seven thirty tonight on
Channel nine. The Dragons are a dollar fifty, the Nights
are two dollars sixty. Now I'm going to go to
my team list here. Oh yes, So for the Dragons,
young Nathan Lawson, well, I don't know how young he is.
I've got to have a look at that yet because
i'm calling the game. But he's a dual Olympian in

(50:34):
the Australian rugby sevens team. He's going to make his
deboo on the wing for the Dragons, who outside of
that are unchanged and we're expecting Kaylen Ponger to back
up for Newcastle, who unbelievably again have changed our halves.
Jack cogg Is out Gambles at seven Fletcher Sharp played
fullback last week, goes back into the six. He was
great at fullback, wasn't he? He's a lifewhile they almost

(50:57):
looked more dangerous with him.

Speaker 1 (50:59):
Well, different type of game, but you know Caln pomer
is obviously the mainstay of the team. But yeah, very
interesting one red V at Jubilee. I see the red
V at Jubilee probably been successful tonight.

Speaker 2 (51:13):
What's it worth typic anymore? Seriously, what we've been bothering for?

Speaker 1 (51:17):
As I said last week, anyone who knows anything about
rugby league should be none out of five this week.

Speaker 2 (51:22):
Some breaking news right here as we as we record
this at three point thirty on Friday, Harry Grant and
Xavier Coates won't back up for Melbourne. So there's a
bit of news with respect to our next game, which
is the Titans versus Melbourne. The Gold Coast. Talking to
te Karen Forn is going to start, Tom Weaver is
going to play halfback. Jaden Campbell's going to fall back

(51:46):
right and where's where's mate Brimston? He's out, So that's
the change. Britt Campbell to fall back four and five
eighth Weave that are half back Jack Howe is going
to make his return menjury on the wing bronze and
Garlic's going to play at hooker for the Melbourne Storm.
That's three o'clock on Saturday.

Speaker 1 (52:07):
Yeah. Now I've got some memory of the Titans actually
beating the Storm. I've been Brisbane at Lang Park at
some stage in the last couple of years. Yeah, I reckon.
I remember the game was like thirty six thirty four something,
but it was a few years back then. Yeah, a
few years back there. Anyway, sometimes those are memories are
good ones.

Speaker 2 (52:25):
Yeah, you wouldn't fall over the Titans won this.

Speaker 1 (52:28):
No, well, I wouldn't fall off if they beat anyone.
You know what I think of the Titans and where
they're going. So who's out? So Xavier Coats is out?

Speaker 2 (52:36):
And did you say Harry Grant's out?

Speaker 1 (52:38):
Harry Grant's out? Okay, I'll go Storm, Okay.

Speaker 2 (52:47):
Queensland Country Bank Stadium the Cowboys versus the Tigers. Todd
Payton confirmed on Friday his team would be one through
seventeen with all their origin reps to take their place.
So there you are. They're all going to play for
the West Tiger. Samuela Faye, who is on track the
players he recovers from a knee injury suffered in Round
eleven before the bye last week. Young gun Heath Mason
will play his first NRL game since around one after

(53:09):
being named to replace Lachlan Galvin.

Speaker 1 (53:14):
Yep, ah, again a difficult one. I don't think West
Tiger's uh coras so our throll may cowboys up and down?
Is NANOI going to play? We definitely playing one through seventeen. Yep,

(53:35):
They're all there, They're all going to play. I'm going
to go cowboy with no confidence.

Speaker 2 (53:44):
Lachlan Galvin just came up there. Has he signed officially?

Speaker 1 (53:48):
Ah No, No, not at the moment.

Speaker 2 (53:50):
Okay, seven point thirty Saturday Night Manly versus Broncos. We
know Turbo is not there and another blow because Jason
Saba has been ruled out with illness. Guss So Clayton
for Larlow is his likely replacement. Anthony Sebold will carefully
manage daily cherr Cherry Evans through the origin period. He
has been named, but a decision will be made on

(54:11):
game day as to whether he plays, which gives us
absolutely no help whatsoever and making you tip today. LeHo
Hopawadi goes to fall back and Jake still out because
of a head knock. Brisbane coach Michael Maguire says Payne
Hears and Pat Carrigan a definitely played well. Payne arsonially
didn't make it to the start line on Wednesday. He's
got to back up. So they're intact, but mainly have

(54:32):
got quite a few changes.

Speaker 1 (54:34):
Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed in the Paramounta game the
other night. The way Manly Paramatta were really good. I
don't want to take anything away from their performance, but
that was a bit of a shock to the system Manly.
I guess if Cherry Evans plays that makes a hell
of a difference and they are back at home and
the Broncos well, they haven't been incintillating form themselves. But

(54:55):
if Payne Hears is going to back up, and so
to Patrick Harrigan Patty Carryigan, yeah I think I'll go.
I don't know, no, I'm going to go. SEAgel to
bounce back at home, Okay, depleted Siegel still.

Speaker 2 (55:12):
The win Saturday night YEP, two o'clock Sunday rabbit Oz
versus Warriors at a course stadium. Now my understanding is
Latrell won't play he's aggravated a knee in the Origin opener,
so it seems Joy Gray is going to go to
full back and Fletcher Myers will come on to the wing.
Campbell Graham was eighteenth man on Wednesday night, but we'll
play in the centers for the Warriors. James Fisher Harris

(55:34):
back from suspension having missed one week last week the
loss to Canberra. Mitch Barnett is going to back up Gus.
So that's at the Course Stadium at two o'clock.

Speaker 1 (55:43):
Yep, yeah, difficult one now without Latrell. Warriors in good
That was a great game the other day the Warriors
than Raiders Chesu was finals quality class there. They're a
good side. Another went down last week, but I think
the Warriors are going better at the moment and I'll
bet to beat the Rabbit.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
Four o'clock on Sunday. What a massive game. This is
the old Battle of the West, baby. It's a combat stadium,
but it's a Penwrith home game. Ivan Cleary has named
all five of his Origin stars and he expects they
will all play. Isaac Tungell returns to the centers with
Scott Sorenson returning from suspension, while rookie Harrison Hassett retains
his place on the bench Bratch night as eight eighth man,

(56:23):
but would come out if Nathan Cleary doesn't play. Sean
Russell will shift to the centers as the Eels work.
Welcome Zach Lomack's back from Origin, but they've lost Will
Pennescini because of concussion and Mitch Moses is likely to
back up. So they played together on Wednesday night and
they'll be opposites in the number seven Cleary and Moses.
Penrith power.

Speaker 1 (56:41):
Yeah, we spoke about this earlier in the podcast. Penrith
in previous years have been able to rest their Origin
players a couple of reasons. They've always been very well
placed on the latter so they could afford it, and
number two, they had a lot of depth with young
players coming in that were on the verge of playing
NRL football. I don't know that the depth is as
strong as it's been in previs years, and certainly their

(57:01):
position on the ladder means that they have to keep
backing them up, which could tell on both Penrith and
New South Wales as this series goes on. If they've
got to keep playing club football, you know, I don't
know what their buy situation is going through.

Speaker 2 (57:12):
I think they're got to buy it next week. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (57:14):
I thought Paramatta were excellent last week against mainly, like
really good.

Speaker 2 (57:17):
They're notice getting noticeably better every week every week.

Speaker 1 (57:20):
And you know that was without Zach Lamax and Mitchell Moses.
I mean, if they back up, it makes them even stronger.
And I look at the two benches, Dylan Walker, Lucam already,
Ryan Madison and Joe s paper Lee. I just I
think they've got a little bit of an edge off
the bench. I think Paramata can beat them. They beat

(57:45):
them earlier in the year, didn't They didn't Para beat
Penrith earlier in the year. I think they did. I'm
going to go eel okay, I was going to.

Speaker 2 (57:56):
Ask you if you thought maybe I thought all the
parentth goes. I was played well in Origin on Wednesday night.
They bounce off that does that become infectious within the team?
I wanted they could well be. You know, oh yeah,
Pandris get it right, they'll probably beat them. But I'm
just wondering just how much fatigue is in that. And
Paramatta going particularly well at the moment and strong off
the bench. So if Origin players have got to be

(58:17):
replaced through in the course of the game, yeah, the
answer is I don't know, but I think Paramata got
a chance of winning. And then Sunday Nights a round
us out and what a good game of football. This
is speaking of improvement. After the Rooster's got flogged in
round one, everyone's going.

Speaker 1 (58:32):
They can't make the finals. They're going to make the finals, baby, Yeah,
how good have they gone? They've still got Sam Walker
to come back. I know so, which was why I
was a little bit shocked that they let Brandon Smith go.
I know that he was going to South Sydney, but
I thought, well, your windows not finish this year yet
going forward. But anyway, they made the decision. Connor Watson
playing particularly.

Speaker 2 (58:52):
Well, so they're saying all the Rooster's origin players are
going to back up. And similarly, Hudson Young have only
played twenty six minutes for the Blues on Wednesday night.

Speaker 1 (59:00):
Yep, but this is a this Raiders team. They're going
particularly well. They're fast and they're fit, they don't give up.
This will be a cracking game. When's this Sunday night.

Speaker 2 (59:13):
Six fifteen allion cracking game?

Speaker 1 (59:16):
I'm going to go, Raider to beat Rooster.

Speaker 2 (59:20):
All right, so let's go through it. I've given you
the odds. Mostly you're tipping Dragon.

Speaker 1 (59:28):
Let me go through a wait, I've got to bring
him up. So I've got them all on the one page. Okay,
Dragon to beat night Storm, to beat Titan, Cowboy to
beat Tiger.

Speaker 2 (59:44):
Cowboys dollars thirty eight. Tiger's three to ten on the tab.

Speaker 1 (59:47):
Siegal to beat Bronco or that might change, depends who players.

Speaker 2 (59:50):
I suppose many Tittle is fifteen, Broncos dollars seventy at
the moment. Warrior to beat Rabbit dollar sixty seven to twenty.
Warriors favorites Eel's a real chance against the Panther, real
chance Paneth dollar fifty eight, Paramatta two forty.

Speaker 1 (01:00:02):
And Radar against Rooster the toss of the coin anyway. Yep,
thanks Gus, Thanks Matthew.

Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
It's been a very busy, busy week and we've still
got Club forty to come.

Speaker 1 (01:00:11):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (01:00:11):
That's six tackles with gas this week. We're back to
our normal timeslot of Wednesday, and we look forward to
your company then Friday night forty Tonight Sunday footy from
Combat the Battle of the West. The Panthers versus the
Eels have a great weekend.