September 23, 2025 • 55 mins
Sharks and Storm clash in a bruising prelim decider — can Fitz’s men shock Melbourne?
Broncos face the ultimate test against Penrith’s dynasty, chasing their biggest scalp yet.
Plus the rumour mill cranks up: could Turbo really be off to Warrington?! Marky Mark to Union?!
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0:00-Bongo Men
1:00-Liverpool
2:20-Rick & Morty
3:25-Marky Mark to Union?
7:50-Storm v Sharks
33:00-Turbo to leave Manly?!
36:20-Broncos v Panthers
49:00-Peter Badel Calls in
51:30-Razzle Dazzle
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, gooday, guys, it's Maddie John's here. Look at it.
You can tell them, just not myself at the moment,
a little bit down, but I'll tell it'll cheer me up.
Hitting the follow butt on our podcast with the Family
podcast and backstage so you don't miss any of the
good stuff we've got coming up. And thank you guys,
Thank you again for listening to the podcast and giving
us your support. Good on you guys. Sing your DNA.
(00:25):
I'm seeing you along. When you walk through a storm,
hold your head up, hi, and don't be afraid of
the dar. At the end.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Of the storm, there's a Golden scy what is that song?
And the sweet Silver song?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
What is of the lock?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Walk On through the wind, walk On through the rain,
all your dreams, bears and bloo, walk on, walk on?
What is the hope in your heart? And You'll never
walk alone?
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Ah?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Right, you haven't done last song? Justice That was so
long that sorry, ras Man.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Just something for the for the something of the listeners
and the viewers. What's YouTube? But I've got to make
the Liverpool jersey on very.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Cool, bro, very cool.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
And nothing's cooler than having a like a jersey that
has a giant signature on it.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yeah, it is Craig Johnston. It's the al still Liverpool one.
The old school added a symbol and it's got all
that from when John Craig Johnston was at the club.
He's got all the trophies he won from eighty one
to eighty eight and have all the league titles. Wow
they won, they won in that era, and make champions,
champions leagues everything they won everything.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Are you're going to get you said you're gonna get
that framed? Are you gonna get a framed? Are you
just gonna leave around?
Speaker 6 (02:00):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Is it uncool to We're a jersey with the signature.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
On it, yes, Royal ras Man and that has the player,
like all of the achievements of the player embroidered on
the front. And I think that's kind of built to
be put in a frame, right.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Yeah, probably probably made for a frame. But I think
you do whatever you want to do, Matthew Rasmond.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Can I just say this the other night we have
the most wonderful night. Were sitting all on the couch
having a few beers watching Rick and Morty. That doesn't
don't don't they make it is? And the producers that
show deserve congratulations.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah, they do a good job.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Mister Nimbus is a lord.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
It was, it was. It was an un real night.
A couple of movies, fine around.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yeah, we watched the other guys as well, Mark Wohlburg
and Will Ferrell. That's a great movie film.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
Remember the who was the other character that you really
liked in Rick and Morty ras mister poopy butthole.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Picky but mister poopy but hoole, I think it is
you were you made us watch that episode. There's another
episode we didn't get to which involved a group of
dragons which are very sexually active. Oh yeah, yeah, we
didn't end up watching it.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
You know who the Rick and Morty guy, the ficionado
who loves them more than any person on the planet
is Kurt Man. Kirkman put Jack onto it and actually
and Kirkman's favorite character is mister Nimbus. And I said
to Jack. Jack sent a text message to Kurt Mean
a couple of days before the game against Penrith and said,
(03:28):
if you win, Dad's going to get you on for
the interview after us and he's going to refer to
you as mister Nimbus.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
I was looking out for that interview.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Got they put the tar between the legs and off?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Is that way through the game you reckon?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I reckon?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the way through.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
Some big news that broke today, Marky Mark, no one
I need to say, has informed the Rooster's gone back
to rugby union at the end of next year?
Speaker 6 (03:52):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Year?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, yeah, good, make good on him.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
I think so you get one career and I think
it's when Sunny Bill start to do it, everyone goes, oh,
this is the way ahead for the future, but we
haven't really seen it, but I think it will eventually
happen where players, you know, year by year, will.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
You will go over and then come back.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
And I think it's and without being a really smart
us here, I think it's important for the Wallabies now,
the Wallabies to compete against all Blacks and spring box
and regularly in the big European countries, is that they're
going to need more depth, you know what I mean?
And they might and.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Star power and slight power.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
Joseph Suli he's he's like their biggest star that they've
got right now. If Marky Mark goes back as well, yeah,
that's a that's a couple of couple of big fish
that you can actually market the team around because they
market they You've Joseph to market everything through. Now they
actually don't really have anyone else who's as big a
name as him that they can actually rely on.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
He's a question boys, right, I think about this like
Ozia Katoa, who's got a background in union, Like he
was the star bark School captain at Barker and the
star player. He's had played a lot of rugby.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
We used to play against Barket, didn't we.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Rose We did?
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Played against that school in the limited union games that
you played.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
But yeah, I was sort of in the lower grades
as well. So we got some random teams.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
You've got some other gifts, rasmen.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
How's the garage going, by the way.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Ah, it's good, it's good, it's cleaned up. And yeah,
lovn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Now Zeka Tower? Imagine like how I wonder how long
would take him to really get back into the groove.
If so six months before a Rugby World Cup they
went almost got him on own. I don't want it
to happen.
Speaker 5 (05:38):
No, I'd like to see it as somebody that likes
sport in general, and I know that, Like we're all
in this room love NRL. That's our favorite sport, but
I love like all sports as well, particularly when it
doesn't clash with the NRL season. It'd be bloody cool
to watch someone like Isaiah Tower just finishing an URL
season and then literally roll into a Rugby Union World Cup.
I honestly think he's so smart. And the way that
(06:01):
fly half is it's very kicking dominant, which he's got
a great kicking game. If he understands just some of
the field position rules and like you know, kicking out
of your own twenty two like they do in union,
the ballskal stuff will look after itself. Who can fall
back into that? I reckon he'd need a week to
get into some of those systems because their systems, attacking wise,
there are a lot more simple than a rugby league system.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Well, we had we had Isaiah on the show on
Sunday night and I sat with sat with him and
watched the Panthers Dogs game. Smartest football I've ever spoken to,
really smartest I ever spoken to. I'm talking as far
as football knowledge.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Beats out Nathan. He beats out Nathan, you reckon because
Nathan's Nathan.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
The first fight. I think he's on par with Nathan
right now. You won't get a smart player than Isaiah Cantaha.
And he's twenty one years of age. He just sat
there and you sort of ask you about certain things
and he'd explain and gave mate, I'm looking to do
this more than that. I was in there. Holy shit,
this kid's twenty one.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
I did like I watched that. I watched your show
when he was on there. He used a great example
of like how he picks up from tendencies from different halves,
because when you're a young half, you watch other halves
and you try to take just little little tendencies that
they have or the way they play a shape, you
try to steal it and just play suit your own way.
I love how he mentioned that Adam Reynolds. What Adam
Reynolds tendency to do is when he's going to pass,
(07:18):
particularly on fifth tackle, he'll shape to kick so that
the edge fall back to then open up his pass
and vice versa. When he knows he's going to kick,
he'll shape to pass and actually he's going to pass
to bring the line up so then he can kick
it in behind to tell.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Them a love of the football, which we talk about,
and he's a genius at it. You see where he looks,
he looks in, then plays out and vice versa. Sometimes
actually goes look in and then back in again. They're
going to go in, going to go out and made
he'd just be a nightmare defense and sometimes actually he's
going to go with a player and then that target
defender and then go backwards and pull him out of
(07:52):
the line. Yeah, it's made him frickish beautif he's such
but he's such a terrific, terrific young bloke and eloquent
made he actually the next the next day I rang
ring the bosses Fox and I said, mate, this bloke
like just you've got to get him right. So he's
on the panel this Friday night, Friday Night, the Friday
(08:16):
night panel on Fox is going to wait for this
for a lineup. It's going to host a Cooper Kronk
Kieren four in isaaiahta. Oh wow, how good is that?
Speaker 3 (08:25):
That is good? That is very very good.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Yeah, he'll go better than Scotty Drink what it does
when they get him on.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
That he's got his own style he does.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
While we're on that Friday night game, Storm versus the
sharkis I wanted to ask you before we get into
the actual game. They've moved it from Saturday to Friday.
Obviously it's in Melbourne and biggest day of the year
down in Melbourne's are the AFL Grand Final tween Geelong
Cats and who are they bloody playing Brisbane lines? Briston
(08:55):
line is going for a two peet going again? But
how do you see that situation moving or Friday. I
don't have an issue with it, given that how big
it is in Melbourne, the AFL Grand Final, no one
to go to the bloody Storm game.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
It's huge advantage though huge Cooper and I explain why
the two days is one thing, But the other significant
factor is the Broncos versus Penrith's a day game, fast
crisp ball movement, fast movement football takes a lot more
gas out of here. Night football, although sometimes more physical
(09:28):
does not take I don't think is not as physically
demanding as far as movement and soft tissue and exertion
on the lungs and all that sort of stuff. Day football,
it moves so much, so much quicker, and I've always
found that it takes longer to recover from that a
really fast day game compared to a night game. And
(09:51):
it's an adjustment in your football too. Now, Penrith, I'll
give you an example going from you see sides play
numerous night games in a row. They're all sudden. They
get a Sunday game and they just explode because all
the focus and you know, catching is easier and they
move the ball around is a lot easier. Great attacking
teams love day football. So they had a number of
(10:12):
night games, Penrith. Then out of the blue last week
they had the day game. I look what they did
in the first stuff. Look at they did the Dogs.
They just blow them away with their attack. Now they've
got they're going to go day game, day game against
the Broncos, and if they beat the Broncos, then they're
going to go into a night game on the Grand Final,
night off of five day recovery. Same with the Broncos.
Broncos day football against against Canberra in Canberra Day football
(10:37):
Sunday at home and then they're going to have a
five day turnaround, the day turnaround into the Grand Final
for the Storm and the Sharks the winner of that game.
I'm telling you they have a significant advantage.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
Yeah, even like particularly if Penrith beat the Broncos. It's
it's been they talk about going the long way round
with you. You're out of the top four. Also, you
have to play each week then to go and then
play against Brisbane, who were the form side. If they
beat them, then win that Grand Final, it could be
the greatest road to a Grand Final win of all time.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
It's probably as impressive as winning the previous four. Yeah,
given about halfway through the comp they last.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Yeah, I think round twelve they were last.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I'll preface this by saying that the team who wins
Friday has a significant advantage. But I don't see anyone
beating Penrith.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
You still don't.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
I don't see anyone, But I just don't. I just
can't see it. Wow, I just can't see it. I
the type of football they're playing. I don't know who
their strength and conditioner is, but my god, he deserves
a pay rise because they're the freshest team of the comp.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Suddenly, yeah, time, Well we're going to talk about that game.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
But let's go back to that storm verse Sharks Friday
night potential inns. These guys are named for the storm.
Sean Blah comes back onto the bench, a great year
for him, But Jerome Hughes and Ryan Pappenhausen are named
in the starting lineup. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised
if one of them doesn't play. They are named Belly.
I could give him every chance to play.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Paps will play that.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
I don't know sort of where he's he was at
after the concussion the other week.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
You're right, Hughsey.
Speaker 5 (12:21):
I mean, Hughes is tough like and they're both very tough.
Hughes's probably underrated tough because people look at him as
a half back and he's never done an Army camp
and he's always sort of injured here and there. But
he plays through a lot of injuries. I have no
doubt if it was a Grand Final he would play. So,
but do you risk it in a preliminary final when
it's a bone injury like that.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Well, that's it. Well, a bone injury, a bone break,
it's a you're either fid or you're not. It's none
of this nine. You're either right or not. So Belly
A if he takes his place in the side. Then
I've got no doubt he'll get He'll get through the
game because the fact that I can imagine all week
they're going to be running Nelson at him. He'll have
some pretty big fitness tests. So if he plays, I'm
(13:01):
confident he'll get through. That's my biggest X factor in
this game, Coup. That's whether Jerone plays or not, just
the belief it gives the.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Side experience, big game experience.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Experience, you know. It allows them to play their normal system.
They don't have to adjust, they can go back to
that normal system they're most comfortable with, you know, the
way they attack that middle with who perhaps Monster and
Harry big threats. So it's a it's a bit, it's
a big X factor. It's a huge variable.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Yeah, I look at how they've been playing the last
month as well, and when Storm played good there you
can you look at their spine and everyone in their
spine has a good game, and they're all on the
same page.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
They all work in unison.
Speaker 5 (13:43):
It's like they're all connected on a piece of string.
It's the most that's the most accurate analogy I can use.
They're all moving together, they react together, they both they
all compliment like when Harry does this monster does exactly
what he wants.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Him to do.
Speaker 5 (13:58):
The last month, they haven't been doing that. They haven't
had a consistent spine in Hughes has gone in and out.
Perhaps has gone in and out. I do worry, and
I haven't seen it when I was at the Storm,
it's certainly I certainly hadn't seen it. I haven't seen
the last couple of years. When they come back from injury,
it usually takes them a couple of weeks to get
back to that level where they're all on the same page.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Yeh, I do have worries.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
Although the Storm are so good, with those boys coming
back in not having played a lot of footage together
the last month, how it's going.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
To affect their spines performance.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Yeah. No, I totally agree with the cute, particularly how
fast they play, and it's not an overtly complex attack,
but it's got some complexities to it. And you watch
them at the start of the year when they're playing,
they'll playing sides. I played it with day football. They'll
blow it. They're putting sixty up teams all the time,
just jamming. It was very interesting. I said to someone
(14:53):
I paused the game and said, have a look at
the threat, the whole threat that they're blowing the oppos
apart through the middle, just driving through the ruck and
through the middle. You could have actually thrown a bed
sheet over the whole spine. Harry, Harry and dummy half
you had Munster. You're Jerome on the right, and you've
got paps right on their ass, like they're all just
(15:15):
bunched in there, just pouring through the ball.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
It's funny you say that, because that's an analogy we
used to use down there.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
It was not a bad sheet. We used to call
it the hula hoop. So you'd want, especially off the
back of a quick play the ball.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
And this is a sort of a system that a
lot of teams use when it's quick play, the one
your hooker takes off or your half takes off. You
want everyone or your key men almost in a hula
hoop together, like you want them all moving together in
a hula hoop almost, like I said the string analogy before, Yep,
you want everyone on the same amount of string, particularly
(15:47):
like if if Harry's taken off accelerating that way, you
don't want that gap between him and Monster getting bigger.
You want him to be going reacting at the same time.
You want that piece of string to say the exact
same length.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Are good at that.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
Although they can play a very simple way, just try
to get ruck speed and quick play the balls. They
have so many complexities and little details in around their
attack a lot of them are. The big advantage they've
got on everyone is that Spine's been together for so
long that they all when they're on, they all react
and are so perfect together. They all compliment each other's
(16:21):
games so well.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
And Cooper's not just on that scenular play, the fact
that also Monster takes the ball on the left and
Hughes's there. If Munster makes a DNT or makes a
half break, Hughes's already at the ruck to take the
next play. It's not like he's happened to rush to
the ruck to call the ball. He's already there early,
which allows him to have a bit of look around
(16:42):
and see where they're vulnerable. So it's for numerous reasons
why it's so good. What do you think, key Clash,
I've gone Harry Grant versus Blake Brailey.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
Yeah, I think the two best hookers in the NFL
at the moment, two young.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Skippers and two young skippers and the reason I think
they're too key men, but I also think they're two
really key indicators. Whichever one you see getting out of
me half of me to don'b to contry it, yet
I'm sorry able to create. You'll know that their pack
of forwards are and joints superiority. They're winning the artish battle.
(17:16):
So both of those players are really great indication who's
winning the yardage game, which is going to be pretty torring.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
I've got the battle of the back rowers. I like
the Sharks back rowers, although they're not the biggest names
in the NROL. Tig Wilton Nikor has been coming off
the bench and Billy Burns on that right edge, they're
playing as good as my as consistent as any back
rower has the last month.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
But I look.
Speaker 5 (17:39):
At the back rower Ellie Ktoa on that right edge
of Melbourne. He's been my back rower of the whole
of the whole years. He's unbelievab playing out of his skin.
But yeah, I think it's a big battle because Melbourne
loves using their back rowers early to get rock speed
over the half and Sharks have been playing the exact
same way. They hit their back rollers earlier. They use
(18:00):
them on leads, get a quick playaball, and then they
play off the back of them. So I think both
sides are going to be using that tendency to play
against each.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Other, not to them in the competition. Realies in their
background was more than the Sharks, and you see the
way they are schooled to hit, to hit holes and
run angles. It's just outstanding. And they need them to
run those lines. And the reason they rely on them
so much is if you watch the way that the
Sharks play, they do have a tendency to drift sideways.
(18:27):
The playmakers sort of drift and so you need someone
to correct and that strong, hard straight line that Birds Wilton,
particularly Nicora Nigger do, that's the correction. That's what straightens
them right up and pulls the defense in.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Let's the scenario. If Storm are to win, how do
you see they winning this game? And why I see that.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
The Storm I think they if they win, they it's
their template, what they're similar to in the fact that
they have an established template and style for finals football.
It's been proven and when they execute it well nine
times out of ten they win. And so that you know,
(19:12):
I looked at it's no how and it's discipline, and
it's the very fact that the strength of the Storm
and watching from the outside and you know more than
me watching the strength of the Storm is the system
is the strength the individuals, you know, and the individual
talents are the cream on top. And so that's for
(19:34):
the Storm to win. I don't think they need a
lot of things to go right. They've just got to
be able to play their best football.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Yeah, I had the same thing written down with that system.
You saw what Penrith did the Bulldogs last week, and
that is Storm and Penrith have the two best particularly
attacking attacking systems in place. They've had it for years,
they've done it so well consistently. But you saw Penrith
were so disciplined and clinical with that system last week.
(20:04):
Melbourne have that in them and when they play like
you said before, when they blow teams off the park
sixty zero and day football, they execute that system to perfection.
Why they haven't been consistent this year is little things
like catch and pass, little details on their shape and
their system that they that's really been letting them down.
I think for them to beat the sharkis tomorrow and
(20:27):
play their best footy, it's up to that spine to
get that detail back on all their shape because they've
had really uncharacteristic errors at times this year Melbourne, really
small detail erarors, like passes that have just gone fractionally
behind or two in front. They've never really had that.
They've always been stressed and because they trained so hard
in the preseason put someone's detail into their shape. They've
(20:49):
always nailed the one percenters, but this year they've really
struggled with the consistency on it. So they're gonna have
to get back to that.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, it's funny, isn't Like usually their best football is
reserved for at home at night. This year that hasn't
been That hasn't been the case. They've excelled at home
in day football, blood sides away, but at night, when
things a little a little bit more tricky, a little slippery,
they've struggled a little bit. They used to be unbeatable
(21:16):
at night at home. Hasn't so much been the case
this year to me, all season, apart from the first
few rounds, I think for two thirds of this season
to me, they haven't played like competition favorites. Nah, They've
never I've never looked at the Storm this year or
(21:38):
again back to the back half of the season. I've
never looked at them and gone, yep, now I understand
why they're three dollars to win the Common.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
I think a lot of that has just been on paper.
They got beat last year and they've they didn't lose
anyone and they gained Stefana, So I think on paper,
the betting agencies and everyone just went, oh, well, how
are they not favorites this year when Pandrith are losing
Blue Eye and play key players like that.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
So, but I'm with you.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
I there's been patches where you go, these guys are unbelievable,
and then there's been patches where you go, far out
are they are?
Speaker 3 (22:10):
They?
Speaker 4 (22:10):
Like?
Speaker 5 (22:11):
Where's the Melbourne that people are used to? But that's
been the trend of the whole year. Like Penrith Penrith,
that first twelve rounds, you thought they weren't even going
to make the top eight at one stage, you know
so and now and now you look at them and
you go after last week and the week before, they're
probably competition favorites.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Penrith my word, they are. They're cold bloody killers.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
The sharkis why do you think that? How do the
Sharks win this if they're to if they're to upset
the Storm.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Because they've been killing them.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
They've been playing bloody good at the moment, But how
do they upset the Storm.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
They've had a good battle over the year, Sharks and Storm,
great rivalry.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
So they've got the Shark style. Does worry I mean, yeah,
twenty sixteen grand five. Of course that's one.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
There's been someone up the last few years when Storm
we've gone to Shark Park, Sharks have upset.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Them a few times.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Yeah, like they they have an ability and Ronaldo's big
for this, but they haven't ability to almost niggle the
Storm out of their normal system disrupt them.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
You can see that with Ronaldo's chirp. I spoke about
discipline and template. As far as the Storm is concerned.
For the Sharks, how do they win it? Well, before
we get into the tactical details, confidence, momentum, aggression. What
I mean aggression is there's no more mister nice guys.
(23:27):
They're actually they're chirping. They're chirping before the game. They
chirping during the game and they're backing it up. Now
there's substance to their swagger. I love the turn. I
love the turn of attitude. I love the fact that
Nico's coming out having a few shots publicly. I love it.
I love it because he's playing, he's playing like he's talking.
(23:47):
He's all of them, including Nico. They're an aggressive frame
of mind.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
Did you see I saw Ronaldo do an interview during
the week, ras Man, you might have seen this. He's
referred to himself in the third person as the ron Dog,
and he said he used the analogy of all these
other musty outside backs and wingers out there when the
ron Dog comes out, skinny and scrawny.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
But I'm all hart, they don't know what they how
to handle me. And I was like, that's he's taken
his churf into the next level.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Him. He's one of the kind, I think, and he'll
be pivotal for them winning.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
So nothing says insanity like and the third.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Person does and making up your own nickname.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Yeah, that's great. I've never heard anyone calling the ron Dog.
Shout out, I've got I see the shark.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
He's winning from a tactic of I think for noil
Blake is one of their most important players out there.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Storm have really lacked I.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Don't want to say punch in the forwards, but they've
probably relied more on their smarts to get quick play
the balls as opposed to just sending someone. They used
to be able to just send Nelson up he get
him a quick play, well they go off the back
of that. Adam fanoil Blake for Sharks is that man.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
He's he's the.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
Probably he's the most dangerous forward out there, I believe.
And what compliments him and how they're going to play
with him is how good the Sharks have been off
the back of quick play the balls and ad lib footy.
They're not playing structured footy as much at the moment,
but when they get a quick play the ball, they've
really nailed how they play off the back of quick
play the balls. Coming down to Blake Brayley. Blake Brayley,
(25:28):
he's not just distributing to his key man.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Now.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
If he sees something off the back of a quick
play the ball, he just takes Offcoo and they all follow.
Like we talked about that thing with a piece of
string and everyone on the hul hoop before Sharks are
getting to that level of connection, like when he takes
off Nico, Trindle, Kennedy, they all follow him.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
A couple of things with Fanilla Blake is and it's
very very similar to Penrith in the fact that with Penrith,
who starts to set, Leota finishes the set and gets
Nathan in the position for a clear and kick on
the long keys and whatnot. Same thing with the same
thing with Kronella. Ronaldo starts the set, he and Cantoa
and it's always Adam Vanila Blake the finishes the set.
(26:05):
There's that newt footwork pushing him through and he's given
Nicko and Trendle a lot of time their last tackle options.
The other thing about him, the big one too. I
think it's a huge game in the career of Stefana. Yeah,
the storm got in there and you can see that
coming out of State of Origin. He's been he's been
really impressive. He's gone up to the next level. But
(26:27):
he's up against Adam Vanila Blake. It's going to be
is going to be a great test.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
Yeah, he's been that key man in the middle.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Stefana, he's been terrific.
Speaker 5 (26:35):
Yeah, who's your X factor. Let's pick one from each side.
Lat's start with Melbourne.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Okay, as far as a man of influence, because my
X factory in the game is Jerome. But for the
man I think of player great influences, Munster, we haven't.
We haven't even spoken about Muster here yet, right Munster.
I think Munster is. I still rank him number one
as far as big game performers in rugby league. Nathan
(27:03):
has won four comps in a row, but Munster is
dominated at every level, like he's dominated the highest pinnacle,
he's dominated state of origin and he's dominated as far
as winning titles and performing in big games for the
Melbourne Storm. So I've still got Munster number one. Munster
in this year, I reckon in the last month Coops,
(27:26):
I think that Melbourne had been playing a little bit
too much half field football in attack. And you know,
when you're playing half field football, you've got the five
to five split in defense and you've got the markers right.
But what it is with the half field split for
a bloke like Munster who's good runner of the football
is you're getting pressure from the inside from the markers,
but you also got guys the holes aren't big, they
(27:47):
can sort of outside in you. I was watching him
last week. He got going a bit in the second half,
but early, but in the first half he was just
playing in a phone box a bit. He couldn't loosen up.
I'd like to see Munster and work past the far post,
you know, so that's sort of sixty, set that three
quarters of the field and get a longer pass. The
means that defense can't outside in him. They've got a
(28:08):
sort of holding defense passively, and that's all he needs. Marcus,
he's too far away from the markers to really chase
some pressure. They just opened him up a little bit.
But Munster, Yeah, just Munster and how unorthodox he is
in big games. He's big game instincts. How he performs
is huge. If you tell me now Monsters eight and
a half out of ten, I guarantee Storm win.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Yeah, I have, I have a grant this week.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
I think he's been probably, I mean, I think he's
been the best hooker all year, arguably one of the
best players. Or you had some amazing big moments. But
I just think it all starts. Their Attackle starts with Harry, Yeah, right,
their Attackle starts with Harry when he's on and they're
getting quick play the balls and he's creating quick play
the balls with his deception and his running game. It
brings Hughesy perhaps and Munster into it. I think against
(28:58):
the Dogs probably they they were a bit off. They
didn't really, like you said, Munster was not really get
finding himself in the field positions where he wants it.
Munster's best footy is less structured. Yeah, when they're not
setting up for shit all the time to then just
give it to Monster to just do sort of go
through the motions with his players. So he's best when
similar to like Brayley is with Nicko. When Harry's getting
(29:20):
out and playing a lot of good footy and find
Munster's best foot he comes when he's just pushing off
the back of Harry.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Harry might go quick playable and then Munster gets it
off the back of that.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
And if we go to the Sharks, coop who's the
key man. It's funny when you scale things back and
you go, well, if he doesn't do that, then that
doesn't happen. If he doesn't do that, that's it and
it sort of spills on like the old lady that
swallowed the fly.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
What I mean by that is I want to go
key man, I want my on the surface. I go
Braiden Trindle. But what gets braid and Trindle going, Well,
braid and Trindle, it's Blake. Bradley gets him going, scoops
out and he gets him and Nickel on the front foot. Yeah,
but who gets Brailey away? Well I was ad that
gets Bailey out of dummy half. But but then again,
(30:04):
if Ronaldo and Katara aren't going forward on players one, two, three,
then Faniel Blake is. So it all scales back. But
on the surface, So who's the key man, Who's the
one that's going to make, you know, the great decisions
to win. I think it's Trendle. I love the way
that he and Nico finally formed combination with Brayley. That's
(30:25):
what Fitzy has been waiting for the last couple of seasons.
And they've worked out their roles. There is no number
of this bullshit, oh who should be halfway? Who's they're
just playing? Then they've falled into their natural roles. They've
identified how they should play and how to compliment each other.
So it's tricky. It's about organization and finesse pass, finesse,
(30:45):
smart kicking for Nicko. Since Brailey's been jumping out of
dummy half, Nico has just played far more aggressive and
on the foot, on the front foot, react and run.
And I think the best example I could give you
them working is the combination and understand each other's strengths.
Was the second try they scored the other night, where
they went up a sort of half field. Tricky looked
(31:07):
on the inside, told Live the ball went out the
back of sweep shopping to Nico created space. Nicko did
a short ball to Klero, who went down made the break.
Rather than set up Tricky took the next play Brandon
Trindle and he wandered, wandered, wandered, Come on, where's Marunna?
Niko just went bom inside ball and scores. That's That's
how Harves combination should work.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Who wins? Who's your tip?
Speaker 1 (31:31):
My temptation is to say that if Jerome plays, Storm win,
and if he doesn't play, it's Cronulla. But I'm not
going to sit on the fence. I've got a films.
I've got a films, got an upset. The Sharks just
right up in their toes. I'm going to say Sharks by.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Two would not surprise me, would not surprise me. I'm
actually going down to the game.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
You're going down.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
I'm flying down to go to the AFL Grand File. No,
I'm not going to go to the AFL JF. No,
I'm going to fly back on a Grand Final day
because you know why, cheaper.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
Flights, smart, well, blade, big bang. I'm going Melbourne. I
think I think Melbourne get it done. I think they
are going to find a little bit more consistency and
find their feet in this game.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Ras Man, there you go.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
A couple of weeks back, I would have thought, you know,
the Canberra Broncos Dogs all sort of had a had
a chance at winning it. But the more that I
think about it, it just seems inevitable that it's going
to be a Storm Penrith Grand Final, which is so
so boring, but it is what it is, and I think, yeah,
I think storm Wing.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Well, okay, at least your Titans, at least your exactly
would you do you have an amount of white answer?
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Seeing in the grass that might be soon.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
Do you have a second favorite side?
Speaker 4 (32:47):
I'm I'm partial to the Storm and other Queensland teams
just because you're a Queensland the Queenslander. Yeah, which is.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
We spoke about this quite brain.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
Like a but I've grown to like Manly over the
years as well. Oh god, every time?
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Was it mainly in the midst of a soap opera?
Speaker 3 (33:11):
Can I ask you was it?
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Was?
Speaker 5 (33:12):
It quite surreal to see one of your best mates,
like when all that big controversy and such big signing
news when I came.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Back to me let him know you Tom?
Speaker 5 (33:21):
Yeah, Joey, great.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Last episode?
Speaker 4 (33:27):
You do?
Speaker 1 (33:28):
What's going to what's your pick with? Just quickly with Tom?
Do you think I think Tom's going to stay or
go to Warrington the Gazelle.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
I think he'll stay. I can't imagine.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
I mean that seems like there's a bit of contract
drama going on there at the moment.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
To fuck this one up like they did the last one.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Yeah, it seems like they had him done and then
I think they pulled a bit of cash out of
the deal.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Or something like that. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
It's all a bit murky at the moment to get
clear information. But I mean, Turbo is too good to
be going over super League. Now he go over and
kill it, but he can still add value somewhere. And
I know tur Turbo's a kind of guy that doesn't
want to go and sign for a different club because
he's so Him and Jake and Ben, they're all so
loyal to Manley, So I think it would really hurt
(34:09):
him to have to play against Manly.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Do you think that Manly are using that loyalty as
to weaponize this contract? Do a little bit?
Speaker 5 (34:18):
I mean potentially from a business point of view, you'd
probably be silly not to because they know they know
that they don't want to play for another side. So
if you're looking strictly from them trying to get the
best deal for like out of Turbo, they probably are
using that loyalty to an extent, which you argue is
that good faith? Potentially not, but I mean it's business,
but I think he's too good like to. If they
(34:41):
are to lose Chez and then to lose Turbo to
the Super League, that is two of your most important
men of the last decade to lose straight away, and
you can't it's going to be a big sort of
phase for them going forward without DC next year. To
lose Turbo as well, they're just too, like that could
really put him in a slum.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
With a boatlight. Joey Walsh coming into the side, like
he's going to he's going to need a blackloight. Yeah there,
like he's going to rely on him hell like that.
Kids can't lose that.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
A man of experience, you learn the most as a
young player. You learn the most out of players. You
actually like leaders at clubs, Like coaches helped you a lot,
reviewing and stuff. But the little tendencies that current players
and leaders of the NFL teach you as a young player.
And this is I remember Joey because Joey Welsh, he lives.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Up the road. He used to cut my hair.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
We used to go to school with his brother Jack,
me and Rasman. And when he had a few different
offers on the table and he's his old man came
into the garage when he was cutting my hair and
they sort of told me about the different clubs that
were interested and said what would what would because there
you come from a union background, they don't know too
much about legue would you do? And I said, from
(35:50):
my point of view, although there were some other good
clubs on the table, but no club probably had leadership
in the playing group like me, only did they Jake
TARROI of it's Tom Taru, Dally Cherry Evans, you knew that.
At the time, we thought Chans were going to be
playing a fair bit of Origin, which might have gotten
Joey a chance. Unfortunately Chess got dropped. But you learn
(36:12):
so much from those players and the aura that they have.
It makes you want to work harder every day at training,
which is so important for a young player to break.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Your young players like and the other thing too good
advice is that early in your career he's living at home. Yeah,
like he's still in your home hometown club, you know
those other clubs. You know, you establish Yourselfie Mago else
who knows, but it'll break your kid's heart to finally
go came in first grade and then you've got no
Dali there and you've lost Tom Travoyvich. Anyway, Sunday, Yeah,
what a game could be one of the great finals games.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 5 (36:44):
Broncos of the Broncos Raiders game that was Grand Final worthy.
Now their second game in the prelim Broncos vers Penrith
Sunday afternoon. This is a Grand Final game.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
As well, yep, the blockbuster matchup.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
I don't think there's there's a couple of bigins. Penrith unchanged,
Ezra Maham is named on the bench and Adam Reynolds
back into half back, partnering with Ben Hunt big one.
I would be very, very surprised if ma'am starts on
the bench. I'm not a massive fan of switching your
five eight, which if they're going to bring Ezra into
(37:17):
the game, they put him to five A and then
move Ben Hunt to hooker. I'm not a massive fan
of changing your spine too much on the run, particularly
when you take a bloke from five to eight Benny Hunt,
and then push him to hooker. I like the idea
of bringing on a fresh Ben Hunt at hooker to
terrorise the middle with a bit of his running game.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
I do like Ezra at fourteen. You like it, I
like I'd like Ezra without coming back from a ham string.
Sometimes hard to get through the eighty minutes because you
don't have as much running in that injured hamstring. But
I like the fact that if you start with if
you start with Reynolds and Bennie Hunt, they've played lots
(37:58):
and lots of big game football, and I just think,
you know what Penrith might try to do. Coop's just
come out and blow them off the park early, like
they'll you know, I'll be sprised, they don't. I love
that when sometimes I do enjoy the way Penrith will
build a game, but I think sometimes they're too patient.
I love the other day against the Dogs, that's the Penruth.
I love to watch the side that gives them a
(38:19):
chance to blow a team away early. And so, you know,
so Brisbane they've got to start strong, gonna be on
these days and have to have Ben Hunt and Adam
Reinald's two experienced blokes, I think some advantage. And then
after about twenty minutes, Corey Pake's off of Phil Benny
Hunt to nine, Ezra Man into six and holy Doly,
(38:42):
isn't that an attacking combination Rhys Walsh Ezra Yeah.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
I mean, I haven't seen I don't think I've ever seen.
I mean, Storm's depth in the spine is good, but
Bronco's depth in their spine this year has been unbelievable.
Like even they've lost Billy Walters to his ACL reconstruction,
but to have reeswalshed Billy Walters, Ezra Man, Ben Hunt,
Adam Reynolds, Corey Peaks and even Tyson Smoothie. Yeah, you've
(39:07):
got seven players there who like their genuine NRL players.
They've got a fair bit of NRL experience and they
probably play a lot of different class.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
It's important for.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Adam Reynolds coming into the site because when he got injured,
they had no other choice but to simplify their attack
and they went to more of a coinsland like traditional
Broncos attack. There wasn't so much x's and o's. It
was like move the ball to an edge and then
just open up the long side and get the ball
into the hands of the talent and speed and the skill,
(39:42):
get it out there, just play a bit of football.
That's where their football has evolved. And that's your tip
your hat to Madgine the fact that he's an ex
As and A's coach, but he has had the ability
to adjust their football as well. So it's important this
week with Reno that sometimes he doesn't know if it
plays hand is that sometimes that coep that simplification. You know,
let's just play football, Let's get it to the edge,
(40:03):
let's open up the field and get the ball into
Reese with a bit of space. And the other thing
about it too is when when Reno went down, the
space was the vacuum. There was a power vacuum there
which was filled by Reese Walsh Reecee Walsh coming too.
The team. He played played fullback, of course, but during
the game he played a bit of six, he played
a bit of seven. And so it's really important that
(40:26):
Reno loves a bit of space for him. You know,
he just doesn't want to go there and suddenly you
know fill you know all the creative duties. You just
want to leave a little bit for Reese. You want
Reees doing what he's been doing.
Speaker 5 (40:37):
It's a good it's a good big clash because you
look at Broncos, they're the swagger and the X factor
team that can blow a team in fifteen minutes. They
can just not blow a team, but they can blow
a team off the park, I'm sure in fifteen minutes.
Versing like the well oiled machine and the disciplined, clinical
Penrith Panthers who have done it on the big stage
the last four years and now they played last week
(40:59):
with they just the detail and all their shape, their
catch pass every pass was out in front.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (41:03):
I mean it's a real good, big clash. But where
do you see the clash player wise coops?
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Just before we talk about that class, I'll just say
this is round nine Magic ground. I commentated in that
game and Brisbane Brisbane handled I'm sorry, Penrith handled. Brisbane
really easily beat him. Convincedly it might have been thirty
two ten. I think they beat him. And the bloke
who had the big day out was Nathan. Nathan just
(41:31):
carved him up. Nathan at that point, you remember he
was just he was doing lots of drop offs, playing
a lot of side and it's sort of evolved it
from the sideways Football's where football had start to go.
It's always dangerous for play maker when you start doing that,
even the best of the like Nathan. But that game,
he just played gun barrel straight and they were targeting
the Broncos right side defense and they just could try
(41:54):
after try after try. They just kept pull, just kept
peeling the shorter numbers time at time Broncos couldn't offend it.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
That was a day game as well, wasn't it day game? Nathan?
I saw a start the other day.
Speaker 5 (42:07):
Nathan hasn't lost a day game since twenty nineteen or something.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Crazy.
Speaker 5 (42:12):
A few of the other the other players like Yoe
and that they have, but I think that's been when
Nathan wasn't there. You might have been injury with that
hamstringing to struggle with well after.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
The game when we interviewed him and we had sorry,
we had Isaiah toa there. We were talking about that
before we had Nathan on and I said, mate, how
good is day football? And Isaiah, you know, he just
said to people, you know, it's a big thing for playmaker.
It's the ball hitting the hands, easiest, easy to move
the ball around. Playmakers dream. Then we had Nathan and
I said, Nathan, you enjoyed day football, exaid, I just
(42:43):
love it. You know, it's just such a difference for playmakers.
Speaker 5 (42:46):
My sort of key clash involves Nathan. I've got Adam
Reynolds versus Nathan Cleary, two of probably the best kicking
halfbacks in the game. But also the redemption story for
Adam Reynolds a year Becausenathan beat the beat sous in
twenty twenty one, not twenty twenty two. I believe it
is when Renaul's last year at Souse and then Rene
(43:08):
goes to Broncos they beat He beats Reno in twenty
twenty three there when they were up by like sixteen points.
Now Nathan has a chance to knock Reno out of
another Grand Final. I would think that Adam Reynolds will
be right up for this game, and he gave it alone.
Speaker 6 (43:25):
You.
Speaker 5 (43:25):
I'm saying he's a chance, That's what I'm saying. But
I think it's a great It's a great class for
probably two of the i'd say two of the best
kickers of the football in the NRL.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Most organized half packs. You'd imagine like two of the
most organized. Yeah, I've gone, I've gone Nathan Cleary against
Reese Walsh. That's a big clash. It's that it's Reese Walsh.
It's Nathan's kicking game against Reecee Walsh's ability to return
the ball protect forty twenties, kind of tracing the test
of this last week. No amount of tape and preparation
(43:57):
you do on Nathan can prepare you for what's going
to come with his kicking. Of course, he's so good
at compromising his kicking. You know you can get there.
You sit on the tape and you'll be saying saying
to Reecee Welsh, now look at this. When he gets
in this field position, he kicks here and then you
know a few positions of you just can't because he's
so good at reacting to what another player does. Be compromising.
(44:19):
You know, like the kick the other day right on
and Katoa spoke about when he kicked the forty twenty.
I remember behind he went, oh, it's not that thing.
He just kicked it, and Katoa said to HEINDI, no, no, no,
you don't. You don't understand how hard it was. The
side of the way he took the ball, the pressure
he was under on that side, and they squeezing him
(44:40):
from the inside on his on on on the side
he doesn't prefer, and he kicked the ball with just
a fraction of tilt so when it hit the ground
it still ran forward but eventually just went into touch.
It was it was genius. And so you know, like
you can get there with rus you know what, position
(45:00):
himself a certain way, Nathan will get it and he'll
hook it back a different way.
Speaker 5 (45:03):
You'll just Nathan's got a good knack of during the
week understanding because He's done so much vision on other
players and predicting what they're going to do. He's got
such a great knack of knowing what's reys Walsh going
to be getting told and looking at my keying game
this week, so how's he going to be preparing and
then having something in his kit bag to counteract if
(45:25):
what he's predicting comes through like last week. Tracey's a
fit fullback. He knows that Nathan likes going for that
early kick in that corner, so he knew that he
was going to be because he's fit and quick, He's
going to be getting on his bike almost overworking. Clint
Guthinson used to do the same thing as a fullback.
He actually overworks and I remember there was a game
where Penris played against the Eels where Nathan actually prepared
(45:48):
knowing that Clint Guthison was an overchaser, where Jerome Leui
would get it on the left shaped to kick, Gutha
would overchase and then he'd rip it straight back to
Nathan on the right side of the play the ball,
and then he'd kicked direct for his back roller, knowing
that they would catch him out. Small little details during
the week that he's going to be knowing Reese Walsh
is preparing for this. I'm going to have this in
(46:10):
my arsenal that I can pull out if he does that.
Speaker 4 (46:12):
And fun fact, Reese Walsh has never beaten Dependwrith Panthers.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
Oh wow man armed.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
Armed Yeah, not my start. I saw it on Instagram. Wow. Well.
Speaker 1 (46:25):
But it's a challenge for Nathan as well, boys, because
because I mean, the aim of every yeah, every kicker
when he knocks the ball to the playmaker, when he
knocks the ball down field on a long kick is
to hit grass yea. And with Ree it's it's harder
to hit grass as opposed to arms because he's so quick,
gets on his bike so quick. You have good instincts
(46:46):
and anticipation. So it's going to be it's going to
be a challenge for Nathan as well.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
But yeah, that's a good class.
Speaker 1 (46:52):
It's a great it's a great it's a great class.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
If Bronks are to win.
Speaker 5 (46:55):
Now, this is the point I want to make Reese Walsh,
he's the he's the biggest threat that the Broncos have
and Penrith all week he's going to be on the
tip sheet, head on a plate.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
Rees Walsh.
Speaker 5 (47:07):
We need to name drop him wherever he is in attack.
We need to try to get a lot of inside pressure,
be aggressive with him in defense. I think the Bronx
win this game. I find the Broncos first fifteen minutes
use Reese Walsh as a distraction out the back of
a lot of shape, bringing that edge defense up, forcing
him to name drop him, using energy by getting a
(47:29):
lot of line speed jammy out the back. But I'd
really be using Hals in the back rollers to get
quick play the balls off.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
The back of it.
Speaker 5 (47:36):
I think the key to their attack is getting quick
play the balls, not through Reese Walsh, but through other
key men like Stags, back rolls, Hals. And then fifteen
twenty minutes into the game, when there's a bit of
fatigue and you haven't used or really seen Reese Walsh
at all, that's when that name dropping and talk and
they'll forget about him. They'll completely forget about him because
you've opened him up with some other threats. And then
(47:58):
I think that brings Reechwolsh into the game because if
you start, if you look for Reese Welsh early and
they a fresh penrith defense rocks him a little bit
gets a bit of confident, like, takes a bit of
confidence out of him. I think it will affect Reese
Walsh's game and Bronco's attack for the remainder of the game.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
It's a very good point about Reese around the back
and do him send him as a decoy. Let's have
a look at the thing. Let's talk about the things
that worry Penrith On the weekend and the Penroth left
hand left side defense had a lot of trouble with
diversion plays. Remember Locky Galvin went up, Connor Tracy was
sweeping at the back of Jacob Preston and they overslid.
I think it was Blaze turned in and he Senter
(48:36):
went out and Preston twice went straight through.
Speaker 3 (48:39):
Well, that's the.
Speaker 5 (48:39):
Space I said that last week Blaze TELANGI in Casey McLean.
They put there to try to help him out communication wise,
but give him a bit of experience. But that's the
weakness in the edge defense. They're the ones that kind
of a bit inconsistent with their decision making and sometimes
they can not protect their inside shoulder. And that's the
side that Reese Walsh likes to go down with his
speed and coopt.
Speaker 1 (49:00):
You're right, I would early in the game just keep
hitting the front man, hitting him, hitting him, putting little
dntse in him, playing a little bit of patience and
then but and I do think the best opportunity for
the Broncos is going always going to that that right
side defense. And you know, and and if you're going
to target, if you're going to set up plays for Reese,
(49:21):
you've got to work the ball. You're got to work
the ball past the scrumbline. You got to work to
open the full field up. And then just go wham
wham whim. Don't don't make around too much.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
Who's ringing?
Speaker 1 (49:31):
You?
Speaker 4 (49:31):
Answer?
Speaker 1 (49:32):
Peter Badell?
Speaker 3 (49:33):
What's that? What's he ringing for?
Speaker 1 (49:36):
Hey, Pete, that's the great Peter Badell. Now listen, Pete,
I've just got to warn your man. I'm doing a
podcast with a young Blake Cooper at the moment. So
I've got you on what what male you got for
us with the Broncos? Pete?
Speaker 6 (49:51):
Do you want to scoop it to make you bigger
than Germany?
Speaker 1 (49:54):
Made bigger than bigger than the old Yugoslavia? May give
it of you, Pete?
Speaker 6 (50:01):
What about the great is he's back.
Speaker 1 (50:03):
He's back, mate, So fourteen, Pete, what's the word going
on there? Will will he start or will he be fourteen?
You reckon?
Speaker 6 (50:11):
No, I think he'll be fourteen and and yeah, Reno
and Honey will start and then Ezra comes off for
a bit of impact, you know.
Speaker 1 (50:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (50:21):
So but usually like SMOOTHI is interesting at thirteen as well,
so I thought they might go with heathering to there.
But he was training at thirteen today, Smoothie.
Speaker 1 (50:31):
So ye're right. How's how's? How's the vibe made much
of the much of the Broncos, Pete.
Speaker 6 (50:36):
Mate, great, great, they look make they look confident. I
reckon they'll win, Maddie.
Speaker 3 (50:42):
You know, I think there.
Speaker 6 (50:44):
I reckon. I know they've got some demons from probably
twenty three, you know, but I just I think they're
ready to get the job done.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
You know, mate, mate, the place so called stadium is
going to be rock and Pete man.
Speaker 6 (50:56):
Yeah, it will be.
Speaker 5 (50:59):
But I made you yeah, mate, mate, you can see
if you want to just sit and listen to the podcast,
you can.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
You think so I might put me to sleep.
Speaker 1 (51:09):
Actually, they're not talking about Buzz and Webby there, mate.
That's true right right, Aboma. Just while we got your
mate Jake Paul versus Javante Davis. Mate, what about that?
How what a bizarre fight?
Speaker 6 (51:30):
That's that is ridiculous? That is ridiculous. How many weight
divisions apart?
Speaker 1 (51:35):
Are they made thirty pounds different or something happen? Yeah?
I think it's it's happening. They did the they did
the face off today. It's going to happen anyway. Listen, mate,
We'll let you go. Mate, being a bra boy and
you wrapping other stuff. Mate, see you by, I call
you after, see your brother, see your Boma.
Speaker 3 (51:59):
How dare you take personal calls? I'm joking because people
don't realize that.
Speaker 1 (52:06):
People think Peter Bedell's Queensland amazing boy ish.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
Yeah yep, well know yeah, sorry, not an actual BRABO.
Now we go with it.
Speaker 5 (52:15):
We just spoke about Broncos Penrith. If they're i mean
pretty self explanatory. I think if they play the same
way they did against the Bulldogs, with the details and
all their shape, I think they beat anyone in the
NFL last week. I think they're going to want to
replicate that. They've got a Sunday afternoon game, same time slot.
I mean, yea, some of the some of the shape
that they ran was unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (52:38):
I was watching that. So there was a.
Speaker 5 (52:40):
Shape they did the right end side clearly went to
Isaao at the back, to Blaze Telungey who went out
the back to Tago even and all their catch pass
skill even when the wingers were jamming.
Speaker 3 (52:50):
It was unbelieve it was.
Speaker 5 (52:51):
It was as good as detail as I've ever seen
on shape.
Speaker 1 (52:53):
Coops in a game which has become obsessed with shapes
and sequences. Nothing a lot of times beats beats an
attack that ll beats a defense like a just a
great rapid fire catch and pass dink DNC DNC DNCDNK
down the line.
Speaker 5 (53:08):
Broncos are going to have to be very disruptive, aggressive
and absolutely.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Going to have to defend them outside in and they've
got to be nice and nice and uniformed as far
as Penrith look coops in the why they're so hard
to beat is they've got the blueprint, mate, It's the
reason they've won the last four. They know what they
know what they've got to do, and like the Melbourne Storm,
they need they need to do. Put it this way,
(53:36):
they don't have to do a lot of things right
to win. They've just got to do They've got to
do a couple of things, keep the same precision with
attack and just get their suffocation sets on driving it
to the corners, attacking them with their defense. That's it.
That's what That's what makes them so so so tough
to beat, is they're brilliant executing their blueprint in big games.
Speaker 5 (53:58):
I who's your Yeah, I'm going to go first. I
got the Brisbane Broncos. I said it. I actually I
tipped them to win a few weeks back to camp.
I mean Penrith, how they played last week really worried
me because I think last week they beat anyone in
the top eight. But I think the Bronx are going
to get it done.
Speaker 1 (54:14):
I bet the Bronx started you to win the camp.
But I've changed, I've changed my mind. I like, I
just I can't see anyone beat in Penrith. I think
the Broncos win, and I think they win from twelve
to fourteen points the Penrith You said, yeah.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
Penrith, Yeah, same logic as before. Pretty cynical of the
camp at the moment, you know, what's the point having
seventeen teams if they're just going to be two at
the end of it. So it's turned. It's turned into
an EPL which its Liverpool United City.
Speaker 3 (54:46):
Yeah, Penrith, you're a glass half empty, aren't you?
Speaker 4 (54:49):
Right now?
Speaker 1 (54:50):
And good on your boys.
Speaker 5 (54:52):
Thanks, we're going to see you next week and it'll
be our last preview Grand Final previews and and we're
going to do a bit of a bit of Dall
Awards as well.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
Oh yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4 (55:01):
Yeah, we're wearing tuxedos. I've heard.
Speaker 3 (55:05):
Yeah, let's do it. Let's wear tuxedo. Chan tuxedo, Jackie Chan.
Speaker 1 (55:10):
That was a movie, remember the Jackie Chan movie Jackie Chan.
Speaker 5 (55:18):
You know what's funny? Just stop for a set your
mic just cut out. And I'm glad it did, because
that was the worst piece of the podcast.
Speaker 3 (55:28):
That you ever said.
Speaker 1 (55:29):
That's saying something you're back on.
Speaker 4 (55:30):
Okay, Thanks for watching the episode. Like and subscribe.
Yeah, gooday, guys, it's Maddie John's here. Look at it.
You can tell them, just not myself at the moment,
a little bit down, but I'll tell it'll cheer me up.
Hitting the follow butt on our podcast with the Family
podcast and backstage so you don't miss any of the
good stuff we've got coming up. And thank you guys,
Thank you again for listening to the podcast and giving
us your support. Good on you guys. Sing your DNA.
(00:25):
I'm seeing you along. When you walk through a storm,
hold your head up, hi, and don't be afraid of
the dar. At the end.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Of the storm, there's a Golden scy what is that song?
And the sweet Silver song?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
What is of the lock?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Walk On through the wind, walk On through the rain,
all your dreams, bears and bloo, walk on, walk on?
What is the hope in your heart? And You'll never
walk alone?
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Ah?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Right, you haven't done last song? Justice That was so
long that sorry, ras Man.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Just something for the for the something of the listeners
and the viewers. What's YouTube? But I've got to make
the Liverpool jersey on very.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Cool, bro, very cool.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
And nothing's cooler than having a like a jersey that
has a giant signature on it.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yeah, it is Craig Johnston. It's the al still Liverpool one.
The old school added a symbol and it's got all
that from when John Craig Johnston was at the club.
He's got all the trophies he won from eighty one
to eighty eight and have all the league titles. Wow
they won, they won in that era, and make champions,
champions leagues everything they won everything.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Are you're going to get you said you're gonna get
that framed? Are you gonna get a framed? Are you
just gonna leave around?
Speaker 6 (02:00):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Is it uncool to We're a jersey with the signature.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
On it, yes, Royal ras Man and that has the player,
like all of the achievements of the player embroidered on
the front. And I think that's kind of built to
be put in a frame, right.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Yeah, probably probably made for a frame. But I think
you do whatever you want to do, Matthew Rasmond.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Can I just say this the other night we have
the most wonderful night. Were sitting all on the couch
having a few beers watching Rick and Morty. That doesn't
don't don't they make it is? And the producers that
show deserve congratulations.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah, they do a good job.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Mister Nimbus is a lord.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
It was, it was. It was an un real night.
A couple of movies, fine around.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yeah, we watched the other guys as well, Mark Wohlburg
and Will Ferrell. That's a great movie film.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
Remember the who was the other character that you really
liked in Rick and Morty ras mister poopy butthole.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Picky but mister poopy but hoole, I think it is
you were you made us watch that episode. There's another
episode we didn't get to which involved a group of
dragons which are very sexually active. Oh yeah, yeah, we
didn't end up watching it.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
You know who the Rick and Morty guy, the ficionado
who loves them more than any person on the planet
is Kurt Man. Kirkman put Jack onto it and actually
and Kirkman's favorite character is mister Nimbus. And I said
to Jack. Jack sent a text message to Kurt Mean
a couple of days before the game against Penrith and said,
(03:28):
if you win, Dad's going to get you on for
the interview after us and he's going to refer to
you as mister Nimbus.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
I was looking out for that interview.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Got they put the tar between the legs and off?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Is that way through the game you reckon?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I reckon?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the way through.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
Some big news that broke today, Marky Mark, no one
I need to say, has informed the Rooster's gone back
to rugby union at the end of next year?
Speaker 6 (03:52):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Year?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, yeah, good, make good on him.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
I think so you get one career and I think
it's when Sunny Bill start to do it, everyone goes, oh,
this is the way ahead for the future, but we
haven't really seen it, but I think it will eventually
happen where players, you know, year by year, will.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
You will go over and then come back.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
And I think it's and without being a really smart
us here, I think it's important for the Wallabies now,
the Wallabies to compete against all Blacks and spring box
and regularly in the big European countries, is that they're
going to need more depth, you know what I mean?
And they might and.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Star power and slight power.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
Joseph Suli he's he's like their biggest star that they've
got right now. If Marky Mark goes back as well, yeah,
that's a that's a couple of couple of big fish
that you can actually market the team around because they
market they You've Joseph to market everything through. Now they
actually don't really have anyone else who's as big a
name as him that they can actually rely on.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
He's a question boys, right, I think about this like
Ozia Katoa, who's got a background in union, Like he
was the star bark School captain at Barker and the
star player. He's had played a lot of rugby.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
We used to play against Barket, didn't we.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Rose We did?
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Played against that school in the limited union games that
you played.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
But yeah, I was sort of in the lower grades
as well. So we got some random teams.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
You've got some other gifts, rasmen.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
How's the garage going, by the way.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Ah, it's good, it's good, it's cleaned up. And yeah,
lovn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Now Zeka Tower? Imagine like how I wonder how long
would take him to really get back into the groove.
If so six months before a Rugby World Cup they
went almost got him on own. I don't want it
to happen.
Speaker 5 (05:38):
No, I'd like to see it as somebody that likes
sport in general, and I know that, Like we're all
in this room love NRL. That's our favorite sport, but
I love like all sports as well, particularly when it
doesn't clash with the NRL season. It'd be bloody cool
to watch someone like Isaiah Tower just finishing an URL
season and then literally roll into a Rugby Union World Cup.
I honestly think he's so smart. And the way that
(06:01):
fly half is it's very kicking dominant, which he's got
a great kicking game. If he understands just some of
the field position rules and like you know, kicking out
of your own twenty two like they do in union,
the ballskal stuff will look after itself. Who can fall
back into that? I reckon he'd need a week to
get into some of those systems because their systems, attacking wise,
there are a lot more simple than a rugby league system.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Well, we had we had Isaiah on the show on
Sunday night and I sat with sat with him and
watched the Panthers Dogs game. Smartest football I've ever spoken to,
really smartest I ever spoken to. I'm talking as far
as football knowledge.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Beats out Nathan. He beats out Nathan, you reckon because
Nathan's Nathan.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
The first fight. I think he's on par with Nathan
right now. You won't get a smart player than Isaiah Cantaha.
And he's twenty one years of age. He just sat
there and you sort of ask you about certain things
and he'd explain and gave mate, I'm looking to do
this more than that. I was in there. Holy shit,
this kid's twenty one.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
I did like I watched that. I watched your show
when he was on there. He used a great example
of like how he picks up from tendencies from different halves,
because when you're a young half, you watch other halves
and you try to take just little little tendencies that
they have or the way they play a shape, you
try to steal it and just play suit your own way.
I love how he mentioned that Adam Reynolds. What Adam
Reynolds tendency to do is when he's going to pass,
(07:18):
particularly on fifth tackle, he'll shape to kick so that
the edge fall back to then open up his pass
and vice versa. When he knows he's going to kick,
he'll shape to pass and actually he's going to pass
to bring the line up so then he can kick
it in behind to tell.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Them a love of the football, which we talk about,
and he's a genius at it. You see where he looks,
he looks in, then plays out and vice versa. Sometimes
actually goes look in and then back in again. They're
going to go in, going to go out and made
he'd just be a nightmare defense and sometimes actually he's
going to go with a player and then that target
defender and then go backwards and pull him out of
(07:52):
the line. Yeah, it's made him frickish beautif he's such
but he's such a terrific, terrific young bloke and eloquent
made he actually the next the next day I rang
ring the bosses Fox and I said, mate, this bloke
like just you've got to get him right. So he's
on the panel this Friday night, Friday Night, the Friday
(08:16):
night panel on Fox is going to wait for this
for a lineup. It's going to host a Cooper Kronk
Kieren four in isaaiahta. Oh wow, how good is that?
Speaker 3 (08:25):
That is good? That is very very good.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Yeah, he'll go better than Scotty Drink what it does
when they get him on.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
That he's got his own style he does.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
While we're on that Friday night game, Storm versus the
sharkis I wanted to ask you before we get into
the actual game. They've moved it from Saturday to Friday.
Obviously it's in Melbourne and biggest day of the year
down in Melbourne's are the AFL Grand Final tween Geelong
Cats and who are they bloody playing Brisbane lines? Briston
(08:55):
line is going for a two peet going again? But
how do you see that situation moving or Friday. I
don't have an issue with it, given that how big
it is in Melbourne, the AFL Grand Final, no one
to go to the bloody Storm game.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
It's huge advantage though huge Cooper and I explain why
the two days is one thing, But the other significant
factor is the Broncos versus Penrith's a day game, fast
crisp ball movement, fast movement football takes a lot more
gas out of here. Night football, although sometimes more physical
(09:28):
does not take I don't think is not as physically
demanding as far as movement and soft tissue and exertion
on the lungs and all that sort of stuff. Day football,
it moves so much, so much quicker, and I've always
found that it takes longer to recover from that a
really fast day game compared to a night game. And
(09:51):
it's an adjustment in your football too. Now, Penrith, I'll
give you an example going from you see sides play
numerous night games in a row. They're all sudden. They
get a Sunday game and they just explode because all
the focus and you know, catching is easier and they
move the ball around is a lot easier. Great attacking
teams love day football. So they had a number of
(10:12):
night games, Penrith. Then out of the blue last week
they had the day game. I look what they did
in the first stuff. Look at they did the Dogs.
They just blow them away with their attack. Now they've
got they're going to go day game, day game against
the Broncos, and if they beat the Broncos, then they're
going to go into a night game on the Grand Final,
night off of five day recovery. Same with the Broncos.
Broncos day football against against Canberra in Canberra Day football
(10:37):
Sunday at home and then they're going to have a
five day turnaround, the day turnaround into the Grand Final
for the Storm and the Sharks the winner of that game.
I'm telling you they have a significant advantage.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
Yeah, even like particularly if Penrith beat the Broncos. It's
it's been they talk about going the long way round
with you. You're out of the top four. Also, you
have to play each week then to go and then
play against Brisbane, who were the form side. If they
beat them, then win that Grand Final, it could be
the greatest road to a Grand Final win of all time.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
It's probably as impressive as winning the previous four. Yeah,
given about halfway through the comp they last.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Yeah, I think round twelve they were last.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I'll preface this by saying that the team who wins
Friday has a significant advantage. But I don't see anyone
beating Penrith.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
You still don't.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
I don't see anyone, But I just don't. I just
can't see it. Wow, I just can't see it. I
the type of football they're playing. I don't know who
their strength and conditioner is, but my god, he deserves
a pay rise because they're the freshest team of the comp.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Suddenly, yeah, time, Well we're going to talk about that game.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
But let's go back to that storm verse Sharks Friday
night potential inns. These guys are named for the storm.
Sean Blah comes back onto the bench, a great year
for him, But Jerome Hughes and Ryan Pappenhausen are named
in the starting lineup. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised
if one of them doesn't play. They are named Belly.
I could give him every chance to play.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Paps will play that.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
I don't know sort of where he's he was at
after the concussion the other week.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
You're right, Hughsey.
Speaker 5 (12:21):
I mean, Hughes is tough like and they're both very tough.
Hughes's probably underrated tough because people look at him as
a half back and he's never done an Army camp
and he's always sort of injured here and there. But
he plays through a lot of injuries. I have no
doubt if it was a Grand Final he would play. So,
but do you risk it in a preliminary final when
it's a bone injury like that.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Well, that's it. Well, a bone injury, a bone break,
it's a you're either fid or you're not. It's none
of this nine. You're either right or not. So Belly
A if he takes his place in the side. Then
I've got no doubt he'll get He'll get through the
game because the fact that I can imagine all week
they're going to be running Nelson at him. He'll have
some pretty big fitness tests. So if he plays, I'm
(13:01):
confident he'll get through. That's my biggest X factor in
this game, Coup. That's whether Jerone plays or not, just
the belief it gives the.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Side experience, big game experience.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Experience, you know. It allows them to play their normal system.
They don't have to adjust, they can go back to
that normal system they're most comfortable with, you know, the
way they attack that middle with who perhaps Monster and
Harry big threats. So it's a it's a bit, it's
a big X factor. It's a huge variable.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Yeah, I look at how they've been playing the last
month as well, and when Storm played good there you
can you look at their spine and everyone in their
spine has a good game, and they're all on the
same page.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
They all work in unison.
Speaker 5 (13:43):
It's like they're all connected on a piece of string.
It's the most that's the most accurate analogy I can use.
They're all moving together, they react together, they both they
all compliment like when Harry does this monster does exactly
what he wants.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Him to do.
Speaker 5 (13:58):
The last month, they haven't been doing that. They haven't
had a consistent spine in Hughes has gone in and out.
Perhaps has gone in and out. I do worry, and
I haven't seen it when I was at the Storm,
it's certainly I certainly hadn't seen it. I haven't seen
the last couple of years. When they come back from injury,
it usually takes them a couple of weeks to get
back to that level where they're all on the same page.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Yeh, I do have worries.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
Although the Storm are so good, with those boys coming
back in not having played a lot of footage together
the last month, how it's going.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
To affect their spines performance.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Yeah. No, I totally agree with the cute, particularly how
fast they play, and it's not an overtly complex attack,
but it's got some complexities to it. And you watch
them at the start of the year when they're playing,
they'll playing sides. I played it with day football. They'll
blow it. They're putting sixty up teams all the time,
just jamming. It was very interesting. I said to someone
(14:53):
I paused the game and said, have a look at
the threat, the whole threat that they're blowing the oppos
apart through the middle, just driving through the ruck and
through the middle. You could have actually thrown a bed
sheet over the whole spine. Harry, Harry and dummy half
you had Munster. You're Jerome on the right, and you've
got paps right on their ass, like they're all just
(15:15):
bunched in there, just pouring through the ball.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
It's funny you say that, because that's an analogy we
used to use down there.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
It was not a bad sheet. We used to call
it the hula hoop. So you'd want, especially off the
back of a quick play the ball.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
And this is a sort of a system that a
lot of teams use when it's quick play, the one
your hooker takes off or your half takes off. You
want everyone or your key men almost in a hula
hoop together, like you want them all moving together in
a hula hoop almost, like I said the string analogy before, Yep,
you want everyone on the same amount of string, particularly
(15:47):
like if if Harry's taken off accelerating that way, you
don't want that gap between him and Monster getting bigger.
You want him to be going reacting at the same time.
You want that piece of string to say the exact
same length.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Are good at that.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
Although they can play a very simple way, just try
to get ruck speed and quick play the balls. They
have so many complexities and little details in around their
attack a lot of them are. The big advantage they've
got on everyone is that Spine's been together for so
long that they all when they're on, they all react
and are so perfect together. They all compliment each other's
(16:21):
games so well.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
And Cooper's not just on that scenular play, the fact
that also Monster takes the ball on the left and
Hughes's there. If Munster makes a DNT or makes a
half break, Hughes's already at the ruck to take the
next play. It's not like he's happened to rush to
the ruck to call the ball. He's already there early,
which allows him to have a bit of look around
(16:42):
and see where they're vulnerable. So it's for numerous reasons
why it's so good. What do you think, key Clash,
I've gone Harry Grant versus Blake Brailey.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
Yeah, I think the two best hookers in the NFL
at the moment, two young.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Skippers and two young skippers and the reason I think
they're too key men, but I also think they're two
really key indicators. Whichever one you see getting out of
me half of me to don'b to contry it, yet
I'm sorry able to create. You'll know that their pack
of forwards are and joints superiority. They're winning the artish battle.
(17:16):
So both of those players are really great indication who's
winning the yardage game, which is going to be pretty torring.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
I've got the battle of the back rowers. I like
the Sharks back rowers, although they're not the biggest names
in the NROL. Tig Wilton Nikor has been coming off
the bench and Billy Burns on that right edge, they're
playing as good as my as consistent as any back
rower has the last month.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
But I look.
Speaker 5 (17:39):
At the back rower Ellie Ktoa on that right edge
of Melbourne. He's been my back rower of the whole
of the whole years. He's unbelievab playing out of his skin.
But yeah, I think it's a big battle because Melbourne
loves using their back rowers early to get rock speed
over the half and Sharks have been playing the exact
same way. They hit their back rollers earlier. They use
(18:00):
them on leads, get a quick playaball, and then they
play off the back of them. So I think both
sides are going to be using that tendency to play
against each.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Other, not to them in the competition. Realies in their
background was more than the Sharks, and you see the
way they are schooled to hit, to hit holes and
run angles. It's just outstanding. And they need them to
run those lines. And the reason they rely on them
so much is if you watch the way that the
Sharks play, they do have a tendency to drift sideways.
(18:27):
The playmakers sort of drift and so you need someone
to correct and that strong, hard straight line that Birds Wilton,
particularly Nicora Nigger do, that's the correction. That's what straightens
them right up and pulls the defense in.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Let's the scenario. If Storm are to win, how do
you see they winning this game? And why I see that.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
The Storm I think they if they win, they it's
their template, what they're similar to in the fact that
they have an established template and style for finals football.
It's been proven and when they execute it well nine
times out of ten they win. And so that you know,
(19:12):
I looked at it's no how and it's discipline, and
it's the very fact that the strength of the Storm
and watching from the outside and you know more than
me watching the strength of the Storm is the system
is the strength the individuals, you know, and the individual
talents are the cream on top. And so that's for
(19:34):
the Storm to win. I don't think they need a
lot of things to go right. They've just got to
be able to play their best football.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Yeah, I had the same thing written down with that system.
You saw what Penrith did the Bulldogs last week, and
that is Storm and Penrith have the two best particularly
attacking attacking systems in place. They've had it for years,
they've done it so well consistently. But you saw Penrith
were so disciplined and clinical with that system last week.
(20:04):
Melbourne have that in them and when they play like
you said before, when they blow teams off the park
sixty zero and day football, they execute that system to perfection.
Why they haven't been consistent this year is little things
like catch and pass, little details on their shape and
their system that they that's really been letting them down.
I think for them to beat the sharkis tomorrow and
(20:27):
play their best footy, it's up to that spine to
get that detail back on all their shape because they've
had really uncharacteristic errors at times this year Melbourne, really
small detail erarors, like passes that have just gone fractionally
behind or two in front. They've never really had that.
They've always been stressed and because they trained so hard
in the preseason put someone's detail into their shape. They've
(20:49):
always nailed the one percenters, but this year they've really
struggled with the consistency on it. So they're gonna have
to get back to that.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, it's funny, isn't Like usually their best football is
reserved for at home at night. This year that hasn't
been That hasn't been the case. They've excelled at home
in day football, blood sides away, but at night, when
things a little a little bit more tricky, a little slippery,
they've struggled a little bit. They used to be unbeatable
(21:16):
at night at home. Hasn't so much been the case
this year to me, all season, apart from the first
few rounds, I think for two thirds of this season
to me, they haven't played like competition favorites. Nah, They've
never I've never looked at the Storm this year or
(21:38):
again back to the back half of the season. I've
never looked at them and gone, yep, now I understand
why they're three dollars to win the Common.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
I think a lot of that has just been on paper.
They got beat last year and they've they didn't lose
anyone and they gained Stefana, So I think on paper,
the betting agencies and everyone just went, oh, well, how
are they not favorites this year when Pandrith are losing
Blue Eye and play key players like that.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
So, but I'm with you.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
I there's been patches where you go, these guys are unbelievable,
and then there's been patches where you go, far out
are they are?
Speaker 3 (22:10):
They?
Speaker 4 (22:10):
Like?
Speaker 5 (22:11):
Where's the Melbourne that people are used to? But that's
been the trend of the whole year. Like Penrith Penrith,
that first twelve rounds, you thought they weren't even going
to make the top eight at one stage, you know
so and now and now you look at them and
you go after last week and the week before, they're
probably competition favorites.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Penrith my word, they are. They're cold bloody killers.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
The sharkis why do you think that? How do the
Sharks win this if they're to if they're to upset
the Storm.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Because they've been killing them.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
They've been playing bloody good at the moment, But how
do they upset the Storm.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
They've had a good battle over the year, Sharks and Storm,
great rivalry.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
So they've got the Shark style. Does worry I mean, yeah,
twenty sixteen grand five. Of course that's one.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
There's been someone up the last few years when Storm
we've gone to Shark Park, Sharks have upset.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Them a few times.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Yeah, like they they have an ability and Ronaldo's big
for this, but they haven't ability to almost niggle the
Storm out of their normal system disrupt them.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
You can see that with Ronaldo's chirp. I spoke about
discipline and template. As far as the Storm is concerned.
For the Sharks, how do they win it? Well, before
we get into the tactical details, confidence, momentum, aggression. What
I mean aggression is there's no more mister nice guys.
(23:27):
They're actually they're chirping. They're chirping before the game. They
chirping during the game and they're backing it up. Now
there's substance to their swagger. I love the turn. I
love the turn of attitude. I love the fact that
Nico's coming out having a few shots publicly. I love it.
I love it because he's playing, he's playing like he's talking.
(23:47):
He's all of them, including Nico. They're an aggressive frame
of mind.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
Did you see I saw Ronaldo do an interview during
the week, ras Man, you might have seen this. He's
referred to himself in the third person as the ron Dog,
and he said he used the analogy of all these
other musty outside backs and wingers out there when the
ron Dog comes out, skinny and scrawny.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
But I'm all hart, they don't know what they how
to handle me. And I was like, that's he's taken
his churf into the next level.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Him. He's one of the kind, I think, and he'll
be pivotal for them winning.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
So nothing says insanity like and the third.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Person does and making up your own nickname.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Yeah, that's great. I've never heard anyone calling the ron Dog.
Shout out, I've got I see the shark.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
He's winning from a tactic of I think for noil
Blake is one of their most important players out there.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Storm have really lacked I.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Don't want to say punch in the forwards, but they've
probably relied more on their smarts to get quick play
the balls as opposed to just sending someone. They used
to be able to just send Nelson up he get
him a quick play, well they go off the back
of that. Adam fanoil Blake for Sharks is that man.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
He's he's the.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
Probably he's the most dangerous forward out there, I believe.
And what compliments him and how they're going to play
with him is how good the Sharks have been off
the back of quick play the balls and ad lib footy.
They're not playing structured footy as much at the moment,
but when they get a quick play the ball, they've
really nailed how they play off the back of quick
play the balls. Coming down to Blake Brayley. Blake Brayley,
(25:28):
he's not just distributing to his key man.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Now.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
If he sees something off the back of a quick
play the ball, he just takes Offcoo and they all follow.
Like we talked about that thing with a piece of
string and everyone on the hul hoop before Sharks are
getting to that level of connection, like when he takes
off Nico, Trindle, Kennedy, they all follow him.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
A couple of things with Fanilla Blake is and it's
very very similar to Penrith in the fact that with Penrith,
who starts to set, Leota finishes the set and gets
Nathan in the position for a clear and kick on
the long keys and whatnot. Same thing with the same
thing with Kronella. Ronaldo starts the set, he and Cantoa
and it's always Adam Vanila Blake the finishes the set.
(26:05):
There's that newt footwork pushing him through and he's given
Nicko and Trendle a lot of time their last tackle options.
The other thing about him, the big one too. I
think it's a huge game in the career of Stefana. Yeah,
the storm got in there and you can see that
coming out of State of Origin. He's been he's been
really impressive. He's gone up to the next level. But
(26:27):
he's up against Adam Vanila Blake. It's going to be
is going to be a great test.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
Yeah, he's been that key man in the middle.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Stefana, he's been terrific.
Speaker 5 (26:35):
Yeah, who's your X factor. Let's pick one from each side.
Lat's start with Melbourne.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Okay, as far as a man of influence, because my
X factory in the game is Jerome. But for the
man I think of player great influences, Munster, we haven't.
We haven't even spoken about Muster here yet, right Munster.
I think Munster is. I still rank him number one
as far as big game performers in rugby league. Nathan
(27:03):
has won four comps in a row, but Munster is
dominated at every level, like he's dominated the highest pinnacle,
he's dominated state of origin and he's dominated as far
as winning titles and performing in big games for the
Melbourne Storm. So I've still got Munster number one. Munster
in this year, I reckon in the last month Coops,
(27:26):
I think that Melbourne had been playing a little bit
too much half field football in attack. And you know,
when you're playing half field football, you've got the five
to five split in defense and you've got the markers right.
But what it is with the half field split for
a bloke like Munster who's good runner of the football
is you're getting pressure from the inside from the markers,
but you also got guys the holes aren't big, they
(27:47):
can sort of outside in you. I was watching him
last week. He got going a bit in the second half,
but early, but in the first half he was just
playing in a phone box a bit. He couldn't loosen up.
I'd like to see Munster and work past the far post,
you know, so that's sort of sixty, set that three
quarters of the field and get a longer pass. The
means that defense can't outside in him. They've got a
(28:08):
sort of holding defense passively, and that's all he needs. Marcus,
he's too far away from the markers to really chase
some pressure. They just opened him up a little bit.
But Munster, Yeah, just Munster and how unorthodox he is
in big games. He's big game instincts. How he performs
is huge. If you tell me now Monsters eight and
a half out of ten, I guarantee Storm win.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Yeah, I have, I have a grant this week.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
I think he's been probably, I mean, I think he's
been the best hooker all year, arguably one of the
best players. Or you had some amazing big moments. But
I just think it all starts. Their Attackle starts with Harry, Yeah, right,
their Attackle starts with Harry when he's on and they're
getting quick play the balls and he's creating quick play
the balls with his deception and his running game. It
brings Hughesy perhaps and Munster into it. I think against
(28:58):
the Dogs probably they they were a bit off. They
didn't really, like you said, Munster was not really get
finding himself in the field positions where he wants it.
Munster's best footy is less structured. Yeah, when they're not
setting up for shit all the time to then just
give it to Monster to just do sort of go
through the motions with his players. So he's best when
similar to like Brayley is with Nicko. When Harry's getting
(29:20):
out and playing a lot of good footy and find
Munster's best foot he comes when he's just pushing off
the back of Harry.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Harry might go quick playable and then Munster gets it
off the back of that.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
And if we go to the Sharks, coop who's the
key man. It's funny when you scale things back and
you go, well, if he doesn't do that, then that
doesn't happen. If he doesn't do that, that's it and
it sort of spills on like the old lady that
swallowed the fly.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
What I mean by that is I want to go
key man, I want my on the surface. I go
Braiden Trindle. But what gets braid and Trindle going, Well,
braid and Trindle, it's Blake. Bradley gets him going, scoops
out and he gets him and Nickel on the front foot. Yeah,
but who gets Brailey away? Well I was ad that
gets Bailey out of dummy half. But but then again,
(30:04):
if Ronaldo and Katara aren't going forward on players one, two, three,
then Faniel Blake is. So it all scales back. But
on the surface, So who's the key man, Who's the
one that's going to make, you know, the great decisions
to win. I think it's Trendle. I love the way
that he and Nico finally formed combination with Brayley. That's
(30:25):
what Fitzy has been waiting for the last couple of seasons.
And they've worked out their roles. There is no number
of this bullshit, oh who should be halfway? Who's they're
just playing? Then they've falled into their natural roles. They've
identified how they should play and how to compliment each other.
So it's tricky. It's about organization and finesse pass, finesse,
(30:45):
smart kicking for Nicko. Since Brailey's been jumping out of
dummy half, Nico has just played far more aggressive and
on the foot, on the front foot, react and run.
And I think the best example I could give you
them working is the combination and understand each other's strengths.
Was the second try they scored the other night, where
they went up a sort of half field. Tricky looked
(31:07):
on the inside, told Live the ball went out the
back of sweep shopping to Nico created space. Nicko did
a short ball to Klero, who went down made the break.
Rather than set up Tricky took the next play Brandon
Trindle and he wandered, wandered, wandered, Come on, where's Marunna?
Niko just went bom inside ball and scores. That's That's
how Harves combination should work.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Who wins? Who's your tip?
Speaker 1 (31:31):
My temptation is to say that if Jerome plays, Storm win,
and if he doesn't play, it's Cronulla. But I'm not
going to sit on the fence. I've got a films.
I've got a films, got an upset. The Sharks just
right up in their toes. I'm going to say Sharks by.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Two would not surprise me, would not surprise me. I'm
actually going down to the game.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
You're going down.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
I'm flying down to go to the AFL Grand File. No,
I'm not going to go to the AFL JF. No,
I'm going to fly back on a Grand Final day
because you know why, cheaper.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
Flights, smart, well, blade, big bang. I'm going Melbourne. I
think I think Melbourne get it done. I think they
are going to find a little bit more consistency and
find their feet in this game.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Ras Man, there you go.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
A couple of weeks back, I would have thought, you know,
the Canberra Broncos Dogs all sort of had a had
a chance at winning it. But the more that I
think about it, it just seems inevitable that it's going
to be a Storm Penrith Grand Final, which is so
so boring, but it is what it is, and I think, yeah,
I think storm Wing.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Well, okay, at least your Titans, at least your exactly
would you do you have an amount of white answer?
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Seeing in the grass that might be soon.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
Do you have a second favorite side?
Speaker 4 (32:47):
I'm I'm partial to the Storm and other Queensland teams
just because you're a Queensland the Queenslander. Yeah, which is.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
We spoke about this quite brain.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
Like a but I've grown to like Manly over the
years as well. Oh god, every time?
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Was it mainly in the midst of a soap opera?
Speaker 3 (33:11):
Can I ask you was it?
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Was?
Speaker 5 (33:12):
It quite surreal to see one of your best mates,
like when all that big controversy and such big signing
news when I came.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Back to me let him know you Tom?
Speaker 5 (33:21):
Yeah, Joey, great.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Last episode?
Speaker 4 (33:27):
You do?
Speaker 1 (33:28):
What's going to what's your pick with? Just quickly with Tom?
Do you think I think Tom's going to stay or
go to Warrington the Gazelle.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
I think he'll stay. I can't imagine.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
I mean that seems like there's a bit of contract
drama going on there at the moment.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
To fuck this one up like they did the last one.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Yeah, it seems like they had him done and then
I think they pulled a bit of cash out of
the deal.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Or something like that. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
It's all a bit murky at the moment to get
clear information. But I mean, Turbo is too good to
be going over super League. Now he go over and
kill it, but he can still add value somewhere. And
I know tur Turbo's a kind of guy that doesn't
want to go and sign for a different club because
he's so Him and Jake and Ben, they're all so
loyal to Manley, So I think it would really hurt
(34:09):
him to have to play against Manly.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Do you think that Manly are using that loyalty as
to weaponize this contract? Do a little bit?
Speaker 5 (34:18):
I mean potentially from a business point of view, you'd
probably be silly not to because they know they know
that they don't want to play for another side. So
if you're looking strictly from them trying to get the
best deal for like out of Turbo, they probably are
using that loyalty to an extent, which you argue is
that good faith? Potentially not, but I mean it's business,
but I think he's too good like to. If they
(34:41):
are to lose Chez and then to lose Turbo to
the Super League, that is two of your most important
men of the last decade to lose straight away, and
you can't it's going to be a big sort of
phase for them going forward without DC next year. To
lose Turbo as well, they're just too, like that could
really put him in a slum.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
With a boatlight. Joey Walsh coming into the side, like
he's going to he's going to need a blackloight. Yeah there,
like he's going to rely on him hell like that.
Kids can't lose that.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
A man of experience, you learn the most as a
young player. You learn the most out of players. You
actually like leaders at clubs, Like coaches helped you a lot,
reviewing and stuff. But the little tendencies that current players
and leaders of the NFL teach you as a young player.
And this is I remember Joey because Joey Welsh, he lives.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Up the road. He used to cut my hair.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
We used to go to school with his brother Jack,
me and Rasman. And when he had a few different
offers on the table and he's his old man came
into the garage when he was cutting my hair and
they sort of told me about the different clubs that
were interested and said what would what would because there
you come from a union background, they don't know too
much about legue would you do? And I said, from
(35:50):
my point of view, although there were some other good
clubs on the table, but no club probably had leadership
in the playing group like me, only did they Jake
TARROI of it's Tom Taru, Dally Cherry Evans, you knew that.
At the time, we thought Chans were going to be
playing a fair bit of Origin, which might have gotten
Joey a chance. Unfortunately Chess got dropped. But you learn
(36:12):
so much from those players and the aura that they have.
It makes you want to work harder every day at training,
which is so important for a young player to break.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Your young players like and the other thing too good
advice is that early in your career he's living at home. Yeah,
like he's still in your home hometown club, you know
those other clubs. You know, you establish Yourselfie Mago else
who knows, but it'll break your kid's heart to finally
go came in first grade and then you've got no
Dali there and you've lost Tom Travoyvich. Anyway, Sunday, Yeah,
what a game could be one of the great finals games.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 5 (36:44):
Broncos of the Broncos Raiders game that was Grand Final worthy.
Now their second game in the prelim Broncos vers Penrith
Sunday afternoon. This is a Grand Final game.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
As well, yep, the blockbuster matchup.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
I don't think there's there's a couple of bigins. Penrith unchanged,
Ezra Maham is named on the bench and Adam Reynolds
back into half back, partnering with Ben Hunt big one.
I would be very, very surprised if ma'am starts on
the bench. I'm not a massive fan of switching your
five eight, which if they're going to bring Ezra into
(37:17):
the game, they put him to five A and then
move Ben Hunt to hooker. I'm not a massive fan
of changing your spine too much on the run, particularly
when you take a bloke from five to eight Benny Hunt,
and then push him to hooker. I like the idea
of bringing on a fresh Ben Hunt at hooker to
terrorise the middle with a bit of his running game.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
I do like Ezra at fourteen. You like it, I
like I'd like Ezra without coming back from a ham string.
Sometimes hard to get through the eighty minutes because you
don't have as much running in that injured hamstring. But
I like the fact that if you start with if
you start with Reynolds and Bennie Hunt, they've played lots
(37:58):
and lots of big game football, and I just think,
you know what Penrith might try to do. Coop's just
come out and blow them off the park early, like
they'll you know, I'll be sprised, they don't. I love
that when sometimes I do enjoy the way Penrith will
build a game, but I think sometimes they're too patient.
I love the other day against the Dogs, that's the Penruth.
I love to watch the side that gives them a
(38:19):
chance to blow a team away early. And so, you know,
so Brisbane they've got to start strong, gonna be on
these days and have to have Ben Hunt and Adam
Reinald's two experienced blokes, I think some advantage. And then
after about twenty minutes, Corey Pake's off of Phil Benny
Hunt to nine, Ezra Man into six and holy Doly,
(38:42):
isn't that an attacking combination Rhys Walsh Ezra Yeah.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
I mean, I haven't seen I don't think I've ever seen.
I mean, Storm's depth in the spine is good, but
Bronco's depth in their spine this year has been unbelievable.
Like even they've lost Billy Walters to his ACL reconstruction,
but to have reeswalshed Billy Walters, Ezra Man, Ben Hunt,
Adam Reynolds, Corey Peaks and even Tyson Smoothie. Yeah, you've
(39:07):
got seven players there who like their genuine NRL players.
They've got a fair bit of NRL experience and they
probably play a lot of different class.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
It's important for.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Adam Reynolds coming into the site because when he got injured,
they had no other choice but to simplify their attack
and they went to more of a coinsland like traditional
Broncos attack. There wasn't so much x's and o's. It
was like move the ball to an edge and then
just open up the long side and get the ball
into the hands of the talent and speed and the skill,
(39:42):
get it out there, just play a bit of football.
That's where their football has evolved. And that's your tip
your hat to Madgine the fact that he's an ex
As and A's coach, but he has had the ability
to adjust their football as well. So it's important this
week with Reno that sometimes he doesn't know if it
plays hand is that sometimes that coep that simplification. You know,
let's just play football, Let's get it to the edge,
(40:03):
let's open up the field and get the ball into
Reese with a bit of space. And the other thing
about it too is when when Reno went down, the
space was the vacuum. There was a power vacuum there
which was filled by Reese Walsh Reecee Walsh coming too.
The team. He played played fullback, of course, but during
the game he played a bit of six, he played
a bit of seven. And so it's really important that
(40:26):
Reno loves a bit of space for him. You know,
he just doesn't want to go there and suddenly you
know fill you know all the creative duties. You just
want to leave a little bit for Reese. You want
Reees doing what he's been doing.
Speaker 5 (40:37):
It's a good it's a good big clash because you
look at Broncos, they're the swagger and the X factor
team that can blow a team in fifteen minutes. They
can just not blow a team, but they can blow
a team off the park, I'm sure in fifteen minutes.
Versing like the well oiled machine and the disciplined, clinical
Penrith Panthers who have done it on the big stage
the last four years and now they played last week
(40:59):
with they just the detail and all their shape, their
catch pass every pass was out in front.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (41:03):
I mean it's a real good, big clash. But where
do you see the clash player wise coops?
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Just before we talk about that class, I'll just say
this is round nine Magic ground. I commentated in that
game and Brisbane Brisbane handled I'm sorry, Penrith handled. Brisbane
really easily beat him. Convincedly it might have been thirty
two ten. I think they beat him. And the bloke
who had the big day out was Nathan. Nathan just
(41:31):
carved him up. Nathan at that point, you remember he
was just he was doing lots of drop offs, playing
a lot of side and it's sort of evolved it
from the sideways Football's where football had start to go.
It's always dangerous for play maker when you start doing that,
even the best of the like Nathan. But that game,
he just played gun barrel straight and they were targeting
the Broncos right side defense and they just could try
(41:54):
after try after try. They just kept pull, just kept
peeling the shorter numbers time at time Broncos couldn't offend it.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
That was a day game as well, wasn't it day game? Nathan?
I saw a start the other day.
Speaker 5 (42:07):
Nathan hasn't lost a day game since twenty nineteen or something.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Crazy.
Speaker 5 (42:12):
A few of the other the other players like Yoe
and that they have, but I think that's been when
Nathan wasn't there. You might have been injury with that
hamstringing to struggle with well after.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
The game when we interviewed him and we had sorry,
we had Isaiah toa there. We were talking about that
before we had Nathan on and I said, mate, how
good is day football? And Isaiah, you know, he just
said to people, you know, it's a big thing for playmaker.
It's the ball hitting the hands, easiest, easy to move
the ball around. Playmakers dream. Then we had Nathan and
I said, Nathan, you enjoyed day football, exaid, I just
(42:43):
love it. You know, it's just such a difference for playmakers.
Speaker 5 (42:46):
My sort of key clash involves Nathan. I've got Adam
Reynolds versus Nathan Cleary, two of probably the best kicking
halfbacks in the game. But also the redemption story for
Adam Reynolds a year Becausenathan beat the beat sous in
twenty twenty one, not twenty twenty two. I believe it
is when Renaul's last year at Souse and then Rene
(43:08):
goes to Broncos they beat He beats Reno in twenty
twenty three there when they were up by like sixteen points.
Now Nathan has a chance to knock Reno out of
another Grand Final. I would think that Adam Reynolds will
be right up for this game, and he gave it alone.
Speaker 6 (43:25):
You.
Speaker 5 (43:25):
I'm saying he's a chance, That's what I'm saying. But
I think it's a great It's a great class for
probably two of the i'd say two of the best
kickers of the football in the NRL.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Most organized half packs. You'd imagine like two of the
most organized. Yeah, I've gone, I've gone Nathan Cleary against
Reese Walsh. That's a big clash. It's that it's Reese Walsh.
It's Nathan's kicking game against Reecee Walsh's ability to return
the ball protect forty twenties, kind of tracing the test
of this last week. No amount of tape and preparation
(43:57):
you do on Nathan can prepare you for what's going
to come with his kicking. Of course, he's so good
at compromising his kicking. You know you can get there.
You sit on the tape and you'll be saying saying
to Reecee Welsh, now look at this. When he gets
in this field position, he kicks here and then you
know a few positions of you just can't because he's
so good at reacting to what another player does. Be compromising.
(44:19):
You know, like the kick the other day right on
and Katoa spoke about when he kicked the forty twenty.
I remember behind he went, oh, it's not that thing.
He just kicked it, and Katoa said to HEINDI, no, no, no,
you don't. You don't understand how hard it was. The
side of the way he took the ball, the pressure
he was under on that side, and they squeezing him
(44:40):
from the inside on his on on on the side
he doesn't prefer, and he kicked the ball with just
a fraction of tilt so when it hit the ground
it still ran forward but eventually just went into touch.
It was it was genius. And so you know, like
you can get there with rus you know what, position
(45:00):
himself a certain way, Nathan will get it and he'll
hook it back a different way.
Speaker 5 (45:03):
You'll just Nathan's got a good knack of during the
week understanding because He's done so much vision on other
players and predicting what they're going to do. He's got
such a great knack of knowing what's reys Walsh going
to be getting told and looking at my keying game
this week, so how's he going to be preparing and
then having something in his kit bag to counteract if
(45:25):
what he's predicting comes through like last week. Tracey's a
fit fullback. He knows that Nathan likes going for that
early kick in that corner, so he knew that he
was going to be because he's fit and quick, He's
going to be getting on his bike almost overworking. Clint
Guthinson used to do the same thing as a fullback.
He actually overworks and I remember there was a game
where Penris played against the Eels where Nathan actually prepared
(45:48):
knowing that Clint Guthison was an overchaser, where Jerome Leui
would get it on the left shaped to kick, Gutha
would overchase and then he'd rip it straight back to
Nathan on the right side of the play the ball,
and then he'd kicked direct for his back roller, knowing
that they would catch him out. Small little details during
the week that he's going to be knowing Reese Walsh
is preparing for this. I'm going to have this in
(46:10):
my arsenal that I can pull out if he does that.
Speaker 4 (46:12):
And fun fact, Reese Walsh has never beaten Dependwrith Panthers.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
Oh wow man armed.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
Armed Yeah, not my start. I saw it on Instagram. Wow. Well.
Speaker 1 (46:25):
But it's a challenge for Nathan as well, boys, because
because I mean, the aim of every yeah, every kicker
when he knocks the ball to the playmaker, when he
knocks the ball down field on a long kick is
to hit grass yea. And with Ree it's it's harder
to hit grass as opposed to arms because he's so quick,
gets on his bike so quick. You have good instincts
(46:46):
and anticipation. So it's going to be it's going to
be a challenge for Nathan as well.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
But yeah, that's a good class.
Speaker 1 (46:52):
It's a great it's a great it's a great class.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
If Bronks are to win.
Speaker 5 (46:55):
Now, this is the point I want to make Reese Walsh,
he's the he's the biggest threat that the Broncos have
and Penrith all week he's going to be on the
tip sheet, head on a plate.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
Rees Walsh.
Speaker 5 (47:07):
We need to name drop him wherever he is in attack.
We need to try to get a lot of inside pressure,
be aggressive with him in defense. I think the Bronx
win this game. I find the Broncos first fifteen minutes
use Reese Walsh as a distraction out the back of
a lot of shape, bringing that edge defense up, forcing
him to name drop him, using energy by getting a
(47:29):
lot of line speed jammy out the back. But I'd
really be using Hals in the back rollers to get
quick play the balls off.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
The back of it.
Speaker 5 (47:36):
I think the key to their attack is getting quick
play the balls, not through Reese Walsh, but through other
key men like Stags, back rolls, Hals. And then fifteen
twenty minutes into the game, when there's a bit of
fatigue and you haven't used or really seen Reese Walsh
at all, that's when that name dropping and talk and
they'll forget about him. They'll completely forget about him because
you've opened him up with some other threats. And then
(47:58):
I think that brings Reechwolsh into the game because if
you start, if you look for Reese Welsh early and
they a fresh penrith defense rocks him a little bit
gets a bit of confident, like, takes a bit of
confidence out of him. I think it will affect Reese
Walsh's game and Bronco's attack for the remainder of the game.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
It's a very good point about Reese around the back
and do him send him as a decoy. Let's have
a look at the thing. Let's talk about the things
that worry Penrith On the weekend and the Penroth left
hand left side defense had a lot of trouble with
diversion plays. Remember Locky Galvin went up, Connor Tracy was
sweeping at the back of Jacob Preston and they overslid.
I think it was Blaze turned in and he Senter
(48:36):
went out and Preston twice went straight through.
Speaker 3 (48:39):
Well, that's the.
Speaker 5 (48:39):
Space I said that last week Blaze TELANGI in Casey McLean.
They put there to try to help him out communication wise,
but give him a bit of experience. But that's the
weakness in the edge defense. They're the ones that kind
of a bit inconsistent with their decision making and sometimes
they can not protect their inside shoulder. And that's the
side that Reese Walsh likes to go down with his
speed and coopt.
Speaker 1 (49:00):
You're right, I would early in the game just keep
hitting the front man, hitting him, hitting him, putting little
dntse in him, playing a little bit of patience and
then but and I do think the best opportunity for
the Broncos is going always going to that that right
side defense. And you know, and and if you're going
to target, if you're going to set up plays for Reese,
(49:21):
you've got to work the ball. You're got to work
the ball past the scrumbline. You got to work to
open the full field up. And then just go wham
wham whim. Don't don't make around too much.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
Who's ringing?
Speaker 1 (49:31):
You?
Speaker 4 (49:31):
Answer?
Speaker 1 (49:32):
Peter Badell?
Speaker 3 (49:33):
What's that? What's he ringing for?
Speaker 1 (49:36):
Hey, Pete, that's the great Peter Badell. Now listen, Pete,
I've just got to warn your man. I'm doing a
podcast with a young Blake Cooper at the moment. So
I've got you on what what male you got for
us with the Broncos? Pete?
Speaker 6 (49:51):
Do you want to scoop it to make you bigger
than Germany?
Speaker 1 (49:54):
Made bigger than bigger than the old Yugoslavia? May give
it of you, Pete?
Speaker 6 (50:01):
What about the great is he's back.
Speaker 1 (50:03):
He's back, mate, So fourteen, Pete, what's the word going
on there? Will will he start or will he be fourteen?
You reckon?
Speaker 6 (50:11):
No, I think he'll be fourteen and and yeah, Reno
and Honey will start and then Ezra comes off for
a bit of impact, you know.
Speaker 1 (50:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (50:21):
So but usually like SMOOTHI is interesting at thirteen as well,
so I thought they might go with heathering to there.
But he was training at thirteen today, Smoothie.
Speaker 1 (50:31):
So ye're right. How's how's? How's the vibe made much
of the much of the Broncos, Pete.
Speaker 6 (50:36):
Mate, great, great, they look make they look confident. I
reckon they'll win, Maddie.
Speaker 3 (50:42):
You know, I think there.
Speaker 6 (50:44):
I reckon. I know they've got some demons from probably
twenty three, you know, but I just I think they're
ready to get the job done.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
You know, mate, mate, the place so called stadium is
going to be rock and Pete man.
Speaker 6 (50:56):
Yeah, it will be.
Speaker 5 (50:59):
But I made you yeah, mate, mate, you can see
if you want to just sit and listen to the podcast,
you can.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
You think so I might put me to sleep.
Speaker 1 (51:09):
Actually, they're not talking about Buzz and Webby there, mate.
That's true right right, Aboma. Just while we got your
mate Jake Paul versus Javante Davis. Mate, what about that?
How what a bizarre fight?
Speaker 6 (51:30):
That's that is ridiculous? That is ridiculous. How many weight
divisions apart?
Speaker 1 (51:35):
Are they made thirty pounds different or something happen? Yeah?
I think it's it's happening. They did the they did
the face off today. It's going to happen anyway. Listen, mate,
We'll let you go. Mate, being a bra boy and
you wrapping other stuff. Mate, see you by, I call
you after, see your brother, see your Boma.
Speaker 3 (51:59):
How dare you take personal calls? I'm joking because people
don't realize that.
Speaker 1 (52:06):
People think Peter Bedell's Queensland amazing boy ish.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
Yeah yep, well know yeah, sorry, not an actual BRABO.
Now we go with it.
Speaker 5 (52:15):
We just spoke about Broncos Penrith. If they're i mean
pretty self explanatory. I think if they play the same
way they did against the Bulldogs, with the details and
all their shape, I think they beat anyone in the
NFL last week. I think they're going to want to
replicate that. They've got a Sunday afternoon game, same time slot.
I mean, yea, some of the some of the shape
that they ran was unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (52:38):
I was watching that. So there was a.
Speaker 5 (52:40):
Shape they did the right end side clearly went to
Isaao at the back, to Blaze Telungey who went out
the back to Tago even and all their catch pass
skill even when the wingers were jamming.
Speaker 3 (52:50):
It was unbelieve it was.
Speaker 5 (52:51):
It was as good as detail as I've ever seen
on shape.
Speaker 1 (52:53):
Coops in a game which has become obsessed with shapes
and sequences. Nothing a lot of times beats beats an
attack that ll beats a defense like a just a
great rapid fire catch and pass dink DNC DNC DNCDNK
down the line.
Speaker 5 (53:08):
Broncos are going to have to be very disruptive, aggressive
and absolutely.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Going to have to defend them outside in and they've
got to be nice and nice and uniformed as far
as Penrith look coops in the why they're so hard
to beat is they've got the blueprint, mate, It's the
reason they've won the last four. They know what they
know what they've got to do, and like the Melbourne Storm,
they need they need to do. Put it this way,
(53:36):
they don't have to do a lot of things right
to win. They've just got to do They've got to
do a couple of things, keep the same precision with
attack and just get their suffocation sets on driving it
to the corners, attacking them with their defense. That's it.
That's what That's what makes them so so so tough
to beat, is they're brilliant executing their blueprint in big games.
Speaker 5 (53:58):
I who's your Yeah, I'm going to go first. I
got the Brisbane Broncos. I said it. I actually I
tipped them to win a few weeks back to camp.
I mean Penrith, how they played last week really worried
me because I think last week they beat anyone in
the top eight. But I think the Bronx are going
to get it done.
Speaker 1 (54:14):
I bet the Bronx started you to win the camp.
But I've changed, I've changed my mind. I like, I
just I can't see anyone beat in Penrith. I think
the Broncos win, and I think they win from twelve
to fourteen points the Penrith You said, yeah.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
Penrith, Yeah, same logic as before. Pretty cynical of the
camp at the moment, you know, what's the point having
seventeen teams if they're just going to be two at
the end of it. So it's turned. It's turned into
an EPL which its Liverpool United City.
Speaker 3 (54:46):
Yeah, Penrith, you're a glass half empty, aren't you?
Speaker 4 (54:49):
Right now?
Speaker 1 (54:50):
And good on your boys.
Speaker 5 (54:52):
Thanks, we're going to see you next week and it'll
be our last preview Grand Final previews and and we're
going to do a bit of a bit of Dall
Awards as well.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
Oh yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4 (55:01):
Yeah, we're wearing tuxedos. I've heard.
Speaker 3 (55:05):
Yeah, let's do it. Let's wear tuxedo. Chan tuxedo, Jackie Chan.
Speaker 1 (55:10):
That was a movie, remember the Jackie Chan movie Jackie Chan.
Speaker 5 (55:18):
You know what's funny? Just stop for a set your
mic just cut out. And I'm glad it did, because
that was the worst piece of the podcast.
Speaker 3 (55:28):
That you ever said.
Speaker 1 (55:29):
That's saying something you're back on.
Speaker 4 (55:30):
Okay, Thanks for watching the episode. Like and subscribe.
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