That Saints Pod 2025 Episode 18

🎙️ That Saints Pod – Episode 18: “Season Finale: Looking Ahead with Hope (and Gaz’s Optimism!)”
In this season finale, Graham, Ste, Ady, Daz, Paul, and Gaz gather for a lively roundtable to wrap up the year in true Saints style. The lads dive into the Ashes series, sharing thoughts on England’s performance and what needs to change before the next tests. Then attention turns to the future of St Helens — with chat on new signings, early predictions, and what the line-up for 2026 might look like. Gaz’s trademark optimism is on full display as the panel debates how Saints can rebuild, refresh, and come back stronger. It’s the perfect mix of banter, bold opinions, and big hopes — a fitting end to the season!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello, and welcome to the last Saints podcast of the season.
We've got there in the end, thank god. Who's with
us to assess the season such as it is? Well,
we've got Adeo Sullivan pauling down Rigby stay Offers with us,
and Gas is on his way. So hello, chaps, how
are we? Thank you looking chip? And now it's all

(00:27):
over and we can look back and look forward to
the next one. It's as still Obviouys says, it's the
hope that kills you, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
I've got it left all right.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Next season, we're going to have a look at what
we think of the last season and what, to be fair,
what the club has done to make changes for next season,
and we'll have a look at back at the ashes
and we'll take it from there.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Come on, do you very much?

Speaker 3 (00:54):
Look that chick.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
It's going to the screen.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
What you going for, Yammy?

Speaker 1 (01:01):
He's trying to keep the score up. Well, there we are.
The season's over. I'm just going to throw it out
there to start and looking back on Saints season, we
finished fifth, which is worse for a long time. Coach
has gone, new coach coming in. Are there any highlights? Chaps?

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well, he said it was the worst for a long time.

Speaker 5 (01:23):
It wasn't.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
We finished sixth last year, so it's actually wishful thinking.

Speaker 6 (01:29):
Dad Nolan Robertson, I'll throw that, Dad Noel Robertson, and
Whippy I'll throw them in his highlights, but more out
of good luck or bad luck with injuries than good management.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
I think was outstanding when he came in. Was shame
he got injured.

Speaker 7 (01:42):
I think that the players that have come through have
been the outstanding kind of you know, I think the.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Season these players come through because they've actually broken through
because of injuries and they've had to be thrown in,
and they just they just clicked and thrown in. I
don't think there's any genuine plan to bring him in.

Speaker 7 (02:00):
I think Whitby was brought him because well Well didn't
know his best spine and he was just trying different
combinations of some kind of desperation because Sale wasn't working
at six to begin with, and so they shalled that idea.
He dropped low Macks at Magic and then he decided
not to do that, do that anymore.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
And then after a few games, why got Whity got
sat down the rest of the season.

Speaker 7 (02:22):
But I think because he had so much kind of
uncertainty around the half positions. That's why Whitby brought through.
Dad was down to injuries.

Speaker 6 (02:31):
Has to be the most the most unfortunate timing of
a concussion ever because he was flying and then he
had to sit two games out with his concussion and
never came back. I think, as Steve said, Dad no,
and robertson the fact that he's a standoff and we
had to throw him in as an emergency center, it
was a wigging runny and yeah, and I think it's

(02:54):
just with the exception of Whitby, it's just been good luck.
The other two have come through our bad luck because injuries,
but good luck that they've been our decent.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (03:03):
We started the season, didn't we, And we were all
sort of predicting where we'd finish, and I think we
all sort of predicted either a third or fourth finish
because we're all are wrong.

Speaker 6 (03:13):
Well, we all except Gas, who thought we'd win it.

Speaker 5 (03:17):
Gas thought we were winning the Grand Final. But what's there.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
You know, Gaza tipped to the game.

Speaker 9 (03:21):
Actually, like the.

Speaker 5 (03:24):
Warrington, it's always our year.

Speaker 8 (03:28):
But you know, we all predicted like maybe a third
or fourth finish because we all thought we can't be
as bad as last season finishing sixth. Well, we weren't
as bad, like you said, stay we finished fifth, but
it wasn't It wasn't much of an improvement for me.
We just, you know, we just sort of like rolled
on the year and when it started the year with
so much hope. But if you remember, we'd beat a

(03:51):
Sulford side that didn't have a bloody team and we
ended up being top of the league and our points
difference basically roaded us on for for the first couple
of months, and then we started to sort of a
bad patch and.

Speaker 5 (04:05):
You know, it's been up and down seasons.

Speaker 8 (04:08):
It's been so so weird, really really weird. Ass walks
in with his Australia top on you.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Melt controversial real choice the.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
Did he did predict a three nil win?

Speaker 6 (04:22):
I think I told you only ever follows the Good
Teams dinner follow.

Speaker 5 (04:29):
Year.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
So I'm just saying, guys, we're just having a recap
over the season and people's thoughts on that we've We've
only just started, as we've got a few once he highlights.
But we thought you, we thought you'd have a few
good points to raise.

Speaker 3 (04:50):
A Robertson Dagnall should have been George Whitby m HMO.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
Apologies to consistent apologies for listeners. I think it's ground
Doog day. But that's exactly what it's look at it
from outside the club, I'm sure the clubs delighted that
our progress was was minimal this year. Do you think

(05:21):
we've made the right decisions, the right calls with this
year now the club have made in response to the season.

Speaker 8 (05:30):
I don't know, because, like I said at the start
of the season, we're all optimistic about leebre Is coming
in this like different style of attack, which at times
we saw that this season, and then other times it
was absolutely dreadful. I mean, one, you know, certainly a
Carol coming in, and our defense has certainly improved from

(05:53):
when we are phrasing you, but you know, it's it's.

Speaker 5 (05:59):
It's still I don't know.

Speaker 8 (06:00):
The jury is out for me on Breers because I
don't know how much control well And has had on Breers.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
Well, I don't think. I don't think so. I don't
think Breers had much effect at some point because when
a big game that we reverted to type didn't he.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
Wasn't involved Inland as well, and they were pretty to
watch with it, so it mostly.

Speaker 10 (06:17):
Think but then filled with Sean Wayne. It's like just
grub grub grub, isn't it. I want to I want
to batter these I don't even think Sean Wayne's got
attacking him. When he was a wigging, they weren't attacking
with they just battered teams. I think he's possibly the
coach that would override Breers.

Speaker 9 (06:33):
But next year I agree, I agree completely.

Speaker 10 (06:36):
Next year with Rowley coming in, it's all attacked, attack
and do.

Speaker 5 (06:41):
You think and what do you like about which he
worked with Hagers?

Speaker 10 (06:45):
You really well, a lot of the time Rowley didn't
take the praise himself, he praised everybody else around him.
I think next year a Carol o' caroll and Breers
will get more options and more like freedom to do
what they want.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
I don't. I don't think is the sort of coach
of the head coach that won't restrict his assistant to
to players as they want and certainly for the players
to play what's in front of them.

Speaker 10 (07:07):
Realistically, if you weren't a Saint fan and you're asking
who was assistant coach at Saint clue because at the
end of the day, you listen to Wellams, you wouldn't
even know who was the that room staff because other
teams bring that in and self well done to such
such a player, such a coach, or.

Speaker 5 (07:24):
Et cetera, et cetera. But we don't do that. I don't.
I just feel like we just left with I don't know.

Speaker 10 (07:30):
It was kind of like what Wellens said, we did,
but nobody else was mentioned. I don't know if he's
any of the coaches beyond the scenes have had a
free role to kind.

Speaker 6 (07:38):
Of coach I think, I think also Graham as well.
As it stuck a long time, but finally we've broke
that old boys network on the coaching side of things.

Speaker 1 (07:49):
Because don't forget I think James Roby is leaving the
club as well.

Speaker 4 (07:53):
Yes he's gone.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
That's sure.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
What his role was anyway, I'm not sure he was,
to be honest, by the way.

Speaker 5 (08:00):
Gone, could be something else, you know. We we we
went to was a golf day. I can't remember what
it was, company's gold.

Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah it was, it must have been free, must have been three.

Speaker 5 (08:16):
Yeah, we're on the ale.

Speaker 8 (08:17):
But he went to a golf day and James Roby
basically said towards and it's a lovely guy and I
could speak to him forever. But he basically said, they
basically made up a role for me to keep me
at the club.

Speaker 2 (08:30):
Which suspected that, which which is.

Speaker 5 (08:33):
Lovely of the club. But also it's just like, why.

Speaker 9 (08:36):
It's that too much sentiment again the whinny.

Speaker 5 (08:38):
Possibly it is.

Speaker 7 (08:39):
A nice jegu but it's kind of embarrassing for him,
isn't it someone standing in again?

Speaker 5 (08:43):
Good good luck to him whatever his next venture is,
you know so, I.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
Think he should probably take a year out and rebuild
himself a little bit.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
He always said that he didn't really have much interest
in rugby beyond Blean.

Speaker 4 (08:57):
I think you might find you just exits and.

Speaker 1 (09:00):
Just comes back as the fan sits in.

Speaker 5 (09:04):
I'm sure he's staying at the club in a different role.
He's just not coaching.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
I don't know.

Speaker 6 (09:08):
He may be right, but I believe I believe not
but going touching, So I don't believe you but touching
back on roll, I'm excited to see a little bit
of that. If he could bring some much razzle dazzle
to Salford, I'd love to think that with the enhanced
toy box, so to speak, now that he's going to

(09:28):
have a lot more giant and let it start with
good performances rather than just being results driven. And what
I will say to him is that he's certainly the
master of the SoundBite and he's talked a bloody good
game so far.

Speaker 1 (09:43):
Are we Are we happy with more entertainment without doubts?

Speaker 5 (09:48):
Is that on or off the field?

Speaker 2 (09:50):
I think if you watch the player, they were much
better to watch.

Speaker 5 (09:54):
And we work.

Speaker 1 (09:54):
I mean, will we take will we take a season
next season where we fall short but we're we're royally entertained, Yes,
you will.

Speaker 7 (10:02):
I think it's a massive ask for where we are
now to win it anyway the top.

Speaker 3 (10:07):
Having watched the England Australia game makes you realize how
not great these great players are.

Speaker 5 (10:14):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (10:14):
Mikey Lewis looked telling me on Saturdays.

Speaker 3 (10:16):
Out of position when he was diabolical, and yet Adie
Smith's not been great. George Williams shouldn't have been playing.
You should have played Lewis at six. And you think
they're not that great at these and we've got like
Whitby Robertson who could be six and seven next year.

Speaker 4 (10:32):
I took a bit.

Speaker 3 (10:33):
I know, I always going over optimistic and I am going
to do next season too.

Speaker 9 (10:36):
But we've already mentioned that tonight.

Speaker 6 (10:38):
Yes, that you predicted us to win it all last
year and that you will predict us to.

Speaker 9 (10:43):
Win it next year.

Speaker 11 (10:44):
Don't do it, do it, and I'm going to do
But I'm already am I already getting me enthusiasm for
watching that England team thinking these lads in the spine
are crap and Jack should have played because I watched
a J.

Speaker 4 (11:02):
Brimson he was diabolical.

Speaker 3 (11:04):
I agree that was a great Gladdy didn't he was poor,
But I'm glad he didn't play a game two and
three game he's arrest But you think, well, if we
put a good you know, if we put Jack robertson
Whitby and Clark m hmm, then wilds again older, but

(11:25):
it's French and Field really going to go through uninjured
next year?

Speaker 4 (11:28):
I don't think.

Speaker 5 (11:28):
So.

Speaker 8 (11:28):
We've said about the Wigan team anyway, I mean back
to Saints.

Speaker 5 (11:33):
Yeah, we said this about the wigging team that they are.
You know, they've signed all.

Speaker 8 (11:37):
These players off for long term deals and it bites
you on the asses, you on the ass. But this
is what we're found with Saints that you know, yeah,
it's already a.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
No.

Speaker 8 (11:49):
But when when we when we talk about like Alex
warms and we're like Alex wams is concerned with his career.
I'll tell you what. Alex Warmsley against Australia, he made
that bloody difference when.

Speaker 5 (11:58):
He came on because we've forward, he went for well.

Speaker 8 (12:01):
Off the first try. Alex Warmsley made that. So you
know we've got these players. I think they're still doing.
I think at that rate Alex has got another two seasons.
As as a spelling, spelling.

Speaker 10 (12:11):
Prop, I'm not I'm gonna get carried up warms The
first game I thought he wasn't very impressive.

Speaker 5 (12:17):
I thought he just hagged him.

Speaker 10 (12:19):
Second game, similar, third game, thought the best game is played.
But then straight away and he will to most players
when Walsh.

Speaker 5 (12:28):
Running later on, he was no worldly but that's his issue.

Speaker 10 (12:32):
Running the ball in warms is not that's just that's
his goal to but defending his issue.

Speaker 5 (12:38):
But on fast player, on.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
A fast player and most props is as a field day,
doesn't it to be fair?

Speaker 6 (12:45):
You see, warms is getting some big raps there. But
I thought Matty Leves was the man of the series,
either him or Lytton, and I think Matten, I think,
I'm not.

Speaker 9 (12:54):
Asked about Knowles is gone.

Speaker 2 (12:59):
At all.

Speaker 6 (12:59):
So so Matty Matty Lee's well, I mean for England obvious,
but Matty Lee's for next season. I think we'll gain
a lot of confidence because I expected Matty Leaves to
get smashed all over the place in this series.

Speaker 10 (13:11):
Wayne perfect because that is Matty Lee's game. Wayne teaching
him to do that.

Speaker 6 (13:16):
He's probably never had that, but I think he's He's
showed there that he could live for live with them
for big minutes and in a really poor England set up,
I'm struggling to think of any with maybe farm with
touching that of it. From a sane's point of view,
I thought Matty Leeves came out of that great play well.

Speaker 10 (13:34):
I thought Morgan Noles was children every player and Dom
Young when Dom Young played the first yes, I thought
he was prop forwards.

Speaker 1 (13:42):
We've we've we've so we've changed the coach that that
will automatically bring a change of style. Other doubts signings
we've brought in right and Cross part with the other season.
But we've gone out and bought Dave Clem since the
last show. Now I'm prettticularly impressed with that. He's had
four clubs in the NRL. He's had two hundred and

(14:04):
seventy games plus representative games. Nineteen nineteen caps for Australia,
two States of Origin wins to New South Wales thirty one, massive, massive,
six foot seven good seventeen. It looks a good signing
to me.

Speaker 4 (14:19):
Yeap love it well, we.

Speaker 5 (14:20):
Needed that, We needed that, but so was Josh Perry.
You've never known. So they come up with this is it?

Speaker 7 (14:25):
It's always a gambling with NRL players.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
Can we just not pit on the chips now?

Speaker 4 (14:32):
You can get a tune the raw material.

Speaker 7 (14:35):
Because as you said, we get the right at the
end of the careers, at the start of the careers.
If in the middle, it's because they've been in a
lot of trouble for.

Speaker 1 (14:43):
A prop thirty one probably about right and I hope
so yeah, I think I think it's plausible.

Speaker 3 (14:47):
Yeah, And the raw materials there, like matter Leeds hasn't
got the wrong team.

Speaker 4 (14:51):
There are his weight mass.

Speaker 7 (14:54):
Of that age of enery come over and just down
tools and you don't see like you mentioned Josh Perry,
but it's not just does I mean they get tokh
at Catalan it was brilliant in Australia, but absolutely some
some sortal.

Speaker 1 (15:07):
Of and the other guy the Catalans about ten minutes
a game.

Speaker 8 (15:11):
But looking like hars that o K brought the brought
over for a season. He does a job for him,
so you know.

Speaker 2 (15:18):
It can work, it will work trustingly.

Speaker 8 (15:21):
Like you said, the stats they're great. It tells you
that he's a decent player.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
Yeah, Jacob Host is slightly different though international. Jacob Host
is a good size is he's six three six four
and it's only one hundred and forty games, so six
less than like Clamor. But he's a big unit as well.

Speaker 5 (15:40):
But like he said, wasn't that similar stats when came over?

Speaker 1 (15:44):
It was.

Speaker 7 (15:46):
It comes down to the attitude. Really, if they come
over there with a good attitude, they'll do well. And
if they don't, they'll they won't.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
And if it was you Paul were saying that you
think Clamber's big mates with so mates that might be,
but a lot of them know each other. But that's
a good that's a good indicator that it's not coming
over for a holiday.

Speaker 5 (16:03):
Yeah, well it might be.

Speaker 4 (16:06):
Thirty. If you're thirty four, maybe thirty one.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
You're still gonna have a bit of aspiration left at
that age.

Speaker 1 (16:13):
Yeah, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
Hopefully it could be a fur let's but it could
be a fairly lads.

Speaker 1 (16:20):
Well, he was amazing.

Speaker 2 (16:21):
That's got example act of an age.

Speaker 7 (16:25):
You could have gone Josh Berry. He came over and
was outstanding.

Speaker 1 (16:29):
There's a few of them, but the guy Darren Britt
as well, he.

Speaker 7 (16:31):
Was He was good.

Speaker 2 (16:33):
The legend that is Barry Ward.

Speaker 7 (16:34):
Obviously, I can't forget about Hi Peter Shields.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
The Seals was good.

Speaker 1 (16:37):
Yes, there is there is form there for I was
going to say that.

Speaker 9 (16:43):
I think there's there's tons of them that. Yeah, this
was one. Caney was another.

Speaker 6 (16:48):
Yeah, but they had a bit of a They had
a bit of a scratch guard art as to what
the it's.

Speaker 9 (16:53):
Just rather than be a jackpot win, you're just hoping.

Speaker 6 (16:56):
For fifty fifty quinter and that is enough in Super League.

Speaker 1 (17:01):
So we've got two big ticks in the boxes now
in the pack.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
I'm not happy about Wingfield. I think that's a shocker.

Speaker 1 (17:09):
What's he done? To you now year deal.

Speaker 7 (17:13):
I mean, well, not not to bag the lad but
I don't one.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
Of our lads to put him on play.

Speaker 6 (17:21):
There is an awful lot of I believe there's a
lot of caveats in the contract, so it's it might
be a three year deal, but for the first season,
he's got to reach so many appearances before it triggers
the second season, and then he's got to reach so
many appearances in year two for it to trigger year three.

Speaker 1 (17:40):
He's a dreadful record with injury, but that's that's probably
going to be the end of that's what's going to
finish him. I don't think he's.

Speaker 7 (17:48):
Him, I think, but I think he's even when he's
been fair.

Speaker 2 (17:52):
I'm not really saying it to be honest.

Speaker 10 (17:56):
When we went to Penriff and don't you forget he
was in that team, I thought he's played out. I
thought you put against St. George when we played and yes,
he's been full of injuries. But I think the twenty
three you can get a tune out of him. Apparently
he's not in great money. I think he's a squad player,
but I think he's stage player.

Speaker 1 (18:15):
Yeah, we've got a few, we've got a few of them,
I think, but what else do we need? Looking seriously looking.

Speaker 10 (18:21):
I'm sorry what we can't do? He starts move forward now,
that's definitely what we can't do. If he's in the squad,
I'm thinking he's going off the bench. I think for
a play and his age. Hopefully I'll get a break
soon because I do see PRETENTI in.

Speaker 8 (18:33):
The life, but start. I agree with Wingfield. I think
he has got potential there to do something. And I
know we beat you to that parking space, but it's
six fine, mate, you've got to let that go.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
It's all coming out now.

Speaker 1 (18:47):
Yeah, yeah, but but bought.

Speaker 6 (18:49):
The consolation for that is when he was getting out
of the card he bust his knee and he was
out for six weeks.

Speaker 4 (18:56):
Get an accent with a.

Speaker 11 (18:57):
Trolley stable next to me.

Speaker 8 (19:04):
In seriousness, wet wings got a blue bad blue badge. Yeah,
we are the only thing that Saints need now to
sign and I don't know whether the budgets there, but
surely it has to be.

Speaker 5 (19:18):
As a thirteen.

Speaker 8 (19:21):
It pains me to say, why the hell did we
get rid of James Bell Because.

Speaker 1 (19:26):
When he got three, he got a three year deal.
Didn't it all.

Speaker 5 (19:30):
Time, three years, three years.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
I probably wouldn't given him three.

Speaker 1 (19:34):
But I think I think we're going to see critis
sym at thirteen and the same way as sort of
Allie plays at Wigan.

Speaker 9 (19:40):
You know that's all the same.

Speaker 2 (19:42):
It's all going to say thirteen to replaces the other
property is not.

Speaker 4 (19:45):
Going to play all the season.

Speaker 5 (19:47):
Do we need a center because I think I.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
Think I don't get that.

Speaker 3 (19:50):
I think, and we agree, and we've justribed we think
Dagonall is big enough and probably will play center.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
But record, yeah, it was not going to get through.

Speaker 5 (20:00):
But then you've got Cross to standing.

Speaker 8 (20:02):
So from a from a salary cap perspective, you've got
personal on big money. You've then got Cross as a backup.
So for me, I don't know whether Saints will be
looking at a center, but I do think because we've
got but isn't an, I'd be worried. But because we've
got Dagnol and.

Speaker 9 (20:25):
Is he the winger, Yeah, it's all going on.

Speaker 1 (20:28):
It's all gone quiet over there.

Speaker 5 (20:31):
Then that frees up.

Speaker 6 (20:34):
I don't know with Rawley if his if his philosophy
will be you could see a wellens shown Wayne philosophy
of been Yeah, put Curtis is in it at thirteen,
but I don't know with the way that Rowley wants
to play, in the way his teams play, if he's
going to be wanting something a little bit more attack
minded at thirteen as going though, I'm thinking that, But

(20:58):
I think the one thing that he will consider which
is more important is Daz Clark ain't gonna be able
to play every minute of every match now.

Speaker 2 (21:06):
He's like thirty two, and I think.

Speaker 6 (21:08):
Nine is a much more critical position than thirty. Burns
have signed again and I don't think he's the answer
was he definitely, but they kind of think it is.
Don't think they got a contract.

Speaker 8 (21:19):
They surely are a youngster in the academy coming through
at nine.

Speaker 1 (21:25):
There is rumors of it. Youngster coming through there is.

Speaker 5 (21:31):
Maybe, but do you know you point there?

Speaker 8 (21:35):
Douglas from Wigan has not been announced and also party
has not been announced.

Speaker 11 (21:41):
Well, but I thought have been announced mid Seas.

Speaker 5 (21:46):
Mid Sea by all accounts, because we're over the younger.
We've signed these players, but they've been the club. Maybe
maybe the club's just forgot.

Speaker 2 (21:57):
If I if I tell you what, if I tigned
party for a year, I forget about it all.

Speaker 1 (22:00):
It's entirely possible.

Speaker 8 (22:01):
You've had it other way.

Speaker 1 (22:07):
That much, do you know what you know? I was
absolutely thrilled with this year. I got my first concessionary
season ticket. I think of about it the one. It
was that good. So we're still looking for a center,
are we? And hang on, let's just just just back
a step. Isn't it more important to get our spine

(22:28):
sorted and get fixed because it depends there's no you
can have. You can have. You can have the Australian
backs if you can't get them the ball in space.

Speaker 10 (22:37):
The first thing rolling need to do is to come
out and say who's who's gonna be playing We know
who's gonna be playing one, but it will be six six,
and also what the plan is for thirteen and then
basically we can work around that because I'd love to
see Robinson six and seven, but that's not happening.

Speaker 5 (22:57):
I think it'll be.

Speaker 2 (22:58):
I don't think it will later.

Speaker 7 (23:00):
That would be another year of at least because I
think it's not just get rid of sailor.

Speaker 8 (23:07):
Johnny Lomax were still contracted Italian the twentylve season, so
basically covering the center conversation Robertson and was starting centers
back up.

Speaker 5 (23:18):
But don't forget Rolies had crossed the last few years.
Isn't it's open he's.

Speaker 1 (23:23):
Cross against us that time.

Speaker 2 (23:27):
Roy has got the best across.

Speaker 5 (23:28):
That's I'd love to see being Robinson.

Speaker 10 (23:31):
But we just said then you're not gonna You've got
loan as long as Lomas and sailor one of them
will play.

Speaker 1 (23:39):
I think, well, I think that we're on the bench
and cover nine. To be honest, I don't think. I
don't think roll I don't think Rollie will allow the
pedestrian play at half back that we've had for the
last time.

Speaker 10 (23:53):
Straight Away, the interview we did after it was the
cast game he was in, he was on half time.
He said straight away he can't go and have it
was eleven and twelve, change at six.

Speaker 5 (24:03):
And will lay away a good night, cracking night.

Speaker 10 (24:10):
And that's what like we turn around and said spine
through pre season.

Speaker 5 (24:15):
So obviously in his head he should he should already
know or.

Speaker 4 (24:18):
Will he's got a batle that up now.

Speaker 1 (24:20):
I mean, the simple fact is if we can turn
around our form against the top three teams top and
if we just if we just win half of them
the league round. I'm not convinced they are.

Speaker 10 (24:33):
I think they are, but also we've offered nothing to
be anything only because of the way they play.

Speaker 6 (24:39):
I think personnel, Lise, we match up to them, but
our style doesn't match.

Speaker 5 (24:45):
Up to them then.

Speaker 8 (24:46):
But also it's a confidence thing because we we've come
into a lot of them games. Like you said, like
Jack Wellsby there, he's not the confidence to go and
do what he does. We all know Jack Wellsby is
a top quality player, and you know, like you said
before gast about when he got dropped from the England squad,
part of me thought, I'm absolutely gusted for you, but
then the other half of me thought, thank god the Aussies.

(25:08):
It's not on the Aussi's radar, because that means he
can then focus on Saints and getting.

Speaker 6 (25:16):
What I think is more important from a Wellesby personally,
from a Wellesley point of view, is that he needed
a bit of a ego check, a bit of a
mentality resett and you're picking the team on form absolutely
and I think that I'd much rather him get picked
for England and then get dropped, get absolutely slaughtered by

(25:40):
the Australian Press get embarrassed and then to let him
sit for two weeks sulking like a baby in the
England camp and then come back to Saints with a
rejuvenated attitude of right, I'm going to stick it right
up with you.

Speaker 1 (25:56):
It's a very cynical and absolutely accurate assessment what I
think we should be.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
Doing when they do that, or will he continue to sulk?

Speaker 10 (26:03):
I think I think spot on with that, and I
think that's the best way that could have happened to.

Speaker 8 (26:09):
Jack jack wells Jack Wellsby is our next captain when
Johnny or Max goes I mean even next year, you
might find that Johnny or with John Wilkin, when a
new coach came in news coach came in and said,
I'm sorry, John Wilky, you're not captain anymore, and give
it to Rugby. That might happen next season whereby they say, sorry, Johnny,

(26:30):
you're not captain because you're going to be our fourteen.
It happened and Jack Wellesby you're now our captain and
that's going to be the future.

Speaker 5 (26:39):
The future.

Speaker 4 (26:40):
You should do that.

Speaker 3 (26:41):
So Johnny, you're not going to play every week, in fact,
not hardly going to play much.

Speaker 9 (26:45):
I think Johnny.

Speaker 6 (26:46):
I think Johnny had been much more suited to thirty
seven than fourteen.

Speaker 9 (26:50):
Though, to be honest, you've.

Speaker 8 (26:52):
Been do you know what Johnny Ormac's been. He's been
really really good for ye.

Speaker 5 (26:59):
Becomes the time moves on.

Speaker 6 (27:01):
Listen the man sat to my writer. I will tell
you that for fifteen years, well not so much the
last few years. But we argued like cat and dog
over Johnny Lax, isn't.

Speaker 4 (27:09):
We starting with I had kept gascuing. Never it's never
really moved on.

Speaker 6 (27:16):
I started with he's the best passer of the ball
outside of James Rowby that we've had for donkeys years
in that team.

Speaker 9 (27:23):
But there is some love for Johnny low Max. But
there's no room for sentiments.

Speaker 3 (27:26):
But is anybody is anybody if you want to win stuff?

Speaker 1 (27:29):
Is anybody disagreeing that we need to pick up the
pace and the half packs?

Speaker 4 (27:33):
Yeah? We do significantly.

Speaker 1 (27:37):
That's the way for Yet I think he's going to
go whiby Sailor and with a stronger, stronger pack.

Speaker 10 (27:46):
Do you want one thing? I think we will say
Sailors improved this year massively.

Speaker 5 (27:49):
I think Underaly, I think.

Speaker 9 (27:52):
This is where you'll see the coaching. If there's a
difference with Sailor.

Speaker 1 (27:57):
I think he'll find space for Sailor. And that's the
key thing.

Speaker 5 (27:59):
I think he'll.

Speaker 10 (28:00):
Yeah, I think he'll he'll make room forced Sailor, and
the players round in Wellsby make room for Sailor, and
so and so on.

Speaker 5 (28:06):
Were Sailor playing, we.

Speaker 10 (28:09):
Think will be six with well will will Sailor be
a sweeping thirteen.

Speaker 4 (28:17):
Now you can't, my my mother, don't stand on oxygen.

Speaker 7 (28:21):
Tackles better than offensive might kill him. Well, we put
wellsby there half with in one game and cord it
very well.

Speaker 2 (28:29):
You don't look out.

Speaker 1 (28:31):
We're also you can't. You can't switch positions at this
level easily at all.

Speaker 3 (28:37):
I personally think that one six seventy nine does not
have the name Sailor involved.

Speaker 1 (28:42):
So what's yours? Go on?

Speaker 3 (28:44):
It's Wells by Robertson, mother Thaxton and Wells by Robertson
with by Clark.

Speaker 4 (28:54):
Well that wellsby captain.

Speaker 1 (28:56):
I'd be made up like who was your centers?

Speaker 4 (29:00):
Mm hm, dagon All and Perceval.

Speaker 1 (29:02):
Okay, all right, okay, wingers with Murphy and Felt.

Speaker 4 (29:06):
Felt and if he's fit Murphy if not the wigand.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
Sailor before Murphy.

Speaker 3 (29:10):
I mean a minute, that might be a spot for him.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
Well, we've seen.

Speaker 4 (29:16):
So much in big games. He can not defend at all.

Speaker 3 (29:21):
Every time he was bombed he drops and every time
his last man he runs straight through him like he's
not there. He just he can't possibly play full back.

Speaker 1 (29:31):
He's been brought into six.

Speaker 4 (29:34):
I just don't think.

Speaker 1 (29:36):
I think, but I think he is good enough.

Speaker 9 (29:39):
Sailor.

Speaker 3 (29:40):
He's greating crap games against othersfield or soul for when
you were in eighteen got it's good.

Speaker 7 (29:44):
Then I don't think that sixteen full backs anywhere, isn't
it another half back and it's not not anything for
the tackling anymore.

Speaker 5 (29:55):
Fans need a couple of weeks, won't be going.

Speaker 2 (30:02):
When's going, And I think i'd rather.

Speaker 4 (30:07):
Tristan.

Speaker 8 (30:07):
Can I just make a point then it was literally
just coming to me. Then when when you know when
you you've got.

Speaker 12 (30:15):
She's the dynamic, when you've got saale of her at fallback,
he his coach, was the best defensive fallback I think
I've ever seen play rugby league in Paul Wellens mm hmm.

Speaker 5 (30:32):
Why why was his defense so bad at fallback.

Speaker 8 (30:37):
It's not you know, yeah, but is that is that
a coaching thing or is that just because Sailor is
not figure?

Speaker 13 (30:44):
Because you know what I mean, if you're like fifty
percent or whatever, surely Wellens been a coach of such
ill as knowing that position like the back of his aunt.

Speaker 8 (30:59):
Surely even twenty per of that knowledge passed over to
you would make you a better player at that.

Speaker 6 (31:05):
I think what what always struck me as strange is
designed him and they put number six on his back.
Somebody somewhere that some point decided that he was a
standoff for Saints, and yet we have this all the
discussions album. I don't maybe somebody at the club didn't
even know what to do with him.

Speaker 8 (31:26):
I think it was wasn't it has brought him over
with him.

Speaker 1 (31:30):
Well, I think with saying that he's one of the
only ones that looks like he's getting through the line.

Speaker 5 (31:35):
Yeah, we said it.

Speaker 1 (31:39):
Against Salford, no no, no, against everyone.

Speaker 2 (31:42):
We haven't got any.

Speaker 4 (31:43):
Other against Warrington.

Speaker 1 (31:47):
No space against no space because because the way we're
playing at that point was drop off.

Speaker 6 (31:55):
Well, I think I think as I heard, as I've
started to love this expression, it's going round if we
just play five and a drive.

Speaker 1 (32:06):
Well, I think, I think, I think pretty I'm pretty
sure that's not going to happen next year for once,
okay one of them. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but
does anybody think, well, we've got a very very very
very very quick deal with North Queens and Cowboys after
his contract wasn't renewed. I'm pretty sure that's been done
a couple of months.

Speaker 2 (32:25):
Ago and ultimately bewildering.

Speaker 1 (32:27):
Yeah, yeah, both.

Speaker 10 (32:30):
Him.

Speaker 1 (32:30):
I don't wish him anyway.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
Yeah, good look to him.

Speaker 8 (32:34):
But how how Yeah, like I just said then with Wells,
we've all witnessed how good he was as a player
and has that defensive potentially he was one of the
best in the world. So if you know, if if
he's going as the defensive coach, he might absolutely.

Speaker 4 (32:56):
He might be.

Speaker 6 (32:57):
Ok, Tommy Lee, he might be. He might be Rugby
League' Josh McDaniels. He might just be a fantastic assistant
and not a He's some bloke in America, but he's
a fella that references. It's he's like as a coach,
but he's not a head coach. He's tried the head

(33:18):
coach and failed, but as a as an assistant coach
perfect and when you and when you and when you
look at well Ow's track record as an assistant, you
couldn't ask for a better resume.

Speaker 9 (33:30):
Maybe it's just not his thing. Maybe he's just not I.

Speaker 8 (33:34):
Just personally just maybe he just wasn't strong enough as
a head coach. Who knows, because you know, none of
us sat around there and you know what goes on
behind the closed doors at the club. You know, like
you said, he had the perfect resume, that he smashed
it as an assistant all.

Speaker 10 (33:51):
All, he revealed the first couple of weeks the next season,
because depending on what Saints turn up, turn up and
start from the ball out and beating team and or
even entertaining for the first.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
Month, that's okay.

Speaker 1 (34:04):
I think that's okay.

Speaker 10 (34:05):
That's that's where we're going to find out what's been
the issue or if there is been an issue. If
we turn up and it's kind of the same ship
with the last two years.

Speaker 4 (34:12):
It's like, right, just can't see that. I think we've
picked the right guy.

Speaker 5 (34:18):
If you're looking, well, none of his sure, we all
pretty much agreed.

Speaker 10 (34:22):
If you're looking for a coach mid season he would
have been the one everybody would talk.

Speaker 7 (34:28):
Yeah, I agree, have been my choice, But I do
think saying that he's got a massive job or turn
it around.

Speaker 10 (34:33):
So that's the only thing that you worry about is
the kind of like the Daryl Powell and lesser coaches
going to bigger club going to bigger clubs.

Speaker 5 (34:42):
You're talking about dwer going to Warrington.

Speaker 8 (34:45):
That that's that's what you look that's a different club altogether,
because I mean they put Bloody wolf Hees heading the
trophy cabinet for starters, you know what I mean.

Speaker 10 (34:54):
So what I'm saying is the cold of the players
he had at Warrington compared to cast is made. He'd
got tune out with them at Cash, but then at
Warrington it has been Holp. It's completely different. Were entertainer.

Speaker 2 (35:07):
He's done well away as well before.

Speaker 10 (35:09):
Feel like that's his level where they're not quite at
the top, but he can get them up there.

Speaker 5 (35:14):
But when he stepped up to kind of a higher
team that Warrington are not a higher team.

Speaker 4 (35:18):
Paul the game ninth, it's their year next year.

Speaker 2 (35:23):
Generally higher than Cass.

Speaker 5 (35:26):
Seven times on the bounce.

Speaker 1 (35:27):
Still well, hopefully, hopefully is going to take away the
psychological affects him a lot of these games against the
bigger teams, because we've clearly gone into those bigger games
at a serious disadvantage psychologically because we're referred to. We've
reverted to type.

Speaker 5 (35:45):
It's a game plan for me most I'll stick to
it now even now.

Speaker 10 (35:50):
Okay, are Wigan Saints up until like last year, hopefully
we changed things.

Speaker 5 (35:56):
The top four or five teams or six.

Speaker 10 (36:00):
All of the same game plan, just execute the finishing
passes differently. If you look at most of the top teams,
you either hit that second row or the center or
the miss up boards that the winger it's three passes
or with wigging its field or French on the back.
Everybody plays the same, it's just how they finish how
they finish off. I feel like so for the leads

(36:20):
go against the grain and when leads are so it
and this because if leads put it together and get
the tune up with it so insane flips out of
the corner terrible way.

Speaker 1 (36:33):
It goes wrong and he is wrong.

Speaker 5 (36:34):
Okay, I like that.

Speaker 10 (36:36):
Okay, I completely flipped over now and there's so much
now structures.

Speaker 1 (36:40):
Very formula and at the end of the day.

Speaker 10 (36:42):
It's so you can break them down, but you've have
the players in the format to break them down.

Speaker 5 (36:46):
But we've not had that for the last few.

Speaker 10 (36:47):
Years, and we're going aren't entertaining really, We're going to
just a grinding team trying to.

Speaker 5 (36:51):
Bully it and they're trying to two sprinters Field or
French on.

Speaker 1 (36:56):
A break or a little pass because for the first
half of the season without Friendship, when he was out,
they weren't that great.

Speaker 5 (37:03):
Without Frinch and Field.

Speaker 10 (37:04):
Harry Smith can't control the game with no no tune
for that Pheromone, it's very good coming.

Speaker 5 (37:12):
From it looks a really good prospect. But apart from him,
like I said, your top handful of teams that are
all play.

Speaker 10 (37:17):
The same way, League Leads and Salford, we're kind of
three teams. You went against that against the Green and
played really attractive roub but like I said, if it
didn't come off, it looked absolutely brilliant.

Speaker 1 (37:31):
We're all sort of the view that we need a
couple more a couple more acquisitions. Then yeah, before the season.

Speaker 10 (37:38):
Forward, I think we need a good another good prop
forward generally, Yeah, do you know what?

Speaker 6 (37:44):
Do you know what I will throw in thrties. I'd like,
depending on what finances are available. I don't want. I
wouldn't like us to go and commit a huge amount
of funding into if only you'd have if they'd have
had the stones to hoof wello halfway through last season

(38:04):
and go and pinch rollly so he had half of it,
but as he had enough time now to just think
right where we need to go buy this, this, this
and this or will he get that squad, have a
few months with it and think well, actually, you don't
need this because you're playing him wrong. You don't need
that because you're playing him wrong. Let's just change the
old thing. But especially with nine and thirteen being such
pivotal positions and they are going to cost so much money,

(38:27):
I don't know if if we don't bring any morning,
I'm just going to be more satisfied. Let's just see
what role he can do and take it from there.
We don't need to just go headlong into dumping everything
on this season.

Speaker 5 (38:39):
Just because he's turned a lot of into.

Speaker 9 (38:44):
That'll donation.

Speaker 1 (38:51):
But generally.

Speaker 2 (38:54):
That was very insightful, very very Peter Barnes, there.

Speaker 1 (38:58):
Was like two bucks generally, So generally Lad I think
we can say we are hopeful.

Speaker 9 (39:08):
My brother was right about you.

Speaker 5 (39:12):
What's been said before.

Speaker 10 (39:13):
I don't I don't think we go out on to
be a natural fortune and move forward.

Speaker 5 (39:17):
I think we signed the players what we.

Speaker 8 (39:19):
Need to sign, and I do know Rollie's got a
three year deal back. Rollie's got a three year deal,
so you know we're we're only giving wellens like one
or two year deals at a time.

Speaker 5 (39:32):
So Rolie's got now three years.

Speaker 8 (39:35):
He's got a year now to work with a squad
that we've already signed and they've already got.

Speaker 5 (39:39):
Maybe he's adding.

Speaker 8 (39:40):
Influence in the signings that we've done, who knows, But
he's got a year now to decide what is best
spine is, what his best team is. He's got them
youngsters coming through which we're all mentioned, which are absolutely fantastic,
and then he's got a full year to add to
that final two years. Like I said on the last podcast,
I think Rollie could be a saying four, five, six, seven, eight,

(40:01):
nine years.

Speaker 1 (40:02):
And to prefare too many initial interviews, he's saying I'd
like to see what I've got first.

Speaker 8 (40:06):
Absolutely, and you know, if we finish third next season
or second next season, it's blood improvement and like we've
all said tonight, we want.

Speaker 5 (40:16):
To see better, better standard of players.

Speaker 10 (40:18):
I'm not bothering we finished eighth next year, as long
as we're entertaining and we go to the games and
we think, you know what, we walk away and think
that we enjoyed that.

Speaker 5 (40:25):
That's a great game.

Speaker 10 (40:26):
But turning up wing, oh yeah, well we're second in
the league. Har but we played absolutely terrible.

Speaker 9 (40:33):
Do you know what?

Speaker 6 (40:33):
I know Grahame was probably going to touch on it,
but when you're saying about this entertainment, the when you
watch that Test series, you see things like Addie grant
On like the second tackle doing a little chip over
the center. I'm running it the inventiveness. But even at
international level England it was still that as Gas always says,
that Dolly to the corner, that Dolly to the corner,

(40:56):
and it's just it's boring and it's shaped like you.

Speaker 1 (40:59):
Listen, no, try this in a seamless link. We'll now
talk about the ashes.

Speaker 5 (41:07):
He's talking about England and Great Britain in the past.

Speaker 10 (41:11):
Everything's about aggression and there was nothing like our attacks
never been fantastic.

Speaker 5 (41:15):
There just always works.

Speaker 6 (41:17):
Yeah, I think I think listening to Cameron Monster after
that game. I don't know which test it was, but
on the Red button listening to Cam Munster and it
might have been the evident one. And they said to
about the issue with England and what's the thing. And
the first thing he says was we've got a spine.
He said, it's nothing, it's we don't play Hollywood, but
we just played proper rugby. Said, no team can play

(41:39):
rugby if they don't know. It's spine, he said, And
England don't know the spine. And I thought, well that
sounds familiar.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
You mentioned that.

Speaker 2 (41:47):
Yeah, I think it's the same problem if you.

Speaker 3 (41:50):
Go through the team and we're going about going on
about Reese Walsh, but I don't think he's as good
as Billy Slater or lock you and didn't need to
be grant snow Cam.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
Yeah, granted, but they're not as good, are they?

Speaker 2 (42:07):
It could be as good?

Speaker 4 (42:08):
I think, I mean, I think I.

Speaker 3 (42:09):
Think the game we look at our team, even you
look at like the saw the interview.

Speaker 8 (42:15):
Is that England or Australia because you were in Australia
top our team England.

Speaker 3 (42:19):
I'm just having a laugh, So I wish I was
wearing this when I lived in Sydney. But yeah, I
mean our teams are awful and you go back to the
teams in the past and you had you had it
when we had a proper team at six and seven
and one, and you look at what we've got now,
But I didn't.

Speaker 2 (42:38):
I don't think those is is that good?

Speaker 4 (42:42):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (42:43):
Do you just make it look so simple A for
a hard yard and the bats come into it?

Speaker 5 (42:49):
Like I said, isn't.

Speaker 2 (42:52):
This because the game isn't as good anymore?

Speaker 3 (42:54):
No?

Speaker 4 (42:54):
Is it? It's not those two centers.

Speaker 7 (42:56):
Every try looks the same, every team saying, players same
more or less.

Speaker 4 (43:00):
And that guy, your wing number two with the raven
a boat.

Speaker 2 (43:03):
He wouldn't expect.

Speaker 9 (43:06):
Used to.

Speaker 5 (43:08):
Every time we caught it.

Speaker 10 (43:09):
Yeah, Williams kicked the ball to the corner, Like why
are competing with him?

Speaker 5 (43:14):
The best captch in the world. Every single time.

Speaker 4 (43:17):
Did he did he play a pass?

Speaker 3 (43:19):
All series? That wasn't forward? I mean that was the first.
It's just ridiculous that number two. I'm not even going
to to pronounce his name, that fella, but every past
he played was forward.

Speaker 4 (43:35):
He doesn't look that quick.

Speaker 2 (43:37):
One that he put his back, that one that they
put around his back the third game.

Speaker 1 (43:43):
I just I just thinking he was like his own
line in all the games. I just think we looked
like we were easy to defend against.

Speaker 5 (43:54):
Every time.

Speaker 10 (43:55):
Every and we try and batter in the first ten minutes
and that didn't work, and thinking.

Speaker 1 (44:00):
What's what's planning try and batter them again?

Speaker 4 (44:02):
It was like watching us this season.

Speaker 5 (44:04):
I feel like.

Speaker 10 (44:06):
We didn't know what the one was, what we knew
what The only position we knew in that team was
six because Williams was captain, and god knows why Williams
was CAPTA.

Speaker 7 (44:15):
Said something very telling after the second game. Think it
was he said he said that the game plan was
to kick to the corners and defend. Yeah, so the
game plan is essentially to draw Neil lildin.

Speaker 1 (44:27):
Yeah, because you're not.

Speaker 2 (44:27):
Going to score any points if you're going to just
get to the cars and defend.

Speaker 10 (44:31):
Like he said, the back row was getting on the
end of kicks and putting kicks themselves.

Speaker 5 (44:36):
Nowaday it was we're literally getting rings round.

Speaker 1 (44:39):
I was watching Grahame James Graham on on on the
podcast he was on, was saying that Wayne's got enough
crediting the bank to continue to the World Cup. I'm
not convinced of that because I don't if we play for.

Speaker 2 (44:50):
Six years and if the world called.

Speaker 4 (44:55):
I am the man, we won't know I'm the man.

Speaker 1 (44:57):
We won't get out of the group.

Speaker 7 (44:58):
If the worke up and that was faire the the Ashes,
I don't know where his credit in the bank comes from.

Speaker 1 (45:02):
Neither neither.

Speaker 9 (45:05):
In the world.

Speaker 5 (45:06):
Yeah, well for me, it's got to go because it
should have gone. Then in that first game, got excited
and they beat.

Speaker 2 (45:14):
About sixty points that first game, and then they came back.

Speaker 5 (45:21):
It is enough credits.

Speaker 1 (45:22):
There's a different look at the Ashes. Did we get
the fixtures the wrong way around? Yes? Should we have
played its first in terms of venues because they had
an easy ride?

Speaker 7 (45:33):
I mean for for actual competitive reason, for the for
the crowd.

Speaker 2 (45:38):
I don't think competitively makes a difference.

Speaker 5 (45:40):
Whatsoever?

Speaker 10 (45:41):
Better a lot of the podcasts the minute the Aussie
players said I thought it would be more intimidating. What
it was was getting a lot of abuse everything that.

Speaker 1 (45:51):
Was That's not unusual to get everything, is it?

Speaker 5 (45:54):
Really?

Speaker 9 (45:55):
So?

Speaker 8 (45:55):
When we mentioned this last on the last podcast that
I I do feel you're right that it went the
wrong way, so it should have been leads Everton and
then possibly Wembley.

Speaker 1 (46:06):
I wouldn't have gone to Wembley to be honest, but.

Speaker 5 (46:08):
Well maybe not. But the too big Yeah it is
too big. Maybe Tottenham or someone like that.

Speaker 8 (46:14):
Yeah, you know, yeah, they want that what they're trying
to tap into. And we mentioned it with London Bronco
trying to tap into that Australian New Zealand sort of
ex pacull.

Speaker 4 (46:24):
They can get on a train.

Speaker 9 (46:26):
Well, well, at the end.

Speaker 8 (46:27):
Of the day they got sixty thousand people though, didn't
they So you know true, ultimately it was the biggest
crowd of the of the but it was in a
half empty stadium because you know.

Speaker 1 (46:37):
I felt I thought it was an easy ride for that.

Speaker 8 (46:39):
First thing was because if you would have played the
first Test that leads Australia. They tactfully sent Australia out
onto the pitch at Wembley first and there was like
almost silence. If that would have been a heavenly there
would have been booze, they would have been abuse, there
would have been all this sort of stuff.

Speaker 14 (47:01):
The work by themselves, but I think I think they
did it on purpose to try and intimidate them, and
it just didn't happen. If that would have happened at
Everton the week after, I mean, you know I got
so sick down because I was too wet one by all.

Speaker 5 (47:15):
This sort of sort of stuff.

Speaker 1 (47:16):
But you know I didn't go to what was the
vending like I've got.

Speaker 6 (47:21):
I've got to say, we're fantastic were we were Everton.
Our section was giving it bifters, big style money. I
mean we was only like six rolls from the front
and we were in that when that kickoff happened in
the second half, it was right in front of us,
and we were because the section we were seemed to
be weren't all the same.

Speaker 9 (47:41):
Tellen's amateur clubs had bought the tickets on it.

Speaker 6 (47:43):
And people were running down the aisles trying to get
at them, and it was how.

Speaker 5 (47:48):
Did they get the prone sandwich passed?

Speaker 6 (47:49):
All that?

Speaker 2 (47:50):
Maybe God.

Speaker 1 (47:59):
On Facebook with glass, doesn't you that before the game?

Speaker 6 (48:03):
With with all due respect, but fuck off, I think Shocking.

Speaker 10 (48:12):
Would have been the first game, everything the second, and
then take it to a lesser.

Speaker 1 (48:16):
Ground in London, maybe get quite close to the pitch.

Speaker 5 (48:21):
Or something.

Speaker 1 (48:22):
But all in all but looking forward to a World
Cup next year and I can't see any progress being
made with with with Wayne as if if we're.

Speaker 4 (48:30):
Still in charge, you'll be exactly the same.

Speaker 2 (48:32):
We won't make the finals to group.

Speaker 1 (48:35):
It's a group of five minutes. You gotta get you
got to get in the top two. And there's too many,
there's too many other nations.

Speaker 5 (48:40):
Now we're going back and going forward literally Australia, England
and New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (48:45):
Even like people again, we might beat France, PG will
be a threat because they're all in the decent.

Speaker 10 (48:57):
Each each year they getting more impressive players and more
competitive players playing.

Speaker 1 (49:01):
Although we're getting more of our lads over there, so
by that by this time next year we might have
ten ten ten over there.

Speaker 10 (49:07):
Moran's going over this year. I think he'll The one
thing he needs to improve on is just go forward
his passing skills. You can't knock it the ball, but
if he gets a bit of a thirteen kind of
ball handler, I think it improve. But one thing I
do want to touch on just before we move on
from the Test series is how good Everton Stadium was.

Speaker 1 (49:29):
I've heard I've heard good things about it.

Speaker 4 (49:30):
Yeah, yeah, it was brilliant.

Speaker 2 (49:33):
A lot of.

Speaker 10 (49:33):
People and a few people start going from torcial media
saying it was out of beer.

Speaker 1 (49:37):
But at the end of the day, yeah, but they
didn't care to rugby fans, didn't.

Speaker 10 (49:40):
They it's a football ground. At football he only allowed
before the game. At the end of the game, rugby
fans allowed to the seat.

Speaker 1 (49:48):
Could you take me to the seats?

Speaker 6 (49:50):
And I thought, I thought that fans on outside the
stadium was incredible. That was that whole earlier for before
and the fact that it stayed open for to hours
after the match.

Speaker 9 (49:59):
It it was. It was the best venue I've been to.

Speaker 10 (50:01):
I think in the next three four years that that
will be that'll blow a lot of stadiums out of
the water because of the work that's going to go
on outside the ground, because there was it was it
took us twenty minutes to walk from Liverpool City Center
to the ground. But the amount of work that's going
to take place between the city center and the ground
with bad restaurants, that.

Speaker 5 (50:21):
Was the issue. We walked and there's nowhere.

Speaker 1 (50:23):
To stop right you know.

Speaker 2 (50:26):
Well there was some very dodgy pubs. Yeah, you don't
want to go in there. I don't think not with
our accents.

Speaker 10 (50:33):
A lot of the work that's taking place in the
next couple of years, it's going to be massive, but
no fair play. The best thing that out that Test
Series to come was the RFL taking the game to
Everton excellent. If that was anfield you would have sold
about twenty thousand tickets because people have been there before,
but because people wanted to see.

Speaker 6 (50:49):
They've been, they'd been to Ownfield and I remember going
for the it was a while back when we played
New Zealand at Anfield and it's the most cramped I
have ever been in a stage and it was.

Speaker 1 (51:01):
Yeah, it's changed, toulous.

Speaker 5 (51:04):
But the two highlights of the RFL the last few years.

Speaker 10 (51:08):
Is Everton and when the Topam Stadium opened the Challenge
Cup final air and again I think that was only
a couple of thousand short of capacity and they're the
best two stadiums, that's true.

Speaker 7 (51:17):
The only issue would have we're taking it taking finals
to Everton is that it's a little bit too small.

Speaker 5 (51:22):
Yeah, it's I mean, like fifty what that does do it.

Speaker 6 (51:25):
Generates, it creates demand. But also if he was to
do a three way split of fifty two thousand, seventeen
and a half thousand for each club and then seventeen
and a half thousand FEA corporates and your neutrals and
what have you, and people pay a bit more. It
creates the demand. But I mean, I mean man cities

(51:47):
having an extension done at the minute. But either which
way that Everton ground to me showed up ould Trafford
for exactly what it is.

Speaker 7 (51:55):
I was going to say, you know what the NFL
say though, they'd rather have sixty thousand at Wembley, you
know by tickets then fifty thousand and Everton because they
get less money.

Speaker 2 (52:03):
And that's when it's short time thinking. That's how they are.

Speaker 5 (52:06):
They think straight away, he just said.

Speaker 10 (52:07):
Then say there's like for arguments, say twenty thousand tickets,
twenty five thousand tickets up to the general public straight away.
Then the ticket's go and sale, even the club's not
there and buying because I want to go straight away.
Then twenty five thousand tickets have gone before the two
clubs have found out, and when the clubs do get there,
you have other then clubs don't sell them.

Speaker 8 (52:29):
How many times have you've been to Wembley for a
final and It's half empty, isn't it. And not only
does it look bad on TV, but from an atmosphere
point it is horrible. It's but that's but that's what
I mean. So you take it to a lesser savum,
you create that demand and then it's like you've got
a full.

Speaker 5 (52:46):
Stadium that that Ashes test at Everton.

Speaker 8 (52:49):
When you watch that back on TV, it looked absolutely fantastic, great,
whatever angle they showed, it was full. You look at
and that's the time they showed a shot. Half a
tea is empty.

Speaker 10 (53:03):
So when you sell, going back to like John's gout
finals at Wembley, you buy Saint fans in one block,
then the middle blocks the RFL.

Speaker 5 (53:10):
Then it's Saint fans.

Speaker 10 (53:11):
You're trying to create an apposphere, same like I'm guessing saying, okay,
we're going to ever get there. They sell the middle
blocks the RFL and then the ones round it to
the clubs, so straight to it.

Speaker 5 (53:20):
You know, the club fans aren't stats together.

Speaker 10 (53:22):
There's a block of each fans RFL fans and so once.

Speaker 5 (53:26):
Again seat coming forwards.

Speaker 10 (53:32):
Something that needs to be a reshuffle or rethink and
go to a lesser grounds and create a demand and
people know even you put like a five year.

Speaker 1 (53:40):
Planning, there's nothing better than a fullhouse. Magic weekend might
go now, but then they they turn on and go right.
For argument's sake, the next five years are going to
be this is going a bit too far up Dublin Cardiff.

Speaker 5 (53:57):
For like Tottenham, you pick five stadiums, that's for the
next five years. Fans can say, fans can pick.

Speaker 6 (54:06):
And I loved I loved the Challenge Cup Final being
on the road. I think that was the but I
think that was the in the in the last few decades.
I think that's been the high spot for the Challenge
Cup Final.

Speaker 9 (54:19):
That was forced.

Speaker 6 (54:19):
That wasn't it because of the rebuilt Yeah, but it forced,
but a bit like Hay Robertson and knowing Dagnoll it worked.

Speaker 3 (54:25):
Even twiging twicking and was fab far better for the
Wembley tested sim fantastic twicking and it's.

Speaker 10 (54:34):
Not you're right on it and it's not a bigger crowd,
but Cardiff and they took Wembley to Cardiff.

Speaker 5 (54:39):
It was that and Cardiff right in the city center.
That's what works for Newcastle as well.

Speaker 2 (54:45):
That's the great thing about Cardiff.

Speaker 5 (54:47):
A five six year plan and said right, this is
what we're doing.

Speaker 10 (54:50):
Fans can pick and choose what they want to do
and people can buck it in the diary instead of
going right Swembley again.

Speaker 5 (54:56):
Oh yeah, well it's all Trafford.

Speaker 1 (54:59):
It's great to see the green shoots of hope.

Speaker 9 (55:01):
And it's.

Speaker 4 (55:05):
The three tests.

Speaker 3 (55:06):
You've got a ninety thousand capacity, a fifty two thousand
capacity and a twenty two thousand capacity. Why not have
three to fifty thousand capacity? So them, Yeah, yeah, you
know that Leads Test arguably was too small thought, so yeah,
you know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (55:22):
Why not ticket to a proper ground?

Speaker 8 (55:24):
I think what they were hoping for in that final
time at least one one all take it to and
have the crowd on the back, which.

Speaker 6 (55:35):
If you want, if you want a rugby league crowd
to have that effect with a decent stagium, the only
place for me that you can go is all.

Speaker 5 (55:43):
To be honest, you've got to play rugby as well,
you've got to have the fans and you're back. Same
as like we said.

Speaker 10 (55:48):
About saying to share, there's no fair entertain that that's
fair because you're not entertained.

Speaker 5 (55:53):
And same with England you're just going to go and
try and pass the Aussies.

Speaker 10 (55:56):
You need to score, try just let them cut through
the puts. That kicking from Wlliams high.

Speaker 3 (56:03):
Games we got two tries and one barge over one
kick opportunist.

Speaker 9 (56:09):
Pretty poor, is it? What does that?

Speaker 4 (56:11):
Two?

Speaker 10 (56:12):
What is it?

Speaker 4 (56:12):
Two hundred and forty minutes two tries?

Speaker 5 (56:15):
But if you're going to.

Speaker 10 (56:15):
Create an atmosphere, you've got to be entertained on the
pitch and that's something we lacked and under showing Wayne
we're not going to be entertained.

Speaker 5 (56:21):
If you want to be Scragon, he.

Speaker 4 (56:24):
Must go for me, for me too.

Speaker 1 (56:26):
But there it is. It's not going to happen, is it.

Speaker 2 (56:28):
I don't know, they said today, find out in the time.

Speaker 1 (56:32):
They said.

Speaker 2 (56:34):
Amazingly vague.

Speaker 6 (56:36):
Just just one final thing with the Everton thing, that is,
when that stage was done and built.

Speaker 9 (56:43):
There's it's a bit like a giant mcconoe apparently, in
the sense that Everton have now.

Speaker 6 (56:48):
Got nearly forty thousand people on a waiting list for
season tickets, so they've already put applied for planning permission
to extep, to extend it by another twelve I think
it's the twelve fourteen thousand.

Speaker 2 (57:04):
Yeah, it's going to be perfect the finals.

Speaker 9 (57:07):
So that end where we were.

Speaker 6 (57:08):
Where it's the smaller with that section, that roof will
just lift off and another section will be put on
top of that, so before a.

Speaker 5 (57:18):
List of fans. So if you're going to improve your facility.

Speaker 6 (57:23):
The reason they didn't apparently was because they didn't know,
because I mean, I don't follow football, but it was
the relegation thing that was an issue.

Speaker 5 (57:31):
So what.

Speaker 4 (57:34):
About the decent.

Speaker 7 (57:35):
Football read the comments about the pitch markings and did
you find that to be an issue?

Speaker 9 (57:43):
That was what regarding the size of the pitch.

Speaker 2 (57:46):
Everton, there was allegedly no pitch markings on the on
the field. Say all I could see it was the
twenty but I thought it was just my viewpoint.

Speaker 6 (57:56):
No, it was it seemed like from where we were,
to be honest, and what they did do when we
when the match was on, we noticed that the grass
was long. So apparently what they did was when they
painted the lines on the pitch, they just did the
last inch and half the top inch and half of
the grass. Because the match had finished, the players were
still on the pitch and they appeared with all these
lawnmowers and it was and we even Gas was commenting

(58:18):
there as these lawnmowers were going it was like a
magic magic whiteboard or something because they just cut the
lines off and instantly there was no white lines left.

Speaker 7 (58:26):
So that might have been wise saying that they weren't
in lines because they weren't allowed to put lines on
because Everton's pictures of football pitch and that for.

Speaker 2 (58:34):
Me would be a problem. Yeah, definitely, and international you've
got to have correct.

Speaker 1 (58:43):
Okay, well, I have to wrap that up now. Ads
for the season.

Speaker 4 (58:46):
That's just I just mentioned.

Speaker 3 (58:52):
Rainford Labored Globe salted Caramel Feast and absolutely outstanding.

Speaker 1 (59:00):
Only should mention that because one of my one of
my final things is to say thank you to Jackie
at the rain for Labor Club for all for the hospitality,
and we'll be back next year. It's a great place
to have a few drinks and watch your sports, so
Ray for Labor.

Speaker 4 (59:13):
Always a quality guest beer.

Speaker 1 (59:14):
There is, well, we have light, it's six weeks, it's
six twelve pounded membership for the year and the beer
is not expensive and it's a good it's a good place,
so cut yourself down here. So thanks to Stay for
all your work this season.

Speaker 2 (59:28):
Steak pleasures always.

Speaker 1 (59:30):
Thanks for Darren and Poor for you no problem, no problem.
Thanks to guys for your optimism.

Speaker 3 (59:35):
Of the Saints is coming home, Super Egs coming home
next year, all the year after, the year after, Salty.

Speaker 4 (59:44):
Caramel, Thick, one more paint everything.

Speaker 1 (59:47):
Thanks thanks to Ready. If you work this year, glads,
we'll see you next year.

Speaker 5 (01:00:00):
M