Ryan Hoffman - Behind Enemy Lines

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
The story telling the mad Dragon over that my mother
off my side, but you were four fans certain that
he is ductious, would pull the dragon's pride with shing.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
To Tony make your dress.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
That his.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
That's a red dragon stuck in.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
That Dragons, Bad Dragons. That's the way we came, the
Bad Dragons, trouble.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
Dragon Man's up, everyone, and welcome to our special edition
of Behind Enemy Lines. An unusual time for Wednesday night,
but yeah, as our usual show is Tuesday, but we've
got our special guest on tonight. We welcome Melbourne Storm

(01:17):
Legends also played for the Blues, and also the welcome
our special guest tonight, Ryan Hoffman. Thanks for joining us. Ryan,
great to have.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
You on Absolute pleasure guys, thanks for having me.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
Obviously we're gonna look ahead at this Saturday game. Up
Congra where the drag in full Melbourne Storm and which
just where we'll throw over the big tea where we'll
get this.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
Go on, come with me as we go Behind Enemy Lines. Okay,

(02:25):
Draggon fans, good, Hey, Dragons fans on big t and
welcome to be hon lines with our special guests, Ryan
Hoffman Legends. He's in the Warrior, played for Wigans in.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Your Ryan, Yeah, play for Wigan in the Yeah three.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Times to the Melbourne Storm, Melbourne, Melbourne, New Zealand and
Melbourne again.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah. They kept they kept on getting rid of me,
but I kept on coming back.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
Like a bad rush. What what what? What kept kept
you going back to Melbourne?

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Melbourne was always home. So I had nine years at
Melbourne and then we had the salary cap drama. If
you guys didn't know that, there was a Sally Great
drummer with the Storm. And there was an opportunity because
I always wanted to go to England at some stage
in my career and Mark McGuire was the coach at
Wigan at the time and obviously twenty ten was great

(03:20):
year for you guys but a bad year for us,
and so the opportunity came on. Mark McGuire was coach
at Wigan and he suggested, mate, do you want to
come over for a year, you know, let the club
sort itself out and then head back there eventually. And
I thought at the time, I said, look, let's just
do it. I was twenty seven. I thought it's a
great time to go to England. I still felt I

(03:42):
had a lot of good years of footy ahead of me,
and it ended up being the best decision I ever
made in my rugby league career, just to have that
bit of a freshen up, just to be able to
go over playing England, play at grounds I've never played
and play with a different It really freshened me up.
So when I did come back to Australia the following year,
I played my best every year of of NRL was

(04:03):
twenty twelve, so it was great for me. And then
obviously got a great offer from from the Warriors three
years later to go over there and played there for
three years and love my time over there. But look,
I just it was a great opportunity for me to
finish my career as a Melbourne Storm player. I started
there at eighteen under Craig and it always just just

(04:25):
felt like it always felt whenever I left, I was
going to end up in Melbourne when I when I
retired because it helps out my brides from Melbourne. So
that was but but exactly exactly, but Melbourne time.

Speaker 3 (04:41):
Well, it's just that he said you were kept going back.
Belly was a good friend of yours, and what was
he really like? Like, was he different away from the
games to the game. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
Look, look, I've known Craig since I was born pretty
much because obviously my dad played with him at the Raiders,
so I hadn't him throughout the years. But I actually
signed at the Storm under Mark Murray and about about
a month after I signed, Mark Burray get sacked and
then two months after that Belliac signs on. So I
flew that. But look, belli Ak as a person, a

(05:15):
lot of people all they see is him at work basically,
and that's what he is when he's in the coach's box.
He's at his job. He's working. So I think a
lot of people would would react certain ways when they're
at their job and everything that people just don't have
a camera in their face. But he's a completely different
person away from the from the from the footy field
and from the training paddic because to be honest, he's

(05:37):
just a simple country country bloke that just loves football
and and if you manage to watch the doco about him,
I think it sort of setted him up. He's not
a complicated man. He only asked. He's very simple and
his approach and things, but he has a genuine care
for the game, a genuine care for players, and a
genuine care for the club that he's a part of.

Speaker 3 (05:58):
Very passionate, very passionate.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
He just likes seeing people reach their potential, whether or
not their potential.

Speaker 3 (06:08):
The kids that he's brought to Melbourne and turned into
absolute cambions at the moment. You've got Sean Blah and Eliktola.
At their previous clubs, they couldn't even make first grade.
Now look at him he how does he do it?
Does he how did he get the best out of
a guy?

Speaker 2 (06:27):
Well, look, I think it's it's so simple messaging, Like
the messaging from Craig is so simple. He expects hard
work and high standards. Like he's changed how he delivers
the messages over the years. How he spoke to us
twenty odd years ago is different to how he speaks
with the kids these days. And that just shows a
bloke without ego because he knows talking to us how
he spoke to us back in the day isn't going

(06:47):
to resonate and get the message across that he wants.
So he understands he has to put the message in
a bit a bit differently that the message is still
the same, but his delivery of the message is a
bit different. It's all about getting people to recognize it.
And look, I think with what he's done, and I
mentioned it I mentioned it before, is that it gets

(07:10):
people play their potential. Whether or not your potential is
to be Cameron Smith and be an eventual immortal, that's
what that is. Or if your potential is, say like
a Brian Norri, to be a great first grader and
a regular first grader, that's your potential. He wants you
to achieve that. And look, it's up to the individual
as well. But he definitely gives you the tools and

(07:30):
place and gives you such simple messaging. But all you
have to do is do your job, do it well,
and you'll be a good player for the novel.

Speaker 3 (07:36):
Storm got a lot of friends out of Arabia League, and
that's a great thing about rugby league. Get a lot
of friends and you keep it touching them. I'll keep
it touching all my mates that I played with him.
It's good fun. Okay, we'll get into the game and
we've got to tame you list there, Jess, I.

Speaker 4 (07:53):
Can bring one up and you bear with me.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
Big signing during the week big signing, We've got the calm,
joined the dragons. Yeah, ParaMed got and pdam and we
raced on Dylan Egan nice.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
It's it's it's an interesting one because does that mean
would they be maybe looking to push Dylan Brown out
out a bit earlier?

Speaker 3 (08:23):
Yeah? I heard that today. Yeah, go away for measures
to come back there. We're not talking about Parama, talking
about the dragons and the storm. You got Ryan Pepper
at the back for the Storm Wild Warwrick and Jack
Jack Hawarth and Grant Anderson in the centers. Coats on
the other wing, Cameron Monster and Tyron Wish had Jerry

(08:45):
Gong Jr. In the forwards, but Stefano, Harry Grant and
Just King in the front row shown below the two
guards just spoke about before and Ellie Catalla in the
second row locks the scrub. Excuse me, Bromton Gaelic, I
think his second game in the top grade. I think

(09:05):
for Bronson, Alec McDonald's too, two Kamiko and Lazarus who
brought in four bigs and Sofa Solomona's something when I
go for the dragon sid while we're here.

Speaker 5 (09:19):
Hold, we've done all right again? All right, Whye I
fullback one of the Code captains Clint, Thank Caperson, you're
on the wings. You've got Tyrell, Sloan and Kristen too.

Speaker 3 (09:34):
You look too.

Speaker 5 (09:36):
In the centers you got Mosley and foul Homes in
the forwards. In the props you've got Toby the Man.

Speaker 3 (09:46):
What about the conchmen?

Speaker 5 (09:49):
Oh the house Sorry, thanks, Jesse in the has got
Cold Junior, Flanagan and Laughlin the brick Elias. In the props,
got Toby Couchman, the Emirate Goolight and that hooker the
other cod Captain, Damien the small man Cool. In the

(10:15):
second row, you've got Luciallo La La, Jayden the Man
Noah Yeah and locking down the scrum in the number thirteen,
j D B. Jack Debellon on the inter change, Jagan

(10:36):
the Dole for running out his first time in Dragons Colors,
David the big Man Cleama. In number sixteen, you've got
Hamish Stewart and running out for his very first time.
What the end Dragon's Colors Boy his NRL debut, Dylan

(10:58):
get again on the Reserve's got Matt Bene in number nineteen,
Raymond by Talla Marina. Number twenty Blake, the useless Lourie
number twenty one, Tom the man your Eisen who am

(11:20):
rounding out the reserved, liking King Toogia in the number
twenty two and sending that back to Sandral commentary do
you big t?

Speaker 3 (11:31):
Thank you very much, Liam, you're the man. I'm also well,
let's go through the teams that go up with there's
no US, there's no nas, there's no kicking, no girl
kicking Meani Pepper. Pepper has an under scrutiny, and I've
said today big issues. But you bring in Torren Wishard,
Lazarus Vepo, Will Warbrick and by a long ago in

(11:52):
case Pepper hasn doesn't play, you don't lose much.

Speaker 6 (11:55):
Do you no?

Speaker 2 (11:56):
Look, it's it's a it's a great benefit of having
someone like Torn Wishart. He does play regular first grade
to be able to slip in into the halves quite
quite easily, and then obviously waiting in the wings too
coming back from an acl As Jonah Peasants. So the
storm I definitely got got some some good depth there.
I think Nick Meanie is it's going to be a

(12:17):
big miss. He's been fantastic since he since he's come
down on the storm big shoes to feel for for
grand Anderson getting himself in there, but having Will Warbrick back,
you know that the twin towers on either side with
war coach is certainly good. And look, it's going to
be interesting what they do on the bench. I wouldn't
be surprised if so far along it gets that number

(12:37):
fourteen Jersey, just just to have that bit of spark,
especially if peraps he is under an injury cloud going
into the game.

Speaker 3 (12:46):
You have much to do with Melbourne, now, yeah, I do.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
I do a lot of ambassador work and I have
spent some time with the Academy. I was actually did
a gig last night with belly Ach and a couple
of couple of the guys. So I'm still in and
around there, just that old player you see hanging around
the old Yeah.

Speaker 3 (13:06):
Like we're saying before, he brings him players like Howard
and Anderson quit and and John Blah and he just
turns into superstars. And he's a great man, a great man.
Bellowy loves the game like he's got to be. He's
got to be one of the top two coaches, doesn't he.

Speaker 2 (13:27):
I look, in my mind, I was fortunate enough to
be coached by him. He's the greatest coach of games ever.

Speaker 1 (13:32):
So just.

Speaker 2 (13:34):
That's only my opinion. Obviously, obviously everyone have their own independence.
But the fact that he's never missed the finals, the
fact that he's he's changed his the way he play,
the way he has his team structured depending on whe
where the game is at the time, what players he
has in so he doesn't have any ego to be
able to adapt himself. Understanding that's not just his way

(13:56):
on the highway.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
Have a look at the Dragon side of this. Now,
you say you see any of the Dragons games this year, Yeah,
I have.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
That Bunnies game was it was it was an absolutely.

Speaker 3 (14:06):
What do you think of the Dragons? Where they at?
You know, so we can improve, we know what we
can prove.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah, but the Dragons have been competitive. That the Dragons
have been competitive, and that's and that that's the difference.
Like obviously coming in with a big change in the
rosters like that, there's been some huge movements obviously gouts
and a new half half back in Lachland Ilias that

(14:33):
there has been some big change in their key position
players and they obviously spend a lot of time around
the football. So what what Flanning and has done is
a good job is he's got the boys competing like
all the all the ex's, and they're going to sort
themselves out as as the season goes on. But as
long as you're competing and you're in with a kick
or with a trio to, you've given yourself a chance
every game. And that's what the Dragons that have done.

(14:55):
You know, I'm sure they would have liked the last
ten minutes of that Bunnies game back, you know, just
to maybe approach it a bit a bit differently. But
that's part of the learning of the team. I mean,
we're in round round four, so we're going in the
round four teams learning, and especially when you're throwing a
buy in there as well and storm with the same.
That's why they were so off against the Panthers. You

(15:17):
get you're just starting your season and then you throw
and you're throwing a by so you almost sort of lose.

Speaker 3 (15:25):
Yeah, we had no momentum, but anyway, seff game we
could have won. We scored the four. Unfortunate Holmes was
off with the boot that day, and anyone else got
a question for right, Yes, I do. There you go.

Speaker 5 (15:42):
During the time at Melbourne, what was Cameron Smith like?
Was he like the biggest peston on the field or
was he being like a third referee in the middle,
Because I've heard a lot of people saying Cameron Smith
didn't really play, he was more of a doing other
referees role.

Speaker 3 (16:01):
What's your pint of? Okay?

Speaker 2 (16:03):
So I played with Cameron for a very long time
and Cameron very very well. I was a very good
friend of mine. I was fortunate enough to see him
and he's he's the best player ever played with. Like
everyone talks about Cooper and Bill and they were They're great, great,
they were great players. They did amazing things. But let's
not forget Cameron Smith decided if they got the ball,

(16:24):
it was the first person to touch the pill. If
he didn't think the right play was to go to them,
they don't get the ball. So he everything began with Cameron.
And I think what the like the whole thing that
how Cameron They talk about the referees and all that
sort of stuff. I mean that it is what it is,
but I think the way how Cameron spoke to people

(16:46):
so calmly and didn't go up ranting and raving. He
actually tried to have a conversation with the referees, and
the referees stopped to listen to him. It looked like
it was more of a conversation rather than a captain
going up and having a crack at a at a referee.
And I don't think a lot of rugby league people
were were used to that. But look what what he
What he did as as a player and as a

(17:06):
leader especially is that I never saw him flustered. You know,
I played over two hundred and fifty games with him.
I never once saw the man flustered and it was
such an amazing thing. And to have that calmness from
your leader, it doesn't matter, you know what stage of
the game, whether it was a semi final, grand final,
or round one. He was just amazing. Don't worry. It

(17:27):
pissed the hell off me when I was playing against
him in Origin, and I wanted to but when he
was wearing when he was wearing a storm jersey, I
just I was in such a fortunate position that I've
got to play a majority of my career with what
I think was the best player of games. Episode.

Speaker 3 (17:43):
A very smart man came He knew the right questions
to ask he was he did? He did? What does
he played? Four?

Speaker 5 (17:58):
That?

Speaker 3 (17:58):
Right? Yeah? You know what he was?

Speaker 2 (18:01):
He was at an athlete. He was a footballer. And
that's why. That's what I think a lot of people
got to realize sometimes is that he like everyone looks
for the bloke there's ten foot tour runs one hundred
and nine flat and his bulletproof. Let's not forget the
genuine footballs, like the Blake was flating out, pushing out
one hundred kilos on the bench in the gym and
all that. But you get him on the field, he

(18:22):
was football strong and the bat why he got to
play for so long was because, especially because his position,
he just had to be quick up there, like he
slide down his speed and all that sort of stuff.
But he was so quick upstairs.

Speaker 4 (18:33):
He was a smart footballer.

Speaker 3 (18:34):
My favorite, my favorite camera Smith namement was the sack
back and Jimmy Animal.

Speaker 4 (18:42):
And he complained the referee about it for ten minutes.

Speaker 3 (18:46):
It was an accident. It was an accident.

Speaker 2 (18:51):
Got a good memory, that's spout that and he.

Speaker 7 (18:54):
Just said it, Yes, I do have a question, right,
you had an incredible career. You played for Melbourne, Wigan
and the New Zealand Warriors. What was the biggest difference
between those three clubs.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
Well, the big difference in going to Wigan is that
you're going to a small town and in the English
Super League, most of the teams are just along sort
of one stress of the highway going from the west
to the east in the northern England, so you're playing
for the town you really are, Like I was playing
for Wigan and the people then Wigan because up in
the north of England, they don't leave their hometown. They're
born there and they died there. So yeah, it was

(19:36):
quite big. And then our biggest rival was fifteen miles
down the road in Saint Helen's, So it really is
you feel a part of the community, You feel really
a part of the town and you feel such a
great responsibility to being to be representing that town and
the history behind it. Like we're talking generations of people

(19:56):
going to the game, doing the same walk, stopping at
the same part I was on the way to the ground,
and it was different in that, Like because rugby league's
so big in Australia, you know, being in Melbourne, it's
the whole state it's quite large. It's not the major sport.
It was quite eye opening going over there and with
the Warriors. It really it made me realize just how

(20:17):
big rugby league actually is because if the All Blacks
aren't in town, rugby league's a bigger shop. You see
more people wearing Rugby League jerseys around and what you
see rugby Indian jerseys. But what I noticed being a
part of the club, is being such part of the
big multicultural and Polynesian community, is that they're different motivations.
So for my motivation playing regular, I just wanted to

(20:38):
do it for me. I wanted to be a rugby
league player from the day I was born. I wanted
to achieve everything the game. I didn't play for anyone else.
I knew my mom and dad will be proud of
me no matter.

Speaker 3 (20:46):
What I do.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
Those guys, a lot of the Polynesians, it's all about family.
And it was a real eye opener for me.

Speaker 3 (20:53):
You're played in Campbelltown, didn't you.

Speaker 2 (20:56):
I was a Campbelltown junior. I was a Western Suburbs.
I'm a mad boy. Camelton Collegions, that's it, the colleage Dogs.

Speaker 3 (21:04):
I coached there for a number of years. My young
Gude from I think it was two thousand and two
thousand and six. Yeah, that a really good club, that one.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
They are good club. You were you were just with me.
I was playing with colleagues in two thousand and two
thousand and one.

Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yeah, I'm like he was a lot younger. He's only
a little back then. But yeah, it was good fun.
I love doing it. I love coaching. Are you doing
any coaching with any any youngsters or anything?

Speaker 2 (21:30):
Yeah, I've got, I've done. I've coached everything. To be quiet, honestly,
a young glug started playing rugby league down here in Melbourne.
So I coached coach his team for a year, which
was good, and then he realized all his mates are
playing AFL. So's he's now jumping in playing AFL. But
I've coached, I've coached basketball, coached him and my daughter's
basketball team. I've also coached him and my daughter's cricket team.

(21:52):
So I don't know. I don't know if I'm any good,
but I think I can do it all.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yeah, it was a lot of good fun, good years,
good years coach and the kids. I loved it. We've
got a new one cos here the only female member.

Speaker 6 (22:08):
Of the Hello Ryan, Hi, Hello, so sorry everyone, I'm
so sorry.

Speaker 3 (22:14):
Sorry, good to have you here.

Speaker 5 (22:17):
Up to you.

Speaker 3 (22:18):
You've got a question for Ryan?

Speaker 6 (22:20):
Okay, yes I have two. I've got one. Who was
your favorite opponent playing against? Like you know, there's always
this rivalry. Who was your favorite player to match up
with on the field.

Speaker 3 (22:35):
It was funny.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
I always had a good sort of running rivalry there
for a long time with.

Speaker 3 (22:41):
Sam Sam.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
I've known Sammy since since we were kids playing against
each other, played a couple of teams with him, so
I really like Sam. We always had sort of good battles.
Probably the biggest one though, was was Glenn Stewart. I
don't never knew Glenn Stewart, never really spend a lot
of time with him, but there was during that time
in the sort of two thousand and seven, six, seven,

(23:05):
eight nine where Melbourne merely had this big rivals and
you know, there was just we never sort of spoke
to each other, but there was always something a bit
extra and every time we could, we could come up
against each other. And you know, Glenn, Glenn was a
different player to me. It was a bit more of
a ball player and I was a bit more of
a runner, but you know, there was just something about

(23:25):
those games where you just wanted to get over the
top of him. As I said, I never spoke to him,
never really had a lot of time with him, but
there was just that a bit of something extra. I
think it helped that the rivalry with that with Mainly
was so big, and you know we had a big
rivalry with Brisbane as well, so that's why I was good.
Those games were semi wow.

Speaker 6 (23:46):
So I remember when the Storm played the mainly at
bookboun and that big you know, that big fight with
the Stuart brothers, you know that one.

Speaker 2 (23:57):
Yeah, that was I loved that.

Speaker 6 (23:58):
I love I love Rule, so it was brilliant. My
next question Ryan is post footy. How did you feel
post footy?

Speaker 5 (24:06):
Like when footy was over?

Speaker 6 (24:08):
Did you have like a moment where you're like what
to do next? Or did you have like a trade coming,
like a trade that you were able to fall back on,
you know, being like a retired player and stuff like that.
Were you able to enjoy life after footy or was
there any like you missed that being around the boys
kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
You know, Well, I because I came straight out of
high school. I finished my year twelve and moved straight
out in Melbourne. Was a full time footballer, but I
was fortunate enough about to play it in the NRL
sixteen years, so I had time to be able to
do a degree. I spent six years doing a university degree.
I did a batchels of business with I wanted to
stay involved in the game, but I didn't want to

(24:48):
be a coach. I didn't want to put my livelihood
in the hands of a bunch of twenty year olds,
so I felt I'd be better served in the administration side.
So I actually had had a plan in place to
step in the football operations, which I did. I did
that for four years. I was football operations manager, which
I think was a great way for me to wean
myself off the game because I'm still a part of

(25:09):
the club and still a.

Speaker 1 (25:09):
Part of it.

Speaker 2 (25:10):
I reckon if I would have left the game cold,
Turkey would have really struggled. I did did that role
for four years and then I realized, Okay, it's time
for me to step away from the game. I had
twenty years involved, sixteen as a player, four in the
admin and I didn't want to travel anymore. I wanted
to spend more time with the family. Look, rugby league's
not going under the storm's not going anywhere, so I
might go back there one day, but with the kids

(25:33):
or what the ages they were, I needed to step
away and spend some more time with them. But what
that did made me realize is that I struggled a bit.
Not straight after retirement like a lot of players do.
I struggled three four years afterwards because I realized my identity,
or what I thought my identity was, was so wrapped
up in the game and so wrapped up in rugby league.

(25:53):
I really sort of struggled with that, and it took
me a long time. It took me a while conversations
with people that understand that I was more than Ryan Hoffman,
former in ROL player.

Speaker 6 (26:03):
Oh wow, thank you so much for sharing that. That's
so interesting to hear. And one last one, I'm sorry
to overtake everyone.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
I really want to know.

Speaker 6 (26:12):
How was having Craig Bellamy as a coach. I see
him in that box with all his emotions. Did he
ever get a spray from him?

Speaker 3 (26:20):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (26:20):
I've got plenty. He was he was he was no
holds barred in the early days, like he would ride
up to you and he'd lets you know exactly what
you feel. But yeah, I was lucky. I was part
of the generation where you basically copt that you copp criticism.
You took it, and but it only came from a

(26:42):
good place. And that's one of thing we realized that
Craig was never personal. It was pretty much criticism what
you're doing. And the fact if he's criticizing what you're doing,
that's good because he means that he expects a lot
more for you and he knows you can do it.
And that's why he's so frustrated because he knows you
can do it and you're not doing it for whatever reason,
Like he's giving you all the recent also, so he
really wants you to knuckle down. And I was sort

(27:03):
of mentioning before how that message, that delivery of the
messaging has changed, but the message has still stayed the same.
And that's you know, you've got to have work hard
and you've got to have high standards and what you do,
there's no point half hasn't it under Craig because he
wants you to do do it one hundred percent because
how he train is how you're going to play.

Speaker 3 (27:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (27:21):
I did hear Cameron Smith saying the commentary on nine
the other night that he's a little bit different the
way he coaches. He's approached he's coaching now to when
he was playing. Have you noticed that a little bit?

Speaker 2 (27:32):
Yeah, he does, and I think he's realized how the
game has changed, but it's also recognized the position. So
he look at the Melbourne Storm, look at their spine
Papahaus and fullback Munster, former fullback, Jerome Hughes, former fullback.
So it's a bit different when you had such a
structured players in camp, Bill and Coops. So these guys
are now with the Storm, they're a bit more off

(27:54):
the cuff. They're a bit more on the front foot
sort of thing. Whereas Cooper would break teams down by
getting to ructions and getting you break him down over
a bit over, a bit of repetition on what he's doing,
whereas the guys nowadays they're all about speed. They're all
about taking that opportunity when it comes. And I mentioned
before that's why he's been such a great coaches because
he doesn't have the ego to say, no, this is

(28:15):
how we're always doing it. He's adapted his coaching to
what's going to be best with the players that he has.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
All right, Jess.

Speaker 4 (28:24):
He said in that press conference against Penrith last week
he didn't like the complacency when Cleary went off. Do
you think he'll get a response from the side this
week which could be bad used for the Dragons.

Speaker 2 (28:37):
Yeah, that was I would have directed as a team
out of the hole, and I reckon a few individuals.
I think. I think what Craig has always liked is
that when you get on top of the team, you
want to kick him all the day down. You want
to nail that, put the nail in the coffin, don't
don't let him up. And you've got out to a
ford l lead against Penrith and then there's superstar halfback,
best half back in the game at the moment, gets

(28:59):
taken off and then you start playing worse. And that's
what I think was That was he was most annoyed about.
The boys started listening to a bit of subconscious Okay, okay,
it's going to be an easy night and that that
just shows the standard. Yeah one year, it's only the
second game they had to buy in there, but that
doesn't matter what you needed to put in a good
performance and look it's yeah, it's it's a tough road

(29:22):
trip Cobra and under no illusions that it is a
tough road trip for the for the boys, and he
knows they need to be on and he knows that
that bit of complacency, if that creeps in this week,
you can get the pants pulls down.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
And that's what's going to happen.

Speaker 4 (29:39):
Yeah, I like it.

Speaker 3 (29:43):
Yeah, they those players out. I think they're going to
be a different side Melbourne Tyrone wish it's not Jernhs
so he's not going to he's a different player. But
losing any meaning and then bringing all break in, there's
no difference there. I think every player in the Melbourne

(30:06):
Storm team can so yeah, I have to worry about
a goalkicker, hope. I how defense holds out. We haven't
been too about in defense. We're just just letting easy
eagle tries.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
Yeah, and that's yeah. There's there was a few sort
of sort of lapses and everything that but that's that's combinations.
That's news people getting involved, that's getting used to goo
out the back and telling you where to go. So
a lot of guys might not to use to his approach.
He's a bit more vocal than what they've had previously
was slowan maybe so it's it's understanding that too, which
which will only take with more more game to football.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
Gather these underneath your crowd. His story too, isn't he quarter?

Speaker 2 (30:47):
Yes, there's another one. Can I just can I just
say one of my You think about games in your
career and you realize big games. And I remember we
played two thousand and six. We played at Cogra. It
was a Sunday afternoon and I tell you they were
they were hanging off the rafters there like that. It
was absolutely packed, like it was that old dragons. You know,

(31:09):
they had gazz, they had Matty Cooper, Barrett was playing
Rosie was was was for them like it was. It
was a great thing. And I remember Brett Morris it
was only his first year or whatever, like he scored
one hundred meters to try and it was one of
those games that just went back and forward, back and forward,
back and forward, and then I think we scored close
to the bell to win the game. But I just

(31:29):
remember that as a as a young player. I was
only twenty two. Then I'm thinking how good this like
Sunday IVO at Colgra playing against the Dragons team and
having such a great game like that on a Sunday
av that was that was one of my most favorite
games to sort of play on a packed house at
the Cogra on a on a Sunday Ivo. I'll always
remember that game. I remember that game clear as well.

Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yeah, that's not a bad question there. Ryan. Bit of
advice to the current Dragons squad would what would it be?

Speaker 2 (32:00):
Well, look, I think it will to be confidence, but
don't be down in what you're doing. And for the
Dragons players, they got some great individuals, so they didn't
just keep your main thing your main thing. So for
two of it's getting off the back fence and running hard,
you know. For Guthson, it's being around the ball and
having that energy. For Dave Clamor it's coming in and

(32:21):
just being a madman. That's what they do best. So
the advice I'd give them is that you don't be
this hard and be heartened and that you've been competitive
in the games, work hard to make sure that you're
closing those games out and getting the chocolates. But it's
not just you know, throw everything out because you're losing.
Understand that there is a process in place and the

(32:43):
system is going the right place, that you just need
to be patient with it. Because one thing Craig always says,
this new generation they want things now, now, now, and
now and now. But be a bit patient what you're doing,
get better each week and those wins will come.

Speaker 4 (32:55):
Yeah, I was going to Flannagan and Bellamy do have
a bit of rival like when the Storm and the
Sharks had some good games over the years and Flanner
got one over Bellamy last year. When the Dragons are
not over twenty five year, who do bidding down there?
But yeah, you would have had many games where there's

(33:18):
been a lot of games where the where Bellamy and
Flannagan when the Storm players, they were tough games.

Speaker 2 (33:25):
Yeah, definitely. Well, Flanno was actually Bell's assistant when it
was in Origin two, so they know each other quite well.
Bellot brought Flannel in as as as an assistant in
Origin when he's two thousand and eight it was. But yeah, look,
Carnella had had a really great record. I think Flanagan's
won five out of the last six against Craig Foot.

(33:46):
Flannagan coach teams it's a stat like that. I could
have got that wrong. Could before the last five or whatever.

Speaker 3 (33:52):
I think the Dragons are runn of four and three
and the last four games at Cora.

Speaker 2 (33:56):
Yeah there, I told you Coga is a tough place
to go and it is a tough place to play.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
I've got only before you. Yes, sorry mate.

Speaker 4 (34:09):
They like coming all along a bit more. They win
more at willing Ols.

Speaker 3 (34:14):
We have a few good wins question for you, Ryan
around the player apart from Olympic Park or Melbourne.

Speaker 2 (34:22):
Ah, I could cheat and say Wembley Stadium that was
pretty special.

Speaker 3 (34:27):
Players special.

Speaker 2 (34:29):
Yeah, but look I so many grounds a graft Sorry,
Look you love sun Court even a regular game there
for the for the Storm against the Broncos, we're getting
thirty eight forty zero. They were great games there at Suncourt. Yeah,
there's there's something special about the boutique sort of suburban

(34:50):
grounds too.

Speaker 3 (34:51):
There is.

Speaker 2 (34:51):
There really is something nice about them. But there are
some grounds I didn't like playing it depending on the day,
like a Saturday night in the middle of July down
at wind Stadium. Not fun to play it camera, Yeah,
I know Park.

Speaker 4 (35:06):
What was a lot of playing origin at SUNCRP Ryan, Yeah, like.

Speaker 2 (35:11):
You've never heard a noise like that. As I said,
I I was look lucky enough to play at Wembley
and from a ninety one thousand and that that was
loud with the singing and everything like that, But fifty thousand,
well will be one hundred thousand and two. Weaded Queenslanders
up there at SUNCRP. It got out and that's when
that's and that's why when we won Game one in

(35:35):
twenty fourteen to one Origin Game one like to win
a live game at SUNCOURP to begin the series. That
was the best game I've ever been a part of,
in the best win I've ever been part of, the
hardest game, but that that just realized it got maybe
the best game ever because we're playing at Suncourt in
front of that sort of Origin crewd.

Speaker 4 (35:55):
Was that the one where Brett Morris went off injured
or something. He was basically musted and he.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
Did it so Brett Morris fractured is scapula, He's fractured
a scaffoldo and then played the rest of the game
and then held up Darius Boyd in the corner. That's
one with Jaymons did his knee and then jumped up
and ran down j I like, it was just one
of those games that, Yeah, it was.

Speaker 7 (36:19):
It was brilliant, just a pile on on that you
you ended their seven or eight year run. How special
was that that? That must have been big moment it was.

Speaker 2 (36:31):
Look, I was I was fortunateenough to play to achieve
everything in the game except when an Origin series and
that that's one I thought I wasn't going to get.
And you know, I played a lot of those series
when we're losing to Queensland. But twenty fourteen, that was
the most amazing experience of being like Laurie was such

(36:53):
a great coach. That's why I'm so excited for him
the coach Origin this year. But to win that game one,
and I was just I've never been so exhausted after
game in my life. To win that game was was massive.
And the confidence of Gators going into the game down
in Sydney, we just knew it was our time and
it was. It was absolutely brilliant. Like to achieve it

(37:17):
and the relief and the elation that came, and when
we won that second game, you just didn't know what
to do. You just want to look for someone in
blue to give a hug to but I will say,
I will say, and what sums up Origin for me
is that night the first blokes to come up and
see me were Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, like Cooper was injured,
but they came up to me straight away but basically

(37:40):
said the mate, I'm so happy for you. These are
blokes that you know that groomsmen at my wedding, so
we're very very close. And for them to know how
much Origin meant to me and that you know, I
hadn't won one or anything like that. For them to
come up to me and at a very tough time
in their in their footy careers, to understand what they
what they've let go to say how great, how happy

(38:01):
they were for me, just really sums up what Origin
is all about. Like whatever happens, you're playing against you're
not playing its individuals, you're playing against the moro Own jerseys.
And once it's all done, it's done. So that that
was special as well, mate.

Speaker 3 (38:16):
Isn't it It is?

Speaker 2 (38:17):
And that's exactly what we beat the ship out. And
trust me, if I got a chance to put one
on Bill it would because I never got a chance
any other time. But as soon as the game's done,
It's done, and it was always funny because I was
catching a flight with these blokes back to Melbourne the
next day. We never spoke about the game. Once the
game was done. We never spoke about it. We never
no one was teasing each other, No one was sort
of aguable about this blow. It was just done. And

(38:39):
that's how I think the respect that the players give
to Origin and how special it is is that you
don't want to cheapen it. You just want to leave
it as it is because these are your mates, these
are your friends, but you want to build them because
they're were wearing Marona and you're wearing blue.

Speaker 3 (38:54):
Yeah, all right, anybody else anyone else going to question?
Let me see, I'm.

Speaker 6 (39:06):
Co go Brian, who was your like player that you
idolized as a child and coming into NRL? What may
just come into NRL?

Speaker 3 (39:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (39:19):
So, being obviously my dad playing for Canberra, I was
always a camera fan and my my favorite players growing
up with Brad Clyde and Dave Ferner. Love Clydie and
love Dave Ferner. I was fortunough to be coached by
Dave Fern in his assistant in the Australian team, which
was very special. I finally enough. Dave Ferner used to

(39:40):
help my mum carry me up to the grand stand
back and see if it over when when I was
when I was a baby, used to help out. But
so he was a special player. But coming to Melbourne,
Steve Kenney, Steve Kearney, he sort of took me under
his wing so to speak. Yeah, no choice because I
was following him around everywhere just trying to say up
everything I could. I roomed with Steve and he was

(40:05):
like he was a great role model for me first
coming into into first grade because Steve was great with preparation,
he really was, and as a leader, how he prepared
and being his roomy, I've got to see what he
did night before a game off each week and why
he played for so long with such a great player
for New Zealand and player for the for the Storm.

(40:25):
So Steve Kearney had a massive influence in my career
and you know obviously went on to coach me as
an assistant in Melbourne as a head coach of the Warriors.

Speaker 6 (40:35):
Wow, that is so interesting. So I'm like I grew
up with the steel Side, so I you know, I
and my dad loved like mal mon Ingo because he
is a mad supporter of the Raiders. So that's how
I became like a mad passionate supporter. So it's such
a circle for you, like a full circle. It's so

(40:57):
nice to hear.

Speaker 2 (40:59):
Yeah, it was. It was good. It was you know,
special people and there are genuine great people in this game.

Speaker 6 (41:07):
Yeah, you seem like a very nice person, Ryan, And
thank you so much coming on because it's just an
eye opener and love listening to your stories and questions
and yeah, just thank you so much. I have just
been such an awe of you.

Speaker 2 (41:23):
Well, thank you all you guys offered you guys will
kind enough to send the invites.

Speaker 6 (41:28):
Yeah, did you just think, did you what playing at
the Warriors? Did you maintain a lot of friendships over there?
Because when you played and now like not playing, do
you still catch up with the boys and most of
the coaches and stuff because you were over in the
Warriors as well, you played over there, like some strong connections.

Speaker 2 (41:48):
Yeah, it's still a really strong strong connection. I've got
to know Tommy Lay really well. I played with him.
We're going to play with him in New Zealand. Out
the Waters were born at a similar time. So no,
Tommy quite well, Albert Vette. It was another one that
there there are great people, Jerry, So you see you
great people over there. You know, it's some good times

(42:09):
with Monty Bethan. I never played with Monty. I played
against Monty and but you know, just getting to know
the old boys and that over there. I'm proud that
that that I'm a I'm a former former Warrior player
Warrior Player one, and you know, it was a great
honor being over there, and I managed to captain the

(42:29):
club for a year as well. Wow.

Speaker 6 (42:33):
And how about playing for Wigan like in the simply
I know their fans are absolutely crazy with passion. Did
you did you enjoy playing in Wigan like at Wigan?

Speaker 2 (42:44):
Yeah, that was the best decision I made in my
career going over there for one year. It was very
stressful for my wife because because I told her I
just want to play at Wembley. I just I just
want to go to a Challenge Cup final Wembley. And
obviously the Challenge Cup is a knockout tournament, so every
time we played a Challenge Cup game, she was an
absolute nervous wreck. But but you know, we managed to

(43:06):
get there. And go through it. But you know, there
are great people over there, and I'm still close to it.
To a lot of those guys played with Sam Tompkins.

Speaker 3 (43:15):
Shaun I.

Speaker 2 (43:15):
Locklan is top five of one of the best players
I've ever played with. He is in my top five,
like he is an absolute brilliant player.

Speaker 1 (43:21):
He is.

Speaker 3 (43:22):
He.

Speaker 2 (43:23):
I really wish he came to Australia. It was very close.
He told me he was signing with the Dragons. Would
you believes?

Speaker 3 (43:33):
Come on?

Speaker 2 (43:34):
But if Seawann I Locklin said, it was close. Made
of classes, but Seawan I Locklan was. He is almost
a perfect football Like he's a big like a front row.
He could pass, kick, take the tough carry, he could,
he could always make his tackles like he It was
like his brother in law Andy Farrell, just just a wonderful,
wonderful Yeah, you know Bill cam kurbs g I great players.

(44:00):
Definitely put Sean Lachman up there as well.

Speaker 4 (44:04):
I have a question for you now that's just popped in.
Billy's been coaching Origin the last few YEARSS been helping me.
I'm not sure if Cooper Kronks involved, but he's involved
in some capacity. I think isn't he.

Speaker 2 (44:19):
He's on the board at the q r L.

Speaker 3 (44:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (44:22):
And then you got did you play alongside Riyle's at
Melbourn Jason Ryles?

Speaker 2 (44:26):
I did, Yep, yep.

Speaker 4 (44:28):
Do you have any aspirations to get it until you
I'm coaching, right and I'm coaching.

Speaker 2 (44:37):
However, as I said, I don't want to put my
livelihood and feeding my kids in the hands with a
bunch of twenty year old because I don't trust.

Speaker 3 (44:45):
Did you trust yourself at twenty year old?

Speaker 2 (44:48):
Nobly? Probably not?

Speaker 4 (44:50):
Yeah? Like Jayson Ryless it No, that's but Rosie.

Speaker 2 (44:56):
Rosie didn't get a proper apprenticeship. He was at the
Yeah he did. He went through the hard yards like
he didn't just yeah, I think, okay, I'm going to
do this. He spent a lot of time under Craig
and Trent and Eddie Jones. I believe he will be successful.
It's going to take a while, but I believe it

(45:18):
will be a coach. And he's had to do a
lot of a lot of roster because he's got his
idea on what he wants his roster to be and
he's playing the long game with it, and for his sake,
I hope to hope the board and everyone have the
patience for him.

Speaker 3 (45:31):
He's definitely trying to get his team because he told
a few players that can go came with your yard.
Now he's got rid of Brown, so he's definitely getting
his own team together, isn't he big?

Speaker 2 (45:45):
Course they're They're not tough, they're not easy decisions to make,
and that they.

Speaker 4 (45:51):
Especially two very experienced players.

Speaker 3 (45:58):
I thought his heart last year, always added every decision
from the referee, always played eighty minutes, even on busted legs.
M I think he's a good pick up for the
Dragons because it's just the experience, your ill mentor the
players he'll he'll bring the younger players through and I'm
just so happy that we got at the Dragons.

Speaker 2 (46:21):
I think he's good also for the Halves, Okay, because
you've got Kyle and and Lachlan very young. They're young,
they've they've sort of had their times in and their
first grade and everything like that. So having such that
that conferdence works perfectly with Damian Cook as well, saying
by really experienced campaigner know what professionalism will look like.

(46:44):
So when you got those guys at Hooker and those
guys at one. I think it's going to speed up
the development of of the halves and you know which
which will put in good stead for the Drags.

Speaker 3 (46:54):
I've got another one. I could talk to you all
night about football. What do you think Jacob Jacon remember
the Tigers Jr. What do you think him and his
progression at the Dragons.

Speaker 2 (47:06):
Oh, he's a good player. He's a good player, and
it's it's going to be interesting because he's going to
want to be a starting hooker. I think what they've
got that sort of one two punch. That's how a
lot of teams go these days, the one two punch
with with the with the hooker. And I think having
him coming off the bench too, like you sort of
let Damien Cook a bit more experienced, like take a

(47:29):
bit of the to take that early sting, so you
can have that bit of craft coming in off off
the bench, you know, that sort of ten minutes ago
before halftime or twenty minutes to go in the game,
where that bit of car craft and a bit of
sharpness around the rock.

Speaker 3 (47:44):
Try squad against the Bulldogs in the first round was unbelievable. Yeah, unbelievable.
You couldn't afforded him.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
No, but that's but that's that's a genuine hookers.

Speaker 3 (47:53):
Try to too exactly kemra smith Mark. There you go.

Speaker 2 (47:59):
That's it. So long as you're not going slowly there
you can keep playing as well. Go right yep, not
like us mac rals overworked and underpaid. Ryan.

Speaker 7 (48:10):
You played three hundred and sixty first grade games across
an A row and Super League.

Speaker 2 (48:17):
What was your proudest moment? Oh, oh, I don't have
just one, you know, like your first Grand finally, second
Grand Final, the third Grand Final and we're playing playing Origin. Look,
Origins were the biggest games. But the pinnacle for me
was playing for Australia. So that was a pinnacle for
me being picked to play play for your country, and

(48:40):
especially such a strong rougy league country that we are
to be picked to play for that. I was really
proud of the three hundredth game for the Warriors, and
not not only just for myself, but I was really
touched with what the Warriors and the effort the boys did.
Like we had a tough year that year, but the
effort was a way game against the Titans and we

(49:00):
boys played the house down and that really means a
lot as a player on a milestone for me and
I've only played fifty something games for the club and
it's a spit in the ocean for them, but they
made it a special night for me. So I was
not proud of myself. I was more proud of being
a part of the club and what they what they
did for me on that night. You know, so many

(49:21):
proud moments being in a storm jumper with what we
did on the football field, you know, twenty twelve, after
what the club went through and you know, to come
out of it two years later with another premiership was special.

Speaker 7 (49:35):
And I'm pretty sure that three hundredth game of yours
you guys won by about twenty two, so it was
a big win.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
Well that that to win by twenty that's the only
way I could get a kick, So it was good
to try and the bell and they gave me the
kick and I've managed to put it through the post
one hundred percent.

Speaker 7 (49:55):
That's the best feeling when it goes through.

Speaker 2 (49:59):
Because I a few that missed.

Speaker 3 (50:00):
Don't worry is that your only good? Your only goal?

Speaker 1 (50:03):
Is it?

Speaker 2 (50:04):
Well, it's my only goal. Wasn't my only attempt?

Speaker 3 (50:06):
Okay?

Speaker 2 (50:08):
One three?

Speaker 3 (50:10):
I was about that when I was playing. All right, Yeah,
I'm gonna say.

Speaker 2 (50:20):
One question I normally get from these things is obviously,
who was the hardest player played against?

Speaker 3 (50:25):
Okay, yeah, hardest, the hardest.

Speaker 2 (50:31):
Yeah, No one ever scared me except one blow. I
always made sure I looked up and looked around before
I took a carry, to make sure I knew where
the basketard was. Ok. Do you want to do you
want to make a guess?

Speaker 5 (50:48):
He was pretty big?

Speaker 3 (50:52):
George Web? You play against Web?

Speaker 2 (50:55):
I did?

Speaker 3 (50:56):
Yeah, George, George.

Speaker 2 (51:01):
He was on the wing.

Speaker 3 (51:02):
I didn't.

Speaker 2 (51:03):
I wasn't.

Speaker 3 (51:05):
Before. That's why I was so many tries. Ye, mark
my wingers, they're going right.

Speaker 2 (51:12):
I was Adrian Morley, Oh yeah, yes, was an absolute learnity, nicest,
nicest bloke in the world. Like you'd you'd want to,
you know, take him home, introducing to your mom, the
nicest bloke in the world. But here was the one
bloke where I needed to know where that bloke was
before I took because he would come.

Speaker 3 (51:32):
From sixth and he would try to take what was
he the quickest send off an international game, maybe sow.

Speaker 4 (51:39):
Many seconds playing for Great Britain, wasn't he?

Speaker 2 (51:41):
Yeah? The best was off the kickoff, and you watch
the replay, he's twenty meters ahead of everyone else off
the kickoff. So his eyes were he was fired up,
ready to go that night.

Speaker 3 (51:54):
Wow. Yes, that was a big hit. Yeah, he brought
out there, He brought out there. The welding on over
that one. Didn't he.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
That the front row was called the equal eyes of
the forearm because that's how they equalize against a little.

Speaker 3 (52:10):
Hard another quick one who was the hardest the tackle?

Speaker 5 (52:14):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (52:15):
Pet pet pet was hard. Pet Pet Petro was tough
because he turned that body and it was really hard.
But trying to tackle g I in the origin was
it was not fun too. I'll give you that. No
one He's got the longest arms in the world and
wanted to play. That's that's the thing with No one
drifted in and out of a game better than him.

(52:36):
But he was Yeah, he was tough to tell. But
all and all, I have to say Petro, because there
was no soft part of his body to hit. There
was dead said like like hitting granite every single time.

Speaker 3 (52:46):
Cool? Cool? Anyone else?

Speaker 2 (52:51):
Just one quick question.

Speaker 7 (52:54):
I know I've had to have had a couple to ask,
but did you get the cap.

Speaker 3 (52:59):
You know, did you get to captain? I was.

Speaker 2 (53:04):
I captained the Storm in a few games during Origin
when I wasn't played, maybe half a dozen or so,
and I was captain of the of the Warriors in
the twenty sixteen season.

Speaker 7 (53:14):
Right, So how did you handle setbacks, tough injuries and losses?
What did you say to the team to kind of
help them if anything bad happened?

Speaker 3 (53:25):
Yeah, So.

Speaker 2 (53:28):
I was only ever an interim there with the Storm
because it's just basically waiting to you came back, So
that wasn't really a thing. But at the Warriors we
had a really tough year. Coach was under pressure, Andrew
mac fadden at the time, and we weren't winning a
lot of games and the stress it puts on and
I was getting physically ill, Like I was getting sick
because of stress and everything like that. But in the end,

(53:50):
the messaging I came down to the boys was simple.
Every single time, I mean, just focus on your actions.
Make sure what you're doing is that the best of
your ability and you're doing it well. Because if you're
doing the best that you can and you're doing what
your job well, that means the bloke next year doesn't
have to worry about you. That means he can just
focus on doing your on his job as best that

(54:13):
he can get everyone doing their job well, and no
one's working harder for anyone else. I mean, that's given
me the best opportunity to get a win.

Speaker 4 (54:24):
I just want to ask you, Ryan, you were one
player you would have played against many games. What do
you think of the whole DC saga.

Speaker 2 (54:34):
I think it's sad. I think it's someone who's had
such a great career at the one club and that's
going to end like this, Like I don't know. Unfortunately
for Manly it's happened with so many occasions, having to
Branch Stewart, having to Glenn Stewart, happen to happen to
Anthony Watmow like they like legends at their club and

(54:56):
achieved wonderful things and won premierships and they always let
they're leaving on bad terms. And I think that's really sad.
And look, in the end, a club can only offer
you what they can afford, and it's up if you
take it on not it's up to you. I don't
I don't really buy into the disrespectful offer and all

(55:17):
that sort of stuff. I mean, if that's all the
club can afford to pay the half back because they've
got to worry about a squad of thirty two. I mean,
that's all they could do. And yeah, it's it's a
shame because you see players that can one club, players
that leave a club like Billy and Cameron are examples
for me. They left on wonderful terms and weren't forced
into making decisions and everything like that. So I think

(55:39):
it's sad and I don't think anyone's going to be
a Winnan to be quite honest, because unfortunately he's at
the end of Dally Cherry Evans legacy fifteen years at
the one club he's going to be, you know, it's
always going to have this hanging over it.

Speaker 7 (55:54):
Yeah, it's a shame. It happened with Adam Reynolds two
years ago where you just had to leak because the
club couldn't offer him a certain amount.

Speaker 2 (56:04):
But that's where it is, like, if you price yourself
out of the market, that's you. If you price you,
that's like clubs can only afford where they can give you.
If you want too much, that's fine. It's like when
I went to the Warriors, I didn't want to. I
thought I'd say, but the Warriors offered me something, and
then the Storm can only offer me that. So I

(56:25):
made the decision to take that offer. And there was
no animosity. It's just understood. That's where the club was.
That's all they could do. Someone's willing to. You know,
you obviously set yourself a price on what you'd stay
for and what you would definitely you know what you
couldn't say no to. But in the end, I mean,

(56:45):
you've only got your offer, and you know that's what
the club can only offer what they can.

Speaker 7 (56:51):
Yeah, and like you said, club's gonna look after a
roster of thirty players. They got a salary cap of
about nine to ten aliens, so they've got to manage
it very wisely. And you know, players also have to
look out for themselves and their careers and their families.

Speaker 2 (57:10):
If DOUBLEY can get more guard else when that's what
he wants, all the best to him. They shouldn't be
a be a problem better if the club can only
offer him you know X amount. That's just the way
it is. But club's got to look at that. They're
not just looking at next year's roster, they're looking five
years down the track. Yeah, it's a longer.

Speaker 5 (57:29):
Can I answer follow question to Jesse's regarding the d
C A saga? What club do you reckon you end
up next year?

Speaker 2 (57:40):
Well, everyone's linked to the Roosters, aren't they. It won't
surprise me. I moved to Queensland, especially Redcliffe. He's going
to be a history there. But I think it'd be
a good signing for Redcliffe when they've got that young
Katowa there. I think having an experienced headlight just to
help bring him along a bit a bit quicker if

(58:02):
I was. If I was Redcliffe, I'll be opening up
the check book there.

Speaker 4 (58:06):
Yeah, is going to be a great player.

Speaker 2 (58:09):
Yeah, he needs time.

Speaker 5 (58:12):
People reports going around up in Redcliffe, but they might
might be saying for for a few years. Apparently that's
a live last heard, that's why you got released some
full dogs.

Speaker 7 (58:28):
Yeah, he's got a neck problem, so he's got to
manage that.

Speaker 2 (58:32):
And I'm pretty sure it's a big injury.

Speaker 3 (58:34):
So yeah.

Speaker 2 (58:34):
Look, and and to be honest, he's already left, so
if they would be getting him that it would be
quite cheap.

Speaker 3 (58:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (58:41):
And when people in the media and all the fans online,
they don't like the fact that DC is going to
go to Redcliffe well back home. I think that that
is a ridiculously smart move on Redcliff's part, because you know,
you've got young Kato who got chucked into first grade
in my team.

Speaker 2 (59:01):
He's obviously going to have some struggles.

Speaker 7 (59:04):
So bringing this guy who's played three hundred and fifty
games of n r L, there's the geniuses.

Speaker 4 (59:11):
He's been there so far this year.

Speaker 5 (59:13):
Young Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised, but DC will be
second player in yeah NRL slash rubb leg history, played
four hundred games.

Speaker 3 (59:27):
Yeah it is.

Speaker 7 (59:29):
He's very healthy, the fittest playing mainly.

Speaker 4 (59:32):
Mm hmm, and they're half backs to well protected these days. Yeah,
all right, Well we might get the focus back on
Saturday's game. So what what would do you what do

(59:53):
you anticipate is going to happen. There's going to be
there's a bit of forecast the rain, Ryan, what do
you think that will play a part in in the
deciding the factor of the game.

Speaker 2 (01:00:04):
Weather? I reckon it would benefit the benefit of the
Dragons because it will forced him to play a bit
more through the middle, and I think with the size
of the Dragons outside backs, I think that plays in
the into their hands a bit more to be able
to use them obviously. You know that they've got the
big boys there, most of Sulei val Holmes too, you know,

(01:00:26):
having them going at Melbourne Storm sort of tied forwards
because they are missing a couple of forwards obviously with
that with Nelson out and not having that spark of
Tyran Tyren Wishart, I think the weather will play a difference.
I'm interested in the matchup with trentley Erro, who I
think is going to play Origin this year for Queensland.
He played really well last week against the best lock

(01:00:48):
of the game and is Yeah, and I think the
match up with him and him and Jack Jack Debellin
will be a good challenge for Jack and I think
he'll be He'll be I reckon he might have circled
this game and think, Okay, I'm up against a good
young player and I need to still say that that
he's a young bloke and I'm the older guy. So
I'm really interested in that matchup.

Speaker 4 (01:01:09):
Yeah, And how do you think the game will play it?
Do you think it'll be nice and close? What's your
prediction for the game?

Speaker 2 (01:01:15):
Yeah, Look, I think yeah, not having Hughs in there
sort of sort of limit limits their opportunities. Obviously not
taken away from from Tyrann and Tyrant is a great
runner of the football. It doesn't play the lasting game
of Jerome. I think it'd be especially I think it'll
be a close game. I reckon a bit between six
and eight points and you know it's it's a game.

(01:01:38):
I think Melbourne need a grinder. And I think knowing
Flanner and knowing he's he's had this one on the
calendar for a long time to sort of show the boys, like,
you know, you're up against the the team on top
of the table. The a lot of people are saying
will be challenging for the for the for the premiership.
Now now is the time to sort of put out

(01:02:00):
name on this competition.

Speaker 3 (01:02:02):
Yeah, I think you're right there, Ryan, because I've got
the Dragons winning by seven, So I'm right.

Speaker 2 (01:02:09):
Who's kicking the field?

Speaker 1 (01:02:11):
Gal?

Speaker 2 (01:02:11):
Who's kicking the field?

Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
Gun?

Speaker 3 (01:02:12):
Now?

Speaker 4 (01:02:14):
Okay, all right, we might we might leave you there, right,
Thanks very much. I do appreciate you for coming on,
and we'd love to have you on again some other time.
Being a privilege having you on the show and on
behalf of myself on the entire Panelarm we'd like to
thank you for coming the show and it's been great
having you on. Really insight to your career and then

(01:02:35):
what you've done in the game, so being very good.
Thanks for coming on.

Speaker 2 (01:02:39):
No worries, guys, thank you, thank you very much for
having me on. But I just want to congratulate you
guys and what you're doing and having this sort of
podcast or vodcast whatever is your core and having that
connection with the club like obviously such a fantastic club
with a lot of history in the Saint George Dragons
obviously Illawara as well coming together. But yeah, I know

(01:03:01):
a thousand people up in Sydney who are Dragons fans,
so they are Dragons fans everywhere. So if what you
guys are doing, you guys are why rugby league is
the greatest game of all. So thanks very much for
you guys for being passionate supporters. I don't care who
you who your support, but your passionate supporters of rugby
league guys. So congratulations to you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:03:20):
Thanks mate, Thank you very much, thank you so much.
Thank you. Oh uh, the exit of order if you
want to go.

Speaker 2 (01:03:34):
Is that I was? I wasn't sure, but yeah, thanks
thanks again guys, and enjoy the season.

Speaker 4 (01:03:38):
You love to have you on again sometimes. Thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:03:45):
All right?

Speaker 4 (01:03:50):
Very very good, mom, great great, great football he was
during his career and great great to hearing me a
wealth of information. Yeah, I'm great. Great to have you more. Now,
that was very good. Or we did hear from Coco
and Billy on their predictions last night, but since we
didn't have Scoop and Big Tea on, well, we'll throw
to their predictions for the game on Saturday.

Speaker 3 (01:04:13):
Big First.

Speaker 5 (01:04:16):
Now, you're all rights gonna hate me for this fun
but it worked last year. It helped us. I'm going
to storm by first. Psychology worked last year.

Speaker 3 (01:04:36):
First is it?

Speaker 5 (01:04:39):
Yep?

Speaker 3 (01:04:40):
First?

Speaker 5 (01:04:40):
Last scorer. Oh, I'm gonna go with I'm gonna I'm
gonna go with the hat player on the debut.

Speaker 3 (01:04:55):
Egan. So we're gonna score late.

Speaker 4 (01:04:58):
So we're gonna score first. We're gonna will get paid
by fifty.

Speaker 3 (01:05:05):
Debut cool. Dragons by seven, Like I said to right,
I think dragons by seven. I'm gonna kick me positive
all year. We beat them last year. There's no there's
no hues. Maybe no papping housing. There's no meaning, there's
no big we're gonna to tackle that big bugger, I said,

(01:05:26):
Like I said, he's one hundred and twenty two and
two two meters tall. How do you tackle that? I
don't know. I'm gonna say, Christian two to score a
throw off the back fence, he's not allowed to do
that anymore. Not allow allow, not allow.

Speaker 5 (01:05:46):
The money I do.

Speaker 3 (01:05:48):
I do agree with that. If we're not going to
win the game, why should we be celebrating anyway?

Speaker 6 (01:05:56):
Well, we had black Clock used to do his little
know he's back to police.

Speaker 4 (01:06:01):
I love the back There's a timing when to do it,
timing when to.

Speaker 3 (01:06:05):
Do it, that's right.

Speaker 4 (01:06:05):
I don't know.

Speaker 6 (01:06:06):
But it's it's like you know when people go rub
the emblem. Yeah, I'm passionate.

Speaker 3 (01:06:10):
You know, that's fine. You can kiss the emblem, that's fine.
But unless twenty, unless you went in by twenty, I'm sorry.
And I'm going to say, I'm going to say Sloan's
going to score the first try.

Speaker 5 (01:06:24):
Oh well, I did hear reports coming through guys for
Locking that Elliots might be getting dubbed and liking Kintogya
might be born into the halves.

Speaker 3 (01:06:35):
And the fullback como. This is the scoop Mac scoop.

Speaker 5 (01:06:48):
Okay, please told me, but locking eliots might be getting
shopped and like Kintugy brought.

Speaker 3 (01:06:57):
In and cat townsend to the Dragons, we've pulled down.
All right, I'm going to go anyway, Thank you very much.

Speaker 4 (01:07:09):
Yeah, you've been watching the Mad Dragons podcast, proudly sponsored
by Complete Warehouse Solutions, a family owner operated business. Go
see Jeff and the team at six Commerce Drive Lake
Laura on four to five seven one nine free zero
or zero four one seven double two three four zero nine.
Thanks for joining us for our special edition of Behind

(01:07:31):
Enemy Lines. Been great to have Ryan Hoffman on as well.
Great honor having him on. And yeah we'd love to
have him on against some other time as well. Anyway, Well,
since it's your segment, big t, so you can sign
us off.

Speaker 3 (01:07:45):
Thanks for joining us, everybody, It's been a great joy.
Ron Hoffman was fantastic talking about the Melbourne Dragons game
on Saturday at three pm. Don't you get to city
parks and come on Dragons fans far off or a
big one? Not a big one.

Speaker 2 (01:08:05):
Goby's hair tails her, she wears it on her snea.

Speaker 3 (01:08:09):
That's my tall tails off draggondwins and Junior b t me,
Tony and the and people will deliver very patch if.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
Not Topican are her breast with a red by on objects.

Speaker 3 (01:08:22):
The Mad Jagging podcast us that she was covering out
the reel, navigating where stand rabbit.

Speaker 2 (01:08:28):
Holes in the Land of Being with Tea and so
I can't speak.

Speaker 3 (01:08:32):
The Tails Up and shots are the Mad Dagging podcast
from good By a team