Join Cameron Smith and I for another episode of The Captain’s Run.
0:00 Reece Walsh
8:26 Injury News
16:07 Roosters v Rabbitohs
23:19 Knights
26:26 Leichhardt
34:00 Tim Tszyu
40:46 May hit on Walsh
50:40 Obstruction call
55:40 Roosters v Panthers
1:02:25 Rabbitohs v Bulldogs
1:08:55 Broncos v Cowboys
1:13:54 Dragons v Manly
1:18:48 Titans v Dolphins
1:21:09 Warriors v Knights
1:24:26 Sharks v Raiders
1:26:45 Eels v Tigers
But let’s get into the biggest topic overnight Reese Walsh reportedly has signed a deal or at least agreed to terms he comes out and says no that hasn’t happened this does sound similarish to the Lui situation where it come out he’d agreed he said I hadn’t signed anything then he obviously uh
Eventually did uh so for for our listeners just because ree says he hasn’t signed anything or agreed to anything doesn’t mean he might not eventually um but what are your thoughts on this whole situation what’s the well what’s the go with announcing it and then the player saying no that’s that’s
Untrue why why would that happen well I think it’s the club putting pressure on the player well again like I got no evidence just in my experience when there certain things have happened with me and announcements have come out before agreements it’s it was to pressure me into that decision yeah to
Make it happen uh I don’t get that I don’t get why I don’t get why a club would in particular you know the Broncos with um ree Walsh he he seems extremely happy at the Broncos he’s you know obviously you know everyone’s aware of the that he’s been in over the last 12
Months I just don’t know why or why they feel the need for that kimpy well it’s risky I just think when you got to stop like that’s what I mean your fringes it’s like all right whatever it’s you know fringes to get treated a little bit different which is fine that’s that’s
The way of the world but a star player like that you’re walking on eggshells aren’t you yeah what what was it through was there anyone um from the Broncos actually quoted well so pretty sure a newspaper report was it so I’m pretty sure it was Peter p Peter padell I think
His name is ker m p Pete Bell Pete Bell apologies um and he usually is pretty pretty close up in Brisbane there they because it’s such a big Club in you know one team town for so long uh and so you’d have to assume he’s spoken to
Someone at the club off the Record and maybe they’ve said yeah look it’s pretty much a done deal he’s agreed to terms and then he’s just gone to print with it but you’d think there’d be a higher threshold of doing an article than that yeah well these days not so much I think
They just they just get a little bit um excited and they jump the gun at times and just write a story and I guess what you know some of these reporters they they want to be the guy that breaks the the headline right they want to be the
One that that writes the the the story that everyone wants to hear particularly with ree Walsh recommitting to the Broncos um but look if if it’s if it’s true and I’m thinking that it will be um that he will recommit to the club and sign long term that’s it’s wonderful
News for the Broncos he’s been so good um you could see only the other night Ki um when he left the field now I know there was no pay Hass there was no Adam Reynolds but as soon as he left the field like their attack was gone MH it
Was almost nonexistent now soan coob did a fantastic job I thought at fullback he you know he was heavily involved he did a lot of work um but you know he’s not he’s not the same player as ree Walsh he doesn’t possess the same speed he’s got different attributes to his game but
They’re they’re attack they just look all at Sea when Walsh wasn’t there yeah and I I’ve got to praise the young lad like he doesn’t get enough respect for it but he’s tough like the fact that he was putting in eye drops trying to get out on that field when he’s a superstar
Like him you know almost guaranteed a absolutely gigantic gu deal going forward there’s really there’s no pressures on him to really get on the field other than him just wanting to be back out in the Jersey back out playing with the boys and I had a especially
Like you could see so he’s trying to get back on the field and then the camera pans to him about 20 minutes later his eyes is completely closed yeah and and that was the reason why he didn’t go back on the field wasn’t it like he went
He went out he he wanted to get back out there and play but when he went to uh warm him up again he he couldn’t see the ball crazy like he dropped he dropped a couple of balls yeah cuz he just couldn’t see out of that left eye so
That that was the reason why like it wasn’t anything to do with his commitment to get out in the field but um he’s going to be spending what the next what month maybe another five weeks well just re just breaking news uh he hasn’t actually needed surgery so he he
May be back um quicker than we expected uh which is great for the Broncos cuz they’re in a bit of a um so they they’re saying round six for the Dolphins which is a huge in that’s huge um I will say I will say I actually was a bit surprised
By the announcement of him reigning so soon I actually thought that he would probably drag it out a little bit just because he still signed to 2025 the amount of interest in this guy honestly there might be record interest like like the crazy interest yeah and and so
They should be right because given you know his ability and and what he does like every everyone’s seen firsthand now what what he has done for that bronos side they went from a struggling outfit to him being at fullback and and really changing their attack and making them
One of the most um dangerous football sides in the entire competition they went all the way to the Grand Final now off the back of you know a lot of other great work from other players as well but you sort of you take Walsh out of that equation then they’re a completely
Different footy side they’re they’re they’re Le they’re a less dangerous footy side more importantly so I just think you know for him to recommit early I think that’s a great sign for the Broncos I think it’s I think it’s a great sign from from Reese to say Hey
Listen I’m committed to this footy Club I could go to any club any club with a million dollars available would go hunting for his Services I believe um so he could have his pick of really anyone in the comp comptition but he said no listen I’m not going out in the market I
Know my value um and even if he could get more let let’s just say he could get 13 you know or upwards somewhere else um he he’s he’s committed to the Broncos and and says well this is where I want to be like don’t get me wrong he’s getting paid handsomely like 1.1
That’s as close as to any of the top players in the competition right now so he’s almost the highest paid player um you know picking up that celery so of course all reported you know we don’t know exact values but that’s a um that’s
A big whack and you know but so he so they should he’s he’s a wonderful player not only does he perform on the field for them like imag imagine the people that want to be a part of the Broncos you know from a commercial point of view
Because ree Walsh is there absolutely I think another really good um I guess sign is it does seem like and I I you know can’t confirm this but it does seem like that their top tier of player so your carrigans your hash your Ms are all kind of talking to each other because
When you look at the reported figures of each like I think Patty carrigan’s reported figure is 800 Grand a year which is massive unders in my opinion um pay H around the 900 to a million Ezra M uh initially his first few years are quite low so it does seem like they’re
Kind of talking to each other of the understanding that boys if we want to win a Premiership there’s going have to be sacrifices made and I know that well in my experience when the Broncos won in 2006 obviously I wasn’t a part of the starting 17 but as was a part of the
Squad but you were very very aware that the senior players were taking pay cuts to stay in that Squad it was it wasn’t even an Open Secret it was just the way things were done yeah I think um you know if you look across the competition
Yeah the teams that um sort of dominate the sport and you know start building you know really strong squads like that that’s what the salary Cap’s there for right they it’s it’s to to try and manage squads and to even out the competition so particularly when you’re
Developing like if you look at the pen penth Panthers right when you’re developing your your young players they come through as rookies um unheard of you know teenagers and you develop them yourself so you’re always going to start out at a low figure but then as their
Abilities grow and um their skill set grows and they become sort of you know consistent first graders then rep players and then your team starts winning premierships that’s when their value increases dramatically and and Club other clubs rightly so want their services because of what they’re
Doing at their Club so you already we we’re seeing now the effects that that’s having on penth so they’re starting to get picked apart a little bit because you can only afford so many and I think the Broncos are going to be in a similar situation over the next 18 months now
Let’s get to uh some injury news okay so I want to read out to you this is over the last week just the last week alone and I might actually even be missing some of the you know The fringer Fringe players but the last week alone Mitch
Moses foot fracture up to eight weeks rys Walsh face fracture 4 to 6 weeks Nathan clear hamstring 2 to 4 Lindsey Collins hamstring 2 to four Scott senson knee 3 to4 Bryce cartright who has been named this week uh but it says he could
Be out for up to six to8 weeks I mean if he’s broken his ribs I don’t know why he’d be playing this that’d be Insanity um Toby Rudolph foot four weeks D fuken concussion a week uh to a picky concussion a week Tino ACL done season
Cotter ankle one to two weeks cam Murray has limped off training Brendan P limped off training and will not play this weekend sandon Smith elbow 3 to six weeks that is in one week of rugby league what is there a concern here Smithy is there is this just a really
Bad you know unlucky week what do you reckon yeah I I think um on the most part like if you look at some of those a lot of them uh so like you know face fracture um head knocks um foot fracture for Mitch Moses that’s they’re a little bit unlucky um
But when you look at the soft tissue stuff like the hamstrings um even ACL with big Tino you’re that’s they’re the concerning ones um for me anyway and this has been a recurring thing with with Nathan clear if you remember it was last year wasn’t he did his hamstring
Yeah missed about six week so um I don’t know I like is it is it because of the current game and the way it’s played um I don’t know just this weekend it just seems like there there’s just Carnage for all the players playing out there
And um I guess that that’ll be a discussion that would be going around the clubs at the moment is is are we is the game and the form in which it’s played at the moment is it looking after the players um as far as injuries concerned
Or are we just seeing more and more soft tissue injuries because there’s no doubt there’s there is no doubt about it um the game has never been faster um than it is right now in which the way it’s played with particularly with new rules that have been introduced KMI um and
Also adding to that I don’t think the ball in play time which is you know the amount of time that you see the actual the players actually playing so not not including when the ball’s kicked into touch or it goes dead or you’re waiting for a Dropout or a kickoff the actual
Ball in play time has never been as high and there’s been rules changed uh to make it that way I think that’s the NRL were concerned about how much dead time there was that’s why the scrum was removed um and now that there’s it’s a quick change over where the ball goes
Into touch and the the opposing team just brings it infield and play the ball so there’s no doubt there’s more stress on the players bodies and they’re playing enormous amounts of games as well mate this is you know I understand sometimes when the RPA and the NRL Clash
Uh last year I think it was and it’s very hard for a fan because you’re sitting there you’re going I love this game come on boys like I wish I could play rugby league and you are winging about amount of games you play and
You’re on a big Wicket so I get it I understand where the fans are coming from with that but this is why the rlpa in my opinion dug their heel BS in so much about the NRL being able to add on more games without having to ask them I
Think it was two that the NRL was saying each year they could add two or something along those lines um look I would I’m happy to see the stats and compare year on year and also you know maybe even decent decade on decade and maybe just because we’re more focused on
Injuries these days but it definitely does feel like there’s been an increase in injuries and logically it seems like okay if we’re going to increase the muscle mass increase the weight the fitness the power the speed everything plus we’re going to increase the amount of uh uh repetitions of a game so the
Amount of games we do each week plus the training is going to be harder plus all like the in no areas of the game are we reducing the load or stresses on the body we we’ve only increased it and so I would love for there because the problem
Is is that this isn’t from a position of like oh poor rugby league players and and that you know being soft this is a from a position of if you want the best product every week you need to protect the players from injuries yeah um
Because by but if you yeah if you want the best product every week mate you need you need the players out there right exactly exactly they are the product and at the end of the day they are the product absolutely and and the reason I say that is like we’re all
Guilty of it when origin comes around how excited are you for Club footy honestly sorry is is it on exactly exactly and that’s and that’s coming from a fringy I’m a fringy so like I’m the guy that got the start you know um and so I do think that they may I hope
They are looking into this and and really I understand more games equals more Revenue but more games at less quality does that equal more Revenue I’m not sure whether it does or it doesn’t love to hear your thoughts in the uh text guys 0457 736 736 um it’s it’s a conundrum because I
Get it it’s a product and when you you take that product you want to have the the most quantity of that product to people that it buys which are the networks which are the you know punting all that kind of stuff um do you am I
Off the mar SMY what what are your thoughts manate I I think overall um it’s hard to know right without seeing um black and white numbers on because I’d like to think that the rlpa and the NRL I know the I’d like to think the clubs would at least have some sort of
Figures or stats um on how many injury injuries that they that has been SU stained in the NRL over the past couple of years I I think they do run numbers and and make sure that they stay on top of that um as a business if if you if
You’re not doing that then it’s not an overly professional business right yeah um because you’re not you’re not taking care of the welfare of your employees but um yeah I don’t know like it’s hard to say is this a worse year than than we’ve seen in previous years and is it
Because of the games I I just think that I just wanted to state that you know from from a players point of view the game has never been faster and and they’re playing more game time than they have in I think the last 15 years 20
Years even yeah um you know with with the amount of time that the ball’s actually in play and and you’re right how you mentioned too that the body shape has changed so much like they are so big and strong these days oh M massive like you look across the lineups
Of an NRL team like if if you ever get an opportunity live at a game and and you’re sitting down almost on the ground level just have a look across like the 17 when they line up they are giant men giant well you there’s an argument most
Wingers or a lot of the Wingers today would be front rowers 20 years ago genuinely um with their size and their strength now I understand the front rowers if they got the same Sport Science that these players got would be bigger I get that but if you just took a
A Winger like a few of the Wingers like your cvos your toos your Blake Fergusons your you know uh D all these these boys are big big boys and could play in the middle of you know 20 years ago or so Roose is obviously defeating the Rabbid
O 48 to6 mate what what were your thoughts on the game I um there’s some key points that I really like from it but I’d love to hear at the ground you know seeing it all unfold what was it like yeah again like it’s you know in all seriousness it was fantastic love
Love the atmosphere we actually did the pretty game outside so we’re we’re on The Concourse where everyone was streaming in um lots of fans you know old young um male female everyone was there to watch this contest and um you know I think it it lived up to the hype
Early on in particular I was really impressed with the way the roosters played really really really impressed actually you know they they suffered a loss the week before against Manley um but they they come out with they look like a completely different side to what
They did at this part of the season last year K yeah it’s um what I I love about that too is it’s one thing for robo to say in the offseason that we’re going to start fast but to actually execute it it shows you a playing group that is
Reacting to what the coach wants and you know ironically and and I hate to you know put the boot in but you know it does seem Demetrio does seem to say all the right things in in press conferences and he may even have the right plan in
Place but at the moment on when you look at the other side of the the table or the coin it looks like rabitos aren’t reacting to the plan you know in place yeah it’s it’s a it’s a really strange one like when you look at the
Rabitos the the you know just going on paper right they they’re a very very talented football side but they’re they’re just not they’re not showing any of that Talent right now in in spits and spurts yeah like we’ve seen a couple of you know brilliant moments over in Vegas in their
First up match um same again in round two against the Broncos at Sun Corp where they had a couple of really nice touches even the other night like they they had some classy plays but I think I think the Simplicity has gone from their game yeah so the Simplicity of
Controlling the ball getting to the end of their sets in way whichever way you want to do that um kicking early or getting right at the play six and then getting rid of the ball um and also M the the little effort areas in the game
I just don’t see it I just don’t see it and it doesn’t matter who you’re playing against um in this competition right now if you don’t play with with effort and urgency and intent in every action that you do you’re going to get beaten mate you’re going to get beaten that’s how
The West Tigers won that match the other night yeah they just out and th their opposition and that’s that’s what I think the rabitos are lacking right now yeah it’s it’s one of those things where you know I I understand creating a good environment that you know players want
To rock up to and be happy but it’s I think it’s finding the perfect balance between being happy that you’re at training and that you’re playing in a role but also I guess a manage pressure almost like and I just can only speak from my experience and this is being a fringe
Player in a really good bronos squad that you know was doing really well at the time there was every single training session and maybe it’s just my own personal way that I deal with it there was a lot of happiness for sure but there was always this bit of nervousness
Of of like scared to make an error scared to stuff up because the standard was so high and I just wonder is that happening and you know you being at the storm for so long you can speak this a lot like is that happening at the rabbit
Rabbit o do you think at training where the standard is like yeah it it’s hard it’s hard to comment on that M because like we’re not there right you and I aren’t at training we’re not a part of their session so I’m not sure like if you ask their players
They would say that and I’d like to think they would given given the the caliber and the quality of plays that they do have in their squad but that can fall by the wayside if you don’t stay on top of it yeah and and the word that you
Mentioned like that feeling that you that you spoke about about nervous feeling nervous at training of making a mistake or letting someone down um you know it could be a little bit of fear as well yeah um you know nerves and fear of of doing something wrong or or stuffing
Up um that comes from standards and expectations you know what I mean that that and they’re they’re two really important things to have in all aspects of life not just footy yeah and not just NRL Footy like that that’s that needs to be a part of your everyday life with
Everything that you do whatever industry you’re working in whatever whatever role you have in your your job um and it goes all the way down through you know Junior sports um you know different aspects of course but you know I think that’s that’s really important that we all have
Our our standards and expectations of each other because if you don’t then it everything just becomes a rabble doesn’t it yeah and it’s you know so I just when I look at when I look at that group I just think this this is a talented football side that are massively massively
Underperforming and something needs to change and the way you change that is through your work you need to be you need to be willing to work hard and and be at your very best every time that you get on the training padic and every time
You get on the field for those things to change and I think one key indicated with that is they’ve got I think at this stage of the year the worst completion rate of any side and that’s that to me says like are they scared enough or do
They fear the faure enough of dropping a ball for that I’m not sure again you’re totally right we’re not in the in the training each week maybe they are and it’s just not coming together sometimes that can happen but I agree when I watch
Them I I do think when I watch this side which is essentially the same side that went on that great run at the start of last year that same side at the start of last year which is the same people were ruthless like they were ruthless um so
Much so that you’re sitting there going if there’s a team to beat penth it’s this team and it just doesn’t look like it’s at the moment unfortunately the same site it really doesn’t yeah the um you know you talk about that care Factor if you watched any of the games across
The weekend um go watch go watch appy Carousel yeah go watch the way he played and that’ll that’ll show what care factor is to the jersey that you’re wearing and to your teammates and your coaches and your fans and your entire Club just go have a look at his
Performance on the weekend just gone like he was he was he was doing everything he was tackling everything he was you know willing his team forward loose balls on the ground he’d dive on it when he really had no um right being there to do it but he just
He wanted to the care factors there and he wanted to do it and in comparison I do remember a very specific moment in that game where the shakies the ball went on the ground there were four three or four sharies that all looked at it and waited for someone else to dive on
It and the Tigers jumped on it yeah um and so these are just the little small things hey Campion Smithy as a Die Hard nights fan it SS me sens me to say I don’t see where the team scored points on the field the attack is a shell of
Itself from last year what are your thoughts on uh what are your thoughts on this well yeah well they finished with a flurry didn’t they and they just I think they just got themsel into this bit of bit of a Groove like a Zone last year
Where they were just up and about and things clicked right and that happens in sports sometimes like you just you feel that confident and you get out there and back yourself and and you do things that you don’t typically do and when the when the attack’s not firing completely or
You’re not at your best sometimes you you don’t pull the trigger as often um as you would have in those moments so it’s it’s always it’s nice watching your team play that way where you can score you know 30 40 points and you look on fire um it’s always nice seeing that
When it always comes off but you know these guys might have tried a few things early in the first couple of rounds and they haven’t come off so they’ve just gone Roto boys well let’s just let’s pull the rains back a bit let’s pump the brakes um we’re not it’s not working for
Us at the moment um you know but I do agree the they’re they look a little bit different they do they do do look a little bit hesitant I I thought they did a great job to get away of that Victory um Against The Storm but
Um if that game went for another what five six minutes KY I reckon they would have been beaten the knights yeah it’s always difficult when you go when you’ve got a side that and this is no disrespect to the rest of the team because I definitely thought they were
Really really good last year a real Steely like they showed the DNA of a night side but sometimes when you’ve got a player like kayin ponga that has the Run he does and is a big reason for why it happened sometimes it’s very hard to capture that magic again straight away
Now it could happen again this year um but it is a it’s it’s almost like a an a a mix of ingredients that you don’t know what the ingredients are whereas when you look at the penth Panthers the ingredients they’re there that you can understand the game system and so it’s
It’s going to be hard for Adam O’Brien to find that mix again but I hope he does I really hope he does it definitely got the player at the back there to score points K and pong are incredible gagy Mau all of that yeah they they yeah
And um one thing you got to remember like they’ve lost Dom young how many tries he scored last year from him 27 massive amounts yeah yeah you know what I mean so they are missing a bit of a strike weapon on the edge um and as you
Mentioned too KMI like they had a guy there that just absolutely caught fire at the end of last year which he went on run of of what 10 or 11 games which got him a Delian medal but that’s really hard to do like that’s that’s they’re
Almost a oneoff yeah um you know like those sort of those streaky sort of performances that that Kalin pong will put in so I don’t know they’re still they’re searching um again like we’ve said the last couple of weeks it’s still early um penic stations I don’t think
Yet for for New Castle that’s still a fair bit off but yeah they they got to search for their best footy soon but yesterday New South Wales Premier Chris mins was quoted my real fear is that we put money into lyart and the week afterwards they say well now we need
Money for Campbell town these things have got to be finally balanced and I’d love to have the spare Revenue to pump into a sub Suburban Stadium at the moment but I don’t have it tiger CEO Shane Richardson now I’m not sure if he’s still interim but um he’s CEO
Anyway Shane Richardson has said that without investment the Tigers will not be able to play games at lart next season speaking to the Telegraph The Daily Telegraph that is yesterday Landy spoke on the possibility of the NRL buying lart if they wanted to give us lart over we would be interested
Absolutely I do think the wording from Blandy of give us like artoval is interesting because I highly doubt the enol has enough money to go out and purchase the stadium um is there Ave been purchasing pubs and stuff around the the whole joint haven’t they they
Have but compared to the cost of a stadium cuz you’d have to buy that say let’s say you bought it for I don’t know it’s a land it’s the land right yeah and then the cost of okay so let’s say you buy it I we’ll just say you know 50
Million just a random number then it’s also to upgrade it m you could buy that oh oh that’s rich coming from you he owns half the go coas I reckon I’ve been kicked out everyone wonders why I live in Sydney is cuz Smithy kicked yeah but that’s he the the guy
That you got you got the wrong guy the guy that owns half of the go is my colleague at Channel 9 his name’s Paul Warton the great fat man the fat that wouldn’t surprise me one bit fatty um Smithy what are your thoughts on this whole situation man oh it’s a shame look
Yeah if if we lose lart over um if the game loses lyart over it’s a shame right because it’s one of the the the great Suburban grounds now I’m saying this as a as a as a player that used to go up there just dreading going to lyart yeah
Okay like in sorry I should rephrase that I dreaded it but I I absolutely loved it as well if you understand what I mean yeah you knew it was always going to be a a hard away game um the Tigers were always up for that match against us
We they the NRL used to put us on a snd die AO there a lot a lot so it was just it was capacity all the time yeah um they were they were packed in on the hill under the old um scoreboard there were people out on the Verandas of the
Surrounding houses you know trying to get a look at the game it was just chalk a block and we had some pretty close games there as well which was fantastic so you know as much as I I dreaded going up there knowing that it was going to be
A tough game there’s also um a ground or a venue that provided some of the great atmospheres that I that I played in you know for for a ground that what holds what 15,000 oh 20,000 yeah a bit more 16,000 the week yeah if if if they Jam
Them in there if they Jam them in there it’s it’s anywhere from 15 to 20,000 you know like it’s not it’s not the biggest ground getting around but the atmosphere that it does provide is unbelievable so you know I feel I feel for the the players coming through that you know if
If this is lost to our game then um I feel for those guys that don’t get an opportunity to play at such a historic ground like it because there’s been so many great games some great teams and some wonderful players play there over the journey if if if the NRL will have
The opportunity to to somehow get their hands on on lart oval I really think they should well I mean I know it’s a quite different but AFL with Marvel Stadium like that’s basically what that’s the the rock of their whole organization because when they go to
Networks and the networks if they try to lowball they so well we’ve got this billion dollar asset that we can lend against all that kind of stuff I will say little bit interesting so Chris mins has said my real fear is that we put money into lart and the week afterwards
They say well now we need money for Campbell town it’s like well just say no then cuz you’re saying no now so it doesn’t make sense so you’ve got the strength to say no to lart but not once you’ve already put money in like wouldn’t you just say mate we’ve already
Done lart for you and can that not be part of the agreement like what you say yeah look listen we’ll we’ll we’ll hand over some funds to help you redevelop lart and upgrade it you know to where it needs to be but that’ll be it yeah if we do that
We’re not doing we’re not doing another one and like what what um you know what community would sit there and they’d be angry at the people asking for more they’d be like hey in a sec you already got the money for lart why are like
They’d be on his side there’d be no one sitting there going yeah you actually should put money into Campbell town they’d be going no you chose lart the money’s in lart there’s we move on from that so that was I didn’t understand that um and we got a text here too KMI
This is from Richard um which backs up what we’re talking about high smoothie and Beak my wife and I storm members were up in Sydney over the weekend and we wanted to watch um um the Tiger Sharks game so we headed out to lart it was fantastic and an unbelievable
Atmosphere yeah so this is this is coming from a person that is a storm member um you know gets to go and watch the melbour Storm at Amy Park which is you know it’s a more modern Fant you know great purpose-built rectangular stadium and talking about one of the the
Older grounds in the comp saying it’s it was unbelievable so yeah little good little message there for um for our government officials yeah I think also like look at the you know you look at the combank stadium like these smaller grounds but they have a more intimate feel it keeps it
Connected to the community you know whereas if we just send all the teams to these bigger stadiums you’re going to lose that real because yes I understand everyone sits home and watches TV these days you know all that kind of stuff but if you want people at the games if you
Want communities out putting money into their local community yep you want them going to local Suburban grounds otherwise they will sit at home they won’t drive out to a core Stadium uh so it actually it boosts the economy for that local community whereas when you go to the bigger ones that you’re losing
Money to the local community yeah and like too like I think you know we’ve heard a lot of people talk about the travel out to home Bush you know it’s a bit of a pain in the backside at times getting out there particularly when they they Chuck a game out there that’s not
Going to get a huge crowd yeah like in in a what a 90 ,000 seat Stadium if you only have 20,000 there number one it’s yeah it’s not a great look two like people don’t particularly want to have to travel that far like so upgrading a
Smaller stadium in a city ideal I would suggest yeah it’s just you never know there there’s so many moving pieces with situations like this you never know where the push and the pull is coming from you know like there’s just so many different agendas or certain things trying to get across the line
Negotiation tactics all that kind of stuff but I agree with you the can get it for dirt cheap what an asset to have to the game um and also Imagine The NRL being able to design it for rugby league how good it would be well what was the what was the um
What the Tigers new facility cost uh the elite is that the Elite Academy H um not sure not sure not sure 50 60 million o there’s a little bit there but that that’s not just for Tigers is it that’s for that’s like pathways development and
All that sort of stuff is for Juni stuff yeah okay fair enough huge huge fight this weekend absolutely huge fight we got Zoo verse Sebastian Fundora Sunday afternoon you can order on May event through K you don’t need a subscription now zoo is fighting Fundora for our
Listeners that may not be aware Fundora is 6’5 6’6 in a weight division where 6 foot would be considered big Timmy zoo is only 5 fo8 fo 5 foot n and he is considered normal height for this weight division it is an absolutely huge fight not only
That not only that uh it it was revealed this week that Zoo has a rematch clause meaning a loss could lead to a return bout in Australia but even bigger Terrence Crawford is touted as his reward if he manages to win and that fight will likely be worth $15
Million oh wow we might get Timmy to come and buy light cut surely Timmy and I need to find out funly enough I’m actually being sent over I will be in Vegas for this fight and I will get to the bottom of this the rugby league Community needs to know what team does
Tim support he’s worn every Jersey under the sun we need to who whose jersey has he worn rabido shakies uh there’s a few others look oh no maybe he’s put the mockers on him maybe maybe so we need to know we need to know I tell you what if he has I’m
Not going to tell him about it cuz he’ll bash me um all right so you’re heading over you’re heading over when are you heading off so I head off tomorrow morning so stay tuned toar Instagram you’re going to see the whole experience you can see um but it is such a big fight
And apparently uh reports from over there is there is big big buzz around this fight they’re really getting around him so Glen Jennings um Zoo’s manager Glenn Jennings has come out and said Terren is pound-for-pound and he can he can command that money and Tim zoo is
Probably the only fighter who can get Terrence Crawford out of bed it’s a real challenge but yes I do believe Tim Zoo beats Terence Crawford but he has a huge task in front of him and that is obviously Fundora I mean so this is not only is this a huge fight in boxing
Because fondor he was the next big thing until Mendoza stopped him in the ninth round but meno uh vendora had won every round up until that punch so he’s essentially one punch away from being undefeated uh and he was winning most of the fight so people that think that oh
Well he lost his last fight this isn’t going to be hard that is crazy like yes Tim Zoo may win but this guy is a world class fighter on top of that it is the first card for Amazon Prime so this is a big big big deal um will will you be
Tuning in smiy to a bit of boxing on Sunday yeah I might have a look at this see how uh Timmy zoo goes um obviously you know backing up the Aussie and tell us just so for people that are unaware of this Sebastian uh fandora he he took
This fight on late didn’t he so he took this fight on 12-day notice but he was already in Camp for a fight on that card right so he is in preparation already he he is in good shape he’s good to go um and basically put it this way it’s actually
More of a short-term fight short short notice fight for Tim Zoo than it is for Fundora because Fundora was already preparing for a fight on that same card and the fighter he was preparing for isn’t exactly uh the same as timzo but relatively similar so not much will change
In his build up a little bit will but not that much whereas Tim Zoo he was preparing for Thurman and Thurman is a very unorthodox fighter uh his movement is his bigest asset like his footwork his movement very hard to kind of you know glue down and throw throw punches
At whereas fundura so um Thurman is an orthodox stance so that means his right hand is his strong hand yep whereas Fundora is southp and so not only is Fundora not a fighter that moves around a lot but he’s also a South ball and he’s also 6’6 so the preparation Tim zo
Has had is for literally the complete opposite fighter to what fondor is and that’s what makes this so exciting is that yes there will be two weeks of of learning on the go for Tim zoo and and getting a game plan ready but essentially he’s going to have to go in
There and feel it out just to see what works and what doesn’t work because he’s he hasn’t had long enough to get those you know uh subconscious and muscle memory firing 2 weeks isn’t long enough you know you need a 3 we a 12 week um Camp sorry to get those muscle memories
Firing so how does he get the job done then obviously you know with the reach of fandora he doesn’t want to he wants to stay close and and I dare say he wants to attack his body would I be right you would be absolutely right and
The positive is is that fandora for all his height bizarrely likes to fight in the pocket and that’s the only the way that I could see fendor winning this would be actually using his reach but he that’s not the kind of fighter he is in
Even though he in the leadup he has been saying that I’m going to fight smart this whole Camp is about being fighting smart even if he goes in there to try to use his reach and you know basically um you know move around the ring and use his reach eventually muscle memory is
Going to kick in when the fatigue hits and he’s in his fifth or his sixth round he’s not going to have the the wherewithal to not be a to fall back on what he’s learned for his whole life which is in the pocket fighting and in the pocket fighting there’s an argument
Between May Tim Zoo is that’s one of his strongest suits yeah um and so I think a rip to the body a few rips to the body will be fur’s downfall because the height basically um fondor torso is fraking where timo’s head is um or at least where his
Shoulders is so timu is basically punching straight into his body uh well let’s well let’s hope Timmy can yeah position himself well as you said he’s had short preparation for this one and he can get a win just quickly like you’re heading off you said you’re
Heading off tomorrow when you get on the plane mate which way you turning to get to your seat so KO have been turning left I no which way are you turning KO have been gracious enough to allow me to be in business class he doesn’t fly any other class
Ladies and gentlemen no way I look I said to K said put me back with the Battlers I’m a battler and they said no we refused they refused it I seen him on a flight last year he come up for a game Sydney to Brisbane that’s at 40 minutes here he
Was turn it up that is good from you SMI that’s great from you oh man they reckon they reckon you get a helicopter around the city that’s what they saying no way not a chance welcome back to the captain’s run also we’ve got to get over it in the earlier
Parts of the show but the tailor May incident with Reese Walsh last week so the en has come out and said that they got it wrong they should have he should have been charged but he’s gotten off he will not miss any Rugby League games what were your thoughts on the whole instance
Smie well man I must be honest I um I called this one live and and I thought he had no answer he well he didn’t have anything to answer for really I I just thought it was a high-speed Collision um and it was accidental contact it was it
Was a head clash between two players now I feel I felt the same way last year with d fuken right when he come out and tried to um put a big tackle on Steven kryon Steven kryon sort of had his ear split and I think um the consequence of
That was I think it was fukan got three weeks for that kmy so you know I just I just feel that it’s part of our game right there’s parts of our game that that are completely unavoidable now you hear people say well he could have been
His back yeah well he yeah no he could have but what happens then what if re Walsh you know cleans up Taylor May with his hip or his knee or some other part of his body then we’ve got another play injured on the ground you know and and
You hear this you hear this term um you know the that there’s a duty of care for the ball carrier well first and foremost when you’re playing for you have a duty of care to yourself don’t you to look after your own safety that’s that’s what
I believe um look where I sit now because there’s been a fair bit of discussion around you know particularly the Taylor may hit and since the MRC chose not to um charge Taylor May for the incident and we’ve seen I think it was gr menley
Come out and said no no the as a league we completely disagree with that moving forward if that was to happen again there’ll be a charge well why doesn’t the NRL just take care of those things why do we have in MRC because it seems as though that the
NRL are now you know taking control of the MRC and the way they think and the way they rule on things why why have the MC yeah if we’re going to have um gr menle come out and say no that was wrong that should have been
Charged get rid of the MRC just let just let someone in the league do it so they can control what they believe should be charged and what should not be charged that’s that I don’t know that’s it just doesn’t seem logical to me to have an MC there and they’re given
You know the the responsibility to make decisions on incidents from the weekend and when they make them they’re then criticized by the league don’t have them there yeah don’t have them there if they’re going to be criticized you you do that you do that job and make
Decisions and then you have no one to answer to I just I just don’t understand it um yeah and this whole Judy care thing like uh I I just I I think we’re playing with our game a little bit too much you know with this whole Judy care
Thing I think that um you know Taylor may had a split-second decision to make he made a decision which I believe was within his um defensive system at the penrith Panthers um and you got to remember you know ree Walsh and we’re talking about him earlier in in the show
Can be about you know the speed that he possesses and it’s a real weapon of his like they met each other at at such force and at speed that it’s really hard to make a split-second decision and for those people to sit you know behind desks and talk about oh he
Should have done this and should have done that regarding tayor may like he should have ducked he should have bent his back and he should have put his head here unless you’re in that situation or unless you’ve ever been in that situation which you’re more than like more than likely haven’t been you’ll
Never know you’ll never know what what’s going what’s happening in that in that minuscule of of seconds that you have to make those decisions unfortunately we see we’re going to have those injuries in our games we’re going to have broken bones we’re going to have fractured cheekbones we’re going to have
Broken jaws we see it a lot okay but this is this is professional sport this is Elite Sport and those players that go on the field they know very well that this could happen in a game every week that they go out there it could happen at training right it could happen at
Training it’s just it’s just a really unfortunate part of our game but it is a part of our game and always has been now um I just I don’t know how we can force it out of our game I I complete I’m on board with all of the high contact stuff
And the head injuries I’m I’m on board with everything that the NRL are trying to do there um and I don’t I think from that point of view as far as high tackles and um swinging arms and cod hangers and all the all the old style
Stuff so all the people that have been watching the game for you know 20 30 years know what I’m talking about very rarely do you see those tackles in our game now do you yeah right so from from that point of view the game is so clean
Like it’s it’s cleaner than it’s ever been from that point of view um so when there are swinging arms and lazy arms just throwing out and you collect someone High um fair enough I I I I think they’re they are the the um situations where players need to be
Charged and suspended if if whoever it is deciding that deem to be suspendable offense but for these these accidental collisions you know I just I just think we need to we need to stay away from them a bit to be honest yeah I think that it’s the consistency that I um I I
Struggle with I just struggle with the idea that you know I agree with you mate those things are going to happen Devo that Reese Walsh is out but to go oh well ree Walsh is out now therefore he should get as well it’s like we can’t
Rule on how long a player is out or not out because because then you just get into this really weird area where an exactly identical hit has different damages on different people but the person gets suspended for longer or shorter um but the weird thing is is the
Consistency so so if you go and watch the fukan one last year which I did not think that should have been suspension his feet didn’t leave the ground he didn’t rush out I don’t think if I recall like he didn’t rush out from an angle that was bad I think he did get
Line be but not from a like a a 45° angle so it’s just a consistency of Talon May’s feet did leave the ground um and he did Rush for an angle and so now it’s now we’re in this weird spot where so the NL come out and say that that’s
Wrong so okay you’ve come out and public like did you need to say that well no you didn’t need to because it was it’s already been sorted but now the next person that does it is that’s he’s going to get suspended for 2 or 3 weeks and
They’re going to be like well hang on a sec this this could be season defining for us and T and may got us Scot free so it’s just the the consistency but I agree with you I think that we we have to accept that there are going to be
Injuries in this game and and you know and then where do you draw the line too okay so let’s say a tackle there’s a head clash and someone gets a concussion or whatever okay what about if a legal tackle or an accidental or whatever does someone’s knee and he’s out for the
Season do we then go well because he’s out for the season that guy should be punished like for example perfect example os’s tackle yes accident it was all legal there was no penalty um yet it was still a tackle that made an injury happen um so I I I agree with you I
Think we just need to accept with head clashes like that where we can clearly see there’s no way that he intentionally meant that um as long as you know he didn’t do it by like you can fully see that he jumped off you know like that was his feet off the ground were
Genuinely like milliseconds yeah um yeah I I I think we just got to accept there’s going to be head clashes there’s going to be injuries and I also I I think that you alluded to this as well I hate the um the narrative that as a game
A couple years ago we just let swinging arms and that happen like it was just like it was a free-for-all three years ago apparently we were head highs left right and center and we were just like yeah all good um yeah so I think it’s I
Think we should just move on from it to be honest like with that specific one well it’s going to be interesting isn’t it mate where like now that GR man as Le’s come out and said what he said so next time that happens hold uh hold on to your hats oh
Mate it be because there’s going to be some disgruntled uh coaches fans and players what what if that happens again we’ll head to a break so Texas in your answer what if that happens again but he doesn’t get a fractured face and he and there’s no dramas from
It do you know what I mean does he get suspended like nothing or if there’s no yeah there’s no injury no hi nothing yeah like it so or because nothing happens but if but if we’re trying to be you know cracked down on it that’s right
Does he miss two to three weeks cuz yeah well that’s right that’s exactly right mate like how can you how can you pick and choose yeah if you if you want accidental intentional whatever word you want to use before head contact it’s got to be across the board any head contact
Needs to be suspended if you’re going to suspend one they all got to go yeah and and not only and I spoke about this on Monday podcast um and we just got a great text here uh what about last week when the Bulldog front rower literally
Got knocked out and knocked the ball on and they lost the ball um and there was no penalty anything and so anyway it’s it’s a yeah very very gray area huge play in the middle of the game okay Tom trovich he gets a break they score a try
Yeah they go back they check it and they get Jake trovich done for an obstruction oh no I would love to hear your thoughts on this one mate oh dear um I I think it’s play on I think it’s a try to be honest simple as that really okay oh I
Just like that that’s a set piece right that’s a set play where you know manly have decided well we’re going I want to drift across field I want to have two guys dropping off underneath as decoys or option Runners whichever way you want whatever you want to call them and then
I give it to Tommy turbo to come back and um utilize that space that’s been created by that set piece now Jakey Jakey trich he was just he’d run his play his his role in the play and he was just standing there and then one of the Paramount Defenders is traveling across
The line mate tell you you cannot tell me that that Paramount player didn’t have an opportunity to one get on his bike earlier and not have that big space there because I’ll tell you what if he was doing his job properly he would have been in there secondly like he just runs
Into the back of Jake trbovich and I’ll tell you what he done it mate because of this silly rule that all the players are aware of as soon as they run into the back of someone a it’s it’s an obstruction you’ve got legs you’ve got a
Head and you’ve got eyes you can you can move around him and if you wanted to make that play you would have but you didn’t want to and you got rewarded for it look there you go that’s my take everything you said is true he wasn’t going to make it
Yes is there a butt there is a butt he wasn’t going to make it he did run into the back of them okay but I think that due to the in the in the spirit of consistency yes if you start going okay some plays where we think he’s not going
To make it then we’re going to give it and then some plays where we think he is going to make it we’re not going to give it or what vice versa I think for this case we’re all talking about him being lazy the inside Defender and he was lazy
Could have got there but what about Jake trovich he didn’t need to keep running into that like he could have pulled out and the reason why I say he could have pulled out cuz he wasn’t running fast he easily could have um stepped back and
The reason why I know that is if you go and watch the Warriors some of their lead Runners now are actually stepping back before they hit the line yeah and so I think I agree in the sense that like look in in that situation we can
All agree he that he did not he wasn’t going to make it for sure but then do we really trust our video ref going forward for to to judge whether a player would or wouldn’t have made it uh yeah no you make a good point probably not I think everyone will be up
In arms around that then you know what I mean if if the if the the bunker or the video referee is making um his own conclusions of what he thought would happen in that particular situation I think everyone will be like hang on a minute like but isn’t the rule this so I
Get it and I think Dy Cherry Evans um spoke about that in the postgame when he was quizz by um one of the journalists about that decision he said oh look you as far as the rules are concerned um I can understand the penalty but uh at the same time like the that
Paramount Defender was never ever getting anywhere near Tommy turbo like he was gone mate yeah gone abely he was gone and I but I will say this right um I think I think video referees in um recent Seasons they’ve taken the liberty of making those decisions on the outside
Though when the play has gone to the outside right and let’s say a Winger scores in the corner with a little bit of space and something has happened maybe a little bit of interference way inside right like I’m talking three four Defenders inside right they they then adjudicate
Themselves well look there was a little bit of contact or bit of inter interference way inside but it made no difference to the outside Defenders and and the guy that was interfered with wouldn’t have made an impact on that play So they award the try maybe because
It was in such close proximity where Tommy turbo ran back into that space you know what I’m talking about yeah he was one away from that Defender yeah M personal opinion personal opinion um I think that should have been a try but at the same time if I was playing for
Paramat I would have been blowing up you know what I would have been blowing up Deluxe look look you know me I hate a conspiracy I hate a conspiracy personally and this is just I’ve got no evidence to back this up other than what what actually
Happened I think they saw the Tom trich pass which looked about thousand meters forward and they said let’s look for a reason not to give this roosters host the Panthers Thursday 8:00 p.m. 7 p.m. Co time live on SC with Joel Kane Brett CLE and Spud Carol Ki back to partner
Sam Walker uh with sand Smith out I would just say quickly and I’d love to get your thoughts if everyone was not in like if everyone was um free to play geez I’d be tempted to keep sand and Smith Sam Walker yeah and give Ki an
Extra week just to rest just to see how they went what what are your thoughts yeah no I think um that would definitely be an option but I think as soon as Ki is fit and ready to go I think he goes Dr back in naturally just being a you
Know more senior player I I totally understand where you’re coming from though KMI they were their combo last week was very good um and at times you sort of you had to double check like the the jersey number on their back jezz they look alike in the way they play
Yeah particularly with those couple of little kicks into the end goal like their little kick and Chase um of their own kick where they they got a couple of tries from but um no I I think Ki back in the side is fair enough um with with Sammy Walker lindsy Collins out with
That hammy look this is um this is a good game it it’s a shame that all the big names aren’t um available Fisher Harris still out isn’t he yeah fish is out uh but Maverick gu steps in yeah MAV gu so this is um this
Will be a huge this will be a huge um moment for the guy family of course Mark gu um most people know him as big mg um of course a penth legend one Help win a Premiership for the Panthers their first Premiership um it’s his son U making his
Debo there for um the Panthers uh this weekend so that’s that’s a huge moment for the entire family I know Maddie quite well um Maverick’s Uncle um from my playing days at the Melbourne storm and I’m sure they’ll all be proud as punch proud as punch but um I I man I think
Roosters I really really enjoyed watching them go about their stuff on the weekend against the rabbits um I just if if they can find that same uh energy and commitment that they played with and slly so it was Jared’s 300th and I think that’s where they got
A lot of their motivation from as well as being the Rivalry game against the rabbits um you know they need to get them up for this one they’re playing the three-time um Premier uh in in the Panthers but no Cleary uh no Fisher Harris as well um I think if if they
Play that same game or similar game that they played last week I think they’re a real good chance of winning this one well one it be interesting and I understand the Broncos lost ree Walsh last week but all the talk going into the game was Reynolds out H out now the
Panthers going to this game in a relatively similar situation Fisher Harris out Nathan clear out and I think we’ll get a really good indication of I guess the different levels of depth that each Club has as because basically you know Broncos were going to place penth the three-time premier ship penth are
Going to play The Roosters who you know have been playing incredibly well uh and so it’s going to be a real test of penth Panther’s um depth this year because I can’t remember the last time they had both Fisher Harris and clear out and they they are truly keykey players to
That Squad yeah they um I think they may have played without them on a couple of occasions over the last couple years maybe when they rested coming into the back end of the year but um yeah it’s a little bit different now no um no Koga yeah who was so important to penrith
When clear wasn’t there right either clear missing or Jerome L missing kog would come in and and he would play a similar style of footy interesting to see how Brad Schneider fits into uh their lineup because they play they play a certain style of footy don’t they penth
Absolutely no matter no matter who’s no matter who’s in the lineup they they they they don’t tend to change their style of football um you know they they try and have just everyone play their role the way they would if they were from 1 to 1 with their strongest side um
But you know you know it’s it’s unfair on Brad because he’s not Nathan clear we all seen how good Nathan was the other night and you know I sort of I made the point after the match you know we’re talking about his performance and the the way he plays
Is like he’s like an NFL quarterback right so he he’s got the playbook in his head and everyone else around him understands that Playbook as well but at any point in time any tackle he just he pulls the strings and says right boys we’re putting this play on he’s the one
That makes the decision where the ball goes but everyone else just plays their role in that play and they put themselves in the position where they need to be for Nathan clear right so he’s not he’s not he’s not your most outstanding sort of halfback um where you know he’s got
Excellent speed or strength although like he’s got a little bit of both he he is just a player that is more consistent than any other number seven in the game with with what he does and how constant he’s at the opposition that’s what makes him so good that’s what makes him so
Good that’s that’s such a good point Smithy like you might have a lot of harves that they go 20 minutes of peppering you or 30 minutes but clearly he’s asking that question every minute of every game essentially anytime that he can ask the question he’ll ask the
Question at about an eight or nine out of 10 um that’s that’s such a great Insight another little thing um with the Panthers and it shows you such a well Coach side so you know how they’ve been cracking down on the um the blockers yep anyway so other coaches have leaked
Footage or someone’s leaked footage and and leaked it to the media so what they’re doing now Panthers is is when that last tackle happens Mitch Kenny will throw the ball to clear and then he runs and follows it follows the ball follows the ball to block off the marker
Run too smart it’s so smart it’s just like when you’re at the top it’s just that’s what you do that’s what you do well that what that is that’s that’s thinking about the game and it’s staying ahead of the game KMI yeah right so a new rule comes in into
Play to help other teams or you know to take a a strength of particularly you know the top teams um away from them you to even out the contest and then they just go no we’ll we’ll find another way we’ll find another way and I’ll tell you
What people can view it as illegal but it’s not how’s that illegal it’s not it’s the dummy half passing the ball and following the play yeah absolutely I cannot wait for this Clash uh now onto rabitos V the dogs this will be live on scn with Jimmy Smith Justin hor Tim Mana
Cook Nam to started hooker this week after last week being put to the bench Hawkins keeps his spot in the halves Bulldogs no changes how do you see this one playing out Smithy uh not sure this is a huge game for the rabbits oh my God
Huge game for the rabbits they um this is the worst start to a season for them in a long long time I’m talking uh ah jeez off the top of my head I’m thinking way back to 2008 something around that kimpy um 0 and three they are now and like I I just
Don’t know what happens um at Red Fern oval if they go 0 and four oh sorry they’re not red fern overal anymore they they’ve moved they’ve got a brand new facility but um I don’t know what happens at the rabbit o if they get beaten by by the
Bulldog which in the form that they’re taking into this match is it’s every chance it could happen every chance it could happen mate like I’m just the thing is is the Bulldogs even though they lost their first two games they showed so much fight they were outstanding last
Game yes it was against the Titans but it would be hard not for JD if they lose this much to not make a very drant change significant change not not necessarily around form but around sending a message so so there’s going to be someone that even if they play
Okay someone’s going to have to be the scapegoat to send a strong message cuz how else do you get through this yeah well well I think a lot of people seen that as Lo ilas right after round two but that that didn’t really change a whole heap given he’s a he’s a
Relatively young guy oh how many games has he played 50 Max yeah 50 60 let’s let’s just say around the 50 Mark yep like the message isn’t going to be heard unless it’s a an older senior player now I’m I’m not I’m not at all I don’t think
We’re talking about that that should happen but there needs to be some sort of change they can’t just keep doing the same thing every week and expect a different result that’s just that yeah that’s just craziness yeah thinking that so um I don’t know is
It is it a change of the lineup like there’s a lot of people I’ve seen comments around maybe moving Latrell Mitchell does he move from fullback to a different position like to play in in the left Center possibly yeah but then but then what happens to Jack
Whiton what does Jack do does he go to the back row does he play fullback other Center Spot maybe yeah does he switch sides but he’s a left side player gray has been outstanding in in New South Wales cup at at fullback not you know not to say that
He’s you know he’s in latrell’s level and I uh I think you you just said it as well it’s not necessarily about a specific player it’s just in these dire moments a strong message needs to be said like it there’s just no other way around it so hopefully they can get a
Win and maybe this is just exactly what they need I will say some of these chopping and changing has been interesting okay so uh early in the year um they move cam Murray to a bench sha Mitchell comes in and plays 13 then he’s out of the 18 and I don’t think he’s
Been back since so unless he’s injured apologies if youed then Damen cook starts um then he gets put to the and then round three gets put to the bench to start the game Hil goes in there to start and then at the moment havil is
Being named out of the sight and so I’m getting um I would just love to know what’s going on there with some of these decisions uh in regards to a player that’s in your starting side one week and has pushed out a veteran all of a
Sudden he’s not even in the the side unless he’s injured I’m not sure I’m not sure well it just it creates a bit of confusion I believe you know this in within the squad that when you’re chopping in changing and then all of a sudden like so havil be he’s promoted to
The starting side as you mentioned um may have been a late change in in the lineup um but all the same he was promoted to the starting side and then finds himself not in the team the next week I don’t know just just I just think
It adds a bit of confusion within the group it’s and it’s it’s hard then to build cohesion within the group too when there’s so many changes when the team as a whole is struggling yeah like they’re not playing their best at all um so with the chopping and changing it’s hard I
Just think that Alo sha Mitchell sorry sh he’s back in on the bench this week I think the the only way they can fix it is through effort yeah there you go like and I’ve tipped them all right I’m tipping the rabbits in this one I’m happy to give
Them another go but the only way they the only way they get themselves out out of this little hole that they’re in at the moment um you know they’re not they’re not in D Straits right right now it’s again it’s only three rounds I know they haven’t posted a win yet
But they they need to put effort in they need to put in more effort than what I’ve seen in particular over the last couple of weeks mate I am actually going to go the rabbit O broke my heart last week they broke my heart I just got a
Text you hey Kempy what has happened to Tara Maro he’s been injured for most of the year and I think he’s fight like pushing his way through uh Reserve grade to get back into the side yep I’m going to go the Bulldogs doggies I’m going doggies like
They broke my I went Rabbid o last week I thought look if they couldn’t bounce back for that I’m going they just you’ve just wiped them look I’m not haven’t wiped them but I just I know I I look I just think the way the dogs played last
Week they’re coming in with a lot of confidence they’ve been ripping and tearing for three rounds now like every single game they’ve played even though they haven’t won the first two effort has not been the concern um and I just the concern I have with the rabbito if they couldn’t get up for
That roosters game What’s going to make him get up for a doggy game but in saying that I would be glad to be wrong because I love this rabbito side so many characters when they’re on it is some of the most exciting footy to
Watch but I do think there are a lot of concerns at the club at the moment I do think that some honest extremely honest conversations need to be had because this side is way too good um to be 0 and four if they do go 0 and4 um always a good Clash Bronx
Cows uh especially when it’s played at sunor going to be a big crowd Good Friday um everyone’s got the day off so they’ll be up there nice and early as I said earlier mate really impressed with the way the cows are playing at the moment I think they
They’ve got a couple of little things they need to sort out like defense conceding some early points um against the dragons a little bit concerning last week U but they’re good enough to you know finish strongly over the top of them um so they’re going to have to be a
Little bit better you know I think you the Broncos I think we all know that they’re they’re a little bit better side than the dragons at this very point in time but they do have some key players out Walsh out of course um which will help the Cowboys cause pay har still out
He’s still a few weeks away isn’t he he’s like another what four five still I think at the about four yeah yeah so still still a few out uh big in um Adam Reynolds particularly with his kicking game um against drink water Scotty drink water one of the for players of the
Competition um if you can really if you can pin in him pin drink water into some Corners uh take away his running game that’ll go a long long way to the Broncos being in this one uh but I am man I’m leaning towards cows on this
Just given given the form they’re in at the moment if they turn up and and defend strongly and are happy to get into a bit of a grind and stay patient not think well jeez we haven’t scored points for a while um and then start throwing the ball around I think if they
Defend strong stay patient with the footy I think points will come for them and I think they might win this one and stay undefeated the Cowboys um they remind me a bit of the Broncos last year where they’d almost go all right we’ll let you score you know couple tries but we’re so
Confident in our attack that in a 20 20 minute period we’re going to put four tries in here and all of a sudden the game’s completely turned on its head their their attack is in my opinion the best in the competition right now Scotty drink water has been absolutely electric
I think the um the the way that you can try and get him out of the game especially on kick returns is exactly what you said kick into corners but also physically rough him up a little bit if you can I know in the modern game you
Can’t really do that but physically in contact he he does struggle CU he is a bit of a smaller body and also if you can negate somehow that one pass off a kick return so if you can get it deep enough into a corner and have a kick Chase strong enough that’s almost
Landing on that pass if he wants to throw it um because we know he’ll throw that pass so if you get L if you kick into the corner you get lazy he’ll just throw a massive cut out to his Winger that that drops back inside so I think
Um basically just you know furthering a point is that that that kick and that kick Chase y can change all their momentum if they want to win the Broncos yeah and that’s a good point you make there can be about the Broncos defense like that’s that’ll be huge part of them
Being in the game because we’ve seen last weekend and and we’ve seen every game that the Cowboys have played they don’t they don’t mind throwing the ball around in their own end yeah well they were they were Shifting the ball last week and I think I’ve seen them do it a
Couple of times against the Dolphins as well they were Shifting the ball inside their own 10 met zone so if they sense an opportunity or they see some space out wide particularly when they’re going out to Val homes they’ll um like he’ll Zing the ball yeah he he doesn’t need to
Be invited um drink water like if he sees it he he’ll have a crack and he’s one of those guys that just he he doesn’t die wandering on the footy field and if you make him if he makes a mistake it just it’s just erased from his mind straight away and he just
Thinks next job yeah he’ll have a crack the next time to get the ball so that that’s one part of the game where if they start to drop off a little bit so if the kicking game is not on it’s slightly off and they got some space for
Drink water to return the ball and then that next tackle that’s the vital one yeah those next you could even throw in the next two if they don’t have some good line speed and they’ve got all their players downfield in that line moving up then they could be doing some
Chasing yeah and and ironically you actually do more work by not doing the hard work early you know something that um they used to drill in at the Bronx early 2000 was do the hard work first do the hard work first and that that’s um how often do we watch games where
Wingers sorry threein centers and Wingers they go oh the ball’s not coming my side so I’m I’m not going to get any line speed I’m not going to get up and then before you know it you’re going oh my God there’s half a line break here
Yeah um and so yeah it’s key key for the Broncos if they even want to give themselves an opportunity it’s doing the hard work first and and nine times out of 10 you’ll do the hard work first and nothing will happen you know you won’t
Even need to make a tackle but it’s that 10th time if you’re not there you’ll get skin by Scotty drink water and um you know Val homes get straight into his sh dragons host the Mighty Sea Eagles moo little and Su back in for the dragons h
S makes his Club debut um yeah I mean what a what a big in for the dragons uh now onto Manley no changes made aren’t dragons an interesting team is year because I feel like you see these flashes of oh wow this could be a team
That challenges from 8 to 2 11th and then you see other periods where you’re like oh God this is going to be tough yeah I think um when you look at the dragons I think everyone that first up win right when they beat the Titans I think everyone
Was like wow I think everyone sort of sat back and thought wow you know fleno Shane Flanigan he’s made a huge impact on this group LX to the wing um Sloan you know best game that he’s played in a long long time at fullback they look
Like they’ve got a great mix you know in their footy side and they’re playing good footy but I think the following week they sort of come crashing back down to earth with that loss to the Dolphins where they didn’t score a point conceded 38 um and then also looking at the form
Of the titans the team they beat first up you’re sort of thinking well you know maybe maybe it’s not the team KMI maybe it’s not the team or the or the change that they’ve made dramatically over this this um preseason um but still they’re they’re a better side than what they’ve shown the
Last couple of weeks let’s let’s be honest um you know like it’s it’s you don’t want to be too harsh on the teams because you know that they they they’ve got better football in them than what they’ve shown um particularly um the dragons you know a lot of people say
Well no no they’re not a great footy side I still think they’re better than what they’ve dished up the last couple like they conceded 38 against the Titans started extremely well on the weekend extremely well yeah um against the Cowboys and like I was watching that
Game Thinking well here we go like this is this is what a lot more what we were seeing in in round one and then just I don’t know just that middle part of the game the grindy part of the game it seemed like it just got a
Little bit too much for them um and the Cowboys overpowered them of course um you know before a late try in the last 10 minutes where you know the game was done and dusted but um yeah I I think this week dragons V Manley Manley you
Know I’ll just go back to what I mentioned earlier I think they along with North Queensland have the most a potent attack at the moment they showed that on the weekend against parata close game for them big game for them um but their their early attack was incredible incredible yeah look the the
Thing that I really excited for mly again the question obviously the forward pack can they go 27 rounds but they still have some ins to come back in for sure yeah but when they are humming when that when like for example how good’s Brooks been for the first three rounds
So good man like and then you add that to D how long has it been since dce had a genuine six that can create space for him y it’s just it’s been a while been a very long time and at Tom trich he looks as fitt as he’s ever looked so at the
Start of last year you could see his gate was a bit changed and he didn’t he looked a bit he just didn’t look like he was fully free at the moment he looks a red hot like there’s absolutely no dramas in the world um so there’s a lot
There’s a lot to like in the Manley side they’re it’s ironically they’re a little bit similarish to the Cowboys where if they can just sort that defense out and and that that that grindy bit out I mean there’s no reason why they can’t push
For a top four at the end of the year yeah they should be I think that’s where they that their goal should be should be that yeah um you know I think with the way that they have shown us that they can play footy there’s no reason why
They shouldn’t be aiming for a top four spot I I know finals for everyone is is the goal like we just want to be part of the finals but put the put the bar a bit higher boys yeah you know like you’ve shown that you you can do it um and with
The lineup that they boast you know the you know and to be fair like when you look at some of the names you’re like well they’re not they’re not the the sort of high high-profile names in those particular positions in across the league but they’ve got some really
Really good footballers in this in this outfit and they and the main thing about them is they’re consistent um you know and the way they play their outside backs are big and fast yeah they are big and fast M and if you give them room and
You give them space they they burn you and that’s that’s what they’ve done in this this early part of the year um I think looking at the dragons man if they they really needed to tighten their defense up and work hard for each other if they don’t then
They could be this team is capable of doing exactly what the Cowboys did last week um the Titans V the Dolphins though this Saturday what about the Dolphins I mean they come out have an absolute Barry Crocker then they come out and absolutely tear the dragons up yeah what
What do we see with them this so far this year um yeah well night and day isn’t it really from from one week to the other and and I think a lot of that was would have been with the way that um you know way Bennett would have put them
Through their Paces in that in that second game uh given that they were so poor KMI they they were they were there was no other word for it they were so poor in the first round match could hardly hold on the footy were doing you know huge amounts of work defensively so
When they did get the football and the Cowboys did a great job of turning the ball over close to their line when they get did get the ball the the only energy they had was just to go one out and they were they were all bundled up like a
Swarm of bees behind the football yeah so it was never ever going to challenge the Cowboys so you know I think they got a bit of a revving on the back of a couple of personnel changes I think as well you a CA coming into the halves um
And and you know I thought he made a real difference there uh you know and they the hammer was on fire um when they played when they played last as well so look if he’s if he’s anywhere near that form or feeling in that mood again this
Weekend um it could be a trifest at seabus Super Stadium there’s no doubt about that the worrying the worrying the concerning thing for me um you know particularly for all of our listeners you know sort of down South of the Border the the two fed clubs for the
Titans are the Tweet SE goals and ipso Jets now the competition’s underway up here in the Queensland cup tweet SE goals they haven’t won a match either they’re 0 and3 and the ipswitch Jets the other fed Club they are they are one and two yeah
Wow so out of the six matches of their feeded teams that have played they’ve won one game oh my God so yeah so when when Desi’s looking for some answers and then if he’s looking for possible changes he’s bringing guys up that that that their teams aren’t particularly in
Great form either so um he’s going to need a huge shift in in attitude and mentality from this current side running out um you know this weekend against the Dolphins Warriors the Ws take up the knights take on the knights um to aor check is named at fullback very exciting
To see him back there uh ni coming off the bench for the first time in 2024 saiti comes into the starting lineup for Leo Thompson was suspended Koga and Campbell gamble retain their spots in the hares after a win over the storm how do you see this on playing out
Smithy I think Warriors is too strong mate too strong at home great to see the great man uh RTS Roger back at fullback he has been he has been so good since coming back actually hasn’t missed a beat it’s like he hasn’t like he never left the game well he stats from last
Week um I’ll just read him out quickly one try one line break five tackle breaks uh only had to make six tackles which is how good’s that uh made 22 runs for 200 M and that crazy try that he scored that got him out to 1810 yeah
Like that was a huge effort you know what I mean like crucial try so could that that that’s him playing in the centers could only imagine what he’s going to do with fullback so um yeah look I think uh too strong I think too strong for the knights Knights were
Uh like wins a win right wins a win and they got one against storm which is you know that’s a good scalp but uh very much a depleted Melbourne storm like let’s be honest uh and they Scrappy in the second half they just held on yeah I I hate talking like this
Because they got the win first win of the year but it was far from convincing and look maybe that’s just what they need they need to get the two points get some confidence back you know understand like that winning feeling again um but it was uh it was it didn’t convince me
That we we’re looking at the Knights that we saw in that 10 game Run last year and not not to say that they would expect to be at that form again this early in the season but it didn’t convince me that put it this way at the moment they aren’t playing top eight
Footy uh whereas whereas at this time sorry this time of the year after what they did last year I wouldn’t expect them to be at the top of the table but I would expect him to at least be playing top eight footy and that’s that’s where I feel like the disconnected in regards
To how they’re going n totally agree mate uh to the warriors uh how important was that win over the Raiders obviously went down to the wire but just imagine this side who I think has actually been playing some really good footy imagine if they were 0 and three right now how
Different the conversations would be yeah yeah well well they would be but you’d also have to take into account those previous too they were right in the match as well you know there was um there was opportunities for them to win for various reasons they didn’t and at
Certain times of those first two matches they were they were leading the game yeah um particularly the storm game like they should have won that up by what was it up by 83 to go they’re the games that you need to finish off particularly with
The class of players that you do have in your footy side so they’d be ruined that one but hey it’s early in the season no need to get you know bogged down by that one loss they need to keep keep looking forward um and it was a good way to kick
Off their season with their first win um last week I think they extend that to two now uh shakies V the Raiders shakies are still favorites in this one but for nuken hunt Rudolph out H Hamlin Elli still out talaki is going into the second row with Ido into the centers
Schilla and Chris coming into the backline for the Raiders and rapan is playing his 200th game for the Raiders um I actually like the Raiders in this one yeah y tell me your reasons please okay my reasons obviously all of those outs but the for me are playing top
Eight footy okay yes do they lack some star power in the spine okay I I’ll grant that but is their forward pack been playing at a top tier Premiership level I do think they have um I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from the Raiders and I just think that when you
Look at the the Sharkies and the amount of players they have out in the middle I just think that they may struggle to go with this Raiders forward pack now they may be able to make up for it with niiko Hines bouncing back from a dis pointing
Your performance last week but I think the Raiders are playing great footy I really do yeah I’ll tell you what they’re doing they’re playing tough footy and sometimes they’re the that’s the style of footy that get you these early wins so when teams are still settling
Into their season um you know working on combinations team team sort of um game plans and all that may not be settled but when you play tough fo0 and you play with effort which the Raiders have been playing with you get results and and that’s what’s happened for them like
They’re sitting they’re sitting third on the table yeah you know what I mean and that’s so that’s no fluke that’s no fluke that that comes from playing some pretty decent football whether it be through your defense through your attack through effort whatever it is you need to be doing something pretty well um
Consistently so um I’m with you I’m with you with the way that they’re playing at the moment they’re bringing some pretty good form into it uh big game for Jordan rer of course one of their um players at long serving players at the club they’ll
Be up for this one and you’re taking fuk and hunt and Rudolph out of this lineup um I’m I’m actually I like everything about the Raiders and I think you know having sticky having coached at crella I think you’ll have them very very fired up oh good Monday Clash
Always a big one um another battle of the West actually Blaze Tangi how good is he on De Bo mate I I really like this kid and he may he may fix their woes of an explosive outside back but he but he’s playing halves unbelievable well so
He’s playing six he actually played a lot of fullback at uh in New South Wales cup and and Brad Arthur has been a bit you know all is gutho the long-term guy maybe he’ll play center so it’s going to be interesting to see what they do with
This young kid um yeah difficult one this one strong lineup of course eels No Mitch Moses so that’s a big out for me um love the enthusiasm from the Tigers last week LED beautifully by appy Corel tell you what I’m going to do mate I’m
Going to go an upset on Monday I’m the West tigers tigers what w wow holy
9 Comments
Just because fans havent played NRL doesnt mean they cant comment on the state of the game. Also, fans arent the ones making the rules or handing down penalties, the NRL administration are.
Whether or not he has to make a decision quickly, May put his head in a position where it could have caused head injury to another player. The responsibility to implement a safe tackle has been on the defender for a while now. I think we all accept that injuries are a part of footy, but defenders (and defensive systems) can make choices that reduce the amount of injuries from careless or reckless play.
Imo, in a situation where head contact is accidental, its almost irrelevant whether the contact is from a shoulder or a head.
hey whats the olive oil for smithy? 2 bottles is pretty intense
Luai has won 17 from 18 games without Cleary.
Panthers have won 8 straight verse Roosters.
Cleary less Panthers flogged Roosters 30-6 last season.
Stuff to think about before writing Panthers off. This mob is about systems not just individual players.
Roosters play way better without Keary. Keary was great a few years ago but hes a step behind now. Panthers to win this one
Don’t forget to press stop recording when you go to a break this week boys
Keary way out of form
No life in him and too too many mistakes
His days are numbered
Cant remember the last time he played well
If Reece Walsh didn't recoil backwards from Taylan May's tackle, the head-clash would have never happened, because May's shoulder would have driven through Walsh's skull. It wasn't an 'accidental head-clash', it was a reckless high shot that happened to end up a head-clash cos Reece was aware enough to avoid the incoming shoulder. Stop running defence for that tackle, it was reckless and he should have been 10 in the bin at least, and put on report. For crying out loud, Val Holmes got penalised and put on report last year for a textbook shot on Mitch Moses, cos Moses' head copped a bit of whiplash.
good poddy Goat and Cam Smith
Hi guys, I thought there were a lot of changes that game, it took a little time for the boys to work the flow out. Don't forget they came back well in second half of the game!!