Speaker 1: I think if Xavier Coach doesn't score a try, Cronulla
Speaker 1: have won the game.
Speaker 2: I don't know. I've just got this sense of impending doom.
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, Bill, he's been at this level, right, He's
Speaker 3: been outstanding, right, But I don't.
Speaker 4: Know, impending doom. You heard that, Sharks fans impending doom.
Speaker 4: I mean, looks as though he's going to play. But
Speaker 4: if you look at their winning percentage when your own plays,
Speaker 4: it's about twenty three percent better when he plays, as
Speaker 4: opposed to twen.
Speaker 5: He's not the team.
Speaker 1: If they produce the forty minutes they showed against the
Speaker 1: Dogs would win the premiership.
Speaker 5: I've got a sense of impending doom as well, Mick.
Speaker 4: Because I've had a look at the status from last
Speaker 4: week and I reckon Brisbane there's an area of the
Speaker 4: penwith defensive well and they can attack and they have
Speaker 4: to attack and that's ta Langey, Casey McClain.
Speaker 1: Welcome to a very special Finals edition of The Code
Speaker 1: NRL Show with me, As Michael Carriana says always Brent Reid,
Speaker 1: all right, let's dive into it. Melbourne Cronulla, Amy Park, Melbourne.
Speaker 1: With the week off, we just know how beneficial that
Speaker 1: is having advanced.
Speaker 5: Particularly for them with Jerome obviously huge for them.
Speaker 4: Talking through Jerome, well, he had surgery the day after
Speaker 4: he played. They played the Broncos in the last round.
Speaker 4: He broke his forearm. He had surgery the day after.
Speaker 4: He had some plates and screws putting it to that arm,
Speaker 4: some extra strong ones, according to his doctor I spoke
Speaker 4: to last week, extra strong plates, strong plates, not your
Speaker 4: normal plates like the place you and I get different
Speaker 4: plates men. These are extra strong plates and screws. So look,
Speaker 4: I mean it looks as though he's going to play
Speaker 4: and they are a completely different side in your own place.
Speaker 4: Jona Peasant's been fantastic. But if you look at their
Speaker 4: WINNI percentage when Jerome plays, it's about twenty three percent
Speaker 4: better when he plays as opposed to when he's not
Speaker 4: the team. He's he's a match winner match and he's
Speaker 4: there argue their best player, so it's huge for them.
Speaker 1: It's an interesting one because if there was any shadow
Speaker 1: of doubt that Jerome wasn't one hundred percent right, you
Speaker 1: would probably pick pezzlet off on the beach as opposed
Speaker 1: to Tyrone Wishard, who's more of your utility.
Speaker 3: What do you think, Yeah, well, I think they know
Speaker 3: that wish I can do a job. He's done a
Speaker 3: job the Pezit's obviously better started special he's a better
Speaker 3: start in half back, but Wishart gives them cover for
Speaker 3: obviously multiple positions, and there's been in the side all
Speaker 3: a year. I don't think it doesn't seem like there's
Speaker 3: a risk, Like there's obviously a risk with Jerome, right,
Speaker 3: but I don't think it's a high risk. Because it
Speaker 3: was a high risk, they wouldn't be playing him. They've
Speaker 3: backed themselves. We seen the Storm do it before. They've
Speaker 3: backed themselves to win this game, make sure dreams right
Speaker 3: for the Grand Finals, so they obviously feel like you
Speaker 3: can get through eighty minutes. And I think it's going
Speaker 3: to be a cracking game. The games this Sunday, this weekend,
Speaker 3: they're so contrasting. I think it's going to be gritty,
Speaker 3: tough Friday night Sunday. I think it's going to be
Speaker 3: explosive and to end everything's going to be must watched. Right,
Speaker 3: So a contrast of styles from all four sides. But
Speaker 3: we know the Sharks fancy their chances against Melbourne. I know,
Speaker 3: really doesn't give him a chance.
Speaker 2: I do.
Speaker 3: I think Melbourne will win because I think once we
Speaker 3: get into that arm wrestle, I think they've got more
Speaker 3: explosive players get a job done. Right.
Speaker 1: So let's just pull on, Let's just focus on Melbourne
Speaker 1: for two seconds, right. I don't believe they've had their
Speaker 1: best season as far as there, as far as getting
Speaker 1: to a preliminary final of past seasons. I don't think
Speaker 1: they're playing anywhere any of their best football, to the
Speaker 1: point of which they leaked forty points in the second
Speaker 1: half against the Roosters, of which is a historic and
Speaker 1: first time ever deficit of a second half of the Storm.
Speaker 1: And that's just one example. They've also had a lot
Speaker 1: of chopping and changing in their spine. They've only played
Speaker 1: eight times this year, this spine of the Melbourne Storm,
Speaker 1: and for me, that's where Cronulla come into the fight.
Speaker 1: On the basis of just an inconsistent season, if you
Speaker 1: can even call.
Speaker 4: It that for the Storm, I reckon we take Melbourne
Speaker 4: a bit on Trust Day because I think we all
Speaker 4: think that they're going to turn it on at some point.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, they play.
Speaker 5: Agree they played patches of football this year.
Speaker 4: Twenty minute patches of football. Well, they have been untouchable, brilliant.
Speaker 4: Then they've just been bang average in other games. They've
Speaker 4: managed to win footy games playing average, right, So I
Speaker 4: think there's this expectation that come a proliminary final. Amy
Speaker 4: Park Sell that crowd they're just going to turn out
Speaker 4: and they're going to go to another level. But there's
Speaker 4: some guys on that team this year I think I
Speaker 4: haven't been at their best. Look, Ryan Papanhaus's been off
Speaker 4: the boiler bit. I reckon Sean Boores her difficult difficult
Speaker 4: times this year. You know they're missing Nelson, he's suspended again.
Speaker 1: Jack Haward comes back into the really good football.
Speaker 4: So there's just some concerns over them. Mick just said,
Speaker 4: I give Canella no chance. Look, I mean there are
Speaker 4: chances because they're going to turn up at the stage,
Speaker 4: so there are always a chance, right. I think they
Speaker 4: might win by ten.
Speaker 1: So just just on the storm, right, turn.
Speaker 5: Up, Yeah, just a chance they turn up.
Speaker 1: They's got a bit the storm. Remembering the Bulldogs game,
Speaker 1: it wasn't until the Will Warwick intercept that the game
Speaker 1: was put to bed. And if we think about the
Speaker 1: carnage that the Dogs went through in that match.
Speaker 5: The Dogs could have been there twice in the last
Speaker 5: month of the season.
Speaker 1: Right Mike, look at the Dogs decline. So if look
Speaker 1: like I don't mind having a pun on the horses,
Speaker 1: now I read the form you pun on the horses,
Speaker 1: and you read the form really badly.
Speaker 5: I don't punt because I'm such a bad punt.
Speaker 1: That's right, and your bad form got very similar in
Speaker 1: rugby league.
Speaker 4: Well, I've said that I've thrown out the Bulldogs before
Speaker 4: rather form team of the NRL. At the moment, they've
Speaker 4: were not nine at the last ten or ten at
Speaker 4: the last eleven. That a little bit of a soft
Speaker 4: draw and I got bagged a bit for saying that.
Speaker 4: But they did have a soft drawer when the season.
Speaker 1: But because they had a hard to draw through the stuff, they've.
Speaker 5: Been really good.
Speaker 4: They'd been very good the last two weeks, so they've
Speaker 4: played really physical and tough.
Speaker 1: So let's talk about the Sharks. For me, they have
Speaker 1: to go to another level. I think the completion rates
Speaker 1: have been poor against the Sydney Roosters and the Raiders
Speaker 1: are not good enough to have a similar seventy eight
Speaker 1: seventy five percent completion rate against the Storms good enough
Speaker 1: also time field position. They've been on the back foot
Speaker 1: and getting out of their own end way too much.
Speaker 1: And it's a tick of the box of their resilience yep,
Speaker 1: and their desire and the defensive line of which they're
Speaker 1: only averaging ten points a game. But you can't do
Speaker 1: it against the mass If.
Speaker 3: They concede as much to your point, David, if they
Speaker 3: con side as much territory as they did in that
Speaker 3: opening half against Melbourne like they did against Canberra.
Speaker 2: They'll elect three tries.
Speaker 5: Yep.
Speaker 2: Agree, you know they did. Resiliance was a key word.
Speaker 3: They were so strong and to somehow lead that game
Speaker 3: at halftime was ridiculous.
Speaker 2: Yeah, right, last week.
Speaker 3: So I feel like that's the key point for them
Speaker 3: that they need to ensure they're not giving the Storm
Speaker 3: even half amount of chances they gave Canberra because they
Speaker 3: won't win the game if that happens.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think if Xavier Coach doesn't score a try,
Speaker 1: Cronulla have won the game because that that is also
Speaker 1: an aerial threat that Cronulla didn't have to worry about
Speaker 1: last week with the Raiders, and they did a really
Speaker 1: good job on mark down last week the way before
Speaker 1: was back to his handy. Yeah they're handy, but Xavier
Speaker 1: coats in the air is a try game almost.
Speaker 2: She's a free he is a freak.
Speaker 3: But yeah, I don't I've loved Cronol was back to
Speaker 3: for ages, so you know, I caught him for a
Speaker 3: long time the best back to in the competition.
Speaker 5: But so you've a bit of a love affair with katar.
Speaker 3: And I just think they're under road. Particularly has been underrated.
Speaker 3: They missed him when he was injured for an extended period, right,
Speaker 3: you know. But yeah, it's all going to come down
Speaker 3: to what they've said. That that that that on the
Speaker 3: middle of the field, and if they're kicking games on
Speaker 3: and they can, you know, have a bit more territorial
Speaker 3: advantage than they did against Camberra. If it's even close
Speaker 3: to the amount of weight to possession that Canberra had
Speaker 3: in the first half, they won't win.
Speaker 1: No. No. The other factor for Kronella is their bench. Fellas,
Speaker 1: at what point is this one of the best benches
Speaker 1: in the camp as far as the CIPHERTALKAI comes on
Speaker 1: and it just changes the momentum of the game. Braden
Speaker 1: Hamlenuelli has been a long term front rower and obviously Brittain. Now,
Speaker 1: that decision by Craig Fitzgibbon to start Billy Burns ahead
Speaker 1: of a test back is one of the most incredible
Speaker 1: coaching calls of the year.
Speaker 3: The only thing I'm concerned of is that, yeah, it's
Speaker 3: been great, but when is it not going to be good.
Speaker 3: I'd be playing Britain. I'd be starting Britain. I think
Speaker 3: Britain's a class player, key international. Billy's done an outstanding job, right,
Speaker 3: and you know has transitioned into the middle when Britain's
Speaker 3: come on, because obviously last week they lost Tom Hazelton
Speaker 3: and Adam fan Lder Blake had to punch out big
Speaker 3: minutes to open it.
Speaker 2: But I don't know. I've just got this sense of
Speaker 2: impending doom.
Speaker 3: Yeah, ye, Billy has been at this level, right, he's
Speaker 3: been outstanding, right, But I don't.
Speaker 4: Know impending doom. You heard that Sharks fans impending doom.
Speaker 4: He reckons, I wrote you off, he's got pending doom.
Speaker 2: Just you reckon. They're only a chance if they show up.
Speaker 2: Get off. I'm giving a red hot chance. But I
Speaker 2: would start Britain. That's what pending doom would be.
Speaker 5: I think that for me. For me, it's the halves.
Speaker 5: This comes down with the halves.
Speaker 4: If Nico and Brandon Trindle play like they have been
Speaker 4: last couple, if they're allowed to play that they have
Speaker 4: been the last couple of weeks, Caronulla can win the game.
Speaker 5: I just don't think they'll get that opportunity.
Speaker 1: For me, it's the hookers. I think it's Blake Brayley
Speaker 1: versus Harry Green.
Speaker 2: It's a matchup that is a matchup.
Speaker 1: How will the Sharks view their season? Boys, if this
Speaker 1: is the end of the road, they are beaten in
Speaker 1: this prelim, how do you think they will put a
Speaker 1: spin on this season?
Speaker 3: They made a prelim last year. I think they're a
Speaker 3: better side than last year, so I think they've made improvements.
Speaker 3: I think they look better for the Sharks, they'll probably
Speaker 3: call it a par season the prelim. I think it's
Speaker 3: a decent year if they make the problem because I
Speaker 3: don't think many people would have given them the chance
Speaker 3: of finishing in the top four.
Speaker 1: They had some work to do because they did have
Speaker 1: a dip mid season, and they had some work to
Speaker 1: do to try and win through that soft draw that
Speaker 1: you call and win those games. They had to get
Speaker 1: those jobs done, but they got there and I think
Speaker 1: they got rid of a bit of a gorilla off
Speaker 1: their back as well through the semis.
Speaker 5: I'm sort of with you guys. I think it's a
Speaker 5: past Mark rob but.
Speaker 4: Our a better team than last year, be a better
Speaker 4: team next year, I'd imagine, and I think they'll be happy,
Speaker 4: but not over.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Look, talking to Adam fanil Blake about this fellas,
Speaker 1: he says a Grand Finals past Mark, that's probably that's
Speaker 1: where they said it. The bar So Prelium probably just
Speaker 1: under that.
Speaker 5: That's fair.
Speaker 1: Melbourne Storm they bow out, how do you view their season.
Speaker 5: Disappointment, big disappointment.
Speaker 4: I'd imagine they went into this year think and they could,
Speaker 4: they could win a competition, the Grand Final, and I
Speaker 4: think they'll be bitterly disappointed they bow out. I think
Speaker 4: it's a failure for them.
Speaker 3: I think it's because of the way they haven't reached
Speaker 3: great heights this year. I know they finished second and
Speaker 3: they know that the Stranger's second place side that we've
Speaker 3: seen they haven't been great, but they finished second, right, Yeah,
Speaker 3: if they get I think it's definitely a wasted season
Speaker 3: from the Melbourne Storm off the back of last year's
Speaker 3: Grand Final.
Speaker 1: Do you think we see some changes in that roster
Speaker 1: should they bow out big time?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 4: I think they've got to make changes. I think they've
Speaker 4: got a lot of cap pressure. Ryan Papa and Nelson
Speaker 4: Nelson Solomon have spoken to our three sixty the rugby
Speaker 4: comp I think you didn't see some pretty I wouldn't
Speaker 4: say major. I wouldn't say major overhaul, but you're going
Speaker 4: to see some tinkering definitely with that squad next year,
Speaker 4: regardless of what happens to I think change is coming
Speaker 4: down there.
Speaker 1: Ye let me get your tip. Who wins the game?
Speaker 5: I think the Storm win.
Speaker 2: Storm and a tight.
Speaker 1: One, Sharks and a tight one.
Speaker 2: Boys.
Speaker 1: You know where I would love to be on Sunday afternoon, well,
Speaker 1: very similar to northeast the Caxton, Oh maybe an hour
Speaker 1: and a half before kickoff, that would be.
Speaker 2: I would love to walk past the Caxton to.
Speaker 5: Go in Asconda before Skull Mother's milk, what's going on.
Speaker 1: Probably wouldn't have one of them. But where I'm going
Speaker 1: is the atmosphere at least is why I'm obsessed with
Speaker 1: daytime football just creates a It's gonna be like twenty
Speaker 1: seven eight degrees fast track at Son called full house.
Speaker 2: And the best two teams to play in daylight.
Speaker 1: Stop it.
Speaker 3: The Panthers opening forty minutes. I'll tell you what I'm
Speaker 3: obsessed with with Penrith. They're catching pass that skill level like,
Speaker 3: it's unbelievable that their shift they catch pass, catch pass,
Speaker 3: catch pass from winger from the middles. I've never seen.
Speaker 3: I've never seen anything like it. They hardly thought a
Speaker 3: bad pass, right like, the only reason they stripped Canterbury
Speaker 3: so often was their speed of catch pass and the
Speaker 3: accuracy right Like, it's fullty fundamentals that you just don't see.
Speaker 2: Oh, I was obsessed with it on the weekend.
Speaker 1: And your man Dylan's come to life. It's been okay, okay,
Speaker 1: much been better.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been good. It's been better. Yeah. Better.
Speaker 1: Have you guys got any seed in you that suggests
Speaker 1: the Panthers only beat up and declining dogs. They got
Speaker 1: some calls against the Warriors.
Speaker 3: Now, not that forty minutes that I saw. That forty
Speaker 3: minutes will beat anyone. If they can replicate that forty minutes,
Speaker 3: they'll win the comp. I don't think any like the
Speaker 3: only side that can match them in terms of being
Speaker 3: able to turn.
Speaker 2: A game that quickly is Brisbane.
Speaker 3: I don't think Brisbane have a forty complete forty minutes
Speaker 3: that we saw from Penrith on some So.
Speaker 1: Just repeat that for me. If they repeat, if they
Speaker 1: produced the forty minutes they showed against the Dogs in
Speaker 1: the Premiership in.
Speaker 2: The comp, they will win the comp.
Speaker 3: And I don'n't hesitate by saying that that was a
Speaker 3: near perfect forty minutes. Their execution right was perfect.
Speaker 2: It was perfect.
Speaker 3: I do think the only side that can go with
Speaker 3: as I said, the only side that I feel like
Speaker 3: has the players that can equally blow them off the
Speaker 3: park as well if they start slows the Broncos.
Speaker 4: I've got a sense of impending doom as well, Mick,
Speaker 4: because I've had a look at the slapouts from last
Speaker 4: week and I reckon Brisbane there's an area of the
Speaker 4: penwith defensive well and they can attack and they have
Speaker 4: to attack, and that's t Langey Casey McClain.
Speaker 5: They missed sixteen tackles last week.
Speaker 4: The Dogs destrayed him in the second half down the
Speaker 4: right hand side of the field and Brisbane that's where
Speaker 4: Tony Staggers gets passed Stas who was I think he's
Speaker 4: had an amazing season Stags.
Speaker 5: I think that's the key key for Brisbane. They've got
Speaker 5: to get at those guys.
Speaker 2: I wonder if there's any flirtation from the Panthers to
Speaker 2: start Luke Garno. We've seen him do it before.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm sure they'd be considering.
Speaker 5: In the background center.
Speaker 2: Yeah, case of McClain, we've seen him do it before.
Speaker 3: A case of if you're blowing up, you're the one,
Speaker 3: you're the one pointing out the deficiency.
Speaker 4: I am, but make Casey McLain has been pretty good
Speaker 4: this year. I'm just saying that's there.
Speaker 5: They can exploit.
Speaker 2: You just smashed him.
Speaker 5: I did, they can explore.
Speaker 2: I wasn't. I was just tossing up a solution.
Speaker 1: You're you're a cage to places trust in your players
Speaker 1: to get the joll done. You don't make a change
Speaker 1: to rectify a problem.
Speaker 4: Well know, if the guy has done a pretty good
Speaker 4: job all year for you and the guy he's had,
Speaker 4: they had an off day last week, right and I'm
Speaker 4: sure Brisbane have recognized that. And Phil Goodman mentioned it
Speaker 4: on Monday Night that that was an nearer they could
Speaker 4: get at.
Speaker 1: So you don't feel like it's foggerty to Moco areas.
Speaker 5: It's not as I don't.
Speaker 4: Think it's a systemic, long standing issue, but I think
Speaker 4: it's an area they can exploit that The Bullocks showed
Speaker 4: last week that you can get at those two and
Speaker 4: create some indecision. And they've got Katani Stags, who's one
Speaker 4: of their best attacking weapons, right, so it just makes sense.
Speaker 4: I think they can get some joy there.
Speaker 2: Well, I'm trying to. It's find ways to not get
Speaker 2: that joy.
Speaker 5: And then a recent boy on the other side go
Speaker 5: and left booming.
Speaker 2: Thing the thing, doom.
Speaker 1: Doomsday. The major factor for me for Penrith is they're
Speaker 1: going to come up against a Broncos team that has
Speaker 1: a better kicking game than what they've seen against the
Speaker 1: Dogs and the Warriors, and that's Adam Reynolds. The return
Speaker 1: of Adam Reynolds. Adam Reynolds, there was.
Speaker 4: A debate whether you should come on the team or not. Yeah, right,
Speaker 4: can you I find that unfathomable people would talk about
Speaker 4: keeping bringing Adam Reynolds back in the team. Who were
Speaker 4: talking that was being discussed. People had thrown it up
Speaker 4: and said it was out there.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but the thing, You're right, i'd heard it, but
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 2: I'm with you.
Speaker 1: So in Reynolds they have He's not Nathan Cleary, but
Speaker 1: he's the closest kicking game.
Speaker 3: Of Nathan Cleary tempo control wise. Yeah, I can't honestly
Speaker 3: like Friday. I'm looking forward to the slug fest Sunday.
Speaker 3: I'm looking forward to the exuberance.
Speaker 5: You've got me on on Sunday.
Speaker 2: You got Penrith. Yeah, but cool.
Speaker 1: I'm struggling on the tip here, but I will go Penrith.
Speaker 1: I do have concerns over.
Speaker 5: The form on who they played with you.
Speaker 4: They were brilliant forty last week, that is true.
Speaker 1: And they made so so experienced and you underrate that
Speaker 1: they can. It doesn't matter who they're playing, they find
Speaker 1: a way.
Speaker 2: Just turn it on like that forty minutes.
Speaker 5: Yeah. I think Brisbane are going to be motivated by vengeance.
Speaker 5: That's a huge.
Speaker 3: I think this has been totally understated, the fact that
Speaker 3: there's no Pat Carrigan. Yeah, the does a lot of
Speaker 3: clean up work in the middle of the field. That
Speaker 3: link man in the middle of the field. I think
Speaker 3: he's a huge, a huge.
Speaker 4: I think there's Tyson Smoothie smooth lock, which is intriguing,
Speaker 4: but it's a it's a big absence Mick.
Speaker 1: The Broncos to the world.
Speaker 4: Losing Billy Walters too Billy Walter is in the latter
Speaker 4: stage of the season was unbelievable for them.
Speaker 1: The Broncos don't win this game and that's the end
Speaker 1: of their season. How do you view their year?
Speaker 4: I think it's been a success Top four prelim final.
Speaker 4: I think it's been a big tick for Michael maguire,
Speaker 4: tick the Army camps, tick the spear buckets.
Speaker 5: It's all good.
Speaker 4: We move on to next year and they'll be among
Speaker 4: the favorites to win a comp next year if they
Speaker 4: don't win it this year.
Speaker 2: I agree.
Speaker 3: I think I don't think you know, Penwrith will view
Speaker 3: it as a disappointment as they get bounced out, but
Speaker 3: and Melbourne probably would two off the back of last
Speaker 3: year's Grand Final. But you make a prelim there's no
Speaker 3: disappointing years for any of those size that are left.
Speaker 3: Penrith get beat, they get rolled out. How do they
Speaker 3: view their season? And was the decision to rest the
Speaker 3: players a tick of the box or did it back
Speaker 3: for on them?
Speaker 1: The fact that they've been about, they've been rolled, and
Speaker 1: they didn't make the top four.
Speaker 3: When they reflect on their year, they'll think they had
Speaker 3: to put too much energy in the middle of the year.
Speaker 3: That's where they reflect because they were chasing their tail
Speaker 3: right resting of the players, I think that's irrelevant, right.
Speaker 3: I think it's the fact that they had to do
Speaker 3: so much hard work in the middle of the year
Speaker 3: to grind their way back is probably where they look
Speaker 3: back and going, oh, that's probably where we sort of
Speaker 3: let an opportunity to sleep. If they don't win the comp,
Speaker 3: they'll think it's an opportunity gone.
Speaker 5: Yeah for them, because they do, they win through it.
Speaker 1: It's going to be a crack out old tip, Penrith,
Speaker 1: you're going with broncos Man.
Speaker 2: Penrith,