Speaker 1: Welcome back to another week of the podcast. We're about
Speaker 1: to be joined by Matthew live from Washington, DC, going
Speaker 1: to tell us all about the UFC. Some of his
Speaker 1: funny interactions over there are also going to get some
Speaker 1: We're going to preview State of Origin Game two at
Speaker 1: the MCG. What a game. It's going to be Queensland,
Speaker 1: New South Wales Queensland. We saw how Demona they were
Speaker 1: in game one for sixty minutes, but news Wals ended
Speaker 1: up getting the win after the Calum Pong has sand
Speaker 1: off so and some shocking team selection that has got
Speaker 1: a lot of backlash that we're going to talk about
Speaker 1: ask Matthew's opinion for but stay tuned this week. Also
Speaker 1: when this comes out and with our review on Wednesday postmatch,
Speaker 1: there's a new batch of mate versus mate hats up
Speaker 1: Queensland and New South Wales. Vena wants to head to
Speaker 1: the Instagram the link trees in the bio, go and
Speaker 1: get yourself one in time for game three whatever state
Speaker 1: that you follow. But nonetheless let's get into Matthew who's
Speaker 1: joining us right now, and we're joined by the Fella
Speaker 1: right now, the one and only Maddie John's live from
Speaker 1: Washington made. How how are things over there?
Speaker 2: Buddy? They're good, They're good. We are. Yeah, we've got
Speaker 2: press conference coming up a little later. Got to go
Speaker 2: in there and with all the fighters and whatnot. So
Speaker 2: but yeah, things things are going really good. Plenty going on.
Speaker 1: How do you get along with the fight? Do the
Speaker 1: fighters and like the UFC people, do they do they
Speaker 1: accept you?
Speaker 2: Accept me? Which way?
Speaker 1: Like I said, do they Obviously you go into a
Speaker 1: rugby league press conference, you're very well respected, but you're
Speaker 1: going into a place where they don't know rugby league.
Speaker 1: How do they How do they take to you?
Speaker 3: Uh?
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think it gives you an insight into what
Speaker 2: it would be being just journalists, you know, like a
Speaker 2: neutral you're going there and make you just basically go
Speaker 2: in there coop and just got a job to do,
Speaker 2: you know. And so yeah, like you know, I must
Speaker 2: say the fighters are really really good. I mean there's
Speaker 2: a lot to learn about the Like with the UFC,
Speaker 2: I know that what we got at the moment with
Speaker 2: the NRL, we've got that new rights still going on,
Speaker 2: you know, talk about four bon dollar deal and people
Speaker 2: need you know, like the broadcasters need needs stuff for
Speaker 2: that four billion dollars and the UFC is the best example.
Speaker 2: And you know, I know we're going to talk a
Speaker 2: second about Volcan you know being going around Washington with
Speaker 2: Alex Volkanowski. Mate, he gets mobbed everywhere he goes. And
Speaker 2: I'm talking about I'm not talking about middle aged man
Speaker 2: and bloke and jungblos your age. I'm talking about school kids.
Speaker 2: Everyone just mobs him. It is UFC has gone from
Speaker 2: being an outliers sport, you know, five ten years ago,
Speaker 2: to a mainstream sport, and it's getting bigger and bigger
Speaker 2: and bigger. And I remember like there was like a
Speaker 2: nine year old girl rushed up and was like so excited,
Speaker 2: and I said, I said, like, how do you know
Speaker 2: had in know Alex? And she goes, Oh, my dad
Speaker 2: loves the UFC and me and my brothers sit and
Speaker 2: watch it as well. And that is the tale of
Speaker 2: the tape. I mean, this is the next generation coming
Speaker 2: through which view that don't look at the UFCS, as
Speaker 2: I said before, a sort of niche sport. It's you know,
Speaker 2: they viewed as a main street, mainstream sport. It is
Speaker 2: just so big over here, and Volt's a big deal
Speaker 2: in Australia. Right, he's a big star in Australia. Over
Speaker 2: here he's much much bigger.
Speaker 3: Hey, Matthews, anything particularly surprised you about Washington? One about Washington,
Speaker 3: but also around the UFC you stamping their mark for
Speaker 3: the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Nation.
Speaker 2: Washington. Firstly, I've had no want or desire ever to
Speaker 2: come to Washington. But coming here, it's a really good city.
Speaker 2: It's a really contained city, a very easy city to
Speaker 2: get around. It's really good, I must say. At the
Speaker 2: moment is so hot, like today it was nearly forty
Speaker 2: degrees so that's going to be a factor coming it
Speaker 2: come Yeah, yeah, it was. It's been incredibly hot today
Speaker 2: and so that's going to be a big factor on
Speaker 2: fight day, you know, or fight night. I mean what
Speaker 2: it is at this time of the year, Like when
Speaker 2: you boys were young fellows in England, that doesn't get
Speaker 2: dark till eleven o'clock at night in England in the
Speaker 2: middle of summer. Over here, it's similar, but at the
Speaker 2: moment it doesn't get dark till like nine pm. And
Speaker 2: so fight night, you know, for a lot of the fighters,
Speaker 2: you know, it's going to be up around thirty degrees,
Speaker 2: so that's going to be a big factor. But the city, Jack,
Speaker 2: it's a really really good city, a lot of really
Speaker 2: good people. Yeah, I've really enjoyed it. It's been great.
Speaker 1: What's runners through the tour because we've seen a lot
Speaker 1: of stuff on socials, the White House. We saw the
Speaker 1: visual of the stadium at the front with the big
Speaker 1: claw sort of shelter over the top of the ring.
Speaker 1: But did you get a tour of the White House itself?
Speaker 1: Was it sick?
Speaker 2: Just outside the White House? Couldn't go into the Oval
Speaker 2: office and that. But we're all around the grounds of
Speaker 2: the White House, strolling around the White House, and you know,
Speaker 2: of course the venue I mean basically on the main
Speaker 2: on the main law and of the White House now
Speaker 2: has been termed into the USC Stadium, and so it's man,
Speaker 2: it's it's crazy. It's it's so impressive. But it was
Speaker 2: interesting on the media day that we went there, you know,
Speaker 2: roll and honestly it was bizarre. It was like the
Speaker 2: world's media were there and there were people that I
Speaker 2: was looking at, like some of the world's best writers,
Speaker 2: a fellow called John Ronson, who would mean nothing to
Speaker 2: a lot of people, but right. John Rosson is one
Speaker 2: of the world's best authors. He wrote a couple of books,
Speaker 2: like one of which men who's stare at goa to
Speaker 2: George Clintety tend to emerge. Yes, and so all these
Speaker 2: people are there, and what you're gonna understand is the
Speaker 2: world's media are there for for for the fight, yes,
Speaker 2: but for different reasons. Probably half the people there purely
Speaker 2: for the fight and the excitement and really positive, and
Speaker 2: the other half were there, or probably another quarter was
Speaker 2: there under just trying to basically work out is this
Speaker 2: the right? Is this right to have this usc event
Speaker 2: on the lawn of the White House and this iconic location,
Speaker 2: And then the other quarter are there, probably to engage,
Speaker 2: probably to poop Pio to a certain extent. I mean
Speaker 2: New York Times sobers. I got cornered by a New
Speaker 2: York Times journalist, you know, and he just said to me,
Speaker 2: he heard my accent, said to You're Australian. I said, yeah,
Speaker 2: he guys, can I ask some questions? Yeah? Yeah, And
Speaker 2: he said basically he got to He asked me a
Speaker 2: couple of Dorothy Dixon's and then he got to the
Speaker 2: question he wanted, and he said, I just think it's
Speaker 2: really trying to think of a word. He said, I
Speaker 2: think it's quite tacky, and I think it's quite grotesque
Speaker 2: to have this event on the lawn of the White House,
Speaker 2: like you know, you think about, you know, the place
Speaker 2: of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and what not. Said what
Speaker 2: do you think about that? My reply to him was
Speaker 2: simply this. I said, Hey, brother, it ain't my fucking
Speaker 2: country and ain't my fucking president. I'm just here for
Speaker 2: the fight and a good time, and that's that's what
Speaker 2: I'm there for. And I never thought he would quote
Speaker 2: me word by word, but today in the New York
Speaker 2: Times that I did.
Speaker 1: I did see that. Yeah, I did say that, and
Speaker 1: I love that. It said a reporter from Australia like,
Speaker 1: you're an accredited reporter, which are obviously not. But because
Speaker 1: you've done you've had interviews with Dana White before so
Speaker 1: and we actually Jack sent a message to the k
Speaker 1: Ruse brothers, who are big on social media. They're overdoing
Speaker 1: some stuff with Ko as well. I actually used to
Speaker 1: play with Nick in SG ball and Manly and his dad, Richie,
Speaker 1: cause was the coach. We talk about Richie quite a lot. Yeah,
Speaker 1: but they said, They said, a lot of people come
Speaker 1: over here and they're a little intimidated by it and whatnot.
Speaker 1: You know, they won't ask two edgy questions. But I
Speaker 1: think everyone saw the question you asked Dana White. They said,
Speaker 1: it's good your old man just sort of got over there,
Speaker 1: and because you know, he's a bit older, and he
Speaker 1: didn't really he doesn't really care what anyone thinks. He
Speaker 1: just went in hot. And you know, you asked a
Speaker 1: little running with Dana White, saying that you know, you've
Speaker 1: come a long way and don't fuck it up. Was
Speaker 1: there any backlash from that or not?
Speaker 2: Now? Well, I got there and he was standing there,
Speaker 2: and you're right, everyone's really nervous, because everyone's really nervous
Speaker 2: standing there because I mean, he's there for the reason,
Speaker 2: and you know, and press conferences, you're on show. You know,
Speaker 2: it's very easy for a person to put you on show.
Speaker 2: But as I said before, at this sort of age,
Speaker 2: I being embarrassed doesn't worry me any way, shape or formant.
Speaker 2: I just said to him, wearing a chat about something
Speaker 2: and I was talking to some judge, Justin Gachee, and
Speaker 2: Justin Gachie was talking about where he's from and Gechie
Speaker 2: who's on the main card fighting Ilia. He was like,
Speaker 2: he's a legitimately sort of a really tough kid Midwest
Speaker 2: America from a long run of coal miners. I really
Speaker 2: liked him. And he said, yeah, this is us doing
Speaker 2: of the Ward White House. It sort of divides people,
Speaker 2: you know, and it's hard. But at the end of
Speaker 2: the day, if you know, if people aren't for this,
Speaker 2: then and he paused and then went, well, they're they're
Speaker 2: they're fucking losers. That's what he said. And then I
Speaker 2: quoted that to Dana White, and Dana White, that's a
Speaker 2: bit harsh. And then he said a few things and
Speaker 2: I just said, well, listen, mate, I'll come along way
Speaker 2: for this. Don't fuck it up.
Speaker 3: And yeah, that's gonna that's gotta be the coverage over.
Speaker 2: He was good, he was he was sweet. And then
Speaker 2: after the press conference, I'm standing to the side and
Speaker 2: it finished and he saw me come over and he
Speaker 2: laughed and said, you cheeky motherfucker.
Speaker 1: Did the I do Like in the UFC, particularly, they're athletes,
Speaker 1: like they say a lot of like sometimes they go
Speaker 1: too far with what they say, but they're current like
Speaker 1: they because I suppose it's not a team sport, and
Speaker 1: you're all individual you can basically there's no guidelines, like
Speaker 1: you're not really being adjoined by a team that have
Speaker 1: sponsors and stuff. You're you're the brand itself. So they
Speaker 1: say just whatever they want.
Speaker 2: It's all mate, it's the fighters so impressive. Like so
Speaker 2: the main value that justinch against Ilia, who's the Ilia
Speaker 2: was born is Georgian parents, Georgian heritage, but lives in
Speaker 2: Spain now and you know, talking to people here, they
Speaker 2: reckon he'll be the goat. He'll end up to being
Speaker 2: the greatest of all time. He beat Vulk. Talking to
Speaker 2: Vulk about him, he said, he's an incredible fighter, just
Speaker 2: a real technician. And when you see the two fighters,
Speaker 2: go Chie's a guy like I said before, He's just
Speaker 2: a legitimately tough guy. Right. The other bloke though, Ilia
Speaker 2: just looks like a natural born Hollywood killer and mate,
Speaker 2: real good looking dude, real smartly dressed, but make class acts,
Speaker 2: speaks so well. But maybe he's just super confident.
Speaker 1: I do. I do love the fact that another video
Speaker 1: that's going viral that you've done for little content over
Speaker 1: there was the Japanese reporter who comes up to you
Speaker 1: thinking that you're a fighter because you are in the
Speaker 1: shape of your life and you're short, so a lot
Speaker 1: of those your sea fighters are short. And but I
Speaker 1: love that he he thought you were And you've come
Speaker 1: up with the character of Steve McGregor Condor McGregor's brother
Speaker 1: who apparently doesn't even have an Irish accent, which I
Speaker 1: thought was weird.
Speaker 2: But you think about just how long will you think
Speaker 2: about this? Imagine that he came to me and said that,
Speaker 2: you know, he was brothers with the Korean guy, even
Speaker 2: though it was Japanese. I don't know the language. Would
Speaker 2: I know who could give us if someone was talking
Speaker 2: Korean or that is.
Speaker 1: Very Yeah, it's a good point. It's a good flag
Speaker 1: it from you. I just the video is hilarius itself.
Speaker 1: Is there any ambition because you used to be big
Speaker 1: on your characters back in the day, but you haven't
Speaker 1: done a character in a long time. A lot of
Speaker 1: people are calling for Steve McGregor to be a regular
Speaker 1: sort of character in the show.
Speaker 2: I don't know. I haven't really given any thought. It
Speaker 2: was funny the Japanese guy come up and just grabbed me, going,
Speaker 2: oh strong man, you fired out and I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Speaker 2: you know, and then just went with it and then
Speaker 2: buggerb he quickly your piece here and it was asking
Speaker 2: me to talk live on air and in Japan from
Speaker 2: Fuji TV talking about stereotype stereotype to television Fuji TV
Speaker 2: in Japan, and I was like, I don't know what
Speaker 2: to say it. I was going, yeah, you know everyone
Speaker 2: in Japan, you know you have seen two fifty Freedom
Speaker 2: to fifty. Yes, Steve McGregor, you don't get me higher. Mate.
Speaker 2: He was just so happy, and for the rest of
Speaker 2: the prescott, like the rest of the tour we did,
Speaker 2: he was just following me around and give me his card.
Speaker 3: So mate, it was imagine that it's making Steve McGregor
Speaker 3: like novelty like action figures. Over there.
Speaker 2: The New York Times writer he saw the exchange and
Speaker 2: that's why he came over to me and he said
Speaker 2: to me, hey, can what's your name? And the Japanese
Speaker 2: guy was nearby, and I actually started the interview with
Speaker 2: the New York Times Journal with Steve McGregor, and that's
Speaker 2: the Japanese guys moved away. I had to say that, hey, mate,
Speaker 2: I'm really sorry. My name is Steve McGregor is that
Speaker 2: And he was like dumbfounded, going like why would you
Speaker 2: why this is?
Speaker 1: I can't imagine like obviously that because that video is
Speaker 1: going pretty viral online. Imaginef it gets back to like
Speaker 1: the Japanese station, he gets fired, ends up homeless.
Speaker 3: And honors a very powerful thing over there.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and he's one goal is to come back here
Speaker 1: and kill Steve McGregor.
Speaker 2: I don't need to perform Harry Curry, but he.
Speaker 1: Just he ends up killing Paul McGregor instead.
Speaker 2: I must say, the the setup is, the setup is unbelievable.
Speaker 2: It's just incredible. You know, you're on the White House
Speaker 2: steps and then straight in front of you just short
Speaker 2: walk down like literally, you know, in fifty meters on
Speaker 2: the front there you've got the UFC Stadium that's been built,
Speaker 2: and then they've got the outside area, like the fans area,
Speaker 2: which they reckon is going to be about eighty thousand
Speaker 2: people there. It's just it's just massive. But it's like
Speaker 2: I said before, like there's been so much going on.
Speaker 2: We've got the NBA Finals, like we're in the we're
Speaker 2: in a bar watching the you know that that amazing
Speaker 2: comeback from the New York Knicks. Yeah, and then coming
Speaker 2: back and win an NBA game. Also, mate, you've got
Speaker 2: too many Mexico. The other day, me and Volk we
Speaker 2: went to Many Mexico and watched Mexico versus South Africa
Speaker 2: and the opening of the foot of World Cup. So
Speaker 2: there's just so much going on here at the moment.
Speaker 1: It's pretty crazy time to be over there. Fifth World Cup, obviously,
Speaker 1: NBA Finals and now this big Like it's a talk
Speaker 1: about a good time to go watch the UFC obviously
Speaker 1: on the lighthouse, but like it's just a pumping time
Speaker 1: in America.
Speaker 2: It is a pumping time, and we went you'll see
Speaker 2: it when our thing comes out of being vaulked doing
Speaker 2: our tour. There's also a place called Ben's Chili Bowl.
Speaker 2: It's an iconic thing in right Washington, d C. It's
Speaker 2: a place that's been around. But the original owner she's
Speaker 2: still there. She had she over her when she was
Speaker 2: twenty four. She's now ninety two. Her and her son
Speaker 2: still running. And like everyone's been there that it is
Speaker 2: a place that is synonymous. It's an icon of Washington,
Speaker 2: d C. It's on Anthony Bourdain and made the nicest
Speaker 2: people but they've had on the wall. There's pictures of
Speaker 2: Barack Obama, Denzel Washington, Martin Luther King used to go
Speaker 2: there and eat all the time. Yeah, we met mate.
Speaker 2: And when I was in there, like, I mean, you
Speaker 2: guys wouldn't know this felt, but this guy walked in
Speaker 2: into the the you know the area there the diner
Speaker 2: and looking at him and go, I know this play
Speaker 2: from somewhere. I went up and said, you're a professional
Speaker 2: athlete and he said, yeah, my name. I used to
Speaker 2: play NFL at ball for Detroit Lions and New England Patriots,
Speaker 2: all these different clubs. It's Phil called Otis Smith. Otis Smith, Yeah,
Speaker 2: NFL cornerback. So you're running into people at this over
Speaker 2: here at the moment. There are people from just everywhere
Speaker 2: that have come over for this event and it's it's
Speaker 2: been fantastic.
Speaker 3: Hey, Matthew, Matthew, can I ask you quickly because you
Speaker 3: what a couple of days out now from the actual event,
Speaker 3: the fight, and obviously it's going to be a massive
Speaker 3: crowd there that it might have eighty thousand fans and
Speaker 3: you've got four thousand what executives and VIPs around the ring.
Speaker 3: What are you doing to sort of prepare yourself because
Speaker 3: I imagine it's going to be like a massive day
Speaker 3: for work wise, but also just a massive event.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Jack, it's funny. There's I think we're going to
Speaker 2: On the day, we've made a decision that we're going
Speaker 2: to we'll go into that main area, you know, to
Speaker 2: watch the fight, like the four thousand where you sit there.
Speaker 2: One of the things is to sit in that area,
Speaker 2: you must blog, like that's the thing. You must be blogging.
Speaker 2: You just can't sit there spectator. So I've had he
Speaker 2: under Benny Hogarth. I'm gonna they're just going to give
Speaker 2: me a computer and I'm going to act like av
Speaker 2: a vogging, So just sitting there send anything back. As
Speaker 2: you know, I don't even know how to open a computer.
Speaker 2: They're going to do that. Then we're going to get
Speaker 2: into the main zone with the eighty thousand people watching it.
Speaker 2: But the other one too. The other day we went
Speaker 2: there's a young blow watch. He's a young Brazilian guy,
Speaker 2: Mauricio Rufie. He's now what he is. He's a young
Speaker 2: Brazilian that is the Vault trains so made his volt reckons.
Speaker 2: He'll he could end up one of the best of
Speaker 2: all time. He reached out the vault from Brazil and
Speaker 2: when I just love you he went down. He was
Speaker 2: living he was living in down around Wollongong in window
Speaker 2: with vult training down there, and he's he's on the
Speaker 2: card as well, so just keep an eye on him.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we will now look very exciting obviously, But here
Speaker 1: in Australia, State of origor just aroound the corner as well.
Speaker 1: I don't know how well versed you are across a
Speaker 1: lot of the Origin news, so as you've been quite
Speaker 1: busy over there. But the New South Wales sides come out,
Speaker 1: it's relatively unchanged. Relatively. The big sort of news out
Speaker 1: of New South Wales is Stephen Crichton shoulder injury, so
Speaker 1: Casey McLane is in the center's Toller Cola stays on
Speaker 1: the wing. But the bigger mission is Hamalwatu has dropped
Speaker 1: the twentieth man and a friend of ours, Dylan Lucas
Speaker 1: has coming to the starting lineup. Lots of people had
Speaker 1: different stuff to say. I think both back rollers deserve
Speaker 1: a spot in that team, both of them playing out
Speaker 1: of their skin. But your initial reaction to the Hamale
Speaker 1: dropping and Dylan coming into that side.
Speaker 2: Look, I was surprised about Hamalo being dropped. What I
Speaker 2: thought would happen. I thought Hamalo of course would keepy
Speaker 2: spot and I thought Dylan. I thought Dylan should have
Speaker 2: been there for game one. He should have been part
Speaker 2: of that squad. I thought he'd move into you know,
Speaker 2: maybe Jersey fifteen or sixteen. But he's gone all the
Speaker 2: way through to the starting lineup. That surprised mate. He's
Speaker 2: earned his jersey. He's been fantastic. And you know what
Speaker 2: what makes big stars at the moment, Dylan, Dylan is
Speaker 2: an emerging star in the game, even for his age.
Speaker 2: You know, he's not to see a really young guy,
Speaker 2: but he's just emerging. But what made superstars, What made
Speaker 2: superstars the people that excel on the origin stage, right,
Speaker 2: And this is Dylan's opportunity. And I've seen it before
Speaker 2: other places. You said about Paul McGregor before. I think
Speaker 2: Port McGregor made his Origin debut about twenty five something
Speaker 2: like that, and at the time he was a bloke
Speaker 2: who sort of man. I think about two years earlier
Speaker 2: he was playing for Dapto and then because he just
Speaker 2: wanted to play with his mates, then he ended up
Speaker 2: going to the Aura Selas. A couple of years later,
Speaker 2: he's playing State of Origin plays great and he's the
Speaker 2: star of the game, you know, And that's what State
Speaker 2: of Origin does to people. The thing I get a
Speaker 2: lot here is Dylan playing on the right where in
Speaker 2: Newcastle he plays on the left. Hey, look like players
Speaker 2: like players should be able to play both sides of
Speaker 2: the park right, And this is this is the thing.
Speaker 2: I'm going on a slightly different tangenty, but just go
Speaker 2: with me. We're playing, we're playing. Coaches and clubs are
Speaker 2: paying some of these players, whether it be centers or
Speaker 2: back rowers, almost a million dollars or a million dollars
Speaker 2: a year, and yet they're not teaching them to play
Speaker 2: both sides of the park. Elite players should be able
Speaker 2: to play as well on the left side as they
Speaker 2: do on the right side. And so people are going, mate,
Speaker 2: what still, Lucas he's a left side back rower. No,
Speaker 2: he's a back rower. He's an edge back rower. You know,
Speaker 2: He's a guy that could excel on the left, but
Speaker 2: most probably can excel on the right as well, and
Speaker 2: that's the way it should be. So don't you know
Speaker 2: the very fact he plays on the left side at Newcastle. Look,
Speaker 2: in my opinion that they wouldn't. They would not pick
Speaker 2: him there. They would not put pick him on the
Speaker 2: right unless they've had consult him or somebody to say,
Speaker 2: you know, is he able to play there? Is he
Speaker 2: comfortable playing the right hand inside of the field, And
Speaker 2: in my opinion, Bill, Bill would be I don't think
Speaker 2: it'd be an issue.
Speaker 1: He seems like and Jack and no more on this.
Speaker 1: He seems like the kind of player that could you
Speaker 1: could put him sort of on both sides. He's a
Speaker 1: bit more of a football player than But there are
Speaker 1: there are some factors that I know why he likes
Speaker 1: and Jacke. He likes the left side because he's he's
Speaker 1: got a very much a natural left foot side step,
Speaker 1: so he does like coming back at inside shoulders on
Speaker 1: the left side of the football field. But I imagine that,
Speaker 1: you know, although he's not as dynamic off his right
Speaker 1: foot on that right side of the field, there are
Speaker 1: other strengths that can bring to that right side right Jack, Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, Jack. You know Jack, you know him inside out.
Speaker 2: I imagine Jack, you'd say that it would not be
Speaker 2: a drama. He'd have no issue playing on the right side. Yeah.
Speaker 3: He actually he actually started his career playing on the
Speaker 3: right side, so basically he played his first few back
Speaker 3: row games on that right side. The big one is
Speaker 3: going to be flipping him to the right. I don't
Speaker 3: think it's going to be about whether it can do it.
Speaker 3: I think it's going to be more about the workload.
Speaker 3: Like it's a huge ass on debut origin to play eighty.
Speaker 3: Like you know, I'molo's been playing eighty for years and
Speaker 3: years now and he sort of struggled that game one.
Speaker 3: And let's be honest too, they were like the first
Speaker 3: twenty thirty minutes, they were just out of the pump.
Speaker 3: Like the amount of juice that was taken out of them,
Speaker 3: it's so surprising that they even had the juice to
Speaker 3: go all the way with it to end up winning
Speaker 3: the game anyway. But it'll be more about that because
Speaker 3: they've got such a deadly left edge there for Queensland,
Speaker 3: it'll be Yeah, it'll be a massive test for him,
Speaker 3: but I'm sure it's a test he can handle for sure.
Speaker 2: I'll say this, boys, I think I think there'll be
Speaker 2: I think they're just looking at the new South Wales lineup,
Speaker 2: how they're picked at the moment on paper, I think
Speaker 2: there's some ducks of Drakes going going on. I can't
Speaker 2: marry in my opinion, must start, he must start. That
Speaker 2: that's for me, is that no brainer? So okay? So
Speaker 2: what happens here? So paying has Okay, I'll preface this
Speaker 2: by saying this, My starting middles would be Cameron Murray,
Speaker 2: Adam Vanula Blake and Paynhass. Now I start with those.
Speaker 2: I start with those three powerhouse players because of this.
Speaker 2: If those three bloats are on and firing, mate, put
Speaker 2: the Q in the rack Queensland Like, honestly, you can't
Speaker 2: contain that. That is just, honestly, at their very best,
Speaker 2: that middle combination cannot be beaten in any era. You
Speaker 2: don't get any better than that. So for me, that
Speaker 2: that should be my opinion. The starting lineup at the
Speaker 2: moment Adam and Kem Murray on the bench by gat Field.
Speaker 2: As that Kem Murray will start. I think it might
Speaker 2: be for Mitch Barnett. I think Isaiah might move up
Speaker 2: into another part of the middle. Yeah, but you know,
Speaker 2: again coming back to the fact I at the start
Speaker 2: of the game, I just like size and power, So
Speaker 2: I don't think he'll make two changes, but I think
Speaker 2: I think he'll go in for Mitch. But again, like
Speaker 2: a come back to the fact i'd have Fanua Blake
Speaker 2: and camp Murray starting. That's a big that's a big
Speaker 2: change to do it with both of them, But it
Speaker 2: would not it would not surprise me.
Speaker 3: I actually think you're on the money there, Cobba, because
Speaker 3: something you know, leading into the to this game and
Speaker 3: after game one, everyone talking about how Billy's such a
Speaker 3: great you know, he's so good at managing the team
Speaker 3: and how he's out coaching Laurie and stuff like that.
Speaker 3: Did you actually notice that the new South Wales team
Speaker 3: got announced on The squad got announced about eight pm
Speaker 3: on on the night, so the players went into the
Speaker 3: camp and then the team was announced the following morning.
Speaker 3: I feel like it was it was Laurie's chance to
Speaker 3: get in there communicate what's going to what the plan
Speaker 3: is with those whether it be one, two, three or
Speaker 3: four players that are going to be moved around, so
Speaker 3: they were on board before the team got announced the
Speaker 3: next morning.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, Jack, I think there's Ducks and drakeson. He
Speaker 2: played here and yeah, I don't think significant changes, but
Speaker 2: I think I would be shocked if Kem Murray doesn't
Speaker 2: come into the starting lineup for me. That is a
Speaker 2: no brainer. And another one, you know like Katoni Katoni.
Speaker 2: Big challenge for Katoni. Katoni in game one. You know,
Speaker 2: like Billy, Billy does his homework on every single player.
Speaker 2: He knows every player's tendencies and what they're likely to
Speaker 2: do under pressure. And they just targeted Katoni, not just
Speaker 2: target you know, I will say this. They didn't go
Speaker 2: and just find him and go right. That's the black
Speaker 2: we're going at To be fair to Katoni. That is
Speaker 2: he is defending a Caleb Pomer's favorite attacking spot and
Speaker 2: so he just kept going at him and Katoni early
Speaker 2: on was sort of turning out and Kaylen was going
Speaker 2: half through and then later on he started turning in
Speaker 2: on him. He just he drove Katoni mad, He drove
Speaker 2: him insane. That's the big matchup, you know, where where
Speaker 2: Where positions himself. It's really good coaching by Billy, and
Speaker 2: he used to frustrate the out of me at Newcastle.
Speaker 2: Kaylan has got a sweet spot, as I've said, just
Speaker 2: on that left side. And rather than Kayl and go
Speaker 2: looking for the football. Billy's going no, no, no, Caylen,
Speaker 2: you sit there, the football is going to come searching
Speaker 2: for you. So it's they're bringing the ball to him
Speaker 2: in his favorite spot all the time. It's going to
Speaker 2: be huge pressure on that right side defense, particularly on
Speaker 2: containing Yeah.
Speaker 1: And you have no doubt. We saw how Lethally was
Speaker 1: that first half against you, so Wells and now dominant
Speaker 1: Coenslane where they they know they've basically got their blueprint
Speaker 1: Queensland of how they want to play and we as
Speaker 1: new so Wales know how they're going to play. It's
Speaker 1: just how do you contain especially those individuals. We know
Speaker 1: where they're going to go. But the Queensland big news
Speaker 1: out of there look a relatively unchanged side apart from Britain.
Speaker 1: A Kora comes into the starting back row with Ruben
Speaker 1: Cotter at Locke and Kirk Kate well as the other
Speaker 1: back row I've given Patty Carrigan got hurt so he's
Speaker 1: out of the side. But the big one, Rhys Walsh
Speaker 1: has come under the bench. Now you know a lot
Speaker 1: of people saying they how do they implement him, whether
Speaker 1: you know he plays through the middle or similar to
Speaker 1: like back in the day walkers On, or like when
Speaker 1: Billy Slater was at fullback klea Ponga debut, they brought
Speaker 1: him on through the middle to play together. Is that
Speaker 1: how you see them slutsy sort of using while she cooper?
Speaker 2: I think so. I think. I think what is predictable
Speaker 2: about how Billy will use Rus is that it will
Speaker 2: be in predict unpredictable, that makes sense. I think you'll
Speaker 2: throw him on in a really unorthodox position and he'll
Speaker 2: be He'll be a massive he'll be just a huge
Speaker 2: handful of noble of where he's on. It's really funny, right, boys,
Speaker 2: Game one, Game one really didn't pick didn't didn't pick
Speaker 2: Ruth And do you know what I reckon? Right, just
Speaker 2: go with me on this one. I reckon, I reckon.
Speaker 2: I reckon. Really thought that Reese still had a little
Speaker 2: bit of unfolding to do, if that makes sense. Like,
Speaker 2: I think he still thought that there were some tough
Speaker 2: weeks ahead of him before he was ready to rebound
Speaker 2: and really come back, and that's why he didn't pick him.
Speaker 2: And everyone was going after how he played up against
Speaker 2: the Gold Coast, so a lot of people were like, oh,
Speaker 2: maybe he's not going to pick Reees, but I think
Speaker 2: at that point he's probably going right up. Okay, Reese
Speaker 2: has almost hit hit base and now he's ready to
Speaker 2: rebound back. And that's one of the reasons I reckon
Speaker 2: he picks him. I think Billy's got really good instincts.
Speaker 2: I think he knows when players are about to bounce back,
Speaker 2: are about to start to find get back toward their
Speaker 2: best form or towards you know, or start to really
Speaker 2: start to play good football. I think that's one of
Speaker 2: the reasons he's picked him. It's a really interesting makeup
Speaker 2: Brittain Ncora, you know, coming in the starting lineup, which
Speaker 2: is interesting. Max Plais, who I thought was fantastic in
Speaker 2: Game one in that first half he reversed to the bench,
Speaker 2: Finnifu Yaki onto the bench, Murray Tulaney on the bench,
Speaker 2: Hill and Lukey number twenty. It's a I look at made,
Speaker 2: it's a They've got a it's a very very strong
Speaker 2: coins land side, very dangerous.
Speaker 1: And I'm just going back to your Walshie theory for
Speaker 1: a second. It's it's a It's it's almost like the
Speaker 1: old the old theory of you know, you know when
Speaker 1: a goalkicker right right before the game. He misses twelve
Speaker 1: in a row, and some kickers go geez, they lose
Speaker 1: all their confidence. But a coach might come up and
Speaker 1: grab him and say, don't worry. You just got rid
Speaker 1: of all your bad ones, you know. Yeah, And they
Speaker 1: and they go out there and a goal kicker and
Speaker 1: it sounds weird, but they'll go kick six from six
Speaker 1: or they won't miss one on the day. And look
Speaker 1: you said. Billy Billy knows you know me and manage
Speaker 1: and he understands players very well. But on top of that,
Speaker 1: Rhys Walsh, how he plays the game. He's mentality where
Speaker 1: he always wants to attack. He wants he doesn't mind
Speaker 1: making errors because he wants to attack the game at
Speaker 1: all times. He's very much got the same mentality of
Speaker 1: Billy Slater like as a player. So Billy Billy's had
Speaker 1: and Billy spoken about bad times in like bad form
Speaker 1: times when he was playing or dropped in North Sydney
Speaker 1: Bears one year when they were the feeder club of
Speaker 1: the Storm. He knows that he sometimes gets worse before
Speaker 1: it gets better. So I mean, you might be you
Speaker 1: might be right on the money there.
Speaker 2: I remember that year. I remember that year in two
Speaker 2: thousand and six, Billy played it, played a game in
Speaker 2: likehard oval and he did it. He sort of pig
Speaker 2: rooted and kicked I think it was Chris Hyington in
Speaker 2: the head and got about a four weeks suspension and
Speaker 2: Billy wasn't in good form. The side weren't going that gray.
Speaker 2: Billy came back through North Sydney. I remember, I actually
Speaker 2: remember I was at that game with Billy A. I
Speaker 2: remember Billy when he did that kid group and he
Speaker 2: went mate, he was filthy, and I remember I think
Speaker 2: Billy said to me after game, he said, mate, I'm
Speaker 2: going to I've just got to make I've got to
Speaker 2: make a statement on Billy and it made him come
Speaker 2: back through. But the moment he got back in, he
Speaker 2: just started. It's started the run of the Billy Slader
Speaker 2: that we know, like that fruously talented but frugiously consistent.
Speaker 2: And so you're spot on. I mean, and you know,
Speaker 2: like podcasts are all about storytelling, rad and you said
Speaker 2: before about the bloke who gets out there and kicks
Speaker 2: and misses all of them. I mean, Uncle Joey, you
Speaker 2: know I think about that story, Uncle Joey and he's
Speaker 2: spoken to YouTube blugs about it to share it with people.
Speaker 2: You know, when he was a young player. We had
Speaker 2: the ninety ninety five World Cup Final Wembley Stadium, like
Speaker 2: the Wembley Stadium, one hundred thousand people. Anyway, we go
Speaker 2: onto the field before the game to warm up and
Speaker 2: Joey's putting the ball down and he's kicking around. I
Speaker 2: reckon the warm up Joey kicked about I reckon two
Speaker 2: from fifteen, just and make the English crowd were just
Speaker 2: into him. Lucks and all of Ma and wore chatting
Speaker 2: going off, going off the field, and he goes, I
Speaker 2: just want to put one, you have one more shot
Speaker 2: for a go back in and he put the ball
Speaker 2: down and all of a sudden, over the loud speaker
Speaker 2: stuck in the middle by Steve Miller band Steelers Will
Speaker 2: stuck in the well. I don't know what yea. Anyway,
Speaker 2: Joey's there and I said, mate, just relax and start
Speaker 2: to go with the music, and Joey's sort of dancing
Speaker 2: and all of a sudden goes bang kicks and it
Speaker 2: goes over and I think in the World Cup Final,
Speaker 2: I think he kicked five from five knocking him from
Speaker 2: the sideline everything you know, and it's it's running in
Speaker 2: that in that pre game, just exhausting all your bad
Speaker 2: kicks and then just finding your rhythm after that. Is
Speaker 2: that a story that relates to what we're talking about?
Speaker 2: Maybe not, no, no, no, it is it is.
Speaker 1: Well's talk about bouncing back from from form, because at
Speaker 1: the end of the day, it's four bad forms, like
Speaker 1: an avalanche, and the harder you try to dig out
Speaker 1: of it, sometimes it just snowball snowballs until you hit
Speaker 1: a family or you hit like a cabin and.
Speaker 3: Just tips, Can I ask you and Dad Cooper both?
Speaker 3: Can I ask you? Can you think of a weirder
Speaker 3: game two we've ever gone into? Like because everyone's talking
Speaker 3: about how good Queensland were before the Kalin hit and
Speaker 3: then how bad New South Wales were, when really all
Speaker 3: it takes is a little bit of luck and a
Speaker 3: little bit of effort from New South Wales to really
Speaker 3: get off to a good start. Mate, who knows it
Speaker 3: could be the weirdest series win ever?
Speaker 2: Yeah, spot on, Jack, spot on, because you know what
Speaker 2: Jack is that at times mate, like Queensland? How could
Speaker 2: I say this? This is going to sound really really,
Speaker 2: it's gonna sound stupid, but Queensland could go yeah, believe
Speaker 2: it or not, but the Queensland could go into this
Speaker 2: game slightly slightly complacent. Now go with me here. They're
Speaker 2: actulightly complacent because what they've been fed over the last
Speaker 2: two weeks is oh mate, yes, we're just given it
Speaker 2: to New South Wales. And the only reason you want
Speaker 2: New South Wales beakers is because Kaitlyn got sent off,
Speaker 2: which is absolutely true, every bit of it is true.
Speaker 2: But Queensland, if they're expecting that same New South Wales,
Speaker 2: then they've got some stuff. They've got shit coming to
Speaker 2: them because New South Wales will be a lot lot better.
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's a challenge for Billy as well, you know,
Speaker 2: to say, hey, listen, boys, even though we'll go we're
Speaker 2: on the way to winning the game, really and we
Speaker 2: would have won the game, don't expect quent New South
Speaker 2: Wales to be anywhere near as bad in this first
Speaker 2: half or in this game two. Again, So Jackie, you
Speaker 2: make a really good point there. It's a Mitchell Moses
Speaker 2: is an intriguing one. It's intriguing when Moses is in
Speaker 2: that team and I see Moses and Clearing. I just
Speaker 2: don't see how we get beat with those two blokes.
Speaker 2: I don't think Mitch's hamstring is a crucial one. If
Speaker 2: something happened to Mitch between now and kickoff and was
Speaker 2: ruled out for whatever reason, I would be equally as decided.
Speaker 2: With Ethan Strange coming going into the sixth and Isaiah
Speaker 2: Katawa coming into the nine team, which they're talking about.
Speaker 2: I mean, watch what I was watching the Dolphins game
Speaker 2: the other day. That bloke, My goodness, that bloke. I'm
Speaker 2: telling it. The Dolphins are going to be in my opinion,
Speaker 2: in the next twenty years, they're going to be Melbourne
Speaker 2: Storm White. I think they be a really dominant force.
Speaker 1: If we don't have Nathan Cleary, who you know, who's
Speaker 1: the best half aaker in the world as a New
Speaker 1: South Welshman. Isaiahtah was in there already. You know, he's
Speaker 1: just he's unfortunate how good he's playing the last couple
Speaker 1: of seasons. He's just unfortunate. He's behind the best half
Speaker 1: back for New South Wales at the minute. But going back,
Speaker 1: going back to what Jack just said and what you
Speaker 1: just said, how it's tough for Billy. It is interesting
Speaker 1: like taking coaches have origin, they have a week and
Speaker 1: a half to basically get players to buy into a
Speaker 1: narrative and get them else up really emotionally, like the emotion.
Speaker 1: It's not really x a's and o's. Like Steven Blocker
Speaker 1: Road said on the potty, you just got to get
Speaker 1: them up emotionally and really like hating the opposition and
Speaker 1: connected as a team. But like you said, Billy's narrative
Speaker 1: when he's in there right now is have a look
Speaker 1: at this sixty minutes right we have one turning point
Speaker 1: in the game. It's Caleb getting sent off and we
Speaker 1: just couldn't defend our lead. But that sixty minutes there's
Speaker 1: our blueprint. We were all over them. They can't handle us.
Speaker 1: That's the narrative they're buying into, so they confidently go
Speaker 1: into this game. But then on the other edge you've
Speaker 1: got New South Wales who were saying, for that first
Speaker 1: sixty minutes, we could not have played any worse. We
Speaker 1: could not have played any worse. We didn't know what
Speaker 1: was coming. They shocked us, they ambushed us. We missed
Speaker 1: the start, but we got the we won like we
Speaker 1: actually somehow managed to win despite that. So there's two
Speaker 1: polar opposite mentalities going into this game. It's the big
Speaker 1: challenges whether New South Wales can start better than they
Speaker 1: did in Game one because they really didn't leave the
Speaker 1: locker room. Yeah, but it's and whether they can buy
Speaker 1: into to that narrative that I'm sure Laurie's feeding and
Speaker 1: and boys.
Speaker 2: The other one made, which is I think it's advantage
Speaker 2: US is going to be the MCG, the conditions and
Speaker 2: the surface going to be slippery. You know when you're
Speaker 2: playing Melbourne this time of the year at night, Cooper
Speaker 2: as you know, it's really it's difficult, particularly the MCG.
Speaker 2: And you know the thing that's got to be you've
Speaker 2: got to be tip top at your defense has got
Speaker 2: to be great, but you're kicking. Your last tackle options
Speaker 2: are imperative and look we as far as last tackle
Speaker 2: options made, look on paper we win one hundred milk.
Speaker 2: We've got Nathan Cleary and for long kicking, we got
Speaker 2: Mitchell Moses that we needed. So I'm really with Mitchell
Speaker 2: Moses and Nathan there. I you know, touch would but
Speaker 2: I'm really confident in this game in the New South
Speaker 2: Wales getting done well.
Speaker 1: I you do also look at some of those the
Speaker 1: Queensland players in Monster, Harry and Trent, they probably have
Speaker 1: a little bit of advantage over knowing playing that Melbourne
Speaker 1: condition at all times, and Billy himself. Billy can probably
Speaker 1: game plan around those similar conditions. But it's going to
Speaker 1: be a great game. I do want to get to
Speaker 1: our tips. Matthew aka The Australian Correspondent and Steve McGregor,
Speaker 1: what are your tips for the game?
Speaker 2: Look, I'm want to get in New South Wales to
Speaker 2: win and I do this and by the way, I
Speaker 2: haven't give this like a mention, but really excited for
Speaker 2: Casey McLean. Hopefully that ankle iss enough to one hundred
Speaker 2: cents so he plays his best. Excited for that, and
Speaker 2: of course excited for Dylan Lucas. Good on deal waye
Speaker 2: Corus sounds a beauty come off the bench as well.
Speaker 1: For our tips, sorry, can we go winner by how
Speaker 1: much win? Our score line and a a try scorer
Speaker 1: and amount of the match.
Speaker 2: Let's do that, Okay, I'm going to go winner New
Speaker 2: South Wales. I'll go the scoreline. I will go New
Speaker 2: South twenty eight Queensland sixteen. You want first try scorer
Speaker 2: or just any time?
Speaker 1: Just got just any time.
Speaker 2: Anytime, I'll go Dylan Lucas. I'll go deal, you know,
Speaker 2: with Nathan and Mitchell out there with our playmakers. You know,
Speaker 2: playmakers rely the lifeblood of playmakers, our edgeback rowers. So
Speaker 2: he's going to get any chance of men in the match.
Speaker 2: I'm going to go Nathan Cleary. Nathan, it's his time.
Speaker 2: They're winning that game, that last twenty minutes in game one.
Speaker 2: I think he's just a breakthrough and needed at state
Speaker 2: of original level.
Speaker 3: Jackie, I'm going Blues Cooper as well. I'm going to
Speaker 3: go with a pretty big scoreline. I reckon it's going
Speaker 3: to be like thirty two to ten. Yeah, I think
Speaker 3: Blues might. It's very it's going to be tough for
Speaker 3: them to get back up into that starting form they
Speaker 3: had in Game one. Queensland my anytime as well. I'm
Speaker 3: going to go to Dilan Lucas as well. Would be
Speaker 3: a shame if I didn't do that to the old roommate.
Speaker 3: And then I'm going to go man of the match.
Speaker 3: I actually think it's going to be Cam Murray and
Speaker 3: I think late change Cam Murray will start.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well okay, now I'm with you. I'm going to
Speaker 1: New so Wales, I'm a little bit tighter than you guys.
Speaker 1: I think twenty to eighteen. I think anytime try scorer.
Speaker 1: I really like the idea of the Hammer for Queensland.
Speaker 1: I just think they use him so much, especially on
Speaker 1: and anytime they make a linebright He's there to push
Speaker 1: and score my man of the match, same as you, Dad,
Speaker 1: I've got Nathan clear. I think listening to some postmatch
Speaker 1: stuff with Nathan after the game, he's copped a lot
Speaker 1: of criticism about not being able to dominate Origin, and
Speaker 1: now people after Game one that he played well, especially
Speaker 1: that last twenty minutes. People are saying, oh, you know,
Speaker 1: have a look at him, have a look at him. Now,
Speaker 1: you know you're playing really well, really well. It does
Speaker 1: not matter playing one good game of Savage and does
Speaker 1: not matter unless you win the series, because no one
Speaker 1: remembers it, no one cares about it. So and I
Speaker 1: think Nathan knows that listening to some of his post
Speaker 1: match stuff, so, I think he knows that the only
Speaker 1: way I can silence critics and prove it to myself
Speaker 1: and to the critics is is if I go out
Speaker 1: there and really dominate this Origin series. So I think
Speaker 1: he thinks he's got a lot of unfinished business. But
Speaker 1: it's going to be a hell of a game. Coy's down.
Speaker 1: I've got a great side as the new South Wales,
Speaker 1: so I'm keen for it.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, boys, it's going to be a great game.
Speaker 2: Look forward. I arrive back on a Wednesday and we'll
Speaker 2: rive straight into the game and we're going to do
Speaker 2: our postmatch analysis straight after the game as well.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we certainly are, mate, you are a credit to
Speaker 1: your family. Go well, hopefully get to interview Donald Trump
Speaker 1: if you don't to talk all things two pays and
Speaker 1: hairline and anti dandrel shampoo. But mate, we miss you
Speaker 1: and we came to see you. My friend.
Speaker 2: I made listen give part of my love to to
Speaker 2: Trish and I had to listen to the family podcast.
Speaker 2: You motherfuckers. He is all lifted without me. Where that
Speaker 2: effort and performance when I'm here?
Speaker 1: I said, I said the same thing. It was just
Speaker 1: like usually you know when when someone would interrupt each other,
Speaker 1: if you were in the room or something, it would
Speaker 1: have erupted be because Gav was there. It was like
Speaker 1: Jack and Mum. It was just like a lifting of
Speaker 1: aggression off their shoulders, so maybe going forward at something
Speaker 1: we can look at. But yeah, we'll talk when you
Speaker 1: get
Speaker 2: Back right up, boys, right