Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to the Code NRL Podcast. I'm dean
Speaker 1: Bulldog Richie, joined by Alex from merl Soapbox Soapy.
Speaker 2: Hey, how am I'm good.
Speaker 1: Buddy and of course the one and only Fatima could do?
Speaker 1: How are Fatima? I'm going to get you to start
Speaker 1: us off today, Fatima, because Mitchell Moses on Monday morning
Speaker 1: gets held a press commrich to talk about his injury
Speaker 1: and whether he's playing run us through.
Speaker 3: What happened Well, for the last five six days, everybody
Speaker 3: else has been talking about Mitchell Moses. This morning he
Speaker 3: spoke and he declared he is ready to go. He
Speaker 3: described his hamstring injury as nothing but a scratch. So look,
Speaker 3: he's had limited preparations for Game two. He missed out
Speaker 3: on that first contact session in Thursday at the wyn Ruse.
Speaker 3: He did a bit of a scrimmage on Saturday. The
Speaker 3: Blues are at Amy Park on Monday morning. It's expected
Speaker 3: he'll get through, or at least hope to get through
Speaker 3: that entire session. But he says he's confident. It's not
Speaker 3: his kicking leg. He's been able to run and yeah,
Speaker 3: as he said, he's ready to go.
Speaker 1: I think it might be a little bit more serious
Speaker 1: than just a scratch. He ruled out of Paramouter's game
Speaker 1: last week. But Sophie, are you convinced Mitch Moses's fit
Speaker 1: and can you get through the eighty minutes?
Speaker 4: Well, I've got to take his word for it, and
Speaker 4: so Mitch Moses has been a great servant to New
Speaker 4: South Wales, so he wouldn't put us in a position
Speaker 4: where we'd be looking vulnerable. I was very much wanting
Speaker 4: Ethan Strange to play because of all the question marks
Speaker 4: around Moses and Stranger's previous performance. But when we now
Speaker 4: look at the other injury impacts for New South Wales,
Speaker 4: we've got a rookie Blues player in Mark Nowanase coming
Speaker 4: in on that left edge.
Speaker 2: We probably Kola goes into the center.
Speaker 4: If we had Strange there, that would be an unbelievably
Speaker 4: inexperienced edge. So bringing Moses in now, I'm like, Okay,
Speaker 4: Laurie knows what he's doing for this part, and I'm
Speaker 4: pretty happy about it.
Speaker 3: Well, with the injury to Casey McLean, obviously there was
Speaker 3: that little shift with Cooler coming into the centres and
Speaker 3: Mark Nowo ands on the wing. Brett White has intimated
Speaker 3: that there potentially are not decided exactly of what those
Speaker 3: edges might look like, So mate potentially might be a
Speaker 3: swap between Brian Toto and Mark nawang andoas with the edges.
Speaker 3: I don't know if I would do that, considering Bizza
Speaker 3: and Tony Staggs have pretty much had two full camps,
Speaker 3: you know, training doing reps on that edge. But there
Speaker 3: could be some late changes in terms of exactly how
Speaker 3: those edges.
Speaker 4: Look look That's really I like that idea though, just
Speaker 4: to see experience looking after the junior players and the
Speaker 4: junior talent has done great so far under Lorri, but
Speaker 4: you want to make sure they're being looked after, because
Speaker 4: that's a that would be if I was coincident, if
Speaker 4: I was going to target anywhere, it'd be where all
Speaker 4: the rookies are.
Speaker 5: Sopie wat your overall thought.
Speaker 1: Now that we look like we've finally come up with
Speaker 1: a final nineteen for the Blues, are.
Speaker 5: You confident in New South Wales? Do you think they
Speaker 5: can win?
Speaker 4: Or well, I'm really glad you asked me this bulldog
Speaker 4: because I want justice for what has that man done wrong?
Speaker 4: But I actually loved Dylan Lucas. He's awesome I think
Speaker 4: this team actually looks really great and upset this before.
Speaker 4: But I think Queensland played at their best. They're almost
Speaker 4: at their peak. New South Wales had a lot of
Speaker 4: improvement to go. If they play even fifty percent better,
Speaker 4: I think they're very much the favorite.
Speaker 5: Are you a fan of Dylan Lucas Patima?
Speaker 3: He's been incredible for the Knights, Like you can't take
Speaker 3: away what he's done for Newcastle this year. But I'm
Speaker 3: with Sophie, like, if you look at the back rollers
Speaker 3: that we had available for selection, Hamole Olatu was our
Speaker 3: form backrower this year, so and I agree if there
Speaker 3: is some improvement, there would have been improvement in guys
Speaker 3: like Comole Olatu, and I have no doubt he would
Speaker 3: have been better than what he produced in Game one,
Speaker 3: which I still think wasn't bad. Wasn't that bad. There
Speaker 3: was talk, you know, there was issues. The coaching staff
Speaker 3: didn't like everything what they saw of him off the ball,
Speaker 3: the rest of it. But I still thought his line
Speaker 3: speed was okay. You know, yes he did get fatigued,
Speaker 3: but you know it's origin who isn't which you know,
Speaker 3: one hundred plus hundred and ten plus forward isn't feeling
Speaker 3: a level of fatigue. I'll starting forwards were fatigued after
Speaker 3: ten minutes, so look, I think Dylan Lucas will go well.
Speaker 3: I'm a sopie. I'm disappointed for Hamolo Olokawatsu because I
Speaker 3: think he's made for that arena, But you know, if
Speaker 3: you have to have faith and Laurie and that.
Speaker 1: Decision, I would have gone with Hamoli myself. But I
Speaker 1: do know there was a couple of incidances in game one,
Speaker 1: which I don't know whether you guys remember. One was
Speaker 1: a poor kick Chase Emally didn't quite reach his target
Speaker 1: come on pong and had a long break.
Speaker 5: They scored moments later, and I think the.
Speaker 1: Eathan Strange, no try Emoi, mister mark and run there.
Speaker 1: It was a bad langule he ran and he didn't
Speaker 1: push through, and that costs the Blues to try. It's
Speaker 1: only little, but those are the little moments win and
Speaker 1: all the rest of origin.
Speaker 2: But I'm a manly fan. I'm going to look after
Speaker 2: my boy.
Speaker 4: Jimole here like he was nowhere near in the bottom
Speaker 4: fire performers, so I would understand if he had an
Speaker 4: absolute Barry Crocker, but he actually put in a decent effort.
Speaker 5: Let him and.
Speaker 4: Run meters, let him post contact meters and at other
Speaker 4: times let in the kickchase put on that pressure. It's
Speaker 4: not his fault. His teamates were dropping the ball left,
Speaker 4: right and center. But I'm pretty keen on Dylan Lucas.
Speaker 4: I think it's gonna be awesome. I think when Queensland
Speaker 4: are tired, he's going to run a mark. I think
Speaker 4: it's still a good selection. I just want justice for
Speaker 4: Home all day.
Speaker 1: Let's move on to Queensland and when we come on
Speaker 1: this show, we like to have a bit of fun
Speaker 1: ye and a few jops.
Speaker 5: That's part of the show.
Speaker 1: But before we do that, we just want to send
Speaker 1: our condolences, our deepest condolences to Big Tinoli. Of course,
Speaker 1: his father already passed away last Thursday, so to Tino
Speaker 1: and his extended family and the whole Queensland side, we
Speaker 1: send our love and support up there. It's only a
Speaker 1: game in the end, and tin is obviously known about
Speaker 1: his father's illness, which has been quite a long It
Speaker 1: was for a long time at this point Tino is playing,
Speaker 1: but we just wanted to send on our condolences to
Speaker 1: the Ari family, right Queensland Bulldog's bite today. I've come
Speaker 1: out and said, Kaylen Ponger pulled your head in the shoulder,
Speaker 1: charges not one, but two and nine a few weeks
Speaker 1: and this studs up kung fu kick karate, Hey, karate,
Speaker 1: that's what he's been doing.
Speaker 5: And I fear I'm spitting now, that's how upset on.
Speaker 1: I fear that when Klen goes up to catch his
Speaker 1: kicks studs up, it's going to come at someone's eye.
Speaker 5: Am I on the money you have? I got it
Speaker 5: right on.
Speaker 4: You've timed this perfectly, like I know what you're doing.
Speaker 4: Then it's Monday coming into Origin. You want the attention
Speaker 4: on this karate kick, and I'm with you. I'm with
Speaker 4: your bulldog. I think, like I understand what he's doing.
Speaker 4: It's a self preservation measure. It's getting a bit too
Speaker 4: greedy though, isn't he. Sometimes it's not just this studs
Speaker 4: are up, it's there's a kick going out that's not
Speaker 4: a legal play.
Speaker 1: Well, if someone runs into that leg though, they get
Speaker 1: the penley as in Ponger, and that's another fans are noticing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I think you're right.
Speaker 4: I think I hope that the referees are paying close
Speaker 4: attention to that, because you can't just be doing karate
Speaker 4: kicks mid eir yeah thoughts uh Yeah.
Speaker 3: There was one against Parat a couple of weeks ago
Speaker 3: where I can't remember who the parent defender was, but
Speaker 3: you know, if you freeze for it was almost like
Speaker 3: his studs were touched. Williams Jack Williams, all right, yes so.
Speaker 3: And there was also a couple of sort of weird
Speaker 3: high ball takes in Origin one as well, where he
Speaker 3: was almost putting himself in a position to knock himself
Speaker 3: out with how hard he was falling to the ground.
Speaker 3: I did hear Ponga on the weekend talk about the
Speaker 3: tackling technique side of things, and you know what, he
Speaker 3: put his hand up saying, you know, I have to
Speaker 3: be better. I understand that. Not only do I have,
Speaker 3: you know, a response like I've got a responsibility of
Speaker 3: making sure of not putting my opposition players in a
Speaker 3: dangerous position. And he did, you know, concede that it
Speaker 3: is a technique that goes awry a little bit for him,
Speaker 3: especially when he's defending and sliding on the line. So yeah,
Speaker 3: it'll be interesting to see if he's read Yaw pulled
Speaker 3: one about the kung fu kicks and you know what
Speaker 3: he does with his shoulders On Wednesday night, before.
Speaker 5: We move on from the state of Origin, Fearless Tips.
Speaker 3: Go. Of course New South Wales by a very confidently
Speaker 3: of course, Nathan Cleary puts in another massive performance and
Speaker 3: he will eventually win the Wally Lewis Medal.
Speaker 5: On the back of it.
Speaker 2: Love that one.
Speaker 4: I think New South Wales should win this bout sixteen.
Speaker 4: I think they've got so much improvement and they think
Speaker 4: they'll do it.
Speaker 1: I think the Blues if they get off to a
Speaker 1: good start. It's been so poured in the last three games.
Speaker 1: Twenty points behind in the last three games. I just
Speaker 1: can't wake that one out. But if they can get
Speaker 1: off to a wood start, which I think they will,
Speaker 1: I think they could win by eight to ten points
Speaker 1: and clench the series.
Speaker 5: Let's move on to NRL the shot clot.
Speaker 1: Drama over there in Auckland on the weekend. You're all
Speaker 1: over this story for Tima, run us through what happened,
Speaker 1: run us through what you think might happen. In terms
Speaker 1: of any post game action from the NRL.
Speaker 3: Well, I'm as much across it as the NROL was
Speaker 3: yesterday when I spoke to them, and they were still
Speaker 3: looking at it, so it is for those that don't know,
Speaker 3: it's all a little bit confusing. So Chanel Harris Tavita
Speaker 3: was lining up for a goal line dropout. Apparently at
Speaker 3: that time there was an avertism on the big screen
Speaker 3: and so he couldn't see the shot clock. He says
Speaker 3: to Jared Sudden, how much time I ever got to
Speaker 3: left to go? I can't see it. Jerard Sudden says
Speaker 3: five seconds. On the Sky Sports broadcast, there was a
Speaker 3: shot clock that showed. As Sudden was saying five seconds,
Speaker 3: the clock showed two seconds. So Harris Tavita goes to
Speaker 3: kick it. The shot clock goes off. He hasn't got
Speaker 3: his kick away and it's a penalty, and he says
Speaker 3: to him, mate, mate, you told me five seconds. I
Speaker 3: thought I still had three seconds. I couldn't see it.
Speaker 3: He says, that's not my Suten said, it's not my problem.
Speaker 3: The timer is a timer.
Speaker 2: So the thing with that is, so the.
Speaker 3: NRL controls the scoring systems and the clocks, they do
Speaker 3: not control what is shown on the big screen. So
Speaker 3: I feel like it was a perfect storm right, the
Speaker 3: shot clock should have been on the big screen. Jared
Speaker 3: Sudden probably who knows what he was getting, what feed
Speaker 3: he was getting in his ear, saying five seconds when
Speaker 3: he only had two seconds. But it's also on Harris Tavita,
Speaker 3: he's got twenty five seconds to make sure that he's
Speaker 3: getting the kick away. You know, I don't think you know,
Speaker 3: you know, if you compare someone like Nathan Cleary, I
Speaker 3: don't think Nathan Cleary has ever given away a time violations,
Speaker 3: So you know, there has to also be an bonus
Speaker 3: on the player whose responsibility is to get the kick away.
Speaker 3: Get the kick away.
Speaker 1: So based on that, we've got three people here who
Speaker 1: could throw their hands up and say it was my fault.
Speaker 1: It should have been on the big screen. That's a
Speaker 1: Warriorus problem. I don't think Suton should have said five
Speaker 1: seconds if he wasn't sure. And as Fatima said, Devida
Speaker 1: should have ye taken the kick well and truly.
Speaker 5: Before that moment where it was just so tight.
Speaker 4: Well, I think okay, so, and I think Andrew Webster
Speaker 4: even went off in the press up, which he never does,
Speaker 4: like he's so respectful to the referees. He's incredibly diplomatic.
Speaker 4: The fact that he was so frustrated about it made
Speaker 4: me look into it more. Going Jesus, if we'bb be
Speaker 4: saying something, then something must have really gone wrong. It's
Speaker 4: pretty poor formed from something to say that it's not his.
Speaker 4: I can view generously that as like he's got so
Speaker 4: much to manage, he's not managing.
Speaker 5: That's not on him.
Speaker 2: But I think it actually reflects why the Warrior is lot.
Speaker 4: So some fans say they lost because of those couple
Speaker 4: of decisions and there were penalties given away. No, they
Speaker 4: lost because it actually just perfectly. There was a perfect
Speaker 4: thread for the Warriors game, and it's that they were
Speaker 4: too slow. They were too slow with the shot clock,
Speaker 4: they were too slow with that field goal moment, and
Speaker 4: they allowed the game to get away from them. They
Speaker 4: were too slow in getting to Trindley, and then they
Speaker 4: had that They actually had the opportunity to win twice
Speaker 4: in the last ten minutes and they blew both opportunities.
Speaker 4: So it's a good talking point and it's absolutely needs
Speaker 4: to be improved. This is the premium competition in Australia.
Speaker 4: We can't be having that kind of mistake. But it's
Speaker 4: not the reason the Warriors lost. They were they lost
Speaker 4: because they were too slow and.
Speaker 3: They also gave away a second time violation too at
Speaker 3: the scrum.
Speaker 5: Yeah, so it's just atten detail.
Speaker 2: But that's what I mean.
Speaker 3: It's like with the Harris Tavita kick. Its attention to detail.
Speaker 3: Like the best halfbacks have that attention to detail. So
Speaker 3: look at I think, Yeah, Andrew Webster's pretty cool, come
Speaker 3: and collected, and he did call the whole process unprofessional.
Speaker 3: That you know, it's also unprofessional for the Warriors to
Speaker 3: be showing an ad when the big screen should have
Speaker 3: a shot clock on it. But I also think there
Speaker 3: should be a visible clock on the ground, especially for
Speaker 3: scrums and for golung dropouts, like you said, in the
Speaker 3: level of professionalism that we're in at the moment, that
Speaker 3: should be taken away at least from the clubs and
Speaker 3: it should be something that aner El's controlling.
Speaker 1: Let's move back to Australia and hobo we go north
Speaker 1: of the border. The Broncos another abysmal showing this round.
Speaker 1: I've said a couple of weeks ago there gone clearly
Speaker 1: there's no reason to change that now. In fact, it's
Speaker 1: only getting worse. And when you break it all down, Sopie.
Speaker 1: I'm starting to think now it's been quite an insipid
Speaker 1: Premiership defense.
Speaker 4: It's definitely been terrible. As the season's gone on, it's
Speaker 4: gotten worse. I think there was a terrible start, but
Speaker 4: you could excuse that for a few reasons. Then there
Speaker 4: was the major disruption of losing an assistant coach. Then
Speaker 4: there was a three match winning streak and Haas and
Speaker 4: then the Payinhause news.
Speaker 5: Is World Club challenge to flit. It was sort of
Speaker 5: like it was doomed for the beginning.
Speaker 4: Yeah, so it's like, okay, that was difficult. But then
Speaker 4: I don't understand how to explain the form of the
Speaker 4: players in the past six to eight weeks, Like none
Speaker 4: of their stars are really performing. I know they've had
Speaker 4: pain hearts out as well, so you can make all
Speaker 4: these excuses, but at the end of the day, they
Speaker 4: just haven't been performing. And I do think there's something
Speaker 4: to be said about the inconsistency and instability of their spine.
Speaker 4: I think at one point, and someone might fact check
Speaker 4: me on this, but there was duffy Man, Reynolds and
Speaker 4: Hunt on the field. So that's four players who really
Speaker 4: should be fulfill filling two positions. It feels like they
Speaker 4: just haven't nailed their spine, and I think that's part
Speaker 4: of the reason that they've suffered such bad form.
Speaker 1: I think, to be fair, they've had a lot of injuries. Yeah,
Speaker 1: but that side against saus On the weekend wasn't that
Speaker 1: bad and they capitulated and for a side that we
Speaker 1: expect so much of, that pretty much summed up their
Speaker 1: season to me.
Speaker 5: Yeah, there was no hunger and there was no desire.
Speaker 3: Well that's the thing, you know. And also there were
Speaker 3: really sort of glaring moments of a real lack of
Speaker 3: effort there. You know, there was the first half and
Speaker 3: Adam Reynolds makes makes the break. It's eight minutes in.
Speaker 3: There should be fresh legs. He's you know, he was
Speaker 3: seventy meters break. I think about the fifty to sixty
Speaker 3: meter mark. He's looking behind him, where's my support? And
Speaker 3: like Jesse Arthur's is barely close enough to be able
Speaker 3: to take a pass that Laki Hubner, you know, the
Speaker 3: rabbit O's forward takes him down. And then when Jesse
Speaker 3: Arthur's actually you know, is forced to play the board.
Speaker 3: Damnihalf he passed it to the ground because his teammates,
Speaker 3: you know, aren't there, so you're thinking, like what is
Speaker 3: going on? And then of course there was the Ben
Speaker 3: Hunts Parker. Ben Hunts passed since Preston Ricky's back, I
Speaker 3: think it was, And yeah, Preston Ricky had just made
Speaker 3: a tackle on a big guy as well and he
Speaker 3: was getting back into the line, but he just, you know,
Speaker 3: what was he doing.
Speaker 2: And not only that, but the.
Speaker 3: Players around Preston Ricky at the time looked like they
Speaker 3: had no idea who Ben Hunt was going to pass
Speaker 3: to anyway, So yeah's it just they look a shadow
Speaker 3: of the team that went on their premiership run last
Speaker 3: year year. And you're right, Boulog, Yes, they do have
Speaker 3: a lot of players out injured, they have a couple
Speaker 3: of players in origin, but they still have a good
Speaker 3: enough team, or at least should have a good enough
Speaker 3: culture that when like, as a premiership powerhouse, if that's
Speaker 3: what you want to be, you should have a good
Speaker 3: enough culture that when your stars are out or when
Speaker 3: you're missing a couple of players, that the next man
Speaker 3: stands up and plays with effort.
Speaker 4: Their scrutiny, though, is the result of their poor form line, right,
Speaker 4: So the rooster has also got flogged, but no one's
Speaker 4: talking about Oh geez, the Rooster has played terribly. It's
Speaker 4: because they it's on the back of poor form and
Speaker 4: their premiership defenders, so they are worthy of the scrutiny.
Speaker 4: But it's also like, yeah, they did have seven stars out,
Speaker 4: but that was amateur our and they were never going
Speaker 4: to get up against Souths with what was at stake
Speaker 4: for Souths and what they were being motivated by. But
Speaker 4: it really is puzzling at how little effort they're putting
Speaker 4: in to make to do challenge teams.
Speaker 1: Let's stay in Brisbane, but let's go the reverse and
Speaker 1: are positive The Dolt yes, quickly becoming the most favorite team.
Speaker 5: I love to watch each and every week.
Speaker 1: They're full of speed, flamboyants, they play expands if they
Speaker 1: play up all the old cliches, but they are.
Speaker 5: Fun to watch. Are they are smoky for this year's premiership?
Speaker 3: Oh?
Speaker 4: I think they're definitely. Let's be honest, guys, this is
Speaker 4: Penrith's world and we're all living in it. But if
Speaker 4: there's someone that's going to challenge that, Dolphins definitely, if
Speaker 4: they get into the top four, they absolutely can because
Speaker 4: as much as They're playing enterprising, attacking, exciting football. Their
Speaker 4: defense has been phenomenal as well. So they've turned around
Speaker 4: whatever wasn't working, because they were looking really inconsistent and
Speaker 4: poor in the start of the season.
Speaker 2: But I think they're now. Is it six straight wins,
Speaker 2: that's an unbelievable form line.
Speaker 4: That's the most formed team in the comp outside of
Speaker 4: Penrith like they are playing really great footy Katoa's back
Speaker 4: and form. I think it also shows that Ezy Katoa
Speaker 4: is a champion player, because I'll be honest, he sucked
Speaker 4: to start the season, dumb eras was getting overwhelmed, was
Speaker 4: too slow with the ball. But he's a champion so
Speaker 4: he's kind of followed in the footsteps of Nathan Cleary
Speaker 4: and worked out his game, worked out how to lead
Speaker 4: his team around the park. And you've seen the proof
Speaker 4: in the pudding. The team are getting around him, the
Speaker 4: team are running hard, they're defending brilliantly. Their fitness there
Speaker 4: was through the roof good on the Dolphins. This is
Speaker 4: awesome story. I want him in the top four.
Speaker 1: I'll tell you what, if they made the finals, and
Speaker 1: we think that they will, it might have been top
Speaker 1: four as you say, Sophie, they're a side that you
Speaker 1: wouldn't want to play in the finals because you'd be
Speaker 1: worried that if they turn up ready to go, they
Speaker 1: could blow you.
Speaker 5: Off the park.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: For me, they feel a bit like the Canberraiders last year.
Speaker 3: You know, they've got so much strike across the park.
Speaker 3: Like you said, they can turn it on from whenever.
Speaker 3: You know, guys like Kirby have been in great form
Speaker 3: all year.
Speaker 1: I think.
Speaker 3: Jermaina Saco might be out for a couple of weeks
Speaker 3: with a finger dislocation, which will be a huge loss
Speaker 3: of them because obviously he's there.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he plays like a second full back.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's been a cup shitter as well. But no,
Speaker 3: I love everything that they're doing and I don't know,
Speaker 3: I think they're a genuine chance of a top four
Speaker 3: spot if they keep going like they're going. So Yeah,
Speaker 3: Like I agree with Sopie, I think it's it's Penrith's
Speaker 3: Premiership to But if there's somebody that isn't the Warriors
Speaker 3: that can challenge Penrith, it might be the Dolphins.
Speaker 5: And West Tigers.
Speaker 1: Let's switch our attention to Like Art Oval on Sunday,
Speaker 1: it was a wonderful atmosphere it always is at Like Art.
Speaker 5: The hill was packed. We love the eighth wonder of
Speaker 5: the world.
Speaker 1: But of course it was a little bit more to
Speaker 1: play for because it's closing down and we won't be
Speaker 1: back at Leichhardt for I think.
Speaker 5: Up to two years.
Speaker 1: Ye so, but look as sad as that is, it
Speaker 1: does mean we're staying there long term with the renovations
Speaker 1: going on. So ipe, what did you make of the atmosphere.
Speaker 5: At the game? And we're a bit sad that we
Speaker 5: won't see the great ground for a couple of years.
Speaker 4: The West Tigers fans are awesome, mate, because they've suffered
Speaker 4: so much over so many years. Who has had a
Speaker 4: worse trot than a West Tigers fan and they still,
Speaker 4: especially after their team delivered the most embarrassing performance of
Speaker 4: the season last week, they've turned out in full force
Speaker 4: that the joint is rocking. They're backing their boys. The
Speaker 4: boys go up early and you're like, okay, cool, West
Speaker 4: Tigers are back at Like Art. They're going to get
Speaker 4: it sorted. And then the tragedy that unfolds as they
Speaker 4: low that lead and go down at halftime. I think
Speaker 4: they were up twelve down twenty four to twelve. Again,
Speaker 4: who would be a West Tigers fan? So good on
Speaker 4: the West Tiger's friends, they're back in the boys and
Speaker 4: he can't to know that that helped them lift to
Speaker 4: go and get that win on the West Tigers. I
Speaker 4: think it's really great that Jerome Lewie did step up.
Speaker 4: I think there was rightful scrutiny in questioning about his
Speaker 4: leadership and what he's delivering for the club. But I
Speaker 4: do think he's a champion player and he definitely was
Speaker 4: one of their best players on ground on Sunday Sunday.
Speaker 3: Right no Sunday.
Speaker 1: Sunday, Leui had been questioned and as Sophie says, I
Speaker 1: think rightly so. Since he'd signed with P and G,
Speaker 1: the form had dipped a bit. But yesterday his performance
Speaker 1: was emphatic.
Speaker 3: It absolutely was And as I wrote today, he needs
Speaker 3: to play like a guy with a chip on his
Speaker 3: shoulder every single week because he might deny hurt. But
Speaker 3: that's exactly how he played. He took the first hit up,
Speaker 3: he was physical, he was in the Titans face. You know,
Speaker 3: it might have been his first try.
Speaker 2: You can see him.
Speaker 3: He put his hand up for he wanted the ball
Speaker 3: and there was none of that fancy footwork. He just
Speaker 3: barreled through three Titans defenders. And you know it's hard
Speaker 3: for Jerome because he's won four straight Premierships right like
Speaker 3: he should be a player that should have nothing left
Speaker 3: to prove because you know what he achieved at Penrath.
Speaker 3: Very few NRL players who come after him are going
Speaker 3: to be able to achieve that. But the reality is
Speaker 3: he was brought to the Tigers as this guy who
Speaker 3: was the changing of the guard, who was going to
Speaker 3: lift them off the bottom of the table. Not him himself,
Speaker 3: but like his presence, his ability to attract other players there,
Speaker 3: and if he leaves the Tigers without them not being
Speaker 3: in a final series, I feel like I'm not that
Speaker 3: it taints his legacy, but he leaves with a.
Speaker 4: Little bit though, because he has claimed that I'm going
Speaker 4: to bring success to this club and turn the culture around,
Speaker 4: and I think it's I want to be measured here.
Speaker 4: He has done amazing work at helping change the atmosphere
Speaker 4: and the ambition of the West Tigers.
Speaker 2: But he's got to get them to the finals, I think.
Speaker 4: And I like the idea of him playing with a
Speaker 4: chip on his shoulder because he's best when he's a pest.
Speaker 4: Yeah right, He's best when he's aggravating and annoying the
Speaker 4: opposition and actually causing problems, and he did that in space.
Speaker 3: It was awesome to and after that last try he
Speaker 3: had the little, you know, be quiet gesture, so you
Speaker 3: could tell, like you know, the outside noise even though
Speaker 3: he is this champion player with four premierships, that it
Speaker 3: was beginning to get to him. So there was actually
Speaker 3: a funny moment postmatch where he was doing an interview
Speaker 3: on Fox League and Luke Keary was on the Sunday
Speaker 3: Footay show and Lukeary just did not miss him, you know,
Speaker 3: the week before I get this game, saying he's done nothing.
Speaker 3: You know, they brought him there for the rest of it.
Speaker 2: But he owned up.
Speaker 3: He goes, you know, last week's performance against Penrith, you know,
Speaker 3: not a blight on our leadership, but sort of reflects
Speaker 3: our leadership. And I'm a leader and I have to
Speaker 3: step up for the boys. So look, he's a class
Speaker 3: ack Jerome like you could. The criticism was fair, but
Speaker 3: for the Tigers to do anything, it is true they
Speaker 3: need him and they need dam Douey as well.
Speaker 4: I think they need to, but they need to beat
Speaker 4: teams that aren't the top, and it's the same with them.
Speaker 4: Bulldogs get a win and they tell everyone to be quiet.
Speaker 4: You've got to beat great teams consistently. So I still
Speaker 4: think he's got more to prove, but I'm with you.
Speaker 5: I loved it.
Speaker 3: But they're a confidence team, right, so they'll get heaps
Speaker 3: of confidence out of absolute