Speaker 1: Welcome to another edition of Code NRL podcast. I'm Alex,
Speaker 1: also known as NRL Soapbox. I'm joined by Dean Bulldog,
Speaker 1: Richie Mate and Fadema Kadou. We're going to get into tonight.
Speaker 1: In today's episode, it is going to be a spicy one.
Speaker 1: We've got some crazy results from the weekend. We're going
Speaker 1: to analyze where New South Wales are at and discuss
Speaker 1: the commentary around Laurie Daily. And there's also some killer
Speaker 1: matches coming up this week that we need to explore.
Speaker 1: So the big news from the weekend, Bulldog the Titans
Speaker 1: have won against the Panthers, an absolute upset this time.
Speaker 1: When Jaden Campbell's making that conversion, there's no trainer running
Speaker 1: in front of him. They've got some things in their favor.
Speaker 1: They seal the deal with Zane Harrison. The question is
Speaker 1: how to rate their performance and are they finally becoming
Speaker 1: a good site.
Speaker 2: Yes and no wishy washy start up. Okay you have
Speaker 2: to sit on the fence.
Speaker 3: Yes it was a great performance. No, they haven't become
Speaker 3: a great side. I did more than one win against
Speaker 3: an under strength Panthers side.
Speaker 2: To put a bit of trust in the Gold Coast
Speaker 2: every week. I'm sorry, I'm a long way short of that.
Speaker 2: Just now. Good luck to them. It was a great win.
Speaker 3: Obviously, the Panthers were without all their origin stars plus
Speaker 3: Casey McLean. So look, I thought the Panthers looked lost
Speaker 3: at times, quite pedestrian without Nathan there. But in terms
Speaker 3: of the Gold Coast, it was a terrific win and
Speaker 3: it's a building block for the rest of the season.
Speaker 2: But there's a long way.
Speaker 3: To go before there anywhere near being a consistently elite.
Speaker 1: In a rule And do you feel like don't you
Speaker 1: feel like the defense is improved dramatically though they had
Speaker 1: some close results.
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, it it looks like their attitude defense is improved.
Speaker 3: That's what I sort of see when I look at
Speaker 3: a game. And Josh Hannah is a very good coach
Speaker 3: and it's going to take time. But we've said that
Speaker 3: about everych every coach came back to when they came in.
Speaker 3: God knows when we've had fifty eight rebrands and it's
Speaker 3: the same side. They've been rubbish, let's be honest, And
Speaker 3: it takes time to for a coach to rebuild the
Speaker 3: structure the environment, but it is going North. I've got
Speaker 3: no doubt about that, but there's a long way north
Speaker 3: to go. Sorry, they've traveled about Tensify.
Speaker 1: Still thinks you're rubbish. Sorry for Tima. How did you
Speaker 1: see it?
Speaker 4: They looked very good in their retro jerseys. Yeah they yeah, yeah,
Speaker 4: yeah and Captain Charger. So yeah, they've got stuff going
Speaker 4: for them in terms of that sort of things. But look,
Speaker 4: they're beginning to look like an improved team. I think
Speaker 4: the emergence of Zaane Harrison has been really important for.
Speaker 5: Them for such a long time.
Speaker 4: For years, like if you go back all the way
Speaker 4: to Ash Taylor, they've sort of had a trouble with
Speaker 4: finding that guy who's going to be there, you know,
Speaker 4: long term number seven. At one point it was Ash Taylor,
Speaker 4: it was Tanner Boyd, it was Toby Sexton, you know,
Speaker 4: all these guys who had talked about is the next
Speaker 4: big thing but never really came through for them. Zaane Harrison,
Speaker 4: I know he's only twenty and he's only played what
Speaker 4: six seven games now, but he does look like the
Speaker 4: real deal when their spine finally looks at all. I mean,
Speaker 4: we've seen what Keanu Kinney can do, Like he's just
Speaker 4: an absolute, you know, live wire when he's in that mood,
Speaker 4: good young forwards coming through Cooper Bye aramahou So yeah,
Speaker 4: I think they've got the building blocks of a really really.
Speaker 5: Good young team.
Speaker 1: So you reckon Zane Harrison's the half they need to
Speaker 1: stick with right now.
Speaker 4: He's showing all the fundamentals of a number seven and
Speaker 4: Jayden Campbell looks like he feels really comfortable in that
Speaker 4: number six role.
Speaker 1: Ye, so yeah, yeah, I think Zane Harrison's had incredible
Speaker 1: composure for a young guy coming in and when your
Speaker 1: ice games and if you're building when you're so new
Speaker 1: into your career and you're already getting clutch moments and
Speaker 1: finishing games, that's a very promising sign for a playmaker
Speaker 1: that they're actually going to be a clutch player. Pretty
Speaker 1: stoked for him.
Speaker 2: Stoked.
Speaker 1: He's also a new South Wales Blues fan. Hates the Queenslanders,
Speaker 1: so very happy about that. There are a couple of
Speaker 1: upsets over the weekend. So we have the Titans, which
Speaker 1: is the biggest one. I know the Panthers had some
Speaker 1: players out, but it's still a very impressive performance. Then
Speaker 1: we also had the Bulldogs taking on the Eagles and
Speaker 1: winning it, and then we almost had a very near
Speaker 1: upset with the Dragons and the Nights. We'll get to
Speaker 1: the Bulldogs in a second, but the Dragons finally started
Speaker 1: playing some footy bulldog what'd you make of that one? Yeah?
Speaker 2: I thought they were pretty unlucky, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3: At the death, I think even Cole Flanning had the
Speaker 3: chance to ground the ball and he couldn't quite do it.
Speaker 3: Wasn't on Carle, of course, it was a difficult one
Speaker 3: for him to catch and put down.
Speaker 2: But there are some gentle signs coming through. I'm gonna
Speaker 2: feel sorry for Dean Young.
Speaker 1: It's the worst.
Speaker 5: Let's go through this gip by being very diplomatic.
Speaker 1: I'm trying to get the fire out of you.
Speaker 2: Let's let's look at this way. Dean Young came in
Speaker 2: when the club needing, and he's a club legend, as
Speaker 2: was his father.
Speaker 3: But of course him coming into a side that's really struggling,
Speaker 3: it's going to impact on his ability to retain the
Speaker 3: job full time and the same roster is there. Should
Speaker 3: we judge Dean Young this year or on what he
Speaker 3: could potentially do next year with a much improved roster. Look,
Speaker 3: as much as they've improved. They nearly toppled the Knights.
Speaker 3: I get all that, but they still got beaten. And
Speaker 3: they've won one game this year, one game. So it's
Speaker 3: very hard to talk positive about the Dragons. I want to,
Speaker 3: but I just can't.
Speaker 5: I think I'm beginning to shift on this.
Speaker 4: Originally I thought, with you know, with a kind of
Speaker 4: roster overhaul day Ne and how badly they were going,
Speaker 4: and the fact that Dean Young was part of Shane
Speaker 4: Flanagan's coaching stuff, that maybe they needed to look completely,
Speaker 4: you know, they needed a fresh start, look elsewhere. But again,
Speaker 4: I know they've only won game, won one game. Who
Speaker 4: knows how many they'll win by the end of the year.
Speaker 4: But there has been enough improvement to think that whatever
Speaker 4: Dean Young's doing with that group, especially you know he's
Speaker 4: he's picking a lot of young guys looking at the future,
Speaker 4: particularly in the forward pack, enough improvement there to show
Speaker 4: that the players are responding to him. And he's even
Speaker 4: finally got a bit of effort out of our homes
Speaker 4: and we're.
Speaker 1: Going to touch.
Speaker 4: But you know, even he has also found a little
Speaker 4: bit of form, nowhere near his peak, But you know,
Speaker 4: the players are responding to whatever he's doing.
Speaker 1: But you can't. It's really crazy to assign a coach
Speaker 1: for potential. Oh, he's going to get this squad and
Speaker 1: they might start playing well. That would be a really
Speaker 1: risky decision to put a coach in when you're right, bulldog,
Speaker 1: he hasn't got the wins on the board. The thing is, though,
Speaker 1: the the Dragons beat the Knights on pretty much every
Speaker 1: stat line, everything, possession, completion rate, off floats. They were
Speaker 1: killing it, so they actually looked like they were playing
Speaker 1: great footage. But you've got to ic your moments, and
Speaker 1: I generally think that game was symptomatic of the Dragon season.
Speaker 1: You can put all this effort in, but they don't
Speaker 1: look like a team that believes that anything they do
Speaker 1: will affect the result.
Speaker 3: They're down on confidence. It must feel right now that
Speaker 3: everything they try it turns to you know what, Yes,
Speaker 3: and it is it has look next to you better
Speaker 3: times ahead. But I don't like clubs that look too
Speaker 3: far ahead. You've got to play for now. You've got
Speaker 3: your fans. Now, you're asking sponsors to sponsor, you're asking
Speaker 3: fans to play big bucks to turn up. You can't
Speaker 3: just go next year be better. It doesn't work that
Speaker 3: way now, not that simple. You've got to play for now,
Speaker 3: and Dean Young is desperately trying to get some results
Speaker 3: this year, but it's just not happening. And I feel
Speaker 3: sorry for Dina because he's putting the effort in. But again,
Speaker 3: I come back, it comes down to w's and l's.
Speaker 2: That's right, and then the W column is one one tick.
Speaker 2: It's not good enough.
Speaker 1: No, it's not good enough. Well, speaking of teams that
Speaker 1: are trying to play for now and try and redeem
Speaker 1: a season, Kennary Bulldogs got up against my beloved Manly Seagulls.
Speaker 1: I've never been more angry watching a game of footy
Speaker 1: in my life. I am furious over that result, and
Speaker 1: not just because Bulldogs fans hate my takes on their
Speaker 1: team and they were very much in my DM's bulldog,
Speaker 1: giving me a lot of grief. But they did play decent,
Speaker 1: They defended quite well. There were some amazing individual efforts
Speaker 1: from Bulldogs players, but there's a lot of question marks
Speaker 1: over that Bulldogs win. Fatima, How did you see well?
Speaker 5: I thought the move.
Speaker 4: Of Critter into the habs was interesting. We've seen in
Speaker 4: and you know, mid game zero sort of go to
Speaker 4: that when things aren't going well for them in attack,
Speaker 4: which has pretty much been or if we're honest. Yeah, look,
Speaker 4: they got the win, they got the winning golden point,
Speaker 4: they won three from four. Now they've got an easy
Speaker 4: ish run in the next month, so they have a
Speaker 4: chance to springboard their season. But I think moving Critter
Speaker 4: into five eight and then Burden out into the centers.
Speaker 4: I always said Burden might be a better center, and
Speaker 4: we saw, you know, he made a stack of runs.
Speaker 4: I pick nineteen runs on the weekend. Still papers over
Speaker 4: the issue that they have a massive halves conundrum.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think.
Speaker 4: And the thing is they keep you know, now they
Speaker 4: cycle Burden with Creator the rest of it. Lachlan Galvin
Speaker 4: is their best five eight, but they can't play him
Speaker 4: at five eight because they don't have a half.
Speaker 1: Back, right, So you think Galvin should be playing six, right,
Speaker 1: I do.
Speaker 4: But this thing, I actually agree with Gus Gould when
Speaker 4: he says he is their best seven at the moment,
Speaker 4: but he's also their best five eight.
Speaker 1: And this is where I definitely disagree with Phil Gould
Speaker 1: on this one. So firstly, I think Bulldogs Fens are
Speaker 1: pretty happy right now. That win covered a multitude of
Speaker 1: sins like that was a terrible attacking performance by the Bulldogs.
Speaker 1: It would blew my mind that Saldo has said Burton's
Speaker 1: our six, he's our five eight, this is our spine,
Speaker 1: this is the best one we've got. And then halfway
Speaker 1: through the season he moves Burton to center, which what
Speaker 1: everyone has been asking for. We've got to and then,
Speaker 1: and then, and then fans would have been like, okay, great,
Speaker 1: Galvin's going to go and play five eight. We're going
Speaker 1: to put Stephen Crichton into five eight. And once again
Speaker 1: you see that the Bulldog's attack is very pedestrian. They
Speaker 1: scored one try off a lucky kick and one try
Speaker 1: of Lachlan Galvin playing like a six which is a
Speaker 1: dummy and run to score. So that's all they were
Speaker 1: able to do with the abundance of possession that they
Speaker 1: had against a very depleted middle forward pack from Manly Bulldog.
Speaker 1: What do you make of their attack?
Speaker 2: It was a.
Speaker 3: Victory based on defense. I don't think it was based
Speaker 3: on attack. And all I thought they were very lucky.
Speaker 3: Let's be honest, Bulldogs fans would think, well, if Jamar
Speaker 3: Foggley kicks one goal of his two misses, both hit
Speaker 3: the post. I might add two missfield goals, but look,
Speaker 3: you you make your own luck, and good luck to
Speaker 3: the dogs. It was a much needed victory, but I
Speaker 3: didn't see much there to give me any confidence moving
Speaker 3: forward that this is a semi final side.
Speaker 2: They had a great win. Have a penrith what about
Speaker 2: eight weeks ago?
Speaker 1: Was that's the key swin.
Speaker 3: I have not seen one statement victory from a Cannaby
Speaker 3: side that suggested me this side is surging towards the finals.
Speaker 3: We've got the one of the best centers in the world.
Speaker 3: They've had to move into five eight. I'm still yet
Speaker 3: to be convinced crit is are ball playing six. Yeah,
Speaker 3: it worked and they'll probably sticked with it this week. Yeah,
Speaker 3: good luck to him, but there's still as you said
Speaker 3: for Teama quite rightly, there's still a lot of issues there.
Speaker 3: How many times is Cameron sirel though, and I don't
Speaker 3: blame Sero here because he's desperately trying to find the
Speaker 3: right combination to push him into those finals. But how
Speaker 3: many times this year has he tinkered with his spine?
Speaker 3: It seems to be every single week.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and that's the thing, right when if you're going
Speaker 4: to make such a big change in your halves at
Speaker 4: this point of this season, it's just going to be
Speaker 4: Groundhong Day with everything that happened with Toby Sexton, which
Speaker 4: was probably around the same time, same time.
Speaker 5: This year, you know.
Speaker 4: So look, their attack is pedestrian, right, they're averaging less
Speaker 4: than eighteen points, I think it's seventeen seventeen and a
Speaker 4: half points per game. Only the Dragons have scored less
Speaker 4: tries than them this year, right, But their attack has
Speaker 4: been a problem for a couple of years and zero.
Speaker 4: You know, he's just trying to find something that works.
Speaker 4: But that tinkering is right now.
Speaker 3: Yeah, this tinkering started with Toby sex and I mind ed. Yeah,
Speaker 3: it's been rounds to go.
Speaker 2: We're coming up to about a year now, That's what
Speaker 2: I mean.
Speaker 1: Yeah, put your cards on the table. Who should their spine?
Speaker 1: But you go first.
Speaker 3: I'd still go Look, I think Lachlan Galvin's are six.
Speaker 3: I think it's generally accept you. But in this case,
Speaker 3: I mean, I guess you have to look at Canby's
Speaker 3: point of view at some point and go, well, who
Speaker 3: is the seven? So look right here right now, going
Speaker 3: toward the finals, I'd still go cretter in the center's
Speaker 3: Burt at six, Galvin at seven. Well, I think we
Speaker 3: know Galvin is a six incoming years.
Speaker 1: Okay, great, what for you we're looking.
Speaker 4: For right now, not the future, the future, Okay, So
Speaker 4: I think Galvin should be playing at six, someone like
Speaker 4: Sean O's Sullivan at seven. They do have they do
Speaker 4: have a young kid called Alex Conti.
Speaker 5: He's a half back. He actually was named on the
Speaker 5: extended bench on the weekend. But he's also only twenty
Speaker 5: years old.
Speaker 4: So I don't know whether you do that to have
Speaker 4: two twenty year old sort of you know, carrying the season,
Speaker 4: and then I'd have tret out fullback.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 5: People don't like that idea. They're sort of like, you know,
Speaker 5: you don't use your Ferrari at fullback. But he's He's just.
Speaker 4: He could be so influential for them in the same
Speaker 4: way that Tommy Tobo is influential for many with him
Speaker 4: at full back.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'd go move Hayward to Locke. We're losing that
Speaker 1: ball playing ability that he has. Put whoever you want
Speaker 1: in a hooker, they'll do better, and then play Sean
Speaker 1: and Seldom for the experience in game management, Luckie Galvin
Speaker 1: because he's actually been their best player. He'll be great
Speaker 1: at six. Keep Connor Tracy at one because they need
Speaker 1: him for that defensive backbone. So we've sold all those
Speaker 1: problems for the Bulldogs are welcome.
Speaker 2: Zero.
Speaker 1: Let's talk about a couple of something I picked up
Speaker 1: recently in three losses over the past two rounds that
Speaker 1: is going to be incredibly detrimental to teams finals chances
Speaker 1: is the goalkicking. So let's just lay this down. Last
Speaker 1: week the Warriors lost to the Sharks because Adam Pompey
Speaker 1: missed a penalty kick on the siren, was absolutely kickable
Speaker 1: and missed it. They also stuffed up their field goal chance.
Speaker 1: This week, our Holmes is sitting a meter away from
Speaker 1: the right upright and misses it completely. And then for
Speaker 1: the manly game they actually as well scored, so the
Speaker 1: Dragon scored more tries than the Knights, the Eagle scored
Speaker 1: more tries than the Bulldogs. Jamal Fogg and he misses
Speaker 1: to Ruby and Garrett missus one. And then they botched
Speaker 1: two field goals attempts, So that's five opportunities where they
Speaker 1: didn't ice the game. Is goal kicking. Here's here's my
Speaker 1: here's my hypothesis, and you guys can wrestle with this.
Speaker 1: Do you need to have a clutch kicker in order
Speaker 1: to make the Grand Final?
Speaker 2: Well, you need a good goal kicker.
Speaker 1: Does I want him to be clutched?
Speaker 2: Though?
Speaker 1: Can you the moment you.
Speaker 2: Think all of them would be clutching? All of them practice?
Speaker 3: They should all be striking these days and around eighty
Speaker 3: eighty five percent that's the expected figure in the old days.
Speaker 3: That's so like an old fart if you're kicking about
Speaker 3: sixty five percent or a good goal kicker. Now, it's
Speaker 3: true the roof. But look, clutch kicking doesn't come down
Speaker 3: to practice. It comes down to pressure, and it's up
Speaker 3: to the person as to whether he can handle that pressure.
Speaker 3: And pressure does funny things to normally strong minded people.
Speaker 3: But look and answer your question, yes, clearly, I get
Speaker 3: just as frustrated around field goals and the inability of
Speaker 3: professional rugby league teams to position themselves for a match
Speaker 3: winning field goal. Yeah, they fumble and they bumble, and
Speaker 3: they go left, they go right.
Speaker 2: It's not that flame and hard.
Speaker 3: If you've got a right foot kicker, send a couple
Speaker 3: down the left edge and come back and stand.
Speaker 2: Back twenty minutes week.
Speaker 3: It was rather than standing up neither defensive fly and
Speaker 3: getting get charged down, it was a bumble of fault.
Speaker 5: I was going to ask you about that, Sophie.
Speaker 4: Then Manly set up in the late in the first
Speaker 4: stanza of Golden Point, what we what?
Speaker 1: I was dying. I was dying watching it. So clearly,
Speaker 1: So the criticism of Jamal Foggerty from Raiders fancies that
Speaker 1: he didn't It wasn't a clutch goalkicker in those key moments.
Speaker 1: Now that's unfair. It's probably accurate, but it's unfair in
Speaker 1: terms of well, everything else he brought you can't be
Speaker 1: you can't be everything. He's not Nathan Cleary. Okay, So
Speaker 1: he clearly though likes We've seen this before. I've seen
Speaker 1: him hit a couple of field goals for Manly. He
Speaker 1: likes to be twelve meters out in front and slam
Speaker 1: it through. And so that's what that's the Clearly the
Speaker 1: position he was trying to set up for the Bulldogs
Speaker 1: are the best charge down to him in the camp.
Speaker 1: They are so hungry and fast off the line to
Speaker 1: get to that player. You can't do that. You have
Speaker 1: to be you have to have the balls and bravado
Speaker 1: like Critter to drop all the way back and now
Speaker 1: all the attentions on you. You've really got to nail it.
Speaker 1: But at least you've got space in time. So I
Speaker 1: thought the same was with the Warriors as well. I
Speaker 1: think it was Tomorrow Martin where they watch their opportunity
Speaker 1: and you're right, the position, you're too close. You've got
Speaker 1: to be clutch. So on that, who would you want
Speaker 1: if you've got you've got one player to choose from
Speaker 1: in the competition. It's the Grand Final, it's sixteen all
Speaker 1: you've scored in the right hand corner. Who would you
Speaker 1: want kicking for that goal to win the goal?
Speaker 2: Or a field goal?
Speaker 1: A goal guy, and then we'll go field goal.
Speaker 2: Let me put him on the spot, all right.
Speaker 3: The best treaker in the competition, I've got no doubt
Speaker 3: is jermainus Zako.
Speaker 1: That's who I'm going to.
Speaker 2: Yeah. I think he's hitting eighty five. Yeah, he's killing it.
Speaker 2: He's six and six.
Speaker 3: Again, I think out there at Campbelltown on the weekend.
Speaker 3: So if you're asking me for the best kicker, yeah,
Speaker 3: i'd go Jamaine.
Speaker 1: Okay, and then what about clutch for field goal.
Speaker 5: Yeah, probably Nay or Cherry.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Cherry doesn't many.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Man, I got to tell you again, as a
Speaker 1: Manly fan watching DC kick that field goal to go
Speaker 1: up by a point, it was almost like you were saying,
Speaker 1: see what you're missing, guys field goals.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 1: And there's also that argument of like maybe teams need
Speaker 1: to get more strategic and when you're ahead by six
Speaker 1: or twelve, just get to get an extra point ahead
Speaker 1: so you Can's almost.
Speaker 2: They feel like it's a mental weakness to take the
Speaker 2: one point. Yeah, you've got to go for the try.
Speaker 2: It's a sign that you've surrendered by taking the point.
Speaker 2: It's bullshit.
Speaker 3: Yeah, if there's a point there and it's an important point,
Speaker 3: take it. Take the point a bit like man, I'm
Speaker 3: bit old fashion. If it's two points, take the two points.
Speaker 3: It's hard to try, man, it's hard to try. So
Speaker 3: it's easy to take the two.
Speaker 1: Pretty clear that if your team's not going to win
Speaker 1: the camp unless you've got a clutch goalkicker. Moving on
Speaker 1: from last weekend's results, let's go back even further into
Speaker 1: the past and talk about the abominable loss for the
Speaker 1: New South Wales Blues. The Maroons absolutely smashed them. There's
Speaker 1: been a lot of chat about Laurie daily about the selections,
Speaker 1: the bench rotations, but then individual players performances as well.
Speaker 1: So let's break down first if a teama, where did
Speaker 1: New South Wales go wrong on Wednesday night?
Speaker 5: Oh?
Speaker 4: That feels like such a big, loaded question because you
Speaker 4: know there were going into that game chats about how
Speaker 4: poor New South Wales have started in their last few games.
Speaker 4: I don't think we saw much of that. I think
Speaker 4: there was a lot of intensity that was high energy.
Speaker 4: But yeah, the bench rotations were a bit of a
Speaker 4: headstrap scratcher. You've got Adam Fanil Blake comes on. I
Speaker 4: think what plays eight minutes? You know, the decision not
Speaker 4: to start with with Cam Murray.
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, I don't know. It just it wasn't good.
Speaker 5: I mean.
Speaker 4: And then I think we said a couple of shows
Speaker 4: ago that Ethan Strange was going to be one of
Speaker 4: the hardest decisions now that Mitch Moses was available, because
Speaker 4: it was almost like a lose lose situation for Laurie.
Speaker 4: Now in hindsight, everyone's saying, well, oh, Mitch and Nathan
Speaker 4: didn't work.
Speaker 5: They're too similar.
Speaker 4: He should have stuck with Ethan Strange. But you know,
Speaker 4: if we'd lost with Ethan Strange, we'd be having the
Speaker 4: same discussion. So Laurie's in a top spot in terms
Speaker 4: of his selections as people left, right and center.
Speaker 5: This guy's got to come in.
Speaker 4: I'm always got to come back here, Liam Martin, Stephen Crichton,
Speaker 4: the trail Michol.
Speaker 5: But yeah, I don't know. It wasn't good.
Speaker 2: It was.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I felt like they actually knew south Well's performed
Speaker 1: fantastically for the first twenty minutes. It's like but it
Speaker 1: was almost like this. All the attention, energy and direction
Speaker 1: went into let's win the first twenty minutes, and then
Speaker 1: the game plan fell apart for the next sixty and
Speaker 1: Queensland just dominated us. There was so much criticism of
Speaker 1: those bench rotations, and I think rightfully so I could
Speaker 1: not fathom Adam fanol Blake getting on the field at
Speaker 1: that point in time. There was this is a time
Speaker 1: where you need to take advantage of a team's fatigue,
Speaker 1: and we chose power over pace and it obviously blew
Speaker 1: up in our face. You get a sim bin and
Speaker 1: then it's all over anyway, But the game was done.
Speaker 1: They had absolutely destroyed us. I feel for ca Toni Staggs,
Speaker 1: who put in probably his worst performance he's ever put in. Yeah,
Speaker 1: but it made me think that in New South Wales
Speaker 1: right now, they don't have faith in the game plan,
Speaker 1: they don't believe in what they what they're trying to
Speaker 1: achieve and they where's.
Speaker 2: This coming from? What are you basing that comment on?
Speaker 1: By the lack of performance?
Speaker 2: The second half was poor?
Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, and there's reasons and the first guy fair,
Speaker 3: go let's go through very quickly the bad points. I
Speaker 3: was like you, I was confused around the rotation. Okay,
Speaker 3: there was the Toni stag sindmon which did disrupt the bench.
Speaker 3: I didn't think we had enough bodies in motion.
Speaker 2: I didn't think we were played enough footy.
Speaker 3: I think we're just trying to get to our kicks,
Speaker 3: kick long and hope for the mistake. Queen's oun said
Speaker 3: stuff this, we're going to go rogue.
Speaker 2: Here.
Speaker 3: We had Harry going down the short side and months
Speaker 3: of throwing pass over his head. It kicks across field,
Speaker 3: all sorts of things. They are exciting and we were
Speaker 3: left behind. There's no doubt about that. But in terms
Speaker 3: of selections, question marks too over Mitchell Moses, whether he
Speaker 3: should have played or not. But again, we don't know
Speaker 3: whether Mitchell Moses was fit. You think he was fit
Speaker 3: just because he didn't play well, It doesn't mean we
Speaker 3: should all jump the conclusion he shouldn't have plagued because
Speaker 3: he wasn't fit.
Speaker 2: We don't know that. So Laurie's got a few hard
Speaker 2: calls to make in.
Speaker 1: Terms of are you were biding at me saying they
Speaker 1: don't believe in the game plan? So you go on, Ham, well,
Speaker 1: what are you basing it? Because they played terribly and
Speaker 1: players no?
Speaker 2: Well then what are you basing on?
Speaker 1: But they could even if I spoke to them, do
Speaker 1: you think they're going to answer?
Speaker 2: Probably not believe in the game Probably not.
Speaker 3: Yeah, So what I'm saying is, I'm all for condemnation,
Speaker 3: I'm all for criticism, all for debate, and all for
Speaker 3: questioning Lorry.
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm a friend of Lorry's. I've always made that upfront,
Speaker 2: and I.
Speaker 3: Think some of the criticism has been justified, warranted, And
Speaker 3: if you have that opinion, I've got no problem whatsoever
Speaker 3: as long as it's measured, considered, and it's analytical. But
Speaker 3: the personal criticism is what's got to me. I see,
Speaker 3: it's been revolting. It's made me sick to the stomach.
Speaker 3: Some of the stuff I've read, it's unfair, it's unsettled, lorry,
Speaker 3: and I think it's and it's more social media.
Speaker 2: Let me point that out.
Speaker 3: Mainstream media is more analytical. But some of the stuff
Speaker 3: that I've read has been appalling.
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, so let's and I'm a fan, so I'm
Speaker 1: not a journo. I'm coming from a different perspective and
Speaker 1: I am an online content creator. I am part of
Speaker 1: your enemy bulldog. So let me ask you this though,
Speaker 1: what for you, what is the line between legitimate criticism
Speaker 1: and personal attack, Because I've definitely come in defensive Laurie.
Speaker 1: At times I don't think his speeches are boring, for example,
Speaker 1: But other times I think there's legitimate question marks of
Speaker 1: what we don't know what he's doing, and it feels
Speaker 1: like genuine analysts and pundits don't know either. So what's
Speaker 1: the line.
Speaker 2: For you that the line of the saying, I guess
Speaker 2: is professional.
Speaker 3: Are we questioning his ability as a coach or are
Speaker 3: we questioning what he's done personally? And I think look
Speaker 3: it's a foggy line. There's no clear line that goes
Speaker 3: down the middle.
Speaker 2: It's in perfect a line. It's cloudy. But I just
Speaker 2: think that he gets it.
Speaker 3: Laurie's been in the media and been a coach for
Speaker 3: a long time as he was a player. He understands criticism.
Speaker 3: But I think some of the stuff that's been said
Speaker 3: written has been poor. But he gets it too. He
Speaker 3: understands it when you're lose by forty odd in Melbourne,
Speaker 3: you've got to suffer the consequences, and he is doing
Speaker 3: that right here.
Speaker 2: Right now.
Speaker 1: Yeah, how do you view it, Fatima?
Speaker 5: Yeah, I tend to agree.
Speaker 4: I mean, the reality is there's enough wrong there at
Speaker 4: the moment with the Blues where you could have completely
Speaker 4: legitimate criticisms, whether you know, like you said, with its selections,
Speaker 4: it's the game plan, the rotations, the you know, taking
Speaker 4: Critter into game one with the ac injury, not knowing
Speaker 4: how good or bad which will Moses hamstring was. So
Speaker 4: there's definitely there's enough there for the fans to criticize
Speaker 4: Lorrie without getting personal.
Speaker 3: You know what I want, you know what I want.
Speaker 3: I'd love Laurie and I've spoken to about this I'd
Speaker 3: love Laurie to come out before the game and really
Speaker 3: get on the front foot and say, I've had a
Speaker 3: gutful of the criticism. I've had a gutful of people
Speaker 3: coming at me. I've had a gutful of everyone telling
Speaker 3: me what to do. I'm gonna do it my way.
Speaker 3: I'll do it a strong way, and I want the
Speaker 3: boys right behind me. I want their support. I want
Speaker 3: them to win for themselves, to win, for the coach,
Speaker 3: to win, for the state. How about And I know
Speaker 3: this is probably living in fantasy land that New South
Speaker 3: Wales actually your night. Yeah, yeah, I know we don't
Speaker 3: do that. We pick ourselves apart in one game one
Speaker 3: and we still tore each other to streets. It would
Speaker 3: be nic And I know a couple of coaches have
Speaker 3: wrung me about this, saying, can we try to get
Speaker 3: behind the state. It doesn't happen. We don't do it
Speaker 3: in yourself wells yet we bad Queensland. But they do
Speaker 3: it up there. They'll have their say and they will
Speaker 3: be questioning their selections and then after two days they
Speaker 3: go right, this is our team. Let's get behind them.
Speaker 3: It would be nice if we could do that. All
Speaker 3: this doom and gloom feels like we've lost a series
Speaker 3: three nil.
Speaker 2: It's one one. We've earnt that right by winning in Sydney.
Speaker 2: Was it fortunate? It was? We all get that.
Speaker 3: But we still go up there with a chance and
Speaker 3: outside chance, it's a chance.
Speaker 1: But I think I think the criticism of Laurie is
Speaker 1: is and he has become partly a meme online because
Speaker 1: of his inability to clearly and effectively communicate to the media.
Speaker 1: So what a fan is supposed to do that. We're
Speaker 1: not in the inner sactum, so we're just looking at results,
Speaker 1: how the team is playing. A lot of people do
Speaker 1: think we're unbelievably fortunate to get away with that win,
Speaker 1: and I did think we played poorly and just got lucky.
Speaker 3: So, but Laurie doesn't have to communicate to the media. Well,
Speaker 3: Laury has to do what he has to do to
Speaker 3: the media. He's going to communicate to the place, that's.
Speaker 2: His main role. He doesn't have to get.
Speaker 3: Up there and communicate to us with any analytical conversations.
Speaker 2: That's for the players.
Speaker 3: How he handles the media is up to him. I
Speaker 3: think Billy does it very well. That's not a criticism
Speaker 3: of Laurie. I think Billy every conversation Billy has, he
Speaker 3: every sentence Billy says has a meaning to it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I find Billy does a very good job. He does.
Speaker 1: But that's what you see. You've gone. You've said like
Speaker 1: he doesn't need to worry about the media, but Billy
Speaker 1: handles the media different.
Speaker 2: It's also for courses. Just because Billy doesn't doesn't mean Lurry's.
Speaker 1: Someone needs to. If we want New South Wales fans
Speaker 1: to get behind our coach, someone needs to have that
Speaker 1: clary and call that striking vision to unify this. So
Speaker 1: what do you want him to say something? Well, what
Speaker 1: do you want him to say? What do you mean?
Speaker 1: It's so many things. Hey, sorry, we got it wrong.
Speaker 1: These tactics aren't working. We have met together and we've
Speaker 1: taken respect with a very big honesty sessions. I'm taking responsibility.
Speaker 1: I'm sorry. Here's my vision, here's my vision. But he
Speaker 1: doesn't have to tell you that. I know he doesn't
Speaker 1: have to. But if you're saying we want to get
Speaker 1: the fans around Laurie daily, we need a visible.
Speaker 3: We should support them because we're born in yourself, well,
Speaker 3: not because the coach might't tell us.
Speaker 1: But if you support doesn't it out works. So you're
Speaker 1: saying that I just need to be fully positive about
Speaker 1: everything Laurie's doing.
Speaker 2: Not fully positive.
Speaker 3: I said quite clearly early on that there should be
Speaker 3: condemnation when it's necessary, and there should be criticism. But
Speaker 3: I think it's up to each individual. What is wayn
Speaker 3: Bennett give you nothing jack shit every week. But he's
Speaker 3: one of the greatest coach too, because he's got results.
Speaker 3: Look at des has That's why. Yeah, I'm just saying
Speaker 3: that each individual coach has an individual way of going
Speaker 3: about how their approached the media, what they want to
Speaker 3: let out of the bag, and what they tell their players.
Speaker 1: Yeah well, yeah, okay, Bulldog and I am not going
Speaker 1: to agree on this one, and I'm not going to
Speaker 1: agree with Laurie's coaching record. I think it's unfortunate for
Speaker 1: low because he's clearly from all reports, an incredibly likable bloke.
Speaker 1: I've been a great servant to New South Wales as
Speaker 1: a performer, but fans are getting frustrated with his coaching
Speaker 1: and the lack of results. That being said, Bulldog, there
Speaker 1: is still Game three. We could turn it around. My
Speaker 1: confidence levels are low, but maybe You're right, maybe I
Speaker 1: need to be more like a Queenslander. Okay, I'm going
Speaker 1: to get out of this this chat. Four bulldog punches,
Speaker 1: all right, out of origin. We look to the weak
Speaker 1: ahead and there are two really really exciting games coming
Speaker 1: on this weekend. We have the Battle of brook Far.
Speaker 1: We've got the Manly Seagulls versus the Melbourne Storm and
Speaker 1: then we're also going to look at the Dolphins and
Speaker 1: the Warriors, which is shaping up to be a decider
Speaker 1: of who could end up in second place with both
Speaker 1: teams in red hot form. Battle of Brookie Bulldog. What
Speaker 1: do you love about it?
Speaker 2: I love the memories.
Speaker 3: I can remember that day, so all those years ago
Speaker 3: when rugby league was rugby.
Speaker 2: League and men were men and we didn't have six
Speaker 2: A games Bunkers.
Speaker 3: The glory brings a tear to a lass I seriously,
Speaker 3: but it should be a great game. Look, obviously, the
Speaker 3: Forsball resurgence just took a minusetack just a pothole.
Speaker 2: On the weekend. Melbourne have now won three straight.
Speaker 1: I think they're like five from six or something.
Speaker 3: I still don't think they can get to, okay, the
Speaker 3: top four or Grand Final. It this season may end
Speaker 3: up being a limp into the finals. That reminds me
Speaker 3: a bit of last year. Use up a lot of
Speaker 3: juice draw to get back into the competition after a pause.
Speaker 3: But they got there, the Panthers, and in the end
Speaker 3: albit they got to a premium. They fell just short
Speaker 3: because I think they'll just add a fuel. So look,
Speaker 3: if they can make the finals and they do run
Speaker 3: hot with Munster Brant so far longer than that far
Speaker 3: of course your own hughes. If they run hot, they
Speaker 3: can beat anybody. But at the moment, I think they'll
Speaker 3: fall just short. Yeah, okay, yeah, And so who you're
Speaker 3: picking for the weekend do you think I think many
Speaker 3: will get him at Brookvale? And that other game you
Speaker 3: talk about Dolphins Warriors terrific game.
Speaker 2: Dolphins are now in a second people favorite.
Speaker 3: And then I who have thought that I always called
Speaker 3: them a smoky I don't think they were smoking anymore.
Speaker 3: I think they were general contenders, Yeah, genuine premiership chances.
Speaker 3: I got so much speed. They without all their guns
Speaker 3: on the weekend too, and they still beat the Tigers.
Speaker 2: Sophie, you've got me on the hoppy. Where's that game
Speaker 2: being played?
Speaker 5: That game.
Speaker 2: Okay, I'll still go the Warriors. You know why.
Speaker 3: They've got a bit of grin of had a missyear
Speaker 3: the Warriors, which I haven't had years gone by. They
Speaker 3: was had a bit of flair. But I think the
Speaker 3: Grits getting him home and I think they'll get the
Speaker 3: cash up there for team.
Speaker 1: Are your thoughts my thoughts?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Do you let's go Dolphins Warriors dodge teams? He thinks
Speaker 1: in more better chance of who think's going to finish
Speaker 1: higher on the ladder?
Speaker 5: Are those two a couple of weeks ago when we
Speaker 5: said the Warriors?
Speaker 4: But now so obviously they lost turn of Boid the
Speaker 4: season Jackson Ford. They're waiting to see just how bad
Speaker 4: that Peck injuries is. He's been the best, most consistent
Speaker 4: forward all year. He's going to be a massive loss
Speaker 4: for them if he has ruptured that Peck muscle.
Speaker 5: I really like the Dolphins.
Speaker 4: They're just such a joyful, fun team to watch. They
Speaker 4: remind me of my team camera from last year. So yeah,
Speaker 4: I was going into the final series thinking if camebra
Speaker 4: are going to me sitting.
Speaker 5: At sixteenth they look like they are. The Warriors were
Speaker 5: going to be my team.
Speaker 4: But I think I might jump on the Finns band,
Speaker 4: you know, and you think about, you know, the win
Speaker 4: on the weekend it came they were heavily undermanned without
Speaker 4: their origin stars, and then Izy Katola is a late emission.
Speaker 4: The way Cody nick Garima is playing, you know, he's
Speaker 4: close to the career best form for him, a lot
Speaker 4: of players at career best form, and there's just there're
Speaker 4: a feel good story.
Speaker 1: Yeah, And well, the thing about the Dolphins is I've
Speaker 1: looked at their injury list and there's almost nobody out.
Speaker 1: They're facing the next ten games with none of their
Speaker 1: men out, which means they've already in roaring hot form
Speaker 1: and they've got all their players available. I generally think
Speaker 1: whoever wins this game is going to end up being
Speaker 1: second place in the competition. And I think the Warriors
Speaker 1: have a steeper hill to climb because losing just through
Speaker 1: the injuries that they've had, the acls Metcalf hasn't got
Speaker 1: back into the team and found form. Yet they're lacking
Speaker 1: that clutch playmaker that they need. For that they need
Speaker 1: to capitalize on all their forwards hard work. So I actually,
Speaker 1: generally I think the Warriors are still a great team,
Speaker 1: they're going to finish top four. I think Dolphins are
Speaker 1: absolutely going to smash them up there. I think they're
Speaker 1: just ready to go and that the Dolphins end up
Speaker 1: finishing second and just on the Battle of Brookvale. How
Speaker 1: could I forget Manly are absolutely going to smoke the storm.
Speaker 1: Not just because I've got a really really hate Albourne
Speaker 1: and I love Manly, but the boys are informed. They
Speaker 1: always get up for this game. I know Melbourne are
Speaker 1: on a good streak, but it's going to be Manly
Speaker 1: by thirteen plus.
Speaker 2: Really, what can you get for nineteen bucks these days?
Speaker 2: Or can you get about four coffees?
Speaker 6: Although I know you're like a sword, so probably only
Speaker 6: three for you because they charge a bit more for
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Speaker 7: Now it is well right now for twelve months, you
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Speaker 2: Plus you know what else you get, Mick, you get
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Speaker 6: Bonus for that nineteen dollars for twelve months, but getting
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