WEBVTT - 'IT’S FOR A PAYCHECK NOT A PREMIERSHIP’: Let’s get real about the Chiefs’ recruitment 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:08.240 Well, welcome back everyone to another episode of Code NRL 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:12.200 Monday's podcast. I'm joined by Fatima Kadou Hey, Fatima, Hi, 0:00:12.440 --> 0:00:13.520 I'll stay look at you this time? 0:00:13.560 --> 0:00:16.000 Sorry about last week and Bulldog Richie. How are you Bulldogs? 0:00:16.000 --> 0:00:17.560 I'd be I'm well, very good mate. 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:20.680 I'm Alex also known as Nerrol Soapbox and winter is 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:24.400 over for some hopeless teams this season. The Broncos got 0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:27.240 up manly, got up ubut and then we saw the 0:00:27.280 --> 0:00:31.600 Tigers with an unbelievable upset against the Sydney Roosters. Bulldog 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:33.839 you wrote about this in Bulldogs Bite. What do you 0:00:33.840 --> 0:00:35.160 make of the Tigers over the weekend? 0:00:35.400 --> 0:00:39.280 Unbelievable? I really couldn't believe what I was watching as 0:00:39.280 --> 0:00:42.440 the game panned out. Where has this been? Eight losses 0:00:42.479 --> 0:00:44.159 in a row and they come out and bowl over 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:47.680 the Roosters who have been incredibly consistent over the last 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:50.800 what month? Month and a half, which beggars the question, 0:00:50.880 --> 0:00:53.520 well begs the question, rather, where has this form been? 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:56.200 Why aren't we getting this every week with the Tigers? 0:00:56.440 --> 0:01:00.520 I know consistency in enerrole is difficult given this, but 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:04.240 what they've served up over the last work eight weeks 0:01:04.240 --> 0:01:09.240 has been appalling at times, absolutely terrible. This gives them 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:12.200 some hope. There's a pulse at Concord, but the pulse 0:01:12.240 --> 0:01:18.040 can only keep bipping if they actually start to put 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:21.080 games back to back, and this is their greatest challenge. 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:22.760 There's no point having a win like that if they 0:01:22.760 --> 0:01:25.800 don't back it up. This season's gone, but next year 0:01:26.080 --> 0:01:27.560 it's got to be a year whe they've got to 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:31.560 start to put together some consistent results. It's hard, but 0:01:31.640 --> 0:01:35.000 this is a club that's been a failure a failure 0:01:35.040 --> 0:01:37.840 for fifteen years. We saw yesterday what they can do 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:38.840 over to them. 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:40.920 Well, so for Tim, let me ask you, is this 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:44.160 more embarrassing for the Roosters or exciting for the Tigers. 0:01:44.319 --> 0:01:46.680 I think it's both. I think I think it's both 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:50.800 of those things, just on the Tigers. Why I found 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:53.120 that performance so impressive is it might have been last 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:56.160 week or maybe two weeks ago, where Benji Marshall basically 0:01:56.440 --> 0:02:01.640 admitted that, yes, this team is mentally fatigue. The headlines, 0:02:01.720 --> 0:02:04.040 the roller coaster, the circus, the rest of it is 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:06.360 actually getting to this team, and we'll see it now. 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:07.840 I get that. I get that we're seeing that in 0:02:07.880 --> 0:02:11.959 our performances. Club on fatigue, absolutely, but it is true. 0:02:12.040 --> 0:02:13.800 You know, you could see it in the performances that 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:16.680 this was a team that wasn't you know, I'm not 0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:18.200 gonna say I didn't want to be there, but was 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:20.960 clearly struggling in terms of mental fatigue. 0:02:21.120 --> 0:02:23.480 You know what, they're not in aeral players. If they 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:25.919 can't cope with that, they are not up to aneral standard. 0:02:26.120 --> 0:02:30.680 But the comeback and to beat the Roosters, who all 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:32.080 of a sudden a lot of people are talking about 0:02:32.280 --> 0:02:35.400 being the Premiership favor over Penrith and in the way 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:38.720 they did it, shades of what got everybody excited at 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:41.640 the start of the year showed and I agree like 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:44.040 that there is still some fight in there and there's 0:02:44.080 --> 0:02:46.240 still with some fight in Benji Marshall. There's still some 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:50.520 fight in that team. The question now is can they 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:52.880 back it up? Because I'm assuming they expelled a lot 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:56.079 of energy to get that victory on the weekend. Can 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:58.040 they back it up? And I think that will give 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:01.840 us more of an indication of whether Benji has enough 0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:04.239 hope for it to be a building block into the summer. 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:06.360 Yeah, but losing is a habit, so we see teams 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:08.359 go on this skid and when you get that win, though, 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:11.000 it kind of resets everything. You've got this opportunity. Now, 0:03:11.200 --> 0:03:13.360 Oh okay, the team's back. They're buzzing, the coach has 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:15.360 got a bit more self esteem, a bit more confidence 0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:16.480 on what the playing group's doing. 0:03:16.919 --> 0:03:19.320 It feels that the team can now go into. 0:03:19.200 --> 0:03:20.959 The last I think they only have two games left 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.040 to one game left, going with a bit of hope 0:03:23.080 --> 0:03:25.200 they could ruin the Cowboys season. Really, that could be 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:28.920 a strong motivation for the Tigers. The Cowboys need those wins. 0:03:29.200 --> 0:03:31.360 So there's some really promising things out. I think, Bulldog, 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:34.480 you're right on, like fatigue is not excuse every team 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:38.480 is struggling. But I noticed in Justin Holbrooks pressa when 0:03:38.480 --> 0:03:41.240 the Newcastle Knights put out a future performance against Manly. 0:03:41.320 --> 0:03:43.400 Not that I'm complaining about it, and he said, oh, 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:45.600 we've had a long run, we're tired. But when you've 0:03:45.600 --> 0:03:48.120 got results on the board, you get that excuse. When 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:50.720 you've been losing and been putting in poor performances, you don't. 0:03:50.960 --> 0:03:53.200 And Tigers fans get upset about that. They say, why 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:55.680 doesn't the media leave us alone? Well, if they were, 0:03:55.720 --> 0:03:58.200 just like you've said, bulldog. If they were just better, 0:03:58.480 --> 0:03:59.400 there would be less scripting. 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:01.680 I think just the whole book was talking about mental fatigue. 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:04.040 I think that's a completely different type of fatigue that 0:04:04.480 --> 0:04:06.840 you know, Yes, they're professionals, they get paid a lot 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:09.760 of money. You know they should, you know, whether it's 0:04:09.760 --> 0:04:11.800 on the club to make sure that they've got the 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:13.480 right people in place to help them deal with the 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:15.480 mental side of things. I think maybe Justin Hodbrook was 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:18.080 talking about sort of the physical side of things as well. 0:04:18.120 --> 0:04:20.240 I don't think you go on a run and you 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:23.040 end up being mentally fatigue because you've been winning, Like 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:27.520 the vibe is completely different when you're winning. So yeah, 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:29.800 I get it they're professionals, but I also do think 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:33.120 it's absolutely possible for a club mentally to be down 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:35.320 in the doll drums after what they've been through and 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:37.000 for that to be reflected in how they play. 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:40.280 But the importantly we know about a false storm though 0:04:40.320 --> 0:04:43.280 we've had a minute, we've had false hope, and we've 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:45.040 been let up the garden path multiple times in the 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:48.720 last fifteen years, and they've all added up to nothing. 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:51.440 Absolutely nothing, which is why I said, so, yeah, totally 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:54.080 agree what we see is enough there for a building 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:56.640 block because there is so much more to go, you know, 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:59.640 and probably looking back, the excitement over them at the 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:01.560 start of the year was a bit of a false storm. 0:05:01.880 --> 0:05:05.680 But I mean there's something there. I don't know if 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:07.640 I don't think they're going to play in the top 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:11.039 eight next year, but you know, if they scrambled like 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:13.599 they did, I think there was this five minutes into 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:17.320 the second half where you know, they defended three straight sets. 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:20.080 We hadn't seen that from them for a really long time. 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:22.400 That shows that there is some fight, that there is 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:25.240 some care, and they have the right attitude. 0:05:25.320 --> 0:05:27.719 So well Tiger sides, at least there's some fight in 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:29.760 the team, like, at least they've got something. When twelve 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:31.599 went off in the first ten minutes or something, I 0:05:31.600 --> 0:05:34.040 thought they're doomed. Then Billy Smith's scores in the corner, 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:36.320 and I go, there's going to be an absolute flogging. 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:37.640 At least there's some fight. 0:05:37.480 --> 0:05:41.240 Build there, certainly is. I always get perplexed at Tigers 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:46.320 fans who come at the media for a perceived over 0:05:46.400 --> 0:05:50.159 examination of their side. My argument back is, is this 0:05:50.240 --> 0:05:52.880 what you accept? Do you not want the media to 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:56.279 call out your side? For consistent failure. Do you not 0:05:56.360 --> 0:05:58.479 want the media to find out why your side is 0:05:58.480 --> 0:06:02.440 going so ordinary? Why pick out the media and bag them. 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:04.839 Shouldn't those questions be directed at the club to find 0:06:04.839 --> 0:06:09.120 out why. Yeah, you're bagging the wrong people. Get to 0:06:09.200 --> 0:06:11.760 the club find out how it's gone so bad for 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:12.480 fifteen years. 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:12.920 Yep. 0:06:13.560 --> 0:06:16.680 I agree, it's an easy target the media. It's fine. 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:19.520 I doesn't bother meat orter for ducks back. However, it 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:23.000 just it fascinates me that they go for the media 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:25.400 rather than actually going they're playing the ball, not the player. 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:28.479 Yeah, it's interesting because you look at the Broncos and 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:31.120 all the media scrutiny they've received this year, you know, 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:33.120 and in past years. When was it when they won 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:36.839 the wooden Spoons? So you know, Canterbury, how much studenty 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:38.960 have they been under in the last twelve eighteen months. 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:40.720 So I don't know, it's not just the Tigers. 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:44.920 Yeah, and you avoid scrutiny when you win, so and 0:06:44.960 --> 0:06:47.320 it's been a decade and a half of incompetence, so 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:48.200 that's part of the reason. 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:50.320 What about the Roosters. I mean, we talk about the 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:53.560 Tigers winning, good luck to them, but that loss could 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:57.120 be a hammer blow to the Roosters, who I still 0:06:57.120 --> 0:06:58.680 think can win the competition. I'm not going to write 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.160 them off. They're on thirty six points with the Panthers 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:03.320 and the Warriors, so not the end of the road 0:07:03.360 --> 0:07:06.160 by any means. But it was just the way that 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:09.360 they lost. They looked lethargic, they look weary. They had 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:11.680 no spark that had a tann of ball inside the opposition. 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:14.920 Twenty did bugger all with it, let's be honest, and 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:17.360 their big stars just didn't stand up. I thought Sam 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:20.600 Walker was average at best, Chairs didn't do a whole lot. 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:24.320 It's a real week of soul searching, because if they 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:27.440 don't pull themselves out of this quickly, the season of 0:07:27.520 --> 0:07:29.040 hope can evaporate very quickly. 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:30.760 Well, and we've seen that happen with the Sharks. 0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:33.120 I was trumpeting their chances only a few weeks ago, 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:36.080 and they barely got by against the Titans after two 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:38.880 consecutive losses. Yeah, the Roosters look like they just thought 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:41.120 this game would fall over and they'd win, which is 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:41.840 credit to the Tigers. 0:07:41.840 --> 0:07:43.080 They did show the fight to defend. 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:45.920 But in addition to that, but the Rusters didn't go 0:07:46.040 --> 0:07:47.840 right in the second half no longer need to I 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:51.640 sa Toya Cherry, Evans Ramsey out the back. Why did 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:53.800 they keep going left or like meander through the middle? 0:07:53.800 --> 0:07:56.200 They It just looked like a team that expected that 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:58.680 they would win and didn't get that result. But to 0:07:58.720 --> 0:08:01.200 be fair, they've had this in them. They have been 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:02.720 on a nine game winning streak and been one of 0:08:02.760 --> 0:08:05.080 the best teams in the competition. But they've only played 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:07.520 three excellent games. So I'm not willing to write them 0:08:07.560 --> 0:08:09.760 off because they've played plenty of games like that and one. 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:11.720 I still think they're one of the best teams in 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:13.560 the competition. Do you think they go all the way? 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:15.160 Uh? 0:08:15.560 --> 0:08:18.720 Yeah, I think I think the Warriors are for me, 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:20.280 are the team that's going to go all the way. 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:24.080 But it was interesting watching the Roosters because you're right, 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:27.160 what we saw from them sort of were those bad 0:08:27.200 --> 0:08:29.280 habits that they had before they went on their runs. 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:31.880 So I think Billy Smith, you know, makes a poor 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:33.880 defensive error, it leads to a try. I think, then 0:08:33.920 --> 0:08:36.160 he makes another handing error they can't defend. It leads 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:40.800 to a try, Lindsay's at Lindsay Collins era try and 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:45.160 then Afar who White who has been easily their best 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:49.000 player all year, their best, most consistent player, comes up 0:08:49.080 --> 0:08:52.720 with a loose spoor, a brain snap moment that hands 0:08:52.720 --> 0:08:54.440 over a possession that allows Jock Madden to kick the 0:08:54.440 --> 0:08:58.200 field goal. So you know that was really you know, 0:08:58.280 --> 0:09:02.640 it was discipline and not being able to back up defensively. 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:05.000 On the back of that poor discipline, we hurt them. 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:09.040 Wilto be really happy about the Roosters Warriors. So this 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:11.679 is out out of those top three teams, the three contenders, 0:09:11.720 --> 0:09:14.120 they've probably been in the best form in recent months. 0:09:14.160 --> 0:09:17.080 They actually had the toughest game in the round as well. 0:09:17.120 --> 0:09:18.760 They were the only one going up against a strong 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.240 Top eight team, and as much as there was a 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:23.520 fight back from the rabbit O's, the Warriors really just 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:26.679 showed their premiership credentials. My thought on the Warriors right 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:28.960 now is that I don't actually think it matters who's 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:33.600 playing in the halves, not because they're inconsequential positions, but 0:09:33.640 --> 0:09:37.040 that's how clean and clear Andrew Webster's system is. But 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:39.839 as well as how dominant his pack is they play. 0:09:40.360 --> 0:09:42.320 I've been having online this week for saying the Warriors 0:09:42.360 --> 0:09:45.120 play boring footy, but I don't mean boring in that 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:48.800 it's not creative. It's just that get down the field, 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:52.240 kick to your corner, put pressure on, put increase your 0:09:52.240 --> 0:09:54.880 line speed, make them make a mistake, and then capitalize 0:09:54.880 --> 0:09:57.480 on the back of that bulldog. When you say, survey 0:09:57.600 --> 0:09:59.599 the three title contenders at the moment, where do you 0:09:59.600 --> 0:10:00.000 put the worry? 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:03.120 Well, I went out on a limb two weeks ago 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:05.680 and I said it would be East the West in 0:10:05.720 --> 0:10:08.360 the Grand Finals, which is Roosters the Panthers. 0:10:08.400 --> 0:10:09.360 We shan't let you forget. 0:10:09.400 --> 0:10:11.720 No, you shan't, And I'm more than happy for you 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:13.640 to bring it up when you want. Having said that, 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:16.280 I can't go back on my word, so I'm going 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:18.040 to sit here right now and stick with what I've said. 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:19.960 Otherwise it looks like I'm pissed week and I don't 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:20.360 want to do. 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:21.800 That, or you're open to new information. 0:10:22.000 --> 0:10:24.400 I don't know. But look, to be fair, they still 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:26.640 all are on thirty six points. Yeah, so it's not 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:28.360 like one of those two are fallen away. The Panthers 0:10:28.400 --> 0:10:30.319 will be right there, as will the Roosters, but certainly 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:34.040 in terms of form and momentum, which is crucial at 0:10:34.040 --> 0:10:36.440 this point of the year, you find the good teams 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:40.240 start to build that momentum about three weeks out that's 0:10:40.440 --> 0:10:42.800 right here, right now, and the Warrior's big pack of 0:10:42.840 --> 0:10:45.920 forwards are just absolutely pausing, creating havoc. 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:47.880 Yeah, yep, I think I write about it. 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:48.120 Well. 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:49.679 I did write about it in the Tackle, about the 0:10:49.720 --> 0:10:52.000 Warrior's power game, and I think that's what sets them apart. 0:10:52.040 --> 0:10:55.040 Like if you look at you know, the teams that 0:10:55.240 --> 0:10:58.560 have those sort of dominant forward packs, the Warriors for 0:10:58.640 --> 0:11:02.800 me right now playing the best power game in the NRL, 0:11:02.840 --> 0:11:05.000 but also their bench, you know what I mean, Like 0:11:05.160 --> 0:11:08.880 their bench Come on, and you know there was Eddie 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:11.400 Arama Taba who for me had a bit of a 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:14.160 breakout game. He makes a break and I think he 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:16.559 sets up Chanelle Harris to Beta. It might have been, 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:19.319 but he makes that break from an even just as 0:11:19.520 --> 0:11:24.040 unbelievable pass from Demetric Bymonga, you know. So. Yeah, I 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:25.840 just love the way they play. Yes, it's simple, but 0:11:25.840 --> 0:11:27.680 at the same time you want to watch them because 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:30.760 you want to see all the freaky things they're forwards 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:35.360 can come up with. What I liked about their result 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:38.079 the most is Yes, you're right, bulldog. They're all on 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:42.320 equal points, but there is a single point separating the 0:11:42.360 --> 0:11:44.920 Warriors and Penrith, and I love that they were cocky 0:11:45.080 --> 0:11:48.080 enough to go after that single point, to put themselves 0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:48.960 at the top of the ladder. 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:50.400 That would have been a direction coming down from the 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:51.400 coaching box, right. 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:56.840 I'm sure, come on, yeah, if you're putting a field 0:11:56.880 --> 0:11:58.040 got this is so disrespectful. 0:11:58.160 --> 0:11:59.760 Look at the Warriors. You see the lot of the 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:03.840 don't you. Andrew Webster learned his craft, he learned under Ivan. 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:07.000 He obviously listened, he learned, he digested, he was educated, 0:12:07.400 --> 0:12:09.320 and there's a lot of similarities in the way that 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:11.600 they play. And if you look at Coach of the Year, 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:13.400 it was only last week I was seeing in the 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:15.959 praises of Justin Holbrook if he could have taken them 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:20.079 from last seventeenth, the fourth or fifth, he's coach of 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:23.080 the year. But it can change very quickly. One bad 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:25.360 loss and you look now and you think, gee, how 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:27.960 can we go past Andrew Webster. He's going to have 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:29.000 to be coach of the year, isn't he. 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:29.439 Well? 0:12:29.480 --> 0:12:32.080 I still rate Wholebrook just because of the story. I 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:34.640 don't know what influences how that decision is made, but 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:37.000 to take a team from the Doldrims into the top 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:40.559 eight is impressive. But Andrew Webster's equally is impressive. And 0:12:40.760 --> 0:12:42.480 that's the thing we talk about their bench, their forwards 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:45.520 coming through, forward's coming off the bench. It's really easy 0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:47.800 to have a great next man up culture when you 0:12:47.840 --> 0:12:50.080 have an excellent system. So I think there's times where 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:52.280 it's like the attention goes to the players, but it 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.800 overlooks how much great work Andrew Webster and his coaching 0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:55.480 staff have done. 0:12:55.640 --> 0:12:57.679 Just going to meander to the left here with the 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:00.560 Coach of the Year, you look at the and there's 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:03.920 a few contenders. I think it's an award that has 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:07.319 to go and hold until Grand Final day. I think 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:08.920 all the other awards can be handed out at the 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:11.720 Daim Medal, which is a glittering night. But I think 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:14.600 the Coach of the year it should probably be announced 0:13:14.640 --> 0:13:17.360 on the rostrum when they hand out the trophy. 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:17.839 Well, this is good. 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.839 I think the premiership winning coach pretty much you get 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:21.320 it most year. 0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:22.520 Oh I was going to say, is that what you 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:23.040 think it should be? 0:13:23.000 --> 0:13:24.880 Because people say it should be iving, it should be 0:13:24.880 --> 0:13:26.680 even clear a year after year after year, So like 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:28.880 why are we talking about Hoolebrook. Some people say it's 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:32.679 not the most improved coach award, it's the best coach 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:33.680 of the competition. 0:13:34.040 --> 0:13:35.040 So for you on that, do you. 0:13:35.120 --> 0:13:37.640 View it as the best coach as the coach that 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:40.880 got their team to win the camp or it created 0:13:40.880 --> 0:13:44.199 the most transformation in their team. 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:47.560 The criteria for Coach of the Year is uncertain. We 0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:49.800 don't actually know. I don't think it's ever been actually 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:53.680 fed out a blueprint as to why you are voting 0:13:53.679 --> 0:13:56.880 for the Coach of the year. But you will have 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:59.960 coaches who have done extraordinary well, like a whole book example. 0:14:00.640 --> 0:14:03.640 But the coach of the year should really be the 0:14:03.640 --> 0:14:06.280 bloke that holds up the trophy. He's got his side 0:14:06.280 --> 0:14:09.400 to win the premiership. I just think that, no matter 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:13.080 how many arguments you throw forward, he's the best coach 0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:14.640 of the comp because he's got his side there. 0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:16.160 Yeah, so I viewed it's like, well, he gets to 0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:18.880 have the premiership credential though, premiership winning coach. I love 0:14:18.920 --> 0:14:21.080 the story. I really love the story of the Knights 0:14:21.080 --> 0:14:23.160 this year. Like, yeah, everyone wrote them off. I bet 0:14:23.240 --> 0:14:25.040 you two wrote them off. I didn't write them off, 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:27.400 but no one thought that they would be good this year, 0:14:27.480 --> 0:14:29.840 especially after that trial game against the Bulldogs. You know, 0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:32.040 they've gone and scored forty seven more tries this season 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:36.000 compared to last. Their attack was completely revolutionized, and even 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:38.920 that game and they were woeful against mainly they were 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:40.040 absolutely terrible. 0:14:40.440 --> 0:14:41.760 But that was their first. 0:14:41.480 --> 0:14:43.840 Loss by more than two points since Round eight. What 0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:45.520 is this team we're watching like? For me, that's a 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:48.240 coach with incredible credentials. I'm voting I'm still going for 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:50.800 Hoolebrook for Coach of the Year. Well, the true identity 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:54.360 of signing double O seven has been revealed. Joey Marnu 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:57.520 is joining the Chiefs. He said that he would only 0:14:57.560 --> 0:14:59.960 ever go back to the Roosters, but I guess tax 0:15:00.200 --> 0:15:02.120 free money. 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:03.200 Talks, Bulldog. What are you making of the Chiefs? 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:05.840 Now? Great bye, No doubt about that. Joey marn who 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:07.920 was an elite player in the Enneral several years ago, 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:16.120 he adds to what is an obviously incredibly impressive recruitment drive. However, 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:19.640 I want to point this out. Okay, let's go through 0:15:19.640 --> 0:15:25.320 the list one by one. Brian Totto outstanding, absolutely outstanding, 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:29.640 Alex Johnson wonderful player, getting too all the end of 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:30.640 his career wrecked. 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:31.520 Absolutely. 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:34.840 Zak Lomax will have been at rugby for a year 0:15:34.920 --> 0:15:37.920 picking up god knows how many bad habits. Joey Marnho 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:44.160 French rugby four three two or three two or three 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.600 French rugby back to the general is an incredibly big 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:54.280 jump to make. We look at Jerome Leuy. His form 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:57.880 this year has been patchy at best. He's got another 0:15:57.960 --> 0:15:59.800 year next year before he goes there is a year 0:15:59.800 --> 0:16:02.920 old and that year is at Paramatta hardly setting the 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:07.680 competition on fire. So and Kinda Watson is obviously getting 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:09.640 older as well. So you look at that roster. It 0:16:09.640 --> 0:16:11.840 looks great on paper. I'm just trying to break it 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:14.320 down to say, I don't think it's as impressive as 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:15.280 what some people think. 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:17.520 Yeah, so it's got a lot of star power to it. 0:16:17.760 --> 0:16:20.200 But I would suggest that most of the players that 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:22.800 they've signed this might be their last contract. But by 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:24.400 the time I think Leui and to O we're get 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.960 into the Chiefs are going to be nearing thirty. I 0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:30.320 think Manu will be thirty two. They don't have that 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:33.160 much footy left in them. But at the same time, 0:16:33.200 --> 0:16:34.920 so what are you saying Boulder, do you think that 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:37.280 they'll make the AID? Do you think that they're building 0:16:37.320 --> 0:16:39.080 a squad that will be respectable. 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:41.000 I don't know about the age of shit. I want 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:43.200 to know about their forwards. Yeah, because their forwards are 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:45.000 very light on. I want to know about their forwards. 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:46.800 I can have a bit more of an educated stab. 0:16:46.880 --> 0:16:50.000 I guess as to where they'll finish in that year. One. Look, 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:52.600 it's going on a different path the Perth. They're going 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:55.440 down the tradesman like path. This mob's going down the 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:57.640 glamour path. And that's fine. That's a good analyswent My 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:01.160 only as I said, my only reservation here is that 0:17:01.160 --> 0:17:03.240 the signings look very good on paper, but when you 0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:06.320 peel it back individually, there's a few flaws in there, 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:09.600 which are people I don't think are digesting fully. 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:11.239 But there's also a lot of experience and a lot 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:14.359 of premierships. Yeah you know what I mean. So yeah, 0:17:14.600 --> 0:17:17.920 and I do see where Bulldogs coming from. It feels 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:20.920 like you could probably there's a question mark you could 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:25.040 put aside next to every signing, but you look at 0:17:25.160 --> 0:17:28.440 what they've achieved at the NRL, what they all rep 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:33.080 players in some form. So yeah, I think they're putting 0:17:33.160 --> 0:17:34.600 together a pretty good team. 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:37.040 People said they remember when the Dolphins came in and 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:38.719 people thought they were going to be terrible because they 0:17:38.760 --> 0:17:41.359 sold They signed a lot of old players from the 0:17:41.600 --> 0:17:44.359 Storm and a lot of experience that seems to work 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:46.720 with a new franchise getting that experience where we've seen 0:17:46.760 --> 0:17:47.920 at least proof concept. 0:17:48.359 --> 0:17:49.119