WEBVTT - Round 8 Takeaways 0:00:01.680 --> 0:00:04.840 Kobe Storm and Rabbits interesting game from a couple of angles. Firstly, 0:00:06.200 --> 0:00:08.760 I'm talking about South La troll Mitchell in full beast mode. 0:00:08.840 --> 0:00:12.479 Oh my god, I'm scared. But wasn't it. As a fan, 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:15.760 you'd love to see matel do that every week, like 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:19.200 playing left center like he had Like so let's say 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:23.959 ten or twelve touches, scored multiple scoreboard of opportunities for 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:27.120 his team, line breaks, line break assists, and he just 0:00:27.280 --> 0:00:30.360 played with venom like he had something whatever he had 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:32.040 in his week. Bioks that day do it again. 0:00:32.840 --> 0:00:34.920 Something special about those players who carry the ball in 0:00:34.960 --> 0:00:35.440 their left hand. 0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:37.760 And every time I see him do this, I think 0:00:37.880 --> 0:00:40.080 Geezy needs to be closer to the ball. Mage of 0:00:40.120 --> 0:00:43.600 his touches doubled. That means his efficiency turns double. 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:47.120 I mean that's what really took into fullback in the 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:47.640 first place. 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:49.920 I don't think fullback he's going to be part of 0:00:50.000 --> 0:00:52.800 him from now on because Dufty's doing good. Gray's doing good, 0:00:53.880 --> 0:00:56.040 but he needs to be able to move out of 0:00:56.040 --> 0:00:57.920 that center and get more touches at different stage. 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:01.080 He tried way way back in the day old for 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:05.080 the Newcastle Knights at six I played someone someone said, 0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:06.800 I don't really think he's got it. 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:08.040 Thanks mate. 0:01:08.640 --> 0:01:10.680 I played for the Roosters and he played six ones. 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:14.920 And he needs to be led into the brought into 0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:17.160 the game. But he's old enough now to know when 0:01:17.200 --> 0:01:20.160 he wants to come into the game. But Jesus was 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:24.360 a good performers like he inspired everyone else to play better. 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.200 Their best players souse on the weekend, Cam Murray, Cody 0:01:27.200 --> 0:01:30.399 Walker and Litrell Mitchell. Then all of a sudden, Dufty 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:32.959 tell Us Duncan and a few other starts stand up 0:01:33.040 --> 0:01:35.039 Jack White and has a good game. Oh we can believe, 0:01:35.120 --> 0:01:37.080 and we can do this against Melbourne for a team 0:01:37.120 --> 0:01:40.039 that hasn't won in Melbourne. They go down there, their 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:44.120 best players stand up. All of a sudden, it's raining 0:01:44.160 --> 0:01:44.839 points for South. 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:47.160 Luck's of fortune, you know what I mean. And I 0:01:47.160 --> 0:01:49.520 look at Maddie Dufty. He went away to England. He 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:52.000 sort of hit at cul de Sac here went to England. 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:55.080 Things didn't go great in England. He asked for release, 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:56.000 a grand him release. 0:01:56.040 --> 0:01:56.640 He came back. 0:01:56.680 --> 0:01:59.320 He's on train and trial, but all of a sudden 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:02.720 he arrives and he goes, holy shit, they've brought them 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:05.800 mountain to me as in all these rule changes, the 0:02:05.840 --> 0:02:08.480 way the NRL has evolved suits me down to the ground. 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:11.560 But also going to England and you know, the Super 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:14.480 League for some players can be just that oh okay, 0:02:14.600 --> 0:02:16.640 you know I can get back to playing football, just 0:02:16.639 --> 0:02:19.320 the simplicity and the genuine love of the game. Right, Like, 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:22.320 he's obviously found something. There's been multiple players who have 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:25.240 struggled to find their rhythm here, gone over to England 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.560 Super League and come back and are improved. 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:30.959 What they were incredible? Who he went over like he 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:32.520 said he was playing of course. 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:35.799 Struggling at the Knights, went over to Wigan, came. 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:39.400 Back, come back and genius. It's just been up and 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:41.760 up from there. But he was playing reserve great of warrings. 0:02:42.240 --> 0:02:43.800 He was playing reserve grade of warrings. 0:02:43.919 --> 0:02:46.800 Yeah. I thought Cody Walker was good too, like the 0:02:46.840 --> 0:02:50.800 best left sided player we have in the competition. Yeah, 0:02:50.800 --> 0:02:54.080 his body has let him down at different stages. I 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:57.480 fear like there is signs that Cody is getting back 0:02:57.560 --> 0:02:58.480 to some of his movements. 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:01.400 There's a nice adjustment on the weekend and Cody loves 0:03:01.840 --> 0:03:04.440 the sweep sequence and a lot of times I was 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:06.960 watching Cody how he game of all times last year 0:03:07.000 --> 0:03:09.600 he was deep on the sweep, which allowed the opposition 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:12.040 to sort of hold themselves then give them times to 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:14.600 release on the outside. Man, if you watch this game 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:17.079 a number of times in this game, he's done the adjust. 0:03:17.120 --> 0:03:21.520 See how he's he's tighter and he's flat at and 0:03:21.560 --> 0:03:24.120 what that means is he's more dangerous. He's got to 0:03:24.120 --> 0:03:26.840 be accounted for. And you see he's so tight. The 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:29.560 teams are squeezing in outside in, and that's cret the 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:31.160 next outside space for La trail. 0:03:31.440 --> 0:03:33.800 His eyes tell him what the defense is going to do, 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:36.000 and he has a very good reaction of doing it, 0:03:36.040 --> 0:03:39.320 so that time, if the defense is passive, he hits 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:41.320 the ball on a bit more speed because he knows 0:03:41.320 --> 0:03:43.200 he can get to the outside of his target defender. 0:03:43.480 --> 0:03:45.320 If he feels like that defense is going to jam 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:47.840 in like that first option, he sort of slows up 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:49.240 when he's run to be able to get to the 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:52.400 outside shoulder and skip pass. It's a very good skill 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:55.800 to have because how many times do we see outside 0:03:55.800 --> 0:03:58.520 in defense they stop a half before they get the 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:01.240 pass away. Cody gets passed away most of the time. 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:03.440 Well, that's just what you said there. 0:04:03.480 --> 0:04:05.600 When you're sitting on that line and you just sort 0:04:05.640 --> 0:04:07.360 of trying to get an angle right there you go, 0:04:07.640 --> 0:04:12.800 Jesus Christ, sorry, Lord is coming around like this, And 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:16.200 you said before about on that sweep, he's just creeping around. 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:18.680 And the bloker was the genius of that. Who make 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:22.040 you play with Billy Slater coming around. I remember watching 0:04:22.080 --> 0:04:24.640 Billy sometimes and heat idle, and if he sensed that 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:26.919 they're going to come out of line, he just straight 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:28.599 He basically goes straight across. 0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:30.000 Right. He called it a web block. 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:33.760 So hard to describe here, but if you run on 0:04:33.800 --> 0:04:36.120 a forty five degree angle, which most people do at 0:04:36.160 --> 0:04:39.360 the back of shape, it means you're going towards the defense, 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:42.120 which means if they're coming in that time to get 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:45.039 the pass across is going to be extremely hard. But 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:48.240 if you can drift sideways on a defender come into you, 0:04:48.400 --> 0:04:50.120 it actually give you a split second more time to 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:52.560 get the ball in your hands and across. So Billy 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:54.840 in his early stages he was just running fast out 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:57.320 the back and then he was catching people out. Then 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:59.520 defensess started rushing him, so he had to it just 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:02.480 on the way. And I think Cody Walker is doing 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:04.640 a little bit more of that now in his older age, 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:07.120 because he probably doesn't have the speed, so he's got 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:09.240 a very good ability to know when a team has 0:05:09.240 --> 0:05:13.080 been passive, defensively or aggressive, and he's got to count 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:13.240 of that. 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:16.279 I think everyone acknowledges how well Souse a playing at 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:19.920 the moment where they're going, But the main storyline out 0:05:19.920 --> 0:05:22.520 of this has been the Melbourne storm, which is overshadowed. 0:05:22.520 --> 0:05:23.440 How good South work. 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:27.359 That's the best performance I've seen from South in a 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:31.040 long time. Like we've seen glimpses of brilliance from them, 0:05:31.080 --> 0:05:34.560 but like it was elite. 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:37.800 I'm going to ask you something. And while sitting with 0:05:37.920 --> 0:05:40.039 my two young lays last night, we're having just a 0:05:40.040 --> 0:05:43.560 bit of discussion about this. So we have a look 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:45.640 where Melbourne are at the moment coops, and we have a 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:46.000 look at. 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:48.800 Where South were last year. So South last year. 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:53.520 With Wayne unprecedented injury crisis, you know, all their key 0:05:53.560 --> 0:05:56.479 players out, having to bring young guys in everything. 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:57.719 I get the sense. 0:05:58.040 --> 0:06:00.320 I've got the sense about halfway through that season that 0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:04.000 Wayne went, you know what, there's a lot gun. This 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:06.120 is not going to be our season. I'm not gonna 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:08.040 whip these blokes. I'm not going to waste my army 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:10.400 to fight this losing battle. We're going to start to 0:06:10.400 --> 0:06:12.200 blood some young guys. I'm going to wrest some other 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:15.680 guys like Campbell, Grahame, you like, basically took more time 0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:19.960 off Cam Murray, all these guys. Everything was built towards 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:24.600 this season. Wayne recognized in the last year circumstances weren't forced, 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:27.360 that wasn't going to be their year, and he rather 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:29.440 than whip the team into shape or really pressure him, 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:31.560 he just took took his hands off him a little bit. 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:34.160 You saying that's what Bellamy and the Storm should do. 0:06:34.279 --> 0:06:36.560 I know what I'm asking for you, Coop. Do you 0:06:36.600 --> 0:06:39.479 think do you think if you if the Storm get 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:42.360 two thirds of the way through this season and everything 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:45.960 is just to struggle and they're you know, they're sitting 0:06:46.040 --> 0:06:49.080 not too far further north than they are right at 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:51.240 the moment of the ladder, do you think bellyk has 0:06:51.279 --> 0:06:52.839 that in him to under. 0:06:53.120 --> 0:06:57.400 Should answer no, Like every game is an opportunity to 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.799 win every game. You've got to be your best version 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:03.960 of yourself right this whole. Like, Nah, let's just take 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:05.880 it easy for a period and set for a couple 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:08.440 of weeks time isn't in his blood. It simply is not. 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:14.680 I get why people start thinking like that, but this 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:18.760 is Penrith last year, Like people were saying, yeah, maybe 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:21.040 Penrith needed just you know, maybe it's not our year. 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:22.160 Did they do that? 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:24.120 Hell no, Hell no. 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:27.080 They stayed stoic and believed that their game style was 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:28.720 the thing that was going to get them out. And 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:31.480 I feel like that's where Melbourne at right now. They're 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:35.640 wrestling with two Grand Final losses. They're wrestling with are 0:07:35.680 --> 0:07:39.360 we still good enough? But I feel like you've got 0:07:39.360 --> 0:07:41.920 to be stoic, brave and stay strong because if you 0:07:42.000 --> 0:07:45.840 start changing now, you will go worse. Like I feel 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.600 like that because you've spent what four or five months 0:07:48.640 --> 0:07:51.320 trying to get ready the rule changes come into play 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:53.800 and maybe caught a couple of teams on the hop. 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:58.080 But if you start shifting now, well you'd have to 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:02.480 either get very lucky, catch fire, or you're throwing out 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:05.480 what your DNA is. And Melbourne Storm's DNA has been good. 0:08:05.280 --> 0:08:06.520 For a long time, long time. 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:08.600 You're not trying to tell me you change one rule 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:11.480 and a couple of injuries or retirements, but you're not 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:12.320 good enough. Anymore. 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:15.600 They've got the Dolphins this week and without your own 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:17.760 hues and what Melbourne are finding at the moment, and 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:21.200 a lot of these players are in this side have inherited. 0:08:21.440 --> 0:08:25.040 This is that you blokes, the Melbourne Storm have beat 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:28.000 so many teams up in the last twenty years that 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:30.840 now all of a sudden, some of these sides are going, right, 0:08:30.880 --> 0:08:31.080 are you? 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:35.640 This is hey, this is payback. 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:37.520 We're going to punish you, guys, and mostly guys like 0:08:37.559 --> 0:08:39.160 Joe chan That guys, guys, you. 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:43.640 Know, I'm just right. That was definitely in the makeup 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:45.560 of the trell It was in the makeup of Cody 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:48.920 every time South Sydney scored, like Talas Duncan was given 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:52.360 monster at Bath, like there was just something in the 0:08:52.480 --> 0:08:55.880 in the venomin which they played with Tallas Duncan. 0:08:56.600 --> 0:08:57.920 I love Talus Duncan. 0:08:57.920 --> 0:08:59.920 Gets his bumpers up, scores and then what's your action 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:02.840 straight back at him, like I got one of the 0:09:02.840 --> 0:09:04.680 better players in this competition. I'm going to come for 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:05.240 him again. 0:09:07.400 --> 0:09:10.680 So that's great. I love I love that in the game. 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:15.000 I like Dallas Duncan to the point that he's physical 0:09:15.000 --> 0:09:18.320 in contact. He never missed his assignment and from a 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:20.800 half backs point of view, he's sent me to perfect 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:22.520 with his time and it just gives months or a. 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:25.520 Godful like he could play a tealist. 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:27.840 But what would you do, Like let's say Bellamy rings 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:30.240 you tomorrow and says. 0:09:31.200 --> 0:09:33.600 More to the point, I'd ask you because you watch 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:35.120 you know you've been part of this club and you've 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:37.840 worked with Bellie. Because I'm looking at the moment Craig's 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:40.040 walking into the press conference and he's just he's been 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:41.880 like I've never. 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:44.439 Said he he looks he looks really tired. 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:47.600 He looks frustrated, of course, but he looks really fatigued, 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:50.680 looks really tired. Yeah, as far as the side is concerned, 0:09:50.720 --> 0:09:52.680 it is a confidence, is a motivation? 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:56.120 Is it tactical? Is it roster? Is it real change? 0:09:56.280 --> 0:09:57.280 Maybe it's a bit of everything. 0:09:57.480 --> 0:09:59.920 Craig bell who is the most influential person of that club, 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:02.720 if he can fix his own belief in terms of 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:04.880 this is possible to get back a bit like what 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:09.280 Ivan did at Penrith last year, filter that down to Nathan, 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:12.120 which he did, filter it down to Monster like there's 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:16.000 there's enough there. Yeah, I think absolutely so. 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:17.559 Coops Broncos and Bulldogs. 0:10:17.600 --> 0:10:19.920 Geez I said, firstly, Broncos are playing great football, a 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:24.520 lot of injuries. Mad just just obviously catching the pants 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:28.120 off him. Adam Reynolds, mate, the old lace just wound 0:10:28.120 --> 0:10:30.800 back the clock and must the speed and frenetic nature 0:10:30.960 --> 0:10:32.120 is just shell and pood. 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:36.720 It was a master class in last play options against 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:39.120 the Dogs, Like he had an option in his head 0:10:39.200 --> 0:10:41.440 like a high kick for example, and then saw that 0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:44.520 the back three was separated by space. The amount of 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:47.280 times he just dinked it in behind got the repeat 0:10:47.320 --> 0:10:49.760 set and the Broncos scored a net set like not 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:52.200 too many people will notice that. They will just marvel 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:54.800 at the try, but if he kicks that ball high, 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.560 the Broncos probably don't score that try. I think he 0:10:57.760 --> 0:11:02.680 was outstanding. And we've spoken to about Ezra Man. He 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:05.240 lacks finesse and ballplay, like he gets a little bit 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:09.559 too frantic with his running and because he's so dynamic. 0:11:09.960 --> 0:11:12.560 But some of his ballplay and I think is the 0:11:12.600 --> 0:11:15.600 best that he has delivered in his career. His first 0:11:15.640 --> 0:11:20.000 pass here, that is the best pass I've seen as Ramsrow. 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:24.319 Coper, like Reese's Hollywood Reese Walsh. But I'm telling you. 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:27.560 I'm of the opinion I think Ezra is as important 0:11:27.559 --> 0:11:29.840 as Reese Walsh. I think both of those blokes as 0:11:29.880 --> 0:11:32.280 a combination, the energy they bring to the football side, 0:11:32.600 --> 0:11:34.560 they are the perfect foil for Adam Reynolds. 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:37.640 See sometimes when he moves fast, he moves fast with 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:41.640 his hands, there's not a subtle stopper or control. But 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:44.679 in these highlights he's still moving fast, but still has 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:47.719 a soft touch with the hands because sometimes he can 0:11:47.720 --> 0:11:49.880 get a bit flustered. And I don't overcook it, but I 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:51.600 thought it was. It was good ballplayer. 0:11:51.640 --> 0:11:54.120 The other night, just on the Bulldogs, right, and whenever 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:56.320 we were talking about the Bulldogs, nearly all the discussion 0:11:56.320 --> 0:12:00.200 around the Bulldogs, we talk about attack, right, but we 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:02.000 just have a look at defense for a second. Firstly, 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:04.559 how did they beat the Panthers. They didn't beat the 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:06.480 Panthers that night on the back of great attack. They 0:12:06.480 --> 0:12:10.920 beat the Panthers by suffocating defense. Now in this game 0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:13.760 the other night against the Broncos, some of the stuff defensively, 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:15.120 I just found a little bit puzzling. 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:15.800 A couple of tries. 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:17.440 I think it was the second and third try for 0:12:17.480 --> 0:12:18.440 the Broncos. 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:24.760 Just squeezing in impossibly. 0:12:25.000 --> 0:12:26.520 I don't know if that's the right word, but you know, 0:12:26.600 --> 0:12:28.400 basically pre empty, if that makes sense. 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:31.400 But it's almost like Montoya gave a lot of space 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:34.240 to Carapin in the other night, and it was almost 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:36.680 arrogant to the point that said, you can't get the 0:12:36.720 --> 0:12:39.480 ball to him, like it was telegraphed that that was 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:43.240 the opportunity this one here, you know, combination work, just 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:47.360 being in too far giving space to Marner do his thing. 0:12:47.920 --> 0:12:52.319 I just feel like there's I'm with you. Whatever they 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:56.320 did against Penrith last two weeks ago, it's almost been 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:58.959 wiped off with their credentials again because they've gone back 0:12:58.960 --> 0:13:02.680 to some really bad defensive habits. The Dogs for me, 0:13:03.520 --> 0:13:05.960 are not the best attacking team, but if they're the 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:08.840 best defensive team, they can finish top four. I think 0:13:08.840 --> 0:13:10.959 they've got to get back to what they're good at 0:13:11.000 --> 0:13:14.160 instead instead of trying to improve the other areas so 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:17.240 much that they can get confidence from the attack. 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:20.000 Coub only eight rounds in, but some of these sides 0:13:20.080 --> 0:13:21.840 now we've got to start to get themselves going. 0:13:21.840 --> 0:13:21.960 Now. 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:26.400 We spoke about Penrith before because last year wasn't so 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:29.360 much of an unorthodox competition like this year, we've seen 0:13:29.440 --> 0:13:33.400 the competition in some way, teams basically really benefiting from 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:38.599 the real change. There's less spots up for grabs the 0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:40.080 back end of the year. Well, if you run through 0:13:40.160 --> 0:13:42.800 Penrith's going to play finals. Yes, I did list the 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:44.400 other day. I had six teams in. 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:46.640 My O people already locked in, that are locked in. 0:13:47.640 --> 0:13:50.360 And then another couple that you go and it could 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:52.280 be but then all of a sudden you've got teams 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:55.000 that are outside at the moment, like Storms. 0:13:55.320 --> 0:13:56.360 You've got Storm, You've got. 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:58.400 Sharks, You've got the Dogs, and there's a number of 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:01.439 other teams there as well. Other teams that are improving 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:05.800 are coming out, so mate teams like the Storm, the Dogs, 0:14:06.240 --> 0:14:08.040 they've got to get their season going. 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:11.760 I agree, And I don't know whether the change of 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:14.200 the rule has had that big of an impact or not. 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:18.560 It's really hard to gauge, but it feels like it 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:22.080 is chaotic at the moment, Like watching it as an 0:14:22.120 --> 0:14:24.360 outside who is meant to know what's going on, Like 0:14:24.400 --> 0:14:27.280 it's hard to get a feel of what is truly happening. 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:31.120 Is it athleticism, Is it teams not being resilient enough. 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:33.359 Because there's so many anomalies. 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:37.480 You're going, Okay, it's it's benefiting, benefiting the run first 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:39.080 speed to where the game going. 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:41.760 But then you go, hang on a second months. 0:14:41.560 --> 0:14:46.240 Too, and why isn't Anna Reynolds having such a great season? 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:48.800 And then why the Tiger has gone from the bottom 0:14:49.040 --> 0:14:51.000 up towards the top. And the only thing I can 0:14:51.040 --> 0:14:54.200 say about the Tigers is they've doubled down on their defense. 0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:58.040 But they have athleticism through their team, but not not 0:14:58.040 --> 0:15:02.280 not not elite players like across the board, like the Storm, 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:05.880 but they have athleticism. Back rollers are big and strong 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:07.480 and powerful and they're offloading the ball. 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:09.120 And thing is they've got to grow and belief in 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:11.600 their defense, which means, I mean, how good your defense 0:15:11.720 --> 0:15:15.720 is affords you afford you the ability to make mistakes 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:18.560 or take some risks. With the football teams that have 0:15:18.600 --> 0:15:20.920 got terrible defense, yeah, they've got to play. They've almost 0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:23.320 got a completed a ninety percent where the Tigers now 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:25.000 are able to defend errors. 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:27.600 And if we want to put the lens on the Sharks, mate, 0:15:27.680 --> 0:15:30.560 they have the athleticism, they've got a good defensive system 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:34.640 under Craig Fitzgibven, but maybe Trindle and Hinds aren't making 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:37.360 the smart decision that someone like Nathan Cleary is when 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:39.280 they do have the ball and when they don't have 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:41.840 the ball, Because when things go well for the Sharks, 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:43.880 they're good. They're really. 0:15:48.000 --> 0:15:49.800 Who's going to talk here about the game where it's 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:54.000 evolved in twenty twenty six the six again rule, which 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:56.160 is that we've had another layer on top of that 0:15:56.240 --> 0:16:00.280 of speed and fatigue with twenty forty rule, and that's 0:16:00.280 --> 0:16:03.040 evolved the games getting faster all the time. We're hearing 0:16:03.240 --> 0:16:05.320 some of the big games and big guys in the 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:06.720 game we're coming out of saying, you just trying to 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:09.200 drive us out of the game. I thought, let's go 0:16:09.280 --> 0:16:11.840 back in the history of the game and let's do 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:16.640 five players or combinations from the past that they're playing 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:19.600 in this game now, they'd even be better. 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:20.880 Like at a whole other level. 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:25.040 First guy, I've got and made this bloke, if he'll 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:27.920 playing under this rules, we would be talking about him 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:29.440 being one of the greatest players we've seen. 0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:30.320 That's Matt Bowen. 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:33.160 I argue with that, Matt Bowen if he was playing 0:16:33.680 --> 0:16:36.040 in this in this age at the moment, with how 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:38.440 loose the rucks are, how vulnerable the big men are 0:16:38.440 --> 0:16:38.880 in the middle. 0:16:39.120 --> 0:16:42.400 This bloke would just he would carve for the whole. 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:47.160 He would know whether it's a fatigue and edge defense, 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:49.200 whether it's a middle four that's been out there for 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:53.640 too long, his combination with Jonathan Thurston. That's the one 0:16:53.640 --> 0:16:55.840 thing I will add to the Matt Bowen conversation is 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:58.680 that we'll go through the individuals that would light up 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:03.320 the game. But for every Matt Bowen play, there's a 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:06.840 greatness to him because of the combination, the telepathic nature 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:09.560 he had with Thurston first, and we're going to go 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:13.560 through some individuals, but those individuals had relationships with other 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:17.840 players within their team that they would absolutely target and 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:19.639 take advantage of the game of the moment. 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:21.760 Well, if we're talking about that, if we're talking about 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:25.399 combinations or players that could excel, but even more so 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:28.359 under a combination than you're included in this because Billy Slater, 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:31.720 I mean speed, skill, tactical, genius, footwork. 0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:33.879 Mate. 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:36.439 In my opinion, he'll be to mortal as it is. 0:17:37.160 --> 0:17:40.000 I think under these current rules, off Slater was around, 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:41.720 we'd be saying he's in the top five I've ever 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:42.320 seen yep. 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:44.280 I can't agree with that. I can't agree with that. 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:47.119 One of the things I would say about Billy is 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:51.560 whenever we played against the tied defense, he wanted the 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:53.880 ball because he thought the opposition would be more tired 0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:57.240 than him. So we would often spot defenders who looked 0:17:57.280 --> 0:17:59.320 like they've been at the end of their stint, and 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:01.320 Billy would get the ball and run at him. Imagine 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:05.960 that now, multiple players lacking athletic ability been on the 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:08.159 field for too long and just their eyes are roll 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:09.800 in the back of the head, and had Slayer coming 0:18:09.960 --> 0:18:12.560 to them at one hundred miles an hour. I think yeah, 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:14.920 he would. Absolutely he carved it up in the game that. 0:18:15.080 --> 0:18:17.080 Was That's like. 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:20.560 And the great thing about Athan Bowen Maddie Bone is 0:18:20.640 --> 0:18:22.359 they can play first receiver as well, you know. I mean, 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:26.600 they're not a guy that is entirely reliant on a combination. 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:28.320 They can just get a ball. The next one I've 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:33.880 got is brotherly bias. Aside Andrew Johnson, think about with Joey. 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:38.520 Just think about this for a second. Right Andrew dominated 0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:43.400 in the unlimited interchange era, So you think about the. 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:45.320