Speaker 1: Well, hello and welcome to Code NRL podcast. I'm Bulldog Richie,
Speaker 1: joined by Fatima Cando, Patima, How are you and of
Speaker 1: course Alex from NREL Soapbox Soapy?
Speaker 2: Well done?
Speaker 3: How are you? Very good mate? So I get into it.
Speaker 2: Good to see if champion all right? Let's rick anyway?
Speaker 1: State of Origin Queensland have named their side for Origin
Speaker 1: to the same Queensland side that is down one nil.
Speaker 1: And the big story is the rock star himself, Reese
Speaker 1: Walsh is back, Soapy, What have you made of it?
Speaker 1: His form this year's been modest at best, but you
Speaker 1: just get the feeling Origin might bring out the best
Speaker 1: in Reese.
Speaker 4: Well, Reese is a superstar, like he's someone that you
Speaker 4: expect to be in the Origin squad. But when Billy's
Speaker 4: decided he wasn't good enough for game one, I haven't
Speaker 4: seen anything from Reese Walsh to suggest that he's earned
Speaker 4: that spot for game two, and Billy's answers were really vague,
Speaker 4: like there's no evidence to say that Reese Walsh has
Speaker 4: turned a corner. Doesn't mean that he won't do something brilliant,
Speaker 4: but he's not looking hot right now.
Speaker 1: Of course I should add calm Ponger his fullback for TEAMLA,
Speaker 1: and Reese is going to come off the bench.
Speaker 2: What do you make of the Walsh decision.
Speaker 5: I'm with Alex.
Speaker 6: I think it's a little bit odd considering Billy Slater,
Speaker 6: when asked what like you, said what he had seen,
Speaker 6: He couldn't really point to anything, and he said, I'd
Speaker 6: leave that in house.
Speaker 5: So maybe he has seen something.
Speaker 6: You know, Billy Slater's one of the best fullbacks of
Speaker 6: his generations, so maybe he's seen something obviously that.
Speaker 5: We haven't seen.
Speaker 6: I wonder how much losing Ponger the way they did
Speaker 6: in Game one sort of maybe scared Slater a little bit,
Speaker 6: so you know, if there is a situation where they
Speaker 6: do happen to lose Ponger. I noticed Ponger was clutching
Speaker 6: at his shoulder in the game on the weekend, not
Speaker 6: to suggest he's under an injury cloud, but maybe he
Speaker 6: is sort of thinking, okay, that way, if you've got
Speaker 6: Reese on the bench, then if we do need somebody
Speaker 6: to replace pong at fullback, we're not reshuffling outside backs.
Speaker 6: He's got a straight swap. What I find interesting is defensively,
Speaker 6: Ponger didn't have his best game on the weekend. And
Speaker 6: that's why I'm so surprised that Billy Slater went with him,
Speaker 6: considering you know, he was one of the best defensive
Speaker 6: fullbacks in the game during his time. But you know,
Speaker 6: he's a big game player. Origin is the biggest stage.
Speaker 6: You know, if it was a fast game, there was
Speaker 6: plenty of fatigue in that first game, especially in the
Speaker 6: first twenty minutes, So you know, if you're looking to
Speaker 6: inject him in that clash at some point in time,
Speaker 6: maybe late in the game, he's the perfect guy.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you say that, Fatima, and you're one hundred percent rot.
Speaker 1: He's box office Reese Wolks, And if there is a
Speaker 1: biggest stage in Rouga League, it is State of Origin
Speaker 1: in front of what we believe could be a crowd
Speaker 1: in at the MCG in excess of ninety three, ninety
Speaker 1: four thousand.
Speaker 2: And this has got Reese Walts written all over totally.
Speaker 4: But also like Laurie's come under a lot of scrutiny
Speaker 4: for his decisions. But Billy needs to get cop some
Speaker 4: peat now too. He's one nil down and I reckon
Speaker 4: there's a little bit of I don't know what to do,
Speaker 4: Like it's a bit of an insurance policy bringing the
Speaker 4: superstar in.
Speaker 3: I didn't necessarily need you.
Speaker 4: It was nil lull, But now that I've I actually
Speaker 4: really need talent, let's bring him in. It just feels
Speaker 4: like a little bit of hit and home. I'm sure
Speaker 4: Billy has a rationale, but Laurie's cop heaps. Where's Billy's scrutiny?
Speaker 2: I will run through.
Speaker 1: There's other changes for Queens Phinifiiaki rather in for Karrigan,
Speaker 1: written a Korra in for Max Plath, Mari Tao Lungi
Speaker 1: in for Shibasaki and hel and Luki is the twentieth man. Guys,
Speaker 1: what do you make of the balance of this Coeens
Speaker 1: down squad right now?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 6: I think it's a it's a really good side. Obviously,
Speaker 6: Carrigan is a huge loss, Helam Luki has probably been
Speaker 6: one of the cowboys best during their run, so he's
Speaker 6: well deserving. And Finifiiaki is somebody that I've heard Billy
Speaker 6: talk about quite glowingly for a really long time now.
Speaker 5: So it's not surprising.
Speaker 6: I think he was the twentieth nineteenth man in Game one,
Speaker 6: so it's not surprising that he's getting his shot now too.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Finifuaki's player fans have been crying out for in Origin.
Speaker 4: I reckon he's that perfect counterbalance to the big second
Speaker 4: roller like Homolio Kawatu Queens.
Speaker 3: They need a bit of that power. He could do
Speaker 3: really well.
Speaker 1: Now as we film this, of course, the New South
Speaker 1: Wales side has not been picked.
Speaker 2: It will be picked at seven o'clock on Sunday night.
Speaker 1: So let's just talk about some likely changes. Now we
Speaker 1: are hearing that Dylan Lucas from Newcastle may be added
Speaker 1: to the side.
Speaker 2: What would he bring, mate?
Speaker 4: He's fast, you know, he grew up playing as a
Speaker 4: center like I learned about that a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 3: He's fast, He's in roaring hot form. I'd be really
Speaker 3: excited to see him playing for New South Well, it's
Speaker 3: be awesome.
Speaker 1: And the other contentious one is who will replace Blake Bradley,
Speaker 1: who of course broke his arm. It's going to be
Speaker 1: out of Connor Watson and or Appy Chorus out for Timid.
Speaker 1: Do you think yesterday the sixty eight nail hammering which
Speaker 1: humiliated the West Tigers, did that damage Appy's chances?
Speaker 5: I don't know. I don't think so.
Speaker 6: For mine, I would have gone with Happy to start
Speaker 6: at hooker before he got suspended and missed those few weeks.
Speaker 5: I reckon he was probably you know, maybe him and
Speaker 5: Wade Egan.
Speaker 6: The form number nine's that we had and the way
Speaker 6: that you know, Happy plays his craftiness around dummy half.
Speaker 6: You know, he's got footy smarts. He just adds I
Speaker 6: think another edge to the spine by having him there.
Speaker 6: It wasn't good from the Tigers. We'll get to that later,
Speaker 6: but I still would go with Appy over Konna Watson.
Speaker 1: I think Appy's on a running dummy half as we know,
Speaker 1: but he's a very cagey sort of yeah.
Speaker 2: As I said, I believe.
Speaker 1: These days he lies with his eyes, yeah yeah, and
Speaker 1: he's a very very clever player. Look he's thirty four,
Speaker 1: but he's very experienced and certainly for my opinion, I
Speaker 1: don't know about U SOPI, but I think Appy would
Speaker 1: be the ideal man to take to Melbourne under that
Speaker 1: excruciating pressure of playing such.
Speaker 2: A big game.
Speaker 3: It's Sufferwate Egan.
Speaker 4: He's obviously been in great form, but Appy's experience and
Speaker 4: his football skill, like he's just a guy who can
Speaker 4: see the play that needs to happen, and you want
Speaker 4: an intelligent player like that, particularly in high pressure moments
Speaker 4: like Origin. Even I know the Tiger's loss was abysmal,
Speaker 4: but he can't pin that all on Appy, and so
Speaker 4: I think he deserves his spot.
Speaker 6: Yeah, So the other important one was Casey McLean obviously
Speaker 6: did finish that game with an ankle issue. There is
Speaker 6: no issue. He's been cleared this morning. So if he
Speaker 6: Laurie's free to pick him.
Speaker 1: Is there any concern or anxiety among this panel over
Speaker 1: Mitch Moses, who will have not played for thirty one
Speaker 1: days when we expect him to be picked and to
Speaker 1: run out at the MCG. I'm a bit a bit
Speaker 1: against the old school notion that after thirty one days
Speaker 1: they're not fit enough.
Speaker 2: They're all fit these days.
Speaker 1: They are incredible athletes in a performance by performance centers,
Speaker 1: and that doesn't particularly bother me. Someone like Mitch Moses,
Speaker 1: of his skill and durability, that he hasn't played for
Speaker 1: thirty one days, I guess he iss would be timing.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Well, I've joined the Ethan Strange fan club, so if
Speaker 4: I think I want to win, we must pick Ethan Strange.
Speaker 4: Not because Mitch Moses isn't a great player, but we
Speaker 4: already have a gun halfback. I like the cagi chaotic,
Speaker 4: manic style that Strange plays with. Moses will do a
Speaker 4: great job. He's been a fantastic servant in New South Wales.
Speaker 4: But I like that we've got a different X factor
Speaker 4: in Strange, whereas Moses and Cleary are very similar.
Speaker 3: And is it too many cooks in the kitchen there is?
Speaker 4: Does Cleary work better when he's got a junior player
Speaker 4: there who's more like eyes up foot he compared to
Speaker 4: a captain like Moses. So Mate, I'll back his selection,
Speaker 4: but I really want Ethan Strange starting.
Speaker 2: Who's six.
Speaker 5: If Moses is fit, it's Moses.
Speaker 6: The thing that worries me is absolutely thirty one days
Speaker 6: hasn't played.
Speaker 5: It's a soft tissue injury.
Speaker 6: It's he might get through the whole camp and then
Speaker 6: five ten minutes in you know that hamstring might go.
Speaker 5: So that's what I'm worried about.
Speaker 6: The interesting one is where Isaiah Katara fits in this.
Speaker 6: I know that when Matt Burden was brought in for
Speaker 6: Game one that you know Blues coaching staff are actually
Speaker 6: quite keen or we're looking in the direction of Katar
Speaker 6: but he wasn't available. So yeah, Laurie has a big
Speaker 6: decision to make because I do agree because it has
Speaker 6: been you know, like if he goes with Mitch or
Speaker 6: Mitch is injured and they lose, he made the wrong
Speaker 6: call by dropping, not dropping, but not going with Strange
Speaker 6: and it's the same thing. It's it's such a hard
Speaker 6: situation for Laurie unless we win to come out a winner.
Speaker 1: In let's go to the NRL and how could we
Speaker 1: not start with the abysmal performance we saw at Combank
Speaker 1: Stadium yesterday. Let's be fair here, that Penrith machine. I
Speaker 1: don't think I've ever seen it as clinical as what
Speaker 1: they produced yesterday. But there's no sugarcoating. No NRL side
Speaker 1: should lose sixty eight mil.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's terrible. I'm still torn on which was the
Speaker 4: worst result this weekend. Was it the Broncos losing to
Speaker 4: second last or was it the Tigers capitulation against a
Speaker 4: gun team. I think this is why Benji didn't like
Speaker 4: the hype around his team earlier in the season, because
Speaker 4: then they put out performances like this against the Panthers
Speaker 4: and who would be a Tigers fan that is so
Speaker 4: embarrassing to watch that performance. Like I get, they're an
Speaker 4: amazing side and they're going to push you in there.
Speaker 4: They were obviously going to win, but to concede sixty
Speaker 4: eight points is embarrassing.
Speaker 1: I think some of the early season sopi as you
Speaker 1: alluded to, some of the early season accolades from the
Speaker 1: West Tigers were totally over the top. But I said
Speaker 1: at the time, we've put them on a higher status
Speaker 1: than what they deserve to be. They're a fair football side,
Speaker 1: they're not a final seat. They're certainly not a top
Speaker 1: four side. What did you make of it? Sixty eight
Speaker 1: twelve tries?
Speaker 5: It was bad. It was really bad. And good on Benji.
Speaker 6: You know there's been you know, lots of coaches this
Speaker 6: year trying to defect when they're you know, teams have
Speaker 6: played poorly. But he was like, we were done, we
Speaker 6: played branded and he's not wrong. But he's not wrong, right, So,
Speaker 6: And I don't know, like I am not a Tiger's fan,
Speaker 6: but I could if I was a Tigers fan and
Speaker 6: you know, somebody like really drinking the kool aid earlier,
Speaker 6: they did look like they had made significant changes of
Speaker 6: improvements over the summer. There was that resilience in defense
Speaker 6: that we haven't seen from them before they were exciting
Speaker 6: an attack. For me, the biggest problem is how they've
Speaker 6: capitulated defensively. So in the four out of the five
Speaker 6: losses that they've had in their last five games, they've
Speaker 6: considered over two hundred like. That's a problem, and the
Speaker 6: issue for them now is those losses and those heavy
Speaker 6: defeats coincide with what with Jerome Lai announcing he's going
Speaker 6: to the Chiefs now, not to say that, because they
Speaker 6: have had things going on right. Adam Dewey hasn't played
Speaker 6: since round nine, Appy he didn't play in that run
Speaker 6: as well.
Speaker 5: They lost twelve on the weekend.
Speaker 6: Samie lafe Kne, who was one of their form players,
Speaker 6: hasn't been there. So there are things going on, But
Speaker 6: it's that lack of resolve in defense that'stsicipated since the
Speaker 6: Lui decision that could potentially come back to hornmatizers.
Speaker 2: Dumb and brain dead.
Speaker 1: I love Benji's honesty, and I think it's great that
Speaker 1: a coach actually comes out and says that. However, in
Speaker 1: this current day, we know players are very sensitive. Yeah,
Speaker 1: will the players take that well or do you think
Speaker 1: there'll be a little bit of why did he gomes
Speaker 1: it's something so strong.
Speaker 4: I think from all reports, Benji's got a great connection
Speaker 4: with the squad. I think they would I would imagine
Speaker 4: he's pretty honest with them and direct. I don't think
Speaker 4: think's they were dumb and brain dead, like too bad
Speaker 4: if you don't want your coach at to hamme. I
Speaker 4: played better on the point of Leui Coen Siding. I
Speaker 4: actually thought there was even a better connection of the
Speaker 4: last time Bulldog watched them play against the Raiders. They've
Speaker 4: barely won since then, so you might have cursed the time.
Speaker 4: So I do think actually the Bulldogs game, this is
Speaker 4: why we'd be so frustrating. I don't even think it's
Speaker 4: necessarily their defensive resolve. Of course it's been bad. It's
Speaker 4: that the bigger problem is their lack of consistency. So
Speaker 4: they won on defense against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs peppered them,
Speaker 4: peppered them, peppered them, and they held up strong. But
Speaker 4: then this week it just has gone blown out of
Speaker 4: the water. The only thing I will say is that
Speaker 4: it was a dumb and brain dead performance. But it's
Speaker 4: in oscollation in these rules. Right now, do allow for
Speaker 4: these massive scores to happen and Penrith are just capitalized.
Speaker 4: It could just be a blip. I don't think the
Speaker 4: Tiger season is dumb and brain dead.
Speaker 2: Just this game, let's pinch a positive from the game.
Speaker 2: The Panthers. Do we just give them the trophy? Now?
Speaker 3: Why are we even having this competition this season?
Speaker 2: They clearly are so far ahead of the chasing Pact.
Speaker 1: The Warriors are no doubt the second side, and from
Speaker 1: there there's probably a gap maybe to the Roosters and
Speaker 1: maybe a couple of others.
Speaker 2: How far ahead are they of the rest of the field?
Speaker 6: Willy fit par you know when and this is so
Speaker 6: was Isaaeo, Nathan Cleary and bizarre. I think all had
Speaker 6: a break last weekend post origin, came back fit and
Speaker 6: fresh with a vengeance.
Speaker 5: It reminds me of a moment.
Speaker 6: In the finals last year in the prelium and the
Speaker 6: post match where Ajourna asked Ivan whether or not the
Speaker 6: dynasty was over, and he was like, what's over?
Speaker 5: Yeah, you know? And yeah, what's over?
Speaker 4: You know?
Speaker 2: And look.
Speaker 6: Having said that, though there were times last year were
Speaker 6: Ivan himself questioned, especially at the start of the year,
Speaker 6: when they weren't playing well, questioned whether they'd lost that desire,
Speaker 6: lost that hunger. They've completely found it again and it's
Speaker 6: scary how good they are.
Speaker 4: They need to be studied that what are they doing?
Speaker 4: They keep losing great players and keep delivering peak performances.
Speaker 4: How are we still talking about the Penrith Pen's being
Speaker 4: invincible six years on from their first Grand Finals mental.
Speaker 2: Extraordinary, extraordinary franchise.
Speaker 1: Let's head North Brisbane Broncos have been beaten by the
Speaker 1: Titans who are running second last, and last week, of
Speaker 1: course they were beaten by the Dragons who were running last.
Speaker 1: In a word, soapie, are the Broncos gone?
Speaker 2: Yes? Why?
Speaker 4: Or they're gone because they've lost to the bottom three teams.
Speaker 4: So and I know everyone talks about their mid season
Speaker 4: revival last season, right, fair enough, that happened, but it
Speaker 4: would have to happen again. So you've got to make
Speaker 4: the top four to win the comp that that's just
Speaker 4: proven they're not gonna make it. They're now losing some
Speaker 4: players out to origin. Some of their best players last
Speaker 4: season are hopelessly out of form. It would take something
Speaker 4: that has not yet happened, like something's gonna have to
Speaker 4: like change dramatically, almost miraculously for the Broncos to have
Speaker 4: a chance. And I have been Magice mcguy's biggest defender
Speaker 4: this season. I know he copped it way too early
Speaker 4: in the season with the Broncos poor form, but at
Speaker 4: the moment they deserve some scrutiny. They need to play better.
Speaker 4: It's really bad. The defending premiere is to lose to last, second, last,
Speaker 4: and third last hopeless.
Speaker 1: You got to remember too, last year was an extraordinary
Speaker 1: run on the back of Rysce Walsh whose final series
Speaker 1: was just off the charts. But just because you did
Speaker 1: it in twenty twenty five, you don't do it in
Speaker 1: twenty twenty six. So everyone's out there waiting for this
Speaker 1: run to come, waiting for them to get hot. And
Speaker 1: who's to say they will get hot. I think they're gone.
Speaker 1: I said it last week.
Speaker 3: Yep.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 6: So they need to win ten, so they've got two
Speaker 6: buys in hand. If my math is right, and math
Speaker 6: isn't my strong point, I think they need to win
Speaker 6: ten from their last eleven.
Speaker 5: Basically, and then you look at the run.
Speaker 6: So obviously the Rabbit o's this week they go into
Speaker 6: the Roosters Sharks Penrith, Cowboys, Knights, Dolphins, Warriors. When you
Speaker 6: look at that and you see how the Broncos are
Speaker 6: playing at the moment, there isn't a game there where
Speaker 6: I comfortably go Okay, the Broncos have got this. The
Speaker 6: Broncos are going to knock off the Cowboys in the respect.
Speaker 6: And also too, they haven't been that great at home.
Speaker 6: You know, sun Corp was a fortress for them, but
Speaker 6: they've lost way too many games at home as well.
Speaker 6: And again I love match too, like I'm one of
Speaker 6: his biggest defenders. They have had a lot of injuries
Speaker 6: and they just haven't been able to pick themselves up
Speaker 6: off the canvas.
Speaker 5: I don't think.
Speaker 2: Fosball yeah, baby, it's still going. Can you believe this?
Speaker 1: Eight from ten under Kieran four and of course was
Speaker 1: given a three year full time extension contract just last week.
Speaker 1: He's got KFC signs, he's got Fosball Park. Even the
Speaker 1: local Brookvale Public School is now known as fos Public School. Really,
Speaker 1: having said that, I think I know Kieran well enough
Speaker 1: to suggest that there's a bye this weekend. The community
Speaker 1: on the Northern Beaches is right behind Foles and it's
Speaker 1: been fantastic, But at some point I think Kieran's got
Speaker 1: to say, right, that's it, no more media, Let's pull
Speaker 1: everything right.
Speaker 2: Back all right.
Speaker 4: It would be a shame for him to do that.
Speaker 4: The fos, this boor movement has captivated fans like the
Speaker 4: upp the Wise movement has. I think Justin Horror was
Speaker 4: talking about this and I thought his analysis and that
Speaker 4: was brilliant, Like it's something special that's happening on the
Speaker 4: Northern Beaches who have been quite despondent for many a year,
Speaker 4: and now everyone wants to be involved with kran for it.
Speaker 4: He doesn't have to be the thing about. I know
Speaker 4: he hates it. I know he hates the attention. He
Speaker 4: doesn't want it. But the problem is that just creates
Speaker 4: more and more fanfare. The more he resists it, the
Speaker 4: more fan the more it makes him more likable because
Speaker 4: he's genuinely humble. So he might call it, but it
Speaker 4: won't matter because it's a train that's the horse has bolted.
Speaker 4: The Northern Beaches is alive, singing the song of here
Speaker 4: and for it now.
Speaker 1: Curing to Tim last week at a press conference that
Speaker 1: he believes that Manly can win the premiership, the year
Speaker 1: this year, and I love that optimism. I love the
Speaker 1: fact that coach will say we can win it and
Speaker 1: as he rightly said, how can I not believe it
Speaker 1: and then try to portray it onto my players. We've
Speaker 1: just discussed the Panthers. They're miles out of the field.
Speaker 1: But if there's a swooper, can Manly come home and
Speaker 1: win the premiership?
Speaker 3: Ah?
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't see why not. But if we're talking
Speaker 5: about like a bolt or a dark horse.
Speaker 6: So I like what the Dolphins are doing at the moment,
Speaker 6: but yeah, I just think it's Penrith Warriors. The Roosters
Speaker 6: are coming good at the right time. Yeah they could,
Speaker 6: but there's there's other teams and that could territory too.
Speaker 5: That I like a bit more.
Speaker 4: I think Manly are overperforming. I think this is why
Speaker 4: Kieran fren is a great coach. When I look at
Speaker 4: that pack that went up against South Sydney at the
Speaker 4: start of the season, you'd have no chance that Manley
Speaker 4: were going to dominate that pack, but they did. They
Speaker 4: won the battle in the middle. So he's got those
Speaker 4: boys playing fantastically, but they do have a lot of
Speaker 4: injuries and a lot of age in that pack so
Speaker 4: and anyone that's coming in is very inexperienced, so what
Speaker 4: they're doing is amazing. I'm not buying into the hype.
Speaker 4: I want to believe. I'm a Manley fan by the way,
Speaker 4: if you didn't know, we're in a fozzball hat. I
Speaker 4: want to believe Manly can do it. But they're firstly,
Speaker 4: Penrith are just out of this league. Yeah, so let's
Speaker 4: let's Manly fans should want to the team, believe their
Speaker 4: team can make a push. But there's a lot of
Speaker 4: there's some numerous better teams in the comp right now.
Speaker 2: Talking of another Sydney side that isn't in form the Bunnies.
Speaker 2: Where are they at the moment?
Speaker 1: They're really struggling and that was a pretty fair side.
Speaker 1: They feel it against me only on the weekend. I
Speaker 1: never suggest sow to one man team. But when Latrell's there,
Speaker 1: they're elite. When the Trell isn't there, they look like
Speaker 1: their trades are like at best. So look, Latrell's another
Speaker 1: couple of weeks away, as I understand, But where are
Speaker 1: they at the moment?
Speaker 2: Fatima?
Speaker 6: I think they've improved significantly on where they were last year,
Speaker 6: So there's that, but I do tend to agree, and
Speaker 6: I don't just think it's the way in which Latrell
Speaker 6: can put this side on his back and win games.
Speaker 6: It's just I think there's probably a morale lift when
Speaker 6: you've got somebody like Latrell on the field, and I
Speaker 6: think that's what they're missing the.
Speaker 3: Most, to be honest, Hope.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's actually surprising that they aren't doing better because
Speaker 4: they don't have the same injury problem as last year.
Speaker 4: I don't know what the issue is. I mean, they
Speaker 4: have changed their hearts halfway through the season as well,
Speaker 4: so it doesn't feel like Wayn Bennett's fully locked in
Speaker 4: on who his best spine and squad is. They need
Speaker 4: some stability though, because they need consistent resides from here
Speaker 4: otherwise they're going to miss out in the eight.
Speaker 3: Well.
Speaker 1: Another big story over the weekend was Melbourne storm for TIMA,
Speaker 1: they've just put together their fourth win in five games.
Speaker 1: I don't think Melbourne can win the comp. I think
Speaker 1: there were shadow of the side that they once were,
Speaker 1: but the form shows that they are making a surge.
Speaker 1: Can they get there and if they do, can they
Speaker 1: make a swash?
Speaker 6: Yes and yes, but they have to It's almost like
Speaker 6: someone flicked a switch down there. So devastating news as
Speaker 6: well with Xavier Coats rupturing his achilles, so you know
Speaker 6: that could be up to ten month injury. But aside
Speaker 6: to all of that, you know, Hughes is back, Monster's back,
Speaker 6: Grant is back. I mean, so if Alongo has been
Speaker 6: sewer all season and all of a sudden they look like,
Speaker 6: you know, maybe yeah, shade not shades of the Melbourne
Speaker 6: we know, but I think we've seen enough from them
Speaker 6: to absolutely make a run.
Speaker 1: So if Grant's there, monsters their hues is there, soapie yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: I guess that does present a fair issue for opposing sides.
Speaker 4: Well, I hate this, like this is meant to be
Speaker 4: the year that the Melbourne Storm aren't good.
Speaker 3: They sucked.
Speaker 4: We all watched it. They were terrible. Craig Bellamy had
Speaker 4: no idea what was going on. Munster was upset. He's like,
Speaker 4: the rules suck, we can't work in this game. And
Speaker 4: so I'm filthy. I'm absolutely filthy that the Melbourne Storm
Speaker 4: are doing well again. This is the year You're not
Speaker 4: meant to make the eight leave some space for us.
Speaker 4: So I'm absolutely petrified that they're going to go on
Speaker 4: a massive run. Whereas we look at the Broncos and
Speaker 4: we're talking about can they make it, they need to
Speaker 4: go on an amazing run. Well, now there's evidence that
Speaker 4: Melbourne can. They look like a very good team and
Speaker 4: I'm petrified of seeing them in the top eight. I
Speaker 4: don't think they can win it, but I'll be absolutely
Speaker 4: devastated if they make the eight. I want a finals
Speaker 4: campaign that's a bit more alive because you just know
Speaker 4: they're going to turn it up when it comes to
Speaker 4: the finals.
Speaker 2: I don't want that.
Speaker 1: That's what That's what Craig Villamy does so well, it
Speaker 1: has done for more than twenty years. Before we go
Speaker 1: the Camber Raiders, Yeah, last year's Minor premiers.
Speaker 2: They're on their backsides. They've pull's on themselves with.
Speaker 1: Samil discipline and that performance in the weekend against the
Speaker 1: Rue which is twenty six to nil.
Speaker 4: But they were never in that game. No Russ looked
Speaker 4: hot though, didn't they they? I think Ricky was pretty
Speaker 4: didn't say much in his press conference but just said
Speaker 4: they were too good. They were though the Russ looked amazing.
Speaker 4: I think the Raiders are going to rue the ill
Speaker 4: discipline they had at the start of the season. I
Speaker 4: feel like they've actually gotten much better at that. They're
Speaker 4: not getting as hot headed, but they're not finding ways
Speaker 4: to that usual chaotic score A point out at its core,
Speaker 4: it try out of nowhere. Do you think there's any
Speaker 4: issue with the fact that they've switched the halves, that
Speaker 4: Sanders has gone to the left and Strangers gone to
Speaker 4: the right. They've broken up a great combo that Strange
Speaker 4: had with Young What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 6: Yes, I do agree with that, But at the same
Speaker 6: time too, I think Ethan Sanders, who showed some really
Speaker 6: good signs early on, probably hasn't had as much impact.
Speaker 6: So I don't know if you want to call it
Speaker 6: teething issues. I think he'll get better in time. But
Speaker 6: I've said all along they have had discipline issues and
Speaker 6: it will come back.
Speaker 5: To bite them.
Speaker 6: Speaking of and I'm a Raiders' fan, so I hate
Speaker 6: saying this is a Raiders fan speaking of teams that overachieved,
Speaker 6: and you know you said your team is overachieving. I
Speaker 6: felt that being mindor preent. And I know it's hard
Speaker 6: to say because they were minor premiers that absolutely did overachieve.
Speaker 5: Last year. That's not to say they should be.
Speaker 6: In the position that they're in at the moment, but
Speaker 6: in that game on the weekend, like you said, they've
Speaker 6: got so many threats that just seem dull. This time round,
Speaker 6: they still have issues on their edges. Defensively, they're missing Simisusangi,
Speaker 6: but Cherry Evans did an incredible job of nullifying the
Speaker 6: back three in particular Kayo Weeks, and when you take
Speaker 6: that out of what the Raiders have got going forward,
Speaker 6: it hurts them.