WEBVTT - ROUND 22 REVIEW: 'ONLY THE SHARKS & ROOSTERS CAN BEAT THE PANTHERS'. Why it's now a three-team race 0:00:06.000 --> 0:00:09.520 Well, welcome back to another episode of Code NRL Monday's podcast. 0:00:09.560 --> 0:00:12.039 There's a bunch of stories coming from the weekend, including 0:00:12.080 --> 0:00:15.440 some embarrassing matches and some disastrous floggings. Were also going 0:00:15.480 --> 0:00:17.600 to analyze today the state of the game. There were 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:19.800 some weird things that happened on the weekend. I'm sure 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:22.600 you've noticed them. I'm joined today by Fatima Kadoo. How 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:24.640 are you, Fatima good? How are you very good? 0:00:24.640 --> 0:00:24.919 Thank you? 0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:26.840 I rushed straight over to Dean Bulldog Ritchie, how are 0:00:26.840 --> 0:00:27.400 you Bulldog good? 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:28.520 Buddy you, I'm very good. 0:00:28.560 --> 0:00:30.760 I'm Alex also known as nrol Soapbox. We're going to 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:33.479 get straight into it. There's been some huge news regarding 0:00:33.680 --> 0:00:37.200 Lorie Daily's coaching tenure and perhaps a strong standout candidate 0:00:37.280 --> 0:00:39.479 has emerged for the new South Wales coach. Bulldog. What 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:40.080 do you make of it? 0:00:40.400 --> 0:00:41.240 Yeah, it's big story. 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:45.040 This morning, Loriie finally officially and formally decided that he 0:00:45.080 --> 0:00:47.520 would announce that he is stepping down as Blues coach. 0:00:47.560 --> 0:00:52.559 Obviously it was on Laurie's horizon during the series, but 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:54.800 I think the fact that they won Game three so well, 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:59.000 so convincingly, so emphatically and against all odds. Yeah, at 0:00:59.040 --> 0:01:00.880 Lourie thought, you know what this is it? This is 0:01:00.920 --> 0:01:03.600 my perfect way to leave. It's an ideal exit for him. 0:01:04.040 --> 0:01:06.800 He goes out with one win, my loss in the 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:09.399 last two years since his return, and it does leave 0:01:09.440 --> 0:01:12.400 the door open for Matt King to take over as 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:14.520 Blues coach. Matt's been an assistant there for at least 0:01:14.520 --> 0:01:17.679 the last two years. Everyone's got a huge rap on 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:21.759 Matt King. Boyd Cord is another candidate, as is Brett White, 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:22.800 but I think you'll find. 0:01:22.600 --> 0:01:24.520 That it will be Matt King's job. 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.080 So huge news to come out of the Blues that 0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:30.160 Matt King, the former winger, terrific player, great football brain, 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:33.200 well respected inside the New South Wales camp and certainly 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:36.319 a bloke that Laurie endorsed get the job, will be 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:37.600 the next new South Wales coach. 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:40.800 So many New South Wales fans might not know about 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:42.520 Matt King as a coach. He's been in the assistant 0:01:42.560 --> 0:01:45.680 system a long time. What kind of his credentials or 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:47.880 why would New South Wales Rugby League be so keen 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:48.280 on him. 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:50.360 Well, he's been in the camp. 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:52.320 He obviously knows the structures, he knows the systems, he 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:55.840 knows the players. He's at the Roosters, where, of course 0:01:56.280 --> 0:01:58.360 you don't get much better grounding than that. He's been 0:01:58.400 --> 0:02:00.800 at the Melbourne Storm. There is a better ground in 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:03.200 than the Roosters. It's Melbourne Storm. So he's come through 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:05.360 the right channels to be a great coach. He's a 0:02:05.400 --> 0:02:08.040 first grade coach in waiting. I think Matt's just at 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:10.480 the point now where waiting for the next vagacy to 0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:13.079 come up. His name will no doubt come come forth, 0:02:13.120 --> 0:02:16.079 will be put forth and you'll find if king E 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:19.680 can pull off an Origin victory next year, then he stops. 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:22.120 Just go right through that very roof with sits above us, 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:25.200 and he will be coaching I would imagine in the 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:26.560 inner or for the next two to three years. 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:27.960 Well that's what I was going to consider, because some 0:02:28.040 --> 0:02:31.280 fans out there, particularly New South Wales ones and Penrith ones, 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:34.800 are really lobbying for Ivan Cleary to step into that role. 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:38.120 Does this create attention for Teama? So if Matt king 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:40.680 gets the job and does well, what will happen to 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:42.880 Ivan Cleary's prospects of coaching New South Wales. 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:43.800 Do you think this. 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.200 Creates a difficult situation? What's your virble on that one. 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:48.280 Well, now, I was going to ask, all, dog, do 0:02:48.320 --> 0:02:51.400 we know how long you know Matt King is going 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:53.160 to get if he is the guy who is given 0:02:53.200 --> 0:02:53.519 the job. 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:56.079 No, it's a good question note for TIMA because there 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:58.640 is this awkward gap year next year, yes, where if 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:02.600 the coach who we think will be Matt King wins it, 0:03:02.600 --> 0:03:04.119 it's going to be very hard to say, oh, Matt, 0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:07.440 you've done a great job, but you're out because Ivan 0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:08.160 wants to coach. 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:08.600 Yeah. 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:10.680 I mean I haven't made it quite clear the day 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:12.720 he announced he was leaving Penrith after next year that 0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:15.760 he wanted to coach. Representing football, there's only two jobs. 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:18.600 It's either Australia or the Blues. It'll be the Blues. 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:20.720 But I think it's unfair to say to Matt King, 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:23.200 if you happen to win three Neil next year, you're out. 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:25.919 So, yes, it's an awkward situation. 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:28.720 I guess, yeah, it's a Yeah, it is an awkward one. 0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:31.080 But you know, I think I'm with Panthers fans. I 0:03:31.120 --> 0:03:33.160 really would like to see what Ivan Cleary could do 0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:36.320 in the Origin Arena, and it is going to be 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:39.200 tough on Matt King, especially if he does, you know, 0:03:39.280 --> 0:03:40.920 win next to you series and all of a sudden 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:43.360 they've gone, oh, you know, we've got Ivan who wants 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:45.520 to come in. But I agree with Bulldog, like, if 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:47.440 he does come in as head coach and he does 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:49.520 win a series, all of a sudden, his stocks rise. 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:52.120 He is sort of that next crop of up and 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:54.600 coming coach. Like we've seen guys like Jason Ryles, like 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:57.320 Josh Hannay, like Sero come through. You know, Matt King 0:03:57.440 --> 0:04:01.000 is sort of that next in line. Yeah, I would 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:03.880 still if Ivan wants to do it, I would give 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:06.280 the job to Ivan when he's ready to do it. 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:09.320 It's interesting. I remember talking to Nathan Cleary during Origin 0:04:09.360 --> 0:04:12.600 camp about whether he had a better idea of what 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:15.320 his father wanted to do post Penrith, and he did 0:04:15.480 --> 0:04:18.080 joke saying, you know, the Pacific Nations are on the rise, 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:21.280 so you know, maybe that's an option. So who knows 0:04:21.279 --> 0:04:23.240 in what capacity we see Ivan Cleary in, but I 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:24.680 would love to see him as Blues coach. 0:04:24.920 --> 0:04:27.800 It's crazy how the rugby league narrative changes so quickly, right, 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:30.920 so not six weeks ago people were hammering Laurie Daily. 0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:33.479 I was certainly one of them, and Laurie gets the 0:04:33.520 --> 0:04:35.719 flowers there. He totally embarrassed a lot of us that 0:04:35.760 --> 0:04:38.679 criticized him, But there was talk about how new sois 0:04:38.760 --> 0:04:41.200 Rugby League, But who's going to coach the Blues? Where 0:04:41.240 --> 0:04:43.200 are the options going to come from? Now They've not 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:46.280 only won the series that was meant to be unlosable 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:49.040 for Queensland, Laurie gets to retire or move on from 0:04:49.080 --> 0:04:51.280 this role as a champion, and now not only have 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:54.080 they possibly got an assistant coach in the wings ready 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:56.560 to be appointed, they've also got one of the greatest 0:04:56.560 --> 0:05:00.400 coaches ever in Ivan clearly on the Raider. It's pretty 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:01.200 crazy how it changes. 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:02.120 It's a funny one that. 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:05.359 Look, we all know clearly how good coach Ivan Cleary is. 0:05:05.520 --> 0:05:08.360 He's one of the greatest of all time, and he's 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:10.960 won four and he's looking at winning a potential fifth. 0:05:10.760 --> 0:05:12.600 This year and he's still got next year. 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:14.960 So if you want to dream on, you can think 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:18.240 he's looking at six. But does it give him the 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:21.000 god given right just to sort of bullock his way 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:25.400 into that job if Matt King wins next year? Credentially, 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:27.560 of course, Ivan's a better coach than Matt King, but 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:30.080 I just don't know whether it's right for him to 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:33.599 and Ivan won't push his way. He'll apply and no 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:35.760 doubt he would get the job. All I'm suggesting that 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:37.479 is if King he does a good job. Is it 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:41.120 unfair that Ivan just goes bang smack and he's straight in. 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:45.320 Yeah, it probably is unfair. It's really tough though, are 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:47.240 you going to pass back or knock back one of 0:05:47.240 --> 0:05:49.760 the greatest coaches of all time? Absolutely the one series win. 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:53.080 And also Ivan's not going to want to coach another club, 0:05:53.320 --> 0:05:55.560 So Matt Kings, as far as I know, would have 0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:58.359 head coaching aspirations. He'd want to have a more permanent 0:05:58.480 --> 0:06:01.480 role in leading a club, bringing Ivan Cleary. And Ivan's 0:06:01.480 --> 0:06:04.600 got no other prospects, not because he's untalented, but because 0:06:04.600 --> 0:06:06.919 he doesn't want them. So I feel like there's a 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:08.920 sure bet if you get Ivan Cleary and he ends 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:11.200 up being a great origin coach new so also the 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:12.880 potential to actually build a dynasty there. 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:15.440 And what if there's a sneaky clause in the contract 0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:18.799 and I'm unaware of this, if there's a sneaky clause 0:06:18.960 --> 0:06:23.160 that if a coach has suddenly given the heave ho 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:27.119 in the NRL, it probably won't happen, but rugby leagu's 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:27.800 a strange game. 0:06:28.200 --> 0:06:29.919 Matt King goes into that position. 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:32.040 Then I'd imagine you have to stand down as origin coach. 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:34.880 These are all hypotheticals, of course, but rugby leag's a 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:37.160 very strange game. When you think it's going along smoothly, 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:40.160 that's when it's at its most dangerous. I don't think 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:42.360 there's any vacancies coming up, and then all I don't 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:45.039 think there's any coach under pressure necessarily, but I'm just 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:47.400 saying if it did happen, I guess I'd have to 0:06:47.400 --> 0:06:49.560 go back to the drawing board and see if they 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:50.320 can find a new coach. 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:52.440 And I'm sure anyone watching or listening won't be reading 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:54.839 in between the lines there from Bulldog trying to figure 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:57.080 out the cryptic clues on what he's suggesting. Well, it 0:06:57.200 --> 0:06:59.080 was a tough going for New South Wales fans about 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:00.880 two months ago and now we're talking high and mighty, 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:02.800 So it's always good to be beat in Queensland and 0:07:02.800 --> 0:07:05.280 feeling in control. I've not been around a long time 0:07:05.320 --> 0:07:08.080 on this earth, but that was the greatest flogging thrashing 0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:14.239 diabolical performance from the Roosters. They absolutely destroyed the Cowboys. 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:16.160 North Queensland fans are trying to get away from this 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:18.680 news right now. Well I'm going to pile on even more. 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:21.320 It wasn't just that the Cowboys were horrendous, It's that 0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:23.680 the Roosters were elite. This is the team that we've 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:26.160 been kind of waiting for the last six weeks. They've 0:07:26.200 --> 0:07:29.440 been playing okay footy and just winning, but this week 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.119 they just dominated. They made a statement in that game, 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:34.800 but it was also a statement for the Cowboys. How 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:35.920 terrible were they for Tima? 0:07:37.040 --> 0:07:39.440 Like you said, not in our lifetime and lots of 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:42.080 other people's lifetimes. I think it's been ninety years since, 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:46.880 you know, there's been a slaughter that bad. I just 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:51.120 don't get the Cowboys. You know, the week before, you 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:54.640 know they're flying high, they're playing their best footy, which 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:58.240 is like you know, big forwards, being physical. You know, 0:07:58.240 --> 0:08:01.400 they've got all this talent, this like strike in the 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:04.600 outside backs, and then all of a sudden they deliver that. 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:07.920 It's really strange, Like if you talk about Jekkel and Hyde, 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:10.560 they are that team in the NRL, Like you just 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:13.160 cannot trust them like I would have said, oh, maybe 0:08:13.160 --> 0:08:16.040 they might, you know, obviously the Roosters were red hot, 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:18.680 you think maybe they might challenge. But they pretty much 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:21.760 waved the white flag almost after twenty minutes. And what 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:24.680 I thought was really interesting. And I know they're still 0:08:24.680 --> 0:08:26.880 what five games to go, and Todd Payton is probably 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:30.320 sitting in the coaching coaching box going, Okay, this game's done, 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:33.400 so maybe I will you know, rest guys like Jason Tomlolo, 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:36.120 like Riboncotto, who I think both played their least amount 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:40.559 of minutes on the weekend. But at the same time, 0:08:41.000 --> 0:08:43.120 that's almost like, I don't know, I don't want to 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:45.400 say the coach is waving the white flag on the game, 0:08:45.480 --> 0:08:48.480 but considering where they lacked was in that physical presence, 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:51.320 in that physicality, they're their two most physical guys to 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:54.680 take them off the field, to me, just it was 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:57.800 a really weird option by Todd Payden. But yeah, I 0:08:57.880 --> 0:09:01.560 feel sorry for Cowboys fans because you know, where do 0:09:01.640 --> 0:09:03.360 you go for from here? Having said that, I think 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:06.040 they play the Titans this week, and if there is 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:09.640 one team that can somehow have a miraculous bounce back, 0:09:10.000 --> 0:09:12.280 it is the Cowboys. But they are by far the 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:14.560 most untrustworthy team in the NRL at the moment. 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:16.959 You touched in that Broncos game for team. And this 0:09:17.000 --> 0:09:18.800 is not making an excuse because what we saw was 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:21.000 just abysmal and embarrassing, humiliating. 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:22.400 You can use any adjective you. 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:24.280 Like, but I just wonder how much stock they put 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:25.840 into that Brisbane game of the week before. 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:27.679 That was a tough game. Was eighteen and ten. 0:09:27.720 --> 0:09:30.000 I think it was at full time and maybe it 0:09:30.040 --> 0:09:33.600 had an impact. But again, please don't misguide what I've 0:09:33.640 --> 0:09:35.520 said as an excuse, because it's not. 0:09:35.920 --> 0:09:38.040 Yeah, I don't. 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:39.880 Know where they go from here, though, I don't know 0:09:39.920 --> 0:09:43.440 how emotionally and mentally you can come back from that. 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:47.760 This will really test what's belief that emblem on the 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:52.080 Cowboys jumping this week yep, because those wins stick with 0:09:52.160 --> 0:09:52.800 you for life. 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:53.960 I'm not talking about the season. 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:56.240 That's a loss that they will remember for the rest 0:09:56.280 --> 0:10:00.320 of their lives because it was utter humiliation and I 0:10:00.400 --> 0:10:03.320 just don't know whether they have what it takes to 0:10:03.360 --> 0:10:04.200 bounce back from that. 0:10:04.320 --> 0:10:06.920 I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I am. 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:07.200 Well. 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:09.720 Todd Payton said it it was the darkest day for 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:12.920 the club. So that's now they're you're rightfull like now 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:15.200 those you know players are tainted with that for the 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:17.760 rest of the season that you know, they were part 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:22.160 of the darkest day in the life of the Cowboys. 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:25.000 So yeah, I don't know. And it's it's strange because 0:10:25.000 --> 0:10:28.800 a week before I wrote how you know Todd Payden 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:33.640 was initially his tenure was, you know under the spotlight 0:10:33.720 --> 0:10:35.760 people were talking about, you know, would he be is 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:37.680 he the right guy to take them forward? They re 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:40.760 sign him, you know they're going, okay, they're in the finals. 0:10:40.880 --> 0:10:44.400 Heart they have that incredible performance against the Broncos. I write, 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:46.760 oh my god, look at the look at the turnaround 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:48.920 under Todd Payden. You know he's got guys like Braden 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:52.680 Burn's playing their best footy, you know, their physical clearly responding, 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:56.640 and then they deliver that. So yeah, I don't know. 0:10:56.679 --> 0:10:58.400 Like I said, if there's one team that can bounce 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:00.240 back from out, I feel like it's the Cowboy. But 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:04.280 you don't trust that they have the energy or I 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:08.840 don't know, the consistency to actually genuinely be a finals content. 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:10.680 Now we have the fifty point rule. If you lose 0:11:10.679 --> 0:11:12.000 by fifty you can't win, so. 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:16.480 That's a light win now or next year as well. 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:18.400 It's like for the Cowboys, it's tough. It's like they've 0:11:18.400 --> 0:11:20.640 just been involved in the most horrific car crash known 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:22.640 to man and now they have to front up next 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:25.160 week and deliver. There's going to be some demons there. 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:26.920 I think it's hard to flush a game like that. 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:29.079 You can flush a game where you make thirty errors 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:33.479 or a bunch of stupid mistakes, but to get absolutely destroyed. 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:35.679 It was embarrassing for them. It's going to be tough 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:37.880 for them to come back. What I will say in 0:11:37.920 --> 0:11:41.760 their defense, the Roosters in that first twenty minutes were insane. 0:11:41.800 --> 0:11:44.000 It was it was dead and buried by then. They 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:46.240 looked on another level. This is the performance that a 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:48.480 lot of fans have been wanting from the Roosters to 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:52.360 determine their Premiership credentials, and it's in the middle. They 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:55.480 were just lethal. Their line speed was so fast, they 0:11:55.480 --> 0:11:58.200 were running hard, they were dominating the game. Their backs 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:00.480 were throwing all the classic Rooster's ball where it's just 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:02.839 try and make a try, try and make attack happen. 0:12:03.080 --> 0:12:06.040 Errors be damned, and they really were respectable it doesn't 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:09.680 justify a seventy point loss. But the Roosters have turned 0:12:09.720 --> 0:12:12.520 up and made a real exclamation points to the competition 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:15.080 that they're going to be contenders. So then it begs 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:18.480 the question who can challenge Penrith Bulldog? Who do you reckon? 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:21.120 Who do you reckon that most likely to challenge Penrith 0:12:21.120 --> 0:12:21.559 for the title? 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:23.360 I think you just answered it. Okay, I think you 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:23.920 just danced it. 0:12:23.920 --> 0:12:26.800 I've done Bulldogs by this week on saying it's a 0:12:26.800 --> 0:12:29.600 two horse race. I don't think there's any side out 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:35.120 there who can reach the elite levels at Penrith and 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:40.120 the Roosters have achieved in recent times. They've got eighteen 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:43.120 start of origin players between them. Yeah, that doesn't make 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:45.040 or break this season. I'm just saying that that gives 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:48.040 you an idea of the rosters that these two clubs 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:50.880 are putting forward. Yes, the Bulldogs are going well and yes. 0:12:50.720 --> 0:12:52.319 Cronulla is on fire. I think they might have won 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:53.080 nine from ten. 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:56.200 However, I just see when it comes to the crunch 0:12:56.520 --> 0:12:59.280 the Premium finals, that's when your big guns are looked 0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:03.240 upon to go to another level, and they are the 0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:04.319 two clubs that will do it. 0:13:04.440 --> 0:13:06.240 They are elite rugby league. 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:09.760 Clubs, big players, big rosters, win big moments. 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:11.679 I was sorry, I'm going to ask you, bull dog. 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:14.120 So it sounds like you're still not sold on Cronulla completely. 0:13:15.720 --> 0:13:19.720 No, well that's yeah, that's my because they're going fantastic. 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:21.960 Don't get me wrong, and I'm not denigrating the Sharks, 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:24.760 but we've been down this path before with Pala. 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:26.680 The only way they're going to. 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:29.040 Convince me and probably another MIDI rugby league fans out 0:13:29.080 --> 0:13:31.120 there is to win the comp but just getting to 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:33.400 a prelim again and falling over and they've done it 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:34.160 year after year. 0:13:34.400 --> 0:13:36.760 Fitzi knows it and they get the shits. 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:38.800 He gets pretty shitty about when they've talked. 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:40.640 About and remind of it. But there's only one might 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:41.600 have fixed it. That's winning. 0:13:41.679 --> 0:13:43.560 And now I've hammered the Sharks this year for that 0:13:43.640 --> 0:13:45.800 same narrative that they haven't delivered on that on those 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:49.320 big the big stage. However it fitz is right. Making 0:13:49.320 --> 0:13:51.400 a prelim isn't easy. And then if you look at 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:53.640 the Roosters, okay, they're looking amazing. They're going to contend 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:58.040 with Penrith, but there Ivan Cleary is Trent robinson'skryptonite. I 0:13:58.040 --> 0:13:59.959 think they might have had one win recently, but out 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:03.960 of that, the Roosters just cannot beat Penrith, whereas the Sharks. 0:14:04.000 --> 0:14:05.600 I actually think the two best teams in the comp 0:14:05.720 --> 0:14:08.120 right now are the Sharks and the Roosters. The Sharks, 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:10.160 the stats say that they're play the ball speed is 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:11.959 three and a half seconds, you know, the average. I 0:14:12.080 --> 0:14:14.680 call bullshit. I swear they're more often than not getting 0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:17.160 two second play the balls. Brayley's picking it up from 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:20.400 the ruck and sprinting through. They look absolutely dynamite. I 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:23.560 genuinely think the Sharks need to be in contention for that. 0:14:23.640 --> 0:14:25.800 I know you said that they've got a soft run home, 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:28.480 but a lot of their players are confidence players, so 0:14:28.520 --> 0:14:30.400 the fact that they're going to get more and more momentum, 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:32.960 I generally think the Sharks are more of a title 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:35.080 threat than the Roosters, and that's saying something because the 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:35.960 Roosters look amazing. 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:38.000 You know, there's been a lot of pressure in the 0:14:38.040 --> 0:14:40.800 last couple of seasons on Nicko Heinz and his combination 0:14:40.880 --> 0:14:45.000 with Braidon Trindle one. He's got this ridiculous goal kicking streets, 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:47.200 so I might just take you back to your bugbear 0:14:47.240 --> 0:14:49.640 about goal kickers. I think it's what thirty one, thirty. 0:14:49.480 --> 0:14:51.160 Two, thirty two, I think it any no right. 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:55.360 But him and braidon Trindle And this was correct the 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:59.200 last time I checked. Actually, in terms of creating opportunities, 0:14:59.560 --> 0:15:01.800 are the most effective halves pairing in the game. They 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:04.640 have the between them, have the most triasist than any 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:05.680 other halves combination. 0:15:05.920 --> 0:15:09.080 Kennedy's been brilliant, Bradley's brilliant. I think Heines is playing 0:15:09.080 --> 0:15:11.000 better than when he won the delim a few years ago. 0:15:11.360 --> 0:15:14.840 Trindle is running the show, Niko's running more. They're just 0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:15.960 chock full of confidence. 0:15:16.080 --> 0:15:18.600 Fitz's got them. Really, they're dialing in. It's kind of 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:21.120 like this Last Dance scenario. A bunch of players are 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:23.280 off contract. They look like they're playing for each other. 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:25.760 And then another thing that's become much more prominent it's 0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:28.880 always been around, is the Heines trendle dynamics sometimes that 0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:31.040 they found that hard to manage. Who was Numero Uno? 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:34.400 Who is the general? And a lot of attention and 0:15:34.400 --> 0:15:36.520 scrutiny's gone on the Bulldogs on who they call the 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:39.520 seven and who they call a six but the Sharks absolutely. 0:15:39.520 --> 0:15:42.440 The halfback's actually Braden Trindle. His kicking meters are more 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:46.080 than double, maybe even triple. Nico Hines and Niko's runs 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:48.520 are more than double than Trindle's. So they've worked it out. 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:51.120 I think that that key issue of making Heinz the 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:53.520 center of attention, putting it all on him, I think 0:15:53.520 --> 0:15:57.160 that's been equalized by how well Bradley's playing, Trindle's playing, 0:15:57.360 --> 0:15:59.840 Kennedy's playing. And again they always get overlook. But the 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:04.160 forwards a massive, running, fast, hitting hard I genuinely think 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:06.440 they're the number one chance to beat to top of 0:16:06.480 --> 0:16:08.520 the Panthers. Moving on from the weekend, and there was 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:11.760 some real peculiarities that were occurring within the officiating and 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:14.560 the interpretation of the rules. We had a sinbin for 0:16:14.600 --> 0:16:17.160 a hairpool. We had two players going off for essentially 0:16:17.160 --> 0:16:19.960 touching each other. We had a misconversion from right in front, 0:16:20.120 --> 0:16:22.400 well actually it was a conversion, it was called a miss. 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:24.840 And then there's been big news about the trialing of 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:28.000 the new kickoff rules. Where the heck do we start, bulldog? 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:29.840 Let's start with Rhyce Walsh. 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:33.240 Okay, yep, the hair pool, yes, oh no, it was ridiculous. 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:34.760 Yeah, I don't know why he did it. While she 0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:37.400 decided in his wisdom to come charging into a melee. 0:16:37.600 --> 0:16:39.520 He wasn't needed in there in the very first place. 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:42.200 He should stay back at fullback where he belongs, and 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:46.440 then decides he wants to grab dom young hair. Look, clearly, 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:47.720 Dom Young's got long hair. 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:50.920 It must be nice, don It does get in the way, 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:51.360 I get it. 0:16:51.400 --> 0:16:54.840 But it was a good old fashioned grab and wrench. 0:16:55.280 --> 0:16:57.720 He deserved to go the sinbin he ultimately got charged 0:16:57.720 --> 0:16:59.840 to with. I think it was contry conduct. He faces 0:16:59.840 --> 0:17:02.640 a thousand dollars fine. It was silly, but to me 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:11.119 it was indicative of the Broncos season, ill disciplined, unnecessary, stupid, silly. 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:13.679 And this is what the Broncos have had to compete 0:17:13.680 --> 0:17:15.879 with all year. They just kill themselves. 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:18.240 See, I saw it a bit differently, Bulldog. I thought. 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:20.639 I thought Reese had a good argument of a player 0:17:20.680 --> 0:17:22.120 was attacking his player and he was trying to get 0:17:22.160 --> 0:17:23.640 him off him. Should you pull hair? 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:23.920 No? 0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:26.399