Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at B.
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Speaker 1: The Big League Podcast podcast News TALKSB.
Speaker 2: This week on The Big League Podcast, the Warriors find
Speaker 2: a way again, this time at sixteen twelve went over
Speaker 2: the Dolphins, extending their win streak to five.
Speaker 3: Michael Burgess joins me.
Speaker 2: To unpack another nervous watch late and an early look
Speaker 2: ahead at what promises to be a ripping game this
Speaker 2: Sunday against Canberra at Mount Smart And it's almost a
Speaker 2: state of origin time. The teams are in and at
Speaker 2: least one Warrior has made the grade, But should there
Speaker 2: have been more?
Speaker 3: My name is Nick new Ley. Let's go b LB.
Speaker 2: Who would have thought the Warriors would become masters of
Speaker 2: closing out the tight contest? For those hardy fans out there,
Speaker 2: I'm sure you'll remember, game after game this team historically
Speaker 2: would find a way to lose in a winning position.
Speaker 3: Heck, even look at last last year.
Speaker 2: Seven games they lost by six points or less and
Speaker 2: there was a drawer in there too for good measure.
Speaker 2: But take a look at this record for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2: These are the wedding margins. Twenty eight two to fourteen, four,
Speaker 2: one and four. And look, yes, they are making it
Speaker 2: hard for themselves on occasion, including on Saturday against the Dolphins.
Speaker 2: But the character, the resilience, the second efforts that can't
Speaker 2: be folded, and what's more, on the face of it,
Speaker 2: at least it looks like the Warriors are still a
Speaker 2: wee way off their best, particularly with ball in hand
Speaker 2: and sterner tests. Oh wait, there's no question starting with
Speaker 2: this weekend on Sunday against Canberra, but this run five
Speaker 2: in a row, this record second on the ladder through
Speaker 2: eleven rounds, is worth celebrating. Michael Burgess, senior sports writer
Speaker 2: at the New Zealand Herald, what did you make a
Speaker 2: Saturday's performance and just the way the Warriors are getting
Speaker 2: it done of late?
Speaker 4: Niki summed it up perfectly. I mean, it's just been extraordinary,
Speaker 4: it really has. This run has been one of the
Speaker 4: more remarkable sequences I can remember, and I've been covering
Speaker 4: this team for a long time. I remember walking out
Speaker 4: of the Broncos game at Mount Smart five weeks ago
Speaker 4: when they got you know, they win in Golden Point,
Speaker 4: and thinking how privotal that was, looking at their draw
Speaker 4: coming up and thinking, gee, the Warriors could be if
Speaker 4: things go their way, could be seven to or eight too.
Speaker 4: But I didn't really think it would happen. And the
Speaker 4: fact they've I think the thing I didn't. I didn't
Speaker 4: see the victory coming on Saturday. I thought they'd be
Speaker 4: out of petrol. I really did. Because you can only
Speaker 4: go for so long winning these tight games. It takes
Speaker 4: so much physical, mental, emotional energy. But not just that,
Speaker 4: but the travel. The travel mate, you know, we forget.
Speaker 4: They've been to since the Broncos game. They've been to
Speaker 4: christ Jurch, come back to Auckland, been to Brisbane to
Speaker 4: play the Cowboys in a crazy game which which must
Speaker 4: have used up so much juice. They've come back to Auckland,
Speaker 4: gone to Wollongong, which is you know, flight to Sydney,
Speaker 4: bust to Wollongong in another crazy match, come back to Aukland,
Speaker 4: then they flight to Brisbane. You know, it's, as you said,
Speaker 4: tougher test to come. But what they've done this platform
Speaker 4: is absolutely massive.
Speaker 3: It certainly is.
Speaker 2: And as you say, now they're at the Lofty Heights,
Speaker 2: the second on the Nral Ladder. They're eight and two
Speaker 2: and it's that that scrambled defensive efforts, their resilience, which
Speaker 2: was shining again late against the Dolphins's. So we're going
Speaker 2: to get it into this game in a little bit
Speaker 2: more detail. But first up, let's take a listening to
Speaker 2: the highlights courtesy of Fox Sports. The Warriors beating the
Speaker 2: Dolphins sixteen points to twelve.
Speaker 5: The Warrior's Jed goes up. Now is there on the attack?
Speaker 6: How is to do that?
Speaker 7: Kicks out wine the polpe and also to a bass.
Speaker 5: Of check Pumpy attack that plasma is there, jitter Harris defeat.
Speaker 5: You actually go, but.
Speaker 7: I lost pop the last play, there's some wide speed
Speaker 7: here from the Dolphins. Metcalf gets the kick in any way,
Speaker 7: another chance for Pompy.
Speaker 5: Plisina is dead. He got it golf Harris to thes
Speaker 5: and the touch was backward, says the referee.
Speaker 8: The ball is knocked forward by Lecqua in the field
Speaker 8: of playing.
Speaker 5: We have a decision.
Speaker 6: We have justice.
Speaker 7: Zayah Cato look it back for wi feeder who was
Speaker 7: flowing his way into a contest.
Speaker 5: He nickel tips down. He kind of tats it. Nikol
Speaker 5: Lever is there.
Speaker 8: We're just looking at the right hand of Hamaso. He
Speaker 8: knocks the four forward into the arm of Chans Nickel
Speaker 8: Clockstad which is the first knockoff.
Speaker 7: But you have a decision still Adam deside and now
Speaker 7: he is near cup first man.
Speaker 5: Opson goes through the tackle there of Tom Gilbert's the
Speaker 5: Warriors their points to two of Vasa Sek and their car.
Speaker 7: He breaks through the prison bars himself who are playing
Speaker 7: quickly as well, Metcalf, pouncers crappers, tell himself, get to bells,
Speaker 7: get it a takedown.
Speaker 5: Brilliant pain look Calf doing it.
Speaker 9: Again for the Warriors. K curl scores and they've gone
Speaker 9: back sept back at eight points to nil. Across the guitar,
Speaker 9: he'll kick a chance out ride.
Speaker 7: Bostock was there looking forward tip gum By converting dolphins
Speaker 7: and Nichols play on.
Speaker 5: Here is the curl rfeas go just wanting it live.
Speaker 5: My gut instinct said that that was forward from Nichols.
Speaker 8: Nichols knocks the ball on in the field of play jack.
Speaker 7: You should have a rotaf back, trust me inside the
Speaker 7: Warriors thirty last play Tista Vita kicks out wide.
Speaker 5: Laif in his door had a jugger put down. If
Speaker 5: my field try it is so points to the Warriors.
Speaker 5: Here is guitar, Nick Arena. Now that hatter.
Speaker 9: He takes them out tis a minute and he does
Speaker 9: wins the race to the line.
Speaker 5: They have points at once on the point off the
Speaker 5: shoulder there Officier Harris direct contact, shouldered the head mo
Speaker 5: at force and a go.
Speaker 7: He goes four plays gone, goes back to Katoa.
Speaker 5: He looks at Nick Arema.
Speaker 7: HAMERSO TEPI ifdo fine work, I get it again.
Speaker 5: The Dolphins are alive.
Speaker 6: The head kicking well.
Speaker 7: On the edges have been outstanding for the Warriors. Last
Speaker 7: play it comes to Nick Arena. He puts a kick in.
Speaker 7: Costa is there toes it further and toes it out
Speaker 7: of play.
Speaker 5: Make it five on the trucks. Another nail player.
Speaker 7: Though at full time they've taken down the Dolphins at
Speaker 7: sun Corp Stadium sixteen points to twelve.
Speaker 10: This is the Big League podcast. This is going on, Yeah,
Speaker 10: the Big League podcast on the Warriors bandwagons.
Speaker 3: Since d one.
Speaker 2: Well, bur let's get through this game in a little
Speaker 2: bit more detailed. Look, I know we need to preface
Speaker 2: this by the fact you're actually in Melbourne. You're a
Speaker 2: busy man at the moment, and you're going to be
Speaker 2: again this week in Auckland FC in the A League semifinals.
Speaker 2: At the moment they'll host Melbourne Victory on Saturday. Then
Speaker 2: it's on to the Warriors at Mount Smart on Sunday
Speaker 2: against Canberra. But it was a real arm wrestle early,
Speaker 2: which it has been over the last few weeks. We
Speaker 2: had Chanelle Harris Devita dropped the ball over the line.
Speaker 2: There was a disallowed try each. But what I did
Speaker 2: like from what I saw at least were the Warriors
Speaker 2: fifth tackle options, you know, those kicks that could have
Speaker 2: been tries on any other day to Harris Deavita on
Speaker 2: two different occasions that they were very well placed, and
Speaker 2: the work in particular how Metcalf and Near Corre were
Speaker 2: combining on that right edge. There was a lot of
Speaker 2: different pictures being thrown at Tom Gilbert and Cody Nicarima
Speaker 2: and defense and eventually that told a lovely little way
Speaker 2: can pass for an outline for Near Correy to go through.
Speaker 2: And then immediately after that, look we've probably been waiting
Speaker 2: for the rubb of the green to go the Warrior's
Speaker 2: way over the last decade, and we finally got one
Speaker 2: out of nowhere Roger to have Arsischeck was one of
Speaker 2: the most obvious knock ons I've ever seen in a
Speaker 2: kick reception missed, it's regathered by Harris Tavita who was
Speaker 2: in an off side position, and then within the space
Speaker 2: of thirty seconds a barnstorming run from Aaron Clark and
Speaker 2: then a bit of individual brilliance from Luke Metcalf little
Speaker 2: Chip and Chase through Kirk Capewell and support and at
Speaker 2: that point it's ten points to Now we're heading into
Speaker 2: the sheds. What did you make of the first forty
Speaker 2: before we get into the second half.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean major turning point, isn't it.
Speaker 4: But I do think it's been a it's been a
Speaker 4: bit overblown. Like sure it was a knock on, it
Speaker 4: went sideways, but did go forward, no problem there and
Speaker 4: what he was off side. But the point I would
Speaker 4: make is it wasn't like the Warriors scored on the
Speaker 4: next tackle. You know they still had it was a swing.
Speaker 4: It was a turning point, But I thought the Dolphin's
Speaker 4: got a bit carried away after the game with going
Speaker 4: on and on abit that, because you know they did
Speaker 4: have time to recover. But what I did like like
Speaker 4: you was the last tackle plays because if that's a
Speaker 4: criticism of the last few weeks, and it's hard to
Speaker 4: criticize a team too much that's winning. But even Andrew
Speaker 4: Webster's said this after most games in this last period
Speaker 4: that they have, you know that overused were clunky, but
Speaker 4: they have been a bit clunky. Options haven't always been great,
Speaker 4: so they haven't got the most out of possession. But
Speaker 4: it kind of clicked a bit more on Saturday. They
Speaker 4: kind of felt like they'd planned what they wanted to
Speaker 4: do and then they executed well. So another good sign.
Speaker 4: Quite tenacious too, in that in that first half, you know,
Speaker 4: hot conditions, fast paced game, a lot happening, so you
Speaker 4: know to stay in. It's always a good sign when
Speaker 4: you stay in the contest and you're scoring tries towards
Speaker 4: the end of either half. And really nice, really nice
Speaker 4: to see in the coord because he was good in
Speaker 4: twenty three. He obviously had a lot of problems in
Speaker 4: twenty four with injuries and other things, but he looked
Speaker 4: on Saturda there were glimpses of.
Speaker 6: Paramount Nicordo, wasn't it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll put my hand up and say that I've
Speaker 2: been pretty disappointed with Madatana Carter over the last year.
Speaker 2: But I thought, as you say, real glimpses of he
Speaker 2: went close to scoring a second early in the second half.
Speaker 3: You know, he's a big body.
Speaker 2: I think there was something made of it last year
Speaker 2: that is effectively the same height at least as.
Speaker 3: A Adam Fanua Blake.
Speaker 2: And you just want to you just want to see
Speaker 2: that sort of ball carrying physicality and presence used. Sometimes
Speaker 2: it just feels like he sort of braces for the
Speaker 2: contact rather than uses that massive frame and bends the
Speaker 2: defensive line. And look, just on your point too, burge
Speaker 2: around the dolphins and making a bit of a song
Speaker 2: of dance about the the RTS knock on. Look, you've
Speaker 2: just got to look at some of their statistics. They
Speaker 2: did not help themselves out or they were inaccurate, They
Speaker 2: were ill disciplined. The penalty count it did even up
Speaker 2: to towards the back end of the game, but it
Speaker 2: was eight to two after half an hour.
Speaker 3: I think the completion rate was about seventy percent.
Speaker 2: So they need to look at their own house before
Speaker 2: throwing some stones around.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, to be fair, Christian Wolf's a good guy,
Speaker 4: and to be fair to him. I think he was
Speaker 4: just really frustrated as well because there were so many
Speaker 4: bunker calls and so many disallowed tries to both teams.
Speaker 4: But the Dolphins got their first year and they'd be
Speaker 4: a couple of those disallowed tries, which.
Speaker 6: I guess they could see in another way or they
Speaker 6: could argue. So yeah.
Speaker 2: Then we get into the second half and again it
Speaker 2: sort of resumes that sort of arm wrestle set for
Speaker 2: set type contest. It's not until relatively late that we
Speaker 2: see our next points through Jacob Labin, who I thought
Speaker 2: came on really strong first Nral career try from him
Speaker 2: offer another well placed kicked. That one was from Chanelle, Harris,
Speaker 2: Tavita and Burgiere starting. I think we're ten minutes to
Speaker 2: go sixteen points to know this one is all done
Speaker 2: and dusted.
Speaker 3: But this is the Warriors.
Speaker 2: They loved the close contest all of a sudden, so
Speaker 2: they just had to They had to add a little
Speaker 2: bit of GST for us, and we got a nervous finish.
Speaker 2: What did you the last ten or so minutes as
Speaker 2: you che and you see for Sha Harris, Git sinnburned
Speaker 2: a couple of lapses and all of a sudden you're
Speaker 2: on the edge of your seat.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, for once, I wasn't writing this match report.
Speaker 4: I've had a few a few massive rewrites this year,
Speaker 4: or thinking I'm going to do a big rewrite because
Speaker 4: it's been some hard ones to write.
Speaker 6: I wasn't.
Speaker 4: I was means you say, in Melbourne in a pub
Speaker 4: with a whole lot of aalk and the f C
Speaker 4: fans quite memorable actually because they were enjoying the game.
Speaker 4: But also we're in a Melbourne pub with there's five
Speaker 4: massive screens all the AFL on, so we have to
Speaker 4: go and convince the guy to put the rugby league on,
Speaker 4: which made it for a really a really nice occasion.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 4: I mean, it always felt kind of safe because you
Speaker 4: knew the time was sticking down.
Speaker 6: But it did get a bit uncomfortable, you know.
Speaker 4: And even the last play when the Dolphins make their
Speaker 4: kicking you I know, surely not, surely not.
Speaker 6: It got way too, way too tense.
Speaker 4: Webster again will be sitting there thinking, geez, why can't
Speaker 4: we just be comfortable like they were comfortable in christ
Speaker 4: Us against the Knights. But apart from that, they make
Speaker 4: it difficult. You turn it into a positive and you
Speaker 4: say that they hung on again, and look they do.
Speaker 4: Look they do look composed. You know, they do look
Speaker 4: pretty composed. The lapses are coming, the mistakes come, but
Speaker 4: they reset quickly. I'd say that is an obvious major
Speaker 4: difference from last year, where a mistake came. They couldn't
Speaker 4: defend their mistakes last year. This season they're defending their errors,
Speaker 4: or their the penalties or their issues. They're defending them
Speaker 4: quite well, which is massive, isn't it.
Speaker 2: Certainly Well, here's Andrew Webster's summation of that eighty minutes
Speaker 2: over in Brisbane against the Dolphins. He personally thought it
Speaker 2: was a marked improvement on the previous two weeks, the
Speaker 2: wins over the Dragons and the Cowboys.
Speaker 11: That one's a bit different the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 11: I was still a heart attack at the end. A
Speaker 11: bit about it I felt was just how in control
Speaker 11: we looked defensively.
Speaker 6: They had so much balling out of triline. We're in
Speaker 6: now half.
Speaker 11: Really the thing we're going to work on is just
Speaker 11: tackle four penalties or sixty games a game on leg
Speaker 11: up better their end. But I just a little talm
Speaker 11: controlled fish wind of the pin and right at them,
Speaker 11: we could have crumbled and the stay solid again.
Speaker 6: I actually thought we'd look way better.
Speaker 2: And I have to agree, yeah, look again, it was
Speaker 2: that that nail biting finish, But on the whole, calm collected.
Speaker 2: They're not usually words that you sort of associated with
Speaker 2: the Warrior's team burge, but there's a real DNA about
Speaker 2: this team there, and just the willingness to fight for
Speaker 2: each other and scramble defensively. Sometimes it doesn't look pretty,
Speaker 2: but it's it's very effective.
Speaker 4: Very effective and even even you know, losing your co
Speaker 4: captain to a sin bin, which I wasn't completely sure about.
Speaker 4: I thought maybe the the Dolphins players sort of.
Speaker 2: A bit of a it was a bit of a
Speaker 2: mitigating factor, wasn't It was sort of body position lar wad,
Speaker 2: But I think it was the nature of how Fisher
Speaker 2: Harris is armed and quite rap and cock shoulder that
Speaker 2: probably put it that way with and he's gone for
Speaker 2: at least a week now, so there was definitely something
Speaker 2: in it.
Speaker 5: But yeah, if.
Speaker 4: And doubt I like to see those given because it's
Speaker 4: something you want to see eradicated.
Speaker 6: So overall, no issue, but but it was one that.
Speaker 4: You could sort of you could argue, but no, I
Speaker 4: should be the fact he goes off. They remain composed.
Speaker 4: The Dolphins are a good team this year, you know.
Speaker 4: I like what they beat the Storm, a massive score
Speaker 4: on the Storm. You know, so they're a good team.
Speaker 4: They're at home, big crowd. It just all adds up
Speaker 4: to I don't know, you're getting an impression about this
Speaker 4: team which is quite exciting, Like no one's getting carried
Speaker 4: away like they're not the second best team in the NRL.
Speaker 4: The second on the ladder then definitely not the second
Speaker 4: best team in the NRL. I still wouldn't have them
Speaker 4: in the top four teams in the NRL in terms
Speaker 4: of ability right now. But they have got this foundation,
Speaker 4: which means that September football is looking more and more
Speaker 4: likely because you know, they can, like you said just before,
Speaker 4: there's a little bit pressure on now, so they can
Speaker 4: afford to drop a couple of games. They're going to
Speaker 4: drop a couple of games. They're going to have some
Speaker 4: hard times, but it won't be terminal. You know that
Speaker 4: if they rebound, then they should collect enough wins to
Speaker 4: be September. And I think the big point for me
Speaker 4: is what kind of team will we see in September.
Speaker 4: You know that the improvement that we could have in
Speaker 4: two or three months could be quite startling. You know,
Speaker 4: there's still questions that have got fair experienced half combination,
Speaker 4: et cetera, et cetera. They've got some other little holes,
Speaker 4: but they're in a position that a lot of other
Speaker 4: teams would love to be, and both in terms of
Speaker 4: their their points on the ladder, but just also in
Speaker 4: terms of their growth and their potential growth as a squad.
Speaker 2: A couple of individuals I did want to highlight before
Speaker 2: we start to take a look at Sunday's game against
Speaker 2: Canberra and look, I am down base here in christ
Speaker 2: so I've got a little bit of bias here. But
Speaker 2: Tannis sour Is Smith quite the story come out of
Speaker 2: the Halls or Hornets junior program. Had a little dabble
Speaker 2: in rugby union, ended up back in rugby league and
Speaker 2: with some unavailability I'll swear injuries to lots of bunty
Speaker 2: off He makes his RL first grade debut. It's the
Speaker 2: tenth RL first grade club debut that Andrew Webster has
Speaker 2: has handed out and his tenure since taking over in
Speaker 2: twenty twenty three came on pretty solid. No.
Speaker 3: Frills, you know, twenty five minutes.
Speaker 2: He's like a new bald brother with no jazz Ta
Speaker 2: Vuger or Dylan Walker. What did you make of Tannis
Speaker 2: dalers Smith getting a run in first grade?
Speaker 4: Well, yeah, in the great traditions of South Island Fords. Yeah, solid,
Speaker 4: had it go, got stuck in all the things you
Speaker 4: want to see. Not easy on debut, not easy coming
Speaker 4: on in that situation, in that game. They've quite liked
Speaker 4: him for quite a while and he's just had He's
Speaker 4: had injuries, he had a few other setbacks. So it's
Speaker 4: just great to see him getting a chance, you know,
Speaker 4: because until he gets a chance, you don't know what
Speaker 4: his ceiling is. But as you would know, Nick, not
Speaker 4: easy to make it out of christ Church, even though
Speaker 4: that even though the league scenes well, even though the
Speaker 4: league seems getting better down.
Speaker 2: I thought you meant more broadly speaking, just in general
Speaker 2: rather than rugby leagu Yeah.
Speaker 3: No, you've made it, made it as well on the
Speaker 3: mid League podcast. But I've made it big top.
Speaker 6: I was just meaning in terms of league.
Speaker 4: It's a tough pathway from playing footy in christ Church
Speaker 4: to getting to the narrow You know, the kids in
Speaker 4: Auckland have obviously got an advantage, so I reckon, you've
Speaker 4: got to be a bit a bit special. Yeah, Ue
Speaker 4: quite tough mentally to do so, so.
Speaker 6: We're repeating ourselves.
Speaker 4: But it's another nice little sign that a kid comes
Speaker 4: in and does well.
Speaker 2: And look at the other end of the career arc.
Speaker 2: Kirk Capele just slotting in there in the centers. He's
Speaker 2: up against an excitement machine and Herbie Farnworth. I know
Speaker 2: I did score a trilate, but some great defensive work,
Speaker 2: in particular covering for Dallan who loves jamming and on
Speaker 2: hand to score that try as well, it has to
Speaker 2: be in the right place at the right time to
Speaker 2: follow Luke Metcalf's little chip and chase. Here's Andrew Webster
Speaker 2: first on Kirk Caple's performance on Saturday.
Speaker 11: He's been awesome wherever he's played this year. People don't
Speaker 11: realize he had a lot of injuries and ningles last year.
Speaker 11: He's got himself physically in light shape and you see
Speaker 11: how well he plays and his leadership he's unbelievable. He's
Speaker 11: leading by his actions. I honestly think he's been so
Speaker 11: good for us, particularly the.
Speaker 2: Last six weeks capear Burge. He's becoming a bit of
Speaker 2: a fan favorite.
Speaker 4: I think he is, and it's really nice to see
Speaker 4: because he's a genuinely nice guy.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 4: I've had a couple of chats to him here and there.
Speaker 4: I ran into him at the Warriors Season Awards and
Speaker 4: had a little chat for a few minutes about his
Speaker 4: pre season and they had a holiday back home and
Speaker 4: his wife was you know, they got a little one,
Speaker 4: et cetera, et cetera, and just just a nice guy
Speaker 4: to talk to. Really knows for he loves forty being around.
Speaker 4: But what I'm so happy for him is that he
Speaker 4: came in last year. As you know, it was like
Speaker 4: the adding Roger. They're adding him and this was going
Speaker 4: to be the icing on the cake and here we go.
Speaker 6: And of course it didn't work out for a lot
Speaker 6: of reasons.
Speaker 4: They team didn't have a great year, and he didn't
Speaker 4: have an amazing year either, and he's not as spectacular
Speaker 4: player fans, so I guess fans would take a bit
Speaker 4: longer to warm to him. And as Andrew Webs just
Speaker 4: pointed out, he did have some injuries and things that
Speaker 4: people didn't know about, which always slows you down. So
Speaker 4: the fact that he's really showing, he's showing why they
Speaker 4: brought him this year, isn't it. You know, he just
Speaker 4: slots in you gets the job done. It's not easy
Speaker 4: to play center in the NRL. He's not the he's
Speaker 4: not the quickest guy, but he's quick enough. He's smart,
Speaker 4: covers so well defensively, and then he's popped up this
Speaker 4: year with a few crucial tries.
Speaker 2: No, he's he's been a heck of a sign. I
Speaker 2: must have met when he signed the three year deal.
Speaker 2: As you say, twenty twenty four felt like post twenty
Speaker 2: twenty three, it was like chips and let's go get
Speaker 2: a veteran.
Speaker 3: And then when it didn't work out last year, I.
Speaker 2: Almost felt it was time for a rebuild and these
Speaker 2: guys at this end of the career ARC would be
Speaker 2: looking elsewhere. But here we are now, the Warriors eight
Speaker 2: wins from ten, and this might be the window after all.
Speaker 2: Plenty more to come here on the Big League Podcast,
Speaker 2: We're going to preview the canber Raiders game next and
Speaker 2: Speed of capele of course State of Origin next week.
Speaker 2: One Warrior in, but a couple not making the grade.
Speaker 10: The Big League Comic god League cod on.
Speaker 3: The Warriors bad Wagons since day.
Speaker 10: One, the Big League podcast for the biggest league fans.
Speaker 2: Well up next for the Warriors are the Canberra Raiders, who,
Speaker 2: of course, unless we forget rolled through Andrew Webster's side
Speaker 2: and Las Vegas feels like a long time ago. Birch
Speaker 2: thirty points to eight. Their record is eight eight wins,
Speaker 2: three losses. Warriors is eight wins, two losses. We're going
Speaker 2: to get to Camber in a six. But obviously team
Speaker 2: name Tuesday, or at least the team name list. I
Speaker 2: did notice some silly bug has been played again by
Speaker 2: Andrew Webster or whoever looks after the team lists with
Speaker 2: the twenty four hour cutoff. Roger tow of us as
Speaker 2: Shit was briefly listed at center on Friday afternoon, then
Speaker 2: Tame too a picky drops off artierspect to the wing
Speaker 2: kirt capable from the interchange to the centers. Wheby or
Speaker 2: whoever it likes to play some games with media and
Speaker 2: the opposition, but for this team naming at least two
Speaker 2: big outs for different reasons. No James Fisher Harris due
Speaker 2: to that hits on Saturday. It will be at least
Speaker 2: a one match ban. If he fights it and it's
Speaker 2: unsuccessful at the judiciary, it will be two weeks and
Speaker 2: Mitch Barnett straight into New South Wales state of origin camp.
Speaker 3: We'll get to those players.
Speaker 2: Most notably Wade Egan and Kirk Capable not making origin
Speaker 2: in the SEC. But just when you take a look
Speaker 2: at who is there, who is available, there's no Buntier
Speaker 2: fire as well. I really liked what mard Artaiir Coordo
Speaker 2: did on the edge, but it looks like he's very
Speaker 2: much going to have to do a job in the
Speaker 2: middle of this weekend. Berge and Jackson Ford, who missed
Speaker 2: the game at the weekend with head injury protocols, is
Speaker 2: probably going to be thrust in and expected to play
Speaker 2: big minutes.
Speaker 3: Is that how you see it?
Speaker 4: Yeah, most likely you've nailed it. Nicorda is an interesting
Speaker 4: one because since the emergence of lequahali Aesima with Halle
Speaker 4: Asima and Katewell in the second row, there's a feeling
Speaker 4: that he's going to be pushed more towards the middle.
Speaker 6: Webster is open to that.
Speaker 4: Webster also recognizes, you know how good it is on
Speaker 4: the edge, but yeah, when they're at full strength, you
Speaker 4: can see in the coordate in the middle. I'm not
Speaker 4: so sure but that I really like what he does
Speaker 4: on the edge, like you said before, so let's see
Speaker 4: how that plays out. But he'll be in the middle,
Speaker 4: no doubt, big body, and they'll probably go with Ford
Speaker 4: as the starting option. It'll be a really interesting middle rotation.
Speaker 4: I think they'll need to be clever with how they
Speaker 4: rotate and get players on and off quicker than normal
Speaker 4: because it's a real challenge. And when we talk about
Speaker 4: challenges so often in the season, but to go up
Speaker 4: against the Raiders without your two premiere props, your two leaders,
Speaker 4: is really tough.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and they don't lose anything Raiders in terms of
Speaker 2: their middle, at least for state of origin. Joe Tarpena,
Speaker 2: of course, is a Kiwi. Corey Hawsbert didn't make the
Speaker 2: Queensland cut and Josh Papaletti has retired from representative duties,
Speaker 2: so they're effectively at full strength. I think Hudson Young
Speaker 2: made the new South Wales team, but just on origin.
Speaker 2: From a warrior's perspective, Burge, what did you make of
Speaker 2: Laurie Daily coming in. He's stuck with a lot of incumbents,
Speaker 2: including Rhys Robson at hooker. I thought, you know, Wade
Speaker 2: e can can't do any more in my view, different player,
Speaker 2: and maybe the criticism could be might not be cut
Speaker 2: out for.
Speaker 12: The Origin arena and an Origin tackle and an Origin
Speaker 12: hit up or whatever, But it's the craft and guile
Speaker 12: of Wade Egan. He's been right there at the top
Speaker 12: of the tree for me in terms of hookers in
Speaker 12: this competition. Were you surprised that he wasn't in the
Speaker 12: mix this time around? And then I gr second to that.
Speaker 2: We've just been glowing in our praise of Kirk cape
Speaker 2: Pele and he was there for two of the three
Speaker 2: games for Billy Sladers Queensland last year. They've gone with
Speaker 2: a guy who's only played I think about eight or
Speaker 2: nine first grade games and Robert Toyer and the centers
Speaker 2: both Firmore as well from Gold Coast Titans, and what
Speaker 2: did you make. It's a blessing for the Warriors in
Speaker 2: many ways. They're going to have Wade Egan and Kirk
Speaker 2: Capble this week. But what was your reaction to both
Speaker 2: of those guys not being in State of Origin selection
Speaker 2: at least for game one.
Speaker 4: It's great news for the Warriors to have them. Although
Speaker 4: when players do good Origin it gives them a boost,
Speaker 4: so it does benefit the club in the long run
Speaker 4: and overall, but great to have them this week in particular.
Speaker 4: I wasn't completely surprised about Wade Egan. I spoke to
Speaker 4: a couple of Wazsi Juerno's last week and the feeling
Speaker 4: I got was that it was close.
Speaker 6: It was going to be close, and he was very close.
Speaker 4: But I think what happens with the Origin quite often,
Speaker 4: especially daily coming back in as coach, especially for the
Speaker 4: first game of a series, it's hard not to go
Speaker 4: for their incumbent, and the incumbent has been there, done that.
Speaker 4: The problem for Egan is the position hooker is such
Speaker 4: a vital position, so to throw a guy and who's
Speaker 4: never played there makes coaches it's sorry, never played in
Speaker 4: that arena. Makes coaches a bit more nervous than they're
Speaker 4: wad about throwing in a winger as center, a second row,
Speaker 4: middle forward, you know what I mean. So I think
Speaker 4: it was very close. Egan has impressed a lot of
Speaker 4: people over there, and they could have picked them. But
Speaker 4: I think robson the fact he is in company's been there.
Speaker 4: He was there for game three. Last year, he also
Speaker 4: had a good game when the Cowboys played the Warriors.
Speaker 4: He possibly shaded Egan in that game, possibly, but but
Speaker 4: I thought it was very close. But yeah, they're going
Speaker 4: to always go with the guy who's been there. But
Speaker 4: that doesn't mean the door's shut, you know if depending
Speaker 4: what happens, you know, I could see Egan coming in
Speaker 4: for for game game two or three. That that's a
Speaker 4: lot more likely to me because it's sort of like, oh,
Speaker 4: we need to make a change, we need to do
Speaker 4: something different, and Cape, well, I think it's just age.
Speaker 4: They love what he's done, that they've been loyal to him.
Speaker 4: He's been loyal to them. He's a he's an origin player,
Speaker 4: he really is, but he is a year older and
Speaker 4: I think playing as center in that arena is probably
Speaker 4: a bit I mean, he could do it, but it's
Speaker 4: probably a bit of a stretch. So so then you
Speaker 4: look at him, you look at him as a as
Speaker 4: a second rower and Slay has gone else. But look
Speaker 4: at no doubt that if there are injuries, they'll be
Speaker 4: on the phone to Curt completely agree.
Speaker 3: Well, look a word on Canberra.
Speaker 2: Then coming into Sunday as we're just touching on before
Speaker 2: big mobile pack. Joe Tarp and er Corey Hawsbro tend
Speaker 2: to offload at will when they're given the opportunity. Jamal Foger,
Speaker 2: he's playing some really good football. How do the Warriors
Speaker 2: go six and r row burge against a very good
Speaker 2: Raiders side.
Speaker 4: It's going to be hard, mate, isn't it? Because I
Speaker 4: think the Raiders match up really well against the Warriors.
Speaker 4: You know, I've still got nightmares about Las Vegas and
Speaker 4: just the way they steam roll through the middle. They
Speaker 4: got their offloads going. They're one of the best. I
Speaker 4: don't know, there's not many better offloading teams in the competition,
Speaker 4: and Stewart's just got them going so well that they're
Speaker 4: just so connected this year. I never forget being in
Speaker 4: Vegas and someone had asked Ricky Stewart about the fact
Speaker 4: that there were Australian newspapers that had them tipped as
Speaker 4: wooden spooners, and he bristled a bit as he does,
Speaker 4: and got a bit angry with the question. But the
Speaker 4: guy asking, well, it wasn't me, mate, I didn't write that.
Speaker 4: He said, no, I know you didn't. I know you didn't,
Speaker 4: But I've noticed that and it's always the same people,
Speaker 4: always writing us off, so he loves that siege mentality.
Speaker 4: It's worked so well for them. But they're a good team.
Speaker 4: I mean, I know they got beaten by the Bulldogs
Speaker 4: a couple of weeks ago, but just the way they
Speaker 4: beat they beat the Storm before that, that was very impressive.
Speaker 10: You know.
Speaker 4: I think some people thinking, oh, they've started hot, but
Speaker 4: can they maintain it? But they are maintaining it. So
Speaker 4: I haven't really answered your question because and I'm not
Speaker 4: avoiding it, but it's just because it's a little bit
Speaker 4: scary because Foggerty has such a good kicking game, so
Speaker 4: they've got the yardage, they defend well, and then I
Speaker 4: think they're the kind of team when they're in the
Speaker 4: red zone they make it counts.
Speaker 6: So with the Warriors, they'll have to try it there.
Speaker 4: Won't be able to do what they did against Dolphins,
Speaker 4: Dragons and Cowboys and give up a lot of a
Speaker 4: lot of territory and a lot of red zone opportunities,
Speaker 4: because I think the Raiders are the kind of team
Speaker 4: where it's quite hard to defend on your life against them.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree, at least one thing is for certain.
Speaker 2: At least I think is that Aaron Clark will be
Speaker 2: starting against the Raiders. This game was quite critical when
Speaker 2: I jumped on this podcast after that Vegas one where
Speaker 2: Aaron Clark was for some strange reason on the interchange
Speaker 2: and what are we two months later plus and he's
Speaker 2: been bandied about as one of the buyers of the year,
Speaker 2: which I completely agree with. One of the other things
Speaker 2: I'd add too is they just have pace, like Xavier Savage.
Speaker 2: If a Waten is Alesnak or the two of us
Speaker 2: as shit gets that jam and wrong on defense and
Speaker 2: a Savage has you know, a yard ahead to get
Speaker 2: out wide and go lookout Kayo Weeks as well, So
Speaker 2: it's gonna be a fantastic occasion. Another salout unsurprisingly, and
Speaker 2: a special jersey too, which was designed by former Warrior
Speaker 2: Lewis Brown. So looking forward to seeing that come Sunday
Speaker 2: afternoon The League Podcast for some quick fire predictions here
Speaker 2: on The Big League Podcast as a truncate around twelve
Speaker 2: of NRAL action with State of Origin. Next Wednesday, we
Speaker 2: start Michael Burgers with the top of the table Bulldogs.
Speaker 3: They've got the Dolphins.
Speaker 4: It's really hard to tip against the Bulldogs at the moment,
Speaker 4: they're just got all the answers. I know they've lost
Speaker 4: a couple of players to Origin, but I think at
Speaker 4: home against the Dolphins, Dolphins will be determined to bounce back.
Speaker 6: But I think I go for Canry Banks down here.
Speaker 3: I'm with you too.
Speaker 2: So I haven't found Nathan Limb's buzzer and tick, and
Speaker 2: you didn't leave that in the handover notes for this
Speaker 2: trip to South Korea. I'm assuming that's rugby league related.
Speaker 2: But Paramatta and Manly Seagles next.
Speaker 4: Manly we're very good on the weekend. I really liked
Speaker 4: how they looked to get the Cowboys. That's a good one,
Speaker 4: and that's a good omen. The Eels have been much better.
Speaker 4: Nathan was quite amused throughout the first six games of
Speaker 4: the season, and I kept tipping the Eels and saying,
Speaker 4: sure that they come right, and they weren't coming right.
Speaker 4: They had been better, but they're without Mitch Moses, which
Speaker 4: is pretty tough I would have thought. So I'll go
Speaker 4: with the Manly to win the Classic. It's the classic
Speaker 4: eighties rivalry in ERL derby.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it'll be interesting with those team lists.
Speaker 2: Of course, Cherry Evans playing State of Origin as well,
Speaker 2: But yeah, I think it's a twelve point swing almost
Speaker 2: not having Mitch Moses there for Paramatter at the minute.
Speaker 2: Dylan Brown would have to have a storming game to
Speaker 2: get Paramatter up. So I will go manly as well. Panthers, Knights, Geen,
Speaker 2: Newcastle and Arell bind at the moment.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a bit of a mess. I really feel
Speaker 4: for them, such a proud club. I'm not sure where
Speaker 4: they go from here. Panthers missing players obviously, including the
Speaker 4: Big Dog, but they should be too good for Newcastle
Speaker 4: at home, especially the way the Nights are.
Speaker 6: Going at the moment.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we're singing from the same song sheets so far.
Speaker 2: I've got Penrith even without, as you say, the clear
Speaker 2: E's and the o's of the world Noklen of course
Speaker 2: as well for Newcastle. Onto the Roosters and the Sharks.
Speaker 2: And gee, the Sharks were good at the weekend.
Speaker 4: The Sharks were good, man. I remember watching them in
Speaker 4: Vegas where they really pushed the Panthers. They had Adam
Speaker 4: and you're like, gee, this is a formidable team. They
Speaker 4: could have beaten Penrith that night and both teams played well.
Speaker 4: You think, okay, this actually could be the year because
Speaker 4: they've been they have the last two seasons have been
Speaker 4: the top four team that haven't quite made the next step.
Speaker 4: And then they faded a little bit or they had
Speaker 4: a couple ups and downs now after that. But yeah,
Speaker 4: that was a bit of a bit of a signal,
Speaker 4: I thought that performance. So I really liked although the
Speaker 4: Roosters were good too on the weekend against the Bulldogs,
Speaker 4: but yeah, I like the Sharks in this one.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I see again.
Speaker 2: And then it's one of the big one for a
Speaker 2: lot of us Sunday afternoon Warriors.
Speaker 3: Raiders does to go with your heart or your head? Here, Burj,
Speaker 3: I was just.
Speaker 6: Thinking that your heart or head.
Speaker 4: If you go with the head, you say Raiders, they'll
Speaker 4: be favorites at the TBL would have thought it's a
Speaker 4: big ask for a Warriors team with such a makeshift pack,
Speaker 4: but but they're coming home. They're coming home after a month.
Speaker 4: They've got to sell out crowd. And it's not just
Speaker 4: sell it crowd, it's going to be the biggest crowd
Speaker 4: the season because awkleyf c Have put in two seven
Speaker 4: hundred extra seats for the game on Saturday, and they'll
Speaker 4: still be there on the Sunday. So the crowd's going
Speaker 4: to be near twenty nine thousand, it's going to be
Speaker 4: quite and having those that grandstand at the north end
Speaker 4: of the ground, it's going to be pretty cool and
Speaker 4: going to make a real cauldron. I really thought, so
Speaker 4: what's that worth? Six eight points? So that could get
Speaker 4: them close?
Speaker 6: So I will.
Speaker 4: Oh shit, I'll go with the Warriors, but I wouldn't
Speaker 4: be surprised if the Raiders do it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'll go with the Warriors as well. I can't
Speaker 3: live with myself if I pack against the Warriors. I've
Speaker 3: done that enough over the years, particularly on this podcast.
Speaker 2: But we'll save our State of Origin peak for next
Speaker 2: week actually because I will be back with you next
Speaker 2: Monday to wrap up that's our Warriors Canberra game and
Speaker 2: maybe have a closer look at State of Origin one.
Speaker 2: But that'll do us here for this week on the
Speaker 2: Big League Podcast. My thanks to you Michael Burgess. Please
Speaker 2: follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen in My
Speaker 2: name is Nick Geeley.
Speaker 3: Have a great week.
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