WEBVTT - Pre-Game Tears, Secret Urns, and Telling Gutho To Zip it! 0:00:10.560 --> 0:00:12.560 Monday edition of the Mark My Words podcast. You know 0:00:12.560 --> 0:00:15.640 what that means. Ladies and gentlemen, story time. Your questions. 0:00:15.640 --> 0:00:18.520 Piggy MJ, we are back. How are we boys today? 0:00:18.560 --> 0:00:20.000 Levi? Happy Monday a m g. 0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:20.440 Happy. 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:20.680 Monday. 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:23.200 Happy Monday, great weekend of footy. It was nice to 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:25.960 be out at Canterbury Leagues on Saturday with a continuous 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:29.200 call team for the 40 year celebrations, reminiscing and looking 0:00:29.200 --> 0:00:32.080 back on all of the great moments over the years. 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:34.559 But of course, this is our brand new podcast, so 0:00:34.600 --> 0:00:38.960 let's get into it. Story time. This week we're talking about, um, 0:00:39.000 --> 0:00:43.840 great pump ups, um, inspirational, um, speech, excuse me from 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:47.600 coaches and leaders and teammates and everything else, boys. And 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:49.240 he spring to mind over the years. 0:00:49.280 --> 0:00:50.919 MG you want to go first or you want me 0:00:50.920 --> 0:00:52.960 to go first. Have you got one. Yeah, I've got 0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:55.360 a couple. Okay. Have you. I'm going to tell you 0:00:55.360 --> 0:01:01.240 a story. Sit down kids get comfortable. No. Um, I'm 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:03.750 going to tell you the story about when I played 0:01:03.750 --> 0:01:05.790 at Wigan under Madge and what we did in grand 0:01:05.790 --> 0:01:09.590 final week, uh, to pump us up. So I think 0:01:09.590 --> 0:01:13.149 it was on about the Tuesday or the Wednesday. Um 0:01:13.190 --> 0:01:15.070 Madge had us all in the team meeting and he 0:01:15.069 --> 0:01:18.030 said I want you to go away and on a 0:01:18.030 --> 0:01:19.830 bit of paper and pen, a pen and a piece 0:01:19.830 --> 0:01:22.789 of paper, I want you to write about your why. 0:01:22.950 --> 0:01:26.590 Why you do what you do, why you play rugby league, 0:01:26.910 --> 0:01:29.070 what it means to you, what it would mean to 0:01:29.110 --> 0:01:31.990 you if you won the competition. So we all went 0:01:31.990 --> 0:01:35.550 away and we all wrote, wrote down what we, what we, um, 0:01:35.910 --> 0:01:37.869 you know, our why and why we played it and 0:01:37.870 --> 0:01:39.789 what it would mean to us if we'd win on 0:01:39.790 --> 0:01:43.990 Sunday night at Old Trafford. And we got to the 0:01:44.150 --> 0:01:47.030 captain's run and he took us all into this, uh, 0:01:47.069 --> 0:01:50.030 old change room at Robin Park. I think it was 0:01:50.030 --> 0:01:52.950 where we used to train. Um, and there was just 0:01:52.950 --> 0:01:55.670 all the players and Madge and there was an urn 0:01:56.150 --> 0:01:58.030 in the centre of the the room. 0:01:58.350 --> 0:01:58.950 Who died? 0:01:59.110 --> 0:02:01.390 No. No one. So the urn was in the centre 0:02:01.390 --> 0:02:05.110 of the room, and one by one, everyone stood up 0:02:05.110 --> 0:02:07.470 and read what it meant to him if they'd win 0:02:07.510 --> 0:02:10.590 the grand final, what it meant, their why and why 0:02:10.590 --> 0:02:12.230 they played, and why they were doing what they were 0:02:12.230 --> 0:02:14.310 doing and why they were needed to win. And da 0:02:14.310 --> 0:02:17.510 da da da. Blokes were in tears crying. Everything. All 0:02:17.510 --> 0:02:19.710 that sort of stuff. But every time every person finished 0:02:19.710 --> 0:02:22.070 what they were saying, they folded their piece of paper 0:02:22.110 --> 0:02:24.910 up and put it in the urn. And then at 0:02:24.910 --> 0:02:28.829 the end, um, Madge said, look, boys, no one will. 0:02:28.870 --> 0:02:30.630 No one will ever know what each of us has 0:02:30.630 --> 0:02:33.670 said other than the 1718 blokes in this room. I'm 0:02:33.669 --> 0:02:37.269 getting goosebumps. Um, so um yeah, he said that, he 0:02:37.270 --> 0:02:40.230 said you'll, you know, like no one will ever know. 0:02:40.230 --> 0:02:42.310 But it's all between us and it's all up to us. 0:02:42.310 --> 0:02:44.790 We're the only ones in this room that can have 0:02:44.790 --> 0:02:48.430 an effect on the outcome, you know? So he put 0:02:48.430 --> 0:02:51.429 some lighter fluid on it and he lit it and 0:02:51.430 --> 0:02:53.590 he let it. And we all sat there and watched 0:02:53.590 --> 0:02:56.630 it burn and closed the lid. And then we went 0:02:56.630 --> 0:02:59.829 out to the ground and on the ground the day like, 0:02:59.870 --> 0:03:01.549 you know, you go to the ground two hours before 0:03:01.550 --> 0:03:04.820 the game and we sprinkled the ashes, ashes of everything 0:03:04.820 --> 0:03:06.660 that we'd said that day and we said, well, we're 0:03:06.660 --> 0:03:08.780 going to leave it out here today. This is it. 0:03:08.820 --> 0:03:11.100 We're going to leave the what we've set out here 0:03:11.100 --> 0:03:12.700 and it's this 80 minutes. 0:03:12.700 --> 0:03:13.820 Oh my God. 0:03:13.860 --> 0:03:15.060 So then yeah, then we. 0:03:15.100 --> 0:03:16.139 That's so good. 0:03:16.580 --> 0:03:18.419 Then we went then we went into the sheds and 0:03:18.419 --> 0:03:21.020 we came out and played and we won the grand final. 0:03:21.060 --> 0:03:21.740 Oh wow. 0:03:21.900 --> 0:03:25.019 Well yeah, that's, it's very similar to mine. Um Grand 0:03:25.020 --> 0:03:27.780 finals kind of invoked that day because, you know, it's the, 0:03:28.340 --> 0:03:31.340 it's the last game of the year. And basically there 0:03:31.340 --> 0:03:33.740 is no tomorrow. Rocky. You know it's yeah. You know 0:03:33.740 --> 0:03:36.140 that that's it. So. Well, after we got beaten in 0:03:36.140 --> 0:03:39.300 1990 we were very lucky to, you know, turn it 0:03:39.300 --> 0:03:43.420 around and win in 1991 or to get there. Um, 0:03:43.860 --> 0:03:48.140 and we had probably Gus Gould is the, the most 0:03:48.140 --> 0:03:51.300 motivating coach I've ever had. Like, he'd only probably do 0:03:51.300 --> 0:03:53.140 it once or twice a year when he'd really rip 0:03:53.140 --> 0:03:55.860 in and yeah. And go on one of them, them 0:03:55.860 --> 0:03:59.980 chats that you had you mesmerized. Yeah. Um, but otherwise 0:03:59.980 --> 0:04:02.380 you'd just go, oh no, not again. Like it's just 0:04:02.410 --> 0:04:06.010 so he saved one for the grand final day. We 0:04:06.010 --> 0:04:09.930 met at um, Bondi, a place called the Greyhound Inn. 0:04:10.170 --> 0:04:14.850 It was like a motel where you park your cars in, and, uh, 0:04:14.850 --> 0:04:17.210 guy said. So we're leaving for the ground at one move. 0:04:17.250 --> 0:04:19.650 Everyone in my room at 1230 in Gus's room. 0:04:19.690 --> 0:04:20.690 So this is game day. 0:04:20.730 --> 0:04:23.890 Game day, game day about 1:00 before we, uh, and 0:04:23.890 --> 0:04:26.490 that was early 1230 before we'd leave at one. So 0:04:26.490 --> 0:04:28.730 we're ready with our bags, our kit, and we're in 0:04:28.730 --> 0:04:31.370 like a semi circle. And he very similar to what 0:04:31.370 --> 0:04:33.490 magic did with you guys, but this time we had 0:04:33.490 --> 0:04:35.730 to verbal it, you know, go around the circle. What 0:04:35.730 --> 0:04:38.810 this what would it mean? Like, what would you feel 0:04:38.810 --> 0:04:41.089 for this to be the time that you win the 0:04:41.089 --> 0:04:44.210 comp and everyone was similar. We were, we were we 0:04:44.250 --> 0:04:46.930 got to the ground. We went into the game. Um, 0:04:46.970 --> 0:04:49.850 it was 126 at half time, exactly the same score 0:04:49.850 --> 0:04:54.529 as the year before. And Canberra are leading again. As 0:04:54.570 --> 0:04:56.310 we were getting ready to knock on the door two 0:04:56.310 --> 0:04:58.490 minutes before we got on the door to go out 0:04:58.490 --> 0:05:00.610 and we thought, oh fuck, let's go. Come on. What's. 0:05:01.210 --> 0:05:04.090 Gus said Royce wants to say something because Royce wasn't. 0:05:04.089 --> 0:05:09.050 Captain Brandy was because I saw that through the halfway 0:05:09.089 --> 0:05:11.210 we were getting, you know, all looked at and I 0:05:11.210 --> 0:05:14.530 saw Royce go over to Gus and and Gus said, yeah. 0:05:15.050 --> 0:05:17.570 So as we're about to run out, Royce had the 0:05:17.570 --> 0:05:19.730 the floor and he said, boys, I've been with this 0:05:19.730 --> 0:05:22.330 club for, you know, 15 years and this is my 0:05:22.330 --> 0:05:25.570 last game of rugby league, he said. And if I 0:05:25.850 --> 0:05:28.210 don't win today, he said, I will never be fulfilled 0:05:28.210 --> 0:05:30.210 in my life about being at this club. He said 0:05:30.210 --> 0:05:34.570 this club is everything to me. Um, I want everyone 0:05:34.570 --> 0:05:37.970 in this room to feel the love that I'm going 0:05:37.970 --> 0:05:41.250 to feel once we beat these bastards out there. So 0:05:41.250 --> 0:05:44.210 we're all pumped like it's half time. Let's get out there, 0:05:44.210 --> 0:05:46.409 let's get amongst them. I run out, get beat in 0:05:46.450 --> 0:05:50.650 ten minutes. And I thought, I've just fucked everything up. Yeah. 0:05:50.690 --> 0:05:54.130 That's it. Gus came up to me in the, um, 0:05:54.490 --> 0:05:57.570 in the room. He said, mate, these blokes are bashing 0:05:57.570 --> 0:06:00.410 the fuck out of Canberra like they weren't you. When 0:06:00.410 --> 0:06:02.330 you come back out, you've got to help them win. Yeah, 0:06:02.370 --> 0:06:04.880 because they're doing everything they can to hang on while 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:08.039 you're in here? So I run out with about 20 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:10.080 to go, and I just saw that our forwards were gone, 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:12.360 and they were kind of getting a little bit of momentum. 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:14.159 And I was in this play that I wasn't supposed 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:16.840 to be in. And I gave a flick pass. And we, 0:06:16.880 --> 0:06:20.920 you know, but Royce Simmons, the speech he gave that 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:23.240 day is the reason we probably won because we were 0:06:23.240 --> 0:06:26.159 in similar tiers. And, and I was probably too emotional 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:28.320 because I said, yes, come on, let's do it for Royce. 0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:31.080 And I went out the field and then I caught 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:33.880 a touchdown to cheat. I was too emotional, you know, 0:06:33.920 --> 0:06:36.359 like it was I went, fuck, I need to find that. 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:38.479 That was a story of my life. Yeah. On the 0:06:38.480 --> 0:06:39.000 footy field. 0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:39.440 Yeah. 0:06:39.760 --> 0:06:42.480 But um when we won the comp. Yeah, we looked 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:44.400 back on that we, we spoke about it the next day, 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:47.120 um about Royce, what he said and everyone said the 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:49.400 same thing. He goes, we weren't losing for Royce you know, 0:06:49.440 --> 0:06:51.080 we weren't going to lose for him ever. Yeah. Like 0:06:51.080 --> 0:06:52.880 it was just a um. 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:56.440 What about the way that it happened? Like the game. Royce. 0:06:56.480 --> 0:06:56.920 You know. 0:06:57.000 --> 0:06:59.760 We scored the first try for our first try. Scored 0:06:59.800 --> 0:07:03.040 in five years. Yeah. And then he played a full game. 0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:05.750 Never hadn't played a full game that year. He played 0:07:05.750 --> 0:07:09.190 seven first grade games. And then, you know, I was 0:07:09.310 --> 0:07:13.630 with was 13, 12. And then, um, I saw the late, 0:07:13.630 --> 0:07:15.510 great Scotty guy was about to do a grubber kick 0:07:16.030 --> 0:07:17.550 to try and get the ball back. And I thought, okay, 0:07:17.550 --> 0:07:20.070 I'm just going to dive on this bastard. And I 0:07:20.070 --> 0:07:22.910 saw it coming towards me. So I went, oh shit. 0:07:23.270 --> 0:07:24.910 So I started sprinting towards the ball because I think 0:07:24.910 --> 0:07:26.550 it was going to bounce. I thought if it bounced 0:07:26.550 --> 0:07:27.910 over my head, I'm going to go like a wank. 0:07:27.990 --> 0:07:30.790 All this is going through my head straight on the chest, 0:07:30.790 --> 0:07:33.230 and I had the try line wide open. I thought, 0:07:33.230 --> 0:07:36.270 I'm going to score a try in grand Final. Mal 0:07:36.510 --> 0:07:41.590 was back there. Bastard tackled me about a metre from 0:07:41.590 --> 0:07:44.030 the line as I was going down. I'm g. I 0:07:44.030 --> 0:07:45.830 looked a little Barney Rubble with his little legs. 0:07:45.870 --> 0:07:46.470 Yes. 0:07:46.790 --> 0:07:49.390 Sprinting. Gave it to him in the corner and that feeling. 0:07:49.910 --> 0:07:52.430 Wow when he scored that try. I say a lot 0:07:52.470 --> 0:07:55.390 when I speak at functions that I said, I've got 0:07:55.390 --> 0:07:59.070 five beautiful kids and a wife and grandkids, and I 0:07:59.070 --> 0:08:02.070 love every one of them to death like more than life. 0:08:02.630 --> 0:08:05.110 But that feeling I got But when Royce put the 0:08:05.110 --> 0:08:07.950 ball down, that corner was like nothing I've ever experienced 0:08:07.950 --> 0:08:12.750 before or have again. That euphoria that you feel when 0:08:12.750 --> 0:08:14.989 you know you've done something that not many other people 0:08:14.990 --> 0:08:17.750 have done in your, or are lucky enough to do. Yeah, 0:08:18.150 --> 0:08:22.150 I screamed that loud of jubilation. I fractured my larynx. 0:08:22.670 --> 0:08:27.150 Couldn't speak for two weeks. Oh, really? Yeah. Just just like. 0:08:27.150 --> 0:08:28.510 Oh, wow. Letting it all out. 0:08:28.550 --> 0:08:31.390 We've done it like it's wow. We won the comp. 0:08:31.390 --> 0:08:34.030 And because I think it made it so special because 0:08:34.030 --> 0:08:36.870 the year before we we got beat and I was I, 0:08:36.990 --> 0:08:38.550 I used to always one of them blokes who watched 0:08:38.590 --> 0:08:42.870 grand finals and see players sitting on the ground crying 0:08:42.950 --> 0:08:45.830 and go, fuck no, what are you doing, mate? It's 0:08:45.830 --> 0:08:48.390 a game. Until I was in that situation, I couldn't 0:08:48.390 --> 0:08:51.190 stop it. Yeah, I couldn't stop crying. I'm going. What 0:08:51.190 --> 0:08:55.830 the hell? I apologize to everyone else. I'm back because 0:08:55.830 --> 0:08:57.110 here I am. I'm just sobbing. 0:08:57.150 --> 0:08:57.550 Oh. 0:08:57.910 --> 0:09:00.590 And then we went away to the kangaroo tour. And 0:09:00.630 --> 0:09:03.590 you know, you out of all the coaches, Bobby Fulton 0:09:03.990 --> 0:09:06.820 didn't have to say much because he was, you know, 0:09:06.860 --> 0:09:11.420 immortal coaching you. Um, Tim Sheens was very analytical and, 0:09:11.420 --> 0:09:14.660 and would would, you know, get speeches that he'd kind 0:09:14.660 --> 0:09:18.300 of be like Churchill, you know, like we're from Penrith. 0:09:18.460 --> 0:09:20.660 No one gives us any chance, like all this shit 0:09:20.700 --> 0:09:23.300 we buy into the narrative. And, uh, then he was 0:09:23.300 --> 0:09:26.100 just old school. Let's fucking knock these bastards out. Like, 0:09:26.220 --> 0:09:30.100 it's it's amazing the difference in coaches, isn't it? Over 0:09:30.100 --> 0:09:33.500 the years. Yeah. Um, but that's when you talk about Madge. 0:09:33.940 --> 0:09:38.699 That's why he wins comps. Like, that's why when he 0:09:38.700 --> 0:09:40.860 was coaching the Blues, he went around to like 30 0:09:40.860 --> 0:09:46.940 or 40 old boys matters for coffee. And while we're 0:09:46.940 --> 0:09:48.900 having a coffee or had breakfast, he had this bag 0:09:48.900 --> 0:09:50.459 in front of in the middle of us. And I went, 0:09:50.740 --> 0:09:53.220 I wonder what this is for. Like, and it wasn't 0:09:53.220 --> 0:09:56.140 until we, uh, we finished our coffees and our breakfast 0:09:56.140 --> 0:09:58.860 that he goes, okay, m g I'm going to put 0:09:58.900 --> 0:10:01.020 I've got something on the table here. Um, I'm going 0:10:01.059 --> 0:10:04.300 to pull something out of this bag. And the first 0:10:04.300 --> 0:10:06.130 thing I want you to do is give me your 0:10:06.130 --> 0:10:09.050 first impressions of what it is. So you put the 0:10:09.050 --> 0:10:11.810 bag down under the table and he pulled out a 0:10:11.809 --> 0:10:18.650 Blue Origin jersey. I went, wow. And I went, goosebumps firstly. Secondly, 0:10:18.690 --> 0:10:23.010 fucking passion and pride and mateship. He goes, that's all 0:10:23.010 --> 0:10:25.290 I want. He goes, that's. I'm just going around asking 0:10:25.290 --> 0:10:27.370 everyone about it. I want to put some pride back 0:10:27.370 --> 0:10:29.329 in this thing. And it was he's just such a 0:10:29.330 --> 0:10:32.490 great motivator. Like I'd run over coals for him like I'd. 0:10:33.090 --> 0:10:35.410 There's some coaches in my life that I would love 0:10:35.410 --> 0:10:39.650 to be coached by, like Bennett, Bellamy, McGuire, you know? 0:10:39.690 --> 0:10:42.010 I just think it would have been fantastic to see 0:10:42.530 --> 0:10:45.929 the different spectrum of, of analytics they've got or the. 0:10:45.970 --> 0:10:47.809 The way they go about it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 0:10:47.850 --> 0:10:50.650 I got, I got to see the, the video that, um, 0:10:50.690 --> 0:10:53.530 Madge played to the New South Wales origin team in 0:10:53.530 --> 0:10:55.490 the week leading up to right there. 0:10:55.610 --> 0:10:56.530 So that's a good motivator. 0:10:56.530 --> 0:10:59.410 So that conference I alluded to in the podcast about 0:10:59.450 --> 0:11:01.410 um league clubs Australia up on the Gold Coast with 0:11:01.410 --> 0:11:03.490 Dawn Fraser and Kenneths and all that sort of thing there. 0:11:03.530 --> 0:11:05.330 Dave trodden gets up and the boss of the Queensland 0:11:05.330 --> 0:11:06.720 Rugby League get up and do a spell to all 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:09.000 the league's club bosses and trot. I got up off 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:11.040 the back of winning the origin series and said, look, 0:11:11.080 --> 0:11:12.679 I'm going to show you something that no one else 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:15.280 has seen, mate. I was ready to go and play. 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:16.000 Play football. 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:17.840 Yes it was, and because it was all around Steve 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:20.600 Mortimer and mate, it was like, I still get goosebumps 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:22.760 just thinking about it and the music and the oh, 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:23.400 it was so good. 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:25.920 So while we were up there, we, we, we discussed having, 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:30.280 you know, the, the statues at around the Olympic Stadium. 0:11:30.800 --> 0:11:34.800 I mean, they've got 5 or 6 Queenslanders. Why haven't 0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:37.319 we got Tommy Raudonikis. Why haven't we got Steve Mortimer. 0:11:37.559 --> 0:11:39.679 Why haven't we got Laurie Daley. Why haven't we got 0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:42.760 Brad Fittler. Why haven't we got these legends of origin 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:47.199 immortalised in statues around a stadium that when you go 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:48.880 into the game, it's just kind of a bit more 0:11:48.880 --> 0:11:51.520 of a feel. You know, everyone's getting photos with it. 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:52.680 Every time we go to magic round. 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:52.960 The. 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:53.280 Photos. 0:11:53.480 --> 0:11:54.320 And everything. Yep. 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:54.800 I mean, it's. 0:11:54.800 --> 0:11:55.040 Just. 0:11:55.080 --> 0:11:57.199 Maybe we should start a campaign on our podcast. 0:11:57.240 --> 0:11:59.840 And especially with the New South Wales Rugby League headquarters 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:01.880 there as well. That's right. Right there. 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:04.640 Like it's a no brainer. It's a no brainer. 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:07.640 Mhm. That was a good story. 0:12:07.679 --> 0:12:11.760 Yeah. I love getting fun. I love. 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:12.400 I love, I. 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:14.640 Love getting pumped up. I was one of them players 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:18.840 who would look to the coach and if he was nervous, 0:12:18.840 --> 0:12:20.839 I would. I would be nervous. But if he was 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:22.600 walking around with a smile on his face, I'd go. 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:23.560 He knows today. 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:23.839 It's. 0:12:23.880 --> 0:12:26.800 On. He knows it's on. Like someone like Peter Mulholland. He. 0:12:26.800 --> 0:12:29.280 He was. He couldn't hide his emotions when we went 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:31.840 to Perth because he kind of went from schoolboys to, 0:12:32.040 --> 0:12:35.880 you know, um, to first grade and sometimes you look 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:38.280 really nervous. And I go skull. And I had a 0:12:38.280 --> 0:12:40.439 chat to him. I said, you've got to be more of, 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:42.760 you've got to be making sure that everyone knows that you're. 0:12:42.960 --> 0:12:44.000 You're confident or whatever. 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:45.920 So then the next week, he's walking out like that. 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:51.920 I said no too much. Yeah. But then he got this. 0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:53.600 Then he got the hang of it. Especially the way 0:12:53.600 --> 0:12:55.959 games coming to Sydney from Perth. Like I'd go, you know, 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:57.120 even on the plane. 0:12:57.240 --> 0:13:00.040 So it's it's interesting, like just listening to your stories, boys. 0:13:00.160 --> 0:13:02.719 I think about the season. We got 27 weeks of 0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:06.000 rugby league before finals at the moment. Right. So from 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:08.750 a from a coaching perspective, how do you get that 0:13:08.750 --> 0:13:10.950 theme over such a long period of time? A lot 0:13:10.950 --> 0:13:11.430 of week to. 0:13:11.470 --> 0:13:13.670 Week or week to week. A lot of coaches, I 0:13:13.670 --> 0:13:17.470 think will have different themes, different games. Um, they'll lean 0:13:17.470 --> 0:13:21.829 on milestone games for players like really lean into that 0:13:21.830 --> 0:13:22.429 sort of stuff. 0:13:22.470 --> 0:13:23.710 And you got to get buy in. 0:13:23.950 --> 0:13:26.110 Because you've got to find different ways to motivate the 0:13:26.110 --> 0:13:27.270 players week in and week. 0:13:27.309 --> 0:13:28.070 Such a hard job. 0:13:28.110 --> 0:13:28.390 Yeah. 0:13:28.429 --> 0:13:30.870 Like I suppose to piggy, they'd ask a lot of 0:13:30.950 --> 0:13:33.189 their assistant coaches these days more they do. You know, 0:13:33.190 --> 0:13:36.189 it's like when you win a sometimes bad cop good 0:13:36.190 --> 0:13:38.990 cop is is is perfect what they need. And I, I, 0:13:39.150 --> 0:13:41.670 I think the lead man has got to show that 0:13:41.670 --> 0:13:45.150 he can give the assistant as much responsibility as he's 0:13:45.150 --> 0:13:48.870 got to give everyone that kind of let's go together. Yeah, yeah. 0:13:49.150 --> 0:13:49.910 Great stuff. 0:13:50.390 --> 0:13:50.790 Nice. 0:13:51.950 --> 0:13:52.589 I'm ready to go. 0:13:52.630 --> 0:13:53.990 Ready to play. Let's go. 0:13:54.910 --> 0:13:56.670 Referee! I was all right. 0:13:57.110 --> 0:13:57.870 You're offside. 0:13:58.270 --> 0:13:59.990 Get off! MJ, you're. 0:13:59.990 --> 0:14:02.349 Off. Oh, no, not again, not again. 0:14:03.030 --> 0:14:05.710 Let's get into the questions. Tony's first up with Jerome. 0:14:05.710 --> 0:14:08.300 Luis form currently under fire at the Tigers and legends 0:14:08.300 --> 0:14:11.660 like Gordon Taylor's calling for his famous on field energy 0:14:11.660 --> 0:14:13.860 to return. Is it fair to place the weight of 0:14:13.860 --> 0:14:17.540 a struggling club's dressing room morale? Speaking of all these 0:14:17.540 --> 0:14:20.540 stories and themes entirely on a marquee player. 0:14:21.380 --> 0:14:24.820 Oh they are. They contribute. I mean, the marquee player 0:14:24.820 --> 0:14:27.700 is exactly that. The marquee. The number one. You know, 0:14:27.740 --> 0:14:29.140 if you've got 2 or 3 of them, you're looking 0:14:29.140 --> 0:14:32.900 at them for motivation. And I don't think. But as 0:14:32.900 --> 0:14:36.460 far as you know, this is your job now rugby 0:14:36.460 --> 0:14:37.620 league players. That's your job. 0:14:37.900 --> 0:14:40.940 He he he's the he's always been the chief energy. 0:14:41.100 --> 0:14:45.380 But he's always he's always up. I you know Jerome 0:14:45.380 --> 0:14:49.300 is a player who basically not the most skilful or 0:14:49.780 --> 0:14:52.660 rambunctious rugby league player we've ever seen. But he's always up. 0:14:52.820 --> 0:14:54.820 Yeah he's always up. And that's one of these. That's 0:14:54.820 --> 0:14:56.940 one of his trademarks. He gets others around him to 0:14:56.940 --> 0:15:02.060 play better. And yeah look I think there's some suggestions 0:15:02.740 --> 0:15:05.540 um yesterday that um you know would you drop Jerome 0:15:05.540 --> 0:15:08.220 from the Tigers. I went why Yeah. Why would you 0:15:08.220 --> 0:15:08.660 drop him? 0:15:08.700 --> 0:15:09.380 I don't understand. 0:15:09.380 --> 0:15:11.060 It's not the first to sign with the club midway. 0:15:11.060 --> 0:15:11.660 Through the season. 0:15:11.940 --> 0:15:14.900 Yeah, and if he's in, he's. If he's in my 0:15:14.900 --> 0:15:16.100 top 13, he's playing. 0:15:16.140 --> 0:15:16.580 That's right. 0:15:16.620 --> 0:15:17.420 He's playing every day. 0:15:17.460 --> 0:15:19.260 Every week. They're paying him the money. He's got to 0:15:19.260 --> 0:15:21.580 play and he's got to perform like the other 16 0:15:21.580 --> 0:15:23.820 players have got to do. They've got to take accountability 0:15:23.860 --> 0:15:26.220 for their actions as well and not just think, oh, 0:15:26.260 --> 0:15:28.820 it's all Jerome's fault. We'll just lump it all on Jerome. 0:15:28.820 --> 0:15:30.580 The better play with him, aren't they? 0:15:30.620 --> 0:15:31.700 And he says, yeah, no doubt. 0:15:31.700 --> 0:15:33.620 But he's the sort of player two boys. And I 0:15:33.660 --> 0:15:35.580 always use the the lesson that I learned a long 0:15:35.580 --> 0:15:37.660 time ago. You never knock champions. He's a champion. Football 0:15:38.060 --> 0:15:39.860 champions will always come out and make you look like 0:15:39.860 --> 0:15:40.900 a goose if you want a bag. 0:15:40.940 --> 0:15:42.460 I think I think the whole team, and they're all 0:15:42.460 --> 0:15:44.740 going to take some accountability for how they're performing at 0:15:44.740 --> 0:15:45.460 the moment. 0:15:45.620 --> 0:15:48.580 We spoke last week about Tom Trbojevic and that hamstring injury. 0:15:48.620 --> 0:15:51.540 Um maybe a bit go a bit deeper on this. 0:15:51.820 --> 0:15:53.660 Um is it time for the Sea Eagles from George 0:15:53.660 --> 0:15:56.580 to transition him to the centres to prolong his career. 0:15:56.860 --> 0:15:59.340 Or is his game breaking ability at fullback worth the 0:15:59.340 --> 0:16:00.380 constant injury risk? 0:16:00.420 --> 0:16:03.060 Ah I would I'd be thinking about seriously thinking about 0:16:03.060 --> 0:16:06.660 moving him to centre. Um, and I think the other 0:16:06.660 --> 0:16:08.410 thing with that is, is that it's not like they 0:16:08.410 --> 0:16:10.890 don't have other options for fullback. The Manly Sea Eagles 0:16:11.090 --> 0:16:14.570 today they got Lehigh. They got cola. So I think 0:16:14.730 --> 0:16:16.530 you know when he comes back next that that that 0:16:16.530 --> 0:16:18.170 that may be the path that they go down. 0:16:18.210 --> 0:16:19.770 Because Garrick is going the Roosters. 0:16:19.770 --> 0:16:20.570 He's going the Roosters. 0:16:20.770 --> 0:16:24.210 There's the center spot. Yeah. Um I I'd go one closer. 0:16:24.210 --> 0:16:25.010 I'd go five eight. 0:16:25.050 --> 0:16:26.890 Yeah. I, I don't even mind that either. 0:16:26.930 --> 0:16:29.930 Like then he's like less likely to one like I 0:16:29.930 --> 0:16:31.570 think he's got good ball skills and I think he'd 0:16:31.570 --> 0:16:34.650 stand in tackles. Um, obviously got to do more defense 0:16:34.690 --> 0:16:37.970 which is par for course. But look I just think 0:16:38.010 --> 0:16:39.850 Turbo's days at fullback are done. 0:16:40.010 --> 0:16:44.130 Yeah. Yeah. It'd be very surprising I think, given the 0:16:44.130 --> 0:16:46.090 fact that they've got other options that if they go 0:16:46.090 --> 0:16:46.930 back there again. 0:16:47.250 --> 0:16:50.090 Uh Jenny's been in touch. The wires genuinely the biggest 0:16:50.090 --> 0:16:52.930 threat to the Panthers dynasty this October. Can they go 0:16:52.930 --> 0:16:55.810 all the way and win the premiership? Who else could challenge? 0:16:55.810 --> 0:16:58.410 And does it matter if they finish outside the top four? 0:16:58.450 --> 0:16:59.090 Good question. 0:16:59.170 --> 0:17:00.410 Yeah great question, I don't know. 0:17:01.050 --> 0:17:02.970 Well, I think it does matter if they I think 0:17:02.970 --> 0:17:05.570 you've got to finish in the top four. History showed 0:17:05.609 --> 0:17:08.560 you got to be there. And I know teams go 0:17:08.560 --> 0:17:11.199 on runs, but you've got to be in that top four. 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:13.479 I think they can. And the reason I think they 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:15.159 can is because if they finish in the top two, 0:17:15.480 --> 0:17:17.359 they're playing in New Zealand two. 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:17.840 Weeks away. 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.760 And if they win that, their prelim finals in New 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:21.760 Zealand as well. 0:17:22.280 --> 0:17:23.680 I like Melbourne for the last decade. 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:26.640 Yeah. And they can set themselves up beautifully. So that's 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:27.639 why they're going to be a threat. 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:29.840 Yeah. Look I think genuinely they are the biggest threat 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:32.600 to Penrith at the minute. Um but I think Penrith 0:17:32.600 --> 0:17:35.200 have always got going to have their measure. I don't 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:39.359 think maybe it's because Ivan spent so long there that 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:42.120 you know he's he kind of. And he's got Andrew 0:17:42.119 --> 0:17:44.840 Webster as his assistant coach for so long. He's I 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:47.040 don't know. But I think the Roosters are the biggest 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:49.679 threat to Penrith. I think the Roosters and maybe the 0:17:49.680 --> 0:17:51.920 Cowboys are that team that could go on a run. 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:54.400 I it's hard to say but it's one of the most. 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:57.200 After the Penrith lost last week to the Broncos, it 0:17:57.200 --> 0:17:59.280 still remains one of the most open comps in the. 0:17:59.440 --> 0:18:00.560 In a long time. 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:04.119 I like the Dolphins. I like the Dolphins still still 0:18:04.119 --> 0:18:06.960 like the Dolphins. If they can get themselves in the 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:10.280 top four and they're all healthy. I think they can 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:10.800 make a run. 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:13.000 I'll tell you what, Sharky. That team. 0:18:13.160 --> 0:18:13.959 Shark. Yeah. 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:14.400 Yeah. 0:18:14.440 --> 0:18:14.680 Wow. 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:15.000 See. 0:18:15.720 --> 0:18:18.240 I think they're about to turn the grid around to 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:20.800 say that they're that team. 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:23.400 But that's how everyone thinks about them. They. They do 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:26.070 because they've been in the prelim finals for 3 or 0:18:26.070 --> 0:18:26.879 4 years in a row. 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:27.240 It's time. 0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:29.480 It's time until they make a grand final. I think 0:18:29.520 --> 0:18:31.680 a lot of people aren't gonna. Yeah. Do you know 0:18:32.200 --> 0:18:34.760 what I'm saying? I'll be like, oh, it's just the 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:36.720 sharks again. They're gonna get there and then they're gonna. 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:38.400 It's the same every year. They go into that little 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:40.479 bar area down at Shark Park and they go, oh, 0:18:40.520 --> 0:18:43.320 this is the room. This is our year. It's the 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:45.240 same every year anyway. It's up. That's the challenge. 0:18:45.280 --> 0:18:46.280 Yeah, that's a great one. 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:48.120 From Damien Cook. Blow up at the refs. 0:18:48.119 --> 0:18:50.280 Did he. Yeah. He had a little crack at him. 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:51.280 Did he after the game. 0:18:51.520 --> 0:18:54.719 Well Tom says. Tom says following Damien Cook's break the 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:57.680 refs claiming teams lower on the ladder don't get 5050 calls. 0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:00.040 Does he have a valid point? Do the top teams 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:02.480 subconsciously get the rub of the green from the whistleblowers? 0:19:02.520 --> 0:19:02.880 No doubt. 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:05.120 Yep. We spoke about that last week in our podcast. 0:19:05.160 --> 0:19:08.040 Of course they do. It's it's just human nature. 0:19:08.080 --> 0:19:11.630 Titans as well this year. Dragons as well. Like out 0:19:11.630 --> 0:19:12.629 and out howlers. 0:19:12.670 --> 0:19:13.110 Eels. 0:19:13.270 --> 0:19:13.510 Yeah. 0:19:13.550 --> 0:19:15.950 All right. Well continuing the referee theme. Bev the last 0:19:15.950 --> 0:19:18.590 one a player's crossing a line by quoting past bunker 0:19:18.590 --> 0:19:21.590 rulings at referees during a live game. Big Tino blew 0:19:21.590 --> 0:19:23.989 up at Adam Gee over a try, directly comparing it 0:19:23.990 --> 0:19:26.670 to a ruling made against Max Plath in origin. 0:19:27.230 --> 0:19:30.710 Yeah, what's the question? Yes, they are, uh, players crossing 0:19:30.710 --> 0:19:32.790 the line by quoting it. Yeah, of course you are. 0:19:32.830 --> 0:19:36.510 Yeah. But that's I actually think that's smart from Tino 0:19:36.550 --> 0:19:40.150 to know he can remember that and bring it up 0:19:40.150 --> 0:19:40.750 on the field. 0:19:40.790 --> 0:19:41.750 I'm impressed that he remembers. 0:19:41.790 --> 0:19:43.790 During the game. I'm like, oh, that's impressive. 0:19:43.990 --> 0:19:45.150 The referee went, uh, hold. 0:19:45.150 --> 0:19:46.910 On, hold on. Let me think about that for a second. 0:19:46.950 --> 0:19:49.030 Especially in a losing, losing origin side. You put that 0:19:49.510 --> 0:19:50.070 behind you. 0:19:50.310 --> 0:19:52.910 Yeah. Um, yeah, that's an interesting one. 0:19:53.030 --> 0:19:55.550 Did you pass on my feedback to Clint Gutherson this week? 0:19:55.630 --> 0:19:56.229 What's that? 0:19:56.510 --> 0:19:58.270 All he does is whinge at the referees. He did 0:19:58.270 --> 0:20:00.310 it at Parramatta. Oh well I said. 0:20:00.310 --> 0:20:00.429 It. 0:20:00.910 --> 0:20:03.150 But I said in the call I said look I 0:20:03.270 --> 0:20:06.350 can speak from experience, right? If a player gets on 0:20:06.390 --> 0:20:08.389 your nerves you're not going to help them. 0:20:08.430 --> 0:20:11.380 No, no, I know just the. 0:20:11.619 --> 0:20:13.900 And that's where the 5050 calls and the Dragons whinge 0:20:13.900 --> 0:20:17.699 about the 5050 calls. Well, there's a hidden reason for that. 0:20:18.060 --> 0:20:20.219 If you're constantly in the face of the refs and 0:20:20.220 --> 0:20:22.260 just constantly whinging and carrying on. 0:20:22.300 --> 0:20:22.780 Well they talk. 0:20:22.820 --> 0:20:23.620 The refs aren't going to help. 0:20:23.619 --> 0:20:26.700 You. Refs talk like players do. Well, they're at training. 0:20:26.700 --> 0:20:27.860 They go, what about me? 0:20:27.900 --> 0:20:29.899 No, you tell him. 0:20:29.940 --> 0:20:31.020 Well, you tell me. 0:20:31.060 --> 0:20:31.580 You tell him. 0:20:31.619 --> 0:20:33.380 Now look down the barrel and tell. 0:20:33.700 --> 0:20:35.380 Tell him now. You know what? The balls. 0:20:35.420 --> 0:20:36.540 You know what I mean. You know what? You. 0:20:36.540 --> 0:20:39.100 Come on. Put it on me. Put it down the camera. 0:20:39.140 --> 0:20:40.060 Now tell Gutho. 0:20:40.100 --> 0:20:44.340 Righto, Gutho. Game number 250. ZIP it, bro. You can. 0:20:44.380 --> 0:20:48.140 You can remonstrate with referees. Be respectful. Don't whinge about 0:20:48.140 --> 0:20:49.980 every decision because they're not going to help you, mate. 0:20:49.980 --> 0:20:54.020 5050 calls. You wonder why goes to the opposition. Calm down. 0:20:54.060 --> 0:20:58.060 Take a big deep breath. Ready? 250. You might even 0:20:58.060 --> 0:21:00.460 get to 300 if you stop whinging. So I'm just 0:21:00.460 --> 0:21:01.220 trying to help you, bro. 0:21:01.260 --> 0:21:02.419 Yeah, it's all love. 0:21:02.780 --> 0:21:04.619 Why don't you tell him you were down there? 0:21:05.020 --> 0:21:09.940 Yeah, yeah. What was that? You're soft, you soft. 0:21:10.020 --> 0:21:11.540 But you won't even tell him. And I'm. 0:21:11.540 --> 0:21:12.980 Soft. Well, because I don't need to. 0:21:13.260 --> 0:21:15.899 I've got the kahunas to mention on a podcast. Any 0:21:15.900 --> 0:21:17.379 other things doing down there with the dragons? 0:21:17.420 --> 0:21:18.260 No. Not much. Huh? 0:21:18.300 --> 0:21:18.980 Are they signing? 0:21:19.420 --> 0:21:20.180 Yeah. Who are they signing? 0:21:20.220 --> 0:21:20.420 I don't. 0:21:20.420 --> 0:21:23.820 Know. You said earlier that last week you said a 0:21:23.820 --> 0:21:24.940 four to a back. You said a hooker. 0:21:24.980 --> 0:21:26.260 That's right. Can't remember. 0:21:26.300 --> 0:21:29.220 Yeah, I think it's, um. I think it's Nathan Cleary. 0:21:29.660 --> 0:21:30.379 Are you hanging around. 0:21:30.660 --> 0:21:31.540 Healy from the Warriors? 0:21:31.580 --> 0:21:34.180 Are you hanging around to do the, um, audition with 0:21:34.180 --> 0:21:36.740 that other host of the podcast? Yeah, I am. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. Good. 0:21:36.859 --> 0:21:38.459 That's good. I gotta get home. Gotta pick up my 0:21:38.460 --> 0:21:39.060 son from school. 0:21:39.100 --> 0:21:40.419 Oh, why can't he walk? 0:21:40.780 --> 0:21:41.619 He's got footy training. 0:21:41.660 --> 0:21:44.140 Fair enough. All right, boys, you better go, CMG. 0:21:44.180 --> 0:21:44.820 Bye bye. Mark. 0:21:44.859 --> 0:21:45.139 Bye bye. 0:21:45.540 --> 0:21:46.020 Bye, Levi. 0:21:46.060 --> 0:21:48.580 We'll be back. We'll be back on Thursday. More of 0:21:48.580 --> 0:21:52.060 the Mark My Words podcast. Make sure you leave a question. Subscribe, 0:21:52.060 --> 0:21:54.420 like follow, do all of that and get in touch. 0:21:54.420 --> 0:21:56.380 Let us know how you're enjoying the podcast and share 0:21:56.380 --> 0:21:58.420 the love and a big thank you to better our 0:21:58.420 --> 0:22:02.060 new sponsor on board. Better download the better app. Watch 0:22:02.100 --> 0:22:04.740 gambling really costing you for free and confidential support. Go 0:22:04.740 --> 0:22:07.780 to Gambling Help online.org.au. We will talk to you later 0:22:07.780 --> 0:22:08.340 in the week.