WEBVTT - Gus Grills the Maroons: Will DCE Drop be a Masterstroke or Mistake? 0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:03.760 Nine podcasts. 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:07.680 Welcome to six Tackles with Gus. Thanks to the tab. 0:00:07.720 --> 0:00:09.879 Great to be with you for another week. I'm in Adelaide, 0:00:09.920 --> 0:00:11.880 Phil gold is in Sydney. Good morning, Gus. 0:00:12.560 --> 0:00:13.840 Matthew Thompson. How are you doing. 0:00:14.240 --> 0:00:16.320 I'm doing well. Are you going well? 0:00:16.720 --> 0:00:18.400 I'm going good. You had a late night, did you? 0:00:19.480 --> 0:00:21.640 They're all late nights when the swimming starts. Yes. 0:00:21.880 --> 0:00:22.959 Have you enjoyed it? 0:00:22.960 --> 0:00:24.759 It's been good. Yes, it's been good. First couple of 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:27.080 days out of the way. We've got a bunch of 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:30.000 swimmers already booked to go to Singapore for the World Champs, 0:00:30.040 --> 0:00:33.040 so it's been great swimming. A bit of drama. Did 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:35.120 you see what happened with Katie McKellen on the first day? 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:36.360 No, I didn't see that. 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:40.920 Well, she had a false start in the heats of 0:00:40.960 --> 0:00:44.199 the fifty backstrope. She was disqualified and then she appealed 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:45.479 and they put her back in the race and she 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:46.920 ended up winning on the first night. 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:55.280 So, craigy, we thought they have trouble with their judiciary. 0:00:53.720 --> 0:00:58.200 The Matter Review Panel. Yes, yes, you had a didn't 0:00:58.160 --> 0:00:59.520 you have an incident with a matter of view panel 0:00:59.560 --> 0:00:59.800 this week? 0:00:59.800 --> 0:01:00.000 Did you? 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:01.760 Did you go in there this week or. 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:03.920 Are you no, I didn't go in. I didn't go 0:01:04.000 --> 0:01:06.520 in Billy Army kick out. I got off his charge, 0:01:07.920 --> 0:01:10.600 which we might talk about later, because he was penalized, 0:01:10.600 --> 0:01:12.479 he was sin binned. He was charged by the Match 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:14.640 Review Committee only to go down to judiciary and they 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:17.480 threw it out straight away. So it makes you wonder 0:01:17.520 --> 0:01:20.080 why he was panelized on the weekend and sinbin which 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:22.320 are both very big penalties during the course of a game. 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:25.200 We see that quite often. All I was conceded to 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:27.200 try while he was off the field. He didn't deserve 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:29.840 to be off the field, and that was later proven 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:33.119 that the judiciary. And it just goes to show again 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:37.040 that our system is flawed, that our referees, our bunker, 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:40.520 our match review committee and our judiciary are way too, 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:43.880 way too harsh in this game. And I don't think 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:45.280 it's fair on the players, and I don't think it's 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:48.840 fair on the game itself. But more about that another time. 0:01:48.840 --> 0:01:50.200 I think that's pretty fair comment. 0:01:51.360 --> 0:01:53.640 All right, let's do some yes no questions to get 0:01:53.640 --> 0:02:08.760 going this morning. Adam O'Brien's comments about the Newcastle Knights 0:02:08.840 --> 0:02:12.120 fans at the weekend was overstepping the mark. Gus. 0:02:14.960 --> 0:02:19.120 Yeah. Look, I guess in hindsight he realized that he 0:02:19.200 --> 0:02:23.760 probably said the wrong thing, But I can understand the 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:26.680 emotion and everything that was going through him at the time. 0:02:26.840 --> 0:02:29.480 I mean, it was an incredible victory by the Newcastle Knights. 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:33.800 They were down by a big score at halftime, and 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:36.280 there were a section of the fans that did show 0:02:36.320 --> 0:02:39.079 their displeasure as the players left the field. Whether they're 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:43.120 showing their displeasure at the players themselves or just where 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:46.839 Newcastle is at the moment, I don't know. I think 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:49.600 it was raised with Adam O'Brien after the game. I'm 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:52.240 not sure that he heard that himself, and he made 0:02:52.280 --> 0:02:58.160 a passing comment regarding the Newcastle fans which was probably 0:02:58.160 --> 0:03:02.720 inappropriate and probably should have been recanted on the night. 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:04.840 It took another twenty four hours for him to eventually 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:10.600 come back and apologize for those comments. But you know, 0:03:10.919 --> 0:03:12.440 put it down to a little bit of stress, put 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:14.680 it down to a little bit of you know, exuberance, 0:03:14.720 --> 0:03:17.040 have such a magnificent win where they came back in 0:03:17.080 --> 0:03:20.520 the second half to scoring golden point, and put it 0:03:20.560 --> 0:03:23.240 down to emotion. And I think most people can understand that, 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:26.840 but you know, there are some things that sometimes need 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:28.520 to be said and other things that you know you'd 0:03:28.560 --> 0:03:30.360 like to say, but you just bite your tongue and 0:03:30.400 --> 0:03:33.040 move on. And at the end of the day, the 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:35.440 fans turn up, they pay their money, they're entitled to boo, 0:03:35.440 --> 0:03:37.480 and if they boo, well you've got to learn something 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:39.200 from that or prove them wrong one or the other. 0:03:39.280 --> 0:03:41.480 And in the end the Nights had a great win. 0:03:42.440 --> 0:03:44.720 The easy solution is that those that were booing at 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:47.680 halftime were probably cheering at full time. So it's just 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:50.840 how the fortunes of rugby league change in the space. 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:54.040 But you know, fans are entitled to show the displeasure. 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:56.280 Whether they're well informed or whether they're right or wrong 0:03:56.480 --> 0:04:01.400 is really irrelevant. They're the fans and it's up to 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:05.280 players to perform. Newcastle did that in the second half. 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:08.600 It was an extraordinary weekend of rugby league. Really when 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:10.440 you really think about I know we're in yes now 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:13.400 at the moment, but the weekend started with that magnificent 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:17.159 comeback from the Newcastle Knights and that Golden Point victory. 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:20.360 Calm Pongers scoring in the first session of Golden Point. 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:23.200 You know, the next night Melbourne Storm. They showed us 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:25.720 again why they're probably Premiership favorites with a big win 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:28.080 over the Cowboys that just gave them no chance at all. 0:04:28.800 --> 0:04:31.440 The Dolphins and what a great football team this is. 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:35.000 They were brilliant in their performance, absolutely putting the Dragons 0:04:35.000 --> 0:04:38.720 to the sword by fifty points. There's such a great 0:04:38.720 --> 0:04:41.960 attacking football team and they've got plenty of upside too. 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:48.080 The Warriors outstanding performance over the Sharks, like outstanding. Sharks 0:04:48.080 --> 0:04:49.560 were favored in that game. And I think we said 0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:53.520 last week, I think the market is wrong, you know, 0:04:53.600 --> 0:04:56.480 but the Sharks just at the moment can't quite get 0:04:56.520 --> 0:04:58.920 their act together, and the Warriors really are. They're just 0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:04.760 motoring along it moment. The Broncos, well there's two of them, 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:10.159 isn't there, Trichy, they just see caps from the very 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:12.440 first set of six. They just showed again what talent 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:16.760 that they've got. The Raiders, you know, consummate professionals. Again, 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:19.039 they're up there were the most wins in the competition 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:21.880 at the moment and they beat South sitting down there 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:26.440 on a big day for Josh Papali setting his record. 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:29.360 The Panthers and the West Tigers was a great game 0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:32.839 of footy, real struggle for both sides and high quality 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:36.479 and really belied their positions on the ladder the quality 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:38.760 of football we saw in that particular game. And then 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:41.560 a big crowd, another big crowd at their Course stadium 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:45.040 on Sunday in wet and cold conditions to support the 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:48.479 Bulldogs in their victory over the Eels. So an amazing weekend, 0:05:48.520 --> 0:05:53.040 some big score lines, some dominant victories, and some concerns 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:54.440 for a number of teams that are on the end 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:58.120 of those big score lines. The original question was, Yeah, 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:00.680 Adam O'Brien probably would like to he did those comments 0:06:00.720 --> 0:06:04.240 back anyway, but experience might handle that a little bit 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:05.000 better next time. 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:08.400 Just on your recap there of the games at the weekend. 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:11.120 I actually my ears pricked up last week because you 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:15.160 mentioned how wide open the compies and one thing he 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:17.280 said was the Dolphins could get on a run. I'm like, 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:21.560 the Dolphins. What are you seeing in the Dolphins. 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:24.560 Well, they're a strong side. I know they've just lost 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:26.279 another couple of forwards for the rest of the season, 0:06:26.320 --> 0:06:28.960 but they've got great depth in that area. They had 0:06:28.960 --> 0:06:32.640 a big forward pack and willing workers. They've got this 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:34.920 brilliant young halfback who just seems to be getting better 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:37.040 and better by the day. And he and his combination 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:39.719 with Nick Arima really gives them great strike power. And 0:06:39.920 --> 0:06:42.800 they're very athletic out wide. And you know, I've seen 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:46.680 them firsthand. They're a powerful football team with great strike power, 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:49.839 the ability to score points, their defenses improving all the time, 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:53.080 and you know they got I go off to a 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:55.320 rocky start to the season, but in recent weeks they've 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:57.280 probably been one of the form sides of the competition. 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:01.120 And they fear no one. That was a big win 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:03.640 over They gave the Dragons no chance the other night. 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:06.520 They just absolutely got them from the first minute of 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:09.960 the game and never relented on them and beat them 0:07:10.000 --> 0:07:13.320 in all parts of the park. So I like the 0:07:13.360 --> 0:07:16.320 Dolphins as a football team, not only for the rest 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:18.440 of this season, but certainly into the future as well. 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:24.080 Question number two. Ky Peers Paul is a great acquisition 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:25.120 for the West Tigers. 0:07:27.440 --> 0:07:31.680 He is. He's a real talent. I actually interviewed Ky 0:07:31.760 --> 0:07:35.320 Peers Paul a few years ago by Zoom he and 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:40.880 he's I think his parents he was over in England. 0:07:40.160 --> 0:07:42.920 He'd come out of a sort of rugby system and 0:07:43.080 --> 0:07:45.360 had played a little bit of football in junior academies 0:07:45.400 --> 0:07:47.720 over there, and he was touted as a player of 0:07:47.760 --> 0:07:51.040 the future. He was a center back rower. He'd only 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:56.000 just really started playing rugby league and we had a 0:07:56.000 --> 0:07:58.000 good look at him and would probably would have liked 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:01.120 to have signed him at the time. But he got 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:03.480 a big offer from the Newcastle Knights to go up there. 0:08:04.680 --> 0:08:09.440 It was an offer based on potential and it was 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:12.680 quite a gamble. And having gone through the heartache of 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:14.880 or not the heart ache, but the hard work of 0:08:14.920 --> 0:08:17.160 getting him out here to Australia and assimilating him and 0:08:17.160 --> 0:08:19.360 get him into the NRL and giving him some experience, 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:22.160 they've lost him to the West Tigers. I think that's 0:08:22.200 --> 0:08:24.520 a big loss for Newcastle. It's a huge game for 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:28.120 the West Tigers. He's a quality player and he's still 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:30.680 only learning the game. He's still only finding himself. I 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:32.760 don't think the Knights have really learned how to play 0:08:32.800 --> 0:08:35.600 with him. Or He's played a little bit of football 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:37.120 on the edge on the left. He's played a little 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:38.760 bit of football now on the edge on the right. 0:08:39.360 --> 0:08:41.160 It seems he can play both sides of the field 0:08:41.200 --> 0:08:45.000 pretty well. He looks to be a have plenty of 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:48.400 skill in an attacking sense, and his defense is getting better, thinks. 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:51.760 I don't think his career has started yet. For Newcastle, 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:54.280 who invested so much money in him and had him 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:55.959 there for a couple of seasons, to be losing him 0:08:56.000 --> 0:09:00.360 now is now it's a bit of a quandary because 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:02.400 given where the Newcastle Knights are at the moment, but 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:05.400 you know we're not. We're not running their roster. They 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:07.360 would have a plan, I guess, but it's it's a 0:09:07.360 --> 0:09:10.080 good get for the West Tigers and I can see 0:09:10.160 --> 0:09:15.720 him playing alongside Jerome Lewie there and Jerome will have 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:20.240 a weapon to fire at the opposition defensive lines. And 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:22.560 I think he's a really good young player. 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:26.600 My understanding is that they've basically said to him you 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:30.160 can go because the salary cap pressure they find themselves 0:09:30.280 --> 0:09:34.560 under with respect to the Dylan Brown signing. But watching 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:36.800 Newcastle we call quite a few other games this year, 0:09:38.520 --> 0:09:41.120 I get frustrated that they don't seem to know how 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:44.080 to use this kid, like he's got massive arms and 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:47.840 he's a proficient offloader. You could base your attack around that. 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:50.440 He's so talented with his ball play. He's a bit 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:51.000 of old school. 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:54.160 Actually, yeah, Well, the Knights are struggling in attack everywhere. 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:56.480 They're struggling for direction, they're struggling to get the ball 0:09:56.520 --> 0:10:00.240 to their strike players, and they've had a numb of 0:10:00.280 --> 0:10:02.560 games this year where they've really failed to trouble the 0:10:02.600 --> 0:10:05.839 score the scorer at all. You know, they can't seem 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.120 to get it together. They've got one of the great 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:12.000 attacking forces in the game and Kayleb Ponger who just 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:13.760 doesn't seem to be able to get the ball when 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:15.679 he wants it, how he needs it and to do 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:18.680 what he needs to do with it. And Kyle Pispaul 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:21.160 is probably a victim of that, to be honest. He's 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:24.520 probably suffering from that, and you know they need to 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:26.880 get that worked out. I noticed that they've put Jackson 0:10:26.920 --> 0:10:29.520 Hastings back in the side this week, which will solve 0:10:29.600 --> 0:10:32.240 two of the problems in attack. I think there are 0:10:32.320 --> 0:10:34.679 three elements to your attack, which is your direction, your 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:38.520 delivery and your play direction where the set of six 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:40.160 is going to head and what points on the field 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:41.960 you're going to hit. The delivery of how you're going 0:10:41.960 --> 0:10:43.839 to get the ball to your strike players, and then 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:46.320 the players that they come up with, but without the 0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:49.720 direction and the delivery, the players don't matter. The direction 0:10:49.880 --> 0:10:52.000 is the important thing, and they've changed their hearts so 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.679 often over the past couple of seasons looking for a solution, 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:58.280 and it would appear as our Jackson Hastings may have 0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:01.400 to be recalled. He will at least give them that. 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:04.760 Once he gives them direction, well, then the delivery of 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:06.760 the ball to the right people at the right time 0:11:07.320 --> 0:11:10.000 should occur and from there their talents should take over. 0:11:10.120 --> 0:11:12.760 So it'll be interesting to watching with Newcastle in the 0:11:12.760 --> 0:11:13.440 coming weeks. 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:16.559 The Panthers are coming to get. 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:22.040 Them, well, there are chance they're not far behind. It's 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:24.640 amazing what a couple of wins can do, and not 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:26.440 only the couple of wins that they've had, but the 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:29.200 manner in which they've done it. They've just some of 0:11:29.240 --> 0:11:31.560 our younger players are really starting to buy into the 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:33.360 system and get a little bit of confidence in the 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:36.120 top grade. Earlier in the year I think they were 0:11:36.120 --> 0:11:39.079 suffering from a little bit of inexperience and some changes 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:42.040 toing and throwing around the outside backs in who was 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:43.840 going to play where, But they seem to have settled 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:46.719 on some combinations. Now they're still got to get through 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:49.080 this Origin period, which is going to be very difficult 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:50.800 for them, and I think they've got a really tough 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:53.679 part of the drawer. I think after Origin two, I 0:11:53.720 --> 0:11:56.439 think they're playing in New Zealand and probably won't be 0:11:56.440 --> 0:11:59.880 able to take their rep players across there, so they've 0:11:59.880 --> 0:12:02.840 got but they're walking a tight rope. No risk in 0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:07.040 the world, but just pass the halfway mark in the competition. 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:10.640 I think if they could win probably seven games from 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:14.319 there on last eleven, which they're very capable of doing, 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:18.960 then they're going to be in the finals. Hunt. I 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:21.360 think fifty percent of your wins, fifty percent of your 0:12:21.360 --> 0:12:23.000 games should get you in the eight. That's the way 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:28.560 it's tracking at the moment. Yeah, And what confuses you 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:30.600 with the latter is the number of buyers and who's 0:12:30.600 --> 0:12:32.800 had buyers and who hasn't had buyers, who's had two 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:35.959 and some have had now three buys. I don't know 0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:38.360 why we get two points for a buy confuses everybody. 0:12:38.360 --> 0:12:42.480 But you know, Panthers aren't that far away, and they've 0:12:42.520 --> 0:12:45.760 got the ability to string some wins together and things 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:48.160 could look very very different in six weeks time. If 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:50.000 they could win three or four of the next six 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:53.160 and set themselves up for the business end of the season, 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:55.679 which we know they handle better than anyone else. And 0:12:55.760 --> 0:12:59.000 they've had some performances this year which remind us that 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:02.240 they're still very very when they're needed. Their last couple 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:05.040 of wins have been tough, you know. I mean, Paramatta 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:07.480 and West Tigers have really taken it to them, and 0:13:07.520 --> 0:13:09.240 both those sides are going a lot better than their 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:12.920 position on the ladder suggests too. So Penrether had to 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:15.120 work hard and they've had to work hard at their 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:19.240 own good brand of football to win, and I think 0:13:19.240 --> 0:13:22.000 that will give them a great deal of confidence. Talking 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:24.600 to a couple of the senior players at the Panthers 0:13:24.760 --> 0:13:27.520 and just on the weekend, they're really pleased with the 0:13:27.559 --> 0:13:29.360 way some of the younger blokes are coming through and 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:31.600 they're gaining more confidence in them and the young fellows 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:34.560 are getting more confidence. So don't write the Panthers up. 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:37.600 Don't write anyone off in this competition. Really, don't write 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:40.600 anyone off. It can fortunes can change within seven days. 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:43.439 It's remarkable some of these teams have got flogged on 0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:45.760 the weekend, could easily turn around and win again this 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:49.920 weekend or the weekend after. It's a topsy turvy competition 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:53.400 at the moment. What I do know is that the 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:55.520 teams at the top of the ladder have earned their 0:13:56.480 --> 0:13:59.960 positions because of their consistency, where other teams have probably 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:04.320 being a little more inconsistent. But at the midpoint of 0:14:04.320 --> 0:14:06.440 the season, and this is talking about people who have 0:14:06.480 --> 0:14:09.600 predictive models or people who work on data to tell 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:11.760 you to tell you who she's going to be winning games. 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:14.360 You know, at the start of the season, no one 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:16.520 could have predicted what the ladder was going to look like. 0:14:16.800 --> 0:14:19.640 At the midpoint of the season. There is no one 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:22.840 that could have told you that after twelve or thirteen rounds, 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:25.360 this is what the NRL Premiership Ladder would look like 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:28.840 as it is today, which means it could be completely 0:14:28.880 --> 0:14:31.480 different in another twelve weeks. We really don't know what's 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:33.840 in front of us, which makes it exciting. Everyone's saying 0:14:33.840 --> 0:14:37.320 their ability to win games. Everyone is, you know, there 0:14:37.360 --> 0:14:40.400 is everyone can win and everyone can lose. That's the 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:44.160 nature of this competition at the moment. That's why refereeing 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:46.520 and other seasons are so crucial, and they need to 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:49.680 get that right, and they need to be less involved. 0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:54.840 You know. I'm so determined to keep getting that message 0:14:54.840 --> 0:14:56.600 out there because it's for the betterment of the game. 0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:59.680 It's not criticism, that's not wining. It's just for the 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:03.320 better of the game, betterment of the product, betterment of 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:08.000 the understanding of the fans. That's crucial because these games 0:15:08.040 --> 0:15:11.040 can be decided on just one play and on one decision, 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:14.520 and we don't need as many penalties. We don't need 0:15:14.560 --> 0:15:16.840 as many six agains, we don't need as many sin bins, 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:18.880 we don't need as much match review committee, and we 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:22.520 don't need as many suspensions as what we're getting. It's 0:15:22.560 --> 0:15:23.720 out of control at the moment. 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:28.040 Okay, Origin seven days away today. We're going to do 0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:31.680 an Origin preview in Perth next Monday, so we won't 0:15:32.440 --> 0:15:36.120 turn the game inside out today. But a few top 0:15:36.160 --> 0:15:41.600 line questions. Cameron Munster the new Queensland captain. A few 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:44.520 years ago. I think his name was thrown around, but 0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:47.200 the perception was maybe it was a little bit too soon. 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:49.760 I actually think it's an inspired decision. 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:53.120 What about you, Yeah, well it is. He is probably 0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:56.480 now the senior playmaker of the group. He's been there 0:15:56.520 --> 0:15:59.160 the longest. He's played with the likes of Cherry Evans 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:01.120 and all these other great players. He's played with the 0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:04.560 Cameron Smith and the Cooper Kronks and the Jonathan Thurstons 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:06.520 and those sort of players as well. He's been around 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:10.320 the origin scene for some time and he's an eighty 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:13.440 minute player. When we spoke on one hundred percent foot 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:15.600 of the other night, Cameron Smith was kind of learning 0:16:15.640 --> 0:16:18.760 the way of Tina for sau Maula. Are we as 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:20.880 a leader of the pack? And he said as a 0:16:20.960 --> 0:16:23.680 natural leader? And I don't doubt that for one second. 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:28.120 He certainly is. But my question was, well, what happens 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:30.600 when he goes off? Because he's not going to play 0:16:30.600 --> 0:16:34.560 the eighty minutes. So you know, after Cherry Evans has 0:16:34.600 --> 0:16:37.440 been dumbed, not only you're looking for one captain, you're 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:39.000 going to have to find two, because you have to 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:40.960 find someone to be captain when he's not on the field, 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:42.760 and then maybe that person's not on the field when 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:45.920 he comes off. So it would be natural to find 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:48.080 someone a who was going to be an eighty minute player, 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:53.040 and Cameron Munster fits that bill And I think that 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:55.760 it's an inspired and I think it will do him 0:16:55.800 --> 0:16:58.800 the world of good too. Cameron Munster has been in 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:06.119 and out of he's best formed this year and I 0:17:06.160 --> 0:17:10.560 think that this could really help him too and his 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:14.679 focus and his contribution to this game as well. So 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:17.200 I think it's an inspired choice. I think it'll help 0:17:17.240 --> 0:17:21.960 Cameron Munster himself, and looking through their player list, to 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:25.760 be honest, there was really no one else. There was 0:17:25.960 --> 0:17:29.280 really no one else that they could have chosen, so 0:17:29.800 --> 0:17:31.840 they've gone the right way from my perspective. 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:35.360 Okay, that's interesting, but there's a number of club captains 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:38.960 in that team. Harry Green obviously captains Melbourne, Pat Carrigan, 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:40.840 he's in a club captain, but he's been touted as 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:45.680 a long term leadership option for Brisbane, Queensland and Australia. Tino. 0:17:46.720 --> 0:17:49.080 As you mentioned, Caln Pong has captain of Newcastle. So 0:17:49.240 --> 0:17:51.080 you're saying that he was the obvious choice. 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:53.640 Well, I think it's the obvious choice for me. I mean, 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:55.760 I think the captain's got to be an eighty minute 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:58.120 player for a start. I don't like captains that are 0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:01.000 not playing the full tilda the game, and I think 0:18:01.040 --> 0:18:04.840 that it would indicate to me if Harry Grant was 0:18:04.880 --> 0:18:09.720 overlooked in preference to Cameron Monster that maybe they're going 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:13.440 to help Harry Grant a little bit and not play 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:16.760 the eighty minutes. I still think the Kurk Man will 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:19.800 probably start the game at nine just to keep Harry 0:18:19.840 --> 0:18:23.960 Grant out of that Barrows. You spoke about pat Patty Carrigan, 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:25.879 Well he's on the bench. He's been reduced back to 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:31.480 the bench. Calen Ponger. You know, I guess the form 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:33.600 of Rys Walsh in his comeback game the other day 0:18:33.880 --> 0:18:36.000 applies pressure there as to who's going to be the 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:39.600 longer term fullback for Queensland. So I guess if they're 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:42.399 looking for a captain just for this series and maybe 0:18:42.400 --> 0:18:45.080 into the next two or three series. When I look 0:18:45.160 --> 0:18:48.840 through this list, he is the one most likely. He 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:51.480 is the playmaker, most likely to be around for the 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:54.480 next two or three years and give him a few 0:18:54.560 --> 0:18:57.600 years in that position, and he's the eighty minute leader 0:18:57.640 --> 0:19:01.600 in this team leading into this game. To be honest, 0:19:01.600 --> 0:19:02.879 it was one of the reasons why I don't think 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:05.119 they should have dropped Cherry Evans at the moment. You know, 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:07.119 I just think they still need his experience and his 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:10.720 leadership and it's a big call. As I said on 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:13.960 one hundred Percent Footy, I really respect Billy Slater for 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:16.440 making the call. You know that he's an Origin coache, 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:19.280 he's you know, when you put in these positions, you're 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:24.600 responsible for making big decisions. And I totally support his 0:19:24.800 --> 0:19:27.560 right to make that decision. Whether we agree with it 0:19:27.640 --> 0:19:30.040 or not is a different thing. But you know, he's 0:19:30.080 --> 0:19:32.000 made a bold move, and good luck to him, all 0:19:32.040 --> 0:19:34.920 power to him. He's owned the team and he's owned 0:19:34.920 --> 0:19:41.480 this decision, and he's obviously given a great consideration. It's 0:19:41.520 --> 0:19:43.239 probably just not one that I would have made at 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:46.320 this time. I just don't think it's the right time. 0:19:49.400 --> 0:19:51.600 But you know, he could well be proven correct next 0:19:51.640 --> 0:19:53.719 Wednesday night. I guess he felt like he had to 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:58.359 do something because just watching his reaction during and after 0:19:58.840 --> 0:20:01.480 the first Origin game, it looked a little forlorn. I 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:05.040 think there was a feeling that if nothing changes, nothing's 0:20:05.080 --> 0:20:07.120 going to change, you know, So he had to make 0:20:07.160 --> 0:20:11.080 some changes, whether it be attitude or personnel or you know, 0:20:11.240 --> 0:20:15.800 a view to looking more towards the future. But it 0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:18.199 seemed like a strange decision to give Cherry Evans just 0:20:18.200 --> 0:20:22.239 one game and then we'll no good, You're out. It's 0:20:22.320 --> 0:20:26.159