Gus reveals SHOCK rumours about Gutherson's future: Six Tackles with Gus - Ep26 | NRL on Nine

Welcome [Music] welcome to six tackles with Gus great to be with you for another week a day later than normal because we wanted to reflect on a very special night for rugby league the induction of the game's 14th Immortal ladies and gentlemen the 14th Immortal is Ron kurot yes the legendary Ron kurot finally bestowed the honor many believe was overdue a career to celebrate some 43 years after his retirement Phil gold welcome Matthew Thompson how you doing I'm good I I love this decision I love the fact that he's been elevated to a mortal status so long after his retirement because it shows that the game remains attached to its history it it it's evolved but it shows it's never too late to recognize a legend of the sport isn't that what the word immortal is supposed to mean Immortal it's a name that will be um you know as part of our game for eternity and Ron cot's name will always be that uh was an exceptional player back in the day Ron The 14th Immortal cot played in the era where I fell in love with rugby league very impressionable as young kids and that's um you know kids are attracted by the superstars of the game and he was a superstar of the game back then he actually replaced my idol who was Johnny Raper I grew up as a dragons fan and Johnny Raper was the lock forward for Australia and lock forward for the dragons and um and I can remember I'm pretty sure my memory is not as good as it used to be but I'm pretty sure Ron cot replace Johnny Raper in an Australian team Johnny Raper moved to the back row and they gave Johnny and they gave U Ron C the lock forward position which was a a big feather in Ron's cap at that particular time um I also got to play against him did you really very very late very very late in his career yeah he was uh he was playing with the roosters and he was coming back he had broken arms he broke his arms a couple of times M and uh he came back from injury to play in a reserve grade game at the cooking ground for the rooster and I was a young kid playing Reser grade for the Panthers and um we played against him that day it was a very very close game I think it only ended up 63 or something like that there wasn't much in the scoreboard at all and uh I remember he come and put his arm around me he said young mate he said you were the best player on the field today and I mean that was the thing that I've remembered my whole career is someone like Ron cot coming and saying something like that to you after a game and all those greats of the time were like that like Arthur beatson was like that he would always come and seek you out after a game to tell you how good you were or to give you some advice or or whatever from a game they were um yeah there was this the great players of that era were just super in that s I'm not saying the players today aren't the same but um it was a wonderful experience for a young footballer like me to have someone like him at the back in into his career playing Reserve grade because he was just coming back from injury and Reserve grade comp was a pretty strong comp back in those days he had Internationals playing Reserve grade in those days uh um yeah and it was a memory I kept I kept my whole life what a r absolutely incredible yeah I don't know if I was but I think he was just being nice but I don't think he'd hand out platitudes without meaning it uh we'll talk more about Ron C's career and we'll also acknowledge all of those wonderful contributors who have been admitted to the Hall of Fame shortly but he's a lovely lovely bloke Ron C and he looks he's 80 years of age how strong does he look strong as an yeah he was he was a did you ever see him play I suppose you've seen vision of him Vision but never go on to YouTube and watch him play he was a a Long striding Tall back row forward um in the old days lock forwards were cover Defenders he was a brilliant cover Defender he used to run down outside backs and Tackle them over the sideline and um the lock forwards in those days used to wear number eight and you'd see that number eight on the back of the South Sydney Jersey spinning across the ground as he took people into touch and um prolific tric scorer on the edges he played I think in a large number of grand finals one about do comps I think um but he was he was um four grand finals yeah and then oh with souths and two with the roosters yeah so he he's he played every single game in a World Cup Series around about 1970 I think and he scored a try in every game I think had never been done before um just sort of recollecting but bid wide running back R tall elbows and knees if you tried to tackle him you're going to get hurt um but scored a lot of tries but a lovely man I got to know him personally um he was on the board uh or associated with the Sydney roosters when I coached there um for a number of years in coaching director so I saw a fair bit of him around he was successful in business mackers yeah and he was also a big part of the Mena League the in introduction of the Mena League to the game so yes his contributions both on and off the field have been extraordinary um and like the word immortal says to be recognized this late in his career is not because he shouldn't have been recognized earlier it's just how the system works sometimes and and why I also say we need to slow down a little bit on the modern day players and how soon they're introducted and yeah um what what's great is that we've we've we've done it and I'm not to say runs G anywhere soon but I mean when they get it later in life um I think it's going to mean more well I think his response last night showed that we'll talk we'll talk more about his career and your thoughts on that uh coming up there's a lot to lot to reflect on after after a very memorable night at the city cricket ground last evening let's do our yes or no well I don't know Jacob caraz will end up in Immortal Gus but is he an origin player in Waiting yes yeah absolutely um what an extraordinary young man and what a great player he is um been wonderful for the Bulldogs this year he's he was one of those covid kids um I'll just give you a little bit about his background he was actually a Canterbury Junior uh he came from baral and um he before my time at the Bulldogs Yes No No No No he uh he got lured away to go up and play for the Cowboys someone got him up there on a contract development contract to play for the Cowboys and when he got to the Cowboys Co hit there was no lower grade football and he never got to play football he never got to train with the first grade side because everyone was in isolation the talent scout from the Cowboys then moved to the Newcastle Knights and took Jacob Carz with him to the Newcastle Knights the second year and put him on a similar contract but this time on a 2-year deal um where the second year would be top 30 on a minimum wage uh again Co hit there was no low great football and he didn't play any he didn't play again for the Newcastle Knights lo and behold after two years of not playing football Newcastle Knights find him in their top 25 top 30 roster whatever it is at the time and the K are saying who's who's Jacob Carz really we haven't seen him play we haven't seen him play and you know like what is he and oh he's an Jacob Kiraz is Origin class outside back he's a center a Winger he actually played a bit of 5'8 as a kid played a bit of fullback he said we really need some forwards he said see if we can trade him out or or what have because he hadn't played for a couple of years anyway and a lot of kids were in that position you know so his manager came back to me and I just started at the Bulldogs and said look this kid's a canary Jr he's been to the cowboys he's been in Newcastle hasn't played any football um what do you think and I said yeah I hadn't seen him either I'd never seen him play and I said yeah what's the deal he say I yeah well bring him down so couple of months later we're out on the back a preseason training boiling hot and they're doing some runs and this Blake runs past me like a gazelle big knees and I said Who the hell's that I said that's said Jacob kirat just Hest I'm going to look like a genius here um because you could just see he was something different and I think that he looks like a Trotter runs like a Trotter with his knees up in the a he's got yeah look he's he's hard to handle he's gangly and he's but the biggest thing is his Constitution for work um out of the backfield I mean he's he's he's excelled at Senter on a couple of occasions where Steven cryon has been out injured he debuted as a center um up at against the Broncos and the first night he played he lit it up but he only lasted 45 minutes and kept getting bad cramps cuz he hadn't played for years and all of a sudden thrust into first grade they just weren't used to the workload and they weren't used to the the 80-minute grind of playing rugby league so it took him a few years to get his his NRL legs but right now he's he regularly runs for over 200 M he's he's hard to handle he's good under the high ball he's safe under the high ball in defense he's good good lad Champion kid Champion kid good absolute Champion kid lovely boy lovely family um yeah know uh and the Bulldogs is where he'll be and where he'll stay he's um uh he's a very valuable member of the club very popular and uh extremely tough too I won't give too much away but you know and on a number of occasions this year he's been ruled out on Thursday night and he's played on Saturday like he he just yeah he just can't keep him out he just keeps putting his J his hand up to play and he's uh he's got a few little injuries that we'll sort out during the offseason but right at the moment he seems to be handling things really well and um he's a very valuable member of their team you go good in origin he's per he's made perfectly for origin exactly perfectly for origin yeah it it there are things I see in him that I saw in Zack LX years ago and I was saying Zack LX was origin class years ago Jacob Carz his origin class no no risk in the world you can play in the outside backs in origin and do a really good job he's got that he's got a really strong carry he's a good Defender um he can score tries and save tries and and he's got a high Constitution for work you know where when you get into Origins where positions don't really mean a lot during certain parts of the game where you've just got to get someone to carry the ball he'll put his hand up twice in a set of six every time he's uh yeah I think he's think he and Brian tot probably two of the more productive Wingers in the competition at the moment love it rival NRL clubs will be eyeing off Daniel Atkinson as a playmaker yes so earlier this year um Kell went to Melbourne without Hines and some M trendle I think might have been suspended then or out of the game anyway and Atkinson was their only playmaker they won he was their only playmaker the last two weeks they fled the Titans and he got the job done on the weekend for them yeah how good's he going he's going good you it's just it's time in the middle I keep saying this about young Playmakers you got to persevere you got to keep them in the game longer and you um and eventually they'll find their feet you know and he's still got so much improvement left in him I mean you know and any club looking for a playmaker and he's probably at the point now where uh if all Fit and Well at corala well maybe he Force his way into the side I'm not sure but um you know they' got Trindle and hin to come back so um good bench player yeah we making a great number 14 NRL clubs will be eyeing off Daniel Atkinson um but um you know that doesn't suit young fellow sometimes they need to get a start somewhere and there's always clubs looking out for Playmakers and fellas that can play in the halfes so I think he'll have a job for a while whatever he does yeah yeah I think he's uh I think he played more outside backs yeah he's very versatile and then moved into the into the hars and he's been he's been terrific uh now AJ brimson well my question here is is the Titans need him on the park for 80 minutes each game yes where's he at I mean he he came off the bench and played hooker on the weekend is he a victim to his own versatility probably um it's also a wealth of talent they have there at the Titans I mean this is a club that should not be back in The Ruck where they are although their form in recent times is has improved but um they got keano Kenny they've got Jaden Campbell I think Kieran for's been extended for another year earlier in the year they played him in the centers when everyone was The Titans need AJ Brimson on the park for 80 mins available and I don't think that really he can play there but I don't think that really suited him um effectively I think he's either a one or a six I prefer him at one I prefer him um playing at fullback he's played origin um I had a good talk to Billy Slater about him some time ago and he he really rated him which was important I really like AJ brimson as a player but he signed for like till 2030 I think longterm deal so they've obviously got a plan for him but I'm like you I wonder how they fit them all in how do they fit them all in keen's been terrific yeah i' I'd always believed uh I always had this idea that if you could get hold of Jayden Campbell you could make an NRL 7 out of him I think that was going to be his position in time as he matured and and grew into everyone played him fullback because he was a bit small and I worried about him defending in the front line but as he sort of matured and he's a tough kid I don't think it would worry him and I think he's a seven I think he's a creative seven that if you could play him for a few years with a an experiened six like a forign or someone like that um would really Master his trade um he's played a bit in the 58 roll for them up there he might have even been named at half back this week um but I think four and Z four or four doesn't matter seven or six six or seven where they're playing um his old man was have went from fullback and wigging to the halves and want a comp well the same thing with Preston Preston was exactly the same you know he's uh um he's a footballer he's just a real footballer he makes things happen and he can take advantage of what other people what other skills that they've got as well so I really I really like Jaden Campbell as a player and looking at him thinking look I think he's uh I think he's going to need to be a seven in a Hales a seven or a six MH uh keano Kenny is a very fast elusive Runner not a very big kid get found out a little bit on this Tri line um where fullbacks are got to defend in the line he gets targeted a lot there U but he's still got a long way to go in his career he'll develop the necessary there but he's everyone in the goal Coast have been talking about him for a number of years and could you could you see a circumstance where the Titans might let brimson go I wouldn't think so I well I don't know I I wouldn't think so though but I'm still wondering how they fit them all in I would imagine I would imagine after four and goes um and for and is obviously a Dez Hasler favorite and he's obviously the leader of the club at the moment so um they're trying to squeeze as much time out of him as they can he just played his 300th game the other day um I would think that probably Campbell and brimson end up in the hars you know they signed Carter Gordon from rugby too yeah well that's another one yeah I reckon they' they've trying to get what they can out of forign to give Gordon time to get used to R League probably maybe one of the reasons maybe but I yeah as you say they've got a wealth of riches there and it doesn't all fit in and that's when you think about their front row Talent too and they forward talent I mean they' got uh uh V malari they've got Mo Faker they've got um FAA I got some big money forwards there and if you've got those players Campbell brimson for and Keeny and what you're going to have to pay those fellas and then you know KH Pereira and Kelly and those fellas the outside backs are really good too Philip Sammy um young J feda I think there's it's a side that could improve rapidly next year you know with another offseason under Dez Hasler and Tino back that's what I mean for sure my yeah Tino back you know they played without him this year so um yeah the the goal coach to me I expected to do better this year um and I certainly expect them to improve remarkably next season and I can't see how j a J brimson is not a part of that team somewhere whether he's satisfied playing in the outside backs or coming off the bench is is another thing but I'd imagine he's on good money it's big money yeah big money to come off the bench and play hooker seems a bit strange but anyway that's not going to Second guest de of the go Coast Titans I don't know what they're doing so the afls back Gus decided they'd have a buy the week before the finals started and everyone was universally going boo this is boring we got nothing to do and you lose all the momentum so my question to you Phil G should the NRL have a buy the week before the finals yes well I'm not going to say it's a bad idea but it is going to lengthen our our season's too long as it is anyway we played too much football but I think it gives it just gives you that breath of fresh air before you run into the important part of the season in the back end of the season your top eight sides are ready to go again um or you could even split the first you could even split the first round of finals and play you know five and eight and six and seven in the first week and then the The NRL should have a week off before finals second week you could play the top four and then move on towards your your second week in your preliminary finals and and make it a five-week final series um so you'd have two games every weekend instead of one game instead of four games on that first weekend split that first weekend up into two so well what happened then if the the top four actually getting a reward for their top four finish out of what's going to be 20 team comp eventually you know that you get a week off leading into those games would they get another week off though if they won again yeah is that too much no no I don't think so I've been through that before yeah I think any time you can have off during September when your opponents are playing yeah is good yeah unless you're sitting in a pub and your season's over it's not very nice then well just suppose depends where it come from no good watch. TV depends where you come from you want to be there when the balloons go up mate mate there's a few teams I think wish they on the pub at the moment actually few teams probably wish they're in the pub at the moment yeah I don't know I think I think they're all finishing it off pretty well I mean you know there's a fight going on down at the bottom of the ladder and there's still some uh hope for teams in the middle I think everyone needs a good finish and I think the players have got a bit of pride in there'll be players playing for contracts and I do think that when the season proper ends we might then start to see some clubs looking to adjust their rosters and players becoming available I think there'll be a bit of a sale period during the finals as well m what do you know I don't know anything I just that's just the feeling I get because there's not a lot on the market at the moment and I think you know uh clubs will be looking to adjust their rosters I just try to keep a close eye on what everyone's doing I think there'll be some movement I think we're about to see some movement got a shopping list no no we don't have a shopping list I'm just looking to keep the ones we got all right 8-year-old Ron CO as we've touched on already a man universally respected and loved in rugby league was moved to tears upon his elevation to Immortal status last night let's hear a little bit of what he had to say I've always worked hard but I've always had work had a lot of luck with it so that's been good too and uh and uh you know like I said I really appreciate everything what rugby league has done for me and indeed what he's done for the game so 148 premiership games for souths between 64 and 71 and then 109 games for the roosters between 72 and 78 four grand finals with the bunnies to with the roosters played 15 games for New South Wales and 42 games for Australia only 23 of which were classified as test matches in 1970 he captained Australia to the World Cup in England um so he was he was instrumental to the big the big Feud wasn't he between souths and East like it it was sacrilege to move between those clubs back there wasn't it yeah I think it was um there's a chapter I'm sure in the in the book of Huges but so was that a massive blowup uh not really no not really no cuz there was some movement between South and Manley and roosters and Manley and roosters and they're all great Rivals they all hate each other I mean I remember when I was coaching at the RO say if we wanted to buy a player all I had to say to Nick was that he's talking to Manley and that would get the deal he hated anyone going to Manley right uh he hated anyone going to sou you know they've traded Partners they've traded boundar there's a lot of y between those two clubs but Ron C because of his status not only as a player but as an individual sort of transcended that you know he's still highly respected by both clubs and uh I think they still play for the Ron cou cup they play each other yeah so he's um he was very successful in business too I think he had one of the first ever McDonald's in Australia might been Kings Cross somewhere I read a lovely story actually that he'd be out he had a few McDonald's he was out in the car park sweeping up the car park and people had sort of beating their Big Mac and W the wi don't get what what are you doing here you know he respons well I got to earn across somehow yeah little do they know that he owned a series of franchise yeah um David Middleton who I I always find a great barometer when it comes to these things has been saying to me about cam Smith and when they adjusted the guidelines my my initial thinking was well it's going to be Smith yeah but he always says there's no rush for these things and I think last night a great example of what he's talking about there yeah I look I um I had the pleasure of sitting on the um The Immortals committee last time uh and um I was actually on there with Wayne Bennett and a number of David was on it and I think um and we inducted five people into the Hall The Immortals was was originally a rugby league week promotion it wasn't something that was brought in by the game itself to recognize the talent it was a rugby league week promotion and the first four inductees I think were Clive Churchill Johnny Raper um Graham langland Graham langland no and R gazer sorry Churchill Fulton Gap and Raper uh were the first four and then it took a long time before the number five came in and we sort of got to the point where uh when we sat down last time they wanted to induct two and I thought the two that should be inducted certainly from the postwar era were meninga and Norm proven and there was sort of agreeance that maybe they'd be the next two to come in but we also went thought we should go back and recognize pre-war contributors who weren't considered when Rugby League week first started Rugby League week sort of started it from the 50s 60s and we kind of took some Liberty there and said well if they had their time over again would they have recognized pre-war people as a mark of respect to the game and a mark of respect to their contribution and they did and we we were given the task of of um inducting two people into the Hall of Fame we inducted five and it was pretty well received on at the time so I got a good insight into how they discuss these things and who they discuss and and I've had my own thoughts on it all the time and when you're talking about you know your um your thirst and your Smiths and those sort of fellas like I thought we inducted Andrew a bit too early post career I just thought you you leave it a bit longer that appreciate it a bit more later on I've never really spoken to Andrew about it I mean Andrew is obviously going to be an immortal but I think the likes of Cam Smith and um and thirst and these fellas when they do get inducted Darren loia I think eventually will be inducted um I think they'll appreciate it later in their life when their kids are grown up and and um and then they can relive their contribution to the game and people of you know our vintage who've seen them all play you know remember it I think it's I think sometimes you waste because they're they're in their career close to their career they've had they've got got all the accolades they're getting them all all the time they've won competitions they' won you know player of the years you know it's kind of like um you just throw another Accolade on top of it but I think to be remembered 20 years later gives it that Immortal status that's what the immortal is your name is immortalized in our game you know it's here you are 20 years after your career I mean for a lot of us after our career is over you it's 5 minutes and everyone's forgotten who you are you know but the immortal is the one that'll never be forgotten and if you look at all the names we've looked at their names have never been forgotten when we talk about eras of rugby league they're the names that keep popping up um and that's what I think is the immortalization of the of the name um so Ron Kur I think had missed the I think he should have been inducted much earlier so why wasn't he well I don't know I wasn't a part of that process yeah but um uh he should have been inducted much earlier and we probably inducted some younger ones a bit too soon I I think you know but I wasn't a part of that process and I'm not criticizing it I'm just saying that that's how would have looked at it I think just by virtue of the immortal thing so the Hall of Fame is the Coote should have been inducted much earlier recognition you can get sort of at any time and that's a a wider reaching how many Hall of Famers do we have now have over 100 of of 130 or something yeah so and different categories as yeah and the really great players and contributors and coaches and media people that have contributed greatly to the game will end up in the Hall of Fame and it's closer to their career Etc some are getting it later in their later in life but um the moral thing was kind of like the next level and uh it's they're the names that will be immortalized people will talk about them long after they're gone you know I like about it I I've mentioned it just it looks there's something Grand about seeing a you know a now elderly man up there being recognized in this manner but there's it connects the current Day game with the es year and there's there's kids that would have no idea who Ron is that are looking him up now I just like that I like that you the game it's not the same game in the way it's played but it is the same history and and thanks to YouTube I me I see football games on YouTube now that we never saw as kids we never saw these things at kids someone's obviously filmed them but it was never on TV was it was never shown um games in those I remember growing up as a kid the highlight of our cricket presentation at the end of the summer you said that you watch the Grand Final was watch the Grand Final from the previous year on one of those real toore tapes you know and it wouldn't be the full game it would just be the the edited movie tone version with that funny voice the black used to use you know that were outstanding but that was the highlight of the night wow we saw the Grand Final that was played last year um yeah like television wasn't what it was today back then and kids are spoiled they see every game every week and every minute and uh it wasn't like it back then you weren't able to send tweets watching the replay of the Grand Final no no so you know and I often sit down on YouTube and go back into the past and just just type in stuff and see what's around and you can actually watch footage back from the from years ago' 60s 7s 50s 60s 7s someone's taken the film somewhere um and then someone's gone to the trouble of getting it right to put on on YouTube and you can watch it and you if you if you're ke in Ron C rugby league you'll go back and see some nice packages on him um and what he really was like as a player there but getting getting back to that the thing I think is good is that now that the NRL has taken over the immortal process which was a media that was a Rugby League week publication promotion at the time I don't think they realized how big it was going to be in the game's history over the years and um the league has sort of taken over that the controlling of it and I thought it was really nice that they combined the Hall of Fame with the immortal thing so that it's just not one night where an elderly Ron C gets up and accept a Ward and you know who in the but it it it linked the past with the future with the with the the past with the current date today so it was uh to be surrounded by all those others and even going back to um the other ones that were inducted last night from different eras and the more modern day ones that we that we've seen in recent times so yeah I think they're getting all that right I think most clubs now have their kind of Hall of Fame and recognitions and legends or whatever they call them and there are different levels of that um but the immortal thing I think they'll they'll keep that status and I think the more distance you leave between their playing career and that award I think just reestablishes the gravity of their name yeah and and the profile of their name so in addition to Ron Kurtis Gus has just touched on 11 male players lonel Morgan who was the first indigenous man to play for Australia Les Boyd Benny Elias Steve renoff cam Smith Jonathan thirst and Billy Slater Benji Marshall Cooper conon Greg engas and Sam Burgess were admitted to the Hall of Fame six female players Natalie DWI Katrina Fanning Tasha Gale Veronica white Karen Mur Murphy and T Norris two referees Cole Pearson and Bill harrian he love that bill two coaches Jack Gibson and Wayne Bennett and four contributors Frank Hyde Ken arson John quail and David Morrow were inducted to the anal Hall of Fame last night firstly cam Smith very emotional yeah Mom was um she was a big part of my life and a big part of my football career she she loved the game of rugby league um she was heavily involved in my junior football in particular um she's a life member of my junior football club log Brothers she did a tremendous amount of work there for 20 odd years um and you know I think I think she'd be pretty chuff at this oh she's watching you tonight Cameron she's with us tonight thanks congratulations ladies and gentlemen Cameron spe yes everyone's chuffed in the opinion of many people including Andrew John's best player to ever play the game Cameron Smith but it's a great acknowledgement actually of that that dominance of Co that dominant coin era I Cam Smith Hall of Fame I like that I like that it's it's not just cam but it's it's his offsiders an English and Slater and and Kon and thir Etc and the Melbourne storm as well and the Melbourne storm yeah yeah he he he came through an incredible era for that his club and his State and Country I remember uh after a few years of him playing and watching him someone asked me to comment on Cameron Smith and I I said the one thing that strikes me is whoever he plays for wins his team wins you know that can't be a coincidence um so where you at him the players you've seen I never thought I would see in my day anyone play over 400 first class games in this competition never ever thought I'd see that it's just too hard physically I know see so it's 400 first grade 500 first class games yeah it took well 500 first class games but first first grade games over 400 first grade games I mean I know we saw a couple get to 300 um but I would never have inv visaged anyone getting over 400 in in this game the way it's played so his resilience and his toughness and his longevity was extraordinary but his influence on football and football teams was incredible his leadership and um just the roll you know was the one thing that stuck out for me well and this was very early in his career if whatever team he plays for they win they they just find a way to win um and the likes of Cooper k and Billy Slater and you know probably englas you know with that Melbourne storm team and a lot of other players down there careers's benefited greatly by playing with a player like Cameron Smith uh who had the leadership and the control and the vision that he had and you know like when you look at him physically I mean he's not a big man he's he's not a big man he's you know and but obviously big in stature and and great football IQ and uh great work ethic um play to play all those years and avoid injury or play with injury and he would have played injury with injury plenty of times it's an extraordinary achievement missed one origin game in his whole career yeah I remember his first ever origin game when he came in and um first ever origin game when he came in and there was all that talk years ago about the grapple tackle with the Melbourne storm and the wrestling tactics and all that sort of thing and we came into origin 3 we'd already won the series we won game one and we won game two and I took the origin side up to Foster T Curry oh yes for a week's waser night yeah have a bit of a party for a week you really get to celebrate the series win and we probably overdid it a little I'm not using that as an excuse but we got beled in game three but game three I think was Cameron Smith's debut and I remember thinking during the game he's different this kid he brought something to their team straight away yeah we beat him again the next year um I think we beat him again the next two years I think we won in 200 4 and then Ricky Stewart 2005 and then from there they went on the big run after that so it took him took him a couple of years to really influence it but um he was uh there was a distinct shift the moment that he came into origin even as a young player you've got vast experience in the game and I know you're not trying to make big statements but that for me that that's the best team I've ever seen man for man there's never been a better team than that Queensland yeah with the players the players that we just mention there yeah I don't like to do that because of eras um and I think it's unfair to compare eras different rules different standards different fields different opportunities they're full-time professionals others weren't you know so it's it's certainly one of the great achievements in our game I mean for an origin I would never have thought that origin would see a period of dominance like that for either state for either State I just didn't see it and I think in 2004 my last game as as coach in 2004 which I think he played we beat them here in Sydney and it was the first time in origin History New South Wales had gone to the front in series 1 and games one and points scored first time yeah in the 25 years since the Inception that that actually got to the front and won again in 2005 under Ricky Stewart but from then to see a team what did they win 11 out of 12 or something like that they lost 14 and then won three three after that it's ridiculous it it's I just never ever ever envisioned that would happen but the players that weren't inducted last night part of that team Boyd um CER price webkey who else was there all the workers they had Harrison and Johnson and F and you know who who all who all benefit from playing with those great players who all benefit from playing with Cameron Smith you know it's yeah it's kind of like like it's a team game mate you know it's not just about individuals I know individuals get the accolades but it's it honestly is a team game and I say this even with development of younger players they can be lucky or unlucky into what environment they first walk or to what team they're first playing with or how competitive or what the leadership's like and what the culture is like and for any of those players who got the opport it was the same back in the 70s I remember roosters won a competition I don't think they went through undefeated but they won the Grand Final 38 nil uh and they had great players wonderful players playing for suburbs including Ron cot but they all defer to Arthur beatson every one of them deferred to Arthur beatson so you had your uh your fairfax's and your shits and your Johnny brasses and your you know Johnny Mays and you know all these great players that they had with them but they all defer to beatson every one of them talks about beatson being the captain beatson being the leader but beatson being the playmaker that brought them to light um Andrew Jones was a similar influence at the Newcastle Knights for many many years players benefited from actually playing with him we experienced it a lot with Brad fitler Queensland experienced uh Broncos experienced a lot with an allen Langer and a Darren lock here and you know um and then all of a sudden Melbourne storm gets Cameron Smith and on the back of that comes Cooper cron and Billy Slater and for a short time they're Greg engas you know but um there have been players throughout history who actually make everyone else better around them and they even defer to it it's kind of like it's a it's a team sport and you know what we what we think about in cluband is very different to how the media see it and the fans see it and that in cluband no one cares who gets the credit no one cares who gets the credit for winning or success or anything like that because it's a it's a shared thing but every now and then there is a player where you'll say well he's the reason and it goes to the coaches too like Jack Gibson and Wayne Bennett inducted in the U into the Hall of Fame because players who played under them gave them great credit for their careers and their achievements and not just their achievements in football but their achievements in life and the and the influence that they had on them there so um they're the ones that get recognized with these particular uh these Awards so and it's wonderful for the game and it's great to remember the history but Cameron Smith yeah know it's interesting I'm I'm sort of even even in his role with us at nine I mean I'm just sort of thinking I get to work with him every week as do you he kind of has that effect even in the commentary box but and he's an unassuming BL C but and there's nothing over like he's not over the top and he's kind of one of the guys but even when he walks into the commentary box you feel there's an aura there's an aura about him but it's not it's it's it's an aura of I don't it's hard to find what it is like I think he commands great respect for his achievements but he's also personable he's also intelligent he's also well spoken he's also analytical and he also has a laugh and a joke even at himself yeah like he's kind of you know he's he's he's there is a humility about him that but you know you're with a leader yeah absolutely yeah absolutely yeah you can you can feel that there's no risk about that an emotional night as well for uh for everyone but obviously for for the family and friends of the late David Morrow was announced around a week or so before he passed that David was elevated to the hall of fame for his remarkable career in broadcasting um it will always be one of the great privileges of my life that I was very fortunate to be with him as was Mark Levy and his wife Christine when he was told of the news that he'd been elevated to the Hall of Fame he was very emotional he was um in his dying days unfortunately but he he knew the gravity of what uh what had been bestowed uh upon him um David passed away in the David Morrow Hall of Fame early hours of the morning on the day of the origin de you might remember and there was a moment silence before that game at sunor and David's David's daughter Lucy spoke on behalf of he and the morrow family last night ladies and gentlemen it's a pretty emotional Moment In the Hall of Fame we welcome number 140 David Morrow our family fundamentally believed that he could only pass because he finally had it um but it was it was very emotional it was very emotional it was one of the final days where he could actually speak um and so we're just nothing but grateful we're nothing but grateful he's in such esteemed company tonight um but but just sheer gratefulness he he cannot believe um that he got it and we're so glad and we believe that that gave him a peaceful passing yes congratulations mate um you'll never be for gotten and he has his rightful place in the Hall of Fame great broadcaster for 50 years incredible yeah had a wonderful career and very well respected very highly respected in the game um I can honestly say David Morrow never had an enemy can you think of anyone who didn't like him I know he didn't like a few he had a few he didn't like a few he had a few I can't remember anyone that I can't ever remember sing a bad word about him no he's he was just he was just old school Davey he was just but I he he get lunch for Australia he the lunch you know he's still the patron and chairperson of the R's Appreciation Society the rers appreciation badge number one yeah um but I'm so pleased and proud um some breaking news on the rby league front as we walked in here I just saw it pop up as we walked in Isaiah yongi the impressive young fullback from Pender's gone to par for next year yeah okay all right that's what do you think about that that's a big move um yeah he's had the first grade game I think he got a debut early this year and I'd imagine they'll feel as always Pathways a little blocked at Isaiah Iongi has signed with Parramatta their pen it's an interesting swap isn't it Blaze Tangi um who was touted as parameter's rising star in the in the outside backs has gone to the Panthers which is a great buy for them and then they lose the say yongi going the other way towards parata um now from where I sit say yongi to me is a fullback and a fullback only I think that's his not only his preferred position looking at him I think that's he's best and only position um and they've got Clint gths in there he's been touted for a move for a while though has any goth away from fullback where you going to play him well they I've heard anywhere from Center to lock to Hooker KY yeah I'd imagine he'll go to the centers but LX is going there too so and he's not going to play on the wing I wouldn't have thought yeah it'll be interesting to see what happens with um Clint gths because there's a fair bit of scuttle around as to whether or not he moves from param as well now I don't whoa I don't want to Clint Gutherson’s future at the Eels put that out there but I mean there's that's what I'm saying there's a lot happening in the market how long's this Scuttle been around for there's plenty of scuttle I'm not even saying it's true but I'm just saying this is the sort of stuff that's going on behind the scenes everywhere about clubs looking to change their roster and move on and you know so sorry is this are you hearing Scuttle that he wants to move or the club wants him to move no I don't know what it is I'm just saying that there clubs out there inquiring as to whether or not he'd be available he'd be a massive sign would one one club in particular is actually making noise that they want him so um yeah we're just sort of all watching this space to see what par that give me a hint no there's no hint I won't give them up what are they from New South Wales or Queensland not going to give them up well everyone would want C wouldn't they well he's a leader he's competitive I can't understand why par wouldn't want him I mean if I was going to param as a new coach you'd be the first black to sit down and talk to to find out what's happened there and what's going on and where they need to go but it's an interesting signing yongi coming from Panthers to param he's a good kid he he'll play first grade he'll play plenty of first grade I guess they from Runing between the lines they maybe feel that there's a bit of a samess about their attack and they want to they want to try and Spark it somehow moving goth might be the way to do it well I think it was even guth's suggestion last year didn't he say if you want to go out and buy a fullback I'll play another position he was sort of saying we need some strike and we need some speed and and all that and he's probably felt that he couldn't contribute the way he always has at fullback I mean he's a he's even his game the other night when they lost to the Panthers was extraordinary absolutely extraordinary per he tried his proverbial off against the roosters the other night yeah he did well yeah that might be the game I'm thinking about well they're both great but he's he's such a competitor and such a leader and you know it' be hard to imagine param going without him and I think that's been recognized by other clubs who are looking at a new coach going there the shuffling of their roster and we've all sort of known for a few weeks that yongi was dealing with param matter and they were just sort of carving out the numbers there was a he was always going there but um they just had to work out the numbers and they were waiting to see what Blaze Tangi did and etc etc so there was all those things all right what's what's going to happen with GTH where's he going to go you know they got they got brown and woods in the halves uh M Mitchell Moses in the halves um so be good they bought Zack LX you know who we assume is going to play center probably they do lack a little bit of depth in the outside backs par I mean I I think the writings of the wall that they want Sao to move on yeah well that's what I mean these these sort of things are being in and around the game these are the Whispers that you get and a lot of them I ignore because they're just Whispers and rumors etc etc etc but there has been Whispers around this for some time jeez you you've got your ear to the ground G I can't believe that goth gee have to find a new king of parah I think he'll always be the king doesn't matter where he plays I i' i' I'd be shocked if he left param or the paramet let him go but uh funny game rugby league Matthew West Tigers funny game the West Tigers they've got a fullback Jeran Buller who's an outstanding young Prospect but if you're looking for leadership I I'm sure they could fit him in somewhere like I think gths would be an outstanding boy for any club um even at this stage of his career but as to whether or not param would ever consider releasing him and whether or not they feel they have other priorities I mean there's there's Scuttle around that one of the front rowers is going to be moving um you know they're looking to yeah they've got to make some changes to their roster to buy the ones that they want to buy but there's a few clubs in the same boat but there there's one club in particular that's making noises that they think that that they want GTH if I guess it will you tell me no I was going to go through all 7 in uh you know what that might dovetail well with this first question from Harry Who Says with the Bears set to return as the 18th team what players and coach would you want the team to prioritize first yeah it's it's a really good question isn't it and this is something that we have to consider with the other clubs and something that I'm trying to say to our recruitment team and everybody as well and even in the retention of players um you've got to understand that when they announce that uh or have they announced that the the 18th team is coming in is going to be Perth and when can they start buying players again that's going to have an influence on the market we've got a number of teams this year that have performed below expectations we've still got teams that have been trying to get out of the Celler for some times we've got 17 teams that's going to go to 18 eventually they wanted to go to 20 uh that puts a lot of pressure on recruitment uh and puts a lot lot of pressure on the price of players what they can command increases the power of Impact on Bears and signing players the player manager to negotiate and doing things longterm you know press pressure on your Club so internally in clubs you know you I'm saying to them we probably need to be a little bit more proactive and a bit more Forward Thinking in our retention and what's coming through the development Pathways and what's our team look like like my head's constantly for the last 12 months I've been working on what our two 2026 Squad looks like but now I'm thinking or I need to think longer than that because if the Bears come in in 2027 or 28 whenever that's going to be it means they're going to start looking for players on the 1 of November next year so what I don't really want to have to be competing with them for players that we want to retain and I'm sure there are a lot of other clubs if they're doing the job of of thinking exactly the same way they'll look at the better performing um NRL teams I look at the better performing New South Wales Cup teams I look at the better performing Junior rep teams those that are running really good Pathways programs and trying to you know so if you're starting up a new club you want some you know recognized High performing senior Talent you want some uh experience and and talent in key spine positions and then you need to marry that up with because you're probably going to have to pay a premium to get them right to get them to move across the country to per so there's going to have to be a premium package to to get people to take that leap of faith to start with a new club uh which is what happened the Dolphins um so um and they're going to have to marry that up with a number of kids right and whatever's happening in their Junior League across there you know Advance their their Junior League programs across there maybe get some kids playing over with some NRL clubs in programs here is there any players coming out of piff yeah they have been over the years a few yeah but you know but you can't rely on it as a as a breeding ground for talent at the moment no they need to start now and start building whatever they've got there and it will it will explode it will they will increase the size of their Junior League over there there's a lot of expat Eastern Seaboard people living in in Perth um and AskGus franchises in Perth in any sport have always done well and I I don't I don't think this one will be any different I think it'll be a great acquisition to the game but um yeah I I guess they're the sort of and you want to you your first purchases want to be purchases that attract other players all right well if he's going to go there I'll go if he's going to go there I'll go you know it's kind of like like uh yeah you need gotho get gutho to Perth well yeah um will says well actually doesn't he makes a statement tackled player grabs Defender Jersey in an attempt to prevent him getting back on side one of my pet peeves in the modern game happens a lot doesn't it is it a professional foul or not was the bit on the end oh B we penalize enough things don't we don't stop me don't stop me roughly what percentage of players are nursing something that is one good tackle away from extended time on the sidelines asks Damon and he he mentions that in relation to Nathan clearing yeah look we we're always battling with and medical teams are always battling with um uh let me tell you NRL players run onto the field to play NRL football with injuries that would keep the normal man in bed right let alone out playing rugby league in the toughest sport you know it's what these fellas endure is incredible during the course of the season a large number of our players at this time of year are all carrying something what we try to do is not risk anything that is going to um certainly be life-threatening career-threatening but even more than that um a risk a long-term injury situation so um in the case of Nathan clear Nathan clear will need shoulder surgery at the end of the year anyway he actually knew that last January because he did this injury early in the preseason and if it's what I think it is and what it looks like and what it sounds like um without looking Nathan Cleary injury at the actual reports I think it's something they said well we'll get by with this to the end of the year and then we'll have our surgery in the offseason plenty of players do that plenty of players carry this injury throughout the season and then get their surgery at the end of the season is that the sublux is that it can get uh sometimes it's a subblock some it's what they call a laborum tear sometimes it's a you know like there are different things around the shoulder muscles to uh ligaments and that sort of thing that can happen a complete dislocation is different you know but right so did he pop out is that what happened I don't think it did well it certainly wasn't the mechanism to pop out right if it did it might have gone might have come out it might have gone backwards a little bit I'm not a physiotherapist I'm not trying to be all right but I just know that from the history of these sort of things there were different mechanics to it and it didn't didn't look like a mechanic where he shouldered where the ball had come out of the socket and then gone back in that's the bad it look very innocuous actually yeah but the reason why it hurt was because he actually had an existing injury there all he's done is stirred it up and and hurt it I'm quite sure I'm quite sure that if there was a grand final this week Nathan clear would be playing yeah and you can you can needle that stuff com which where they are on the where they are on the ladder um well you really can't in some cases you can't needle it but where they are on the ladder um they've got the luxury of being able to rest him and then only put him out there for the important ones and and limit his time if you remember last year with Jeron lei people were wondering whether or not he would get back and he came back for what the preliminary final and he was outstanding people forget he actually got replaced in the Grand Final he was gone in the Grand Final all right Koger had to come on and finish up the game for the last 20 minutes Dome Le was gone so change are going for him too yeah the shoulder injury is is real and and if you get knocked in the wrong way it's it's going to go so in the case of of of an injury like that not just talking Nathan clear where you're playing knowing you're going have to have surgery anyway then you can't make it much worse than it is if it goes It goes and that's too bad you probably wouldn't take those risks with anything around your knees uh or ankles or neck injuries and those types of things because that that can be quite longterm and in some cases even catastrophic so there are some things you will take a risk with and some things that you don't um generally the rule of thumb is if it can't make it any worse or you're not risking something that's um uh career threatening or or lifethreatening then generally the footballer will play with it and it's easier to play with stuff above the waist than below the waste so the Panthers are hoping get him in finals week one maybe win get a week off well you the dep depending I mean they can lose week one and still go on in week two and they've won the competition from that way before but I'm with respect to clear is that's what I'm saying that's what I'm saying I mean do they you know depending how bad the injury is and how much risk they're taking with it is to break him down completely whether or not would they risk him in game one if they knew they had a second bite of the cherry or would they they or would they hope that they win that without him get another Fort nights break and he plays in the preliminary final which is what they did I think last year with Loui didn't they I think that's right yes so you know the medical staff out there know exactly what they're doing and they've been down this road before and so it's an Nathan if they were in a knockout situation sudden death they'll throw him in but until you get to that sudden death situation is the risk worth it to put him out there and can we win without him and they've shown that they can win without him quite often um so yeah they'll know what they're doing with it but if it was sudden death this week if they needed to win to make the eight he would be playing if this was the Grand Final this week I I have no doubt that he would tough it out and go out and play theyd strap him up and he'd get out there and he'd know how to get through with it and there are a lot of players in the game at this stage of the year that are doing exactly the same exactly the same there are a lot of players that aren't training during the week their training is is severely restricted um I can you know you the fellow we talked about earlier today I said Jacob gz any number of times this year he's been ruled out on Thursday night but he's played on Saturday they they're tough beings mate they're tough be oh no absolutely but the rule of thumb with doctors and coaches and everything is that we we don't want you to play with anything that could get significantly worse or or be career-threatening if you actually pursued it so you wouldn't send them out there with partially torn ACLs or partially torn mcls and those sort of things where it risk blowing the whole knee and all that sort of thing you wouldn't send them out there with um nerve damage in the neck or any sort of spinal condition U because you know the result there could be catastrophic as tough as they are sometimes you've got to protect them from what they are um and that's you know U the same goes for concussion and those sort of things so U the medical teams are on top of it they know what they're doing but the pl don't underestimate the toughness of our footballers and their their constitution to play with pain and injury and they do it regularly at this time of year not sure anyone's underestimating them it's been lovely to see Mary there with him helping his rehab walking into the scans hand in hand behind every man there's a great woman or other way around you're not moved by that no she seems like a lovely girl I'm sure she and he'd be a model partner wouldn't he he'd be I mean you've got daughters if they one of them brought Nathan cheering I'd let Mar Nathan marry my daughter oh yeah I don't know if my daughter would be too fussed about it he's a good looking rooster Nathan good looking rooster I often said that about his father when I coach his father like and there are very few footballers I would say this about especially the ones you coached I remember when we got into got into to come and Coach the the Panthers and uh I sort of telling people sign Ivan clear and was at the presentation night and I saidy you'll fall in love with Ivan I said he's one of the very few footballers that I coach that I would let marry one of my daughters such a nice blow oh they're good people all right six tackle trivia so the storm of the Dolphins this week I'm calling that for the radio I think it's going to be a very good game but the last time Wayne Bennett defeated Craig Bellamy coaching head-to-head was round 25 2016 wow how about that wow Brisbane beat Melbourne 2616 Billy missed the entire 26 16 Season with a shoulder injury so the question is who are the opposing fullbacks in that game oh Cy Brisbane defeated Melbourne 2616 in 2016 no Slater so who were the fullbacks okay long time ago 2016 it is Darius Boyd tick for Bronco and no Billy Slater for no Slater so now I've got to try and think got to try and think who would have played in 2006 he's still on the side is he really wow 2016 doesn't mean he's playing the same position but he's still it's not paping um 2016 Jerome Hughes he was a fullback for a while 2016 you're not far away though months uh months correct yeah Cameron monster camon monster started as a fullback feels like an eternity ago yeah I called him as a 17 year-old yeah Six Tackles Trivia playing fullback for the capras in the coin land cup I don't know how long ago that would be and the caas couldn't get out of their own way yeah and he absolutely brained the opposition he was far too good everyone was talking about him at the time you this this is the you know the the grape vine in rugby league you know they'll all talent scouts will go off to a junior school carnival somewhere and all of a sudden they all come back talking about one player pain har I remember beon French was one player come they all come back raving about Cameron monster was a player they all come ra raving about there were every now and then they'll all come back raving about one player and Cameron monster was that player that they were all raving about in some Carnival and Butch fat nower but that's my talent scout Jimmy Jones such a good story all right n Jimmy oh Jimmy I still say penth he's a champion Jimmy you haven't got what happened to the Troy you had with him we had a couple have you not got any not racing anymore no we got rid of them no you want to you want to race at penth though did you win any other won a race at penis we won two at albian Park we ended up sending couple of TRS to albian park and um we won a couple of truck what was it called I can't remember I'm a He Man U Kai Valley something K valy horses I can't remember the one we bought we bought one over from New Zealand um oh only won the One race the penth trots it was the last race of the night there was no one there it was freezing cold Jimmy and I sitting in the Dre stand and Fred Hastings Fred Hastings calling he com out of the he said what are you two doing I said we've got this horse in the last race is he your kid there was not a soul on the court oh no it was only he's a good fell Freddy friends of family do you know used to be good night out at the pen trots oh wonderful I used to in my younger days growing up there used to go off on a Thursday night there used to be Thursday night trots all the time when I first went to P when we first started playing first go and all the footballers were pters you know and uh Thursday night Trot so we'd be over the road training and in the old days that you know the flood lights at the grounds they weren't like they are now we could just turn them on and off in the old days to warm them up when you turn them off they had to warm up it was like that at the cricket ground you used to have to turn the lights on at 3:00 to ready for when the sun went down I played a cricket ground in Monday night game one night um for the Bulldogs and the lights went off I think it was a double header we were the second game and the lights went off halfway through the first game it took them ages to warm up anyway these lights at these lights at penth were um they take for an age to warm up right and we're all dying to get to the trots across the road because our mat's got horse in the first R and the coach is getting a bit long winded or whatever you know so anyway Kenny Wilson got rest of his soul he's he's gone there Kenny said coach I got to go to the toilet he said off you go Kenny's got inside and he's turned toilet he's turned the lights off oh he's turned the lights off he come said sorry sorry I was looking for the light to the toilet you know and we're killing ourselves laughing and the cat said I will wrap it up so yes straight in the showers across the road to the trots did you get there in time yeah yeah did a win yeah I can't remember not but they used to have a gry hand track there pen yeah I don't saw that I don't reckon yeah Jimmy Jimmy Jones and I were were playing together uh back early ' 80s and uh or 1980 79 radio something so the night before the game we used to always play on Sundays we go to the penth dogs on the Saturday night because he loved the dogs and uh and we'd sit up in the grand stand and at the time he was dating um a young girl called Mary cartright who was the sister of John cartright and Mary cartright used to um take us to the to the Greyhounds right and we to sit up the back of the granden stand and she'd run down and get the food and put the bets on all right are you kidding because we said we couldn't run up and down the stairs we had to save ourselves for a that's Ro so that's that's outrageous I sat there one night I said andmy she come back and she come back with a pie with sausage for I said Jimmy you're going to have to marry this girl mate he said yeah I think I will he did yeah they still marri yeah absolutely so Jimmy married into the cart rids I didn't yeah yeah Mary C GE you're in a steam company when you marry into the cart rghts in pen oh yeah I'll M approved him so was I don't think i' ever met M good fell M great man M yeah yeah yeah he was part of the foundation of the club many many years ago his sons all played first grade for the club um and his grandsons played for the club uh yeah catro family was huge out there and still called the mo cutright medal the player of the year out there every year um yeah they were they were great days and funny days I I remember turning around to Jimmy Jones she come back she put the bets on I can't believe she put the bets on and bought us both a part I said Jimmy you're going to have to marry that girl she put your bets on that's incredible yeah I'm I'm pretty sure she did most of the talent scouting too I later learned out she was the brains behind the outfit Mary cartright and uh yeah he he tells the story he went to watch a game one day and uh he said uh he she was with him they've gone down to I don't know down to auy or wer or somewhere they were down watching Junior League football and uh he said uh he said I really like the nine and I really like the eight here he said they're good players he turned around he said what do you think she said you're the talent scout Jimmy but I think the ones a superstar was Brett Mullins oh how many GES I think I think Mary car was the brains behind the outfit I really do she would she would yeah she would have come back with wend saor not but I wonder wonder how many games Mary's watched on life Mary yeah oh Millions never misses a game loves it yeah loves it isn't that great Champion Mary Champion toughest te too she's tougher than her brothers I wouldn't want to fight Mary C oh yes Jimmy Jones there so many Jimmy Jones people love Jimmy Jones stories Champion he's the best nrlw you got to marry that girl Jimmy Mary Mary should be the the talent scout for the Panthers nrlw team when they come in don't they come I don't know about that um all right nlw live on nine across the weekend 11:00 Saturday footy L I love it yeah the earlier the better so parah Newcastle kns have been Andrew reckons have been a little disappointing but their favorites to beat parah who are actually inside the top four they've had a couple of wins which is a vast Improvement on last year uh Cambra up against North Queensland that's Saturday 12:45 I'm calling the midday game on Sunday which I'm very much looking forward to because of the Titans and the roosters couple of red hot teams there and then the West Tigers need to get going against the Broncos that's not an easy t and then well the dragons and the Sharks and the men's and the women Gus on Sunday afternoon yeah look the women's game um and we've been pretty good with our tipping in it and just looking at the first month of football uh and um there's been some upsets but really um pretty Level Playing Field other than the Tigers have struggled to get away from the bottom um the sharks are the only undefeated team after four rounds the rest everyone can beat each other so they're all really close games um yeah interesting round of football there um they're getting to the halfway mark of their competition so Gus NRLW & NRL Tips every two points is vital looking forward to that uh um Titans roosters game and the dragon shark game in the women's on Sunday NRL round 25 got to give my man a wrap he's gone pretty good Gus and the Tipping this is him last week uh West Tigers rabbits Campbell town Saturday night thought uh West Tigers rabbits West Tigers rabbit they're going to win one West they're going to win one I feel so sorry for they're going to win a game between now and the end of the year this is one they can win you didn't exactly say win that one you said they'd win one between now and the end of the year I said this is one they can win well they did yeah they going to beat Manley tonight live and free on nine from 7:30 no that's a hard one no they won't be beating manly tonight not at this time of year anyway we'll get to that game where do we start I yeah Thursday night white card o yeah tiger V Seagle yeah I think Seagle will be too good there Seagle are on a mission at the moment um did very well in the second half against the warrior last week and put them put them away and uh they're one of the clubs eyeing off a potential top four finish just depending on what happens with the sharks over the last three weeks yes that's that's the good interesting point this weekend so that's a big game on Sunday we'll get to that but if the Sharks lose canb win they draw level on points and if Maria win this tonight they go a point behind so huge pressure yeah with respect to the top four speaking of the uh the Bulldogs trip to Ackland to take on the Warriors at Shawn Johnson Stadium Gus yeah and Shawn Johnson's last ever game uh at home I don't know whether he'll play the last two games away but he's obviously retiring at the end of this year so plenty of emotion there they're at full strength the Warriors very hard to beat at home sellout crowd again J have done well with their crowds over there this year sell out for every home game um phenomenal performance Max King gonna play getting great support um I think there's a couple in doubt and Max is on an extended bench it was touch and go they left on they left Tuesday morning or Wednesday morning so they've been over there for a couple of days I'll probably know more tonight after they finished their Captain's run M as to who exactly is going to play but they had some busted ones over I think they took 26 players over there really just to cover for well the New South Wales Cup team the Jersey flag team do play in New Zealand on the weekend as well so they were able to take um they were able to take enough players to have an oppose session over there oh yeah uh and to cover any injuries and and what have you so they didn't train here at all they sort of recovered from the weekend they had the flight back from bunder BG got to remember they played in buber in pretty hot conditions on Saturday afternoon they had to get a charted flight straight back to Sydney some recovery time and then on a plane and across to New Zealand and they thought they' go early to a climatize and um try to put as much time between the flight and and playing so they they've ticked every box they've covered given themselves every opportunity to do it but um a couple of years ago we had to do this uh buber into Warriors so we had to play in buber on one weekend and then Friday night against warriors on the following weekend so it's a very short turnaround and you got to go from buber in Queensland all the way to Orland via Sydney um and we didn't Fair too well I think it was 18 all with 20 minutes to go we got beat 448 or something or they just fell in a hole so hopefully that's not going to happen this week but um they've given themselves every chance with their preparation anyway Warriors will be hard to beat Friday night footy Broncos power now Brisbane if they win their last three that's still a chance but whether they can do that's another matter Tristan saor fullback Walsh out now has he had surgery is it talking about surgery yeah yeah so had a broken hand I think do we know if he's going to be back I don't think he'd be back this year no oh okay and Ezra M's gone too hey get to this point in the so when you're out of the running for the eight right and I know you're saying mathematically they can get there they can't get there they're saying they're gone yeah um when you get to that point then you start saying all right next off season's important if he has his surgery now he'll be back on November one or S if he leaves it another three or four weeks he doesn't get back till after Christmas so you start thinking about next year rather than this year and what needs to be done from there and then blood a couple of players and go from there I'm not saying that was the decision made here but um yeah you'll see this with a number of those teams that are out of the running they'll be resting players and getting their surgeries done and getting them ready for a full and productive offseason and I think despite whatever mathematical opportunity you think you have that they won't be playing finals football um as to whether or not now the eels the eels what happened there they were awful in the first time they were terrific against Panthers the week before I know they got run down in the final moments it might have been a little bit heartbreaking but it wasn't as other custom a spot in the eight or anything like that it wasn't you know total devastation they scored 34 points against the Panthers who had the best defense in the league and then the next week came out and just on a on a swamp they played on a swamp how bad was that on a water lock ground and conceded what they concede 40 points or something on it it was just ridiculous I I don't know what happened there I think they might have been enough well that could be the case too could add weight to the fact that we're hearing Scuttle about players looking around or players potentially being CED by other clubs and you know we do have anti-tampering laws in our game you AR supposed to talk to people on contract but that didn't seem to matter when's the last time they police the any tampering laws there plenty plenty talking up at the moment anyway uh okay Brisbane no no eel no oh no one they'll both run neither neither Witness I'll be second that one so uh Raiders P oh gee cam were disappointing last week Raiders Panther so ring they miss ring him he he Sparks everything for camra great player and he's back in the team at fullback um weeks goes to six because strange is out the rest of the team looks pretty good for pen schneiders at six Lis at seven they've lost Mitch Kenny big loss Luke summon comes in there alamot Garner on the extended bench so maybe some changes for penrith but they're exponentially more dangerous with rer in the team oh absolutely um marvelous player marvelous competitor I can't understand what happened to the Raiders last week it was kind of like um uh the Bulldog game at at uh Belmore oel in front of the packed house there which was a real tough Affair and Raiders just went down they were still swinging at the final whistle it was kind of like that loss there you felt as though it sort of broke them a little bit or broke whatever aspirations they had of playing finals football then it made it mathematically once you get to the mathematical stage are under pressure and it just fell apart for them against the Cowboys last week so they just got blown off the park and and never competed at all uh there'll be a bounce back they do get back to home uh it's 3:00 in the afternoon which will suit Panthers more than playing at 8:00 at night on a slippery surface so uh you've got a favor Panthers have got too much to play for but but they'll have their own challenges as well yeah there's there's not they've had barely any injuries for 3 years and they've been knocked around this year knocked around and dilution of talent you know players have gradually gone away you kick outs your corus kons and those sort of players have moved on um and some of the players that probably would have been used as depth players by this stage of now playing NL with other clubs as well so um yeah it's you can't be great forever and they're still in the top two teams in the competition it's REM markable performance even this year so uh I would have to think you just don't know what the Raiders will produce I i' I'd imagine there'll be a bounce back I imagine they'll be better whether it's good enough to beat the the number two team in the competition I don't know 530 Saturday this is the last throw at the stumps you'd reckon for the Dolphins Gus they're a win out the eight yeah and Bennett's good at these types of things like he's he's good at um you know getting them up for this game whether he can get them up three times now between now and the end of the season to mathematically keep themselves in the hunt remains to be seen But and the storm now with a four-point lead at the top um I didn't think of that yeah they're you know um you not that Craig Bellamy teams would ever be ever be accused of being complacent or it's or the importance of the game is not there I think they'll all be fighting to play in finals football and impress the coach by my Reckoning too with the exception of Xavier coach they've got pretty pretty much the whole score to pick from yeah I think um you I think storm will be too good but I think dolphin will G dolphin are a dangerous team they got points in them um I just I just don't think Dolphins got the defense to beat the Melvin storm they might have the attack I just don't think they got the defense and it'll just be how Grim storm want to be or how ruthless they want to be um as to what that score might end up Saturday night footy you can watch it on 9 7:30 a core Stadium South's newcast Dean Hawkins back in the team he's been out for a long long time because of the injury injury Cody Walker M uh and uh for Newcastle kog and Crossland in the halves um what else is there not much to oh will price is in 14 on the bench uh and they get Lucas back the utility who's playing in the centers yeah I think Knights will win that pretty comfortably um impressed with them last week against the sharks they unlucky to lose um but um yeah I think they'll beat the rabbit Titans roosters 2:00 Sunday both for more photo Waker both out sorry for more and photo Waker are back my apology so Clark and Har go to the bench KH Pereira eight tries in his last five games at CBA super Stadium he's a leading TR scorer in the comp waria harri returns from four weeks out so Len you to the bench uh no Connor Watson so but is going to play at lock now who knows Titans could come out and go Bank crash wallet yeah well they're certainly up and down but the last two weeks have been deplorable shocking you they beaten 44 n he beaten 44 n shar's beat him 44 with no half last week they down 266 at half time against the dragons and didn't really mount a comeback after that uh you don't know what to get from the Titans roosters um if they're ruthless should win by a lot it just depends how badly ruers want to post a score and how they defend I'm saying roosters need to get their defense in order for these last few rounds coming into the finals they just might be better than everyone we don't know because I don't think we've seen the roosters at they best they just might be so much better than everyone else by the time we get to September it doesn't matter but um I'm sure defensively the coach will want to see something this week uh rooster to beat titon and then game of the Millennium this one of the Millennium millennium talking it up we need the ratings Sunday afternoon footy coming to you from wind Stadium wenong there will not be a spare seat on the hill won't be a spare blade of grass uh dragons one change for Tyler Mariner back and the young kid um King tongier who made his Deo last week shifts out of the squad Trindle back from a shoulder at halfback so Bradley goes to hook and McKinnis to lock Eros back in the centers Wilton's back hazelton's back uh but son Kwa concussion and talakai because of a Cara out so they're they're pretty strong Kel they've got the reinforcements back but oh the dragons they're breathing fire pardon the cliche and down there in Wong yeah they've got them at home um they played each other earlier in the year and I think you touted it as the game of the Millennium at that time too they played at the Bermuda Triangle and Dragons never really got into it it wasn't a massive score line I think they could be 20 to 10 or something or other but they were never really in it since then the dragons have have gradually improved I think they've got the bit between the teeth now because if they can win this one they will play finals football definitely and um if we think the storm will beat um the Dolphins and that should shore up their top their top eight spot the sharks have got a few breathing down their deck for a top four spot and high stakes yeah it is at high stakes for them as well so as you say this will be a great Sunday afternoon entertainment be terrific game local Derby anything can happen um down there in Wong gong and I think look people were sort of criticizing the Sharks last week um whether they were expecting them win by more but there were some really good elements to their game last week remembering they played Without about a million BLS they harves and and you know Hazelton and Ira and so they had excuses and I thought there were times in the game they were really good they looked like a top four side and Newcastle to their credit um really battled hard with them and you know Newcastle were probably unlucky with a couple of the rubber the greens during the course of the game um I'm going to think Dragon at home just to cap off their season and confirm their position in the top eight so I'm going to go with uh softened a bit I heard you say they were morals on Monday night who Dragon oh it's cuz G was there all right sub easy easy target tiger and seag I'm going seagull to beat tiger I'm going Bronco an Neal draw going Panther to beat Raider storm to beat dolphin Knight to beat rabbit rooster to beat Titan and dragon to beat shark and my tips for this week very good I'm glad we delayed the podcast because we've had so much more to talk about congratulations again congratulations to r c wonderful man welld deserved and uh game's done a good service there and to all those that made the of Fame to It's a Wonderful recognition don't don't see that as anything um less important than what the immortal status is but The Immortal is that just that little step extra as I say the game that is immortalized in our game thanks Gus see you over the weekend had six tackles for another week stacks of footy starting tonight with Thursday night footy and then women's rugby league right across the weekend and all the games as usual talk to you next week this year NRL on9 is your One-Stop shop for all foot that's right Fredy not about the highlights Action 7 days a week billing gust podcast get them on your drive on the way home Immortal Behavior grab a sit on the couch for that and of course my favorite Freddy in the a the best footy brains the biggest games don't trust the algorithm subscribe to nr19 and get all your entertainment there