Gus gives a Josh Addo-Carr update and HUGE finals preview: Six Tackles with Gus - Ep29 | NRL on Nine

Welcome [Music] this is six tackles with Gus with Matthew Thompson and Gus go welcome along to six tackles for another week brought to you thanks to tab we on remember to gamble responsibly finals time the best time of the year and you'll see every finals match live and free on nine and this weekend nine games nine games here on nine both NRL and nrlw and of course It All Leads through to the Grand Final fin exclusively live on 9 on October 6 a huge finals preview today who do the eight finals Captain c as the players to watch in the finals and of course a distraction for the Bulldogs ahead of their first Finals appearance since 2016 welcome Phil G Matt Thompson how you doing I'm good you had much on this week no no just a normal week in rugby league just part of the course yep very good you look bright and chubby I'm sure you'll update us on the latest with the Josh adak car situation shortly but just broadly these events uh in any club can often impact on a team's preparation I know it's a big game I reckon you'll get over 50,000 there for a traditional clash between a couple of arch Rivals but how are the team everyone everyone chugging along yeah everyone's fine I think uh media and fans probably read more into the effect it has on the club than anything um these s sort of thunderbolts get thrown at uh professional sporting organizations all the time um particularly in rugby league uh internally it doesn't really have that greater effect everyone sort of deals with it they've understood the the landscape and and we all sort of move on but it certainly distracts the media and it distracts the fans um uh which is why we wanted to nip it in the bud this week because there was far more important things to promote the final Series has coming up the Bulldogs are back in the top eight for the first time in 8 years and big crowd for the hom ground semifinal on Sunday so we wanted it to be about that and to be about the the positivity there so we we got it out of the way earlier in the week but you know internally they're fine they'll be ready to play it's disappointing Josh won't be there and that'll disappoint a lot of fans but um that was pretty much well explained yesterday and we'll probably talk about it later I'm sure we will nine games this weekend Gus Yeah final best time of the year it's a it's a big weekend isn't it when we get to this first uh first weekend of the finals so uh really looking forward to it I'm going down to call the Mel shark game mhm on Saturday afternoon and so I'm looking forward to that I think that' be a great game too I'm running close to last in the Tipping I think but that's the one I reckon could go either way right so you're exclusively tipping shark I've tipped shark have you yeah okay A lot of people do this at this time of year they look for an upset you reckon I'm bing up the wrong tree I think so okay well your opinion is the one that matters Corey Horsburgh a halfback in a props body? yes no no no no no no that's the No No de dear Cory hbra is a halfback in a props body no no no no no more like a um more like a fullback I'd say a sliding fullback chiming chiming into the backline I don't think he'd like that very much left foot kick Ricochet land in your belly score a try that's the way the front rowers do it whatever position asked him to kick the ball we'll never know but he obviously did it back in under eights and so was part of his DNA well time was running out yeah well good on him on him you want you know you want players like that the back themselves Cory horber was Instinct I don't think he planned it he wasn't thinking about it when the ball was coming his way I guarantee you I sort of got it he felt a bit crowded so he said all right dink put the ball in behind there was a fullback there ready to get it anyway if it doesn't Ricochet go straight to the fullback it wouldn't have been a try other way but great result I mean I that game with great interest on the weekend and Dragons got off to a flying start they scored three tries in the first N9 or 10 minutes and led 18 nil now if you take that back to the week before they scored 28 points in the last 11 minutes yeah and they scored 18 points in the first n minutes so what's that 46 points in 20 minutes in their last 20 minutes of football but I was sitting there with M Misses and I watched I said Raiders will beat him you I could just feel it Raiders were just playing more aggressive and better and wore him down in the end yeah he's a left foot of Cory horb we don't know maybe he's not he might have a didn't look very natural he might have a right foot dink in him as well you never know yeah indeed so he was uh he was being floated as leaving um a couple of clubs were recording him but he's resigned at camber I'm not sure what's happened I think he had injury for a chunk of the year but he broke in origin last year 2023 and we haven't seen a lot of him this year have we spoke to Billy Slater about him because he was being offered around and he spoke to a number of clubs um and I spoke to Billy Slater around him and he he gave him a huge rap He said the reason why they'd put him in origin they watched him for some time around his work ethic and his effort areas and all the things that you look for in An Origin player and then he did have a little bit of an injury and um he sort of got back in the Rut and got back in reserve grade and then you know things weren't going too well for him so um they mutually decided that he'd have a look around but uh as the year went on this year he got better and better he started to get some time back in the first grade side um and he's decided to stay which is great I love to see players stay with the with their club uh that's always a good result that's right he was spotted having a Chinese at the canaby Leagues Club earlier in the year um James Tedesco will remain Australia's fullback for the Pacific championships yes prob probably probably I remember this time last last year you Tedesco will remain Australia fullback for Pacific Champs asked me the same question it was a little bit earlier because it roosters looked like missing the eight last year right and you and we we talked about this and I said that if the roosters don't make the eight and it's likely the Broncos and Panthers will play in the Grand Final why wouldn't you take ree Walsh or Dylan Edwards as the Australian fullback for the Post you know that's what the Australian team is to be picked on current form um to which the headline said that I said drop James to Desco and put one of these other two boys in which I was saying you know time was up you know the other two boys going to go to a grand final you're not going to play for 6 weeks and they're the ones deserving of the spot well they went with James to desal and they got fogged 30 n in the Grand Final not james' Point fault of course but there was all this thing about incumbents and you've got to stay loyal and you've got to do this and got to do that which is absolute rubbish in ref sides absolute rubbish uh they should be picked on Merit and form and that's what playing for Australia means um and I don't believe in that incumbent rubbish well it's rubbish when you lose 30 n well they got what they deserved that's they got what deserved so you know you want to be picking the team on form and the team on form will be the teams that go towards the Grand Final now roosters could well go to the Grand Final and and James Tesco this year is having a stellar year he's playing very well he's playing really well roosters this time last year looked like missing the eight a little bit earlier sort of August they looked like missing the eight they snuck into the eight last year so there was no guarantee he was going to play finals football this year they they're a title Contender I mean they got the big one against Panthers on Friday night out at at penth and they've had a lot of trouble beating the Panthers we'll talk about it later but um he's having a great season if he gets through to a preliminary final or even if they only get to week two of the finals um you know he'll be a contender for the fullback spot you know Dylan Edwards looks like he's injured ree Walsh is not playing anymore the tables have turned what about kin well if kin makes a Deep Run and he's he's certainly showing that in recent times isn't he uh he's lifted Newcastle over the last few weeks and he's probably the most dynamic attacking force in the game today um if Manley make a Deep Run Tom toage comes into play um you know there's a few there's a few sprs here I suppose um you know penous and I know he's had an injury Ritt time but if the Melbourne storm go on to win the comp the sort of BLS will be considered I think the full fasc yeah but I think I think if you if you were looking at um if you were looking at this compared to last year James Tes is going a hell of a lot better this year than he was at this time last year and if his team gets into the finals and and plays a couple of games and all that then there's no reason not to pick him if he's the best option around all I said last year was if roosters don't make the eight and REE Walsh and Dylan Ed would get through to the Grand Final one of those is the serving of the Australian Australian Jersey I didn't buy into all that incumbent rubbish do you think um the reason I've asked that question is because the other contenders are either going to miss finals or in the case of Edwards he's he's clearly not 100% fit and I'd imagine he wouldn't be available if if things keep going the way they are no well he doesn't look 100% does he um he's obviously you know he's been up for a long long time and playing top level football but he's still out there playing I doubt that they would have been risking him in recent times if there was any danger of um you know making that injury worse and not being available for the big games um so you know Dylan Edwards is a tough kid the Panthers win the comp he's got to be under consideration you know I guess the next few weeks tell us and that's what should be for the Australian side at the end of the season if you're going to play a test match at the end of the season you reward those that have had a great season and their teams have gone deep into the finals that's all I was saying last year and last year I was 100% right because picking on incumbency you got what you deserved New Zealand spank their tail 30 n wasn't it 30 n wasn't even close 30 n what did you get did you get stick last year I can't remember got a bur on your saddle about this so I don't even remember talking about it do we just media mate you know media oh the media you media oh yeah the med media like um I must Adit I didn't see the Guth dive but the question here that Jordan's put in is player should be fine for diving no no no no no no no it's part of the I missed that guy I missed the spoon ball cuz I was heading to the footy yeah what' he do well play players are diving Players should be fined for diving everywhere because they've got the bunker to to support them you know that's just don't get me talks about the bunker and obstructions and all this rubish this early in the podcast but um you know players are doing it because they're encouraged to do it they're encouraged to do it by the game they're encouraged to do it by the rules you're encouraged to stay down if you feel feel as though you've been clipped on the chin or bumped on the nose you're encouraged to stay down because you'll get a result out of it you're encouraged to to go for Dives you're encouraged to run into obstructors you're you're encouraged to complain to the referee every single play the ball players are raising their arms looking for a penalty and the play the ball every single play the ball every team does it lifting their arms at the referee trying to get a penalty gamesmanship they call it gamesmanship but it's gone beyond beyond the acceptable level for mine what can be done about it then yeah well what can be done about it lots of things we need a whole rewire and the thought processes mhm okay um moving the Bulldogs manly game to Sun well it wasn't moved it was muted to be Saturday but then in the end it was scheduled for the Sunday and as opposed to the Saturday Gus it's the right call now how many are you going to get there to a core well I would imagine 70 I don't know I don't know I don't know at least 40 or 50 I would think I would hope what I can't wait to be there I think most of the premium seting was sold out very very quickly um but be a great day Bulldogs Sea Eagles move to Sunday Sunday afternoon I've got no problem when the game's played um but what happened on we were calling the game Sunday in Newcastle and we had three different versions during the course of the afternoon didn't we Y and when we finally thought we had a version um I posted it for the ballocks fans said look we're playing Saturday afternoon or Saturday evening 7:30 and then within an hour they changed their mind again and went to something else why they did it I don't know I don't care that's their prerogative they can do it but why it all changed and what they were trying to avoid or didn't avoid that they didn't see the first time when they did the draw I don't know but because initially the Cowboys game was going to be the Sunday afternoon game Cowboys was going to be Sunday afternoon yeah they they're all waiting on results and then they got to look at you know a number of different factors I think they worry too much about outside stuff but um but this is this is a perfect Sunday afternoon game it's great terrific terrific I got no problem playing Sunday at all I got no problem with them moving it I just don't know why it why they kept changing it as much as they did on the final couple of hours you know back in the 80s where you know Bulldog's power was the big rivalry but Bulldog's manly was pretty spirited too wasn't it yeah all the Bulldogs got rivalry with everyone dragons roosters youan param matter they've always been big rivalry bu that was made years and years ago where bulldogs were one of the number one clubs in the competition back in the ' 80s and they won four grand finals and went to five six grand finals or something um yeah so they're uh um yeah the rivalries are always here Sydney Sydney rivalry is real pretty much with everyone uh I got no doubt there'll be a big crowd there it's just and Sunday gives the manly people chance to travel they probably don't travel too much on a Thursday or Friday or Saturday night or anything like that but Sunday there's really no excuse and they'll be there in force mainly they're a good side they uh they tailed us up a couple of weeks ago so that' be a good battle all right the the distraction this week Josh adak car Josh Addo-Carr as many people will know if not everyone allegedly allegedly returned a positive drug test during a roadside check on Friday night uh Josh in conjunction with the club made the decision to stand himself down from the Bulldogs Clash against Marley on Sunday I will open the floor to the Bulldogs boss to give us an update firstly if there is indeed any well no real update I did a press conference yesterday um so with this happening early in the week and uh our first day of training after the weekend's game was yesterday um the whole story sort of broke on Monday after lunch uh as I said we were informed by Josh on Saturday morning that he'd had the roadside test um and then on Monday I don't know how it's got into the media I don't know how that's happened and it's disappointing that it did but the rumor mill obviously then gets into overdrive and there are all sorts of stories going around and so we felt a need to try and nip that in the butt a little bit and our story was that um he had nothing to worry about there was no case to answer he was allowed to leave the scene um etc etc and that was Josh's take on the whole on the whole episode um as it turns out when it started to hit the rumor mill and the media started to chase stories and then started to chase the police they felt a need to put out a press release and the press release said that he'd failed to drugs test roadside and the second sample had been taken off now this whole system of this has changed over the years um or changed in recent times more more particular because what would normally happen and we've all been subjected to roadside breath tests or drug tests you know that's just what the police are doing their job protecting the community and we all get uh pulled over from time to time um that first initial test they take when they do the drug one is just an indication as to whether or not they need a second test to have a look at it and from Josh's interpretation he felt that that test was inconclusive but the said well the second test will show us whether it is um and usually what would happen then is that you're either taken to a mobile bus that's in the area where they're doing the drug testing or they take you back to a police station or a hospital if you've been involved in an accident U but it was new normally a mobile bus or the police station there is now new legislation and new uh access for police to actually do that second test on site all right so normally you would go into a bus or back to the police station you give a sample they would test that to see whether it's positive or negative if it's negative you're done if it's positive they send that sample off right to get confirmed with a with a third test um so on this occasion what's happened is uh the first test the the scrape test or whatever they do has has given an indication um that they need to do another test so for that purposes he's then placed under arrest put in the back of the car and there's a a mobile test kit now that they have in anes he was telling me um where he sits there and it's a 20-minute test where he's rotating this thing around in his saliva etc etc etc normally the test you would do in a bus or back at the police station and when it was over the block Zips the it in the plastic bag and puts it in he said that's your name yeah good okay all right if you haven't got Got Drugs you're free to go if you haven't got drugs you got nothing to worry about you're free to go so Josh gets out of the back of the thing and they shake hands see you later Josh goes to his car there's still rubbish on top of his car from the previous test where they had to crack open the thing he said what do I do with this boss and he said just put it in the bin there so he put it in the bin they said than good luck and off they went um they were in a hurry they'd been called away to I think a house invasion around um around the area somewhere at Orbin somewhere um and it all seemed very innocent and you know when Josh relay the story to me he in his mind he thought that no one would ever hear about it again you know because he knew he hadn't taken the drugs and he couldn't understand why he needed to have the second test um but he's done the second test and off it's gone but there was no there was no decision on there was no testing of that second sample at the scene it goes straight off now to into the process because like an athlete if you if you test if if if there is a sample that comes back positive you then have your B sample tested yeah well it's usually the same sample there a and they put it into an a bucket and a be test tube or whatever it is and you go from there I mean I'm not I'm not that familiar with it all to be honest but I'm just going through the procedure part because when he came and reported it to me when he reported it to us on Saturday morning he got up Saturday morning and told our welfare black and the black look I got pulled over last night he said they did a second test on me cuz the first one was inconclusive well the police are saying the first one showed a positive sign Josh said it was inconclusive so you know the police are right um that's how it was related to us and then I said what happened then he said then he put me in the back of the police car I said what happened then he said nothing he said they let me go I said you weren't charged I said no he said they didn't say it was positive he said no I said they let you drive he said yeah I said what are you worried about he said I'm not he said just letting you know that it happened and I said good as gold I thought no more about it yeah no more about it then he Rings me at 11:30 starting to get calls from other footballers and other players and people around saying they're all ringing about this this drug thing and I said well what have you got to worry about he said nothing he said I haven't taken drugs and then the story exacerbated during the afternoon then the Press statement comes out from the police a 29y old male in in the home bush area on Friday night is tested positive at a roadside thing and the second samples taken and done away which is an official line you know but that then sends the meteor into overdrive which is why we reacted the way we did yesterday and nipped it in the bud we had open media yesterday the first training session of the week the semi-finals all the media come in to do their work and do their interviews with all the players it's open media that was at 11:45 so I said well I'll front the metor at 11:00 and do it with the Josh adoc car thing so our players don't have to do it they can just concentrate on their normal stuff um and we brief the players on what had happened and by then and I had gone and met with Josh a couple of times met with his manager and we made the decision or Josh had made the decision that he would stand down this week and um and allow the media to concentrate on promoting the game and not talking about Josh all week here we are talking about Josh well yeah I mean it was it we couldn't talk to you today without touching on it let let me say let me say this let me say this right from the get-go Josh has said I did not take drugs and I haven't taken drugs it was totally believable by the way he described the incident on Saturday morning when he spoke to us all right so the way he described the incident it spoke to me that well there's been no positive sign here um and secondly when we sat down and thought about it to have what they alleged was cocaine in his system on Friday night he's had to have had that in the last 48 hours to 72 hours well he was training with us he was playing up until Friday morning he pulled out on Friday morning because he had an ankle injury right he had a foot injury injured the week before and he he heard it at training late on Thursday night they trained Thursday evening and in the last 10 minutes he he had to walk off the session and Jonathan s filled in for him because he'd hurt his heel again all right and then they decided would they needle it would they get him to play and on Friday morning he limped in and said no I'm no good so that's that's on the morning of the test that's Friday Friday morning um and we're thinking about the previous two or 3 days there's no window where you would ever consider that he would even do something like that not that we'd ever consider do it anyway he's he's told me he said I've never done it so um he said um so the test is on Friday night and it's faint it's found this faint reading on the first scrape test and so that's why they've gone and done the second sample the first samp sample is not they don't convict you on that they don't charge you on that they never do that's just an indication as to whether or not they need to test again and I've had any number of calls any number of calls from nro players and nro Club saying yeah we had a BL that tested positive there but it was negative in the second sample they are not accurate they're very very inaccurate a lot of the time but it's just an indication for the police that maybe they do they need to do a second test so that's where Josh has got he's got a faint line on that reading now he needs to go off and get the second test he's saying he hasn't done it now on Monday morning when this started to exacerbate he went himself to a clinic rang our club doctor and got himself he wanted a blood test the doctor said you need a urine test got the urine test done we got those results back yesterday all right and he's completely zero negative to any drug that we put on the list to get tested so all the drugs that the police test for um nil absolutely no detection of any of those drugs in his system that's on Monday morning so that kind of rules out that he could have taken you know maybe even Thursday or Friday all right so the window even gets even narrower if he has if he has allegedly taken a drug that it would appear in his system on Friday night so we're extremely confident the Josh is telling us the truth that he hasn't taken the drug and that the roadside test is inaccurate okay but it'll come with the second sample and as the policeman said he said the policeman were really nice to me he said he really good he said he said M if you if you haven't taken drugs you've got nothing to worry about that's why he wasn't worried about it and that's why he thought it was just going to you know he didn't even think anyone to hear about it but there was only three people that knew that he'd been pulled over roadside but it found its way into the media on Monday yeah which was disappointing yes okay so if the second sample comes back negative the Matter's resolved yeah but that might take 8 or 10 weeks right there's a backlog on those things okay so where does that leave you with respect to his availability well now that you come to availability I mean he we haven't stood him down he hasn't been stood down because of this incident no right he stood down this week to take the attention off him and the distraction off him with everybody else and the first week end of the semifinal and he just you know you know how the media works you know what the media would be like that and it's what I actually sat down and spoke to him about yesterday I said this is the week ahead if we name you today and you play this is the week ahead if you stand down and we go from there and he considered both options and he said I'm be he said in the best interest of the team and the club he say probably best that I stand down this week and he made that decision there and then um which was a noble thing for him to do and you know shows the mentality of our team and our club and he didn't want distract from the boys he wanted them to know the team straighted the way he didn't want the headlines to be about him all week and so that's that's why he made the decision to stand down but under the rlpa um negotiations with the NRL over the CBA so the CBA is their collective bargaining agreement that's the Contracting system um neither the club nor NRL Integrity have grounds to stand applier down until that result of that sample comes back y the problem is there's a backlog there for 8 or 10 weeks right so you can't leave a player out 8 or 10 weeks to find out if his second sample is going to be tested now I actually rang Dam as a tester from the Sharks because they had an incident earlier in the year with Braden Trindle if you remember all right but bradden's also had an alcohol content with it as well and when they went there they told they were told there was going to be a backlog of eight or 10 weeks to find the result of this of this drug test so Braden decided to plead guilty to get the matter done he served a month suspension and then is back playing now thankfully for the semi-finals and and going on from there um you know our season we're in sudden death mode now we might last one week or four weeks we don't know um but as of next week there is really no reason for the club or the NRL Integrity to keep Josh adocar out of the game this is Josh's decision this week um which you know we spoke about and we tried to do in the best interest of the club and uh and where the game was going this weekend and and two he's still in rehab at the moment but you know I think he would have been 100% to play this weekend so um they're just taking the option there to to stand down this week and hopefully get through this game on the weekend so you've explained all that comprehensively and I think people appreciate that I do want to ask a couple of questions just to clear up um some uh well I guess some people pondering about certain elements of this he and members of your team were at the football on Friday night yeah uh yeah so they went into camp at the uh at novel at homebush Friday evening uh for a Saturday home game which is uh usual preparation was pretty busy around homebush and there was also the roosters rabbit a game being played at acore stadium that night now the players who were playing on Saturday didn't go to the game but there were a number of players who were out injured U Bronson Cherry Matt Burton was on hi y um a couple of other players in an extended Squad the coaching staff just went across to the Bulldogs box across there just to watch the game um and they all didn't stay for the for the whole game anyway then they came back to the hotel so did they all leave it Hal time uh no some left at halftime some stayed for another I think most of them were gone before the end of the game because the result was pretty much NN okay because the um why is all this why is all this relevant because someone's been pulled over by a random well I know I appreciate that but the the reporting the reporting creates the impression that Jos car left himself at half time and then jumped in a car went somewhere no well but even what would it matter if he did what does it matter if he did well I believe I I think people are making insinuations about where he may have gone well what's it matter where he's gone or what he's done I mean that's irrelevant at the end of the day we are all pulled over by random drug or or breath tests everywhere I mean then trying to read into something else that because they haven't they don't got the story they got I just don't understand all that what they did before during or after the whole incident is irrelevant to me at the moment what's happened is he's been pulled over by roadside a a mobile Road and as I understand it there was a blitz on the weekend there was a lot of people pulled over um you know and he's just had this unfortunate incident where the first the first test is has given a a result that it needs a second test mhm so he's gone off to do that now if the second test comes back positive we've got an issue yeah but you know when we get that result we just don't know what was positive with Josh is he's been absolutely arant right from the right from the get-go that he hasn't taken any drugs and he submitted himself for an uron test on Monday morning and all that came back completely negative okay I don't think there's any reason to doubt Josh adar's Integrity he's never he's never been somebody that possesses a reputation for Muk ring in the game no never he's one of the most popular players in the game yeah I mean I just it that's that's the media at work and that's the type of stuff right that we knew would be coming all week right if Josh was to be named and played and had to get through training and it just becomes a distraction for him his family and everybody and there are all sorts of things that that uh but that's the media that's that's our understanding of the media and that's why we had to explain to Josh what the week was going to look like I did want to ask you that because as as I said the report the reporting creates a perception that he himself decided to leave and go somewhere where you're saying that most of them left by the end of the game and a lot of them had left at half time so and the won out by leaving no the relevance is zero the relevance is that is absolutely zero mhm what he was doing on the road the relevance of that is absolutely zero but what it is is a lot of media people running around everyone looking for an anger or a new story to tell that's okay that's what the media does that's the media at work I wanted you to clear it up and I wanted you to that's why we tried to nip it in the bud Monday and then we came out and nipped it in the bud again Tuesday you have to get out in front of these things all right and Wednesday yeah and here we are on Wednesday still talking about it I'll stop was all doneer yesterday stop well everyone everyone in Australia is cheting into this podcast waiting to hear what you're going to say if I didn't ask you be an ass well that could have they could have watched the press conference yesterday can I I I have another question have you bought a new suit no why you look so Dapper in that suit well I had to go on the Today show with KL stefanovic yesterday is it that's not a new one is it freshly dry cleaned or something no it's the same suit I wear every day is it yeah why would I need to change my suit well I thought maybe he got the good suit out for the controversial moments have you got a controversy suit a power suit you look very good um okay so the captain I did come in at 7:00 in the morning see Carl oh did you Carl gave me a grilling yesterday really yeah that was after 100% 40 Monday night you many these I've done well this isn't an interview this is your podcast yeah I don't set the agenda um the captain's call you media BLS you make life so difficult you make life so the captain's call I like I I will say I will say the media people at the press conference yesterday were terrific they were good oh why why were they nice why do they look after you no I think I think by then they'd sort of got what had happened I think they sort of understood there's always those running around worrying about you know what Danny wer he Danny wler weeder he's a problem Michael Chavis problem Neil BR problem you all just rapping the media that turned up cuz you might have to front him again in the next few days I'll have to front him at some stage about you can guarantee that so who do the captains of the respective Captain’s call on Monday eight finals teams think is going to shine from their team and who are they worried about in the opposition I'll start with the roosters James Tesco he thinks Angus kryon is going to be the star of their campaign asked which opposition player he thinks will shine I'd have to go Brooks from Manley I feel like he's had a good year I feel like he's a big part of their success with their attacking weapons so oh mind you they use to live together Tesco shining uh Praise on Luke Brooks yep that' be exciting for Luke wouldn't it yeah first time in his career he's playing in the finals he had a great year too um yeah I had to talk to Luke Brooks last year um when he was considering his options around leaving the Tigers and um and it wasn't NE it wasn't about coming to the Bulldogs it was just I wanted to talk to him because I'd admire him a player for a long time and I thought he'd been unfairly treated um by the media and fans over a period of time and uh yeah and not that we had any effect on his decision but um I thought it was a good time for him to leave I thought he' stayed loyal for a long time he' done his best I certainly didn't think he was the problem with the West tigers um he's he's simplified his game this year and they've given him that that left left side and he's he's play terrific hasn't he he's playing with daily Cherry EV yeah I who what what Young footballer he's an experienced football what footballer wouldn't improve if they're playing with dily Cher Evans absolutely so um of course his finals campaign May last a week we'll wait and see from the pan Isaiah says he thinks Jer Lei is going to kick on he says he's had a terrific year uh but the opposition player that he has admired and is is worrying about in the finals J Hughes yeah good form he's in good form yep it's uh it's no see it's no surprised that the Panthers Captain would be eyeing off someone in the Melbourne storm team as the danger for them because they're eying each other off I don't think either side's too worried about the rest of them who do you think Steven Kon h prais on from the Bulldogs or who you thinks he going to go well go well uh key to the finals key to the finals he'd probably say oh GE where you put me on the spot there he'd probably say Maddy Burton he did say mat Burton yep he loves mdy Burton does he yep we all love mdy Burton uh he's worried about Halal KATU yeah well hamal stitched him up two weeks ago and you had an enormous game against the Bulldogs tore him apart so they're going to have to have a plan for him now Ryan papous is a thinker yep he says Xavier coats is back I reckon he's the one to fear from us but in the opposition what about this Daniel Atkinson okay I reckon he's worked really hard in our storm system I'm gone to the Sharks now he's playing a similar role as Tyron Wishard once again very coachable very confident very good From the Bench Daniel ainson scored a triy within about 2 seconds of getting out there on the weekend it's a good rep for Daniel Del Cherry Evans says tanal p is going to go good in the finals well they need him to because up front you like your R him good player big big man and uh former West tiger and of course not sure heever played for the ti he he played 20s there didn't he I think he might have played 20s there no I thought he played no no you're thinking of allo I think he played in um and he daily Cher Evans these queenslanders stick Fat Tom Deen yeah Tom's in terrific form had a great series Tom Deen was representing the cowboy says Scott drink water's going to go well for them and then he's worried about kin ponga this weekend what a what a shock it's funny how they nominate their former teammates isn't it yeah then kin himself says Fletcher Sharp's going to carve it up I mean they're finished eight so we don't know how long it's going to go and another one for Steven C uh Angus kryon apologies and camon mckinn says Nick ohin will go well and he thinks Luke Ki is going to be influential for the roosters and particularly so given sandon Smith is out so there's a little insight from what the captains had to say very interesting players of the year now you had your your Bulldogs presentation evening perhaps a Club players of the year little prematurely but anyhow V army kick out yeah he was had a great year V army um one of my favorite ever players and uh he's been wonderful for our club we he came last year but he had a long period on the sideline with injury so he's been like having a new player in the club this year and um his maturity his leadership qualities the effect he has on the players around him uh his competitive nature um his diligence and his application to training is just set a whole new standard for the for the Bulldogs he and along with Steven Kon obviously um two great is he hard trying to kick out absolutely is he yeah phenomenal he's he's he's so much different to the kid we first brought to penth all those years ago um really matured into a full-time professional footballer father husband family man um leader um uh assisting young players and we've got um a little investment in a kick our Academy in FG we try to get him over there once a year there to uh to meet the locals and give opportunity and eventually when he retires we hope that uh we can have a kick our scholarship for young Fijian players and V army can um look after that for the rugby league if not just the bogs jez could you imagine a conveyor B of Ki house yeah well they're there there's got to be opport you just got to give them opportunity these Pacific island nations you know a lot of families move out of the Pacific Islands and go to New Zealand or Australia for the opportunity to play and develop as professional sports people um you know but if we can help assist in the islands there'll be even more that that come out of those areas and they won't have to leave home families won't have to leave home to give the kids the opportunity so um you know rugby is investing heavily in the Pacific Islands and rugby league needs to do the same as well so um for the Bulldogs employing or recruiting vill Army kickout was an opportunity to improve our how recognizable we were in the Pacific Islands and uh um you know it could be a postc career job for bil army kick out down the track um with the NRL I would hope I would hope he'd be a great fugg and Ambassador for the NRL in Pacific Islands in particular fugg players of the year uh at other clubs turbo got play with here for Manley and he missed a fair chunk of the Year mhm Warriors Mitch Barnett made his origin Debo this year yeah he did and he's had a great year and may well play for Australia yep rean Campbell Gillard Player of the Year at par he's leaving easily the best player of the year easily the best player of the year okay I cannot understand I cannot understand how they're letting him go it just doesn't make sense to me so he was I must watch a different game I I must watch a different game I really must he was is uh being linked pretty strongly with the dragons but the male is that brisman have come in with an offer and there's been no commitment yet I think he's got two or three clubs he's talking to at the moment but he has um he did reject an offer from the dragons oh he's rejected the offer right I believe so y oo so Bruce and Dragons who's the other one do you know don't know uh Jaden sewer by the way was a Player of the Year at the dragons had a great year and up at the Gold Coast can you have a guess uh Gold Coast be one of the one of the fullbacks I reckon Campbell didn't play enough keano keny you're too good he you got it yeah how about that for a surprise two two years ago two years ago when I first started at the Bulldogs and you know I hadn't been scouting for a few years um and uh I got a tip on keano Kenny was playing with Burley or somewhere up there I think they were associated with the Titans at the time and um I had to go up and see some player managers so I timed it around so when I when I go to Queensland I have to go to Brisbane or Gold Coast I sort of get a number of appointments so I can tie it all in together and only have to spend a couple of days there and um I AR ranged all my meetings around that I could get out to Burley and watch this counter kid because I hadn't seen him play I'd heard about him I had seen him play so I got out to whip switch and I sit on my own I'm sitting at the the southern end of the ground on a little hill behind the goalpost there and the play run out marks there guys on no no no uh and sitting sitting there well it's next to a clubhouse they all sit in the beer garden there and have a beer around there and there's not many sitting where I am up the other end and U and they run out and out comes the Bly team and this little kid I thought it was the mascot the ball boy he ran down to my end of the field and stood behind the goalpost and then he turned around he had number one on I said and I looked at the program I said that's him I said Gee's little he's little and I looked at him anyway scored three set up three he was just electric I've never seen anything like it like he was so fast but he was small he was really tiny he hasn't grown much either I don't Reon no well he's they all grow physically and and and of course mentally and I was talking to um Justin Holbrook and uh um I asked him about Kiana Kenny and he said Superstar he said Superstar absolute Superstar he said he's training against our first grade S at the moment and and cuts him up and he said the other part of it is he said he's so brave he said our bles our BLS are worried about hurting him you know but he's hurting them like he's just charging that them 100 mph he said and they keep hitting him in the head because he's so little and because he ducks in and everything even at training they're hitting him in the head and he said he just bounces up and gets going again he said he cars him up and he runs and he's here he's there he's everywhere he he's an absolute Superstar I thought we're going to play him you've got another Super superar there in um in Preston Campbell and they got the other fell there um brimson brimson you know had a riches to play fullback well that was going to be a question did you he's their number one now do you think Kenny well I think that's the way they're looking I think I've always felt Preston Campbell can be a halfback Jaden Jaden Campbell can be a halfback I always felt Jaden could be a halfback if they started him early enough and he's right at the right age to transition into that period you know Jerome Hugh started as a fullback you know so I think now's the right time to really transition him into a number seven role then you can get brimson at six you could get brimson at six I think brion's best position is one yeah and they were playing him in the Sanders and he wasn't too happy about that they have three signed four and for another year yes and that's pretty much you know um the coach's security blanket is Kieran foren Dez Hasler um and you know you don't want to get experience if you don't have you don't want to get rid of experience if you don't have to but keano Kenny is a superstar he's I'll never forget it I'll never forget him running out kid ball boy thought was the ball boy I'm watching him run out and then he turned around right in front of right in front of me 10 m away and he had the number one under his back standing under the goal post I look so that's him gez little he thought you that place's got a strange set of glasses and a mustache on and he absolutely killed him absolutely killed him then I found out he was on contract for four years so I was wasting me time what a waste of plane fair that way and a drive out to ipwi although you did get to see North IPS swi Reserve which is a great not a lip switch I a burle oh burle Bly oh B sorry oh mate they get Rowdy ass in that Clubhouse yeah yeah oh you know after the after the Bly Bears have a you know like a all three grades day there they go get into the clubhouse and get on the drink and dance that's great they're mad it's terrific yeah you can't park I had to park miles away like everyone was there not many of them drive it's a whole Sports Precinct isn't it there's a whole thing there there's a pool over the back and yeah yeah yeah had to park miles away and I sort of kind in and slunk in and I walked through the Le's Club I didn't know how to get into the ground so I went in and signed into the Le club and walked into the Le club and sat out there and they're all underneath the awning there and yeah they're on the cans man they give it they give themselves I found a way you know and and got on I found a way to get onto the field and you know they didn't stop me so I walked up the other end and sat behind the go p and the gr ladies and gentlemen would you please welcome feel gold I hate that I hate that rugby league has had its fair share of iconic ears but honestly I can't get enough of the high scoring line breaking flick passing magic rounding origin drought breaking Vegas flying simply the best TAB Greatest Era’s debate ERA of fo0 we're in right now and with more stats insights and markets than ever it's the best time in sport and tab has the best app in sport tab where on what are you really gambling with for free and confidential support visit gambling helpl online.org you it's time now for our tab eras debate the time for sport is now thanks to tab what's gambling really costing you for free and confidential support visit gambling help online.org is this the most entertaining era of rugby league is the question well a few thought starters for you Gus last two Origin deciders this year gripping 2022 Ben Hunt scores The Runaway try 2019 James Tesco there's there's three Origin Games to think of but then if you go further back 1989's Grand Final one of the great grand finals ever what do you think yeah look my belief is has always been right throughout my career is that football gets better every year footballers get better every year they get better at their craft they get better physically the game gets stronger and faster it's more demanding uh and that's why I'm reluctant to compare eras over the time but football couldn't be any more exciting than what it is right at the moment um and I think we're seeing that in the crowds and the attendances as well I think uh after the co period where people were locked away for so long they fell back in love with live Sport and getting out to the at atmosphere that comes with being at live sport particularly the kids and um it's fresh and it's healthy and it's it's exciting and our players today you know we've probably had I I say this um we've had full-time professionalism in the game for 30 years but I use that term very Loosely I reckon it's only been in the last decade that the game has truly come to terms with what full-time professionalism looks like and so this era of players uh um are are just a different breed to what we've seen in the past and that's only opportunity you know with medical science and sports science and rehab and opportunities to to uh prepare your body and look after your body and maintain your body and that's why we've got players playing till they're 35 36 years of age and still in great form um and and that's not going to stop that's only going to improve so it is the most exciting era and because of f p professionalism and um and I I look at the process we went through at Panthers in that period there and what it's produced for that team out there and all those great players and how they've absolutely honed their craft how they've perfected their craft the way that tries are scored and manufactured these days and that sometimes there is just no defense to what the opposition throws at you particularly with the kicking games and and and the strategy that they use and the pace of the game and the difficulty that's placed on the athlete you know we just don't have big slow people anymore you know it's it's really strange you there's players in all shapes and sizes in all positions we have big tall rangy Wingers we have short stocky um explosive Wingers we have small front rowers we have tall front rowers we have wide front rowers we have back rowers on the edge that you know you know you get a you get a Alla KATU and you get a Liam Martin and they're playing the same position right you get a you get a Daniel tupo and you get a Brian totall playing the same position you know you get your tall fullback like your um trovich and and these fellas and you get a Kean keny um they're all different there's different shapes and sizes in every position that just makes the game exciting there's no you know there's no limit to what the players are doing at the moment and you're looking at the next wave of kids coming through and if we keep investing in development and we get to 20 teams I mean the next eras are going to be better again it just that's just how it should be it it really should how it should be you go back and watch sports overseas you go back and watch you know professional soccer back in the 60s 7s and 80s you go back and watch NFL you go back and watch basketball and compare it to what their athletes are doing today yeah it's chalk and ches the promotion of the game the commentary around the game the Innovations in broadcasting the Innovations in broadcasting look broadcasting sells the sport more than anything broadcasting and champions sell the sport and the way that the broadcasters make the Champions the way the broadcasters promote the Champions and and and bring a new way of presenting their their skill skill set to the to the public is incredible broadcasters are so important in the selling of your game and um they're a big factor in the popularity of the game and the excitement of the game um I I know for a time when I was coaching I watched a lot of video tapes and a lot of video replays with no commentary on it and only one camera angle and it sends you baty like it's it's very very boring but you put the same game on and you being you know commentators in and you bring 11 cameras and you bring slowmo and you bring the bunker bloody bunker I knew we' get it in I even managed to Sledge the bunker at me press conference yesterday how do that what' you say I was I was talking I was talking about the policeman interaction with the policeman and Josh I said I was I was supposed to say the policeman said to do this and what I said what the referee said that I said not the referee and then one of the cameramen said the bunker I said yeah the bunker too funny poor old bunker oh the bunker there you go that's the tab's debate for this week more next week six tackles trivia Gus Luke Brooks as we know this week breaks his finals drought the longest in NRL history 229 games the next longest is 219 who is it play for the Tigers between 94 and 2005 tiger I Can't Believe Brooks he's played 200 I remember he's deoo played 229 games and finally gets a crack at finals footy oh Ed's Deo at the cricket at the cricket was it the cricket ground yeah and he was an next Andre Johns at Trivia full time absolutely played did he played for West Tigers West tigers against St George was it can't remember can't remember but he carved him yeah he did so the the second longest dr's also a tiger at 219 games wow who is it it's Mark O'Neal oh okay Mar bucket O'Neal he's working with the parameter Wheels who end his finals drought in the most glorious way possible he lifted the bloody trophy he won the Grand Final oh right well okay in 2005 yeah how about that yeah yeah I lunched with him not long ago did you yeah he's a good fell Mark he's very good friends with Peter sharp is our recruitment manager at U at the Bulldogs and uh he wanted to come over and have a talk about his role at param and um just compare notes on a few things now I lovely buckets and you talk about uh great servants great Tradesman for their club like for what he did for the Tigers over a decade tremendous yeah and Captain the Premiership there you go Mark bucket O'Neal uh Thursday night no Thursday night NRL this week but there is Thursday night nrlw and it's from lart oval Tigers dragons not enjoying great years either of them Saturday midday I'm on Deck to I'm calling Friday night's game and then backing up for a couple of NRL W games Saturday and then the NRL Sunday uh Broncos Sharkies Gus they hadn't lost the game and they got beat 40 n 40 n what on Earth happened there yeah don't know I haven't seen it yet I want to go and have a look at them the rers were very impressive the week before they're a big strong side um but I guess it happens in football sometimes you get off get off on the wrong leg and the good side just puts you to the sword and that's what happened in that one so they'll they'll need to bounce back against the Broncos the shark that one at seabus Super Stadium as part of a double header then tight night now Lauren Brown's broken her arm and the Titans are out of the finals running so Newcastle favored there roosters Cowboy NRLW Round 8 preview Sunday midday and then Raiders eels Gio stadium so that's the menu for nrlw this week of course our podcast with Marley and Ruan nrlw weekly the place to go for a comprehensive look at all things women's rugby league Friday night footy the last ever game at penth Park as it is at the moment even though they farewell did in fine fashion last week great to say the old chocolate soldiers jumper Tred it out so it was a repli of the 1968 jumper yeah something I love that Jersey yeah yeah used to love that they used to have one with a saddle too they a white saddle on the on the top of the jersey and I think they have one with a brown saddle to at one stage yeah the brown white penth roosters Nathan's back yeah Jerome L 58 Schneider at Dom Y and Daniel tupe back on the wings Collins back into the pack so Isn butcher so may and white go to the B it's a much stronger looking team to the one which defeated South Sydney last week first of the finals clashes a good rivalry this one they've built up a lot of rivalry over the last few years yeah they have but roosters have Panthers have certainly been getting the better of it haven't they Panther's got a great record against them in recent NRL Week 1 Finals preview times um the key here is clear uh obviously because if we keep looking at Panthers in recent times whilst they've been getting a few wins uh there've been nowhere near the Panthers of yester year there've been nowhere near what the Panthers have been doing in previous years but the game's best halfback coming back can make a huge difference to that um and being at home they're going to be extremely hard to beat everyone was watching The Roosters last week because after the indur debacle of the week before they cobbled together another team which is still a very very impressive looking side and I thought in the early stages of that game they showed good combination and the fact that they could um be able to manufacture a finals assault um to come up with a finals type game plan and and execute it still a lot of Representative cast players in that team it's just that the Panthers have had their way with them in the last few years and I think that's because Panthers make the roosters uncomfortable and the roosters haven't been great when they're uncomfortable uh roosters are free flowing they got a lot of points in them and if they can play their brand of football they've they've scored a lot of points against really good sides the highest point scorer in the competition this year they're ability to to to keep the scoreboard ticking is incredible absolutely incredible um you know Sam Walker's been a big part of that but I don't think they lose um I think they can still Cobble together a great attacking game it's just whether or not Panthers allow them to do that because Panthers have developed this really um high-speed grinding grafting patient Persona that just wears sides down wears sides down and the problem gives you don't get to play the football you want to play against them it's not the game that you want or anticipate now some sides handle that better than others and the roosters haven't handled it well in previous years I guess it'll be the early stages of the game that might set the tone I mean if the roosters could get to the front if they could get to the front and then make penth have to change the way they think about their football if they could actually get penrith being a bit more expansive and feeling as though they have to attack from their own end of the field or or or push the envelope a little bit then that could put penrith out of their comfort zone a little bit but if the early part of the game goes to to plan is what finals do and penth get into their Rhythm you know go forward control the ball kick Chase tackle go forward control the ball kick Chase tackle go forward control the ball kick Chase tackle and they'll do it set after set after set after set after they set and they don't get bored with it they just don't the other team gets frustrated with it comes up with an error comes up with a penalty comes up with a drop ball um and that's and then pen pounce uh and so you know the roosters have got to pass that test and that's the interest for me on Friday night as to how much pressure penth appli to them and whether or not the roosters um grow or fade under that pressure it's as simple as that and in recent times pis have always got the better of that battle and with the master back clearly um and as I said to you and I've said a couple of times I ran into a fortnite ago when we went out to get a Call of penth game I saw him after the game I said how are you he said I'm 100% he said can't wait so I can only imagine that he's he's ready to give a full account of himself and the Panthers will be a lot better for it so I'll tip Panther to win how do you quantify penrith's lack of Polish and attack recently I mean that they struggled struggled they a little clunky on the weekend again unconvincing yeah but clearly can solve a lot of that yeah okay clearly can solve a lot of that you know A's had to do more Lis had to do more um you know it look the penis side has been diluted don't get me wrong it's been diluted every year you take one or two out and you bring blocks in and they go good but eventually you turn around and there's seven or eight changes to your team and it's not the same team as it was two or three years ago it's not the same team it was last year um but there's still enough there for the Panthers I mean they're defending Premier they've won three in a row they're a generation in their history of our game very very few teams have won done what they've done or gone through the year they've gone through and they're still my favorite to win the Premiership I still think they'll win the Premiership um the test is if the roosters can go through that sort of examination the examination that Panthers puts your team through and they have done it for years the examination they put it through right tests every part of your mental strength in the game right and also your footballing ability but it's hard to beat penrith from your own end of the field which is where they make you play they make you play from your own end of the field mhm right you have to take really uh you have to take advantage of any time you get at their end of the field which puts pressure on you to score points it's not as though you can be patient up there because they are they it's just the the mental and physical examination they put you under where the majority of sides have failed right and they've honed their football as a renowned for it the their football is renowned for it they're a very very special group and have been a very special group of players that have been together for a long time um you know and for a lot of them it's the last ride I mean Fisher Harris is leaving at the end of the year d l is leaving at the end of the year and senia Tera who is one of the more younger ones in the team he's leaving at the end of the year so it's you know there's a new wave of kids coming through but um what the roosters have to prove is whether or not they can stand up to that Panthers physical test right now Panthers are different they're similar to Melbourne but they're different to Melbourne they're different to Melbourne um but the the test of your football in and your nerve and your Constitution Panthers will test every part of it and out there at penth they'll do it again Friday night and the roosters if they can't be comfortable being uncomfortable because they're going to be uncomfortable they're going to be uncomfortable if they're not comfortable being uncomfortable and they're prepared to persevere and Fight Fire with Fire then the Panthers will get them again the change to that is if and it happens sometimes in games if the roosters could go bang bang and Lead 12 n in the first 10 minutes which they're quite capable of right penth kick off roers get a penalty on tackle three kick out and find Touch come down force a line drop out C catch the short kickoff score a try bang 12 same thing happens penrith kick off they get a penalty on tackle three come down score a try that can happen that can happen to any team in the first six or eight minutes of the game it can it can happen if penth got off if if roosters got off to a flying start like that then the test is on penth to chase those points with their defense which they've done they have got into games like that where they've got behind they've got into games where they've been well behind with 20 minutes to play we saw the Grand Final last year they've done it a couple of times this season all right penth are never beaten you know but that's the that's the rooster's best chance is to get penth behind on the scoreboard and maybe get them to change or loosen up in their mentality right now if they can't do that if penrith get to the what's penrith record when they lead at halftime it's some ridiculous number I think yeah it's like 885 out of 87 or something or other um if you're going to beat penth I I feel as though you need to lead penth and and hopefully encourage them to to play differently but you know they've lost so few games in the last four or five years it's just I certainly can't tip anyone to beat them at penth Park okay during the last night and particularly with clear coming back 4:05 p.m. although we're on air from was that two Detail no that's very good this what this this is finals time and you're bringing your best stuff this is what we know you're peing all right storm sharks I thought I peaked yesterday no no in in an off Field capacity um papy's back uh Christian Welsh also back but they lose far Longo who probably would have missed anyway because he's got a hamstring and Oregon cusi was rested last week so he comes back and you know what's amazing about this lineup of matches this weekend there's probably a few exceptions but largely all four teams are pretty much at full strength which is incredible after a long campaign the Sharkies beat them down there earlier in the year and of course they did it without niiko and BR and Trindle so that's their halves to take on Melbourne down at Amy Park I know you K on Melbourne I just got a little feeling Sharkies might aim up here oh they'll aim up sharks what sharks did last week at Brookville was was terrific you know in a game where they I made this point at 100% fo0 the other night the Sharks we've been watching them for 3 years they've been around the top four for 3 years is they bowed out in straight sets the last two years first thing people will say well that's good experience but is it bad experience all right is that a bad experience for them is that a negativity on their brain as they come into this final series fearing that that might happen again fear and anxiety from that and we've seen them a number of times this year like they they had a good draw earlier in the year they won a lot of games people say they haven't played anyone yet and then they beat the roosters and then they beat Melbourne I think they beat penth they penth beat him like 40 n or something they beat some anyway but they they they overcome that little hurdle and then they got into a little bit of a rot and now they've come out of the back of it now the difference on the weekend it was a game where they couldn't improve they couldn't they were going to finish fourth whether they won or whether they lost right whether they won or whether are they lost they're going to finish fourth so there was no pressure on the result and what happened yes they just they came out and just free flowed they just free wied it they free rolled it so how can you take that mentality down to Melbourne well that's that's if you you could do that with your golf if you stop worrying about the you've quit golf this is the reason right you've quit because mentally you can't handle it correct I'll talk to you about it later see but it's the same the scoreboard and the clock can do things to footballers and expectation and you know the the the the fear of failure or the fear of what happens if if we lose this game so that's why I say as a last two years good experience or bad experience well that's up to the coach he's got to use that as good experience that this we're better now prepared than we were then but it was really telling for me that they went out and played that brand of football on the weekend in a game that meant absolutely nothing now the positivity in that is that normally if you're playing in a game and I've been in this myself and I've coached in games like this myself you get to that last game and you can't improve and you can't go backwards but you know you've had to throw your full strength side out there at some stage you're thinking I don't want to get hurt I want to make sure I'm available for that Finals game that's week that's only human nature isn't it m I didn't see any of that I didn't see any of that in them which is a good positive sign that they were really positive but for me the key was that under no pressure of the result knowing all the pressure was on their opposition because they were playing for a home final they just produced a 40o beat up and never looked like losing the game never looked probably left some points out there never looked like losing the game it was a really impressive performance so if they can replicate that can they win if somehow if somehow you can take that mentality into the game and ignore the scoreboard and the clock and ignore the things you can't control and ignore what might happen in the future whether we win or loss or win or lose and produce your football just like that like you're just absolutely living in the moment and playing in the moment like you're down the park with your mates playing football and you just want to get as much of it in before the street lights go on and you got to run home you know and that's the way I used to describe it you know like well you're in the school playground and you're playing footy and you know the bell's going to Ring to have to go back to class and you you just want to keep going that's all you want to do you're not thinking about results or anything like that you got to play with that freedom and without that anxiety and it's the same in any sport it's the same in any sport you listen to the great Sports play the great basketballers the great golfers the great cricketers they're not thinking about that only concentrating one ball at a time one play at a time you know and if the sharks can live in that moment if they can go with the same mentality and the same freedom of performance that they produced last week yes they can beat the Mel storm put it this way that gives them their best chance mhm all right that gives them their best chance but if they go down to Amy Park and all sudden oh this is a semi-final this is we lost the last cple oh God the pressure's on what are they going to say about us if we lose and you know you Croy who who do we play if we get beat and what happens if we win and you know like and all those sort of things and I'm sure CRA Craig Fitz gim has got all this under control but if they can just go there and play with that freedom that's going to give them their best chance of meeting the melbour storm now I compared mour storm to the Panthers what pan do to other teams and the way they they grind other teams down and wear them down and just and just beat them you know some teams go for 5 minutes against Panthers some can go for 55 60 some can go for 75 but eventually they beat them all in the end Melbourne storm just blow you away they just blow you away with sheer speed and and and enthusiasm and energy and ball constantly moving and they've got weapons all over the field they've got they've got this Armory this battery of of of just workers of just soldiers that just get the ball put it under their arm and rip the ball up and and and and keep working for their team and Tackle feverishly and then they've got these Superstars Jerome Hughes and monster and penous and then Xavier coats and you know and Harry Grant and they got these Superstar footballers that can create something out of nothing and and they're never dead they never have a dead set of six there's not one set of six where they aren't least at trying something on you where they they're not trying to get at you with something either to win a penalty or to win a line break or to score a try like they just and that mental pressure wears sides down that's why they win a lot of games they win a lot of games they went to Pen Park a couple of weeks ago and beat the Panthers in one of those sort of games that it's it's the same mentality but it's a little vastly it's a it's a slightly different style but the Melbourne Panthers games are so good because they both got very strong con uh constitutions and very strong mentalities and great work ethics and great discipline but they'd go about it in slightly different ways um Melbourne are a little more flamboyant and a little bit more um off the cuff um a little bit more ad lib and they've got real strike in different parts of the field um and that's going to be the shark worry again it really helps if you can get to the front Okay against these better sides it really hopes you know the sharks they can't win it in the first 20 minutes but they can lose it if they get behind against Melbourne then demons start to come back in what if what if what if um sharks have got to bounce to the lead early and then stay positive for the full full tour but I still think Melbourne will be too good okay then Saturday night coin Country Bank Stadium Todd pton urging the locals to make it a intimidating environment today though you won't be able to squeeze in the joint North coin land get Jordan McLean back the kns are unchanged I asked D Middleton before we came on last time eighth one in week one it was only two years ago Cameron knocked Melbourne out m uh and going back before that it was 2017 when the Cowboys won and end up going on to make the Grand Final Newcastle the team that put a premium on defense at the weekend well that would it it's funny uh I made this point on 100% 42 of all the games on the weekend that were played um other than the the spoon Bowl as they termed it um but of all the other games we still saw the high scoring points the high number of points but the one game where it was sudden death the loser leaves the country the winner goes on and had a big prize of making the top eight it ended up being the close score what ended up 14 146 and that that looked like a finals contest right there and that's what I'm expecting a bit more of as we get through September I didn't see Newcastle defend that effectively All Season no and you know and dolphins a record away from home playing down in New South Wales hasn't been great either you know and and the Dolphins had that big emotional win over the Broncos the week before and that's the fear for the knights now the knights had that big emotional win last weekend they put in a stellar defensive effort they got the big crowd they're playing for a top eight they got old boys day yes now jump on a plane even a charter plane and go to Townsville because it's going to be completely different they did the same thing last year in New Zealand didn't they same thing happened remember they had that huge win was it camber they beat in they had that huge win in the crowd and all the Domin young scoring tries and all that they went across to New Zealand what happened got flogged got flogged right that that's the mental part of the game that's the the ability the lift and all these teams these these bottom teams um you know probably the bottom four teams have all been walking a tight route for 3 months we've seen how that ladder is been congested all the way through and people were speculating who can make the eight and who can't but they've all played each other during the last three months and everyone's been walking a tight rout and then all of a sudden once you were confirmed the Bulldogs once they were confirmed in the eight the next two performances haven't been all that good they've been you know hands be on the scoreboard all bet they've lost players and uh to different things but um there's still been a let down there hasn't there and all of a sudden Newcastle have come through this period where they've been written off three or four times like I think I said to you a month ago if they can beat the sharks at Shark Park they're the ones I think can make the eight they're the ones that can grab eight spot they can they can jump up to 32 points cuz I think they'll win their last three games right they got beaten in Golden Point by the Sharks remember that so virtually we WR them off cuz I you know will 30 make the eight and will they have a good enough for and against well no that's it is they've turned up they've got into the eight um and they've had to beat some good sides to do it they were beating they playing against sides that were all in the battle for the eight all those games meant something to everyone I kept saying they were four-point games it's not only the two- points you get it's the two points they don't get and so all those teams in the bottom part of the the competition have been playing finals football now for 3 months so can they come to September and go to another gear and do it again because now we're in sudden death at least Knights have had a taste of sudden death right and shown what they can do and how resilient they can be people say the difference between finals football and Club football it's those two words sudden death when you get to that sudden death you know lose a Le lose it season's over I don't come back Monday to review the performance I don't come back and train next week I pack my bag to go to the football I put my boots and my gear in I go I don't know if this is going to be my last game that brings pressure that's what the pressure of finals is can your best up in those circumstances so can the knights after that last week you know pack their bags get on a plane go to them and and recreate that feeling that they had and recreate the football now in there but to their advantage they've got a superstar they've got the next best play the next you know we're we're about to enter the Kalin ponga era trust me he's a superstar um and he can do it having said that I think the Cowboys um have certainly got a lot of points in them and and really impressed with what they did last week not only did they score a lot of points they didn't concede any I think the only Bulldog try came from a kick um and a bit of a scrappy bomb so um you know maybe there got the ability as you said a few years ago they went from E into the Grand Final they're one of the sides down there that could make a little bit of a run so um I'm going to go with the home side and I just think it'll be too much for the knights to back up after what they did last week my only caveat to that is if Kum ponga has a good day against his old Club yeah the cows can have a bad day too Gus they can can they can they can but I saw better signs from them last week I sort of a different sort of mindset to them um yeah so I'll go I'll go Cowboys so I've gone well I know you're going to tip Bulldog but give us a little I mean you are bringing your best stuff here for week one of the finals give us an overview of the game with Bronson Sherry back Matt Burton in Jerell Skelton in and of course turbo the big inclusion for Manley yeah it's a big difference for man leers and having turbo back both teams considered a lot of points last week yeah yeah it was you know the same sort of thing like SE Eagles have sort of been in and around the eight they were never really everyone I don't think anyone ever considered them a risk of not making the eight um you know where the other teams were really battling to get there along the way um bulldogs have had an extraordinary season um extremely proud of them U the middle part of the Year U you got to understand a lot of these players haven't played a lot of n football and certainly haven't played a lot together so from the start of the season to the mid part of the season the Improvement they made was tremendous um and the way they handled that probably 10 we period where they won eight games against all these teams that were competing we we weren't playing the top four sides but we weren't playing the bottom four sides either I thought it was in a couple of losing performances this year where we really shed our medal we went to melbour beaten 1614 by Melbourne and led them 1410 with only a few minutes left on the clock um for me that was a winning performance we went to Panthers um against the Panthers full strength side beaten 1610 were never really going to win the game but there were moments in the game where we that could have been a lot closer and I thought we earned a lot of respect out of that so it was in two losing performances that I saw you know the real promise and then they were able to back that up in games that were winnable for them and they went on a really good string of runs uh string of wins there they had injuries they had players out um but managed to keep you know bringing players to to do well and two weeks ago when they we had to play dolphins in buber and then back up 5 days later and go to New Zealand to play The Warriors and for me that was going to be the testing material two big travels in the space of a week in the Heat playing up there in buber we played against the Dolphins who were on a rooll at the time and then we had to go against the Warriors and um we beat them and the Warriors had sort of had the medal on us for the last few years so we won both those games and they put such a lot of effort into their travel and their preparation and and the performances and with the Warriors win it was guaranteed they were going to play finals football for the first time in eight years and kryon got injured Burton's had a hi zary's had an injury Kurt man broke his collar bone um Josh adak car's been injured um you know we kind of lost a few players and really haven't had the full strength s out there in the next couple of weeks and played against teams that were absolutely desperate in Manley and cowboys as well they're both playing for home semi-finals and to cement their spot in the eight and just Haven them come up to the Mark um with the Bulldogs their best is good enough to compete with all of them I'm I'm confident of that but what we've shown the last two weeks is anything less than our best is not okay it's just not good enough and that's that's the challenge for the coach and the players is to go out there and our first Finals appearance in 8 years and give a great account of ourselves and give a good performance and celebrate with the fans on Sunday and um you I hope all the Bulldogs fans turns up and and enjoy the fact they're back in the finals again and I think they've they've really appreciated this team and their efforts this year and uh and very very proud of them you know Win Lose or Draw the Seagal they're a class side I mean there were people there sometimes calling them the Dark Horse of the competition we know what they've got daily Cherry Evans you know we played them two weeks ago and they put they put a big score on us and dily Cherry Evans was the master he just virtually controlled the whole game which he does and he's done it in Origin Games and he's such a great performer Tom trabo is back he didn't play last week against the Sharks not sure what happened last weekend but that can happen and and the Sharks were very good um but I can't imagine anything other than the fagles being at their best and they got so many big game players and they're a big side they're a very big side they're probably one of the biggest sides in the competition up against probably the smallest forward pack in the competition um who have um you know gone beyond everyone's expectations so it's just brilliant for the club to be back in the finals really enjoying that part of it I think it's going to be a great day for the league with a semi-final hopefully it'll be lovely if we get 50,000 out there or even more um but the SE Eagles are going to be extremely hard to beat um as you know as we've shown the Bulldogs at their best if they put their best stuff out there they can compete with the best okay but anything less than their best is not going to be good enough so here's an extra little feature you're tipping Panther storm cowboy and Bulldog I can put it into my finals predictor here week two sharks versus cows rooster versus Bulldog SL Manley H that's what you're thinking with Melbourne and pen through to the prelims yeah Melbourne and pen through and and that's why it's going to be hard for anyone in the lower part of the competition to win the comp CU when you get to the preliminary final side let's say Manley and penth Melbourne and penth both win they go to the preliminary Final on either side of the draw which means to win the competition I'm either going to have to beat Melbourne and then beat penth or beat penth and then beat Melbourne yes two weeks in a row that's why it's going to be really hard for anyone in the lower part of the competition to win the comp but I think um I think all in this competition like 17 teams and the way the competition was run and the number of teams that were competitive I said you know the teams that have made the eight deserve to be there and they've had great seasons and I think it's a it's Merit in their performance all of them what they've done the two Champion sides penth and penrith are making another solid defense of their title you know um you know if they don't win this competition they'll lose it in the ring they'll lose it on Grand final day you'll have to beat them to win it Stella a performance Gus big week but you're just bringing your best stuff right in time for finals enjoy the weekend nine games nine games here on nine the home of Rabia League will look forward to your company next week you win some 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