AROUND THE LEAGUE ROUND 26 - Schuster Souths, Feldt To St Helens, Clifford Extends, Bunker Screw Ups

big Lesar League an all rugby league experience hello welcome back to Big Lesar league and all rugby league experience make sure you go ahead and subscribe to the YouTube become a part of the big Lesar League Community uh We've also got all of our socials down below the Tik Tok the Instagram Spotify Apple podcast that is all down below so make sure you get stuck into all of that you won't miss any content if you go and follow the Spotify and apple podcast all different content previews of every single game reviews of every single game reactions to certain other things as well we did a big reaction to rean Campbell Gillard uh on the podcast the other day which wasn't posted on the YouTube so make sure you go back and have a look at that but plenty of exclusive content past interviews stuff like that interviews we're going to be doing throughout the offseason that'll be posted all on the Spotify and apple podcast and you'll get early access to those podcasts on the uh Spotify Apple 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then we're also going to talk a little bit at the end about the bunker and a few poor decisions in regards to the head high tackles I'll get up a stat for you as well uh just regarding that uh but plenty to get through let's get straight into it uh Josh hush to the South Sydney rabido onee deal reportedly it looks like it is all done or ready to go he was talking with the Bulldogs quite heavily uh there was a lot of talk that he was going to go there uh he was obviously talking with the dolphins as well a little bit plenty of clubs going after Josh shush and look there's a lot of negative talk around him and obviously the path that he's taken the moment where you know he struggled to get fit um you know that he's had a lot of issues with staying in first grade consistently the main one W though was effort and fitness um and look I guess the big question with him coming into South Sydney is what's going to change is he going to put in 110% what are we going to get out out of Josh husher here I think that by taking this 300K contract at South Sydney he knows now that this is the reality of this situation he needs to get the bottom contract go to a team that is going to get the best out of him go to a coach that is going to get the best out of him in Wayne Bennett as well and really turn his career around get fit get ready for the season play the role that South Sydney needs you to play uh and really th Thrive under Wayne Bennett and I think we've seen a lot of guys Thrive under Wayne Bennett I mean you only look this year at T pangai Jr struggling to find an N Club was done with boxing wanted to come back to rugby League uh couldn't find an NRL Club the Broncos uh didn't want him back as of yet and Wayne Bennett off pulled at his arm and and brought T panga Jr into that dolphin side T pangai Jr has been very solid for the Dolphins as well he's played his role perfectly he's simpled simplified his role a lot you think of the footy that he played for the Bulldogs and the footy that he played um for other clubs the Broncos the Panthers even for that short inent that he was there it was very adly football and he was trying to be the best player on the field he was trying to make every big play Wayne Bennett just brought him in simplified his game and he ended up being a better player for it I can see the same thing happening here with Josh shusher and it's exactly what he needs just to simplify down his game I imagine he'll play right ede back row and as I was saying the chaps on rabido radio too I think that it works well with our rotation we are struggling for depth in the back row at the moment South Sydney to bringing a guy like shush who you can chuck in the back row it means that Kon can play in his best current position which for me is in the middle of the park and that means that he can bring him into the front row uh obviously they're talking on Blok and a bar about having Kon and Garo starting in the front row with TOA coming off the bench I think Garo comes off the bench for me just because of the fact that he can play a number of positions he'll provide a bit of impact and go for it Off the Bench as well T is very good at Starting Games T TOA so I think TOA will start the game with Kon uh Kon a bit more mobile as well with Murray there in in the 13 Jersey I really like that starting pack and it just adds a bit of size to our pack and I guess they having the depth there with a few other guys coming in is just going to help us even more having guys like Talis Duncan coming off the bench and playing his role I mean hil's resigned going into next year as well you get that versatility there as well Dave M probably goes back to the bench you got key in the reserves I'm hearing South sydne going after Liam KN I'm also hearing a few rumors that the Bulldogs might end up giving em guler who obviously has signed there for next year uh they might uh forego that deal and he might come to South Sydney uh but I think that's depending on his management and stuff like that that is only a real deep rumor might not even happen but um you know South Sydney building their stocks in the forwards and it's something that they've needed to do I suggested earlier on in the year year that they go into the Super League markets and pick a few Englishmen out some young Rising English forwards back row front row to come out uh because there's plenty of them to come over to the NRL give the NRL a crack just even in the lower grades and just build up that depth there guys you getting for 100 150k that are just going to come over and take that opportunity I think that would have been worthwhile but having shusher there who can cover a ton of positions as well if you know Cody goes out throughout the year or if you know whon goes down throughout the year you can Chuck him in the 58 Jersey uh depending on who your 58 is anyway if the 5'8 for next year gets injured uh you know you obviously bring in shush you can play that role if it happens mid game you can bring him into that role and he can do a good job for at that role obviously if a center goes down he can move out into the centers and do a job there as well if he gets fit enough he's versatile enough to play a number of positions for us and that's what I really like about this shusher signing and we know as well that at his best with a simple game plan he can be a very destructive player and I think under Wayne Bennett as well he's going to get the best out of him there is just no doubt about it so looking forward to this Josh shusher signing uh the the big proponent for me is is he going to be fit is he going to be in the right head space taking the 300K deal coming to a side that at the moment is struggling but you know on the turnaround obviously with Wayne Bennett coming into the club it's a good roster it's a good coach I think he's made the right decision he's come here well compared to his last contract on unders after missing out on a full year of rugby league I'm Keen to see the bounce back of Josh sha really can't wait to say it but it is going to be very dependent on if he's fit K Fel looks like he's signed over with the Super League not sure how long we know that it is with Seth St Helens they've I think they've announced it we'll have to go to their Instagram now I'll have a quick look to see if they've announced it yet um but it's big signing um you know obviously they've had a bit of a struggle street over the past two weeks um particularly last week I was watching their game in the pub at the Waterworks at botney and just watching their most recent performance um they got flogged 46 to6 I think it was the final score in their most recent game so they've hit a bit of a brick wall at the moment St Helens obviously Lewis DOD the guy that South Sydney had gotten he's currently in and out of the side they're just figuring out if they want to play him or if they want to continue this younger guy the number 23 there that was playing a bit of fullback and halfback for them I'm not sure his name cuz I don't watch the Super League too much but um yeah look I mean Kyle Fel though let's go back to Kyle Fel they have announced it great signing for them um I think kelt has also recognized as well what time of his career it is he is you know going into his 30s they are bringing through a lot of younger guys I think car Fels time at the Cowboys was going to come to an end over the next two to three years regardless um I think that Samy Val is a guy that's been waiting to come into first grade yes obviously a bit of an up and down year for him he's been playing Center uh in Q cup at the moment he's been going okay um but yeah they've got him sitting in reserve grade who obviously killed it the year before they've got Jackson Purdue as well who obviously will come in I think for Valentine holes they've got vami vea people forget as well they've actually got Zack labut sitting in reserve grade too who was the starting center no question last year the big replacement for Peter hiku uh obviously he has just been sitting on the sidelines waiting to return Tom Chester is going to be always sniffing around for a jersey somewhere in the backline Fielding in the centers and absolutely killed it so they've got a ton of outside backs just sitting in the ranks waiting perue more of a fullback 58 halfback uh but you know obviously played center and killed it against the roosters the first time and then obviously it's coming on number of occasions and done a great job for them in the centers um so he's going to be sniffing around that Jersey too but just adding to what is already a monstrous amount of guys who are waiting for that Wing Jersey and they're obviously waiting to take the next step they're waiting to take the next step they've got rid of two veterans here the Cowboys in kelt and Valentine Holmes they are ready to take that next step into the future obviously Chad townzen also going to uh The Roosters next season to I think do half and half do a bit of meteor work but also come and fill in when the roosters need someone uh obviously Clifford comes in as I said they are moving very quickly towards the future and it could be one of the quickest rebuilds off the back of three veterans leaving the side that I've ever seen uh how they've gone to replace or how they going to replace a monstrous amount of guys in such a short amount of time it's very impressive uh and the big thing is if it works is this going to work all of the guys that they're bringing in obviously Perdue I think is a big chance of getting a spot just off the back of his performances this year and potentially the preseason that he's yet to have uh obviously Zack labut for me uh obviously put in a really good audition at the start of the year to get a spot and I think that Todd Payton's going to have that start of the year in mind but again it is just going to be off the back of offseason layb but for me is the favorite to get the vacant Center spot as in regards to who's getting the vacant Wing Spot um yeah I'm not sure I'd even say that vami Veer spot is up for grabs to be honest I think that lbu could play on the right Perdue could play on the left and then in regards to Kyle Fel spot on the wing we could get vami Veer in there we could also get uh Sammy Val who's been sitting and waiting for a spot there is someone I'm forgetting about I know it and I know that you guys are going to Hound me in the comments for it but I know that they've got a ton of guys that are waiting for spots so very keen to see what this Cowboy side looks like next year is going to be a very different backline to what we're used to it's going to be a pretty different side to what we're used to uh for the Cowboys I think I think there's going to be a few positional changes uh here and there which will be very interesting to see too for some guys so uh very keen to see what this Cowboy side looks like next year hopefully uh they go okay with this little rebuild that they're doing here in the backline and as I said if it does work it is probably one of the quicker rebuilds off the back of losing three veterans in Valentine home Chad Town Zen and obviously Kyle felt that I have seen in a long long while uh and speaking of the Cowboys as well Jake Clifford we spoke about him coming into this side and taking over the number seven jersey it looks like moving forward he has resigned long term I believe till 2028 uh it's a great resigning he is a very talented footballer he's got a great kicking game we've seen some great performances from him this year and I think his time in the Super League was so so precious to him and I think it's helped him huge hugely in you know his development as a footy player uh obviously his form at Newcastle two years ago um and just at the Cowboys before that as well he was getting limited time in first grade at the nights he struggled uh to be that main guy for them moving forward they obviously let him go to the Super League uh killed it in the Super League played some really good football matured as a player and I think that he's come back as a mature number 72 and I think the great thing about Clifford I think he's only 25 26 as well Jake Clifford so he's not yeah 26 years old he's not that old he'll be 27 next year really getting into the prime uh of his career as well over the next few years so I'm very keen to see how Jake Clifford goes how he develops even further you know this preseason that he's going to have with the Cowboys I don't think he had the preseason with the Cowboys last year or this year I should say because he had only just come back from the Super League late I think he only joined halfway through the year the cow to the Cowboys um but yeah look I am so ke to see him get a full pre season there in that number seven jersey and I think off the back of the footy that we've seen from him over the past two to three weeks since he's been in the side I think he's ready to take on that role as well Jakey Clifford so uh Keen to see how he goes over the next few weeks and how he ends the season and obviously how they go in finals as well if they keep their spot but um yeah he's been playing some really good footy his kicking game his timing uh his performance last week was phenomenal he was the half back of the week for me Bar None cannot wait to see how he goes for the rest of the year let's quickly touch on the bunker obviously a few bad calls in relation to high tackles I'm going to get up a post that I put up um today just in regards to some stats that grah mansle had chucked up um off the back of the weekend and just some of the calls that we had gotten in relation to high tackles but also um just some of the the amount of penalties blown and then some stats for the season as well just to get your head around the penalties specifically for high tackles now the round 25 stats surprise me in the sense that this is not the total amount of penalties throughout the round this is the total amount of high tackle penalties throughout the round and for me we'll talk about it after let me just go through this first 30 penalties for high tackles this round just in round 25 30 High tackle penalties that is not including six again that is not including offside or any one of those other penalties obstruction stuff like that it is 30 penalties alone for high tackles 10 of the 30 were charged by the match Review Committee uh so 10 of those 30 were charged by the match Review Committee meaning that they went to the Judiciary or they were handed fines stuff like that six out of those 10 that were charged by the match Review Committee was sbin so 60% of the 10 that were charged by the match Review Committee was sent to the sbin five of those six were grade two so one of them wasn't a grade two four of those five grade two charges were sbin um yeah look just a lot going on there a lot to dissect um just too many penalties for me way too many hit High penalties uh if we go into to the head high penalties for this year 342 penalties for high tackles in 202 uh 20124 year hasn't even finished yet 300 plus penalties for high tackles in a season is insane I don't know if the number looks big and you actually divide it by round and it's not actually that large but it's a fuckload of penalties um it's more than 10 penalties around be average around 10 to 15 penalties around not including the 30 that we just got here uh 27 were sbin or sent off 23 out of the 27 charge uh charges were grade two or grade three 18 of the 23 grade two or grade three charges were sin bined or sent off yeah again just a lot to talk about there a lot to talk about 78% of them were sent off or sent to the sin bin um yeah look take put that what you will it's just a lot of penalties it's a fuckload of penalties and then if you go by round uh in round one we had 16 it goes 16 13 14 13 13 11 6 in round seven which is good 14 11 12 16 8 uh no 10 9 4 17 13 16 7 11 12 7 19 and then in the last three rounds since they've really started to knuckle down on it it's literally gone from 19 to 27 273 just insane how many penalties have been blind for high tackles and this is high tackles alone again this is not for S uh for offside this is not for six again this is not for obstruction this is not for any of those other penalties right this is specifically High tackles and I know they're cracking down on it I know that player safety is a huge uh you know I guess worry in the game uh obviously with the amount of head highs and and the research behind concussion the amount of players who have sustained CCE over the past few years has been huge I know that and I hope he doesn't mind me sharing this but uh my boss at the moment uh my mom's boss uh and my boss as well um at claim Central who played for the rabbos Brian Samson uh he's also got CTE went for tests on his brain they got a bunch of fooie players to go and do these tests uh you know brought to you by the NRL um they obviously got a bunch of X ex and former players to go in and do the tests on their brain long rigorous tests asking questions getting scans done long MRIs I think it's like two to three hour MRIs on the brain um I know that Darren Bry Brown was asked to do it uh who's with us for rabitos radio he didn't want to do it um but yeah look it is it is such a hectic thing you know obviously we've seen what happened to Paul Green we've seen what happens to another other guys in the NFL as well uh the results of CTE and stuff like that so I I get that the the emphasis around player safety but I just feel like if this is you know if we're blowing 30 penalties a game around sorry for high tackles and and you know that's not concluding offsides and that we're probably getting around 70 80 penalties per round when you're adding all of the other penalties up I'm starting to think that the game is just over refereed I feel like if I know that you know the people that like Common Sense are going to see common sense and beg for black and white and vice versa obviously we cannot decide between common sense and black and white I get it but there's got to be an element of common sense in the black and white and what I mean by that is look at a few of the tackles on the weekend um let's have a look at the Cory wedell and tanela one right you look at that footage I look at that footage the referees look at that footage you can tell that PCA makes the bad the worst contact out of the two right from woodell you can tell that PCA you know leads with the shoulder shoulder to the Head wedell lazy forearm wadell is getting two week suspension tanela is getting an $800 $1,800 fine I mean the common sense if you watch that video and a look then they made the excuse on the uh on the video from gr manle which I watched over and got these stats from um he was saying that obviously you know different angles different perspectives and stuff like that um but you could tell the average Joe sitting at home could tell that that was tanel BCA leading with the shoulder and it's not even stuff like that where you know they get it wrong with the player which is horrendous with the amount of angles and the amount of times that they showed it and the fact that the average Joe sitting at home could understand who making the tackle was but how different games are refereed in different ways uh and different referees and bunker officials have different perspective IV on the game I think that and I've Loved this suggestion on scen I forget who it was but they made the suggestion of having a singular I think it was Todd Carney uh who made the suggestion might have been Todd Carney or Scott pruns I'm pretty sure but whoever it was they made the suggestion uh that they should have one bunker official across all eight games of footy changes every week sure if you wanted to but there one monk bunker official across all eight games that sits in a box watches over each of the eight games and makes the decision based off his perspective for all of the eight games so we're not getting a disparity in calls game to game week to week if you do want to change it up each week you might get a bit of a disparity week to week but at least game to game throughout the entire round we have consistency we know what the precent it is uh and I think that would ease a lot of confusion with amongst the fans just having a consistent guy in sitting in the bunker making the decisions um consistently throughout all eight games of a round uh I'd love to hear what you guys think about that but I think that that would I guess as I said ease a bit of confusion amongst the fans and also just provide a bit of clarity on what the precedent is um you know around each ruling what the perspective is what the referees are being told uh to over Referee on or to look closer at uh you know what to look for we know what that precedent is so we can identify it as a fan sitting and watching the game as well uh but I think that's a really good idea just having a consistent referee in the bunker every week for every single game uh let me know what you think about that uh but it would ease a bit of the confusion we' get a lot less controversy around calls because we know what the precedent being set is some calls are always going to be controversial to some fans but you'd get a lot less controversy around calls because as I said people would know the precedent being set for those rules again let me know what you think but that's my two cents on the bunker uh just consistency around calls uh particularly obstruction calls I think that disrup disrupter is ridiculous and it it's get it's refereed in some games and doesn't get refereed in other others obstructions are super inconsistent the blocker rule uh we got to talk about that quickly as well just before we cut off um the blocker rule is ridiculous um I think that again Common Sense should be influenced in these decisions for example um you know two weeks ago with the Phoenix Crossland field goal Will Kennedy was no CH he was a chance he got there will chance got to Phoenix Crossland uh just before he put the kick up he was still able to get there and be able to have an attempt to block the the kick he didn't block the kick obviously he missed it and there was a player standing in front of the kicker which constitutes I guess black and white an obstruction but will Kennedy got there and he made an attempt to block the kick so therefore if you're looking at it from a common sense angle shouldn't be a penalty for blocking uh same on last tackle kicks if the defender is able to get to the kicker on last tackle and make an attempt to block the kick it shouldn't be a penalty uh for blockers and then again as well this is what confuses me and I think that not many people have been talking about this as well we have blockers who you know obviously are attempting to you know pray up space for their kicker to make the last tackle kick what's the point of having a blocker if the person coming to interfere the kick is going to get penalized anyway for interfering with the kicker that's what I don't get because we've we've seen a bunch of penalties with interfering interference with the kicker on last tackle whether it's you know touch of the leg or stuff like that we've seen penalties for interference of the kicker across a number of occasions this year obviously Harry Grant got sent to the bin for it against Daniel Atkinson in the first game that Melbourne vers the the Sharkies a few rounds back um we've seen it on a number of occasions here uh obviously the lucky ilas breaking of the leg uh with Freddy Lusk in New South WS cup where Freddy LK obviously got some time in in the uh you know off the field uh with a suspension but what is the point of having blockers to block kicks if you're going to get penalized for interfering with the kicker anyway that's what I want answered um from gr hle I think that as well if we're being very honest here there is a little bit of a lack of accountability um with those as well a real lack of accountability I think that they've definitely got to you know own up to mistakes that they've made and I guess it's hard as well you don't want to own up to a bunch of mistakes and tell us everything that you've done wrong but to have a complete another lack of accountability uh you know to say yeah look we may or may not have made the right call in this particular situation they weren't showing any footage uh um you know it was it was a bit of a lack of accountability in this week's presser from GR manle in my opinion you guys can watch it yourself it's on the NRL up and make your own call there but I just feel like there needs to be a bit more accountability there uh they need to you know sit down now not at the end of the season but now and figure out what the movies uh obviously with the one bunker official in the bunker or less people in the bunker as well I think is a big one uh there's a lot of people the bunker you don't realize there's two match officials uh one obviously is the main Match review official along with another one they've got a few ex players in there as well uh so they've got a lot of people in the bunker limiting the amount of people in the bunker but also um you know getting one official in there because they don't need two you get one official in there who gives his perspective on the rules that have been set throughout the entire week I think that should be discussed uh and also just Clarity around rules and again a complete understanding across all referees in regards to how rules should be refereed as well that's my two cents on it uh make sure you go ahead and subscribe to the YouTube become a part of the big Lesar League community that is all the news shush to the rabitos Co felter St Helens Clifford extends and a bit of chat about the bunker any thoughts on what we've discussed or anything that I should discuss on the podcast in regards to news that I may have missed or any points that you have in regards to what we have discussed make sure you go ahead and leave that in the comments we will see you guys in the next one