It's Cleary's Time

Sorry, brother, Just sorry, brother, It's just.

Fiddling around there. I never knew that Frank Sinatra That's life that David Lee Roth did a version of it.

Who cares?

I care obviously brought it up.

That's live, that's and I know you've had a big night.

Well I had to do it. Get up and charity do. That's what it is.

Charity Dodd do you You're on a freaking moon late late night, early morning, late night, early morning.

What were you doing up?

Where were you? Burly Billy Heads, belly Bears, the.

Burly Bears an excellent club up there.

Yes, and q r L also made of mind Damien Driscoll, he runs the club up there there.

Last night it was good. Bennie Iken was there. First time to see Bennie oakon for a long time. Madge Megre on stage.

Match McGuire, Well, well we're going to talk about some When do we start? Now we started, Yeah, we've started. The mics are on in Tapman, Yeah, in Chapman. We have what you say is howards Marge, Michael maguire. A lot of a lot of press at the moment, with a lot of pressure from the from the Broncos. Reese wallash boxing his mate, lots of different stuff. How was Madge?

It is okay? Now, he's pretty good. I mean, he's been through it all before, you know.

And at the end of the day, the broncos of five and five, like, you know, it's it's a it's a I think because they won that first round so convincingly and just absolutely expectation went through the roof through the roof and they've got a lot of stuff they

Now.

But he's been through before. He was pretty good match, yeah, pretty good.

Yeah, what what's did he seem like it was bothering him or anything like, just because a lot of people a lot of the time people go, oh, you know, when players are criticized, people go, you got to remember, who's a twenty two year old boy. A lot of that stuff people forget sometimes coaches they might be a bit older in experience, but doesn't mean they are oblivious but to feelings, yes.

I don't oblivious to feelings is the right term. But yes, they're human, they are they are human. Mate, know, he's pretty good.

Actually, as I said before, he's been it through before.

I've seen Madge Madge is not the sort of guy. Look when Madge Madge could win twenty games in a row and when you speak to him like his head is going to fall off anyway.

Is that type of guy.

He's an intense guy, you know, that's what he is a coach, but made he's good.

Like I'm not saying like they're not they're not going off.

A clear or anything like that, but they're going through a bad patch of form at the moment.

They're trying to work things out. He'll get through it.

Well.

I think most clubs are going pretty sh inconsistent this year, like it's the it's thee apart from Bulldogs really a lot of Canberra probably, but well, a lot of clubs are so inconsistent.

I mean the Bulldogs the other night, Friday night. Yeah, get flowers out of the Dolphins. That's right, you know what I mean?

Like it's his Dolphins were good by the.

Way, Dolphins were good, but they've had an inconsistent year too. Azayakatawa, you love him, mate, You need you need to stop him settling. You love him so much. I'm actually I love it.

I love him as a player. I just think he's very, very special.

He's a good player.

Twenty one years of age, something like that. And when you talk about the best half backs in the game, the best, the elite halfbacks in the game, the very best, the Krem della crem, the cream of the crop.

And the crop of the cream, which he's got to be in that.

Something right, And we're going to unpack it. This is going to we're going to unpack a lot of state of origin. I hate that word unpacked. Say we're going

That's right.

But Isaia Katawa, let's say Mitch and Nathan Cleary both got long term injuries, game two whatever game. Do you think he'd be ready for State of Oder?

Yes, yes, I do. I do.

He's just so composed. Every time I see him, he just gets better. He's playmaking the other night. The first half he controlled the game with his kicking in the wet conditions. Second half he control the game with his guidance and his clever ball playing. Just dominated. So yeah, and it's funny, isn't it, because you think about when you think about the state of origin, he's.

Not a name that comes to mind. No, not really, but yeah, he's eligible.

He represents Tonga, but there are two nations, so he can play State of origin football. And I reckon, I reckon Laurie should bring him. You know they have the extended squad. Bring him to the extended squad.

Yeah.

Yeah, I've got to apologize to people too. I am really, I am really young.

Overs catching up with old mates last.

Night, and hey, you know what, like we said about coaches a humans, you're a human too. Like I know you're you're a media icon and as your legend, but is that fair thing to say. That's a fair thing

Honest, it's down day. I'm just saying that my energy levels a little low and I'm a little cloudy. I've got these glasses on at the moment just to sort of shield my eyes a little bit.

Yeah. Another shout out Brandon Smith. Yeah, cheesel has he's been at the Rabbit Hoz. I saw Latrol Mitchell during the week and asked him how Cheese is going. He said, he's fitting in like a glove, very easy, very likely to get along with. Says he's really happy at the moment. You spoke to Cheese as well. During the week.

I text Cheese and I said, great to see in the Cardinal of Myrtle and he that's the colors of Sesiny cardinal cardinal and Myrtle. Oh right, your brother played for the Mighty Bunnies and you don't even know their colors cardinals.

So you're going red and green, don't you? Green? It's so what cardinal of Myrtle?

Is that the old school way of saying red and green?

Yeah, it's a slightly it's not a pure red. It's a different, isn't it. Jack? That's right? Yeah? JACKO help us out.

Nice work there, Cooper. It's a softer red and a softer green, mate, Yes, you know there it is, Yeah, with lighter undertones. I didn't want people to turn off, right, Well, that's that's hand. You can tell that Wayne Bennet's going to get the best.

Well, I text Jesus and make Gracie and the Cardinal Myrtle and he can said, mate, I love Wayne as we just come back with That's all he said. And that's people. There's some coaches they just get the best out of players. Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bennett mate, like Brent, he's the type of guy that will thrive under those those those type of coaches.

Yeah, and Lucky Galvin that's another big news at the moment, saying that he might leave potentially immediately, right.

It was going to be before June thirty.

Yeah, so is do you think that's a if I'm the Bulldogs, I feel like it's a weird bye. Why I look at how good they're going this year, Toby Sexton and and I think they are a great pairing. They're both young. Like you leave those two there together for a five year period, They're only going to get better now they're going to get Lachlan Galvin, who, in my opinion, is just a younger He is a younger version of Matt Burton with how he plays. I think

It's a tricky one for a tricky one for Gus and Cameron Sorelda with the Dogs because it's really important.

You've got to shore up at the future of your club, you know, and your future roster. But at the same time they're flying, you know, they're they're at the moment, and you don't want who You don't basically want to plan to the future and hurt the present.

But this is it's what you've got to do.

And Galvin is looks to me as though, I feel good accounts him as like a once in a generation type player that's sort of talent. And so I know it's hard and might disrupt things a little bit, But as far as the futures concern you, if you've got there, if you've if you have the chance to sign Lockie, you've just got to sign him. Where they play him, I think they will play him.

We'll put it this way.

I think the next eighteen months for Lockie that he will be in the halves, he'll be.

A six coups. But long term I see him as the thirteen.

But the question I wanted to ask you, because you said you think they're different players, they both play as a five eight, as a running five eight. How do you think that dynamic good work down Matt Burton Ulockey govern as halves.

They wouldn't play together.

I don't think they played.

Together in the halves similar.

No, because neither of them are pure seven that it would.

I still maintain you do need someone who's a pure seven or more of a natural seven than those two blokes.

Burton for me is.

He's a six slash three slash one, possibly possibly thirteen, but I see him in an outside back slash six. I see Locky Galvin as a six slash thirteen. He's a play through the line type player. He's going to be when he when he pops and starts to fill out, and he's going to be robust shortball playing handful. But I don't neither of them are sevens, and this is going to be This is why it's going to be

Yeah, No, I agree. A lot of the reports have been Burton playing one this week that has come out saying that Burton to one and Galvin and Sexton is the combination, which I mean could potentially work. I think kind of Tracey's content, he fits into them mold very well.

So this is what we're talking about when you bring a bring a player in the level, just that subtle disruption that happens like suddenly, like Toby Sexton.

I've been looking at Toby in the last six weeks ago, what's going through his head? Everyone's still to.

Be a Galvin going there and he not being re signed and being on the outer, And I think what's going through Toby's head? And he's been able to compartmentalized and actually do really good.

But yeah, it's interesting.

But I mean I think they've become the favorites to sign Galvin. I mean it's always been Paramatter, Paramatter or

Okay. And the last sort of story that's floating around. Trent Robinson went whack on the Newcastle Knights last week about the Dom Young situation. What are you hearing about Dom Young? Do you think you'll go this year?

He'll be there in two weeks two weeks Castle. I think he.

The Knights. The Rooster's played the Knights in a couple of weeks time. My understanding is Dom will be a Rooster when that game's taple. He might not be on the field. It might have been in the first grade side, but he will be a Rooster up until full time. At full time, the thing that I've heard is that he will be the Knights the week after that, so it's Roosters versus Knights.

Take it as given. The next day he'll be the Knights.

It's been a weird, weird relationship. I think Don played very well last year. Obviously for whatever reason, you know, he was dropped this year. They didn't think he was playing that well. Do you think it'll be a goodbye for the Knights going back then.

Phil Burbon, you think it'd be a good r Yeah, goodbye, very very good.

Yeah, it works, it works well. He gives them a lot of punch coming out of hit. Him and Shill has been been He's good player, Shiller. But that one two combination of Greg marzou and and Dom Young coming out of trouble, that one two punch is very very good and you know, in some sort of finish it but in his big personality up there like it was a big loss for the club, Like.

My I reckon.

The best image I've seen of the Newcastle Knights in the last twenty years is that Canberra game.

It's a final game.

When he's running down that right hand touch line, crowd we're just going man, that was it was just some great shots. Yeah, yeah, it's there's some cult heroes like he reminds you of like a like a Wendell Sailor for the Broncos, Adam McDougal for Newcastle, that real fan favorite.

People get around him. Ye, So good to see Dom young.

If he goes back there, and he'll be back there, it'll be good to welcome back to the bosom of the Novocastrian bosom.

Yes, Novocastrians.

I ran into I was going through the airport and the Swans were there and ran into Isaac Heney, old Navacastrian, fellow Nevocastrian.

How was he?

He was good before I met I met Lucky at a Melbourne carp Isaac, you're a now. I met Isaac a couple of years ago at the at the Melbourne Cup.

Good to see him today.

It's good mate, like good looking for twenty nine. He's played a long time. He's twenty nine because he was the Arabay League player coming through. He's from black Hill. Black Hill is it's it's probably fifteen minutes from from Newcastle. It's near s it's sort of in between near Maitland and Rutherford and Hexham around that area. So he's a black Hill boy. Parents still still live up that way.

Lucky, whatever you want to call him. All right, State of Origin before we go through the teams, Matthew, you played three Start of Origin games?

Four?

Do you play four? How many you win?

Ah? I forget none?

No no, no, yeah, that's all right. You and Craig Bellamy got a very similar wind the dry Yeah.

Yeah.

What about your first Origin experience? What was that like? What a lot of the boys who are in there now a lot of debutantes who are going to be playing, what's it experience like as a first Origin cooper?

I reckon when you're playing Origin, form is really important, but also not just form, but I reckon the type of game you play leading into that origin.

Game is really important.

And what I mean by that is until you played the State of Origin, you've never experienced like pacing intensity like it to get there, like it's man, it's it's just full on coop.

And so what happened to me.

My five there was the Aril Super League split right, and they were telling me that if the Super League players.

Weren't going to be selected to the injury and I were going to do the halves. About about six weeks out.

From Origin, I did mynee, did a PCL and a medial and was out for like five six weeks. And my game that I came back, I came back against the Warriors the week before the Origin, and I was rusty. But basically I never realized how rust I was because we beat them by fifty points. We put the cluess through the Warriors. It was one of the best wins

Needed a little bit more of a hit out.

Anyway, so we get there and we sit down, we go it was myself and Andrew. We're a mum and dad's house, and we had no idea we're going to be picked or not. All they said that was there was going to be a press conference and it led the six o'clock news. Channel nine News started the six o'clock news. But okay, let's go straight to ROL headquarters for the route. They're going to announce the state of

Right.

So we're sitting in front of the in front of the box, can Arthur's and John Quayle go through the ringing roll blah blah blah blah blah, and we come on just fucking say the side played the side yeah about five minutes ago. Okay, now the announcement of the side, and Ken Arthsen goes, okay, new, So while state of origin side number one, you ain't gone wait wait wait, Tim Brasher, which so.

They didn't ring your prior, they didn't tea you up.

No, Wow, that's bizarre right now.

I think what it was, Coop. They didn't want to cook because the Super League war. They didn't want to let it to get out. I think they weren't going to select. So it was a complete surprise. Yeah, and then Gus rang and I spoke to Gus. We went down into the camp and that first camp and.

I tear Coop.

You talk about not regrets, but you know, you learn your lesson that that week. It was a ten day build up into the game, and every single day they had me and Joey doing media because you brothers, the Blues Marketers and all that stuff. We had to come out to Newcastle and shoot an ad for Reom hot Water or I had. By the time the game come around, I was exhausted. I felt like, yeah, I was just I.

Was spent And they do a good job. Now obviously I was in there a lot last week Monday and Tuesday. It's heavy media for the boys, like they're doing so much Channel nine Fox or like you know, your Ko's sport, like a lot of different brands and stuff, and then kind of come come training time Wednesday, most of the media is all done, so they kind of protect them

It was.

Yeah, so we got that first game Coop and they beat us to nil. Well, yeah, so you go from a game you've beat the Warriors by fifty points at home and then a dry Sunday afternoon and then you're playing a night game State of Origin, slippery conditions.

It was just so nil.

So just a penalty penalty goal. Wow, is that the lowest score ever in severn in history? It's probably right.

I think definitely it was a nil. And it's funny.

I went through a few I played the third game that series, and that's where I started at the handle of how you prepare for those games, because and from that first game, I learned a lot about preparation when you played, not so much for the Origin because I only played a couple more, but playing for the Australian so i'd gone away in World Cups. Learned how to prepare in the fact that whatever you did, whatever I

Yeah.

Anyway, so games game three, I'm not named and it was split round for.

Us at Newcastle.

So's it was Wednesday night game and so it was on Tuesday night. A few of the boys said, what are you doing? Are we going to go and get.

A meal and have a few beers.

So when I had a time meal and we're having a few beers, how about six or seven beers.

Go home that night?

And need I get a call ten thirty that night with Lorry Day and Joey, I said, mate.

Turves is Turves was really crooked? Was hooker?

He's really really crook made if he's crooked in the morning, can't play mate. We're just gonna let you know, mate, get yourself ready because we're going to put your name up hook and.

I'm thinking of himself. Oh fuck honight, because I was pissed.

Yeah, yeah, I had like a massive food, like a green curry, a red curry and a dozen beers.

My belly good.

Green curry so good with a coconut rice.

Gorgeous anyway, Coop. So I get up in the morning and I'm thinking off.

It's Tubs like you had toughers. Wake up in the morning, get a call from Joey. Hey, mate, Tommy's going to call you.

Mate.

I think Turbs is out, like, oh fuck, okay, no worries. So I'm trying to sweat off his hangover. Then Tommy rings me and goes, hey, Skippy, how a you going. Joey was Joey and he called me skippy for whatever reason. Skippy, Mate, Tubs is out, Maye, you're in. I want You've got to be down here within an hour, I said Tommy Newcastle. He goes, mate, I don't care. I knew you, okay, I knew you by twelve thirty. It was like ten o'clock. I need you by twelve thirty. If you know you're

Where the fuck are you? Mate? I'm still in Newcastle Airport? What the fucking doing there? I said, I'm about to get on the fly. But there's mate, there's there's no ticket for me. I don't give a fuck, mate, Just buy a ticket. We'll sorw it that.

Yeah, No, got to buy a ticket. So the plane's full. Oh fuck, call Tommy, Hey, Tommy, make the planes full.

I don't give a fuck. I don't give a fuck.

Skippy you and I down here by twelve thirty, mate, I'm gonna fucking find you just get and I'm I'm okay, and I'm standing there and I think, fucking am I going to get down?

The pilot comes past and goes, Mattie, here you're going. I said, oh, you're right. He is a problem here.

And I said, fun, you wouldn't believe it. I just got named in the Origin side. I've got to be down there within an hour. And there's no suits on the plane. He goes, oh fuck, okay, okay, okay, okay, just walk with me, walk down anyway.

They get me on the plane. I've got no ticket or anything.

And I sit on the floor in the cop pit between the two pilots.

That has to be illegal, right, What times you get down there?

Got down there?

Arrived at twelve fifteen, jumped in the cab, went straight to the hotel. It was fifteen minutes late. And he fined me five hundred bucks.

How much did you get paid for Origin back in those days?

You've got three grand?

Three grand? Okay, so still pretty good, right, like three greend Jesus, Jesus, that's tough.

You know what.

I used to love. You spark my memory before when you sit down as a kid and watch as they announced the side. They've got to bring that back right now. They just posted on sort of their Instagram on social media, it comes out, but they got to do the live

Yep.

I think I think there's got to be something where they bring it back social media, like it just pops up on your Instagram or something.

Now, well, I've always said on State of Origin Knight, I reckon they should.

They should bring more theater to it.

I reckon they should turn the lights off in the stadium, because these days the lights in the stadium come back on about five minutes. I dim the lights in the stadium and introduced the players one by one.

Yeah, yeah, that.

Would be it'd be crazy.

I used to love the junior club thing too, with the boys that turn around cross their arms, the coup of John's, nar ain a Hawk's Hardboard, Devil's and Avalon Bulldogs because I played for three clubs. Did jors you did, I've got the I've got a few of the teams before we actually go off. I wanted to ask you being dropped in state of Origin. Yeah, you got dropped obviously.

The first time I got dropped, Robert Finch. Finch he was my old coach, but he was bore manager at the Knights at that point, and he just walked in and there were.

The four of us.

That was Chief self, Joey, Adam Muir one of the other boys. Anyway, we walk in raw standing together and he goes, hey, boys, I've just got the team for game two. We went yep, sweet, and he looked at Chief and went yep, sweet Joey, yes sweet Hertzy yes sweet mate, and looked at me. He just looked at me, and I looked at him and he just went, sorry, mate.

Oh that's right down disappointing. Were you like, did you ride that? Did that like her?

Or I did hurt. Yeah, yeah, it did hurt. It's embarrassing.

So was that that that story with Tommy Dynacas. Was that your last Origin?

Yeah?

Last origin? And you know what, Coops, that was the best Origin I'd ever played. And it says a lot about mindset about you know, like they say might ever matter and the mental is more important than physical. That is evidence of it, mate, because that was, in theory, the worst possible preparation I could have had. Went out there nightfall, had a big, big merle, had a bet a dozen beers, wake up, hangover day of the game,

It's funny, right, like so many players. Camraen Mauster is a good example of him. You could tell him on the Monday, and he's someone who doesn't really over He's a he's a thinker, but he doesn't overthink. So the best thing for him he just gets out there. He could think all week, but when he gets out there

That that is true, coops.

That's true.

I mean, and we're talking about like the mental being more important than the physical. If someone was telling me recently, Lebron James about four or five years ago, he just made the decision, you know what, I'm just gonna I'm actually going to enjoy my life like apparently he was having he'd have a bottle of red every night. Really, Lebron James yep, and just played because he's just done. It's done it for so long.

Well, there's there's rumors, there's rooms that go around that ray Stone has like a has a drink of like rum or something. The night before game has about six rumbows would not surprise. I don't. I don't know if that's one hundred percent true, but there's a rumor going around. The boys up there say maybe he has a drink that he looks like a tough homebreak he does know it's scary day.

Well, yeah, I've made stories about blokes back in the day, like your pop. When your pop went from when he was he was only young. He went from Curry to cessnot in the competition, your pop mate Pop was renowned as one of the best young players in the whole Newcastle coming through in the seventies, like he was gunna play your Pop And I think he was just about the youngest bloke evident. A debut for the Curry Curry Bulldogs in first grade. Right he's about seventeen now. Curry

Were drinking middies.

But the day of the game, day of the game, they were drinking. This is this is early seventies, he said. The players were all at the bar, had three or four medies and then walked to the game and played.

I Love I Love the old school. Even that like makes me, you know, blokes like Johnny Raper, who are playing essentially now we look at it like bush footy, but back then it's like you could be playing that footy and get picked for state of origin and stuff, right yep, Like it's it's bizarre how you didn't actually need to be at like an NRL club to be playing state of Origin.

Jake Juke's Jake Jake's uncle who might be his grandfather, Phil Duke. He played State of Origin outam Maury.

I think it was more.

He's playing more in Bubering.

He's got picked Deep played for country for Country first and got picked. And the other guy was a guy at in Newcastle called Rex right. Rex played hooker for

Yeah, it's weird, Okay, teamless, So we go through there. We'll read it out one to seventeen. Dylan Edwards, Bryan Stephen Crichton, Latroll, Mitchell, Zach Lomax, Mitchell Moses, Nathan Cleary, forwards, Mitch Barnett, Rhees, Robson, payinhass Liam Martin, Angus Crichton, Isaiah the Bench, Connor Watson, Spencer, Lanu Hudson, Young, Max King and our Man Stretch Stretch Armstrong Campbell Graham eighteenth man A good side. What were your thoughts when the first and no Ouse to side?

Beautiful, beautifully balanced side. It's a great side. I really like it. There might have been a change here or there, but mate, I look at that side and I just it just gives me supreme confidence. Do you think there'll be any funny game, like anyone who won't start or anything like that. I don't think so. It's not Lorie's style and it's not belly Ache style. I think they've got their team. They're not going to try to play

And I will say it is belly X style. Billy does that a lot. Yeap used to love a mind game. I'll name you at when you're in COVID. When they moved it from like you had to name it an eighteen or a nineteen to twenty one because people could go down. He's like, I'll name you at twenty one this week so they don't think you're playing. He do

Yeah, the opposition coach.

Yes, a bitch.

He loves it.

I think he actually he actually overthinks it. Sometimes. He did something with Tyron we shot one time. I'm trying to remember what it was.

I remembering me and goes Billy. Hik's taking mind games to a whole new level. To the point it was also it was nearly mind gaming wishy. She was like, am I playing? Because he had no idea.

He was actually, don't if I'm playing this week?

Oh that's good.

Queensland side Caleb Ponger, Xavier Coach and Valentine Holmes on the wing, Robert Toya, Hamaso, Tabio, Fido Munster, Cherry Evans, mofod Awaker, Tino in the front row with Harry Grant, our Man, Reuben Coottter, Jeremiah na I back row, Patrick Carrigan at Locke the bench, Tom did and Lindsay Collins both firm Trentleero debutante and eighteenth killer Kurt Man. It's a bloody good side too. They had a lot of injuries to do.

Great sides, ye, two great sides. You can see with out side. I can see the formula they're going at and how they'll play with Coeensland. I don't see the formula. I don't know how they're going to play, which is actually perfect for them. They'll play Monsta ball, which is like unorthodox. I mean, you've got the thing about it is like you got Monster and Kalin there, Harry and DC. If he's if he can hit top four, that's a that's a that's a very very strong spine.

All the money is with New South Wales, right and I think and I think given a lot of rugby league is covered in New South Wales by the media, so you know, all the all the chat has been and this happens every year New South Wales get all the media, we hypermnt we go we're gonna win, We're gonna win, We're gonna win. No one talks about Queensland at all, and then they go out and they shock us a little bit. All the money's been in New South Wales. But you look at that spine with Kaylon

Let's get let's get straight to the mood of the Sandwich year, right, let's talk about let's let's go dilly dell, Let's talk about who we think will win and why. For me, I'm really bullish on New South Wales. I've got supreme confidence and I don't I don't say that, you know, being a New South waleshman and being biased anyway, shape or form, because there's plenty of times there that

And you know like.

And say that what you will, but I just can't. I can't lie. I'm not going to get here and just go mate. I'm not going to absolutely tear myself apart and agonize if they get beat first and foremost want. I watched the game as a lover of the sport, and I admire the players. But I'm not going to sit here straight away and just go mate. I'm going to be blue, blue blue because of the fact that I.

Played for you. It's it's not how it's not how I work.

I hate I hate that. I hate watching the coverage. And you've got two Blues there too, Moro owns there and they both only it's very it's just bias opinion. I think it's a It's a beautiful thing where you just as you just look at the game itself, you look at the players and just be completely objective if you if you just because you played for the Blues doesn't mean you can't say I think Queen's and can

But I'll see it is Coode. That's it's way it is with football clubs as well. Like you know, Blake asked me, and I think I've said this before the podcast. He said, Mate, still love the nights. You know what, It's hard football clubs change. It's not the same club that when you were there. You know what do I love mate? I loved I love them, the teammates. I love Pool on the Jersey, I love the city, I love the fans. The club's different. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's

I just knew.

I looked at the side they picked, the dynamic of the side and everything else that's going to win this series.

I see nothing but New South Wales.

Why is that.

Quality of the side, quality of the individuals in the side, but also the dynamic of the side. It just fits perfectly the Rubik's cube. It works. And the reason is Coops is if we can just if we can just do one thing, New south Wales, if New South Wales can consistently get Nathan Cleary into position for attacking kicks consistently through the game, we'll win. Because his kicking game that produces points and it builds pressure and not position.

They will go.

It'll be you know, it'll be Edwards to Zak Loomax, maybe to again or Edwards again kick out of trouble and the way they go, Now, that will reduce, that'll take so much stress off our forwards, our big guys, and again it will just put us into position constantly for attacking kicks.

Yeah, I'm with you. I had New South Wales when a game one up at some uncle. That's that is the defining factor, I think. Yeah, But they have our back three will if like on paper, does a way better job in terms of workload and how they're going to carry the football back. Kalin's not a known sort of kick returner for that sense. His presence is his X factor with the footy, which is going to be

On our back three, what's going to be really crucial coups for Zach Zaklomax. Zach sometimes can be he has I'll watch him and this is perfectly normal. Most of his focuses on attack, he's carrying the football and stuff.

He works his ass off.

But occasionally I see him he switches off in defense, you know, like he's almost exaes okay, you know all the work he does and defensively, Billy will go at Zach consistently. They will just go at him, going and going que because what happens some signs with Zack when he loses focus in defense, he disconnects himself from his center and he tucks too much. And I think my daughter was game won last year, or it might have been the series before. Billy just kept going there through

And this is going to sound a little technical for people something. I'll try to explain it as best as I can here. There was a game last year when it might have been Zachlomax's first game because he chases kicks a lot, and they kick for him, try to use him in that sense. When it is time to defend, he probably tries to get his breath back a little bit. Yeah, that's it, and I knew that chatting to a few

Zach will have I reckon probably in the mid twenties.

As far as carries, he'll work his ass off, but it's just so vitally important that mate, when he gets back to his edge defensively doesn't switch off. They will just go at him, go at him, go at him relentlessly.

So what do we think? What do you reckon?

I've got you so well as twenty to eight, en, do you what have you got? What's just God?

I've gone, I've got South Wales twenty six twelve. You've

I've never seen you this confident because I'm a bit worried about Queensland. I think they like fire in their belly and I think that you know how much that Jersey means to them, and each player has such a point to prove. Munster wasn't there last year. Terry's got a lot of stuff going on that he wants to shut.

A lot of people up.

Harry's Harry's Harry. Can I ask you just two more points? I want to bring up to you who spined your rate as better? Like if you if you had to, if you were coaching a team. Let's say you were coaching not so well as quens and you were coaching Act and Act said, you get to pick the spine of Queensland on New so Wales. Who you're picking, because in my opinion, I'm picking Queensland. That's spine.

I like New South Wales, you like New so Cleary.

I think the one thing for me, the one thing that for me that ticks it over is Harry. I think everyone else is kind of pretty even sure, and then Harry. Harry is Harry in my opinion, He's just out and out the best hooker in it, like by a country mile in the NROL.

H I agree, I agree, but I just love Cleary. It's Clear's time, Yeah, it's clear his time.

Last thing I want to ask you the big match up Robert Toyer versus Latrell Mitchell. Robert Toyer, shout out to him. Ten games. He's been picked in the centers by Billy Slater. He's probably going to be This is probably the biggest moment of his career so far, easily coming up against probably the most damaging center in the NRL, Latrell Mitchell. How do you see that matchup going?

Well, Robert to to ten games, hell of a footballer.

And the fact that Billy's picked him says he's ready, Pip, is he ready to get well?

Billy picked him.

Billy's so thorough he doesn't pick someone that's not ready. Yeah, he's ready to go.

Coops. It's a little bit like a lot of the presence of Latrell.

I liken it to a young boxer stepping into the ring with Muhammad Ali, you know what I mean. When he's out there, Robert, he'll stand opposite in a look against Latrell, and I was just like, that's one of those You don't get a lot of those one on one ins a lot in the game these days, but center, as you do, you just know you're in that ten meter corridor for the whole game just steering at each other, and there'd be times that he be looking across gun.

That's fucking Latroll Mitchell.

Oh yeah, and Latrell mate Latrell early in the game, will try to get an early carry and just you know, like try to break his.

Confidence a little bit.

It's just important, Like Vittoya, He's just got to get up again Latrell's face, but it's going to be. It's a great clash. And that's the other thing gives me great confidence. Cop Latroll, Mitchell, Stephen Crichton, It's June Miles Malmaninger. I mean those two blokes on the when you look at those blokes on the team sheet, I just again it's not one on paper, victory is on grasp, but they just got great presence.

It's a great it's a great side.

Oh bloody, it's a it's a cool moment in my opinion, like not since probably twenty eighteen, I believe it was when it's like Latrell Mitchell up against Will Chambers, who was kind of the best. It was almost like a passing of the baton on when Latrell started to sort of dominate in the NFL, particularly at original level. He was a real handful. Gave gave Chambers a rough night a couple of times, but Chambers at that time was just enging at the end of his career and he

Well Cooper a little bit scratch you mate.

I know I was watching you the whole time, looking at the time, just wanting to wrap up.

You enjoyed it. I'll enjoyed the Origin.

Twenty six twelve New South Wales first try scorer Zach Lomax off a kick from Nathan Cleary, Man of the match Nathan Cleary.

You so w I was twenty eighteen Nathan Cleary, man of the match, first try scorer. In my opinion, he's a bit of value for you. Angus Crichton, Oh like us.

Good