"A High Tide Brings All Boats Slightly Higher Up In Buoyancy"

Cura and welcome back to the Mad Monday Podcast are brought to you by four and twenty pies. I'm talking about the perfect at home snack for.

Watching the rugby League.

You're with Die Henward and joining me this week have I've had the pleasure of commentating with him on the weekend, the wonderful Ben Early, How are you mate?

Look, I'm a bit gutted if I'm honest. There was some hard loss to take in the weekend. I'm sure we'll get into it. But not only do we did that result happen, but then my other team lost in Golden Points straight after it.

I know it was I suppose for impartial rugby league fans it was actually a great super Saturday of sport because it's always wonderful when the go down to Golden Point, but they fell on the wrong side of it for the fans. And we'll kick off with what was the Warriors losing in Golden Point to the Dogs thirteen to twelve.

Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen an injury ward quite that bad before in a Warriors team. We were allowed to get the eighteenth man, and usually there's some sort of, you know, a situation where you were allowed to have at least two players on the bench. But going into an extended time game with only one player on the bench is pre brutal. And I know, look, it's it's it's sort of cold comfort. But at least we showed a lot of heart in that loss.

Oh you can't, you can't. You can't knock the Warriors.

And to add to your point, it's even more bizarre when you lose three players and they're all sort of effectively in the same position, if you know what I mean, Like you lose the entire back. It's not like you'd lose a forward, you lose a center, and you lose

And as you.

Said, the Warriors have got to hold their heads up high. It's going to be a game that comes back to haunt us. I think when we look at the standings at the back of the year and let's look at some positives in this game. How good was Lek a halo seema seeing these young boys have good debuts.

Yeah, yeah, I'd put him in the same category as as Jacob Laban is having a really strong debut. I mean he almost scored like a halo seema. One of the great steps of the game to go over the line, unfortunately was held up. That would have been a dream start and we really needed those points at that point. But yeah, you've got to look at the positives, you know. I saw that press conference as well, and Webby was

You're so right.

Also, I looked to the game before that, that Sharks game at home that we should have won, where we were ahead and we just let them creep back in. And I was looking back at last year, and it actually turns out every sort of fifty to fifty momentum thing last year went in our favor. We won those two to four point games, we got the call, and so forth it would go for us, whereas this year

We just can't can't beat.

Them at all, and it's looking a bit rugged now because even though we can effectively make the eight, we've got our two buys, We've got seven games.

We need to win six of them.

What's really hurting us is all the teams around us are actually starting to fire now. Souths are actually on a run. It feels like it's just us. We're at fourteenth. It's us, the Titans, the Tigers and Paramatta are sort of languishing around the bottom, and we're going to have to really step up because I do think that eight and nine, potentially eight, nine, ten could be on the same points at the end of the season, and it's going to be points differential.

Yeah. Absolutely. I wanted to go back to the Freddy Lussick point because I watched rewatch the game and was listening to the mainstream commentary and they started calling him blocker Lussk, which I think they thought that they were giving him a compliment because it was taking hit ups. But of course we think of blockers a whole different thing.

Oh yeah, as this sort of weird lean and drunkne calor a wedding.

Yeah, I too.

I couldn't actually bring myself to do a full rewatch of that game, as it was so heartbreaking, but I did the highlights, and it's so tough when you see a game like that, and I was trying to look for points where we could have won that because I'm not one to blame the refs, but we have to talk about it. This weak, gutted dog, Jamen Salmon and that shot to add insult to injury. The judiciary cited him and he's getting a two to three week band, so that a two to three week ban says that that's.

A simmenable offense.

It was in front of the sticks with what a few minutes to go in Golden Point.

Yeah, I mean that was the game. That was the game. I don't know why the bunker couldn't have stepped in, like.

Because also he was spitting out teeth in a broken jaw to Marty Martin, I was worried his jaw was broken the way the trainer was wobbling it.

Oh, if you, if you do anything to Mighty Martin's face. I will literally I will find out who you are, where you live. I will hunt you down, and I will kill you.

Because there is two there's two issues on this one.

His shoulder made high contact as well, even if his shoulder didn't make high contact, it was a reckless head clash. He ran out of the line with reckless intent and hit him late.

So that annoyed me.

Also, what I only spied on the highlights when you know when Reed Marney got his hand up and touched the ball to stop it going over, he was a meter and a half off side.

Oh, at least three meters off side, And.

I mean the referee puts the whistle away at that point. But it's just so frustrating that the two moments basically won the drop goal would have won us to a penalty would have won it for us, and they.

Were both on illegal plays.

And three Matt Burton, who now has won the game two weeks in a row with a drop goal.

He's a flat earther.

What so last year Matt Burton came out very bizarrely in a press conference and said, and I'm not a lot of what this matter is busy earth flat So anyway, people thought he was joking. Then in an interview last week they hit him up about it and he actually started citing sources about why the Earth's flat, and weirdly, the source he cited as a scientific experiment.

Where the conclusion actually proves the Earth is round.

Okay, this is a whole other dimension that I had not affected him. So, I mean, I don't reckon that. You know, like a Doggies fan traditionally not a New Zealand Doggies fan, but a Sydney, Australia Canterbury fan is generally not, you know, the most smart person on Earth.

No, the traditionally, traditionally.

Bulldogs fans are often immigrants from Europe.

All right, this doesn't make me sound good.

No, No, like just hardcore, working class.

Yeah, they just I just find all I think of when I think of the Bulldogs, like their nineties fans that were just rabid and when they got a female CEO just basically you know, did everything to try and get her ousted, and she's a legend for sticking with the job, to be honest, But I didn't think that they were quite down to flat Earth believers.

There should be an episode of the ex files about Matt Burton.

Scullery Scalar of Moldy.

Molder not Moldy Scollar.

Do you say Scalar and Moldy Scalar.

And Maory.

Sculler and Murray are there's a real different files.

That is a rural New Zealand X files Sculler and Murray.

We said before, We've said before that game, we said it might be the actual real test of the season because the Dogs were six. I think they put someone to eat, like something like fourth now in the table.

The Dogs are flying at the moment, and to be honest, full credit to what Cameron Sireldo has done in that side because they defended their asses off. Like the point I was getting to before is outside of the reed money off side and that high shot.

By Jamon Salmon.

We got over the line twice and were held up. We had some very sloppy end of sets when we were on attack there. Granted, it becomes very hard to run your shape when your wingers and your fullback are both off.

Also, Roger two of us a sheeck.

Had that he dropped a bomb that was a bit of a momentum shift that thankfully didn't come back to hurt us because I believe with Sam Hughes and knocked it on very soon afterwards. But we did have our opportunities to ice that game.

Yes, But then so did Canterbury. I suppose, like we're talking about the old flat earther, he hit the post what twice before it actually went over?

Yeah, he was in front a couple of times. And our credit to us, our defense was pretty epic. We only let in what a try off, a kick and an intercept, Like it wasn't that we had weak defense, Like they just read that beautifully on that short ball to Marty Martin was trying to throw.

So do we have to die? Do we have to face facts? Is that the season?

I mean, I'm reticent to say it, but I think it is. I mean I have sort of been I've been secretly girding my loins for this moment that the season was falling away. And I think it's just a bit too far to try and win six from seven.

Well, to win the competition now, they literally have to win every single game except one, well now and the first weekend in October.

Yes, and no, and none of those that loss cannot happen in the finals, is there we even because we can't. We can't make the top four, so we'd have to sneak into the bottom of it. No team has won the competition from the bottom of the eight before, so I think it's a bridge too far. I think we need to go on a run though, like to keep some positivity around the side. I think it's now. Now is the time.

To give.

Boys like Lecqua Hala Sima Graham, Mola Tulfa Ali, Leahtawer all these boys some game time to be honest.

Yeah, absolutely, I mean, who do we know who we're losing next season? Are we losing anyone major?

So I think it's more young guys they haven't given contracts to where the biggest loss obviously is AFB, but that's nullified because James Fisher Harris is coming.

What I worry about is I think that.

We thought this year was our chance to win the comp hence buying Roger two of arsus K.

And Kirk Capewell.

And the worry is I think both of them are on three year deals and whether in that third.

Year of the deal whether they'll be worth their.

Sult because I mean they're both amazing behind the scenes in terms of old heads for the young guys, showing them how to train, how to be a professional athlete, how to be a professional league player. Two of us are Sheck's amazing at that. But then I will worry whether they're holding out these young guys from their positions, and then the young guys look elsewhere. I also hear that there's six clubs trying assigned to Martin Martin at the moment.

Really because how old is he? He would be thirty with.

Me, yeah, but bear in mind he had four years three years out with that, so his body hasn't taken the toll of those three year Oh yeah, good, and halves go a bit longer, and we've got this worry of of Sean Johnson's there next year and he's fit, and to Marty's not getting game time because we've got these four halves now, ht metcalf to Marty Martin and Sean Johnson. Just yeah, and just looked to Marty Martin up on tender he's twenty eight.

Yeah, so he's thirty eight in real life.

Then okay, so he's still got quite a few years left to them. But let's let's we should move on but let's talk quickly about c HT. Like he is a little bit of rocks and diamonds at the moment. He had some lovely moments, particularly on defense in that game, but there was he basically butchered a try with the I thought there was no real like butcher you know tries or whatever, and now, but there was really because he did that terrible no lock pass. Oh yeah, basically

This is a bit of the I think that this was a great example of neither HT or to Marty Martin had a thoroughly good game, Like they didn't connect like they had in the previous sort of outings together. And it's an and I mean that I think that's also because the Dogs were a better defensive side, and I mean, we were sort of raking it over the coals. But that was a game we should have won. I think if we're at home, we win that game.

Yeah. I think if the ref was looking at the right goddamn direction, we won that game. But yeah, I mean they actually said it on the other commentary as well. In that golden point. They said the refs put his whistle in his sock.

Yeah, and I mean Corey Parker was pretty adamant that that was a penalty.

Yeah, well, obviously was a penalty.

And today later this afternoon, no doubt, Graham and Isley will give it the we'll give it the okay, guys, sorry about that.

That should have been a penalty.

Yeah, we've got two points, duck.

I mean, it's absolutely ridiculous.

But we have a bye this week, guaranteed two points, and then we will be back next Monday to discuss the Raiders game, which will be a very interesting game because the Raiders are very much Rocks and Diamond side and we're playing that at Goo Stadium. It feels like our home games are very few and far between.

Hey, they all seem to be three or four weeks apart.

Oh, I thought we were doing the whole playing over there buzz like we did during COVID.

Now yeah, no, there.

The NRL is reward barding us with less than half of the games at home. For some reason, were the only side that won't get half of our games at home because and there's.

Something I heard something like the six of the last seven of the Cowboys games are all at home. Yeah.

And so in round seventeen we had only had six games at Mount Smart.

Yeah, and had we had one in christ yeah.

And one in christ Children. But still half of seventeen is not seven.

No, you're right, But and what Brisbane.

Brisbane didn't leave no Queensland for four months. They've only left Queensland once so far. I think it's I mean.

I think they've been on the road now and they're losing.

Yeah, I mean Brisbane are having a bit of a bit of a shambles.

I think they'll fall out.

It's anyone's competition that this except ours left ourse.

Well, that's what Manaia and I were about last week is that it's such a weird random year, more so than usual that when it happens like that, generally the Melbourne Storm win because they're the most consistent side.

Yes, And I was looking at the looking at the table and I was like, huh, Melbourne at top of the table four points clear. Yeah, that's one thirteen games. And also they haven't actually looked very good. There's a lot of these games they just sneak over the line. They're leading Penrith, who were on twenty six points Roosters twenty four. To be honest, Melbourne Penrith and the Roosters look so far ahead of any of the other teams

But we'll put that Warriors side game to bed.

And everyone who's listening, I want to tell you about the four and twenty four pack prize pack. Each month the Mad Monday team, that's us. We're giving away four tickets to the next home game and four four and twenty PI vouchers to enter. Just text the monthly keyword to three two three six. Listen to podcast steps to find out what that keyword is. You want to know what it is. This keyword is spit, as in spit on that thing, hock tour. Spit. Text that to three

It is now time for the Stonker of the round.

This is the Manly Seagles twenty one beating the Reverse Cowgirls twenty absolutely chaos. How good was this game? Especially when Scotty drinkboard. It's that huge two point field goal to take it a golden point.

Yeah, look, this is a great game. Don't get me wrong, but it was. The Golden Point wasn't quite as frantic as the game before it, the Warriors game. It was. It was, It was real good, but it actually kind of got overshadowed by a better Stonker, which was the Warriors game.

Yeah, completely, the Warriors was the Stonker.

And also watching this game, it felt like it went to Golden Point in actual time because they sort of got into a drop goal off with about five minutes to go, and then so this is I I might be off by one or two games. This is the ninth time Daily Chair Evans has won it in Golden Point for Manly.

He just knows how to ice those big games.

Now, the Warriors don't really have a great iss year when it comes to drop goals. I think every I think, I think every time we've won in Golden Point it's been with a try or not completely but almost every time right. But the Cowboys had almost too many people going for drop goals. I loved the idea. They had the decoy and it went to Vale Holmes who marked it up. It was a great looking play, but the execution wasn't there. But they had so many people lining up.

Yeah that mad, That was the thing is I felt.

I felt the Cowboys actually overplayed their hand a little bit in that when they should have just muscled up and nailed it.

But there we go.

Manly takes it and unfortunately Manly was one of those teams that was mucking around with us on the ladder and they were next to us on the ladder. Now there's seventh and we are fourteenth. So that shows just how quickly things can change in this game of rugby league. But the big game, not part of the NRL, but the game that a lot of us love. The State of Origin. The teams have been announced. They look pretty interesting. The Maroons are bought in Dane gag Guy, a man

He did. He was on my side almost all of last season and I don't know why hasn't been in, but I literally bought him in this week and that's one of my highest scores in Supercoach and I still lost to you by four points.

It was a very close one and looking at other changes, you've got to feel for Dave for Feeder, he has not been put into the side. Kirk Capewell is ahead of him. Kirk Capwell, who's not really even probably the best back rower at our club.

He somehow gets in ahead of for Feeder.

How he can he's a utility now he can play wing.

Yeah, I know, but he's actually he's in the run on starting side in the back row.

So there's been a few changes.

Kaylen Ponger makes us return to the side.

He's in the seventeen Jersey.

There's chance that he will be playing more in the fourteen Jersey and in the Blues side. The happiness is Mitch Barnett's gonna play.

Yeap, huge for him. He had a massive game on the weekend. They keep calling him the work horse, but I think he's better than that, because sometimes work horses are a little bit kind of you know, journeyman or whatever. But I think he's got such a great offload and he's really you know, being part of a warrior's side's really pumped up his manner this year.

Yeah, well what I think he did over two hundred meters and fifty five tackles.

That's not a workhourse. That's just having a blinder of a game.

Like he stoked for him.

So stoked for him.

Bradman Best is into the centers, the beast, the routed up beast, although there's rumors that he's injured now as well, so he'll come out and maybe the flat earther Matt Burton might slot in.

So yes, Leui and Moses. It's a combination that New South Wales have tried a lot over the last few years. I think it worked for the first time ever in game two work really well. Mitchell Moses. You know, he's like the greatest half on paper that you could ever have. Like if he was in a video game, he'd have like all the things that you know, all the graphs at full you know, one under, but he just doesn't quite have expected for me.

No completely and also he he either fully fires or doesn't, so it'll be intriguing to see what happens because the odds are against him.

They barely.

I think I've only ever won two deciders up at sun Court Stadium and it'll be interesting seeing Selwyn Cobbo and Vale Holmes on the wing because Murray tal Lunge is out. So it's gonna be one hell of a game. We'll be bringing you the coverage not this Wednesday but next Wednesday. And it's actually it's how bloody awesome is it to see.

State of Origin going down to a decider?

Yeah, I mean, you know, it's just nice for New South Wales to keep the series alive for another game, you know, because you know that third game being a dead rubber every single year. It's just, you know, it's a little bit well, it's just you know, it gets a bit boring, doesn't it. So you're not nice that we threw your bone and game two.

Here we go.

The New South Wales team definitely underdogs here and I maintain I personally think they should have the two home games first New South Wales then sun Court, then have the third games the neutral.

Yeah, that makes sense. But I guess, so then when not do it that way?

So then when it goes to a decider, it's the neutral ground.

Yeah, so why don't they do it that way?

I have no idea.

Just see, it just just seems to make a hell of a lot more sense to me.

Yeah, me too, I guess I don't know. They all sell out anyway, it doesn't matter.

Yeah, Well, it's going to be exciting origin and with no Warriors game this weekend, that's the one we're going to be looking forward to.

But right now it's time for die. Heenwins off the back fence.

A long kicker, the offloadsher Heyon and he's got some back fence boof time. Look look out there, sports fans. This isn't just to Warriors fans. This is to your sports fans. Pull up your pants and put your fingers away. When it comes to Instagram, you need to stop paying out on players. When Sean Johnson was playing, everyone was, oh, bloody, Sean Johnson doesn't know what he's doing.

He doesn't know. He's got to be out of the team. He's bloody, gotta have to marry Martin and HD and the halfs.

Why do we sign Sean Johnson, then after this week everyone's oh, we can't have bloody Cht in the side. The only person who knows how to kick a drop goal is Sean Johnson.

You need to sort yourselves out.

Just quietly talk to yourself about why you don't like players.

You don't need to publicly pay out on players.

It demoralizes them, It makes them stay off social media and makes them not want to engage. Okay, look, look fans, we are part of the club. I believe we're part of the club. If you're a paying member, you're part of the club. You have your right to an opinion. I'm not saying that. But before you get on and you just want to fully blow one of these dudes, not blow one of.

Them, like yes, sorry, you want to yell at them.

You want to do the opposite of blowing one of these dudes. You want to unblow them. You're trying to you're trying to just pay out on them. I don't understand it. We're meant to be bringing up our boys. You know, a high tide brings all boats slightly higher up in buoyancy, or as some similar phrase, you know, a rising tide lie lowers or bridges. I don't know what the phrase is. All I'm saying is you're back the boys. You think your negativity privately, you don't put

Yeah here, amen to that.

I'm glad I got that off my chest. Sounded a bit like a mad Traveler. And while I'm talking about the Mad Traveler, four and twenty is giving you the opportunity to see the Warriors and Bulldogs on August the twenty third. Thanks to the Mad Traveler, this includes flights ACM and five hund oh cash. If you want that, text Pie to three two three six and you're into win. That's all thanks to four and twenty and their delicious

We can just enjoy a small round and I have a beautiful week.

Mate, you too, enjoy the enjoy the with the split and we'll see you at Origin. I think it's you and me. Is it you Australia without it