"Finals Week 2 Preview"

Oh good a Rugby League fans, welcome along to the Export Beer Garden Studio for the Mad Monday podcast, brought to you, as always by the delicious four and twenty traveler Pie, the perfect pie to have in one hand where you've got the TV remote in the other and you're watching Week two of the NRAL Finals. My name is Chris Ky aka Adam fanilak Kezy. Joining me today the pants Man Joel Harrison. Joel, how are you going? Yeah, no, I'm good, Thanks man, thanks for having me on here.

Oh mate. When I heard it was gonna be me and you, I was stoked.

I know I can tell, man. I could just see your expression through the messages.

Yeah, so good being here. Adam text me is like, hey man, the rest of the ACC is over. They heading to Amsterdam for October fist. I'll get you in the pants Man to do Mad Monday. You know, I was like, damn, I know which one of those two things I'd rather be doing? I know how Shit's Amsterdam?

Right? Well?

You were just there, right, you were there for five weeks over in Europe. Were you watching plenty of NRL while you were there?

Yeah?

Yeah, Actually, when I was there, I watched the Warriors versus Eels game literally like on the Red Light District because my mate's sister has an apartment there, so we watched it over there.

On the Red Light districtors we heard partners.

Yeah, it's about a stone's throat. It's like literally fifty.

Meters away and what does she do for a crust?

She's honestly, probably like one of the most sensible people I've ever met in my life.

She's accounted or sorry of the day.

Yeah, but we also were in Amsterdam listening to You and Die on the ACC right, because he has this sort of VPN it seems, but dodger is.

It on a fire stick or is it on his computer?

It's on a TV.

I don't know what it is.

Yeah, my brother and Aws got the same thing and it's like this dodgy thing where you can stream like New Zealand Staff cricket. Yeah, it was the ACC live on sky Sport two or something, but it was. Yes, we literally watched the Warriors lose to the bottom of the table, Eelshy and die. It was good Man far right. We were there at the ground for that. One one of my favorite memories of the year.

So far.

When I went to Europe the year before the season had finished, so I didn't actually watch any sports. I was just wondering if it was actually possible to watch it over there, which it is.

Yeah.

Today, we've obviously got two NRL games to preview. It is the Kernella Sharks taking on the North Queensland Cowboys and the Sydney Roosters taking on the Manly Seagulls on the Saturday night.

I think we.

Start with a bit of a teamless a rundown of what's going on with these Sharks and the Cowboys. For the Sharks, they are sticking with Hines and Brandon Trendle and the halves there. And the rumor is that Jesse Raymian, who's been named on the reserves, could be coming back.

And oh yeah, so where will he be going?

Slotting in at center, I would say, or and then Tullukay will just revert to coming off the bench potentially.

I did notice that because Ramian's like one of the best centers in the league, I'd say, and it just shows how good of a season Caylee hero has had.

And then near Tallakai but he's the.

Go to cale. It all is going to be like the lock in center for next year. Raymian on the other side, because he's been brilliant too, and he just had a bit of an ankle niggle. But I think Talakai coming off the bench for impact is just like you're thirty minutes into the first half, they bring him off and then all of a sudden he's running hard at you trying to score. That's a really effective way to use him, I think. Other than that's no real changes.

Really Yeah, well that's that's a thing. It's a tough one. I think I'm leaning towards the Sharks for I don't even know, to be honest, I feel like the Sharks often get pumped and then they bounce back the next week, have a great game. Nikahein shows up. But it's interesting because they're actually not playing this one at Shark Park as well.

No, it's an eight A Corp Stadium, is it?

Cora Alliens one alliens? Yeah, Aliens is the home for the Roosters.

I think that's it.

That's and so that that's the.

Home of the Roosters. Not too far from Cronella.

But I know because there's been a whole little bit around and I think the GM of the Club of the Sharks actually came out and made a joke about how no one's going to shar up to this game. Yeah, but I guess they just want as many people through the door as possible. So I hopefully the Sharks can get in there, because the cowboys are you know, if if the Sharks allow them to get up.

And flying, it could be a long night for the Sharks.

However, seven and oh, oh and seven, I should say the Sharks are in the finals. Oh really yeah wow, and all of their Yeah, so like they've got a horrific record going into this. But to be honest, if I could pick a team to be going up against this weekend, it would be the Cowboys. Yeah, and the TA b agrees with you there. The Sharks are paying a.

Dollar fifty five. Yeah.

Wow, wow, that is uh, that's quite low odds because I don't know the Cowboys. They have these big game players as well, Bell Holmes, Tom didon for one, that they've done it for Queensland before as underdogs. That is definitely gonna be a good game to watch.

Yeah, Scott drink Water as well.

And of course the recent change they made a few weeks back of dropping out Chad Townsend and bringing Jake Clifford and instead. And of course you've got the likes of Jeremiah Nan and I, Jason Palmerlola where if he can get a bit of vintage form going, and the big Feller off the bench as well, keep an eye on the interchange Kuli Kifu Finifuyaki as well. Pretty devastating

Yeah, if I get to the end of the weekend of Sharks of one, I'm not surprised.

Yeah, I don't know.

I was just watching back the highlights of the Knights Cowboys game, and I feel like the Knights probably should be there as well. I'll after Dane Gag I dropped that absolute sitter, there was a deer, there was the Gag guy after who to be honest, last five weeks of the season, he's been insane. Yeah, he's been really good, and he dropped his citter. But also there was a missed field go and stuff in there as well.

And the Knights they were a team that even if they got through the next round, nothing else was going to happen. Yeah, definitely, definitely, And to be honest, how do you feel about this statement? It's part it's going to be Panthers' storm and none of this really matters one hundred percent, I think everyone.

Yeah, that's it's a shame because it does really take the sting out of it. These two unbelievable teams that just have a week off. All their players are going to be fit, They're going to be at home. Yeah, yeah, it's a bit of a stretch up for kind of either team that gets through well.

And the issue too is because you need bloody good defense in order to beat the Storm and in order to beat the Panthers, especially the Panthers they pride themselves on defense. And all the teams that are coming through Manly Roosters, Sharks, Cowboys, they are all offense. They can score points, but they can't stop. And to be honest, the one team that could have if they were at full strength and didn't have the Fox getting pulled over

The All Blacks taking on the Wild Beees. Whats gonna happen there.

Oh fu, Saturday afternoon footy man, I'm fizzing for that.

It is actually a great, a great evening of sport because you've got the AB's on it five is it?

Five? Five forty five? Five forty five? Random time I wasie, thank you very much.

And then as soon as that finishes you can have a we break for dinner and then chuck on the roosters taking on the seagulls.

Yeah.

And also before that full day of horse racing at Allersley.

Oh my goodness, you are such a digit, are you actually? Look?

It's no shame return to the Ellerslie. I might, I might pop down and support, you know, support the industry.

Right so and has this love of horse racing that you've got, because just to paint a picture for everyone. While the big show was over at Magic Round, Joel had spend quite a lot of his time at the Caxton instead of watching the footy that was on beating on the horses.

Oh mate, that was the dumb in ten thousand, it was a big race day. But no, to be fair, I feel like they go hand in hand. And I've actually learned that a lot of rugby league players and X Rugby league players are big on the on the horses, especially like all the Australians, right, Brian Fletcher from Flitch and Hindi, he's a big one of the best tippers in Australia as well. Really, he's like unbelievable. So yeah, maybe I'm the Nicks. Brian Flincher the rugby league skills.

Ah?

No, it's just a bit of fun, this is Yeah, there's a there's a bit of a bit of just watching people online and stuff. I guess, yeah, it's I feel like probably the the integration of TAB into the ACC and from league and stuff is kind of just it's sort of just a gateway.

I guess you can call.

It, right, Okay, so now you're big on the horses. To be fair like it is. I remember when I was studying and we had no money. We'd have like our last ten dollars before our student allowance came in and we just go to the local pub, which was the Bush and yeah, down An Island in christ Hips there.

Yeah, I love it. Classic situation, man.

I might do that tomorrow before Paedo as well. Actually, well it's good because at the time, I think pizza Hard or something. He had a five dollar pizza and then a jug of export or a handle of export was five bucks as well. So if you took your ten you could just get those two things, but instead you punt it. Hopefully you get a win and then get several of those things.

Yeah.

Well it's kind of like you can do that with your rent money and stuff as well. Mate, you rent money, child support.

What do you want to do? You go for it.

Hey, Saturday night's game. You got the Roosters and the Seagulls. Yeah, this is actually going to be an exciting game. It's going to be a good one. You've got well a full strength Seagles side. However, Tom Turbo has been playing through.

One hell of an injury. Did you see this news?

Yeah, it was he's playing with a Grade three AC shoulder joint issue or something.

That's right.

I think he had to get an injection at halftime and an egiction before the game. So he's running you know, he's running on fumes Tom too. But I'm still he wasn't one hundred percent himself, but he was still playing excellent. He also has an MCL sprain. Yeah what really?

Yeah, that's actually I look when I in my Social League game this year, I sprained my MCL as well and put me up for like two weeks.

Well that's the thing is, you were going to Europe like two weeks later, and you were like, I'm gonna rest man and my and I even said it here, I know you're not.

Yeah, you're gonna play, and you did play and it was fine. You played through it.

Yeah, but it's actually a very painful injury. Obviously, they probably have physio and the drugs and stuff that can make it better, and it's probably a little bit more important for him to be fit than me.

But yeah, but it's funny because he's playing through a Grade three AC joint injury and MCL sprain. But he's a no doubt for this weekend. But he still was excellent at the weekend, you know what I mean, he wasn't himself, but he was still so good.

Yeah, I just have to question though, like how much of a full strength Seagulls team is it when they have Carl Lawton starting in the back row as well former warrior hook it?

Oh wow, I just I just spotted that.

Actually Carl Laughton is officially in the back row and SAB's out, But who cares about that? So who is he? So he must be twur for four simply Corey Woodell. So twur for four would probably come in and then oh.

God, well yeah I guess Josh, oh God interchange.

Yeah, I think him and Burbo just sort of switch into that that role there. But I I like Carlawton. He plays it like a crazy tenacity, you know what I mean. He plays his guts out whenever he's out there. Meanwhile, you've got the roosters who are still without a few names as well. Jared Wadeer Hargreaves is back, which is cool. He didn't retire by getting a suspension, which is nice.

Who White.

Yeah, he's a young young Kiwi as well, I think only twenty one or something as well, so he's definitely got a got a good future ahead of him. I think the key one for me here though is sand and Smith and the seven jersey going up against DC obviously one of the best halves in the game. Last week, the Panther's kind of just targeted him and he. Don't get me wrong, he's a great player as well. But finals footy, you really need your your half back being that gun player on your team.

Well mate, we'll just channel our big back rower Carl Lawton to run straight at him in Platinum. That's true. I feel like, yeah, I know, I was looking at the team as well. And if the Roosters do lose here, that'll be the last game of rugby league in the NRAL for Manu, for Manu and Kiri.

Because he's off to the Super League. That's right. And yeah, and.

Then still Tooperneur talks about going to the Bulldogs as well, I.

Think so as Joseph su as well.

Yeah he's going to rugby Yeah wow, so their entire back line, Yeah, it's going to be pulled to pieces. This is going to be the Tedesco show, No Sam Walker, He's going to be going off, Whereas I think for the Manly side it'll be the daily Cherry Evens show.

And I just I love their back line and I love you.

Know a short ball to how Homely Olatu as well.

I love Parsica.

He's starting to come into form and they've just got such quick guns across the park on either side. When this when Manly are up and flying, they are my favorite team to watch.

Yeah, cooler that try he scored to win the game.

That was so yeah.

Yeah, he's I reckon. He top three fastest in the whole camp as.

Well because his parents were sprinters, right, yeah.

He used to be a sprinter as well. I think for Tonga. Well, actually a friend of mine, Matt, who is very much into his athletics coaching, we were watching him run. He's ah, he was definitely a sprinter. The way he runs is like anatomically pretty bloody outstanding. And then you've got young Lehi Hopwati as well, who's coming. He's still very very and he is absolutely dynamite as well. One of thirty seven kids of John Hopwati as well,

No sorry against Panthers aw Storm. Yeah, if they get through, it doesn't matter.

So who are you gonna put for this week? I think the Seagulls will beat the Roosters. Yeah, pure The Sam Walker factor man so and so is Victor Radley in the middle there that's just such a giant piece to be missing out on. And then you see, yes, Tom Turbo's got injuries, but he still looks so good. I saw some week Victor Radley's on the extended bench, and I think that he might he might actually come on. I actually said that earlier, so yes, there is a

Good hunch. We'll be right back.

Welcome back to the Mad Monday Podcast. Thanks to our mates at four and twenty pis Yum. Earlier in the week, a great new Zealander Sophie Acklan, which is this has been well covered now on the agenda. We did it on the Big Show the other day as well, but she put together every single Warriors game that the ACC commentated. She then put who was commentating the game and the win loss record for each commentator. Now the man who

I feel like what I did was sort of similar to what the Warriors used to thrive off. I kind of jumped in there when I was needed around Origin time, that's right, and Cowboys and bronc Cowboys and Broncos in the Origin time. And I remember that the Cowboys one was three or four days after they had just played Origin one, so three of their six Origin players didn't play, and then we just pumped them forty to twelve.

And then the Broncos it was.

When they had half their injuries and no painhass, no Carrigan or Walsh.

So right, I like to think I just got Reynolds, I think as well.

Yeah, no Reynolds as well, So it was Warrior's only just got a win as well.

So I think you know, just timed it well.

So your key is to make sure that you're commentating games against teams during Origin.

Yep, with heaps of players out. Yeah, one hundred percent I think that's kind of the success.

Whereas my mistake was accidentally putting my hand up for as many commentaries as possible because I love commentating the Warriors. You've got Ben Hurley called six with four wins in a draw and you know the ones that so the draw. So he four wins, one draw against many and the one that he lost was when we lost to Bulldogs thirteen twelve and oh my goodness, and we should have won because Jame and Salmon almost killed to Marti Mardin, So Hurley kind of had.

To be one hundred percent.

Yeah, two points in either game, Yeah, like a point in either game were Oh wow, that's incredible. You've got Maniah Actually we'll go to die Henwood Necks, who called thirteen here the most for the season. Six wins, six losses, one draw. That is right down the middle. And then you've got Maniah in myself we each called twelve. Maniah called three wins.

What a loser? I called two wins? What an even bigger loser?

Two wins out of twelve games? That is sole destroying staff. Joel, Seriously, in your heart of hearts, am I to blame for the Warrior season?

Yeah? You could.

Yeah pretty much say that, and I'm just looking here. The two wins that you did have as well was against the rabbit O's when they were just.

Absolutely awful at the start. He smoked them four that's right. Yeah, it was pretty dicey. It was six four at half time or something.

And then the second one against the Dolphins where we had like tamed to a picky I think he was out as well. I think, Yeah, Moilo gram Tel for debut, I remember that one. I love just one, that's right. That was round twelve. So the entire back half of the season and more. I commentated so many games and not one single win. So I mean, I think I'll do the Grand Final. I'm not sure who's doing it.

We will be calling it on the ACC on Sky Sports to keep an eye on our socials for that. And there's no real way I can blow that the Warriors is going to lose the Grand Final regardless of if I'm there or not. Yeah, because I'm not in it. So your secret is just a yeah, do it during Orange time. That's such an idiot putting my hand up for so many Warriors games.

Yeah, Well, to be fair, the only reason I do it is when sex people can't well, that's.

Like everyone's like, oh, just get dying, be in to do them all, and then me and and I are like, well no, that's they very much have first DIBs, and if they can't do it, that's when we do it. Yeah, so that's kind of how it works out. And if I can't do it, I can't do it, that's when we get real desperate.

Bring the Pantsman and the Warriors, bring it home.

Joel, you sent through quite a good thing this morning to the Mad Monday group chat that we're running.

It is the was it snow thirteen?

Yeah, the snow thirteen.

I saw some guy in the whatever, the Hallow Sport Punters and Dribblers, the Hellowpi podcast, they have this big thing and yeah, the people just they put a lot of time into it. Because it's like a proper graphic designed post. We could probably post this on.

Shared on the story. Maybe, I don't know.

Yeah, and these players you're about to list all people who have had sort of run ins with a class drugs.

I think they are.

I think the majority of them are.

Yeah, presumactually all seventeen must be there, including the coach as well. So you go fullback Ben Powder, it's Ben Barber, Ben Barber, yep, Blake Fergus Snort on the wing peered up with Josh Edo.

Crack is absolutely and to be honest, Blake Fergus Nort he'd have a hard time actually snorting stuff at the moment is absolutely wrecked and he's doing a lot of TikTok live that it's embarrassing.

What are you doing? Oh, poor guy?

And the Sinners it's actually quite a good team as well, to be fair, but you've got Trail Litt and Valon Line Homes and the.

Can I just say, already superstar team.

Yeah, wouldn't mind. It gets better as well. You've got Cam Munted and the sex Are how good with Goeye? John's at seven yeah great? And the nine Brandon Smith and then the props you got there, Sam Bumpus and Jesse Bong which.

Wow, that's very experienced. And Brandon Smith was actually my favorite of all of the names, just because it's so simple.

It works. Sean Line and the bat Crow I can't I don't know. He's the one I couldn't remember.

If you can't remember him, you've got like an encyclopedic knowledge of NRAL players doing bad stuff.

I must have missed it on my spiritsheet.

But Sean Line, it just works kind of with his name this and Sean Line and Kevin Rochter obviously Kevin Rockter and Jesse Bong which is infamous incident called in security cameras Greg Blow in the thirteen.

And you've got that Greg Bird.

That's a real crowbar, Greg Blow.

And then on the bench Mitch kittled that's supposed to be Mitch Kitty right, Kayln Penger, Kaylen PingER is great Windle Liquor, which is supposed to be Windle sailor.

Right, there is a real like liquor as an l i Q. You are right, yeah?

And then Rack Walsh for Reese Walsh, Oh he got yeah, that's right. And then yeah on the bench kit Man, Paul Cartel, Rave Taylor, Danny Brooks and car Michael Munt with Brian Kitcher as the coach. Kitcher that is a really really, really good side. Do you think there's a correlation between doing a lot of drugs and being good at footy? Yeah, well that's your strategy. A yeah, it is.

Actually far up.

Maybe I could be in the team somewhere if they need a water boy, I could just jump in there.

Joel Harrison, what would your drug name be? Though? Joel Harrisniff?

Joel Harris Sniff absolutely together with the pants Man. That's a great couple of nicknames. You're rocking there, man, It's time now for our tab good hunch. This is two games that, as we've discussed, they're both a flip of a coin.

I don't want to go anywhere there. Who's going to?

Yeah, because the last thing I want to do is see like the Cowboys put on a clinic against the Sharks and be.

Flying and me be annoyed about it. Yeah.

So I think the way I'd be bidding this weekend is I would be going. All four of these teams can score a lot of points, so I'd be going anytime try scorers. I'd probably be targeting the Sydney Roosters v. Manly Seagles game personally, just because I love watching the Seagulls and I'd go for I.

Like, oh or would I?

Molly Taylor is just such a I had him as the hunch last week, yeah, because he had scored in so many games. He'd scored in six straight day games or something they were playing during the day and it was like his one game that he didn't score. So I feel like Molly Taylor would definitely score against that right side of the Cowboys, which has been pretty shocking defensively.

Yeah, there's actually a bidding tactic which my mate's been doing recently, where you do it live and you can jump obviously first try score and stuff, but you can do like try score or something right or fifth however many and the odds because it's live while they shoot up quite a lot, so you can get he got on Durell skeleton at like thirteen dollars to be the sixth tri scorer. And when you say he does it live, I think you have to do it after the fifth try is scored.

But isn't it just next try? Is that available as an option? I look at it. Oh wow?

Yeah, oh, there is hundreds of options in the new tab at oh wow.

But is here a player you want to go for an individual score? I see there's a boosted one here at four ors twenty for Dom Young and James Tedesco both to score.

That's a good shout because it's going to be the James Tedesco show. I do believe, so I do think. I think those guys could both be scoring. To be honest, A real guilty pleasure of mine is I really like Ola Kwatsu because and they'll be targeting the halves Kerry yeah, and sand and Smith.

Yeah.

I love the DCE shortboard Ola Kwazu when they've got you know, Garrick and usually sar outside like lining up. So if I was to do a multi, it would be all a Kauatu and someone like Alehi Hopuati or a Kohler to score. Yeah, that's probably what I'll be doing. How do you feel about that?

I like it.

What about we do one from each team just to really go straight down the line. Do you want to go roosters, yep, I'll go to disco. I'm gonna go Ola Quai too cool. Let's lock those two. And so if you do that right now, Ola Kuwatu just gonna do it live on the pod.

That'll be quite good.

Odds dereckon Oli Quatu is all around threes or something. Yeah, well, which is quite hard when you think about it for a back rower. Let me see here, Ola Kuwatu chuck those two together. Seven dollars ninety two. Oh I love that it's tasty. Yeah, that's good.

That's good because yeah, I think Teddy would just be running the running the card all game.

Absolutely, I'm looking forward to it all right. Well that you have that as your game date, good hunch. Don't forget RA eighteen also a bit responsibly and we're gonna putting our hundred dollars of TB bonus cash onto that, so when we'll be getting back six hundred and ninety two dollars which will then go to you the ACC community, which is bloody good.

Anything else to add, Joel, Nah, that's all.

I'm just looking forward for another epic weekend of finals footy. Yeah, two big games, all blacks as well, can't bloody wear and of course a whole hours and hours of horse racing too. Thank you very much for listening to the Mad Monday podcast. Big shout out to export and also four and twenty pies. We will catch you next week. Australia without rugby league is not Australia, right,