Oh, good day and welcome to the Mad Monday podcast, normally out on that day, Monday, but today is Thursday because we're coming in hot off after Origin Game one from Sydney's a Course Stadium where New South Wales got absolutely murdered by Queensland. But just to let you know that, we are bought today to today by four and twenty pies, the perfect at home snack for watching rugby league, and I had one at about eleven thirty last night. And if you're not already get into the Mad Monday Munters
group live on Facebook. Look up Mad Monday or go to the group Facebook dot Com Forward Stage Groups Forward Station Odin Ryan. My name's Ben Hurley and I am joined today by our producer and rugby league savant, Adam Boumanner.
How's it going man? How are you going this morning? It was was a bit of a late one for both of us last night.
Wasn't it. Yeah?
Backing up Off after you know it never starts on time Origin, there's always a lot of build up. I actually missed some of it because I was sitting task master this week, so I missed the start. So I don't know if gus guild did his infield in ground in gold poetry like he normally does.
No, there was none of that. It just kind of definitely lacked a little bit at the start. It was really weird watching. Obviously, we get here about you know, like an hourish beforehand, just to make sure everything works, and I was sitting here watching the build up. There was bugger all people in the stadium and it was a really weird thing because most game ones of Origin absolutely heaving and it been a Wednesday night, had been
a first head out as well. It was just it was just a little bit odd to start the game on both points.
Yeah, I mean it was a sellout and it did look good once the game was going.
But I have.
Heard that because of the one sided nature of Origin over the last well fifteen years, apparently numbers viewing numbers are dropping a little bit. So it might actually pay for New South Wales to put a decent side on the park because they didn't last night. They got absolutely destroyed thirty eight points to ten.
Yeah, no, it it wasn't very favorable. Another thing that New South Wales could do is have a coach that you had to coach and possibly run some plays you know, I know, the two you and I were talking about on the commentary. It was just a little bit weird, you know, even just how different. I guess it's not really I'm on your side of the fence. I'm a Queen's lander as well, yes, but it was a very
odd scene how they just had nothing going on. And then when you compare to the other side, you know, it's quite easy to forget too that on their sideline as Jonathan Thurston, which I reckon would just be pulling strings from there. But they just New South Wales just kind of looked like they were missing something or they just didn't know what each other were doing, or it just wasn't It wasn't smooth or cohesive at all.
Was it? No into?
I mean to quote ourselves from the commentary last night, it did look like the Warriors from about four years ago, where on the fifth tackle they clearly had no plays and it was just a bit of improvisational football. I mean, Jerome Leui, that's kind of where he lives best in some ways, and you know, he created some chances and well created one of the only two tries in New
South Wales were able to get over the line. But it looked very clunky, It looked very sloppy, It looked very messy, and it was ineffective.
Yeah, massively. And I think it was quite hard as well. It must have been really hard actually for Nico Hines. He finally gets a chance, he's finally stepping up, and just nothing like, you know, the forward pack wasn't really rolling forward. You could just see after what you know,
quite early on. Obviously they go one down, and we'll get to that in a moment, but they just looked a little bit like, you know, a lot was taken out of them, and then they weren't getting forward ball, and then you just have these two halves laughing about and then when you look at their tries, they were just seemed a little bit lucky and flukey. It was just it was just odd. I reckon odd is kind of like a good way to put their performance.
Yeah, so let's talk about that going one down. Reese Walsh was or he was murdered. He was murdered, I think, is what's on the thing they've prepared for me here, Adam.
Yeah.
High shot by Joseph Sali and I don't think there was any mounts in it. But it was terrible technique. You just can't in the modern game not look where you're tackling. You can't have your head down and lead with your shoulder. His head rocketed back and amazingly passes Hia, but on the field it was a Category one head knock and so wasn't allowed back in the game and Joseph Suli was us to leave.
Yeah.
Never, that's confusing. You know, there's rugby is more confusing than the league at the best of times. But the that you can, you know, you can Pastorgia and then still fail the category one, which kind of makes sense because early on in the game, when he was getting walked off the field, israel Man tapped him on the shoulder and the cameras were very fixed on him, and he looked up and he had no idea who his teammate was. He looked so confused. So he was knocked
into a whole other world. But yeah, I've seen a few stories today and I think they're a bit off and saying that it was you know that they were kind of out to try and get him, But I don't think anyone's out to do that to someone, especially
a young professional sports player. And it is just really unfortunate, Like we've watched the clip this morning in the office far too many times, and his feet to slip out underneath them and he was just sitting there, just ready to be ripped in a half right, like there's nothing else about it. But it's not the best way to start seven minutes into a game, is that?
No, it's not.
And you know, if you bleed blue, if you've got you know, the go of. I'm trying to think of an old Blues player of Laurie Day in your soul, then you will say that it did ruin the game. However, I would like a counterpoint there in that New South Wales did lift people like Leah Martin Payne. Heass they really reved their side up either side of the break. It looked like they were making a comeback. They did
make a small comeback. Was twenty ten at one point and it looked all Blues either side of the break.
Yeah, and a big surprise to myself even just watching one of their talentsmen. It seemed like in that as well was Spencer Lingu. Seemed like a bit of an odd choice, considering he does some bad things at the stay of the air. We don't have to rehash that, but he seemed like a bit of a bolter. But he was kind of the difference for the Blues last night. He was he played a bit more of the enforcer role and just really got a monks and just was
there trying to ruffle feathers. But you know, apart from him, wasn't too much house going on. And a massive second change that happened to that new South Wales side is they finally brought Isaiah yah on really really late into the game, and he is one of the leaders in the top side in the league. And it just seemed odd because even at the same time the third person after twenty minutes he took off as captain and I think Jake Darowitch only played like less than thirty minutes.
So I'm kind of feeling now that I'm actually saying this out loud, and now that I finally got to the end of my thought, Madge had a shaka.
Yeah, Matche did have a shaka For those not in the know, Man'ge McGuire of course, the new new South Wales coach. They've gone through a few coaches in the last few years. Freddy Fittler was let go. I think one of his biggest weaknesses was the selection and manage. McGuire made wholesale changes at five debutantes last night. It didn't help. I don't think it was a well selected team.
I didn't think Joseph Soley should have been in there to start with, and then see in retrospect definitely shouldn't have been in there. And you know the people like Latrell Mitchell left out yep, okay, so he said patchy form this year. But asd made the point last night, who would you rather tackle? I know who I'd rather tackle?
Yeah? What? Yeah?
And it was kind of odd as well, right because he came out after he was injured, and he came out for injury and he kind of put himself out of contention. But surely if you get that phone call in and say hey mate, you know things aren't going so great, we need you start in that fallback, you've got to pick up that call a Surely he just walked straight back in.
Surely you just throw everything at a dominant Queensland side. First time I've ever seen them in my life. Favorites ever, it's been a bit of a bonus contention for New South Wales fans over the years that they always are favorites in Queensland, always the underdogs. That's the first time I've ever seen them as favorites. I just think as a coach, you would pick your most attacking side, you would pick a side that's going to throw everything at them, particularly in Game one.
But Manage maguire, a.
Defensive coach, just tried to grind them into the ground, thinking it was going to be a you know, eight points to six kind of scoreline, and it didn't work.
Yeah, I saw a lot of the money was in the odd of any team to win by one to twelve. There was a lot of multis floating around, and even the popular setup in there now with the tab as well. But it seemed a bit odd, especially a part that made me smile on the game was they cut to him in the box and I have never seen a swittier man and a more stressed out man then managed there.
And it's really unfortunate because I read this week as well that they had the mental skills coach skills coach Gilbert and Oke got brought into their camp as well from the All Blacks and he was there to try and you know, ge them up and sort out the team and that as well. So it's not like they're not doing things to try and better themselves, especially you know, getting someone so specific in there as well. But you know, I guess we've spent all this time talking about how
average they were. Queensland weren't bad, Queensland weren't bad.
All Queen's there weren't bad.
And you know, just even on paper they just they said stairs stars all across it, and and not only experienced stars like Daddy Cherry Evans thirty five years of age, played it out of a game, but also young stars Hamiso tab you I feedo. Three tries just blew that first half open and a third one in the second half after the scoreline had kind of blown out. But what an exciting player and could be one of the greats.
Of our game.
Yeah, massively. I saw a good stat this morning that daily Cherry Evans was the oldest player in Origin to get an intercept that led to a try. Oh yeah, that's that's not a bad stat. But he the try that he set up for Coreots.
No oats, no Xavier Navy coats, coats.
Yes, sorry, there was phenomenal. He's gone through the line with that intercept and he had the peace of mind just to look over his shoulder. And I think you might have even said it on the comment I'm just I'm just quitting you and die at this point. But it was one of the most beautiful kicks. They just stayed in goal and he's at full tilt in between
two players. It was just a moment in there as well, just we you really really do see experience wins games and just that calm, cool, collective head which was, you know, the opposite on the other side and DC he looked good yesterday, A yeah he did.
So what happens now? What does Madge do going into game two? I think I know what I would do if I was him, and I'd bring in Littrell Mitchell, I'd bring in some bolts on the edge of the squad. Scott Drinkwater I would bring in as well. And because I don't think so he's going to be available.
No, no, I feel like he's a few weeks off right.
I would think so, So there's a couple of options for you, and I would say go all out.
That was their home game.
They got trounced at home thirty eight ten and now they've got to go to Melbourne and then sun Corp.
I think he's right now just praying to the Rugby League gods just just to do anything, anything at all, to get Nathan Cleary healthy. If I think he would believe, and I think New South Wales would believe as well, if they could just get him in there as well, especially if they had that spine you know, I you know, you said drink water. But even if they had Edward's back, they had Yow in there as well. Yeah, and they just have him and Leui in the middle. He was
very cagey. He gave the most NRL answer to winning you back mate, how are you going? And he he apologized before he started speaking. He said, I apologize, but I'm just taking things day by day. Yeah, you know, I'm just trying to get right. But I think that is their chance. If they can get him back, they can get him fit. That guy's far too good just to watch it go by, right, and but I just
I think it could be too soon for him. And I could imagine the Panthers aren't too keen on seeing that hamstring go second third time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, taking it day by day, rugby league players and alcoholics. Now, before we go to the break, I just want to let you know that each month the Mad Monday team are giving away four times tickets. I'm just reading this verbatim, four tickets to the next home game and four four and twenty piveouchers to enter. Just text the monthly keyword to three two three six. Listen to the podcast steps to find out the new keyword each month, and the keyword.
This month, Adam is yum yum.
Okay, if you need that spout, then you're automatically disqualified from it, So text that to three two three six to be in to win. Stick with us because just after the ads, we are going to preview this weekend's.
Wars game versus the Cowboys.
Welcome back to Mad Monday from the Export Beer Garden Studio and brought to you by four and twenty pies. Now this weekend, of course, on Saturday, it's the big game. It's seven point thirty on Skysport nine. We will be covering it. It's the Warriors versus the Cowboys from right here in Auckland.
Isn't it home game?
It is away it's away.
Okay, don't listen to me. That is a way in Townsville. I would imagine. Now the Cowboys, we remarked about it last night during Origin it is they are a team with possibly more Origin players in it than any other team. They have done the good thing and that they have not listed all their Origin players to back up, because other teams have. I looked at the Broncos team sheet.
They had Selwyn Cobbo. I mean, they had Rece Walsh in there, who's definitely not going to be playing, but obviously that was named before he got his head taken off. You look at this Cowboys side. It's not at full strength, but it's not terrible.
No, not at all because I think, you know, even the second row, the fact that you don't have N nine and you have Luky and who's a pretty solid second role. You still got drink Water as well. I guess the person that they probably would have loved as well, would have just the two of them really just heaving homes and even dead, and he did. It wasn't terrible last night. Solid yeah, yeah, And I think I think that's what the Cowboys are. You know that they are pretty deep in the table.
So we I think we're having very similar seasons.
Yeah, and there definitely was quite a bit of expectation out of them from the last couple of years, right, they did make a big U turn and then you know, we all wrote the hype together and then and now here we are. But no, I think you're right because I even saw the like pain Hess had been named, and I'd send in a few groups everyone confused, being like everyone's towns everyone all week. Don't pick origin stars
for your fantasy teams. They're never going to play. But there is just a few of the blockbuster dudes that are going to back up. You know, I could even imagine the like some off topicy of like Angus Crichton had an okay game last night, and I'm sure he'd want to be out there this week to really.
He's a rooster though.
Yeah, and there I've got the boat there on the by.
Yeah.
Yeah, so we've we've both had a bit of a whoopsie in the seat in this little line here. But yeah, we get to the Warriors though.
Yeah, the Warrior So, I mean what they've named and whether this is the team that takes the park is another issue. But it looks pretty full strength to me. Charms back at full back, Rocco Berry back in the centers with Adam Pombe, Chanell, Harris Tavida. I mean okay, I when I say full full strength, Still no Roger, Still no Roger, and still no Shawnee j. But Shanell, Harris Tavita and Tomarti Martin in the halves. Wade Egan is back, Jackson Ford is back, Marta near Cord starts.
Mitch Barnette did not make the bench for the Origin side, so he is back and starting in the back row. And Tahu the Mighty Torta back in the thirteen Jersey.
Yeah, and Kate well as well. I saw a funny bit him been interviewed this week and he was being questioning. He say, hey, you know, I thought you were fit. I thought you were good to go. And he was being questioned as because he's been walking around camp all week with his Queensland head on, telling everyone on the camp, especially we be how every key we is a Queenslander. That that could have cemented his on the bench. That is, there's some good in house banter there from the Warriors.
It really was yet really annoyed, We're blessed. So there the interchange bench, Dylan wal could jest among us are the ball brothers, Tom Ali and yeah Kirk Kate on the bench.
There it is.
It is a good looking warrior's side, and these are points that we need to take against a weakened Cowboys team.
Massively, and I it is. I think they've surprised so many people the last couple of weeks where everyone was shitting the bed considering we just don't have our stars out there, like I think it's even a luxury at the moment. You read this week that Esjay wasn't quite fit, but that's not a bad thing.
You know, I think won of the last two weeks without him, and we've.
Won the last couple of weeks without some of our biggest signings last two weeks ago before the buye and not having AFB. You know that that's the call from the coach. The team got up for it. So I wonder if I hope, I guess so does everyone else that those two weeks of just absolutely slogging it out, getting a bit more morale back in that team and just kind of you know, just kind of get get just that feeling of winning a game because it felt like it was just hard to come by, even at
the start of the year. You know, I was out there at Mount Smart with you a couple of times, and we won a couple, we lost a couple, but you were never overly confident. And then these last two games that we've won, there's just been something different about it. And I know they drinking the special water for that, you know, the MJ took on.
I think it's just we've talked about this, so I felt like we've talked about this a lot of times on this podcast over the years. But when Shawn Johnson is on on the park.
And he's firing, they're a good side.
And when he's on the park and he's not firing, then they are very reliant around around that one player, and when he's not there, they are more collaborative. They are more evenly spread across the park. The opposition don't just look to one player to see what's going to happen. And I think that's what's happened in the last couple of weeks. They've lifted and it's not as predictable the attack.
Yeah, no, and that's true, and I wonder as well, because competition and teams as well, especially in positions, that's the thing that kind of like breeds a lot of success as well. And it's been crazy because the last couple weeks, like dam Pompey has looked bloody solid out there at center, you know, and that just brings on that contest as well with Artes when he comes back.
Rock o'berry coming back after a few weeks out with a broken hand, which I believed he broke it over in Australia and had to stay over there to get it repaired, so he's had a couple of weeks to try and get that back in our man. That debut last week looked really odd two weeks ago. I'm just it's more that I feel like I wish that we get to watch the Warriors week but that's not the case.
But you know, like it's it's the sense of competition that we haven't had for a while and it's really really helping the side out.
Ah. No, Jacob Laban, is he injured? No?
I wonder if it's just I know that we be this year as well. If you'd noticed that he hides a lot of junior players, they don't have to face a lot of the limelight just just to kind of take the heat of them. So I wonder if it's that, you know, the young guys they played a couple of games, just give them a little spell out, you know, let the old heads kind of get back in there and grind, because and I wonder if he's just trying to keep them hungry because he knows he's going to need them
in a couple of weeks. You know, you're going to have the likes of so who needing a little spell And you know someone's definitely going to have an Hia in that as well. But you know it's and I saw that as Zion my uuh's back as well, and he is an absolute animal. So we're not bad in our and our youth coming through, right. And the ranks look good.
Yeah, they do look good. The one slight conceit I have is there's not really a specialist hooker on the bench for when Wade Egan inevitably has to leave the park. I guess Jams will fill that role.
Yeah, yeah, no, I guess you're right. And it is a bit of a worry, right because it's literally every game. Yeah, and It's crazy because you think about how many tackles in the career that someone like Cam Smith made. He would make fifty plus a game kind of thing. And he was quite a slight guy as well, Right, he's quite a rangy range.
Yeah, but I guess a little probably a little gerthier than Wade Egan, waged Wade Egan, probably a little skinny, way a little less than Cam Smith, I would think.
Yeah, just he just gets his head yeah right on people's hips a hell of a lot. Ad. It's really rough to see because there's been a few of this. There's been like maybe two or three already this year that's had him out right.
Yeah. Look, no shade on Wagan.
We love Wagan and when he's playing his best, he can really blow a game apart. He's kind of been one of the differences in the turnaround of this Warrior's side. It's not a good ahead of ourselves though it is a good looking side. I like seeing Shanell Harris Tavita back in the halves, back in a Warriors jumper back starting, and he adds a little bit of starch in defense as well. Seven point thirty on Sky Sport nine I believe it's Die Henwood and somebody else.
The pants Man.
It's the Pantsman.
The Pantsman gets the call up. He was sidelined for the Oranging game last night, and he's gonna full debut this season. I love it and I'm sure he'll be absolutely first. And you we don't even have to talk about fis Dialby.
Yeah, Well, go the Wars and we're just going to have another quick ad here and we'll come back and talk a little bit of super Coach. We welcome back to Mad Monday out on a Thursday. Because of Origin last night, We're just gonna have a little chat about super Coach slash Fantasy. If you're not a massive rugby league like Adam and me and dian Keesyam and I and all the rest of them, then you can probably
switch off now. Now Adam trying to take us through who you believe the big buys and the big holds.
Yeah, so I think buyers this week. There is a lot going on, especially because of Origin, but there is a few safer options. One of the big buys this week definitely would be Jerome Hughes, just because the storm. I think after last week, it's not too bad for them moving forward for by rounds.
I managed to hold him last week while he was on the buy and still got the win against Maniah.
Yeah, and I can't wait to talk to him about that when he returns next week. He would be loving that. But yeah, no, I think Jerome Hughes as a bye. I also think as well, on the back of watching that game last night, I think Latrell Metchell huge bye. I think you know they finally sorted out the coaching situation at the Bunnies. I just think it's time that I could just see him looking at him being like, you know what, I'm going to tone up and I'm
just going to go berserk. So I think Latreal's one as well.
I will be buying him for the third time this season.
Yeah, that's bold, that's bold. Is there any Is there a cutoff for the amount of times you would player?
Yeah? Drop and by its the only way I could do it.
Last week to get thirteen players on the park, I had to sell him because he had heard the buye last week. So I actually bought in Jordan Rappana, who did fine.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and yeah, no that makes sense. And then so another one here, I've got is the main one I think you should buy if you don't and you can afford it, is to get for Feeder from the Gold Coast Titans. There is a chance he gets picked up for origin, but I could just imagine he looks like a guy that would have a chip on his shoulder.
In general, are all your boys just based on origin revenge? Like non selection revenge?
I've realized on the back of this, Yes, but not intentionally. And not intentionally I have for Feeder because I brought him a couple of weeks and he's just a fun player to watch because he's a big human that just likes to bowl through people. And there's not much house in that Gold Coast Titans team with Tino out, to be honest. Apart from him, the only other one would be Cataut from the Storm as well. He has been snagging quite a few tries at the moment. I think
he's quite expensive now as well. But those would be the main buys. I would believe that.
My little one is Jacob Preston from the Bulldogs in the back row there. He turned up last week and it's pretty unusual that a back row will turn up.
Yeah, and I saw he was playing bloody good at the tab as well. He's playing like thirteen or forteen bucks just any time try scorer.
And by the way, as a steal Chanel Harris de Vitas across two hundred and forty much, that's pretty cheap. Somebody's a starting half this week.
Yeah, no, that's not a bad shout because I would imagine he would be right on the cusp. This must be his fourth game. Yeah, he'd only played a couple of games, so he could be right on the if he goes off this weekend as well. I earn the money in the bank and around this time of year, with a lot of origin, that is quite needed. So if we go into holds, I think a big hold which I had onto last week is Talangey from the Eels.
So he was playing fullback, lost his position last week to starting fallback and due to an unlucky ACL injury in the centers, he's been called up into the centers. So he was a base basement kind of dwelling rookie and if you did manage to hold on to him, a great hold at this point, because you know it could be three points on off.
Of their and sorry, which Telong.
Are we talking about telling who plays for the Eels?
Yeah, Blaze Blade Telling, Yes, No.
I actually weirdly had him just in my kind of you know, you know the players that you pack at the start of the season so for no money so you can get the good players.
Did you pick him up mainly because his name was Blaze?
Yeah?
I think so, Like because a lot of those players that you picked because they're the base salary, Yeah, you just you don't know a lot of them, so I just pick it on name. But yeah, Blaze Tailang, he's a pretty cool name.
Yeah. And he did look at fallback as well, so it is pretty good. My other thing I've just realized I've gone straight back into origin is I feel like a lot of people are quite hasty to make big decisions and just kind of like clear your one out and all that as well. A big thing that people don't realize is that everyone's in the same boat. I'm gonna put it out there. I think the majority of people aren't playing in their by rounds. They aren't looking
at the teams. They're literally picking who they want to pack, so there may not be a need to clear house. Because I feel like you know, surprisingly a lot of people be in exactly the same boat as you are.
And just to reiterate something that Menia Stuart couldn't get his head around, it is just your best thirteen players. So it doesn't matter if you say you can't put out a fullback. As long as you have thirteen players in your squad, including reserves that are scoring, then you will have the full compliment. So I don't think I'll have a fallback this week, but that's okay.
I thought you were getting Backlatrol for the thing.
I might get him back for the THEA and reflection and.
Then and then if we get to the sales, I think the big sale this week I think me personally I had on to him would be Hines. After watching last night, he is already not named this weekend in the Shark Side, and I think that was just a bit of safety, considering he had a bit of trouble the last couple of weeks with the calf, and it looked like he either had really bad cramps or he did his calf again at the end of the game last night. So I would say a big sale in
general for many would be Hines. Is there anyone else that you're looking to really been out of your team this week.
He's no.
See, I've never been a Heines purchaser. I'm a fan of his as a player, but he was just I think I didn't get him at the start of the year, and then he got too expensive, so I fought against I think everyone else in the in our little private league that we have with the Mad Monday team has him to resent me.
Yeah, and you're doing going great, guys, I'm going okay, Yeah, so maybe there's this some week in there. I have had him and Cleary. I had Cleary.
I had Cleary though, to be fair, but I sold him. Yeah.
I didn't sell him until he hurt himself the second time.
You and I think that's where I toppled from first to fourth.
We will make mistakes, right, It's just as long as we learn and we don't go back there a third time.
I think so smug when you've held on to a play like that and he come back and then I think he did and he got like twenty five points.
Yeah, he hurt himself in the first like fifteen minutes, and to be honest, he looked great while he was on the pinch. Until that hamshury went bang. We could have been absolute geniuses, but unfortunately not the case. And every week we have a tab good hunch and this week our hunch, I am going to throw it out to you, Ben, let's go look for an anytime try scorer. Who are you feeling this week?
Mate?
I'm going to go Mitch Barnett, starting back in the Warriors after not quite making the bench for Origin. He's going to be hungry, he's going to be pumped up, he's going to be full of adrenaline. And to be honest, they've been using him for that crash play instead of AFB lately, so he's my pick.
Yes, that sounds good. So if we put one hundred dollars a bonus cash on there, he's paying four dollars ten, that'll get us back three hundred and ten dollars in the kiddy. So it's pretty good eating.
Yeah, that's eating. It's pretty good.
Yeah, it's quite short odds for a front row, but anyway, that's okay.
We'll take the omen punt and we'll go from there.
Those are all your tips and that is the end of Mad Monday for another week. Thanks for sticking with us. Throughout the week, probably wondering whether the hell we were on Monday. Of course, no Warriors game last weekend as well, so there wasn't much to talk about.
We will be back on Monday like normal, right, Yeah.
Yeah, no, I think that makes sense. You know, we'll have a few people back next week. I'm sure sure the boys will be furzed after a good game this weekend, and we will see you back on Monday.
Take care out there, and I go the Wars