Magic Round In-Depth Analysis

As you, Coop, you enjoy magic ground, survived it, survived it better than you.

You're right.

I'm good mate, Good Coop. I'll tell you my philosophy in life. I don't want my last rights and.

Ministered to me. And I'm sitting there thinking I should have just had one more beer.

So how many times did you say that yourself?

Get plenty of count three times, sad day.

I really enjoyed it.

I thought it was fantastic. I thought it was I thought some of the performances were bringing. Let's talk about some of the individual performances they Coop metcalf Geezy playing good football.

For a guy afterwards at nine rounds and the inexperience. We're in the seven jersey. He's got the Warriors in the part of his hand. And I'm not talking just the team. He's got the up the Wars and everything going with them. There's a lot of momentum. And as a young half, when you're trying to put your fingerprints on a football team, there's probably two ways you need to do it.

One is your defense.

Like if you're going to tell Mitch I had to run through a brick wall, you've got to put your head in the spot to gain the respective him and the other way is the communication about getting the team around the field.

And he's doing both of it.

He's doing it incredibly well.

And I've we have even spoken about his skill and passing the running game. They're the things that are half gains respect.

For the rest of the team.

Well, that's the thing in that coop, like what he is doing at the moment, people got to understand.

You can't underestimate how difficult it is.

Given the fact that as you said, he's organizing the side, he's owning the side, he's running the side, but he's not losing that individuality that made him such a good player.

That is that's really hard to do.

And following in Shawan Johnson's footsteps, so that's that's a difficult thing to do.

He, I believe, went to Andrew Webster in the off season said I want to run this team. He said that, and I heard about him and the wind fletching. HEINDI they were sitting on the side London the commentary for KO and they said he was so vocal on the field. But the great thing about which I really love about the kid was after the game he went to them and sat and they had a bit of fun to talk. But they said off camera he was just talking about football.

They said he is a footing heard this kid.

Really loves his whole life and that I think that's really important.

And I think when you see young half be able to communicate that to the media and do interviews after the game. He definitely does that in the film room, in the review, in the video he's able to tell everyone and articulating it away. And the Warriors are back some of those scenes after that game against the Cowboys.

Down on the.

Crowd, singing, chanting, they travel everywhere, the Warriors.

Fans just turn up.

But there's something great about the Warriors when they're up and about the fellows back from last year, but what they did the year before. They almost might be on the cast were playing top four footy for the rest of this view.

If they can keep up this.

Momentum, Tedesca, I haven't seen him play much better than at the moment.

He wound a clock back to the point that now people are talking about him to see if he can take the jersey off Edwards.

That's an amazing comeback.

It is to lose your jersey at that age and then fight your way back.

I think the one thing when Tedesco puts it together, he's probably got the best balance of all the fullbacks of that hard work in the yardage part of the field and then the finesse at the other end. So when you can have twenty runs have two hundred meters, ten of those runs helping the kick return, the other ten setting up tries, that's where the balance is. Like you think about Turbo and Edwards when they put it together, they've got that good balance and Tedesco pinball mentality, good skill.

Yeah, he was brilliant.

A big decision coming after Lorrie because Edwards was good on the weekend.

Yeah, look, I think Edward Edwards is the fullback and Teddy's doing all the right things, but I think Edwards.

Yes, we're going to talk about toe in a minute as we move on Nathan Cleary, but I can see Edwards has really missed tie that that's a really good one two combination. Oftentimes you see I'll get there on Bryan, I'll bring it back on a kick return, Edwards will go play two, to go play three.

Like they just dominate the arding sets.

It's funny when origins around the corner, the gunplayers rise a little bit in club level. Edwards went again, Nathan went very well. Yeah, I think the origin selection around the corner just makes good players stand up a little bit clearer.

With the other outstanding performance Nathan Cleary.

His performance last week we spoke about him with his cross plays one under two under and how it had led he lost some thrust upfield to this week, Coop, I've rarely seen him play so straight. There was a marked change in his football and it works so well like he he just kept peeling the Bronco short, particularly on the left hand side of the field, made a big, big difference to.

See that over exaggeration as a half, it's the space that Alamonti needs to score this one. Here, see how he just dies back to the right. The space is created on the left. So when we talk about playing north south, the whole idea of that is the more direct you can play in the middle of the field is the centimeter or the meter that the outside players need. And I always sort of talk about if you think

Made a big difference to his outside men, made a big difference to his young players, particularly Blazed to Lungey. It just gave Blaze just a little bit more room and it allowed them to simplify their football. Yes, so there wasn't as many complex sequences that make sense. I've thought that oftentimes, and I love the complexity of their football.

It's just such it's great to watch the science of it.

But bringing a young guy into a team and wearing the six and trying to find his way, he can get lost in that and I've seen that. But on the weekend they're able to simplify, and he was really good. The combinations coops are starting to form.

I don't think the simplicity of things is probably why Craig Bellamy has been super successful over a long period of time, because it doesn't matter if you're a three hundred game or a new play. If you keep it simple, there's more understanding of how you want to play.

And I think the Panthers did two things.

Nathan played way more direct and they simplified their football in terms of just keeping it to one or two things to do well, as opposed to, oh, we really got these six plays, let's do it. They were just doing the same things but doing it better than the Broncos. And that was the difference between getting four points.

And getting that.

Simplifying the game plan is going to be really really important during the origin period.

They've got to keep winning.

Now they do, and not having Nathan, not have Isaiah, it's going to find it. You know, they can't play that complex with the guys they're going to put in.

So and I'll tell you what. Let's talk about what we.

Think of them going forward now, because I imagine after the weekend's performance a lot of opinions have changed, maybe not completely, but you know, a lot everyone, a lot of people putting the lines straight through them. And I think they adjusted that, particularly when you see miss Kenny to come back and the one they really liked, the one they have really missed, and you could see it

Yeah, this one here, Zayo hardly ever gets picked up and put on his back. The thing I like about what Brian toal does two sideways here, and this was after the first twenty minutes of the game, but then they went more direct. The thing I like about Brian total is his ability to do it from the first effort to his last effort in the game. It allows isaiahoh and Moses Liota like an extra couple of meters of time and the ability to get some more energy and refuel in the tank. Because Brian tot is a

The Raiders, I think Oricky won the competition with the Roosters in two thousand and two.

I think this year, I think it's just about.

His finest coaching before up to this date.

Yeah, I reckon.

One thing I really like about what Ricky and the Raiders are doing is they have this strong, experienced forward pack that have been doing what let's be honest, they've been doing those.

Things for the last couple of years.

Yeah, topenhap horse was gone to another level this year, but then these young outside backs have really taken their game to another level. And I think the key to it, and I know he's leaving, but is Jamal Fogerty's kicking game and decision making. He doesn't overplay his handover, but he keeps that team on tracked, on track. It's it's it's good half back play for an older guy who probably doesn't have the speed in the footwork to break open a line like a metcalf for a clear or

He binds everything together.

It's a lot We've spoken about Adam Reynolds before he arrived at the Broncos. The Broncos had all this talent, but had no one to bind it all together. You see, I did that, and you know, and fair played to him. And Ricky could have been a difficult week with distraction with him signing elsewhere. We spoke to him after he kicked that winning golden Golden Point and he was really chipper.

Yeah, you know, and you know that's but the.

Improvement and the development of the young players in this side is tribute to Ricky ko Weeks. I've seen Kayo play quite a bit when he was coming through the grades of Manly and he couldn't quite find his stride there, couldn't quite get traction.

But he is here. Maddie Nicholson. Nicholson is a special player.

That try to send it to Golden Point in tough conditions, bucketing down with rain, Nicholson runs a little sort of outline on Cameron Munster and just has the ball in two hands and pops it up to ko Weeks who was anticipating it. He saw the space and pushed straight through and for him to take on Pabenhausen one on one. I think that play, with the game on the line, sums up exactly where Ricky and the Raiders are at if they can find the belief to play like that.

For the next well fifteen weeks, I'll tell you what, as.

You know, mate, wins like even last week that Dolphins when the first half they are horrible, but the second half they just came out and just blitzed and win the second half thirty. And then to beat the Melbourne Storm and that all that effort to beat the Dolphins week before. There's oftentimes you can exhale, absolutely can make a side like Melbourne, but Ricky had them. It just shows like they're mentally tough this year.

Do you think a couple of teams like Panthers and three Tiger's five where they jump out of the pack yep and catch five right toppy, do you think the Raiders have something like that?

I would say a fortnight ago, I felt that this young Raider's site, well, the Raiders side, we've got some experienced plags, but I thought they're still twelve months away from being a serious contender.

I'm starting to change my mind.

It's probably why they wanted Jamel Foe to hang around for twelve months.

Yeah.

To be honest, yeah, they probably thought the same thing. But that they are doing all the right things.

To being down the door of teams who finals, teams who win comps out of nowhere, and you just said to Panthers No. Three now going into three, A lot of people had Panthers to get the wooden spoon. I think the year before that, right toward the bottom might have been mid second last, I forget, but no one gave him a chance.

Tigers in five very very similar as the fact they came out of nowhere. Now, the thing that the Raiders share in common with.

Those sides, if they've got a crop of just jumblows coming through that are on the up, they're a fast team and they play with a unique style. That's what they share with the Tigers and the Panthers. And you have to have a unique style if you're going to win a competition out of nowhere and surprise we' you've got to have that unique style of football.

And reference to Panthers, the makeup of that forward pack, Panthers outside backs that they had to win that comp Craig gow was the key.

Jamel Fogy. I think Ricky.

Knows that he's got a good team then, but I think it's probably come a couple of weeks forward and he's gone, hold, then I might have a team that could win this comp.

It's funny and it coops like I saw Ricky after the game and the team and Ricky. Ricky was really emotional after the game that important win. And there's one school of thought that says, hey, come on, boys, let's cooper lid on it. But there's the other school of thoughts that say, mate, we're growing in belief.

Let's just go with this.

Well, big game this week, Raiders.

Does Raiders Jogs one v two two in Canberra three pm.

Mississ and key men.

They have been as well like and they're losing Preston for this week. They're missus and you can see that like yesterday, their attack has been the best. But yesterday I can so sit down on the tape and said, you know, we played against the Titans side that were below full strength and we can suited eighteen points. That part of it were disappointing. I thought Crichton was incredible yesterday.

He and Kraz the Raiders and Dogs are going to put two parts to both teams in terms of where this game is one and loss. I think the Raid is with that sort of young and youthful edge defense. I'm talking timco and said Chris, they need to have their best defensive performance because if they don't stop kick out on the left and crying on the right, the

If one doesn't, your position wins.

Got a lot of blakes like similar.

Ethan's strange, you know, like it's funny with Ethan because I saw when you look at look at him like he appears small in stature, but when you actually see him, he's a big body, very very stronger that sweet left foot.

At left side of him. And Hudson young.

Jeez, Hudson's playing good for you.

And Crichton is the best center in the game, best defensive center, and they're going to you said, if a team jumps up to win a competition, they need to have a point of difference with their attack or something different that catches teams out. If you're going to beat Stephen Crichton, Hudson Young is probably the key to that because he as this risky, flairy play that could just be that point of difference that they need.

Just from Crichton.

I was talking to Brandy, Yes so watching the game and Crichton had the ball set and mate, he's got that sweet left foot. Darryl Halligan said to Brandy, of all the blokes he's coaching at the moment, Crichton is by far the best goalkicker, which is saying something you. Darryl's coach some of the very best or is, including Nathan Cleary, and he said Crichton's number one, and I see his taker Burt's coming back, but I believe that

I thought your commentary was brilliant too. By the way, Top Shelf.

I agree. Broncos were.

Such a strange game to watch because at the start of the game they were just so much energy they poured into their defense. They were all over the Panthers, and then something just something just changed. See what was unusual about the Broncos. They fatigued really quickly. Coops they when we put that down to coops, I don't know, but okay, they coughed up a lot of ball. They made a lot of errors. But I thought almost halfway through the first half, looks some of these blokes, some

I mean we saw defensively some poor decisions, like when Nathan Clear is playing straight and Tony Staggs was just caught out position. He was moving to his left inside and that's where the space was being created. There is this talk I think Gazra Man is back or available?

Does he play?

He hasn't played.

This is his first Campaig, He's played no Coueensland Capital. I think he's got to earn his spot.

I agree to.

I think there's there's a lot of talk around Ezra where he comes straight back in or whatever.

But with players wanting back, players just said publicly, players wunning back.

But I expect Madge'll make him earnest I.

Think there's to earn the right to get back in this team. I'd be keeping Ben Hunt there. And if he goes back and spends four weeks in the host plast Cup and he delivers like in a real I don't mean he needs a chip and chase the score tries, but he needs to do the kick chase line and be aggressive defense and all those other things that don't get picked up. Then he comes through as a fourteen.

I agree with you.

I think he will when he comes into the squad. He'll give Madge a lot of mid game flexibility. You put him at fourteen, suddenly you can put him on it, put him on at six, put a Hunt to nine, mix around.

I think you might get a reaction out of Ben Hunt as well if he sees the EZRA there, like his level of performance will go through the roof as well too.

If you go in and have a look at the game, because you commentated the game before, I'll be interested to know what you think and we talk about next week. Bronco has really struggled in the attacking twenty really struggled, and I know sometimes it could be a hard place to attack because the defense is on top of you. I almost my thought on it, and I'm interested yours for next week. I thought they tried to do too much.

They're pushing the ball there there. You know, they just didn't build for anything.

And when you're attacking the line, I don't care what your players, but when you're coming up against twelve defensive plus the all back in the line, which is thirteen, you need to be very effective with your middle forwards in and around the play the ball because, like Nathan plain Square, if your forwards aren't doing something to the first four defenders off the ruck, don't even bother passing the ball out to your center.

Well that makes sense because even generally they're attacked, particularly in the second half Coeps, I thought it just looked if it was a word, I'd say sloppy. Like as we know, we've spoken about this numerous times, you know, is that to make a play work to draw the defense in, as you said, playmaker's got to get to that target defender. You've got to start to pull them out of shape a little bit.

And everything was just a little sideways.

To give an example, like halves and centers race off the triy line on the outside and what you need to if you just finesse the ball out, they're just going to make a decision to shut it down. What you need to do is be effective here because then they start coming back infield because I feel like those defenders have been condensed in and that's how you attack inside the towny.

The Melbourne Storm coup look a bet a month ago people were saying, you know, there was a bit of a school of thought, well it's going to be the Storm's competition, that would just rampaging. But in absence we get we're seeing how critical Harry Grant is vital to that fast.

Middle field football they like to play.

Like the last three weeks, three weeks without Harry there, they've dropped considerably.

I think there's two parts to it. I think.

Defenders or defensive team coming up against Melbourne Harry, they just go eyes to Munster and Hughes, so they don't have too much of a concern around the middle of the rock. They'll make their tackles, but as soon as that pass goes out, it's like push to put pressure on Monster and Hughes with Garlic or someone else whoever comes in there. They're just doing their job. They're passing the ball, making their tackles, which you probably want from

You watch what they'll do.

They'll pass, pass, pass, go wide, and then they'll be Harry Grant with Pabnausen back through the middle of some stuff. So there's real opportunity to go sort of play with with then straighten it up, play with wid and straighten up. But when Harry Grant is not there, there's not that ability to straighten.

Is their most important player?

I know they've got Monster, They've got they've got Jerome, who's so dangerou to the paps at the back.

Is he there most?

You can make an argument that all of them are equally important because the skills they bring. But at the moment there's just a little bit of the big absence of Harry Grant.

But at times Monster's fallen out.

You missed the opportunity of that ad lib fort of player the right foot back inside with Jerome, who's the best running half back in our game. So look right now you probably say, yes, Harry Grant because.

Of how obvious it is.

Mate, Tigers were lucky. Galvin returned two from two. Luo come out after the game after and they're forming a really good combination there. He said, you don't need to be great mates to win.

So it's interesting haven't played in the halves we ever played with?

Well, I's going to ask you the same thing about Cameron Smith.

But you walk into that one.

I knew, yes, I knew I was there.

I knew it was coming there.

He's still one with your brother May We.

Went to beer on the weekend. Fantastic. I've got how miserable time. I'll tell you what when you're going to Joe, He's not a twenty twenty game.

But to lew Ey's point, like Benji's in this position where he's coming off three wooden spoons, there are signs of improvement with the Tigers right. So to Lewi's point, they have to play together because if you don't, you're going to lose a few more games than you probably would win. And the whole idea for the Tigers and Benji's improvement, So I don't mind that Lewis said that they need to gel and they need to perform well,

Playing well to role made too. It might be planning himself into an origin Jersey just a couple of months to finish with. Yeah, would I put him in the squad? I just I'd add there was a bit of talk against people saying, you know, attitude and everything.

I think since he's.

Been at the Tigers and from what I learned in the offseason heading to the Tigers, his attitude was second and Hane mate running marathons obviously marathons and stuff like that.

Phil Bola has been very good for them too, that ye'd like, He like Tyrell is doing a lot of good stuff. But I think I think I think he probably we would have to go through, but he probably Yeah, maybe in the squad, might miss out, but Phil has been very good as well.

Very good on the Sharks.

I thought Will Kennedy was really good importantly for the Sharks. Nico Hines, there's about four try assists on the weekend. He's starting to get that directness back. He's getting to that target defender and they look.

He was a little bit like Nathan. He was way more north south than east west. He had some nice touches And I really like what Craig Fitzgibben said about Nico.

He stood up for his half back.

You know, yes he gets attention good and bad at some stages. But I think for Nico Heines development, Craig Fitzgibben is absolutely the right coach for him. Like I think he knows what hard work looks like. He stood up for him. He'll support Nicko when needed to. So I was helping out with nick I would say, go back and watch some of your good touches on the weekend. Start feeling that thought of like, okay, when I did something well, I actually went movement was first forward, not sideways,

Just finally, I want to give a rap to a young bloke as he's sess my boy from my own town, Fletcher Sharp Fletcher's is a special player. He's showing that this year. Even the previous couple of weeks where Newcastle tack has been poor, he's had a spark about him. Really really, the one concern I do have going forward Fletcher, I think he signed an extension for a year or two.

That makes sense, how come?

Because there's no doubt if he's on the market right now, with how crazy the harvest market has become made, someone would come out of him seventy fifty.

He played really well, scored three tries. But what are you like him so much? Half the weekend's performance for another day?

The fact that there is the fact that it was the Knights win. If he scored three tries, it was two hundred fifty to one.

How do you know that?

I don't know. Someone just told me. He says, Fine, egg scoobs,