Better than the Lego, better than Lego, Magic Grand Coops.
How good?
It was fantastic. You're right, I'm good mate. Now excuse me if I'm a little bit vague in I saw, I saw plenty.
What was the best part? Was good answer? The only in formnutes and foot you saw.
So Trish went up, she went up, your wife. She went up there to curb my enthusiasm and she failed miserably, but it was good fun. We had the Family podcast live on the Saturday. Then we went across the road to Fletching behind his eighties party one hundred and fifty Red Dagans.
So you've got this.
Jackson Street, let's say lunchtime Thursday, and you're left there just before your show on Sunday.
Something like that, something like that, you know, the good thing about like great thing about magic around Coops, not one drama, well not drunk, you know, everyone.
For you or you mean in general.
General generally generally, it's just like everyone is so buoyed. It was. It was fantastic.
It's good and it's great to see that Brisbane got it for another couple of years because it's grown and grown, and the fact that it's like the epicenter of the rugby league world for a couple of days. Brisbane knocked it out of the ballpark. The players delivered to the games were great.
Because a lot of people are saying there's a lot of stars missing, what are the games going to be like?
And talking about stars mission like the moment for me of the whole round, like the Warriors were under pressure but.
D to a pick. Oh, like, did you see that? Did you manage to catch? I saw that.
I thought it was terrific because the kids played only a few games of first grade and the Warriors under immense pressure against the three time premiers and this kid just comes out the back of shape scores a try. Not only does he score it first and I'll try, he has to take the ball back with a few minutes on the clock and nail that kick. So hell of a performance because you saw them after the victory like it was just that they needed it.
There they certainly. I'm the guy that David Armstrong for Newcastle has been a revelation. It's been incredible. Yeah, he did his ACL a couple of years ago and he's sort of come out of nowhere. I was watching the New South Wales Cup one day he took the ball and shot off and I thought, you've got to be something this kid. But the way he's elevated himself, come into first grade and he's just getting better with every performance.
He's got a good temperament too, Like you see when he gets interviewed after the game, he's not over the top.
He's pretty humble and.
When he scores a try, he just turns and he just walks back there. He's just booked poker face.
And you said they're on the upward trajectory last week and the fact that it's Kalen's at star right, but it's almost like, let's say Kaln's ten out of ten. It's almost like every other player's picked up one point in their game to cover the loss because they're doing all the little basic things that you need to and if they can hold on to that, yes and bring him back, they strong star in the team somewhere else.
But it could be a blessing disguis really player with their own.
Nico heines for me, they beat Melbourne last week, had roosters on the weekend and there was talk around easy in the Origin team Easy Night and he absolutely delivered a last class performance. If anyone had some reservations where he's in the origent team, not after this.
He's got the Jewsey.
I think the one thing that lit it up for me is if you go to Magic Around, you're playing the roosters and you're own a little bit of pressures a halfback, you're probably going to be conservative to get in the game. His first touch, ranted on the fifth play, got the ball back and sign they scored.
In the first Yeah, it was a turn.
I was really impressed young Ethan Strange. I was really impressed with him. I was oppressed by the Raiders. We've said it many times. The Raiders know who they are. They're a tough, gritty side, and I just thought, yeah, without Jamal Foggery, Ethan Stranger is really and he's really picked up. I love about it. One thing is I really look when he came into first grade, see that
neat left foot and he had really good acceleration. But now you see how he's using his spoon and acceleration to enhance his ballplayer like put Hudson through very very clever.
Slow fast, get to the defense quickly and put HUDs and three and good defense too. A couple of good tackles have got all that, yes as well, and one of the performances of the weekend because the ninety four Raiders were in the house celebrating and two sinnbins around halftime. They're under pressure. Ricky signed an extension during the week the emotion of everything came through and they would have added one hell of a party on the.
Talk about the ninety four Raiders in a second tab your why feeder watching him how he runs it is just I reckon Like you look at him. I'd love to see him like a two hundred met or four hundred meter like if he had dedicated himself to athletics, and you look at it, just the way he moves like it looks like a gold medalist.
Yeah, I think anyone who lights it up is look like they're doing it in second gear, right. And he was good and timely too because a couple of the tries that he scored were crucial in the Tiger's game. And the other thing too is some injuries and he had to come back in case your origin and things like that.
So tray Fuller just a little bit of a.
Just a little bit back and get the job done.
You ninety four Raiders were great to see the ninety four Raiders there we run through their Grand final team. It's pretty good. Talk to me Brett Mullins, fullback wingers Kenen Aegus and Noan, Andrew Ker, Sanatas, Reuben Wicki and malman Inger. They could really beat you.
I would have got out of the right of the mate.
He had lur Daily, Ricky Stewart in the halfs. Up front, you had Quentin Pongier rest in peace, Steve Walters. Interesting, Paul Osborne, I'll go back to that. What Jason Tutsi, Croker, Dave Ferner, Bradley Clyde. What was the interesting about that side was that Johnny Lomax was upfront for all the
season but he got suspended for the Grand Final. Really cruel bloke Johnny and they and they put Ozzie in there, Paul Osbourne and it was just people looked and said, you know, it's a surprise selection by Tim Sheens where he set up the first two tries in the twenty minutes and then got subbed off. So certainly did his job. The ninety four Raiders. And we said this from the podcast We're far and away the best side I ever played against. Coops.
One of the best in history, right.
One of the best.
You know.
I would actually I'd love to see in your twenty seventeen. So I'd take them ninety four Raiders. I thought I.
Would have got to the road of Wicked Mountain. They would have just strolled straight through for hat trick each.
I'd tear what they were good at, Coops. They were excellent on both sides of the game. Now when you played against them, they just burned out of gas with how well they used the football. They played a lot of sidelines to sideline Ricky's with just knock it out to Laurie Daily. I tell what he needs to do sometimes, Ricky, because you've got Meninger and Wiki out there. So you go, mate,
We've got to get off the line quick. And so Ricky would shape long like he was going to go to Lorry and you're spread up, and he turned further underneath all of a sudden, Yeah, you go on back twenty five meters a little bit. The Coops when they turned the ball over to you, mate, they just beat the hell out of you. They were not just to bring it attacking side, But how tough they were defensively has been underestimated.
And I give Ricky a rap here because sometimes too much emotion can be over the top and your players sort of lose the impact. But try and tell Ricky Stewart that he didn't get it right on the weekend. His team had two sinbins around halftime, his team's down, the Bulldogs called multiple tries in that period. Isn't it halftime? He's got the ninety four Raiders in the back of his mind. He was a part of it, and it
was a gritty, tough performance. Hudson Young comes up with Eastern strange, couple of big plays and they put it all together and they had the big celebration the next day.
It was one hell of a weekend if you're a Raiders fan, because they.
Just keep doing it. Like you said, the DNA of the Raiders this year. They won't beat themselves. They're going to make it really hard for you to win. And if their backs against the war they actually go better. Yeah, I mean, that is a hell of a quality to have. They might not have strike across all the park or whatever, but I'll tell you what, you take that most.
Week not the big week It was a big weekend for the Wires too. Had to win that is. I think it's probably the bravest win in Warriors' history, and it's one of the bravest wins that I've seen for a long long time. What's interesting, Coops Nashaw and Johnson lost a lot of stars before the game started, but then lost Wade Egan And when you're sitting here going well, they're certainly under the pump here.
So basically a whole new spine to a picky wading when out off, Roach went in there and they went with Martin and kluk Star as the hards parent and I thought tomorrow Martin was absolutely brilliant because some of the players that he came up with were first class. As a ball play, here's the first try they set up. Watched this play short to Barnet, that's into Jack Cole. The rookie half goes back to the center of the field,
and watch what he does. Here, goes back to the rookie half, pretends to play to by Barnett.
Out the back, and that's their first try.
That is ball playing one o one attacking the weakness because he just goes back there multiple times, forces a kid to get his head in a bad spot, resets and the kid now thinks, oh, we have to tackle Barnett again and goes in, drags him on and just plays out the back and he hesitates that a half a second.
It's an unorthodox pass.
Yeah, he throws this one here just as good too. Just get into the line and put him up. So Isaao is off the field here. They've got a little bit of luck, but if they're going to score points against the Panthers, you've got to get on top of them while they're down to twelve men. And he comes up with two tri cysts in this period of time, the first one here and then this one over the.
Other side of the field. Gets in and just gets.
Eyes straight to Martin and puts Pompey straight through. So he's he stood up when Johnson was out, he stood up. And this was the match winter here see.
That double partly Yeah, Yeah.
Tyron Peachey comes in slightly. The double pump delayser and it gives to a Picky a chance to kick the goal as well.
So yeah, three tri cysts.
The first player was brewined and this is a guy that wasn't playing at a high level for the month prior to.
This, had been struggling.
Sewan's gone and he basically just did what Sean's been doing, but better than he had been for a period of time.
And you said before about Callum Pine, how that's benefit not having Calen not playing pong and ball as suited the Knights and made him strength in other areas.
Same with Johnson. Clok Star was good in the sixth too, mate.
I love what Clark Star did. He run, run, run all the time and coops, it's funny having that change change the spine. Losing so many stars we said before at Camber, and you know what sort of side they were. It forced the Warriors to play a more simple game. We spoke last week. In my opinion, the Warriors had lost their way in the fact that they last year in the winning games. They're starting the game quite conservative and they're building in well. It was similar.
Well, the first half they had an avalanche of good ball and that only tried to Montour was the only try they scored.
But they didn't look like they were cracking enough.
And in the second half they got lucky with Ozao, but they come up with points when they had to. It was a hell of a victory because the emotion on every one of their faces afterwards, it was almost like a finals match.
It was really good. Well, in a lot of ways, it sort of was. Coops had to arrest that slide really really quickly. Sharks prove their serious contender. We said before, they've very jigged aspects of their attack Fitsie so that can the better chance of winning big games. At the back end of the season, thought they were terrific going forward. Now Coops, I think that they've got some big games the next few weeks. It's going to be a really
big test. Now I'll tell you why is they've had a lot of criticism of like people said, they've had a soft draw and sides lived with criticism, right, And apparently they spoke about that within the inner circle in the dressing room, right, and no one's given us a chance. Everyone, you know, we're winning games, but they're saying we're still not playing a right soyle of football. That criticism sharpens the sword, you know, and that's very much you know,
you see that in the last few before worrmances. But now we're going to see how they handle the praise and very often praise weekends resolve and.
Players should get a huge rap for what they're doing. But I think Fitzgibbon is obviously doing a tremendous job too, because a couple of weeks back said something about the soft draw and he actually came out and said, look, we are not Penrith Melbourne or the Roosters. We haven't done this over a long period time, but we're striving
to get there. And he's got that criticism for the players's bubbling along that sincepiring, but he's also put a reality check and say, hey, listen, if we want to win this trophy, we're going to have to keep doing this against the good teams. It's easy to do against the team's below usk because that's what we have to do, but this is the style of play that we play
and it holds up in big games. So every win or every good performance against those big teams just adds another layer of confidence, another layer of belief, and they are doing everything they have.
To and coops, it's a really well balanced site given the fact a nice big pack of forwards that are playing a really good power game that make the back five the yardage game, you know, through their backs all ta.
Jesse Rayman's footwork for that try that he set up was brilliant. I really liked that. Talkys the beast off the bench as well, like impacted, Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's skilling defenders and crank quick play the balls there.
So there, that's a good win. I mean, the Roosters had been playing and.
They went back.
The Roosters like weren't poor in their performance. They were up for it too, and they fought back after the poor start and both starts to the halves and it.
Was a good game of footage, terrific just for all.
The games were tight, hard from really Melbourne's I mean Melbourne, what a tear ceps. They are looking good. They're really looking good and particularly well firstly, make the monster he had the monster injury. She said. It was awful to watch.
If you look at the monster injury, it looks horrendous, like he ripped something off the bone or whatever. But I've had a similar injury that what he's going through, and it was really weird to see that because it's not really a cute pain. It's literally just a numbing pain that gets worse and comes sometimes gets better and he's going to have to deal with this for the rest of the season.
He needs to be on the field for Melbourne.
They've been saying, well, it's been a problem all season, and I heard that he's been playing games, getting on the field, but then not training the first couple of days of the week.
I've had exactly injury after a game because of all the running and all the hits and knocks. You literally struggle to walk for two or three days, and then by the end of it you start to come good.
But then you're back in that vicious cycle again.
So there's a lot of the recovery and rehab work that goes into monthster plane every week.
And when we talk about like we said about Crinulla being well balanced, Melbourne very well balanced, and they're played their football was varied for a while, they're playing a bit of sideline to sideline, then they start drilling the middle of the field.
I will say this, Niko hines and was brilliant, Tomato Martin was good, but Harry Grant's performance So no Papenhausen, no Hughes. Months to goes off and I know the paramatter of paramatter, right, but his ability to just go okay, it's a little bit on me here and I'm going to have an impact craft out of dumby half speed his try like he probably shouldn't have got there, but his tenacity and.
His will to compete got him there. He was good. He was up there as one of the players of the round.
And we had him on the show after it and he's right up on his toes at the moment and he was saying about the captaincy, how much he enjoys the captaincy. It's been a great decision, great Bellamy and the other Blake t He's playing good Tyren Wishart because he knows his game, and a lot of young playmakers or young footballers it takes some while to really understand
their game. And I just thought the last couple of performances, you see a kid who finally understands his strengths and how to play it on him because there's no you know, no subtle passes. He's just bull at the gate. Run the football.
Doesn't matter what position you play. Always bring your strengths to the fall like stick. If you're a runner, run the book. If you've got a good pass or kick do those things. But the other thing that underpins it is a bit like Harry Grant's example, But he just competes like he's in every frame that the Stormer in. There's every frame, if there's a line break from the opposition, he's just there.
And that's a good mentality to have.
A para matter. Okay, there's no ga, there's noses, but that's not good enough. Another weekend, a Brad Arthur after the game, he said, second half was just embarrassing. And now you know, like Brad finds his self under immense pressure.
Yeah, it's really hard to see what happens here from Paramatta. And the worst thing for me is that this has been trending for let's say, the best part of twelve months, eighty months. They got to that Grand Final and haven't recovered truly. He's been there for a long time. He's had his finger p all over that team, and that power game that they were known for has fallen away big time. RCG and Barlow aren't contributing a lot.
So again it's yeah, I think it's waiting to sign that contract.
Yep.
Yeah, you know what's happening there.
Yeah, yeah, But.
They just like get like the forty minutes was that the space in the defensive line, it was exactly like the Dolphins.
It was exactly like it was like dramatically, this is too hard and there was no monster from the second half, like you know, they operak without muster and they're just completely carving them up.
And free coach that Brad Arthur to me, isn't a coach that sits back and says you boys, you take care of it like he's a drill sergeant. Feels like he's into into any and he's not getting a response from them at all.
We said, Nico's a lock new south Wale outside him all, well with him in the halves. Well, there's no guarantee Moses going to play next week. I'm not sure about that. And Jerome Lewi, Jerome almost become the forgotten man. I thought he was outstanding. Jerome Lewi in a beaten.
Let's say, if Moses plays this weekend, is he in or.
It's not like the thing with Mitch. It's not like having a broken hand where you can do all your running and everything like that, you can do your kicking. Is the very fact that's been a broken foot and it hasn't been able to run. It makes it It makes it really difficult.
I will say this about Jerome Leui.
The most interesting person out of his performance on the weekend for me would have been Benji Marshall. Oh yeah, Jerome's got this whole sort of penis system where he stays on the left hand side. Nathan does everything and he just waits for the ball and calls it whatever. But sometimes you've got to play the game to the strengths the way the game is trending, and then you're half back compliments that. But the way that he plays, like I'm thinking Benji Marshall's going, well, hold on a minute.
He dominated both sides of the ball. He kicked on the left and he was first receiver, second receiver, he was floating around. Maybe he has a very big impact in the way of the Tiger's attack next year because he looked comfortable and he scored that try and he was aggressive, like you could see what it meant to him, like he went, Okay, my main man's out, I'm actually going to stand up here. And Cole was there but didn't really have an impact on the game, but he
was very good. I think he's one of Jerome Lewi's best performances, even in like they lost.
But I think he did a really good job. You're picking him.
I think he is there with Heines. But I think right now, if I'm Michael maguire, Moses' performance, if he plays this weekend, determines it for me. If he comes back and he has as poor Nick goes my half back and louis in, but if he comes out and blitzes it, I'm thinking that it's Hines and my.
Just the last one. On Jerome watching his football this year, I thought himself, he's lost a little bit upfilled thrust. Now I don't mean he's a lot speed and it's like that, and he's still got his footwork, but getting the ball step step step where on the weekend stepping excellent step forward?
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
He was good on that try the line break. But he had variation too, like some of that sideway stuff. He did drop off one, drop off two and he almost got through in the corner with a double drop off and go.
So he had he had good mix in his game.
And yeah, what his kicking game was solid for a guy that doesn't do a lot of kicking.
Went a week.
He was excellent. Interesting one of the Queensland six. Now Monster's out. You know the two leaders? You got Tom did? And who was? He's played there before? He look Coop, I'm thinking it'd be a miracle friend to play.
He does carry on a little bit like he rolled around as if he was shut.
I've got the producer Scott in the air. They're saying he's out for eight weeks? Is he eight to ten weeks?
Wow?
No surgery, No surgery, just got stressed it up breaking. He's here on the podcast.
You love it?
You heard it here?
All right? Who played six? Tell me? You tell me who?
For?
Who?
You think Tom didn't? So I had a discussion with my with my favorite son the other day and I said, if I was picking aside to save my life.
Can we put a name to the favorite side?
No, I can't if I if I'm picking sort of playing my life, I picked did because he turns up all the time. Even though the Cowboys have been struggling, he performs every week. He cares. He just made his effort. And of course you got Ezra there, who's proven himself in the big stage. Hat trick in a grand final. But what do you think.
I'm with Diddon.
I think Man has done a tremendous job even when Reynolds is gone. He looks like he can run that team by himself, and he's never shirked his responsibility when he's on the big stage. But when you're talking about character and you're talking about origin, the fact that Munster was ruled out a day or two before that decider and dead and comes in and played a terrific game, that shows me he's got a good temperament.
The other moments that show me.
That he's ready for it is the chase on Selwyn Cobbo right now that he didn't have to do, but he wants to do it. There's a desire inside that little fella that he just wants to be.
There when the moment happens. And the try that he scored on the weekend. The Cowboys haven't been playing great.
He's a rookie captain and he's been their best player all year, and the try that he scored was crucial. It was a try that got them in front end up being the difference. But again, he didn't have a lot of reasons to score that. He's small, there was more defenders around the ball trying to stop him, and his toughness, his tenacity, his determination will was enough that he GMed that ball down.
So I would be saying that did and is the man I.
See he was weekend and he's been terrific. That Adam Reynolds is job Madden really impressive Broncos thirty and twelve, tough, gritty game. I reckogonize it's exactly what the Broncos needed.
Every week that Adam Reynolds is out, Madden's sheer price goes up. I think the fact that they're working around what does it look like? Madden is a very good replacement. And I'll tell you what I really liked about him is that when the game is in the balance there at twelve twelve they got the penalty, a lot of halves will overcook it and try and score and make it look fancy.
He literally just went one to three less side of the post, Give me the ball and I'll kick it.
Sometimes in those moments, particularly less than around five minutes ago, the more passes, the more chaos that comes into play, the more chances for error, and how many times do we see that where.
It doesn't get there, someone knocks it on or whatever.
Simplicity when the game is on the line is the best way of executing it.
So it's an open competition.
Yeah, Penrith dropped a couple of injuries to big players. The Sharks are there, their consistent storm have this reel up, but they've got some question marks around some of their Interis it.
Is open this week?
HODI? You like both coming to the comp nineteen sixty seven.
I was a little disappointed in Penrith because they got to I think it was sixteen or at some stage there, and the way that Isaiah scored. I thought, okay that the grinding nature which Penrith play out is going to make the Warriors tap at some stage here. But they fought back a lot of errors in the Panthers game for the first time. A little bit complacent. Well, I don't know what it is, but I like the Sharks.
I do.
I cannot turn away from what the Sharks are doing. They are just doing all the right things.
As are you, Coop?
How are you mate?
You? It's time mister Matt has a bit of a sleep.
We might have to change the name of this podcast after when you've Done podcast.
Let me tell you that will never.
Oh, that's what sho