Better than the lego, better than One of the crucial factors in Penrith three peding gun for four in a row has been at times the absence of Nathan Cleary and what it's allowed them to do is have a look at areas of their game or their shortcomings that Nathan basically covers. When he's there, they tidy up their football he returns. The last month, I've formed an opinion which, in Nathan's absence, has given me more certainty.
And one of the.
Things is Coops is that one of the great things about Penrith has been that ability to hop in the grind and just wear sides down with the grind. I reckon in the last month is that Sides are starting to be able to match him in the grind in a lot of ways. I think Penrith are getting into the grind too willingly and getting it too early. So if you look like Penrith, We've spoken about this before, they build a game bit by bit by bit, start
very conservative, those inside balls, inside balls, inside balls. But you've got to understand if you're going to get into a grind and you want to stay in an arm wrestle, then you are giving a side an opportunity to b actually beat you at the back the back end of a contest. Now, what we've seen a little bit with Penrith is this sort of football there dismally.
In opposition and make it a tough arm wrestle.
Really works for Penrith because when you've got one of the greatest pressure players of all time, when you take him down in the last ten to fifteen minutes and the games on the line, he'll win it for you. But in the last couple of weeks, during those that last ten to fifteen minutes and Nathan has not been there, being in the grind has enabled a team like.
Camera just came out of nowhere and Snatcher win offs.
Do you saying they should change their stuff.
I just think I think they're starting there. I think they're starting the game.
A little bit too conservative, or they're staying in the grind too long.
Going to the grind football early is staying because they don't have the ability to break it open without Nathan. They're actually allowing teams to stay closer to them.
And you're leaving a situation with ten to fifteen minutes ago where the oppositions in a position to beat out or like we saw on the weekend against Canberra, a couple of tough calls went against them. But that's what happens, you know, like you're leaving yourself open to take in the game into the last ten to fifteen minutes, leave you open for a bad call or something the gas goes wrong and an upset win by the opposition.
Pops.
I actually think Penrith, I think they'd be well served open their shoulders and playing a little bit more football early.
I see where you're coming from. The chances of Ivan Cleary opening your shoulder or changing or rejigging however youon wifform it two weeks before they are on the cuffs of trying to win four in a row. It's highly unlikely.
Totally.
Their style has got them to this point and they're going to double down on what they're good at to get the result. Now, the two results that they've lost is close games. A penalty from Fisher Harris to Jerome Hughes gave it away, Leui intercept Savage scores, so they're
still very close to those victories. Absolutely, But I understand where you're coming from, because when you win comps, you provide a style of play that shows the others, Okay, if we're going to beat Penrith, this is how we have to play, at least to get close to them. And there's no doubt that the Storm, Roosters, Sharks Dogs have changed their training to keep the ball in play for long periods of time, to fight fire with fire
with Penrith. So when it comes down to that moment, an X factor play might come up with it like the Raiders did with the Intercept, very similar approach. But I think Ivan Cleary is going to double down on everything he's taught his team in the next six weeks to go after that fourth title.
Yeah, I think so as well.
It served them well in my mind, hobbying the arm wrestles, stay in the grind is really important.
I get all those things. It has been.
Basically, it's the donkey that's taken taken them to the top of the mount.
You don't want to abandon that.
I think primarily you get into a grind if you're a top side, if you're if you're a Penris, I think you get into a grind. You lay yourself to get into an arm wrestle when the opposition earn it.
And this is probably we spoke last week about the timing of the Nathan Cleary card. Right now they're in fourth. Is it week one now or is it week two? Is it we like prelim final? Like when does he come in to become that guy that can steer the victory when the grind is in it late? Right? Because you would have thought maybe him on the field against Melbourne he comes up with a play. Yes, maybe on the field against Canberra he comes up with a play.
Do they beat the Dolphins if Nathan's not there? Remember they chase them down late. There's numerous games, close games that Nathan has got them home visibility to handle pressure greend finally an example I think almost without Nathan, I think they.
Need to just read their football a little bit.
They need to open the shoulders a little bit, but give themselves a chance to skip clear by a fair margin.
And you're putting a lot of responsibility on then Jerome Leui to be that dynamic. Can he control the decision making of when we kick, when we go but then still have that flare of eyes what opens you know what? I'm going for it? Even though we're only eight minutes into this contest and no one's made it error. I'm going to do what I see.
Yeah, because the last couple of weeks looking at Melbourne and what's the way Canberra play teams are changing the dynamic of how they play Penrith. They're almost once they get into the arm wrestle, they're almost doing a Penrith on Penrith. And I use an idea like when you watch Melbourne play Melbourne, we're doing a lot of little inside balls. You know what they were doing is they're engaging the Penrith middles. You know, basically the engine that
drives the Penrish ship are the middle players. So they're inside balls, inside balls, inside balls. And what was crucial then is they started attacking those players directly, right the spine players.
Here we go.
Wish Art is a perfect example. Don't worry a big flowery attacking sequences. We're doing the job on them withinside balls. Let's attack them directly. Canbra the same on the weekend.
Canbra.
What Canbra did to really take a toll on their big middles. They played nice and straight. There was a number of inside balls, but they just drilled through the middle, kept drilling through the middle. Played nice and fast, a little bit unorthodox and just pushing the ball around. Don't go sideways just for the sake of it. They just keep drilling the middle, put them under pressure, make them miss tackles, quick play the balls and the more momentum you get, basically the straighter you play.
I think to beat Penrith, you're either going to do what Penrith do better than them or you're going through something completely different. Now there's some signs that you've shown that teams are starting to beat Penrith doing Penrith right, and that's a good thing for those teams because they
are down a couple of troops Penrith multiple times. You're seeing some younger players in positions they shouldn't or wouldn't normally be without the injuries they've had, and they're forced to come up with big players that Nathan should or a middle forward should top thing. So it's white open now like there is Penrith. Were we spoke about it, they were in pole position and know Nathan a few results what Melbourne Storm have done, you know they're probably jumped up in the pole position.
What do you think about it?
You spoke before about Live Football Penrith loved that live football keep it in play Delan ed Woods Brian to really get the sets going.
When you're trying to break down how Penrith play, you've either got two things right you're going to do exactly what they do. So there's no doubt that, as I said, the teams up in the top four mirroring their game on how to beat Penrith, and that's live board, keep it in for six, eight, ten minutes, moment at a time, and when a penalty comes, you strike. Whereas if in the Manly the Dragons and Cowboys, they can't go set
for set with Penrith, yep. But what they will have to do is find a different way kick the ball in the touch, give away penalties, hope Penrith give away penalties make it this stop start affair. So the rhythm of Penrith without Nathan feels it's quite sort of static and not really getting there. Whereas they'll save those teams I mentioned will save a lot of energy. They'll be attacking the good part of the field more often than not, and maybe.
That's how they get them because you look at the way Dylan Edwards returns the ball then Brian gets on the back of that, which means you know that they're such great yardage players that the guys like Fisher, Harris and Leota don't have to go that far back to get behind the football, Whereas if you kick the ball in the touch, you know, yes, a slow's company, they've got to get all the way back.
They don't get them that natural rhythm.
It's interesting, like the Broncos into the late into the late nineties, you had there were similarities. You had Lockyer who returned the football, but then on the back of that you had Sailor and Hearing. So what sides used to do not the very top side, but well, actually, sorry, Paramount, we're a top side then, is what they used to do.
Brian Smith come up with the tactics. Let's keep those three blokes.
Out of the game by kicking the ball deliberately into the touch. Now that's Johnny Simon knocking it there, knocks another one downfield. But there were some occasions where they picked the ball up from done me half round, halfway and just kick the ball five, just put into touch. Better to do that than to let Lockier return it. Then Sailor and Lottie and.
This is the tactical difference, right, Like I remember teams used to do this to Billy Slater at different stages. Just kick it. Theare take Billy.
Out of the contract, change the rules, isn't it.
And at certain stages it was frustrating, right, But the issue with doing that is you're showing your hand that you're worried about the back three. You're trying to go, Okay, we're going to take you out of the contest by kicking the touch is frustrated, but then you're also showing a sign that you're worried about it. Yes, So the thing is get the ball back into play as quickly
as you can get your back through going. So there is like this game of chess that goes on and when if teams do that kick into touch, Penrith need to get their back three touching the ball and one two three to get back into rhythm. So if they, for example, find touch, the last thing Penrith need to do is put Fisher Harris in the first carry, put Leoder on tackle two, because then they're burning the juice quicker than what they were before. Still do still do edwards and get back into the rhythm.
Of it.
It's amazing how things change suddenly. Penrith third favorites.
Yeah. We said in the week saying it's there's still my favorite. Yeah, I still like him.
Interesting Melbourne yesterday morning walk into their training facility, suddenly their competition favorites. Does Craig address that anyway you shape or form.
No. So Craig is I mean three veget type of guy, really simple the way he views it and doesn't overcompimicate.
A source on his chops a little.
Bit of that. Yeah, what he will say about the Minor Premiership is that it's value. It shows that we are consistent of the things that we wanted to improve in our game. But then the Minor Premiership is rewarded to the most consistent team. The Grand Final is rewards to the most consistent team for four weeks, so they need to go to another level. The one thing that I really like what Melbourne are doing this time around compared to previous years, I think they're defending better, which
is a big thing. The team that wins is always and one of the best defensive teams. But the one thing that probably let them down the last few years is that Papenhausen Grant Munsa and Hughes. They're playing full throttle. What that spine did on the weekend dismantled the Dolphins. They all hit the scoreboard, they all did something, and I like that Their best players are playing really well, mate. I think that's the thing that makes them comp favorites.
Billy got Wayne again. BILLI is Wayne's krypton at forty eight six.
Let me tell you a nuanced tactical thing that why that to describe that domination, He's Bennett traditionally he was spoken about it. He's a passive defensive line. It comes up, stands still and use a sideline to slide sideways right where is Craig Bellamy's defensive is up and then coming in if the decision has made. So I think the one thing that Craig Bellamy does well against Wayne Bennett coach team is he tries to play through the passive
defensive line as opposed to around. There's a lot more running, there's a lot more short passes than finess finesse, try and get it around. So tactically, I think Craig Bellmy's style of playing football suits that of Craig.
As playmakers, we love playing against that passive slide defense because it allows you basically time to do it.
Wll like offence paling with gaps in between it, and he just played to defence pail in a short pass and just do touch after touch, particularly the half you might run the ball and then a short pass, then then get the ball again. Run the ball short pass as opposed to lateral passes.
And people will get there and say, well, if that's the case, wasn't everyone to defend aggressive outside it because it's tax and it's hard. It's an exact science. You know you're getting up there. You've got to get things right. And I suppose these days were hitting guys high. It's high risk, as we saw with Origin with Joseph. It's interesting, like the relationship between Wayne and Craig.
I like this true. When Wayne went.
To the Raiders in nine to eighty seven as co coach with Don Ferner, he brought this fitness regime and he worked. There was his ten and a half k run in around camera and Wayne won it every time except once when he did a run and this guy who he didn't really know that well, had missed most of the pre season with the car for an Achilles injury, and Wayne's off on this run about nine k's in.
He's winning easily, and all of a sudden he hear this footstep running on what that looks around and this play didn't know a lot about just went straight past him.
Craig Bellamy, I.
Think one of the other stories too, is sort of his analogy for the way they coach is when Craig was assistant to Wayne at the Bronze Goes. I think Craig would do this, all this analysis on the opposition, their strengths and weaknesses, bring it in and show Wayne and Wayne will go, we don't need to worry about that. We've got this great team here. Let's focus on us. And when he goes to Melbourne. The one thing that Craig Belly does every week is he makes sure that
his team's prepared of what's coming their way. Like that, every time I played under Craig, I knew what the opposition was going to do before then. So the understanding of what is coming, the strengths and weaknesses to stop, and then where to attack. We haven't even spoken about what we style a play first, so it's two approaches
that are super successful. And to be fair. Wayne got into the Hall of Fame the other day and Craig Bell and he's got a hell of a record against the Hall of Fame coach like that's it's a matter of time when he retires that he gets his passing.
Interviewing him last year, I love those stories he spoke when he went to the Broncos and he was like you because he came through the Sheen system where everything very detailed detail. You know, I understand the opposition.
He comes to.
I got all this stuff in the opposition, he said. He listen, don't worry. We get ourselves right now.
One boots.
We've got Sailor Takiri Lockier, we got Alf, and we don't worry about the opposition. We've got this.
Well, he said.
The first training session he was there and he was assistant case but he was strength and conditioner as well. So he said, but I'm standing there right and he said, right up, we're stretching and he said, I'm looking over and Alf's just leaning on the fence and he's chatting to some bloke, some old punds just walking past me and he chatting away, and Billy said, he's watching Alf and he's gone, and he said, he said, I can films.
Getting more aggravated.
Anyway, I finally look over it said now I've got to do something Alf And I walk over there and weigh and grabs him and says, what do you think you were doing? He goes, I'm going to go and chip alf hecause you just that's what he does.
Well, here's one. So I remember preparing for a game against the Roosters when I was at the Storm, young kid called Roger two of Varsas Sheck played five games and Craig has ten clips on Roger two of varsas k who's eight in years of age. And I'm sitting there, why are you showing this kid has played five games and there's ten clips. He goes maybe because he runs across the field and his left foot big inside step and he runs from dummy half, and I was like,
watched it was. I didn't even think any of it. And then five minutes in the game, Roger two of us shit goes to dummy half runs across field. He's running to me and all I thought was left foot, left foot inside. He did a left foot and I tackled him. Whereas like it's just this auto pilot that comes in your head that the detail that he provides you.
What's really interesting is the relationship between he and Wayne. They've been on it.
I don't know, I don't know where where it is at the moment, but it would have been two thousand and eight when I was down there working with you boys, right, and just beat the Broncos convincingly.
And two thousand and eight, that's right, you were blame for the forty grand five.
Yes, yeah, a few early Yeah, that's right. It wasn't Cameron doing the chicken point.
Mate, anyway, you just bleat them in Melbourne.
Yeah, and belout game. He really got the ships. I said, what's the problem. You know, he's burning him And he said, Wayne, press conference, come in. All he was talking about was the wrestling. The bastard won't give me any credit. That was it, you know what I mean?
That was I thought a really interesting insight because it's true when you would, when you guys would beat the Bronco's, the first thing Wayne would do is to walk into the press conference.
And talk about the wrestling. We've got to get this out of the game.
Back during the week, we're all about the headlines.
Mainly hard scene to follow. Said that before, but Tommy, I.
Was really disappointed in Manly's performance. Luke Brooks hasn't played finals. He's about to play his first final with many goes back to like card against his old team. I thought it was a big game for him. But it just shows how important Turbo is because every time Turbo touched the ball the other night it looked like he was going to do something. But I think Turbo's back. There's a little sequence of play that says Turbo is back.
Here he runs out the left hand side and just big body just gets through and you think, okay, he's warm to this occasion, the ball gets reset to the middle and WA's where he is He on the left hand side. Quick PLAYA well, this is fifth play And when Turbo won the daim he did this all the time. He just went from left side fifth played young Heath Mason standard ay, he said, don't worry about the kick here, give me the ball. I'm going to run and just
that flick says that he's up for this. Then there was occasions when the game was on the line that he just missed the mark a little bit like a pasta sal he catches that puts sub away. They probably win that game. But I think Turbo's back and if Cherry Evans and particularly Loop Brooks can be a foil for him, jeez, he puts it together. I don't think there's too many better than him.
Well, it isn't funny. For all his skill and ability to do things that's simple. Give me the ball tied to the right, let me just take on the A and B defender. That's his strengthen his game.
When he won the Daalim, he was doing that weekly like he was on the left or the right hand side and a shift play and then he was just eyeballing, almost stalking the middle of the ruck to see if there's a lazy defender. And didn't matter what Cherry Evans had called. He just went sort of yeah, the boss call and took the ball and went after it.
Honest conversation about the roosters.
It's interesting watching the roosters, and you can see that the keys have been given to Sammy. Now Sammy Walker roosters really smash those fringe teams, really give it to them, and they play they play samball. You know, there's a little it's unorthodox, I'll do things out of nowhere.
I really like that that Rooster's style of football.
Do they have the confidence to play that type of football?
Do you think against a Penrith Melbourne.
Storm are about to find out. I think the one thing that is a question mark around the Roosters is their ability to put eighty minute performance together. Lean in before the times I thought it was actually pretty good on the weekend, So they're starting to tick that box. The other thing that they've got to do is they've got to beat Penrith and Melbourne. That's they're a killer heels their record at the moment. So to answer your question, to answer your question and to be fair, I don't
think this is my opinion. I don't think the Roosters need to get lucky or sidestep Melbourne or Penrith. If you want to win the trophy, you go straight through the front door and take them both on. So if they are they probably have to meet them in week one or a pre limb or a Grand Final or whatever. But the thing with Sam and the Roosters is we just spoke about beating Penrith. There's this beautiful moment in
their game where it's chaos and structure. There's certain times that they need to do the high percentage play and then there's certain times that Sam Tedesco dom Young Marnho need to take control. And if they can find that balance, then I think that's where it sits, because they have the firepower to beat both teams, but their record says they can't, So I think it's time for them to do it.
Jeez, tell you what, isn't it funny this time of the year. So you've got so the Dragon's sitting at eight spot. They are two points clear, right.
No one wants to grab that eight spot. No one like if it was there for someone Like the Dolphins were there a couple of weeks back. The Broncos were probably there around the origin time. They've fallen our way. The Dragons have sort of been consistent. They're in pole position. They got the Eels and the Raiders. The next two weeks they win that they're in and that's a hell of a result for the Dragons and Chane Flanagan.
They points differentials. That's really bad.
And your old mob, the Knights, they actually have an okay run. They've got the Titans and the Dolphins, and they're going to need a few things to go their way. The Dolphins and the Broncos play this weekend and the loser gone, Yeah, loser gone. It'll be sold out at Suncourt, Wayne versus the Bronx.
Make this you can't make this, you.
Can't and and the loser stays on, the loser goes home. The winner has a chance. But then if the Broncos win that, they play the Melbourne next week, who arrested their players this weekend. So I think everyone's still in contention. It's strange enough, but Pulse position to the Dragons.
It's up to them. Dolphins, they must be kicking themselves. They should be there, They've done it. They should they should be there ten years.
In a row. They've done exactly the same thing in Trench, in the top four for the majority of the season, and they get through the after halfway and start losing more games than they win. There's a number of games there, like the Penrith one in Golden Point that you get to jag a couple of those. They are a shorter finals, but you only got yourself to blat this time.
Yet, who makes it?
I think the Dragons Dragon, I think to a couple of big games at the end of that, I will say this, and the Dolphins, who knows you it could be one of those.
Yeah, I will say this. The Dragons should get there, but then the Dolphins and the Broncos. They must win this weekend and win again. I'll tell you what with the Knights playing the Titans and the Dolphins on the run home. If if everyone's falling over in the last four weeks, it might be the Stephen Bradburys just slides straight.
Well, Kevy came out, didn't and said we will be there. Yeah, it's a bit of that Coach West brings stuff on, sort of sensing that they.
Should not be in the position at our full stop. They should not. They should not even be fighting for it. They should be locked in the top four bulldogs.
We're going to move on. I just want to talk at them for a second. Do you think they can yes? I do. Do you think they can win the camp? Yep? I do? I do.
I really like their style of football, and I like their style of football against big sides, against big packs of forwards. It's styles make fights, and that's the thing about it is that they are playing a unique style of football which is just so different to anybody else, any of those top sides. It's football intelligence, that's highly skilled fundamentals. There are so many similarities between the way they're playing and the way the Tigers did in two
thousand and five. Now, I'm not going to say that they're going to come out of and do with the Tigers, not suggesting that, but it's the style of football. It's that high skill based game and it's a and like the Tigers, it's it's a style of football that is unique to themselves. They have found their football. Yeah, a big advantage.
I'll be honest. I thought the Warriors might get them over there with Sean Johnson and it's one stays there. It looked like it was going to happen, but they wrestled control back, they didn't get rattled, and they delivered a knockout blow at different stages. Off the top of my head, finals experience kick out Crichton at Oka, Burton, Burton, Burton, Mary Yeah, Yeah that's right, Yeah, yeah, bits and pieces.
I think for a club that hasn't played finals for a long time, lacks rather than Crichton like genuine like leadership in finals times. I think they play Week one at a core sixty seventy thousand people, probably against the Dragons like that is a huge moment for our game. If that's what happens. Can they handle that? Can they handle it? For a month together? They could probably get to a prelim.
So many questions, very little answer. We'll get there. We'll get there, right I Coops, good on your man.