Well, Coop, like when Galvin to the Dogs, we spotted that up Nobbies a few weeks ago.
What do you make of it?
Honestly, well, I'm not surprised by it. I'm surprised how quickly this has all happened. And so they said the movie is imminent, They've got to buy this weekend. He'll make his debut if they pick him in first grade coops against ironically against Paramatta, the team that he had the opportunity to go to and knock back.
I'm not sure what to make of it because if you look at their list now, like Sexton, Burton, Galvin man Hey, there's a lot of a lot of ball hands, the way they play. There's a lot of noise around Galvin for a young kid, and I think I don't know if surrender do you think he plays in New South Wales Cup? Would you put him straight back in? Well, I would too, yeah, because there's so much noise around this kid. I don't know what's right. I don't know
what's wrong. But if you're in part of the team that's on top of the ladder doing all these things that a team first mentality has right now for the Dogs, they are besides what happened recently, what they're doing. Geez, you got to earn your stripes to be in that team.
I think it says a lot. I think it says a lot about the club. But also it's what Saldo and Gus are saying to the team. If they may lockey go through New South Will's Cup and Ernie's jersey.
I would like that. I think that is the right path if he comes straight in over the top. I'm not sure where he plays, what the style of plays, and where who fits.
In the g Let's imagine he doesn't play New South Wales Cup, so he either plays six thirteen or fourteen. I'm guessing fourteen. But okay, but that's Bailey Hayward's role.
Who's been very good.
He's been very very good. There's been noise constantly around Toby. Toby Sexton, who has been very good the last twelve months, had a couple of poor performances recently. But you know, you just don't throw a black and okay in the trash can who's been good from period of time on a couple of on the back of a couple of poor performances. So I don't exactly know where they're going to place him. I see him as a sixth in the next eighteen months. I see him as eventually as a thirteen.
Yeah, I don't think he can play seven right now. No decision making, kicking game temperament. There's a few things that Toby Sex is doing well that compliments what the Dogs are doing. Could he play seven? Look Sirealdo has a history of working with Nathan Cleary. He's done a good job with Sexton to get to him to where he is. So I'm not going to say that he can't, but he's going to need a lot of mentorship over the next two three years before you even consider that, right,
So what do they do now? That's that's a trigger situation.
You know, Coops, It's actually an opportunity for Toby. Toby be looking at the moment going, oh jeez, you know he's coming to assist meets the end of me with all the noise and the fact he hasn't been offered a new contract. But if the Galvin was to come go to the Bulldogs slip into the six, Jersey Burton moved somewhere else and he in sext and started, well, I don't know you Crichton and Cherry there, I don't know where they I don't see I don't see Burton's
full that people are saying they could play fullback. I think kind of Tracy has been fantastic there, But I just don't see Burton express enough to play to play fullback. So I don't know. But if he was to go into the six Jersey and I'm talking about like a Galvin here and he and Sex and all of a sudden throwing up this fantastic partnership and they go on to run, well, you know, for Toby, that might that might be the thing that actually gets in the new contract.
If I was talking to Toby Sex and I would be saying, don't focus on anything that's being said or what you think. Focus on the things you've done well, because what you've done well is the point of difference to Galvin right now. So keep doing that and force the dogs to find another option. Yeah, because he is the only one at the moment who can provide that piece.
When when the dust settles in a month's time, what do you think, how does that puzzle settle? I think I think Burton plays somewhere else. I don't know whether it's the only.
Other one is is Yeah, maybe it's thirteen because he is a big body, strong defensive.
Begin to do it, Kurt Man, you know, yeah.
Maybe crighton the fullback Burton to the centers, Like there's a lot to move around.
I mean, the Crichton situation, it's possible. When he originally went to the Dogs, that was talking he was going to play full back. I like him in the center because he's the best defensive, one of the best defensives.
He's the best, the best center in the game right now.
Yeah, So AnyWho, it'll settle. Yeah, we'll find it. I just want to make before what we're going to do, we're going to touch on Origin a little bit. I mean, we did it last week. We're going to talk about in focus. I'm going to focus on I'm going to have a look at Lorie Daly's playing career in Origin. Before we do that, I wanted to I want to give a young player, the young fullback at Paramatta. This bloke is a really, really special player. We're seeing it
more and more every week. I just want to show you something from the game. It's actually my Jumblow Jack who saw this and he called me and said, just check this out, a really important part of the game in the second half. Look at this chase bang and hits Turbo gets the first market. You watch this next hit bang, like the physicality and then he finds himself
at marker again and he goes for another one. Now at this point, fullbacks usually send the wingers back, but he gets back on his bike to protect the forty twenty. If they're going for it, takes it. And what's the physicality in this run? Again? They like, that's a lot of stuff you don't pick up in the game. Mainly you pick up the flash stuff. But that says a lot about.
That they're the one percent. Is that you could grow a lot of X factor skills and he's already got the X factor skills. So I love that he is underpinning that footwork and the speed that he's got with that hard nosed approach because he was brilliant on the week, like what he delivered for that team, toughness, safety, smart, try scoring like he was very good. And while you spotted that from Iongi, I'm going to raise it and
see what the Sharks did against the Roosters. And in fanel Blake big noise around him in a big game against the Roosters who are origin affected. This is his first effort. This is the first set of the game. I just want you to watch Fanila Blake here, he's out the back of play. The Roosters are down players, Sharks come off a big win against Melbourne. They need to start fast and knock the Roosters out of confidence.
And this is the effort of Foranila Bloke. We've just showed Iongi how hard he worked for his team and got the rewards. And here's Fanil Blake, who's been brilliant this year, but most of his brilliant work as we been with ball in him. So that moment there, I think Craig Fitzgibven will spot and say, hey, you need to set the standard from the beginning. Because when Fanila Blake gets it right and the Sharks were coming against the Roosters in that second half, I'll show you another
bit of play. Here, steams onto the football like he shot out of a gun, creates chaos in the Rooster's defensive line. And what happens Tunle goes down the other side double pump play. So I think Craig Fitzgibbons got a bit of work to do with Phil Blake off the ball. His efforts and intensity can be influential for the Sharks to keep going up the ladder.
Probably encapsulated the performance from the Sharks. Yeah, yeah, they were off just when you're starting to really go right out here we going.
Yeah, they shouldn't have had that effort, considering what they did against Melbourne the week before, and off the back of that you picked up Halia Seima and some train spotting stuff a couple of weeks.
Yes, yes, I did left handed, left hand carry right hand, play the ball.
Well, Tarban has been watching this show and he's gone, Matthew John's watched this right hand, Yes, play the ball. Love it?
Hey, love it. I'll sit with that, yes, because he's in for the show in to May, and I'll watching HALLI Suma. I just kept saying, happy, happy, watch his left hand carry right hand for I think happy was thinking it is this plog place, which was.
So any players out there that watch the show, just a bit of left hand right action, play the ball of whatever?
Yeah, have you had a game? You know?
I can't do it. I can't do it. And I suggest you can't either.
Yeah. Now in focus state of origin. We gave our predictions last week. Anything changed is what you think about.
Well, I still think months through is the key for Queensland. I still think there'll be some points scored. One thing I will say is thinking about, like, what's going to happen in this game. New South Wales won that play game won the series with one play at the back end of last year, and it's would have sat with Billy for long period time. I know how Billy reacts to things, and he'd be sitting in his bunker analyzing every Queensland play but also picking apart New South Wales
and big games. Billy loved to come up with a player, a trick shot, something that just threw the opposition out. I don't know what it will be, but I'm pretty sure he'll come up with something, either the game plan or a trick shot that will sort of try and roffle the feathers of New South Wales. So keep an eye on that. But I still think Munster. I think twenty two fourteen Queensland. I think it's going to be an entertaining game.
Will be entertaining a game, and earlier today Stephen Crichton left training, had a nice bag and he's quad, so we'll find out there. That's a nervous way. He's such an important player. That combination Latrell, Mitchell and Stephen Crichton, as far as centers, it's as good as it gets.
Look, they dominate. Do you think Latrell and Steven Kricht is the point of difference?
I do. I think they're dominate.
I'm worried. I'm worried.
Look, it's a great combination given the way that Nathan has been playing. If you watch the way Penwth has been playing of late and how straight Nathan's been playing, and like he's been playing so straight, he's been just basically perling an opposition in short and giving his outside men so much time and space. With Latrell and Cryton vis that's yeah, that's a big opportunity there.
Clearing and Moses can connect and condense the middle part of the defense and create just space for Latrell and Crichton. I think Hammer and Rob Toyer need to almost have the toy's debut game, but the best defensive performers ever.
Had you mentioned Billy? I want to talk about Lurie, not Laurie's coaching, his playing career. A lot of younger people who come to the game don't remember Laurie as a player and what he did for New South Wales as a player. I think when you're talking about you know, when you talk about Queensland, I took with the greatest Queensland players is of course Wally Lewis, of course Cameron Smith. When it gets to New South Wales, there's blokes at there.
Joey spoken about Bradley, Clyde, Brett, Kenny, Freddie Mate. I put Lourie just about the top. He's contribution in New South Wales and basically changing like Queensland dominated for so long throughout the eighties, but the emergence of those young guys from the Green Machine that Canberra era really swung up back in New South Whil's way and Laurie tippified that he came in. It was funny. His first series was in eighty nine right and the great Jack Gibson
was coaching the New South Wales side. Jack knew you had this kid who was developing. It was going to be a legend of the game. He just missed it by twelve months because when he come in Laurie that first series, he was really struggled. He talks of I've spoken to him. I interviewed him about it, and I said, that first series in eighty nine bad memories, he said, most terrible. He said, I went in so naive, not
knowing what Origin was about. He was nineteen years of age, and he said, I was playing center opposite my mentor, my hero, my teammate, my captain, Malmaninger. And he said naively, I went into that game believe him Mal would take it easier. And he said he he just completely completely humiliated loss, you know. Talking about his trajectory as a player.
The big turning point for Laurie, I think he's breakouts as far as being a representative player was City versus Country nineteen ninety and Country were beaten by two points, but Laurie absolutely tore City to shreds and after the game it was like mate, it was everything changed. He went into State of Origin that year ninety ninety and dominated Queensland in the first game. But the big one when Phil goirled. The big rise with Laurie coops come
when Phil Gould was coach. Gus recognized straight away that Laurie's got to be my captain. He elevated him's captain. But I love this story when you talk about Gus spoke to him about what did you learn from that first series? Tell me about that first series, and he told Gus the story about playing against Mail and Phil Mali take it easier. I mean how he humiliated him. Anyway, when he made Laurie captain, he said, they're playing a
game at lang Park. It's a big game. Got to be a decider, and he said, I've been the call to tap on the tap in the dressing room. Mate, come out. The captain's out to toss the coin, and Mal is the captain of Corny's land. Anyway, Gus grabbed him and said this is your time. He said, go and hide in the toilet. Let Mal wait for you out there. So he said, Maol was forced to wait outside Lorry's hiding in the toilet as a power play. Mail is just standing out there, made him wait five
minutes and then strolled out. And it was just a statement. He said, Mao was filthy and mal knew exactly what he was doing. And then he turned went back into the sheds. It was a Turning Point and Lorry that ninety four series, Laurie completely dominated it to the fact that Coops they won. I don't know if it was decided, but they won Game three in a really tough game at the Sydney Football Stadium and Lorry scored a key try late. And remember talking to Paul Harrigan the next day,
who was a skipper at Newcastle. He played in that game, and it was myself and out of me and we have a lunch with Chief. I said, this is a tough game. It said, yeah, really tough. And I said, you know, how did you feel through the game? You know, like when they were on top? Did you think we win? He said, on you would win? I said, why did you know your win? He said because we had Lori daily And I think that that says it all.
It's funny, like my history Lesson of Origin. You mentioned about MAO and I always wanted to play Origin, but I didn't play until twenty ten. So I was still playing first grade for a few years and everyone else would pack there, but I go Thrid and I'd stay behind. It started cutting me and I wanted for Ego to be a part of it, right, So I just all I thought about was Origin was the best game of the year, and I just wanted to play in it.
So it was self driven and egotistical about I get into Origin Camp twenty ten for my Deboom and Mao talks about the history of Origin, where the concept of Queensland started in nineteen eighty and all of a sudden it became more powerful than just me. So I'm talking about, like, why does Queensland rise when they playing them own jerseys
because quick history lesson. Prior to nineteen eighty, it was always about where you played, right, So all the good players of queens then moved to New South Wales represented Queensland. They played in the state game and New South Wales would smash Queensland fifty zeril every game yep, and the Queenslander's got smashed. It wasn't until nineteen eighty when they changed the rules of where you're born. Arthur beats in that first scrum. He's playing reserve grade for Paramatter at
the time. Packs In McCrone is the gun player for paramatter at the time for New South Wales get stuck into him and that is mate verse mate state Verse State. Mal brought that story up. So the power of that Queensland Jersey. Why did Queenslanders get Origin? It's because of that history, lesson of the past and playing for the future.
And I lived through that coup, like you know, growing up, following when I was a young kid in the seventies watching New South well, when the interstate games came around, we would annihilate Queensland. And I still remember, I still remember the first set of Origin game. I was living in Newcastle. We didn't get the game televised and I don't believe I'm listening to it on the radio and I'm listening to Queensland just belders and I'm saying, I said to my dad, what's going on? Like you know,
I didn't understand the concept. But watching you back later, like I'll get goose pumps, watching Arthur boots and run on the field like the returning hero. I heard Chris Cloves tell a story. Was Gordy as it was Gordy relaying the story. The only difference was choppy story where for two minutes and Gordy's breath for two hours. But he sold. He told Gordy, he said, I'm a young guy sitting there and he said in the next locker to me or sitting next to me is Arthur. And
he said, Arthur's just sitting there really quiet. And Arthur's got all these tapes, doing all his own taping, and he's strapping his fingers up and he said. I looked at him and said, mate, this guy's going to war like he was a warrior going to war and man
a contribution. So often, coops, you're just talking there about the history and the history that like think you blokes are taught when you go into camp and how important that is for you blokes, and oftentimes that's the reason why you blokes going into a series, you win the battle of the narrative. That makes sense, You win that battle, like played in the game where that that series fatties Queensland as a ninety five and we went into county
when that guy apologize to the studio audience. We've got a studio awardens three viewers have made the trip to our time and to watch us and howdy ah. But I so we had like a gun team, even though Super League players weren't selected, were gun site, you know, Freddie and Chief and someone and of course Stop John's Stop New South Wales anyway.
Why do you for yourself?
That was this funny turn of phrase anyway, But we went in there and we were I've heard Gus talk about this after they Queensland beat the series and so what was the difference? He said? Our blokes turned up into camp trying to show each other how skillful they were, and the Queensland has turned up trying to show each other how tough they were and coops. That first night at the Sydney Football Stadium, I remember, I think, and I was right, did the warm up felt good? You know?
Run onto the field and I'm standing there right and I look over as Queensland run on and I see my teammate Robbie O Davis and there was just something different about him, and at that point I thought we won't be in trouble here. There was just something. There was an extra layer of intensity in that term.
So there's not a huge gap there was in ninety five. But there's some similarities. And the example will be paying us and Patrick Carrighan. Yeah, like that will be an example. Paying us runs out of the field a bunch of Patrick Carrighan is not Yeah, high five of him saying goody, you.
Be one big great classroom too. Yeah, it's a big one for cubs. We're gonna do a bit of the health check on the competition here and when we you know, it's been all about origin here, we might split it in two. We'll do a few of the teams now and a few of them next week. But let's start. We'll go from the bottom up to the top. And usually the bottom teams it's usually very straightforward. They're having a blood er every year and they're not going to
make the finals. There's a couple of them, but there are, But it's Penrith. What are you thinking?
They are in seventeenth on nine points. The Broncos are in eighth on twelve points. In the next period of time, they play the Eels twice, the Tigers twice. They've got two buyers. They've got the Titans, Knights and Souths. There's a couple of other big games of worries.
They're going to creep in.
I've got them here finishing eighth. You agree, I do agree.
I do agree. We've said this before. If they can creep into the eight, they can win the camp Coops. My prediction is I think they will creep into the eight. But I think it'll be very, very similar to when Brisbane did similar ninety nine, but they lost all those
games empty and they spent the pennies getting there. I agree with that, But when you look at it also the amount of players they're going to have playing state of Origin on top of everybody everything else I've got to make in the second week of the finals.
Oh yeah, I can't argue with that. I feel like I was just doing some research into this. I think they do. I think they slip into the eight. And I can't say that to too many of the other teams down the bottom of the ladder, as simple as that.
What about Titans, mate, they deserve brutality in opinion. You know, it's just I mean, okay.
Let's look well the Spoon Yeah.
Well look at the Queen's Land side coops where this is what puzzles puzzles. We talk about this in numerous times individually. Look at the talent on that team. But let's look at the Queensland side both for more Tin, no, for the Waker, yep, anybody else in that pack that but like, that's a great pack and you are three of the Titans there mainstage of the Titans pack.
I just he's their best player, Tino by a country mile.
Yep.
The one thing that I think is hurting the Titans is des has been a defensive coach for a long period of time, and history says he gets it right when he's got a good team. There's a disconnect between them doing it and his message. And the other thing I think is hurting is that the top end talent.
I'm taking Tino out of this conversation, but the top end talent are either injured or they feel like they look lost on a field like they don't they're not consistent, they don't feel like they're on the same page all the time, and it's just in and out of eighty minute performances looks okay. It's just yeah, it's bad, and I don't think it's going to get any better. I think Penrith go that way quickly. And I'm worried about.
The Titans aside that is, you talk a big, big gulf in attitude between one side and the next. Look at the Earl's attitude compared to the Titans, and the Earls had a really difficult start to the season without Mitchell Moses. You know, Jason Royle is trying to bed down a new style of these young guys coming into the team. But I tear what they look. They look really really good at the moment.
They've improved, and he cleaned out that roster at the back end of last year and now I feel like he's very reliant on the leaders Borlow Moses, throw Brown in there. But Lomax like, if those guys play well, I think the Riley Smiths and the i Is and all that kind of stuff, they will follow. Yes, but I think it's very reliant on that leadership group to play well and get the job.
I see him getting out of the bottom four. I see him moving in and around ten or eleven. I think possibly you can just see they've got their tails up at the moment. I will sure return from Origin.
And I will say Dylan Walker has been very, very good for them, fantastic even on the weekend, it was great no mich and Moses stood up lots of ballplaying. I think he'd be a key piece of the puzzle for them to improve a little bit.
Final one for this week, the Knights needed that win over Penrith or they would have been sitting last on the ladder right Knight's best player so far this she's been, in my opinion, being Fletcher sharp, Dylan Lucas as well. Dilan Lucas was sensational on the weekend A coops the Kaylen at fullback, at fullback and Fletcher at six. The formula wasn't quite working out there. They put Fletcher back
to his preferred position playing fullback. They experimented a couple of years ago with kayl and at six it didn't work. Is it worth having a look at again?
I think Kaylen no worries. The Knights are a good defensive team. They need to win games while they're going through this period on the back of their defense. If there's one simple solution for the Knights attack, and Kleen is the big piece of this. We've spoken about this previous on the show. Calen's best position is when it's four versus four down a wide short side. He has the footwork to carve up anyone right. So as simple as this is, I'm playing to that position and given
Kalen four and four. Now, if they give four defenders, Kaylin take it. If they put five on Kaylen, because they're worried the rest of you. Take it. That's as simple as I can try and help them out with their attack.
It's the same with Tamara Tahu. We say with Tamata you know when he was in really fire and we said, mate, look if they've got four and we've got four, give it to Mana. Actually, if they've got five, give it to Actually, if they've got six, gives I feel.
Like their spine is. I know why Adam O'Brien keeps changing because there's no one grabbing the jersey, right, But you probably need to simplify in terms of trying to make this elaborate play to create space for Kaylin on the extremities, Like just where is his favorite positions in this part of the field. Where does he do all of his damage this part of the field. All right, let's design the system where he gets the ball there more often than not. That's right, And that's as simple
as this that field position for defenders. Kaylin take it.
What does Cooper Krong do on Origin Knights? You're going to go up to us Sun Corporal, what does it? What does an origin Knight like for you? Now?
Considering that you only work two days a week, around this joint. You wouldn't understand.
Two days a week double duty John's for me.
You would understand the sweat, blood and tears are going into this John. I'm actually going to call the game.
Called the game.
So you don't even know what's going on around here.
Do No, No, I don't. I'm a little that's the coops. You know, this is the thing, mate, You come in, your clock out, you go, mate, don't get caught up in office politics. If you haven't got an office, so you haven't got a computer or haven't got a chair, they don't expect you to be.
You can't turn what off? That's right, that's right.
I haven't heard me yet. Well maybe it has good on your mate.
Mm hmmmmmm