Welcome to L three sixty Rugby League from every angle, joining me again the great good and tell us it's been the Jono Australian Poor Crawley and Dean Richie and let's get straight to it. Queensland coach Billy Slade has launched an emotion chart spray at former Blues prop Aaron Woods on the eve of Origin two in Perth.
Take a look.
When you hold a position in the media in our game, I feel that's a privilege and with that privilege comes a responsibility. I sit in that position. I know Aaron Woods. I actually ran into him about three or four weeks ago at a footy game and he didn't voice that opinion. Then he actually brought his son over to introduce him to me.
All Right.
Our game creates attention, but there's a responsibility with that attention, all right, and when you.
How will I put this?
When you degrade someone personally in a derogatory manner, you probably don't deserve one of those privileged positions that you're all in.
That we're all in.
I'm not done yet. You don't know what people are going through and although I might be able to handle it, the next person mightn't be. Maybe our last coach didn't. I believe the character of a person is judged more on what they say about people and how they treat people than what an individual says to create attention about someone.
A very emotional coach of Queensland there, Billy Slater, what's your thoughts on this?
It was raw, it was real.
I just wonder if Billy may have overstepped the mark bringing Paul Green into it. I wonder, and we don't know this, but I wonder if there was any conversations prior to that with Paul's family. You'd hope so, because I just thought that that was unnecessary what was said against Billy. Billy's more than entitle to react to Aaron Woods's comments. But yeah, that's just what I took out of it.
I think it's a reality check for all of us. I think we sit here and sometimes you forget sometimes Yeah, I mean, it's an emotional game. We've rusted on, We've got passionate fans. Everybody's got to say that. Everybody's got their own platform. I think it's fine for Billy to fire back at at Aaron Woods, and sometimes you don't know and then I've been in that situation where it doesn't sort of hurt you as much as it hurts the people around you.
Paul Green situation is incredibly sad, obviously. I think what Woodsy said though, was in Jeff. It's a comment we look back on now which perhaps has gone wrong. But I'm with you, Crauls. I don't know whether Billy needed to bring Paul Green's death into a press conference talking about a comment Grub. I don't think Grub deserved Billy's.
Reaction.
I'm picking my words very carefully here because it's a.
Very sensit sensitive one and you know, watching it, I can see both sides a little bit here.
I can understand what Billy's saying.
It does impact people, and you know, it's it's it's something that a lot of the new generation and even the old generation and all of us are got to be wary of, you know, what we say and how it impacts other people. My day community so was when I was fifteen. So, and I have a program for men, and I'm big on mental health. So I'm big on looking after men and making sure that they talk and they get their emotions out and they look after themselves
and each other. That's one of my passion projects in life.
But also Aaron Woods very well.
And I don't think Woodsy called him a grub in terms of a grub of a human being. He was talking about the way he played, So I think that's a big difference. You know, I can understand it impact and Billy, I really can any family, you know, because it's not nice being called a grub, and I don't condone it. But I also got to stick up for Woodsy a bit, like I don't necessarily think he was trying to attack him as a human being.
I really don't know, and who knows.
Woodsy may regret what he said, but there are two sides, and I just gotta be careful with this, you know.
I think you're right there, Broth too.
With Woodsy, there's an obvious respect because Billy spoke about the fact that Woodsy had gone up to him in recent weeks and introduced him to his son, and there's an obvious respect there. But Billy can't deny them. We can't ignore it that as a player, Billy did push the boundaries. He was known at one point we used to as a blues supporter and a person in the media, we called him teflon Bill because he went out there
and nothing stick to him. He pushed the edges, he pushed the boundaries, and what Woods he was doing, in my opinion, was commenting about Billy's past as a player, not not as a person. But I can also understand how Billy takes that to heart, and especially because if it's impacted his family.
If everybody kept on bringing up people's past, we all probably wouldn't have a job because we've all made so many mistakes in the past.
So I think it's unfair because Madge did last year.
I do believe that it's a bit unfair bringing up his playing career where probably I don't know how long, probably seven years, maybe five to seven years since Billy's played.
It's about his coaching, remember the career. Male ran a backpage story pre game one calling Spencer Lenue grub. So yeah, that's it wasn't Billy. But I'm saying that learn attach any of us to that. I'm trying to say it is that word grub is used and has been used on both sides of the origin. I think to the point it's a folklore saying in origin now, which whether it be right or wrong, it is used.
The reason Woods he used it is because of that back page and he's just responded and fired back, you know, like that was because grub was used.
He saw and it was the the word of the day.
And he's fired back and he knows whether he should or he shouldn't have he did.
But the bottom line is both we all have a responsibility. And I've thrown as many barbs across the border as any journo in Australia, but we all have a responsibility. We can be provocative, we can be contentious, we can be controversial. That's what our employees want.
That's what this.
Show was about. Being contentious. But there is a line in the sand and whether Woods he's gone over it is up to Aaron Woods to work out, and whether Billy has equally overstepped the line by bringing Paul Green into the equation.
All right, time now for our origin preview thanks to four Day's christ Live to Peter Medell and up the stadium, Pete, Billy Slater was clearly talk was through that.
You were there, Yeah, I certainly was, Braith. Look, it was the two hundred and forward outburst that has ignited Origin too. It was quite amazing being there in the auditorium. There was the official press conference of course for Origin two here at Opta Stadium behind me. It turned into the Billy Slater show. It was quite amazing. I was the person that asked the question Braith a bit too Billy about his views on being called a grub by Aaron Woods. To be honest, I expected him to the
question as he tends to do sometimes, Billy. He's pretty carefully constructed in his answers. And the response that he got, I don't think any of us expected it. It was pretty dramatic, it was. It was pretty cutting. It was a withering attack on Aaron Woods, and he inferred that he was two faced. He suggested that it was degrading and that perhaps as a commentator, giving his role in the game, he should consider his position moving forward as
a commentator. So it was pretty cutting stuff. And of course there was then the bombshell moment when he inferred he didn't mention Paul Green specifically, but he did refer to Queensland's last coach. Now, of course, only those that were in the camp at the time. Break in Camp Marooney twenty and twenty one will to understand what Paul Green went through personally and how close he was to walking away at times through what was a pretty tense campaign.
So if he had his time again, guys, maybe Billy Slater doesn't refer or infer Paul Green's name, but he met no stone unturned there about how he felt about Aaron Woods. And we reached out to Aaron Woods this afternoon. I'm told that he will make a comment tomorrow on Triple M on his radio show.
Paul Crawley here, mate, can I ask you, since since the press conference and you asked that question, have you.
Done any further digging?
Because it seemed like Billy had that he was ready to go on that even when he pulled up mid question and he got the applause from the crowd, he said, I haven't finished yet.
Have you found out since then?
Was Paul Green's family notified that these comments were coming? Do you know if there was anyone from the QR roll who had reached out or was this off the top of the head.
Yeah, look, good questions, Paul. Look, I haven't delved into that depth. I don't know if Paul Green's family were consulted. I don't think they were. Look my feeling, Paul. I've had a few text from people saying, Pete, look, did you set this up with Billy Slater? I can assure you that wasn't the case. It was just a genuine journalistic question. I thought it was a newsworthy topic, as
we all did. I think Billy Slater's response, though, while we were surprised, I don't think Billy Slater was surprised. I think this was premeditated. Billy's a very smart person. I think he had a calculated response planned. I think he anticipated that someone in the media press would ask him that question. He was asked the question, so I think in Billy's head he knew this was coming. He
had a pretty deliberate answer. And when you listen back to his response, two hundred and four words, spinning about sixty seconds, and at one point interjecting when he got applause to say, hold on.
I've done yet.
To me, that says that Billy had something to get off his chest. Now where it goes from he who knows but Aaron Woodsye. I imagine we'll have some pretty pointed comments tomorrow when he gets a repost.
Can I ask you on the back of that too, mate, you brought up when Paul was in charge of the Queensland team and if we just we tracked back Paul was let go by the Cowboys. I imagine that was a very difficult time in his life. Then he coached Queensland for that one year. What he went through, but ultimately it was the QR rel that made the call. Or just remind us exactly how that ended.
Yes, So, Crauls, the tenure for Paul Green at Camp Maroon was expected to be longer than just the one campaign, so he was keen to do the job for longer than the one season, even though it was a tumultuous time. Of course it was COVID there were restrictions placed on the group. But I know that Paul Green wanted to coach the Morons for another year. He wanted a little bit more certainty around the tenure. He was seeking more than just the one year. I think he wanted a
multi year arrangement. At the time, there wasn't any certainty around whether he could be given that. There was also some talk about him wanting to coach the Broncos. There was some talk about the Dolphins coming into the comp later in the year and potential opportunities for him as an assistant to Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins, so he had several cards to play, and in the end it
was a mutual agreement. Really, I think they couldn't come to terms either party in the q L said look, if you have other opportunities, you're happy to go and seek them. Paul Green did that and then of course we had the tragedy about eighteen months later when we lost the great Paul Green.
So look at it.
It was a sad time Crauls, as we all know in rugby league. But we now move forward to Origin two here on Wednesday night and Billy Slater has a big opportunity to save the series here before sixty thousand fans.
Pete, why do you it's bullock? Pete? Why do you think Billy waited almost a week to come forward with his comments. It just seemed an unusual time, twenty four hours before the game to come forward with this blows if a bombshell.
I guess you could call it, well doggie, Oh, I think it was purely opportunistic. I mean, he had the chance to be asked the question at his first press conference when the Origin two team was named last Monday week, and he wasn't asked the question about Aaron Woods. I'm sure if someone asked him then he probably would have had time to ruminate on an answer and provide one. So I guess it was just the first journalist to
ask him the question. He was asked that today and I don't think Billy would even have imagined the fallout to this, but it will create some discussion now there's been some ructions as a result. Maybe it's a good thing for queens and it takes the focus off the pressure there now under because they're facing four consecutive losses for the first time in twenty eight years. They need to win. They need to get their job done. Let's see if they've got the talent to do it.
Current your Pete, great work. They're over in Perth. Go enjoy tomorrow night's game.
There it is.
I mean, Billy's coming out pretty hard on this, I suppose is it a case of him feeling the pressure or is it more just he's emotional about this situation and will it galvanize Queensland or could it go the other way?
Like how do we look at this.
It was such a curveball other players over many years break and you guys played at the highest level. I mean, you would have put up with comments on the field which were far more nasty and divisive than what as.
A player you can go there and then your actions can just wash it away you I mean, like as a player, I thought as a coach last year, and this is my opinion, he was shot down a bit in Glasshouse and kept on going and the sale and Cobbo and that story which was fabricated and we all know was fabricated. I think it must have or just kept on filling up a bucket maybe.
But also you mentioned it earlier, dog like the twenty four hours before the game, when there's been the build up, the week build up. You wonder if it's a tactic to galvanize his team, to bring extra emotion to their performance like that, that's you're entitled.
To us the first coach to do it. No, he wouldn't, but that's good.
And then you go back to the fact, Okay, a game, why do you bring poor Green into it?
Or is it a.
Because Kevin Wolder spoke about it on a podcast, right, And coaches can't often and now if they say anything, they get fine. So when they talk about what they believe goes against them. So we've shut them up really in a way. And then they ask him about a coach and he goes. I think it's unfair, and maybe they do feel the pressure and they can't go out there and playing. These are all champion players that have gone out there and pretty much the results being in
their own hands. And Billy sitting there now and he probably feels helpless as a coach when.
I don't think this is a motivational tactic ahead of the game, because maybe he strikes.
Me everybody or like maybe he's just sticking up for ever him off the back of the.
Good There's something I need to probably address. Corey Patterson x regu play good mate of mine had mental health issues and we spoke about long ago. Wasn't there an incident where something happened on the field between him and Billy?
Yeah, Braith, it was back in twenty ten. Corey Patterson was suffering from some mental health issues and Billy accused him on the field of quote unquote running, don't go running to your room and sooking to which Corey was deeply offended, deeply hurt, and Billy was forced to come out twenty four hours later and issue a public apology. So we have been on this path before, and Billy's been involved in this before, but in that case it was Billy was the one who was doing the sledging.
There's been worst things said on footbeat. Absolutely, of course it has. Of course it has. But it's like again, he kind of it's such a I think it's.
A wake up call for all of us, like I really do audio as a journalist, it can be quite frightening.
Then I'll tell you what, Gordylan, you are grub right. I didn't agree with it, right, And then they say Queenslander said, Queenslanders didn't write that article. That's not one Queenslander wrote that article. That's that's someone that did it. And it's a headline. And we know that you know, and yes, yes, it is to.
Create a need to be mindful and you learn over years. Break I remember you as a young man and some of the things that were written and said about you like it and you all say good to it. But as a journalist also over over decades, you grow and you're mature, and you learn and you do become more aware of the impact of your comments. But in modern society, I think what's happening these days has gone to a new level with social me.
I've had people say to me and this has happened twice in the last year. If you write that story that you threatened to write, it could lead to suicide. And as a journalist, that is a terrifying thought. So as a journalist, do you then say I will pull back and not right there? But how often can you keep pulling back on stories when you know that that story should be written?
But it is?
It's a very frightening dilemma.
A sens as this is and we can all appreciate that is trash talk.
Now before origin gone, is we My.
Theory is we don't need it.
Arthur beats and lit the fuse in nineteen eighty and you and everybody else that has gone and played it has kept on throwing flames and petrol on that fire. And the efforts of all the players that have played thirty games to one game has built this to what it is. There was no build up the game, and wasn't it one of the highest ratings games ever it's it's the football, the games that start.
We don't need to use to throw.
You threw You even threw a barb at Aaron Woods on the radio on the weekend. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but you did. What I'm saying is you you you also did that? Like where does it start and where does it stop?
Gordon? Like, is that what you're saying?
You don't respond to those anymore because when we're sitting on a panel and we're talking, I don't know if we need it, Gordon, but we certainly.
Just leave it to the players when they're there.
But our job also is to talk about moments and what is going on in the world of rugby league and respond with with opinions and analysis, and sometimes Mate, it does push the boundaries. But sometimes when you're not, you're not setting out to and you try never to do that to make it personal.
And I think on.
This occasion, I truly think Woodsy was only sparking the fire of an origin emotional debate.
He wasn't, he was not. I don't think he was trying to make it personally. Billy's obviously taken it.
That way, and I understand that side of the story too, But you can't just draw a line in it like Gordon. If you go back to Paul Green, it wasn't the criticism or the journalists that led Paul Green to do what.
Happened to him.
We know.
What we know is it was the Queensland Rugby League that ended his tenure. What we know at the Cowboys it was the board of the Cowboys who got rid of him as the coach, you know what I mean? And as Peter Bedell mentioned that afterwards, there were opportunities for Paul to continue in coaching and that so we don't know where he was as a person, but he had. It wasn't the media that cost him his job as the Queensland coach.
I think the rgie Bargie pre origin is just as important as the game itself. I think we have to build origin up. That's what sets it aside from a club game. And Gordon, you just touched on the thing the players. I think it was Ray Price that said, oh who does wal it? Or thinking is he thinks he's the king or whatever, and then it was players that would Paul Gordon, they're two, well, why did we do their job? Because we try to build it up.
You just mentioned the TV runnings nearly four million, but that again, nothing was set in game one, but that again to a bit of a build up, which the media is now entrusted with because the players won't say anything, The coaches don't want the players are staying because they don't want to fuel the opposition. So we in the media taken upon ourselves to try to build the game that might be wrong or rights.
Out a story every day. You know, he's because he's working to try and puck the game up. You know, it's just fine in that balance.
He found his voice after you won in game one. Loud and clear. All right, let's move on to the next.
Details emerge of Seabolts seven minute crisis meetings with Manly players.
Seven minutes? Why seven minutes? What's going on in.
Yeah, it's a strange one down there at Mainly. Look, there's certainly an increase in unrest among the players and unsettlment re how the season's going. There are multiple rumors flying around about who's at fault here. There's two elephants in the room here, in my eyes, one is Isaac Moses. He keeps parking players at Manly. He's got multiple players at Manly and he's so players that aren't getting a job done. Yes, I think it's fair to say. And the coach is under Isaac Moses? Is it time for
a divorce with Isaac Moses? And the second elephant in the room is the Jaboi bitches? How long do you give them in terms of their future? Both are contractor to twenty twenty six. Tom wants to go out to twenty twenty nine, Jake to twenty twenty seven. How far do they should they be extended and how much money will it take for them to stay?
I think initially that's not the problem. The problem is that Manly aren't performing where they should be performing. Like we look at their roster at the start of the year and they're a top four roster and in recent weeks they've gone down to Newcastle and now the Titans. They've had a captain who wasn't offered a contract initially. After fifteen seasons at the club, he's chose to leave. Why has he chose to leave? Is it because he's not believing in what's happening at that club anymore?
Clearly there's also a lot of talk and I.
Understand it's right that there are other players there that don't necessarily agree with Sea Bowl's way of coaching, and the message is not getting through. And yet last night Ready sitt there talking about the fact that perhaps down the track Sea Bowl will have this, you know, he'll move into a football cit, a football role.
And they'll usher someone in down the track.
I think the priority is trying to get this team firing now, and I don't think he'll be the one making the call on what happens in that club in two years time.
To be fair, Gord, I'll ask you this, Not every coach is there to be liked. Just because a couple of the Manly boys don't like Seabow, that doesn't mean he should be sacked. They're not winning, that's right.
But the results speak for itself. It got two big it's a result of him. And as much as we don't like it, I always say no, no Tommy, no trophy. But they've got a fair sight. All those young kids that come up and played Brisbane, they were outstanding. So one week the superstar. So was the inconsistency. That's what you've got to put your finger on a Manly and where does that come from? This succession plan? That Crawls just mentioned, what's the goal with this? It doesn't make
any sense to me. Two and a half were years.
He's gotten his contract, but then he said he doesn't want to coach beyond that. But then he's going to move into a head of a GM like ahead of football And you know that's a long way away that two and a half years. Especially the way they're performing right now, I can't possibly see it lasting if they continue on the same parf hour and now, can you give us some clarity and for the fans mainly fans, what's the plan there?
Look, Anthony Seabol is highly intelligent, Braith, and he's very big on self development, self improvement. I've spoken to Anthony Seabol before. I don't think I'm talking out of school here, but he doesn't see himself as being a career coach for the rest of his life. He's got other things he wants to do in his life. He went to England with Anie Jones for the rugby unit. He loved it got him out of his.
League and obsessive rugby league. And if you're a head coach, necessarily tell me one of the coaches.
I got that wrong, Broth I'll rephrase it. While you're coaching, yes, but doesn't mean you have to be a coach for the rest of your life. But if you you might have other things that you want to accomplish.
If you're already thinking that you don't want to coach in two and a half his time.
You're not coaching for your future. You're not playing for your future.
And if you've got someone like Craig Balamy and all those guys that we talk about that eat and breathe it and every day they're there to get better and that's their job and that's their life, you can't beat them.
And I think I think that what you mentioned too, that that Seabold is a very intelligent person, and I think that is sometimes to the criticism of as a coach bulldog because he's coaching rugby league players. He's not coaching or teaching university students. Some of them may be university students. But the really great is in our game. The secret to their success is keeping it simple, making it an enjoyable workplace, motivating, motivating the players and having
them ready to go. And at the moment, whatever Sea Boll's doing there is not working. And Tom Tom's injuries at the moment. Tom's injuries at the moment. You know that that goes back Dars had to deal with Tom's injuries too. You know that that's been an ongoing concern for Tom. But I also think that the decision this week and the revelation that Tom will be moved into the centers and out to fullback, that I'm not sure that's gone down too well with other parties.
Fail that now, for now, I'll give my opinion on this first, and then I'll send it to you guys. I actually like the move. I think Tom in the sense it will I mean, I love if you break it. Tom is the best bloke in the world right and we all love him. But Lehi Halparadi has been killing it at the back. Is youthful, he doesn't get injured. Is a rising star, if not a star already, and Tom's best foot, he would most likely be behind him now right like this, Let's be honest. Tom can move
into the centers. We've sent him play there for origin. We know how good he can be. He's a big body, doesn't need to move as much cover as many kilometers.
I think it's a good thing. I don't see that as a bad thing.
I'll throw this at your broth. It would half his work, There's no doubt about it. But he is the best voice in Ragia League back there in terms of on field, he's a coach and being at fullback also allows him to attack on both sides of the feature.
It probably is we're not having the impact he used to have, though.
I spoke to Sebold about this two weeks ago and he told me at that moment that no, he had no plans because Tom's voice at the back is too important and Lehi is not quite there as yet. We talk about a young man's game, good, you're right compartable if it is only twenty eight. We talk about Tom as if he's thirty four. He's twenty eight years old.
Listen, I love Tom. He's not pulling the trigger anymore. Went like like when he runs, it's luck. He's running on MiGs shells and that's that's no criticism. I just feel sorry. I think he's carrying injury. I thought they were hiding it. They said he had a cork when maybe he did have another hamstring problem.
Again, it goes back to how the message was relayed. You know like it's the Cherry Evans situation. Whatever happened there, it wasn't handled well. And if this, if Tom's on board on this and it works, good luck. But if it's created more division within the team, it could have been done differently.
Well.
If something's got to give at Manly, and we agree that something has to give because their performances aren't up to standard, should daily Cherry Evans stand down as captain give it to somebody else who might have more of a follow me. I'm going to go into battle right now? You mean right now?
I'm just trying it.
Out there, breath.
They need more disruption.
Things aren't working at the moment. He's going it forms, Paul.
I'm just saying, who's the person though, because you've got Tom that's being moved from fallback to senata. Jake has had his own issues this year with injuries, and is he going to be the leader that take them forward?
Like, that's a difficult situation. If it's not Cherry Evans, who is it?
Oh, we're going to get too break stick around journals Up next, we head into Blues camp with assistant coach Matt King and following us. It's face to face with bulldogs, Hardman Jason Heatherington,