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there soon. It's the West Tigers Podcast. How good to be doing a post victory edition of the West Tigers Podcast, Steve, I have to go back to the manual and how to do a podcast because I'd forgotten how to do a post victory edition. It's been a little while.
But a lovely.
Result this afternoon. Great to get the win. What's your one word?
Oh well, first of yes, it is lovely, get a result, great to be a winner. My one word is simple one. This week just showed up. The team showed up. That was obvious from that. You know, we've been notoriously slow to start games and we just came out of the blocks on a mission this afternoon. Benji even referenced it in the press's press conference. He said, in the warm up, it looked like there was something pretty special brewing and that's the way they started. Now we'll get into this ladder.
I'm sure it didn't. It didn't maintain that intensity through the eighty minutes, but because of that start and the fact they showed up with that attitude, it got them across the line at the end of the day.
It's a good interchangeable one word because there's been plenty of times where we've been doing a losing edition of the West Tigers podcast and showed up would have been an adequate one word because we were showed.
Yeah, it's all context, isn't it It is?
Nick is here, he's once again in front of the scoreboard at the Likehard Oval, and he's got his blinger on these big Tiger chain filming the positive vibes. Nick, what's your word?
I got the team who were seven dollars chain on the Jerome Will I love it.
John.
My word is a rhythmia because my heartbeat was all over the place during that game, especially early on. I know, you know, I made a comment early on in the game that we weren't playing at NRL standard. I really thought we were lucky, because, to be honest, the first fifteen or save minutes, I felt like I was watching that movie that we've all seen before, like we made so many silly mistakes where I was just waiting for you Roosters to score early and get on top.
It didn't happen.
So I can't fault the boys for effort. They put in a real, real hard effort today.
I think it should be sort of a contractual obligation that we all have for those defibrillators in our homes if we're going to be West Tigers. Fin So that links in. Well, Gary, he's got a game face on, not looking too happy. It was only a two point win, Gary, not good enough what you.
Were According to Benji, it wasn't good enough, which I was pretty pleased to hear him say in that press conference. But my one word's going to be fight. I thought the team showed up on a day where there's a lot of ready made excuses today, a lot of players out, six losses in a row, both our captain's out, and I thought they showed up and they showed the fight that I think for most of the season, apart from probably two games, they have shown a lot of fight.
And I think it's hard to argue that this team actually while looking clunky and poor and execution at times. It is a team that has plenty of fight and plenty of willpower to kind of keep in there because seasons passed, this is the point of the season where we start to give up, and there was no signs of that today. So I was quite impressed with the fight from the voice that yeah, that's a good one.
They did fight. Eddie's word was fainers, but I'm actually going to put a word in for it, that's bender. I think Eddie's on the bender to end all benders by all accounts, somewhere in the Eastern Suburbs at the moment with the vodka Red Bulls, And we could have had him on the podcast tonight, but I don't know exactly how conducive to good conversation that might have been given the state that I think that Eddie is in.
But good to see Eddie enjoy yourself. My words, I've got gritty because like your word, fight like it was gritty. We didn't give up, fought for everything. It was just a gritty win. I've got two hundred and fifty because it was the West Tigers two hundred and fiftieth win in the NRL. Don't ask me how many losses we've had. It a lot more than.
Two hundred and fifty.
We're still sitting on that thirty eight percent win record. But two hundred and fifty big achievement for the club, and I don't think that's been recognized anywhere else. So well done. And the word and actually Mike has put the same word through on the West Tigers podcast for him, and I think it's the word that lead sums it up and that's needed. Steve. It was. It was a win that was needed on so many levels for the club.
Absolutely it was. And I think sometimes we don't realize how badly Situa, how badly the media and the pressure affects those within the club until after the event. And just listening to Benji and players earlier on today, they were talking how the players were saying they wanted to do it for Benji and then he'd been through a light and Benji was sort of like you could tell he was very relieved. It's obviously it's been a bit
of a powder keg in there. But just before we move on, can I can I just give you one more one word. It's a bit of a lighter bit of.
A lighter Sita.
So I was I was sitting at the ground today and before the game and just look look up at the big screen and an advertisement came up for a crypto company, so they're obviously advertising sponsor the Roosters called cash Stash. So my other big word for the lower one word for days cash Stash as a rooster sponsor. And I've actually got something that can go along with that. I want to say, Sydney Roosters and cash Stash been stashing cash since.
Round paper bags?
How God?
Was that? Yeah? Appropriate? Just to go back to that Benji point, Steve, I'm sorry, No, you're completely fine. I thought that was hilarious. But to go back to the players wanting to play for Benji, I think La Two's comments after the game we're quite telling. Alex Fole said it in the press conference as well. I don't think there's any doubt that the players we have in the club, or the at least of the vast majority of the players we have in the club, want to play for
Benji Marshall. I've been quite critical in the past this season where a couple of times they haven't shown up of when Benji Marshalls needed them to show up again this week, and that's what I was worried about going into today. The pressure was starting to build on Benji and it was good to see those players that say they're standing behind him and say they're supporting him actually show up and put that onto the field today. I thought that was really impressive and it was really needed.
But boy, I don't know where it came across on the TV for you guys watching it. Benji was riding that win today. He didn't leave the sideline, and I don't mean sitting on the bench on the sideline. He was standing like an EPL manager on the sideline, almost like an NFL coach or an English soccer coach. And when we got that penalty, the first one, the one in the first half that Adam do we put over, Latu Feinhu was standing one side of the side, like one side of the line. Benji was on the other
given him instructions. It was almost it was almost at that point like the under sevens game where the coach goes out on the field with the players. He was that involved in and that connect God to his players that I thought it was really good to see.
I loved that part seeing that Gary, it did come across the TV and the cameras kept panning to Benji standing there, and the commentators kept talking about, you have a look at Benji. You know, he's living and breathing, breathing the whole moment, and every every time something happened, he was barking instructions from the sideline at the players. He was screaming at them. If there was a break in player, he was calling out to whoever was within ear shot to get his point across. And that was
really really good. I think it probably helps the players stay a little bit more engaged with those instructions coming from the coaching as well.
As the game went on, Nick, he actually got close and closer to the sideline. I was worried at one point he was going to end up on the field just a couple of slips.
Further was Adam Dewey looking nervous.
I's going to take him out.
It actually made me wonder, like how close is he allowed to get? Like he was within meters of that sideline a couple of points during that game, and like almost to the point where the cameraman stuff had to go around him. So yeah, I wonder what that rule is.
I think it's I think it's there is another line that's often painted there on the field. I think it's like maybe a meter and a half or something like that. But yeah, you've got to be careful. But certainly I think we were all feeling that same those same feelings, and we probably would have all been down on the sideline doing the same thing if we could have. I
was a bit worried there a couple of times. I always thought we had enough points and the roosters weren't throwing enough at us for me to get too worried. But got a little bit worried there towards the end. But they can't just make it easy. Not at this stage, before we talk more about the game, I was just going to say, just further to sort of what Gary
was hitting on there Benji in the press conference. We want players that want to be here, Nick, it appears, I would suggest from the outside looking in that look. I think a couple of months ago we were all talking about some body language and some things picked up in like Terrell May's blog or vlog in the dressing room,
footage of players sitting separately and things like that. Like it appears like the dynamic of the team has changed and they appear to be I know it's hard because it's a win, but they appear to be a well connected group. But there doesn't seem to be that division. We can't see that at least at this stage.
I think there's a real brotherhood there.
Job.
I think it's probably a bit of a a three fainers and a couple of lillies. But now look the way that they're they're turning up every just about every week. There's been a couple of lapses. But you know, Benji spoke about in his press conference he was just extremely proud again of the way they came out, the effort they put on the field, especially you know after a
lot of close losses. He did make a quite quick comment he said, look, even if the result went the other way, I still would have been proud of the effort.
But you know we've got the win, which was good and Gary shaking head and I Benja did say after that that he wasn't happy because you know, we were twin nil up quite early and Joel, I know you said you didn't feel the Ruses were throwing enough as I had visions of a fifty to twenty loss early, and I think I've just got that much scar tissue, you know, I just I'm just sitting there waiting for the for the score. You know, the scoreboards flip the
other way. So now, look, they're very tight Joel. The way that they speak about Benji as well, there's obviously a lot of respect there for him, and Benji's only forty years old. I know that we've spoken at length for the last few pods about Benji's longevity.
In this role and how long you may last.
Look, if the players respect him enough to come out and talk the way that they did after the game, especially Latu, He's only he got twenty years old, there's obviously a lot of love for the coach. And as long as they love and respect their coach as much as what is publicly being displayed now, I think that's going to turn into performances on a field. So you know, there's a bit of hope there. I'm pretty open.
Just want to pick up on two things there. Firstly about have been a tight knit team. And I said this a couple of weeks ago that when I went to the team photo and I got to know at a distance watch the team like in a casual set in for a couple of hours, and they are really tight. It was just so obvious that they are together and they are enjoying each other's company and they're having a great time. And so I'm sure there's been a little bit of disharmony, but I think that's been weird out.
But the second point, and I don't know whether it's more important or it's probably not now, but Benji was at pains to say, no, we haven't let anyone go. They didn't want to be here. They now. Telling the Silver has said all week that he wanted to say at the club that he envisioned himself being there long term, and but he put it to them that if Happy signs,
he couldn't. It doesn't sort of marry up. I just get the feeling that Telling the Silver maybe wasn't as wasn't part of on the bus for one of a bit of word, as much as he would like us to think he was.
Yeah, the narrative is that I wanted to stay and they didn't give me a choice. But yeah, deep down inside, when he didn't get what he wanted, then all of a sudden that proves how much you want to be here or not is how determined you are to make it work. Like you know, I know we've spoken a lot about Harry Grant in recent times, but Harry Grant wanted to be hard in Melbourne and felt that it was worthwhile sticking around for a couple of years to
get that apprenticeship. Nick I wanted to say, I agree with you in regards to scar tissue. I find it very hard to enjoy West Tyger watching the West Tigers. It's punishment even when we're winning, because you're waiting for
it to turn. You're waiting for that. Yeah, and the scar tissue that's there even from the very start where the Roosters kicked their first kick of the day and it went into the end goal and it's going dead for all money, and then it just takes this ninety degree right in turn and stays in the end goal.
I'm like, oh God, don't tell me, but yeah. I was going to actually add in into one of my one words was happy, in that I had some actual moments of the game that made me happy, which is such a rare feeling as a Tiger's fin and one of them. Was when Latu jumped on that ball and ran and I thought, this is deja Oooh my god, he looks like Benji Marshall. The way he sort of jumped and skipped and took off. It was very Benji Marshall s Gary.
Yeah, what really impressed me in that is I always thought his acceleration was really good. I thought he accelerated really well. The stop and speed looked pretty good on that run. There was no one making any ground on anyone. I know Todesco is not as fast as he used to be, but Todesco didn't take any think from him, so his top hands feed is actually pretty good as well. So I thought that was really impressive the way no one got mirroring it.
I don't know about you boys, but when Latu made that fast and split them, I was hanging on every stride thinking, oh my god, hamstring, please don't. I just had visions of him pull on the left or pulling the right and been gone. But he made it and he got through the game. So yeah, he had a great, great game.
And some really really important defense. But we'll talk a little bit more about that in the moment. Let's have a look at these West Tigers Podcast Forum one word submissions Peter A. Peter's word was conquered. We beat many demons today. It was a fantastic effort. Snake's word was deserved. They came to play and they succeeded. And Latu has arrived. C Q Tiger thanks thanks to Gus Gould for taking our one million dollar player. Rach O nine was where
it was. Latu. What a gun player, just what we needed. Camberiger's word was proud. They showed a lot of heart. West Tiger's forever blue. I turned blue without being able to breathe. We nearly blew it. This team kills me, but I love them. We all know the feeling. Kenny four five one seven's word was effort. Wogga Tiger hope. Yes, Tristan was good, but hope for the future. Mike's word was needed. The team, the coach, and the fans really
needed that. That's right, Mike, LFC Tiger, courage. Geni Tiger's word was forwards. Forwards win games. Tiger's mean physicality. They showed it from the start. Enumerator came up with five words.
It's a former sy He's still in your your stick there only five.
Well, you've got to blame Steve. Steve was the one who never stuck to the one word I've got. You know, remember that, Steve. You know I've got six words.
Couldn't keep myself no recollection.
Precedent was set five words, grand final. Here we comes. Good work there, Enumerator Tigersymmetry's word was poetry. To see all three Feinu's score and prole over the birdflow was poetry. Matt mac seventy eight's word was blocks. We got out of the blocks quickly and Mac tiger relief we needed it. Loved our forwards, Dewey and also Latsu. That was the first time ever that three brothers have scored a try in a first grade game. So a little bit of
history made there. I was going to make the point in regards to this, and it's something that I haven't really heard very many people talking about. But as much as the Roosters were weakened, Gary, no Leui, no Buller, and no Happy, missing our three best attacking players, and still got the win. I mean that's a very very good sign.
Still got the win and still scored thirty points. And there was times today where I thought our attack. Close to the best that's looked all year. That's Sam Feynu try and I'm sure we're going to a little bit more about the games. That's Sam. That was the best shape we've shown all season. It was a really nice play, the way Adam Dewey switched from the right hand side over to the left, and then that ball he threw for Sam and the space that lat and created inside him.
It was a really well executed play, a block play that we don't seem to run very well, like safe got caught up a little bit in the line, but run the right line, so we hit the inside shoulder. It was really well executed. And even when we scored that, I looked at it and I thought, I've got to see the replay of this because I'm sure someone's messed up the wrong line there. Nope, it was perfect. So that's one of the best players where I've run all season.
It was really good to see that without those really attacking players were able to execute a play like that. And there was a number of times we were executing really nice plays that are in attack.
You actually you actually said it this as I stuck my hand up to speak, but I was going to say, especially in that first half, we were playing some really good, free flowing football, you know, for most of that first half, which was why we end up with a twenty point lead.
But we were allowed to do that because our middle, our middles round page and Tristan Hope, like he didn't play a game like Happy would play, or even tallon to Silver will play where you notice him skirting out a dummy half and catching the markers offside, or getting a quick ten meter burst out of dumby half another of that. But he must have been doing his job well, quietly in the background without any fuss, because we were
just pounding down the field in that first half. We were at the end of the day, the yardage game ended up about even because they came back in the second half, but in the first half we would have been way ahead of them on yardage. We were finishing our sets ten meters the other side of half way more than the odd occasion.
What Tricia Hope did really well today, it was just nice service out of dummyheat. He wasn't a threat to run the ball, he wasn't dangerous around the ruck, but he gave really nice service, got the ball out in front of our forwards and allowed them to run onto the ball and get out of the advantage line. That's what he did really well today. I don't want want to criticize him because I thought he had a really good game and attack, but the Roosters clearly targeted him
in defense. I think he ended up making forty one tackles, but they were picking him out time and time again to run at and when they were coming over us in that back end of the game once he came back on for Charlie Murray, I thought they isolated him quite a number of times. But credit where credits due. The service he provided to our forwards today was a key component of how well we started that game and got us on the front foot.
It raises an interesting point, doesn't it, in that maybe if we look back on maybe the first ten or twelve rounds where we had the full strength team and we had the former half Backslash five eight and the combination of Appy that too many cooks spoil the broth and Nick sometimes you just need a clever, dummy half
that just offers good service. And I'm not criticizing Appy, but maybe Happy when he feels that maybe he's trying too hard, he's trying to do too much sometimes, and that the faith and trust isn't quite there or hasn't been enough there in the harves And now you bring
it back to you've got Faynu straightening things up. If Luai can get back to his strength, which is more straightening things up rather than going around in circles, and he continues to get you know, I think what my point being is is that as we struggle to score points, Appy ups the creativity, and I think sometimes that might stifle us a little bit. Albeit we need to have the right halves doing the right things for that situation to be counted.
Yeah, well, we haven't really had a consistency bine across this season so far.
Right, so we're over.
Halfway apart from Buller at the back, you know, and Jerome's been there the majority of the games, you know, so as Appy, I suppose. But you know, we've had some changes in the half, so you know, those combinations have shifted a little bit. We've seen early in the season that it took you know, Lui quite a bit of time to settle into the way he wanted to play too, you know, when he first walked in the
door or onto the field. Round one, it was all about giving Galvin as much ball as he could, and then that kind of shifted a little bit, especially when you know the talk that governmented out happens. You know, the White took a bit more control. That might be a bit the same with Appy too. I think once we once Appy's back and settles into the you know, the Jerome Slush Latu combination, that he might be able
to shift his game a little bit too. I guess you get more benefit out of what we're doing attack wise, So I think there's still a lot of opportunity to work on those combinations across the what's left of the season. I think we've got what is it, eight or nine games left now, so hopefully we.
Can how long's bullery up for.
I'm sort of getting on the bit of another two weeks now, the two okay, so there's going to be a little bit of time let yet until we can
get our full strength spote on the field. But hopefully that that last half of half a dozen or a handful of games, we can get you know, Ballerluy a Appy all on the field and we can start working on you know on what the combinations are going to look like going for next season, and there might be some changes coming up in the centers to the next couple of weeks, so we might get the season other guys come in and have an opportunity there.
We hope you're enjoying this edition of the West Tigers Podcast. Don't forget if you agree or disagree, We'd love to hear your comments and thoughts on the West Tigers Podcast Forum. It's free to join and you can contribute directly to the podcast on the forum. Just head to West Tigers podcast dot com dot au slash forum. We hope to see you there saying.
I can't fault what Happy has been doing for us, not just this year, but the past couple of years. I'm very happy for him to use his creativity around the ruck whenever he sees hit. And I really think what I'm going to say is in our spine is Galvin, who I think Latu showed today and has shown the last couple of weeks that he is going to be a much I'm not going to say he's going to be a better player than Gavin, but he's going to
be a player that combines better with with Luis. I just think Loui's tendency at times to go a little bit more across field and not bide in the line as much, having a guy like Latu playing inside him or playing next to him is just going to give him that extra space. It's going to make him more likely to play more direct. Because play so direct, it's just going to take Loui's game to another level, I think.
I think the last month or so since Gavin left, Lui has been fantastic when he has paid for us. But I really think this combination with Latu is exactly the partner that Loui needed. And I also think the fact that he plays so direct, those markers and those type defenders are going to have to focus on him so much more. It's actually going to create opportunities for
Appy as well. Because markers are going to be moving pretty quick to slide off of Appy, and those edge defenders aren't going to be able to stay as quite as tight. There's going to be opportunities there for Appy as well. I think this combination, this spine that we're developing, can be a real force. And I don't want to see Loui being a guy Nick who feeds the ball to someone like Gavin. I want to see him taking on the line himself win eating taking on the line.
We need two halves who can take on the on the line and who are dynamic and create space for players outside them, and I think we're going to have that once this combination between Latu and Luai develops over the next couple of months. I can't wait to get lay Back playing next to Latu than Who. I think it's going to really be something the West Tigers fans haven't seen in a long time. Are really attacking halves pairing that can take the game to other teams.
It's interesting. I was watching Isaiah and Isaiahta Isaiah Katara from the Dolphins about a month ago, and I was just watching how directly played it and just the impact that it had on their shape and their ability to create space and get get players in position, get players in position. Really and the more I see Latin fen
Who playing, the more I see Isaiah. They've got very similar styles, I think, and neither of them have played friend of length of time to prove themselves yet, but that direct you know, We've said earlier in the season that we've seen less and less traditional halfback type players in the game. Will these two guys fit the bill and that ability to destraighten the attack and something we haven't mentioned, take it deep into the defensive line. It's
going to be really really good for us. And just on on Galvin, And I know it's easy to be an expert after the event, and we do look through rose colored glasses and we look for the positives. And you didn't, Joel. You sort of said you weren't impressed with Galvin pretty much from it since that Australian game in Pup in New Guineas. But I think just Galvin is just so used to doing whatever he wants on a football field.
Football unders, Yeah, like he he's just used to call on the ball whenever he wants it.
And it's obvious now that he's moved to Canterbury that he still wants to do that. And when I look at it now, probably more objective than I did when he was in our colors. It's actually it was actually doing a disservice because a lot of that time when he gets the ball, he's not calling the ball because he can see something or he's got a three on
two that he wants to expose. He's just taking it because he wants the ball, and then he crabs across field or slides across field in the hope of finding something. And sometimes he does or he kicks him behind and he looks great, But more and more often with us this season that wasn't happening, and I don't think that's going to happen with our current You know, when we get Feinu and Lua together.
We've spoken a lot over the past couple of years how we run our outside backs out of space. Now we go on a forty five or very angle to on the field towards the corner, and by the time we get out wide, all sides are doing is sliding across. That's going to end with this current half of pairing,
in my opinion, and it's going to mate. Where we're going to see the difference is when Buller does chium into that back line, he's going to have room to straighten, He's going to have room to use that footwork because our plves are both going straight up the field. It's just going to create so much more space for those outside players. I really think that left hand hand attack is going to become quite lethal, especially once we get a really strong center playing out on that left edge.
And if you have a look at how Taylor May and especially Macassin he played yesterday, there's some things to really look forward to once we're able to create space for outside man, which I think over the next couple of weeks we're going to start seeing.
We actually saw that in that some of the fone new try today, like lar To largely straightened like hard. He straightened hard into the line, and that dragged Dowey in do we had to follow him, But we then created the space well for fan Also Sea Sea Fast run help there as well, but Fyner initiated it and his movement dragged Dewey across as well. And and whether that was premeditated and planned, I don't know which is it was done perfectly.
But but but but but we match them up front. You've got to match them up front first, Nick, I know I'm a broken record physicality, but the Roosters were missing a lot of quality up front, and I think that we managed to. We managed mostly get on top of their pack, and that laid the platform. And I worry that the current makeup of our forwards is not going to consistently get on top of the opposition or match our opposition. And I still do the cows come home saying that that's our biggest problem.
Yeah it is.
We were good today, but like you said, risters were a bit depleted. I thought Torell May had a pretty bun storming.
Day, really good game today.
Really he was all over the play and hard to handle. And who just impresses me every time I see him play. Need to be starting, yeah, one hundred percent. Needs to be starting. Yeah, and I'd be starting Soka. Did Suka didn't start today? Did he off the bench?
Yes?
He did? He started?
Okay, yeah, good, Okay, it was showed that it didn't pay too much attention was having out wide. But no, he's a startup for me as well. But no, I agree John a couple of physicality comments. They are in the one words too, so everyone's sort of thinking along the same lines.
I think that the makeup of our outside backs really helps our forward pack get on a roll. If you have a look at the yardage from our back three today, we were all over one hundred and sixty meters, so I think Taruva was about one hundred and sixty. Skeleton was about one hundred and sixty and Charlie Stains might have been up around one hundred and eighty. It's something like that for the three of them.
That just allows our bigger forwards like allows guys like Terra or May a little bit of a briever and to actually be getting the ball in a space where we're not pinned down our own end.
Those three guys at the back were so critical today and are going to be so critical moving forward. It's really great that we're able to get some decent yardage out of our back three at the moment. And I think while I do think we still lack that starting prop that's which I think is something we need to go look for, but between now and the end of the season, that starting prop spot should be swing. He was fantastic today. I think he played thirty nine minutes
today for about one hundred and six meters. Really strong game. Score to try was difficult to handle the whole time, and last week against Manly I think overall fairly poor. I thought he was outstanding last week as well. So for me, the only thing who gets that starting.
Spot and Terrell May's game is evolving too. I reckon I didn't pay much attention to what he was like at the Roosters, so I really can't say whether he's reverting to what he used to do there. But like for the first half of the season, you know, he plays long minutes and pushes out amazing meters with incredible tackle counts with no missus, and that's what he does. He's he's safe as a bank, but you wouldn't say he wouldn't say he's dynamic. But what I've seen of
late and especially today, he was dynamic. He was making good post contact meters and he was beating men at the line. I'd like to go, like, I've only seen the game live, and I'm keen to have a look back at the replay to see where he had me offloads in his game that I can't remember off the top of my head.
One really bad one that went about five meters backwards, but yeah, he had a couple.
Yeah.
So but to me, he's become a more than just that bloke who pushes out good numbers. I think he's been more than that. Oh yeah, that's not a good that's doing imag disservice to saying that really, but I think he's getting better.
There was times today, Steve he was timing into the background line and stebbing players and looking to offload. But the really telling that out of his game to me today is he played seventy minutes today, so he didn't play the full lady. Does anyone know when he was off the field? No before four a half time?
Four half time?
Yeah, So that period where manly started not manly, sorry, the Roosters started coming through the middle and scored the two tries was while Terrell May was off the field. And I think that's quite quite telling. He does a really good good job defensively of holding up our middle, and you know, I thought we really missed him in that ten minute period he was off today. So thirty eight tackles or something that was today for him with
one miss and another out standing defensive performance. But if we if we had enough prop so Steve mentioned a couple of weeks ago that you could play him as a lot, he'd make an outstanding life. The problem is he's our best crop, but he did a lot of that role today. There's a lot of time he goes to the line in your pass and a very creative player, very dynamic player, and still managed to push out two hundred and six meters. So I thought it was a
fantastic performance for him. Today I think Gary, Josh Papa, well, what a difference makee get onto it?
Get onto it rich. He's for a club.
He's actually on my list here to talk about. Are we all were Steve's obviously in a grammy Gary one year? Two year? Would you would you give him two years?
Well, you don't have to give him two years to get him here, so that that's my only concern is whether it would be a year too long. But imagine a lineup where you have him starting with Terrell May and then after twenty twenty five minutes you bring Roy's Hunt on for fifteen minutes, and you bring paul A on as well, like that's just that's such a good prop rotation and would take us to our forwards to another level.
And then you've got on and you've got Alex Twyl as well that you've tried to sort of work around there as well. It's it's a shame because Hunt looks like the guy that we need. But is It's going to be interesting to see how the Royce hunt experience or experiment works out.
Was good again yesterday. So came off the bench for the Magpies again yesterday and had what I thought was a quite strong game. And that's two weeks in a row where they've had him coming off the bench and not huge minutes, but getting good impact out of him and getting more minutes than we're getting in the in the first grade side. So I would think, and I'll be picking him next week, but I would think he's he's close to getting a recall.
So guys, does anyone have a theory as to why he wouldn't have been picked this week? You know, we've gone with with Murray and Lily on the bench. You know, like I would have thought today at the end of the day, to masters straight, we didn't need him. He won the game, But if he had to ask me that before the game, I would have loved to have had him in that seven een.
Well, you couldn't pick him over Murray today because Murray was actually picked to play as that backup hooker, So Charlie Murray came on and played hooker and replaced Tristian Hope today, So you'd be picking him in kids spot and I just think with the makeup of the Roosters forward Pat, we're looking for a pack that could play longer minutes. I know Kit didn't play played eleven minutes. Yeah, I know he didn't play a lot of minutes, but you don't know that's how the game's going to kind
of pan out. So he only played probably more minutes than he has in a while. He played thirty nine today, so nearly played a full half of football. So to me, I think it was just a decision around the fact that we're playing the Roosters. I would have picked him still, Steve.
I think he provides something that the rest of our pack doesn't, and I hope we see him back in first grade, hopefully next week, because while I felt a bit sorry for Kit today, his last game in first grade, he didn't really he didn't get well, he didn't really get a chance, he didn't get on the field at all.
And then today he may have made that mistake, but I think he was just overly excited and overly keen to get involved because he hit that ball back hard and he just tried to play the ball way too quick. So I felt for him a little bit today because in eleven minutes. He didn't really get the opportunity to show what he can do.
Yeah, that was such a novice mistake. That was he was a young player, young player mistake.
So it's overly excited. Yeah, this is the word I'm going to do.
It's a pity. Let's go to the other end of the field. Let's go Obviously, no Buller, but we had Charuva playing there at fullback. I thought he got better in that role as the game gone on, Nick, and he provided an offensive threat. He made plenty of meters coming up through the middle. I'm not saying that he's your full time fullback, but Jesus, he was a pretty good replacement.
Good and I'd be picking him over Heath Mason if I had the choice between the two. And I know that we've got a couple more options in the outside backs to consider in the coming weeks as well, so we might not have a necessity to bring Heath back too quickly. But yeah, I thought I thought.
Through of it did quite well. Yeah, he did make that.
I thought it was a decision or an era with that decision letting that ball bounce in the goal. I was thinking on the first one it popped up and thought, mate, just catch it and run hard. I think he was just willing it to go over the dead ball line and got caught out there. But apart from nat he dropped the bomb one drop yeah, which was a bit disappointing,
But overall I thought it was quite strong. And he can ball play too, so he threw some nice passes as well, and he just runs a ball back so hard, so I actually didn't mind him playing fullback.
Yeah, I have him in that fullback role until Buller returns. His positioning was quite good for a guy who hasn't played a lot of time there. I think the only time he's played fullback before he was at an international level, So I thought he did fairly well in that role today for a guy playing there for the first time in the NRL. What I liked about him and he's a very different sort of fullback to Buller, pulls the
guy that chimes into your sweeping back line plays. Where Taruva was playing through the middle, he was dangerous through the middle. He was fishing around the forwards and looking for those offloads. I think he can be a real handful against the side we start to offload against then. I think he can be really dangerous in that role, and I thought he had a really strong game today. I'm not really gonna I'm not going to pan him for that first one that it pulled up like nothing else.
That kick was going dead for all money and it took a right hand turn as Joel said earlier, and just pulled up on him. I can't fault him on that, and it made a mistake on the high ball. I'll be getting him under the high ball this week to really build his confidence. But I was very happy with how he went at full back today. Gary.
We all know the way that Taruba plays and we love the way that he plays, and Benji had seen that, you know, when he was at penriff and by the reason why he wanted him to come across was because he's so aggressive and the way he runs the ball back.
But what I actually.
Saw on TV today when I was watching it, and the huge Bennett of benefit I think from Taruba was the way that he barks instructions from the middle as well, Like usually he's out in the.
Wing or out very wide on the field.
But he was screaming especially some of the some of the set restarts or whether it was you know, a dropout. He was screaming at players on the other side of the field for us, you know where if he noticed we were short out the right side, he was telling people to get out and close those gaps. So his ability to bark instructions is huge, And I know Benji touted him as a leader during the preseason as well, and he really showed that in my opinion today.
I think I noticed today about his play was took. It was taking that fifth tackle carry most most sets were more coming out of trouble, and he take that fifth tackle in an attempt to get a quick play the ball so that we can get less pressure on our kickers for a downtown and he was pretty Yeah, he was pretty effective at that.
I thought that's actually a tactic steve if you if you feel that takes that fifth tackle, it means he plays the ball, you put your kick in and he doesn't have to chase. So he after playing the ball, he just kind of stays and everyone else chases through. So, especially when you're finishing in the middle of the field, if you have a look, there's a lot of sides that do that when you're coming out of your own end.
So it's quite common, and he's a great one to do it because he's such a such a hard runner of the ball. And going back to Nix point about him how vocal he was. Actually watched that quite quite closely. I sat with Steve and Rach today and watched that game and Yodi and a few others and we'll behind the posts and yeah, he definitely was directing the defense around something that dream Ball's got to bring more into his game. But I was watching the river and he did it quite well.
To good to see you sitting with the common people, Gary for a change. It's good. And not even on the side, but from behind.
Well, we do know who was up in the corporate boxes the day, don't we No, we don't. That's where any was today. He was the one hob nobbing around so Eastern suburbs. And yeah he gets the invite to the plush corporate boxes.
He knows the special handshake.
Yeah, just on the Eastern suburbs. It's apt time to bring it up. I went to the kios where we want to call it to get a.
Handurg, isn't it called a canteen?
To get a hamburger twenty one box. Now, Nick Nick, we don't not not miss Nick Nick Polders, we don't all live in ROAs. Twenty one bucks for a bit of meat, let us and tomato. Are you kidding me? They weren't even chips. It wasn't even a deal like I was looking for the caveat and prawns on the side. That was just the hamburger. Twenty one bucks for one hamburger. You're kidding me, you.
See, Steve Nick. The problem is Steve's got used to the woman with the other man coming around with the trade, you know, saying would you like another one of these sir? And it's completely free.
Steve. You'll have to take your lunchbox the games from now, pack a sandwich, peanut but sandwich.
Well, I was there, boys, I was there.
We have to talk about a couple of not so engulfed positive things.
He had his lunchlow, Steve. He took his lunchbox to golf. That's it.
Jarrell Skelton coming in off his off his off his wing. He got caught out a couple of times. He got caught out against Manly just before halftime in that trial. A few times, not in exactly the right spot that I want him to be in. Gary, have you noticed that with Jerrell.
Was defensively very poor to I thought I missed a lot of tackles. Yeah, it was coming off that wing way too often. And that that try, I can't remember if they ended up scoring at it, but he came in when he didn't need to, like there was defenders there. He rushed up and ended up in front of his center. So yeah, I thought that left hand defense really struggled today. And I know I'm not going to try and pronounce that the roster Sentner's name because I can never pronounce it.
But Mark, he caused us a lot of a lot of problems, and I thought, not just all out on that on that left hand edge struggled with him. But I thought Luke got caught out a number of times today as well. That first try he scored was because Luke missed an really ordinary attempt to tackle.
Well, he ran he ran around easily for another try.
Like like skeleton scolt was pull But but now Lily, Lily did some good things today and wasn't it wasn't disgraced, but he was given a bath defensively.
He's not quite ready. See he might be nineteen, so we're just about to turn nineteen. So he's around that nineteen year old mark and he's not quite ready. And and I think he's got away with it playing on the wing.
He got exposed.
He moved to the States was a stretch too far for him. So I think we'll see a change there. We'll see a change there next week because I think Adam Dewey will go back to that position. But Luke has a bright future and hopefully at our club. But he got caught out a couple of times today along with his wing partner and Dre.
Look at a big challenge, putting him up against the guy that's got plenty of striker who's in good form. So it was maybe what's his name? Job Mark has the seam a Pedalon.
I think it is Noah Pedlong.
I'm stealing a Pooh's last name from the Simpsons.
We went forty three different pronunciations.
The rooster center called Mark someone Mark. We went forty five minutes. We didn't mention Adam do he And I thought he played pretty done well. I mean he did everything that was required, and I thought I thought he played well there's some rumors that he's going to the Dragon, So I don't see where.
I don't know.
It's a hard one. I don't know his position, and I don't know where he fits, and he wants to play in the halves. I don't know how this is going to play out. Gary. It doesn't look like he's in our plans for next year.
Look, I don't think he's in our plans for next year, and I can understand that, especially now he's signed with Isaac Moses. That makes him even less than our plan. Richo would have been delighted with it. Oh so happy for me. Next season. He spot on our side is backup halves, and I don't really think that's a position he's going to be willing to take. I think the up I think Taylor May is going to get a shot very soon in the centers. I think Macasine's going
to get a shot very soon in the centers. And where that leaves out and do He's a really difficult one because I don't I thought he had a really strong game today. I thought he's kicking game was excellent today, and there was, but there were still a couple of situations that he had a three on two down the right hand side where he threw the ball straight into touch. He's got to nail that one. If he hits Charlie Stains on that play, Charlie Stains is away down the wind.
So it's a couple of those little execution things that let him down today. But through a really nice ball for the Sam Feynu try and was very busy and I think took a lot of pressure of Latzu Feu today. He took on a lot of the directing the side around the park role and I thought he did a really good job today. But moving forward, I think for his career it's probably better at another club. I don't think he's quite got the spot in our side, but I think he'll pick up a contract somewhere.
He will sure one hundred percent. Will the centers. I mean, Stafford Tower looked like he was ready to be taken off in an ambulance.
I'm really worried about that. Yeah, I worried about I mean, I think he's on shoulder.
Yeah, I think so definitely, which is going to open up a lot of discussion about centers. Interesting conundrum is that you've got a guy that's come back from eighteen months out of the game or two years out of the game. He's played one New South Wales Cup game. You've got half a game half a game. Yeah, you've got a rookie that you know potentially is sort of getting closer to maybe making a debut. I don't know, Nick, who are you picking in the centers this week without
Stafford Tower being available? I mean, do we I suppose if you've got Leui back, you've got Dewey there, but who are you going for the other spot?
May without a doubt.
I know he's only played half a game of Cup yesterday, but a couple of weeks ago he was asked in an interview if he was ready to go if he were to be picked to play, and he said one hundred percent, I'm ready to go. So if he's anything like Terrell, I've got no doubt. And I know match fitness is different to general fitness, but I've got no doubt. If he's backing himself to play NRL, I would be picking him with someone that can cover him on the bench,
so I'd be putting tailoring. And also, interestingly, Macassini, I've just had a quick look turns eighteen three weeks from today, on the twenty seventh of July, so he's not far away either.
Yeah, he can pretty much play next month. So at the start of next month, he's old enough to play Taylor. May I think him missing the game not last weekend. He was pulled out late in the Magwise game with hamstring tightness. That worries me, and he's only played half a game yesterday. I would be worried to pick him
because I'm not quite sure he's ready just yet. But really tough next weekend, Like you were going, we're going to pick Luke again, and I thought he was found out today because I'm going to assume from what I saw today that Stafford won't be playing next weekend. Now I've heard nothing from it, but from what I saw on the field that last fifteen minutes, he was a passenger out there, and I'm really surprised that the Roosters didn't go at him a little bit more because he
was really struggling out on that right edge. So I'm very concerned about what we're going to do for that center spot next week. I wouldn't be surprised if we end up with a guy like Jack Bird playing out in the center's next week, because I don't think Tailor may on one half of football after being pulled out the week before of hamshring tightness is quite ready.
I'm really glad and it does. The whole paradigm of the whole feeling of the club changes when your lower grades are doing well. And it's so good to see the new South Wales Cup team being more than competitive winning games. But I'm thinking Isaac to two, who becomes part of the discussion this week, given he's played third or fourteen first grade games before, has been in really hot form, can play Santa or Wing. I wouldn't be surprised,
but you know, I wouldn't be surprised. Also, if Taylor may is selected, it's gonna be an interesting lineup on Tuesday. And it's against the Titans too, so this is the kind of game where you might want to give somebody a run. It's not to say we're taking the Titans lightly, because they always play like the Melbourne Storm against us, it seems, but I think that'd be the kind of game where you may throw a couple of guys in
and say, you know, show us what you got. Warriors getting in front of me and myself.
Yeah, I thought it was thought it was the Warriors.
Yeah, well that's a different kettle of fish.
That is a different kettle of fish. Isaac, I think, is more more suited to the wing, has really good gardage coming out of his own end, is a very good finisher. He is having a very good in New South Walest Cup season. Eleven or twelve tries in about eleven games, so it's been really strong. I think there's a couple ahead of him for that wing spot, but if we move someone into that center spot, I think he does come right into calculations. Then. I really thought
Charlie Stains was really good today as well. So we're quite blessed with that wing spot at the moment. And if Darrell's kind of defensive issues continue that there may be a spot come up on that that edge for him. So it'll be interesting to see what happens over the next next month, especially once Bull's back and Taruvea moves back to the wing.
I think I think they've got to work on their their teamwork out managed. I don't think you can just isolate it as a Skelton Bob might like what Skelton gives us in attack. There's no way if he's available, in my opinion, that you go into a games every week without him. Yeah, he's too damaging, especially next week against the Warriors.
So I don't know.
I don't know what happens. Like I'm hoping, like hope that Tower is okay, and I'm hoping like hope that Lua gets through Wednesday night.
Right.
Otherwise we are in strife in the Senate because if louis okay, we do good doing into a center position. If Toe is fine, then we're sweet. But if not, we we do have a gap there. I don't think we can go with Leli again, I really don't. I would be looking at putting someone on the wing and perhaps giving giving Stains, giving Staines a center spot that might work really poor. That's true. The other option is what was mentioned in Jack Bird. I suppose Nayden is the other is the other option from.
Good yesterday again.
Yeah, right, So I don't know. But yeah, there's no way. There's no way. Skeletons even in a conversation not playing first game well.
And it's really interesting we're talking about the defense on that on that left hand edge, Steve and that left hand edge has been quite good defensively when Adam Duley's been playing out on that edge. So today, to me, it is that combination of Luke Andrell just didn't work very well together because I think defensively that left edge is probably, in my opinion, being our best defensively edge this season. So I'm willing to give Skeleton a little
bit more time. I wouldn't be dropping him at this point. So yeah, I think you're exactly right with that.
Steve Benchi said in the press conference. We played well for forty minutes. He's looking for consistency. So where would we put the West Tiger's performance today on the Richo Meter terrible, poor, average, good or.
Great age average average? Yeah, we did we want we want, went in there, we're in They're terribly understaffed, and we came away with the two points. We did what we had to do to win. And you know, I was watching the Storm yesterday and even when they were behind with about twenty to go, they'll score when they need to score, then they'll just kick deep and they'll win the game. They just win, They win the moments and
they win the game. Right, we did what we had to do to win, So that from that you get a huge stick. But the glaring concern for the team is still the inability to play consistent football across the eighty minutes and to drop off like that. I do feel sorry for him. That era, that era by Lily
kick Lily. That was Yeah, that was a huge momentum shift because we were coming off a try and you know that we were at twenty nil and we could have easily gone downfield I reckon and put another one on before half time because we're rolling through them, so is in that changed the whole momentum of the game from that moment. From that moment, we lost our way. We seemed to we seem to even protect our lead.
From that moment, we weren't playing with the same freedom that we'd played the first thirty odd minutes for the rest of for the rest of the game. Now, mate, we won the game. We did what we had to do. We won the game. But yeah, like, as far as the whole performance goes, it was average.
Yeah, I'm willing to give us above average for that, Like I'm that first half of football, well, the first thirty minutes of football was close to the best football we played all year with an understrength side. Now at some point the risk is there's some real stars and that Rooster side, like Tedesco's still there, There's still got two poop on the wing like that's still a decent especially out in the backs, that's still a decent side. And I thought at some point they are always going
to come looking to get us. And they were really coming over the top of us at the back end of the game. And it's the first time I've seen a side come over the top of us and our players look out on their feet, and once we got to that point, we could no longer control the ruck.
Once the russ started winning the ruck, which they did in that second half, they were going through us and our defensive I know we led him twenty eight points today, but our defensive commitment and our defensive heart today I thought was really strong to keep us in a position we're apart from the Rooster's scoring two quick tries. At the end, we were the better side today, buy a lot more than two points, and I was very happy
with how we hung on to that game. At the end, I thought they'll coming to get us.
Just mentioning defensive commitment, Gary excuse me that. The effort for me that I'll take you out of that game today was Latu Phone, Who's hit on Tom Robell out wide where it looked like.
He was going to score on the corner.
There were about four of our defenders that came from nowhere to hit him, but Latio hit him underneath with his shoulder and drove him over the sideline, and that effort was huge. I think he might have hurt himself. I know it's starting to kind of stayed down for a bit and not a bit worried about that, but completely fine.
I think he's one of the best defensive halves in the game. He hits really well hard front on. He can hit a forward front on that cover defense, and that commitment in defense was fantastic. He's going to be a fantastic defensive We always spoke about how good of a defender Luke Brooks was.
Well, I thought you're going to say Lincoln Withers. He was a good defender.
Brooks, But I think last is going to have a very good career defensively as well.
Something we haven't mentioned about that second half, the russ has played it almost perfect. Twenty five to thirty minutes they had that. I think we got a pedalty goal early did early of them, and then then they started
to come back, but they didn't make it. They didn't give away a penalty, they didn't give away a rock infringement any for about twenty five to thirty minutes, and we had to slog it out set for set for set, and we had to get out of our our ten media and get up for all the hard way every set, and that that's what sucked the gas out of us. That's why in that that's why we looked out in our feet towards the end, and we really did look
out our feet. So even though their stars were out, you know, and a few injuries and sat of origin, they played a very disciplined second half of football.
Yeah, I think that first penalty goals they came in the first half, so I think that was before halftime.
Right, the back of the first half, wasn't.
Yeah, I think so. So that that just emphasizes your point even more about how disciplined they were. And once again, there were periods in that second half where our discipline really let us down. A couple of times we gave away six agains on the four, third and fourth tackles, a penalty at one point on the fourth tackle. They're the little areas that we've got to start getting right.
That's that attention to detail, that's that striving for excellence that we tend to let ourselves down and it lets teams back into the game. So again, during that kind of period where the ruses were coming at us, our discipline let us down a number of times. But you know what, it's hard to say that that happens when you're not winning that ruck like we weren't in that second half.
Their good points guys. I think another way of looking at the ritometer is how many wins a team gets in a year. So I'd say a terrible team gets four wins, a poor team gets somewhere around six to eight wins, an average team gets around ten to twelve wins. We're at six wins now, we've matched last year. Are we going to avoid another losing streak? I mean, it's hard to tell. Without the the three attacking threats, it's hard to know exactly how this is going to play out.
But if we win half of our games to finish off the year, I think that we'd be in a pretty good spot Stove.
Well, this is this is the big the big goal for the rest of the year, you know. And I'm sure the team haven't put the bottom of the top eight out of their minds as a goal. I'm sure it's still there's something they'd like to achieve. I think I think it's almost fanciful that we're going to get there now. But the goal really is to play some consistent footing. And Benji again mentioned this in the press
conference today, Like they said, are you happy? He said no, he said, because I need to see it next week. I need to see I needed to see it in the second half and at least it needs to come out again next week. The Warriors are depleted, they've lost their half.
They've lost their is a huge out mate.
That's huge, and so is there front rower. He's out, So the Warrior they are there for the taking. If we go over there and play good football, it's unlikely. It's going to be a difficult assignment, but it's not. It's not an outrageous proposition that we can get the two points. Then I think we've got the Titans. And I've got the Titans again later in it, and I think we've got manly maybe at the City Football Stadium,
that's that's very beautable. So if we start to show some consistency, surely we can pull out another three wins.
Surely, Steve, I think next weekend is a game we should win. Like I know we're going over to New Zealand. I know Louis will be playing off the back of playing origin, but the Warriors have met Metcalfe has been having a great season. That is a massive out for them, and I think the seasons going to fall away while
he's well well, sadly he's sitting on the sidelines. So I think we're a big shot up next weekend if we If we play the same football we did today, especially in that first half, I think that goes a long way to being the Warrior.
Isn't It's that's the thing, guys, That's the point Benji made is to go out next week and play the same football. Yeah, that's how long's it been since we've been able to do that?
To be fair, Steve, I actually think the game against the Raiders and the game against penrif we're playing a very high level of football the only month, the only game I'm not happy with is the game against man and Manly. I think our form stands up really well. When you look at the game against the Roosters today and the game against Penriff and the game against the Raiders, I think we're Yeah, I'm I'm quite sure we should put on a pretty good performance next WEEKND just.
Stop and think about this for a moment. The Warriors are beating us the last eight times? Eight times?
Would you row?
But they've beaten us? I mean how they embarrassing?
Is that? I mean?
What was what was the record with the Roosters, wasn't it twenty nine from thirty or twenty eight from thirty with something stupid like games we've lost out in the last I know it was.
One from nineteen.
I don't know, if there's nothing I think all time it's thirty from thirty eight, is what I heard today. Yeah, okay, so I think it was a lot eight times in our history. So and like things like we hadn't won at the Sydney Football Stadium against the russ ince twenty twelve and hadn't won there since twenty eighteen or something. So there was a lot of those sort of things today and the longer those things go, it just means you'd you. I know about you, guys.
But when we were twenty nil up today, I went online and bought final tickets, so I reckon, we're going to go on the winning streak.
I was going to but I went and bought a hamburger.
Yeah, yeah, that your Grand Final go on exactly, but plus more than the final tickets.
That was the humor.
That was That was the joke.
Oh get it now? Very good, Steve. If you have to explain it, it's probably.
Not next time. Just paying him a picture, Steve.
Now, our little birdies told me that they like an't Oval master plan has been released. Now what that is is, basically, they are the detailed plans for what's going to be happening at Leichardoval. So keep your eyes open for that this week. I think that could be coming out. It looks quite interesting from what I understand. Is there a statue of Gary out the front, Yes, and it's he's superimposed onto Benji's body doing the step as a hybrid statue?
Yes?
And that Campbelltown situation still no change there, so we'll keep our eye on that as well. But thank you guys, it's lovely to do a post victory edition of the podcast.
Yes, Gary, look I do have to actually mention one thing, and this is a bit of a shout out to Jordan. I went to the Platinum Members function on Friday night, which was a trivia night, and we've given Jordan a hard time for years the years, well since last year over his prediction of three wins in a row and we fell just short of that.
Who's this wei?
I haven't? Well? I have on Friday night, We're in a team with Solomon Sakura, and Solomon gave him the correct answer, which Jordan then overruled, which was the only question we got wrong to lose us the trivia Jordan, no predictions from you and no team captains of trivia.
Yeah yeah, Bann alrighty and one one winner is a streak, So the streakers commenced. Can we get the three at some point in our life?
Streaking?
Streaking, exactly, streaking. Thank you boys, We'll see you for the Idioto midweek fishers.
Thanks very much.