Wests Tigers Mid-Year Analysis With Special Guest Rob Bechara

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West Tiger's Podcast Episode number four hundred and eight. This is a bye week nditioned very special guest tonight. I'll introduce him in a minute. He's from another West Tigers themed podcast. But I'm joined firstly by Steve and Joel. Joel, it was rumors you had disappeared.

Work commitments, that's all. I hadn't run out of puff, hadn't given up on the team, just couldn't be here. But I'm energized and ready to game.

And Steve no Gary tonight, so I'm hoping you're going to step up to the plate. We're going to discuss a potential Round one team for twenty twenty six. We've got a bit of a marathon edition to buy a cell hold, and we're going to lay into Richo's latest podcast and what you thought about that.

Yeah, well there's no Gary, there's no Tigers this weekend. There's only two and a half days of Test cricket. It's been pretty average weekend.

Really, cricket was a little bit disappointing Astrala down to South Africa. But our special guest joined by Rob Bashara of the West Tigers Life Podcast. First off, thank you Rob for coming on here tonight. Are you're going to flip the favor on Tuesday Night? But first off, mate, tell us a little bit about the West Tiger's Life podcast that you enjoy. You and Josh, I should say, have been at it for a few years.

Well, thank you all for inviting me on your podcast on a regular listener. Having doing a midweek podcast and a Sunday podcast. I generally don't listen to both of your podcasts so after I've done ours, because I don't want any of that sort of subconsciously being in my memory. The West Life podcast is going really well. We've got about nineteen hundred subscribers. We get quite a decent audience. Now we're trying to seer everyone towards YouTube. I got

Content out there.

So the more content we get and the better quality it is, that's kind of my goal.

I love having a.

Gas bag, as you're well aware, ady, But yeah, I think these sort of cross collapse should be a little bit more often. I was very competitive with all this stuff that I've kind of let that go, mostly because you guys are actually really kind to meet the start of the year getting involved with West Tigers in unit. So yeah, I'm just happy to be here and looking forward to talking to Steve and Joel and I know

Well, they give us plenty to talk about the West Tigers. Rob and Gary wouldn't admit it, but I've definitely learned a few things listening to coach Adele this year. I really enjoyed that. And you've only started that this year, but that's been Sunday Night version.

And yeah it has.

And look, i can't speak for you guys, but for me, I'm just when it comes to rugby league, I'm all meet I want to talk about the game.

I want to talk about the controversies.

I'm really not a person that cares, you know, what a certain players favorite colories or what they eat for dinner or stuff like that. I love talking rugby league, whether it's my own team or other teams.

So yeah, the.

Adel POD's really good. He gives it the coaches perspective. I'm purely a fan. I'd like to think I'm an expert, but I'm definitely not. I'm just a very passionate fan.

But yeah, it kind of works.

Well.

Again, I'm not really good at the hosting stuff.

I'm still getting used to that, but you know, it seems to work, and we wing it and everyone seems to love it.

So We're very pleased with how that's going.

Final question mate, before we rip into the podcast itself. Your favorite moment supporting the Tigers is a Grand Final. Have you got a particular game or memory or season.

Definitely the two thousand and five preliminary final against George.

I was there. Limited tickets, got my whole family their grandstand seats. I get I won't be like this tonight, but if I think about it when I'm on my own, I actually get a little bit choked up about it. I think favorite moment it was just the boys running out to warm up that night on the field and we were meant to be outnumbered, and that raw still gives me goosebumb citis.

It's just one of the greatest moments ever.

And then obviously for Benji to score nice and early in the game and get the ball rolling.

We weren't we weren't meant to be hope in hell that day.

It was all red and white themed, you know, Sydney Swan's were meant to beat the West Coast Eagles and sayings were meant to beat us, and I got a little bit of a soft spot for the Swans.

But with all that red and white crap going on.

I was actually cheering West Coast Eagules, but yeah, it was probably the best night as the West Tigers suployer I've ever had.

You were a big part of that West Tigers unit where we did a few podcasts earlier this year to try and fast track some of that board up people that's happened. But I think Rob mentioned it. The podcast game is a little bit different to the mainstream media or sports game where you're seen his rivals or whatnot.

Well, when we're all sitting at Campbelltown, or all sitting at Leichhard, or all watching the West Tigers in some form, we're all on the same page, we're all doing the same thing. We all have our hearts in the same place. So why not, I mean, more perspectives, more voices. I think it all adds to the mix. And you know that's why we have We've had a few other people on recently, like Jordan, you know, just to hear some

Dave, have you got any other sports podcasts you like to tune into? I know Gary likes to listen back to his own voice and our own podcast, but you've got any outside of that, matey.

I enjoyed listening to ours when Gary is not on, so I think two of those in the last three or four years. Yeah, I listened to I used to listen to, you know, the Gus Good one. I enjoyed that, but I'm off that now. Enough his efforts in the last couple of weeks, I don't I like the how he games of I think that's that's a really good podcast.

Yeah.

I do listen to the West Life podcast West Tiger's Life podcast from time to time, but apart from that's that's probably about it.

I reckon, do you do? You dabble in other sports so you stick to sort of the leak side of the podcast game.

I love. I love a lot of sports.

I'm not actually big on podcasts, so the only other, for example, rugby league podcast I've listened to this year would be Terrell May on The By podcast with James Graham.

We'll go round the table on this one bit of a West Tiger's themed segment, Joel one word to describe our season so far.

I've actually gone for numbers. I've gone for one third, So I'm happy to say probably a third of what we've put out there on the field this year I'm pretty happy with and it gives us hope. A third's we've been pretty darn good, pretty competitive, But of course that leaves two thirds, which is still a little bit flat, still a little bit reminis of where we've been the last few years. So yeah, I've gone a third something different.

I'm going to say promising, Eddie, because I think we started the season quite well. Then we fell in a bit of a hole and I was really worried that we were regressing to the Tigers of old and that was going to be a theme for the rest of the year. But then I thought we hit back pretty well against Penrith, Like we didn't get the chocolates, but we played that brand of footy we've been playing earlier in the year, which sort of told me that the

Your word, rob Eddie, my words underachieved. And I say that with the benefit of hindsight, we could easily have won round four, Round one against the Knights, Round four against the Warriors, Round five against Power, and round eleven against sous. So given all that, I think we should be higher on the table with out draw. But obviously, if you sort of looked at where we were at the end of last year and having three spoons in

You know, we're talking about this the other day. You know, if Galvin holds that ball over line and we get a penalty on that hip drop and score a try, then we're one game out of the top four. It's amazing, right it is.

And look I mentioned it on I think with Adele last Sunday night on our podcast. I actually was flattered that ivan clear he said in his halftime talk or what they mentioned on TV with Jake Duke. But the Tigers aren't going to go away in the second half. And I think we've earned the respect of a lot of other teams, Like they probably think they're going to beat us, but they know they're going to have to really play to their full strength to get over the

In twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three, so we should be happy with it.

But as I say, I'm only saying that with the review mirror on because I think we should have won definitely those four games, and perhaps we maybe should have lost us and George given away. They fought back in the second half, but you can't win every close game. I think we've been the better team in those games that we lost.

I think eleven of the thirteen games were right in and like you said, Rob, there's definitely two or three of them that got away. Joel. Just on the theme of mid season awards. I know me and Gary probably gave a few out two weeks ago during our other buy But I'll get you guys thoughts on this. You're our best players so far.

That's a hard isn't it. I mean, Terrell May has been consistent, Aruver's been consistent, Buller has been really classy at times. Yeah, and then you've got Happy in the mix as well. So hard to sort of find a winner out of those four staff that tower. I suppose maybe for his last six weeks where he's just consistently beaten that first man. So yeah, there's a few there. I don't know who's If you guys have one that stands out, maybe Terrell Bayer knows maybe.

Yeah.

I've gone with Terrell May, just that the minutes he's pumped out through the season, the consistency of his performance, like he hasn't you know, he hasn't gone through and pumped through the line and set up tries left right, and so no, that's not his go. But his minutes are incredible. He's meters are amazing. He hardly misses a tackle. He just does his job so well. And also I remember the I remember Benji saying that he's so good around the team, and a story I got told about

Rob. I don't want to preempt what you're going to say, but you, when I actually sent you the rundown for this podcast, you said, can you add in most important player as well as best player? So I'm going to guess they're going to be two different answers for you.

They certainly are, and I can one hundred percent agree with Joel and Steves. So why they would choose Terrel May given the minutes and the quality that he's given us this year, I've gone for Jerene Buller. I think he's the point of difference in our team. He's the X factor. He's the guy that can make something happen where others can't.

But yeah, I went in terms of the most important Terrell May.

And the reason I say most important for Terrell May is it would take at least two middles to replace Terrel May, Like he's irreplaceable. And I actually don't think we could win a game without Sarah or May. That's the amount of work that he does for our team. So but yeah, I'm not going to argue and say that Will has been better than May May have been incredible. But to me, our most important players bore as Joel.

You could look at most important player a few different ways. I think Rob was looking at the makeup of our squad at the moment. Like on the surface, I would probably say Jerome Lewi is our most important player just for what he brings culturally to the side. It's a difficult one.

It is a difficult one. And you've got that factor of that leadership and that aura that Jerome Leui brings, and when you take him out of our team, we do tend to, you know, just lose that little bit of shine and that little bit of confidence. I feel more confident as a fan when he's playing, so certainly very important, but you know, not to under underestimate the

Steve the most important players as someone different for you at the same er, no, pretty.

Much the same look. I agree with the Jerome Leway stuff like I've been quite critical of some of his attacking play throughout the season, but I still maintain he's been an outstanding purchase and he has bought a level of professionalism to our club, and he's a real leader and he brings people with him. But I wrote down happy as opposed to him is the most important. But when we do something, I agree. I agree that the Buller comments. I think I think Rob's pretty on the

Rob.

From my era, this award was always called most of Proved And I'm a school teacher this year and I actually changed it to Rising Staff, as I always think the kids or whoever wins most improved, think, well, that means I'm shitout player and I'll cood here. So I'm going to go back to the old school dinosaur ways. Who's your most improved player this year?

My most improved player is Stafford Tower.

Stafford Tower used to give us one, perhaps two quality games a year in terms of his attack. Now he's absolutely dynamic. There's certainly some defensive issues he needs to sort out on that right edge. It could be the fact of certain players that are around him, but definitely he's been the most improved. And if I was to name my starting team for twenty twenty five.

I probably wouldn't have had him in it center.

So I think he's made at leaps and bounds. He's definitely our number one center, So for me, he's the most improved.

Are you okay with that, Joel to that term Joel most improved? Or is it a bit sort of derogatory?

I think it's fair enough. I think we've all sort of sense that staff had told I know, I gave him a wrap a couple of years ago saying that I saw a lot in him, but he's just never been able to consistently put games together, hamstring issues and other injuries. But as I said earlier, that ability to beat that first man is uncanny because he doesn't look like a powerful, game changing sort of center. But what he's been able to do lately is just so impressive.

Who's caught your eyes?

DP. Well, I had Stafford Tower for the same reason that you guys have said, but I also had.

No.

I just think he's work in the middle this year has gone up notch. His minutes have improved, his meters have improved, He's got a lot more punched and I've seen in the past. I think I think he's developing into an awesome middle forward. So I don't hav him up there as well.

Let's do one more rob just glass half empty. This one biggest disappointment so far.

It's a photo finish for me Eddie. I really expected. I wanted more out of Royce Hunt, and I will concede. He's had some good.

Performances early in the year, as limited as his minutes were. Brent Aiden, Brent Aiden's just lost it for me.

I would have had him as our first center picked, and I'm actually embarrassed to say that he seems to have lost his speed, and given what I've seen from him this year, he actually looks more suited on the wing than center, which is quite alarming.

Yeah, I probably agree. I don't know if Roys Hunt's carrying or has had some sort of injury, because he just sort of fell off the cliff quite quickly. There. He was doing quite well and then disappeared.

Steve Joel I read today actually that he's had some US and rims. I don't know how accurate that is, but he has been playing busted according to what I saw on social.

And echoing the thoughts about Brent Naden, and it's what we've also spoken about as well. The last few years is still there's still that liability every now and then, so I don't know if Naden's time in the NFL is going to be much longer. I think you'll do well in the Super League, that's probably I think he'd shine over there.

So I'd love to fly you to England, Jil to do some William dealing. Rich I went over there.

Exactly and just one for just one quickly for improved like Adam Dewey for his defense has to get a mentioned because he's he's really tightened up that part of his game.

Lucky Gary's not on tonight, but I agree with that he has been solid defense at least. Steve your biggest disappointment before we move on to rich O's podcast.

Yeah, my mine's a bit left field. I'm going to say talent of silver, and it's not because he's on field efforts. I got a lot of time for talent as a football. I think he's going to be become an absolutely brilliant nine. I love the start of the season with Happy playing the bulk of the minutes and then tell him giving him a rest at twenty twenty five

The bigger question I suppose in regards to that is do you want to carry a specialized hooker on the bench. Are we getting more towards sort of having that utility impact player Connor Watson type, maybe potentially Heath Mason coming on and playing that role and not carrying a hooker, and maybe that strategy is not the right strategy for us.

Yeah, I don't like it. I got to say it. Like, I just think in the modern game, good service from dummy half is so important, right, good good quick ball, bringing your forwards onto the ball, getting momentum at the ruck is imperative to good attacking play. And I just think you bring fourteen on who's maybe not as quick and you know, not as accurate with their passing and stands and then delivers rather than just delivers from the ground, it slows it all down a little bit. So I

Before we move on, Rob, how would you like to see the app talent? It's not saga, but how do you think he should play out?

Not yet?

Look, I agree with both points at Steve and Jola mating in a perfect world. I love the proper utility at fourteen. I don't think we had one that's capable of that. I don't believe Heath can play dummy half, and I don't think he's got the defensive capabilities. If ever, we need to slot him in the harves as he's done the last couple of weeks. I'm more with Steve on playing twel on the bench. I actually want to preserve happy Corusou. I want more minutes out of him.

And no disrespect to talent. I think Appy he's.

Like classes above talent talent will be a great player.

I still think he's eighteen months away.

He's definitely Even when he does make tackles, he doesn't get to market quickly. He's a little bit of a weakness there, so dummy half's targeted him as soon as he's fallen.

Off a tackle. But he will be great.

He's put on five or six kilos in the offseason and he's going to get better with every single season. And I've got no doubt he's going to be an eleague hooker. I mean, I don't really want to lose either of them, but he forced to pick, and I know rich O and benji're arguing over this. At the moment he forced to choose, I'd be choosing Happy because I know he gives us instant success. I think talent

Richo certainly be one of the men making that decision. Rob He did drop in on their the club's official podcast, nine or ten minutes, probably the first time he's all definitely spoke, first time he's spoken publicly in two months. I think lots of West Tigers fans were getting a bit nancy, but I think his hands were tied. Were you reassured or worried by that nine or ten minutes That he spoke, what do you speak about?

All I was worried about, Eddie was the Campbelltown Stadium issues. I think the repercussions of not getting government funding and actually not being based at Campbelltown bothers me significantly. And I'm a Balmain boy, but I believe our futures out there. I don't want a to facto home ground at Liverpool or Combank Stadium or what have you. I thought the

Joel, We certainly don't want to go back to the days of asked the boss and Tiger Town and the older CEO of getting his head everywhere. But do you think it was timely that rich I spoke.

Oh, one hundred percent, it was. It was something that we needed to hear, and it's probably something with where this fan base is at that we need to hear on a semi regular basis. Probably the amount of time and given the amount of things that have been going on around the club, there was a bit of an information vacuum there. There's pendulum swung a little bit too far.

Do you have any main takeaways? He was pretty well. He was very praiseworthy for Benji Marshall. He was critical of the referee it's a little subtle shot there.

Anything else, I know, I think you know what he said, I think we could fully expect him to say. I think his comments on the referees were good, and I think the way he said it was really well. I agree that he's been a little bit slow to respond. I think we need to hear from him formally three or four times a year. But I think the biggest mistake that sort of happened was when he came out

But what you'd expect was, I don't want to go down the rabbit hole rob of talking too much about referees that I know you'd agree with this point that there is now an inherent or subconscious bias against the lower team.

There definitely is, and it's something Adele mentioned with us much earlier in the year, and he basically said we need to earn that respect and we need to be better and overcome those poor decisions.

I don't think it's fair.

And look, I don't know where you guys stand on it, but you know we saw it again last night with a battling team. You know, with a try. You know it's a long which you know in every definition. To me, that's not a try. If the balls above the ground, you cannot grip it with your forum. I don't care if it's stuck to your forum. That's a knock on every day.

Of the week.

And the worst part for me is the NRL has come out today and backed up that decision.

And I think what's clever that what Riche has done is that's exactly the right format to make that statement. You don't want the coach saying it in the heat of the heat of the moment in the press conference straight after the game, because the adrenaline's pumping and you're under the microscope and you obviously you know after the match you're talking specifically about the performance of one or

Think there's one hundred percent method to Richo's madness. Every single word he says has been fought through and planted. Nothing is said by him by chance, publicly anyway. And he just said that perfectly it needed to be said. They need to be shot across the bow, and he did it in the perfect way. I thought, every of this guy, does you know, I know, you know he's got the stadium thing to sort out, and I know people saying it needs to come a little bit more often.

One of our regular segments rob is buy sell a whole of to throw the first one to you. Jerome Lewai has been worth the supposed one point three million dollars per season. You're buying off selling that.

This is one where I think whatever answer you say, you can get criticized for. I mean, if you're being objective, it's probably a hold. For me, I'm buying it, and I'd go further than that. If he's not worth the one point three this year, Eddie, he's worth a six point five for five years. He absolutely helps out cold. He's a natural leader. He's totally invested in the club, he's invested in the coach. And I know he's not getting the triasis or the tries on the field, but you can.

Only see by his effort plays, whether it's.

Him chasing Poler in round one and cutting an inside pass off or or chasing Alex Johnson in round eleven. You know when we baller through an intercept and here chasing down the line, and even when we beat Cronulla in extra time, the way he was reving up the players between full time and extra time. He's an absolute born leader. I know people say, yeah, well that's not worth one.

Point three million dollars.

Probably my best analogy to go even with her with that, Eddie, is to say, I think rich O is the best signing we've ever had, whether it's a player or administrator.

And where are we now?

Where four losses in a rouwn, we're going backwards and we're most likely going to end up near the bottom of the table. Just because you know you're not in the eight or you're not winning premierships doesn't mean you're not successful. Jerome's going to also attract players to the club and everyone can see the relationship he's got with the coach, and I think it's only better for us to have him with us. And I think, you know, I'm very hopeful of this when he partners with Latu

Hold, he might have just answered my next question, Robber, is here seven or a six? Derome?

I think I'll be arguing with Gary about this quite a bit, Eddie, because I know he sees last two as a six. To me, Jerome's definitely a seven. And I see the way Latu straightens up the attack. He's very much Cioni katoa like. So for me, I'd be playing Jerome at six. But again it's a bloody expensive five eight at one point two one point three million dollars. But I mean, I think he offers a lot more than Dylan Brown. Dylan Brown to me, is one dimensional.

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You buy and I selling at Jylon Jerome one point three year.

What I would say is that I think that we've heard people come into the club over the years that have come with a view to providing leadership and have been beaten by the system or have given up in the process, whereas I don't see Jerome Leui doing that. That's the difference. It's one thing to come in and be a leader, it's another thing to maintain that leadership. And we need him to meet team that leadership and not give up because this is going to be an

Yeah. So I went down to the Center of Excellence last week and that they were having their team photos and lucky for me, my membership allows me to get in to have a photo with the team. So I was there for a couple of hours in and around the team Men's and women's teams and the whole everywhere. Steve in the game, I can drop a name. But so there's a point to this if you just let

And good to seeing Rob. I know I couldn't care less to be a two wins state of Origin, but

Yeah, I'm really happy that he got selected.

I mean, obviously he's the second choice, but you know we've had this stench the West Tigers players don't get picked for Origin or very rarely, so at least I can chief for New South Wales with a bit of passion this time, as opposed to going out for my son's birthday and not giving two hoots about the result. I think it's really important also that New South Wales win for Jerome's sake as well. We don't want him to be I that Jerome Lewid didn't play well with

Back to your previous question because you know certainly clear he can straighten the lineup. That's something Latu Feynu can do.

So if he has a great game of six, I mean, it might answer all our questions for the future.

Brandell I reckon in New South last, but we'll see. I'm going to skip over the second one Rob for a minute. It depends what's on a mood. I mean, I might come back to it, but I'm going to go to see which is a historical one. I've got a few historical ones thrown in. Brett Hodgson is the club's greatest ever fallback? You're buying or selling that?

I'm selling that. I thought this. I thought this was the easiest question you threw up here. Yeah, I mean it's James Tedesco first, second and third I mean, I know Tedie wasn't a goalkicker or a general kicker, and certainly Brett Hodgson achieved more with the club. But I mean, I look at it this way. If you were picking a team to ensure the survival of the West Tigers franchise for one game only win or lose, who are you putting a.

Fullback to Disco or Brett Hodgson? It's Tedesco every time.

For me, Wow has thrown me a bit there, Rob Steve, You disagree or agree?

No, I can't disagree. I'd like to disagree because I think we're all being really too nice to each other tonight, and it's obvious the first part we've all been together, so I'd love to disagree. I forgot all about him, to be honest, but you're right. You're right, he's, without doubt the premier FABA we've had.

And Esco never had a season that Hodgen had in West Tiger's colors.

That roub did he really like?

The third that in five was unbelievable.

I totally agree with you.

I mean, leading points scorer and record you know, record goal kicks and scored a lot of tries and there's no doubt he achieved more in certain seasons than Tedesco ever did. But you just have to look at the players and what they offer a team. And can you imagine James Tedesco in that two thousand and five seam My god, my god. I mean, look, he left our club and I know he went to a stack team and he won supremierships back to back. He scored the match winning try in Origin Series a few years ago.

Bret Hodge and he's probably been overall.

Like yeah, if you look at his achievement, he's won a premiership and James Odesco hasn't. James Sidesco didn't need to play finals. But if I'm giving you my honest answer, I don't even think it's close.

It's probably how you frame the question. Who is the fullback that has given the most to the West Tigers. You'd say Brett Hodgson. But who's the best footballer that's played football for the club. You'd say to Esco.

So I reckon deliberately sleive A's host. I've left it open ended because I wanted a bit of debate. Gol, You've probably got someone random like Mitch Brown or something.

Have you love Mitch Brown?

No?

No, But I think we're probably all on the same page ultimately, because I think everybody in rugbya league would agree that Tedesco is a generational talent. Brett Hodgson's a really good first grade was a really good first grade fullback. But the question is Brett Hodgson is the club's greatest

Rob, I'm going to combine B and D sort of the same sort of question. Has the rugby league media played a role in the West Tigers being a dysfunctional organization or still plays a role, Or you're buying that or you're selling it, or it's more on us both.

I'm buying it because they do. But it's our fault beating. We're border on ourselves. We've had a lot of mismanagement, going back to Grant Mayor being CEO, Dustin Pasco.

So yeah, I definitely think they do play a role.

And as we all know, we're suckers for a media article on the West Tigers and they realize we bite a lot, so they love starring up the button putting the need of spin on our club.

So they have played their role, but I think it's our fault beating.

They've definitely tarnished the West Tigers reputation. But imagine what the club would be like, or what some of the levels of management through the years would have been like if we were blind to what was going on, if they were able to get away with stuff and it didn't end up in the Sydney Morning Herald like the Holman Barnes group stuff earlier in the year, and we were non toward we didn't know what was going on. Can you imagine what it would have been like. So

It's a bit of a catch twenty two Steve. I think I think I might have even been listening to at Rob's pod when they had Michael Chambers on and he sort of basically said it without saying it, like, no one really wants to read about Cronulla or Manly or Penrith, but if you're talking Bulldogs, Paramatta, south West Tigers, it's big news and it's big cliques and unfortunately we've just been bad for thirteen fourteen years, so they are going to write big, bad articles.

Oh yeah, that's right. We are absolutely a power us in the competition. As far as the journalists to concern, they love us, and why wouldn't they. I agree, we've bought most of this on ourselves. Our dysfunctionality has been out there for all to sea and it's just been amplified. The thing that concerns me about the power of the media,

Rob I'm going to have to apologize to West Tiger's podcast listeners because I said I wouldn't mention his bloke again. I think I've mentioned him in four podcasts straight in a row, so I'm getting used to upsetting him. But the Lachland Galvin saga was mishandled by Shane Ridges, and you're buying or selling that.

Controversial answer here, I'm actually going to say whole Because we don't know what happened behind the scenes, it's easy, with the benefit of hindsight to say yeah, which I should have publicize that Galvin would have played another eighteen months. But I think from a club perspective, he does need to know where those funds were going. It's not like we were throwing four hundred k at him.

We're probably putting him on a million bucks a year.

And I think you always have to go back to one fact with Lachlan GALVINETI, and that's the fact that he wanted out.

It wouldn't have mattered what we did.

And you know, I've mentioned on our podcast that I'd reached out to Gary and Joel about starting a petition against Gould back in early February because I was told he was going to Canterbury back then. Would have made no difference. He just would have gone to Paramatter. He just would have gone somewhere else. He did not want to stay with us. And the bottom line is, Eddie, he kept a dossier. You know you didn't You didn't train me hard enough in wrestle. You didn't do this,

So how can we say that rich O handled it, PAULI.

If he was always going to leave, If you believe there's something Richo could have done to keep him at the club, then you can say, yeah, he mishandled it, but he was leaving no matter what. What the problem is, as Steve alluded to, its ruined our last month and it destabilized our year. And when you're going into preseason camps talking about unity and harmony and never giving up, and we saw that in all those early matches, even the Broncos matches that just got ripped apart.

You can't trust the bloke next to you if he's doing things like that.

So is it unfair for me to say Rob though, like if you and guys in and around the club knew in January or February that he wanted out, shouldn't have someone in our club. Maybe in pre season thought we're going to go with Latu final What do you think? They just kept trying to maybe win some games and will turn him around, and then rich eventually went nut it's over.

Well, I think we believe that we were building the club around it. We say Tod that publicly, we told him he was our future, that we were going to make him this ridiculous offer, and who would think that a nineteen year old is going to knock back a five year.

Deal worth approximate in the million dollars a year on average.

So look, we have been caught out in the past, whether it's been rich O, whether it's been justin Pasco in believing that Mitch Moses was going to ditch Paramatter and come to our club, and you know, and Lockey Galvin's going to say, so, we've put out all our eggs in one basket a couple of times and it's backfired on us. So I can understand if someone says, yeah, he mishandled it. But ultimately what makes me sleep at night a little bit better is I don't think rich

With him to let Rich I know, and Rich I knew all about it.

Jell, just like probably I was probably specifically talking about just that initial press release. I don't want to do it to death because it's over, but anything, in hindsight, he could have done well.

When you've got a guy that's packing his kit bag after a lost and saying I've got to get out of here, I've got to get out of his club and apparently asked for all of those releases before he even played first grade, I think it's a I don't think this is our failing. I don't know what more the club could have done better. I don't know why there needs to be some blame that's turned inward to the West Tigers. Can't it just be that Lochlan Galvin is a certain character and that's just the way it is.

Year or so, Steve your crystal ball. Benji Marshall will be the coach of West Tigers in the year twenty thirty by yourself.

Yeah, I'm going to buy it. I'm going to buy it. I am of the opinion that the playing group are right behind him, and you don't get the playing group behind you unless you're doing something right. I think he's starting to show the traits that he showed as a

Let's hope he is, because if he is, we're obviously doing well. But I mean, like if this was the it probably doesn't exist. But the Gold Coast Titans podcast or the North Queens, Like, how many teams can fans could sit here today and confidently say that their coach will still be the coach in twenty thirty. Probably not many, Maybe Siraldo, maybe Webster at the Warriors. Maybe. I mean, Bellamy is sort of year to year and that's not

At this point.

It was a pretty wild situation where he got thrown in rob and obviously it was previous admin. But I've sort of, you know, initially thinking it was no chance of working. I've sort of almost you know, I haven't done a backflip on it, but I'm more fifty five forty five that I think it can work now, given the roster that his assembly, you know, the wins he's having in recruitment room, and also, you know, some wins on the field.

I was with you, Eddie, and I still felt like that at the start of the year. Given that.

When I look back at all the great players in history who have become unbelievably good coaches, and I like racking my head over the last fifty years, the only person I can think of is Bob Fulton. I don't think any magnificent player has made it as a coach except for Bob Fulton.

He's not a magnificent player, just a good player. Who's that Ricky Stewart, Yeah, but I.

Mean, okay, okay, fair enough.

He was probably well he revolutionized the halfback position, didn't he With his kicking game and being able to torpedo pass both ways and the length that he could pass the ball, we say, yeah, perhaps Ricky Stewart was an oversight. But that said Eddie, I think, except for this year, Ricky's like he've had that Grand Final in twenty nineteen. I look at that Canberra list every year and I think, why aren't you playing finals? So this year they're finally

By twenty thirty that would have been seven or eight years.

And knowing Benji the way he professes, and I genuinely believe this that he's a family man and his kids are going to be older. I'm hoping by twenty thirty he's probably won a premiership. He's made a couple of finals with us, and you know what he's done his time in coaching. He just wants to go on and pursue other ventures and enjoy his life a little bit better. I don't know if he'd want to be a full time coach for that long, but if he's really really

I'd certainly sign up for that. Rob with a couple of finals appearance in a Premiership. What do you think he's biggest weaknesses as a coach at the moment?

Look Adele always reminds me of this every week, Eddie. I from what I see on the field, I believe it's attention to detail. I also believe there's some tactical stuff. I mentioned the fact that how we handled a penalty when we were down fourteen nil against the Cowboys the other week just shows me that they don't discuss how

Positions on the field.

And how many times have all of us said Eddie Weather, I've heard you guys say it as well, and definitely heard Steeve say it a lot, how clunky we look when we run a back line shape.

Like we've said that for so long now.

If you're looking clunky, it's not because you can't do it, it's because you're just not practicing it enough or it's not important.

And I understand Benji had.

To sort our defense out and our resolve, and he's improved in so many ways. And we are so competitive now, and there there are so many ticks and even though we're in my opinion, two hundred percent better than we were last year, it's probably not going to show in the finals appear, and so how do you quantify? But again, we're not there to see what they're practicing. But at the same time, I don't think the players are dumb and they can't be taught how to run certain players

With all that.

Rob I've been banging on about that for years, But I reckon the number one thing he needs to change, it's a bit of a mindset thing. Is he needs to put people around him that are going to complement his deficiencies, not put his mates around him that he's comfortable with. And that's how he's going to get better. He needs people that are going to challenge him, are going to sit around the coach's table and challenge his thinking and bring to the table what he's not able

I reckon agree totally.

A couple of historical ones to finish by cell whole boys. Rob is West Tiger's best ever side. If we look at to name one Robbie Farrabee your captain by yourself.

This could cause dramas with the Pharaoh family.

For me, Robbie and I were very close to a couple of years ago, but we've seen to have gone in different directions through no fault of each other. I can't put anyone but Scott Prince's captain. I mean just for the fact that he won the comp You have to remember that Mark O'Neill was the captain that year till he got injured, and you know even Tim Sheen's at the time for we're doing better under Prince.

And look, Prince was our playmaker.

He's the number one guy, and you know he did the kicking game, He organized everything, he created everything.

So for me to be Scott Prince.

But that said, I am not detracting from how much Robbie loves the club, how passionate he was, how we bleed it, and also how smart he was.

He was very good with the referees. He got his way with that. But if you just forced me to pick the best one, I'd go with Scott Prince.

But no doubt anyone that puts Robbie Farrell's captain of our best ever seem I've got no argument with that either.

Hard to argue with Scott Prince given what was achieved. You know, Robbie's right up there a few other guys as well.

He did leave us high and dry, though, Joel Bloody Prince. You know, I did say that if he stuck around his wife.

Was homesick, and if your wife is homesick, what are you going to do a rugby league career. It's such a lone thing podcast that.

He was on. I don't know what it was, but he said, and this was post retirement, he said, the biggest regret of my career was not sticking at the Tigers a bit longer than I thought. Yeah, let's know, scotta felt worse.

Rop I'm just just going to say, if you remember at the end of two thousand and five, Tim Sheen said, if we don't re sign Scott Prince, I will resign as coach. But that's how important he believed it was. But Joel is one hundred percent right. It was all

I was discussed that this guy.

Gave us our one moment of glory and we had fans booing him, And it just makes you realize how fickle fans can be and why they take the money and why they do what they do sometimes.

Steveh your captain, who would your captain be?

I've got nothing to add at all, Scott Prince for me, but I'm hoping that in a couple of years time we say happy or Jerome, Happy or Jerome, we'll see last one.

Rob Leam Fulton was the most underrated player in West Tiger's history. Bye, I'm selling.

I'm going to sell that, Betty, and I'm not discrediting from what he brought to the group culturally and the Joseph that he was and how much he loved that.

You've got to remember, at the end of two thousand.

And eight we did release him for a year to help Cuttersfield to play a bit of footy there. If he was that important, we would have kept him and not let him go, and he did come back a lot bigger and a lot better player.

I believe post that English trip. But no, I'm definitely going to sell that.

Who you've got though, probably have you got a name I wrote down just you know, when I was preparing for the show, I wrote down names like Chris hiying To. I wrote down bo Ryan, which might be an unpopular one, Paul Foannawera. I actually wrote down Robert Louis. I know he terrible things off the field, but the two years he was in I think we made top four. If you've got a most underrated player in our.

History, is Bryce Gibbs? Underrated to you? Eddie is a bigger name because to me, I know he gave away a lot of penalties. That guy loved the club. He absolutely loved the club. So if I had to give you a name, that would be one. I thought Mitch Brown. Do you mentioned Mitch Brown? I thought he was great for us whenever he played, and I often wondered why he was on the bench and not getting a starting gig on the wing or sender. He had a lot of speed, he was a good tackler. I thought whenever

I've got one. He's off my Christmas card list at the moment, but successful with US across our three final series. A guy that was consistently.

Displayed bit Henry Dollar. I'm going to turn the place.

Off, consistently different to what other forwards were providing, and that's Todd Payton. Like the amount that kind of stuff that Todd Payton did for US is phenomenal and it's so sad to see him not here with the club.

I reckon coature West Tigers in the future. Todd Peyton might be two years hopefully it's ten years time, but I reckon he will. Let's not do that last one because we can combine it with this one, Steve West Tiger's side, Round one, twenty twenty six. Now, there's no right or wrong answers here. I've told you guys, you can include a signing or two if you want. You can dream big, or you can be like me and dream low and you know, right out the same side. But what do you got one to five?

Well, I've tried to be realistic, you know, with a couple of aspirations, but one to five obviously Buller at full back. I've got to Reuven Skelton on the wings still, and I've got Taylor mayn stuff at Tower as our starting centers next year.

That sounds ideal. Rob the only other kid I threw in with the youngster who I think is going to deboot later this year at Makassini.

Yeah.

Look, there's massive raps on Macasine. I keep getting told he's Israel for allow two point zero.

I'm receive. I just went with those five just for the sake of the argument.

If there was probably a center out there that I know whose contract is up for discussion, I wouldn't mind going after someone like Catani Sas. But yeah, the five that Steve named, I think that'll be our starting five next to you, and I'll just go further than that. I think if Talen may gets his head right, he will be sensational for us. He can actually be a top five center when he's on, he's very very good.

Hope and pray there, Joel, you're any differences, wonder five?

No differences? Obviously, the X factor will two X factors to see how and how Macasini goes in first grade and if he is included and if he's brought in in that time, and obviously how may he goes other than that? I mean, yeah, I think that probably covers it. I can't see any significant changes with Charuver and Skelton. Maybe Skelton the centers at some stage, I don't know, but yep, I'm.

In agreement Steve the Halves.

This one's going to be probably disagree, probably have to do a bit of dreaming here. I want you to give me your six, your seven, and your back up, whether it's a fourteen or in reserve grade.

I will My six is Lewis and my seven's fin similar who were talking earlier. I just think I think La two Fantom is the natural seven, and I think I think Louis Isaam is a natural six. So that's how we go. My backup fourteen is again based on what I said earlier, I'd be going a specialist. I'd be going to silver at fourteen. But if you're talking about a backup at the moment, remembering that we've got what's his name coming back from seven.

SI today, I don't think we can't rely on him.

Can we.

Well, we can't rely on him, but at the moment he's coming back but the other backup is going to be Heath Mason, and I think that's the important thing. From my perspective. Anyway, I'm not all that disappointed we've missed out on Reynolds, or seemingly missed out on Reynolds, because I think the word backup is important. We can't block. We can't block freinws go at first grade now, and if we go out and buy another star half, we're

I'm sort of torn on this one, Rob. I know Reynolds is probably out of the picture now, but I was torn. I thought maybe a senior half for a year or two, But what do you got?

I'm happy to run with Latu and Jerome.

I really have nothing more to add on what Steve said, but I will throw a spanner in the works that the three of you.

Maybe let me ask you guys a question.

If the Russes go cold on DCE, would you take him for a year and let Latu be that number fourteen?

I would I actually had him right at the bottom of the page because I think, well, there's whispers that they are going cold on him, and if he saw some of them got a fair amount of depth in the half, so i'd probably I assume I'd be in a minority of Tigers fans thinking I would take DC. But I don't know if i'd take him for two. He probably want two years. Rob that's the team.

Well, he's definitely money hungry.

But given that we allegedly offered Reynolds close to a million bucks a year, I mean, if the roosteres go cold, he's only leaving manly over money, and we're the club that's got the money, I'd be hesitant because again I think he'd just be one of those players's coming for the pension of fund retirement village sort of contract. But you know, he looked at his best. He can produce, He's got a great kicking game, good organizer, can still

But I think Richo is desperate.

He keeps talking about I want to win a premiership in the next two or three years. Well, if he was looking at Reynolds, I mean, you've got a guy that was playing for Australia a year or two ago and a fixture at origin half back for the last four or five years.

I can't give you an accurate at the moment, but if you ask me in six or eight weeks, I might have a better idea. And that is basically, we need to see how Latu goes in the next six or eight weeks to get a better idea where we're placed at the moment. I see the argument both ways. It'd be great to have somebody to come in that's a that's a well rounded general, a proper halfback that

See just quickly, any any interest d C. If the Rusters are saying.

That no zero zero interest. If we're going to give if we're going to give Lui the casas year, we've got to give him the casa. Got to lean run the team and lean run the halves. Whether you know he can do that at six, doesn't have to be seven. You can do that at six. Bring Ladriuvanan through, let

I just think Rob like whether you agree or disagree with Nums or DC that let's say LOUI and find

In Yeah, no doubt about that.

Eddie looked at One promising sign with Heith Mason was what he did in attack a couple of weeks ago against the Cowboys.

He had a couple offlowers, he had a couple of line breaks. He looked dangerous.

We just can't afford a half that lets eleven tackles missed. You know that that has to be rectified. If he can work on his defense, he's probably good enough for a backup, and as I think he might have been, Joel mentioned it, We've got to work out what we do with Sullivan as well. There's half a million bucks a year tied up there. He did a lot of good tackles on kick out by the Way today and why can't you tackle like that against you know, for

Happy to go with Latu and Lua.

All right, Rob, what do you got Ford Paklisco eight to thirteen. We've obviously got a new signing in there. Ideally, would you.

Like Okay, this will be a little bit controversial because I'm not going to go through fourteen.

To seventeen, and you'll understand why when I do that.

So my front row is Terrell May, Happy Corusau and Josh Kerr if we could purchase him. My back row, given that we've signed KPP already, would be Kay Piece Paul and Samuela Feinu. My lockforward another one from left field, Adam Elliott. Okay, I just thought he's the sort of guy that can ball play. He's a solo defender, he can poke his nose through a line. But again we're

So he fits the need in the sense that he's off contract.

Well give us your bench now, okay, well my bench and I won't say the bench in order, but I've got talent. Obviously, I've got safe after for the fact that we're signing for three years, so we're going to use him something. I'd want him there, But the reality is that's who's going to be there. It's going to be Jack Byrd. I love what Jack Bird's bought off the bench this year. And this is probably the controversial one.

For Fanua ballet fans. I think ballet is much better off the bench, and he gives us that impact.

And if you get the sort of impact that ballet gives you that Jack Byrd gives you, say, Fath can come on and toil a little bit in the middle.

If that's who we've got, that's how I would go with my bench. So to be talent, sayf Bird and ballet.

So if I'm right, role I'm just writing notes and I got it wrong, you'd have like Alex Twiles, who maybe Adam Dewey is sort of backup players.

Yeah. Look, in a perfect well, I don't think Adam will hang around.

I think Adam's going to be able to demand decent money from other clubs, especially someone looking for a goalkicker.

And let's be really objective about this.

Other than the fact that Adam lacks a lot of pace and a lot of thrust these days, his defensive reads and his IQ is immaculate.

So he will be wanted by another club.

And I see how some of those Cowboys center's tackled last night and other teams, how defensively weak they are. He'll get a gig somewhere else. I would love to keep him at our club because right now it seems we've only got twenty one or twenty two players, and we need to be able to call on twenty five, so to speak.

And Adam's on a minimum contract. He's going to want more money. He's proven that he can play first rate, albeit he's not an attacking threat.

All right, Joel Well, Rob Had, Josh Kerr and Adam Elliott a couple of time ins. There have you got any year players in your eight to seventeen I guess apart from kpp.

Well, I haven't got any any suggestions, but yeah, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve are sorted eight and thirteen. Of the two areas that I've got, question Mark's over and I agree polla better on the bench, which my bench is hunt it's the only finu pole. And then a utility, which could be a bird or a mason or a TDS and twile and say far sort of in the depth area.

Steve Well, I'm going to throw a curly one out on this. This is my one dream dream signing that I've put it in the squad, and I'm going to say we're still lacking. We need an elite front rower, we need dynamic punch through the middle. Yeah, We're we're going to throw the pitchen at.

Pain Assom something He plays for the Blues.

So if if we were able to pull off that miracle and get him to the club, my forward pack would be see only Feinu and pain Hass as starting props. For the same reason that Robbin said, I like the idea off the bench, but this is a big one. And then the second round is the same Pierce Paul and Sam Feu and then I'm moving to Rell May to thirteen. I reckon who could be He can punch at them, He can punch out the minutes, he can

I find that that lock roll rob is fascinating, especially the last five or six years. Like I just remember a guy like Kurt Man. He was hated by the Newcastle fans and seen as undersized and you know, not real a position. Now he's one of the probably the most valuable players in the competition and it almost his party is spine Now the lock roll for a lot of teams.

Yeah, Well, Canterbury have been blessed in the fact that those hybrid players that play multiple positions have kind of worked out for them just about in every case. You mentioned Todd Peyton early. I'd love to have Todd Payton at thirteen nowadays because he was pretty much our first receiver back in those glory days, especially twenty and ten, twenty eleven. Look, lock's going to be the hardest position I can look. Terrell May does play a little bit

Personally, you get the logic, but you disagree.

Well, I disagree, and actually I actually want to reduce his minutes. I know he wants to play those long minutes. I'm I'm really scared of the fact that he could potentially be burned out. I really do like it's great he's doing what he has to do now and averaging over seventy minutes a game. But as you know, he averaged forty six minutes a year or thereabouts for the Russes last year and we've up that by over fifty percent.

I think he's elite. I think if he can play him for fifty minutes, it'd be great.

The irony is is we've pretty much already got the perfect person. He's just not robust enough. He's just at that point in his career. And that's Jack Byrd. He's your natural thirteen, but just not exactly exactly where he's at in his career. Unfortunately. Maybe Jack Bird five years ago Perfect.

Twenty twenty five. Rest of Season four cast Steve biggest fear, I think, you know, my biggest fear is that we're going to get into a wooden Spoon race and somehow win a fourth freight Wooden Spoon. I just look. I know I'm being negative, but I look at that table and I think there could be five or six teams that finish on eight or nine wins, because I just don't think there's one bad side in the competition. I

Well, my biggest fear comes off last week against the Panthers, where we played good football and didn't get the two points. And to me, it's not inconceivable to consider we can play good football for the next five six weeks and maybe only JAG one one win. Yeah, playing good and that would be demoralizing for the team, for the fan base, for everyone. So that's my greatest fear, that the team continue to play with Britain effort and determination, but just don't nice games.

I hope your biggest pick.

Not so much the fact that we might get our fourth Wooden spoon, the fact that everyone's going to say nothing has changed when it certainly has changed. We have to remember we've got one of the most inexperienced rosters and worst rosses in the competition, and obviously we're all results orientated and it's hard to keep telling our fans be patient, be patient, be patient.

But we're on a rotten part of the draw.

I don't believe we're capable of winning a game till probably round twenty against the Titans, And the Titans played pretty good football against Many the other night, so that's no given either. So and I'm also worried about what you mentioned earlier. The meeting is just going to jump on our back. It's going to be all doom and gloom, and you're going to have members saying I don't want to renew next to year.

I'm sick of this crap.

Benji can't coach all all the negative talk that we get so and it's very hard to be positive when you're getting drowned with negativity.

So that's probably my biggest fear ready.

So so I've just said pretty much the same thing, Rob, but I'm fright and we're going to We're not going to win. But surely, surely if we play the way we against pen Eth and that Midgiar slump of the Galvin situations behind us, surely our team is good enough to beat Manly the way Manly been playing. Surely we're we are more consistent across the eighty minutes to beat

I look, I wish I had that faith, Steve.

I still think we'll try our hardest and perform admiably, But at the same time, I'm a bit of a realistic.

For example, we're playing Canberra Friday night.

I mean, if I told you a month ago, you know late withdrawals are going to be Galvin and Leui, would you give us a chance of winning? I don't see us playing LOUI having a game on Wednesday night in Perth flying back, I can't.

I can't see it's winning Friday night.

Yeah, I think we'll probably get touched up to be fair, and we don't match up well against Camber. They're one of the biggest packs in the comp. They've got big outside backs and they're in white hot form manly it depends when you get manly. So yeah, but I mean we're playing them at brook Fait, aren't we, or whatever

I mean we're really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Now. We've had players that we haven't heard of play last week. Kick didn't even get a minute last game, So I don't know. I just think we're at the bottom of our roster and it's very hard to compete.

Yeah, that was going to be my point, which is basically, we've got a skeleton of a good team, but we have no fat whatsoever. So what we've seen is over the last six weeks the depth is start to be tested, and as soon as you lose that two or three players, we revert back from being an average team to a poor team at times. So that's definitely a factor, is how many more players we lose over the second half of the year. Obviously, it's great to see Loui selected

Oh, you're sort of the analogy man. You haven't brought one up for a while. But I didn't have an analogy. But I was just thinking, you know, how many times can you go to the well without a result? And I don't know if people work at the bottom of a well or what you do, whether you cleaning up crap or whatever, but if you kept getting handed out five bucks or whatever, eventually you inne go to the bottom and well and go, well bug at least I'm

Yeah, but I think there's a difference between a loss and you know, if you look at the Penrith game, there's a difference between that game and that result in terms of the fans and the Storm game. So the Storm game was it was here we are again, We're back at square one. We're a terrible team. There's a mountain in front of us, and Penrith was We got exactly the same amount of competition points from that Penrith game, but fans walked away disappointed but satisfied to see that

I just think we're that curse jrole. Like most years, teams that win twelve games make the finals. But the year we won twelve games, we missed it by two games. Just like, wouldn't this be a year where the Spoon team got nine wins or something crazy like that. But Steve's finish on a positive. What are you most looking forward to the rest of the season seeing, whether it be a player or.

I just want to see I just want to see the team finish strong. It has upset me so much I've spoken to you guys about this so many times. The last two or three seasons, we just give up on a season and tail away and put in some absolutely horrendous performances. Now that era of West Tigers, I firmly believe is now finished. It's gone. It's our past. So I just want to say, do exactly what we're just talking about. Finish the season strong. I am more

Just one thing I'd add to that. I mean, aside from the excitement of signing peenhas Steve, You've got me really excited about that. So I'm looking forward to that.

Got a dream mate, got a dream exactly.

There isn't a terrible team this year, which which does change the way the Wooden Spoon looks.

Paramatta without Mitch make just might become that exactly again. Yeah, but yeah, he's going to come back those six weeks. But anyway, I'm going to doom doomsday stuff here. But Rob, what are you most looking forward to seeing the rest of the season.

It's a little bit of wishful thinking, but not too much.

I'd like to see Latu faint injury free for the rest of the year and show us that he's going to be our number seven for as long as he wants that number seven spot. And given that he's got a couple of brothers in the club, I think you know, he will really make a good fish of it. The one thing we've all noticed what he provides with our team is he straightens up our attack. He's going to

Well boys, well, I think that's a wrap but Rob, I think you said to me. I might have text the other day. You know, I don't even know what you guys look like, and I think you know why we don't do visuals now now our melons. But on Tuesday night, it's going to be Roles reversed. Tell us a little bit about what's going to be happening. I usually eat my dinner during our podcast because Gary just talks a way up an hour, but I'm having to be on my game Tuesday.

Mate. We might have a chat about it tomorrow.

So what we'll discuss, Maybe we'll maybe we will talk about our best ever West Tiger seventeen. And obviously we'll preview the Canberra game on Friday night. I will leave the previewing for you guys, because I'm scarred with negative tissue inside my brain and I see those big monsters from Camber and how well they're playing, and see that we're at.

The bottom of our depth.

It's going to be a tough ask and it's really hard to keep asking the fancy to rock up to Campbelltown and support and we're zero and three out there.

But we'll show up, we'll show up, we'll.

Share and hopefully they can go off a miracle, all right, Rob, Well, thank you for that. I'll see it the Orange Grove Hotel Tuesday night. Joel, I think you're going to be in charge of our midweek podcast this week. Is that okay with you or not?

Yeah? Yeah, I will. I will make the effort. I will make myself available. I'm not like a Lachland Galvin who's looking at other opportunities elsewhere and trying to get out. I will be here. I'm committed to the West cause.

Steve, you're welcome as well. The vice captain this week. I think, oh nough, Gary will be There's no way Gary on miss two in a row. You'll stager if you.

Yeah, might have to have to fight for a spot, I reckon on Wednesday night. I'll be around mate.

I'd a right boys. Actually packed episode takes again Rob, looking forward to Tuesday night. See you next time.

Boys.

Thanks, thank you,