Gus’s Life Lesson: Don’t Wrestle with a Skunk

0:00Great to be back with another week of six tackles with Gus and we're down to the serious business now eight teams left in the race for Premiership glory every finals game live and free on nine and nine now starting on Friday night with the elimination class between South Sydney and Newcastle We're here thanks to tab giving the punters plenty to shout about during the finals download the tab app tab we are on Penroth minor premieres And it is all on the line over the next month great to be back Gus best time of year as you'd say Matthew Thompson. How are you doing going great? I'm looking forward to the finals. I'll look at extra energy Well after 24 rounds or 27 rounds 24 games and we get the best eight teams and they've deserved their spot in the finals now They sort out who's going to play in the grand final and who wins the Premiership Interesting array of teams some different styles in there It's different strengths and weaknesses and the next month will sort them out I think every other team had their chance to contend and

1:01As I said the season is a marathon a bit like a marathon race at every kilometer of a couple of more contenders drop away and that's the way it was and The final eight would have started before the last round just positions within the eight and Penroth again minor premier has been extraordinary year for them We just bumped into Danica on the way in here to do our podcasts and you told her you've just got back from Mad Monday You look pretty fresh. Yeah, my mad Monday's died a long time ago, mate I don't I don't participate in mad Mondays anymore Mad Mondays by today's standards are very meek and mild compared to my day Yeah, oh I could imagine thankfully Thankfully the world has changed Did I read last year and might have been the bulldogs? Did they go and do some charity work on a mad Monday or something? Yeah, they did yeah a couple of years ago. We went and there was a homeless shelter in Ankliff we went along and did some work there But all the boys are doing that sort of volunteer work all the time. They don't advertise it but

2:02Yeah, man, man, no, no It's an opportunity for the players just to get together when it's all over and sit down and relax and have a big closed doors Very much so and the public and the media have made it that way and You know you can only dress for the climate that's around and We make sure that they're very good but the boys will really well behaved I don't think anyone knew where the bulldogs were and And they weren't hidden now they were they were in public but they're in the Chinese restaurant No, they were but yeah They had a good day and a good night and it ended very very late that we had security with them the whole time and the boys behave themselves They're under strict discipline and strict warnings, but they handle themselves really well as they always do we I've never really had a problem with bad Mondays in Organizing them Not so much back in my playing days. They were a little bit wilder. Yeah. Well, it's just gonna ask you that Well, I was actually gonna watch was walled when you won the cop in 88 and then well not even you've you told us a famous story

3:03Had the least club got robbed yeah Well, no one was really watching the till Everyone in penance was drunk in 1991. It was a good time to get them. Yeah What did you do in 80 out when they said the place had been robbed everyone just struck this Another beer place Security wasn't quite the same back then security didn't really care Well, make it up. Don't worry about it. Yeah. No, there was yeah, some old stories. I mean cracking Yeah, what's the longest made Monday you can remember all about a month Better man About a month and that wasn't was that a premiership. We know is that just the end of a regular season just the end of a year Yeah, what about the old trips to America? Well, they were the ones. I mean Some of my most fun times in rugby league were trips away at the end of the year. We had some extraordinary trips Yeah, in the in your younger days, you know a trip away was a trip to the goalcoast might be a trip to Manly Beach whatever that was but

4:07We're not going to the bulldogs in 83-84-85 as a player. We won the premiership in 84-85 and the bulldogs just had this thing that if we won a premiership We'd get a Y and we went to a Y but in 84 they made it even a bigger trip. We went to We went to L.A. We went to New Orleans. We came back to L.A. New Orleans. It was the world's fear The world's fear was on at New Orleans at the time Came back to L.A. and then we came back to a Y for a week. It was a massive trip. How long was this trip? I would have been best part of 14 days She's a bit of a great order at the end of it and they took everyone like it was just incredible And then in 88 when we won again we went over and played Five days after the green final. We went over and played a combined Auckland team in Auckland for $20,000 Winner take all and we went to Auckland. We played that we won that But I don't know how we weren't sober but we won it and And then went straight to Hawaii and the other half of the team traveled from Sydney to Hawaii

5:08And we all met in Hawaii and had a wonderful trip there and we had plenty of spending money too because we had a So what's 20g's worth back in 88? Well, we had more than that because we we actually Back in those days we backed ourselves to win the comp and we had a We had a A parlance club where we raised about 10. I think we got there All bullfrog Peter Moore and I divvied up $20,000 in travel our $40,000 in travelers checks to look after the players for the whole trip It was incredible. Yeah, we had you know, we had 40 on blocks there 30 on blocks So you backed yourselves when the comp yeah, what price were you remember? 10 to 1 or something like that We backed ourselves in our pundits club. See that would be from Paige Scandal these days. Oh, yeah What was common place back in the day, but you know But I recognize anything wrong with backing yourself or wrecking you should I'd rather be on a train that's backed themselves 100% I'd rather be on a jockey this back to my Oregon the jockey. Jockey should have to back himself 100% Anyway, which is the one which is the trip to our went on Darrow went on 84 that was the skunk trip that was he that was just those the story tells about that one with the skunk

6:12Is it the skunk yeah, so we we arrived in L.I. like with the time difference and everything was so Half us had never been anywhere. Yeah, so we we're right in L.I. and we stayed at Newport or somewhere out there And the resort that we were on in had a nine hole golf course attached to it. Oh, yeah, so of course We've got there in what is like You know with the transition in time I mean, it was still very much daytime for all of us, but it was nighttime over there So the boys have got off the plane and they've been drinking on the plane going over there and we found a bar We've got into the drink there and we've come back to the hotel and we're still drinking everyone's around the pool Etc etc And the boys decided they'd go out and never walk around the golf course and um Peter Kelly came upon a skunk And decided it was a good idea to try and catch it now We weren't there. He know what a skunk was. No He knew what it looked like. He probably probably seen it on bugs bunny or something

7:13But he chased his skunk and of course of course as he got close the skunk turned around and sprayed at him And he said I'd spit that me a spit that me and he got this skunk on it now If you've never smelled no, no, it ain't no well Get the worst smell that you have ever experienced in your life. Yeah, and multiplied by a thousand Really it is the most putrid smell you can it they put dogs down if it gets on dogs Right, so actually they do you can't get it out you can't get it out of this you know, so Peter Kelly had this smell on him for the whole 14 oh my god So wherever and we went of course all the Americans said so who's been hit by a skunk, you know and Peter Kelly's Darryl Brahmins was roaming with him so Darryl Brahmins Peter Kelly's gone in gone eventually gone to bed and gone to sleep He had a sherry thought I'll get this off of the sherry didn't didn't take it off him was in his skin for two weeks And uh everywhere we went on the plane you get if you were at the back of the plane you could smell him at the front

8:14And he actually took all these clothes to the dry cleaners the next day to get him clean And the black took it out the back poor petrol on him and little bats and just burned these clothes We had to go buy new clothes for the rest of the trip skunk it's a worst smell You could possibly get Just texting Darryl he's got his grandson on Wednesday So I don't want to disturb him but if he brings me or put him on air that's too funny Yeah Darryl Darryl was roaming with him so when When Peter Kelly got back to the room Darryl was asleep because Darryl woke up the next morning And all he could smell it was all over Darryl too by then so how did he can you not get the smell out but you cannot get the smell out What I don't know if there's modern technology but bloody awful animal Oh it was honestly It was putrid I've never smelled anything like so that can bind with like the collective smell I'm drinking piss for fuck's in my bed I think I repeat it Kelly He just kept him out of his trip down wherever but you always knew where he was You could smell him the whole time man

9:16I reckon yeah it took at least a week to get out of his system Um by then we were in a while but Yeah, we tried to catch it We went to New Orleans for the world's fair we went to Bourbon Street we stayed in the middle of the world's fair Well, they had world's fairs around the world all the time but this time I was in music in New Orleans New Orleans I'd like to go to New Orleans right on the Mississippi and there was an Australian Exhibit there and the Australian Exhibit was an Australian pub serving Poster's beer and I Convenient so we used to go to the the world's fair every night and then walk back home And we'd have to get a police escort because she was pretty dangerous walking through the streets in New Orleans Bourbon Street was Unlike anything I've ever seen it was phenomenal and that's And football not only gave you a great education in life But it gave you experiences you would never see before I mean the travel that we did in rugby league um Was incredible and that was a that was one of the The great highlights of your career was the trip away at the end of the season and we

10:17We had three extraordinary chips Trips while I was at the the Bulldogs we won a couple of comms while I played and We won another comp when I was a coach and we had wonderful great memories great great memories Very good can't tell you everything that happened on trips for no that that's for the um that's for the paid subscribers of six tackles I have an ex rated version. Yeah Uh well down to everyone associated with gyro We call that game together on Friday and I said it sort of dawned on me as I was watching the pictures It's equally heart-wrenching and equally heart-warming Yeah, well, it's it's obviously tragic and tragic for he and his family and it's a it's a terrible disease and As I said earlier in the year, it's amazing how people who and we all know them people that You get diagnosed with very serious injuries and even terminal injuries uh for themselves Turned into a positive and try to do um raise awareness and raise

11:19You know research money for others and Joy arrow has turned this in To something that wants to go beyond his lifetime obviously and you know, let's hope you elast another 10 20 years 30 years or whatever Let's hope they find a cure in his time but What he in the South Sydney club have done and you've got to applaud the South Sydney club for the way they've handled this Right from you know the management through to the coaches and everybody the players themselves and Made a positive out of this rather tragic circumstance and Joy arrows courage and his bravery has shone through all of that but the way the players and The club have embraced it the way Not just rugby league is embraced it like all sports are now yeah supporting This athlete who's been struck down by this illness and the roosters are supporting him Well, yeah, everyone What happened on Friday night in front of a full house at Alihan stadium and the way it was

12:22Set out and led into the foot last couple of games giving him his 100th game was a brain wave like that's a brain storm Someone's come up with it some time and how brilliant it was and and just shows the way that the game rallies and the people rally and um It was quite extraordinary. It's Very very rarely in the game do you see moments like that what we saw on Friday night and there was a very special moment for them and um, I think at one point in the commentary we just sat back and said nothing for the whole time I needed so and you know there were no words and accessories so um Yeah, wonderful, but you know, he's got a long battle ahead of him He'll always be a part of the game and um, but it gave the game a very special night the other night and uh As we always say best wishes to hear his family and keep up the good fight and And all power to South Sydney as they go into the final series this week Okay, you ready I just tried to remember the story now. I do remember I'm here with your man gassy for our award winning six tackles with gas

13:25podcast and he's just talked to us about um what he was at 88 84 84 I wasn't there I'd retired in 88 gassy I was coaching the bronco Wayne Bennett's secured you need sure you as a danger to him You gave me a lifeline that's it That's right So you've been on the drink the whole way over to the states and you you your roommate pita kelly pursue to skunk Mate what happened was we've been on the drink on the on the plan i would one the comp that year So we were in a pretty good mood and uh We all got on the plane and we're all on the drink on the plan and that's what used to happen in those days as you know gassy Yes, and um cocktails anyway They we got to the states. I don't know about four in the afternoon or something So we dropped our bags off and they'd arrange for us to go and have a dinner at a golf club Um, somewhere in in Los Angeles. I think it was Uh, anyway, we're there. We're on the drink again. We're just you know

14:26Been gone. We just absolutely gone anyway. We were there about nine o'clock at night And it was a beautiful golf club where the glass doors that overlooked the 18th fairway Anyway, as we were looking out over the 18th fairway or flood litter was beautiful There was this animal that was running along Fairway and i and no one really knew what it was but kelly did pita kelly you know is all about animals He said that's a skunk Beautiful He said i'm gonna go and get it So what So i'm gonna go and get it anyway. I must admit i went back drink him a beer Forgot all about him and i looked out over this beautifully floodlet Fairway about three or four minutes later and here's kelly chasing us Well quite remarkably he caught which You know i thought What's he doing? He was grabbed and then he grabbed it by the tarlin started flinging it around in the air and he's looking you know I mean clearly this couldn't have possibly happened today because you're not allowed that

15:29And he didn't kill it or anything He wasn't treating it well So Then i'd almost had enough so i just forgotten all about it so i just went back to bed And we're rooming together me and kelly and his last black i wanted to room with because he just He was a big wild bugger and i was a bit sedate, you know, he was just different So anyway I've gone to sleep He's obviously coming later in the night Woken up next morning and i've woken up and i've gone What What's that and and all like all the windows are open this cloud is like everywhere I said what what's happened he said the skunk pissed on me Can you describe the smell for us? No, it smells like it was far multiplied by a million It was just it was just It was awful and made like i thought

16:31No, come on cow i mean But what could it and made it stuck with him for probably a week i reckon I guess we all met yeah, yeah, yeah, he Memory took his clothes to the dry cleaners to get him clean he thought he thought if he had a shower that would get rid of it It didn't he took his he took his clothes to the dry cleaners when we got the new Orleans the black put petrol on him and Little match We had to go and buy the new wardrobe No, it was just horrendous like you go over there and you think you know you might be some Chance with a sheeler not that i was doing that sort of stuff But you know other bloats might have been and made it it was just infectious like the smell Beary-aided into other rooms and through the whole hotel What about when we sit on a plane? You couldn't sit nearing i mean You sit on a plane you'd be four seats away from When you just hear more say no, I can't It just dark it was horrendous Didn't really believe that the skunk could smell that badly, but I

17:33That's their protection Is a piece on your back You know and that's there You know but they didn't even know decision to think about The other beers as well, but it was just a horrendous start to the trip for us all i mean Like we were all infected with the smell of the Me too. I was room It was just it was awful. It was awful. What wasn't at the most magical trip that what we went to new all the into went to Hawaii Yeah, no Bullfrog too. He's great credit. He did a great job. I mean we we all were over there He was there too. He was in the midst of it bullfrog. He loved a good time on our day Him and Warren right me and the walk I think they were blueing at the time, which was happy surprising And uh was a walk good company was a walk good company on your trip Not really We used to take turns of sitting next to him and talking to What he was trying to do was think out moves for the next season right And stuff like that we had a roster sister

18:33Someone had to go talk to watch the 20 minutes My the rest of us just wanted to go out shit Do our best to know We actually used to have turns of sitting next to him to listen to him for a while Oh, that's golf and just for a let you go too watching um watching panorath in that jersey on sunday Did that bring back magical memories of you just single handily taking on the great forward packs as a chocolate soldier Yes, it did. Yes, it did I mentioned that to them when I did the walk with them. You know how that the old boys. Oh, they're talking On the fields are I went down and did the walk with them. I don't some of them have really let themselves go I Disappointing a former athletes Just bumped up and I won't name too many but Steve Martin is one The magical hooker I Said in commentary on the weekend. They're wearing those brown chocolate soldiers, you know Jersey's that we saw and there was a passage there where they held out the opposition from about three sets of six in a row

19:34I said that's the best defensive ever seen from a panorath team in that In that jersey Oh I love the jersey. Well, it was attribute to John Farragade. That's why they were they were John Farragaz jersey Yeah, well Johnny Johnny Farragor actually injured himself the week that I had my first meeting with with Ten with believe it or not back in 78 he got injured. Yeah, the scram against it was against new town I think yeah, I played with him on the day. I was playing we playing the guy I played in the game. Yeah, oh jeez Yeah, it's terrible Anyway, all right, remember because it was when I was talking to pen of the new gun injured that wing service terrible Thank you for thank you for entertaining us. I'll see you on Sunday So it could be the greatest podcast I've ever listened to I think so I'm not on it. Goodbye. Well, you have been so yeah See the big bar. I should be darabla. Fine. Yeah, so

20:34You know our memory and recollection of Peter cullie and the skunk of a pretty similar It like he said it's the worst smell you could possibly imagine it's a caustic toxic awful smell Let's never ever ever ever I should be avoiding a skunk. I'll be there in LA in 2028 And I will not be going looking for skunks. What was the skunk on bugs bunny peppy lip you yeah, that's right The French the French scunk the French scunk Let's get on with the SNO No Deer a deer a Always always come away from talking to Darrell feeling good If the NRL was a stock market you'd buy shares in the camber Raiders Yeah, baby black Now I don't know whether this was a decision by Ricky still with the chains a half back or whether it was because last game With you let's give him a debu because he's been in the squad for a large chunk of the season. Yeah, but I mean he's it

21:39He's a dual coins land under 19's origin rap but 26 points of record. He came through the Broncos He did he came through the broncos. It's bizarre to think they're letting go Yeah, we're all seen him for some time playing in junior rep teams and schoolboy teams etc etc and He took up an opportunity to get into the camber Raiders Broncos had made some decisions around their halves and so we probably felt the pathway was blocked Um, yeah, and take nothing away from the performance astonishing to break his points scoring record and the way he played was terrific It was a pretty loose game And the cowboys were pretty dismal on the day But you can't take that away from him and hopefully that gives him great confidence going into the offseason Um and getting ready for next year and you can play a hell of a lot more NRL football He looks like he's going to be one that's around for a long time But I've said all year like the camber Raiders I know though a minor premier's last year and it looks as though they've finished it well down the packing order this year but they're still most so much promise in their team and

22:41Particularly in the spine that it's a young spine and I think they're only going to get better their points scoring Potential as phenomenal. There's there a fast team. We played them Round two this year we Bulldogs went to Vegas and then we had to buy in round two so we had a three week break and then we went down the plate camera Who will last year's minor premier's and We played in them on soon. It was just poor raining all night But I said after that game they are so dangerous individually They had so many tackle breakers and so many people that could make your miss and so many people that had an offload Then I mean even in the wet conditions It was a devil's own job to hold them at bay and I think we beat him 1410 but Um in k-o weeks and and these fellas You know, it's it's still a young side and if they can keep them together I think time spent playing together is going to be even more of a factor over the next three or four years As the talent pool is diluted with the new teams coming in we've got Perth coming in next year then png Then we're going to have a 23 in in 2029 and it's going to dilute the talent pool from everybody else

23:44So if you can hold on to your younger talent for the next two or three years And I'm sure the rate is in tend to do that then they're certainly a team in the future Um, I wouldn't rank their season as a failure. It was a very tough competition for everyone this year And we've got the final eight that we've got but um You know, it was very very very keenly contested the whole season and As I have said a number of times on this podcast The bottom half of the competition is the strongest I've seen it for over a decade and We saw that with a number of teams at the bottom being out of beat top teams during the course of the season Was hard to get you two points every week Everyone had to combat with with new rules and interpretations and that changed a little bit during the season Um, but you know the rate is there is there's got as much potential in their squad as As any in the league at the moment weeks strange black Paddy I mean the hooker. He's as good a young hooker. Yeah, and that right off the little half back They had all the way easy eat very different play to copy black. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely

24:46Okay, and cabbie blacks predominantly a right side for player as well, which allows strings to get back Strangely go back to the woods and young comes back. Yeah, absolutely They get that they're a deadly combination there. They're a good side. They're a good side. The venues this week us allions Go media Aliens combat that's a good outcome absolutely I have what long been a bully well, you know, I go back to my initial days my my first days of following the game Back in the 60s and 70s Yeah, the big competition here in Australia was a Sydney competition the Sydney based competition They're all Sydney teams and you'd play in your suburban grounds home and away And then when you decided who the top five was or the top four back in the day or the top eight as it became Everyone went to a neutral venue and that neutral venue was the cricket ground and later in time It was the Sydney football stadium and you got away from your suburban home grounds and you went to the Sydney football stadium When super league came in in 1995 and the competitions broke up and we had new teams now in the game expanded to New Zealand

25:50To North Queensland to Perth to Adelaide to Melbourne and all that sort of thing It was end decided. I think towns will might have been the first time that they transferred a finals game Away from Sydney up to towns or and they might have been playing the Broncos and Wayne Bennett Okay, that was that was That was Gordon tell us his last game. Yeah, I can't remember. I remember it was scheduled for But I'm caught and they moved it to Townsville Obviously with so many regional teams back then you know new introduced regional teams They weren't drawing crowds when they came to Sydney. They had no supporter base in Sydney. So yeah, yeah, rather than going to the big stadiums And the alternative of that was The crowds that they would get at their home grounds in regional areas You know was financially sound business to go and fill up the ground if they could back in those areas So we got this idea of home ground semi-finals a top eight and it was a top 10 at one stage and I never really agreed with it, but understood the financial and commercial part of it and the crowd factor with it

26:57But I've always been in favor of neutral grounds for for final series and big stadiums Sydney teams then thought well if it's good good enough for them. It's good enough for us. We wanted our Home finals played in suburban grounds. There was a year there where we had paramatter and George fans creamed in the Cogra oval you could have got 80,000 at home boys But you know they were limited by what was at Cogra oval was ridiculous and the arguments around the sharks And oh we've earned a home ground semi-final yet, but in the best interest of the game and the fans and the opposition fans You know, they should be seeing them in in the best stadiums and I get it What's good for the goose is good for the gander if regional teams can have home semi-finals? Why can't we? Penroth one of the host games at Penroth Park and you know paramatter one of them at paramatter stadium and General Augustus you finished fifth or six you don't you have an owner home final No, I don't think so now. I Don't believe in home finals. I don't I don't believe in that you can mount an argument that one and two I mean I've come I've totally changed on this. Yeah, I'm I was kind of

28:01Of the understanding of the home ground thing But now with all the money we've spent on stadium and all the great aliens in particular This is bigger than home. This is bigger than suburban 40 I and the argument was you know, and I remember I coached at the roosters I was involved with the roosters for a number of years and our home ground was city football stadium Which is where the big finals were saying and people said I was an advantage you playing finals on your home It wasn't everyone loved playing at the football stadium. I can't miss it. They're on 100% for you They're not yeah, everyone loved playing at the football stadium Everyone loved playing at the cricket ground. Everyone loved played in the big stadium So I think I think the finals football should be on the big stage and in the big stadium Which gives more fans the opportunity to go and it elevates the event of course it does Let's say the sharks plates and George in a semi-final and sharks had the home ground That's just an injustice to all those things they can't be planned finals of that ground They can't we're not trying to be mean, but it's not it's not up to finals footy We should never have created a scenario where that was possible ever Right the argument was you know that if penrath played cowboys in a semi-final

29:05Why would you take it to a big stadium? No one's gonna go there You know we might as well have it at penrath park and try and fill that well they wouldn't they'd get it now because penrath is a juggernaut Well, they are but I'm talking back in the day Yeah, but you know there's little support for cowboys in this neck of the woods Um, but you know if penrath had to play cowboys and it was cowboys home semi-final They get up to town so they play in front of a very hostile crowd I get it. It's good theater, but I think you know The league is put their foot down and with the crowds that we're drawing I would expect that pretty much all these will get big crowds on the weekend. Yeah, if you're fifth or six You should scrap it yet. There's no home final. I mean this is this is sharks still get a homegrown advantage because they're in Sydney But I'm in a big stadium and play them as a double header The Saturday put them on the Saturday put them on the Saturday put them both at a core stadium or rally on stage and very good as a double header Whatever to do to fill the big stadium and create the great atmosphere that you've got you know our stadiums can accommodate that now Anyway, we're not running the game, but I think the result this weekend's good

30:07The result this weekend's good and I'm from what I understand if the wires go through to the prelim they're gonna play Eden Park so even their sacrificing something well They're still in New Zealand because they can fit more people in yeah, which is fair Which is a high ground advantage And if you're if you're a rusted on support or a member of a football club and You are playing in a preliminary final against the Warriors in New Zealand. I want to go I want to jump on a plane and make it a life experience and get across there And if I can't get a ticket because the ground's not big enough or because it's not cater for a way pleable It's got to be it's got to be fair and an equitable you know, it's I saw it plenty of times with suburban Yeah, semi-phonies in suburban grounds where so many people were locked out of the event. It just wasn't fair Last time I was at Eden Park what you I was with you we called the Tonga Benning Australia and remember the atmosphere there Incredible absolutely incredible Covid hit just after that. We didn't get we didn't get a chance to For the game to celebrate that event Tonga beating Australia never seen so many flags in my life Incredible absolutely incredible. It'll be like that if the wires get through Isaiah. Yo's one of the most durable players ever

31:13Not only one of the most judo one of one of the one of the best that we've seen He ranks with one of the with with all the great lock forwards of in history Um as the game has evolved over a period of time the role of the lock forward has changed a lot and I say Yo is the pin up boy of what the modern day lock forward looks like To overcome that pec injury and play in such a short space of time What I did notice on the weekend was he was conservative Uh looked after himself with his body particular way he was landing in tackles He didn't look to pass a lot early in the game although he warmed up to it a little bit later But just a fence would you notice about that now? He's always pretty solid there of course, but was he because I suspect a pretty he's not he's not traditionally a hider in your fence He's a wrestler. He's he's strongly just he's a catcher and then he he wrestles you to the ground and Now he was getting through his work and I think His presence there is gonna make a big difference But phenomenal effort to recover from the injury. He's been so durable when he's a player

32:13During panoramic run that refused to stand down during origin periods that always backed up the plate every game Um, it's barely ever been out injured and what I'm talking to Nathan Cleary we had even on a hundred percent 40 the other night And he just said that When he got the injury that And the initial thought where well that's it and he said now I'll be back in a month and he's worked on it He said they were all shaking their heads out there. It's just how he's done it because it's ruptured He has a ruptured pec. Yeah, that's normally what is it six months? Well, really I mean kick out did one this year 12 weeks, but it was only 10 games they need surgery Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, so it's the second time he's done it. He said he's been 12 weeks both times right Abby chorus. I had a partial tear this year and got back pretty quickly But didn't look a hundred percent the whole time because there was a time a ruptured pec was like season over wasn't Yeah, well, it was all that long ago. No, they're going to surgery now where they they attach it and they do it but really army kick out was There was some buys in there and some Stand down weekends because of origin, but he

33:16I think he was out for 12 weeks and missed 10 games With his and he he come back in really good shape, but Yeah Back in the up we never heard of those injuries back in the day Never ever heard of those injuries peck injuries back in the day But it's been a modern day thing. I don't know what it is You don't want them to quite nasty Amazing effort for you to get back so we're going to go through the finals contenders I'm going to ask Gus for every team's plus A weakness and the next factor and why don't we start with the Panthers who are the minor premieres for the sixth time The third time since 2022 They're looking to win their fifth grand final in six years and make their sixth grand final in seven years Incredible achievement undoubtedly the best team of the NRL era Plus weakness X factor a plus Whether you could name any any number of pluses, but what stands out to you? I

34:17Had to put it into one word is their culture is there is is What this group of players which is a generational group of players has been quite extraordinary Not only the players that have stuck together that time, but the players that they've lost as well Said to Nathan Cleary the other night if you had to compare The teams because they've lost several prominent players over the last four or five years as well like the 26th team We did beat the 24 team with the 24 team beat the 22 team with the 22 team beat the 20 team And he said the 22 team He said I think was nearly unbeatable and that was And then a number of those players then moved on to other clubs and had great influence the clubs where they went He said they're nearly unbeatable nearly unbeatable. That's the way they felt and Practically words right there practically were but Yeah phenomenal era and It's no we're near ending at the moment I remember when they won their first premiership

35:17And we'd gone a long time before any team had gone back to back and I think the roosters did it in whether they do it 14 and 15 or 13 and 14 18 90 When do they do it 18? 18 19 before that it was the Broncos in the early 90s in early 90s and they said do you think panor thing? Go back to back I said I'll win five or six I mean it was just the team was only over with the age of the players that they've got And when you look at their senior players now like Moses Leota Liam Martin a sci-a-yo Nathan Cleary Dillon Edwards Brian Tottor Still some of the best players in those positions anywhere in the in in the competition They're still relatively young. I mean I think a sci-a hits 30 this year, but the rest are still in their 20s. There's still got so much more football in them And they're losing Brian Tottor obviously in a couple of years time when he goes to PNG, but This year I've rated them favourites all season They're now the minor premiers. I'll rate them favorites now. They're at the final series

36:19And I'll put the greatest feature of them is the culture of the culture of the club and The culture of the club has been able to replace those prominent players that have left and replaced them with kids coming out of the system um If you go and look at the Pathways programs the or minor premiers in the reserve grade they're in the top three in the The Jersey flag competition They've still got a heap of young fellow talents coming through the system And they've been able to bring in you know you're Your casey McClain's and those sorts of players your Thomas Jenkins and You know Lindsey Smith Those sort of players Liam Henry that have come in and just picked up where the others left off and They've been molded into a championship team again. So I think their strength is their culture and now the confidence born of Demonstrated ability of the confidence that they've been down this road so many times they handle any sort of football One of the greatest assets is and I said this to Nathaniel the night they can win a game eight six

37:19They can win a game 20 nil they can win a game 60 nil or they can win a game 40 or 30 Whatever happens on the day whatever the conditions they seem to be able to adapt Whatever the strengths and weaknesses their opposition whatever has thrown at them on the day They don't win a hundred percent of the games But they're in a hundred percent of the games every time they play and they seem to be able to find a way to win and There have now got one of the greatest halfbacks of all time the game manager a general He's left tenant Dylan Edwards I still think is the best fallback in the game by a street and some of his performances in the last couple of weeks He's coming back from injury Been phenomenal. He's his defensive organization. He's try saving ability The amount of kilometers he's covering in the game. It's just It's incredible what he produces for that team It'll be a difficult first semi-final for them the roosters did beat them a little while ago there in a very very closely fought game, but This is final's time it's a different brand of football and

38:20The panthers know what they're doing their strengths is their culture Have they got a weakness the greatest asset have they got a weakness? No, can I put one to you? Yeah, and you can poop with this You watch them play sometimes and if it gets to a situation where they have to chase points If they find themselves behind if they've got a play out of their system, which is the Modern lexicon is that a danger? I think everyone acknowledges that they're a different team when they're behind on the scoreboard You can you get you can get them to change tacked a little bit or there is more pressure on what they're doing Getting them behind on the scoreboard isn't as easy as it sounds I know when we beat them earlier this year. I think it was about round five and They were just blazing a trail of that time and people there and talking about going through the comp underfooted and we we jumped them early and got out to a 16-0 lead And that helped us at the back end of the game and we beat them uh But there is a theory that they are a little different when behind on the scoreboard. I think they're getting better at it

39:25um But every team is different when they're behind on the scoreboard. It takes a fair bit of mental resolve to Ignore the scoreboard and chase it with your defense and chase it with your system and they've got better and better at it you know Probably one of the greatest comebacks we saw of all time was where they come back and beat the broncos in the last 50 minutes If if if that's a weakness will they dispel that on the biggest stage Against the might of the broncos on that day where they came from what was it 24 to 18 down yeah They were 16 down with you know 20 minutes to play and produce an extraordinary finish to it never look like coming back Didn't look like it at the time look like the broncos were racing away But they found a way and it came off the back of the halfback To get back in the game. I think there's an unshakable belief out there now in the system Um Trusting the process trusting each other and it's that connection and that trust that they talk about It was interesting on a hundred percent 40 other night Brad Fettled in an interview with James Fisher Harris

40:26He'd been a prominent part of the The Panthers Success and they've now gone to the Warriors and then the number two team in the competition He's had a big effect over there But he talked about what he tried to take to the to the Warriors and his first thing was Connection connection between players trust in the process Believing in what you're doing so That's worked. Yeah, well They have it they have this saying system beats talent every time It's the system that's important Talent is one thing talent can win talent does avid stay but over time system beats talent and they believe in their system Over a period of time Individuals get their recognition because the team is greater than the individual and the teams performance is more important And what you try to create is a culture within your club where it's club first team first Type mentality We're a next-man up mentality where you trust the development of your pathways and kids coming into the system

41:27And you trust the process that you that you play under than Whatever the state of the game if you can stick to your process. That's the best way and that's professional sport everywhere That's that's the mentality that's the mental strength of every sport Is to trust the process and particularly under your most pressure in your biggest game Is to stick with it and that's what the Panthers have been able to do and it's Yeah The Melbourne storms and the roosters who have also been dominant had dominant areas in in the last 15 20 years We're very very similar mindset senior players that Had a confidence born of the fact that they've been successful in big on big stages Premiership winning teams invariably have six or seven origin class players in their teams That have experienced origin at the highest level Panthers have got that They're the team to beat so that's their strength weakness there is no weakness but You know your best chances to jump to the front early and then try to try to put them on tilt a little bit

42:29Having said that On the biggest stage they've turned that around themselves as well. So there's a compelling case for the Panthers who understandably are the resounding favorites with our friends on tab warriors Finish inside the top four for the fourth time in their History and this is the highest they have finished on the table since they won the premiership back in 2002 Strength weakness and I didn't ask you for an X-Factor for patterns because they've got a team full of them um What do you make of them? Yeah, well, it's um I asked Nathan clear the other night. I said do you see something of the Panthers in the Warriors in the way that they play in their culture And he said yeah, we do now obviously Andrew Webster who coached to the Panthers. He was an assistant coach Out there during the system there and there are some X Panthers like you're Dallin Wattani Zalazniak and you're Wade Egan and now James Fisher Harris has gone across to that club and we can see in the defensive system. We can see in the process also

43:30You know in setting up warriors pathways in recent times. It's now producing great young talent that's coming through the system and Some of those young back rowers that they've got there and a Hallisheem and they sort of looks that have come through a warrior system in the club You can see it now in their lower grades um and their pathway systems the the systems that they've got and it's pretty much the same mentality You know connection Playing for the team team first mentality and trusting the process and they've got a great defensive system I think they've got the two best defensive systems in the competition. They're very very similar Panthers have obviously been doing it longer and they've done it on the biggest stage longer It's a it's for the warriors now to come to the finals and put their best foot forward but Again for the warriors. I think it's the strength of their ownership Uh, and I had the great pleasure to do spend a bit of time with the warriors a few years ago With Cameron George and Mark Robinson the owner and

44:31knowing their motivation to establish a The warriors as the Jaguar North that we always thought it could be Uh in producing home grand talent to come through and represent that club And to unite Ignite the nation in support of rugby league what they've done for rugby league over there has been phenomenal Uh Peter Belandis was asked the other day who he favored to win the company wouldn't give a comment Said who would you like to see win the comp? You said I thought I think if the wise one it would be understandable for rugby league What do they do or they don't they've been wonderful for rugby league what they've done the last couple of years and That's a credit to the owner Mark Robinson and the CEO Cameron George who's done a tremendous job the new coach in Andrew Webster and They've got a really nice culture across here. They're strong too. They're they're a physically Intimidating team they're skillful But it's a team with a system look at Look at the problems that had around their halves You know tan and boy got injured loop make car got injured tomorrow mountain got injured But they've been able to cope that they're

45:31Their system doesn't necessarily rely on a dominant playmaker It just relies on power and trust and and the other elements that The go to making a good finals team Their defense isn't as strong as panthers, but it's the same system. They're getting better at it as they go along Manly exposed them a little bit the week before Newcastle exposed them a little bit earlier the game week before and then lost a player and worry as ran over the top of them So just seeing whether or not The best in front of the is still in front of the Warriors at the moment They did tie a little bit at the back end of last year. I think they'll be stronger this year Have they tied a bit in the last fortnight? I don't know I've said a couple of times in commentary that it's only human nature That when you know you've qualified for the finals And you can't go backwards within the eight. It's it's hard to be grim when you don't have to be There's always got to be that human element. I've got the finals in a couple of weeks and there is a little bit of Self-preservation kicks in you're doing your job, but

46:34I want to be around in a fortnight too. I don't want to you know. I don't want to get suspended. I don't want to get injured So I think there's been a little bit of that the Warriors. They've kind of known they're going to finish one two They know that means a home semi-final And potentially a preliminary final if they can win again, but I think we'll see them explode. I think we'll see the best of them this weekend Against the dolphins and all An awesome challenge for the dolphins their first time in the finals to go across there But been very very impressed with the Warriors. They've got an X factor. Well, they got a few Great great power in the pack like you say, but they've got some great speedmen out wide Yeah, it's the it's the power of them They've got people that can make you miss and that's just in their sheer power and their footwork and and everything from there I think I think for them the one that brings it all together is the hook away Deegan I think he's extremely crafty out of dummy half. He's got he's learned the game so well

47:35That and he touches a ball more than any other player. I think it's why they've been able to survive without halves when they've had injuries but I think way Deegan is probably he doesn't classify his X factor, but he classifies as The glue that kind of holds all that together in the middle of the field and He'll be very very important for them Yes, big game this way the rest the rest is work at the other the other Hallucinus has been yes phenomenal He's phenomenal talk about making blokes me. So we'll just run straight over the top of them dolphins Gus maiden finals appearance In their fourth season in the competition. They're brilliant to watch play. I know you or you've got a few concerns about them first up into the finals I reckon they're I reckon the cherry right give us your Plusses and weaknesses and well Expect it. Well, they got X factor everywhere. Yeah, it's only history and it's only Experience that tells me that You know, whatever happens in this final series they're going to be better for it into the future

48:36it's been a phenomenal Rise by them firstly to come into the competition and be a welcome acquisition to our competition They've been competitive from day one and And in only their fourth year now to qualify in the finals in the toughest rugby league competition in the world And this is a tough competition. There's been some Quality teams that missed the that missed the eight this year the top four sides from last year or missed the eight this year Which shows you the competitive nature of this competition and how hard it is to to consistently win And the dolphins have been able to do that and they deserve their place in the finals The the the X factors are a simple is their the tremendous creativity they speed Their athleticism so many individual players can do it on their own or as a group they come together at times with some breathtaking ball movements some absolutely speed of play That just overwhelms their opposition and when they get a good run a possession and field position They are virtually impossible to stop The scoreboard ticking over they just they're phenomenal and they go up in sixes because that winger keeps kicking goals

49:40From all over the field it's a it can be very intimidating to play against them when they're on and when they're getting a lot of possession But in all of that There's been two or three performances this year that just stun you where they're like I'm beaten by manly by 50 And I can say to 66 nil against the sharks and there have been other times in games where There've been well behind or there been well in front and all of a sudden the opposition are back in the game defensively they just haven't They haven't shown the grit that You associate with premiership winners Now there was a team 20 years ago that won a premiership That prior to itself on just how many points it could score if you scored 30 they'd score 40 if you scored 20 They'd score 30 and and that I think the dolphins have got that confidence and I think sometimes It eats away at their resolve in defense. It's kind of like well. We don't care if you score 20 You know, we've got 30 in us. It's right. You know in a breath. Yeah, so it's They don't seem to panic when they get behind on the scoreboard and not scared to win a game

50:4330 to you know 40 to 30 if they have to I don't see them winning a game eight six. I don't see that happening. I'd quite a few Lower scoring games in the past for the year. Well, that's not this style. That's not this tall. I think I think that one of the ones when we beat panthers earlier in the either bulldogs the following week they played in Darwin and our game was very hard one and Panthers led 18 nil or 20 nil at half time Yeah, it was more because they came rolling back and dolphins came back and levelled up and ended up panthers Had to kick a field goal the winner and that was the one that Sort of got my attention because against the bench defense in the league They won the second half 20 to one or something like that. It was Was quite an impressive performance and they did it pretty comfortably They they really did tear apart the panthers defense unlike other teams have been able to do Panthers have made some changes since that time, but dolphins there are they're an awesome outfit And you know when you get people are Billy Slater and Andrew Johns

51:43Chipping them to win premierships. They're obviously impressed by what they see The niggling part for me is defensively. I just don't think they're there yet and You know if they get if they get 60% of possession in this game. No winner They'll beat whoever they play if they get that sort of possession But the better sides should be able to deny them that and deny them the field position And if they have to win their game win the game with their defense I don't think there is well served as other teams They've earned their top four of place Maybe that great defensive effort is still in them, but at the moment I'm yet to see it So that's my one little niggle with them, but all power to them making the top four thoroughly deserves One of the most potent attacking Forces that we've seen in some time not just this year in some time X factor baby speed. That's your favorite thing Hammer seed hammer so and herbie Massaka and bostock bostock and you know they're quick they're they're just quick

52:44Um and the ball movement you know like young catoran Kady nika rumours been an unsung hero in that time too because he sucks an instinctive little player and um, you know, I I kind of like kady from the first time I ever saw him and spend a little bit of time with him at the warriors in a little bit of time I spent there and um I saw him as a future superstar and he's just really starting to get those accolades now and um You know, they've got a solid four pack hard working forward packs some nice experience in there They set up a good culture. They bought three or four players from the Melbourne storm the first year that they were there That sort of set them up with a good foundation Wayne Bennett was the foundation coach he hands over to the this fella who's done a wonderful job with him He's obviously a great man manager and people person the players great quality of him Um, you know, and that's that's an important part of it and You know there look Give them 60% of possession at your peril if you give them 60% of possession They can beat them all but they could blow the comp away if they get things go their way

53:45It's only a month of football. Yeah, like You win your next three games you win the comp For those top four sides that's the way they got to look at if they win this week they're a game for the grand final Exactly So yeah, and look they can win don't get me wrong they can win But everything that I've ever learned about finals football I lean a little bit towards Panthers and yeah, and worry is at this stage and likes I like in their team I know that you know, they've got all those spectacular outside backs. I love I mean Gilbert's been great. Yeah great later upfront. I love or plath. I mean he's Showed his how valuable he is and don't hear off the bench That they're the they're the blokes that fly under the radar that just play an invaluable role in that team Yeah, in any you know like you need your generals and you need your soldiers You know, and in any premiership winning team you've always got This group of soldiers that just go through they don't want money. They don't want medals They just work away every week and you know They they what we call win-in-the-shadows people aren't noticing them But they're doing the winning stuff in the middle of the field there that the people don't really notice

54:48They don't get the accolades. They don't get the man of the matches I don't whatever but the man of the matches grateful that he plays with them and they're doing the hard yuck in the middle of the field and And giving the opportunity for these other players to play the football that they do They've got some really hardworking players in their side and over time they'll get their recognition But it's it's in that sense. It's a really nicely balanced outfit Their mindset is attack That's predominantly their mindset their their mindset is not Control possession and not control field position Their mindset is that they can blow your way from anywhere on the field And I think sometimes that tremendous strike power and confidence they got in attack each the way At You know just they're a lent each a way at their defense their defensive mindset It's kind they're not scared if you score a few points Because they figure if that's the way you want to play will beat you anyway, so They can beat them all don't get me wrong I'm not writing them off by any stretch, but when it comes down to what I think fight wins finals football

55:53I think this final series will be a great Learning experience for them and the fact that they made the top four even if they don't win a game in the finals These two games is going to set them up for it even better season next year you surprise. This is the roosters First top four finish since 2020 Yeah, well not really because there's been some good sides around and they've gone through a transition period They lost a lot of senior players since that time Some young players coming in I still think There is I still think there is youth in their team that's not quite ready To win a premiership right at the moment And I think there are some issues with their defense The don't measure up with the better sides in the competition. It's strange because they're on that that big run of Eight in a row and you were thinking well they're gonna win the mind premiership. Well, they've lost three That was the Tigers well that that that that came to a crescendo when they beat Panthers

56:54And they hadn't beaten Panthers. I think panthers have beaten a 12 of the last 13 times And yeah, I see a reason for that as to why panthers have been dominant over them Roosters have gone through a transition period. They're introduced a lot of new talent into their team That talent is still young and And improving and this is another team to only get better next year, but That panthers game where they defended as well as we've seen for some time and it was a really tough gritty But you go back and look over history the number of teams who play Panthers in those sorts of games and how they fare in the next few weeks Roosters haven't won since They got upset by the Tigers like I'm blown away by the dolphins You know, and then they decided well, we're resting against it. You know what you look back now On his decision to rest everyone last week, and it's a pretty cool. I said that he didn't Roosters didn't need South Sydney in their lifelike last weekend Particularly on the eve of the semi finals to go out then and Potentially lose, you know, I think what he did was was just refresh

57:56Reprogram all right top four top three that's been a good performance so far new competition starts next week Let's just get ready for our opposition and and go from there as it turns out they're playing the Panthers Which I think suits them a little bit. I think you know, even though Panthers are the number one I think that suits the Roosters a little bit Because they will go in as underdogs. I think that had probably started favor it against any other Any of the other two teams they go into the game where they're going to be underdogs. They don't have to leave Sydney. They didn't have to go to To New Zealand. I think This is the game that they probably saw Yeah, once they lost those couple of games. Well, okay, well Let's get a fortnight ready to get ready for the Panthers and see if we can we can beat them again and they're capable I'm not saying they're not capable They strengthen is The Roosters score tries that other teams just don't There've got so many x-factors in their team a lot of that is dissipated because Sam walker's not going to be there So their x-factors on the sideline. Yeah, he's a little bit more creative and instinctive and impetuous and the other people

59:02They get two poo back on the wing and he and the wangarita wazi the thing about the the roosters is They can beat you in the air Those great targets on the edges and I think Cherry Evans in particular will be aiming that They don't have to get frustrated if they're not scoring because on tackle five they can pull your pants down Anyway, no, I'm going to do wise you can produce something out of nothing two back in score He's a tremendous target in the air if they get opportunity there Tedesco's had those number of weeks off and now he's back Still doesn't look 100% to me But um it'll be his experience will be invaluable there they've got the origin hooker they've got the origin fallback We've got a former origin halfback One of the second he's the second most cap play river who cherry Evans yeah tremendous experience yeah, they're not going to beat themselves. No, but Walkers kicking game the short kicking game that that caught panor without he caught Edwards out a few times

1:00:05Yeah, I don't miss that Sam walker can bring undone too, you know Because if he has a day where things aren't going his way or he's getting a rush of blood You know, he can work against you a little bit as well. He's still developing that in his game But there is no doubt that the rooster's had the capability of scoring points other teams can't score and They score tries even though if their attack is not in sync because they've got this tremendous Instinct they've got this tremendous um free spirit To try anything that they want like the one idea wise you can do something out of nothing Yeah, physical free they get the control in the experience of cherry Evans they get the experience of of to Deskau For them their weakness I think is their defense around the middle of the field Can be found wanting in long periods of of having to defend But if they've got present there's another one's they've got possession and they got field position They can accumulate points it'll be a tough one for the Panthers, but

1:01:08You know, I pretty much understand why Panthers have been so dominant over them for some time Everyone's talking about say that people of the roosters get dirty with me because they did beat them last time Yeah, they can you got to do it again. I do it again. Yeah, but they can do it again because they've demonstrated that they've got the ability to do it They can win. Of course they can win Will they win? Well, I'm saying no, I say Panthers will beat them, but Yeah, they can win. So with the greatest of respect to the teams in the bottom half of the eight It's never happened before and it's not going to happen this year is that reasonable assessment Can't see them winning four games in a row. No And particularly when they're going to have to play three of the top teams three weeks in a row I can't see that these bottom four teams doing it all right We might save gussars a little look at those bottom four teams for our preview Which we've got coming up thanks to tabitain moment. All right. Wasn't that the preview? No What was Darryl Bryman's that was just that was just morale boosting all right. Yeah, okay Six tackle trivia before we come back and have a look with the

1:02:09The preview thanks to tab on a week one of the finals before new cast or this year Gus Who was the last team to go from the spoon To the finals in seek in back-to-back seasons You want me to answer that or I will after this okay Six tackle trivia Newcastle have gone from last last year to making the finals This year who was the team to do it? prior I think it was the roosters not wasn't it Didn't they run last under Brian Smith and then went to the finals are following here They did it. There's been a team at least since then let me just double check as I've got mid-o's text here that has confirmed All this for me a team that ran last But went through to the finals so the roosters did it in fact there's a few that have done it since then believe it or not the roosters didn't 2010 Right so they were last oh nine finals 2010 after that well

1:03:11Milburne, but I don't know that that's now that was salary kept rubbish yeah Kronola went from the Spoon in 2014 To the finals in 2015 Did they yep, there's been that was that the um that moment that mode the many all of them have tied stuff that mido's mido's giving me the Yes, you know Me though plays by the rule he just goes by the it's all black and white yeah black grey areas would stack no So there was a team It was seven years ago Seven years ago 2019 when they made the finals yeah They made the finals and they were last the previous year yep I made the finals and they were last the previous year so they were last in 2018 Who been last in 2018 that made the finals in 2019 Okay, I'll give you a little clue They played the final they played in In 2019

1:04:14They absolutely blew a team away in week one of the playoffs At Their new stadium Which was at the time their new stadium Right You're not helping me People had a new stadium in 2019 Cowboys nope It's a Sydney team Sydney team new stadium Paramata paramata Did they they were last in 2018 made the finals in 2019 and they flogged the Broncos did they remember it's 54 nil All right, I remember that Okay, I must admit when I looked this up I didn't you remember paramata coming last in 2018. I can't I couldn't remember paramata running last All there you go their fans do That was all underbrother Arthur by the way Yeah Yeah 54 nil and then I remember I remember the roosters the roosters Brian Smith first year the roosters

1:05:17He went to a grand final didn't he Oh And then they ran last the next year They run last the bridesmith he took over from Freddie didn't he Did you take over from Freddie did he oh no, oh, Christian Anderson were taking over from Freddie No, Freddie took over from oh, Freddie took over from Chris Anderson. Okay, that's Smith took over from Freddie That's been dementia kicking in okay, you remember you've got it spot on there you go paramata 2018 last 2019 finals and do you know they haven't been back to the finals since they played panorath in the grand final of 2022? It's hard come it is the Broncos Broncos They've run at the table of the field will they run second or they've been a grand finalist sort of nowhere in between So not right there round 11 NRLW now stand alone game tomorrow night here on 90 daily ends You are going to see a proper 40 team tomorrow night because this rooster side up Just an absolute juggernaut Unfortunately, they're up against the bulldogs 745 kickoff the dogs will be putting their best foot forward but they're up against a Blake

1:06:18My We had Millie Elliott on 100% 40 I said your team's looking tired before the semi's you need to rest. Yeah, yeah, that's right You know we go I don't think they're going to be able to deny it right now some on it Um, I think the only game they've lost the last two years was a grand final last year Friday West Tigers Raiders Saturday Eels Cowboys and Sharks Dragons then Sunday the Broncos play the Warriors and the Knights play the Titans I'm telling you the Titans they're riding this competition my goodness. They're a good team All right now preview thanks to tab giving the punters plenty to shout about this NRL season download the tab up tab We're on chances are you are about to lose all the action from 7 30 live and free Friday night Rabadose $1.42 against Newcastle $2.90 at Aliahns the place will be going off. So Tell us Duncan's back in the lineup for South Pretty strong looking team that pushes Elliott to the bench now for Newcastle They've obviously got a lot of injuries mainly and and suspension So feedie out they lost Tray Mooney because of injury which was very unfortunate but

1:07:21Um, they do have Manu Leleua who has come back from that Elbow problem earlier than they expected So he's in the pack the front row reads for a Zell Phoenix Crossler who himself has some injury problems and young kobi hopper I think everyone's been impressed with yep I I reckon they're a chance Newcastle I reckon they're dead set chance They've had a week off perfect timing. Yep. They've had a really good year and South South have been so It's been so emotional. Yeah last few weeks They've had a really good year and they've got the X factor of the captain at the back Kailan Ponga sharp There just seems to be a sense of timing with South Sydney And a sense of moment The old coach has found a way to get them all Playing and humming well at the right time of the year I think The finish to the season last week in beating the roosters all beta roosters reserve grade side and the night they put on for J.A.R.A. was great

1:08:24It's just great for the spirit of the club and the spirit of the team and They've got X factors right across the park themselves They're closer to full strength than what Newcastle can muster at the moment I have great respect for Newcastle's tricecoring ability and the effect that Kailan Ponga can have But I'm going to back Kodi Walker and his men To get it done Friday night in the first semifinal. I'm going to protect the home side So we stay alive. I spoke to the roosters just before we come on air gas and Toby Roball has just gotten out of bed Why? Oh Let's roll Holy shit So see it still looks like it should be on the nature channel and uh All right, um 405 kickoff Saturday here on 9 all the finals live and free warriors are adult are 60 The dolphins are $2.35 on tab So a big inclusion for the warriors spent a long time since we've seen Jackson Ford

1:09:26himself has had a pec injury Yep, but he's back on the bench and uh Lecker-Huller-Semba back from an injury He's in the sanders way to going to Kirk-Caipal-Rester there back in the lineup Yep full strength for the dolphins which is fantastic for them I mean their first ever appearance in the finals Yep This is a really intriguing game Really intriguing game warriors get the advantage of the home ground the sellout crowd The sense of momentum that they've had they've known that they're playing in this game for a few weeks now and I think there's been a a sense of impatience waiting to get to this point of the season They know that they've won win away from our preliminary final But they do take on a team that can be so intimidating with their ball movement and their attacking strike power and There's such a classy side Uh As I said all along I'm gonna favor the warriors and their defense and their system because That's what I know most about winning finals football No one will be surprised if the dolphins run in a score against them

1:10:27My only little niggle is what Sort of the nights and mainly have been able to create in the warriors in the last couple of weeks I'm gonna put that down to the warriors Probably not quite mentally being at fever pitch as they will be this week I think the early stages of this game will be quite physical if the referee stays out of it and allows The game to settle into a rhythm and warriors get their share of possession and their kick chase mentality and The physical nature of their game I think they can establish a win in the first 20 minutes if there's Stoppages and there's six agains and there's penalties and and all of that and all of a sudden You know dolphins are getting cheap pass you jump the other end of the field and they're getting possession of attacking zones They can rip any defense apart Uh, I'll favor warrior. I will not be surprised if dolphin can do it But everything that I value about the game I see in the warriors team and

1:11:28I'll tip them to win at home. Okay. The wires to go through to a pre-limb for Gus Saturday night 750 kick off again live and free on nine and nine now the sharks at dollar 43 at home Against the North Queensland cowboys who are 285 outside as this match at Ali Answers we've already touched on So team news so they've stuck with the youngster in the centers young Riley Jones who had a good debu Yep, that would have been a massive result had the sharks have pulled off an upset with all those blocs being rested last We're gonna come within what? Couple of seconds are doing so and one play one play one play in 20 passes and flick passes and ball on the ground On the coins they miracle try. Yeah, it was just Freaky Have you seen a team go into a finals campaign on the back of a worst performance in the cowboys? No, uh, they will have been them. Yeah, some teams peed around at the end of the year but I I can't get a grip on the on the cowboys. I just can't get it. I said to you How long ago three months? I said I don't see a pre-match in the cowboys. I really don't they've been terrible

1:12:32but some of their performances are just They would I'd hate to coach them I'd you just don't know what you're gonna get they're They're gonna miss Scott drink water so much next year You know, I know they've got a lot of talent in their team and a lot of players that can use them but He's he's ability to create opportunities create line breaks and create points Is second to none in this competition? He's phenomenal in what I'm scoring points as their problem is it? No, but defensively 82 points a month ago my god. I Feeding my god And I saw them earlier in the I saw them in Vegas and I saw them in round two and I thought gee, who is they're in for a long year And then all of a sudden yeah, they came to life they found a way to win some games and but There's always in the back of your mind. This could pull apart at any time I don't know. I mean they've got the ability to win and look It's not as are they playing against the team that's in great form themselves the sharks have been very shaky over the last six weeks

1:13:35We talked about their They're running to the finals that they weren't playing a top eight team and they were just crews through most people Predicted will that'll end up with a top four spot, etc etc And that's why they were arguing about home semi finals Now they run fifth. I don't deserve a home semi final, but they're they're gonna get one Thankfully it's been moved to Ali aunts Hopefully people go out and support them but Uh Yeah, as I said the other night There will be a winner of this game, but that was the last game they win this season I don't think either team will progress beyond this weekend And I said to you last week But this is a game the sharks can win This is a this is the only finals opponent. I think they could beat Um, and they've drawn them at home in in the first game Having said that they're not in great form themselves I know there was a spirit of effort the other day against a Melbourne storm team that You know miss the eight and probably didn't have a lot to play for themselves But there was a lot of spirit in what they did their defensive resolve was a lot better

1:14:37They ran hard they tackled hard it was kind of like the club was Was up for that occasion and To be beaten in the final minute Now we'll be somewhat deflating You know, it's not the end of the world for them obviously because they're in the finals But you could see that would energize the club so in those young bucks You know, absolutely it might be exactly what they need absolutely I should mention Braden Trendle's back but everyone kind of knows that look you know I'm looking through this lineup now sharks just win Oh, well sharks just win the biggest thing is they got Braden Trendle back and Until we seem go out and play with that bunch older we really don't know how it's going to look But he he's so important to them and they've been so poor when he's absence that You know, it's obviously a big plus for him coming back Uh Cowboys are so capable on their day of a massing points And sharks are so capable of losing to anyone It seems This isn't a great endorsement for this game

1:15:38Well, it's fascinating. I love game. I love games out of desperation. I love watching teams how they react You know, and I want to see how the cowboys bounce back on it. They've got for me bouncing back from crap performances Because they got people 70 A month ago. Yeah, they come out one the next week Yeah, it's like they deserve both teams deserve to be there with it. That keeps on with 27 rounds Everyone got their chance to get there. These are the teams that got there and They'll look forward to it All Tip shark simply because they're the home team And simply because cowboys were just too bad to be true last week but again No surprise with either way we said goes my only Thing is saying that Whoever wins this game that will be their last win for this season and then four o'clock on Sunday the blockbuster 1v4 Penrath versus the roosters the dollar 30 penrath roosters three dollars 50 yo back into the starting team Smith to prop Henry to the bench sorenson was rested last week here returns

1:16:40Mitch Kenny return last week as well got through what do you play 50 odd minutes? And all the big guns are back for the roosters including gas angus cryton Who has missed 11 games with the foot injury and comes back on the bench? Yeah I was doing I've been doing I've been sort of Lockdown doing reviews for the for the bulldog season this year But in doing that I review performances of all teams right throughout the year on the score of Things like injuries and discipline and players of availability and all that sort of thing as well And what we've seen is the the Three teams with the most injuries this year failed to make the eight And the teams and the four teams with the lowest injury counts this year all did make the eight Panthers had the lowest injury toll of any team in the company. They always have the lowest injury time And that's even allowing for a player on ability during the origin be or whatever they did So they've had an extraordinary season that way and what Injuries looked like happening to them late in the year. They've got yo back anyway and Mitch can he's now come back So they've accommodated extremely well

1:17:43uh Yeah, we've previewed this game earlier in the podcast. I think Panthers win the premiership I think they win this game. I think they've got the football to handle the roosters Not saying that roosters aren't capable. They are they're extremely good football team But for me it's Panthers on the weekend. So I'm going with the four home team actually So on the tab app there is a finals predictor. I love a good finals predictor Because I'm not very good with these numbers and arrows right so you've gone panther shark Rabbit um shark Panther. I think the whole series. I think the whole final series will go to seed Well, yes, okay, so you've tipped Panthers and the Warriors to go to the prelim which would set up next week rooster versus shark and dolphin versus south Yeah, well you cheat dolphin versus south sounds like a game. Yeah, but I still think it'll go to seed I think the top team I think the the higher ranked team will win each game as we go through the finals So I'm guessing you think in one two three four is going to be in the prelim Yeah, just change partners and I think one and two are playing the grand final

1:18:47That says I see it at the moment lot lot to play out Still got injuries to come suspensions. We still got all that to come. We've got And then can happen referees are going to have a big impact throughout the final Haven't mentioned him once. I haven't mentioned him once. Well, I just did before we go among all the other the Sadness and the reflection among your arrow last week. We managed to have a little bit of fun in the commentary calling the sit the rooster south game. Why is that Rex passing through You don't need too many rexers in the bottom game. Rex Mossett Rex Turt. Yeah I know Rex the air doater Chicken Rex If I have to date that out of TV There's a little provocative for its time Ex-passing the way it gets a singer's ride Chicken Rex Chicken Rex

1:19:48Oh, I got mad that I get banned Well, I did be a research. So it was Ant's pants was the brand. Yeah, it was an underwear brand and the ad featured An actor lying on the bed as ants marched up her leg. Yeah, then she famously commanded her pet a kidner How did they train the ants to do that? credible Often often mistakenly called an antator with the lion's sick and rex giggling as the animal ate it the ants off The controversy was that the heavy sexual innuendo of the kidner linking Licking ants off the women's underwear caused major moral panic Critics and complainants went as far as to accuse the commercial of employing acts of beastiality There were complaints to the Australian standards bureau. It was even discussed by the government But it remained on air Chicken Rex People's favorite favorite past time these days outrage everyone's outraged. It was 90 days. Everyone's outraged about something There needs to be less outrage in our world Final's time best time of year. I'll see you on Sunday. We need more trips away. Yeah, we need more mad money

1:20:50That's always a great. We need less mobile phones. We need the relax in life I will stop people being outraged if only there was a mobile phone video camera when Peter Kelly was chasing the skunk I love I'd love to have it on for you. I'd love to have I'd love to have had a documentary done On our trips away It's in my memory bank some great moments Peter Kelly in the skunk was one of the finest join us for the finals in all the NRW this week and see you next week for six tackles What's gambling really costing you for free and confidential support visit gamblinghelponline.org.au