Speaker 1: Now it's time for Tensions that were Running High a
Penrith Panthers podcast presented by The Western Weekender thanks to
Penrith Toyota. Here's at Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor.
Speaker 2: Hello everyone, and welcome to Tensions Running High at Penrith
Panthers podcast presented by the Western Weekender. This is episode
sixty two. I'm Troy Dodds and I'm joined by Nathan Taylor.
Hello Nathan, Hello Troy. We are the voice of rugby
league in Penrith and we love talking everything about Penrith Panthers.
For thirty five years, the Western Weekender has led the
way in Panthers coverage here in Penrith. We've covered six premierships,
the biggest breaking stories and interviewed CEOs, coaches, chairman players.
The list goes on, and a big thanks to our sponsor,
Penis City Automotive. Go and see Garth and the team
get yourself a new or used car from the people
who do it best. On the agenda. Today, the Panthers
head north to take on the Cowboys. Members ready to
vote and how did Nathan Cleary get caught up in
the headline this week? Nathan first of all, big thanks
to Garth and the team over at Paris City Automotive.
They're back on deck for another year of tensions running.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's great news. You know, it's always good to
have quality local sponsors on board and Garth, Garth's back,
and I'm really happy to hear that.
Speaker 2: Joy. Yeah, if you want to go get a car
any to anyone out there, make sure you go see
Garth and the other team at Penis City Automotive new used,
They'll look after you. I was gonna say new used
or stolen, but no stolen cars over there at Penis
City Automotive. Don't worry about that. All right, Well, let's
begin the show because Nathan, the Panthers are finally in
action this weekend, the second round of the preseason Challenge
aoys around this time of year, I'm not that excited
or you know what. I am excited, but I'm not
ready for footy yet. Yeah, but it's this Friday night
and I'm looking at the other Cowboys, Panthers eight o'clock
at the bb Print Stadium in Mackay. And of course
this is the Cowboys last hit out before they go
to Vegas. The Panthers first hit out of the season.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'll be fascinated to see how how the Panthers
actually fly up to McKay actually, because obviously it's not
going to be an easy flight unless they've got some
sort of a direct flight through Rexel or Quantus Link
or whatever regional airline there is, it must be hard
to get to so who knows if they have to
stop in Brisbane and get another flight. I'm not sure.
I don't know those details. But yeah, obviously some trial
games are getting taken out to some regional areas, so yeah,
Mackay is getting one this time around. Look the Cowboys,
we saw them last week. I expect them to probably
name it even stronger side for this Panthers clash. But
we're still a waiting. We're recording this now on a
Tuesday afternoon. We're still waiting for these team lists to
be revealed.
Speaker 2: Can I have them right, have them already front of me?
Come out? But yes, we are recording this on that
Tuesday afternoon right when they drop. And let me tell you,
it is a pretty good looking Cowboys team, how Penrith
team that has a lot of players that we could
be excited about seeing. But you may not have heard
of because the Cowboys obviously, as we mentioned, this is
their final hitout, so they have gone hard with Scot
drink Water at full back, Brandon Burns and Murray to
Langey on the wings, Jackson Perdu and Zach Laibat in
the centers, Jake Clifford, Tom Didn't in the harms. And
this is almost a full strength Cowboys stream a pact.
That's Cohen hairst Reed, Marney, Jason Talmalolo Helam Luky, Sam McIntyre,
Ruben Cotter Sonny Luke on the bench of course, the.
Speaker 3: Former Panther who has gone the.
Speaker 2: Cowboys, Matt Lodge on the bench for the Cowboys, and
also John Bateman as well is of course got around
John Bateman. Now this Penrith team, it's looking very very well.
I guess you'd say a reserve grade type team, no
doubt about that. Jackson Edgar at fullback, Jesse McLean and
Nick Murphy on the wings, Patrick moy moy s, only
Fanua in the centers. A Harvest combination of Kian Skips
and Kurt for.
Speaker 3: Falls his back.
Speaker 2: Yes after a number of years, uh Dela Yeah, Wigmore,
I've never heard of Wigmore with Toby Crosby. There's been
a lot of talk in the off season to see
him about Toby Crosby, Billy Scott at hooker, Zachary Clark
and Khalaney going in the second row, Billy Phillips he
is at Locke, and then a bench that looks like Jensen, Toy,
Jacob Valilo. They are Tapa and Nui Tapa.
Speaker 3: Very impressive.
Speaker 2: Troy. Yeah, and Harry Armstrong got that one right. I
will say my apologies to those players that we got wrong,
but this is the first time we're dealing with a
lot of these names. Well, we'll get the bright as
the year goes on, but yet that is obviously a
very under strength Penroth team. And Nathan, you've got the
team there. Would you mind just telling us the number
eighteen of Panthers.
Speaker 3: That's Tour Pataya. That's the brother of Aluron Troy.
Speaker 2: Right, I see, and you've gone with just Tour, but
I can see the name is spelled.
Speaker 3: Oh well on the p this team less Troy, it's
actually just Tour. So you add at what list you're
looking at, I'm.
Speaker 2: Looking looking dot com at this website and as you
can see that, ah.
Speaker 3: Let's see I'm looking at on the Panthers app they've
got it as Tour Pataya. So you tried to trip
me up there, but I'm reading the right.
Speaker 2: They've got the dummies version on the on the on
the the full website here, and look, let me tell
you this. Obviously there's no interchange sort of limits. Try
big bench. As you go down this big bench, they
probably need an eight three eighty to get to the
guy because you've got people like Army Lazza, Josh Ruxton
having to go. Samuel Curtin, Tyson Sangeralydiard is the one.
Speaker 3: I think, Yeah, that's obviously Glen Lydiard's youngest son who
plays rugby league and he's quite good. He's it was
one of their best players in the in the lower
grades last year, so he's sort of getting some a
taste of higher levels, which is which is cool to see.
Speaker 2: Bray Porter. Have you got any asterisk with bray Porter
on your list? I've got ass tricks for.
Speaker 3: Break, just break, he's got a trick.
Speaker 2: He's got an as Trix next to his name. First
and last. I'm not sure what's happening there. And look,
you know you normally tell the strength of these squads,
by the fact that the Panthers and an url websites
does not have photos for about well probably about seventy
percent of the Penrith team there. So look, we did
expect this. The Panthers will field a much stronger team
against the West Tigers at Leichhart Oval next Friday night.
But but yeah, look, you would expect the Cowboys to
win this.
Speaker 3: I think they're going to win well and no offense
to Penrith, but they can at least put fifty on them.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's that kind of game. I think. Look,
you know, this is just a hit out for some
of these Panthers boys, for Ivan Cleary to see some
of the depth that he's obviously brought to the club.
And for the Cowboys it is their big fan.
Speaker 3: Their big final next week against the Tigers. Expect your
Nathan Cleary is you're dealing Edwards, Brian Toast or play
just like Jerome LOOI will be playing for the Tigers.
I'm sure that'll be the big final hitout. So that's
the one you want to keep your iron. I think
this is more of a fun a fun match to
just see some some new talent. That's arrived at the club.
Speaker 2: I guess yeah, absolutely, all right, Well, it's eight o'clock
on Friday nights. Friday Night footy is.
Speaker 3: No early Valentine's Day dinner for you and your partner.
Speaker 2: Straight Straight Fox League and who will be broadcasting at
the game from bb Print Stadium, So make sure you
tune in for that Panthers Cowboys on Friday night. Now,
just to take you through by the way, because obviously
we've got some other or plenty of other preseason matches
and the Witser cuppas I think it's cooled. Yep, happening.
You know what Witser is yet, Nope, we'll get onto that,
find out what wits to do.
Speaker 3: I'll do that now while you the best.
Speaker 2: Ship given that we don't know what they do. Because
we've got Vegas coming up in a couple of weeks.
But Thursday night we've got Thursday Night football back from
KO Stadium in Redcliffe with the Dolphins of the Titans.
Then that Friday we've got a double header because we've
got the Raider taking on the Storm at five point thirty,
followed by the Penrith game. And then Saturday it is
a super super Saturday Warriors Siege was at one, Tiger's
Roosters at three fifty nights, Bulldogs at six o'clock, Dragons
Rabbit O's at eight ten pm. That's the Charity Shield
happening in Wollongong this year and Shark's Eels at Henson Park.
So that's what's happening this weekend. And of course we've
got the All Stars happening as well on.
Speaker 3: Sunday afternoon, which I care. We usually have it on
that Saturday night, but because it's over in New Zealand,
looks like we're having it on a different day, which
is interesting.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know about you, and I know that
probably Look, people have Mari heritage, indiditious heritage, are really
into this game, which is great because that's that's a
huge part of rugby. Le Like, I just can't get
excited about the All Star It's been a long time
since I've been excited about the All Stars. Well, I
think a few people have now suggested too that maybe
it's the next thing to go off the calendar.
Speaker 3: Well, it's been a while since you've had all the
big names sort of involved in the All Stars clash.
A lot of them don't play it anymore for whatever reason,
whether they're you know, they want to focus on their
club footy or they're they're they're just not quite ready
to play in the All Stars match. But for Penrith,
we've only got one representative and that's Casey McLean, who
will be representing the Mary team on Sunday. But apart
from that, that's the only player really you can sort
of look out for as a Panthers fan. But yeah,
I get what you're saying, Troy, and those first few
years were really exciting. You had your your JTS English's you,
Wendell Sailor played I think in the first All Star
like there were some big names over the years. It's
sort of it's it's it's Yeah, it's a lot different,
isn't it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we need to come up with a different concert.
Maybe the retirees versus someone right, so every with a
team of players who've who retired from last season. Yeah,
up against don't you know, probably up against Papa New
Guinea at the moment. Get out for them when they
they come into the comp But yeah, look, I think
I think there will be a reshaping of the Rugby
League calendar from twenty twenty seven. I don't know when
we'll start to hear about that. I reckon the new
TV deal will get done, and unless there is a
change from nine and Fox, whatever the new makeup is
of nine and Fox, I would suggest that they would
just jump straight into that from twenty seven, even though
for AA next year obviously that'll be different. If a
streamer is somehow picked up a game from twenty twenty eight,
then you know they're going to have to do I
don't know what the current deal is with the extra game,
if it's just written in the contract that hey, if
you throw in an extra team Fox, just get it tonight. Yeah,
don't know, because there is an extra game every week
from next year there will be, Yeah, so we don't
even know when they're going to play that.
Speaker 3: You have to imagine there's going to be a Sunday
night game just with the Bears involved, and I can
see them playing a lot of maybe Sunday Night pictures potentially.
I'm not sure, but I don't know what would be
good for a team that travels like say Penrith for instance,
way to Perth.
Speaker 2: Well, that's what the Sunday night slot is not going
to be great in those So I guess you're going
to try and get out of Perth and so there's
a red eye I think flight.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so you could play at six and then there late.
Speaker 2: Back Monday morning essentially, yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 3: Then you probably wouldn't be able to play probably until
the following Sunday. You probably have to have a bit
of a maybe Saturday night. You couldn't play on Thursday
or Friday.
Speaker 2: You couldn't play for Thursday. But please, I mean.
Speaker 3: You could play the Friday. So they get in Monday morning,
they have Tuesday off to recover. They've pretty much got
one one session.
Speaker 2: Look, they're catching a plane. They're not they're not running
a marathon. However, you know, they're just but.
Speaker 3: They're so precious, these players.
Speaker 2: The please, we're just catching a plane and having a
you know, an orange juice and a muffin on the
flight and having a sleep.
Speaker 3: And what's a flight to Pop New Guinea? How long
does that take?
Speaker 2: Yeah? I'm not sure. I'm not sure they stand by
time for Papua New Guinea. But yeah, that's going to
come into the mix as well. And this is where
the NRL is obviously going to face some difficulties now
in going to these far funk places like Perth and
Papa New Yi. Yeah is the yeah, the turnaround times
like we might need to call those Canadians again to
do the draw because this is you know, it's going
to be tough for chat GPT to work out.
Speaker 3: Four hours and seven minutes Troy from Sydney to PNNG.
So rather go to Perth it's about the same to Perth.
Speaker 2: I think I thought it was Perth is about five
or six hours.
Speaker 3: Let's have a look Sydney the Perth flight. Sorry, folks,
this is on the running five hours to person.
Speaker 2: What about Western Sydney Do Perth might be able to
do that?
Speaker 3: I don't think they have those the data in tro
but WITSA, by the way, is a digital platform for
the building and trade industry.
Speaker 2: Great, what a sponsors.
Speaker 3: I'm sure they're getting lots of publicity from that.
Speaker 2: Absolutely all right, well yeah, look so there will be
some changes in the press season Rugby League.
Speaker 3: It's going to be hard for the NR world to
cut the All Stars match though.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look I know what you're saying, because.
Speaker 3: Yah, for optics optics reasons, it's going to be hard
for them to get rid of it.
Speaker 2: But what we may see, and we'll have to wait
and see how this all plays out, is if we
cut from twenty seven rounds and there seems to be
a push for that to happen. Now, i'd sound the
alarm to Peter Milandi's and Andrew Abdo over that, because
I think when you've got such a strong club competition,
to pull that back to throw in other staff is risky.
But anyway, there seems to be pushed for that, So
I wouldn't be surprised if you start to see matches
like that brought into the middle of the season. That
might be better option.
Speaker 3: You might have more players available to.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but how that actually helps when it comes to
player workload or whatnot. I have no idea, because you've
still got a bunch of players, the best players who
are essentially playing more games, which is the same complaint
we have now. So I don't get it, but will
fix this somehow, And as I say, I reckon there'll
be a new TV deal that will happen and then
be in place from twenty seven because at the end
of the day, the one thing the NFL has up
their sleeves right now, depending on the fine print of
the contract that Peter Blandy's negotiated is that they have
an extra game next year. Yeah, so surely Fox nine
or nine don't just get that game for free. So
it's either put into their deal somehow, or if it's
not in their deal, then it's it's up for grabs. Ye,
So there you go.
Speaker 3: So what happens all right now?
Speaker 2: I just want to remind everyone too. We talked about
this a little bit last week. The Panthers board election
is on this weekend, so they're all setting up over there,
the democracy sausage sizzle, the voting lines. This won't be
happening because in reality only a few hundred people vote,
but we feel it's our job because the candidates can't speak,
or the current board can't speak, which is a silly rule.
We talked about last week to let everyone know. So
get there on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. There are
set times, yes, I.
Speaker 3: Think on the Monday it's between ten and twelve. It's
two hours on the Monday, so your best if your
best chances are to go on the Friday, Saturday, Sunday,
it's pretty much the whole day available.
Speaker 2: Avoid the queue.
Speaker 3: I'm sure you'll avoid the queue.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but look, it's look, it is an important thing
to do. At the end of the day. The board
is running the show at Panthers and in the NRL.
So if you think they're doing a good job, you
might want to retain the board, or you might think
that some of those new faces the way to go.
But yeah, all the current board members are going up
for reelection. Trisha Hitchen doesn't need to as an independent appointee,
and then we've got Peter Lang, Vic Shipley and Alan
Harding going for a go as well. So make sure
you get over there and vote.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'll be down there.
Speaker 2: I'm going on Valentine's Day. Oh perfect, All right now, Nathan,
one thing I did want to do is have a
chat and take you through the timeline of Nathan Cleary
somehow getting himself into the headlines this week in relation
to an arrest that took place in Penis on Friday. So, Nathan,
I thought I'd provide a little bit of inside baseball
for people, but just to give everyone a bit of
a timeline as to how this all played out. So
last Thursday night, I was at a dinner with a
group of people and words started to get around that
there had been a significant arrest on Ladbury Avenue in
Penrith earlier that day. Now, without being disparaging to any
other part of Penrith and a restaurant a street like
that probably raises some eyebrows. It's a pretty affluent part
of town, right near the p and Avenue there, not
where we normally see this stuff kind of kind of
go down. So I lodge an inquiry with New South
Wales Police that night, which is the usual process when
we hear there's been some sort of police activity some
of my messages or let us know and we'll have
a look at that. Now. They came back to me
that night and said that they wouldn't be able to
come back to me until the next day. Now that's unusual.
Normally they would provide what they call a holding statement,
which is sort of the basic details of what's happened.
But obviously it was because there was strike force involved
and it was part of a wider investigation. So fast
forward to nine ten am on Friday, police a statement
confirming that under strike force to Reno they've arrested a
twenty eight year old man in Penrith. The previous day.
The release detail that officers had seized cocaine, testosterone, a
glock style gel blaster, pistol electronics, two kilos of lidocaine,
which is believed to be used in the manufacture of cocaine,
and they said they've charged the twenty eight year old
with fifteen offences. Now by this stage we'd become aware
that the twenty eight year old in question was Reese Earia.
Now the twist comes in here in that Reese is
a friend of Nathan Clearing, and Nathan Cleary is the
owner of the property that was rated by police. Reese
Aria is his tenant. Now it is important to say
here absolutely no suggestion that Nathan Cleary has committed any
wrongdoing or any knowledge of Reese's illegal activity or alleged
to legal activity. Also important to note that Reese is
of course still going through the courts, and we can't
comment on the actual case further other than the facts
we've laid out so far. The court process, of course,
will play out there. Now. The interesting part about this
is that on Friday morning, we made an editorial decision
to publish the story but not to include the Cleary element.
To me that didn't feel like the story that isn't
Nathan's fault that he happens to be friends with the
man arrested. But look, by the time the end of
Friday had rolled around the Daily Telegraph, Channel nine other
media outlets at court wind of the story. Rice Aia
had also previously been linked with Nathan Cleary before. He
was amongst that group of friends who snuck across the
border in twenty twenty one to watch the Grand Final
at Suncourt Stadium during the COVID lockdown. Now riece Aria
was denied bail on Friday, which mean he was set
to miss his wedding in Sydney on Saturday. However, a
Supreme Court hearing on Saturday morning saw him release to
attend his nuptils. So quite an extraordinary situation. Now the
wedding went ahead and Nathan Cleary was a guest. I indeed,
he was not the only member of the Cleary family
there in d Clear Nathan's sister was in attendance. I'm
not sure about other members of the family. There was
also some other Panthers in attendance, which Kenny as well.
Not surprisingly, there was a few grainy photos showing Nathan
Cleary at the wedding, which from the vision we've seen,
was a wonderful celebration despite the cloud hanging over it. Now,
I guess I'm just saying all of that because at
the end of the day, I feel a bit sorry
for Nathan getting dragged into the story. But on the
same token, I almost say, like him going to the
wedding kind of reinserted himself in the story and the
fact that it was going to get attention. But look,
for those who sort of have just been on the
sidelines of this story, that's the deal. And look, I
will say, the only thing I will say is that
I and look, obviously I'm a bit torn here because
standing by your mates is what you do, and Nathan's
had to do this a couple of times. He's his
good friend Tyro and May went through police action and
now his friend recent the area with some alleged actually
some alleged crimes that he's facing. So his look, he's
found some troubled friends at times, it would seem. And look,
the only thing I'll say, without any other comedies that geez,
I just hope that that Nathan's aware that unfortunately his
high profile and what not means you've probably got to
you know, you've probably got to pick your friends carefully
and you've got to pick the ones just stick by.
If Nathan wants to stick by his mates here, then
then good on him. But sometimes it's a bit of
a worry. You just don't want to get caught up
in stuff that you know, indirectly you end up getting
sort of in trouble for you know.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and we know what the media landscape is like,
especially the rugby league media. You know, they I think
so far they've been quite kind to Nathan. You know,
they haven't suggested he's involved in any of it or
new any of it, you know. But yeah, I guess
just as you know, I'll say it as a Panthers
Ben Now, it just looked a bit it looked a
bit funny just seeing seeing some of those guys you
know at you know, at the wedding and following day.
I know, yeah, we probably would have done the same thing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the typical thing I think in a perfect
pr corporate world. Yeah, you say to the guys, hey,
guys like I reckon, don't go because the camera is
going to be there. It's just going to carry off
but then as you say that your mate.
Speaker 3: Mate's tricky, that's the tricky part to it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a tough one. But look, no, look there's
there is no story here as far as Nathan Cleary
is concerned. It's just that. And I don't even know
if if it's Nathan's friend just friend. I don't even
know if it actually hits the headline.
Speaker 3: Probably does.
Speaker 2: The fact that Nathan owns the property that the Reese
was renting is probably the thing that sparked most of
the attention.
Speaker 3: And who knows whether Channel I would have been at
the wedding the next day getting long lens footage, you know,
if they didn't think, you know, some high profile people
would also go to it.
Speaker 2: It was, it was.
Speaker 3: It was a very fascinating story how it all played out,
because I remember, you know, we sort of got wind
of it early on Friday, and then it all sort
of played out, played out, you know, to the evening
when we found out he was, you know, knocking about
his wedding. And then the next day on the six
pm news and we find out that he was at
the wedding, and yeah, crazy, crazy turn of events. But
who knows what happens from here.
Speaker 2: And look, you know, as I said before, like you know,
at the end of the day, you stick, you stick
by your mates and whatever it is. Hoped that and
I'm not talking about this specific person or whatever else.
I just hope that Nathan make sure that the people
are saying around with in the future or in his
best interests. I guess, yeah, moving forward. But but you
know you've had obviously you've got your mates that you've
had prior to your getting your status.
Speaker 3: I believe went to some dominic's with Nat like you know,
they'll be friends for for a very long time. And
you think if you know one of your friends best
you're in his groom's party. I believe it's part of
his vital party. Yeah, yeah, and you just feel like,
you know, you would support your mate, and you don't
care what anyone else thinks. Innocent to proven guilty, probably
probably thinking in his mind, you know.
Speaker 2: And I'm sure that in all cases like this there's
some nuance and some you know, some stuff that they
would know or you know, they're obviously spoken to Reese
about it and whatnot. So anyway, it is what it is.
There's the story for you, though, if you've been on
the sidelines of that wondering what's going on, and the
court process will play out there, and unfortunately for Nathan,
I think every time that he fronts court during this
process is going to be Nathan Cleary's friend is hitting court.
But there's not much we can do about that. Look,
and I don't I mentioned before we took an editorial decision.
I'm not saying that nine and the Daily Telegraph and
whatever else shouldn't have but I can absolutely see how
they got there. Oh yeah, you know how they got
to like make that decision that actually this is too linked,
you know, like we have to we have to mention this.
I know that there would probably be people, maybe even Nathan,
to say that's that's a really unfair to bring my
name into it. But this is what comes with that.
Speaker 3: You know, Nathan's smart enough to know that that's that's
a territory. He's been in his enter player for ten
years now. He said, he's one of he's probably the
most high profile player's relationships played out in front of
the cameras for the last three years. Anything he does
with Mary Fowler is photographed or documented, so he knows
the position he is in this in this landscape.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think he's just done a podcast with
Josh Mansil too which he addresses some of those challenges
around around the media in rugby league. And look, it's
always a challenge to deal with some of the metro
news organizations.
Speaker 3: It comes with the territory, you know, like any celebrity
in the world, whether you're a musician or a Hollywood actor,
that's that's that's it. That's the celebrity life.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Nathan's right to choose his own friends. But let's
just take his choosing right, I guess for him. Anyway,
moving on and look at a topic I wanted to
bring up today. You know, if you if we think
back to the nineties, Nathan, when we were watching footy
and you're watching players, you know, like ya, Steve and
I and your greeg Alexander's and your Trevor gilmisters go around,
and I think about it, and I'm thinking, I can't
imagine you know, Trevor gilmister or Fatty or someone like
that making making a political comment, you know, declaring you know,
who should win the election or whatnot. But it has
become the thing now, maybe thanks to social media, but
we saw it, We see it at awards ceremony and
everything like that, that sports people and celebrities now make
political statements quite often, And I wanted to get your
take on whether you think you're comfortable with sports stars
and celebrities giving us their take on that stuff. Are
you happy that they get involved in these things or
does it make you uncomfortable? Does it does it make
you like them less? Sometimes?
Speaker 3: Yeah, well it's very very interesting, probably a combination of
all three, Troy. I think, you know, the celebrities and
a listers and famous people and rich people that they
live in a different bubble to the rest of us,
you know, to the to the normal folk. So it's
a bit it's a bit hard to take when they're
they're spooking something or they're promoting something political or whatever
it is, and when they haven't really lived in the
real world for a long time, they don't know what
it's like, so that that is hard to take. And
there are a lot of celebrities out there or sports
people that probably do think a little bit differently to
I think, does it make me less of a fan
of them? No, not necessarily, but it's just yeah, it
is it is. It is weird. Though it is weird.
Speaker 2: Well, the reason I think it's sometimes weird, it makes
me uncomfortable as well is that they and it is
fine to have an opinion, Yeah, absolutely, but what is
that opinion actually based on? I mean, you know, if
you're a celebrity or a sports person, you're a singer,
you're an actor, Like, what is your actual knowledge of
the situation?
Speaker 3: Your knowledge of it?
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, like how much research have you actually done?
You spoken to people on the other side, And I
think it's different to just to average Joe blow at
the pub having a say, because you're speaking to millions
of people and you're potentially influencing millions of people, and
sometimes I just it really doesn't make me uncomfortable. And
mainly for that reason that you mentioned, I think that
they're living in a bubble, you know. You know, I
think American actors are probably at the highlight of it,
living in gated communities and big mansions in LA and
lecturing everyone else on climate change.
Speaker 3: And Billie Eilish said the other day in her Grammary
speech that's been ridiculed, yes by nearly everyone, but you
know that was silly. What she said, but again she
just some of these celebrities just don't know what they're
saying sometimes and they get called out on it.
Speaker 2: And I think it's different now because of the viral
nature of stuff, because of course, if you go back
in time, you'll find celebrities who stood up for issues
and whatever else through the seventies and particular and whatnot.
That that's it's not that it's new necessarily. I think
it's relatively new to sport. I don't like, particularly in Australia,
like I don't As I said, I don't feel that
my thoughts on a sports person in the nineties or
the early two thousands was ever political or anything like that.
That just wasn't what they talked about now, both posting
like we see it in a pantherm in Mitch Kenny.
Mitch Kenny has some very strong opinions on a couple
of sub checks he does, and he's right to have
those opinions. I just I just don't understand sometimes. I
guess what I'm saying is I don't understand how a
twenty something year old football are living in Pederth really
has the grasp of that situation sometimes.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and not a lot of not a lot of
players probably do. They probably don't really buy into it
as much. And we know Mitch and we know obviously
is at Tung or you know, they both attended a
protest last year and they were the old photographed there
and that's fine, They're allowed to do that. You wonder,
you know, you just wonder. You know, it's fine, you're
allowed to you're allowed to have those beliefs. But it's
just all I can see why it makes people feel uncomfortable,
especially if you don't think they're educated enough, or you know,
other people have different opinions too, you know, if I
like a certain political party or I follow a certain
way of thinking, are they going to be nice to
me or are they going to not want to talk
to me?
Speaker 2: I think this is almost like like what it really
comes down to as well, is celebrities sometimes not realizing
that their base, their supporter base, is made up of
people from all these different different sides of the equation.
And I think sometimes people forget about that. Sometimes. It's
just like if you own a business, you own a
business in Penrith right now, you'd be pretty stupid when
it comes to say a state election to put your
stake in the ground and say I am a supporter
of this party. Of course, Penrith is pretty much split
down the middle state election. Why it's fifteen fifty. Why
would you alienate fifty percent of your business customers? You
wouldn't do it, But individuals don't sort of think like that,
but they probably should, because you're alienating fifty percent of
your or a percentage of your people who follow you,
who would maybe normally just say hey, you're a great
I love your music or whatever else. Now they've kind
of got all the political junk with it, and I
kind of social media makes it worse for me because
sometimes I love an actor, yeah, and I follow them
on social media and they'll go on a rant about something.
It doesn't make me not like them less as a person,
but it actually makes me go, I'm not that much
of a fan. You know.
Speaker 3: It does make you think of it differently, and you
can take that for organizations too, like for example and
the NRL and sporting clubs. I mean, Australia Day come
and went a few weeks ago, but still it's been
the years now, but there's still no acknowledgment of Australia Day,
when we've seen in society that that's all turning around
now a lot of people are, you know, supporting Australia
Day again and more people are sort of jumping on
on that and that that movement that was there a
few years ago of people being into Australia Day sort
of subsiding a little bit. But the sporting organizations that
these players work for, and we know, we know why
they you know, they're out of respect for Indigenous people
in their club and whatnot. But it's it's it's bigger
than we think, you know.
Speaker 2: Yeah, sometimes the sporting club is putting out statements that
they do when they say, oh, we acknowledge today is
a difficult day and all of that. That's their that's
their statement. But why do they also have in that
statement we also acknowledge that people want to celebrate our
great country today. You know that it always has to
be we must address the negative arguments. Trust to this.
We can't jump on and accept that people support the
positive sign as well. You know that that is Yeah, organizations. Look,
I think we've we've dealt with this for a while
about the you know, I'm gonna sound like I'm on
talk back radio or something. But the woke ism attached
to corporate Australia. Yeah, no company needs to have a stand.
A company which is not a living, breathing not need
to have a stance on a political, social or ethical issue.
It honestly does not unless it is directly involved in it.
If you're an oil company, you need to have a
stance on you know, pollution or whatever it is. But
if you are, if you're just Tarby Norman, you don't
need a stance exactly.
Speaker 3: And just for an example, you know, if someone someone,
please correct me if I'm wrong. But during the BONDI
attacks back in December, and I think I pointed out
to you there were there were a lot of sporting
clubs that put out a post or a message the
next day or a few days later, you know, condemn
me the attacks and whatnot. But there there was there
was one club, Penrith. They didn't put anything out. I'm
not sure whose decision that was.
Speaker 2: Or if it was just everyone was on holidays, on holidays.
Speaker 3: But every other Western Sydney club put something out and
pretty much nearly I showed you Troy, nearly every NRL
club put something out too, Apart from maybe another one
as well. You know, is that coming from a boss.
It's certainly not coming from the person that runs a
social media Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I'm not sure or on.
Speaker 3: But it's just it's it's just interesting, you know, just
how what I'm trying to say is how politics or
the things that are going on the world, bigger things
that are happening overseas, and how they can sort of
you know, get ingrained in this sort of in our
level of society.
Speaker 2: You know, It's just it's interesting because I obviously I
follow country music. They're very const and most country artists
are conservative. But this is it's actually relatively new, even
in the country landscape for that to be. So this is,
I guess talking about the opposite side now, you know.
It's we're talking about how the often on the on
that left sort of side of politics, they're vocal about it.
I think country had traditionally been no, no, we everyone
kind of knows. Let's just not get into that space
because as I said before, we our music goes to everyone,
and our music goes to someone who is you know,
on the on on the left of politics and as
well as on the conservative side. But now you are
seeing those artists being much more vocal, and even the
other way makes me uncomfortable. I don't need to see that.
I don't need to know who this particular country artist
is voting for because I don't necessarily respect their political opinion.
I would, you know, if they have an opinion on
who should win a Grammy, I'm probably more likely to listen.
Speaker 3: And a lot of people are waking up to that too, Like,
you know, people that Kamala Harris tried to get to
endorse her, you know, during her election campaign a few
years ago. Like people just didn't buy into it. She
had a lot of celebrities that were endorsing her, and
they thought, oh, they get the celebrity vote. You know,
this will work for me. But it doesn't work it
these days because the celebrities, again to the point we
made earlier, they don't live.
Speaker 2: In this bubble, no, And I think their influence is
bad in that regard. If you look at someone like
like Taylor Swift probably has the biggest voice in the world,
Harris and can't work it, can't sort of swing the dial,
you know, like it, so we'll move the dial. It's
a yeah, it's really it's really interesting and as I know,
they're jokes and whatever else a lot of the time.
But we we talk about sometimes celebrities who who might
be real climate change activists and yet are some of
the biggest individual polluters that you would find jets or
the way they travel around or you know, all of
these sort of things. So it's, yeah, it's it's it's
pretty funny in some instances. But but yeah, look an
interesting discussion point, but it.
Speaker 3: Is, and it's a hard one to talk about, Troy.
You know, both of us are screaming in our chairs
at times because we don't want to say anything wrong
because this is the climate we live in.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, and this is not offending. It's actually not
intending to offend anyone, any individual. Even when we talk
about Mitch is as go for your life, Mitch, like go, go,
be as political as you want to. I'm just intrigued
that players want to do that. I just feel like it. Yeah,
and almost many.
Speaker 3: People like Mitch out there, though I'm not going to point,
you know, fingers at other players, but Mitch is rare,
especially in the NRL landscape, to have a say, to
speak up about bigger issues.
Speaker 2: And some would argue that it's awesome. They would great,
but I guess you know, it's it's a challenge because
you've got the human element where they want to be
human and they want to use their profile to get
their opinion across. But on the same token that the
reason people are following you is for sport or music
or whatever it is. They're not following you for that,
but you're giving them that. That's I think my I
think that's my main grievance I have is that you know,
you've got a million followers, for example, because you're you
record great music, where you're acting great movies, not because
of your political opinions. So just don't give us that, you.
Speaker 3: Know, just another we have so many issues in Australia
or in Sydney or even in Penrith, you know that
that it would be great if some of these celebrities
or sports stars, you know, shine a light on those
and let's let's fix our own country. You know, let's
you know, let's fix you saw what happened in Bondai.
We've got issues, yeah.
Speaker 2: Well and we look at domestic violence, housness, the issues
that actually, yeah, that if some of these sports people
and celebrities actually spoke out about might actually change. That's right,
issues that are now.
Speaker 3: So, yeah, they want to be political about what's happening
overseas in you know, in Minnesota, or in Israel or wherever,
the Ukraine, wherever there's stuff going on. There's some terrible
stuff going on, but you know there's some bad stuff
going on in your own backyard that affects you know,
you're your next door neighbor, that the person that goes
to a football game to cheer you on, Like, these
people are just as important.
Speaker 2: I think interestingly, you went to America over the summer
break and you were saying that because you I guess
see it highlights is the wrong word, I guess, but
we see we pick and choose another country. Stories you
were saying, it feels like Australia is much more obsessed
to say, Donald Trump, but America is. You know, America
is just getting on with that's just their life. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I was saying to you a few weeks ago. Yeah,
I'd be over there and I still have like alerts
for Australian news on my phone and I'm getting all
sorts of stuff popping up about you know, Venezuela and
Trump or whatever's going on ice And when you're over there,
and I watched a lot of news over there. You're
watching TV a lot in the hotel rooms and stuff
like that, and it's just it's just it's different. You're
not seeing that that sort of stuff. So Australia does
have a bit of an obsession.
Speaker 2: Like I think Australia thinks that America is talking about
nothing else than the.
Speaker 3: That's all that's going on over there.
Speaker 2: But if you just watch the evening news in America,
they're more concerned about the car accident that happened on
the you know, the booklyn Bridge.
Speaker 3: Or something that's right. You know, that's right. All the
weather or yeah there's a flight delay or something. It's different,
you know.
Speaker 2: So yeah, all right, well, look, getting away from the
political nature of our podcast and our crime, they've probably
lost a few few listeners there, maybe into something much
more serious. All the tipping emails are starting to come out,
you know, join the tipping comp Now I can reveal
exclusively here that there's only one person who didn't participate
in our staff tipping competition last year, and that's.
Speaker 3: You Meah, it's ridiculous. You're lucky you didn't because I
might have won.
Speaker 2: You may have. Now what I want to know as
we start to think about our tipping comps this year,
is do you have a strategy when you're in a
tipping competition to try and win it? Well?
Speaker 3: Yeah, like the only Just to give you some insight,
the only tipping comp I am a part of now
is the one in the in the paper in the
western weekend of the every week.
Speaker 2: Is the celebrity emails from place I joined our tipping
comp You don't.
Speaker 3: No, I don't get anything anymore. I think I got
one from from from you a few weeks ago. I
don't know whether that was an automatic mail at You don't.
Speaker 2: Have to look too hard. If you wanted to join
the NRL dot com tipping comp or the Teller, you could.
I could.
Speaker 3: I think I think I've been part of tipping combs,
you know, ever since I was a kid. You know,
we're the ones at home that you do with your family.
Used to get the pull out from the paper from
the telegraph and you feel it every week like that's
how long I've been doing tipping combs for I guess
I don't know I just didn't in this job. I
think I'm happy to've been a tipping comp. Want to
be in one tipping comp. Okay, there's ones enough for.
Speaker 2: Me normally in about five, I know, but that's a
lot of works.
Speaker 3: Sometimes you forget to put them in, or you forget
who you've tipped for what game, And I don't know,
but what strategy do you like?
Speaker 2: Well, over the years, I have changed significantly, And let
me tell you, I have not wanted to been comping
donkeys years. But yes, I've gone through like like you
just mentioned there, I've gone through the period where I've
got different tips for different comp the track. The last
couple of years, I have been much more consistent in
making sure I picked the same teams. They just happen
to be the wrong teams. So look, there's there's a
couple of methods that I've heard that look, WHYTT you
just do this? But what happens is in those early rounds,
this is what I reckon happens. Everyone says I was
just going to back the favorites essentially, but there's always
upsets in that first month of competition. So then you
go and now I'm going to start chasing and you
go maybe a little upset here, maybe a little upset there,
and then you just get behind and it.
Speaker 3: Seems to be your your strategy had been over.
Speaker 2: Yes, and I reckon that the best chance you have
is just to go to the favor I think if
you got to the end of the year, then the
favorites would win.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And I think that's that's that's genuine generally what
I would do. I usually have it because you know,
we know our rugular league. Troy wouldn't be doing this
podcast if we didn't, So I try and use my
own knowledge, my knowledge of the teams, or I'm wary
of what players are missing for that week and I
home ground they're playing at. So firstly, it's more educated
knowledge on those those teams and what I've done pretty
well the last few years. I'm often in the top
in that paper one. We have got forty people tipping,
and I'm not often in the top, you know, the
top half at least or the top quarter. So that
that comes first. If I'm stuck on a game when
you've got like Sharks, Bulldogs and they're sitting at three
or four on the table and it's hard to split,
I'll often go I'll check the odds and I'll be like, oh, okay,
the bookies are given the Sharks the edge year. So
that that's how I usually split the you know, split
split the two teams up.
Speaker 2: I think my theory this year is going to be favorites. However,
if it's I'm going to go favorites, I think that's boring.
Speaker 3: But it's consistent. You have a consistent year if you
do that.
Speaker 2: And then I'm going to tho go if if when
we say favorites there within I don't know how really
odds work, but say they're in within forty cents of
each other. Yeah, I'm going to go to the home
team no matter what. So even if so say one
team's a dollar eighty and another team's two dollars, but
the home team there's two dollars, I'm going to go
to the home team.
Speaker 3: So that's my that's my it's going to be a stranger.
Speaker 2: I just thought what I might do is personal assistant
chat GPT. Hey, Alex, Hey, what's on your mind today?
Nathan's looking at me. Sorry, Alex, I'm just wondering, is
there any chance you could tell me? You probably don't
know this but in the in the twenty twenty five
NRL season, the percentage of favorites that won, thinking, yeah.
Speaker 3: I couldn't find a specific percentage for favorites winning in
the twenty twenty five n RL season.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, thanks, Alex is not taking over the world,
all right.
Speaker 3: I'll tell you a nice story. Obviously last year I
had to tip for John Farraga. I would call him
and you have to Troy, and you know he would
tip on behalf of someone else in the paper. But
he took it very seriously. You know. He would he
would ask for the team lists in certain games, who's playing.
He'd want to know if they were favorites or not.
He took it very seriously. So there are a lot
of people out there that just just pick whatever, and
they probably don't do so well. They just pick random
teams and go for their life.
Speaker 2: But there are people like you know, Doris the tea lady,
who just pick based on the colors.
Speaker 3: And they can they can get lucky work for you.
But I think if you put a bit of I
don't know a little bit of leg work in and
you know you're footy, you genuinely, you know, can do
quite well.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, Well we want to hear podcasts at
Western Weekend, dot com dot AU. What are your tipping strategies?
All right at this time for the price is right,
we need a bit of it music. We need to
come on down, you know, so, Nathan Taylor, come on down.
This is how this game works. If you weren't listening
to our first episode last week. I give Nathan an
item from the Panther Shop. He has to guess the price.
I think within fifty cents. Yeah, yeah, within fifty cents.
Make it easy for me, and if Nathan gets it right,
then then I'll buy the item.
Speaker 3: Excellent for now. I visited the Panthers physical shop a
lot over the past week. I went there on Friday
night to have a look around. I've been there a
little bit, but I'm sure you're going to throw me.
I saw that little squishy thing there. Actually I had one.
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, you thought that was a bit of a
price based on your.
Speaker 3: There's actually a little version too. You have the fifty
dollars version, like a thirty dollars version there you go.
Speaker 2: All right, Well, Nathan, these are the two items we've
got for you. And where we start with is as
I bring. Bring it up. The Panthers cheese board. Okay,
elevate your entertaining experience with the official NRL cheese board
featuring the iconic Penrith Panthers design. This carefully crafted serving
board is not just a functional piece, it's a statement
of your team pride. Comes with gift box packaging, premium bamboo,
easy to clean, It's thirty five centimeters by thirty five centimeters,
laser engraved Panthers logo. Okay, all right, now we're looking
at the not the members price. We're looking at the
full price. If you're on the Panther Shop and you thought,
you know what I need a Panther's cheese board.
Speaker 3: Does it come with the like cutting, like knives or
anything like that. No, it's just the board and the boards.
It's wooden board, right.
Speaker 2: Bamboo, it's a bamboo bar food great bamboo.
Speaker 3: And you said it's engraved. Is it any color to.
Speaker 2: It at all? Or is it much as your normal
would sort of Panther logo coming through, I'd say it
about seventy percent transparency.
Speaker 3: Pretty solid.
Speaker 2: It looked like a solid yeah, yeah, thirty five by
thirty five. It's easy to clean as I said, it's
a one point five centimeters stick.
Speaker 3: Okay, look, I think that's going to be quite an
expensive product actually, so I'm going to go seventy five dollars.
Speaker 2: Really well, get over there and buy a cheeseboard. It
is only thirty two ninety nine wow for the Panthers
cheese board, half price exactly. So that means when you
think about the value you give that, it.
Speaker 3: Just sounded like you sold it like this was a
real solid, you know, penny item.
Speaker 2: You all right, let's see if you can get a
bagon the twenty twenty six Panthers Training Visor. Oh okay,
Penrith Panthers is proud to launch this visor. Stay cool
and back the Panthers with this twenty twenty six Panthers
Training Visor. Built for performance, the featherweight fabric keeps you
comfortable whether you're on the move or in the stands.
An adjustable hook and loop closure ensures the perfect fit,
making it a must have for every Panthers fan. Importantly,
it is one size fits all, one hundred percent polyester.
This one.
Speaker 3: Okay. Look, when you buy a cap, they're often about
fifty dollars. Okay, so I'm thinking of visor is going
to be cheaper because you've got half a cap. Basically,
you're missing half of it. You know, it's not going
to be like a twenty dollars item because it's a
licensed NRL Panthers product. So I'm going to think it's
in the thirty dollars range. But where in the thirty dollars.
Speaker 2: Range the Panther's training vis at twenty twenty six there
were Casey McLean wearing it on the Panther's website.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm going to say thirty two dollars.
Speaker 2: Oh, you were so close thirty four ninety nine. Ah damn,
what will you get? You'll get something this year. Surely
you'll get this right.
Speaker 3: Well, funny story, Troy, I sent this to you in
a group chat the other day. I was in Newtown
on Sunday, just you know, perusing through some of the
vintage shops over there, as you do on a Sunday afternoon,
and I stumbled in one of the shops and they
were selling Panthers membership hats from from the ears, like
twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three. So if someone's donated.
Speaker 2: This hat and someone's popped into this store, into.
Speaker 3: The Ego donated it in these hats we get for
free in our membership yep packs right where you know
we all get one. Yep, they were selling them. I
don't know anyone would buy one fifty five dollars. Wow,
fifty five dollars for twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2: Panthers membership can tell you I've got two of them.
They can have them, That's what I mean. If anyone
out there, I'll do it for fifty These.
Speaker 3: Aren't the new era ones that you buy from Rebel
or from the Panther store. These are just the ones
they get from China. Probably two for eighty bucks, I do.
And there were multiple of them. And like Newtown's probably
not the place where a lot of Panthers vans probably go,
or you know what I mean, then people probably aren't
looking for Panthers caps in Newtown.
Speaker 2: What we might do next week if people can ride
in two podcasts at Western Weekend at commod A. You
the strangest place you've seen a Panther's person or merchandise
person or merching like someone wearing a Panthers jo ah right, okay,
or merchandise the place that you just what is going
on here? Because I'm going to tell you this happens
like ten years ago. I mean, where's Wally as far
as finding But I was driving even on the Central coast, YEP,
about a month ago, just on a suburban street. We
were at like a resort, and then we went on,
let's just drive around the streets, just drive around, and
there key comes a bloke wearing a Panthers jersey down
the street to the bus stop. So like, you see
them everywhere now, But but you know, where's the strangest
place you've seen?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm sure a lot of people have probably seen
people overseas or whatever. Like, I'm sure it's pretty much.
Speaker 2: I reckon I've got one stranger than this. But yes,
the one for me last year was obviously at the
Country Music Museum in Nashville.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 2: I saw a Panther fan who actually recognized me.
Speaker 3: And were they therefore.
Speaker 2: They were going to Vegas? Okay, they were doing the
long way round as well, Nashville.
Speaker 3: Side Ville, Yes, but very interesting. I'm glad I got close.
I've got close on that one, but maybe not. The
cheese board.
Speaker 2: Vegas is on a few weeks ago. I'm going to
tell you I came back from Vegas last year saying,
if I never see Las Vegas again, I'm okay. I've
been there twice.
Speaker 3: You even said that last week on the show.
Speaker 2: YEP, just in the last few days A little bit
jealous of these fans about the head to Vegas because
I'm like, they're all on their Facebook groups asking for
some advice y else. And I'm going to tell you
I was so into my Nashville planning that I didn't
plan anything for Vegas, so I probably drank at the
most expensive places and get any bargain. Stuffy, but but yes,
very interesting.
Speaker 3: It doesn't that the teams this year don't excite me, though.
Speaker 2: No, And we're never going to get this is the thing.
I mean, whether we're playing in Vegas or abud Derby
was suggested the other day, You bui, We're never going
to get blockbuster games. Penreth and Paramatta are never going
to agree to play Penrith and Paramatta in Vegas or
somewhere else when the gates for that for that game
is because you've got the Bulldogs Dragons right in Vegas.
They've agreed apparently for the second league of that game
this year to actually play it. At a neutral venue,
Alian Stadium and split the gate.
Speaker 3: Oh really, Okay, is this a Bulldogs home game for
this one?
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, so I don't know officially is it a
Bulldogs home game. Well, let's see what the NAL declares
it as. The NAL does say it's a Bulldogs home game. Okay,
so would have been a Dragon's home game. But I
don't know how they've come up with that agreementcause the
Dragon why would you do that if you're the Dragons.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm not sure, but.
Speaker 2: That's what they've come up with anyway, So.
Speaker 3: Gust has probably done some sort of back end deal there,
I'm sure.
Speaker 2: And those games, yeah, coming up in Vegas one fifteen
and three thirty pm on the first of March. There
be people who've gone to Vegas every year. I wonder
if they're feeling well.
Speaker 3: A lot of especially a lot of like NRL reporters
and stuff like that. They got on the junkets over there.
They've certainly gone to a few now. They probably do it.
They probably do it.
Speaker 2: Look for dan Gan Ainge was providing advice to people
during his call the other night. Was he he was
talking about tipping and when you should tip and shouldn't tip.
He's just givings like a man speaking from experience in
this venture.
Speaker 3: But next year, I think there's five teams left that
haven't had a Vegas game yet, So for next year
there's gonna be someone's going to miss out, and plus
the Perth Bears are coming into so so.
Speaker 2: There's two teams in the comp tian next year. Who
that will will then have not been debated exactly yet,
but that would have to be the Tiger. I know
that Sean Mellencamp, the new CEO, is kind of back
down on Shane Richards's common He didn't want to go,
did he? Shane Richardson was very adam at the Tigers
weren't going to Vegas. Well, I think their papers are
just marked there, so they're not going.
Speaker 3: Because you've got Melbourne paramatter, which I can see those
two teams playing next year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, got the.
Speaker 3: Dolphs yet and then Tiger's obviously, And.
Speaker 2: Obviously it won't be the Titans Dolphins playing each other
because they don't want two queens. Then they won't want
to queens. I reckons it'll be the Titans and.
Speaker 3: Then they get the whole state to go over it'll.
Speaker 2: Be the Titans and the Eels you reckon, for example,
and then the Storm and the Storm and the Dolphins.
Speaker 3: The storm Powers. That would be a great matchup history.
Speaker 2: You might get storm paraus. I don't know if gate
gate takings for Storm Power, like any game involving the
Melbourne Storm in Sydney is not not brilliant, But yeah, yeah,
it'll be. Look, it will be interesting to see if
we can continue with Vegas, because wasn't it was We're
definitely doing Vegas, So there wasn't there some story in
the paper on the weekend about going to Dubai.
Speaker 3: I think that was that was tossed up. Yeah, but
whether these Vegas agreements still got a few years to go. Okay,
but I know other clubs apparently want to come back
and do it again, like your Brisbane's Roosters, those sort
of big clubs. They believe they should they should come
back for a second more.
Speaker 2: Okay, I do look going back to Nashville later this year.
I'm already decided that I've stuffed up my well not
stuffed up, but the great people at Quantas moved one
of my flights is.
Speaker 3: This new info.
Speaker 2: This is new info. We talked about this the other week,
didn't We We talked about this weird thing with with
air airplanes. This has got nothing to do with the
regular league. It is the off season where they give
you this ridiculous amount of time to transit. So for example,
in our when we went to Las Vegas last year,
we arrived into Dallas or wherever we landed wasn' Dallas
with Houston. You have to fly into Houston. Did then
get to Nashville, And they only left ninety minutes or
even less, maybe an hour twenty to do the transfer.
So you've got to go through custom You've actually got
to read check tricky. Yeah, you've actually got to recheck bags,
You've got to do all of that stuff. And literally,
while I was standing in the security line, my phone
refreshed and I was on the next flight to Nashville,
not the one that I've already done, because it had
already bumped me. Because so I don't get why they
even try, Why do they even try anyway? What's what's
happened happened now in the last few days is I
was already worried about that transit time because again was
an hour twenty minutes in Dallas, Big Hub got to
get through everything and whatever else. Go on to Reddit
as you do when you want these answers, and everyone's
saying no chance anyway. American Airlines have moved their leg
of the domestic flight from Dallas to Nashville forward ten minutes,
and that is obviously broken the rule, whatever the rule
may be. Yes, and so I have now been already
pushed that later flight.
Speaker 3: Oh really.
Speaker 2: Hours That's okay, yes, but now I'm going to be
two hours late into Nashville. But I never thought I
was gonna make it.
Speaker 3: You weren't going to make it anyway. Hey, that's you're
gonna have to stress. Now you're fine, you'll make that plane's.
Speaker 2: Look, I will. But now I'm like, I should have
left the day earlier because now I'm getting to Nashville
really late at night.
Speaker 3: Well I'm not that well time you're going to get
into Nation, that's not late.
Speaker 2: That's when things are kicking off. Yeah, but by the
time I get to the hotel. Second story here about
quantas and this is this is this is a great
story about companies because we all have we both talk
about this quite a lot. Companies that just don't think logically, yea.
So my my friend Matt, who's coming with me to
Nashville in later in the year, he is going to
Disneyland first and then to New York. So therefore he
is only booked his return flight from Sydney Sydney to LA.
That's it, doing all his domestic stuff himself, you know, internally.
So the other day I say to him, Hey, I've
picked my seat on the Nashville to LA flight for
the way home. Here's where I'm sitting. If you want
to pick the one next to me, both bigger guys,
So a little bit of exit ros, you know, I'll
say the day you for drama. Anyway, Matt suddenly realizes
I haven't booked that flight, like I'm going to get
to lay for eleven thirty on the catching eleven thirty PM.
Speaker 3: He's got all these flights, she's getting to Nashville, but he's.
Speaker 2: Forgotten all about the fact that he's got to get
to LA.
Speaker 3: Oh wow.
Speaker 2: Anyway, so no drama books the same flight that I'm on,
which has a two hour connection in LA. But obviously
on the way home that connections easy because your bags
go through. You've done your international drama. So he books
that flight, then he goes he thinks to himself, hang on,
Quanta just don't know that I'm on that flight, So
I need to ring in a link the tickets. Now,
let's remember I'm in the same situation. I'm catching the
exact same flight, sitting right next to him, and he
is catching the same flight home as me. Quantas say,
we can't link that for you, and you're not going
to make that connection. What because two hours in LA
when you're going to have to come out. Yeah, he's
going to have to check everything. You're not going to
make it. Now, here's the other twist. You might think
that Nashville to LA is a regular route. It is not.
So he would have had to fly out at six
a m. On the Sunday and stay in Los Angeles
International Airport for hours waiting for me to get there
and take the flight home. So I'm trying to find
him another route and all this sort of stuff. And
how are we going to.
Speaker 3: Say he's booked this flight.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's booked in Nashviielle to LA direct. Yes, so
they a direct flight, yep. But it's just not linked
and just won't link it. And I'm like but it's
just a button like just and I was say, American
Airlines and Quantus a partner airlines. Okay, so my ticket's
linked between those two airlines. Just link it, you know,
because the other issue, of course, is that if if
he even if he does risk the two hours, if
for some reason that flight is delayed, Quantas are taking
no responsibility because it's not linked.
Speaker 3: So that's right. Later, but you booked yours through a
different avenue.
Speaker 2: Mine solely Sydney to Nashville, so it's automatic.
Speaker 3: That's right, that's all you've done. Hey, But he's got
all these internals and just not matching up properly.
Speaker 2: So we asked for the manager. And then when he
gets to the manager, he asked for the manager again.
So he gets to a third level. He's on the
phone a chat, but he's on the third level of
Quantus call center.
Speaker 3: He's almost got Alan Joyce, not that he's in charge
of him.
Speaker 2: And the guy goes, I'll link that for you, presses
a button, does some stuff works, his magic charges him
a little change fee or something. Whatever.
Speaker 3: You're happy after going through all this.
Speaker 2: Have to copy it done. Now, when we talk about
companies and all the efforts that companies go to to
win you over. Loyalty program, send out twenty three ADM,
send out text messages, send your list, or we love you,
we love you, we love you. Just empower the person
on the first on the make the change. I've sold
it all for your corporate Australia.
Speaker 3: Well that's exactly right, and that happens all the time,
doesn't it. You know, if you go into a store,
a person can't do it, and you escalate, escalate and
that person can suddenly do it. These things can be done.
They're a pushover a button. It's whether they're too they
haven't been trained, or they're too scared to do something wrong,
so they just tow the company lights and I can't
do that. It happens at that fast food outlets too,
when you want to get something done or change and
these these teenagers that are that are manning the tills,
they just don't have either the power or they just
don't have the knowledge that they can do these things.
It's frustrating.
Speaker 2: Well, we definitely do it with some topics today, not
a lot of them rugby legue related. We've dealt with
drug crimes, we've dealt with elections. We've dealt with political
statements from politicians, tipping comps and now Corporate Australia and flights.
So there you go.
Speaker 3: I'll be expanding our spending, our knowledge.
Speaker 2: Well that is it for Tensions Running High this week.
New episode is out every Wednesday. Visit Western Weekend dot
com dot are you follow us on all the socials.
Check out our print edition out every Thursday. And of
course Nathan you're a big advocate for our app as well.
Make sure you download the Western Weekend app, which you
can get the Google play Store or you've gone to
the Apple App.
Speaker 3: Store for yours app store is great.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, well Nathan, thanks for joining USANs having
thanks to Paris City Automotive too for their sponsorship. We'll
see you next time on Tensions Running High. Go the Panthers,
the band, the Gers SLOs