Speaker 1: Now it's time for tensions that We're running high at
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 Weekend. This is episode
sixty six. I'm Troy Dodds joined by Nathan Taylor Hio Nathan.
Speaker 3: Hello, Troy.
Speaker 2: We are the voice of regular League in Penrith. We
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On the agenda today, the Panthers said back to Bathurst,
what's doing with Isaac Tungo? Plus we talk Zach Lomax
and set restarts. Nathan what away for the Panthers to
start the season last Friday night in Brisbane.
Speaker 4: No, it was the perfect way. I mean, I love
the wins that you just don't see coming.
Speaker 3: Troy.
Speaker 4: I think we said last week that with hope Parmith
would win by two four six points, but I don't
think we ever predicted a twenty six to nil blowout
on the premiers' home turf as well ats Uncorp Stadium.
It's certainly got the weekend off to a very good
start and puts you in a good mood. Didn't it
for the whole the whole week?
Speaker 3: Really?
Speaker 2: Certainly did. Penrith were great, Brisbane were terrible, no question
about that. And I know that, you know, I don't
think any coach has been under pressure as much as
Michael McGuire has after winning it. I know he's won
a competition and he's under pressure because everyone's got this
theory that it's all going to fall apart like I
did at South because he trains them too hard.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, he just lost his best player and the
off season two Souths Like.
Speaker 3: It's a bit strange, you know.
Speaker 2: So I heard Nathan Cleary actually talking about it on
the Hello Sport podcast. Was he was basically saying we
Madge's got that reputation. But how hard do you want
to work to win? And that's the philosophy and so
you know, if you if you want to win, then
you have to work hard and train hard. So but
he was saying it is the thing that's known that
Michael maguire is. It's a hard trainer. But you had
have a great win and it does put the Panthers
of course in pretty good spot to start the season
third on the competition ladder because there were some other
teams who had some big wins over the weekend as well,
including Penrith's competitors this weekend, the Coronella Sharks. So we
head back to Bapist on Saturday night, Carrington Park, seven
point thirty five pm kickoff and look get two sides
that put on big scores last weekend.
Speaker 3: Yeah that's true.
Speaker 4: I mean, obviously I think what Penrith did was more
impressive coming up against Brisbane up there at Suncorp Stadium,
the Premiers. What what Sharks did was great, but they
were taking on a titan side with a new coach,
a few new players outside of you know, they are
outside of home. They were playing in Cronulla, so look
that that win was good, but I think what Peneth
did was more impressive.
Speaker 2: I liked Cronulla. I watched that game in full thought
that Obviously Braydon Trindle was sort of the star of
the show, but Nico Heines as well. There's just something
about Nico Heines this year. Doesn't feel like he's got
that pressure on him that you know, has followed him
for the last couple of years, like his Nico you know,
is he even the Sharks number seven let alone. Yeah,
obviously all the drama he had when he was sort
of dropped from the new South Wales team, but he's
pretty much been not talked about apart from getting engaged.
Yeah in the offseason.
Speaker 4: Yeah, look, it's obviously early days to Troy. I mean,
you know, we saw a great game from from the
Sharks the other day, but we just we just don't
know what they're going to toss up, just like the
the Broncos, where you know, people are writing off the Broncos,
or maybe not everyone, but there's been a few people
saying they might not make the eight. But you know,
it's one game, like you you just don't know how
the season's going to play out until you know at
least two months in right.
Speaker 3: Like Penrith were terrible for the first two.
Speaker 4: Months of the season last year, and we're with a
whisker of making the Grand finally.
Speaker 3: You just don't know yet. Still early.
Speaker 2: These sides have been pretty evenly split since the NRL
has formed in nineteen ninety eight. The Sharks have won
twenty three of the forty six games, Penrith twenty two
and they've drawn one. Of course, the last time they met,
all the way back in Las Vegas, Yeah and Stadium
in March last year, the Panthers won twenty eight to
twenty two. Penry thin control for most of that game,
and then of course the Shafts came back late. And
before that it was the Prelim Final two thousand and four,
the Panthers twenty six six winners. I remember that the
day because I got food poisoning that night, did you really, Yes, yes,
I did. Before the prelim You might even remember as
part of our Grand Final week coverage, I was off
on the Monday, still off. I came in I think
on the Tuesday.
Speaker 3: Oh wow, it's stuck with you.
Speaker 2: Yes, I do remember that very very well, because you know,
don't mind telling everyone that when I woke up in
the morning, I thought, gee, I didn't think I had
that much to drink, but I thought I thought I
was hungover because I was throwing up. And I'm like,
this is a little bit unusual ten years ago, a
little bit unusual. And yes, turned out that it was
food poisoning, and about three or four others in our
group also got it.
Speaker 4: Oh no, well that's not like good memories. But obviously
Peneth had had a really good record of the Sharks
in recent years. There was a period there, probably about
ten fifteen years ago and when the Sharks were very
dominant and you know that Penrith couldn't beat them. But
I think in recent years we've had their number. We've
had to put some big score lines on them too
in the past, in this synisty year at least. So
it's gonna be a good game, I think. I think
it's these some juicy matchups.
Speaker 3: In the first few rounds for the Panthers.
Speaker 2: This is another one, and juicy individual matchups as well,
Like you look at say Dylan Edwards up against William Kennedy.
Eddie had a great game last weekend. It was silenced
a lot of critics, yes, even up and probably made
Jackson Edgar think that that maybe he's still a few
years still a while. Yeah, it's pretty good, and William
Kennedy was great as well. But then when you go
through and you see, you know, like you know Cleary
versus Heins as obvious, but up front you've got you know,
Adam Fanila Blake and mosesle Oda going up against each other,
Lindsay Smith and Thomas Hazelton, and so you know it's
actually it's actually a pretty decent matchup. I think Penrith's
probably got the class factor ahead of them, but you know,
had an but look yet are going to be a
very close game?
Speaker 4: Does there's the Bathist thing warrior you will be and
it's been it's been a rough trot in Bathurst. I'm
not sure if we've got the stats, but I reckon
Penoff have lost more than they've won there in recent
years potentially, or it could be even I'm not sure.
It just feels like, I know they got flogged there
last year by Newcastle and fell to the bottom of
the table, but it's been a mixed bag in Carrington Park.
Speaker 2: Yeah, of course that game last year. That was probably
the That was the low point, wasn't it was?
Speaker 3: They still talk about it the players.
Speaker 4: Is that as the point where they thought, no, we
need to get our ship together so to speak.
Speaker 2: Yep, no doubt about that. To answer your question Carrington Park,
fourteen appearances at Carrington Park, it's actually eight wins, five
losses and only five losses, yes, and a draw. So
now I do need to just clarify though that two
of the wins are actually one in nineteen eighty five
in nineteen ninety because Penrith actually probably games in currying
back back then part of this current deal, this current
deal we might actually you know, go back in time
is part of the current deal. We actually played Cronulla
the first time in twenty fourteen. The Sharks won that
eighteen sixteen, and then we went through that little period
of wins in fifteen sixteen seventeen we beat the Gold
Coast forty nil. Was that that one too? We beat
Canberra nineteen eighteen.
Speaker 3: Isn't the miracle in Bathist?
Speaker 2: That wasn't the miracle in Bathist That was the next year.
So the nineteen eighteen I watched that one from the
New York The Australian Bar in New York City Live
nineteen eighteen. Then the next year was the miracle in
bathist twenty four to twenty. Then too back to back losses,
pretty disappointing ones against the Cowboys in twenty eighteen and
then against Melbourne that was the coldest I've ever been
in a rugby league game.
Speaker 3: And that was the bad one, wasn't it, thirty two
to two.
Speaker 2: Then backed it up with a couple of wins twenty
eight sixteen over Manly, thirty eight twenty over Newcastle, but
then lost twelve eight to the Tigers in that yeah,
wet nine in twenty twenty three. That was that was
a rough one, actually one it in. I beat the
Tigers in twenty twenty four but not convincingly twenty two
to six, and then lost to Newcastle last year. So
it's pretty evenly split recently. But yes, I do get
what you're saying that it hasn't It hasn't been like
this fortress or anything like that.
Speaker 3: No, Definitely nights and dumb.
Speaker 4: They seem to play it at all different times of
the year too, Like it was May last year, a
day game in May, like weather, it was cooling down
and now they're playing a night game in March.
Speaker 3: It's it's funny, isn't it?
Speaker 2: Like, Yeah, because when this concept started in yeah, in
twenty four the game was actually in July, had the
bast Winter Wow and that game against Melbourne, as I said,
it was the coldest I have been at the footy.
Let me tell you that was actually, believe it or not,
that was in March. So I don't I don't know
what is going on there on that change, but let
me tell you it was absolutely freezing.
Speaker 4: And do you remember we went to a game there
one I think it was the moment in the Cowboys
clash the year prior. And we're in like a fancy
box or something for it, like that tent, that marquee
that they put.
Speaker 2: Up, fancy stretcher. Yes, the corporate tent.
Speaker 3: The corporate got flogged.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look at some and look there's been some disappointing
trips to Bathist. As someone who's gone there a lot,
I think I've only seen maybe two wins.
Speaker 3: It's a long way to go to lose.
Speaker 2: All right, But how are we what are we thinking?
In this one? There is no Leam Martin and Liam
Henry still.
Speaker 3: So what happened there?
Speaker 4: So there were reports yesterday is suggesting that Liam Martin
would would make a comeback. Even Nathan clearly spoke last
night one hundred forty saying he was looking good for
a comeback. But Ivan's not even named him on an
extended or anything.
Speaker 2: Not neither of them are named on the extended bench.
So yeah, clearly just maybe giving them that one more
week and maybe that's the right thing to do.
Speaker 4: And it's a shame for those guys because they are
country guys, especially Liam Henry like he's he's from that
Bathist area, he's out that way, so it would have
been really disappointing to see him miss that game, which
was in his final game and in Bathist.
Speaker 3: He's going to Perth next year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, of course, and you've got I guess we're playing
next Friday night. It's not that much of a big turnaround,
but maybe just the Bathist factor playing on a regional grounds.
Speaker 4: I'm sure they'll be there like doing clinics and stuff
with kids and all that sort of thing, so expect
them in Bathist folks to sign autographs.
Speaker 3: But yeah, just not playing all.
Speaker 2: Right, Well, I'm timming Penrith by about four or six
points in this and I actually think the lead's going
to change hand a couple of times. Yeah, game, but
I think the Panthers get home.
Speaker 4: Look, before we get the Penrith that we got last week,
I can see Penrith, you know, also putting plenty of
points on the Sharks.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: I thought the Sharks were great, but their opposition was
you know, you can't compare them to what Penrith were
up against against the Broncos. So I'm tipping Penrith to
win maybe about twelve points.
Speaker 2: All right, and that's a big margin for you.
Speaker 4: They gave me a lot of confidence last I didn't
expect that.
Speaker 3: That was a great, great performance.
Speaker 2: All right. Now, one player who is in the side
but is sitting in jersey number eighteen is Isyazac Tanga
premiership winner of course, but he wasn't there last week.
He was name and then Tom Jenkins came into the side.
He's not there again. Ivan was a little bit cryptic,
very good post game. He said that he was dealing
with some issues outside of his control. I think that
was the Yeah. And then we've seen in the papers
this week they're talking about personal personal like that, so
I don't know if we heard about anything about what's
going on here.
Speaker 4: It's such a mystery, Troy, because my uncle Peter he
actually broke the news on his socials earlier last week
saying he got mail that Isaac Tago may not play
and we're coming an ring whether to put it out
on because you know, sometimes you get male for you know,
you can't trust everything you get.
Speaker 3: But we're like, let's go with it.
Speaker 4: We've got a second source to confirm it. And yeah,
it turns out when when the team list came out,
he was dropped to the bench six man bench now,
so there's a chance he could come on and then
he just doesn't get a run. And it would have
been his one hundredth game two, so he's sitting at
nineteen ninety nine, so you know, obviously Panthers like to
celebrate milestone matches. There would have been if he was playing,
there would have been a jersey presentation and all that
sort of thing. So that was that never happened. But yeah,
what I haven't said was unusual. He probably it's probably
going to be very difficult to find out what they mean. Obviously,
other journals have chased it all they can get from
the club is personal reasons, personal issues.
Speaker 3: But he's he's still in the mix. It hasn't been
shunned completely.
Speaker 2: And I think it's also important to note he played
so now, whether that, whether whatever his personal issues are disrupting,
he's training to the point where you know he can't
play first grade. This is obviously certain standards there. Maybe
that's the case, but it's not something that's keeping him out.
He's not. He hasn't taken leave or anything like that
from the club. From the personal issue. He's still playing.
He played in the in Cup. So yeah, look, it's
a it's a weird situation. Now. Look, there's no question
that there has been a couple of little rumors though
around Isaac Tango's future at Penrith, and we'll talk about
Zachlomax later. But one of the rumors that did the
rounds this week, I think this was people just trying
to put two and two together, hopefully, was that that
Paris was somehow going for Lomacs so that we're going
to get rid of Isaac, and that was all happening.
I don't really think that was ever in the mix,
but combined with whatever these personal issues, are those rumors
have been around for a little while.
Speaker 4: Yeah, for sure. And we know we know Isaac. You know,
he's had a pretty good time at Penrith, but there
has been a little few little things. He's never really
got into any trouble or anything like that off the field.
But we actually really don't know. And it's it's weird
to speculate because I hope it, you know, it might
never come out.
Speaker 3: What what is, what the issue was, what the personal
problem was.
Speaker 4: But you know, who knows. The club could be covering
up something. It could be, you know, it could be
something yeah, deeply personal that they don't want us to know.
But then why is he why is he still playing
rugby league? Yeah, they're quite happy to out at Saint
Mary's the next day off and he was up in Brisbane.
Speaker 2: And when we say covering up, we're talking more protecting,
protecting whatever, protect whatever issue he may be dealing with. Yet.
Speaker 4: Yeah, but you know, you know, it's these things you
just you just don't know. And Ivan's been cryptic in
my come out.
Speaker 2: It might not And Penrith are I'm sure they think
it's a good thing. Probably fans don't, but Penrith are
pretty protective of these situations when they arise in terms
of not really revealing stuff about yeah, players might be
dealing with.
Speaker 4: I just remind like, this has not nothing to do
with it. But when a few years ago when the
tailor may stuff came up and he sort of started
disappearing from teams and eventually it came out he was
he was in trouble and not suggesting that that's the
same Veriazac at all could be complaining completely different, but
eventually you find out what the real reason is.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I appreciate it. What's probably interesting in rugby league
is that in any other industry or any even a
section of rugby league, like look at Joel Kine of
course SCN. He's just recently announced that he's stepping down
from his sen show while he deals with some mental
health struggle. Yes, you normally kind of go well as
an individual, we kind of have to come out and
explain to your your fans or listeners or whatever. You know,
you normally say you can be cryptic, but you normally say, hey,
I'm stealing with some stuff. But the thing about rugby
league players is that that never really happens. You know,
it's either very rarely the players go out and say
something and then the club's obviously you are trying to
you know, player welfare and whatever else and they don't
want the headline. So it's interesting because they're anywhere else.
You're kind of forced, you know, someone's broken their silence
and made a statement and things like that. Like, yeah,
it's interesting, you know because even I was just you know,
just going back to the Joel Caine one, Like I
don't think the SCN Drive show is big enough that
it would have got much attention if Joel just said
he was on leave for a couple of mon Yes,
but you know, there's there feels like there's an obligation
when you're in a opposition to say something.
Speaker 4: Yeah, definitely, Look, I hope I ISAC's okay. I mean,
he's obviously okay enough and well enough to play football.
Apparently he played a fairly okay game on the weekend
with the Cup team.
Speaker 3: But yeah, and he's.
Speaker 4: Obviously still in the mix. There's a chance if if
a player goes down next week on on Saturday against
the Sharks, that he'll be thrust in. That'll be his
hundredth games. So yeah, maybe he's maybe his preparation, like
I haven't said, was compromise somehow.
Speaker 3: Who knows. You could have got sick. There could be
an illness I'm not sure where he's not just up
to the standard yet.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, we'll wait and see what happens there. Now,
that wasn't That wasn't the biggest mystery of the weekend though,
because the Panthers new South Wales Cup mystery still going on,
still going on with announceter team this afternoon. It's actually
a very good team that the coach mystery is has
named the likes of. Look at this new South Wales
Cup team. I haven't think about this. This is Jackson
Edgar at full back. There's obviously the big star of
the future, Jesse McLean on one wing, jarrah Lydiard on
the other, Si Fanua and Patrick moy mooy. In the
centers you got Kean Skips who was brilliant, the brilliance
and Jack Cole in the hearts. Jack Cole's played plenty
of first grade lun Pataha and Tom I'm going to
call him Tom a all but you've told me it's
not a Tom Arla, you know. In the in the
front row, you know, like, that's a that's a good
looking team, Harry Armstrong, Zack Clark and the side.
Speaker 3: It's great.
Speaker 2: I only just beat the Bear on the weekend. I
was confused by that minutes or something.
Speaker 4: Yes, I think that's odd, but look, we still don't
know the Cup coaches. And I got some mail this
morning from someone that's close with someone in the Cup
system and they said to me, because I'm like, the
Panthers seemed to be sworn to secrecy, and they said,
no one has sworn to secrecy or anything, but there's
a reason why they can't announce it until this week.
So apparently an announcement is coming. Apparently they said it
all makes sense once it's announced. So which obviously the
rumor that we've all been going by is Matt Eisenhooth. Now,
is there a Matt Eisenhooth retirement? Has that been approved
officially by the NRL medically retired or something? We heard
there might be some issues there with an injury that
Eisenheath might retire. He hasn't appeared any trials, he doesn't
train with the team anymore. He was at the Cup
game on Saturday with a clipboard in the coaches box.
Speaker 3: I mean, how many more clues do you want?
Speaker 4: We had spies at the game time, we had people,
We had people there checking for us. So look, they're
all Asame's point to ISO, but who knows who knows
what they're up to.
Speaker 2: That wouldn't be the only thing that makes sense to
me in the sense that they'll say, oh, there was
this technicality. You know, the NRL was fully aware of
the situation, but they wouldn't give us permission to name
him as our coach when they haven't even approved his
medical retirement like that.
Speaker 3: Yeahs sense.
Speaker 2: There's some sense in that, but it's still just.
Speaker 4: They can't be so tight lipped, like relatives of people
that are working at the club are refusing to tell
their fellow relatives what's happening.
Speaker 3: Like this is a really big secret over at Panthers's.
I've never seen anything like it.
Speaker 2: So you're telling me that spotted with a clipboard, an
old fashioned clipboard.
Speaker 4: I've got a photo of him in the coach's box. Okay,
but apparently we don't have a coach.
Speaker 2: I thought we'd have iPads at least at Samsung on
board as a sponsor.
Speaker 3: Fashion clip where they use them in the basketball when
the timeouts. It must be still still very important.
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Speaker 3: Yes, we have one in the office. Actually, she was
loving that we're gonna have to borrow her car. Now try.
Speaker 4: I know you said you were't going to talk any
more about the whole stadium saga. Now that you had,
you say, in your biget aitory in the paper last week,
your first double page column ever. Yes, but can I
just ask you the reaction to it all, because it
certainly blew up. We had the premier out here last week,
you know, defending it and all that. But what's been
the reaction since that that editorial dropped.
Speaker 2: Yeah, firstly, I'll just say I think it was on
my Facebook or Twitter, I said, look, I'm not going
to this is it. I'm not going to talk about
it anymore. And what I meant by that putting a
gag your gagging. What I meant by that is, look,
this is not something we can change or stop like.
It's happening. It's getting built. I saw just today the
full frame of the Western stand is it's gone in
now obvious. So nothing is changing. And so I don't
want to, you know, flog a dead horse and just
keep going on about this for the next year, because
I completely get it's happening, it's done, whatever else. But
I do think that, you know, what was said last
week needed to be said. I was actually surprised that
the vast majority of the reaction was positive. Towards you. Obviously, yes,
because I expected it probably to be about seventy thirty.
I expected that most people would probably agree, but I
did expect a few more narks that pop up and
have a crack. But there was actually only in fact
in any private messages, and often from that column that
I write every week, I do get some private messages
from people who may be on the periphery of the
subject and might say, hey, like, here's a little bit
of context to that, or here's an alternate view, and
that's fine. I've got nothing of that ilk this time around.
It was only people supportive or providing even more information.
Certainly some people in high positions at Panthers who who
I think agreed. Certainly plenty of people in the Liberal Party.
I don't expect that Labor was very quiet obviously, apart
from yes. Chrismns came out to Penrith on Friday, and
he was expecting, I think very much that he was
going to get asked about the stadium, and our journalist
Emily Chap obviously hit him up with some tough questions
in regards to that, and I was probably surprised that
he doubled down as much as he did. I I'm
surprised that given that, you know, it's not only my call,
like they would know, Labor would know what the reaction
to this stadium is from the moment that roof started
getting built, really but even before then. So I'm surprised
they've continue to double down with Steve Camp other sportsmanister
continuing to call it world class. Chris Min said, it'll
be a knockout.
Speaker 3: It's a knockout.
Speaker 2: It's going to what a stadium it'll be. And I
just I'm surprised because I think that you could actually
if I'm Labor, I'm probably hedging my bets right now
and I'm saying, oh, look, you know, obviously would we
have wanted to build an eight hundred million still a stadium,
of course, but the budget restraints didn't allow us to.
So we've built this. We think it's a great facility,
you know, full stop.
Speaker 4: And he kept changing his you know, he used that
the suburban stadium term a lot. This is what a
suburban stadium looks like, so he was sort of not
saying the world class thing anymore. Who's more going down, Well,
it's a suburban stadium and that's this is what they
look like, similar.
Speaker 3: To like a shark Park or a light Heart. They're
suburban stadiums, so this is what you're getting.
Speaker 2: Look, the majority of the comments obviously on the story
from fan from readers, you know, pretty damning of the
of the stadium and the concept. There was a few
naksho through in a few few comments. I did see
the former Lindsay MP Emma Hassa had her say. She commented,
she certainly did I send her a message after that
because I felt that I deserved a little bit of
right of reply there. Did she criticize you or the
stadium myself? So she was critical. Of course, she claimed
that I hobbed not be in corporate seating, so it's
not true true. And then also basically throughout the line,
which a lot of people do, that there's much bigger
issues to talk about than this, And that always frustrates
me when people say that, because of course there are,
and I write about them, you know, in a lot
of other weeks. But to suggest that is almost like
saying to any politician, oh, excuse me, why are you
out handing out this award today. There's much bigger issues
you should be you know, getting an update on Iran.
Like like, we all deal with stuff that is in
a different scale of different things. That's not to say
that the stadium isn't an important investment in the community
that we need to talk about and we need to
hold governments to account wherever they're spending it. So I
do find that allt a bit bizarre. But yeah, she
I sent her a message, but she hasn't replied. But
I thought it was fair enough to at least respond
to the corporate thing, because a lot of people weirdly
say that about me.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and they think, well, if a corporate all they
think we're in the media box just enjoying the free
sandwiches and KFC that they deliver. But no, we've you know,
you and I have been Panthers members season ticket holders
for I've been fifteen years sitting in a seat paying
the four hundred and five hundred dollars whatever it is now,
and I still have a media pass, but I choose
to sit in a seat with the fans. But some
people obviously don't realize that, so it's good to remind them.
Speaker 2: Yes, and look ye at the end of the day,
you know it's getting built. I do think there will
be a lot of people that have a better experience. Sure,
but I think that again, as we said last week,
we won't go on about it, but I just don't
think that it's its value for money or where we
sh have landed. And there's two elements of what I
wrote last week that have come to the fore and
a lot of comments. The first one is about the Hills.
I said last week that I think that the support
and love for the Hills was a little overstated. People
have reminded me that there was some survey that apparently
specifically asked that question should we get now if you
ask if you ask a question like that, I can
tell you what the answer is going to be before
you even get hit send on the survey, Like it's
a loaded question, you know. So I find that interesting
because it's.
Speaker 4: I do remember that survey going, yeah, it would have
been a few years ago now, and they did ask
what what do you want to see in a new stadium?
Would you like to see the Hills kept? And I
presume a lot of people probably said yes, yes.
Speaker 2: But the thing is, we don't even know if the
people being asked even sat on the hill. No. Like
I find now looking back on it, I'm like, this
is a bit weird. This is a loaded question like
this is you know, it's just like saying, well, do
you want an ice cream been parked out the stadium?
Like most people are going to say yes, even if
in reality they shouldn't be having ice cream in the
middle of the wind like it, you know what I mean,
It's it's a weird thing. And the other one was
a few people brought this up to me about the
Eastern stand and the fact that there is no lift, yes,
and that there are a lot of sort of older
members in that Eastern stand as well. A lot of
course the older members are in the west, but in
the Eastern stand who are just not going to be
able to make that climbate.
Speaker 4: Because obviously the old stadium had a lift and will
take you up to the corporate boxes, but then you
can make your way down to the to the seating
from there. So I mean, I don't I mean, obviously
they haven't designed one yet.
Speaker 2: Or no, one really possible with that the way it is,
because it's all kind of one big raake.
Speaker 3: Well yeah, of course, but it's just yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I just look, I was speaking to someone today
who isn't Panthers, So I won't mention their name, but
I rementioned my theory that geez like you could have
just given Panthers. You know, you could have said, you
know what, people of New South Wales, if we give
you three hundred and nine million, Yes, there's a benefit
to the people in New South Wales because we're going
to take ownership of it and run it. But we
just don't think the value for money's there. So what
we're going to do is we are going to give
Panthers one hundred and fifty million dollars, you know, because
we believe in sport in Western Sydney and we expect
Panthers to responsibly refurbish the western part of the ground
completely refurbished the west. And as this person said to me,
they said, you know, given what you've said about the capacity,
you could have actually had more corporate because you could
have kept the eastern stand boxes and then you would
have still had the new facilities on the west. And
you know, you could have actually had more because we're
not actually losing like we're not actually gaining that many
general public seats. But anyway, that's not all for the past.
Now something else for the past is Zach Lomax's rugby
league career. He's now in rugby union. The one question
I wanted to ask about Zach Lomax because something it's
not really a penwith story. Tell me if I'm being cruel,
But I don't care that zachlo Max is not playing
rugby league like he's a great player. Don't get me wrong.
I still remember him kicking that goal on the sideline
in Origin, that really close game. He kicked a goal
and the pouring roth he was raining. I remember that.
But other than that, I remember him kicking up a
stink because he didn't want to play wing at the Dragons,
went for the less money to the Eels, where he
played wing, and then wanted to go to R three sixty.
Then he wanted to go to Melbourne. Then he signs
with the Western Force to live out his dream of
playing for the Wallabies. His dream of playing for the Wallabies.
He wanted to play for Melbourne five minutes ago. I
just I don't really care. There's people saying that this
is a big problem for rugby league. It's who cares.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Look he's yeah, as you said before, he is
a really talented player and probably one of the best
of his position. But he's just not a very likable guy.
And I don't think he has been like great ye
a great player like the Eels you know, had a
good one on their hands there for that one year.
But yeah, he just he's just yeah, he's very contradicting
with everything he says. The one memory you mentioned him
kicking a goal in State of Origin, I remember him
missing a goal in last year's State of Origin and
losing us the game.
Speaker 3: We could stories with that.
Speaker 4: So look as for him leaving, I don't really care.
He didn't really mean too much to me.
Speaker 3: Anyway.
Speaker 4: Wingers come and go, as we know. You know, so
many wingers have gone to rugby in the past and
they always find their way back.
Speaker 3: That's still pretty young.
Speaker 4: So if he does want to come back to rugby
league when he's being is over, I'm sure he will.
Speaker 3: He probably will. I dare say, they always come back.
Speaker 2: Well, you know what's interesting, There's two things about this
for me. Number One, what does it say about the
state of rugby union that most of these players basically
just walk up starts to the Wallabies? Why?
Speaker 3: Yeah, they pretty much all play what does that.
Speaker 2: Say about rugby union in Australia that you could just
switch go? Oh yeah, just walk up and I'm in
the Wallabies. And the second point is that I don't.
I just don't know why there's this such intense focus.
Maybe it was because there's a court battle as well,
but spear that a lot of the All three sixties
and whatever talking about that. Oh we've got to stop
the these players, you know, switching codes. It barely happens,
maybe a couple of players a year, and there's been
many bigger players that have gone to rugby unit. Has
it ever had that much? Has ever really had a
detrimental impact on rugby league? Any player who's left. This
is not a Nathan Cleary or a Mitch Moses or
like this is not a big name.
Speaker 4: Leaving or Andrew John's back in the day he was
obviously Kylie coveted and he turned his back on them too.
Speaker 2: Yeah, this is not a this is not a big story.
Speaker 4: I actually don't think anything clear ever goes to play
for the wallerb His now, no on that you hear
did you hear him on one hundred percent footy yesterday?
Speaker 2: I didn't hear him one hundred percent footy. But I
did hear him on the Hallow Sport podcast, so it
pretty much sounded like, yeah, look maybe in ten years,
like you know what I mean, it's very much like
I wouldn't see this in my near future.
Speaker 4: Yeah no, And he was even different, one hundred percent.
He was just it just didn't sound like it was
the journey for him. He didn't even tease that because
they were talking about with Zach Clomax's comments in his
in his media ease said, and Nathan was like, okay.
Speaker 2: Whatever, did we get an update on his kitchen at all?
Was that? Oh?
Speaker 4: Yes, he had the insurance company, we're out yesterday assessing
his kitchen. So it's in the process at the moment
of getting repaired. But apparently it was quite a scare
for everyone.
Speaker 2: Well it would have been, according to the Daily Mail
and Near Death Experience.
Speaker 4: I think Ivan Ivan actually larned Nathan to it becausef
you've seen your kitchen, it's fallen, it's caved in, he said,
it's carved in.
Speaker 2: How would how did that happen? How did?
Speaker 4: I don't think Nathan was home at the time, And
I think one of Nathan's friends must live with him
or something like that and must have alerted Ivan or
someone to it and then Nathan's found out that way.
Speaker 2: Okay, there you go. Just talking of Nathan by the
way on the interview with Hello Sport. Yeah, look, it
was very clear, and I don't know if it was
mentioned one hundred percent footy if anyone thinks they're getting
a Nathan Cleary signature and a contract.
Speaker 3: Anytime soon, they ate, even Penrith.
Speaker 2: Even Penrith, Yeah, he was very adamant that he feels
the end of twenty twenty seven is a long time away.
Speaker 3: He keeps saying it it's not.
Speaker 2: And yeah, I don't think he's he's all interested in
talking negotiations or anything like that. I suspect a lot
of that is personal. A lot of that is going
to be two years down the road on a relationship
with Mary Fowler. Yeah, and you know, it's a decision
that we're probably going to make together at that time,
you know, do we want to be still still doing
this long distance thing.
Speaker 4: So it sounds like it's highly unlikely that that he
does resign before the end of this year, before November one.
Speaker 2: Which means he hits the open market, and this is
where this is the only place I say where Penrith
have an advantage here is I just can't see him
going to another what's the difference? Yeah, exactly, and why
tarnish not your reputation, but why Like you can have
the one club player situation, he can have every Penrith
record probably for the next fifty.
Speaker 3: Years by the time, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2: And I just think that we're like, why you know,
to do what? Like where you're going?
Speaker 3: You're going to Manly and he's not going to be
in anymore. That's I think that's that's done and dusted.
Speaker 4: So it's either it doesn't sound like he's interested in
rugby either, so it could be a super league stint.
Speaker 3: Well, he might just quit all together and just maybe
follow follow Mary around wherever she is.
Speaker 2: Who knows, you know, I actually think it's I think
it's more likely Ivan goes to another club. And I
only say this because I just feel that like, as
a coach, maybe you do look for other challenges. But
does he maybe not?
Speaker 3: He was going to quit Penrith a few years ago
because you'd had.
Speaker 2: Enough, Like he doesn't have a rebuilding him.
Speaker 4: Does he want to breathe? That's what I mean, does
he want to rebuild somewhere.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I didn't. The rumor that went around last week,
the time that Manly had sounded out and clear he
was interesting because you know he's as at all the
Beaches guy.
Speaker 3: So I used to play for Manly, and.
Speaker 2: Whether Anthony Siebold survives his whole contract, I've got no idea.
Speaker 3: But I just don't know why you want to coach me,
and I think nothing excites me about that.
Speaker 2: I think what we have talked about before, and that's
important for everyone to know in the worrisome about the Clearies,
is it as much as they have done so much
for Penrith, as much as they have embraced Penrith as
their home, they're not Penrith people like they came obviously,
you know, Nathan sort of grew up in New Zealand
and whatnot before he finished his schooling here Ivans from
the Northern Beaches in terms of his playing day.
Speaker 3: So, but Nathan would consider himself a Penrith person.
Speaker 2: I agree. Now, I agree, But I guess what I'm
saying is it's not it's not stupid to consider that
they would leave Penrith, you know, like you know you
would never have thought. Yeah, there's certain players like you're
never going to see the Travoi which is playing anywhere
but manly, you know, but I probably could see Nathan
playing somewhere else in theory. I don't think he will.
But I'm just saying that they're not. These guys Nathan
and Ivan are not you know, born and bred at
the Pean Hospital. Yeah, and in fact that's that's the
case for a lot of key Penrith people, Matt Cameron,
you know, they're not necessarily that that loyalty factor is there,
I think from you know, we've done so much and
achieved so much here. But whether it's there to keep
you here when other opportunities come up that may be
more lucrative, I'm not sure.
Speaker 4: And we saw Brad Fitler leave Penrith back in the day.
Of course, Penrith boy, Greg Alexander.
Speaker 2: Nothing should surprise you in rugby league, right, nothing should
surprise you now lasting before we do prices right, set
restarts Now, we saw all the obviously the rule change
come in over the summer period where basically there's you know,
much more of the field now you can get set restarts.
Some people were winging over the weekend about the blowout
score lines. It's too early to sort of say, or
what's the what.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's too early to say.
Speaker 4: I mean, whenever they tweak some rules, we always see
blow out score lines. We saw it a few years ago.
I remember when they first brought in those new rules,
and well, geez ey, things settled down, and I just
feel like teams take a bit more time to adjust
than some other teams. But I don't know, it didn't
really bother me the whole new set restart rules that
have come in the extended parts of the field that
it's now included in.
Speaker 2: The only thing that bothers me about set restarts still
is that I feel that there are more set restarts
and penalties combined now than.
Speaker 3: We had just blowing penalties.
Speaker 2: We're just blowing penalties because referees just go, ah, it's
just easier to, of course, to give a set restart,
you know, do it three times. You're not going to
Previously you wouldn't have blown three penalties. That's my only frustration.
I think that refs are too like trigger happy on
set restarts. And the other thing that was interesting on
the weekend is a few people said RC, this is
why they wanted to change the kick offf for all,
because because you've now got set restarts happening earlier, the
momentum is staying with this team. Then that's what we've
got some blowout score lines. And then the person who
texted me this, I texted them an hour later after
the seven thirty Saturday game and said, well, if you
had the scoring team kicking off, get gold. You know
it goes both ways.
Speaker 4: Of course it does, but yeah, it does speed up
the game. I mean there were those old games Troy
where twenty penalties, it'll be blown and you'll be there
all bluddy for a game to finish.
Speaker 2: You know what. What I do find a little bit
funny about set restarts is for years we'd have a player,
we'd have a penalty, and a player would try and
take the quick tap. Yeah, they do that essentially a
set restart, and the refereed send them back. Y're not
ready yet, but now we're quite happy set. It doesn't
matter if anyone's ready, we're just set restarting.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we just continue.
Speaker 2: It's funny like we were, we were so adamant that no,
you couldn't continue on with a quick tap. But yet
now we're actually forcing that.
Speaker 3: Had the quick taps dead.
Speaker 4: I think I saw Thomas Jenkins try to take one
the other night and a referee sent him back.
Speaker 3: He's like, no, this is not a quick tap tap opportunity.
Speaker 2: Very very bizarre. All right, Nathan, it is time for
the price is right? Our favorite game?
Speaker 3: Yes, of course.
Speaker 2: And just to reminder, Nathan, if you do get something right,
this is what you'll hear or not. There you go.
I can't believe it's broken already.
Speaker 3: Oh the part we had budget up grades.
Speaker 2: We must have just got a trial version of those
those stingers, all right, So there's going to be no
it's going to be no no alerts. I'm changing up
this week, Nathan. I've gone to nrlshop dot com, all right,
not the other Panthers shop.
Speaker 3: We've gone over the NRS official NRLs.
Speaker 2: This is the official NL shop, So not some dodgy,
not some dodgy. Now, as you know, Nathan, you need
to get this right within fifty cents. If you get
it right within fifty cents either way, then I will
buy you the it item.
Speaker 3: So brilliant, you know.
Speaker 2: So far you're about none from twenty or something.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, not going well in all of this.
Speaker 2: So let's see what you can what you can come
up with today? All right, So today we've got the
Panthers Reef Hawaiian Shirt.
Speaker 3: Ah yes, okay.
Speaker 2: Bring to a traditional back to a traditional Hawaiian shirt.
The new Reef Party shirt is You'll Wear Anywhere shirt
for season twenty twenty six. It's new and improved with
Rayon fabric, light and Breezy for a super country, super
comfy feel. It is official NRL merchandise. Currently on NRL Shop.
Medium Xcel and two Excel are sold out, but you
can get a small, a three XCELOR four EXCELA, five
XCEL and a large.
Speaker 3: What am I going to get if I win this?
Speaker 2: Probably a large? Did you say?
Speaker 3: Is it a large? Available?
Speaker 2: It is a large? Okay, okay, Now I'll just show
you the picture of it there, Nathan, there it.
Speaker 3: Is, Oh okay, yep, pretty.
Speaker 2: Good looking shirt. What do you think?
Speaker 4: Well, look, last week I've overestimated some of the some
of the items.
Speaker 3: I think I went way like double what they were worth.
So that one there, look.
Speaker 4: That looks like about a forty five dollars item to me,
Troy forty five forty five.
Speaker 2: Nathan, incorrect. We had the domer Idea Dono four. It's
sixty nine ninety five. What sixty ninety five for the Hawaiian.
Speaker 3: Shirt, So that's expensive.
Speaker 2: Yeah, unlucky, unlucky. All right, that's.
Speaker 3: Happy not to win that, Nathan.
Speaker 2: We have got for you right now, the Panthers adult
retro straw hat. So stay sun safe and show your
team pride with the NRL straw hat. Perfect for game days,
backyard barbecues, or beach trips. This classic straw hat features
team colors and retro inspired detail. You look great in that.
Speaker 3: Oh that's nice.
Speaker 2: You look great in that.
Speaker 3: Walking around some gardening in that.
Speaker 4: The lawn look jeez, that's a tough one because caps
are pretty expensively.
Speaker 2: One size fits all. Actually, there's a detail that you
haven't seen that I'll just bring up for yet. Look
at that on the inside. Oh that's the old pretty colors.
Speaker 3: I like that.
Speaker 4: I have two amounts in mind. One is too cheap
and one one maybe a bit too expensive. But I'm
going to go the more expensive option because I think
the Nerl shop are charging a fortune for things.
Speaker 3: I'm going to say that would be around thirty five dollars.
Speaker 2: Marn't Troy Nathan for dollars, so you missed out again.
Speaker 3: I would have liked that.
Speaker 2: Will Nathan get something before the end of the year.
Speaker 3: Do we have enough items to go through it?
Speaker 2: I reckon we do? I reckon we do now just
before we go. Nathan emails of course podcast at Western
Weekend dot com at dot AU an email from Warren.
Warren says, last year we didn't feel like we were
watching the same team as we had for the previous
five seasons. I guess literally it wasn't with all the
players who departed, but it was more than exemplified by
Dylan Edwards subpar year. But last night versus the Broncos,
we saw a rejuvenated team that turn up in defense.
Attitude was back, the kickchase was suffocating for the opposition,
the back line movements to the right wing were threatening.
Edward's running a mile, Nathan k engualsh from the sideline
and of courses as a does he ever play a
poor game? Bring on the rest of the year, says Warren.
Speaker 4: Yeah, well, said Warren. I think I think this week
is the test, though I remember Penwrith did win their
first game last year and then went on a five
game us in streak. So they need to they need
to win this week and keep that rolling and then
I'll believe, I'll believe that the Panthers are truly back
this year.
Speaker 2: Podcast at Western Weekend that dot com that I you
if you want to send us an email, Nathan, You'll
be catching up with some players tomorrow tomorrow for extra
time this week.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they put up three players.
Speaker 4: We've got Thomas Jenkins, We've got Calney going which I've
never spoken to him before, and Billy Scott as well.
Speaker 2: Okay, and of course Emily will have her new feature,
what's that.
Speaker 4: Called Behind the Games? Underneath the Shots, Behind the Games.
I think she might be chatting with Thomas Jenkins.
Speaker 3: Actually, Thomas one of her favorites.
Speaker 4: Just before we go, did you watch the new Channel
seven show last night as this time.
Speaker 2: Yet to see or whatever it's called agenda their Rugby
League version?
Speaker 3: You want to watch the AFL version which came on
straight after.
Speaker 2: This was on against one hundred percent Footy. They went
they went right against channels we had.
Speaker 3: Corey Parker was the main host and it was filmed
in Melbourne. I'm not sure that's the because I.
Speaker 2: Saw a headline like a backhand to rugby or something.
Speaker 4: Yeah, apparently the first few episodes of being filmed in Melbourne.
I have no idea why, but that's where they were
doing it.
Speaker 3: Okay, it was bad. I could only get through ten
minutes of it. Troy, I just.
Speaker 2: Don't have any players on or anything like that.
Speaker 3: Former players. That's some former players.
Speaker 2: I have no current players.
Speaker 4: I don't believe, so I didn't watch it all. If
someone wants to correct me, I could only get through
ten minutes of it, and then I chucked on as
one of my shows. But yeah, Corey Parker, Luke Keary,
David Riccio and Aaron woods Worthy was the panel and
it just didn't And then I watched one hundred percent
forty after that and just had it was just way better.
They had a studio audience one hundred percent forty. Now
that's just that panel which just has a has a laugh,
has fun. This just seemed very serious. So if you
do see it, you'll see what I mean. They just
it just seemed like a very serious show. There was
no light, even though Woodsy can be a bit of
a funny guy at times. American it just didn't work
with that mix, but as the first episode, so you
have to expect, you know, some tweaks in the coming weeks,
just to liven it up a bit. But it was
a bit boring.
Speaker 2: All right, I'll go, I'll go check it out on
you yeah, YouTube or seven plus, So get too excited, okay,
all right? Well, no, I like to give new shows
a bit of a whirl, so we'll give that a go.
Speaker 1: All right.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, a new edition of the Weekend arout. It's
actually our thirty fifth Birthday edition.
Speaker 4: Yeah, we've got a cake coming on Friday, or we
should get a cake cake or something.
Speaker 2: Cal's got a mud cake cappening.
Speaker 3: Like a Baker's a cake with thirty five on there.
Speaker 2: Come on, send it in our thirty fifth Birthday edition.
So we've got some good memories in there and things
like that.
Speaker 3: Some bad ones.
Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously it has all been good in thirty five years.
But that is it for tensions running high this week.
New episodes are out every Wednesday. Visit Western Weekend dot com,
dot a. You follow us on all the socials. Check
out our print edition, which is out every Thursday. I'm
Troy Dodd's Nathan, thank you very much for joining us,
Thanks Troy, and we'll do it all again next week.
Thanks to Penris City Automotive for their sponsorship as well.
We'll see a new time on tensions running high, Go
the Panthers.