WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.240 --> 00:00:05.440 If you love the West Tigers as much as we do, 2 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:08.279 and that's in a awful light, you'll welcome to come 3 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:10.880 and join us in our discussions on the West Tigers 4 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:14.160 Podcast forum. Our forum is the number one forum for 5 00:00:14.199 --> 00:00:17.960 West Tigers fans to talk everything West Tigers. West Tigers 6 00:00:18.039 --> 00:00:21.440 podcast dot com dot au slash forum. We hope to 7 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:22.359 see you there soon. 8 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:41.679 West Tiger's Podcast Episode number four hundred and eight. This 9 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:45.520 is a bye week nditioned very special guest tonight. I'll 10 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:48.799 introduce him in a minute. He's from another West Tigers 11 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:54.359 themed podcast. But I'm joined firstly by Steve and Joel. Joel, 12 00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:56.280 it was rumors you had disappeared. 13 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:00.359 Work commitments, that's all. I hadn't run out of puff, 14 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:02.759 hadn't given up on the team, just couldn't be here. 15 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:05.239 But I'm energized and ready to game. 16 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:08.719 And Steve no Gary tonight, so I'm hoping you're going 17 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:10.519 to step up to the plate. We're going to discuss 18 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:14.359 a potential Round one team for twenty twenty six. We've 19 00:01:14.359 --> 00:01:16.400 got a bit of a marathon edition to buy a 20 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.400 cell hold, and we're going to lay into Richo's latest 21 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:21.879 podcast and what you thought about that. 22 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:26.280 Yeah, well there's no Gary, there's no Tigers this weekend. 23 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:28.920 There's only two and a half days of Test cricket. 24 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:31.359 It's been pretty average weekend. 25 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:35.400 Really, cricket was a little bit disappointing Astrala down to 26 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:39.359 South Africa. But our special guest joined by Rob Bashara 27 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:43.159 of the West Tigers Life Podcast. First off, thank you 28 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:46.000 Rob for coming on here tonight. Are you're going to 29 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:48.560 flip the favor on Tuesday Night? But first off, mate, 30 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:50.920 tell us a little bit about the West Tiger's Life 31 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:53.599 podcast that you enjoy. You and Josh, I should say, 32 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:55.040 have been at it for a few years. 33 00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:58.359 Well, thank you all for inviting me on your podcast 34 00:01:58.680 --> 00:02:03.680 on a regular listener. Having doing a midweek podcast and 35 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:06.519 a Sunday podcast. I generally don't listen to both of 36 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:10.439 your podcasts so after I've done ours, because I don't 37 00:02:10.439 --> 00:02:14.919 want any of that sort of subconsciously being in my memory. 38 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:18.280 The West Life podcast is going really well. We've got 39 00:02:18.280 --> 00:02:22.840 about nineteen hundred subscribers. We get quite a decent audience. 40 00:02:22.919 --> 00:02:26.879 Now we're trying to seer everyone towards YouTube. I got 41 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:31.000 invited on that by Josh Barnett, that's his baby. I've 42 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:34.360 been doing that. I'm not sure now four or five years. Yeah, 43 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:36.560 but we're trying to see everyone to YouTube. The last 44 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:38.400 sort of three or four weeks have been really good. 45 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:42.000 We're getting sixteen hundred to twenty seven hundred views depending 46 00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:44.520 on who's signer. We had Michael Chambers on a couple 47 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:47.719 of weeks ago, which went quite well. But yeah, look, 48 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:49.560 I mean I think just you know, in terms of 49 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:51.599 West Tiger stuff, I just think it's really good that 50 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:52.599 everyone's trying to put some. 51 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:53.439 Content out there. 52 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:56.159 So the more content we get and the better quality 53 00:02:56.199 --> 00:02:58.039 it is, that's kind of my goal. 54 00:02:58.439 --> 00:02:59.159 I love having a. 55 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:02.159 Gas bag, as you're well aware, ady, But yeah, I 56 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:05.000 think these sort of cross collapse should be a little 57 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:08.639 bit more often. I was very competitive with all this 58 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:12.199 stuff that I've kind of let that go, mostly because 59 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:13.879 you guys are actually really kind to meet the start 60 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:15.759 of the year getting involved with West Tigers in unit. 61 00:03:16.759 --> 00:03:19.080 So yeah, I'm just happy to be here and looking 62 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:24.120 forward to talking to Steve and Joel and I know 63 00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:26.240 Gary will be missing this so badly. He would have 64 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:29.120 loved to have been here tonight, but we'll catch up 65 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:30.800 and have a chat on Tuesday night at the Orange 66 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:31.400 Grove Hotel. 67 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:34.639 Well, they give us plenty to talk about the West Tigers. 68 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:38.919 Rob and Gary wouldn't admit it, but I've definitely learned 69 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:41.639 a few things listening to coach Adele this year. I 70 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:43.919 really enjoyed that. And you've only started that this year, 71 00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:46.240 but that's been Sunday Night version. 72 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:47.560 And yeah it has. 73 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:50.360 And look, i can't speak for you guys, but for me, 74 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:52.479 I'm just when it comes to rugby league, I'm all 75 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:54.120 meet I want to talk about the game. 76 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:56.280 I want to talk about the controversies. 77 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:59.000 I'm really not a person that cares, you know, what 78 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:02.360 a certain players favorite colories or what they eat for 79 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.479 dinner or stuff like that. I love talking rugby league, 80 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:06.159 whether it's my own team or other teams. 81 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:07.240 So yeah, the. 82 00:04:07.240 --> 00:04:10.159 Adel POD's really good. He gives it the coaches perspective. 83 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:13.800 I'm purely a fan. I'd like to think I'm an expert, 84 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:16.560 but I'm definitely not. I'm just a very passionate fan. 85 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:18.160 But yeah, it kind of works. 86 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:18.319 Well. 87 00:04:18.360 --> 00:04:20.160 Again, I'm not really good at the hosting stuff. 88 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:23.040 I'm still getting used to that, but you know, it 89 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:25.439 seems to work, and we wing it and everyone seems 90 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:25.800 to love it. 91 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:27.839 So We're very pleased with how that's going. 92 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:32.000 Final question mate, before we rip into the podcast itself. 93 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:35.160 Your favorite moment supporting the Tigers is a Grand Final. 94 00:04:35.240 --> 00:04:38.040 Have you got a particular game or memory or season. 95 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:46.000 Definitely the two thousand and five preliminary final against George. 96 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:50.759 I was there. Limited tickets, got my whole family their 97 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:55.839 grandstand seats. I get I won't be like this tonight, 98 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:57.560 but if I think about it when I'm on my own, 99 00:04:57.560 --> 00:04:59.360 I actually get a little bit choked up about it. 100 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:02.759 I think favorite moment it was just the boys running 101 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:05.639 out to warm up that night on the field and 102 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:08.360 we were meant to be outnumbered, and that raw still 103 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:09.920 gives me goosebumb citis. 104 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:11.920 It's just one of the greatest moments ever. 105 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:14.560 And then obviously for Benji to score nice and early 106 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:16.800 in the game and get the ball rolling. 107 00:05:16.839 --> 00:05:18.720 We weren't we weren't meant to be hope in hell 108 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:19.240 that day. 109 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:22.560 It was all red and white themed, you know, Sydney 110 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:24.639 Swan's were meant to beat the West Coast Eagles and 111 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:27.319 sayings were meant to beat us, and I got a 112 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:28.839 little bit of a soft spot for the Swans. 113 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:30.560 But with all that red and white crap going on. 114 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:34.800 I was actually cheering West Coast Eagules, but yeah, it 115 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:37.199 was probably the best night as the West Tigers suployer 116 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:37.800 I've ever had. 117 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:41.639 You were a big part of that West Tigers unit 118 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.079 where we did a few podcasts earlier this year to 119 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:47.279 try and fast track some of that board up people 120 00:05:47.319 --> 00:05:49.680 that's happened. But I think Rob mentioned it. The podcast 121 00:05:49.720 --> 00:05:53.959 game is a little bit different to the mainstream media 122 00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:56.680 or sports game where you're seen his rivals or whatnot. 123 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:58.439 And you know, I watch a bit of Den and 124 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:00.959 Kemp or James Graham or Maddie John's and a all 125 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:03.680 hallow sport and they all seem to appear a little 126 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:05.560 bit on each other's platforms and try and help each 127 00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:05.959 other out. 128 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:08.839 Well, when we're all sitting at Campbelltown, or all sitting 129 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:11.680 at Leichhard, or all watching the West Tigers in some form, 130 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:14.240 we're all on the same page, we're all doing the 131 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:16.680 same thing. We all have our hearts in the same place. 132 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:23.279 So why not, I mean, more perspectives, more voices. I 133 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:26.160 think it all adds to the mix. And you know 134 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:28.120 that's why we have We've had a few other people 135 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:30.879 on recently, like Jordan, you know, just to hear some 136 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:35.720 different perspectives as well. But you know, I think it's 137 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:38.680 just a testament, I suppose, if I'm being in my 138 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:41.360 most optimistic, a testament to the West Tigers that the 139 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:45.120 West Tigers has such a huge fan base of people 140 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:48.360 that aren't just casual fans but live and breathe the 141 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:50.720 brand and there's got to be something in that and 142 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:52.800 maybe a little bit of it's a Stockholm syndrome and 143 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:58.160 we've come this far and we can't give up. But yeah, look, 144 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:01.040 it's just it's going to be sweet one day. I 145 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:03.600 can't say when that will be, but one day it 146 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:03.920 will be. 147 00:07:04.759 --> 00:07:07.959 Dave, have you got any other sports podcasts you like 148 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:11.360 to tune into? I know Gary likes to listen back 149 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.319 to his own voice and our own podcast, but you've 150 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:16.199 got any outside of that, matey. 151 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:19.480 I enjoyed listening to ours when Gary is not on, 152 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:22.839 so I think two of those in the last three 153 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:26.399 or four years. Yeah, I listened to I used to 154 00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:30.560 listen to, you know, the Gus Good one. I enjoyed that, 155 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:33.240 but I'm off that now. Enough his efforts in the 156 00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:35.319 last couple of weeks, I don't I like the how 157 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:38.920 he games of I think that's that's a really good podcast. 158 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:39.199 Yeah. 159 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:42.360 I do listen to the West Life podcast West Tiger's 160 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:45.199 Life podcast from time to time, but apart from that's 161 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:46.240 that's probably about it. 162 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:49.360 I reckon, do you do? You dabble in other sports 163 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:50.759 so you stick to sort of the leak side of 164 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:51.480 the podcast game. 165 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:53.720 I love. I love a lot of sports. 166 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:56.480 I'm not actually big on podcasts, so the only other, 167 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:59.279 for example, rugby league podcast I've listened to this year 168 00:07:59.319 --> 00:08:02.759 would be Terrell May on The By podcast with James Graham. 169 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:06.800 Richo on that same podcast. Look, anything rich goes on 170 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:10.639 I want to hear, not because I'm just a West 171 00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:13.360 Siger supporter, but I kind of like live on every 172 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:16.199 word he says, because we really need some hope and reassurance, 173 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:19.120 even the nine minutes spiel that you're talking about later, 174 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:21.639 Like he just has to get out there and say stuff, 175 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:24.759 because when you're kept in the dark, you know, you 176 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:27.720 start getting doubts in your head. So I think us fans, 177 00:08:27.720 --> 00:08:29.920 given that we've had fourteen years with our finals, we 178 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:32.480 need plenty of reassurance and hope. 179 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:34.720 We'll go round the table on this one bit of 180 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:38.600 a West Tiger's themed segment, Joel one word to describe 181 00:08:38.600 --> 00:08:39.600 our season so far. 182 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:43.039 I've actually gone for numbers. I've gone for one third, 183 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:45.960 So I'm happy to say probably a third of what 184 00:08:45.960 --> 00:08:47.960 we've put out there on the field this year I'm 185 00:08:47.960 --> 00:08:52.080 pretty happy with and it gives us hope. A third's 186 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:54.759 we've been pretty darn good, pretty competitive, But of course 187 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:58.440 that leaves two thirds, which is still a little bit flat, 188 00:08:58.519 --> 00:09:00.840 still a little bit reminis of where we've been the 189 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:03.480 last few years. So yeah, I've gone a third something different. 190 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:09.240 I'm going to say promising, Eddie, because I think we 191 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:11.840 started the season quite well. Then we fell in a 192 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:13.759 bit of a hole and I was really worried that 193 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:17.320 we were regressing to the Tigers of old and that 194 00:09:17.480 --> 00:09:18.879 was going to be a theme for the rest of 195 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:21.399 the year. But then I thought we hit back pretty 196 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:23.559 well against Penrith, Like we didn't get the chocolates, but 197 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:26.440 we played that brand of footy we've been playing earlier 198 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:29.279 in the year, which sort of told me that the 199 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:33.240 drop was really around the whole Galvin situation. So you 200 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:35.639 take that out and I think what we're seeing is 201 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:37.360 pretty promising. We all knew it was going to be 202 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:40.279 a slow burn. I think we're getting there. 203 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:45.279 Your word, rob Eddie, my words underachieved. And I say 204 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:48.080 that with the benefit of hindsight, we could easily have 205 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.600 won round four, Round one against the Knights, Round four 206 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:53.679 against the Warriors, Round five against Power, and round eleven 207 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:56.440 against sous. So given all that, I think we should 208 00:09:56.440 --> 00:09:59.600 be higher on the table with out draw. But obviously, 209 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:02.320 if you sort of looked at where we were at 210 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:04.320 the end of last year and having three spoons in 211 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:07.799 a row, you wouldn't say underachieved. But I think looking 212 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:09.919 back now, we should be higher up on the ladder. 213 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.080 I think our best team is quite a good scene. 214 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:14.399 Although we're probably a couple of first graders short that 215 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:16.879 you know, we'll probably talk about later, but I'm really 216 00:10:16.919 --> 00:10:19.200 happy with how we've played and the fact of how 217 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:20.200 we're competitive we are. 218 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:24.200 You know, we're talking about this the other day. You know, 219 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:29.720 if Galvin holds that ball over line and we get 220 00:10:29.720 --> 00:10:32.720 a penalty on that hip drop and score a try, 221 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:37.879 then we're one game out of the top four. It's amazing, 222 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:38.960 right it is. 223 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:42.240 And look I mentioned it on I think with Adele 224 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:45.919 last Sunday night on our podcast. I actually was flattered 225 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:49.919 that ivan clear he said in his halftime talk or 226 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:52.399 what they mentioned on TV with Jake Duke. But the 227 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:55.159 Tigers aren't going to go away in the second half. 228 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:57.200 And I think we've earned the respect of a lot 229 00:10:57.200 --> 00:10:59.559 of other teams, Like they probably think they're going to 230 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:01.240 beat us, but they know they're going to have to 231 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:03.639 really play to their full strength to get over the 232 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:05.879 line with us. And I think we're just lacking that 233 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.799 little bit of polish, a little bit of class in 234 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:12.720 some cases, a little bit of tactical awareness on the 235 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:15.480 team in terms of decisions we make and game style. 236 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:18.840 But look overall, I mean to say we'd have five 237 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:20.759 wins now, I mean that's more than the wins we 238 00:11:20.840 --> 00:11:22.080 had combined. 239 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:24.440 In twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three, so we 240 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:25.480 should be happy with it. 241 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:27.279 But as I say, I'm only saying that with the 242 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:30.279 review mirror on because I think we should have won 243 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.559 definitely those four games, and perhaps we maybe should have 244 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:35.720 lost us and George given away. They fought back in 245 00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:38.200 the second half, but you can't win every close game. 246 00:11:38.440 --> 00:11:40.360 I think we've been the better team in those games 247 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:41.000 that we lost. 248 00:11:41.559 --> 00:11:44.840 I think eleven of the thirteen games were right in 249 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:47.000 and like you said, Rob, there's definitely two or three 250 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:50.200 of them that got away. Joel. Just on the theme 251 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:52.399 of mid season awards. I know me and Gary probably 252 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:54.799 gave a few out two weeks ago during our other 253 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:57.240 buy But I'll get you guys thoughts on this. You're 254 00:11:57.399 --> 00:11:58.519 our best players so far. 255 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:01.200 That's a hard isn't it. I mean, Terrell May has 256 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:06.200 been consistent, Aruver's been consistent, Buller has been really classy 257 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:11.120 at times. Yeah, and then you've got Happy in the 258 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:13.480 mix as well. So hard to sort of find a 259 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:16.279 winner out of those four staff that tower. I suppose 260 00:12:16.440 --> 00:12:20.639 maybe for his last six weeks where he's just consistently 261 00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:23.759 beaten that first man. So yeah, there's a few there. 262 00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:25.559 I don't know who's If you guys have one that 263 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:28.440 stands out, maybe Terrell Bayer knows maybe. 264 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:29.000 Yeah. 265 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:31.519 I've gone with Terrell May, just that the minutes he's 266 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:35.720 pumped out through the season, the consistency of his performance, 267 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:39.240 like he hasn't you know, he hasn't gone through and 268 00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:41.519 pumped through the line and set up tries left right, 269 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:44.799 and so no, that's not his go. But his minutes 270 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:48.840 are incredible. He's meters are amazing. He hardly misses a tackle. 271 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:52.240 He just does his job so well. And also I 272 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:55.799 remember the I remember Benji saying that he's so good 273 00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:58.840 around the team, and a story I got told about 274 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:02.159 him was a lot of the hunger forwards. I really 275 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:04.480 clinging to him at trainer and he's doing all the 276 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:06.320 extras and you'll say to the guys, come on, you 277 00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:09.639 come out and do the extras with me, and he's 278 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:12.639 bringing them along and giving them a level of professionalism 279 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:14.080 that maybe they haven't seen before. 280 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:17.559 Rob. I don't want to preempt what you're going to say, 281 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:19.559 but you, when I actually sent you the rundown for 282 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:22.879 this podcast, you said, can you add in most important 283 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:25.799 player as well as best player? So I'm going to 284 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:28.240 guess they're going to be two different answers for you. 285 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:32.320 They certainly are, and I can one hundred percent agree 286 00:13:32.360 --> 00:13:34.879 with Joel and Steves. So why they would choose Terrel 287 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:37.879 May given the minutes and the quality that he's given 288 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:40.559 us this year, I've gone for Jerene Buller. I think 289 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:43.120 he's the point of difference in our team. He's the 290 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:45.919 X factor. He's the guy that can make something happen 291 00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:47.759 where others can't. 292 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:51.399 But yeah, I went in terms of the most important 293 00:13:51.559 --> 00:13:52.120 Terrell May. 294 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.840 And the reason I say most important for Terrell May 295 00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:59.159 is it would take at least two middles to replace 296 00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:02.120 Terrel May, Like he's irreplaceable. And I actually don't think 297 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:04.639 we could win a game without Sarah or May. That's 298 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:07.159 the amount of work that he does for our team. 299 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:10.159 So but yeah, I'm not going to argue and say 300 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:13.200 that Will has been better than May May have been incredible. 301 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:16.879 But to me, our most important players bore as Joel. 302 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:20.200 You could look at most important player a few different ways. 303 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:22.559 I think Rob was looking at the makeup of our 304 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:25.279 squad at the moment. Like on the surface, I would 305 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:28.320 probably say Jerome Lewi is our most important player just 306 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:30.480 for what he brings culturally to the side. It's a 307 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:31.200 difficult one. 308 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:35.200 It is a difficult one. And you've got that factor 309 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:38.120 of that leadership and that aura that Jerome Leui brings, 310 00:14:38.200 --> 00:14:39.919 and when you take him out of our team, we 311 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.600 do tend to, you know, just lose that little bit 312 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:44.320 of shine and that little bit of confidence. I feel 313 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:47.960 more confident as a fan when he's playing, so certainly 314 00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:50.320 very important, but you know, not to under underestimate the 315 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:54.519 importance of Appy corus Our as well. We've gone some 316 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:59.039 you know, through some years with some good first grade hookers, 317 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:02.919 but he is a step above what he delivers often 318 00:15:02.919 --> 00:15:04.360 gets sort of unseen. 319 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:07.279 Steve the most important players as someone different for you 320 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:10.440 at the same er, no, pretty. 321 00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:13.360 Much the same look. I agree with the Jerome Leway 322 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:16.159 stuff like I've been quite critical of some of his 323 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:19.759 attacking play throughout the season, but I still maintain he's 324 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:22.480 been an outstanding purchase and he has bought a level 325 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:26.840 of professionalism to our club, and he's a real leader 326 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:29.639 and he brings people with him. But I wrote down 327 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:33.600 happy as opposed to him is the most important. But 328 00:15:34.039 --> 00:15:37.039 when we do something, I agree. I agree that the 329 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:39.960 Buller comments. I think I think Rob's pretty on the 330 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:43.320 money there. But when we need spark, when we need 331 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:45.919 when we're in when there's nothing happened on the field, 332 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:49.519 it's often Happy that producers something in the middle there 333 00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:53.279 and gets us going forward. So you know, I think 334 00:15:53.320 --> 00:15:55.399 he's extremely important for us. 335 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:56.559 Rob. 336 00:15:56.840 --> 00:15:59.879 From my era, this award was always called most of 337 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:01.919 Proved And I'm a school teacher this year and I 338 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:05.279 actually changed it to Rising Staff, as I always think 339 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:07.559 the kids or whoever wins most improved, think, well, that 340 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:12.080 means I'm shitout player and I'll cood here. So I'm 341 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:14.519 going to go back to the old school dinosaur ways. 342 00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:16.559 Who's your most improved player this year? 343 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:19.159 My most improved player is Stafford Tower. 344 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:23.000 Stafford Tower used to give us one, perhaps two quality 345 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:25.960 games a year in terms of his attack. Now he's 346 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.919 absolutely dynamic. There's certainly some defensive issues he needs to 347 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:33.000 sort out on that right edge. It could be the 348 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:36.440 fact of certain players that are around him, but definitely 349 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:39.000 he's been the most improved. And if I was to 350 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:41.600 name my starting team for twenty twenty five. 351 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:43.360 I probably wouldn't have had him in it center. 352 00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:47.320 So I think he's made at leaps and bounds. He's 353 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:50.559 definitely our number one center, So for me, he's the 354 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:51.320 most improved. 355 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:54.039 Are you okay with that, Joel to that term Joel 356 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:56.279 most improved? Or is it a bit sort of derogatory? 357 00:16:56.679 --> 00:16:59.559 I think it's fair enough. I think we've all sort 358 00:16:59.559 --> 00:17:01.679 of sense that staff had told I know, I gave 359 00:17:01.720 --> 00:17:03.240 him a wrap a couple of years ago saying that 360 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:05.799 I saw a lot in him, but he's just never 361 00:17:05.799 --> 00:17:08.640 been able to consistently put games together, hamstring issues and 362 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:11.359 other injuries. But as I said earlier, that ability to 363 00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:14.559 beat that first man is uncanny because he doesn't look 364 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:18.400 like a powerful, game changing sort of center. But what 365 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:21.720 he's been able to do lately is just so impressive. 366 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:23.640 And the good thing that we're in. I mean, I 367 00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:26.160 know we're being very optimistic about a team that's still 368 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.880 sort of scratching and clawing its way away from a 369 00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:32.359 wooden spoon or potentially the bottom of the finals, but 370 00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:34.279 you know, there's a few guys that could fit into 371 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:38.279 that sort of most improved. Buller is an example of one. 372 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:41.519 To Rome. I mean, bench prop at the Roosters wasn't 373 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:44.359 really setting the world on fire, and look how far 374 00:17:44.440 --> 00:17:46.680 he's come along this year. So yeah, it's a good 375 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:47.400 thing to see. 376 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:48.759 Who's caught your eyes? 377 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:52.480 DP. Well, I had Stafford Tower for the same reason 378 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:54.279 that you guys have said, but I also had. 379 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:56.000 No. 380 00:17:56.599 --> 00:17:59.079 I just think he's work in the middle this year 381 00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:02.359 has gone up notch. His minutes have improved, his meters 382 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:06.400 have improved, He's got a lot more punched and I've 383 00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:08.599 seen in the past. I think I think he's developing 384 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:11.960 into an awesome middle forward. So I don't hav him 385 00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:12.720 up there as well. 386 00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:15.759 Let's do one more rob just glass half empty. This 387 00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:17.359 one biggest disappointment so far. 388 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.880 It's a photo finish for me Eddie. I really expected. 389 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:26.279 I wanted more out of Royce Hunt, and I will concede. 390 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:27.279 He's had some good. 391 00:18:27.079 --> 00:18:30.319 Performances early in the year, as limited as his minutes were. 392 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:33.759 Brent Aiden, Brent Aiden's just lost it for me. 393 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:36.440 I would have had him as our first center picked, 394 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:39.119 and I'm actually embarrassed to say that he seems to 395 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:41.519 have lost his speed, and given what I've seen from 396 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:43.839 him this year, he actually looks more suited on the 397 00:18:43.880 --> 00:18:46.440 wing than center, which is quite alarming. 398 00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:48.880 Yeah, I probably agree. I don't know if Roys Hunt's 399 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:51.160 carrying or has had some sort of injury, because he 400 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:53.160 just sort of fell off the cliff quite quickly. There. 401 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:55.519 He was doing quite well and then disappeared. 402 00:18:55.640 --> 00:18:59.799 Steve Joel I read today actually that he's had some 403 00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:02.640 US and rims. I don't know how accurate that is, 404 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:06.119 but he has been playing busted according to what I 405 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:07.240 saw on social. 406 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.839 And echoing the thoughts about Brent Naden, and it's what 407 00:19:10.920 --> 00:19:12.920 we've also spoken about as well. The last few years 408 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.200 is still there's still that liability every now and then, 409 00:19:16.359 --> 00:19:18.759 so I don't know if Naden's time in the NFL 410 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:21.359 is going to be much longer. I think you'll do 411 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:24.200 well in the Super League, that's probably I think he'd 412 00:19:24.200 --> 00:19:24.960 shine over there. 413 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:26.920 So I'd love to fly you to England, Jil to 414 00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:32.799 do some William dealing. Rich I went over there. 415 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:35.000 Exactly and just one for just one quickly for improved 416 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:38.000 like Adam Dewey for his defense has to get a 417 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:40.519 mentioned because he's he's really tightened up that part of 418 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:40.880 his game. 419 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:43.960 Lucky Gary's not on tonight, but I agree with that 420 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:46.640 he has been solid defense at least. Steve your biggest 421 00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:50.319 disappointment before we move on to rich O's podcast. 422 00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:52.440 Yeah, my mine's a bit left field. I'm going to 423 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:55.160 say talent of silver, and it's not because he's on 424 00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:57.720 field efforts. I got a lot of time for talent 425 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:00.759 as a football. I think he's going to be become an 426 00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:04.079 absolutely brilliant nine. I love the start of the season 427 00:20:04.119 --> 00:20:07.400 with Happy playing the bulk of the minutes and then 428 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:09.559 tell him giving him a rest at twenty twenty five 429 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:12.480 minutes a game. But what I really didn't like was 430 00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:15.359 that attitude that sort of came out that if if 431 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:19.160 Appy resigns, if the club signs resigns, Happy, I'm off, 432 00:20:19.160 --> 00:20:21.920 I'm going to go and test the out market. I'd 433 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:25.119 just like to draw his attention to Harry Grant, you know, 434 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:27.559 who sat there and reserved great from Melbourne for a 435 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:30.640 few years while he waited his time, while he ripened up, 436 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:33.160 you know, and he's now one of the best players 437 00:20:33.480 --> 00:20:36.759 in the country, in the world in fact, because he 438 00:20:36.839 --> 00:20:38.799 sort of bided his time and learned from the best. 439 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:41.200 And I'd just like to think, tell him de Silver 440 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:43.119 could do that, you know, he could sit behind Appy, 441 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:45.119 he could sit with Appy. And over the next couple 442 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:48.000 of years, gradually they sort of swapped their roles Yah 443 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:50.720 where tell him becomes the more dominant nine and Happy 444 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:55.160 actually supports him, so that I'm a little disappointed in 445 00:20:55.200 --> 00:20:56.720 how that looks to be playing out. 446 00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:59.319 The bigger question I suppose in regards to that is 447 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:02.160 do you want to carry a specialized hooker on the bench. 448 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:05.880 Are we getting more towards sort of having that utility 449 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:11.519 impact player Connor Watson type, maybe potentially Heath Mason coming 450 00:21:11.559 --> 00:21:14.359 on and playing that role and not carrying a hooker, 451 00:21:14.440 --> 00:21:17.599 and maybe that strategy is not the right strategy for us. 452 00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:20.599 Yeah, I don't like it. I got to say it. Like, 453 00:21:20.680 --> 00:21:24.319 I just think in the modern game, good service from 454 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:27.240 dummy half is so important, right, good good quick ball, 455 00:21:27.480 --> 00:21:30.079 bringing your forwards onto the ball, getting momentum at the 456 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:35.519 ruck is imperative to good attacking play. And I just 457 00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:39.559 think you bring fourteen on who's maybe not as quick 458 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:41.880 and you know, not as accurate with their passing and 459 00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:45.279 stands and then delivers rather than just delivers from the ground, 460 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:47.960 it slows it all down a little bit. So I 461 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:50.880 actually like the idea. If you're nine is not going 462 00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:53.799 to play eighty minutes, then I like having another specialist 463 00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:56.640 nine sitting at fourteen. But that's just me. 464 00:21:57.160 --> 00:21:59.160 Before we move on, Rob, how would you like to 465 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:02.359 see the app talent? It's not saga, but how do 466 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:03.480 you think he should play out? 467 00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:05.640 Not yet? 468 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:09.079 Look, I agree with both points at Steve and Jola 469 00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:12.000 mating in a perfect world. I love the proper utility 470 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:14.799 at fourteen. I don't think we had one that's capable 471 00:22:14.799 --> 00:22:17.519 of that. I don't believe Heath can play dummy half, 472 00:22:17.960 --> 00:22:21.160 and I don't think he's got the defensive capabilities. If ever, 473 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:22.880 we need to slot him in the harves as he's 474 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:26.119 done the last couple of weeks. I'm more with Steve 475 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:28.480 on playing twel on the bench. I actually want to 476 00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:31.480 preserve happy Corusou. I want more minutes out of him. 477 00:22:31.799 --> 00:22:33.720 I'd love to see him know that he's going to 478 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:35.559 be with us for a couple of years. And look, 479 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:38.680 I know, I'm sure Gary's mentioned this on your pod previously. 480 00:22:39.079 --> 00:22:40.960 You've got to go back to when he was at Penrith. 481 00:22:41.160 --> 00:22:43.440 He was already getting reduced minutes at Penrith before he 482 00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:47.079 came to us. And while he's handling eighty, he loves 483 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:49.160 our club and he loves Benji. He's doing everything you 484 00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:51.440 can for our club. I don't want to burn him out. 485 00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:53.400 You know we said this the last couple of years. 486 00:22:53.640 --> 00:22:56.359 In my opinion, he's easily been our best player in 487 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:58.079 twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four. 488 00:22:58.519 --> 00:23:01.519 And no disrespect to talent. I think Appy he's. 489 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:04.839 Like classes above talent talent will be a great player. 490 00:23:04.839 --> 00:23:06.319 I still think he's eighteen months away. 491 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:10.160 He's definitely Even when he does make tackles, he doesn't 492 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:13.039 get to market quickly. He's a little bit of a 493 00:23:13.079 --> 00:23:15.559 weakness there, so dummy half's targeted him as soon as 494 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:16.640 he's fallen. 495 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:18.079 Off a tackle. But he will be great. 496 00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:20.960 He's put on five or six kilos in the offseason 497 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:23.440 and he's going to get better with every single season. 498 00:23:23.680 --> 00:23:25.160 And I've got no doubt he's going to be an 499 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:27.079 eleague hooker. I mean, I don't really want to lose 500 00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:29.319 either of them, but he forced to pick, and I 501 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:31.400 know rich O and benji're arguing over this. At the 502 00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:34.119 moment he forced to choose, I'd be choosing Happy because 503 00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:37.759 I know he gives us instant success. I think talent 504 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:42.319 still got improvement anywhere Appy doesn't. He's there, He's the laitue. He's, 505 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:44.160 in my opinion, the best hooker in the game. 506 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:47.720 Richo certainly be one of the men making that decision. 507 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:51.440 Rob He did drop in on their the club's official podcast, 508 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:53.480 nine or ten minutes, probably the first time he's all 509 00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:57.200 definitely spoke, first time he's spoken publicly in two months. 510 00:23:57.240 --> 00:23:59.759 I think lots of West Tigers fans were getting a 511 00:23:59.799 --> 00:24:02.200 bit nancy, but I think his hands were tied. Were 512 00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:05.480 you reassured or worried by that nine or ten minutes 513 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:07.319 That he spoke, what do you speak about? 514 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:12.119 All I was worried about, Eddie was the Campbelltown Stadium issues. 515 00:24:12.279 --> 00:24:16.519 I think the repercussions of not getting government funding and 516 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:20.640 actually not being based at Campbelltown bothers me significantly. And 517 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:23.559 I'm a Balmain boy, but I believe our futures out there. 518 00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:26.039 I don't want a to facto home ground at Liverpool 519 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:28.960 or Combank Stadium or what have you. I thought the 520 00:24:29.079 --> 00:24:31.839 nine minutes was quite padded up. I really didn't think 521 00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:35.119 he had much new to say or anything like that, 522 00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:37.599 and he did mention himself that he was hamstrung by 523 00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:40.400 legal issues and I don't think we'll ever find out 524 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:43.039 fully what went on there Eddie. So while it was 525 00:24:43.079 --> 00:24:45.880 good to hear from him, I think it was probably 526 00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:47.960 timely that he did speak a couple of days ago, 527 00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:51.519 because you know, we're most likely looking at playing Canberra 528 00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:55.240 without Luai and who knows. I don't know if Terrell 529 00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:56.839 May is going to get called in now that kolumb 530 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:00.359 Tonguey's not going to Perth, so I think we might 531 00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:02.160 be on the wrong end of the scoreline there, so 532 00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:04.359 better for him to come out with some positive stuff 533 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:07.960 now after a potential poor scoreline Friday week. 534 00:25:08.359 --> 00:25:10.599 Joel, We certainly don't want to go back to the 535 00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:13.960 days of asked the boss and Tiger Town and the 536 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:17.160 older CEO of getting his head everywhere. But do you 537 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:19.799 think it was timely that rich I spoke. 538 00:25:20.119 --> 00:25:22.440 Oh, one hundred percent, it was. It was something that 539 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:24.440 we needed to hear, and it's probably something with where 540 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:26.240 this fan base is at that we need to hear 541 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:31.599 on a semi regular basis. Probably the amount of time 542 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:33.640 and given the amount of things that have been going 543 00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:35.599 on around the club, there was a bit of an 544 00:25:35.640 --> 00:25:39.960 information vacuum there. There's pendulum swung a little bit too far. 545 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:41.759 Where in the old days we used to have almost 546 00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:44.920 daily updates from the club what was happening or not happening, 547 00:25:45.079 --> 00:25:48.039 or could happen or maybe happen, and we were sort 548 00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:50.079 of we got used to that as a fan base. 549 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:53.799 So but you can't go to the amount of time 550 00:25:53.799 --> 00:25:56.880 that rich I went given what was going on without something. 551 00:25:56.920 --> 00:25:58.799 We were starting to get a little bit antsy as 552 00:25:58.799 --> 00:25:59.400 a fan group. 553 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:02.599 Do you have any main takeaways? He was pretty well. 554 00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:06.160 He was very praiseworthy for Benji Marshall. He was critical 555 00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:08.160 of the referee it's a little subtle shot there. 556 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:13.000 Anything else, I know, I think you know what he said, 557 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:15.680 I think we could fully expect him to say. I 558 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:18.279 think his comments on the referees were good, and I 559 00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:21.759 think the way he said it was really well. I 560 00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:23.799 agree that he's been a little bit slow to respond. 561 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:26.720 I think we need to hear from him formally three 562 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:30.440 or four times a year. But I think the biggest 563 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:32.279 mistake that sort of happened was when he came out 564 00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:34.680 and he probably regrets this. I'd say when he came 565 00:26:34.680 --> 00:26:37.319 out and said we've got two or three signs over 566 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:40.640 the line, and then it went quite for a period 567 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:43.319 of time, and I think that got the fan base 568 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:45.519 a little bit as But apart from that, I thought 569 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:48.079 his comments around the team were fair. The way the 570 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:53.119 team's performing, yeah, it was safe. What he said was 571 00:26:53.319 --> 00:26:54.599 safe and secure. 572 00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:57.000 But what you'd expect was, I don't want to go 573 00:26:57.160 --> 00:26:59.519 down the rabbit hole rob of talking too much about 574 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:01.720 referees that I know you'd agree with this point that 575 00:27:01.799 --> 00:27:05.160 there is now an inherent or subconscious bias against the 576 00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:05.839 lower team. 577 00:27:05.880 --> 00:27:09.359 There definitely is, and it's something Adele mentioned with us 578 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:12.119 much earlier in the year, and he basically said we 579 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:14.279 need to earn that respect and we need to be 580 00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:16.839 better and overcome those poor decisions. 581 00:27:17.160 --> 00:27:18.200 I don't think it's fair. 582 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:20.640 And look, I don't know where you guys stand on it, 583 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:22.599 but you know we saw it again last night with 584 00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:26.559 a battling team. You know, with a try. You know 585 00:27:26.599 --> 00:27:30.000 it's a long which you know in every definition. To me, 586 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:32.519 that's not a try. If the balls above the ground, 587 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:35.599 you cannot grip it with your forum. I don't care 588 00:27:35.640 --> 00:27:37.519 if it's stuck to your forum. That's a knock on 589 00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:38.640 every day. 590 00:27:38.519 --> 00:27:38.960 Of the week. 591 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:41.319 And the worst part for me is the NRL has 592 00:27:41.319 --> 00:27:43.359 come out today and backed up that decision. 593 00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:46.079 And I think what's clever that what Riche has done 594 00:27:46.119 --> 00:27:50.200 is that's exactly the right format to make that statement. 595 00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:52.240 You don't want the coach saying it in the heat 596 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:54.400 of the heat of the moment in the press conference 597 00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:57.759 straight after the game, because the adrenaline's pumping and you're 598 00:27:57.839 --> 00:28:02.680 under the microscope and you obviously you know after the 599 00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:05.319 match you're talking specifically about the performance of one or 600 00:28:05.359 --> 00:28:08.640 maybe two individuals, the referee and the bunker. But Richo 601 00:28:08.839 --> 00:28:11.319 just just did across the board opinion piece, which is 602 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:14.839 basically what we see in the game is and he said, 603 00:28:14.839 --> 00:28:16.559 I've seen it for quite a while, is it? You know, 604 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:20.759 the better teams get the better the better judgments, and 605 00:28:20.839 --> 00:28:23.079 nobody can see you over that. That's just opinion. And 606 00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:25.640 if it ever got into a courtroom and you looked 607 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:27.359 at the I'm sure if you looked at the data, 608 00:28:27.400 --> 00:28:31.119 you're able to crunch the data of whether there's any 609 00:28:31.160 --> 00:28:33.720 truth in that opinion. I think there probably would be. 610 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:36.359 I mean, anecdotally, we know that we feel it because 611 00:28:36.359 --> 00:28:39.279 we seem to get it. But as Rob said, it 612 00:28:39.400 --> 00:28:42.400 happened to Newcastle, it happens every week. You know, every 613 00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:44.799 week you see it, the top eight teams seem to 614 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:47.480 get the rubb of the green. That bit more, I. 615 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:51.279 Think there's one hundred percent method to Richo's madness. Every 616 00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:55.200 single word he says has been fought through and planted. 617 00:28:55.319 --> 00:29:00.359 Nothing is said by him by chance, publicly anyway. And 618 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:02.519 he just said that perfectly it needed to be said. 619 00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:05.640 They need to be shot across the bow, and he 620 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:08.759 did it in the perfect way. I thought, every of 621 00:29:08.759 --> 00:29:12.480 this guy, does you know, I know, you know he's 622 00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:14.720 got the stadium thing to sort out, and I know 623 00:29:14.759 --> 00:29:16.799 people saying it needs to come a little bit more often. 624 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:20.880 But everything this guy does is done professionally and from 625 00:29:20.920 --> 00:29:23.759 my perspective anyway, this makes me think the club is 626 00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:27.240 in such good hands having a guy for his experience leadings. 627 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:30.559 One of our regular segments rob is buy sell a 628 00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:33.359 whole of to throw the first one to you. Jerome 629 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:37.200 Lewai has been worth the supposed one point three million 630 00:29:37.240 --> 00:29:39.480 dollars per season. You're buying off selling that. 631 00:29:41.640 --> 00:29:43.680 This is one where I think whatever answer you say, 632 00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:47.200 you can get criticized for. I mean, if you're being objective, 633 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:51.559 it's probably a hold. For me, I'm buying it, and 634 00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:53.680 I'd go further than that. If he's not worth the 635 00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:56.240 one point three this year, Eddie, he's worth a six 636 00:29:56.279 --> 00:30:00.000 point five for five years. He absolutely helps out cold. 637 00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:03.880 He's a natural leader. He's totally invested in the club, 638 00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:07.200 he's invested in the coach. And I know he's not 639 00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:09.400 getting the triasis or the tries on the field, but 640 00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:09.799 you can. 641 00:30:09.720 --> 00:30:13.000 Only see by his effort plays, whether it's. 642 00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:16.640 Him chasing Poler in round one and cutting an inside 643 00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:20.319 pass off or or chasing Alex Johnson in round eleven. 644 00:30:21.079 --> 00:30:23.559 You know when we baller through an intercept and here 645 00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:26.599 chasing down the line, and even when we beat Cronulla 646 00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:29.359 in extra time, the way he was reving up the 647 00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:32.359 players between full time and extra time. He's an absolute 648 00:30:32.440 --> 00:30:34.480 born leader. I know people say, yeah, well that's not 649 00:30:34.519 --> 00:30:35.039 worth one. 650 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:36.160 Point three million dollars. 651 00:30:36.519 --> 00:30:39.799 Probably my best analogy to go even with her with that, Eddie, 652 00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:42.720 is to say, I think rich O is the best 653 00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:45.680 signing we've ever had, whether it's a player or administrator. 654 00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:47.079 And where are we now? 655 00:30:47.160 --> 00:30:50.359 Where four losses in a rouwn, we're going backwards and 656 00:30:50.359 --> 00:30:52.519 we're most likely going to end up near the bottom 657 00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:55.039 of the table. Just because you know you're not in 658 00:30:55.079 --> 00:30:57.160 the eight or you're not winning premierships doesn't mean you're 659 00:30:57.200 --> 00:31:00.559 not successful. Jerome's going to also attract players to the 660 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:03.559 club and everyone can see the relationship he's got with 661 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:05.720 the coach, and I think it's only better for us 662 00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:08.319 to have him with us. And I think, you know, 663 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:11.440 I'm very hopeful of this when he partners with Latu 664 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:14.680 FNU next year, who I hope stay sealthy. I am 665 00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:19.000 so excited about that combination, Eddie. I think he's a 666 00:31:19.039 --> 00:31:21.839 second season with us and a few better signings in 667 00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:23.960 certain positions. I think we can be a lot better. 668 00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:27.200 But I guess in my heart of hearts, I'm buying it. 669 00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:29.359 But you know that the objective thing to say would be. 670 00:31:29.400 --> 00:31:32.359 Hold, he might have just answered my next question, Robber, 671 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:33.839 is here seven or a six? Derome? 672 00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:37.240 I think I'll be arguing with Gary about this quite 673 00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:39.319 a bit, Eddie, because I know he sees last two 674 00:31:39.400 --> 00:31:42.440 as a six. To me, Jerome's definitely a seven. And 675 00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:45.160 I see the way Latu straightens up the attack. He's 676 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:49.799 very much Cioni katoa like. So for me, I'd be 677 00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:54.000 playing Jerome at six. But again it's a bloody expensive 678 00:31:54.680 --> 00:31:57.440 five eight at one point two one point three million dollars. 679 00:31:57.440 --> 00:31:58.880 But I mean, I think he offers a lot more 680 00:31:58.920 --> 00:32:01.559 than Dylan Brown. Dylan Brown to me, is one dimensional. 681 00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:04.400 He's just run, run, run, He hasn't got a passing game. 682 00:32:04.440 --> 00:32:06.920 He's a good defender, like you can almost play Dylan 683 00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:09.839 Brown as a center. So yeah, I think Jerome Leui 684 00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:11.319 at number six for me, Eddie. 685 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:17.160 We hope you're enjoying this edition of The West Tiger's podcast. 686 00:32:17.319 --> 00:32:20.000 Don't forget If you agree or disagree, we'd love to 687 00:32:20.039 --> 00:32:23.279 hear your comments and thoughts on the West Tigers podcast forum. 688 00:32:23.480 --> 00:32:25.880 It's free to join and you can contribute directly to 689 00:32:25.920 --> 00:32:28.920 the podcast on the forum. Just head to West Tiger's 690 00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:32.000 podcast dot com dot au slash forum. We hope to 691 00:32:32.039 --> 00:32:32.839 see you there soon. 692 00:32:37.160 --> 00:32:39.440 You buy and I selling at Jylon Jerome one point 693 00:32:39.480 --> 00:32:39.920 three year. 694 00:32:41.000 --> 00:32:42.680 What I would say is that I think that we've 695 00:32:42.680 --> 00:32:44.680 heard people come into the club over the years that 696 00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:48.359 have come with a view to providing leadership and have 697 00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:50.599 been beaten by the system or have given up in 698 00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:53.839 the process, whereas I don't see Jerome Leui doing that. 699 00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:55.759 That's the difference. It's one thing to come in and 700 00:32:55.799 --> 00:32:59.039 be a leader, it's another thing to maintain that leadership. 701 00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:01.039 And we need him to meet team that leadership and 702 00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:04.440 not give up because this is going to be an 703 00:33:04.440 --> 00:33:07.039 operation that takes more than one year. Yeah, this is 704 00:33:07.160 --> 00:33:10.000 where we've made progress, but we're not being it So 705 00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:11.720 don't give up. 706 00:33:12.839 --> 00:33:15.319 Yeah. So I went down to the Center of Excellence 707 00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:18.279 last week and that they were having their team photos 708 00:33:18.359 --> 00:33:22.119 and lucky for me, my membership allows me to get 709 00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:23.880 in to have a photo with the team. So I 710 00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:26.920 was there for a couple of hours in and around 711 00:33:26.920 --> 00:33:30.720 the team Men's and women's teams and the whole everywhere. 712 00:33:30.759 --> 00:33:38.599 Steve in the game, I can drop a name. But 713 00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:40.839 so there's a point to this if you just let 714 00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:47.319 me get to it right. Look at these blokes that 715 00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:49.200 have just lost four games in a round, just been 716 00:33:49.240 --> 00:33:52.839 through the Galvin garbage for last month, and the stress 717 00:33:52.839 --> 00:33:56.039 that that's caused the club. And I saw a bunch 718 00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:58.799 of blokes that were just sow together and so united 719 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:02.319 and so happy to be in each other's company, and 720 00:34:03.240 --> 00:34:09.440 they just looked like a high functioning professional group of footballers. 721 00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:13.519 And I just sat back and I watched that, and 722 00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:16.599 I thought, this club has gone places. We are on 723 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:19.679 the right track. This team is going to get there. 724 00:34:20.760 --> 00:34:23.880 And yeah it's not shown yet, like we're still bottom 725 00:34:23.880 --> 00:34:26.599 of the table, but what I saw was enough to 726 00:34:26.679 --> 00:34:29.000 know to tell me that this group's going to make it. 727 00:34:29.079 --> 00:34:32.639 And the jderme Luise and the Toron Mays, you know, 728 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:35.679 and the Rito's put them all together and they're causing 729 00:34:35.719 --> 00:34:39.920 this to happen. These guys not just what they do 730 00:34:40.199 --> 00:34:42.599 in the eighty minutes, it's what they do seven days 731 00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:48.000 a week around the club. So you know, I've criticized 732 00:34:48.239 --> 00:34:50.199 some of his play on the field, and I think 733 00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:53.039 I'm within my rights to do that. But what he's 734 00:34:53.039 --> 00:34:56.719 brought to our club with others has been extraordinary, I think. 735 00:34:57.079 --> 00:34:59.519 And good to seeing Rob. I know I couldn't care 736 00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:01.440 less to be a two wins state of Origin, but 737 00:35:01.559 --> 00:35:04.880 I was just relieved one Mitchell Moses got injured. That 738 00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:07.239 was good news and too just for Jirave to get 739 00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:09.159 a call up because it's sort of not that I 740 00:35:09.159 --> 00:35:10.960 don't think he's forming anything to do with it, the 741 00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:13.159 fact that Moses was on fire and was in last 742 00:35:13.239 --> 00:35:15.800 year's series, but the fact now he's probably going to 743 00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:17.519 get to play in a winning series and play those 744 00:35:17.639 --> 00:35:20.400 last two Origin it just takes that sort of mood 745 00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:22.639 away from you know, if we do drift out of 746 00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:23.800 finals contention for him. 747 00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:26.039 Yeah, I'm really happy that he got selected. 748 00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:29.079 I mean, obviously he's the second choice, but you know 749 00:35:29.119 --> 00:35:31.400 we've had this stench the West Tigers players don't get 750 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:34.079 picked for Origin or very rarely, so at least I 751 00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:36.239 can chief for New South Wales with a bit of 752 00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:39.239 passion this time, as opposed to going out for my 753 00:35:39.320 --> 00:35:41.800 son's birthday and not giving two hoots about the result. 754 00:35:42.599 --> 00:35:45.199 I think it's really important also that New South Wales 755 00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:47.920 win for Jerome's sake as well. We don't want him 756 00:35:47.960 --> 00:35:49.800 to be I that Jerome Lewid didn't play well with 757 00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:52.400 what's happened, He's come to the Tigers and regress. So 758 00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:55.159 I'm really happy that he played. But again, I want 759 00:35:55.239 --> 00:35:56.679 him to get the win and it's going to be 760 00:35:56.679 --> 00:35:58.840 interesting to see how he plays a succeed he going. 761 00:35:58.639 --> 00:36:01.599 Back to your previous question because you know certainly clear 762 00:36:01.639 --> 00:36:04.800 he can straighten the lineup. That's something Latu Feynu can do. 763 00:36:04.960 --> 00:36:07.000 So if he has a great game of six, I mean, 764 00:36:07.079 --> 00:36:08.960 it might answer all our questions for the future. 765 00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:12.280 Brandell I reckon in New South last, but we'll see. 766 00:36:12.559 --> 00:36:15.320 I'm going to skip over the second one Rob for 767 00:36:15.320 --> 00:36:17.239 a minute. It depends what's on a mood. I mean, 768 00:36:17.280 --> 00:36:18.559 I might come back to it, but I'm going to 769 00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:20.719 go to see which is a historical one. I've got 770 00:36:20.719 --> 00:36:23.400 a few historical ones thrown in. Brett Hodgson is the 771 00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:26.639 club's greatest ever fallback? You're buying or selling that? 772 00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:29.559 I'm selling that. I thought this. I thought this was 773 00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:33.679 the easiest question you threw up here. Yeah, I mean 774 00:36:33.719 --> 00:36:36.719 it's James Tedesco first, second and third I mean, I 775 00:36:36.760 --> 00:36:39.760 know Tedie wasn't a goalkicker or a general kicker, and 776 00:36:40.199 --> 00:36:43.400 certainly Brett Hodgson achieved more with the club. But I mean, 777 00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:45.199 I look at it this way. If you were picking 778 00:36:45.199 --> 00:36:50.320 a team to ensure the survival of the West Tigers 779 00:36:50.440 --> 00:36:53.559 franchise for one game only win or lose, who are 780 00:36:53.559 --> 00:36:54.079 you putting a. 781 00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:57.000 Fullback to Disco or Brett Hodgson? It's Tedesco every time. 782 00:36:57.000 --> 00:37:00.719 For me, Wow has thrown me a bit there, Rob Steve, 783 00:37:00.840 --> 00:37:03.199 You disagree or agree? 784 00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:06.639 No, I can't disagree. I'd like to disagree because I 785 00:37:06.679 --> 00:37:09.000 think we're all being really too nice to each other tonight, 786 00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:11.159 and it's obvious the first part we've all been together, 787 00:37:11.480 --> 00:37:13.920 so I'd love to disagree. I forgot all about him, 788 00:37:13.960 --> 00:37:16.320 to be honest, but you're right. You're right, he's, without 789 00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:17.840 doubt the premier FABA we've had. 790 00:37:17.880 --> 00:37:20.320 And Esco never had a season that Hodgen had in 791 00:37:20.360 --> 00:37:21.239 West Tiger's colors. 792 00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:22.360 That roub did he really like? 793 00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:25.079 The third that in five was unbelievable. 794 00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:26.639 I totally agree with you. 795 00:37:26.679 --> 00:37:30.199 I mean, leading points scorer and record you know, record 796 00:37:30.239 --> 00:37:32.440 goal kicks and scored a lot of tries and there's 797 00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:36.360 no doubt he achieved more in certain seasons than Tedesco 798 00:37:36.920 --> 00:37:38.639 ever did. But you just have to look at the 799 00:37:38.679 --> 00:37:41.559 players and what they offer a team. And can you 800 00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:44.320 imagine James Tedesco in that two thousand and five seam 801 00:37:44.599 --> 00:37:46.840 My god, my god. I mean, look, he left our 802 00:37:46.880 --> 00:37:48.480 club and I know he went to a stack team 803 00:37:48.480 --> 00:37:52.400 and he won supremierships back to back. He scored the 804 00:37:52.400 --> 00:37:55.000 match winning try in Origin Series a few years ago. 805 00:37:55.039 --> 00:37:57.519 He's played for Australia like he's he's done it all 806 00:37:58.039 --> 00:37:59.480 and that's no disrespect to. 807 00:37:59.480 --> 00:38:02.760 Bret Hodge and he's probably been overall. 808 00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:04.719 Like yeah, if you look at his achievement, he's won 809 00:38:04.760 --> 00:38:07.599 a premiership and James Odesco hasn't. James Sidesco didn't need 810 00:38:07.599 --> 00:38:10.519 to play finals. But if I'm giving you my honest answer, 811 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:12.519 I don't even think it's close. 812 00:38:13.360 --> 00:38:16.400 It's probably how you frame the question. Who is the 813 00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:19.239 fullback that has given the most to the West Tigers. 814 00:38:19.880 --> 00:38:23.840 You'd say Brett Hodgson. But who's the best footballer that's 815 00:38:23.880 --> 00:38:26.440 played football for the club. You'd say to Esco. 816 00:38:26.920 --> 00:38:29.679 So I reckon deliberately sleive A's host. I've left it 817 00:38:29.760 --> 00:38:32.679 open ended because I wanted a bit of debate. Gol, 818 00:38:32.719 --> 00:38:35.119 You've probably got someone random like Mitch Brown or something. 819 00:38:35.159 --> 00:38:36.760 Have you love Mitch Brown? 820 00:38:37.800 --> 00:38:37.840 No? 821 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:40.159 No, But I think we're probably all on the same 822 00:38:40.199 --> 00:38:43.079 page ultimately, because I think everybody in rugbya league would 823 00:38:43.079 --> 00:38:46.280 agree that Tedesco is a generational talent. Brett Hodgson's a 824 00:38:46.360 --> 00:38:49.880 really good first grade was a really good first grade fullback. 825 00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:53.119 But the question is Brett Hodgson is the club's greatest 826 00:38:53.159 --> 00:38:56.480 ever fallback. And given that he actually accomplished something here 827 00:38:56.559 --> 00:38:59.440 and Tedesco didn't really accomplish a lot, you know, maybe 828 00:38:59.480 --> 00:39:04.599 by buy a heir'd say Hodgson is the better player 829 00:39:04.679 --> 00:39:07.039 from our perspective, not the game's perspective. 830 00:39:08.280 --> 00:39:10.440 Rob, I'm going to combine B and D sort of 831 00:39:10.480 --> 00:39:13.719 the same sort of question. Has the rugby league media 832 00:39:14.440 --> 00:39:17.599 played a role in the West Tigers being a dysfunctional 833 00:39:17.840 --> 00:39:21.239 organization or still plays a role, Or you're buying that 834 00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:24.079 or you're selling it, or it's more on us both. 835 00:39:24.719 --> 00:39:27.679 I'm buying it because they do. But it's our fault beating. 836 00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:30.559 We're border on ourselves. We've had a lot of mismanagement, 837 00:39:30.960 --> 00:39:36.199 going back to Grant Mayor being CEO, Dustin Pasco. 838 00:39:36.840 --> 00:39:39.559 So yeah, I definitely think they do play a role. 839 00:39:39.760 --> 00:39:43.440 And as we all know, we're suckers for a media 840 00:39:43.559 --> 00:39:46.199 article on the West Tigers and they realize we bite 841 00:39:46.239 --> 00:39:49.880 a lot, so they love starring up the button putting 842 00:39:49.920 --> 00:39:51.599 the need of spin on our club. 843 00:39:51.719 --> 00:39:53.679 So they have played their role, but I think it's 844 00:39:53.719 --> 00:39:54.320 our fault beating. 845 00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:59.320 They've definitely tarnished the West Tigers reputation. But imagine what 846 00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:01.599 the club would be like, or what some of the 847 00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:04.800 levels of management through the years would have been like 848 00:40:05.239 --> 00:40:08.000 if we were blind to what was going on, if 849 00:40:08.039 --> 00:40:09.840 they were able to get away with stuff and it 850 00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:12.239 didn't end up in the Sydney Morning Herald like the 851 00:40:12.599 --> 00:40:15.679 Holman Barnes group stuff earlier in the year, and we 852 00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:18.039 were non toward we didn't know what was going on. 853 00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:20.199 Can you imagine what it would have been like. So 854 00:40:20.840 --> 00:40:25.320 there's an argument either way. Definitely, if you asked, I 855 00:40:25.480 --> 00:40:28.360 think the person in the street about the West Tiger's brand, 856 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:31.119 they'd probably turn their nose a little bit and say 857 00:40:31.360 --> 00:40:35.199 that's not a good strong brand. But if we didn't 858 00:40:35.239 --> 00:40:39.119 have the media bringing these stories to light, then we 859 00:40:39.199 --> 00:40:43.159 wouldn't be able to actually keep people to check to 860 00:40:43.519 --> 00:40:47.599 actually keep on top of situations, as I said, such 861 00:40:47.679 --> 00:40:50.039 as that Holman Barnes thing earlier in the year which 862 00:40:50.320 --> 00:40:55.320 formulated West Tigers Unite, which formulated the petition and the action, 863 00:40:55.599 --> 00:40:59.519 and we called it out into the public and pretty 864 00:40:59.559 --> 00:41:01.000 much got exactly what we wanted. 865 00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:04.159 It's a bit of a catch twenty two Steve. I 866 00:41:04.199 --> 00:41:05.760 think I think I might have even been listening to 867 00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:08.159 at Rob's pod when they had Michael Chambers on and 868 00:41:08.679 --> 00:41:10.719 he sort of basically said it without saying it, like, 869 00:41:10.960 --> 00:41:13.199 no one really wants to read about Cronulla or Manly 870 00:41:13.320 --> 00:41:17.239 or Penrith, but if you're talking Bulldogs, Paramatta, south West Tigers, 871 00:41:17.639 --> 00:41:20.639 it's big news and it's big cliques and unfortunately we've 872 00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:23.000 just been bad for thirteen fourteen years, so they are 873 00:41:23.079 --> 00:41:24.639 going to write big, bad articles. 874 00:41:25.480 --> 00:41:29.000 Oh yeah, that's right. We are absolutely a power us 875 00:41:29.039 --> 00:41:32.280 in the competition. As far as the journalists to concern, 876 00:41:32.360 --> 00:41:34.880 they love us, and why wouldn't they. I agree, we've 877 00:41:34.920 --> 00:41:37.920 bought most of this on ourselves. Our dysfunctionality has been 878 00:41:37.960 --> 00:41:40.800 out there for all to sea and it's just been amplified. 879 00:41:41.079 --> 00:41:44.480 The thing that concerns me about the power of the media, 880 00:41:45.280 --> 00:41:47.239 these days and maybe it's forever. I don't know, but 881 00:41:48.079 --> 00:41:50.920 is they have such an impact on people's perceptions, and 882 00:41:51.199 --> 00:41:54.159 as I've said, stacks and sacks of times, people's perception 883 00:41:54.320 --> 00:41:56.800 becomes reality, right, And if you're trying to get good 884 00:41:56.840 --> 00:41:58.679 players to come to the club, and you're trying to 885 00:41:59.079 --> 00:42:02.679 grow your brand and get sponsorship and the like, when 886 00:42:02.719 --> 00:42:04.800 the perception is out there, the club's on the nose, 887 00:42:04.840 --> 00:42:07.239 you're just not going to get it out. Most of 888 00:42:07.280 --> 00:42:09.760 it is our fault, but it's been amplified by the 889 00:42:09.880 --> 00:42:14.000 media and makes it harder for us to rectify some 890 00:42:14.119 --> 00:42:15.960 of the problems that we've created. 891 00:42:17.800 --> 00:42:20.800 Rob I'm going to have to apologize to West Tiger's 892 00:42:20.840 --> 00:42:23.360 podcast listeners because I said I wouldn't mention his bloke again. 893 00:42:23.440 --> 00:42:25.840 I think I've mentioned him in four podcasts straight in 894 00:42:25.920 --> 00:42:27.639 a row, so I'm getting used to upsetting him. But 895 00:42:29.280 --> 00:42:32.639 the Lachland Galvin saga was mishandled by Shane Ridges, and 896 00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:33.719 you're buying or selling that. 897 00:42:35.400 --> 00:42:38.039 Controversial answer here, I'm actually going to say whole Because 898 00:42:38.079 --> 00:42:41.719 we don't know what happened behind the scenes, it's easy, 899 00:42:41.800 --> 00:42:44.840 with the benefit of hindsight to say yeah, which I 900 00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:48.400 should have publicize that Galvin would have played another eighteen months. 901 00:42:48.639 --> 00:42:50.599 But I think from a club perspective, he does need 902 00:42:50.639 --> 00:42:52.400 to know where those funds were going. It's not like 903 00:42:52.440 --> 00:42:54.000 we were throwing four hundred k at him. 904 00:42:54.199 --> 00:42:56.159 We're probably putting him on a million bucks a year. 905 00:42:56.760 --> 00:42:59.840 And I think you always have to go back to 906 00:43:00.079 --> 00:43:03.199 one fact with Lachlan GALVINETI, and that's the fact that 907 00:43:03.719 --> 00:43:04.760 he wanted out. 908 00:43:05.280 --> 00:43:06.559 It wouldn't have mattered what we did. 909 00:43:06.639 --> 00:43:10.159 And you know, I've mentioned on our podcast that I'd 910 00:43:10.239 --> 00:43:13.519 reached out to Gary and Joel about starting a petition 911 00:43:13.559 --> 00:43:16.840 against Gould back in early February because I was told 912 00:43:16.880 --> 00:43:19.039 he was going to Canterbury back then. Would have made 913 00:43:19.079 --> 00:43:20.960 no difference. He just would have gone to Paramatter. He 914 00:43:21.039 --> 00:43:22.719 just would have gone somewhere else. He did not want 915 00:43:22.719 --> 00:43:24.880 to stay with us. And the bottom line is, Eddie, 916 00:43:25.119 --> 00:43:27.840 he kept a dossier. You know you didn't You didn't 917 00:43:27.880 --> 00:43:30.320 train me hard enough in wrestle. You didn't do this, 918 00:43:30.519 --> 00:43:34.000 you didn't do that. He gave Benji a backhanded swipe 919 00:43:34.599 --> 00:43:36.599 when he was complimenting Surroundo a week and a half 920 00:43:36.639 --> 00:43:38.880 ago in his interview with Danny Widler. 921 00:43:39.039 --> 00:43:42.880 So how can we say that rich O handled it, PAULI. 922 00:43:43.039 --> 00:43:45.239 If he was always going to leave, If you believe 923 00:43:45.639 --> 00:43:47.840 there's something Richo could have done to keep him at 924 00:43:47.880 --> 00:43:50.880 the club, then you can say, yeah, he mishandled it, 925 00:43:50.920 --> 00:43:54.159 but he was leaving no matter what. What the problem is, 926 00:43:54.440 --> 00:43:57.679 as Steve alluded to, its ruined our last month and 927 00:43:57.800 --> 00:44:01.239 it destabilized our year. And when you're going into preseason 928 00:44:01.320 --> 00:44:04.199 camps talking about unity and harmony and never giving up, 929 00:44:04.239 --> 00:44:07.519 and we saw that in all those early matches, even 930 00:44:07.559 --> 00:44:10.440 the Broncos matches that just got ripped apart. 931 00:44:10.519 --> 00:44:12.199 You can't trust the bloke next to you if he's 932 00:44:12.639 --> 00:44:13.480 doing things like that. 933 00:44:13.760 --> 00:44:16.360 So is it unfair for me to say Rob though, 934 00:44:16.480 --> 00:44:19.320 like if you and guys in and around the club 935 00:44:19.400 --> 00:44:22.079 knew in January or February that he wanted out, shouldn't 936 00:44:22.079 --> 00:44:24.360 have someone in our club. Maybe in pre season thought 937 00:44:24.400 --> 00:44:26.719 we're going to go with Latu final What do you think? 938 00:44:26.760 --> 00:44:29.840 They just kept trying to maybe win some games and 939 00:44:29.920 --> 00:44:32.039 will turn him around, and then rich eventually went nut 940 00:44:32.159 --> 00:44:32.480 it's over. 941 00:44:32.960 --> 00:44:36.800 Well, I think we believe that we were building the 942 00:44:36.840 --> 00:44:39.480 club around it. We say Tod that publicly, we told 943 00:44:39.559 --> 00:44:41.599 him he was our future, that we were going to 944 00:44:41.880 --> 00:44:44.679 make him this ridiculous offer, and who would think that 945 00:44:44.760 --> 00:44:46.760 a nineteen year old is going to knock back a 946 00:44:46.880 --> 00:44:47.480 five year. 947 00:44:47.360 --> 00:44:50.119 Deal worth approximate in the million dollars a year on average. 948 00:44:50.159 --> 00:44:52.679 So look, we have been caught out in the past, 949 00:44:52.719 --> 00:44:55.239 whether it's been rich O, whether it's been justin Pasco 950 00:44:55.360 --> 00:44:58.360 in believing that Mitch Moses was going to ditch Paramatter 951 00:44:58.440 --> 00:45:01.119 and come to our club, and you know, and Lockey 952 00:45:01.159 --> 00:45:03.400 Galvin's going to say, so, we've put out all our 953 00:45:03.440 --> 00:45:06.559 eggs in one basket a couple of times and it's 954 00:45:06.639 --> 00:45:10.679 backfired on us. So I can understand if someone says, yeah, 955 00:45:10.760 --> 00:45:14.880 he mishandled it. But ultimately what makes me sleep at 956 00:45:14.960 --> 00:45:16.400 night a little bit better is I don't think rich 957 00:45:16.400 --> 00:45:18.360 I could have done anything more than he did. And 958 00:45:18.639 --> 00:45:21.159 let's look at another way. If you know, Galvin's playing 959 00:45:21.199 --> 00:45:24.159 the lights out Eddie and we're still rocking and rolling 960 00:45:24.199 --> 00:45:27.199 in July heading towards the eight, aren't your teammates thinking 961 00:45:27.320 --> 00:45:29.719 why haven't we signed this bloke up? Like they're going 962 00:45:29.760 --> 00:45:31.840 to be asking questions? It would have been found out 963 00:45:31.920 --> 00:45:34.599 eventually that he didn't want to be there. And trust me, 964 00:45:34.800 --> 00:45:38.280 rich One knew that Locke was going because I made 965 00:45:38.360 --> 00:45:41.719 it clear to other people that had contact. 966 00:45:41.400 --> 00:45:43.039 With him to let Rich I know, and Rich I 967 00:45:43.159 --> 00:45:43.800 knew all about it. 968 00:45:44.920 --> 00:45:49.559 Jell, just like probably I was probably specifically talking about 969 00:45:49.639 --> 00:45:52.039 just that initial press release. I don't want to do 970 00:45:52.079 --> 00:45:55.199 it to death because it's over, but anything, in hindsight, 971 00:45:55.440 --> 00:45:57.039 he could have done well. 972 00:45:57.039 --> 00:45:59.159 When you've got a guy that's packing his kit bag 973 00:45:59.239 --> 00:46:01.000 after a lost and saying I've got to get out 974 00:46:01.039 --> 00:46:02.280 of here, I've got to get out of his club 975 00:46:02.320 --> 00:46:05.119 and apparently asked for all of those releases before he 976 00:46:05.199 --> 00:46:09.880 even played first grade, I think it's a I don't 977 00:46:09.880 --> 00:46:12.159 think this is our failing. I don't know what more 978 00:46:12.239 --> 00:46:14.159 the club could have done better. I don't know why 979 00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:17.880 there needs to be some blame that's turned inward to 980 00:46:17.960 --> 00:46:20.719 the West Tigers. Can't it just be that Lochlan Galvin 981 00:46:20.800 --> 00:46:23.440 is a certain character and that's just the way it is. 982 00:46:23.519 --> 00:46:25.440 Why does it have to be that we've done something 983 00:46:25.480 --> 00:46:29.320 wrong along the way. By all accounts, Benji was one 984 00:46:29.400 --> 00:46:35.199 hundred percent prioritizing Lachlan Galvin. It's what upset John Bateman 985 00:46:35.320 --> 00:46:38.000 because Bateman was saying that, you know, all Benji cares 986 00:46:38.039 --> 00:46:40.599 about is that you know, the youngsters and obviously I 987 00:46:40.639 --> 00:46:44.119 reckon he'd probably say Galvin. I think it's just a 988 00:46:44.280 --> 00:46:46.480 reflection on Galvin. I don't think it's a reflection on 989 00:46:46.519 --> 00:46:49.760 West Tigers. And as Rob said, a very very important 990 00:46:49.800 --> 00:46:51.559 thing at the start there he said, we don't have 991 00:46:51.639 --> 00:46:55.079 all the information and I can pretty much guarantee there's 992 00:46:55.079 --> 00:46:57.119 a whole lot of stuff that we don't know about 993 00:46:57.119 --> 00:46:59.239 what has gone on at the West Tigers in regards 994 00:46:59.280 --> 00:47:00.840 to Lochland Galvin over the last. 995 00:47:00.800 --> 00:47:05.239 Year or so, Steve your crystal ball. Benji Marshall will 996 00:47:05.280 --> 00:47:08.320 be the coach of West Tigers in the year twenty 997 00:47:08.480 --> 00:47:09.639 thirty by yourself. 998 00:47:11.519 --> 00:47:13.559 Yeah, I'm going to buy it. I'm going to buy it. 999 00:47:14.400 --> 00:47:17.239 I am of the opinion that the playing group are 1000 00:47:17.320 --> 00:47:19.960 right behind him, and you don't get the playing group 1001 00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:22.199 behind you unless you're doing something right. I think he's 1002 00:47:24.280 --> 00:47:26.199 starting to show the traits that he showed as a 1003 00:47:26.280 --> 00:47:29.559 player as a coach. He was a champion player, and 1004 00:47:29.760 --> 00:47:35.360 I think he that determination, that hard work, that self analysis, 1005 00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:38.599 that desire to get better, that raising of standards, all 1006 00:47:38.639 --> 00:47:42.400 that stuff that made him a great player is starting 1007 00:47:42.840 --> 00:47:45.239 to drip through into his coaching and I think he's 1008 00:47:45.280 --> 00:47:47.199 just going to get better and better. And I made 1009 00:47:47.239 --> 00:47:49.920 the comment on the pot how much time do we 1010 00:47:50.039 --> 00:47:52.679 have to give him to get better because we want 1011 00:47:52.760 --> 00:47:55.039 success now? And I don't know. I don't know the 1012 00:47:55.079 --> 00:47:57.880 answer to that, but I do think he's going to 1013 00:47:57.960 --> 00:48:01.440 make it. And I'm getting more and more feedback that 1014 00:48:01.639 --> 00:48:06.039 players just think the world of him, and that speaks 1015 00:48:06.039 --> 00:48:07.480 a lot to me about what he's going to be 1016 00:48:07.639 --> 00:48:10.440 like as he continues to develop. So as long as 1017 00:48:10.480 --> 00:48:13.679 he's willing to stay, I think he very well could 1018 00:48:13.719 --> 00:48:14.360 be here for a while. 1019 00:48:14.679 --> 00:48:16.760 Let's hope he is, because if he is, we're obviously 1020 00:48:16.840 --> 00:48:19.840 doing well. But I mean, like if this was the 1021 00:48:20.159 --> 00:48:23.400 it probably doesn't exist. But the Gold Coast Titans podcast 1022 00:48:23.599 --> 00:48:27.880 or the North Queens, Like, how many teams can fans 1023 00:48:27.920 --> 00:48:30.320 could sit here today and confidently say that their coach 1024 00:48:30.360 --> 00:48:32.880 will still be the coach in twenty thirty. Probably not many, 1025 00:48:33.000 --> 00:48:36.639 Maybe Siraldo, maybe Webster at the Warriors. Maybe. I mean, 1026 00:48:36.679 --> 00:48:39.280 Bellamy is sort of year to year and that's not 1027 00:48:39.320 --> 00:48:41.719 getting any younger. You go through the list, you could 1028 00:48:41.760 --> 00:48:44.960 sort of see that pretty much any coach could not 1029 00:48:45.119 --> 00:48:48.360 be around in twenty thirty. So you know, Benji might 1030 00:48:48.440 --> 00:48:51.519 actually be more skewed towards maybe being a greater chance 1031 00:48:51.639 --> 00:48:53.320 than a lot of other coaches in the game. 1032 00:48:53.360 --> 00:48:53.840 At this point. 1033 00:48:54.679 --> 00:48:57.159 It was a pretty wild situation where he got thrown 1034 00:48:57.199 --> 00:48:59.559 in rob and obviously it was previous admin. But I've 1035 00:48:59.679 --> 00:49:02.400 sort of, you know, initially thinking it was no chance 1036 00:49:02.480 --> 00:49:05.599 of working. I've sort of almost you know, I haven't 1037 00:49:05.639 --> 00:49:07.800 done a backflip on it, but I'm more fifty five 1038 00:49:07.920 --> 00:49:10.119 forty five that I think it can work now, given 1039 00:49:10.159 --> 00:49:12.639 the roster that his assembly, you know, the wins he's 1040 00:49:12.679 --> 00:49:17.199 having in recruitment room, and also, you know, some wins 1041 00:49:17.239 --> 00:49:17.679 on the field. 1042 00:49:18.440 --> 00:49:20.960 I was with you, Eddie, and I still felt like 1043 00:49:21.039 --> 00:49:22.400 that at the start of the year. Given that. 1044 00:49:22.760 --> 00:49:24.920 When I look back at all the great players in 1045 00:49:25.199 --> 00:49:29.679 history who have become unbelievably good coaches, and I like 1046 00:49:29.800 --> 00:49:32.360 racking my head over the last fifty years, the only 1047 00:49:32.440 --> 00:49:34.679 person I can think of is Bob Fulton. I don't 1048 00:49:34.719 --> 00:49:38.400 think any magnificent player has made it as a coach 1049 00:49:38.480 --> 00:49:39.440 except for Bob Fulton. 1050 00:49:40.559 --> 00:49:42.840 He's not a magnificent player, just a good player. Who's 1051 00:49:42.880 --> 00:49:46.119 that Ricky Stewart, Yeah, but I. 1052 00:49:46.159 --> 00:49:47.559 Mean, okay, okay, fair enough. 1053 00:49:47.719 --> 00:49:51.559 He was probably well he revolutionized the halfback position, didn't 1054 00:49:51.559 --> 00:49:54.239 he With his kicking game and being able to torpedo 1055 00:49:54.400 --> 00:49:56.960 pass both ways and the length that he could pass 1056 00:49:57.000 --> 00:49:59.960 the ball, we say, yeah, perhaps Ricky Stewart was an oversight. 1057 00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:03.480 But that said Eddie, I think, except for this year, 1058 00:50:03.639 --> 00:50:06.360 Ricky's like he've had that Grand Final in twenty nineteen. 1059 00:50:07.239 --> 00:50:09.800 I look at that Canberra list every year and I think, 1060 00:50:09.840 --> 00:50:12.480 why aren't you playing finals? So this year they're finally 1061 00:50:12.559 --> 00:50:16.039 living up to their potential. But back on Benji, I'm 1062 00:50:16.119 --> 00:50:18.440 selling this, but I'm selling this for the good reasons. 1063 00:50:18.440 --> 00:50:20.599 I'm not selling it because I think he's going to fail, 1064 00:50:21.280 --> 00:50:24.280 given that he started preparing for the assistant coaches role 1065 00:50:24.519 --> 00:50:26.119 in the latter half of twenty twenty two. 1066 00:50:26.559 --> 00:50:29.199 By twenty thirty that would have been seven or eight years. 1067 00:50:29.400 --> 00:50:33.239 And knowing Benji the way he professes, and I genuinely 1068 00:50:33.320 --> 00:50:35.679 believe this that he's a family man and his kids 1069 00:50:35.719 --> 00:50:38.400 are going to be older. I'm hoping by twenty thirty 1070 00:50:38.559 --> 00:50:40.559 he's probably won a premiership. He's made a couple of 1071 00:50:40.639 --> 00:50:42.840 finals with us, and you know what he's done his 1072 00:50:42.960 --> 00:50:45.480 time in coaching. He just wants to go on and 1073 00:50:45.719 --> 00:50:48.239 pursue other ventures and enjoy his life a little bit better. 1074 00:50:48.320 --> 00:50:49.480 I don't know if he'd want to be a full 1075 00:50:49.519 --> 00:50:52.440 time coach for that long, but if he's really really 1076 00:50:52.599 --> 00:50:55.239 enjoying it, then sure he'll stay on. But I mean, 1077 00:50:55.360 --> 00:50:57.719 his family is going to be bigger and have more needs, 1078 00:50:57.760 --> 00:50:59.719 and I just don't think he needs to do it 1079 00:50:59.800 --> 00:51:00.679 after twenty thirty. 1080 00:51:00.880 --> 00:51:03.079 I'd certainly sign up for that. Rob with a couple 1081 00:51:03.119 --> 00:51:05.280 of finals appearance in a Premiership. What do you think 1082 00:51:05.320 --> 00:51:07.199 he's biggest weaknesses as a coach at the moment? 1083 00:51:08.239 --> 00:51:11.280 Look Adele always reminds me of this every week, Eddie. 1084 00:51:12.199 --> 00:51:14.440 I from what I see on the field, I believe 1085 00:51:14.480 --> 00:51:18.760 it's attention to detail. I also believe there's some tactical stuff. 1086 00:51:18.920 --> 00:51:22.159 I mentioned the fact that how we handled a penalty 1087 00:51:22.199 --> 00:51:24.199 when we were down fourteen nil against the Cowboys the 1088 00:51:24.239 --> 00:51:27.440 other week just shows me that they don't discuss how 1089 00:51:27.599 --> 00:51:30.519 you play certain moments in games. And I'm not going 1090 00:51:30.599 --> 00:51:33.119 to blame the players for their decision to take a 1091 00:51:33.239 --> 00:51:35.039 tap when they should have gone for goal, or they 1092 00:51:35.079 --> 00:51:38.360 should have dropped the ball ten times before kicking for 1093 00:51:38.480 --> 00:51:40.800 touch and killing as much PLoP as they could before 1094 00:51:40.920 --> 00:51:43.960 Luis gets on. But when you see us run certain plays, 1095 00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:46.280 you can tell they haven't practiced it enough. I mean, 1096 00:51:46.559 --> 00:51:48.480 if they are, it's not showing on the field. So 1097 00:51:48.880 --> 00:51:50.719 again I'm not there to see what they do. I 1098 00:51:50.800 --> 00:51:54.559 think Benji's more that Wayne Bennett type of coach. I 1099 00:51:54.719 --> 00:51:57.480 love you play for me, and he does get the 1100 00:51:57.559 --> 00:52:00.199 best out of players, which is the most important thing. 1101 00:52:00.280 --> 00:52:04.400 I just think he needs, you know, an attacking coach 1102 00:52:04.519 --> 00:52:07.599 that can really be a bit more ex's and o's 1103 00:52:07.679 --> 00:52:08.800 get the team in certain. 1104 00:52:08.599 --> 00:52:09.559 Positions on the field. 1105 00:52:09.599 --> 00:52:11.960 And how many times have all of us said Eddie Weather, 1106 00:52:12.360 --> 00:52:14.400 I've heard you guys say it as well, and definitely 1107 00:52:14.480 --> 00:52:16.719 heard Steeve say it a lot, how clunky we look 1108 00:52:16.760 --> 00:52:18.079 when we run a back line shape. 1109 00:52:18.400 --> 00:52:19.719 Like we've said that for so long now. 1110 00:52:19.719 --> 00:52:22.440 If you're looking clunky, it's not because you can't do it, 1111 00:52:22.639 --> 00:52:24.599 it's because you're just not practicing it enough or it's 1112 00:52:25.039 --> 00:52:25.760 not important. 1113 00:52:26.039 --> 00:52:27.880 And I understand Benji had. 1114 00:52:27.800 --> 00:52:31.400 To sort our defense out and our resolve, and he's 1115 00:52:31.480 --> 00:52:34.119 improved in so many ways. And we are so competitive now, 1116 00:52:34.159 --> 00:52:36.760 and there there are so many ticks and even though 1117 00:52:36.840 --> 00:52:39.760 we're in my opinion, two hundred percent better than we 1118 00:52:39.840 --> 00:52:41.920 were last year, it's probably not going to show in 1119 00:52:41.960 --> 00:52:45.800 the finals appear, and so how do you quantify? But again, 1120 00:52:45.880 --> 00:52:47.719 we're not there to see what they're practicing. But at 1121 00:52:47.719 --> 00:52:50.480 the same time, I don't think the players are dumb 1122 00:52:50.519 --> 00:52:54.079 and they can't be taught how to run certain players 1123 00:52:54.400 --> 00:52:57.000 or do certain things. But yeah, sometimes we just don't 1124 00:52:57.079 --> 00:52:58.880 look like an intelligent football team. 1125 00:53:00.119 --> 00:53:00.440 With all that. 1126 00:53:00.599 --> 00:53:03.159 Rob I've been banging on about that for years, But 1127 00:53:03.960 --> 00:53:07.039 I reckon the number one thing he needs to change, 1128 00:53:07.360 --> 00:53:09.920 it's a bit of a mindset thing. Is he needs 1129 00:53:09.960 --> 00:53:12.559 to put people around him that are going to complement 1130 00:53:12.760 --> 00:53:15.760 his deficiencies, not put his mates around him that he's 1131 00:53:15.800 --> 00:53:19.679 comfortable with. And that's how he's going to get better. 1132 00:53:19.840 --> 00:53:22.360 He needs people that are going to challenge him, are 1133 00:53:22.400 --> 00:53:25.079 going to sit around the coach's table and challenge his 1134 00:53:25.239 --> 00:53:27.920 thinking and bring to the table what he's not able 1135 00:53:27.960 --> 00:53:31.239 to bring to the table. Whereas I think, up until now, 1136 00:53:31.920 --> 00:53:33.440 he's wanted to go with people that are going to 1137 00:53:33.519 --> 00:53:37.039 support him and back him and back his decision and 1138 00:53:37.119 --> 00:53:40.039 not challenge him. And that's probably the worst thing a 1139 00:53:40.159 --> 00:53:40.679 leader can do. 1140 00:53:40.760 --> 00:53:42.519 I reckon agree totally. 1141 00:53:43.000 --> 00:53:46.920 A couple of historical ones to finish by cell whole boys. 1142 00:53:47.880 --> 00:53:51.800 Rob is West Tiger's best ever side. If we look 1143 00:53:51.800 --> 00:53:55.679 at to name one Robbie Farrabee your captain by yourself. 1144 00:53:56.440 --> 00:53:59.199 This could cause dramas with the Pharaoh family. 1145 00:53:59.320 --> 00:54:02.159 For me, Robbie and I were very close to a 1146 00:54:02.239 --> 00:54:03.920 couple of years ago, but we've seen to have gone 1147 00:54:03.960 --> 00:54:08.039 in different directions through no fault of each other. I 1148 00:54:08.239 --> 00:54:11.360 can't put anyone but Scott Prince's captain. I mean just 1149 00:54:11.400 --> 00:54:13.239 for the fact that he won the comp You have 1150 00:54:13.360 --> 00:54:16.079 to remember that Mark O'Neill was the captain that year 1151 00:54:16.280 --> 00:54:19.400 till he got injured, and you know even Tim Sheen's 1152 00:54:19.440 --> 00:54:21.639 at the time for we're doing better under Prince. 1153 00:54:21.760 --> 00:54:23.440 And look, Prince was our playmaker. 1154 00:54:23.599 --> 00:54:26.239 He's the number one guy, and you know he did 1155 00:54:26.280 --> 00:54:29.039 the kicking game, He organized everything, he created everything. 1156 00:54:29.159 --> 00:54:30.480 So for me to be Scott Prince. 1157 00:54:30.559 --> 00:54:34.679 But that said, I am not detracting from how much 1158 00:54:34.840 --> 00:54:37.719 Robbie loves the club, how passionate he was, how we 1159 00:54:37.840 --> 00:54:39.920 bleed it, and also how smart he was. 1160 00:54:40.360 --> 00:54:42.199 He was very good with the referees. He got his 1161 00:54:42.280 --> 00:54:44.239 way with that. But if you just forced me to 1162 00:54:44.280 --> 00:54:46.440 pick the best one, I'd go with Scott Prince. 1163 00:54:46.519 --> 00:54:49.400 But no doubt anyone that puts Robbie Farrell's captain of 1164 00:54:49.480 --> 00:54:52.199 our best ever seem I've got no argument with that either. 1165 00:54:53.679 --> 00:54:56.079 Hard to argue with Scott Prince given what was achieved. 1166 00:54:57.000 --> 00:54:59.519 You know, Robbie's right up there a few other guys 1167 00:54:59.559 --> 00:54:59.880 as well. 1168 00:55:00.360 --> 00:55:02.800 He did leave us high and dry, though, Joel Bloody Prince. 1169 00:55:04.559 --> 00:55:06.480 You know, I did say that if he stuck around 1170 00:55:06.599 --> 00:55:07.239 his wife. 1171 00:55:07.119 --> 00:55:09.239 Was homesick, and if your wife is homesick, what are 1172 00:55:09.280 --> 00:55:13.079 you going to do a rugby league career. It's such 1173 00:55:13.079 --> 00:55:15.199 a lone thing podcast that. 1174 00:55:15.239 --> 00:55:16.719 He was on. I don't know what it was, but 1175 00:55:17.480 --> 00:55:19.840 he said, and this was post retirement, he said, the 1176 00:55:19.880 --> 00:55:22.440 biggest regret of my career was not sticking at the 1177 00:55:22.480 --> 00:55:25.599 Tigers a bit longer than I thought. Yeah, let's know, 1178 00:55:25.719 --> 00:55:26.559 scotta felt worse. 1179 00:55:26.639 --> 00:55:29.280 Rop I'm just just going to say, if you remember 1180 00:55:29.320 --> 00:55:32.800 at the end of two thousand and five, Tim Sheen said, 1181 00:55:33.159 --> 00:55:36.159 if we don't re sign Scott Prince, I will resign 1182 00:55:36.280 --> 00:55:39.239 as coach. But that's how important he believed it was. 1183 00:55:39.320 --> 00:55:41.360 But Joel is one hundred percent right. It was all 1184 00:55:41.400 --> 00:55:43.239 about family. I mean, I had nothing to do with 1185 00:55:43.679 --> 00:55:45.559 him not wanting to be at the Tigers and I 1186 00:55:45.599 --> 00:55:47.280 got to a mid I was quite upset in two 1187 00:55:47.320 --> 00:55:49.960 thousand and seven when he ran out to captain the 1188 00:55:50.000 --> 00:55:52.320 Titans in two thousand and seven that our crowd of 1189 00:55:52.400 --> 00:55:53.599 Campbell's how could boo him? 1190 00:55:54.239 --> 00:55:55.599 I was discussed that this guy. 1191 00:55:55.719 --> 00:55:58.199 Gave us our one moment of glory and we had 1192 00:55:58.280 --> 00:56:00.280 fans booing him, And it just makes you realize how 1193 00:56:00.320 --> 00:56:03.400 fickle fans can be and why they take the money 1194 00:56:03.440 --> 00:56:04.960 and why they do what they do sometimes. 1195 00:56:06.000 --> 00:56:07.880 Steveh your captain, who would your captain be? 1196 00:56:08.679 --> 00:56:13.320 I've got nothing to add at all, Scott Prince for me, 1197 00:56:14.039 --> 00:56:15.599 but I'm hoping that in a couple of years time 1198 00:56:15.679 --> 00:56:20.599 we say happy or Jerome, Happy or Jerome, we'll see 1199 00:56:21.079 --> 00:56:21.519 last one. 1200 00:56:21.679 --> 00:56:25.519 Rob Leam Fulton was the most underrated player in West 1201 00:56:25.559 --> 00:56:26.920 Tiger's history. Bye, I'm selling. 1202 00:56:27.559 --> 00:56:30.960 I'm going to sell that, Betty, and I'm not discrediting 1203 00:56:31.039 --> 00:56:33.639 from what he brought to the group culturally and the 1204 00:56:33.960 --> 00:56:36.840 Joseph that he was and how much he loved that. 1205 00:56:36.880 --> 00:56:39.039 You've got to remember, at the end of two thousand. 1206 00:56:38.639 --> 00:56:40.400 And eight we did release him for a year to 1207 00:56:40.440 --> 00:56:43.119 help Cuttersfield to play a bit of footy there. If 1208 00:56:43.119 --> 00:56:45.480 he was that important, we would have kept him and 1209 00:56:45.559 --> 00:56:47.360 not let him go, and he did come back a 1210 00:56:47.440 --> 00:56:49.800 lot bigger and a lot better player. 1211 00:56:49.840 --> 00:56:53.079 I believe post that English trip. But no, I'm definitely 1212 00:56:53.199 --> 00:56:54.400 going to sell that. 1213 00:56:54.920 --> 00:56:56.639 Who you've got though, probably have you got a name 1214 00:56:56.800 --> 00:56:58.960 I wrote down just you know, when I was preparing 1215 00:56:59.000 --> 00:57:02.199 for the show, I wrote down names like Chris hiying To. 1216 00:57:02.400 --> 00:57:04.679 I wrote down bo Ryan, which might be an unpopular one, 1217 00:57:04.760 --> 00:57:07.159 Paul Foannawera. I actually wrote down Robert Louis. I know 1218 00:57:07.239 --> 00:57:09.320 he terrible things off the field, but the two years 1219 00:57:09.360 --> 00:57:10.840 he was in I think we made top four. If 1220 00:57:10.840 --> 00:57:13.000 you've got a most underrated player in our. 1221 00:57:12.920 --> 00:57:20.719 History, is Bryce Gibbs? Underrated to you? Eddie is a 1222 00:57:20.719 --> 00:57:23.119 bigger name because to me, I know he gave away 1223 00:57:23.119 --> 00:57:25.960 a lot of penalties. That guy loved the club. He 1224 00:57:26.079 --> 00:57:28.199 absolutely loved the club. So if I had to give 1225 00:57:28.199 --> 00:57:30.800 you a name, that would be one. I thought Mitch Brown. 1226 00:57:30.840 --> 00:57:32.639 Do you mentioned Mitch Brown? I thought he was great 1227 00:57:32.679 --> 00:57:35.199 for us whenever he played, and I often wondered why 1228 00:57:35.280 --> 00:57:37.599 he was on the bench and not getting a starting 1229 00:57:38.039 --> 00:57:39.960 gig on the wing or sender. He had a lot 1230 00:57:40.000 --> 00:57:42.960 of speed, he was a good tackler. I thought whenever 1231 00:57:43.039 --> 00:57:45.079 he played first grade. He produced for us. 1232 00:57:46.280 --> 00:57:49.360 I've got one. He's off my Christmas card list at 1233 00:57:49.360 --> 00:57:54.719 the moment, but successful with US across our three final series. 1234 00:57:56.159 --> 00:57:59.119 A guy that was consistently. 1235 00:57:58.559 --> 00:58:00.960 Displayed bit Henry Dollar. I'm going to turn the place. 1236 00:58:01.159 --> 00:58:05.079 Off, consistently different to what other forwards were providing, and 1237 00:58:05.159 --> 00:58:07.360 that's Todd Payton. Like the amount that kind of stuff 1238 00:58:07.400 --> 00:58:10.039 that Todd Payton did for US is phenomenal and it's 1239 00:58:10.760 --> 00:58:12.519 so sad to see him not here with the club. 1240 00:58:13.079 --> 00:58:15.760 I reckon coature West Tigers in the future. Todd Peyton 1241 00:58:15.960 --> 00:58:18.199 might be two years hopefully it's ten years time, but 1242 00:58:18.400 --> 00:58:21.840 I reckon he will. Let's not do that last one 1243 00:58:21.880 --> 00:58:24.639 because we can combine it with this one, Steve West 1244 00:58:24.679 --> 00:58:28.440 Tiger's side, Round one, twenty twenty six. Now, there's no 1245 00:58:28.599 --> 00:58:30.840 right or wrong answers here. I've told you guys, you 1246 00:58:30.880 --> 00:58:33.920 can include a signing or two if you want. You 1247 00:58:34.000 --> 00:58:35.960 can dream big, or you can be like me and 1248 00:58:36.280 --> 00:58:38.320 dream low and you know, right out the same side. 1249 00:58:38.360 --> 00:58:39.599 But what do you got one to five? 1250 00:58:40.800 --> 00:58:44.320 Well, I've tried to be realistic, you know, with a 1251 00:58:44.639 --> 00:58:48.159 couple of aspirations, but one to five obviously Buller at 1252 00:58:48.239 --> 00:58:52.199 full back. I've got to Reuven Skelton on the wings still, 1253 00:58:52.880 --> 00:58:55.960 and I've got Taylor mayn stuff at Tower as our 1254 00:58:56.000 --> 00:58:57.400 starting centers next year. 1255 00:58:57.760 --> 00:59:00.760 That sounds ideal. Rob the only other kid I threw 1256 00:59:00.840 --> 00:59:02.440 in with the youngster who I think is going to 1257 00:59:02.480 --> 00:59:04.159 deboot later this year at Makassini. 1258 00:59:05.159 --> 00:59:05.360 Yeah. 1259 00:59:05.639 --> 00:59:08.599 Look, there's massive raps on Macasine. I keep getting told 1260 00:59:08.679 --> 00:59:10.639 he's Israel for allow two point zero. 1261 00:59:11.239 --> 00:59:14.480 I'm receive. I just went with those five just for 1262 00:59:14.559 --> 00:59:15.519 the sake of the argument. 1263 00:59:15.639 --> 00:59:17.880 If there was probably a center out there that I 1264 00:59:18.039 --> 00:59:21.559 know whose contract is up for discussion, I wouldn't mind 1265 00:59:21.599 --> 00:59:24.960 going after someone like Catani Sas. But yeah, the five 1266 00:59:25.039 --> 00:59:27.239 that Steve named, I think that'll be our starting five 1267 00:59:27.360 --> 00:59:29.360 next to you, and I'll just go further than that. 1268 00:59:29.639 --> 00:59:32.119 I think if Talen may gets his head right, he 1269 00:59:32.239 --> 00:59:35.039 will be sensational for us. He can actually be a 1270 00:59:35.119 --> 00:59:37.719 top five center when he's on, he's very very good. 1271 00:59:38.159 --> 00:59:41.360 Hope and pray there, Joel, you're any differences, wonder five? 1272 00:59:42.199 --> 00:59:45.880 No differences? Obviously, the X factor will two X factors 1273 00:59:46.039 --> 00:59:48.880 to see how and how Macasini goes in first grade 1274 00:59:48.960 --> 00:59:51.480 and if he is included and if he's brought in 1275 00:59:51.559 --> 00:59:55.800 in that time, and obviously how may he goes other 1276 00:59:55.920 --> 00:59:59.920 than that? I mean, yeah, I think that probably covers it. 1277 01:00:00.239 --> 01:00:04.960 I can't see any significant changes with Charuver and Skelton. 1278 01:00:05.079 --> 01:00:07.960 Maybe Skelton the centers at some stage, I don't know, 1279 01:00:08.079 --> 01:00:08.840 but yep, I'm. 1280 01:00:08.719 --> 01:00:11.320 In agreement Steve the Halves. 1281 01:00:11.400 --> 01:00:14.519 This one's going to be probably disagree, probably have to 1282 01:00:14.559 --> 01:00:16.000 do a bit of dreaming here. I want you to 1283 01:00:16.039 --> 01:00:18.760 give me your six, your seven, and your back up, 1284 01:00:19.039 --> 01:00:20.840 whether it's a fourteen or in reserve grade. 1285 01:00:22.679 --> 01:00:25.079 I will My six is Lewis and my seven's fin 1286 01:00:25.639 --> 01:00:28.119 similar who were talking earlier. I just think I think 1287 01:00:28.239 --> 01:00:30.519 La two Fantom is the natural seven, and I think 1288 01:00:31.360 --> 01:00:34.199 I think Louis Isaam is a natural six. So that's 1289 01:00:34.440 --> 01:00:37.519 how we go. My backup fourteen is again based on 1290 01:00:37.639 --> 01:00:40.599 what I said earlier, I'd be going a specialist. I'd 1291 01:00:40.599 --> 01:00:42.800 be going to silver at fourteen. But if you're talking 1292 01:00:42.840 --> 01:00:46.039 about a backup at the moment, remembering that we've got 1293 01:00:46.119 --> 01:00:47.880 what's his name coming back from seven. 1294 01:00:47.800 --> 01:00:51.400 SI today, I don't think we can't rely on him. 1295 01:00:51.320 --> 01:00:51.559 Can we. 1296 01:00:51.800 --> 01:00:53.360 Well, we can't rely on him, but at the moment 1297 01:00:53.480 --> 01:00:55.639 he's coming back but the other backup is going to 1298 01:00:55.679 --> 01:00:59.800 be Heath Mason, and I think that's the important thing. 1299 01:01:00.159 --> 01:01:03.719 From my perspective. Anyway, I'm not all that disappointed we've 1300 01:01:03.719 --> 01:01:05.880 missed out on Reynolds, or seemingly missed out on Reynolds, 1301 01:01:06.000 --> 01:01:08.639 because I think the word backup is important. We can't block. 1302 01:01:09.119 --> 01:01:12.079 We can't block freinws go at first grade now, and 1303 01:01:12.239 --> 01:01:15.320 if we go out and buy another star half, we're 1304 01:01:15.360 --> 01:01:17.679 going to block his road to first grade. I think 1305 01:01:17.719 --> 01:01:19.800 we need to go with those two and then get 1306 01:01:19.840 --> 01:01:21.880 a couple of good backups, and they're the two that 1307 01:01:22.000 --> 01:01:23.599 are sitting on the shelf at the moment. 1308 01:01:23.960 --> 01:01:25.599 I'm sort of torn on this one, Rob. I know 1309 01:01:25.719 --> 01:01:28.199 Reynolds is probably out of the picture now, but I 1310 01:01:28.360 --> 01:01:30.320 was torn. I thought maybe a senior half for a 1311 01:01:30.440 --> 01:01:31.639 year or two, But what do you got? 1312 01:01:32.920 --> 01:01:35.119 I'm happy to run with Latu and Jerome. 1313 01:01:35.679 --> 01:01:38.800 I really have nothing more to add on what Steve said, 1314 01:01:38.880 --> 01:01:41.280 but I will throw a spanner in the works that 1315 01:01:41.360 --> 01:01:41.800 the three of you. 1316 01:01:41.960 --> 01:01:43.639 Maybe let me ask you guys a question. 1317 01:01:44.280 --> 01:01:48.280 If the Russes go cold on DCE, would you take 1318 01:01:48.360 --> 01:01:51.559 him for a year and let Latu be that number fourteen? 1319 01:01:51.760 --> 01:01:53.840 I would I actually had him right at the bottom 1320 01:01:53.840 --> 01:01:56.800 of the page because I think, well, there's whispers that 1321 01:01:57.039 --> 01:01:59.199 they are going cold on him, and if he saw 1322 01:01:59.280 --> 01:02:01.480 some of them got a fair amount of depth in 1323 01:02:01.519 --> 01:02:04.880 the half, so i'd probably I assume I'd be in 1324 01:02:04.960 --> 01:02:07.480 a minority of Tigers fans thinking I would take DC. 1325 01:02:07.679 --> 01:02:09.079 But I don't know if i'd take him for two. 1326 01:02:09.079 --> 01:02:10.679 He probably want two years. Rob that's the team. 1327 01:02:11.280 --> 01:02:12.679 Well, he's definitely money hungry. 1328 01:02:12.800 --> 01:02:16.039 But given that we allegedly offered Reynolds close to a 1329 01:02:16.119 --> 01:02:18.679 million bucks a year, I mean, if the roosteres go cold, 1330 01:02:18.719 --> 01:02:21.679 he's only leaving manly over money, and we're the club 1331 01:02:21.760 --> 01:02:25.000 that's got the money, I'd be hesitant because again I 1332 01:02:25.079 --> 01:02:27.559 think he'd just be one of those players's coming for 1333 01:02:27.639 --> 01:02:31.079 the pension of fund retirement village sort of contract. But 1334 01:02:31.920 --> 01:02:34.719 you know, he looked at his best. He can produce, 1335 01:02:34.760 --> 01:02:37.960 He's got a great kicking game, good organizer, can still 1336 01:02:38.000 --> 01:02:39.559 score a try. But yeah, if you've watched him the 1337 01:02:39.599 --> 01:02:42.320 last month or so, you say, hell no, I don't 1338 01:02:42.320 --> 01:02:43.159 want him at our club. 1339 01:02:44.039 --> 01:02:45.719 But I think Richo is desperate. 1340 01:02:45.840 --> 01:02:47.719 He keeps talking about I want to win a premiership 1341 01:02:47.719 --> 01:02:49.440 in the next two or three years. Well, if he 1342 01:02:49.559 --> 01:02:51.559 was looking at Reynolds, I mean, you've got a guy 1343 01:02:51.599 --> 01:02:53.480 that was playing for Australia a year or two ago 1344 01:02:53.559 --> 01:02:55.960 and a fixture at origin half back for the last 1345 01:02:55.960 --> 01:02:56.760 four or five years. 1346 01:02:58.320 --> 01:03:00.719 I can't give you an accurate at the moment, but 1347 01:03:00.760 --> 01:03:02.400 if you ask me in six or eight weeks, I 1348 01:03:02.480 --> 01:03:04.440 might have a better idea. And that is basically, we 1349 01:03:04.559 --> 01:03:07.119 need to see how Latu goes in the next six 1350 01:03:07.239 --> 01:03:09.000 or eight weeks to get a better idea where we're 1351 01:03:09.039 --> 01:03:11.719 placed at the moment. I see the argument both ways. 1352 01:03:11.760 --> 01:03:13.400 It'd be great to have somebody to come in that's 1353 01:03:13.400 --> 01:03:18.800 a that's a well rounded general, a proper halfback that 1354 01:03:18.880 --> 01:03:20.880 can come in. But then if you ask me in 1355 01:03:20.920 --> 01:03:23.119 six or eight weeks, kind of might be like, geez, 1356 01:03:23.119 --> 01:03:25.000 I'm glad we didn't spend a million dollars on Adam 1357 01:03:25.039 --> 01:03:27.239 Reynolds because we've got something here that will work. So 1358 01:03:27.800 --> 01:03:30.559 I really don't know. And then there's some priorities in 1359 01:03:30.639 --> 01:03:32.559 other positions that need to be strengthened, and I think 1360 01:03:32.559 --> 01:03:36.480 if you strengthen those other positions, then I think that 1361 01:03:36.800 --> 01:03:41.519 if Feinu and lu I can congel and work together, 1362 01:03:41.599 --> 01:03:44.440 then we don't really need anything extra there, Maybe Sullivan 1363 01:03:44.480 --> 01:03:47.119 comes back as a backup. The other factor in all 1364 01:03:47.159 --> 01:03:49.000 of this as well is that we're pretty much whitewashing 1365 01:03:49.039 --> 01:03:50.920 Adam do we out of the team as well. So 1366 01:03:51.000 --> 01:03:52.639 I don't know where he may sit in terms of 1367 01:03:52.679 --> 01:03:55.280 a new South Wales Cup contract next year. I'm not 1368 01:03:55.400 --> 01:03:58.800 saying running him, running him in the halves, but you 1369 01:03:58.840 --> 01:04:01.159 know that's another situation that's going to have to be 1370 01:04:01.280 --> 01:04:02.320 resolved at some stage. 1371 01:04:03.480 --> 01:04:06.039 See just quickly, any any interest d C. If the 1372 01:04:06.159 --> 01:04:07.159 Rusters are saying. 1373 01:04:07.000 --> 01:04:10.280 That no zero zero interest. If we're going to give 1374 01:04:10.760 --> 01:04:13.159 if we're going to give Lui the casas year, we've 1375 01:04:13.159 --> 01:04:15.920 got to give him the casa. Got to lean run 1376 01:04:16.000 --> 01:04:19.639 the team and lean run the halves. Whether you know 1377 01:04:20.079 --> 01:04:21.840 he can do that at six, doesn't have to be seven. 1378 01:04:22.119 --> 01:04:25.280 You can do that at six. Bring Ladriuvanan through, let 1379 01:04:25.360 --> 01:04:28.519 them go together. I takes I take Charles w sorry 1380 01:04:28.559 --> 01:04:32.440 mate about his injury, about his hamstrings, that that that's 1381 01:04:32.480 --> 01:04:36.199 a worry, But you know, can you you know if 1382 01:04:36.239 --> 01:04:38.519 he recovers and comes back fit, you've got to sort 1383 01:04:38.559 --> 01:04:40.039 of take it that he's going to be o chaos. 1384 01:04:40.840 --> 01:04:43.880 I just think Rob like whether you agree or disagree 1385 01:04:43.880 --> 01:04:47.400 with Nums or DC that let's say LOUI and find 1386 01:04:47.440 --> 01:04:50.400 who are the starters. I still think we need genuine 1387 01:04:50.480 --> 01:04:53.280 cover and I'm assuming Bud Sullivan's and no go even 1388 01:04:53.320 --> 01:04:56.400 though he is coming back like maybe it's Abe Sexon 1389 01:04:56.519 --> 01:04:58.079 or someone I just don't think we can or even 1390 01:04:58.440 --> 01:05:00.360 the third May I forget what his first name, but 1391 01:05:00.440 --> 01:05:02.440 he's been elected to the club a little bit, maybe 1392 01:05:02.480 --> 01:05:04.400 through the two brothers, but I think we do need 1393 01:05:05.000 --> 01:05:06.840 depth there, just given the fact that Lard who hasn't 1394 01:05:06.840 --> 01:05:07.880 played muchooty. 1395 01:05:07.480 --> 01:05:09.480 In Yeah, no doubt about that. 1396 01:05:09.679 --> 01:05:13.119 Eddie looked at One promising sign with Heith Mason was 1397 01:05:13.559 --> 01:05:15.199 what he did in attack a couple of weeks ago 1398 01:05:15.239 --> 01:05:16.039 against the Cowboys. 1399 01:05:16.079 --> 01:05:17.559 He had a couple offlowers, he had a couple of 1400 01:05:17.599 --> 01:05:19.199 line breaks. He looked dangerous. 1401 01:05:19.239 --> 01:05:23.159 We just can't afford a half that lets eleven tackles missed. 1402 01:05:23.800 --> 01:05:25.599 You know that that has to be rectified. If he 1403 01:05:25.639 --> 01:05:28.440 can work on his defense, he's probably good enough for 1404 01:05:28.519 --> 01:05:30.480 a backup, and as I think he might have been, 1405 01:05:30.599 --> 01:05:32.039 Joel mentioned it, We've got to work out what we 1406 01:05:32.119 --> 01:05:34.119 do with Sullivan as well. There's half a million bucks 1407 01:05:34.199 --> 01:05:37.199 a year tied up there. He did a lot of 1408 01:05:37.199 --> 01:05:38.960 good tackles on kick out by the Way today and 1409 01:05:39.199 --> 01:05:41.639 why can't you tackle like that against you know, for 1410 01:05:41.800 --> 01:05:44.960 us when you're in our colors. But yeah, it's a 1411 01:05:45.000 --> 01:05:46.800 tricky one, but I don't think we should be spending 1412 01:05:46.840 --> 01:05:49.320 any more money on the halves, you know, I'm. 1413 01:05:49.119 --> 01:05:51.039 Happy to go with Latu and Lua. 1414 01:05:51.960 --> 01:05:54.119 All right, Rob, what do you got Ford Paklisco eight 1415 01:05:54.159 --> 01:05:57.800 to thirteen. We've obviously got a new signing in there. Ideally, 1416 01:05:58.039 --> 01:05:58.320 would you. 1417 01:05:58.440 --> 01:06:02.519 Like Okay, this will be a little bit controversial because 1418 01:06:02.559 --> 01:06:04.280 I'm not going to go through fourteen. 1419 01:06:03.920 --> 01:06:06.079 To seventeen, and you'll understand why when I do that. 1420 01:06:06.639 --> 01:06:10.719 So my front row is Terrell May, Happy Corusau and 1421 01:06:10.960 --> 01:06:15.039 Josh Kerr if we could purchase him. My back row, 1422 01:06:15.519 --> 01:06:19.119 given that we've signed KPP already, would be Kay Piece 1423 01:06:19.159 --> 01:06:23.639 Paul and Samuela Feinu. My lockforward another one from left field, 1424 01:06:23.840 --> 01:06:27.239 Adam Elliott. Okay, I just thought he's the sort of 1425 01:06:27.280 --> 01:06:29.920 guy that can ball play. He's a solo defender, he 1426 01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:32.480 can poke his nose through a line. But again we're 1427 01:06:32.519 --> 01:06:35.280 talking hypotheticals. But I think one of our biggest issues 1428 01:06:35.400 --> 01:06:38.800 other than right edge back Rower has been having a 1429 01:06:38.880 --> 01:06:40.440 lot that is a bit of an all round of 1430 01:06:40.480 --> 01:06:43.079 the can ball play and be a strong runner. 1431 01:06:43.159 --> 01:06:45.480 So he fits the need in the sense that he's 1432 01:06:45.519 --> 01:06:46.199 off contract. 1433 01:06:46.559 --> 01:06:50.000 Well give us your bench now, okay, well my bench 1434 01:06:50.079 --> 01:06:52.239 and I won't say the bench in order, but I've 1435 01:06:52.280 --> 01:06:55.840 got talent. Obviously, I've got safe after for the fact 1436 01:06:55.840 --> 01:06:57.480 that we're signing for three years, so we're going to 1437 01:06:57.599 --> 01:06:59.960 use him something. I'd want him there, But the reality 1438 01:07:00.199 --> 01:07:02.719 is that's who's going to be there. It's going to 1439 01:07:02.760 --> 01:07:05.280 be Jack Byrd. I love what Jack Bird's bought off 1440 01:07:05.320 --> 01:07:08.559 the bench this year. And this is probably the controversial one. 1441 01:07:08.440 --> 01:07:11.280 For Fanua ballet fans. I think ballet is much better 1442 01:07:11.320 --> 01:07:13.440 off the bench, and he gives us that impact. 1443 01:07:13.480 --> 01:07:15.400 And if you get the sort of impact that ballet 1444 01:07:15.559 --> 01:07:19.119 gives you that Jack Byrd gives you, say, Fath can 1445 01:07:19.159 --> 01:07:20.920 come on and toil a little bit in the middle. 1446 01:07:21.280 --> 01:07:24.079 If that's who we've got, that's how I would go 1447 01:07:24.199 --> 01:07:28.199 with my bench. So to be talent, sayf Bird and ballet. 1448 01:07:28.840 --> 01:07:31.519 So if I'm right, role I'm just writing notes and 1449 01:07:31.679 --> 01:07:35.559 I got it wrong, you'd have like Alex Twiles, who 1450 01:07:35.599 --> 01:07:37.559 maybe Adam Dewey is sort of backup players. 1451 01:07:38.280 --> 01:07:40.440 Yeah. Look, in a perfect well, I don't think Adam 1452 01:07:40.440 --> 01:07:41.079 will hang around. 1453 01:07:41.840 --> 01:07:44.960 I think Adam's going to be able to demand decent 1454 01:07:45.039 --> 01:07:47.800 money from other clubs, especially someone looking for a goalkicker. 1455 01:07:47.880 --> 01:07:50.559 And let's be really objective about this. 1456 01:07:51.159 --> 01:07:53.519 Other than the fact that Adam lacks a lot of 1457 01:07:53.639 --> 01:07:57.199 pace and a lot of thrust these days, his defensive 1458 01:07:57.360 --> 01:07:59.559 reads and his IQ is immaculate. 1459 01:08:00.039 --> 01:08:01.880 So he will be wanted by another club. 1460 01:08:01.920 --> 01:08:05.239 And I see how some of those Cowboys center's tackled 1461 01:08:05.320 --> 01:08:08.519 last night and other teams, how defensively weak they are. 1462 01:08:08.599 --> 01:08:10.519 He'll get a gig somewhere else. I would love to 1463 01:08:10.639 --> 01:08:13.119 keep him at our club because right now it seems 1464 01:08:13.159 --> 01:08:15.800 we've only got twenty one or twenty two players, and 1465 01:08:15.880 --> 01:08:18.239 we need to be able to call on twenty five, 1466 01:08:18.880 --> 01:08:19.520 so to speak. 1467 01:08:19.720 --> 01:08:21.840 And Adam's on a minimum contract. He's going to want 1468 01:08:21.880 --> 01:08:24.119 more money. He's proven that he can play first rate, 1469 01:08:24.439 --> 01:08:26.239 albeit he's not an attacking threat. 1470 01:08:26.560 --> 01:08:29.520 All right, Joel Well, Rob Had, Josh Kerr and Adam 1471 01:08:29.520 --> 01:08:31.239 Elliott a couple of time ins. There have you got 1472 01:08:31.279 --> 01:08:34.800 any year players in your eight to seventeen I guess 1473 01:08:34.840 --> 01:08:36.439 apart from kpp. 1474 01:08:36.279 --> 01:08:39.840 Well, I haven't got any any suggestions, but yeah, nine, ten, eleven, 1475 01:08:39.880 --> 01:08:42.479 and twelve are sorted eight and thirteen. Of the two 1476 01:08:42.560 --> 01:08:45.000 areas that I've got, question Mark's over and I agree 1477 01:08:45.439 --> 01:08:48.119 polla better on the bench, which my bench is hunt 1478 01:08:48.359 --> 01:08:51.840 it's the only finu pole. And then a utility, which 1479 01:08:52.439 --> 01:08:54.560 could be a bird or a mason or a TDS 1480 01:08:55.159 --> 01:08:58.520 and twile and say far sort of in the depth area. 1481 01:08:58.760 --> 01:09:02.319 That's my So when I look at the team and 1482 01:09:02.439 --> 01:09:05.199 I look at we've already made one signing, We've got 1483 01:09:05.279 --> 01:09:08.359 two more signings for twenty twenty six, I think to 1484 01:09:08.439 --> 01:09:10.319 get us pushing into that top eight and that's a 1485 01:09:10.439 --> 01:09:14.199 thirteen and and eight. And I don't mind the suggestions 1486 01:09:14.239 --> 01:09:19.159 that Rob's made, and they seem like pretty reasonable possibilities 1487 01:09:19.199 --> 01:09:23.000 as well, So yeah, they would certainly add something forward 1488 01:09:23.079 --> 01:09:23.720 pack and bench. 1489 01:09:23.720 --> 01:09:27.640 Steve Well, I'm going to throw a curly one out 1490 01:09:27.680 --> 01:09:31.520 on this. This is my one dream dream signing that 1491 01:09:31.640 --> 01:09:33.439 I've put it in the squad, and I'm going to 1492 01:09:33.479 --> 01:09:37.039 say we're still lacking. We need an elite front rower, 1493 01:09:37.199 --> 01:09:43.159 we need dynamic punch through the middle. Yeah, We're we're 1494 01:09:43.159 --> 01:09:44.640 going to throw the pitchen at. 1495 01:09:44.600 --> 01:09:48.319 Pain Assom something He plays for the Blues. 1496 01:09:49.520 --> 01:09:51.760 So if if we were able to pull off that 1497 01:09:51.920 --> 01:09:56.399 miracle and get him to the club, my forward pack 1498 01:09:56.439 --> 01:10:01.119 would be see only Feinu and pain Hass as starting props. 1499 01:10:01.399 --> 01:10:03.479 For the same reason that Robbin said, I like the 1500 01:10:03.560 --> 01:10:06.319 idea off the bench, but this is a big one. 1501 01:10:06.600 --> 01:10:08.479 And then the second round is the same Pierce Paul 1502 01:10:08.600 --> 01:10:11.720 and Sam Feu and then I'm moving to Rell May 1503 01:10:12.239 --> 01:10:15.960 to thirteen. I reckon who could be He can punch 1504 01:10:16.000 --> 01:10:17.880 at them, He can punch out the minutes, he can 1505 01:10:17.920 --> 01:10:20.800 play eighty minutes at thirteen. He can play a middle style, 1506 01:10:21.119 --> 01:10:24.760 but he can also he does have the mobility to 1507 01:10:24.880 --> 01:10:28.720 be a link a link player. So a bit controversial 1508 01:10:28.800 --> 01:10:29.520 that one, but that's what. 1509 01:10:29.600 --> 01:10:34.199 I find that that lock roll rob is fascinating, especially 1510 01:10:34.359 --> 01:10:37.159 the last five or six years. Like I just remember 1511 01:10:37.199 --> 01:10:39.359 a guy like Kurt Man. He was hated by the 1512 01:10:39.399 --> 01:10:42.600 Newcastle fans and seen as undersized and you know, not 1513 01:10:42.720 --> 01:10:44.399 real a position. Now he's one of the probably the 1514 01:10:44.439 --> 01:10:46.720 most valuable players in the competition and it almost his 1515 01:10:46.800 --> 01:10:48.640 party is spine Now the lock roll for a lot 1516 01:10:48.640 --> 01:10:49.000 of teams. 1517 01:10:49.439 --> 01:10:52.039 Yeah, Well, Canterbury have been blessed in the fact that 1518 01:10:52.199 --> 01:10:55.199 those hybrid players that play multiple positions have kind of 1519 01:10:55.279 --> 01:10:59.039 worked out for them just about in every case. You 1520 01:10:59.159 --> 01:11:01.279 mentioned Todd Peyton early. I'd love to have Todd Payton 1521 01:11:01.359 --> 01:11:04.119 at thirteen nowadays because he was pretty much our first 1522 01:11:04.159 --> 01:11:07.439 receiver back in those glory days, especially twenty and ten, 1523 01:11:07.479 --> 01:11:11.119 twenty eleven. Look, lock's going to be the hardest position 1524 01:11:11.439 --> 01:11:14.399 I can look. Terrell May does play a little bit 1525 01:11:14.439 --> 01:11:17.239 of that lock role these days. He has taken the 1526 01:11:17.279 --> 01:11:19.920 ball up and passed before the line a little bit. 1527 01:11:20.520 --> 01:11:22.760 He doesn't hit the line as much as he was 1528 01:11:22.880 --> 01:11:24.800 in the first four or five rounds of the year. 1529 01:11:24.880 --> 01:11:27.800 So I get the logic behind what Stee's saying. He's 1530 01:11:27.840 --> 01:11:28.800 busting out the minutes. 1531 01:11:29.119 --> 01:11:31.159 Personally, you get the logic, but you disagree. 1532 01:11:31.600 --> 01:11:34.680 Well, I disagree, and actually I actually want to reduce 1533 01:11:34.760 --> 01:11:38.560 his minutes. I know he wants to play those long minutes. 1534 01:11:38.680 --> 01:11:41.720 I'm I'm really scared of the fact that he could 1535 01:11:41.720 --> 01:11:44.800 potentially be burned out. I really do like it's great 1536 01:11:44.920 --> 01:11:46.880 he's doing what he has to do now and averaging 1537 01:11:46.960 --> 01:11:49.840 over seventy minutes a game. But as you know, he 1538 01:11:49.920 --> 01:11:53.279 averaged forty six minutes a year or thereabouts for the 1539 01:11:53.399 --> 01:11:56.479 Russes last year and we've up that by over fifty percent. 1540 01:11:56.640 --> 01:11:59.319 It's just such a big jump. I mean, at some 1541 01:11:59.680 --> 01:12:01.520 I don't like the fact that he has to pace himself. 1542 01:12:01.760 --> 01:12:03.840 I think he's elite. I think if he can play 1543 01:12:03.920 --> 01:12:06.079 him for fifty minutes, it'd be great. 1544 01:12:07.119 --> 01:12:09.279 The irony is is we've pretty much already got the 1545 01:12:09.279 --> 01:12:12.079 perfect person. He's just not robust enough. He's just at 1546 01:12:12.159 --> 01:12:14.239 that point in his career. And that's Jack Byrd. He's 1547 01:12:14.319 --> 01:12:19.000 your natural thirteen, but just not exactly exactly where he's 1548 01:12:19.039 --> 01:12:21.640 at in his career. Unfortunately. Maybe Jack Bird five years 1549 01:12:21.680 --> 01:12:23.159 ago Perfect. 1550 01:12:24.840 --> 01:12:29.880 Twenty twenty five. Rest of Season four cast Steve biggest fear, 1551 01:12:29.920 --> 01:12:31.479 I think, you know, my biggest fear is that we're 1552 01:12:31.479 --> 01:12:33.680 going to get into a wooden Spoon race and somehow 1553 01:12:33.720 --> 01:12:37.119 win a fourth freight Wooden Spoon. I just look. I 1554 01:12:37.239 --> 01:12:39.159 know I'm being negative, but I look at that table 1555 01:12:39.239 --> 01:12:41.159 and I think there could be five or six teams 1556 01:12:41.199 --> 01:12:42.960 that finish on eight or nine wins, because I just 1557 01:12:43.039 --> 01:12:45.960 don't think there's one bad side in the competition. I 1558 01:12:46.039 --> 01:12:50.479 think even you see Gold Coast capable winning. What's your 1559 01:12:50.520 --> 01:12:53.319 biggest fear heading into the last eleven twelve weeks. 1560 01:12:53.840 --> 01:12:56.479 Well, my biggest fear comes off last week against the Panthers, 1561 01:12:56.479 --> 01:12:59.119 where we played good football and didn't get the two points. 1562 01:12:59.199 --> 01:13:02.119 And to me, it's not inconceivable to consider we can 1563 01:13:02.199 --> 01:13:05.479 play good football for the next five six weeks and 1564 01:13:05.640 --> 01:13:09.600 maybe only JAG one one win. Yeah, playing good and 1565 01:13:09.760 --> 01:13:12.039 that would be demoralizing for the team, for the fan base, 1566 01:13:12.119 --> 01:13:16.560 for everyone. So that's my greatest fear, that the team 1567 01:13:16.640 --> 01:13:20.960 continue to play with Britain effort and determination, but just 1568 01:13:21.000 --> 01:13:21.920 don't nice games. 1569 01:13:22.880 --> 01:13:24.000 I hope your biggest pick. 1570 01:13:25.239 --> 01:13:26.960 Not so much the fact that we might get our 1571 01:13:27.039 --> 01:13:29.920 fourth Wooden spoon, the fact that everyone's going to say 1572 01:13:30.119 --> 01:13:33.479 nothing has changed when it certainly has changed. We have 1573 01:13:33.640 --> 01:13:37.239 to remember we've got one of the most inexperienced rosters 1574 01:13:37.359 --> 01:13:42.000 and worst rosses in the competition, and obviously we're all 1575 01:13:42.079 --> 01:13:45.439 results orientated and it's hard to keep telling our fans 1576 01:13:45.560 --> 01:13:47.119 be patient, be patient, be patient. 1577 01:13:47.159 --> 01:13:49.239 But we're on a rotten part of the draw. 1578 01:13:49.760 --> 01:13:52.119 I don't believe we're capable of winning a game till 1579 01:13:52.159 --> 01:13:55.439 probably round twenty against the Titans, And the Titans played 1580 01:13:55.439 --> 01:13:57.640 pretty good football against Many the other night, so that's 1581 01:13:57.720 --> 01:14:01.239 no given either. So and I'm also worried about what 1582 01:14:01.319 --> 01:14:02.960 you mentioned earlier. The meeting is just going to jump 1583 01:14:03.000 --> 01:14:05.119 on our back. It's going to be all doom and gloom, 1584 01:14:05.159 --> 01:14:07.239 and you're going to have members saying I don't want 1585 01:14:07.239 --> 01:14:08.000 to renew next to year. 1586 01:14:08.119 --> 01:14:09.000 I'm sick of this crap. 1587 01:14:09.079 --> 01:14:11.840 Benji can't coach all all the negative talk that we 1588 01:14:12.039 --> 01:14:14.920 get so and it's very hard to be positive when 1589 01:14:14.960 --> 01:14:16.600 you're getting drowned with negativity. 1590 01:14:16.720 --> 01:14:18.880 So that's probably my biggest fear ready. 1591 01:14:19.439 --> 01:14:21.880 So so I've just said pretty much the same thing, Rob, 1592 01:14:21.920 --> 01:14:24.079 but I'm fright and we're going to We're not going 1593 01:14:24.159 --> 01:14:27.119 to win. But surely, surely if we play the way 1594 01:14:27.119 --> 01:14:31.159 we against pen Eth and that Midgiar slump of the 1595 01:14:31.239 --> 01:14:34.640 Galvin situations behind us, surely our team is good enough 1596 01:14:34.760 --> 01:14:37.840 to beat Manly the way Manly been playing. Surely we're 1597 01:14:38.000 --> 01:14:41.159 we are more consistent across the eighty minutes to beat 1598 01:14:41.800 --> 01:14:44.560 the Roosters. Unless we get the russ on a really 1599 01:14:44.600 --> 01:14:47.840 red hot day, you know, we really should be aiming 1600 01:14:47.920 --> 01:14:50.720 like cam is going to be hard, worry is going 1601 01:14:50.760 --> 01:14:53.000 to be hard. Surely we're going to be aiming for 1602 01:14:53.000 --> 01:14:55.399 two out of four over the next month and then 1603 01:14:55.439 --> 01:14:59.479 We've got the Titans twice, so there's another two two 1604 01:14:59.520 --> 01:15:02.479 wins that we should be aiming. For sure. We're going 1605 01:15:02.520 --> 01:15:05.159 to have enough faith in this the growth of this team, 1606 01:15:05.239 --> 01:15:06.479 that we're going to get a few We're going to 1607 01:15:06.520 --> 01:15:07.239 watch a few wins. 1608 01:15:08.279 --> 01:15:10.920 I look, I wish I had that faith, Steve. 1609 01:15:11.079 --> 01:15:14.399 I still think we'll try our hardest and perform admiably, 1610 01:15:14.479 --> 01:15:16.600 But at the same time, I'm a bit of a realistic. 1611 01:15:16.640 --> 01:15:19.000 For example, we're playing Canberra Friday night. 1612 01:15:19.079 --> 01:15:21.600 I mean, if I told you a month ago, you 1613 01:15:21.680 --> 01:15:24.119 know late withdrawals are going to be Galvin and Leui, 1614 01:15:24.720 --> 01:15:26.319 would you give us a chance of winning? I don't 1615 01:15:26.319 --> 01:15:29.159 see us playing LOUI having a game on Wednesday night 1616 01:15:29.239 --> 01:15:31.239 in Perth flying back, I can't. 1617 01:15:31.600 --> 01:15:33.159 I can't see it's winning Friday night. 1618 01:15:33.319 --> 01:15:36.239 Yeah, I think we'll probably get touched up to be fair, 1619 01:15:36.359 --> 01:15:38.880 and we don't match up well against Camber. They're one 1620 01:15:38.920 --> 01:15:40.840 of the biggest packs in the comp. They've got big 1621 01:15:40.920 --> 01:15:44.399 outside backs and they're in white hot form manly it 1622 01:15:44.520 --> 01:15:47.760 depends when you get manly. So yeah, but I mean 1623 01:15:47.800 --> 01:15:50.039 we're playing them at brook Fait, aren't we, or whatever 1624 01:15:50.079 --> 01:15:53.279 they call four Pine Stadium or whatever. Stupid name they've 1625 01:15:53.319 --> 01:15:58.039 come up with for that ground where I look, I 1626 01:15:58.039 --> 01:16:00.880 don't want to steal your thunder on a few questions, Eddie, 1627 01:16:00.920 --> 01:16:04.800 but do we have seventeen top quality first graders? 1628 01:16:05.560 --> 01:16:07.800 I mean we're really scraping the bottom of the barrel. 1629 01:16:07.840 --> 01:16:09.760 Now. We've had players that we haven't heard of play 1630 01:16:09.880 --> 01:16:12.680 last week. Kick didn't even get a minute last game, 1631 01:16:12.800 --> 01:16:15.039 So I don't know. I just think we're at the 1632 01:16:15.039 --> 01:16:17.600 bottom of our roster and it's very hard to compete. 1633 01:16:18.119 --> 01:16:19.840 Yeah, that was going to be my point, which is basically, 1634 01:16:19.880 --> 01:16:21.720 we've got a skeleton of a good team, but we 1635 01:16:21.800 --> 01:16:24.600 have no fat whatsoever. So what we've seen is over 1636 01:16:24.640 --> 01:16:27.039 the last six weeks the depth is start to be tested, 1637 01:16:27.479 --> 01:16:30.000 and as soon as you lose that two or three players, 1638 01:16:30.159 --> 01:16:33.920 we revert back from being an average team to a 1639 01:16:34.000 --> 01:16:36.760 poor team at times. So that's definitely a factor, is 1640 01:16:37.399 --> 01:16:40.880 how many more players we lose over the second half 1641 01:16:40.920 --> 01:16:44.520 of the year. Obviously, it's great to see Loui selected 1642 01:16:44.560 --> 01:16:46.479 for New South Wales. It would be great to see 1643 01:16:46.520 --> 01:16:48.720 May selected for New South Wales, but that just cuts 1644 01:16:48.800 --> 01:16:55.359 into the problem even more so. We probably got fifteen 1645 01:16:55.399 --> 01:16:57.880 first graders at best, and then you lose a couple 1646 01:16:57.960 --> 01:17:00.880 and you start to you start to struggle against teams 1647 01:17:00.920 --> 01:17:02.880 that have got more fat, that have got more ways 1648 01:17:02.920 --> 01:17:05.920 of being able to cover over their deficiencies when guys 1649 01:17:05.960 --> 01:17:07.640 are out, and we just don't have that at the moment. 1650 01:17:08.239 --> 01:17:10.920 Oh, you're sort of the analogy man. You haven't brought 1651 01:17:10.960 --> 01:17:12.920 one up for a while. But I didn't have an analogy. 1652 01:17:12.960 --> 01:17:15.439 But I was just thinking, you know, how many times 1653 01:17:15.520 --> 01:17:17.279 can you go to the well without a result? And 1654 01:17:17.439 --> 01:17:19.039 I don't know if people work at the bottom of 1655 01:17:19.079 --> 01:17:21.439 a well or what you do, whether you cleaning up 1656 01:17:21.680 --> 01:17:23.760 crap or whatever, but if you kept getting handed out 1657 01:17:23.800 --> 01:17:26.439 five bucks or whatever, eventually you inne go to the 1658 01:17:26.439 --> 01:17:28.279 bottom and well and go, well bug at least I'm 1659 01:17:28.279 --> 01:17:30.000 not going to put in. That's my worry, is that, 1660 01:17:30.199 --> 01:17:35.000 like Steve said, with so many close losses and no reward, 1661 01:17:35.359 --> 01:17:36.840 eventually it sort of breaks out. 1662 01:17:36.960 --> 01:17:39.520 Yeah, but I think there's a difference between a loss 1663 01:17:39.800 --> 01:17:42.399 and you know, if you look at the Penrith game, 1664 01:17:42.399 --> 01:17:44.680 there's a difference between that game and that result in 1665 01:17:44.840 --> 01:17:47.479 terms of the fans and the Storm game. So the 1666 01:17:47.560 --> 01:17:50.600 Storm game was it was here we are again, We're 1667 01:17:50.640 --> 01:17:53.439 back at square one. We're a terrible team. There's a 1668 01:17:53.520 --> 01:17:56.119 mountain in front of us, and Penrith was We got 1669 01:17:56.239 --> 01:17:58.720 exactly the same amount of competition points from that Penrith game, 1670 01:17:59.079 --> 01:18:03.199 but fans walked away disappointed but satisfied to see that 1671 01:18:03.279 --> 01:18:05.520 there's improvement. And so long as we continue to be 1672 01:18:06.000 --> 01:18:11.720 competitive and we don't suffer too many blowouts. I mean, realistically, 1673 01:18:12.079 --> 01:18:14.600 to be a Spoon team, you're getting five or six 1674 01:18:14.960 --> 01:18:17.600 blowout scores against you in a year. We've had one 1675 01:18:17.680 --> 01:18:21.920 one half most times. So stay competitive, stay in the games, 1676 01:18:22.119 --> 01:18:24.560 and like that Cranella game, you know, sometimes the wind 1677 01:18:24.640 --> 01:18:26.760 is with you, and you know the ball bounces you're way, 1678 01:18:26.880 --> 01:18:27.560 sometimes it doesn't. 1679 01:18:27.960 --> 01:18:30.760 I just think we're that curse jrole. Like most years, 1680 01:18:30.920 --> 01:18:33.000 teams that win twelve games make the finals. But the 1681 01:18:33.039 --> 01:18:36.000 year we won twelve games, we missed it by two games. 1682 01:18:36.359 --> 01:18:38.720 Just like, wouldn't this be a year where the Spoon 1683 01:18:38.840 --> 01:18:41.079 team got nine wins or something crazy like that. But 1684 01:18:41.199 --> 01:18:43.800 Steve's finish on a positive. What are you most looking 1685 01:18:43.840 --> 01:18:46.119 forward to the rest of the season seeing, whether it 1686 01:18:46.239 --> 01:18:47.119 be a player or. 1687 01:18:47.680 --> 01:18:49.720 I just want to see I just want to see 1688 01:18:49.760 --> 01:18:55.359 the team finish strong. It has upset me so much 1689 01:18:56.199 --> 01:18:58.000 I've spoken to you guys about this so many times. 1690 01:18:58.399 --> 01:19:00.960 The last two or three seasons, we just give up 1691 01:19:01.000 --> 01:19:04.159 on a season and tail away and put in some 1692 01:19:04.439 --> 01:19:08.399 absolutely horrendous performances. Now that era of West Tigers, I 1693 01:19:08.880 --> 01:19:12.319 firmly believe is now finished. It's gone. It's our past. 1694 01:19:12.720 --> 01:19:14.920 So I just want to say, do exactly what we're 1695 01:19:14.920 --> 01:19:19.000 just talking about. Finish the season strong. I am more 1696 01:19:19.079 --> 01:19:23.520 hopeful than you know the bottom three or four. I 1697 01:19:23.680 --> 01:19:26.600 do think we can push for the bottom of the eighth. 1698 01:19:26.640 --> 01:19:30.319 I think we can make I think we'll probably finish ninth, tenth, eleventh. 1699 01:19:30.399 --> 01:19:33.000 I think that's realistic. I think we can get a 1700 01:19:33.039 --> 01:19:36.279 few good wins. I just want to says, stick together 1701 01:19:36.399 --> 01:19:39.760 and finish strong and not have those blowout scores where 1702 01:19:39.800 --> 01:19:43.239 there's bugger all effort. That's what I'm hoping. 1703 01:19:43.720 --> 01:19:45.359 Just one thing I'd add to that. I mean, aside 1704 01:19:45.359 --> 01:19:47.720 from the excitement of signing peenhas Steve, You've got me 1705 01:19:47.800 --> 01:19:49.560 really excited about that. So I'm looking forward to that. 1706 01:19:51.439 --> 01:19:53.159 Got a dream mate, got a dream exactly. 1707 01:19:53.239 --> 01:19:56.079 There isn't a terrible team this year, which which does 1708 01:19:56.279 --> 01:19:58.039 change the way the Wooden Spoon looks. 1709 01:19:58.760 --> 01:20:02.119 Paramatta without Mitch make just might become that exactly again. Yeah, 1710 01:20:02.199 --> 01:20:05.319 but yeah, he's going to come back those six weeks. 1711 01:20:05.399 --> 01:20:08.880 But anyway, I'm going to doom doomsday stuff here. But Rob, 1712 01:20:08.920 --> 01:20:10.399 what are you most looking forward to seeing the rest 1713 01:20:10.399 --> 01:20:10.880 of the season. 1714 01:20:11.760 --> 01:20:14.159 It's a little bit of wishful thinking, but not too much. 1715 01:20:14.359 --> 01:20:17.079 I'd like to see Latu faint injury free for the 1716 01:20:17.159 --> 01:20:19.520 rest of the year and show us that he's going 1717 01:20:19.560 --> 01:20:21.920 to be our number seven for as long as he 1718 01:20:22.039 --> 01:20:24.600 wants that number seven spot. And given that he's got 1719 01:20:24.600 --> 01:20:27.640 a couple of brothers in the club, I think you know, 1720 01:20:27.760 --> 01:20:29.279 he will really make a good fish of it. The 1721 01:20:29.359 --> 01:20:31.880 one thing we've all noticed what he provides with our 1722 01:20:31.920 --> 01:20:34.399 team is he straightens up our attack. He's going to 1723 01:20:34.479 --> 01:20:37.279 give our outside backs more room. I don't think we 1724 01:20:37.359 --> 01:20:40.439 need another half so I want La two to play 1725 01:20:40.560 --> 01:20:43.760 as well as possible, even in losing performances, so that 1726 01:20:43.880 --> 01:20:45.680 riche says, well, hey, I don't need to go to 1727 01:20:45.760 --> 01:20:48.920 spend nine hundred k a million bucks on another half back. 1728 01:20:48.960 --> 01:20:51.680 We've got it right here right now. Let's just make 1729 01:20:51.720 --> 01:20:55.239 sure we get his hamstrings right and he's our future. 1730 01:20:55.640 --> 01:20:58.359 Well boys, well, I think that's a wrap but Rob, 1731 01:20:58.399 --> 01:21:00.479 I think you said to me. I might have text 1732 01:21:00.520 --> 01:21:02.279 the other day. You know, I don't even know what 1733 01:21:02.399 --> 01:21:04.359 you guys look like, and I think you know why 1734 01:21:04.600 --> 01:21:08.439 we don't do visuals now now our melons. But on 1735 01:21:08.600 --> 01:21:12.199 Tuesday night, it's going to be Roles reversed. Tell us 1736 01:21:12.199 --> 01:21:13.640 a little bit about what's going to be happening. I 1737 01:21:13.800 --> 01:21:16.720 usually eat my dinner during our podcast because Gary just 1738 01:21:16.800 --> 01:21:18.359 talks a way up an hour, but I'm having to 1739 01:21:18.439 --> 01:21:19.479 be on my game Tuesday. 1740 01:21:20.239 --> 01:21:22.399 Mate. We might have a chat about it tomorrow. 1741 01:21:22.520 --> 01:21:24.960 So what we'll discuss, Maybe we'll maybe we will talk 1742 01:21:25.039 --> 01:21:28.920 about our best ever West Tiger seventeen. And obviously we'll 1743 01:21:29.039 --> 01:21:32.279 preview the Canberra game on Friday night. I will leave 1744 01:21:32.319 --> 01:21:36.079 the previewing for you guys, because I'm scarred with negative 1745 01:21:36.520 --> 01:21:39.840 tissue inside my brain and I see those big monsters 1746 01:21:39.920 --> 01:21:42.520 from Camber and how well they're playing, and see that 1747 01:21:42.600 --> 01:21:43.000 we're at. 1748 01:21:42.880 --> 01:21:44.560 The bottom of our depth. 1749 01:21:45.439 --> 01:21:47.199 It's going to be a tough ask and it's really 1750 01:21:47.239 --> 01:21:49.439 hard to keep asking the fancy to rock up to 1751 01:21:49.520 --> 01:21:52.479 Campbelltown and support and we're zero and three out there. 1752 01:21:52.520 --> 01:21:55.399 But we'll show up, we'll show up, we'll. 1753 01:21:54.760 --> 01:21:58.359 Share and hopefully they can go off a miracle, all right, Rob, Well, 1754 01:21:58.439 --> 01:22:00.680 thank you for that. I'll see it the Orange Grove 1755 01:22:00.720 --> 01:22:03.000 Hotel Tuesday night. Joel, I think you're going to be 1756 01:22:03.399 --> 01:22:05.560 in charge of our midweek podcast this week. Is that 1757 01:22:05.640 --> 01:22:06.359 okay with you or not? 1758 01:22:06.520 --> 01:22:08.279 Yeah? Yeah, I will. I will make the effort. I 1759 01:22:08.319 --> 01:22:11.239 will make myself available. I'm not like a Lachland Galvin 1760 01:22:11.279 --> 01:22:14.199 who's looking at other opportunities elsewhere and trying to get out. 1761 01:22:14.520 --> 01:22:17.359 I will be here. I'm committed to the West cause. 1762 01:22:18.039 --> 01:22:20.720 Steve, you're welcome as well. The vice captain this week. 1763 01:22:20.760 --> 01:22:22.520 I think, oh nough, Gary will be There's no way 1764 01:22:22.600 --> 01:22:25.319 Gary on miss two in a row. You'll stager if you. 1765 01:22:25.880 --> 01:22:28.680 Yeah, might have to have to fight for a spot, 1766 01:22:28.680 --> 01:22:31.640 I reckon on Wednesday night. I'll be around mate. 1767 01:22:31.680 --> 01:22:34.880 I'd a right boys. Actually packed episode takes again Rob, 1768 01:22:35.000 --> 01:22:37.239 looking forward to Tuesday night. See you next time. 1769 01:22:37.319 --> 01:22:37.560 Boys. 1770 01:22:37.920 --> 01:22:39.560 Thanks, thank you,