Speaker 1: In the week that Royalty visited Wakefield, a man who
Speaker 1: is the namesake of Rugby League Royalty has announced he's
Speaker 1: joining Wakefield in twenty twenty seven. Princess Kate headed to
Speaker 1: Bellevue this week and that's basically a year ahead of
Speaker 1: when Leeds Is Cameron Smith will leave for Wakefield. Yes,
Speaker 1: it's more than one Cameron Smith in this world. I
Speaker 1: don't know if you knew that. I'm not content with
Speaker 1: trips to Vegas and the Catalan region Wigan. Now want
Speaker 1: to take Warrington to Dublin, where I'm sure Sam Burgess
Speaker 1: will be more than welcome to dance on tables after
Speaker 1: a loss. Welcome to the seventh seventh episode of Super
Speaker 1: League three sixty, a podcast primarily about the British game.
Speaker 1: My name is Lee Addison.
Speaker 2: My name is John Davidson.
Speaker 1: How are you, Johnny. You've been a bit tired the
Speaker 1: last couple of weeks. I'd hate to keep you up
Speaker 1: late when I'm getting up at daft o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: I'm doing only heavy lifting and the breaking all the stories,
Speaker 2: you know, promoting things get around the games, interviewing people.
Speaker 1: So you know, the only heavy lifting, the only heavy
Speaker 1: lifting you're doing, is that head of yours? I'm a
Speaker 1: coach in Australia, John a journo in the UK. If
Speaker 1: you want to know more about us, please read the
Speaker 1: description or listen to old pods because we've got loads
Speaker 1: to get through today. John So podcast has been aired
Speaker 1: on the Ashes, Rugby League and Rugby League Coach podcast platforms,
Speaker 1: so if you're listening to those there, please gradually switch
Speaker 1: over to Super League three sixty, which I think a
Speaker 1: few of you are doing now, and also it will
Speaker 1: be on YouTube on the Rugby League Coach channel. Sorry,
Speaker 1: I messed the video up a bit last week and
Speaker 1: made it tiny, so John's head got smaller on that.
Speaker 1: But if you check any of those things then you
Speaker 1: won't miss a thing. John's tweet of the week quote
Speaker 1: more shit takes about people with zero fucking clue close quote.
Speaker 1: Sorry about my profanity, but I'm quoting my friend here, John.
Speaker 1: What was that about? John?
Speaker 2: Ah, just just when you read certain things in the
Speaker 2: media from people who either should know better or shouldn't
Speaker 2: be basically priding in the media.
Speaker 1: So you're talking about rugby league media, I mean to.
Speaker 2: Be honest, it's it's it's it's general media. I wouldn't
Speaker 2: say it's just rugby league with you, but I think
Speaker 2: I think there are a lot of sometimes people interview players, coaches, officials, whatever,
Speaker 2: and they just and nauseam just swallow what they're told.
Speaker 2: They don't question, they don't sort of you know, there's
Speaker 2: no sniff test, and they just reproduce it. And I
Speaker 2: don't think that does anyone any good.
Speaker 1: Rugby league tweet of the week at r L. Sorry
Speaker 1: at Culmery Pimp said to Buzz Rothfield, who will talk
Speaker 1: about a bit in the r N r L segment,
Speaker 1: said have you apologized to Madge yet? I assuming reference
Speaker 1: the fact that he said he was over coaching. Buzz
Speaker 1: replied for pointing out he was over coaching them, they
Speaker 1: won comp because he backed off you goose. So that's
Speaker 1: the rugby league. I should maybe call it rugby league
Speaker 1: conversation of the week, Socials popper Lee of the week.
Speaker 1: It's been quiet. But on my YouTube channel at Joseph
Speaker 1: Counda eight nine eight four, and he had edited this too,
Speaker 1: said to me, you comments does not make sense. I
Speaker 1: don't know what you are talking about, and I replied,
Speaker 1: neither does your writing. So it's been a quiet week.
Speaker 1: We've been good. John. You've got some questions on social
Speaker 1: media though.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we've got some feedback about this podcast episode. Obviously,
Speaker 2: some really good news about Magic Weekend. Obviously, ticket sales
Speaker 2: I think they're about forty seven thousand the top of
Speaker 2: my head, I think the Hill Dickinson Stadium holds about
Speaker 2: fifty two to fifty three, so it's on track to
Speaker 2: be the biggest attendance in Magic Weekend history in the UK,
Speaker 2: which I think off the top of my head, since
Speaker 2: there's something around about sixty eight thousand over the two
Speaker 2: days in Newcastle. But obviously it's in July, so we've
Speaker 2: got a long way to go. But yeah, I was
Speaker 2: there for the second Ash Test. It's a fantastic stadium.
Speaker 2: My only complaint is that the Press Pops is about
Speaker 2: four k's in the sky, so when you're as lazy
Speaker 2: and unfit as I am, it's a fair ever getting
Speaker 2: up and down. But no, it's a fantastic stadium. I
Speaker 2: think it creates a great atmosphere. Obviously Liverpool is a
Speaker 2: is a great city to stay in and go out,
Speaker 2: and obviously Liverpool is a lot closer to Saint Helen's, Wigan,
Speaker 2: Lee Warrington, a lot of those clubs. So yeah, it's
Speaker 2: baiting for a great weekend in July. And it's funny
Speaker 2: because there were certain people in Super in the RFL
Speaker 2: who wanted to scrap Magic this year because it is
Speaker 2: a loop fig sure, but it is one of the
Speaker 2: It is a great concept. I've always been a big splorer,
Speaker 2: but obviously the NRL borrowed at shall we say, a
Speaker 2: few years ago and it's been a big hit in
Speaker 2: Australia and it's good that it's continuing and it's great
Speaker 2: to see, you know, growing as an event. It's long
Speaker 2: ever due.
Speaker 1: Are they adding this fixture on?
Speaker 2: I e.
Speaker 1: If it's Wigan versus Saint Helen's, will that be the
Speaker 1: third one of three?
Speaker 2: Yes? It is, it is.
Speaker 1: It is the only loot fixture, right, that's a bit weird,
Speaker 1: I guess. I guess the stadium experience that a lot
Speaker 1: of people had last year was a positive. Also the
Speaker 1: fact that England really aimed up in that game. I
Speaker 1: mean they weren't smart, but they played to football. They roughed,
Speaker 1: They roughed Australia up a little bit and the game
Speaker 1: was close for at least fifty five minutes so so,
Speaker 1: and in terms of your comment about the press box
Speaker 1: being in the sky, I mean all the press do
Speaker 1: is shit takes about people with zero fucking clue, So
Speaker 1: we don't need to sorry for again. I'm just call
Speaker 1: so any other any other questions on on.
Speaker 2: Well, we did have a we did have a quote
Speaker 2: from James Valley about the upcoming London Broncos v Bradford
Speaker 2: Bulls Challenge Cup tie which is not this Sunday but
Speaker 2: the following Sunday. That is a very very juicy tie
Speaker 2: and I will be at that game. I'm really looking
Speaker 2: forward to it. I've never been to the Cherry Red
Speaker 2: Record Stadium or Plow Lane which is the home of
Speaker 2: Wimbledon AFC in Southwest London. But yeah, there's obviously been
Speaker 2: lots of chat and talk about the London Broncos side
Speaker 2: that it's a you know, the best team that the
Speaker 2: champions have ever had, and obviously it's coached by a
Speaker 2: former and ROL coach and it's got an XCEN role
Speaker 2: players and P and G internationals and et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's going to be a great tie, you know,
Speaker 2: a big challenge for Bradford who are going to Super League,
Speaker 2: but a lot of people think they will struggle. So yeah,
Speaker 2: it's going to be a beauty for the game. It's
Speaker 2: going to be on a BBC on the R play,
Speaker 2: So yeah, let's.
Speaker 1: And that's a good segue for us to talk about
Speaker 1: where this podcast is going in the next couple of weeks,
Speaker 1: because the week after that it's not on the BBC. No,
Speaker 1: but the they'll they'll they'll edit it too much and
Speaker 1: make us change attack of what we're saying the the podcast.
Speaker 1: Because the season's about to start, we're hoping we will
Speaker 1: be going recording Sunday night. Monday. Man, it'd be out
Speaker 1: Monday morning in the UK at some point on Monday
Speaker 1: in in in England, in Australia. The Also, we're going
Speaker 1: to be doing random podcasts at random times, so I
Speaker 1: guess we just suggest people just click on whatever they
Speaker 1: subscribe to Super E three sixty on Apple or Spotify
Speaker 1: or and just check for the podcast because we're going
Speaker 1: to be doing bits more. We'll have the odd guests
Speaker 1: on and because we're in the habit at the moment,
Speaker 1: aren't we of everybody gets this on Friday, but I
Speaker 1: guess what I'm saying is next week will probably be
Speaker 1: the last Friday, and then well, no, it won't be
Speaker 1: the last Friday. It will it will become at a
Speaker 1: different time. I've made a massive botch of saying that
Speaker 1: we're probably going to be recording on a different day there,
Speaker 1: But we're also going to be doing more content, aren't we.
Speaker 2: So we are I mean the season, I mean, obviously
Speaker 2: the charge CAP's been we're heading the third round. But
Speaker 2: the season, as in the Super League season officially kicks
Speaker 2: off in.
Speaker 1: Two weeks, two weeks February the twelveth.
Speaker 2: Yeah, the launch is next Wednesday, which I'll be at
Speaker 2: in Manchester, and then I'll be at the opening game.
Speaker 2: He will be drug by okay Are and then a
Speaker 2: week later we've got the Brisbane Broncos and ok Are
Speaker 2: in the World Cup Challenge, so lots of big juicy
Speaker 2: ties to get stuck into.
Speaker 1: John will be the intrepid reporter keep saying, is everyone
Speaker 1: who's listened to you just think you sit on the
Speaker 1: house all the time. But the key thing is people
Speaker 1: are sending us quoquestions now. So if you want to
Speaker 1: send me questions, you can email me Admin at Rugby
Speaker 1: League Coach dot com to tay you or get me
Speaker 1: at Rugby League Coach on Facebook, Instagram, well everywhere really
Speaker 1: apart from X where I'm at RL coach on the net.
Speaker 1: But please only message me on Instagram and Facebook. John.
Speaker 2: You can get me on X Johnny d Davidson and
Speaker 2: you can get me on Facebook at John Davidson Journalists.
Speaker 2: We also had one last comment from Paul Franks who asked,
Speaker 2: who is the next RFL CEO? Now I can't answer
Speaker 2: that because I believe the process is still going on.
Speaker 2: There's been a lot of rumors about who has applied
Speaker 2: for the position. The rumors include Warrington CEO, car Fitzpatrick
Speaker 2: and okay, our CEO, Paul Lake, and I have actually
Speaker 2: spoke to Carl and he denied that he applied, but
Speaker 2: there is lots of speculation about that and whether it
Speaker 2: will just be a shuffling of the chairs of the
Speaker 2: existing people of the RFL, which has known to happen before.
Speaker 1: So John, I'd hate to you know, Trump you're here,
Speaker 1: but a big high profile CEO in the Australian sporting
Speaker 1: world called me this week for all the gossip if
Speaker 1: you like, or all the word on the street of
Speaker 1: what is happening in Super League and in the rugby
Speaker 1: Football League and rugby league in England in general, because
Speaker 1: he listens or watches this podcast and he spoke to
Speaker 1: one of the big hitters in British rugby league a
Speaker 1: day later, so when we stopped recording, I might tell
Speaker 1: you who it is. Well, yes, there's interested everywhere that
Speaker 1: you're yes, yes, And I think I think if this
Speaker 1: guy was to get the job, well, first of all,
Speaker 1: because he's over in Australia, it will strengthen tie between
Speaker 1: Australia and England in rugby league terms. His first name
Speaker 1: wouldn't be shame with it. No, maybe I don't know.
Speaker 1: I'll have to ask him. And and it also would
Speaker 1: be an excellent appointment that people would be really happy
Speaker 1: with me.
Speaker 2: I've learned that now I will be happy about everything, Lise.
Speaker 2: Some people will be and some people won't be.
Speaker 1: That's we're talking about not being happy. I am noting
Speaker 1: the amount of players in Super League now that are
Speaker 1: of stately caliber, and I am also very cognizant of
Speaker 1: the fact that the game is in a state of
Speaker 1: flux at the moment. Things are changing the NCL has
Speaker 1: come under the RFL structure, the contracts that a duel
Speaker 1: have been scrapped, a super League expanded from twelve to fourteen,
Speaker 1: all that kind of thing. My question on what one
Speaker 1: to have a chat about is why are clubs still
Speaker 1: use eng agents to get state league quality players so
Speaker 1: using the path of leaf reef resistance when right in
Speaker 1: their backyards there will be players in the championship and
Speaker 1: top amateur that just need some polish who would do
Speaker 1: a bet, who would do just as good a job.
Speaker 1: So if you think about getting a player from overseas,
Speaker 1: you have to find them housing, You have to find kids, schools, flights,
Speaker 1: flights home if they need those. It's quite expensive and
Speaker 1: it's also quite a lot of work. That's just with
Speaker 1: say four or five players. You need people on the
Speaker 1: ground helping to set the house up and making sure
Speaker 1: all the home comforts are ready for when you've flown
Speaker 1: over okay as a player. So we used to do
Speaker 1: this in England for NROL quality players and sometimes some
Speaker 1: of the big hitters. Now it seems clubs are doing
Speaker 1: the same for players who play for the state league.
Speaker 1: In more and in more and more, on more and
Speaker 1: more occasions. Why are clubs doing this John when England
Speaker 1: was so poor, when England haven't won the Ashes or
Speaker 1: a World Cup for fifty odd years, and there's players
Speaker 1: underneath in the system. And it's got back to this
Speaker 1: because it used to be used to be quite significant.
Speaker 1: The top amateur teams were better than so many professional
Speaker 1: teams twenty five thirty years ago. I think it's starting
Speaker 1: to get back there a little bit now because I
Speaker 1: know of many player who are choosing to drop to
Speaker 1: the championship because they can work full time and then
Speaker 1: earn something in the evening and then combine the two
Speaker 1: amounts of money, they have a better lifestyle. But also
Speaker 1: many of them have a loyalty to their amateur club
Speaker 1: and also loyalty to the game as a as a
Speaker 1: as a part of a community. Why aren't clubs spending
Speaker 1: more time looking at what is in the backyard?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think there's a number of reasons in my
Speaker 2: opinion for that. I think just a point on the
Speaker 2: amateur teams. I don't think that gap is closing because
Speaker 2: if you look at the recent Challenge Cup results, you
Speaker 2: know there was one hundred nils Nils.
Speaker 1: But the team that wasn't That wasn't Worth Brow or
Speaker 1: Fat o'heath or Thornhill or somebody in the somebody elsewhere.
Speaker 2: There was a there was a real mixture of.
Speaker 1: Who did some of the not who did some of
Speaker 1: the Northern teams play.
Speaker 2: I'd have to look at the fixture list of the
Speaker 2: top of my head, but I know there was a
Speaker 2: there was a list of amateur teams and they all
Speaker 2: got you know, spanked. And I mean, it's not surprise
Speaker 2: when you've got semi professionals against amateurs. It's not like
Speaker 2: soccer where you can park the bus and play long bowl.
Speaker 1: I get that. It's more about that. It's more about
Speaker 1: the system. John. It's more so. I know this week
Speaker 1: or last week there might have been some results that
Speaker 1: are are not great, but a seventeen year old or
Speaker 1: an eighteen year old that's really talented but just missed
Speaker 1: out on Super League selection for whatever reason, they might
Speaker 1: decide to go down that pathway. So for the next
Speaker 1: five years they may get less training, less professionalism, So
Speaker 1: their standard of football is going to drop a little
Speaker 1: bit over time, isn't it right? That's my point. This
Speaker 1: isn't I don't think we can take a snapshot and
Speaker 1: goal and goal this this is where we're at. You
Speaker 1: said it yourself, and I'm going to I'm going to
Speaker 1: link in what I was going to bring in in
Speaker 1: media watch. I went to bed last night. Just before
Speaker 1: I fell asleep, something that really helped me ghostly was
Speaker 1: an article that came through from John Davidson about the
Speaker 1: rugby league brain drain in England.
Speaker 2: And let me just before you continue on, that is
Speaker 2: actually something I wrote four or five years ago which
Speaker 2: popped up on my Facebook memories and I reread it
Speaker 2: and I thought I'll repost this because I think it's
Speaker 2: just as permanent now as it was then.
Speaker 1: And so if you think of that brain drain, imagine
Speaker 1: how many players have turned their back on the game
Speaker 1: because of the lack of pathway.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's not It's not just players, as
Speaker 2: I wrote, it's coaches, it's people in marketing, it's journalists,
Speaker 2: it's CEOs. Yeah, there's countless, countless people.
Speaker 1: So instead of looking at a snapshot in time, what
Speaker 1: I'm saying is, if there's a brain drain, can you
Speaker 1: imagine how many players are turning their back on the
Speaker 1: game of rugby league in England because there's so many
Speaker 1: overseas players and then imagine those players are state league
Speaker 1: quality players. Yeah, no, it's a good point. I mean
Speaker 1: I've just bought the results of the second round of
Speaker 1: Challenge Cup and there is a mixture in terms of
Speaker 1: the amateur teams. But keith Lee sixty six, I think,
Speaker 1: is it Heworth or I don't even know where they
Speaker 1: are at sixty six nil, Hands upbeat Sanging forty four nil.
Speaker 1: Swinton Lions beat ince Ro's Bridge forty four to twenty six,
Speaker 1: which is a competitive game. Barrow Road has beat Williamson
Speaker 1: Dude seventy six to four. Sulford beat Hammersmith Hills Hoist
Speaker 1: which is a kiweosie club in London forty two to
Speaker 1: ten winners. Vikings be his Crusade seventy six nil. It's
Speaker 1: not a result service.
Speaker 2: Thank to you.
Speaker 1: I get the idea. But that's a snapshot in time,
Speaker 1: John right. So some of those players at Wigan Saint
Speaker 1: Dude's wat Brow wherever it is, eight years ago, nine
Speaker 1: years ago, ten years ago, they may have decided I'm
Speaker 1: just going to play for my amateur club. That's if
Speaker 1: they stay in the game. If there's a brain drain
Speaker 1: where we're going to feel it in playing stocks because
Speaker 1: all in theory, all the better stocks will rise into
Speaker 1: the professional ranks. Yet, so if you're going to if
Speaker 1: you're going to leave the game part of this brain
Speaker 1: drain that you're talking about, you're more likely to stay
Speaker 1: in it if you're going to get financially recompensed for
Speaker 1: your work, aren't you. Yes, of course there's a lot
Speaker 1: of rugby league players and there's a lot of sports
Speaker 1: people in general who don't necessarily enjoy the game like
Speaker 1: they used to, but they do it because they get
Speaker 1: paid for it. So the brain drain. So I admit
Speaker 1: I might have been wrong about the the closeness of
Speaker 1: amateur clubs right now to English professional clubs, I understand.
Speaker 1: But I'm talking about the the chats I've had with
Speaker 1: people over the years about people who've left the game,
Speaker 1: people who could have played professionally. And I still go
Speaker 1: back to my point, why aren't Why aren't we providing
Speaker 1: a scenario that makes these players think that they have
Speaker 1: a fair crack and instead, why are we getting state
Speaker 1: league players?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think there's a great expense. Yeah, there's a
Speaker 2: couple of reasons for that. I think partly. I think
Speaker 2: a lot of the scanning and recruitment is quite of
Speaker 2: a poor standard. I think some clubs just rely on
Speaker 2: a handful of agents who have connections in Australia.
Speaker 1: It's easy, you just pick up the phone and go
Speaker 1: who should we do? Yeah?
Speaker 2: And are there are exceptions to that rule and they
Speaker 2: do fantastic recruitment and they have people on the ground
Speaker 2: Australia and they have relationships and they recruit really well,
Speaker 2: but a lot of them don't. A lot of them
Speaker 2: it off YouTube or past performances. I think also there's
Speaker 2: a belief and you could say this is right or wrong,
Speaker 2: but I mean there's a lot of points to it
Speaker 2: being right in many ways, but that doesn't mean it's
Speaker 2: in every case. But there's a belief that the development
Speaker 2: systems in Australia are better than the UK. So if
Speaker 2: you get a twenty one year old half back from Redcliffe,
Speaker 2: for example, not Redcliffe, I don't know, Tormba, he's going
Speaker 2: to be better than a twenty one year old half
Speaker 2: back from Sheffield because he's played at a higher standard
Speaker 2: through his junior years, he's had a better level of coaching.
Speaker 2: So I think that's another element. I think the other
Speaker 2: element is obviously there is really no reserves football. Let's
Speaker 2: be honest. There they played five or six games a year,
Speaker 2: so that was scrapped years ago. It's kind of try
Speaker 2: to be brought back but not really worked. So there
Speaker 2: is a big gap for that academy level. So if
Speaker 2: you end your academy level whatever it is, eighteen nineteen,
Speaker 2: and then you're not in a super league system as
Speaker 2: in you're in not in that top thirty, or you're
Speaker 2: not playing regularly, where do you go You go to
Speaker 2: the championship or you either go on play amateur or
Speaker 2: you effectively retired, don't you. So there's a big cut
Speaker 2: off point at that level. Yeah, yeah, and that's yeah,
Speaker 2: And people have been banging on that for a while,
Speaker 2: so I think that's how the issue. The other issue
Speaker 2: is participation, Like participation is been declining, if not stagnant.
Speaker 2: I mean the fact that female participation has grown in
Speaker 2: recent years, which they put together to say, oh, look
Speaker 2: over or a participation is going all right, but it isn't.
Speaker 2: It's gone downhill. And the thing is there's not really
Speaker 2: anything done by the head office to promote participation. Schools
Speaker 2: rugby is almost non existent in my experience rugby league.
Speaker 2: There isn't really like there is an Australia you know
Speaker 2: rugby league schools. It's not pushed by schools even in
Speaker 2: rugby league areas, and there's not really development offices. They've
Speaker 2: all been sort of cut back in places like London
Speaker 2: and the Newcastle and the Midlands. That was ten or
Speaker 2: more years ago. The funding has gone, so we're not
Speaker 2: really pushing, you know, trying to get kids picking up
Speaker 2: you know, Steven's and then improving the overall participation. So
Speaker 2: the playing boat is definitely reduced. The depth of talent
Speaker 2: is not there. But I do agree with you Lee
Speaker 2: in the sense that I think there is definitely plays
Speaker 2: in the championship who could do a very good job.
Speaker 2: There are like diamonds to be found to be polished.
Speaker 2: I just think a lot of clubs probably think it's
Speaker 2: safer to go with some ossie who's been in an
Speaker 2: hour old system for a couple of years than you know,
Speaker 2: some kid.
Speaker 1: It's lazy, it's path of least resistance.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I think it is. I think it is lazy,
Speaker 2: but I think that's the way, that's the way, and
Speaker 2: to be honest, I think a lot of fans probably
Speaker 2: see that they'd rather have some ossie who's played two
Speaker 2: games for the Newcastle Knights and most of his career
Speaker 2: World Cup, then you know, a young junior from I
Speaker 2: don't know, Halifax, Like I think.
Speaker 1: That there is that the turnout they turn out for
Speaker 1: locals in their backyard.
Speaker 2: Though oh yeah, I'm not saying that fans don't want
Speaker 2: to see that. You know, their local juniors do well
Speaker 2: and whatever. But you know there's all a seat on
Speaker 2: social media the reaction. You know, we've signed so and
Speaker 2: so from the NRL or so and so from Australia,
Speaker 2: like he must be good. That's the kind of stereotype
Speaker 2: and it's not always the case, as we know not.
Speaker 2: And you know you mentioned about bringing players over, like
Speaker 2: homesickness is a real thing, you know, the classic cultures.
Speaker 2: Some people can't handle moving fifteen thousand miles across from
Speaker 2: the other side of the world away from their friends and family.
Speaker 2: That they struggle. And also you know that the temperature
Speaker 2: is a big thing. The way the game's refereen, there's
Speaker 2: lots of things, there's lots of things to adjust. The
Speaker 2: other I just add last the other thing I think
Speaker 2: that there is an element is obviously the League One
Speaker 2: is gone this year we have the Championship and League
Speaker 2: One merge. But there's a bit of a watering down
Speaker 2: between the divisions, like it's not like where the NRL
Speaker 2: is so far up here and then you have sort
Speaker 2: of new sols Queensland Cup and then you have you
Speaker 2: know below that Ron Massy and you have your Group
Speaker 2: nine and your Group eight whatever. Super League is not
Speaker 2: that far ahead of the Championships. It's not on a
Speaker 2: big pedestal. It would be.
Speaker 1: Great and the range of standards in the Championship will
Speaker 1: be massive this year. I would have thought there'll be
Speaker 1: that's that's hard time teams playing against full time teams.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you've got you've got teams like London and Oldham
Speaker 2: who are I mean Oldham are full sorry London a
Speaker 2: full time. Oldham have got a lot of X full
Speaker 2: time players or you know, I've got a massive budget
Speaker 2: and then you'll have teams that are on you know,
Speaker 2: an eighth of that budget or if not less. So
Speaker 2: there's already divisions within divisions and there will be in
Speaker 2: Super League you'll have whole KR and we're going to
Speaker 2: Leeds and then you'll have York and Bradford and Toulouse
Speaker 2: and there'll be light year between them. That's yeah. So
Speaker 2: souper playing in Super League, isn't it attractive proposition? I
Speaker 2: think if you're earning okay money as a part timer
Speaker 2: in the Championship.
Speaker 1: Now Leeds did have a player called Cameron Smith though,
Speaker 1: and do have a player called Cameron Smith.
Speaker 2: Yeah, correct you there, there's there's another famous Cameron Smith.
Speaker 1: It's that golfer.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, with the mallet.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I said, there's more than one Cameron Smith. I'll
Speaker 1: correct you back, said one Cameron Smith talking about me.
Speaker 1: There's actually three we can think of.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but there's only one who is maybe the greatest
Speaker 2: rugby league player of falls.
Speaker 1: That's right, that's right. I think you need more coke zero.
Speaker 1: So I was actually I was, I don't. I don't
Speaker 1: want to sound negative, but Cam Smith leaving Leeds I'm
Speaker 1: thinking which and our row clubs are signing for. And
Speaker 1: also this thing that it's a year ahead of of
Speaker 1: when he plays. I mean, rugby has got to get
Speaker 1: rid of.
Speaker 2: This and just in ra but it's also bizarre and
Speaker 2: that he's on his testimonial year. He just had its
Speaker 2: testimonial game against Bradford. So if you're on Leeds fan
Speaker 2: and you know he's leading at the end of the year,
Speaker 2: you probably are you going to go on and support
Speaker 2: the testimonal.
Speaker 1: And I assume one of the reasons he's going to
Speaker 1: Wakefield he was born and raised in Pontefract. I think
Speaker 1: so when I was looking at the motivations, why he
Speaker 1: might be doing that or has he become surplus to
Speaker 1: requirements at Leads.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I think my understanding is they've got
Speaker 2: they've got a good croup of long local juniors there.
Speaker 2: Presley Cassell is one of them, and they think they
Speaker 2: can get very value over some of those young players.
Speaker 2: So they're sort of with some.
Speaker 1: State league players.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it happens. It happens in Rugula League.
Speaker 1: Staying at Leeds Jared O'Connor after he featured on Super
Speaker 1: League three sixty And I must apologize for the YouTube
Speaker 1: video that it was because I put these videos in first.
Speaker 1: That's how Jared O'Connor, son of Terry's saying at Leeds
Speaker 1: for an other two years.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not a big not a big surprise. He
Speaker 2: had his first child he's partner had his first child
Speaker 2: last year. I think he's very settled in Leeds. I
Speaker 2: think his partner's got a really good job and very
Speaker 2: close to his family. So you know, I think there's
Speaker 2: a lot of interest, you know, from from Perth, from
Speaker 2: Many there was interest from Warrington, Catalans. He had an
Speaker 2: approach from Hofc before so braided highly. But yeah, I
Speaker 2: think he is very happy where he is. And you
Speaker 2: know he's been at Leeds for five years and no
Speaker 2: surprise that he put pen to paper for another two seasons.
Speaker 1: Ignacious Party is off to Witness, so he's dropping a division.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's one that's been bobbing around for a while.
Speaker 2: Had a number of people confirm that to me over
Speaker 2: the weekend. He's been at and Helm's for a couple
Speaker 2: of seasons now. Obviously he was sort of midway through there.
Speaker 2: Four came out from the New Zealand Warriors. But getting on.
Speaker 2: I think he's about thirty four now and he did
Speaker 2: actually re sign with Saint Helens about November. I think
Speaker 2: must have been after Paul Wells are left. But obviously
Speaker 2: the talks and it wasn't a popular decision by the
Speaker 2: sim Helens fans. I think they think they've seen the
Speaker 2: best of him. So Witness seemed to be seem to
Speaker 2: have had some new investment recently, quite active in the
Speaker 2: transfer market, and he looks like a player that they'll
Speaker 2: either get either on loan or permanently. I'm not sure
Speaker 2: how that will wind up, but it looks very likely
Speaker 2: in the new future.
Speaker 1: Zach Sinnia Cass has been offered out on long to
Speaker 1: all the clubs as he found a home yet for
Speaker 1: twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2: No, I know he's been offered to a few championship clubs,
Speaker 2: but yeah, obviously Cash just signed up. I can't remember
Speaker 2: the guy's name, but they just signed a center from
Speaker 2: well from the Newcastle Knights, and so I was cuptown.
Speaker 2: I think he played a couple of games in the NRL,
Speaker 2: but they're fairly stopped at center, and obviously with Ryan
Speaker 2: Carr coming in, I think he wants to put his
Speaker 2: own stamp on the squad. So yeah, they are looking
Speaker 2: to offload him at the moment.
Speaker 1: So he's going to obviously struggle at this time of
Speaker 1: year to find somewhere unless somebody can accommodate some of
Speaker 1: his wageeroord assume as well. So Sheffield in that division
Speaker 1: have some stadium issues. Yeah, they've been it's about two
Speaker 1: and a half years.
Speaker 2: They've been looking to build a new stadium on the
Speaker 2: other side of Sheffield, on the sort of Dronfield. And
Speaker 2: now the guy who owns Sheffield Eagles is Jeremy Levin,
Speaker 2: who also owns Sheffield f C, which are off the
Speaker 2: top of my head six or seventh division Association football team.
Speaker 2: This proposed site that I have in Sheffield, I think
Speaker 2: basically they have been you know, people aren'thappy about the
Speaker 2: trafficker woud add it would be a five thousand seat stadium,
Speaker 2: a five thousand capacities adium, should I say, And the
Speaker 2: council still hasn't approved anything, which is you know, a
Speaker 2: year or more after so it seems like that's dead
Speaker 2: in the water and they're looking at another site which
Speaker 2: is actually closer to where they are now at the
Speaker 2: Olympic Legacy Park, which is the old done Valley side.
Speaker 2: But the problem is where they are now it's just
Speaker 2: it's one stand, there's nothing else. It's not a great ground.
Speaker 2: I watched the Sheffield Eagles game on the Eyeplayer on
Speaker 2: Sunday and they looked like there was about three people there,
Speaker 2: which is not a great you know, it's not a
Speaker 2: great look for you know, obviously Sheffield is not a
Speaker 2: rugby league city. It's dominated by Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday,
Speaker 2: but it's a fairly big city and it's a place
Speaker 2: where there is potential. But it's just not happening there
Speaker 2: for the Eagles, and they were in Super League.
Speaker 1: It was a warm.
Speaker 2: Challenge Corp in ninety seven ninety eight, Wigan the biggest upset. Yeah,
Speaker 2: so they do really need a new stadium, but it
Speaker 2: doesn't seem to be happening. So yeah, it's not a
Speaker 2: great bit of news for the Eagles.
Speaker 1: Oldham have some stadium dramas too, a bit of a.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's been a bit reports and then Oldham come
Speaker 2: out with a statement. There seems to be a bit
Speaker 2: of a dispute between Oldham Rugby League Club and Oldham
Speaker 2: Athletic with Boundary Parker Stadium which they've started back sharing
Speaker 2: and it seems like their chairman Bill Quinn has been
Speaker 2: banned for a year so they can't play a Boundary
Speaker 2: Park at the moment, which is not great, but it's
Speaker 2: just the rugby league is the sport that keeps on
Speaker 2: giving the as you know.
Speaker 1: Yeah, good play. Saddleworths is very nice there. Yeah, I've
Speaker 1: been to Saddleworth Rangers. This is nice.
Speaker 2: I don't know if you're going to get a couple
Speaker 2: of thousand in there, but.
Speaker 1: You have to take ten on one side because of
Speaker 1: the canal or whatever. Yeah. Is anyone firming for the
Speaker 1: England job at all in your intrepid journalistic world.
Speaker 2: Not that I've heard about anyone. Obviously, there's been confirmation.
Speaker 2: Willie Peters has said publicly he's interested, Brad Arthur said
Speaker 2: publickely he's interested. Many Pete said publicly he's not interested.
Speaker 1: Well, so one one organization in particular seems to be
Speaker 1: interviewing anybody who's ever coached and then putting it out
Speaker 1: as a story.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that's that's just standard standard players there.
Speaker 2: But yeah, there's no there's not been any talk behind
Speaker 2: the scenes that I'm aware of. I mean, there isn't
Speaker 2: a game before well before the World Cup, is it.
Speaker 2: Obviously they'll make a decision before there, but I don't
Speaker 2: think they're in a massive hurry to make a decision
Speaker 2: in the next few days or is the next no coach, no.
Speaker 1: CEO, things are looking great. And then on the subjects
Speaker 1: of things looking great, I think it was Steve Mascot
Speaker 1: who did something this week about the Sky TV money.
Speaker 2: Yes, in one of his columns he reported about some
Speaker 2: conversations that had gone from some figures in Australia. Whether
Speaker 2: it was through IMG to those figures in Australia, I'm
Speaker 2: not sure. Obviously it was Steve's columb but caused a
Speaker 2: bit of disquiet. Basically the belief in Australia that Sky,
Speaker 2: after obviously the TV deal super League TV deal ends
Speaker 2: at the end of the year. They're in talks with
Speaker 2: Sky and other prospective partners about a new deal, but
Speaker 2: there is speculation down Under that after this next deal
Speaker 2: that Sky won't bid. So that, I mean, if that
Speaker 2: is true, that is really worrying and dangerous.
Speaker 1: It makes the concept of coming into bed with the
Speaker 1: NRL even more crucial because well, I am of the
Speaker 1: belief Peter Land is keen on the Super League for
Speaker 1: TV deal purposes so that it can offer.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, a global TV deal makes a lot
Speaker 2: of sense in many ways, and there are other there
Speaker 2: are other ways and reasons for why global kind of
Speaker 2: tie up works internationals, you know, big events in places
Speaker 2: like London, et cetera. There's there's lots of types. But yeah,
Speaker 2: if and it's obviously a big if at this stage.
Speaker 2: But if Sky, you know, weren't to put in I
Speaker 2: think it's twenty one twenty two million they're putting in
Speaker 2: at the moment a year, the game, the professional game
Speaker 2: would be in huge, have huge, huge issues. The problem
Speaker 2: is there isn't competitive tension. So if you're Sky, you
Speaker 2: haven't got T and T or Paramount or de Owne
Speaker 2: saying I will give them thirty or forty million quids.
Speaker 2: So yeah, people like, yeah, that's the thing. They're a business,
Speaker 2: they're not a charity. So you know, Super League GARIFL
Speaker 2: rugby League, you can needs to get bigger, more popular,
Speaker 2: more publicity to make itself more attractive to sponsors and broadcasters.
Speaker 2: But unfortunately it hasn't well, it hasn't been really doing
Speaker 2: that for quite a long time.
Speaker 1: In our show notes, you sent me a message NRL
Speaker 1: in Las Vegas when the Americans are shooting everyone.
Speaker 2: That was that was another part. I mean, it was
Speaker 2: an interesting point in Steve's column, and I think Christian Nikolis,
Speaker 2: who I didn't see. I didn't read the story, but
Speaker 2: I think he did a piece in the cnymore herold
Speaker 2: about that. Maybe it was from the chief of Nevada
Speaker 2: Police or chief of Las Vegas place saying everything will
Speaker 2: be fine. But yeah, I think it's it's a legitimate
Speaker 2: point in Steve's column. Obviously, Look, everyone who watches the
Speaker 2: news can see what's happening in America at the moment.
Speaker 2: It's part of my French pretty fucking alarming, and there's
Speaker 2: people getting shot in the streets left right in some city.
Speaker 2: So I think, and actually it's it's It's interesting because
Speaker 2: I was chatting to another journalist and to a super
Speaker 2: leig CEO this week and he asked me, actually, you know,
Speaker 2: what had been the coverage of what's the kind of
Speaker 2: reaction to Las Vegas from the English point of view
Speaker 2: this year? And I think it's been a lot quieter
Speaker 2: compared to last year because there's not there's for a
Speaker 2: few reasons, there's not really an angle to this year. Obviously,
Speaker 2: Leeds and wholek are going. It's great for them, great
Speaker 2: for their fans who are going, But what's the different
Speaker 2: angle compared to twenty twenty five that was the first
Speaker 2: ever Super League game in America, and you know it
Speaker 2: was kind of bright, new and shiny, and Michael Buffer
Speaker 2: was over and Wigan and saying let's get ready to rumble.
Speaker 2: The build up hasn't been as big. And then you
Speaker 2: look at the political landscape in America how that shifted,
Speaker 2: you know, war with Greenland, whatever you want to call it.
Speaker 2: Read I'm ready and then let me finish. And then
Speaker 2: there's been I've seen stories about you know, people being
Speaker 2: turned back at least the strains being turned back with
Speaker 2: visas at more to control because they check your social
Speaker 2: media and if you've written anything anti Trump or whatever,
Speaker 2: then they send you're packing. So well, whether it's has
Speaker 2: an effect or that in terms of the turnout in
Speaker 2: Las Vegas, I don't know. We'll we'll find out. But
Speaker 2: there's people askedpking to you who who you know aren't
Speaker 2: that kind of go because of the climate over there.
Speaker 1: Right, Let's which which country do you want to talk
Speaker 1: about first? You want to talk about British going over
Speaker 1: to America or Australians from Sydney going over to America?
Speaker 1: Which ones do you want to start with first? Because
Speaker 1: Sydney have have you do you do you consume the
Speaker 1: news from Sydney in particular areas of western Sydney. The
Speaker 1: place is like Chicago. There's people getting shot dead all
Speaker 1: the time at the moment. I've done some deep analysis
Speaker 1: of this over the last few years, and there was
Speaker 1: actually a TV series that came out, a drama over
Speaker 1: a decade ago called Underbelly in Melbourne about the gangland
Speaker 1: War in Melbourne in the early two thousands of late
Speaker 1: nineties and in Sydney. What did you say? Sorry, so
Speaker 1: there was more than.
Speaker 2: A decade, but anyway, don't don't get you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, anyway, two decades. Yeah, but I compared
Speaker 1: the amount of shootings in a two year period in
Speaker 1: Sydney compared to the Melbourne Gangland War, and there's more
Speaker 1: shootings in Sydney. So people in Sydney have probably statistically
Speaker 1: got more chance of getting shot than people who travel
Speaker 1: to Las Vegas. Now. The other thing is Las Vegas.
Speaker 1: Las Vegas is twenty three hours drive away from Minneapolis,
Speaker 1: where there seems to have been a few a couple
Speaker 1: of issues in the last few weeks. So this is
Speaker 1: like people getting worried about traveling to Cairnes because people
Speaker 1: are getting shot in Sydney, and you know that's ridiculous, right,
Speaker 1: you know that's absolutely ridiculous. So that's Australia, of all Britain.
Speaker 1: I don't live in Britain anymore, and all I seem
Speaker 1: to read about here about Watch is that London has
Speaker 1: a knife problem. London has a stop and search problem
Speaker 1: and the chances of you getting stabbed or whatever it
Speaker 1: may be. So that again is another example of it's
Speaker 1: going on. Things are going on in Britain now. I
Speaker 1: go to London all the time and I feel really safe.
Speaker 1: I think it's great. But what I'm also acknowledging here
Speaker 1: is that we get certain news items forced our way. Now.
Speaker 1: If you look at the say the Trump approval rating
Speaker 1: in the UK and Australia, it's very low. Yet the
Speaker 1: man is obviously popular to an extent, so much he
Speaker 1: got voted in for a second time. So I think
Speaker 1: there's an element of hysteria going on. Ria is a
Speaker 1: it's basically a continent, and there's a problem in There's
Speaker 1: been a problem this week with ice enforcers in Minneapolis.
Speaker 1: What that has got to do with Las Vegas, I
Speaker 1: really really really don't know. I really don't know have
Speaker 1: you got an answer to me, because it'd be like
Speaker 1: literally be like you're going to a Cowboys game and
Speaker 1: being worried about and there's people in Canterbury Bankstown who
Speaker 1: are going to Sydney and this is where in these
Speaker 1: areas are a lot of where the dramas are.
Speaker 2: There's lots of answers to that. Lee and I don't
Speaker 2: really want to get bogged down out and Money had
Speaker 2: dickheads on social media. But I think by any measure,
Speaker 2: what's happening in the USA, it is unstable from the
Speaker 2: outside booking and people can disagree with that, that's that's fine,
Speaker 2: But I think there are people with the gitimate concerns
Speaker 2: and the thing with us and when everything else it
Speaker 2: is happening in other places, that's much just happening in
Speaker 2: one city.
Speaker 1: Oh I know that. But anyway, Wigging and Warrington are
Speaker 1: on about going to Dublin in twenty twenty seven. Yeah,
Speaker 1: do we can play any games at home anymore?
Speaker 2: You you joke, But someone actually posted a moan about
Speaker 2: that on Facebook. You know, it's too expensive for going
Speaker 2: duble And I hope they're refound the season ticke right, Look,
Speaker 2: people have this weird obsession. You don't have to go
Speaker 2: to every game like obviously if you've got a season ticket,
Speaker 2: you want to go to every home game. But there's
Speaker 2: going to be things like this, like Magic Weekend, like Vegas,
Speaker 2: like playing in Paris. It's about growing the game, it's
Speaker 2: about expanding it.
Speaker 1: So but what's the strategy what we're going to do
Speaker 1: in Dublin for the next ten years after being there.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a different question because we're going and Warrington
Speaker 2: don't run Super League, they're not in charge of the RFL.
Speaker 1: So my point is you just said it's about growing
Speaker 1: the game, John, It.
Speaker 2: Is about growing the game because I think rugby league
Speaker 2: in Ireland actually has a There is potential there because
Speaker 2: it's a very successful rugby union country. It's got strong
Speaker 2: heritage links to the UK. There's a lot of players actually,
Speaker 2: even Australian players who can play for Ireland. The connect
Speaker 2: as I said, the connections are really strong. It's a
Speaker 2: great place to live, it's a sporting country and I
Speaker 2: think there is potential there. So I think having a
Speaker 2: Super Leigue game in Dublin would not only interest some
Speaker 2: people locals in the city, if it's marketed right, if
Speaker 2: it's pushed right, and yeah, I mean we're great. It'd
Speaker 2: be great to have a ten year strategy, which is, okay,
Speaker 2: we're going to have a game this year and I'm
Speaker 2: going to do this to that. That's probably wishful thinking.
Speaker 1: But even to be honest, should it shouldn't be?
Speaker 2: No, it should it shouldn't be. But look, we all know,
Speaker 2: we all know how these things go. We don't need
Speaker 2: to get bombed out of that. But look, even if
Speaker 2: it is literally I'm going to go over to Dublin,
Speaker 2: you know, with my family or whatever and have a
Speaker 2: good time. Much like Magic Weekend. That's great too. Like
Speaker 2: it happens in Brisbane, doesn't it in the Magic Round
Speaker 2: and it gets people from all over Australia, New Zealand.
Speaker 2: I go to it's a party in Brisbane for a
Speaker 2: couple of days. Don't make a weekend of it in Dublin.
Speaker 2: And you know, maybe fans, maybe it'll build a TV
Speaker 2: audience in Ireland. Look, I think you've got to try things.
Speaker 2: I have no dramas with all that, I have no
Speaker 2: dramas with all that. It'll be it'll be something exciting,
Speaker 2: something different to look out. My problem is a lack
Speaker 2: of long term development on the back of it. Ie,
Speaker 2: you've been to this rugby league game, this is the
Speaker 2: touch point. Yeah, then you've loved it. Here's how you
Speaker 2: consume it now, Lee, I've said this. Yeah, the reason
Speaker 2: I want to get bogged because I've said it and
Speaker 2: written it for so many years. But it's the same
Speaker 2: with the Challenge Cup final in London, same with the
Speaker 2: First Ashes Test. It should have been people with London
Speaker 2: Bronco merch or pushing tickets or saying, you know, here's
Speaker 2: your local rugby league team. You know, England should have
Speaker 2: been out doing clinics in the schools before the game.
Speaker 1: It's easy.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's lots of community and issues we could be
Speaker 2: doing and should be doing, but there's not generally someone
Speaker 2: at head office who's organizing this or demanding it or
Speaker 2: coming up with these strategies. But look, you've got to
Speaker 2: start somewhere. And I think, you know, Dublin is a
Speaker 2: I've been in Dublin many times. Great city. I think
Speaker 2: the arena I've not been there. I've been to Croak Park.
Speaker 2: I think I did the tour there once. But obviously
Speaker 2: they're not going to get one hundred thousand in for
Speaker 2: for Wigan and Warrington, but the yas arendas where links
Speaker 2: to play and I think it's about eighteen five hundred,
Speaker 2: so it's a good good size. Yeah, I think it's
Speaker 2: a it's a win win for rugby league and.
Speaker 1: Then the whole k are. I don't know when they'll
Speaker 1: play at home with all their jobs everywhere, but they're
Speaker 1: choking about Amsterdam against twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they played in Amsterdam against York in twenty twenty
Speaker 2: twenty five, sorry, in January. That was the first of
Speaker 2: the kind of a plan mention. Obviously, they won the
Speaker 2: title and they went to the going to Vegas and
Speaker 2: they've got a World Cup challenge. So it's a bit
Speaker 2: too crowded the schedule this year. But Amsterdam again is
Speaker 2: another one. Obviously it's a short ferry ride from Hull
Speaker 2: to Amsterdam. It's a great city. There is you know,
Speaker 2: a Dutch rugby league association. There's a lot of rugby
Speaker 2: union players there. They're trying to grow the game there
Speaker 2: and I can't remember exactly what the crowd was but
Speaker 2: it was something like two thousand ish, So again, you know,
Speaker 2: even if it's just a fun away day I think
Speaker 2: you've got to create these events for people because you know,
Speaker 2: Lee like the way sport's gone in this century more recently,
Speaker 2: it's two events, isn't it. Yeah, that's why you get
Speaker 2: your mic Tyson and your your Jake Paul and these
Speaker 2: kind of circuses.
Speaker 1: You know, that tennis game where the events it's not
Speaker 1: it's moved away from that traditional kind of you know,
Speaker 1: part two events essentially, So you've got to you've got
Speaker 1: to move with the times. I think most podcasts at
Speaker 1: the moment in the rugby league world are doing season previews.
Speaker 1: We're more nuanced on that, John, We are more developed,
Speaker 1: we are more challenging. But we're going to preview the
Speaker 1: teams and want to choose seven this week from the
Speaker 1: fixture list, the first seven, and then we'll do the
Speaker 1: next seven in the in before the season starts at least,
Speaker 1: and we'll just but we'll just have to be quick
Speaker 1: fire a suppose. So, how are York now it's going
Speaker 1: to go this year? And who she will look out for?
Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean that's they're going to struggle. I think
Speaker 2: it's going to be a huge They've never played the
Speaker 2: Super League before, They've got a lot of you know,
Speaker 2: players who were semi pro for most of their career.
Speaker 2: It's going to be a huge step up for them.
Speaker 2: I think they'll be in that bottom you know three
Speaker 2: or four teams. You know, they've got some some Super
Speaker 2: League and some experience in there, and the likes of
Speaker 2: Paul Vaughan and Josh Griffin. But yeah, it's going to
Speaker 2: be a tough year for them. I think again talking
Speaker 2: about new markets, like, I think it's great the Super
Speaker 2: League's going to York. I think there is potential in
Speaker 2: that area, but it will be hard for them on
Speaker 2: the field.
Speaker 1: Are Yeah.
Speaker 2: I mean I think they're well primed to defend their title.
Speaker 2: I think they'll be in the top two or three.
Speaker 2: They've obviously lost some experience in Joe Burrea Hargroves and
Speaker 2: Mickey mclaurum, and they've let Calepie Tangan go to Warrington.
Speaker 2: But they've got Lawton in from North Queensland. They've got
Speaker 2: very you know, strong squad across you know, their spine,
Speaker 2: their forward pack, their back line, a lot of experience there,
Speaker 2: the likes of Michael Lewis, Jes Litton a year older,
Speaker 2: you know England internationals. I think yeah, I think they
Speaker 2: can have another very successful year.
Speaker 1: Catalans are an interesting one because first preseason under a
Speaker 1: new coach.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, I mean they could be anything. They could
Speaker 2: be a top fourteen, they could be a bottom four team.
Speaker 2: It was a pretty disastrous year for them last year's seven,
Speaker 2: mcnamary getting sacked. Joel Thumpkin's coming in and they've basically
Speaker 2: gutted the squad. You know, they've got Lewis Dodd, Toby Sexton, Tino,
Speaker 2: Tino's brother Isaac, Charlie Stains. It's a real kind of
Speaker 2: weird mishmash kind of squad with some a couple of
Speaker 2: French players in there as well, and it's really hard
Speaker 2: to see how they're they're going to go. I mean,
Speaker 2: it's going to take them a while to gel and
Speaker 2: and some of those players like Sexton and I can't
Speaker 2: pronounce his name. You pronounced it for me, brother.
Speaker 1: Isaac oh Fa solum Alawe.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that was mad. Yeah, I mean him
Speaker 2: and Tob Sex and they are going to Perth next
Speaker 2: year anyway, so they're not there in perpin On very long.
Speaker 2: I don't think they'll make the playoffs. I think they'll
Speaker 2: be mid table.
Speaker 1: Ish, but I should have made you do predictions and
Speaker 1: hould you to account.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I think it'll be a difficult season
Speaker 2: for them. I think they'll struggle.
Speaker 1: Holdersfield going to be unleashed.
Speaker 2: Again. I mean Huddersfield last year was basically fucking horrible
Speaker 2: for them. It's been pretty bad for a few years.
Speaker 2: I think it really depends on injuries. They've had a
Speaker 2: lot of injuries the last couple yes, that seem quite cursed.
Speaker 2: Their recruitment's been okay, but I can't see them making
Speaker 2: the top six. I can see them finishing seventh, eighth,
Speaker 2: ninth maybe and probably getting more wins this year than
Speaker 2: they had last year. But again, it will won't be easy.
Speaker 2: I think a lot more right on George Flanigan junior.
Speaker 2: They're fullback who I think is one of the best
Speaker 2: young British players coming through. Quite exciting to watch. But
Speaker 2: yeah they Oh yeah, I can't see a top six.
Speaker 1: I have to think it's a really big time in
Speaker 1: the history of the club quite frankly, with the potential
Speaker 1: change of ground and whatnot. Warrington Wolves a big year
Speaker 1: for them, big year for Sam Burgess because they slipped. Yeah,
Speaker 1: pressures on a bit, Yeah, pressures on him and he
Speaker 1: was inches away from getting sacked. And obviously Steve McNamara's
Speaker 1: coming as his assistant. Apparently he's doing a great job.
Speaker 2: But yeah, George Williams leaving at the end of the year,
Speaker 2: a lot of changes pulled, one gone, that Dufty gone,
Speaker 2: some issues with discipline last year, so yeah, they they
Speaker 2: need to improve, they need to fire and make the
Speaker 2: top six. I think if things don't go well there early,
Speaker 2: I wouldn't be surprised to see a change.
Speaker 1: And it's an easy change because Steve McNamara was the
Speaker 1: assistant coach.
Speaker 2: Exactly exactly and I don't think I'll have to check this,
Speaker 2: but I don't think Sam Burgess has got a contract
Speaker 2: for twenty twenty seven. I think his contract ends at
Speaker 2: the end of this year. I could be wrong about that,
Speaker 2: but yeah, I think I think Warrington need to need
Speaker 2: to start well. They've still got, you know, some great
Speaker 2: players at that team. You and Irwin's a really exciting
Speaker 2: young halfback, one that Andrew Johnson's you know, sort of
Speaker 2: nominated as as an exciting prospect, so hopefully he gets
Speaker 2: some game time. Kate Taylor Ray, the fullback, is also
Speaker 2: a young talent, so yeah, interesting times for the Wolves.
Speaker 1: Saint Helens have a new coach, Paul Rowley.
Speaker 2: Yeah again, big change there, Paul Rowley coming in, Willans
Speaker 2: getting moved on, a club legend, Jackson Astin's coming in.
Speaker 2: They had really problems with their spine last year, so
Speaker 2: Haston comes in. They've still got Lomax there, who's obviously
Speaker 2: you know, there was some issues with the attack and
Speaker 2: they tried to move wells be around Tristan Saylor didn't
Speaker 2: really work as a six. Yeah, Saint Allen's is a
Speaker 2: really interesting one. They've They've lost a few players, a
Speaker 2: few back rollers have left on the holf c born In,
Speaker 2: Dave Klamor and Jacob host from from Australia. It's hard
Speaker 2: to really get a finger on how they're going to
Speaker 2: perform this year. I mean, they scraped into the six
Speaker 2: and they were only one went away from a Grand Final.
Speaker 2: But I think they probably overachieved. And yeah, I'm not
Speaker 2: expecting them to be a top three, top two club.
Speaker 1: But in the last club, sorry the last club'll talk
Speaker 1: about Todaily Leopards.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean they've been rising for a couple of years.
Speaker 2: Adrian Land has done a fantastic job there and I yeah,
Speaker 2: I think they will be in that top four. I
Speaker 2: think it'll be challenging for league leaders. Still got a
Speaker 2: very strong spine there, lock A Lamb, great half back,
Speaker 2: to Pape, great hooker. They've got some really really strong
Speaker 2: forwards there and the fullback dive of Armstrom coming back
Speaker 2: from injury who sadly got injured last year. But he's
Speaker 2: a talent as well. So I think they can have
Speaker 2: a really good season.
Speaker 1: Over to Australia for a little bit, I genuinely think,
Speaker 1: and this is part of media watch, but it's also
Speaker 1: when our l news. I think the biggest news in
Speaker 1: Australia this week rugby league wise is that Buzz Rowfield
Speaker 1: Phil Rothfield retiring after fifty years as the, if you like,
Speaker 1: the main rugby league journalist at the Daily Telegraph and
Speaker 1: a latter years has been a TV personality as well
Speaker 1: as a journalist. How do you reflect on somebody like
Speaker 1: Buzz Rothfield his career and the fact that he's putting
Speaker 1: the pen away.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean he's had a very long career. I
Speaker 2: think has probably been a polarizing figure. Yeah, for kind
Speaker 2: of a love hype figure for a lot of fans.
Speaker 2: I think he's been an expert Lloyd hack in the
Speaker 2: sense that he's very good at gathering news, a lot
Speaker 2: of contacts, a lot of sources. I did have a
Speaker 2: little bit to do with him in Las Vegas last year,
Speaker 2: which go into but.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I know was he was he good to deal
Speaker 1: with or was he Ah, well he was wrong about me?
Speaker 2: He was relatively good to deal with. Yeah. Was he fair?
Speaker 2: He was fair? He was fair actually, But look, I
Speaker 2: know other people who have claimed he hasn't been fair.
Speaker 2: I've read a lot of the work I think, love
Speaker 2: him or hating him, He's definitely, as you said, he's
Speaker 2: been an institution of Rugby leagu journalism.
Speaker 1: For Is he somebody that you looked to, looked up
Speaker 1: to as a kid? I suppose, or are you not?
Speaker 2: Probably someone I would say I looked up to in
Speaker 2: terms of my own style. But I definitely respect his
Speaker 2: ability to break news, and I think he's always probably
Speaker 2: been fairly fearless, you know, in terms of copying criticism
Speaker 2: and taking certain stances. But yeah, I wouldn't say I've
Speaker 2: agreed with everything he's written or said or done, but
Speaker 2: I do respect, you know, as a as a journalist.
Speaker 2: Then I think he's made a massive contribution to sport.
Speaker 1: He's a massive loss, isn't he. I mean I'm feeling
Speaker 1: that already because the news is so slow in in
Speaker 1: rugby league world in Australia at the moment. I mean,
Speaker 1: the next item I've got is Jack Bird leaving the
Speaker 1: Tigers and Phil Sammy is staying at the Titans. I mean,
Speaker 1: Jack Bird has been around a few clubs. He's flown
Speaker 1: around a few clubs, I should say, and this talk
Speaker 1: he might end up in Super League now, I mean
Speaker 1: at least he's played plenty of NRL so and Phil
Speaker 1: Sammy is an underrated player in my opinion, who who
Speaker 1: has played Origin and he had a great season twenty
Speaker 1: twenty five, and just in Josh Hannay has decided he's
Speaker 1: staying there this year now, So not the Titans. Any
Speaker 1: comments on any of those who's going to sign Jack Byrd?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I think he's had Super League interest
Speaker 2: for a law. I don't think he's wanted to make
Speaker 2: the move, and right I think it necessary. I think
Speaker 2: it's probably a last result for him. So yeah, I
Speaker 2: think he'd be looking to pick up a contract. I
Speaker 2: mean Jack Bird's one of those players that you kind
Speaker 2: of I think about when he burst on the scene,
Speaker 2: it looked like he could have been anything. You know.
Speaker 2: I think he played a bit of origin for yourself, Wales,
Speaker 2: but he just sort of had injury after injury, didn't
Speaker 2: he and sort of moved, you know, from the back
Speaker 2: line ind to the forwards a bit. And I am
Speaker 2: not to be too harsh, but it seems like he
Speaker 2: never really kicked on or and I could be wrong
Speaker 2: in that perception, but never maybe fully realized his potential,
Speaker 2: whether that was because of injuries or what. But yeah,
Speaker 2: I think you'll probably get a contract somewhere in the NRL.
Speaker 2: I'd imagine whether it be you know, just outside of
Speaker 2: Top thirty or on a standby show we said, I
Speaker 2: don't think you'll make the move to superlu Johnny's job.
Speaker 1: I'm going to bring this in for you because I've
Speaker 1: decided what Johnny's job is this week. The amount of
Speaker 1: client journalism getting sprung these days is alarming. Hard to
Speaker 1: see how these people sleep at night quote unquote mhmm, yeah,
Speaker 1: who are you jabbing there? Anyone in particular?
Speaker 2: Oh, lots of people. But yeah, I think I don't
Speaker 2: want to go into a dietribe, but journalists, I don't
Speaker 2: want to go into it three times on this podcast. Yeah,
Speaker 2: you're really sticking a knife for mate. You'll get me
Speaker 2: hung by bowing words. But look, I think there seems
Speaker 2: to be some dispute about the role of journalism from
Speaker 2: some people and from some journalists. You know something that
Speaker 2: you know, you shouldn't write anything that isn't that that
Speaker 2: is damaging or questions you know you should just if
Speaker 2: someone tells you think you should just print it. You're
Speaker 2: just a rugby league thing. It's just a general thing.
Speaker 2: It's in rugby league, it's in in journalism generally. You
Speaker 2: shouldn't be a mouthpiece for for anyone. You know, you
Speaker 2: obviously people tell you things, and you feel allegiances to
Speaker 2: your sources and whatever, but you've got to be honest.
Speaker 2: You pursued of the truth. And you know it's clear
Speaker 2: not only in rugby league, but in other things that
Speaker 2: that certain journalists are or either used or allow themselves
Speaker 2: to be used and then conveniently look away or don't
Speaker 2: say anything when when certain things happen. And for me,
Speaker 2: you know, you've got to You've got to have that
Speaker 2: obligation to to the truth and you know, to be honest. Yeah,
Speaker 2: And it's not something that that everyone obviously follows or
Speaker 2: sees or believes.
Speaker 1: But yeah, there's a strange thing in rugby league. It's
Speaker 1: like anything that isn't warm and fuzzy he gets classed
Speaker 1: as negative.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean the rugby league example of that is
Speaker 2: that you have to be a cheerleader daily league.
Speaker 1: Yeah. As if anything that you say, question it examinishes,
Speaker 1: it diminishes it a little. Yeah, as opposed to if
Speaker 1: you break an egg, you can make an omelet approach,
Speaker 1: you know.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Or the fact that you want something to be
Speaker 2: better or bigger or greater because you love it and
Speaker 2: you're you're passionate about it. Yeah, that's the attitude. That's
Speaker 2: an attitude that has pissed me off for a long time.
Speaker 2: And I get I get painted as someone who's who's
Speaker 2: negative or whatever, but when I'm just calling as I
Speaker 2: say it and being honest. But that's the one approach.
Speaker 2: Everyone says they love honesty and they love the truth,
Speaker 2: and most people don't.
Speaker 1: Actually, that's right, you're talking of the honesty and truth.
Speaker 1: Lee's laugh this week is about the Royal visit or firstly,
Speaker 1: I want it to be known to anybody who will
Speaker 1: hit listen to me that I'm not a Royalist at all.
Speaker 1: I think it's the biggest council house in the country
Speaker 1: and the most expensive one. And then yeah, anyway, but
Speaker 1: Princess Kate who went to Wakefield this week, she seems
Speaker 1: lovely and genuine. I remember watching her greet the players
Speaker 1: at the quarter final in the last World Cup in
Speaker 1: Wigan and she just seemed a warm, genuine person, just
Speaker 1: genuinely interesting the conversations she's having and whatnot. That said,
Speaker 1: at Wakefield, everyone was on eggshells a little bit, but
Speaker 1: all smiles. But there was one lady. She wasn't rude
Speaker 1: to her, but she didn't even look at the Princess
Speaker 1: and it looked like a little silent snub and it
Speaker 1: actually may not may or may not have been, but
Speaker 1: she was next to her on the the Princess was
Speaker 1: stood to her left and she was sat at the table.
Speaker 1: She didn't even look at her. You know, it could
Speaker 1: have been like.
Speaker 2: Maybe it's like the doosey if you look directly, he
Speaker 2: might turn the stone. I don't know.
Speaker 1: And then she went out to the field through the well.
Speaker 1: She went to the dugout and there were three male
Speaker 1: school kids there, or they looked like males. You never
Speaker 1: know these days, they could identify as something else. But anyway,
Speaker 1: there was three school kids there and they actually the
Speaker 1: boys looked like they wanted to be anywhere else but
Speaker 1: where they were. It was hilarious, right, And the school
Speaker 1: girls that Kate then went to speak to, they were
Speaker 1: the exact up as it, and it was. It was interesting.
Speaker 1: I wonder if the boys would have picked up if
Speaker 1: Kate's husband was there, for example. I don't know. I
Speaker 1: don't know, but honestly, the boys just were like it's
Speaker 1: as if they'd been taken away from the games or
Speaker 1: something that the computer gets. That's what I like. But anyway,
Speaker 1: the school girls were really engaged with there and obviously
Speaker 1: happy to be in the company of a princess. All
Speaker 1: the headlines the reason I found this story, it was
Speaker 1: all things like Kate gets sporty, Kate tries a hand
Speaker 1: at rugby, et cetera. And she was given a ball
Speaker 1: and she held it for four seconds I counted. So
Speaker 1: talk about being honest, and you.
Speaker 2: Know, well, the whole, the whole royal thing is basically
Speaker 2: just an media marcounter to promote it continually. I think,
Speaker 2: I think you're smart enough to rip.
Speaker 1: And then she got a she got a shirt from Wakey,
Speaker 1: no frame or anything, just a shirt. So if you
Speaker 1: happen to be in London and see Kate Middleton running
Speaker 1: around in a Wakefield shirt, give her a wave. So
Speaker 1: it was it was just pure I like, don't get
Speaker 1: me wrong that it's the only time I've ever watched
Speaker 1: a Royal clip on purpose and it was just hilarious.
Speaker 1: It was just it could have been nineteen sixty if
Speaker 1: it was in black and white. It was it was a.
Speaker 2: Glass There's a lot of people who'd like it to
Speaker 2: be on sixty late.
Speaker 1: True. True.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we've covered some topics today, Johnny Boy. Yeah, it's
Speaker 2: supposed to stick to sport. You know, sport and politics
Speaker 2: shouldn't mix.
Speaker 1: The're the one who mentioned the shootings and my analysis
Speaker 1: video now is always a separate video. Did London Broncos
Speaker 1: this week their game against Witness and they've got some
Speaker 1: things that some opposition might have a look at quite frankly,
Speaker 1: but also I mean it was their first game of
Speaker 1: the year, so they're not going to be perfect. But
Speaker 1: basically basically, very good go forward, hard to stop in
Speaker 1: terms of momentum. A good half back with the ball
Speaker 1: in his hand on the defensive side of the ball,
Speaker 1: play to the edges and you might get some joy.
Speaker 1: It's basically what I'm saying. So all play fast and
Speaker 1: it'll might give away penalties. And I had to laugh.
Speaker 1: The commentator was calling Reagan Campbell Gillard, Regan Campbell, Gillard.
Speaker 1: It was yeah, so is it Gillard or Gillard?
Speaker 2: It's Gillard, isn't he No, it's skill had its just
Speaker 2: He also couldn't pronounce witness. What was he saying? I can't,
Speaker 2: I can't, I can't. I did watch the game. I
Speaker 2: can't remember how he said it, but he mispronounced it
Speaker 2: every time.
Speaker 1: Which kind of is it like the AI that I
Speaker 1: used to chop up our videos and says witness.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think he's just a Southern and he's never
Speaker 2: heard of witness.
Speaker 1: People in brad brief. People in Bradford would call it
Speaker 1: witness as well, because they call it Bradford. So all right, Johnny,
Speaker 1: I'll see you. When I see you, book will definitely
Speaker 1: be doing more content, not unless I see you first.
Speaker 1: Take care