Speaker 1: Now it's time for Tensions that were Running High, a
Penrith Panthers podcast presented by the Western Weekender Thanks to
Penrith Toyota. Here's at Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor.
Speaker 2: Hello everyone, and welcome to Tensions Running High, a Penrith
Panthers podcast presented by the Western Weekender. This is episode seventy.
I'm Troy Dodds, joined by Nathan Taylor. Hello Nathan, Hello Troy.
We are the voice of Rugby League in Penrith and
we love talking all things Penrith Panthers. For thirty five years,
the Western Weekender has led the way in Panthers coverage
here in Penrith. We've covered six premierships, the biggest breaking
stories and interviewed CEOs, coaches, chairman players. The list goes
on a big thanks to our sponsor, Penrith City Automotive.
Go and see Garth and the team. Get yourself a
new or used car from the people who do it best.
On the agenda. Today, we're joined by Moses lee Ota.
We talked to Moses about Nathan Cleary as he hits
his two hundred game milestone and talk of some big
names leaving the Panthers. We aim for six in a
row against the Bulldogs and play another round of theme
Song Survivor as well. So plenty happening. But Nathan, first
of all, just quickly. We'll reflect more on it later,
but big win when the Panthers last week, I think
that blew everyone away.
Speaker 3: Oh it was a spect spectacular game. I was speaking
to the players just earlier today and they couldn't even
believe that they put fifty on Melbourne. Now, I mean,
the first team in since two thousand and three to
do it. It's quite quite unbelievable. It was the best
feeling I've had at that stadium since we've been there. Troy,
I would say a lot of Panthers fans would agree.
Speaker 2: Yep, I would think. So we'll talk more about it shortly,
but I wanted to start off the show today with
this story that I ran in the Sun Herald on Sunday.
Danny Widler had the story suggesting that Liam Martin and
Mitch Kenny are in the sights of the P and
G Chiefs, who of course entered the NRL in twenty
twenty eight. Now they are off contract twenty at the
end of the twenty twenty seven seasons, means on November one,
they can negotiate with other clubs. Now, this story is
going to fester along as is a million stories about
Penrith players of contract, because the Panthers have quite a
few players of contract in the next couple of years.
Speaker 3: Oh, they certainly do, Troy. The list is extensive, to
say the least. I mean, if they all didn't re sign,
then you're getting a basically new team. Obviously that's not
going to happen, but there is quite a lot.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're gonna run through it for us. But just
on that Martin and Kenny story a little bit bizarre
because obviously neither of them can talk to P and
G until November one. Ironically, the body that enforces the
rules around that owns the P and G Chiefs, which
is the NRL, So that's a little bit odd. And
there's no suggestion that has been contact, although Danny had
a line at it suggesting that Leam Martin has expressed
desire to play for the P and G Chiefs, which
is the first we've heard of that. I wouldn't be
surprised if some managers were in Danny's over the week end.
So I don't know why this story suddenly emerged when
we're months away from them being able to talk, but
I guess we're not going to be able to escape.
Speaker 3: It, no for sure, And a story like this does
rush Penrith into maybe getting a deal done if they're
hearing that PNG or whoever trying to go after their players,
and that also could put the pressure on Penrith to
maybe get a deal done. A's a lot of talk
about Nathan Cleary re signing, a bit about ISAO, but
as I mentioned, soon there's a host of players off
contract who're probably going, what about us? What about us?
You put a story out this in the media, then
that might get there, might get think of the ball rolling.
Speaker 2: I guess just maybe a strategy at play.
Speaker 3: That's what I would think. I can't imagine. Look, I've
never been to PNG. We don't know what it's going
to be like over there. But for Leam Martin, I mean,
he's just freshly got a new baby, he's married, and
what they're just all gonna they're gonna go over there
no family support. His mum, who he loves, deal is
back here in New South Wales, and he's partner's family
and all that, and they're just going to leave for
a few years for a cash grab. Possible possibly happened,
but I'm sure he'd love to stay at Penrith. That's
probably his main priority.
Speaker 2: Now you're going to go through the list. What we
don't know as you go through this list, right, we
all talk about, you know, we almost automatically think that
Penrith want to resign all these players. That's not necessarily
the case, you know, and even in Leam Martin and
Mitch Kenny's case, they will be past their thirtieth birthday
by the time that their contracts expire, so you know,
Penrith would be starting to think about, well, who is
the next Matto and who is the next miss Kenny
and whatever else. So as we go through this list,
what you've got to remember is, of course we know
that they want to resign Nathan Cleary, he is you know,
target number one, But there's going to be players on
this list that Penrith don't actually want to resign. That
they are either hey, we think that they're going to
age out, we think that the value for money is
not there, or we know we're not going to be
able to compete in the salary and they might not
even lodge a competitive offer there.
Speaker 3: And they haven't done that before, being the Army Kickoute.
They didn't even bother offerings. They're like, hey, we're probably
not going to be able to afford you anyway. Yep,
you know, off you go.
Speaker 2: Yeah, like there's no, there's no not necessarily all one side.
And here about a player you know wants to stay
at Penrith. Penwrith want to resign him. That's the end
of story. That's not always the case. So let's go
through it. Who is off contract? So firstly, at the
end of this year and of this year, there are
players that are off contract. Literally at the end of
this season, he could negotiate with other clubs.
Speaker 3: Now, let's run through those guys first because the list
isn't as long. But first off, it's Tom Rlay. We
haven't seen him play yet, so he's obviously a fifty
to fifty proposition whether they want to keep him for
another year. Jack Cole, now he was our half prospects
last year. He played a fair few first grade games
before Blaze got there, and we thought, oh, those still
are going to battle it out. But it's quite clear
that Blast lung. He's got the got the gig now
for as long as he wants it. So Jack Cole
is on the outer. Your next player is Coloney going again.
One of those New Zealand Warriors players that have come through,
Liam Henry you know, is ready leaving. The other big one,
which he has gotten some press today, actually is Thomas Jenkins.
So he's on I think on about one hundred and
twenty thousand dollars at the moment, Troy, and his dollar
is going up and up with every game. He's a
leading try scorer in the NROL. He's scored more tries
than anyone in the history of the game after five rounds,
and they're saying he could get upwards of four hundred
thousand dollars, especially if he gets an Origin appearance. What
do you think about that?
Speaker 2: I think that is overs and I think what you're
you know, and this is this does happen, right, So
Thomas Jenkins are scoring a lot of tries and it's
a great story. So he gets so much attention, you know, like,
but obviously you know, Thomas Jenkins is at the end
of most of the work in terms of those tries,
and that's no offense to Thomas Jenkins. I certainly couldn't
score them, and there'd be plenty of wingers that couldn't.
But he is a winger, and he is benefiting from
having incredible centers and second rowers next to him and
one of the best halfbacks that we've ever seen in
the Sight. So I don't know if we sit there
and say, oh, he is this you know, winger of
you know, elite level money, I would think four hundred
is a little bit either. But I mean he's going
to get a significant pay increase, there is no doubt
about that. I think he'll want to repay the faith
that Penish showed in him too.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Well, look, Panthers have been trying to sign him, I
believe for the last six months. They wanted to tie
him down a long time ago, but his managers like, no, no, no,
let's hold off, hold off, and it's proved to be
a good strategy. But you know, I think he's been
better than Brian too this year, to be honest. I
mean that individual effort that he did to score that
try for the fifty yeah out of the dropout like
that was pretty pretty damn good. So look, four hundred
might be out of the question, but maybe three hundred.
Speaker 2: Look, it might be a three hundred thousand dollars deal.
But you know, I look at this similar to say
Alex Johnston at South right, I can get everyone that
knows who he is because he scores so many tries. Yeah,
you know, he's one leading try score He's obviously now
the greatest tryscorer in NRL history. But if South were
looking at okay, let's name the top eight players who
are going to win AU premiership. I don't know if
Alex Johnson's in that list, you know what I mean.
So it's a tough one because you've got to meet
the expectations of fans. Oh yeah, there would be other
clubs who would get caught up in the hype and
absolutely pay four hundred thousand dollars. So Pendreth have've just
got to find the right amount there. But yes, I'd
want a deal done asap because if he does play Origin,
that's only going to increase about it, That's right.
Speaker 3: The other player off contract end of this year choice
Fred Lasik. Now we've got to see a lot of him.
On Friday against against the Storm, I thought he was
quite good. I know the players. The individual try Ivan
loves him, so I think he might stick around for
a little bit longer. Is that utility player. Of course,
Scott Sorenson we know is leaving already. And that's pretty
much it for this year's departures or potential departures.
Speaker 2: All right. Now, that takes us to twenty twenty seven.
And the challenge that I imagined that Matt Cameron faces
here as he works with the Retention and Recruitment Committee
is that we don't know what Nathan Cleary is doing.
And so if Nathan Cleary is taking up one point
two one point three million dollars of your salary cap,
that is going to have an impact on other players
absolutely are resigning. Now, if Nathan declares he's not going anywhere, sorry,
he is going somewhere, he's not going to resign. So
Penrith either going to use a halfback coming through, or
they're going to go to market. They might find a
half back for seven or eight hundred thousand dollars. That
opens up suddenly five hundred thousand dollars to potentially re
sign someone who we wouldn't be able to. That's all right,
So a lot hinges on Nathan but let's go through
the list and figure out what's going to happen.
Speaker 3: Sure, sure, Okay, So leaving or potentially leaving in twenty
twenty seven is Paul Alamodi. I mean, he's a been
fantastic for Penrith since he's come to the club and
I think they would want to keep him. I think
they could probably get him on a pretty good deal
as well. Of course, lot's been spoken about Nathan Cleary.
He's definitely off contract. The other one that's off contract
at the end of twenty twenty seven is of course,
we just spoke about him earlier, Mitch Kenny. I think
he's a future captain at the Panthers. He's getting older,
but they love him there. He's the leadership. We spoke.
We heard about what Scott Sorenson said last week in
the extra time our our Western weekend of Rugby League
lift out. He wants him to play Origin this year.
That's how much he's He's so loved at that club
and doesn't get the praise. Moses the Oder we spoke
to him today. Now he's another one who declared a
few weeks ago to the weekend that he'd love to
be a panther for life, and I think he's probably
probably not commanding massive dollars. I think he just love
the stability to probably see out his career at Penrith.
Leah Martin of course, we just spoke about him earlier.
Isaiah Papali. Now he's another one who's who's probably going
to command a bit of money now he's been around
the club's a fair bit in his time to pins
his third or fourth club. So whether he would want
to go elsewhere is who knows. But that's quite a
quite a you know, potentially a serious one there with Papali,
Luron Petaya. What do you think about him? Troy, We
haven't seen him at all this year. I know he's
injured at the moment moment, but.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we saw him obviously he played a fair bit
a footy last year, but we haven't seen an injury.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's been a majuring cup I believe, But he's
just one of those players I think a lot of potential,
a lot of potential. He's been pretty good at the
times we've seen him, but just can't seem to crack
that that team. Whereas another player Billy Phillips, who he's
off contract in the next year. We've seen a fair
bit of yep. Looking at further ahead, Blaze Ta Langey,
He's also of contract at the end of twenty twenty seven.
Now you think paneh want to keep him past the
three year contract, especially, I'd love that Nathan Cleary and
Blaze contracts to sort of see out together. Brian too,
is the other one. Now, he's the other winger that
obviously Penri fans would be devastated to lose. Is the
probably the argue with the most popular player at the club.
Everyone loves him across the NROL. You don't want to
say goodbye to Bizzer, would you.
Speaker 2: I'm not saying I want to. I'm saying that as
we go through this list so far, Yeah, I have
a little ast tix next to Brian to oh that
that maybe he could.
Speaker 3: Passed him.
Speaker 2: Look, I think you remember that this is the thing
with a lot of these players, right so you know
Mitch Kenny and Martow included and Leoda like these these players,
they haven't had a lot of injuries, so therefore they
haven't had a lot of time out of the game,
you know, like big season end injuries or things like
that they've played a lot of rep football. They go
bloody hard for Penrith. You know, Brian to Oh almost
changed the game as a as a as a winger.
I mean we were already seeing wingers do you know,
forward carries and whatnot, but but that was Penrith's trademark through,
you know, particularly the early Premiership years. Like I just
worry about signing these guys well into their thirties and
I think that Penrith might look at a Brian to
and go, well, geez, for probably half the money, we
could get an adequate winger there. We're going to have
wingers coming through the system. So I don't know, I
don't know. I think Brian to I'll put him as
a as a potential out so far.
Speaker 3: Okay, okay, fair enough. Look, I'd love to keep him.
I think he's he does keep himself very fit. While
he's diets obviously not great, it seems to work for
him and you know, he's just part of that that
core group that you know personally, i'd love to see
him stick around. And the other one is Isaiah oh Troy.
Of course he's off contract and the next year by
the time he reaches that Mark, he would have played
about three hundred games. Doesn't get into exactly, and I
know that's something he very very much wants to achieve.
What happens after that, I'm not sure. He has expressed
desire to play in England maybe for a year or two,
So I guess it all just depends what happens with
the other guys. I mean, Nathan Clear is your priority, right,
and then you sort of work your way down too.
Who would your next priority? That's your list, you guys
like Dylan Edwards, Lindsay Smith, Isaac Tago is there for
a bloody long time. He's there to the end of
twenty twenty nine. So there's a lot of players there
that are that locked in case of McLean's there for
a few more years as well. The same with Luke
Garner just re signed.
Speaker 2: So we know that Nathan Cleary is your priority, Nathan
Clear is your priority, and then who's your key now?
I'd say if he's there wants to go around again,
then Penrith will meet.
Speaker 3: Whatever you would think. He's the Australian and well.
Speaker 2: Look, Isaiao, he is not about to go off and
play for another an Arol club. He's got a very
young family, very connected to the community and whatnot. I
can't see him go on to P and G or anything,
So I would I would say that, you know, yo
re signs and he might only resign a one or
two maybe a two year deal. Yep. You know again,
he's a player who's probably playing some of his best
football this year, I will say, but who I think
we might start to slow down after a couple of years.
I think we'll put some priority around Billy Phillips, and
I think we'll be able to get him pretty cheap
if we can do a deal soon. And I think
that that would be the kind of deal you could
do now without knowing the Nathan Cleary.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, definitely, that's.
Speaker 2: Not a not a huge one. Look where I would
throw some doubts in. To be honest, I think I
think a player like Isaiah Papale maybe only re signs
if we get that clearing money freed up. You know,
the Cleary doesn't resign because, as you said, he's a
bit of a journeyman. He's quite happy to go to
other clubs if other clubs are probably paying more. Even
though he's certainly been a great contributor at Penrith, So
I wouldn't be surprised to see him go Blaze. Tulange
will be a priority, I think, because you know, they'll
either want to keep that hardspairing me together or if
Nathan does go, they'll want some stability there from Tulangey.
So as we go through this list, I've got Brian
to Ogone.
Speaker 3: Just off to another nro cap.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I reckon he'll finish at another nur roll club.
That wouldn't surprise me at all, maybe hooking up with
his old friend Jerome Leui Paramatta.
Speaker 3: He plays part Family Men plays at Paramatter.
Speaker 2: So and I really would have some doubts over Marto.
I just think that as much as Leam Martin sort
of lives and Breeze Penrith, I could see him somewhere else.
I could see him at a Canterbury. I can see him.
I can see it.
Speaker 3: Raiders, well yeah I could.
Speaker 2: Well maybe because the Raiders I didn't put them in
my top eight. I was mocked here on this podcast,
and well, a team that's looking for a bit of mongrel,
you know, like and go, yeah, we need that, we
need that. And I just think that, you know, he
that'll be Marto's potential final contract, if not his final contract,
you know, maybe second last contract. He's going to be
looking for big money. And I just think that maybe
Penrith will look at that and say, jeez, we could
we could do with that cash elsewhere. I'd like to
see us keep Moses the oder. But you know what,
similar to me thinking that James Fisher Harris was a
good let go his age, You've got to sort of
look at it and say, well, what Moses going to
offer us in those however many years he re signs.
So I don't know if I've given a very good
answer there, apart from the fact that I think Brian too,
I doubt he will be there beyond twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 3: Okay, it's a tricky one because a lot of those players,
like they've been so healthy, haven't they. We haven't really
lost any of them for too many long term injuries,
and like they're really injury prior and even though they're
getting older and they've played so much football, they've been
there every week this year, haven't they, apart from a
couple who have been you know, had some issues. But look,
it's a tough one. Now he's a theory for you,
and you might, you know, set the cat amongst the
pigeons here, Troy. If Nathan Cleary does the side he's
going to leave, you'd expect him to announce will at
least tell Panthers that this year at some point, right,
you don't get to know of it next year. And
then he decides because he's got so many other guys
off contract, and he's a smart guy, and Nathan Ivan's
the coach, so he's going to be like to come on, buddy, like,
we're going to have to make a call here. You know,
for the protection of the rest of the team. What
would you be happy with for Penrith to to bring
up some young kid to be the next half back,
for Jack Coggar to be half back, or to go
to market yep, and potentially priy Jerome Leui out of
that Tiger's deal. Now Jerome Luai is off he's not
off contract for till twenty twenty nine, but the last
three years of his deal is player options, okay, which
means he hasn't waived that yet. We know that that's
still in his contract, which means that he can opt
to go anytime he likes and go all right and
Pendrack go okay, be our savior replace Nathan. You will
give you this number seven, jumpy you've always wanted. How
would you feel about it?
Speaker 2: Well, the thing is that, I mean, I think the
Tigers have already figured out Jerome Leui is not a
half back. He's a live wif five eighth and before
he got injured they were playing him in that role.
So I doubt Penrith will go down that path. I
think that, and I don't know when he is off
contract this player, But Jesus wouldn't be surprised if Penrith
had to look at a former junior because they love
this in Isaiah Katoa, who's of course at Redcliffe at
the moment. You know he left because he was behind
Nathan Cleary. He has done very well at the Dolphins.
Obviously the Dolphins have got probably not the squad that
tom that is going to be threatening for a premiership.
But look, do they do they look at him? They
could bad both of them, or do they have the
number seven coming through the system.
Speaker 3: I don't know if they do. I mean, ke On
Skipps got he's got the potential, but I feel like
just to ease, tease the fans. The fans are going
to be so upset if they think Cleary decided to go,
they'll be Okay, we know you're upset, but look, we've
got your Katoa back or we've got your we've got
your Jerome Lui. You know that would just ease your
I don't know the stress of it all and go, okay,
well that's that's cool.
Speaker 2: If I think, you know, depending on you know, we
don't know what's happening behind the scenes, but one hundred
percent right, they will want to, you know, if they
can play this. The last thing they're going to want
is this to get out in the media. And Nathan
Cleary is going somewhere, and that's how it's done, I think,
to protect his his legacy and reputation. At If you
want a press conference where Nathan can just be open
and honest about whatever decision he's made, and then you
want literally the next day Pedroth to announce assigning, you know,
and have it all planned in that regard absolutely, you
know it's we got an email from Bill podcast at
Western Weekend that or comrade, you now, Bill had a
theory He says, none of this matters Nathan because Nathan
Cleary has already knows what he's doing. Penrith knows what
Nathan Cleary is doing, and the NRL knows what Nathan
Cleary is doing. This is Bill's theory. So Bill's theory
is that like all of these ducks and drakes and
we're not sure is all about because that Nathan is
going to go to P and G in twenty twenty eight,
the NRL knows it, the NRL is pushed for it
and is behind it, and that it's all in place,
and that it'll just get announced in due course. That
this is wow, the big announcement. Now that's Bill. Bill
has any connections. I doubt he does. This is just
a theory.
Speaker 3: He's just he just tossed this up Bill Bill's theories.
Speaker 2: He's analyzed everything he said, and this is his theory
that he's come up with that everyone everyone who needs
to know already.
Speaker 3: Knows okay, and that just hasn't somehow has not gone
out got out there in the in the world except
for Bill knows about it. No one. I just look
obviously that he would be going for the money, Troy.
That's pretty much it. Yeah, as I think my uncle
Peter Lang said in his column last week, going to
PG doesn't bring any closer to Mary Fowler, who's living
in England most of the year. So you're going for
the money and I guess that opportunity to start a
new franchise. If he thinks he's going to win a
comp over there, he's probably not going to win a comedy.
Speaker 2: But I been there, done that, right, But.
Speaker 3: Isn't that what he's like? It's not what you do
as a player for the money or do you go
for the titles.
Speaker 2: I actually can understand, you know, no matter what happens here,
I can understand both answers. And if he stays, he
probably he breaks every NRL record in terms of points
and whatever else he plays. He becomes a one man
player at Penrith. He's penriths greatest ever player and will
be Penrith's greatest ever player for you know, decades and
decades to come, no matter who comes through. And yeah,
and he has a post rugby league career in media,
he has all of that. He has a million deals
that he could do right now. It's very marketable him
and Mary obviously.
Speaker 3: You know that she just a big out of that steal,
didn't she last week? The Posh and Becks and a
million for five years or something like that.
Speaker 2: So hopefully with less drama Australian sport, they've got their potential.
There is unlimited and uncapped. I also understand the other
side of it, where he says, well, yes, I have
ticked all of these boxes already at Penrith A great
a great time, particularly if they go on and win
the com this year. I've won five premierships. Like I'm good,
I'm glad. I'm happy to put the line under that
chapter and move on and do something else, whether that's
give back to the game through P and G, whether
that's go overseas and play in England, play rugby and
be closer to any of that.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 2: I can understand both sides, but I hope Penrith fans
do too.
Speaker 3: I hope that they think they think they will. I
think they will. I think there will be more. I
think the P and G one will sting for Penrith
fans because that he's going to another NURL club. I
think that's the thing that we probably can't grasp. I
don't care if you want to be a star in
p ANDNG and make two million dollars. That's I don't
bother me. If you want to go, if you if
you have to go to be closer to your partner,
then we could probably understand that. But it's a funny
thing that the Sam Kerr News we saw last week
she's she's off to the US for her next day.
Ye yep, it's just I mean it's a bit You
don't think Cleary got up and move his whole life
to England and then Mary Fowler gets a deal to
go to the US. That's triple what she's getting at
Manchester City because Mary contract as well, so the Americans
can can pay. They've got money, yep. And look then
what is he going to do?
Speaker 2: Look, there's so many unanswered questions in this space because
for all we know, you know, like we're talking about
Nathan being back to the game, or maybe Mary will
come here and play for the Wanderers.
Speaker 3: They they could deal with her because they finished last
this year in the in the w League.
Speaker 2: But okay, like are we serious about women's football in Australia?
You know, like we talk about the Matilda's but the
you know, the the A League Women's competition is is
a long way away from anywhere near the overseas competitions.
But just like you know back in the day, Ala Sandro, Pierra,
Piero and all of that sort of stuff really gave
the A League the lift, Shinzo all that sort of stuff.
Well maybe maybe someone with deep pockets says all right,
let's let's make it happen.
Speaker 3: Here, or she could play. It could be like an
Asian club that you know, you know that there's other
plot places closer to Australia than just you know, over
in England or P ANDG. So I don't know, Troy,
it's it's gonna We're gonna find out in the next
six months.
Speaker 2: Well no, we will. And look all of these players.
This is like you know, when you've got to remember
with two new franchises coming into you know that any
of those players that you listed there, either Perth or
P and G would love to have. So then it
just comes down to well, okay, you know which players
are happy to go for money, which players of Penrith
happy to see go? You know, And if you look
at Penris next era from twenty twenty eight onwards, then
and you look for success, you look for winning a
comp Well, obviously you want Cleary there, you want ego
there for your leadership, but you know, does a Brian
to you know if and this is Matt Cameron has
said this before, this becomes about numbers on a piece
of paper. It doesn't become Unfortunately, the emotion can't come
into it. That's that's why Mat Cameron's there to not
bring the emotion into it. Does Mack Cameron look at
that and say, what does a Brian to Oh make
a difference to us winning a competition? Does a thirty
something year old Brian to make a difference to us
winning the twenty twenty nine Grand Final? And probably not.
So that's where I think some of those players are
going to fall away and you've got to take the
emotion away from it. And Mack Cameron, you know, he'll
deal with whatever fan fall out there is. I mean,
we had fan fall out when the Army left, we
had fan fall out when Stephen Crichton left, right, and
you know we've had it all.
Speaker 3: You know, But I think this one, I think the
Nathan Cleary one, I think that's the one that would
hurt the most. And don't forget his dad isn't even
resigned either, correct.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's so much to play us a fascinating This
will become a very fascinating game of chess over the
next few months, particularly given this isn't a money thing.
This isn't Penrith and Nathan Cleary going back and forth.
I think Nathan Cleary could write the number down on
a piece of paper and handed to make Cameron and
he'll say, Okay, yeah, you know, so that's not what
this is about. So look, that's going to be really interesting.
We'll see what happens. But yes, twenty six, twenty seven,
there's a number of players off contract and some big
changes to come. All right, now, back to last Friday night,
Panthers storm just quickly Panthers fifty Melbourne ten. Look what
was your main takeaway from that game?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 3: I was shocked. I was so surprised that they did
what they did. It was just incredible. We know the
battles with Melbourne over the years. I mean last year
they lost all their games to Melon It's just been
such a it's been such a I don't know, a
huge tussle between the two tiers. They're the best sides.
They've the last five years both of those teams. But
to see what Penrith did to them, and I was
saying to the players today, I know they had a
couple of injuries, but their key players were there in Munster,
Harry Grant, Jerome Hughes, their fullback of course for long.
It was just incredible. So like that, it's not like
they were weakened too much for Penrith. Book fifty on
them just unbelievable.
Speaker 2: And you know Melbourne completed at ninety four percent.
Speaker 3: I know they had two errors the whole game.
Speaker 2: Right, ye, incredible, absolutely incredible, phenomenal. Can I also just
say one thing and I hope this will draw a
line under this. Forever go trial form means nothing. And
we finally now any Penrith fan who was getting upset
because the Tigers beat us in the preseason Challenge and
who else beat us?
Speaker 3: Some other more cowboys put sixty on us?
Speaker 2: Yes cowboys, please guys, now, forever it's done. Trial form
means Ziltchit means nothing. It does not mean you're going
to have a good season a bad season. It's finished.
You know, Newcastle horrible in the in the preseason Challenge
and they are the third on the ladder, like please
hopefully it's done all over finish. Never want to hear
about it again that the preseason challenge or trial form
means anything. What about this? There's this thing on NRL
dot com, the Rugby League World Cup Team of the Week.
They put this out every week. Well, this week, every
member of Penriss starting lineup has been nominated for the
Team of the Week. The thirteen Panthers have been nominated,
so fans can vote for the Rugby League World Cup
Team of the Week, with players eligible for World Cup
nations nominated after each round of NRL and Super League matches.
So there you go. But that just shows the dominance
of that Penrith team. And yeah, the first time in
twenty three years Melbourne has had fifty put on them,
even having clearly admitted post game that he was quite
shocked by the score line, and just some just brilliant moments,
unbelievable through the contest, some great tries. We were talking
before the game a fewer friends and I going, oh,
we think that Penrith will try and go right a
bit more because you know, you've got sort of the
war brick on the other side, so you kind of
want to try and avoid him, and we saw that
with obviously Marto scoring the first try and Brian getting
a try as well. But then that left just lights up,
you know in terms of you know, Casey MacLean and
Tom Jenkins of course. So it's it's pretty spectacular what
this Penrith team are doing. And people are starting to say, well,
you know we go through undefeated.
Speaker 3: Yeah, look, I mean it would be nice, wouldn't it.
That's something they haven't done yet the Panthers. This is
undefeated season. Look, I don't think it's going to happen
because of just you know, origin and injuries, and eventually,
you know, you know they're going to it's gonna They're
not going to have a massive losing streak or anything.
You wouldn't think, but you know, teams obviously can get
the better of you at any point you know where
you're sitting.
Speaker 2: I think Penis actually only has to rest their players
or stand down mandatory and stand down their players once.
Once you've got buyers before the other origins. I think
they've got a buy coming out of an origin as well,
so all three of their buyers are in that origin.
So let me ask you this let's say you you win,
you know, you're winning games or whatever else like you
if you do somehow get through Origin and I think
that game where they have to stand there players might
be against the Titans, with all due respect to them,
that could be a win regardless. Let's say you're around
around twenty three to twenty four, so clearly if you're undefeated,
you've won the minor premiership. Do you still rest players
like well we did for Canterbury or do your chase
being undefeated if that was actually the possibility.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, I don't know what Ivan would do. Actually,
it's quite an interesting one because because he's Street is
on the line, but he also he also knows that
it doesn't mean anything at end of the day because
their main purpose is to win the title. There's no
good or winning, you know, going undefeated season, you get
to the Semis and you lose both weeks.
Speaker 2: I agree with you, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3: So I don't know what he would do. I mean,
I guess you'd have to ask him. If you got
to that stage a round twenty three twenty four and
they were undefeated, there would be a lot of talk
about what they would do. They might rest half the
team and then play the other half, or just do
something like that rather than rest, than do a mass
resting every week.
Speaker 2: Well, no team in the NRL, e Or of course,
has gone through undefeated Sin George did it in nineteen
fifty nine and the rabbit Os did it in nineteen
twenty five. Now nine to twenty five. It was a
twelve round season that done twelve.
Speaker 3: Game winning streaks already in their time.
Speaker 2: I think East's had and I've been running the thirties there,
so so it's been done I think by three teams. Yeah,
but certainly not since the Dragons of nineteen fifty nine.
Certainly not in the NRL or when we've had twenty
plus rounds.
Speaker 3: You know, yeah, I think it's just premature. Would be
cool at a moment where you could run and stall
in the field, Troy, like we spoke about it a
few weeks ago, but would you consider the regular season, undefeater,
I have to go the tirew I think you.
Speaker 2: Won't have to go the regular season. I think that's
you know, like that's your see, that's what we consider
for dally Ian's competition points all of that. So yeah,
look a tremendous. We probably one of Penis's greatest famous wins.
Speaker 3: And there's been a mean.
Speaker 2: Win to do that to Melbourne, no doubt about that.
In front of a great crowd.
Speaker 3: It was good to have that crowd out twenty thousand.
Speaker 2: Yeah. But look, our focus turns to this Thursday night,
the Bulldogs against the Panthers at a Core Stadium. And look,
this is interesting because the Bulldogs obviously now without Stephen Crichton,
who suffered that shoulder injury against the Rabbit O's, were
was already so many questions about the Bulldogs and things
being uncertain. I'm stunned by it personally that a field
gold run team has got doubts over certain players.
Speaker 3: And things like that.
Speaker 2: So much controversy and not like we've heard this before,
and you know, not like Gus is out there talking
and over over talking the coach, you know, like I
might have seen a story today. But anyway, here we are,
the ninth place Dog is the first place Panthers Penrith
short priced favorites, and of course a milestone match with
Nathan Cleary playing his choundredth game, they can't lose Penrith. Surely,
you wouldn't.
Speaker 3: You wouldn't think so. But you know, it could be
one of those trap games, Troy, where the Bulldogs just
somehow cause an upset. But no, you wouldn't think so.
I think, like you said, I think in your in
your preview this week, Troy, that Penrith had so many
memories on that of course stadium ground and the last
time they played there, of course was the last September
against the Bulldogs and they absolutely put the cleaners through them.
I remember that game well as it was Penis's last win,
I guess coming into the into the finals. So look
on paper and what Penrith have done this year, yes
they should be winning quite comfortably. But you just never know,
do you. He just never knows. Crazy things have happened.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's not gonna happen. Peneth will win this
and when it comfortably, I think there's just no The
Bulldogs are out of sorts and not scoring enough points.
Penrith are in ridiculous form. They might not win by
forty or fifty, but I think that they will get
it comfortably done, particularly in a milestone game, particularly when
you've got no injury worries and all of that sort
of stuff. So it's Penrith by twenty or thirty somewhere.
Speaker 4: Wow.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: For me, I just think it's the Dogs just I'm
just not liking them at all at the moment. I
think we're more likely to somehow lose to the Dolphins
in Darwin the week after.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 2: You know the Dolphins when they do actually turn it on.
Speaker 3: They can score some point. Yeah, can't score points, no.
Speaker 2: So I just don't exactly that. I don't see where
the points come from.
Speaker 3: Yeah, for the Dogs, and the crimeon being missing is huge,
I think massive. We know how big he is for them,
leadership and whatever. So yeah, I'm with you, Troe. Maybe
twenty points. I'll go twenty point victory.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's too easy. It's too easy.
Speaker 6: I know.
Speaker 2: I mate, Peter Lang will be nervous.
Speaker 3: I was sitting with him on Friday. It was bloody nervous.
We were up thirty to whatever it was at halftime.
This is when we have to sit here and enjoy it.
You don't get times like this where you can just
sit back against Melbourne and not be stressed.
Speaker 2: Well, it's the the fiftieth meeting since nineteen ninety eight
of these two teams they've played since the NFL was
formed in ninety out. They played forty nine times. Penrith
won twenty nine of them. The Bulldogs have won nineteen now.
Last year, as you mentioned, Penrith won that finals match
at a course stadium forty six to twenty six. And
the other game last year of interest, of course, was
the Dogs beating them twenty eight to four on that
night that Penrith mass rested.
Speaker 3: All of the whole time.
Speaker 2: Look the Dogs, they've been disappointing. They went down to
the Knights a couple of weeks ago and then of
course to the Rabbits last week. That thirty two to
twenty four score line probably flatters the dog as they
were terrible in the second half and when you look
at their there were two yeah, so far this season
they've had a buy thrown in. They beat the Dragons
by a single point in Vegas. The Dragons are terrible,
you know, they're woeful and they beat Camera fourteen ten
on that night that it was pouring raining, so they're
not in good for the Bulldogs they've had They've actually
had a pretty bad start to the season that's probably
been overshadowed by the fact they got two wins early.
Speaker 3: But you wonder what happens, you know, if they keep
going down this trajectory. Is Cameron Serroudo in trouble? Is
Gus in trouble? Like we've seen this. We've seen this
play out before troyhing start going bad.
Speaker 2: But I doubt either of them are in trouble. But yes,
it's the same, it's the same cycle. We've seen the
exact same cycle that we experienced before with Anthony Griffin
and Gusts before. There's just something about Gusses. He has
this ability to drag a team from the bottom eight
into the top eight. But then it's it's like chaos
help himself with tinkering and chaos and all of that
sort of stuff. And we saw it last year with
the Toby Sexton staff and this year now we're seeing
it again with you know, from Matt Burton, Brons and
Cherry to all of them. Yeah, you know, being mentioned
in you know, it just creates uncertainty.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it does all right.
Speaker 2: But it's on Channel nine. It is also on Fox
Sports and ko A seven fifty pm kickoff there on
Thursday night. I'm going to head out to the game
looking forward you're going, yes, corporate, Yes, yeah, yeah, So
all my critics out there who say I go to corporate, Yes,
I am going to corporate this week an invite to
go along. So I'm going to go check that out
on Thursday night, have some saucy drolls and whatnot at halftime.
Speaker 3: It should be a beauty you're going to go you know, No, no,
I won't be going.
Speaker 2: Okay, no, I'm like to, but this week not this week?
Speaker 1: All right.
Speaker 2: Now, it is Nathan Clear his twohundredth game on Thursday night.
Now that's a great milestone, of course. And you had
a chat with none other than Moses Lioda because these
guys both de Beautifurse in the same seasons, week after
each other. Yeah, back in twenty sixteen, you asked Mona
about that when he caught up with him this week.
Speaker 3: You and him have a pretty interesting connection because he
debuted the week before you debuted back in twenty sixteen.
Do you remember Do you remember that all happening back then?
Speaker 6: Not really, but yeah I know that I don't after him,
so yeah, yeah, it's good to sort of have a
game week out a party.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 6: He's been part of my journeys. He certainly has.
Speaker 3: Obviously you've got a few more games, like maybe six
or seven more games on night. I think you're at
two o six or two o seven or something like that,
and you'll run. But what do you remember from from
nighth back then, because obviously debuted as an eighteen year old.
You were you were fairly young yourself, but you would
have heard about him growing up, being in a ivan,
wasn't coaching at the club at the time, being the
coach's son and all that sort of thing. What did
you sort of know about.
Speaker 6: Eight I sort of knew that he was a teller. Yeah,
he played like two, so he's two years younger than me. Yeah,
he played in my age group, and yeah, that says
a lot about his telling. Yeah, I went on to
play school boys and stuff, and yeah he debuted I
think he was eighteen.
Speaker 3: Yeah, eighteen.
Speaker 6: Yeah, so he debuted at eighteen, And there's this case
I was telling he had and the club knew what
he was destined for.
Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely, and as he obviously he has changed a lot.
But what have you noticed some of the changes in
Night over the years.
Speaker 6: I think just his habits, training habits on and off
the field. He's a a great leader as well, and
he gives us confidence when when he's playing.
Speaker 3: Do you think the club would be the same without him?
It doesn't sound like. It sounds like the club is
in the positions in the last you know, five or
six years because of Nathan. Obviously you and the others,
but certainly he's him being up the top right so.
Speaker 6: That he's everything comes off him and when we're doing
our job sort of gives him the freedom to do
his and he was makes the right pass or the
right kicks.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's your favorite memory of his, you know, maybe
a favorite moment you've watched him out in the field
doing something epic that we all have seen on TV.
Speaker 2: Yeah, fair enough.
Speaker 3: And obviously he's toughness too. You're known for your toughness
of course, but you know, as for a half back,
he gets stuck in there, doesn't he with the with
the rough and tumble and the tackling and that sort
of thing. Is that Did you get a lot of
respect for him stuff like that?
Speaker 6: Yeah? I actually do, like a lot of halfs like
they try a lot of teams try to get I
feel like I feel like teams try to get at him,
but yeah, I reckon he's more defensive half. Yeah, he's
a better defensive half in the game. It's sort of
hard to get out for having shoulders for sure.
Speaker 3: Obviously, thoughts on the season so far. I think we
spoke a few weeks ago when you guys were off
to a very good start, But now you think like
you've gone to another level five and zero. You must
be loving your time out there, like like all the
boys are at the moment.
Speaker 6: Yeah, we're enjoying each other's company, and obviously we're playing well,
and yeah, winning's fun, but they just gotta keep that
on restart every week, and yeah it's always a two opponents,
so it's got to stay stay on top of our
game and keep it all we do this.
Speaker 3: Can you believe you guys put fifty on Melbourne? Like,
as a fan, I couldn't believe that. I'm sure a
lot of fans couldn't believe. First time they've had a
fifty four on them since two thousand and three. Like
you guys, you know you've had so many battles with them,
But does that even did that even shock you that
you're able to do that? No, that was a pull
street Melbourne team too.
Speaker 2: Almost. Yeah.
Speaker 6: I was to one of the boys and I was like, bro,
I don't like we're when we do rus Morvine, it's
a they've won the last two or three I think
it was. And yeah, Foricycle fifty on them was that
it was a shock again.
Speaker 2: Absolutely there he is Moses Leota, one of my favorite players.
Speaker 3: As you he loves the weekend and two he's done
a lot of work with the Weekend in the last
few weeks. He's remembered our photographer. He's like, oh you
were again.
Speaker 2: Funny story there. We might tell it at a later time.
But yet Nathan Cleary and what a story it's been,
you know, makes his debut against Melbourne and what turns
out to be Jamie Soward's last games, thrown into the
walls by Anthony Griffin in twenty sixteen, and has never
looked back. Has been Penri's first choice half back ever since,
you know, and even through those Griffin years, you know,
never thoughted him being dropped.
Speaker 5: None of that.
Speaker 2: Has just been top class since that day.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And I read something on the Panther's website earlier
that in his second season he was the NRL's leading
point scorer in his second season, he would have been nineteen.
Speaker 2: Yeah wild and of course four Premierships later five Grand Finals,
an Origin record that is much better than people would
like you to think. In fact, he has an Origin
winning records somewhere around forty seven percent. Andrew Johns, who
everyone seems to put up on a pedestal in the
Origin arena, has a win percentage of about fifty five percent.
So the differences and Cleary is not finished. The difference
is not all that huge, so a weird thing that
this follows him around. Maybe this this year will be
the year. Hopefully the whole pen might be there. But yeah,
get out there and support Nathan Cleary on his two
hundredth milestone game. Hopefully they've spell checked the the jersey.
They'll give him the special jersey after the Yeah, but
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on last Friday night, it was a surprise when when
none other than Josh Mansell turned up as ground announcer.
I know, and I'll tell you what I reckon. He
was a smash hit.
Speaker 3: Oh he was. Like I said, it was the best experience.
It had a comback, and I think he was he
was a big part of it. He was unbelievable. When
did you first notice that it was source as the
ground announcer because I I've heard because I came for
New South Wales Cup like halfway through.
Speaker 2: I came through halfway through and I heard this voice.
Speaker 3: I'm like, who is that? Had no idea? And then
I saw Panthers put something on their socials. I'm like,
Josh Mansell and then I just put two and two together.
And then then we finally saw him on the screen
after the game and you know, before the main game,
and I couldn't believe it.
Speaker 2: It was just look, he wasn't polished, certainly not he
you know, he made a couple of little errors and
a couple of bits and pieces. But you know the
best part was, you know he was forty four to
ten and he put out the declaration, come on, let's
get fifty's. I just don't think Glen Hawk does that.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, That's what Scott McCrae would do.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'm hoping that Panthers. I know that this
was a feeling. I think he's back for a game.
Speaker 3: Suit, so you've got mail on that. So I thought
he would be he'd be installed the whole year, saying he.
Speaker 2: Was filling in for Glenn Hawk, who probably had your
kidding other jobs, but I do believe he's back. Couldn't
even be for the next time game against Manly, so
he is back for at least one other game, and
I hope that Penrith as we prepared to go back
to Panthers Stadium next year, take the feedback on because
I think it's been overwhelmingly overwhelmingly and actually go well, actually,
maybe Sources the man because.
Speaker 3: Of all people who would have thought that that's who?
He was so good like Troy, the intros, like the
intros were amazing the way he just and I think
I think the players would have enjoyed it too, because
Buddy Saucy doing the you know that they would know,
and he was just so passionate. He knows the guys,
he played with the majority of the team, and you
could just feel it out there. I hadn't felt like
that for a long time.
Speaker 2: This is what we spoke about a few weeks, why
are we desperate for this sterile.
Speaker 3: And we still had Lindall was still doing some of
the other series bits and pieces. But yeah, Source just
I thought he was the perfect choice. Whoever said let's
call him up and do it, genius like you should
be the club person of the Year at the end
of the year.
Speaker 6: For that.
Speaker 3: Look, the one thing I must have been he didn't
he would didn't quite get right. Well obviously that the
sponsors and stuff like that. So when obviously a player
comes off, he's interchangeable to say, you know, and Billy
Phillips is on for Western Weekend. He didn't quite get
those right or sometimes you missed them completely. That's understandable.
I'm sure you know, I'm sure that'll be fine. But
in terms of just hyping the crowd up, it was.
It was so good.
Speaker 2: You did a great job. And I hope that we
see more source at at Panther's message from the next year,
gets sourced to do it, getting he's available at the
new Penis Stadium. Let's have source there. Let's not have
With all due respect to Glen Hawky was a great
MC and very professional at what he does. Let's have
someone who's actually passionate about the pants he's.
Speaker 3: Hawkey like, which think he's on contract that he has
to do the rest of the year or could they
flick him?
Speaker 2: You want him? You want him? Yeah? Season season?
Speaker 3: Yes. Unfortunately, it's like it's like if you're not available
that week like a first grader and someone fills in
your spot and has a better game than you, and
then you have to earn your spot back.
Speaker 2: So in your mind it's Seabold gone, Shane Flanning and
maybe gone, and Glen Hawk potentially.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, sorry Glenn, Sorry.
Speaker 2: Mate, I'll see what happens there now, talking of he
was great at the Footing. But there are annoying people.
We've all experienced it. I think you sit near someone
and they're annoying, yes, you know, And thankfully I've been
pretty lucky generally with the people that I've been around
in the Western stand at the old Penrith Park or
of course now it's Combank. But you've got a bit
of a story about some annoying people at the Foota.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Troy, Look, I've also been very lucky to I
used to sit in the West not far from you,
and those people around me for those ten years were
like family, fantastic, you know, you love seeing them, and
even even at Combank now I've I'm having no issues
at the moment. I'm in a in a really good seat,
really good part of the stadium, and no issues. However,
I'm sure my colleague Emily won't mind me saying this.
She recently moved from sitting up near you in the
in the nosebleeds in the at Combank, and she moved
down to be a bit more closer to the actions.
So she's now in my bay.
Speaker 2: Trons closer to yell at Tommy Drinkin's.
Speaker 3: That's right. And Mitch Kenny, she's now in She's now
in my bay, but she's in row four or five.
Speaker 2: Or something like that, very closet.
Speaker 3: That's right. But she was telling me today when we
got back to work that that she has a gentleman
behind her that commentates the entire game, and she's losing
the plot. She can't handle us.
Speaker 2: Are we're talking just he's making his own comments?
Speaker 3: Yes, she says. She said to me, if I wanted
to listen to the commentary, I would have stayed at home,
because yes, now he is commentators. He's passed the ball.
Now he's off there, he's off the races.
Speaker 4: Here we go.
Speaker 3: Brian Toe is through. Yeah, that's what he was doing. Look,
I'm not sure what his situation is, but apparently he
was getting a few stairs on Friday, and he was
there the previous week against Paramatta as well, So it's
it's a permanent seat. And I said to Emily, no
wonder those seats opened up in row four because whoever
sat there last year probably decided to leave.
Speaker 2: What's funny, you say, is to see and Beard, who
was of course a fellow Pants member, he moved seats
this year and he is landed next to someone who
he doesn't he's heard about. Yes, so I think he's
on the move. So this must happen quite a lot.
I'm guessing it must do.
Speaker 3: But like, what would take it for you to move
like your seats, Troy? How annoying does someone have to
be for you to pick up your You've got a
big crew of ten.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you guys would probably all.
Speaker 3: Have to leave or you're trying to get that person
gicked out.
Speaker 2: That's what I probably try, trobably try and get the
other person kicked out. To be honest, Look, I don't know.
Speaker 3: Would you handle someone commentating behind you the whole game?
Speaker 2: Probably not. I probably struggle with that. I probably struggled
with that, you know, I think about it now and
I think about those those nights at Peneras Stadium, particularly
in the last five years. Probably we were the annoying
people to some people in front of us. Probably, yeah,
because we didn't mind an odd drink before the game,
although we're generally pretty responsible drinkers of course, yes, not
spilling drinks on anyone or anything like that. But yeah, look,
i'd probably I'd probably try and get them move. You'd
use your powers, corporate that is annoying commentator.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so she's not. She's not really sure what she's
going to do now. I said, you've got to stick
it out. I mean, it's only another seven games at Combank.
They we're back at Penrith. Yeah, you know you can't
move again.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, yeah there was Look I think about over
the years, there was a lady. I used to call
it paper Lady, and she used to turn up with
literally like garbage bags full of shredded paper. So when
Penrith won at the end of the game, she could
throw it up everywhere. And she apart from being paper
Lady and throwing it up, she was one who would
like to know, absolutely give it to the ref.
Speaker 3: Right, just constantly give it to the ref both barrels.
Speaker 2: To be honest with you, I haven't had many annoying people.
The one The thing that actually annoys me now more
so is actually even when they're Penrith bands is ridiculously
biased Penrith fans. That's a weird thing to be annoyed by.
But you know, someone yelling out that they're offside or
that it was a dodgy call or that this was forward.
Speaker 3: I'm like, you know, bashing like a lot of a
lot of refuge. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I went to the
ref bashing either, Like.
Speaker 2: I mean, sure, if it's an absolute, how give it
to him? But you know, like and one of my
favorites is probably when there's a say that you know,
panathnes a seven tackle set, so you tap it on
the twenty and a player like obviously the defensive line
might have started off side because they're coming back, but
they might tackle Brian to you know, thirty five out,
which means they've run the ten meters to be back
on side. Now you know that they're on side, but
everyone booze because what they started off side? And everyone
booze and like, how's the house down? We need you know,
a penalty and whatever, but what are you talking about.
They've run the they've run the meetings, yeah, you know,
and just I guess people don't follow the game that much,
and they just clear like clearly, just pair of fans
one eye.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, yeah. I sit next to one of them. My uncle,
he's like that.
Speaker 2: He's already Lynch actually Klimb. He's not happy that those
ten points. We'll do our Panthers theme song Survivor in
a minute. I've got to complain about the Panthers shop because.
Speaker 3: The orders in what is going on with fans message
in to us now?
Speaker 2: And the order is actually in.
Speaker 3: This is for the pink scarf I picked up in
one of the games.
Speaker 2: Finally won the pink scar in the the what do
we do not dealing?
Speaker 3: Price is right, price is right, and you can see
here in one of the great games.
Speaker 2: I'm just proving it to you so you know that
I'm not lying. There it is. There is the order,
it's ordered confirmed, I said, pick up, and I'm yet
to hear from them, so maybe I don't know if
they didn't have them in stock, jeez, but this.
Speaker 3: Can few sheep and start making some more some more
woolen wool scars by winter time and like it's not
too cold yet, otherwise I definitely would need it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know what's going on over there now.
A couple of emails Warren wrote in Warren said, just
been listening to the podcast or walking my dog? We
want to know how you listen to the podcast. Is
it in the car or is it, you know, walking
your dog at the gym? At the gym maybe yeah,
pump you up, and Warren says. You asked about whether
people still listen to an RL games on the radio.
He said, absolutely, I do. My station of choice is
the ABC. I think Andrew Moore is one of the
most genuinely exciting callers ever, yet that doesn't come with
any loss of accuracy. With more you always know where
the tackle can is up to and have a very
good picture where the action is on the field and
what's happening is co commentators are also outstanding, especially Luke Lewis,
whose football brain is second to that surprising I use.
I used to listen to Triple M sometimes when they
had Dan ganay and who was brilliant on both radio
and TV Ryan Girdler without them, though I'm not so
keen on Triple and.
Speaker 3: No he was calling the game yesterday.
Speaker 2: Actually sure, all right, well, he says it's almost all
with games. He listens to the ABC A long history
of great callers, David Morrow, Peter Wilkins of course. But
but yeah, look we talked about that last week, so
there you go. Warren still listens on on the radios.
Speaker 3: That's good. And I was at the Easter Show on
the weekend Troy and on Saturday, and I actually watched
the Continuous Call Team in the flesh.
Speaker 2: And you said that you wouldn't mind it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they talk nothing about footy. It was. It was
about getting sushi at the Easter Show and some other
fire safety tips. We have someone from the fire is on.
This was the middle of a rugby league show. But
it was entertaining. I think Gal was their MG, of course,
Mark Levy and big Man yep. And yeah, it was
enjoyable to watch live in the flesh.
Speaker 2: I will say. The weirdest thing about the Continuous Call
Team for me at the Easter Show is that they
call the game from there, the good Friday game from
the Easter Show.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and they didn't. They did the Saturday one too. Yeah,
they said we're about to call the game the Dragons game.
Speaker 2: Yes. Now George is also written in Nathan George says
the NFL really needs to address the issue of player
injuries caused by foul play. Whenever any rugby league player
suffers an injury and he's ruled out for the game
for weeks or months or the whole season because of
our play, the instigator must be suspended for at least
the same length of time. Come on, George, shinbind and
put on report at the time of the incident. The
player in question should be sent off immediately, and then
the Match Review Committee and tribunal in conjunction with clubs
and doctors, determine the length of the suspension.
Speaker 3: George, George must be fun at parties. Troy, That's just ridiculous.
I mean, did you think that Tuckle yesterday on Simonson
was that bad? Like I feel like if he didn't
hurt himself, it probably would have been playing.
Speaker 2: Oh no, no, I do agree with that, it would
have been playing. We see that, Yeah, we see that
a lot. That was probably unfair on the young guy.
But look, yeah, I mean they are definitely going to
take into account the injury when you see an injury
that bad.
Speaker 3: But he only got one game in the ten minutes
in his team won and he got spend in one
game up.
Speaker 2: Until like five or six years ago that that tackle
wouldn't have even raised an eyebrow.
Speaker 3: Because they were both going up up for the ball,
and it's just, you know, he came down with the
other guy, didn't.
Speaker 2: You know, there's a lot of There's a lot about
life in rugby league. I'm not here to give you
an anthony seabol We're all going to die that he
put out. But you know, like at the moment, I'm
watching about the fuel crisis in New South WALESA and
you know, pollagues are saying this, and we're all here
in the city saying this, and then you'll hear a
quick interview with someone from the country who actually kind
of just tells it like it is, who's actually like, well,
can I just give you the nobs trusion in this situation?
And you know, sometimes you just need that. And in
rugby league, we're desperate to be like, you know, people
make these rules and I just don't think they have
an understanding of the actual moment in a game, Like
I see those you know, the mid air tackles and
things like that. I'm like, the people who actually approved
these rules ever been involved in those situations to understand
that it's not as it's not as clinical and as
simple as you think it is that in that moment
that I'm going for the ball and now we've got
the bunker, even like saying oh his eyes, his eyes,
eyes are looking over here. I mean really like we
now I've got psychologists in the bunk. Yeah, deciding whether
you know someone was looking at him or not. Yeah,
this is a bit you know, we're going a bit
too technical.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so. I think the way the crowd
reacted as well. Yesterday Peter Gough best, but I think
lost control he did. Yeah, Image Moss was all over
him as well, you know, got him to you know,
you know, do certain things. So it was Look, it
wasn't a great game, but it was a great game
to watch. It was probably I loved it.
Speaker 2: It was awesome and and you know one of those
games where you're lucky depending on what commentator you get,
and this was this was Andrew Bosses game like that,
and he loved it.
Speaker 3: But do you issue out a game like that, like
can we only just go to Penrith games?
Speaker 1: Try?
Speaker 3: But sometimes I will go, oh, maybe I'd like to
go to an exact day game or Easter Monday game.
Speaker 2: Do you wish you would have been to the anzact
day game? Part of that it is awesome, but yeah,
I would have loved to have been there yesterday. That
was that was awesome, and just because so many things
happened in that afternoon. You know, you had injuries everywhere,
you had sin Binning, had the Tigers sort of at
one point, I was like, the Tiger's gonna run away
with this, and then full momentum shift with.
Speaker 3: That kid that never played NROL before his first scoring,
with his.
Speaker 2: First touching that first try, which I think we all
thought was there was no way.
Speaker 3: It looked like he went out for sure.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, an incredible afternoon and the Tigers look winning
a sort of fair and square there and in fact
I know that people were blowing up but he was
off side.
Speaker 3: It was very side.
Speaker 2: But also a few minutes earlier, like Mitch Moses gonna
love tap and stay down for a pen So let's
not you know like that that that, to be honest
with you, the off side penalty, he was far more
legitimate than the than the just on that too, Mitchell Moses,
So he got a warning.
Speaker 3: Letter apparently yes, from the NRL.
Speaker 2: Actually, Peter Go, Yeah, we have seen like literal suspensions
of players when they've it's almost something's been an accidental touch.
Speaker 3: Did you remember jer Drome though I did a few
years ago. I think he accidentally ran into one of
the one of the rest. It was massive fural.
Speaker 2: Why are we Yeah, Mitch Moses, I think it.
Speaker 3: Maybe he may pushed him out of the way. Actually yeah,
by memory, but he was. It wasn't a malice or
anything like that.
Speaker 2: Because you've got Mitch Moses literally touching people.
Speaker 3: Well, see if all three sixty analyzed that tonight, Troy,
they didn't. They didn't really do too much of it yesterday.
Speaker 2: No, No, Gordon Teller's on three like wild. First of all,
let me say, hilarious that renamed the theater.
Speaker 3: I thought that was an April Fool's joke. Was that
fair income or something?
Speaker 2: I don't know if it was an April Falls joke?
Brilliant But even if it wasn't, how good was that?
If they've actually done that, that's that's smart. But last
night he's trying to have a debate about Stephen Crichton
and if he saw this, yes, and he was trying
to say, well, the loss of Stephen Crichton, potentially the
game's best center, probably the game's best center, is a
significant impact, and Gordey just wouldn't have it because he's
a center. Because Gordy thinks that everything just happens in
the forwards. Yeah, you know, And I really wish Brent
Ree just turned around and said, hey, Gordy, do you
think you guys might have struggled if Steve Rnof wasn't
there in the ninety two and ninety three seasons where
you won the comp Because I think the answer is yes,
Like Jesus, Gordy, he's lost the plot. Gordy, I don't
know if I don't know.
Speaker 3: That show does go pretty rogue these days, like you
see an ast smash and like border Richie last night
just absolutely given us. He used to do the same
with Buzz.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's a it's bizarre.
Speaker 3: It's still better than Agenda Setters, though, yes, well I
haven't watched much more of Agenda Setters.
Speaker 2: I'm going to say, all right now Panthers theme song
Survivor Now, Nathan, last week you put through the nineteen
ninety seven I've.
Speaker 3: Heard Rod now at the Sydney Kings game the other day.
Speaker 2: That was him. Okay, he's there, all right, he's still alive.
Live this. So you put that. That's through.
Speaker 3: That's through. That's through to the finals.
Speaker 2: Right now, we've got another two songs, and you've got
to pick one obviously to go through. Now, the first
one we've got is actually one. Now there's a bit
of story behind this because this song was actually intended
to essentially replace Go the Mighty Panthers. It's Panther Power.
Speaker 3: I was meant to replace Go the Mighty.
Speaker 2: Yes, so we've tried to replace Go the Mighty Panthers twice,
so Swiss Tony tried to do it in about twenty
fifteen and then this in the nineties. Now Panthers will
probably deny that somewhere, but yes, there was a whole
marketing refresh post super leagues. So I think it's ninety
eight and this was the song, and I think there
was a bit of few also. We kind of then
just ran with both songs. But this is Panther Power,
first one up today. Very famous.
Speaker 3: Yeah, this is very very synonymous with my time as
a pretty Yes. Wow, I wonder who's singing.
Speaker 2: This say you think it's the Robertson Brothers.
Speaker 3: Quiney Robinson, but get everything back in the day, isn't it,
And no one's trying to stop the sound nowhere and.
Speaker 2: Look and.
Speaker 5: The power of the us.
Speaker 4: Back to the beginning, we would give them.
Speaker 3: No, that's true.
Speaker 1: Out still.
Speaker 2: So we're just say, pretty synonymous period. That's the late nineties,
early turns. During this period, I thinking Steve Carter at
the end of his career. There was there used to
be a video I think that used to maybe played
around this song, and there was a Steve Carter. He
was up on the screen. He used to every turn
to the front of the screen, never give up, never
get classy. So yep, this song was pretty iconic, and
I reckon a lot of people would think one of
their favorite songs.
Speaker 3: Yep, we'll see, We'll see what I.
Speaker 2: Go with one more coming, yes, now the other one
We've got This was introduced in the two thousands. Never
Penris official song, but certainly sometimes used when Scott McCrae
would come out in the Panther car. So it's certainly
got a lot of run during the sort of the
mid two thousands. It's called we Are the Panthers. Do
you remember this one? I do all right here it is.
Speaker 3: Not much too, it is that this one is there?
Speaker 2: No, not a lot of lyrics.
Speaker 3: I think I remember it being better than this.
Speaker 5: Well, all right, so I don't think we've ever heard
that full version.
Speaker 2: One can I can see why one can get through.
So are you putting either that's we are the Panthers
or Panther Power?
Speaker 3: Yeah, look, Troy, last week it was it was tough.
It was tough to choose whether we had that nineteen
sixty seven banger or Rodmeo's great wrap this this this week,
it's a pretty clear cut. Panther Power has to go
through to the next round. That we are the Panthers
is awful. I mean I remember it, I remember it well,
But no, Panther Power brilliant.
Speaker 2: Okay, Panther Power is through. So as we start to
form the finals, we've got Panther Power and the other
nineteen ninety seven rap I don't even know what that
actually called, the Super League, and they are through to
the finals. So we've got another round next week. Panther songs, it's.
Speaker 3: Good, it's good, you kept man of other clubs have
this many songs, Troy.
Speaker 2: I would doubt it. We have a lot of about
a lot of songs. We've had a lot of songs
over the years. And look, I think one day we
should actually try and look, we need to talk to
Max cow and we need to talk to Swiss Tony
and also Don felt Us. They've all been involved in
the the Go the Mighty Panthers dumpings, you know. So
I think Max was there around the Panther power time yep,
and then Swiss Toney when we had that whole array
of array of songs. We I think that was ross
defense one said all of that sort of stuff, and
Go the Mighty Panthers was officially dumped. It was a
game I think against Canberra we opened the season maybe
twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen, and it was gone and we
actually won and they didn't play in the in the
box and he's saying it's not mine.
Speaker 5: I remember that.
Speaker 2: They were flooded with calls on Monday of demanding it
come back.
Speaker 3: It doesn't surprise me.
Speaker 2: I think it only took one game. It returned as
the winning song in the next game. Those other songs
lasted maybe the season. The defense one set thing, but
after that they were They were very quickly based out
of Panthers existence.
Speaker 3: That period of Penrith was just I don't know. It
was tough, wasn't it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we've got to get him in Swiss Tony because
let me tell you, we make a bit of fun
of him. But he was just trying to be innovative
at a time when Penrith had gone through years of
poor performances. So he's come up with tried to come
up with different things, and he's come up with the
cat suit for the cheer.
Speaker 3: That was one of the great things he broked in.
But I think he just had no connection with the
club in terms of history and how much fans hold
onto the nostalgia and the history and you just can't.
Speaker 2: And I don't know how much involvement he had in
the famous score one are we blamed gusts board. I
think Swis Tony was around time.
Speaker 3: Don't think he had his hand fingerprints and the logo
as well. Yes, getting rid of the penriff out of the.
Speaker 2: Yes, correct, and remember this will be another story. We
need to find someone to talk about. Remember the logo
that was never the logo. Yes, that's actually still around
in yeah. Forms you know, some leaked logo came out.
It was terrible. It looked like it was done in
Microsoft paints.
Speaker 3: It looked bad.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and places actually started using it randomly.
Speaker 3: Ye needs to show on the show that showbag.
Speaker 2: And there's been I've got a I think like a
pillow or something that has like a cushion that has
that logo on it, the logo that never was. We
might do I don't know, five bizarre penrith things or whatever,
like things have gone like what about whatever happened to
the big Bell? Or remember we had the bell, yes,
the Viking plans, long before the Viking clan, we had
a bell. Yes, we had famous panther people ringing the bell.
I'm guessing that was a Hell's Bells connection.
Speaker 3: Yes, it would have been the Panther TV of horse.
We had like a little studio was built up in the.
Speaker 2: And the Big Ball. Yes, of course never returned after
that guy broke his leak, he did.
Speaker 3: Yes, you there that night, you see that?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was He's still around his
Michael I.
Speaker 3: Think, yeah, Michael, Yeah, I think I'm Facebook friends with him.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's still around.
Speaker 3: He's recovery.
Speaker 2: We had him and and that drama and all sorts
of sorts of things. I did notice when Bally Simminson
was that got in Gypt yesterday in the Eels game,
the medi cap came out, but some blogs come out
with a wheelchair. I did say that, Well they planned seriously.
They weren't seriously thinking we'll whack him in this wheelchair
and wheel.
Speaker 5: I've never seen that before.
Speaker 2: That happened before, never seen that before. Like the meny
cab was on its way, but randomly so was this
guy on a wheelchair. Rugularly you can dish up some moments,
no doubt about that. All right, Panthers Bulldogs this Thursday.
There is an addition of extra time out this week.
Who were speaking to an extra time this week.
Speaker 3: We've got Blaze to Lungey Yep telling us he came
to Penrith to play with Nathan Cleary of course, and
we've got most of the odor great connection with him
and him and Nathan as Nathan celebrates two hundred games.
Speaker 2: We've got these celebrity tipsters as well. Emily catches up
with Jack Cole, who has a very bizarre coffee order.
Speaker 3: Yeah, she really wants to try and trying to get
me to get that as well. They all do the players.
Speaker 2: Yes, you could be the face in the crowd. If
you're the facing the crowd, you can be a cruise
about you. Yeah, pop in.
Speaker 3: I've got plenty of cruises available.
Speaker 2: Love to meet you, yep, Sydney Harbor Cruz. Check that out.
We've also got the set up. We've got all lots
of great things. Alliam Henry poster this week. You'll with
you back soon, back soon, So you can get the
poster and put them up. And there's a lot of
people that collect all the posters. And if you missed
out a little bit of a hack, you can go
to Western Weekend at all comm that I used panthers
posters and they're all.
Speaker 3: There and you can just print them yourself.
Speaker 2: Print them out yourself, okay, download them all right. Well
that is it for Tensions running High this week. New
episodes out every week. Visit Western Weekend dot com that
a you follow us on all the socials. Check out
our print edition out every Thursday, and of course download
the Weekend app from the Apple App Store or the
Google Play Store. I'm Troy Todd's Nathan. Thanks for joining us.
Thanks joy and thanks to Paris City Automodive for their
sponsorship as well. We'll see you next time. On tensions
are running high, let's go, panthers, go.
Speaker 3: Ahead to stop, let to go, go ahead to stop,
there to go.
Speaker 4: Just some lack of feeling when the feeling that you've
got it all got the people out of back wear.
Speaker 3: The black attack and no one's trying to stop. The
sound nowhere and that's that, the.
Speaker 2: Black attack and.
Speaker 3: Now and looking back, and you got it right down.
Speaker 4: The power of Amunds were the back to the beginner.
Speaker 5: We were given no hope work.
Speaker 3: So it's up twenty.
Speaker 4: Five years of flu swept on cheers to make it
to the top.
Speaker 3: I can still hear the cheers and the pout