Gus Tells All: NRL Player Pressure & Bennett’s Future: Six Tackles with Gus – Ep02 | NRL on Nine

Gus details the intense pressure players face today to make it in the NRL, predicts Wayne Bennett’s next step and weighs in on the World Club Challenge referees.

Plus, part two of Gus’ team by team 2024 season preview including some bold predictions.

https://x.com/PhilGould15/status/1762335235902251506?s=20
(Gus’ new hat)

Subscribe 👉 https://bit.ly/2lvAJT2 NRL News👉 https://bit.ly/2mPWIV9

0:55 – Gus has a lunch with 88’ Bulldogs team.
5:09 – Gus’ new hat
7:33 – Broncos win pre-season challenge
8:59 – Stacey Jones correct choice as NZ coach.
11:11 – Nathan Clearly is the number 1 NRL player
14:21 – Vegas – Gus doesn’t play card games.
15:18 – World Club Challenge referees
21:32 – Discovering Bevan French
25:11 – The pressure of being an NRL player
31:10 – Season Preview – Knights
33:29 – Season Preview – Cowboys
38:27 – Season Preview – Eels
42:35 – Season Preview – Rabbitohs
46:34 – Season Preview – Dragons
52:50 – Season Preview – Roosters
57:06 – Season Preview – West Tigers
1:03:56 – Gus’s Tips

NRL on Nine is the home of everything rugby league so stayed tuned for more NRL highlights, analysis, opinion and video.

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This is six tackles with Gus with Matthew Thompson and Gus good welcome along to episode two of six tackles with Gus for 2024 great to have you with us great to kick off the podcast last week everyone very pleased that we’re back that was the feedback

Well most of it anyway uh on the show today the teams for Vegas are in Broncos versus roosters 3:30 kickoff live and free here on night and Manley versus South’s also in action Wigan prevails in a controversial World Club challenge part two of our season preview and we

Ask Gus as well welcome Matthew Thompson how you doing excellent we’re all in blue today it’s almost like the Bulldogs have infiltrated our dress code from those watching us on the screen there I got to keep remembering we’re on camera I forget sometimes uh where you off to a

Function today yes I’ve got the uh 1988 Bulldogs uh who won the premiership in 1988 having a reunion down at the waloo hotel Arthur laund Lund’s Hotel um it started out with um Paul langmack has got a little WhatsApp group with a few of the former players and uh

There only four or five of them and uh they invited me in to ask me a question about something which I answered and that got onto something else got onto something else and he said we should all have lunch together before the season starts I said yeah good as go I said

I’ll book it in at one of arth’s hotels I said I’ll see you lunch um and that got on to well we should invite so and so and so and so we should invite so and so so now it’s ended up a 1988 reunion we got 28 coming oh that’s awesome yeah

Um which is very much like they were back in the day I can remember back in the day they were really tight-nit group they were a young group um the 88 side probably wasn’t expected to win the Premiership at the start of the season

But um they had a great year and at the end of the year Bulldogs when you won the comp they used to take you on a trip away they to take you to Hawaii I remember when we woned in ‘ 84 we went to New Orleans and Los Angeles and

Hawaii a massive trip one of the trip of a lifetime so 1988 it was a usual thing um we’ll shout you a trip to Hawaii for winning the Premiership on the way though we’re going to ockland to play Auckland in a $20,000 winner take all

Game so we we we took 17 players to Auckland to play in this game which we won a week later uh I don’t know how we won but we won but they were such a tight-knit group and they didn’t want the other blacks who’ sort of played

First grade during the year or some of the reserve graders and all that to miss out so we had we had a bit of money we had a punter club and we’d won a bit of money during the year and we had this 20,000 that we’d won from winning this

Game in Oakland which bullfrog said we could have and so we told the other BLS to meet us in Hawaii if they could get there we’d have the spending money for them to get so they ran a rebel tour they all turned so we had about 35 in a

And uh again it was a magic trip um great memories that they were the they were the things that really but they were a tight-knit group and um I remember at the time we often talked about you know what we were doing at the time and how special it could be if we

Could go on and achieve the greatness of winning a Premiership but not so much for now but how you would remember that for the rest of your life how you would look back upon that and in 20 years time you’re still all going to be mates and

Uh still all going to be communicating and U and they have been so here we are 36 years later few phone calls they they’ve gone and found all the old staff all the old dressing room staff and all the old trainers and um and all the

Players that we can um the only player that won’t get there is the late Steven folks so we’ll have a drink for him as well and um yeah so it should be a great day at the laundy hotels no doubt tomorrow we’ll be in the papers with some alcohol related incident I wouldn’t

Have thought so I’m just so glad they didn’t have phones and cameras back in the days when we had those trips away that’s all Jason Alin Glenn niss Tony Curry Andrew Farah Robin Thor Terry lamb Michael Hagen Paul dun this is when 13 was Pro 12 was hooker Joe Thomas Peter TKS David

Gillespie Steve F Paul J a hell of a pack y Paul Lang then Mark bug Brandon Lee Steve mtim on the bench Darren McCarthy a bit of early six tackle trivia who won the CL chural medal that year I think I think it went to uh I

Don’t know if there was one but I think the man of the match no it wasn’t they didn’t have it back in those days no they did did they well now there was it’s been retrospectively awarded in some instan hasn’t it Church Paul dun yes no Paul

Dunn got the man of the match I don’t know if was it the CL Church Bill M medal back then yeah let me just I now you mentioned that I think it’s been retrospectively awarded so Paul D was man of the match and subsequently he been given the CL Church medal so there

You go um first year was 86 so yes he did win it okay ster won the first did he yep G you beat a handy b m team just quietly that a good side catch by Warren Ryan oh yeah a good side very good side oh that’ll be great um my question to

You is however where’s your hat my hat aren’t you going to wear your hat well I didn’t think I’d wear it on the podcast I can’t put it over me headphones you’re going to wear it out today no oh you got to wear it out if you haven’t seen Gus’s

Hat go on Twitter his wife unsolicited bought him a hat it looks like it’s come direct from Cuba well when when we’re in Hawaii she kept saying to me she I want you want to buy you one of these hats I’m saiding get away I’m not wear one of

Those hats and she kept going into these hats I said what this about a hat why you trying to buy me a hat anyway I come the other day and there it was she she’d gone out and bought it I like it I like it where am I going to wear it well

Today you’re going to the W Hotel looks like something out of the 1930s you look like alons ganto are they back in fashion are they well yeah yeah I mean you could wear it to the races could you I got a I got a text message off Lee had pantalis you

Know he said welcome to the club cuz Le’s always walking around in the Fedor that’s right I couldn’t afford one of these I don’t think yours is worth quite as much as his no yeah he said welcome to the CL oh good should I wear it to the foot

This I wear to the footy yeah I might do it in cometry you should well got be your thing they kept sending me pictures of Ian chapel and Tiny Greg wearing them Richie Richie all wearing well see can become your your your trademark Peter Fitz Simons has got his red bandan oh

Please he could he could have your hat please please oh it’s good I like it I like it there was a famous NFL coach in America used to wear a hat what was it at the um have I can’t remember Dallas Cowboys or somethingone and yeah anyway the Hat

It’ll be funny the first day I wear it out I’ll wear it to the races if I got a horse racing I’ll wear it to the races yeah yeah that all blacks wear hats to the races yeah well a lot of the trainers wear them don’t they yeah um I

Think I’m getting in that category now I’m quite old no well you’re not thinning she’s not trying to cover up you like of hair you’re sweet up there I don’t know why she’s done it I think she wants to go to cuber on a holiday well I think she’s obviously embarrassed to

Walk the streets with me but no I don’t know why she bought me a hat I love it yeah we’re in Hawai she kept walking in the hat store said what are you doing should I want to buy I said get out I wouldn’t wear one of those I played golf

With a colleague of has yesterday he’s got a cap a master’s cap direct from austa who Ronnie C aren really yeah that would be the trip oh yeah I’d love that that would be one thing I’d love to do go to Masters well we got the rights we

Should send you as our robing reporter yeah um Broncos has won the preseason challenge Gus 100,000 they get yeah 100,000 just as well they need it yeah they need the money um I thought Lan one of the fs might have been that Lan Galvin from the West tigers in the

Trials yeah he played 80 pretty much 80 minutes he came play the C he’s a great kid yeah yeah he’s he’s been on the horizon for some time he’s a he’s an our role player um at 18 18 years of age and he’s still a bit slight you know they’ll

They’ll have to look after him for a while but uh he’ll Force his way into the NRL sooner rather than later he was he was quite impressive the other know other Tigers weren’t that good he was uh he did some really nice things for one so young you just got to protect them

From themselves a little bit he’s got no fear um and you know you just got to kids like that you got to protect from themselves but he’s a a shining on the horizon no doubt about that well they’re saying he might Force his way in for

Round one I I I think he’ll be I think he’ll be representative class down the track oh there you go Big R from Gus Lan Galvin says a bit to to like about the Tigers let’s start with yes or no yes no no no no no

No no no dear dear we missed this news I reckoned by about 2 Minutes last week we left here and Stacy Jones was given the job as new zealands uh test coach he’s the correct choice is my question yes well yeah you could have you could have chosen anyone Stacy’s U

Very well entrenched in the Warriors Club um when I did my little bit of time there Consulting he was working in the pathways back in New Zealand he couldn’t come to Australia because of the covid restrictions and the couple of times that I got over there trying to set up

Their Pathways programs and Academy programs Stacy was in charge of all of that uh and he was very keen to get back into NRL coaching and I think there was might have been an interim role there after I left I think he did he took Steven cerney he left didn’t he Nathan

Brown I think Nathan brown brown Nathan Brown yeah Nathan Brown stepped aside and and he came into to assist St he’s he’s um a real footballer he has a real footballers mentality to the way he coaches his team I think he’s been doing a little bit of the attacking football

There and probably gets on really well with Shawn Johnson and knowing all the kids that are coming through the system and looking towards the future and now being in the Warriors pass pathway program the key to the Warriors pathway program was to get them back in the junior rep competitions over here and

Get them back in the New South Wales cup over here um because of cost and because of Co they dropped out of those competitions you can’t develop um those kids from New Zealand or offer them a pathway through to the NRL without that so um we were able to negotiate some

Funding with the NRL to to make sure they were in the Matthews SG ball and Jersey flag competitions and the New South Wales competitions which they’re well established going well they got a heap of kids there in New Zealand looking to make it into professional football and Stacy Jones is um well he’s

An icon in New Zealand and rightly so one of the great halfbacks of all time and he’ll be very passionate about it and I’m sure you’ll have plenty of people around him to help as well so um an inspired choice I would say you talked to the immortal Andrew John’s

About the great halfbacks he played against in his time and he has Stacy Jones right up there absolutely absolutely good luck Stacy he’s taking over a reasonable team longest the best in the world uh in a recent Series in the Sydney money Herald and the other nine newspapers

Around the country and Wide World of Sports they embarked on an exercise to rank the nrl’s top 50 players there was a panel a steam panel put together Nathan clear was number one this is the correct Choice yes well I don’t think anyone would argue with it um particularly with

What’s fresh in recent memory of the Grand Final last year and what he’s done I mean he’s he’s had an extraordinary career Nathan broke into first grade at 18 years of age and uh not many young halves can do that and have an immediate impact I think he was the first player

To score 200 points in the season uh the youngest player to ever scored 200 points in the season he adapted to it like he’d been there his whole life you know the first few years were very very tough for him but he got through that he ended up playing representative football

He’s now the Australian halfback I think that um he’s probably the biggest influencer of results um and now seen as one of the great leaders in the game and I’ve raised this point a number of times our top Playmakers in the game the best of our Playmakers in the game are all

Probably 32 years of age and older Nathan glair is still 26 not 27 till November this year he’s got another six years before he gets to their current age that learn what he plays after that he’s going to break all records I’ve said this all along he will break all

Point scoring records in the NRL by the time he’s finished yes he’s got it before him um just a little sidelight Murray who looks after a number of our shows around here popped in just before we we started our podcast and said the Panthers flying back from the world club challenge they

Stop in Dubai or somewhere in the Emirates and they they were given six um business class or maybe first class seats extra so upgraded so in order to distribute them fairly there was hats you know names in the Hat the first one that came out was Maverick guire first

Class he’s gone for the trip he’s flying back first class didn’t even play that’ll be the guy I Good Fortune the guy of Good Fortune like a Goods this the guy of Good Fortune oh fantastic oh yeah um so the panel that put this together Andrew Johns Darren

Loia Brad fitler Alana Ferguson Emma Lawrence Danica Mason Roy Masters Andrew Webster Michael chamers and Adam pin Gilly so uh people with our organization that uh that offer a wide representation you me to give you the top 10 sha Johnson mhm Pat carrian MH this is 10 downwards uh James Fisher Harris cam

Murray Caron monster Harry Grant reys Walsh pain house kin ponga Nathan clearing it’s amazing how many middle forwards they now got in the top 10 how influential they are um and particularly you’ve got a couple of those sort of lock forward types there and then obviously your clear and your monster um

And your Shawn Johnson who are influential Playmakers hard for any other position to get a look in isn’t it um but front rowers you know your pay harassers and James fiser Harris those sort of players Cameron Murray as a lock forward um yeah they’ve become very influential in the game for our

Listeners in Vegas always have a peanut on 13 black at the roulette wheel no no no no no no why why 13 black luy number 13 I always have something on 13 black do you yeah how’s it worked out for you not great so now you’re tipping

Everyone into you no I’m just that was my I’m asking you you said no game respons have you got a lucky number on roulette no that’s not your go-to if you ever go and have a flutter at the casino I haven’t I wasn’t really you know I would

Go to casino with mates and have a drink and have a few bets and all that sort of thing but I I never I don’t like the card games you know I got bored with the card game I thought you’d be a card counter table

Games I didn’t mind um uh uh I didn’t mind playing the rouette but I yeah I was a bit random with that what’s the one with the dice um back I I don’t know I I I I don’t really take interest in table games all right well that question didn’t elicit the

Response I was hoping um where at the NRL both the ref and the video ref would be fired after their performance in the world club challenge yes no fire anyone you Chang your mind they don’t fire anyone well they would have spent a week Reserve should they be

Fired should they be fired ah it was a bit hit the button hit the button what was doing what about the Liam Martin strip that was the worst one yeah yeah look you you’re going to get a bit of that a bit of it when you get look you

Are and you know I there was a couple of forward passes for a try but I’ve seen that in test series over the over the decades you know going back in time and all that sort of thing um you know there’s always a little bit of Hometown bias we experienced it ourselves the

French block last 91 we experienced a bit of that ourselves but you know I think um just just to to look at the performances I mean obviously the Panthers have been the number one team in our country for the last three years and it’s unfortunate they haven’t wonn

This world Club Champions tag they had a great chance to do it at home against St Helens last year and and got beaten by a points spilled their LS a little bit I would have thought they’d got it right this time they didn’t and it’s not as

How they played badly um but it it just must be very difficult the these English teams just seem to be able to get up for these one-off performances and they’re at home under those conditions and any of the 50/50s that sort of there um you

Know seem to fall their way a little bit and I know it’s ear the anger of the of the Panthers fans and they’ll be very very disappointed Panthers were very very lucky about the beon fence French try the brilliant try from the scrum base where they kicked downfield on

Tackle zero and he got there he was only a half a yard in front I mean um it was only a leg in front it wasn’t that much at all you know so that could have easily wrapped it up for them but on the decisions that you’re talking about the

Try and the no try um so on this one he rules try and on this one he rules no try had he ruled no try and try those decisions would have stood because what but the video bunker said well I’ve got no reason to overrule the referee I

Thought the last decision was right by the letter of the law I don’t think you could see the ball was on the ground depend one no but if he if the referee had have said it was a try they wouldn’t have overruled it that’s right yeah so

In in all probability it could easily have scored I I want to know where the referee was at the time and how he determined no try and where the referee was on this one and how he determined try so he’s he’s called that one a try

And that one of no try I would say with no vision of either so what made him go try and no try know why why are those why why do they discern between those so the same thing Club games here and that left the video referee no choice

You know having said that you know Wigan were terrific like Wigan were terrific I looked at their team and I thought well they for man they wouldn’t have a chance they wouldn’t beat penth they wouldn’t be but they did and they held penrith to nil in the second half uh which yeah

We’ve got no teams over here that have been able to do that penth had won 73 of past 74 games when they L at halftime yes and Wigan were able to turn overturn that penth got to the front twice in the game and they came back twice very few

Sides have been able to do that so you know whilst there were a couple of decisions there that could have turned the result I don’t think that should take away from wigan’s performance which was outstanding you know great spirit a great coaching performance they found a little weakness in the Panthers leftand

Defense there remember Panthers had no Jerome Lei no Steven kryon and no Spencer lenu who won the premiership with them last year and they’re pretty three pretty influential players and they had a few players there that even in experienced at the NRL level they Le going to England in front of the full

Crowd there and on that sort of playing surface and playing there so um yeah look the refereeing wasn’t great but uh I don’t think you can take anything away from Wigan and the effort that they put in to win that game and I I don’t you

Know you know I know the panther fans blowing up I don’t think any of the panther players would be blowing up too much n you I think they had their chance you don’t remember the world club champion is do you well it’s it’s it’s more important for English rugby league

Than it is for us I think it’s something that they really look forward to and and they’ve got a great record out I think it’s now 16 to 14 English clubs over the Australian clubs um but a none and five four none and four n four is it yeah I think they’ve had

Four I don’t think they would have played in the co year the first year all right yes so um yeah then it’s been proven it’s not easy for the Australian sides to win that game England soon to be a to live for it how much you reckon

Just looking at the field it’s slippery as and what about the short end goals does that influence it it like the first the first six or seven sets of six that penth completed they never kicked yeah they were petrified about giving away seven tackle sets um and when when you

Say it’s a slippery Ser it’s a different sort of slippery it’s a different sort of slippery to what we experience over here what you would have seen over there is skidm marks yes it’s quite firm underneath but quite quite slippery on top and it’s cold like it’s 2 or 3 degre

Over there at the time you know in that in that game so it’s it’s a very different sort of um it’s a very different sort of cold it’s a different sort of environment and the plane surface is actually firm but skiddy you know and it’s moving the ball isn’t as

Quick and and what what I think Panthers did was they probably went into it with a conservative mindset you know we just got to control the ball in this slippery service till we get the used of it where England didn’t now be French was throwing cut out passes to the Winger

And you know they were they were moving the ball around a little bit so it was kind of like oh well okay well you can play some football with it and you know penrith never really got around to playing good football though they controlled it well but wigin stood up to

Them you know you can’t take anything away from Wigan that were terrific the result could have gone either way but Wigan were terrific you got to give them cudos for Bon French Gus and now he he was a young Talent out here and was primarily a Winger play a little bit of

Fullback now i’ I’ve never seen him play in a ball playing role like that um and a couple of times leading into Seasons you’ve you’ve seen headlines of beon French is sort of on the radar has he ever seriously been wanting to come back and it after he’s turned in a

Performance like that playing at 5’8 there’d be clubs that’ be fallen over to get him here wouldn’t there I I remember throughout throughout my history in the game um every now and then managers and Cent Scouts and player managers run off to a carnival and they’ll come back in

Glowing praise about someone you know there’s a young kid here he this kid’s going to be a superstar and there’ have been a number of them over the years and I can pretty much remember them all but I remember this one year they all came back raving about this Bavon French who

Was electric I think he might have been playing fullback at the time up in the school boy Carnival or wherever it was and he was phenomenal and um his mother was getting he come from tinger or somewhere up that way I think he is yeah amazing producing

Town he mom you know and this happens to a lot of parents who particularly who haven’t had people involved in in professional sport before player managers from everywhere wanting to manage this this Bev and French and clubs ringing up trying to get hold of this beev and French and I actually rang

Her I was at Panthers at the time and I rang I said look I said I don’t want to pest you about your son I said I just wanted to check that you’re all right with all these inquiries and all that sort of thing and she was quite

Flustered she really didn’t and I said you know if you’re looking for a player manager these are the ones I’d sort of recommend you know as as good experienced people in the game and I think Alan gainy ended up managing him um and he came down to

Param probably got rushed a little bit and then didn’t get to play his preferred position and he wasn’t overly big as a kid no he was um so I think he sort of fell out fell out of confidence more than anything a little bit of self-belief and all of a sudden his

Contract value had escalated Beyond what he was producing which happens to a lot of young players at times so the option was to take him to England where he has been outstanding he’s been one of the best players in the in the UK Super League across there and to think now

That he’s running the football team from 5’8 and doing what he’s doing and you know picking apart the the premier defense in the competition was quite impressive so he’s 28 Gus like he’s still got his did you hear him interviewed after the game no I didn’t

He was he was brilliant he said this means so much to the people of Wigan he said we in Australia don’t we probably don’t cover this trophic as much as what they do in England he said I was more excited for our players how excited they were about this week the whole Wigan

Town Wigan got a proud history in the competition and we’re get a very very strong club and a big club and he he was wrapped for them and I kept saying what’s it mean to you he said well I’m I’m more happy for my teammates in the

Club he said because I know how much this means to to them and the fans here today he was really it was selfless absolutely selfless his comments and he was so excited for his club and his team and and I’m quite sure he’ Lov to be

Back in the NL I’m quite sure he’d Lov to be back playing in Australia but he’s got a home there for another 10 years like he’ll play Forever yeah but after what he did the other day lot was the coaches going over here well I don’t know would

You you’d imagine so wouldn’t you particularly there might be might yeah there might be opportunities yeah there’s plenty of players that have gone to England kind of weren’t making it here and gone over there and excelled which is why we tend to look at their competition and probably underestimated

A little bit you know there have been some great English forwards come out and play in the NRL and done brilliantly not many backs though not many backs not many Playmakers right there were a couple early on but um but we we where we tend to judge it is that a lot of

Players that are struggling here go there and do extremely well right so we kind of gaug it on that but it just could be a confidence thing and it could be an climatized that could be a brand of football could be part of the rules or what have you I don’t know it’s

Pretty intense over here that the scrutiny here is pretty intense I remember Tim Sheen said to me he said it’s football like it used to be he loved England because it was less pressure less less scrutiny less media comment less all that sort of thing it’s

Kind of wish she stay it’s it’s pretty look it’s very intense over here very intense you people in the media make it very hard for these kitties episode to yeah uh tinger by the way now this is I don’t know Andrew John’s talks a lot about this

Um at the 2021 census the population of tinger was 833 right Nathan Blacklock Preston Campbell Owen craigy and Bavon French have all come from tinger tinger like that is it’s just amazing less than a thousand people and they produced that caliber of a sports person yeah well done B French well be

More up there it’s it’s only about opportunity for kids in the bush it’s about opportunity um and getting into a program and and just getting the training at the teenage years it’s very intense now the NRL and the journey to become an NRL player is very intense

It’s it’s a lot of pressure on these kids I try to alleviate as much pressure as possible but you know the funnel Narrows very very quickly and you know everyone’s looking for the biggest and the strongest and the fastest obviously but I’ve got no doubt there were still

Some that slipped through the track tracks because they didn’t get in the right system or they didn’t get the right opportunity at the right time or were probably immature at a time when people needed to make Rush decisions um yeah it’s the there are there are I’m

I’m sure there are plenty that slip through the track the cracks all right on the subject of footballers coming from the UK to the NRL our first team to have a look at in part two of our season preview is Newcastle and they’ve signed a couple of them they have couple promising cers

Pierce Paul wi and will price and I like I like the others Jed cartright Jack coger Tom Jenkins yep they’ve lost a few of course new Brown off to Hole um Lin Fitz given’s gone to Warrington HL hunt released Jack John’s released Orin key to the Dolphins kurkman’s gone to

Canbury Loy Miller’s gone to England Simi sing we saw him run around for cber in the trials and of course Dom young um the big loss probably amongst those to The Roosters what can you tell us about the two engl Eng players that the knights have picked up Kai P Paul really

Nice tall lad um the film that I saw of him over here was playing at Academy level or playing rugby a little bit um he played a bit of both coming through but certainly at the Rugby League Academy level he mixed up between Center and Edge back row uh he’s big tall thing

Got a really good running style he’s got a good offload big long levers um whether or not he’s going to adapt to the NRL immed medely I think was questionable uh he will certainly get there in time but being a I think he’s going to graduate to being a Ford they

May play him in the centers a little bit uh early on because he still got his speed he’s a talented kid uh I think he will of the two of them take a little bit longer uh where young price will price uh again he’s young he’s played a

Bit of fullback and 5’8 over there in the in the UK Super League very skillful very fast his father was a great great player Leon Leon price was a wonderful player I was always disappointed Leon never never came to the NRL I would have liked to have seen how he went but he

Was a he was a great for but uh I think they’re both destined to play plenty of NR uh they’ve paid good money for them um and whether or not I I just think K Pier Paul will take a little bit of time um will PR well depending where they

Play will price because I’m wondering where he’s going to get a start strong backline it’s a strong backline um yeah so but they’re both very very talented Lads it was a it was a gamble probably at the time by Newcastle and then as they went on last

Year and with the the quality of player that they got and um you know it’s it’s it’s given them depth I’m just wondering whether these two will be regulars in the 17 or not will price can be a regular 17 uh Kai P Paul H he might but

I think personally I think he’ll take a little bit of time okay so and the other ones said bought a well too I mean Jack CER play with the Panthers last year Jed C writes a panther rabbito and I always said Jed would be a late maturer um and

He will be a big tall lad um and Thomas Jenkins has performed very very well for the Panthers in the low grades in the outside backs he’s played a few first grade games out there and and looked at home a lot of those Panther kids have

Got to move on because they’ve got great players in front of them so their pathway is a little bit blocked but um I think they bought really well last year their season took off sort of halfway through the they put had a really strong back after the season wonderful

Semi-final um Big Win up there against the Raiders and then they went across to New Zealand and New Zealand did the same to them but um they would get a lot of confidence out of that kin pong is the key Bradman best probably had his breakout season I thought played origin

Football they’ve got big forwards and yeah look they they’re a very competent football team you said last week as we were departing the building that they’re one of your your certainties for the eight you can’t oh I think they’ll make the eight yeah what what how far can they go if if

If they jump on the pong a train he won the Del am on the back of what he did at the second half of last year yeah well I mean he’s capable of doing anything for them if they get into the right part of the draw and they get into the right

Part of the final series and he happens to be in blistering form and some of the others you know all this is dependent on everyone whether they’re at full strength or not come September but if Newcastle at full strength and he’s in form he’s the type of player I think

That can have one of those Jared Hayne moments you know where he he he launches them towards a grand final you know he’s he’s very capable of that um you know and it was for him I mean leading into that the 12 months prior he had concussions and moved to 5’8 and was

Having trouble with defensive techniques and taking a break away from the game and you know everyone started to get a bit concerned about him but he’s come out of the back end of that and been really good really confident um I see he wants to play origin again this year it’ll be

Interesting to see what they do with him and re Walsh for for the Queensland side maybe Michael McGuire can borrow one of them yeah but they’re um I I think Newcastle are a certainty for the eight um Premiership well that would depend on when they get there K and ponga so You’

Said penrith and brisbane’s still the dominant force would you you’d have Newcastle in that little group just below yeah with the possibility that if ponga gets set on fire Anything Could Happen he he’s he could catch fire he could catch fire and do something I mean

They’re a flukers hope um but I I think they’re certainly to play the eight there you go ah so the game we we covered the first final up in Newcastle um last year one of the great games against the understrength Raiders yeah on that magnificent afternoon when the

Crowd went nuts and young was running down the wing and everyone stood as one Andrew John said it’s the greatest moment seen at Newcastle have a guess have a guess what our first game is what back here sorry we’ve obviously got this game in um Las Vegas but Thursday so 8

Days time MH it’s Newcastle versus Cambra on Thursday night up in Newcastle we’ll have the full team there on the ground as we always do covering all the action and it’s going to be a rematch wonderful the Raiders the Raiders in Prime Time lovely and they were under

Strengthen for that game too Gus but they they aim right up they did credit to them and the club great way to start the comp North coin land Cowboys my tip to win the comp last year how’ that pan out uh not that great um they are such a

Strong side and and you made you made a point of saying did they did they put in the effort throughout last offseason as they did the year before under the coaching of Todd pton now as far as Acquisitions go North Queensland vamy Vala who I know you got

A wrap on outside back I think you might have got him to the warriors uh and Thomas M the former Giant Tiger now they’ve they’ve lost a few Mitch dun retired he was a good player Mitch dun but he kept getting injured Brandon Elliott released Ben Hampton released

Pett hickory’s gone to England Riley price has gone to pan gam shibasaki released James Tomo retired but they do have that uh well the other one they picked up of course is Jake Clifford who’s come back to the club from England they’ve got that glut of forwards coming

Through yeah they have and they’ve had to make some salary cap decisions there um because I think hilum luki um was kind of expected he might take a big offer to go elsewhere to the dragons or to the Dolphins BM luki had an an option

In his own favor to stay with the club and is elected to stay o which I don’t think they thought was going to happen that would put a lot of pressure on this k keu k f fuyi that’s him uh who’s an outstanding young Talent and um

You know he’s probably on a a much smaller contract than what he could get somewhere else they’d have to upgrade him to keep him but they didn’t have that sort of money available and particularly after H luki took up his option to stay h l decided not to go which has

Meant they’ve had to move luano leua um who was one of their big money purchases a couple years ago luano was on pretty good money up there and he’s a good $900,000 he’s a good player I don’t think he was on that much up there but

With the opp to move clubs and test the market and the way the market is at the moment because there’s no players on the market um he was able to uh sry so the 900,000 you think he’s he’s gone to the dragons on that celery 900,000 it’s a big dick big ticket isn’t

It Cy he a good player he was at the he was at the dragons he STS the dragons Junior yeah was at the dragons they let him go to the Tigers and then he he got scattered to together to North Queen and he’s a dangerous player I think he’s a

Good player B but they made a decision up there that you know they’ve got hm luki they got this young Kula kefu coming through and they’ve managed to keep him um still got Jason Tomalo there on big contract they got Jeremiah Nano I mean I don’t know where they’re going to

Fit them all in um yeah and Ruben Cotter been made co- Captain yeah who sprouted Wings over the last couple of years as a front rower ree robson’s now playing origin football it’s a good side isn’t it it is a good side what was the diagnosis on

Cohen hes with his knee injury uh I don’t know stand by I was a little worried about that on the weekend cuz he left the field they got a really good another forward there in in Griffin NE who I’ve got a big rap on um Jake gramble still going around with the club

Jordan mlan still going around with the club it’s a hell of a side you know last year was disappointing for them particularly after the way they played in 2022 Valentine Holmes are still there um drink water Tom Deens decided to stay with the club and that would have put

More pressure on their on their salary C got drink water would have been upgraded and I think significantly upgraded so it’s a powerful looking roster uh and I think they got a great chance um 22 was a wonderful year for them they just didn’t come up in 23 particularly

The first half of 23 they threatened to get back in it but then didn’t um sort of it’s hard if you give away a big start it’s hard to maintain the rage all the way to the finals at that stage of the year and they just never really

Got on the right leg but if they start on the right leg this year um they’ve got the the player talent to certainly be a top eight Contender absolutely that’s as far as he going to go with them yeah top eight Contender mhm all right I don’t I don’t

I don’t know that they’ve got the Premiership X Factor I don’t know that they’ve got that at the moment but um there C where is their X Factor there’s certainly a top eight tender well Tommy Deen’s sort of taking over the major he and Scott drink water produce most of the tri

Valentine holes is you know he’s brilliant he’s playing in the Sanders they got their brilliant back I mean it all depends on as I said injuries who is at full strength if they’re at full strength others a weaker well they can certainly make a Deep Run in the finals

I think they’ll play finals football yeah okay I’m not suggesting Premiership at this stage all right so top eight with a watch perhaps for the Cowboys param matter Grand finalist missing the eight and gee the coach is under pressure I mean if if they don’t if they miss the eight again

How’s he under pressure no no well sorry he will be under pressure if they miss the finals again where are you going to get another coach we Benner will be available wine V param I don’t think I not going to say that really I don’t say that oh I could

No I don’t see that um they’ll put Wayne Bennett in charge of whoever they name the next franchise that’s what they’ll do oh okay they picked up Morgan Harper from Manley they got kma toi also from Manley so they’ve had a bit of a raid

There W and Blake G to the Super League Andrew Davy that poor lad Deo I think a 28 and kept getting injured had to retire Josh Hodson another one um and they lost a couple of others as well Fringe first graders but uh clearly gotho and brown and Moses and the other

Big names have to stand up this year impressive on the weekend I mean it’s only trial for and you shouldn’t put too much into it but they certainly blew the Titans off the park and I was expecting a lot more from the titans this year um

It is a trial I get it I think Jermaine hop Good’s been a wonderful buy for them and he’s sitting in there they got the two great front rowers in R and Campbell Gillard and Junior Ballo up front there and they’re always um a handful for any

Team that they play again they played last year without the big tall back row of Shawn Lane yep uh who’s back and looks as though he’s he’s he’s back and ready uh um yeah and they got the two representative class halves and the representative class fullbacks so

They’ve got a lot of the ingredients have they they’ve probably struggled in the dummy half roll since Reed man left the club um they did get Josh Hodson but he’s had to retire through injury or repeated injury um they bought lassik back from England last year yeah who’s a tidy

Player Joey’s there’s nothing wrong with Joe he’s a tidy player um yeah they’ll be hurting and they look as so they’ve done the work they look as though that last year stung them a little bit and missing the eight I don’t think anyone anticipated at the start of the year

That that was a possibility but they managed to miss the eight and I’m expecting a big bounceback factor with them um whether they’ve got the depth in outside backs if they got a couple of injuries that could trouble them their Main Stays are are good and they can

Certainly finish off and score tries and save tries terrific forward pack great halves terrific fullback competitive fullback good leadership good coach um yep they’ll be hard to play hard to beat every time they play but uh they won’t want too many injuries in key positions

Okay yes which is 90% of the clubs in the league well that season was done when Dylan Brown got rubbed out last year wasn’t it well it certainly coincided you know the Fall From Grace coincided with him not being there yeah um and it’s you know the problem is that

It’s didn’t have a replacement for him uh and it left too much pressure on Mitchell Moses um really pleased with the way Bryce cart rid’s bounced back in his career he looked good on the weekend scored a try set one up he’s he’s always been a

Talent uh he heads clear now I’m playing really well I like Bailey Simonson and penini in the centers I think they they’re really solid players make a subo he’s out suspended this for the first couple first few weeks yeah uh Jo yeah they got it’s a good side Ryan Madison um hey

Duner missed a lot of last year he’s back from the knee so he’ll probably replace sio for the first few weeks probably they’re a solid lineup so you’re saying every chance of playing finals but like most clubs if they get battered around with injury it might be

A struggle yeah I I think you know somewhere between 5 and 10 I think is their position I don’t think they’ll be too far away from those positions at the back end of the year and and I’m expecting that part of the competition to be really tight so it’ll just come

Down to a few results here and there all right two of the great games most iconic clubs glory glory to South Sydney what to expect from souths Sha key along with Jack whon have joined the club no Blake Taff he’s off to canbury well in fact he started at canbury har

Cell dragons dead cart r as we mentioned to Newcastle Latrell Mitchell Cody Walker the two absolute Lynch pins I say walk is going to be okay to play over in Vegas first up um against Manley but they have lost Campbell Graham for for an extended

Period gust now I know that they do have whon there which kind of offsets it although they probably play on different sides but he’s he’s a significant loss Campbell graah and their back line looks a bit stripped for this this early part of the year yeah absolutely you you

Can’t afford you know particularly in the salary cap the way it is these days and what players are being paid you can’t afford a player like you know Campbell grah to be missing for an extended period of time hopefully they hold their end up until he gets there I

Think he’ll be back midseason they’re saying but uh certainly a really good player they got a Workman like pack of Forge without anything too dominating um I’ll be really interested to see how Jack Whit’s career at the back end of this career how it evolves I know they’ve said they’ve bought him as

A left Center uh I wouldn’t be surprised if he morphs into a lock forward even a back rower at some stage between now and and retirement age um Latrell Mitchell and Katie Walker are obviously the keys to this machine and and what they can do and if both are on well they’re always

Extremely hard to beat probably don’t see um probably don’t see the dominance in the forward pack that we’ve we’ve known for some years um Daniel saluka Fida is out injured uh har sell has gone both were really good Tradesmen for them would you me to give you the team for

This week uh Mitch obviously Johnston Tass and ker in the centers and Jacob gagy is the other Winger so you can see that they’re a little and white and suspended for this first game well they were lucky because Jacob Gago was nearly suspended but he managed to get off at the New South

Wales rugby league Judiciary Walker ilas then tatala cook key K matang who’s in origin play now Aro Murray good back row havil host male and Burgess then uh in additional uh reserves Talis Duncan good good Pros Cham sha Mitchell so that’s that’s their squad for Vegas they’re Tradesman like and you

Know they’ve got a bounce back too because they were disappointing last year I think Jack whiton is a huge buy I mean it’s a massive buy for them I’m just wondering whether they can afford if as they say to play him in the centers I I don’t know I think he’s

Going to need to be closer to the action a lot of pressure on the halfback a lot of the South Sydney fans I know aren’t all that happy with the way he’s been going Lan ilas why well I don’t know they just say that they just don’t

Think he’s the right man to play there what a lot of South fans have been saying well who would they want instead well I don’t know well I think they want a black tff you took him I think he’s I think he’s all right Lanas well what I’m getting at is Katie

Walker is the key to it Katy Walker and Latrell you know I mean and if if if they can afford to keep playing Jack White in the centers well then everyone must be doing their job and going well I just got a feel feeling that before his

Career is over Jack whiton will be developing into a left side back row forward or a lock forward I think he’ll be closer to the action particularly in club football not so much rep football rep football is a perfect left Center but in club football they’re going to

Need him closer to the action I think at some stage what are your forecasting for south I mean pretty much the same pretty much the same as param yeah somewhere they they could finish fourth they could finish 10th you know it’s that’s how close that part of the competition

Is H all right that’s uh there’s not much more you can say really we’ll see how they go on the weekend what about the red V now Billy Slater in his podcast um which is remarkably called the Billy Slater podcast mentioned that the dragons can make the eight mhm you

Think Shane Flanigan can turn them into a a finals like outfit now Cory Allen well he’s signed but he’s done for the ear with the with the knee BL Tom Eisen Raymond fight Tyler Mariner K Flanigan Jesse marshy he went good for them in the first draw H C good signing he’s

Another one that started with the dragons Christian tuy palotto and you can add to that list that I’ve got luchano leua so they they’ve gone shopping yeah they bought uh they bought a lot of players bought well they’re all um Jesse Mar’s interesting because he

Played with the Bears in the um uh New South Wales Cup last year uh they made the Grand Final but Jason Taylor coach outside had a big WP on him said he’s a real dangerous player Tradesman type player he can fill in in the half so

That’s a good pick up there H cell went good for South Sydney luchano leua obviously is now coming into the side which gives him a bit of impact I I’ve been saying every year people have been saying the dragons are no good and I said they are but the dragons have got a

Good roster really good roster some really experienced hard big men um you know I could never understand why they were going as poorly as they were and even this year I was surprised with their first trial against South Sydney but you know the first 30 minutes I

Thought okay this is going to be okay and then they sort of fell apart but then last week against the Tigers they just ran rough shot over them and I think they’ll have that steerly attitude a lot of really strong experienced senior type players and whatever you got

Ben Hunt if he’s you know his mind’s on the job and his heart’s in it uh which it normally is um he can create points for them I mean very very hard side to beat you know you Jack birds and your Sues and your Zack lixers and those

They’re all big strong Hard Men the forward pack looks fit Jack bird he does you know and he’s probably you know Jack Bird’s one of them blocks that’s always wanted to be a lock forward or a 58 or whatever um but he’s played his best football as a center the coach has come

In and said no you’re playing Center and that’s just it don’t talk to me about anything else you know he’s moves that climax to the wing well he’s going to have a Sook but no you’re playing on the wing you know that’s what you’re going

To do for the team so he might get his hands on the ball more on the wingx Wingers these days are touch touching the ball far more than centers yeah far more they’re kicking to them and and if you thought of playing him fullback then there’s no problem with

Him playing on the wing and returning the ball ge’s a weapon with a cross kick yeah absolutely and I and I think you know Terrell SL who’s obviously got great talent um but you know he’s still got a mature physically and mentally into some of the the parts of the game

That he’s not so good at at the moment he’s electric with the ball in hand and broken play but in you know the tight hand to hand combat sort of stuff he’s he’s he’s still learning his trade but if you’ve got those two big Wingers braa

L and Zack LX getting back there and helping run back the ball for him and a little bit less pressure on that’s part of the game for him it frees him up to do other things so I think that it’s it’s a good strong exper and they’re

Going to run rough shod physically over a number of times in this competition and they’re all they’re all s they’re all durable blocks I think you know people the around if they run last I’ll walk from Willen gong to Belmore for charity they just won’t run last that place

Very good what’s that we’ve got that on tape what did I say well it won’t any it won’t happen anyway they won’t I’ve been saying it for year they they got a good side they I know that they second last last year I don’t know how I don’t know how I don’t

Know why I can’t answer you why well one thing he will do Flanigan um obviously he’s a polarizing figure but he will bring him together and he coaches in that physical way doesn’t he he he’ll he’ll encourage those big physical guys to go out and play like that yeah he’s

Got big outside backs which is what he had at the Sharks he did a lot of the Gage work for him he’ll save his forwards up for the defense he’s got Ben Hunt there who can wield the team around the field he’s got the xfactor in

Terrell Lan at fullback Zack LX is a great goal kicker you know he’s bought some luchian Le has got that little bit of X Factor with him as well um they’re well covered you know I don’t think injury is going to be a problem to them

Tom Eisen hu is a player I’ve always liked come from the Melman storm brought a bit of leadership and um you’re up beat about the dragon I’m hearing more positivity about the dragons and the other two I have been for several years I could not understand why they perform

The way they did I just don’t and they’re even stronger this year so they’ll be hard to beat whoever plays who do they play in week one fifth to 12th could finish who do they they’ll be in that mix uh I do know this um it I’m calling it

Actually on the radio Titans up there okay Titans are $155 already mhm it’s under the odds all right right Gus Gus likes the chances of Sorge again I’ve got everyone finishing between Fifth and 12 who would you who would you play fullback if you were coaching the

Dragons Terell slan you would y you wouldn’t roll it ice on LX no I’m petrified of playing against Terell slan okay he he’s a player who scares opposition coaches but you might get there’s other parts of the game he’s got to get right you know he’s got to come

To terms that sometime this is hand toand combat and you’ve got to get physical with it and not every time you get the ball you’re going to have a lot of room to move you know and the fullback you’re the last line of defense you got to treat the end goal like it’s

You know it’s your property you can’t let him into there it’s but that’s maturity that’s just coming and playing with all these senior players who won’t tolerate any of the other rubbish that’s true yeah he’s going to you know he’s going to um he’ll learn his trade very

Very quickly let me tell you they got some good young kids they got some outstanding Young Junior sides here at the moment St George Andy laara so hopefully they get that part of it right but they won’t run last and if they do you’re walking bro wolen gong to Belmore

I’ll walk from wooling gong to Belmore I’ll come with you yeah for charity if they run last they won’t be running last it’s a long walk isn’t it I won’t have to buy any new shoes we going to go picked and road we going to go we got to

M Oley I don’t even know how to get you got to go to mount Oley with your hat got your hat I wear me hat all right the roosters now let me just read the round one team to you Tesco tupo Smith Manu swali Ki Walker Len you to

Start Smith Collins C Wong sail T Victor Bradley on the bench sandon Smith nefu white Nat butcher who started pretty much every game last year in Terrell may there’s no spot for Angus kryon there’s no spot for Egan butcher there’s no spot for Connor Watson and Dom Young’s not

Available nor is Jared nor is Jared I mean Fair dinker it’s a roster isn’t it you should you should tell your ja that’s a rer you should tell your jack again about Who You’d recruit from the rest that’s a roster so so Angus kryon Egan butcher Conor Watson can’t make the seven please

Jared warrier and Dominic young unavailable unavailable give me a break they’ve just re they’ve just extended Luke Ki they’ve just resigned him yeah what are you what are you saying it’s a good side a good side it’s a good side they just resigned was Kon going to go

To rugby it’s a good side one stage last year they L like missing the eight like they were tipped to be Premiership I I think I tipped them to be up their towards of Prem but they they just it was terrible what happened to them and

And you know back end of the year they forced their way in a few sides fell over for them but they were never going to win it um they were never going to win it and you know I don’t know it’s a greatl looking team it’s got a second to n

Chance it’s a great looking team I tell you what these these two bles bring is speed young and lenu with with his with his myability in the in the middle they look very slow at times last year be interesting to see how Spencer goes starting he’s his big impact has been at

Penth coming off the bench obviously they’ve had James Fisher Harris Moses leod and Liam Martin and asah Yao in the forward pack go out and do all the buling work early and then Spencer comes off in little short stints and does what he does on the couple of occasions where

He has started for Panthers um his burnout rate has been pretty quick so he would have had to worked really hard on that if he wants to be a starter and I’m not saying he can’t be but it hasn’t been in his makeup to date um interesting to see be interesting to see

What he weighs and how they’ve trained him and how he looks when he runs out to start this game so Spencer lenu he’s actually explosive sorry guess he has played 84 first grade games he started three times yeah that’s all so that’s about this his fourth start in the game would

He be just keeping JW’s spot warm well I think originally he was bought to replace jwh now jwh has somehow extended his contract for another year because I think he’s in line to break the game played record he’s 298 298 so he must yeah I think what’s the record at the

Roost is about 308 or 309 or something yes Mitch oron isn’t it yeah so I think he’s in line to do that which is why they backed him up again um but he he’ll come in he’ll come back and start and lend you to the bench you’d think oh

Absolutely absolutely miss another one misses out yeah well it’s an expensive bench isn’t it um and they got Terrell mate he’s turned into a be well he was outstanding last year wasn’t he yeah so it’s it’s a hell of a side a hell of a side Dominic young and and Daniel tupe

Probably the two of the best finishing Wingers or two of the best finishing Wingers in the game they’re tall too they’re kick targets they’re kick Defenders they’re fast they save stes they score tries they do a lot of work off the ball it’s a working man’s forward pack joy Manu I

He’s we know what he can do it’s an incredible team incredible roster they’re in with a Chance Victor the inflictor I’d want to be yeah well a hell of a roster Angus Kon Egan butcher Conor Watson Jerry hard gries and Dominick young aren’t in the team this we top four

Uh obviously they’re you they’re a top four roster lastly on our season preview part two it’s been going for weeks the West Tigers Gus right with Coach Benji Marshall in the hot seat uh he hasn’t taken him too long to realize this mightn’t be as easy as he thinks

The weekend they got flogged well coach you never is they’re only Trials of course they’re only trials let’s have a look at the West tiger now I honestly I hope hope Beyond hope for all the fans out there that they can just go better um f tape played on the weekend uh now

These L latu finu and um Sam wellu the two that they signed from manle there’s obviously high hopes for both of them Justin olum Aiden Caesar Jaden Sullivan so they have picked up some and of course Jerome L is the big one for next year but for this year uh what are you

What are you thinking what what does a West Tigers team coached by Benji Marshall look like I wonder yeah I think I think um they they’ve shown some really good form at different times in different games you know but when you’re at the bottom it’s

Hard to maintain it if you get a few injuries it’s hard to compete with the top sides now like the other teams at the bottom of the ladder they’ve had some terrible results during the year I mean some big score lines run up upon so it’s about eliminating those from your

From your repertoire you know cutting down the difference between your best and your worst being a little bit more consistent from week to week finding points you you need points to give your team encouragement because if you haven’t got points in you and you get behind the better sides and they can

Become very dispirited very very quickly I never find West Tigers to be too dispirited they seem to be able to bounce back okay from those sort of things um great leadership in appy corus um and David clemmer look it’s it’s just the part of the cycle that they’re in

They’ got a lot of really talented young players jereem Buller Stefano atano ton de Silva who’s very very young but he obviously shows potential Junior T I think it’s a shame that they’ve lost him for next year but he can certainly help them this year Jaden Sullivan is a

Player with potential um theyve bought potential in their halves and they’ve also B an Oldtimer and and Aden C’s are there to help them around Adam dwey we’ll see have to see how he comes back from his injury um he’s had three reconstructions now in the same legs

Let’s going to be difficult for him uh I thought Caesar I like f sorry yeah just he’s kicking he’s he’s a renowned kicker isn’t he Caesar so that that gives them left foot kicking game down left he’s got control he’s got experience and he’s got control he’s got experience and control you know

Obviously the the longer term plan is Jerome Lei and I think with Jerome Lei will that will attract other players uh to the club as well it’s a big purchase for them but that’s next year um and that’s that’s why young Lan Galvin who I

Think is really an NRL player and even a representative class player of the future they just need to be careful not to let the current needs over you know over overway the the long-term development of a very talented player I I would hate to see him rushed too much and too often into

That position um and he’s certainly not there to save them U but to develop him properly over a period of time they need to take their time with him um very very different if he’s with a much stronger team and a much stronger Club if you’re playing with the Panthers you’re playing

With Melbourne they’re able to blood those fellas and look after them uh where at times it can get a you know for the teams at the bottom and you’re having those days where you’re getting beaten by 40 and 50 it can be a very harrowing experience for them out

There uh West Tigers I think have been on this development train for a while now I think you know um punk fans have just got to be patient the fu Brothers Lou and samuella are talented players one’s a 5’8 the other one’s a front row second row type player uh you know

They’re going to take time they they’re still 18 months away from any regular first grade I would think uh where they’re actually influencing results a lot of those players are like that um they’ll have their wins um they’re going to have some tough times and they’ve

Just got to grit their teeth until uh they all get a little bit more experience and you know jeram Lei turns up next year and go from there did pick up you know Justin olm who was a nice experienced player out in the backline um well they win more than last

Year how me they win how many four or five or something four five yeah it’s hard in this competition M the bottom teams it’s hard it’s hard work for them to get out of that seller um I I I I don’t see top eight no um but it’s an

Important year for the club to stick together and to get behind Benji and help these young fellas and you know in the difficult weeks particularly it’s going to put a lot of pressure on their their senior players your David clemmer and Y car and those players s papes

They’ve got to they’ve got to really help them um John baitman the Englishman they’ve really got to be playing every week and help them through um what they’re about to go it’s it’s it’s hard for teams in this element it’s hard it’s honestly it’s hard and and it’s going to

Be tough but um they’ve got good kids coming and they’ve got a superstar coming next year so uh they’ve just got to grit their teeth bite down on the mouth guard and get it done this yearz don’t like that what don’t don’t don’t like I was hoping it’d say they’re going

To go a lot better A few of us are in the same position well yeah you can you can not going to Sugar Cate the bit of pill it’s going to be hard for them yeah you know now they might jump out of the box and and and do and and last year

They had some great they beat pen at bis last year I mean they’ve got that one in them every team’s got that one game in them they got people 70 like CS yeah and that’s what’s going to that’s what’s going to that’s what’s going to happen

Yeah your bad days can be really bad you know they’ve got to cut down the difference between their best and their worst to be a little bit more consistent give themselves a little bit more confidence some great young kids there though there there are some terrific

Young kids there and they’ve just got to make sure that the difficulty they going through is part of the growing process and doesn’t actually go the other way and dispirit them too much you know but they seem like a resilient group the Tigers I don’t I like watching the

Tigers I always like watching him play go to the tiges and I like Benji good luck Ben the game needs them needs them firing and and and going better have we done every team now we’ve done every team three times uh let’s have a look at the two games coming to

Kickstart the Premiership this weekend roosters Broncos the big one that you’ll see live and free here on 9 3:30 kickoff Sunday afternoon I mentioned the roosters team I should give you the Broncos team which is pretty impressive in itself I’m trying to look it up here

They have lost a few though so Walsh’s fullback Arthurs and Mariner play on the wing uh obviously um with know Herby farnworth they’ve decided to move San Cobo into the centers to partner Katon Stags isra Grand Final Superstar and Adam Reynolds um in the har she’s if it wasn’t for na

Clear either one then CL will medal is REM Cory Jensen Billy Walters pay har Brandon P replaces Kur Cel Jordan Ricky Pat carrian and smoothie Fletcher Baker they picked up from the roosters Kobe heatherington and Xavier Willison that’s their side yep yep they’ve lost a couple of key

Players so um but they’ve certainly got some brilliant Talent around that uh this is this is a difficult one one this is a difficult one uh yeah I I’m really interested to see how s and cobba goes in the centers and how that helps them or even them defensively katani Stags I’ve always

Been an admir of they got the good hars Ezra and and Reynolds um I think the flegler a loss in the forward pack they got a couple of young they got young Brenda pakura and who’s a big boy Cory Jensen starting in the front row um

Speaking of big boy is that Willison on the bench we saw in the All Star game he’s a giant yes yes yes rooster rooster rooster it’s a good side isn’t it it’s a good side the fields a little bit narrower who will like the bright lights

Of Las Vegas I think ree Walsh will excel Hollywood ree Walsh I think he’ll Excel on the big stage over there a few people saying that the uh NFL Scouts are going to have a look at him and they want him are they that’s what that’s I’ve been reading good luck with that

Where is he going play what I’ve been reading where is he going to play in the NFL isn’t there some rubbish that you read my God they’d eat they’d eat roast was at the breakfast buffet M yeah look I I Good Start eh good start

Of the year it is a really good start to this year um I’m going to go Bronco Bronco to win M all right and then the first of the games of course uh 130 kickoff between manly she very confident in manly this year up against souths I mentioned those those

Losses in the backline so South’s you know with Tas has been irregular But Ken has played very little first grade H recently and gagy played very little first graded all up against this shiny manly outfit which will be spearheaded at the back by Tom trich and brooksy’s

Been over there on barbecue dudy so they’re all ready to go yeah I think Manley win this one I really do um I think that’s a a pretty comfortable selection this week I’m very confident with mey okay not so confident with the Bronco but I think they’ll win but I do

Think Seagle beats rabbit this week all right very good uh we got a whole range of games to look at next week good to be back with the Gus we wake your hat on and head on down to the uh the reunion I’m going down to the what do they call

It the woolly Hotel Bay Hotel and what I should I we should have mentioned too 1988 was your first year as a first grade coach you’re part of a very select group yeah long time ago it’s 36 years ago now who else is there Ricky Stewart M has

Bought me a hat Michael Hagen coach year Andrew Farah coached I’m talking about Premiership winners in their first years in their first year yeah Ricky did it Ricky did it Trent Robinson did it Trent Robinson did it uh Leon nosworthy nosworthy yeah back in the early days wasn’t many and the great

Gussy that’s six tackles with for this week we are covering all the action we’ll have a team on the ground in Las Vegas and then of course it all kicks off in a proper sense the week following will be in Newcastle for the Knights versus cber at roosters Broncos 3:30

Kickoff on Sunday 40 see you next Week