March 23, 2025 • 33 mins
This week on The Big League Podcast - Warriors co-captain James Fisher-Harris joins for the very first time to debrief the Warriors' second NRL victory of the season, trumping the Roosters at Mt Smart.
Nathan Limm Michael Burgess will analyse what we can take confidence from and where the holes are heading into their visit to the Wests Tigers.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio The.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Big League Podcast League Podcast Poet by.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
News Talks VB.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, Warriors co captain
James Fisher Harris joins for the very first time to
debrief the warriors second NRL victory of the season, trumping
the Roosters at Mount Smart. Michael Burgess and I will
analyze what we can take confidence from and with the
Holes are heading into their visit to the Wests Tigers.
My name is Nathan Limb. Let's go good b LB.
(00:47):
There are a number of reasons to be excited by
what we saw from the Warriors against the Roosters at
Mount Smart on Friday night. A drought was broken the
Warriors with their first win over Sydney in seven years
eight consecutive defeats dating back to twenty eighteen. We could
talk about the resilience, the hallmark of the twenty twenty
three season which them fall on the right side of
(01:09):
close results against top eight sides. All we could talk
about the youth stepping up Ali L'atawa with a brace
of tries. Leka Hala Sima and Dimitric Vaimalnger making an
impact off the interchange. But professional sport is simple. Winning
is the be all and end all. Two from three
three weeks in Michael Burgess, Senior New Zealand Herald Ride up,
(01:34):
we both picked the Warriors, but I think the truth
is we had no idea what was coming after two
polar opposite performances in the opening rounds.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I think I was thinking about this. Actually.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
The thing is, I remember our first podcast this year
and I said to you, the Warriors have to start
the season well, and really looking at their draw, they
have to win two out of the first three games.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
That was sort of the did.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
You say that, Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't worry this, okay?
And after Vegas, how are we feeling about that?
Speaker 6 (02:05):
Terrible?
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Exactly? It was the shit that already lost in Vegas.
Where's this team going? But now they have one two
out of three, So yeah, results are everything in this competition.
You've got to win, you've got to win early in
the season to build momentum, but sometimes it's also about
how you win. And I really liked how they won
(02:25):
on Friday. I thought it was more important the way
they won against the Roosters than even how they won
against Manly.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
And I suppose the two games that they have won,
you know, before the season, if you're looking right, Raiders,
Manly Sydney, the two harder games you'd look at would
be Manly and Sydney, wouldn't you And the Raiders would
be the one thinking, Okay, we could start this off strong.
And they've sort of done the flip where they started
off with a bit of a car crash and we thought,
we talked about the pressure of the Las Vegas occasion
(02:53):
and maybe that got to them. And then they've come
back home and they've put on two very different, very
measured performances. And you're right, that resilience that I sort
of mentioned in the intro was there because the Roosters
sort of were on top. If we talk about this
game in an overall sense before we get into the
netty gritty, the rooster started on top and the Warriors
just sort of weathered the storm and then put on
(03:14):
a really powerful sort of last fifteen minutes.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
Yeah, the Surgeon the last quarter was great, but it
had been building. But the Roosters had a lot of opportunities.
You know that they had chances, they dropped the ball.
The execution wasn't quite there. The Warriors defended well. I mean,
to only concede six points in an NFL match, it's
pretty rare. That is the least the Warriors have conceded
(03:40):
in a game since July or August twenty twenty three.
So that's a really good foundation for a start. That's
what Andrew web always talks about. If we defend well,
we play well. And it sounds like a basic concept.
But for a lot of last season twenty twenty four,
they weren't defending well.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
And now you I.
Speaker 5 (04:03):
Don't know, it just looks like this team. No one's
going to get carried away, certainly not, but it looks
like this team is starting to find their feet.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
We're going to hear from Warrior's co captain James Fisher
Harris Knicks. But first, here are the highlights. Warriors fourteen,
Roosters six. So we're underway here. That co Media Stadium
is on's in a kid now whites whites and it's.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
A tide of whites.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
The roosters straight first wear half light up.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Here like tell I could go for the line, succeed.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
To this go lovely past toupo listen nclear Daniel two
po class lining up clear a kick on a pussst
us in favor of the visitors and now no.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
One going to need to wass this cup space. Oh
that's a great kick.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
This could be six section all Oh I think he hasn't.
Speaker 6 (05:00):
Oh hey that's.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
Out for those legs over the dead ball line as
he forced the ball.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Kid from Harris to Vita. We're going to sub room
the place on football.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
That came Gustus.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Audio courtesy of sky Sport The League Podcast. Michael Burgess
had a quick chat to Warriors co captain James Fisher
Harris after the Roosters win in the children infested changing
sheds at Mount Smart.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
James Harris, what did you think of What did you
think of tonight?
Speaker 6 (05:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
No, I thought you good? Well, like quick, there's a.
Speaker 7 (05:49):
Tough, tight game and we're going to set les go
up until the last fifteen minutes and you grown in.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Which is good.
Speaker 7 (05:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (05:58):
I thought our residence was good and we just stuffed
the fan and.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, just committed.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
How pleasing is it to win that way? As you say,
to win tough. When they're winning, they're in front for
most of it. Well, it's always just say the sixty
fourth minute.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Yeah, it just says a lot about our characters and.
Speaker 6 (06:16):
Team and the.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Like direction where we're going, who you.
Speaker 8 (06:21):
Want to be, like identity and stuffs, and yeah we're
building mate.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
But yeah, pretty peaceif that winning.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
A long way to go early in the season, but
I guess that's quite satisfying. You know, there's promising signs
in terms of where you want this team to hit.
Speaker 8 (06:38):
Yeah, yeah, obviously this a good goal, but yeah, we're
just thinking want a week at a time. And yeah,
again it wasn't it wasn't pretty, but.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
It's two points and we like the winning mentioned the win.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Yeah, what was your message to the guys at halftime
when after their first half?
Speaker 7 (06:59):
I know, we're just in a good game, like yeah,
as I was saying this set for set, like there
was this six four or halftime, so yeah, we're just
stuck back at it and coming to the game then
and you just everyone just bought them, which is really good.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Your eye looks a bit nasty. Was that a finger
in the aisle something? It was actually from last week,
so I don't know what's going on. It's not even
from today, so it's been there for a while, so happy,
that's all right.
Speaker 7 (07:27):
That's not to say anything but testic.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
But scary and what have you thought of before effort?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
In the last couple of games, it.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Really feels like as a pack, you guys are starting
to to get things going.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
There's a full back aback.
Speaker 6 (07:45):
Yeah, we're growing, Like.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
We're getting there.
Speaker 8 (07:50):
I feel like we have a lot of ethic. We're
willing to work hard, which is really good. But ye're
still good in a lot of conversion and stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (08:00):
The main thing is like boys are really hard recommend
so on the piece of back.
Speaker 5 (08:06):
It's nice to see some of the young boys off
the bench and make an impact too.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
That's the man.
Speaker 8 (08:13):
They are really good when they came on. I spice
it up with it, you know, bring a lot of energy.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
But yeah, I'm proud of him.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Well, let's go through this game in a little bit
more detail. The Roosters had the edge early on. They
were winning the rat keyies prop no Farho White with
the opening try off and Aaron Clark missed tackle. But
as we mentioned before, the Warriors got into this arm
wrestle through the middle section of the game, coming right
in the last fifteen minutes, Ali lad Tawas scored it.
Broce his first of all. Coach Andrew Webster's assessment.
Speaker 9 (08:45):
Wanting to really narrow focus on our key chase, making
sure that we led with our defense and consider one
try against a really good team. I thought when they
did break head on, scrambled really well.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
He's not getting carried away, is he?
Speaker 6 (08:58):
He never gets carried away.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
We poke him, but he never gives us.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
But he does always give very very thorough assessments.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
And I actually enjoy a lot of his a lot
of his answers, and I think he's trying to stay
levelheaded either way. But yeah, there were just quite a
few things to like. I mean, the Warriors, they didn't panic,
they didn't get frustrated because they had a lot of
a lot of ball down and Roosters territory and weren't
weren't doing what they wanted to do.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
You know, it wasn't wasn't happening for them.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
We saw last season that had happened, they'd get frustrated,
head would drop. I think they had I think they
had thirty tackles and the Roosters opposition twenty two across
the match. So you know, that's a lot of time
down there, but they hung in there. They stayed in
the fight. The other thing I liked was there was
a long period where Mitch Barnett, James Fisher Harris, and
(09:47):
Aaron Clark off the field. You know, that period before
halftime and after halftime, and so that's year three scene
as YR three gun middle forwards, right, and they didn't
concede a point in that time. So you know, things
like that I think are quite positive signs that the
team finds away without those three big guns on the field.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
So yeah, there were good things.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
I mean it's something that Alex Powell, when he he
came on the podcast a couple of weeks ago, talked
about the period when Mitch Barnett and James Chash would
both be off the field. He felt the Warriors, you know, lacked,
especially through that middle. So it's good to see that,
as you said, they could weather that while Aaron Clark
was also absent. I'm going to go ahead and say it,
the Roosters were unlucky. The Roosters were unlucky. They created
(10:32):
more opportunities in that first half. You think about Daniel
Tupo's break down the left edge, the grubber kick two
opeaky rushing out of the line and him finding that
space on the edge, the grubber kick that didn't sit
up for one of his teammates. That could have easily
been a try it. Mark no longer need Tawasi bobbling
the ball and sliding over the dead ballline before he
(10:53):
could put it down. You know, that would have been
so so frustrating for Sydney, and the Warriors were able
to just scramble and take advantage of it. I will
say the Rooster's breaks seemed to always come down the
Warrior's right edge defense. That was an area of concern
for me when I looked at their game as a
hot Yep.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Yeah, they did make some breaks down that side, and
the Warriors got across the cover and tried to cover.
But the Roosters could have been twelve four ahead, you know,
and if you, especially in the second half, you get
twelve four ahead, it might be hard to come back.
So it's a very fine line and it's a different
conversation if the Warriors don't.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Win that match. But they found a way to win it.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
And I thought the way they just all seemed to
lift in that final quarter and the crowd were fantastic.
The crowd really got behind them and lifted as well,
and it was just really good to see because the Roosters, Okay,
it's a new Rooster's team, they haven't quite got all
their players, but there's still a really good team and
there's still a bloody hard team to play against, because,
(11:53):
especially when they're live, they are pushing the boundaries the
off side the whole game. You know, I talks about
their line speed and hear their aggressive defense, but there's
another way of saying it. They're offside almost. It looks
like they're offside almost every frigging tackle. So they were
a hard team to play against. They really really compressed
the space, but the Warriors persevered.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Let's talk about a couple of players stood out. The
first one Charles Nicklercrook start in his fiftieth game, three
hundred and sixteen run meters, thirty carries, ninety six post
contact meters. Those are the stats from from NRL dot com.
He's really it feels to me like he's building each week.
And we talked about him last week and you said
(12:37):
he's probably still not there yet.
Speaker 6 (12:39):
What did you think of his performance.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Well, he really needed that because he wasn't good at
all in Las Vegas. By his standards, he was one
of the you know, he's really poor, and then he
was better against Manly without shining, but much more like
the guy we knew in twenty twenty three on Friday,
And apart from the stats, what I did like was
(13:04):
his impact and involvement on attack. He made the break
that led to the third try, and he was also
involved in both of Latawa's tries. You know that those
moves down the right, which is what we saw a
lot of in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
So if he gets that part of his game going,
because he is.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
You know, he does so much work through the middle,
but his other job, well another He's got so many
jobs really, but a principal job of as his playmaker
as well, you know, and we saw that so much
in twenty twenty three when he'd loop around the back
on the right and set up a lot of good stuff.
And he needs to do that in this team. They
can't just rely on the two halves, So that I
(13:45):
thought was a promising sign.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Ali Leaatawa with two tries, one in each half. CoA
changeer Robster after the game, crediting his physicality.
Speaker 6 (13:54):
He's aggressive near the line.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
You're going to have to show everything he was stopping.
Speaker 9 (13:58):
Once he puts it all together, we're going to see
a really good player.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Once he puts it all together. What does he still
have to put together? Well, he's just young. I mean,
how many games he played. He's probably played jeez, I
should know this, but he's probably paid ten or twelve games,
not many, you know, so he's still young.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
He's still got to learn things about.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
When to inject himself, when to save energy, defensive structure,
and just all the inner I was brute, all those
things you learn as a young player. But for me,
he is the kind of homegrown center that fans have
been waiting for. You know, for a country that produces
a lot of amazing players, the Warriors haven't always had
(14:40):
too many local centers. Clinton Torpe is the big example
from the early two thousands. He was amazing that team
that went to a Grand Final and then a prelim
final having to too many others. This is a guy
the fans have been waiting for, and he could be.
He could be. He could be really good.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Roger Tuivasa Schek has gone off with a hamstring injury.
He's been sent for scans. Coach Andrew Webster's talk to
after the game about how he actually got injured. During
the game, carried on made a try saving tackle. Listen
to this, they went for a forty twenty. Roger had
already Towney's hamstring.
Speaker 9 (15:16):
He misses the forty twenty because he can't, and then
he gets back and makes her try to save and
tackle in the corner when his hamstring's already gone. And
that those big plays they were happening everywhere.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
When did this happen? And what do we know since
this game? What's come out? Since?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
It's pretty crazy?
Speaker 5 (15:30):
A like to imagine because we actually talked to Chance
Nickel clocks that about this too. And the rooster's put
in the kick and he sort of looked up and
he's like, shit, where's Roger? Because you know, normally the
wingers get back on either the third or fourth tackle
to cover those kicks. And Chance realized, geez, Roger's not there.
I better try and get across. Couldn't get across in time,
(15:52):
and that opened the chance for the forty twenty from Townsend.
But Roger had done his hamstring on an earlier, earlier
play in the Warriors set, and that's when Chance flick, shit,
there's something wrong with Roger. And then the Roosters of course,
had their attack. It all happened pretty far, but they
managed to stop the winger near the touch line. Incredible effort,
(16:13):
and then he finally gets to go off, I mean
the webster, and they were getting a player ready to
sub on. We don't know too much yet, but the
scans will happen today Monday, I imagine. But it's a
bit of a way because he's had some hamshring issues,
hasn't he He had some Hampshire issues last year and
I think in well, yeah, last year definitely. I think
(16:34):
when he was in his rugby period he had some
hamstering too.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
So it's a bit of an issue.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
You hope it's only two or three weeks because they
don't have a lot of wingers obviously at the moment,
and Dollan's still out. But on the flip side, how
good is Tage going? You know for a guy that
had never played wing before. I just I really like
he's obviously such a different winger to everyone else that
you see in the NRL. But I really liked the
(17:01):
way has even the kick returns. He doesn't run straight,
but he's really testing the defense with his just pace
and change the direction.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
We spoke to him at the press conference earlier in
the weekend. That was the first time I met Tane
in person. I could not believe how small he was
for an NRL player, especially a winger. I was talking
to him and I was thinking, how are you surviving
in the NR ral brutal environment? Small guy, muscular, but
(17:31):
he's just quick. He's quick, he's got the step, he's
got good game vision. Obviously, he's always going to be
disadvantaged when it comes to the physical battle and when
it comes to the aerial battle as well. And I
actually asked him about that because I'd voiced my concerns
on this podcast previously about how he's going to go
in the year. If he's defending that right wing and
(17:52):
there are bombs raining down in the corner and the
team's you know, attacking, trying to score a try. Think
of Daniel Tupo and that the height difference that Tane's
giving away there, how do you approach that aerial battle?
Speaker 6 (18:04):
And he said, well, you just do what I can.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
And he's got he said, I've got Ali and I've
got chance with me who are covering and I just
have to hope that they can help cover me and
I have to get up as high as I can.
So he knows he's disadvantage, but he just the way
he injects himself into the game. He is so slippery,
even though he's small, he's so difficult for teams to
get their hands on and just keep a hold of.
You're always seeing a couple of right footsteps on the
(18:28):
left footstep gets past the first defender, and you're right.
It's a point of difference when it comes to the
NRL because we used to seeing these big physical wingers
who smash into people. They're thinking Brian Tottle.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
Well, he's just the Warriors need one thing they lack
close year is pace. You know, he brings pace, He
brings a real X factor. He can make things happen
near near a try line. So he's actually could become
quite I mean, who knows what's going to happen. But
he's just he's actually a really good alternative in that position.
(18:59):
Is he's got so much guts, so much heart, to
be able to play in the position, as you say,
given his size. I mean, look at Friday night. He
didn't the Rooster didn't score any bombs down down his edge.
They wouldn't. He didn't get out jumped. They found a
way to manage the situation. And I remember thinking after that,
remember that Penrith game last year Magic Realm, when he
(19:20):
was so amazing, and then I don't think he played
again last season, if I'm not mistaken, But you wondered, man,
this is the kind of guy you've got to try
and get in the seventeen somehow.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
He's just that good.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
You know, do do the Warriors want him as the
guy as the fourteen off the bench?
Speaker 3 (19:37):
How do they do? And funnily enough, it's worked out
that now he's in the seventeen.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
And you know, for the first few rounds we've had
all three of Roger Chance and Home, so I think
he's going to get more valuable and he's just got
something a bit special.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
This is the Big League podcast. This is going yeah,
the Big League podcast on the Warriors Bad Wagons since
day one.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Now, following Round three of the NRL, I went had
a quick peruse of the table to see with things
stand and burge I almost fainted. The Bulldogs and the
Tigers are in the top four.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
The Bulldogs and the Tigers Pigs can fly. Yes, yes,
quite a scenario. A lot of the Sydney media got
really excited about the Bulldogs for the season. They were
sort of tipped as the big movers. They're going. They're
going really well so far. I don't think they're going
(20:38):
to be a team that will go on to win
the Grand Final, but fair play to them looking good.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
But I love this Tiger story, I really do.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
I'm so happy for Benji Marshall, you know, to come
in as a rookie coach.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
She went through quite a lot last season.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
He's come in with these new ideas a lot of
young players and he's got them going. The challenge will
be for teams like the Tigers that have a thinner
squad than other teams. The challenge is always how do
you go after say round eight nine on were to win?
Injuries and other things start to bite. But it's great
they've started the season so well. I'm really happy for
(21:13):
the Tigers. There's still a really big club in Australia.
You know, they're still one of the most popular clubs
in Australia. So it's kind of good for the NFL
when the Tigers are going so well. It's not so
good for the Warriors to be playing the Tigers right now.
It's probably the last team you want to play away
from home, but it certainly makes an interesting match, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Now.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
The Warriors visit the Tigers in Southwest Sydney on Sunday.
The Tigers, as I said, set fourth on the table
coming off wins of the Eels and the Dolphins. Both
the Eels and the Dolphins don't have a win, I'll
just point that out, but down sixteen to six against
the Dolphins, they scored three tries and twelve minutes in
the second half. They also had a ten eight loss
(21:56):
to the Knights in Round one, a close one. The
big talking point going into the season for the Tigers
was Jerome Lewai, four time premiership winning Panther, signs with
the Tigers, who hadn't done anything in years into the
half back jersey as opposed to the five eight seeming
a lot of talk about him, you know, in the
preseason going into the nr Ral saying no he's a
(22:17):
five eight. He won't be as good without Cleary et cetera,
et cetera, But it's worked so far. It has worked,
and the Tigers have a really strong spine. You think
about Happy corrous Ow at hooker, Jerene Bull at fullback
has looked good. Lachlan Galvin I was really impressed with
actually against the Dolphins as well, and then you got
the likes of Sunnya Taruva on the wing. He scored
a double against the Dolphins. Taruva is on report for
(22:39):
a crusher tackle, so we have to keep an eye
on that. But what do you make of the Tiger's spine,
where are the strengths?
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Well, like you've just outlined it really well.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
But I think Loui is the most interesting one because
he was definitely seen as the second fiddle to Nathan Cleary.
You know, it was all about Nathan Cleary and Loui
was the guy that was very obviously brilliant player, but
the secondary playmaker.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
He's gone to the Tigers for a lot more money.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
For a new challenge, but from what I've seen so far,
the biggest thing he's done is lift the players around him,
and that's always the hope when you make a big
signing he has. All the young players from everything I've heard,
have been so inspired by having him around and his example,
the example he sets at training and it's translating into
(23:27):
the matches. So that has been the little impact. That's
what they paid the money for and the hope that
they've got a lot of kids and they're going to
be influenced by him.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
So so far, so good.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
They're a team with a lot of pace, they're dangerous
and I've got a lot of bad memories of the
Warriors going to play the Tigers in Australia because it's
a very tough place to go, especially if.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
You're playing like Ard Oval.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
But wherever you play the Tigers in Australia with their
fans getting on the back of the referees, it's it's difficult.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
I suppose if you look at the halves battle between
these two sides that we've got coming up, Jerome Lewie
really is the elder statesman. I talked about Lockhom Galvin,
he's nineteen. He's nineteen years old, and then you've got
Luke Metcalfe and Chanel Harris Tavita who are well obviously
older than that. More experienced than that, but as a
combination and suppose in terms of number of NRL games
(24:26):
and experienced as a Harves combination. So I'm really excited
to see how they compare, and specifically I guess how
Metcalfe goes against Lewis.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Yes, yes, that is a good point, and that's a
good challenge.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
I mean Andrew Weeps has said after we asked them
about the halves, and he said, you know, there were
good things against the Roosters and things they have to improve.
But he made the point, Hey, we're going to judge
Metcalfe and Harris Tavita or we're going to assess them.
We should assess them by about round eight or around nine,
I think he said. So he's saying, you know, they've
(25:01):
still got any time, which is fair enough because there
are a new combination. Metcalfe's what, he's played three games
as a starting seven. They are building, but we do
need to keep seeing improvement. They were pretty solid against
the Roosters, but there were still some options that weren't
quite right. There were still some kicks that the kicking
game was often kicks that weren't putting the the opposition
(25:26):
under pressure. All those little things and just decisions. So, yeah,
Louis is the man that will be running the show.
He's the guy they've got to stop and in contrast
to two Warriors six and seven have to really run
the game well for the Warriors because because I think
away from home, your kicking game is so crucial. You
(25:47):
don't want to be stuck in your own territory trying
to work it out, the crowd on your back. It
becomes it becomes a difficult afternoon, you know what. I
honestly because Loui has got a bit of a mouth
on him, right. Who in the Warriors?
Speaker 4 (26:02):
If Louis starts throwing some barbs, it's us throwing some
barbs out there, talking a bit of smack. Tigers go
up six in the early Who in the Warriors is
going to stand up and give some back? Or do
we go, oh no, We're in New Zealanders.
Speaker 6 (26:12):
We don't do that.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
Who, Yeah, who is the guy in the Warriors team?
I mean Dylan Walker? Possibly, it was always Jesse Devanger.
He was the guy that you would rely on for that.
Now that Jazz is gone, there's a lot of kind
of guys that are a bit are a bit quieter,
so you'd probably point towards the Aussies. Mitch's captain, so
(26:34):
he can't. I can't see metcalf doing it. Metcalfe not
really Wade Egans not that type either, So I think
it'll just be.
Speaker 6 (26:44):
We need a loud mouth.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
That's the biggest issue the Warriors are facing the the
in the twenty forty four season.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
We need a smart ass in the team.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Yeah, I mean when as a Green, as a it's
always it's always maybe you just get the result and
then you do the talking. But yeah, Louie, you're right.
He likes to he likes to have a go and
it's a fascinating game.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
It really is. This one.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
Bring it on.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
The Big League Podcast, The Warriors Bad Wagons since day one,
the big League Podcast for the biggest league fans.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
Right, but just finish off with some quick fire predictions.
We are even sick sore from the last round. It's
Nick and Nick. What was the tip of the round?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Though? I reckon it was Raiders.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Don't you think everyone was getting excited about the Raiders
and the Burgess crystal Ball got it right that they
couldn't keep it going Manly a Brook fail et cetera,
et cetera.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Yeah, I think it's probably the tip of the round.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
I'm going to go with my tips of the Tigers
and the Bulldogs. Even though I wrote I always write
them off. I picked both of them and they both
got the wins.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
So yeah, tipping favorites, Yeah, that's always that's always a
great effort. Yeah, Brady yourself there, Yeah, get down to
allis then your favorites there.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
Actually I went to the races once at the starter
last year. I think I came. I made money. I
made money my one time at the races. I didn't
make much money. That's a good effic, but I did
make some money. It's not easy, it doesn't some of
us have got a gift. Yeah, rabbit Os, Panthers. We'll
(28:29):
go with the Panthers here.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
I find Thursday night games quite hard to tip personally
because it's a short turnaround. I don't think players enjoy
Thursday nights at all. It's sort of you want to
play on the weekend, man, you know, I mean, get
rid of these Thursday nights. But that's I sound like
a grumpy old man again. But yeah, the Panthers. I
just think the rabbit O's they're playing well, there's got
too many injuries, and the Panthers will obviously want to
(28:55):
bounce back after losing in Melbourne.
Speaker 6 (28:58):
I agree with that.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
They often put the big game, like you get the
Panthers and the Storm playing a lot on Thursday nights,
as it was last week as well, so that obviously
do like the Thursday games and they go for the
heavyweight teams on that night.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
Roosters versus the Titans. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Interesting.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
The Titans really showed something when everyone was starting to
write them off for the season. I had, Yeah, a
lot of people were mate to come back and do
what they did, which I guess shows des Hasler coach
still got a point to prove. And then the Roosters,
you know, they'll want to they'll want to rebound. They went,
they weren't completely devastated about about Friday night. They thought
(29:37):
they'd played well. They did from the looks of the
Desko and Robinson what they were saying after the match.
But obviously they want to get back to winning and
I think they're well because they've got the base of
decent team there. They've got probably got more players coming
back this week. So I'll go for the roosters at home.
I will agree with you.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Dolphins versus the Broncos, Dolphins still no wins. You're quite
worried about the Dolphins.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
I think we're seeing the effects of you know, Wayne
Bennett leaving a club. Christian Wilfer got a lot of
time for is that he's a good coach. You did
an amazing thing with Tonga. He was a really highly
rated assistant. But stepping into the shoes of Wayne Bennett's
that's hard and it has been hard. They'll be up
for this Queensland Derby, but you know, the Broncos and
(30:22):
Theer Maguire, I think I think they'll be too good.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
My minor Premiers tips the Brisbane Broncos bouncing back from
their loss to the Raiders beating the Cowboys, who also
still without. When dragons versus the storm, must I say
that is that is a gutsy tip that minor Premiers tip.
I was really really admired that, And who knows, if
you're right, you would look like a genius dragon storm.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
The storm could be pushed here.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
The dragons are building nicely, but the storm of the storm.
It's early season. They're doing everything right and they will
keep on rolling.
Speaker 6 (30:57):
No disagreements so far. Cowboys Raiders, Cowboys Raiders in North Queensland.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
In North Queensland, surely the Cowboys are due something. The
Raider's got the long trip coming off a bad loss.
I might just go for a sneaky North Queensland prediction here, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
I'm gonna take the opportunity to go up one tip here.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
Shark's Bulldogs Sharks Bulldogs. I mean, yeah, there's all this
talk about the Bulldogs, but I think we don't fair enough. No,
I just think I just think the Sharks are a
better team at home.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
This will be really close.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
This is probably one of the two or three hardest
to tip, but I'll go for Cornella.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
In this round.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
I'm going to go for cornello as well.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Seagles versus the Eels. Yeah, okay, so I'm gone.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
Surely the Eels come right every every week last year
and he started the season off the right way tipping
the Eels.
Speaker 6 (31:49):
They are from three.
Speaker 5 (31:50):
Yeah, my Heels are my charity charity charity tip because
I think I've tipped them twice already this year and
they just don't give anything back. So no, I will
not be tipping the Eels again for quite a while
until I see something. The Seagules obviously right at the
ship and they'll be they'll be too good for para matter.
I agree with you there to.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Finish Tigers versus the Warriors at Campbelltown Sports Center.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Yeah, toss a coin.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
This is going to be one, I'm sure, and when
we go to look at the tarb odds, it's going
to be a dollar eighty five and a dollar ninety two.
It's going to be super close. I love the fact
this on a Sunday. Please can we have more Sunday games?
There's something something magic about Sunday.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
But yeah, the Warriors need to keep need to keep winning.
Speaker 5 (32:33):
They have a buy after this round, so they it's
absolutely vital to get the result or at least at
least play really well. I think they can win again.
I think there's improvement in them. They showed enough. They'll
take a lot of confidence from from from the roosters.
It won't be easy, but yeah, the Warriors for mine.
(32:53):
I cannot wait.
Speaker 6 (32:54):
How good is the NRL BIRG.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
Please follow and rate the podcast that'll do us for
this week. Thank you Michael Burgess for your time. You're
Worsdom your insight. My name is Nathan Limb. Have a
fantastic week and we'll be back next Monday m HM.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
For more from News Talk set B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio The.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Big League Podcast League Podcast Poet by.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
News Talks VB.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, Warriors co captain
James Fisher Harris joins for the very first time to
debrief the warriors second NRL victory of the season, trumping
the Roosters at Mount Smart. Michael Burgess and I will
analyze what we can take confidence from and with the
Holes are heading into their visit to the Wests Tigers.
My name is Nathan Limb. Let's go good b LB.
(00:47):
There are a number of reasons to be excited by
what we saw from the Warriors against the Roosters at
Mount Smart on Friday night. A drought was broken the
Warriors with their first win over Sydney in seven years
eight consecutive defeats dating back to twenty eighteen. We could
talk about the resilience, the hallmark of the twenty twenty
three season which them fall on the right side of
(01:09):
close results against top eight sides. All we could talk
about the youth stepping up Ali L'atawa with a brace
of tries. Leka Hala Sima and Dimitric Vaimalnger making an
impact off the interchange. But professional sport is simple. Winning
is the be all and end all. Two from three
three weeks in Michael Burgess, Senior New Zealand Herald Ride up,
(01:34):
we both picked the Warriors, but I think the truth
is we had no idea what was coming after two
polar opposite performances in the opening rounds.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I think I was thinking about this. Actually.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
The thing is, I remember our first podcast this year
and I said to you, the Warriors have to start
the season well, and really looking at their draw, they
have to win two out of the first three games.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
That was sort of the did.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
You say that, Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't worry this, okay?
And after Vegas, how are we feeling about that?
Speaker 6 (02:05):
Terrible?
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Exactly? It was the shit that already lost in Vegas.
Where's this team going? But now they have one two
out of three, So yeah, results are everything in this competition.
You've got to win, you've got to win early in
the season to build momentum, but sometimes it's also about
how you win. And I really liked how they won
(02:25):
on Friday. I thought it was more important the way
they won against the Roosters than even how they won
against Manly.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
And I suppose the two games that they have won,
you know, before the season, if you're looking right, Raiders,
Manly Sydney, the two harder games you'd look at would
be Manly and Sydney, wouldn't you And the Raiders would
be the one thinking, Okay, we could start this off strong.
And they've sort of done the flip where they started
off with a bit of a car crash and we thought,
we talked about the pressure of the Las Vegas occasion
(02:53):
and maybe that got to them. And then they've come
back home and they've put on two very different, very
measured performances. And you're right, that resilience that I sort
of mentioned in the intro was there because the Roosters
sort of were on top. If we talk about this
game in an overall sense before we get into the
netty gritty, the rooster started on top and the Warriors
just sort of weathered the storm and then put on
(03:14):
a really powerful sort of last fifteen minutes.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
Yeah, the Surgeon the last quarter was great, but it
had been building. But the Roosters had a lot of opportunities.
You know that they had chances, they dropped the ball.
The execution wasn't quite there. The Warriors defended well. I mean,
to only concede six points in an NFL match, it's
pretty rare. That is the least the Warriors have conceded
(03:40):
in a game since July or August twenty twenty three.
So that's a really good foundation for a start. That's
what Andrew web always talks about. If we defend well,
we play well. And it sounds like a basic concept.
But for a lot of last season twenty twenty four,
they weren't defending well.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
And now you I.
Speaker 5 (04:03):
Don't know, it just looks like this team. No one's
going to get carried away, certainly not, but it looks
like this team is starting to find their feet.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
We're going to hear from Warrior's co captain James Fisher
Harris Knicks. But first, here are the highlights. Warriors fourteen,
Roosters six. So we're underway here. That co Media Stadium
is on's in a kid now whites whites and it's.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
A tide of whites.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
The roosters straight first wear half light up.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Here like tell I could go for the line, succeed.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
To this go lovely past toupo listen nclear Daniel two
po class lining up clear a kick on a pussst
us in favor of the visitors and now no.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
One going to need to wass this cup space. Oh
that's a great kick.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
This could be six section all Oh I think he hasn't.
Speaker 6 (05:00):
Oh hey that's.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
Out for those legs over the dead ball line as
he forced the ball.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Kid from Harris to Vita. We're going to sub room
the place on football.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
That came Gustus.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Audio courtesy of sky Sport The League Podcast. Michael Burgess
had a quick chat to Warriors co captain James Fisher
Harris after the Roosters win in the children infested changing
sheds at Mount Smart.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
James Harris, what did you think of What did you
think of tonight?
Speaker 6 (05:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
No, I thought you good? Well, like quick, there's a.
Speaker 7 (05:49):
Tough, tight game and we're going to set les go
up until the last fifteen minutes and you grown in.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Which is good.
Speaker 7 (05:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (05:58):
I thought our residence was good and we just stuffed
the fan and.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, just committed.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
How pleasing is it to win that way? As you say,
to win tough. When they're winning, they're in front for
most of it. Well, it's always just say the sixty
fourth minute.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Yeah, it just says a lot about our characters and.
Speaker 6 (06:16):
Team and the.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Like direction where we're going, who you.
Speaker 8 (06:21):
Want to be, like identity and stuffs, and yeah we're
building mate.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
But yeah, pretty peaceif that winning.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
A long way to go early in the season, but
I guess that's quite satisfying. You know, there's promising signs
in terms of where you want this team to hit.
Speaker 8 (06:38):
Yeah, yeah, obviously this a good goal, but yeah, we're
just thinking want a week at a time. And yeah,
again it wasn't it wasn't pretty, but.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
It's two points and we like the winning mentioned the win.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Yeah, what was your message to the guys at halftime
when after their first half?
Speaker 7 (06:59):
I know, we're just in a good game, like yeah,
as I was saying this set for set, like there
was this six four or halftime, so yeah, we're just
stuck back at it and coming to the game then
and you just everyone just bought them, which is really good.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Your eye looks a bit nasty. Was that a finger
in the aisle something? It was actually from last week,
so I don't know what's going on. It's not even
from today, so it's been there for a while, so happy,
that's all right.
Speaker 7 (07:27):
That's not to say anything but testic.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
But scary and what have you thought of before effort?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
In the last couple of games, it.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Really feels like as a pack, you guys are starting
to to get things going.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
There's a full back aback.
Speaker 6 (07:45):
Yeah, we're growing, Like.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
We're getting there.
Speaker 8 (07:50):
I feel like we have a lot of ethic. We're
willing to work hard, which is really good. But ye're
still good in a lot of conversion and stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (08:00):
The main thing is like boys are really hard recommend
so on the piece of back.
Speaker 5 (08:06):
It's nice to see some of the young boys off
the bench and make an impact too.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
That's the man.
Speaker 8 (08:13):
They are really good when they came on. I spice
it up with it, you know, bring a lot of energy.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
But yeah, I'm proud of him.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Well, let's go through this game in a little bit
more detail. The Roosters had the edge early on. They
were winning the rat keyies prop no Farho White with
the opening try off and Aaron Clark missed tackle. But
as we mentioned before, the Warriors got into this arm
wrestle through the middle section of the game, coming right
in the last fifteen minutes, Ali lad Tawas scored it.
Broce his first of all. Coach Andrew Webster's assessment.
Speaker 9 (08:45):
Wanting to really narrow focus on our key chase, making
sure that we led with our defense and consider one
try against a really good team. I thought when they
did break head on, scrambled really well.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
He's not getting carried away, is he?
Speaker 6 (08:58):
He never gets carried away.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
We poke him, but he never gives us.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
But he does always give very very thorough assessments.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
And I actually enjoy a lot of his a lot
of his answers, and I think he's trying to stay
levelheaded either way. But yeah, there were just quite a
few things to like. I mean, the Warriors, they didn't panic,
they didn't get frustrated because they had a lot of
a lot of ball down and Roosters territory and weren't
weren't doing what they wanted to do.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
You know, it wasn't wasn't happening for them.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
We saw last season that had happened, they'd get frustrated,
head would drop. I think they had I think they
had thirty tackles and the Roosters opposition twenty two across
the match. So you know, that's a lot of time
down there, but they hung in there. They stayed in
the fight. The other thing I liked was there was
a long period where Mitch Barnett, James Fisher Harris, and
(09:47):
Aaron Clark off the field. You know, that period before
halftime and after halftime, and so that's year three scene
as YR three gun middle forwards, right, and they didn't
concede a point in that time. So you know, things
like that I think are quite positive signs that the
team finds away without those three big guns on the field.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
So yeah, there were good things.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
I mean it's something that Alex Powell, when he he
came on the podcast a couple of weeks ago, talked
about the period when Mitch Barnett and James Chash would
both be off the field. He felt the Warriors, you know, lacked,
especially through that middle. So it's good to see that,
as you said, they could weather that while Aaron Clark
was also absent. I'm going to go ahead and say it,
the Roosters were unlucky. The Roosters were unlucky. They created
(10:32):
more opportunities in that first half. You think about Daniel
Tupo's break down the left edge, the grubber kick two
opeaky rushing out of the line and him finding that
space on the edge, the grubber kick that didn't sit
up for one of his teammates. That could have easily
been a try it. Mark no longer need Tawasi bobbling
the ball and sliding over the dead ballline before he
(10:53):
could put it down. You know, that would have been
so so frustrating for Sydney, and the Warriors were able
to just scramble and take advantage of it. I will
say the Rooster's breaks seemed to always come down the
Warrior's right edge defense. That was an area of concern
for me when I looked at their game as a
hot Yep.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Yeah, they did make some breaks down that side, and
the Warriors got across the cover and tried to cover.
But the Roosters could have been twelve four ahead, you know,
and if you, especially in the second half, you get
twelve four ahead, it might be hard to come back.
So it's a very fine line and it's a different
conversation if the Warriors don't.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Win that match. But they found a way to win it.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
And I thought the way they just all seemed to
lift in that final quarter and the crowd were fantastic.
The crowd really got behind them and lifted as well,
and it was just really good to see because the Roosters, Okay,
it's a new Rooster's team, they haven't quite got all
their players, but there's still a really good team and
there's still a bloody hard team to play against, because,
(11:53):
especially when they're live, they are pushing the boundaries the
off side the whole game. You know, I talks about
their line speed and hear their aggressive defense, but there's
another way of saying it. They're offside almost. It looks
like they're offside almost every frigging tackle. So they were
a hard team to play against. They really really compressed
the space, but the Warriors persevered.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Let's talk about a couple of players stood out. The
first one Charles Nicklercrook start in his fiftieth game, three
hundred and sixteen run meters, thirty carries, ninety six post
contact meters. Those are the stats from from NRL dot com.
He's really it feels to me like he's building each week.
And we talked about him last week and you said
(12:37):
he's probably still not there yet.
Speaker 6 (12:39):
What did you think of his performance.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Well, he really needed that because he wasn't good at
all in Las Vegas. By his standards, he was one
of the you know, he's really poor, and then he
was better against Manly without shining, but much more like
the guy we knew in twenty twenty three on Friday,
And apart from the stats, what I did like was
(13:04):
his impact and involvement on attack. He made the break
that led to the third try, and he was also
involved in both of Latawa's tries. You know that those
moves down the right, which is what we saw a
lot of in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
So if he gets that part of his game going,
because he is.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
You know, he does so much work through the middle,
but his other job, well another He's got so many
jobs really, but a principal job of as his playmaker
as well, you know, and we saw that so much
in twenty twenty three when he'd loop around the back
on the right and set up a lot of good stuff.
And he needs to do that in this team. They
can't just rely on the two halves, So that I
(13:45):
thought was a promising sign.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Ali Leaatawa with two tries, one in each half. CoA
changeer Robster after the game, crediting his physicality.
Speaker 6 (13:54):
He's aggressive near the line.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
You're going to have to show everything he was stopping.
Speaker 9 (13:58):
Once he puts it all together, we're going to see
a really good player.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Once he puts it all together. What does he still
have to put together? Well, he's just young. I mean,
how many games he played. He's probably played jeez, I
should know this, but he's probably paid ten or twelve games,
not many, you know, so he's still young.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
He's still got to learn things about.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
When to inject himself, when to save energy, defensive structure,
and just all the inner I was brute, all those
things you learn as a young player. But for me,
he is the kind of homegrown center that fans have
been waiting for. You know, for a country that produces
a lot of amazing players, the Warriors haven't always had
(14:40):
too many local centers. Clinton Torpe is the big example
from the early two thousands. He was amazing that team
that went to a Grand Final and then a prelim
final having to too many others. This is a guy
the fans have been waiting for, and he could be.
He could be. He could be really good.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Roger Tuivasa Schek has gone off with a hamstring injury.
He's been sent for scans. Coach Andrew Webster's talk to
after the game about how he actually got injured. During
the game, carried on made a try saving tackle. Listen
to this, they went for a forty twenty. Roger had
already Towney's hamstring.
Speaker 9 (15:16):
He misses the forty twenty because he can't, and then
he gets back and makes her try to save and
tackle in the corner when his hamstring's already gone. And
that those big plays they were happening everywhere.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
When did this happen? And what do we know since
this game? What's come out? Since?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
It's pretty crazy?
Speaker 5 (15:30):
A like to imagine because we actually talked to Chance
Nickel clocks that about this too. And the rooster's put
in the kick and he sort of looked up and
he's like, shit, where's Roger? Because you know, normally the
wingers get back on either the third or fourth tackle
to cover those kicks. And Chance realized, geez, Roger's not there.
I better try and get across. Couldn't get across in time,
(15:52):
and that opened the chance for the forty twenty from Townsend.
But Roger had done his hamstring on an earlier, earlier
play in the Warriors set, and that's when Chance flick, shit,
there's something wrong with Roger. And then the Roosters of course,
had their attack. It all happened pretty far, but they
managed to stop the winger near the touch line. Incredible effort,
(16:13):
and then he finally gets to go off, I mean
the webster, and they were getting a player ready to
sub on. We don't know too much yet, but the
scans will happen today Monday, I imagine. But it's a
bit of a way because he's had some hamshring issues,
hasn't he He had some Hampshire issues last year and
I think in well, yeah, last year definitely. I think
(16:34):
when he was in his rugby period he had some
hamstering too.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
So it's a bit of an issue.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
You hope it's only two or three weeks because they
don't have a lot of wingers obviously at the moment,
and Dollan's still out. But on the flip side, how
good is Tage going? You know for a guy that
had never played wing before. I just I really like
he's obviously such a different winger to everyone else that
you see in the NRL. But I really liked the
(17:01):
way has even the kick returns. He doesn't run straight,
but he's really testing the defense with his just pace
and change the direction.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
We spoke to him at the press conference earlier in
the weekend. That was the first time I met Tane
in person. I could not believe how small he was
for an NRL player, especially a winger. I was talking
to him and I was thinking, how are you surviving
in the NR ral brutal environment? Small guy, muscular, but
(17:31):
he's just quick. He's quick, he's got the step, he's
got good game vision. Obviously, he's always going to be
disadvantaged when it comes to the physical battle and when
it comes to the aerial battle as well. And I
actually asked him about that because I'd voiced my concerns
on this podcast previously about how he's going to go
in the year. If he's defending that right wing and
(17:52):
there are bombs raining down in the corner and the
team's you know, attacking, trying to score a try. Think
of Daniel Tupo and that the height difference that Tane's
giving away there, how do you approach that aerial battle?
Speaker 6 (18:04):
And he said, well, you just do what I can.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
And he's got he said, I've got Ali and I've
got chance with me who are covering and I just
have to hope that they can help cover me and
I have to get up as high as I can.
So he knows he's disadvantage, but he just the way
he injects himself into the game. He is so slippery,
even though he's small, he's so difficult for teams to
get their hands on and just keep a hold of.
You're always seeing a couple of right footsteps on the
(18:28):
left footstep gets past the first defender, and you're right.
It's a point of difference when it comes to the
NRL because we used to seeing these big physical wingers
who smash into people. They're thinking Brian Tottle.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
Well, he's just the Warriors need one thing they lack
close year is pace. You know, he brings pace, He
brings a real X factor. He can make things happen
near near a try line. So he's actually could become
quite I mean, who knows what's going to happen. But
he's just he's actually a really good alternative in that position.
(18:59):
Is he's got so much guts, so much heart, to
be able to play in the position, as you say,
given his size. I mean, look at Friday night. He
didn't the Rooster didn't score any bombs down down his edge.
They wouldn't. He didn't get out jumped. They found a
way to manage the situation. And I remember thinking after that,
remember that Penrith game last year Magic Realm, when he
(19:20):
was so amazing, and then I don't think he played
again last season, if I'm not mistaken, But you wondered, man,
this is the kind of guy you've got to try
and get in the seventeen somehow.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
He's just that good.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
You know, do do the Warriors want him as the
guy as the fourteen off the bench?
Speaker 3 (19:37):
How do they do? And funnily enough, it's worked out
that now he's in the seventeen.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
And you know, for the first few rounds we've had
all three of Roger Chance and Home, so I think
he's going to get more valuable and he's just got
something a bit special.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
This is the Big League podcast. This is going yeah,
the Big League podcast on the Warriors Bad Wagons since
day one.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Now, following Round three of the NRL, I went had
a quick peruse of the table to see with things
stand and burge I almost fainted. The Bulldogs and the
Tigers are in the top four.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
The Bulldogs and the Tigers Pigs can fly. Yes, yes,
quite a scenario. A lot of the Sydney media got
really excited about the Bulldogs for the season. They were
sort of tipped as the big movers. They're going. They're
going really well so far. I don't think they're going
(20:38):
to be a team that will go on to win
the Grand Final, but fair play to them looking good.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
But I love this Tiger story, I really do.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
I'm so happy for Benji Marshall, you know, to come
in as a rookie coach.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
She went through quite a lot last season.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
He's come in with these new ideas a lot of
young players and he's got them going. The challenge will
be for teams like the Tigers that have a thinner
squad than other teams. The challenge is always how do
you go after say round eight nine on were to win?
Injuries and other things start to bite. But it's great
they've started the season so well. I'm really happy for
(21:13):
the Tigers. There's still a really big club in Australia.
You know, they're still one of the most popular clubs
in Australia. So it's kind of good for the NFL
when the Tigers are going so well. It's not so
good for the Warriors to be playing the Tigers right now.
It's probably the last team you want to play away
from home, but it certainly makes an interesting match, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Now.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
The Warriors visit the Tigers in Southwest Sydney on Sunday.
The Tigers, as I said, set fourth on the table
coming off wins of the Eels and the Dolphins. Both
the Eels and the Dolphins don't have a win, I'll
just point that out, but down sixteen to six against
the Dolphins, they scored three tries and twelve minutes in
the second half. They also had a ten eight loss
(21:56):
to the Knights in Round one, a close one. The
big talking point going into the season for the Tigers
was Jerome Lewai, four time premiership winning Panther, signs with
the Tigers, who hadn't done anything in years into the
half back jersey as opposed to the five eight seeming
a lot of talk about him, you know, in the
preseason going into the nr Ral saying no he's a
(22:17):
five eight. He won't be as good without Cleary et cetera,
et cetera, But it's worked so far. It has worked,
and the Tigers have a really strong spine. You think
about Happy corrous Ow at hooker, Jerene Bull at fullback
has looked good. Lachlan Galvin I was really impressed with
actually against the Dolphins as well, and then you got
the likes of Sunnya Taruva on the wing. He scored
a double against the Dolphins. Taruva is on report for
(22:39):
a crusher tackle, so we have to keep an eye
on that. But what do you make of the Tiger's spine,
where are the strengths?
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Well, like you've just outlined it really well.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
But I think Loui is the most interesting one because
he was definitely seen as the second fiddle to Nathan Cleary.
You know, it was all about Nathan Cleary and Loui
was the guy that was very obviously brilliant player, but
the secondary playmaker.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
He's gone to the Tigers for a lot more money.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
For a new challenge, but from what I've seen so far,
the biggest thing he's done is lift the players around him,
and that's always the hope when you make a big
signing he has. All the young players from everything I've heard,
have been so inspired by having him around and his example,
the example he sets at training and it's translating into
(23:27):
the matches. So that has been the little impact. That's
what they paid the money for and the hope that
they've got a lot of kids and they're going to
be influenced by him.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
So so far, so good.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
They're a team with a lot of pace, they're dangerous
and I've got a lot of bad memories of the
Warriors going to play the Tigers in Australia because it's
a very tough place to go, especially if.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
You're playing like Ard Oval.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
But wherever you play the Tigers in Australia with their
fans getting on the back of the referees, it's it's difficult.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
I suppose if you look at the halves battle between
these two sides that we've got coming up, Jerome Lewie
really is the elder statesman. I talked about Lockhom Galvin,
he's nineteen. He's nineteen years old, and then you've got
Luke Metcalfe and Chanel Harris Tavita who are well obviously
older than that. More experienced than that, but as a
combination and suppose in terms of number of NRL games
(24:26):
and experienced as a Harves combination. So I'm really excited
to see how they compare, and specifically I guess how
Metcalfe goes against Lewis.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Yes, yes, that is a good point, and that's a
good challenge.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
I mean Andrew Weeps has said after we asked them
about the halves, and he said, you know, there were
good things against the Roosters and things they have to improve.
But he made the point, Hey, we're going to judge
Metcalfe and Harris Tavita or we're going to assess them.
We should assess them by about round eight or around nine,
I think he said. So he's saying, you know, they've
(25:01):
still got any time, which is fair enough because there
are a new combination. Metcalfe's what, he's played three games
as a starting seven. They are building, but we do
need to keep seeing improvement. They were pretty solid against
the Roosters, but there were still some options that weren't
quite right. There were still some kicks that the kicking
game was often kicks that weren't putting the the opposition
(25:26):
under pressure. All those little things and just decisions. So, yeah,
Louis is the man that will be running the show.
He's the guy they've got to stop and in contrast
to two Warriors six and seven have to really run
the game well for the Warriors because because I think
away from home, your kicking game is so crucial. You
(25:47):
don't want to be stuck in your own territory trying
to work it out, the crowd on your back. It
becomes it becomes a difficult afternoon, you know what. I
honestly because Loui has got a bit of a mouth
on him, right. Who in the Warriors?
Speaker 4 (26:02):
If Louis starts throwing some barbs, it's us throwing some
barbs out there, talking a bit of smack. Tigers go
up six in the early Who in the Warriors is
going to stand up and give some back? Or do
we go, oh no, We're in New Zealanders.
Speaker 6 (26:12):
We don't do that.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
Who, Yeah, who is the guy in the Warriors team?
I mean Dylan Walker? Possibly, it was always Jesse Devanger.
He was the guy that you would rely on for that.
Now that Jazz is gone, there's a lot of kind
of guys that are a bit are a bit quieter,
so you'd probably point towards the Aussies. Mitch's captain, so
(26:34):
he can't. I can't see metcalf doing it. Metcalfe not
really Wade Egans not that type either, So I think
it'll just be.
Speaker 6 (26:44):
We need a loud mouth.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
That's the biggest issue the Warriors are facing the the
in the twenty forty four season.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
We need a smart ass in the team.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Yeah, I mean when as a Green, as a it's
always it's always maybe you just get the result and
then you do the talking. But yeah, Louie, you're right.
He likes to he likes to have a go and
it's a fascinating game.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
It really is. This one.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
Bring it on.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
The Big League Podcast, The Warriors Bad Wagons since day one,
the big League Podcast for the biggest league fans.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
Right, but just finish off with some quick fire predictions.
We are even sick sore from the last round. It's
Nick and Nick. What was the tip of the round?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Though? I reckon it was Raiders.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Don't you think everyone was getting excited about the Raiders
and the Burgess crystal Ball got it right that they
couldn't keep it going Manly a Brook fail et cetera,
et cetera.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Yeah, I think it's probably the tip of the round.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
I'm going to go with my tips of the Tigers
and the Bulldogs. Even though I wrote I always write
them off. I picked both of them and they both
got the wins.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
So yeah, tipping favorites, Yeah, that's always that's always a
great effort. Yeah, Brady yourself there, Yeah, get down to
allis then your favorites there.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
Actually I went to the races once at the starter
last year. I think I came. I made money. I
made money my one time at the races. I didn't
make much money. That's a good effic, but I did
make some money. It's not easy, it doesn't some of
us have got a gift. Yeah, rabbit Os, Panthers. We'll
(28:29):
go with the Panthers here.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
I find Thursday night games quite hard to tip personally
because it's a short turnaround. I don't think players enjoy
Thursday nights at all. It's sort of you want to
play on the weekend, man, you know, I mean, get
rid of these Thursday nights. But that's I sound like
a grumpy old man again. But yeah, the Panthers. I
just think the rabbit O's they're playing well, there's got
too many injuries, and the Panthers will obviously want to
(28:55):
bounce back after losing in Melbourne.
Speaker 6 (28:58):
I agree with that.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
They often put the big game, like you get the
Panthers and the Storm playing a lot on Thursday nights,
as it was last week as well, so that obviously
do like the Thursday games and they go for the
heavyweight teams on that night.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
Roosters versus the Titans. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Interesting.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
The Titans really showed something when everyone was starting to
write them off for the season. I had, Yeah, a
lot of people were mate to come back and do
what they did, which I guess shows des Hasler coach
still got a point to prove. And then the Roosters,
you know, they'll want to they'll want to rebound. They went,
they weren't completely devastated about about Friday night. They thought
(29:37):
they'd played well. They did from the looks of the
Desko and Robinson what they were saying after the match.
But obviously they want to get back to winning and
I think they're well because they've got the base of
decent team there. They've got probably got more players coming
back this week. So I'll go for the roosters at home.
I will agree with you.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Dolphins versus the Broncos, Dolphins still no wins. You're quite
worried about the Dolphins.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
I think we're seeing the effects of you know, Wayne
Bennett leaving a club. Christian Wilfer got a lot of
time for is that he's a good coach. You did
an amazing thing with Tonga. He was a really highly
rated assistant. But stepping into the shoes of Wayne Bennett's
that's hard and it has been hard. They'll be up
for this Queensland Derby, but you know, the Broncos and
(30:22):
Theer Maguire, I think I think they'll be too good.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
My minor Premiers tips the Brisbane Broncos bouncing back from
their loss to the Raiders beating the Cowboys, who also
still without. When dragons versus the storm, must I say
that is that is a gutsy tip that minor Premiers tip.
I was really really admired that, And who knows, if
you're right, you would look like a genius dragon storm.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
The storm could be pushed here.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
The dragons are building nicely, but the storm of the storm.
It's early season. They're doing everything right and they will
keep on rolling.
Speaker 6 (30:57):
No disagreements so far. Cowboys Raiders, Cowboys Raiders in North Queensland.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
In North Queensland, surely the Cowboys are due something. The
Raider's got the long trip coming off a bad loss.
I might just go for a sneaky North Queensland prediction here, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
I'm gonna take the opportunity to go up one tip here.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
Shark's Bulldogs Sharks Bulldogs. I mean, yeah, there's all this
talk about the Bulldogs, but I think we don't fair enough. No,
I just think I just think the Sharks are a
better team at home.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
This will be really close.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
This is probably one of the two or three hardest
to tip, but I'll go for Cornella.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
In this round.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
I'm going to go for cornello as well.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Seagles versus the Eels. Yeah, okay, so I'm gone.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
Surely the Eels come right every every week last year
and he started the season off the right way tipping
the Eels.
Speaker 6 (31:49):
They are from three.
Speaker 5 (31:50):
Yeah, my Heels are my charity charity charity tip because
I think I've tipped them twice already this year and
they just don't give anything back. So no, I will
not be tipping the Eels again for quite a while
until I see something. The Seagules obviously right at the
ship and they'll be they'll be too good for para matter.
I agree with you there to.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Finish Tigers versus the Warriors at Campbelltown Sports Center.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Yeah, toss a coin.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
This is going to be one, I'm sure, and when
we go to look at the tarb odds, it's going
to be a dollar eighty five and a dollar ninety two.
It's going to be super close. I love the fact
this on a Sunday. Please can we have more Sunday games?
There's something something magic about Sunday.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
But yeah, the Warriors need to keep need to keep winning.
Speaker 5 (32:33):
They have a buy after this round, so they it's
absolutely vital to get the result or at least at
least play really well. I think they can win again.
I think there's improvement in them. They showed enough. They'll
take a lot of confidence from from from the roosters.
It won't be easy, but yeah, the Warriors for mine.
(32:53):
I cannot wait.
Speaker 6 (32:54):
How good is the NRL BIRG.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
Please follow and rate the podcast that'll do us for
this week. Thank you Michael Burgess for your time. You're
Worsdom your insight. My name is Nathan Limb. Have a
fantastic week and we'll be back next Monday m HM.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
For more from News Talk set B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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