April 21, 2025 • 34 mins
This week on The Big League Podcast - Warriors half Chanel Harris Tavita reviews the golden point victory over the Broncos and looks back at his season so far.
Newstalk ZB's Nathan Limm and NZ Herald's Michael Burgess highlight Luke Metcalf's composure, Kurt Capewell's pace and why the Warriors are going to run straight over the top of the Knights on Anzac Day.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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
Big League Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
News TALKSB.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, Warriors half Chanelle
Harris Tavita reviews the Golden Point victory over the Broncos
and looks back at his season so far. Michael Burgess
and I will highlight Luke Metcalf's composer, Kurt cape Well's
pace and why the Warriors are going to run straight
over the top of the Knights on Anzac Day.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
My name is Nathan Limb. Let's go BLB.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
On Saturday night against the Broncos, Luke Metcalfe put on
a supreme display of mental fortitude and tenacity, an underlying
ability to back himself. Metcalfe had, Let's be honest, a
shocking night off the tea. You could see the frustration
in his face when his fourth conversion attempt bounced off
the upright. His performance overall had been mixed, still major
(01:09):
questions over the Warriors fifth tackle plays and Metcalf's ability
to steer them, but to then, in the highest pressure moment,
demand a shot at the post from fifty meters out
shows a mental toughness which separates the good from the great.
Champions have the presence to shake off setbacks and bottle
upset when it matters most. Michael Burgess, Senior in New
(01:32):
Zealand Herald, Right up, how did you feel when that
golden point penalty kick sailed over the post?
Speaker 4 (01:38):
It was pretty amazing, wasn't it.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
I've been lucky to see quite a few memorable occasions
it mounts made over the years, but that will be
right up there. That's something you will look back on
in years to come. The jubilation and the crowd Metcalfs
brinding off for his celebration. But the other thing is
how did I feel when they awarded the penalty.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I was.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
I was one of the guys in the press box saying, really,
they're going to go for the kicker. I was sort of,
I have to say, I was shaking my head. I
was thinking, gee, you kicked for territory, set up for
the field goal. I couldn't see how he was gonna
which is to your point, really Nathan's just been talking about,
I couldn't see how he was going to nail a
fifty meter kick given how he hadn't been striking the
(02:20):
ball that cleanly. And that was the point that Adam
Reynolds made to me after the match. He should have
said good on Luke because there's a lot of pressure
on him. He must have been feeling it. He hadn't
been kicking cleanly. That was Reynolds's words, and he came
up with the one that mattered.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah, and I suppose you know, we spoke to Luke
earlier this week and I asked him at Mount Smart
about what he thought about facing Reynolds and he said that,
you know Reynolds, he thought. He thinks of Reynolds as
probably the greatest NRL kicker of all time. So to
them get that praise from him after the match, I'm
sure he would have really really appreciated that. But yeah,
(02:57):
just to be able to shake off that frustration. You
could see when that conversion bounced off the posts, that
fourth one, he put his face in his hands and
he was really frustrated. You know, you're sort of sitting
there going where he's not having a good night off
the tee. I didn't I wasn't sure if he was
going to have the legs to make that fifty minute
cake but.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
He cleared it easily, cleared it easy.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
I mean that's you know, when you're in the press box,
it mounts. Mate, you're inside, so you're not aware of
the wind. And talking to Reynolds later, he said he thought, oh,
with the wind he'd have the distance was just where
they have the direction, so it was quite a strong wind.
But it wasn't just that he'd missed those kicks, because
to be fair, a few of them were wide out,
but the one from the Cordo's trail was a bit
(03:41):
closer and he should have nailed that.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
But it was the cost of missing those kicks.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
You know, if he gets one or two of those kicks,
they're not in golden point, especially that last one.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
They go to fourteen points ahead.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
I don't think the Bronco has come back with a
fourteen point margin, but that twelve point margin kept the
door open they came back, so they would have also
been on his mind, which adds more to your point about.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Just the just the cahoonies that he showed to do that.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
We're going to hear from Chanelle Harris ta Vita shortly,
but firstly, here are the highlights Warriors twenty Broncos eighteen
game is under.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Play here with Chris Bito, the repericulous game Casey Betcher
put Willison on his backside.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Now here's a little damper and walters he's through for
a simple sife Halaceba. Here's Bunnett's macy from the Warriors.
What a work out here, Cassie. That's a bogus try and.
Speaker 6 (04:39):
Looks plunky and it's picked up here, Bye, Curt, takeall.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
You can't run that. Take all the life. Arist Vida's
you're taught it, You're taught it. There's another one for
the Warriors that's good hands.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
That's really good Auntors actors is there?
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And another try for Jessey Arthurs. There's still plenty of
tackles in the Broncos here. Yeah, lovely kickup from Reynolds.
Of course he going back.
Speaker 7 (05:11):
It'st alive.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
So there's the try confirmed golden point underway here, and
here's Welsh.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Is he overcooked it?
Speaker 2 (05:20):
He has.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Testance is good directs. That's goods. Audio courtesy of sky
Sport The.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Big League Podcast podcast.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Right, Michael Burgess had a quick to Chanelle Harris ta
Vita after the game.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Let's take a listen. What are the emotions like after
a night like that. Yeah, crowd a bit of a
relief as well.
Speaker 7 (05:48):
Upcompor trise not long ago and let him in a
couple of times and they opened it up.
Speaker 8 (05:54):
And yes, happily we're closing out because as you say,
eighteen six up with fifteen minutes ago, you think, oh,
we're looking really good here, almost home, and then somehow
they find a way back. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (06:05):
I think lapses of concentration throughout the game.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
I think there's a bit of a better an improvement improvement.
Speaker 7 (06:13):
For us, But I think we had each other's backs
with Scrambler.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Our defense was a lot better than last week.
Speaker 8 (06:19):
So I think that's what got us say.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
What does a result like this mean for this team?
You know it's sort of still a new team, new spying.
What does this mean this kind of result?
Speaker 7 (06:30):
Yeah, I think it just shows us how like our
attack wasn't wasn't perfect, But I think we can still
win games with our defense, and there's something we missed
last week. And you have a quality side like Melbourne
too much more and they're gonna they're gonna run away
with it.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Yeah, just getting back to tackling with it.
Speaker 7 (06:50):
Come into the game with a defensive mindset, press and
continue to continuing to improve an an attack.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
You look pretty intense as well. The conditions. You know
your way, boy, teams win at each other. Yeah, there,
they are a solid team prompts.
Speaker 7 (07:07):
They got got some speed on the edges, and they
got big Patrick Carrigan and Paying Harshley in the way
in the middle. So yeah, I thought I thought it
was a good while to go after them. Gave us
some good kill position and some good looks early in
the game. And then yeah, I thought our middles worked
really hard.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Talking to defense, we saw Adam Reynolds after the match,
and you think he's still a bit saw from that
that you put on him in the first half.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Yeah, are we We trained all week for it.
Speaker 7 (07:34):
He's a he's a real schoolful player, Reynolds. And yeah,
we sort of sawt a few times, got training and yeah,
I just got confident that I could go go after
on that play.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
Hell are you feeling Chanel in this in this new
role of the season, How are you feeling about things?
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Yeah, I'm I'm happy. Yeah, just trying to get better.
Speaker 7 (07:55):
Every week, trying to know my fundamentals, tackling well executing skill.
It's hard to do consistently, but it's not gonna be
perfect every week. But if you work hard, you give
yourself a chance. So yeah, I just need to continue
to work in work on our game.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
And you came up with a really important player in
the second half to snaffle a loose ball, that sort
of thing you pride yourself on those desperate moments because
I think that led to it, that led to a
try a few few phases later.
Speaker 7 (08:21):
Yeah, I think that that was a bigger focus for
us this week, is just having each other's back, working
hard to get to get position.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
And it doesn't matter who's in our team.
Speaker 7 (08:31):
Sometimes people have to come over the players, and that
it was my team to come over the play.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
So I'm happy I've got the wall Froen And we've
got to talk about Luke. What were you thinking when
when Reese.
Speaker 5 (08:44):
Walsh kicks the kickoff long it's a penalty and was
there much discussion and Luke just seemed to put his
hand up and say I want to go for it.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
I was still wondering how Walsh you kicked the dead
into the window.
Speaker 7 (08:58):
He must have a massive bread on them, because yeah,
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
I still don't know how he did that, but no.
Speaker 7 (09:04):
Soon as as soon as he picked the wod we
all put thew pointing to two things in the air
and if we wanted him to go for it, and
we know he trains, he works hard on it, and
yeah he ice looks so that's yeah, it was a
big play.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
It was a big point. It's quite a magic moment too. Yeah,
the team I think more confident that he was he
was going to get that.
Speaker 7 (09:26):
Yeah, he works on it every week at training and yeah,
just happy for him to ice that moment.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And what was it like tonight?
Speaker 5 (09:37):
Well, that you have your sprite by the way, it's
not Sprite's people say this the one.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
What was it like tonight? Also having a spell at
dummy half? Oh I hated it. It was hate tackling.
Speaker 7 (09:50):
I'd rather tackle outside backs and back brows and paynehas
and Patrick Harrigan. Soh yeah, it wasn't It wasn't that fun.
But yeah, when you've got good players around here, makes of.
Speaker 8 (10:01):
It's a it's all part of the sort of I
guess you'll do anything anything for the team.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Right, Yeah, yeah, yeah, it just happened that.
Speaker 7 (10:12):
Yeah, where you wanted a movie there, so yeah, happy,
happy they got the result to be fair to do.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
And how's life for you off the field these days?
Speaker 5 (10:25):
You know, settling back into being a ceiling back into
being a footy player and everything that goes with it.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
But how's life off the field?
Speaker 7 (10:31):
No, it's really good. I like to see them going
pretty quick. But just trying to keep a consistent routine
off the field, trying to look after the body. That's
the main thing is staying on the field. Trying to
stay on the field and string some games games together
and build confidence, get better every week, and yeah, do
(10:52):
my job really and yeah it's pretty I love a
pretty simple life off the field.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Try and keep a simple on the field as well. Yeah,
I'm enjoying it though.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
Talking to Confidence, you guys seem to really, you know,
put what happens in Melbourne, put it behind you. And
just how did you all do that to go a
bit tonight with just a completely new focus and swots
back into it.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Yeah, I think it started out training.
Speaker 7 (11:18):
We we didn't have we had a short turnaround two,
didn't have lungs, but we really wanted to nail our
one training we had and focus on difference. We we
didn't want to tackle last week and we had put
forty odd points short.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Ons and.
Speaker 7 (11:36):
We wanted to tackle this week.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
So we tackled.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
And it's a pretty cool way now to look forward
to going down to christ to sell our crowd. I
mean that'll be hell of an occasion. Oh yeah, So
now there's some real momentum, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Yeah. Yeah, it's it's cliche as it sounds.
Speaker 7 (11:51):
It's one game at a time, but you take take
confidence from that game, take.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
The lessons as well, and yeah, keep moving forward.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I guess this is the big league podcast.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
This is how Yeah, a big league podcast on the
Warriors Bad Wagons.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
It's day one.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Really good to hear from Chanelle after that game. Let's
go through it in a little bit more detailed Burge.
First of all, Warriors coach Andrew Webster with his thoughts.
He thought that overall they were the better team on
the night.
Speaker 7 (12:24):
We deserved more, matter hard, but I was really proud
and I we didn't drop our bundle three or four times.
You could have thrown the town in, but we kept
finding away and that's what we've been talking about.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Came to tackle tonight, let's start by talking a little
bit more about Metcalf. Obviously we talked about that kick again.
We're going to go over these concerns around the fifth
tackle plays. But I noticed in the second half once
Metcalf started to kick the ball particularly there was a
grubber straight into the end goal which the Broncos were
forced to knock dead. I was thinking, more, please, more
of that his forty twenty, which was a big turning
(12:56):
or really put the Warriors in prime attacking position. A
spiral bomb that he put up which reaped havoc with
the Broncos and unluckily it bounced dead. But those are
the attacking threats that Metcalf's starting to show with the boot.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Yeah, he's got Look, he's he's at number seven because
he's partly because he's got the best kicking game. You know,
he's got the biggest kick obviously at the club. So
that's part of the reason why he's there. The question
is still around his organizing role, in his playmaking ability
and where's that going to come, because that's that's what
we still haven't seen that much of. You know, it
(13:31):
was a bit clunky at times, wasn't it. They had
a lot of ball in the Broncos twenty two the Warriors,
So that is the next step for him, for the
spine in general, for the halves. And it's funny how
this last kick you've forgotten a bit about that. But
but yeah, overall, I think we all need to remind
ourselves he's only played six games at number seven. We
(13:53):
do need to keep that in mind, and I think
we will judge him a bit later in the season.
But what I like the most is his involvement and
his confidence. No matter what happens in a match, he
is confident and just on that fifty penalty to win it.
This is what skipper Mitch Barnett said about it afterwards.
He says, Metcalf's confidence is what will make him great.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Cars don't get it right all the time.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
He's goal kicking, you know, he's missing a couple of
ones that he thinks he will get, you know, should
have got.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
But as soon as that boy went dead, he ran
straight over to me and he wanted that moment and
he took it.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
Yeah, it was interesting talking to Metcalf after the game
and I just asked him, you know, surely you were
nervous though, was so much on the line and the
fact that you'd had the big lead Broncos had come back.
He's thinking, and your oh, we've blown this a bit.
Surely you were nervous stepping up for the kick, and
he said, and the way your ant said you had
to believe him. He said, not really. I was excited.
(14:50):
This was the moment you dream about. This is what
you dream about when you're a kid down in the park.
And he also said, I've talked about this sort of
thing with Sean Johnson so much, and Sean used to
tell me about what it was like having a game
on the line and a kicker a field goal, and
he said, I'm looking forward so much having one of those,
and finally I got one. I got the chance to
(15:11):
experience it. So I really like that mindset.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
And let's not forget.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
He scored a try as well, thanks to a Kurt
Capewell cameo down the wing forty meters broke free Andrew Ribslee.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
He's stunned by Kirk cape Whale's pace. He looked, lying,
he's getting that fast. As you get older, you come
in He's going to end up on the wing or
if he keeps going that fast.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
A lot of people questioning him moving to the centers
from the second row for this game.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
How do you think he went? He were well, he
was defensively solid. I mean, he he had a couple
of decent runs. I mean, he's a pretty amazing guy.
Speaker 9 (15:49):
But that he took a chance, I mean going for
the corner, it was pretty obviously more I was sitting
that he wasn't going to make it, and so if
that pass didn't come off, it was it was an
amazing pass, But then it was an amazing.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Take by Metcalf.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
If that didn't come off, he'd be getting criticized for
not setting Metcalf up. But I know what he was
trying to do because Walsh was very clear he was
sort of shadowing Messcalf, so the pass wasn't that clear
straight away. But in fact, the moment when he was like,
I'm going for the corner and he went to go
from sort of third get to fifth gear and I thought,
(16:22):
there's still too far to go there, Kurt.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
But yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Metcalf was just jogging to keep up with the same
pace as Cape Well sprinting.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Metcalf joke though, he said, yeah, that past really tested me,
he tested my hamstrings.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
He's leaning down so far at full pace to catch it.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
But Metcalff made a good point about Cape Well, was
just that he's a pure footy player and he can
sort of he's that smart. He can fit into any position,
you know, and do a job. And that's what they
really needed him on Saturday with so many because that's
what we're probably going to get to such a makeshift lineup,
a lot of younger players on the field. They needed
(17:04):
someone like him just to be solid where he was
and he certainly certainly did that right.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Let's talk about these fifth tackle plays, which have been
an issue the whole season for the Warriors new harves combination.
We know it's going to take time, we know they're growing.
In that first half, repeated set restarts, even a penalty
on the Broncos line, the Warriors with sustained pressure inside
the Broncos twenty, and they just didn't look like they
(17:32):
had any ideas on attack. It was a bit side
to side one off runners. It looked like they were
deciding what they were doing when they got the ball
in their hands. Am I being too harsh here? But
they didn't They didn't manage to break through despite all
of that pressure.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Yeah, it didn't help a couple of times when Jackson
Ford got stuck as sort of first or second receiver.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
But Metcalf alluded to this as well.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
He said that they weren't great in that first period
of attack because I think you're right, they had a
lot of repeat sets.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Then they did a whole period of defense. I think
a confidence and that went back.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
I think to me, the main thing you can see
that's is that teams are rushing up on the outside.
They're doing that up and in defense instead of sliding,
and they're doing it because they don't feel threatened by
the warriors' ability to get them on the outside.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
They don't feel threatened by you know, one of those
passes over the top of that.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
So they're coming up and in so by the time
the ball goes through two or three sets of hands,
the defenders are right on them.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
So that's where that to me, is the major work on.
Speaker 5 (18:34):
They've got to find a way to make the defenders
hesitate and force them to do slide and defense because
when they're sliding there's much more options and there does
seem to be a lack of you know, the inside
balls and all those other things we see from other teams,
a change of directions, so it is a bit predictable,
as are some of their fittacal plays where they because
(18:54):
the attacks are a bit predictable.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
And then the fittagal players where.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
They'll run to the line and but put the grubber
in and they're too close to the fender so it
bounces off sins or something, or the kickers just a
bit more of a chip.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
I think we've all got to be patient. And that's
what Webster keeps emphasizing. He's not that he's not that
thrilled with the attack, but shit, he's really happy with
the defense, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
And there was some major, big, big one off tackles.
Think of Chanelle, Harris, Devita's and On Reynolds. In the
first half.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
On On Renalds big shot really got the crowd into it.
There was a couple of those.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
Well it was nice. I mean that, as Chanell mentioned
in our chat, he said that that actually been studying
Reynolds during the week and studying how he moves, and
they knew there was a chance to get him with
one of those and really rattle them, so I think
they were.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Pretty happy with that.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
I mean, defense is why the Warriors are where they are,
really like, their attack hasn't been sparkling this year.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
It's been okay, And you're right what you said before.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
If you look at their tries from Saturday night, there
was a Taine's half vollied kick after Bunnett's pass goes
to ground. There was the Broncos dropping the ball on
halfway and and Capble sprints away. So and then Harris
Davida setting up Cordate so opportunistic, you'd have to say.
But the defense, the defense in the manly game, the
(20:14):
Rooster's game, the Tigers game, the defense is doing the job.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
They look so.
Speaker 5 (20:20):
So connected and they just keep turning up for each other,
which is what we didn't see last season.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
I mean, let's face it, Nathan.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
They're four and two after six games. Who was predicting that?
After Las Vegas.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Let's shift focus to a couple of other players who
stood out from that Broncos game. Taine to Opeki's speed
on display in the lead up to liquor Halla, Seema's
try Hala Sema showing pace and power. Let's talk about
both those players but firstly, Tane does he look better
at fullback than Chance has so far this year? Because
to me he looked much more threatening with ball at hand,
(20:58):
and I definitely like him a lot better at fullback
than I do in the wing.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
I mean, I mean he struggled against Melbourne obviously at fullback,
but everyone did that day.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
He was really good.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
I think Taane's certain types of opposition and certain types
of games, but he's been pretty good on the wing too,
to be fair, I thought, considering he's never played there.
To me, this is one of the questions of the week.
You know, what does Andrew Webs to do for the
night's game, because I think in theory Chants could play
with the concussion protocols of that stay twelve. He's okay
(21:28):
by Friday, But to me it's a no brainer. You
I don't know what you think, but you give Chance
another week off. You say, look, just get yourself right,
get your head right, get your body right, freshen up,
and you give Tane another chance. You say, Tane, you
did so well, we're putting you back out there rather
than rushing Chance back in for a game like this,
(21:51):
especially a game where you think, hey, this is you know,
they're going to be favorites as well.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
But yeah, the longer term question is going to be
really interesting.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Lecky Hallaesima needs to have his hands on the ball
as much as possible.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Would you start him again cap well in the centers? No,
I don't think I would. I think that's sort of
a you don't want to you know this anything, You
don't want to push your luck. You know you can.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
You can push your luck on a Saturday night sometimes,
but not every Saturday night, if.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
You know what I mean. Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
let's yeah, let's not expand on that.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
But so I think if if Rockerberry's available and they've
got the sort of specialists available, you go back to
your specialist team because what I don't want them to
do is overdo it with Leka. But yeah, there's increasing
signs that he's more and more ready, isn't he? I
(22:51):
mean I think he played what did he play? Sixty
five sixty nine minutes on Saturday. It's a big stint
against a big pack, and you know he doesn't look
out of place at all, doesn't he?
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Big League Podcast right, The Warriors face the Newcastle Knights
on front in christ The Knights are on a four
game losing streak, going down at home thirty four to
fourteen to the Sharks in the round just gone. They
are the lowest scoring team this season, just sixty points
while conceding one hundred and twenty. Across those last four losses,
(23:26):
they've only scored twenty four. But they are not a
team that likes scoring anyway. Last year they had the
second lowest points in the competition but still qualified for
the finals somehow. And they've just been riddled with errors
through their games so far. They've got five forwards out
with injury, but is that really an excuse. Who doesn't
(23:46):
have that many players out of injury.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Oh it's pretty tough though. Just NRL's crawl like that.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
I feel like the NRL, the worst your form is
the worst you're going with in terms of your form,
the more chance you're going to have more injuries.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
It just seems to work like that. And the team's
near the top have less injury.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
So the most concerning thing to me about Newcastle I
was a Newcastle fan, is the way they've been going
at home.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
It has always been a fortress to go there. I
talk to Warriors players of the past.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
So like, that's one of the hardest places to go
and play Newcastle because the fans are just they get on,
the referees back the whole game. The players are, you know,
really up for the occasion. The fact they've been just
getting done at home is incredible. So I think they've
got they've got real problems.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
You know.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
I don't want to preempt this big magical bounce back
in christ Church, but yeah, you think.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
It's not going to be an easy game for them.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
I would have thought coming down playing in the christ
Church against the fight up Warriors in front of a
sell out crowd.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Klem Ponger, is he? Like, what is going on?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
There's so many rumors around Kaylum Ponger. Oh he's going
to play for the Keys? Is he going to do
State of Origin? Is he leaving the Knights? What's actually
going on?
Speaker 5 (24:53):
All I can tell you is I've spoken to people
pretty close to the Warriors that so they haven't had
any conversations with him or a player of that caliber.
You know, it's not something that because they can't they
can't until no one can until what he is in
contract till the end of twenty So no one can
speak to him until November November twenty sixth. Anyway, I
(25:13):
don't think the Knights would grant him an early release,
but also know he's not going to be happy getting
smashed all season, so his position puts more pressure on
the coach, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
He's been pretty lord in Newcastle.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
So it's quite sad, isn't it, Because he's the kind
of player you want to see in a team doing well.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
He's just that good.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
He's the player that you turn on the TV to watch,
a genuine superstar, love watching him play, and he's in
a team that's going backwards all the time far out.
But the other question for me around the Knights game
and what happens on Friday is the composition of this
forward pack and just the rotation, because it still seems
(25:54):
a bit strange that bunti Alfoa. Since he's come back
to me, he's looked quite good. He told us you
were there, Nathan. He told us he feels he's kind
of got a point to prove. Obviously a lot of
competition for spots in that pack. Look quite good against
the Storm. I thought he got eighteen minutes on Saturday
which is okay, but I think Jackson Ford got almost
(26:14):
seventy and Ford has got an incredible engine. I know
Webbs has got a lot of faith in him, but
the balance there, I'm not sure about. Bunty's a big body.
He I think they need someone out there at the
moment without Forsha Harris. All I can think of is
that Webster's got some doubts about Bunty's defense. About is
sort of lateral movement. I'm not sure, but that one
is an interesting one with the rotation. And the other
(26:37):
thing is what they do with Tomati. You know, he
had what did he have here? Fifteen minutes at the
end when Egan got a break, and I quite like that.
I quite like giving Egan a break and putting Chanell
to dumb behalf. I know Chanell didn't love it, as
as he mentioned to me in that chat, but I
really think Egan is so important, mate. I really don't
(27:00):
hope they're not sort of, you know, thrashing him because
these cumulative eighty minute efforts they do add up and
they get you after a while.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
So my big concern is what happens when Wade Egan
gets in, because it's not if with Wade, it's not
if it's going to happen. And to me with the
Warriors attack being a little bit stunted at this point
in time, Eagan is so important with his ability to
peel off meters around the ruck and create that space,
(27:31):
hold that space.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Warriors rely a lot on him with ball in hand.
Speaker 5 (27:36):
Yeah, he's critical, just as passing, like he didn't run
much on Saturday, it wasn't that kind of game, sloshing
around and the workmen he gaps up the middle. But
just as passing you talk to the Fords, he gives
him sort an extra meter with his pass, his vision
and his deception. He's vital and it's a good point
actually if he does get injured because he's playing in
(27:57):
such a physical position and it happens, who's up next,
you know, Freddy Lussk, Sam Healley, Freddy Lussick, Sam Heeley,
Sam Helly's actually been starting great ahead of Lassex. So yeah,
I guess Herely's the guy, because you wouldn't go makeshift.
I'm sure you wouldn't go. Okay, we're just going to
play shenew there the whole match, and we're going to
(28:17):
play Aaron Clark. I just can't see them doing that.
They'd want a specialist. So look, let's hope that's not
a topic for quite a while.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
The Big League Podcast on the Warriors Badwagon since day one.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
The big League Podcast for the biggest league fans.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
All Right, Bert's quick fire predictions to finish this week's episode,
It's a bumper match to start, Broncos in Brisbane against
the Bulldogs who are now six and oh Sex.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Sex.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
I really felt for Michael Maguire on Saturday. You know,
it was really good to see him, but he was just,
you know, I think he was struggling to express what
he wanted to say. But you know, the Broncos they
dominated the first half and aways should have had more points.
Then they come back and then they can't engineer a
field goal in the last couple of minutes. They didn't
(29:14):
you manage to get Renal to have a shot. He's
one of the best in the business at it, he
must have been so. And then Walsh does that kickoff.
I mean we didn't really even talk about that, but
far out there are a lot of things that went
against their way. What I'm trying to say is they
still played fairly well, but they're actually under a lot
of pressure now. It feels like this game is almost
a must win. They need a bit of a turnaround
and prove a point against the Bulldogs. And I don't
(29:35):
know if the Bulldogs are that good, but I always
say that maybe they are. They're certainly looking good. So
I'm going to tip the home team here to really respond,
although I'm pretty sure they'll almost certainly be without Reese Waltz,
which is another blow.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
But I'll go with the Broncos here.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah, well out for four to six weeks. I'm going
to back the Bulldogs to win again. Roosters versus the
Dragons in Sydney.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
Oh yeah, I mean look at the Dragons lately. I
mean they beat manly at the weekend. The Roosters couldn't
continue after that big win over the Broncos. This is
toss the coin stuff. Although that's my cliche I sale
at the time as an excuse for I'm not sure,
so I'll go with I'll go with the Roosters here.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Rooster's got absolutely pumped by the Panthers, conceded forty points.
They're in a bit of a state. I'm going to
go with the Dragons Warriors versus the Nights and christ Judge.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
Yeah, look, it's hard to see anything but the Warriors win.
They're really good in christ Church. They're really confident, they've
got momentum, they've got belief. The short turnaround or suit
them much more than it suits the Knights who have
to travel, and they get a few players back.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
So add all that up, it's hard to see anything
but a home win. Yeah. I mean we say that,
but this competition, you just cannot. I didn't. I wrote
them off against the Broncos last week. Denials too many
players and the Broncos. But I am going to back
the Warriors to win this one.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Storm Rabbit O's did you see the Storm get absolutely
pumped by the Dolphins burge and not.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Just that, but they were they were they they were ahead,
they were head in the first half by a decent margin.
They started well and then just came just got last week.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
Last week you said it'll be a long long time
before I ever tip against the Storm again.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Yeah, and I said, as I said, oh, you know,
no one can get close to them, and here we are.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
The only thing that both of us should have realized,
probably is that they had an extremely short turn around.
They played on a Sunday and against the Warriors, and
so very short turn around, shorter than the Dolphins, and
that to travel. So I guess they're a bit vulnerable,
but far out to lose by that much. They surely
won't lose again. But then the rabbit O's got smashed
(31:47):
as well, and they'll be they'll be up for something.
But I think what I did say last week, Nath
was it a long time before I tip against the
Storm in Melbourne, hoping that's what I said.
Speaker 6 (31:59):
So they're back in Melbourne and they'll be back to
being the Storm. Cowboys versus the Titans Queensland Derby. Yes,
this is always quite a good rivalry, this one.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
The Titans of course showing signs of life and the
Cowboys recovered from their poor start.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
This is quite The Titans were looking so good before
and then I started tipping them and then they went
crap again. They can see the thirty eight against the
Dragons a couple of weeks ago and come from behind
when for the Raiders thirty to twenty over the Titans
in the round just gone. They've only got two wins
(32:37):
now for the season. They slipped down them able to thirteenth,
Cowboys up to ninth.
Speaker 5 (32:40):
I mean, they're never going to be consistent. They're what
you call a fragile team that can be good on
their day. But I think the Cowboys at home will
do this one.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
Panthers versus the Seagulls, and the Panthers back, well they are.
I told you they were back last week.
Speaker 5 (32:57):
That's why I topped and beat the Roosters as you
as you remember, so yeah, they were always going to
rediscover something. And the Seagules in a bit of a hole.
So Penis who continue their little mini resurgence.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
Penrith at home as well. Raiders Dolphins, Jeez.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
I don't know, mate, this is a good this is
a good Contest's that's probably this is the one you
see at the TB and it's a dollar eighty a
dollar ADI because the Dolphins. You know, there were all
these articles about the Wayne Bennett factor and how clubs
always fall over the year after he leaves. But actually
Christian Wolf, the new coach, former assistant, doing well Raiders Dolphins.
(33:32):
I'll still back camera at home, but this one will
be very close.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
I'm going to back camera as well, and to finish Tigers.
This is the Sharks.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
Tigers is the Sharks year. I mean, a lot going
on for the Tigers. The Sharks should have too much,
too much for the Tigers. But Tigers at home unless
you I really like what they're doing at home. The
Benji has got them going well at home.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
You have to say that. But you go for the Sharks.
Going for the Sharks, Yes, I will agree with you there.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Thank you, Michael. We just for your time, you wisdom,
your insight. That will do us on the Big League
Podcast for this week. We will be back next Monday
to review the night game what is hopefully a win
on Anzac Day in christ Church. Thanks so much for
making us a part of your week. My name is
Nathan Limb. Have a fantastic week.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
For more from News Talk st 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
Big League Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
News TALKSB.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
This week on The Big League Podcast, Warriors half Chanelle
Harris Tavita reviews the Golden Point victory over the Broncos
and looks back at his season so far. Michael Burgess
and I will highlight Luke Metcalf's composer, Kurt cape Well's
pace and why the Warriors are going to run straight
over the top of the Knights on Anzac Day.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
My name is Nathan Limb. Let's go BLB.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
On Saturday night against the Broncos, Luke Metcalfe put on
a supreme display of mental fortitude and tenacity, an underlying
ability to back himself. Metcalfe had, Let's be honest, a
shocking night off the tea. You could see the frustration
in his face when his fourth conversion attempt bounced off
the upright. His performance overall had been mixed, still major
(01:09):
questions over the Warriors fifth tackle plays and Metcalf's ability
to steer them, but to then, in the highest pressure moment,
demand a shot at the post from fifty meters out
shows a mental toughness which separates the good from the great.
Champions have the presence to shake off setbacks and bottle
upset when it matters most. Michael Burgess, Senior in New
(01:32):
Zealand Herald, Right up, how did you feel when that
golden point penalty kick sailed over the post?
Speaker 4 (01:38):
It was pretty amazing, wasn't it.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
I've been lucky to see quite a few memorable occasions
it mounts made over the years, but that will be
right up there. That's something you will look back on
in years to come. The jubilation and the crowd Metcalfs
brinding off for his celebration. But the other thing is
how did I feel when they awarded the penalty.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I was.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
I was one of the guys in the press box saying, really,
they're going to go for the kicker. I was sort of,
I have to say, I was shaking my head. I
was thinking, gee, you kicked for territory, set up for
the field goal. I couldn't see how he was gonna
which is to your point, really Nathan's just been talking about,
I couldn't see how he was going to nail a
fifty meter kick given how he hadn't been striking the
(02:20):
ball that cleanly. And that was the point that Adam
Reynolds made to me after the match. He should have
said good on Luke because there's a lot of pressure
on him. He must have been feeling it. He hadn't
been kicking cleanly. That was Reynolds's words, and he came
up with the one that mattered.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah, and I suppose you know, we spoke to Luke
earlier this week and I asked him at Mount Smart
about what he thought about facing Reynolds and he said that,
you know Reynolds, he thought. He thinks of Reynolds as
probably the greatest NRL kicker of all time. So to
them get that praise from him after the match, I'm
sure he would have really really appreciated that. But yeah,
(02:57):
just to be able to shake off that frustration. You
could see when that conversion bounced off the posts, that
fourth one, he put his face in his hands and
he was really frustrated. You know, you're sort of sitting
there going where he's not having a good night off
the tee. I didn't I wasn't sure if he was
going to have the legs to make that fifty minute
cake but.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
He cleared it easily, cleared it easy.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
I mean that's you know, when you're in the press box,
it mounts. Mate, you're inside, so you're not aware of
the wind. And talking to Reynolds later, he said he thought, oh,
with the wind he'd have the distance was just where
they have the direction, so it was quite a strong wind.
But it wasn't just that he'd missed those kicks, because
to be fair, a few of them were wide out,
but the one from the Cordo's trail was a bit
(03:41):
closer and he should have nailed that.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
But it was the cost of missing those kicks.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
You know, if he gets one or two of those kicks,
they're not in golden point, especially that last one.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
They go to fourteen points ahead.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
I don't think the Bronco has come back with a
fourteen point margin, but that twelve point margin kept the
door open they came back, so they would have also
been on his mind, which adds more to your point about.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Just the just the cahoonies that he showed to do that.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
We're going to hear from Chanelle Harris ta Vita shortly,
but firstly, here are the highlights Warriors twenty Broncos eighteen
game is under.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Play here with Chris Bito, the repericulous game Casey Betcher
put Willison on his backside.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Now here's a little damper and walters he's through for
a simple sife Halaceba. Here's Bunnett's macy from the Warriors.
What a work out here, Cassie. That's a bogus try and.
Speaker 6 (04:39):
Looks plunky and it's picked up here, Bye, Curt, takeall.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
You can't run that. Take all the life. Arist Vida's
you're taught it, You're taught it. There's another one for
the Warriors that's good hands.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
That's really good Auntors actors is there?
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And another try for Jessey Arthurs. There's still plenty of
tackles in the Broncos here. Yeah, lovely kickup from Reynolds.
Of course he going back.
Speaker 7 (05:11):
It'st alive.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
So there's the try confirmed golden point underway here, and
here's Welsh.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Is he overcooked it?
Speaker 2 (05:20):
He has.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Testance is good directs. That's goods. Audio courtesy of sky
Sport The.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Big League Podcast podcast.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Right, Michael Burgess had a quick to Chanelle Harris ta
Vita after the game.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Let's take a listen. What are the emotions like after
a night like that. Yeah, crowd a bit of a
relief as well.
Speaker 7 (05:48):
Upcompor trise not long ago and let him in a
couple of times and they opened it up.
Speaker 8 (05:54):
And yes, happily we're closing out because as you say,
eighteen six up with fifteen minutes ago, you think, oh,
we're looking really good here, almost home, and then somehow
they find a way back. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (06:05):
I think lapses of concentration throughout the game.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
I think there's a bit of a better an improvement improvement.
Speaker 7 (06:13):
For us, But I think we had each other's backs
with Scrambler.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Our defense was a lot better than last week.
Speaker 8 (06:19):
So I think that's what got us say.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
What does a result like this mean for this team?
You know it's sort of still a new team, new spying.
What does this mean this kind of result?
Speaker 7 (06:30):
Yeah, I think it just shows us how like our
attack wasn't wasn't perfect, But I think we can still
win games with our defense, and there's something we missed
last week. And you have a quality side like Melbourne
too much more and they're gonna they're gonna run away
with it.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Yeah, just getting back to tackling with it.
Speaker 7 (06:50):
Come into the game with a defensive mindset, press and
continue to continuing to improve an an attack.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
You look pretty intense as well. The conditions. You know
your way, boy, teams win at each other. Yeah, there,
they are a solid team prompts.
Speaker 7 (07:07):
They got got some speed on the edges, and they
got big Patrick Carrigan and Paying Harshley in the way
in the middle. So yeah, I thought I thought it
was a good while to go after them. Gave us
some good kill position and some good looks early in
the game. And then yeah, I thought our middles worked
really hard.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Talking to defense, we saw Adam Reynolds after the match,
and you think he's still a bit saw from that
that you put on him in the first half.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Yeah, are we We trained all week for it.
Speaker 7 (07:34):
He's a he's a real schoolful player, Reynolds. And yeah,
we sort of sawt a few times, got training and yeah,
I just got confident that I could go go after
on that play.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
Hell are you feeling Chanel in this in this new
role of the season, How are you feeling about things?
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Yeah, I'm I'm happy. Yeah, just trying to get better.
Speaker 7 (07:55):
Every week, trying to know my fundamentals, tackling well executing skill.
It's hard to do consistently, but it's not gonna be
perfect every week. But if you work hard, you give
yourself a chance. So yeah, I just need to continue
to work in work on our game.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
And you came up with a really important player in
the second half to snaffle a loose ball, that sort
of thing you pride yourself on those desperate moments because
I think that led to it, that led to a
try a few few phases later.
Speaker 7 (08:21):
Yeah, I think that that was a bigger focus for
us this week, is just having each other's back, working
hard to get to get position.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
And it doesn't matter who's in our team.
Speaker 7 (08:31):
Sometimes people have to come over the players, and that
it was my team to come over the play.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
So I'm happy I've got the wall Froen And we've
got to talk about Luke. What were you thinking when
when Reese.
Speaker 5 (08:44):
Walsh kicks the kickoff long it's a penalty and was
there much discussion and Luke just seemed to put his
hand up and say I want to go for it.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
I was still wondering how Walsh you kicked the dead
into the window.
Speaker 7 (08:58):
He must have a massive bread on them, because yeah,
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
I still don't know how he did that, but no.
Speaker 7 (09:04):
Soon as as soon as he picked the wod we
all put thew pointing to two things in the air
and if we wanted him to go for it, and
we know he trains, he works hard on it, and
yeah he ice looks so that's yeah, it was a
big play.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
It was a big point. It's quite a magic moment too. Yeah,
the team I think more confident that he was he
was going to get that.
Speaker 7 (09:26):
Yeah, he works on it every week at training and yeah,
just happy for him to ice that moment.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And what was it like tonight?
Speaker 5 (09:37):
Well, that you have your sprite by the way, it's
not Sprite's people say this the one.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
What was it like tonight? Also having a spell at
dummy half? Oh I hated it. It was hate tackling.
Speaker 7 (09:50):
I'd rather tackle outside backs and back brows and paynehas
and Patrick Harrigan. Soh yeah, it wasn't It wasn't that fun.
But yeah, when you've got good players around here, makes of.
Speaker 8 (10:01):
It's a it's all part of the sort of I
guess you'll do anything anything for the team.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Right, Yeah, yeah, yeah, it just happened that.
Speaker 7 (10:12):
Yeah, where you wanted a movie there, so yeah, happy,
happy they got the result to be fair to do.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
And how's life for you off the field these days?
Speaker 5 (10:25):
You know, settling back into being a ceiling back into
being a footy player and everything that goes with it.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
But how's life off the field?
Speaker 7 (10:31):
No, it's really good. I like to see them going
pretty quick. But just trying to keep a consistent routine
off the field, trying to look after the body. That's
the main thing is staying on the field. Trying to
stay on the field and string some games games together
and build confidence, get better every week, and yeah, do
(10:52):
my job really and yeah it's pretty I love a
pretty simple life off the field.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Try and keep a simple on the field as well. Yeah,
I'm enjoying it though.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
Talking to Confidence, you guys seem to really, you know,
put what happens in Melbourne, put it behind you. And
just how did you all do that to go a
bit tonight with just a completely new focus and swots
back into it.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Yeah, I think it started out training.
Speaker 7 (11:18):
We we didn't have we had a short turnaround two,
didn't have lungs, but we really wanted to nail our
one training we had and focus on difference. We we
didn't want to tackle last week and we had put
forty odd points short.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Ons and.
Speaker 7 (11:36):
We wanted to tackle this week.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
So we tackled.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
And it's a pretty cool way now to look forward
to going down to christ to sell our crowd. I
mean that'll be hell of an occasion. Oh yeah, So
now there's some real momentum, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Yeah. Yeah, it's it's cliche as it sounds.
Speaker 7 (11:51):
It's one game at a time, but you take take
confidence from that game, take.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
The lessons as well, and yeah, keep moving forward.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I guess this is the big league podcast.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
This is how Yeah, a big league podcast on the
Warriors Bad Wagons.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
It's day one.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Really good to hear from Chanelle after that game. Let's
go through it in a little bit more detailed Burge.
First of all, Warriors coach Andrew Webster with his thoughts.
He thought that overall they were the better team on
the night.
Speaker 7 (12:24):
We deserved more, matter hard, but I was really proud
and I we didn't drop our bundle three or four times.
You could have thrown the town in, but we kept
finding away and that's what we've been talking about.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Came to tackle tonight, let's start by talking a little
bit more about Metcalf. Obviously we talked about that kick again.
We're going to go over these concerns around the fifth
tackle plays. But I noticed in the second half once
Metcalf started to kick the ball particularly there was a
grubber straight into the end goal which the Broncos were
forced to knock dead. I was thinking, more, please, more
of that his forty twenty, which was a big turning
(12:56):
or really put the Warriors in prime attacking position. A
spiral bomb that he put up which reaped havoc with
the Broncos and unluckily it bounced dead. But those are
the attacking threats that Metcalf's starting to show with the boot.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Yeah, he's got Look, he's he's at number seven because
he's partly because he's got the best kicking game. You know,
he's got the biggest kick obviously at the club. So
that's part of the reason why he's there. The question
is still around his organizing role, in his playmaking ability
and where's that going to come, because that's that's what
we still haven't seen that much of. You know, it
(13:31):
was a bit clunky at times, wasn't it. They had
a lot of ball in the Broncos twenty two the Warriors,
So that is the next step for him, for the
spine in general, for the halves. And it's funny how
this last kick you've forgotten a bit about that. But
but yeah, overall, I think we all need to remind
ourselves he's only played six games at number seven. We
(13:53):
do need to keep that in mind, and I think
we will judge him a bit later in the season.
But what I like the most is his involvement and
his confidence. No matter what happens in a match, he
is confident and just on that fifty penalty to win it.
This is what skipper Mitch Barnett said about it afterwards.
He says, Metcalf's confidence is what will make him great.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Cars don't get it right all the time.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
He's goal kicking, you know, he's missing a couple of
ones that he thinks he will get, you know, should
have got.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
But as soon as that boy went dead, he ran
straight over to me and he wanted that moment and
he took it.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
Yeah, it was interesting talking to Metcalf after the game
and I just asked him, you know, surely you were
nervous though, was so much on the line and the
fact that you'd had the big lead Broncos had come back.
He's thinking, and your oh, we've blown this a bit.
Surely you were nervous stepping up for the kick, and
he said, and the way your ant said you had
to believe him. He said, not really. I was excited.
(14:50):
This was the moment you dream about. This is what
you dream about when you're a kid down in the park.
And he also said, I've talked about this sort of
thing with Sean Johnson so much, and Sean used to
tell me about what it was like having a game
on the line and a kicker a field goal, and
he said, I'm looking forward so much having one of those,
and finally I got one. I got the chance to
(15:11):
experience it. So I really like that mindset.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
And let's not forget.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
He scored a try as well, thanks to a Kurt
Capewell cameo down the wing forty meters broke free Andrew Ribslee.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
He's stunned by Kirk cape Whale's pace. He looked, lying,
he's getting that fast. As you get older, you come
in He's going to end up on the wing or
if he keeps going that fast.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
A lot of people questioning him moving to the centers
from the second row for this game.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
How do you think he went? He were well, he
was defensively solid. I mean, he he had a couple
of decent runs. I mean, he's a pretty amazing guy.
Speaker 9 (15:49):
But that he took a chance, I mean going for
the corner, it was pretty obviously more I was sitting
that he wasn't going to make it, and so if
that pass didn't come off, it was it was an
amazing pass, But then it was an amazing.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Take by Metcalf.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
If that didn't come off, he'd be getting criticized for
not setting Metcalf up. But I know what he was
trying to do because Walsh was very clear he was
sort of shadowing Messcalf, so the pass wasn't that clear
straight away. But in fact, the moment when he was like,
I'm going for the corner and he went to go
from sort of third get to fifth gear and I thought,
(16:22):
there's still too far to go there, Kurt.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
But yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Metcalf was just jogging to keep up with the same
pace as Cape Well sprinting.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Metcalf joke though, he said, yeah, that past really tested me,
he tested my hamstrings.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
He's leaning down so far at full pace to catch it.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
But Metcalff made a good point about Cape Well, was
just that he's a pure footy player and he can
sort of he's that smart. He can fit into any position,
you know, and do a job. And that's what they
really needed him on Saturday with so many because that's
what we're probably going to get to such a makeshift lineup,
a lot of younger players on the field. They needed
(17:04):
someone like him just to be solid where he was
and he certainly certainly did that right.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Let's talk about these fifth tackle plays, which have been
an issue the whole season for the Warriors new harves combination.
We know it's going to take time, we know they're growing.
In that first half, repeated set restarts, even a penalty
on the Broncos line, the Warriors with sustained pressure inside
the Broncos twenty, and they just didn't look like they
(17:32):
had any ideas on attack. It was a bit side
to side one off runners. It looked like they were
deciding what they were doing when they got the ball
in their hands. Am I being too harsh here? But
they didn't They didn't manage to break through despite all
of that pressure.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Yeah, it didn't help a couple of times when Jackson
Ford got stuck as sort of first or second receiver.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
But Metcalf alluded to this as well.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
He said that they weren't great in that first period
of attack because I think you're right, they had a
lot of repeat sets.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Then they did a whole period of defense. I think
a confidence and that went back.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
I think to me, the main thing you can see
that's is that teams are rushing up on the outside.
They're doing that up and in defense instead of sliding,
and they're doing it because they don't feel threatened by
the warriors' ability to get them on the outside.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
They don't feel threatened by you know, one of those
passes over the top of that.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
So they're coming up and in so by the time
the ball goes through two or three sets of hands,
the defenders are right on them.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
So that's where that to me, is the major work on.
Speaker 5 (18:34):
They've got to find a way to make the defenders
hesitate and force them to do slide and defense because
when they're sliding there's much more options and there does
seem to be a lack of you know, the inside
balls and all those other things we see from other teams,
a change of directions, so it is a bit predictable,
as are some of their fittacal plays where they because
(18:54):
the attacks are a bit predictable.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
And then the fittagal players where.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
They'll run to the line and but put the grubber
in and they're too close to the fender so it
bounces off sins or something, or the kickers just a
bit more of a chip.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
I think we've all got to be patient. And that's
what Webster keeps emphasizing. He's not that he's not that
thrilled with the attack, but shit, he's really happy with
the defense, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
And there was some major, big, big one off tackles.
Think of Chanelle, Harris, Devita's and On Reynolds. In the
first half.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
On On Renalds big shot really got the crowd into it.
There was a couple of those.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
Well it was nice. I mean that, as Chanell mentioned
in our chat, he said that that actually been studying
Reynolds during the week and studying how he moves, and
they knew there was a chance to get him with
one of those and really rattle them, so I think
they were.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Pretty happy with that.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
I mean, defense is why the Warriors are where they are,
really like, their attack hasn't been sparkling this year.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
It's been okay, And you're right what you said before.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
If you look at their tries from Saturday night, there
was a Taine's half vollied kick after Bunnett's pass goes
to ground. There was the Broncos dropping the ball on
halfway and and Capble sprints away. So and then Harris
Davida setting up Cordate so opportunistic, you'd have to say.
But the defense, the defense in the manly game, the
(20:14):
Rooster's game, the Tigers game, the defense is doing the job.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
They look so.
Speaker 5 (20:20):
So connected and they just keep turning up for each other,
which is what we didn't see last season.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
I mean, let's face it, Nathan.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
They're four and two after six games. Who was predicting that?
After Las Vegas.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Let's shift focus to a couple of other players who
stood out from that Broncos game. Taine to Opeki's speed
on display in the lead up to liquor Halla, Seema's
try Hala Sema showing pace and power. Let's talk about
both those players but firstly, Tane does he look better
at fullback than Chance has so far this year? Because
to me he looked much more threatening with ball at hand,
(20:58):
and I definitely like him a lot better at fullback
than I do in the wing.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
I mean, I mean he struggled against Melbourne obviously at fullback,
but everyone did that day.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
He was really good.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
I think Taane's certain types of opposition and certain types
of games, but he's been pretty good on the wing too,
to be fair, I thought, considering he's never played there.
To me, this is one of the questions of the week.
You know, what does Andrew Webs to do for the
night's game, because I think in theory Chants could play
with the concussion protocols of that stay twelve. He's okay
(21:28):
by Friday, But to me it's a no brainer. You
I don't know what you think, but you give Chance
another week off. You say, look, just get yourself right,
get your head right, get your body right, freshen up,
and you give Tane another chance. You say, Tane, you
did so well, we're putting you back out there rather
than rushing Chance back in for a game like this,
(21:51):
especially a game where you think, hey, this is you know,
they're going to be favorites as well.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
But yeah, the longer term question is going to be
really interesting.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Lecky Hallaesima needs to have his hands on the ball
as much as possible.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Would you start him again cap well in the centers? No,
I don't think I would. I think that's sort of
a you don't want to you know this anything, You
don't want to push your luck. You know you can.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
You can push your luck on a Saturday night sometimes,
but not every Saturday night, if.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
You know what I mean. Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
let's yeah, let's not expand on that.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
But so I think if if Rockerberry's available and they've
got the sort of specialists available, you go back to
your specialist team because what I don't want them to
do is overdo it with Leka. But yeah, there's increasing
signs that he's more and more ready, isn't he? I
(22:51):
mean I think he played what did he play? Sixty
five sixty nine minutes on Saturday. It's a big stint
against a big pack, and you know he doesn't look
out of place at all, doesn't he?
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Big League Podcast right, The Warriors face the Newcastle Knights
on front in christ The Knights are on a four
game losing streak, going down at home thirty four to
fourteen to the Sharks in the round just gone. They
are the lowest scoring team this season, just sixty points
while conceding one hundred and twenty. Across those last four losses,
(23:26):
they've only scored twenty four. But they are not a
team that likes scoring anyway. Last year they had the
second lowest points in the competition but still qualified for
the finals somehow. And they've just been riddled with errors
through their games so far. They've got five forwards out
with injury, but is that really an excuse. Who doesn't
(23:46):
have that many players out of injury.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Oh it's pretty tough though. Just NRL's crawl like that.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
I feel like the NRL, the worst your form is
the worst you're going with in terms of your form,
the more chance you're going to have more injuries.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
It just seems to work like that. And the team's
near the top have less injury.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
So the most concerning thing to me about Newcastle I
was a Newcastle fan, is the way they've been going
at home.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
It has always been a fortress to go there. I
talk to Warriors players of the past.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
So like, that's one of the hardest places to go
and play Newcastle because the fans are just they get on,
the referees back the whole game. The players are, you know,
really up for the occasion. The fact they've been just
getting done at home is incredible. So I think they've
got they've got real problems.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
You know.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
I don't want to preempt this big magical bounce back
in christ Church, but yeah, you think.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
It's not going to be an easy game for them.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
I would have thought coming down playing in the christ
Church against the fight up Warriors in front of a
sell out crowd.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Klem Ponger, is he? Like, what is going on?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
There's so many rumors around Kaylum Ponger. Oh he's going
to play for the Keys? Is he going to do
State of Origin? Is he leaving the Knights? What's actually
going on?
Speaker 5 (24:53):
All I can tell you is I've spoken to people
pretty close to the Warriors that so they haven't had
any conversations with him or a player of that caliber.
You know, it's not something that because they can't they
can't until no one can until what he is in
contract till the end of twenty So no one can
speak to him until November November twenty sixth. Anyway, I
(25:13):
don't think the Knights would grant him an early release,
but also know he's not going to be happy getting
smashed all season, so his position puts more pressure on
the coach, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
He's been pretty lord in Newcastle.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
So it's quite sad, isn't it, Because he's the kind
of player you want to see in a team doing well.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
He's just that good.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
He's the player that you turn on the TV to watch,
a genuine superstar, love watching him play, and he's in
a team that's going backwards all the time far out.
But the other question for me around the Knights game
and what happens on Friday is the composition of this
forward pack and just the rotation, because it still seems
(25:54):
a bit strange that bunti Alfoa. Since he's come back
to me, he's looked quite good. He told us you
were there, Nathan. He told us he feels he's kind
of got a point to prove. Obviously a lot of
competition for spots in that pack. Look quite good against
the Storm. I thought he got eighteen minutes on Saturday
which is okay, but I think Jackson Ford got almost
(26:14):
seventy and Ford has got an incredible engine. I know
Webbs has got a lot of faith in him, but
the balance there, I'm not sure about. Bunty's a big body.
He I think they need someone out there at the
moment without Forsha Harris. All I can think of is
that Webster's got some doubts about Bunty's defense. About is
sort of lateral movement. I'm not sure, but that one
is an interesting one with the rotation. And the other
(26:37):
thing is what they do with Tomati. You know, he
had what did he have here? Fifteen minutes at the
end when Egan got a break, and I quite like that.
I quite like giving Egan a break and putting Chanell
to dumb behalf. I know Chanell didn't love it, as
as he mentioned to me in that chat, but I
really think Egan is so important, mate. I really don't
(27:00):
hope they're not sort of, you know, thrashing him because
these cumulative eighty minute efforts they do add up and
they get you after a while.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
So my big concern is what happens when Wade Egan
gets in, because it's not if with Wade, it's not
if it's going to happen. And to me with the
Warriors attack being a little bit stunted at this point
in time, Eagan is so important with his ability to
peel off meters around the ruck and create that space,
(27:31):
hold that space.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Warriors rely a lot on him with ball in hand.
Speaker 5 (27:36):
Yeah, he's critical, just as passing, like he didn't run
much on Saturday, it wasn't that kind of game, sloshing
around and the workmen he gaps up the middle. But
just as passing you talk to the Fords, he gives
him sort an extra meter with his pass, his vision
and his deception. He's vital and it's a good point
actually if he does get injured because he's playing in
(27:57):
such a physical position and it happens, who's up next,
you know, Freddy Lussk, Sam Healley, Freddy Lussick, Sam Heeley,
Sam Helly's actually been starting great ahead of Lassex. So yeah,
I guess Herely's the guy, because you wouldn't go makeshift.
I'm sure you wouldn't go. Okay, we're just going to
play shenew there the whole match, and we're going to
(28:17):
play Aaron Clark. I just can't see them doing that.
They'd want a specialist. So look, let's hope that's not
a topic for quite a while.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
The Big League Podcast on the Warriors Badwagon since day one.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
The big League Podcast for the biggest league fans.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
All Right, Bert's quick fire predictions to finish this week's episode,
It's a bumper match to start, Broncos in Brisbane against
the Bulldogs who are now six and oh Sex.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Sex.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
I really felt for Michael Maguire on Saturday. You know,
it was really good to see him, but he was just,
you know, I think he was struggling to express what
he wanted to say. But you know, the Broncos they
dominated the first half and aways should have had more points.
Then they come back and then they can't engineer a
field goal in the last couple of minutes. They didn't
(29:14):
you manage to get Renal to have a shot. He's
one of the best in the business at it, he
must have been so. And then Walsh does that kickoff.
I mean we didn't really even talk about that, but
far out there are a lot of things that went
against their way. What I'm trying to say is they
still played fairly well, but they're actually under a lot
of pressure now. It feels like this game is almost
a must win. They need a bit of a turnaround
and prove a point against the Bulldogs. And I don't
(29:35):
know if the Bulldogs are that good, but I always
say that maybe they are. They're certainly looking good. So
I'm going to tip the home team here to really respond,
although I'm pretty sure they'll almost certainly be without Reese Waltz,
which is another blow.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
But I'll go with the Broncos here.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah, well out for four to six weeks. I'm going
to back the Bulldogs to win again. Roosters versus the
Dragons in Sydney.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
Oh yeah, I mean look at the Dragons lately. I
mean they beat manly at the weekend. The Roosters couldn't
continue after that big win over the Broncos. This is
toss the coin stuff. Although that's my cliche I sale
at the time as an excuse for I'm not sure,
so I'll go with I'll go with the Roosters here.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Rooster's got absolutely pumped by the Panthers, conceded forty points.
They're in a bit of a state. I'm going to
go with the Dragons Warriors versus the Nights and christ Judge.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
Yeah, look, it's hard to see anything but the Warriors win.
They're really good in christ Church. They're really confident, they've
got momentum, they've got belief. The short turnaround or suit
them much more than it suits the Knights who have
to travel, and they get a few players back.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
So add all that up, it's hard to see anything
but a home win. Yeah. I mean we say that,
but this competition, you just cannot. I didn't. I wrote
them off against the Broncos last week. Denials too many
players and the Broncos. But I am going to back
the Warriors to win this one.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Storm Rabbit O's did you see the Storm get absolutely
pumped by the Dolphins burge and not.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Just that, but they were they were they they were ahead,
they were head in the first half by a decent margin.
They started well and then just came just got last week.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
Last week you said it'll be a long long time
before I ever tip against the Storm again.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Yeah, and I said, as I said, oh, you know,
no one can get close to them, and here we are.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
The only thing that both of us should have realized,
probably is that they had an extremely short turn around.
They played on a Sunday and against the Warriors, and
so very short turn around, shorter than the Dolphins, and
that to travel. So I guess they're a bit vulnerable,
but far out to lose by that much. They surely
won't lose again. But then the rabbit O's got smashed
(31:47):
as well, and they'll be they'll be up for something.
But I think what I did say last week, Nath
was it a long time before I tip against the
Storm in Melbourne, hoping that's what I said.
Speaker 6 (31:59):
So they're back in Melbourne and they'll be back to
being the Storm. Cowboys versus the Titans Queensland Derby. Yes,
this is always quite a good rivalry, this one.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
The Titans of course showing signs of life and the
Cowboys recovered from their poor start.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
This is quite The Titans were looking so good before
and then I started tipping them and then they went
crap again. They can see the thirty eight against the
Dragons a couple of weeks ago and come from behind
when for the Raiders thirty to twenty over the Titans
in the round just gone. They've only got two wins
(32:37):
now for the season. They slipped down them able to thirteenth,
Cowboys up to ninth.
Speaker 5 (32:40):
I mean, they're never going to be consistent. They're what
you call a fragile team that can be good on
their day. But I think the Cowboys at home will
do this one.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
Panthers versus the Seagulls, and the Panthers back, well they are.
I told you they were back last week.
Speaker 5 (32:57):
That's why I topped and beat the Roosters as you
as you remember, so yeah, they were always going to
rediscover something. And the Seagules in a bit of a hole.
So Penis who continue their little mini resurgence.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
Penrith at home as well. Raiders Dolphins, Jeez.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
I don't know, mate, this is a good this is
a good Contest's that's probably this is the one you
see at the TB and it's a dollar eighty a
dollar ADI because the Dolphins. You know, there were all
these articles about the Wayne Bennett factor and how clubs
always fall over the year after he leaves. But actually
Christian Wolf, the new coach, former assistant, doing well Raiders Dolphins.
(33:32):
I'll still back camera at home, but this one will
be very close.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
I'm going to back camera as well, and to finish Tigers.
This is the Sharks.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
Tigers is the Sharks year. I mean, a lot going
on for the Tigers. The Sharks should have too much,
too much for the Tigers. But Tigers at home unless
you I really like what they're doing at home. The
Benji has got them going well at home.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
You have to say that. But you go for the Sharks.
Going for the Sharks, Yes, I will agree with you there.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Thank you, Michael. We just for your time, you wisdom,
your insight. That will do us on the Big League
Podcast for this week. We will be back next Monday
to review the night game what is hopefully a win
on Anzac Day in christ Church. Thanks so much for
making us a part of your week. My name is
Nathan Limb. Have a fantastic week.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Decisions, Decisions
Welcome to "Decisions, Decisions," the podcast where boundaries are pushed, and conversations get candid! Join your favorite hosts, Mandii B and WeezyWTF, as they dive deep into the world of non-traditional relationships and explore the often-taboo topics surrounding dating, sex, and love. Every Monday, Mandii and Weezy invite you to unlearn the outdated narratives dictated by traditional patriarchal norms. With a blend of humor, vulnerability, and authenticity, they share their personal journeys navigating their 30s, tackling the complexities of modern relationships, and engaging in thought-provoking discussions that challenge societal expectations. From groundbreaking interviews with diverse guests to relatable stories that resonate with your experiences, "Decisions, Decisions" is your go-to source for open dialogue about what it truly means to love and connect in today's world. Get ready to reshape your understanding of relationships and embrace the freedom of authentic connections—tune in and join the conversation!