00:00:00
Speaker 1: Hi everyone, and welcome to Off the Record, the sports podcast of breaking news, heard, opinion and a little bit of gibber. I'm Andrew Website from the Australia. I'm here with the great Phil buzz Rothfield from the Daily Telegraph. Can I buzz? Hello?
00:00:12
Speaker 2: Waby? How are you great? I want to start off and I know you've got your rigmarole you've got to get through. I want to challenge your facts off the top of the show in an Sen Radio appearance one of the many you make on the network with Brian Fletcher yesterday, and I'm not sure you got your facts correct when you spoke about our first meeting at a Daly m after party in two thousand and five, where I put down my bottle of Crown Lag and threatened to whack you.
00:00:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, what I get wrong? He saying that didn't happen.
00:00:48
Speaker 2: I can't recall that version of events.
00:00:51
Speaker 1: What version do you record?
00:00:52
Speaker 2: Because I have a history of trying to sort things out verbally before I've had to get physical with people over the years, so can you. But on a nicer note, if our first meeting was in two thousand and five, this is our twenty year anniversary.
00:01:14
Speaker 1: Coming up it is we should go to the Daly and after party. We try to fight each.
00:01:20
Speaker 2: Twenty years who would ever.
00:01:22
Speaker 1: Have and look at us now?
00:01:25
Speaker 2: But look, we haven't got time today. But I'll tell you what really happened one day, maybe in my book, maybe in my book.
00:01:34
Speaker 1: The book that I'm going to go right, yes, yeah, good because you need a good edit.
00:01:38
Speaker 2: Thank you.
00:01:39
Speaker 1: Listen to coming up on the show today, I'm going to explain what others can't seem to grasp about the major integrity scandal involving Gold Coast Times recruitment manager Ezra Howe. We dive into the Bunnies v. Rooster's final round blockbuster, we'll have the annual debate about a wild card weekend, and in War Stories, I'm going to talk about the book I worked on with Ivan Cleary in the off season and it's on the shelves now as we head into the NRL finals and the Panthers chased an incredible fifth consecutive premiership. And let's just make this very clear, this isn't my idea, this is Buzzer's idea. I'm not trying to give my book a gritudess plug.
00:02:17
Speaker 2: Well, I you know, I still haven't read it.
00:02:22
Speaker 1: I don't care whether you read it, just buy it.
00:02:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, I will read it in the off season because he's a fascinating character who I don't have a relationship with. Because when his son Nathan during COVID broke the COVID rules was on that infamous TikTok video. I went very heavy on it, and then he lied to the Integrity Unit and I went even heavier on it. No, I haven't didn't light the way I reported it. Sometimes I regret going so hard, but it was a big story at the time. Because he's grown since then. I need such an ambassador and a great young man.
00:02:59
Speaker 1: Everything was every story was Watergate during COVID. When you look back, don't Yes, Yeah, we all got very excited about it. Anyway, that's the Cuby League journalism. Thanks Buzz just before we get into it, obviously, our big thank you to our friends at Code Sports, where you can get an annual subscription to throw his best sports website for forty nine dollars. You just go to code sports dot com dot Au, Forward slash o t R and that's how you get the special discount. Champs and Chumps. Who's your Champ.
00:03:31
Speaker 2: I'm going I'm going to go to cricket. And there was a game of cricket last couple of days. It was New South Wales City Country right, but opening the batting for Country was Sam Constance. He's hit a century with six massive sixes and nine fours and you might think, oh, it's only city versus country, but the city bowling attack was the New South Wales Sheffield child for bowling attack. You know, I'm Sean Abbott and Jack ed Woods and people like that, and I just thought Sam failed in the West Indies. Didn't he played a Test in England? Didn't he back on his home soil pictures. He's you know, he's grown up with I think it's a fantastic sign for the Ashes. I really do. Yeah, And you know, I know we can't judge him on that sixty on Boxing Day against Bourneborough, but the kids got so much talent and you don't want to coach that talent out of him by getting him to become a you know, Morsman Khwaja type of player. But I just love that style of cricket and I don't think it should be restricted to her one day cricket or t twenties. I think there's a place in test cricket.
00:04:56
Speaker 1: For it was the place of David Warner. There was so so I just yeah, I'd love to see Sammy come good. But Test match cricket is very hard.
00:05:06
Speaker 2: Good start though, web yes it is.
00:05:09
Speaker 1: It is good on you, Sammy, my champ is. And let me just say this with great respect of Vallet the great Ossie Joe Abushna, the heavyweight fighter who passed away this morning of the age of seventy five. He Hungarian refugee who fled to England and went on to become a British and Commonwealth title winner. He didn't beat Ali and Fraser in seventy three, but he went the distance with them, and that's two of the great greats of the gold nearr of boxing. He migrated to Australia post career and was a real larger than life character.
00:05:43
Speaker 2: Was he.
00:05:45
Speaker 1: Was a real celebrity. Did you have much to do with him?
00:05:47
Speaker 2: I had a little bit to do with him. One of my great mates, Grantly Kuser, who was magnificent boxing rider. It was in his corner put a lot of his fights and he used to tell some great stories about it. But the back end of his life, you know, not necessarily in recent years he was on the celeb circuit and he was a lot of fun. They'd tell me to be around. Yeah right, and he's got a bit probably a better boxing record to fight those two champions. As you said, well he can hold his clubs.
00:06:17
Speaker 1: Up for sure. For sure, so Valet Ozzie Joe Buhner as well. That's how Ryan HG used to say it, Ozz joezz Joe Bugner Bugner exactly. No, he's a real personality, buzz. Who is your chump?
00:06:33
Speaker 2: I'm going to rewind to the funeral of the Great Bobby Simpson last week at Sanane's Anglican Church in Strathfield. Now Steve Ward turned up, John Howard, Mike Beard, former New South Wales premier. Who's the head of cricket Australia, I said, burn John Howard. But you know what, not one person from Cricket New South Wales was at the funeral, Not one person. I talked about their chairman, John Knox, the CEO, Lee German.
00:07:09
Speaker 1: Is it is that his name Lee Germont or.
00:07:12
Speaker 2: Germond or whatever however you want to pronounce it. Bob Simpson played more than two hundred Sheffield Chill games when they meant something back in the day. For New South Wales, he played sixty two Test matches and absolutely not just an iconic cricket figure, iconic Australia, a captain who came back at forty one. I think it was during World Series cricket and to play for the you know, the traditional side. And I think it's really really paul form that those two administrators are mentioned could not find themselves at that funeral and recognize the importance of being there.
00:07:55
Speaker 1: Terrible. He's one of the great one of the greats, Bob Simpson and what he did for Australian cricket. He deserves better than that, for sure. My chump is the gibbering Polish CEO who snatched the hat away from that.
00:08:10
Speaker 2: Kid at another international chump.
00:08:14
Speaker 1: It's an international champ. His name is I've struggled to pronounce it Peter not I think that's the Polish version of Peter. Peter, says Deck. He runs a plumbing business, no paving, paving company is exactly and he snatched the hat out of the hands of I can't pronounce his tennis player's name, Camille ma Zach, Yeah, my tennis pronunciation.
00:08:42
Speaker 2: I love homework coming into this podcast. We're trying to say, well, there are websites around where you can on that note, Mark NANGI.
00:08:53
Speaker 1: Yeahsi, Well, Mark, now you've stuffed me up. I will say, I will say this about what about you having a dog shot at Matt Thompson's it was he said he's got a pronounce it properly. He said he got a pronounce it properly. Well, you can't take it.
00:09:11
Speaker 2: I almost can, but I'm not the head commentator on Channel nine. Who are the free to wear television rights holders? I think he's entitled to get his name and learn how to say it and not just say marky Mark.
00:09:24
Speaker 1: Well, if I was Matt Thompson, I would be laughing at your little item. You know what, because you spelt Matt Thompson's name wrong. Well I didn't have a t on Yes, Well, who don't correct? Correct someone about the pronunciation when you've got to what's the first rule of journalism, get in someone's name correct?
00:09:42
Speaker 2: Why don't you go back and finish the chump anyway? Because you're getting do you don't agree that he should call that play by thank you, Mark.
00:09:55
Speaker 1: I'm sure he's a big listener of this podcast. Nick Polita said, if you're out there, have you learned how to say yet? Mark no longer need to ask.
00:10:02
Speaker 2: Well, what are you going to say about this bloke who pincer cap?
00:10:05
Speaker 1: He apologized and posted on Instagram set I thought he was signing it and handing the hat to my kid. No, you weren't. You snatched it out of that kid's hands.
00:10:15
Speaker 2: That can't anything like that ruin you, Oh for sure. With social media now.
00:10:23
Speaker 1: I think shares in his company like plummeted, they just.
00:10:26
Speaker 2: Go viral all these stories. You know, we had that concert and you know, the CEO and the marketing lady and everybody's watching.
00:10:37
Speaker 1: It's crazy, everybody's watching buzz. Yeah, you better, you better behave yourself.
00:10:42
Speaker 2: Yeah, but I'd like I think this is I'd like to see you go local with a chump with at some particular stage.
00:10:53
Speaker 1: Do you know there's a whole wide world out there outside of rugby league and Sydney Are you aware of that? Yes, you're in the bubble. Yes, Okay, let's still about rugby league. Wanted here first, Andrew, Oh you did, well, you've heard it here you heard it first, less well, this is right, this one. You heard this one right? It was. I don't want to crow. I don't want to crow. But I did break this story on the Australian website on Saturday afternoon. So I've been working on this story about Ezra Howe, the Titans recruitment manager or former Times recruitment manager, and the complaint that the Gold Coast Titans had made to the Anna Rol about him working as a double agent for the Perth Bears. And I've been working on it for a couple of weeks and I was going to write at last end of last week, but I went to Craig Bellamy's six hundredth dinner down in Melbourne, and it's sort of I got caught up and I didn't have time to finish it. I was about to go on radio and SCN on on Saturday morning at the call for about five minutes too when I hear Bomber Badell is on the story and I went, oh God. And then and then another one, Danny Weidler is on the story and I went, this is just fabulous. So I got I couldn't do anything. I got through the three hours of radio and then frantically called and everyone I had to call, and then publish the story and got it up in time, and it pissed the little bomber off. God love him. As I said, as I said to the as I said to the great Peter Bedell, You've broken more stories than anyone except for buzz in this, in this, in this industry. So give one to the battlers.
00:12:30
Speaker 2: No good story, very good story. I left the NRL in a really awkward position.
00:12:36
Speaker 1: It has buzz. Look just what I want to want to make. Just explain to people who obviously wouldn't have read the story or don't have a subscription to The Australian, because this is the detail that has been anywhere else. The way that this played out is that the Titans, like there have been stories obviously in early June about Ezra being linked to Malmaninger and the Perth Bears. We all read those stories. It was one of their major key signing and because they've got to assemble the squads starting November one, the Titans heard from a player manager that Ezra had told them allegedly to go slow in re signing Titans players because he wanted to get them to the Perth Bears. That's the allegation from the Gold Coast Titans. So when he finished up there and resigned, they did a forensic audit of his laptop in which they found spreadsheets spreadsheets that he emailed from his Titans work laptop to his personal account, along with a letter of offer which some believe from the Perth Bears, which some believe is fake, as well as other sensitive information about about what he wanted to do with the squad of the Perth Bears. And it's not like it was information, as Brad Fittler said on the Football Show on the Footy Show on Sunday one, just information. It was squad's lined up for twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine and thirty. He also had football department staff all lined up about who would be going going into what roles and what they would be going, what they would be getting. Not only that, now that's all right if he's looking at, say, Cameron Bunster players from other club, that's fine. But in those spreadsheets he identified nine Titans players that he wanted to get to the Perth Bears. That's not information. That is a hit list to gut the Gold Coast Titans squad by a third. That's a lot. And the whole comparison that people keep saying to be making, I know, the Brent Reid on NRL three sixty, try to compare it to Josh Hannay at Cronulla talking to Tina. That's such a I love ready, but that's the most in comparison I've heard. I'll tell you what the comparison would be. Daniel anders is going to Saint George Lawarren as recruitment manager. If he identified while on the book at the Sydney Roosters about taking a third of that squad without Nick Politus's knowledge, do you think that would be just consigned as like information or it would be just a you know, a Rooster's Daniel Anderson situation. I think this has major implications for the NRAL in the sense buzz, in the sense that this is an NRL owned club and they need to, at the very very bare minimum investigate who at the Perth Bears Malmninger, Anthony de Segli, the CEO, who knew that Ezra how was acting this way. That's a question that at the very least needs to be asked.
00:15:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I agree with that, But the important thing is in life, what's happened. Ezra Howe will not be employed by the Perth Bears over this alleged behavior which you're spoken about. The only thing I really the fact I want to check there the Titans. Why did they continue to employ him when it was established he was going to Perth but it wasn't though.
00:16:06
Speaker 1: This is I heard this story. There have been stories that linking him to it, and he ended up resigning, right, he ended up resigning, But.
00:16:15
Speaker 2: This work he did on the spreadsheet was done prior to his resignation.
00:16:19
Speaker 1: Yes, we go, That's that's it. I don't understand how this Like I heard readly saying that last night, what didn't they suck him? What? Based on a speculative media reports linking into the Bears. So like those stories appeared in early June, he resigned in July early July. And that's when I agree with you.
00:16:40
Speaker 2: Josh Hanna was a really, really poor example, because josh Hano was on record quoted last week saying to Craig fitz Gibbon that I will not make any attempt whatsoever to persuade a player, and he's one of the most honorable people in rugby league. Josh, that's right. And you look at the way the Camber Raiders handled their recent departure of their recruitment guy. He was poached by the Roosters. They took him straight off recruitment. They took him straight off.
00:17:12
Speaker 1: But so what did I get right? So why is it the Titans fault that Ezra Howe allegedly acted improper Like he's employed by the club. If he was going to work for the Bears, he should have resigned himself as.
00:17:25
Speaker 2: The NRL is the owner of the Perth Bears. I agree that the NRL need to check if the CEO the coach knew about it. Sure, and I don't think he'd be making that document up for himself.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: Unless he's unless he's the most organized super coach player of all time. Like it just it doesn't make sense to me to say, oh, this is just a Gold Coast titansing, which the NRL are doing so far they're trying to distance themselves from it.
00:17:59
Speaker 2: I think's got the ships.
00:18:01
Speaker 1: It's got the ship's big time. Apparently, have you heard. I've reached out to Mail numerous times. He doesn't want to comment respectfully.
00:18:08
Speaker 2: I've heard that he's got the ships to an extent that he's considering his position.
00:18:14
Speaker 1: I heard that too, but I've since been told that he's backed away and decided, you know, he's not going to go again. I've put this to Melanie. Didn't he didn't want to respond. I just think, you know.
00:18:23
Speaker 2: You'll have to respond eventually.
00:18:26
Speaker 1: I know, Ma, but I know. I think it's you know, and he's saying he can't comment because it's a legal matter. Well, plenty of people talk when there's legal matters. If you've got nothing to hide, then you should get on the front foot and and and say that I've done nothing wrong. I think. I just think the NRL like they sit there and talk about integrity all the time. Peter Velandi's questioned Harry Grant's integrity two weeks ago for the dive in the Penrith game. If this isn't an integrity issue, question his integrity? Yeah, yeah, yeah, the melon are filthy about it.
00:19:02
Speaker 2: Uh Well, I question what integrity too, because he took the most blatant dive.
00:19:08
Speaker 1: Let me just finish what I'm saying. I mean, are you allowed to talk? I'm in the middle of making a point if pv I wants to talk about the integrity of Harry Grant, why doesn't he investigate the integrity of the club that is owned by the NRL.
00:19:22
Speaker 2: I think you'll find they will where I really do. I think I think it's really important that you know they're seen as clean skins to launch this.
00:19:32
Speaker 1: But well, that's contrary to what I was being told on Saturday, and it's contrary to what their little mouthpieces are sprouting out in the media last couple of weeks. Brad Fitler said, the whole thing is ridiculous. So Brad forgot to mention the part where he's employed by the NRL. If you forgot that little part therein.
00:19:50
Speaker 2: Jeez, wow, what about you? Don't you dare talk to me like you did about Harry Grant.
00:19:57
Speaker 1: I was in the middle of making a point. I'm not talking in the middle of what while I'm making a.
00:20:03
Speaker 2: Will say to you is Harry Grant ran straight at the decoy, not at the kicker and it was should have been a penalty for diving.
00:20:13
Speaker 1: But you're going to question his integrity that's namemanship. Well that's not the point anyway. It's like it's going off track. We're talking about the middle of the one who raised it. I'm talking making the comparison. If you want to talk about Harry Grant's integrity, maybe look at the integrity of the club the nrlads.
00:20:31
Speaker 2: Jesus, can you calm down there?
00:20:34
Speaker 1: No, it just gives me the ships because people who are uninformed coming out and bagging stories we haven't even read or are smart enough to understand. You're with me.
00:20:45
Speaker 2: I I've been running with the story on your side of it on television last night. I did. I did on Triple Lamb on Sunday. I agreed with everything you said. I think it's what's happened. I'm glad Ezra the NRL have marked the papers now and yeah, from a personal satisfaction, I would like to know whose fingerprints were on this good stuff.
00:21:17
Speaker 1: All right, let's go to the news of the week. It's the final round of the National Rugby League. Until they running dead. Half the teams are resting their players.
00:21:26
Speaker 2: Well, we had the weekend the Mudgy Miracle. It seems like three weeks ago, but the week before last then we had the other Super Friday night game and it lifted interest and excitement and euphoria in this competition, two levels we haven't seen for many years. I thought, just that Friday night, and then Cleary's next week sits his whole side out right, which is perfectly entitled to do Penrithada win the camp. He's just got to go crash crash crack, and he needs seven een healthy players to come through the back door outside the top four and do it. Totally understanding, but I think we need rules in place or some other system to stop this from happening because we can't have the integrity of our competition. We can't where every side has played Penrith this year and have had to work hard or either beat them or you know, or or lose them whatever, and can we get gifted two points that we can't have that?
00:22:31
Speaker 1: How do we fix the bush?
00:22:33
Speaker 2: People are bagging me because I've regurgitated the wild card weekend. No, it's not my idea and I never claimed it to be my idea. It happens in American sport, and seeing though you're such an international man of mystery pundit, you're an international man. It was actually Graham and Isley idea a long time ago. But as the Premiership builds and we get more sides in. I really really like it because it takes away the need to rest players. When the top six clubs are going to get a week off, yeah, in seven players ten and I think that will help. And when you got people like Blake Solely Dave Donahy for Landy's and saying this idea has got merrit, I think we need to discuss it and look at the pros and cons. It keeps fans of the middle range teams in the competition, not the last four or five. It keeps them engaged for a bit longer. Even if they've had a really busted season. They're going to not give up. Maybe tenth, maybe we'll just try and have a whack from there.
00:23:39
Speaker 1: I like it to me. The bigger issue is the season's too long. Yes, the season's too long. In the game's ever been faster, harder, the players never been more athletic and stronger. I was talking to Ricky Stewart about this at Bellamy's six hundredth last Wednesday night in Melbourne, and he said the game's never been tougher for the player. They can't remember it being so so tough for players to get up and back up every single week. The injury tolls. That's the fundamental issue here.
00:24:12
Speaker 2: I reckon, I'm scared to interrupt, But we play an all stars game, yep. We play a preseason challenge, we play twenty seven rounds, we play state of origin, we play a final series, and now we've got a boom in international football where it's going to be a month after the season. That is too much rugby leagu It's way.
00:24:34
Speaker 1: Too much and something has to change. Look, I sort of yeah, I don't mind the idea of a wild card weekend. I do agree with what Billy Slater said though this week he said that you know, why should a team that finishes seventh, you know, possibly lose to a team that finished tenth.
00:24:54
Speaker 2: Well, if you want about it, when you think it rewards mediocrity, well you're still rewarding seventh and eighth even being in the finals when you and me were growing up as a five team final series. What it does, and I respect Billy Slade like no one else in this game. What it does. It advantages the top six clubs. It gives them the week off, so seven are going to find it harder to win a comp and I think that should be the case, seven shouldn't be getting what fifth and sixth are getting. They shouldn't be.
00:25:35
Speaker 1: It works in the American squad, so I don't believe it's so many more teams.
00:25:40
Speaker 2: Well, when we get to twenty teams, which will be in about five years time, we're not here to solve it for next year. But something's going to have to give when the new broadcast deal starts, when we do have a nineteen and twenty team competition, when we do have to look at player welfare and cut the seedback. I think this should be in the discussion that you know, it should be in the mix.
00:26:04
Speaker 1: I'm with you if it's if it's a twenty team comp that's when it comes into play. Yeah, because that's enough time.
00:26:10
Speaker 2: But are we going to have conferences? Who knows what this game? But we should do a Crystal Ball show. Seriously, it'd be a really interesting part.
00:26:17
Speaker 1: The ball show.
00:26:18
Speaker 2: Well, can you get dressed up as like a yeah, look, I Reckon be a sensational like a card and I'd look forward to comments here on install or whether we publish I Reckon. You and me could do a show what the NRL will look like in two thousand and fifty in two and fifty in twenty years time. It'd be a fun thing to do. How many players will be on?
00:26:47
Speaker 1: Will both be here? No, I'll be badley, I'll be strugging.
00:26:53
Speaker 2: How will I be in twenty five years?
00:26:55
Speaker 1: You'll be one hundred and twenty two.
00:26:56
Speaker 2: Sixty eight, ninety three. I'll be around. I'll be here. But what I'm saying, wabe? Will it be a what are you laughing at?
00:27:04
Speaker 1: Sam's over there?
00:27:05
Speaker 2: What's up? That's wrong? Sir?
00:27:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, it could be anything, he says.
00:27:10
Speaker 2: No, when you think about show, it won't be a thirday man game.
00:27:14
Speaker 1: What will it be?
00:27:16
Speaker 2: I reckon we'll come back to eleven players. I don't think we'll have a scrum. No, I think we'll have some sort of gauge on forward passes. You know, it'd be a fascinating thing to do with what.
00:27:33
Speaker 1: There's the greatest fearless predictions of all time?
00:27:36
Speaker 2: No? But how many teams will be in the comp Will there be conferences?
00:27:42
Speaker 1: Yes?
00:27:43
Speaker 2: You don't like this idea, do you?
00:27:46
Speaker 1: I'm all about the about the now, seeing of the now. Friday Night Rooster's coaching, he probably will be Roosters Rabbits Alliance stadium Souse can't can only do one thing and that's knock potentially the Roosters out of the finals. It sets it up for a it's it's always a red hot game in a I mean that in an exciting way.
00:28:16
Speaker 2: Yes, Brandon Smith versus a Victor Radley.
00:28:19
Speaker 1: That's right, That's right. I'll see what didn't Victor play well last week?
00:28:24
Speaker 2: Yes?
00:28:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, played the house down?
00:28:26
Speaker 2: He sure did. He sure did.
00:28:29
Speaker 1: What buzz you wrote in the Daily Telegraph this week about the Roosters pinching one of the great Souse emerging players.
00:28:38
Speaker 2: South have got Harold Matthews, captain seven eight years of age, half back Lockford or five eight supposed to be their best kid since Joseph Swali. He his name and I'm going to do a Matt Thompson here because I don't think I'm going to get that with one T, mat with one T. Keon is his first name, anatal to Sussis. I think there's a bit of Greek in is it you? So he's gone from one Greek nick Pappus to another Greek nick Politus.
00:29:14
Speaker 1: But this Greek rugby league.
00:29:16
Speaker 2: Yes, he's a really really special player. And what the Roosters have done particularly well. They're set up an academy and made their club a very attractive option for young footballers to be part of. You and me were there when Robbie got the idea in Barcelona, when we visited Barcelona refc and saw where Messi came from.
00:29:39
Speaker 1: And one of the great junkets of all time.
00:29:41
Speaker 2: Yeah it was, but this is where it came from. And what Roosters and Canterbury are doing now they just stopped piling the best kids like we saw overseas and this kid is very very special and it is blown up as you'd anticipated would And Blake Sally has written a letter to Dave Trodden at the new South Wales Rugby League complaining about boundaries again and then pinching South Juniors's Is it.
00:30:08
Speaker 1: A little bit of a sternly worded letter?
00:30:10
Speaker 2: I don't know it was a bomb show letter. I don't know it was a bomb Shall revelation.
00:30:15
Speaker 1: Yes, the Rock Rugby League of the course of relations.
00:30:19
Speaker 2: I can't believe. Am I going to tell our listen? Is this you wanted to call this podcast? Bomb Shall regulation?
00:30:26
Speaker 1: Spunk?
00:30:27
Speaker 2: Yeah?
00:30:28
Speaker 1: I don't think they're that.
00:30:30
Speaker 2: We toss around Gus blocked us.
00:30:32
Speaker 1: That was suggest you don't mention, but don't. I don't mention Gus because it triggers a lot of Bulldogs fans when we mentioned Gus's name on this podcast. Apparently it shows that he's living rent free in our heads. Is he living rent free in your head?
00:30:49
Speaker 2: No, he's not. There was a really last week his Twitter account down there, open it up again forty eight hours late.
00:30:56
Speaker 1: Well, he's not living rent free in my head. I'm charging him a thousand dollars a week.
00:31:01
Speaker 2: So I listen, huge game, you speak, Darlian's to sell out and yeah, the talks have to When they're in the South Campbell Cameron Murray talking about coming back for.
00:31:16
Speaker 1: Latrell's playing. He's not, He's yeah, right, Brian, Brian with the wife. Fletcher was saying on end that he reckoned. He's going to play after bumping him in the casino.
00:31:29
Speaker 2: What's Latroll and Fletched doing at the.
00:31:32
Speaker 1: Well, I've got no, I've got I'm not surprised that Fletchers at the casino.
00:31:36
Speaker 2: But Charles been about I always see him on the golf course and he's socials. He's on his beautiful farm up at last week and he's selling meat. What when Mara meets from his farm? From his farm?
00:31:53
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm a littroll fan. I love I love watching littroll play, always have.
00:31:58
Speaker 2: Yeah. I made latoral fan because Latreill is a turnstile clickable I love, you know. And he drags in eyeballs and tells he does he brings people to the futy.
00:32:11
Speaker 1: Well, I remember this is going off off schedule. Reese Walsh's toilet humor?
00:32:17
Speaker 2: What's doing?
00:32:19
Speaker 1: Why would he do that? I saw it on three sixty last night when it all broke, when I was on air with Fletch on Tuesday and it was on Monday, sorry it was it was like, what what world are we living in where we've got that's a thing? And then the then the and then the Broncos have to put out a statement about it. I know, But is he just is he just trying to christ shout out to our great friend Grant Williams, who is I bet when he was when he was working at the Cops and the New South Wales Police as communications director, he would be putting out statements about the superstar full back not drinking toilet water.
00:33:00
Speaker 2: He's recommending to people not to do this, say that we advise members and advance not.
00:33:09
Speaker 1: To drink out of the toilet, including dogs. I don't know is he is he trying to get is he seeking attention? Or is he trying to be funny? I think it's just funny. It's generation, this generation. The Broncos said, can't you just get drunk at the daly Ms and trying to fight each other for God's sake?
00:33:29
Speaker 2: As they said, it was a really really poor attempt of humor, really poor.
00:33:36
Speaker 1: Let's go from one fiasco to another the dally Ms. Yeah, you have great mate, Harry Grant. You just gave it to earlier.
00:33:45
Speaker 2: I love he is a very very good person.
00:33:48
Speaker 1: Question he's integrity earlier?
00:33:50
Speaker 2: The question is at all? I just said what he did was the dive of the year, and you you in question his integrity? You shut up? Seriously, I I've had enough for you. How long ago? What's the clock, say, podcast.
00:34:06
Speaker 1: Or something?
00:34:07
Speaker 2: What do you how long to go? Because you're giving me the ships.
00:34:10
Speaker 1: We're probably another ten, So give us some goal instead of the jimmy you've given us For the rest of them.
00:34:16
Speaker 2: Well, you gave yourself a wrap for breaking the.
00:34:19
Speaker 3: Story on Ezra had someone's got it Over the weekend, I'd break the story that Harry Grant had been rubbed out of the Daly EMM Awards, and I had him coming second in the overall award to James Tedesca.
00:34:32
Speaker 1: Just because of the shoulder.
00:34:33
Speaker 2: It wasn't a shoulder charge mate, he bumped a Blake with his should.
00:34:38
Speaker 1: It was it was. I'm fine with the suspension. I just don't think it's a counting out of the Deli ends.
00:34:44
Speaker 2: But no, it was a grade one. They gave him a game. They gave him to If you get a Grade one, you can still win the award because it's better than the brown lay get wiped out for any on field indiscretion, which is silly. At least with the NRL. If it's a very minor offense, which this was, you can still win the award, but not when it's a two week band. So Harry Grant's out. Blake Brailey, I presume from Cornella, will get up and accept the award as hook with the year. He's had a great year.
00:35:11
Speaker 1: But oh, Blake Brailey has got it. You reckon?
00:35:14
Speaker 2: I reckon, Well, who's no, I'm talking about the Hook of the Year.
00:35:18
Speaker 1: Sorry, Hook of the Year, but it's so and Harry's out of all of it. Yes, he can't get the position award either.
00:35:25
Speaker 2: And so he had a season where outrageously we're all been comparing him to Cameron Smith in everything except longevity, and he can't win the award for bumping a blake with his shoulder.
00:35:42
Speaker 1: He was a bump.
00:35:43
Speaker 2: It was on Harry Hayes. You remember, I do remember. Harry Hayes wasn't hurt. It was a really really minor bump. And I know it's the best and fairest award, not just the best player. Yeah, well, what do you think? Oh?
00:36:02
Speaker 1: I agree, I think it's madness that you're gonna rub him out of Dallium calculations for that. Yeah, they need to increase the threshold, do you think. Yeah, if you're gonna, like, if you're gonna, you should it should be some sort of penalty if your cod hag at some.
00:36:19
Speaker 2: Bloke for sure, or biting or but if you.
00:36:24
Speaker 1: Do that, you're not going to be playing enough rands to win the Dallium anyway anyway. War stories, Yeah, you'll go, you'll go. You've got time for it all. You want to get out the door.
00:36:36
Speaker 2: I'll go make a coppa where you go.
00:36:39
Speaker 1: It was your idea for me to do this, So I write a book called every not Everything Counts, but Everything Matters, by Ivan Cleary and I was the ghostwriter on it. We did it during the during the off season.
00:36:52
Speaker 2: Who comes up with a name?
00:36:55
Speaker 1: I It's it was. It was Ivan's sort of one of Ivan's little mottoes. And as soon as he said, I went, that sounds good because it's more of a not everything counts, but everything matters. So in other words, all the tiny little details, actually they matter in the end, all those little details, and it's more of a leadership than a book than anything. So we wrote it during at the The deadline was before last year's Grand Final, and Ivan was really worried that he was going to have a book come out a few weeks after the Grand Final after they lost it. Because that's the kind.
00:37:37
Speaker 2: Of sorry, I don't want to interrupt question. Now you ask questions how long does it take to do a project.
00:37:45
Speaker 1: That a lot of a lot of them can take like the Bennett book I did on Bennett took that was two years of my life, same as the one I did on Jack, but this one we had to pump through in a matter of months. It's about a four or five month turnaround, which is hard when he was coaching at the same time last year. But I found it a really rewarding experience. And you know, I'm like everyone, I hadn't really got to know why even that much. He's he's a bit of a closed book, no pun intended. But I'd go up to his place at Penrith and we'd sit down, and I think the first we had to be the first couple of the first but it was good. We'd sit there and I'd have the tape going and he got out of his coach's notes from each year and go through. Yeah, and that's all scattered through the book, like you know, he's ups and downs, and I just in his handwriting, in his handwriting. Yeah, and Bennett Bennett did something similar for all his books that he did with our great friend Steve Crawley.
00:38:44
Speaker 2: But I just always come across to me as a pretty dull sort of person without.
00:38:50
Speaker 1: A lot of He's an introvert.
00:38:53
Speaker 2: Yeah, is that right?
00:38:54
Speaker 1: Very much? So?
00:38:55
Speaker 2: What does that mean? It was harder than other books you've done to drag information.
00:39:00
Speaker 1: A little bit, not as hard as Gazz Mark Gessier and Rabs Rabs. Rabs had great lots of stories, but you know, Rabs are very conscious about how he was portrayed.
00:39:11
Speaker 2: So how many interviews did you do with We.
00:39:14
Speaker 1: Would have done I reckon in the vicinity of twenty hours in total.
00:39:18
Speaker 2: And when you go away, how long does it take?
00:39:21
Speaker 1: Lot? It takes a lot of work, yeah, just to bang it out and then it goes to him and then I couldn't tell you bus it just it's just it's books are fun and I love writing them, but it's they're a big dark cloud over your life.
00:39:34
Speaker 2: When you're doing your book. Not always thought. If you stumble over a really good story in that book, don't you get tempted to write it for the paper.
00:39:41
Speaker 1: It's not easy. Yeah, it's this. When I was doing the Better book, there was heaps of stuff that I learned that I just had to keep keep.
00:39:51
Speaker 2: You know, you would have thought.
00:39:55
Speaker 1: But I'll tell you what it was, what it did do. I wrote some pieces last year leading up to the Green and Final just about the relationship between Melbourne and Penrith and how Penrith like Buzz you'd appreciate this more than anybody. Like they just the respect those two clubs have for each other, which is unheard of, you know, like there's no love lost between the Roosters and the Storm, but Penrith and Ivan like has so much admiration for Melbourne and they inspired them to go to the level that they did to win four comps maybe five.
00:40:27
Speaker 2: So, and I haven't read the book yet, but I will. And did he write about the time An nearly quit?
00:40:35
Speaker 1: Yeah?
00:40:36
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:40:36
Speaker 1: He talks about his mental health crazy, he talks about that twenty nineteen season how Darker got being on edy depressants, just about struggling to get out of bed. He talks about his relationship with Gus. He's very respectful of Gus, but he's very honest with Gus. There's a great line he said, Gus hurt me in ways he didn't really would never understand, like he wouldn't even know it. And that's gust to a t.
00:41:01
Speaker 2: You know.
00:41:02
Speaker 1: The complex, the bane and the beauty of Phil Goold. Yeah. So it's a it's a really interesting book. I've had a lot of great feedback from it. They they did they did a reprint after they won the Grand Final last year too.
00:41:14
Speaker 2: So have you kept that relationship, like do you?
00:41:18
Speaker 1: I don't. I don't drive him mad. I probably get on better with Wayne. Yeah, even though it was an unauthorized book. But no, Ivan Ivan's he's just very He's very cagey and I can just tell he is very wary, even even it took a bit for me to to to earn his trust. But we were great in the end.
00:41:42
Speaker 2: We were very closed shop pen They don't like anyone. I'll give you an example. A few weeks back, I heard Mary Fowler was using their facility on really my treadmill with some sort of atmosphere where it doesn't refect your legs. I forget the name, but so I rang Mack Camer and I said, mate, I just wanted to do a spot it on Mary. Oh, I can't comment on that. Well. I rang Matt Cameron again last week because I was doing another podcast at midday and I needed to confirm the story. At Penrith we're resting sixteen players. Before we went on and spoke about it, I can't confirm our team. It will come out. You very rarely get a leak out of that club. They're a real close shop, and I think I even drives that, Yeah, you've done well to tell his story.
00:42:41
Speaker 1: Well you know he's getting paid money by the publisher, so yeah.
00:42:45
Speaker 2: But why am I being a lot more polite to you today than you are to me?
00:42:52
Speaker 1: Why have you brought it back to you?
00:42:54
Speaker 2: No, I'm not, but I just think I have been far more polite to you than you've been to me today. And you hurt me sometimes, just like Gusted to Ivan, I thought of myself then.
00:43:07
Speaker 1: I did, all right, well, I haven't told you that you need a rest like Gusted to Ivan.
00:43:20
Speaker 2: It was really funny, you know.
00:43:22
Speaker 1: Can I tell you one thing from that from that book that people still I've said it a couple of times on radio and TV, but I find this says everything about their relationship, and it says a lot about the head games that Gus plays. So when remember when he told Ivan he needs a rest, so before we told him, I haven't had been And this is in the book, right, So it's not me making it up. It's not me having a shot at gust But this is what Ivan Cleary wrote in his book that he was coming back from a game that he coached for Penrith I think it might have been on the Gold coastal Brisbane, And while he was in the air it, Gus called Ivan's wife back and said, I'm thinking about telling Ivan he needs a rest and basically sucking him. And as soon as as that plane landed, Ivan's turned on his phone and there's a stack of calls and text from Beck saying, do not speak to anyone until you speak to me. Really. Yeah, that's pretty. That's pretty. That's very guss like, isn't it.
00:44:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, I know we're running out of time. But the weekend Gus told him he was tired and needed a rest. They both went to Cops Harbor. There was the State Cup Oztag and I was up there that weekend because I coached the Cornala side and I've got a son the same age as Jet Cleary. So Ivan was up there watching Jet and Gus was up there watching his boy Jack play. Gust was staying at Sawtel My family and the Clearis were staying at Pacific Bay Resort at the the end of town. And it was a fast I wrote on Monday column, at least two guys Gussa just sacked him, both at the same titles. Not speaking to each other, thankfully separated in their accommodation by ten K's Wow it was it was amazing.
00:45:23
Speaker 1: That's again through Gussie Felis predictions. Buzz what you got for us?
00:45:27
Speaker 2: I'm here to tell our listeners that Newcastle will win the Wooden Spoon this weekend.
00:45:35
Speaker 1: Have fun for them.
00:45:36
Speaker 2: I'll tell you why because I think the Titans at home will beat the West Tigers right and that will level them up with the Knights, who i think will get blasted by Paramatta. So I'm tipping the Knights have a minus two one hundred and forty four four and against the Titans have two oh seven minus seven. So yeah, I reckon. Poor old Adam O'Brien's going to walk away with a spoon.
00:46:14
Speaker 1: There you go. I'm going to foolishly have an interest in the Wallabies Argentina game.
00:46:24
Speaker 2: Why do you do this?
00:46:25
Speaker 1: Because I'm trying to give us a bit more variety than NRL bus. That's what I'm trying to do. You know what it is? Yeah, you're podcast. I'm just trying to give us a point of difference, you know, That's what I'm trying to do.
00:46:39
Speaker 2: You've used a Polish pavor as your chump.
00:46:45
Speaker 1: I think I'm such a I'm getting bashed up by Wallabies supporters. They hate the Wallabies. Don't hate the Wallabies. It's just the dickhead supporters that I can't cop. Australia thirteen plus two dollars ninety against Argentina in towns All Saturday afternoon. Thanks Buzz, Thank you, Waby, Thanks listeners. Make sure you follow us on socials, YouTube and everything else. Sam, you've got something for us. Yes, it's right now and Buzzer at seven So next week we'll check back in who'd win a five between me and buzz.
00:47:25
Speaker 2: Nine sevens close? Please see you later.
00:47:29
Speaker 1: Thanks everybody, Bye for now
Speaker 1: Hi everyone, and welcome to Off the Record, the sports podcast of breaking news, heard, opinion and a little bit of gibber. I'm Andrew Website from the Australia. I'm here with the great Phil buzz Rothfield from the Daily Telegraph. Can I buzz? Hello?
00:00:12
Speaker 2: Waby? How are you great? I want to start off and I know you've got your rigmarole you've got to get through. I want to challenge your facts off the top of the show in an Sen Radio appearance one of the many you make on the network with Brian Fletcher yesterday, and I'm not sure you got your facts correct when you spoke about our first meeting at a Daly m after party in two thousand and five, where I put down my bottle of Crown Lag and threatened to whack you.
00:00:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, what I get wrong? He saying that didn't happen.
00:00:48
Speaker 2: I can't recall that version of events.
00:00:51
Speaker 1: What version do you record?
00:00:52
Speaker 2: Because I have a history of trying to sort things out verbally before I've had to get physical with people over the years, so can you. But on a nicer note, if our first meeting was in two thousand and five, this is our twenty year anniversary.
00:01:14
Speaker 1: Coming up it is we should go to the Daly and after party. We try to fight each.
00:01:20
Speaker 2: Twenty years who would ever.
00:01:22
Speaker 1: Have and look at us now?
00:01:25
Speaker 2: But look, we haven't got time today. But I'll tell you what really happened one day, maybe in my book, maybe in my book.
00:01:34
Speaker 1: The book that I'm going to go right, yes, yeah, good because you need a good edit.
00:01:38
Speaker 2: Thank you.
00:01:39
Speaker 1: Listen to coming up on the show today, I'm going to explain what others can't seem to grasp about the major integrity scandal involving Gold Coast Times recruitment manager Ezra Howe. We dive into the Bunnies v. Rooster's final round blockbuster, we'll have the annual debate about a wild card weekend, and in War Stories, I'm going to talk about the book I worked on with Ivan Cleary in the off season and it's on the shelves now as we head into the NRL finals and the Panthers chased an incredible fifth consecutive premiership. And let's just make this very clear, this isn't my idea, this is Buzzer's idea. I'm not trying to give my book a gritudess plug.
00:02:17
Speaker 2: Well, I you know, I still haven't read it.
00:02:22
Speaker 1: I don't care whether you read it, just buy it.
00:02:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, I will read it in the off season because he's a fascinating character who I don't have a relationship with. Because when his son Nathan during COVID broke the COVID rules was on that infamous TikTok video. I went very heavy on it, and then he lied to the Integrity Unit and I went even heavier on it. No, I haven't didn't light the way I reported it. Sometimes I regret going so hard, but it was a big story at the time. Because he's grown since then. I need such an ambassador and a great young man.
00:02:59
Speaker 1: Everything was every story was Watergate during COVID. When you look back, don't Yes, Yeah, we all got very excited about it. Anyway, that's the Cuby League journalism. Thanks Buzz just before we get into it, obviously, our big thank you to our friends at Code Sports, where you can get an annual subscription to throw his best sports website for forty nine dollars. You just go to code sports dot com dot Au, Forward slash o t R and that's how you get the special discount. Champs and Chumps. Who's your Champ.
00:03:31
Speaker 2: I'm going I'm going to go to cricket. And there was a game of cricket last couple of days. It was New South Wales City Country right, but opening the batting for Country was Sam Constance. He's hit a century with six massive sixes and nine fours and you might think, oh, it's only city versus country, but the city bowling attack was the New South Wales Sheffield child for bowling attack. You know, I'm Sean Abbott and Jack ed Woods and people like that, and I just thought Sam failed in the West Indies. Didn't he played a Test in England? Didn't he back on his home soil pictures. He's you know, he's grown up with I think it's a fantastic sign for the Ashes. I really do. Yeah, And you know, I know we can't judge him on that sixty on Boxing Day against Bourneborough, but the kids got so much talent and you don't want to coach that talent out of him by getting him to become a you know, Morsman Khwaja type of player. But I just love that style of cricket and I don't think it should be restricted to her one day cricket or t twenties. I think there's a place in test cricket.
00:04:56
Speaker 1: For it was the place of David Warner. There was so so I just yeah, I'd love to see Sammy come good. But Test match cricket is very hard.
00:05:06
Speaker 2: Good start though, web yes it is.
00:05:09
Speaker 1: It is good on you, Sammy, my champ is. And let me just say this with great respect of Vallet the great Ossie Joe Abushna, the heavyweight fighter who passed away this morning of the age of seventy five. He Hungarian refugee who fled to England and went on to become a British and Commonwealth title winner. He didn't beat Ali and Fraser in seventy three, but he went the distance with them, and that's two of the great greats of the gold nearr of boxing. He migrated to Australia post career and was a real larger than life character.
00:05:43
Speaker 2: Was he.
00:05:45
Speaker 1: Was a real celebrity. Did you have much to do with him?
00:05:47
Speaker 2: I had a little bit to do with him. One of my great mates, Grantly Kuser, who was magnificent boxing rider. It was in his corner put a lot of his fights and he used to tell some great stories about it. But the back end of his life, you know, not necessarily in recent years he was on the celeb circuit and he was a lot of fun. They'd tell me to be around. Yeah right, and he's got a bit probably a better boxing record to fight those two champions. As you said, well he can hold his clubs.
00:06:17
Speaker 1: Up for sure. For sure, so Valet Ozzie Joe Buhner as well. That's how Ryan HG used to say it, Ozz joezz Joe Bugner Bugner exactly. No, he's a real personality, buzz. Who is your chump?
00:06:33
Speaker 2: I'm going to rewind to the funeral of the Great Bobby Simpson last week at Sanane's Anglican Church in Strathfield. Now Steve Ward turned up, John Howard, Mike Beard, former New South Wales premier. Who's the head of cricket Australia, I said, burn John Howard. But you know what, not one person from Cricket New South Wales was at the funeral, Not one person. I talked about their chairman, John Knox, the CEO, Lee German.
00:07:09
Speaker 1: Is it is that his name Lee Germont or.
00:07:12
Speaker 2: Germond or whatever however you want to pronounce it. Bob Simpson played more than two hundred Sheffield Chill games when they meant something back in the day. For New South Wales, he played sixty two Test matches and absolutely not just an iconic cricket figure, iconic Australia, a captain who came back at forty one. I think it was during World Series cricket and to play for the you know, the traditional side. And I think it's really really paul form that those two administrators are mentioned could not find themselves at that funeral and recognize the importance of being there.
00:07:55
Speaker 1: Terrible. He's one of the great one of the greats, Bob Simpson and what he did for Australian cricket. He deserves better than that, for sure. My chump is the gibbering Polish CEO who snatched the hat away from that.
00:08:10
Speaker 2: Kid at another international chump.
00:08:14
Speaker 1: It's an international champ. His name is I've struggled to pronounce it Peter not I think that's the Polish version of Peter. Peter, says Deck. He runs a plumbing business, no paving, paving company is exactly and he snatched the hat out of the hands of I can't pronounce his tennis player's name, Camille ma Zach, Yeah, my tennis pronunciation.
00:08:42
Speaker 2: I love homework coming into this podcast. We're trying to say, well, there are websites around where you can on that note, Mark NANGI.
00:08:53
Speaker 1: Yeahsi, Well, Mark, now you've stuffed me up. I will say, I will say this about what about you having a dog shot at Matt Thompson's it was he said he's got a pronounce it properly. He said he got a pronounce it properly. Well, you can't take it.
00:09:11
Speaker 2: I almost can, but I'm not the head commentator on Channel nine. Who are the free to wear television rights holders? I think he's entitled to get his name and learn how to say it and not just say marky Mark.
00:09:24
Speaker 1: Well, if I was Matt Thompson, I would be laughing at your little item. You know what, because you spelt Matt Thompson's name wrong. Well I didn't have a t on Yes, Well, who don't correct? Correct someone about the pronunciation when you've got to what's the first rule of journalism, get in someone's name correct?
00:09:42
Speaker 2: Why don't you go back and finish the chump anyway? Because you're getting do you don't agree that he should call that play by thank you, Mark.
00:09:55
Speaker 1: I'm sure he's a big listener of this podcast. Nick Polita said, if you're out there, have you learned how to say yet? Mark no longer need to ask.
00:10:02
Speaker 2: Well, what are you going to say about this bloke who pincer cap?
00:10:05
Speaker 1: He apologized and posted on Instagram set I thought he was signing it and handing the hat to my kid. No, you weren't. You snatched it out of that kid's hands.
00:10:15
Speaker 2: That can't anything like that ruin you, Oh for sure. With social media now.
00:10:23
Speaker 1: I think shares in his company like plummeted, they just.
00:10:26
Speaker 2: Go viral all these stories. You know, we had that concert and you know, the CEO and the marketing lady and everybody's watching.
00:10:37
Speaker 1: It's crazy, everybody's watching buzz. Yeah, you better, you better behave yourself.
00:10:42
Speaker 2: Yeah, but I'd like I think this is I'd like to see you go local with a chump with at some particular stage.
00:10:53
Speaker 1: Do you know there's a whole wide world out there outside of rugby league and Sydney Are you aware of that? Yes, you're in the bubble. Yes, Okay, let's still about rugby league. Wanted here first, Andrew, Oh you did, well, you've heard it here you heard it first, less well, this is right, this one. You heard this one right? It was. I don't want to crow. I don't want to crow. But I did break this story on the Australian website on Saturday afternoon. So I've been working on this story about Ezra Howe, the Titans recruitment manager or former Times recruitment manager, and the complaint that the Gold Coast Titans had made to the Anna Rol about him working as a double agent for the Perth Bears. And I've been working on it for a couple of weeks and I was going to write at last end of last week, but I went to Craig Bellamy's six hundredth dinner down in Melbourne, and it's sort of I got caught up and I didn't have time to finish it. I was about to go on radio and SCN on on Saturday morning at the call for about five minutes too when I hear Bomber Badell is on the story and I went, oh God. And then and then another one, Danny Weidler is on the story and I went, this is just fabulous. So I got I couldn't do anything. I got through the three hours of radio and then frantically called and everyone I had to call, and then publish the story and got it up in time, and it pissed the little bomber off. God love him. As I said, as I said to the as I said to the great Peter Bedell, You've broken more stories than anyone except for buzz in this, in this, in this industry. So give one to the battlers.
00:12:30
Speaker 2: No good story, very good story. I left the NRL in a really awkward position.
00:12:36
Speaker 1: It has buzz. Look just what I want to want to make. Just explain to people who obviously wouldn't have read the story or don't have a subscription to The Australian, because this is the detail that has been anywhere else. The way that this played out is that the Titans, like there have been stories obviously in early June about Ezra being linked to Malmaninger and the Perth Bears. We all read those stories. It was one of their major key signing and because they've got to assemble the squads starting November one, the Titans heard from a player manager that Ezra had told them allegedly to go slow in re signing Titans players because he wanted to get them to the Perth Bears. That's the allegation from the Gold Coast Titans. So when he finished up there and resigned, they did a forensic audit of his laptop in which they found spreadsheets spreadsheets that he emailed from his Titans work laptop to his personal account, along with a letter of offer which some believe from the Perth Bears, which some believe is fake, as well as other sensitive information about about what he wanted to do with the squad of the Perth Bears. And it's not like it was information, as Brad Fittler said on the Football Show on the Footy Show on Sunday one, just information. It was squad's lined up for twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine and thirty. He also had football department staff all lined up about who would be going going into what roles and what they would be going, what they would be getting. Not only that, now that's all right if he's looking at, say, Cameron Bunster players from other club, that's fine. But in those spreadsheets he identified nine Titans players that he wanted to get to the Perth Bears. That's not information. That is a hit list to gut the Gold Coast Titans squad by a third. That's a lot. And the whole comparison that people keep saying to be making, I know, the Brent Reid on NRL three sixty, try to compare it to Josh Hannay at Cronulla talking to Tina. That's such a I love ready, but that's the most in comparison I've heard. I'll tell you what the comparison would be. Daniel anders is going to Saint George Lawarren as recruitment manager. If he identified while on the book at the Sydney Roosters about taking a third of that squad without Nick Politus's knowledge, do you think that would be just consigned as like information or it would be just a you know, a Rooster's Daniel Anderson situation. I think this has major implications for the NRAL in the sense buzz, in the sense that this is an NRL owned club and they need to, at the very very bare minimum investigate who at the Perth Bears Malmninger, Anthony de Segli, the CEO, who knew that Ezra how was acting this way. That's a question that at the very least needs to be asked.
00:15:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I agree with that, But the important thing is in life, what's happened. Ezra Howe will not be employed by the Perth Bears over this alleged behavior which you're spoken about. The only thing I really the fact I want to check there the Titans. Why did they continue to employ him when it was established he was going to Perth but it wasn't though.
00:16:06
Speaker 1: This is I heard this story. There have been stories that linking him to it, and he ended up resigning, right, he ended up resigning, But.
00:16:15
Speaker 2: This work he did on the spreadsheet was done prior to his resignation.
00:16:19
Speaker 1: Yes, we go, That's that's it. I don't understand how this Like I heard readly saying that last night, what didn't they suck him? What? Based on a speculative media reports linking into the Bears. So like those stories appeared in early June, he resigned in July early July. And that's when I agree with you.
00:16:40
Speaker 2: Josh Hanna was a really, really poor example, because josh Hano was on record quoted last week saying to Craig fitz Gibbon that I will not make any attempt whatsoever to persuade a player, and he's one of the most honorable people in rugby league. Josh, that's right. And you look at the way the Camber Raiders handled their recent departure of their recruitment guy. He was poached by the Roosters. They took him straight off recruitment. They took him straight off.
00:17:12
Speaker 1: But so what did I get right? So why is it the Titans fault that Ezra Howe allegedly acted improper Like he's employed by the club. If he was going to work for the Bears, he should have resigned himself as.
00:17:25
Speaker 2: The NRL is the owner of the Perth Bears. I agree that the NRL need to check if the CEO the coach knew about it. Sure, and I don't think he'd be making that document up for himself.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: Unless he's unless he's the most organized super coach player of all time. Like it just it doesn't make sense to me to say, oh, this is just a Gold Coast titansing, which the NRL are doing so far they're trying to distance themselves from it.
00:17:59
Speaker 2: I think's got the ships.
00:18:01
Speaker 1: It's got the ship's big time. Apparently, have you heard. I've reached out to Mail numerous times. He doesn't want to comment respectfully.
00:18:08
Speaker 2: I've heard that he's got the ships to an extent that he's considering his position.
00:18:14
Speaker 1: I heard that too, but I've since been told that he's backed away and decided, you know, he's not going to go again. I've put this to Melanie. Didn't he didn't want to respond. I just think, you know.
00:18:23
Speaker 2: You'll have to respond eventually.
00:18:26
Speaker 1: I know, Ma, but I know. I think it's you know, and he's saying he can't comment because it's a legal matter. Well, plenty of people talk when there's legal matters. If you've got nothing to hide, then you should get on the front foot and and and say that I've done nothing wrong. I think. I just think the NRL like they sit there and talk about integrity all the time. Peter Velandi's questioned Harry Grant's integrity two weeks ago for the dive in the Penrith game. If this isn't an integrity issue, question his integrity? Yeah, yeah, yeah, the melon are filthy about it.
00:19:02
Speaker 2: Uh Well, I question what integrity too, because he took the most blatant dive.
00:19:08
Speaker 1: Let me just finish what I'm saying. I mean, are you allowed to talk? I'm in the middle of making a point if pv I wants to talk about the integrity of Harry Grant, why doesn't he investigate the integrity of the club that is owned by the NRL.
00:19:22
Speaker 2: I think you'll find they will where I really do. I think I think it's really important that you know they're seen as clean skins to launch this.
00:19:32
Speaker 1: But well, that's contrary to what I was being told on Saturday, and it's contrary to what their little mouthpieces are sprouting out in the media last couple of weeks. Brad Fitler said, the whole thing is ridiculous. So Brad forgot to mention the part where he's employed by the NRL. If you forgot that little part therein.
00:19:50
Speaker 2: Jeez, wow, what about you? Don't you dare talk to me like you did about Harry Grant.
00:19:57
Speaker 1: I was in the middle of making a point. I'm not talking in the middle of what while I'm making a.
00:20:03
Speaker 2: Will say to you is Harry Grant ran straight at the decoy, not at the kicker and it was should have been a penalty for diving.
00:20:13
Speaker 1: But you're going to question his integrity that's namemanship. Well that's not the point anyway. It's like it's going off track. We're talking about the middle of the one who raised it. I'm talking making the comparison. If you want to talk about Harry Grant's integrity, maybe look at the integrity of the club the nrlads.
00:20:31
Speaker 2: Jesus, can you calm down there?
00:20:34
Speaker 1: No, it just gives me the ships because people who are uninformed coming out and bagging stories we haven't even read or are smart enough to understand. You're with me.
00:20:45
Speaker 2: I I've been running with the story on your side of it on television last night. I did. I did on Triple Lamb on Sunday. I agreed with everything you said. I think it's what's happened. I'm glad Ezra the NRL have marked the papers now and yeah, from a personal satisfaction, I would like to know whose fingerprints were on this good stuff.
00:21:17
Speaker 1: All right, let's go to the news of the week. It's the final round of the National Rugby League. Until they running dead. Half the teams are resting their players.
00:21:26
Speaker 2: Well, we had the weekend the Mudgy Miracle. It seems like three weeks ago, but the week before last then we had the other Super Friday night game and it lifted interest and excitement and euphoria in this competition, two levels we haven't seen for many years. I thought, just that Friday night, and then Cleary's next week sits his whole side out right, which is perfectly entitled to do Penrithada win the camp. He's just got to go crash crash crack, and he needs seven een healthy players to come through the back door outside the top four and do it. Totally understanding, but I think we need rules in place or some other system to stop this from happening because we can't have the integrity of our competition. We can't where every side has played Penrith this year and have had to work hard or either beat them or you know, or or lose them whatever, and can we get gifted two points that we can't have that?
00:22:31
Speaker 1: How do we fix the bush?
00:22:33
Speaker 2: People are bagging me because I've regurgitated the wild card weekend. No, it's not my idea and I never claimed it to be my idea. It happens in American sport, and seeing though you're such an international man of mystery pundit, you're an international man. It was actually Graham and Isley idea a long time ago. But as the Premiership builds and we get more sides in. I really really like it because it takes away the need to rest players. When the top six clubs are going to get a week off, yeah, in seven players ten and I think that will help. And when you got people like Blake Solely Dave Donahy for Landy's and saying this idea has got merrit, I think we need to discuss it and look at the pros and cons. It keeps fans of the middle range teams in the competition, not the last four or five. It keeps them engaged for a bit longer. Even if they've had a really busted season. They're going to not give up. Maybe tenth, maybe we'll just try and have a whack from there.
00:23:39
Speaker 1: I like it to me. The bigger issue is the season's too long. Yes, the season's too long. In the game's ever been faster, harder, the players never been more athletic and stronger. I was talking to Ricky Stewart about this at Bellamy's six hundredth last Wednesday night in Melbourne, and he said the game's never been tougher for the player. They can't remember it being so so tough for players to get up and back up every single week. The injury tolls. That's the fundamental issue here.
00:24:12
Speaker 2: I reckon, I'm scared to interrupt, But we play an all stars game, yep. We play a preseason challenge, we play twenty seven rounds, we play state of origin, we play a final series, and now we've got a boom in international football where it's going to be a month after the season. That is too much rugby leagu It's way.
00:24:34
Speaker 1: Too much and something has to change. Look, I sort of yeah, I don't mind the idea of a wild card weekend. I do agree with what Billy Slater said though this week he said that you know, why should a team that finishes seventh, you know, possibly lose to a team that finished tenth.
00:24:54
Speaker 2: Well, if you want about it, when you think it rewards mediocrity, well you're still rewarding seventh and eighth even being in the finals when you and me were growing up as a five team final series. What it does, and I respect Billy Slade like no one else in this game. What it does. It advantages the top six clubs. It gives them the week off, so seven are going to find it harder to win a comp and I think that should be the case, seven shouldn't be getting what fifth and sixth are getting. They shouldn't be.
00:25:35
Speaker 1: It works in the American squad, so I don't believe it's so many more teams.
00:25:40
Speaker 2: Well, when we get to twenty teams, which will be in about five years time, we're not here to solve it for next year. But something's going to have to give when the new broadcast deal starts, when we do have a nineteen and twenty team competition, when we do have to look at player welfare and cut the seedback. I think this should be in the discussion that you know, it should be in the mix.
00:26:04
Speaker 1: I'm with you if it's if it's a twenty team comp that's when it comes into play. Yeah, because that's enough time.
00:26:10
Speaker 2: But are we going to have conferences? Who knows what this game? But we should do a Crystal Ball show. Seriously, it'd be a really interesting part.
00:26:17
Speaker 1: The ball show.
00:26:18
Speaker 2: Well, can you get dressed up as like a yeah, look, I Reckon be a sensational like a card and I'd look forward to comments here on install or whether we publish I Reckon. You and me could do a show what the NRL will look like in two thousand and fifty in two and fifty in twenty years time. It'd be a fun thing to do. How many players will be on?
00:26:47
Speaker 1: Will both be here? No, I'll be badley, I'll be strugging.
00:26:53
Speaker 2: How will I be in twenty five years?
00:26:55
Speaker 1: You'll be one hundred and twenty two.
00:26:56
Speaker 2: Sixty eight, ninety three. I'll be around. I'll be here. But what I'm saying, wabe? Will it be a what are you laughing at?
00:27:04
Speaker 1: Sam's over there?
00:27:05
Speaker 2: What's up? That's wrong? Sir?
00:27:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, it could be anything, he says.
00:27:10
Speaker 2: No, when you think about show, it won't be a thirday man game.
00:27:14
Speaker 1: What will it be?
00:27:16
Speaker 2: I reckon we'll come back to eleven players. I don't think we'll have a scrum. No, I think we'll have some sort of gauge on forward passes. You know, it'd be a fascinating thing to do with what.
00:27:33
Speaker 1: There's the greatest fearless predictions of all time?
00:27:36
Speaker 2: No? But how many teams will be in the comp Will there be conferences?
00:27:42
Speaker 1: Yes?
00:27:43
Speaker 2: You don't like this idea, do you?
00:27:46
Speaker 1: I'm all about the about the now, seeing of the now. Friday Night Rooster's coaching, he probably will be Roosters Rabbits Alliance stadium Souse can't can only do one thing and that's knock potentially the Roosters out of the finals. It sets it up for a it's it's always a red hot game in a I mean that in an exciting way.
00:28:16
Speaker 2: Yes, Brandon Smith versus a Victor Radley.
00:28:19
Speaker 1: That's right, That's right. I'll see what didn't Victor play well last week?
00:28:24
Speaker 2: Yes?
00:28:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, played the house down?
00:28:26
Speaker 2: He sure did. He sure did.
00:28:29
Speaker 1: What buzz you wrote in the Daily Telegraph this week about the Roosters pinching one of the great Souse emerging players.
00:28:38
Speaker 2: South have got Harold Matthews, captain seven eight years of age, half back Lockford or five eight supposed to be their best kid since Joseph Swali. He his name and I'm going to do a Matt Thompson here because I don't think I'm going to get that with one T, mat with one T. Keon is his first name, anatal to Sussis. I think there's a bit of Greek in is it you? So he's gone from one Greek nick Pappus to another Greek nick Politus.
00:29:14
Speaker 1: But this Greek rugby league.
00:29:16
Speaker 2: Yes, he's a really really special player. And what the Roosters have done particularly well. They're set up an academy and made their club a very attractive option for young footballers to be part of. You and me were there when Robbie got the idea in Barcelona, when we visited Barcelona refc and saw where Messi came from.
00:29:39
Speaker 1: And one of the great junkets of all time.
00:29:41
Speaker 2: Yeah it was, but this is where it came from. And what Roosters and Canterbury are doing now they just stopped piling the best kids like we saw overseas and this kid is very very special and it is blown up as you'd anticipated would And Blake Sally has written a letter to Dave Trodden at the new South Wales Rugby League complaining about boundaries again and then pinching South Juniors's Is it.
00:30:08
Speaker 1: A little bit of a sternly worded letter?
00:30:10
Speaker 2: I don't know it was a bomb show letter. I don't know it was a bomb Shall revelation.
00:30:15
Speaker 1: Yes, the Rock Rugby League of the course of relations.
00:30:19
Speaker 2: I can't believe. Am I going to tell our listen? Is this you wanted to call this podcast? Bomb Shall regulation?
00:30:26
Speaker 1: Spunk?
00:30:27
Speaker 2: Yeah?
00:30:28
Speaker 1: I don't think they're that.
00:30:30
Speaker 2: We toss around Gus blocked us.
00:30:32
Speaker 1: That was suggest you don't mention, but don't. I don't mention Gus because it triggers a lot of Bulldogs fans when we mentioned Gus's name on this podcast. Apparently it shows that he's living rent free in our heads. Is he living rent free in your head?
00:30:49
Speaker 2: No, he's not. There was a really last week his Twitter account down there, open it up again forty eight hours late.
00:30:56
Speaker 1: Well, he's not living rent free in my head. I'm charging him a thousand dollars a week.
00:31:01
Speaker 2: So I listen, huge game, you speak, Darlian's to sell out and yeah, the talks have to When they're in the South Campbell Cameron Murray talking about coming back for.
00:31:16
Speaker 1: Latrell's playing. He's not, He's yeah, right, Brian, Brian with the wife. Fletcher was saying on end that he reckoned. He's going to play after bumping him in the casino.
00:31:29
Speaker 2: What's Latroll and Fletched doing at the.
00:31:32
Speaker 1: Well, I've got no, I've got I'm not surprised that Fletchers at the casino.
00:31:36
Speaker 2: But Charles been about I always see him on the golf course and he's socials. He's on his beautiful farm up at last week and he's selling meat. What when Mara meets from his farm? From his farm?
00:31:53
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm a littroll fan. I love I love watching littroll play, always have.
00:31:58
Speaker 2: Yeah. I made latoral fan because Latreill is a turnstile clickable I love, you know. And he drags in eyeballs and tells he does he brings people to the futy.
00:32:11
Speaker 1: Well, I remember this is going off off schedule. Reese Walsh's toilet humor?
00:32:17
Speaker 2: What's doing?
00:32:19
Speaker 1: Why would he do that? I saw it on three sixty last night when it all broke, when I was on air with Fletch on Tuesday and it was on Monday, sorry it was it was like, what what world are we living in where we've got that's a thing? And then the then the and then the Broncos have to put out a statement about it. I know, But is he just is he just trying to christ shout out to our great friend Grant Williams, who is I bet when he was when he was working at the Cops and the New South Wales Police as communications director, he would be putting out statements about the superstar full back not drinking toilet water.
00:33:00
Speaker 2: He's recommending to people not to do this, say that we advise members and advance not.
00:33:09
Speaker 1: To drink out of the toilet, including dogs. I don't know is he is he trying to get is he seeking attention? Or is he trying to be funny? I think it's just funny. It's generation, this generation. The Broncos said, can't you just get drunk at the daly Ms and trying to fight each other for God's sake?
00:33:29
Speaker 2: As they said, it was a really really poor attempt of humor, really poor.
00:33:36
Speaker 1: Let's go from one fiasco to another the dally Ms. Yeah, you have great mate, Harry Grant. You just gave it to earlier.
00:33:45
Speaker 2: I love he is a very very good person.
00:33:48
Speaker 1: Question he's integrity earlier?
00:33:50
Speaker 2: The question is at all? I just said what he did was the dive of the year, and you you in question his integrity? You shut up? Seriously, I I've had enough for you. How long ago? What's the clock, say, podcast.
00:34:06
Speaker 1: Or something?
00:34:07
Speaker 2: What do you how long to go? Because you're giving me the ships.
00:34:10
Speaker 1: We're probably another ten, So give us some goal instead of the jimmy you've given us For the rest of them.
00:34:16
Speaker 2: Well, you gave yourself a wrap for breaking the.
00:34:19
Speaker 3: Story on Ezra had someone's got it Over the weekend, I'd break the story that Harry Grant had been rubbed out of the Daly EMM Awards, and I had him coming second in the overall award to James Tedesca.
00:34:32
Speaker 1: Just because of the shoulder.
00:34:33
Speaker 2: It wasn't a shoulder charge mate, he bumped a Blake with his should.
00:34:38
Speaker 1: It was it was. I'm fine with the suspension. I just don't think it's a counting out of the Deli ends.
00:34:44
Speaker 2: But no, it was a grade one. They gave him a game. They gave him to If you get a Grade one, you can still win the award because it's better than the brown lay get wiped out for any on field indiscretion, which is silly. At least with the NRL. If it's a very minor offense, which this was, you can still win the award, but not when it's a two week band. So Harry Grant's out. Blake Brailey, I presume from Cornella, will get up and accept the award as hook with the year. He's had a great year.
00:35:11
Speaker 1: But oh, Blake Brailey has got it. You reckon?
00:35:14
Speaker 2: I reckon, Well, who's no, I'm talking about the Hook of the Year.
00:35:18
Speaker 1: Sorry, Hook of the Year, but it's so and Harry's out of all of it. Yes, he can't get the position award either.
00:35:25
Speaker 2: And so he had a season where outrageously we're all been comparing him to Cameron Smith in everything except longevity, and he can't win the award for bumping a blake with his shoulder.
00:35:42
Speaker 1: He was a bump.
00:35:43
Speaker 2: It was on Harry Hayes. You remember, I do remember. Harry Hayes wasn't hurt. It was a really really minor bump. And I know it's the best and fairest award, not just the best player. Yeah, well, what do you think? Oh?
00:36:02
Speaker 1: I agree, I think it's madness that you're gonna rub him out of Dallium calculations for that. Yeah, they need to increase the threshold, do you think. Yeah, if you're gonna, like, if you're gonna, you should it should be some sort of penalty if your cod hag at some.
00:36:19
Speaker 2: Bloke for sure, or biting or but if you.
00:36:24
Speaker 1: Do that, you're not going to be playing enough rands to win the Dallium anyway anyway. War stories, Yeah, you'll go, you'll go. You've got time for it all. You want to get out the door.
00:36:36
Speaker 2: I'll go make a coppa where you go.
00:36:39
Speaker 1: It was your idea for me to do this, So I write a book called every not Everything Counts, but Everything Matters, by Ivan Cleary and I was the ghostwriter on it. We did it during the during the off season.
00:36:52
Speaker 2: Who comes up with a name?
00:36:55
Speaker 1: I It's it was. It was Ivan's sort of one of Ivan's little mottoes. And as soon as he said, I went, that sounds good because it's more of a not everything counts, but everything matters. So in other words, all the tiny little details, actually they matter in the end, all those little details, and it's more of a leadership than a book than anything. So we wrote it during at the The deadline was before last year's Grand Final, and Ivan was really worried that he was going to have a book come out a few weeks after the Grand Final after they lost it. Because that's the kind.
00:37:37
Speaker 2: Of sorry, I don't want to interrupt question. Now you ask questions how long does it take to do a project.
00:37:45
Speaker 1: That a lot of a lot of them can take like the Bennett book I did on Bennett took that was two years of my life, same as the one I did on Jack, but this one we had to pump through in a matter of months. It's about a four or five month turnaround, which is hard when he was coaching at the same time last year. But I found it a really rewarding experience. And you know, I'm like everyone, I hadn't really got to know why even that much. He's he's a bit of a closed book, no pun intended. But I'd go up to his place at Penrith and we'd sit down, and I think the first we had to be the first couple of the first but it was good. We'd sit there and I'd have the tape going and he got out of his coach's notes from each year and go through. Yeah, and that's all scattered through the book, like you know, he's ups and downs, and I just in his handwriting, in his handwriting. Yeah, and Bennett Bennett did something similar for all his books that he did with our great friend Steve Crawley.
00:38:44
Speaker 2: But I just always come across to me as a pretty dull sort of person without.
00:38:50
Speaker 1: A lot of He's an introvert.
00:38:53
Speaker 2: Yeah, is that right?
00:38:54
Speaker 1: Very much? So?
00:38:55
Speaker 2: What does that mean? It was harder than other books you've done to drag information.
00:39:00
Speaker 1: A little bit, not as hard as Gazz Mark Gessier and Rabs Rabs. Rabs had great lots of stories, but you know, Rabs are very conscious about how he was portrayed.
00:39:11
Speaker 2: So how many interviews did you do with We.
00:39:14
Speaker 1: Would have done I reckon in the vicinity of twenty hours in total.
00:39:18
Speaker 2: And when you go away, how long does it take?
00:39:21
Speaker 1: Lot? It takes a lot of work, yeah, just to bang it out and then it goes to him and then I couldn't tell you bus it just it's just it's books are fun and I love writing them, but it's they're a big dark cloud over your life.
00:39:34
Speaker 2: When you're doing your book. Not always thought. If you stumble over a really good story in that book, don't you get tempted to write it for the paper.
00:39:41
Speaker 1: It's not easy. Yeah, it's this. When I was doing the Better book, there was heaps of stuff that I learned that I just had to keep keep.
00:39:51
Speaker 2: You know, you would have thought.
00:39:55
Speaker 1: But I'll tell you what it was, what it did do. I wrote some pieces last year leading up to the Green and Final just about the relationship between Melbourne and Penrith and how Penrith like Buzz you'd appreciate this more than anybody. Like they just the respect those two clubs have for each other, which is unheard of, you know, like there's no love lost between the Roosters and the Storm, but Penrith and Ivan like has so much admiration for Melbourne and they inspired them to go to the level that they did to win four comps maybe five.
00:40:27
Speaker 2: So, and I haven't read the book yet, but I will. And did he write about the time An nearly quit?
00:40:35
Speaker 1: Yeah?
00:40:36
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:40:36
Speaker 1: He talks about his mental health crazy, he talks about that twenty nineteen season how Darker got being on edy depressants, just about struggling to get out of bed. He talks about his relationship with Gus. He's very respectful of Gus, but he's very honest with Gus. There's a great line he said, Gus hurt me in ways he didn't really would never understand, like he wouldn't even know it. And that's gust to a t.
00:41:01
Speaker 2: You know.
00:41:02
Speaker 1: The complex, the bane and the beauty of Phil Goold. Yeah. So it's a it's a really interesting book. I've had a lot of great feedback from it. They they did they did a reprint after they won the Grand Final last year too.
00:41:14
Speaker 2: So have you kept that relationship, like do you?
00:41:18
Speaker 1: I don't. I don't drive him mad. I probably get on better with Wayne. Yeah, even though it was an unauthorized book. But no, Ivan Ivan's he's just very He's very cagey and I can just tell he is very wary, even even it took a bit for me to to to earn his trust. But we were great in the end.
00:41:42
Speaker 2: We were very closed shop pen They don't like anyone. I'll give you an example. A few weeks back, I heard Mary Fowler was using their facility on really my treadmill with some sort of atmosphere where it doesn't refect your legs. I forget the name, but so I rang Mack Camer and I said, mate, I just wanted to do a spot it on Mary. Oh, I can't comment on that. Well. I rang Matt Cameron again last week because I was doing another podcast at midday and I needed to confirm the story. At Penrith we're resting sixteen players. Before we went on and spoke about it, I can't confirm our team. It will come out. You very rarely get a leak out of that club. They're a real close shop, and I think I even drives that, Yeah, you've done well to tell his story.
00:42:41
Speaker 1: Well you know he's getting paid money by the publisher, so yeah.
00:42:45
Speaker 2: But why am I being a lot more polite to you today than you are to me?
00:42:52
Speaker 1: Why have you brought it back to you?
00:42:54
Speaker 2: No, I'm not, but I just think I have been far more polite to you than you've been to me today. And you hurt me sometimes, just like Gusted to Ivan, I thought of myself then.
00:43:07
Speaker 1: I did, all right, well, I haven't told you that you need a rest like Gusted to Ivan.
00:43:20
Speaker 2: It was really funny, you know.
00:43:22
Speaker 1: Can I tell you one thing from that from that book that people still I've said it a couple of times on radio and TV, but I find this says everything about their relationship, and it says a lot about the head games that Gus plays. So when remember when he told Ivan he needs a rest, so before we told him, I haven't had been And this is in the book, right, So it's not me making it up. It's not me having a shot at gust But this is what Ivan Cleary wrote in his book that he was coming back from a game that he coached for Penrith I think it might have been on the Gold coastal Brisbane, And while he was in the air it, Gus called Ivan's wife back and said, I'm thinking about telling Ivan he needs a rest and basically sucking him. And as soon as as that plane landed, Ivan's turned on his phone and there's a stack of calls and text from Beck saying, do not speak to anyone until you speak to me. Really. Yeah, that's pretty. That's pretty. That's very guss like, isn't it.
00:44:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, I know we're running out of time. But the weekend Gus told him he was tired and needed a rest. They both went to Cops Harbor. There was the State Cup Oztag and I was up there that weekend because I coached the Cornala side and I've got a son the same age as Jet Cleary. So Ivan was up there watching Jet and Gus was up there watching his boy Jack play. Gust was staying at Sawtel My family and the Clearis were staying at Pacific Bay Resort at the the end of town. And it was a fast I wrote on Monday column, at least two guys Gussa just sacked him, both at the same titles. Not speaking to each other, thankfully separated in their accommodation by ten K's Wow it was it was amazing.
00:45:23
Speaker 1: That's again through Gussie Felis predictions. Buzz what you got for us?
00:45:27
Speaker 2: I'm here to tell our listeners that Newcastle will win the Wooden Spoon this weekend.
00:45:35
Speaker 1: Have fun for them.
00:45:36
Speaker 2: I'll tell you why because I think the Titans at home will beat the West Tigers right and that will level them up with the Knights, who i think will get blasted by Paramatta. So I'm tipping the Knights have a minus two one hundred and forty four four and against the Titans have two oh seven minus seven. So yeah, I reckon. Poor old Adam O'Brien's going to walk away with a spoon.
00:46:14
Speaker 1: There you go. I'm going to foolishly have an interest in the Wallabies Argentina game.
00:46:24
Speaker 2: Why do you do this?
00:46:25
Speaker 1: Because I'm trying to give us a bit more variety than NRL bus. That's what I'm trying to do. You know what it is? Yeah, you're podcast. I'm just trying to give us a point of difference, you know, That's what I'm trying to do.
00:46:39
Speaker 2: You've used a Polish pavor as your chump.
00:46:45
Speaker 1: I think I'm such a I'm getting bashed up by Wallabies supporters. They hate the Wallabies. Don't hate the Wallabies. It's just the dickhead supporters that I can't cop. Australia thirteen plus two dollars ninety against Argentina in towns All Saturday afternoon. Thanks Buzz, Thank you, Waby, Thanks listeners. Make sure you follow us on socials, YouTube and everything else. Sam, you've got something for us. Yes, it's right now and Buzzer at seven So next week we'll check back in who'd win a five between me and buzz.
00:47:25
Speaker 2: Nine sevens close? Please see you later.
00:47:29
Speaker 1: Thanks everybody, Bye for now
