UTSKRIFT 🔗
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Speaker 1: Welcome to the Code NRL Show brought to you by the all-new Samsung Galaxy S26 FE. Built with an incredible camera, Mick. Yes. And a powerful battery.
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Speaker 2: Huge. I love the battery, man. I love the battery.
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Speaker 1: You're a big battery guy.
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Speaker 2: I love that.
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Speaker 1: To keep up with your day, available now at Samsung.com. Fellas, it's finals. I'm going to hand up. I've got finals fever. You definitely have some sort of fever. There's something going on there.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, you're not in a good way.
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Speaker 1: But the people I really want to check in most are you two. Are we good?
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Speaker 3: Brent, hello.
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Speaker 2: Hello, Mick.
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Speaker 1: No. Hello, we're good.
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Speaker 3: We're good.
00:00:41
Speaker 2: It's all good fun, Dave. Is it? Yeah, it's good fun.
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Speaker 1: I don't think so.
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Speaker 3: Well, I think, Dave, to be fair, I think people that watch or listen to this podcast would realise that really and I basically argue every week.
00:00:51
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:00:52
Speaker 3: Right? Well, there's a reason I'm sitting in the middle. But for some reason- I play that role. For the first time in a while, we did it on 360 last night and people were a little bit shocked by it.
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Speaker 2: Don't be shocked.
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Speaker 1: We actually despise each other. Mick, when you reeled out the line, are you okay? I knew it was- He says that, doesn't he? It was code NRL show S.
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Speaker 2: It's very condescending when.
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Speaker 1: He says that. Very condescending. There's a tone about it.
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Speaker 2: It's not a good quality in Michael.
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Speaker 3: Nor is knowing nothing about rugby league my friend.
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Speaker 1: What were you blowing about ultimately, Mick?
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Speaker 3: Oh, we blew it about everything.
00:01:24
Speaker 1: West Tigers?
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Speaker 3: West Tigers, Patrell, Mitchell.
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Speaker 2: That's in his forward pack. That doesn't include a hooker.
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Speaker 3: Brandon Smith.
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Speaker 1: This guy was trying to tell you that Brandon Smith's a hooker, but he's a front rower.
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Speaker 2: No, that wasn't the argument.
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Speaker 1: He said- He's right.
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Speaker 2: He bagged the hooker.
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Speaker 3: He's right.
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Speaker 2: Then he said they've got a good forward pack, and I said, well, hold on, you just bagged the hooker.
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Speaker 1: A hooker is part of a forward pack.
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Speaker 3: Yes, I understand how- We can go back there, but anyway, let's not go back there.
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Speaker 1: I understand how a formation works.
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Speaker 2: You basically- didn't enunciate your point correctly and I was just picking you up on it.
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Speaker 3: It's been a big week for Brendan.
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Speaker 1: Where do you want to start?
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Speaker 3: He needs a nap.
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Speaker 1: Where do you want to start?
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Speaker 3: But firstly, you and Braith are good too, right?
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Speaker 2: Oh, you're good as cold. Yeah, yeah. No, we're fine, me and Braith.
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Speaker 3: People don't realise after the show, we have a little laugh. We spoke on the phone on the way home last night.
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Speaker 2: You checked in on me to make sure. Oh, no.
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Speaker 3: On Monday night? I rang you on Monday night to check if you're okay.
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Speaker 2: I'll tell you what.
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Speaker 3: Genuinely.
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Speaker 2: Most of my feedback was from my mum and dad who were really upset with me. Yeah. Because they said to me on Monday night after 360– When you're on Wednesday, be calm. And my wife said the same thing. There I go on Wednesday and this bloke incites me. So my mum was really upset last night because I ring my mum and dad after every show. And my wife was a bit upset.
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Speaker 1: I don't think my mum's ever watched NRL 360 or my wife's ever watched NRL 360.
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Speaker 3: My wife has no idea where I am Wednesday nights.
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Speaker 2: My wife's a big fan.
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Speaker 3: Goals.
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Speaker 2: Love you, babe.
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Speaker 1: All the Reid family get around with popcorn, do they?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, they do. Well, they're in different states, but my mum and dad love it, yeah.
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Speaker 1: Oh, that's good.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, my old man watches it.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely. I don't want to go near your old man.
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Speaker 3: We saw him in Vegas.
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Speaker 1: He's a mechanic and you've got no use of any handy work whatsoever.
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Speaker 2: He was loose in Vegas, old Del. He loves it.
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Speaker 1: He loves it.
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Speaker 3: Talking about the.
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Speaker 2: Dueling piano bar at 3am.
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Speaker 1: Fellas, Jerome Luai, he didn't rock up to the presentation night for the West Tigers. Yeah. Optics-wise, I thought he should have been there. I think it's important. This is a guy that was paid a million dollars to be a part of the football club, to be part of the rebuild. And I thought it would just be a.
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Speaker 1: How is it a nice parting? Should be just expected. A player of such significance at the presentation.
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Speaker 3: In an ideal world, Dave, you're 100% right. Like we'd sit down and go, of course, Jerome should have been at the presentation, but I'm not going to sit here and be critical of it because that relationship between the Tigers and Jerome soured, right? You can't dance around it. It's almost untenable.
00:03:50
Speaker 1: How did it go pear-shaped so well? I mean, this is a few months ago. Benji and Jerome are standing together in a press conference. Benji's saying, we absolutely love what... Jerome's been able to achieve here by getting this huge deal with the Chiefs. And now it's soured to untenable?
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Speaker 2: They had to publicly put on a brave face, Dave. I mean,
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their season was still up for grabs at that point. You're not going to come out and be critical of one of your star players because that would have been the death sentence for their season. It went that way anyway, right? But I'm with Mick. The more I think about this, the more I think, you know, the relationship's broken. Who cares if he didn't show up?
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Speaker 1: He's still on the payroll.
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Speaker 2: He checked out of that joint. They checked out of him. The relationship was both ways. I'm not going to point the finger at Jerome. I think the relationship both ways was broken. Just sever ties with the guy and move on.
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Speaker 3: The way I describe it is like if your current employer told you you're not wanted, right, which is what's happened with Jerome, okay, and then on the same night as they have the awards night, end of season dinner, whatever you want to call it, Christmas party, whatever you want to call it, right, You can earn X amount to go somewhere else. I'm going somewhere else.
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Speaker 2: I am.
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Speaker 1: When you say not wanting, he was wanted because Benji kept picking him throughout the rest of the season after the decision was made to let him go a year early.
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Speaker 3: Publicly, but we all know. Well, they told him to leave. They told him to leave the club.
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Speaker 1: He was still getting picked. He was still a key member of the team.
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Speaker 2: He's still going to win games, Dave. You can't just throw your season away because the bloke's leaving. I mean, how many blokes.
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Speaker 1: So he's still getting... Right today, he's still getting paid by the West Coast.
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Speaker 2: There's blokes who leave clubs a year out and they still get picked all year. You've still got to win football. Benji's got to win football games. It's his job on the line as well. Yeah. And Jerome helped him win footy games.
00:05:42
Speaker 1: But it was untenable.
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Speaker 3: Should he have been at the presentation? Should he have been at the presentation?
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Speaker 1: Of course.
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Speaker 3: Of course he should have, right? In an ideal world, we all would have loved, like, you know, but I'm not going to sit here and be critical of him because if I was in that situation, I don't know if I would have gone.
00:05:59
Speaker 1: Is there an element of Parramatta fans going, what are we picking up here?
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Speaker 3: Probably. There's definitely an element of relief from West Tigers fans that the circus is over.
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Speaker 1: There's only one winner here, and it's the West Tigers.
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Speaker 3: I think Parramatta can be a winner if he comes out and performs well.
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Speaker 2: Jerome's a pretty big winner.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, Jerome's a huge winner.
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Speaker 2: He's doing third parties, hand over fist.
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Speaker 1: I was talking about clubs.
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Speaker 2: Jerome's winning plenty.
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Speaker 3: I
think Parramatta can be a winner.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that can as well.
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Speaker 3: He's a winner at the moment.
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Speaker 1: He's signed with the Chiefs.
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Speaker 2: I'm with Mick. I think Parramatta can win out of this. I mean, if he goes there and forms a really good combination with Mitch Moses, and they win enough games next year, how do they lose out of that? They don't lose out of that. That's a win for them.
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Speaker 1: That's a....
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Speaker 2: A fan group that craves finals footy.
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Speaker 1: Well, I'm basing on history and performance, and your ifs are big ifs.
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Speaker 2: Four-time premiership winner. I mean, there's a history of success for that guy. He does win.
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Speaker 3: As Rudy said last night.
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Speaker 2: No, not this year or last year.
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Speaker 3: They know what they're getting themselves into, Parramatta, so they've signed up for it, and they're getting him at half price.
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Speaker 2: Yeah.
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Speaker 1: So, yeah, look, I agree on that front.
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Speaker 3: I don't have an issue with it.
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Speaker 1: Everyone has a price.
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Speaker 2: I understand your concerns, Dave, because look, it's ended really poorly there, okay? And I think we all had to hope that Jerome could help turn that club around because I think everyone, whether a Tigers fan or not, you want to see them eventually play finals footy because they're a big club, right? And it's all ended really badly.
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Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
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Speaker 1: I agree with all that.
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Speaker 2: But I also think that Jerome going there has helped that footy club. I know a lot of people say it hasn't, but I think it gave them some credibility, gave them some gravitas. They won more games when he was there than they had before he was there, the previous three years before he was there. So I don't think it's an abject failure, but it has ended badly.
00:07:42
Speaker 1: Let me ask you this. If this Luke Brooks bubbling situation at Manly had arisen... Back when Jerome was available, would Parramatta prefer Luke Brooks or Jerome Leroy?
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Speaker 3: Can I throw another name at you too?
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Speaker 1: I agree.
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Speaker 3: Adam Dewey. When that situation was bubbling on too.
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Speaker 1: So now you've got me thinking about Adam Dewey.
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Speaker 2: Can I throw another one?
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Speaker 1: Yep.
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Speaker 2: If Blaise Tulangi becomes available in the off-season.
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Speaker 3: Can I throw another one?
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Speaker 1: Matt Burden.
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Speaker 2: Ooh, look at these names.
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Speaker 3: I'm just blocking them out of the sky. No, of course, because Jerome's only for 12 months. You would have taken all those guys ahead of Jerome. You would have. Yeah. Because it's a 12. Maybe not Blaze. The only thing I'll say about Blaze is because they've got young halves, right? So are you wanting guys that can
come for two years, right? Because Blaze is a long-term player. So if you sign Blaze, you're saying to those other young guys, the path's blocked for you now that they've got there, okay? That's the only reason I'm talking about Blaze, right? Where the others, if you go Luke Brooks, he's a two-year deal, you know, break into that relationship with Mitch. I think they probably would have preferred that.
00:08:52
Speaker 1: Let's just slow it down. So we go Brooks and Moses as a halves combo. Big tick.
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Speaker 2: Great mates. Fantastic. Used to live together. Great buddies.
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Speaker 1: On the form that Luke showed this year.
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Speaker 2: He was outstanding.
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Speaker 1: That's a tick for me.
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Speaker 2: Tick.
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Speaker 1: Yep.
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Speaker 2: I like that.
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Speaker 1: Dewey. Adam Dewey. And Mitch. And Mitch.
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Speaker 3: Lebanon connection.
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Speaker 1: Yep. One can play as a genuine halfback. Yep. One can play as a big six. Tick. Yeah, thick tick. Tick.
00:09:17
Speaker 2: Yep.
00:09:17
Speaker 1: Blaise Talangi. Probably the- I.
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Speaker 2: Love that comment. I love it.
00:09:21
Speaker 1: Yeah.
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Speaker 2: Well, Blaise is a paramedic kid as well.
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Speaker 3: Do you understand my point about the.
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Speaker 2: I know what you're saying about the young kids coming through.
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Speaker 3: So you'd block their path, right?
00:09:28
Speaker 2: But it's not- You're blocking their path with another paramedic kid. So I don't think it's as big an issue, right? Because he's a paramedic guy.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, but you're saying to him- He was that paramedic previously. You're saying to him- you're probably not going to play first grade. That's the decision you're making, right?
00:09:41
Speaker 2: But I think if you bring another Parramatta kid back, I don't think that's as big an issue.
00:09:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree with Rudy.
00:09:45
Speaker 3: I just don't know how good the young– I think they feel like they're going to be long-term first graders there. So that's my only call on Blaze.
00:09:52
Speaker 2: If you're saying these– If you're bringing Blaze back, you're buying more of a guarantee than you are with those kids who are there.
00:10:00
Speaker 1: Now.
00:10:00
Speaker 2: We don't know about those kids, but we know Blaze. I think we know Blaze is going to be a long-term first grader.
00:10:05
Speaker 1: Talk about guarantees. I would argue that Brooks and Dewey are more guarantees than Blaze working. Definitely. That's sick. So that's a maybe, right? Blaze, and then the last one was Matty Burton. which could work also.
00:10:21
Speaker 2: He's number one for me.
00:10:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, right.
00:10:24
Speaker 2: He'd be my priority if you can get him early.
00:10:25
Speaker 1: Yeah. I've gone cold on the whole six thing, you know. Have you really? I think he's a gun centre.
00:10:31
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:10:31
Speaker 1: But anyway, look, there is the conundrum for the Parramatta Eels. Not a conundrum. Well, they've got Jerome Leroy and we'll see how it goes.
00:10:41
Speaker 3: Yeah. It's going to be watch this space, but I think he'll play with a chip.
00:10:44
Speaker 2: On his shoulder.
00:10:45
Speaker 3: Next year, Jerome.
00:10:46
Speaker 2: Thinking a big year out of him.
00:10:47
Speaker 1: Well, I'd hope so.
00:10:47
Speaker 3: I think he'll play well.
00:10:50
Speaker 1: Righto, fellas. Let's talk about the weekend that was. Thanks to the all-new Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, we are showcasing the best of the weekend. I was there on Friday night, last Friday night.
00:11:02
Speaker 2: Huge.
00:11:03
Speaker 1: I did tip the Knights exclusively here on Code Sports. And I captured some sideline fan footage.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: Nice.
00:11:10
Speaker 1: I've got to say. As we have a look at this footage, you can see a bit of a sprinkling of Bunnies fans, stacks of Knights fans. I'll be interested to see how many get to Eden Park this Sunday. We've had some of our code sports readers submit their best fan moments of 2026 with two standing out fellas. Talakai, Sifat Talakai's overall performance in the Sharks Cowboys match. What about that? Opening try. I reckon that put down was questionable just between you and me. Plus Marky Mark's intercept try.
00:11:43
Speaker 2: Freakish.
00:11:44
Speaker 1: Unbelievable. Now, speaking of Marky Mark, we captured some content this week using the My Fan Cam feature on the phone showing Roosters players arriving very safely because they've had some dramas in the past with these bikes, honestly. And they came in on the e-bikes and the e-scooters. Have you had a go at one of those, Rudy?
00:12:07
Speaker 2: You know, I rode an e-scooter up in Townsville, wasn't it?
00:12:11
Speaker 1: Where were we?
00:12:11
Speaker 2: We were up in Townsville at an Origin game. Yeah, we were.
00:12:13
Speaker 1: I was with you. Yeah. Yeah. And you may have gone a bit rogue.
00:12:17
Speaker 2: Well, it was late at night.
00:12:19
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:12:20
Speaker 2: Things got a bit loose.
00:12:21
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:12:21
Speaker 2: But I did have a helmet on.
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Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:12:23
Speaker 2: But no, they were fun.
00:12:24
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:12:25
Speaker 2: And Dave, we rode... e-bikes in Paris at the Olympics.
00:12:28
Speaker 3: Remember that?
00:12:28
Speaker 1: We did.
00:12:29
Speaker 2: We went and visited the Louvre or something, didn't we?
00:12:31
Speaker 1: Reed, man, that My Fan Camp feature on that scene.
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Speaker 2: Oh, it's so good.
00:12:36
Speaker 1: It is neck level.
00:12:38
Speaker 2: Insane. Love it.
00:12:40
Speaker 1: Elimination semifinals are here, fellas. Do or die. Let's start Saturday night at Allianz Stadium. Roosters v. Sharks. Roosters, six-day turnaround from that Penrith battle that it was. Sharks coming off their win against the Cowboys with an extra day advantage. How do you see it, Mick?
00:13:03
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's like on paper the Roosters should win, particularly off the back of last week's performance. But as you said, six-day turnaround, huge physical toll off the back of that Penrith game. So that's a concern for them. But I like what I saw from the Roosters last week. The Sharks were better, but, you know, I don't think it was the– Best finals game I've ever seen, that Sharks-Cowboys game.
00:13:26
Speaker 2: Yeah. David, I think you've had the status that 30 teams after they play Penrith, the next week they only win 30-odd percent.
00:13:35
Speaker 1: 30-odd percent.
00:13:36
Speaker 2: Because Penrith takes so much out of you. And that's the concern for me if you're a Roosters fan. They put so much into that game and they fell short.
00:13:45
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:13:46
Speaker 2: And I just wonder how that's going to affect them physically and mentally this week. I'm with Mick, though. I thought Cronulla, that game was bang average, probably the worst of the finals. Definitely. And Cronulla scraped through. They were pretty average. But I think they'll get better. I just wonder whether the Roosters can get better.
00:14:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, so you've got an emotion on one side where one's trying to pick up after a loss.
00:14:11
Speaker 2: And that's four losses in a row. Let's not forget that.
00:14:14
Speaker 1: And no team has won the premiership after losing the final three games of the season. They've now lost four.
00:14:20
Speaker 2: Four in a row.
00:14:20
Speaker 3: Dave, talk us through Braden Trindle's shoulder. Where's that at?
00:14:24
Speaker 1: So I've been told structurally the same as what he went into the game as what he finished the game with. What we all saw, the whole ringing of the shoulder out, was when he goes low on a tackle, he's copping bumps on the top and it's creating the burner. That same stinger burner sensation. So it's not like the shoulder's moving. It's the impact injury.
00:14:50
Speaker 3: It's a concern, obviously.
00:14:52
Speaker 2: So that's why- Surely you just run everything at him this week.
00:14:55
Speaker 1: Siwa Wong is the man.
00:14:56
Speaker 2: At him constantly.
00:14:58
Speaker 3: Yeah, they have to get to him. They didn't do a good enough job last week, the Cowboys, of getting to him. They have to get at him consistently.
00:15:03
Speaker 1: What I will say is I thought he stood up when the Cowboys did come at him.
00:15:08
Speaker 3: Of course he did.
00:15:08
Speaker 1: No, no.
00:15:09
Speaker 3: He wasn't shirking the responsibility by any means, but you could tell- like watching it, that he was hampered by that shoulder, and that's obviously a concern for him.
00:15:17
Speaker 1: One of the significant indicators for me, why I firmly believe Cronulla are a genuine shot here, is the loss of Sam Walker. Now, I'm a fan of Sam Walker. I like the way he plays, but I probably underestimated how much influence he does have on this Roosters side. If you actually cut the numbers, when Sam plays, kicking-wise, he shares, if not dominates the kicking.
00:15:42
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
00:15:44
Speaker 1: Not only short-kicking game, as we know, but general play as well, the numbers show he kicks more than DCE. Possession-wise, they have a shared responsibility between Sam and DCE. It's genuinely split, not too far away at all. However, now that Sam's gone, it's not split at all. Savala is the absolute second half. And it's all on DC, the most dominant kicker in the team and the most dominant possession half. So that lends me to a big responsibility on the shoulders of this man that was brought to the club for this very moment to take the Roosters to the premiership.
00:16:26
Speaker 2: I'm glad you're coming with me, Dave, because I put a line through the Roosters because Sam Walker was out. You have been a huge Sam supporter. And I think... We saw how much they missed him at the weekend. They just struggled to score points. Sam creates points for them, right? Particularly when the Penrith were down to 12 men. So, look, if they get through this weekend, they get Sam back for the prelim, I think they're back in the mix.
00:16:48
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:16:48
Speaker 2: But they've got to get through this weekend first without him.
00:16:51
Speaker 1: So up until round 24, the Roosters had scored the most tries from kicks, 33 tries. After round 24, they've scored one try from a kick. And I think the genuine X-factor element of the Roosters has been diluted by Sam not being there. Now, the Roosters have had unbelievable success against Cronulla, high balls to the wingers. Tupou over Sione Katoa, Nawang Nituazi over Ronaldo Molotalo. Yet, largely off Sam Walker's boot in each of those occasions. So this game is so much about DCE for me. If he gets his game on, runs the show, he's free to dominate, I think the Roosters probably get away with it. That'll be the shark's job for me, shut down DCE.
00:17:39
Speaker 3: Yeah, I can't argue. Obviously, it just cuts down another point of attack. Sam Walker, and he's got that off-the-cuff, unpredictable style of play, right? And to beat Penrith... you need that style of play because they're such a great defensive unit.
00:17:53
Speaker 1: Yes, structurally sound.
00:17:54
Speaker 3: I think there's more holes in the Cronulla defensive line and weaknesses in the Cronulla defensive line that they can beat them with structure. You can't beat Penrith with structure.
00:18:04
Speaker 1: Yeah. Right?
00:18:05
Speaker 3: So I think that's probably a little bit of a difference heading into this weekend's game. And provided the Roosters are fit and that game hasn't taken too much out of them, I think they win.
00:18:14
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:18:14
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:18:16
Speaker 1: And where Cronulla, you know, you speak about probably not defensively as sound as Penrith. Well, they're not. But for me, if Adam Fanula– I stick to it consistently. If Adam Fanula, Blake, has a big game, Blake
Braley can have a big game, and then the two halves can go. I think it'll be close no matter what.
00:18:38
Speaker 2: Look, I think the Roosters will probably win, but it wouldn't shock me if the Sharks take them. But I think they win.
00:18:43
Speaker 1: Sharks for me.
00:18:44
Speaker 3: Roosters.
00:18:45
Speaker 1: All roads lead to Eden Park, fellas. 50,000 sold out. Sold out in under 24 hours. Warriors v. Knights. Now, you know I liked the Knights last week.
00:18:55
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:18:56
Speaker 1: However.
00:18:56
Speaker 2: You're a wise man, Dave.
00:18:58
Speaker 1: Well, I'm looking at it with an open mind. And why I went to Newcastle is their resilience, their defiance all year this year. But I had question marks about Souths. And they concede 24 points on average every game. How bad were they? Yeah.
00:19:16
Speaker 3: Terrible.
00:19:17
Speaker 1: Ordinary. Terrible. I didn't have trust in the spine.
00:19:20
Speaker 2: Yep.
00:19:21
Speaker 1: And so I found a way to find Newcastle. I just don't. I think the Warriors have got a lot more going for them than what South do.
00:19:27
Speaker 3: Oh, for sure.
00:19:28
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:19:28
Speaker 3: This is a much tougher challenge, but really interesting. You sit there and you break down where these two sides score their points. The Warriors basically score all their points. The third most points scored inside the opposition is 20. where the Knights score most of their points outside their 20.
00:19:43
Speaker 1: Right.
00:19:45
Speaker 3: So if Newcastle can control the middle third, right, and don't allow the Warriors- Which will be tricky. Which will be hard. That's going to be their challenge, right? A depleted forward pack and one of the best points. That's going to be their challenge. But if they can match it with the Warriors' middle third and don't allow them good ball sets, they're a huge chance. Sorry, Brady, sorry, because on the flip side, you look at the Knights and they're flamboyant style.
00:20:06
Speaker 1: Back five. Right?
00:20:07
Speaker 3: They're back five. They strike on the edge. We've been banging on about this. What's the Warriors' weakness? The edge.
00:20:13
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:20:13
Speaker 3: And that's where the Knights will go and go at them. So I think the Knights like this matchup.
00:20:17
Speaker 2: Do we expect Dylan Lucas to play? What's the latest they're doing?
00:20:21
Speaker 1: I think we do, yes. Wow.
00:20:22
Speaker 2: That's a huge in for them. Although their back row has been going really good, haven't they?
00:20:25
Speaker 1: On the bench, Rudy.
00:20:26
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:20:27
Speaker 1: From the bench.
00:20:27
Speaker 2: That's a handy bloke to bring off the bench.
00:20:29
Speaker 1: Even because of his quickies across the ground.
00:20:32
Speaker 3: Maybe he's bringing for 20 minutes. That's all you'd expect out of him, right? 20, 25 minutes.
00:20:36
Speaker 2: I like Newcastle, actually, in this game.
00:20:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, well.
00:20:38
Speaker 2: I reckon they might get him.
00:20:39
Speaker 1: What a story. Into the prelim, Reedy.
00:20:41
Speaker 2: I don't think they'll get past Penrith.
00:20:43
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:20:44
Speaker 2: I reckon they win this one. I just think KP will be up for it. We know how much he loves... He's obviously going to play for the Kiwis at the end of the year. He's got immense connections to his Maori heritage, for his old man and stuff. I think it's going to be a huge game for him. I think he'll be up for it. And if he has a big game, I think they win.
00:21:02
Speaker 3: So, what about.
00:21:04
Speaker 1: The NRL have locked in next Sunday afternoon, Penrith prelim, at a core stadium against either the Warriors or Knights.
00:21:11
Speaker 3: It's going to be either way. Either way, it's going to be 60,000. 60,000, definitely. Lock in 60,000. If it's a good Sunday, it'll be 60,000 regardless of who's there.
00:21:21
Speaker 1: Mick, you've nailed it with Lekahalasem is no good thing to play this game with the hamstring issue.
00:21:28
Speaker 3: They need Dallin to play and move Chance to the centre.
00:21:31
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it was a liability last weekend.
00:21:33
Speaker 3: That's what they need to happen.
00:21:34
Speaker 1: I think that's a genuine shot.
00:21:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, because he's much better defensively. And their issue and their biggest loss, they've overcome every loss, Roger Tuivasa-Shek has been their biggest loss.
00:21:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, sure.
00:21:43
Speaker 3: For sure, right? Because it's just that, I don't know, they're just flimsy defensively and they've got to throw a little bit more at attack than they did last week.
00:21:51
Speaker 1: What's really interesting about both these prelims is that there's two sides that are under genuinely more pressure than their opposition. The Roosters.
00:22:02
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:22:02
Speaker 1: With their roster. They've finished top four.
00:22:06
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: And the Warriors. Two home games in New Zealand. A wonderful season. Again, top four. And it's the two outsiders that have nothing to lose. They just go for it. And I just wonder, with the Whas, a youngish team. Yes, they've got Cape Wall. Fisher Harris.
00:22:23
Speaker 2: I hate that saying you've got nothing to lose, Dave. Of course they've got something. Like, Cronulla have got plenty to lose. Yeah.
00:22:27
Speaker 1: Right?
00:22:28
Speaker 2: I mean, their window's closing. I think we've spoken about that at length. Yeah. So they've got a heap to lose, Cronulla. And, mate, Newcastle, like, they're in a position they haven't been in for a while.
00:22:38
Speaker 1: Yep.
00:22:39
Speaker 2: And an opportunity to win a, get themselves to a prelim.
00:22:42
Speaker 1: Yep.
00:22:42
Speaker 2: They've got a lot on the line.
00:22:44
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:22:44
Speaker 2: You know, I keep banging on about KP because I love the guy, but, mate, we know how
much he wants to win a comp. he's now got an opportunity to put them in a position where they could potentially play in a grand final. That is a lot of pressure. There's immense pressure on those two teams.
00:22:59
Speaker 3: They got walloped in this game. I think in 2023, the second week of the finals, I think they played the Warriors, the Knights. They got walloped. But I think their halves that day were like Adam Kloon and Tyson Gamble or something like that. They just had the injuries at the wrong time, right? So it's a very different proposition for this new class.
00:23:15
Speaker 2: But I do concede there's probably more pressure on the other two.
00:23:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah.
00:23:17
Speaker 2: But I'm saying there's plenty of pressure on the Knights– Expectations. Two home finals.
00:23:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, expectations. Two home finals for the Waz.
00:23:25
Speaker 3: They've got to win. They have to win because if they lose this, it's a completely wasted season, the Warriors.
00:23:29
Speaker 1: Wasted 100%. Who are you tipping, Mick?
00:23:32
Speaker 3: Warriors, but I think it'll be tighter than the first game.
00:23:35
Speaker 1: Yep, Warriors for me.
00:23:37
Speaker 2: Nights and a boil over.
00:23:40
Speaker 1: Guys, favorite time of the week, BS messages of the week from Codesports readers. Go to codesports.com.au, leave your BS message, and we will respond.
00:23:51
Speaker 3: That's our promise to you. Not all of them, some of them. Unless Dave's going to sit there replying to every email. Well, the mailbags are absolutely chockers again, Reedy. What have you got?
00:24:02
Speaker 2: I've got one from Dogs of War, and they've asked, has Reedy ever paid for a ticket to the footy? I don't know what that is. I can't remember what that relates to.
00:24:10
Speaker 1: Wonderful question.
00:24:11
Speaker 3: Maybe because you're saying that the Cronulla fans are soft on the travel.
00:24:13
Speaker 2: Oh, that's what I did too, didn't I? It's probably been a while, if I'm being honest, Dogs of War. It's been a while since I've paid for a ticket to the footy, but I have in the past year. I just paid $ 300.
00:24:22
Speaker 1: To go to Allianz on Saturday night and pay the kids.
00:24:25
Speaker 2: He's a man of the people.
00:24:26
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:24:26
Speaker 2: $ 300?
00:24:26
Speaker 1: Get amongst it. $ 300? $ 300.
00:24:27
Speaker 2: What was that for, you and?
00:24:30
Speaker 1: Four of us.
00:24:30
Speaker 2: Four for $ 300? Yeah.
00:24:32
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:24:33
Speaker 2: Good seats. They sound like they'd be good seats.
00:24:35
Speaker 1: 10-meter line.
00:24:37
Speaker 2: Okay. It's not bad seats, is it?
00:24:40
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's all right. It's not a bad, it's a good stadium. It's not halfway. Halfway was always considered. Was it Bay 14 at the old SFS?
00:24:47
Speaker 2: Half-priced chips this.
00:24:47
Speaker 1: Week, are there? I don't think it's half-priced chips, but I'm hearing there could be something else coming.
00:24:54
Speaker 2: Oh, hold on.
00:24:56
Speaker 3: Let's half-price hot dogs.
00:24:57
Speaker 1: Get on the coach. No, not hot dogs.
00:25:01
Speaker 3: Burgers.
00:25:01
Speaker 1: No, not burgers.
00:25:02
Speaker 3: Pluto Pups. What else do they sell?
00:25:04
Speaker 2: We'll see.
00:25:04
Speaker 1: We'll see. It's not confirmed, so I don't want to go off early.
00:25:07
Speaker 2: Okay. Got this other one. This is interesting. This is an interesting question. I can't remember who it was from. I didn't write it down. Why is the advantage rule so subjective? You know, what is advantage and what isn't?
00:25:21
Speaker 1: When they've moved 10 metres past the point.
00:25:24
Speaker 3: No, no, no. It's not that anymore. So I think it should be twofold, right? So we had a period of time, Dave, where you're 100% right. It was 10 metres. But they got rid of that, right? But it should be twofold. Either it's a free play or it's 10 metres. Yeah.
00:25:37
Speaker 2: Hmm.
00:25:37
Speaker 3: Because it is very subjective, right? Of course it is, right? So I'm saying it should be either, I think Super League have a free play where you just do whatever, and then if it's an error, you come back, or it's 10 metres. I actually really like the 10 metre one. Yeah.
00:25:49
Speaker 2: Right?
00:25:49
Speaker 3: But yeah.
00:25:49
Speaker 2: You don't like the free play one?
00:25:51
Speaker 3: I think it can be a little bit loose. I don't mind. Look, I don't mind either of them, right? Because at least there's an end point where you, yeah.
00:25:57
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:25:57
Speaker 3: So I'm with them.
00:25:58
Speaker 2: Good question, that one.
00:25:59
Speaker 3: Good question from an unknown reader.
00:26:01
Speaker 2: No, that's all I got, Dave.
00:26:02
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:26:03
Speaker 2: Just the two of them.
00:26:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay.
00:26:04
Speaker 2: Anything that's bugged you this week?
00:26:06
Speaker 1: No, here's one from the readers I got. Oh, what do you got? Was Reedy any good at maths at school?
00:26:15
Speaker 2: Oh, what's that in reference to?
00:26:17
Speaker 3: Crowd numbers.
00:26:18
Speaker 1: If 11,000 Roosters fans turn up to ComBank and 11,000 Penrith fans turn up to ComBank to make 22,000, does that mean the Sharks have more supporters with 17,000 at Allianz Stadium?
00:26:36
Speaker 2: So is the question, do the Sharks have more supporters than, for example, the Roosters?
00:26:40
Speaker 1: I think so.
00:26:40
Speaker 3: Let's make a sweeping statement. The crowds were bad last week. Oh, yeah.
00:26:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a better statement.
00:26:45
Speaker 3: But I'm not retracting. It doesn't matter.
00:26:48
Speaker 1: You won't catch Reedy in reverse. I won't be retracting.
00:26:51
Speaker 2: My statement that the Sharks shouldn't be playing finals games at Ocean Protect Stadium. I do not retract that.
00:26:59
Speaker 1: No, that wasn't the question. That wasn't the question.
00:27:01
Speaker 2: But that's the implication of the question.
00:27:02
Speaker 1: What crowd are we getting Roosters-Sharks?
00:27:05
Speaker 3: Surely we get, like we really, we should be getting 40 for that, right? But we're not.
00:27:09
Speaker 1: I agree, mate.
00:27:10
Speaker 3: It should be a 40,000 crowd, right?
00:27:13
Speaker 1: Anything below 30.
00:27:14
Speaker 2: I've got to get at least 30.
00:27:16
Speaker 3: Anything below 30 is.
00:27:17
Speaker 2: At least.
00:27:19
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree.
00:27:19
Speaker 3: What's Eden Park hold, Dave?
00:27:21
Speaker 1: Huh?
00:27:21
Speaker 3: What's Eden Park hold?
00:27:22
Speaker 1: 50.
00:27:23
Speaker 2: Awesome.
00:27:24
Speaker 1: Yeah. Sold out in under 24 hours. Awesome.
00:27:26
Speaker 2: That's gold.
00:27:27
Speaker 1: They would have got 70,000 there if they could have. Yeah. Awesome.
00:27:29
Speaker 3: Good to see. And there would have been, there'll be some Newcastle fans there as well, right? So that's great to see, but. Really? Hopefully we get it.
00:27:37
Speaker 1: Not many, if any.
00:27:38
Speaker 3: There'll be some there. They travel. I love it. Hopefully we get it. It was a great atmosphere that South. It was very good.
00:27:45
Speaker 1: Huge weekend of footy. Make sure you enjoy it. We'll be back next week for the preliminary final round of the Code NRL show.