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00:00:00
Speaker 1: Welcome to a special edition of Code NRL Podcast. I'm here with Tyson Jackson. Tyson, how are you, champ? Doggy, good.
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Speaker 2: How are you?
00:00:06
Speaker 3: Now, we're right here at the Roosters. They're right behind us getting their team photo taken. They've just had their media day.
00:00:11
Speaker 1: How did you find their... They're body language, Tyson. They seem fairly relaxed to me.
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Speaker 2: Look, I'm not a body language expert, doggy, but they do seem relaxed. They seem quite confident, which I was expecting. They obviously had a great performance on Friday night. The Knights were in an absolute war yesterday, so I see why they would be confident. There's a couple of question marks in the air around their squad still, but I think all in all, the Roosters are in a very good space heading into the grand final on Sunday.
00:00:36
Speaker 3: Duck back to Friday night briefly. The Roosters 36, the Dolphins 20. It was a fairly emphatic win. Dolphins scored a couple of late tries, but the Roosters seemed to be in control for the entire game. Yeah, the Roosters, they just seemed to be hitting their strides right at the right time, right at a perfect time for them.
00:00:51
Speaker 2: I always thought that there was a good chance we could see this from the club. But what they did to the Dolphins was a statement win. I think a lot of people actually rode the Roosters off, which is just silly when you think about it. You look at the talent in their squad. You spoke about Mark Nwanganitawase in your column yesterday, Doggie.
00:01:06
Speaker 1: He's such a talent. And you can say without him in their.
00:01:09
Speaker 2: Team on Friday night, they probably don't win.
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Speaker 3: I've had a crack at reading over this, and I'll have another crack right here, right now. Robbo's decision in round 27 was controversial, but he rested nine players for the game right here.
00:01:23
Speaker 1: Against South Sydney.
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Speaker 3: In hindsight, given their past two performances, it's been a masterstroke.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, 100%.
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Speaker 2: I think you can never argue with Trent Robinson. He's one of the all-time great coaches. I think he's up there with the greatest of all time. And if he gets another premiership, then that's four for him. So, yeah, it was at the time a questionable decision considering the Roosters had lost, I think, three on the trot or two on the trot and then a third.
00:01:49
Speaker 1: But they came out.
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Speaker 2: In that game against Penrith, they were unlucky not to win, but they have looked fresh ever since. I would say heading into this grand final, they are the fresher team. They're playing with a level of confidence. They're playing with a level of health, which I don't think they've had all year. They've been stricken with injury all year. And barring Connor Watson, who I believe will play, they could be at full strength this Sunday.
00:02:12
Speaker 3: Let's not forget too, Tyson, that they've got the extra two days on Newcastle. And of course, Newcastle played... uh 44 minutes with 12 men so emotionally but more physically the knights will be at a disadvantage compared to the chooks who have been rested and have the two extra days to prepare yeah well it could go.
00:02:33
Speaker 2: Both ways doggy i think i think newcastle have a lot of momentum on their side at the moment which will always help but for me the nine day turnaround could be it could be a blessing or a curse because it's not normal it's not normal for teams to have that big of a turnaround um So the seven-day turnaround, a bit more frequent, a bit more likely in the NRL. Nine-day turnaround is very unheard of. So it will be up to the Roosters staff and the Roosters coaching staff to make sure this team is ready and don't take those two extra days as days off, but more just an extra chance to get ready, an extra bit of preparation.
00:03:07
Speaker 3: We're at the Roosters media day, as I mentioned before, and one of the interviews that I did, which obviously multiple media did.
00:03:16
Speaker 1: Was Daly Cherry Evans. He's a remarkable story.
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Speaker 3: Here's this bloke that's been at Manly for 15 years, ensconced in the culture, a bloke we never thought would leave Brookvale.
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Speaker 1: He did. He shocked rugby league by doing it, and.
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Speaker 3: Here he is now playing in a grand final in what will be his last game of NRL.
00:03:34
Speaker 1: It's an amazing story.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, it sounds very similar to one of Cooper Cronk's back in 2018 and 2019. I don't think I ever thought that Cooper Cronk would leave Melbourne.
00:03:42
Speaker 1: He did.
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Speaker 2: He came here and found success instantly, and that's what Daily Cherry Evans has the chance to do I love DC. I think he's been such a servant and a warrior.
00:03:50
Speaker 1: Of this game.
00:03:51
Speaker 2: He could finish his career the way he started it, winning that premiership in his first year and then winning a premiership in his last year. He's been great for the Roosters. And I think not only he's been great for this year and the success this year, but what they're going to do in the future. They've got a couple of good young halves coming through. Toby Rodwell, who can slot into that role next year. Hugo Savala, another one. So he's set the Roosters up for long-term success with what he's done this year.
00:04:15
Speaker 3: We look at that Roosters side and we talked about Cherry. The other player that I.
00:04:19
Speaker 1: Think we deserve to mention, who deserves to mention rather, is Marky Marky.
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Speaker 3: He brings with it this incredible skill set, which a lot of us in rugby league haven't seen before.
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Speaker 1: He's so instinctive.
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Speaker 3: And I wrote this morning, he's got supernatural skills, which might have been a touch over the top to us. But I was just
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trying to point out the impact this bloke's made. He's only been in our game for two years.
00:04:40
Speaker 1: Can you believe that?
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Speaker 3: 45 tries in 46 games, but he's done things that we just haven't seen in Rugby League before.
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Speaker 2: Well, if he wins a premiership, he has done everything in Rugby League.
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Speaker 1: Literally everything.
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Speaker 2: He's won Dallium Winger of the Year, one set of Origin. If he wins a premiership as well, that's... Kangaroo Tour won the Ashes. If he wins a premiership this year, then he's literally done everything in a couple of years.
00:05:02
Speaker 1: He will go down.
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Speaker 2: I wrote this last week, Doggy. He will go down as one of the greatest wingers of all time, purely from his skill to break the internet every week. And just when you think you've seen it all, He does more and more. Like I said at the start of the episode, I don't think the Roosters win that game without Mark on the weekend. Some of his individual efforts, just his ability, and I'll point this out, there was a part of that game where there was a kick put across, I believe it was from Daly Cherry Evans, and Marcus actually faked to catch the ball, which has put Herbie Farnworth off. He's caught the ball, come back in. I think he's flicked it back inside, and they've scored. I've never seen anything like it, and I think it's a massive loss for Rugby League, but I'm hopeful that PBL... the Roosters can get him back here in a couple of years.
00:05:43
Speaker 3: He's certainly a prodigious talent. Let's move on to Newcastle, Tyson. They've stunned Rugby League. I didn't think they'd beat South in Week 1. I didn't think they'd go to Auckland and beat the Warriors in Week 2. And I certainly didn't think they would beat Penrith, particularly.
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Speaker 1: With 12 men for 44 minutes.
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Speaker 3: It has been one of the most extraordinary sequences, fairy tales, whatever you want to call it, that we can remember in recent rugby league history.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, 100%, doggy.
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Speaker 2: I mean, it takes me back to the days of North Queensland in 2017, Canberra, I think, in 2019. Just these teams that we didn't expect to do so well. My only concern is I hope it hasn't taken it out of them and they can come and put up another great performance on Sunday. I thought Sunday's clash against Penrith last Sunday was one of the greatest games I've ever seen and one of the greatest shows of heart and determination that I've ever seen in rugby league. This Newcastle team had no right to be in that fight after Phoenix Crosland was sent off and now he has to go to judiciary on Tuesday night. They had a try scored against them straight away. It looked all but done for Doggie and they somehow came up with a way to win. The form of Caelan Ponga at the moment will be sending shivers down the rooster's spine. He is in unbelievable form, and if there's one player in the competition that I believe can get this job done by himself, it's Caelan Ponga.
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Speaker 3: Another interesting sidebar to this big game on Sunday is Sandon Smith.
00:07:02
Speaker 1: Two try here on the weekend.
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Speaker 3: Basically left the roosters tossed, and because of the signing of Daley Cherry Evans, I don't think he was forced out per se, but felt that his opportunity lay elsewhere. He goes to Newcastle, and Dylan Brown goes down injured. And suddenly, here he is in a grand final. Another amazing story. Yeah, he's been the signing of the year for me, Doggy. I think he's been absolutely unbelievable whenever he's had to step in for Newcastle all year. And without him, they're not in a grand final. His plays yesterday, his efforts yesterday were unbelievable. And I think there's a bit more riding on.
00:07:38
Speaker 1: This for Sandon now.
00:07:39
Speaker 2: This is personal. And I know they won't ham it up to us. They won't ham it up that they're thinking about it and it's on their mind. But You gotta think, Sandon Smith deep down is going, this club chose another half over me. We talk about the Roosters' young halves. Sandon Smith was that guy. Sandon Smith and Sam Walker were the guys that were supposed to take this club forward. That obviously hasn't happened, and now we have an opportunity for Sandon to say, hey, Roosters, you made the mistake here. And that's what we love in rugby league, doggy. We love a storyline. We love a rivalry. And I think we're going to see it. I think this might be one of the best grand finals we ever see on Sunday.
00:08:13
Speaker 3: I certainly hope you're right. It's certainly a fairytale run for the Knights. The only concern I've got, Tyson, and I hope I'm wrong here, Did Newcastle play their grand final on Sunday?
00:08:25
Speaker 1: Has the three sudden death games taken a toll emotionally and physically?
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Speaker 3: And as I alluded to before, 44 minutes with 12 men means that they would be.
00:08:35
Speaker 1: Physically exhausted today. Have they played their grand final already?
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Speaker 3: Or are you confident that they can somehow muster up this fighting famous Newcastle spirit which has taken.
00:08:45
Speaker 1: Them to the grand final?
00:08:46
Speaker 2: I'm confident that they can put up a fight against the Roosters. I think the only people that can answer that question are Newcastle, and that question can't actually be answered until the game starts on Sunday. When things start to get tough, when things start to get hard, do they have that extra mile in and that extra tick to get them over the line? There is so much momentum around Newcastle at the moment. Matty Johns was in tears on his show last night. Andrew Johns in the commentary box was in tears. There is so much love. Apparently, we're heading up to Newcastle tomorrow. Apparently, that town has been completely transformed. into night central um that can take a team a long way that can give that
team the extra week so i think they've got another week in them i think this is going to go down to the wire um i don't think they're done yet i thought they were done yesterday and if they weren't done yesterday you know they're justin holbrook said it you don't come this far to come this far you you come this far to win the comp and they have to go into next week thinking that as.
00:09:37
Speaker 3: Exciting as it was yesterday it was one of the all-time great finals i i admit it it just seemed to be a bit of a uh A pall of sadness over the game after what we witnessed with.
00:09:46
Speaker 1: Nathan Cleary in the 35th minute. It was a horrific injury.
00:09:49
Speaker 3: Some people are suggesting he could be out for nine months, if not even more. So it didn't take away from Newcastle's win.
00:09:59
Speaker 1: I don't think that's fair to put that on Newcastle. They deserve that win.
00:10:02
Speaker 3: However, in terms of all rugby league, every fan in the game were devastated when we saw Nathan lying on the ground with that.
00:10:08
Speaker 1: Compound fracture of the leg. 100%.
00:10:10
Speaker 2: And we get to deal with Nathan on a regular basis. And he's one of the nice guys in rugby league as well. So he's not someone that you don't want to see anyone hurt, but especially Nathan Cleary. He looked great for the 10 minutes he was on the field as well. But like you mentioned, that compound fracture in the leg, his foot was fractured, his other foot. So he's going in for double surgery, emergency double surgery today. And hopefully he can get better. With someone of Nathan Cleary's caliber and mental belief, I have no doubt that he'll come back stronger than ever. But this is definitely the biggest battle of his career up until this point. Forget the four premierships. Forget all of that. To come back from an injury of this magnitude, where I don't want to be graphic, but his bone was sticking out of his leg. And he saw that. So let's hope for everyone's sake, for Nathan Cleary's sake, he's back better than ever next year.
00:10:58
Speaker 1: Seven podiums for Penrith. Four premierships. Is there any sense out there that the... I won't say a dynasty, because a dynasty means you keep winning.
00:11:07
Speaker 3: Is there any sense out there, though, that this great Penrith run might be coming to an end?
00:11:12
Speaker 2: I think all good things come to an end, Doggy. They're going to lose more players over time. I think next year is going to be the year that everything wraps up for them. Ivan Cleary's last year at the club. Brian Toto's last year at the club. They'll have a lot more guys exiting. We just broke the other day that the Isaiah Yeo deal is done. But there's going to be more movements around that team. But I think next year they're in for a big year. They're going to want to send everyone off as winners, as we've seen them do over their four premierships. So I'd definitely give them next year. But I think after that, there's
going to be a bit of a rebuild and a restructure at Penrith. And I don't know how that's going to go. Before we go, we should touch on the Dolphins. They got bundled out, of course, on Friday night. But it was a wonderful year. The back line ignited rugby league for many matches during the year.
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Speaker 3: And certainly in terms of excitement, the Dolphins are right up there with the very best Of the season.
00:11:59
Speaker 1: It was a sad demise. It was a sad exit. But I don't think England can take away from what they achieved this year.
00:12:04
Speaker 3: Not only finishing top four, but also toppling Brisbane in terms of being the Brisbane team.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, to be in the top four and to be one game away from a grand final just four years into your existence is a massive get. I think the Storm was the only team that have done it better. The Tigers, I think, or the West Tigers... five years into the comp, they ended up making their final and winning. But the Dolphins are in an unbelievable spot. I think next year is a perfect time for them to really try and capture this premiership. It's where they're going to be their strongest. They're also another team that have a lot of players up in the air from November 1 that can negotiate for the 2028 season. So they have to really try and hone in on next year. But I think there's a good lesson in for the Dolphins and their season, their 2026 season. And that is that Defence wins games. I think they were very comfortable letting the Roosters score points at the start, thinking that they can just chase them down like they have. The finals footy is a different beast. If you let teams get in front, if you let quality teams get in front, Doggy, as we've seen many times, it's near impossible to chase down quality opposition.
00:13:04
Speaker 1: We're a long way from the game still, Tyson, but I'll put you on the spot. Who wins by how many?
00:13:08
Speaker 2: I think the Roosters are going to get up by a small margin, whether that's a two-point or a four-point game. I think it's going to be a real arm wrestle, but I think the likes of James Tedesco, Mark Nwonga, Nita Waze, And then obviously Sam Walker in that halfback spot are going to be too much for the Knights to deal with. But the Knights will put up a fight. If the Newcastle Knights win, I will have zero surprise. But at the moment, I'm tipping the Roosters. But that could change by Friday.
00:13:31
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm Roosters by 12.
00:13:32
Speaker 3: I just think those 12 State of Origin players that they've got against a Newcastle side that would no doubt be battle wear. I just think they have too much class, too much in terms.
00:13:44
Speaker 1: Of being clinical players.
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Speaker 3: And I think they'll get across the line. Let's just hope, though, Tyson, no matter who wins, it's a great grand final.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: We love it.
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Speaker 3: It'll be night city out there on Sunday, and we're all cheering for a great grand final.