“I can't see the strategy in the way the team's been picked” - Gus on QLD’s Origin 2 hopes

Published Jun 16, 2025, 8:31 AM

Live from Perth, Gus dissects the Queensland Maroons' Game 2 selections, admitting, "I'm not sure they've addressed the problem" with a forward pack that "doesn't make sense to me."

Gus also weighs in on Jarome Luai’s inclusion making NSW "stronger," the crucial role of Kurt Mann, and Kalyn Ponga's impact.

He dives deep into the mental side of Origin, answers listener questions on Billy Slater's job and NSW's biggest dangers, and gives his final predictions for the match.

00:00 - Welcome 

  • Live from Perth 
  • Perth Bears
  • Poor schedule for Panthers this weekend
  • Lightning delay in Bulldogs Souths game
  • Round 15 results 

04:00 - QLD

  • Perth form wont matter
  • QLD changes: Capewell into team 
  • Gus is not sure QLD have addressed the issues from Game 1

11:30 - NSW

  • Mitch Moses out, Jarome Luai in
  • Max King starting, Stefano to bench

22:00 - Kurt Mann 

24:00 - Kalyn Ponga

26:00 - The mental side of the game

30:00 - #AskGus

  • Pat Carrigan to the bench
  • Is Billy’s job in trouble if they lose game 2
  • What is the biggest danger for NSW heading into this game

35:30 - Ampol Power surge

  • Which players will have a game changing moment 

39:00 - Final predictions

Nine podcasts.

Welcome to a special State of Origin preview of six Tackles with Gus, presented by tab We're live on the ground here in Perth, where it's very sunny and it's very warm, and it looms. Is one of the most important Origin games that has confronted Queensland for many, many years. The Blues have not won four straight State of Origin games since nineteen ninety six ninety seven. Do they seal the series here in Perth and look to sweep it in Sydney or can queens They make it a decide about.

At a core.

Welcome Phil Gold, Matthew Thompson. How are you doing.

I'm good. It's nice to see some warmth and sunshine.

Yeah, a little bit different the weather over here in Perth to what we left in Sydney, but yeah, I always like coming to Perth, been here a few times over the decades. Lovely clean city, very relaxing. It is big country town. I think they won't like that you're a city, it's a.

Major city of Australia, but no, it is. It is lovely play to visit. It does take a long time to get here though, Yes.

Well we've got a little taste of what the challenge might be for the Perth Bears in a couple of years time, when they're traveling every second week. I think they're going to have to adjust their draw They're going to have to work with the NRL pretty closely. I'd imagine it's best for them to probably play two or three in a row at home and then two or three in a row in Sydney and get a home base over there, rather than traveling across the country as often as they do.

The Warriors don't get such favors there, No, they done.

It's only two hours. I mean, towns will further than the New Zealand for a lot of the games that they play. Yeah, I guess travel is just part of it and you have to work it in. What about the ridiculous scheduling for the poor old Panthers this week? I just noticed that, Well it's not this week, is it? Or yeah, this week is it? The Warriors on the weekend? How ridiculous. They're playing Wednesday night in Perth, all these origin players and they've got them backing up Friday night in New Zealand. How would they ever expect those players to back up? Do that?

That's a strange, bitter scheduling. That's really terrible.

If I was the Panthers club, I've been blowing up.

It makes it impossible for Penrith, doesn't it.

Well, then they're not going to take their origin players across there. They're not going to take you know, someone at the NRL would have said, oh, it doesn't matter. They probably won't play anyway because they haven't played in previous years. Well, in previous years they are leading the camp that's short. Now they're in a battle for the top eight. I'm sure they would have loved to had those origin players available.

How do we do that? I don't know.

How do we do that to our game?

That's shooting yourself in the foot.

Well, shooting the product in the foot, that's what it's doing.

Don't think they've be any lightning interruptions over here.

No, that was bizarre yesterday, wasn't it.

You don't plan for that stuff, do you?

No, you don't know, you don't.

Did you know what the protocol was?

No? I knew that. I knew. I've got some recollections back in the past where games were delayed a little bit for lightning. In the old days, we didn't. We just kept playing. It could have been lightning everywhere. They wouldn't have cared that kept going. But yeah, it was a strange game because it was really we never got a second half. We had a long delay between the first half and the second, a couple of long breaks there, and so it was Yeah, it was difficult, but please the team got the win. It was an interesting round of rugby league, wasn't it. Only five games played on the weekend, but some great results. I mean, the Dragons looked as though they had the Sharks measure at halftime the other night and then capitulated. The Sharks went home to win. Never saw the Titans beating the Seagles, and particularly by that score. I mean, that was a bizarre performance. The other night, Gold Coast.

Beating the Seagulls mainly got some issues.

Yeah, Roosters had to work really hard to beat the Knights, and Nights led for most of that game, but the Roosters did well to get them in the end.

And then they fled a sharp in that game either.

And then a stunning performance by the Dolphins, absolutely stunning performance fifty eight to four against the Cowboys up in North Coinsland. Fifty eight to four. They're a good size.

You've been on the Dolphins bandwagen for a couple of weeks, now.

Yeah, Well that was stunning, absolutely stunning what they did to them, and they did it with ease. It could have been more. It really could have been more. The Dolphins are on the way, baby, They're going to be very hard to beat.

So to the point of Origin, the Blues have been here twice before and won both games by thirty two points. Yet the scenario is very different because on both of those occasions they lost the series opening game. So it's now up to Coeensland to win here to keep it alive. A bit of extra pressure and one how that plays into the mentality of both states.

Well, New South Wales are in the box seed, I mean winning a game in Brisbane, winning Origin one in Brisbane, it's a big bonus for them and they did it so convincingly too. They are in game three. Whatever happens here in Perth, New South Wales are in game three. Game three is going to mean something for them. It's either a decider or it's going to be for a whitewash, both of it which will be important for the Maroons. They're not in game three. Yet they've got to get there, and they've got to get there by winning this one. And they've made some changes to their lineup, they've taken some gambles. I'm not sure that they've addressed the problems that beset them in game one. And you know, right from the start, I think New South Wales will win handsomely. But Origins are funny beast. They can get out there and get on the wrong leg early Queensland can get on the right leg. And if New South Wales haven't done their homework, if New South Wales don't improve from game one to Game two, then they're just inviting disappointment into their life, because we know how Queensland will rally around this one. I wouldn't read too much into perth form in the past. As you say, Queensland were one up in the series when they came here the last couple of times, and they're renowned for kind of losing game two if they win game one. But yeah, to get this to a decided, they've got to improve them measurably out of what we saw in the first game. And I'm not sure they've addressed the problems that they've had, they're going to have to do it mentally rather than personnel.

Was so, I think we've covered the Cherry Evans thing pretty well over the last little while, but I'm curious on your thoughts on the other changes Billy has made. Now you were talking about and I think anybody that watched that first game saw that news South was completely out muscled Queensland and the thinking was they'll go for a forward enforcer. Well, in fact, they've gone for Kurt Capele, the veteran back rower. They will start the arrow at Locke and they'll bring Carrigan and Nana, who is probably their best playering game went off the bench.

What does that all say to you, Well.

It says to me I highly doubt that's going to be their starting pack. I think they'll be changes before kickoff. They've probably named them that way, I don't know, just to have some thinking music in the background. They've got the personnel that they probably wanted. Kurt Capble is an experienced performer. He's played center, he's played back row, he's played in the middle. I guess they've brought his experience into the lineup and he's work ethic and I would imagine that he's going. Well, I don't know where he'll defend early because Nana I was sort of over on the right. But I guess he's going to contend with one of the harms in the opposition to him. But whether they thought it was going to be Moses or Cleary, now it's going to be Lewie. Of course that's a big change to the new South Wales side. But yeah, Caple coming back to be a starting back rower in such an important game. I have some question marks on that one. He's a good player, been a good player for a long time, but it.

Probably wouldn't have questioned if he was there in game one, would.

You, Well, it would have made more sense. It would have made more sense if he was replacing Ruben Cotter in the background. I don't know that playing Ruben Cotter in the background is is where he's best served these days. It just seems like a funny looking pack for me, given what they've got on the bench and what they've needed out of game one. If they were going to address it, I just I don't understand it at all. I can't understand the Patrick Carrigan coming off the bench. I can't stand cape Will starting in the second row. I can't understand Cotter starting in the second row, and I still say they won't start with Harry Grant. I still think Kurt Man will start the game with a hooker. They have to. I think they lose whatever chance they've got if Harry has to get out there early in the game. Reven Cotta might started hooker, could well do. It doesn't matter who it does, but I just don't think it should be Harry. If they want to use Harry as a weapon, if Harry's going to be a grain breaker for them and a winner for them, I think he's best coming off the bench. That doesn't mean I'm saying he's a bench player. That doesn't mean I'm saying he can't play eighty minutes. But at this level, they just pump so much defense, you work into him early that he just hasn't got the sprint in the legs when they need it most, when he normally comes off the bench and has a big impact. I think they're missing out on a great opportunity to turn him into a weapon. Now, maybe they're hoping to jump out of the blocks, get the jump on New South Wales, get to the front on the scoreboard and then play a spoiling game from there, which is Queensland's way. But I don't think they have addressed personnel wise. I don't think they've addressed the issues that beset them in game one. Now you can do a lot of that with attitude. You can do a lot of that around game planning and the strategy, etc. But to do that, that's why I thought they needed Cherry. Evans won't go back overall ground. It's Diden's job now, but it's a big ass from him as well. Making months to the captain is interesting because I think that'll give him even more responsibility about loading the team and taking ownership of their big moments and ownership maybe even to the kicking game. And so yeah, Queensland, they've got a lot of work to do in a short space of time to turn around that Game one, not just the result on the scoreboard, but the result of the flow of play of how dominant it looked in New South Wales. I think if New South Wales can just learn from game one, I think they can really put Queensland to the sword in game two.

So you do think they'll be changes, I'll be.

Surprised if there's not changes to the starting line up prior to kick, well, will I be surprised. I don't know. I can't think like a Queenslander. I gave trying to do that years and years ago. I don't know how Queenslanders think, but me I can't.

It's an odd looking pack.

It doesn't make sense to me. It doesn't make sense to me what they're doing there. There's other strategy available to them, just in that seventeen that were probably you know, but you know, we'll have to see what Billy does. I mean, he's obviously got a plan. He's the coach, he knows them better than anyone else. But from my perspective, I'm not sure that they have addressed the issues from game one. Now a lot of this is going to come back on to Fadawaka and for Sulmula. Are we who? As I said prior to Game one, I'm playing with the goldcast Titans where defense has not been the priority there for a number of seasons. You know, it might be getting a little better, but you've got to take that club mentality, in that club form into origin and they just didn't do it game one. They weren't seen the pain Hearts and a sigh Yo and Barnett they were just running rough shot over them through the middle of the field. So they're going to need a lot of possession. They're going to need a lot of luck. Origin can do that. They can. They can get on the good food early and go from there. But right at the moment I'm not seeing it in the selections now.

The one thing they've got in their favor, everyone's writing them off.

Well, it's exactly where Queensland wants to be. This is where Queensland love it, and Queensland loved being the underdog. They love being written off, and every done commentator like you and I and everyone else around that keeps writing them off. They'll be replaying that and writing quotes up on walls and.

Would be the first time you're better in a Queensland wall.

Nah, that's right. I probably should invoice them from.

Motivation services rendered. So the thunderbolt in New South Wales was the injury to Mitchell Moses, which is very untimely for both the Blues but also paramatter. But that New South I was doing the luxury of power shitting Jerome Lewie back in there. He was among New Southwell's best last series a lineball call. You were saying he thought he probably deserved to keep his spot when he gets his chance in game two.

Yeah, now, please take this the right way. I think it makes New South far stronger. But that's nothing against Mitchell Moses simply because of the long term combination between Cleary and Leui. This is the way I would have gone for game one. Moses did an outstanding job, outstanding job in last year series playing on the right, playing half back in place of Nathan Cleary, and he did a great job in Game two. And in fact, what I saw in Game one, I thought, well, game two, he'll demand the ball even more because there's some real opportunities on his own side of halfway to be releasing the outside backs there in latrel down that left hand side. And I'm sure that's not lost on Loui either. I'm sure he watched the game as closely as everyone else and he'll be seeing his opportunities as well. But on sheer combination under pressure, on sheer decision making under pressure, familiarity is important. Their relationship between the two Cleary and Leui, the relationship between them and the lock four, the relationship between those three fellas and the fallback Dylan Edwards. It's got to make them stronger, it's got to make them better under pressure. Not saying that Mitchell Moses couldn't have done it. He probably would have and it's not a slight on him that I say this, but technically, theoretically it actually makes them stronger to have that combination that the scrum base, the fullback of the lock on the two halves. So New Southwales certainly haven't gone backwards because of the injury.

Max King gets a starting spot. It's a final one of the bench. I think they missed Mitch Barnet. He thought he was tremendous. In fact, he said two Origin games he's been outstanding in both of them. Now both of them the band's uncle.

Yeah, really strong, really strong constitution. You know he's one of them, bony, hard bodied, hard working forwards. And you know he played really well in Game one. He was a big part of that. I'm very happy for Max King to get a start. He won't let them down. His attention to details excellent, his leg speed's great, his defensive responsibility is really good. I thought he was really good in game one. Will be it coming off the bench in New South Wales had done a lot of good work early, but he will be on the back of paying hearts and he will be on the back of a CIA and you know, if he needs it, if he has to go first before they run, he'll do it. If he gets to come on the back of them, well he'll do that too, and he'll do it very effectively. So and they've also got some strength coming from the bench. So New South Wales steady as she goes, very little change from the Game one. They've actually brought in someone who's even more familiar and I think I thought Kalama tongue in key On Kalama tongue. He was very unlucky not to get that front rower spot off the bench. Stefano form has been all right for the Storm this year, and I guess the fact that he was in camp for Game one swayed the coach and the selectors that well, at least he'd been around the unit and that was a bit of familiarity as well. But you know he needs to rise to the occasion coming off the bench. There Hudson Young, Spencer Lanyu and Connor Watson it's a great bench. It's a real good bench. Can if they're in front, they can come home and ram home the advantage. If they're behind, they can actually come on and change the game, so they can do it both ways. I think the bench can be influential.

Huts and Young actually look really dangerous in the middle when it came off the bench.

It's a growing trend in the game for edge fords to be playing in and around the middle, particularly in the middle part of the game. Not so much at the start, but certainly for the rest of the game their first twenty minutes. You know, sometimes size and bulk matters and you need that Ronaldo strong middle forward running those you know, those tough runs. But as the game breaks up and evens up, size becomes less important. And that's where these fleet footed backgrowers and the ones that can dance around a little bit come into their own. And he was very effective, particularly when he came onto the field dancing around the middle of the field.

There.

He's got great leg speed, he runs hard, he bounces off people. You know, he can be a weapon if he used that way. But by the same taken he's you know, if New South Wales behind. If the game is not going well for them, Connor Watson can come on and Spencer len you can certainly come on and change the trend. Hudson Young, whether he plays on the edge in the middle, can do that. And Stefano is the one that's pretty much you see. What you see is what you get. He's just that big bulk front right in the middle of the fields. Size and hit ups and plenty of work rate and plenty of defense around the middle. So they've got a little covered from the bench. As I say, I can't work out the Queensland bench. I can't work out how they're going to use them for impact unless there are changes to the starting lineup going forward. I honestly think kurk Man will start at nine. That's my belief. If it doesn't happen, well, I can't explain that.

But if it was intending on starting someone specifically at hooker, you think he'd pick a specialist hooker, ain't you.

No, Not necessarily, Well, Ben Hunt wasn't a specialist hooker.

Well, no, but someone kirk Man's highly versatile. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure he can do the job, but he's not known as a nine.

Well, they made plenty of substitute nine at Newcastle doing the same thing playing lock and nine. I think when Phoenix Crossland was finding his feet and it was one of the reasons we bought him at the Bulldogs was because he had that versatility. But he's ended up. He's morphed into our probably major player playing lock forward at the moment, so he can certainly do that role. I'm not sure if Queensland need a ball playing lock Ford. I guess he's there covering a few positions, but primarily I'd be using him in the hooking role to start the game, if only for fifteen or twenty minutes, just to save Harry Grant from a lot of grunt work early, which no doubt New south Wales will do. You know, New south Wales will get the ball and every time they get the ball, they'll run a play at their hooker, they run a play at their half back, they'll run a play at the hooker, they run a play at the five eight. They'll just keep running their big men at their little men. They'll keep moving their mobile they're bigger forwards around if their bigger forwards have got to chase to make tackles. It's only going to wear they're mout and that's the strategy, you know. And if it's every second tackles Harry Grant, well he can't be a weapon of attack. He just can't be. We did and is going to get them under pressure.

A strangers the.

Pack as it looks, and I agree when it was announced, I'm thinking this is odd.

But the more I look at it, it's a work rate pack. Yeah, they're workers.

His mentality might be just to try and hold the scoreline close and then trust Munster and Ponger and these fellows to get the wind at the back end, which is pretty much a Queensland mindset. But and Queensland forward packs have always been picked on work ethic, absolute work ethic. They want people to pressure kickers, they want people to chase kicks, they want people to you know, work hard around the middle to get back and hit the ball up like they're this work great players. They're not part of the strategy of the team at all. Where I think in Origin you probably need a little bit more than that. I think the new South Wales pack's far more dangerous, far more balanced, and has more strike to it and more versatility to it, and I think there's more impact from the bench as well. I think there are more options off the bench to change the momentum of the game or reinforce the momentum of the game that exists from the fellows on the bank. I can't see New South Wales losing. I just can't. And as much as I respect Queensland and what origin is and how these games can change, on the surface of it, I can't see a Queensland win.

There's another headline for the dressing room all well, yeah, but.

We're sitting in We're sitting in the soundproof birth. No one cares what we say. But I'm just saying I can't see it. I can't see Queensland getting out of that game one. What happened up there, If New South Wales do their homework and if they can improve again on what happened in game two, and I think with that in mind, Luai is the perfect one to come in and do that as well. I think he can be a real expect.

Energy, energy and enthusiasm.

Energy and no fear, no fear. He's got that, He's got this instinct that he wants to attack it all at all costs. He's also got the left footed kicking game. So if they're going to pressure, if they think pressure and kickers is a thing, you know, Mitchell Mays's right foot kicker on the left hand side of the field sometimes doesn't work so well. Clearing doing the bulk of the kicking makes him vulnerable. And Cleary didn't really kick that well in game one. They're sort of blaming the football a little bit, but he wasn't hitting the ball at all well, either goal kicking or even with his general play kicking. You know, we'll see how that goes in game two as well. But he and Leui I know when to mix it up. They know when to kick left and right. They know when one's going to be under pressure for the other. They've got each other's back, they've done it so often together. I just think it's going to help because that's one of the things Queensland'll be looking to do. Queens And will be looking to put pressure on opposition kickers, not that the rules allow it too much these days. Give him a bump and they give a penalty.

Their best kickchaser in game one was Nana. He chased everything.

He's on the bench well he chases the ones he can score off. They're the ones he chases. The short kicking game, they all chase if they think they're a chance of scoring a try.

Good point. It's a longer dropping five bucks on the road.

Yeah, well, it's the kick chases I'm talking about. Are the ones where you've had your backs to the wall and defense and you get out there and you're only on about the thirty or the forty on tackle five and your half it happens on tackle two and your half back six now is a good time to kick and doesn't find tuts. Well, then you've got to find your kick chase, and not on your own. You've all got to go down together. That's kick chase is so important. Meters made from kicks downfield. It's such an in crucial part of the modern day rugby league game, and particularly in origin as well. So got plenty of blakes. You chase it when they are a chance is scoring a try. But when they chase it, will they chase it? When you know the pulse is under and eighty and there's no air in the lungs and the legs are burning, and they've been defending a few sets of six on their line and suddenly the half access chase this. You know, we're going to get down there and chase it, and if they don't, we'll deal on. Edwards runs it back as far as you can kick it. So, yeah, he chases the good kicks. All got to chase the other kicks.

He was remissing me not to mention that kurk Man's about to become the oldest Queensland debutntent Arthur beats and in the first Origin, what.

A story, what an absolutely got a great story. And I've told you so. I tried to sign him twelve thirteen years ago. It's a young five eight at Panthers at the time. He had the choice, I saw the Melbourne Storm. He chose the Melbourne Storm, which was a good pick at the time. We weren't going that well Melbourne were Melbourne's always going well.

But it was a bit of a whiz kid back then, wasn't he He was?

He was young five eight from Queensland and I think he's from country Queensland, way out the back somewhere, but he Yeah, he's You've got a good old fashioned attitude. He's got a hard edge to him. He's been great for the Bulldogs. But we're not talking about the Bulldogs the other day. But he's he's been wonderful for our club. And he's got leadership and he's just raw bone, old tough, you know, old old set of values.

And he's had a wretcheder injury.

He won't let anyone down, no, he has. And he's played every position on the field, very versatile.

He's from Winton.

Winton. Yeah, Winton's a long way out in Queensland. Somewhere where's Winton?

I don't know.

The other Queenslander me from Penrith. Yeah, but you called a lot of foods I did.

Yeah, at Central West coins that one hundred and seventy seven kilometers northwest of Longreach. That's right, that's out there, that's out there. That'd all be tough from Winton, wouldn't they.

Well, they have enough for a football team in Winton. He probably had to do it all himself. That's where he learned all the positions.

Yeah, I remember, right in the middle of right in the middle of Coinslands.

And he was very young when I first spoke to him, very young, but you could see there was a man there, you know, he was he wasn't a boy, he was already a man. You could just tell the country kids are good stock mate.

So Winton's as close to Alice Springs as it is to Brisbane.

Well there, they're going to be tough out there.

I'm conscious that the Queensland forwards were sitting Game one, but I can't help but think it's a big night for Carl and Ponger. He hasn't he really hasn't had a great year and it's been a while since his influenced.

In Origin game.

Yeah.

Well, I know he's played a lot, a lot consistently because of injury, but I feel like it's a big night for him, particularly with Walsh Pack.

Well, it's a big night for all of them. It's a big night for Tom did and it's a big night for Camera Munster. I mean, they've got to get things happen. It's a big night for the forwards Pack, I mean Tino and mat To they've got to show show their class in this game. They've got to get coins and on the front foot. And I think if they do, Like how much of Ponger is his own personal form? How much is he a victim of what's happened at Newcastle over the last twelve months and how they've been fairing and you know, and you don't like to you don't like to be a victim, but sure Klin's got the ability. You don't lose your ability. It's just that New South Wales was so great on controlling the ball, so great on kick chase. There was really nothing on offer for him on kick reception. He didn't have time to wind up or position other players. They weren't getting a lot of ball at the New South Wales end of the field, so we never really came into the action. He's now got a new halfback to combine with nothing in the way really until kirk Men gets on the field of a ball playing type lock to tap into. It's probably him and Harry Grant and him and Munster. I guess you know which news our worlds will be aware of that, and I think that's where they'll concentrate there, or at least where Dylan Edwards will be marshaling the troops. He'll be very wary of where they're bobbing up on the field. And Calen Ponger in that head gear is not hard to spot. He was out the back waiting for the ball, but a big game for him. It's a big game for all the Queenslanders. But that again, that's where Queensland liked to be. This is by the time they've sat in their circle and hold hands and sat around the campfire and sunned their songs and you know, pat of each other on the head and forget game one. Now we've got them, now, we've sucked them in. Everyone's tip. We just where we want, the boys them just where we want, just where we want. We've seen this movie before, trust me, we've seen this movie before. And if the scores are close, if the scores are close, when we get down to the back end of the game, who's going to prepare for that the best? I mean, if the scores are locked with ten minutes to go, just put yourself in that scenario for a moment. Who do you think is prepared for that? Who do you think is expected that New South Wales or Queensland. I mean, if Queensland are going to win this, I think that's probably where the game is going to be. It's going to be close with ten minutes to go, and then they come up with the big play or they're able to defend a two point lead or something. A New south Wales preparing for that, a new South Wales ready to go down to golden point or go down to field goal territory, or you know, be just behind or just be in front when with ten minutes to go. Mentally, there's a rehearsal there as well. I guess Queensland know that they're probably not going to blow New south Wales away. It's going to have to be close if they win, so they're thinking about the eighty minute effort. I used to say to origin players, you know, like particularly young fellas coming in or you know, important games. One of the messages I gave was that it's really easy to get excited and get nervous. And everyone's excited and nervous for the start of the game, and you want that first touch and you want that first touch to be good, and you kind of lie away thinking about that first hit up or that first tackle, or that first catch of the bomb and all the things you're talking. You're thinking about. It's a bit like going to golf. What do you think about on the way to golf? You think about that first hit off the first te don't you. But it comes and goes so quickly, your first hit up, your first tackle, your first touch, or your first involvement in the game. It comes and goes so quickly. Where most of these are decided by the last thing that you do. A lot of games, the big games, are decided at the back end, in the final moments, And so I used to ask them to put themselves in that position when you're gassed, when you're injured, when the game's on the line, when we're two points in front, were we're two points behind, think about the last thing you do, your last kick chase, your last tackle, your last support play, your last run, your last fall on a loose ball, your last cover defense. You know, think about that last play, because that could be the one that actually decides it. You know, not when you're fresh and ready and nervous and excited and feeling good, but at the back end where you feel terrible, where your lungs are burning and your legs are aching, and you're probably injured, and you know you've been out there for a long time, and you know the game's in the balance, the results in the balance. There's not long to go your two points in front of your two points behind, and put yourself in that scenario with your visualization. Interesting watching. Danny Widler interviewed New South Wales fullback the other night, Dylan Edwards, and he said, you know what's been the development of our game over the years, He said, the visualization, the mental part of the game. They're sitting down and rehearsal, the mental rehearsal of the game. Putting yourself in those types of scenarios the whole time. And I think all professional sportsmen need to do that. They pretty much all do sort of yoga and breathing and meditation and all those sorts of things, and it's about putting yourself in those positions, putting yourself in those moments visually before the game, you know, and saying all right, well I'm there, I'm tired, I'm buggered. You know the scores in the balanced referees, you know, giving them a penalty they shouldn't have got, or got a flaer in the sin bin, or it's teaming rain and or two points, all the scenarios that can be really difficult to handle. Put yourself there mentally before the game because then when you get in that moment, you actually rehearsed your thoughts you rehearsed how you're going to feel, and you rehearsed what you're going to be telling yourself. If you don't, then it can get the better of you. And we've seen that happen so often, and it usually happens a few times before you realize I need to I need to rehearse this before I go out and do it. It's like doing goalkicking practice, putting yourself under game pressure. Put yourself under game pressure and your rehearsal and your goalkicking. You know, I used to do a drill with Iven clear you when he was at the rooster. I say, you had to kick twenty out of twenty before he could go home. And he said, when you got down to seventeen, eighteen and nineteen, if you get if you missed, you had to go back to one.

Where was it kicking from?

No, just conversions just around the post. You know, it's just titting around the post. But you know it was just a it was more a mental thing, you know, like he said when he got down to seventeen, eighteen and nineteen, knowing that if he missed one, he had to start back at zero. And he's dying to get armed towards the sale of the century or what if you want to watch on TV? You know, he said, that's that that was the pressure. You know, that's game pressure. You could feel it, you know, And I think you've got to do that same you know they do putting drills in golf. I got all this from golf analysis and the golf books that I used to read in the mental game on golf and try to put footballers in the same scenario. And but Origin, it's just heightened, that's all. It's just a heightened state of awareness and a heightened state of rehearsal and visualization.

And it works.

It works.

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Archie binks what's around? Carrigan says, it's a big core medium to the bench.

What does it say?

Still don't think you'll start there. You could well start the game anyway. I just don't know what what the thought process is whether or not they're just hoping. You know, if if Queensland start with the pact that they've got fad Awake at Grant and Tina up front and trently Eero trently Aero at Locke, they're just hoping that they get some ball early, get on the front foot, Harry can do something with him with Ponger and Munster and then they can sneak a couple of quick tries or get to the front and the scoreboard, you know, dominate a little bit of field position, dominate a little bit of possession, get New South Wales a little bit nervous and then bring on their tacklers, then bring on their high work rate players to come out and you know, go from there. You know, I don't know, Maybe I don't I don't know. I just don't know why Paddy Carrigan's not starting the game, to be honest, other than the fact that they've probably picked something they think can get to the front. Now, if you're going to do that, we'd have Nanai starting because he can get you a try out of a kickchase or a line break or what have you.

So or they might have picked Corey Hawsbro.

Well, yeah he was. He was one that I really would have considered. Yeah, I don't know, as I say, I can't see the strategy there in Yeah, in the way the team has been picked.

Oh, this is a tough one from Michael Edwarods.

He's asking the hard question if Queensland loses game too, what does the future hold for Billy Slater as coach and what kind of rebuild would the Marines need to undertake for twenty twenty six. We haven't him lost yet, but he's asking what might happen if they do.

Yeah, I don't think Billy's in any danger of losing. Yeah, well that hasn't happened yet. We'll worry about that when we get the result.

It's a hard one to answer it out, Dan Finnigan. After their dominant performance in Game one, what's the biggest danger for the Blues?

The biggest danger from my perspective, is in your mental preparation for the game or in getting ready for game two. You think it's going to be exactly like Game one. But if you go out and do exactly what you did in Game one, things will go exactly the way they did, and that's not going to happen. It very rarely happens that way. That whatever you did in game one, you've got to understand there's going to be a reaction from the opposition, and they've already reacted both in in the naming of their team and the dropping of their captain and sparking a results. So if we go out with exactly the same game plan we had for game one, it won't be good enough because queens and will be ready for it. These are the best of the best. This is not a club game and we go out and play the same way every week. You know you get the same results, but you know origin there will be a bounce back from Queensland. What New South Wales needs to learn there's not so much what happened in game one, but what could have happened, what what other things were there that they didn't explore. And I saw some real opportunities for New South Wales that if they choose to go that way, I think can really pull Queensland's pants down. And I'm not sure that Queensland will be ready for it, certainly not ready for it for the way they've picked their team. So I just think that you know, if New South Wales can advance, they'll be they'll be too strong. But if they don't, my greatest fear for New South Wales is it's not complacency, but it's to think that this will just be a continuation of what happened in game one. The game one, Game two will start exactly the same way. Remembering they've got a few six agains, they've got a couple of penalties, and they've got a couple of turnovers. All right, cut the turnovers out. Queensland's not going to drop the ball this time. Cut the penalties out because that's not going to happen. All right, Now, can we set for set grind, set for set grind, set for set grind, and still be nil all after twenty minutes? Who's winning? At nil all? It's nil all after twenty minutes? Who's winning? Who's ready for that part of the game? And as I said to you, who's ready for the part of the game at the last ten minutes when the score is a level, Well, Queensland's got their nose in front, or you've only got your nose in front there, or we get down the field goal territory, because that might be a part of the game that New South Wales haven't mentally prepared for. I'm sure as professionals they will have. But that's always the danger that you just expect. It's a continuation of the previous game and it never is.

All Right, We've got Airpole on board now with six Tackles with GUS. They sponsor State of Origin and they're sponsoring this award winning podcast. So the Ampile Power Surge this week. Our good friends at ampole Gus. They want to know the top three players to have a game changing moment on Wednesday night.

The top three players to have a game changing moment.

If you're going to throw three in there that could have a game changing moment, who would you choose?

Well, the other night someone asked me about the top three who I think the top three players will be?

And I think that was me.

Last week?

Was it?

Yeah, so I went paying half Asi and Nathan Cleary. But if you're looking for game changing moments, game changing moments, a game changing moments could be a Xavier coach, a leap and catch, which I think is one of the ways that they can score. A hammer tack will break in a sprint. Yeah, well that's going to have to come from an offload somewhere. You know someone's going to have to put him away. You know, a monster can come up with a game changing moment. Harry Grant can come up with a came changing moment. Buttrell Mitchell, No, No, off the bench, Latrell Mitchell. There's plenty of you know, that's the beauty of Origin. You've got plenty of players that can win it for you. And there are plenty of fellas out there and also not just can win it for you, have the confidence to do it. They want the ball in their hands in those big moments. And that's now those fellows that I've said, But the game breaking, the game changing moment.

But your game changing moment was it a couple of years ago? When it might have been a couple of years ago? Remember married to Lunge, he made in about two or three games in a row, he made these incredible trice having tackles in the corner, saving tries, game changing moments in origin, same desperation.

Absolutely absolutely getting a charge down, forcing a kicker to kick out on the fall, you know, falling on a loose ball. You know, like it's game changing moments. A fella that is not renowned for an offload, getting a pass away. That's that's where the Origin moments are made. Someone getting up when they're hurt to make a try saving tackle. You know, it could be anyone to chase, you know, someone taking an intercept.

There.

There are lots of ways that the game changing moments can have. Just mister referee can have a game changing made as puts his whistle away in Origin. Yeah he didn't. He didn't early in game one. There was plenty of the little six agains and penalties in game one.

But they generally they still generally let it go a bit in Origin. They don't referee the same.

Yeah they should be.

Well, I don't disagree anyway.

Forget the referee. You haven't got three. You're just going to leave it. You'll leave your answer at that.

What's that?

You top three? Your top three changing players?

Game changing players? Well, New South Wales full Latrell Mitchell can be a game changing player.

Put him in for one. Yes, Xavier Coats one of his miracle catches.

Jerome lewe Oh, he was the game changing moment in game three last year. I was very very tight. He was on to come up the line break and got Braban best away, but there are plenty of a monster can do it. Grant can do it. You know, Tino can do it. Valentine Holmes can do it, Hamaso can do it. Steve Stephen Crichton can do it. You know there's plenty of game breakers there.

Whether you're cheering on from the sidelines or the living room. Airpole has got your back on and off the field. Proud to partner with Australia's own sporting nation. Great to have Ampole part of the podcast. Right, I guess your prediction, your final thoughts. You think New South Wales will win? What's the score going to be?

Can I see.

Four or five tries from New South Wales and maybe one or two for Queensland? So you know five tries to two wouldn't surprise.

Me, so thirty to tenish? Yeah, So if New South Wales.

Score one less four and Queensland score one more three, well you know that'll be a pat As close as I get it, things, but I can I can feel four or five tries from New South Wales. I can't get to three tries for Queensland.

I can't.

I just don't see it. But things can happen. Could be sindbins, could be sendoffs, could be magic moments, could be Munster, could be Xavier.

They've got the people to do it. I just it's been a rain around here this week too.

That's a fact that in the short time we've been here, any of the grass areas here are actually all pretty muddy. It's all pretty heavy. So they've had some good rain here and I think there's going to be rain on Wednesday as well, so that could change things. You never know. It's origin, mate. Anything can happen. Anything can happen.

Remember the first game here when it absolutely threw it down and Turbo scored three.

Anything can happen. They're all great players. They can all come up with the magic moment. It's just keeping yourself in the contest. Queensland couldn't keep themselves in the contest in Game one. They just couldn't get enough possession. At the other end of the field. New South Wales were two controlled. The forwards rumbled away and the kickers were good. The chasers were good, they were disciplined, they didn't give away penalties. But they've got to do that and more to win Game two. We know Queensland will react a lot of pressure on the halfback, A lot of pressure on the halfback. Need now to step up into daily Cherry Evans's shoes and run this team and be responsible for that big pressure on him.

Who's your player of the match.

If New South Wales win, usual suspects us so you Cleary, Dylan Edwards and they're the players that will decide it for them. If queens aind't going to win, I think that Palmer or Munster have got to have big nights. But I think New South Wales win.

The market on tab Queensland two dollars seventy five, New South Wales a dollar forty five. They wouldn't have started that shorter price in a long long time.

Now. It says if we played the game, if we played the game three times, they'd win twice. Just depends which ones tonight on Wednesday night, doesn't it all right?

You'll see all the Magic of Origin two exclusively live and free here from perth Opter Stadium.

The venue.

It's a fabulous vene. I was only talking last week this. You feel like there's eighty thousand in here, but it's only it's sixty thousand.

Tops isn't it.

Yeah, we've been here a few times and I keep forgetting what it looks like. But as we drove past her today coming to hear it reminded me a little bit of the Las Vegas Stadium, Allegiate Stadium out there in Las Vegas. From the outside. It was just a glimpse there and see it's very, very similar to over there.

But it's a magnificent stadium.

It's brilliant. Yeah, No, it's great, absolutely wonderful. Lovely city Perth. We're on here at Big Country Town. We're on here at seven pm. You can catch it all on nine and I'll see you out there, Gus. Good to see in the wild West.

Six Tackles With Gus

Mathew Thompson and league legend Phil “Gus” Gould bring you the biggest issues and in-depth analysi 
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