NRL 360NRL 360 - Is Kalyn Ponga 100% happy at the Knights? - 12/03/25
Catch up on all the Rugby League news from NRL 360, Wednesday the 12th of March, with hosts Braith Anasta and Gorden Tallis.
The NRL 360 panel are joined by James Hooper and Michael Carayannis to discuss the real reason why Dylan Brown signed with Newcastle, the NRL's crackdown on coaches comments on referees, and whether Kalyn Ponga is 100% happy at the Knights.
For more of the show tune in on Fox League CH 502 or stream full episodes on KAYO.
They've only been around since the eighties.
Raiders and the Broncos and how they've made their.
Mark without doubt.
Now two of the great clubs, nine premierships between them, plus long long honor rolls of champion footballs the Green Machines, Laurie Daly, the current coach, Ricky Stewart, Bradley Clyde, Big Mail Maninger.
And Glenn Lazarus. Yeah we know Lazzo.
Won premierships with the Raiders, Broncos and Storm. One of the greatest ever front rowers Shane Webki. He wasn't too shabby up front of the Broncos e Webke and the Raging Bull Gordon Tallis, Alfie Langer, Kevin Walters, Garren Lockyer and the Pearl of course Steve.
Renoff seven point thirty.
This Super Saturday, Dy'll be at it again the Raiders and the Broncos, with high emotion from their mentors down who pushed a bread both in our premiership winning coaches Ricky Stewart and Michael McGuire played seven games together at Canberra some thirty years ago, and Saturday they come face to face once more. After scintillating beginnings to season twenty twenty five, allbeit on different sides of the world. Look Out for Josh Popper, Papa Lee, Versus Paynhas McCarey, Horsbro Big Red up against Pat Carrigan, and we're always looking out for these flash fullbacks, Kyo Weeks and Reecee Walsh Walsh.
Flashiest of them all.
Seven point thirty Super Saturday Live and only on Fox League. It's the Raiders and the Broncas chasing greatness the way they always do.
Locald Tenner on three sixty right League from every angle, joining me the great Gordon tell Us, Let's be Journal Australian, James Hooper and Michael Carrianas And who would have thought before round one that this was going to be the match of the round after the Broncos obliterated the Roosters and the Raiders lit up Vegas, Gordy, so.
Many great games between these two clubs are the nineties pretty much both teams dominated and the way they've started the season. The Raiders were probably one of the sides of Vegas and Brisbane were absolutely outstanding as well, so great clash.
You touched on those sides from the nineties, Gordy, the Green Machine and the Broncast. You could argue that those two sides from that era they would survive in any era of the game and go back as far as you like, or he could play in the modern day the superstars that were in both of those lineups, and then you're fast forward to now and it's just such a brilliant narrative with Ricky, who's a fierce competitor, and Madge we know how passionate he is. They've played together, they've coached together, now they coach against one another. Fascinating duel me.
Yeah, they're outstanding in Week one, both sides for different reasons. The Raiders were just in complete control against the Warriors, and I don't think there was a better side than the Brisbane Broncos in Week one. They were their ball movement, their speed, and the thing about the Broncos is if they can't beat you out wide, they can beat you through the power game.
They've got this rare ability to be able to do both.
They're bow sharp. Round one, they were quick, fast, meticulous in the way that they played. I think the Raid is surprised. I think everyone with there before they were the team of Vegas and then the Broncos with their first up performance with Madge at the Helm against the Roosters were fantastic. Now, Madge V. You said, Madge V. Sticky very similar in the way that they coach, very tough, very competitive. They train hard themselves, they play hard. They're aggressive with their players. What's their relationship like is is there a bit of a rivalry here they be looking forward to the challenge of coaches going head to head. Oh, for sure, there's a rivalry.
They'll both want to win because that's what they are. When you peel it all back, they are fierce competitors and fierce winners. They went to the same high school together in Canberra, so they've known each other since they were teenagers at Saint Edmunds College. I can't wait for this battle break. They're also both players coaches in that they really care about their players and they get their players to buy into what they're doing and really want to bleed for the jumper.
Yeah, there was an issue a couple of years ago when Michael McGuire was on the Raiders coaching staff that when he accepted the new South Wales job. I don't Thinkricky was two pleas the way Michael McGuire went about it, but I don't think that's lingered on for too long.
We'll find out on the weekend. Maybe Dylan Brown has fronted up to explain his mega move to the Knights with the thirteen Me and Dollar Man insisting money wasn't the motivating factor.
Yeah, I think it was probably obviously gained some good relationships here at the club, not only just the teammates, but the new coaching star, everyone up in the front office. You know, I've been in a long time now, so there's relationships everywhere that I'm obviously going to miss. Might have put a lot of faith in me.
And they obviously put ten years there in front of me.
I didn't think I was going to leave this club ever, to be honest, I've been here a long time and I've never really wanted to leave. But there's other reasons to leaving. It's my family, it's my future. So the game's not long and I'm trying to look after myself my family. So I'm happy with my decision. Now.
Some people are saying that the Nights have paid overs for what you've said to them.
Once again, everyone's entitled to their own opinion. I play the best that I can, and offers are obviously eve been put in front of me, so I'll be silly not to take it. Money's never really been a thing for me. It's ten years security. Like I said before, it's for my family, and it's for my future in the game. I'm luck you said, they've got Caleb Punger at the back, and you know Fletcher Sharp. He's an amazing player too. So obviously looked at those people.
When I was making my decision, and yeah, I'm happy to go join them.
A lot of the talking's actually been done by my manager, so that's why what took so long to make the decision. I wish I could have made it earlier to not disrupt the start of the season, but yeah, I had to take my time because it's obviously a pretty big deal.
Haven't ready causes in that contract?
I don't think that.
No, crazy ones, how much does this club mean to you? Honestly, I've been here since I was fifteen. The decision wasn't easy, and the fans were one of the reasons why. You know, they've always backed me no matter what. You know, I never wanted to leave, and I had a few discussions with Parametter and they put for their.
Best contract and the nights was just too hard to turn out ten years.
There's a lot of trust to have any one and might have done that for me, has already done that before and they just couldn't compete this time. But there's nothing wrong with Parrots, you know, it's I still love them, still the club I'm going to be playing for this year, and I have a lot of respects. Obviously with you now leaving that leads a bit of a hole. Is that Is that something you weighed up in your decision making the process? Look No, not really obviously. Like I said, the opportunity for me was amazing, so I had to go. But whoever comes in, I'm sure they do a good job. And we've obviously got three young halves as well in our team that can also step up next. Yes, So you know, success doesn't happen overnight. So obviously when I go there, it's going to be it's going to take a while. Good things could happen. It might be a bit rockie, but at the ever start, but you know, we're going to obviously go there in the preseason and focus on that then, but at the moment. You know, I've got a season to focus on now, and I've got to pay good footing.
There he is the man of the moment, Brown insisting that it wasn't all about the money. Now, we can't begrudge him for taking the deal more, there's no doubt about that. But do we believe that it wasn't about the money.
Well, it is about the money, because that's why we all go to work. We go to work the own money. But that's not Yeah, you can't hold grudges again. Seem he got thirteen million dollars. Every player in the game would have probably taken a deal. We had a couple of players on yet last night and they would have taken the deal as well. So it's it's not his fault. I would have taken a deal as well.
I get what he means though, that it's not necessary about the money that got the deal done. It's the length of the contract, because I think if Paramatta went to ten years on money less than what Newcastle Knights off money no less than what Newcastle Knights offered, I think he would have stayed.
So when he says, come on me, I think it's both.
I think it's definitely.
You're right, it's the length of the contract. That's what he's talking about. The money's great, right, has he had a long contract.
He had a long contract, But on the length of the contract means that it's going to be millions, it's going to.
Be Look, I understand all that, right, but I think deep down, if Paramatta went near the offer, and particularly the length of the deal, I think he stays at Paramatta. So when he says it's not about the money, I think he's indicating more towards the length of the deal rather than as much as it was.
I think it is about the money. Of course, it's about the money. You're right about the length of term. But he was signed at Paramatter until the end of twenty thirty one anyway, so he had guaranteed a long term future at that joint. So I think, without a doubt break of course, it's the cash, and then it's also the fact that he's solidifies himself for.
The next ten seasons. He didn't need to explain anymore. Like he said. He so contradicted himself because he said, I want to set up my family and myself, and that's fine, but it's not about the money. Well, it is because you actually want to set up your family and grudges.
Everyone's taking that deal right.
I didn't need to actually.
About the money. But I think what he meant was the ten year deal that was too good to refuse.
No one, no one in there, no one else is offering that. It's straight timing.
Yeah, Paramtter weren't going to go ten years. They just won't. They weren't going to do that. Had they had gone to that on the money that was on, he might have stayed.
Okay, Now, Knights Legends, they're not all on the same page with this. Some like the fact that he's going there and at that amount of money for that term deal, and some don't. What does that say.
I don't think anyone's sitting here comfortable with the ten years. I don't think anyone's going to say that's exactly what they should have done.
It's what they needed to do.
But in an ideal world, they would have signed him for five, six, seven years and not gone to the ten years. So I can understand the criticism of it, because but.
Why didn't they sign him for five SI he wouldn't have gone, He wouldn't have gone.
He wouldn't have gone there.
He needed to turn his head, Gordy like they needed a circuit breakout to be able to get him out of where he was.
It wasn't about the money, because if he gave, if they offered him.
For how long can we move on from it?
Clearly it's about the money.
It's about the length. Number one is the length.
It's also about the length. The length then the cash had a massive fact of course.
Of course it does, right, but it's over the period. So if you say, if they offered him six years, would he have gone at that money?
He was sworn until twenty thirty, all right.
So they went to twenty thirty one at the same money, would he have gone.
To a point where you know, because he's on a million year anyway, right, So I'm sure Paramatta would have said, we'll give you an extra hundred or something like that.
But I don't think that they wouldn't. I think that was a million maybe.
I think it got to one point one at some stage that deal, right that the current deal that he was on a pass.
Two hundred after over a few years. The length, yeah, well, those extra years its significant. It is significant, no doubt. But if Newcastle at the same length as Paramatter. He stays at the elves and coming back to.
The old boys, right, I think Newcastle playing against them in their heyday it was about all their or their local juniors and that's what made their club tick and they were playing for the community. Well, they got Ponger and if they keep on signing these these big name kids, which is fine because they want to win competitions, but if they lose their local juniors and their identity, I think that's that's the part. They've got to be careful with the Knights.
It's a good point and the fact that it is divided amongst the old boys that reflects the widespread reaction around the game. There have been two schools of thought. Some people in other rival clubs think it's complete madness. When you actually get the calculator out, it works out to be twenty three percent of Newcastle salary cap Dylan Brown and Kyle and Ponger for the next.
Paramatter no, I.
Mean sorry, us will compete in against Paramatter. The offer that was already on the table from Paramount. There was no one else involved. It was either Newcastle Paramatter, but Paramatta had that deal ready on the table for Dylan.
So that's what they'll competing against.
All ready reveals hybrid halfback plan. Can we explain this one? It was in today's paper, dar Telegraphy.
I was a little bit confused by this breath. I was going to come back to yourself because you played in the Hearts. I've never heard of a hybrid halfback position previously. But clearly what Newcastle have sold Dylan is that Fletcher Sharp is going to be in the halves, he'll partner him, and then Calen Palmer is going to be the fullback.
How that all fits together? I read this this morning and I believe because Dylan. First thing, if you're a six and you going to a new club on a long term deal, you're asking who the seven is going to be. So I believe that's what he would have done. He would have said, we who's going to be playing seven? And they're trying to sell sharfter him and obviously Caln's an easy sell. I mean it speaks for he speaks for himself. So they've probably put a game plan to him that suggests that he can play like a seven six and then share that with Sharp and Ponger and responsibilities, you know, both across the park.
You've been a grade six. How important is a seven? I watched Alon Lager combined with Lori daily, two of the greats. It didn't work, but Ricky and Laurie working, Elf and Kevy work, you know two V and Kiffy Lyons work.
It's it's I think it's very important. You know, whenever I played my best my career, I had branch Sha and inside of me. He was completely controlling the kicking game and game plans along with myself, but he was the dominant one there, especially with his kicking game and getting in the forwards obviously had a good forward pack. And the other example is Andrew John's in Origin. When I played with him, it was like he controlled the team like it was like a game of chess for him. He was three or four steps ahead, and I just had to worry about my job at six, which made it so much easier.
I'm glad you mentioned Joey because this is aside from the money and the length of term that Dylan saw for He's going to have to wear that seven jumper. That's what's going to happen here. And the Brown camp are now quite actively pushing the fact that he actually came through throughout the juniors as a halfback, as did Fletcher Sharp as well. He played the predominantly all of his football in the halves until he was shifted the wing.
Of seven or six.
Seven, Well, well for Brown, let's stick with Brown.
For Brown, right, he was a seven.
So the question is going to be if he's going to wear that jumper that Joey has made famous and they haven't won a premiership since Joey last war that jumper all the way back in two thousand and one, how's this hybrid halfback role going to work? Surely you can't be half in half out when it comes to who's the dominant half The word.
That us control, who's controling that side, who's running that side?
That's going to be because why I mentioned Sharp is because Sharp as great as he's playing at the moment, and he will continue because I think he's a great talent. He's a runner, He's the furthest thing from a control half, like you know, look at him. He's taking dummy ass scoots on the weekend and he was getting quick play of the balls. He was making meters and he was eating them up and he's got to be in the team. But you know, Dylan has shown in the past that it's not his strong point, like you know Moses when he's been out in the success rates being poor on the weekend we saw it against Melbourne, like he didn't take control. It's not his natural game. So I don't think we should read too much in the Ready's article into the hybrid thing. I think that was them trying to sell to deal and listen, come to the club, will work it out. This is our ideas and Blake Green mind you, because I spoke with Blake not throughout the offseason in terms of a few players I've got, and I spoke to the club about him. They've got big wraps on him and all the players love him and he's he's highly regarded as one of the best up and coming coaches coming through and he's obviously specialized on the halfs. So I think Blake, if he can get his you know, he's mind ticking over the this year in the pre season. He brings he holds a lot of power and value up there in Newcastle. I think he can work out a system and a way of which they can bring Dylan in and get the most out of him, but he's going to have to change the way that he plays. I think, yeah, you're spot on it.
I think the hybrid half is a spin because they've got to try and keep the side together this year, and they tried eleven different halves combinations last year not really any of them worked.
And they want to please the other two they're talking about as well. You know, they want to keep them happy and make sure that they you know, they are comfortable with Dylan coming.
Okay, Brath, you were sixth if he went to seven, how long would it take you?
It takes time. It takes It's like, you know, you look at the grade sevens, even the great sevens, like how long is clearly is actually an exception to the rule. Like he has peaked very good and just gone to John's all of them like he's like they all look at Joey and JT. They all play their best late twenties early thirties for Cooper Krong, all of them. So there's a lot of work to be done then. Now, despitely any a prize signing for next season, nice coach Adam O'Brien wasn't in the mood to talk about it. Adam will just get out of the way.
Killan Brown.
There's been a lot of talk about him. What do you like that?
And as a player, I'm not talking about Dylan Brown. I'm willing to talk about the Dolphins round one here. The Dylan Brown situations got a process to go through, and I reckon I'll respect that process outside of the process.
So him maturely is a player that you've seen in a cross seasons and across games.
Com up against you who talk to me about his style?
Is there anything Joe watching, I'll find a different way to give you the same answer. I'll talk about the Dolphins and Tomorrow night. For now, we'll talk about Dylan. I understand their question, but the club there will come a time and place to talk about Dylan, But right now I'm focused on Tomorrow night with the halves that we have there.
kJ O Brien very hesitant to talk about the prize signing of Dylan Brown. Yeah, I suppose. I understand they want to focus on this week's game and they want to be seen to be focusing on that to the other players in the group, and there's a job at hand. But I would have thought just maybe a quick touch, quick look. It's a huge signing for the club. It's a massive moment.
We'll get through it when he arrives as all over the summer, but for now we're focused on the immediate. We've got a game tomorrow.
Getting through it, right, spreading around here, But.
I think you'd be naive to think as if the dressing room isn't speaking about it every five seconds. So I think you probably could have handled that just a little bit different.
Yeah, I think the only thing is to bracepoint exactly.
They played the Dolphins tomorrow and the fact that you know, Paramounta probably hadn't officially waived waved the ten day cooling off periods, So maybe they're a little bit they will go into a year whether or not they're formally work they're going to do it.
Yeah, And they would have like it wouldn't have just a Brian saying this is how we're going to do it. They would have had a meeting with Peter Parker and you know everyone up there said how were going to handle this today? Yeah?
Of course it is delicate for the Knights there at the moment, right because you've got a half back Jack Holu probably went, you know, won't start. The guy's been brought in over the top, and then you've got guys that are on the way out. Jaden Brayley is going to can brother Jackson Hastens won't be there, Adam Elliot, Jack Heatherington. So it's a tiptoe line here now for the Newcastle Knights on regarding how they approach this season knowing that they've got this Marque guy coming right now.
If they lose Ponger, this is you know, let's talk about this because there's there is rumors still that Kaylon is one hundred happy and we're not just making this up right papers again, He's in the papers again. You know, other reporters have reported on it, and the rumors have been going for a while now. And I think I think, firstly, because Brown goes there, does that mean Calen definitely stays? And what happens if that's not the case and Calen leaves, you know, like he's that a possibility?
What do we think We signed until the end of twenty twenty seven at the moment, caln so he's got the rest of this year plus two, that's all locked away. But we have seen over the years that at stages if players do become agitated and they decide that they're not happy with the direction of the club, then they will try and manipulate and find a way to possibly exit early. You're right, Braith, it has been in the papers, it continues to go around that possibly the Roosters are looking at him. I think the primary reason for that link is that one of their football managers at the moment, one of their recruitment officers, Clinton Zammett, has had a huge involvement with Calen all throughout the course of his career, dating back to the Cowboys, then also with his most recent deal at the Knights.
Now he's at the Children. I think that was the one that got Calen to Newcastle, that big signing from the Cowboys the young gun, right, was that right?
I think he signed him initially at the Cowboys right then he did his most recent deal at newcast so he made him the highest paid back.
Yeah.
So I think Newcastle more worried about Callan going to go play rugby than to a rival an roll club that they don't hear. They've heard the innuendo of course externally, but internally they're quite comfortable with their position. But back to your point, if he does leave, I don't think the Dylan Brown signed and.
The way he played on the weekend, if I'm a Knights fan, I don't believe it. He had a Red Holk crack. Yeah you know, I mean so so, the way he put his body on the line, I don't think that he wants to stay the Knights. Fingers crossed for Knights fans.
Last year, you two had a little bit of a few going the Banker and the bean with the paramos, the board members.
But it's already rubbed off because he's getting the calculator out with Brown, percentage of the salary cap is back on.
No, we're all good, I still think.
And this Dylan Brown signing vindicates it. That contracts the worst contract in the history of the game, putting those clauses in it because it wasn't a nine year deal, it was essentially only a two year deal. And now because of that asterisk, he's exercised the option and he's ultimately gone to another club.
Too many players with too many clauses, there's no doubt about that, right, and they know that they had too many players.
Like so clubs have handcuffs on them because they need to sign the player. Is there a chance that the NRL step in and go, we're not going to register any clauses, Like, we've got to give something back to the fans. I heard Peter VLANDI sit here and say the fans are like, Man, I've listened to players, but I wanted to listen to the fans. Do you think the fans like this? It's round one. We're talking about players moving around when they got two years.
A great idea.
God, I'd love to see it happen. If the NRL did decide, you know what, from now on there are no more exit options or anything like that. A deal is a deal you signed from twenty twenty five until twenty twenty eight.
Three years. I hope not, because they will have a boring tariff. Keep those pauses coming business year, all right. The nrol's new ruling on coaches talking about referees say half the game.
Andrew Abdo send this email out to all club chief executives on Monday, and he essentially told him that any coach or official that makes a comment regarding the referees or match officials after the game will face sanctions. So we've seen it probably what three or four years ago where Todd Greenberg came out and had a blanket rule. So and you cannot talk about coaches, referees, whatsoever. And for that season or two it's sort of, you know, we didn't really speak here the coaches speak about the referees. And then the last you know, twelve months or twenty four months, it's gone back to the way the original rule was, where as long as you didn't slam them or you know, talk about their reputation, you got away with it.
Right, Well, are we going to go back to the bad old days with DESI? Let's have a look.
Comes to understanding the policy about he's whose name you cannot mention.
So let's callin Valdemoret.
I clearly understand the policy paragraphs thirty one sub course to the comment on moons. Just that so you can't say anything nice about them, you can't say anything positive about them, you can't say anything about the bolden Woods. It's just going to follow the policy about it. Here's whose name we cannot mention. That's what they think is pragmatic and reasonable. If you're never good for free speech, it's not too good.
That press conference, and as the question i'd never watched Harry Potters, I wrang, I've got no idea what is going on about here? But that's that's the situation we're going to find ourselves in, right, the fact that the coaches are going to have to try and tiptoe around this because we're still going to.
Ask the questions what's the reasoning behind me?
In that email, Andrew Abdough points to media attention and negative fans engagement.
I don't think it helps. I really don't think it helps. Gone to junior rugby league. It does filter down, even though they're two totally different games, right, one so fun and one is professionally there. But I don't Every single losing coach has to talk about a decision not there. And I think it's only going to help the referees and will help the game really personally. Yes, well, because the first comte yes, one of the first coming and I've got hitty on was with Laney Laney and the John Lane told me something. He goes, how's it going to change his decision next?
It's not. It's not so like you know, all access right, like the fans actually want to see press conferences and see what's the drama, and it's all about TV watching.
It's not going to stop fans from talking about it. It's going to stop coaches from blaming the loss on it.
But Gaudy were both.
Old enough and ugly enough to remember saying I hope the Cemit truck hits Bill Harrigan on the way hard. Those days are long long gone and we're never going to go back anywhere near that. But I still think that it is fair enough. If it's a nine to one penalty count, I think that's a legitimate question. Or if there's an incident like what happened on the weekend with the penalty try with Stephen Crichton and Christian Topolotto. Well that's a legitimate question of press conference, and the coaches are entitled to answer.
Honestly, I agree, and so that decision I need an explanation for on Monday.
But apparently they can't say any of that, right, so you guys can't even ask the quill.
Still we can ask it, and it would be up to the coaches to see how they tipped.
Around, throw the fishing right out and try and get one of them.
Fine, start watching Harry Potter, All right, any.
News on Brandon Smiths.
Yeah, as we've been saying for the past week, I think all roads are definitely leading to Heafron Park and the South Sidney Rabbits. Crazy to think given the rivalry between the Chuks and the Bunnies over the years, but the way it's shaping up at the moment, South's are just having a look at Brandon's medical records over the course of the next week or two. I think this deal in all likelihood will be done within the next fortnight. It'll be a two year contract for twenty six and twenty seven, and I think that in all likelihood Brandon plays hooker so he fits into the dummi half roll at South Sydney, and then it'll be a matter of whether the Roosters and Souths can break bread to a degree and agree to some sort of uneasy truce for Brandon to possibly leave early if the Roosters are open to that. But the roosters would have to be open to it.
It would be a crazy deal for Saus, wouldn't it coming back from an A C L not going to be at your best.
On how much you have to put in it. All depends on the price. They're not going to be able to stump up too much for this year and.
I can't and ther is paying sous.
It's going to be interesting because initially they said absolutely point blank noway last year, but there's a view that that might have softened to a degree and that maybe they just want to go in a completely different direction. To your point, Gordy about whether it's good turning or not, I actually think it can be. Like Brandon, he was a deem good player at the Melbourne Storm, He's a premiership winner. He hasn't forgotten how to play. For whatever reason, it hasn't worked out at the Chucks, but I think change of environment, different coach.
Could be very good. Sill down a little bit on this. He was a highly touted you know, arguably by the year at the time the Roosters to sign Brendan Smith from Melbourne. He was starting behind Harry Grant in Melbourne. He believed he was a starting nine at a premier club. The Roosters go and pay big dollars for him, and now it ends like this, it's.
Kind of but they got it wrong, right. You can sit down and dissect this sign and all you like, they got that one wrong. And it's interesting the fact that he was going to go to the Dolphins under Wayne Bennett and it was only a meeting with Trent Robinson which swayed him late to join the Roosters.
But it hasn't worked out for either party.
And it goes back to the question is you know, I honestly think he's a better running thirteen than he will work at the house.
Then I think Wayne Bennett's got a great track record with players who have had challenges and have had hurdles, and he'd hurdles and gone a little bit sideways.
It's proven it is scoring.
You've seen it first.
I've seen the.
O become an acl and an over the course of the last nine months.
But I just get to feel confirm they're buying him as a nine to two. That's what I got told.
But in my opinion right, Brandon Smith's never been an eighty minute player. When you watch him at Melbourne Storm, Harry Grant played or Cameron Smith, he'd come on and for that thirty minutes we just go well, like the one bat he'd be burrowing through with he'd either like take a hit up where you do a second dummy half runt. He wasn't a guy starting settling his way into a game, kicking and passing. He was just a pure that's what and then that's what they bought and try to turn him into an eighty minute player. I think he's a I think he's a great thirty to forty minute player.
All right. Now, does the pressure start to ramp up on Benji if the Tigers don't start winning games.
That.
I say that for a few reasons, because look at the jaw they've got, right, They've got a pretty good draw, as you can say are here. They're coming up against Paramounta this weekend. They had a strong started the last year. Last week sorry against the Knights, I couldn't get it done, which is okay because they're a new team now, they've got Buller and Chorus are coming back in. They've got their strongest, arguably the strongest lineup that they can put on a footy field. If they start, you know, one from three, there's going to be.
Pressure, right, no question, bra Look, it's going to be one of the bigger narratives of the year. I think Shane Richardson said over the course of the summer that with those two players you just mentioned there, Jerream Buller and Happy Corus, how neither of which played last week. I think he labeled at the best sport. Yeah, so I mean that's a lot of one of the responds in the competition and on Yeah, I think we'll give in the benefit of the but you do look at that spot and look it's a lait app. He's a premiership winner, Jerames, a premiership winner, dreams an emerging star as his lucky Galvin. So you're they have got an easier draw to start the year off the back of three wooden spoons, so there's no doubt they have to win.
This is by no means do I think they're going to have a poor start. I don't actually think they'll win a fair few of these games. I'm only saying that the scenario with the squad they've got, the draw they've got, it's only going to get harder as a season.
They need wins Broncos and Chucks. They should back themselves to win every other game. You would think if I'm a Tigers fan and if I'm a Tiger's player, Yeah.
They had reasons for their poor attack last week, but they didn't have reasons for their poor defense, and that was the concerning thing, because you know, you pull the one and nine out of any starting spine and your attack's going to be disjointed. Lewi and Galvin haven't had a lot of reps to together because Louis had that injury after that Army camp.
But that defense was poor and that's what they need to fix.
Yeah. I know it's only around two, but it is a huge game for the West Tigers already. Now I keep playing matchups brought to you by Ossie Broadband.
A huge game, the four time premiers up against the Chucks, and the Chucks are really up against it. I'm saying New South Wales and Kangaroo team mates Angus Crichton and Liam Martin, both edge back rowers, probably the two best backgrowers in the competition. How much of an influence Angus can have given all the troops that the Chucks are missing. Not sure, but that'll be a hell.
Of a battle.
Yeah, this one's gone under the radar a little bit.
The Sofiti boys get to go head to head against each other for the first time tomorrow night. I've spoken with Daniel for tomorrow's paper and they said that the boys have made a pack first kickoff, they're going straight for each other, so stay tuned for that one.
Good looking forward to that. Thank you Mit, are you hoops? That's Danny? Thank you to the journals up next to the Legends Agenda with Billy Moore and Jeff too.
