Sam Thaiday couldn’t make it to The Shed this week, so naturally Corey and Kip did the sensible thing… they replaced him with AI Sam.

In this Round 9 preview, the boys run through every game, tip their winners, lock in their anytime try-scorer multi, and try to work out whether AI Sam is a genius, a liability, or somehow still less disruptive than the real one.

There’s big chat around the Broncos, Dolphins, Storm, Manly, Panthers and the Dragons’ very concerning run home, plus a proper debate about whether the NRL has become too fast, too stop-start, and whether the big hits are disappearing from the game.

Follow The Shed wherever you get your podcasts and send us a screenshot to go in the draw for the weekly meat tray, thanks to Rode Meats