Welcome to AL three sixty Rugby League from every angle, brought to you by Regain.

The race to the Premiership is down to just four teams after an epic weekend of semi finals football.

As the Panthers and.

Sharks prepare for a prelim showdown, two heavyweight contenders are left wondering where it all went wrong.

They have had any dream season?

The Raiders in the Sharks right here, Trindle hard set up the left.

What a fuss by Turner, the.

Schools grid, Triddle there, flick post.

Hugs Dad again, I know we just deep Mike.

Up now one last play They go on the short side again and well, Tanna's gone.

Where does Sharks fans have gone up?

Some only crazy twenty unanswered points and throw the prelimb fire.

It's the Panthers and the Bulldogs replacing against the Broncos.

We're under the way here in the city, five meters out edwards to clearing.

It comes to the middle.

Lindy Spith keeple going, sorrezon and McLean.

Likewise, Tara for the corner.

Let's try and go to the Panthers for second.

Here Edwards tip on again.

Tell the money off the back of Tuggle still going Allabody's goes the former Budog takes a number two for the Panthers.

I'm believing and in that's humble for Allabody gets away from it.

A karma back on the inside.

Terry is there.

The Panthers strike once again.

He's clearing to Loundy McLean stands clearing rapping chosen dummy gets.

It the top of picks.

Backod Feld Lady is there and everybody.

Get to try Yo clearing the heads again.

Tunle hell the buddy.

For a Mattrek on a big, big day.

There's dumbing too.

The pomp cosen next for the four time defending champions.

They have taken down the Bulldogs forty six points to twenty six.

How good was the first or the second week of finals?

We are joining me?

The Great gordin Tallas has bring the jones in buzz Rothfield and Brent Reid in two games, two winners, one and darn it was the Sharks that were too good for the Raiders.

Buzzy'd be happy with that one.

And then yesterday Panthers with a clinical display smashing the Bulldogs at the Core Stadium, Gording.

Well, look it was a fantastic the Sharks obviously getting that monkey off.

They're back in pen with yesterday.

That's probably the best forty minutes of their season.

And you were the.

Teams guys outside the top four are still alive, the Panthers and the Sharks.

The other thing made I'll tell you about a smashing weekend for rugby league on television.

You know, these two finals we had on the weekend ratings in Australia and year Zeland on Fox and on Channel nine year on year were up thirty four percent.

That's how many.

And I'll tell you what's really impressive.

Ad midilely off a low base, but Melbourne AFL City up ninety five percent.

Now with the crowds.

I've written it all down here, the attendances and the two finals on the weekend, even though we didn't fill a pall, they are up thirty five percent compared to last year.

The game's going, it's are you taking any credit for that?

Boys in the journal, A little bit.

We've contributed our little part positive.

Every second team in the are right in a couple more off.

Stadium.

Let's get to the Panthers and the dream is alive for their fifth straight premiership after the demolition of the Dogs at the Course Stadium yesterday, and they were simply superb.

Completion rated one hundred percent in that first half.

Execution was at a premium speed, power, you name it, they had it.

Finesse Cleary was the outstanding.

What a performance it was by the premiers.

Yeah.

Look for I've never seen a side in recent history dominate territory the way they've been able to dominate.

I know that the Dogs are a little bit light on in the forwards, but their way that they could suffocate the Dogs and that up and in that famous up and in Dogs defense for them just to hold back their speed and get to the edges on them with some class or some silky skill, as I said, is probably the best performance of the Pennmouth Panthers this year.

It was their best footing yea by a long way.

You know what I have decided, Ivan clear his decision to rest sixteen players in around twenty six was an absolute coaching master.

Straightout it.

We will still blow up.

You were critical, don't sound flip flopping.

And.

Well, you know what, I'm still critical of it for the game of rugby league and that Canterbury would gifted two competition points against reserve grade side.

We need a rule, whether it's a bye before whatever.

We haven't talked about that later.

His decision though, to freshen up his entire roster I don't think was good for rugby league.

But i'll tell you what.

He had a premiership in mind.

Ratings and everybody come out to watch them because they're seeing the champs.

So it is a master stroke.

It is that they they're healthy, they're mentally strong, they're fresh.

Yeah, they look fresh to they're playing like the fresh earlier.

And the like you're right, no, we're not disagreeing.

Earlier in the year there were times when they look tired of the bit jaded or a little a little unmotivated maybe, and obviously they wanted to get to this point of the season.

They were so slick in that first forty minutes.

They so classy and Nathan has just been I mean the last couple of weeks.

He's how good he is.

I was going to say it's been ridiculous, but he's like that every week season.

You put a line through them.

Yeah he said that.

Still, I think Bristo will beat them this week.

I think Bristo will.

Be You still think that?

Do you still think they can't win the comp from outside the four?

Well, they're going to get through Brisbane first, they be Brisbane.

There are a chance you're rubbed out every side in the comp this year.

You said were no good.

You famously said East.

And Walker wouldn't play.

Did they win, the cops would.

Back there.

I think this is a new one British.

I think I think Brisbane at home Sunday are game the Okay, I'm going to get through Brisbane when the Cape break and I don't think they will.

You still don't think they can do it though, so you don't think Penrith on that performance, I'm not beat every other team.

And look, if they get past Brisbane, I can see they're a chance to win the greend past Brisbane.

I reckon Ivan and a few of the players who are watching this show that I are so happy about what they just said that another side he's written off the other thing just going back quickly to the Masters stroke less than their sixteen players.

Remember after Origin in Perth had an away game in New Zealand and he would not even think about picking his five players.

Again, that's why they're fresh now from master stroke to master class by anything.

Clearly, we've spoken about it already, but let's dive a little deeper into his performance and how spectacular it was.

It was Andrew John's esque.

They control the poise, the direction in which he led his team, in the way that he executed every single play with intent, and Gordy I haven't seen I don't think I've seen a better performance from a seven this year.

In the first forty minutes, like we said, I mean, they took their foot off the accelerator bit.

I think signs for Perth when he took the first goal kick, because he struggled this year with his hips and he's growing.

So for Nathan to do the goalkick and this looks like that he was free.

There was a moment there where they got him over on the right.

I think if he kicks here and he kicks it and puts it on a dime, he passed it.

He was just a step ahead all game.

The Dogs are known for their defense.

That's what's kept them in the last couple of years, their defense.

And I said yes, saying the call Nathan Cleary pulled him apart like a hot chalk.

He was so clinical, you know, going through his movements.

You know, and there's this argument, and I've argued against your guys when we try, I try and put him on Joey and Jonathan Thurston's level and above Kronk and all that.

But he typically and you guys argue back about any origin.

But he so typically does this in finals.

And you go back to the that when they came from that impossible position against Adam Reynolds, and you know that the was the Broncos a couple of years ago.

That performance and then again yesterday put him in.

The Hall of Fame.

Now.

I was talking to someone after game yes night.

I said, can you do you remember the last time you walked away from a game?

And he went, she's Nathan out a shocker today.

I don't think I've ever said it.

He just his standard is so high.

He just doesn't have poor games.

They're either good or brilliant.

There's no poor in his He has levels too, He has levels, and he took them to another level yesterday.

He just went, you're.

Watching I mean no, no, no, yes, he was really He's been good for a long time, but yesterday, like you watch him go to the defensive line, always a threat, and he plays so square, he knows who he wants to get to, whose eyes he wants to engage, what player he wants hitting short are out the back, And I mean Penith do a great job of giving giving him a number of options at any given time with every play because they're set up is so good.

But the execution and yeah, he's he plays so square that he can run the ball, he can throw the pass, he can kick like he has every option at any time because of the way that he plays, the style style that he plays.

It's just sublime, it really is.

It's beautiful to watch.

Yeah, and contact doesn't mywn mind.

He doesn't mean he's willing to take on the defensive line when he has to because he's physically he's quite quite a physically physically physically built guy.

And Brisbane had to beat him next week, they've got to stop this week.

They've got to stop him.

It's as simple as that.

You mentioned the Panthers and if they do win five in a row, so Ivan Cleary five in a row, where does that hold him amongst coaches over the rugby league.

It's a really big thing to say because you know, I grew up as a young reporter when Jack Gibson was winning titles.

He won five Grand Finals, Wayne Bennett won seven, and Craig Bellamy.

No one will ever match the consistency.

He's won five titles, get three of them.

I think under the salary cap rules, considering the amount of players and assistant coaches he's lost, considering that at the bottom of the ladder in round twelve and.

They've had to come from nowhere.

If he lifts that trophy in two weeks time, I would put them him up with Jack and Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy as the greatest coaches of all time.

He's in the argument, it's no doubt about that.

Well, I'm saying he's in the argument.

Rath, it's worth a debate.

I'm above him.

Well, I think Craig probably is, because I think Craig's regenerated teams.

He's been at the top for five years in the arraw But Craig's won premierships.

Breaks last time permission lost them, Yes, like I've done.

Yes, over twenty years, he's consistently lost them.

And this is of course anyway.

And Wayne's won seven comps.

I said that, and Jack Gibson won five comps, but when Wayne was winning comps he had after the Queensland.

Side, he's got a pretty handy team as well.

Yeah, but they're trying to appreciate them all.

Yeah, well that's what I'm trying to do.

God them up there with them.

No, but you should say that they're equal then, yeah, you know, because in American busball they call it the mount rushmore.

So there's a I mean, so they sit up there equally with the greatest and what Jack achieved, what Wayne's achieved, what Craig Bellamy has achieved, with some of the players that he's achieved.

If you've looked at Penrith over the last five years and it's in hindsight, the players that they've had gone through the system is the arguably some of the greatest players to play.

The only thing I leaning with Cleary joining them is that it's salary cap era and it's so hard to win comps when you're losing your players and your coaches every year.

He's definitely amongst the best ever, especially if he goes on the five pat now.

Cameron Serroudo was defiant post game after the Bulldogs bounced out of the finals in straight sets.

When you reflect, what did you learn, like, would you have changed anything?

Well, what have you learned from the past?

What three three were so months?

No?

No, I wouldn't change the thing.

You know, this is this is all part of the journey.

There's been some tough times this year.

Our guys about to deal with a lot more scrutiny than probably some other places and short of know what the headlines will be, But internally we're really clear on how this season panned out, what was good, what we need to do better.

Yeah, we don't need no vindication or validation on what we're doing.

We know, you know, we know what we're doing and really confident in what we're doing.

But we're lucky to go out there today and attack the game the way he did.

I thought he was in one of our top players out there.

I thought Bailey Hayward was one of our top players out there when he got on the field.

For those two guys in particular, to come out and play will be two of our best on the big stage under the most pressure says a lot about their character in terms of how much crap they had to deal with this week and external opinions like those two guys are tough, tough characters.

They're going to play a massive part in our future, no.

Matter what you think of it.

It's been the biggest story of the this year has been the Bulldogs and there changing of the guard.

You could say Laughlin Galvin coming in mid season, they were coming first and then they are out of the competition and gone in straight sets.

Let's just rip the band aid off and get straight into it.

I'll come to you, Buzz because you were the men the road this for Monday Bars and you've been quite outspoken about this.

Well, I'm just a bit disappointed in Cameron's press conference yesterday when he spoke about the crap that's been in the media, the commentary around all the changes he's made in the unsettling effect it's on his football side, and absolutely no self reflection, absolutely no respect for anyone who has even challenged him on you go through it all.

Sexton was the first to be dropped, then Galvin came into the side, then Marny got dropped, and then Bailey Haywood got dropped.

You know what happened yesterday Sexton came back into the side.

Galvin moved to five eight where we all know he was best suited.

That's out, buzz, I mean, that was why the changes took place.

What do you mean what about Red Marney coming back?

Yeah, Themarney Marney was bringing back.

What I want to compare it to is a settled side like Cranulla, who have had Blake Brayley upfront.

They've had Heines, they've had Trendle, they've had Kennedy out the back.

They've been so settled and they're still alive in this competition.

Right.

He made he made too many changes.

The players were confused, they lacked coesion, Their defense even fell apart yesterday.

It's hard hard to argue that it hasn't had an impact on the club and their team the way they were tracking.

I know that you were going to argue, and you can argue all you like, but from my opinion, just looking at it, and yeah, even watching yesterday, he kind of confused and you don't They've made so many changes and went in so many different directions.

What would you have had them do differently yesterday?

Can I ask?

Because Crichton was out, the best ops was to move Burton to the centate.

You guys keep going back to mid year, right, can I say round sixteen?

I looked at their draw today.

For the first sixteen rounds, there had two buyers, They played four top eight teams.

In hindsight, fort they had a soft draw.

No, I'm saying they had a soft draw, so where they were false leaders at that point because they.

Had a soft leaders that at the time.

Well, if you remember I said they couldn't win the cor I've got to give us said that all year, Broth, all year.

I said they couldn't win something, and they need to make some need to make changes.

Changes.

You reckon that drawer was so I can take it through that last let me take it through this.

The last six weeks they won one game out of six.

One game you know that was against a reserve grade Penriside with about sixteen players.

Right, So all these changes he made did not work.

There is the proof.

Okay, I don't need any other status.

Are saying that because they didn't think they could win.

You didn't think they could win the camp.

You're okay with what's hapchanging?

Yes, because I think in the long run they're going to be a better team as a result of the changes They made.

Do you think they thought that.

I think they thought they couldn't win the camp, that's.

Yes.

So what happened this is this is just my opinion, and I'm happy for them to prove me wrong.

When you said that the half backs not good enough, you tell all the other players that you're not good enough to win the camp.

So bomb there and I'm a background, I'm personal and on kickout and I'm Stephen Crichton and I've got to bring in an eighteen year old kid, right, that's what beyond the ears to win the competition.

I'm embarrassed because they were on top of the table and you can say it's soft.

You can only beat who you play against, and I thought that, and in hindsight, if they're honest, don't blame me.

I wouldn't have made that decision and they should not.

I think that's why, like, ex players can speak to this situation better.

And I'm not saying that you guys don't have a valid points and opinions, but as ex players and you talk to a lot of ex players about this current situation.

I said it at the time.

It's not so much the decision you're making, it's the impact it's going to have on the team and your teammates going through what a few of them had to go through.

And they played it down and said that the team was happy the whole time.

The teammates are on board.

Of course you're on board.

You listen to your coach, you believe in your coach, and you do all year.

But you know, bubbling underneath the surface, there's a bit of uncertainty, and it's like, do they not think we can win the comp with the group we've got, We're coming first?

Do they not think that this guy and he can do the job that needs to be done With Maney, we interviewed him on Triple M how emotionally was and cried about when he got to the place to when he left the place.

That's the guy.

So now if I'm sitting you know, you to talk about people when you sit in the dress room, I would like to have played with the guy and you go, yeah, he gives away penalties, but he gives away our penalties because he got in front of guys.

He was trying to make things happen.

Yes, so they're the things that.

I can I understand what you're saying.

He was trying to win a camp.

That's why he made the differing it out now ready, that's right.

I didn't turn now to say he was wrong, And I'll ask you this.

I'll ask you one more question.

Did he err in playing Lachlan Galvin at halfback and asked him to run that football side rather than at five to eight where we all knew he was much more comfortable as was shown yes afternoon of course stadium.

Well he played for the Yes, they got flogged, flogged, but.

Quiet game.

He was their best player with Jacob Press.

We didn't help, you know, and you can't admit it.

He should not have been picked at half back to run that side.

Well at the time.

The best their attack, their attack when I'm coming first or fifth in the I just told you their draw breath fifty.

I just told you they draw fifteenth attack, Take it through.

They played, mate, wouldn take it through their play?

You put me to sleep, as you normally do.

But it's.

So you you you think he was one hundred percent confident with the decisions he's made.

He's happy with the ones he's made.

He's got no regrets whatsoever.

He didn't sound to me the guy's got.

This decisions going there yesday is one of the greatest days.

And your wish that the Bulldogs fan would have won like it was a special day to see the crowd rocking.

And if they won like next week, it would have been bigger.

Rights.

Forty two tackles at half time?

Yep, forty two?

Would they missed forty two tackles when they're coming first?

Breath and so I can't tell you, but as I said, but.

The periods this year when they're coming first, and they've been they flogged a couple of times when they're coming.

First reading, can you not understand the confusion in that football side where Marny's in one week, three weeks from the bench sacked, Bally Hayward.

Bally Hayward is three weeks sack.

I just I just told you how well, Look, I'm sorry I didn't listen all that carefully.

You did.

Change Steve Crichton was out the hold one.

Talkers when you lose the center, now, don't go on with that rubbish.

You don't change talkings when the center, Paul.

They did, you were calling for remarty.

They say they shouldn't have brought red money because confused everyone so you're confused by no, you're making this up now.

You see the start of the year that Red Marney right needed to get the rubbish out of each game he did.

He should have stayed in the football side is extremely popular with the players you know years and Bailey Hayward the week before your hawk at missed thirteen tackles, so.

He brought him back into hooker.

Change now, But you're both missing the point here.

It's just so much of change and so much no matter who plays where, no one knows who's playing where, and everyone's changing.

Look at their edges yesterday, Rudy.

Look at their defensive reads on the edges.

Look, they had no idea.

They were not working as a unit.

Forty two miss tackles means that you are not playing as a team, and you're not playing as a team because the team has changed so much over a long period of time that you actually end up losing belief and trust in each other because you don't know who you're playing next to.

Like, how could you.

Sit here and say that those big significant decisions of a team coming first with a chance to win a competition, whether you think they could over or nine, has not led to a team now that was losing thirty six points to eight at halftime in the final.

I think what we saw yesterday was their spine reading.

What about the spine, the fine, the most key, the four key position.

You are you wanted sext and back in the team, you want a money back in the team.

How did they play yesterday?

The team yesterday?

Confidence might have been shattered in the manner in which they would trade.

Round and there wasn't Maybe maybe Preston was the best dog.

Preston and.

You know what, they look tired relieve the years.

Do you think that Daly Cherry Evans decision hurt manly m hmm.

I've said on here then yes, yeah, okay, so.

The Galvin decision heard the Bulldogs just stay consistent.

Okay, So what happens now with the Dogs?

What happens now moving on the next year?

What do they do they need?

They need some big forwards break before the strength of the.

Middle of the middle of the field, because they get they got steamroll at times this year.

So they Thompsons coming.

They need more than Thompson for okayo King tried harder so he was just a bit small.

But then the but Penmouth have done that to a lot of sides.

I think Mitch Woods comes in a half back, so you play Mitch Woods at half.

Gelvin plays six, Burton goes to the centers, shuffle right up quite plays fullbackers.

He has a chance.

Well, I think that's it.

I think it has to be a chance.

I think it has to be a chance because I think Connor Tracy as good as he is, and I think Steve Crichton is elite.

And the more you can get the ball, Brady and I know you're particularly tight with cam and the Bulldogs the way you're speaking of them at all.

Did they in letting Al go to Penrith Local Jr?

What do you may come on local Junior?

Mil Per?

Where's he getting that team on the wing where you got him?

He would.

He tries in the wing for penalties.

I'm not sure that he's a good player.

I don't not to nying that, but at the time he was.

Gone, so you would have scored that trick.

Now that one I probably wouldn't.

The other big thing about Canterbury yesterday with all these changes, excuse me, they put Matt Burton in a position where he can't use that burming boot and Galvin did all the kicking yesterday or but and with Burton.

He was heard at training last Thursday night.

He did his soon his shoulder.

He went into the game with pay Kelly injections.

But mate Burns kicked the center this year.

Burns play and he kicked the start of the game.

He's doing a lot of long keys.

He can kick the balls.

Galvin, I think was feeling it and he was in a bit of a mood yesterday was playing some good footy, so he took which I thought was good boys.

Kenny Suthcliffe, he's coming on later.

Are you two going to start behaving?

Looking forward to Kenny coming up?

He's the key, absolute legend, all right.

If you two to settle down, stick around journals on Friday to ride a cup against the US take on Europe, and you didn't catch all the action from nine pm on Channel FO by Throt