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This week on The Big League Podcast, fan favorite Leka Hallasena gives his first interview in New Zealand, where he wraps the Warriors NRL Finals exit, that iconic match winning try against the Knights, and how he's dealing with his newfound fame.

Michael Burgess and I will assess the loss to the Panthers at Mount Smart, give our awards for the rollercoaster that was twenty twenty six, and predict how the rest of the final series will play out.

My name is Nathan Limb.

Let's go b LB.

Call me melancholic, call me soft, but I think the Warriors should be incredibly proud of their twenty twenty five NRL season.

They left everything out there on the field in that finals game at Mount Smart.

You could tell right from the start the players were up for it.

They knew everyone had written them off and they were out to prove them wrong.

They gave everything, They left absolutely nothing in the tank.

There were some heroic moments on defense, but as has been the story in recent weeks.

They were punished for sloppy errors and a lack of ruthlessness on attack.

The Panthers were just too good.

A couple lucky bounces of the ball and the twenty four to eight scoreline makes it look very comfortable for the full time defending Premieres.

However, let's also appreciate the good that came from this year.

Not many teams could lose their half back and their best forward and still finished sixth and secure home final.

They brought through a superb cohort of youngsters.

Leka Haalaesima, Dimitric Vai Mulner and Jacob Laban have become staples of the Warrior's lineup, with Eddie Iromir Toyava making his name as well.

I have no doubt that with Luke Metcalf and Mitch Barnett back fit and this group of players having experienced this hardship, they will be so much better in twenty twenty six.

Michael Badgers, Senior New Zealand Herald writer, A deflating end to a roller coaster of a season.

Yeah, yeah, I feel I feel quite sad this morning.

Actually, I feel sad for the fan base.

I feel sad for us, and mostly feel sad for the team because I feel like this team was a Week two finals team or a Week three finals team, you know, that's where I felt they were going to end up.

So to dip out in week one does feel a bit deflating.

You're right, You're correct, and that choice of words.

They played really well, really up for it, which made you made you wonder where that performance was in the last five or six weeks, because if they'd had that intensity against the Eels, the Titans, those other games at home or away, they would have won some of those in the our top four.

This is all, you know.

I don't want to go back too far about what might have been, but the key point is that they played played really well.

Actually we're going to get into this later, but they had they had a real good chance they could have won that game, which would have been a massive Imagine that they beat the Penrith in full time premiers and.

There are people listening to you just saying that they could have won that game, and they're going, what are you talking about?

Yeah, but that's the thing they could have I mean, twenty minutes ago, it was twelve eight game and the balance and Warrior said some momentum.

Ivan Clary said to me after the game, he admitted Isaio the same thing.

They're worried.

They were like, you know this, this could go either way.

You always thought.

Penrith might be too good because of all their professionalism, because of their experience, but you know it was right there.

I think one thing about this Warriors team, you'd say they had been a bit cursed.

We're going to get into this later too, but every other Warriors team that's made the finals since twenty eleven, twenty eighteen, twenty twenty three, they've got to the finals with their full strength team more or less, which is what counts.

You can have injuries during the year, but it's what team you have in September.

And this Warriors team gets September and they've got no Metcalf, no Barnett, no Leotar, other ones, but especially your best forward in your best back.

So I feel that that's really hurt them and it's a shame we never got to see where they could have gone.

But for injuries.

We're going to hear from Lequahala Sima in his first interview to New Zealand Media, next.

But first, here are the highlights.

Panthers A twenty four Warriors eight.

Here we go the Warriors of Justice touchment the catch that's good.

Tone now eight minutes gone, Warriors leave ten away from the Warriors line Shiner clary why task Scots, Oh you can't stop with from that far out.

Soul turn to come forth Tenra Shiner is a dad shot up Scots.

Turn up the tone Tenra.

That is the last tests go here it is pro boy now gets it down.

Warriors will field us at the back turn of the chasing Tager get the bounce.

That's still the laugh.

Now the chap for chase tag Do they get the bounce?

They've still got it here it is for t got the parts away.

There's a breakers try McLean st for Pendras past the hood Herds really have.

The pace held to Quack Penrath get another one.

If you make a mistake, they make you pay.

And the Penrith Panthers have come to Auckland and I've proven why they are the back to back to Beck to Beck champions.

Audio courtesy of sky Sport The Big League Podcast.

Nika Halasima has given his very first interview in New Zealand to Michael Burgess and the Big League Podcast in the sear after the game.

Let's take a listen.

First of all, what did you think of tonight's match?

I felt like we were good, like the boys got after them as well, like preeping through the week.

Yes, I felt like we were good.

We didn't get the result that we wanted.

I felt like the Warriors really building momentum in the second half.

It was, you know, did you feel like you were coming home?

Yeah?

I felt like we were getting there, like especially first half, like we were like blowing them, but then second half as well, like I sat backs, we did good, even I forwards pushing it as well.

What was it like for you playing at center?

I was luky, nervous, but had it under my belt.

Paced centers when I was younger.

I felt like I still had it.

When did you When did wed we tell you you were going to be playing center?

When did you find out?

I found out on Tues, Actually on Tuesday, I think, yeah, early in the week.

Yeah, that's when he told me I was playing center.

I wasn't even bothered and I bothered him anything like.

It didn't really get me, just another.

Job to get I remember seeing you in Vegas, and in Vegas you only got a few minutes in the second half.

You didn't get much time.

If you look back to then to now, how do you feel about your season?

It feels like it's been a pretty incredible season for you.

Yeah.

The first round when I got picked, I just wanted to screw myself that I can stay in the seam, like especially staying in the the name team, especially like starting as well.

Like I wanted to screw myself that I can stay and keep my spot.

What about the fact you've scored so many tries.

That's pretty special, isn't it.

Yeah, that's pretty special.

Thirsting tries hopefully wants to come next year.

What's been your favorite moment of this season, liqu or or just some of your favorite memories?

Your favorite moment moments from this season.

I wouldn't say it's about my tries or like confield stuff.

Like my favorite moment is like playing with new players that I've met and playing with my brothers as well, in that connection and bond.

Yeah, that's the best moment that I had as well.

What about your family?

What if they thought of everything you've done?

I mean they must be so proud watching what you've done.

Not one hundred percent.

Of my family's proud.

They're always backing me as well, Like every game and anything, they're always proud.

Like what kind of things have your mom and dad said to you during the season?

Ah?

Yeah, my mom she always sends to missing and said a good game and everything.

God luck, especially like if we play today for like two days for She's like, they got luck, sun and all the best and stay safe.

And then after the games for say, a good game and anything.

Just your memories of that try against Newcastle, the one that everyone you know were going crazy about.

Can you just tell us about that try from your point of view, how it's sort of how it happened, your memories of it.

Oh, I'll say that was a fluke.

I don't know, Like when the ball came to me, I don't know what to do.

Well that is just run straight and try be the or when I put it down, I was like, holy, I know.

A get because they had defenders everywhere and somehow you got there.

It was like you swarming and everything.

I just had to back myself and run.

And how have you dealt with everyone talking about you and all the sort of attention you've got.

You know, you've become quite famous now it's Benners.

It doesn't really get to me, like I'm still the same person who I am now just being myself.

It doesn't really get to me, to be honest.

I imagine you want to play test football.

That's sort of your next thing you're thinking about.

Uh yeah, I see how the plan goes, get picked or not?

Does it really bothered me?

Do you have plans for a holiday or something?

Yeah?

I'm horrish you downe to Melbourne, see my partner and my family there.

This is the Big League podcast.

This is how Yeah, the Big League Podcast on the Worries Bad Wagons since day one.

Look at Hall.

What a pleasure to hear from him for the first time in New Zealand to our media, Michael Burges's fantastic job at getting that interview for the podcast.

Well done on that.

He's had just an outstanding year, hasn't he.

He's been amazing.

Could you could do a whole podcast on Liqua really because from where he's come from, the fact that nom Mainy people knew about him.

Great to finally talk to him after twenty seven twenty eight rounds.

I know the Warriors have shielded him, which is sensible because you don't want all that hype like what happened with Sir reees Wels, where it just blew up and then it can distract you from what you're doing.

Great to talk to him, but I think your sum up a season by saying he's nineteen years old.

He's thrown in at center for the elimination Filigus Penrith and Okay, a couple of mistakes at the end, but.

Otherwise play played pretty well.

That sums the guy up.

He just.

I mean, freak is overused, but he is actually quite freakish in his talent and the way he keeps he keeps rising to the occasion.

So I'm so excited about watching this guy over the next What have we got eh ten years more?

Ten years plus plus?

What's the deal with this future?

Like like other clubs are going to be circling as soon as they get the opportunity to throw some money at Lequahalasma.

Where where is this contract out?

What's his future looking at?

Yeah?

That's what scares me because but I think the Warriors will be pretty smart with us.

He's signed the longest contract at the club, so he has signed until from memory twenty twenty nine.

Oh jeez, yeah that they extended him this year.

This bomb boom Bob, and hopefully they keep doing that to not let any other clubs get a look.

And we don't know the situation where we have a guy like say Katoa who looks so promising ends up at the Storm.

You're right, clubs will keep circling.

But if the Warriors keep performing and he's happy and to build a team around him, he could be a Warrior's legend, couldn't he.

Let's go through this game in a little bit more detail.

First of all, coach Andrew Webster after the game sees they absorbed pressure well at times, but they made too many errors.

Issue still just gift to the opposition points.

But they're a great team.

And Daniel Rod spoiler the red time.

Yeah, no one's questioning the effort that the players put out.

It was clear that they were really up for that battle.

Between James Fisher Harris and Moses Lilta.

I thought a Fisher Harris really led from the front in a way that I don't think he has in recent weeks.

But I thought he really stood up in that game and he was outstanding.

However, in regards to Webster saying that the errors like missing touch with that early penalty tenor Boyd, I mean stuff like that, that could have been such a tone setter for the Warriors opening a couple of minutes of the game.

Put the ball down in penroths up and be on the attack straight away.

Yeah, and the crowd, the groan from the crowd was really noticeable.

And okay, it wasn't ultimately too costly, but it was still Penrith had two sets on attack to use up a bit of petro from the Warriors, whereas it should have been the Warriors on attack and they could have been down there.

So Boyd made amends.

He ended up having a good game, but little moments, little moments, Yeah, little moments.

They were really good in the first quarter, but they had to get some points and they didn't.

They had to get a try in the first quarter.

So Tenner point missus touched with the early early penalty.

The Panthers nearly got up the other end and score.

Eventually, the Warriors get down the writ end and they opt to take the two early on in the game.

Now a couple of weeks ago, Berts see, I'm quite happy Finals game opportunity to score points early.

Take the two.

I don't have a problem with that.

That's fifty percent of a try.

A couple of weeks ago, you took issue with the Warriors going for an early penalty against the Bulldogs in the rain.

Is that still your perspective early on in this game.

I didn't mind it.

I mean, I don't like it generally because I think, like as we saw it towards the end of the first half, penitis just got down there Warriors.

Then you just stayed there, just suffocate.

You know.

Sometimes once pania get down there and you can't, you can't get out of there.

So if you're down there, sometimes it's good to have a shot, show some ambition.

It was raining, take the two.

I didn't mind it.

Warriors coach Andrew Gibson has no regrets about taking that early penalty kick rather than going for the try, saying they didn't they did exactly what they needed to mount pressure.

If we don't kick a erran since we should have my kick.

We got two points, but we got back down there twenty of times.

I think we kicked the ball we competed for catchers so many times, put them under pressure, bounce to.

The ball literally could have gone our way.

Put the ball down.

Now, there were some big defensive moments from the Warriors.

I want to highlight, you know, the positives in this performance.

I touched on it just before the battle between sort of Fisher Harris and Leoto.

There was a moment with Kirk cape Pole and Aaron Clark rushed out of the line to send le Or to backwards, almost like you know, they were standing up for their scapper.

And we saw a number of sort of scuffles and pushing and shoving matches.

What did you make of the Warriors intensity, because obviously there were still aerrors, and there were still defensive mishamps, pretty blatant ones, but the effort levels were through the roof.

Our first half was brilliant.

Like the intensity they brought to that game I haven't seen for quite a few weeks.

As I mentioned before, if they'd had that intensity coming into the playoffs, they'd be top four, no doubt.

But it was great.

They got up for that game in a big way.

They realized how big it was.

Defensively, really good in that first half.

I think there was a point in the last ten minutes of the first half they had about five sets five sets on their goal line that they defended Panthers for.

But for me, there were three key points in that first half where they could have probably should have gone ahead.

One was the end goal where it's bouncing around then goal and Chance Nickel clock start just fails to ground it.

The big one though, was I don't remember KP.

Capewell got through, got through a half gap, looks back ready to pass and no one was backing up.

Everyone was on their heels and that was the moment where Adam Pompi had to be there backing up, or Chance or someone in a half back of five eight they're backing up, Warriors go overscore, crowd goes nuts, it's.

Eight nol and suddenly they're on a run.

And then the third one was right at the end of the half, the big breakout down the right ten would come back left and Chanell ops to kick on the fourth tackle.

Doesn't quite make it to Roger.

Little moments, little turning points.

Yeah, I actually thought they were the better side for most of that first half, the Warriors, But I suppose my concern during that first half when I was watching was that it felt like they were expending a lot of energy, especially when getting up for those big defensive moments.

It felt like they were they were using up a lot of energy and they weren't getting the points to back it up.

So that made me worried heading into the second half, and that sort of proved to be the case a little bit.

I think Fisher Harris said after the game that they started well in the twenty four to eight loss, but couldn't ice their chances.

The little clinical moments where we met an error, they just went done the sideline and try.

And that's just that lack of ruthlessnessign attack that we talked about for weeks.

It is, it is, and you're right, there's always been the Melbourne Storm playbook.

What they do is they might not score a lot of points against you in the first half, but they use up all your petrol.

And that's his callt Penrith that they used up a lot of petrol from the Warriors and that paid off in the third and fourth quarter of the match was what clearly talked about after the game.

So all that defensive work they had to do in the first half hurt them in the second If.

We move on to the second half, where did it start to unravel?

I suppose, because if you look at the Penrith tries.

That second try, just some poor defense around the ruck allowed Brad Schneider to come through.

I thought he might have gone to ground before he reached out and placed the ball over the look the ball touched the ground before the line, so possible double movement.

The referees obviously didn't think so.

And then just an utterly ridiculous try that Penrith got after the freakish bounce of the ball bamboozles Dallan mortenis Lesnia.

Can they go over from I don't know how many meters out it was where that kick was placement, might have been seventy or eighty.

By the time they scored, I mean the Snyder try hurt there was forty six minutes.

There was just into the second half.

After all that good defense in the first half, they can see to dive over from DUMBI half, and what compounded it was that I think it came from a penalty.

I think maybe val Munger was penalized for being off side from a kickchase.

So then Penrith get a leg up.

They go down, but then you shouldn't concede from dumby half low that in the finals match three defenders through.

But yeah, the third try, it was a miracle.

It was a friggin miracle, Like the Warriors had done this amazing yardage kick that almost went over the sideline.

Paul Adamoti saves it from going out, but then he's stuck in his n goal.

You think he's not going to get out of there.

He gets out of there by half a meter.

Otherwise he's penned and it's a goal and dropper.

He gets up by half a meter.

The Penrith are still penned.

The Warriors are pushing up clear.

He kicks from his twenty five meter line, but for some reason the Warriors back through.

We're probably back a bit too far.

It wasn't a great kick, but in there just a bit too deep and it does this crazy bounce which you see sometimes.

And then the rest is like how did that happen?

How did it happen?

Like how did they go from being completely under the pump to scoring a seventy to try?

That That was turning point for the Capital t wasn't it.

It really was.

I suppose from there the worries I just couldn't rain it, and that was it was getting to the point where it was it was too much at this point.

Coach Andrew Webster, just in an overall summary, says, There's still a lot to like about this season.

I've bought a lot of young guys through.

I feel like a senior players an none, a terrific job with handle adversity, which stayed really tight as a group like this group is so well connected.

The thing is with that comment the nath You know, you and I have talked to Webster a lot this year.

You get hearing his voice, can't you.

You can hear the disappointment in his voice, that sort of you know, he's he's he's trying to sound positive, enthusiastic and the words he's right everything he's saying, but you can just hear the disappointment.

He is absolutely gutted and fair enough because he knows that the team could have gone further.

You know, it's what could have been, what could have been?

You can just you can just hear that in his and fair enough because they put so much to get to, so much to get to the finals so much into the season.

They were flying high for so long, so to end up going in a week one like they did, Yeah, it's a bigger only, isn't it again?

Big League Podcast?

Well, Birch, it's time to do a bit of a twenty twenty five season in review, and you and I are going to dish out a few awards.

So we're going to do Player of the club, Man of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Try thee and the best team performance, and we're going to talk about what needs to happen, what could happen in the offseason as we look ahead to twenty twenty six.

So just in an overall summary, the Warriors finishing sixth on the ladder and making round one of the finals, they finished with fourteen wins and ten losses from the season.

Five of those losses, though, came in the last seven rounds as they started to spiral.

Berch.

We're going to start with Player of the Year to you who has stood out and stood up the most in twenty twenty five.

Yeah, the Simon Manning Metal will be will be decided later this week actually, and for me, there's no question there's a few decent contenders.

Roger tu Vasishek had an amazing season.

He will be a final lost.

I'm sure Lekahalisima was incredible and he deserves to be in the conversation.

But I think the only player for me the player of the year Aaron Clark by the year player of the year, just amazing, played every game and was so critical in that first half of the season to so many of those wins.

I just wanted to remind you that in June they had a record ten and three, ten wins, three losses, and then the final part of the season was four and seven.

So that really sums it up, doesn't it.

They just went from here and trail downwards.

But Clark was so consistent, brought so much to that pack, especially when Barnett was out, sespecially when Fish Harris is injured.

So yeah, eron Clarke for me.

And it was a bit of a mystery, actually we did him.

Talked about this, but a bit of a mystery.

Only played thirty seven thirty eight minutes on Saturday.

Maybe he had to.

I saw him getting some treatment on the ground, so maybe there was a But he's been playing fifty or sixty minutes.

I found that quite strange.

I wish I'd ask Andrew Webster about that.

I've gone for Laqua Halasima as my player of the Year.

The number of sort of iconic moments that he has recorded in the jersey and on the field that will live on in the hearts and minds of Warriors fans for so many years to come.

And we're going to get to a couple of those, I'm sure in a few moments.

But for me, he's just stood up.

He stood up in the big moments.

Eron Clark, I one hundred percent agree with you in terms of what he's brought for this side.

I think he's been the signing of the year across all competitions.

But for me, Lequa Halasima is just the standout player who captured the most headlines.

Probably not as consistent as Aaron Clark, I will, I will admit that, but for me, he gets my vote for Player of the Year, and Aaron Clark is my club Man of the Year for that overall performance, the most consistent performer, mister reliable, the sort of I mean when to Harris went down at the start of the year, and Aaron Clark's just stood stepped up in that role and he has been outstanding.

Different player to Tahoo, but he I don't think there's much more he could have done.

He is my club Man of the Year and taur Who, not just tour Who, but Dylan Walker.

You know, we've ever forgotten Dylan Walker was one of our Warriors guns players and he left after two rounds and we're what are we going to do now with that Dylan?

And actually now no one's really talking about Dylan.

So it's another positive from the season, the way they've they've kept finding answers.

Yeah, a great point about liquor.

He also ended up as a top try scorer.

How good is that for a nineteen year old second rower to be top try scorer.

It's quite unusual.

And played in the centers and played the centers sometime off the in the middle of the interchange.

Club man for me, go for Roger two of us as Chick, I just thought the example is set on and off the field, the consistency, the way he captured the imagination yet again as a thirty two year old, the standards he set.

He's just an ultimate professional and he's the guy that the young guys look up to you so much, the fans look up to just the perfect guy to have her in the club.

That's my club.

End of the year.

So what have we got next?

We've got Rookie of the Year.

Yes, I just wanted to say too, honorable mension of club Man of the Year to Marty Martin in regards to the number of positions the field and the number of greg ways in which he was.

Used a Rookie of the Year.

I'm going to hand it over to you to start the SMI okay for me for me is leka HeLa Sima absolutely amazing what he did.

I was a Vegas stud of the Year and Australian journalists sort of cornered Andrew Webster and said, mate, what do you reckon?

Lak Alasima a big chance for a Rookie of the Year.

And I was thinking, at you, that's quite a big call the stage of the season, but he.

Was bang on.

I think there's no no young players done more than him in then r L this season.

And to your point about the excitement that he's brought, he sort of reminds me of the excitement that that was generated when Sunny Bill came on the scene as a teenager when Benji came on the scene.

Sean Johnson, you were right, not really, mate, Do you sound like ship by the way, you look like my commitment.

I feel like my throat.

My throat feels like Keith Richards, you know, the guy smoking three packs cigarettes a day.

You're not great, but you got to front up in the big moments.

So it does.

It does remind me of Benji Sonny Bell.

Sean, he's just been amazing.

Said, yeah, that's my Rookie of the Year, was.

Like a Hall of Sema.

A rookie though he's not a Rockie.

He played last year.

I didn't even have him down for Rookie of the Year because in my eyes he's not a rookie.

He played last year that was his Rockie season.

It was, so, how can he win Rookie of the Year.

This year, because because I've decided he can, that's how well, that's just wrong though.

Senior and junior No hang on, no apprentice, no, no, no wisdom and getting there no.

But to be serious, mate, the thing is and now he's dying master master soon to be deceased.

Yeah, like Yoda and Skywalker.

But what happens to Yoda, he does die.

Yeah, yeah, this is you're about to cack it, mate.

I was like myself as hand Solo actually, but yeah, I'll be Yon Solo.

I love Han Solo still my hero?

Is that?

Do you model your dress of him?

A little bit?

You got kind of the shirt that's sort of a bit like that, a little bit.

Harm.

I was always more of an Anakin, my Anakin guy, myself Anakin.

Oh yeah, have you even seen the prequels?

I've seen them, Yeah, but they were they're okay, you probably watched the original trilogy in the movies when you were little, not quite, but yeah, I was that you would have been in your early twenties, seventeen, Yeah, yeah, that's right.

Yeah.

But he only played four matches last year, so under the enterror rules, that's not enough.

Or what I'm saying is he didn't play enough games to disqualify over him from being a.

Rookie this year.

So he still counts as a rookie this year because what he did came off the bench against the Bulldogs last year, and he had two or three others off the bench, So yeah, he's still It sounds a bit weird.

I hear what you're saying, mate, But he's still technically a rookie this year because let's face it, he hardly played last year.

He wasn't in the team, wasn't the team at all, so.

It was his rookie year and he got four games.

Tough.

Anyway, I didn't have him down for Rookie the Year.

I've picked Dimetric Vai Munga as my Rookie of the Year because I think he's more of a genuine rookie.

His distribution or that he's running too oh did he remember and he had changed his name too.

But but you're right, Dimitric played less last year now, but he played less than Leka, so that doesn't even count.

Yeah, I mean, these are the sort of details you don't need on TikTok, but you do need on the podcast.

What does this have to do with TikTok?

Nothing?

Random segue.

Yeah, follow Dimitric on TikTok.

Yeah, that's a really good show.

Demetric was amazing.

There were times during the year, Nay, I think we talked about it where Lecqua was getting all the attention and the headlines, but there'd be weeks with Dimitric was actually the one out shining him.

He was his all round play with his his off loads as work up the middle.

He's he's a gun as well.

He really is.

Try of the year I've gone with Lecqua Halasima versus the Knights in round twenty runs forty five meters, beat six defenders, collect after collecting the ball off the charge, doown wins the game for the Warriors.

Crucial time of the year.

Good luck beat in that, Birge.

I can't beat that, mate, I can't be that.

That was.

That was my favorite seven seconds of the year.

I think it was everyone's favorite seven seconds of the year.

That was the seven seconds.

I only know it's seven seconds because I went back and watched it thirty five times and time did and everything.

That was ever's favorite.

Sometimes that's all it takes to have a good time.

Seven seconds m Yeah, yeah, maybe around Year's Eve or something.

But seven seconds was you know, that was him becoming a cold hero.

That was absolutely incredible because you won't see another trial like that for years.

You just won't.

So yeah, that was a But to be fair, mate, he scored.

You could just as easy to pick out as tigers try.

The try against the Tigers.

In round four.

They're losing with about late in the game and he just burst down the sideline, beats, shoves off three or four players, run seventy meters to score as a second rower.

That was probably as good, almost as good.

It just wasn't quite at the end.

So he's got so many highlight real moments and best performance of the year burge just quickly.

I've gone with the forty to ten Hiding of the Sharks, where Halosima Vaimunga and Jacob Laban all had standout performance as Chanelle.

Harris Tavita his best game of the season.

I scored thought he scored two tries.

They were scrambling on defense.

Warriors had barely any tackles in the Sharks twenty but they were clinical on attack and it's a shame we didn't see more of that during the season.

Yeah, that was the peak.

That was, in a way the peak moment.

We were so excited about that team.

I remember saying after that game, gee, they could end up anywhere this season.

It was June, they were second.

They just smashed the Sharks.

You're like far out this team they could you know, we didn't want to say it but they could win the whole thing.

You know, that was how excited we'd get.

But to be different, I'll go with I thought there was a slightly better team performance round seven against the Broncos at Mounts mart full strength Broncos team.

They beat them in Golden Point by one point.

It's a really good Brisbane team.

They're better than the Sharks and the Warriors really had to stand up that night and did so.

I thought that was right up there with the Sharks game.

And just lastly, Birge would just touch on a bit of off season signing.

Perhaps news war has been giving the green lights to negotiate with Titans winger Ali carn Perira.

Have I said his name right?

Yep?

Cardi also waiting in the wings as well from the new South Wales Cup site.

If they're going to bring in a winger, who goes because he's already off the box.

Yeah, they've got one spot, so they've got one spot to fill, so it doesn't necessarily mean someone goes, but it will be interesting what happens.

I mean, you can't hide from the fact that Dallen struggled all season.

It wasn't just a blip.

We were hoping was a blip.

We kept saying, he's down on confidence, let's hope he gets it back.

But he struggled almost all of the season.

I felt for him.

He's in a hole, couldn't get out of it.

So what do you do there?

You know he's on decent money.

Does he get nearly released and goes somewhere else?

I don't know, but one thing I will say in for next season's team, they desperately need some pace.

I think this game model has been exposed a bit and they really really need some pace and can't Perra brings it because you look at the back line at the moment, they do lack pace compared to other big teams.

The Big League Podcast for the biggest league fans.

The Big League Pod.

On the Warriors badwagon since day one.

But before we get into our last quick fire predictions of the season, the Warriors woman with a dominant win over the Tigers to finish their campaign.

The new South Wales Cup side an upset loss to Saint Georgia La Warrior who goes straight through to the Grand Final.

It means the Warriors will have to play the Paramatta Eels in order to make the Grand final.

Lots of positives to take out of both of these teams just quickly.

There are there are.

I mean the Woman was always going to be a big learning curve for them.

So many new players new to the game, as we talked about, and we've seen progress and so I think next season will be very different.

So there's a lot to like about what they've done and a very good way to finish the season.

You always want to go into a preseason on a high news of Vice Cups.

That's unfortunate.

They'll have to go the long way to the grand final.

They're clearly the best team in the competition, so you just got to hope they rediscover what they've been doing.

I'm sure they'll be fine.

I'm sure they'll be the Grand Final and that'll be a great occasion too.

The Raiders will play the Sharks in the first up match in nraur Finals.

A week two, they had a heartbreaking loss to the Broncos.

They scored the winning try burge and then the Bunker overruled it and then the Broncos have a field, got the most outrageous game.

Bron goes down twenty eight twelve, draw it up twenty eight all two periods of extra time come to nought and then golden point drama enshoes.

I think the Raiders were robbed.

They were robbed, they were they would down.

I hate that rule about the when they're trying to smother a kick and you end up touching the league and its appeally, it's ridiculous.

Reese Walsh probably should have got sent off for the head but I'm.

Happy for the Broncos and away happy for McGuire because he was absolutely written off at the start of the year as slammed by the Sydney journalist.

So he's done.

He's done amazing.

But the Raiders should be and the bloody Privim Final is going to be so hard for them now.

I really feel for them.

I wanted the Raiders in the Grand Final.

They might struggle.

Now I'd say they'll they'll bounce back and beat the Sharks, but taking the long road to the Grand Final will be very hard.

I agree that I think they'll beat the Sharks and Bulldogs Panthers Bulldogs going down what Panthers obviously getting up over the Warriors.

How do you see this one playing out?

Bulldogs at home?

The Bulldogs weren't far away.

They actually played really well against the Storm, and I feel like if Crichton had a stand on the field, it could have been different.

They were right in this match.

Crichton will surely be out though for this one.

He's a big loss.

He's their key strike weapon, he's their captain.

Of course, the Panthers have got more in them, as they said, they'll improve.

It was a big relief getting over this one in New Zealand.

They'll improve.

They're on the road again, as I say, on the road to another run.

So I think the Panthers here.

I think the Panthers will be too strong for the Bulldogs.

And finally burged because this is the last episode for the season.

Right now, who's going to win the NRAL on twenty twenty five?

Oh bloody hell, Okay, geez far out, Nathan.

I've got my answer.

Well, it was going to be the Raiders.

It won't be now.

So now it's either the Broncos or the Storm.

They get easy run it and they get easy to run to.

I'll go to the Broncos, no way.

I had the same answer.

I think the Broncos went from here that win other Raiders absolutely crucial and even if they come up against the Storm in the final, I reckon Reese Walsh has a moment and the Broncos finally get over the line.

Can you imagine that?

Can you?

I mentione that it would be It would be a great story, be a great story.

Michael maguire, Yeah, great story for the It's been a long time for the Broncos.

But if Penwrith did it as well, that's a great story.

There's a lot of great stories, but I just wow the raatest man they were on course.

That'll do us for season three.

Year three of the Big League Podcast.

Thank you so much for your ears throughout this season.

It's been a pleasure bringing it to you.

Honestly.

Thank you to you Michael Burgess for being a fantastic co host, forgetting those Warriors players and the sheds after the game and making sure we have a name on the podcast each week.

It's been an absolute pleasure doing it again alongside you this year, and I'm pleased to announce that we will be back again brilliant next year.

No Na, thanks for all your work.

All the work you do behind the scenes is amazing and my personal highlight of the year was the fact.

That you knew who Short Round was.

That will stick in my mind little moments.

No, but it's been a great It's been a great year to do a podcast because it's been such a great season.

So I think as well, we've got to thank the Warriors as a club and the Warriors players because they've given us so much to be able to talk about and so many positive things to talk about.

I only knew Short Round because of an episode of the Big Bang Theory, but I'll take it.

I'll take it.

Hey, thank you again, Michael Burgess, thank you for listening.

My name is Nathan lem It's been a fantastic year, have a great summer, and we will be back in February next year, So turn back in to the Big League Podcast, have a fantastic week, enjoy Christmas, enjoy the rest of the NROL Finals, and we'll be back next year

For more from News Talks ed B Listen on air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.